Illusionists (and other minor magics)

[Byron Alexander]

Just written something on illusionists similar to my thing on playing alchemists. It's available for download under GM's resources if anyone is interested. Which neatly and unsubtly brings me to...

Do you guys think there would be a market for a small booklet (or even a large book if I could do it) of low-level magic like this? Alchemists, illusionists, bards, druids etc. Specialist magic-users for low-level magic settings. I ask as part of my continuing quest to try and make some money out of this eccentric hobby of our's.

A word of warning to GMs : So far both my thing on alchemy and the rules on illusionists are not playtested. This shouldn't be a problem for alchemy but illusion magic is far more versatile so might contain game-breaking problems I have not forseen. Obviously, if I were to release such rules professionally and not for free they would be playtested.

[Puck]

I would certainly buy such a monograph.

Do not plan on quitting your day job though. Monographs do not pay very much. It will probably cost you more than you get out of it in the long run. Instead just do it because you enjoy writing them up and be glad that someone is willing to print it.

I started posting a fantasy setting idea called The Green on the websight and had a great time. I thought it would be cool to get it on the monograph line up and eventually get it in printed form. At the request of Chaosium, I took the notes down off the site and now I work on the setting in a bit of a vacuum (not as much fun). I still wonder if trying to do the monograph was the right way to go and I often wonder if I will ever finish it. The thing is, working on the Green has really given me a whole new facet to the hobby.

Anyway, if you enjoy working on the magic systems, contact Dustin at Chaosium and see what he has to say but do not plan on making a ton of money.

[Byron Alexander]

... do not plan on making a ton of money.

I long ago gave up planning to make a ton of money by writing... but making some money would be nice. Even if all it does is buy me a sandwhich, that's still one sandwhich in exchange for something I'd probably have done anyway.

[bobapple]

I would definitely buy a minor-magics Monograph.

Also, I really like what you've posted so far in the downloads, especially the Alchemy stuff.

[Byron Alexander]

Thanks Bobapple. Well, I've contacted Dustin, so I guess now I sit and wait.

By the way, what would people rather see with regard to Druids...

The traditional nature-worshipping/part-of-nature kick-ass hippy druid or

The semi-historical shadow-ruler, nationalistic druids or

Options for both.

Personally, though I think nature-boy has been done to death, I think options for both would be the best way to go.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Byron Alexander

[Agentorange]

Do both, would be my inclination, after all nature isn't of necessity benign and hippy like. Storms, earthquakes, typhoons etc are all forces of nature and there's nothing benign about them....Lions, Tigers and Puma's are all natural animals but you certainly wouldn't want one of them eyeing you up for dinner.

I like the idea of a magic supplement for BRP as the magic systems as presented are fairly basic. Do Illusionists, Alchemists etc have to be minor magics though ? I can see where an Alchemist capable of working with magical substances could be a very powerful force, likewise with Druids and so on there's a lot of scope there. I bought Mongoose publishing two druid books for D20 and there's a lot of good stuff there which made the class pretty powerful in it's own way. plenty of good ideas about seasonal magic, holy places, totemic animals and other bits and pieces.

[Byron Alexander]

I bought Mongoose publishing two druid books for D20 and there's a lot of good stuff there which made the class pretty powerful in it's own way.

Wait... they made D20 Druids more powerful? Yikes.

As for the stuff I've done so far, 'minor magic' isn't necessarily the best description (I just can't think of a better one). Alchemists can live forever and illusionists can make any kind of illusion they like as long as they have the pp. What they are, though, is quite limited in scope - specialists if you will - and much more suitable to low-magic worlds than either magic or sorcery as given in the BRP book.

[Agentorange]

I think you're right, specialist might well be a better term, each as you say could be very powerful, but limited by the fields they work in. Your average alchemist isn't going to be big on field work ( thats what player characters are for after all.. ) but could be quite powerful in their way.

Did you ever play Pendragon ? A lot of the magicians in that game had a very druidic feel to them yet they were pretty powerful. I think that BRP (and RQ ) have quite a gritty feel to them and Druids casting magical mists and ordering large animals to leap on people and chew chunks out of them always felt like a good match for those games .

