Hi all
In the game I am designing (which is a dark adventure rpg like type of board game) there is three types of magic in the game.
One of the types if runic magic and I am working on a mechanic for it and I'd appreciate any new ideas or advice concerning it.
The idea I have for it currently is that the player first has to learn the runic magic skill in order to use it. Once they've learned the basic skill they then can collection runestone cards through various means like quests, enemies, etc...When you decide to invoke the runes as an action you draw from a bag that contains counters representing the runes. Depending on what you draw the effect would be different. Each runestone card has a generic and advanced effect. The generic effect you could choose to use regardless of what you draw from the bag; the advanced effect can only be used if you draw that exact rune from the bag.
Does anyone have any alternative ideas on how I could implement this in the game or improve the basic mechanic I've described here?
Runic magic mechanic
Though thematic, it seems like a lot of overhead for what basically is a random chance of extra success. Now if you could pull and retain runes, then play them from your collection the player would have some motivation to learn new skills to match those they have. That makes a fun decision: develop skills for what I have or follow my plan independent of those.
If the game allows for more than one runic mage, that can also make options complicated.
One of the types if runic magic and I am working on a mechanic for it and I'd appreciate any new ideas or advice concerning it.
Sounds to me like maybe you should *streamline* your vision...! I think the Rune Magic idea is interesting... Perhaps that should be the ONLY magic in the game... This way if you develop an interesting mechanic for it, it will serve through out the game not just for *some* cases.
Obviously the more runes you put the harder it will be to get the right match. So here is my SUGGESTION:
1. Divide RUNES into Colours (Blue, Red, Green, etc.)
2. Instead of having to draw a SPECIFIC rune, allow for colour matches instead.
What this will allow is for your to create a VARIETY of Runes and still have a matching mechanic that is simple and gives BETTER ODDS than exact rune matching!
You can also have a bunch of Rune Spells that you can create AND what you can do is for an EXACT match, you give some kind bonus... That varies according to the spell. So if it's a colour match, you do 5 damage. If it's an exact match, you do 8 damage! Something along those lines...
Note: You could also have *partial* matches with colour and exact such that an EXACT match does +1 extra damage. So if you have three (3) runes to a spell, an exact match would be like +3 damage!
How about a deck of Rune Cards, when invoking the runes draw so many cards from the deck and spend these against the cost on the spell card. Maybe could be possible to increase the size of the hand you draw from this deck to increase chance of finding the exact card for the advanced effect.
Ok so this is fun. I just learned Hebrew ( the basic basic basics) and it's an ancient language some say is magical.
I think for a game, I want to be able to "Learn" runes and "Get" spells. So maybe I can draw a rune from the bag once a turn or so, or a can buy the opportunity (I'm not sure what you are set up for) and then if i get a card, instead of drawing right there for one rune that either matches or not, I compare it to my collection (I envision the cards have multiple runes on them, like a word) If I don't get it I can play a partial spell (weak) or I can wait until I have enough runes for the real thing
This to me would make me feel more like an ancient mage trying to tap into a power that is partially beyond my understanding
I think for a game, I want to be able to "Learn" runes and "Get" spells. So maybe I can draw a rune from the bag once a turn or so, or a can buy the opportunity (I'm not sure what you are set up for) and then if i get a card, instead of drawing right there for one rune that either matches or not, I compare it to my collection (I envision the cards have multiple runes on them, like a word) If I don't get it I can play a partial spell (weak) or I can wait until I have enough runes for the real thing
This to me would make me feel more like an ancient mage trying to tap into a power that is partially beyond my understanding
The Hebrew thing is interesting indeed.
I do like the idea about "keeping" the rune card/counter drawn so that as you draw from the bag/pile you have better chance of getting the card that matches. When you cast the runic magic you discard a drawn card/counter to cast either the basic or advanced version of the rune that you actually own.
The idea for the runes that I'm working from culturally is that of the Norse runes. I used to have friends that were into Asatru and one of them would consult his runestones a lot (rather superstitious in a way, but that's a whole other topic) and what he drew from the bag would determine his choice on some manners. So too in the game, I want the runes to be a bit chaotic/luck driven but when things line up right they are really powerful.
Cards is something I've considered too though there is a certain charm to drawing counters from a bag.
I'm not sure what you mean by "spend these against the cost on the spell card."
I was originally considering that runic magic doesn't cost anything to actually play (e.g. not having to spend mp points like traditional magic does) other than using an action during your turn (outside of battle) to invoke the runes and try to prepare them.
In my game there are 5 groups/alignments/Reasons in the game and one of them is a might-makes-right forest dwelling group that believes humans should be more instinctual with what they do. So thus their magic would be a bit more chaotic than the other types in the game.
All players can use rune magic but aligning yourself with that sect's alignment would grant a bonus to rune magic; perhaps one part of the bonus could be the ability to draw more counters/draw more cards from the runes deck/bag...
One of the types if runic magic and I am working on a mechanic for it and I'd appreciate any new ideas or advice concerning it.
Sounds to me like maybe you should *streamline* your vision...! I think the Rune Magic idea is interesting... Perhaps that should be the ONLY magic in the game... This way if you develop an interesting mechanic for it, it will serve through out the game not just for *some* cases.
