Jkeown

If you were one of my players, about to recieve his spankin' new copy of the Age of Storms Campaign Guide which will organize 22 years of gaming (Most of it HERO or GURPS, compiled from various notes and stuff and updated to conform with FReD...), how would you want the Races laid out? Racial, Cultural and Professional Package, but some professions have special stuff... where's it go? Would you want the Power Builds (Spells lists, Ch'i powers, Holy Invocations of Divine Stompin' and the like...) after each package, or all compiled at the end of the chapter? Or in a chapter of their own? HELP!

Imagine you have these uncaring, nearly dead gods, imprisioned in various areas around your fantasy world. Got it? Okay, now suppose some folks figure out these Dead Gods are out there, and they begin to supplicate them... The Dead Gods aren't actually aware of this behavior. They just soak up the magic provided by sacrifices, bloodletting and ritual scarification, and return a little power through some mystical "feedback loop." Clearly, these aren't the type of gods who grant spells with the "Only while performing in the god's interest (-1/2)" sorts one finds in other games. You have spells that you like to use, you power them with an END Reserve... that END Reserve is of a given size, and only recharges with a sacrifice of some sort. Act/END Recharge Human Sacrifice/100 Blood Offering/50 Ritual Scarring/25 Burnt Offerings/13 Whatcha Think? (-1)? (-2)? Should I put down my copy of BoVD and get back to Battlestar Galactica?

Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there? I started running Caleon in 1987 and it hasd steam and magic from about day one. I'm slowly converting it back to HERO after a long stint in GURPS and d20... It will have steam rules soon, and the magic system is one Killer Shrike and I adapted from my notes on how I should have been doing it all along. http://www.geocities.com/jephkay Again, the website is in it's earliest stages. There is a bit on Steam Tech, but it's not in HERO terms just yet. The Ultimate Vehicle has some stuff, tho...

....Are the Official CU Alien package deals in Champions Universe? Or do we buy Terran Empire for that? Hmmm?

If I was gonna write up a bunch of awful diseases and maladies using HERO, might I use Drain STR, DEX, etc to simulate them? Drains can't kill can they?

Re: Caleon Casting Styles You can go "uphill" or "upstream" but at half speed. You are actually "riding the flow" so your rate is impeded somewhat. "Downstream" OTOH, you can really rip things up, moving at twice the speed you paid for.

Re: Those Black Powder gun rules in FH. I've used black powder in Caleon for years. Every system I ever ported it to had them in one form or another. They add a great deal to the setting.

... if I only have $60 and wanna start a Champs Game... what do I spend the money on? Hmmm? NOTE: I have USPD and FREd already.

Re: Caleon Casting Styles KS's stuff and mine jammed together and edited a bit... HERE YA GO!

Re: Caleon Casting Styles Caleon's Orgins caused the use of the Elemental Styles, as it has grown from being played. Very little development was ever done by my sitting down and writing. It has a a feel of having been "Made up on the Spot" and that's just what it is. It grows through discussions with gamers, message board stuff and when an actual Game Machanic like Shrike comes along, it flies... It becomes something more than my ad-libbing. That magic system's been in my head for a long time. It is something grand now, with Shrike's help, it will see its full potential. My webpage for Caleon will be up soon. Then you can all marvel at 20+ years of "making stuff up on the spot" or vomit.. not sure which you'll all do... It is strangely consistant, however... That said, use what you like of my work... but give KS his due... he cut and polished this diamond of mine so you could wear it.

Re: Caleon Casting Styles Post away... we can trade off a bit... I'll certainly be taking your advice when working out this new system to present to my players. I had considered renaming it after one of them kept thinking I was talking about Elemental Special Effects. "So... could you combine air and water to get Fog?" He didn't quite get it... Maybe renaming them will do the trick. I'll try not to just cut and paste your comments. However, it's so well done, I don't know that there's anything to do but add the "expanded style" material to my document... Organizing my notes is tedious work, and you've kick started the magic chapter nicely. Thanks for the advice!

