Spells as plot device/inspiration

[RFisher]

The magic jar thread got me to thinking...

Thesis: In general, more spells in AD&D1e could serve as plot device or plot inspiration than in D&D3e. Discuss...

My suggestion for helping to keep things civil: If something you read bothers you, read it again & figure out how you can read it so it doesn't bother you as much. (Try imagining smileys at the end of every sentence if you need to.) If you can't, then consider it a troll & ignore it.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Can you give some examples of what you mean here?

 

[questing gm]

Someone made a badly worded wish and resurrected the tarrasque ?

 

[thedungeondelver]

Can you give some examples of what you mean here?

Yeah...you know I have not and won't make any secret of my dislike of the current edition of D&D (or hell, anything after mid/late 1st edition...), but the OP has me scratching my head. How, exactly, does a single spell drive a plot?* And how can it do it more in 1e than further on?


*Invoked Destruction or Rain of Colorless Fire notwithstanding.

 

[RFisher]

Oh, well. I guess not.

I don't have my 1e PHB handy to look up specific examples, but I remember there being spells that would be the catalyst for inspiring whole adventures for me. Similar to the recent discussion of how Magic Jar is often more of a plot device than a PC spell. It seems like most of those inspirational spells, however, either disappeared or were heavily modified in 3e because the 3e spells haven't been as inspirational to me.

So, forget it. It must be just me.

 

[T. Foster]

You're correct that there are a bunch of spells in 1E that feel more appropriate as plot devices, offstage activities, or for NPCs rather than PCs -- ritual spells with long casting times and elaborate components, "process" spells (identify, enchant an item, find familiar, etc.), and so on. I tend not to like those spells and think they should've been made into a separate "ritual magic" system apart from the Vancian spell-based system (like the way that, for instance, creating an humonculous works -- there's no "spell" involved, you just hire an alchemist, spend a certain amount of time and GP, give up a pint of blood, and voila, you've got a new little friend).

I didn't respond to this thread, however, because I have no idea how this is similar to or different from how things are handled in 3E. If 3E doesn't have a bunch of spells that describe elaborate multipart ritual procedures of the sort you're never likely to see a PC perform in-game, then yeah, I suppose I agree with your thesis.