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Old 12-08-2024, 02:04 PM   #1
Whitewings
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Default How to build a semi competent mage

The concept is simple: high IQ, high Magery, lousy at casting. Her magic either blows up in her face (harmlessly), works, but not as intended, or, very rarely actually works as intended. I’m assuming effect shaping ritual magic, but I’m not sure how best to represent the “not as intended”’part. The “blows up in her face” part is easy, just use the comedy critical failure table.
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Old 12-08-2024, 02:28 PM   #2
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: How to build a semi competent mage

I don't know about effect ritual shaping magic, but general the way to do this is to add Unreliable to your Magery, including the activation and malfunction numbers that you want. Then use the Critical Spell Failure Table whenever a malfunction occurs.
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Old 12-08-2024, 03:13 PM   #3
ravenfish
 
Join Date: May 2007
Default Re: How to build a semi competent mage

The Radically Unstable Magery limitation, on p.26 of Thaumatology, causes every failed spellcasting roll to be treated as a critical failure, and caps effective skill at 15 to keep these failures from being too rare. It nicely ensures that, succeed your rolls or fail them, spellcasting will never be boring!

EDIT: I just noticed you specified harmlessly blows up in her face. Critical failures with magic are anything but harmless, so the above may not be your best bet. I like Stormcrow's suggestion of using Unreliable to ensure a significant chance of failure irrespective of skill; I might halve the value of Unreliable if a failed roll for that limitation, rather than stopping the ability cold, creates an effect that isn't what was desired but could still potentially be useful.
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Last edited by ravenfish; 12-08-2024 at 03:19 PM.
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Old 12-09-2024, 11:52 AM   #4
Whitewings
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Default Re: How to build a semi competent mage

Quote:
Originally Posted by ravenfish View Post
Critical failures with magic are anything but harmless, so the above may not be your best bet.
That’s why I specified that critical failure results were rolled on the comedy table.
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Old 12-09-2024, 12:22 PM   #5
DeadParrot
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Default Re: How to build a semi competent mage

As a safety, give her Luck with the Aspected limitation. The Aspect relates to her critical failure rolls with magic. Roll two more times, pick the least harmful(or most entertaining(GM's choice)) failure. GM's choice on 'most entertaining' as the player may not know which choice will lead to the most entertaining result.
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Old 12-09-2024, 12:38 PM   #6
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: How to build a semi competent mage

A potential option would be to give the character high IQ and low wildtype Magery, then give her additional Magery with a Limitation of "Spells don't quite work right." Depending on the details, that Nuisance Effect could be worth anywhere from -5% to probably -20%. Both types of Magery could be modified with Radically Unstable if you want all Failures to be Critical.

Basically, if the character rolls well enough to manage the spell with only her base Magery, it works as intended. If the character doesn't roll well enough for that, but does roll well enough that the additional levels of Not-Quite-Right Magery make it a Success, then the spell works, but not quite as intended. If the character fails, you roll on the Comedy Critical Failure Table and watch as the spell explodes in her face.
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