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Goober4473
2011-05-07, 09:44 PM
What would be a good system for a Magic: the Gathering RPG?

What I'm looking for is:
- Not class-based, or uses generic classes.
- Mana-based spellcasting with descreet spell effects.
- The ability to model multiple pools of mana for different types of spells (including spells that draw from more than one pool).

Any ideas?

Lord Raziere
2011-05-07, 10:51 PM
maybe you can adapt the white wolf storyteller system? its skill-based, so no generic classes, just take motes from Exalted and separate them into five different mote pools, and you got mana.

Dr.Gunsforhands
2011-05-08, 12:34 AM
It depends on what you want out of the game.

Do you want the players to be summoning up armies and conquering world after world, as the M:tG is ostensibly about? To work under circumstances and general mechanics similar to those of the typical planeswalker? Maybe Exalted or 3.5 D&D.

If you want players to be mages that operate specifically by manipulating pools of MP of five different magical colors... that might get a little weird. For D&D, you could just work it into the setting and mess with spell lists a bit if you need to maintain consistent division of colors. Druids use Green Magic (nature's ally, shapeshifting, buff spells), but they can multiclass with Cleric to get access to White Magic (healing, abjurations, different buff spells) and so on.

It occurs to me that Exalted almost splits the colors up already with the different exalt types. Solars are basically White, Lunars Green, Sidereals Blue, Abyssals Black, Infernals Red. They even have a sort of representative for Artifact stuff by way of Alchemicals, including the general idea of adding versatility at the price of efficiency. To get them all and balance it properly is probably more of an investment than you want to make, though.

You could also play the card game itself and describe what is going on in-character like the subversive hipster you are. Dye your hair green for added effect!

-- Actually!

We could probably throw together a mage class for 3.5 that uses the power point rules for psionics, but changes the approach to schools and disciplines to encourage more specialization while effectively keeping it a generic class. Would that work?

Figgin of Chaos
2011-05-08, 02:11 AM
Have you seen this planeswalker class for 3.5 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189767)?

Tyndmyr
2011-05-08, 09:38 AM
What would be a good system for a Magic: the Gathering RPG?

What I'm looking for is:
- Not class-based, or uses generic classes.
- Mana-based spellcasting with descreet spell effects.
- The ability to model multiple pools of mana for different types of spells (including spells that draw from more than one pool).

Any ideas?

3.5, utilizing the generic class variant from UA(cmon, yer all gonna be spellcasters, because being a planeswalker is awesome). Add the Spell Points variant.

You may wish to add minor tweaks, like adding a recharge element to the spell point pool(s) to more closely mirror the card game, but you should already be fairly close.

Presumably multi-color casters will work in a theurge fashion.

Goober4473
2011-05-08, 02:19 PM
Do you want the players to be summoning up armies and conquering world after world, as the M:tG is ostensibly about? To work under circumstances and general mechanics similar to those of the typical planeswalker? Maybe Exalted or 3.5 D&D.

I want to model neowalkers, really, which are basically normal people that can planeswalk, and possibly create mana bonds with locations. The planeswalkerness would pretty much just be a template though, so all the system needs to do is model non-planeswalkers.


If you want players to be mages that operate specifically by manipulating pools of MP of five different magical colors... that might get a little weird. For D&D, you could just work it into the setting and mess with spell lists a bit if you need to maintain consistent division of colors. Druids use Green Magic (nature's ally, shapeshifting, buff spells), but they can multiclass with Cleric to get access to White Magic (healing, abjurations, different buff spells) and so on.

This is more like what I want, but I don't want to take D&D classes and assign them colors. Then it's just D&D in the Magic setting. Close, but not quite right.


It occurs to me that Exalted almost splits the colors up already with the different exalt types. Solars are basically White, Lunars Green, Sidereals Blue, Abyssals Black, Infernals Red. They even have a sort of representative for Artifact stuff by way of Alchemicals, including the general idea of adding versatility at the price of efficiency. To get them all and balance it properly is probably more of an investment than you want to make, though.

