Hmm... If that's the case, that doesn't really make me a happy GM. I've introduced Arcanis to a small group I started up and, with one exception, none of them had played an table top RPG - to make it worse, the only PC/console RPG they'd played is Skyrim (so no 'old school' RPGs). My players tend to be...what are the proper words..."tactically stupid"...

I didn't mean to give the impression that the game wasn't good for new players. The game is definitely more about the story, and there is a rich story that the players can immerse themselves into. The combat tactics will come in time and there is plenty of time to learn it if you're starting at Tier 1.0 with the crusade arcs. I would ease them into it and have them learn a little bit each time (understand the clock and weapon speeds, then later on talk about tactical edge, etc.).

I'm sure that anyone on the boards can help with giving you some pointers on new players starting the system.

John

This is how I feel as well. My character generally walks around with non-obvious buffs when in potentially important/dangerous situations - heighten senses (good to avoid the ambushes), alter appearance (for general social benifits), and body of the warrior. None of these are obvious when in effect, and some are obviously meant for social interaction. I assume my character excuses himself every hour or so to "touch up" his spells.

If there is a "bang" down the hall and it is time to see what everyone does, I would consider that the time to "refresh" my spells if I wanted to spend the time on that rather than rushing off to see what is happening. But if, while I socialize in a room or ride down a trail, some group of thugs leap out of nowhere and attack me, I would assume those spells would still be in place, since there was no scene transition for me.


Same with between combats. We finished off the room full of baddies, but what is through the next door? I would assume that if we run pell mell through the door, just as the last bad guy in the first room falls, then we are in the same scene – since we didn’t stop to loot, search, heal, have significant conversation. But if we do stop to search the room... then we’re now in another scene, and if I spend my time buffing for the next fight while others search the room, then we are ready to go for the next scene.

Generally if you take the time to top off Stamina or recover 'scene' abilities then the scene ends. If you rush headway into the next encounter without healing or anything (keeping your current Stamina) then it's generally the same 'scene'.

John

Agreed, and that means that the "scene" is often more determined by the actions of the players, than the setting. Therefore, during times when players have almost no control over the situation (ambushes, surprise attacks, fairly "instantaneous" combats) whatever they maintained as precasts before hand should be in effect.

Unless it's something like "You're walking around the marketplace looking for wares and suddenly you're ambushed." I don't think it's reasonable for most people to have 'combat buffs' up while perusing a marketplace. Sure you might have Personal Illusion or a Binding Spell up, but you're probably not walking around with your Arcane Shield, Benediction of the Gods (Unless it gives a bonus to appraising or haggling), etc.

Now if you're in a hostile fort, skulking about the corridors, yes you'd have those up for the 'scene' of exploring the fort. It's often up to the players and GM to communicate.

John

Ok, this is where game mechanics and "reality" need to be balanced. Typically a scene/encounter starts with boxed text. If you describe that you generally try to keep the spells up and remind the GM of that at the beginning of each scene spending a bit of time to get them up, then you're probably good. If you happened to get ambushed in box text, then it's the GM's call.

The Scene duration was made as a way to simplify and streamline casting as part of game balance. For all practical purposes, any true combat spell with a duration of scene isn't required to have a "true" duration of longer than 30 - 60 seconds. Perhaps more practically in the realm of a few minutes. Made to match Passive casting stat and you're talking 3 - 5 minutes per casting. Could they be longer? Sure. Do they need to be longer to meet the need for Scene? Probably not. Spells such as Alter Appearance probably do have a longer duration than mere minutes, but even that isn't guaranteed. As you've described it's easy enough to refresh those sorts of spells. Casting spells though takes a toll though hence the strain. Do you think it's practical to always cast a refresh on a spell or several spells every 4 minutes or so for hours at a time and for days and weeks on end?

I can see both sides of this argument. My primary also has heightened senses, alter appearance and body of the warrior and would love to have them up as well so it's not that I'm an uninterested party.

What would be ideal would be for Pedro to provide guidance on whether having the buffs up or not is typically included within the threat calculation. As an addition or alternative, mod authors could specify before combats what's practical to have pre-cast IF the characters think of it.

Until then it's probably just best to ask the GM how they intend to handle it and go from there.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

Agreed, that it is always going to be something of a judgement call. I totally agree that if the idea of "scene" was supposed to be 4-5 minutes, than having any scene durations buffs up regularly makes absolutely no sense. But considering the nature of many scene duration spells, it seems like many of them would require a longer time period to be useful; probably up to an hour or more - heighten senses doesn't do much good unless you have it up before a scene, since it's primary value is in letting you detect issues as they arise. Same with alter appearance - it primarily designed for social situations, where the scene could last hours. And I would think some of the "path" spells would be used regularly by shamans for overland travel, and thus should be useable over hours as well.

Though it's not mechanical constant, there is the threat of being Harvested.
It's plausible that a character wouldn't refresh an augmentation every 10 minutes or so because the odds that they do it in view of someone who'd notice and sell the info to a Harvester could be very high. At least in cities, anyway. Out on the trail, not so much -although the idea of halting travel every 10 minutes is a recipe for insanity.

First off Lothair is to stupid and cocky to realize how much of a threat the Harvesters actually are after-all he is a Shaman not a true wiggly fingers. (one more level he will also be psionically activated)
Secondly as I said I will be more than willing to ride around all day in the country with my Beastial Hide self with one hand all clawed out. I am not so foolish enough to do it in broad daylight in the city. Although after dark maybe. Also thinking about what I could do with Alter Appearance when in the city and still have my bestial hide running.