Grim Tales Magic Book...

[Nuclear Platypus]

How about "Grim Grimoire"? Maybe add some sort of subtitle like "Down n Dirty Guide to Magic" thus "Grim Grimoire: Down & Dirty Guide to Magic".

Option B with a primer on how to create your own spells like in the HoHF:E (I think). However Option A has more of the flexibility I'd want. Just have to figure some way to keep the same effects / spells from being used over and over like how Feng Shui does the action bonus (repetition leads to penalties).

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I'd be a big fan of tossing the tables and whatnot into an appendix. I feel, personally, that a system where I can do just about ANYTHING, and have rules and charts and all the rest to make it happen, is very important. Important for the GM, but more important for the characters. My BCCS wizard player LOVED the system ... but we all sometimes hated the book-keeping. It was nice to twink out the perfect on-the-fly "we need 10' burst at 50' for 4d4 Nonlethal damage ..." but it would have been nice to have a Lesser Hammer Of Air or something that could be referenced quickly and easily.

As a GM I'll go ahead and say I want a variety of pre-determined effects, but I want those effects to function within a logical and reproducible system whose rules and inner workings are available and laid out in an understandable way. For the GM, the D&D spell system works wonderfully ... Fireball is Fireball is Fireball. You have a fireball, it does X every time, you look up "Fireball" in the book and there it is. It's not very flexible for the player ... if he wants a Fireball that deals damage in d4s instead of d6 or is only 15' across, he can't do it.

THAT is what I'm looking for in a magic system. My cake and the ability to get under the frosting and play in it too.

--fje

 

[RangerWickett]

Grimmancy?

Spell level and caster level are two inviolable concepts-- again, this is to preserve d20 compatibility.

What do you mean by this?

More importantly, what do you want this magic system to do that other D20 systems don't do?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

As a GM I'll go ahead and say I want a variety of pre-determined effects, but I want those effects to function within a logical and reproducible system whose rules and inner workings are available and laid out in an understandable way. For the GM, the D&D spell system works wonderfully ... Fireball is Fireball is Fireball. You have a fireball, it does X every time, you look up "Fireball" in the book and there it is. It's not very flexible for the player ... if he wants a Fireball that deals damage in d4s instead of d6 or is only 15' across, he can't do it.

And that's pretty much where I'm at, I think.

Spell level and caster level are two inviolable concepts-- again, this is to preserve d20 compatibility.

What do you mean by this?

I mean that I am not creating any spell mechanic that does not preserve the use of caster level and spell level.

I haven't looked at it in a while, but, for example, the spells in CoC d20 don't have a "caster level" or a "spell level." Each spell simply does what it says it does.

This book will not contain any spells that work like that. All spells have a spell level, and all spells have effects as a function of caster level.

More importantly, what do you want this magic system to do that other D20 systems don't do?

There's maybe two questions here, so I'll answer both to make sure I understand you correctly.

First, the product isn't a single magic system-- it's a book to guide GMs in the creation of customizable magic systems to fit their own campaign style (usually, but not necessarily, low magic). So it includes lots of different, customizable, and interrelated magic systems. It is, if I may say so, an even more "GT" approach to spellcasting than what was presented in Grim Tales. It does for Spellcasting what GT did for the d20 game as a whole.

With particular regards to the skill-based magic system, what it does that other d20 systems don't do is eliminate the need for a class, feat, or talent-based caster level. Your caster level is determined by your success at the applicable skill check.

Wulf

 

[RangerWickett]

Wulf, I sent you a copy of EOM - Modern. It's just a .doc file, but I thought it might help if you saw what someone else did. I respect your right to completely ignore me, though. *grin*

By the way, can I ask you a favor regarding the ENnies? How hard would it be for you to post a small sample pdf of Slavelords? I really want to get all the publishers to have samples like this, so people can be better informed voters.

 

[solomoncane]

Title & format

How about "Grimoire Tales"?

Wulf-
What kind of format are you working toward: hardbound? perfect? PDF option?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

What kind of format are you working toward: hardbound? perfect? PDF option?

It will definitely be available in PDF format, and in print almost certainly perfect-bound. It will depend on how many pages I end up with, but I'll be aiming for 96-144 specifically so it can be perfect bound.


Wulf

 

[whydirt]

I think option A would work better for more experienced gamers or those who want to have more customization, while option B would work better for newer games.

My gut feeling says that you should go with option B in the book and maybe make the charts into an appendix or web enhancement.

 

[solomoncane]

It will definitely be available in PDF format, and in print almost certainly perfect-bound. It will depend on how many pages I end up with, but I'll be aiming for 96-144 specifically so it can be perfect bound.


Wulf

This sounds fine (even though I was hoping for another lush GT hardbound).

Sorry to hijack again Wulf, but any chance of getting GT or Slavelords in pdf?

Back on topic--I think option B (AU-style) in the main text with option A (tables) in the Appendix is the best of both worlds (how appropriate for a multi-milieu ruleset).

 

[Tellerve]

Oohh, I had forgotten you were working on this Wulf. I am certainly interested in this when ya get done. I'd have to agree with Heap with my vote.

Hope to see it soon

Tellerve