Feedback on a Magic System

[Greatwyrm]

Still thinking of myself as a newbie, I like throwing stuff like this out so you more experienced folks can tell me stupid things I've missed. So, here's an idea for a magic system I've been thinking on, kind of inspired by Rolemaster's spell lists.

 

The basic idea is a skill based spell system. Each 3/2 skill gives you access to a list of 5 or 6 spells. As you buy more levels of the skill for the list, you gain access to more advanced spells. If you spent 3 points, you could use the most basic spell, 5 would give you the first and second spells, and so on.

 

The guidelines for making lists would be the most basic spell has an AP limit of 10, with 10 more for each level. So, the second spell could be up to 20 AP and the sixth would be up to 60 AP. All spells need to be thematically related for the list, but not necessarily the same Power.

 

The spell skills would have a base penalty of -1 per 10 AP. Every -1/4 in limitations offsets this penalty by 1, similarly to how PSLs work.

 

There are the basics. If you have any mechanical suggestions or warnings, please speak up. I know it would be a lot of work to create all the spells ahead of time, but I'm not really worried about that. I like the idea of a skill based system. I also think this would be a good way to make some lists more common in some areas or to special schools.

[Eodin]

Re: Feedback on a Magic System

 

Instead of straight Active Points per 'level', you might try what I call "Effective Points", which is the Active modified by non-casting limitiations. So a Light Spell that has an AP of 16, but has the -2 Lim: Only For Light has an Effective Cost of 16/3 = 5 points. I find that tends to keep Light as an L1 spell instead of L2 or L3.

 

Other than that, I'd say keep the number of additional spells per +1 consistent across lists, and treat each list like an MP in that all should have pretty much the same casting lims with only minor variations.

 

Also, I'd decide what upper limit you want for the AP (or Effective Points if you use that), so you don't get someone spending 31 points on the skill to get spells of 140 Active Points.