Minute-Made Magic

Minute-Made Magic (M3)

Yet another interesting discussion on the Yahoo Group that I felt should be retained for prosperity.

This approach to Magic is, IMHO, better suited when using the 'Deadly Combat' or 'Best of Set' rules found in the Risus Companion (but not required for play). My reasoning for this is mainly based on the premise that these options do not require Target Numbers (TNs) and neither does Minute-Made Magic. The discussion was in regard to TNs and their abstractness. Thinking how to alleviate this I chose to go with M3 for my current supplement that is in production.

Basic premise:

1. All magical cliches must be purchased double pump-able.

2. Magic use is either Mundane or Diabolic. Mundane (doing anything that can be done without magic; lighting a fire (though without matches), opening a door (without touching it with magic), or reading a book (no long nights under candlelight)). Diabolic (doing something overtly that directly causes something to someone/something else; A Mage casting a fireball at a Horde of Orcs, A Necromancer raising Minions, or Controlling someones mind.

3. Control, Mundane spells are controlled and limited by the number they can cast in a scene (equal to the value of the double-pump cliche). IE: 'Necromancer [3]', can do 3 Mundane Spells in a scene. Diabolic spells are controlled by the double-pump itself. IE: 'Necromancer [3]' decides to raise some minions to attack a target. She decides to double-pump 2 dice, making herself a 'Necromancer [1]'. She casts the spell and creates a Force (4) Spell from the pump dice. She could use this to have a 'Shambling Minion Horde (4)' or 2 'Grasping Ghouls (2), or even 4 'Animated Skeletons (1). How the dice are broken down or described does not matter, because of the Effect....

4. Effect, every time the Force rolls it automatically loses 1d in its cliche. So, no matter what, when the 'Shambling Minion Horde (4)' rolls it becomes 'Shambling Minion Horde (3)' - win or lose. An 'Animated Skeleton (1)' automatically 'fades' (being now a 0 level cliche) after its first roll. If a Force wins, it causes a die 'wound' to the target. If the Force loses, it DOES NOT lose an additional die - just the one die it loses automatically -but instead causes Feedback...

5. Feedback, every 'wound' received to the Force goes to the Mage controlling the 'link and presence' of the Force. This wound does not initially go directly to the Necromancer's cliche but instead removes one of the Mundane Spell 'slots'. If the Mage has already used all of the Mundane Spell options for the scene it goes straight to the cliche instead. So the now 'Necromancer [1]' would still have 3 Mundane Spells, for being a 3 value cliche initially, assuming she didn't use any of them in the scene. The Necromancer will find herself subjected to the descriptive demise of the character by the GM if all 4 of her Force Dice fail ~ causing Feedback, as they would use the 3 Mundane Slots and the remaining Cliche Die. She would have placed herself in further danger if she had used any of the 3 available Mundane Slots earlier in the scene.

You could think of the Mundane Spell boxes as Mana or Basic Ability... or something similar. I intend to also write it up as so:

'Skulking Elven Necromancer [3]' - [ ] [ ] [ ]

This approach I feel will help control the power of Magic in a setting, removes pesky TNs for casting and is somewhat balanced if used with other options such as Out Numbered and Out Classed, [Ranged Combat], [Degrees of Success - Feeling the Heat!], and [Unexpected Cliches].

* [Space for Future Links that I Need to Write Up]