New flavour on magic.

[JVisgaitis]

This is in for now, what do you guys think? I have a sinking suspision this has been done before.

In Violet Dawn, natural magic (Druids, Rangers, etc.) comes from the Green River. It sounds almost exactly like what you are describing.

 

[Ferret]

Interesting.

Im especially interested in how you plan to work it into the game. Is it going to be flavour added on top of the spell system, or will it have definite mechanical effects?

For example: can a Wizard "turn" a ghost or poltergeist using Dispel Magic?

I'm still working on the system, but the flavour doesn't dictate what the mechanics will be. Well not at the moment. 'Turning' or just effecting the eddies may be as simple as disturbing the eddies (Dispell magic) but it might require different magic. Excellent idea.

Mythus: I can just imagine one of the PC races I made for the setting doing just that. In fact I was thinking of dividing magic into Directive, Destructive and Constructive magic. Is there a word for what I mean by 'Directive'? You destroy something by stopping it and you 'direct' something by altering it?

Gneech: Argh, you have me! I don't want that! I'll just use Source as aworking name, I'd've thought of something else anyway for the name.

Aaron: A completly unified feild theory of magic is just the base though, the energy flowing thorugh a tree and a person would contain completly different shapes, eddies and ripples. Its the same stuff but when it hits that things Shape it changes the essence of the magic.

JV: Except that, all casters use the same stuff. And that Green River sound more like a sort of life force as well as magic. But I will check out Violet dawn!

Thanks everyone.

 

[LostSoul]

I'm still working on the system, but the flavour doesn't dictate what the mechanics will be. Well not at the moment. 'Turning' or just effecting the eddies may be as simple as disturbing the eddies (Dispell magic) but it might require different magic. Excellent idea.

Cool, I'm glad you found it helpful. The reason I ask is because I've tried to use the "magic has different flavour" for some of my games. It went something like this:

PC: I cast magic missile.
DM: Remember, magic is different here, it all comes from [insert flavour here].
PC: Cool! I cast magic missile.



By tying the mechanics up with the flavour, you can avoid that. It might help to give you new plot hooks, new issues to explore, new strategies to exploit, whatever you're looking for.

 

[Thunderfoot]

This sounds a lot like the system used in "The Wheel of Time" (Sadin/Sadair). Aes Sedai shaping existing weaves into spell-like effects, being able to tie off a weave to make it permanent and being "blocked" from the source. You may want to pick up a copy of "TWoT RPG" and give it a once over. You may not have to reinvent the wheel as it were (sorry about the pun) but just give it a good tweaking to suit your purposes.

 

[Psion]

Cool, I'm glad you found it helpful. The reason I ask is because I've tried to use the "magic has different flavour" for some of my games. It went something like this:

PC: I cast magic missile.
DM: Remember, magic is different here, it all comes from [insert flavour here].
PC: Cool! I cast magic missile.

That's the reason for my #6: consequences.

IMC, this might go more like:

PC: I cast magic missile.
DM: Remember, you are in a magic saturated ley line area. Roll a spellcraft check.
PC: 1. Whoops.
DM: You can feel the magic eddies tearing control of your spell from you as you cast it. (DM rolls dice on mishap table...)

 

[LostSoul]

IMC, this might go more like:

That's cool. I can see situations where PCs might find the need to exploit the nature of magic around ley lines.

 

[Drowbane]

Just be prepared for smart-alecky players to be saying, "Use the Source, Luke!"

-The Gneech

is that like having a Goblin Druid who is fond of saying "Judge me for my size do you? As well you should not... for the Forest is my ally... and a powerful ally it is"

 

[kroh]

Very nicely done with the descriptive use of how magic works (both systems presented both Source and Flow).

What is the rest of the setting like? Anything else posted on the rest of the world?
Regards
Walt

 

[Ferret]

I'm definately going for direct channaling of Magic through your self as dangerous, so the sorcerer will use gems, and other focuses, and so will a wizard as well as preparing form the spell book. Free casting would be like trying to open a small hole in a dam, not nearly as dangerous but still dangerous. That's as far as I've gotten with the new system of magic. I'd try and get my hands on a Wheel of Time book, but I don't have the money. The idea of blocking off the magic is a cool idea, I nearly went for the weave and tapestry analogy but I didn't want to step on M:TA toes.

The rest of the world is quite different. I've thrown out all of the Normal races and introduced entirely new ones. The classes are slightly similiar to Exalted style options. They all(most all) draw from the source, unconsciously, to preform what they do. A Theives amazing capability to hide is due to magic, A druid can talk to animals because of magic use. Mechically these are just class abilities rather then spells. This whole Conscious/Unconscious magic use is what sets adventurers apart from normal people.

Wow, most of that wasn't planned, just writing makes it easier to think of what I mean to say. Neat.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mythusmage]

Mythus: I can just imagine one of the PC races I made for the setting doing just that. In fact I was thinking of dividing magic into Directive, Destructive and Constructive magic. Is there a word for what I mean by 'Directive'? You destroy something by stopping it and you 'direct' something by altering it?

An alternative for "directive"? Can't think of any.

in those games which deal with the matter most address how the magic is brought about. D&D and Ars Magica for example. A few, Mythus for example, concern themselves with the desired result. Seeing as you're using D&D as the basis, sticking with the D&D way sounds best to me.

Addressing your later post, you have my agreement regarding the dangers of direct manipulation. While my rationale for magical energy is radically different (one of the 5 forces of the universe kind of thing), it does involve redirecting, channelling, and 'shaping' the energy to produce the desired effect. It takes experience and skill to use magic directly, the inexperienced are much better off using tools to help them focus.

Vecna Truckdriver: Stentorian bellows, exaggerated gestures, and buckets of guano are the mark of an amateur. The professional wizard can cast a Fireball with a whisper, a twitch of the fingers, and a pinch of wheat dust.