Magic : How streamlined do we want it?

[Irda Ranger]

Exactly. Hell, Lightning Bolt used to bounce off walls. It was far more of a tactical spell than its present incarnation, though I have to admit the current version requires much less trigonometry to use.

Heh. Good time. Like the time a 5th level Red Robe fired off a 5d6 lighting bolt in a 10x10 room with the door closed. No trig there. Just straight multiplication and a dust pan ...

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Personally I prefer the approach of Elements of Magic: Revised. The game mechanics should be streamlined and simplified... makes for easier handling at the table.

But..Just because the spell is built as an Evoke: Acid 2, Gen 2 doesn't mean I can't call it an Melf's Acid Arrow.

Or for that matter spells like; Mastrix' Abomidable Snow Golem, or Skyerns Scarlet Death... since the player get to create the spells they can also create the flavour text.

Of course, Elements of Magic: Revised has lots of interesting options and effects.. most of the published D20 spells can be rewritten...

 

[The Human Target]

Personally I prefer the approach of Elements of Magic: Revised. The game mechanics shoudl be strealined and simplified... makes for easier handling at the table.

But..Just because the spell is built as an Evoke: Acid 2, Gen 2 doesn't mean I can't call it an Melf's Acid Arrow.

Or for that matter the spells of , Mastrix' Abomidable Snow Golem, or Skyerns Scarlet Death... since the player get to create the spells they can also create the full.

Of course, Elements of Magic: Revised has lots of interesting options and effects.. most of the published D20 spells can be rewritten...

Good man.

Or woman, as the case may be.

 

[SSquirrel]

Sounds a bit like Wheel of Time d20. IIRC, there you'd have something like a "lightning" spell that would work as shocking grasp if you cast it in a 1st-level slot, a lightning bolt if you cast it in a 3rd-level slot, chain lightning if you used a 6th-level slot and chain lightning which also stuns if you use an 8th-level slot.

Rolemaster had massive spell lists with different effects along the way. Accomplishes what people are looking for in some ways. Believe I found a file once where someone had ported Spell Law to function under 3E.

Arcana Evolved and Mage:The Ascension are my 2 favorite magic systems tho.

 

[tlantl]

My solution would be to memorize the spells your character is going to use before playing or during down time when the party is role playing. Dreaming up a lazy way to get even lazier about the way you play isn't the answer. Why don't we just make the whole game easy enough for a two year old to play and all go lay around somwewhere.

In all of the years I've played this game I never had a problem waiting a minute to double check a spell effect.

 

[WayneLigon]

The question is: How much streamlining would you want with magic? She stated she hated the spells that took more than a few paragraphs to describe their effects.

I could live with it being like True20. A small set of powers with broader interpretive effects. Yes, this means it becomes harder to 'balance' adventures since spell effect ability cannot be tied to level (I can be a first level mage but have teleport - I might not be able to teleport far or with much, but I can do it), but I see that as a feature, not a bug.

 

[Lanefan]

Speaking anecdotally from what I've seen with our crew, the way to make spellcasters easier to play (and thus more fun) is not to simplify the spells, but to simplify the operation: do away with pre-memorization. It cuts down on the paperwork, and on the frustration of having a spell in your book and slots available but still not being able to cast it when you need it.

Take the sorceror mechanic and expand it to all caster types. (as a side effect, do away with the sorceror class, replaced with wizard)

Keep the flavour, and bring back the danger. Magic should be risky. Bouncing lightning bolts, expand-to-fill-the-space fireballs, sudden unpredictable end to fly and water-breathe...we need more of this, not less!

Lanefan

 

[The Human Target]

My solution would be to memorize the spells your character is going to use before playing or during down time when the party is role playing. Dreaming up a lazy way to get even lazier about the way you play isn't the answer. Why don't we just make the whole game easy enough for a two year old to play and all go lay around somwewhere.

In all of the years I've played this game I never had a problem waiting a minute to double check a spell effect.

Productive post.

 

[Rakin]

Keep the flavour, and bring back the danger. Magic should be risky. Bouncing lightning bolts, expand-to-fill-the-space fireballs, sudden unpredictable end to fly and water-breathe...we need more of this, not less!

Lanefan

Big Time agree, I'd also like to add casting times to that if I may.