You have been taken by the Mists

Author Topic: Platinum / Magic Weapons  (Read 17686 times)

k_moustakas

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 1035
  • Shadow calls... shadow whispers...
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #50 on: June 23, 2008, 06:37:46 AM »
off topic: mage armor should be changed to give ac +4 armor bonus. THEN it would be the best spell period! Just like it IS the best spell in PnP.
Has been described as a sometimey player

Rex

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3948
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #51 on: June 23, 2008, 02:17:01 PM »
off topic: mage armor should be changed to give ac +4 armor bonus. THEN it would be the best spell period! Just like it IS the best spell in PnP.

Mages should Explode when they CAST that spell.  And it should be +4 Armor Bonus I don't Know why it wouldn't be.

As for Hardness, Platinum is a pain in the ass to work, though is is a Malleable metal, however though not the method one SHOULD use for determining Hardness of a Metal, Platinum is a 4.3 on the Mohs scale of Hardness, Steel is 5-5.5, Copper and Gold are 2.5-3.  Platinum being malleable though gives it interesting properties that are often confused with it being soft.

People think Platinum is softer then gold because jewelery tends to dent ding and bend, but this is because it's basically 95% pure (5% iridium), where as the Gold they are comparing it to is almost always 10-14 karat.  24 karat gold would be immensely softer then pure platinum.  By the Way the Human Beard Hair is the same Hardness at Copper wire, of same dimensions. 

Platinum Iridium Alloys can get to be exceedingly hard and defiant to changes in mass and structure, hence originally being used for the purpose of the "official" Meter, Kilogram etc etc, before being replaced by the SI index and Krypton spectrography.  The official Meter and Kilogram should be showing up in a museum near you. 

Besides it's Malleable nature, Corrosion resistance, ductabiliy, and catalytic qualities (Dragons eat it to breath Fire Seriously, was on Discover Channel!), make it a fantastic metal for something like an enchanting system.  Gilded Platinum Bastard Sword, +1/+5 vs Casters.   :lol:

~Rex
Sometimes brutal violence is the only answer.

ethinos

  • Keepin' it hardcore since 2nd edition AD&D
  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3705
  • When in doubt, fireball.
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #52 on: June 23, 2008, 07:04:21 PM »
I don't want to see platinum swords. I want mithril, adamantium. That kinda stuff.
Torgan Ironshield: Battlerager and smith
Wirth Darmington II: Roguish noble
Kurgh: A simple herdsman

Bad_Bud

  • Developers
  • Dark Power
  • *
  • Posts: 4576
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #53 on: June 23, 2008, 08:33:55 PM »
Tungsten.

penny

  • Outlander
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #54 on: June 23, 2008, 11:24:55 PM »
Let's have titanium weapons! It's a space age alloy, but who cares! If dark ages smiths can figure out how to alloy platinum and iridium and turn it into a useful weapons, they can make titanium too!
Plays as:
Mira
Adriana Cardei

Rex

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3948
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #55 on: June 23, 2008, 11:41:03 PM »
Let's have titanium weapons! It's a space age alloy, but who cares! If dark ages smiths can figure out how to alloy platinum and iridium and turn it into a useful weapons, they can make titanium too!

Granted Iridium wasn't discovered until 1803 by the Brits during dissolving platinum in some aqua regia, But no need to jump on the titanium train.  Since Iridium is in the Platinum Family, it's often alloyed with it in order to beef up the laters malleability issues, without taking away from it's Look.  Iridium is also the densest element known (though Osmium fans disagree, still being fought over), and not exactly common, so while suitable for satellites and such, not to hot a choice for Armor or a Sword.

I would like to see more DnD materials.  REAL cold Iron, REAL alchemical Silver, Real Mithral, Real Adamantine that sort of thing.  Pllatinum though would be FANTASTIC, as a catalytic agent IN Enchanting, so it could very easily be made into useful stuff for the process, from catalyst to molds to jewelery.  Metal of Kings.

~Rex
Sometimes brutal violence is the only answer.

penny

  • Outlander
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #56 on: June 23, 2008, 11:43:36 PM »
Platinum itself wasn't discovered until the 1700s, and as I said I would place Barovia in the dark ages, not post-reniassance as far as technology goes.

