Casting Utility Spells in MERP

As a player, I never really needed to know how the Game Master resolved attempts to cast utility spells, that is, any spell which was not directed against a specific target. Once I began running a few scenarios of my own, I discovered that all spells were considered to be an attack of some sort. I found this to be unsatisfactory. What is the "target" of a waterwall spell? Who or what resists a Nature's Awareness spell? Certainly not Nature herself.

As I thought on this, I decided that any spell that is not intended to harm an enemy is essentially a static manuever, and as such should be resolved on the static maneuver table. But even this is unsatisfactory, for the MT-2 Static Maneuver table is geared towards the higher rank and stat based bonuses found in the General, Subterfuge, Magical, and Miscellaneous Skills categories on the character sheet. This is reflected in the fact that "Success" on this table starts at a roll-plus-bonus total of 111.

Since a player's base spells bonus is solely profession based, it grows very slowly in relation to the other static maneuver bonuses. Therefore, a static manuever table for spell casting has to be adjusted to reflect this fact. You will see this in the new MT-3 Utility Spell Casting table below.

The Utility Spell Casting Table

To use this table, make an open-ended roll, add the caster's Base Spells, preparation, and range bonuses, then look up the result. The result is actually an indicator of how much control the caster has over the spell. Thus, the partial success and near success entries imply that although the spell was successfully cast, the caster does have has as much control over the spell as he or she normally would.

This table does not apply to spells in items. Casting a spell contained in an item is always a Use Items manuever.

MT-3 Utility Spell Casting
Blunder: Your spell fails spectacularly. Add 10 to an open-ended roll on the Spell Failure Table FT-3. Spell and power points are lost, even if the failure table indicates they are not.

Less
Than
-25
Fumble: Your spell fails. Make an unmodified open-ended roll on the Spell Failure Table FT-3. Spell and power points are lost, even if the failure table indicates they are not.

-25
to
-1
Failure: Your spell fails. Subtract 20 from a 1 to 100 roll on the Spell Failure Table FT-3. Spell is lost but power points are retained, even if the failure table indicates otherwise.

0
to
10
Mental lapse: Unable to cast the spell this round. Spell and power points are retained. Try again.

11
to
20
Partial success: Your spell succeeds, but you have poor control over its range, radius, and duration; typically, these are only half of normal. At GM's discretion, one of the effects of the spell may actually be increased by up to 25%. Concentration spells can be easily "broken".

21
to
30
Near success: Your spell succeeds, but at only three-quarters of its potential. You have good but not complete control over spell's range, radius, and duration.

31
to
40
Success: Your spell is successful.

41
to
110
Unqualified success: Not only does your spell succeed, but at your discretion one of its effects, range, area of effect, or duration can be increased or decreased by up to 25%.

111
to
175
Absolute success: Your spell succeeds, and at your discretion any of its effects, range, area of effect, or duration can be increased or decreased by up to 50%. What a show!

More
than
175
Modifications:
Skill bonuses:
+ Caster's Base Spells bonus
Range:
+30 touching
+10 at 0' to 10'
0 at 11' to 50'
-10 at 51' to 100'
-20 at 101' to 300'
-30 when more than 300' away.
Preparation:
+20 after 4 rounds
+10 after 3 rounds
+0 after 2 rounds
-15 after 1 round
-20 after 0 rounds

Guided Tour

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Last updated on March 02, 1998. Accesses since March 2, 19987: (Counter image not available)