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Author Topic: One Power Question
Monteblanco
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posted January 14, 2003 08:32 AM      Profile for Monteblanco      Edit/Delete Post
Hi,
I haven't brought the RPG yet cause I'm still in the middle of the books. However, I wonder if d20 is an adequate system to the Wheel of Time. I know that the magic system is different from D&D but reading the write-ups I found in the Internet, it appears that it is still missing a point. Is it possible to create a character who is strong in One Power but unskilled in channeling? Would be necessary to make him/her a genius (or any other stat related to One Power in the game)? This would be the case of Rand and the girls when they were introduced in the books.

From: Rio de Janeiro | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged
Dayana Sedai
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posted January 14, 2003 09:09 AM      Profile for Dayana Sedai      Edit/Delete Post
You can roll play your character however you want. but the write up according to the RPG would suggest that they knew what they could do. The RPG suggests that a first level character is already well developed in their level in terms of channeler. Nyneave was a level 1 wilder when she went ot the tower . . . thus she was raised to accepted. Elayne and Egwene did not gain any channeler levels according to the way the book is written till they were back from the Seanchan, or perhaps, in Egwene's case, because she learned so much, she could have gotten the level when she became a damane. My guess is that Rand wasn't a channeler (by RPG defining rules) till mid Great Hunt when he knew he had used one of those stone pillars . . . however this would technically be very unlikely by the books rules.

I think basically that although d20 characters eventually become as powerful if not in some cases more so than the heroes of the books. They aren’t meant to start out that way. I'm not entirely happy with how the system sets up channeling classes, but it is MUCH better than DnD magic and you can pretend (via good roll-playing) that it is similar. There really are only a few problems.

[Smile]

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The house of Adrinna will rise to the glory of Cairhien and bring light to the world. It is so sworn on the sun throne.

From: Oregon | Registered: Nov 2002  |  IP: Logged
Shadowkiller
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posted January 14, 2003 09:11 AM      Profile for Shadowkiller      Edit/Delete Post
I believe that the d20 system does an above average job at representing the world of WoT. Its not perfect, its not great, but its definitely better then average.

The way the d20 system represents someone strong in the One Power is through their stats. If you have 18s or higher in the stat which your channeling class is best with, you have great potential. Technically you have the ability to channel 8th level weaves but you dont have the levels for it. This is how it represents someone like this. A channeler can also take a round and judge someone against their own stats determining whether this person is more powerful, less powerful, equally as powerful or has the potential for any of these things. The rules for it come with the Prophecies of the Dragon book.

Also, I incorperated rules for random channeling into my game. These rules can be found on my site under other additions. The way I believe the WoT world works in the d20 system is that everyone aims for a prestige class. A woman does not become an initiate if she doesn't want to be an Aes Sedai, at least not in game terms and not usually. But I had my players decide what prestige class they wanted their characters to head for. Women and men who wanted to end in one of the channeling classes had the ability to channel the random weaves weather or not they could channel then. It increased the realism of the game a little.

[ January 14, 2003, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: Shadowkiller ]

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Freya
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posted January 14, 2003 09:20 AM      Profile for Freya      Edit/Delete Post
Given the way they stat out a channeler's "power rating" (Int mod+Wis mod+Cha mod+channeler level), you could have someone with above average Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, but no channeler levels. Therefore, they are 'potentially' powerful in the One Power, just without any channeling ability.

Besides, a GM can always engineer 'powerful' ... ie. An Aes Sedai senses the person for potential, and says "You could be very powerful were you to enroll in the Tower." And that's all that would be needed. Stats only tell so much.

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From: dallas,tx | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
Eosin_the_Red
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posted January 14, 2003 11:00 AM      Profile for Eosin_the_Red   Email Eosin_the_Red    Edit/Delete Post
quote:
Would be necessary to make him/her a genius (or any other stat related to One Power in the game)?
That is a tricky question, the simple answer is yes. It is possible to do some work arounds though. The only Aes Sedai that just cannot be done right with simple tweaking are Verin, Nicloa, & Sharina. The supershielder among the kin and Alivia are also difficult work arounds.

Having said that, the system works better than any other I have played (Mage, Hero, & GURPS) the one I have not tried is Ars Magica. All those mentioned can do the magic wonderfully but no one wants to play a non-channeler in a game where the channelers are built on quadrupile the points.

