Threshold-Limited vs Standard Magic

[Rupert]

It's likely that my Players are going to encounter real magic (as opposed to people using minor psionic powers and clever props to con people) soon, and I'm torn between using the standard magic system and threshold-limited magic.

I get the obvious difference, that threshold magic tends to allow less 'minor' magic and in return makes the occasional really powerful spells more reachable, but I was wondering what other less obvious differences there are.

Also, aside from the obvious changes more or less recovery and threshold makes, what have people found changing those radically does?

Basically, I'm wondering if anyone has used threshold magic much, and how they found it, what pitfalls for the unwary there are, what it does better (and worse) than normal FP-powered magic.

[Kelly Pedersen]

One difference between threshold and standard magic that might not be instantly obvious is that, besides what you've already observed about threshold magic permitting big spells at the cost of the little stuff, is that it also tends greatly lengthen the time between spell casting. This is because threshold recovery is daily, rather than on a 10-minute timescale the way FP recovery is. If you want to avoid this effect, I'd suggest dividing up the recovery rate and letting recovery happen on shorter timescales. For example, if you're comfortable with the standard 8 points of tally recovery per day, you could go with 1 point every 3 hours, to give the same overall rate, but at shorter increments, allowing a wizard using threshold magic to get back into play a bit sooner.

[Refplace]

My main experience is how the players behave.
They tend to be much more careful in using spells rather than willing to go all out during fights where they think they can rest for thirty minutes or so.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

If you want to avoid this effect, I'd suggest dividing up the recovery rate and letting recovery happen on shorter timescales. For example, if you're comfortable with the standard 8 points of tally recovery per day, you could go with 1 point every 3 hours, to give the same overall rate, but at shorter increments, allowing a wizard using threshold magic to get back into play a bit sooner.

I was planning on a rather higher recovery than 8/day, which seems really stingy.

The PCs, should they choose to learn magic, will be doing so in-game. As they're already rather experienced PC, with point values from 480 to about 1000 (though mostly in high TL skills and they're currently in a low TL place with very little high TL gear, so their awesomeness is lower than normal), I'm good with allowing a fairly generous number of spells per day before things get risky.

I was thinking of 20-30 Recovery for a base, and a Threshold in the same sort of range, so Threshold is more 'pushing ones daily limits' than a long-term limitation. High-end mages would have higher Recovery, but much higher Threshold, so great mages would be noted for infrequent spectacular displays of power more than for constant trivial magics. That's my thinking right now. I'm open to changing it if there are obvious holes in this plan.

[Beriogelir]

I used Threshold-Limited magic, along with the ritual magic system (p. B242; GURPS Magic, p. 200; GURPS Thaumatology, p. 72), the adjustable spells rules (GURPS Thaumatology, p. 39), and a more limited spell list as the magic system in a mythic fantasy campaign that I ran. I wanted it to have the feel of legends.

I didn't mess with the recovery rate, though.

The result was that spellcasters were capable of feats of great power and versatility, but the actual casting of spells became far less frequent. There was only one spellcaster in the PC group, and he rarely used his magic, often going multiple sessions without casting a single spell. In many cases, it was the threat of his magic, not the magic itself, that achieved things. He spent a lot of points on social abilities and influence skills, too; think Gandalf or Merlin, whispering in the ears of the powerful and cowing the weak without actually needing to demonstrate all that much magic.

Ultimately, spellcasters became exceedingly uncommon, terrifying characters, and magic itself became a very dangerous thing. It was a lot of fun, and the players liked it.