Magic (gaming)
Encyclopedia
Some role-playing game
s or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal
sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed. The rules can also be designed to balance the game play for the player
s, so as to not give any one participant an unfair advantage.
Typically magic is portrayed by a set of spells, each of which consists of a listing of the game effects and limitations. The game-spells are often grouped into sub-categories by common themes, so as to limit access and to provide context. These spell themes are typically given designations such as Order, College, School, or Domain. They are often characterized by a common effect, such as Fire, Healing, or Protection.
The spells may have a set of prerequisites (usually given a name like "components" or "reagent
s") that must be satisfied during the course of game play before the spell can be activated. The spell listing will also include restrictions on the time, range, and target location, which are listed in the units of measurement employed within the game. Finally the spell description will list the effects upon the game state. Because the effects of magic upon the game world are systematic, predictable, repeatable and quantifiable (with the exception of a few games like Mage: The Ascension
), magic in games can be seen as a form of science
.
Magic can also be portrayed within a game through the special capabilities of game-based objects, locations, individuals, and even mythological creature
s. Each of these will have their own set of rules describing the game effects of their abilities. Usually these rules will be similar in form and function to the rules for portraying spells.
The most likely game type to include rules for magic are in the fantasy
genre
. However such rules can also be used in the horror and science fiction
genres.
within a game that includes rules for magic are commonly able to acquire the use of spells through some process. Usually this will either be a spell that the character has created; a spell gained from a book or other record; another in-game character that is willing to share the knowledge, or from a mysterious in-game source to whom the character has formed an allegiance.
There are several common approaches for balancing and restricting the use of spells within a game system.
There are also some game systems that provide greater flexibility in the use of magic. These include rules for producing spells that are made up as needed, subject to the game rules and limitations. Examples of such systems include Ars Magica
, Mage: The Ascension
and Mage: The Awakening
.
(from the Final Fantasy
series) is a being that gains it strength from fire and expels fire magic, therefore he absorbs fire magic and becomes stronger, however ice magic will drain his health and, owing to the opposition of ice versus fire, deals double damage. Shiva
would be Ifrit's opposite.
significant component of games in the fantasy genre, and they serve a balancing role in long-duration games of escalating difficulty. These objects are carefully balanced by the designer, both by restricting how often they can be put into play and by limiting their capabilities.
There are several common techniques for controlling access to objects used within a game.
An object can have multiple magical properties, each of which can be limited in a different manner. For example, a magical staff could have a fixed number of charges that can be spent to create a "blinding flash of light"; be able to provide "magical illumination" for several hours each day, and possess a permanent ability to "glow in warning" whenever it comes near a poisonous plant or animal. This staff must be held in both hands for the magic to "work", thus using up the hand "slots". It may also only operate for a character that also knows how to produce certain types of spells.
A few rare magical objects possess an innate "intelligence" and personality, thus becoming a NPC
in the game. This concept is similar in some respects to an intelligent robot
in a science fiction game or story, although the entity within the object is usually portrayed as more mystical
in nature. The character that wants to employ the object must then interact with the intelligence and find a means to persuade it to cooperate.
Some game systems place a heavy emphasis on giving a magical object a well-developed history
and unique characteristics. This is usually done to provide depth to the story being told by the game, and to make the "magic" seem less technological
and more mysterious. Another technique for maintaining the mystery is to hide the abilities of the magical object from the characters that find it. The characters must then "identify" the magical abilities, either by putting the object into use or by consulting an expert in magical folklore
. Some game system also include spells that can be used to identify the abilities.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed. The rules can also be designed to balance the game play for the player
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
s, so as to not give any one participant an unfair advantage.
Typically magic is portrayed by a set of spells, each of which consists of a listing of the game effects and limitations. The game-spells are often grouped into sub-categories by common themes, so as to limit access and to provide context. These spell themes are typically given designations such as Order, College, School, or Domain. They are often characterized by a common effect, such as Fire, Healing, or Protection.
