Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Magic/DF] Powerstone or Power Item (Worldbuilding)

mlangsdorf · 05-19-2011, 10:18 AM

Personally, from a game management perspective, I prefer power items. They're easier to track, since they have a fixed amount of energy that only decreases until a fixed event occurs. There's less wackiness about players micro-managing the distance of their multiple small power stones, or having to decide between having 3 powerstones of 4 FP or 1 powerstone of 9 FP (or however the trade-off works).

Also, there's some funky world-building implications for power items. A building like a cathedral or tower could be treated as power item, giving high powered bishops or archmages a reason to stay in one place and let the PCs do stuff for them. Powerstones, in my opinion, only have annoying implications with complicated economic issues.

05-19-2011, 10:18 AM	#2
mlangsdorf Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX	Re: [Magic/DF] Powerstone or Power Item (Worldbuilding) Personally, from a game management perspective, I prefer power items. They're easier to track, since they have a fixed amount of energy that only decreases until a fixed event occurs. There's less wackiness about players micro-managing the distance of their multiple small power stones, or having to decide between having 3 powerstones of 4 FP or 1 powerstone of 9 FP (or however the trade-off works). Also, there's some funky world-building implications for power items. A building like a cathedral or tower could be treated as power item, giving high powered bishops or archmages a reason to stay in one place and let the PCs do stuff for them. Powerstones, in my opinion, only have annoying implications with complicated economic issues.