Lost Worlds

Alternate Magic System: Rune Magicks

The magic system currently employed in Lost Worlds is not half bad but still could be improved upon Much of what follows are modular extensions to the Lost Worlds magic system. I have collectively called them Rune Magick, but they can easily be integrated peice meal into LW.

Analysis of LW Magick

The good parts :

Spell points... a good tool for regulating the use of spells, they can recover and so allow a suitably defensive mage to gather enough for casting more magic.. this encourages mages to be defensive, which is cool.

maneuvers ... spell casting drags maneuvers away from your weapons use, making you less effective with the weapons you supplement your magic with than those who specialize in weapons.

The bad parts and a fix or two:

The spell casting maneuvers really don't fit the matrix ... (answer spell specific maneuvers and spell preparation)
Spells do not interact with each other in a reasonable fashion. ( to a degree this isnt fixed though spell specific maneuvers may make this )
Spells are fired and forgotten. --- Always been a pet peave of mine.. wierd amnesiacs these mages must be. ( answer: spell components)
You can cast any spell you have enough of the right color spell pts for ... The original characters were limited by greater major and minor spells, but newer ones are not. And spells put out for the newer mages do not designate their grade , though admittedly can be guessed. (answer: Casting Ability)
Mages are not worth their mana for experience points....(answer: spell preparation can greatly increase the number of spells which you can cast)

Spell Components aka Materia:

Magic is a thing of paraphernalia and props.. not just raw mysticism. This rule brings the idea home. But also affixes a reason to a mechanic that is already there. Most of the recently produced mages are restricted from performing magics beyond the availability of spell points they cannot simply choose to recast a spell even if they have the points? Why, well one answer is components the advantage of thisis it requires no strange form of amnesia to explain or limit magic and far from being arbitrary it actually reinforces flavor..

Possibilities on components

spell component is stealable via cut purse skills and some magics.
spell component is used up in the performance of the magic.
spell component is hard to acquire, rare or expensive.
spell component must be armed/drawn ie prepared prior to first use and so may be "disarmed".
spell component must be armed/drawn ie prepared prior to each use and so enforces additional time requirement on the user.
spell component may be required or optional.

The spell card can specify components.. as in the The Greater Spell of Shriving requires a 5 oz vial of mummy dust.
or components can be items which specify what spellls they are useful for enhancing . Some spell components will list a class of spell which they enhance or a spell effect.

Components are not only raw enablers for a spell they can have many effects in fact most reduce the casting cost rather than being a requirement. They can also increase the durations and or intensify the effects

For example 50 oz of mummy dust can be acquired by defeating a mummy and application of the apothecary/alchemy skill its efficateousness nominally forever.

The spell Wind of Weakness has listed on it a 5 oz vial of mummy dust and indicates that it must be prepared and is used up
in casting. A shriving spell takes 18 oz. ... but I figure we will put 20 oz on the listing to make it compatible with the wind of weakness.

Spell Preparation: special skill

Select a spell to prepare and place it face down announce you are preparing a spell. Perform a non magic defense maneuver (increasing your oponents score mod by 2 and reducing yours by 2 -- yes shield blocks and some parries may count)

Version 1: If not scored on you reduce the casting cost of the spell prepared when cast the next round by 6 (3 if at close range)
Version 2: If not taking damage reduce the casting cost of the spell prepared when cast the next round by 4 (2 if at close range)

Spell Preparation Advancement.. Every 4 magic points of general magic skill increases the amount of effectiveness gained by spell preparation by 1.

Identify Spell(by color)

This skill allow you to identify the "type/color" of magic your opponent/ally is using when they are preparing a spell and if the magic of the kind you can identify you can also know the "name" of the spell. The extra knowledge this provides is useful for counter spells.

Spell Holding : special skill

With this skill you can hold a prepared spell upto 3 rounds after prep. before actually casting cannot normally do attack moves while holding a spell.

Bait and Switch : magical tactic.

Prepare a spell and cast a different one yes you get no benefit for the spell preparation only normally usefull against other mages and prophets/seers.

Casting Ability

Mages shouldn't be able to cast any spell they have the points for... the original characters couldn't they had to have casting slots of that potency... the Greater, Major, Minor categories of magic arent really necessary to simulate this effect but something is, Casting Ability. A given mage can be characterized by the maximum point cost of a magic they can work.

Spell Casting (Spell specific maneuvers)

Spells which affect only the user usually needn't be "cast" they take effect at the beginning of the round following their preparation.
Each Rune spell has a specific maneuver(s) associated with their casting appropriate to them.
A different number may even be announced to your opponent to as defense than you look up for attack.
Rune Mages may have few magic points and still be effective by use of spell preparation and require few matrix alterations...
a generic matrix may be needed to allow casting of maneuvers that are not in their chosen weapon matrix...

Auxiliary Note (Prophecy):

The art of prophecy can tell you what spell your opponent is using allowing you to actually look at the card (for some spells
like the ones with only one maneuver) this could allow complete avoidance.