Keith the Thief wrote:That's a good idea.I'd been thinking a staff might be good workaround. The staff could have charges (i.e, spells) available to the MU.And that would give the MU a Gandalf look, but I hadn't figure out how to incorporate the MU's Intelligence into that scheme.In your scroll idea the MU could gain some advantage from a higher intelligence.
Serian wrote:Here's a homebrew stick for you, too (vintage 1980's, sometime from my high school campaign days):Staff of Spell Storing This magical staff functions much like a ring of spell storing. It can store either cleric spells, magic user spells, or any combination of the two. It is usable by a member of either the cleric or magic user class, or any subclass thereof, regardless of the type of spells stored. The staff can contain any number of first through fourth level spells, up to a limit of 25 total spell levels. The spells stored in the staff function at the 8th level of magic use for all spells stored, regardless of the level of the caster who stored them in the staff. Casting a spell from the staff requires no components other than the staff itself, however standard device activation time still applies to initiative. An attempt to store a spell of 5th or higher level of any type in the staff , or attempting to store more spell levels than its capacity, will cause it to explode as per a retributive strike. The wielder may also voluntarily break the staff in a retributive strike. (For information regarding the retributive strike, see the description of the staff of the magi; count each spell level in the staff as equal to one charge.) If a staff of spell storing is left "empty" of spells for longer than 30 days, it loses all magical properties and becomes a normal, nonmagical staff.
Scathaigh wrote:In the opposing direction, how long would it remain charged without expenditure or usage of the stored spells before there is a magical decay affect, and the stored magics drain away or do something else?
Serian wrote:It is an interesting concept. If one uses simply the established rules and examples in the DMG, a charged magical device can remain so indefinitely, as there is no precedent for such magical decay. On the other hand, to use such a ruling would certainly keep the players attentive. :-)
FormCritic wrote:Given such a rule...wouldn't one expect those magic items, long lost in dungeons deep, to be totally decayed and worthless when the adventurers find them?
Gnat the Beggar wrote:Maybe a staff would loose one charge per one year of inactivity.A hundred charge capacity staff looses all charges after 100 years of inactivity.Example 2: Perhaps a ring might hold the charges much longer but could not store nearly as many charges as a staff would.Perhaps place a limit of 10 charges (Max) for rings, loosing one charge per decade of non-use.
sauromatian wrote:What if the magic item uses dark energy, should an inverse function of the above work?
Keith the Thief wrote:how did wizards cast spells in REH, Moorcock, or Zelazny?Any of those use anything that could be incorporated into an old school rules set?
sauromatian wrote:Maybe someone can fill in for REH, but I mostly recall a barbarian's perspective, that magic is too weird to understand. Moorcock's wizards summon spirits to perform the work, while Zelazny used a number of descriptions - Amber had the Cosmological Anthropic Principle from quantum physics, alongside gnosticism.Players of magic users could incorporate these systems into gaming like so:Howard inspired: I'm too dumb to figure out this magic chart.Moorcock inspired: Will you figure out this magic chart for me? I'm too much of a prima donna, & besides you owe me for the last pizza.Zelazny inspired: The DM doesn't properly understand this magic chart, only I do, for I am a god among rules lawyers. I'm going to march off in a huff to form my own gaming group, although I might return with obnoxious friends from time to time, just to cause trouble.
FormCritic wrote:Better just to go with the rules as written rather than hassle over this rule varient.
