Elthenar wrote:In the main Rifts book it says that a great horned dragon hatchling can begin learning spells by the usual means at 3rd lvl. It then also says that they get 2 spells per lvl.
Can the hatchling learn spells at any time, and then get 2 spells for free per lvl?
Yes.
They have a complete understanding so if they find someone to teach them before third level they can learn spells that way.
At third level they begin to figure them out for themselves.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
I've always said that while they have "complete understanding" of the principles of magic, but until they reach 3rd level they don't have the "mental capacity" to learn spells. The old understand it but can't apply it.
After they reach third level, they have "matured" enough to learn spells, and can learn them as any mage would. They also "figure-out" two spells per level thereafter.
Fnord
Cool...I've been FAQed... atleast twice!
.sig count to date: 2
"May your day be as eventful as you wish, and may your life only hurt as much as it has to." - Me...
Normality is Relative, Sanity is Conceptual, and I am neither.
I'd note however that I generally don't have Hatchlings in my games actively go out looking for spells until they're level 4 or higher. Sure, they're capable and certainly some Hatchlings will want to learn, but hatchling psychology just strikes me as being antithetical to learning magic at first. In my games learning a spell from another wizard can take days, days that the dragon will find boring and stifling. More than that, many hatchlings may be too arrogant to want to learn magic from mere mortals.
This is interesting as I've always seen hatchlings more individual, sure like teenagers some they can be inpatient and restless, but some are solitary, introverted book worms, while others are dare devil risktakers. I have a hatchling in the party I GM, and he plays his like a thoughtful, quiet mystic, who likes to study and learn magic which is cool because he almost never shows his true form or uses his super strength/breath attack etc. He prefers to use his mind so I let him.
The word "THAN" is important. Something is "better than" something else, not "better then", it's "rather than" not "rather then".
Whoops I forgot to anwer the question.
Anyway I let him get two spells at level 3 and learn any normal low level spells if he can find someone who can teach him and is willing to make a trade. Basically if it's role played well I'll let it.
The word "THAN" is important. Something is "better than" something else, not "better then", it's "rather than" not "rather then".
Elthenar wrote:In the main Rifts book it says that a great horned dragon hatchling can begin learning spells by the usual means at 3rd lvl. It then also says that they get 2 spells per lvl.
Can the hatchling learn spells at any time, and then get 2 spells for free per lvl?
Yes. They have a complete understanding so if they find someone to teach them before third level they can learn spells that way. At third level they begin to figure them out for themselves.
What Doom said.
It is always a bad thing when political matters are allowed to affect the planning of operations (Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, 1943)
Nelly ~ He's one romantic smooth operator and a true old school gentleman. Heck he's an Austrian officer, it's in his blood.
Co-Holder with Jefffar of the "Lando Calrissian" award for Smooth. - Novastar
Tyciol wrote:The only issue of confusion for me is whether they are able to learn them before third level. Does it say they can doom? The fact that they start with none implies to me that they can't learn any until third. Wouldn't the parents have passed on some spells if they could learn at first level?
No but "a complete understanding" kind of implies that they can if they can find a teacher.
No.
They are abandoned as eggs.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
Not all of them. Remember those dragons from WB 20: Canada? Plus I'm sure there a a few (very few) families of Dragons that stay with there young (the family in WB 20 is the only one I know of, but it is possible).
Hystrix wrote:Not all of them. Remember those dragons from WB 20: Canada? Plus I'm sure there a a few (very few) families of Dragons that stay with there young (the family in WB 20 is the only one I know of, but it is possible).
And they could teach some spells if they wanted too.
But most likely since they are Dragons they hoard their knowledge for themselves.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
Hystrix wrote:Not all of them. Remember those dragons from WB 20: Canada? Plus I'm sure there a a few (very few) families of Dragons that stay with there young (the family in WB 20 is the only one I know of, but it is possible).
And they could teach some spells if they wanted too. But most likely since they are Dragons they hoard their knowledge for themselves.
True enough. Unless they live in Freehold or Tolkeen. In which case Dragons love each other and get along (enough to have several hundred in the same city...)
Hystrix wrote:True enough. Unless they live in Freehold or Tolkeen. In which case Dragons love each other and get along (enough to have several hundred in the same city...)
And they would still be exceptions.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
Hystrix wrote:True enough. Unless they live in Freehold or Tolkeen. In which case Dragons love each other and get along (enough to have several hundred in the same city...)
I always thought that they couldn't cast magic until level 3, they're "full understanding" means they can use TW items, and can basically understand wards and runes but not cast spells. Oh and even a normal dragon is taught by their mother whilst they are in the egg via telepathy, so they could possibly learn spells if they had that capacity at that age.
The word "THAN" is important. Something is "better than" something else, not "better then", it's "rather than" not "rather then".
Tyciol wrote:Doom, the parents (mainly the mother I think) teach the child telepathically while in the egg. That's how they learn their initial skills, and probably how they're helped to master their natural psychic, combat, metamorphosis and teleportation powers. Teaching them spells wouldn't be a large problem, and I doubt a dragon would care at all about hoarding death trance, blinding flash or cloud of smoke. If they hoarded knowledge, even lesser, they wouldn't have passed the skills on.
So?
It doesn't mean they do.
In fact the nature of Dragons suggests that they wouldn't pass on their spell knowledge.
And by the way the telepathic learning thing is just a theory.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
Tyciol wrote:Doom, the parents (mainly the mother I think) teach the child telepathically while in the egg. That's how they learn their initial skills, and probably how they're helped to master their natural psychic, combat, metamorphosis and teleportation powers. Teaching them spells wouldn't be a large problem, and I doubt a dragon would care at all about hoarding death trance, blinding flash or cloud of smoke. If they hoarded knowledge, even lesser, they wouldn't have passed the skills on.
So? It doesn't mean they do. In fact the nature of Dragons suggests that they wouldn't pass on their spell knowledge.
And by the way the telepathic learning thing is just a theory.
We all know that these "theories" are in fact most likely true. KS has done this ever since BTS, he presents the obvious truth as a theory until a sourcebook comes out that states it as fact (Lazlo's "theory" on PPE and ley lines). It explains how a dragon hatchling knows so much when they are born. If you have a better theory I'd like to hear it. Until then I'll go with Occams Razor and assume that the most obvious and reasonable theory is most likely true.
The word "THAN" is important. Something is "better than" something else, not "better then", it's "rather than" not "rather then".
Tyciol wrote:All other evidence suggests they do pass on knowledge, so they would with magic as well. Have any other idea how a dragon might instinctively know laser communications and robot piloting?
Knowing how magic works doesn't allow you to cast it.
That's why you need to be taught.
Spells are like treasure. They are to be hoarded. Skills are like nothing to a dragon.
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." -George Orwell
***Posting of articles does not imply endorsement of such***
Tyciol wrote:All other evidence suggests they do pass on knowledge, so they would with magic as well. Have any other idea how a dragon might instinctively know laser communications and robot piloting?
Knowing how magic works doesn't allow you to cast it.
That's why you need to be taught.
Spells are like treasure. They are to be hoarded. Skills are like nothing to a dragon.
quit being right doom. your scaring me.
Sometimes, you're like a beacon of light in the darkness, giving me some hope for humankind. ~ Killer Cyborg
You can have something done good, fast and cheap. If you want it done good and fast, it's not going to be cheap. If you want it done fast and cheap it won't be good. If you want something done good and cheap it won't be done fast. ~ Dark Brandon
Whoops I forgot to anwer the question.
