Powerstone Program

[ClayDowling]

I finally got my Windows development environment sorted out. So the Windows version of the powerstone cost calculator is at http://www.obrienscafe.com/powerstone-calculator.html

[Tzeentch]

Magical Styles doesn't have a lot of things to make Powerstones or enchanting more efficient. But the following can be useful:

Stabilizing Skill (p. 24): Lets you count critical failures as normal failures with a high enough skill level.

Alternate Prerequisites(p. 16) to cut down on the bloat of spells needed to learn enchantment.

Speedy Enchantment (p. 24) to have something to dump more energy into.

Boost Enchantment (p. 25) may come in handy for beginner enchanters.

Quick and Focused (p. 29) looks extremely useful for enchanters!

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Umm those 'cheep travel' is for mages only... not for the people who would be buy the goods to 'continentalization of the magical economy' the people who have the cheep travel, don't NEED enchnaters

They have less of a need for enchantment for their personal spell magic use, but they do need Powerstones and Staffs and they certainly stand to gain from facilitating the trade in enchantments to others.
The enchanters' goods can travel to dealers and consumers of magical goods at existing markets (mostly port cities and other established trade centers of appropriate size) via Teleport courier. Orders may be placed via Mind-Sending, prices and other details haggled via Telepathy.

Originally Posted by roguebfl

Even if you give TL3 Morern academic pool, you still can only pull form High magery pool! So you need a need a Doctor of Enchantment with 5 grade students who are all 'All star' athletes of the magical community, selling to the local market.

The Brackin Magical Aptitude Test makes screening kids for Magery almost dirt cheap, which helps fill out the supply of Magery 2 people. Divination will facilitate location of suitably qualified magicians who are inclined to do enchanting work.

Originally Posted by roguebfl

And before you start talking about magi who cant hack it as enchanters use those cheep travel... that cheep travel has next to no payload capacity! they not going to be halling goods to cause the expansing market pool

A guy casting Teleport can easily carry thousands of enchanted necklaces, or a quarter million carats of Powerstones.

[Dinadon]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

Alternate Prerequisites(p. 16) to cut down on the bloat of spells needed to learn enchantment.

Yet you need spells to actually enchant.

Boost Enchantment (p. 25) may come in handy for beginner enchanters.

Not appropriate. You're casting the spell yourself when you enchant, not from an item.

[Alden Loveshade]

Some fascinating ideas, folks. I do ask that we keep this discussion civil as per the policy of this site (which I happen to like).

Without taking a side in this debate, the variables that have been discussed are variables that will differ from one campaign to another. That will affect the pool of available mages, how powerful they are, how well they work together, prices and price controls, etc. What's presented as an example in Magic is just that, an example, and will likely be true for many low tech fantasy campaigns where a mage is a rare exception and prices are largely set and standardized by guilds, economics, or whatever. But there will certainly be campaigns where there are exceptions.

One of the things I think is a limitation of the magic system as described is that the more powerful the mage, the more likely he or she is to enchant minor items instead of major. I find that a trifle odd.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by ClayDowling

I finally got my Windows development environment sorted out. So the Windows version of the powerstone cost calculator is at http://www.obrienscafe.com/powerstone-calculator.html

Cool; I'll check it out.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Alden_Loveshade

What's presented as an example in Magic is just that, an example, and will likely be true for many low tech fantasy campaigns where a mage is a rare exception and prices are largely set and standardized by guilds, economics, or whatever. But there will certainly be campaigns where there are exceptions.

The point I and some others are trying to make is, even the examples attributed to "rare magic" settings in the book make the rarity unstable in the fairly short term. Keeping it stable amounts to banning PC enchantment and declaring an "idiot plot" on the part of NPC enchanters, as in a badly written movie where people have to be idiots to keep overlooking an obviously advantageous course of action in order to keep up the appearance of suspense.

Originally Posted by Alden_Loveshade

One of the things I think is a limitation of the magic system as described is that the more powerful the mage, the more likely he or she is to enchant minor items instead of major. I find that a trifle odd.

In myth and legend, spell-chuckers aren't particularly associated with the creation of magical items, except when they appear largely to gift the protagonist with the means to achieve his quest or off the baddie at the end. Game-wise, if it was much easier for mighty magicians to craft powerful items, there would have to be a steady stream of worldwide, immediate crises to keep them from being stockpiled.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Alden_Loveshade

What's presented as an example in Magic is just that, an example, and will likely be true for many low tech fantasy campaigns where a mage is a rare exception and prices are largely set and standardized by guilds, economics, or whatever.

No, the prices in Magic don't make sense for that sort of game either; they're much too low. The standard prices for magic items assume organized circles of casters (Q&D) and/or mages who are willing to work for years for modest wages (S&S). If Q&D is used at all, it's going to involve powerstones.

[Tzeentch]

This really begs for a Pyramid article that lays down how to use an abuse the existing rules and alter the assumptions. Perhaps in the upcoming Alternate GURPS issue?

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by ClayDowling

I finally got my Windows development environment sorted out. So the Windows version of the powerstone cost calculator is at http://www.obrienscafe.com/powerstone-calculator.html

Can you make it work at codepad.org? It doesn't like your pow() usage for some reason.