Random Mana Levels

[Bruno]

I'm in the planning phase for a DF game (tentatively slated for a 6-12 month run). One of the things I'm thinking about is mana levels. I'm absent minded, and a little lazy. I don't really feel like plotting out the mana level for every area in my game, and I suspect I'll default to Normal (or possibly Low if I'm in a bad mood) unless I have some other guideline worked out in advance.

So I'm working one out in advance!

mlangsdorf uses a random table of some kind to determine mana levels on an encounter-by-encounter basis, which is I think a great idea. He rolls on his table, and whatever comes up is the current level.

The issue is that it makes for some slightly more erratic results than I want for my game; I'm going for a more tidal metaphor (changeable and powerful but systematic) than magic as a chaotic force. I like the simplicity of a random table as compared to using a 26 hour tide chart or something like that, but I think there's space between the two extremes.

Please, comment, share your own versions, etc!

The track of mana levels is

• Low (-6)
• Low (-3)
• Normal
• High (+3 to skill for mages, spellcasting allowed for nonmages)
• High (+6 for mages, +3 for nonmages)

To determine mana level for an encounter, roll 2d6:
2- 5 Mana leve moves "away" from Normal. (28% chance)
6- 8 Mana level stays the same. (44% chance)
9-12 Mana level moves "towards" Normal. (28% chance)

Away and Towards:
Mana levels ebb and flow with the movements of the sundered Titan Mesos' shed blood through the deep underground. The game will start at Normal and with "away" set in the upward direction. The first time I roll "Away", it will go up one level on the track. Once random die rolls return the Mana level to Normal, "away" will be pointed downward. Then once it returns to Normal again, "away" will be upward again.

Very Low (-10) and No mana areas are as rare as Very High, Wild, and Twisted mana areas, and all of the above will be area specific terrain hazards, not random results. With specifications that vary from location to location, usually - halve or quarter range penalties (or double or tripple them), energy refunds or increases, Like magic circles and traps in D&D4e, they'll usually be restricted to small clusters of hexes.

Aspects are, on the other hand, a long term large area effect - "Mana levels are +1/-1 on the track for Fire/Water spells in the Volcano Caverns" with a note on what happens IN THIS REGION to affected spells if it drops it off the top or bottom of the track. "Treat as No Mana" and "Treat as "Very High" mana may be the default assumptions, but I reserve the right to get creative.

Perception-based Thaumatology rolls can be used to figure out details like the local Aspect and the effect of extreme mana levels on aspected magics.

What's an "encounter"?
Basically, at any time where it matters what the exact local mana is, usually because someone's thinking of casting a spell or using a magic item. Usually this happens when encountering just about anything out of "town" (thus the term Encounter) but PCs using spells around camp or while travelling to make their lives easier will provoke a roll before a given activity - "Setting up camp" will set the mana for all spells cast while setting up camp and conjuring food for the night, "breaking camp" if magically assisted would be another "encounter".

I'll roll on a day-to-day basis while adventurers are "in town" (or in any other situation where they keep things quiet for 24 hours or more).

Yes, this does mean that doing more stuff will result in mana changing more often. Stirring up Mesos' blood has that effect... and others...

Spell Skill, Casting Times, Energy Reduction
The usual GURPS rules on spell casting times and costs and cost reductions will be in force, but spell costs can be reduced to a minimum of 1, not 0 (weird local mana conditions can modify this).
Mana level bonuses and penalties DO affect where on the skill chart you are - High mana benefits mages with cheaper faster spells. Recover Energy will be tweaked to be based entirely on effective skill rather than environmental levels, I'm working on that.

I'm still debating ritual requirements - I'm thinking using skill penalties for those rather than making them a "free" bonus of high skill. I really like the image of wizards chanting and making mystical gestures.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I'm in the planning phase for a DF game (tentatively slated for a 6-12 month run). One of the things I'm thinking about is mana levels. I'm absent minded, and a little lazy. I don't really feel like plotting out the mana level for every area in my game, and I suspect I'll default to Normal (or possibly Low if I'm in a bad mood) unless I have some other guideline worked out in advance.

