Wizard or Sorcerer Spells as an Extension of Personality

[Falcon]

Hi everyone.

I had an epiphany tonight, after some beer and wine. I have always been irritated by the load and shoot system of D&D magic (my interpretation), until someone joined a campaign I play in with a character totally developed around fire, because of being burnt as a kid. I believe he is an invoker, etc., but what is cool is that all his spells have to do with fire and speed, and he is a very tempremental character (worse than my short-tempered and irreverant swordsman).

In the campaign I DM, a new player is joining as a sorcerer who wants his spells to reflect his personality. I think this is great!!! We are designing a spell-list that fits his personality and personal experience.

This, to me, is the essence of role-playing. The magic available fits the personality of the character. I personally have been biased towards martial types of characters because their particular abilities are so personal, and now understand how magic can seem less technological in aspect and more an expression of energy, defined by clearly marked parameters, reflceting an expression of a particular type of being.

I got lucky with the two new players in my campaign!!!!

In my exuberance, I forgot to mention that I'd like to hear what you all have to say about spells and magic as an extension of personality.

 

[EverSoar]

I like that idea. Kinda like, you can have Fire mages, and water mages. But make a list, where they might get WaterBall, instead of fireball. Its a good idea, and it makes for more interesting characters.

 

[Nareau]

That's great, but...

I got lucky with the two new players in my campaign!!!!

What does that have to do with magic? Do they know about each other? Won't this cause weird situations in the group?

 

[Falcon]

It won't because they know about the particulars of my campaign setting. I almost deleted that sentence, then decided to leave it, because I am genuinely glad that players who think like this and want to play it out will be in my campaign. I intended no judgment, rather sheer happiness that the players and I are thinking along similar conceptual and expressive avenues.

 

[Kriegspiel]

There was a Dragon article some time back about that exact topic.
I don't recall the name or the issue (I'm a lot of help eh? ), but it was probably 6-7 years ago if you care to try and find it.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I like this idea, though originally my line of thought was the color of the magical energies---green fireballs, victims of a hold spell having a green tint, etc.

However, one of my players is making a cold weather-based wizard. Other than a few generic spells (like magic missile & mage armor, which wizards would have learned from the guild), she's staying with spells like obscuring mist, ice knife, etc. ()even lightning bolt, which could fall under the category of weather, but not other electricity-based spells such as shocking grasp). Energy Substitution is a definite feat in the PC's future.

I think that this is something I'll strongly encourage for future games, to make spell selection a bit more reasonable instead of piecemeal.

 

[Richards]

I believe that the Dragon article Kriegspiel is referring to was in issue #200. "The Color of Magic," if I remember correctly. Great article.

 

[Henry@home]

Re: That's great, but...

What does that have to do with magic? Do they know about each other? Won't this cause weird situations in the group?

Spider - eeeWWWW!

 

[Henry@home]

Falcon, that's great! I think that for a wizard, it may not matter as much (they are very much more utilitarian, and meant to be that way in game terms), but I like the idea for a Sorcerer whose powers have a central "theme" - after all, if magic is in the blood, then there should be something that links a bunch of disparate powers. Note that, simply through changing the spell effects without the spell mechanics, you can change a sorcerer's whole look.

For example, a sorcerer with an affinity for "metabolism" for example, could follow a path smilar to that of a psion - getting spells such as endure elements, shocking grasp, reduce and enlarge, spider climb, etc.
Follow up on alter self, darkclaws (that spell from the FRCS, whatever its name is), bull's strength and cat's grace, etc.
VOILA! A running thread through the powers.

 

[Particle_Man]

I like the idea. I am playing a halfling sorceress. She has a roguish family (though not a rogue herself), and leans towards rogue-skill-duplicates (spider climb, knock) and illusions (great for distractions, which she was used for more mundanely as a child), but she also is scared of undead (based on stories she has heard) and so also will naturally acquire spells that can fight them (there are not many) to reflect her phobia. So her spells reflect her background. She will never take fireball or lightning bolt, (but she might, for instance, take shadow evocation).

I am surprised that no one has complained that personality-based sorcerors are not properly min-maxing themselves. If a DM were to throw a creature immune to fire against the fire-mage, said fire-mage would be in trouble. But I think, so long as the DM and players are on the same page, that personality based sorcery is a great great idea. (Actually, the DM and players being on the same page is good for ANY campaign).