From: pvs9@ibr.cs.tu-bs.de (Praktikum Verteilte Systeme)
Subject: Re: What do you look for in a magic system?
Originator: pvs9@eos.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de
Reply-To: pvs9@ibr.cs.tu-bs.de (Praktikum Verteilte Systeme)
Organization: TU Braunschweig, Informatik (Bueltenweg), Germany
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 13:04:24 GMT

In article <93006.123635DK6TOPER@MIAMIU.BITNET>, Dan Karipides <DK6TOPER@MIAMIU
.BITNET> writes :

]This is an informal survey concerning what role-players like in a
]RPG magic system.  (I am currently working on my own system--aren't
]we all--and would greatly appreciate you opinions.)
]
]I would prefer comments like, "I demand a magic system be..." as opposed
]to "I like GURPS magic."  Email responses are fine, or you may post your
]response if you feel that it is net-worthy.
]
]Thanks in advance.
]
]                                                 -Dan

Well, I feel that my response IS net-worthy.  About 2 or 3 years ago, I had my
own ideas on a magic system.  I have not worked out the system completely yet,
but I can tell you about its outlines :

There is a small number of elemental building blocks, which can be aligned in
sequence (first do this, then do that...), performed on conditions (if X is
true do the following, while Y is true repeat the following...) etc.  It is
actually a kind of magic programming.  Basic actions are moving an object with
a certain force towards a certain direction, increasing/decreasing temperature
or pressure in an area, opening or closing a dimension gate, etc.  Arithmetic
operations are also possible.  All these actions consume magical energy, e.g.
lifting an object weighing 100 kgs up 1 m would consume 1 kilojoule of magical
energy plus a small overhead; arithmetic and control operations consume only
very small amounts of energy.  The energy is usually drained from the caster's
reserves of magical energy which renew at a rate depending from the caster's
mental stats up to a maximum amount depending from the caster's level.  If the
reserves run empty while a spell is running and the caster doesn't stop it,
it will either stop running (maybe with side-effects) or continue running using
up the caster's life force, causing mental injury.  This may be healed, but at
a much slower rate then magical energy regenerates.  However, there are two
ways how a caster can avoid that :

   1.) A running spell may be cancelled at any time.  If the caster succeeds in
       cancelling the spell , it is stopped and does not consume more magical
       energy.  But the caster may fumble it.  If he/she fumbles the action,
       several things may happen :  The spell is stopped, but the caster's
       remaining magical energy (if any is left) is used up. (This may cause a
       sudden discharge of magical energy, usually destructive in effect.)  Or
       the maximum capacity is (temporarily or permanently) decreased.  Or the
       caster's mental health is inflicted.  Or the caster simply fails to
       stop the spell, and it keeps running (the caster may try again to stop
       it).  Other failures are possible.

   2.) The caster assigns an external source of power (for which both magical
       power and special knowledge is needed -- not easy).  This is the turning
       point of magical item creation.  A magical item has a spell imbedded
       which draws its energy from an amount of energy stored in the item or
       directly from the essence flow resp. God/the Gods.  If the external
       source is empty, the spell stops running.  A caster may even be capable
       of having a spell drawing its energy from another creature's magical
       energy reserves or life force.  However, draining life force to drive
       spells is an inherently evil action.  Furthermore, there should me
       magical means of protection against such assaults.

Another interesting consequence of this is that spell design and spell casting
are actually two different matters.  There may be powerful spell casters who
don't know how to design spells, and there may be excellent spell designers
without magical power !  Note that magical power is only needed to *run*
spells, not to design them (though a spell designer of course needs *knowledge*
about magic).  Spells are usually communicated as paper-written scripts which 
are *not* magical themselves.  In a world where both magic and computers exist,
it would be possible to store such spell scripts in a computer or send them 
around in a network (imagine a magic.spells.sources newsgroup).  Thus, spell 
scripts don't react on detect magic spells, unless they are written on magical 
paper and/or with magical ink !

NOTE :  It is not necessary that a player actually 'programs out' his/her 
character's spells.  There should be ready-made spells at hand in grimoires
(especially those for often-occuring standard problems).  If a player intends
to design a new spell, a skill roll is made to determine if the spell works
properly or if there are bugs in it (and if there are, which kind of
malfunction, e.g. non-terminating loops or other effects, occurs).

May Elbereth protect you !      Joerg Rhiemeier [Claude]