I'm not sure I'm really into the Exalted rules for something like this, though I don't know them very well. How much work would have to be done to model Magic style mana pools and spells?


We could probably throw together a mage class for 3.5 that uses the power point rules for psionics, but changes the approach to schools and disciplines to encourage more specialization while effectively keeping it a generic class. Would that work?


3.5, utilizing the generic class variant from UA(cmon, yer all gonna be spellcasters, because being a planeswalker is awesome). Add the Spell Points variant.

You may wish to add minor tweaks, like adding a recharge element to the spell point pool(s) to more closely mirror the card game, but you should already be fairly close.

Presumably multi-color casters will work in a theurge fashion.

Something like this could work, possibly using the spell lists in the linked planeswalker class, with a seperate spell point pool for each color. Perhaps you can just allocate the mana you get when gaining a level to the five pools as desired, and each spell has a color? The weirdest part would be multicolored spells. Not sure how that could work.


Have you seen this planeswalker class for 3.5?

This is pretty cool, and a good resource for things like spell lists in 3.5 D&D, but I'd rather leave planeswalking to a template, and assign each spell a color (or colors), rather than the blanket lists that class has.

Any other system ideas?

Fridrik Bj
2011-05-08, 02:47 PM
Can be done in GURPS if you add a magic splat book or two.

Odin the Ignoble
2011-05-08, 04:37 PM
Insert Hero System Plug.

The characters would have different Endurance reserves for the different types of mana.

Spells that are colorless could take the advantage (+1/4?) Colorless so they could pull from any of the reserves.

Goober4473
2011-05-08, 05:03 PM
Can be done in GURPS if you add a magic splat book or two.

This is a definite possibility. Fatigue Points that can be used only for specific sets of schools of magic (colors) could be mana, plus a limitation that makes it so spells must be cast with the correct color mana (either entirely or partially). All it would take is separating the different schools (and in some cases parts of schools, like Creation and Destruction) into colors.

The one thing I'm afraid of in GURPS though, is that the magic system is very much a specific style, which seems to be kind of old school fantasy, versus the flashiness of Magic: the Gathering. It could probably do fine though, and I do love me some GURPS.


Insert Hero System Plug.

The characters would have different Endurance reserves for the different types of mana.

Spells that are colorless could take the advantage (+1/4?) Colorless so they could pull from any of the reserves.

Does it have a pre-existing spell list that would work well for Magic? I'm not entirely opposed to making spells out of a generic system, but it's kind of a pain.

a_humble_lich
2011-05-08, 05:14 PM
Id suggest eith GURPS or Exalted. You could fairly easily modify Exalted to work (as described above). However the great thing about Exalted is the setting, not the mechanics (in fact the mechanics have issues...) If you are already familiar with GURPS I'd go with that. As far as the magic system goes, it might be more fitting to ignore the normal GURPS magic system and make all of your magic advantages. For example, a firebolt is a 3 die innate attack with the limitation "costs 2 fatigue -10%." In that case I'd just base all the powers off cards. Tell the players you have X number of cards and use Y number of points to build those powers.

Goober4473
2011-05-08, 10:08 PM
Id suggest eith GURPS or Exalted. You could fairly easily modify Exalted to work (as described above). However the great thing about Exalted is the setting, not the mechanics (in fact the mechanics have issues...) If you are already familiar with GURPS I'd go with that. As far as the magic system goes, it might be more fitting to ignore the normal GURPS magic system and make all of your magic advantages. For example, a firebolt is a 3 die innate attack with the limitation "costs 2 fatigue -10%." In that case I'd just base all the powers off cards. Tell the players you have X number of cards and use Y number of points to build those powers.

I'd much rather use an established spell list, rather than make spells as I go. It's not that it wouldn't work, I just like to have the list available.

Here's an interestign new problem with GURPS: There are way too many blue spells. Air, water, knowledge, illusion and creation, meta, movement, communication and empathy, mind control, technological... Not all 100% blue, but mostly. What can I do about this?

