Workings of Magic

[Sletchman]

I mean if gods an control magic and grant power to their worshipers can mortals who control magic do the same?

Though one idea I once had was that "arcane" magic was actually just divine magic granted by one god who preferred devotion to study and knowledge over devotion to him/her/it.

I also think it would be fun to have a world where spellcasting required intense physical action.  So all casters were also martial artists.  Yeah, very Last Airbender, but I like how it adds casters into the coreography of battle where traditional method make them just stand around.

These are a few things that have been turning the wheels in my head at the moment - one thing I've been ponder is certain alignments that grant path of magic, but only within a few select schools [say Bob, god of thunder, weather, and destruction grants POM, but only for Channeler spells - Energy, Force, and Weather].

I'm not sure how to build the last idea into a game without making it an expert class, but that would end up being a crappier rune knight with me at the helm.

[Squig of Darkness]

I think that the duality should be shelved altogether.  Why does there need to be a distinction between "divine" and "arcane" magic in the first place?  I think that since Mages can learn any spell, the label of divine or arcane is irrelevant.  Magic is just magic, a natural force.  Sure, there may be a god of magic, but gods may just interact with this omnipresent force in the same manner as mortals, just with more control (allowing them to channel its use to their worshipers).

On the other hand, all magic as divine is an interesting idea I never even thought of!  I mentioned beckoning, begging, asking, commanding etc. magic to do your bidding.  It may be just a matter of misplaced words - asking the wrong guy.

@Turnip - I could see a specialized school path working.  The spells and abilities each path grants are narrow enough that you could have a separate path of channeling, enchantment etc.

@Silvercat - I like the idea of magic taking physical action.  If it takes but a gesture to cast a 0-level spell, maybe the movements required to cast a much higher level spell would be more pronounced (karate chop fireball!)

-SoD

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I'm not sure how to build the last idea into a game without making it an expert class, but that would end up being a crappier rune knight with me at the helm.

Considering that some people think the Path of Magic is a bit broken (or maybe that's just in conjunction with the Mage class, I can't remember) limiting it to only certain kinds of spells would just re-balance it.  I don't see why you can't just have that in a normal Priest class.

I think that the duality should be shelved altogether.

I was only bringing it up in the context how certain systems make a big deal about it and how when other systems do what you suggest they make the final class flavor-wise out to be more like the original's arcanist than divinist, while my idea made the combination casting more like the original's divinist than arcanist.

On the other hand, all magic as divine is an interesting idea I never even thought of!

It may actually be easy to overlook: if you look at a setting that features both god-given magic and magic taken by the mortal alone then you might be tempted to think that the gods would never be necessary.  And from that view they aren't.

The idea came when I was watching something with a spellcasting priest as one of the big main characters, and so they made a lot of noise about their faith.  And then you had a mages' college around.  And the question was raised in my mind as to how spending time studying books got you magic (something of a problem I've always had with the book-learned wizard image), whereas having some very powerful being either do the magic for you or give you a bit of its power made more sense.  Then it occurred to me: The mages were devoting themselves to something.  The priests were devoting themselves to something.  The mages' needed an explanation for their magic, the priests had one, and they did similar things to get their magic.  It was only a small leap to think than maybe priests and mages got their power the same way, but just "asked" for it differently.

@Silvercat - I like the idea of magic taking physical action.  If it takes but a gesture to cast a 0-level spell, maybe the movements required to cast a much higher level spell would be more pronounced (karate chop fireball!)

Actually my idea would at least start with the gesture being something like a karate chop.  The idea is to make the gestures of magic much more physical, like combat or dance

[Krensky]

I can see it!  I have watched the series through a few times and I always find myself splitting it into chunks (combats, RP, etc.).  I just watched the Legend of Crystania movie and OVA.  While the movie was ok, the OVA stunk!

If you want more Forcellia, Rune Soldier Louie takes place in the same world. More light hearted in tone though.

