I am changing how the Untold Realms Grimoire will list spells. This will match with the new magic rules I have been working on for Blades & Black Magic.
Spells Without Spell Lists
The system for improv magic that Jeff Vandine and I came up with does not have any set "spells," like everyone is used to seeing in The Fantasy Trip, Dungeons & Dragons or most other RPGs. Instead, it uses improvisational magic with a system of levels or ranks to categorize how powerful an effect should be.
So with all magic intended to be improvisational, then how can you have any spell lists? Well, the system provides benefits for spells that are cast from a book or scroll. These spells would have their magical process and effects already defined, so theoretically they would be easier to cast. That would make them available for listing somehow.
In addition, there would be a number of spells that would "known" by most sorcerers–how to create fire, summon a magical wind, call an animal, etc. These spells would be available to a list as well.
There could also be spells that are famous–or infamous–that various sorcerers would have used in the past. They might write these down in their own spell books or magical notes. These writings might then be discovered by players during an adventure.
How These Will Look
OK, how will these spells be listed in the Grimoire? They will have general stats and the info needed to use them in the magic system and game. That includes some general design notes about the spell, and why I made the decisions on ranks and costs that I did. I also intend to list some various trade-offs that can make the spell more interesting.
One more thing I plan to do is list some history of the spells as they were used in my Middle Lands campaign setting. But keep in mind that these will be examples of spells, and can be altered as anyone sees fit. You can take or leave the history, or alter the costs as you want–that is the benefit of the flexibility of the system.
What the Future Holds
I will be posting more spells in the Grimoire section as I come up with them. I will also be looking at old favorites, and converting them from The Fantasy Trip or other games to fit these rules.
As I come up with more spells, I may find newer spell requirements to add to the base magic system rules, so I will be updating that as well. The rules are still under development/refinement, so you can expect some tweaks.
So what do you think? Is this worthwhile? Is it an interesting thing to do? Let me know in the comments!
Marko ∞