[Edit]: Here's my GURPS spell list with assigned colors:
Air: Blue default.
Devitalize Air: Black and Blue.
Windstorm: Blue and Green.
Earth to Air: Blue and Green.
Sandstorm: Blue and Green.

Animal: Green default.
Beast-Rouser: Green and Red.
Protect Animal: Green or White.

Body Control: Black default.
Climbing: Green.
Perfume: White or Green.
Stop Spasm: White or Green.
Might: White or Green.
Grace: White or Green.
Vigor: White or Green.
Boost (Attribute): White or Green.
Resist Pain: Black or White.
Hold Breath: Blue or Green.
Ambidexterity: Blue.
Balance: Green.
Reflexes: Green.
Cadence: Blue.
Hair Growth: Black or White.
Haircut: White.
Alter Voice: Blue.
Alter Visage: Blue and Green.
Alter Body: Blue and Green.
Lengthen Limb: Green.
Shrink: Blue and Green.
Shrink Other: Blue and Green.
Enlarge: Green.
Enlarge Other: Green.
Transform Body: Blue and Green.
Transform Other: Blue and Green.
Transmogrification: Blue and Green.

Communication and Empathy: Blue default.
Sense Life: White.
Vexation: Blue and Black.
Truthsayer: Blue and White.
Compel Truth: Blue and White.

Earth: Green default.
Sand Jet: Green and Red.
Mud Jet: Green and Blue.
Stone Missile: Red.
Rain of Stones: Red.
Earth to Water: Green and Blue.
Partial Petrification: Green and Black.
Stone to Flesh: Green or White.
Steelwraith: Green and White.
Purify Earth: Green or White.
Earthquake: Green and Red.
Volcano: Red.

Fire: Red default.
Extinguish Fire: Red or Blue.
Fireproof: Red or Blue.
Deflect Energy: Blue.
Cold: Blue.
Resist Fire: Red or White.
Resist Cold: Blue or White.
Burning Death: Red and Black.

Food: White default.
Decay: Black.
Prepare Game: Green.
Poison Food: Black.
Fool's Banquet: Blue and Black.

Gate: Unavailable default. All listed are secret spells.
Timeslip: Blue.
Timeslip Other: Blue.
Planar Summons: Any (depends on what is being summoned).
Create Door: Blue.
Divert Teleport: Blue and White.
Slow Time: Blue.
Accelerate Time: Blue.
Sanctuary: Blue and White.
Suspend Time: Blue.
Time Out: Blue.

Healing: White default.
Body-Reading: White and Blue.
Recover Energy: Colorless.
Restore Sight: White or Green.
Restore Hearing: White or Green.
Restore Memory: White and Blue.
Restore Speech: White or Blue.
Stop Paralysis: White or Green.
Resist Poison: White or Green.
Cure Disease: White or Green.
Neutralize Poison: White or Green.
Instant Neutralize Poison: White or Green.
Restoration: White or Green.
Regeneration: White or Green.
Suspended Animation: White and Blue.

Illusion and Creation: Blue Default.
Create Animal: Blue and Green.
Create Mount: Blue and Green.

Knowledge: Blue default.

Light and Darkness: White default.
Night Vision: White or Black.
Hawk Vision: White or Blue.
Small Vision: White or Blue.
Dark Vision: White or Black.
Darkness: Black.
Blackout: Black.
Gloom: Black.
Mirror: White or Blue.
Remove Reflection: Black.
Blur: Black and Blue.
Shape Darkness: Black.
Hide: Black and Blue.
See Invisible: White or Blue.
Invisibility: Black and Blue.
Body of Shadow: Black.

