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quirky magic items

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Ray Dillinger

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Jul 20, 2004, 2:07:08 PM7/20/04
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How much room is there in any roguelike for magic items to be
individual and quirky?

I mean, does it ever bug you that every fireball wand in the
world seems to have come off the same assembly line? They
store similar numbers of charges, take the same amount of
time to use, have the same recharging procedure, the same
range, the same area of effect, etc, etc, etc. It seems
like, once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all.

I like the idea of equipment that has 'quirks;' Different
schools of magic, or different magicians, make fireball
wands that have different properties; some of them are
annoying, and some amusing, and some frankly better than
others, but they aren't all alike. The one that makes the
huge flaming ball sixty meters wide and has a range of
three hundred meters probably isn't the best for indoor
use. The one that's fast but doesn't hold very many
charges might be a nice one for a day's adventure. But
if you're going to be traveling a month and expect a lot
of trouble if there's any, it would be better to take the
one that holds a lot of charges, even if it takes longer
to invoke. And so on...

Anybody tried anything like this?

Bear

konijn_

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Jul 20, 2004, 2:52:04 PM7/20/04
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No, you would need a Harry Potter like wand shop though.
Component baesd wand making could also help.
Phoenix tail for higher temperature, sulfar dragon tooth for additional
poisonous fumes etc etc

Cheers,
T.

>
> Bear
>
>
>

konijn_

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Jul 20, 2004, 2:57:42 PM7/20/04
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On 2004-07-20 20:07:08, Ray Dillinger <be...@sonic.net> wrote:

No, you would need a Harry Potter like wand shop though.

Glen Wheeler

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Jul 20, 2004, 8:17:59 PM7/20/04
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"Ray Dillinger" <be...@sonic.net> wrote in message
news:gbdLc.3261$54.4...@typhoon.sonic.net...

I'm playing with it currently.

For my world, there are several ``Great Mages'' and each one runs a rather
successful business feeding the large public with everyday magic items, such
as a wand of fireballs. Each one of the mages are in competition with
eachother, so each wand made by the different mage/mage co. has different
attributes.

Since the people who *actually* make the wands/potions/scrolls are really
interns, stuffups can happen and you may end up with a wand of fireballs
which operates a little differently. To account for this I just tweak some
variables in a random fashion, weighted towards where you bought/obtained
this item.

I really like the idea. Even if my playtesters sometimes complain about
having to try out some magic items and also the somewhat (exactly)
non-predictable nature of these items specifically, it turns out to be more
fun. In the end, just like so many other things, the joy is in taking the
things we are given and doing the best we can with them. If we get a little
bad luck, and manage to still overcome, then that's all the better :).

--
Glen
L:Pyt E+++ T-- R+ P+++ D+ G+ F:*band !RL RLA-
W:AF Q+++ AI++ GFX++ SFX-- RN++++ PO--- !Hp Re-- S+


R. Dan Henry

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Jul 21, 2004, 3:32:45 AM7/21/04
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On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 18:07:08 GMT, Ray Dillinger <be...@sonic.net>
wrote:

>
>How much room is there in any roguelike for magic items to be
>individual and quirky?
>
>I mean, does it ever bug you that every fireball wand in the
>world seems to have come off the same assembly line? They
>store similar numbers of charges, take the same amount of
>time to use, have the same recharging procedure, the same
>range, the same area of effect, etc, etc, etc. It seems
>like, once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all.

It doesn't bug me, no. OTOH, a system with more variety would, if done
well, be interesting. Note that TOME already has a variety of
modifiers for its magic sticks, so to some extent this has already
been done.

>I like the idea of equipment that has 'quirks;' Different
>schools of magic, or different magicians, make fireball
>wands that have different properties; some of them are
>annoying, and some amusing, and some frankly better than
>others, but they aren't all alike. The one that makes the
>huge flaming ball sixty meters wide and has a range of
>three hundred meters probably isn't the best for indoor
>use. The one that's fast but doesn't hold very many
>charges might be a nice one for a day's adventure. But
>if you're going to be traveling a month and expect a lot
>of trouble if there's any, it would be better to take the
>one that holds a lot of charges, even if it takes longer
>to invoke. And so on...
>
>Anybody tried anything like this?

As I wrote, TOME has already some variations. I actually planned to do
quite a bit of this if I get around to my Humorous Fantasy Variant of
Prototype (which is 90% likely if I get to the point where I have a
working Prototype, odds of which I won't speculate on).

Easy and understandable way to match ability mods to descriptive word
types:

Lavender Pixie Oaken Wand of Long-Range Fireballs (8/20)

Lavender is the color, representing ease of use: lavender wands are
mildly easier to use than average.

Pixie is the racial modifier. Pixies get a bonus to use/recharge this
wand, other fae races get a smaller bonus. It also is half normal
weight (each racial mod gets some special tweak).