The spells may have a set of prerequisites (usually given a name like "components" or "reagent
Reagent
A reagent is a "substance or compound that is added to a system in order to bring about a chemical reaction, or added to see if a reaction occurs." Although the terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, a reactant is less specifically a "substance that is consumed in the course of...
s") that must be satisfied during the course of game play before the spell can be activated. The spell listing will also include restrictions on the time, range, and target location, which are listed in the units of measurement employed within the game. Finally the spell description will list the effects upon the game state. Because the effects of magic upon the game world are systematic, predictable, repeatable and quantifiable (with the exception of a few games like Mage: The Ascension
Mage: The Ascension
Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and was published by White Wolf Game Studio. The characters portrayed in the game are referred to as mages, and are capable of feats of magic...
), magic in games can be seen as a form of science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
.
Magic can also be portrayed within a game through the special capabilities of game-based objects, locations, individuals, and even mythological creature
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
s. Each of these will have their own set of rules describing the game effects of their abilities. Usually these rules will be similar in form and function to the rules for portraying spells.
The most likely game type to include rules for magic are in the fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. However such rules can also be used in the horror and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
genres.
Spell systems
CharactersFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
within a game that includes rules for magic are commonly able to acquire the use of spells through some process. Usually this will either be a spell that the character has created; a spell gained from a book or other record; another in-game character that is willing to share the knowledge, or from a mysterious in-game source to whom the character has formed an allegiance.
There are several common approaches for balancing and restricting the use of spells within a game system.
- Memorization — The game character must memorize a fixed number of spells from the list of all spells the character knows. This memorization can only occur once in a specified time period, usually a day, or it may require the character to rest for several hours. This system is sometimes called "Vancian" in the game designer community, since its first use, in Dungeons & Dragons, was inspired by the way magic works in Jack VanceJack VanceJohn Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...
's Dying Earth world.
- Point-based — The character has a limited number of pointsMagic pointMagic points are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for magic spells and other abilities, such as special attacks...
, often called manaManaMana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
(or spell points in MUDMUDA MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s), that can be spent to activate spells. Each spell the character knows has a point cost. The points are periodically renewed through some means; usually by the passage of time. This is also used in Dungeons & Dragons, but only for PsionicPsionics (role-playing games)Psionics, in role-playing games, is a broad category of fantastic abilities originating from the mind, similar to the paranormal psionic abilities that some people claim in reality.- Common features :...
manifesters, and as a variant rule for spellcasters. Warhammer players must expend a number of dice when casting spells, and each die contributes 1-6 points to the spell's activation cost. The points usually represent some kind of magical energy, though they may also represent physical or mental fatigue caused by the exertion required to cast spells; some systems therefore deplete hit points (or the equivalent) rather than having a separate pool of magic points.
- Event-based — The character has a magic ability that can be used with limitations dictated by an event. This can be an event in time, or a situational event. One of the first popular uses of this system was in Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, where spells are restricted to at-will, encounter, and daily event frames corresponding to 'at any time during a round', 'between the start and ending of an encounter', and 'at the beginning of the day until the beginning of the next day' respectively. Event based systems can have a great variety of events which both trigger the possibility of using a magic ability, or limits the instances a magic ability can be used during the course of an event.
- As Powers — The character has a magic ability that can be simply defined as a magic power, or as magical in origin. When a magical ability has no restrictions (no need for a skill, no need to spend power points, no need to memorize, etc.) or when it has a simple mechanic (ex: just roll to attack), it can be defined as a magic power. For example, if a character has the ability to breathe fire with no restrictions this ability can be called a Fire Breathing Power. This approach to magic is closest to comic book characters who don't seem to be restricted as much as classical fantasy characters.
- Skill-based — The character has a skillSkillA skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
rating that defines the chanceProbabilityProbability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
that a spell will be successfully activated. Failure has some type of consequence, such as personal injury or increased fatigue of the in-game character.
There are also some game systems that provide greater flexibility in the use of magic. These include rules for producing spells that are made up as needed, subject to the game rules and limitations. Examples of such systems include Ars Magica
Ars Magica
Ars Magica is a role-playing game set in Mythic Europe, a quasi-historical version of Europe around AD 1200 with added fantastical elements. The game revolves around wizards and their allies...
