FP/ER Regeneration And Magic

[Goober4473]

I have a mechanical question and a balance question conerning FP/ER regeneration:

Mechanical: How is FP/ER Regeneration affected by Recover Energy? I believe it's been stated that Very Fast Healing doubles the rate of HP Regeneration. Is there a similar effect with Recover Energy and FP/ER Regeneration?

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken? 150 points is a lot, but 10 energy per turn (more if the above works) to cast spells is pretty rediculous.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken? 150 points is a lot, but 10 energy per turn (more if the above works) to cast spells is pretty rediculous.

Consider that Mana Enhancer 2 [100] allows a mage to cast spells effectively for free in a Normal Mana zone, and ME 3 [150] lets him do that in Low Mana. Mana Enhancer has the added utility of enabling spell casting in Zero Mana. Compared to that, regaining 10 energy per turn for [150] isn't so extreme.

[Goober4473]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Consider that Mana Enhancer 2 [100] allows a mage to cast spells effectively for free in a Normal Mana zone, and ME 3 [150] lets him do that in Low Mana. Mana Enhancer has the added utility of enabling spell casting in Zero Mana. Compared to that, regaining 10 energy per turn for [150] isn't so extreme.

Technically Mana Enhancer says it caps at 2, but it's a good comparison. Very high mana also turns failures into critical failures, but is effectively infinite regeneration, rather than 10 per second.

[Edit]: Also, how does mana Enhancer affect Blocking spells and maintaining spells? It specifies spells cast during your turn.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken?

Depends what else you allow. For the same 150 points you could get magery +10, which would also be rather broken.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

Technically Mana Enhancer says it caps at 2, but it's a good comparison. Very high mana also turns failures into critical failures, but is effectively infinite regeneration, rather than 10 per second.

Oh, I missed the cap. I have seen GMs relax that limit, at least for power builds that have other included limits.

[Edit]: Also, how does mana Enhancer affect Blocking spells and maintaining spells? It specifies spells cast during your turn.

Remember that turns in GURPS overlap - your first turn isn't technically over until your second turn rolls around. As long as you don't expend all your energy earlier in the turn, you should be able to cast a Blocking spell in response to a later attack, and regain the FP at the start of your next turn.

But back to your original question, I hadn't considered the effect of the Recover Energy spell on ER Regen. My first instinct is to say "no". After all, while HP 20+ will double your HP Regen rate, FP/ER Regen doesn't get the same boost for 20+ energy. Unless Kromm or someone rules otherwise, I think I'll keep it simple and say that Recover Energy only affects the character's natural recovery. In fact, on re-reading the spell's description, it doesn't say "doubles / quintuples recovery", but says "recover 1 FP per 5 minutes / 2 minutes".

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

I have a mechanical question and a balance question conerning FP/ER regeneration:

Mechanical: How is FP/ER Regeneration affected by Recover Energy?

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken?

1. The 3e version (from Gurps:Myth) did stack with Recover Energy but the 4e version has different roots and does not.

2. Let's say it's absolutely campaign altering and unlikely to mix well with msot other mage builds. Though I did contrast a Fire Wizard with ER:FP with a cleric who had spent about the same amount of pts on Energy Reserve. 50pts of Energy Reserve is kind of campaign altering too.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

I have a mechanical question and a balance question conerning FP/ER regeneration:

Mechanical: How is FP/ER Regeneration affected by Recover Energy? I believe it's been stated that Very Fast Healing doubles the rate of HP Regeneration. Is there a similar effect with Recover Energy and FP/ER Regeneration?

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken? 150 points is a lot, but 10 energy per turn (more if the above works) to cast spells is pretty rediculous.

If I understand your question correctly, this is specifically covered in GURPS Powers (p. 119). "The Recover Energy spell (p.B248) improves the recharge rate of ER (Magic)." It also says "Regeneration can have "ER Recovery" or "ER Only" for the price of "Fatigue Recovery" or "Fatigue Only".... This is +0% for Energy Reserve Only (doesn't do HP or normal Fatigue), or +100% for Energy Reserve Recovery (coves HP and ER).

So if you have Regeneration with no modifiers, it does not speed up the recovery of ER. If you have the appropriate modifiers, it does.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

....Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken? 150 points is a lot, but 10 energy per turn (more if the above works) to cast spells is pretty rediculous.

If you're in a game where mages have 150 extra points just to recover Energy Reserve faster (without recovering HP--that would cost 300 points), you're probably in a high-powered game and IMHO it likely won't be unbalancing. Let's face it, they could buy a heck of a lot with that extra 150 points (Magery 15+, anyone?)

[Lamech]

Originally Posted by Goober4473

Balance: Is allowing Extreme FP/ER Regeneration for a mage broken? 150 points is a lot, but 10 energy per turn (more if the above works) to cast spells is pretty rediculous.

A 150 points sunk into one thing can do a lot.

Lets say our we have an IQ 13 Magery 4 mage. Has a bunch of spells at 15. Now he chooses something to sink 150 points into. Consider 50 ER? Well now can cast big spells. Enslave, create elemental bless 2, and really any other costly spell is now in his range. Oh and 60ish energy allows for some nice enchantments too.
How about 15 levels of magery? Oh look haste 4, grace, shield 4, armor 4, reverse missiles, hawk flight, body of X, keen (sense) 8, alertness 4, ect. Our regenerating FP friend can't maintain all those spells. (Or cast while those spells are active).
How about a more limited ER? Say special recharge-70%, -10% nuisance effect. That allows for ER up to 250 easy. Just like the 50 point ER except you can produce golems, wishes, stupidly large elements, wishes, and generally nice enchantments.
So yes, if you sink 150 points into a single ability its really good.

So while buying a 150 point ability gives a really good ability,

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Alden_Loveshade

If you're in a game where mages have 150 extra points just to recover Energy Reserve faster (without recovering HP--that would cost 300 points), you're probably in a high-powered game and IMHO it likely won't be unbalancing. Let's face it, they could buy a heck of a lot with that extra 150 points (Magery 15+, anyone?)

However that 150 can be easily reduced by Thing like "Granted by Familiar -40%, Magical -10%" dropping it down to [75]

or as part of a Magic staff Breakable with either DR 2 or less (-20%), not especially reparable (-15%), and -15% for size. Can Be Stolen, -30% for [30]