[Magic] Enchanting and Failures

[scc]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

It might let you use bigger Q&D circles but Q&D is the Enchanting form least suited for claiming the bonus. Q&D ends all in one second with this big (potentially huge) rush of magical energy.

Um, what? Q&D is one hour per 100 energy. Which is where this +4 is really limiting, how long can one group go on enchanting? If you have 20 people each with a magical ER of at least 5, from a mechanics perspective it pretty much boils down to when one of them falls asleep from exhaustion, but when is that?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by scc

Um, what? Q&D is one hour per 100 energy. Which is where this +4 is really limiting, how long can one group go on enchanting? If you have 20 people each with a magical ER of at least 5, from a mechanics perspective it pretty much boils down to when one of them falls asleep from exhaustion, but when is that?

All of the energy in a Q&D ritual is spent and must be available in the last second be it a 1 hour ritual of 100 pts or a 10 hour ritual of 1000 pts.

20 mages in a Ceremonial Casting that does not involve Enchanting is fine but that usually won't take an hour either. However, for Q&D Enchanting having 19 assistants will require a lead Enchanter of Skill-34. They'd also only be able to conduct 1 hour, 100 pt Enchantments without expending personal FP.

That Skill number could e potentially ameliorated by some Perks and or assisting devices but will not usually fall into the Skill-20 regime envisioned by most Enchanting calculations..

Also, a person with 10 FP who is not losing FP to any other cause could potentially go without sleeping for 52 hours but he'd have to pass 29 Will rolls (I think) to stay awake that long. There would also be penalties to IQ that would probably interfere with anything so complicated as Enchanting. See p.426-427 of Campaigns.