Rebalancing Magery

[AlexanderHowl]

I am talking about PCs. In my experience, most PC mages will specialize in a single spell, buy enough Magery for that spell, and build it up to an absurd level. Generalist mages are cool, but they are not as capable as specialists.

For example, a PC healer might purchase IQ 12, Magery 1, Lend Energy-11, Lend Vitality-11, Minor Healing-11, and Major Healing-25 (which would cost a grand total of 118 CP, 2 CP less than a character with IQ 14 and Magery 3 that purchases Major Healing-15). At that point, they are capable of 8 HP of healing for 1 FP, may heal each individual up to four times per day, and are capable of functioning in low mana regions with minimal difficulty. Conversely, the generalist spend 3x as much for a 8 HP heal, can only each individual once per day, and has real problems with low mana areas.

[seycyrus]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I am talking about PCs. In my experience, most PC mages will specialize in a single spell, buy enough Magery for that spell, and build it up to an absurd level. ...

Well, in this case. It seems like my comment about spell skill levels being restricted to the skill levels of the spell prerequisites (or perhaps some version of this) would do quite a lot to stop this level of absurdity. The reasoning being something like, "How can he be the best in the world at major healing, but be average at minor healing?"

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Say, it isn't that bad!

Ah; I take it your default fantasy setting are ones where Youth is widely-known and practised? Unlike Yrth; which is the closest GURPS has to a default fantasy setting...

Nope. There is no Youth spell. I don't like it.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by seycyrus

Well, in this case. It seems like my comment about spell skill levels being restricted to the skill levels of the spell prerequisites (or perhaps some version of this) would do quite a lot to stop this level of absurdity. The reasoning being something like, "How can he be the best in the world at major healing, but be average at minor healing?"

If you want to go that route, I would suggest ritual magic.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I am talking about PCs. In my experience, most PC mages will specialize in a single spell, buy enough Magery for that spell, and build it up to an absurd level.

Never seen one. I'd find it dull to play personally. I've never actually seen One College Magery except for an npc who ended up with Food Magic.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by seycyrus

Aren't your mages usually walking around with one or two maintained spells minimum? At least in a dungeon or outdoor setting?

Nope. It'd pretty much a guaranteed way to find yourself burning FP maintaining the wrong spell.

For example, walking along accompanied by a Shaped Fire (which incidentally requires maintaining Create Fire as well) is terribly attention-getting. Your party Rogue is probably not happy with the glow-in-the-dark "Here we are! Come and kill us!" sign.

Armor Spells were very definitely not worth the FP expenditure. Especially when magic armor-by-the-piece is so cheap.

[seycyrus]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

If you want to go that route, I would suggest ritual magic.

Has ritual magic stopped the major Healing - 25 sort of absurdity that you described, in your campaigns?

[seycyrus]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Nope. It'd pretty much a guaranteed way to find yourself burning FP maintaining the wrong spell.

For example, walking along accompanied by a Shaped Fire (which incidentally requires maintaining Create Fire as well) is terribly attention-getting. Your party Rogue is probably not happy with the glow-in-the-dark "Here we are! Come and kill us!" sign.

Armor Spells were very definitely not worth the FP expenditure. Especially when magic armor-by-the-piece is so cheap.

Well, many spells can be maintained at half cost, which for 15 skill means they are free - FP wise. Others are a straightforward cost = 1 to maintain (again free with 15 skill).

These DO however add up their -1 to effective skill maintenance penalties pretty quickly which means that a "buffed" mage will be casting new spells at -4 or more pretty easily. Which is why mages in my world do tend to have spells at higher levels - to offset these penalties so that they have a better than average chance of succeeding with their spells when the manure hits the fan.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by seycyrus

Well, many spells can be maintained at half cost, which for 15 skill means they are free - FP wise.

You can only do this at Skill-15 if you restrict your Fire to a single hex worth's and your Armor Spell to DR1 and you still blew 4 FP on first casting for the Create+Shape Fire and 2 Armors.

My mages aren't down any FP when the battle starts and aren't taking any penalties for Spells on. They might cast the right spells too and not just the ones they decided they'd need no matter what before hand.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by seycyrus

Has ritual magic stopped the major Healing - 25 sort of absurdity that you described, in your campaigns?

Yes, considering that the character would need Ritual Magic-25 and College of Healing-25 before they could spend 4 CP to buy up Major Healing to 25. I have never seen a character with skill 25 in any spell with ritual magic.