Magic system for a game focused on apprentice wizards.

[Fero]

Years ago, I ran a series of GURPS games loosely based on the Harry Potter setting. It was an excellent premise and a lot of fun. However, I always felt GURPS magic was a somewhat poor fit. As such, I have toyed with finding a new or making my own magic system for the next "apprentice" campaign.

Does anyone know a magic system that may fit (published or home brew). My ideal system would:

1. Give the players spells, etc. but conceal important aspects of the spell, forcing the player to learn about magic while playing;

2. Has spells that, although potentially powerful, are limited enough in applicability to force players to work together, use non-magical means to resolve problems, etc. (The characters are mere apprentices);

3. Feels magical (more Miyazaki, less video game); but

4. Once introduced has discrete effects (as such likely no open ended noun/verb magic);

5. Feels personal and rewarding to the player; and

6. The system should tempt players to exceed their limits.

Thank you for any thoughts.

[LibraryOgre]

Until 4, I was going to say Ars Magica, and I still think you should consider it, for several reasons.

1) 4th edition's core book is free, so you might as well own it. (Looks like you need to sign up for their newsletter, these days; 5th edition is at Drivethru)

2) Varying skill levels for verbs and nouns, letting you emphasize certain people being better at some things... in Diane Duane's Young Wizards series, Kit is especially good with machines, while Nita has more facility with living things. If you drag a bit more Ars Magica in, you can also wind up with bonuses outside of the standard verb-noun... you might be really good in one place, or affecting red-heads, or when not standing on the ground.

3) Learning a formulaic spell is loads better than spontaneous magic, but you can try really basic things without knowing a spell. If you have that as a known spell, a level 1 Creo Ignem (create fire) is practically free.... if you're not stressed, roll d10+Creo+Ignem+Stamina, and get a 1 or better. If you're stressed, you will fail on a 0. If you have to do it spontaneously, it's d10+Creo+Ignem+Int, then divide by 5 (normal) or 2 (if you are willing to fatigue yourself); if you're stressed, or if you spent a fatigue level, you might botch on a 0.

This lets you have characters do things they know relatively easily, but also try out new things, especially in their specialties.

Also: The XP system is built around Seasons. You pick up things just by exposure, but also have stuff you study and get better at on purpose.

[NichG]

I guess what I'd do is take a bunch of spells from other sources and come up with say 40 words such that you could construct those spells from combinations of 3-8 of those words. Then turn the words into runes or nonsense syllables, and present only the complete spell incantations to the players.

So part of the game is figuring out that Aiz means motion, etc.

But to keep it from being open ended, not all combinations are valid, and sources of valid spells are more often than not in untranslated tomes. So you can read a spell book and learn that Aizbaltrokamd is a valid spell but not what it does or how hard it is to cast.

Then maybe intentionally make it so longer spells (that will be too hard to cast) have shorter valid spells in them, which will be within what the apprentices could realistically do.

Make a lot of ways to make casting easier - if you use a 4 hour ritual, if you contact with an appropriate spirit, if you make a sacrifice. This allows the apprentices to do more when experimenting or when they can commit time and resources than during an emergency or casting off the cuff.

Make many of the longer spells be ongoing commitments in exchange for potentially permanent, complex, and mutually exclusive changes to the caster. Become an at will shapeshifter but become the enemy of elementals and never cast an elemental spell again. Bind a demon into your eyes and see emotion and connection, but sometimes you will see things that aren't there. Apprenticeship becomes about deciding what permanent path you will set on and what prices you will labor under.

[Fero]

Thank you for these great suggestions. I happen to have a hard copy if 4th edition Ars Magica and feel like it could be a great starting point for what I want. I think my biggest change would be to greatly expand both the number of Verbs and nouns. Thank you!