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Message no. 1
From: Max Rible <slothman@*****.COM>
Subject: Economics of enchanting, karma, and orichalcum
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 13:04:16 -0800
One of the most lucrative possible jobs in Shadowrun is that of enchanting.
It takes a great deal of work by a skilled practitioner to produce a magical
focus; even refining orichalcum is incredibly lucrative.

The standard foci listed in Shadowrun are already hideously expensive.
In addition to the nuyen cost, there's also the really impressive karma
bonding cost. Since karma is not easy to get (unless you use rules for
buying it!), this suggests that almost all foci are created with enough
orichalcum to lower the First Bonding cost to the rating of the focus or
1, and that they are made explicitly for the person who wants one (and is
willing to supply the karma for the first bonding). The prices given in
the standard book are for secondhand foci that you have to pay the full
karma price for in addition to the full nuyen price. (No one's going to
create hugely expensive foci without the orichalcum or arcana that reduce
the karma cost-- karma's just too rare.)

If the secondhand focus prices make sense, then enchanters have a stranglehold
on the market-- so much that the price to create a focus for someone, custom,
is probably even higher. How much more should it cost for a Physical Adept
to find a competent mage-smith and commission a big weapon focus involving
steel and orichalcum radicals than it should for buying one of the same
rating off the street?

--
%% Max Rible %% slothman@*****.com %% http://www.amurgsval.org/~slothman/ %%
%% "So, an Arisian, a Vorlon, and a knnn go into a tavern..." %%
Message no. 2
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Economics of enchanting, karma, and orichalcum
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 11:55:35 GMT
Max Rible writes

> One of the most lucrative possible jobs in Shadowrun is that of enchanting.
> It takes a great deal of work by a skilled practitioner to produce a magical
> focus; even refining orichalcum is incredibly lucrative.
>
Yes, but 28 days striaght doing nothing but tending orichalcum
circulation would drive many folks right off the idea, probably whys
its not common. And trying to be undisturbed for 28 day straight in
the shadows, well, thats a kind GM!

> this suggests that almost all foci are created with enough
> orichalcum to lower the First Bonding cost to the rating of the focus or
> 1, and that they are made explicitly for the person who wants one (and is
> willing to supply the karma for the first bonding).
Yes, all the foci i have ever seen made by PC's or NPC's cost 1 point
for first bonding spare newyen and time is far easier to come by than
karma.
With the posibility of quickening spells to other folks i once worked
out my basic charge and reconded for a typical game 25-50,000
Yen/karma was reasonable!

> The prices given in
> the standard book are for secondhand foci that you have to pay the full
> karma price for in addition to the full nuyen price. (No one's going to
> create hugely expensive foci without the orichalcum or arcana that reduce
> the karma cost-- karma's just too rare.)
Agreed.

>
> If the secondhand focus prices make sense, then enchanters have a stranglehold
> on the market-- so much that the price to create a focus for someone, custom,
> is probably even higher. How much more should it cost for a Physical Adept
> to find a competent mage-smith and commission a big weapon focus involving
> steel and orichalcum radicals than it should for buying one of the same
> rating off the street?
>
Basically you need to commision the focus. First find an enchanter
you trust, one you will have to pay a lot up front, 2 if they shave a
sliver off just at the end that a ritual link to the focus and you
(see the British government in London sourcebook, ultimate rouge
mage deterent :) ). The enchanter now does a lot of work only worth
full value to you, they best trust you can pay!
I would advise doubling or trippling the price for a second hand
focus. (this is probably a friend you are asking or a good
talismonger contact they will charge you but probably a fair rate)

Mark

Further Reading

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These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!