Making and Breaking: Red default.
Inspired Creation: Red and Blue.
Awaken Craft Spirit: Blue.
Restore: Blue and White.
Clean: Blue or White.
Soilproof: Blue or White.
Dye: Blue or White.
Copy: Blue.
Rejoin: Blue and White.
Animate Object: Blue.
Stiffen: Red or Blue.
Knot: Red or Blue.
Reshape: Blue.
Fasten: Blue.
Mapmaker: Blue.
Repair: Blue and White.
Shatterproof: Blue and White.
Toughen: Blue and White.
Transparency: Blue.
Mystic Mark: Blue.
Transform Object: Blue.
Contract Object: Blue.
Extend Object: Blue.
Shrink Object: Blue.
Enlarge Object: Blue.

Meta: Blue default.
Scryguard: Blue and White.
Ward: Blue and White.
Scrywall: Blue and White.
Spell Shield: Blue and White.
Spell Wall: Blue and White.
Pentagram: Blue and White.
Suspend Curse: White.
Dispel Magic: Blue and White.
Remove Curse: White.
Spellguard: Blue and White.
Steal Spell: Blue and Black.
Bless: White.
Curse: Black.
Suspend Magery: Blue and Black.
Drain Magery: Blue and Black.

Mind Control: Blue default.
Keen (Sense): Blue and White.
Dull (Sense): Blue and Black.
Alertness: Blue and White.
Dullness: Black.
Fear: Black.
Panic: Black.
Terror: Black.
Bravery: White.
Berserker: Red.
Foolishness: Black.
Forgetfulness: Black.
Weaken Will: Black.
Strengthen Will: White.
Drunkenness: Black.
Madness: Black.
Mindlessness: Black.
Compel Lie: Black.
Sickness: Black.
Oath: White.
Permanent Forgetfulness: Black.
Vigil: Blue or White.
Ecstacy: Black.
Permanent Madness: Black.
False Memory: Black.
Nightmare: Black.
Hallucinaton: Black.

Movement: Blue default.

Necromantic: Black default.
Sense Spirit: Black or White.

Plant: Green default.
Blight: Black.

Protection and Warning: White default.
Reflect Gaze: White and Blue.
Mystic Mist: White and Blue.
Utter Dome: White and Blue.
Utter Wall: White and Blue.

Sound: Blue default.
Sound: Blue or Red.
Silence: White.
Thunderclap: Red.
Garble: Red.
Wall of Silence: White.
Hush: White.
Great Voice: Red.
Noise: Red.
Resist Sound: White.
Sound Jet: Red.

Technological (Machine): Blue default.
Glitch: Green or Red.
Malfunction: Green or Red.
Rebuild: Blue and White.

Technological (Energy): Red default.
Magnetic Vision: Red or Blue.
Radio Hearing: Red or Blue.
Spectrum Vision: Red or Blue.

Technological (Radiation): Red default.
See Radiation: Red or Blue.
Resist Radiation: Red or White.

Technological (Metal and Plastic): Blue default.

Water: Blue default.
Destroy Water: Blue or Red.
Umbrella: Blue or White.
Foul Water: Black.
Melt Ice: Blue or Red.
Resist Water: Red or White.
Dehydrate: Blue or Red.
Dry Spring: Blue or Red.
Boil Water: Blue and Red.
Condense Steam: Blue or Red.
Create Acid: Green.
Create Spring: Blue or Green.
Create Steam: Blue and Red.
Resist Acid: Green or White.
Geyser: Blue and Red.
Rain of Acid: Green.
Steam Jet: Blue and Red.
Acid Ball: Green.
Acid Jet: Green.
Breath Steam: Blue and Red.
Spit Acid: Green.
Essential Acid: Green.

Weather: Green default.
Frost: Blue.
Waves: Green or Blue.
Clouds: Blue.
Current: Green or Blue.
Tide: Green or Blue.
Wind: Green or Blue.
Rain: Green or Blue.
Snow: Green or Blue.
Hail: Green or Blue.
Warm: Green or Red.
Cool: Green or Blue.
Resist Lightning: Red or White.
Lightning: Red.
Explosive Lightning: Red.
Lightning Whip: Red.
Shocking Touch: Red.
Spark Cloud: Red.
Spark Storm: Red.
Wall of Lightning: Red.
Ball of Lightning: Red.
Lightning Stare: Red.
Body of Lightning: Red.
Lightning Armor: Red.
Lightning Weapon: Red.
Lightning Missiles: Red.

