09-21-2015, 12:05 AM | #1 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
So the rules in DF 1 say this:
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Spell - Cost Deflect - $2,000 Lighten - $100 Both are 100 energy to enchant. Further in DF 8 Treasure Tables these are listed: Accuracy +2 (Projectile) - $100 Blur 1 - $2,000 Foul Water - $2,000 Ignite Fire - $2,000 Noise - $2,000 Pollen Cloud - $2,000 Puissance +2 (Projectile) - $100 Quick-Aim (2 turns) - $100 Repel Animal - $2,000 Repel Spirits - $2,000 Shade - $2,000 Umbrella $2,000 Vital Seeker +1 - $100 Note, all of these require 100 energy to Enchant (with maybe the exception of Vital Seeker, being there are no rules for Enchanting outside of DF 8 Treasure Tables), so why are some listed at $100 with others at $2000? Okay, I can see just saying "Everything 100 energy or more, except for Ammunition Enchantments and Lighten, cost $20 per point". I mean Blur and Deflect are very sweet and would be on everything if they were only $100. But why are some of those weak utility enchatments up there as well? Or more to the point, what makes Ignite Fire more valuable than Lighten, or as valuable as Pollen Cloud? |
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09-21-2015, 12:43 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Pacific Northwest
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
My group has noticed this quite awhile ago and generally figured out that it basically follows this.
If the enchantment only passively affects the item/PC, then it goes with the Q&D method of $1/point. This makes the list as: Lighten, Accuracy, Quick-Aim, Puissance, and Vital-Seeker. While potentially powerful in the right situation, these will still only passively affect the PC and no one else. If you're seeking to actively affect the world or an NPC of some sort, that's when it goes to S&S since it would obviously cost more if you're not going with a passive route. This is the only discernible pattern that we have found from them. The obvious exceptions are Blur and Deflect, but those seems somewhat justified based on their effects. Both make you harder to hit, the former by giving others -1 to hit you, the latter by giving you +1 to all defense rolls to keep from being hit. To balance it, it probably seemed appropriate to take the higher cost of the two methods. Here's a link that may help explain the disparity between Lighten and Deflect: http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...20&postcount=9
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09-21-2015, 07:53 AM | #3 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
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I was wondering as I just made a DF character for the first time (first 4e character actually) and making a character is a different mindset than DMing, you notice things differently... Anyway, I made a list of every spell in Magic that could be enchanted at $100 or less, and then noticed Deflect in DF1 (and then checked prices in DF 8 to confirm). Doing it this way creates an odd situation where Stench ($60) and Smoke ($50), both highly effective combat spells, are cheaper to get in a wand than say, Ignite Fire, which is of extremely limited use and very dubious at $2K. For the campaign I plan to run I think I'll make a mid point at the 90-100ish mark and charge $10/point for non-Combat spells. This will bring the utility spells back down into 'reasonable' range, but keep Nauseate, Retch, Slow Healing, etc, up there in the "First Upgrade" range. For the game I'm in I'll just have to negotiate for anything not written up. Luckily the GM so far is okay with my Staff having Light on it for $100... |
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09-21-2015, 08:50 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
For my game I just totally tossed out Q&D prices. This does mean PCs don't start with magic other than alchemy, generally. I'm not stingy with handing it out after creation, but it just solves a lot of annoying.
I also made Deflect a lot more expensive, and the blocking/parrying only enchantments cheaper. I might need to look at Blur.
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09-21-2015, 12:16 PM | #5 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
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09-21-2015, 01:21 PM | #6 | ||
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
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I didn't change the costs of Puissance and Accuracy, they didn't make things wonky in-play the same way (rule zero with house-rules: does this issue come up in-play?). Also it was weird as heck that a general bonus to all defenses cost so much less than a bonus to blocks only. Just, WTF? I don't even. So, it is now fixed. I did add an enchantment to counter Penetrating Weapon - my players like armor piercing arrows, and sort of gravitated towards Penetrating Weapon when they saw it. Since I don't have PC enchanters I didn't bother with prerequisites, but I defined two levels, hardened vs AD 2 for $1000 (50 energy) and hardened vs AD 3 (150 energy).
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09-21-2015, 01:48 PM | #7 | |||
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
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Re: DF 1 & 8 - Magic Item Cost Disparity?
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dungeon fantasy, magic |
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