This question involves non-system-specific magic.
5
votes
4answers
78 views
What systems contain Multiple Caster or Combined Casting rules? [closed]
In the process of creating a homebrew system, I have run into the problem of my players wanting to be able to combine their spellcasting prowess in a show of superiority and might ( and perhaps a bit ...
6
votes
3answers
169 views
What alternatives are there for replacing the D&D memorize and forget magic rules
I'm starting a campaign and will be the DM. We are basing our system off the D&D 3rd ed. Most of us (players and myself) don't really like the rules surrounding Wizards / Sorcerers when they have ...
13
votes
11answers
478 views
How can non-magical healers be useful when magic healing is available?
In many roleplaying games the prerequisite to perform magic healing is knowledge, and during action it is mostly limited by magic capacity and sometimes time. Meanwhile the prerequisite to perform ...
17
votes
6answers
555 views
Making magic “magical”
When I work with settings that contain magic, whether traditional fantasy or others, I always perceive something of a tension when trying to portray the magic between the following factors:
Magic ...
0
votes
0answers
80 views
School of Magic to describe harmless spells? [closed]
I am developing an MMORPG. Magic spells in the game will be organized by Schools of magic, such as Destruction, Creation, Restoration, Abjuration, etc. (all "-tion" words).
My question is, what is a ...
5
votes
3answers
212 views
How useful would a house ruled immediate Counterspell ability in Pathfinder be?
I have been GMing for 10 years, and we are currently are using Pathfinder with little to no house rules. The only character that has ever used counterspell is when we made a prestige class up that ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Pathfinder Wall of Ice Anchoring Rules
Is it allowable to cast a "Wall of Ice" spell in its hemispherical configuration in mid-air, or upside-down? The description of the spell is very explicit about it being anchored when it's in the flat ...
6
votes
5answers
461 views
Rulesets to make magic more unpredictable and dangerous?
I am considering starting a Pathfinder game, however before I do this I would like to brew-up some house-rules on the use of magic for a "low-magic" setting (think Conan or A Song of Ice and Fire) ...
5
votes
1answer
125 views
Having a hard time understanding the cost of magic enhancements as listed
Can anyone help clear up the costs of magic items? I am looking at some magic items and the costs only say "+1 enhancement cost." For an example I will use the "Flaming" enhancement. Before an item ...
11
votes
4answers
353 views
How the heck does magical darkness work in Pathfinder?
I'm having a lot of trouble trying to divine the intent of the darkness spell in PF. It starts off easily enough:
This spell causes an object to radiate darkness out to a 20-foot radius. This ...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
How to make a Dark Brotherhood-esque Job Request System in D&D 3.5 E6
The Goal
In a E6 campaign I am playing in I want my character to start an assassins guild similar to The Dark Brotherhood from The Elder Scrolls games.
The Problem/Question
I am stuck on how to set ...
5
votes
2answers
161 views
How does a character become magical in the Dresden Files?
I'm trying to create a character. I've already worked out some of my character. My character is, at the moment, superstitious with that being pretty much the only personality trait. It has glamours ...
6
votes
3answers
296 views
A system for tactical magic duels with low handling time?
I'm trying to cobble together a solely magic-based campaign that will have a really flexible system of magic. I've always been a fan of the D20 system, but it does have its limitations: for this ...
9
votes
6answers
362 views
Is there any system which lets me play an astrologer mage?
Is there any system which has a mage class/magic system dedicated to astrology so I could play a court astrologer using the planets and constellations to divine the future?
I would like to mention ...
3
votes
4answers
286 views
“High on Magic” - how original is it?
I have written a RPG called "Chuť magie" - it's in Czech and it means literary "Taste of Magic", but I'd definitely call it "High on Magic" in English. I'm not planning to translate it to English ...
7
votes
1answer
117 views
Thaumaturgy power gathering
So if I have this right, when one of my characters is using a thaumaturgical ritual, lets say creating wards, then the ward strength and length are determined by how many shifts of power, in total, ...
