Xuln Magic System
Using Advantages to create whatever magic effect is desired has proven to be the favorite way to "do magic" in our campaigns.
Steps to Creating a Magical Power
- Imagine, or recreate, the concept for an ability, spell or magical effect ("Power")
- Identify which Advantage most closely matches the power
- Add Enhancements & Limitations [B104, P107] to modify the base Advantage
- Get approval from GM
Source of Power
Most powers have a source which can be effected in game positively or negatively. For example, if your power if magical in nature, it can be dispelled. On the other hand, a magical power may be amplified if in a powerful magic zone.
Power Modifiers [P25]
- Chi, -10% [P26] - emanates from own life force, meditate daily, requires 10-point disadvantage
- Divine, -10% [P26] - diety grants power, certain behavior is expected in return, requires 10-point disadvantage
- Magic, -10% [P27] - channels mana, varying level of mana zones, anti-magic powers can thwart powers
- Nature, -20% [P28] - channels vital energy of living things, civilization interferes
- Spirit, -25% [P28] - commanding fickle spirits, requires 5-point disadvantage
- ...and others
Ritual, Cost, and Signature
All magical abilities should consider 1) Ritual Required, 2) FP Cost, and 3) Magical Signature.
Ritual Requirements / Nuisance Effects [B112]
- No ritual required, -0% (caster simply wishes the spell to take effect)
- -4 Stealth, -5%; or No Stealth, -10% (caster must speak quite words or words of power)
- One Hand Free, -5%; or Two Hands Free, -10%; or Two Hands Free & Standing Freely, -15% (caster must gesture with hand(s) and possibly feet)
- Requires Wand, -5% (caster requires wand in addition to gesture)
Costs Fatigue [B111]
We have a (soft) rule that magic costs FP to cast.
- 1 FP per casting, -5% per 1 FP
- One level of casting cost per every 10 points of the modified cost of the advantage (rounded).
- A very low point ability (4 or less) could have no casting cost.
Magical Signature [B106]
- Normal Signature, +0% (all magical effects are obviously magical and easily observed)
- Low Signature, +10% (no more easily identifiable than a champagne cork popping)
- No Signature, +20% (almost completely unnoticeable as in a blowgun dart; or undetectable by normal means but leaves a magical trace)
Other Common Enhancement & Limitations
Enhancements
Limitations
Accessibility [B110]
- Environmental Accessibility - can only be cast in certain environments
- Very Common, -5% (in the presence of air, on a planet, in a gravity field)
- Common, -10% - (in contact with dust, in the presence of microbes)
- Occasional, -20% - (in a city, in the wilderness, outdoors, touching the ground)
- Rare, -40% - (in a storm, dense vegetation, desert, underground)
- Very Rare, -80% - (in lava, quicksand, vacuum)
Unconscious Only [B115] is a good limitation for a character that has a power as a "wild talent".
Uncontrollable and Unreliable [B116] are good limitations when a character is still a novice with their power.
