Bay 12 Games Forum

I find that format impenetrable so I'll just respond to the relevant things

Why is that?

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You seem to be talking about something in which you are either completely unable to do it or "a perfect master," not something it takes skill to learn how to do.

Right, I am offering that the current system of "Know or do not know" magic be another possibility to add to the pool. Power by revelation and not by exercise.

Problem is, "learning" power like that doesn't make sense. Even if you were granted the power by some god (plausible), you'd either need to learn how to do it or invoke the deity's personal intervention to actually do stuff. Assume necromancy follows this model: If you just wave your hand to raise the dead, you'll raise a lot of random half-decayed bits of rat and stuff until you learn how to control the power better, and if there's more (like a mental ritual to unlock some inner strength or something) you need to learn how to do it. The learning curve may be shallow, but it's there.

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More like the "Deadly magic is deadly, so make sure you're careful before you learn control."

When it needs to be put into practice it becomes "Useless deadly magic" which has been suggested many times before. If magic is an academic study and you can gain enough skill just by reading books on the subject to avoid the "Useless" phase then it leaves Useless Deadly magic.

What's the problem with this?

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I call that idea stupid and suited only for media which don't care about making learning magic how learning any art so delicate should be

It is a power gained by revelation. In knowing and not by practice or study. If there is practice or study it is to attempt to gain that skill or knowledge but there is no degree.

Sure, if magic is granted by gift. If it's meant to be studied to learn it...

In otherwords it is the same as knowing someone's True Name. Once you know the secrets of life and death they are open to you.

All the knowledge of true names in the universe won't help you if you if you can't use any kind of magic. You still need some learning, if only to make sure you don't accidentally use magic.

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Oh, and BTW? That's how PCs' magic in 99% of video games works--you learn a spell, then it's perfect. Not so original...

No, it is kinda how none of them work.

I've played some RPGs, and I don't remember any of them having new levels of a specific spell. New spells? Sure, but that's different that what I said.

It actually is a lot more "magical" to boot. Given that it is power by revelation rather then power by doing calculous in your head or power by waving your hands.

If your definiton of "magical" is "utterly inexplicable," sure.

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((Incidentally, one thing I like about DF is that anyone can try anything if they could reasonably have learned how to do that. Magic shouldn't be 100% limited until some arbitrary point, then you get 110% of it

Necromancy in its current isn't magic magic. It is Arcane knowledge, which yes is another term for magic, or rather it is magic outside hermetic systems and are pure extensions of the will rather then incantation.

Arcane magic is magic. You're assuming that current!necromancy is 1.0!necromancy, an annoying fallacy which is used almost everywhere.

It is such a great idea to offer this form of Necromancy as opposed to "Raise undead spell" and "Zombie spell" that I am pushing it as a viable form for the future.

It is, however, basically that. Read the tablet, and you can use animate dead at will.

Especially since the "Know or do not know" system is actually outright more magical. Something people constantly complain about. You either know the secrets of life and death, a forbidden knowledge given only by dieties for some unknown reason, or you do not. Those who know it command it and those who do not do not. There is no degree in power because it is power over death, knowing the secrets of life and death bestow it inherantly.

See above. It depends on your definition of "magical."

As well Vampires shouldn't need a "Feeding" skill. There are some things that should be inborn traits and abilities that do not require a skill to use. A vampire should already possess perfect knowledge on how to use their fangs.

Why? I can see a vampire knowing "I need to bite peoples' necks kinda like this," but not "Here's a way I can feed off a person to keep him alive even with a bit less blood," or "I need to remember to secrete that anesthesia before biting next time." The basics? Sure, those can be innate. The details? Not so much.

You know what they say: Any sufficiently advanced silviculture is indistinguishable from magic.

Some food for thought derived from the book Guns, Germs, and Steel (which everyone should read!!!)...

I have. I'm not sure how possible it would be to tame, say, deer, but I imagine that if you somehow caught a deer and made it less wild it would be easy enough to apply that same process to its children. As this hasn't happened, it's fair to say that it is probably hard or impossible.

Respawn.
Rap everyone to death with a wooden spoon.

[2] You unwisely smack Head Death on the head with a wooden spoon. Respawn?

Respawn and keep digging. Focus on metals, both rare and common.

[2] Where's the pick? There is an explosion, though. [5] You survive without even singed clothes!

I just want a really cool revolver and to be in space. And not dead. Or going to die soon.

[4] You have a cool revolver and are about 15,000 miles off then ground. If you were on Earth, you'd probably be orbiting. As you aren't, you've got a while to hit the ground. By my calculations, about 125 hours (5 days and change) assuming air resistance, much sooner if not. Let's see...maybe 30-odd hours?

Ask head death for a job again.

[2] CAN'T. I JUST GAVE AWAY THE LAST OPEN SLOT. [4] A massive explosion leaves you mostly unharmed.

Respawn and Absorb Head Death

[3] WHAT THE...YOU MORON. [4] DON'T MESS WITH HEAD DEATH. Respawn?

RESPAWN WITH BAGPIPES AND CREATE LIFE THROUGH SHEER AWFULNESS OF BAGPIPE MUSIC!

[3] THAT MUSIC IS PRETTY GOOD. FOR BAGPIPES. [3] And explosion takes off one arm, though.

New game I must be in some sort of menu screen.

[3] You are sent back to where you were at the start of the game: the IFPoD. There is an explosion. [4] You're okay.

Respawn as SCP-682.
Dig hole in IFPoD.

[6] You start tearing a hole in the plane, before realizing that if you're here, you must be dead, which is impossible. Respawn?

Respawn outside of IFPOD. Find earth.

[1] You respawn halfway through the Plane. Uh-oh...hey, an explosion. [2-1] Respawn?

Respawn, become hiveminded kitten colony.

[3] You are a kitten! [2] Who loses two legs in an explosion.

GM TURN:
The Deaths of Making Head Death Angry and Explosions Caused by Logical Deductions arrive.

How about stay put until we have a nice, established base on one world before colonizing all the others?

Dammit Grek, can't you keep your clerics still for one turn?

Skeleton 4 to D2.
Skeleton 2 to D4. (Nice how these things work out, no?)
Skeletons 1, 3: Suicide
Necromancer: Summon Skeletons at E1 and F5 if LOS permits, else let me know which one(s) don't work and I'll adjust.
Clerics: Heal centered at H11.
Mage: Flare at H4 or move to F8.
Troll: Move to G8.
Warrior: Move to H10.

Wrym, you have Goblin 2 moving despite being fatigued.

Anything wrong with having him just not move, then?

Also I'm thinking of using tokens instead of colors since Goblin 2 has iron-skin, haste, AND fatigue all at once...

Sounds useful.

If next to Possibly, try to help him not die and kill him with my jagged obsidian stump if this doesn't work.
If not, mutter a prayer to some god which would accept Possibly.