Magic System for New Campaign

[Greenstar]

I'm soliciting comments on the magic notes attached below. Note that I will design most (if not all) of the spells (with the aid of the Grimoire, once I get my greedy little hands on it, of course!) to help ensure balance.

 

(the attachment is an MS-Word doc. If anyone needs it in ASCII let me know!)

[JakSpade]

I like it!

 

I can see that you put a lot of work into this document. And I liked it a lot. What I found most interesting about your notes is that they allow for basic magic use as well as 'mix-n-match' mages. It also leaves the system open ended for experience spending, so that you either start out a powerful mage with little control (like Luke Skywalker), or a beginner with the ability to expand (like say, Harry Potter).

 

What I found a little confusing was your point cost description (under Arcane Magic, #1) seemed a little vague to me... when I read the example (of John) later on, the 5x(points spent on perk) didn't seem to make sense at first. But maybe that was just me.

 

Are you planning on using Knowledge skills in this as well as Professional skills?

 

JakSpade

[Greenstar]

Thanks for the kind words, but this was really just something I threw together off the top of my head in an hour or so one day, and i'm sure there are terrible holes in it...which is why I value the feedback here!

 

I'm not sure I understand your question...for each area of magic, you have to spend points on a perk related to it. For every 1 character point spent on the perk, you can cast a spell with 5 times that many AP. So, if you spend 6 character points on the "Ki" perk, you can handle 30AP "Ki" spells.

 

Looking over the document again, I think I'm going to have to make a couple of changes. First, I'll go with a shared END pool for ALL colleges known (mana is mana is mana), to make things a little more cost-effective for the dabblers. Second, I need to clarify that you can NOT buy any spell to 0 END unless it's Independent (as for a magic item). I will allow Delayed Endurance Costs for Constant Spells, up to spending END each hour for a +1/2 advantage. I'd also allow Reduced (1/2) END as an advantage. Having to spend END only to activate a spell will be rare indeed, if it's allowed at all.

[Ghostkat]

I looked this over earlier while I was at work, and it looked pretty neat. I especially like your method of handling 'divine magic'.

 

What I think JakSpade meant about the skill cost is that you didn't make it clear about the skills needed for each style of magic. Other than the quick mention of PS: School of Magic I didn't see any mention of it. And I'm thinking the other question was whether you would require PS: School of Magic to DO the spells, and a KS: School of Magic for overal knowledge of what the school is capable of, what a particular spell might be like (it blows holes in things...), that sort of stuff.

 

Considering I have yet to come up with anything satisfactory in a magic system I have to give kudos for this being off the top of your head!

[Greenstar]

Ah! I understand now.

 

Hmmm...the only skill I require is PS:School of Magic, and that is to learn new spells. I think, maybe, that I'll have a KS:Magic so that general magic can be recognized...and a complimentary skill bonus if you have a PS in the school in question you are trying to identify.

 

I'm often not quite sure when to use a PS vs. a KS, though since the cost is the same, it's mostly a matter of flavor, I suppose. I'm open to further suggestions on what skills might be appropriate. I think I want to keep the Perk requirement so that not any chump off the street could learn to sling spells just by studying a bit (I want magic to be uncommon in my setting...known, and feared/respected, but not something you see every day.)

[JakSpade]

Originally posted by Greenstar

Ah! I understand now.

 

Hmmm...the only skill I require is PS:School of Magic, and that is to learn new spells. I think, maybe, that I'll have a KS:Magic so that general magic can be recognized...and a complimentary skill bonus if you have a PS in the school in question you are trying to identify.

 

I'm often not quite sure when to use a PS vs. a KS, though since the cost is the same, it's mostly a matter of flavor, I suppose. I'm open to further suggestions on what skills might be appropriate. I think I want to keep the Perk requirement so that not any chump off the street could learn to sling spells just by studying a bit (I want magic to be uncommon in my setting...known, and feared/respected, but not something you see every day.)

 

I don't have my book with me, but I think it goes like this:

 

A Profession Skill is a general skill that gives the character knowledge about the procedures to do a specific job (I know how to work as a taxi driver, or a baggage claim guy), basically the ins and outs of a job (or the experience of doing a job). If I were a genetic researcher, a PS: Genetic Researcher would mean I know how to use a lab to extract DNA from a cell, etc.

 

A Knowledge Skill says that a character can recall specific information about a topic (I know what a taxi cab looks like, I know that the cab driver gives people rides for money) without any specific experience of the job itself. If I were a genetic researcher, a KS: Genetics or SS: Genetics would mean that I know almost anything about genetic research, but I don't know how to physically extract DNA from cells (even if I had a lab).

 

I would think that PS: (Magic School) would tell the GM that you know how to research a magic spell, make magic items in a lab, and know the ins and outs of the mage environment. But a KS: (Magic School) might tell the GM that your character knows how to read magic writing about that school's spells, cast those spells, etc.

 

How's that?

Jak