Obviously the more runes you put the harder it will be to get the right match. So here is my SUGGESTION:
1. Divide RUNES into Colours (Blue, Red, Green, etc.)
2. Instead of having to draw a SPECIFIC rune, allow for colour matches instead.
What this will allow is for your to create a VARIETY of Runes and still have a matching mechanic that is simple and gives BETTER ODDS than exact rune matching!
You can also have a bunch of Rune Spells that you can create AND what you can do is for an EXACT match, you give some kind bonus... That varies according to the spell. So if it's a colour match, you do 5 damage. If it's an exact match, you do 8 damage! Something along those lines...
Note: You could also have *partial* matches with colour and exact such that an EXACT match does +1 extra damage. So if you have three (3) runes to a spell, an exact match would be like +3 damage!
I really like your idea concerning dividing the runes into colours!
As I've pointed though, runic will not be the only form of magic in the game for reasons dealing with the plot.
By creating spells do you mean like having a system where it's just individual runes but combinations that matter?
" So if it's a colour match, you do 5 damage. If it's an exact match, you do 8 damage! "
This is a very good idea.
"So if you have three (3) runes to a spell, an exact match would be like +3 damage!"
Ah, nevermind , I think I know what you mean now with regard to having multiple runes for a spell. So it's not the rune itself that is a spell, but rather you have a spell card that shows what colours and/or runes you need to draw from the bag to get the generic, basic, or advanced effect.
Now that I'm thinking of it...having runic spells rather than just runes that players get would make it so some spells are more complex than others with how many runes they need....
Ah, nevermind , I think I know what you mean now with regard to having multiple runes for a spell. So it's not the rune itself that is a spell, but rather you have a spell card that shows what colours and/or runes you need to draw from the bag to get the generic, basic, or advanced effect.
Yes it would be difficult to *write down* the spell on a *rune*. They are like chits/shards. Having a spell card would be the most reasonable solution.
You could alternatively have a *table* in your rulebook... But that's not as flexible as *new* cards = new spells.
Since you have three (3) different types of "Magic" (Faith, Magic and Runes), you could maybe design the SAME spells (common spells) which can be cast by ALL three (3) of the "Magic" and more RARE ones that only work for one kind. Uncommon spells could have like two (2) of the "Magic"...
Using this you can have common spells that everyone can use, uncommon spells that certain players can use and then rare spells that only a specific player can use...
"Since you have three (3) different types of "Magic" (Faith, Magic and Runes), you could maybe design the SAME spells (common spells) which can be cast by ALL three (3) of the "Magic" and more RARE ones that only work for one kind. "
That was my plan with it. Like, healing wouldn't be exclusive to Faith for instance. All would have healing cards, they'd work in mostly minor different ways. The more rare spells within each type would have more unique spells.
Concerning the terminology, I will replace "Magic" as a group to something like "Arcane", I'm just using "Magic" as a term for that group because I really don't like the sound of "Arcane" for some reason and haven't thought of replacement word .
"Using this you can have common spells that everyone can use, uncommon spells that certain players can use and then rare spells that only a specific player can use..."
Rarity is definitely something i'm doing not only with spells in the game but with other categories too.
It wouldn't be specific players that could use the more rare spells, but rather it's dependent upon your alignment in the game (there are 5 cabals/sects in the game and an alignment tracker on board that shows how strongly you are aligned with each).
What I meant by a *specific player* meant a player who is of that faction. So maybe you have a common spell which is like "Holy waters" - heals 2 health points, could be cast by all factions . And then your Faith factions could have something like "Angelic Blessing" - heals 6 health points... Something like that.
Again just some ideas... I too am *loosely* working on a CCG (that I do NOT plan to produce)... I just want to develop it as material that I may re-use at a later time. Keeps me thinking while I'm waiting for my next prototype correction arrive - so I can playtest some more...!
What I meant by a *specific player* meant a player who is of that faction. So maybe you have a common spell which is like "Holy waters" - heals 2 health points, could be cast by all factions . And then your Faith factions could have something like "Angelic Blessing" - heals 6 health points... Something like that.
Again just some ideas... I too am *loosely* working on a CCG (that I do NOT plan to produce)... I just want to develop it as material that I may re-use at a later time. Keeps me thinking while I'm waiting for my next prototype correction arrive - so I can playtest some more...!
I think the way to implement it with my game would be to (using your "holy waters" spell example) would be that it has the 2 health points recovery basic effect, but if you are levelled high enough in the Faith alignment then it would go to 6 instead.
The players aren't joining the factions in the game, they are shifting their personal characters philosophy/alignment to what those factions stand for.
The plot is that the players working together to save the world as a group and restore it back to how it was in the past. But if a player wishes, they can try to remake the world into how their alignment of their character becomes while playing the game...so it is semi-cooperative and not a game about players representing factions and fighting directly against one another.
And that's cool about your game, though why a CCG instead of LCG?
I will respond to everyone's posts more in depth later, but for now I just want to clarify one thing before anyone else posts:
I don't want Rune magic to be the only magic in the game. It's very important to the plot of the game (detailed in my other posts in the forums here) for it not to be because there are 5 covenants/alignments in the game.
There are three forms of magic in my game: Faith, Magic, and Runic.
In brief the way they work
1. Faith requires a check on 2d6 versus a target number in order to cast. It uses no mp.
2. Magic works in the standard way and is a generic form of magic that uses mp to cast.
3. Runic is what this post is about.