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In the current game, actually in my characters down time...I discovered an entrance into a long abandoned subway station in the basement of my London home...Found it while playing a flute that one can summons and controls rodents with, (which I was summoning them to do a PPE sacrifice.) Yes, I am playing a mage. The rats and things that were coming out of a hole that got bigger and wider. After I had them there, I was rather quick to dispatch them by putting them into a heavy plastic rubbish bin that was lined with aluminum foil then filled halfway with water and channeled energy bolt through a fulgurite wand which I stuck into lid pointing down (or so I hoped...couldn't really tell for sure with that one...but 50/50 chance). The fulgurite of course got destroyed as the lightning bolt came out of the glass, resulting in the rats dying. I then charged several emeralds, drain the bin and teleport it on to the street behind a McDonald's in the neighborhood 4 miles away (OH YES, I DID!), and dumped out 30ml of thieves oil in the basement to get rid of the lingering burnt rat smell. After knocking down the rest of the entrance with a sledgehammer, I warded the entryway. Got my torch (flash light) also assembled the usual items in order for exploring unknown terrain. I left a message on my lover's mobile as to what I had found and where I would be should something happen. And entered into the dark...I found a lot of cobwebs, a few ghosts, lots of bugs, a handful of cars, and a long tunnel going I don't know where, etc.

Now...What would it cost to secretly turn it into a proper mages' base of operations?

Lumber and labor is not an issue.

pblackcrow wrote:Now...What would it cost to secretly turn it into a proper mages' base of operations?

Sounds really cool! (Although, I admit, you lost me on why you did various things . . . But, anyway . . .)

What do you mean by "proper" mage's base? The definition is different for everyone, I think.

For example: my ideal "mage base," with no expense spared, has places for: tons of books, a corner for mystic circles and wards (for conjurations of demons or spirits), an astronomy tower, a wall and desk covered with beakers, glass tubes, and such for alchemy, and weird defenses for anyone who enters without my permission (in keeping with the BtS theme). All this off the top of my head, as I keep getting new ideas.

How is your definition different? You mentioned lumber; something I would never use (flammable).

Antimony wrote:

pblackcrow wrote:Now...What would it cost to secretly turn it into a proper mages' base of operations?

Sounds really cool! (Although, I admit, you lost me on why you did various things . . . But, anyway . . .)

What do you mean by "proper" mage's base? The definition is different for everyone, I think.

For example: my ideal "mage base," with no expense spared, has places for: tons of books, a corner for mystic circles and wards (for conjurations of demons or spirits), an astronomy tower, a wall and desk covered with beakers, glass tubes, and such for alchemy, and weird defenses for anyone who enters without my permission (in keeping with the BtS theme). All this off the top of my head, as I keep getting new ideas.

How is your definition different? You mentioned lumber; something I would never use (flammable).

Imagine a earl's library, parlor, etc in the Victorian Era if the earl was a mage.

By the way...The fulgurite is petrified lightning. So instead of calling lighting and risking damaging my house...I use that. And let's just say that my character has issues with McDonald's.

pblackcrow wrote:The fulgurite is petrified lightning. So instead of calling lighting and risking damaging my house...I use that. And let's just say that my character has issues with McDonald's.

Ah. And the "charging" of the gems? (Sounds like something from Morrowind. . . I don't have a whole lot of Rifts books.)

If nobody else offers an answer, I'll get back to cost of the "mage-cave" by Tuesday or so; hopefully, I'll have a decent estimate for you by then. But I'm thinking a lot of trouble cost will depend on materials used (what kind of lumber?) Labor involved (you, cronies, allies, hired help, etc.), and more.

Antimony wrote:

pblackcrow wrote:The fulgurite is petrified lightning. So instead of calling lighting and risking damaging my house...I use that. And let's just say that my character has issues with McDonald's.

Ah. And the "charging" of the gems? (Sounds like something from Morrowind. . . I don't have a whole lot of Rifts books.)

