eliovson@aecom.UUCP (Moshe Eliovson) (04/17/85)
While some of you may want to completely restructure the
current game system, which is a most admirable undertaking,
I would prefer to enhance and interpret it. It does have
SOME good points, after all...
First, regarding the expiration of spells after the demise
of the mage. This has foundation in many stories. In fact,
where spells have to be constantly maintained (example can
be found in Thieve's World), death would certainly mean the
end of the duration. Luckily, another theme that rides in
the undercurrents of these stories is that the really great
mages are strange, in that they can extend their lifetimes
many centuries, and afterwards become liches or demi-beings...
So, when we reach the topic of the magic items they have
blessed us with, either for gold, or perhaps as gifts to certain
(ahem!) dwarven thief's, there is no reason that these items
should be unmagicked- unless you know for a fact that the mage
was caught sleeping (highly unlikely, unreasonable, prepostorous,
all but impossible) and got a knife in his back. Jack Chalker
wrote, "Never call a Wizard dead until he has died three times."
In a Vance story a great mage was left on an asteroid for eons
near the edge of the universe, all but forgotten if not for his
connection with IOUN stones! In the Guardian's of the Flame
series the archmage resides on our world and plots to return to
his own.
While I'm sure there are many more examples, what should we
do about limiting?! I quite agree with those who say that
fabrication is deadly. The best examples, and what made the book
great, is from Master of the Five Magics. Nobody who has read
the book could not help but feel terrible for the poor Alchemist,
slain on the very night that the Random Factors (which are inherent
to this art) aligned. The dangers of repeated exposure to these
experiments was also said to have an incumbent effect of dulling
the senses and wits after a long period. Explosions are much
commoner than on the table in the DMG- and if someone wants to
drink an Extra-Healing with a Water breathing MAKE HIM CHOKE if
he fails his MINUTE discovery chance... THAT'S TROLL AND NIXIE
FLESH THERE BOY!!! Food poisoning a surety (make sure to drag
it out- first a stomach ache, a day later a loss of 1 STR, then
a CON....). I like the rogue method: two hastes and you die of
heart failure! Make sure the component collector has a way to
preserve his troll flesh, otherwise spoilage is ensured.
In the story there is a very involved description of the creation
of an artifact, The Sorcerer's Eye. There were two chances to
effect this item. The first produced a Sphere of Force- now this
procedure was very detailed- but even so it required EXTRA EXTRA
detail to produce the real treasure. Here is where a new newsgroup
like net.games.frp.physics would be choice. I would readily post
the two page detail for this fabrication process. I would hope
that others would contribute likewise- explaining new spells, how
they researched etc. or posting things from literature.
My vote is Yea.
Finally, a suggestion. Whenever fabricating truly great magic
items one or more Permanency spells and wishes may need to be
applied (this disregards the immense material cost). Instead of
actually taking away the CON point, limit the number of Permanency
spells the mage can cast to his current constitution (unlike the
ressurection which goes by the original con- whenever the mage
dies one of his permanency's will be nulled. Whether or not this
CON point will be returned magically, this may very well destroy
the magic item in question!) Furthermore, follow the stricture
of rest required per 100 gp worth of x.p. of the item being created.
DO NOT allow the character to adventure no matter how he wines,
slobbers, cries or what not. Magic must be bought at a cost.
Moshe Eliovson
(Recently possesed by a major evil)
...!philabs!aecom!eliovson