Problems mixing Magic-magic, Sorcery, Path/Book, and RPM Magic in the same game?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/1417.html
Lieutenant Renz: Sweet! My DPS went up from 87 to 131!

A game where somebody can say "'I'm going to use greater create energy for external burning" is (probably) not a typical game setting. It certainly isn't much like any of my games, anyway.

I can imagine playing a magic nerd that thinks like that while remaining completely plausible. He enjoys theory and minutia. He might try out inefficient spells just for unique combinations to reach the same result as a simpler more "mundane" spell. Why else leave his studies if not to put theory, or more often random hypotheses and guesswork, to practice?

I now have a new PC to write up. Thanks.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

I'm GMing a game in a literal crapsack world and a question came up that made me wonder.

One of my players uses what I call Magic-magic, the spells-as-skills system presented in the Basic Set and expanded in GURPS Magic. One possible NPC - who will go unnamed at present - is likely to use either Path/Book magic or RPM, possibly with a few prepared charms for when he needs a shortcut to Kentucky Fried Preacher someone. Another NPC is going to use a system close to Sorcery - actually, more of tattoo magic than actual Sorcery, but still a Magic-as-Powers approach. As this is a crapsack world with a bunch of canonical different magic systems, mixing like this (hopefully) isn't going to break PCs' suspension of disbelief.

What kinds of issues am I looking at mixing these magic systems together? Will the RPM-ist and Sorcerer/tattoo-caster have issues keeping up with the standard mage, or vice verse?

You can just say its RIFTS- Palladium press will not break down your door and kill your dog.

As for multiple magic systems- we have done them in our games and had minimal issues- but you should figure out how the magic systems are going to interact with each other (What will a lesser destroy magic do to a force dome, how much gathered energy does it take to cancel 1 point of spent spell FP, etc).

Sorcery will actually integrate in pretty easily with stock magic since it is using advantages, but the sorcery<->RPM interaction will need to be addressed (how much extra energy translates to a -1 to nullification attempts, and similar)

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by starslayer

You can just say its RIFTS- Palladium press will not break down your door and kill your dog.

RIFTS is hardly the only kitchen sink setting around, published or otherwise.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Refplace

RIFTS is hardly the only kitchen sink setting around, published or otherwise.

See OP's post #4 in this thread:
Kitchen sink, crapsack world, tattoo magic as one of many magical systems, monster run atlantis, and reference to a 'Rifts Shifter' as a previous character who will be ported across.

Looking for it to NOT be RIFTS is stretching.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by starslayer

See OP's post #4 in this thread:
Kitchen sink, crapsack world, tattoo magic as one of many magical systems, monster run atlantis, and reference to a 'Rifts Shifter' as a previous character who will be ported across.

Looking for it to NOT be RIFTS is stretching.

Ah Forgot the Rifts Shifter useage.
Though the rest would have precedence in lots of places.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by starslayer

See OP's post #4 in this thread:
Kitchen sink, crapsack world, tattoo magic as one of many magical systems, monster run atlantis, and reference to a 'Rifts Shifter' as a previous character who will be ported across.

Looking for it to NOT be RIFTS is stretching.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Ah Forgot the Rifts Shifter useage.
Though the rest would have precedence in lots of places.

To be fair, a Shifter is a dimensional traveler, akin to a Banestorm World-Jumper, so they can conceivably show up anywhere there's magic.

But yes, this is for my GURPS Rifts game. :)


Still, I take it that the biggest concern is "how does X's counterspelling affect Y"? Any thoughts to help streamline things so that I don't mess up too badly when enticing others or potential players that lurk?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Still, I take it that the biggest concern is "how does X's counterspelling affect Y"? Any thoughts to help streamline things so that I don't mess up too badly when enticing others or potential players that lurk?

College Magic uses Contests of Skill and certain spells.
RPM systems seem to prefer the hammer approach and compare power to power.
Set a skill penalty to Counterspell or Ward based on the power level an an RPM casting, say -1 per 10 energy.
I house rule a -5 to Ward and Counter spell if you do not know the spell.

For RPM to counter College magic stick with the Hammer approach. Disrupting most ongoing spells would be a Lesser Effect but Greater for those that require Remove Curse or other special considerations.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Still, I take it that the biggest concern is "how does X's counterspelling affect Y"? Any thoughts to help streamline things so that I don't mess up too badly when enticing others or potential players that lurk?

I believe there are some house rules floating around that basically do the conversion of energy->skill, at ~10 energy per 1 skill (This is also conviently the system that invocation and effect shaping RPM uses).

Thus anything that attempts to dispel a magical effect works on a penalty to skill:10 energy trade.

IE: RPM wizard wants to suppress a magical item that is built with skill 15.
10 energy lesser effect, and it's off (skill reduced to 14, magic items need skill 15 to keep working).

RPM wizard wants to suppress a magical item that is built with skill 20
60 energy lesser effect to turn it off (again skill reduced to 14).

Magic as skill mage wants to dispel an RPM ritual (normal casting)- just cast and done.

Magic as skill mage wants to dispel an RPM ritual with 50 extra energy put into it- roll at -5.

Magic as powers mage wants to neutralize a magic as skill mage's glue spell- roll neutralize normally

Magic as powers mage wants to neutralize an RPM mage's 'lesser strengthen chance' ritual granting +3 to his side of combat and has 50 extra energy, roll neutralize at -5.

The same would apply if you also allow imbuments.

Hope that helps.

[Kalzazz]

This thread will help! Maybe. Results not gauranteed

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=136072