Questions about powered crystals

[ffilz]

I looked over the questions about Powered crystals, and I'm wondering how often you can use a healing enhancing crystal. I'm running RQ1 in case anyone knows of a ruling from the RQ1/2 era, but current ruling would be a valid place to start from. It's interesting but not that exciting if it's only once a day.

[HreshtIronBorne]

In our Glorantha the Healing Enhancing and Spell Enhancing Crystals ALWAYS affect their respective spells as long as they are attuned.

A Healing Enhancing 4 crystal would double any healing spells cast, up to its POW of 4.

Making Heal 1 into 2,

Heal 2 into 4,

Heal 3 into Heal 6,

and Heal 4 into Heal 8.

Any further points of Heal would only have 4 additional levels, Heal 6 would cast as Heal 10. 

 

All of the bonus comes from the crystals, doesn't even cost extra MPs. 

 

That is how we have played them anyways. 

Edited February 3, 2022 by HreshtIronBorne

[Kloster]

2 hours ago, HreshtIronBorne said:

That is how we have played them anyways. 

Same for me.

[PhilHibbs]

6 hours ago, ffilz said:

I looked over the questions about Powered crystals, and I'm wondering how often you can use a healing enhancing crystal... It's interesting but not that exciting if it's only once a day.

Every time you cast the spell, there's no recharge time or daily limit.

[Dragon]

8 hours ago, HreshtIronBorne said:

In our Glorantha the Healing Enhancing and Spell Enhancing Crystals ALWAYS affect their respective spells as long as they are attuned.

A Healing Enhancing 4 crystal would double any healing spells cast, up to its POW of 4.

Making Heal 1 into 2,

Heal 2 into 4,

Heal 3 into Heal 6,

and Heal 4 into Heal 8.

Any further points of Heal would only have 4 additional levels, Heal 6 would cast as Heal 10. 

 

All of the bonus comes from the crystals, doesn't even cost extra MPs. 

 

That is how we have played them anyways. 

Also how we play it. One more benefit in our game, the 'extra' effect takes no strike ranks. So casting Heal 4 and getting 8 points takes DXSR+3.

Because the caster only provided 4 MPs.

The same for Power Enhancing crystals and Spell Strengthening crystals.

I don't know if that is canon, but is that has always been our interpretation.

[ffilz]

OK, that was my gut feel. Given playing RQ1 (with some RQ2 bits), I plan to apply the comment about Power Enhancing where the normal limits of a variable spell can't be exceeded, but you can also effectively multi-spell. And yes, Heal 3 doubled to Heal 6 only takes +2 strike ranks and does knit severed limbs.

Part of me is tempted though to say that using the crystal you can't cast a variable spell with more points that the powered crystal has, so a POW 1 crystal could only be used to cast a 2 point spell using 1 POW (or 2 1 point spells simultaneously) not add 1 free point to whatever you cast. But maybe that would be annoying.

In any case, the 3 point Healing Enhancing crystal they found will be much appreciated... They are lamenting that the player of the PC with Healing 3 had to drop out since having that character use the crystal would have meant two PCs with Healing 6. Instead, they will have the PC with Healing 6 use it.

[Dragon]

1 hour ago, ffilz said:

OK, that was my gut feel. Given playing RQ1 (with some RQ2 bits), I plan to apply the comment about Power Enhancing where the normal limits of a variable spell can't be exceeded, but you can also effectively multi-spell. And yes, Heal 3 doubled to Heal 6 only takes +2 strike ranks and does knit severed limbs.

Yes, back in RQ1 and RQ2, the limits could not be exceeded. So if you have a POW 3 Power Enhancing crystal, you are still limited. If you cast Bladesharp 2, you get 4. If you cast Bladesharp 3, you get 4. If you cast Dispel Magic 4, you get 7, because iirc it had no limits. RQ3 and RQ:G have no such limits.

