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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Aug 2013 : 03:50:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Personally, I'm always more interested in the stories of things than their mechanical executions in one or another of the editions of the game. 4e is both helpful and unhelpful in this regard, as spellscars were similar to other types of magic you might have (both active powers and passive feats), which were themselves mechanically similar to any other set of powers.
Agreed.
Plus, as I've long maintained, my rules-set is a hodge-podge of different rules and mechanics from various gaming systems I've collected over the last thirty years. So the 4e rules for spellscars don't really work for me or my campaigns anyway. Which is why I tend to prefer seeing further development of the concept through the lore, because it's entirely more expansive, and can be more ably moulded into my own Realmslore. |
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Andrekan
Seeker
65 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2013 : 17:58:20
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From what I've been reading and observing as far as D&D Next, favor of the Gods (Chosen) is based on characters actions that earn favor as a chosen. Dumathoin may grant a boon such as the character is able to see secret doors/passages/traps and also recognize features that reveal secrets of dwarven lore, that non-chosen of could only learn through skill checks. Tymora might allow a chosen a free action during the character's turn rolled with advantage, this free action can also be granted by the chosen to it's companions. I believe this is loosely applied at this time by the DM if the players are being loyal to the God's role.
It is something being used and I have been using a similar boon for my players since I started our Sundering game six months ago. I as a DM look at many different books for which ever power reflects what I may be planning to represent in our game. There are many great game reference to the Gods: holy days, times of prayer or meditation, and activities of the clergy or paladins. I try to read over 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th edition book references and decide what I(DM) want to use for my game. I try to keep minor details that are important clues as what god is being represented and what goals should be hinted. This is where the biggest balance is in the mysteries revealed by the God to it's chosen. These are visions/dreams which are only clues the character has to determine what these mean or how to proceed and keep favor by seeking out what they might believe is important to their God. This doesn't mean the character will always get it right, but that is part of the fun of it.
Murder In Baldur's Gate suggests something about this earning favor through deeds. |
"Those two talk only of drink, riches, women, brawling, and magic, so ye've a one in five chance..." Quote from "Elminster in Hell" |
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Neil Bishop
Learned Scribe
Singapore
100 Posts |
Posted - 06 Oct 2013 : 14:32:19
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IMC, the Spellplague and all its manifestations - including spellscars - are the wreckage of the Weave. If the Weave returns, it will, in a sense, be built out of this wreckage and that will mean things like most spellscars will disappear and plaguelands will definitely disappear.
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik (snip)Spellscars are just a premise for granting random powers to characters. (snip) PCs are already supposed to be inherently special and unique, I prefer ye olde AD&D(1E)-style where one does not gain special abilities until reaching the very highest levels of experience in a class or specialty; (snip)When everybody is Super then nobody is. Thus I disdain such stuff as spellscars. (snip)
Ahhh, disdain. Such a pompous word.
Spellscars do not give out random powers and there is a significant direct (your defences are reduced against plaguechanged creatures) and opportunity (you have to take spellscarred powers - which are generally weaker and less useful - in place of your class powers AND use a feat each time you do so) costs to being spellscarred. Personally, none of my players would do it unless it was specifically for RP purposes.
If you want an example of random powers making folks special, I would point you to your 1E rules and the section on psionics. Now that's random. |
Regards
NXB |
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Sluban
Acolyte
35 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2013 : 17:59:16
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| I don't understand what happened with magic after spellplague. Sorcerers can cast spells but wizards can't or what? |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2013 : 18:13:51
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Protagonists from novels could, and everyone else couldn't.
And although I am being a jerk, its actually true. While the rest of the world was struggling with cantrips, Szass Tam was b***ch-slapping gods. He's just cool like that.
The whole thing was 'very random' canonically (which meas they - and supposedly us - could 'pick & chose' what we wanted effected).
'I think' that perhaps Sorcerers were able to adapt to the new way magic worked quicker, so for the first few years they may have had an edge, but after awhile everyone knew how to 'do magic' once again.
Thus rendering every previous piece of lore we had about The Weave and Magic inaccurate. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 28 Oct 2013 18:17:24 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2013 : 19:43:14
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| Or it's all new lore about how mortals cope with magic under less than ideal conditions. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2013 : 16:10:17
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Could you remind me of which character had a spellscar that lit up his/her pre-existing arcane tattoos?
Hi Sage, sorry I missed this question. The character you're asking about is Myrin, who first appears in DOWNSHADOW and becomes a main character in my subsequent SHADOWBANE novels. And the relationship between her tattoos and her spellscar is not strictly clear, but I think it's clear her spellscar doesn't "cause" her tattoos. (Re-)learning a spell causes a new permanent tattoo to appear, casting magic causes her tattoos to light up, as does using her spellscar (which lights them up with blue light). In the most recent book (Eye of Justice) she has a lot of tattoos all over her body.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Return of the Weave 1479 DR
