But lately I've been toying with the idea of trying to remake both Clerics and Magisters (Magic-users) to fit the medieval authentic mode even more accurately. This would involve scrapping the Vancian magic and spell system entirely, giving clerics a limited selection of miraculous gifts, and magic-users a set of skills and magical talents as well as knowledge of summoning.
Some of these magical techniques would be potentially quite powerful, but mostly would require either more time or more preparation beforehand, rather than the vancian system where magisters can cast a spell in a single round so long as they've just memorized it.
All of it would be based on the type of things medieval/renaissance magicians actually studied and were believed to be able to do.
Is this something that people would have an interest in?
RPGPundit
Currently Smoking: Dunhill Diplomat + C&D's Crowley's Best
This reminds me of Aquelarre. Is it the level of realism you're aiming at ?
ReplyDeleteSomewhat, yes. Still a little wee bit closer to D&D but close.
DeletePundit are you familiar with Ars Magica? I know their basic magic system wasn't medieval-realistic, but I think (never read it) that The Mysteries contained more realistic magic. I once had their Kabbalah and Hedge Magic books which were also on the realistic side, the former especially. I think the key thing though is playability. If you have spells that take months to cast etc then you've got a very different kind of OSR game.
ReplyDeleteOh, and yes I would be interested in such a thing...
DeleteYes. I would be interested.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
ReplyDeleteI have thought about creating such a system myself, but don't know enough about medieval magic or about game design to have confidence that it would both (a) accurately reflect medieval magic and miracle-working and (b) work well with the rest of D&D. I would love to see what you come up with.
One thing I've noticed about D&D magic that seems to differ greatly from medieval magic is that D&D magic-users cannot cast healing spells of any kind--whereas that seems to have been an important part of the repertoire of village witches and learned magicians alike.
I am interested for sure!
ReplyDeleteDefinite interest. Would it focus on magic similar to what John Dee wrote/practiced, or Kabbalah, etc.?
ReplyDeletesounds cool
ReplyDeleteInterested
ReplyDeleteInterested
ReplyDeleteSounds great!
ReplyDeleteI loved your Dark Albion stuff so far, and I'd certainly be interested in this too. I'd still want magistri to be able to do something in a fight, though.
ReplyDeleteThe way I'm envisioning it, they would be able to do things in a fight, but to do that would require preparation beforehand.
DeleteCheck out that Fantasy Wargaming book that came out in the 80s with a cool looking demon emerging from a spellbook. I think that touched on what you're talking about.
ReplyDelete