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From: Norman, OK, USA | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
JosephKell
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posted January 14, 2003 11:46 AM      Profile for JosephKell   Email JosephKell    Edit/Delete Post
Here is an interesting question, could someone with a low max weave casting ability be able to use weave slots they can't normally use to power weave levels they can channel? Like a wilder with 13 wisdom using a 5th level weave slot to do a level 3 weave?

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Heron_Marked_Blade
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posted January 14, 2003 01:09 PM      Profile for Heron_Marked_Blade      Edit/Delete Post
quote:
Originally posted by JosephKell:
Here is an interesting question, could someone with a low max weave casting ability be able to use weave slots they can't normally use to power weave levels they can channel? Like a wilder with 13 wisdom using a 5th level weave slot to do a level 3 weave?

No. Well, yes, but it would be overchanneling. Channelers, as I understand it, cannot use the weave levels they gain as they advance in levels that are above their highest possible weave level (based off of wisdom). A 13 WIS channeler can only cast weaves over lvl 3 if s/he overchannels or uses an *angreal. Either way, s/he still uses the lvl 3 weave slot.

Bummer for Initiates, but not as bad for Wilders (Initiates stop at 4 weaves per level; Wilders gain up to 6 weaves per levels 0-3).

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Ennaom
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posted January 14, 2003 01:09 PM      Profile for Ennaom   Email Ennaom    Edit/Delete Post
I'll say yes...

Because you can use a spell slot to cast a lower spell. You ability limits the spell level you can cast, not the spell slot you can reach...

Ennaom

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Xythlord
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posted January 14, 2003 02:23 PM      Profile for Xythlord   Email Xythlord    Edit/Delete Post
Ennaom has it in one, according to WoTRB on page 160 under, Casting the Weavein the first paragraph, it states Note that a channeler who lacks a high enough ability score to cast weaves that would otherwise be his due still gets the slots, but must fill them with weaves of lower level.

It then goes on to give an example of the above.

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From: Denver, Co | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
Heron_Marked_Blade
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posted January 14, 2003 02:41 PM      Profile for Heron_Marked_Blade      Edit/Delete Post
Ah, I misunderstood the question. [Blush] Makes sense.

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Monteblanco
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posted January 14, 2003 10:11 PM      Profile for Monteblanco      Edit/Delete Post
Thanks for the answers. For what I understand, the game is unable to properly handle the situation of formely stilled people. As far as I have read (no spoilers, please) Siuam have been healed from stilling by Nynaeve. However, her strenght in the One Power was greatly reduced although she remains with her former stats.
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Lord Schpungus
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posted January 14, 2003 11:20 PM      Profile for Lord Schpungus      Edit/Delete Post
There's a weave in the book, IIRC, Restore the Power, that has higher weave levels restore more of the channeling ability. I think it's 6th level restores 1/4 of channeling levels, up to 12th that restores all channeling levels.
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Eosin_the_Red
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posted January 15, 2003 12:17 PM      Profile for Eosin_the_Red   Email Eosin_the_Red    Edit/Delete Post
It handles formerly stilled people just fine. It handles 95% of the book characters fine, but there are a few who need tweaking.

A single One Power Stat would have been better but alas it was not to be. Even if itwas it would provide some problems all be itself.

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From: Norman, OK, USA | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Whitewinds
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posted January 30, 2003 11:09 AM      Profile for Whitewinds   Email Whitewinds    Edit/Delete Post
Actually, Alivia is very easy to represent: She's a very high-level Initiate with good mental stas and moderate physical ones. Period. Give her every destructive weave in the book except balefire, and make up some more. She's a living weapon, it's all the channeling she knows.
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JosephKell
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posted January 30, 2003 11:47 AM      Profile for JosephKell   Email JosephKell    Edit/Delete Post
You could even go a step further and make it so that every offensive weave counts as a level higher, and every non-offensive is two or three levels lower.

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Instant Message me @ JonERPG on the AIMer

Visit AielManSpear

-If you cast Meteor Swarm to avoid wasting your REALLY good spells...
-If your character sheet is longer than the Player's Handbook...
-If you have a magic item that can destroy the world...with four charges left...
-If the God of Destiny asks you what will have next...
...you might be a Munchkin.

From: California | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged


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