Energy Field

[Veknironth]

Well, I asked about this a few years ago with the AR of 4 and the board clarified for me that it's like an animal AR. Attacks below a 4 bounce harmlessly off of the field attacks above a 4 do damage to the SDC. But I have other questions now. For reference the spell description can be found on page 194 of the main book.

So the spell says it has an 8 ft diameter field. That implies it's at least circular. But is it a dome? Does it have to be a circle? Can it be a pyramid with 8 foot sides, or cubical with 8ft sides?

Is it air tight? Can noxious fumes or vapors penetrate? If you put it over a fire would it limit oxygen getting to the fire and choke it out? Could it stop the spread of the fire, assuming the fire didn't do more than 60 SDC damage?

What about watertight? Would it protect agaisnt rain or acid? Could you make it an upside down dome and use it like a little raft? Or even a flat surface? Is it stuck to a surface when you make it? Could it then be a little 8 foot bridge? How frictious would the surface be?

What about placing it on someone who doesn't want it on top of them. Like if you wanted to trap someone? Do you need to roll to strike? The spell description says "no saving throw" but is that for an unwilling person?

Does the field have to be oriented to the ground? Could you put a dome over a door so it bulges on the horizontal axis, or does it always have to look like a little transparent igloo?

-Vek
"I realize this is a lot like my magic walls question."

[drewkitty ~..~]

animal AR? the mechanics you described is called Natural AR. I agree with this because this is the only way the EF makes sense. This is because when using a normal AR mechanic, every attack that rolls above a strike roll of four passes through the EF.
Side note: when the NAR is a NAR 4 all it means is that attacks can not penetrate the AR to hit who/whetever is inside the protection. Because strike rolls of less than 4 just miss.
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There is no location requirement.
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Size: "The energy field appears as a semi-transparent wall or bubble that shimmers with a blue-white light."
It can be a wall or globular shape, as per the canon text.
However, looking at this as a GM I would allow a player to create different shapes if they state that as their character's intent before they cast the spell. (The player has to proactively say these things. Not saying it after the fact.)

-------(the rest hear Are how I would deal with things as a GM)
Permibility: *shrugs* whether or not air can move in and out of a EF is not covered in the text. But because it is a 'protection' I would tend to make a ruling that it protected vs. fumes, vapors and other 'bad air' attacks. But this is more for something individual GMs to make up their own minds about.

Putting out a fire.... I would might allow it if the player expresses the char's intent.

Raft....no.

Air tight...no.
Rain...yes. Thrown liquids...yes.

As a slip & slide...no
bridge...maybe

Using an unwilling subject as a anchor....save vs magic.
around someone or an animal as a trap....requires a strike roll and the target can dodge as a save.

[Veknironth]

Well, that brings up another question. If the caster is falling, and casts it around themselves, would it absorb the first 60pts of falling damage? Or, do you bounce around inside the bubble and/or still suffer the effects of the sudden stop and take damage from slamming into the bubble?

Can you roll the energy field bubble? Either from the inside or outside? Would it float?

What if, just as you were about to finish casting the spell you or someone else threw an object and then you used that object as the anchor? Could that be done?

Could you create an energy field and have someone climb on top of it, to gain a higher reach?

-Vek
"Down the rabbit hole now."

[kiralon]

Does it move?

[Library Ogre]

So the spell says it has an 8 ft diameter field. That implies it's at least circular. But is it a dome? Does it have to be a circle? Can it be a pyramid with 8 foot sides, or cubical with 8ft sides?

I generally assume hemispherical in most cases, but spherical if in the air. I'd allow Pyramids or Cubes, but those would be specific variations... i.e. "My energy field always makes a cube".

Is it air tight? Can noxious fumes or vapors penetrate? If you put it over a fire would it limit oxygen getting to the fire and choke it out? Could it stop the spread of the fire, assuming the fire didn't do more than 60 SDC damage?

No. I don't have it protect against gases, or restrict their flow. It could SLOW a fire, since the fire would have to eat through the MDC, and might stop it if the fire consumed other fuel while in there, but it would not smother the fire.

What about watertight? Would it protect agaisnt rain or acid? Could you make it an upside down dome and use it like a little raft? Or even a flat surface? Is it stuck to a surface when you make it? Could it then be a little 8 foot bridge? How frictious would the surface be?

To a limited extent. It will keep you from getting rained on, but I would not allow it as a boat. FWIW, part of my evaluation of spells goes on INTENT. Energy Field is absolutely designed to protect you against things, even acids. It is not meant to be a boat. While that's a clever use that could save someone's bacon, Palladium stuff tends to be loosely written enough that I think intent over explicit language is the best measure.

What about placing it on someone who doesn't want it on top of them. Like if you wanted to trap someone? Do you need to roll to strike? The spell description says "no saving throw" but is that for an unwilling person?

I would absolutely allow it, but I might let the person dodge out of the way, rather than a saving throw, if they knew what was coming (your PE bonus against magic won't help you; your PP bonus to dodge would)

Does the field have to be oriented to the ground? Could you put a dome over a door so it bulges on the horizontal axis, or does it always have to look like a little transparent igloo?

I'd allow that.

[Veknironth]

Well, I probably should have started with this, but the math on the description doesn't make sense. If the spell creates a dome that has an 8ft diameter, then it would only be 4 feet high. Who could stand under that? Additionally, this spell would be completely useless for Wolfen or a cyclops.

-Vek
"I guess it needs a rewrite or a heavy house ruling."

[Library Ogre]

Well, I probably should have started with this, but the math on the description doesn't make sense. If the spell creates a dome that has an 8ft diameter, then it would only be 4 feet high. Who could stand under that? Additionally, this spell would be completely useless for Wolfen or a cyclops.

-Vek
"I guess it needs a rewrite or a heavy house ruling."

Yeah, well, Palladium rules have never been accused of making sense.

[Rogerd]

Just make it 8ft wide, and 8 ft high at its zenith, so in essence a dome.
You could calculate the volume and allow the player to have anything that makes up that same volume.