EoM more skill based magic?

[Kahuna Burger]

One of my favorite parts of the Elements of Magic was turning a lot of spells into skill checks that cost magic points. Its very elegant and reminds me a lot of some of the fantasy magic systems I'm fond of (esp Barbara Hambly).

I'm wondering what other skills could be "magically enhanced". The first and most obvious would be Bluff. Rather than being invisible, you get better and better at being unnoticable. As you walk across the room, with a sufficient MP cost bluff check, people simply look down at what they're doing, get distracted by something in the other direction, etc. A MP enhanced Sense Motive would be excellent as well. And of course, adding MP to herbalism, alchemy or craft checks is just cool....

perhaps a magic using class along the lines of "hedge witch" is in order, which has NO spell lists, but increasing MP enhanced skills...

Kahuna Burger

 

[trentonjoe]

I think they all could work in some way.

Jump (ala the 6 million dollar man)
Diplomacy ( I'm thinking Rasputin here)
WIlderness Lore ( a cheap nonmagical Identify)


Maybe a system could be made were you could trade one Magic Point in for a +3 on a skill check. Soooooo, a high level mage could blow the equivalent of a 4th level spell (7 skill points) and add +21 to a skill check?

 

[Nifft]

Consider using some of the Psi Feats, but requiring a skill check and Magic Point cost instead of a Feat and a Power Point reserve (no cost).

Speed of Thought, Up the Walls, etc.

-- Nifft

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Maybe a system could be made were you could trade one Magic Point in for a +3 on a skill check. Soooooo, a high level mage could blow the equivalent of a 4th level spell (7 skill points) and add +21 to a skill check?

The problem is, unless you consider high skill levels to be supernatural (certainly possible the way some people play), there are things you just can't do on a straight bonus. you cannot hide in a bare room, you cannot hear things a mile away down twisty corridors, you can't talk to an animal and get a description of the last person who passed. But those things are reasonable for magical skills.

I think for each skill one would establish what if any magically enhanced uses for it there were and establish both a mp cost and dc for them. keeping these seperate keeps the skill based feel to it. I'll scetch out a more definitive system once the holidays are over so people can tear it apart.

Kahuna Burger

 

[trentonjoe]

I think for each skill one would establish what if any magically enhanced uses for it there were and establish both a mp cost and dc for them. keeping these seperate keeps the skill based feel to it. I'll scetch out a more definitive system once the holidays are over so people can tear it apart.

Kahuna Burger

Extreme skill checks, cool. YOu can probably get a weekly show on ESPN2!

Seriously, I think this could be a excellent resource. I'll try to do one or two as well.

Aren't there a bunch of these in the Epic Level Book thing?