Grammer Scorbic's Household Guard
From Discworld MUD Wiki
| Grammer Scorbic's Household Guard | |
|---|---|
| Spell information | |
| Nickname | gshg |
| Guild | Witches |
| Type | Defensive |
| Description | Floats a utensil that blocks attacks. |
| GP cost | 50 |
| Mind space | 20 |
| Thaums | 4 |
| Components | none |
| Crystal | None |
Grammer Scorbic's Household Guard is a defensive witch spell which floats a protective household utensil around the caster.
Contents
Acquisition
This spell can be learnt at 15 levels of magic.spells.defensive. It is taught by Granny Weatherwax and Aunty Ogg-San.
Mechanics
Combat
Upon successful casting, the target utensil enters orbit around the caster. This then has the following effects:
- The floating utensil will attempt to block any incoming physical attack (causing the witch to take no damage from it). The chance of a successful block is:
- Inversely proportional to the weight of the utensil.
- Proportional to the witch's magic.spells.defensive bonus.
- Upon a successful block, the floating utensil may be knocked out of orbit. The chances of this happening are:
- Inversely proportional to the weight of the utensil.
- Proportional to the damage of the attack. In particular, specials frequently knock utensils out of orbit for this reason.
- While any utensils are orbiting a witch, that witch will not attempt to dodge, parry or block incoming attacks.
- Each time a utensil blocks an attack, it consumes a substantial number research of action points.
Multiple utensils
Multiple utensils may be floated about the same witch, however:
- Multiple utensils are less effective at blocking an attack than any of them would be on their own.
- There is a random chance while blocking or otherwise every couple of minutes that two floating utensils will collide in mid-air, in which case one may be knocked down.
Bringing down utensils
Utensils may be brought down by various means:
- Waiting for an opponent to knock the utensil down with a physical attack.
- Mother Brynda's Call of Gravity and Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor will bring down all utensils.
- Death causes all utensils to come down.
Casting
This spell requires 50 GP to cast, and takes up 20 units of mind space.
- It may be cast on any household utensil, and will only float utensils about the caster.
- Utensils that are also containers do not seem to be usable until they are emptied.
Skills
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The following skills are required for this spell:
The difficulty of the magic.methods.physical.binding skillcheck is proportional to the weight of the utensil; the spellcheck data here is for a flatiron.
Components
No components are required for this spell other than the utensil target.
Casting messages
- Casting
You clasp <target> tightly in one fist. You hold <target> at arm's length and wave it about. You recommend to <target> that it should do something useful.
- Success
<target> begins to float around you.
- Failure - Skill check
You struggle and strain to lift <target>, but it's too much for you. It falls to the ground.
- Failure - Utensil is a container and not empty
<target> seems much too preoccupied with looking after <contents> to get up and float through the air.
- To others
Myrina Womblesworth clasps a <target> tightly in one fist. Myrina Womblesworth holds a <target> at arm's length and waves it about. Myrina Womblesworth stares fixedly at a <target>. The <target> begins to float around Myrina Womblesworth.
Notes
- This spell is functionally identical to Endorphin's Floating Friend, except it works on utensils instead of shields.
- The utensil may be in the room with the caster rather than in their inventory. It is automatically picked up during the spell and impacts burden normally - so you can't float a utensil from the ground that you would not be able to pick up.
- Lighter utensils will block more attacks, but are easier to knock out.
- Heavier utensils block less attacks, but are harder to knock out.
- This spell is particularly effective against opponents that attack rapidly without specialing.
- It's much less useful against opponents that frequently special.
- Witches with a strong focus on physical combat may be better off forgoing this spell and relying on dodge/parry, as the action point penalty otherwise severely reduces their rate of attack.
See also
- Endorphin's Floating Friend
- Mother Brynda's Call of Gravity
- Frygellhan's Fiendish Orbit Disruptor
- Utensil
External links
- Discworld spell help: Grammer Scorbic's Household Guard
- Focus Tea Database: Grammer Scorbic's Household Guard
