Magic Mechanics

[chuckro]

So, I was musing on magic system mechanics for various roleplaying systems, and I figured I'd put this out there: Of the following, which do you prefer as a GM or as a player? Why?

1) Spells per day, typically that need to be memorized ahead and are expended when cast.

2) Spell-slot or spell-points systems, where each spell uses up a certain amount of MP or a slot that you regain when you rest. (A variation on this is spell-fatigue, where you don't get a MP limit, but casting tires your character and give you penalties to other rolls.)

3) Backlash systems (Paradox, primarily), where you have theoretically limitless magic, but risk backlash from using it/using it too much/using it in certain ways.

4) Percent-failure systems, where you again have theoretically limitless magic, but have to roll to succeed in using it and/or have a fixed percent-failure chance.

The follow-up/related question is whether you prefer free-form magic or a set spell list. And I'm not going to p[ost my opinions until I get a few responses, so as not to bias my sample.

Comments

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

I tend to like 4, with a dash of 3 (Unknown Armies ahoy!). However, for D&D however, I tend to like the two systems currently in existence (I hate the attempts to graft MP systems onto D&D -- see Psionics), and have been itching to try a combination thereof in a game: You have sorcerer-like spells per day, allocated within schools.

Ex: For a given level, you have N spells per day. At the start of the day you allocate within your schools (x illusions, y evocations... z divinations, where x+y...+z=N), but otherwise cast as a sorcerer ("spells known" would be small but not limited, just expensive/hard to expand. Specialists, here, would have the ability to convert freely into their school.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

To be more precise, UA also has a healthy dose of (2) for adept magick -- though it depends on the adept. Skinners don't really store charges (though it's still arguably (2) if they're slowly killing themselves), and Entropomancers are basically doubling-down on (3).

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the Arcana Unearthed system? It fuses sorceror and wizard--basically, every spell is "in your spellbook", and every morning, you "ready" the equivalent of a sorceror's spell list. Then you spontaneously cast from that list.

I feel like there's still too much prep time involved in that, but it adds a lot more flexibility and your system remined me of it.