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Old 07-07-2017, 10:04 PM   #5
Emerald Cat
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Default Re: Questions magic in a fantasy world

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moneval View Post
Evoking is more immediate in nature, allowing the user to basically use abilities not unlike psionics, or The Force from Star Wars. I intend to use threshold limits on any abilities stemming from evoking (all powers will have the "costs Fatigue" limitation, changed to "Costs Threshold"). For this system, I am using magic as powers, but in order for a character to use these powers they need either a 5 or 10 (haven't decided) Unusual Background called Aether Sensitive (or similar). I may also allow a Pact with a spirit as a source of this.
You could use Thaumatology: Sorcery to model Evoking out of the box. Sorcerers cast spells quickly, but don't have much flexibility. Since Sorcery is a magic as powers system, you can easily turn any Power writeups into spells.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moneval View Post
2) When designing magical traditions using Path/Book, how many paths would be a good rule of thumb for each tradition to have access to?
I'd go with 3 to 5 paths per tradition. Fewer than 3, and you might as well use the tradition's core skill for everything. Each tradition effectively becomes its own magic system if there are 6 or more paths per tradition

I agree that Books unique to each tradition would be the right way to go.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Moneval View Post
3) I had considered using RPM for my ritual based magic, but it seemed almost too universal/open-ended and thus difficult to divide into unique feeling traditions. Does anyone have any experience with trying to achieve this result with RPM? I would be leaning towards using the Effect-Shaping variant.
My advice would be to choose paths using the Syntactic magic advice from Thaumatology. Each tradition focusing on one path would make them feel unique. You may want to eliminate the default to the core skill if you go this route.

Have you checked out the Incantation Magic variant of RPM? All of the path skills in that system are distinct enough to be their own tradition.
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