llywelyn
Artisan
As a note: As a general rule I do not post questions that I get on logistical issues (I try to focus on things that are resolved in the field rather than between events) or things that just require looking up a player's own skill (because I want people to read the ARB, particularly for their own abilities). These are perfectly valid questions, but outside of the sorts of things I try to clarify here.
Clarification 2015.8.1: Tags on NPC Weapons vs. PC Weapons (and Armor)
As far as PC weapons go, ARB 1.2 pg 81:
NPC Weapons are covered on the same page:
For the most part Armor follows a similar principle.
Clarification 2015.8.2: Disarming NPC Weapons/Shields
The question came up about keeping NPC weapons when they have been disarmed. This is fine for the duration of a pop, but limits our ability to keep battle flowing afterwards. ARB 1.2 pg 81:
Otherwise you can keep it until the end of the battle ("Once the battle is completed, you must return the phys rep to the NPC").
Clarification 2015.8.3: Spell Shield and Dispel
When you cast a Dispel at someone with a Spell Shield, the Spell Shield will block it. See answers to Question #3 in High Magic: Elemental & Magic Augmentation.
Clarification 2015.8.4: Alchemy When Wrists Are Tied
The answer to the question of "Can one throw an alchemy packet when one is tied at the wrists" is "no." See the answer to the question Alchemy When Tied at the Wrist.
Clarification 2015.8.4: Starting Fires with a Wand
No, no you can't start a fire with your wand, unless you are doing it the old fashioned way.
The same is true with elemental qualifiers. They won't light your clothes on fire, but they would still feel like being set on fire.
Clarification 2015.8.5: Handedness in Profs
A few people were confused by the language in Weapon Prof referring to 1 weapon and thought that meant that there was still "handedness" whereby weapon proficiencies had to be split between the hands. This concept was removed from the ARB in 2009. Your weapon proficiencies apply to weapons in either or both of your hands.
Clarification 2015.8.6: Touch Casting With Items in Your Hands
ARB 1.2 pg 94:
Your hand needs to be free to throw the packet, but if you are touch casting you can have an item in your hand (along with the packet). Just don't push your sword in someone's face while trying to touch cast on them please. This also applies to activating a magic item.
Clarification 2015.8.7: On the Matter of Carriers and Defenses
As a general rule there are two parts to any effect. The first is the Qualifier—or how it gets to you—and the second is the effect itself.
So weapon damage is delivered via a weapon swing (that is basically the qualifier) and then the carrier (e.g., 'normal' or 'sleep') is the effect.
If you are immune to any part of it you are immune to all of it, if your defense would trigger to any part of it your defense will stop (or do whatever it is your defense does) to all of it.
How this works in practice is "sleep" is a Command effect and "laugh" is an Alteration effect.
"I command you to sleep" is a spell delivery/qualifier (which also counts as magic) whereas "sleep gas poison" is a poison qualifier. They both still qualify as Command effects.
For example: if someone swings a weapon and says "5 'laugh'" it will not be blocked by a Poison Shield despite that it was applied via an alchemical coating. Similarly, an "Obliterate gas poison" would be blocked by a Poison Shield despite that Obliterate is most definitely not usually delivered via alchemical packet. Resist Poison will also succeed against that Obliterate gas poison, but it won't work on the spell I command you to sleep or against a 'sleep' carrier since it doesn't work generally against Command effects (in addition Resist Command would work against either, a Spell Shield would work against the former).
This also means that if an undead has on the card "half damage from weapons" they will take half damage from all weapons, regardless of carrier. They will still take double damage from earth, but then that will be halved if delivered via a weapon blow. On the other hand, if they have "half damage from 'Normal'" it means that all other carriers (e.g., 'flame') would do full damage.
Clarification 2015.8.1: Tags on NPC Weapons vs. PC Weapons (and Armor)
As far as PC weapons go, ARB 1.2 pg 81:
Every weapon must have a tag that shows that the weapon is in-game. When you purchase a weapon from a blacksmith or from Logistics with your Production Points, you will be buy- ing this tag to place on your own weapon.
NPC Weapons are covered on the same page:
Most NPC weapons are useless as trea- sure, because otherwise the game economy would be ruined. After all, if all of the goblins you were fighting had valuable weapons that could be used, then of what use is the skill Blacksmith?
You’ll just have to pretend that most NPCs use crappy weapons.
