Hey, another mage-related idea. This one uses a random generator.
More specifically, the
Grimoire of Questionable Spells, or at least a chart based upon it and made in a similar spirit (the Grimoire, weird though it is, could certainly use some improvement).
Questionable MagesNow, the idea here would be that each of the players is a mage with real, honest-to-goodness magical powers in a modern world. However, these magical powers would only produce spells like the
Ethereal Curse of Bedhead.
When you use spells, you roll for Magic to determine their power, plus any other needed rolls (for instance, Glob of Sawdust would require a targeting roll). You can use magic in an unlimited fashion, for all the good that will do you.
Each turn, players can research a number of spells for themselves to use, which would be rolled (using the Intelligence stat) like this:
1 - One spell that must replace a previous one.
2 - No results.
3 - +1 to next research roll.
4 - One spell.
5 - Two spells.
6 - Three spells.
7+ - Same as 6, but with one extra spell per point above 6.
Warning - spells are always randomly generated, so you can get a 6 and still get Summon Foot Odor, Vaseline Cage and Conceal Pornography Giant. However, each spell, once researched, would certainly get more details added to it.
Now, when you find out a new spell, you can choose to add them to your spellbook (any number of spells researched - for instance, if you research 3 spells, you can add anywhere from 0 to 3 of them to your spellbook). However, your spellbook (more like a spell-pamphlet, really) is a bit limited, being an extension of your hardly spectacular mind. You can only have as many spells total as your Intelligence stat, so choose wisely! You can delete spells from your spellbook, but once you do so, they are gone forever! You have to pray to be lucky enough to get them again if you delete one you might actually like back.
This would probably use the Progressive RTD system, with stats corresponding to the maximum possible values of dice to be rolled. The stats would be:
Strength: helps in melee and pushing pesky Cabbage Golems out of the way!
Aim: helps not to hit your Inconvenience Devil if you were aiming for something else!
Agility: helps escape from confrontation or, if that fails, avoid potentially fatal blows when your Concealment from Milkmaids fails!
Endurance: helps withstand Prismatic Blobs of Sausage to the face and bullets to the gut!
Magic: helps give some kick to your Blast of Caffeine that it would otherwise lack!
Intelligence: helps you research and cast more spells like Aura of Bacon!
Charisma: helps explain to the authorities that the Extra-Planar Blast of Diarrhea in the department store totally wasn't you!
Willpower: helps fight off the effects of the Dread Rite of Nervousness and its infernal ilk!
Character creation would start all of these off at 4, with about 18 points provided for the players to distribute however they see fit.
Now, obviously this would be a pretty silly game, though it could have a bit of plot as well. Also, a bit of a more varied and complex chart for spells could be useful as well. Just throwing the idea out there.
Author
Topic: Roller's Block (RTD Brainstorming Thread) (HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY) (Derm is 5k) (Read 746098 times)