Not that it really matters, since saying that won't change anything. *stops rambling*
Plays as:
Mira
Adriana Cardei

Rex

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3948
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #57 on: June 24, 2008, 04:10:59 AM »
Platinum itself wasn't discovered until the 1700s, and as I said I would place Barovia in the dark ages, not post-reniassance as far as technology goes.

Not that it really matters, since saying that won't change anything. *stops rambling*

Actually, it was pretty commonly used by Pre-Columbian Indians about a 1000 years back, even earlier by the eygptians by accident, both in it's raw impure form.  It's mentioned in european literature by the 1500's, as something of an annoying white metal almost impossible to melt.  Western scientists finally got on the ball with it in the mid 1700's, and frankly, I know far to much info about stupid crap like this I need to be on JEOPARDY.

I think it's properties as a Catalyst would make for an interesting ingredient for enchanting recipes, and or, Making ACID.  Nifty metal with a lot of interesting uses, Platinum gilded shields and armor for example could provide Fire DR quite easily (used as a coating for heat resistance on more then a few things.).

So sure, it wasn't until the 1500-1700 range it really got rolling, but in Barovia, COPPER, is supposed to be exceptionally rare being one of the things the Nation trades for with other Nations yet you can dig up busloads of it right outside of town.

I still, would like to see, the "real" Magical Materials myself.  I remember when CNR first came out and it's Predecessor, and folks were using Titanium Great Swords and Cobalt Warhammers.

~Rex
Sometimes brutal violence is the only answer.

Ellana Twiggy

  • Guest
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #58 on: June 24, 2008, 12:16:04 PM »
on a side note, ravenloft isn't essentially dark ages either. Given that in the guides and such there are guns, alchemists, scientists, and colleges through out the core. It would be more of a renaissances era, early, but still.

EO

  • Assistant Head DM/Developer
  • Head DMs
  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 22401
  • The one and only, the one everyone wants to be!
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #59 on: June 24, 2008, 12:22:27 PM »
Each domain has a different cultural level. Barovia is Medieval.

Quote
The medieval era can be considered the "default" Cultural Level presented in the Player's Handbook. The era is also notable for the appearance of ornate Gothic cathedrals and castles, the structures that would one day lend the Gothic genre its name. The longbow now dominates warfare, matched by mounted knights protected by half-plate armor and heavy barding.

Doctors establish the first medical schools, and surgeons dissect bodies to further their knowledge . Block printing can free scribes from the chore of copying every book by hand, but engraving the wooden blocks for printing remains a laborious process. Advances in glassblowing and the study of optics create eyeglasses and mirrors and put glass panes in the windows of every manor. The first huge mechanical clocks appear in cities, and the invention of the spinning wheel sparks new textile industries.

Of course, Barovia is a rural, xenophobic medieval and doesn't enjoy most of the technological advances of the era.

ethinos

  • Keepin' it hardcore since 2nd edition AD&D
  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3705
  • When in doubt, fireball.
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #60 on: June 24, 2008, 04:29:00 PM »
Good thing then that Barovia has a non-canon stronghold of dwarves with no such reluctance in learning and improving the metalworking craft... :mrgreen:
Torgan Ironshield: Battlerager and smith
Wirth Darmington II: Roguish noble
Kurgh: A simple herdsman

Rex

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3948
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #61 on: June 24, 2008, 05:27:08 PM »
Well, like I said, I like the Real Deal so to speak but there is certainly a legit use for Platinum in an Alchemical/Enchanting venue.  I would though, Like to see REAL COLD IRON, and such added to the current Crafting system, with the +2 as opposed to the +1 since anything you need Cold Iron to fight Needs +2 for the most part..

Cold Iron and Alchemical Silver should reflect the books.  Especially the Silver which should be Base Weapon Damage -1, NOT, the Insta slaughter the shifters version you can have now.  This once again would actually play to a fighter or barbarians Strengths as opposed to beefing up the Non Martial folks abilities to the point where they don't need a Fighter.  Wouldn't mind seeing the Iron Wood make it's appearance in the wood crafting as well.