, Mage: The Ascension
Mage: The Ascension
Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and was published by White Wolf Game Studio. The characters portrayed in the game are referred to as mages, and are capable of feats of magic...
and Mage: The Awakening
Mage: The Awakening
Mage: The Awakening is a role-playing game developed by White Wolf, Inc. and based in their World of Darkness setting. The characters portrayed in this game are individuals able to bend or break the commonly-accepted rules of reality to perform subtle or outlandish acts of magic. These characters...
.
Magical Polarities
Some Magics have elemental properties and therefore become opposed to their opposite for example: Fire deals heat damage and therefore is typically opposed ice which deals cooling damage. A typical well known elemental being like IfritIfrit
Ifrit—also spelled, efreet, ifreet, afreet, and afrit —are supernatural creatures in Arabic and Islamic cultures...
(from the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series) is a being that gains it strength from fire and expels fire magic, therefore he absorbs fire magic and becomes stronger, however ice magic will drain his health and, owing to the opposition of ice versus fire, deals double damage. Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
would be Ifrit's opposite.
Magical objects
Many game systems include rules for simulating objects that have intrinsic magical properties. The accumulation and use of such objects can be asignificant component of games in the fantasy genre, and they serve a balancing role in long-duration games of escalating difficulty. These objects are carefully balanced by the designer, both by restricting how often they can be put into play and by limiting their capabilities.
There are several common techniques for controlling access to objects used within a game.
- Expendable — Objects such as a potion or a spell scroll can typically only be used once before they are expended.
- Charged — Some objects can possess multiple uses, but each use expends one or more charges. Once the charges are expended the object becomes inert, but a character of great power may be able to recharge it. Other items disintegrate when they run out of charges.
- Periodic — An object can have magical powers that can only be used a fixed number of times within a given period. Typically the period used is a day, a week, or a month in game terms.
- Restricted — An object could work only under certain conditions, such as a particular location or when a certain type of target is chosen. It might work for only certain categories of beings, such as characters with specific skills, moral ethosEthosEthos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals. Early Greek stories of...
, or a particular in-game race or gender. - Random — A specific item may have some magical ability that only works part of the time. This usually applies to weapons as a special attack, similar to a critical hit.
- Slot — Many magical objects must be worn or carried. These take up a "slot" on the body that prevents use of other magic objects that require the same slot.
- Faulty — The object might not always work as intended, and it can have unpredictable effects when it malfunctions.
- Skill use — An object can provide a magical benefit that only operates when the owner employs a particular skill successfully.
- Cursed — An object can be cursed, and have a negative impact on the character that acquired it. Typically such objects are disguised as a beneficial item until they are placed into use. Often, a cursed item cannot be easily removed from the owner's possession once it is revealed to be cursed. In some games, cursed weapons/armor are usually much stronger than normal weapons/armor, but have a drawback such as losing health or canceling actions.
An object can have multiple magical properties, each of which can be limited in a different manner. For example, a magical staff could have a fixed number of charges that can be spent to create a "blinding flash of light"; be able to provide "magical illumination" for several hours each day, and possess a permanent ability to "glow in warning" whenever it comes near a poisonous plant or animal. This staff must be held in both hands for the magic to "work", thus using up the hand "slots". It may also only operate for a character that also knows how to produce certain types of spells.
A few rare magical objects possess an innate "intelligence" and personality, thus becoming a NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in the game. This concept is similar in some respects to an intelligent robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
in a science fiction game or story, although the entity within the object is usually portrayed as more mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
in nature. The character that wants to employ the object must then interact with the intelligence and find a means to persuade it to cooperate.
Some game systems place a heavy emphasis on giving a magical object a well-developed history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and unique characteristics. This is usually done to provide depth to the story being told by the game, and to make the "magic" seem less technological
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and more mysterious. Another technique for maintaining the mystery is to hide the abilities of the magical object from the characters that find it. The characters must then "identify" the magical abilities, either by putting the object into use or by consulting an expert in magical folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. Some game system also include spells that can be used to identify the abilities.