The standard rules for BESM call for characters to spend character points on Items of Power and for levels of Personal Gear. Items of Power within most fantasy style campaigns means magic items. Item of Power can also be used to aquire high tech or special items appropiate for the genre. Levels of Personal Gear means how much mundane stuff a person has access to. Examples might rang from the cheap such as cell phones, swords, normal guns to expensive such as a house, car, or an illegal machine gun. Personal Gear is an alternative to keeping track of cash. At character generation this is fairly simple in that the amount of personal gear or magic items depends upon how many points are put into the appropiate attribute.
In the standard fantasy role playing genre, players expect to find lots of treasure after defeating the monsters. They are also expect to spend such money, and to keep track of their finances. Under normal BESM rules this would entail one of two things. First, the players could put any newly earned character points from the adventure into paying for the Items of Power found, and levels of Personal Gear that the treasure amounts to as appropiate. The other option is to let the DM eventually take the items away. By putting character points into equipment or magic items, the characters are assured of keeping the item, or having a similar value item replace items lost or destroyed. This is refered to "character point protection". This can apply to any attribute, but is also common for OBM and Organizational Ties.
In anime stories, like many other movies and books, characters seem to lose items in one story and then regain a similar item in the next episode. Another common plot device is to lose an important item and the story is about getting the item back. In a modern setting, if somebody like James Bond destroys an expensive car, MI6 will provide a new one in the next movie. They also don't have to worry about money, plus if they find anything valuable it seems to have vanished by the time the next episode appears.
I was not particularly happy with this set up when it came to my fantasy world. I didn't like the feel of it. As such here is my application of the character point protection rule.
Personal gear still has to be paid for in character points. This applies to both at start up and during the campaign. Characters that recieve significant amounts of treasure will either have to spend the cash; or use character points to hold onto it. Holding onto cash or similar things like jewelry costs more points (as Unique Character Attribute - Wealth) than equipment. Equipment is more expensive in points than something that supports a slightly improved life style like land, title or investments which could be Unique Character Attribute - Wealth or Personal Gear. Treasure can also be turned into attributes like Organizational Ties, OBM like a ship, servants, or similar.
Items of Power represent a variety of magic items in a fantasy campaign. Some Items of Power have to be paid for with character points. This is handled in a variety of ways.
There are those Items of Power that have been paid for with character points which can be rebuilt by the characters if lost or broken. For example, in the movie "Kiki's Delivery Service", Kiki's broom breaks. Kiki is able to use another broom, although she originially started to make a new one before taking one from a street sweeper. Alternatively the mage can create a different item. The mage can decide to unmagic such items and regain the character points for use in a different item. This is limited by Making items is not easy, but it is doable by the character with some magical skill or help. The other side of this is that such items only last for the duration of the owners life. Items can be transfered to another person, along with the point cost. This make it easier for a mage to make items for other characters, although they must have enough points to initially make the IoP. The other part of this is that IoPs made this way can be improved. By putting more points into the item, it can be upgraded.
The other catagory that requires character points are permanently enchanted items. Permanently enchanted items are much harder to make, and much harder to destroy or break. Rules wise, permanently enchanted items cost the same number of character points as ones that can be rebuilt. Mages must spend significant time and effort to make permantently enchanted items. This is a role playing issue, not a rules issue. When a mage makes a permanently enchanted item the character points can come from the mage or from another person, such as the intended owner. The person providing the character points must be a true volunteer, so a slave can not be used. Such items will remain enchanted after a character dies. The character can only get the character points if the item is totally destroyed.
The choice between making items permanent or temporary is a tough one. Wooden, ceramic, cloth and similar more breakable items tend to be temporary. Those militaries that can afford it will create and issue temporary magical items to their more experianced soldiers. This ensures that the enemy can not gain magical weapons after a battle. Noble families, rich merchants and people wanting to pass something to their heirs will go the permanent route. Also, people wanting to present something significant to a king will have a permanent item made.
The making of Items of Power requires specific spells. There are four spells, one for each variation of IoP. Making a temporary IoP that uses the casters CPs, like Kiki's broom, is the easist and cheapest spell. Making a permanent item using another persons character points the hardest and costs the most energy points. Items turned into Items of Power must be whole and never broken or repaired. There is also a role-playing requirement to make Items of Power. The item being enchanted should be of excellent materials (costs money), excellent workmanship (costs money) and have similar in-game obstacles.
Those Items of Power that have not been paid for with character points are generally expendable items. Examples would include potions and charms that can be easily nullified.
There are no chargable wands or expendable scrolls. Wands are only used as a focus item by some mages, and do not in themselves hold any specific spell. Wands cost money, but no character points. This is the opposite of the normal d20 system. It is more in line with the Harry Potter books. A similar thing applies to scrolls. Scrolls are only a way to record the words and directions of a spell.
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