So I'm working one out in advance!

mlangsdorf uses a random table of some kind to determine mana levels on an encounter-by-encounter basis, which is I think a great idea. He rolls on his table, and whatever comes up is the current level.

The issue is that it makes for some slightly more erratic results than I want for my game; I'm going for a more tidal metaphor (changeable and powerful but systematic) than magic as a chaotic force. I like the simplicity of a random table as compared to using a 26 hour tide chart or something like that, but I think there's space between the two extremes.

Please, comment, share your own versions, etc!

The track of mana levels is

• Low (-6)
• Low (-3)
• Normal
• High (+3 to skill for mages, spellcasting allowed for nonmages)
• High (+6 for mages, +3 for nonmages)

To determine mana level for an encounter, roll 2d6:
2- 5 Mana leve moves "away" from Normal. (28% chance)
6- 8 Mana level stays the same. (44% chance)
9-12 Mana level moves "towards" Normal. (28% chance)

Away and Towards:
Mana levels ebb and flow with the movements of the sundered Titan Mesos' shed blood through the deep underground. The game will start at Normal and with "away" set in the upward direction. The first time I roll "Away", it will go up one level on the track. Once random die rolls return the Mana level to Normal, "away" will be pointed downward. Then once it returns to Normal again, "away" will be upward again.

Very Low (-10) and No mana areas are as rare as Very High, Wild, and Twisted mana areas, and all of the above will be area specific terrain hazards, not random results. With specifications that vary from location to location, usually - halve or quarter range penalties (or double or tripple them), energy refunds or increases, Like magic circles and traps in D&D4e, they'll usually be restricted to small clusters of hexes.

Aspects are, on the other hand, a long term large area effect - "Mana levels are +1/-1 on the track for Fire/Water spells in the Volcano Caverns" with a note on what happens IN THIS REGION to affected spells if it drops it off the top or bottom of the track. "Treat as No Mana" and "Treat as "Very High" mana may be the default assumptions, but I reserve the right to get creative.

Perception-based Thaumatology rolls can be used to figure out details like the local Aspect and the effect of extreme mana levels on aspected magics.

What's an "encounter"?
Basically, at any time where it matters what the exact local mana is, usually because someone's thinking of casting a spell or using a magic item. Usually this happens when encountering just about anything out of "town" (thus the term Encounter) but PCs using spells around camp or while travelling to make their lives easier will provoke a roll before a given activity - "Setting up camp" will set the mana for all spells cast while setting up camp and conjuring food for the night, "breaking camp" if magically assisted would be another "encounter".

I'll roll on a day-to-day basis while adventurers are "in town" (or in any other situation where they keep things quiet for 24 hours or more).

Yes, this does mean that doing more stuff will result in mana changing more often. Stirring up Mesos' blood has that effect... and others...

Spell Skill, Casting Times, Energy Reduction
The usual GURPS rules on spell casting times and costs and cost reductions will be in force, but spell costs can be reduced to a minimum of 1, not 0 (weird local mana conditions can modify this).
Mana level bonuses and penalties DO affect where on the skill chart you are - High mana benefits mages with cheaper faster spells. Recover Energy will be tweaked to be based entirely on effective skill rather than environmental levels, I'm working on that.

I'm still debating ritual requirements - I'm thinking using skill penalties for those rather than making them a "free" bonus of high skill. I really like the image of wizards chanting and making mystical gestures.

First at all, great idea! I would try to see if they can squeeze it in the Odds and Ends or Appendix Z section of Pyramid (with a little more polish, and generified).

I'm stealing this for my game right now! I'll give it some polish myself, once I can give it some deep though, but for starters, I'm going to make it a 3d6 table, to add some weird and unlikely cases (Twisted, Wild,...).

[sir_pudding]

Interesting, I tend to think of Mana Levels (at least in campaigns that have them) as being geographic rather that meteorological. I rather thought that was sort of the default concept. If I were to vary anything randomly it would be Threshold.

