As we enter the year 2020, it is crucial that we keep a watchful eye on the rise of witch hunts within society. While we may often associate witch hunts with the infamous Salem Witch Trials of the late 17th century, it is essential to recognize that this dangerous phenomenon continues to exist in modern times. A witch hunt can be defined as the persecution or harassment of individuals based on unfounded and often irrational beliefs or accusations. Historically, witch hunts were fueled by religious hysteria and a desire to root out perceived threats to the status quo. These hunts resulted in the wrongful torture and execution of countless innocent people, mainly women. However, the concept of a witch hunt has evolved over the years and can manifest itself in various forms.
One of the hardest things for a parent to do is to leave their child in the care of someone else. At Magic World, our focus is to provide a safe, warm, and friendly environment for children to grow while giving them the love and care they need, just like at home. We believe the beginning years of a child’s life are the ones that are most important. No two children are alike and through individualized attention, we focus on the needs of each child to help them learn and reach their fullest potential. Our job is to provide a place where children know they are accepted, loved, and protected.
At Magic World, our focus is to provide a safe, warm, and friendly environment for children to grow while giving them the love and care they need, just like at home. BRP veterans who like things more complicated could easily import the magic system from their favourite BRP game but to my mind that negates one of the features that differentiates Magic World from other BRP fantasy games.
However, the concept of a witch hunt has evolved over the years and can manifest itself in various forms. In 2020, we must be vigilant in identifying instances where an individual or group becomes the target of unjust scrutiny and condemnation. One aspect of modern witch hunts is the phenomenon of online "cancel culture.
The magic worls
Poor First Impressions The physical book is a perfect bound paperback with a dynamic colour illustration of adventurers fighting a giant on the cover. However, inside the art is of varied style and quality giving the book a dis-joined appearance. Chaosium fans will recognise re-used art from older publications, sometimes poorly scanned and visibly pixelated. The physical book also has a glossy map of the Southern Reaches setting which is missing from the PDF. Inside the text is mostly slightly larger font double column which I like because I'm often reading game books late in the evening when eyes and brain are tired. There are a good number of typos and a few rules explanations that are not quite up to the level of clarity we expect today. The typos that give some weapons the wrong Weapon Class (skill used) or price are particularly annoying. Partially, these complaints are because the text was assembled from portions of earlier out of print publications, such as "Elric!", with references to the works of renowned novelist Michael Moorcock removed. The book really should have undergone another round of editing and polishing to create a seamless whole before being released. Ideally, Chaosium would have shelled out for new art of a coherent style. The Sorcerous Heritage rule is example of a niggling issue that could have been solved by polishing the text taken from previous publications into a seamless whole; the option to switch points into POW at character generation should be in the the rolling characteristics sections of the character generation chapter not hidden half a book away. The PDF does not have bookmarks. Frankly, the whole thing gives the impression of being done on a low budget and in a hurry.
Why did Chaosium create Magic World when Runequest has been such a hit? Chaosium has undergone a recent revival as a company. Before that they embarrassingly lost the rights to Runequest. This was the period of the editions of Runequest by other companies, Mongoose and The Design Mechanism. Thus Chaosium found itself in an industry dominated by the fantasy genre with no fantasy game. Maybe this is why after releasing the "Basic Roleplaying " (BRP) generic version of the system that powers Chaosium games they then produced "Magic World" as generic fantasy game. Despite sporting the BRP logo this is a stand alone game. A couple of years later Chaosium was taken over by folks who owned Runequest and the new management stopped further development of Magic World after only two supplements, "Advanced Sorcery" and the "Magic World Quickstart Rules". Several others were at various stages of development but are unlikely to see the light of day now. Although, development of new "Magic World" books has stopped Magic World is still available as softcover book and PDF from Chaosium and has a small dedicated fan base including a forum at BRP Central (https://basicroleplaying.org/forum/24-magic-world/ ).
Why is it called 'Magic World'? In 1982 Chaosium released "Worlds of Wonder" a boxed set of generic BRP rules that included a few genre books. One of these was "Magic World". The title of the new Magic World is therefore a shout out to its distant ancestor. Some people don't like the name because it is too bland. For me Magic World isn't magical enough for the name. One might expect Magic World to be especially magical and contain even more incredible creatures, places, and items than usual and for wizards to be especially common. This is not the case; Magic World supports settings with the usual amount of magic you might expect for standard fantasy faire.
