Spellcheck #1 (HA! GET IT?)

[blackstaff67]

Thaumaturgy spell for my wizard.  Basically it's a one-shot version of the Treewalking spell/power from D&D.  It's meant to be a fast emergency 'get-away' from potential ambushes.  Basically we walks into one tree (specially prepared) and walks out another tree (again, prepped).  This assumes the trees are within sight on each other, so no border/barriers need be passed through.

+10: Five Zones of movement
+2: Open for a couple seconds
+2: Trigger
+ x: Duration
Your thoughts?  I modeled it off the Escape Potion from the YS book.  Should I toss in an Athletics roll instead?  Or Athletics in addition to all that?

[Taran]

I like this.  It's also easily justified as Worldwalking.  You through a tree into the Nevernever and emerge from a similarly attuned tree.  Basically, the spell sets up a synergy between a bunch of different trees connecting them together in the Nevernever.

You could do it as a skill replacement.  If the zone border from one tree to another is 4, 10 shifts of movement would move you further than what you have listed.

You could the Higher level version of the same spell (enter one tree from one location and emerge from the same kind of tree anywhere in the world.)  by adding more shifts...not sure the mechanical allocation of said shifts.

[Haru]

Well, it looks solid enough. Though you've put very hard restrictions on it, which makes it feel like it would barely get used. It's more like a secret exit from your lair than the "speed boost", the escape potion can provide. They will work pretty much the same, if you are using them in your lair, but outside, the escape potion is a lot more valuable.

This could probably work simply as an aspect to your lair, a secure way to get out, if you are ever under siege. Pretty much like a mundane secret tunnel, only, well, magic. I really don't think charging any form of item slot for it would be necessary. If you could transform any tree you like into a tunnel to one you've prepared for this, yes, I would have you make it a spell, but this way, I think just describing it as being prepared in your downtime would be enough for me.

[Blk4ce]

And for mindblowing effect: Every tree is connected. The earth is one and the same.

[Quantus]

Going with Haru's points, it is rather limited.  Forest and jungle environments limit actual line of sight quite a bit, so maybe just call it Line of Effect but let it go around corners.  Id also suggest only requiring one of the trees to be specially prepared, so that it's either an emergency Get Me Home spell, or just a Get Me Out spell.  Shifts to change tree species might also be interesting, especially if you do Taran's Higher level version, so you arent restricted to climate regions.   

Id also clarify the Size requirement of the tree;  the DnD version required it to be big enough to actually contain you, but a NN sort of effect might not care.  The DnD version also had different ranges based on the Species of the tree;  if both arent specially prepared it could be cool to do that Pine<Oak<Ash<Sequioa.  In fact, if you make the differences drastic enough that could affect the range shifts and even replace the prep need.  for example, a Pine/conifer tree would be Line of Sight, and Oak tree is regional, but you need to actually travel to special/significant locations like the Grove of Titans (and maybe address some guardian spirit) to cross major barriers like oceans or major mountain ranges.


This has a satisfyingly Iron Druid feel to me.   

[Taran]

  The DnD version also had different ranges based on the Species of the tree;  if both arent specially prepared it could be cool to do that Pine<Oak<Ash<Sequioa.  In fact, if you make the differences drastic enough that could affect the range shifts and even replace the prep need.  for example, a Pine/conifer tree would be Line of Sight, and Oak tree is regional, but you need to actually travel to special/significant locations like the

I feel an uncontrollable urge to create a chart...maybe I should channel my inner Gygax.  No, really.  This seems like fun. I may make a chart based on type of tree/distance/amount of shifts required.

[Quantus]

Dont fight it.  Gygax compels you!

[Sanctaphrax]

I think one shift per zone is enough for a movement spell. So I'd only charge you 5 shifts for the movement part.

[blackstaff67]

Wow.  After all the input here, I'm wondering if I wasn't thinking too small.  I feel humble.

You see, the main town our campaign is set in has only a couple hundred thousand in it; people like to say the biggest advantage about living here is that you're always no more than 10-15 minutes away from where you need to go.  Now I'm thinking about prepping a number of trees about my lair to rapidly get to various places--basically, I'd be 10-15 seconds from where I need to go (within reason, given the various size of zones--I'm thinking perhaps several city blocks in several directions). 

[Quantus]

How central to the character concept is this, out of curiosity?  If its just a few very specific and pre-defined pathways, then Im with Haru that it could probably remain just an aspect of the Lair.  But I could also see it being more ingrained in the character's overall style, at which point you could expand it and have all kinds of fun, up to and including linking it to mythological tree concepts like Yggdrasil.  First step to do that would be to loosen the preparation requirement, IMO.

There was a tree mage in the novels briefly, if I recall.  Had trees Killing zombies

[Taran]

If you're going to do it a lot, I'd just take Worldwalker with a rebate since you can only use trees (and a limited area).

[Haru]

While we're at it, how about a worldwalking potion then? Gather some ingredients that fit the tree and nevernever theme, gather them up in a potion, and you're done. It would be a 6 shift potion (2 maneuvers to tag for the temporary power), and you'd get to make a lore roll +2 to determine if you find a good escape route. If you want to get out of rolling, because you could fail the roll, you could, of course, add a skill replacement into the mix. But with the +2 from the power, and since you are probably a wizard or similar with high lore anyways, it should work out like this. Though I would not allow this as an enchanted item, to be used again and again, only as a one time potion thing.

[blackstaff67]

How central to the character concept is this, out of curiosity?  If its just a few very specific and pre-defined pathways, then Im with Haru that it could probably remain just an aspect of the Lair.  But I could also see it being more ingrained in the character's overall style, at which point you could expand it and have all kinds of fun, up to and including linking it to mythological tree concepts like Yggdrasil.  First step to do that would be to loosen the preparation requirement, IMO.

There was a tree mage in the novels briefly, if I recall.  Had trees Killing zombies

It's tangentially central to character concept.  As the character is a Chloromancer-themed wizard (Duba='Oaken' or 'Oak-like'), I can easily see it manifest itself, perhaps the Worldwalking others mentioned farther one down with a limitation "only through certain trees."  Until then, I like the idea of prepping several such trees about his "lair" that take him to his friends' houses, the local Neutral Grounds, etc.