What is the best magic system?

[Stalker0]

I like AE's too.

I also like Ars Magica's magic system, although I hate the rest of the system so that kind of drops that one

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Ars Magica, hands down. and RPGNow still has the 4th edition as a free download.

The Auld Grump

 

[Shallown]

Mine to be honest...

It has the huge advantage that since I designed it for my home brew rules system it does exactly what I want it to.

The Pluses
A mage can contribute in combat without ruling over it.

Skill based and is treated like any other skill once a list is gained (though just slightly more expensive). Gaining a new list takes a while though. You can also start with custom made spells or develop new ones during the game.

a list has a number of related spells they are related by theme (Clerical) or function (time control). Each spell may have modifiers such as distance, damage, area of effect that affect the mana cost.

their is only one exclusive list which is the clerical list requiring divine worship and two list that exclude each other since you cannot have a familiar and a stave list since they cover some of the same functions. You can also not have a stave or familiar if you are psionic

It is fairly easy to have a fighter/wizard character since you only need a few spell list and they are bought with the same starting skill points so instead of knowing several weapons like another fighter might you might know one well and have magic to make it more useful.

Magic and PSionics use the same system the only differences are the number of modifiers, which are much less for a Psi character. Magic has many extrenal influences such as favored ground, power components, ritual use versus normal casting.

Most powers/spells are Mana point based so you can adjust their power fairly easily.

The entire system is set to start with competent heroes so as a mage you start with power and don't have to endure just casting once or twice day.

Mana points recover quickly but not so fast that combat isn't draining. This is so a mage can use spells throughout the day without worrying about running out of mana over the day.

As you get better at casting so does your ability ignore requirements. spells have four components, somatic, material, vocal and concentration. You can ditch some at a penalty or as you rise in level just simple leave some out all except concentration which is always a requirement.

Since I created the system I print out the complete spell list for each character so they don't have to reference any books.

See now I have gone on and on about a system no one but my group and myself will ever use.

Later

 

[Crothian]

Ars Magica, Mage, or Sorcerer.

 

[Wombat]

Ars Magica, first and foremost. Lovely, flexible, multi-faceted, a joy to work with whether you are casting spontaneous magic or working for multiple seasons creating the perfect magical item. Yep, love it entirely.

I also rather like the systems in Unknown Armies and Kult for their creep factor.

And for D20 systems, I like the True20/Blue Rose system -- simple, to the point, fits.

 

[Krypter]

Talislanta 4th edition. A lot of flexibility with a dash of Jack Vancian flavour. Simple mechanics, and yet it covers 90% of what the thousands of D&D spells can do.

 

[lukelightning]

It's all a matter of "risk management" as opposed to "resource management." Since the risk increases with the amount of dice used, a wise wizard uses as few of his dice pool as he can; just because you can roll 3 dice doesn't mean you should.

As for D20, my favorite system is Arcana Evolved.

WFRP 2e had some wonky effects though. The way spell missfires are handled a better wizard has a higher chance of messing up monumentally than a novice has. I guess that's the way magic works, but still. I'll look it up when I get home, but it had to do with higher level wizards having more dice to roll those 1's, and more 1's means bigger mess.

 

[Ethernaut]

I agree that Ars Magica is fantastic, but I've never actually played the game so I can't really speak from experience. It does look good on paper and I've used aspects of it in other games.

My personal favorite is the ritual magic system presented in GURPS Voodoo/GURPS Spirits. It isn't complicated, its very flexible, and it works well in practice. Better yet, it perfectly fits the kind of subtle magic/creepy occult games I like to run. I like the hermetic bits from GURPS Cabal, but since I'm not a fan of the standard Gurps magic system, I've had to try to adapt them to other systems.

I confess that I have never been a fan of Vancian D20 magic, it it is probably the #1 thing that keeps me from running D20 games. Grim Tales probably comes the closest to being acceptable for me.

Lately, I've been enamored of the idea of using Buffy-like magic in games. Not necessarily magic from the BtVS RPG (though that system is good enough for what it needs to do). Specially, I like the idea of systems where characters can cast spells directly from reference material without having to spend points on learning the spell (unless they want to get good at it or cast it from memory).

 

[Aaron L]

Ars Magica, hands down. and RPGNow still has the 4th edition as a free download.

The Auld Grump

It does? Gotta gets me some of that, ive never read any ars magica.

 

[DMH]

Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2ed magic system. No tired old "spells per day" or "mana point" rules; you can cast spells as much as you want but each casting has a risk that varies depending on how much effort you are expending.

After all, a fighter can swing a sword all day without tiring, why shouldn't a wizard be able to cast spells all day?

GR's Advanced Player's Manual has a class like that. They have some slots, but can cast an unlimited number of spells (of any level) with risk.

For d20, the most flavorful magic rules I have read are in Occult Lore- the gleaners who tap the dead for their spells and powers. Though the APM's eldritch weaver has the best rules, IMO. And I really like the warden powers from Second World.

For any system, Sorcerer.