Why Magic World? Despite all this Magic World is a great game. Why should I play Magic World when there are so many other Fantasy or BRP games? Firstly, there is no one true best fantasy RPG. D&D is good for swashbuckling Saturday matinee type stories of roguish heroes laughing as they cut through hoards of goblins and spit in the eyes of dragons. In D&D its either flesh wounds, unconsciousness, or clean death. Nothing too gruesome for kids' TV. Other games are more or less gritty, emulate different sub-genres of fantasy or even the works of specific authors. No RPG is the best choice, it depends on the kind of world you want to portray and kind of games you and your players enjoy. It's a matter of the right tool for the job.
One Book Though branded BRP, Magic World is a stand-alone game; you don't need the Basic Roleplaying 'Big Gold Book'. Monroe has said that he tried to make the core book Magic World as complete as possible. I'd say he succeeded. You could buy this one book and have everything you need to create and play a lifetime's worth of adventures.
BRP compatibility I will play it with just this book and its two supplements "Advanced Sorcery" and the quick-start free PDF. However, since Magic World is built on the BRP system it is very compatible with other BRP games (including those who don't have the BRP branding). The core BRP 'Big Gold Book' (BGB) is not needed for play but all the generic systems in that book are compatible, want mutants and superheroes from a crashed spaceship in your world? No problem, use the BGB. Magic World supports pre-gunpowder Iron Age to early medieval technology but it would be easy to import Age of Sail technology from the old Runequest Pirates or Mongoose's Pirates of Legend. There is a good bestiary in Magic World but if you need need more monsters it is easy to import monsters from Call of Cthulhu or any other BRP game. BRP veterans who like things more complicated could easily import the magic system from their favourite BRP game but to my mind that negates one of the features that differentiates Magic World from other BRP fantasy games.
Generic While the last chapter of the book provides an example setting, Magic World is presented as a generic rule set not tightly bound to the reality of a particular fictional world and therefore perfect for building your own world with. Sure, the book has its origins in out of print material from the Elric! franchise but after cutting out the specific references a fairly adaptable generic game remains. Personally, I prefer generic RPGs because part of the fun is building your own world. If you don't want to do that work well the last chapter has a setting for you. If you want to buy into an unusual and fully described setting with lots of supplements, well Magic World is not for you and that's cool too.
Gritty No generic RPG can do everything well. Magic World is suited to the grittier end of fantasy. Combat is arguably more realistic than D&D and for the ill equipped or untrained downright deadly. The rules for major wounds are simple enough to be fast playing but should make PCs hesitate before drawing swords. If you want to emulate the fight scenes from TV shows like Vikings, Britannia or Game of Thrones then Magic World is a good choice. Other hat-tips to realism and real risks are scattered throughout the book including disease and seasickness. When was the last time you saw a swashbuckling D&D hero get sea sick? Not every encounter will end in a deadly fight but battles will happen and you should create a PC prepared to survive one way or another. Be pragmatic, even the most scholarly wizard might consider a shield or perhaps armour under that voluminous robe before heading towards a battle. Alternatively, a really high dodge skill might be good enough. If this level of grit isn't to taste there are optional rules such as heroic hit points that make things a bit less grim.
Just easy enough Games of the BRP family, including Magic World, all have a unified rule to resolve all tasks, had it for over a decade before D&D caught up and invented its own unified mechanic. BRP games use % roll under that is even more intuitive and easier to teach to beginners than D&D's D20 roll over. There are degrees of success and failure that add a little more granularity to outcomes. BRP games don't have classes and levels with hundreds of unique abilities to look up. Instead characters simply increase their skills and characteristics. In Magic World the few spell casters might learn new spells and very rarely a character might gain a few abilities by becoming a champion of a cosmic force but that's the extent of new material to learn. Monroe has said that Magic World was intended as a "streamlined intro game to the BRP line". Everyone has their own 'sweet-spot' of complexity, which may change depending on the project. Magic World is very close to my current sweet-spot. It is simpler than most BRP games except Open Quest by D101 Games which is too simple for my taste. One place where streamlining is obvious is in the magic rules. In other BRP fantasy games there are typically several different kinds of magic each with its own skills, systems, and quirks. The core Magic World book presents a single streamlined system used by all spellcasters. It's easy to learn and fast playing at the table. I like it a lot. Although there aren't character classes players choose a species, culture, and occupation which guide their skill choices preventing choice paralysis. They also have a few free choice points for skills to customise the new PC. Character generation is fast and flexible taking about 15-30 minutes to complete.
