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From: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Limiting Magic
Message-ID: <4727@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 9-Apr-85 13:29:48 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4727
Posted: Tue Apr  9 13:29:48 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Apr-85 02:03:53 EST
References: <1179@reed.UUCP> <26000002@siemens.UUCP> <255@wuphys.UUCP>
Reply-To: srt@ucla-cs.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 25
Summary: 

> By the way, I have a really neat magic system, but it has one flaw that
> the obvious solutions won't really fix:  a magic user can go off and spend
> some huge amount of time making an arbitrary number of potions or enchanted
> swords or whatever and then carry huge amounts of magic with him.

Another solution to this problem is to exploit human nature.  People have a
very hard time trading short term gains for long term gains.  So, suppose
you have a player who says "Okay, my Wizard Flem is going to make potions
for a year".  You respond with "Okay, John, we'll see you in six weeks and
we'll make the rolls then to see what potions you made."  If the player
has other characters, make them stay behind to guard and aid the Wizard while
he cranks out magic items.

If a character wants to take a year to make potions, let him, but make sure
that all the other characters get to use that time to their advantage.
Even if you let the player run another character during that time, it will
be very difficult for him to leave his Wizard alone in a tower while all
the other characters plunder some dungeon somewhere.  This is particularly
effective if the other characters find some trinket that the Wizard has
wanted for a long time.  If only he had been along!

Actually, I don't like this solution much - it seems too antagonistic.  The
good thing is that you usually only have to apply it once.

							-- Scott Turner