ghost-angel Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Something I'm not immediately getting an answer to when consulting the voices in my head... Working on a Summoning based magic system, the initial spell requires a Focus (the creature being summoned) and once summoned the Focus becomes the Summoned creature - thus not really being a Focus on the character anymore. If you kill the summoned creature the Focus (it's body) is destroyed and must be replaced, as well. Is there a change in the cost of the Focus or is this simply treated normally? Right now I'm working with OIF: Expendable (Difficult to Obtain new Focus). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Well, for something like this, you might want to take into consideration how big and bulky the focus is, is it easily breakable, and how difficult is it to be replaced. It sounds like you are on the right track so far. What kind of Focus is it going to be? What would be cool if it was something like a man-sized statue that transformed into the creature. What could make it more difficult to replace is if it has to be made from rare materials or sculpted by an order of blind monks or the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Focus inquery The focii are animals, what I'm wondering about mostly is what happens after the Summon - the focus is no longer in existence as it were, and it's only needed to actually summon forth the creature, once the creature "returns" the focus comes back... The idea while the creature is In Play there is no Focus .. and I'm not sure if that's going to be worth less, more or the same number of points as a normal focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Maybe do it as a Recoverable Charge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Hrm. Is a good idea. I'll have to look into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatDarnCat Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery So the spell requires the animal as a compotnent to cast and the summoned creature takes the place of the animal? This sounds more like a Charge than a Focus to me. Does the animal have to be alive when the spell is cast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery It sounds like ghost-angel wants to be able to control animals he comes across, turning them into temperary pets. Is this true? If so, you get the benefit, as the GM, of limiting the power (experience point value) of the pet, which is nice when compared to simply building the Power as a Mind Control vs. Animal class of minds. I don't thing the cost of the Focus Limitation needs to be lowered. After all, this is just like using environmental objects as Foci, which is normal. The fact that the Character isn't always going to have animals around to tame is a pretty big limitation. ...after thinking about this a little more, I think Focus is the wrong way to go. Really, this is more like a Conditional Power Limitation, like "Only Works If Animals Are Near By;" which I would call a -1 Limitation. ~ Mister E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Actually, it's going to be a form of necromancy. The animal is dead and stuffed (magical taxidermy kind of thing) and when needed the mage can bring the animal back to life with a part of their own essence. But they need the original animal they created to do this - if you take away their stuffed bird they can't summon the bird forth until they have it again which is why I was thinking Focus, perhaps this is a kind of Focus Of Opportunity. But Recoverable Charges could work, I think. I'm just not sure if Charges can be taken away like a Focus can? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery You just use both Limitations on the power, and it should replicate what it sounds like you are looking for. If he has more than one charge, then he just has multiple stuffed animals available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Like it. I'd say that the corpse is probably an OAF, bulky, etc, etc... You don't need to worry about the focus BECOMING the creature as summon is an instant power - doesn't require maintenance (think of a staff of summoning casting a summons then being broken - the summonned creature does not vanish). I don't think expendability models what you are after very well, so perhaps charges you can recover are best, just to simulate the fact that you can only use one per animal....maybe even independent if they are SPECIFIC animals... The 'accessible' part of the focus deals with the fact it can be destroyed and would then have to be re-made, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Way off topic. I saw the Recess movie for the first time over the weekend. At one point, trying to bluff, T. J. tells the bad guy "I 'm warning you! I have a black belt in Oragami!" Now I'm temted to create a character that summons living animals by making origami animals. Gestures and extra time, maybe with a focus or charges limitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Like it. I'd say that the corpse is probably an OAF, bulky, etc, etc... You don't need to worry about the focus BECOMING the creature as summon is an instant power - doesn't require maintenance (think of a staff of summoning casting a summons then being broken - the summonned creature does not vanish). I don't think expendability models what you are after very well, so perhaps charges you can recover are best, just to simulate the fact that you can only use one per animal....maybe even independent if they are SPECIFIC animals... The 'accessible' part of the focus deals with the fact it can be destroyed and would then have to be re-made, IMO. Well, the part I'm having trouble modeling is what happens to the Focus while the creature is Summoned - technically is doesn't exist since the Focus becomes the Animal... well, if you kill the anime you break the Focus as well, but you can't "break the focus" to prevent a Summoning later - you have to kill the animal or wait for it to be unsummoned to break the focus. Specific Animals are actually being modeled by the Summon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Well, the part I'm having trouble modeling is what happens to the Focus while the creature is Summoned - technically is doesn't exist since the Focus becomes the Animal... well, if you kill the anime you break the Focus as well, but you can't "break the focus" to prevent a Summoning later - you have to kill the animal or wait for it to be unsummoned to break the focus. Specific Animals are actually being modeled by the Summon. Some sort of lockout limitation, perhaps? Or just define one way to break the focus is to kill the creature: the captured spirit of the creature is the actual focus and you can send it on its way by destroying the creature in either focus or 'real' form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Hey, that's a great idea. Thank Sean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted November 21, 2005 Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Also, the Focus shouldn't be Expendable. If it's Expendable, that means you'd have to replace it after every usage of Summon. Obviously, that's not the case. You'd only have to replace it if the animal died while Summoned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted November 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2005 Re: Focus inquery Ah yeah, I'm going to end up with a standard focus on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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