AG: Re: Mages Guild Suggestion

From: Todd Woods <woods@cs.uiowa.edu>

Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 00:00:00 +0000

NIGELLUCKY wrote:
>
> Todd,
>
> What are you talking about????
>
> Nigel the Lucky, Leader of the Mages Guild

I replied to your e-mail, but forgot to reply on the board, so
here I go again. :)

The idea is modify the existing mages guild.  Right now only
one member in each of the guilds can create magic items.  Also the guild
as a whole uses the members tithe to create magic items for members and
to help in researching new items/spells.  However it is not possible for
individuals to engage in research of their own. I propose to change
this.
	When someone joins the mages guild they will be taught the
enchant an item skill and allowed to store MP/KP in a partition of the
magic storage device reserved for them.  No one else can use this
partition.  There is a partition for each mages guild member, and the
"main" mages guild partition that is useable only by the leader of each
guild.  At trained Enchant an Item you are able to create and research
magic items.  The benefits of getting higher levels in Enchant
an Item are fuzzy right now (will try to get some definites from Hugh
next week about this) but you do need lvl 1 Enchant an Item before being
able to teach others how to enchant an Item. For those who want to know
the cost of raising Enchant an Item from trained to lvl 1 is 400KP.  I
assume it'd be 800 to lvl 2.  Higher levels should allow you to create
more powerful enchantments, but again need to talk with Hugh about this.
	Because a guild member has the skill to create and research magic items
and the capability to store the large number of MP's necessary to create
magic items the leaders of the mages guilds no longer have to create
Items for members, nor use guild MP to do this.  Individual members
don't have to wait for their turn to get a ring, and can create
different varieties of rings for themselves if they have the resources.
Because guild leaders don't have to create magic items
for guild members they don't have to keep track of who to create items
for next, or how many items each character may have.  Individual members
are responsible for this.  Also the guild MP/KP/gold can be used
exclusively for guild research of items/spells.
	Individual members can also research additional items of their choice.
Because they have the enchant an item skill they can research how to
create a magic item.  The funding for the research of a magic item takes
alot of money/KP, but if an individual mage's guild members have the
resources or is being funded by someone(s) that has the resources they
can research the item.  Because the guild member can also create magic
items for other (non-Mages guild) characters, and thereby eliminating
the need to pay for the items from the guild, there must be some way to
make up for the lost revenue.  The idea behind this is that
any successful research that a guild member accomplishes must be shared
with other guild members.  Note that it might be necessary to have above
trained Enchant an Item to create an item.  This could be due to the
fact that someone with lvl 1 or 2 enchant an item researched a more
powerful version of an item.  The guild would set the price for the
creation of a magic item for non-guild members, although if only certain
mages guild members can create some of the more powerful items then they
can essentially set their own price.  The KNOWLEDGE of how to create a
magic item is shared to all guild members, but the ABILITY to create a
magic item is up to the individual members.
	Because the individual guild members are responsible for creating their
own items and might actually be financing magical
research, the required donations for mages guild members should go down.
Currently the tithe is set at 1 MP every 500 power level (i.e. 2000-
2500 power level requires 5 MP per turn).  Gold and KP can be used
in exchange (I think the ratio is 50 gold= 3 KP= 1 MP).  I'd say
decrease this to 1 MP every turn for every 1000 power level, so
0-1000= 1MP/turn, 1001-2000=2 MP/turn, 2001-3000=3 MP/turn, etc. Since
no items have to be created on behalf of individual members ALL of this
could be used for guild research, which would probably  mean more
MP could be used then in the current system where slightly more MP are
required but items have to be created for members (it takes 60 MP to
create a Ring of Blasting!).  Also I don't think this requirement would
be too much to stifle characters ability to individually research
items/spells.
	Thus new members of the mages guild would get something for
the required donations (i.e. the Enchant an Item Skill, the use of
a "partition" of the mages guild storage device, and the knowlege of how
to create all previously researched magic items).  They are then
responsible for creating their own magic items and, if they wish,
research magic items/spells on their own.  But they still owe a tithe to
the mages guild every turn, which would be used to research projects
that the guild as a whole has voted upon.
	I think the EP requirement for joining the mages guild should
be dropped.  Instead there should be a cunning requirement to learn the
Enchant an Item skill (similar to a cunning requirement to learn the
Combat magics).  Anyone who has the requisite cunning can join the guild
and be taught the Enchant an Item skill (even an ogre that has been
adventuring long enough could learn join the guild :-), but once a
character has joined the guild they must tithe every turn.  Also being
able to enchant more powerful items is up to the individual guild
member, so an ogre trying to save up 400 KP to get enchant an item to
lvl 1 might take awhile. :)
	Any more comments/suggestions?

Later,
		Todd

P.S. - Remember, these are suggestions only.  I think the idea
is a good one, and would like to see it implemented.  It would increase
people's interest in the mages guild, and would allow players a method
to add to or change the game.  I know that if my character could
individually research a magic item of my choice my enthusiam for the
game would increase, and I think it's the same with other players too.
So I'm offering these suggestions in the hope that they're productive.

References

Mages Guild Suggestion
Todd Woods <woods@cs.uiowa.edu>
Wed, 27 Dec 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Mages Guild Suggestion
nigellucky@aol.com (NIGELLUCKY)
Wed, 27 Dec 1995 00:00:00 +0000