RQ rules, questions

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From: John Thompson (thompson@rb-dc1)
Date: Sat 18 Aug 1990 - 09:56:33 EEST

        I noticed that there really aren't isn't very many rules on magic. The number of spells really are quite small, and there are very few ritual magic spells.

        As a matter of fact most items I have seen published are like mechanical devices -- I have a sword which Taps dex every time it is struck at a person, and the magic points stolen are used to cast the Tap spell. In other words, we have a device (Tapping) and a power source (magic point storage area) These strike me as too mechanistic. I welcome suggestions on rules to get around this.

        So I decided to come up with some different sort of enchantments

Quickdraw Enchantment Cost: 1 POW

This causes the weapon to be drawn and place in the wielder's hands immediately, without incurring the 3 SR delay. It will also pick up the weapon if it no more than one meter away, or put the weapon back to its sheath. Only the caster can acheive this benefit: if the owner is killed, the enchantment is worthless, and must be re-engraved.

Enhance Intelligence Ceremony Cost: 5 POW

This ritual raises the caster's INT by one, permanently. It is extremely rare, only a few magi know it. It may require exotic components. It is debilitating to cast, requiring (25 - CON) weeks rest thereafter. The character may not raise his INT more than the species maximum. (I use the RQII rules for this: Max possible roll + number of dice, with any plus counted as another die. This gives humans a max of 21.)

Modifications:

Magic Point Matrix Enchantment

I recommend giving out a d6 of storage here. A player can simply store a power spirit, getting a regenerating 'battery' of average 7 pts,. for one POW pt, wheras the MPM maker must use 7, for a non-regererating power source. This needs revision. So now, a player must use two POW, but does not need to know the summon and command|control|dominate power spirit.

Binding Enchantment

The current rules suggest that a player must learn a separate binding enchantment for each otherworld creature. That is: Ghost Binding Enchant, Magic Spirit Binding Enchantment, etc. This really isn't fair -- A shaman can easily learn the spell, he summons the spirit that knows the spell and obliterates it. The sorcerer has to spend 100 hours learning it from someone else or waste 500 hours by himself. Divine magic users must dump a point of POW! The divine spell caster who has to dump POW for everything really hurts. My suggestion is that there is a generic "Binding Enchantment" which must have a Enchant roll to specify the exact creature to be held. Once created, this specificity could not be changed -- Athough you could sacrifice more POW for another enchantment which will contain your favorite creature.

More spells:

Accuracy: Sorcery

Each point of intensity adds 3% to the attack chance to a specified weapon Frequently found in conjuction with Damage Boosting.

Obscuration: Sorcery

I don't like every apprentice with Mystic Vision knowing every secret gnome, Ghost, and power spirit of a powerful sorcerer. Obscuration allows one to put up a screening wall, and to see through it, the intensity of the Mystic Vision must overcome the points of Obscuration on the Resistance table.

        I have some more ideas, as well as some magic items, but I'll wait until later to send them in. I invite comments and questions.

John Thompson
...!sdcsvax!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!rb-dc1!thompson

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