Powerstones

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by opposedToGravity

Hi,
how do powerstones work? does the mage have to touch them? or is it enough to carry them in a bag?

what is your experience with them? how powerful do the mages get with powerstones? if i compare only prices a powerstone of capacity 7 costs roughly the same as a thrusting greatsword for a warrior. however its usefulness seems much greater. what is your experience?

As stated you must touch a powerstone with your flesh or a Staff to tap it's energy.

Comparing powerstones to melee weapons is really apples and oranges. The greatsword is no use to anyone with less than ST 12 or no Two-handed Sword Skill. On the other hand if you meet those criteria you can use it every second you're in melee combat (which is normally considered very important). It also gives you capabilities you do not have at all without a weapon.

The powerstone is no use to anyone who doesn't know how to cast spells. If you can cast spells it could be used to aid in casting any spell you know but usually you can cast that spell without the powerstone too.

Then there's the way that you can only use the 7 pt powerstone at full effect once per week.

Warriors definitely buy their chosen weapon before spellcasters buy powerstones.

It's also my experience that powerstones are of most interest to spellcasters in low-powered campaigns. I've never seen a truly high-powered caster who bothered with the things much.

Powerstones are already so limited that I would consider worrying about their effect on game balance to be largely wasted effort.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

...
Powerstones are already so limited that I would consider worrying about their effect on game balance to be largely wasted effort.

But they would make wonderful currency/treasure for mages that care not for paltry monies of lesser mortals. :)

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Then there's the way that you can only use the 7 pt powerstone at full effect once per week.

It's also my experience that powerstones are of most interest to spellcasters in low-powered campaigns. I've never seen a truly high-powered caster who bothered with the things much.

Powerstones are already so limited that I would consider worrying about their effect on game balance to be largely wasted effort.

QFT. I am in a lowish powered campaign...Powerstones are useful to me...mostly because I make my own. So I am only paying the cost for the raw matierals. However with no Energy Reserves, extra FP mostly at the +30% limit and "mana" potions being fairly expensive alchemicals and possibily addictive if used more than 1x per day; the ability to cast the extra spell here and there is worth it. Never mind the all out scenario where you empty everything and cast 2x-3x your normal "limits."

That all being said it is far from gamebreaking and to a certain extent I bought it because as a "traveling" mage I could buy the raw gems...enchant up Powerstones while on adventure (1 hr Q+D casting before bedtime) and then sell the finished products later to keep a steady income. Like a job but more flexible.

YMMV

Edit:
For Reference my mage currently has a 19 pt Powerstone, an 8 pt Powerstone, a 15 pt One College Elemental Darkness stone, and a 6 pt One College Enchantment stone.

The 19 and 8 are Gen Purpose stones, the 15 E/Dark is for Infravision; Hide; Blur and Invisibility...the 6 ot Enchantment (building to 15) is to...Make more Powerstones. I wil probably be selling the 8 pointer is a short while....

[Nemi3e]

Heh, very useful in my campaign--If the players want to make a permanent magical conjuration they have to burn powerstones or other mana stores of equivalent power.

[garfield]

Originally Posted by Nemi3e

Heh, very useful in my campaign--If the players want to make a permanent magical conjuration they have to burn powerstones or other mana stores of equivalent power.

For that they should get the spell Manastone. It makes a non-rechargeable Powerstone and the casting costs only 1/4 of the MP.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

As stated you must touch a powerstone with your flesh or a Staff to tap it's energy.

Comparing powerstones to melee weapons is really apples and oranges. The greatsword is no use to anyone with less than ST 12 or no Two-handed Sword Skill. On the other hand if you meet those criteria you can use it every second you're in melee combat (which is normally considered very important). It also gives you capabilities you do not have at all without a weapon.

The powerstone is no use to anyone who doesn't know how to cast spells. If you can cast spells it could be used to aid in casting any spell you know but usually you can cast that spell without the powerstone too.

Then there's the way that you can only use the 7 pt powerstone at full effect once per week.

Warriors definitely buy their chosen weapon before spellcasters buy powerstones.

It's also my experience that powerstones are of most interest to spellcasters in low-powered campaigns. I've never seen a truly high-powered caster who bothered with the things much.

Powerstones are already so limited that I would consider worrying about their effect on game balance to be largely wasted effort.

There's usually a use for a few points more of energy. Most higher power games acan afford higher cost powerstones.

The thing of it is, they are one use items in most adventures. A ST 12 Powerstone has to go unsed 12 days normally to recharge. A faster recharge rate would make them far more practical.

ie there is a variant powerstone enchantment. For X energy per point you get a stone that recharges 1 point/hour in normal mana. 7/12ths (rounded to half a day) per point of recharge in low mana etc.

[nick012000]

I'll point out a powerstone recharges in six hours in a Very High Mana zone, and it isn't too difficult to create one with a suitably designed Golem or Earth Elemental. Or, pretty much any sort of one of the spells that lets you summon/create whatever critter you want within the thematic confines of the spell.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by nick012000

I'll point out a powerstone recharges in six hours in a Very High Mana zone, and it isn't too difficult to create one with a suitably designed Golem or Earth Elemental. Or, pretty much any sort of one of the spells that lets you summon/create whatever critter you want within the thematic confines of the spell.

