One of my players asked me, basically, "Oh yeah, what about stat-boosting items?"
Magic items that raise stats permanently while worn. GURPS Magic calls these out as rare, so will I allow them?
My thought on this is basically, yes.
If I waved a magic wand and everyone spent 100 character points to get +1 in all four stats, would that substantially change the game?
Probably not. +1 damage, +1 to hit, maybe a +1 to parry depending on the breaks, a few spells here and there that fail to overcome higher resistance, a few more already-boosted death checks made. Would characters getting better rolls at things they already do really well break the game?
No, I doubt it. I'm more concerned by immunities, special abilities (always on Flight, for example), and unstoppable special attacks than by being better at stuff you're already good at.
So should I allow them? I decided I'd take a look.
ST
Might is 1500 per point for Always On. That's $30,000 per point, up to 6 (assuming Magery 6 enchanters are out there.) Seems okay, especially since it won't stack. 1500 per level and my assumptions that NPC enchanters work in circles of 6 (Enchantment 20, -5 for 5 helpers, for a power 15 item) means it takes 1500/6 = 250 days per +1 for a custom ordered one.
They're rare enough that you can't find one for sale randomly; they must be special-ordered.
DX
Grace is 2000 per point for Always On. So $40,000 and 333 1/3 days per point. +1 DX is pretty awesome, but if you order one now, you can have +1 DX next year.
IQ
Wisdom is 2000 per point, and it doesn't raise spells, just IQ, Per, and Will. Same cost as DX - $40K, 333 1/3 days.
HT
Vigor is 1500 per point, so it's identical to Might. $30K and 250 days.
What about secondary stats?
Will
Strengthen Will is 1000 per point, so $20,000 and 166 2/3 days. Not a bad deal, because of Will being so valuable in play.
Per
This one is interesting - a specific sense roll is only 150 per point - $3000 and 25 days via Keen (Sense). All senses are Alertness and 300 per point - $6000 and 50 days per point. $36K and 350 days is a big investment but +6 Per is amazing!
However, neither says "Always on." GURPS Magic is very specific about "Always On." Spells like Climbing specific it's a maximum castable bonus, which is also how GURPS Magic for 2nd edition GURPS specifies the Haste item is setting a maximum casting level, and so that is probably what's intended here. Always on, no cost Per increases should probably be 500-1000 for all senses, 250-500 per individual sense. Probably on the higher end - 1000 and 500 for Per/individual senses seems fair for what you get, and puts the cost at $20K and 166 2/3 days per point and $10K and 83 1/3 days per point respectively.
Basic Move
Haste doesn't have an "Always On" item, as I mentioned above. So you'd need to use Power, possibly re-costed per this post, although that would make +3 Basic move a low, low, low $23K. Not cost-reduced, it's a more reasonable $55K for +3 Basic Move, $30K for +2, $15K for +1. So perhaps I wouldn't want to re-cost Power, after all, if only to avoid +3 Basic Move being even cheaper.
So should I allow these?
I'm still inclined to say yes. I can't see what harm it'll do, and I know for a fact some stat-increasing items (and stat-increasing opportunities!) are already in Felltower. Is it so bad to let people spend their hard-earned cash buying a stat bonus?
It doesn't seem so, especially considering the cost and the time.
Of course, my game being my game, all of these can be ordered from Black Jans, instead - if his tower is there (it's a random roll, one try between delves). He can do anything in one week . . . for double cost. So $60K-$80K per +1 for the stats, $20K-lots for the sense and secondary stat boosts, but it's faster. It would be amusing to have someone drop $480K to have Black Jans hand over a +6 DX item a week later, but I bet you can find a lot more useful things to do with $480K.
Cadmus in Nate's DF game has Righteous Fury: +1d6 to ST, DX, and HT for 3d6 seconds, usable once per day, and assignable as I like.
ReplyDeleteOn the average, it's a 10-second, 140-point boost to power level, for one fight per day.
that would make a cool magic item, in general, but the restrictions on duration and repetition make for good ways to balance things.
I wouldn't let someone buy one of these, but cost is roughly 1500/point each of ST and HT, 2000/point for DX. Average is 3.5 each, so 5250 each for ST and HT, 7000 for DX, or 17500 power. Limited to 3d6 seconds, average 10, is probably a significant limitation off of "always on" but all that stat bonuses are pretty sweet so I wouldn't go too far down. Maybe 50%, maybe 40%. At 50%, it's a $175,000 item. I'd have to think about that.
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