My Mage

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Snaps

I don't see anything munkiney about the build. The energy regen is pretty much what every mage in a video game gets. (Skyrim, Ultima Online, WoW, etc.). Will and the Word or Channeling was what I was going for.

Such build do not have Special Recharge on the Energy Reserve though.

[Gef]

Originally Posted by Snaps

Not sure why everyone hates the staff? I actually made a mage where his staff is important to him!

I don't hate the staff, although my personal style would be to take a slightly different tack with it.

Fundamental Question: When you say you are "playing a mage", should we infer that you are using the spells from the standard magic system? Or do you simply mean that you are playing a hero with super powers, and that the explanation for those powers is magic?

If using the spell system, then rogue is right, you don't need the enhancement Physical on your modular abilities, but you do need to deal with prerequisites, either with Magery enhanced so as not to require prerequsites, or by paying for them from you modular pool.

I gather that you're actually buying powers with your modular ability, in which case you built it correctly.

Now, as for the staff, these comments are suggestions on style rather than criticisms:

1) I would buy a small personal modular pool, and additional levels with the Gadget limitation.

2) I would remove the Special Recharge limitation from Energy Reserve and replace it with the Gadget limitation; in other words, energy is stored in the staff.

3) I would make the Staff either unbreakable or non-unique, probably the latter.

4) I would do something to help recover the staff, like some kind of permanent magical tracking; perhaps I'd nominate a variant of Mindlink for an inanimate object, or heck, why need it be inanimate? The staff could be a cheap Ally.

That said, as a GM I wouldn't have a problem with the character as written, with the Special Recharge. One way or another, you're in trouble if you lose the staff, whether you call that special recharge or a gadget limitation. Do note the section in powers on using abilities by default, that is, overcoming limitations or accessing enhancements you didn't pay for. If I recall, it's a form of extra effort that involves a penalized IQ roll and Really Bad Stuff if you fail.

GEF

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Gef

If using the spell system, then rogue is right, you don't need the enhancement Physical on your modular abilities, but you do need to deal with prerequisites, either with Magery enhanced so as not to require prerequsites, or by paying for them from you modular pool.

Actually Modular Abilities: Super-Memorization or Grimoire do not require prereisquites to be loaded into a slot, simply be in your skill source or spell book, which is a GURPS$ Cost not a Point Cost.

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by Lamech

It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth... basically I find it slightly off when you add a limitation to something and then buy advantages that allow you to completely bypass the limitation.

I always allowed it in my games and thought it was more than fair. I don't see how his regeneration matters to the price of the advantage. All I've done is take Special Recharge: Requires Staff, -70%. The fact that he has access to a lot of energy with the staff shouldn't matter. Special Recharge has nothing to do with the speed of how fast your ER regenerates, its just a condition saying that it doesn't regenerate without something.

Not a huge issue either way. I'd thought about putting the ER in the staff anyway.

Oh and I never really like unique type limitations. They become basically, "at some point I will steal a bunch of your points" or if never used "free points!"

It's funny. I actually hate Can Be Stolen, when bought without Unique. Because then my players don't really care if it gets stolen, they just replace whatever was taken.

Also, this can lead to the player giving points to other players. There is no reason that a player couldn't make a Wand with 10d Innate attack with Can be Stolen, -30%, then give it to another player and later on make another wand!

It would make no logical sense if a player couldn't. If an enemy can steal it and get its benefits, then a co-player can just take it and use it too.

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Now as a GM even if I decided in the end it passed the bar, I would veto it based on the Breakable + Unique aspect simply I could never bring my self to gimp him in play by breaking something he can't replace. However that a personal play style issue. I mean I have no problem stealing the stick from him... because with effort he can get it back.

This came up in another thread, I don't think that Unique means that a gadget cannot be repaired. It just can't be replaced. If its broken you should be able to fix it, if its destroyed (ie. reduced to -x10 hit points) then you are screwed.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Snaps

This came up in another thread, I don't think that Unique means that a gadget cannot be repaired. It just can't be replaced. If its broken you should be able to fix it, if its destroyed (ie. reduced to -x10 hit points) then you are screwed.

sorry I see nothing that supports that argument... Unique explicitly mentions broken not destroyed, and unable to replace.

Originally Posted by B117

If the item is Unique, you cannot replace it! Character points spent for the item are lost for good if it is broken or stolen

(I swaped the printed italics for bold due to italics not working in the quote tag)

But think of it this why. If you're able to fix it they you have both the knowledge and the materials to build another one, the difference between simply broken and utterly destroyed is simply a time issue in the rebuild

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by Gef

Fundamental Question: When you say you are "playing a mage", should we infer that you are using the spells from the standard magic system? Or do you simply mean that you are playing a hero with super powers, and that the explanation for those powers is magic?

I'm playing a mage who uses Modular Abilities to mimic the types of spells you'd see in the magic book. So if I want to cast a Fireball I'd buy Innate Attack, Iron Arm might be a Defense Bonus with a Requires IQ Roll and Energy Cost, Teleport would be Warp, etc.

It's a pretty powerful build I think. I can easily purchase up to 125 points of abilities with those 25 modular points.

4) I would do something to help recover the staff, like some kind of permanent magical tracking; perhaps I'd nominate a variant of Mindlink for an inanimate object, or heck, why need it be inanimate? The staff could be a cheap Ally.

How about use my Modular Abilities to just buy:

Snatcher (Cosmic, +50%; Recall, -25%; Staff Only, -80%; Useless Under Stress, -60%) [16] etc. and I could add Detect (Long-Range 2, +100%; Precise, +100%; Staff Only, -80%; Useless Under Stress, -60%) [8]

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

sorry I see nothing that supports that argument... Unique explicitly mentions broken not destroyed, and unable to replace.

(I swaped the printed italics for bold due to italics not working in the quote tag)

But think of it this why. If you're able to fix it they you have both the knowledge and the materials to build another one, the difference between simply broken and utterly destroyed is simply a time issue in the rebuild

Fixing an object is different from replacing it. Also, by going off that sentence you lose the points if your item is stolen. It doesn't say that you can retrieve the item, just like it doesn't say that you can fix it, it shouldn't have to.

[lexington]

At first I didn't like this but after looking at the way it's been built I'm not sure I have much of a problem with it. He's just about powerless without that staff and even with it the costs on his abilities are so high he can't exactly ignore them.

I still wouldn't let you get away with -70% for Special Recharge. From the text of Powers 119 it seems very clear to me that if you can just sit somewhere and recharge its Accessibility. Special Recharge is for when you must actively recharge it (use a power to steal it, convince a person to attack you). I'd call "Must Hold a Particular Staff" -40%.

If I were the GM I would absolutely crack down on damage as well.

[Snaps]

Originally Posted by lexington

At first I didn't like this but after looking at the way it's been built I'm not sure I have much of a problem with it. He's just about powerless without that staff and even with it the costs on his abilities are so high he can't exactly ignore them.

I still wouldn't let you get away with -70% for Special Recharge. From the text of Powers 119 it seems very clear to me that if you can just sit somewhere and recharge its Accessibility. Special Recharge is for when you must actively recharge it (use a power to steal it, convince a person to attack you). I'd call "Must Hold a Particular Staff" -40%.

If I were the GM I would absolutely crack down on damage as well.

I do see what you guys are saying about special recharge, but I kind of think the staff still qualifies. The staff is an outside source after all. Its powerful because I put a lot of points into it, its like buying 30 levels of dr with absorption.