Alternate Mana Level Names

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Fortunately for you, Least of Spells is just a supplement that doesn't force you to use it. It was written to suit some settings, not all of them, and those settings are outlined in the introduction. An example is a setting where everybody can cast spells, but where magic is not as strong and easy to use as would be implied by high mana.

So if you have a problem with the idea of non-mages casting spells in normal mana... don't use that supplement! Supplements are optional.

Or just don't use the "anybody can use these spells" part of it - and if you want there to be characters who can only use those, you could make access to those spells alone just a Perk (equivalent to Magery 0 with a -80% Limitation), or just give most non-mage characters a Quirk that means they cannot use the Least Spells (and doesn't count against any Quirk limits).

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by maximara

Such a shame Least of Spells took a sledge hammer to non-mages cannot cast spells in normal mana (Normal Mana: Anyone who knows IQ/A spells can cast them. All the rules for magic work normally, unless specifically
excepted for IQ/A spells"). ;-)

Least of Spells needless to say is a recent entrant and wasn't even dreamed of when the effects of mana levels were initially set. I hadn't heard that it offered spellcasting to non-mages. The thought occurs to me, however that since you have it, it's surprising that you didn't mention it in with regard to the percentage of spellcasters in Yrth.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Least of Spells needless to say is a recent entrant and wasn't even dreamed of when the effects of mana levels were initially set. I hadn't heard that it offered spellcasting to non-mages. The thought occurs to me, however that since you have it, it's surprising that you didn't mention it in with regard to the percentage of spellcasters in Yrth.

Mainly as I doubt that Least of Spells on its own would explain why there are twice as many wizards as mages on Yrth per Fantasy's 1e errata for P. 51. Of course Voodoo and Spirits didn't involve mana but Fantasy shows that mana can refer to spirits being able to respond to the wizard's desires rather an energy they tap into. A GM could even say that these are actually two forms of mana that aren't compatible with each other as far as mages go.

Blessed (can cast spells as if mage) is the easiest way to address this in both Classic and 4e terms.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by maximara

Mainly as I doubt that Least of Spells on its own would explain why there are twice as many wizards as mages on Yrth

Honestly, given the number of people who dabble in spells that don't work in real life if you allowed Least Spells in Yrth, that would probably be an underestimate.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by maximara

Blessed (can cast spells as if mage) is the easiest way to address this in both Classic and 4e terms.

Well, apart from the fact that Yrth is supposed to be an a-theistic (but not atheistic, since religions are present) setting, even with the presence of Mystics. Mind you, 'Mystic that has a Limited Magery advantage' is a plausible way to explain it that doesn't require the Blessed advantage to explain it, while still allowing them to not be born as mages.

[sir_pudding]

Changing "Low" because it's a misnomer for the most common environment to "Rare" is an interesting choice.

[Inky]

I suppose meaning that mana is rare in the parallel, not that the parallel is rare among parallels. Although "rare" makes it sound as if there's mana in only a few places in the parallel, rather than that the whole parallel has mana but at a low level.

I'd have thought that just renaming "Normal" to "Medium" and leaving the rest alone would work, if you want to make it make sense as a thing that people would say IC.

But if you leave them how they are, I suppose you could account for it by saying that Infinity got this classification from a wizard who was from a Normal Mana parallel and therefore used that as his/her standard of "normal mana", and by the time they realised that the level the wizard was calling "normal mana" was statistically quite abnormal, they were stuck with it.

[shawnhcorey]

Speaking of name changes, I didn't like mana so I decided to call it stardusk.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

Speaking of name changes, I didn't like mana so I decided to call it stardusk.

Mana's alright but I've considered renaming it "vril" for a Space setting that redoes standard Magic as being more Psi/The Force like.

There'd be "vril crystals" and you'd need a separate crystal for every spell/discipline you had in effect. There actually wouldn't be different levels of vril as it's a truly 'cosmic" force (except maybe at one really special place).

[maximara]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Changing "Low" because it's a misnomer for the most common environment to "Rare" is an interesting choice.

If you think that is confusing, GURPS terms for High and Low Fantasy are the opposite of what would first come to mind.

High Fantasy is where magic is highly is distributed unevenly concentrated in gods, other mythic beings, or in a handful of artifacts.

Low Fantasy by contrast is the standard D&D like world where wizards and magic items abound.

Low Magic as GURPS defines it, is home remedy magic that anybody might pick up, without systematic formal study, and used in everyday life or emergencies.