Topic: New Magic, Identification

Hi,

I'm playtesting the new rules of Lamentations of the Flame Princess, mainly the new magic system. We finished Tales of the Scarecrow yesterday and I'm planning to drop a No Rest for the Wicked and No Salvation for the witches, then I'll see how the setting will be turned uspide down, and design my own stuffs.

I'm wondering how you people are dealing with some matters.

1. Identify and Detect Magic. There are no speels in Eldritch Cocks or VAM about this. Do you just use the previous version, have you done your own version, did you just drop them? Feel free to open the discussion about how you deal with the previous classical spell list with the new magic system. I'm still wondering what I'm gonna do with it (I thought about designing those spells into weird stuffs such as VAM/EC but just don't have the time) and any exchange of practice are welcome!

2. The new attributes/skill systems. The new rules are focused on attributes, but with random attributes that are not changing (except if something happens in the game, which is cool and I suppose that the simplicity of the rules are made to let these think in play instead of planning it by knowing a system), the characters will not evolute much. Also, INT seems to be not so interesting for the specialist, as it only applies to the beginning. Did you try something else? Any houserules?

Magic is brutal, it is so good!

Re: New Magic, Identification

1) I still use the base spells along with the VAM/EC ones, and if there's spell failure we just roll a d6. Many of them already scale with level, such as adding more targets, increasing range, etc. I've found that we're able to get by without much detect magic, usually it's pretty obvious, or if they start experimenting with something they might figure out some properties. Also, they can make an Arcane skill test to find out info about it. (I can't remember if the arcane skill is house ruled or in the playtest skills, but it's an easy add if you want them to have a chance at figuring out magic items.)

2) I use a slightly house ruled skill system, but one element that you could easily tack on to accomplish what you ask is: specialists get a number of temporary skill points (equal to their current level) that they can use each day to add to a skill check. So a 2nd level specialist would have 2 points they could use each day to modify skill rolls.

Re: New Magic, Identification

Crunk Posby wrote:

2) I use a slightly house ruled skill system, but one element that you could easily tack on to accomplish what you ask is: specialists get a number of temporary skill points (equal to their current level) that they can use each day to add to a skill check. So a 2nd level specialist would have 2 points they could use each day to modify skill rolls.

This "temporary skill points" are an interesting concept! How about basing them on the INT or WIS bonus instead? This for sure is nothing the Specialist will -directly- benefit from, but it would make sure that characters that are either seasoned/wise (WIS) or clever (INT) "have their moments", so to speak.

@The new rules in general
I have not yet even tried to play with them, but gave them a thorough read (yes, the inevitable "advise of a pure-strain theorist"...) What I thought about them I put into a blog post. I hope you are fine with me providing the link instead of-reposting it here

@About certain spells
I recently read a blog post at Dragons gonna drag that I would like to suggest. Basically, the post advocates that "Read Magic" should be scrapped from the list entirely.. and I see the point.

@Detect Magic under VAG rules
Hmm... let me see... where is my VAG... *grabs it...* I see no problem using it under VAG rules: after all, there is no point in it the rules do not cover, is there? If one wants to be "Magic-User Friendly" (I advocate AGAINST that), one could treat this to be "always prepared for free". Thereby, risky casting or save casting would only be a question of the casting conditions and how many spells have been cast already that day.

With kind regards
Gregorius21778
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Re: New Magic, Identification

Hi all. Thanks for engaging the discussion!

@Crunk Posby
I was wondering about applying the INT modifier to the skills points avalaible by level. Your system is far more advantageous for the player!

Gregorius
Read magic is off the grid with VAM, see the "Beginning spells" section : "There are no read magic."

I remembered that Detect magic works with the speel Masquerade in Red, so finally it's not my main concern, but more Identification. But finally it's not really a problem, the spell should work fine.

But now that we discuss it, my main difficulty is how to mix these new spells with the old list? Some of the old list seems very utilitarian and mixing them changes a lot in the atmosphere of what magic is.


For the moment, I use a mix of both playtest notes and the old class level system. I use the classic class system, with CHA for magic and VAM rules.  I have a difficulty with this and leadership becoming a skill, because the new CHA contradict the old definition of Charism in the rulebook, and I'm not sure about leadership becoming a skill. I don't use the new ST system. I excluded backtab. There is no cleric and no cleric spells at all, so we played only one time but damages are really a thing.

I think I'll stick to the +modif INT by level for skill points (I'm still using the old variegated class XP).

Re: New Magic, Identification

Hi all,

What is your campaign spell list?

I'm thinking about spells like I am a black wizards or miscasts effects that randomly cast another spell from the "campaign spell list". Do you use a excell? Did you make a specific campaign spell list with houseruled spells? Interested to share!

Re: New Magic, Identification

I do have a spreadsheet that has all official LotFP spells (including those from adventure modules, like R&PL and God That Crawls). It also has a bunch of other OSR spell sources, like Wonder and Wickedness and DCC. It ends up being just over 2000.