Wizard in need of Assistance.

[Aiomoro]

I'm playing a wizard in my first palladium game and I can't seem to get the magic system down, If anyone can help explain the Wizard style of magic to me in clearer terms that would be amazing, specifically regarding my character's spells and any insights on interesting ways to use the spells.

Spells.

Spoiler:

Antimagic Cloud
Armor of Ithan
Decipher Magic
Fire Ball
Mesmerism
Mute
Mystic Portal
Negate Magic
Words of Truth

Attributes, If they affect anything.

Spoiler:

I.Q. 15
M.E. 16
M.A. 14
P.S. 13
P.P. 12
P.E. 14
P.B. 20
SPD. 14

[The Beast]

http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=142445

Keep in mind it's written with Rifts in mind, so you'll have to ignore any mention of MDC.

[Aiomoro]

http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=142445

Keep in mind it's written with Rifts in mind, so you'll have to ignore any mention of MDC.

This only leaves me with more questions, I wasn't looking so much for an optimization guide as I was an explanation on the mechanics for spell DC and what saves are meant to be used as the Heroes Unlimited second edition rulings are not the clearest from the book.

[Glistam]

Shouldn't you have more spells than that?

I don't remember the spell Mesmerism off the top of my head - is it like Hypnotic Suggestion, Trance or Dominate? You seem to have some good anyi-magic bases covered with Negate Magic, Anti-Magic Cloud and Decypher Magic. I hope your G.M. intends for there to be some magic-based opposition in your game, otherwise this seems like overkill.

In a modern day Heroes setting I think Mystic Portal is the real standout in this list. Teleport flawlessly to nearby places hou've been to, or walk through the walls/doors of places you haven't been to before. Even though your Astral Projection ability can you into places easier, it can't let you take your friends. Since the portals are one-way and can't be seen from the other side it gives you voyeur capabilities and nice ambush potential.

If Mesmerism is similar to one of the abilities I described then it'll be a good vehicle to get info from people or to make them do things you need done.

As a Wizard, you know things when it comes to the magical, supernatural, and even the psychic - they're all inextricably linked. Leverage your background to use Research in order to help gain answers to weird questions. Leverage your spells and abilities to get that knowledge when simple research won't cut it.

You're not a front-line combatant! Remember you're a practical Wizard in the modern day - yeah, magic is cool, flashy, and impressive, but sometimes a gun is sufficient. Be careful not to put yourself in a position where you aren't able to spend the two actions necessary for magic. Fireball is very low-power at the early levels. I would consider taking HTH:Expert or Martial Arts in order to get quicker access to the move Body Flip/Throw. It can buy you some precious time in close combat if you need it.

Work with your G.M. - what sort of magical support are they putting in place for you? You have a mentor but were there also other pupils - other allies you can call on? Are there magic guilds (as suggested by the G.M.'s Guide)? Will you be able to buy and learn low-level magic?

Remember in the P.P.E. based magic system you can draw P.P.E. from others, and super heroes with super powers tend to have a fair amount for a non-magical mortal (6D6 if memory serves). Use them when you can to suppliment your own P.P.E. pool. After all, it's not like they need it! Also find where the Ley Lines are in your area.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Mesmerism: this is not in the 2nd ed mainbook. But it is in the 1st ed HU MB. So maybe the answers should be in relation to the 1st ed rules.

And, in 2nd ed, the decipher magic spell is non-compatible with the changes made in the canon rules about magic (thus a legacy spell that slipped past the edit).

(brainstorming}
Though, an alt usage might be to allow a mage reads a scroll without setting it off. <Depending which set of canon text the GM follows about activating scrolls.>

[Glistam]

http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=142445

Keep in mind it's written with Rifts in mind, so you'll have to ignore any mention of MDC.

This only leaves me with more questions, I wasn't looking so much for an optimization guide as I was an explanation on the mechanics for spell DC and what saves are meant to be used as the Heroes Unlimited second edition rulings are not the clearest from the book.