Nautical Adventure Magic world includes a pretty complete set of seafaring rules. Sailing provides a wealth of adventure possibilities including exploration, pirates, naval battles, sea monsters, riding out storms, and mutiny. If you want the sea to feature prominently in your campaign then Magic World is a good choice. Go away and watch the old Sinbad matinee's and HBO's Vikings then read Le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea and you'll have lots of ideas to play with. The author of Magic World has said that one reason the nautical rules are in the core book was because his kids loved Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. You'll note that there are also rules for talking beast PCs.
Overall Magic World has some presentation issues but remains my favourite iteration of the BRP rules for fantasy. It is a stand-alone book with lots of spells, monsters, travel and everything you need for a lifetime of play. The rules within are a streamlined version of the intuitive BRP rules providing fast play and are suitable for those new to BRP or even RPG. Magic World provides a grittier more threatening environment for PCs while maintaining fairly fast play.
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" This phenomenon involves the public shaming and ostracism of individuals who are deemed to have made inappropriate or offensive remarks. While it is essential to hold people accountable for their actions, it is also crucial to distinguish between genuine instances of wrongdoing and moments of speech that may be taken out of context or misconstrued. Another form of witch hunt that we must be mindful of in 2020 is the defamation of character based on political or ideological differences. With the rise of social media and the echo chambers it creates, individuals are increasingly targeted for expressing opinions that go against popular sentiment. This form of witch hunt stifles free speech and inhibits meaningful dialogue. To combat the witch hunts of 2020, we must foster a culture that values critical thinking, empathy, and open-mindedness. It is essential to challenge assumptions and question the motives behind accusations and condemnations. By advocating for fairness and justice, we can create an environment that is less prone to witch hunts and more conducive to the growth and progress of society. In conclusion, as we venture into the new year, we must remain vigilant to the threat of witch hunts in 2020. By recognizing and challenging instances of unjust scrutiny and condemnation, we can help build a society that values fairness, justice, and open dialogue. Let us not repeat the mistakes of history and instead strive for a more enlightened and inclusive future..
Reviews for "The Witch Hunt and the Danger of Moral Panic: A 2020 Perspective"
- James - 2 stars - While the concept of "Keep watch over the witch hunt in 2020" seemed intriguing, I found the execution lacking. The plot was confusing and poorly developed, making it difficult to fully understand what was happening. Additionally, the characters were flat and uninteresting, making it hard to connect with them on any level. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
- Sarah - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with "Keep watch over the witch hunt in 2020". The writing style was choppy and unengaging, making it a struggle to get through each page. The storyline felt underdeveloped and lacked any real depth or substance. The characters were one-dimensional and unrelatable, which made it impossible for me to invest in their stories. Despite my initial excitement, this book fell flat in every aspect and I would not recommend it.
- Michael - 2 stars - I couldn't get into "Keep watch over the witch hunt in 2020". The pacing was slow and the narrative was convoluted, making it difficult to stay engaged. The writing lacked polish and finesse, with awkward sentence structures and repetitive phrases. Additionally, the themes explored in the book felt forced and contrived, failing to make any meaningful impact. Overall, I was disappointed by this novel and wouldn't recommend it to others.
- Emma - 2 stars - "Keep watch over the witch hunt in 2020" had an interesting premise, but it failed to deliver. The story felt disjointed and confusing, with plotlines that never fully came together. The characters lacked depth and their motivations were unclear. The writing style was also awkward and detracted from the overall reading experience. I had high hopes for this book, but sadly, it fell short for me.