Custom Magic Mechanics - WIP

[Domriso]

I've been following this for a bit, but this was the first time I really had to sit down and digest it. Here's some things I've noticed.

First off, when talking about cumulative magic and the fact that some individuals might knock out a loved one in order to shield them from the backlash, that sounds like a fantastic reason to fear cumulative magic. Build up the magic too far and someone might back out to try and hit a bunch of people with a backlash. Especially if it can alter them permanently in a subsumable magic-manner. I can just imagine a group getting together to cast a particularly powerful spell, but one of the characters wants to get rid o a rival and purposefully overexerts himself, rendering himself protected but leaving others open to harm. Or someone who conspires to have multiple people back out simultaneously to destroy another? So many possibilities.

Second, I'm not seeing much of a difference between Visual Magic and Physical Magic. Does Visual Magic only create an illusion, while Physical Magic fully and completely creates on object? If so, what are the limitations of having only an illusion? If you create the illusion of healing a character, will they be able to get up and act normally until they die? Or will the spell just immediately fail due to there being the pain and whatnot? Is Visual Magic solely based on the sense of sight, or is it more based on the different senses?

Next, onto the idea of Fame and Exterior Belief. If the beliefs of others influences the power of the magic, the reality of the magic, then some very interesting things can result. (Note, some of this is working on the assumption that Visual Magic can create actual changes in the world, not just in perceptions)

I mean, say I'm a caster. If I pull out an unloaded pistol and point it at a person, then create the illusion of it firing (producing smoke, making a BANG, my arm jerking back [would my arm jerking back be considered a material component of the spell?]), then would the person actually be shot? Because that sounds fantastic.

Or, to take it another way, if I create a persona, let's call him Flying Mouse Man, and then start rumors about what he can do, but then start following it up by doing things that fit in the rumor (staging fights, perhaps even using magic to do so, defeating monsters, flying, &c.) in front of people, and eventually pulling off major illusions in front of large crowds of people, would the persona actually gain those abilities? If my Flying Mouse Man is rumored to be able to fly on wings of the purest darkness and able to rip a man's head from his shoulders with a single tug, would he actually gain that ability? Or would there need to be a caster to "spark" the actual spell? Even if the caster is required, they would still be able to pull off more power from all of the exterior belief, correct?

And, looking at the power of belief, let's assume Physical Magic makes an actual, physical object. If someone refuses to believe that the object exists, does it suddenly cease to exist? As in, can the physical object be dispelled, or is it fully real upon being created?

Actually, let's take that further. Could one spell piggy back on another? Could I say that Bladey McSwordson's ornate axe has a crack in it, spread the rumor, make a visual illusion of a crack, and then capitalize on the belief (maybe even on Bladey's own belief in the crack?) to make the illusion real, and then break the axe?

Finally, looking at the math and suggested formulas for the system, I see something of an issue. If everyone is constantly creating positive motivation (since Exterior Belief is added to Interior Belief), then won't time only increase the chance of a spell succeeding? I would suggest introducing negative modifiers, so that the chance of a spell occurring rounds out around 0, meaning that a significant number of disbelievers could just sap any possibility of a spell occurring.

I feel like there are all sorts of possibilities for this, but that it needs to be cleaned up a bit. I'm actually very intrigued by this idea, so I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

EDIT: Oh, totally forgot to add this part. I feel like Caster Duels would be intense fights, mostly because a clever mage would be able to try and mix in working weapons and illusions to try and deceive his opponent. One quick flash of light and BOOM! Your gun just backfired.