Since it was mentioned in another topic, I thought I'd bring it up again.

Cleric enchanting. Enchant a bauble (bead?) to create a magical 'pressure barrier' around the player while it is invoked. Give it XXX number of strikes. Yes, hundreds, given the general number of attacks given/taken in an hour of combat.

While invoked, with an active barrier, the player makes a TM check to attempt to block an attack with ether, or what have you. In theory, a parry is similar to a weapon strike, or a magical blast, in that it exerts some physical force for only a second or so; the other times, it is simply the possiblity of a strike (or block).

An active barrier should drain mana, at a rate determined by MD (more MD, lower drain). Each blocked strike should decrease the number of strikes left on the item, until it reaches 0, whereupon it poofs like CJ. Running out of mana should result in no barrier, deactivate the item.

This should teach parry, as per normal defending with parry strikes, and some MD (because it checks MD), and some TM at a modest rate.

Would certainly make it easier for young players to learn TM without having to depend on classes, since they have such low stats and general mana available to deal damage with.

I like the basic idea, but I would think it would use either Parry or TM for the contest, and therefore teach one or the other. And I could see arguments for either one-

Parry- this would allow a cleric to utilize Parry(a third defense) and really would just be an extension of parry. If you wanted a TM component, I suppose you could add in some percentage like 80/parry 20/TM, and the TM could be accounting for TM knowledge to counter parry a target spell. Given that Clerics are parry secondary, theorectically we could have much higher parry than shield(not me....but others I am sure)

TM- this would be the idea of directly using TM to direct the parry stick to counter another TM spell. I love the idea but I suspect this will get as much traction as dance shoes on ice, because then clerics could use a primary skill to defend themselves.


"militantly enforcing the overly rigid standards of you and your small collection of friends"

>You can't learn other ranged weapons by parrying, why exactly should you learn TM that way?

I could counter with 'no other ranged weapons require a room specific descriptor, or 2-3 other related skills to learn.'

I can learn 400 ranks in HX just by shooting things. I don't need 600 ranks in 'general bows' and 'ranged perception', a 'good bow room', or anything else except HX to learn.

But honestly, I agree with you. I know nothing like this will ever be made. I simply followed up a joke in another topic here. If you don't like it? Big deal. We both know nothing will come of it. Treating it seriously might lead to some interesting discussion of magic theory, but I doubt anything else.

>> I could counter with 'no other ranged weapons require a room specific descriptor, or 2-3 other related skills to learn.'

TM does not require that you invest in and carry around a bow or crossbow, which can be quite expensive not to mention heavy, and at minimum around a dozen pieces of ammunition, which can also be quite expensive and are very easily lost.

I know it was mostly a tongue-in-cheek thing, but we might as well make the discussion interesting, like you said.

---

Rev. Reene

Idon: Why are we taunting the happy fun Y'shai, again?
Me: Idon know.
Idon: You disgust me.
Me: At least I'm not trying to Phelim up.
Idon: Makes me wonder what she's doing to the World Dragon.

>TM comes with a whole raft of other disadvantages that make spending a couple of plat on ammo and equipment seem like a blessing.

One cannot spend 'a couple of plat' to learn TM better, as one could do with any other ranged weapon.

Given any other ranged weapon, the plat investment would be permanent; buying a capped bow, capped arrows, a repeater, Quads, whatever.

With TM, you could spend money to buy a CJ, which will last a few minutes. Then you're done.

Then you have to buy another one.

People complain about losing 'good' HT or HX ammo. TM boosters will vanish after 1-3 uses. Try making arrows do that, then require players to use store-only gear.