The mechanics for Spell DC are called "Spell Strength." A Wizard starts with a 12 Spell Strength, and this is the number others must roll to save against if they get a saving throw. Every few levels that spell strength goes up by +1.

"Ritual" spells always have a Spell Strength of 16. That number does not increase as the character levels up. Rituals take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour to cast. I broke down rituals some time ago in this thread, it may be useful to you if you're using Second Edition rules. Please help me to visualize a Palladium magic ritual

As far as "what saves are meant to be used" for magic there is only one general save, "versus magic." Some character types may get a bonus, some super powers may give a bonus, and any character with a P.E. of 16 or higher gets a bonus. All bonuses "versus magic" add together.

Sometimes a character gets a special, situational bonus of "+X vs Illusions," "+X vs Mind Control," or "+X vs Possession." In these cases, any spells which would fall into those categories would see these bonuses added to any "vs magic" bonuses the character may have. It's usually fairly clear but not always when a spell will fall into a special category. When it's not clear you'll need to negotiate with you G.M. if the two of you can't agree on a particular spell's category in this regard.

Very rarely a spell uses a different save, such as "Dodge." Spells that allow a dodge will either note the target number the opponent is rolling to dodge against, or they will not note such a number meaning the mage must roll to strike (sometimes with a bonus to their strike roll).

I hope this was the sort of information you were looking for?

[drewkitty ~..~]

From a 2nd ed PoV...
AMC/Mute: anti-mage spells. one to negate magic that is cast the other to prevent the magic from being cast.
AoI: Body Armor pure and simple.

Mystic Portal: bypass closed door/wall

Negate Magic: open seals and get rid of long duration de-buffs.

Words of Truth: Interrogation

Mesmerism: Not in 2nd ed, see charm.
Decipher Magic: nothing to decipher in 2nd ed.

IQ if high enough to get a skills bonus: using the NB or PF Spell creation and Modification texts.
PE: adds to base PPE point for point. If high adds to saving vs magic.

[Glistam]

...any insights on interesting ways to use the spells.

Spells.

Spoiler:

Antimagic Cloud
Armor of Ithan
Decipher Magic
Fire Ball
Mesmerism
Mute
Mystic Portal
Negate Magic
Words of Truth

Anti-Magic Cloud: This is useful not just against other mages, but anyone who derives their powers from Magic. It's practically an "I win" button if you get this off and those characters fail their saves. It's also noted as immune to Weather Manipulation abilities, so it could be a fun (if P.P.E. costly) way to aggravate a Weather controlling character.

Armor of Ithan: This has a range of "touch" instead of "self," so you can use it to buff your allies as well as yourself. Best to use as a pre-combat buff. It's also an easy way to add protection to those characters who don't have a lot of good options (oddly shaped characters, for example).

Decipher Magic: I really can't think of any interesting uses for this spell outside of its description. It's not normally necessary in Heroes Unlimited - consult with your G.M. if this spell is necessary in this setting.

Fire Ball: It's a ball of fire. It doesn't do impressive damage for several levels, and it doesn't explode in a radius (see the spell Firestorm in the Heroes Unlimited G.M.'s Guide for that one), but it's still fire that you're making appear out of nowhere. Use it to start fires or to just seem impressive to those who don't have powers.

Mesmerism: It's a nice spell for when subtlety is required. A good spell to compliment RP.

Mute: Besides being useful against other spell casters, it's also useful against those few superpowers and psionics which require spoken words. Also great to use when someone is very annoying and won't stop talking.

Mystic Portal: Nothing keeps you out with this spell. It's also a great way to escape a seemingly inescapable room. For more fun, see if your G.M. will allow you to do tricks with it like from the game Portal. Remember that it's only one-way though! Since those on the other end don't see the portal, it's great for some short-range spying.

Negate Magic: Can also be used in some cases against those who gain their powers from Magic. Still its best use will be against other Magic spells and effects.

Words of Truth: Remember that the victim must save versus each of your questions, and if they succeed they can't lie - they just say nothing. You could set up some fun, unexpected situations similar to the movie Liar, Liar. Just be sure it's you asking the questions - they only have to answer you truthfully!

