Suggestions for a black magic / white magic concept

[Turanil]

Okay, I've got a concept idea for magic in my next campaign. I need suggestions to implement it, preferably with a minimum of houserules. Here is my idea:

There are three types of magic.
1) Gray magic is mostly for simple effects. Relatively easy to use, without dangerous side effects. However, it is not powerful in combat, not destructive.
2) Black Sorcery is powerful and destructive. A gray mage stands no chance in combat against a black mage. However, black magic tends to corrupt the soul of those who use it, or at least has malevolent side effects on the environment.
3) Magic of Light is the most powerful of all. It is intensely cleansing and destructive on forces of evil; in fact much more powerful than black magic. However it requires to be pure of heart and soul or casting such spells will kill you first (burn with holy fire).

 

[BiggusGeekus]

You could swing this pretty easily with three spell lists that were alignment dependant.

 

[fafhrd]

Okay, I've got a concept idea for magic in my next campaign. I need suggestions to implement it, preferably with a minimum of houserules.

Sounds like nothing so much as one big set of houserules. I'm not sure that balancing mechanical power with rp strictures is such a good idea, if that's what you were thinking. You could always look to the Dragonlance towers of sorcery for inspiration, maybe even defiler/preserver.

 

[Turanil]

You could swing this pretty easily with three spell lists that were alignment dependant.

My next campaign is going to use the Castles & Crusades ruleset. In this ruleset, spells have no determined level in themselves; it's the character class' list that determines the level of the spell for a spellcaster. As such, a spell could be 5th level for a wizard and 9th level for an illusionist. Maybe this could also be used for this white/black magic concept; a spell would only belong to one list, but I could put them at levels reflecting this idea of power.

I'm not sure that balancing mechanical power with rp strictures is such a good idea.

Yes, that's the problem with the above idea. :\

 

[Quickleaf]

Ideas for white magic
-- Make all demons/evil outsiders vulnerable to fire, and have fire penetrate their damage reduction. Limit fire spells to white magicians, and make a houserule that all magical fire also has the qualities of a good weapon (thereby bypassing damage reduction for creatures vulnerable to good/holy weapons.
-- Take all cleric spells from the sun/light and healing domains
-- For each alignment difference from Lawful Good (or whatever the alignment system is in C&C), you suffer 1d6 points of holy fire damage when casting a white magic spell. Thus, a NE mage casting a 3rd level white magic spell would suffer 9d6 (3 x 3d6) "burn".

Ideas for gray magic
-- Incorporates most divination-type spells, maybe giving it more of a hedge mage feel (able to weave magic into the mundane, hiding heritage of children, etc)

Ideas for black magic
-- Mine ideas from Testament, especially the excellent write-ups for Affliction and Bestow Curse spells, reflecting a hexing power
-- Taint could be incorporated into level advancement of a new "black wizard" class. Such as at 1st level, wicked familiar to replace normal animal familiar. At 3rd level, a bonus to Diplomacy checks with demons, but can't detect a demon or when it's lying. And so on.
-- Alternately, taint could be a numerical system of its own. Each black magic spell cast requires a Will save (DC according to its level) or else the mage accumulates a point of taint. For every point of taint a mage has, they suffer a penalty to save against white magic, and must roll on side effects table (these would include horrid wilting, eyes glow for several hours, etc). A new spell might detect taint.
-- If character flaws are not part of C&C, then I would require each "black wizard" to take a fundamental character flaw reflecting their turn to the dark side.

 

[Endur]

Very easy to implement.
Gray Magic= PHB - necromancy and evil spells
Black Magic = necromancy and evil spells and BOVD-type spells
White Magic= Book of Exalted deeds and Celestial type spells

 

[Remathilis]

White: Abjuration, Divination,
Black: Necromancy, Conjuration,
Grey: Transmutation, Illusion, Evocation, Enchantment

Thats the Simple Way, but its very incomplete.

The Difficult Way:

White
* Healing/Restorative
* Protective Wards
* Inoffensive Enchantments (sleep)
* Good Summons

Gray
* Most Anything Else

Black
* Animation Dead Magic
* Death Effects/Negative Energy
* Domination Magic
* Evil Summons

 

[Simplicity]

I did something like this once...
A malevolent, corrupting essence within ALL magic that
is always at the edge of a caster's consciousness.
It offers to mentor lower level casters or offer higher
level casters escape from their predicaments for a price...

 

[The Great Bear King]

I would have these six basic types of magic in my campaign.

Normal no alignment tendencies what so ever. PHB

Wizardry good magic, miracles, and psionic powers (think of the light side of the Force). BoED

Thaumaturgy nuetral magic, miracles, and psionic powers.

Sorcerery dark magic, miracles, and psionic powers (remember Emperor Palpitine's Dark Lightning). BoVD

Entropomancy chaotic magic, miracles, and psionic powers. Toga! Toga! Toga!

Mechanistic lawful magic, miracles, and psionic powers. I'm still waiting for the Book of Bureaucratic Tedium.

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

It involves buying things, but you might have a look at Blue Rose (Or it's rule-system, which I hear is being released.)

It's got black and white magics, and the black often being more powerful. But check it out, it might be your style.