Spell research cost

[bestialwarlust]

How do you handle costs and expenditures when you have a magic user that wants to develop a new spell or research and learn an existing one?

[talysman]

Well, by the book, the math side of it is pretty easy. It works out to 100 gp per 1% chance of success for a 1st level spell, double that for each additional level. You could just ask the player how much they are spending, convert that to a chance, and roll. M&M seems to imply percentile dice, but I've converted this to a d20 roll.

But I suppose you are asking more about other issues not addressed in the books, like: If the first roll fails, are the expenditures lost, or do they carry over? Is there a difference in cost if the spell already exists? How does Intelligence affect research, if at all? I've thought and written a lot about these things, and my approach is still evolving. My current process is to use total cost for calculating chances of success. No expenditures are lost unless the d20 roll is higher than Intelligence. M-Us with a home base can create an arcane library, which is rated for a certain level. The library can be used to research spells of that level or lower, and the library's level is the minimum target number for spell research, as long as the M-U spends at least the minimum amount necessary for research. There's no adjustment for existing spells, but I've re-written Read Magic so that casting it to read a scroll or spellbook teaches you the spell in the scroll/spellbook, so that's a way to skip research costs for existing spells.

[Deleted]

B, could you elucidate a bit on what you're asking about? I'm assuming you want to move beyond the information on Volume 1, but I'm not sure what you're after.

[bestialwarlust]

Sorry it does seem a bit vague now that I read it. Do you go strictly by what is laid out in Volume 1 or do you expand on it? or have you just tossed out the suggested way of pricing spell research and come up with your own? How complex or costly is spell research in your games?
T
So far in mine I usually require the magic user to build a library/lab with a base cost usually 1,000 gp. Then he must invest in the cost of the library and spend the amount of money needed for the level he wishes to research.
So a library/lab to do first level spell research costs 2,000gp, this is in addition to the 1,000 gp base cost

[talysman]

My spell research costs, as suggested above, are pretty much identical to the rules as written, just expressed differently. I made my own d20-based table for spell research, but the costs work out the same. Note, though, that I use the table for a whole lot more than just researching new spells, so the base costs listed are for mundane research or investment. Multiply by 10 for magic, divide by 10 for one-shot/temporary items, like magic scrolls. This post on my blog gives a slightly more detailed explanation, including how to apply this to bribery, crafting mundane items, and other projects, with links to a couple other posts where I explored specific ideas like arcane libraries or building a shrine.

I try to keep spell research very simple. I've seen some interpretations of the by-the-book rules as requiring spell research rolls every week, and any failed rolled means starting over. I would just roll once at the end of the first research period, then again every week if the player continued to spend money on research. The only real wrinkle I introduced was reducing the risk of blowing it and having to start from scratch.

[bestialwarlust]

Jun 2, 2016 13:54:21 GMT -6 talysman said:

My spell research costs, as suggested above, are pretty much identical to the rules as written, just expressed differently. I made my own d20-based table for spell research, but the costs work out the same. Note, though, that I use the table for a whole lot more than just researching new spells, so the base costs listed are for mundane research or investment. Multiply by 10 for magic, divide by 10 for one-shot/temporary items, like magic scrolls. This post on my blog gives a slightly more detailed explanation, including how to apply this to bribery, crafting mundane items, and other projects, with links to a couple other posts where I explored specific ideas like arcane libraries or building a shrine.

I try to keep spell research very simple. I've seen some interpretations of the by-the-book rules as requiring spell research rolls every week, and any failed rolled means starting over. I would just roll once at the end of the first research period, then again every week if the player continued to spend money on research. The only real wrinkle I introduced was reducing the risk of blowing it and having to start from scratch.

Thanks I'll look those over