Magic has always been a subject of fascination for humans throughout history. It has been depicted in various forms in literature, movies, and myths. One specific aspect of magic that often captures our imagination is its connection to death. The idea of magic being associated with death can be seen in many cultures and traditions around the world. In some ancient societies, magic was believed to have the power to control or manipulate death. Rituals and spells were performed to ensure a peaceful passing or to banish evil spirits that can cause harm to the deceased.
Thank God the Olympics are over. They were a lot of fun (as usual), but it will be nice to get some sleep at night. I was open till 3AM re-watching the closing ceremonies (which I missed earlier in the day), and man-o-man am I beat. Worst moments from the games: no broadcasts of fencing (even medal highlights!) on NBC or On Demand, Morgan Uceny getting tripped up in the 1500m, no Iron Maiden (or ANY British metal bands) at the closing ceremonies. Best moments from the games: Mexico’s local kids winning gold in soccer over Brazil’s pro superstars (that’s like the 1980 USA vs. USSR hockey final) ; Grenada winning their first ever medal (and it was gold); final match of Trainor-Walsh in beach volleyball; shorty Leo Manzano’s run for the silver in the 1500m from the back of the pack; Oscar Pistorious (just awesome); David Boudia (diving) and Aly Raisman (floor exercise) winning gold despite being underdogs. Oh, yeah…the Australian girl winning the hurdles…watching her gliding speed was about the smoothest thing I’ve ever seen on a track. Actually, there were a ton of “best moments,” but those were some of my favorites…in other words, well worth the lack of sleep.
Mmm now I m sorry that I didn t get into my reasons for being a proponent of the class system, because some of this might not make sense without that context. This could easily be extended to clerics, and in fact would be more useful for them as they have few combat spells , allowing lesser-used spells some play.
Rituals and spells were performed to ensure a peaceful passing or to banish evil spirits that can cause harm to the deceased. In the realm of fiction, we encounter numerous examples of magic being used in relation to death. From necromancers who can raise the dead to witches who can curse someone with a fatal spell, the association between magic and death is prevalent in fantasy literature and movies.
The final magic user
Post by Maliki » Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:30 am
Nice work, the intelligence bonus for spells is a houserule of mine, I also like the listing of additional supplements.
Joe the Rat Posts: 1242 Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:28 amRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Joe the Rat » Sat Mar 26, 2011 1:11 pm
Indeed. The Supplements Appendix is a nice quick reference list to other options.
This is also nicely laid out as well, and gives the rationale behind the option ideas. I can see where he's coming from on this.
Go with a smile! Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:43 pm
Thanks, guys. Let me know if you have any other thoughts or ideas for it. Sir Bedivere Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:53 pm
I'm moving some suggestions from the thread in General Discussion, just to keep all the ideas in one place.
SmootRK wrote: Some additional ideas to add to your document:
Familiars
Spell Specialization (like fighters with weapons, get some kudos with specific spells)
Circle/Group/Ritual Magic (ie. Cooperative Magic)
Solomoriah wrote: The number of spells a magic-user can cast per day represents the amount of magical energy the caster can hold in abeyance.
It would be possible to abstract those rules, allowing a caster to keep unused slots for spells, then use them in "long format" when needed. For instance, a magic-user might leave a first-level slot free, then spend a few minutes casting read magic or detect magic as needed. Such an unused slot would be useless in combat, so would represent a trade-off for the magic-user, but when the character reaches 5th level or so, leaving unused slots would add adventuring flexibility (particularly if he or she has a variety of spells available).
This could easily be extended to clerics, and in fact would be more useful for them (as they have few "combat" spells), allowing lesser-used spells some play.
KeithCampbell wrote: Why not allow the magic use to simply cast the desired spell as a ritual, without even worrying about slots - OR to replenish a slot during the day, by spending some uninterrupted time performing the ritual?
A few possibilities:
It might be harder to replenish a slot than to simply work a ritual spell. Perhaps replenishing a slot takes a half hour or more.
Assuming the rituals are usually performed in the morning because the mage is well-rested, performing the rituals or replenishing slots during the day could cost hit points, representing fatigue, which might increase with spell level.
This would still make beginning magic users rather weak in combat, as spells at-the-ready would be few, but would eliminate the need for beginner parties to constantly have to run back to town to rest up, or spike the door to a secure chamber and camp. That gets a tad tedious. And, as Solomoriah mentioned, it might give more opportunity for beginning clerics to actually DO a few things, and give more play to neglected non-combat spells.
Sir Bedivere Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Fri May 06, 2011 9:05 pm
Mostly notes to myself here, a list of things to consider for the next release.
I found Smoot's ideas for familiars over in another thread:
Smoot's ideas for a Conjurer class:
Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:48 pm
I have, at long last, finished the second release of the Magic-User Options supplement.
