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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5743660" data-attributes="member: 54877">I think this is harder to do in D&D than some systems, because D&D magic doesn't lend itself to side effects and fumbles very well. A system where the spell "works" fine or blows up in your face is a little off, without a lot of mere failure to function in between. (Systems with degrees of success and failure, such as Runequest and some die pool systems, are a more natural fit.) That said, the best side effects I think I have ever seen in D&D was the early potion mixing tables. You could expand that same principle to magic in general: When you work magic alone, with no other magic going on, you've got a pretty decent shot at it working. Maybe spell resistance (or 4E miss chance or other such) is still a factor against an opponent, but other than that, it work. However, the more active magic that is going on, the more chance for the magic to mix with unpredictable effects. This could also include magic items. Shoot that ray of cold at the mundane warrior with no special equipment, and it works. Use an ice storm that includes a warrior with a flametongue, no telling what will happen. This explains why mages do most of their research up in the tops of towers, with no one permitted in that part of the building but a well-trained apprentice or three.  And perhaps divine magic doesn't suffer from this by itself when of the same type.  That is, several priests of the same (or nearly the same) faith can cast healing and such all day long, with no problem.  But any shielding or other active effects they have going can still be the catalyst for unpredictable results when arcane magic or opposing faith magic interacts with it.</blockquote>

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