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Dieuoffire
2017-03-21, 02:28 PM
The Chaos mage idea has occurred to me again. I like the AD&D (2E) wild mage but the 3.x editions I don't really like. Chaos magic is too complicated or too powerful for too little. So I had an Idea. chaos mages work like this:

if a Arcane caster decides to travel the path of chaos they will gain one Wanton talent every 7 levels from the event that first awakened their chaos magic. (which gives them their initial talent). Additional talents may be gained as normal.

These talents work like the talents in the Mongoose publishing books except:
When using a Wanton talent roll 2D10+1D10 for every three talents you have rounded up (so 7 talents = 5D10). Any duplicate numbers cause a wild surge. Multiple duplicates of the same number cause multiple surges. (so rolling a 3 three times, not two 3s and two 7s)

Additionally when casting a spell without using a wanton talent their is a 1% chance per wanton talent of activating a talent accidentally and a wild surge as normal for activating the talent (the first 1% is the first talent gained, the second 1% the second talent gained etc.)

Wanton talents affect a character's soul, from the initial gain of a wanton talent forward any Arcane spell, spell like ability, etc. has a chance of activating the wanton talent. there is not way to stop this besides a wish or miracle that removes the talent.

I think this is pretty reasonable as one of the talents reduces the target's save against the spell by 2D6 for a mere 2d6 damage.

Any thoughts on this? I know it is a little complicated but adding random chance always is. I don't think this will slow the game too much.

noob
2017-03-21, 04:16 PM
It will slow a lot: throw a d100 per spell and sometimes consult a table and throw even more dice and then the team have to plan new tactics due to the result.
Maybe if wizards did not cast 2 more spells per round then it could be manageable but then the wizard not spamming spells probably is using spells intelligently and so do not want random chance to happen.

Dieuoffire
2017-03-21, 09:56 PM
so the game slows a bit for the rolls (1-3 rolls actually); but if the rest is worthwhile it might not be bad.

So again the main point is, does this mechanic work reasonably well?

noob
2017-03-22, 12:53 PM
Depends on the tables and talents.
If the table have effects that end encounters by having either side lose then it is probably not fun but a nudge in one way or the other is fine and some effects that are only flavor can be the occasion to do descriptions.