Why Does GURPS Hate Enchanting So Much?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Whitewings

Here's an article with video on the subject.

Thanks, the video is anti-helpful, because of my poor sight, but you weren't to know. I hadn't known about the printing approach for low-end processors, and it was specifically microprocessors I was questioning, because high-density silicon lithography isn't a technique that's practical on a small scale.

[cmdicely]

One way to drop enchanting time and keep (or reinforce) the ideas of (1) magic items, at least major ones, as valuable and special, and (2) enchanting as a impetus to adventure rather than an alternative to it is this: make regular enchanting largely secondary to enchantment by age and/or deeds.

That is, in order to deliberately enchant an item through the normal system, it must have accumulated some energy -- though not necessarily specific enchantments -- through enchantment by age or enchantment by deeds (as described in Thaumatology), including points from successful ritual naming -- the total energy the item has accumulated in these ways is the item's "organic enchantment energy" or OEE). The maximum total energy of additional enchantment that can be placed on an item is (30 + OEE) times the enchanter's Magery. Further, the GM may apply bonuses or penalties to skill rolls for new enchantments that are particularly good or bad fits for the item's existing organic enchantment (or the events supplying its OEE).

You can then take as many of the options to reduce Slow-and-Sure enchanting time as you like: Use Time Spent and Long Tasks, allow Magery as a multiplier on the rate at which energy can be supplied, even do a blanket increase in the base rate so that its 4 or 5 points at Magery 1 per shift -- while time, energy, and skill differentiate individual enchanters, the control of the overall level of enchantment is the supply of suitable enchantable items, and enchanters need to people to go out and collect suitable items -- they need, IOW, adventurers to support them, or to adventure themselves.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

I can understand pinouts and whatnot, but making a Microprocessor is beyond my skill at the moment :) I just do the software sides of things.

Not a problem, since hardware circuit design *is* software design these days. Given the pinout and other desired behaviors, you write a program to reproduce the desired behavior in VHDL or Verilog and then the "compiler" synthesizes the circuits needed, and this can be used for photolithography to fab your own...if starting with a zillion dollar fab, 1000+ employees, and a slab of pureified silicon is considered "DIY".

[Whitewings]

I worked it out earlier today, and using the same assumptions as used in GURPS Magic for pay levels, a one-mage project under my proposed system will cost $4/hr. A project big enough to use a full circle of 6 will cost $28/hr. Because of the squared time, the breakeven point is surprisingly low, just 150 energy. Both cases assume the target object is small and simple enough to be made in that time, as with a wand or an enamelled medallion.