[PnP] Elemental Arts...

[Scott Adams]

So how do you treat the pact though.  Does it last forever or do you cast elemental powers to reform teh pact each time?


At 09:25 PM 9/28/09, you wrote:
>In the game I am doing right now the players have managed to get the  
>"signature" of a gnome of some measure, after helping an Air  
>elemental.  When they summon for him they use their "key", and still  
>roll against his MDV (he may be "busy").  If they do otherwise, it's  
>just some mook elemental summoned for a short-term spell task.
>
>Since they have the contact, they can parlay with the gnome and have  
>contracted out earth elemental help for their new kingdom in the Elder  
>mountains.  Granted, I think I have to review the "price" in goods the  
>Gnome have been charging them (it's working out that the gnomes are  
>like union bosses so far in my game -- I'll have to see about finding  
>a different "flavor" for the other top elementals), but once they  
>summon their contact, they do influence type rolls to make their deals  
>for longer term contracts and numbers.
>
>As an example for the last game, they contracted previously with the  
>Gnome (who I have to name and stat out) and managed to get 1 month  
>contract out, with 100 elementals.  The task was to turn over the  
>hills (uprooting trees and upping rocks, at 2 acres per elemental per  
>day) for their new land in the western elder mountains.  Later on,  
>they contacted again and contracted out some elemental tunneling for  
>their land, and eventually worked up to a big tunneling contract.   
>Over all, they spent nearly 4,000GP in "goods" as bribes/sacrifices to  
>the gnome for his minions work.
>
>Now, I was woking based on something like 2SC per elemental/day in  
>goods as the basic rate, and I may well have been too cheap...when I  
>review my prices it may get real expensive in the future.
>
>In terms of the pact, The wizard of the group did the first summoning,  
>and all influence rolls for haggling the deal had to go through him,  
>since he was the one who did the summons, despite the elf in the group  
>having the better influence and haggling skill.  Later on they had the  
>elf do the pact, so he could do the deals, but obviously that cuts the  
>wizard out on any skill gain there.
>
>
>On Sep 28, 2009, at 7:54 PM, Scott Adams wrote:
>
>>At 02:48 AM 9/28/09, Thomas O. Magann Jr. wrote:
>>
>>Noted.  I agree that casting for practice in terms of summoning  
>>isn't wise from the gods POV.  Why I warn folks beforehand.  One  
>>system of about 30 I run does use summoning and doesn't treat the  
>>pact this way.  I just hope to hear from other GMs.  Thanks.
>>
>>
>>
>>>>I don't know.   I just don't see the logic in the pact being  
>>>>forever.  I could see if one mage stayed on one lake for his  
>>>>entire life.  But if he moved to diff ocean or went to upper world  
>>>>and came back ..etc.  So I just always figured need to cast EP to  
>>>>reform a current pact.  Why I was hoping other GMs and maybe  
>>>>Richard would comment on this.
>>>>
>>>>Hopefully more comments will come.
>>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>For the record, I am a GM. many games, including P&P.  Also, other  
>>>sorts of pacts are usually permanent (after all, how many souls  
>>>does one have?)  noparticular  reason for this one to be temporary.
>>>
>>>The spell description defines the Pacts as alliances. Those  
>>>generally last longer than the first time one of the allies needs a  
>>>favor. If not, you've not got a real alliance.
>>>
>>>It's an elemental summoning spell, not a spell to talk to the local  
>>>water spirit/vily. You don't get local beings, you get beings from  
>>>the lower  or upper worlds (or the air above the upper world, if  
>>>you're after an air elemental). That's the core of a summoning:  
>>>contact level creatures only. It's why you can get a water serpent  
>>>at sea but not a lake (well, with the spell, you could always try a  
>>>shout at a lake) .
>>>
>>>Besides, why would a pact end as long as you kept to it? Pay the  
>>>elementals you summon for their inconvenience, don't bother them  
>>>too often, send them home when you're done (after paying, of  
>>>course) and they'll be better disposed to you, not worse. Why would  
>>>they break the pact for good treatment?
>>>
>>>Sit on a ship with  a chest of earth constantly summoning earth  
>>>elemental over the ocean sending them home immediately with no  
>>>payment, day in and day out for weeks just to get better when you  
>>>really need it, well, THAT would be cause to break a pact. Might  
>>>make it hard to reform, too.
>>>
>>>Again, 'permanent' doesn't mean 'forever', like any alliance, it  
>>>means 'until violated'. How many spell casters actually think of  
>>>paying the elementals they summon, after all? For that matter, how  
>>>many human wizards summon elementals that dont' like humans? Most  
>>>elemental entries will tell you what the opinion of the sub race of  
>>>elemental is towards humans, and in many cases a clue as to  
>>>potential payment.
>>>
>>>The players that summons neutral and friendly elementals, rather  
>>>than enemy ones, that offers payment, and that can actually cast a  
>>>strong enough dispel to send it home, and only summons in need, not  
>>>just for practice, has kept to the pact/alliance. No reason to lose  
>>>it. that's the kind of mage/wizard an elemental would prefer to  
>>>deal with. Well, those that like to deal with them at all.
>>>
>>>The 'practice makes perfect' mage, the human that summons  
>>>elementals that hate humanity, so the elemental can serve a human,  
>>>the mage that never even thinks to offer payment... well, that's  
>>>the mage that needs to keep recasting the Pact. Of course, he's  
>>>also the mage that will have the most expertise, simply because he  
>>>casts the spell so much more often.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thank you for your time,
>>>
>>>Thomas O. Magann Jr.
>>
>>
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