Super Easy Divine Magic Rules

[zot]

Originally Posted by MikMod

Argh! Another system... Grrr. Thank you for recommending it - I don't know if I will buy it on spec, without a magic system though. I've just spent the last day deep diving into Fate - which has got my mind whirring all on its own!

Fate is a fantastic system - the most subtle thing is "aspects" which is, in my opinion, some of the greatest "new technology" in role playing games. The Fate Core rules do a much better job explaining then than Spirit of the Century did.

[Shoug]

Originally Posted by MikMod

Argh! Another system... Grrr. Thank you for recommending it - I don't know if I will buy it on spec, without a magic system though. I've just spent the last day deep diving into Fate - which has got my mind whirring all on its own!

Haha, I'm glad I pointed you in an interesting direction. Fate is the system I know best by far. It's problem is that it can move too fast, not giving you enough time to really absorb the aspects of your game. Its resolution mechanic can also leave you unsatisfied, especially when entire combats flash by in a handful of Fight rolls and some aspect invocations (which ultimately all boil down to Fate Point->plus 2 bonus). That's actually why I've moved over to TFT. I wanted more fulfilling combat on to of something that could be easily modified to suit any special needs I had. TFT it's perfect for that.

[Tywyll]

Originally Posted by Skarg

You're not alone.

Just because there are rules for what it takes to make a magic item, and theoretical base prices listed for them, doesn't mean that there will be many or even any people selling or even making magic items in any campaign.

Whenever I think it through, it seems pretty unlikely to me that there would be much if any magic items available for sale to random adventurer types, at least not for list prices. Of the few wizards who can make them or people who have them and are willing to sell, an auction seems like the way to go, and the rich & powerful would no doubt tend to have their agents show up to and compete for those (and also take note of who else bought any interesting items). And selling to an aristocrat is probably worth more to a wizard or guild than selling to a random person who may be a loose cannon type.

The rules actually cover this. If you are looking for rare and expensive items, it takes a 5-7die roll versus IQ each week you search. This can be modified, but is never a guarantee. So no, not common at all.

[Tywyll]

Originally Posted by MikMod

:)

Though actually this has made me think about why I am very happy with magical creatures and less happy with magic items and spells.

I think the reason is that I want the players to have challenge in a magical world without becoming uber-powerful themselves. I feel that spells and especially items can quickly unbalance the game, or create a magical arms race - whereas a magical creature simply isn't open to that kind of abuse by the PCs: it has a brain of its own and cannot be 'owned' in the same way...

Plus they provide opportunities for role play which a +1 sword kinda doesn't! :)

Yeah, that's always been an issue in gaming back to D&D days (see the Drow with their copious magic items that rot when taken out of the underdark). It's really an issue with any systems that stat PCs and NPCs the same. 4E is one of the few systems I've seen get around it (NPC stat blocks in no way function as PC ones do, regardless of if they are humans or monsters). But most games fall in the old school d&d trap of making PCs need to work as a team (which is fine) but therefore makes it so that a single NPC to provide a challenge for a party.

This is especially true in TFT where surrounding a guy or dragging him down into HTH is a death sentence.

Other than changing expectations (no humanoid BBEG unless surrounded by henchfolk) or wishes or some other mechanic to give them an edge, there is no real way around it.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

...
This is especially true in TFT where surrounding a guy or dragging him down into HTH is a death sentence.

Other than changing expectations (no humanoid BBEG unless surrounded by henchfolk) or wishes or some other mechanic to give them an edge, there is no real way around it.

Stand someplace that blocks access to other than your side hexes and do sweeping blows? ;-)

[JLV]

Originally Posted by zot

Fate is a fantastic system - the most subtle thing is "aspects" which is, in my opinion, some of the greatest "new technology" in role playing games. The Fate Core rules do a much better job explaining then than Spirit of the Century did.

Completely concur on BOTH of these points! Plus the Fate dice are easy to incorporate, even in a system that's "harder" on rules like TFT. Well worth looking at for certain purposes!