6
votes
4answers
442 views
Looking for a nice magic system to convert to FATE
I'm playing around a lot with the FATE system at the moment (particularly with Diaspora) and I'm now looking at how I might apply it to a fantasy setting. What I'm looking for is a nice magic system ...
8
votes
2answers
148 views
Magic college default skill in GURPS
Is there a way in GURPS to create a mage with a default level of skill in a specific magical college? I'm imagining something like an earth wizard who can attempt any earth college spell at a -3 ...
8
votes
2answers
131 views
Does temporal stasis freeze spell effects?
My question boils down to what qualifies as a condition in the spell temporal stasis, as emphasized below.
You place the subject into a state of suspended animation. For the creature, time ceases ...
9
votes
3answers
524 views
What is thaumaturgy?
I keep getting conflicting reports on what exactly thaumaturgy is. Some sources say it's a form of divine spellcasting. Others say it's a form of summoning. Others still say it's a method of ...
6
votes
5answers
192 views
What are some mage-related abilities in a Sci-Fi setting?
One of my PC's wants to be a mage type character. I would be all for this, except that we are playing the Fallout Pen and Paper game, which doesn't really have any magic related techniques or attacks. ...
5
votes
4answers
307 views
What can be done to maintain balance in a magic system in which mages must construct their own spells?
I'd like to build a magic system in which every spell is a one-off. A spell is created to serve a particular purpose and is cast once. I'm thinking that the time and place of the casting would be ...
13
votes
3answers
195 views
Do magical beasts have a magical aura with regard to Detect Magic spell?
The description for Detect Magic doesn't explicitly cover this. Some monsters, like the Ankheg, are categorized as magical beast, but don't have any magical or spell-like abilities. If they are ...
3
votes
3answers
213 views
Can a custom spell's effect last after the caster's death?
As GM, I am having a now-deceased 30th-level wizard's spell last after his death. It is a spell to conceal an object in a Dimensional Pocket keyed to one of the right bloodline who knows the password. ...
5
votes
2answers
155 views
Alignment restrictions and Trap the Soul
Saw it mentioned in a thread (How do you make a vampire cleric stay dead?) and now I'm curious... Does binding a creature's soul into a gem in itself constitute an evil act?
Trap the soul says ...
8
votes
3answers
954 views
Does casting a spell require a check to succeed?
If my character is a spell caster, and he is not wearing any armor, is there any chance to fail casting the spell? I'm wondering specifically about normal circumstances: There is nobody who can attack ...
7
votes
4answers
198 views
Systems that have rules for covert magic (Occult type magic)
What games system out there have a good ruleset for a covert magic system. For the lack of a better word I use covert in meaning that magic isn't obvious. Not that the magicians would have to hide, ...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
Catching Spirits
Is there a way in Pathfinder to catch a spirit or bind it with your PC? (hopefully for the benefit of the PC)
I am hoping it is possible to possess a scroll or magical charm or something as my ...
17
votes
7answers
365 views
Fantasy and magic in a primarily realistic setting
I'm running a game that's best described as "medieval fantasy," in the sense that we're actually trying to have the lives of people in the setting strongly resemble the historical Middle Ages. There ...
8
votes
4answers
262 views
Magical Effects of Herbs
For various reasons I want to go back to primary sources to develop a list of herb and their magic effects for various fantasy RPGs that I use to run my campaign, the Majestic Wilderlands.
Does ...
9
votes
2answers
608 views
Creatively targeting summoning spells
Me and my party have a plan in our upcoming session, that will need some clarifications on how summoning spells can be used.
Its all about creative targeting with the Summon Monster I spell, let me ...
9
votes
3answers
238 views
What does it mean to “master” a path of magic?
In Anima: Beyond Fantasy, magic is divided up into paths, some of which are opposed to each other. The rules quite clearly state that it costs twice as much to advance along a path opposed to one ...
5
votes
1answer
245 views
What point-buy systems of magic (like psionics in 3e D&D) are there? [closed]
The RPG I'm currently developing is a d20 model, skill driven rules system. The mechanics of spellcasting center around spell effects and point cost for stamina (a universal energy pool for all ...
4
votes
2answers
217 views
Castle Falkenstein: Is there a faster Magic system?
