Topic: How do you handle power points?

[providence13]

Adders were rarely picked in our old games because the GM made them awkward to use/hold.
A starter adder might be a foot long cone. You had to hold it to use it.

But, everyone stated with something, so if their character died, it was more loot for the rest of the party... 

[Lord Garth]

Lord Garth, of course everyone wants to play casters in your games. You give them multipliers before they even start?

The smarter question would've been, What do you give non-spell casters? +5 magic armour and +5 non-magic weapon. Pure and Hybrid spell users have very limited options the first few levels with some notable exceptions. I see no use to limit them further by not allowing them to roll a wee more.

But in the end, of course, it all depends on the power level of your campaigns and me and my players obviously like our approach (20 years say we do).

[RandalThor]

Lord Garth, of course everyone wants to play casters in your games. You give them multipliers before they even start?

The smarter question would've been, What do you give non-spell casters? +5 magic armour and +5 non-magic weapon. Pure and Hybrid spell users have very limited options the first few levels with some notable exceptions. I see no use to limit them further by not allowing them to roll a wee more.

But in the end, of course, it all depends on the power level of your campaigns and me and my players obviously like our approach (20 years say we do).

The spell users definitely come out ahead in that deal. If the non-spell users got +15 to +20 items, it would be much more balanced. (IMO - at the very least a few +10 items, maybe 1 being magical in nature.) A measly +5 is really nothing in RM, even RM2/C - I usually play RMSS, which it is definitely next to nothing in. Being able to basically cast all your spells twice or three times normal is a very significant ability that far exceeds a mere +5 bonus. (Even though that bonus is always in effect.)

[yammahoper]

those +5's become a +10-15 DB gain, which is very significant, especially at 1st level.

+5armor.
+5shield.
+5weapon.

[RandalThor]

I still don't think so - especially compared to the spell users ability to cast twice as many spells. But I don't play (run, at least) gritty, low-powered games anyway, so a +10 to +15 in something isn't a big deal, to me.

[yammahoper]

Remember for low level spell casters, time to cast spells is their greatest weakness.  They might get one spell off in your average melee since they require two rounds prep for all their spells.

[Moriarty]

Remember for low level spell casters, time to cast spells is their greatest weakness.  They might get one spell off in your average melee since they require two rounds prep for all their spells.

Quoted for truth. Instead of PP multipliers and adders an item that reduced preparation times would be much more useful for low level (2+) spellcasters. Something like a staff +X to caster level for preparation times only.

[RandalThor]

Yes, casting time is important - and sometimes a life-or-death situation - but I still believe that having twice the number of PP is more than getting a few +5's, even if you get them so they stack. JMO. (I think that the biggest benefit to having some +5 items is that they are worth a lot of $$, and with the right character can net the group a serious amount of cash they can use to stock up with.)

That idea for an item that adds to the character's level for casting purposes is nice. STEAL! (Alright folks, nothing to see here. Move along, folks, move along.) Of course, I will use it for more than just spell preparation purposes...I will use it for all aspects of spell-casting: duration, range, etc.. This sounds like what a Staff of the Arch-Magus should be able to do, among other things.

[yammahoper]

You can use the general enchantment bonus for ESF modifiers.  A staff that has +20 to OB, ESF, Directed Spell and a x2pp is a worthy artifact indeed.  If the staff has an imbedded bolt spell, even the most maunty haul of players will be satisfied...the WORST of em will cry that it doesn't enhance DB...

[Marc R]

The mods for ESF on some of the CTI items ended up being the most powerful aspects of a lot of them when we used them.

[yammahoper]

The mods for ESF on some of the CTI items ended up being the most powerful aspects of a lot of them when we used them.

Very true.  Just a plus 10 means caters can cast there level without prep and very little chance of failure.