Looking for system of "holding" magic

[arkangel111]

In many fantasy series, magic usually has some sort of outward sign that users are "holding" or "Readying" magic. In some this is visible to all, others it is visible to only magic users. Does anyone know of a system that utilizes some form of holding magic and rules on implementing it in a world? Preferably D20 system but I understand if i'll have to adapt it. Just making a homebrew world and I would like the magic users to be semi obvious to those who know what to look for. For clarification I am not looking at a constant effect, just an affect when users are preparing magic, thus giving casters a way to hide if they are smart. I want there to be a reason to hold magic, so the drawback of being noticed has to at least equal the benefit it gives.

if there isn't a system then I'll take any ideas the community can come up with into consideration.

[Rilmani]

Using 5e D&D as a chassis, I can imagine a setup where you choose one of the eight schools of magic, attune a cantrip-tier amount of energy into that school’s color, and then slowly build a “runway” which any cast spell will follow in order to hit a target (object, location or creature). If a caster builds up too much energy (which normally does not empower the spell at all), then the thinnest sections of their skin begin to glow with light. Eyelids, under fingernails, under toenails, and parts of one’s ears (depending on race). Only a crummy mage or one who greatly doubts their accuracy would emit enough light that it would be visible while under the bright light of the sun. However common mages may glow some under dim light and are likely to glow under complete darkness when readying a spell.


The idea is that this extra supply of energy helps steer the spell. Beginner mages have a hard time looking in one direction and launching a spell in another direction, regardless of how they aim their hands and body. The farther your target, the more important this extra bit of control might be, lest your flat circular area of effect wind up partially underground (tilted to correct itself towards your PoV) or your gust of wind (intended to push someone back) wind up spinning someone clockwise or counterclockwise from being off-center.

Nail polish, gloves, hats, hairstyles, glasses a torch, shoes: there are plenty of ways to hide this. In the other direction, some mages might prefer to dupe enemy spellcasters by first using items like special earrings to amplify their personal glow, second using the “wrong” school of magic preceding a spell, and third unleashing whichever spell they had planned in the first place. Other mages might wear such items as a status symbol. I imagine at least one magic school requires graduates to wear a magic earring or hair dye which glows when they prepare a spell (to discourage them from committing crimes or reduce their school payments by advertising everywhere they go).

[arkangel111]

I see what your going for. Out of curiosity how would you represent this "runway" feature (and its drawbacks) mechanically?

[BerzerkerUnit]

In 5e there are two elements that I think technically meet your criteria with no special rules required.

1. Spell Components. Verbal and Somatic Components often give away that a caster is using magic even if the spell (like Charm Person) has no obvious effect.
Mechanically, the use of verbal and somatic spell components (magic words and gestures) are what specifically allow other casters to use Counterspell. Spells cast without components (like from items or with metamagic) cannot be countered. This meets your standard in its entirety.

Hiding your components (like running behind a wall to chant and tut) isn't really viable because total obscurement and total cover create problems with targeting spells, however, you could run behind the wall, Ready to cast when you step out, then as soon as you step out, the spell would go off when you had a target and line of sight and line of effect. In that case you're sacrificing action economy (using an Action and Reaction to cast) to insure the spell isn't countered. Might be worth it depending on scenario. I personally find 5e's casting balanced well enough for spells up to 6th level. The 7/8/9th level spells are crazy fun but really do start to border on "why play anything other than wizard at high level?"

Later books introduced Metamagic adept which gives you a few sorcery points a day and some metamagic options so subtle spell can be had by anyone. It allows Charm spells to work as intended without having to hide in garbage cans and whatnot to ambush targets with it.

2. Ready Action: Cast a spell. Anyone that can cast spells can ready an action to cast them. Mechanically, this means the spell slot is spent on their turn, but the casting is completed some time after. Rules on how long one can ready a spell, IE hold the magic, are ambiguous but I typically don't allow readied spells to be countered either (though they can be dispelled). Imagine a wizard readying a fireball, like Goku's Genkidama it hangs in the air over head for all to see.

