Globals

[RadicalTurnip]

I had a few questions about casting and dispelling global enchantments:

1) Does overwriting a global enchantment use a random number generator at all, or is it simply "whichever has the most effective additional gems wins"?

2) Does Penetration effect globals? (I assume not, but has anyone tested it?)

3) This is a more specific case: Can you forge blood items under Astral Corruption without being horrormarked/attacked?

[Sensori]

1) A random number is applied as well.

2) I haven't tested it, but there's no reason why it would affect globals.

3) You can forge blood items while under the effects of Astral Corruption, as long as it's a pure blood item. Any other stuff used in the construction and horrors may attack you.

[thejeff]

1) I believe the manual goes into this and is correct. It's extra gems + 5 per extra level in the path + the roll against the same calculation on the other side.

[TwoBits]

So we're pretty much doubting that penetration items would help, correct?

[RadicalTurnip]

Thanks guys, I thought there was a DRN involved, but I couldn't remember...and when AC is up, I'm always afraid to forge anything, so that's nice to know.

I was wondering about penetration because my person that casted a global had a rune smasher already equipped for mind hunting, and I just started wondering.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Originally Posted by RadicalTurnip

I was wondering about penetration because my person that casted a global had a rune smasher already equipped for mind hunting, and I just started wondering.

There's nothing in the manual about spell penetration helping when a global tries to defeat another global and, as far as I know, nobody has performed the sort of mind-numbingly boring systematical test to determine it for certain.

However, if we think of the purpose of spell penetration that we do know, which is beating magical resistance, this has nothing whatsoever to do with "whose magic is the most powerful". It is about finding a hole in somebody's magical defenses (including innate resistance to alteration by magic) and attacking through it, not about overpowering their magical defenses with more powerful magic.

As such, I'd say that the safest bet lacking compelling evidence to the contrary is that spell penetration doesn't affect dispelling or the global vs. global clash at all but that it works exactly as described in the manual: DRN + 5 per extra path + 1 per extra gem on each side, highest wins. [I've forgotten who wins ties]

[chrispedersen]

its a drn not a DRN

One of the few.

[RadicalTurnip]

Speaking of which, Rune smasher does work for mind hunting, doesn't it?

[Squirrelloid]

Originally Posted by thejeff

1) I believe the manual goes into this and is correct. It's extra gems + 5 per extra level in the path + the roll against the same calculation on the other side.

The rule manual seems to be slightly wrong actually.

You only get the +5 per extra level if those extra levels are 'natural', at least it appears that way from testing (and iirc from lch's code-diving). Booster-added levels don't count for this purpose (but empowering does).

Its also important to keep in mind that if you have a %reduction site, extra gems don't start counting as extra until and unless you reach the normal unreduced cost. Ie, if you intend to invest extra gems, %reduction sites are pointless.

[thejeff]

How does that work then? Do you have a penalty if you only get up to the level needed with boosters?