Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

[Kraven Kor]

My campaign uses a Multipower for magic. A house rule is that spells are required to take extra time based on active points -- anything over 30 is full phase, over 50 is "full phase + extra phase," anything over 80 is full turn, and anything over 120 is minimum of full turn among some other limitations (must be a ritual, etc.)

 

Now, I want mages to be able to cast spells quickened by using extra END. x2 END for each increment they reduce the cast time by. If the spell does not cost END, the first increment reduced makes it cost END and further increments are x2 END each. In addition, each reduced increment applies a penalty of 1 to his spellcraft check.

Example:

 

Theodycyones wants to cast a 100 AP Energy Blast. Normally, it would take him a full turn to get the spell off -- unfortunately, time is not a commodity he has at the moment. So, he decides to quicken it to 1/2 phase attack. This would be 4 increments so the spell would cost 8x END to cast (Magi nearly always have END reserves by the time they get a MP this large) and he would be -4 penalty on his spellcraft check. If the 100 AP spell was bought with charges, the total would be x6 END and -4 to the check.

 

How would you build this? I want to just call it a custom talent but am unsure of how many points to make it cost. I would just have them buy off the extra time, but with it being tiered there is no logical way (that I know of) to make it a limitation on the pool, beyond creating a custom mod with an arbitrary value, so I just made it a house rule.

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

 

*EDIT misread how you wanted it to work with the x2 increments. Oops.*

 

IMO, the way to do this is with a partially limited multipower and buying off disadvantages. The only really tricky part is that the END cost rises exponentially, not linearly.

 

Here's how I'd make a 120 point MP, doing just the time and END parts.

 

First Circle: 30 pt. MP

Second Circle: +20 pts, Extra Time (full phase)

Third Circle: +30 pts, Extra Time (extra phase)

Fourth Circle: +40 pts, Extra Time (full turn)

 

Bought Full Turn down to Extra Phase on Fourth Circle, +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier (-1/2), +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier if the multiplier from the Bought Off effects is at least x2 already (-1/4), -1 to Spellcraft Roll (-1/4)

 

Bought Extra Phase down to Full Phase on Third Circle and Fourth Circle, +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier (-1/2), +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier if the multiplier from the Bought Off effects is at least x2 already (-1/4), -1 to Spellcraft Roll (-1/4)

 

Bought Full Phase off of Second Circle, Third Circle, and Fourth Circle, +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier (-1/2), +1 Endurance Cost Multiplier if the multiplier from the Bought Off effects is at least x2 already (-1/4), -1 to Spellcraft Roll (-1/4)

 

Confused yet? The MP "scales" to get the effect the wizard wants, and the Bought Off parts undo the scaling in gradiations. Since the disadvantage on the Buyoff applies to the whole power, it should work out right. If they just want to cast a Full Phase spell as 1/2, they only use the first one. If they want to cast a Full Turn as a Full Phase, they use the second and third.

 

The tricky part is the increased End multiplier bit. +1 END multiplier = go up one level on the END cost chart, so that's always -1/2. However, in order to go (x0) x1, x2, x4, x6, x8, x10.... it needs to only add +1 to the multiplier until it reaches x2. So that looks a bit ugly, but I think -1/4 for another step up some of the time is fair.

 

Also, if the power already has increased END cost, IMO it should get an extra limitation on the spell itself that it multiplies with the Bought Off parts.

 

Since the cost of this varies based on the size of the MP, IMO it shouldn't be a talent, or at least shouldn't have a fixed cost. In any case, the real cost will vary based on what other limitations are on the spells.

[Old Man]

Re: Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

 

I don't think it should be a Talent at all. Just make it part of your magic rule set.

[Kraven Kor]

Re: Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

 

I don't want all magi doing it.

 

Most Magi in my world are not combat oriented. They hide away in laboratories and secret lairs or towers and eventually die of their own curiosity.

 

So, the base rule is part of the magic rules -- the rule concerning casting time by active points. I don't want a magi to buy this off entirely, ever. I want him to be able, in emergencies, to cast faster. It is not something they will be allowed to buy for the whole MP or for a particular spell -- it is something they can choose to do if needed, and spend the END and hopefully succeed in the penalized roll.

 

Does that make more sense as to why I want it as a talent? Since some magi will have it some won't? I could also see it as an advantage on the MP but that effects the active points of everything in it. I could also see it as an advantage on the spell itself (the original way I wrote it up, +1/4 advantage per time increment the spell would be able to be 'hastened' by.)

[dbsousa]

Re: Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

 

If it were me, I would buy each spell with RSR, and Variable Limitation: Extra Time or Increased END. That way each spell costs a bit more than if it were built with Extra Time or Increased Endurance, but not both. The character can split his limitation as he sees fit, between time and END. As a House Rule, suggest that the Skill Roll assumes the spell will take the full Extra Time Limitation, each faster increment gives a penalty for "rushing" in the same way that they may receive a bonus for "Taking extra time"...

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Question on how much to charge for a custom talent...

 

I would place the Talent at 5 to 8 points.

 

It's not so great as Two-Handed Fighting, it's definately more then Absolute Time Sense.

 

I'm leaning towards 5 points, since speeding up a spell casting is not something done nearly as often as Two-Handed Fighting. It's worth about the same as Eidetic Memory. Rarely needed, but very useful.