GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 18: Power Items

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I immediately see use as an Alternate Ability, for example as a Learned Prayer/Miracle for a Dungeon Saint.

That's the thing . . . Even with basic clerics and wizards using stock power-ups, it'll often be an alternative ability. Nobody will actually need this at the same time as Magical Bolt 2d-1 [45], Retribution [40], Secret Teleportation Spell [100], etc., so there will be a cost savings. It's even worth putting into an AA set with abilities that have limited uses and recovery times, because you could use it at the start of the day, recover, switch to your one-off, use that and freeze your AA, get your one-off back, use Recharger again, and recover, ad infinitum.

Of course, the ultimate test is "Would you buy it?" Those who won't, won't. Those who will, will find ways to make it useful. I've worked out more than a few abuses that give me pause at 75 points, and I'm pretty sure anybody familiar with DF could work these out.

[PseudoFenton]

I just want to say that this book in incredibly illuminating of the assumed underlying principles of the DF universe.

How things are powered, what they store, how they're charged and tapped, what counts as being effectively the same despite looking very different to their users - all of these setting details make up the cogs and levers of the mechanical underpinning of the (steadily expanded on) world/s that DF inhabits, but also defines and expands on a lot of the lore and world building details that DF usually tries to shy away from.

As such this is actually a fascinating read just to see all the power sources listed out with both their mechanical interactions, but also their fluff (like how demonologists power items store a little bit of Hell in them).

The book is also very good at going into the details and expanding the options for power items and stuff, but who would want to buy it for that??

[Blind Mapmaker]

A decent book, but only useful for an audience that actually uses power items. It almost succeeds in selling the concept to me and it certainly makes things much fairer by letting all character types have a piece of the cake. Suffers a bit from being too long for a Pyramid article and pretty short for a stand-alone book, though.

I posted a more detailed review on my blog: https://blindmapmaker.wordpress.com/...8-power-items/

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by dripton

It goes into detail on what kind of items can be power items, and the benefits and drawbacks of a few types. Details on upgrading or replacing your power item as you get more cash. Some perks and advantages related to power items, including one that costs 75 points that I predict no actual PC will ever buy. And a few suggested optional rules for GMs who want to boost or limit them.

It also includes a half-page on players upgrading their items, which is applicable to non-Power Items as much as it is to PIs. This is pretty critical to people with Signature Gear.