Captain Obvious Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Reading The Ultimate Martial Artist some time back, it occurred to me that something similar to the stances outlined there could be used for users of magic. Whereas the stances generally give a bonus to OCV or DCV with certain martial maneuvers, this magic version gives bonuses (in general) to the casting roll for certain types of magic. This thread has two purposes. First, to show an application of the rules that I found interesting, and hopefully will inspire others. Second, to get opinions on how I've written it up. Skill levels at the 3 point level are supposed to apply to "any three related skills", whereas at the 5 point level, they cover all skills within a broad group. In my magic system, there are several different Power skills used for different forms of magic. It seems to me that the 5 point level should cover all magic in this case. In most cases, though, for my purposes, "all magic" is too broad, while "three skills" could potentially be much too narrow. I've written these up at the 3 point level, but I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with it that way. I could be swayed either way by a good argument. So, anyway, the first type of magical "stance" is the Invocation. By calling on the power of the various gods, spells are more likely to be cast successfully if they fall under that god's area of interest. Note that so-called "arcane" casters can use Invocations in their magic as well. Invocation of Ketiss - +1 with healing related magic skills (primarily Humors, Herbalism, or Alchemy), Incantations (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Invocation of Talgan - +1 with creation related magic skills, Incantations (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Invocation of Yenal - +1 OCV with any magic skills, Incantations (-1/4), Only vs devils, witches, and monsters of Dorn (-1/2) Active: 5 Real: 2 The next form of "stance" is The Secret Place. Many places are purported to be healing springs, or fairy mounds, or something similar. Those with the proper knowledge can harness the power of these places to improve their casting. Secrets of the Healing Pools - +2 with healing spells, Immobile OIF: healing pool (-1 1/2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Secrets of the Spirit Rocks - +2 with spirit summoning spells, Immobile OAF: petroglyphs (-2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Secrets of the Fae Roads - +2 with fairy summoning spells, Immobile OAF: fairy ring (-2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Astrology is often intertwined with other forms of magical lore. The Influences of the Stars can be used to improve the chance of success of these magical arts. Alchemical Influences of the Stars - +2 with Alchemy, Window of Opportunity: 1 Day per Month (-2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Humoral Influences of the Stars - +2 with humor based spells, Window of Opportunity: 1 Day per Month (-2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Elemental Influences of the Stars - +2 with element based spells, Window of Opportunity: 1 Day per Month (-2) Active: 6 Real: 2 Traditionally, the four elements corresponded to the four humors. Spellcasters with a working knowledge of this correspondence can use the Reciprocities as a semi-sympathetic form of magic, using blood, for instance, as a focus for an air related spell. (Note that this could be extended to the signs of the Zodiac as well, but I didn't get that in-depth with my world) Blood-Air Reciprocity - +1 with blood or air related magic skills (primarily Humors, Elements, Elementalism, Herbalism, or Alchemy), OAF: Blood for air spells, censer for blood spells (-1) Active: 3 Real: 1 Phlegm-Water Reciprocity - +1 with phlegm or water related magic skills (primarily Humors, Elements, Elementalism, Herbalism, or Alchemy), OAF: Phlegm for water spells, water for phlegm spells (-1) Active: 3 Real: 1 Choleric-Fire Reciprocity - +1 with choleric or fire related magic skills (primarily Humors, Elements, Elementalism, Herbalism, or Alchemy), OAF: Choleric for fire spells, fire for choleric spells (-1) Active: 3 Real: 1 Melancholic-Earth Reciprocity - +1 with melancholic or earth related magic skills (primarily Humors, Elements, Elementalism, Herbalism, or Alchemy), OAF: Melancholic for earth spells, earth for melancholic spells (-1) Active: 3 Real: 1 I envision Flourishes as a subtle tweaking of the standard Gestures in a spell. These tweaks improve the caster's control over certain principles, such as specific elements or humors. Flourish of Blood - +1 to blood related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Phlegm - +1 to phlegm related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Choleric - +1 to choleric related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Melancholic - +1 to melancholic related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Fire - +1 to fire related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Water - +1 to water related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Air - +1 to air related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 Flourish of Earth - +1 to earth related spells, Gestures (-1/4) Active: 3 Real: 2 The last thing I have are Laws. These are the big boys everyone has heard of: Sympathy and Contagion. Most of the spells I've drawn up for this world have the bare minimum of Foci; adding an appropriate Focus in a manner consistent with these Laws increases the chance of success. Law of Sympathy - +1 to all magic, OAF: object of some similarity to target of casting (-1) Active: 5 Real: 2 Law of Contagion - +2 to all magic, Difficult to obtain OAF: a piece of target of casting or something of close personal significance (-1 1/4) Active: 10 Real: 4 As I said earlier, I'm posting these for anyone interested to modify and use, and to get opinions on what sort of skill level they should be based on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Those sound