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Where Has All the Magic Gone?
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<blockquote data-quote="Ydars" data-source="post: 4585921" data-attributes="member: 62992"><p>The problem with all D&D magic is the point and shoot aspect of it. It is about as magical in feel as a 357 magnum much of the time. Here are some things I have done in the past to try and put back the magic in various RPGs. They tend to only work well in story driven campaigns and I have never tried them in sandbox or dungeon-bash type games but then neither of those is a particular friend to the mystical anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Magic can be made somewhat more mystical if items and spells are tied to certain places and/or can only be used at certain times. </p><p> </p><p>If often invent a set of star-formations, like the zodiac, then when the moon is in the house of the hunter, spells of nature would wax whilst those of necromancy would wane. You get the idea. I often use the cliched 3 moons of your average fantasy world to good effect and have items or spells tied to waxes and wanes of one of the moons, or else to the seasons.</p><p> </p><p>Similarly, if you take a leaf from the "Wizard of Earthsea" a wizard's power depends upon words and his powers are blunted when in strange lands where the earthpowers do not recognise his voice. Thus the land becomes a patchwork of locations that favour or disallow certain types of magic. This could be a way of handling over-powerful mages in 3.5E and to prevent the use of certain game-breaking divinations/transportation magic in all editions of the game; just site the adventure in a time and place that makes the use of spell X very difficult. I have even gone so far as to have certain spell be castable only at 2 or 3 sites in the entire world, often divinations or resurrection magic.</p><p> </p><p>Magic can also pierce the veil between worlds very easily at certain times of year and so carries some risks. You can introduce risks into the game associated with magic that include magical laws.</p><p> </p><p>I have used the Law of Threefold consequence to good effect so that any damage done to others is visited threefold unto the mage unless he is protected by ritual at certain times of the year.</p><p> </p><p>Similarly, charm and enchantment spells can be made more powerful through the use of hair or other connections to the target, and rituals can also blunt magical attacks.</p><p> </p><p>I have also ruled in the past that summoning rituals must be performed at certain times and creatures bound into service and only then can you cast summon monster I and expect the creature to come. The creature should have personality and story and be a character as much as NPCs do.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly, I make wizards do magical research to get their new spells at each level; in a proper laboratory. Sorcerors are required to find and hold discource with supernatural powers to gain their new spells. They often have to find a lake with a powerful Fey at the bottom and then bargain to gain new power.</p><p> </p><p>All this slightly nerfs spell-casters but in 3.5E, where I used most of these to best effect, this is no bad thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ydars, post: 4585921, member: 62992"] The problem with all D&D magic is the point and shoot aspect of it. It is about as magical in feel as a 357 magnum much of the time. Here are some things I have done in the past to try and put back the magic in various RPGs. They tend to only work well in story driven campaigns and I have never tried them in sandbox or dungeon-bash type games but then neither of those is a particular friend to the mystical anyway. Magic can be made somewhat more mystical if items and spells are tied to certain places and/or can only be used at certain times. If often invent a set of star-formations, like the zodiac, then when the moon is in the house of the hunter, spells of nature would wax whilst those of necromancy would wane. You get the idea. I often use the cliched 3 moons of your average fantasy world to good effect and have items or spells tied to waxes and wanes of one of the moons, or else to the seasons. Similarly, if you take a leaf from the "Wizard of Earthsea" a wizard's power depends upon words and his powers are blunted when in strange lands where the earthpowers do not recognise his voice. Thus the land becomes a patchwork of locations that favour or disallow certain types of magic. This could be a way of handling over-powerful mages in 3.5E and to prevent the use of certain game-breaking divinations/transportation magic in all editions of the game; just site the adventure in a time and place that makes the use of spell X very difficult. I have even gone so far as to have certain spell be castable only at 2 or 3 sites in the entire world, often divinations or resurrection magic. Magic can also pierce the veil between worlds very easily at certain times of year and so carries some risks. You can introduce risks into the game associated with magic that include magical laws. I have used the Law of Threefold consequence to good effect so that any damage done to others is visited threefold unto the mage unless he is protected by ritual at certain times of the year. Similarly, charm and enchantment spells can be made more powerful through the use of hair or other connections to the target, and rituals can also blunt magical attacks. I have also ruled in the past that summoning rituals must be performed at certain times and creatures bound into service and only then can you cast summon monster I and expect the creature to come. The creature should have personality and story and be a character as much as NPCs do. Lastly, I make wizards do magical research to get their new spells at each level; in a proper laboratory. Sorcerors are required to find and hold discource with supernatural powers to gain their new spells. They often have to find a lake with a powerful Fey at the bottom and then bargain to gain new power. All this slightly nerfs spell-casters but in 3.5E, where I used most of these to best effect, this is no bad thing. [/QUOTE]
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