Fire & Forget Magic System: Should they replace it?

[EarthsShadow]

Wouldn't Alternityark Matter be the best example of how you describe it also, long rituals that take some time to prepare? Dark Matter also uses FX points to simulate the casting of them. DM introduces different types of magic - from voodoo to divinely inspired to demonology. If converted over to d20, then based on the system you would have spells that required a specific way of being set up, and they would all require some kind of power point expenditure or something to represent the fact that when you cast the spell you are sacrificing a part of yourself in the casting of the spell. DnD isn't like that at all.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

What real world methods of magic use require an expenditure of vital essence? There are some, but there are also many more that don't.

 

[Tsyr]

What real world methods of magic use require an expenditure of vital essence? There are some, but there are also many more that don't.

You know, Col, I normaly agree with you on just about everything, but somehow I don't think arguing real world magic systems is going to win any arguements about in-game magic systems.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I think you're right, but my point is that, well, there is no point in saying one method is more realistic or better than another. All of the ones being discussed are based on how specific, recently published fantasy genre books depict magic. A system based on how it's done in the real world would be radically different, and not much fun, in comparison to what we have. So it ends up a matter of personal taste - and this becomes the province of the d20 publishers, who can cater to all tastes.

 

[Tsyr]

I think you're right, but my point is that, well, there is no point in saying one method is more realistic or better than another. All of the ones being discussed are based on how specific, recently published fantasy genre books depict magic. A system based on how it's done in the real world would be radically different, and not much fun, in comparison to what we have. So it ends up a matter of personal taste - and this becomes the province of the d20 publishers, who can cater to all tastes.

Can, yes.

Unfortunatly, they (thus far) really havn't... there are any number of books with pretty good magic systems I can name that really don't have a D20 equivilant... Elric, Velgarth (Admidedly, not likely to happen due to licesnsing problems), A Song of Ice and Fire (Once magic has returned, it seems very cool), the two magic systems from the Death Gate cycle, etc. Elric's magic system can ALMOST be done, if you modify Mongoose' ED: Shamans book enough, though... something I've been working on for a while now.

 

[EarthsShadow]

I would agree that doing one based on our reality would be a rather boring game system.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I am still tied up on people's opinions on "better" which seem to imply objective and always qualities. The prepare and cast (someone's inability to change an imaginary paradigm in a game of, essentially, Let's Pretend is not my liability) system is easy to teach and explain. Playing with a mana point system of any kind (which is really "all the rest") requires a level of sophistication, understanding which spells will scale indefinitely and which won't.

A wizard, cleric, or druid can use a 1st level spell while it's useful, and then prepare a different one after a few levels when it's no longer so good (sleep, color spray, command as examples). A sorcerer is stuck with bad choices made from inexperience. Not so good. For game balance purposes, the wizard can be allowed to add many different spells to his books. The sorcerer is stuck with a few spells known.

I'm not saying that other systems aren't possible, either, or that they aren't usable in D&D. The flexible spell points system and channeling system from Player's Option were outstanding, and were going to get introduced to a game I was playing with--just as soon as I could find one other person who could understand them and use them with the same speed as the current system. (Not to mention how hard it was to find a 2e game at that point in time.)

If I go on strict ease of use, accessibility to new players, and game balance criteria, I'm quite happy with the standard preparation system. Besides, it is more in line with how magic is practiced in real life (although the psionics system is probably more in line with practice of psychic abilities, and it can be quite an exercise in futility to attempt to separate the two into firm camps). I like that.