Upper Bogglehampton (larp)
Dec. 5th, 2005 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
same_differenceWell that was interesting, I enjoyed it on a roleplay level (though I feel so sorry for Aurinyan*), but at the same time I couldn't get past the fact that I seemed pretty pointless. Admittingly that was due in part to the size of the party, and the nature of the enemy (undead, demons and animals don't have to rely on sight), but also all the rules changes to light magic. It's the first time I've played him since they all kicked in, and I have to say the whole down powering has been taken too far. If it wasn't for the way ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fourmyle set up the dark half the larp I would have done almost nothing that larp.
Considering the light list is supposed to be more powerful than other spell lists during the day, and much worse than night, the quality of the spells is awful. Granted Sun Blade is still very good, and feels right for the drawbacks it has. Sun Dart, Sun Blast (think fireball) give the list some much needed options, but are technically worse than their equivalents on the fire, and ice lists because of their drawback. Blur, cloak and obscurement and displaced image are very good when they work (not at all yesterday for example), though the whole not dex thing is just stupid. Invisibility is ok - probably on a par with the other self haven spell/miracles (earth merge and withdraw) you get to be aware of the events, but in return it costs more mana, is weaker at night, and doesn't help in lots of situations. The high level versions of it don't seem to have a great deal of point except for casting down to obscurement though, especially when compared with what other mages can do with a level 8 or level 10 spell. Flash, Flare, Remove Fear, Courage and Bravery are just copied from other lists, but are useful in the right situation and at least add some options to the list. Shield of Light and Dispel Darkness are there for thematic reasons, but the former is next to useless when you need it, and the latter just doesn't compare favourably to just normal dispel (again because of when you'd most want to use it). Radiance is a joke - considering that it's only of any use in static fights (ie. the dutch barn), only empowers sun blade and aura for other people, as well as shield of light and the not-really-dex spells for the caster, and can be disrupted very easily. The Summon Xlight spells at least give you some options at night, even it is for a huge cost. Which leaves Aura - which everyone I talk to agrees is now too weak, and just doesn't really do a lot, except prevent the light mage from using some of his other spells. If you want normal armour your better off with harden, if you want power armour harden, fire skin or storm skin are strictly better - if you want something that not as good as either of them, but does a little bit of normal and the same amount of power for on average 2/3 of the time then aura might be for you.
So in summary what do you get in exchange for being massively weaker at night (a spell is a spell with an individual name):
1 Good spell in any situation (Sun Blade).
4 Good spells that work at most 50% of the daytime (based on number of sight reliant and sight unreliant monsters) (Blur, Cloak, Obscurement, Displaced Image).
6 Spells that other lists can do (Remove fear, courage, bravery, flash, flare, light).
4 Spells that do interesting effects of about the same power as those from other lists - only during the day, though I don't think the high level versions of invisibility are as balanced (invisibility, improved invisibility, advanced invisibility aura).
2 Spells that do what other lists can do only during the day (sun dart, sun burst).
2 Spells that are worse than their alternatives, are useful against a really specialist threat, and don't even work particularly well when you would need them too (Shield of Light, Dispel Darkness).
1 Spell that highlights the size of the can't cast in darkness drawback - but at least gives you some options in darkness for a significant cost (Summon starlight, moonlight and sunlight).
1 Spell that works in the dutch barn fight, which has happened soon enough after sunset to actually have an effect.
I don't think that balances out the drawback. More importantly the light list, and this is my other big issue with it, does so little different from the other magic lists, that I don't entirely see that it adds much to the system other than as a thematic counter balance for a very good, useful and interesting monster spell list. Very much like the Illuminati guild - they add a good thematic element, but don't do much in relation to all the other magic guilds.
So what do other people think?
