Wednesday 4 May 2016

Spell Componants and Magic Revisions

Component types
These are the basic elements of spell casting any spell. All spells also require the mind of the magician to concentrate to then use the components. Some magicians learn proficiency to not require a specific component, eliminating all and just use their mind. Componants are more about fun of magicians showing off their props more in play and for use in descriptions. Even a chance to be creative on the fly.

Components mostly are prepared and ready to cast. Visual and audio components happen after the spell is released.

Ritual
Requires at least ten minite ritual and can last days, used to enchant and make long lasting magic. Some do specific strange things but summoning and enchanting and divination requires it. Combat magic does not use rituals and can be cast in one round.

Gesture
Requires ablility to move hands and body or dance and make expressions

Spoken
Requires ability to speak, chant, ryme, talk backwards, pun, sing or call apon a great power

Visual
Spell is visible in effect often creating light and beams of power, auroras tend to come from the caster to the target. Abjure visual makes spells invisible to non magic eyes

Audio
Spell makes noise that is distinctive. Abjure Audio makes spells silent

Time
Combat spell takes either a few moments like a weapon attack but go off in the casters initiative in the magic phase. If struck in this time caster requires a concentration save with INT or INT. A non combat spell usually takes a whole round and effects happen last in the round and into subsequent rounds if spell has duration. You can learn quick draw spell proficiency for a single spell at a time. Abjure Time proficiency puts your action before spell phase unless other casters also have this ability. Rituals require ten minutes minimum. It lets you cast one round spell in normal combat magic phase.

Material
Foci -
Consumables -
Requires some item specific to that type of magician. Specific spells may demand specific things. Some require token goods that are consumed in casting or sacrificed like a drop of holy water or come rat whiskers or holy herbs. Some require a foci object like a staff or a holy symbol or a druid sickle. When being subtle or non threatening a priest will use expendable componant idf they dont wish to show of their foci. Prices get higher with level. Stripping casters of materials can limit them but a good magician can improvise with alternate materials.  Materials often kept pre packed in small bags and guild sell them. There are many skill proficiency that can be used to limit material shortages. Some sympathy between the target and the powers called upon are evoked in the material. Link like a legend, material, colour, doll or even just rhyming on linguistic word games could be associated in a spell. Quickdraw Foci could be a handy proficiency too. Necromancers and others use living sacrifice for spell materials.

Magician Types
Any who can cast a spell is a magician

Spells come in several distinctive lists

Spell lists
Arcane used by Wizards and Sorcerers
Divine used by Priests
Nature used by Druids
Mentalist used by exotic types

Bards and spell casting races can choose any one type of magician style for casting and spell list, but have own spell progression which is slightly worse than the specialists.

Im thinking of creating elven sub race spell lists and bard school lists (one generic list to start - pyrobards later). These could steal spells from various lists into new single specific one. Also explain elves cultural links to each spell list. Possibly choosing a elf spell list defines your breed. Lotsa interesting consequences of this.

Casting Styles
These styles dictate how a caster regains spell use, what they start with and how they gain new spells when advancing levels. Some classes can pick a difference spell list and pick a diferent casting style. Druid spell list but use sorcery style casting. Elf sub types for example.

Wizards pre learn spells from 8 hours rest and spellbook study
start with 4 zero level cantrips and 4 zero level spells in their book with room for 4 more
get two spells to choose from per level from common Arcane list

Divine pre learn spells through 8 hours deep prayer
can choose any spells from common lists

Sorcery can expend spell energy points to cast any spell they know after 8 hours trance
start with 4 zero and two first level spells you know
get one new spel known per level
every second level they can swap a known spell for a new one

Wizards
Foci - Staff, dagger, wand, jewelry
Consumables - exotic animal parts, minerals, ritualy prepared potions, wizard corpse dust,

Sorcerers
Foci - Staff, dagger, jewelry, clothing, gems, gold, seals, crystals
Consumables - drugs, foods, fancy silk scarves, ribbons, glass beads, calligraphy scrolls, tiny artworks, incense, aromatic oils, gem dust, sorcerer corpse dust, animal or human sacrifice

Priest
Foci - staff, rod, holy symbol, regalia, banner, holy weapon, jewelry, book, scroll, relic
Consumables - holy water, holy oil, saint corpse dust, animal or human sacrifice

Druid
Foci - Staff, rod, wand, dagger, sickle, fetish, cauldrion, torc, jewelry, amber medalion, sacred animal
Consumables - herbs, drugs, animal or human sacrifice, amber dust, smoke, incense, dried elf or goblinoid blood, spores, seeds, acorns, pinecones, fruit, berries, vines, eggs

Witch
Foci - Staff, rod, wand , dagger, sicle, cauldron, skull, book, sacred animal, domestic tool
Consumables - herbs, drugs, exotic minerals, burn or destroy goods, dolls, body parts, witch corpse dust

Alchemist (materialists)
Foci - mini furnace, philosophers stone, staff, wand, knife, cup, bottle, crucible,
Consumables - potion, dust, ointment, drugs, incense, mineral dust, metal, gem dust

Mystic (magic cult agents, mostly mentalists)
Foci - staff, dagger, sword, pole arm, spear, robe, belt, shoes, jewelry
Consumables - drugs, crystal dust, fungi spores, black lotus dust, calligraphy scrolls, small artworks

Shaman
Foci - staff, walking stick, blanket, skulls or shrunken heads, sacred bag, jewelry, drum
Consumables - ancestral corpse dust, drugs, fungi, alcohol, sacrifice goods or living,,

Elves
Foci -bow or spear or dagger or a gem as a foci
Consumables - herbs, gem dust, drugs, tea, leaves, bugs, berries, fungi

Bard
Foci - instrument or clothing
Consumables - alcohol, food, tears, bugs, herbs, coins

Gnome
Foci - tool, gem or weapon
Consumables - herbs, gem dust, bugs, tea, eggs, bark, stones, nuts, berries, seeds

Consumable material components cost
0 lv Cantrip materials usualy free and common like hair or nail clippings
1st lv 1cp

2nd lv 1sp or 
3rd lv 1ep or 10sp
4th lv 1gp or 20sp
5th lv 5gp or 1pp
6th lv 50gp
7th lv 100gp
8th lv 1000gp
9th lv 1000 000gp

Foci for material components cost
0 lv Cantrip 1sp
1st lv 1gp

2nd lv 1pp or 5gp
3rd lv 50gp
4th lv 500gp
5th lv 1000gp
6th lv 10 000gp
7th lv 100 000gp
8th lv 1000 000gp
9th lv 10 000 000gp

This opens up a bunch of weirdness for my magic classes
Will play with elf and bard spell list with a psychon version
Basically planning to rewrite and simplify some stuff
A big a3 spread skill list will help with separate descriptions
The character class spreads i did with spells and level benefits helped lots
Then rebuild character classes with example sub types so new players can jump in much faster
I wrote my original rules when sick over weeks and don't see me getting time like that again
3 hour bus rides twice a week is cool though for writing

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love and welcome feedback but not spambots
Good feedback and suggestions inspire me to write more