Anyone want a new ritual magic system?

[rpgstarwizard]

By the time you list all the effects, costs, and sources, along with how you access the source and how you combine effects, that's already pretty complex. Can it be any less complex? Is it already too complex to be interesting/useful?

[GianniVacca]

OK, I've found what I was looking for. Simple and brilliant: Mythic Russia, Ritual Magic (p96-98).

Now to BRPise and to Sinicise it.

[rust]

Simple and brilliant: Mythic Russia, Ritual Magic (p96-98).

Just to make sure - you mean this one here ?

Mythic Russia Homepage (Firebird)

[GianniVacca]

Just to make sure - you mean this one here ?

Mythic Russia Homepage (Firebird)

I do.

[rust]

I do.

Thank you for the information, I will try to find someone who has it.

[sdavies2720]

OK, I've found what I was looking for. Simple and brilliant: Mythic Russia, Ritual Magic (p96-98).

Now to BRPise and to Sinicise it.

Darn, out of stock and no pdf yet.

Reading the description, it looks to be HeroQuest-based, so is the ritual magic section similarly narrative in playing style?

[sdavies2720]

I see what you are saying. How many rolls, would it be better to be just a narrative. Of course if you use a series of rolls, the chance of making a fumble is increased making the magic more...interesting. The idea of "you missed a spot" becomes very important.

Magic in gaming is...simple. Pay the points, point the finger, maybe make an opposed roll.

Yeah, my interest has been in having a system that can be more than that--more flexible and more interesting.

This discussion has been really interesting. I asked the original question because I did have a sense that whatever ultimately emerged from my efforts would be...fussy.

It's been really helpful to hear thoughts so far. Fun is key, and I don't think that most of my players would want to bother with this stuff. I do have one that would though. But, there'd have to be some 'payoff' to him as a player and for his character for doing the extra work beyond 'point, expend power, do your damage.'

Old Chivalry & Sorcery had a system where spells got condensed over time, allowing them to be cast faster (and I think more cheaply). If that sort of capability were included, would that change their appeal for anyone?

Edited December 1, 2009 by sdavies2720
Nested quotes messaed up

[rust]

Old Chivalry & Sorcery had a system where spells got condensed over time, allowing them to be cast faster (and I think more cheaply). If that sort of capability were included, would that change their appeal for anyone?

Not for me - as I use magic with Call of Cthulhu only, faster and cheaper ma-

gic would not fit my view of the setting's "feel", where magic should instead

be complicated and dangerous.

[GianniVacca]

Reading the description, it looks to be HeroQuest-based, so is the ritual magic section similarly narrative in playing style?

Well... It does have a nice table and a whole list of modifiers, so it's pretty 'exportable' to other gaming systems.

[Nightshade]

Not for me - as I use magic with Call of Cthulhu only, faster and cheaper ma-

gic would not fit my view of the setting's "feel", where magic should instead

be complicated and dangerous.

And I don't think it'd help with the people who found it not worth the trouble; they'd still have to stick with it long enough for the spells to compress.

(As an aside, this was a problem a lot of people had about C&S years ago; putting together a mage and playing them was too much trouble. I can't speak for more recent editions).

[p_clapham]

I've been thinking about what I'd want mechanics wise for a ritual magic system. Depending on what my free time looks like this winter break I may end up detailing it a bit. I pretty much it down like this.

Ritual magic consists of spells / enchantments / hexes / what have you, that take an extended amount of time to cast. They often require certain ingredients, a link to the target, and sometimes multiple casters. Mechanics wise I divide the creation and casting of ritual magic into three catagories.

1) Ritual Effect

What the spell does exactly. Ultimatly this is what I would use to define the cost and difficulty of the spell. Right now I'm calling them levels of Intensity. For each one a 1mp cost and -10% difficulty is applied to the relevant ritual magic roll.

2) Ritual Requirments

What is needed to cast the ritual. This would include the time needed to cast the spell, ingredients, participants and unfortunate side effects. For each Level of Requirment, a -10% penalty is taken off from the Effect Penalty.

3) Ritual Modifiers

While Effect and Requirments are fixed aspects of the Ritual. Modifiers are variable in either direction. These can range from the caster being impaired in some way, to the rite being cast at a ausicious or inaspicious time.

If folks are interested. The books that I drew the ideas for this were: Gurps Spirits / Voodoo, Buffy The Magic Box, and MRQ Lankhmar rpg.