[TORG] Why don't wizards run around in tin cans?

[Dominick Riesland]

On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 4:03 PM, Samuel Phillips Koller<spkoller at uwm.edu> wrote:
> With regards to this, I consider it largely subjective.  I see little to no evidence of NPC's using platemail or any other super heavy armor.  Presuming I am interpreting the Asyle text right and Magic is a common everyday thing, then most armies would try to equip lighter armors that can be raised to a higher level by enchantments, and have as many bow and cross bow men as possible, to make pincushions out of anyone they see muttering for longer the five seconds.
>
> Conversely, it is quite likely that your average "heavy suit" used to be a stable hand, and thus has a toughness of 12 or even 13.  Thus, our enchanted plate just hopped up to 20, which is within spitting distance of reasonable.
>
> In short, I would consider most ayslish armies to have three types of people in them
> 1) I have brains, and thus I can make better armor waving my hands around then any smith i know of.
> 2) I have brawn, and thus armor works well enough for me that i am not worried
> 3) I have neither, now hand me that bow before the idiot over there finishes chanting.


Try 4) I have more brains, and know that being forced to subject a
spell to a Power Push (as spells to create armor adds do) may produce
fewer result points on a heavier armor than that same spell cast on a
lighter one, but will still result in the heavier armor being more
protective. Also, being a bear with a very large brain, I know that
casting spells outside of bow range of enemies is far superior to
doing so within bow range.

Also, contrary to popular opinion, not all spells require obvious
tropes; they merely make such spells easier. Furthermore, spells that
require chanting would be done *more* effectively by those inside a
tin can, as it would be harder to identify which of those with the tin
can are chanting and which are simply marching. Contagions are easier
to hide in a tin can. The similarity of toughening armor could easily
be handled by having the people to be affected strike each other as
they march. And remember that none of these are really any problem if
the duration is long enough to cast the spell and then enter bow
range.

However, while this scenario is perfectly acceptable under the rules
as we know them, this is not Aysle. Aysle is perfectly happy having
spells that allow armor to be put on quickly, to be enhanced, to turn
normal clothing into passable armor, and yet it knows that wizards
don't wear tin cans and warriors do. There need to be reasonable
explanations for both choices, and none of the stated considerations
do that.

Dominick Riesland, aka Rabbitball
Creator of the Cosmversal Grimoire
"There are always possibilities, my sergeant told me. But he never had
his possibilities torn away like wings from a fly."