Social implications of RPM

[Andreas]

One of the most distinctive features of RPM is how extremely dangerous critical failures are.

Any critical failure (you often have to roll more than once for each spell) means that you have to deal with a double energy (with a minimum value so even very small spells are not safe) effect for which you get no defense or resistance roll.

The only exception is information spells which are rather safe if you acknowledge that they might sometimes give false results.

So information spells would be widely used but other spells might be to dangerous for that.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

Yes I like that price better. Kind of like how over priced unaging was in 3e.

Any other ideas on how it will impact society? Small bonuses are pretty cheap so should be fairly common on all classes.

I am also wondering about it in investigations. As I am looking into an investigation based game I don't want mages to steal all the screen time then.

Mages may be able to *find* clues easier, but you'll still need the guy with actual detective skills to figure out what they mean. Basically, you can use magic instead of chemicals that some people could claim actually contaminates a crime scene.

Originally Posted by Andreas

One of the most distinctive features of RPM is how extremely dangerous critical failures are.

Any critical failure (you often have to roll more than once for each spell) means that you have to deal with a double energy (with a minimum value so even very small spells are not safe) effect for which you get no defense or resistance roll.

The only exception is information spells which are rather safe if you acknowledge that they might sometimes give false results.

So information spells would be widely used but other spells might be to dangerous for that.

I get the feeling most non-information spells will be prepared as either conditionals or charms before heading to a crime scene. Some improv may be required if any combat occurs, though.
Making blood glow without having to touch anything in the room gives your mages enough screen time to do something useful, while your non-mages are going to be the ones who do pretty much everything else. I guess mages would do well as support for interrogations, by hitting somebody with Truthfulness (Resists on 6 or less).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

What do people think the social impact would be of relatively common RPM magic?

That's really going to depend on the setting, how widespread magic is, etc. That said, even if it's rare, but attainable it's going to become a status symbol. If you have magic, even if you're dirt poor you're suddenly going to be looked upon as if you weren't. If this just happened it's going to cause chaos or even destroy the old social strata as people scramble for magic, any magic. This assumes that magic is looked on as some sort of wunderkind breakthrough. Just another form of tech. If it's viewed as evil or bad, the reverse will happen. Magic will be openly shunned and magic users will be social pariahs are perhaps forced to work for the government or such. Secretly though, magic will be envied and desired. A whole black magic market could spring up over night with all that that entails. The possibilities are endless for what could happen.

Originally Posted by blacksmith

For one I think that age would be something that happens to the poor. A spell granting imaging to stop aging for its duration is not cheap but not to hard either. So the rich and powerful wouldn't age.

That I think would become restricted near instantly and be available only through lots of money, a grey market, or even a black market. If everyone suddenly lives forever, resources are going to become scarce.

Originally Posted by blacksmith

How hard is limb regrowth in RPM anyway?

The others have suggested that you can add Regrowth and go from there...sure, that's possible. But I'd do it differently. First, you'd need a Greater Restore Body effect to bring the limb back and then another Greater Restore Body effect with dice of Healing equal to or greater than the subject's HPx2 (the amount it takes to chop off a limb). No waiting, no fuss, no muss - you just have a limb back. Presto chango.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I expect to see some complicated stuff/changes in the Charm / Casting Service markets.

Yeah, this. Not complicated mind you - but this. In such a world there are going to be shops (Shoppes?) where you can get a spell done or purchase a charm or potion or whatever.

[blacksmith]

The thing is I am figuring unaging is expensive. So limited to the upper class. This cuts down social mobility but isn't a huge problem. It isn't supposed to be a terribly happy fantasy version of the Victorian age.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by blacksmith

The thing is I am figuring unaging is expensive. So limited to the upper class. This cuts down social mobility but isn't a huge problem. It isn't supposed to be a terribly happy fantasy version of the Victorian age.

Then make using unaging dangerous to use (all effects are Greater and all failures are critical failures). Or instead of granting unaging, require the use of Healing dice as months (each 1d translates to about 3.5 months). Or both. Thi way only the truly rich can afford to even get a few months taken off.

[Nosforontu]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

.
That I think would become restricted near instantly and be available only through lots of money, a grey market, or even a black market. If everyone suddenly lives forever, resources are going to become scarce.

If that was the only spell I would agree with you but with the ability of magic also able to either create or tranform resources as well I am not so sure that such a society would feel a resource crunch especially not quicly enough for a reflexive ban of your rich and powerful enjoying a very long life. Toss in some crossroad magic to create pocket realms for the wealthy to retreat to and I am not sure that it would even get all that much more crowded either.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Nosforontu

If that was the only spell I would agree with you but with the ability of magic also able to either create or tranform resources as well I am not so sure that such a society would feel a resource crunch especially not quicly enough for a reflexive ban of your rich and powerful enjoying a very long life. Toss in some crossroad magic to create pocket realms for the wealthy to retreat to and I am not sure that it would even get all that much more crowded either.

Well, that is part of the problem with adding magic in and it being known to all.

[Nosforontu]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Well, that is part of the problem with adding magic in and it being known to all.

An even bigger problem would be potentially when states like North Korea start orgainizing City Wide + magical spells that add the Honesty Disadvantage/Fantatic [Kim Jong Il] to the residents of the city, perhaps mixed in with the advantage Doesn't Eat/Drink to sovle their food problems.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Nosforontu

An even bigger problem would be potentially when states like North Korea start orgainizing City Wide + magical spells that add the Honesty Disadvantage/Fantatic [Kim Jong Il] to the residents of the city, perhaps mixed in with the advantage Doesn't Eat/Drink to sovle their food problems.

At that point, somebody will figure out a technological way to create (temporary) No Mana Zones. Those fanatics will quickly turn tail when all of their mental fortitude suddenly disappears.

[vicky_molokh]

The first things to look at when considering the impact of spells like eternal youth, is how available are mages, and how hard it is for them to achieve such spells.

Mages need to throw 50+ points into magical abilities before they even start looking impressive. Is that achieved through training alone (10,000 hours! ivory tower time . . .), or does it come largely from inborn ability (just how common are they?).

Then there's the issue how much demand there is, and how much offer (above). If talented/educated mages are rare, they will be the Gates' and Jobs' of the world.