Oaken is the material, which indicates power level. Oak is a deeply
magical wood and has a high level of effect. Damage from these
fireballs will be quite good.

Long-Range Fireballs is the basic effect, plus a bonus modifier
indicating double normal range.

(8/20) means this wand currently holds eight charges and can "safely"
be charged up to twenty charges. Max charges may depend on effect
only, unless there are modifiers, or have a slight random component
and possibly a bit of tweaking from other mods. (e.g., Oaken Wands are
more powerful, but hold 10% fewer charges than standard.)

Note the consistent naming scheme. Color for ease of use, racial
modifier, material for power, clear adjective for modification of
effect. Don't "Manic Polka-Striped Singing Wand of Ice Shards of the
Ethereal Tiger" it. A wide variation in wand/rod/staff/magic fan types
is enough of a learning curve without odd naming schemes.

Or else hide the variables and leave the player guessing, but I don't
think that's a very roguelike approach.

Richard Daniel Henry
danh...@inreach.com

Lauri Vallo

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Jul 21, 2004, 6:50:25 AM7/21/04
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On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 18:07:08 GMT, Ray Dillinger wrote:

>How much room is there in any roguelike for magic items to be
>individual and quirky?

Please make things like that, and most of all make some mysterious
things and don't tell the player about it, like RDHenry mentioned :-)

Don't let the player choose if you allow them to be bought.

Ray Dillinger

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Jul 21, 2004, 1:37:27 PM7/21/04
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R. Dan Henry wrote:
>
> Note the consistent naming scheme. Color for ease of use, racial
> modifier, material for power, clear adjective for modification of
> effect. Don't "Manic Polka-Striped Singing Wand of Ice Shards of the
> Ethereal Tiger" it. A wide variation in wand/rod/staff/magic fan types
> is enough of a learning curve without odd naming schemes.
>
> Or else hide the variables and leave the player guessing, but I don't
> think that's a very roguelike approach.

Naw, that gets silly. Nobody would ever say a mouthful like that;
nobody wants to see it in their inventory screen. Someone doesn't
call his car a "1967 anniversary-edition black chevrolet corvette
with the 351 motor and aftermarket slicks", he calls it "my vette"
or even "the car" or if he's a fanatic he names it "Cherona" or
something. All of that other stuff he knows about it isn't part
of its basic name to him, it's part of his detailed knowledge.

Similarly, I figure someone's going to have a "fireball wand" in
inventory, and then a detailed "examine item" screen that gives
the known particulars of this individual fireball wand. If the
character gets more than one fireball wand, he can give them
individual names (they become "the fireball wand Boomer" and
"the fireball wand Burner") to keep them straight without going
to the detail screen.

One thing; if items become mainly individual, identify becomes
a much more important ability.

Bear

Michael Blackney

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Jul 21, 2004, 7:19:01 PM7/21/04
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Ray Dillinger <be...@sonic.net> communicated:

>
> R. Dan Henry wrote:
> >
> > Note the consistent naming scheme. Color for ease of use, racial
> > modifier, material for power, clear adjective for modification of
> > effect. Don't "Manic Polka-Striped Singing Wand of Ice Shards of the
> > Ethereal Tiger" it. A wide variation in wand/rod/staff/magic fan types
> > is enough of a learning curve without odd naming schemes.
> >
> > Or else hide the variables and leave the player guessing, but I don't
> > think that's a very roguelike approach.
>
> Naw, that gets silly. Nobody would ever say a mouthful like that;
> nobody wants to see it in their inventory screen. Someone doesn't
> call his car a "1967 anniversary-edition black chevrolet corvette
> with the 351 motor and aftermarket slicks", he calls it "my vette"
> or even "the car" or if he's a fanatic he names it "Cherona" or
> something. All of that other stuff he knows about it isn't part
> of its basic name to him, it's part of his detailed knowledge.

He only calls it "the car" if he only has one.
I he's got more than one car he calls it "the 'vette".
If he has two 'vettes he probably calls it "the black 'vette"
It he has two black 'vettes he calls it "the anniversary edition
'vette"
...

How about a smart-inventory screen that gives item names only enough
adjectives as is required to tell them apart? So with only one of
Richard's wands you have, "a Wand of Long-Range Fireballs"
With two you have, "an Oaken Wand of Long-Range Fireballs" and "a
Plywood wand of Long-Range Fireballs" and so on. And at any time you
want a full run-down of the item name, just use 'I'nspect.

--
michaelblackney at hotmail dot com
http://aburatan.sourceforge.net/
Latest version 0.95 2-5-4

The Sheep

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Jul 22, 2004, 7:32:59 AM7/22/04
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Dnia 21 Jul 2004 16:19:01 -0700, Michael Blackney napisal(a):

Good idea!

--
Radomir `The Sheep' Dopieralski
Whatever you're looking for, you always find it
in the last place you check. Coincidence?

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