I’m looking at the old version and noticing the notation for spells that deal damage while being cast – designated as “per action” in Half Effect. Which means, making a defense (which results in a half effect) happens on a per casting-action basis; There’s no prolonged effect – you either avoid the damage or you don’t.

Well, these types of spells are all but non-existent in the book. Instead, there’s the Flare spell, which doesn’t deal any damage during casting, and then affects multiple targets with one damage die at the end of casting. There might be one or two others like this, but more pressing is the question: should the game have damage-over-time spells or all-at-once spells? Or possibly both?

Both types of spells offer the caster the ability to deal multiple dice of damage for a lower MP cost than casting multiple 1st-level spells. The first type allows choosing from just one or multiple targets, while the second allows the ability to catch opponents off-guard when you make multiple simultaneous attacks.

Including both types of spell is possible, but might not be necessary, especially in a light-weight, core rules system.

Making a few revisions to the common spells list. While some got toned up and others got toned down, I have to remind myself: Modos RPG is a game about low math and high roleplaying. Higher-level spells don’t have to deal more damage, because they offer a different benefit: conservation of MP health.

For example: a first level spell that deals d8 damage once costs 5 MP health. While a fourth level spell that deals 4d8 damage costs 8 MP health. In terms of ratios, the first level spell deals 0.9 damage per MP health, and the fourth level spell deals 2.25 damage per MP health, or 2.5 times as much damage per health as the first level spell.

Somehow, I didn’t notice it in the words themselves, but “special equipment” is a deceptively complex idea. The new equipment chapter will probably focus on two entries for each piece of equipment: actions and concept. These things are a little too diverse to standardize anything else.

Actions describes how to use each item, and what/how many actions are necessary to use it.

Concept is the gear’s description and the useful details.

However, the power of each piece can, so far, be translated into the inherent power of a character – whether that power is related to attributes, skills (specifically spells), or perks. Counting these up is a good way to measure the gear’s level, which can be compared to character level for balancing purposes.

I’ve dropped sample special equipment in the “Equipment” chapter, where it belongs. I’m also removing the confusing language on how to design special equipment, and how to assign it. Reason being: it’s too much for a light, core rules system. It’s enough to include some samples, I hope!

Here’s a hand grenade:

Grenade, fragmentation, level 6
Attributes: MP 15
Skills: cast spell (flare) -2
Concept: one action delivers this tiny bomb into enemy territory, and it blows up on the next action (same initiative count as thrower, if applicable), producing the effects of a Flare spell (d8 P (fire) damage to four enemies behind partial or no cover). The grenade’s difficulty contest takes -2, but the minimum casting contest rule does not apply.

If it looks similar to a character sheet, there’s a reason for that!