Steampunk Magic System

[shinrin]

I wanted to ask the community on their ideas of how one would go about creating a magic system and spells based on the merging of "steampunk" level of technology and arcane magic.

 

VPPs Gadget Pools may be the way to go, but I have never liked VPPs.

 

Would one just create spells as normal with the standard Limitations such as Gestures, Incantations etc., but with the requirement of a Focus Limitation (Technological Item), with Activation Rolls and possibly Jammed or Burnout and maybe Extra Time (building the Focus)?

 

Or is there a better way to do this and simulate the "steampunk" genre of magic?

[badger3k]

Not one for the genre, but I'd go ahead and use the focus when building items.

 

Are we talking spells themselves or merely the items created - the FH grimoire uses some of the rules to make items, with a different point cost for the spells themselves - haven't read the rules enough to see how it was done. If you have the books FH/FHG they might give you some options on how to do what you want.

 

edit - from what I'm familiar with, the activation and jam/burnout on the items is a good idea. About the closest I've come to the genre is (maybe) the Girl Genius comic book (and Jules Verne probably)- the tech there seems almost like magic.

[shinrin]

Are we talking spells themselves or merely the items created - the FH grimoire uses some of the rules to make items, with a different point cost for the spells themselves - haven't read the rules enough to see how it was done. If you have the books FH/FHG they might give you some options on how to do what you want.

 

Well, both actually. I was thinking of both tech items that produce spell-like effects (Example: Flamethrower device that projects flame SFX EBs or RKAs with the explanation that the fuel comes from a bound Fire Elemental). In this case it would also probably have the Independant Limitation.

 

I was also thinking of spells themselves that are channelled through a non-Independant tech Focus, a steampunk equivalent to a Wizard's staff. Each Focus might be different based on the effect created by the spell, so there could be a technomage with alot of gadgets and gizmos hanging from harnesses and utility/tool belts, that would serve as his spell's material components.

 

I do have the FHG, so will look at the Enchantment section and see what I can adapt from that.

[badger3k]

more thoughts

 

Other appropriate limitations could be Charges, Extra-time (for example, the flame gun needs time to get the elemental 'powered-up'), side effects ("it only blew up once... so far...").

 

Disads on steampunk mages might include vulnerability to electricity and magnetics (the tech option) - and those attack forms may be more common than usual in fantasy games.

 

Most of the powers/advantages/limits can apply to the genre - the biggest thing is making the special effect fit the concept (to me at least). Maybe I can come up with something more specific later on.

[Sociotard]

In the steampunk I'm building, I said that Steampunk superscience devices ALL have an activation roll, even if it's a 17-, simply because they were so new. As for the magic, just make sure it's something that's hard enough to do that, were your magic system real, people wouldn't just stick with it instead of advancing technology. In my campaign, I said people born with the gift are rare, as in 1/1000 born, but those numbers have been constant throughout history. (they have to buy a perk on top of their power pool) I also made some vicious endurance rules.