Magic: rare and mysterious - is there a game?

[fafhrd]

Well, rare is easy. Just don't give it to them. Mysterious is a little more tricky.

Create a program used during game play. You feed it the variables for a spell and then in black box fashion it expresses results complete with semi-random side effects. Given time and intent gamers would reverse engineer some of the functions but it would likely provide a mysterious yet usable system for the average gamer.

 

[Stockdale]

If your looking for a setting thta had magic be rare and mysterious (or maybe I should say creapy and mindblowing) see JoshDyal's Dark*Heritage setting. I'm sure culled from the extensive list he cited eariler, but it accomplishes the task. Caveat: 1) I play in that setting, and 2) mysterious like HPL as opposed to wonderous.

 

[GlassJaw]

Conan
Black Company
Call of Cthulhu
Ars Magica
Any of the World of Darkness games
Most of the d20 Modern settings
Buffy
Skull & Crossbones

Don't forget Grim Tales.

 

[Crothian]

Anotrher way to make magic mysterious is have it work differently for some people. Even in D&D where the wizards and the Clerics think they know all about magic, having a bad guy be able to do things with magic that they can';t really brings back the mystery.

 

[kigmatzomat]

How would limiting the spell lists (core rules) for magic users work to try to simulate a low magic setting? Anyone try this? Would it be necessary to allow magic users greater fighting or defense capabilities? Bigger hit dice? To offset the lack of magic use?

Would players even be interested in playing such a character?

My current campaign started with that concept: the gods had lost a divine ar and magic was in shambles. Nothing beyond 2nd level spells worked anymore.

I still had casters.

Sure, most of them weren't sure if they'd still be casters beyond fifth or sixth level but there were still going to be magic users. Even a little magic is a handy thing at the right time.

 

[devilish]

Here's a thread
summarizing the various magic systems -- can see from there which systems
make magic rare and at what price.

 

[Tonguez]

I lobbed a slow spell at them and described it as the asphsalt reaching upward and entwining the PC's legs.

I had a homebrew magic system in which the mechanics of a spell could be known (skill check to use successfully), however the actual effect could be quite arbitrary.
So, for example, a wizard could state he wants to target the 10ft space (target) 20 ft ahead of him (range) with a spell that reduces the speed of anyone entering it by half (effect ie Slow Speed) the effect to last for 10 minutes (Duration) the result could include being entangled by asphalt, sinking into quicksand, or increasing gravity (so opponent becomes ultra-heavy) or anything else imaginable.

A Thematic could be invoked (so a Water mage could be created and in the above case use the quicksand option). It was also possible to have the same effect using different Disciplines (School Specialisations) eg Flight could be achieved using Psionic Levitation (Manipulation), manipulating wind currents (Manipulation), Overcoming Gravity (Alteration), by Sprouting wings (Transformation) or by taking on gaseous form (Transmutation) etc

another example

A wizard Conjures a instantaneous 2d10 damage dealing spell in a 50 ft space 100 ft away

For Kohl the Fire Mage this is a Flaming Maelstrom
For Magret the Druid this is a Hail of Thorns
For Azra the StormWarden this is a Arctic Blast
(same mechanics different effects)

Of course Kohl could have used his Manipulation discipline to take a normal camp foire and have it become a 2d10 damage dealing spell in a 50 ft space 100 ft away
(ie say effect different mechanics)

 

[TerraDave]

CoC anyone can learn spells but they will help you slowly go insane and can cause other problems.

To follow up. In CoC D20 they cause ability damage...and you might summon something that can destroy a small town if not the world.

But the key is how they are discovered. There is no spellcasting classes and no spell lists, you don't even know if you will find spells, and if you do find an old tome with one you can try to learn and cast it, but at perhaps a great cost

 

[Umbran]

You can make magic rare in any game.

Mystery is not a function of game rules. Mystery is a function of player knowledge. You can only have mystery until such time as your players gain mastery of the magic rules, at which time the mystery disappears. If you want magic to be mysterious, then, all you really need to do is pick up a new game, and don't let the players read everything. Give them only what they need to know at the moment, and the rest will seem mysterious.

This will also have the effect of keeping them from min-maxing their characters very well, as that requires rules-knowledge.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 -

Artefacts are rare and mysterious.