New Magic System-Comments Welcome

[Tywyll]

Arcane Magic   

Arcane Magic was affected the most by the Sundering. Gone are the heady days of earth shaking spells and now the wizarding community scrambles in the dust for the scraps of what was lost. The old ways no longer work, but lesser versions of their power have been reversed engineered, primarily by Tryshallans. Schools of magic have arisen, each touting their own form of magic (though most magicians practice magic from multiple schools).

               

As END is typically ignored in this campaign, all spell caster must purchase an END reserve. They cannot start with more than 30 END and the Recovery must be every 5 minutes or worse on the time scale.

 

Common Limitations    

Not while in contact with steel or iron (-1/2) (this limitation is mandatory)            

Requires a Skill roll (this limitation is mandatory)

Extra Time          

Extra END           

Noisy    

               

All spells require at least one of these three limitations (G, I, C)

Gestures             

Incantations     

Concentration  

               

Forbidden Limitations  

Charges (without exceptional justification)          

Only costs END to activate (Not forbidden, but extremely rare)  

               

Styles   

When a magician begins to learn magic, they discover that they either have a propensity for a     

single kind of magic, or they are flexible and capable with all forms of magic.       

 

Called Specialists and Generalists respectively, they have the following advantages and limitations:           

Generalists are the most common. They can learn any School MP up to 60 AP, and can have a     

number of slots equal to their INT/3. All spells must be Fixed slots.

               

Specialists, on the other hand, can learn a single school up to 75 AP in the MP, and can have a     

number of slots equal to their INT. Any other school they learn are limited to an MP of 45 AP       

and a number of slots equal to their INT/5. Further all spells must have END x2 limitation at least.             

Slots in their specialist school may be flexible if desired.

               

Schools

Elementalism-Technically Four schools, The Red (Fire), Brown (Earth), Blue (Water), White (Air). 

Air magic also deals with movement, evasion, and communication. Earth magic deals with defense and any solid matter. Fire deals with passions and purification. Water deals with mind, minor healing, will, and the body.         

 

Light-The Prism School. Spells that deal with light, illusion, revelation, probability.

               

Void-The Black School. Spells that deal with summoning, (dimensional) travel, space, images and illusions              

               

Lesser Schools  

Mage Blades-The Silver School. Spells that enhance weapons and combat ability.               

Shadow-The Purple School. Spells that deal with concealment, cold, and entropy. Mistrusted.     

               

Forbidden Schools         

Diabolism-Magic derived from demons or devils or other otherworldly beings. Easy to learn         

(PRE/2), always Side Effects (1 pt Major Transform, always occurs). Spells must all be designed to inflict harm or manipulate and deceive. Summoning and Binding spells are also common.           

Necromancy-Magic of creating and controlling the dead. Once extremely prevalent in Old Valas 

post Sundering the Lawful Churches have clamped down. Still widely practiced in Lunar Empire  

 

General Magic

All schools have access to a smattering of spells. These include spells to detect magic, analyse magic, dispel magic, aid magic, and suppress magic. As a setting rule, dispels, aids, and suppresses work against all magic as default (requiring no advantage), but often have limitations (only vs Red School spells, -1 for example) for ‘lesser’ versions.

               

SFX        

Arcane magic is always magic. Normal effects that it can produce relate to the school      

               

Increasing the Multipower         

Besides spending points, each active point of increase in the MP requires one day of mediation.                 
 

Buying off Multipower Limitations         

Characters may buy off limitations from their multipower, so long as they always have at least    

the Will Not work in contact with iron/steel. This takes 1 day per 5 AP in the MP, plus 1 day          

per difference in Real Cost of the MP and any slots that change. RSR can be bought off but must

the second to last limitation removed (i.e. it can only be removed if all other limitations but         

Will Not work in contact with iron/steel have been removed).    

               

Learning New Spells      

Learning a new spell to add to their Multipower takes 1 day of study per 2 AP of the spell, if learned from a scroll or text. If learned from a teacher it takes 1 day per 5 AP of the spell.

               

After this, they must pass an INT roll, with a -1 per 10 AP of the spell. A failure means they have

failed and must start over, a pass means they learn the spell and may spend the CPs to add it      

to their MP. A teacher can use their teaching skill or power skill as complimentary to this roll.

               

Each additional amount of time equal to the base time grants a +1 to the Int roll. Any bonues      

to all PRE skills, all Skill, or Overall Levels may also add to this roll.

 

Magicians must have access to a teacher or written notes of a spell to learn them. Mages typically write down their spells in great tomes or scrolls as studying these can allow them to swap slots (see below). Magicians often charge other wizards 5-25sp per AP just to access their notes on a spell. Spending time teaching a student often costs two to three times this. Wizards will often trade services or spells in lieu of (or for a reduction of) this cost.