~Rex
Sometimes brutal violence is the only answer.

Ellana Twiggy

  • Guest
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #62 on: June 25, 2008, 11:54:19 AM »
i thought cold iron was in? don't you just use the cold forge and iron to make a cold forged weapon or am i mistaken?

Been a bit since i tried making ellana a smith, hate redoing it.

dutchy

  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 4952
  • Potm's own forum troll
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #63 on: June 25, 2008, 12:30:24 PM »
*twaps ellana* no you dolt cold iron does cold dmg if im not mistaken this does outsider dmg ingame......now i wouldnt mind seeing mithril ingame i think that would sky rocket the prices sell one of those and you should be rich.....though mithril should be very very rare.


*dreams of mitrhil armor*


i do think there should be more craftin ores around, gives more reasons to craft
Tagdar Stonebeard- the lone statue
Mihas Mandruleanu- He is the law
Gurdan- priest of the allfather, and current head of the silverhand trading company

Ellana Twiggy

  • Guest
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #64 on: June 25, 2008, 06:33:17 PM »
hrm, i'll see if i can find my dmg and enchanting guide, post some things up later. nods

ethinos

  • Keepin' it hardcore since 2nd edition AD&D
  • Dark Power
  • ******
  • Posts: 3705
  • When in doubt, fireball.
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #65 on: June 25, 2008, 08:00:30 PM »
Cold forging wasn't functional the last time I tried. And cold forged iron has nothing to do with cold damage, but rather the forging of the iron at room temperature. Basically it doesn't get heated up first like in most forging processes.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2008, 08:03:08 PM by ethinos »
Torgan Ironshield: Battlerager and smith
Wirth Darmington II: Roguish noble
Kurgh: A simple herdsman

Ellana Twiggy

  • Guest
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #66 on: June 25, 2008, 11:55:40 PM »
Several things which might be useful, via rp or perhaps development, as of course everything has consiquences and the possibility to back fire, especially in ravenloft. But yes, here are some things i have dug up for general information and ideas:

MAGIC ITEM CREATION: Magic Item creation usually requires the use of at least one or more runes. Sometimes these runes will not be visable to the naked eye(though often to a Detect Magic). Every rune moves the energy in its own ways. Through years of study a caster can learn ways in which these movements can be harnessed to create a magical effect. The DM's discretion/ideas should be used here.
AIR INSCRIBED RUNES: These runes are usually drawn with a wand, a staff, a rod, or the casters finger. Every rune has its own way of manipulating energy. If the caster is immensly familiar with the movements of a rune, he/she can often use it to make a strange effect. Some ideas for effects might be an energy vacummn, a gesture that causes a person to experience a head rush type sensation as the energy is disturbed in his/her area, etc. Really, the only limit is your own imagination.
FINAL NOTES ON RUNES: Runes are a rare thing. People tend to guard them more avidly then they do spells themselves. They cannot just be copied from a magic item or ward. They must be inscribed in a certain order (e.g. left to right, top to bottom, north west to south east, etc.) They usually have many different direction changes also, so there is no easy way to copy a rune. Though, you might allow a caster to spend a week or two trying out all the possible combinations until he/she gets it right.

Magical Item Creation Costs
Pluses
Cost per Plus
+1 = 1,000 gp
+2 = 2,000 gp
+3 = 6,000 gp
+4 = 24,000 gp
+5 = 120,000 gp

