[Thieves' Worlds] Spell Failure & Spectacular Failure Question.

[Doc_Klueless]

Am I reading this right? What it says (paraphrasing) is that at Normal Mana level, every caster has a 25% chance of failing when casting a spell since failure is based off the actual number roled on the d20 without any modifications. Right?

And, if it's the caster's first round casting the spell, it'll be a Spectacular Failure since he'd have a Mana Pool of 0 (it's the first round so he hasn't gathered any mana yet) and any roll that causes the failure (1-5 on a d20) will result in bringing the Mana Pool to a negative number.

So, if I'm reading it right, the first round that any spellcaster, no matter his level, casts a spell, he's got a 25% chance of having a Spectacular Failure. Wouldn't the mages have wiped themselves off the map with a Spectacular Failure rate that high? I'm convinced that I'm missing something really, really obvious, but I'm not sure what it is.

 

[rjs]

Any spellcaster may use the Cautious Casting (described on page 147) option. It allows a spellcaster to reduce the failure range of a spell by an amount up to the base spellcasting or ritualcasting modifier (depending on the way it's cast) to a minimum of 1. For every point by which a spellcaster reduces the failure range, he takes a -2 circumstance penalty on his casting check (he's drawing mana more slowly). This can reduce the casting check roll to 0 but not below 0. Generally, low level spellcasters *need* to cast more cautiously and less often lest they wipe themselves off the map. It's even more important for priests and witches since the former should rely on rituals and the latter learns her art through trial and error. The best example of this is with Kusharl... whatever his name. See the Andy Offutt stories in the new anthologies.

See, I'm not on crack

 

[Doc_Klueless]

The best example of this is with Kusharl... whatever his name. See the Andy Offutt stories in the new anthologies.

And his master of the equally long name. Heh.

See, I'm not on crack

I knew I was missing something.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Hjorimir]

If I recall correctly, a caster can also prep some spells ahead of time (a number of spells equal to the bonus on their primary casting stat). This would those spells a large starting pool.