Ok, lets go for another!
So, using items to help offset the costs for magic HP spending. Any ideas for how to structure those mechanically?
Like what does a "silver-cost" level item look like? What risk die does it have? How much HP does it cancel? Is it like food?
Same question for foci items (wands, etc).
Thanks!
Buying components with silver will get you ∆6 of them (note that components and foci are interchangeable in these rules). The amount/risk die you get for each purchase is listed in the price guidelines table (under equipment).
ReplyDeleteYou and the player decide what components and foci look like: holy symbols, statuettes, or relics are popular wth religious magic users. Crystals and semi precious stones work for psions, while toad eyes and bat guano are popular with warlocks...
ReplyDeleteAcritarche once played a wizard of creepy crawler magic whose components were live beetles and worms.
You can find some examples in the magic trinkets equipment table.
And yes, it works like food, or more accurately like armour: roll at the beginning of a combat or scene, and that's the number of HP you won't have to spend for spells.
ReplyDeleteEverybody knows Acritarche is nuts!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, this is extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteSlight additional question, so magic foci/components/trinkets work like armor for combat, what about out of combat spells? Do you roll/subtract as normal for each spell?
Mike C. That's left to your interpretation. I tend to allow leftover points to carry for a few minutes, as long as the PCs are more or less doing the same thing in the same place.
ReplyDeleteFor example if a sneaky magic-user were to use a 3HP invisibility spell on herself and roll 8 on her components die, she'd have 5 points left to cast sleep on the guards, or send a wizard's eye to scout ahead.
But if a fight breaks out, or when we move on to meeting the rest of the PCs back at the inn, the points are lost.
But again, you may rule this any way you like.
Thanks, I know I can tweak things the way that works for us (have already) but given the more open-ended nature of some of these rules I just wanted to make sure I didn't break anything :)
ReplyDeleteMike C. It's an old school game, you know. It will break, but it's easy to glue back together =D
ReplyDeleteGreat point!
ReplyDeleteThanks again, to everybody, for my many questions.
This mechanic is one of my favorites for magical aid.
ReplyDeleteMy rule is that wands and staves are more durable magically than components, so when buying them, you get one die size smaller, but you roll with Advantage.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I borrow from The Fantasy Trip is that a staff extends your reach so that you can touch someone with your staff and it counts as touching with your hand. It makes spells a little cheaper.
ReplyDeleteBrett Slocum I like these rules - they explain the presence of staves and wands in the hands of magic users in the game world.
ReplyDeleteNot having used them (obviously), I have campaigns full of statuettes and crystals, but not a single wizard's staff.