Re: Wild Mages and Spelljamming helms

On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, David Sarkies wrote:

> On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, Linda G. wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I have question about a ild mage taking the helm( major or minor)
> > At what level would you consider the  wild mages upon the helm if his/her
> > level varies according to the wind so to speak?
> >
> > I was think and thought this was a good quesation and wonder how everybody
> > handled it.
> >
> > Jeremy G.
>
> I never really thought of this as we have never had a wild mage on a helm.
> I guess to keep with the ramdom aspect of the character to check for level
> variance every time the wild mage goes to take the helm, and not check
> again until the next time the mage is on the helm. Might even through in a
> couple of wild-surges if you want to make things interesting.

In my not-so humble opinion, I think this would be a patently BAD idea.
The "random aspect of the character" is not based on the individual mage,
but is based on his ability to tap into and control magic in casting
spells.  Since NO SPELL is required to power up a helm or a ship, NO WILD
MAGE CHECK IS MADE.  Again let me re-itterate that the true level of the
Wild Mage NEVER VARIES.  Like I said, if it did, his/her HP, THACO,
Saves, etc. would vary every minute!  Which they of course don't.  (Thank
goodness, what a book-keeping nightmare!)  There can be NO WILDSURGE
UNLESS A SPELL IS CAST.  Therefore, throwing in a wild surge just because
a Wild Mage took the helm is VERY incorrect.  Also, what would the target
of the Wild Surge be?  In many of the Wild Surge results, the surge
affects the target of the spell.  Since there is no spell, there is no
target.  Even if you decided that the helm or the ship is the target,
imagine the complete and total unbalance the game would receive when the
result "All non-living material within 10' of the target is
DISINTEGRATED."  Just the 1 in 100 chance that might happen would make
me, as a captain of such a ship, very wary in allowing the wild mage to
ever come within 10' of the helm.

Remember, no spell is cast, therefore no spell level variation is possible.

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> "Apollo ordained my fate ... but the hand that struck my eyes were mine
> alone." Oedipus Tyrannos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep hanging around Wild Mages, and EVERYONE's eyes will be "struck out!"


--Grimwulf
	Chaotic Rules Quoter