Nomadic matrix gems are a BEND

[Flightgod5@aol.com]

We need to argue or we'll all get out of shape.  Problem is, my argument here
is so good I don't think any of you have the mental capacity to put it down.
;)

Nomadic Matrix Gems are a bend.

For those of you that don't already know how matrix gems work, they typically
boost the main skills that your background is based on by 50%.  Mages and
Priests multiply their spell units by 1.5, Warriors multiply combat and
missile modifiers by 1.5, Augers multiply their INT based skills by 1.5, and
Marines multiply AGI skills and their grapple mod by 1.5.  To gain these
bonuses, the character using the gem must have the gem touching their skin at
all times.  If the gem is ever removed from their skin they immediately lose
these bonuses to skills/spell or divine units/combat modifiers.
	Nomadic Matrix Gems, however, work on a completely different basis that is a
tremendous glitch in the system.  The way I've seen it run in the past, when a
nomad wishes to manufacture an incant and he has a matrix gem in his
posession, all he has to do is momentarily touch that gem during the making of
the incant.  Then the nomad can release the gem, and the incant will
PERMANENTLY gain two ranks.  This officially makes a nomadic matrix gem a
"rock of free experience points".  Yes, you may argue that other matrix gems
also give you experience points, and you would be correct. However, these
experience points are not given on a permanent basis.  If a warrior loses his
matrix gem, his combat and missile modifiers drop back to normal.  If a nomad
loses his matrix gem, the incants he has made using the matrix gem lose
NOTHING.  
	Another interesting point that I have noticed is that you have to but once
touch a nomadic matrix gem during the making of an incant, especially if it is
an incant requiring multiple days to manufacture.  Therefore, why not just
touch it a bunch of times and make your base cost 10,000 incant have about
thirty ranks or so?  Yet another bend in the system.
	Here is what I propose to fix this gaping error:
1)	Nomadic matrixs gems will function just like regular gems...a nomad will
gain two ranks for all incants he has on his person while the matrix gem is
touching his skin.  If the matrix gem ever loses contact with his skin, those
extra two ranks go away just like when any other background loses a gem.
2)  If my first point goes through, this point will be unnecessary.  But just
in case it doesn't...  When manufacturing an incant with a nomadic matrix gem,
the gem must be touching the nomad's skin for the entire duration of the
incant's manufacture.

	If this doesn't get through when I propose it at the next GM meeting (if
we're even having those anymore), then I am going to assume that all other
matrix gems work the same as a nomadic matrix gem.  Therefore, the next time
my warrior runs across a priestly gem, he'll touch it thirty or forty times
and increase his DU exponentially.  

Chew on that.

Joel