Risus magic homebrew
Brandon Blackmoor
the Risus mailing list ri...@egroups.com by Rene Vernon
Rene....@cbr.defence.gov.au . I thought it was pretty cool, so I'm
reposting it here with Rene's permission.
===
Here's a table for determining spell TNs. It attempts to do in a
structured way what Jason's/Sjohn's Risus Magic table does in an abstract
way. It was inspired by, and incorporates elements of, Brandon's "Rough
Magic" magic rules. I also borrowed some stuff from Barony, D&D, Fudge,
Mage: The Acension, Over the Edge, and Sjohn's Elemental Magic rules.
All mistakes, errors of judgement, attempts at humour, and foolish
oversights are my own.
# REACH SCOPE DURATION NATURE IMPACT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 personal or n/a trivial momentary flash colour
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 touch simple melee or sundry low
situation
at hand
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 one close target ordinary hours detect moderate
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 immediate complex days useful or average
vicinity (all) nuisance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 as above (selective) difficult years[a] guarding significant
or line of or healing
sight (one target)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 any/all in exacting(x2) decades[b] attacking potent
sensory range [d]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 unknown/hyper- dangerous(x3) lasting[c] eldritch major
sensate (one target) [e]
[a] whether or not the spell succeeds, the player loses one pip from their
mage cliche or two pips from any other cliche/s
[b] ditto, two/four pips
[c] ditto, three/six pips (one die/two dice)
[d] if the player rolls less than equal to half TN, something TERRIBLE
happens (maybe now, maybe later)
[e] if the player rolls less than TN, ditto
Optional fine tuning menu (TN modifiers)
----------------------------------------
+1 no somatic component 0 coincidental magic
+1 no verbal component +2 vulgar magic
+1 no material component
0 material component, common +5 non-native field
-1 ...uncommon
-2 ...rare +8 lead, or similar inimical substance
-4 ...very rare
+3 ...not consumed/destroyed x3 dry mana zone
x2 low mana zone
-1 extended ritual/casting time +x weak mana zone
-2 ...hours -x strong mana zone
-3 ...days
-4 ...years -1 caster is female
-5 ...decades -2 caster is a eunuch
-6 ...lifetime
-1 appropriate alliterative
0 target is a stranger appellation (eg Sotiklak's
-1 ...acquaintance Subtle Soporific; Imhotep's
-2 ...extended family Telekinetic Fist; Hiram's
-3 ...close friend Hands of Healing)
-4 ...family
-5 ...intimate +1 spell lacks colour, sound, or
visual appearance: elements that
-1 per extra shot expended don't affect the spell but do add
flavour to game play---a glowing
-1 non-momentary spell not green telekinetic fist, a screaming
endable at caster's will fireball, and so on
Err, it looks very nice but how does it work?
---------------------------------------------
The player describes the spell then the GM (with suggestions from the
player) sums the applicable factors [#] for reach, scope, duration, nature
and impact, to get the TN. Note: two of the scope descriptors---exacting,
dangerous---use multiplicative rather than additive factors.
REACH means range and/or number of targets. A teleport spell (usually) has
a range of personal (0). A lightning bolt might have a range of line of
sight (one target) (4).
SCOPE means degree of challenge in terms of size, distance, detail,
density, intricacy and/or any similar (otherwise unaccounted) measure of
significance. Creating basic food and water might be simple (1). Most
blast magic (lightning bolt, fireball) is ordinary (2). Teleporting to
Pluto is dangerous (x3). Beyond the GM determined limits of scope
"dangerous" lie the uncharted waters of scope "impossible"; access to the
latter may (x10) or may not be allowed by the GM.
DURATION refers to a spell's run time. Some spells will get by fine with a
duration of momentary (0). Other spells will need to go for a bit longer.
Examples of the former: teleportation, fireball, death, disintegrate,
create non-living matter. Examples of the latter: charm, fear, create
life, resurrection, hereditary curse.
NATURE is largely self-explanatory. Lighting a cigar with one's thumb
would be flash (0). Eldritch (6) is whatever kind of magic the GM so
deems---it could be an entire field such as chronomancy or necromancy or
confined to a particular aspect of same, such as time travel, or
resurrection.
IMPACT means dramatic impact. Filling an ice chest would likely have no
impact apart from adding some colour (0). A 3-die fireball would be
average (3). A death spell would be major (6), as would paint the sky
pink.
