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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 8, 2017 16:16:29 GMT -5
What are different ways that magic-user magic could work? What are different limitations that magic-user magic might have? What would the implications be for game play?
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Post by captaincrumbcake on Feb 20, 2017 16:43:18 GMT -5
Once again, the question justifies a response equitable to a master thesis. But why bog things down, eh?
1. It could work through arcane artifacts (staves, rings, robes) created long ago by some powerful thing or things, and not use spells/spell-casting, at all.
2. It could work like The Force...as in, "may the force be with you."
3. It could work in more like witchery, in the form of curses, hexes and such, as opposed to the traditional fantasy-fireball-hurling-wizard stuff we've become accustomed to.
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Post by captaincrumbcake on Feb 20, 2017 17:29:26 GMT -5
Once again, the question justifies a response equitable to a master thesis. But why bog things down, eh? 1. It could work through arcane artifacts (staves, rings, robes) created long ago by some powerful thing or things, and not use spells/spell-casting, at all. 2. It could work like The Force...as in, "may the force be with you." 3. It could work in more like witchery, in the form of curses, hexes and such, as opposed to the traditional fantasy-fireball-hurling-wizard stuff we've become accustomed to. Just thought of... 4. Through the MU's Familiar. The magic power is actually cast into the familiar, which then channels it into an Affect that is within the familiar's "powers"; not all familiars would be able to create the same results (i.e., spells). |
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Post by hengest on Feb 23, 2017 20:26:16 GMT -5
Everyone has magic, only MUs can control and strengthen it.
So play MUs as usual. For NPC and non-MU PCs, roll for a daily / hourly / weekly effect that may or may not occur. Usually trivial.
DM may allow non-MUs or some of them degree of control - "I aim my nose at the door!"
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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 24, 2017 8:19:18 GMT -5
Everyone has magic, only MUs can control and strengthen it. So play MUs as usual. For NPC and non-MU PCs, roll for a daily / hourly / weekly effect that may or may not occur. Usually trivial. DM may allow non-MUs or some of them degree of control - "I aim my nose at the door!" Can you expand on this? I am not sure that I am following your meaning. |
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Post by captaincrumbcake on Feb 24, 2017 12:44:03 GMT -5
Everyone has magic, only MUs can control and strengthen it. So play MUs as usual. For NPC and non-MU PCs, roll for a daily / hourly / weekly effect that may or may not occur. Usually trivial. DM may allow non-MUs or some of them degree of control - "I aim my nose at the door!" Can you expand on this? I am not sure that I am following your meaning. I think hengest is referring to the Smell Treasure spell.  |
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Post by hengest on Feb 25, 2017 18:43:30 GMT -5
Wow, my post did not make a lot of sense.
The idea was the following:
-MUs work the same way, but the "background" is different.
-non-MUs have "magic" but just one random and minor spell-like ability per person. Like, once a day, 20% chance of flame sneeze.
In that case, the DM might sometimes allow the character to "feel it coming on" and attempt to make use of it -- for example, by "aiming" at a locked wooden door or a city guard.
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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 25, 2017 20:37:53 GMT -5
I think hengest is referring to the Smell Treasure spell. OK. now you need write this spell up! What level spell is it? |
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Post by hengest on Mar 2, 2017 16:07:19 GMT -5
The White Wolf / Mage / almost Weiss-Hickman "reality warping" magic system is associated in my mind with games I'm not crazy about.
But that doesn't mean there couldn't be some blend of it with "Vancian" D&D magic that would work well.
Quasi-suggestion: MUs are rare (one or none per party). Special (all-new!) set of spells available, relatively easy for characters to get. A spell "as written" has a certain effect described precisely in the description, like a recipe. Characters can cast the spell as written for 100% success rate or can alter it with adjustment to % success by the DM. Spells much more flexible in terms of actual effect than in actual D&D, so fewer levels and maybe fewer spells.
