Topic: Individual spell development and high level spells

[Jengada]

I've used individual spell development for years, but I'm building a high-level NPC and have run into a gap in the rules. Gaps in a list have to be bought, so for example, a Magician working on Shield Mastery has to pay 1 DP to buy the gap at 1st level (or 4th) to get to higher level spells. This is all straightforward p to 20th level. There are blank slots/gaps, and they cost points to move beyond.
But there are never spells at 21st-24th level, everything jumps to 25th, then 30th, then 50th. These cost more for the spells in those slots, but does the Magician have to pay for 21-24 as blank slots? That seems both excessively costly and counter to the way the original "List picks E" model worked. Does anyone know of a clarification or have experience working with this at higher levels?

(If they do have to pay, then why not just make the 25th/30th/50th costs even higher than they are, reflecting the 1+2+3+4=10 DP cost of buying the always-empty 21-24 slots? Getting from 30th to 50th is going to cost an extra 190 DP if that whole gap has to be bridged!)

[nash]

You need to buy 21st through 25th.   Yes it's expensive.  But it's 25th level spell.

An E pick was a single spell remember; which is the equivalent to 10 ranks of a B pick.

[MisterK]

In addition, there is nothing that prevents the mage to research new spells in the 21-24 (and 26-29, and so on...) range. It's just that no spells are provided as standard. But the slots are available.

[Jengada]

I can go with this for the gaps up to 30th level. But here's some math on things from there.
An average 50th level mage (few and far between!) will have 41 DP (I've got a monte carlo stat gain script, this is based on 300 characters run up to 50th level.) It will cost them 190 to buy the blank slots from 31-49, and then 32 to buy the 50th level slot, total of 222 DP. That's all of their DP for 5.5 levels. By the time they reach 50th, they can have only learned three 50th level spells, at the expense of all of those DP plus neglecting all other skills for that time.
I've never worked with characters at these levels, but I wonder what a fighter, thief, or non-caster would gain over those 20 levels, and are things still balanced? I have no idea.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

It will cost them 190 to buy the blank slots from 31-49, and then 32 to buy the 50th level slot, total of 222 DP. That's all of their DP for 5.5 levels

Uh, what? It costs 190 points to buy the blank slots from 31-49 IN ONE GO. Said character may just buy one blank slot each level, which costs 1 DP…

[Jengada]

It will cost them 190 to buy the blank slots from 31-49, and then 32 to buy the 50th level slot, total of 222 DP. That's all of their DP for 5.5 levels

Uh, what? It costs 190 points to buy the blank slots from 31-49 IN ONE GO. Said character may just buy one blank slot each level, which costs 1 DP…

The RC III version does say "purchased for that character level" but wasn't there a later clarification or correction that tied it just to the number of blanks in a row, not blanks in a row in one set of DP?
I'd prefer the RC III approach, really. The character could split the 19 blank slots over 19 levels and each would only cost one, then add in the 32 for the 50th level spell.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

The RC III version does say "purchased for that character level" but wasn't there a later clarification or correction that tied it just to the number of blanks in a row, not blanks in a row in one set of DP?

There was? For RM2?

[Jengada]

The RC III version does say "purchased for that character level" but wasn't there a later clarification or correction that tied it just to the number of blanks in a row, not blanks in a row in one set of DP?

There was? For RM2?

I thought there was, but you know how it can be looking for something across all of the Companions. Or remembering whether something was RM2 or RMSS. I can't find it, so I'm just going to go with the theory that I missed the "character level" wording in RC III. It makes it much less expensive.
This just leaves me wondering if, when a spell is developed that falls at level 21-24, is that still in the D pick category or does E start at 21? I don't think that's anywhere in the books, but I'm wondering if anyone's made that call before.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

This just leaves me wondering if, when a spell is developed that falls at level 21-24, is that still in the D pick category or does E start at 21? I don't think that's anywhere in the books, but I'm wondering if anyone's made that call before.

SL clearly defines a D portion as one that "includes all spells on the list through level 20 (10-20th level)" so 21-24th level spells are definitely E picks.