Swordmage build

[Anders]

Swordmages are mages who channel their magic (bought as advantages with the Magic limitation) through a specially dedicated sword. A dedicated sword is a perk which can be transferred from sword to sword via a ritual* that takes 8 hours and materials costing $100. How much is the Accessibility limitation "requires dedicated sword" worth?

* that is its own Modular ability worth four points (2+2). You can't have more than one slot.

[johndallman]

It looks simplest to buy the powers with gadget limitations (p. B116-117).

[Anders]

That would be great if it was an enchanted sword, but the powers come from the swordmage, and they can channel them to another sword if the other sword is dedicated to them. So it's more akin to an Imbuement, but it can do things that Imbuements can't do, like firing flame jets.

Edit: I'm tempted to go with -20% because that's my default when I don't know.

[coronatiger]

Is it possible to modify the Gadget limitation to make it transferrable?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by coronatiger

Is it possible to modify the Gadget limitation to make it transferrable?

Good question. Some kind of Affliction or Modular Ability maybe? But I still think the Accessibility route is so much easier.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Anders

Swordmages are mages who channel their magic (bought as advantages with the Magic limitation) through a specially dedicated sword. A dedicated sword is a perk which can be transferred from sword to sword via a ritual* that takes 8 hours and materials costing $100. How much is the Accessibility limitation "requires dedicated sword" worth?

It sounds a bit like Granted by Familiar/Other, worth -40%.

Does the sword have to be wielded or can magic be cast while it's sheathed?

[ravenfish]

Powers prices "requires material components" at -10%. This is usually used for cases such as "needs a bear skin (any bear skin, not one particular one) to transform into a bear", but it could be easily adapted for "needs a sword (any sword, not one particular one) or the ability isn't of any use". The necessary ritual, amounting to "preparation required, but, once prepared, can keep using it forever or until you lose the sword", I would probably rate as a nuisance effect worth not much more than -5%.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

Powers prices "requires material components" at -10%. This is usually used for cases such as "needs a bear skin (any bear skin, not one particular one) to transform into a bear", but it could be easily adapted for "needs a sword (any sword, not one particular one) or the ability isn't of any use".

Good. So if it's a particular sword (even if it can be rededicated), then -20% looks reasonable. Thanks!

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Anders

Good. So if it's a particular sword (even if it can be rededicated), then -20% looks reasonable. Thanks!

I'd call that fair. 10% for "requires material component" and another 10% for the ritual isn't unreasonable, and a 20% power modifier makes a lot of the math much tidier.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by coronatiger

Is it possible to modify the Gadget limitation to make it transferrable?

"Normally, you can replace a broken or stolen gadget — although this might require significant time and effort (GM's decision)" (p. B117).

So it's already in the rules that gadget-limited traits can be transferred to new objects, and the GM sets the requirements. So all Anders has to do is specify that the power can be transferred to a new sword via the special ritual. Give the abilities the Breakable and Can Be Stolen limitations, and you're done. If these abilities are being expressed as a power, I'd probably just build the gadget limitations into the power modifier for simplicity and note the ritual transference there.