Permanent Ley lines

[John]

> IMO the reason a ley network dissolves when its caster dies is that it is no
> longer being maintained. Thus if sources were dedicated to maintaining the
> network on a permanent basis the network should stay up after its creator is
> gone. Any sources which are used to maintain the network are deemed untappable
> and can only be contested as a whole. Should the network be contested away
> successfully all sources except those dedicated to maintainence fall away
> from the ley network.

Nifty idea (it might also make for simpler book-keeping for wizards).
When setting one up I think there'd have to be some complications or
added cost for the dedicated sources, just to ensure such a strong
network doesn't totally outweigh the ordinary versions. Requiring an
extra action on the part of the wizard, or maybe a realm spell
'Dedicate Source' would be possibilities.
In that way, you have the added adventure hook when a PC wizard
notices one of his competitors spending rather a long time over his
ley lines. That might then lead to a race against time as the PCs try
to track down the lines and sources of the NPC before he can 'lock
up' his network...

John.
"Once I was a lamb, playing in a green field. Then
the wolves came. Now I am an eagle and I fly in a
different universe."
"And now you kill the lambs," whispered Dardalion.
"No, priest. No one pays for lambs."
- David Gemmel, Waylander

[JD Lail]

IMO the reason a ley network dissolves when its caster dies is that it is no
longer being maintained. Thus if sources were dedicated to maintaining the
network on a permanent basis the network should stay up after its creator is
gone. Any sources which are used to maintain the network are deemed untappable
and can only be contested as a whole. Should the network be contested away
successfully all sources except those dedicated to maintainence fall away
from the ley network.

Such networks can be hidden using the mask ley line spell if a level 2 source
is dedicated to that purpose to fuel the spell*. If such occurs these sources
will be apparently lost to the world when the caster dies. If the Wizard
version of the Dispel Realm Magic spell is for example cast it will cause the
masking to go down for an action round.

* A Swag on my part. To re-cast the spell every 12 rounds (its natural
duration) would cost 22 RPs (6 for the mask spell and 16 for the alchemy spell)

Logically once you know that the network exists you will want to take it over.
Unfortunatly the only way I can see that happening is to have it bequeathed
by its maker who is almost certainly dead. Bummer ! But perhaps the inspiration
for an adventure ? That leaves us with Deactivating and Sundering the sources
away as they are found..

Comments ?