Spell design
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2017 5:21 pm
Hello,
Are there any plans for the reintroduction of the spell design and magic items creation systems? Was is seriously considered?
I really enjoy the fact that the first edition contained spell design rules. First of all, it greatly enhances the consistency of the system. Typically in fantasy games one can read a lot of fluff about some applications of magic within the setting which cannot be represented in-game, i.e. one can quite often read about specific effects that has been obtained in the setting using magic but cannot be represented as long as one sticks to the spell lists presented in the books, for example because those effects would be of no use in the actual game. Spell design rules give a proper background to cover a lot of such cases.
Besides that, a good spell design system gives the proper feel of the flexibility of magic. Again, in fantasy settings, one may easily come up with some large-scale effects which are central to the plot (because of a curse that has been cast on the duke, this and this happened...), but cannot be handled mechanically (that is, other than via GM's fiat). Since Earthdawn is a high fantasy rpg with a great deal of consistency between the setting and the rules, one could expect that all this colour and flexibility of magic should make its way into the rules.
Are there any plans for the reintroduction of the spell design and magic items creation systems? Was is seriously considered?
I really enjoy the fact that the first edition contained spell design rules. First of all, it greatly enhances the consistency of the system. Typically in fantasy games one can read a lot of fluff about some applications of magic within the setting which cannot be represented in-game, i.e. one can quite often read about specific effects that has been obtained in the setting using magic but cannot be represented as long as one sticks to the spell lists presented in the books, for example because those effects would be of no use in the actual game. Spell design rules give a proper background to cover a lot of such cases.
Besides that, a good spell design system gives the proper feel of the flexibility of magic. Again, in fantasy settings, one may easily come up with some large-scale effects which are central to the plot (because of a curse that has been cast on the duke, this and this happened...), but cannot be handled mechanically (that is, other than via GM's fiat). Since Earthdawn is a high fantasy rpg with a great deal of consistency between the setting and the rules, one could expect that all this colour and flexibility of magic should make its way into the rules.