Killer Shrike Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Another one posted under the new magic thread sans input; Aeldenaren. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zarglif69 Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 It stinks and I don't like it. Making characters pay full price for spells, then making them pay 5 more points just to have the right to buy those spells!?!? How can any GM do this in good concience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost who Walks Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Originally posted by zarglif69 ...How can any GM do this in good concience? Do it! Do it! Make those players pay! Make them pay through the nose! They sicken me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Originally posted by zarglif69 It stinks and I don't like it. Making characters pay full price for spells, then making them pay 5 more points just to have the right to buy those spells!?!? How can any GM do this in good concience? Ah, exactly the kind of high-quality, insightful posts I've come to inspect from zarglif. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zarglif69 Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Originally posted by Killer Shrike Ah, exactly the kind of high-quality, insightful posts I've come to inspect from zarglif. Hey, this is a legitimate criticism! What is the "Gift" perk for? Why not just have them buy the power?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Originally posted by zarglif69 Hey, this is a legitimate criticism! What is the "Gift" perk for? Why not just have them buy the power?!? Ok, if its an honest question, Ill give an honest answer. Have you read the Default Magic System in place in my campaings? Heres a link if you havent: http://killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/GreyHEROContent/Magic.htm In summary, using the Default System, which most Spellcasters do, it is required that they have a large Variable Power Pool and that they have a number of Skills (either Power or Knowledge skills for the most part) pertaining to different types of Magic to learn Spells to a "Known Spell List". Further, all Spells must be on Charges, and further most subsystems of Magic require that each Spell have only 1 Charge. Thus, Spellcasters using the Default Magic System can cast very powerful Spells, but are severely limited in the number of Spells they have available to them each day and further have a steep overhead cost involved in the purchase of their VPPs and their various Magic School Skills. The Aeldenaren on the otherhand dont have a VPP and thus are much less flexible than Spellcasters using the Default Magic System. However, they dont have to pay the overhead of a VPP, they dont need any Magic School Skills, and they dont have Charge limitations on the number of times per day they can use their Powers. They can even apply 0 END cost to their Powers if they want and use them every second of every day if they care to. They trade overall magnitude and flexibility for consistency and frequency of use. The costs involved are fair IMO when weighed against Default Magic System using Spellcasters, and allow a broad variety in character design without allowing Aeldenari to be too powerful or too efficient. As far as the Gifts are concerned they represent an overhead cost and an opportunity cost. Characters cannot normally just decide to buy Powers in a Fantasy Game. They are not Superheros afterall. They need some justification for having specific Powers, whether it be Magic, Psionics, Divine investments, extreme skill, Chi/Ki power, whatever. For Spellcasters using the Default Magic System, the cost of their VPP and more specifically their Magic Skill Rolls is their opportunity cost; similarly Psionicists using the Default Psionic System either pay for Discipline Power Skills or must take Activation on each Power; their opportunity cost is measured in either points or dependability. Characters with Divine Powers take "Only While In Good Standing With Faith"; their opportunity cost is measured in restrictions upon their decision making. Characters with Chi/Ki based Powers have "Requires Meditiation" or "Requires Style Skill Roll" on many of their more over-the-top abilities. And so on. Basically, players cant just buy Powers without some trade off. For the Aeldenari that tradeoff comes in the form of an "Access" cost. They can build Powers as they like, but they must pay for the privilege, and they must do it at Character Creation. This constrains Aeldenari to a specific strongly realized character concept and keeps them from outstripping other character types. Finally, theres is the "Flavor" aspect of it all. To counteract the "sameness" feel that generic systems like the HERO System can engender, it's important IMO to inject as much flavor as possible into content, particularly Magic Systems. If there are no defining elements of a system of Magic, then mechanically they are all basically the same. I have "Spells" aka Superpowers with some cosmetic trappings, and you have Spells too. It doesnt matter if I learned my Spells by studying the ancient and dread teachings of the Order of Ulungaria and you learned yours from your mentor Qualus the Thrice-Magistus, who collated the teaching of no fewer than three of the legendary Archwizards of Thracia into one coherent system; your fireball and my fireball are differentiated only by the amount of Active Points in them and the Modifiers we chose to apply. How boring is that? You end up with a game with the conceptual depth of poorly translated anime. Yawn. The flavor intended for the Aeldenari is that of an older type of Magic stemming from heredity, a natural Magic rather than a learned scholarly system of Magic. It isnt something that you do, its something that you are. Its purposely generic like the rest of the content I post so that various GMs can easily adapt it to their own settings. The use I intend to put it to for example is as the magic of the Fey, possesed by some of their number and by individuals of some other races that have some Fey lineage in their ancestry. But thats not the only possible use of it; later on if I want to run a campaign in another setting, I might adapt it to some other purpose. The basic concept is usable in any setting where there is the idea that at some point in the past there was a powerful race or equivalent who had inherent magic abilities and that these abilities are inheritable. Its also extensible; more Gifts could be added and some could be taken away. Maybe there are some rare gifts that are thought to be lost, or which havent been seen in many generations. Its also tailorable to different approaches and styles of play. Currently the Gifts presented are subtle. Aeldenari have a difficult time affecting others directly. Its not flashy, and its not combat oriented. However, for GMs prefering a more combat oriented setting you might have something like: GIFT OF KILLING This Gift enables the Aeldenari to Kill others by will alone. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using Hand Killing Attack and Ranged Killing Attack. GIFT OF WARDING This Gift enables the Aeldenari to protect themselves and others from harm. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using Force Field and Force Wall. Similarly the existing Gifts could be switched up: GIFT OF COMMANDING becomes GIFT OF COMMANDING This Gift gives Aeldenari the power to control the minds of any sentient creature or cause severe mental pain upon a victim. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using EGO Attack and Mind Control. and GIFT OF DECEIVING becomes GIFT OF DECEIVING This Gift enables the Aeldenari to fool the senses of others. Having this Gift enables an Aeldenari to purchase Powers which are constructed using Images, Invisibility, and Mental Illusions. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galadorn Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Originally posted by zarglif69 It stinks and I don't like it. Making characters pay full price for spells, then making them pay 5 more points just to have the right to buy those spells!?!? How can any GM do this in good conscience? Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Well zarglif? What are your thoughts now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zarglif69 Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hey, in fact, I like it. magic as a learned skill versus magic as a birthright, it balances out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Glad to hear it. Thanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilFleischmann Posted January 16, 2004 Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 For grammatical reasons, "Gift of Effecting" should be "Gift of Affecting" Your humble nit-picking servant, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2004 Originally posted by PhilFleischmann For grammatical reasons, "Gift of Effecting" should be "Gift of Affecting" Your humble nit-picking servant, Phil Yes, we discussed this back and forth. However, we determined that Effecting was the correct word in this case. The idea is that this magic ability allows the creation of new states that would otherwise not exist without the magic. More of a semantics nod than anything. More of an active sense about it. Usage Note: Affect and effect have no senses in common. As a verb affect is most commonly used in the sense of “to influence†(how smoking affects health). Effect means “to bring about or executeâ€: layoffs designed to effect savings. Thus the sentence These measures may affect savings could imply that the measures may reduce savings that have already been realized, whereas These measures may effect savings implies that the measures will cause new savings to come about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.