09-08-2011, 02:21 AM | #21 | |
MIB
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
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Re: Incentivising "Secret of Magic" for players
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@cultureulterior The thing about good narrative is, either they don't make good gaming or I'm rubbish at it. Ask my latest Culture citizens ;) I'm not Banks and there were moments in my game (although we had fun) that I wished I was just for a bit. Cheers :)
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09-08-2011, 03:39 AM | #22 |
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Re: Incentivising "Secret of Magic" for players
How about: Mana is a finite, though renewable, resource.
It isn't like oil or the mana in Larry Niven's MAGIC GOES AWAY sequence. It will regrow after use. It is like the fish in the sea. It can be used up so that there is no more ever again but if you harvest responsibly you can have it for future generations. If you go with the standard rules, mundanes can't use mana except in High Mana areas (and good luck finding any of those on modern Earth!) but there are all these pesky hedge wizards and no-talent Magery 0 types who can and do use it if they get the knowledge. But they are never going to get as good as the really talented sorts who can become skilled enough to use mana efficiently. (The reduced cost for high skill rule.) So the more powerful and gifted mages as well as the mana-dependent species have agreed that only those who require mana and those who can use it efficiently can have the knowledge of the existence of magic and it is not to be spread among the hoi-polloi. Which gives them the moral high ground and the excuse to go around wiping out careless people who let the ignorant masses know the secret. And gives the PCs (if they want it) a good, moral reason to keep it themselves.
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Michael Cule,
Genius for Hire, Gaming Dinosaur Second Class |
09-08-2011, 09:38 AM | #23 | |||
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Incentivising "Secret of Magic" for players
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Of course, then you have to define how often this duty to cover things up actually comes up in the average mage's life. Quote:
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disadvantages, gming, magic |
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