Fantasy Immersion and the Things that Ruin it.

[Christopher R Taylor]

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mostly to it's complete lack of logic or reason-- excels at making magic feel like magic in a way that HERO just can't do with it's brick-by-brick Lego-style approach to building "powers."

 

Yeah part of what makes D*D magic feel special is the fire and forget and chaotic spell listing.  However, I think you can simulate that with Hero by hiding most of the guts, the build behind a wall where the players only see the effects and how to make it work, and not the sausage-making part.

[Rich McGee]

For those familiar with the game, do you think Ars Magica's magic rules feel "magical" however you personally define the term?  More or less magical than D&D (of whatever edition you favor, including cousins like Pathfinder or the countless OGL options)?  Or compared to HERO?

 

Mostly just curious how a game whose primary focus is on being "realistic" pseudo-historical European mages feels to other folks relative to the other main rules being discussed here. 

[Lord Liaden]

Whoah. I just spent 45 minutes reading this thread and rediscovering all the permutations it explored. Very impressive, and fascinating. Also a little humbling to see what I contributed back when I had time and energy to devote to a topic.

[Duke Bushido]

Holy cats do I love your seasonal avatar, LL!

 

Got a link to the larger image?  I wanna see more!

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

I don't want to clutter this thread with items that aren't germaine, Duke. But please see the Supers Image Game thread.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Lord Liaden

[Ninja-Bear]

On 11/30/2023 at 6:27 PM, Christopher R Taylor said:

 

Yeah part of what makes D*D magic feel special is the fire and forget and chaotic spell listing.  However, I think you can simulate that with Hero by hiding most of the guts, the build behind a wall where the players only see the effects and how to make it work, and not the sausage-making part.

What if you gave out small bonuses to the Spell based on how well your Magic Roll made it? Just like a good Acrobatics Roll can increase DCV? (I think that’s the rule). 

[pawsplay]

Playing in an imaginary world, you have a choice: either all-imaginary names (which requires a certain level of creativity and means you can't use certain evocative choices) or borrowing from the real world (which can have connotations you don't want). I'm generally fine with anachronistic or atopic names popping up in pure fantasy, but one particular thing I find jarring: Biblical names in a world that doesn't have Christianity or anything like it. To me names like Miriam or James or Jericho have a very specific connotation to specific Biblical characters and mythology which I find distracting. I don't struggle as much with old Celtic names, or with Latin names (which of course have been used, reused, and abused all over Europe anyway).

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:19 PM, PhilFleischmann said:

What are the immersion disruptors for you?  Anachronistic ones, or otherwise.  What things spoil the "fantasy feel"?

Plausibility and groundedness.  I like my fantasy to feel obviously made-up and at least semi-impossible.  Otherwise I get a feeling of uncanny valley.