[mlangsdorf]

The problem with geographical mana levels is as far as preparing an adventure goes, the GM never has to prepare for adventures in No or Very Low mana areas because the PCs never, ever go there. Given the choice between the Dungeon of Poorly Guarded Gold Chests in a Low mana zone and the dreaded Fens of Despair in a normal mana zone, the PCs will pack swamp boot just about every time.

On the other hand, if mana (and/or sanctity) change on a not terribly predictable pattern, the PCs have to cope with the low mana when it shows up. The mage PC probably doesn't want to go into the Badlands of Twisted Magic, and that's reasonable and probably okay, but she can't guarantee that her magical skills are always going to be working at top notch.


For what it's worth, I think Bruno's ideas here are pretty good, though I'd probably go with a 3d6 table and have things change on anything but a 10 or 11. Something like this:

3, 4            Moves 3 steps toward normal
5, 6            Moves 2 steps toward normal
7, 8, 9        Moves 1 step toward normal
10, 11        Stays the same
12, 13, 14   Moves 1 step away from normal
15, 16        Moves 2 steps away from normal
17, 18        Moves 3 steps away from normal

I like 3d6 for GURPS charts.

[Bruno]

A thought - the way my original table is set up, mana levels will be inclined, on the whole, to hang out around Normal. "Towards" normal, when you're at Normal, would produce "Normal" again.

When you're away from Normal, there's a 56% chance of the mana level changing. When you're AT Normal, there's only a 28% chance of the mana level changing.

I'm still thinking about whether I want that or not.

I'm also trying to write a computer algorithm now so I can test different probability breakdowns but I'm having problems with the "Away" and "towards" stuff :D

[Corlock Striker]

I rather like this set up and am probably going to make use of it myself. Though, I think I'll use the proposed 3d6 chart.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

The problem with geographical mana levels is as far as preparing an adventure goes, the GM never has to prepare for adventures in No or Very Low mana areas because the PCs never, ever go there. Given the choice between the Dungeon of Poorly Guarded Gold Chests in a Low mana zone and the dreaded Fens of Despair in a normal mana zone, the PCs will pack swamp boot just about every time.

I guess I tend to run more quest oriented games, then. If the Ruby of the Cosmic Dragon's Eye of Doom is in the Dungeon of Poorly Guarded Gold Chests, well that's where the players go (or I suppose not, but then we get into all kinds of fun "Refusal at the Threshold of Adventure" stuff, and you end up with a monster for a step-son).

Furthermore I don't have a problem varying it over small areas. The entire dungeon might not have no mana but the ring around the Elemental Containment Cells will, and the Chapel of the Evil One will be cursed, you bet.

[Darekun]

Originally Posted by Bruno

A thought - the way my original table is set up, mana levels will be inclined, on the whole, to hang out around Normal. "Towards" normal, when you're at Normal, would produce "Normal" again.

Reading it, I had assumed "towards" would simply be the reverse of "away" when at Normal.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I'm also trying to write a computer algorithm now so I can test different probability breakdowns but I'm having problems with the "Away" and "towards" stuff :D

Personally, I would've done it as something closer to the tide chart, with simply some chance of going "forwards" a step. That would define a "backwards" you could use if you wanted. Say 1d, 1=move backwards, 2-4=stay, 5-6=move forwards.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Darekun

Reading it, I had assumed "towards" would simply be the reverse of "away" when at Normal.

Hmmm, not a bad way of doing it.

Originally Posted by Darekun

Personally, I would've done it as something closer to the tide chart, with simply some chance of going "forwards" a step. That would define a "backwards" you could use if you wanted. Say 1d, 1=move backwards, 2-4=stay, 5-6=move forwards.

This appeals to me as then I can just use a sine function. Sines are so tidy :D

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Bruno

This appeals to me as then I can just use a sine function. Sines are so tidy :D

Oooh... I so want to do a game where Threshold is a function of sine. Too bad it won't work in Desolation Road, where Threshold represents reality resistance and is mostly constant.