If nobody else offers an answer, I'll get back to cost of the "mage-cave" by Tuesday or so; hopefully, I'll have a decent estimate for you by then. But I'm thinking a lot of trouble cost will depend on materials used (what kind of lumber?) Labor involved (you, cronies, allies, hired help, etc.), and more.

My group and I have actually used a spell that we found in an netbook, Tiny’s Giant Spell Netbook called crystal battery. Though, we did increase the Initial PPE cost to 60 and bump it up to 9th level and only recently increased increased the cost from 1 PPE per 50 $/credits(/gold) of value to 1 PPE per 75 $/credits(/gold) of value. Also, ruled that it must be flawless. Following Rifts rules emeralds and diamonds are used for PPE Batteries.

Anyway, here's the spell directly from the netbook.

Crystal Battery
PPE: 20
This is, in effect, one of the only incantation spells that really requires physical components, crystals. This spell requires quality crystal to store magic energy, but only magic energy...not spells.
Effect: Stores magic energy (PPE) in a crystal PPE Stored: a crystal can hold 1 PPE per 50 credits(/gold) of value. When PPE is stored in a crystal, it does glow (whatever colour the crystal is) and radiates magic quite clearly (can not be hidden). The mage casting the spell can put as much energy in the crystal as s/he desires, as long as the crystal can handle the energy and the energy is available (from self, ley lines, etc.).

In today's market, say 1 million+ in GBP. Secretly...I doubt that happening. You say lumber and labor is not going to be a problem. I want to hear how you figure this, Shannon. Does the plumbing still work? I can assume so...Considering they would have insisted on steal pipes. Um...Abandoned after, during, or before WWII or do you know?

Create wood, levitation, and increase weight on nails. Plumbing, I don't know. And considering I found a car with a 1958 Boys Own Annual and an April, something, 1959 News Paper (Which talked about a bank being the first to install a computer...Though, it feel apart. And mend the broken doesn't work too well on paper, as you know) we can assume after. Unless they were just left by some kids who were using it as a club house...it could have been a boogiemen's hideout for all I know, Shawn. Though, I didn't see a sign of smoke in the cars. I shall check the records regarding the when.

I guess I should have asked the currency you're going to use, as well (the talk of credits and gold had me wondering if you're using BtS as rules in a different setting). Are we talking dollars or pounds? If your character will be doing all the work herself (himself?), other issues might come into play (anyone else know about the tunnel besides lover? What about this secondary tunnel? Where does it lead? Block it off or use it?)

Depending on the magic used, it might be more appropriate to figure the cost out in time, rather than money.

If you're still interested, anyway.

Antimony wrote:I guess I should have asked the currency you're going to use, as well (the talk of credits and gold had me wondering if you're using BtS as rules in a different setting). Are we talking dollars or pounds? If your character will be doing all the work herself (himself?), other issues might come into play (anyone else know about the tunnel besides lover? What about this secondary tunnel? Where does it lead? Block it off or use it?)

Depending on the magic used, it might be more appropriate to figure the cost out in time, rather than money.

If you're still interested, anyway.

Great British Pounds...I thought I said mentioned it's was in London. Oh well.

No, it's not straight up BtS...FAR FROM IT. We have an Antiquarian from MC (PROverted old man that he is), a nightbane based gargoyle character done after Disney's Gargoyles cartoon, a cybernetic modified character of sorts from HU (Got attacked by a hell hound), a psy-tech from Rifts (actually, he's was from Manchester, but the character class is found in Rifts...Whom I don't really trust.), a monster hunting superhero (think a darker version of Green Arrow only British with healing factor and invisibility), and we have an Uton from TMNT, and as one of the main bad guys is a Ninja society ran by 15 ANCIENT vampires.

Not quite all, but a majority of the construction he is doing hisself. The Antiquarian knows a reliable psy-machanic and a technowizard who I maybe able to get to handle the wiring and maybe the surveillance. Thankfully it's Spring. Though, the most used item in the game is a charm that I have now, as the only mage in the game. It's an energy disruption spell with double range and duration. But the cost of the spell is 45 PPE. Thus why I need PPE filled gems.

