[RPM] Greater effects, balance or genre protection?

[Stone Dog]

I know this was discussed somewhere else on the forum, but I can't seem to find it.

In the Ritual Path Magic system described in Monster Hunters 1, is it necessary for balance to have greater effects cost more, or is it just to keep the "secret urban fantasy" genre intact and not have fireballs leaping out of every witch's .. eyes?

[Refplace]

Well it certainly has an effect on balance so I suspect the need for that will vary based on the setting.
I am looking forward to the more fleshed out RPM book.

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Stone Dog

I know this was discussed somewhere else on the forum, but I can't seem to find it.

In the Ritual Path Magic system described in Monster Hunters 1, is it necessary for balance to have greater effects cost more, or is it just to keep the "secret urban fantasy" genre intact and not have fireballs leaping out of every witch's .. eyes?

I think its balance. For starters a bunch of other templates have blatant effects. Also monsters. On the other hand without greater effects a a witch (who should be able to manage 60ish energy easy) can easily drop buff spells as blatant as they please on the whole party. When you have 40ish energy dedicated to the actual effects and you have 7 or 8 different greater effects to buff someone with...

Also of note, it makes it very difficult to have multiple greater effects in a single spell. A legal spell is lesser strengthen body*3 grants HT+X, ST+X, DX+X. With greater strengthen body you'll need to choose between granting diffuse, immunity to metabolic hazards, or extra attack 4. Or let the energy cost get totally out of hand.

[PK]

The enhanced cost of Greater effects is the GM's main tool for maintaining balance. Anything the GM declares is a Greater effect automatically triples (or adds to the existing multiplier of) the spell cost.

The split between what MH1 calls a Lesser and a Greater effect is based not on a particular need for secrecy, but on difficulty. Fundamentally, it assumes that the more laws of reality you break, the harder the spell is. So convincing lightning to hit someone outside on a cloudy day is just easier than convincing lightning to hit someone indoors, on a clear day, from your finger. The secrecy doesn't matter -- it's the difficulty of convincing the universe to break its own laws for you.

RPM will go into so much more detail on this, obviously -- including a full breakdown of Lesser vs. Greater effects not only for each Path, but for each effect in that Path. For example, the difference between a Lesser Strengthen Mind and a Greater Strengthen Mind, specifically.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

RPM will go into so much more detail on this, obviously -- including a full breakdown of Lesser vs. Greater effects not only for each Path, but for each effect in that Path. For example, the difference between a Lesser Strengthen Mind and a Greater Strengthen Mind, specifically.

Damn it, Rev, we need this now!

[Anaraxes]

How much is the spell Bind RPK To Keyboard?

[Lamech]

Well lets see here:
Bind RPK to the keyboard.
Greater Control Spirit* [6] lbs 300 [3] altered traits: fanaticism keyboard [3] Duration 1 Week [9] Range 10,000 miles** [42] Sub-total: 63 Multiplier=3 Total 189

It would take us 189 energy to bind RPK to the keyboard. So all we need to do is get say 100 of us to meet up and provide fatigue for energy. Then find a normal mana area of this world, someone with RPM, and cast the spell.


*RPK is secretly an angel*** sent from heaven to bring the glory of MH, and RPM to GURPS.
** May be reduced if you aren't on the other side of the planet from RPK.
***Lamech bears no responsiblitly if you start a cult based on Lamech's insane ramblings.