               

Modifying an Old Spell

If a character's Multipower increases and they wish to increase a known spell, it requires a           

number of days of meditation equal to 1/10th of the AP of the spell. Then the character must     

pass an INT roll as above. So long as the increase doesn't increase the slot cost, no CP     

must be spent.

 

Swapping Slots

As a setting rule, magicians can know more spells than they have purchased in their Multipower slots. Like a VPP, between adventures a magician may swap a slot from a Multipower with a different spell they have learned at some point. This takes one day of preparation and study per 10 AP of the spell swapped. Players should keep track of other spells they have learned that are no longer accessible. Swapping spells may only happen in places of quiet contemplation and require the character’s full attention. Interrupting the attempt forces the magician to have to start over from scratch. In effect, even if a magician has a teacher or their spell book, they cannot swap their spells ‘on the road’.

               

Note     

In all cases, the days of mediation do not have to be consecutive. Interrupting the character        

does not waste their effort. All CP are spent upon successfully spending the time and making      

any PRE rolls (i.e. characters are never in danger of wasting CP).

               

Rituals 

An Arcane caster can learn individual spells outside of their Multipower framework. These are   

usually powerful spells that exceed the value of the MP and are not practical for inclusion in        

a MP. These ritual spells require a minium of -2 in limitations and most have much more

as otherwise they are paid for full price. Extra Time, Extra END, Ritual, and Specific Time/Place    

Limitations are common.             

               

Innate Powers 

Using magic often affects the user in a multitude of strange ways. These were well understood  

and manipulated, pre-Sundering, but now they are random and chaotic.

It is possible to also purchase ritualistic abilities in this fashion that exceed their Multipower,      

though these always have a heavy extra END cost and often Extra time, Ritual, or similar abilities.              

               

Common Innate Powers:             

Mage Sight         

Mage Hand (5 Str TK)     

Life Support: Aging (1 or 2 points) Magic can indirectly extend the life of its users.             

Life Support: Need to Eat/Drink. Magic can reduce a user's physical needs.           

Flickering Flame RKA 1 pt, no range. Create small fires at will (Red School)            

Life Support: Extended Breath (Blue School)       

Dense Flesh (1 PD/ED damage resistance) Brown School

Bump of Direction Brown School              

Hearing +2 White School              

Fire Resistance: Armor +X rED, Only vs Fire -1 1/2 Red School      

[ScottishFox]

1 hour ago, Tywyll said:

Bump of Direction Brown School              

Hearing +2 White School   

 

Possibly a typo - but these seem like they should be Divination (clear school) items - especially the 1st one.

 

Overall, a well thought out and interesting framework.

 

When I do mine I generally require a minimum of +1 in limitations from Incantations, Gestures, Extra Time, Extra End and Concentration.

[PhilFleischmann]

Looks good.

 

For Specialists, I assume you mean that the 2x END cost minimum is for spells outside their specialization.

 

For Diabolism, what does "Easy to learn (PRE/2)" mean?

[Tywyll]

1 hour ago, PhilFleischmann said:

Looks good.

 

For Specialists, I assume you mean that the 2x END cost minimum is for spells outside their specialization.

 

For Diabolism, what does "Easy to learn (PRE/2)" mean?

 

Yes, sorry, other schools cost 2x END.

 

The easy to learn means they can have slots equal to their PRE/2. So basically it's free, cheap power...with a cost to your soul. 

 

I've fixed them now.

[Tywyll]

14 hours ago, ScottishFox said:

 

Possibly a typo - but these seem like they should be Divination (clear school) items - especially the 1st one.

 

Overall, a well thought out and interesting framework.

 

When I do mine I generally require a minimum of +1 in limitations from Incantations, Gestures, Extra Time, Extra End and Concentration.

 

Yeah, Divination was a late addition. I might just dump it and leave divination to the Light and Air school, which is where they originally fell. 

[Tywyll]

Made a few additions:

 

General Magic

All schools have access to a smattering of spells. These include spells to detect magic, analyse magic, dispel magic, aid magic, and suppress magic. As a setting rule, dispels, aids, and suppresses work against all magic as default (requiring no advantage), but often have limitations (only vs Red School spells, -1 for example) for ‘lesser’ versions.

 

In Learning New Spells

Magicians must have access to a teacher or written notes of a spell to learn them. Mages typically write down their spells in great tomes or scrolls as studying these can allow them to swap slots (see below). Magicians often charge other wizards 5-25sp per AP just to access their notes on a spell. Spending time teaching a student often costs two to three times this. Wizards will often trade services or spells in lieu of (or for a reduction of) this cost.

 

Note the setting uses a silver standard.

