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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: NO Saving Throw
Message-ID: <535@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 14:05:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmintl.535
Posted: Thu Jul 25 14:05:13 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 05:24:35 EDT
References: <438@busch.UUCP> <1453@shark.UUCP> <2145@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <1885@hcrvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 29
Summary: I don't like it either


In article <1885@hcrvax.UUCP> jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) writes:
>> I'd like to go on record as intensely disliking No Saving Throw spells.
>> 
>> But whatever you think a saving throw is, it feels *wrong* for someone to
>> be able to significantly affect a victim on a 100% chance basis.
>
>Well, you're on record.  I, however, like No Saving Throw spells.  Especially
>when going against monsters with magic resistance.  Magic Resistance is,
>I feel, grossly unfair.  Take two parties, equal in every way except for
>MR, and the MR party will win, more often than not.  So those spells with
>NST are needed.  Instead of two rolls (one for MR, the other the ST), the
>monster only gets one.  And because high level monsters get high level ST's,
>you need something to stop them.

All you are saying is that MR is an advantage for those who have it.  Of
course it's an advantage.  But no saving throw spells are much worse.  Yes,
they balance things a bit against monsters with MR.  But they unbalance
things against monsters without MR.  Also, I have little respect for a
gamesmaster who lets the players use a weapon (no ST spells) which is
available to the monsters, but does not use it against the players.

In other words, when evaluating a spell, don't just ask "would I like to
be able to use this spell?"  Also ask "Can I tolerate this spell being used
against me?"

By the way, comparing a spell against sleep to measure its usefulness is
about like comparing a weapon against an atomic bomb.   I don't think any
game I have run in has used sleep with its book definition; certainly not
for very long.