[Thaumatology] Communal Environmental Thresholds for unlimited mana

[oneofmanynameless]

So I had this idea for a magic system based on the Unlimited Mana system (Tally/Threshold limited.) The idea was basically for the amount of magic that can be worked to be based on the location and not the caster. Reality can only handle so much magic in any given place, and the amount changes based on the location (varying Thresholds/Recovery Rates/Calamity mod rates, etc.) So mages battling in a given area are competing via the same pool of energy, but a single mage could potentially do dozens of high profile battles back to back as long as he was traveling quickly between multiple locations. I'd also want calamities to be localized events. Not so much the caster screwing up their own magic as the world getting weaker and wonkier in that place.

I'm interested in peoples general reactions to the idea, as well as balance considerations, and definitely if anyone wants to take a crack at balancing the idea I'd definitely be interested in hearing it! So what do people think?

[Anthony]

I predict it would be an utter disaster for the world, as IME neither PCs nor villains are particularly concerned with environmental damage (incidentally: Dark Sun setting for D&D pretty much does this). Other than that, I'd probably either make magery considerably more expensive, or have the environmental threshold be routinely non-zero and you have to actually go out of your way to find 'clean' areas to cast spells in.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless

The idea was basically for the amount of magic that can be worked to be based on the location and not the caster. Reality can only handle so much magic in any given place, and the amount changes based on the location (varying Thresholds/Recovery Rates/Calamity mod rates, etc.)

The definition of a "location" is going to be absolutely key to this system. I don't think much analysis can be done without that definition.

[Refplace]

Its extra bookkeeping on the part of the GM
Youll want watchers to keep an eye on and report casters, especially in urban areas. Mage guilds may be even more important and you need permission to cast spells.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The definition of a "location" is going to be absolutely key to this system. I don't think much analysis can be done without that definition.

Particuarly its size, and whether or not the boundaries are clearly defined. Those two attributes will greatly effect the social effect of magic. Is the area the size of a room? of a field? of a city? That will greatly effect who tracks magic.

You can get some cool effects by varying the threshold and recharge rates based on the type of area. Do people living in the area make it harder or easier to do magic? What about wilderness? Old ruins? A church?

This type of magic generally encourages the wandering wizard archetype, and if there are some very high threshold/recovery places, it also encourages "Wizard in a tower"

Giving places firm boundaries makes the book keeping a lot easier, but also starts touching your fluff pretty heavily.

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by johndallman

The definition of a "location" is going to be absolutely key to this system. I don't think much analysis can be done without that definition.

I wonder about the vertical dimension too. Could different floors of a building be different locations? Dungeons below? Cloud city above? (If boundaries shift, a cloud city might not even be possible.)

Would all casters be able to sense the local parameters?

Sounds like fun!

[PTTG]

Just to avoid fully unhinged things, make it so that exceeding (Caster's HT or something) EP can cause severe consequences for the mage in question. By metaphor, there's only so much power an individual mage can handle before it cooks them.

Love the idea of magical fallout, though. One system I had replaced FP with Rads, where every point of energy expended on magic resulted in one Rad of radiation being produced inside the caster.

Add in a rule like "for every 10 Rads produced, the local area becomes radioactive, exposing locals to 1 rad/hour," and it becomes an insidious problem for the locals.