1 hour ago, ffilz said:

Part of me is tempted though to say that using the crystal you can't cast a variable spell with more points that the powered crystal has, so a POW 1 crystal could only be used to cast a 2 point spell using 1 POW (or 2 1 point spells simultaneously) not add 1 free point to whatever you cast. But maybe that would be annoying.

I would suggest you avoid that temptation. The scenarios just seem so odd to me. Examples with a 3 POW crystal: I can cast Heal 2 and heal 4 damage. I can cast Heal 3 and get 6, but if I cast heal 4, I only heal 4. If I cast Heal 5, I only get 5 damage healed. It would be hard to rationalize, and contrary to the rules as written.

A POW 1 crystal would be useful only when casting Heal 1? Just weird.

But it is your Glorantha and you can choose what works for you. 

Granted, a POW 3 Healing Focusing crystal is one of the best standard magical items in the game. But I don't see that it really needs to get wacked hard with the nerf bat.

1 hour ago, ffilz said:

In any case, the 3 point Healing Enhancing crystal they found will be much appreciated... They are lamenting that the player of the PC with Healing 3 had to drop out since having that character use the crystal would have meant two PCs with Healing 6. Instead, they will have the PC with Healing 6 use it.

I commiserate with the party. Having two people who can reattach a limb is great. Especially when the PC with Healing 6 is the victim. On the other hand, I presume that PC with Healing 6 has been healing the party more than most other party members, and it seems a fitting reward for such (presumed) steadfast dedication. If that is not the history of that party, my preference may be to give it to the one who heals most often and/or has the bigger magic point pool. They can make the best use of it.

[ffilz]

6 minutes ago, Dragon said:

Yes, back in RQ1 and RQ2, the limits could not be exceeded. So if you have a POW 3 Power Enhancing crystal, you are still limited. If you cast Bladesharp 2, you get 4. If you cast Bladesharp 3, you get 4. If you cast Dispel Magic 4, you get 7, because iirc it had no limits. RQ3 and RQ:G have no such limits.

I would suggest you avoid that temptation. The scenarios just seem so odd to me. Examples with a 3 POW crystal: I can cast Heal 2 and heal 4 damage. I can cast Heal 3 and get 6, but if I cast heal 4, I only heal 4. If I cast Heal 5, I only get 5 damage healed. It would be hard to rationalize, and contrary to the rules as written.

A POW 1 crystal would be useful only when casting Heal 1? Just weird.

But it is your Glorantha and you can choose what works for you.

Granted, a POW 3 Healing Focusing crystal is one of the best standard magical items in the game. But I don't see that it really needs to get wacked hard with the nerf bat.

I commiserate with the party. Having two people who can reattach a limb is great. Especially when the PC with Healing 6 is the victim. On the other hand, I presume that PC with Healing 6 has been healing the party more than most other party members, and it seems a fitting reward for such (presumed) steadfast dedication. If that is not the history of that party, my preference may be to give it to the one who heals most often and/or has the bigger magic point pool. They can make the best use of it.

Yea, good point about nerfing the items. I won't add that restriction.

The PC with Heal 6 has not done a lot of healing because he only recently got it. Previously there was an elf PC who had Heal 6 but the player was asked to leave. When the party realized Heal 6 was an issue, and noticed the current healer had started with Heal 5 (rolled from previous experience) they gave him a larger share of treasure so he could learn Heal 6. In fact right now he is the ONLY PC in the party with Heal at all... Everyone is bummed the player of the PC with Healing 3 had to drop out... He was also a shaman which would be useful in their current endeavors...

[Dragon]

9 minutes ago, ffilz said:

The PC with Heal 6 has not done a lot of healing because he only recently got it. Previously there was an elf PC who had Heal 6 but the player was asked to leave. When the party realized Heal 6 was an issue, and noticed the current healer had started with Heal 5 (rolled from previous experience) they gave him a larger share of treasure so he could learn Heal 6. In fact right now he is the ONLY PC in the party with Heal at all... Everyone is bummed the player of the PC with Healing 3 had to drop out... He was also a shaman which would be useful in their current endeavors...