Anyone want more Caleon? Here's a bit... ------------------------------------------------- Sisterhood of the Anshandii From the magical traditions of the Elzar and the lessons of the Empire of Pelkoryad, the culture of the Elowan emerged. The Sisterhood is a facet of this culture. Elves are a very magical race, and as children of Elves, the Elowan are quite adept at the Arts. Pelkoryad had many a great wizard itself. It is taught that the Pelkoryadi did not respect their power and were thus doomed. The Anshandii teach respect for power, magic power specially. The Doom That Came To Pelkoryad After a thousand years, Pelkoryad, they of enlightened existance, the most civilized and advanced culture in Caleon’s history, died in one night. It was, some said, paradise. Humans, of Ser extraction, and Moon Elves lived in the great cities and danced in green meadows. They lived in perfect balance with nature. The cities were more than perfect examples of social exchange and all was peaceful. From the Great Empire of Serantia came a threat that the Pelkoryadi thought they could handle. Were they not the most capable people on Caleon? His name was Uzeroth Tamarlaan. Born of an unholy union between a Demon Lord and a Ser mortal, he was nearly immortal and invulnerable. His job was to kill people. The tools of his craft were of Darkened Steel and fire, a shining slice of midnight, the Black Sword, and the mind of Hell Itself, the Iron Crown of Sproul. His efforts at bringing together the most evil of creatures built him an army of incalculable power. Zarku, Giants, Ogres, Trolls and despicable men of all races marched under his banner. He could not be stopped. Pelkoryad was merely a stop on his way to ruling Serantia. All the enlightened artists and crafty wizards of the Pelkoryadi were as naught to him, for they had forgotten how to use the instruments of their defense. They fought bravely and died in the thousands. As city after city fell to Tamarlaan, a cure was sought for his rampage. Weeks went by and finally the worst of all possible things happened. The solution was found in the form of a dull, black sphere spoken of in hushed tones by the wise, paranoid men of the world. The Dragon’s Eye, the Chaos Orb, the Steel Heart. It has many names, and men rightly fear its power. According to legend, the Steel Heart holds back the Chaos that screams at the barrier between the Real World and the Chaos Realms. Some claim it controls the Magestorms. Others say that Caleon itself can be destroyed by it. The Elzar Entullian of Pelkoryad knew where it was. As Tamarlaan’s army approached, he placed his hand on the Orb and willed raw Chaos to consume the invading force. He drove at them with pure unbridled power, beat at them with energies never before seen and was consumed with lust for it. He had decimated the Cambion’s army and still tendrils of chaos streaked out across the night. They struck in Zo, lifting the Tower of Nuuranan from its foundation and sending it into Pure Chaos. The tentacles of chaos crackled across gates and pulled them wide, admitting unspeakable horrors upon the world. Thus, Doom fell not only on Pelkoryad, but also upon the Zo and the entire Serantian Empire. Pelkoryad itself was broken, and large parts of the land sunk beneath the waves of the White Sea. Of all Pelkoryad, only Deiad, Emildar and a few high mountains remained. A long silence fell over the continent as the cries of millions died out. In the years that followed the Doom of Pelkoryad, Uzeroth Tamarlaan escaped from whatever hellish dimension the Orb had sent him. His body composed partly of raw chaos, he was able to survive the attack. In the Doom of Pelkoryad, men were the primary combatants in the war, and died in great numbers, leaving grieving widows and crying children to rebuilt the Empire. It would be difficult. The survivors would have to change the very way they thought about living. Rise of the Anshandii One woman, a child of The Fool Entullian and Kaashyan of Ctharlaan, name of Anshandel decided to take matters into her own hand. She recovered her father’s library and making use of her long, Elven life and human impatience, taught herself magic. As she learned her father’s spells, she incorporated components of her own devising and began teaching others. Before Anshandel died she passed the organization to her daughter. Queelan rededicated the Sisterhood to her mother’s memory and changed the name. Thus was born the Sisterhood of The Anshandii. They helped rebuild Emildar, and while Deiad and the mountainous regions fell to barbarism, the Elowan survived