NERO® Base 5 Damage/Healing Spell Effect Play-Test

Version 1.2 6/70700

For NERO Rules: Matthew Pearson, Joseph Valenti

 

This official play-test is designed with the following objectives:

1.       Simplify calculation of spell damage by making it uniform by level of spell.

2.      Modestly increase spell damage and healing effects to reflect trends in character and monster development. Note:Some damage reductions also have occurred to fit spells into the algorithm.

 

In an effort to keep the NERO® Rules System clear, consistent, and easy to understand the International Rules Committee has approved for play-test this system which we feel will address most of the objectives listed above. This play-test may be modified or removed at any time by the NERO® Rules Committee.

 

This play-test equates a spell’s level with a base 5 system of damage/healing. Simply stated a spell either harms or heals a target at 5 points per level of spell. This means a Magic Missile (Level 1 Celestial) does 5 points of damage to a target, and Cure Light Wounds will heal the target 5 points.

 

A note of caution to chapters running low-level campaigns is that even low-level spells can be deadly against low-level characters who have relatively few body points and this play-test should be thought over completely in terms of monster/event scaling before it is used in a low-level campaign.

 

Other spell effects such as protectives, blade-spells, curses, etc are not  to be modified to this system at this point due to the potentially unbalancing effects they could have on play. These spells may be addressed in a wider spell-revision play-test in the future.

 

Example Table: any additional play-test spells that cause damage or healing effect should have their effect scaled per level of the spell to fit the algorithm. The number in [ ] is the number of points of differential from the 8th edition spell descriptions and this playtest.
Level	Celestial	Damage/Healing	Level	Earth	Damage/Healing
1	Magic Missile	5  [+1]	1	Cure/Cause Light Wounds	5*  [+3]
2	Lightning Bolt	10 [+2]	2	Cure/Cause Wounds	10* [+2]
3	Ice Bolt	15 [+3]	3	Harm/Help Undead	30* [+12
4	Flame Bolt	20 [+4]	4	Cure/Cause Serious Wounds	20* [+12]
6	Lightning Storm	30 [+6]	6	Cure/Cause Critical Wounds	30* [+6]
7	Ice Storm	35 [+7]	7	Destroy Undead	70* (Or destroy) [+28]
8	Dragon’s Breath	40 [+8]	8	Cure/Cause Mortal Wounds	40* [+16]
9	Eldritch Blast	45 [+9]

* Note: Healing does not follow NERO® 8^th Edition Rules and does not do double damage versus undead. With the dramatic increase in healing doing double damage to undead it could potentially unbalance monsters. Harm Undead has been moved to 30 points of damage and Destroy Undead’s damage has been moved to 70 to reflect the fact these spells are designed to do damage to a very specific class of monster and is not a mistake.