Troll Lord Games

Hi all, for those that don't know I'm writing up a Fantasy RPG for people who ...

1. Thought Korgath of Barbaria had a lot of potential.

2. Thinks sex and poo jokes sell

3. And see nothing wrong with leather bikinis getting +4 AC

in other words a wild fun game. Trouble is that I need to implement a magic system that works, is fun and is in a "fluffy" sense cool ...

All the usual stuff is so used, memorizing spells, magic points etc...

Really need some help thinking of cool ways to cast spells. Really would like to fit it in as 'elemental magic' of some kind...

Help?
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The Kevin Smith RPG?

Replace verbal components with belches?

Codpiece +1?

Sorry, you're bringing out my evil side.
"Good, bad...I'm the one with the gun."

Spell pints of egesta

Really, no attribution required.... Or desired....

It sounds like you need a system that does two things well:

1. Rewards zaniness

2. Exceedingly simplicity

I think any kind of crunchy implementation of spell casting would disrupt your game. Let the players do whatever they want within reason. Maybe just let them check against a general spell casting skill to channel magical energy. If you want a little more structure, let them draw from the four primordial forces: Mammalis, Inflatio, Urina and Asselor (Boobs, farting, pee and "going to stool," respectively). Maybe they can even specialize.

Ad hoc difficulty adjustments would be the only problem in adjudication. Simple guidelines for the GM on how to modify the check by weighing the mechanical effect of the spell versus the ingenuity and humor of the attempt may be enough.

Probably the easiest way to do this is to have a anachronistic setting, a moderized Discworld or something like that.

Then use spell checks based on bonuses for ... hip-hop spell casting! Or limericks or something like that. The funnier the improvised poem/perfomance, the better the spell goes off.

As a game balance thing, I'd suggest using a spell point system, but wizards can only be entered as a "half class" (pay for half the class level in addition to the regular class."

That way, wizards have more flexibility, but their spells will always be on the lower end.

No worries, I'm sure that cantrips alone will be ... entertaining with your crowd.

anglefish wrote:
Probably the easiest way to do this is to have a anachronistic setting, a moderized Discworld or something like that.

Then use spell checks based on bonuses for ... hip-hop spell casting!

As God as my witness, I am begging you not to do this.
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kim@trolllord.com

Click here: http://tiny.cc/4rvo5

LMAO - I like where this is going. Will be happy to give credit in the game for people who have contributed to an idea that I ultimately use.
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

You know what will be fun? A 'misfire' chart of sorts... hmm... working on that...
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Sort of a twist on the elemental, use the oriental elements like L5R...

Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal, Water

To cast a spell, they have to create a rhyme / poem using the element or analogy thereof desired in it as well as the desired effect. Each couplet raises the spells effective casting level.

So something like;

As striking stone sunders bone

I strike you now to sunder your own

Would be a first level type spell and maybe do 1d4 or 1d6 damage based on whatever scale you're using...or the GM sees as appropriate.

But something like;

As striking stone sunders bone

I strike you now to sunder your own

from arm to thigh the bones shall break

despite any sort of save you make

Would come off as a second level type spell...doing 2d4 or 2d6.

You could get some really silly stuff and doing high level spells could prove a real challenge for some folks. sort of self limiting on how much damage a mage could really do depending on their rhyming ability.

Food for thought anyhow.
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The obvious will always trip you up FAR more than the obscure.

Baron Grignak Hammerhand of the Pacifica Provinces-

High Warden of the Castles & Crusades Society

I make the clouds

Shudder and shake

And make your femur and

Tibia break

I call down thunder

And lightning too

I crack your skull

Split your spine in two

I make the ground rumble

Make the lakes ripple

I stare and your rib cage

And break it in triple

I make your lungs flat

Make your brain tumorous

I crack your ulna and radius

As well as your humerus

And when I am thoroughly

Complete with you

I'll stand what is

A pile of goo

10d8 dmg
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kim@trolllord.com

Click here: http://tiny.cc/4rvo5

I love it... hey AGN ... can I use your little rhyme in the book? I can see it being used in the Sorcerer class section.

PM me, your real name and I will give you credit in the book for it.

ie.

Rhyme

Rhyme

Rhyme

- First Name "AGNKim (or whatever you want)" Last Name
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Thanks g00gle for the advice... I like that actually it gives the magic system more of a "dark ages" feel rather than campy boring magic.... I'm thinking

Fire - standard fireballs, single target etc

Water - defensive spells - would also incorporate "air" since thats essentially water - movement spells

Wood - regenerative spells, protection

Metal - alchemical spells - transformation etc.

Life - anti-undead, healing, purifying

Death - area of effect offensive etc.

Void - really wacky stuff, no opposing school, chaotic, ie. confusion, madness etc.
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...
And how is this different than hip-hop casting, other than by meter and ryhme?

anglefish wrote:
...
And how is this different than hip-hop casting, other than by meter and ryhme?

It's not really, need to think of a balanced way to do it if that's the path the game needs to take.

Love the concept of hip-hip casting in order to enhance a spell, but not sure if it needs to be that way 100%. I think that the spell still needs to be mechanically grounded.

is this "hip hop" casting an idea of your own? Or are you aware of other games that have done this?
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angelius wrote:
It's not really, need to think of a balanced way to do it if that's the path the game needs to take.

Love the concept of hip-hip casting in order to enhance a spell, but not sure if it needs to be that way 100%. I think that the spell still needs to be mechanically grounded.

is this "hip hop" casting an idea of your own? Or are you aware of other games that have done this?

Actually we used poems and limericks for a Heroes Fantasy game. The better the poem and other player's responses, the more powerful the effect. It worked out great for us, but then I always went with the GMs call.

I've always been a huge promoter of props at my table -- during halloween its pratically a pen and paper LARP... hehe
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