Topic: Feedback Wanted: Elemental Gems

[arakish]

I came up the idea of Elemental Gems for my upcoming Onaviu campaign.  Others may have created the same idea.  Please give me some further ideas on this.

Elemental Gems



Author's Note: The image above was a hash-up I made in about 30 to 40 minutes.  It is not finalized and open to feedback.

Also called the Milvarmirn, after the substance from which they are made, milvar, the Elemental Gems get their color and appearance from the elemental force contained within.

Milvar is a colorless, non-metallic elemental substance twenty times denser and five times harder than diamond, and can only be worked through hyperphysical means.

Excepting the Master Elemental Gem and The Void Elemental Gem, each gem gives the attuned user/possessor a +50 bonus to any roll involved with the usage of the elemental force of the gem.  For example, if you have the Air Elemental Gem and are attuned to it, you would receive a +50 to all rolls involved with using/controlling the elemental force of Air.

The gem also allows the attuned user/possessor to cast an elemental bolt 3×/day and an elemental wall 2×/day.

Additionally, the gem gives the attuned user/possessor a +25 DB and RR bonus versus the gem's elemental force.

The Void and the Master Gem are special gems.

The Void gem can absorb an unlimited amount of power/energy.  The attuned user/possessor must hold the Void gem in one hand while holding his other hand in a defensive manner as if fending/blocking against a thrown object.  This will tend to make the user/possessor practically invulnerable against any form of power/energy attack.  However, using the Void gem in such a manner precludes any other actions except 10% movement rate, for the user must keep his/her full attention on the battle so as to prepared for power/energy attack.  Basically, the power/energy is shunted into The Void through the gem.  For those who are familiar with UNIX/Linux, this is similar to sending stuff into the /dev/null device.  Any power/energy attack the user/possessor is NOT aware of will not be stopped by this gem.

The Master Gem allows the attuned user/possessor to use the elemental force of any other elemental gem s/he possesses and is attuned to.  Simply change the elemental force of any elemental spell to the desired elemental force, regardless of the users elemental specialization.

Well, that is what came up with in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Thanks for any feedback.

rmfr

[markc]

 What system are you using, RM2/C or RMSS/FRP?


 Also can you explain the Master Gem in more detail? Right now after 3 hours of sleep it seems to elude me and it does not seem so Master like.
MDC

[arakish]

Q: What system are you using, RM2/C or RMSS/FRP?

A: RMFRP since I will be using the Fire & Ice as further guidelines.

Q: Also can you explain the Master Gem in more detail?

A: Perhaps this will help?  Example: Suppose you are an Elementalist specialized in Air.  You also possess and are attuned to the Master, Earth, and Fire Elemental Gems.  Through the Master Gem, you would be able to cast elemental spells composed of Air, Earth, or Fire.  Although the elementalist's spells will still be based on the Air lists, the caster will be able to choose whether to have the spell effects composed of Air, Earth, or Fire, but must choose before casting the spell.

rmfr

[providence13]

These items appear very powerful for my style of play. +50 is a lot. 

For my games, I would make each gem interrupt the effects of other types around it. +50 for one elemental area may give a commensurate penalty to another. Or maybe attuning to one gives a penalty (-50 in this case) to attune to another. It's possible to have more than one, but not likely.

To be really nasty, the user could qualify as an 'elemental' type being after attuning and be subject to 'elemental' slaying effects, enhanced crits, elemental corruption, etc.

[VladD]

the +50 bonus to any operation regarding that element is quite stark. Perhaps you could vary the amount of power the gems convey by the amount of gem you have at hand, so that 1 ct. (carat) of elemental gem gives +5, 2 ct. +10, etc.

Also there should be penalties for holding on to opposite gems (although Fire and Ice doesn't really know this concept) or perhaps if you have a fire gem in your left hand (wielding it) and a water gem in your pocket, the power of the gem is halved. (As per triad)

As for the Master gem: Maybe it also could render the other gems less powerful or even powerless, to protect from enemies that acquired their own gem. The Void gem and the Master gem could also have some bane powers against each other. I'm assuming these 2 Gem bearers will face each other inevitably.

