How to Finance Slow and Sure Enchanting

[ericthered]

A recent thread got me thinking about the difficulties of slow and sure enchantment, specifically how to finance an item that takes a long time to make, and how to entice mages to work on year-long or longer projects that really don't allow for days off.

I'd like to assume that these items are economically worth it: the mages won't provide more benefit by healing disease or increasing crop yields or looting dungeons. I'd also like to assume that slow and sure enchanting is the best way to enchant these items.

Of course, the enchanters won't build these items by themselves. They can get their money just as quickly by casting spells day to day or with quick and dirty enchanting. So what social constructs can feed, clothe, and keep the mages on duty while on a large project? And how do you manage the "no days off" aspect?

I've got a few different ideas, but I'd like to hear your thoughts first.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Of course, the enchanters won't build these items by themselves. They can get their money just as quickly by casting spells day to day or with quick and dirty enchanting. So what social constructs can feed, clothe, and keep the mages on duty while on a large project? And how do you manage the "no days off" aspect?

This is what capital is for. When you start a widget factory, you have to pay your workers before you sell your first widget.

[Phantasm]

I reduce casting time for such projects by permitting not just 1 energy per mage-day but full available energy per mage-day, generally 10-14 energy per mage.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I reduce casting time for such projects by permitting not just 1 energy per mage-day but full available energy per mage-day, generally 10-14 energy per mage.

That drastically alters the cost of enchanted items and the economics of their production. Not that that's necessarily wrong, but the consequences need to be considered.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That drastically alters the cost of enchanted items and the economics of their production. Not that that's necessarily wrong, but the consequences need to be considered.

Agreed. It makes them cheaper (as it takes ~1/10 the time to make; weeks instead of months) and more prevalent, but I still keep them as custom orders.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

It makes them cheaper (as it takes ~1/10 the time to make; weeks instead of months) and more prevalent, but I still keep them as custom orders.

It works if you want magical items to be, in effect, commonly available technology, rather than rare prototypes. That fits some stories and not others. So it's a question partly of what kinds of stories you want.

[edk926]

The Slow and Sure method really needs some Speedy Enchantment Perks on multiple people to even consider doing it ever. In fact, I'd say it also needs to give special bonuses to the item that isn't possible from Quick and Dirty Enchantment.

[edk926]

Follow-up: You also are going to need Luck, or at the very least, the Stabilizing Skill Perk, because you will critically fail occasionally.

[hal]

Originally Posted by edk926

Follow-up: You also are going to need Luck, or at the very least, the Stabilizing Skill Perk, because you will critically fail occasionally.

Luck is specifically not allowed to affect enchantments. 'tis sad, but true.

Note however, that Stable Casting (+40%) can affect enchantments based on the observation that allowing that in the game may drastically lower powerstone costs due to crit failures being avoided.

Note this fun thing however...

"Ceremonial spellcasting normally requires at least two participants. (Enchanting is an exception.) This enhancement lets you cast spells ceremonially all by yourself."

Note that the enchanting process is excepted from the limitation on ceremonial casting.

Now for the fun part if you will...

Those who are familiar with GURPS 3e, would note that in GURPS CLASSIC MAGIC, there were TWO methods for engaging in the casting of Ceremonial Magic. Before I go into that, it should be noted that Ceremonial Casting of spells has a requirement - that the caster takes 10x longer in the spell casting, and that the caster must have assistants.

What wasn't perhaps noted in its entirety is this...

The two methods are:

Circle.
Spectators.

Note the oddity of the word plus a period. That was intentional on my part, because that is precisely how it was set forth in GURPS MAGIC for 3e. You either engaged in Ceremonial spell casting with a circle of mages who were required to know the spell at 15+ to participate...

or

You had to have spectators supplying you with energy.

Nothing forbade a mage from using BOTH methods at the same time - but a Solitary Mage using say, 32 spectators, could cast a spell that required 20 energy - as though he had a skill +3 for that 20 point spell (ie 1.6 x energy for the +3 bonus of skill for energy).

The newer version of GURPS MAGIC did away with that definition. Why? <shrug> can't say.

The reality is - the rules for ceremonial spell casting changed drastically between editions, and people can either use the rules as written, use the older rules as written, or modify the rules using the rules for 3e in lieu of 4e where Magic is concerned in certain aspects.

The use of 1 mage provides 1 mage-day of labor per day of enchantment is a function of the rules as written. Advice on how to modify the rules as written to customize GURPS MAGIC would seem to imply that the GM can go with other options.

That is largely what the original poster seems to have intended by opening this thread - or perhaps it derailed a bit from his original intention.