Spells and line of sight

hi all

I am playing as Orcs and goblins, and my shaman rolled fire of gork as his first spell.

(this question is apropriate to all spells really but directly affecting fire of gork)

Do you need line of sight (similair to using a bow) or can you cast from behind a wall etc.

After speaking to a friend who has played mord for years, his impression was, you dotn need line of sight unless the spell specifies, or the target model is hidden (as in opted to hide)

Just wanted to get your take on it, at the moment my orc shaman is deadly with that spell (seems a little unfair) , but over time it will also effect other warbands that get spells so want to get it right.

any advice woudl be apreciated

Tuomas Pirinen, Egroups Mordheim FAQ wrote:

Q: Regarding spells which have a Range, is the 'area of affect' a plane or a sphere? (eg, does Soulfire affect enemy models above the caster (or below) if they fall within the spells radius).
A: It affects models above and below. (The wording is WITHIN the range).

Q: If a spell does not specifically state that LoS is needed, do obstacles or buildings prevent a model within range from being hit?
A: No.

Source: http://forum.specialist-games.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12214


I think this is everything there is from an official standpoint. However, if you read through the linked thread (it's not long, don't worry) you will find a good reasoning for why it is unreasonable to cast spells on model you can't see. My personal suggestion would be to have the wizard pass an Initiative test in order to "find" models that he cannot see in order to be able to cast a spell on them (the same way as it's done with attacking models behind a corner).

The "Fire of Gork" spell has quite some potential for discussion. Look at the spell's description:

"Twin bolts of green flame shoot from the Shaman’s nose to strike the nearest enemy model."

Shooting from behind a wall, eh? We house rule this spell to require LoS as the bolts are obviously flying in a direct line towards the nearest enemy model. If you shoot in curves from behind a building the spell's describtion would be taken ad absurdum. Remember that this is a houe rule, though, accepted by the Orc player because he likes playing fair instead of looking for loopholes. There's no need for you to do the same.

We ( well I really) have decided in the interest of fairness, to make all spells requiring to see the opponent, with an Inititative roll if they arnt hiddne but out of sight.

It is a big nerf for orcs with their low initiative, so we are going to play one game like that and see if it is too much of a disadvantage and see how it goes.

bolerus wrote:

We ( well I really) have decided in the interest of fairness, to make all spells requiring to see the opponent, with an Inititative roll if they arnt hiddne but out of sight.

It is a big nerf for orcs with their low initiative, so we are going to play one game like that and see if it is too much of a disadvantage and see how it goes.

That seems like the perfect way to handle the situation.