Fascination BMC 1 vs Control BMC 6

[Wout Broere]

I had some email from James McCulloch some time ago concerning his rule
changes/extension. I take the liberty to take part of this mail and my
answer to it and copy it to the list.

>We changed the base mana cost for Fascination.  Control is BMC 6 and says
>to look at the rules for Fascination, but Fascination is only 1...
>Hmm.  We had to for balance.  People would take the spell and decide that
>Storm Giants would make good friends.  And the Chaos Mage at the end with
>the huge MDV would inevitably get Fascinated.

That is a problem we in our group haven't solved yet. Some of our players go
out  and fascinate anything within sight till the DM balks and then lay
quiet for some time and try it again. I personally believe (but are unable
to convince others) that you should treat fascination as infatuation or some
kind of love attraction. The kind used in Hollywood productions where in the
middle of all the action the eyes of two people (preferably boy/girl, but in
P&P elf/mountain giant is good enough) meet and they stand still gazing at
each other, completely in love with each other, imperveous to all the action
around them (bombs exploding, gun fire etc.). Now one of them suddenly
raises his gun and the magic is gone.
To game terms this would mean that both the caster and the fascinated person
are unable to engage in combat or the spell is broken. You could allow the
fascinated person to be attacked and if the caster then aids the fascinated
person in this battle, the spell remains effective, but any action from the
caster against the fascinated person should immedeately break the spell. And
giving command wouldn't be allowed in any circumstances, suggestion would be
(Voulez vous coucher avec moi?)

Now Control is the much more mighty spell where you can go and order other
people around like puppets.

Reactions anyone?
Ft