How Defined is Your Magic?

[Aaron L]

San,

You, as always rock. But I still think you should come back to the fold. After all, we don't have no stinking deities telling wizards what spells they can or cannot make!

I despise gods of magic. Arcane magic is the means by which mortals usurp the powers of the gods, and there should be no god governing it.

There certainly isnt in my world.

How could the story of Raistlin have happened if he was getting his spells from the gods of magic? No, no gods of magic for me, thank you.

 

[Storyteller01]

In your opinion, can a wizard successfully research a 'Coldball' spell instead of fireball? How about a wizard that simply wants to take coldball as a level-up spell? How about 'sonicball'? How about a cure spell at +2 spell level? How about a spell that has no baseline within core/noncore official spell lists?

In general, do different caster classes and different spell types have specific roles to play that they are not only the best at accomplishing, but exclusively able to do so?

Obviously magic is capable of accomplishing anything, but how easily can it accomplish anything?

You can do pretty much anything, although some classes will be able to do so faster (so if they keep at it they'll be better at it). Want to be a wizard that casts healing? There's a feat for you! They'll two levels higher than that of the cleric (cure light wounds + 3rd level spell), but hey...

 

[Nightfall]

Aaron,

Glad to know we're on the same page. But I would point out the fact the gods of magic in Krynn do control stuff. Just not in the same power as say...Mystra in FR.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Isn't Mystra chaotic good now? You'd think she would help her Favored (and the Realms) out a bit and cut off the Zhents and Red wizards from magic!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

ILMAO. Is this a homebrew system or a 3rd party system?

It's actually the HERO System (herogames.com). Everything is defined in terms of what it does; how it does it is entirely up to the player. Fireball, Coldball, Burst of Sound, Telekinetic Sphere, Power Blast and anything else you can imagine are all an 'energy blast' with differently defined special effects.

 

[Agent Oracle]

ILMAO. Is this a homebrew system or a 3rd party system?

It's also the Psionics approach to fireballs.

X is the number of power points you invest. for each power point beyond the initial cost you do an extra D6 with a cap equal to your current level.

when they manifest an energy sphere, they choose if it does Fire, cold, electricity, sonic, or acid damage.

 

[Sejs]

Isn't Mystra chaotic good now? You'd think she would help her Favored (and the Realms) out a bit and cut off the Zhents and Red wizards from magic!

Neutral good, actually.

And frankly even if she did get the inkling to do something like that, Shar would just step up and say c'mon over to the dark side, boys. We don't judge you here.

 

[Solarious]

Which is one reason why Mystra, one, can't deny magic to evil arcanists, and two, is trying to gain control over the Shadow Weave, even at the expense of her own mortal memories and morals.

Besides, the Chosen of Mystra aren't supposed to risk themselves needlessly. Their biggest duty is to survive, so if something happens to Mystra, they can handle the Weave so bad things like civilizations spontaneously imploding don't happen.

 

[Nightfall]

See this is why you don't need a god in charge of magic. You just need one in charge of sorcery or wizardry. That's it. Magic should be free!

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

In my homebrew magic is the very foundation and source of creation that flows through all existence. God and mortal alike may use it but none, NONE, control it or "grant" it's use to anyone. It's simply there and those who can, do.

Far as variant magic, I try to keep it's level consistent with existing spells but I allow players to research to their hearts content and generally pepper NPCs with a couple unique spells too.