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I'm looking to expand on the spells available under the Magic Powers system in BRP. Are any of the spells available in Basic Magic or Runequest equal in power level to the Magic spells in BRP? I mean can I just grab some Spirit Magic spells and mix them with BRP Magic spells? Or would spells from those books require some major adjustments to balance them with the Magic spells in BRP? I'm mostly looking for divine spells (I'm planning on using the Magic Powers system for both arcane magic and divine magic), but I've heard the divine spells in Basic Magic/Runequest are really powerful. Is there a way to balance them with BRP Magic, or is there another set of spells that are already balanced with BRP Magic I could use as divine spells?

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I'm looking to expand on the spells available under the Magic Powers system in BRP. Are any of the spells available in Basic Magic or Runequest equal in power level to the Magic spells in BRP? I mean can I just grab some Spirit Magic spells and mix them with BRP Magic spells? Or would spells from those books require some major adjustments to balance them with the Magic spells in BRP? I'm mostly looking for divine spells (I'm planning on using the Magic Powers system for both arcane magic and divine magic), but I've heard the divine spells in Basic Magic/Runequest are really powerful. Is there a way to balance them with BRP Magic, or is there another set of spells that are already balanced with BRP Magic I could use as divine spells?

Hmmm

Spirit Magic from RuneQuest(RQ) is broadly equivalent to SORCERY in BRP, so you can port any spells you like ALMOST right across

Divine Magic from RQ is about twice as powerful as Spirit Magic. I used the RQ Divine Magic spells as 'templates' when I wanted to add more spells to the magic system in Elric! (which is where BRP SORCERY came from) by simply doubling the POW cost from RQ and calling this the Magic Point (or Power point) cost, so this should likewise be simple

Fitting either Spirit or Divine spells to BRP MAGIC is a little more work. As the BRP MAGIC (as opposed to SORCERY system) is a lot more flexible than either of those.

IIWY I'd look at the Spirit and/or Divine spells for 'ooh that's clever' ideas but stat up the new spell from scratch looking to the existing MAGIC spells for your inspiration.

Al

Rule Zero: Don't be on fire

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Spirit Magic from RuneQuest(RQ) is broadly equivalent to SORCERY in BRP, so you can port any spells you like ALMOST right across

I keep seeing people say this (you are not the first by far, Al), but I don't see it. :confused:

Sorcery is cast automatically with no die roll. Spirit magic has a percentage chance to cast it equal to POWx5% less ENC, so the casting chance is quite low.

Sorcery spells are cast from a Grimoire. No grimoire is required for spirit magic.

Sorcery can be learned from a found grimoire, scholarly research, a teacher, or the knowledge of the spell can be placed in the memory by a supreme being. Spirit magic can only be learned by entering spirit combat with a spirit and forcing it to teach you the spell.

Sorcery lasts POW combat rounds. Spirit magic lasts a fixed 25 combat rounds (or 5 minutes).

Variable sorcery spells are truly variable (knowing Sorcerer's Razor allows you to cast all 4 levels), but spirit magic spells are not necessarily so (knowing Bladesharp 1 does not allow you to cast Bladesharp 2).

Sorcery spells causing damage (eg. Sorcerer's Razor) cause 1 point of damage per spell. Spirit magic spells causing damage (ie. Bladesharp) cause 1 point of damage per spells AND give +10% to hit.

The spells available are quite different.

There is a religious aspect to spirit magic that sorcery doesn't have.

That's a lot of differences! I would have said that Sorcery had more in common with Divine magic, but I keep hearing people say it's almost the same as Spirit Magic. Can somebody explain this to me, please? In what way is BRP Sorcery like spirit magic?

Thanks :)

"Tell me what you found, not what you lost" Mesopotamian proverb

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I keep seeing people say this (you are not the first by far, Al), but I don't see it. :confused:

Sorcery is cast automatically with no die roll. Spirit magic has a percentage chance to cast it equal to POWx5% less ENC, so the casting chance is quite low.

