I'm a GM of Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying for a little over a year. We've finally gotten around to a fantasy themed game set in Middle Earth where magic is common. But we've got a problem. The Big Gold Rulebook says virtually nothing about dodging spells. Specifically, whether the dodge skill is halved or not the way it is when dodging missile weapons. The closest thing to an explanation is under the lightning spell, which says that it can be dodged.

To me, logic dictates that if a spear or an arrow can only be dodged at half your normal speed since it's a speeding projectile, a lightning bolt or a magic missile is just as tough, if not harder to dodge.

It doesn't make sense to say that you can dodge a lightning bolt at 78%, but a spear or arrow has to be dodged at 39%, right?

But in settings where magic is everywhere, it adds to the deadliness of the game. A team of halfway competent spellcaster NPC's could level a party of players with average dodge ability.

Thoughts are most appreciated.