even the fall of Serantia. The Sisterhood’s membership evolved into a uniquely female organization. On a number of occasions, the organization was in danger of being taken by men. The philosophy of the Sisterhood changed and soon the spells themselves were nearly unlearnable by males of any species. The Sisterhood has been a source of Good in Serantia for over two thousand years. They have been instrumental in continental politics even during periods when the nation of Emildar was nearly powerless. It was the Sisterhood that turned back successive invasions by the Rumallan Empire, and it was the Sisterhood that rallied hardest for joining that same Empire some twenty years ago. Of great influence use in peace and war, the Sisterhood is the first line of defense for Emildar. In a very real way, the Sisterhood is Emildar. The Sisterhood Today The organization and spell list of the Sisterhood of the Anshandii is like so many other things Emildart. They are a mixture of those things that came before them. They are based on the aspects of woman. These aspects are historical, philosophical, and psychological archetypes of facets of the female character. Each portrays woman in a different role, and the spells reflect the attitudes and actions of that role. The Aspects of Woman as taught by the Sisterhood are; The Wise Advisor, The Protector, The Vengeful Defender, The Caregiver, The Manipulator, and The Independent. Full explanations of the aspects can be found in the Sisterhood of the Anshandii Spell College listing. Suffice it to say that the portrayal of these aspects colors the thinking and actions of the sisterhood in many ways. From an organizational viewpoint, things are less clear. In theory the ruling council should be made up of one of each aspect and the oldest, wisest member of the sisterhood (called the Regis) for a total of seven members. While the council maintains the correct number, few mages actually practice only one aspect. This leads to a diverse set of opinions and personalities on the ruling council. Council members are elected for a term of ten years, and the Regis is a lifetime office. Below the council in terms of responsibility, for none in the Sisterhood are more important than any other, are the various Factions of the organizations. They tend to form around the Aspects, but are often split up along politics or personalities. The most aggressive faction being the Proactive Faction, as their policies are guided by the Vengeful Defender Aspect. Although the Factions are not an official function of the Sisterhood, it is a natural social development. No attempt has ever been made to prevent their formation, unless the Sisterhood itself was in danger. Such was the case with the Sevartaen Faction of a thousand years ago. The Sevartaen lobbied for the inclusion of Chaos in the course of study. At the very least, they argued, Sisters should have the right to pursue whatever magical path they chose. The Council did not agree and a war of words and eventually knives and spells was fought. Most of the Sevartaen were killed in the fighting or exiled, and the leaders tried for treason. There are at any one time approximately ten or so factions, made up of Sisters and Servitors (see below). There have been as few as twenty Sisters and as many as 117, but the average is around seventy. Next are the Servitor positions; guards, cooks, runners, stable hands, teachers, weapon masters and scribes of various types. All are members of the Sisterhood (even the male members) but most are not spell casters of any kind and outnumber the Sisters by about three to one. Almost any profession imaginable has been employed by the Sisterhood at one time or another. About 80 percent of the Sisterhood are Elowan, and the remaining 20 percent are of human (mostly Rume) extraction, with some Elves and at least one Ijhuniz (DH. "She-Ogre") in the current membership. Anshandii University at Dé is home to as many as a dozen students at any one time. The Sisterhood accepts students for a price, but they also actively recruit from the Empire’s most promising young women. They do not discriminate based on race or noble status. A first year student is taken to Emildar around age ten or eleven. Normally, only two or three graduate on each New Year’s Day. The course of study includes history of Emildar, the Empire and the Sisterhood especially. Weapons are taught as a last resort. A promising novitiate will be apprenticed to a Sister and be guided into the study of magic after her aspect is discovered by careful observation of her scholarly interests