[Sorcery] Permanent advantages on self only not using Affliction

[Ninja Monkey]

Advice please on how to handle the following using Sorcery?

If a Sorcerer wanted to grant themselves an advantage but never to do this for others, then they would want a spell that avoids a build based on Afflictions, as that would be more expensive, presumably. Elsewhere in this forum it was suggested that the Sorcerer buys the advantage outright, with-10% cost for magic limitation. That's fine if Powers is an option to freely take advantages. However, where it is not, how does the Sorcerer build the spell to cast only on themselves and make it permanent?

Would this be handled as an Enchantment or as a Spell with duration: permanent?

To be clear, character points will still be needed to gain the advantage. I'm just looking for advice on how to handle the mechanics.

I'm aware the Sorcerer would be left with a spell they'd never cast again. So they would need to take that into consideration.

[kirbwarrior]

Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

Advice please on how to handle the following using Sorcery?

If a Sorcerer wanted to grant themselves an advantage but never to do this for others, then they would want a spell that avoids a build based on Afflictions, as that would be more expensive, presumably. Elsewhere in this forum it was suggested that the Sorcerer buys the advantage outright, with-10% cost for magic limitation. That's fine if Powers is an option to freely take advantages. However, where it is not, how does the Sorcerer build the spell to cast only on themselves and make it permanent?

Would this be handled as an Enchantment or as a Spell with duration: permanent?

To be clear, character points will still be needed to gain the advantage. I'm just looking for advice on how to handle the mechanics.

I'm aware the Sorcerer would be left with a spell they'd never cast again. So they would need to take that into consideration.

This honestly just sounds like the bolded but with extra steps and/or prerequisites. Or, more importantly, just buying the advantage directly is the end result, and how you get there is largely up to probably roleplaying if this isn't part of the backstory. If it's unusual for a sorcerer to do, then UB might be a requirement, but if the advantage is going to cost points, that alone means that just buying the new advantage outright makes the most sense, and you can even flavor it as a 'permanent spell' (mind, if Permanent and Instantaneous mean different things like it does in Magic, then I'd just rule the caster gets the points back from buying the advantage if the spell is terminated, or just call it Instantaneous).

[Ninja Monkey]

Thank you Kirbwarrior. The intention is how to handle post character creation. Not sure how we'd handle roleplay gaining advantages with my group if all they need to do is pay the CPs.

For context, the setting is a low fantasy feel with magic secret and use rare. So no magic shops etc. Sorcerers start with UB for their ability. I'm basing Sorcery on Pvaric magic from Harm Master but without the convocations.

In HM one would develop the spell, cast it and note the results. However, to ensure balance and avoid points inflation, I want the results to be paid for or my group would just conquer a kingdom after a couple of sessions spent permanently buffing themselves.

So it is how to handle the spell creation I'm looking for help on.

Hmmm, perhaps I could grant them the end results for free but they pay for the spell. That way the spell becomes like a UB and it puts a break on the speed of development. I need to think on that some more.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

Thank you Kirbwarrior. The intention is how to handle post character creation. Not sure how we'd handle roleplay gaining advantages with my group if all they need to do is pay the CPs.

You'd essentially handle it the same way you would handle them picking up a new skill, improving an attribute or acquiring any new advantage (that isn't an adventure reward). If they already have the CP and a plausible justification for the improvement, you would at most need a bit of RP before allowing them to spend the CP.

In general, do not hand out free CP/abilities for the players pulling off rituals they instigated themselves. Even if the setting/magic system says they "should" gain that power for properly performing the rituals, you're under no obligation to have it go right if they can't pay for it with CP they've earned.

If they lack the CP to buy the ability, they have a couple of options including a) saving up CP over the course of several sessions before attempting to acquire the ability, b) they could buy a more restricted version that they do have enough points for (if plausible), c) they could go into CP debt which means they don't get CP after each session until paid off (use with extreme care and certainly don't allow hundreds of CP worth of debt) or d) they could accrue new Disadvantages to cover the cost (if abused can lead to severely crippled characters).

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

Thank you Kirbwarrior. The intention is how to handle post character creation. Not sure how we'd handle roleplay gaining advantages with my group if all they need to do is pay the CPs.

Quest time! In order for this to work, they need three eggs from the crystal dragons in the Far East, a scabbard blessed by the High Priest Of the God of Magic and the feather from a Roc. How to get that? Well, that's not your problem...

[Ninja Monkey]

Thanks both. Now Anders has me thinking. I could make these Secret spells, obtained as rewards or as quest items (grimoir) etc.

[zoncxs]

Another way is improvising spells. Specifically Hardcore Improvisation (Sorcery p.7)

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Ninja Monkey

To be clear, character points will still be needed to gain the advantage. I'm just looking for advice on how to handle the mechanics.

I'm aware the Sorcerer would be left with a spell they'd never cast again. So they would need to take that into consideration.

It really does seem like the simplest approach would just be count whatever hours or character points were spent researching/casting the spell toward the cost of the final advantage. So if you spent 1000 hours learning to do this and performing the ritual, you earned 5 points toward paying for the advantage per the usual time use rules. I'd hesitate on using some really complex rule, because introducing a long time requirement and risk of failure introduces a real risk you could end up wasting more time on the ritual that it would cost you to learn the trait naturally - without involving a spell.

[Ninja Monkey]

Thanks all for your responses. This is such a great community of support. Thank you.