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Posted 28 April 2007 - 08:48 PM
Life does seem to intervene at inconvenient moments.
I thought a few older sci-fi/fantasy classics might provide reference points, flavor, characters that could be applied to Lilium.
Hiero's Journey [Sterling E. Lanier (1973)]
"By the Waters of Babylon" [Stephen Vincent Benét]
Empire of the East, various Sword Books [Fred Saberhagen]
There's a host of other books/stories out there, so the list is hardly exhaustive, and frankly who has the extra time to read 'em all.
(may have double posted by accident -- if so, sorry)
Nurmir
Lilium Campiagn Setting (Revisited) Another Stab at This
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#17
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Posted 30 April 2007 - 03:04 AM
No double posting to worry about there. Thanks for the suggestions, too. I'll need to look into those. In the meantime, I am sort of runnign a test drive of the idea in my head, largely fudging things that aren't set in stone yet, just to see how it plays out. Overall, it appears to be edging more on high fantasy with technology appearing almost magical to the normal person. The next encounter I'm running will involve some people that have turned the collapsed remains of an ancient parking garage into a makeshift fort. I'm curious to see how the players react.
When I'm not spendign time working out the next encoutner and what not, I'm trying to start work on an essay to describe what in the name of the gods is going on with magic. My current intent is the same as it originally was for Lilium. I'll be using Jimp's old idea of planes that radiate magic, and the return of magic to Lilium will have had something to do with the Cataclysm. Magic has long sinse returned now, and I'm trying to figure out how to tackle that beast. So far, I'm considering treating magic much in teh way Charles Robert Maturin did in Melmoth the Wanderer. Essentially, magic is addicting adn corrupting, and thus not generally to be triffled with. The use of magic may not be evil, but such power has a tendancy to bend people toward corruption. That's my current train of thought. I'm still not entirely certain on a lot of things. That's all the update I have for now. Peace.
[NOTE]
We need a smily giving a peace sign.
When I'm not spendign time working out the next encoutner and what not, I'm trying to start work on an essay to describe what in the name of the gods is going on with magic. My current intent is the same as it originally was for Lilium. I'll be using Jimp's old idea of planes that radiate magic, and the return of magic to Lilium will have had something to do with the Cataclysm. Magic has long sinse returned now, and I'm trying to figure out how to tackle that beast. So far, I'm considering treating magic much in teh way Charles Robert Maturin did in Melmoth the Wanderer. Essentially, magic is addicting adn corrupting, and thus not generally to be triffled with. The use of magic may not be evil, but such power has a tendancy to bend people toward corruption. That's my current train of thought. I'm still not entirely certain on a lot of things. That's all the update I have for now. Peace.
[NOTE]
We need a smily giving a peace sign.
This technique of RPG playing has been passed down the Bloodmooon line for generations!
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
#18
- Mutant Chameleon of Doom
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Posted 30 April 2007 - 03:57 PM
You should check the Warcraft RPG setting from Sword&Sorcery, specifically the sourcebook dealing with magic in great detail (Magic and Mayhem, IIRC). They have some pretty well developed rules for magic corruption and effects that seem to be in a very similar vein to what you're thinking of, including rules for what triggers corruption, how much you can take, how much you do take, etc.
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Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Dell: We're pleased to inform you that your order was shipped on 06/06/2006!
Me: Great, so now I have Satan in my computer. Like XP wasn't problematic enough.
"It was terrible. It had these big, pointy teeth."
--The Vault Dweller
The ALLCALMA Act
Mein Blog-o
#19
- The Grammar Nazi
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Posted 30 April 2007 - 11:42 PM
Cool. I'll have to look into that. I thought about using taint for magical corruption (because I just love taint), but it seems a tad too harsh. How many wizards would there be if everytime you cast a spell, you could get blasted with taint? That'd suck. So I'll check that out. Hopefully it permits the existance of good wizards that still use magic.
This technique of RPG playing has been passed down the Bloodmooon line for generations!
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
#20
- Mutant Chameleon of Doom
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Posted 01 May 2007 - 07:02 PM
Yes, it does, its just that they have to constantly battle the urge to give in to corruption and go full-bore with their abilities.
Basically, under certain conditions an arcane caster may have to make a corruption check, which is a Will save with a DC determined by the situation. If they fail, they take a quantity of 'corruption damage,' which kinda like 'soul hp.' When it hits zero, the character drops a corruption category and gets a corruption effect, going from normal->tainted->marked->defiled->complete. If they are at complete and would drop again, they become NPCs because they're too corrupted to think rationally.
Events that force corruption effects are things like casting your maximum level spells, casting a spell you've prepared for the first time, near corrupt places/creatures/objects, using spells above your level from scrolls, contacting magically corrupt places/objects/creatures, or tapping into major magic sources.
Basically, under certain conditions an arcane caster may have to make a corruption check, which is a Will save with a DC determined by the situation. If they fail, they take a quantity of 'corruption damage,' which kinda like 'soul hp.' When it hits zero, the character drops a corruption category and gets a corruption effect, going from normal->tainted->marked->defiled->complete. If they are at complete and would drop again, they become NPCs because they're too corrupted to think rationally.
Events that force corruption effects are things like casting your maximum level spells, casting a spell you've prepared for the first time, near corrupt places/creatures/objects, using spells above your level from scrolls, contacting magically corrupt places/objects/creatures, or tapping into major magic sources.
Level 5 Nebraskan
Check out my art!
Dthclaw's Art!
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Dell: We're pleased to inform you that your order was shipped on 06/06/2006!
Me: Great, so now I have Satan in my computer. Like XP wasn't problematic enough.
"It was terrible. It had these big, pointy teeth."
--The Vault Dweller
The ALLCALMA Act
Mein Blog-o
Check out my art!
Dthclaw's Art!
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Dell: We're pleased to inform you that your order was shipped on 06/06/2006!
Me: Great, so now I have Satan in my computer. Like XP wasn't problematic enough.
"It was terrible. It had these big, pointy teeth."
--The Vault Dweller
The ALLCALMA Act
Mein Blog-o
#21
- The Grammar Nazi
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Posted 02 May 2007 - 02:48 PM
Wow. That actually sounds perfect. You know, I think you feed me more weird rules than anyone else, and I always eat them up. Thanks, man.
This technique of RPG playing has been passed down the Bloodmooon line for generations!
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
Method Actor 83% Storyteller 83% Butt-Kicker 75% Power Gamer 67% Specialist 67% Tactician 58% Casual Gamer 25%
Elyria Campaign Setting
`\ o _,
...)
.< .\.
#22
- Mutant Chameleon of Doom
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- Group: Sages
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- Location:Mars University... Knowledge Brings Fear
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Posted 02 May 2007 - 03:53 PM
Heh. You're welcome.
The strange thing is that most of the rules I feed you are ones that I pass by tangentially as I'm looking for other things
The strange thing is that most of the rules I feed you are ones that I pass by tangentially as I'm looking for other things
Level 5 Nebraskan
Check out my art!
Dthclaw's Art!
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Dell: We're pleased to inform you that your order was shipped on 06/06/2006!
Me: Great, so now I have Satan in my computer. Like XP wasn't problematic enough.
"It was terrible. It had these big, pointy teeth."
--The Vault Dweller
The ALLCALMA Act
Mein Blog-o
Check out my art!
Dthclaw's Art!
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Dell: We're pleased to inform you that your order was shipped on 06/06/2006!
Me: Great, so now I have Satan in my computer. Like XP wasn't problematic enough.
"It was terrible. It had these big, pointy teeth."
--The Vault Dweller
The ALLCALMA Act
Mein Blog-o