Is Hideaway overpriced?

[Gumby Bush]

At 100 energy cost per pound of carrying capacity for no encumbrance, Hideaway seems to cost a lot.

Assuming a ratio of points:energy of 1:25, as GURPS usually does, this would buy 2 points of Payload w/ Cosmic +50%, which is usually 4lbs of capacity, which strikes me as a pretty big discrepancy, even given that you can get help making the Hideaway but not (usually) making the Payload and that you can buy/sell a Hideaway (and the discrepancy only increases when we hit weights where rounding isn't as big a deal).

So, I'm thinking the cost should be around 15/lb +100% for no encumbrance (slightly more than average payload, by my math, since you can get help and buy/sell). Payload will still wind up a better deal for high-ST characters, but that's OK.

Thoughts? Anything I'm overlooking?

A second question is a) would you allow a character to enchant Hideaway on nothing to create a region spatially cut off from the rest of the world, then let them use Plane Shift (mini-planes) to go to one (or use it as a target destination for Sanctuary, rather than making a temporary room every time.)? b) if you wanted such things to occur, how would you make it economical without making it subject to too much abuse?

[AlexanderHowl]

Yes, but the majority of spells are holdovers from 3e, so they do not mesh well with the innovations of 4e. I generally prefer using the Magical modifier for abilities and gadgets, rather than anything from GURPS Magic, though I may keep the same name. In the case of Hideaway, I would have it represented as Payload 10 (Breakable, SM-6 and DR 2, -30%; Can Be Stolen, Stealth or Trickery, -20%; Magical, -10%; No Signature, +20%; Static ST 10 Basic Lift, +0%) [4]. That would represent a pouch that could be hidden under armor or clocking that could carry 20 lbs without adding to encumbrance (or appearing to contain anything).

[Bruno]

What adventurers usually want instead of Hideaway (or in combination with it) is Lighten Burden, GURPS Magic page 143.

Hideaway is excellent for making secret compartments or things bigger on the inside than out. Lighten Burden makes magically light backpacks (they don't carry more than usual, they just weigh less than usual).

[Culture20]

If you want to sell the Payload, make it a gadget like a top hat, and watch the price discrepancy soar like a top hat caught in a winter gale.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Gumby Bush

At 100 energy cost per pound of carrying capacity for no encumbrance, Hideaway seems to cost a lot.

?

Hideway is an enchantment. 100 energy points is about as cheap as enchantments get. The cost in character points seems to me to be irrelevant.

[AlexanderHowl]

A large backpack could also be enchanted to give Lifting ST though. Lifting ST+10 (Breakable, SM-2 and DR 2, -40%; Can Be Stolen, Contest of ST, -30%; Magical, -10%; No Signature, +20%) [12] is the equivalent of a 300 energy point Signature Gear, and would increase BL to 80, allowing a character to carry the large backpack as Light Encumbrance. By comparison, Lighten Burden on a large backpack would cost 500 energy points [20 CP] to reduce the effective maximum weight to 55 lbs, meaning that the large backpack would be Medium Encumbrance for the character. The magical gadget ends up being superior to the magical item.