my profile | search | faq | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Wizards.Com Boards   » Wheel of Time   » Shielding not powerful enough ?

   
Author Topic: Shielding not powerful enough ?
Snow Crash
Member
Member # 85099


posted July 29, 2002 08:30 AM      Profile for Snow Crash      Edit/Delete Post
I am a player in the PoTD and had an Aes Sedai attempt to shield me as per the weave. All I had to do was make a relatively easy save and it had no effect. ( I am a 2nd level initiate / 1st level wilder) I can't remember the number I needed to roll but it wasn't a lot and this Aes Sedai was supposed to be more powerful than I. In the books it is nothing for lower level characters ie Avienda to shield four Seanchan at once an not one of them mak their save even though they would obviously have much more experience using the one power than Avienda. Not to mention the times people have shielded the forsaken and you would think if anyone was going to be able to make a save it would be them.

Anybody else have a view or fix on this.

From: Australia | Registered: May 2002  |  IP: Logged
Dark Ashaman
Member
Member # 78577



posted July 29, 2002 01:58 PM      Profile for Dark Ashaman      Edit/Delete Post
I would like to help you but like with most of the Weaves in this game, they don't fit the books very well AT ALL.

I'm still trying to rework Gateways. My NPC 6th level initiate (Dedicated of the Black Tower) had to spend a level 4 weave to make the gateway, a level 5 weave to make the skimming plateform (for 4 passengers), and then ANOTHER freakin level 4 weave to make an exit gateway. Having to overchannel to do the Skimming! All this weave expenditure for something that suppose to be "easier" than just simply making a Gateway from point A to point B. HOW FREAKING DUMB IS THAT??? GRRRRR!!!!!!

Okay.... slow deep breaths... count to ten............................................

Okay anyways, my point is that a lot of the weaves are dumb. Fireballs do NOT start out as pea sized balls of fire. And I've never seen a fireball explode into a 50 ft radius!!! Riven earth should leave its targets knocked down or something for a turn. Cutting Lines of Fire (or whatever it is) should do more than 2d12 damage for a 7th level weave that is Rare. (I mean Dashiva, aka Osan'gar aka Aginor, used it on Rand in book 8 with intent of killing him. Apparently its a pretty strong weave, 2d12 is an average of 12 points of damage.... WHUP DE FREAKING DO! Rand should have just stood there and took the damage if thats the case.)

Anyways the whole One Power system is whack. A person could be dumb as a rock and be a strong channeler (meaning have a low intelligence) but that is in no way, shape, or form reflected.

Back to your point though, I remember that same scene. Rand and Aviendha did a million weaves at once on those Seanchen (which would be impossible in the RPG). I agree that shields should be different, there should be a way of breaking one for instance.

Anyways, i'm going to eat some cheese now.

--------------------
Suravye Ninto Manshima Taishite

From: Kentucky | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged
Greth
Member
Member # 97663



posted July 29, 2002 03:29 PM      Profile for Greth      Edit/Delete Post
The problem with shielding is that the effect works against itself. If you are shielding someone who is not ebracing the one power, then that means that the weave is two levels lower (making it easier to cast the weave, which is right) However, this also lowers the resist DC, since the weave is two levels lower. I handle this in a unique manner in my game. Instead of a saving throw, which is scaled for the level of the weave, I have an opposed power rating check.

I calculate a channelers power by adding their level + relevant channeling stat modifiers + number of affinities + number of talents. I find this to be easy to quickly add up and it more accurately moderates the level of power relative to the different channelers. (two initiates with 14 int and 14 wis, but one has 5 affinities and the other has one, I think that the one with five should be stronger.)

Back to the point though, I have opposed power roles. If a channeler wants to break a shield, I have them make an opposed roll for that too, but with a four penalty to the one who is already shielded. If you are trying to shield someone who is already channeling, they get a 4 bonus because it is very hard to shield someone who is already channeling, and nearly impossible if they are much stronger than you. This has worked great so far.

Also, on Cutting Lines of Fire, I use the alternate wound point system, and I have that weave do direct wound damage if it hits. MUCH nastier and pretty acurate.

[ July 29, 2002, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Greth ]

Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
Katalya Aes Sedai
Member
Member # 93824


posted July 29, 2002 04:30 PM      Profile for Katalya Aes Sedai      Edit/Delete Post
Also note that you can add 5 to a man's channeling power to represent the first- to fifth-level bonus weaves for being male and the fact that men are simply stronger in the Power in the books.

We've been using a pretty similar system in my WoT game - opposed checks of channeler level + mental attribute bonuses (all 3). Men get the +5 bonus. I would advise requiring a 5-point margin of victory; if one of the two channelers locked in the contest wins by less, they have a bonus equal to the margin of victory on the check next round. This makes it a little less likely that one of the PCs will get lucky and, say, shield one of the Forsaken, unless the PC is very, very strong (and the Forsaken is relatively weak, like Moghedion).

--------------------
"Is there no place in this world for the man with a 105 IQ?"
- Homer Simpson

From: Phoenix, AZ or Williamstown, MA | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
Arafel is Full of Strange Folks
Member
Member # 97788


posted July 30, 2002 05:52 AM      Profile for Arafel is Full of Strange Folks   Email Arafel is Full of Strange Folks    Edit/Delete Post
For those of you who haven't read the short prequel "New Spring" (I guess it's going to be expanded later on by RJ), you should take the time. It gives a good explanation of what you can and can't do while someone is trying to shield you (see Moraine at the end).

I'll reread it later on and make another post to refresh myself on it, but the combat with shields and "multiweaving" (as we know it in the rpg) is a bit more complicated than the rpg allows for.

Putting the "New Spring" example into rpg context, once you start "trying" to shield someone, you can let it carry over to the next combat round without needing to "reweave" it. So even if the targetted player manages to make his/her saving throw against the shield that first round, it can/will be there for howmanyever rounds the attacker wants to press forward with the shield. This can go on until the attacker is too weak (tires from keeping the pressure on) to continue, or the defender breaks it off somehow.

So going back to what you originally said, in the rpg if you can just make a single saving throw to break the shield, it really is too weak. To make it comparable with the shield in the books, the weave would need to get tweaked somehow.

From: San Diego, CA | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged


All times are Pacific Time  
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:

Contact Us | http://www.wizards.com/ | Privacy Statement



Powered by Infopop Corporation
Ultimate Bulletin BoardTM 6.2.0

Shop Games Books Magazines Stores Events Company Worldwide Community