Formula: Item plus price starts at 1,000 gp. Each time the plus increases, the new plus is multiplied by the price for the plus of at the previous level.
Note that 75% of the creation cost goes towards the physical creation of the item to be enchanted. The remaining 25% is taken up by components, rare ingredients, fueling magical processes, etc.
Spells
Spell Level x 2,000 gp. This charge is levied for each use of that spell or spell like effect, per day. For instance, if a sword could cast heal (a 7th level cleric spell) once per day, the price to enchant the sword with that ability would be 14,000 gp. However, if we wanted a sword which could cast heal three times per day, the price would be tripled (42,000 gp).
If the spell can be used less than once per day (i.e. once per week), divide the base cost of the spell by the number of days between use. Using the above example, if our heal spell could be used only once per week, the cost of enchanting the sword with that spell would be only 2,000 gp. Note that, no matter how rarely the spell can be used, the minimum cost to enchant any spell is still 2,000 gp.
Intelligence
A magical item may or may not become intelligent on it's own, depending on the power of the weapon. However, if a mage wishes to guarantee that a magical item will be intelligent, there are three methods he can pursue.
The first method is for the mage to sacrifice one point of his own intelligence. This will create a magical item with an intelligence of 3 points less than the mage's original intelligence score. This lost point of intelligence cannot be regained by any forms of healing, restoration, or wish magic. Other means of intelligence gain can still be used (standard wishes, tomes, etc.). The magical item's alignment will be the same as the mage's at the time of the item's creation.
The second method is for a mage to cast a wish spell. This will enchant the item with its own intelligence (base 9, + 1d4, modified as the DM sees fit). The item's alignment will be Neutral, unless another wish is used to modify it.
The third, and perhaps most difficult, method, is to capture the life essence of a living being, and encase it in the item to be created. This is a difficult process, unless the individual involved is a knowing and willing participant in the ceremonies. If he is unknowing, or unwilling, the victim receives a total of 5 saving throws vs. spells (rolled at critical points during the creation process). If any of these saves succeeds, the process is interrupted, and the creation process is spoiled. The magical item must then pass a saving throw vs. acid or be rendered magically inert. This item is now unsuited for holding magical energies.
If the ceremony is successful, the subject creature is killed (cannot be raised or resurrected), and his intelligence and personality are transferred into the magical item. This item must then roll a saving throw vs. acid. If the save is successful, the intelligence of the new item is equal to the intelligence of the creature used.
If the save is failed, then the creature suffers badly from the magical processes involved in stripping his intelligence from his body. The intelligence of the item is equal to the intelligence of the creature used, minus 1d4.
Whether or not the intelligence is transferred fully, the new magical item has the alignment of the creature which provided its intelligence. If the process was carried out against the wishes of the subject creature (through coercion or trickery), then the new item will be understandably upset, and may wish to take revenge upon the mage who created it.

(an older system from 2005)
MAKING MAGICAL ITEMS:
                              A SENSIBLE APPROACH
                                       by
                                Bryan J. Maloney

The following is a method I've used to make the creation of magical items in AD&D a great deal more sensible than the nonsense currently available. To be  blunt, there is no way to reconcile the vast amounts of enchanted items available in official TSR-published materials with the extreme difficulty had in producing these items. It's obvious to me that absolutely no intelligent thought has been put into this question by the powers that be at TSR. Thus, it is up to us benighted lower forms of life called "gamers", whom TSR appears to give the same consideration as would a dog its fleas, to propose more intelligent, workable solutions.
     This method relies upon two families of spells. "Enchant an Object" no longer exists, although "Permanency" is still an optional component to use with both spell families. Without further ado:


PRESERVE THE MASTER'S MARK OF THE FIRST RANK (Enchantment, Invocation)
Level:           1
Range:           Touch
Components:      V, S, M
Duration:        1 season
Casting Time:    Special
Area of Effect:  1 item
Saving Throw:    None

