tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231530392754888127.post1151999088310470073..comments2024-03-28T18:55:38.829+11:00Comments on Middenmurk: Hedge MagickTom Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14893168729760333884noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231530392754888127.post-54990944999992341762010-04-27T18:19:04.296+10:002010-04-27T18:19:04.296+10:00Yes, that's good. Stenches and dogs are, of co...Yes, that's good. Stenches and dogs are, of course, right up my alley. I've considered a bunch of different mechanics to add flavour to this but I really don't want to create more complexity. I want things to remain very light.<br /><br />I considered making part of the cost being an automatic wandering monster check, rather than the time constraint leading to more time in the dungeon thus increasing the likelihood of encountering a wandering monster due to time. However, p'raps something like a wandering monster table could be utilised for magical anomalies. Flaky scabrousness, brimstone stench, hair standing on end, unquenchable thirst and the like could appear on a table akin to a wandering monster table on the roll of 1 on a d6 when magick (p'raps not only hedge magick) is cast.Tom Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893168729760333884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231530392754888127.post-88865686012061764392010-04-27T05:06:55.786+10:002010-04-27T05:06:55.786+10:00CrusssDaddy says:
Maybe a minor curse could resul...CrusssDaddy says:<br /><br />Maybe a minor curse could result from a magical fumble, with the chance of a fumble increasing the more times per day the caster tries to invoke a cantrip? Temporary effects of hysterical blindness, a lame leg, tongue disappears, followed by growling dogs, noisome stench that prevents entry into towns, could all result from a backfire.<br /><br />Requires extra bookkeeping, but delivers flavor & complications that go beyond simple +/- modifiers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231530392754888127.post-85819021991984825312010-04-23T06:55:37.606+10:002010-04-23T06:55:37.606+10:00Excellent ideas there Dave. Unpredictability is ke...Excellent ideas there Dave. Unpredictability is key to making magick weird. I am concerned about making things too complicated. As it stands this is a very simple mechanic to allow magic-users to manipulate fate in a limited way, thereby making them slightly more useful at low-levels.<br /><br />However, weird stuff is cool and random tables are very cool. I like the idea that the cantrip to grant you swiftness in combat might just give you a large pustulent carbuncle on your nose, temporarily decreasing your charisma by one point.<br /><br />This is precisely the sort of bumbling nincompoopery I like in my games, reminiscent of "Wild Magic". Perhaps I will make up some tables to reflect it.Tom Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893168729760333884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231530392754888127.post-65464338538018727952010-04-23T00:29:47.345+10:002010-04-23T00:29:47.345+10:00Something that would be very important to me as a ...Something that would be very important to me as a player in a "Dung Age" game would be this kind of uncertainty. If there were a die roll for it, if it was not predictable, that's good. I like the random table idea.<br /><br />It would be nice if there was a physical cost for such magic, not just a need to spend gold pieces (like you need a mandrake root for this, but beware it deadly shriek when you pulled it up). Maybe a temporary loss of saving throw, or STR/CON or something. So you could find a secret door but lose your poison resistance for a while. Random weird effect. <br /><br />I'm drawn to the idea that magic-users (wizard or cleric) are all slightly mad, either babbling eccentrics or fire-eyed ascetics. The chance of insanity is a great way to limit magic use, as Call of Cthulhu taught us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com