Questions
If you treated spells, magic, magical equipment, and magic research like technology, what a ways would their be for augmenting/enhancing them?
Examples
Miniaturization: Refine a spell so it has the same effect at a lower level that it did at a higher level. (Computers used to fill rooms.)
Modular spells(Energy Golem Type): First spell creates the body, second spell equips it (Weaponry), and the third one extends it's duration.
Modular Equipment: Armor/Weapons/Etc. are enchanted to channel spells through them, paired with memory chips which can be placed and removed from the ? and houses the chosen enchantment effect. (Plate armor without chip=Plate armor. With Shield spell enchanted chip=Plate armor with +4AC Type: Force.)
Others?:
Would you allow any of these options?
Correction: Which of these would you allow in your games and what limitations would you place upon them?
Background
Miniaturization: Trying to figure out how to set up the formula for the time/gold/intelligence requirements on researching spells so that a 5th level spell can be weakened enough to fit in a 1st level slot.
The formula followed the normal method except kept pushing up the Intelligence requirement and spell level.
Example
Research a cantrip: Spell Level 0.5, 1 week of time, ? gold, Intelligence 10-11
Research a 1st level spell into a cantrip: Spell Level 2, 2 weeks of time, ? gold, Intelligence 12
Research a 9nth level spell into a cantrip: Spell level 18, 18 weeks of time, ? gold, Intelligence 28
That seemed a bit much just to get a scaled down cantrip version of a level nine spell. So I called it miniaturization of a spell and wondered if the requirements to research such things balance out what's gained.
It isn't the pocket nukes I'm worried about, it's 4th and 5th level spells being dropped to cantrip level.
Modular Spells(Energy Golem Type): Was thinking about emergency survival equipment (Fall damage, air, food, water.)
Some of that I can handle with spells but some of them are clerical and outside what I'll be able to do off-hand. Which brought up the standard idea of an magical item which handles it all but what if it's lost or not at hand and needed right now?
Well then how about enchanted tattoo? Always at hand, and if it's limited to things like air and food not many people will likely attempt to rip it off you as it has not offensive abilities.
Then came worries about being teleported somewhere out in space. Which inspired using shelter spell to protect from those hazards, and led to the need for rockets to move the shelter as well as how such an addition to the survival tattoo would add protection from the elements like snow and rain and what if we added legs or wheels for ground travel ooh ooh and weapons and...there's no way that could all go in one spell.
...So...what if we just had the survival pod spell with shelter, air, food, and water in the enchanted tattoo, then a few extra spells in our spellbook to give it weapons and legs?
...Oh my...Modular spells!
You could have a base unit spell then make spells which attach to it and run off it's duration! Then add a spell able to refill or extend the duration and you won't have to recast the spell exactly when the current ones about to end.
That's good. But the branch of spell-tech leads to the creation of magical power armor. And summoned force golems weapons platform armies.
Though the ability to summon a temporary defensive structure might not cause too much trouble.
Modular Equipment: Thought up because of the Dispel, Shatter combo. They aim for the armor or the weapons and miss the thing actually giving them their special effect.
With the ? enchanted with a channeling type spell instead of the +? to AC/Damage/Fire Dam/Def that would reduce the cost of replacing the ? and allow them to be more versatile by spending a round or two to switch out the chips with the various enchantments on them.
No need to have three different swords for fire/ice/lightning damage. Just carry three chips. Or one with all three effects on it.
One without the other is means no special effect.
The channeling enchantment probably needs to upped to caster level 20 if it wants to project a caster level 20 effect.
The chips would probably have to count as not having a body slot making them more expensive.
The chips would have a much lower hp rating and hardness making them easier to destroy.
And again, are there building techniques which might affect how useful magic could be?
Like compression?
Cast the spell and a delay occurs as the spell decompresses before taking effect?
Power transfer? Ability to shift what a spell is capable of around while it's active so you can up it's damage while shortening it's duration or vice versa?
Hmm, would researching a known spell multiple times give you a list of it's parts?
Like taking apart a flight spell and identifying what each section does so they can be put together in a new spell?
Any technique from any profession would be welcome.