Woke up early...wanted To give a bit of an update...After fighting a mummy immortalis, at the British Museum, we did downtime stuff. I checked the records about my uncle's house. As you might have suspected, it was closed in April 1959 after several bodies were found in an adjacent underground room located around the 10 mile mark in the tunnel. I went to have a look for myself, and let me say...form the looks of it, it was part of something much MUCH older! How old, you might wonder...back to the builders of the stone circles old. Um, yeah. It's not the first underground circle to be found, but it is a rather small close to a 50' radius room and also has a very solid stone ceiling. Also there is a nexus there.

After the months upon months of police investigation, all they had was some inconclusive evidence...And 14 bodies who were vagrants. The investigation closed. The subway owners were deep in debt, because of the months of investigation. So they decides to sell it to redo the station as a house, because they couldn't sell it otherwise with the scandal there...my uncle buys it. 54 years later, he dies, and I inhairit it.

Cheesy, a bit. But it's interesting.

Now a bit more of the update, since I was in a rush when I wrote the last one.

The stone circle is partly under what was a church. Oddly enough, it closed it's doors mysteriously during WWII. I'm not entirely sure of the reason or the details. However, I will investigate that after we finish our current mission is finished...About several Polystovo-Lovatskaya swamp creatures. One of them is mentioned as being a wingless dragon. I am unsure how long it will take. It will probably take several gaming sessions or a weekend long one. It's a large area to cover. We are talking about going to try to make friends with said dragon, not trying to hunt it. I ESPECIALLY have a need to do so...But that's another story entirely. Though, I do have to question some of the things that are said to be there, in the game. But for the most part, things do fit for that area. Not all.

apex-prey wrote:That could be fun in any setting not just bts

Yes. We are all having fun. It's something fun that I never thought of doing. Off/down time adventures...Give us all a chance to do things and advance our characters on our own (get the regular things done like: shopping, going to a pub, and the like. Though, that doesn't mean we won't encounter something as we do it.), and I do like that.

I always thought having a magic rip or tear in your basement, per BTS1, would be a good start for an arcanist's sanctum. Get a Superior Magic Circle around it and protect the room itself with a Sanctum spell. You've now got a hidey-hole with backup ISP and PPE.

Nice.

Our little gaunt through the swamps has been put on hold as the vampires had been looking for the last of the 13 crystal skull to do some kind of ritual at Stonehenge to plunge the world into darkness for many days. My character has 3 of the skulls that I "liberated" when I was in their castle, which he has kept very quiet about...I was invisible superior and had cast fly as the eagle. I also took a sunstone sword handle (which is pretty much a sunsword...Basically, a 2 handed lightblade sword which strike is deadly against creatures of darkness because their healing factor from it is that of a human), a small gold statue of Ra that was in a led case (which has an enchantment on it or something trapped in it perhaps), and an ornate ankh in a separate case. I had time to take another item but didn't want to push it. I wanted to get out of the vault while I could. They have been trying like hell to locate the sculls. That I know. I have them in my house which already had sanctum spell after sanctum spell on it. But today's game was about trying to vampire proof my house. Mystic alarm is now everywhere, stone; cold steal; and wood golems, wooden ankhs make up the banister, and are everywhere, polar bear rugs and various stuffed animals that animate, crystal guardians on the ends of the banisters, and a guardian familiar which I know they will not like. They will still try to get them if they find out who has them. I totally wish them luck.

Well for starters you're going to want to free up some space by getting rid of that ridiculous oven that can't do anything except bake that crappy pre-made bread.

In real life, I don't have a toaster, microwave, or bread oven. Though, I do have 2 extra large countertop convection ovens. It works well for me...Considering the size of my kitchen at the flat.

Oh, my character is not bad off, but most of his teammates are very well off! And they wanted to foot the bill.

pblackcrow wrote:Now...What would it cost to secretly turn it into a proper mages' base of operations?

