Re: New Spell: Endless Atmosphere

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Fri 03 Nov, Adam Miller wrote:
> Ugh, sorry, been a pretty busy/draining last couple of
> days :p

I think Autumn can get a lot of people like that...  Assuming
your problem was climate related! [grin]


> --- Dreamer <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk> wrote:
> 
> > You may wish to compare this with the following
> > proposed new spell for the basic 3rdEd rules:
> 
> Dangit, was looking for spells like that.

I don't want to imply any authority to the spell - it was just
one of the new spells we hacked together for 3rdEd SJ, earlier
this year:

http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/frpg/spelljam/spells.htm


> > Comparing the two, I'm not sure that the 'Endless'
> > spell will work in the Flow, as almost all
> > Conjuration (Creation) seems to get something from
> > somewhere else, not just create it out of raw
> > magic.  Generally access to the Elemental Plane of
> > Air.
> 
> True.  It might not work in the Flow, since it does
> indeed create air.
> 
> Let me explain the purpose of Endless Atmosphere: I
> want a spell that creates a permanent air envelope
> around a ship, so that for, especially for big ships,
> the ship doesn't have to land and refresh its air. 
> That way, a ship can stay in space indefinately, so
> long as food supplies are provided for.  Also works
> for space stations as well.

Sounds reasonable...


> > Should the 'Endless' spell have a tonnage limit, as
> > the 'Renew' spell does?
> 
> Possibly.  Another idea is that it creates X # of
> man-days worth of air every round.

The spell Create Air (0th or 1st) cast at 18th gives you a
maximum of 10 refreshed personal air envelopes, which we
calculated was about 20 man-hours of air.

If your spell did the equivalent of one of those every round then
it would keep air fresh for 12,000 people, assuming my mental
sums are correct!

The normally largest ships are 100 tn, with a standard 100 crew -
the number which gives two man-months of air for all the crew,
i.e. 200 man-months, a bit more than ten thousand man days.

With standard sized crews 1/56 of the air is used every day, or
about 2%.

Maybe the spell should renew some multiple of the caster's level
in man-days per day?  Five times would then mean a 20th level
caster would give a ship or spacestation crewed by up to 100
human-equivalents indefinite air.

If you've got more than that, send some people on holiday every
so often, to give the air a chance to renew itself! [grin]

I don't know if you think that is powerful enough for a 9th level
spell, though...

10x?

Maybe 5x spellcaster level tons would be a reasonable limit?

10x?


> > Should the 'Endless' spell be one level less for
> > Druids, as much air magic is?
> 
> Probabably; wasn't aware that was the case, but I am
> now :)
> 
> 
> > Can the 'Endless' spell handle complete loss of
> > atmosphere?  If it can, how quickly?
> 
> Probably about as fast as it takes to replace deadly
> air.

This introduces the interesting question of where is the
Permanent magical effect of the spell cast on?  Is it the
ship/spacestation?  If so, does destroying this wreck the spell? 
Is it the air?  If so, does destroying or removing the air wreck
the spell?  Is it the volume that contains the air, somehow
anchored to the ship?  If so, this volume would be re-filled with
air, or its air purified, as required.


> > Can the 'Endless' spell purify air not associated
> > with a ship, such as a (small) planet you land the
> > ship on, given enough time?

> 
> It could, and might be useful in turning lifeless
> asteroids into thriving life-islands :)

I'd suggest that it not work on larger than size class A (Fine)
bodies, i.e. things less than 10ml across diameter?

I'm guessing that you'd want a Druid to properly turn a lifeless
body into something covered in living plants, probably with small
animals, that regenerates its atmosphere?


> > What happens if you cast the spell in an area with a
> > sealed atmosphere, like a cave?
> 
> Most likely same thing as on a ship: it keeps the air
> continually clean.  Actually, it'd probably be common
> across the underdark or like magic employed (underdark
> ecology has always been a little hokey ;)

The only answer to the Underdark ecology that I've ever been
reasonably happy with is the Thermo Fungi, but some areas with a
spell like this doesn't sound like too bad an idea!


> > I like the 'platinum catalyst'! [grin]
> 
> Heh, I almost considered there being a logo the side
> :D

The only risk there is the cultural issue - people might not know
what you are referring to in some places, and if they get
replaced by something else in future, it'll be _really_ obscure! 


I did think of one other point - quite a lot of the 3rdEd spells
with a Permanent effect seem to require you to 'burn' XP - you
might want to think about that.


You might also wish to add that the initial casting of the spell
instantly refreshes, or even replaces if lost, the ship's
atmosphere, maybe for ships of up to 5x (10x?) spellcaster level
tons?

That would give it an instant application, which you might or
might not want.

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