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| The basic model of Magecraft can be easily altered or
expanded upon for a number of uses with minimal effort. |
| SCHOOL TREATMENT |
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One way to alter this Magic System is to make it topical, such
as limiting Spells to some mandatory field of focus, such as Death, or Illusion,
or Transmogrification Magic. In this type of variant, you would add a single Knowledge
Skill for each field of study and use it in place of the INT rolls indicated under
Spell Creation and Learning. Also, such fields would be added to the
SFX of Spells belonging to that field. |
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Example: Bob the GM likes the mechanical model laid out in this document
but wants to break down the classification of Magic a little
finer. He decides he wants to use Magecraft for three
similar but different types of Magic users. These "Three Crafts" will focus on
General Magic, Death Magic, and Nature Magic. This correlates with a KS:
General Magic, KS: Death Magic, and KS: Nature Magic Skill roll. |
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Practitioners of each of the "Three Crafts" can know one,
two, or all three Knowledge Skills, but can only know Spells of a group that
they have the applicable Knowledge Skills for. |
| LANGUAGE VARIANT |
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Optionally or in addition to the School Treatment, you could
have "Magic Languages" required for particular types of Spells. Characters that
can "speak the Language" of a grouping of Magic can cast Spells that "require"
that Language. |
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Literacy should be required for this purpose, and to tie the
Magic System into the Language construct, Basic Conversation allows 8-
Familiarity Spell Skills; Fluent Conversation allows 11- to 13- Spell Skills,
Completely Fluent allows 14- 16- Spell Skills, Idiomatic allows 17- to 21- Spell
Skills, and Imitate Dialects allows 22- and up Spell Skills. |
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These Magic Languages should have 0 points of Familiarity
with all other Language, but may have Familiarities with each other. If they
have 0 points of Familiarity with other normal Languages the first Language (and
any other additional Language which has 0 point of Familiarity with Languages
the character already knows) costs an extra Character Point to buy. |
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Example: Bob the GM changes his mind about using
Knowledge Skills for the "Three Crafts" and decides to use three Languages
(General Craftspeak, Death Craftspeak , Nature Craftspeak) instead and leave the
straight INT rolls described in the Magic System in place. He decides that the
General and Death Languages will have a 2 point familiarity with each other,
meaning that if you already know one learning one of the others cost's one less
Character Point, and the Nature Language has 1 point of familiarity with both. |
| DIFFERENT NAME |
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You can always change the name of the Magic System from Magecraft to something
else as you
prefer, or have several groups of Magic Users based on this
mechanic but with social or "flavor" differences and different names. |
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Example: Bob the GM has determined that
Magecraft Spells are divided into
three "Schools"
General, Death, and Nature. The
General group is called Geralcraft (geh-RAHL-kraft), the Death group is called
Dececraft (deh-SAY-kraft), and Nature Magic is called Ambiacraft (ahm-BEE-ah-kraft).
The applicable Languages associated with each group are renamed to match as
well. |
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Practitioners of Geralcraft are called Geralmagus
(geh-RAHL-moh-goose), practitioners of Dececraft are called Decemagus
(deh-SAY-moh-goose), and practitioners of Ambiacraft are called Ambiamagus
(ahm-BEE-ah-moh-goose). |
| NEW PACKAGE DEALS |
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Another excellent method for altering the feel of this
type of Magic is to create custom Package Deals that are tied directly into a
setting. |
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Example: Bob the GM wants creates a Basic Package and
three Composite Packages for his "Three Crafts" Magic System. He has a complete
Magic System ready to drop into play. |
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Later Bob decides he wants a "Divine" style of Magic based on
this mechanic as well. He simply adds 1 more Composite Package, a new Grouping
and Language called "Deusvontade" (day-OOS-von-TAH-day) which has a 0 point
familiarity with Geralcraft and Dececraft and a 2 point familiarity with
Ambiacraft, practitioners of which are called Deusempregus
(day-OOS-imp-ray-goose). |
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Bob also makes some notes on adding a fifth "underground" or
"Craft" dealing with Demon summoning and trafficing. He decides it will
be called Diavocraft (dee-AHVOH-craft), its practitioners will be called
Diavoempregus (dee-AHVOH-imp-ray-goose). and it's language will have 1 point of
similarity to both Geralcraft and Dececraft. |