Patrons and Magic

 

 Patrons and Magic

Spells that feel interesting to me always seem related to input vs output, like using spells in response to an external factor or using a spell to solve or counteract the outside world that has impact on the player character. These kind of spells have broad uses, or broad effects, and often are creatively applicable to a variety of situations. The other kind of spells I like are very specific spells that are tailored for a situation or decision, but are useless for anything else.

There is a huge issue with both however, because including both in a magic system leads to a unnatural focus or preference on the most useful spells, and metagaming becomes the predominant reason to use or select specific spells. I do not like balancing spells to counteract this either, that just makes everything more complex or boring. This is what makes some spells almost never get picked or used, and others are known for their broken nature (Carpet of Adhesion in Rifts is a good Example).

So the solution, to me at least, has to allow for both kinds of spell to shine, while making their weaknesses and strengths relevant.

I think there is a lot to learn from boardgames on this front, with really complex systems present in some games, especially German style games, there is a beautiful system hidden under many layers of choices you have to understand and plan.
So if you use something and it is the wrong time or you fumble, it is really punishing, like a lot of spells in lots of RPGs.
That is the main reason I dislike super specific spells in most systems that limit magic to a certain amount, it seems to make players hesitate to branch out or do something less useful or powerful if they have the option to have a powerful spell.

I also tend to dislike miscast systems, mana systems, levelless spells, and a whole slew of other approaches to limiting spellcasting, all because they are greatly hampered in their levels of fun because the player is constantly having to deal with something inflicted by outside forces – in miscasts case, I simply do not like punishing them for pushing limits in an  such and unpredictable way as a random roll with potentially terrible results.

To this end, I have several ideas, the core of which is something I have termed stomach magic; essentially the player is given magic spells, as normal, but has access to all of the spells they are granted, and does not have to prepare them daily. When they use a spell, it goes into a “stomach”, which releases all spells once full. The “stomach” is full when all the spells they have are put into it, or when you hit certain thresholds, depending on the patron of their magic or potentially their level.

In tandem to stomach magic, I also enjoy the use of alteration magic, or a source of magic that changes the spells themselves because of the source of their power.

Alongside both types magic are there are sometimes patrons - beings who require you to somehow pay for the power you are granted.

A demon might make a player have a spell that sacrifices someone innocent, or a blood mage might have a spell that deals them damage. This means players can cast spells more freely, but must cast this "bad" spell to retrieve all their used ones.
This means a player can go wild, and do powerful things, because they have access to all known spells at all times- at least until used- but the cost spell's effect has to happen eventually if they want their spells back, and if it is life or age or warts or dementia, that can be a tough decision. This makes the magic user become more and more interesting, and they balance magic and their other resources carefully, then this challenge is something they get to manage and plan all by themselves.
As they level, they might get more and more of these bad spells alongside good spells, or the base spell might change.

This seems to present tracking spells in a better way than usual vancian magic, as players have more stake in using spells and tracking them, because they can get them back quickly, but the cost connected is now a concern that they get to manage and plan for in a more interactive way, instead wasted dead time with no spells. It is self inflicted, and so the ball is in their court, and they are the ones who blackjack their own grave, not a random roll with varied effects or a lack of resources.

 

 

So here are some patrons, and once finished, links to the pages that detail how they functionally and flavorfully alter the Magic User Class for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

Patrons of Magic

Blood Magic – Stomach Magic : Blood In, Blood Out

Moonlight Magi – Alteration Magic : Moon Related

Satanic Power – Stomach Magic : Ritual

Geomancy – Alteration Magic : Magnetic and Earth Related

A Little Book – Alteration Magic : Spells in Book

Bound to a Demon - Stomach Magic : Payment For Services Rendered

Aging – Stomach Magic : The Ultimate Price

Witch’s Warts – Stomach Magic : Witchy Changes

Dementia – Alteration Magic : Spells Fade

Pyromancy – Alteration Magic : Flame Related, Fueled by Alcohol

A Spirit of Wind – Alteration Magic : Wind Related

Complex Mathematics – Alteration Magic : Math Related

Troll Calculus – Alteration Magic : Philosophically Related

A Magical Focus– Alteration Magic : Spells from an Object

Verbal Magic – Alteration Magic : Spoken Word

 Somatic Magic – Alteration Magic : Gestures

Material Magic - Alteration Magic : Requires Components

Manna From Heaven – Alteration Magic : Resource Based

Old Gods – Alteration Magic : Eldritch and Horrible

Cartomancy – Alteration Magic : Collect and Locate

Vancian Revamped – Stomach Magic : Sleep and Memory