Tutor Gem

[Whitewings]

This magical jewel holds the encoded essence of a skill. While a person wears a piece of jewelry that holds it, that person gains 1, 2, or 4 points in the encoded skill, depending on how the gem was enchanted. Each such gem holds only one skill.

Component Spells: Lend Skill
Energy Cost to create: 100 per cp, maximum 400 for +4 cp

The idea is that such a gem can take a person to competent, but not master.

[Pursuivant]

It seems reasonable, but the energy cost might be a bit low for game balance. Possibly 100, 300, 600 for +1, +2 or +4. YMMV.

Someone who regularly takes advantage of such items might need to buy some form of Modular Abilities.

[ravenfish]

I note, by way of reference, that Dungeon Fantasy:Treasure Tables includes "Stones of Knowledge" (p.39) which grant eight points in a given skill and have a theoretical market value of $24,000. At Dungeon Fantasy's default assumption of $20 per point for major enchantments, that works out to a 1200 point enchantment, or 150 per character point (although one need not put too much weight on this calculation, given that the book is explicitly full of strange wonders not necessarily available by ordinary mean). Note also that these come with a few annoying side-effects, so a GM would be fully justified in further raising the price for a version without any complications.

[Astromancer]

Would wearing the gem make getting the first couple of points in the skill easier?

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Would wearing the gem make getting the first couple of points in the skill easier?

At minimum, they would allow you to use the skill, and therefore put your own character points into it at the end of a session, even if it doesn't have a default. As a GM, I might be further persuaded to let them count as equipment for self-training, if the rules for improving skills by study were in use.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

I might be further persuaded to let them count as equipment for self-training, if the rules for improving skills by study were in use.

I think it might count as On The Job training instead.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I think it might count as On The Job training instead.

You'd certainly get on the job training from doing the job, but it does seem like this ought to be more effective.

If weren't actually trying to use the skill to do a job it certainly could be. Deliberately running through all the uses you could think just for practice seems like it ought to count as at least study with a teacher - you surely can't have a much more effective teacher than one who corrects all your errors instantaneously as you practice.