Hope that helps too. It seems like there's a lot of redundancy in this list, but if you're happy with it then game on!

[Aiomoro]

In the Heroes unlimited revised book, I'm seeing no mention of P.P.E. in relation to magic: mystic study. Am I over looking something?

[Aiomoro]

Shouldn't you have more spells than that?

No, because AMC, Mystic portal, and Armor are considered to take up multiple spell slots due to their complexity[ballance]

[Glistam]

In the Heroes unlimited revised book, I'm seeing no mention of P.P.E. in relation to magic: mystic study. Am I over looking something?

No, Heroes Unlimited Revised uses the "Spells per Day" system of spellcasting. Heroes Unlimited Second Edition updates the class to use P.P.E. instead. You seemed to indicate in an earlier post that you were playing in the Second Edition, hence the discussion of P.P.E..

[Aiomoro]

No, Heroes Unlimited Revised uses the "Spells per Day" system of spellcasting. Heroes Unlimited Second Edition updates the class to use P.P.E. instead. You seemed to indicate in an earlier post that you were playing in the Second Edition, hence the discussion of P.P.E..

It seems I was mistaken. My apologies.

[drewkitty ~..~]

In the Heroes unlimited revised book, I'm seeing no mention of P.P.E. in relation to magic: mystic study. Am I over looking something?

Then you are looking at the HU 1st ed mainbook. Which I suspected when you mentioned the mesmerism spell.

HU 2nd ed main book: https://palladium-store.com/1001/produc ... ition.html

[Aiomoro]

How much of a headache is converting a HUR v1 character to HURv2?

[drewkitty ~..~]

Most of the conversion to a higher ed with PB for chars is not much of one.
For MS's it is basically replacing/updating the "Other magic abilities" (most are the same), roll up the PPE, and reselect spells. (Getting more spells.)
I would say that beyond the powers and PPE it would just be slotting the old skills and spells into the new format.

Quick and Dirty explanation:
PPE are PB's ""mana points"" for magic. You can cast any spell with them so long as your mage knows the spell and has the PPE to spend on it. The PPE pool replenishes while resting or meditating.

aside: most lower ed chars can still be played 'as is' besides the higher ed chars if you really want to. But the GM would have to be okay with that.
aside #2: I use the name 'mystic study' for the HU mage char template, because the PF RPG 1&2 has it's mage template named "wizard"
Q&D: basic idea without nuances.

[Aiomoro]

Most of the conversion to a higher ed with PB for chars is not much of one.
For MS's it is basically replacing/updating the "Other magic abilities" (most are the same), roll up the PPE, and reselect spells. (Getting more spells.)
I would say that beyond the powers and PPE it would just be slotting the old skills and spells into the new format.

Quick and Dirty explanation:
PPE are PB's ""mana points"" for magic. You can cast any spell with them so long as your mage knows the spell and has the PPE to spend on it. The PPE pool replenishes while resting or meditating.

aside: most lower ed chars can still be played 'as is' besides the higher ed chars if you really want to. But the GM would have to be okay with that.
aside #2: I use the name 'mystic study' for the HU mage char template, because the PF RPG 1&2 has it's mage template named "wizard"
Q&D: basic idea without nuances.

Thankyou.

[Sir_Spirit]

One thing, unless being hot is important to your character for reasons, I would see if you can switch your PE and PB. That should give you 6 more HP. And if you convert to PPE at least 6 more PPE points.

[Shadowknight]

While different GM tend to run different styles of games, I would highly recommend you switch to the second edition HU. A Starting mage starts out with 2d4+4 spells so you'll have a minimum of 6 spells and a maximum of 12 spells at first lvl. You also start of with 2D4X10 +20+P.E which make you a lot more versatile as a mage than a first edition HU. The fact that it doesn't matter if you choose 1-15 lvl spells is an added bonus, nevertheless given high lvl spells tend to cost more than low lvl spells I wouldn't recommend choosing spells higher than 6 lvl or at most 8 lvl until you've gone up to at least at few lvl and your P.P.E is at least above 150.