Sorry, real life keeps getting in the way . . .

So, if you're interested still in cost, I'm going to presume you want plumbing and light (gas? Electric?) down there, among all the coziness of the Victorianesque ambience too. That in itself will make secrecy difficult.

It also depends on whether you want to go the "authentic" route or not. Instead of trying to guess at what you want, here's a neat site that will hopefully help you out. It's in dollars, so here's an exchange rate table. A few pieces of (authentic?) furniture cost nearly $10,000-a little more than £4,000. That's not including rugs, paneling/walls, skulls, magic circles, griffins, and the like; just furniture. Still, it's a small start.

On the other side of the web, this sucker alone cost nearly that much. So it depends on your taste.

Hope I didn't come too late to the party.

http://www.travelettes.net/new-york-cit ... y-station/

http://9wows.com/abandoned-subway-tunnel-4-pictures/

(the place that inspired the Turtle's subway home in the 2nd and 3rd TMNT films..)

Antimony wrote:

pblackcrow wrote:Now...What would it cost to secretly turn it into a proper mages' base of operations?

Sorry, real life keeps getting in the way . . .

So, if you're interested still in cost, I'm going to presume you want plumbing and light (gas? Electric?) down there, among all the coziness of the Victorianesque ambience too. That in itself will make secrecy difficult.

It also depends on whether you want to go the "authentic" route or not. Instead of trying to guess at what you want, here's a neat site that will hopefully help you out. It's in dollars, so here's an exchange rate table. A few pieces of (authentic?) furniture cost nearly $10,000-a little more than £4,000. That's not including rugs, paneling/walls, skulls, magic circles, griffins, and the like; just furniture. Still, it's a small start.

On the other side of the web, this sucker alone cost nearly that much. So it depends on your taste.

Hope I didn't come too late to the party.

It is not so muck about the furnishings as it is the "feel".

pblackcrow wrote:It is not so muck about the furnishings as it is the "feel".

Sorry, I think of furnishings as a part of the "feel." How do you interpret it? Glitterboy came up with some great suggestions on some looks, I think, which I regard as part of the "feel," too.

Maybe I'm just not clear on what you're wishing to spend money on? (And maybe I'm way too late anyway.) I don't have many magic source books, so I don't know how much "spell components" cost, or even if Palladium uses them in their games.

Maybe I should just sum up by asking, What exactly are you going to spend your money on? (If this is still an issue)

It all sounds interesting.

Oddly enough, the major amount will be spent on redoing the lighting and plumbing. And by the way, yes. I own the whole tube, as crazy as it may sound.

The library and parlor will be out the Edwardian Victorian/Era, and "mage cave" will be part man cave (complete with hot tub and bar...Manchester United and Hull FC themes) and have the ability to transform into a tech and magical version of the bat cave.

Now for the update you guys have been waiting on. The church closed when an exorcism went bad. Oddly enough, it was known what was underneath the church. I did some further probing up the demons anus, as it were...Found out it was a priest that was killing the random homeless people. Evidently he willingly merged with the demon he was trying to get out of his daughter. When the church found out it got a bit "messy"! Also quite hush hush. There is more to it, but I have Reiki to send to Africa. So, I hope everyone has a good morning/night/day/evening.

Ah man...What happened to my enormous post that I did on the 19th or 20th of January? Dang! Don't tell me, let me guess...It didn't take because of the time limit on posts and I closed the tab right after I hit submit. CRAP! Now I've got to retype it. That's a bit depressing. But oh well.

One of the later seasons of the TV series Person of Interest has a Subway used as a base of operations. I think this also occurs in the 3rd TMNT movie (Turtles in Time). Even the 1st TMNT movie had Raph carrying April down a subway line after she's attacked, to get to the lair, instead of the traditional manole entrance.

I'm remembering one other thing like this but can't place it. Anyway I think watching these would give ideas.

Ideas I had in abundance, but I am back in the States until July.