What's your favorite spell system?

[Mark Hope]

My absolute favorite magic system is that seen in Mage: The Ascension, from White Wolf.

Yup, that's the one for me. Great stuff.

 

[Sejs]

Honestly?

Somewhere between the GURPS magic system and the Shadowrun magic system. Spells as skills, certain spells require you to know other pre-req spells, casting spells causes mental strain and if you channel too much power you can harm or kill yourself.

Then mix in a liberal helping of Incantations from UA to represent 'big' magic and you're set.

 

[Nebulous]

I've been buying the Warhammer game supplements from Green Ronin (haven't played it yet) but that spell system (and the whole game actually) is like a blend of D&D and Cthulhu. The spell system is pretty dark, and you have to roll certain # of d10's to hit a target # to get a spell off. This is modified by your magic score, (how many d10's to roll) and if you have the right spell ingredients you get a boost. The twist comes if you roll 1's...or multiples of the same #, then the spell can backfire and really, really bad things can happen to you. There's no limit on how many spells you can cast, no Fatigue or anything, you just run the risk from as small as having your eyes flash in another color, to full blown possession by an Archdevil that eats your soul. Depending, of course, on the magnitude of power you try to cast and botch.

It's a neat system.

 

[IcyCool]

I'm rather fond of the magic system from Shadowrun. It's a pseudo-fatigue system.

Edit - What Sejs said.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I persoanlly like the Recharge Magic rules from Unearthed Arcana mixed with the Vitalizing spell point variant the most. Never gotto play/use it, but I think it is great alternative.

 

[Glyfair]

You know, I've never really seen a magic system that I felt was completely right. I've always felt I was "settling."

It's been a long time since I used the Dragonquest system. I'm not even sure I used it when we played DQ (can't remember what type of character I was playing). I did, however, use the magic system in a couple of Melanda, Land of Mystery campaigns. I felt it was a good system to graft onto other systems.

The Sovereign Stone system seemed like an interesting variation for a low magic world, but I never got to test it. It did feel like the spells should be a bit more for the length of time required to cast them, though.

For D&D, though, my favorite is Monte's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved system. Heightened/diminished spells are something I absolutely would like to see in the next update of the D&D system. Spell templates are a nice idea, allowing variations on spells without having 6 variations of the same spell floating around the books. The only thing I'd consider changing is keeping the divide between divine & arcane magic in some way.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

D&D. i :heart: the Vancian system

I was beginning to thin kthat I was the only person left who just really digs the Vancian magic system.

Later
silver

 

[Thanee]

The Shadowrun magic system, you can always use your spells, but it strains your body to do so (take stun damage, or even physical damage, if you cast more powerful spells, than you can normally handle).

I also like the Vancian system, but not nearly as much.

Bye
Thanee

 

[FireLance]

Continuous abilities, or abilities that refresh quickly. Examples include the warlock/dragon adept, the binder, and the Book of Nine Swords maneuver system.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

D&D. i :heart: the Vancian system

QFT.

Simple, easy, flexible, scalable, and balanced. Point-based and other systems work well in computer games, but for a pen & paper RPG, I still think the current D&D system does it simplest.

Edit: My POV is from the view of what makes the best RPG gaming magic system, not what might best simulate your favorite fantasy literature's magic.