7: Design the Game Mechanics: Magic
As discussed in spellcasting, there are both standard spells
and general magic. Here's what you can expect your character to be able to do
with general magic, divided up by class
Astronomy:
First Year: identify the class & sub-class of obvious
magical effects based on their planetary tuning. It will help a witch to
quickly determine if the giant spider that just
appeared was conjured, a transformed being, an animated statue or is an
acromantula and therefore not part of a spell.
Second Year: As with first year, but the witch can use it on
subtle effects, i.e. determine an enchantment rather than identifying the spell
as it is cast. In addition, the witch can reduce the higher year spell penalty
by 1 per level (so a 2nd year aiming for a 4th year effect would only have a
-10 rather than -12).
Third Year: detect the existence of magical effects by
lingering influence. This allows a witch to see if something is enchanted; she
can follow up on figuring out how. In addition, the witch can reduce the
penalty for trying a higher year spell by 2 per level (a 3rd year trying 5th
year effect would have a -8).
Fourth Year: Magically discern apt times & places for
ritual magic. In addition, the witch can reduce the penalty for trying a higher
year spell by 3 per level (a 4th year trying a 6th year effect would have a
-6.)
Fifth Year: detect the preparation of a ritual spell as it
is being cast - the Potions lab will bubble with this sort of magic while class
is in session. In addition, the witch can reduce the penalty for trying a
higher year spell by 4 per level (a 5th year trying a 7th year effect would
have a -4.)
Astronomy does not have 6th and 7th
year classes
Charms:
A type of magic concerned with giving an object new and
unexpected properties
First Year: Assign single property based on high similarity
(turning pincushions into hedgehogs) or minor movement effects (making small
things levitate); effects are limited to what someone could hold or lift in her
hand and for as long as the witch concentrates on the spell.
Second Year: as first year, but effects are now limited to
two hands in size and lift, and last for a few seconds past the end of
concentration.
Third Year: as the second year, but effects are now limited
in size to whatever a normal person could embrace or lift, and last for several
minutes
Fourth Year: The witch can now assign single properties
based on moderate similarity or multiple properties based on high similarity
and the duration is now hours. Otherwise as third year.
Fifth Year: As fourth year, but the size of the objects has
now increased fourfold and the duration is in days
Sixth Year: The witch can now assign single properties based
on slight similarity or multiple properties based on moderate similarity;
duration is now weeks. Otherwise as per fifth year.
Seventh Year: As sixth year, but the size of the objects is
now increased another tenfold (so 40 times what a normal person could lift or
embrace), and the duration is now months.
Defense Against Dark Arts:
This class teaches defensive techniques to block spells,
charms, curses, hexes and jinxes cast by other wizards, counteract the Dark
Arts, and to protect from Dark creatures.
First Year: students are taught basic defensive charms
against as well as defenses against many common hexes (defending against hexes
etc. is at +/-3 per level between hex year [highly experienced mages can still
use first year hexes] and defender year). Students learn to identify small
common menaces and spells to delay them.
Second Year: basic defensive charm training continues;
Students continue learning about small common menaces and spells to dispel or
damage them.
Third Year: basic defensive charm training continues;
Students begin learning about larger, less common menaces – what people
normally think of as ‘monsters’ in the form of vampires or werewolves – and
spells that delay them. Spells that will
seriously delay a wizard are now being taught.
Fourth Year: basic defensive charm training continues, as
does learning about larger, less common menaces – spells against them will now
damage them.
Fifth Year: basic
defensive charm training continues, as does learning about larger, less common
menaces – spells against them will now have a chance to dispel or destroy them
Sixth Year: basic defensive charm training continues. Study
moves to defending against other wizards (or some truly rare or terrifying
creatures of the dark arts, but in the end the worst thing a wizard can face is
another wizard). Spells that can directly damage other humans are now taught,
if sparingly.