Another thing is that each item should have quite an elaborate background, such as a list of owners, major battles it was present at and which cataclysms did users create with them, etc.

I like the idea of the gems. Thanks for sharing!

[GrumpyOldFart]

the +50 bonus to any operation regarding that element is quite stark. Perhaps you could vary the amount of power the gems convey by the amount of gem you have at hand, so that 1 ct. (carat) of elemental gem gives +5, 2 ct. +10, etc.

No more than +1 per carat, subject to either a maximum value or at least a diminishing return. Why? Because 5 carats is a gram, and in most precious stones that's something about the size of a bean. If you want that kind of power, requiring a gem the size of a golf ball and weighs a quarter ounce doesn't seem too much to ask. If you have Treasure Companion, look at the gem table, the carat weights given for a 1cm diameter sphere... they average 10-15 ct.

[VladD]

I was merely giving examples. I have no way of knowing how rare these gems are, even whether or not they are found in nature, or are created. A 1 ct. diamond is pretty common, but a 5 ct. diamond is not and therefore pretty valuable as the price per ct. goes up per ct. weight of the stone. This Milvar stuff is 5 times harder and many times more precious; I was just being conservative.

I was also wondering what would happen if such a stone was incorporated in a magic item, such as a ring, or as a rod endcap?
Maybe such an item would get a huge boost in the elemental department; such as granting whole spell lists to the wielder (of the corresponding elemental type) and making embedding high lvl spells more easy. I'd personally would take out the +50 bonus (because its power is being used for something else) and replace it with a lower value (+25).

[arakish]

Now that I think of it, perhaps I should have said where the idea ultimately came from.  Although I had purchased the Fire & Ice back in 2004 or 2005, I never really read/studied it until the last month.  Was just too busy with work, college, new home, new lady friend, later switching jobs, etc.

While I was reading the Fire & Ice, I was also re-reading The Silmarillion.  Instead of gems that captured the True Light, I decided that an Arcane Elementalist Forger, with the help of Master Elementalists, created the Elemental Gems.  As Fëanor said, "...there [are] some deeds that [one] may accomplish but once only...  ...never again shall [any] make their like..."

So...  Basically, the Elemental Gems would be Artifacts, if not Legendary Artifacts.  They are one-of-a-kind gems, never to be repeated.  Although the image I hashed up in the first post does not show any kind of size, I planned on the gems being about 2½ cm major axis diameter and a minor axis diameter half of that (1¼ cm).  That gives them a total volume of about 32.75 cm³.  Thus, they would weigh about 2300 g (2.3 kg, or about 5 pounds).  And that is for each gem.  All 10 would weigh about 23kg or about 50 pounds.  Remember, I listed the density as 20× that of diamond which is about 3.5 g/cm³.  Thus, milvar would be about 70 g/cm³.

I might rethink that density.  However, remember milvar does not exist naturally.  It is literally an artificially created elemental substance through supernatural means, much like the silma in the silmarils.  In this case elemental means like helium is an element, not as fire is an element.  Milvar is completely colorless and transparent, or in technical terms, it is lucid.

The +50 may seem a bit high, but look at some of the bonuses for the Artifacts and Legendary Artifacts listed in the Treasure Companion and the Creatures & Treasures books.  With just a casual glimpse through the Artifacts, I constantly saw +25, +30, +40, +50, +60 bonuses all over.  Although keyed, I even saw one bonus of +75!  Wow!

As VladD mentioned, a history for each gem would be required.  Or, I could just say that the "elves" felt they were treasures so valuable, like the silmarils, and have kept them locked away.  Perhaps kept them locked away for the time when they would be needed.  Perhaps a prophecy of "the one who can wield all the elements" without penalty or harm.

I also like the idea of using the penalties when trying wield more than one gem at a time.  Page 23 of Fire & Ice gives a listing of how elements are compliment, neutral, source, or scourge of each other.  Perhaps make the gems follow that.  Example, an Air Elementalist could actually have a -50 modifier for controlling Light through the Light gem since Light is the Scourge of Air.  This will take some work.