This family of spells explains much of what the ignorant call "magic weapons" and "enchanted armor". In truth, the magic of these items is far more wondrous than the mere castings of a mage. These items are examples of the finest that a master crafter can make. The sadness is that such extreme quality can rapidly be worn away by heavy use. For example, a truly magnificent sword, of exceptional edge, will last longer and keep a better edge than most swords, but it will lose the absolute "incredibleness" that its maker's hand gave. This spell preserves that state for a time, postponing the inevitable for a little while.
     The rite must be cast upon an item straight from the Master's hand. It will not improve an item's quality, but it will keep it at peak condition. This spell can postpone the day of deterioration for its duration. The casting time is one week per Rank per pound weight (or fraction thereof) of the item. A Ninth Rank enchantment would take nine weeks per pound weight of the target item. This spell cannot restore items, only prevent their inevitable deterioration. When under the effects of this spell, weapons and armor are considered "magical" for the purposes of effecting unusual monsters. The spell has no effect whatsoever on an item of ordinary quality. This spell cannot be re-cast upon an item. Only the first casting has any effect. However, each successively higher Rank of this spell has a duration double the preceding Rank. Thus the Second Rank lasts two seasons, and the Ninth Rank lasts 256 seasons (or 64 years). Each Rank must be learned as a separate spell, since each Rank is far more elaborate than the previous.
     Due to the semi-divine nature of this kind of creation, the Permanency spell cannot be truly permanent for Preserve the Master's Mark. Instead, it extends the duration of the spell tenfold. It takes a full Wish or divine intervention to render Preserve the Master's Mark a truly permanent effect.
     Human skill is sufficient to manufacture weapons and armor of up to an initial +2 bonus. This is the extreme of human ability, perhaps one craftsman in a kingdom could do this. The best craftsman in a duchy or province could produce items with a +1 bonus. The best in a County or moderate size city could produce items that had a +1 bonus on a single function of the item (thus, a sword could be +1 to hit or +1 to damage or a +1 Speed Factor bonus).
     There are stories of crafters who have learned skills from Dwarves or other supernatural beings. These crafters can can make weapons and metal armor of up to +3. There would be one human crafter on a continent who could perform this. The greatest Dwarven crafter in the entire world could produce items with a +4 bonus. The "Enchanted Weapon" Wizard spell can be cast upon these weapons cumulatively with its innate bonuses. Preserve the Master's Mark will not extend the duration of Enchanted Weapon.
     A weapon or piece of armor will lose one point of bonus over six months of use. It will lose the second point over the next six years of use. It will not deteriorate further if not abused. The semi-divine nature of this sort of quality (it is from a true act of creation, after all) means that bonuses cannot be restored by any means short of divine intervention or complete reworking of the item by a crafter of equal or greater skill. If Preserve the Master's Mark is upon the item, it will not begin to deteriorate until the duration of the spell expires.
     Care by a craftsman capable of making an item of that quality will maintain the item, but such craftsmen are rare and their time is expensive. Non-Enchanted high quality items cost 20 times as much for a +1 bonus or equivalent, 400 times as much for a +2 bonus. An item made by a crafter of legend (+3 bonus) is a matter of exorbitant auctions, intrigue, and warfare and has no set price.


ENCHANTMENT OF THE FIRST CIRCLE (Enchantment, Alteration)
Level:           2
Range:           Touch
Components:      V, S, M
Duration:        Until Expended
Casting Time:    Special
Area of Effect:  1 item
Saving Throw:    Special

This spell is the lowest level version of a spell that transforms an inanimate object into a vessel capable of holding a magical effect. There are eight Circles of Enchantment, each corresponding to a higher spell level. That is, there is a third level "Enchantment of the Second Circle", a fourth level "Enchantment of the Third Circle", up to a ninth level "Enchantment of the Eighth Circle". Each Circle of this spell must be learned separately, since each is much more elaborate than the predecessor. The ritual must be cast upon an object and requires that the object be intact and new-made, not ever used for its purpose. The object need not be costly in and of itself, but it has to be the top of a craftsman's art. Casting time is one day per pound weight of the item or fraction thereof. Once the spell is cast, the item may have spells cast into it. The spells cast into the item must be of a lower level than the Circle of Enchantment used. Thus, the First Circle can be used for enchanting items that contain first-level spells. For the purposes of duration, variable damage, etc. it is assumed that the inserted spells are cast by a mage of minimum level capable of doing so. If the mage wishes to have the benefits of a higher class level, the spell is considered to be of a level equal to the spell level most recently gained at the mage leve applied. For example, a one-turn duration Light would be considered first level. A three-turn duration would be considered second level, a five-turn duration would be considered third. A five-die fireball would be considered third level, but a 20-die fireball would be considered 9th and be beyond the capacity of any version of this spell (unless you allow 10th level spells to permit an "Enchantment of the 9th Circle"). The number of total charges an item may hold is inversely related to its weight in pounds. See Table I. This table is derived from the equation Charges=90*ln((weight-0.25)*-0.5545), where weight is the object's weight in pounds avoirdupois (US pounds). The fact that capacity is inversely related to size has been dubbed the Substantiability Paradox by followers of Trismestia the Great. It takes one day per charge to charge an item. This makes a 7-pound item the most efficient on a charge vs. time basis. This characteristic has been used as evidence to justify the special magical status of seven in many traditions. Items created by this method can be recharged, but only to half their capacity (rounded up). This halving occurs every time an item is recharged, thus a 1 ounce wand could have 100 charges at creation, 50 at first recharge, 25 at the second, 13 at the third, then 7, then 4, then 2 then 1 at the seventh and further recharges. To prevent this diminuation of capacity, the item must also have Permanency cast upon it at the time of creation. Most mages don't bother with this, since it is usually far easier to make a new item, and the charge capacity diminuation ensures that their customers keep coming back for new items. An item may not be recharged with a different effect than what had previously been placed upon it.

