[Template] Adventuring Enchanter

[maximara]

Originally Posted by maximara

I'm not clear on where the [24] is coming from:

*Magery 0 [5] + Magery 3 (Enchantment Only, -30%) [30]*.7 = [21] for total of [26]
*Magery 3 (Enchantment Only, -30%, all of it) [35]*.7 = 24.5 which per B9 rounds up to [25]

Note the second option would limit the enchanter to only spells of the Enchantment college in regards to detection and magic-item usage.

Whoops, you're right - I'll adjust the cost. I tried to quickly rejigger it in my head while otherwise occupied![/QUOTE]

I just realized something; the first example would prevent any spells outside the Enchantment College requiring magery to be enchanted.

So he would be able to enchant an item with Heat but not Summon Fire Elemental because the second requires Magery 1 that is usable for the Fire College.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by maximara

I just realized something; the first example would prevent any spells outside the Enchantment College requiring magery to be enchanted.

So he would be able to enchant an item with Heat but not Summon Fire Elemental because the second requires Magery 1 that is usable for the Fire College.

That depends on how the GM decides Magery, Enchantment, and Enchantment-only Magery work. IIRC, there's a mention somewhere that it is possibly to learn spells that you cannot cast. If that's the case, then it should be possible to enchant things with those spells. If, on the other hand, you cannot learn spells that you don't have the Magery to cast, then it would make sense that an Enchanting-only Mage would not be able to enchant them.

If I were GMing, I would not limit Enchanting Only that way, because it's a -30% limitation, not a -40% limitation (the latter would be 'Enchantment College Only').

[5too]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

IIRC, there's a mention somewhere that it is possibly to learn spells that you cannot cast.

It's stated in GURPS: Magic, page 6 - basically, anyone can learn spells, magery just lets you cast them (outside of High Mana, anyway). The One College Only limitation on Magery (B67) alludes to this as well - you can learn spells outside of your college *as a nonmage*. You can learn them as prerequisites to spells in your college and cast the non-college spells in a sufficiently high mana area (same as anyone else).

Enchantment Only says "You may learn spells, but you can’t cast them in the nor-mal way." - you enchant the spells into items. This is stated to be different from One College Only in that you can learn spells from other colleges, even if they have Magery requirements, based on the Enchantment Only magery. The fact that they use the key word "learn", but seem to imply it might behave differently from other cases where a spell is learnt, seems to confuse the issue to me.

So, coming at this another way - what does Enchantment Only grant, if not the ability to create items that require a certain level of Magery? Flipping through the spell prerequisite charts, I don't really see many cases where a spell has a Magery prerequisite and the spells that build on it don't also need Magery, so I don't see it as allowing you to take a spell as a prerequisite to a spell you could cast. I can see where the wording could be interpreted that way, but I don't see any spells where that would actually work (other than Lend Energy, which has apparently needed some clarification due to issues relating to its magery level).

[5too]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Your apparent background of unspecified "materials" yielding large but unspecified amounts of energy for enchanting is pretty far from default rules. I'd need a lot more detail befoe I could paly a character like this.

I've added a very brief callout to the energy sources described in Thaumatology at the start of my first post - does that make it more clear what I'm talking about, or would more detail help? Even if you've figured out what I'm building this around, I'd like to make the first few posts stand alone as a reference if I can.

[maximara]

[QUOTE=Prince Charon;2366498]That depends on how the GM decides Magery, Enchantment, and Enchantment-only Magery work. IIRC, there's a mention somewhere that it is possibly to learn spells that you cannot cast. If that's the case, then it should be possible to enchant things with those spells. If, on the other hand, you cannot learn spells that you don't have the Magery to cast, then it would make sense that an Enchanting-only Mage would not be able to enchant them./QUOTE]

I prefer to leave GM fiat out of the equation and go with RAW; it is a great way to give a heads up to your players that you are changing something from what is in the book(s).

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

If I were GMing, I would not limit Enchanting Only that way, because it's a -30% limitation, not a -40% limitation (the latter would be 'Enchantment College Only').

Ah yes I see that now but
*Magery 0 [5] + Magery 3 (Enchantment Only, -30%) [30]*.7 = [21] for total of [26]
would allow spells not requiring magery to be cast normally.

[5too]

So were there any problems with any of the new advantages I described? Gewgaw and Earlier Works in particular I expected some pushback on.

[Gumby Bush]

Originally Posted by 5too

So were there any problems with any of the new advantages I described? Gewgaw and Earlier Works in particular I expected some pushback on.

You lay out the justifications pretty well. I don't use the Basic rules for Signature Gear, but Earlier Works looks fine.

Gewgaw: Value limits are likely to hinder getting many magical items... How many are there that fall within the monetary bounds? Note that, as I read it, if you own a magical item, you can whip it out without Cosmic: only the second category of items specifies "nonmagical": "Consumable nonmagical item that suits the user’s profession." I might just call that a variant of Extended, for +20%.

[5too]

Thanks! I didn't really specify, but the main thing I expected to see this used for is scrolls, spell arrows, and spellstones. These are fairly inexpensive for spells below 3 FP cost or so (depending on the assumed daily wages), letting it act as a kind of "wild talent" for lower cost spells only (along with Gizmo's usual abilities as applied to magical items).

Otherwise, it's mostly the cheap stuff that seems like it'd be generally useful. The self-powered cookpot, the water purifying hoop, etc. - basically anything with an energy cost below 60, when the cost scheme switches away from $1/point. That stuff seems thematically in keeping with Gizmo anyhow.

Beyond that, you've got a significant penalty, like you say; though not necessarily insurmountable. Assuming DF pricing of $20/point, a 100 point item would need to overcome a -8 modifier - just manageable generally, with the bonuses most using this template would enjoy (though I don't know that Visualization would apply).

I think you're right that the items someone owns already could be magical. The magic items only limitation would still apply in the Gewgaw version though. I suppose I could make an Accessibility modifier for it, to specify when it only allows magic items, but I figured I'd keep it relatively simple instead. Regular Gizmo is still available too, if someone wants that flexibility.

(Edit) Just looked again at the limitation and spell stone costs - the gem for the spell stone puts it out of reach even at 1 point. Scrolls should be good for up to 2 points. Or, we could define it as allowing slightly more cash value - $66 would allow 2 point scrolls under standard costs, or 3 points in DF... Maybe just allow $66 in standard costing?

[Taneli]

If you're the GM, check out the various enchantment pricing schemes that have been discussed of in the forum over the years.

Basically just determine the typical income of an enchanter, the typical size of the enchanters circle, and you can come up with any numbers for Q&D and S&S enchantment costs.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Taneli

If you're the GM, check out the various enchantment pricing schemes that have been discussed of in the forum over the years.

Basically just determine the typical income of an enchanter, the typical size of the enchanters circle, and you can come up with any numbers for Q&D and S&S enchantment costs.

Enchantment Costs gives the fundamentals for this. Note it also has industrial enchantment cost with a 25% markup.

At TL3 the advantages of industrial enchantment become cost-wise viable. For small towns you might have a handful of quick assembly lines maned by 2 to 3 enchanters who produce small items on a regular basis. (Preserve Food would a a favorite)