Quertus
2019-03-24, 01:36 PM
In another thread (link?), I tried to find a way to describe the 3e Wizard 20 in a system-agnostic way. Here's what I came up with:
theoretically finite battery, but able to travel to places where time runs differently or travel through time to (usually) mitigate this drawback.
theoretically finite dwoemer duration, but able to ignore this limitation (for personal spells) by various shenanigans.
theoretically disruptable, hazardous, and/or costly casting, but all able to be ignored, by various shenanigans.
Mix of resistable and irresistible spells.
Mix of "measurable effect" and "infinite effect" / "just works" spells (ie, Wall of Force has infinite damage absorbtion)
Mix of direct effect spells, and spells that are sufficiently indirect to bypass "immunity to magic".
Finite number of spells known; even more finite number of spells able to be cast at a given moment (the latter largely mitigated by Divinations and various time shenanigans, to within the limits of the former).
Mix of defined (published) and "GM Fiat" (researched) spells.
Plot armor to take around 20+ times the beating of a normal human.
GM Fiat ability to understand the universe.
Reliant on particular planar geography; without that, any (published) travel- and summoning-based spells do not function.
Reliant on existence of magic. Limited ability to ignore certain very specific types of disruptions to this requirement.
Not reliant on a particular body, but reliant on certain general properties (such as ability to vocalize particular sounds) for some spells (which may be mitigated by Wizards with the correct training / who spent build resources to do so).
Able to take "interrupt" actions, sometimes even when unaware of the situation.
Rarely will the average human get the drop on them (never with shenanigans) or best them on the draw (never with GM Fiat & shenanigans?)
Able to act numerous times / many times faster than a normal human (with pursuant drawbacks, mitigated by shenanigans).
Able to stop time for a GM Fiat amount of time.
Able to change self or others into numerous creatures, subject to limitations and GM Fiat, sometimes with special abilities included.
Able to kill the average human... how many times over?
Able to not selectively kill the average human in huge areas outside cities (subject to the existence of a city?)
And to control the actions of nearly any sentient creature (resistable, free resist attempt by GM Fiat on each action, noticeable) for days at a time.
Able to rewrite the memories and personality of nearly any sentient creature (resistable, noticeable)
Able to travel instantly through space, time, and "planes" (all subject to planar geography, except time travel).
Able to create minions, mostly subject to GM Fiat.
Immune to physical harm (albeit shenanigans)
Able to cast GM Fiat magic within their usual range of capabilities (costly, mitigated by shenanigans)
Able to cast GM Fiat magic outside their usual range of capabilities (costly, mitigated by shenanigans, and dangerous, by GM Fiat)
Able to cast their spells / take their actions through the safety of a proxy (subject to planar geography).
Able to permanently destroy own ability to cast spells.
Yeah, it's just an incomplete alpha.
I'm wondering if there's an existing "language"/format/whatever commonly used to describe things in a system-agnostic manner.
Or, failing that, if any Playgrounders want to take a stab at helping me make this more approachable. And more complete.
Because I'd love to be able to do this for characters in arbitrary systems, to better facilitate discussing them - both comparing them, and explaining them to people unfamiliar with the source system.
theoretically finite battery, but able to travel to places where time runs differently or travel through time to (usually) mitigate this drawback.
theoretically finite dwoemer duration, but able to ignore this limitation (for personal spells) by various shenanigans.
theoretically disruptable, hazardous, and/or costly casting, but all able to be ignored, by various shenanigans.
Mix of resistable and irresistible spells.
Mix of "measurable effect" and "infinite effect" / "just works" spells (ie, Wall of Force has infinite damage absorbtion)
Mix of direct effect spells, and spells that are sufficiently indirect to bypass "immunity to magic".
Finite number of spells known; even more finite number of spells able to be cast at a given moment (the latter largely mitigated by Divinations and various time shenanigans, to within the limits of the former).
Mix of defined (published) and "GM Fiat" (researched) spells.
Plot armor to take around 20+ times the beating of a normal human.
GM Fiat ability to understand the universe.
Reliant on particular planar geography; without that, any (published) travel- and summoning-based spells do not function.
Reliant on existence of magic. Limited ability to ignore certain very specific types of disruptions to this requirement.
Not reliant on a particular body, but reliant on certain general properties (such as ability to vocalize particular sounds) for some spells (which may be mitigated by Wizards with the correct training / who spent build resources to do so).
Able to take "interrupt" actions, sometimes even when unaware of the situation.
Rarely will the average human get the drop on them (never with shenanigans) or best them on the draw (never with GM Fiat & shenanigans?)
Able to act numerous times / many times faster than a normal human (with pursuant drawbacks, mitigated by shenanigans).
Able to stop time for a GM Fiat amount of time.
Able to change self or others into numerous creatures, subject to limitations and GM Fiat, sometimes with special abilities included.
Able to kill the average human... how many times over?
Able to not selectively kill the average human in huge areas outside cities (subject to the existence of a city?)
And to control the actions of nearly any sentient creature (resistable, free resist attempt by GM Fiat on each action, noticeable) for days at a time.
Able to rewrite the memories and personality of nearly any sentient creature (resistable, noticeable)
Able to travel instantly through space, time, and "planes" (all subject to planar geography, except time travel).
Able to create minions, mostly subject to GM Fiat.
Immune to physical harm (albeit shenanigans)
Able to cast GM Fiat magic within their usual range of capabilities (costly, mitigated by shenanigans)
Able to cast GM Fiat magic outside their usual range of capabilities (costly, mitigated by shenanigans, and dangerous, by GM Fiat)
Able to cast their spells / take their actions through the safety of a proxy (subject to planar geography).
Able to permanently destroy own ability to cast spells.
Yeah, it's just an incomplete alpha.
I'm wondering if there's an existing "language"/format/whatever commonly used to describe things in a system-agnostic manner.
Or, failing that, if any Playgrounders want to take a stab at helping me make this more approachable. And more complete.
Because I'd love to be able to do this for characters in arbitrary systems, to better facilitate discussing them - both comparing them, and explaining them to people unfamiliar with the source system.