Magic, gems and some thinking.

[Ferret]

In a new campaign setting blah blah (tired of saying that, sorry) I wan't to represent the magic energy being dangerous and can damage either the people that cast it or the items it is focused through. To represent this The focusing item takes X number of damage when it is cast, where X is related to the level.

Is this done any where? Any Ideas on how to do this? What about "recharging" the items?

 

[Ferret]

No comments at all? No one likes the idea? I was also thinking that spell books could hold 1hp for each page. Once they have had the right sealing runes placed on them of course.

So, please comment. Anything at all is welcome.

 

[Treebore]

If you could explain the gems part I may know of a pdf that could help you out.

 

[Ferret]

Just that rocks have a few HP so could be used repeatedly without having to change the item, I may want to have them have to be prepared especially....

And that plain rocks seem crude, and gems bring to mind a fairly unnanimous magical connection.

Whats on the pdf? And thanks!

 

[Treebore]

It is essentially about using gems as magic foci, not exactly what you seem to want, but it may give you the basics you want and modify it from there. When I get a chance I'll open my pdf library and get the title for you. Since I am DMing in a little bit I probably won't be able to get it for you until tomorrow.

 

[Buttercup]

Ferret, you might look at the magic system presented in Blackmoor. In it a wizard uses a gem rather than a spellbook.

 

[Ferret]

Is that a book or a novel? It sounds intriguing, where could I get my hands on it?

 

[Gustave Arcanus]

And that plain rocks seem crude, and gems bring to mind a fairly unnanimous magical connection.

Celtic mythology has plenty of references to magic being held in simple rocks. And for anyone who's seen the TV movie "Merlin", it's even more apparent.

Anyway, a good rule of thumb could be to use the psionics point cost. 0/1-level spells are 1 HP, 2nd-level are 3 HP, 3rd-level are 5 HP, and so on. Have the damage bypass hardness and DR, since it's more like a sacrifice than outside damage. And since gems tend not to be as durable as plain stones, give them 1/10th of their gp cost (adjusted to taste, of course, this is just a rough number) in effective "magical" HP.

 

[Treebore]

Blackmoor is a new release of a old setting, one of the first ever created for D&D. I believe it is released through Goodman Games.

The pdf I referred to is called Mineral Alchemy. Not exactly what you are looking for but something you will probably find useful if you make rocks/gems that important to spellcasting.

 

[Ferret]

Celtic mythology has plenty of references to magic being held in simple rocks. And for anyone who's seen the TV movie "Merlin", it's even more apparent.

What I want to avoid is that people could pick up any old rock and use it to cast spells. It could change it into a trivial action.

Anyway, a good rule of thumb could be to use the psionics point cost. 0/1-level spells are 1 HP, 2nd-level are 3 HP, 3rd-level are 5 HP, and so on. Have the damage bypass hardness and DR, since it's more like a sacrifice than outside damage. And since gems tend not to be as durable as plain stones, give them 1/10th of their gp cost (adjusted to taste, of course, this is just a rough number) in effective "magical" HP.

Interesting idea on the spell to hp required ratio, but it seems a low cost at higher levels, I suppose how many hp something has.... I'm not sure I want to have the same HP that effects damage and how much magic it can take being passed though it.

I would still like to have them break/be used up. Maybe I could make it so that low level casters end up using easy to burn out crystal but later on can get items (totem, spell book, magic item) that don't burn as fast and also can be prepared.