and hobbies. The study of magic is usually not started for a year or more, making most apprentices twelve to thirteen years old. If she applies herself wholeheartedly, the novitiate is a full Sister by her seventeenth birthday. Anshandii Spell Choices The Spell list for the Sisterhood of the Anshandii is like so other things Emildart. It is a mixture of those Elzart and Human things that preceeded it. As female spell casters came to Emildar, they began associating for mutual benefit. As more women of Human, Elzart and Elowan descent came to the island, they joined the Sisterhood and added their magical knowledge to what had already been compiled. The Sisterhood has blended all these concepts into a unique feminine study of magic. It is deeply intertwined with the female psyche. Obviously, it is considered "Female Aspected" in relation to the Gender Aspected Magery advantage. The spells of this ciriculum are based on the Aspects of Woman. These Aspects are historical, philosophical and psychological archetypes of facets of the female character. Each portrays woman in a different role, and the spells reflect the attitudes and actions of that role. The Aspects are as follows: The Wise Advisor: This is the intellectual woman, gathering knowledge against the time when it will be needed. She then dispenses this knowledge as she sees fit. She also gives advice derived from this body of experience. The ability to travel is important to this aspect, so she may seek out new experiences and sources of learning. This is also the foundation of one of the perceived differences between men and women. Man is physical and quick to act, while woman is intellectually founded and given to deliberation. Wise Advisor Mages cast spells of Knowledge. Protector: This is woman protecting herself and those who are in her care. This woman sees to adequate protections, both to deter violence and before entering conflict. She strives never to be surprised or caught unprepared, nor will she be harmed due to her own inaction. She is shield and refuge to the weak and powerless, especially those whose welfare she is charged with. Protector Mages cast largely Defensive spells. Vengeful Destroyer: This woman using the most powerful and destructive tools at her disposal in defense of her herself or her charges. She is also a direct and immediate exactor of vengeance. These same powers can be unleashed against those by whom she feels slighted, injured or upstaged. This this aspect woman is merciless and takes no prisoners. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." While Man is the berserker, charging blindly into combat. Woman is careful, she chooses her battles and plans actions. The Vengeful Destroyer is influenced by the Elzar dark side. Vengeful Defenders cast spells with damage dealing potential. Caregiver: This is woman's nurturing aspect. She takes care of those in her charge before seeing to her own needs. She will go without if resource are insufficient. She helps and aids others and herself. She often sees to needs before they are voiced. She is also the provider assuring those in her care have sufficient resources and are not forced to do without. This is the aspect of woman that sees to the propagation of the species. Caregivers cast spells of Healing. Manipulator: This is woman using plots and subtle means to achieve her ends. She will wrap others "around her little finger," and persuade them to assist her in accomplishing her goals. She will sow rumor and discontent to block those she sees as competitors. Where the Vengeful Destroyer is the quick and devestating attack, the Manipulator is the slow exactor of revenge. Feminine wiles, innuendo, influence and position are the tools of this woman's trade. Mind Control and Illusion or Creation spells are favorites of Manipulator Mages. Independent: This is the self-reliant woman who trusts in her own abilities. She needs no one to stand up for her, provide for her, fight for her, or to speak for her. She does not rely on others, she makes her own way. She may have friends or allies that have helpful skills and abilities, but she will not ignore developing similar abilities so she is not forced to rely upon these others. She is frequently found in positions of leadership or other positions of importance. She is content to let others rely on her, because she can prove their trust is well-founder. This is possibly the most competitive of the aspects. She is unwilling to lose an edge which could force her to turn for others for help. The Independent Mage casts any spells she damn well chooses!