     Table I. Maximum number of total charges.

     Weight       Charges
     --------------------
      1 oz         100
      2 oz          96
      4 oz          90
      8 oz          78
     12 oz          68
      1 lb          59
      2 lb          34
      3 lb          20
      4 lb          11
      5 lb           6
      6 lb           4
      7 lb           2
     8+ lb           1

Ritual Magic

An addition to Magic Systems
First draft

by Aelin
Guest@rsls4.sprachlit.uni-regensburg.de
http://rsls8.sprachlit.uni-regensburg.de/~Guest/aelin/rpgmain.html

Ellana Twiggy

  • Guest
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #67 on: June 25, 2008, 11:56:17 PM »
Ritual Magic abandons the concept of spells with fixed effects, takes magic one step further to a freeform system that allows the mage  hitherto unexperienced freedom in spellcasting by creating a framework that governs the game mechanics and, hopefully, game balance.
It was created with the AD&D system in mind, but should be useable with any gamesystem.

Rituals:

A ritual is basically a new form of spell. The differences to traditional spells are greater flexibility, as the mage designs the ritual with the end in mind, and thus every spell effect may be achieved. The preparation time a ritual requires is much longer than that for a spell, sometimes it may take years to complete a ritual. The formula has to be designed by the mage himself, the proper ingredients have to be gathered, the ritual has to be prepared and measures to ensure the safety of the caster should be devised. Then follows the casting of the ritual and the sealing of the effects.

What rituals are and what not:

Rituals should be understood as an addition and expansion to the magic rules provided by your game system, not a replacement. The traditional spells still should take up the bunch of spellcasting in your campaign, to make rituals an outstanding event. Every player playing a mage should have to devise his own rituals, and you might well state that a ritual designed by another spellcaster may not be cast by any other mage, or even that rituals may be cast only once and have to be reworked to accustom the new circumstances before another casting. This is probably the least you should do, else there's the danger that rituals become just another kind of spell.

Game Mechanics:

How you handle this is left to you and depends on the game system you use. I introduced the Cast Ritual skill in my campaign and use a skill system that allows raising of skill scores, unlike the proficiency system in AD&D, where you get a fixed score in a skill when you learn it, and it basically stays the same all the time, whether you are a 1st Lvl character or a 15th Lvl charakter. I use skill ratings The Cast Ritual skill is used to determine the success or failure of the actual casting and also expresses the experience and knowledge the mage has in casting rituals. Other skill or attribute checks might still be required for research etc.

Time and resources required to devise and cast a ritual:
This depends heavily on the power of the ritual, so you have to use your common sense. I have added a framework to give you some guidelines for each of the steps below.

Possible modifiers for the skill check (D20 scale, multiply by 5 to get percentile sores):

+10 to -15    depending on the power of the ritual
+5 to -5       depending on how well the player did designing the ritual
+2 to -2       depending on the quality of materials used
+1 to -1       for experience of assistants, if any

Quite a large range of possible modifiers, but I give usually 25% chance minimum to 85% maximum.
A really powerful mage with a Cast Ritual score of 17 (The maximal score I allow for skills) therefore has a maximum chance of success of 50% (17 -15 +5 +2 +1 = 10 or less on a D20 =50%) for casting the most powerful ritual imaginable (attaining godhood, wiping out a galaxy, and similar stuff). Considering the effects of backfires, the mage won't try to cast a ritual of such power without a VERY good reason, after all, the player will have a 50% chance of loosing his loved character.
Of course you may assign any other special modifiers as needed, but it worked well that way in my campaign .

