Minor magic

[greyhame]

During a discussion yesterday, the subject of minor magic in Dr Who came up - specifically, how you could model 1st edition/2nd edition AD&D cantrips in Dwaitas (I don't mean 3/4/5 edition version of cantrip - in 1/2 editions, cantrips were really just for flavor and could only do minor things like cleaning [nothing that could directly harm someone]).

Although we could see 3 ways for them to exist (Carronite word-based science; Daemon psionic-based science; and Block Transfer Computation), we couldn't decide on how to represent this in the game:

Some sort of skill? a Trait? or just a form of flavor-based handwave?

Any ideas?

[Catsmate]

I like this.
My first take would be a minor Trait unless it has a significant game effect. Keeping clean for example isn't much.

Maybe a 2pt Trait for a repertoire of a few more significant effects, with a SP cost for their use.
For example:

• Opening a locked door (as per the Gadget trait Open/Close)
  
• Hiding an unfeasibly large object on one's person for a short period ("What Great Sceptre?")
  
• Lighting a fire (equal to a match flame)
• Creating a small amount (a few litres) of water at arms length
• Creating a light source for a few minutes
• Recharging a small powered device (phone, torch) in a few minutes
• Produce a common, relatively harmless object (as per the trait Resourceful Pockets)
• Disable someone briefly (as per the Gadget trait Stun)
  
• Fall safely a short distance (no more than a few metres)
• Calming an irate and hungry tiger
  

As for the 'mechanism' for such minor magics, mehhh, much as I prefer a more structured canon, the Whoniverse is rather science-fantasy. I'd mutter a little about 'onto-technology¹' or modifying the source code of the universe. If a PC asks for more detail then have the 'magician' character start saying things like "the map is the territory", "the fundamental equivalence of mass-energy and information", "the fundamental fuzziness of the quantum nature reality" and "mathematics doesn’t just represent the structure of reality; it is the structure of reality".
After all if you can travel in time, thereby altering the mass-energy of the universe, some other effects should be possible.

Time Lords probably look down on such practitioners as dabblers (rather like the attitude of Discworld wizards to conjurors). Though a few things the Doctor has pulled off are suggestive.

Really big effects are proper Block Transfer Computation and require more resources than one person.

I'd require an explanation of how the PC (or NPC) got the power (the 'Unusual Background²), it's scope (agreed in advance with the player) and an acceptance of the GMs decision being absolutely final. 




1. A neologism coined by Yudkowsky which basically means "technology that permits manipulation of the fundamental rules of reality".

2. "I work as an occasional operative for a godlike entity from outside space-time". Or "I found this magic scarab ring" .

[greyhame]

Thanks for your hard work, this is precisely what we needed.
I always liked William Hartnell's statement that the Doctor was more of a wizard than a normal scientist. I can see this being used occasionally to make a Time Lord character more alien and mysterious.

[Catsmate]

Aug 5, 2020 22:21:47 GMT greyhame said:

Thanks for your hard work, this is precisely what we needed.
I always liked William Hartnell's statement that the Doctor was more of a wizard than a normal scientist. I can see this being used occasionally to make a Time Lord character more alien and mysterious.

Not at all, your post helped motivate me to crystallise some ideas that I had in my head for an NPC character.

There's a bit in the novelisation of Remembrance of the Daleks that's intrigued me:
After Ace 'borrows' an RAF truck and drives off with the Doctor, she has trouble with the controls:

"I’m doing the best I can," Ace yelled. A narrow railway bridge loomed in front of them. "If you don’t like it, you
drive."
The van plunged into darkness.

They emerged into the light and the Doctor was driving. Ace stared at his umbrella which she was now holding. The seats, dashboard and steering wheel were all in the right positions, it was just that the Doctor was sitting behind the wheel and Ace was in the passenger seat. I think I'll just decide that never happened, she decided.

There are other incidents too, that suggest some minor magics.

[Stormcrow]

I agree with Catsmate: a trait with a story point expenditure for each use and a pseudoscience explanation is the way to go. I would require story points for every use, not just "significant" uses, because what is significant depends on the situation. ("The ambassador who hates messes is coming! If we don't get this place clean in fifteen seconds, the peace talks will fall apart!" "CLEAN CANTRIP!")

[olegrand]

The question of "magic in Doctor Who" is also addressed in the 7th Doctor sourcebook, in a short but interesting boxed text (p 119) - in the context of the "Battlefield" episode.

[Catsmate]

Aug 6, 2020 13:49:02 GMT olegrand said:

The question of "magic in Doctor Who" is also addressed in the 7th Doctor sourcebook, in a short but interesting boxed text (p 119) - in the context of the "Battlefield" episode.

There's also the Blood Magic of the Eorgem in that book (currently p74).
This suggests a system for more powerful tricks, treat the magic power as a Trait and charge accordingly. So if a person could hurl Take That You Fiend! blasts then this is Zap, on top of the Magic trait itself. Likewise Open/Close for the ability to lock and unlock doors at will. Likewise for Flight, Stun, Invisible, Transmit, Scan et cetera. The effect is as standard, the mechanism changes.

The Magic Adept trait (First Doctor  EU Sourcebook) offers another mechanism which I'll quote:

To create any such effect, the Adept tells the GM what they  want to have happen. The GM attributes of Story Point cost to the effect (anywhere from 1 to 5 depending on the effect), and makes the Adept roll on Resolve + the relevant skill (Craft for creating objects, for example, or Convince to dominate men’s minds); the difficulty should be based on the number of SPs spent (starting at Average).
Magic is taxing, so on a Success, the Adept should take 1 point of damage to Resolve, 2 on Failure, 4 on Bad, 6 on Disastrous. When the Adept’s Resolve falls to 0, they may no longer use “magic” until rested and healed.

Now this is for a specific environment where magic is, if not ubiquitous, then part of life.