Designing my own system looking for help

[Jeryl Adams1]

Hello, my name is Jeryl and I am in the process of creating my own table-top rpg. Right now I have a list of things that I need to create but before i get started i was wondering if there are any people who would be willing to help me? My main focus is mechanics. Coming up with things is easy for me, but i don't know enough about different mechanics to make an educated decision on what mechanics i should use. My goal is to make things work around a unique magic system. the magic system is made up of different types of magic kinda like schools in D&D but more generalized. the types of magic i have are offensive, defensive, movement, summoning, and utility.

now comes the unique part. the elements that make up the system are air, earth, darkness, death, emotion, fire, gravity, kinetic, life, light, time and water. with this system you weave elements together with an attack type and a duration. there are three parts needed to cast a spell. you need an element, attack type, and a duration. as the characters gain experience the gain access to use more than one element, attack types, and duration. each spell is then recorded on the character sheet and uses a mana pool system to cast. as they gain levels they can add a new spell or add to an already existing spell.

i hope that helps, but it probably doesn't. so the question is, are there any other people here willing to help me in this endeavor? we can discuss terms and conditions once we have established a connection.

 

[pemerton]

I wasn't sure from your post whether you're wanting to write some variant rules for D&D - in which case the ENworld-published Elements of Magic might have some stuff that is interesting for you - or whether you are coming up with a completely new system.

If the latter, you might want to think a bit about system design and read some other systems (eg Ars Magic has a magic system that is something like what you describe). Vincent Baker is one of the best RPG designers around, so you might find his blog interesting if you haven't read it already.

 

[ccs]

Definitely get yourself a copy of Ars Magica.

You're pretty much describing it's magic system. I played 3rd edition myself, but I'm sure there's a more recent edition.

 

[John Out West]

I'll see if I can give a nudge in the right direction.

Similarly, i made an RPG that i tried to make as different as possible from traditional RPGs. One of the key decisions was to make the main game mechanic based on a deck of 52 cards rather than dice. This helped, as I couldn't rely on any other game, since I knew no other D52 games at the time, which allowed me to bask in creativity. Changing the core game mechanic of your game to something that you've never seen before would unleash your creativity, and keep you from borrowing mechanics from other systems.

I made a similar magic system that weaved magic together, although i used "Tradition, Grit, Luck, and Fortitude," as my "Mana." Mixing them together would create a different spell for each combination, and players would draw mana randomly, so players would have to calculate what spells they could do, and what spells would lock out other spells. Additionally, players couldn't read from the spell book until they cast the spell, so they had to rely on memory to know which spell they were casting. This got exponentially more difficult each tier, as adding one more mana could quadruple the number of possible options. I based it largely off an old Warcraft 3 mod i played years before. There's a free version on my website if you want to see what I did and how it works more in depth.

That being said, from what you're saying it sound like you want to make something more similar to the Transistor Function System, where each spell had a basic form, which then could be augmented by another spell. Fire would create a small ball of fire, but Fire Force would send that ball flying at an enemy, and Fire Force Force would explode that ball on contact.

Hope this helps!

 

[pogre]

Definitely get yourself a copy of Ars Magica.

You're pretty much describing it's magic system. I played 3rd/4th edition myself, but I'm sure there's a more recent edition.

Ars is in 5th, and you made a great recommendation!

 

[Jeryl Adams1]

[MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] the goal is to create a completely new system. The main idea revolves around the concept that magic is experimental. The creativity around other magic systems is lacking in my opinion. while yes you can homebrew spells in any game, i wanted to include that in main system for everything. instead of just casting fireball all the time you can modify the spell using different shapes so you can avoid hitting your party and use it differently each time. that is proving to be more random than i originally thought though. i have decided to put in some limitations but i haven't figured out what limitations i should use.

in regards to Ars Magica i will have to wait to get paid next month before i can pick it up.

the main goal i have is to make being creative as much of a part of the game as the mechanics of other systems. what i really need is people to collaborate with, as my ideas work in my head but then other people come along and bring up something that i haven't thought of or about.

 

[PrometheanVigil]

I recently released my own RPG system for sale which you can see the blurb for here. I am currently designing an official setting for it to be released in the near-future. This setting will also feature its own magic sub-system.

All this to say, I know something about what goes into making one. So looking at your post, I'm wondering if you want you to create your own system wholecloth or you're trying to modify or extend an existing system? What is THE one big thing you want out of your system. It can't just be "I want magics but not D&D magics" -- what exact problem are you trying to solve for yourself?