Re: Fantasy Art Thread 'And she went out among the Cities of the Dharume and of the Zo, saying unto them, 'Give me Iyoodon, else I shall carve it from your streets and towers, your fields and farms, from your hearts, minds and souls' and so saying, she was about it. A great call went up for heroes and none dare answer it save the Oathbound. For once called, ever must they come. And in the fullness of their quest it was seen that she had once been human like themselves, and had fallen to the lure of Chaos, had become a demon, a Lost Soul. Though many Oathbound fell, they dragged Zootiakka's damned form back to the Sphere Unspeakable with them, and the Realms of Men, Ogres and Elowan were saved for a time.' --Prophecy Wall Fragment 23.

In my re-envisioning of the setting first glimpsed in FH1 as a few maps and names of cities and rivers, I have come up with what I beleive is a unique idea... I expanded the maps and stuff, and now, almost two decades later, it's a whole wacked-out Steam Punk world with what I hope is a cool magic system. I've shown a bit of it in the thread on society's reactions to specific magical conditions. Now... some details... ---------------------------------- Rivers of Magic In the world of Caleon, powerful magic particles flow from rifts at the equator toward the poles. The loops and spirals shift from day to day, changing the magical topography and challenging the minds of mages the world over. The patterns are not predictable, but there is a tendancy for some magic to be drawn off the Flows and sent arcing toward nodes, over which sit the Great Cities of Caleon. Some of the magic heading toward the cities is redirected outward by ancient lenses; reflected back to provide power to great city-girdling spells called Wards, and to power smaller personal-scale magic called Matrices (singular: matrix). Anybody can form and direct matrices, by specialized training at Magical Universities or by birth. Natural spell casters are called Nye. Nye are becoming more common as the ages wear on, and they seem to be an integral part of the planet's magical nature. Nye can see magic flows as if they were glittering winds, blowing north and arcing around the great cities. For that matter, they can feel magic embodied in items, and feel greater pain when spells go wrong. They are usually visible as Nye, having odd eyes or skin coloration. Frequently, enchanters who work their magic while pregnant give birth to natural spell casters. Magic Flows affect targetting, Skill Rolls and Endurance use. Wizards can fly along the flows at great speed, but had better have a back up plan if the flow shifts suddenly! Casting spells into the Flow is hard (what with the magic flowing into your face, resisting your spellcasting) and easy when cast "downstream," so that the Flow carries the spell along with it. Teleportation is less taxing downstream as well. ----Spell Failure---- Spell failure carries a few risks. Some, like the Process Surge, merely accerate the natural working of the world, plants grow rapidly and may twist around your feet, rocks may crumble to dust and small animals evolve into ferocious predators in seconds. Mold can spread out like wildfire and choke an area off or send poisonous spores skyward. Another known spell failure result is Internalization, taken as magic arcing across the caster's brain... expressed as a killing attack whose active points equal those of the base spell. Other types of internalization involve the spell targetting the caster. ----Tidal Waves of Magic---- MageStorms occur infrequently. For reasons unknown, the surging of magic through the Equatorial Rifts can suddenly spike and send vast amounts of raw power surging toward the poles. Within the Magestorm one finds many things. Atmospheric distruption is common, so lightning, thunder and torrential rain is not unexpected, but objects and people from far afield can be found in the aftermath. One thing is known, objects lost in one magestorm frequently turn up in the next! Can it be that the magestorms keep them? Or, as suggested by a certain baked ham being warm and unspoiled after years lost in a 'storm, are magestorms one-way trips into the future? Spellcasting is risky in a 'Storm, all Skill Rolls for casting are at -10 and random spell effects (Woonfel suspects all spells that ever failed are saved up and thrown around in Magestorms, but he's an idiot) can be experienced. ----Magic Items---- Magic Items are a sort of "out" in this sytem. They do not suffer from