Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

Since we're on the topic: if a magic duel kills a communion master, do the communion slaves die as well?

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

Magic Duel is an area effect (it will kill anyone in the same square as the loser) and communions don't transmit area effects so the answer is probably "no."

-Max

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

Wait, magic duel is an AoE 1?

This is also a startling relevation.

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

No, they do not die. Also, I am pretty sure magic duels target at least somewhat randomly. I played a game where I was magic dueling communions with small, low hp weak mages and large, strong mages with lots of hp. The first two magic duels hit the large guys, but then I also hit a small one or two while there were still some of the bigger guys on the field.

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

When thinking about sending out your astral pretender to fight, you'd want to consider the astral capabilities of your opponent. If your enemy can get within 3 astral of you easily (e.g. S1 versus S4 pretender, S3 versus S6 pretender), don't.

After that, it depends on a simple cost/benefit analysis.

S3-4 mages are usually only rare, cap-only. I don't seriously believe anyone would expend them magic duelling an S+5 pretender, as they'd only have a 3% chance of success, and anyone desperate enough to waste that many expensive mages when the other guy can just call his god back (albeit with -1 all paths) is either doomed or so powerful it doesn't matter. It's quite possible your average opponent wouldn't even take the risk against an S+4 god: 8% chance means stastically you'd very likely lose more than half a dozen. On the other hand, someone might very happily expend a ton of cheap 60-100GP S1/S2 mages to kill a S+5 pretender, and certainly an S+4 pretender.

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

Just got my S9 pretender feebleminded by an S1 mage.

Feels good

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

I was just playing a 1 on 1 game where I had about 8 enchanters (1S2N) in a province scripted to communion master/slave, and my enemy's pretender was 9S and cast Mind Hunt one time on that province and lost. Since the pretender was an oracle and they had no way of healing him, it pretty much ended the game right there.

I've read over this thread but I still don't understand how that was possible. What are the chances of that happening?

edit: Hi Phonics!

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

Mind Hunt is not the same as a Magic Duel.

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

He didn't "lose" the mind hunt. He got his astral cord cut. His own astral level is irrelavent for this. An S1 mage has a 30 to 40% chance of cutting a cord on a hostile astral mage performing a remote astral ritual on the province, regardless of the hostile mage's level.

Re: Mind Hunting and Astral levels
 

I'd send an S3/S4 cap-only mage to Magic Duel an S5 god. You don't even need to slap on a cap to teleport. Disregarding friendly casualties, an S4 has a 15/36 chance against S5, an S3 has a 11/36 chance against S5.

When the god is called back, he'll have S4 and next time around it will be even easier.

I think I don't understand what you mean by an "S+5" pretender. Is that somehow different from "S5"?