Hello everyone,
I have a question about the "Enchant Casting Tools" verditius inner mystery.
The effects described on page 124 of HoH:MC (fast casting, multiple casting, ...) may also be used for normal enchanted items, or an original research project is required for the integration? In the latter case a minor breakthorugh would be sufficient?
Thanks in advance for the answers.
The effects of enchant casting tools are limited to lesser devices only (in effect it has to be done in one season). It's a balance issue. Having not played with the virtue in a game I won't hazard a guess as to how much effort it should take to make it open to other device types. Certainly a charged device could get twice the level of a lesser device and an invested device wold allow you to work on your enchantment for several seasons. This big of a boost would certainly take some work.
Or do you mean that an enchanted item would serve as your casting tool and you'd use the rules as normal (i.e. forcing them to do the enchantment in a single season) just adding your casting tool enchantment to an invested device? That's far less abusable i might allow this without too much work (providing that it gives no additional bonuses, as it stands it looks like you don't get shape and material bonuses and I'd look at adding the +1 per similar art effect in the item already bonus, a talisman bonus or anything else). Perhaps I'd have this as a breakthrough made by some other verditious that the player could find in play without researching it themselves.
The Virtue states:
"Enchanted casting tools cannot be instilled with other magical powers, and cannot be used as a base for a lesser or greater enchanted item".
No mention is made of transferring the special abilities of casting tools to enchanted items, so but I would say it is clear that it is meant to be impossible: they are different things. Casting tools help cast, and modify, a spell that you are casting, and that is that.
So it would in fact require a breakthrough for each and every casting tool option to make it available as an enchanted device option. And at that, summon and dismiss should not be available at all, they are themselves effects, to be instilled separately in greater enchanted devices if desired. And really, most of them make little sense: quiet casting makes no sense because you can already specify a silent trigger, increase the spell casting roll is less effective that the bonus to Penetration you can already put in, fast casting doesn't work because you still have to manipulate the item to trigger it (unless you use Intelligo spells and spell triggers), and multiple casting... well, it does work, but you can already put in a Group effect if you have the Lab Total for it.
In fact, there's already a "Fast Trigger" option for items (HoH: Societas) invented by House Flambeau. +5 to effect level gives +3 to initiative rolls.
The benefits are mirrored in the existing mechanics but at different costs, and for good reason.
Integrating multicast into a Verditus Talisman would be, shall we say, just a wee bit imba. (10 abysmall flame multicast at 60 penetration each.... 
.....game not so fun anymore)
In fact, there's already a "Fast Trigger" option for items (HoH: Societas) invented by House Flambeau. +5 to effect level gives +3 to initiative rolls.
The benefits are mirrored in the existing mechanics but at different costs, and for good reason.
Integrating multicast into a Verditus Talisman would be, shall we say, just a wee bit imba. (10 abysmall flame multicast at 60 penetration each.... .....game not so fun anymore)
Ops, I missed this phrase.
This is an option that I have no considered, it's a good idea for a verditius.
Thanks for the info, I don't still have that book.
This is an option that we discussed, but we concluded that the target group can affect multiple people at once but not a single person with multiple "copies" of the spell, thing that you can do whit a multiple cast.
This is true, maybe you could increase the levels necessary for the effect modification (5 or 10 levels for added spell?) and require a greater number of points necessary for the breakthrough success (35 or 40 points).
I think that add the multicasting option into the magical items enchantment would be a good original research project for a verditius magus.
I dispute the "game not so fun" part ... there are plenty of ways to have a fun and challenging game, even with a character who can kill just about anything with fire. Killing has consequences, for one thing, which can make for good stories; and it won't make the farmer's daughter love you, or cement a trade alliance, or get your point of view accepted at Tribunal. (Not to mention that pesky hedge wizard who happens to be immune to fire....) If a player wants his magus to have ultimate killing power and is willing to spend years in the lab to accomplish it, that's as legitimate a goal as anything else.
There are so many ways to kill lots of people or supernatural creatures, that this is just a high powered one, but as gerg said, nothing bad with that per se. We hardly ever head that way IMS, but it is poerfeclty OK. We have a magus that travels inside a water sprout and another one that routinely animates 50-ish trees as bodyguards, after all.
Cheers,
Xavi