It recharges 1 point every six hours or 4 per day. A 4th edition wizard probaly has a ST 10 or ST 12 powerstone via Signature Gear. IF the entire adventure takes place in VHM zones the character will get a second full use of the stone in 2 1/2 to 3 days. Not very practical for adventuring purposes.

Now one that fully rechages after a day has practical uses in a lot of adventuring styles where the slow recharge is crippling. It's a couple of extra big spells a day, which is less 'unbalancing' than some folks seem to believe.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

ie there is a variant powerstone enchantment. For X energy per point you get a stone that recharges 1 point/hour in normal mana. 7/12ths (rounded to half a day) per point of recharge in low mana etc.

There were a few things in 3e. There was an Enchantment version of Charge Powerstone that boosted recharge rate but not nearly as much as you're interested in. It was not carried over to 4e Magic.

There was also an item from Magic Items I that boosted recharge rates by what was effectively one mana level.

[Agramer]

If you want endurance(repetitive casting of small cost spells) you need high skill 15/20/25 for -1/-2/-3 to fatigue cost / spell.

If you want to emulate bigger area effects you need Powerstones.

If youre Combat Mage in some Army...Powerstones are a must.

As PC Powerstones are interesting..:
-have 1 big Powerstone(Staff is good place and make it dedicated...for spells cast through staff = 2* power).
-have few 1 point Pwstones....to aid your regular spellcasting

If you have enough points take some of enchantment college and make Manastones.
again 1+ big ones for big are spells(or vs high SM creatures)
few small ones 1-3 strength to boost normal spellcasting

When making Mage I have often found that taking Wealth(and spending all,stating Im "travelling" and have no home) is very useful(from starting magical items to powerstones/manastones).

Originally Posted by Witchking

That all being said it is far from gamebreaking and to a certain extent I bought it because as a "traveling" mage I could buy the raw gems...enchant up Powerstones while on adventure (1 hr Q+D casting before bedtime) and then sell the finished products later to keep a steady income. Like a job but more flexible.

As he said,this is brilliant idea.Since most worlds are rare magic/magic items your stones will fetch higher price and youll never have to warry about money.

Nice trick is also to get one big Manastone and take Enchantment sopells that you can pull off quick˛Dirty with your fatigue pool and that Manastone.

There is a lot of those and youll be selling Magic items in no time.

Manastone st 20 takes 100 fatigues to fill back up.
100 fatigues * 2 minutes(Recover energy at skill 20) = 200 minutes = 3h20min

Working 8 hours / day...with lunch break you can pull 2 spells off.

Example:
All +1 dmg,+1 acc,+1penetration on arrows,crossbow bolts
Carnocupia with 15 arrows(they respawn so youll never run out of arrows)
Small spell arrow( for 1 fatigue cost spells...example light spell...)
+1/+2 DR on pieces of armour,+1 DB on some pieces of armour
.....

If you have bigger manastone and/or another enchanter helps things quickly become interesting.

You can cast(with 20 point manastone/powerstone +10 fatigues from yourself):

-15 yard radius Create Fire (30 yards across)
-30 yard radius Smoke (60 across)
-30 yard radius Rain of fire (60 across) for 1d-1 dmg burn/sec
*for double cost dmg is 2d-2



Situation:
Lets say your skill is 15 with all spells
Youre defending Castle....main door is about to fall ...cracking from Ram hits.
Door is 5 yards wide = Area 3(if centered in middle)....
Not all defenders will be able to retreat to keep in time ,before overrun by invaders.
You stand next to wall by the door,covered by few shieldguards/PCs...
You lets 10-15 enemies enter inside and than cast :
Area 3 Glue spell = cost 9-1(skill 15) fatigues ,duration 10 minutes
Than cast Rain of fire area 3,double cost = 6(-1 skill 15) fatigues(2d-2/sec dmg)...
burning all to crisp inside doors...if few manage to pull out Guards easily dispatch them due enemy being already badly burned.

so youre safe for 1 minute:
Fatigue spent 8+5=13

9 minutes to go on glue....

Enemy backed off from entrance with smell of burned crisp bodies in air....

You cast Simple Illusion(1 to cast /half to maintain)..area 3 = cost 3(-1 skill 15)/1,5 to maintain(-1 skill 15 = 0,5 ftg/turn)...

you have spent total of 13+2 = 15 fatigues....
...9 minutes of maintaining Simple illusion(rain of fire)...0,5*9=4,5(round up)=5 fatigue....

...Youre running back inside Keep while maintaining spell...
Total fatigue spent = 15+5=20 BUT you have Recover Energy skill 20.
So during those 10 minutes -2 minutes(running into keep) = 8 minutes/2 minutes = 4 fatigues recovered.

So you have spent 20-4= 16 fatigues +1(for sprinting into Keep) =17

Assuming you have taken Fatigues from body first(to base of 4 fatigues..on 3 fatigues youre at half move/half dodge) and rest from Manastone...
::>You have spent approximately 6 fatigues from Manastone)

So with 6 manastone fatigues and your 6 fatigues(you have recovered 4) you have saved 100 defenders and gaved enough time to regroup in Keep.

Keep is tough nut..Siege continues....

12 minutes later you have recovered your bodily fatigue back to full...
Manastones 6 fatigues spent will cost 30 fatigues to fill up :> 60 minutes of work for you....

1 hour and 12 minutes later your Manastone is full and your Body is full....
:>>>> Lets see what mayhem can your Mage do now ;))