Using your XP instead of Mage XP

[Coredump]

I don't like being able to just 'swap' XP responsibility.

But I may be willing to do it for a 'cost'. I was wondering what people thought would be balanced.

For instance, a player wants to get Alarm cast on an item. It is 450gp, +500XP. So that is normally 2950gp. But I was thinking of letting the fighter expend 1000XP in its place.

I like the concept: It is more efficient to use the Wizards XP, so it takes more if you use 'someone elses', so I like it being more than 500XP, just not sure if it should be 550, or 750, or 1000, or 2500, or what.

 

[Coredump]

um, wow.

This is the first time I have posted something and no one had any opinions....

Strange.

 

[Child of Hypnos]

if i understand the concept, i think its an interesting idea, but how would you explain it using in game terms? how is it that the wizard can use the fighters XP?

 

[JimAde]

I think it's a fine idea. In the Living Nights project we worked up some ritual rules that, among other things, let you share XP costs for magic items. They work similarly in that it takes more total XP to do it that way, but the caster doesn't have to bear the entire cost.

 

[Vorput]

It seems to make sense... I'd have to see in in play, but I think I'd start with x1.5 xp to see how it works... and raise it from there.

XP expended on magic items on a whole never made a lot of sense, but if XP is comparable to one's lifeforce, or one's.... I dunno... essence? Then I'd say it makes sense for a mage to be able to draw the xp from the character into the item.

I may even talk to my party about implementing something like this... my magic users would be thrilled...

 

[Coredump]

if i understand the concept, i think its an interesting idea, but how would you explain it using in game terms? how is it that the wizard can use the fighters XP?

The Mage imbues the item with some of his 'essence' when he makes the item, it is what allows the magic to reside in a mundane item.

If the fighter is with the Mage, and is a willing participant, the mage can use some of the fighters essence instead. But it is more difficult, and less efficient, so it takes more out of the fighter for the same effect. (IOW, it would only take 500XP of 'essence' from the mage, but would take 750XP of essence from the fighter.)

The question is if 750 is the right number, or if it should be higher or lower...

 

[JimAde]

The Mage imbues the item with some of his 'essence' when he makes the item, it is what allows the magic to reside in a mundane item.

If the fighter is with the Mage, and is a willing participant, the mage can use some of the fighters essence instead. But it is more difficult, and less efficient, so it takes more out of the fighter for the same effect. (IOW, it would only take 500XP of 'essence' from the mage, but would take 750XP of essence from the fighter.)

The question is if 750 is the right number, or if it should be higher or lower...

Only time (and playtesting) will tell. I think 150% sounds about right.

 

[genshou]

A word of caution...

This has the potential to be horribly abused. Magic items can be given to other players, so it is usually best if this is only allowed for characters you are sure will be around most of the time. Otherwise, it's like getting "free XP" for crafting the item, if Joe Fighter gives up the XP for it and he's almost never at the sessions, and someone else ends up using it...

 

[Sigurd]

This has the potential to be horribly abused. Magic items can be given to other players, so it is usually best if this is only allowed for characters you are sure will be around most of the time. Otherwise, it's like getting "free XP" for crafting the item, if Joe Fighter gives up the XP for it and he's almost never at the sessions, and someone else ends up using it...

This doesn't necessarily follow.

You could simply rule that the extra xp lost by the fighter is just eaten up by the cost of transfering it. Unless the construction took place during game time I would give no exp bonus to the creator. I might consider allowing the extra to be placed in a pool against future failures.

The payer of the XP might have the option of making it an item attuned only to them and their blood line.

 

[Szatany]

A word of caution...

This has the potential to be horribly abused. Magic items can be given to other players, so it is usually best if this is only allowed for characters you are sure will be around most of the time. Otherwise, it's like getting "free XP" for crafting the item, if Joe Fighter gives up the XP for it and he's almost never at the sessions, and someone else ends up using it...

This could be avoided by making the item "bound" to the donor of the essence. So if Joe donates his xp for longsword+1, this +1 bonus only works in his hands.
This could also be used by DM to a great effect because NPCs could have powerful bound items that would be useless (but see below) to PCs so the DM can control how much magic players have.
I'm toying with such a system as I'm making my own ruleset, and I'll probably add the possibility to "unbind" an item at a cost of 20-50% its worth (not sure yet).