Help Customizing RPM?

[Darkholme]

So, for an upcoming fantasy game, I am thinking I want to use RPM - more or less.

I'm looking to make some changes to its core mechanic, and I'm unsure how to go about it.

I want to move the default away from "able to cast any spell you sit down and design" and to "able to cast any spell you've learned/invented/are using a grimoire for".

Improvising a spell on the fly, would only be more difficult (-2 to -4, unsure as of yet), but significantly more prone to critical failure (treat your effective skill as lower -5 when determining if a roll is a regular failure or critical failure).

The idea being that while I'd use RPM's mechanics and spell building and paths and whatnot, I want spells to be somewhat collectible.

I'm not sure how I'd handle the mechanics of them learning or inventing a spell, as of yet. I think I'd want some kind of research involved, but beyond that I don't know.

I also understand that this version of RPM would be crappier than the regular one.

So I guess I'm here to ask two things:

1. Any tips on how to handle the learning/invention process?
2. How should I be adjusting the prices of things to compensate for the weakened magic system?

[Celjabba]

Taking a (mandatory) limitation on ritual adept : only for spells with a grimoire or a mastery perk will get you close.
I don't remenber the value but it was discussed either in pyramid or on the forums.

[Darkholme]

Originally Posted by Celjabba

Taking a (mandatory) limitation on ritual adept : only for spells with a grimoire or a mastery perk will get you close.
I don't remenber the value but it was discussed either in pyramid or on the forums.

I dont want them to have to spend xp on every spell, or anything, so mastery perks are not how I want to handle learning a spell. I basically want spells to be mostly as equipment, without them improvising them on the fly. Hmm.

[mhd]

Saying that familiarity penalties apply to RPM seems like a simple enough house rule. Just like plenty of other skills where in one campaign that might be rigidly enforced, whereas in others it's mostly neglected.

How would you handle casting it from a grimoire? Add up bonus and familiarity penalty or make an exception to the latter?

As for learning, it depends a bit on how "scientific" your spells are. If you really need to know the theory behind something and/or have some really intricate components and chants, then you could come up with a formula based on greater/lesser effects. If it's not all that hard, but just unlikely that one could improvise something, then it's just simple memorization, on par with learning a new song on an instrument (maybe X - Magery hours, min. 1).

I don't see this having a big impact on prices. Anyone remotely professional would rely on their known rituals anyway, so the flexibility of (beginning) adventurer-types is hardly worth it.

And if magic isn't that rare or there's some artificial limit (CPs, spell book pages, IQ limits) to ritual knowledge, then expect large ritual collections anyway.

A sufficiently large grimoire is indistinguishable from free form magic.

[Taneli]

Ok, for whatever it's worth, here's my 2 cents worth on it:

1. On how the characters get the spells from books, etc. Call it a familiarity (and do check the familiarity rules from the Basic Set), taking 8 hours of study to get a spell from the book into your head. Or if that sounds too generous, require them to get the Ritual Mastery perk for the spell, and without one, you need the grimoire to cast it.
   
   As for how new spells are invented, there are three separate invention rules in the Basic Set, for normal engineers, Gadgeteers, and Quick Gadgeteers, why not use those? Just base the difficulty of the spell on the number of effects it uses, or something?
   
   
2. Not needed, IMO, assuming that your campaign does not also involve the unrestricted RPM system.

[Mr_Sandman]

Originally Posted by Taneli

Ok, for whatever it's worth, here's my 2 cents worth on it:

1. On how the characters get the spells from books, etc. Call it a familiarity (and do check the familiarity rules from the Basic Set), taking 8 hours of study to get a spell from the book into your head. Or if that sounds too generous, require them to get the Ritual Mastery perk for the spell, and without one, you need the grimoire to cast it.
   
   As for how new spells are invented, there are three separate invention rules in the Basic Set, for normal engineers, Gadgeteers, and Quick Gadgeteers, why not use those? Just base the difficulty of the spell on the number of effects it uses, or something?
   
   
2. Not needed, IMO, assuming that your campaign does not also involve the unrestricted RPM system.

That's pretty much how I would do it. I wrote up some notes using similar assumptions for a 'Dresden Files'-like campaign that I haven't run yet.

As for inventing new spells, my approach is that a spell that uses one or two paths and no greater effects is simple. Every additional path or greater effect increases the complexity by one level. Ghostdancer's Personal Greater and Lesser Effects should be considered when determining spell complexity. Natural Caster talent adds to rolls for inventing spells.

[Raekai]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman

That's pretty much how I would do it. I wrote up some notes using similar assumptions for a 'Dresden Files'-like campaign that I haven't run yet.

As for inventing new spells, my approach is that a spell that uses one or two paths and no greater effects is simple. Every additional path or greater effect increases the complexity by one level. Ghostdancer's Personal Greater and Lesser Effects should be considered when determining spell complexity. Natural Caster talent adds to rolls for inventing spells.

Furthermore, Ghostdancer has another great post on this exact thing. It's about spell familiarities and inventing new spells.