Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Discussion of the pulp roleplaying system, including hard-boiled detectives, fedora-wearing action heroes, and steampunk gadgeteers rocketing to battle.
Post Reply
Venture-Stein
Skobbit
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:15 pm

Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Venture-Stein »

What am I missing? What is the point of spells per level when you have MEP? I've read this a couple of times now, and I don't get how they work together. If you have enough MEP can't you cast more than what you are allowed by the spells per day chart? So if casting is based off of MEP, what is the point of the spells per day? Any help would be appreciated.

User avatar
Jason Vey
Grey Elf Troll
Posts: 789
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Jason Vey »

Wizards still can only prepare so many spells per day. The MEP reserve is then used to cast these spells with impunity.

Why is it this way? Well, the in-game explanation is thus:

Spells require extensive rituals to cast. When an Arcanist prepares spells, he is in effect performing the ritual part of the magic, leaving just one final trigger out. He can then hold this ritual in his memory, using his reservoir of magical energy to power the ritual throughout the day. As he grows in experience, he is able to stably hold more and more powerful spells to power.

The meta reason? Game balance. Allow Arcanists to cast any spell of any level they can cast with impunity, even limiting it by MEP expenditures, and they quickly run away with the game. Making them prepare a limited subset of spells on a daily basis forces them to live within limitations and think strategically. You still don't need to prepare Arcane Bolt 3 times to cast it 3 times; you just need to prepare Arcane Bolt as one of your daily first-level spells. You can keep casting it until your MEP runs out (or you brutally fail at a spellcasting roll).

Venture-Stein
Skobbit
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 10:15 pm

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Venture-Stein »

Thank you for your quick response. I still don't really get it, but I appreciate the try!

User avatar
redwullf
Ulthal
Posts: 652
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:28 pm
Contact:

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by redwullf »

Venture-Stein wrote:Thank you for your quick response. I still don't really get it, but I appreciate the try!
Spells cast and spells prepared are not the same thing. Consider the following analogy: Someone has 4 weapons in his arsenal; shotgun, pistol, assault rifle, and bazooka. He can only carry 2 of those weapons at a time and the others must be stowed away. Finally, he only carries a finite amount of ammo that he can shoot with those selected weapons.

In this analogy the selection of weapons, the arsenal, are the source of spells, such as a spell book. The selected weapons from the arsenal are the prepared spells. And, the available ammo for those weapons are the MP. When the ammo runs out, you can't shoot those weapons anymore -- when the MP runs put, you can't cast those spells anymore.

Hope that helps.
Image
"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs. He presents opportunities
for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.” -- E. G. G.

--------------------------------------------------
Castles & Crusades Society Member

User avatar
Relaxo
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 3351
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Relaxo »

The Grey Elf wrote:Wizards still can only prepare so many spells per day. The MEP reserve is then used to cast these spells with impunity.

You still don't need to prepare Arcane Bolt 3 times to cast it 3 times; you just need to prepare Arcane Bolt as one of your daily first-level spells. You can keep casting it until your MEP runs out (or you brutally fail at a spellcasting roll).
So this is much more flexible than a Wizard in C&C, but not as 'loose' as a Sorcerer in 3.5... is that fair to say?

So your spell book is all the spells you possibly know, but you prepare a specific list for the day (a subset of all the ones in the spell book) and "spend" the MEP to cast the spells. (right?)
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781

User avatar
Jason Vey
Grey Elf Troll
Posts: 789
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Jason Vey »

Relaxo: yes, that's correct, though I'd say the use of MEP makes them MORE flexible than a sorcerer in 3.5. Redwulf's analogy is actually spot-on. Consider the spell book as the sum total of your arsenal. The spells you prepare are those weapons you choose to take from the arsenal and carry with you. Your MEP reserve is the bullets you put in the weapons.

In fact, I may nab that exact analogy to use in a future printing or an expansion article on the class, if you don't mind, Redwulf.

User avatar
redwullf
Ulthal
Posts: 652
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:28 pm
Contact:

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by redwullf »

The Grey Elf wrote:Relaxo: yes, that's correct, though I'd say the use of MEP makes them MORE flexible than a sorcerer in 3.5. Redwulf's analogy is actually spot-on. Consider the spell book as the sum total of your arsenal. The spells you prepare are those weapons you choose to take from the arsenal and carry with you. Your MEP reserve is the bullets you put in the weapons.

In fact, I may nab that exact analogy to use in a future printing or an expansion article on the class, if you don't mind, Redwulf.
Sure, and don't be shy about giving "Redwullf" a small credit. ;)
Image
"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs. He presents opportunities
for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.” -- E. G. G.

--------------------------------------------------
Castles & Crusades Society Member

User avatar
Relaxo
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 3351
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Relaxo »

oh duh, the sorcerer doesn't have to pick which spells ahead of time, right?

I get it now, though. :D

(I never played 3.x much) ((if fact, if you say, "3.x" I usually think you mean the old Dos Windows, LOL))
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781

User avatar
Jason Vey
Grey Elf Troll
Posts: 789
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Jason Vey »

The sorcerer in 3.x can cast any spell he knows, but only has so many slots of each level each day. So he might have 6 first level, 4 second, and 2 third level spells. Once he's out of third level slots, he's out of third level slots (though I think there is an OPTION to allow him to use higher level slots to cast lower level spells, so it only goes one way).

The Arcanist in AA, by contrast, has to prepare an arsenal of spells, but can mix and match levels until he runs out of MEP. He might prepare 3 first level spells, 2 second, and a third, but he can cast that third level spell all day long so long as he doesn't run out of MEP.

User avatar
Relaxo
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 3351
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:00 am

Re: Amazing Adventures (MEP)

Post by Relaxo »

oh, that's sweet.
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781

Post Reply