D&D 5E Earthsea Magic in D&D

[opacitizen]

While I love Earthsea and its magic, I don't think it's a good match with D&D 5e (which I also like, mind you.)

If I had to come up with a quick and dirty implementation, I'd simply say that

• the true name of things and entities that don't have a stat block (a pebble, a single blade of grass, a cup, a cloud, etc) is "included" in knowing the (official D&D 5e) spells that affect them. If you mend a broken shelf with Mending, you used the true name of the shelf, and that's it
• not knowing the true name of statted things and entities but trying to affect them with spells works as per the official D&D rules
• knowing the true name of statted things gives you an advantage on any roll you're required to cast OR a disadvantage to their save, OR maximum damage / healing / duration rolls etc, noting that learning the true name of a statted thing is the equivalent of gaining and possessing a magic item.

And that's it. Anything deeper than this, I'd go look for a different system more suited for Earthsea's world and magic.

 

[Mercurius]

Is this just curiosity or are you trying to play games in the world of Earthsea or just recreate some of the flavor? Are you looking for simple solutions that get you close (your naming convention & UA Onomancy) or more extensive that really try to emulate the magic in the books (custom magic system)?

Just curiosity. Earthsea is one of my favorite worlds and story cycles, and I've always loved the idea of a campaign setting for it, but I don't plan on running games in Earthsea at this point. I'm mostly just interested in what an Earthsea-like magic system would look like.

 

[dave2008]

Just curiosity. Earthsea is one of my favorite worlds and story cycles, and I've always loved the idea of a campaign setting for it, but I don't plan on running games in Earthsea at this point. I'm mostly just interested in what an Earthsea-like magic system would look like.

That is what I thought, but I want to make sure. I wish I could help, but I am really not familiar with the Earthsea system of magic (other than what I've read on wikipedia). I think it seems very doable it depends on how close to the source material you want to get.

 

[Mercurius]

That is what I thought, but I want to make sure. I wish I could help, but I am really not familiar with the Earthsea system of magic (other than what I've read on wikipedia). I think it seems very doable it depends on how close to the source material you want to get.

No worries - it mostly just a moderate curiosity, not a deep yearning

 

[Aldarc]

I wasn't asking for agreement, I was asking for an explanation I am not familiar with Archipelago, so if you care to explain, what else beside the magic system do you think would need to be changed?

D&D is great for playing certain types of games, particularly epic high fantasy and sword & sorcery, but it is not always appropriate for other types of stories or games. I would put Earthsea in that latter category. I think that D&Ding your way through Earthsea does a huge disservice to Ursula LeGuin's work, almost like murder hoboing your way across Narnia or a tap-dancing elephant in a fine china shop. How D&D expects you to solve problems is a far cry from how characters in Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea stories solve problems.

Also, the whole point of the OP was they want to adapt it to 5e, so saying use another system isn't helpful. They don't want to play Earthsea, they want to play D&D 5e Earthsea.

On the contrary, I would say that using another system is helpful, because the amount of work to create a magic system like Earthsea's for 5e is not IMHO does neither 5e nor Earthsea any favors. And there are other systems out there that are more conducive to the purposes of playing an Earthsea-type game.

 

[dave2008]

D&D is great for playing certain types of games, particularly epic high fantasy and sword & sorcery, but it is not always appropriate for other types of stories or games. I would put Earthsea in that latter category. I think that D&Ding your way through Earthsea does a huge disservice to Ursula LeGuin's work, almost like murder hoboing your way across Narnia or a tap-dancing elephant in a fine china shop. How D&D expects you to solve problems is a far cry from how characters in Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea stories solve problems.

On the contrary, I would say that using another system is helpful, because the amount of work to create a magic system like Earthsea's for 5e is not IMHO does neither 5e nor Earthsea any favors. And there are other systems out there that are more conducive to the purposes of playing an Earthsea-type game.

All fair points, but in post #22 the OP said: "...but I don't plan on running games in Earthsea at this point. I'm mostly just interested in what an Earthsea-like magic system would look like."

So the point is specifically how would you create an Earthsea-like magic system in 5e. Not, how would you create Earthsea for 5e. So playing something else, just isn't helpful. Looking at other systems for how they do magic could be helpful, but not a whole bunch.

 

[dave2008]

No worries - it mostly just a moderate curiosity, not a deep yearning

OK, I don't know a lot about Earthsea magic, but I might be able to help you get started. A couple of things to clarify:

1. Will this be the only type of magic, or should it sit along side typical D&D magic? This choice is really important.
2. Are you looking for a completely new magic system or a revision / augmentation of an existing D&D sysyem?
3. What are, in your opinion, the defining characteristics of Earthsea magic?

 

[Voadam]

Honestly, you can just rule that in order to work magic at all, you need to now the True Names etc; by this logic, what separates a member rod the Wizard (or sorcerer or cleric or whatever) class from the Fighter etc. class is that the Wizard understands and knows how to manipulate True Names. Bam, done, with no new mechanics to learn.

I have played in an AD&D game where the planar Isle of Roke was where a concentration of ultrapowerful archmages ran a wizards college. It worked well as a flavor element to magic in D&D in my experience.

 

[nyvinter]

The take on magic in Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures is using Le Guin's Earthsea as an inspiration. That's what I'd use — and possibly update it by stealing small bits from Black Hack to make it more uniform in rules. Anyway, I feel that would be far closer to the feel with less effort than a 5e version would require.

 

[dave2008]

The take on magic in Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures is using Le Guin's Earthsea as an inspiration. That's what I'd use — and possibly update it by stealing small bits from Black Hack to make it more uniform in rules. Anyway, I feel that would be far closer to the feel with less effort than a 5e version would require.

The OP isn't asking for a 5e version of Earthsea, he/she wants to import an Earthsea-like magic system to 5e, see post #22. Big difference.