You’ll just have to pretend that most NPCs use crappy weapons.
For the most part Armor follows a similar principle.
Clarification 2015.8.2: Disarming NPC Weapons/Shields
The question came up about keeping NPC weapons when they have been disarmed. This is fine for the duration of a pop, but limits our ability to keep battle flowing afterwards. ARB 1.2 pg 81:
Please be fair about this—don’t go taking all of the NPC weapons in order to prevent the NPCs from coming back into the battle as other monsters. If you are not using the weapon, you must give it back to any NPC who is out-of- game and needs a weapon to come back into game as another monster.
Otherwise you can keep it until the end of the battle ("Once the battle is completed, you must return the phys rep to the NPC").
Clarification 2015.8.3: Spell Shield and Dispel
When you cast a Dispel at someone with a Spell Shield, the Spell Shield will block it. See answers to Question #3 in High Magic: Elemental & Magic Augmentation.
Clarification 2015.8.4: Alchemy When Wrists Are Tied
The answer to the question of "Can one throw an alchemy packet when one is tied at the wrists" is "no." See the answer to the question Alchemy When Tied at the Wrist.
Clarification 2015.8.4: Starting Fires with a Wand
No, no you can't start a fire with your wand, unless you are doing it the old fashioned way.
Eldritch Power: Many of the spells call upon an energy called eldritch power. This is a type of energy that only affects beings that are alive or animated.
If you cast a Flame Bolt spell at someone and miss and hit a tree, the tree will not catch on fire. Nor can you use an Ice Bolt spell to keep your ice cream cold. These spells can only affect creatures that are alive or animated. In- game, they feel like fire or ice when they hit and you should certainly role-play that out when you are the subject of one.
If you cast a Flame Bolt spell at someone and miss and hit a tree, the tree will not catch on fire. Nor can you use an Ice Bolt spell to keep your ice cream cold. These spells can only affect creatures that are alive or animated. In- game, they feel like fire or ice when they hit and you should certainly role-play that out when you are the subject of one.
The same is true with elemental qualifiers. They won't light your clothes on fire, but they would still feel like being set on fire.
Clarification 2015.8.5: Handedness in Profs
A few people were confused by the language in Weapon Prof referring to 1 weapon and thought that meant that there was still "handedness" whereby weapon proficiencies had to be split between the hands. This concept was removed from the ARB in 2009. Your weapon proficiencies apply to weapons in either or both of your hands.
Clarification 2015.8.6: Touch Casting With Items in Your Hands
ARB 1.2 pg 94:
You may not throw a packet with any other in-game or out-of-game item in your throwing hand. You may touch-cast on yourself or another with an item in your hand, but this must be done safely and courteously.
Your hand needs to be free to throw the packet, but if you are touch casting you can have an item in your hand (along with the packet). Just don't push your sword in someone's face while trying to touch cast on them please. This also applies to activating a magic item.
Clarification 2015.8.7: On the Matter of Carriers and Defenses
As a general rule there are two parts to any effect. The first is the Qualifier—or how it gets to you—and the second is the effect itself.
So weapon damage is delivered via a weapon swing (that is basically the qualifier) and then the carrier (e.g., 'normal' or 'sleep') is the effect.
If you are immune to any part of it you are immune to all of it, if your defense would trigger to any part of it your defense will stop (or do whatever it is your defense does) to all of it.
How this works in practice is "sleep" is a Command effect and "laugh" is an Alteration effect.
"I command you to sleep" is a spell delivery/qualifier (which also counts as magic) whereas "sleep gas poison" is a poison qualifier. They both still qualify as Command effects.
For example: if someone swings a weapon and says "5 'laugh'" it will not be blocked by a Poison Shield despite that it was applied via an alchemical coating. Similarly, an "Obliterate gas poison" would be blocked by a Poison Shield despite that Obliterate is most definitely not usually delivered via alchemical packet. Resist Poison will also succeed against that Obliterate gas poison, but it won't work on the spell I command you to sleep or against a 'sleep' carrier since it doesn't work generally against Command effects (in addition Resist Command would work against either, a Spell Shield would work against the former).
This also means that if an undead has on the card "half damage from weapons" they will take half damage from all weapons, regardless of carrier. They will still take double damage from earth, but then that will be halved if delivered via a weapon blow. On the other hand, if they have "half damage from 'Normal'" it means that all other carriers (e.g., 'flame') would do full damage.