Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - How does Power affect cost for a Magic Item?

Icelander · 12-01-2009, 07:22 PM

I did not find a note to that effect in either GURPS Magic, GURPS Thaumatology or GURPS Dungeon Fantasy: Adventurers.

GURPS Magic 3e had a rule which increased cost by 20% for Power 16, +40% for Power 17, +60% for Power 18, +100% for Power 19 and then another +100% for every +1 to Power.

The fact that this rule does not appear in 4e might suggest that it is invalidated, but I've been taught not to leap to conclusions of expressio unius est exclusio alterius.

Personally, though, I think that a Power 20 item is rarely (though not 'never') three times as useful as a Power 15 item. So I find the cost increase a bit steep. Especially since it does not take into account the availability of magic in the setting and the specific assumptions made for enchantments.

In my setting, for example, skill 20 wizards are relatively commonplace and skill 25+ wizards do exist. I allow the use of Time Spent rules with Slow and Sure enchantments and I also allow wizards to contribute man-days at the rate of their Magery per day.

Few, if any, of high Power item are created by skill 15 enchanters pouring extra Fatigue Points into their enchantment. Most are instead made by skill 20-25 enchanters who simply don't bother to take a penalty to skill to create the item faster.

Does anyone have any official guidelines for how high Power should affect cost based on the individual assumptions of the campaign?

12-01-2009, 07:22 PM	#1
Icelander Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Iceland*	How does Power affect cost for a Magic Item? I did not find a note to that effect in either GURPS Magic, GURPS Thaumatology or GURPS Dungeon Fantasy: Adventurers. GURPS Magic 3e had a rule which increased cost by 20% for Power 16, +40% for Power 17, +60% for Power 18, +100% for Power 19 and then another +100% for every +1 to Power. The fact that this rule does not appear in 4e might suggest that it is invalidated, but I've been taught not to leap to conclusions of expressio unius est exclusio alterius. Personally, though, I think that a Power 20 item is rarely (though not 'never') three times as useful as a Power 15 item. So I find the cost increase a bit steep. Especially since it does not take into account the availability of magic in the setting and the specific assumptions made for enchantments. In my setting, for example, skill 20 wizards are relatively commonplace and skill 25+ wizards do exist. I allow the use of Time Spent rules with Slow and Sure enchantments and I also allow wizards to contribute man-days at the rate of their Magery per day. Few, if any, of high Power item are created by skill 15 enchanters pouring extra Fatigue Points into their enchantment. Most are instead made by skill 20-25 enchanters who simply don't bother to take a penalty to skill to create the item faster. Does anyone have any official guidelines for how high Power should affect cost based on the individual assumptions of the campaign? __________________ Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 12-02-2009 at 05:39 AM.