ST Items and Mana

[TedT]

I cannot find anywhere a consideration of how a +1 ST ring affects a wizard's mana. If a fighter wears the ring, sure - his strength is greater and he can take one more point of damage. But does this same ring bestow upon a wizard those two benefits, as well as providing him with a point of mana for casting spells? And if it does, may the wizard recharge it with the same 5-for-1 ST rules used with a Manastaff?

[Axly Suregrip]

Attribute enhancing magic items do just that. When you are wearing them, it is as if your attribute is +1 for all purposes.

So, a ST 9 wizard puts on a Ring of +1 ST, and now acts as if his base level ST is 10 for all things (mana, weapons used, damage in HTH, etc).

[hcobb]

A ST enhancement item increases fatigue, not mana

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

A ST enhancement item increases fatigue, not mana

I suppose, Henry, that if we're being precise in our terminology, we should say that a ST enhancement item effectively decreases fatigue or increases the capacity for fatigue, not increases fatigue.

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by hcobb

A ST enhancement item increases fatigue, not mana

Yes you are right. It does not increase mana. Thank you for the correction. I was trying to say it increases your basic ST for all things, including casting spells.

[Skarg]

Right, so no you can't "recharge" it like a manastaff. But you probably wouldn't want to even if you could, because if you keep wearing it, you will recover your up to your magically-enhanced ST after spellcasting by resting.

(You sort of could recharge, by casting Drain Strength on someone else. ;-) )

[hcobb]

Example, two witches one ring.

Angnus puts on the +4 ST ring bringing her ST from 6 to 10. She casts ten points of spells and falls unconscious.

Her sister Berthe removes the ring. Angnus is now dying at adjST negative four, but she will rest up and will just be unconscious at adjST zero after an hour.

Berthe puts on the ring boosting her ST from 6 to 10 and casts ten points of spells.

Repeat as needed.

[TedT]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Example, two witches one ring.

Repeat as needed.

Oh, this would SO not go down with my dear GM! Our party's two wizards will have to try this just to jar him - well, they would except that dear GM reads these threads and will see it coming!

[Skarg]

1) Increase attribute items are powerful (and fairly bland) juju, that GMs might want to consider not including.

2) Yes you can share an Increase Strength item to generate up to 4 usable extra spell fatigue per wearer... if you don't mind being unconscious for 15 minutes per point you go beyond your actual ST (max 4 or you'll die).

3) If a GM wants to include Increase Strength enchantments, but doesn't like the effect Henry just pointed out, they might rule that it increases the wearer's ST but not their fatigue. So when a wizard puts one on, they then need to rest to actually gain the fatigue up to the enhanced level.

[hcobb]

Attribute enhancers have been greatly curbed since the first edition. They are capped for DX and don't do much for IQ.

Note also that a DX enhancing sword costs half as much as a DX boosting ring, but is less versatile.