[Edit 2]: Updated the colors.

a_humble_lich
2011-05-09, 12:40 AM
I'd much rather use an established spell list, rather than make spells as I go. It's not that it wouldn't work, I just like to have the list available.

Here's an interestign new problem with GURPS: There are way too many blue spells. Air, water, knowledge, illusion and creation, meta, movement, communication and empathy, mind control, technological... Note all 100% blue, but mostly. What can I do about this?



OK, just a suggestion since you said you weren't too happy with the tone of GURPS magic system for this. But whatever works best for you.

I wouldn't worry too much about there being too many blue spells because any given caster will only know a few. As long as each colour has enough spells to make a viable character, don't worry.

JonestheSpy
2011-05-09, 02:10 AM
Man, I remember when WotC bought TSR, there was the automatic assumption that they would create a DnD campaign world based on the Magic stuff. It just seemed like an obvious way to get fans of one game into the other, synergize the different product lines and all that. I still sometimes wonder why nothing like that ever happened.

Tyndmyr
2011-05-09, 08:08 AM
This is more like what I want, but I don't want to take D&D classes and assign them colors. Then it's just D&D in the Magic setting. Close, but not quite right.

I would ditch the arcane/divine distinction that D&D already makes, as it doesn't translate well, and instead divvy up the spells by color. This is a bit of work, but it's probably going to come up in essentially any system.

Fortunately, D&D has enough spells that you can pretty much go with whatever you like. It even would support block-specific spell lists quite well, such as coldsnap(grab Frostburn, go nuts).


Something like this could work, possibly using the spell lists in the linked planeswalker class, with a seperate spell point pool for each color. Perhaps you can just allocate the mana you get when gaining a level to the five pools as desired, and each spell has a color? The weirdest part would be multicolored spells. Not sure how that could work.

Presumably it'd take a portion of the spell points required for casting from each pool. I'll admit that 3.5 doesn't really have much in the way of spells that are theurge-specific like this, but it's a fantastic idea, now that I think of it.

I would allow theurge classes to progress >2 colors, provided you already have level two spells in each color. So, the more colors, the slower your progression in each, but you've got more variety overall. With multicolor spells, this should end up being fairly balanced.

Goober4473
2011-05-09, 11:07 AM
Presumably it'd take a portion of the spell points required for casting from each pool. I'll admit that 3.5 doesn't really have much in the way of spells that are theurge-specific like this, but it's a fantastic idea, now that I think of it.

I would allow theurge classes to progress >2 colors, provided you already have level two spells in each color. So, the more colors, the slower your progression in each, but you've got more variety overall. With multicolor spells, this should end up being fairly balanced.

Would it be unbalanced to just let mages take spells of any color, and assign their mana to any of the five colors when they gain it? For instance, say you had four 1st level spells known, two 2nd level spells known, and 20 mana. Would it be unbalanced for you to take 10 white mana, 10 blue mana, and split your spells known?

Normaly, a theurge type character loses out on higher level spells in exchange for versatility, but the way it endsu p working is they end up with a lot more spells per day in total, letting them really use that versatility. In this case, they'd be more versatile, but at the same time less versatile, since they have the same number of spells per day, but would be restricted in how they allocate those spells (i.e. half must be one color, half must be the other, or however they want to split it up).

Multicolored spells would be unique to mages that split their mana pools, but those spelsl would be even more limtied in how you can cast them.

I'm probably doing this in GURPS, since I want maximum customization outside of spellcasting, but this is a cool idea if someone else wants to do it.


I wouldn't worry too much about there being too many blue spells because any given caster will only know a few. As long as each colour has enough spells to make a viable character, don't worry.

Hopefully this will end up being the case.