This however is an RQIII-ism - in RQII, there was no casting chance for Spirit Magic (Battle Magic as it was then known). Plus, like Sorcery spells, BM/SM spells have either a fixed power point cost of a few points, or can be cast with a limited variable range (1-3, 1-4 power points), very like BM/SM variable spells.

Most people familiar with RQII saw the Elric! spell system (which is what BRP Sorcery is based on) and immediately recognised that it had significant similarities to RQII Battle magic - and many such people ran RQIII Spirit magic more like RQII Battle magic anyway...

As for adding spells to Sorcery, if you can track down a copy of the Elric! supplement the Bronze Grimoire it's a pretty much the perfect extension to BRP Sorcery (as it was to Elric!'s magic system...).

Cheers,

Nick

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As for adding spells to Sorcery, if you can track down a copy of the Elric! supplement the Bronze Grimoire it's a pretty much the perfect extension to BRP Sorcery (as it was to Elric!'s magic system...).

Cheers,

Nick

Actually, I'm looking to add spells to BRP Magic. I've split the list of spells into three lists; one list for spells available to both arcane and divine spellcasters, one list for spells only available to arcane spellcasters, and the third list for spells only available to divine spellcasters. So far the only Divine-only spell from the list is Heal. I was thinking of converting some spells from the divine spell list in Basic Magic to use with the BRP Magic system (divination, regrow limb, restore characteristic, resurrect, sanctify, and soul sight) so the divine list has more than just one spell on it. I'm also looking at other types of spells to see if there are any I can add to the three lists. The priest character in my campaign will worship a God of the forge, patron of dwarves and gnomes, master of fire, earth, and creation. The spells on the divine list will be a mix of healing, fire, earth, and items spells (dull, sharpen, seal, unseal), so I'm trying to find more of those kinds of spells, especially ones that arcane casters wouldn't have access to.

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Soo... if I'm getting this right, it's not that BRP Sorcery is like Spirit Magic, it's that BRP Sorcery is like Elric Sorcery, which is similar to Battle Magic, which is kind of like Spirit Magic. And Because Spirit Magic evolved from Battle Magic and BRP Sorcery evolved from Elric magic, people who were around long enough to to have seen all these changes now say that BRP Sorcery is like Spirit Magic because they are harkening back to the old versions. Does that about cover it?

That's a bit convoluted, but it does explain the mystery, anyway!;) I never played RQ2, so I'm not familiar enough with Battle Magic to see the relationship.

The Bronze Grimoire is an excellent book, so I'll second that suggestion as a source for spell inspiration. Also, Tywyll is currently working on a BRP Grimoire monograph which will have more spells for all of the magic systems. Not sure when that will be available, though, but it is progressing.

"Tell me what you found, not what you lost" Mesopotamian proverb

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Actually, I'm looking to add spells to BRP Magic. I've split the list of spells into three lists; one list for spells available to both arcane and divine spellcasters, one list for spells only available to arcane spellcasters, and the third list for spells only available to divine spellcasters. So far the only Divine-only spell from the list is Heal. I was thinking of converting some spells from the divine spell list in Basic Magic to use with the BRP Magic system (divination, regrow limb, restore characteristic, resurrect, sanctify, and soul sight) so the divine list has more than just one spell on it. I'm also looking at other types of spells to see if there are any I can add to the three lists. The priest character in my campaign will worship a God of the forge, patron of dwarves and gnomes, master of fire, earth, and creation. The spells on the divine list will be a mix of healing, fire, earth, and items spells (dull, sharpen, seal, unseal), so I'm trying to find more of those kinds of spells, especially ones that arcane casters wouldn't have access to.

I just finished volume 1 of Sword & Spell a whole five minutes ago (still needs layout and I have no clue on that but thats another story). Anyway, in Sword & Spell I use only BRP magic and divided all 30 spells up into cleric, mage, and druid spells. Then on top of that I added over 100 new magic spells to the system. I'm sure its still a ways from release, but when it is it should be helpful.

