Ideas for Tome of Magic II

[MoogleEmpMog]

I'd like to see:

Calling (Final Fantasy-style summoning magic, focused on individual powerful creatures called for an effect at low levels and to stick around and fight at higher levels).
Leyline Magic (Magic the Gathering-style drawing on the land for power, ideally flavored as pseudo-Taoist geomancy)
Ritual Magic in general (I see Blood Magic primarily as a subset of this; I'm thinking of Aztec blood sacrifice, Dark Sun dragon kings using their uber-defiling to drain the life energy of thousands, cultists chanting for hours/days in preparation for summoning Cthulhu, etc.)

Ritual magic has been somewhat explored with Incantations in Urban Arcana and Unearthed Arcana, but I want more/better done with it.

 

[JPL]

Howzabout shapeshifting...a character who's all Polymorph Self, all the time. There's plenty of precedent in fantasy fiction.

 

[blargney the second]

Howzabout shapeshifting...a character who's all Polymorph Self, all the time. There's plenty of precedent in fantasy fiction.

If you hadn't said it, I was going to mention shapeshifting. I'd like to see a kick at that particular can that was balanced, usable, and fun to play!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Also Campbellian --- Archetype Magic. Gain powers by aligning yourself to certain fundamental archetypes --- the Green Man, the Mother, the Trickster, etc. This was done nicely in Unknown Armies.

That's a flavor swap with Binders from ToM1, IMO.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Howzabout shapeshifting...a character who's all Polymorph Self, all the time. There's plenty of precedent in fantasy fiction.

Ugh. Sounds like... the druid

More serious:

I'd like to see some kind of new take on the standard classes, making them more, well: Flavourful. As some kind of replacement/equivalent for the current casting classes - why? Because of experience. Seriously, the Cleric, the Wizard... all are kind of bland. Additionally, our experiences with the different balance paradigms is greater than before: Things like at-will magic (warlock, reserve feats), per-encounter balance (Bo9S), four different spellcasting variations (XPH-points, ToM binding/shadow/skill), and heaps of nifty idea have passed - and all beg to be incorporated into the "true" magic classes of the game, at least as variant.

Divine Magic (D&D Cleric): The classical divine magic, the miracleworker, getting supernatural powers from the powers from above. The melee-warpriest could be a special PrC added... A bit oracle-like, a bit diplomat/healer inspired...
Hermetic Magic (D&D Wizard): Some kind of bookish magic, flavourwise truename (Earthsea-style) and Ars Magica or even Mage inspired.
Natural Magic (D&D Druid): Some leyline/nature-driven magic, not this melee-shapeshifting druid, who morphs into battleform, and rains icy/fiery doom onto his enemies, inspired by celtic druids and elven magic... some kind of Elven Nature Wizard would make a fine druid.

Mechanically, they should be different, to emphasize the different source of these magics...

 

[JPL]

And it would be neat to see shapeshifting done with spell-like abilities and / or supernatural abilities rather than spells.

Prestige classes could focus on a particular specialty --- animal forms, or dragons, or transforming into different substances, or becoming ethereal, or growing / shrinking....

 

[JPL]

That's a flavor swap with Binders from ToM1, IMO.

Agreed, but as written, aspects have the flavor and the crunch so closely intertwined that it seems like you would have a lot of work ahead if you dumped that particular "pantheon" and started from scratch.

 

[Nifft]

Agreed, but as written, aspects have the flavor and the crunch so closely intertwined that it seems like you would have a lot of work ahead if you dumped that particular "pantheon" and started from scratch.

Indeed

Cheers, -- N

PS: Isn't that what we're paying them for, though? All that work?

 

[blargney the second]

Ugh. Sounds like... the druid

Except done right.

 

[JPL]

Indeed

Cheers, -- N

PS: Isn't that what we're paying them for, though? All that work?

Well, it's a wonderful thing, this Internet. Sometimes, you get the milk without buying the cow.