Runequest Thursday #87 - A New Feat of Arms for Sorcerers!

I wrote this feat of arms when the player of a sorcerer asked if there was a way she could stay 'in the game" with traditional weapon wielders - in respect to dealing out damage on an ongoing basis. The argument was made that a character with a sword  or bow can attack as long as (s)he is able, using skills developed over time in play to do so with better ability - the only limitation being access to the weapon in question. Meanwhile, a sorcerer can only do so as long as (s)he as POW to cast spells, yet the skill and spells have developed over time in play just as would weapon wielding.

This is a fair point. However, it does run counter to the established concept of spell use requiring POW expenditure.

On a related note, a factor that arises with sorcerers, even among a party that cultists with battle-magic, is that sorcerers still run out of POWer faster, which leads to something not unlike the "Ten Minute Adventuring Day" generally associated with D&D. If a sorcerer casts a couple of Rank 2 or 3 buffing spells, summons an elemental or two of similar rank, and fires off a Blast 3 or Lightning 3, she has run through somewhere between 9 and 18 POW, possibly in a single encounter. Has she gotten good bang for her buck - probably - but if she went even a little extravagant, she probably has only a few (if any) POWer remaining.

Her companions still eager to go, possibly after being healed by the sorcerer, especially if the game style does not involve battle magic for non-mages, have to drag a used up sorcerer around - or wait for her to regain sufficient POW.

Elemental Manipulation is a possible solution for this issue, one that can keep the game running without frequent recharging episodes, and can add another element of tactical choice for the player of the sorcerer. It has limitations, like the shorter range, which can not be altered the way a Sorcery spell can. Currently, the Sorcerer who takes this feat of arms must pay a Hero Point to call her element, but I might alter or do away with that after some playtesting.

In addition, the damage for additional ranks might not be high enough. But we will see. I did run the numbers and the maximum damage via Elemental Manipulation is still less than the average damage available to a Blast or Lightning of the same rank. For example, a rank 3 Blast has an average damage of 10.5 on 3d6, and a Maximum of 18. Elemental Manipulation based on the same spell would do an average of 5.5. and a maximum of 9 points of damage.

I made the requirement for this feat of arms fairly low because I think it is the kind of thing that would be taught to beginning sorcerers, but also be of use to advanced ones.

Elemental Manipulation – POW 15, Sorcery at 50%, Two damaging spells with Elemental Runes at 50%.

Cost: 7 Hero Points, and you must train for 1d4+2 weeks with a tutor, paying what they demand.

You may spend a Hero Point to call up elemental energy and manipulate it as you wish for a short time. You must have POW higher than 0 and a Conjure/ Dismiss Elemental or an elemental Damaging spell such as Blast, Lightning or Fire/ Frost memorized.  Make a Sorcery check to summon some portion of the element you choose, based on the number of ranks you have memorized.

Your summoned element remains for a number of Rounds [or Combat Actions if you are using Combat Actions instead] equal to your Manipulation Limit. Use the following table to determine the damage value. You can move the element anywhere within your Manipulation Limit in yards from you, and attack or potentially do other minor things with it, if allowed by the narrator (a few examples: Fire - set fires, Lightning - light an area, Air - blow out a candle, Earth-  turn a door knob).

The damage you do with your Elemental Manipulation is based on the Number of Ranks you have memorized, and is limited by your sorcery skill. Your Sorcery skill must exceed the thresholds listed to access the damage for that rank. Otherwise you use the damage listed for the previous rank.

 Ranks in Mind      Sorcery % Threshold               Elemental Damage

1                            50                                           1d3+1

2                            60                                           1d6+1

3                            70                                           1d8+1 

4                            90                                           2d6+2

5                            110                                         2d8+2 

6                            130                                         2d10+2 

Additional Ranks       +20                                          +1d6

The Element remains in your presence and under your command, but takes no action and threatens nothing unless you spend an action to Manipulate it. This can be a Move action if you direct it to move, or an Attack action if you attack with it. It cannot act as a shield or impediment, but it can be directed to affect the environment. If you use it to attack, you must succeed with a POW vs. POW check against the target creature. With a Move action, or outside of combat, you can direct the element to perform tricks, do work, etc. depending on the nature of the element you summon (Fire can burn or heat, Lightning can light, heat or provide electricity, Earth can move things, etc.). For these purposes, the element you control behave as an elemental of the same type of half the ranks that are responsible for the manifestation (round up). You are immune to damage from your own Elemental Manipulations, but not those of other sorcerers.

Example:

Aquila knows Lightning 3. If she has all three ranks memorized and a Manipulation Limit of 6, by spending a Hero Point, she can use Lightning Manipulation for six rounds, doing up to 1d8+1 damage when she attacks. If she learns Conjure/ Dismiss Gnome 2, her Earth Manipulation would do 1d6+1 damage, and could do work as a Rank 1 gnome. If she memorizes only a single rank of her Gnome, her Earth Manipulation would do 1d3+1, but would still work as a rank 1 gnome.