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This is something that has always vexed and perplexed me.

First off, I love Stone Masters. The possibilities are just so beautiful. And don't get me started on all the things you can do with marbles.

But the real question is... Can I cram my emeralds together to make a bigass emerald? That diamond dust, rolled up, kneaded like dough, into the most awesomest of solitaires? And to be even more fiendish... You say your gem powers have been exhausted, well, I just kneaded me up some new gemdough, add a sprinkle here, a sprinkle there... Brand new poptart!

It seems like the most recent get rich quick scheme ever.... But I honestly don't see how we could deny that minerals would be stone would be gems would be handled just as any other stone.

What say you all?

Given Gem Magic, I think it would be far more lucrative for a stone master to cut small gems off really large gems to get more uses out of them. Like, if I have a 5 carat stone, that's 6 uses as a large stone... or, I can use my gem-shaping abilities (8% per level, plus +10% for spending 10 PPE) to cut that into 5 1-carat gems, and get 15 uses out of 5 small stones at 3 uses, each.

While the text discourages it ("Chips and slivers cannot be used, only whole stones with a crystal cut."), I wouldn't fight TOO hard a player who decided to mash up a few chips or slivers into a single gem that they then shaped.

I'd think that 'frankengems' made of reconstituted gem grit might not possess the same usefulness for magical purposes, or might only have a fraction of the PPE as a 'cut from natural' gemstones. They might still be indistinguishable to all but another stone master or discerning magic crystalographer, and would still have the same market gemstone value to a anybody else, but just wouldn't have the same magical charge (unless you let 'em soak in the ambient PPE for a few thousand years at least).

So here are some specific things I wrote up for a variant of the Stone Master... The Golem Master... Never saw print, but you could probably get a few ideas from it (maybe) Also I thought the Stone Masters ability to manipulate gems should be increased since their power mostly resides in the ability to buy and/or procure Gems...

Gem Powers
The Golem Master does not share the same ease of ability that the Stone Master has to draw psionic or magical powers, which can be utilized (similar to invocation), by activating the designated gem for effect. The Golem Master that attempts to draw power from a stone or gem must expend a larger (which has already been adjusted appropriately below) amount of P.P.E. Instead the Golem Master uses their ability and specialty in working with gems to incorporate them into their stone sculpted creations for enhanced ability.

Gem Shaping: The Character can use his/her ability to shape stone much the same for gems. All that is required is that the Golem Master must concentrate on the desired shape while holding the gem in his bare palm. Base Skill, Gem Shaping: 30% +8% per level of experience, much higher than that of the Stone Master. Drawing on mystic energy can boost the chance to successfully shape the gem as desired. Add one percentage point per P.P.E. point spent, for a maximum additional bonus of 12%. A failed roll means the gem is ruined.

Gem Joining: A power that the Golem Master has that the Stone Master does not is the ability to join gems together, which will produce one larger gem from two smaller gems. The drawback of this ability is that one carat is lost in the joining from the original two gems. For instance, joining two gems that are only one carat will not work, but joining two gems if both are two carats (if successful), will produce a single gem of three carats. Additionally the gem that has been crafted from two, which is now one single or larger gem can only be shaped (by hand) by the Golem Master for use and has to be reshaped again for use to draw power (invocation/spell) or use with a golem creation. Shaping the Gem by other means (or naturally by laborious means) for use in magic is just not possible. Also gems that have been previously joined in this manner cannot be further or later joined to a third gem, in order to increase the carat amount again. Base Skill: 60% +5% per level of experience, failure means that the two gems are nearly ruined, but the Golem Master may attempt the ability one additional time at -30% efficiency; after that the gem(s) are permanently ruined and worthless!

Gem Separation: The Golem Master is able to use this ability to separate a much larger gem, creating two smaller (more functional size) gems. The power is limited to gems (not ivory) and one carat is lost in the separation process; separating a gem that is two carats is not possible. The Golem Master must place the gem in his hand and have absolute focus for one minute; Base Skill: 12% +8% per level of experience.

Also... It is somewhere in the Palladium Text that gems receive their power by natural formation (time brewing in the earth)... And basically gems manufactured by automation have no magical properties... I'm certain I'm paraphrasing that... No idea where it's at; probably not looking for it.

Speaking of Stone Masters and golems, MercTown page 68 has a 375 PPE ritual which Stone Masters can use to create the "Golemgoyle".

It apparently is typically the creation of either them or Earth Elemental Fusionists, Earth Warlocks, Lord Magi or High Magi.

Shifters or Line Walkers may also learn it.

Strikes me as weird as usually Warlocks/Fusionists can't be taught stuff (intuitive level-based learners like Mystics) and Stone Masters don't learn spells/rituals at all...

Can a Stone Master make a 'franken gem' by treating gems like bread dough?
Does it work like that?
It seems like the issue would only be a problem if the GM allows the trick to work in the first place.

eliakon wrote:Can a Stone Master make a 'franken gem' by treating gems like bread dough?
Does it work like that?
It seems like the issue would only be a problem if the GM allows the trick to work in the first place.

No they cannot... Which is why I invented an O.C.C. which could.