Alliance 2.0 Rulebook: Beta 2

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Opinion - the High Magic Effects (starting on page 148) are listed in approximately the following format:
Bane
  Times Ever.
Each time this Smart Defense is selected it provides protection against a single attack from a
specifically chosen Effect Group chosen by the caster; any Effect Group other than “Coating” or “Other” may be
chosen. The Bane will Return the specific effect from among those in its Effect Group back upon the attacker as if it
were an effect encountering a Reflect Spell.
  Bane does not alter the delivery type of the effect. An Enfeeble Poison that has been Baned is still considered a
Poison for the purposes of delivery-based defenses such as Poison Shield or Resist Poison.
  Bane will act as a Cloak when used against Ingested delivery, a trap, or a Killing Blow.
This just looks odd to me and doesn't seem to "match" the formatting elsewhere. I would prefer formatting closer to that used in the spell descriptions e.g.
  Bane; Times Ever
  Each time this Smart Defense is selected it provides protection against a single attack from a specifically
chosen Effect Group chosen by the caster; any Effect Group other than “Coating” or “Other” may be chosen. The
Bane will Return the specific effect from among those in its Effect Group back upon the attacker as if it were an
effect encountering a Reflect Spell.
  Bane does not alter the delivery type of the effect. An Enfeeble Poison that has been Baned is still considered a
Poison for the purposes of delivery-based defenses such as Poison Shield or Resist Poison.
  Bane will act as a Cloak when used against Ingested delivery, a trap, or a Killing Blow.
or for each High Magic Effect to get its own mini-section the way spells do.
 
Change to legalit of hitting hands?
The old rules said that "hands from the wrist out" were not legal targets. This meant that a hit on the knuckles with a sword did not count.

The new rules say that "empty hands from the wrist out" are not legal targets. This would completely change the way a hand on a weapon works in combat. A staff wielder will now be hittable on their hands, as would someone blocking with a bow, etc.

Seems like a big change, and I'm wondering if the community is aware, or if this was intended? I didn't see it posted elsewhere.
 
Change to legalit of hitting hands?
The old rules said that "hands from the wrist out" were not legal targets. This meant that a hit on the knuckles with a sword did not count.

The new rules say that "empty hands from the wrist out" are not legal targets. This would completely change the way a hand on a weapon works in combat. A staff wielder will now be hittable on their hands, as would someone blocking with a bow, etc.

Seems like a big change, and I'm wondering if the community is aware, or if this was intended? I didn't see it posted elsewhere.

The section on Archery specifically calls out a hand that is validly wielding a weapon as counting as part of the weapon, therefore blocking arrow packets. This presumably implies the same for other weapons, but it should still be called out somewhere less obscure than the archery rules.
 
“A complete list of player-usable Rituals, including their full description, may be found on the Alliance website.” (Page 71j

If this is because (a) we want the ritual list to be able to change without changing the rulebook and/or (b) the rulebook provides the core rules and we need to look elsewhere for supplementary rules, then I strongly suggest that we remove mentions of specific rituals from the rulebook. For example:
- Page 151: “Exchange Spell Times Ever. This High Magic functions just like the Spell Swap Ritual ... expended along with a Spell Swap Ritual, the spell swap may be done with a 3 second.” Exchange Spell Times Ever. This High Magic functions just like the Spell Swap Ritual.” I suggest instead saying in the ritual scroll that it functions like the Exchange Spell high magic ability, and leaving out any mention of Spell Swap from this high magic description.
- page 152. Magical conduit and potion mastery high magic: They both refer to a spell store ritual, which does not appear in our official ritual scrolls list. Potion mastery also refers to the memory strike ritual.
- page 152 again. Oak of the Archmage. It refers to a greater wand ritual, which also does not appear in our official ritual scrolls list.
 
“If Meditate is being used to replace expended spells, the character must roleplay studying from a spellbook which contains the spell to be rememorized.” (Page 30)

“...roleplaying Meditation might involve studying a spell book and conversing with other players about the mechanics of certain magics.” (Page 103j

From the first we see that a spell book is required for meditation of spells. Someone reading only the second passage my think these are two possible options of many. The second should probably be reworded to say something like “...Meditation requires the studying of a spell book, but roleplaying it might include also conversing with other players about the mechanics of certain magics.”
 