There is still more that can be done with it, including adding some of the options discussed earlier in this thread, but this is what I have now and life's about to get busy, so I decided to release what I have and update this supplement again when life calms down a bit.
This version is almost twice as long as the first, incorporating a number of additional optional rules as well as a few examples of how the various options might be put together to create a particular feel for a campaign.
As always, I welcome comments and suggestions.
EDIT 1/19/12: The files I had attached here earlier as release two contained a small error in the second paragraph of the 'Start at Second Level' option.
EDIT 1/21/12: I have gone through and am rewriting parts of this supplement, so I have removed the files. I plan to have the real, true, final and complete supplement up today or tomorrow. Sorry for any confusion!
Last edited by Sir Bedivere on Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:34 pm, edited 2 times in total. Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:55 pm
In another thread, teluria suggested using the optional skills supplements to give the Magic-User some additional usefulness.
Sir Bedivere Posts: 998 Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:46 pmRe: Magic-User Options
Post by Sir Bedivere » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:43 pm
An analysis by Solomoriah in another thread that I'd like to reference in the third release:Solomoriah wrote: There are three common mistakes made when trying to "fix" the magic-user.
The first is obvious: Giving bonus spells for high intelligence. There is a reason Gary didn't put a bonus spell table in HIS game for magic-users. handing out extra magic missile spells makes magic-users more powerful at high level than you might think.
The second is to use some form of spell points system. This doesn't work, and for the same reason.
The third is to create a different class of magic-users (sorcerers, anyone?) with different spell casting rules, and using them in the game side-by-side with the classic magic-user types. This is jarring, first of all. it doesn't fit. Second, the result tends to be that the new class gets all the "love" while the classic class becomes largely NPCs.
Spell points and bonus spells both cause problems because the spells in BFRPG, and in practically all the other old-school games we're all fans of, are not engineered to balance properly with any other rate of spell acquisition and use. My favorite counter-example is Bard Games' Arcanum, a very similar class-and-level system with a very different spell casting rule. You could cast two spells plus one per level every day, and you could choose from any spells you knew, regardless of level. Yup. At 9th level, you could cast either 10 or 11 spells (depending on how the GM interpreted the rule) and they could ALL be 5th level. But that game had spells carefully engineered so that the overall utility of every spell remained good at all levels. Higher level spells allowed effects not available at lower levels, but higher level casters were still fairly likely to use lower level spells. Try that spellcasting rule in BFRPG and you may see a few problems, like machine-gun magic-users.
The different class issue can be dealt with easily enough, actually. Make your new "magic-user" THE magic-user in your game; design them so that they can be dropped in as replacements for any and all magic-user characters in the game. Little as I like the sorcerer, I can see the attraction of a game where all arcane spellcasters were effectively sorcerers.
As always, I welcome comments and suggestions.
One example of this is the concept of the Deathly Hallows in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The Deathly Hallows are magical objects that are closely tied to death. The Elder Wand, one of the hallows, is believed to be the most powerful wand in the wizarding world and grants its owner the ability to conquer death. This theme of using magic to defy death is a recurring motif in the series. Another example can be found in the world of voodoo and African diaspora religions. In these traditions, magic is believed to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead and gain their guidance or assistance. Practitioners of voodoo may perform rituals and spells to connect with deceased loved ones or seek protection from malevolent spirits. Despite the allure and fascination surrounding the association of magic with death, it is important to remember that these are fictional or mythological representations. In reality, death is a natural and inevitable part of life and cannot be controlled or manipulated through magic or any other means. Magic, fascinating though it may be, remains a product of human imagination. While it can be a source of inspiration and wonder, it is essential to distinguish between fiction and reality, especially when it comes to matters as profound as life and death..
Reviews for "Beyond the Grave: Communicating with Spirits and the Perils of BNF Death"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magic bnf death". The story felt disjointed and confusing, making it hard to follow along. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to connect with them. Additionally, the writing style was choppy and inconsistent, which made reading the book a bit of a chore. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming and not worth the hype.
2. Mike - 3 stars - While "Magic bnf death" had an interesting premise, I felt like the execution fell flat. The pacing was off, with moments of action being rushed and other parts dragging on. The world-building was also lacking, with little explanation of the magic system and the rules that govern it. I was left with more questions than answers. Moreover, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters. It had potential, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I had high expectations for "Magic bnf death" based on the reviews I had read. However, I found the plot to be predictable and lacking originality. The twists and turns felt contrived, and the resolution was unsatisfying. Additionally, the writing style was repetitive and relied heavily on clichés. I struggled to stay engaged with the story due to these factors. Overall, I found "Magic bnf death" to be a disappointing read that didn't live up to the hype.