If you treated spells, magic, magical equipment, and magic research like technology, what a ways would their be for augmenting/enhancing them?
Examples
Miniaturization: Refine a spell so it has the same effect at a lower level that it did at a higher level. (Computers used to fill rooms.)
Modular spells(Energy Golem Type): First spell creates the body, second spell equips it (Weaponry), and the third one extends it's duration.
Modular Equipment: Armor/Weapons/Etc. are enchanted to channel spells through them, paired with memory chips which can be placed and removed from the ? and houses the chosen enchantment effect. (Plate armor without chip=Plate armor. With Shield spell enchanted chip=Plate armor with +4AC Type: Force.)
Others?:
Would you allow any of these options?
Correction: Which of these would you allow in your games and what limitations would you place upon them?
Background
Miniaturization: Trying to figure out how to set up the formula for the time/gold/intelligence requirements on researching spells so that a 5th level spell can be weakened enough to fit in a 1st level slot.
The formula followed the normal method except kept pushing up the Intelligence requirement and spell level.
Example
Research a cantrip: Spell Level 0.5, 1 week of time, ? gold, Intelligence 10-11
Research a 1st level spell into a cantrip: Spell Level 2, 2 weeks of time, ? gold, Intelligence 12
Research a 9nth level spell into a cantrip: Spell level 18, 18 weeks of time, ? gold, Intelligence 28
That seemed a bit much just to get a scaled down cantrip version of a level nine spell. So I called it miniaturization of a spell and wondered if the requirements to research such things balance out what's gained.
It isn't the pocket nukes I'm worried about, it's 4th and 5th level spells being dropped to cantrip level.
Modular Spells(Energy Golem Type): Was thinking about emergency survival equipment (Fall damage, air, food, water.)
Some of that I can handle with spells but some of them are clerical and outside what I'll be able to do off-hand. Which brought up the standard idea of an magical item which handles it all but what if it's lost or not at hand and needed right now?
Well then how about enchanted tattoo? Always at hand, and if it's limited to things like air and food not many people will likely attempt to rip it off you as it has not offensive abilities.
Then came worries about being teleported somewhere out in space. Which inspired using shelter spell to protect from those hazards, and led to the need for rockets to move the shelter as well as how such an addition to the survival tattoo would add protection from the elements like snow and rain and what if we added legs or wheels for ground travel ooh ooh and weapons and...there's no way that could all go in one spell.
...So...what if we just had the survival pod spell with shelter, air, food, and water in the enchanted tattoo, then a few extra spells in our spellbook to give it weapons and legs?
...Oh my...Modular spells!
You could have a base unit spell then make spells which attach to it and run off it's duration! Then add a spell able to refill or extend the duration and you won't have to recast the spell exactly when the current ones about to end.
That's good. But the branch of spell-tech leads to the creation of magical power armor. And summoned force golems weapons platform armies.
Though the ability to summon a temporary defensive structure might not cause too much trouble.
Modular Equipment: Thought up because of the Dispel, Shatter combo. They aim for the armor or the weapons and miss the thing actually giving them their special effect.
With the ? enchanted with a channeling type spell instead of the +? to AC/Damage/Fire Dam/Def that would reduce the cost of replacing the ? and allow them to be more versatile by spending a round or two to switch out the chips with the various enchantments on them.
No need to have three different swords for fire/ice/lightning damage. Just carry three chips. Or one with all three effects on it.
One without the other is means no special effect.
The channeling enchantment probably needs to upped to caster level 20 if it wants to project a caster level 20 effect.
The chips would probably have to count as not having a body slot making them more expensive.
The chips would have a much lower hp rating and hardness making them easier to destroy.
And again, are there building techniques which might affect how useful magic could be?
Like compression?
Cast the spell and a delay occurs as the spell decompresses before taking effect?
Power transfer? Ability to shift what a spell is capable of around while it's active so you can up it's damage while shortening it's duration or vice versa?
Hmm, would researching a known spell multiple times give you a list of it's parts?
Like taking apart a flight spell and identifying what each section does so they can be put together in a new spell?
Any technique from any profession would be welcome.
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