[DF] Dragonlance

[Anders]

Has anyone made a conversion of the Dragonlance setting to Dungeon Fantasy? (I'd prefer the old 2nd edition setting rather than any of that new-fangled stuff).

Mages use "Incantation magic," which is the closest to the memorization system. The three orders of magic specialize in different magic - their knowledge of all Paths are capped by the Paths they specialize in. White robes specialize in Augury and Protection, Red robes specialize in Elementalism and Mesmerism, and Black robes specialize in Necromancy and Demonology. Mages get bonuses to spell casting and extra spell slots when their moons are in a favorable position. Bard magic is not affected by

Priests follow the gods of Good, the gods of Evil or the gods of Balance. Good priests get the standard spell list in DF. Evil priests get the Unholy priest spell list. Balance priests get their own spell list which is on a need-to-do list.

Paladins and rangers can buy access to certain spells from the priest or druid list. Knights of Solamnia get their own set of special abilities based on following the Code and the Measure.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Anders

Has anyone made a conversion of the Dragonlance setting to Dungeon Fantasy? (I'd prefer the old 2nd edition setting rather than any of that new-fangled stuff).

Mages use "Incantation magic," which is the closest to the memorization system. The three orders of magic specialize in different magic - their knowledge of all Paths are capped by the Paths they specialize in. White robes specialize in Augury and Protection, Red robes specialize in Elementalism and Mesmerism, and Black robes specialize in Necromancy and Demonology. Mages get bonuses to spell casting and extra spell slots when their moons are in a favorable position. Bard magic is not affected by

Priests follow the gods of Good, the gods of Evil or the gods of Balance. Good priests get the standard spell list in DF. Evil priests get the Unholy priest spell list. Balance priests get their own spell list which is on a need-to-do list.

Paladins and rangers can buy access to certain spells from the priest or druid list. Knights of Solamnia get their own set of special abilities based on following the Code and the Measure.

Go for emulation rather than rule to rule translation.

Memorization system can be done via "modules" of hung spells: there are a set number of points that can be allotted to spells - the wizard sets up everything - energy cost, duration, etc before hand.

Aspected Magery is something else to look into.

[khorboth]

I don't have it handy, but I did a conversion of the magic system before GURPS DF was a seperate product.

Wizards used vancian magic and had to buy Magery as part of levelled packages based on robe color. Spells were divided into levels based on PRQ and each had their own slot for vancian modular abilities. Different colleges were barred to different robe colors with a very small number being put in a new "universal" college. I believe nobody got healing, plant, or animal.

Clerics used ritual magic. Colleges were granted per god with one to three colleges getting a +1 as appropriate.

Both used threshold magic from Thaumatology. Wizards couldn't buy those advantages free-form, but only as part of the level-packages. Threshold refill rate and calamities were somewhat affected by the moons. Clerics could buy the advantages, but they didn't have the option of exceeding the threshold unless their god deemed it worthy. Otherwise, the tap was just turned off.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by khorboth

I don't have it handy, but I did a conversion of the magic system before GURPS DF was a seperate product.

Wizards used vancian magic and had to buy Magery as part of levelled packages based on robe color. Spells were divided into levels based on PRQ and each had their own slot for vancian modular abilities. Different colleges were barred to different robe colors with a very small number being put in a new "universal" college. I believe nobody got healing, plant, or animal.

Clerics used ritual magic. Colleges were granted per god with one to three colleges getting a +1 as appropriate.

Both used threshold magic from Thaumatology. Wizards couldn't buy those advantages free-form, but only as part of the level-packages. Threshold refill rate and calamities were somewhat affected by the moons. Clerics could buy the advantages, but they didn't have the option of exceeding the threshold unless their god deemed it worthy. Otherwise, the tap was just turned off.

I went for the "use as is" route because magic-users at low levels were the definition of useless and as both player and GM it drove me nuts.

I generalize what I did into "GURPS magic systems in D&D" which more geared to plugging in the various magic systems into D&D.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Anders

Mages use "Incantation magic," which is the closest to the memorization system. The three orders of magic specialize in different magic - their knowledge of all Paths are capped by the Paths they specialize in. White robes specialize in Augury and Protection, Red robes specialize in Elementalism and Mesmerism, and Black robes specialize in Necromancy and Demonology. Mages get bonuses to spell casting and extra spell slots when their moons are in a favorable position.

I don't have the Incantation Magic book(s), but I believe with RPM, your available "spell slots" (charms/conditionals) are taken up equally by minor cantrips and world-shaking spells. Personally, I kind of like the sort of narrative where mages can "run out" of prepared heavy-hitters and be down to cantrips, but RPM largely favors going big (or at least as big as you can reliably get away with) with your charms/conditionals. If you want to implement something like spell levels, you might consider having weak spells take up a fraction of a slot, while more powerful spells take up multiple slots.

[khorboth]

Originally Posted by maximara

I went for the "use as is" route because magic-users at low levels were the definition of useless and as both player and GM it drove me nuts.

I generalize what I did into "GURPS magic systems in D&D" which more geared to plugging in the various magic systems into D&D.

That's good stuff. I went with Vancian magic because I felt it captured the Dragonlance feel of "magic is hard & arbitrary because the gods say so."

I also had an eye toward running the chronicles (still on bucket list) so I wanted a big seperation between divine & arcane.

[Fred Brackin]

The last time I played through Dragonlance the important element appeared to be that all True Prophets must explode after they deliver their prophecies to the PCs.

Why? I don't know"why?" but it happened twice. Being a True Prophet probably counts as Terminally Ill.

Serendipity plays a major role. The only time we ever needed a lock picked we had just rescued 23 kender.

By all means have fun but don't sweat the mechanics.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by maximara

Go for emulation rather than rule to rule translation.

Go for GURPSifying rather than emulation or rule-to-rule translation.

Just use standard GURPS magic, and play Dragonlance in the style of GURPS. Just tweak the spell list a little if you feel it necessary, then play. Minimal work needed!

Take the usual racial templates for elves, dwarves, and so on that already exist in GURPS. Modify the halfling template to kender. Come up with a couple of others like draconians. Done.

If you wanted to play in the style of D&D, you'd play D&D! Choose GURPS to play in the style of GURPS.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Go for GURPSifying rather than emulation or rule-to-rule translation.

Just use standard GURPS magic, and play Dragonlance in the style of GURPS. Just tweak the spell list a little if you feel it necessary, then play. Minimal work needed!

I would recommend strongly trimming the spell list, because the 'utilitarian, many-small-castings' nature of GURPS magic is different from the low-magic setting.

I was a Dragonlance fan too long ago to have thoughts about what kinds of magic seem to belong in the setting, but its not the kind of setting where mages are like any other kind of artisan billing by the day.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Go for GURPSifying rather than emulation or rule-to-rule translation.

Well D&D to GURPS is closer to GURPSifying so "emulation" was likely the wrong term to use.

Originally Posted by Polydamas

I would recommend strongly trimming the spell list, because the 'utilitarian, many-small-castings' nature of GURPS magic is different from the low-magic setting.

I was a Dragonlance fan too long ago to have thoughts about what kinds of magic seem to belong in the setting, but its not the kind of setting where mages are like any other kind of artisan billing by the day.

"Low Magic" in GURPS doesn't fit what any D&D setting that I remember.

The wiki sums up Low Magic as "The magical equivalent of home remedies. It is magic that anybody might pick up, without systematic formal study, and used in everyday life or emergencies."

It is Craft Magic, Mysteries of the Trade, Oaths, and Single Spells (instinctive or learned under stress, picked up as a knack)