The first part of Lodoss was a D&D game (BECMI, if I remember correctly), second part was Lodoss War Companion (which I think was a sourcebook and rules compendium for D&D), last part (Heroic Knight) and Rune Soldier were Sword World 1e (SNK's house system).

[Sletchman]

I'm not sure how to build the last idea into a game without making it an expert class, but that would end up being a crappier rune knight with me at the helm.

Considering that some people think the Path of Magic is a bit broken (or maybe that's just in conjunction with the Mage class, I can't remember) limiting it to only certain kinds of spells would just re-balance it.  I don't see why you can't just have that in a normal Priest class.

I was thinking of a more intrinsic link between the magic and the fighting, rather then just a caster who can fight.  The rune knight is actually pretty ideal for what I'm thinking of, but specifically can't be an unarmed combatant, which sucks out loud.

[Antilles]

Hey, your game, your rules. Make brass knuckles, and declare they can be used for the purpose of Rune Knight.

[@stroVal]

I can see it!  I have watched the series through a few times and I always find myself splitting it into chunks (combats, RP, etc.).  I just watched the Legend of Crystania movie and OVA.  While the movie was ok, the OVA stunk!

If you want more Forcellia, Rune Soldier Louie takes place in the same world. More light hearted in tone though.

The first part of Lodoss was a D&D game (BECMI, if I remember correctly), second part was Lodoss War Companion (which I think was a sourcebook and rules compendium for D&D), last part (Heroic Knight) and Rune Soldier were Sword World 1e (SNK's house system).

Yeah that's why Deedlit is the spellcasting elf like the first edition rules(apparently the character of the dude who wrote the books based on their sessions)
I think they made another system(besides Sword World) to follow Parn's party(called Record Of Lodoss War RPG) but I am not so sure if its official
Crystania isn't that good that's true..In my opinion ROLW ovas and then the Record of Lodoss War tv series are the best
and of course Rune Soldier Louie for comedic reasons ;p

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Rune Soldier Louie is actually what inspired my "all magic is divine" idea.

[Krensky]

The novelizations of the replays were written by the DM. Deedlit was played by a Japanese sci-fi author.

Rune Soldier Louie is actually what inspired my "all magic is divine" idea.

How? The mage's magic in the Forcelia world is pretty typical D&D arcane magic. Study, memorization, and research are the order of the day.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Rune Soldier Louie is actually what inspired my "all magic is divine" idea.

How? The mage's magic in the Forcelia world is pretty typical D&D arcane magic. Study, memorization, and research are the order of the day.

Please don't take this as any sort of indictment of you, but I'm just going to quote what I wrote about how I came up with the idea:

The idea came when I was watching something with a spellcasting priest as one of the big main characters, and so they made a lot of noise about their faith.  And then you had a mages' college around.  And the question was raised in my mind as to how spending time studying books got you magic (something of a problem I've always had with the book-learned wizard image), whereas having some very powerful being either do the magic for you or give you a bit of its power made more sense.  Then it occurred to me: The mages were devoting themselves to something.  The priests were devoting themselves to something.  The mages' needed an explanation for their magic, the priests had one, and they did similar things to get their magic.  It was only a small leap to think than maybe priests and mages got their power the same way, but just "asked" for it differently.

Shorter answer: it wasn't the magic as presented in the series that inspired me, but rather the fact that I was made to ask the question of how the magic worked.

[Krensky]

Fair enough, and what I get for posting a question after skimming while brain dead due to excessive overtime.

[Squig of Darkness]

Campaign Quality:

Divine Heroes All mages gain unarmed forte and must be summoned by a priestess of Mylii to do their duty as heroes.

-SoD

[Krensky]

And must be involved in a love square with said priestess,  an elven hussy,  and their red headed classmate.

[MilitiaJim]

And must be involved in a love square with said priestess,  an elven hussy,  and their red headed classmate.

Sign me up for mage school.

[@stroVal]

And must be involved in a love square with said priestess,  an elven hussy,  and their red headed classmate.

AAAhh Uni life...