Equipment to boost initiative.

[knasser2]

I want wizards in my game to have types of equipment similar to how fighters get weapons and armour, etc. Wizards deserve shiny as well and also I think it might balance the oddity of some classes being able to buy "powers" with gold whilst others have to pay for them with character points. I've created three classes of magical implement (based on D&D 4e) which are wands, staves and orbs. Staves give a boost to a spells effect (e.g. increasing DC by one), Orbs help sustain magic and provide a resevoir of energy (reduce the spell point / manna cost). Wands enable a wizard to cast their spells more quickly.

 

I think I can create the first two okay (though suggestions always welcome) but I'm not quite certain how to create something that allows a wizard to cast spells "more quickly". What I'm thinking currently is something like this:

 

Wand.
 
Boost (Dexterity) 1d6
Reduced Endurance: 0 cost (+½); ends if not holding wand.
Only Aid Self (-½)
Gestures (-¼)
Limited: Applies only to spell casting (-1)
 
Total cost: 3CP

 

Does that seem reasonable? A dagger is a HKA doing 1d6 and costs 10CP. This would typically give +2 Dex but only for purposes of determining which segment a wizard could cast their spell in and only a spell. It seems okay-ish to me but I'm wary because I haven't created any equipment before and because I haven't seen anything else in the system that messes with the intiative order this way. My alternative was to allow wands to affect whether something is a full or half-action but that was way too significant a game element. Thoughts?

[Netzilla]

If you require a skill roll and extra time to cast spells, you could define a wand as providing PSLs to counter 'rushed casting' penalties.

 

Alternatively, you could define spells with a Variable Limitation: Extra Time or OAF (Wand).

[Netzilla]

One other thing might be to look at the Snap Shot maneuver and define the wand as providing CV bonuses only when using that maneuver.

[Cantriped]

Boost is too expensive... just use the appropriate level of Lightning Reflexes and apply Focus to it.

 

If you require a skill roll and extra time to cast spells, you could define a wand as providing PSLs to counter 'rushed casting' penalties.

Alternatively, you could define spells with a Variable Limitation: Extra Time or OAF (Wand).

I wish Variable Limitations had a discount for picking from a limited list like Variable Advantages does in CC/FHC.

[knasser2]

If you require a skill roll and extra time to cast spells, you could define a wand as providing PSLs to counter 'rushed casting' penalties.

 

Alternatively, you could define spells with a Variable Limitation: Extra Time or OAF (Wand).

 

 

One other thing might be to look at the Snap Shot maneuver and define the wand as providing CV bonuses only when using that maneuver.

 

 

Boost is too expensive... just use the appropriate level of Lightning Reflexes and apply Focus to it.

 

I wish Variable Limitations had a discount for picking from a limited list like Variable Advantages does in CC/FHC.

 

Thanks to all. It seems like Lightning Reflexes does what I want (with a bit of fiddling to get it to be +2 to a specific action which isn't on the Cost table). It is a lot cheaper than Boost to Dexterity even with the Limitations that I added.

 

Not that the cost really matters because this is just equipment they'll buy with gold, like a dagger is a HKA power that doesn't require CP points, either. Cheers!

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah I wouldn't go with Boost, I'd reverse engineer Lightning Reflexes and build it with focus