That makes a lot of sense then. Sounds like a pretty inexperienced group of characters (not players). When I first joined Glorantha, back in 1982 or 83 and RQ2, the rest of the party were pretty experienced characters, so many had paid for Heal 2 at least. The one Rune Lord (our leader) had Heal 6, and the Xiola Umbar had Heal 6 by the time I joined.

[ffilz]

1 hour ago, Dragon said:

That makes a lot of sense then. Sounds like a pretty inexperienced group of characters (not players). When I first joined Glorantha, back in 1982 or 83 and RQ2, the rest of the party were pretty experienced characters, so many had paid for Heal 2 at least. The one Rune Lord (our leader) had Heal 6, and the Xiola Umbar had Heal 6 by the time I joined.

Some of the characters are reasonably experienced, they just haven't actually got that much treasure and the players haven't really given much thought to rounding out their spells.

[PhilHibbs]

Focusing crystals are by far the most powerful of the basic crystal types.

[Dragon]

1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

Focusing crystals are by far the most powerful of the basic crystal types.

Second to Power Enhancing. Together they are easily more powerful and generally useful compared to the others. I do give Power Enhancing a slight edge over Heal Focus.

[Jose]

Another question. Where can I find crystals cost? 

Now I'm using these. 

True stone (blank) 1000 L per point

True stone already set 200 L per point

Crystal with Pow. 100 L per point

Dead crystal. 20 L per magic point. 

Are these overpriced? What do you think? 

[PhilHibbs]

4 hours ago, Jose said:

True stone (blank) 1000 L per point
True stone already set 200 L per point
Crystal with Pow. 100 L per point
Dead crystal. 20 L per magic point. 

Are these overpriced? What do you think? 

Firstly, I don't think there is a regular enough market for prices to be stable. Want to buy a crystal? Probably there are none available. Want to sell a crystal? Everyone wants them, but there might not be someone around who can afford the price you want.

Having said that, what I just said isn't very useful! It's good to have a baseline to then roll Bargain on to see if you can find a good buyer or seller. Those look broadly ok to me.

I split out digression on Truestone to another thread!

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by PhilHibbs

[PhilHibbs]

On the subject of buying crystals, I might let someone buy a magic item if they get a critical on their Bargain roll at a market, maybe while they are shopping for something else, or just say "I'm looking around the market to see if there's anything interesting".

If they get a special, they might hear that someone elsewhere has an item to sell to the right buyer, if I fancy rolling that into a scenario.

Generally I think that buying magic items cheapens the whole gaming experience. Loot should be earned. Pay the iron price, not the gold! 

Edited February 4, 2022 by PhilHibbs

[soltakss]

On 2/3/2022 at 6:30 AM, ffilz said:

I looked over the questions about Powered crystals, and I'm wondering how often you can use a healing enhancing crystal.

I thought it was used all the time.

You just push a Heal through it and it boosts the Heal by up to its POW. 

So, a Heal 2 pushed through a POW 3 crystal gives you Heal 4, but a Heal 4 pushed through a POW 3 crystal gives you a Heal 7.

[ffilz]

6 hours ago, soltakss said:

I thought it was used all the time.

You just push a Heal through it and it boosts the Heal by up to its POW. 

So, a Heal 2 pushed through a POW 3 crystal gives you Heal 4, but a Heal 4 pushed through a POW 3 crystal gives you a Heal 7.

Yea that’s the conclusion I’ve come to except as I run RQ 1 there is no Heal 7 so I’ll copy the rules from Power Enhancing crystals that say that you can’t exceed the max for a variable spell but instead can cast multiple spells. 

[Mechashef]

7 hours ago, soltakss said:

So, a Heal 2 pushed through a POW 3 crystal gives you Heal 4, ...

Should that be Heal 4 or Heal 5?

[PhilHibbs]

24 minutes ago, Mechashef said:

Should that be Heal 4 or Heal 5?

4. Crystals can't add more than the points of the spell, so for a 2 point spell with a 3 point crystal, it only adds 2. With a 3 point spell, it adds 3.