Method to my Magic.

[KevinJ]

I think one of the areas where TFT was lacking was magic types.

Back in the day, my original TFT GM (back in 1982) divided the spells into colleges. There were War Mages, Healers (if you were a War Mage you couldn't be a Healer), Telecomunicists, Summoners, Creationists, Naturalists, and Archmages. There may have been a couple more, but I don't remember off hand. Some of the spells were in more than one college and other spells were only available in one college.

When I was designing my first solid GURPS world back in 2E days I set up my own colleges with my own spell lsists and flow charts. I have War mages, Healers, Naturalsists, Creationists, Summoners, and a couple of others I can't think of off hand. Each type of mage manipulates Mana to create spell effects and some colleges share some spells.

The difference is that in my GURPS world each college represents a different way of manipulating magic. War Mages do not cast the Fireball Spell the same was aan Elemental Brother casts a Fireball spell. This means that a sleep spell used by the Healers has the exact same effect as the sleep spell cast by a War Mage, but the exact manipulation of the mana is different. Also, the Healer’s Sleep spell will never be the Prerequisite for the War Mage spell than requires Sleep and vise versa.

Has anyone done this in TFT? I’ve been thinking about it, but the spell list is rather sparse. I have browsed a number of other games for spells and converted them to TFT, but actually dividing the spells is a pain.

[Skarg]

In GURPS yes (and see GURPS Thaumatology for a whole giant book full of ideas on designing detailed magic for game settings), but no, not so much in TFT.

[Rick_Smith]

Hi all,
The colleges in GURPS felt like artificial divisions of a single magic system to me. However, Runequest, 6th edition, had Folk Magic, Animism, Mysticism, Sorcery and Theism. The mechanical systems for running them were identical, but they PLAYED very differently. Each system had a very different feel and style.

To me, this was pretty much ideal design.

Warm regards, Rick.

[JLV]

I've never really liked the idea of the colleges. They just seemed a way to impose an artificial limit on the characters (i.e., removed player agency). I didn't like them in DragonQuest, I didn't like them in D&D (where they were tied to the classes), and I don't really enjoy them in GURPS, either. Frankly, I think "styles" of magic (e.g., something along the lines of rune magic, spell singing, classic TFT magic, and maybe some kind of shamanism) would be better. I never played RuneQuest, so I can't speak to that game's magic system, but from what Rick says, it sounds like something I'd be more interested in than "colleges."

[ecz]

adding colleges of Magic the way you did is a great improvement of the magic system in the sense that Magic is more realistic, if you pass me the world. Also a magicentric CG can be more interesting for players expecially if more than the usual one has the role of the magic user in the party or if Magic or wars between Magic Guilds/Schools have a role in the adventures.

But for the vast majority of CGs I think that is a little too much. It's a effort to improve in great detail a part of the rules that can work per RAW with no changes. So it's not worth the effort, in my opinion.

This remember me when I tried to set a CGs among pirates and ships. I need more rules for boats, ships, naval battles, and combat -boarding. I created a small sub-set of rules for combat at sea, including prices for boats and vessels. Useful for such a specific CG, almost worthless for any other setting.

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by JLV

I've never really liked the idea of the colleges. They just seemed a way to impose an artificial limit on the characters (i.e., removed player agency). I didn't like them in DragonQuest, I didn't like them in D&D (where they were tied to the classes), and I don't really enjoy them in GURPS, either. Frankly, I think "styles" of magic (e.g., something along the lines of rune magic, spell singing, classic TFT magic, and maybe some kind of shamanism) would be better. I never played RuneQuest, so I can't speak to that game's magic system, but from what Rick says, it sounds like something I'd be more interested in than "colleges."

The Colleges of Magic were the standout feature of Dragonquest and I'm very fond of them. I wouldn't mind something like that for TFT, perhaps in a future supplement. There can always be a "generalist" Wizard college as well.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by JLV

I've never really liked the idea of the colleges. They just seemed a way to impose an artificial limit on the characters (i.e., removed player agency).

Agreed, and well said. Remember the *promise* contained on page 3 of TFT:ITL; which states: "with his own likes, dislikes, special talents and abilities, magical spells, possessions and desires. Each player creates a character — *whatever type he wishes*..." And that means free of things like Magic Colleges, Character Classes, and other artificial restraints.

JK

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

Agreed, and well said. Remember the *promise* contained on page 3 of TFT:ITL; which states: "with his own likes, dislikes, special talents and abilities, magical spells, possessions and desires. Each player creates a character — *whatever type he wishes*..." And that means free of things like Magic Colleges, Character Classes, and other artificial restraints.

JK

Actually, that's an excellent point and has caused me to change my viewpoint. As the rules stand, one can effectively create the "effect" of being in a College of Magic by Spell choice anyway. So I agree; although I like the Colleges of Magic in Dragonquest, I don't think they are applicable to TFT at this time.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

Actually, that's an excellent point and has caused me to change my viewpoint. As the rules stand, one can effectively create the "effect" of being in a College of Magic by Spell choice anyway.

That's correct Chris. By having *no limitation* as the *limitation*, one can simulate a character with a group of spells that, for game-color purposes, mirrors a college of magic; and no one else - who may have no interest in such rules - are subject to having to deal with colleges and character-classes against their will.

JK