Zed's Magic Thread

[Glorelendil]

I like your rules. You managed to keep things simple. And tying magic to hope is a simple manner to have players use their powers sparingly -like the wizards used to do-

Plus, it explains why Gandalf was always hanging around hobbits...

OMG he was just using them for Fellowship points! So...so...Gandalf was really sort of like a vampire.

"Kindly old wizard" my ass.

EDIT: I'm envisioning a "Frodo was a Pawn" bumper sticker.

[zedturtle]

The Lore of Fire:
But, of course, Gandaf had made a special study of bewitchments with fire and lights(even the hobbits never forgotten the magic fireworks at Old Took's midsummer-eve parties, as you remember).

Those who have made a special study of fire enchantments may achieve things deemed impossible by the less learned. As you learn this lore you will be able to light a fire under adverse conditions, cause a fire to grow supernaturally bright and eventually make a blade flicker with flame. You must first learn to make a sudden flame when you first select this Virtue, and then you learn to make a brand glow by spending one Experience point as your undertaking during a Fellowship phase; and finally you may make a flickering flame spout from a weapon by spending one more Experience point during a Fellowship Phase.

• The Sudden Flame
  At once a great spout of green and blue flame sprang out, and the wood flared and sputtered.
  
  You may spend a point of Hope to invoke this spell. If you do so, you may target any flammable material and cause it to burst into flame. You must be in touch with the material, and this spell cannot be used as a close combat action. The material then burns at its normal rate.
  
  A Glowing Brand
  He raised his staff, and for a brief instant there was blaze like a flash of lightning... Then the light went out.
  
  Just at that moment all the lights in the cavern went out and the great fire went off poof! into a tower of blue glowing smoke, right up to the roof, that scattered piercing white sparks all among the goblins.
  
  You may spend a point of Hope to already burning fires. If you choose to affect all fires within sight, they go out immediately. Or, if you target a single source, you cause it to erupt in a sudden blaze of light. For a brief moment, the fire becomes as bright as midday sun; this may surprise enemies who are denizens of the dark or who hate sunlight. However, it is not true sunlight and will not affect Stone-Trolls. The burning material is then entirely consumed and the fire goes out.
  
  The Flickering Blade
  'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.
  
  The caster may spend a point of Hope. If you do so, a flickering flame traces the edge of your weapon. For the very next attack you make with it, the Edge of the weapon counts as two better than normal. A Gandalf counts as a 9 for the attack, a 10 counts as an 8, etc.

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Urgh... I'm not at 100% and not really happy with my write-ups. Mechanically, I think they're okay, but I'm just not happy with phrasing. Lore of Light to come next, hoping to have some synergy with Lore of Fire and might even require that as a prereq.

[Woodclaw]

I'm kind of surprised that there's no effect to put out flames like Gandalf did at Goblin Town.

[zedturtle]

I'm kind of surprised that there's no effect to put out flames like Gandalf did at Goblin Town.

Oo, good catch. I've tweaked A Glowing Brand to make it be an option for that spell. Thanks!

[zedturtle]

Hey Zed, I like them, and I like that you have accommodated my request.

So as to not stomp on the Elf-Magic thing, what about the following in place of that:

The Lore of Branch and Bark.

Tree Rooted Weapon:
If you are fighting in a Defensive stance with any type of wood hafted weapon (basically spears and axes), you may spend a point of Hope after making a successful combat roll. If you do so, the spear automatically produces a Piercing blow.

Indomitable Bulwark:
At the onset of battle, you can spend a point of hope to render your shield unbreakable to any attacks for an entire combat encounter. In addition, you can add your shield’s parry rating as a bonus to one protection test. As soon as you do, the effect of your Indomitable Bulwark ends (until or unless you renew it at a subsequent battle.)

The Sap of Life:
With a successful Lore, hunting or explore check (or with an appropriate trait like Mirkwood Lore or Leechcraft), you can find a tree whose sap contains nourishment and healing properties. On a success, you find enough sap to feed and nourish your fellowship until the next travel test (or next encounter). On a great success, this sap also heals party member for a success die of damage. On an extraordinary success, this sap can also be used to help clean the mind. In the next Fellowship Phase, anyone who declares the heal corruption undertaking heals an additional 1 shadow point as long as they are successful.

So I've been thinking about this and one of my concerns is that two of the spells deal with combat activities and the third has potential for healing the results of combat... is this a concern for other people?

Also, I'm strongly of the mind that Tree-Rooted Weapon should be limited to regular spears and axes... anybody have any suggestions on phrasing that?

[Mim]

Zed,

Thank you for all of your hard work & sharing these.