Rod

Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info

"D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20"

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I just finished volume 1 of Sword & Spell a whole five minutes ago (still needs layout and I have no clue on that but thats another story). Anyway, in Sword & Spell I use only BRP magic and divided all 30 spells up into cleric, mage, and druid spells. Then on top of that I added over 100 new magic spells to the system. I'm sure its still a ways from release, but when it is it should be helpful.

Rod

By "a ways from release" do you mean a couple weeks? :D My campaign is starting soon and that book sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for. I may just have to use a temporary set of spells until this book comes out. I hate it when a bunch of stuff I need for a campaign wont be available until several months after the campaign is supposed to start. I've also heard there's going to be a monograph on Witchcraft that contains rules for alchemy and making potions. I'd love to have it for the start of the campaign but it's not supposed to be out until the end of the year.

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By "a ways from release" do you mean a couple weeks? :D My campaign is starting soon and that book sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for. I may just have to use a temporary set of spells until this book comes out. I hate it when a bunch of stuff I need for a campaign wont be available until several months after the campaign is supposed to start. I've also heard there's going to be a monograph on Witchcraft that contains rules for alchemy and making potions. I'd love to have it for the start of the campaign but it's not supposed to be out until the end of the year.

Sorry, The only way it will possibly come out in a couple of weeks will involve a time machine and a layout artist/editor.

The alchemy/potion rules from Witchcraft will be included in Sword & Spell as well, used with permission of course. I added about 25 new potions to the list to fit a more classic feeling high magic campaign.

There is Bigbee Fist spell write-up in the old Chaos & Catacombs (the original name for Sword & Spell) thread. Its an old version of the spell but may be of some use. Sorry I have no idea how to link to it. The thread is near the top of page three though.

Anyway, thanks for your interest. Tomorrow I promise to type faster.

Rod

Edited by threedeesix

Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info

"D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20"

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Soo... if I'm getting this right, it's not that BRP Sorcery is like Spirit Magic, it's that BRP Sorcery is like Elric Sorcery, which is similar to Battle Magic, which is kind of like Spirit Magic. And Because Spirit Magic evolved from Battle Magic and BRP Sorcery evolved from Elric magic, people who were around long enough to to have seen all these changes now say that BRP Sorcery is like Spirit Magic because they are harkening back to the old versions. Does that about cover it?

That's one reading. I'm not sure that I'd agree with it though.

To me the BRP/Elric! Sorcery is a streamlined version of RQII Battle Magic/Spirit Magic

Each spell takes up only one slot of FreeINT rather than 1 slot per point of spell

Once memorised a spell can be used. It does not also require the ownership of a spell focus.

Spells can also be cast from a grimoire (which presumably could be a focus rather than a book) rather than memorised

The maximum power of a variable spell is fixed in the description, rather than requiring (or 'requiring') an artificial limit set by the GM.

Duration is Pow in rounds rather than fixed but that rule could be swapped easily between the systems (I use Pow in rounds with RQ Spirit/Battle Magic)

The chance to cast is now automatic rather than requring a Luck roll but that again can be swapped between the two systems

All of the changes are global changes and so SPELLS can be taken from one system to the other completely painlessly

The actual spells map VERY closely

And the cost for an effect is VERY similar (the only ones I can think of which are particularly different are the weapon enhancement spells which in BRP/Elric! do not improve your chance to hit and cannot take rolled damage above maximum rollable damage)

So I can slot Disruption, Firearrow, Fireblade and many others straight into BRP/Elric! or Cloak of Cran Liret straight into RQ

The Bronze Grimoire is an excellent book, so I'll second that suggestion as a source for spell inspiration. .

Agreed and if you want flash bang type spells then the Demonic abilities in BG and Elric! are all based on a similar Power Point economy and can be ported over easy as.

Al

Edited by Al.
Incompetent use of quote tags

Rule Zero: Don't be on fire

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