Accorlands Blackiron

[eternal_sage]

ok, in Warlords of the Accorlands (which i am currently converting from d20 to HERO) there is a certain material called black iron. the stuff has certain properties. it seems to channel magical energies, but it can't hold an enchantment for anything. in DnD terms it has the following properties.

 

weapons: expend 1 spell, get a bonus to attack and damage equal to the spell's level for 1 round.

 

armor: expend 1 spell, get a Deflection bonus to AC equal to the expended spells level. light lasts for 1 round, medium lasts 2, and heavy lasts 3.

 

holy symbol: expend 1 spell, get a bonus equal to spell's level on Turn Undead checks and Caster Level for 1 round

 

spell aid: expend 1 spell, get a bonus to caster level equal the spell's level for 1 round

 

in addition, blackiron has a "bleed off" effect. basically, after it is used it takes a number of rounds equal to the spell level to cool down before it can be used again.

 

my version of the magic system doesn't use spells/day, but instead costs END for every spell. also, i'm only using 7 levels of spells (15 point increments, up to 105) with associated END costs of 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 for each level, respectively.

 

so, my thought for the reworking is as follows:

 

weapons: +1 DC per "spell level" (END increment) spent to trigger it.

 

armor: +1 rED per "spell level" (END increment) spent to trigger it.

 

holy symbol: 5 AP additional effect per "spell level" spent to trigger it.

 

arcane focus: same as above, but for arcane magic.

 

anything you guys can help with is cool. my main hang up is how the construct will scale, and the bleed off effect. i was thinking of using charges that only replenish when END is paid into it, but i'm not sure how that would work. anyway. thanks for any help you guys could give!

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

A) I believe your END costs are off -- they should round in the characters favor.

 

Is the END drawn from personal, a reserve, or both?

[Susano]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

anything you guys can help with is cool. my main hang up is how the construct will scale' date=' and the bleed off effect. i was thinking of using charges that only replenish when END is paid into it, but i'm not sure how that would work. anyway. thanks for any help you guys could give![/quote']

 

My initial reaction was a Recoverable Charge, with the recovery of the charge determined by how powerful the initial spell "level" put into is. Another, simpler way, is to use a Limited Power Limitation, and out-and-out declare that the more you put into the material, the longer you have to wait until you can use it again (that's probably a -1/2 Limitation).

[eternal_sage]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

true. so it would be 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 on the END costs. sorry about that. also, the END is personal.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

Then you really don't have to do anything. The system will model the effect you want naturally.

 

So lets say that you have a sword of "black iron". In addition to however else you are tracking the base damage of a normal sword also add this ability:

 

HKA +1d6 (vs. PD), Only Usable By Spellcaster (+0) (15 Active Points); OAF (Black Iron Weapon; -1), No STR Bonus (-1/2); 1 END

 

It costs 1 END to use this ability. By using the ability, the character is burning the equivalent of one spell levels worth of END from their END.

 

Want it to cost more than one spell level? Easy. Use the Increased END cost Lim.

 

You don't want it reusable each phase? No problem; retask the Gradual Effect Limitation to this purpose (for the time chart). Instead of the damage being spread out over time, the damage is inflicted immediately, but the character can't reuse the power until the time has elapsed. Call it Reuse Interval.

 

HKA +1d6 (vs. PD), Only Usable By Spellcaster (+0) (15 Active Points); OAF (Black Iron Weapon; -1), No STR Bonus (-1/2), Reuse Interval (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12); -1/4); 1 END

 

Apply the same principles to the other types of effects. Done.

 

 

 

As an aside, on the matter of your spells vs END costs, you might find it easier to just say each spell costs its level in END. So 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. You might find that the benefits of ease of use / resource tracking outweigh the lost exactitude.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

Anything I say would be seemingly redundant; KS seems to have this nailed, although I would use Extra Time in lieu of Gradual Effect, that's just a 'me' thing (and I use Extra Time for almost everything that requires intervals, etc.). Otherwise, since you aren't using 'slotted spells' (aka Vancian style magic) then yes; they burn END to generate the effect you want, thus knocking out a portion of their pool. Voi to the La.

[eternal_sage]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

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my god. i'm a moron! thats so perfectly SIMPLE! bleedin HELL! thank you! i'm so used to playing all these fancy games with crazy builds and everything else!

 

thank you for giving me a reality check!

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

Anything I say would be seemingly redundant; KS seems to have this nailed' date=' although I would use [i']Extra Time[/i] in lieu of Gradual Effect, that's just a 'me' thing (and I use Extra Time for almost everything that requires intervals, etc.). Otherwise, since you aren't using 'slotted spells' (aka Vancian style magic) then yes; they burn END to generate the effect you want, thus knocking out a portion of their pool. Voi to the La.

 

Extra Time deals in larger limitation values, based upon the idea that most flavors of ET prevent a character from taking other actions -- there's an opportunity cost involved. GE has a much less generous Time Chart to Lim value set up because its only dealing with time distention with no reduction of effect or other opportunity cost

[Sean Waters]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

+1 DC is 5 points

+1 DCV is 5 points

+5 points APs (magic/arcane) is 5 points.

 

Cool. This can't be a coincidence, can it?

 

Max spell level is 7, so max expenditure is 35 points. I'm thinking VPP, because otherwise simulating additional points to any kind of magic effect is going to be difficult, and could probably only otherwise be managed with an advantaged succor, which would breakt eh 5 points per level rule.

