ITT: Magic

>I like the idea of a magic system where the mages make assertions about the universe or future and the degree of difficulty depends on the amount and severity of the assumptions it makes. Maybe the mage must visualize each assumption and convincingly narrate them to themselves, and also give an appropriately sized Push for each assumption. This Push is a painful mental affirmation to themselves that they intend to magically intervene with the Flow, and the strength of a Push varies wildly from person to person.

Based off of the dumbest magic I've seen in a game, where each point of Mana just improved a roll. You could use it sparingly like Luck points to be a heroic character, or spent shitloads at once to do otherwise impossible things.

In other news, has anybody seen a build of Sympathy that they liked?

>>51958317
For the purposes of balance and inventive gameplay, I tend to limit magic caster's ability to deal direct damage with magic, but encourage clever/creative uses of magic both in and out of combat. Note, I typically don't use DnD or Shadowrun frameworks. We either homebrew or use "build your own" style games.

Rather than being pure buff/de-buff or blast casters, our mages provide side advantages and change the battlefield.

For example, in the last session, one of our mages used alchemy to turn salt into flour, then used a gust of wind to to create a flour cloud that our thief shot with a fire arrow, causing a massive explosion which left the enemies' side of the field in flames. The stragglers stumbled out of the smoke choking and partly blind, so they were pretty easy to clean up.

Other mages we've had included a seer who used clairvoiance and a rusting spell to effectively pull the role of thief; a druid who could build hills or create thick hedges to control enemy movements and give the party a huge tactical advantages; or my favorite wizard, who once opened a dimensional rift to allow a beast beyond comprehension rampage through a bandit camp for ten minutes, attacking ally and foe alike.

>>51958317
>Maybe you really like the idea of necromancers that are fueled by something instead of death
So, the actual historical necromancers?

>>51958317
runescape-style magic rune
the more you use the stronger the spell

I dislike D&D magic because it's way to point and click with no real effort involved on the part of the player.

First, mechanically I would like something where your magic ability is a skill that functions as both the ability to do make and represent your knowledge of it sort of like how Networking skills work in eclipse phase. For each different type of magic there would be a seperate skill and having enough ranks in two or more types of magic can allow you to mix and match them together for a greater level of magic

For instance, I have ranks in Necromancy and then I have ranks in medicine, and ranks in golemancy. With these mix of skills I can turn a body into an undead by shoving a soul in it rather than making a meat construct (with just golemancy/medicine). Individually those skills also imply the things you can do rather than just a list of spells.

Fluff wise the dedicated magic user should be the lore/skill monkey who's education and experience not only lets them do a higher level of magic but be knowledgable about it. The fighter could learn to shoot fireballs but the wizard should known how to to counter that and possibly give the fighter armor made of fire or some shit like that.

Finally, magic in general should take some effort. If you want to charm someone you should at least have points in Charisma as that's part of the magic. If you want to track someone you need an item they had or a piece of their body like hair. If you want to teleport you have to prepare spots to teleport to and from instead of just doing it.

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I'm making a setting where all magic is magic items basically. You don't throw fireballs, instead you take a Flame wand or rod and use it to create flames or similar actions, like cooking food or drying clothes.

Anyone could theoretically pick up a flame wand and use it to attack something with fire, but novices and magically weak people can only light candles or shoot out little puffs.

Spells more for utility or other functions besides combat just use other items; flying carpet for flight, love potion for charm, magic mirror for counterspell, etc.

Magic being lied to language.

I'm teasing with such an idea myself. It becomes attached to a history or a people. It's a significant enough change that doesn't break things mechanically.

For example. Most magical notation and text could have been developed by ancient draconic cultists, converting the magic of dragons into text and speech. So, ancient magical scrolls can very well be written in Draconic and in magical notation. Those who speak Draconic are seen as magical.

Or the runes of Dwarves and Giants, symbols in their ancient language, that infuse power.

Or in the case of divine spells, they are written as hymns in the celestial language of the gods.

It gets even more interesting if the origins in certain spell schools for say wizards, are tied to different languages and origins. Spells of Enchantment first coming to the world through the elves and their exodus from the fey lands. Necromantic power learned in the Abyssal tongue of the dead. The Druidic language and it's magics, having origins in the Sylvan tongue.