I’m currently doing a review of OpenQuest’s three magic systems. In short Battle Magic has had some trimming down of it’s spell list. Sorcery has had a few “utility” spells added so you don’t have to use Personal Magic to create magic point stores or charms any more, as well as a tweaked version of the Combined Manipulation Effects table (mainly because OQ doesn’t support skills over 100% any more). Divine Magic, for the time being, is left largely unchanged.
One thing that I’ve added to Battle Magic is another type of specialist magician type. Currently, if you want more magical power, you either graduate to learning Sorcery or Divine Magic, to peruse a career as a wizard or priest respectively, or become a Shaman, where the emphasis changes to dealing with a small group of bound spirits. But what if you want to carry on and become an advanced Personal Magic-user?
Enter the Wise. This is the local hedge wizard/witch who lives on the edge of a small local community, usually rural where there isn’t an established religious Temple or School of Sorcery. Being a bit eccentric they have heard the call of the Magical Realm and quite naturally picks up Battle Magic spells without the need of a teacher. Also, they can pull the Magical Realm into the Real (as I’m calling the mundane plane of existence) and create places of power – such as a Seclusion (where they hide from the world and learn spells), a Sanctuary (an existing real-world location that becomes embodied with the Wises protective spells for the duration of its existence) and the place of power, where the Wise and their followers can store magic points for quick restoration.
In short it a magician for the player who doesn’t want to not deal with the baggage of manipulating spells (Sorcery) or the implications and obligations of following a deity (Divine) or a small zoo of spirits (Shaman). It also allows the referee to quickly have Personal Magic Magicians attached to gangs of creatures.
Here’s the hot off the press, so apologies in advance for the typos, version of this new type of Magician.
- The Wise – Pdf download
Please note its a pre-publication draft, so while it will be released as open gaming content under the OGL it currently is under development.
The Wise looks great. It’s an excellent idea and really fits the game.
By the way, are you keeping or eliminating the optional Starting With Divine Magic/Sorcery sections on page 20 of OQ2 Deluxe? They seem to pander to D&D tropes more than OQ themes. IMO, the hard default should be having to work your way to those other magic systems. Besides, characters who are allowed to use those starting magic options get stuff for free, like Sorcery at INT + 40. Do you then have to throw free stuff at everyone else in the party to maintain parity?
For the time being yes. But it is an optional part of the game, and I’m cutting down on optional rules so its highly likely to get the chop for the reasons that you state.
Ok Specialist Spell casters as an option has gone.
In its place is some guidance of how to set your character up for initiation a religion in-game – ie. become a lay member now, and pick Personal Magic spells from the Religion.
And for folk who really want to be Initiates, there’s an Initiate of the Imperial Way ready-made concept- that takes skill points off combat and added them to Religion (Imperial Way) which qualifies them as an initiate. Magic is mainly battle magic, with one Divine Magic.
If you really want to be a Sorcerer there’s a Sorcerer’s Apprentice ready-made concept, that has no additional points added to combat skills and takes those points and puts them on Sorcery Casting (which will start at around 58-68% which is on par with the warriors’ combat skills) and has six spells that give them a good selection to start to play with.
That sounds reasonable and should cover a wide range of character concepts. I’m looking forward to that Kickstarter!
No Random Character gen? That’s something that I’lll miss.
Random characteristic generation is still in, but the whole roll on tables for a ready-made concept has gone.
I was the random characteristic generation that I was thinking of, so I’m glad that’s still in.