Sup fat guys and cat girls. I need some advice and ideas from all of you GMs out there.
So i'm going to GM a 5e game for some friends and I loads of experience and even a setting in which I generally run my games. The thing is, that setting never quite got to be the way I wanted it to.
I like high fantasy, but the way spells are treated in D&D makes magic pretty trivial and boring to me. A different spell from whatever school of magic for literally any situation is almost always at hand, stuff like locked doors, big cliffs and even death to an extent start to lose its meaning. So I wanted to try and make this game with a bit less fantasy heavy in some ways. Think Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings (not my inspirations for the game, just examples), the magic is there, just not in literally any shape the wizard requires at a specific time. I'm trying to create a setting in which magic is not that common. All the classes will be homebrew, have a connection to the setting and be less generic than those in the book. The thing is, spellcasting as it is is shit for a game like that. I want it to be more fluid, not just "Well, got to level 2 now I can shoot frostbolts AND fireballs".
Ideally spells are a big deal and have more sense to them thematically not just learn anything at any given time. Does anyone have any helpful advice or good reads about that sort of stuff? In return some amano artwork.
Thanks in advance.
And sorry for bad english, not my first language.
bumperino
Anyone? Even other games with less spammy spell mechanics might help me here.
I can't help you, but Amano is always a plus, so have a bump.
The thing here is, I want magic to feel more special. Obviously there will be less magic users in general, but the effects, while not always having epic proportions, should at least not be trivial. In a world where magic is that simple and that useful I can't really justify middle-age fantasy settings or anything like that. But at the same time, why can I fire a bolt of frost from my hand but not use that same energy manipulation to freeze a chunk of flesh for example. I want stuff to be more flexible and less obvious in a sense, and while I have a somehow solid grasp on the concepts. I'm having trouble translating them into the game. So any help would be appreciated, thank you.
>>44105246
Have you considered Tenra Bansho Zero?
>>44105273
Yeah, it really sounds like you want something other than D&D for this.
>>44105273
I have not and don't know what that is, looking it up now, thanks.
>>44105325
It's basically jidaigeki the rpg. There is magic, but it's not spammable and most of it is either minor in theme (exorcise demons, heal shit) or pretty earthshaking and risky (anything an onymoji does, but they can only do it like once before passing out.).
>>44105324
Yeah, that might be the case, if you have any suggestion I would be happy to look those up. I appreciate the combat most other mechanics, it's just how spells or magic function outside of combat and sometimes inside combat that bothers me for this specific setting that I want to run.
>>44105347
Well, there's always GURPS, which allows you to fiddle with everything to get it just the way you want it.
>>44105341
Woah, seems really interesting and the kind of stuff I might be looking for, thank you.
>>44105440
Sure thing! Keep in mind that there is a default setting (which is medieval japan with ROBOTS AND NINJAS AND SHIT) but it is encouraged for you to basically do whatever you want with it/make up whatever. It'd take some work, but I don't see why you couldn't end up doing a more westernized game with it.
>>44105372
I've never really looked into GURPS much and don't really know where to start. But it's a good idea to check it out, thank you.
>>44105489
>don't really know where to start
GURPS Lite and How To Be A GURPS GM.
In terms of pre-built magic systems, there's the core one, Sorcery (which is weak on-the-fly spells and strong specific ones you've actually learned), and Ritual Path Magic, but you can build your own by slapping about advantages and things.
>>44105510
Thanks a lot for the pdf and pointers!
Thanks everyone, I'm now checking and fiddling with the rules on other game since D&D is so far from what I envision for the setting, the best call is probably to play something more similar with what I have in mind.
Here's a personal favorite.
