Spells - Rituals, Packets or Something Else?

[KyleS]

So, I'm currently writing up a rules system for a setting which includes:

Modern
Steam Punk
Fantasy
Medieval


And I'm running into an issue. I want to have Magic be a part of the game, but I'm having some serious debates over how I want to represent it as a force.

Maybe some of you can help me out with some ideas, or fleshing out the pros and cons a bit better. Thanks in advance for any help.

What I want it to do:

-Add to the game. I don't want it to be the controlling bad ass force rules wise. I just want it to add to the game world itself.
-Have a different impact than direct Damage effects.


What I don't want it to do:

-I don't want it to be faction based. I want everyone to have the ability to learn it, and use it.
-I don't want it to be necessary for a Plot member to be in attendance when every spell is cast. (either to describe or give info)
-The Rules to be so confusing that it requires Trig and a BS in Computer Sciences.



Quick example of rules to give a basis:

Everyone can use any weapon without purchasing a skill.
"Specialty Strikes" are purchasable skills.
Creating Poisons, Traps, Potions, Weapons and Armour are purchasable skills.
10 Health Point system.
Armour adds directly to HP and is removed first. Can only be returned through repairing the Armour once damaged.
Currently there are 6 PC Factions.
There is a Plot team that will be running monsters and representing the outside world.
Combat is handled through Real Time Boffer fighting.
WYSIWYG for as much as possible.

[buggy]

We ran a steam punk campaign and put some limits on magic:

- it could be only used as coincidental magic. That is, a casual observer could still explain the effects of the spell as something that could have happened without magic. This really cut down on combat magic and overt magic.

- magic required certain base components. Players could experiment with components and create new spells. Unfortunately, they rarely did this.

- we tied magic in with the other mechanics, so that magic could have an effect on other mechanics (making someone a better or worse fighter, which could be explained away as a lucky break for example, or causing a machine to break down).

Hope this helps.

[KyleS]

It does immensely. Thanks. I didn't think about the fact that you could incorporate tech/magic for an effect. Kind of like making it Artificer type magic.

[dicemistress]

You might want to take a look at the nTeraction, now called Accelerant LARP rules system and see if you could use any of those as inspiration. From what I've read it's supposed to be a generic rules system that can be applied to many genres of LARP, however what I've seen of it it seems more like a design doc of expectations and effects so there is some degree of conformity between all games that use that system. The best info I could find on the Accelerant LARP system is here http://www.larp.com/madrigal/system.html

Perhaps someone more familiar with the Accelerant rules system can provide better clarification and information on exactly what it is.

- Amber E.
_________________
Mortalis Games /// Journeys to another world

[BaronBlackRose]

When I was with MFCO. We had a magic system of sorts. We used spell packets. It was pretty interestng. Think of it as Dag but with soem magic thrown in. We had healers and I forget what the other was..
_________________
Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)