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From: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP (Random)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Magic and Material Components
Message-ID: <177@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 16:15:51 EST
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.177
Posted: Wed Apr 24 16:15:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Apr-85 01:31:20 EST
References: <4950@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Reply-To: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP (Random)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 36

In reference to your discussion of talismans, how about this logic.

Talismans do not add to the spell's power because they are not consumed. However
they do allow modification of the spell according to their nature. The best
example of this that I could think of is a talisman for casting a fireball.
The talisman would have the effect of a lens (and might be made of a glass 
lens, quartz lens, diamond lens) and let the user either concentrate the
blast or expand it. The damage done would of course be increased or decreased
respectively. Imagine a 5th level mage using a fireball on one single 
nasty and concentrating it to 1/10th the area (the nasty's head) with
10 times the effect. Of course for the radical power of 10 times modification,
the lens would have to be made of something really esoteric and expensive.

					Random
					Research Triangle Institute
					...!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb

In article <4950@ucla-cs.ARPA> mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP writes:
>
>Because of this, I have in my own magic system instituted a system of material
>components and talismans that profoundly affect the spells with which they are
>used.  The basic idea is that using a material component makes it easier to
>achieve the desired effect, and makes more powerful effects possible than
>would be possible without them.
>
...
>
>About talismans, this topic is largely ignored by most rule systems, and I'm
>trying to put it into mine, but basically, a magician is trying to accentuate
>the effects and power of a spell through using a magic, holy (to the caster),
>historically valuable, or metaphysically significant object as an assistance
>in casting the spell.  What effects this has on the talisman I shudder to
>think, but the spell should be a bit, or a lot, stronger, or weaker, depending
>on the nature of the talisman used.  I'm using essentially the same mechanism
>as that for material components, which may get me into a lot of problems,
>but I'll find out in a hurry.