[Byron Alexander]

Did you ever play Pendragon ?

Once, and we never encountered any magic at all (I was playing, not GMing). Despite that it is somewhat up in my mind when I think about grittier fantasy/medieval settings.

I agree with you with regard to conjuring mists and commanding animals - that sort of thing would definitely be what nature-boy druid is up to.

[Harshax]

Additionally, or parrallelly (?), BRP needs some good flavor text to help GM's make BRP there own. This is more true when it comes adding flavor to the magic system.

You're definitely on the right track though. I think a really good Monogram would take the existing system and pour some love on it. Suggest ways to use the system exactly as presented. Then, after you've exhausted the possibilities, add something entirely different. More spells, alternate spell systems, alternate mechanics (blood magic, anyone?). etc.

[pulpcitizen]

Additionally, or parrallelly (?), BRP needs some good flavor text to help GM's make BRP there own. This is more true when it comes adding flavor to the magic system.

You're definitely on the right track though. I think a really good Monogram would take the existing system and pour some love on it. Suggest ways to use the system exactly as presented. Then, after you've exhausted the possibilities, add something entirely different. More spells, alternate spell systems, alternate mechanics (blood magic, anyone?). etc.

I am inclined to agree with Harshax that as a potential consumer I would be very intersted in a Monograph covering magic as long it offerd the kind of things he suggests: ie not wholly scrapping the current systems, but building on them as well as offering viable alternatives.

[Byron Alexander]

Well, I'd say that so far the illusionist bit is building on it in a way; if someone wanted they could easily use it to just expand the Illusion spell (in fact I was inspired to write it because I didn't like the idea that illusions could only ever affect sight). Alchemy, though, is completely on its own.

It would be interesting to make some schools of magic which would be powerful enough to slot into the existing system - necromancy being the one that springs immediately to mind.

[Agentorange]

It might be worth talking to chaosium about this a bit more. The BRP sorcery is based on the Elric game sorcery and the Bronze Grimoire supplement, there's still a lot of spells from those two books that didn't appear in the BRP book and the Bronze Grimoire especially had sections on necromancy and runic sorcery. So if you've got the cash and haven't got the books it might well be useful to shell out the shekels and get copies

[Byron Alexander]

See, that's my problem, no money to do further research into what else Chaosium has done re magic (I have CoC and CoC:Dark Ages, that's it) so I've been sticking to areas that I know haven't been covered. I have contacted them, though, so I'll see what they say.

[Agentorange]

No money ? What a lightweight ! It's just means you live on baked beans, water and gruel for a month ( with that diet you'll be able to supply your own heating, the beans should help there )

[Byron Alexander]

No money ? What a lightweight ! It's just means you live on baked beans, water and gruel for a month ( with that diet you'll be able to supply your own heating, the beans should help there )

Baked beans, water and gruel? You can afford baked beans? You lucky, lucky...

[Agentorange]

yeah, and they're Heinz baked beans as well, none of your cheap rubbish !

Joking aside, there's still a lot of stuff that Chaosium haven't released yet that would massively expand the sorcery side of things with very little effort. It would seem a bit pointless reinventing the wheel with magic systems if they intend to release a BRP companion ( or similiar ) with that stuff in. So some judicious mails to Chaosium might clear the waters as to where to concentrate your efforts.:thumb:

[Thalaba]

I would certainly buy such a monograph.

...if you enjoy working on the magic systems, contact Dustin at Chaosium and see what he has to say but do not plan on making a ton of money.

Well, I've contacted Dustin, so I guess now I sit and wait.

Did anything ever come of this? I'd be interested in seeing a magic supplement. My current campaign is making use of several homemade magic systems in addition to the 3 RQ systems, and yet I crave more!

Thalaba

[Byron Alexander]

Did anything ever come of this? I'd be interested in seeing a magic supplement. My current campaign is making use of several homemade magic systems in addition to the 3 RQ systems, and yet I crave more!

Thalaba

Nothing yet, but I gather it normally takes quite a while to get a response - I expect the guy gets a lot of email! If nothing comes of it I shall probably continue to release ideas for free here so watch this space.