Keep the feedback coming because there may be others who may wish to use this idea.

rmfr

[GrumpyOldFart]

Although the image I hashed up in the first post does not show any kind of size, I planned on the gems being about 2½ cm major axis diameter and a minor axis diameter half of that (1¼ cm).  That gives them a total volume of about 32.75 cm³.  Thus, they would weigh about 2300 g (2.3 kg, or about 5 pounds).  And that is for each gem.  All 10 would weigh about 23kg or about 50 pounds.  Remember, I listed the density as 20× that of diamond which is about 3.5 g/cm³.  Thus, milvar would be about 70 g/cm³.

Okay, so carrying one is about like carrying a cannon ball. There's a nice little limiting factor right there, especially if you have to have one in hand and gesture with it in any fashion.

Betcha bad things would happen if you fired one from a catapult. 

[arakish]

And for a better visual aid...



The stone in my hand is about 38.1 cm³, slightly larger than the above gems.  Imagine a gem that size weighing as much as the two rocks on either side (5.1 pounds).

And as GOF said, that makes for one limiting factor.  One definitely could not wear all the gems in a necklace...

rmfr

[GrumpyOldFart]

One couldn't hide it in a beltpouch either, it would sink through your change and stretch the bottom out... like a really small cannon ball.

[Mordenkainen]

Nice ideas there! You should submit it to TGC as an article.

[arakish]

Here is what I came up with on the bonuses.

See bottom of page 23 of Fire & Ice for the table of the element relationships.

The standard +50 applies to same element as the gem's elemental force.

Table Listing		Bonus
N dash (-)		+50
Source		+25
Complement		+10
Neutral		+0
Scourge		-50

Example: If you have the Fire gem and are attuned to it, then you would have a +50 for Fire,  +25 for Water, +10 for Light, +0 for Earth and Air, but a -50 for Ice.

Reasoning: Since Fire is scourge of Ice, then you would have the least capability of controlling Ice.

Of course, my logic may be totally wrong.  Need to re-read and re-study Fire & Ice.  Or, if someone here knows Fire & Ice better than I and enlightens me...

rmfr

[yammahoper]

ELemental Gems are a great idea.  The bonuses would naturally  vary from game to game, power level to power level.

A "power gem" could be required to learn spell list, as mastery of the gems innate nature and power grants increased spell knowledge.  For GM's that want a good reason to restrict early spell list access, or even throughout the campaign world, element and power gems make great sense.

Gems are also a great way to explain power points.  They can be focuses or the very source of the pp's.  Mages may need to store there pp in a gem, requiring long periods of meditation and possible power point limits based on skill, stats, gem type/nature/size/etc.

When I used power gems (the dried blood of the gods spilled long ago), each provided access to  spell list.  Attunement was required, and spell casting was a skill.  Each gem required a seperate attunement skill.  Spell casting level was based on PC's level, and dificulty of spell casting mnvs were based on difference between spell level and casters level.  Baically a modification to esf rules, as this ws way back in the 80's

[providence13]

I've done something similar in my game. The Mystic has acquired a large, 300lbs crystal that is of Mentalism. After they finally got it back to base, he Attuned to it. I told him that if he spent the DP, next lvl, he could learn the Power's Master Spell List. Everyone needs more PP in my games so he was pretty happy. 

[arakish]

Nice ideas there! You should submit it to TGC as an article.

And I did.  Peter Mork emailed me back saying that it will be edited and published.  Don't expect to see it @ TGC until January.  Unless the editor is really good and gets it done quickly enough for December.

rmfr

[mocking bird]

So...  Basically, the Elemental Gems would be Artifacts, if not Legendary Artifacts.  They are one-of-a-kind gems, never to be repeated.

So they are creations then?  That would be a story arc in themselves.  Deciding on what they are might help in deciding what they do.  For example created by mortals, gods or unique natural occurrances?  The first thing I thought of was they are super condensed element - kind of like that found in white dwarfs or black holes.

[arakish]

Just noticed during my lunch break.  TGP published the article.

Elemental Gems

rmfr

[Fornitus]

I always liked the Ill-Earth Stone and the Banes from Thomas Covenant. Never thought of Elemental versions though. What do you think of their influence on a characters mind? Like Fire reducing their SD due to extra rage or whatnot......

[arakish]

Nice idea.  Feel free to add such if desired.

I like it.

rmfr