Magic as Powers (ala Shadowrun)

[Kesendeja]

I’m finding myself more and more a fan of Spells as Powers. I think it’s mostly a matter of having come from Shadowrun, and the Spells as Skills just feels wrong for that type of setting somehow.

Personally, I use “The Fifth Attribute” Quintessence makes a lot of sense in a setting where magic is separate from IQ. But I’ll put notes in for those who don’t use it.

Skills
Shadowrun had a number of skills, but the four that survived my initial brainstorming are;

• Sorcery (QT/VH): the art of shaping mana into a desired effect.
• Conjuring (QT/VH): the art of calling forth spirits from other realms.
• Innate Attack Magic (DX/VH): For any spell that needs aiming.
• Arcana (IQ/VH): Practical knowledge of all things magical
• Ascencing (Per/VH): The use and understanding of the input of magical senses.

If you aren’t using Quintessence, just base Sorcery and Conjuring on IQ.

Spells
All spells cost Quintessence points (or FP). 1 point plus an additional 1 for every 10 cp of the total spell cast.
As an example firebolt cost 5 for each point of damage, so a 4d firebolt would cost 3 points to cast. 1 initially and another 2 because the 4d equeals 20 cp.

Each spell also affects the sorcery skill. The more powerful a spell is the harder it is to cast. For every 10 full points if applies a -1 to the skill roll, Other modifiers may also offset or add to the difficulty. For example a fire mage may get a +4 for the “Elementalist” advantage.