Magical Skills.

[NuSoardGraphite]

What type of Magical Skills to you guys use in your Fantasy Hero campaigns?

 

Obviously there is the Magic Skill used to actually cast magical spells. What else do you have?

 

I use Spell Mastery, which is the magical version of the Power skill and it is used to manipulate the parameters of individual spells as you cast them. It can also be used as a sort of "universal" complimentary skill roll to the Magic/Spellcasting skill roll.

 

There is of course Alchemy, for identifying or creating magical potions. Crafting for creating magical items.

 

Any other suggestions?

[Ryhope Wood]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

I have used individual spell skills to simulate a scholarly approach to magic with a penalty related to AP cost.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

Most of my Fantasy Hero spell casters have a Magic Skill, which is needed for Required Skill Roll limitation and doubles as a Power Skill (although curiously it is rarely used for the latter).

 

To encourage the purchase of Knowledge Skills which mages would logically have, I make any KS that relates to a particular spell a complimentary skill (and usually grant an automatic +1 rather than making them roll). For instance, if a wizard has a Flaming Breath spell, his KS: Dragons automatically gives him a +1 to his Magic Spell roll when he casts it.

[Ndreare]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]45289[/ATTACH]

 

I have posted it a few times, but we have a pretty developed magic skill system, were characters learn domains of magic rather than having spells or powers. The original word file has some pretty poorly written flavor text as well. I can share it, but am too lazy to try and clean it up.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]45290[/ATTACH]

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]45289[/ATTACH]

 

I have posted it a few times, but we have a pretty developed magic skill system, were characters learn domains of magic rather than having spells or powers. The original word file has some pretty poorly written flavor text as well. I can share it, but am too lazy to try and clean it up.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]45290[/ATTACH]

 

Very interesting what you have there. I would like to see more of this...

[Ndreare]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

I think I will update it to sixth edition and see what I can do to clean it up. Knowing someone will read it makes me want to finish it.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

I think I will update it to sixth edition and see what I can do to clean it up. Knowing someone will read it makes me want to finish it.

 

No need to update it to 6th on my account. I'm still sticking with 5th edition for now.

[BhelliomRahl]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

I have used several different skills in magic systems.

 

Some of the more interesting were based on the Wheel of Time System.

 

Magic was done by weaving 5 different elements; Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit and Water.

 

In my first experiments each element had a skill and to use a weave the caster needed to succeed in a skill roll for each element that constituted the weave. However this could take time and I felt overly complicated. I later reduced it to a single skill called Weaving and added 5pt Affinity Talents for each element. When a person weaved a spell they received either a +2 for each element they possessed a affinity for or and a -5 if they possessed No affinities.

 

If a person fails a weaving roll by more than 5 they could injure themselves or render themselves unconcious. In extreme cases they could destroy the Gift of Magic within themselves or kill themselves. What is worse was up for debated? and was in my game.

 

I also had a selection of other skills:

 

Embracing: I person must embrace the source to be able to weave. In this state they have heightened senses and are less effect by emotional stimuli. If they suffer injury they must make a roll to maintain the Embrace. Each point of body suffered gives a -1 modifer on the roll. This state can become addictive.

 

Analyse Weave: If a person observed another persons weaving and succeeded on a skill roll at the same penalty as the weaver (excluding Affinity modifiers) they could learn the weave themselves. They receive modifiers to this roll based upon affinities for the elements of the weave.

 

Inverse Weave: If succeeded on this roll the weave being weaved was rendered invisible to others. Penalty on Roll is same as Weave being used. If the roll fails the margin of failure is an additional penalty to the Weaving Roll. (Lost Skill)

 

Linking: Weavers could join together to combine their powers under the control of a single person. This did not alter skills but it increased the Virtual VPP, both the pool and control which Weavers used.

 

Tying Off the Weave. This skill allowed a person to make a weave they were holding remain without have to hold it themselves. i.e They craft a ball of light, they have to maintain concentration to maintain the light but if they tie it off they could leave it alone. Penalty same as the initial weave. Degree of Success increase the difficulty for another to unweave the weaving if intended.

 

Unweaving: This skill allows a person to unweave a weaving either tied off all held.

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Their are Talents with provide bonus in attempted some of these Skills

 

These are examples of the Skills I used in a Wheel of Time game, I also used the same magic system in another fantasy game.

[Orion]

Re: Magical Skills.

 

My unfinished system has a magic skill that every caster must have to be able to use spells at all. Most people cannot use spells, so having this is rare. They don't have to have magical ability at the start, but should get the skill at character creation if they plan to do spells in the future. I could probably be talked into allowing an established character to get the skill, but it would take a pretty good storyline to allow it, as this would be a major departure from the original character concept. Some magic items also require this skill to use, but many do not. Depending on the type of magic learned, there may be heavy penalties to the roll to using a different type of magic. So if a fire mage may have a -5 to all water-related spells, and a -3 to all demon summoning spells. These penalties can be bought off in time. I may end up changing this to a separate roll for every school of magic, but it would be rare to have a character with more than 2 schools.

 

When a spell is cast, the caster chooses what advantages and limitations to take on the base skill. Gestures and incantations would give a bonus to the skill roll, while trying to do it in half the time would have a penalty. Most spells are learned with a large number of attached limitations, but no advantages, just to make it easier to learn and use. These wouldn't change the power of the spell, just the ease of success. The actual power level of the spell can change within limits at will, which also modifies the skill roll.

 

When they first learn a spell, they only know one way to do it, and changing it is very difficult. With experience in the spell, as well as overall experience and power, it becomes easier to change. To model this, each spell has a set modifier to the magic skill. Beginners probably have a negative modifier with the skill, and can't afford to have many penalties, so don't modify them. An expert is so good at the base spells (i.e., has a skill bonus with it), so can ignore some of the limitations and still be confident of it working.

 

Most spells tend to take time (turns, minutes, even hours) to complete. If a magic roll is failed, they can sometimes (depends on the spell) get a second roll if they drop some advad or take some limits, and extend the casting time by 50%. However, just trying to extend the casting is difficult, and brings a penalty to the roll, so it often does not help. This allows the choice when trying again later is not an option, such as the eclipse is almost over, no more of the rare incense is available, or the enemy has almost escaped.

 

I do not use the skill roll to determine the level of effect (no marginal successes, critical failures, etc), but only for whether the spell works or not. This would be easy to implement if it were based on how much the roll was made or missed.