Originally Posted by
Majyk
Mages have to wait 8 LVLs before being able to fling Shockbolts(LVL2) around every round.
As you say, house rule as y’like. I always let LVL .5 Spellusers begin training in a Directed Spells (Blank) and use half ranks for any new Elemental Spell they acquire after that.
So fully developed Dir. Spell (Firebolt) usually only occurs the second a caster can cast that spell without overcasting @6th LVL for a +10+AG.
Instead, with this HR, a fully developed blank skill will allow for an OB of +35(half of 14 ranks @ 2 ranks/LVL)+AG.
Adding the -25 for no officially named ranks(Dir. Spell - insert X Elemental Bolt here) can reduce this even more for those GMs thinking this is too powerful.
As seen, this isn’t that big of a difference but helps scale the attack by a bit akin to the Similar Weapon Skill optional rules for regular weapons.
Versus a Shockbolt developed at the start of 2nd LVL the difference is closer for a +15(half of 6 ranks @ 2 ranks/LVL)+AG vs a +10+AG like the Firebolt above.
The tradeoff is deciding on a huge OB, relatively speaking, for the officially fully developed lesser powered Shockbolt @ 6th LVL where legitimately one could have 10 ranks for a total of a +50+AG attack instead of a +10+AG Firebolt Attack.
With the HR, it’s still the same bonus for the Shockbolt since it will have been developed by itself at LVL2, and is higher rank-wise than the half ranks a no-name Dir. Spell allows for. The Firebolt, as mentioned above, developed at the start of 6th LVL gets to use the Dir. Spell (Blank) ranks of 7(half of 14 with the HR, or 5 which is half of 10 for the officially developed Dir. Spell - Shockbolt) for totals of +35+AG or +25+AG.
Convoluted to explain but easy to implement. >D