Re: Enhance Rating/Decrease Rating spell - Dreamer further hacked version

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Tue 04 Apr, Peter Aronson wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dreamer" <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk>
> To: <SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com>
> Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 1:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [SPELLJAMMER] Enhance Rating/Decrease Rating spell - Dreamer
> further hacked version
> > > Did we deliberately mean to leave out lifejammers and death helms?
> >
> > Yes, I'd say so.
> >
> > My guess is that this spell affects the specific magical
> > relationship between the helmsman and the helm, based on the way
> > its casting is restricted. Lifejammers etc work in a different
> > way. So, I'd say you can't use this spell.
> 
> Actually, upon rereading the 2nd edition spell, it says nothing about
> propulsion method at all. To means this means it ought to work with Minor
> Helms, Major Helms, Helm Spells, Series Helms, Pool Helms, Grand Helms,
> Furnaces, Artifurnaces, Lifejammers, Death Helms, non-magical engines and
> anything else you can use to move a ship.

Hm. "This spell can only be cast upon an individual using a major
or minor spelljamming helm, whether existing or created by the
wizard or priest spell."

No, it doesn't mention the exact propulsion method, but
everywhere that it uses the term "major or minor spelljamming
helm" I am pretty sure that it is referring to the Arcane
standard of a magic-powered Helm, with the obvious extension of
those created by the Helm spells, which are only the magic-
powered variety.

I'd say that to mess with Series Helms and Pool Helms you need a
spell which messes with spell-like ability rather than spell-
casting ability.

Orbus a spell that enhances living creatures.

Forges a spell that enhances creativity. Bardic work song?

Gnomish Helms a spell that enhances perversity. Like a Wand of
Wonder?

Crown of the Stars being a standard minor helm with knobs on the
standard enhancement spells will work.

Furnaces a spell that enhances the firey destruction of magic
items; you might say the magic items don't last as long, maybe
only five days if +1 SR, only three days if +2 SR; or only
two-thirds and half time respectively.

Artifurnaces a custom-researched spell for that particular
artifact.

Lifejammers a spell that enhances necromancy.

Non-magical Engines a spell which enhances the specific process
that they operate by, but arguably this is not possible as they
always have only SR 1.


I've only listed the Helm types from CoAS, which I think is a
sensible minimum to start thinking about this problem with. A
Psionic Helm, which is psionic-powered and is otherwise as a
standard minor helm, would need a spell which messes with
psionics to enhance it, for example.

The reason that I'm being so strict here is that SJ is pushing
the limits of what you can do with magic, something that CoAS
either says directly or strongly implies all over the place. It
is apparently standard magic items, and apparently standard
spells, that let you do far more than comparable items and spells
can - move around immense objects at astronomical speeds. This
strongly suggests to me magic operating at its limits, and any
spells that tinker with this magic need to be very precise in
their effects and limitations.

Hopefully that makes sense! [grin]


Maybe some commentary should be added to that effect?

"Spelljamming is pushing the limits of what you can do with
magic.  It is apparently standard magic items, and apparently
standard spells, that let you do far more than comparable items
and spells can - move around immense objects at astronomical
speeds. This is magic operating at its limits, and any spells
that tinker with this magic, for example to enhance the SR, need
to be very precise in their effects and limitations.  In practice
this means they only work on Helms with a single operating
principle."

OK?


> Peter

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/