No bargaining with the DM - say what you attempt and the DM rules on it. Roll, done. No wackiness from the DM, nothing like White Wolf "botches" - the spell works as the character wanted, or it fails.
Example: Spell description: 1st level, Cause Cold - brings about symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in one humanoid target. Lasts 1d4 hours.
Character wants to adjust this to an intense coughing fit of 20+1d10 seconds. DM rules this is fairly close to the original spell, just more targeted, gives a 90% chance of success. Roll and cough.
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Post by mao on Jan 16, 2018 17:23:46 GMT -5
The White Wolf / Mage / almost Weiss-Hickman "reality warping" magic system is associated in my mind with games I'm not crazy about. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be some blend of it with "Vancian" D&D magic that would work well.
Quasi-suggestion: MUs are rare (one or none per party). Special (all-new!) set of spells available, relatively easy for characters to get. A spell "as written" has a certain effect described precisely in the description, like a recipe. Characters can cast the spell as written for 100% success rate or can alter it with adjustment to % success by the DM. Spells much more flexible in terms of actual effect than in actual D&D, so fewer levels and maybe fewer spells. No bargaining with the DM - say what you attempt and the DM rules on it. Roll, done. No wackiness from the DM, nothing like White Wolf "botches" - the spell works as the character wanted, or it fails. Example: Spell description: 1st level, Cause Cold - brings about symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in one humanoid target. Lasts 1d4 hours. Character wants to adjust this to an intense coughing fit of 20+1d10 seconds. DM rules this is fairly close to the original spell, just more targeted, gives a 90% chance of success. Roll and cough. As I might have mentioned, the rare times I play instead of running, I am totally infatuated w mage to the extent that it spills over into my DMing.Love crap like this, have a kharma! |
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Post by hengest on Jan 24, 2018 22:41:48 GMT -5
This thread feels like it's from a thousand years ago.
This board reminds me of the "old" Internet or Usenet...not too many people, no insanity, just text and ideas.
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Post by mao on Jan 25, 2018 11:26:55 GMT -5
This thread feels like it's from a thousand years ago. This board reminds me of the "old" Internet or Usenet...not too many people, no insanity, just text and ideas. Most on the peeps here are pretty open to new idea, they just dont ue them.  |
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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 9, 2018 12:26:02 GMT -5
The White Wolf / Mage / almost Weiss-Hickman "reality warping" magic system is associated in my mind with games I'm not crazy about. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be some blend of it with "Vancian" D&D magic that would work well.
Quasi-suggestion: MUs are rare (one or none per party). Special (all-new!) set of spells available, relatively easy for characters to get. A spell "as written" has a certain effect described precisely in the description, like a recipe. Characters can cast the spell as written for 100% success rate or can alter it with adjustment to % success by the DM. Spells much more flexible in terms of actual effect than in actual D&D, so fewer levels and maybe fewer spells. No bargaining with the DM - say what you attempt and the DM rules on it. Roll, done. No wackiness from the DM, nothing like White Wolf "botches" - the spell works as the character wanted, or it fails. Example: Spell description: 1st level, Cause Cold - brings about symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in one humanoid target. Lasts 1d4 hours. Character wants to adjust this to an intense coughing fit of 20+1d10 seconds. DM rules this is fairly close to the original spell, just more targeted, gives a 90% chance of success. Roll and cough. I somehow missed this post, I like this idea, it would be quite useful in game. |
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Post by El Borak on Aug 30, 2018 16:31:44 GMT -5
I hadn't seen this thread before, there is good stuff here and the potential for a lot more.
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Post by mao on Jul 9, 2019 13:43:16 GMT -5
Magic is secret
Mages operate more or less RAW but the spell lists are secret and not to be shared w the PC. They must discover spells as they adventure and there is a reason that NPC mages will not trade spells w PCs. It could come down to ego.
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Post by mao on Aug 23, 2019 11:00:46 GMT -5
In anchient Egyptian folklore, all magic was divine, so the cleric would get all the mage spells. an interesting concept to run with.
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