The above recommendations for Ars Magica I'm not entirely convinced is what you're looking for. It sounds like you want magic to be a major point but not the sole point (which is all that game is about). I think Mage The Awakening would be more apt as it has a streamlined system and a more general setting. However, both games' magic systems are a radical rethink of magic in RPGs and may be too far away from what you may be aiming for.

So what are you trying to do?

 

[Tonguez]

back before 3e I was tinkering with my own skill based magic system that used Techniques (schools), Sources (themes) and Skill and then create spell effects based on their technique and source

Anyway:
Sources: Elemental ( Stone, Air, Fire, Water, Cold, Thunder/Sound, Lighting, Force/Kinetic (Blast, Slash, Pierce)), Materia (Plant, Animal, Mind, Body, Metal), Spirit (Death, Life, Divine, Faerie, Djinn, Draconic, Nature, Primal)
Techniques:Conjuration, Evocation, Manipulation, Transmutation, Divination, Mysticism (Illusion/Psionic)
Skills: Technically any skill can be used but the most common are Arcana (Int), Healing (Wis), Alchemy (Int), Song (Cha), Dance (Agility)
Skill difficulty was set by DC 10+spell effect rating (Target, Range, Power, and Complexity)

An Wizard might choose Evocation and Manipulation Techniques, or become an Illusionist (Mysticism, Divination) but it could also be used for other classes like Paladin


Paladin
Sources – Divine, Life
Technique: Evocation (Skill:Martial (Sword)), Conjure (Skillersuade* (cha)), Evocation(Skill:Heal)

Players could use the sources and techniques rating system to create effects so for instance if my Paladin decided to have their sword burst with divine energy when it strikes for +1d6 damge
Divine Burst - Target: single (1), Range:touch (1), Power: medium (2), Complexity: minor (1) Martial Skill Test DC +5

They can evoke life energy to help Healing (Target: single (1), Range:touch (1), Power: medium (3), Complexity: minor (1) Martial Skill Test DC +6)

The Paladin might even rely on their faith to persuade a Divine spirit to appear and command them to provide him aid
(Target: single (1), Range:extraplanar (5), Power: medium (2), Complexity: hard (3) Martial Skill Test DC +12)* Ritual


Unique traditions can be created to for instance inspired by Dervishes I came up with the Storm Dancer
TRADITION: Storm Dancers of Al Qahira
Sources - Lightning, Wind (Air)
Technique: Evocation (Skill: Agility (Dance))

The Storm Dancers of Al Qahira were taught by the Djinn to evoke the powers of wind and lightning through use of their whirling dance. The first steps of the dance stir the breeze, but as it builds the dancers learn to walk (spin) on the air, there steps raising wind gusts, whirlwinds, thunderwaves and they learn to throw lightning and more.

SO Wind Walk - Target: self (0), Range:close (1), Power: medium (3), Complexity: simple (1) DC +5

of my Storm Dancer might generate a gust of wind to throw an enemy into the air before dropping him again for 1d10 damage
Target: single (1), Range:close (1), Power: medium (3), Complexity: medium (3) DC +8

in play to use the spell the Storm Dancer used an Agility (Dance) skill test and gets the narration Herukhis begins his dance, his steps quickly marking a circle as he evokes the spirits of air, the guard ahead of him watches warily, feeling the wind start to blow around him as the dancer whirls, with a spin and a flourish Herukhis suddenly leaps, feet skipping over the air, in a high arch towards the startled guard.
When Herukhis lands again there is a huge rush of wind as it gust upwards in a mighty blast that throws the guard up off his feet before dropping him back to the ground

 

[Jeryl Adams1]

i want to create a whole new magic system where you weave different elements in to a spell. the elements are energy, range, target, shape and duration. so a classic fire ball would be made up of fire energy, medium range, area target, sphere shape, and instant duration. but the cool thing about this system is that you create your own spells when you add them to your spell list, whether it be a book or committed to memory. i want creativity in magic which is the basis for the entire game. thinking outside the box instead of just using something someone else created.

 

[Morrus]

That does sound very similar to Elements of Magic for D&D 3.5, or the "spellweaving" magic system in WOIN which was inspired by it (choose a verb and a noun that you know, like evoke fire, and spend Magic Points on range, duration, area, damage, etc.)

Both of which have things in common with Ars Magica, which was the first verb-noun magic system back in the 1980s.