Topic: Talent Cost: Arcane Power

[munchy]

Can anyone explain why the talent Arcance Power which grants the ability to learn spells from a sphere like the clerics or mages or whomever is, with 30 DPs, more expensive than adding an addition profession with only 20 DPs.
I would argue that it is then more clever to add that other profession whose spells you want to learn (and gaining additional favoured categories to choose from each level - yes, ?I know you can only use the favoured categories of one profession each level, but still) instead of spending more DPs to only get the spells of it.
Does that make sense? Should gaining only the magic then be cheaper?

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

The Arcane Power talent means that a character can keep advancing in the original profession, and in particular keep on track with level bonuses.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[munchy]

That does not seem to be that big a bonus compared to the Additional Profession, I would say. (Going to test and compare this.)
On the matter, can a Cleric who has picked Magician as his second profession still develop mage spells he has already learned further when he otherwise increases his level according to the Cleric profession? Mind you, not starting new ones, just increasing already learned ones. He still gets his favoured categories from the Cleric which here does not matter as the Mystical are favoured for both.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

If multi-profession, the Cleric should only develop Cleric spells in Cleric levels and Mage spells during Mage levels. Arcane Power eliminates that restriction.

At some point, we will change how additional profession works so that it cost a full level's worth of DPs but gives favored categories and all talents that a 1st-level character of the new profession could have picked. This will simplify the rules for additional professions and make the costing more rational.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[WoeRie]

Sounds great! I always forbid changing professions in my campaigns, because of te above reason.

[Bruce]

If multi-profession, the Cleric should only develop Cleric spells in Cleric levels and Mage spells during Mage levels. Arcane Power eliminates that restriction.

At some point, we will change how additional profession works so that it cost a full level's worth of DPs but gives favored categories and all talents that a 1st-level character of the new profession could have picked. This will simplify the rules for additional professions and make the costing more rational.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

That sounds a bit much even for a full 50 DP. I'd recommend lowering the cost of the arcane talent to say 25 or even 20 Dp's. As an alternate for the OP you could simply do an "Expanded Sphere" talent that allows the cleric to add additional spells to their current limit of 20  I would say a cost of 2 DP's per spell added.

I would actually love to see additional options for the Blood Magic talents that have specific talents outside of spell use. The current limit of 3 times per day would still apply unless the character purchased the talent twice.

[Zhaleskra]

At some point, we will change how additional profession works so that it cost a full level's worth of DPs but gives favored categories and all talents that a 1st-level character of the new profession could have picked. This will simplify the rules for additional professions and make the costing more rational.

I feel like that is a very bad idea.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

At some point, we will change how additional profession works so that it cost a full level's worth of DPs but gives favored categories and all talents that a 1st-level character of the new profession could have picked. This will simplify the rules for additional professions and make the costing more rational.

I feel like that is a very bad idea.

Why? The current rules are awkward - you spend 20 DPs to get favoured categories but have to pick one talent (so that is either access to the spell sphere or the level bonus talent as those are the must-take if you can only have one); the explanation is necessarily convoluted; characters are not meant to buy spells from a particular sphere - if they are advancing in a different profession.

Characters would be getting the favoured categories and all the abilities that a 1st-level character of that profession could take, but would not be getting the free skill ranks.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Zhaleskra]

That's exactly the problem, there should be a cost to changing professions. Choosing only one ability makes sense, one should not get all the abilities of a 1st level character in that profession when adding an additional profession because it is too powerful. You're already forced to use the new professions favored categories at the switch, and some professional talents would be unable to be taken if you already have them from an existing profession. Refocusing should cost you something.