stored spells

[potestas]

i was thinking of a concept that would allow wizards to store thaumaturgy spells for later use. I would tie it to lore allowing one stored spell per point. Because its thaumaturgy there would be no cost invoking it. No limit to strength or power like enchanted items and potions. The amount of stored spells could be increased with refresh on a one for one basis.The spell could be stored on an item or taken internally like a potion but not active until invoked. So a basic transformation spell could be invoked pretty quickly lasting like a thaumaturgy but as quick as evocation. Its better then evothaum because it can be a full ritual spell stored.

[blackstaff67]

Si, it's basically instant stored Thaumaturgic spell with no limit to it strength, one-shot, ready to go at a moment's notice?  Sounds like something someone of Plot Device level would bestow on a temporary basis.  I'm fine with that, not so much with PC wizards making them without at least gobs and gobs of prep work.  I must admit, I'm kinda against it   Sounds something like a really powerful enchanted item.

[potestas]

oh yeah it would be imagine most wizards pushing the limit could probably make spells around 15 easy then they store them for use later. I figured if they messed up any of the rolls or stories they would have to start over and they wouldn't be able tap their skill the next time around that sort of thing. Still they would be sitting on a lot of firepower essentially enchanted items with a much higher limit. Got the idea from Kim Harrison books

[Sanctaphrax]

So...enchanted items without the limitations that make enchanted items fair?

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

[potestas]

casters would like it but  doubt anyone else would

[Tedronai]

I don't know.  Is this option available for 'cosmic vending machine' rituals? (ie. can my Pure Mortal walk around with a Walker in his back pocket?)

[blackstaff67]

I don't know.  Is this option available for 'cosmic vending machine' rituals? (ie. can my Pure Mortal walk around with a Walker in his back pocket?)

I'm gonna pit my Denarian against your Skinwalker!

[Quantus]

I don't know.  Is this option available for 'cosmic vending machine' rituals? (ie. can my Pure Mortal walk around with a Walker in his back pocket?)

This is about the only way I can think to allow it to work.  It would essentially be an extremely overpowered enchanted Item, but it would be heavily limited in both frequency of use and time of implementation.  So it wont be available every time you might want to use it (based on some predefined schedule), and it also will stop working (or get progressively less powerful) with each use; both would be up to the DM to adjudicate.

It's the sort of thing that I might consider as a way to shore up an otherwise unbalanced character that is having a hard time surviving with the rest of the party (say a purely social character in a party full of bruisers).  Otherwise it's mostly just sidestepping the system's balance.  Philosophically I always think that such things can always be worked around for the fun of all, but in practical application you are loosing some of the benefit of a tested and balanced system, and it will take an awful lot of extra effort and attention on the DM's part to keep it from slipping away. 

Another key point is also the actual nature of the spell.  A raw damage spell is clearly going to upset the balances, if one character is walking around with a bazooka in their pocket while the rest have pea shooters.  On the other hand, a ridiculously overpowered teleportation spell that is juiced enough to carry the whole party and bystanders makes the sort of plot device that might not actually impact too much once the DM knew to account for it.  So stay away from direct offensive magics or anything that would be directly opposed, but things like transportation, inter-party communication, or anything that is more social can work (so long as the DM realizes that it become Off the Table as a challenge/puzzle). 

[Mr. Death]

i was thinking of a concept that would allow wizards to store thaumaturgy spells for later use. I would tie it to lore allowing one stored spell per point. Because its thaumaturgy there would be no cost invoking it. No limit to strength or power like enchanted items and potions. The amount of stored spells could be increased with refresh on a one for one basis.The spell could be stored on an item or taken internally like a potion but not active until invoked. So a basic transformation spell could be invoked pretty quickly lasting like a thaumaturgy but as quick as evocation. Its better then evothaum because it can be a full ritual spell stored.

This is something like the Rune Magic sponsored magic we came up with a few years ago. The gist there, though, was you had to devote each Enchanted slot to one round of ritual casting.

So if you wanted a 15-shift, one-use spell, you had to cast it like a normal thaumaturgy spell, calling up power and controlling it each round, with a slot for each round. For my Valkyrie, this typically meant an 8-shift spell took up two item slots, etc.

[g33k]

I'm gonna pit my Denarian against your Skinwalker!

"Ursiel!    I choose you!!!"

[Taran]

Effectively, potions already do this. 

The base power of a ritual is your Lore
The base power of a potion is your Lore

You can make rituals more complex using declarations and FPs
You can make a potion more powerful with declarations and FPs. 

Assuming a base Lore of 5 and a focus item of +2, two skill declarations and a FP you can have an 13 shift ritual spell in your pocket.  A dedicated crafter would have more potent spells, obviously.

[blackstaff67]

This is something like the Rune Magic sponsored magic we came up with a few years ago. The gist there, though, was you had to devote each Enchanted slot to one round of ritual casting.

So if you wanted a 15-shift, one-use spell, you had to cast it like a normal thaumaturgy spell, calling up power and controlling it each round, with a slot for each round. For my Valkyrie, this typically meant an 8-shift spell took up two item slots, etc.

We actually use Rune Magic in my campaign. 

[Mr. Death]

We actually use Rune Magic in my campaign.

Cool What do you think of it? It was kind of my first attempt at homebrewing anything for this system (credit to Sancta for the help, of course).

[blackstaff67]

We call it 'Mission:Impossible' magic. 

Down side: Not a lot of flashy KABOOM! magic (unless you are trying to make humongous nine shift lightning rings, but we self-censor for that).  In any event, if ou wanted to do that, make a conventional mage.
Up side: Lots of applications for non-combat purposes such as an enchanted item for Rapport, Burglary, Stealth, etc. that a wizardly 'secret agent' would find handy plus you still can have a couple slots devoted to quick getaways (instants five-shift smokescreen! or still manage a quick KABOOM (instant five-shift fireball--ten shifts if you take your time and roll well).

For that matte, you could go crazy and make a really kewl Warden-type sword of your very own choosing (the Stunt: Occult Lore from the wikia resource page is a MUST for that purpose). 

I think it's a far better match to what potestas was trying to nail down without blowing up the game. 

[potestas]

Effectively, potions already do this. 

The base power of a ritual is your Lore
The base power of a potion is your Lore

You can make rituals more complex using declarations and FPs
You can make a potion more powerful with declarations and FPs. 

Assuming a base Lore of 5 and a focus item of +2, two skill declarations and a FP you can have an 13 shift ritual spell in your pocket.  A dedicated crafter would have more potent spells, obviously.

there isn't much difference in what i proposed and enchanted items/potions  except i was  looking for stuff stored internally so it couldn't be taken away and it storing this internally matches the other story line I kind of like. I was thinking of making a new type of never never critter that could cross evocation and thaumaturgy as their normal magic and pretty much store the results until needed with the effects always being permanent unless the spell was broken. i am going to keep the idea out of the hands of wizards. its not mortal magic