Looking for a magic system

[Altamont Ravenard]

The game system, if you're interested, is named in my signature.

Cool, I'll check it out.

You really want to enable infinite spellcasting?

Well, some systems seem to make it possible, so I'm thinking it's not a totally idiotic idea

Also, what I'm looking for more and more in a RPG is a way to play that is similar to how fantasy fiction is represented in books and movies. My favorite series in Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the mages and priests in these books can basically cast spells all day long if they want to (although they do get tired). Same thing in Wheel of Time, or in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy, or in Bakker's Prince of Nothing series...

I totally get that this makes spellcasters powerful - as they should be - but it makes them preferred targets.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, I'll read up on them asap.

AR

 

[Quickleaf]

Cool, I'll check it out.

Well, some systems seem to make it possible, so I'm thinking it's not a totally idiotic idea

Also, what I'm looking for more and more in a RPG is a way to play that is similar to how fantasy fiction is represented in books and movies. My favorite series in Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the mages and priests in these books can basically cast spells all day long if they want to (although they do get tired). Same thing in Wheel of Time, or in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy, or in Bakker's Prince of Nothing series...

I totally get that this makes spellcasters powerful - as they should be - but it makes them preferred targets.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, I'll read up on them asap.

AR

One more suggestion, since you're already familiar with M&M. There was a supplement put out called Warriors & Warlocks geared toward the sword and sorcery genre. I know there were spell rules in that book, and here's a review: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14273.phtml

 

[Sword of Spirit]

- Not a "build-a-spell" system
AR

Purely out of curiosity, why this preference?

 

[Michael Silverbane]

The magic system in GURPS and GURPS Magic has much of the stuff in your system requirements, either by default (skill system, not a build-a-spell, the possibility to specialize in magical colleges) or via rules presented as possible options (unlimited spellcasting, spending resources to improve spellcasting). GURPS Thaumatology also presents a bunch of other possible magic systems.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Purely out of curiosity, why this preference?

Because I know my players and they tend to get bouts of analysis paralysis They sometimes have trouble choosing between the few spells they know, it would be cruel of me to add an extra step to spellcasting.

AR

 

[Thondor]

I believe both HARP and Runequest meet a lot of your requirements. But I don't really know either system very well.

Perhaps someone else can speak to the specific points.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Because I know my players and they tend to get bouts of analysis paralysis They sometimes have trouble choosing between the few spells they know, it would be cruel of me to add an extra step to spellcasting.

AR

Makes sense. Maybe I need to be a bit more aware of player accessibility. I tend to ignore that particular aspect of systems (though I'm sensitive to speed of play, and intuitive resolution systems).

 

[Krensky]

Hello all,

Would any of you know of a magic system in a fantasy RPG that has the following characteristics (whether or not the system is actually good)?
- A check of some sort is necessary to cast a spell
- Taking longer to cast a spell makes casting the spell easier (bonus to spellcasting check?)
- HPs can be sacrificed to increase spellcasting check roll
- Casters can theoretically cast an infinite number of spells per day
- Not a "build-a-spell" system
- Casters (can) have a specialty

Fantasy Craft does almost all of this out of the box.

- Spellcasting is a special case of the skill rules, with DC being determined by the highest of the spell's level or the target's defenses )Defense and Spell Resistance).
- All the Spell Conversion (ie, Metamagic) feats have a make the spell worse (longer casting timee, shorter duration, lower effect, spaller area, etc) to lower the level by one (reducing the spell point cost and Spellcasting DC) or to pay extra spell points to boost it.
- Not out of the box, but there's a few easy ways to do it and some have been detailed on the Crraft Games forums.
- In theory, yes. Spell points are fully restored at the end of a scene, the length of which is determined by the GM. Note that spellcasters aren't more powerful then non-casters, they're jjut powerful in different way and are usually more flexible if they built their spell list for flexibility.
- Nope, spells come from a list.
- Both soft (spells known) and hard specialties (different classes) are possible. At the moment the only base caster is the generalist mage, although previews of the Conjurer and Reaper (um... master of time, space, and artifice - Dr Who is one of the wink and nod examples, and a necromancer) have been released, and the Channeler and Seer (blaster and diviner) from Spycraft 2.0 give a fairly good idea what those look like. We're waiting more or less patiently for the designers to finish with the grimor in the magic sourcebook.

Now, pulling the system out separate from the full system will be tricky, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[Jhaelen]

Would any of you know of a magic system in a fantasy RPG that has the following characteristics (whether or not the system is actually good)?
- A check of some sort is necessary to cast a spell
- Taking longer to cast a spell makes casting the spell easier (bonus to spellcasting check?)
- HPs can be sacrificed to increase spellcasting check roll
- Casters can theoretically cast an infinite number of spells per day
- Not a "build-a-spell" system
- Casters (can) have a specialty

Well, with the (optional) exception of 'Not a "build-a-spell" system', Ars Magica's magic system has all of these characteristics.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Hello all,

Would any of you know of a magic system in a fantasy RPG that has the following characteristics (whether or not the system is actually good)?
- A check of some sort is necessary to cast a spell
- Taking longer to cast a spell makes casting the spell easier (bonus to spellcasting check?)
- HPs can be sacrificed to increase spellcasting check roll
- Casters can theoretically cast an infinite number of spells per day
- Not a "build-a-spell" system
- Casters (can) have a specialty

Thanks in advance for any information!

AR

From memory that's pretty close to the GURPS magic system out of the box other than that you use fatigue rather than HP until you're out of fatigue. It's been years since I've played GURPS however.