Two Questions about Table 4-6: Counterspell Power

[earthcell2004]

Question One: Results 1, 2, and 3 for the Defender High column state "defender's spell lost" at the end of the entry.

In the Spell Dueling example, Magnus rolls a 3 on the table during round one, but doesn't seem to lose magic shield because he uses it as a counterspell again in round two.

Is the table in error, or the example? Personally, I don't understand why the defender would lose the spell, especially since rolling on the Defender High column implies successfully casting the spell.

Question Two: If you "win" the spell duel, but have less momentum (thus applying a negative penalty when rolling on Table 4-6, does a result less than 1 equal 1? Is 1 the lowest result you can get (such that the roll cell should read "1 or less")?

If not, what happens if you roll less than a 1 after modifiers?

Just picked this game up four days ago, and can't wait to give it a try!

[Skyscraper]

I don't know the answer to your question.

Spell duel rules rub me the wrong way, I must admit. It seems complicated for a such a rare occurrence. How frequent is it that two spellcasters are confronted? Rarely, in the games I play anyway. How likely that they have opposable spells in sufficient quantity for the duel to be relevant? I.e., assuming they have a single identical spell, is it worth getting into those rules just for that one spell? It's likely to bring the game to a halt if it ever occurs as the books are cracked open and people read the rules again. Because, frankly, I read them when I learned the game, then I run the funnel, then the PCs level up to level 1 or more, it takes a bunch of sessions before you even have 2 spellcasters confronting each other with opposable spells, I'll of course have forgotten all about those rules, and my players even more so. It's like the grapple rules in D&D 3E: a mini-game within the game, only in this case it'll even be used more rarely than grappling.

I would keep spell duel rules for a very special occasion, e.g. two wizards dueling in an arcane competition, for example.

[thogard]

Question One: Results 1, 2, and 3 for the Defender High column state "defender's spell lost" at the end of the entry.

In the Spell Dueling example, Magnus rolls a 3 on the table during round one, but doesn't seem to lose magic shield because he uses it as a counterspell again in round two.

Is the table in error, or the example? Personally, I don't understand why the defender would lose the spell, especially since rolling on the Defender High column implies successfully casting the spell.!

The way I read this, the spell is lost in the context of the outcome of that round: both spells, one or the other, or neither may take effect, to varying degrees according to the table.
The spell may be "lost" for that instance as the spells interact, but it was still successfully cast (and must have been for the duel rules to apply).

[earthcell2004]

I think my confusion in terms of the "defender's spell is lost" stems from the "Lost" entries on the spell charts, which, unless I'm totally missing something, means the wizard loses the use of said spell until it is regained the following day (or through spellburn).

It dawned to me the day after I posted (of course!) that perhaps the entry is implied to mean something like "defender's spell fails to activate" or some such.

I can relate to never having counterspelling coming up in a game. I've run a lot of 3.0, 3.5, and Pathfinder games, and never had a player counterspell anything... ever (even after I've had NPC magic user counterspell PCs to show it can be done).

However, the rules for such in DCC RPG cry out for me as ref having an NPC magic-user calling out a PC spell-slinger to a duel just to have fun with it (Yellow Robe vs. Orc Shaman from Journey Quest comes to mind).

[themightyeroc]

When I ran the Emerald Enchanter adventure, our party Wizard wanted to counter spell the Enchanters magic missile spell. Since he also had Magic missile I told him he had to meet or exceed the Enchanters casting roll for it to work. If he had rolled a "1" I would have made him roll on his normal chart.

Simple, worked well and didn't slow the game.

I'm saving the real rules for higher level confrontations.

[cjoepar]

Not to stray too far off topic, but I have also used the spell duel system as a challenge for the party during an adventure. A locked door could not be opened until the wizard won a spell duel against the magic bound to the door.

[Skyscraper]

Not to stray too far off topic, but I have also used the spell duel system as a challenge for the party during an adventure. A locked door could not be opened until the wizard won a spell duel against the magic bound to the door.

Stray, stray, if it can give some lustre back to these rules, I'll be glad for it!