Re: Wild Mages and Spelljamming helms

> 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.

Okay, I agree with you (though I do like the random aspects of the class -
taking them too far can become a nightmare). Two things though - there are
some spells that do not have a target - say augury for instance (this is a
clerical spell, I know, but I can't think of a mage one off hand, except
for something like the Wall spells, or dancing lights) what happens to
them if a wild surge results and demands a target.

You also mention about matter with in 100' disintigrating on the effect of
a wild surge - seeing that is the case, I doubt anybody will want to hang
around a wild mage. My bard would not really like his VERY expensive
clothes being disintigrated, and he would be pretty embarrased to wonder
around wildspace starkers.


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"Apollo ordained my fate ... but the hand that struck my eyes were mine
alone." Oedipus Tyrannos
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Why do you think MY eyes were struck?