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Old 07-10-2010, 11:09 PM   #1
ajardoor
 
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Default Your favourite magic system?

So I've been looking through Magic and Thaumatology, wondering just what the more veteran players think about the content of the books.

So, discuss what you like and why.
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Old 07-11-2010, 12:51 AM   #2
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajardoor View Post
So I've been looking through Magic and Thaumatology, wondering just what the more veteran players think about the content of the books.

So, discuss what you like and why.
Ritual magic from 3e. Flexible, not flashy, better fits the "real world" than spell magic.
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Old 07-11-2010, 01:08 AM   #3
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

Path/Book magic is my current fave, but it all depends on fitting the magic to the setting. Some of the settings I game in have the standard magic system or the realm magic system as being better fits.
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Old 07-11-2010, 01:11 AM   #4
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

I like Book/Path magic from Thaumatology. It's subtle and works well in a secret magic setting. At the same time it is also fairly powerful and flexible. If you are looking for something closer to how 'real' magic might work, Book/Path is the way to go.
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Old 07-11-2010, 01:16 AM   #5
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

My current game uses Alchemy, Book Magic, Realm magic (combined with Threshold Magic) and Spirit Mediated Magic. They interact in a couple of different ways.
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Old 07-11-2010, 01:58 AM   #6
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

Yeah, Path/Book is closer to the way "real" magic is envisioned than any other game system I've come across. I use it and Powers - the latter for supernatural creature abilities or with suitable limitations (material, verbal and somantic components :-) for fantasy [DF] wizards' spells.

IMHO, SJG should really be trying to expand on what's in Thaumatology and the few bits in Pyramid to date for Path/Book magic. A supplement of a bunch of Books and new rituals, along with models of actual historical, modern and famous fictional Paths, would be sooooo cool and froody (and would cut down massively on my own designing time for my modern weirdness/horror game).
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Old 07-11-2010, 04:06 AM   #7
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

I am still happy about spell magic Especialy when it comes to Thaumatology: Magical styles. A lot of work for me but with each campaign I run the system is more and more to my liking, and players do appriciate it.
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Old 07-11-2010, 05:14 AM   #8
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cernig View Post
Yeah, Path/Book is closer to the way "real" magic is envisioned than any other game system I've come across. I use it and Powers - the latter for supernatural creature abilities or with suitable limitations (material, verbal and somantic components :-) for fantasy [DF] wizards' spells.

IMHO, SJG should really be trying to expand on what's in Thaumatology and the few bits in Pyramid to date for Path/Book magic. A supplement of a bunch of Books and new rituals, along with models of actual historical, modern and famous fictional Paths, would be sooooo cool and froody (and would cut down massively on my own designing time for my modern weirdness/horror game).
There are two variant path/book magic articles (Magic of the Stories and Red Diabolism) in Pyramid #3/13. If you check the wishlist, there are already 2 more magic centric issues planned (Epic magic and Thaumatology II), so it seems that SJG agrees with you...
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Old 07-11-2010, 07:49 AM   #9
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

I use them for different things. For pure flavor, I love Spirit-Assisted Magic. But I'm very impressed with how GURPS got all these different schools of magic to cooperate with each other mechanics-wise. Having wrestled with the arbitrary vicissitudes of the DnD magic system for so long, I have a high regard for GURPS' default Spell-Based Magic system.

Spell-based for the typical fantasy combat mage. Depends on mana, which ranges from Low to Very Low (with a few rare sinkholes where it is Normal).

Clerical magic in my campaign has the Ceremonial Only limitation with the Solo Ceremonial enhancement (meaning all clerical spells generally take longer to cast and benefit from aid, but you can cast them solo if you absolutely have to). Depends on sanctity, again ranging from Low to Very Low (with Normal in rare areas). Because clerics are calling on the power of a deity to help them, they use Threshold-Limited casting.

Ritual Magic applies for fortune tellers and gypsy magic (which is real and is not merely a charlatan's trade), and is separate from Clerical but is very similar. Ceremonial Only and Solo Ceremonial enhancements apply, but they pay the FP/ER normally (i.e. it's not Threshold-Limited casting).

Spirit-Assisted Magic is a completely separate mechanic and does not even touch on Magery, Spell skills, and the like. It's entirely based on the grantor spirit's stats and whims. All the Spiritual Distortion rules are in force, but the payoff is pretty tempting - you don't even need to have any magical ability at all to use this type of magic! Compared to the standard setting rules this is really powerful, which makes it even more dangerous.

For all spellcasting, I allow bonuses for time, true names, sympathy, and contagion. The Low Mana penalty is usually mostly offset by these for most casters casting spells on themselves. Of all the types of spells listed here, Ritual Magic faces the stiffest penalties and usually needs the most bonuses - which fits in nicely with the idea of gypsies collecting important components hither and yon before settling down for a casting.
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Old 07-11-2010, 08:14 AM   #10
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Default Re: Your favourite magic system?

Since I love games that model a "real world" view of magical systems that carry the verisimilitude of how Real World "magicians" and practitioners work, I have to go Path/Book Magic all the way. I like how books can have their own flavor and style, and I will be using it with my next game.

Otherwise, When I run a higher sorcery game, I generally use powers as magic or spirit-assisted magic.

I almost never use Gurps Magic (Sorry SJ!)
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