the effects of the Flows. The creation of the item can be looked at as a way of "freezing" the condition of local magic in the item. Artefacts are like photographs of a spell. Therefore, items and powers cast from items are safer, but can never benefit from any positive effects of the flows. ----LifeQuests: Becoming Magical---- It is said that "Following the Flows" can consume a lifetime. Those that understand the ancient ways of the Dharzoon, Elzar or Kuzar sages may undertake a LifeQuest and eventually merge a part of Caleon's Magic Flows with themselves. Permanent magical effects are possible, but there are drawbacks... ancient things awakened into our world, demons haunt the way, and the Questor is cautioned, for he will be forever changed... closer to Magic, and farther away from Humanity. ----Writing Spells---- Casters are prohibited from buying spells in a VPP or other framework. Compound Powers are acceptable. Spells are bought using one of 4 styles of magic. Any power and any Special Effect can be used, be it Fire, Ice, Avacados...what have you... The Styles affect the limitations that may by placed on the spells, not the special effect. There are 4 "styles" of magic... named after the 4 classical elements, of Fire, Water, Earth and Air. It should be noted that they do not refer to the Special Effects of the spells, but the method with which they are cast. All styles have the RSR limitation. Fire Style is quick, dangerous and flashy. Side Effects are required, Limitations like (quick, spastic) Gestures, and (monosyllabic) Incantations and Visible apply here. Extra Time is a prohibited limitation. Fire Style casters tend to dress in clothes that hurt your eyes. Water Style is "soft" and conforming. Slow and safe, quiet. Use limitations like Gradual Effect, and Gestures and Incantations Throughout. Water Style mages are sure of themselves and do not hurry. Earth Style is just as slow as Water, but noisier. Noisy or Visible are appropriate. Earth Style mages are boisterous, but steady in their actions. Confident and conservative in dress and manerisms. Air Style is fast and stealthy, Invisible power effects, a lack of Incantations and general sneakiness. Air Style casters can be quiet, stealthy watchers or quiet stealthy doers, just depends on their mood. ----Sample Spells---- Here are some "worked examples" of Caleon-style Magic. Dharheen's Defense This is an example of a quick, convenient Fire Style bit of Defensive magic. In a pinch, one might need such a spell. If the field fails to form, the caster receives a harsh warning on the matter. Dharheen's Defense: FF (4 PD/4 ED) (8 Active Points); Requires A Fire Style Roll (-1/2), Side Effects (Internalized Magic - 1d6 HKA vs ED; -1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Visible (-1/4) Tapping the Flows A Spellcaster can tap into a nearby flow and pump up his spells with it. Other casters can detect this interference and often decide to investigate. Basic Power Tap: Aid all magic matrices, any one matrix at a time, Can Add Maximum Of 40 Points 4d6 (40 Active Points); 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), Does not work in more than 100" from a Flow (-1/2), Visible (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) Real Cost: 11 The City of Plenty In Kythros City, the greatest of Caleon's Cities, one need not eat as often as one has to in other areas. This has led to decadent lifestyles and general decline. For a city of the Steam Age, it is vast and crowded, for here, food is abundant and worries are few. However, all those people have attracted rats, monsters, disease, evil spirits and chaos aplenty... Sustenance Ward (Kythros City Ward): LS (Eating - Characters only have to eat once per week), Difficult To Dispel (x2 Active Points; +1/4), Area Of Effect (2048" Radius; +3 3/4) (5 Active Points); OIF Immobile Unbreakable Expendable (Extremely Difficult to obtain new Focus; Extradimensional Node of Solidified Magic; -2 1/2) Real Cost: 1 ----------------------------------------- Any style can have armor piercing, penetrating or the like, but the Styles are really categorized by limitations. Additionally, you can have any special effect with this system. It is a little odd to say "I cast my Earth-styled Fireball." but it should immediately tell you that this is a fire-based spell that will take a bit of time to cast. Takes a little getting used to, I admit. Ideas? And.. if this has been done before... PLEASE TELL ME SO I CAN QUIT BRAGGING ABOUT IT TO MY GROUP!

