Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[CitizenKeen]

I'm curious about how different GMs handle the number of trappings players can get on their powers.

Example, for point of reference: A wizard characters takes the AB: Magic, and chooses bolt as their power, and then has a firebolt spell (AP 2 for +1 PP), an icebolt spell (1/2 range, Fatigue with hit), and a magic missile spell (extra range).

Thoughts? Do you allow multiple trappings? If so, what mechanic do you use to govern it? How many do your players get? How many can they get? How can they get more?

[Zadmar]

One trapping per power.

However I'm currently writing up a load of example spell trappings, and the document includes an Edge that allows you to take two additional trappings (either both for the same power, or split between two powers).

[ogbendog]

I could see 1 trapping per varient. Bolt has 4 ways, 1, 2, 3, or over powered.

some spells the entangle have single target and area.

[CitizenKeen]

Hmmm... My campaign currently has eight "elements," or schools of magic.

I allow the PCs (and NPCs!) to gain an element with the AB, and then for every even power-related edge (Wizard, New Power, Rapid Recharge, etc.) they get another element, and every power gets 1 element-related trapping per element at their disposal. The two wizards have three elements each at the start of Seasoned.

It's a high-magic setting.

I know we're not supposed to compare SW to other systems, but my background is HERO and D&D, where the players could have an excessive amount of magic (one or two dozen spells, easy).

[fanchergw]

I think to a large extent, it depends on what makes sense for your setting. If there are multiple schools of magic, you'll want to think about how much you want to maintain the boundaries between those schools or whether mages should be able to easily cast from different schools. If it's something more like common high fantasy where there are fewer schools but many potential trappings / elements, then alternative trappings may be easier to access. In this kind of situation, I kind of like the idea of starting off with 1 - or maybe 2 - trapping(s), then perhaps gaining 1 new trapping at each Rank boundary. New trappings might also be gained through loot (a scroll or tome) and/or training of some kind with an instructor.

Gordon

[cpk666]

I could see allowing one trapping per power per rank, similar to Shape Change and Summon Ally.

CK
_________________
Since this is my post, please understand that the thoughts expressed in it are my opinion.

"Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."--Cordelia Chase

[Clint]

Or a number of trappings equal to Knowledge (Arcana) divided by 2, especially if the GM doesn't use it for much other than a requirement for Wizard (or other Edges).

So you could have "hedge mages" with no formal knowledge (no Kn: Arcana) who only know one trapping per power, and more formal magicians who have the skill and anywhere from 2 to 6 trappings per power.
_________________
Clint Black
Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager

www.peginc.com

[xxlgeeklord]

The reason many trappings work is because they are situationally more powerful. For example a fireball is great when destroying ents or mummies, but terrible when fighting in a room full of gunpowder because a single misfire could kill the whole party(potentially). If the players have a large number of trappings then they can ignore that, making the Power vastly more powerful. So they'd only use the ray of light that only works on undead when fighting undead, and the psionic blast that only works on sentient beings on sentient beings, and then have an all-purpose standard magic missile type thing that is almost always useful. That way you get avantages when facing sentient beings or undead, but no disadvantages from facing something else. There's better be something to severely balance this factor out, like having to invest Edges or something.
Currently I'm going based on a call by Clint in the Official Answers on the Core Rules Forum that you were allowed to use one trapping per use of a power. So 4 for Bolt, and a huge number for Boost/Lower Trait. That means that each use can be situational, meaning you may not be able to use the Power the way you want to.
_________________
Project Rex Rewritten

[Clint]

By the core rules, yes, but Settings can have trappings work in different ways.

50 Fathoms is a great example. If a character has the Edge to gain access to a different element, then every time they take a new power, they get a trapping for every element they have access to (if that power has a trapping for that specific element).

So a mage who has for instance Bolt and Summon Elemental takes an additional element, so he automatically gets a new trapping for both powers of that element (bolt of a different element and ability to summon an elemental of that type). He would get that trapping for every power he already had available to that element, and any new powers he took later.

It is an advantage, but it depends on how much of an advantage it is in the particular setting and how much it "costs" to get it (Edge, Skill, whatever).
_________________
Clint Black
Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager

www.peginc.com

[xxlgeeklord]

[Clint]

[The One]

I favour the idea that Edges for certain magic using classes can be purchased with money/found as a reward, in exchange for having to decide which particular trapping variant they "memorise" for the day.

For casters who can choose on the fly, they typically get 1, and then must use an Edge to gain more (typically 2 additional trappings split between spells as desired)
_________________
Life: Past trends are not an indication of future performance

[JmOz01]

regarding 50fathoms, I feel that the elemental system is kind of a no win. You are buying an edge for what I see as very little gain, having said that I could see if you are using the concept from delxuxe of having different mechanical advantages for trappings where it would be useful (Example would be Bolt fire igniting stuff, while bolt air requires an agility or strength roll or target also becomes prone)

[xxlgeeklord]