Math is less fun when you're ignorant
Feb. 5th, 2010 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethI'm reading the GURPS Magic rules, specifically the Technology spells.
It says
The default assumption is that one kilowatt-hour (kWh) is equal to 10 energy;
thus, 360 kilowatts (kW) is equal to 1 energy/second,
and 360 kilowatt-seconds (kWs) or kilojoules (kJ) is equal to 1 energy.
... and I realise all I know about electricity is you plugs things into the wall and it makes them go.
... GCSE Science was a long long time ago. Also, it would not have covered this specific question.
So now I want to know, if I plugs my spells into the wall, how much does it make them go?
If magic is mains powered, do I get 1 energy/second, or a bazillion, or what?
It has a formula for figuring out how much energy a particular mage can channel safely (18 megawatts, for my mage. Which is again greek to me.)
It talks about carrying your own portable fusion generator. Would my mage need her own generator? Could she use a wall socket? How about overhead power cables? Underground cables would have penalties for not being able to see them.
GURPS has rules for all kinds of everything so it is likely that somewhere this is written down. But GURPS has rules for all kinds of everything, so it is unlikely that any given thing can be found unless you have an actual clue where to look.
Lacking a GURPS rule to do the math for me I could work it out from the actual knowing of things, but, well, I have not the knowing of these things.
... I like it better when I can figure out how many fireballs I can make go boom before my character has to have a lie down. For that all the numbers are in front of me. Also, boom!
... the energy spells give the possibility of really big kaboom. I likes...
It says
The default assumption is that one kilowatt-hour (kWh) is equal to 10 energy;
thus, 360 kilowatts (kW) is equal to 1 energy/second,
and 360 kilowatt-seconds (kWs) or kilojoules (kJ) is equal to 1 energy.
... and I realise all I know about electricity is you plugs things into the wall and it makes them go.
... GCSE Science was a long long time ago. Also, it would not have covered this specific question.
So now I want to know, if I plugs my spells into the wall, how much does it make them go?
If magic is mains powered, do I get 1 energy/second, or a bazillion, or what?
It has a formula for figuring out how much energy a particular mage can channel safely (18 megawatts, for my mage. Which is again greek to me.)
It talks about carrying your own portable fusion generator. Would my mage need her own generator? Could she use a wall socket? How about overhead power cables? Underground cables would have penalties for not being able to see them.
GURPS has rules for all kinds of everything so it is likely that somewhere this is written down. But GURPS has rules for all kinds of everything, so it is unlikely that any given thing can be found unless you have an actual clue where to look.
Lacking a GURPS rule to do the math for me I could work it out from the actual knowing of things, but, well, I have not the knowing of these things.
... I like it better when I can figure out how many fireballs I can make go boom before my character has to have a lie down. For that all the numbers are in front of me. Also, boom!
... the energy spells give the possibility of really big kaboom. I likes...