Can we have a powerstone quirk thread?

[TGLS]

The powerstone is mildly radioactive; the bearer of the powerstone accumulates about 0.004 rads per day.

The enchanter of this powerstone may cast spells on the bearer as if they were standing within a yard of them.

The powerstone is alive and must be fed and cared for.

[Mister Negative]

Powerstone is Hexed when used. Hex only expires when fully recharged (so no other smaller powerstone can recharge within 6' of the user until this one recharges).

Powerstone quivers slightly when charged, like a jumping bean.

Powerstone glows when charged, proportionately to charge remaining.

(all in use in current campaign).

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by TGLS

The enchanter of this powerstone may cast spells on the bearer as if they were standing within a yard of them.

It could be interesting to make that a common or standard feature of powerstones in general (or magic items in general), and see how that alters the setting (at minimum, it would make powerstones that the user did not enchant a lot less popular; doing the same to magic items in general would likewise seriously reduce demand if it were well-known, though items made by an already-dead mage would be of interest... if the mage really is dead).


For the thread:
A powerstone that converts half of all regular failures (randomly) with spells using it into critical failures.

Powerstone only recharges on alternate Tuesdays.

Powerstone smells faintly of lightning, intensity of scent proportional to how full the charge is.

[coronatiger]

Powerstone gives a penalty to the spell casting roll equal to the remaining energy it has after paying for the spell. Failed castings still cost as normal (usually 1 point).

[bocephus]

I saw some good ideas I had never thought if but I also noticed that many of them fall into very similar broad categories.

1) The stone functions in proximity (distance TBD) of X
2) The stone Fails to function in the proximity (distance TBD) of X
3) The stone recharges only in proximity (distance TBD) /immersion (quantity TBD) of X
4) The stone fails to recharge in the proximity (distance TBD) /immersion (quantity TBD) of X
5) The stone emits a sound, smell, visual of X when used (with or without use criteria)
6) The stone emits a sound, smell, visual of X when recharging (or all the time)
7) The stone has an innate property (mechanical, action or appearance) that is fixed, or variable based on a second variable X (this was the "looks like X" or "does X action" or "has some special mechanics function when something else")

X can be animal, vegetable, mineral, action, or mechanic

I tried squishing the list so it could easily be used with a D6. but without expanding / contracting and making it some like below I had trouble hitting the "6 options" that evenly represents all the options

1 Function (positive or negative)
2 Recharge (positive or negative)
3 Emits (always, used, recharge dependent)
4 Innate effects always on
5 Innate effect variable
6 Crazy combo of effects

Some of the suggestions go a little far for a "quirk" IMO, but its very subjective to what fits in your world.

Id love to have some relatively simple charts that you could roll on to get some variation. Some would be easy to deal with "The stone flashes (similar to a weak strobe) for 30 sec when in 5yds of someone casting from X college".
Some would be tolerable but more irritating "stone only functions when whetted (actively wet) by something with 8% alcohol content or higher, ceases to function when it dries out but will recharge normally"
Some would be more difficult to deal with "Randomly becomes highly magnetic in short pulses when used (magnetic pull is equal to ST12 to any ferrous metal mass greater than 2lbs more than 1ft away but within 6ft), immediately looses magnetic property once it contacts its target"

[ericthered]

Only Works for males
Only Works for females
Only Works for persons that are neither male nor female
Only Works when completely recharged
Expends all of its energy when used
Hovers slightly above the ground, making it roll all over the place unless secured
Only works when one end is pointing strait up.
Only works when one end is pointing strait down.
Doesn't work in the morning/afternoon/dead of night
Only recharges when whetted with blood/saliva/milk

[Anders]

Originally Posted by bocephus

1 Function (positive or negative)
2 Recharge (positive or negative)
3 Emits (always, used, recharge dependent)
4 Innate effects always on
5 Innate effect variable
6 Crazy combo of effects

There's a list of magic item quirks, with random generation, in GURPS Classic: Magic Items 2.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by weby

Sings badly a drinking song, over and over again while charging

I'm imagining something singing a variant of "99 Bottles of Beer," but timed so that the powerstone finishes charging at the final line, making it a useful-but-annoying countdown to when the stone is fully recharged. Assuming 10 seconds per verse, it would start around 8,640 bottles per energy missing (IIRC, it takes 1 day per energy to recharge). If slowed down by proximity to other powerstones of the same size, it doesn't add to the count, but rather slows down appropriately. If used while charging, it does add another ~8,640 bottles to the count for each point of energy used.

[Tyneras]

Originally Posted by bocephus

Some of the suggestions go a little far for a "quirk" IMO, but its very subjective to what fits in your world.

One option on a random table might be "Select an existing quirk and increase it's effects. If this the first quirk, reroll."

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Tyneras

One option on a random table might be "Select an existing quirk and increase it's effects. If this the first quirk, reroll."

Or 'if you roll an existing quirk, make it more severe'.