Typo in bold:

“Resist Elements*
Daily
With this skill, a character may resist one attack with the “Elemental” qualifier for each time the skill is purchased. Alternatively, this may also be used to resist any single Foundation element attack (“Flame”, “Ice”, “Stone”, or “Lightning”) no matter wat qualifier is used” (page 56)
 
In the 2.0 beta release, the chart which lists the traps has a specific minimum amount for Weapon (min of 10 dmg), Mechanical (min of 20 dmg), and Explosive traps (min of 20 dmg). These minimums are not listed in the chart on p. 37 or in the descriptions of the traps themselves later on p. 172-3. I have had people try to make 1 point explosive traps before, so listing the minimums somewhere would be helpful.
 
I suspect some of those supported production players are a little bitter they can’t produce real magic items, though...

You're right! I actually want to build my character with master potion maker into heavy ritualist... But I can't.
I want the Ritualist part more so if this isn't changed then I'm just ditching potion making all together solely to get 9th level spell slots :/
Also why can't we support non-com players more and let them cast rituals without wasting tons of build on battle magic they won't use...
 
- page 152. Magical conduit and potion mastery high magic: They both refer to a spell store ritual, which does not appear in our official ritual scrolls list. Potion mastery also refers to the memory strike

Continuing on this thread, I’m guessing this means that “magical conduit” needs to be removed from the rulebook, since there is no longer anything to store spells in.
 
“Anyone with at least one purchase of High Magic may read Ritual Scrolls of that aspect (or “General”).” Page 51

The ritual scrolls themselves state that “formal magic” is the requirement to read them.

One of those needs fixing.
 
Continuing on this thread, I’m guessing this means that “magical conduit” needs to be removed from the rulebook, since there is no longer anything to store spells in.
Spells can be stored in an item with the Spell Store ritual on it.
 
The vengeance qualifier needs to be explained in rulebook. (Note that the relevant ritual does not explain the effect).
 
“A complete list of player-usable Rituals, including their full description, may be found on the Alliance website.” (Page 171)

This appears to be false.
 
I went looking and couldn't find it.

Is the 20-rit cap for a single item specified anywhere in the rulebook?
 
<<If a Physical attack adds the Strike keyword, then it counts as the Packet delivery for targeting purposes, meaning that even if it’s blocked or only hits a person’s possessions it will still count as “taken.”>> (page 99)

The portion I bolded is misleading, as arrows and bolts are delivered by packet and are blockable.

This is related to the following:

<<Packet:
[...] Arrows and bolts are represented by blue packets. Spell packets, therefore, can never be orange or blue.
Note that ranged weapon attacks made via Archery act as Physical delivery (see below), not Packet delivery>> (Page 98)

This is very confusing to list archery under "packet" but then to say it is not a packet. Its also hard to find what "blow" means in the book, but I guess it will eventually be in an index.

I suggest new section names, something like:
* Packet Strikes (spells, globes)
* Physical Strikes (functions like strong packets)
* Physical Blows (weapon swings)
* Archery, aka packet blows (blue packets, functions like physical attacks)
* A chart to explain it, such as:
Packet (thrown bird seed packets)Physical (foam weapons, thrown or swung)
Strikes (not blockable by weapons, shields)Trap globes and gas globes (orange, thrown with elemental qualifier); spells (any color except orange and blue, usually thrown with an incantation or spell qualifier), and other elemental (with any color except orange and blue, usually signifying channeling). This also includes weapon/spell/elemental strikes using archery, in the same way as physical strikes.Most weapon strikes (usually martial skills), spell strikes (usually a spell), elemental strikes (usually channeling). These usually require a special skill or magical effect.
Blows (blockable by weapons, shields)Archery (blue), using arrows (with a bow) or bolts (with a crossbow)Any weapon swing, as well as any thrown weapon, without a "strike" qualifier.


On a related note, alchemy globe, Alchemy Globe, gas globe, Gas Globe, and gas all seem to appear to be interchangeable in the book, and in many cases I think that "gas or trap globe" or simply "globe" is what is intended. I know this is a rollover from the time when we only had gas globes, but its confusing to newbys.
 
“as long as these skills require a Build Cost; in other words, they can’t buy “mental abilities” or “half cost for archery”” (page 22)

“Additionally, a character may swap their choice of Primary and Secondary schools if they reach a point where doing so would work to their advantage in terms of build point allocation.” (Page 24)

“Die but create a half-build character” (page 91, repeated)

“Your new character will have half the build of the character you “trade in” (rounded down).”

Since build points no longer exists, the bold parts should probably be changed to:
- XP cost or Experience Point Cost
- XP allocation or Experience Point allocation
- half-XP
- half the XP
 
Page 34, the secondary magic school chart still lists the class as "templar" rather than "Spellsword"

Page 163, the description of Truesilver makes reference to Quicksilver, which isnt in the game anymore. Unless its referencing something else.
 
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