Extra slots of augment crystals

[Asmor]

Talking with my friend in the car, this came up and it just seems like an obvious shield/weapon ability. Costs as a +1 bonus. Allows the shield or weapon to have an extra augment crystal. May be applied multiple times for multiple slots.

None of the abilities really seem earth-shattering to me, and at best some of the greater ones might be worth like a +1.5 bonus.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

I would increase the required bonus for multiple crystals. As it stands...

Requirements

Least - MW or better
Lesser - +1 or better
Greater - +3 or better

If you have two crystals

Least - +1 or better
Lesser - +3 or better
Greater - +5 or better

If you have three crystals

Least - +3 or better
Lesser - +5 or better
Greater - +7 or better etc.


I'll leave it open as to making additional slots +1 bonuses, but the requirements need to increase in some fashion. On a +3 weapon, you could put on two greater life drinking crystals. Thats 10 points healed per hit (up to 100), as opposed to 5 (up to 50) with only one crystal. Thats worth more than a +1 slot.

 

[Asmor]

Well, 10 points of healing 10 times per day is definitely worth more than a +1 bonus, but that's not a fair comparison. A better question is whether 10 points of healing 10 times per day for the cost of a +1 slot is better than 5 points of healing 10 times per day and no +1 slot.

Let's look at the total cost...

+3 weapon: 18k
greater crystal: 6k

Total cost: 24k

+4-equivelent weapon: 32k
2x greater crystals: 12k

Total cost: 44k

So you're paying 20k more, almost twice as much, for that extra healing. And this is in a minimal case scenario... Let's say that this was a +5 flaming weapon.

+6-equivelent weapon: 72k
greater crystal: 6k

Total cost: 78k

+7-equivelent weapon: 98k
2x greater crystals: 12k

Total cost: 110k

In this case, you're paying 32k more.

Ultimately, though, I think the real answer is much simpler: Just don't allow the same type of crystal to stack. If they've got two greater crystals of life drinking, they get healed for 5 20 times per day instead. There's plenty of precedent in the d20 system for not allowing similar bonuses to stack, and on top of that I think it is just a lot more interesting to use multiple different crystals rather than just sticking whatever fits there and gives the biggest bonus.

Plus, IMHO, the Crystals of Life Drinking are way ahead of the curve compared to other augment crystals.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

You would have to pay more no matter what, crystals are in addition to the weapon. My recommendation dosn't increase the cost of anything, it just forces you to have a more powerful weapon. A more powerful weapon generally means a higher PC level, so the additional power of the weapon will be less unbalancing.

Lets look at a +4 weapon, (+3, expanded slot longsword).
Greater Truedeath
Witchlight Resevoir (counts Greater)

On only a +4 weapon, you have +d6 damage to undead, ghost touch (thats a +1 by itself), the ability to crit and SA undead, and 5 times a day +4D6 fire damage to undead, Plus the versatility of three other damage types. By requiring a +5 weapon to house a greater crystal plus another of any level, you push up the you will se that level of power by 5+ levels.

Some crystals of not teribly powerful, but some are, and certain combos are just to good to overlook