Casting Rituals:

Casting a ritual requires several steps:

1. Sketching out what the mage whants to achieve.
2. Information gathering.
3. Researching the design.
4. Gathering ingredients.
5. Preparing the settings.
6. Casting the ritual.
7. Sealing the effects.
Step one: Sketching the aims:

This step usually evolves from play. Once a mage declares his intention to cast a ritual, he probably knows what he wants to achieve in general terms. Now he should think about and write down the exact effects that he wants to achieve and hand a copy to the GM. Once this stage is completed, only minor changes should be allowed by the GM, so the mage should think very carefully before completing this step.

Example:
The mage decides he wants to transform into a dragon. Thus he specifies this further: He wants to attain the dragon's form (eg. physical characteristics), but would like to remain his own psyche. Furthermore, he'd like to obtain a dragon's innate abilities, like firebreathing, shapechanging, etc. he writes this down and hands a copy to the DM. There's usually no skill check required at this stage, but the DM might demand an Intelligence check or something similar if the player missed something obvious that the character should possibly know, but the player does'nt. The time required for this stage is usually negotiable.

Step two: Information gathering:

Now it is time to know what possibilities exist to achieve an effect as desired by the mage. This usually involves library research, contacting other spellcasters, and so on, until the mage has enough information to start step three. It may also require more in-depth research about the subject of the spell. If the mage wants to banish an arch-enemy to the abyss, for example, he should have to find out as much as possible about the subject: aims, dislikes, history and so on. If the mage wants to do a ritual that transforms him into a true dragon, he would have to spend quite some time in company of dragons, while learning as much as possible about the psyche, life and powers of dragons, he would have to earn their trust, maybe adventure with them and share their lives.
The mage will also have to know what ingredients will most probably be usefull before proceeding to step three.
The mage might need access to lab, which will vary in cost depending on the power of the ritual. The more powerful the ritual, the better equipped the lab has to be. Time needed may range from a week to a year.

Example:
The mage visits the local library, looking for texts about dragons, legends, songs, historical entries, related spells etc. After this first informations, lets say he thinks he found a place where dragons are thoght to live. He sets out to study these dragons, live with them, maybe kill one to delve into dragon anatomy. As you can see, this is dangerous enough...After some time the player studied dragons, the DM decides that this should suffice.
The DM might demand skill checks on Legends&Lore, History, Library Use or whatever he deems appropriate for the library research part of this step.The other part will probably reqire some Charisma or Fellowship check as well as decent roleplaying. Time reqired: about one month for library research etc, maybe about half a year to a year for studying the dragons, depending on whether the mage breaks of the research to go adventuring in-between.

Step three: Researching the design:

Once the mage has all the knowledge he needs, he should withdraw into his study and research the ritual. This can take from a week for a minor magical effect up to a year for a world-shattering spell. The Design of a ritual is a written instruction, similar to spell written down in a spellbook. A Design describes all parts of casting the ritual. The player should work this out and write it down. Preparation, precautions, and casting should all be detailed on the design, as a step-by-step set of instructions. Depending on how imaginative and colourful the description is, the player should be awarded experience. Flavour and atmosphere are the keywords, not game mechanics.
The DM should add additional information on possible backfires (keep this secret for greatest effect). The mage needs a place where he is undisturbed, and usually two to forty weeks of work, depending on the power of the ritual.
A succesful Intelligence test should be required to create a flawless design (Make a hidden roll so the player does not know whether the copy is flawed or works right.). If this test is not passed, roll a hidden Wisdom or Insight test, to determine if the mage recognizes the flaw in his design. If the flaw is discovered, the mage may again spend half the time he needed to devise the design to correct it, if not, it will automatically backfire.