I've given magic in the game a great deal of thought. At first, I was very pleased with the RAW but reluctantly decided to allow heroes to (possibly) learn limited spells, similar to what you're doing here, & patterning them after Dwarven Broken Spells or Wood Elf Magic ).

Upon careful reflection, however, I decided to revert to the RAW & exclude additional spells for player-heroes.

Reading your posts inclines me to give additional spells a second look. I'm still not sure if I'll go beyond the RAW, because I rather like the idea that only Wizards can cast other spells, but you open up possibilities

[Rocmistro]

Hey Zed, I like them, and I like that you have accommodated my request.

So as to not stomp on the Elf-Magic thing, what about the following in place of that:

The Lore of Branch and Bark.

Tree Rooted Weapon:
If you are fighting in a Defensive stance with any type of wood hafted weapon (basically spears and axes), you may spend a point of Hope after making a successful combat roll. If you do so, the spear automatically produces a Piercing blow.

Indomitable Bulwark:
At the onset of battle, you can spend a point of hope to render your shield unbreakable to any attacks for an entire combat encounter. In addition, you can add your shield’s parry rating as a bonus to one protection test. As soon as you do, the effect of your Indomitable Bulwark ends (until or unless you renew it at a subsequent battle.)

The Sap of Life:
With a successful Lore, hunting or explore check (or with an appropriate trait like Mirkwood Lore or Leechcraft), you can find a tree whose sap contains nourishment and healing properties. On a success, you find enough sap to feed and nourish your fellowship until the next travel test (or next encounter). On a great success, this sap also heals party member for a success die of damage. On an extraordinary success, this sap can also be used to help clean the mind. In the next Fellowship Phase, anyone who declares the heal corruption undertaking heals an additional 1 shadow point as long as they are successful.

So I've been thinking about this and one of my concerns is that two of the spells deal with combat activities and the third has potential for healing the results of combat... is this a concern for other people?

Also, I'm strongly of the mind that Tree-Rooted Weapon should be limited to regular spears and axes... anybody have any suggestions on phrasing that?

Zed:

You're right. I was spitballing. Perhaps turn the shield one into some kind of "listen to the trees" type of thing for information gathering purposes about recent activity in the area. And restrict the wood-hafted stuff to single handed only.

[zedturtle]

Ooh, singlehanded as the distinction, nice!

I'm not too fond of The Speakers; have to think more...

[Woodclaw]

Ooh, singlehanded as the distinction, nice!

I'm not too fond of The Speakers; have to think more...

I think that the "add shield to Protection tests" bit is on the right track, maybe you can drop the unbreakable bit and change it to: "When you spend a point of Hope on a Protection test you add your Body score and your Shield rating to the final result."

Although this sound more like a reward rule from a certain perspective.

[zedturtle]

The Lore of Light:

Those who have mastered the Lore of Fire may begin to understand the Flame of Anor and the Lore of Light. You must first know all three spells of the Lore of Fire when you first take this Lore. Then you will learn how to conjure a Guiding Light. By spending one Experience point as your undertaking during a Fellowship phase you may learn how to make a Blinding Flash; and finally you will undertake to learn to unleash the Light of Anor by spending one more Experience point during a Fellowship Phase.

• The Guiding Light
  As the wizard passed on ahead up the great steps, he held his staff aloft, and from its tip there came a faint radiance.
  
  You may spend a point of Hope to invoke this spell. If you do so, you conjure a light on some part of your person or possessions. It is not a bright light, but has powerful effects on all good-hearted people. Any miserable person can spend a point of Hope to ignore a Bout of Madness. Any weary individual can spend a point of Hope to ignore the effects of weariness on a single task or test. The light will last until the next extended rest period, after which it must be recast.
  
  A Blinding Flash
  it seemed to him that far away there came a light in the eastern sky: it flashed and faded many times.
  
  You may spend a point of Hope to create a blinding flash of light. Any enemy with the Hate Sunlight ability must make a Shadow test (rolling a feat die plus their attribute level versus a TN of 10 plus the caster's Wisdom). If they fail, they flee the battlefield immediately. All other enemies may only attack this round if they first spend a
  point of Hate first.
  
  The Light of Anor
  One wheeled toward him; but it seemed to Pippin that he raised his hand, and from it a shaft of white light stabbed upwards.
  
  If you spend a point of Hope, you may cast for a shining light of pure radiance. You may target a single creature, if it is a servant of the Shadow it must make a Shadow test (see above) or flee immediately. For other creatures, the bright light has no impact and no effect.

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The long-awaited Lore of Light. A bit more powerful and explict than the other Lores, but as I reread things with an eye and an ear for magic there seems to be even more to draw upon... Saruman's warding and quickening spell for his orcs hasn't been done yet, nor Shelob's cause fear effect. Perhaps I will do some alternate Dreadful Lores.