I love running games in the Castle Falkenstein diceless system. However, I find the CF magic system to be a little slow (to set up, run and play) for a high-fantasy campaign.
Can anyone suggest ...
12
votes
1answer
135 views
TDE / DSA - Koschbasalt / Blaubasalt vs Magic Traps
I hope there are even Das Schwarze Auge/The Dark Eye Players around here...
Is it possible to neutralize magic traps (Traps created by applicatus or similar spells, not arcanovi) using Koschbasalt ...
21
votes
6answers
1k views
How does D&D Vancian magic make sense in-game?
One thing that bugs me about Vancian Magic in D&D as I understand it is the following: How is "fire and forget" remotely believable when I can slot and ready more than one "copy" of a spell?
Say ...
4
votes
3answers
268 views
What ways exist to re-introduce vancian magic to 4E D&D?
As much as I like the system in D&D 4E, I'm slightly nostalgic of Vancian magic. The idea of the mage having to re-memorise the spells each day. Obviously it came with the baggage of resting every ...
7
votes
3answers
413 views
Comprehend Languages vs. Linguistics
Given the nature of the spell Comprehend Languages in Pathfinder, is there any particular advantage to taking Linguistics for a character who can cast it? Especially given the chance of severe (or ...
6
votes
1answer
214 views
How can I make a magical photocopier?
One of my players wants a way to reproduce books quickly in an Ars Magica (5th edition) setting.
What spells exist (preferably without using vis) to accomplish this goal?
10
votes
3answers
412 views
I want to build a castle, with magic!
Rather, one of my players, a Terram Magus, wants to be able to construct a castle or equivalent fortification without using creo magic in an Ars Magica 5th edition game.
The rules for crafting with ...
13
votes
3answers
417 views
How should one-word “commands” work in languages other than English?
In various versions of D&D, there's a cleric spell called "Command" where the cleric compels an enemy to obey a one-word command. Typical commands might be "sleep", "flee", "surrender", ...
17
votes
8answers
422 views
How do I create a sense of mystery about magic?
Magic in so many games is something mechanical and fully understood. Assuming I control the setting (and have a group of players willing to try new rules), how do I make magic something mysterious?
...
9
votes
2answers
840 views
Do metamagic feats increase a spell's casting time in Pathfinder?
In D&D 3.5, there was a rule that a spontaneous spellcaster had to spend extra time casting a spell if they chose to apply a metamagic feat. Is this also true in Pathfinder, or was this limitation ...
5
votes
5answers
841 views
What's a good defense against silence?
Well, a dungeon master keeps throwing characters who can silence spells at me. It's a pain in the butt when trying to fight as a group, as most of my friends and I are casters. We're dealing with ...
10
votes
2answers
128 views
Can you use a Power to do Suppressive Fire?
Can Powers be used for Suppressive Fire? For example, can you cast a Bolt Power to do Suppressive Fire on an area?
18
votes
2answers
610 views
How do I handle astral security?
When a shadowrunning team tries to break into a facility protected by magic, it seems to me as a GM like the team's biggest liability is getting past magical security. If a mundane B&E character ...
43
votes
10answers
888 views
Medieval problems in a magical world
This is a bit of a broad question, but I will try to narrow it down to this:
When GMing a medieval fantasy, and conflicts arise between the medieval times and the magical world (mostly D&D and ...
18
votes
10answers
545 views
What RPGs treat magic as being common?
Some fantasy RPGs treat magic as arcane and thus rare, possibly subject to suspicion by the masses. Other games treat magic as somewhat more prevelant but not ubiquitous.
At some point in this trend, ...
5
votes
1answer
527 views
Shadowrun character creation, in what order do you reduce magic due to -wares?
In Shadowrun are there official rules as to when you would reduce your magic rating due to various -wares?
Point in case, if you decide to purchase say bioware at the beginning of the process, before ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I increase resistance to drain?
My Aztec shaman character, Chimalli, is primarily a spirit summoner, using Willpower (5)+Charisma (7) to resist drain. He has one level of the Focused Concentration quality (+1).
Is there any easy ...
