missle spells and reduced casting cost due to high skill

[umbros]

Does reduced cost to apply to the final FP cost in a "Built up" missle spell or does it apply to each turns cost. For example: A wizard has Magery 3 and Fireball-15, his FP cost is reduced by 1. He casts Fireball to maximum effect (3 turns@3d per turn=9d) as limited by his magery. Would his cost to cast be 8FP, (9 FP -1 for skill) or 6 FP (9-3FP, -1 for skill per turn of building)? The RAW seem to suggest the latter. Opinions?

[Not another shrubbery]

The final cost. This is implied in the text under Energy Cost (Magic, p8), where it says "Calculate the entire cost for a spell (for instance, by multiplying cost for the size of the subject or the area affected) before applying energy cost reductions for high skill", and confirmed in FAQ 4.3.3

[umbros]

I found my own answer in the GURPS FAQ. The total cost is reduced. But how do you play this out? Subtract one from the first turn? the last? Give the caster a refund after they finish (launch) the spell?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by umbros

I found my own answer in the GURPS FAQ. The total cost is reduced. But how do you play this out? Subtract one from the first turn? the last? Give the caster a refund after they finish (launch) the spell?

Based on the reduction being applied to the total cost, which is not known until the spell is built up to the desired level, we have always played that discount is given on the last turn of enlarging. I don't think it makes a big difference in play if you wish to grant the discount on the first turn, though.

[umbros]

Thanks for the help.

[Kazander]

I would apply the cost reduction on the first turn.

The caster does not decide before he casts the spell how many turns he's going to build it up for.

He may initially plan on building it for the full 3 turns, but if the BBEG is suddendly next to him with murderous intent, there is nothing wrong with deciding to launch the missile 'early', and the caster should still get the full benefit of reduced casting cast no matter what he does with the spell.

The decision to build up a missile spell is taken on a turn-by-turn basis and you are at no time committed to continuing to build it up the next turn.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Kazander

I would apply the cost reduction on the first turn.

The caster does not decide before he casts the spell how many turns he's going to build it up for.

This is correct.

[Captain-Captain]

I had a player who tried that. Skill 15, M3. He was going to cast a 6 die stone missile after figuring out this would be a safe damage to punch through a wall but likely leave what was inside undamaged.

He was insisting that he spend 3 turns building up the missile, and I couldn't get him to explain why he was wasting an extra turn. Turned out he thought the FP reduction was applied to each turn the missile was being built up. So building it up over 2 turns would cost him 4 pts, while taking that extra turn would reduce cost to 3.

Boy did he find out.

[Randover]

Someone told me that it is discount for each turn, wasn't it part of 3ed? Since the group had homemade translation of 3e.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Randover

Someone told me that it is discount for each turn, wasn't it part of 3ed? Since the group had homemade translation of 3e.

AFAICR, the rule was always that the discount applies to the total (i.e., the final) cost. The idea that it applied per turn appears to be just a persistent misunderstanding.