Help with starting spells (non Raw)

question
builds
spells
#1

Hello peoples!! Hope y’all doing well through this craziness. I have a question to pick your brains.

Now In my games I’m very “do what you want”. I don’t do starter loot or set bioforms. If you want to be a frog person, cool. We decide on about 3 abilities based on your form and “class”. And off we go.

My friend wants to play as a mage and it’s his first time playing. Very Elemental based. Maybe some simple levitation.
My question is… How many spells should I give him to start with?
I was thinking 4 and no spells as loot during the game, or 3 with 1 as loot.

Thoughts on number of spells to start with?
Spells:
Levitate-target touched floats upto 6ft high for D4 rounds.
Firebolt- magic damage upto far, close blast.
Lighting spear- lightning damage upto far, x2 vs metal.
Ice sheet- range Far, blast Close. Ground in area becomes hard (dex) to traverse and take Weapon effort from falling hail stones. Lasts for D4 rounds.

Something like this anyway. Let us know what you think.
I have ideas for stone skin armour bonus spell, vines for grappling enemies and stuff like that.

#2

This sounds like a cool setup, especially for a new player. Looks like it would really let them feel like a hero, which is the whole point in my opinion. Run the first game and see how it feels for everyone at the table then adjust from there if needed.

#3

Do you have ICRPG MAGIC? If not, you might wanna consider picking it up because you seem to go towards the same direction with your spell ideas. If you were to like it, you can grab my book too. There are many pre-made spells with many intricate details between those two books. My book alone has over 200 spells. It seems that you want to create different spells but we’ve already done the work for you.

If you already have ICRPG MAGIC but you don’t care for it, then your approach will work. Like JDStirling said, try your ideas and adjust things that don’t work. If you are asking whether the direction you are going is sound, yes it is.

#4

I actually don’t have magic or worlds. I’m going to get them soon as I think I know core 2e off by heart now. What book have you done and how do i find it?

#5

Glad you guys approve. I shall run it once and tell him its subject to change so he doesn’t outshine the others. :+1:t2:

#6

My book is here:

If you don’t know, ICRPG MAGIC brings a new magic system to the game. Spells have levels, variable powers (where you can choose a power when casting a spell to make it more powerful), casting costs in HP and all sorts of cool things. It also has many SPELLS.

My book is a big expansion to ICRPG MAGIC and it has over 200 SPELLS and 50+ FEATS (entirely new mechanic) and lots of other goodies.

If you are interested, take a look at Drivethru link and these threads to get more info:

Warning: Before you get my book, make sure you get and read ICRPG MAGIC first. If you happen to like it, then jump over to mine. I am currently in the process of writing the second volume of my book, so more is to come!

If you happen to have any questions, I’d be more than happy to anwser them.

#7

For my games, ALL characters start with 4 abilities. These could be spells, melee abilities, war cries, +3 to animal handling, shapeshifting, whatever. I’ve also divorced spells from the core D8 magical damage die. Spells might do d4, d8, d6+1, whatever the player and I agree upon.

Your spells look good! If I had to come up with some other elemental spells, here are some that come to mind:

Speak to Forestfolk (ask the rocks, river, trees, shrubs, etc. d4 questions)
Animate Rock (turn a small rock into a little elemental servant - or a twig, a shrub, whatever)
Renewal (use water to heal HP)
Neutralize (use earth to cure a poison or disease effect)
Flametending (as old school Control Flame, control a flame!)

Classics like Entangle, Fireball, Lightning Bolt/Call Lightning, Ball Lightning, Gust, Copyright’s Freezing Sphere, Flame Weapon, etc. are all also great.

#8

I wasn’t expecting to see that one. :joy:

Your ‘everyone starts with 4 abilities’ approach is very cool. I think I said this many months ago in some other thread but it deserves another mention. :+1:t3:

#9

Thanks for that. I will have to get magic then look at yours if I like it. I have already been assigning hp cost for spellcasting to avoid endless fireball missiles aswel so I must be on the right track.

#10

Haha! O-man had some amazing spells, but you know how it goes. :wink:

Thanks Khan! It’s worked out great so far. When they gain 10 XP and perform their level up quest (ALA Dungeon Craft), they get to select (2) from an assortment of 4 abilities, 2 or 3 reputation bonuses/contacts/allies/informants/etc., or a Tag of their choice. The players love it, I love it, it works wonderfully!

#11

Thanks for the suggestions.
I like the 4 ability thing and it’s how my brain just naturally wants to set up characters. In preparing for this game I’ve started thinking that not all magic should do magic effort so I like the idea of using D4 6 8 10 and even 12 for the spells depending on how powerful they are. Magic missile D4, incineration D12, things like that.
I have no problem doing this for the player who will be a mage because he wouldn’t mind the extra “crunch”.

sometimes I have ideas and am like “am I crazy for thinking this”… Then I hear others with the same or similar concepts and I realise its cool.

#12

The 10xp system is great. I watch certain dungeon craft videos multiple times a week to keep me on the right path. The Prof is great. And I read parts of XDM when I start getting stressed and over-thinking my games.

#13

If you are already doing that then it means that we are going (or went) the same way.

My book is on 25% discount right now, so it might be good opportunity to jump in case you are interested but I’d still suggest that you look at ICRPG MAGIC first.

Don’t let that discourage you. One man’s complex is another’s simple and boring so if you want to change the efforts of spells or others things, you can very well do that like @Anthony_C and many others have done.

#14

I have been re-reading the Magic section of Master Edition with alternate rules for arcane spellcasting and spell creation, taken from what was originally published in ICRPG Magic.

Regarding more powerful tiers of spells, it says:

“CREATING LEVEL III: Do 2 HEARTS of EFFORT to create these SPELLS, create only one such SPELL per week. Powerful, complex magic that is seldom created anywhere but the safety of a sanctum. Large scale effects such as flight or long teleport, alter years of time, revive recently dead body, conjure flock of celestial griffons, supreme divination, devastating damage or explosions.”

What sorts of spells have members of the Shield Wall homebrewed at this level of arcane magic?

Thanks in advance for whatever you share…

#15

Oh, Khan. I thought I knew that name from somewhere. I was just on DTRPG a couple weeks ago ordering a copy of Junk’d. I saw your book. Have been contemplating buying it. Guess I’ll have to now. :grinning:

#16

There’s a spell from The Book of Gaub by which the mage can remove an idea from collective memory, and all historical documents of which they are aware. That sounds like it would be about the right level.