RPM Energy Accumulation and Dispel Magic

[PK]

Originally Posted by Nosforontu

This does spark the question of just how many players/gms are prone with the RPM system to always or frequently cast spells that push up against their energy accumulation limits versus casting spells that have a lower energy cost but still achieve the truly desired goals of the spell.

I have rarely had a PC choose to add the extra energy modifier voluntarily. In my experience, that modifier exists simply to explain what happens to any energy accumulated unnecessarily that couldn't be spent on improving the spell (because sometimes you don't want the ritual to last longer, have a bigger area, etc.).

At most, if there's a fear of dispelment, PCs are more likely (again, IME) to try justifying packing multiple "buffs" together into a single larger spell -- not to just dump extra energy into it. But even then, it's rare in our games, perhaps because they're all quite competent without their buffs.

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

The other thread sparked a question for me, about changing duration and the energy required to dispel. Say you've cast a ritual that cost 30 energy, including 5 energy for a 6-hour duration. Before it expires you extend the duration to 2 weeks (10 energy). Is the ritual dispelled as though it's the original 30 energy, or the new total of 35 energy?

As Varyon pointed out, your energy cost is wrong, so let me rephrase your question:

"If you cast a 30-energy ritual that includes 5 energy for a 6-hour duration, then later spend another 5 energy to bump the duration another 6 hours, is it dispelled as a 30-energy ritual or a 35-energy one?"

The answer is a 30-energy ritual. It's the original ritual that's being contested here. The extra energy you're dumping in at regular intervals is just to keep it alive -- but technically you're not adding to the ritual so much as just "replenishing the durational energy to keep it going," if that makes sense.

(Of course, that brings up the idea of a house rule where a spell's effective energy cost for dispelling is based on how much of its duration is actually left. For example, a 200-energy ritual with one Greater effect and a year's duration would drop by an effective 3 energy after each month. That's a bit too fiddly for my games, but I could see it being a popular option for some campaigns.)