Directed Spells

[Saramund]

Hi,
According to the Spell Law rulebook, Directed Spells is a single skill that is subject to the limit of one rank per level. Does this mean that a character can only learn one new directed spell per level, regardless of the number of ranks he can buy in that skill?
If so, why in the Character Law I can read the opportunity of adding a second rank (e.g. 2/5)?
I think it is at least misleading.

[deer_buster]

Hi,
According to the Spell Law rulebook, Directed Spells is a single skill that is subject to the limit of one rank per level. Does this mean that a character can only learn one new directed spell per level, regardless of the number of ranks he can buy in that skill?
If so, why in the Character Law I can read the opportunity of adding a second rank (e.g. 2/5)?
I think it is at least misleading.

It doesn't work that way. Each individual directed spell that you want to specialize in can be trained equally...so for instance you could take Directed Spells: Fire Bolt, Directed Spells: Shock Bolt, and Directed Spells: Ice Bolt each level...each one would have a development cost of 2/5

[deer_buster]

Keep in mind that you couldn't take Directed Spells: Fire Ball, for instance, because it is an area spell and not directed at an individual. Directed Spells skill is more like the weapon skills but for spells

[Saramund]

Thank you, but I think the Spell Laws rulebook says something different:
"Developing skill in Directed Spells is treated just as developing skill in weapons.
Generally skill may be developed only for spells that are directed against a single target (e.g., Fire Bolts but not Fire Balls or Fire Storms). A character wishing to develop skill with such a spell must be able to cast it at least once per day (either intrinsically or from an item or runes).
At each level of experience, a spell caster may increase their Directed Spell skill with one elemental attack spell (that they can already cast) by one “skill rank” (their choice). This means their Directed
Spell skill with any elemental attack spell is not a direct function of their level. The spell caster’s Directed Spell skill rank with each of these spells must be recorded."

they say one rank. Reading it carefully, maybe that "(their choice)" could mean I could add 1 rank for Fire Bolt and 1 rank for Ice Bolt. could it work?

thank you for your support - I'm not English native.

[deer_buster]

That doesn't fall in line with the skill description, in my opinion. Everywhere else it is clear that the elemental attack spells can have Directed Spells trained separately at the skill costs indicated for your profession (e.g. 2/5 for magicians, et.al.) So you could potentially have 2 ranks per level per bolt type for the spell casting classes

[Saramund]

Well, Directed Spells have also another peculiarity: you cannot hoard ranks till you are able to cast the spell, no matter when you learn the list.

[Sulimo]

I'd never noticed that language before, I did some digging and it looks like that first appeared in the Revised (2E) printing.

It also appears in RMSS, but not FRP, then comes back in RMC.


I'm with deer_buster on this; I am trying to figure out why the Directed Spell Skill be listed as 2/5(or 2/6 or 2/7) if you cannot get two ranks per level. It does not make sense to have the costs set #/# if you cannot develop two ranks at a time.

The paragraphs in Spell Law (from Revised, RMSS, and RMC) seem to be implying that you can only get one rank, which does not make sense with the skill costs. I could see it if the skill was not #/#, but the entire point of the #/# is so you can develop 1 or 2 ranks per level as desired.

From Character Law:



I wonder if this is just a misunderstanding that ICE introduced, and no one ever caught it before. Maybe they meant to say:

Developing skill in Directed Spells is treated just as developing skill in weapons. Generally skill may be developed only for spells that are directed against a single target (e.g., Fire Bolts but not Fire Balls or Fire Storms). A character wishing to develop skill with such a spell must be able to cast it at least once per day (either intrinscally or from an item or runes).

At each level of experience, a spell caster may increase their Directed Spell skill with one elemental attack spell (that they can already cast) by one or two “skill ranks” (their choice). This means their Directed Spell skill with any elemental attack spell is not a direct function of their level. The spell caster’s Directed Spell skill rank with each of these spells must be recorded.

That would make more sense with the 'their choice' note in parentheses, otherwise, I am not sure what 'their choice' refers to.

[Saramund]

thank you @Sulimo, I think your interpretation makes a lot of sense.
I have raised a post on the ICE Forum - get back in case someone answers me

[Saramund]

On the ICE Forum, I got this answer:

In that 1989 edition those boxed sections were intended for use by people mixing Spell Law with character development rules from some other game system and were to be ignored by those using the rest of RM.

So I think I can go on with the ChL wording.

[Kungsarme]

I've been running Rolemaster games for coming up on 40 years. The house rule I've been using almost the whole time is directed spells is your ability to point and shoot. Utilizing it like weapon categories is so limiting IMO to magicians. I don't care what is shooting out of your hand, fire, ice, water....

"I am Melnore! Master of the shock bolt! I can ping a cricket off of someones nose, but damn this lightning bolt is pathetic..." Just, no. In my opinion, it isn't the same as wielding a sword vs. shooting a longbow.