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Old 11-15-2019, 12:14 PM   #1
hcobb
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
Default Making Wiz ST count for something

Replace the usual resting rules with the following:

A figure recovers one FT per five minutes rest, if they make a 4/ST health saving throw (add one die per hex if a large one hex or multihex figure as usual, subtract one die if a small humanoid).

So a ST 6 Halfling wizard recovers one FT every 720 seconds on average. (50 ST in a 10 hour day)
A ST 12 Human wizard recovers one FT every 405 seconds on average.
And a ST 20 Gargoyle wizard recovers one FT every 385 seconds on average.
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Old 11-15-2019, 04:56 PM   #2
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Making Wiz ST count for something

For figures with high ST (20+), I have them rest ST points proportional to their ST. So for example a ST 50 creatures rests 5 times as fast as a human.

It would be fairly trivial to make a table that extended this any ST with more precision. In fact.. HERE is a table.

Compared to your suggestion above, that would also avoid having to roll for everyone every 5 minutes, and also avoid erratic resting rates.


On the broader subject of making Wizard ST more significant, I think it's more effective to limit the power of spells a wizard can cast unless they develop ST (or some other ability) which is made to limit the maximum ST spell that they can cast.

That is, if Aid spells, powerstones and staff mana all can't actually increase the strength that the wizard can put into a single spell above their actual ST, and spending more ST than that requires something else.

What it is, other than ST, can be some other ability developed with XP, and/or another spell, and/or another type of magic item, and/or spell ingredients, it is an avenue that can be used to distinguish & develop the power of some wizards.
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:31 PM   #3
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Making Wiz ST count for something

If you do away with the Aid spell you have a very different game.
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:39 PM   #4
larsdangly
 
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Default Re: Making Wiz ST count for something

It is a little ironic that we find ourselves here, given all the griping we've had over the years about the 'Conan the Wizard' phenomenon.

Anyway, I don't think it's a problem, but I do have a couple of house rules that somewhat encourage wizards to consider ST as a stat. Basically, I let people take damage (like, real damage) instead of fatigue loss when they cast spells, at a 5:1 rate (where you spend 'aliquots' of damage in minimum amounts of 1 point per use). I also let people burn permanent ST loss in exchange for spell casting, at a 20:1 rate. Tempting, but consider the consequences...
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Old 11-16-2019, 12:53 AM   #5
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Making Wiz ST count for something

Quote:
Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
It is a little ironic that we find ourselves here, given all the griping we've had over the years about the 'Conan the Wizard' phenomenon.

Anyway, I don't think it's a problem,
Yeah. It is ironic.

Personally, I don't think the value of ST for wizards is a problem either. I also never found "Conan the wizard" to be either a phenomenon in our actual play, or a problem in any way.

In practice, I've not seen wizards feeling a need to pump up their ST much. The wizards we had that did do that tended to be over-bloated characters anyway. And having some high-ST wizards wasn't a problem in any way.

What wizards actually did to get more power was acquire assistants with Aid, and powerstones.

But yet I am interested in optional rules that could do more with that, so I chimed in with ideas to share that I think are worth considering as house rules that could be played with.

Personally, I kind of like the idea of wizards having a stat that's not necessarily just equal to ST, but might be based partly on it, which wouldn't just be the fatigue available, but would limit how powerful a spell can be cast.

That is one of the obstacles to the more powerful magics in TFT, and RAW it is pretty trivial to overcome if/when you have access to apprentices who can cast Aid on you. Having that take something more seems like an interesting optional way to house rule the magic system. (And yes, Henry, it would change how easily magic can be used quite a bit.)


Quote:
Originally Posted by larsdangly View Post
... but I do have a couple of house rules that somewhat encourage wizards to consider ST as a stat. Basically, I let people take damage (like, real damage) instead of fatigue loss when they cast spells, at a 5:1 rate (where you spend 'aliquots' of damage in minimum amounts of 1 point per use). I also let people burn permanent ST loss in exchange for spell casting, at a 20:1 rate. Tempting, but consider the consequences...
Cool idea. GURPS Magic has a somewhat similar thing.
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Old 11-16-2019, 08:42 AM   #6
larsdangly
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Making Wiz ST count for something

One could argue about the correct rates, but I find the 5:1 damage, 20:1 infirmity rates are a pretty good match with what people want to do. It brings some of the more challenging spells into play as things you can cast without props or assistants, but at a cost that people see as a meaningful sacrifice.
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