[RPM] with Threshold Magic Ideas

[templar]

Hello again everyone!

I am using both the standard magic rules (with Threshold Magic), along with Ritual Path Magic, which I included after buying the PDF. In my world, there are lesser and greater practitioners of magic, so the system works nicely.

One thing I'd like work into RPM is the Threshold Rules. I've read a couple of threads here making suggestions about it in the past, but I've come up with a few of my own ideas I wanted to share with you.

Ritual Path Magic with Threshold
Every time a RPM mage casts a spell it goes against his Threshold. Energy is applied towards the Threshold based upon two factors; The base effects and (possibly) the energy gathered.

The first is the total number of lesser and greater effects used to create the spell. Each lesser effect adds 1 and each greater effect adds 3. For example, a mage casting Hunger would have a base cost of 1, while Sylph Form would have a base cost of 6.

The second is the number of failed energy gathering rolls the caster made while attempting to pull the right amount of power together to cast the spell. When an energy gathering roll is failed, the spell acquires 1 Quirk, and the caster's Threshold increases by 1. Basically the caster draws the magic incorrectly, and the energy pollutes him. The GM may even allow the caster to take a larger amount of Threshold (say 3) to avoid the Quirk, but that is only an option.

I think this works pretty well. Higher costs spells will require the caster to draw additional power, which will result in additional gathering rolls, and additional opportunities to pick more tax against their threshold. This also promotes the concept that energy corrupts the user, and if not drawn incorrectly can lead to nasty side effects.


Thoughts?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Just divide the total energy cost by five and subtract that value from your Threshold. I just submitted a Pyramid article that'll cover this, so keep a eye for it (probably some time next year).

[Anders]

Do you have a Pyramid Article for anything?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Do you have a Pyramid Article for anything?

Oh yes, it covers both Any (and the context of things) and Things (within the context of any). It shall be quite popular, I think.

[Varyon]

For every RPM-related question, roll 3d. On a roll of 15 or less, Ghostdancer has written a Pyramid article covering it that has been recently submitted or is in the process of being submitted.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Varyon

For every RPM-related question, roll 3d. On a roll of 15 or less, Ghostdancer has written a Pyramid article covering it that has been recently submitted or is in the process of being submitted.

On a roll of 18, you botch the question. Your computer explodes in a 30 point Path of Energy ritual.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Varyon

For every RPM-related question, roll 3d. On a roll of 15 or less, Ghostdancer has written a Pyramid article covering it that has been recently submitted or is in the process of being submitted.

Hey, you guys say you want this stuff, so I write it. Or do I write it because this stuff wants to be wanted. Hmmm. ;-)

More seriously, I've got a lot of Pyramid articles (over a hundred) I just have sitting on my hard drive waiting for a theme they'd fit well into. Topics vary from how to emulate a certain sort of fiction to brand new material. I do have a penchant for alchemy, magic, myths, and the supernatural in general. The only topics I honestly have difficulty with (or at least I think I have difficulty with), are those that are "realistic." I can't do the straight historical like other authors can.

And while I am interested in things other than RPM, it has become something of a pet system of mine. I know it pretty well. My players love it (which always influences the things I'm interested in or write about). The problem usually happens (for me at least) when the wish list is updated, and I get a new idea that demands to be written, damn it's brothers and sisters waiting in the wings! So I have a lot of backlog that need a good home. I can say that this article I've submitted is going to be the definitive source for alternate ritual path magic systems (Something like 20 at last count, and even more than that if you start mixing and matching).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Back on topic, you can kind of figure out a base energy cost in RPM for other systems as about 5 energy per FP. That's hard one experience there, but one of my players mapped it to about 4.3, but 5 is better, IMHO. Botches are going to cause immediate Calamity rolls, and threshold can only be recovered normally (you can't use Path of Magic to siphon it off). If your character can use regular energy-gathering and threshold, this is a Unusual Background worth around 50 points. Keep in mind that mages are going to be more like revolvers than bolt-action rifles. They'll be able to cast the spells quickly and back to back...but once their out, you need to reload and all kinds of things can happen then.

[templar]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Just divide the total energy cost by five and subtract that value from your Threshold. I just submitted a Pyramid article that'll cover this, so keep a eye for it (probably some time next year).

That's doable, but spells costing significant energy are going to run up the Threshold very fast. I'd also like to see options for picking up tax to the Threshold while gathering energy, although perhaps a caster could take eat Threshold in order to avoid spell quirks on a failed gather energy roll using your system.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by templar

That's doable, but spells costing significant energy are going to run up the Threshold very fast. I'd also like to see options for picking up tax to the Threshold while gathering energy, although perhaps a caster could take eat Threshold in order to avoid spell quirks on a failed gather energy roll using your system.

Just buy a Increased Threshold and/or Recovery.