11-28-2017, 10:06 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Sierra Vista, Arizona
|
Magic in an After the End setting
I have an After the End game that I am starting to run, and one of the ideas for the game is that "magic has returned". I want something powerful enough to be useful, but no so over-the-top as to invalidate other, non-magical character types. I've looked over the range of precedents from SM Stirling's "Emberverse" through Terry Brooks' "Genesis of Shannara" series and Jim Butchers "Dresden Files" (which isn't post-apocalypse, but seems to maybe fit) to "Thundarr the Barbarian"and games like Shadowrun.
So far, I keep coming back to some form of ritual magic, either a form of Voodoo or an energy-accumulating Book magic, possibly using Hidden Lore (Magical Writings) as a corresponding skill and cribbing magical texts (or, more precisely, books containing magical lore for those who have the skill) from Castle Falkenstein, Call of Cthulhu, and Deadlands. Any ideas? I'm kind of stymied at the moment...
__________________
"It's never to early to start beefing up your obituary." -- The Most Interesting Man in the World |
11-28-2017, 10:55 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
I'd say Path/Book definitely fits with what you're describing. If you're looking for other magic systems to look at, I'd say that probably any system that either a) costs significant personal resources to use any given effect, or b) takes a fair bit of preparation time to use magic might fit the bill.
The first criteria means that spellcasters have significant personal choices to make when spellcasting: "Do I cast this effect, and maybe not be able to cast anything else in this interaction, or even seriously limit my other abilities?". Systems that fit this include the standard GURPS Magic system, since spells cost personal FP to cast, quite a bit for potent effects. The second criteria means that magic requires a safe place to cast, which can be hard to come by in the wastelands of After The End, so magic will be limited by both time and the availability of safety. Good candidates include, as you've already observed, Path/Book Magic, but also flexible systems if their effects take a long time to cast - Symbol Drawing-based systems could work for that. Also, alchemy or other magical item-preparation-based systems would probably qualify. Finally, consider the Sorcery system - it's not really expensive to cast (usually 1 or 2 FP per spell), and it's not time-limited (usually only takes a second to switch spells), but because it's based on modified advantages, it's considerably better balanced with other characters, in my opinion - there's far fewer problems with a character able to sink some points into one particular magical option and get a benefit out-of-proportion to other point investments. |
11-28-2017, 11:02 AM | #3 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Some sources you may have missed: Ralph Bashki's Wizards is for me the iconic work in this genre. Also Earthdawn may be set a post-apocalyptic future of Shadowrun.
|
11-28-2017, 11:13 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
|
11-28-2017, 11:18 AM | #5 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
|
11-28-2017, 11:20 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Quote:
I say "alledgedly" because it's a claim (official though it may be) that's somewhat controversial. Earthdawn players tend to buy it without question but Shadowrun players tend to be bewildered by the lack of resemblance between the two settings. Shadowrun might be closer to post-apocalyptic than Earthdawn. SR is not quite PA but Earthdawn is so far after an apocalypse that it has few of the right characteristics. It's just low tech fantasy.
__________________
Fred Brackin |
|
11-28-2017, 11:23 AM | #7 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Shadowrun is our future, but Earthdawn is our distant past.
All the archaeological evidence will revert back to its true form when magic comes back.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
11-28-2017, 11:24 AM | #8 | ||
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Quote:
Quote:
At any rate, clearly I was mistaken. Wizards on the other hand is absolutely post-apocalypse-and-magic-returns. Edit: And, of course, so is Adventure Time. |
||
11-28-2017, 11:26 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Only our recorded history, basically - the backstory of Shadowrun is that there was once a "Fourth Age" of magic and fantasy races and such (the time period of Shadowrun is the Sixth Age), but records of all that was lost when the magic went away. However, notable figures in Shadowrun (the Great Dragons, for example, and several elves who have been revealed as immortal, not just long-lived like other elves) often reference the previous time period, and their references are usually to stuff that happened in Earthdawn.
|
11-28-2017, 11:31 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
|
Re: Magic in an After the End setting
Yeah, Earthdawn is pretty definitely post-apocalyptic. I mean, it's a bit more post- than some other PA settings, with more development of society and such. And there's really no element of "lost technology". But you've got vaults ("kaers" in the setting terminology) as a major adventure location, both for "open and find still-trapped people, lead them into the new world" and "explore one that fell to a catastrophe, loot and deal with lingering dangers" plotlines. You've got "regions of the world that are still too dangerous to enter from what caused the disaster" bits. You've got "cultures that we have records of from before the disaster but are now greatly changed by their experiences" bits. Earthdawn has always been post-apocalyptic - that's pretty much its central hook: "justify D&D tropes with a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting".
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|