Example:
After he has got all the information he needs, the mage withdraws to his chambers and laboratory to devise the design. He decides he needs a dragon that is killed during the course of the ritual, so he may transfer his mind into the dragon's body and the DM approves this method. Another possibility would have been to use a shapechanging method, but the mage prefers the first one...he never was a nice guy, after all. With the basics of the ritual in mind, the player then writes down the design. You can find the sample design in Appendix A.


Step four: Gathering the ingredients:

Depending on the power of the ritual, this can be quite messy for the mage. Most ingredients and materials should be readily obtainable, such as candles, braziers, etc, but one or two can be more of a problem, depending on the kind of ritual. This will probably mean that the mage has to set out adventuring to find the ingredients.
The mage will have to pay 500 to 100 000 GP or more for the materials, time is at least two weeks with a usual maximum of ten weeks for the ingridients money can buy.

Example:
The special ingredient that is not normally obtainable is the dragon, so the mage and his fellows set out to capture one. Assuming they succeed, the mage spends some time buying the more mundane materials, such as dcandles, braziers etc. But considering the mage's gains should the ritual succeed, the DM states that the mage also needs a sword of dragonslaying with which he has to kill the dragon during the ritual. Time required is about one or two weeks for the mundane components, while the special components should be aquired through adventuring.

Step five: Preparing the setting:

In order to conduct the ritual properly, the scene should be set very carefully. Placing magical symbols, wards, etc, drawing summoning circles and pentagrams, instructing the assistants, if any, all belong into this stage that usually happens immediately before the casting, although not necessarily. Some rituals may require a proper place with a distinct atmosphere that enhances or enables the effect to take place. Depending on the nature of the ritual, this can be as few as one hour up to weeks spent in meditation and preparation. Monetary expenses are usually low.

Example:
The mage decides the ritual might work better if cast in the dragons cave, where his presence is still strong. The wicked DM decides that this actually imposes a penalty, as the mage has to overcome the dragons presence as well in order to successfully cast the spell. So he travels to the dragons cave and sets up the scene: He draws the symbols on the floor, places candles, instructs his apprentices, secures the dragon to his designated place and so on. He might as well have all his stuff brought along when he captured the dragon, provided he did think of this.The time reqired is about half a day.
 
Step six: Casting the ritual:

The mage now primarily follows the instructions laid out in the Design. This is the most simple and the most crucial stage, as any undiscovered flaw in the Design or some other component will now take effect, costing only the mage's life if he's lucky. Money is not required at this stage, and time can be from an hour to several weeks.

Example:
The mage then begins casting the ritual, following the instructions of the design. The ritual reaches its climax when the mage rises his sword high over his head, chanting the final words before sinking the sword deep into the dragons heart. Provided he made no mistakes and passes his final dice roll, the mages soul will now be transferred into the dragons body. He would be lucky if he'd taken some measures to heal the dragon after the ritual. Time required is about four hours. Let's say he has Cast Ritual skill with a score of 15, which is modified by -7 for power, +5 because the player has spent some time to think about it and roleplayed very well when he studied the dragons and gathered information, and -2 because his fellow adventurerers have never before assisted in casting a ritual, which would leave him with a modified score of 11. This equals a 60% chance to succeed.

Step seven (optional): Sealing the ritual:

This step is only required when the rituals effects should be permanent. Deciding whether this step is required is a bit tricky. For example, a ritual that gives the mage information will not need it, as the effect ends as soon as the mage knows everything he wanted to find out by this ritual, but a ritual that holds someone in a forcecage for example would need it, as it is the ritual that powers the effect. I've made this optional, as it is rather difficult to come up with a proper way of sealing a ritual. You might demand it for the powerful rituals. Time required is usually short, as it is more a part of the actual casting than a separate step.

Example:
The mage wants to remain in his new state of existence, so he seals the ritual by binding his soul to the new body.He achieves this by burning his old body as soon as takes possesssion of the dragon's body.

KoboldMafia

  • Outlander
  • **
  • Posts: 64
  • Semper Fidelis, Intemporaliter Lacerta
Re: Platinum / Magic Weapons
« Reply #68 on: June 30, 2008, 03:40:02 AM »
They're called Power Rituals.