[Basic] [Magic] Reasoning behind spell balance mechanisms

philosophyguy · 09-29-2016, 07:16 PM

In Basic and Magic, there are several balancing mechanisms used for spells. Casting times, energy costs, prerequisites, and skill difficulty (H/VH) are all used to place limits on magic users.

It's not clear how the decisions were made to impose different requirements on spells or why specific tradeoffs were chosen. I'm interested in any explanation to understand how these decisions were made (either from a 4th edition perspective or if there is background from earlier editions that helps explain the choices).

To be clear: I understand that magic balance is a contentious issue in GURPS, and I'm not looking to re-litigate that debate. Nor am I expecting a Grand Unified Theory of Spell Costs. I'm simply looking for some insights on how the designers and playtesters approached these issues so I can better understand the way that they designed the system.

09-29-2016, 07:16 PM	#1
philosophyguy Join Date: Feb 2014	[Basic] [Magic] Reasoning behind spell balance mechanisms In Basic and Magic, there are several balancing mechanisms used for spells. Casting times, energy costs, prerequisites, and skill difficulty (H/VH) are all used to place limits on magic users. It's not clear how the decisions were made to impose different requirements on spells or why specific tradeoffs were chosen. I'm interested in any explanation to understand how these decisions were made (either from a 4th edition perspective or if there is background from earlier editions that helps explain the choices). To be clear: I understand that magic balance is a contentious issue in GURPS, and I'm not looking to re-litigate that debate. Nor am I expecting a Grand Unified Theory of Spell Costs. I'm simply looking for some insights on how the designers and playtesters approached these issues so I can better understand the way that they designed the system.