Tyndmyr
2011-05-09, 11:14 AM
Probably not, provided you modify the amount of mana available accordingly, and provide a recharge mechanic.

The big cap on power in 3.5 is level of spells available, and the only real cap on power in MTG is mana available(and cards, obviously, but those aren't a factor here). If mana maps directly to spell level, you need to avoid low level single-color characters having enough of it to nova off ridiculously leveled spells.

Goober4473
2011-05-09, 11:17 AM
Probably not, provided you modify the amount of mana available accordingly, and provide a recharge mechanic.

The big cap on power in 3.5 is level of spells available, and the only real cap on power in MTG is mana available(and cards, obviously, but those aren't a factor here). If mana maps directly to spell level, you need to avoid low level single-color characters having enough of it to nova off ridiculously leveled spells.

I was assuming a standard 3.5 spell level limit. Basically take the generic mage, give it spell points, but then let it assign thosep oints to any of the five pools, and pick its spells from any of the five colors.

Tyndmyr
2011-05-09, 11:34 AM
Mmm, I think I've got it.

By default, you have one spell point, and recharge a total of one spellpoint per turn, up to your cap.

On each level up, you can either increase your cap(which is color specific, each one would have their own limit), or increase your rate of recharge(which is also color specific).

Spells take a number of spellpoints equal to their level to cast(feel free to modify this in special cases)

So a level one mage who enjoyed red would have, by default one red spellpoint and one/round recharge rate, allowing him to cast first level red spells at will. When he levels, he could boost his cap higher, or boost another cap, allowing him either power or versatility...with multicolor spells in effect, versatility would translate to power with ease.

Note that this would mean that mages would not have any endurance problems beyond "my pool needs to recharge" ever. This is a very MTG-like feel, but it does mean a somewhat higher power level.

Goober4473
2011-05-09, 12:18 PM
<stuff>

I think I like this better than the standard per-day spell points.

What I'd do though is up the numbers a bit, making spells cost more spell points, and have faster recharge, possibly based on a non-level mechanic like forming mana bonds with locations.

So maybe a first level character has maximum 4 points, recharge one per round, and a 1st level spell costs 2 or 3. So for the first couple rounds of an encounter, they could cast a spell, but then it would take two or three rounds per spell after that. But at higher level, they could be slinging first levels spells every round, and still be recharging a bit.

[Edit]: Back on GURPS...

For planeswalker mana bonds, and more generally just being in an area for normal mages, I was thinking it would work like normal GURPS mana level. So a forest is a high mana area for green magic, a swamp is high mana for black, etc. Or those could even be normal mana, and everywhere else is low. Either way.

Forming mana bonds would let you use a bit of a place's mana even when you aren't in that location, and could possibly work like powerstones. Thoughts?

Tyndmyr
2011-05-09, 01:05 PM
I think I like this better than the standard per-day spell points.

What I'd do though is up the numbers a bit, making spells cost more spell points, and have faster recharge, possibly based on a non-level mechanic like forming mana bonds with locations.

So maybe a first level character has maximum 4 points, recharge one per round, and a 1st level spell costs 2 or 3. So for the first couple rounds of an encounter, they could cast a spell, but then it would take two or three rounds per spell after that. But at higher level, they could be slinging first levels spells every round, and still be recharging a bit.

Quite reasonable. I haven't tested any of the numbers, so feel free to adjust until you find what works.

Some sort of locational bonding is particularly flavorful for magic...I'd suggest some sort of not-terribly long ceremony(measured in rounds at the longest) to attune yourself better to the local land, increasing your recharge rate/cap of that particular color of magic.

So, red mages can fight a bit better in the mountains, blue at sea, and so forth.

a_humble_lich
2011-05-09, 02:21 PM
Back on GURPS...

For planeswalker mana bonds, and more generally just being in an area for normal mages, I was thinking it would work like normal GURPS mana level. So a forest is a high mana area for green magic, a swamp is high mana for black, etc. Or those could even be normal mana, and everywhere else is low. Either way.

