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Old 07-11-2018, 07:19 PM   #21
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

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Originally Posted by kirbwarrior View Post

Should it stay at 40/lvl indefinitely? I wonder where a good cutoff would be, or when each level stops being that much better than the last.
There is no real practical point where reducing energy costs becomes insignificant.
Magery 3 with -9 cost lets you toss a 9d fireball, though it takes several turns to charge up to full.
Some Regular spells are pretty expensive as well.
But the Area spells are where you can get carried away.
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Old 07-11-2018, 09:23 PM   #22
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

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Should it stay at 40/lvl indefinitely? I wonder where a good cutoff would be, or when each level stops being that much better than the last.
5 lvls. Unless you want to go whacky tossing around 9d Missile spells.

There are so few spells at 6+ you're likely to invest individually (though, if you take more than 9* of them (there are 29) Reduced Mana at 40 points/lvl is still the cheaper route). There are seven 7 cost spells. Twenty 8 cost spells. One 9 cost. And seventeen 10 cost.

So... honestly? Level 10 unless you want your eight 12 cost spells to be free or... you can see where this goes.



* Not completely sure how the progression goes for points in martinl's system. If it's straight at 4 per -1... then... buying up 10 spells individually is the same as buying up Reduced Mana Cost at 40/lvl.
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Old 07-11-2018, 09:29 PM   #23
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

Those are good points, but I am making the assumption that Wild Mana Generator exists and is a buyable option (it might require Unusual Background, but then Decreased Mana Costs might also require one or the same one, so I'm ignoring UB for the moment). WMG allows completely free spells with downsides. I'm wondering at what cost it would be to remove those downsides. My initial (wrong) thought was that removing all the other benefits of it would balance the downsides. And the upper limit of Super Luck 14 can make all spell rolls free and crits for 1400pts (less if aspected to only magic and only skill rolls).
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Old 07-12-2018, 10:03 AM   #24
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

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Originally Posted by evileeyore View Post
For most spells skill becomes meaningless above 21 (this keeps skills at 16 in Low Mana Zones) except to reduce casting time and cost.
For many casters avoiding the "active spells" penalty of -1 per spell currently "on" is a big deal, as is range (for regular spells) and overcoming penalties to casting such as repeated healing attempts, or casting while having your tendons stolen by ice weasels.

Mana cost reduction is top shelf, sure, but it's not the only thing there.
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Old 07-12-2018, 10:08 AM   #25
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

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Originally Posted by evileeyore View Post
5* Not completely sure how the progression goes for points in martinl's system. If it's straight at 4 per -1... then... buying up 10 spells individually is the same as buying up Reduced Mana Cost at 40/lvl.
It is wholly hypothetical, but yes, it's per skill level, so it levels off at 4 CP per -1 cost (plus other skill benefits).

40 per level for high levels of cost reduction might not seem like a good deal, but I'm actually ok with that.
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Old 07-12-2018, 12:17 PM   #26
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Default Re: Decreased Mana Costs as an advantage

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Originally Posted by martinl View Post
For many casters avoiding the "active spells" penalty of -1 per spell currently "on" is a big deal...
There's a Perk for that.

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...as is range (for regular spells), and overcoming penalties to casting such as repeated healing attempts...
True, but my Players usually just Take Extra Time.

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...or casting while having your tendons stolen by ice weasels.
Best way to deal with that is to either avoid the ice Weasels entirely or not have tendons.

Lack of tendons really confuses them.

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Mana cost reduction is top shelf, sure, but it's not the only thing there.
One or two levels is really affordable, but yeah once you set your sights on 10 levels it hits the 'is there another way' level quickly.

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Originally Posted by martinl View Post
It is wholly hypothetical, but yes, it's per skill level, so it levels off at 4 CP per -1 cost (plus other skill benefits).
Thought so.

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40 per level for high levels of cost reduction might not seem like a good deal, but I'm actually ok with that.
Ditto. If you're going for "skill over att/talent", it really is the best way to represent, and making another way to 'get around' buying up skill should be top tier expensive.
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