Making mages colorful

[isf]

On rpg.net, there was a thread about magic that had an interesting colorful mage that I'd like to model in gurps (both this mage specifically and mages in general).

Generally, this type of mage seems more characterized by her relationship to magical entities and places than just what spells she can cast. I think that this type if mage is more easily modeled by spells as powers than spells as skills; though I am open to suggestions on how to encourage this in the regular spell model.

Originally Posted by Bailywolf

And I want magic to be interestingly fiddly. I speak the language of demons and elementals, and one day, my name will be a conjuring word, if I live to see my reputation extend into the Otherplaces. I carry a ha'staff, only a bit longer than a walking stick, but thick and cut during the final days of my apprenticeship from a lightning-struck black oak. When I can afford it, I will pay a smith to draw silver wire and bind it. When I aided the Ladies of the Pines, they granted me a small boon - a charm of bird skulls and amber, which I have affixed to its tip. The half staff grows with me, and allows me to focus my power in new ways. I have not told my companions, but when I was near death in the Deeps, I invoked a name given to me by my teacher - held in reserve all these years. I called upon the demon prince patron who he served, and pledged my allegiance in exchange for another chance at life, and new more terrible powers. As i get older, that pact weighs heavier on me. One day, I will confess to my friend the cleric, and beg his help breaking the pact. But for now, I need the power with the Northlings set to invade. From a shaman of the steppes, I learned the secrets of bone magic and blood magic and the magic hidden under the skins of monsters. I carry a set of knives now, and from slain beasts carve charms which lend me a measure of power. In Du'kir I smoked the dream leaf, and walked in the Otherplaces. I carry a carefully horded measure of the stuff with me now, and it is more precious than platinum (and certainly costs more). When demons or soul-seducers sing, the dream leaf garbles their charms. An essential tool in the mage's kit, for dealing with monsters able to enchant and bend the will. My small horde of spells, I guard as my most prized possession. Each was won at cost. Each has its own price, it's on dangers, but each is a potential victory when deployed with care and cunning, and the aid of my friends. I know ordinary folk fear me, even as my reputation in the Otherplaces increases. I can hire no servants, I can lead no armies, and no people would accept me as their king. Mine is a lonely path, I suppose. Perhaps that is why so many of my fellows go mad. The loneliness eats into you. But for now, I have my friends, and my familiar Beechum, and I plans for my tower one day, and the creatures I will conjure or spawn from my vats. One day, I suppose I might make new friends. But not yet. Now while the Northlings threaten.

This looks like:
Some sort of reputation in "otherplaces"
A named halfstaff
a boon that is an added enchantment
a perk (can make a pact with a demon prince)- used to get a patron/duty package
a skill to make charms from moster parts (something like rpm's charms)
Dream leaf- an alchemical amulet giving a will bonus

[Fwibos]

This seems like an awful lot of work. I don't mean to sound discouraging - this is EXACTLY what I want magic to be.

GURPS Thaumatology and GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles can help, but really this is about a player and a GM agreeing to make fluff, and then deteminring how much it costs in points.


I would do the ability to pact with a demon as a favor if it's a one-time deal, or just the fluff of what "magery" is - you can chat with demons/spirits and get knowledge. If the demon regularly comes by and helps you, it is a highly accessable patron.

Blood and Bone Magic is alchemy, or material magic from Thaumatology.

Dreamleaf would be a magical material, and would have cost in the world , but probably be a "Regular" item. Or it could be a variant Herb Lore pastille that wards or exorcises spirit beings.

the staff could be a named possession from Perks.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by isf

Generally, this type of mage seems more characterized by her relationship to magical entities and places than just what spells she can cast. I think that this type if mage is more easily modeled by spells as powers than spells as skills; though I am open to suggestions on how to encourage this in the regular spell model.

GURPS Thaumatology has something about that. A writeup of some kind of shaman or other spirit worker. I recall that it's not in one of those crappy waste-of-paper chapters that's trying and failing to twist the GURPS Magic spell system into something interesting.