 

Swapping Slots

As a setting rule, magicians can know more spells than they have purchased in their Multipower slots. Like a VPP, between adventures a magician may swap a slot from a Multipower with a different spell they have learned at some point. This takes one day of preparation and study per 10 AP of the spell swapped. Players should keep track of other spells they have learned that are no longer accessible. Swapping spells may only happen in places of quiet contemplation and require the character’s full attention. Interrupting the attempt forces the magician to have to start over from scratch. In effect, even if a magician has a teacher or their spell book, they cannot swap their spells ‘on the road’.

 

[Hugh Neilson]

You could just make Magic a VPP, with a mandatory limitation on changing the slots. 

 

As I consider that, however, it would make "out of school" spells easier to add due to the Extra END limitation.

 

Can players purchase an "Inventor" skill to research their own spells?  They must have come from somewhere.

 

I'm not sure how I perceive the "down time" requirement baked into most of the wizard's spell modifications, and even xp spends.  Is this likely to be a serious issue for PCs (I assume similar training is required to learn combat tricks, skills, etc., not unique to wizard's spells), or does it just restrict xp spends (and changing spell slots) to "between adventures down time"?  Are there benefits that offset the "down time bookkeeping" imposed?

 

It's a pretty minor component of the whole system, but it seems like a lot of precision and bookkeeping for limited game benefits, especially if all it ultimately means is "there must be down time to improve your character", which tends to cause player frustration when the scenario has time limits and they'd like to spend accumulated xp.

[Tywyll]

1 hour ago, Hugh Neilson said:

You could just make Magic a VPP, with a mandatory limitation on changing the slots. 

 

As I consider that, however, it would make "out of school" spells easier to add due to the Extra END limitation.

 

VPP's would DRAMATICALLY increase the cost plus have other issues (like being limited via real points, et al) that I don't want to deal with. 

 

1 hour ago, Hugh Neilson said:

Can players purchase an "Inventor" skill to research their own spells?  They must have come from somewhere.

 

Not really. Partially this is because none of my players have any HERO system knowledge and therefore even if they wanted to create their own spell I'd be inventing it anyway. But also it's because I see spell development taking months, if not years. Adjusting an existing formulae? Sure thing. Making a new one up whole cloth? You need a cabal and a lot of coffee!

 

Also the systems we've mostly play were of the firm, here is a spell list, variety with no real options for building your own spells (or rather the idea was there with no real rules beyond GM fiat). 

 

That said, if one of my players was super interested, I'd probably allow it in some fashion.

 

1 hour ago, Hugh Neilson said:

 

I'm not sure how I perceive the "down time" requirement baked into most of the wizard's spell modifications, and even xp spends.  Is this likely to be a serious issue for PCs (I assume similar training is required to learn combat tricks, skills, etc., not unique to wizard's spells), or does it just restrict xp spends (and changing spell slots) to "between adventures down time"?  Are there benefits that offset the "down time bookkeeping" imposed?

 

It's a pretty minor component of the whole system, but it seems like a lot of precision and bookkeeping for limited game benefits, especially if all it ultimately means is "there must be down time to improve your character", which tends to cause player frustration when the scenario has time limits and they'd like to spend accumulated xp.

 

Well, the downtime aspect is there for world building and maintaining a sense of some kind of brake on spell casters. Plus we've been playing old school games for years. Our longest running campaign was a B/X sandbox campaign where tracking downtime was a fairly important element.  While I've not set a hard and fast limit on non-casters, yes, learning new maneuvers or a 'super-skill' fighting ability would definitely take comparable time. 

[PhilFleischmann]

6 hours ago, Tywyll said:

Swapping Slots

As a setting rule, magicians can know more spells than they have purchased in their Multipower slots. Like a VPP, between adventures a magician may swap a slot from a Multipower with a different spell they have learned at some point. This takes one day of preparation and study per 10 AP of the spell swapped. Players should keep track of other spells they have learned that are no longer accessible. Swapping spells may only happen in places of quiet contemplation and require the character’s full attention. Interrupting the attempt forces the magician to have to start over from scratch. In effect, even if a magician has a teacher or their spell book, they cannot swap their spells ‘on the road’.

I like this!  It's essentially a Multipower within a VPP - which is technically not allowed by the rules, but I don't see why not.  The "VPP" has just one power in it - which is a Multipower.  The Multipower's slots can be used as easily as any Multipower.  But with the long time limitations of switching powers within a VPP, the individual slots of the MP can be changed.  A fine idea.  I can't see anything game-breaking or abusive about such a system, despite it being "against the rules".  Therefore:  Ignore that rule!

[Tywyll]

Why thank you! I wish I could claim the idea has wholely my own, but it comes form a thread I read awhile back in the FH archive. Thinking about it, I don't see why not do something like it. VPPS as such don't really exist in my fantasy hero games, at least not in the hands of PCs so from a balance perspective nothing is affected by me melding the ideas of the constructs. It's all an arbitrary design decision anyway (how VPP's and MP's worked in the beginning), so meh!