[RPM] High Energy Cost spells (Example Body of Shadow)

[ronalmb]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Ehh, it seems like penalty to skill makes it harder to cast than the multiplier does. How many Greater effects are actually in Body of Shadow, anyway? Ruling that one or two are only Lesser in-setting should reduce the cost to something somebody with a base skill of 15 can do, provided they buy a Grimoire from the local magic shop.

I'm not sure. It just feels like a +4 penalty to casting isn't as significant as the safe threshold penalty for a 350 point spell.

Campaign is on the cusp of the dawning of the age of wizardry. There aren't local magic shops from which people can purchase grimoires. Talahsee (kind of a collective hive-mind society of elves greatly in tune with the world) have shown up and have started teaching men about how to weave magic. Humans, in return, will repay the poor Talahsee with the contagion of individuality, leaving their innocent society in shambles eventually.

So right now, definitely a time of high magic and experimentation. Would-be NPC mages will be screwing up and melting their brains or causing upheaval (adventure plot hooks for the party to resolve) as the two societies come to terms with contact with each other, etc.

There isn't much in the way of magic items, grimoires, and an established tradition of wizardry (yet). The players are playing characters present at this important point in the campaign world's history (It's an old established campaign world from back in my days of 2nd Edition D&D and those old Skills and Powers books).

The TL is at the end of TL2, with just a few TL3 things starting to show up.