18
\$\begingroup\$

In GURPS Magic (all editions have had the same rule, but I'm playing 4th at present), mages pay a reduced fatigue cost to cast spells at high skill -- skill 15 reduces by 1, and skill 20 by 2.

As far as anything I've been able to find, that means a pair of wizards can recharge each other's spent fatigue as follows: Wizard A casts Lend Energy (skill 15) and lends Wizard B one or more points to replace B's spent fatigue. Wizard B then uses the same spell (also at skill 15) to replace A's spent fatigue. At each repetition, the caster pays one point less to cast the spell than it restores to the subject, with the effect that two mages can fully recharge each other (with the last recharge lending only a single point at no fatigue cost) in much less than a minute (even if they know Recover Energy, recovering from near-total fatigue would usually take 15-20 minutes).

This could be easier and even faster if Lend Energy could be cast on oneself, but I'm pretty sure that flavor of cheeses is too stinky and has been officially disallowed...

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
0

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
44
\$\begingroup\$

The designers saw that exploit coming!

The exploit doesn't work in GURPS 3E nor 4E.

  • GURPS Magic for GURPS 3E says on the spell Lend Energy says, "The cost for this spell is not reduced by high skill" (44).
  • GURPS Magic for GURPS 4E on the spell Lend Energy says, "Casting cost is not reduced by high skill" (89).

It's easy to miss. (Especially if you want to!)

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • \$\begingroup\$ Guilty as charged (on wanting to miss the restriction). My DF Elder Spawn wuxia mage in a play-by-post wound up getting badly depleted before we even got underground, and the pacing of the adventure is such there's no time to Recover Energy. \$\endgroup\$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    Aug 30, 2016 at 15:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ Reminds me of the old 3rd ed trick of mixing rapid fire with that one optional advantage or modifier that combined them all into one stream. \$\endgroup\$
    – nijineko
    Aug 30, 2016 at 18:44
19
\$\begingroup\$

That is expressly forbidden in the rules. Under the cost of Lend Energy (in the 4th Edition of GURPS, p. 89 in GURPS Magic or p. 248 GURPS Basic Set: Characters), it states:

Casting cost is not reduced by high skill.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
18
\$\begingroup\$

Read the full description of the ability.

Cost: Any amount; the energy spent by the caster goes to the subject as restored FP (e.g., if the caster spends 5 energy, the subject regains 5 lost FP). Casting cost is not reduced by high skill.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
2
\$\begingroup\$

This trick won't work with high skill, but it can work with a critical success which would reduce the cost of lend energy to zero.

Also note that in Very High Mana any energy you spend gets you a next-second FP refund which allows you to use Lend Energy to recover others' pools very quickly.

Wild Mana is even more instant: all success are crit success meaning it's zero cost. OTOH all failures are crit fails.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • \$\begingroup\$ Of course, in VH mana, other mages would also not have any fatigue cost to replace. Of course, if my mana is VH when theirs is not... I just started a character with Mana Enhancer 2; his own mana level is VH when it's Normal for those around him -- and Normal when it's None for others nearby... :D \$\endgroup\$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    Aug 6, 2021 at 17:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ BTW, Welcome to RPG Stack Exchange. Be sure to take the tour and read over the FAQ. There's a little rep in it for you... \$\endgroup\$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    Aug 6, 2021 at 17:27
-2
\$\begingroup\$

Lend Energy is not reduced by skill, explicit in the description. Also, it's three points to charge one point for the recipient, so even if you could reduce the cost you're still paying a couple of dozen points (spell skill has to go to 25) that could be much better spent on Recover ST-20 and extra Fatigue--and this would mean you don't need to pay for an Ally to cross-cast with.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
4
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think you're conflating Lend Energy with another spell -- Steal Energy (necromancy) is the one that draws three points from the subject for each point restored to the caster. \$\endgroup\$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    May 8, 2017 at 11:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ Possibly. Commenting from work, don't have the books to hand. Still doesn't work, as noted in the other answers. However, the way to do it is have a bunch of non-mage assistants with Lend Energy wands, cheap, and get recharged in a second or so. Much faster. And this method is described for military mages in Yrth. a bunch of soldiers rock up, get given wants, give the mage one Fat, then go back to fighting. They're not drained of much, and the mage is now full. So the casters are at full mana at the beginning of every round for a whole fight. Scary. \$\endgroup\$
    – Paul May
    May 8, 2017 at 23:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ Those of us who missed the setting books for 2nd Ed. have probably never seen that method, but it wouldn't work now anyway -- must be a mage to use a wand. An item usable by non-mages has to have Power, and a dozen of those wands would cost more than a basket of small Powerstones. \$\endgroup\$
    – Zeiss Ikon
    May 9, 2017 at 11:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ZeissIkon As I recall in Yrth there are a lot of potential mages around. Many people with Magery 0. No bonuses to it, but can sense magic items and use spells and wands. A military unit may very well have several such. \$\endgroup\$
    – Zan Lynx
    Feb 22, 2018 at 0:07

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .