Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

In GURPS there is the concept of decreasing the ST requirement for spells you know really well. I assumed it was in TFT as well but can't find it. Here's the GURPS rule:
I think it would be reasonable to carry this over to TFT, obviously there is no such thing as skill levels so you would have to base it on IQ.

If your IQ is five greater than the spell requirement – reduce the spell’s casting cost by 1. The cost continues to decrease by 1 per each additional five IQ beyond the spell's requirement.
Apply the same reduction to the cost to maintain a spell.

If you are allowing Arcane Training then it may also be counted to decrease spell casting ST cost.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Arcane training would already help with spell costs by increasing the figure's mana storage.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

I like this, but would it apply to spells that have stacking effects based on the ST you put into them (i.e. magic fist, fireball, etc.)?

Can I also assume that the ST cost could never be reduced below 1?

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

In GURPS you can have zero cost spells.
I think that's reasonable, if you have IQ (plus arcane training) high enough.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Yes, a 3 ST fireball might only cost 1 ST if you have IQ 22, or 0 if you have IQ 27

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Unfortunately, I have serious doubts about characters actually reaching those stat levels given the current XP progression schedule so the idea might be moot.
;)

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

If some demigod manages to get IQ 33, I think it's entire reasonable for them to throw around 3d+3 Wizard's Wraths for zero cost :D

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

GURPS has penalties for maintenance of spells; absent something equivalent, permanent (0 cost to maintain) buffs are likely to be a problem. Also, aid chaining (at IQ 14, cast Aid ST for 1->0. Next turn, use that ST for Aid ST 2. Repeat) would be a problem for casting that doesn't have significant time pressure.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Or the IQ 21 wizard who can cast Illusions all day long with no fatigue cost.

Or the IQ 13 wizard who can cast images all day long, and keep Blur running forever on as many people as he wants.

Or the IQ 14 wizards who keep casting and maintaining 1-point Aid spells for no fatigue?

Clearly there needs to be a limit, at least that the savings don't apply to maintenance costs.

But that still leaves Image and Illusion able to maintain a group of 12 in rotation, or the arsonist who casts Fire all day long.

Perhaps minimum 1 cost is needed in TFT. The spells were all written with the idea they'd cost something.

And crit failures should still cost... and if the backfires sometimes have teeth (unpredictable teeth) that can discourage all-day casting.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Reduce the cost by 1 to cast and an additional increment between maintenance payments for every five points you exceed your adjDX on the roll?

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Here is my musings on Magic and IQ that was posted on another thread back in August. Re: No magic point costs? Psionics


New ITL P142 says "If a wizard knows a spell, the ritual he must go through to cast a spell depends on the difference between his own IQ and the IQ required for the spell. ...Spell IQ at least 5 less than the wizards: The wizard may cast the spell without appearing to move a muscle."

No gestures or vocals
In my way of thinking, TFT magic is really a pidgin form of Psionics. It is for those who need symbols and actions to make it work (probably because they haven't realized they can do psionics.) Gestures and Incantations are the formulas for those who haven’t yet gotten the knack of Psionics. Psionics in GURPS uses a whole different gaming mechanic; Perhaps Superpowers from Supers in TFT article would work.]
I’m not saying put Psionics in the ITL book, but it’s almost there now.

No energy
As far as needing less energy, I have this modification:
GURPS 4e Magic: “each spell has an energy cost. When you cast the spell, you must pay this cost in either FP or HP. The better you know the spell, the less energy you need to cast it. If you know it well enough, you can cast it at no cost.”

This could be converted to TFT like:
Spell IQ at least 8 less than the wizard’s IQ: The wizard may cast the spell losing one less Fatigue.
At 10 less than wizard’s IQ, wizard may cast the spell losing two less fatigue.
At 12 less than IQ…. And on down the line.

However the risk is that Critical failure is worse for each fatigue empowerment. At the moment before casting, the wizard can choose whether to do the normal type of casting or psionic oriented. Automatic misses do regular miss results.
Roll result less IQ
14 automatic miss if 12 IQ less.
15 automatic miss if 10 IQ less
16 automatic miss if 8 IQ less
17 Consult Magic Backlash in TFT article for 17 Miss*
18 Consult Magic Backlash in TFT article for 18 Miss*
* http://thefantasytrip.game/tags/space-gamer/

Perhaps, once the high level wizard has an epiphany that it is doing psionic and what psionic is, maybe has a type of Apotheosis (New ITL 85) without dying and converts to Superpowers?

Sure, this is way overpowering on high IQ wizards.
Its just something I thought would be interesting.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

This mostly tracks w/ how imagined magic working in TFT. As a have mentioned elsewhere, Steven Brust's Jhereg books played a significant role in how I envisioned the world of Cidri which included how Dragaeran sorcery works. Spell casting didn't require a lot of external performance and you often wouldn't know what spell was actually cast until it hit you.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Offering a trade-off between being able to reduce costs and raising risk is a clever idea.

Those Space Gamer tables are juicy but also my first read has them seeming pretty severe. I think I'd re-order the results by severity and then tweak the odds a bit, taking into account the relative difficulty of the spell.


Say, does anyone remember ever seeing an article about an alternative TFT magic idea where wizards would have a large pool of mana that they use to cast spells from, which costs no ST but is a fixed amount for their entire life? An old TFT friend keeps mentioning that idea to me, which he thinks came from Interplay or something but I haven't been able to find it - I think maybe he made it up himself but mis-remembers it as having read it somewhere.

Re: Spell Energy Cost Reduction
 

Personally I think magic should ALWAYS have a ST cost, no matter how skilled a wizard becomes. You can become so strong that lifting heavy items becomes trivial, but it never reaches zero exertion. If magic could be cast without cost, the world would be overrun with enchanted perpetual motion machines.