great as is, considering that they are "additions" to existing spells perhaps they should all require at least a Half-Phase action (since atm thier all built as SLs which are applied as zerophase actions) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Rose Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders I was liking your idea right up until you hit the Laws. That has got to be one of the more intriguing ways of handling the matter I've seen yet. The best part is, you can simply declare that, unless the PC has purchased said Laws, they can only get them to work (since, if you're using them, they should be universal laws of magic) at the GM's discretion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkeown Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders I like it... I was working on something like this using Aid a while back. I do not believe, however, you can apply limitations to 3pt levels... Tho I could be mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Well technically you can't but one of the priviliges of being DM is saying "**** the rules I'm doing it this way". However, even a 5 pt SLs I doubt it would change the prices noticabily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Actually, you can. 5ER P 70: "The smallest Skill Level on which a character can place a Limitation is a 3-point Level." Combat Skill Levels have to be at the 5-point level before you can add Lims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleDevil Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Nice! Definately yoink-worthy. *Bookmarks* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greatwyrm Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders This is a neat idea. Thanks for sharing it. This will have to go in my notebook for the unlikely day I can convince my group to give HERO a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Aaah, my mistake, 3 pt are fine then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Another thought I just had: Magic is supposedly easier at "in-between" times, like midnight, or places, such as a crossroads. The Indeterminacies work on this principle. Indeterminacy of the Crossroads - +1 to all magic, Must take place at a crossroads (-1/2) Active: 5 Real: 3 Indeterminacy of Midnight - +1 to all magic, Only at midnight (-1) Active: 5 Real: 2 Indeterminacy of the New Year - +1 to all magic, Window of Opportunity: 1 Week per Year (-3 3/4) Active: 5 Real: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 21, 2005 Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Or at a location that is a "transition point" like the beach, (Water and Earth) or a Mountain Peak (Earth and Air), a Caldera (Earth and Fire) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bblackmoor Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders This is a neat thread. If the subject of "Magical Laws" interests you, you might find some inspiration from Isaac Bonewits' The Laws Of Magic: http://www.neopagan.net/AT_Laws.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders You mind if I steal the basic idea presented here for my Easthaven campaign setting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Sure, go ahead. That's what I posted it for, after all. If you put it on a webpage, all I ask is that you put in a "Thanks to Captain Obvious" line somewhere. It makes me feel important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Obviously you have delusions of grandure... sorry, I can't resist a bad pun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders These sound like something from...Shadowbane? maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Obviously you have delusions of grandure... sorry' date=' I can't resist a bad pun...[/quote'] Hey man, let me milk my 15 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders These sound like something from...Shadowbane? maybe? Shadowbane? What's that? Something I can steal ideas from, maybe? No, these were all the products of my own little head. It's an idea that's been cooking up for a few months now, and only just made it into a game-able form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders I have created the section for them but I haven't started putting up any Magical Stances yet. Something about work being busy or some such non-sense like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Obvious Posted August 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Tell me about it. There's no reason we couldn't get by on 20 hour work week, if corporate culture would let us. I've been working on my current game setting for about 5 years. If I didn't spend so much time at work I'd have finished it long ago. The home-brew entertainment world is suffering under this brutal 40+ hour regime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders so true, and video games arn't helping any... nor TV... darn you Mechwarrior 4... darn you to heII (not hell, heII, its a special place reserved for people who can't read good well.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantriped Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Theres also h33l: which is for powergamers and Hea'll: which is where Texuns (sp?) go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders Now that I have a better website format up and got some bug editting out of the way, I have been able to get my magical stances page up. Thanks again Captain Obvious. You'll note your name is in the credits section and if you click on the name, it brings up your post for quick repping. http://aldaric.com/guidelines?keyword=stance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders That is looking better and better. Nice work SS! I guess I'm going to be spending my EXP in even more places now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: "Stances" for magic wielders It keeps you from putting all of your XP into something I don't like doesn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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