Magic
I'm figuring on costs like these... depending on how it ends up, they could well be multiplied by 2, 5 or 10 to put them into the right range.
- 1: Trivial spells. Automatically resisted by anyone who tries. Stuff like lighting nearby kindling, soothing an ache or something else very minor.
- 2: Minor spells. A bit more potent, but still more like Burning Hands than Fireball.
- 5: Moderate spells. The first really serious ones. Critical failures against these tend to take you out of action.
- 10: Major spells. Really potent, save or be defeated spells. Failures can take you out of action. It takes a critical success to completely resist it.
- 20: Dramatic spells. Most people can't cast these. They work like Major spells for the most part, but can hit a huge area. The ones that have a single target can do stuff that Major magic can't, like bring back the dead.
- 50: Legendary spells. Few people short of gods can cast these. They can work real wonders, like creating a new realm.
There are various schools of magic, each of which produces different effects.
A biggie is Planar Magic. At low levels, it can tell you what the extent of the realm you're in (big, small, nigh infinite) and detect portals (although not always how to open them). At moderate levels it can tell you what's on the other end of a suspect portal. At high levels it can create or expand planes or trap foes in Maze or Prison realms. It's mostly studied by gods, who use it more than anyone else. The really useful spells are all hideously expensive and difficult, so this is a very "bottom loaded" school. It probably doesn't have any trivial spells at all... perhaps something like "make a portal you already know about sparkle more visibly."
Posted by Kiz at November 9, 2004 01:46 PM