Arthurian Magic -- Reining in the magical artillery.

[MaxKaladin]

Max -

Have you considered incorporating the GT magic method? This does fundamentally change the way magic is used, viewed, etc...without necessarily changing the magic system itself.

If GT had been available when I first put Faded Glory together, I would probably have used it. I think it would be a good way to go...

My 2 coppers,

~ Old One

GT?

The only GT I can think of off the top of my head is GURPS Traveller, and I don't think that's what you mean.

 

[Old One]

Grim Tales...

GT?

The only GT I can think of off the top of my head is GURPS Traveller, and I don't think that's what you mean.

Max,

If you haven't picked up Grim Tales yet...do it! The magic system - for what I think you want to accomplish - would work well and the rest of the book just rocks!

~ Old One

 

[Psion]

I should note that I'm not worried they would be mobile artillery with the LoE system.

Would there be anything wrong with using the LOE spell lists and forgoing the spell point system?

 

[Banshee16]

I've been looking at doing a vaguely Celtic-Arthurian game. I've looked at both Relics and Rituals: Excalibur and Legends of Excalibur and they're both fine books, but I'm not terribly happy with the solutions either gives to the "magic problem". Specifically, the Arthurian/Celtic genre should not have wizards and priests acting like mobile artillery in battle. R&R:E basically just suggests talking to the players about staying "in-genre" as a solution while LoE has this spell point system that replaces the regular D&D system. I'd like to find a solution somewhere between the two. Something that doesn't resort to a completely different magic system but which doesn't just rely on people artificially acting "in-genre."

This is complicated by all the other caster classes like paladins, rangers and bards, who will also be affected by most changes.

Any thoughts on the best way to reign in the "magical artillery"? I'm not adverse to "social" solutions within the setting (like wizards being outlawed or something), but I'd prefer something that doesn't make it a complete drag to play a spellcaster. I'll also consider alternate classes, but not something so radically different as a spell point system*

* This is because this is set elsewhere in an established homebrew where the normal rules are held to apply. It's very isolated, so different training and a lack of exposure to the rest of the world are fine (i.e. new classes, wierd spell selections and so on), but magic should fundimentally work the same way (a wizard from one spot ought to be able to recognize and be able to learn spells from the other area with no problem and, if the two areas were to come into contact, running a combat shouldn't really involve two completely different magic systems.)

Thanks!

You might want to check out either the channelers from Midnight, or the Magician class from Birthright 3rd Ed. (www.birthright.net), which is an official conversion of the 2nd Ed. setting. The Magician has a unique spell list...he can cast a fair number of spells, I think as much as a wizard. But he gets d6's for hp, and gets All Simple Weapons. However, his spell-list is changed so that basically, he gets access to all schools only for spell levels 1 and 2. His level 3 - 9 spells are all either Illusion or Divination.

That seems to fit fairly well with the power level you'd want in an Arthurian game.

Banshee

 

[ruleslawyer]

And Birthright's Realm rules are also something you may wish to apply in an Arthurian setting!

 

[DaveStebbins]

One idea I'm developing to use in my next homebrew campaign is eliminating evocations completely and giving arcane casters free specialization as a compensation.

Some things need to be changed (I moved several divine evocations to a new sacred school, and changed the school of some arcane evocations which I liked the flavor of), but it goes a long way towards removing the artillary aspect of arcane spellcasters.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Max,

If you haven't picked up Grim Tales yet...do it! The magic system - for what I think you want to accomplish - would work well and the rest of the book just rocks!

~ Old One

For what it's worth, I have been planning all along to release the individual Grim Tales rules components piecemeal (take a look at the Section 15, you'll see what I mean). Sufficient demand for any individual section will speed that process.


Wulf

 

[Endur]

Another option is to borrow the Middle Earth d20 approach to magic. All spellcasters have to multi-class. So, Merlin, level 20, might be a level 10 Druid/level 10 Wizard. This means he lacks the high level flashy effects of the usual level 20 caster.

Another possibility might be outlawing evocation as some people said.

Or perhaps to modify all spells so they no longer have visible effects.