Re: Wild Mages and Spelljamming helms

Greetings all,

In our last episode, Downer, Chris said:
>Grimwulf said:
>> I agree with you and do it the same way.  Multi-class characters have
>> enough advantages, and giving them their highest level has always
>> seemed
>> fair to me.  I certainly wouldn't add the levels together or some
>> other
>> obscene thing like that.  But I think the Helms are "power hungry" and
>> would drain any magical energy (priestly or wizardly) they could find.
>
>       But then if that is the case then the "power hungry" helms would
>be able to use that extra energy that it is draining. So you would
>combine them. Of coarse you could just say use the highest level in
>which case the other class would not be affected. I would combine both
>spell class levels. I think the penalty equals the advantage, (i.e. 5/5
>Cleric/Mage cannot use any spell for 24 hours, after piloting the helm.)

        This is starting to become a discussion of definitions.  Does
a helm actually *drain* spells?  I say, "Like hell." :)  Helms drain
spells about as much as studying puts energy back.  In my reality,
helms simply "unalign" you.  (For all you GURPSers out there, it drops
your magery to zero.)  It doesn't make you *forget* spells, it just takes
away your ability to cast them.  The energy is restored when you rest
and sleep.  (I don't care what the boxed set says.  AD&D's magic system
barely makes sense as is.  I'm not even going to attempt to theorize on
how a helm "steals" your spells.)

        Now, in respect to multi-classed spellcasters, this means that they
*cannot* cast spells when on a helm.  No spells *at all* because they
*can't* cast spells.  Their piloting level comes from their highest
spell casting level because this is the best they know spell casting at.

        In other words, I agree with Paul's original opinion. :)  The
above is simply my logic for it.  If you don't agree with it, then don't
play in my games... :)

-Static

p.s.  Ok, ok.  So I lied.  I *am* going to give a theory on why helms make
you forget spells.  It's because when you "memorize" a spell, you don't
actually learn it.  Instead, memorization is the *ritual* by which you cast
a spell and bind it to yourself for quick casting later.  This way, the 
*energy* is "on the mage" for the helm to steal.

	Comments?
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