Forming mana bonds would let you use a bit of a place's mana even when you aren't in that location, and could possibly work like powerstones. Thoughts?

If you go this way (which isn't a bad idea) I might change the effects of high mana to give casters some benefit. Generally being in a high mana area doesn't help casters too much, so you may want add something like "all spells cast in a high mana area cost one less fatigue to cast." I like the idea of using the land as a powerstone, but you should be careful that it isn't too easy to do.

Goober4473
2011-05-09, 02:37 PM
If you go this way (which isn't a bad idea) I might change the effects of high mana to give casters some benefit. Generally being in a high mana area doesn't help casters too much, so you may want add something like "all spells cast in a high mana area cost one less fatigue to cast." I like the idea of using the land as a powerstone, but you should be careful that it isn't too easy to do.

Just being in a place associated with your color doesn't need to have a terribly large benefit. I was also thinking something along the lines of easier recharge. So maybe some bonus to Recover Energy, or even an inability to use Recover Energy otuside of places associated with your color.

For using places as powerstones, I was thinking a limit on how many bonds you can have at once, possibly based on Magery or something. A regular place, like a normal forest or mountain, would probably be a pretty small powerstone (1 or 2 points), while an important and unique location might act as a larger stone, and may even grant access to some spells unique to that plane, or other unique abilities. So as you travel the planes, you could get better and more interesting mana bonds.

Mana bonds would also let you access the mana (in GURPS terms) of a place, at least partially, so even in a palce with no natural mana of some color, you could still use magic of that color, and recharge that color FP.

Odin the Ignoble
2011-05-09, 04:24 PM
Does it have a pre-existing spell list that would work well for Magic? I'm not entirely opposed to making spells out of a generic system, but it's kind of a pain.

You might have to make them outs yourself. They provide some examples but you might have to grab one of the fantasy books to get more on spells.

The upside is that players should create their own spells in the point system and you could approve of disapprove.

Goober4473
2011-05-09, 04:26 PM
You might have to make them outs yourself. They provide some examples but you might have to grab one of the fantasy books to get more on spells.

The upside is that players should create their own spells in the point system and you could approve of disapprove.

This is about the same as using advantages instead of the standard magic system in GURPS, and I know GURPS pretty well already, so...

Odin the Ignoble
2011-05-09, 04:58 PM
This is about the same as using advantages instead of the standard magic system in GURPS, and I know GURPS pretty well already, so...

I totally understand. I'm just a hero fan boy. Whenever I play other systems I think, wow, this would have been allot easier/more realistic/balanced/better in Hero System.

Goober4473
2011-05-10, 01:27 PM
Here's snother GURPS question:

Each spell requires a specific color of FP. At least one of the FP spent must be a magic-only FP of that color (maybe a but more for more expensive spells, like 1/5 of the cost rounded up). I'm not entirely sure how I should do the modifiers for this. My initial idea was just to do a modifier on the FP, since it's less versatile, but that would mean your normal pool of FP should be able to be used as any color, not no color, since it's a limit being placed solely on the colored FP you're buying. Should there be a modifier for both FP and Magery? Just Magery maybe? The FP is obviously limited, but only because of the rules enforced by the spells.

How about this? Color-Based Magery is -20%, and colored magic-only FP is normal price. Colorless magic-only FP is -10%.

a_humble_lich
2011-05-10, 02:02 PM
I think that works, but its not what I would do. Why even let people buy extra colourless FP for spells? I might say you can either power spells with your personal energy (i.e. your fatigue bought at normal cost) or with the coloured mana you draw from the land (the colour restricted FP bought at -20%).

Dust
2011-05-10, 02:58 PM
Mutants and Masterminds 3e allows for enormous amounts of character customization, and with a little work on your part, you could easily characters capable of healing, counterspelling, summoning minions, enchanting stuff with other stuff, ranged blasting, being nigh-indestructible or bestowing it upon creatures, and so forth and so on.