Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Tying Spell Energy Discounts to Points Spent in Skill

Dolarre · 06-07-2018, 02:49 PM

I do this in my games, for exactly the reasons you mention.

In my games if base skill with a spell is known at IQ + Magery + 1, reduce the cost to cast the spell by 1. If known at +3, reduce cost by 2. Cost continues to decrease by 1 per full three skill levels beyond (That is at +6, +9, +12, etc.).

I adjust casting time if a spell is known at IQ + Magery +2. The time to
cast is halved, rounded up to the nearest whole number. Halve again if the spell is known at IQ + Magery +4. For every three levels of skill beyond (That is at +7, +10, +13, etc.) halve casting time again.

In addition, I allow Symbol Drawing to potentially further reduce cost. Before casting, the magician spends 10 seconds drawing the appropriate symbols to a spell (which must be declared); on a success, he or she may reduce the energy cost to cast that spell by one. So long as the symbols remain undisturbed and visible to the caster, the cost to maintain that spell is also reduced by one. If the margin of success is 5 or greater, the cost reductions are increased to 2. Each increase of margin of success by an additional 5 results in an additional point of energy reduction: 3 energy at 10, 4 at 15, etc. Critical Success halves the energy required to cast if that provides more of a discount than margin of success. Failure adds one to the energy cost to cast (and to the cost to maintain, but the caster will almost always wipe the flawed symbols away before maintenance is required. Critical failure prevents the caster from casting the intended spell for 1d hours. Extra time and haste apply to the Symbol Drawing roll, which is always the lower of his Symbol Drawing skill and the caster’s skill in the spell to be cast.

It works very well.

06-07-2018, 02:49 PM	#3
Dolarre Join Date: Aug 2004	Re: Tying Spell Energy Discounts to Points Spent in Skill I do this in my games, for exactly the reasons you mention. In my games if base skill with a spell is known at IQ + Magery + 1, reduce the cost to cast the spell by 1. If known at +3, reduce cost by 2. Cost continues to decrease by 1 per full three skill levels beyond (That is at +6, +9, +12, etc.). I adjust casting time if a spell is known at IQ + Magery +2. The time to cast is halved, rounded up to the nearest whole number. Halve again if the spell is known at IQ + Magery +4. For every three levels of skill beyond (That is at +7, +10, +13, etc.) halve casting time again. In addition, I allow Symbol Drawing to potentially further reduce cost. Before casting, the magician spends 10 seconds drawing the appropriate symbols to a spell (which must be declared); on a success, he or she may reduce the energy cost to cast that spell by one. So long as the symbols remain undisturbed and visible to the caster, the cost to maintain that spell is also reduced by one. If the margin of success is 5 or greater, the cost reductions are increased to 2. Each increase of margin of success by an additional 5 results in an additional point of energy reduction: 3 energy at 10, 4 at 15, etc. Critical Success halves the energy required to cast if that provides more of a discount than margin of success. Failure adds one to the energy cost to cast (and to the cost to maintain, but the caster will almost always wipe the flawed symbols away before maintenance is required. Critical failure prevents the caster from casting the intended spell for 1d hours. Extra time and haste apply to the Symbol Drawing roll, which is always the lower of his Symbol Drawing skill and the caster’s skill in the spell to be cast. It works very well.