Rule of Five Questions

[TippetsTX]

I'm curious how others interpret and apply the 'Rule of Five' in their games.

For example, on ITL pg 149 the rules state... "Items that act directly on attributes, increasing ST, DX, or IQ, are a special case. Only the most powerful one works; if you had a ring granting +2 DX and another granting +1, only the more powerful one would work. And you may get only a total of +5 to all attributes from magic items."

Does the last sentence mean the character is limited to +5 to each attribute or is it a total of +5 spread across all three?

[tomc]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

I'm curious how others interpret and apply the 'Rule of Five' in their games.

For example, on ITL pg 149 the rules state... "Items that act directly on attributes, increasing ST, DX, or IQ, are a special case. Only the most powerful one works; if you had a ring granting +2 DX and another granting +1, only the more powerful one would work. And you may get only a total of +5 to all attributes from magic items."

Does the last sentence mean the character is limited to +5 to each attribute or is it a total of +5 spread across all three?

I've always played as +5 spread across all three, but I don't think anyone ever got a total of +5 anyway. Extra damage for weapons was probably the most popular for us.

[hcobb]

Given the +5 limit how can anyone ever cast a 50 point spell?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Given the +5 limit how can anyone ever cast a 50 point spell?

Isn't that what Powerstones are for?

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Isn't that what Powerstones are for?

Powerstones can only recovery fatigue after it is spent.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

I'm curious how others interpret and apply the 'Rule of Five' in their games.

For example, on ITL pg 149 the rules state... "Items that act directly on attributes, increasing ST, DX, or IQ, are a special case. Only the most powerful one works; if you had a ring granting +2 DX and another granting +1, only the more powerful one would work. And you may get only a total of +5 to all attributes from magic items."

Does the last sentence mean the character is limited to +5 to each attribute or is it a total of +5 spread across all three?

The word "total" there, as well as the context of it being a limit in addition to the other limits, reads clearly to me that the maximum total benefit is +5 in total bonuses to all attributes from Attribute Enhancers.

After all, the description of the Attribute Enhancers enchantment (ITL 161-2) says the limit for each can be at most +5, so there would be no need for another mention of another limit that is also +5 per attribute.

It's also re-stated in other words at the top of ITL 162: "Furthermore, the total of ST, DX and IQ enhancing items cannot be more than 5."

Originally Posted by hcobb

Given the +5 limit how can anyone ever cast a 50 point spell?

Seems off-topic here, and has been answered before: With apprentices casting the Aid spell, strength batteries, and/or staff mana.

Maybe you are confused by ITL 162 saying that Attribute Enhancer enchantments are cumulative with potions and Aid spells "but only to the limit of 5", but just because there is a limit to the "cumulative" improvement, does not mean that the Aid spell has any limit itself. In fact, it mentions no limit, and says, "ST given to another figure (for instance, to allow another wizard to cast a spell with a very high ST cost)."

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by Skarg

After all, the description of the Attribute Enhancers enchantment (ITL 161-2) says the limit for each can be at most +5, so there would be no need for another mention of another limit that is also +5 per attribute.

It's also re-stated in other words at the top of ITL 162: "Furthermore, the total of ST, DX and IQ enhancing items cannot be more than 5."

Maybe you are confused by ITL 162 saying that Attribute Enhancer enchantments are cumulative with potions and Aid spells "but only to the limit of 5", but just because there is a limit to the "cumulative" improvement, does not mean that the Aid spell has any limit itself. In fact, it mentions no limit, and says, "ST given to another figure (for instance, to allow another wizard to cast a spell with a very high ST cost)."

Speaking of pg 162... "Other effects – like potions and Aid spells – are cumulative with magic items, but only to the limit of 5. You could have a DX +3 ring, and have a +3 Aid spell cast on you – and both would help, but increasing your DX only to +5."

That seems to imply that the max you can boost any stat is +5 from any source. So for example, do others limit the amount of DX a character can receive from the Aid spell alone? What about a combination of sources that do not include attribute enhancing magic items?

[hcobb]

There is a game balance issue in forcing high IQ wizards to have at least DX 9 because of a +5 DX boost cap. That puts a ST 8, DX 9, IQ 20 human wizard at 37 attribute points, three shy of the 40th attribute brick wall.

So a 30 year career at 500 XP/year gives 15 k XP, soak 8.3k into getting to 40th attribute point, learn half a dozen high level spells and get mana level 18. If you stop at 39th attribute point then you get mana level 38.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

There is a game balance issue in forcing high IQ wizards to have at least DX 9 because of a +5 DX boost cap. That puts a ST 8, DX 9, IQ 20 human wizard at 37 attribute points, three shy of the 40th attribute brick wall.

So a 30 year career at 500 XP/year gives 15 k XP, soak 8.3k into getting to 40th attribute point, learn half a dozen high level spells and get mana level 18. If you stop at 39th attribute point then you get mana level 38.

Well, the 40-point stat wall creates several challenges IMO, but that is separate issue from whether or not there is a design intent to cap individual attribute bonuses at +5.

And TBH, I have serious doubts that a ST 8/DX 9 wizard would survive long enough to reach IQ 20.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

And TBH, I have serious doubts that a ST 8/DX 9 wizard would survive long enough to reach IQ 20.

Hence I'm writing a web-based interactive fiction based on exactly that question.