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Re: Magic Item creation: Notes D thru H. What? What???



Hmm.  I was under the impression that they were intended to support calculating the worth of the item in terms of "fair market value."  In other words, the whole point was to find out how much you were going to be charging someone to make it for them.  If you are making it for yourself, you wouldn't even bother with the notes.  But now you've got me wondering...

I wonder if Steve Jackson would answer a question on that?  Though at this late date, he might not remember either.  It's been what?  30+ years?

v/r
Jeff



From: Rick Smith <rick_ww@lightspeed.ca>
To: tft@brainiac.com
Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2016 1:48 PM
Subject: Magic Item creation: Notes D thru H. What? What???

Hi all,
At the bottom of the magic Item creation table there are the following notes:


D    This spell takes 10 weeks.  Add 10% to the value of the UNDERLYING item (including the value of the spells already on it, if any) BEFORE adding on the value of the spell.

E    An 18 week spell.  As above but add 20%

F    A 25 week spell.  As above but add 30%

G    A 40 week spell.  As above but add 50%

H    A 70 week spell.  As above but DOUBLE the underlying value.
        (Note, no items on the table are 70 week spells.)


    These rules seem simple enough on the surface, but what are they for?
What was Steve Jackson trying to capture with these rules?


    Cost of security?  That does not make sense.  A crystal ball requires
a $500 glass and is a G type item.  Do we need security for the $500
glass bauble?  It does not become valuable until the END of the 40 weeks.

    I can see needing security for our lab.  Let us say that we have a
find bastard sword (+2 damage, +1 DX bonus) made out of Dwarven
Phosphours-Bronze that has flaming weapon, charm, insubstantiality
(against armor), and hammer touch on it.  This weapon is worth a fortune! 

    Now we decide to put a +1 weapon / armor enchantment on it.  This is a
1 week spell, with an A type note.  No security needed, it is an A type
enchantment! 

    Now wait, you might argue.  This is the 5th enchantment on the item
so it will actually take 16 weeks.  Should not it be a D type note?  Well,
yes, but that is not how the notes work as written.


    The more I think about these rules, the less sense they make to me.


    Does anyone have an idea of what these note are for?  I am doing
a revision of the magic items and I am tempted to just dump them.


    Warm regards, Rick.


     
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