[RPM] a collection of questions

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

That's an actual spell I'd think with a month duration. Probably using charm rules for the bracelet itself.

Yeah. That'd just be the kind of Charm that breaks upon being disabled.

[A Ladder]

Originally Posted by PK

Sure. I'm curious, are you reading the rules from GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions, or the newer ones from GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic?

Not exactly -- it allows you to take multiple Concentrate maneuvers each turn, which amounts to basically the same thing.

Just from MH. I don't know if I want to get T:RPM yet.

How would you price Compartmentalized Mind (Gather energy for spells only) at?

Another question: I don't know if this is covered in T:RPM or not, how is energy reserve handled? Is it like FP where you have to expend 3 FP to get 1 energy point for a spell? How would you price Energy Reserve (Mana Pool [or whatever its called])?

[Langy]

Energy Reserve is handled just like the energy you get from Magery. That is, 1 ER for 1 energy.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Langy

Yeah. That'd just be the kind of Charm that breaks upon being disabled.

Yeah.

Originally Posted by A Ladder

Just from MH. I don't know if I want to get T:RPM yet.

But it's realllyyyy goood. ;-)

Originally Posted by A Ladder

How would you price Compartmentalized Mind (Gather energy for spells only) at?

I'd use the following:

Limited, All Gathering rolls for one Path skill, -50% (add 5% per additional Path covered)

Originally Posted by A Ladder

Another question: I don't know if this is covered in T:RPM or not, how is energy reserve handled? Is it like FP where you have to expend 3 FP to get 1 energy point for a spell? How would you price Energy Reserve (Mana Pool [or whatever its called])?

Originally Posted by Langy

Energy Reserve is handled just like the energy you get from Magery. That is, 1 ER for 1 energy.

What Langy said.

[Gnome]

Is there a limit on the number of spells I can have "on" at a time, meaning currently in duration (as opposed to conditional spells for which there is a limit)? I ask because it seems to me that a "buffer" mage is ridiculously powerful in this system. Every month, I can fit my entire party with month-long versions of every different spell effect I can think of, with Stacking Spells being the only limitation on number.
This was an issue for us when we played Monster Hunters. The entire party was constantly outfitted with a "mega-ward" that works against everything, a few rituals that gave us long-term bonuses to key skills, a few more bonuses that made us all extra lucky, extra fast, extra smart, etc., etc. The Witch quickly became the most vital member of the party, turning the rest of us into superheroes (even more so than we already were), and the GM eventually had to put an artificial limit on "spells on."

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Gnome

Is there a limit on the number of spells I can have "on" at a time, meaning currently in duration (as opposed to conditional spells for which there is a limit)? I ask because it seems to me that a "buffer" mage is ridiculously powerful in this system. Every month, I can fit my entire party with month-long versions of every different spell effect I can think of, with Stacking Spells being the only limitation on number.
This was an issue for us when we played Monster Hunters. The entire party was constantly outfitted with a "mega-ward" that works against everything, a few rituals that gave us long-term bonuses to key skills, a few more bonuses that made us all extra lucky, extra fast, extra smart, etc., etc. The Witch quickly became the most vital member of the party, turning the rest of us into superheroes (even more so than we already were), and the GM eventually had to put an artificial limit on "spells on."

Stacking spells is a huge limitation if you're doing it right. If you're combining multiple bonuses into a single spell that's handled by the increased energy cost and the fact that another spell can knock it down with enough energy.

[munin]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

…Limited, All Gathering rolls for one Path skill, -50% (add 5% per additional Path covered) …

That seems very generous compared to the guidelines in Psionic Powers (p. 13). Gathering energy is pretty much all you do with Compartmentalized Mind in RPM, so:

"Limited, Magic" would be -5% (or -10% if you have other powers from other sources you could be using it for).

"Limited, One Path" would probably be comparable to "Limited, One [Psionic] Power", so -20%.

"Limited, Specific Ritual" would probably be comparable to "Limited, One Ability", so -30%.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by munin

That seems very generous compared to the guidelines in Psionic Powers (p. 13). Gathering energy is pretty much all you do with Compartmentalized Mind in RPM, so:

"Limited, Magic" would be -5% (or -10% if you have other powers from other sources you could be using it for).

"Limited, One Path" would probably be comparable to "Limited, One [Psionic] Power", so -20%.

"Limited, Specific Ritual" would probably be comparable to "Limited, One Ability", so -30%.

It's in no way comparative to psi powers, psi powers have a specific number of limited effects...ritual path magic doesn't. It's not infinite, but close. You could chop off 10% if you wanted, but -10% for gathering attempts is about right.

[Terwin]

Originally Posted by A Ladder

How would you price Compartmentalized Mind (Gather energy for spells only) at?

Unless you are already using -4 to gather energy in 1 second, probably the best route would be to bump the skill by a point to get the same effect as using an extra concentrate maneuver.

At worst that would be 30 points(+1 IQ [20] and +1 magery [10]), as a bonus it would give you +1 to everything else IQ based and +3 ER as well.

If you have not maxed out the 15 point RPM talent or your GM allows IQ![10], it gets even cheaper.

Of course if you have Path(Magic) at 26 or better, you may be able to stick mostly to using your energy reserve and re-fill it instantly with a few gather rolls against 16 in 0 time.

[PK]

Originally Posted by A Ladder

Just from MH. I don't know if I want to get T:RPM yet.

I thought so. Everything you've been asking about is stuff that I didn't have room to expand upon in MH1. In T:RPM, every question you've asked so far has been fully covered.

How would you price Compartmentalized Mind (Gather energy for spells only) at?

Compartmentalized Mind (Limited, Ritual Path magic, -10%; No Mental Separation, -20%) [35/level].

Another question: I don't know if this is covered in T:RPM or not, how is energy reserve handled? Is it like FP where you have to expend 3 FP to get 1 energy point for a spell? How would you price Energy Reserve (Mana Pool [or whatever its called])?

Energy Reserve (Mana Reserve) costs 3 points/level and directly increases your mana reserve. In T:RPM, your mana reserve is equal to (3 x Magery) + Energy Reserve (Mana Reserve). It's rarely a good deal compared to just buying more Magery, though, but it does make more sense than Magery when you're looking to combine it with certain limitations.