Enchanting Question: Always On

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I assume that always on doesn't apply to enchantments that affect someone other than the user of the item, as it doesn't make a lot of sense that way.

I always figured that just was the way it should be. That seems to be supported by the text in Magic p19, where it says "These items don't let the wearer cast the spell - they automatically cast the spell on the wearer..."

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Snaps

While the breathing item might be expensive, the Air Vision can be done for almost nothing.

In fact, you don't even need an item. If you enchant a staff with 1 point of the Power Enchantment and the Air Vision spell (for a total energy cost of 700) you can then cast Air Vision on someone that would allow them to see clearly for 1 Mile and lasts until dispelled.

Probably better than enchanting a single magic item to sell. Just sell putting the spell on people permanently!

except it keeps stacking the 'spell on' at least on the staff if not on the item.

[Anthony]

A magic item that says (in the enchantment description) it's always on is always on. For other magic items, they can be declared always on if both the casting and the maintenance cost are reduced to zero by the Power enchantment (see the Power enchantment on M57). Alternately, you can generate an always on spell via Ensorcel.

[Refplace]

Typically if the item has enough Power to maintain the spell then when you activate it it stays on.

[fooflam]

Thanks for the quick replies, all! The item is as follows:

Air Mask similar to a WWII type of gas mask created to help people breathe and see due to high dust and smoke content in the air. The goggles portion has an Air Vision spell that's always on, and the mouthpiece has a Create Air spell (originally it was more of a Purify Air spell, but the DM hadn't written it in stone and allowed me to go into the earth with it and breathe freely). My toon wants to make more of these to sell to miners, and maybe even start a business allowing non-mages to swim around under water (basically creating fantasy scuba-diving equipment). He basically created it with the abilities always on, so I was trying to figure out the total fatigue cost to replicate more.

So if I understand what everyone said correctly, since both spells have a 1 fatigue point cost (and both have an actual duration of either 1 min or 5 secs before requiring a recast), it sounds like I'll need to cast a 2 point Power enchantment first at 1000 FP, and then each spell for 200 FP each, for a total of 1400 FP per mask. The spells themselves will be activated once the mask is put on, and then should stay on until removed.

[Anthony]

Unfortunately, create air cannot do that, as it is an instant spell. The spell you need is Hold Breath. However, power modifies every enchantment on an item, not just one, so it would subtract from each spell separately. The total cost would be 5,100 energy (900 for hold breath, 200 for air vision, 4,000 for Power 4), and presumably it would give four miles of air vision, not one.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Unfortunately, create air cannot do that, as it is an instant spell. The spell you need is Hold Breath. However, power modifies every enchantment on an item, not just one, so it would subtract from each spell separately. The total cost would be 5,100 energy (900 for hold breath, 200 for air vision, 4,000 for Power 4), and presumably it would give four miles of air vision, not one.

What he said.
If the spell can be maintained then sufficient Power can make it always on and a few items are simply listed as Always on. However while this works great with your Air Vision (and I would add Water Vision for your scuba gear) Create Air and Purify Air are both instant and cannot be maintained.
Hold Breath is a perfect choice.

[fooflam]

Thanks Anthony and Refplace. A bit more costly then I was planning, but often the case with magic.