Alternative enchanting system revisited

Whitewings · 02-27-2014, 11:22 AM

I don't like the enchanting system presented in GURPS, and never have. The times are ridiculously long, but I've never quite come up with a good alternative. I think I just did. Here's how it works:

First, total the energy costs of all the enchantments to be placed in the final item.

Second, divide this by the number of mages involved in the project. As usual, all participants must known all relevant spells at 15 or higher, and the circle's leader must know them at 15+the number of additional participants.

From this total, determine the per-person "energy cost." Divide the cost by fifty, retaining fractions, and square the result to get the number of hours the circle will need to perform the enchantment(s) desired, to a maximum of 1,920 hours (a year's work, assuming eight hour days and five day weeks). These times are minimums: The enchanter(s) must also make the actual, physical object, which requires a rating in the relevant skill of at least 12, preferably higher given that a failure on the roll to craft the object means, naturally, that the project fails. The actual time needed is thus the longer of the enchanting time or the crafting time.

You may be asking, given that the time needed is capped, what's to prevent an enchanter from loading an object with a vast array of enchantments? Nothing at all, except for the risk of failure; if any of the enchantments fail, the entire project is ruined. Naturally, given that the item's creation and enchantment are effectively a single process, upgrades are all but impossible. Powerstone and Manastone are *not* exceptions to this rule: Each casting requires the cutting of a facet on a gem, or the carving of a tiny glyph on an existing facet, or the careful attaching of a bead to the shaft of a feather, or whatever the GM deems appropriate. Because of the risk of failure going up with each enchantment, the cost of really powerful items can be sky high.

Oh, and yes, I am aware that *really* powerful items do not benefit from multiple creators. I consider that to be a feature, not a bug. I like the idea that the greatest wonders are produced by individual masters.

For an example, let us consider an item with Tell Time and Power 1, the equivalent of a wristwatch. This item requires 750 energy, meaning for a single enchanter, 750/50=15. 15^2=225 hours, about five and a half weeks. For a team of six, the time needed is only 750/6=125 per person. 125/50=2.5. 2.5^2=6.25 hours, less than a day's work. Using the costs from GURPS Magic 4e, that translates to $900 for the lone mage's pay, or $175 for the circle's pay, plus the cost of materials in both cases. That's using TL3 pay scales; at TL7, that works out to $525 plus materials, quite comparable to the lower end prices of high quality watches.

02-27-2014, 11:22 AM	#1
Whitewings Join Date: Jul 2005	Alternative enchanting system revisited I don't like the enchanting system presented in GURPS, and never have. The times are ridiculously long, but I've never quite come up with a good alternative. I think I just did. Here's how it works: First, total the energy costs of all the enchantments to be placed in the final item. Second, divide this by the number of mages involved in the project. As usual, all participants must known all relevant spells at 15 or higher, and the circle's leader must know them at 15+the number of additional participants. From this total, determine the per-person "energy cost." Divide the cost by fifty, retaining fractions, and square the result to get the number of hours the circle will need to perform the enchantment(s) desired, to a maximum of 1,920 hours (a year's work, assuming eight hour days and five day weeks). These times are minimums: The enchanter(s) must also make the actual, physical object, which requires a rating in the relevant skill of at least 12, preferably higher given that a failure on the roll to craft the object means, naturally, that the project fails. The actual time needed is thus the longer of the enchanting time or the crafting time. You may be asking, given that the time needed is capped, what's to prevent an enchanter from loading an object with a vast array of enchantments? Nothing at all, except for the risk of failure; if any of the enchantments fail, the entire project is ruined. Naturally, given that the item's creation and enchantment are effectively a single process, upgrades are all but impossible. Powerstone and Manastone are not exceptions to this rule: Each casting requires the cutting of a facet on a gem, or the carving of a tiny glyph on an existing facet, or the careful attaching of a bead to the shaft of a feather, or whatever the GM deems appropriate. Because of the risk of failure going up with each enchantment, the cost of really powerful items can be sky high. Oh, and yes, I am aware that really powerful items do not benefit from multiple creators. I consider that to be a feature, not a bug. I like the idea that the greatest wonders are produced by individual masters. For an example, let us consider an item with Tell Time and Power 1, the equivalent of a wristwatch. This item requires 750 energy, meaning for a single enchanter, 750/50=15. 15^2=225 hours, about five and a half weeks. For a team of six, the time needed is only 750/6=125 per person. 125/50=2.5. 2.5^2=6.25 hours, less than a day's work. Using the costs from GURPS Magic 4e, that translates to $900 for the lone mage's pay, or $175 for the circle's pay, plus the cost of materials in both cases. That's using TL3 pay scales; at TL7, that works out to $525 plus materials, quite comparable to the lower end prices of high quality watches.