Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - A New Version of Ritual Magic [Thaumatology/RPM]

AlexanderHowl · 05-09-2020, 10:32 PM

One of my primary beefs with the standard spell system is that you are often stuck with useless spells as prerequisites and you end up either going unconscious or killing yourself casting a large spell. While the ritual magic system solves the former problem, it does not solve the latter problem. While the spirit-assisted or threshold-limited seems to solve the latter problem, they are even worse than the standard spell system when it comes to casting large spells, as they either cost you your soul or reality kicks you in the teeth.

I think that a hybrid system between ritual magic and RPM could take care of both issues. It would look something like the following:

1. Ritual Magic would be the core skill and Symbol Drawing would grant a bonus to effective skill equal to (margin of success/2, rounded down).

2. The Colleges would replace the Paths, would have a maximum default equal to the IQ of the practitioner, and would have a maximum level equal to the lesser of (12 + Magery) or Ritual Magic.

3. Magery would increase maximum skill, increase the number of conditional rituals, and provide an energy reserve equal to (Magery x 3). Non-mages could learn Colleges as if they had Magery 0, but they suffer an additional -5 to effective skill.

4. College Adept would replace Ritual Adept.

5. Ritual Magic would have not use the effects of RPM, the base cost of a ritual would be equal to (the prerequisite count of the spell + 1), but they would use the elements and parameters of RPM. Additionally, energy would be gathered as it is in RPM. Hard spells would be lesser effects while Very Hard spells would be greater effects (with an additional greater effect per Very Hard prerequisite).

6. Alchemy would default to Ritual Magic-6 or IQ-7 while Ritual Magic would default to Alchemy-6 or IQ-7.

7. Magical items would purchased as magical gadgets and grimoires would exist, just like with RPM.

8. Practitioners could maintain a maximum of (Ritual Magic + Magery) conditional spells and a maximum of (Alchemy + Magery) potions.

What do you think? Would you be interested in using such a system? What else would you add to such a system if you did decide to use it?

05-09-2020, 10:32 PM	#1
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	A New Version of Ritual Magic [Thaumatology/RPM] One of my primary beefs with the standard spell system is that you are often stuck with useless spells as prerequisites and you end up either going unconscious or killing yourself casting a large spell. While the ritual magic system solves the former problem, it does not solve the latter problem. While the spirit-assisted or threshold-limited seems to solve the latter problem, they are even worse than the standard spell system when it comes to casting large spells, as they either cost you your soul or reality kicks you in the teeth. I think that a hybrid system between ritual magic and RPM could take care of both issues. It would look something like the following: 1. Ritual Magic would be the core skill and Symbol Drawing would grant a bonus to effective skill equal to (margin of success/2, rounded down). 2. The Colleges would replace the Paths, would have a maximum default equal to the IQ of the practitioner, and would have a maximum level equal to the lesser of (12 + Magery) or Ritual Magic. 3. Magery would increase maximum skill, increase the number of conditional rituals, and provide an energy reserve equal to (Magery x 3). Non-mages could learn Colleges as if they had Magery 0, but they suffer an additional -5 to effective skill. 4. College Adept would replace Ritual Adept. 5. Ritual Magic would have not use the effects of RPM, the base cost of a ritual would be equal to (the prerequisite count of the spell + 1), but they would use the elements and parameters of RPM. Additionally, energy would be gathered as it is in RPM. Hard spells would be lesser effects while Very Hard spells would be greater effects (with an additional greater effect per Very Hard prerequisite). 6. Alchemy would default to Ritual Magic-6 or IQ-7 while Ritual Magic would default to Alchemy-6 or IQ-7. 7. Magical items would purchased as magical gadgets and grimoires would exist, just like with RPM. 8. Practitioners could maintain a maximum of (Ritual Magic + Magery) conditional spells and a maximum of (Alchemy + Magery) potions. What do you think? Would you be interested in using such a system? What else would you add to such a system if you did decide to use it? Last edited by AlexanderHowl; 05-09-2020 at 10:53 PM.