Seventh Year: basic defensive charm training continues, as
are spells that can be lethal to other humans (though mostly theoretically,
with the focus still on damaging and incapacitating spells)
Herbology:
The study of magical plants and how to care for, utilize
and/or combat them.
First Year: teaching focuses on common greenhouse techniques
and the medicinal uses of various plants to cure conditions that are mostly
trivial. Students are given single
magical plants to tend to for each term, which is mixed up year by year as
practical study of greenhouse techniques.
Second Year: advanced greenhouse techniques and medicinal
uses, but the conditions become more important. Witches continue practical
tending of individual plant species.
Third Year: final year of standard greenhouse techniques. Medicinal
uses continue but expand to greater levels – upon completing year 3 witches
should be able to identify and remember uses for all common magical medicinal
plants. Witches continue practical tending of individual plant species.
Fourth Year: Witches start studying broad range of plant
species for their value as potion and enchantment components and the
introduction of sentient plant species. Charms affecting the growth and
development of plants are discussed.
Fifth Year: Continued study of plants as components and
sentient plants. Charms that can damage or drive off plant species are
discussed. Students work with highly mobile and or dangerous species.
Sixth Year: Greenhouse work expands to non-European
environments, with a focus on desert and rainforest species.
Seventh Year: Greenhouse work expands to oceanic or
non-terrestrial environments, with deep sea, lunar, Venusian or Martian species
discussed
Potions:
The art of creating mixtures with magical effects. It requires
few incantations, instead requiring the correct mixing and stirring of
ingredients at the right times and temperatures.
First Year: teaching focuses on common lab techniques
and uses of potions to cure or inflict
conditions that are mostly trivial.
Students are given a new potion to successfully perform each week;
effects cannot damage people or dictate actions.
Second Year: advanced lab techniques and medicinal or
cosmetic uses, but the conditions become more important. Mastery of first year
potions is expected by end of second year.
Third Year: final year of standard lab techniques. Medicinal
uses continue but expand to greater levels – upon completing year 3 witches
should be able to identify and brew dozens of potions with restorative or cosmetic
effect.
Fourth Year: Studies shift to minor personal
transformational effects (such as polyjuice potion) or things that will alter
the mildly reactions of the imbiber (such as mild truth serums). Reagents can be made that will slightly alter
physical objects on contact that will be short term (or permanent if
destructive).
Fifth Year: potions can generator major personal
transformations or mild psychological alterations that are more difficult to
resist. Reagents will make significant alterations of physical objects that are
short term.
Sixth Year: Potion work expands to mild effects on non-human
imbibers, or significant psychological alterations that are relatively easy to
resist. Reagents can make significant alterations that are moderate term.
Seventh Year: Potion work expands to significant effect on
non-human imbibers, more difficutl to resist psychological alterations or
longer lasting, significant material changes via reagents.
Transfiguration:
The act of changing something into something else through
magic. (I must note that as a designer the highly imprecise division between
charms and transfiguration drives me nuts, but I’m stuck with it.)
First Year: make a single change to an object, including
providing it with limited locomotion. Effects are limited to what someone could
hold or lift in her hand and for as long as the witch concentrates on the
spell.
Second Year: as first year, but effects are now limited to
two hands in size, and last for a few seconds past the end of concentration.
Third Year: as the second year, but effects are now limited
in size to whatever a normal person could embrace, and last for several minutes
Fourth Year: The witch can now make up to three changes to
an object, including both locomotion and full articulation (so rather than
lumber the statue can dance). Otherwise as third year.
Fifth Year: As fourth year, but the size of the objects has
now increased fourfold, and the duration is for hours
Sixth Year: can now make up to 6 changes to an object (size,
weight, locomotion, articulation, location, speed to teleport a statue of a
spider to you, make it grown, keep its weight down, let it move with
super5human speed and full articulation). Otherwise as per fifth year.
Seventh Year: As sixth year, but the size of the objects is
now increased another tenfold (so 40 times what a normal person could lift or
embrace) and the duration extends to months.
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