Magic as a skill, sort of

[SirWilliam]

It's been several years since I last ran my FH campaign, and now that it looks like it will be starting up again I am revamping my magic system.

 

The thing I never liked about magic in FH is that mages never had any variety of spells, ever. They had attack spells, defense spells, and maybe a movement spell. It always felt more like superheroes than heroes.

 

I came to the conclusion in the intervening years that the problem was that a) the players always made their own spells and therefore made them as combat-usable as possible which meant minimal limitations, and point a) caused the spells to cost so much that they rarely had more than 4 or maybe 5 spells to start with.

 

I decided that I was going to fix this problem in the new campaign.

 

First, I am going to be the author of all the spells and the list of mandatory limitations is going to be long and varied. Spells can be requested, but I will write them up, and if I'm feeling benevolent they'll get a copy when I'm done. I'f I'm not, I'll use it on them first.

 

Second, I'm going to make spells free. In other words they don't pay any cp's for a spell. This is offset by further points, but it makes me able to make a spell "go away" if I don't like it.

 

Next the characters must buy the skills and talent to use their chosen form of magic. They have to buy a 5 point magic talent that allows them to use spells, and they must buy a spell casting skill, and they have to buy KS's about various forms of magic.

 

To use a new spell that they've found they have to make an appropriate "comprehension" skill roll vs their KS for that type of magic. This roll is modified by the AP of the spell. If they don't have the KS, they can't even roll to see if they understand it.

 

To cast a spell they have to make their spell casting roll (again modified by AP cost).

 

Spell endurance will be paid out of an endurance reserve which will recover fairly slowly.

 

Any spell component requirements are over and above the rest of the hurdles they have to cross to cast a given spell.

 

I think this system will give me the ability to balance things, and yet give them a decent number of minor spells that are generally useful, without them spending loads of points on what they see as "useless" spells.

 

I want to hear some feedback on this idea, please.

[bjbrown]

If you haven't checked out Fantasy Hero Fifth Edition yet, it includes example magic systems based on Power Skills and/or Talents (e.g., the Arts Arcane, Lex Magisterium).

[Jeff]

Allowing multipowers should go a long, long way toward getting a variety of effects. So will writing them up yourself and providing a lot of non-combat applications.

[JTesla]

In the past I've found that the way I run a game influences the spells players's pick. If your game is not going to be hack and slash, give the players a warning that they are going to have a bunch of useless spells if they only choose combat effects.

 

Currently I'm working up a spell system where the entry level spells are of my design, representing training for mages or divine gifts given to untested priests. From there the PC’s will have a mix of trained or observed spells of my design and making their own spells with appropriate skill requirements for that design. Of course if the player can design a spell that fits the game concept let them run with it.