A Magic Trait

[rulandor]

Currently I am running two campaigns for my players - a very much tv-series-like Time Lord campaign (albeit with a self-created Time Lord) and a 19th century somewhat Torchwood-like campaign with little emphasis on trime travel and a tendency towards Fantasy elements.

For this I home-made a magic trait that I am presenting here for scrutiny and comment:

Heart of a Dark Star
Special Good Trait, 4 character points for characters without Alien special trait, 2 character points for characters with Alien special trait.
The character has been taken by a training master on a journey through the Spheres and has been confronted with the most disturbing of sights: the heart of a dark star. A lot of acolytes grow mad by this experience (similar to being confronted with the Untempered Schism), but if they remain mentally functional, they are now mages. In case of player characters, this should be automatic; if you want to roll: Ingenuity + Resolve against a difficulty of 18.
With this special trait a character gains access to all special and alien traits; because having survived confrontation with the heart of a dark star, they are mentally very powerful and receive a flat +2 bonus on all rolls made in application of psychic or alien traits. If that trait already confers a significant bonus (like the Psychic trait), the mage gains instead the benefit of needing less story points for special effects - effect one step above the actual investment on the character sheet list.

What do you think?

[Siskoid]

That works, though you might like to compare it to the Magic Adept Trait we created for the Expanded Universe sourcebook. They're not dissimilar, but Adept takes into account how useful the effect is. It's on page L3 (or 57) of the pdf.

www.siskoid.com/websites/siskoid.com/ExpandedWho/

[rulandor]

What cost in character points would you suggest for the sourcebook's magic adept trait?

[Siskoid]

Hm, good question. It's definitely a Special Trait. Really depends on frequency of use. In the book, the powers are only available on Avalon. In your campaign, they'd always be available, so I'd say 3, though you could (and probably should) have to sacrifice baseline Story Points as well (just as with Time Lord). Maybe 2 CP and 3 SP? Something like that?

[Marnal]

I'd just make all spells Story Point based. So they pick up a fairly cheap Special Trait [3 Character Building Points] but every spell they cast requires 0-4 story points [depending on how much game effect it has, or some such].

Then the player will be the one about worrying about using the power too much and the GM can get on with running the game.

[Siskoid]

That makes sense to me too.

[zebaroth]

sounds good you might want want to look up one of my old posts about magic in doctor game

[Rassilon]

Here:

dwaitas.proboards.com/thread/1599/magic-doctor-who


Specifically:

Jan 28, 2013 2:15:02 GMT Pertwee said:

Jan 28, 2013 1:45:18 GMT jeffrywith1e said:

bringing this thread back from the dead,

how would one do magic with the DWAITAS system? Lets say the TARDIS arrives in Greyhawk, etc?

Traits.

First, create a 'gateway' Trait, like Alien or Psychic.

Sorcerer (Minor/Major/Special Good)
The character can control mystical forces to perform what is, for all intents and purposes, magic.

Effect: As a Minor Trait, the character can spend 1 Story Point to change one die on any roll to whatever side they desire to represent some minor magical incantation that aids or interferes with the action.

As a Major Trait, the sorcerer can also spend 3 Story Points to automatically succeed at any task that would normally be achievable with the use of some tool. Climbing a wall, for example.

As a Special Trait, the Sorcerer may also take Spell Traits.


Then create some Spell Traits with the Prerequisite : Sorcerer (Special). Spell Traits would represent specific incantations of greater power that allow the Sorcerer to achieve things above the Major level of Sorcerer, like invisibility, flight, etc. They would rate from Minor (Water Walking) to Major (Invisibility) to Special (Vortex travel).

The basic Spell Traits could be Alien Traits with Alien replaced by Spell and the prerequisite being Sorcerer (Special). That's how I'd do it, at any rate...

[zebaroth]

thanks Rassilon i could not find it

[rulandor]

Yesterday may gaming group had their first adventure with the self-made magic system - see above: Heart of a Dark Star. It went well; only a magic-specific use of Story Points needs additional fine tuning, and I am going to try the suggestions of Pertwee.