I've typically ruled anyone trained in Arcana can recognize the difference between a spell being cast and someone faking it automatically. Commoners might flee from someone spouting arcane nonsense and waggling fingers about as often as putting your finger in your jacket pocket and calling it a gun will make someone give you their wallet.

I hope that helps.

[arkangel111]

Not quite what I was looking for. I mean both of those options could technically be used however the former is only used while casting the spell, and the latter is only available if a caster chooses to use their actions in that specific manner.
To use your example, even before goku actively charges his fireball attack there is a period of time where you know he has embraced his ki (flame aura, hair change, the 3 episodes charging the attack) you know "oh **** he means business" long before the attack starts generating.
In fantasy, the One Power from the wheel of time novels (don't watch the farce of a show) the women can visually see when another woman has embraced the source even if they do nothing with the power.

I am looking to mechanically represent this embrace. But I feel there needs to be an incentive for this drawback, otherwise it's a straight nerf.

In my world magic has been outlawed, those who use it are actively hunted down and killed. Magic is used by essentially opening a rift within your soul to transfer cosmic divine energy into this world and shaping it with your will. So first you must open yourself to the power and embrace it before you can cast.
Putting aside the tier argument for now, mundanes hunt these casters. To aid in their hunt, there is a crystal or rock, or maybe even a hunting hound that can sense when someone is embracing the power. This is not common knowledge for casters, nor players.
Now I need to give my players a reason to embrace the power, other than "I want to blow things up."

Now I am hoping somebody has already done something similar so I can get some ideas and tweak it to my liking.

[Dienekes]

I made this awhile ago: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?630424-The-Channeler-A-Simple-Caster-PEACH

Maybe it’ll be of interest to you.

Simplified down, how it works is, the player indicates when they’re drawing mana into themselves. When they do so they gain 1 Mana they can spend on any of their magic abilities. On the next round they have 2 mana to spend. On the 3rd they have 3. On the 4th they have 4. Etc.

The end goal was to create a system where the caster starts out each encounter weak, but still able to participate. And by the end of the encounter get the big encounter warping features. This would allow martials to have their niche of being effective right out the gate, and actually live up to the concept that the powerful mage needs to be protected.

Worked well in combat, but out of combat it meant a caster could just hold up and wait for their ability to come online and get essentially unlimited high level spells. So I added a measure that the caster could only channel mana X times per day, with that number increasing as you leveled. But that left with the caster not really having anything to do out of combat.

So, I definitely had not solved all the issues with the design. But perhaps it will be of use to you.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Not quite what I was looking for. I mean both of those options could technically be used however the former is only used while casting the spell, and the latter is only available if a caster chooses to use their actions in that specific manner.
To use your example, even before goku actively charges his fireball attack there is a period of time where you know he has embraced his ki (flame aura, hair change, the 3 episodes charging the attack) you know "oh **** he means business" long before the attack starts generating.
In fantasy, the One Power from the wheel of time novels (don't watch the farce of a show) the women can visually see when another woman has embraced the source even if they do nothing with the power.

I am looking to mechanically represent this embrace. But I feel there needs to be an incentive for this drawback, otherwise it's a straight nerf.

In my world magic has been outlawed, those who use it are actively hunted down and killed. Magic is used by essentially opening a rift within your soul to transfer cosmic divine energy into this world and shaping it with your will. So first you must open yourself to the power and embrace it before you can cast.
Putting aside the tier argument for now, mundanes hunt these casters. To aid in their hunt, there is a crystal or rock, or maybe even a hunting hound that can sense when someone is embracing the power. This is not common knowledge for casters, nor players.
Now I need to give my players a reason to embrace the power, other than "I want to blow things up."

Now I am hoping somebody has already done something similar so I can get some ideas and tweak it to my liking.

Play Exalted, that system of personal and peripheral essence, their anima levels etc all seem ideal. They come in tiers with "commoners" being a threat in numbers at low XP totals or shallow builds but eventually becoming nuisances at higher totals or focused builds.

Alternatively, Anima IIRC had a couple of casting systems that required mana to be gathered before casting, depending on how you built your caster you might have to spend a few turns gathering the power for a spell.