Guidelines for New Enchantments

[Christopher R. Rice]

I have a player in the process of trying to create a new enchantment spell for a newly created spell and once again I seem to have hit a stumbling block. The guidelines for creating new spells are pretty sparse but still workable but the rules for new enchantments are strangely absent. I dug around a bit like I usually do to see if the question was already answered but either it hasn't or my GURPS-fu is weak today. I did find this bit by Ze where he uses a x20 base modifier but I honestly can't see how he got the numbers.

Any GM's out there have any guidelines that seem to work? I know I could just hand waive it and be done but...well I'd rather have a rule or two to back me up. I also know that creating a spell is mostly GM call and such so please don't post that (or about how Magic sucks). What I basically want to know is if you have created a new enchantment, how did you reach your numbers? Or if there is a 3ed reference for creating new spells that I might be missing.

Thanks ahead of time to all who answer

Ghostdancer

[Yami Fowl]

Hi there...
I kinda have the same problem as GM and player...
Here is what I do:

Try to find a spell which is somehow related to the spell created...
(I created a Flame Jet with blue flames which has armor divisor 2)
Work out the ER cost of the spell, and put it in proportion to the ER cost of the enchantment...

Here is my math, which I hope to make sense to you:
Flame Jet, cost 1 ER per 1d burn damage.
(According to Explosive Fireball and Fireball costs, +1 ER may add a +50% enchantment, since Explosive is +50%)
So, my Blue Flame Jet, costs 2ER per 1d(2) burn damage.
Flame Jet enchantment costs (If I remember correctly) 1.300 or 1.000E.
So As Blue Flame Jet costs to cast, twice the cost of Flame Jet, I rule the enchantment as twice the value.

Hope that helped.

EDIT: I do hope that one day we will get a book with better magic mechanics on both creating, handling and enchanting magic spells... It would be awsome!

[Nymdok]

If you posted the spell, that might help. As alot of magic is done by 'reckoning' so seeing the spell would help us help you.

Nymdok

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Yami Fowl

Snip

Yeah pretty much that's how I've been half-handed it too. Thanks, its nice to know the method wasn't that retarded.

Originally Posted by Nymdok

If you posted the spell, that might help. As a lot of magic is done by 'reckoning' so seeing the spell would help us help you.

That's part of the issue Nym, I'm not looking for hard and fast rules or a "Spell Design System"; I know there isn't one, and for the most part it IS GM judgment. I just want a good guideline like those for Inventing New Spells found on GURPS Magic p.14 or something like it.

Ghostdancer

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Yeah pretty much that's how I've been half-handed it too. Thanks, its nice to know the method wasn't that retarded.



That's part of the issue Nym, I'm not looking for hard and fast rules or a "Spell Design System"; I know there isn't one, and for the most part it IS GM judgment. I just want a good guideline like those for Inventing New Spells found on GURPS Magic p.14 or something like it.

Ghostdancer

Reckoning is how I do it too. Find the nearest equivalant spell or power. Modify it with advantages and such and modify the new spell accordingly. look at the final tally and see if it feels balanced for your game. If not adjust to fit.

[zoncxs]

you can also use imbuments on spells. ofcourse it is limited to spells that are either jet (melee) or projectile (range) like flame jet or fireball, and you should only allow enhancement imbuements and not transformation imbuments since the latter can blur colleges (chilling strike (fire ball) = snow ball? :D)

for example:

penetrating strike (flame jet) = flame jet with armor divisor 2

Forceful blow (ice dagger) = ice dagger with double knock back.

each time you use an imbuement cost 1 FP, you roll against the imbuement skill, if you make it then it works and you roll against the spell. imbuements do what you are asking for.

this will require the mage to buy imbue lvl 3 though. but its fitting for wanting to put modifiers/enhancements on spells.