[Character design help] Magic weapon as starting equipment

[Crakkerjakk]

Honestly I'd just let you buy it as sig gear, and either you pay through the nose for a really rare weapon, or the GM bumps the price of magic items down across the board if he wants them to be more common.

I mean, if he thinks a shock axe is a reasonable weapon for his PCs to buy at character creation, but thinks it's too expensive to do at character creation, either he hasn't given you enough points or magic items are too spendy for his campaign.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Fantasy page 131 suggests that in settings where magical weapons are extremely common Magical Signature gear might give 1000 Energy Points per character point.

The stupid thing is, it fails to give an intermediate value for settings in between those two extremes.

[benz72]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

The stupid thing is, it fails to give an intermediate value for settings in between those two extremes.

Is it possible that, given the example of changing the value, one could assume GMs would catch on and interpolate (or extrapolate) as required by their campaigns?

[DreadPirateLynx]

I was thinking about it, and started wondering if it would be unreasonable to only charge +80% for Surge, Arcing in settings where the ability to overload electronics is a non issue.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

The stupid thing is, it fails to give an intermediate value for settings in between those two extremes.

If 25 is rare magic, and 1000 is common magic, then any number in between is probably ok.

[JSE]

Thanks for the many good and creative ideas so far, guys. I really appreciate the help.

We actually went with creating the axe as an Ally (Minion), giving it some advantages and disadvantages like Doesn't Sleep or No Manipulators to describe it as an object. For the electrical shock effect, we gave it the Innate Attack (Burning) advantage, modifying it as a Melee Attack.

A much cleaner approach would have been to realise the weapon as an actual magic item, of course, aquired by the advantage Signature Gear. Unfortunately though, without breaking or strongly bending rules, this doesn't seem to be possible -- here's why:

• The first problem here being the enormous cost as the campaign setting in general isn't supposed to be very highly magical and my weapon would be considered as a rather unique artifact. Consequently, it could by no means be bought with the money value provided by Signature Gear. Simply increasing my character's Wealth level, on the other hand, wouldn't be an alternative either as this just wouldn't fit my character's background as a somewhat ascetic warrior (on the assumption that Wealth doesn't only determine starting property but also general lifestyle).
  
  
• The second problem is even more severe: If it's not just me misunderstanding or misinterpreting the enchantment rules (pages 481,482), no mention is ever made that any spells outside of those listed in the Magic Items Table (p. 482) can be laid upon an item. Admittedly, the section Spells for Enchantment (on the same page) states "The Magic Items Table provides information on several common enchantments", but I'm sure you will agree that this does not by far imply that "any other spell goes, too". However, none of the spells listed in that table could produce the effect I'm looking for, anyway. Well, there is Lighning -- but according to the spell description, that's a lightning bolt, and as an enchantment, this spell could only be laid upon an item from the Staff class.
  
  I also checked GURPS Fantasy's Expanded List of Enchantments -- negative. None of the spells comes close to the shock effect I have in mind.
  
  Nymdok suggested the Shocking Touch spell (to be found in GURPS Magic), and I agree that it would do the trick. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any passage either stating that this spell would be allowed as an enchantment or how to figure out the energy point cost.

Can you help me out there? Maybe it can work this way after all. :)

[Bruno]

The information about a spells enchantment options is found in the Item section under the spell listing. In the case of Shocking touch, this is

Item
Staff, wand, or glove. The item must touch the subject. Energy cost to create: 1,500.

However, the requirement for an item to be a particular shape or type (ie Staff, Wand, or Glove) is not a strict requirement and can easily be waived. It's mostly there as a suggestion of what would seem symbolically appropriate.

[JSE]

The information about a spells enchantment options is found in the Item section under the spell listing.

Whoops. Thanks for pointing that out. I just quickly browsed the spell description and actually wasn't expecting something that convenient. ;) (There isn't such a reasonable entry in GURPS Characters, after all.)

However, the requirement for an item to be a particular shape or type (ie Staff, Wand, or Glove) is not a strict requirement and can easily be waived. It's mostly there as a suggestion of what would seem symbolically appropriate

To be very nitpicking, the entry for "Item" in the Spells for Enchantment section (B 482) actually reads: "The class of item required".

I agree of course that the item class should definitely be seen and treated as a suggestion. I would much prefer it, however, if the rules would explicitly define it as such. After all, being a universal game system, GURPS' standard magic system should be as open-ended as possible.

So much for ranting... ;)

Thanks again, though, for making me aware of the "Item" entry. I think I will talk to my GM about changing that part of my character and designing the axe as an actual magic item with the Shocking Touch spell on it. This will definitely cost me a lot more CPs than the Ally version -- but I prefer this version by far.

Conclusion no. 2: GURPS Magic is an indispensable requirement for players wanting to create meaningful magic items. So much for "Only this book is necessary to play"... ;)

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by JSE

[LIST][*]The first problem here being the enormous cost as the campaign setting in general isn't supposed to be very highly magical and my weapon would be considered as a rather unique artifact. Consequently, it could by no means be bought with the money value provided by Signature Gear. Simply increasing my character's Wealth level, on the other hand, wouldn't be an alternative either as this just wouldn't fit my character's background as a somewhat ascetic warrior (on the assumption that Wealth doesn't only determine starting property but also general lifestyle).

I hate to say it, but this is a clear indication of "I want my character to be more powerful than starting points allows." If the weapon is THAT rare, and THAT powerful...then it's likely WORTH a ton of points as Signature Gear. Since Sig Gear means that the weapon, one way or another, enjoys plot protection for your use, then it should be worth huge points.

If, however, it's a rare magic axe, magic item, can be stolen, instantly recognized as such...well, congrats. I might even just GIVE it to you...as every thief and powerful fighter within rumor distance comes looking for the newb with the magic axe. :-)

But the description above, "I want to have a super-powerful magic item but not pay full price for it" makes me think that either the starting points of the campaign are too low for your expectations, or you and the GM need to make some sort of plot arrangement.

Say...that Axe was rumored to be once possessed by your family. But it was lost or stolen. Perhaps your coat of arms or sigil is a magic Axe...THAT axe. But you don't have it, but every male in the family is sworn to quest to recover the axe and restore the family's honor. Perhaps Great great great uncle Bjornkwatz shamefully lost it in a hand of cards or something. Or was messily (or even better, treacherously) killed and the axe stolen by some other family or creature.

Bam, said the lady.* Plot points, the magic axe written into the game world, and when you're bad enough to recover it successfully, you can get it.

But you can't START with it, because you can't afford it.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

The stupid thing is, it fails to give an intermediate value for settings in between those two extremes.

That is not "stupid". They can't provide suggestions for every possible campaign; doing so would make each book the size of an encyclopedia.

For intermediate cases, all the GM needs to do is interpolate from the given data. (This is the Generic Universal Role-Playing System, not the Generic Universal Role-Playing Game - the "rules" are merely suggestions for the GM, and can be altered as necessary.)