Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 8, 2015 16:57:27 GMT -8
Hey, so recently a debate erupted over whether or not anti-magic is a valid mechanic in the fantasy sandbox. It's a bit complicated but let me lay out my understanding of the issue.
What is anti-magic?
It's the ability to prevent players from using magical abilities. Simple right?
Why does anti-magic exist?
As of right now, characters with magic are much more powerful than characters without magic. It isn't like a traditional RPG system where a mage throwing a fireball is no stronger than a warrior with a strong axe. In this current universe, sufficiently powerful mages can fight armies and take down dragons single-handed.
What are some examples of anti-magic?
Some examples would be armor that is resistant to magical attacks or an energy field that suppresses magical abilities.
Why is anti-magic a problem?
It really depends on your point of view. For players who don't participate much in combat or campaigns, it's really not a big deal. The Fantasy Sandbox is just as much a home for those mostly interested in romance, political intrigue, comedy, or crafting stories and settings. You don't have to be a fighter to play.
However, fighters and PvPers do exist in this world, and theoretically a magically inclined character could do some serious damage to an entire city. And there is nothing in the rules preventing them from doing so. It has happened before, and normally the only way to deal with people wielding magic is with other people wielding magic who are on the opposite side.
The principle of anti-magic was created to counter this effect. However, there is no established mechanic for anti-magic. How does it work? How much skill does it take to use? Would an extremely powerful mage using magic need to be countered by an extremely powerful anti-mage?
With no clear answers, there is theoretically no way to stop someone from assassinating a magic character any more than there is to stop a magic character from assassinating anyone else.
So, how do you, the people, suggest we deal with magic/anti-magic interactions?
I'm going to include a poll, but I also have a personal suggestion:
***
I think anti-magic should, like magic, be seen as a broad category under which various anti-magic techniques exist, just like magic has its own variety. We should avoid any sort of general anti-magic and instead focus on the specifics of magic.
Some examples would be:
Magic particle absorption/redirection: A discipline that focuses on absorbing the force that carries and directs magic spells. For example, a field with this property could cause the stream of magical particles that carries a magic effect to be repelled, in the same way similarly charged particles repel each other. This also wouldn't totally overpower a mage as it would only block direct energy and magical projectile attacks. It wouldn't prevent buffs, self casting, or the use of magic around the field.
Magic casting inhibition: A discipline that prevents the magic user from actually tapping into their own magic. In real life, it's possible to severely limit a person's ability to speak by playing back their own voice against them with a delay. Likewise a mechanism could be developed to prevent a mage from being able to concentrate or focus their magic. This too would also not totally overpower a mage as the inhibition would have to be similar in power to the mage, or the mage may overcome the effect after a while. It also probably would do nothing to magical effects already in play and active, like buffs, and also wouldn't preclude the use of magic artifacts.
Mana draining: Assuming a mage's power is based on a fixed pool of energy, anything that drains a mage of that energy would prevent them from using magic. It would not prevent a player from absorbing an external magic source, like a potion, or using magic artifacts or scrolls. There would also have to be reasonable ways of countering mana drain, like dodging or breaking the hold of whatever is draining the mana, whether it be an enemy spell or some sort of draining plant root.
My overall point is, as long as we avoid generic use of anti-magic and focus on the specific ways players can deal with mages, we should be ok. I also think this opens up a whole new world of strategy, planning, and creative use of spells/environment and make Fantasy Sandbox combat deeper and richer and far more varied. PvP will depend more on the skill of the player and their writing abilities.
So those are my thoughts. What are yours?
What is anti-magic?
It's the ability to prevent players from using magical abilities. Simple right?
Why does anti-magic exist?
As of right now, characters with magic are much more powerful than characters without magic. It isn't like a traditional RPG system where a mage throwing a fireball is no stronger than a warrior with a strong axe. In this current universe, sufficiently powerful mages can fight armies and take down dragons single-handed.
What are some examples of anti-magic?
Some examples would be armor that is resistant to magical attacks or an energy field that suppresses magical abilities.
Why is anti-magic a problem?
It really depends on your point of view. For players who don't participate much in combat or campaigns, it's really not a big deal. The Fantasy Sandbox is just as much a home for those mostly interested in romance, political intrigue, comedy, or crafting stories and settings. You don't have to be a fighter to play.
However, fighters and PvPers do exist in this world, and theoretically a magically inclined character could do some serious damage to an entire city. And there is nothing in the rules preventing them from doing so. It has happened before, and normally the only way to deal with people wielding magic is with other people wielding magic who are on the opposite side.
The principle of anti-magic was created to counter this effect. However, there is no established mechanic for anti-magic. How does it work? How much skill does it take to use? Would an extremely powerful mage using magic need to be countered by an extremely powerful anti-mage?
With no clear answers, there is theoretically no way to stop someone from assassinating a magic character any more than there is to stop a magic character from assassinating anyone else.
So, how do you, the people, suggest we deal with magic/anti-magic interactions?
I'm going to include a poll, but I also have a personal suggestion:
***
I think anti-magic should, like magic, be seen as a broad category under which various anti-magic techniques exist, just like magic has its own variety. We should avoid any sort of general anti-magic and instead focus on the specifics of magic.
Some examples would be:
Magic particle absorption/redirection: A discipline that focuses on absorbing the force that carries and directs magic spells. For example, a field with this property could cause the stream of magical particles that carries a magic effect to be repelled, in the same way similarly charged particles repel each other. This also wouldn't totally overpower a mage as it would only block direct energy and magical projectile attacks. It wouldn't prevent buffs, self casting, or the use of magic around the field.
Magic casting inhibition: A discipline that prevents the magic user from actually tapping into their own magic. In real life, it's possible to severely limit a person's ability to speak by playing back their own voice against them with a delay. Likewise a mechanism could be developed to prevent a mage from being able to concentrate or focus their magic. This too would also not totally overpower a mage as the inhibition would have to be similar in power to the mage, or the mage may overcome the effect after a while. It also probably would do nothing to magical effects already in play and active, like buffs, and also wouldn't preclude the use of magic artifacts.
Mana draining: Assuming a mage's power is based on a fixed pool of energy, anything that drains a mage of that energy would prevent them from using magic. It would not prevent a player from absorbing an external magic source, like a potion, or using magic artifacts or scrolls. There would also have to be reasonable ways of countering mana drain, like dodging or breaking the hold of whatever is draining the mana, whether it be an enemy spell or some sort of draining plant root.
My overall point is, as long as we avoid generic use of anti-magic and focus on the specific ways players can deal with mages, we should be ok. I also think this opens up a whole new world of strategy, planning, and creative use of spells/environment and make Fantasy Sandbox combat deeper and richer and far more varied. PvP will depend more on the skill of the player and their writing abilities.
So those are my thoughts. What are yours?
