Freeform magic/power systems

[Aus_Snow]

No skill or advantage based power/magic system. Gurps and Tri-stat are like that, Tri-stat to some extent is advantge based (from what I read of the rules).

Now I"m lost.

Would you mind going into what you mean by 'skill-based', 'advantage-based', and also 'freeform'? Possibly with examples, even? I mean, examples that show how or why exactly a certain system has one (or more) of the above descriptors.

Maybe I'm just looking at this in entirely the wrong way or something, but yeah, I - even if not anyone else! - would find it very helpful if you could go into a bit more detail, mechanics-wise.

 

[tecnowraith]

Now I"m lost.

Would you mind going into what you mean by 'skill-based', 'advantage-based', and also 'freeform'? Possibly with examples, even? I mean, examples that show how or why exactly a certain system has one (or more) of the above descriptors.

Maybe I'm just looking at this in entirely the wrong way or something, but yeah, I - even if not anyone else! - would find it very helpful if you could go into a bit more detail, mechanics-wise.

For both, each spell or power as a skill or advantage like GURPs. For Freeform magic is like Ars Magica or Mage.

 

[tecnowraith]

I am wanting to have mutlple playable races in one core book along with the freeform magic/power system, not wanting to buy and use one book per race like WoD. Too much hassle .

 

[Aus_Snow]

For both, each spell or power as a skill or advantage like GURPs. For Freeform magic is like Ars Magica or Mage.

Still confused here.

I know that in Mage, you buy points (i.e., ranks) in - just for example - Spirit (which, apart from being more expensive, is bought in exactly the same way as a Skill that's called a skill). So, you buy ranks in skills to do some kind of magic-ey thing. So, this is juist like GURPS, HERO, M&M, etc., etc.

I can't remember if Ars Magica works in a similar way, but I wouldn't be too surprised if magic 'skills' have ranks and are bought, etc. Just like. . . yeah.

Sorry, I don't get it. And 'advantage' is still not clear. . .

 

[Slider Wade]

Sword & Sorcery Saga?

 

[tecnowraith]

When I say skill-based system, think the Spell fireball or teleport is a skill, rather rolling one skill to cast a spells. Also in nMage the Spheres (and other WoD powers) are not skills cause they use a skill+attribute for spells

 

[Krensky]

When I say skill-based system, think the Spell fireball or teleport is a skill, rather rolling one skill to cast a spells. Also in nMage the Spheres (and other WoD powers) are not skills cause they use a skill+attribute for spells

Ok, let me restate this to make sure I understand.

You want a system with the following:

1. Freeform, with freeform being defined as no defined spells. Either a syntactic (verb + noun) system like are Ars Magica or a seed system like Mage.
2. A system that does not have individual spells as feats/advantages or as skills. I am assuming a system that treats each word or seed as a skill is acceptable, as this is how Ars Magica and Mage both work. Would a system like True20 or True Sorcery where each spell seed is a advantage work?
3. You want something that's more or less self contained. A system that you can run both those settings and the various creatures in them without too much more then the main rulebooks.

Is this the basis of it?

 

[tecnowraith]

Ok, let me restate this to make sure I understand.

You want a system with the following:

1. Freeform, with freeform being defined as no defined spells. Either a syntactic (verb + noun) system like are Ars Magica or a seed system like Mage.
2. A system that does not have individual spells as feats/advantages or as skills. I am assuming a system that treats each word or seed as a skill is acceptable, as this is how Ars Magica and Mage both work. Would a system like True20 or True Sorcery where each spell seed is a advantage work?
3. You want something that's more or less self contained. A system that you can run both those settings and the various creatures in them without too much more then the main rulebooks.

Is this the basis of it?

Yes but not part of the skill list and done as a skill. Plus oMage is not really a skill-base per say cause the spheres are not skills, but have levels yes like a stat.

 

[Ydars]

There used to be a fairly simple game called "Maelstrom" that was around in the 1980s that had a very nice free-form magical system that I loved.

It was based around the premise of levels of effect where a level 1 effect was something that would be quite likely to be dismissed by an observer as happening purely by chance; e.g. someone falling over on a slippery floor or a door blowing closed in a strong wind.

The less likely the event you were trying to produce was, the higher the level of the spell. Damage dealing spells also had levels if I remember correctly.

It can be bought as a PDF and the section on herbal medicine in the back is well worth it for the $10/£6.75 price tag.

See here for this game DriveThruRPG.com - Arion Games - Maelstrom

 

[jdrakeh]

Risus has a myriad of freeform magic systems available for it. You can download my risusmyth.pdf file here for a look at one such system. In Postmodern Myth, the TNs for making magic happen are based upon the perceived benefit to characters, as well as the impact upon the story or campaign world.

[Edit: There are two typos in the aforementioned file, both of which I plan to correct soon, but neither of which impact gameplay (they only muddle explanations a bit).]

You may also want to wait for To Strange, Far Places, Jeeves!, which builds on systems present in Postmodern Myth and brings together the worlds of P.G. Wodehouse and H.P. Lovecraft.