ABS12: Powers & Magic revisted
In the last post I presented an optional powers system structure that isn't fully developed or tested. It was just my quick notes.
I'll use that Magic User from the last playtest - Madi vs the giant rat.
The magic user is PL1.
| Species | Life | Spd | Def | Def Type | BP | Damage | D Type | Mag | Sc/Tc | BP | Verb | Adj/Adv | BP | Verb | Adj/Adv | Cost | ||||||
| Magic User | 2 | 2 | 3 | Cloth | 2 | 1d12/6 | Staff | 4 | 5 | Fireball S | 1d12/2 | 3 | Net S | 3 | 15 |
Fireball vs Adjective Verb Noun
Instead of the 5 Fireball spell that does 1d12/2 damage, under the test system it might be 5 power of the verb power Destroy and 5 of the noun power of Fire, combined to be called Greater Destroy Fire with the same damage of 1d12/2 which goes at normal spell casting distance. Destroy and Fire would be two separate verb skills, when combined create a manifested power.
Changing Verbs + Fire
Other verb power verb skills could then combine with fire. Covert Fire might be the ability to hide in flames, or blend into flames. Reveal Fire might let a character sense where fires are located within a certain range.Travel Fire might let a character walk through fire or move as a ball of fire through the air, if they also have air noun powers.
Two Manifestation Aspects
Also in that last chart I added stuff like armor, size, and duration. Maybe powers can manifest in two chosen ways. In the fireball's case, it is in range and damage.
Flexible Two Manisfestations
Maybe the same power can manifest using two other aspects from the five: scale of damage/heal, range, duration, armor, size, and duration.
For example, the same verb level of 5 Destroy Fire might also be used at no range - encompassing one spot near the caster, yet last a longer duration in this case a Long time - maybe 5 rounds. Or maybe it can be used defensively surrounding the character in a ring of fire that does 1d12/2 damage to those that touch it. Or maybe instead of high damage, the character wants to do a 1damage fire spread out across a Large area of 5 units big - like grids or meters instead of one.
For now, picking two aspects of powers seems like a good rule of thumb.
