When does Mercurial Magic "go off"?

[robinmotion]

How do folks run mercurial magic in relation to a spell's success? Does the effect always happen, even in terms of spell failure? Or does it only happen if the spell goes off? Or default to the second one, unless it's an added cost to the spellcasting, in which case it has to be done no matter what?

[Doug Kovacs]

Spell needs to be a success.
There might be some conditions that could change that slightly but thats the general rule.

[robinmotion]

Thanks, Doug (big fan)!

[DM Cojo]

I go BTB and have it go off on a success. However, I handle it a bit differently in that I have them roll the initial mercurial effect the very first time they use the spell, not when they acquire it. This has made for some interesting spell casting encounters for sure!

[Doug Kovacs]

Yeah we have done it Cojo's way too.
Recently I rolled, but didn't look up the effect for a character I was playing , then we reveled it in game. That's a fun way to do it.

[finarvyn]

I handle it a bit differently in that I have them roll the initial mercurial effect the very first time they use the spell, not when they acquire it. This has made for some interesting spell casting encounters for sure!

That's a neat twist! I've always done it at the start, but I like your take on it better. I'll have to give it a shot in my next campaign.

[Raven_Crowking]

I generally have the Mercurial effect occur when the spell is cast, whether it succeeds or not, unless the description says otherwise. So, if you kill someone you know to power your spell, someone you know dies whether you succeed or not. Yes, this means that a good Mercurial effect may be the point of attempting a certain spell, but since every casting comes with the risk of losing the spell, or rolling the dreaded "1", that hasn't hurt game play at all.

[GnomeBoy]

You can usually still use Mercurial Magic for a good 10 days or so after the Sell by date....


It had to be said.

[JediOre]

You can usually still use Mercurial Magic for a good 10 days or so after the Sell by date....

Maybe out on the Left Coast, but here in Missouri the humidity spoils everything!

[GnomeBoy]

You can usually still use Mercurial Magic for a good 10 days or so after the Sell by date....

Maybe out on the Left Coast, but here in Missouri the humidity spoils everything!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpaOy8b8X6A