*He's got the back story horrible trauma of the enormous shadow demon hiding in his shadow (nervous breakdown No. 1), those two (or was it three - no one seemed to know) villages of light and shadow mages working together made all the worse by having to play nice with the drow (nervous breakdown No. 2), and yesterday he had to somehow deal with the possibility that the shadow masters had brought about permanent night and that the group of people he was with may well have stopped a ritual to bring about endless day (almost nervous breakdown No.3). Not to mention all the panic and anger he feels about the rapid weakening on the light list - something he blames the Illuminati for. He got through yesterday mostly onanger rage, and having Carlsberg as a sympathetic ear. If there had been any proof that the party had stopped a ritual to bring about endless day he would have turned on them there and then, and have tried to kill whoever was responsible - thankfully there was no proof and a lot of confusion at the time.
fourmyle set up the dark half the larp I would have done almost nothing that larp.Considering the light list is supposed to be more powerful than other spell lists during the day, and much worse than night, the quality of the spells is awful. Granted Sun Blade is still very good, and feels right for the drawbacks it has. Sun Dart, Sun Blast (think fireball) give the list some much needed options, but are technically worse than their equivalents on the fire, and ice lists because of their drawback. Blur, cloak and obscurement and displaced image are very good when they work (not at all yesterday for example), though the whole not dex thing is just stupid. Invisibility is ok - probably on a par with the other self haven spell/miracles (earth merge and withdraw) you get to be aware of the events, but in return it costs more mana, is weaker at night, and doesn't help in lots of situations. The high level versions of it don't seem to have a great deal of point except for casting down to obscurement though, especially when compared with what other mages can do with a level 8 or level 10 spell. Flash, Flare, Remove Fear, Courage and Bravery are just copied from other lists, but are useful in the right situation and at least add some options to the list. Shield of Light and Dispel Darkness are there for thematic reasons, but the former is next to useless when you need it, and the latter just doesn't compare favourably to just normal dispel (again because of when you'd most want to use it). Radiance is a joke - considering that it's only of any use in static fights (ie. the dutch barn), only empowers sun blade and aura for other people, as well as shield of light and the not-really-dex spells for the caster, and can be disrupted very easily. The Summon Xlight spells at least give you some options at night, even it is for a huge cost. Which leaves Aura - which everyone I talk to agrees is now too weak, and just doesn't really do a lot, except prevent the light mage from using some of his other spells. If you want normal armour your better off with harden, if you want power armour harden, fire skin or storm skin are strictly better - if you want something that not as good as either of them, but does a little bit of normal and the same amount of power for on average 2/3 of the time then aura might be for you.
So in summary what do you get in exchange for being massively weaker at night (a spell is a spell with an individual name):
1 Good spell in any situation (Sun Blade).
4 Good spells that work at most 50% of the daytime (based on number of sight reliant and sight unreliant monsters) (Blur, Cloak, Obscurement, Displaced Image).
6 Spells that other lists can do (Remove fear, courage, bravery, flash, flare, light).
4 Spells that do interesting effects of about the same power as those from other lists - only during the day, though I don't think the high level versions of invisibility are as balanced (invisibility, improved invisibility, advanced invisibility aura).
2 Spells that do what other lists can do only during the day (sun dart, sun burst).
2 Spells that are worse than their alternatives, are useful against a really specialist threat, and don't even work particularly well when you would need them too (Shield of Light, Dispel Darkness).
1 Spell that highlights the size of the can't cast in darkness drawback - but at least gives you some options in darkness for a significant cost (Summon starlight, moonlight and sunlight).
1 Spell that works in the dutch barn fight, which has happened soon enough after sunset to actually have an effect.
I don't think that balances out the drawback. More importantly the light list, and this is my other big issue with it, does so little different from the other magic lists, that I don't entirely see that it adds much to the system other than as a thematic counter balance for a very good, useful and interesting monster spell list. Very much like the Illuminati guild - they add a good thematic element, but don't do much in relation to all the other magic guilds.
So what do other people think?
*He's got the back story horrible trauma of the enormous shadow demon hiding in his shadow (nervous breakdown No. 1), those two (or was it three - no one seemed to know) villages of light and shadow mages working together made all the worse by having to play nice with the drow (nervous breakdown No. 2), and yesterday he had to somehow deal with the possibility that the shadow masters had brought about permanent night and that the group of people he was with may well have stopped a ritual to bring about endless day (almost nervous breakdown No.3). Not to mention all the panic and anger he feels about the rapid weakening on the light list - something he blames the Illuminati for. He got through yesterday mostly on
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 06:46 am (UTC)There's not much reason any more to play a Light mage: play a Fire mage instead, really...
no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 08:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 11:59 pm (UTC)