Re: Magical Reality and Society's Reactions... Here's a character for this setting... More details on what is meant by "fire style casting" in a moment...

... get their butt kicked as hard as mine got kicked with that new FHG2 cover? Quite the bit o' artwork...

Re: Magical Reality and Society's Reactions... Ya know... I'd hit upon most of those ideas... but I hadn't thought about innocent bystanders... and oddly, hadn't yet considered the affects of dispelling magic. Of course, the flow would become a bit chaotic near the dispel... creating turbulence, but not as great as a botched spell. So... the enchanters stay in business, the spellcasters just get weird! This is good... exactly the kind of logic I was hoping for! I love you guys... HERO fans are the best.

Re: Anyone else have Eberron and wonder how it would look converted to Hero. [rant] Oh, I certainly did... 18 years ago when my first FH game "Caleon" was begun. I had steam power, warforged (not the word I used...) and dragon-based mythology back then.... Still do... Makes me wish I'd entered the setting search... you might be holding Caleon in your hands instead of Eberron. My players have gotten a kick out of how similar the two settings really are... but they diverge in so many other ways that my indignation is completely unwarranted. [/rant]

Re: Is "evil race" an intrinsically rascist concept? I don't have evil races in Caleon... I never have. The very first Caleon game occured the afternoon I bought the first Fantasy Hero book back in June or July of 1986. Opened the darn thing, read about trolls. Saw they had a 10 INT. "Huh! ...my Monster Manual says that Trolls are evil, and have "low intellegence." These FH Troll-guys are as smart as normal folks... they can decide for themselves." That wasn't the exact thought process, but does serve to note the difference between AD&D 1st edition and HERO. That book sorta let me see that I could use the words "Good" and "Troll" in the same sentence. The original D&D material just said they were all Chaotic Evil and left it at that.... FH1 didn't say anything about behavior... just said they were big and ugly, so no players would come across the table at me barking "rules." Glad I bought that book... yessir... I like it.

Let's say you have a spell, that spell is affected by the local magic field. The field varies in strength day by day, and the "direction" the magic flows can affect the difficulty of various effects. (Not by much, mind you, just +/-2 on your RSR (Magic) Roll) Travelling via magic (Flight, Teleport, Magical Bird Legs spells) is harder "Upstream" than "Downstream" with reference to the magical field. (END cost can double or be halved depending on direction) Oh... and botched spells can create short-lived "rapids" and "turbulence" in the field, introducing all sorts of headaches. (Creating a rapidly flickering bonus/penalty situation for a brief period, and possible effects relating to the natural world, (rapid plant growth, spontaneous enchantment of a small area or the like)) Now, this is the magical "reality" of the world. Players shouldn't have to pay extra for potentially easier magic, nor a get points back for harder casting conditions. It's just how the world works... BUT!!! If all power contructs are affected by this field, I shouldn't allow a limitation relating to it. However, if some power constructs (say... magic items) are not affected, what then? Limitation on spells or advantage on magic items? Obviously, spells should be more common, and we want to encourage spell use, so I think a nice hefty (-1) limitation on spells is the better way to go. Call it "Affected by Flows of Magic (-1)" Would you be tempted to create spells or magic items? Or would society, annoyed by the randomness of the ambient magical domain create more enchanters so as not to deal with the darn thing?

A wonderful, comprehensive... ... bit of stuff you have there.... glancing about your site... one has to wonder where the Hero Designer files are residing... Are there legal issues? I for one, am drooling over this... you are a brilliant gamer. Honestly, I would love them... the professional packages are ... well... BRILLIANT!

Re: Trying to write a magic system...and I got soooo much help! ... You guys are Da Best! Yes, the HERO bug has bitten me, what with my d20 game going strong, I thought I'd revise my Caleon setting. The original is in GURPS and several "compromises" were taken that maybe I shouldn't have... who knows... now, 6 years later, time to revise and return it to HERO. Steve told me I could print one for my own use... but I think I'll look over the webpage guidelines... this could be the start of something big... Thanks again!!!

Here are a few facts... Spells are called Matrices (Sing: Matrix) Anyone can be a Spell caster with proper training. [RSR] Those who do not need training are Nye, sometimes called a Mage. [NoRSR] Because of the formulaic nature of Magic, the Spellcaster’s matrices are each a formula, a discrete spell. [No VPPs] The longer one works the magic, the more powerful the spell. [??] Opposing spell casters can use specialized counter-magics to prevent casting. [dispel ] So... what about the "...longer one casts..." how do we do this? Is there a great big store of magical power points lying around somewhere? Or do we get a limitation on the upper levels of the power... Base Effect 1 phase casting time -1/4 Better Effect 1 turn -1 1/4 Even Better Effect 1 minute... -1 1/2 Maybe just buy it as "20d6 EB (Limited to 1d6 per Phase spent casting spell, -2)" Not the kinda spells you cast without cover or delaying tactics... and so on up the time chart? Looks like a Compound Power in HD2... or something... maybe an Aid Over Time effect (not to sound too MMORPG-ish?_

I have an idea about a style of magic that is bound up in a person, but usable only with a certain class of weapons... For example... A person might know a special technique for hitting harder (Bonus Damage, right?). The technique only works when one has a sword... any sword. So is that a Focus? I think if it is, it's not much of one.