> On a separate topic it's been suggested that what feats allow you to
> do could be determined by what the Myth says. On the surface this is
> a cool idea, colour wise that is.
I think something that is a bit overlooked here is the fact that people dont
seem to think much about what a particular kind of magic actually means. Its
always so much argumenting from the numbers.
If we talk about mundane abilities everybody knows what you can do with them
more or less.
But if you have a magic called "Run fast" or "Run like the wind" then, to me,
its not all about the maybe pompous name but really about the question what
is magical about this "Run fast"? Can you run without tiring, but once you stop
the magic ends ? Or is it some kind of superhero-genre ability, that you can,
for instance, beat a car in race with?
This depends on your or your groups taste i think, but you have to make a
decision first. This is a big part of the fun for the player to explain to the
gamemaster how he wants to use/define his magic. From there its a lot easier to
decide ruleswise how to run a particular situation, resistances etc.
In Rodericks post, he talked about what happens when you compare "Run
fast"-mundane with "Run Fast"-magical. The way i understood his post, for him (in
that case) they are just abilities. This is the point where i say: no, this
doesnt work for me. Because the trick about the magical resistance of 14 is to
argument from a magical view. Magic isnt bound by mundane laws, it takes advantage
of the shortcut via magical laws. So in my view these two abilities can never
be the same.
Two weeks ago i read "Krabat" again, a story by Ottfried Preußler. Its about
a beggar boy who becomes an apprentice in a mill. The master is a wizard and
it seems he gets his power from the devil. So Krabat and the other apprentices
(they must always be a collective of 12) learn a new magic every friday. They
do not call it magic they call it art. All you have to do is know how to do it
and then the magic happens. So you learn "the art to go out of your body" or
"the art to change into a crow".
What i like about this is: its pretty clear what the magic does and that its
of course no mundane ability. So the description is the HQ ability. Then you
must decide how you want to let the numbers in your magic, that can be the
tricky part sometimes. What does the HQ ability do go out of your body mean ?
If you decided that, than you know how to use it gamemechanically.
Now one last word about this "decapitate foe" feat. I know most people will
disagree but i like my game to be cinematic and wham! in your face. And i dont
care about this pompous thing-to me this is sooo lame.
If i have a magic thats called like that, i can use it that way, because
thats what it is. I dont care about gamebalance, because if you are a good
gamemaster the balance will come from within the game.
If invent a handheld weapon that can kill instantly, tomorrow, how long will
it take until someone will try to steal it from me ?! Or the government will
show up or whatever? This is the real gamebalance to me!
Its the same if i wouldnt allow undead or vampires in my game (as opponents)
because they cant be killed or any creature that cant be defeated in a normal
contest....
"Decaptiate foe"? Cool, on any success his head is off! It takes ten minutes
and this player will face an opponent with a surprise in his bag of tricks.
all the best
Christian
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