Alternative Magic

>>48594030
>purposes of research

There's this book dedicated to desinging and tweaking magic systems for roleplaying games, it's full of wildly different casting systems and ways to fine tune them, tips on how to combin them with each other, etc. If research is your purpose, I realy recommend that you read it. It's called GURPS Thaumatology.

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>>48594099
I know a lot of 4chan throws the word meme around a lot, and doesn't use it correctly, and indeed takes the allegation of being a meme very seriously, but that lead in was crazy unnecessary.

I do like the way GURPS does magic though. As it turns out I already had Thaumatology tucked into my 4E folder, so I'll add that one to the list; thanks for reminding me of it.

>>48594030
Nephilum is one if you like the Call of Cthulhu/ BRP system. They released a generic Ceremonial Magic book with some good stuff in it.

You could also take an existing system like Ars Magica, or Runequest, and take out the blasty/ flashy spells.

You'll have to make your own, sorry.

>>48594030

>Unseen Armies
You mean Unknown Armies or is there something else with a similar name? Either way Unknown Armies is essentially exactly what you want. In Mage you basically play modern wizards with mind fuckery built in. In Unknown Armies mindfuckery is how your magic works, you have to be crazy in the first place to actually cast spells.

>>48594099
>>48594196

I also suggest Ritual Path Magic and Sorcery.

If you're into fate-based magic, then arranging coincidences that fuck with enemies is a good use of Serendipity (use the alternate version in power-ups).

The problem is that of pace. Everyone sits around the table, right? Everyone wants to contribute, and contribute more or less equally. So a wizard who does most of his work out of combat means the game time is split between times when the wizard is driving and times when the fighter characters are driving. The group stays together, but gets more boring. The reason D&D magic is so compelling is that a wizard fires spells off about as often as a warrior takes an attack action. They act in sequence and get about as much time in the spotlight.

So if you want this style, you want to make sure that the rhythm and perceived impact of spellcasting is similar to that of martial characters.

>>48598859
I mean Unknown Armies.

>>48598305
That's the plan Stan.

>>48594030
Mage the Ascension and to a lesser extent, Mage the Awakening.

GURPS also has several interesting magic systems, my favorite is the Ritual Path Magic which strongly resembles wildbow's Pact.

>>48602444
> D&D magic
> compelling

-but srsly, the plan is to have prestidigitation/"level 0"-tier magic the characters which focus on magic can use as they please, and indeed at higher levels they could slam out higher caliber spells as well, but unless they really focus on magic-use they're going to need to preform some sort of ritual, however minor/brief, to make anything happen. In addition, while some spells may evoke phantom forces or ignite flammable materials, the things magic can do are more akin to the enchantment, illusion, and divination classes of D&D magic specifically; to give a familiar example.

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>>48594030
I know it's not quite what you're asking, but I think it may be inspiring to you:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16058
>Occult Chemistry: Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements by Annie Besant et al.

>Pic related are "Types of Meta-Proto-Elemental Matter".

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>>48604197
Idk if it'll be applicable, but it's certainly interesting. Thanks.
If you have any more books on 'real magic,' or alchemy, or what have you, I'd be very interested.

>>48609159
Not actually a fan, but... How does metaphysical botany sounds?

>>48609191
Bizarre. I mean if you've got it, post it.

Ars Magica. Not Hermetic Magic though, which is the standard magic system. There's a bunch of other completely different magic systems scattered around in supplements. Hedge Magic especially will probably interest you, some parts of Ancient Magic and Rival Magic as well. And the Faerie/Infernal/Divine Magic systems in Realms of Power Faerie/Infernal/Divine, respectively. Especially the Faerie one which is all about glamours.

Besides that you might want to look into The Riddle of Steel. Some of the magic in that is kind of flashy but not at all in the standard "throwing around fireballs" kind of way.

Shaman magic in Deadlands Classic might interest you too (Probably not so much the Reloaded version which is a lot more standard)

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>>48609357
>Elsewhere we have seen how in certain parallel plants the name preceeds the physical existence of the plant itself. According to Moseley, in the case of the tiril the name exists independently of the thing named, almost as if it were a reality in itself, with a substance of its own instead of a mere symbolic function-the very substance which the plant has been denied. Moseley calls this process "intuitive codification," and as a case in point he cites the name of the village of Tihir El, founded at the time of Darius, when the Bigny Layer had for millions of years already lain at what was then an inaccessible depth.

damm spam blocker. I put the link in the pic to avoid it

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Why be an all powerful wizard? Why not LeGuin's version of wizards and magic?

"Well yes, I've begged all my life, if you look at it that way. Wizards don't own much, you know. In fact, nothing but their staffs and clothing, if they wander. They are recieved and given food and shelter, by most people, gladly. They do make some return."

"What return?"

"Well that woman in the village. I cured her goats."

"But you didn't use any magic!"

"Hospitality, kindness to a stranger, that's a very large thing. Thanks are enough, of course. But I was sorry for the goats."

>>48613307
Beause LeGuin's magic is - like all magic systems presented in literature - good for the story, but absolutely useless as game mechanics. For the very same reason Vancian magic is utter shit when turned into gameplay rules