RPM- Stat up a powerful artifact

[starslayer]

So, I have a PC who has built a powerful artefact called 'the well of souls'. It is a potent source of magical energy that is effectively bottomless (thought not necessarily all at once), created from multiple adventures of gathering esoteric components and finally putting it together.

It provides an energy reserve for either all forms of spell-casting, or at least spell-casting that makes use of either magic or energy.

It will also grow with the character as they continue to tinker and add to it.

Downsides is that it's just a portable energy supply, it has no intellect or selectivity, any witch in range could tap it, even an enemy one. And it's a portable energy supply and thus could be stolen or destroyed.

My initial thought was to build it as an ally with energy reserve and extreme energy reserve regeneration, with IQ0- but we are unsure if that's the right approach.

So how would you do this up?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

So, I have a PC who has built a powerful artefact called 'the well of souls'. It is a potent source of magical energy that is effectively bottomless (thought not necessarily all at once), created from multiple adventures of gathering esoteric components and finally putting it together.

It provides an energy reserve for either all forms of spell-casting, or at least spell-casting that makes use of either magic or energy.

It will also grow with the character as they continue to tinker and add to it.

Downsides is that it's just a portable energy supply, it has no intellect or selectivity, any witch in range could tap it, even an enemy one. And it's a portable energy supply and thus could be stolen or destroyed.

My initial thought was to build it as an ally with energy reserve and extreme energy reserve regeneration, with IQ0- but we are unsure if that's the right approach.

So how would you do this up?

What do you mean 'effectively bottomless' - what is the most that could be drawn at any one time?

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

What do you mean 'effectively bottomless' - what is the most that could be drawn at any one time?

That part leaves to be determined based on how it ultimately ends up being put together. The 'build it as an ally' version I initially whipped up would allow 72 energy at once, with a recovery time of 8 seconds between uses at full power.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

That part leaves to be determined based on how it ultimately ends up being put together. The 'build it as an ally' version I initially whipped up would allow 72 energy at once, with a recovery time of 8 seconds between uses at full power.

That is a *lot* of energy for RPM (as I am sure you are aware). Hmmm, yeah the best way for something like that would probably as a ally.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Consider using this variant of Mana Enhancer that PK posted in this thread too.

[PK]

Originally Posted by starslayer

It provides an energy reserve for either all forms of spell-casting, or at least spell-casting that makes use of either magic or energy.

Downsides is that it's just a portable energy supply, it has no intellect or selectivity, any witch in range could tap it, even an enemy one. And it's a portable energy supply and thus could be stolen or destroyed.

"Any witch in range" -- the normal range to tap into an energy supply is "touch." Can this one be tapped into at a distance?

If not, this doesn't sound like an Ally or a plot device. It sounds like levels of Energy Reserve (Mana Reserve) [3/level] with the gadget limitation Can Be Stolen.

[Anaraxes]

A minor question, but if the device starts off as "effectively bottomless", how exactly does it "grow with the character"? Increasing the size of the ER doesn't make much sense in this context. Do you expect to add other types of abilities to the artifact?

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

A minor question, but if the device starts off as "effectively bottomless", how exactly does it "grow with the character"? Increasing the size of the ER doesn't make much sense in this context. Do you expect to add other types of abilities to the artifact?

By "bottomless" I think he means that it never runs out, but there's a limit to the rate at which it can be tapped. Presumably that's what would grow with the character.