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Re: (TFT) How to make specializing in TFT work in other ways.



From: "Pasha and Rick Smith" <pnrsmith@istar.ca>
Subject: (TFT) How to make specializing in TFT work in other ways.
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 20:49:36 -0700

Hi all,
	Let us say that we don't have the *3 memory -4DX /
*2 memory -0DX rules that we currently have for heroes
taking talents / wizards taking talents.  What other ways
could we encourage characters to specialize into magic or
fighting?

Well, not popular among some TFT philosophers, but a way to encourage specialization is "Talent Packaging". This is where a Career is named, the appropriate talents (magical or heroic) are pulled together, and appropriate penalties are included. The package is purchased at a discount because it is a package deal. If no discount is given, then this is called a "Talent Template." This concept has been covered in other posts, though not for wizards.

A note on Wizard costs for Hero Talents... It might been brought up that a wizard might be described as one who is one with the magical universe and a priest is one who is one with the spiritual universe. If we might look at the ratios of wizards in TFT to lets say earth's medical profession, there might be some equivelants in terms of time spent to learn it and the number of doctors to public. Taking this posit, there are a wide range of views and practices in the healing arts. There are a wide range of style in participation of being a priest on Earth. One can have a heart surgeon who specializes in by-pass surgery in a fully equipped hospital. One can have a chinese acupuncture herbalist who practices healing in the rice paddies. One can have a rabbi who is a learned scholar in words and attends a powerful synagog. One can be a member of a monastary and has to farm with his fellows to live. If you inserted Magic for Healing Arts and for Religion, you would get wizards whose philosophies and culture demand different things from them.

The Wizard monastary would demand that they farm just as much as they make magic. I would bet that in that culture, farming is not going to cost 3 points or be foreign to these monastic wizards. Because they view the world as all one with the energy of magic, or that the only safety is to be hidden from view behind protective walls and be selfsufficient, or whatever, this basic "talent" is going to be ingrained in their philosophy as much as magic.

Same with the accupuncture shaman. He is going to know much about his herbs and animals. He would gain Naturalist probably easier than some cityslicker, because he is "one" with the natural surrounding he is "living" in.

I understand that non-Wizard talents for Wizard's cost 2x and that Hero Spells are three is a matter of keeping some type of identity seperation and balance. But there are some talent combinations that when linked up with a philosophical background that justifies it, might call for lower costs.

Here is some other view on the subject of specialization.

Below are not really Talent Packaging so much as a slight expansion of Character Creation on page 6 of ITL.

Some Alternate Wizard specalizations (because a type of job is a specialization if no one else is doing it.)

What about all the Wizard Class (as opposed to Hero Class) who have just gotten fed up with magic and perhaps the politics of it. The guy grew up in a generation of bakers and now he pines for his own baking shop. Probably before he was shipped to wizard apprenticeship, he worked in his father's bakery and recalls a thing or two. He could try to switch careers and perhaps magically cooks his bread.

The wizard merchant is a good career. Sell a few pots and pans while dealing in black market magical items, etc.

The wizard sage, who is a philosopher teacher. He educates noble youth, not in magic, but in the possibilities of physics and metaphysics.

The alchemist who is also a mechanician who builds toys and wierd contraptions. Let him delve into Leonardo's books and he may develop awesome seige equipment or flying contraptions.

The Wizard/Mathemetician/philosopher who studies in the esoteric math realm and discovers what the Mnoren already knows about parralell planets, etc.

The Wizard detective. He is the Sherlock Holmes for the Emporer. He uses some spells like Telepathy, Astral Projection, etc. to unravel mysteries.

Will such ramblings never cease?

Hailmelee,
John Paul






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