 

Variable Power Pool, 35 base + 5 control cost, (52 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Requires a spell to be expended; -1), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Limited Class Of Powers Available Limited (-1/2), IIF (-1/4), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Cannot be used again for a number of phases equal to the spell level used; -1/4)

[Markdoc]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

Variable Power Pool' date=' 35 base + 5 control cost, (52 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about half of its effectiveness (Requires a spell to be expended; -1), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2), Limited Class Of Powers Available Limited (-1/2), IIF (-1/4), Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Cannot be used again for a number of phases equal to the spell level used; -1/4)[/quote']

 

Since we are looking at creating magic items, a VPP is sn't necessary - a BlackIron sword isn't going to help you repel undead (well, except in the traditional "hack 'em into tiny wiggling pieces" fashion).

 

If you were building combined items (a sorcer's dagger which was both weapon and spell focus, or a paladin's sword which was both holy symbol and weapon, for example, I'd use a multipower - 1 ultra slot for each function).

 

KS is on the right track, but, as I can tell, the problem with KS's build is that it gives you a single level boost and it's not spell "level"-specific: meaning any caster could potentially unlock its full power. If I understand it, you want an item that is more powerful in the hands of a more powerful spell caster - if the caster can cast "7th level" spells, he can expend one of those (in your system, expend 10 END) to get a 7 DC boost. A caster who could only cast a 1st level spell could at most expend 1 END to get an extra one DC. That's a bit more complex and probably requires custom limitations

 

Correct?

 

If this is the case, then build your items so that they can do the Maximum effect and then limit it down so that less power is accessible to less powerful characters

 

For example, a BlackIron sword could add (at most) 7 DC ( an extra 2d6+1 HKA). So the way to build that is to build the whole sword (let's say a shortsword) as:

1d6 HKA (0 END, +1/2), Focus (OAF, -1) Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Min (-1/2), Independant (-2)

That's the basic shortsword part, just the same as any weapon. Points are 22 active, 6 real.

Then add BlackIron :

another 2d6+1 HKA, Focus (OAF, -1) Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Min (-1/2), Cooldown time (1 segment per END used, -3/4), requires 1 "level of END" per DC (-1/4), caster must know spell of desired level (-1/2), Independant (-2) (35 real, 6 real)

 

It'd cost the creator 14 points to create such a weapon: you might like to rule that since BlackIron is a rare and magical treasure, that it has XP of its own which could reduce that cost. And for a spellcaster, if he gives up enough END to to unlock one of his spells he can access extra DC up to the spell level.

 

The rationale behind the three custom limitations are:

Cooldown time is calculated off the extra time chart as KS suggested. Since the actual cooldown time will vary, but will be at least one segment, I went with a limitation one step higher than that.

requires 1 "level of END" per DC was costed at -1/4 because at most it'll cost you 10 END to activate the full 7 DC and the lowest "increased END" cost is -1/2. Thus the lowest limit seems appropriate

Lastly the "must know spell of desired level" limit is to reflect the increased potency of the the item in the hands of a more powerful spellcaster. I went with -1/2 since if a character is a spellcaster he can gain some benefit regardless and he can (over time) reduce the effect of the limitation. For a powerful character, it's no limit at all. But in truth this limitation greatly limits the power being used. Most characters will be able to use only part of the power - many will be able to use none of it. You could easily justify a limitation of up to -1. Since this limitation is specific to BlackIron, it makes the material more valuable the higher you set the limit.

The limitations in bold are the "BlackIron limitations" currently a total of -3 1/2, which could be applied to any such item: the others are only for a muscle powered weapon.

 

That's for weapons.

For armour, you'd build in +7 ED, with the same BlackIron limitations

For holy symbols and arcane focii I'd use 11 d6Aid (any magical effect, one at a time, +1/4), self only (-1/2), standard effect (+0), plus the "BlackIron limitations" Such an item would give you an extra 5 AP (standard effect, 1 1/2 d6) for every "spell level" you sacrificed.

 

cheers, Mark

[eternal_sage]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

would the fact that there is really strict limits on who can carry blackiron because its a national treasure be a side effect (must be issued a permit by Devernia, the only place you can mine the stuff)? or just a roleplaying opportunity? for the record its really only a big deal in Deverenia, where the knights can kill you on the spot for having unregistered blackiron, although anywhere a Deverenian knight goes is dangerous as well, as Deverenia lays claim to the entire Accordlands as being part of its jurisdiction (even though it hasn't been in 500 years or more). not sure if i should build it into the gear or just let it go as is.

[Susano]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

I'd say no. The fact it's a national treasure doesn't affect your ability to cast spells with it. On the other hand, if you use the Independent Limitation, then it's availability and such is part of the Independent -- meaning you could lose it at any time and not get compensated for it.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

would the fact that there is really strict limits on who can carry blackiron because its a national treasure be a side effect (must be issued a permit by Devernia' date=' the only place you can mine the stuff)? or just a roleplaying opportunity? for the record its really only a big deal in Deverenia, where the knights can kill you on the spot for having unregistered blackiron, although anywhere a Deverenian knight goes is dangerous as well, as Deverenia lays claim to the entire Accordlands as being part of its jurisdiction (even though it hasn't been in 500 years or more). not sure if i should build it into the gear or just let it go as is.[/quote']

 

Thats just setting flavor. Has nothing to do w/ the mechanics.

[eternal_sage]

Re: Accorlands Blackiron

 

cool, thats what my mind was saying, but my heart was saying "limitation!" you guys are a great help!