Questions about "Chaos Magic" (Mongoose Publishing)

[Nemroth]

hi there!

i've got two questions about chaosmagic:

1)
a chaosmage wanted to teleport himself and the group out of a dangerous battle, so he wanted to cast:

Movement, Minor (DC 15)
Area, Allies Only (+5)

In my opinion he has also to use
Range, Close (+1)
Because ha couldn't touch all his Allies in this situation in one moment.
His opinion is, that with "Area, Allies Only" all allies are directly included and no Range is needed.
We have the same disscusion when he wants to use "Area, Enemies Only" together with a damage spell...
(btw: this would be question 3: with an element of Area (e.g. cone or enemies only) which includes more than 1 enemie, is the damage of the spell splitted or gains each enemy the full damage?)

So is with "Area, Enemies/Allies Only" also a range needed or not? and if not: which enemies/allies are affected? All? All the chaosmage can see? Something else?

2)
the chaos mage has the first step on his chaos-path.
if i understand the rules correctly, he gains step 2 only when:
he first rolls a 1 on a d20 on his "spell-check"
and then rolls with a d20 a 1 again (because he has to "under-roll" his current step with a d20)
but the chance for this to happen is only by 0,25%
Could it be, that the dice for "under-rolling" the current step has to be a d10 (because of the 10 steps each path has)?
But even then, the chance is only by 0,5%
I'm just wondering if it is correct, that reaching step 2 on the chaospath is statisicly so improbaly...

so, enough bad english from a german guy for one day, right?
would be very happy about your answers!

bye, nemroth

 

[Sam Witt]

Here are a few answers, let me know if you have more questions:

1> You can get away with a range of touch for the movement spell, if the center of the spell's area of effect can be touched by the mage (such as the ground at his feet). The area radiates out from that point and all valid targets within the area would then be teleported.

This holds true for the enemy spell, as well - if you want the center of the spell's area of effect to be close enough for the mage to touch, you don't need a further range, it's already incorporated into the area of effect.

2> The first step on the path of chaos is easy to take. Subsequent steps are more difficult to gain (as you can see) because I wanted chaos mages to really use their abilities, not be terrified of immediately turning into a chaos beasty. So, yes, the first step is easy to gain, the second more difficult, and then there is a gradual slope from that point on where it becomes progressively easier to gain a path of chaos.

I don't have my book right here in front of me, so I reserve the right to change this at a later date.

Sam Witt

 

[Nemroth]

Hello!

First:
Thanks for this really quick answers!
And (just if you haven't heared it enough ) in my opinion Chaos Magic is an really really great book with great ideas!

1> You can get away with a range of touch for the movement spell, if the center of the spell's area of effect can be touched by the mage (such as the ground at his feet). The area radiates out from that point and all valid targets within the area would then be teleported.

But how big is the spell's area when "area, all enemies" is choosen? i can hardly think that all enemies over the world or even just all enemies the chaosmage can see (even if hundreds of feet away) will be affected by the spell...
i thought that this radius of the area should be choosen by an element of range...

an example:
a (very) big battle:
maybe 500 enemies and 500 allies (maybe a siege of a town).
the chaosmage wants to cast a "haste-spell" on all allies.
if there is no range needed he could cast this "haste-spell" on all his 500 allies just with a +5 on the dc for "area, all allies"?in my opinion the chaosmage has to choose a range (as an radius of the area around the chaosmage).

but as i see right know, there will be another problem: another range will be needed to see how far away the chaosmage can "place" the center of this area...

so there is still my problem...
how big (or which radius) is(has) the area of a spell when "area, all enemies/allies" is choosen (and by the rules no range is needed)?
same problem: how long will (e.g) a cone be if "area, cone" is choosen?

and last but not least:
if a damagespell affects more than one enemie (because e.g. "all enemies" or "cone" is choosen as area) is the damage of the spell splitted to all enemies or will every single enemy get the full damage?

Nemroth

 

[Sam Witt]

Nemroth -

Sorry for the confusion. You must always choose an area (single target, burst, spread, or cone) for your spell. You may also choose an area modifier (such as allies, enemies, selected individuals, or objects) to further refine your spell's original area of effect.

As for damage - all targets within the area of effect suffer the full damage of the spell, it is not divided up amongst the total number of targets in the area.

Hope that helps -

Sam