Topic: cost for weapons

[Dirz]

If I well remember, in RM2 there was an optional rule somewhere ruling:
"You can spend 1/2 the normal cost for the main weapon category, rising to double ALL other weapon categoryes"

Is my memory temp stat gone extremelly low, or am I right?

And if this rule existed, do you think it will be unbalancing or not?

I intend to use it for pure spell users, having them develop only one rank in the main weapon, but developing it.

[Marc R]

I think this is a RoCo1 background option.

"Skill At Arms" list.

I beleive it's "Directed Weapons Master"

[Dirz]

no, I read the "Directed Weapons Master", but it's not what I remember.

It was something letting my old Archmage to develop his 2H sword (I loved the idea of a mage with a 2H sword) developing it at a cost of 5 instead of 9.

But probably my stats are going lower and lower 

[Marc R]

"Natural Weapons Master"? same list of BGOs in RoCo1?

I do recall what you're talking about, I could just swear it's one of the BGOs in RoCo1. . .

[Dirz]

again ... no ... it states that can develop a weapon category as a skill and then apply this rank bonus to all weapons in the group ... but don't mind ... I will not risk something untested ... have my magician develop only rarely on his weapon ... after all ... he's a magician, not a fighter 

[Marc R]

Isn't "Directed weapons master" allow the proto-everyman? i.e. 3 ranks for 2?

Let me look..

Yeah, it's 3 for 2 in one category, and you pay 50% more for all other categories. . .

That's pretty close to what you asked for up top. . .the effect would be to pay 66% for one cat, and 150% for all others. . for a 9/20/etc mage type that would become 6/30/etc. . .

It's effectively a cost of 6, since it costs 9 for one, then 9 for 2, then you get 3 for free, so it's 3 for 18 or 6 each. . .

Not exactly what you were looking for 5/40/etc. . .but 6/30/etc seems close enough.

[Balhirath]

No, it's not the BG Dirz is thinking about.
It's an optional rule from Spell Users Companion (Page 27) called Martial Mage, that allow spellcasters to half the cost of their first weapon, if the cost of all the other weapons is raised by 50%.

[Marc R]

sounds like a SUC rule. . . .a free BGO. . .(as if 30 is any more a penalty cost than 20.)

[Dirz]

Yes, that's it ... tnks Balhirath ... I was going absolutely mad about that rule!!!!

LordMiller is anyhow right ... it was only a funny way to let mages develop a weapon to a decent degree ... immagine a 9th level Druid (he is payng only 6 for a weapon, instead of ordinary 9) ... with 30DP expended (lev 0 to lev 9) he will have 10 rnks for a total of +50 OB

The same fighter will have +70 from ranks + 27 from level bonus ... +97 OB .... and will obviously have better stats.

I remember I used it as an Archmage (they have a good spell list for weapons, and it was funny to have it use the spells on himself)

[thrud]

Hmmm, Lord Miller might just be onto something here.
Pure magic users have the option of spending 1 Background option to become Martial Mages.

Or would it be ok to be generous and just let the mage choose it at no cost?

[Marc R]

The litmus test of:

"If a flaw doesn't penalize you in play, it's not a flaw"

is important here.

A 20 cost is prohibative, as are 30 and 40 costs. . .really you'd be a bit of a goof to buy any ranks at any of those three costs. . .so balancing a reduction of the first 9 cost weapon category by increasing all of the 20 rank costs is really a non flaw.

This is akin to a rule of "Fighters can pick one realm, which they can purchase open lists at 1/2 cost (10 DP) while all other SLA costs are doubled to 40."

That fighter will never purchase a single rank at 40, so the balancing flaw isn't a flaw. . .which makes the reduced cost a freebie with no practical balance factor. I feel the same way about that SUC option. . .at least with the "Directed Weapon Master" BGO, there is a cost of 1 BGO.

[thrud]

I like that option for the fighter, it would make arms users more attractve.