Some examples would be helpful
------------------------------
Light cigar with thumb: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Trivial (0) +
Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Flash (0) + Impact/Colour (0) = TN 0
Fill ice chest: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Trivial (0) + Duration/Momentary
(0) + Nature/Flash (0) + Impact/Colour (0) = TN 1
Detect magic: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Momentary (0)
+ Nature/Detect (2) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 5
Light: Reach/Not applicable (0) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Situation at
hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 6
Open lock: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Momentary (0) +
Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 6
Read foreign script: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Simple (1) +
Duration/Situation at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 6
Slow fall: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Situation at
hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 6
Know North: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Days (3) +
Nature/Detect (2) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 7
Trip: Reach/One close target (2) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Momentary
(0) + Nature/Nuisance (3) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 7
Hold portal: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Simple (1) + Duration/Situation at
hand (1) + Nature/Guarding (4) + Impact/Low (1) = TN 8
Spider climb: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Ordinary (2) + Duration/Situation
at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Moderate (2) = TN 8
x-die heal: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Ordinary (2) + Duration/Momentary (0)
+ Nature/Healing (4) + Impact/ (x) = TN 7 + x
Walk on water: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Complex (3) + Duration/Situation
at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Moderate (2) = TN 9
Aqualung: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Complex (3) + Duration/Hours (2) +
Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Moderate (2) = TN 10
Fly: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Ordinary (2) + Duration/Hours (2) +
Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Average (3) = TN 10
Pass wall: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Ordinary (2) + Duration/Situation at
hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Average (3) = TN 10
X-ray vision: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Complex (3) + Duration/Situation
at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 11
x-die blast: Reach/Immediate vicinity (selective) (4) + Scope/Ordinary (2)
+ Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/ (x) = TN 11 + x
x-pip shield: Reach/Immediate vicinity (selective) (4) + Scope/Simple (1)
+ Duration/Melee (1) + Nature/Guarding (4) + Impact/ (x) = TN 10 + x
Mist form: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Difficult (4) + Duration/Situation
at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 12
Stone to flesh: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Complex (3) + Duration/Momentary
(0) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Potent (5) = TN 12
Invisibility: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Complex (3) + Duration/Melee (1)
+ Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 13
Flesh to stone: Reach/One close target (2) + Scope/Complex (3) +
Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Potent (5) = TN 15
Charm: Reach/One close target (2) + Scope/Ordinary (2) + Duration/Days (3)
+ Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 16
Sleep: Reach/Immediate vicinity (selective) Personal (4) + Scope/Ordinary
(2) + Duration/Hours (2) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Average (3) = TN
16
Slow: Reach/Immediate vicinity (selective) (4) + Scope/Ordinary (2) +
Duration/Melee (1) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 16
Man to porker: Reach/One close target (2) + Scope/Difficult (4) +
Duration/days (3) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 18
Teleport self to Pluto: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Dangerous (x3) +
Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN
21
Grow extra pair of arms: Reach/Personal (0) + Scope/Exacting (x2) +
Duration/Lasting (6) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Significant (4) = TN 26
Death spell: Reach/Immediate vicinity (selective) (4) + Scope/Exacting
(x2) + Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Major (6) =
TN 30
Teleport party to Pluto: Reach/Immediate vicinity (all) (3) +
Scope/Dangerous (x3) + Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Useful (3) +
Impact/Significant (4) = TN 30
Sand castle to castle: Reach/One close target (2) + Scope/Exacting (x2) +
Duration/Lasting (6) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Potent (5) = TN 32
Eclipse the sun: Reach/Sensory range (5) + Scope/Dangerous (x3) +
Duration/Situation at hand (1) + Nature/Useful (3) + Impact/Potent (5) =
TN 42
Destroy city: Reach/Line of sight (4) + Scope/Dangerous (x3) +
Duration/Momentary (0) + Nature/Attacking (5) + Impact/Major (6) = TN 45
Levitate city: Reach/Touch (1) + Scope/Dangerous (x3) + Duration/Lasting
(6) + Nature/Guarding (4) + Impact/Major (6) = TN 51
Paint the sky pink: Reach/Line of sight (4) + Scope/Dangerous (x3) +
Duration/Lasting (6) + Nature/Sundry (1) + Impact/Major (6) = TN 51
What exactly happens when something TERRIBLE happens?
-----------------------------------------------------
Whatever first (or later) comes to the GM's mind unless manifestly
incongruent with the rest of the campaign (the event, not the GM's
mind...). Given first thoughts can fall short in the originality/elegance
departments this might sound like a recipe for poor judgement. But it
doesn't matter, does it? It's supposed to be something TERRIBLE. To the
extent that GM discretion is relevant, the real value of the event will
lie in its dramatic consequences and how the players deal with/respond
to/overcome these, rather than in the novelty or nature of the event
itself.
How does spell casting work, anyway?
------------------------------------
A mage has a spell pool with as many shots as they have applicable cliche
dice. Frex, Shade Mage (4) gets four shots; a player with Gate Mage (3)
Healing (2) would get five shots. Each spell casting attempt---regardless
of outcome---consumes one shot.
Pumping only affects a mage's cliche dice; it doesn't affect their spell
pool. Frex, Shade Mage (4), with four shots, pumps two dice. After the
casting attempt they'll be Shade Mage (2), with three shots left in their
spell pool.
A mage with no shots left can still cast spells but each attempt
(permanently) burns one of their other cliche dice.
Shots are replenished during REM* sleep. As long as the mage gets a good
night's sleep they'll wake up in the morning "locked and loaded".
At the GM's discretion, spells directly cast on the minds, bodies, or held
property of intelligent beings get a resistance roll, using an appropriate
cliche against the spell's TN. To make a spell harder to resist a mage can
attempt casting it at a TN higher than otherwise indicated.
----------
*REM = Rapid Eye Movement, signifying dreaming. Although REM sleep
generally occurs more than once during a sleep cycle it is here assumed
that shot-replenishing REM sleep occurs only once (possibly in association
with a particular dream eg drawing from a well, topping up a tankard,
etc).
===
BBlac...@blackgate.net
24.july.2000
--
news:rec.games.frp.moderated
All role-play gaming, all the time.