What Makes a Great Magic System?

whswhs · 10-29-2015, 11:48 PM

My favorite of the GURPS magic systems is actually Path and Book magic. I'm using it in my current fantasy campaign. It goes well with the idea that magic is a process of negotiation with the spirits that inhabit an area.

I ran a campaign in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, using the rules for making up spells as the basis for a set of rules for improvising spells. It did really well at inventing magical effects on the spot, and quite captured the feel of the source.

I ran a campaign of Mage: The Ascension, and found True Magick to be a brilliant system for improvised magic, one that gave the sense that mages were borderline superhumans.

I've always wanted to try out the rather academic system in Ars Magica, but I've never had any luck talking players into signing up.

10-29-2015, 11:48 PM	#2
whswhs Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS	Re: What Makes a Great Magic System? My favorite of the GURPS magic systems is actually Path and Book magic. I'm using it in my current fantasy campaign. It goes well with the idea that magic is a process of negotiation with the spirits that inhabit an area. I ran a campaign in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, using the rules for making up spells as the basis for a set of rules for improvising spells. It did really well at inventing magical effects on the spot, and quite captured the feel of the source. I ran a campaign of Mage: The Ascension, and found True Magick to be a brilliant system for improvised magic, one that gave the sense that mages were borderline superhumans. I've always wanted to try out the rather academic system in Ars Magica, but I've never had any luck talking players into signing up. __________________ Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more.