[Fwibos]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

GURPS Thaumatology has something about that. A writeup of some kind of shaman or other spirit worker. I recall that it's not in one of those crappy waste-of-paper chapters that's trying and failing to twist the GURPS Magic spell system into something interesting.

As it happens IHMBWM.(Work is slow)

Do you mean Assisting Spirits p90, or "Shamanism as Powers" p 207?

Maybe Mortals with Supernatural Servants (p209)? That sounds right to me.

Also Check out Words of Power on p178. Sounds like a trick these sorts would learn.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

GURPS Thaumatology has something about that. A writeup of some kind of shaman or other spirit worker. I recall that it's not in one of those crappy waste-of-paper chapters that's trying and failing to twist the GURPS Magic spell system into something interesting.

Ha, because those parts are my favorite sections.

[Polydamas]

Magic systems like this depend on a creative GM defining places and beings and substances and magic systems. And without a worked example or three, this is even harder.

See also Sanderson's First Law of Magics (An author's ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.) In game terms, RPG magic systems work best when they have well-defined effects.

[Miles]

I'd definitely agree that the quoted style, while awesome, needs a strong setting to ground itself in, so you're not going to get much luck putting together generic rules for it. This makes total sense; what's being described here is a magic where the really cool tricks aren't something that can be pulled directly from the one's character sheet, but are the fruits of having relationships with spirits and the innate abilities to use artifacts scattered around the gameworld. In other words, it's world-based more than character based. Which obviously requires the GM to have a lot of NPC spirits and artifacts on hand to use. With that said, we can look at a few principles.

You need more than one magic system. Yes, that means walking between total confusion and munchkinism. That's not a bad thing, if the GM is good. On one hand, ignorance can let IC confusion and fear slip over to the player ("How is he doing that?" "I do not know, his magics are strange to me"), which is fine as long as the player knows what he's doing with his character points. On the other hand, digging for every possible advantage sounds a lot like the archetypal wizard.

There needs to be both low cost and high cost magic. This is something that the first point enables. On the one hand, you want players to have to sacrifice to obtain real power. On the other hand, you want small, subtle magic to give them that mysterious flavor. So give them a constant trickle of power with little cost, and then make them pay heavily for the rest.

You need to make them feel the cost of their magic. The standard GURPS way to do that is to charge character points, either piecemeal for a permanent ability (like with create), or a lump some for a one time use of something (like a supernatural favor). That's a sound plan, but there's an even older tradition of giving out limited use quest rewards, often in place of cash. Don't let most of it be available on the open market, price notwithstanding, that simply ruins the feeling. The Dreamleaf, the boon of the lady of the pines, and the charms cut from monsters skins are all examples.

Add texture. This should be obvious, but it's important. A wizard's staff is boring, a lightning-struck half-staff is cool. Small details and flourishes go a long way to make things memorable. This has some nice tips. Providing that is largely the GM's job, but when the players are eager to provide their own texture, great things happen.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Fwibos

Do you mean Assisting Spirits p90, or "Shamanism as Powers" p 207?

Maybe Mortals with Supernatural Servants (p209)? That sounds right to me.

The one with the actual character in it. He has something like 4 indidivual servant spirits, some as Allies, one as Patron, one that the writer thinks best represented by a Contact Group.

[Anaraxes]

Color is separate from mechanics. You can always add color to the mechanics. That's what players and GMs are supposed to do, and it's a large part of the fun (for me, anyway).

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Color is separate from mechanics. You can always add color to the mechanics. That's what players and GMs are supposed to do, and it's a large part of the fun (for me, anyway).

Right...the fiddly system details are like the sidelines and end zones of a football field...they define the field...but the players and the refs make the game (whether an epic classic or a yawner of a blowout).

Played for years with pretty much the base magic systems with orders (ie styles) for the last 20 yrs. Seen mages played poorly from a tactical viewpoint, mages with the dramatic range of a broken daisy air rifle, and with the mystery of a Law + Order episode (ie zip).

The color and drama mostly comes from the player within the scope the GM allows. If you have figured out who the role (PC) you the player have written for yourself then you can have fun with it.

Tactics are well and good but there is more to a good game than body count!

Benevelont Fortune Upon You.
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