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<blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5552818" data-attributes="member: 54877">How about a fantasy game with these two characteristics:&nbsp;1. Mundane options are fairly realistic (or at least sword and sorcerery gritty realistic). Real power comes via magic, whether mage powers or magical enhancement to a warrier. But the universe is skewed against power. It is always more risky than what you get, and the more powerful it becomes, the more this is true. It's not cosmic power, itty bitty living space. it's cosmic power, the cosmos rips out your heart and eats it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!&nbsp; &nbsp; :eek:"&nbsp; data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" />&nbsp;2. Mechanically, one of the ways this is managed and limited is that the more a given power is used, the less powerful it becomes. But this in no way reduces the risk. It's pretty much worth it at first ...&nbsp;So the net result is that if you can, for example, wipe out all the other cultists of the Mad God Grog, wait a few months, set up a huge ritual to appease him--you'll have great power for awhile. You might even not lose much in the process. But every time you go to that well, you've got a little less than you had before. The temptation for others to take this from you, grab a piece themselves, etc. is immense. And your luck with Grog is going to run out eventually.&nbsp; It is inherently unstable. &nbsp;In this same environment, if you can ignore that temptation, work really hard on the gritty mundane side, you'll be better off in the long run. Well, assuming some magic user drunk with power doesn't nail you in the meantime. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> You'll probably have to selectively take risks with magic, because the universe is so stacked against you. &nbsp;This leaves how much power is &quot;lost&quot; up to each character--or at least each character can choose how much risk to take.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crazy Jerome, post: 5552818, member: 54877"] How about a fantasy game with these two characteristics: 1. Mundane options are fairly realistic (or at least sword and sorcerery gritty realistic). Real power comes via magic, whether mage powers or magical enhancement to a warrier. But the universe is skewed against power. It is always more risky than what you get, and the more powerful it becomes, the more this is true. It's not cosmic power, itty bitty living space. it's cosmic power, the cosmos rips out your heart and eats it. :eek: 2. Mechanically, one of the ways this is managed and limited is that the more a given power is used, the less powerful it becomes. But this in no way reduces the risk. It's pretty much worth it at first ... So the net result is that if you can, for example, wipe out all the other cultists of the Mad God Grog, wait a few months, set up a huge ritual to appease him--you'll have great power for awhile. You might even not lose much in the process. But every time you go to that well, you've got a little less than you had before. The temptation for others to take this from you, grab a piece themselves, etc. is immense. And your luck with Grog is going to run out eventually. It is inherently unstable. In this same environment, if you can ignore that temptation, work really hard on the gritty mundane side, you'll be better off in the long run. Well, assuming some magic user drunk with power doesn't nail you in the meantime. ;) You'll probably have to selectively take risks with magic, because the universe is so stacked against you. This leaves how much power is "lost" up to each character--or at least each character can choose how much risk to take. [/QUOTE]

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