tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post7272951437588059988..comments2024-02-24T03:34:18.060-05:00Comments on Stealing Commas: I'm trying to make up a magic system, please help.chris the cynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06872875475212333027noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-82376000928540490082016-01-15T11:01:13.825-05:002016-01-15T11:01:13.825-05:00In Shinto, there are lots of spirits, deities, and...In Shinto, there are lots of spirits, deities, and entities that inhabit parts of nature, some small, some large, and all of them can be entreated for favor or protection or other requests. They may not grant them, but they can be asked. If I recall and read correctly, though, it's not just nature that has inhabiting and animating spirits, but potentially everything. Magical traffic lights and back alleys both could exist, and you just have to know how to please the residents to get their help.<br /><br />Maybe that will work out? Silver Adepthttp://silveradept.dreamwidth.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-53064986423164344072016-01-12T17:18:01.413-05:002016-01-12T17:18:01.413-05:00(See if commenting works this time)
Another possi...(See if commenting works this time)<br /><br />Another possibility is that you can use environmental magic to obtain information. For example, you could obtain information on past events in the vicinity, hidden passages, traps, etc. It wouldn't usually be directly usable in immediate combat but could be very useful in gathering information or in on-the-spot planning. The types of information and the area of effect could be calibrated for play balance.<br /><br />Michael IAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-69859866258559374802016-01-12T12:46:24.555-05:002016-01-12T12:46:24.555-05:00Glad to help.
On the other hand the flip-side ma...Glad to help.<br /><br /><i> On the other hand the flip-side making gravity stronger, seems like it would risk being extremely overpowered. (Bad guys are chasing me. Gravity Changes. Bad guys are stuck on ground.)</i><br /><br />A possible way around it is that the larger the difference between the natural force and the manipulated force is, the more magical strength the magic user needs (or the faster they become exhausted). Though if you go that way, you'd probably need to calculate it to keep it consistent between uses.Photonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12737705025897805522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-59907455830617370312016-01-12T09:06:13.843-05:002016-01-12T09:06:13.843-05:00Asking nature to bind someone with vines was just ...Asking nature to bind someone with vines was just me groping around for <i>something</i> that could be done.<br /><br />I definitely do like the idea of modifying existing forces.<br /><br />Bad guys all slip and fall down.<br /><br />"What just happened."<br /><br />"The coefficient of kinetic friction changed."<br /><br />"What?"<br /><br />"Their feet didn't stop when they contacted the ground, which is something that the process of running kind of depends on."<br /><br />I'd need to put a lot of thought into what exactly this would mean in various settings. I want something that makes sense in the heart of the city and other human areas, but also in places untouched by human activity.<br /><br />How does it apply in a swamp, on a mothballed rusting ship, in a jungle, in a forest, in a grassland, on a rocky outcrop, in a desert, in natural caves, in a mine, on a snowy mountain, in the ocean, et cetera?<br /><br />But you've at least provided the idea to start from.<br /><br />I really like the idea of characters being able to be less affected by gravity I have for years. (Pleasant dreams of being light enough to make <i>everything</i> different) On the other hand the flip-side making gravity stronger, seems like it would risk being extremely overpowered. (Bad guys are chasing me. Gravity Changes. Bad guys are stuck on ground.)chris the cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06872875475212333027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-76710405151416589542016-01-11T23:51:26.443-05:002016-01-11T23:51:26.443-05:00I have two ideas which don't allow for "I...I have two ideas which don't allow for "I shall ask nature to bind you in vines":<br /><br />(1) The magic user can increase or decrease the (physical) forces that are already affecting an object. A friend of mine wants to jump on a building, so I shall make gravity more gentle to him while he is on the way. A pleasant breeze is blowing, but with my help it will uproot trees. (I'm uncertain if the person who works this magic should be able to apply them to the forces they themselves exert.)<br /><br />(2) The magic user can speed up or slow down processes that would happen anyways. Making a tree grow in a minute. Making a building crumble. Causing an earthquake that would happen at some point in the future because of the tectonic activity in this area to happen now. (However, this seems closer to time manipulation than environmental manipulation, at least intuitively. Also, some of it's effects could probably be reached with (1) just as well. All in all I'd favor (1).)Photonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12737705025897805522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-74101922867017379762016-01-10T22:55:44.569-05:002016-01-10T22:55:44.569-05:00Hmmm. Regarding your example ("I shall ask na...Hmmm. Regarding your example ("I shall ask nature to bind you with vines"), what exactly is "nature" here? A nature spirit? The essence of nature? I was thinking something like different places have different...beings... associated with them. Whether because of religion or history or the reality-warping effects of a large group of sentient beings concentrated in one area creating small gods ala Terry Pratchett. <br /><br />Or in something along the same lines, the mage could reach into the "memory" of an area and evoke a minor re-enaction of a certain event. (For example, in someplace earthquake-prone the mage could caused a very localized tremor. In aforementioned dark alley, if someone was mugged there and murdered, the mage could transfer the trauma of the event to her attacker to cause disorientation.) <br /><br />Or there's life magic - draining a living thing, storing it, and using it to restore something else. Commanding wooden beams to turn back into trees or something. <br /><br />Just shooting out random ideas here, hope it helps...travithianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00214886757849039787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889388775673754833.post-54749236169558206722016-01-10T15:55:19.459-05:002016-01-10T15:55:19.459-05:00My first thought regarding inherent city magic is ...My first thought regarding inherent city magic is always "sentient city" - I dealt with those for quite a long time. Not irl, of course. I'm afraid that's not what you need, though.<br /><br />I'll think about it. Just... try not to expect me to come up with anything - I don't want to let you down again.<br /><br />---Redcrow<br /><br />---RedcrowAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com