If I had one wish, it would be to make a magic system for my game that I actually like. I have been creating Fate Be Damned for the better part of 2 years, and I am still unhappy with my magic system. Currently it's simple. Four types of magic empowered and weakened by specific emotions. Iraturgy is destructive and summoning magic empowered by rage and weakened by fear. Erosurgy is enchanting magic (like charms and hexes) as well as divination magic, it's empowered by joy, weakened by sorrow. Etc etc.
Sounds great, sounds fine. Except its not. I have been playing around with this system so much and it never feels right for the world or vibe of FBD. Magic based on emotion is cool but it feels odd to tell players how their characters are feeling based on a mechanic, even if that emotion is entirely artificial within the fiction of the game. It also has the issue of being powerful enough that players have been feeling like they're missing out by not investing in it, even though investing in it is making them weaker in other areas through opportunity cost.
I've tried different things to tackle these issues as we go through playtesting sessions but nothing has really felt right for the game. So I'm currently trying to wipe the board clean so to speak, and build a newer system mostly from scratch. My main idea is to have a "Havoc" gauge or something similar. Basically, the more you cast, the more Havoc you build. The more fuck shit can happen. You can probably invest in some perks that make you more effective the higher your Havoc but thats for after I build the system.
I'm just struggling to make a magic system I actually like y'know? That's probably in part cause I just don't usually like playing magic characters. Ugh, I'll figure it out.
I never understood this relunctance to tell players how their characters react to things, with them being able to say "my character doesn't for XYZ", like, "its a big city full of people, making you overwhelmed" "my character lived in other big cuty for many years so they don't feel overwhelmed"
This seems like such a basic thing to do and yet, people don't want to do it
Also, you can use a paper clip to hold information on a character sheet
For the most part, in my experience if I narrate something that actively tells the players how they feel rather than suggesting how they feel, the players dislike that. People tend to dislike being told how their characters feel rather than narrating themselves how their characters might feel.
You can get around this by just suggesting how they might react, or by asking them “how’re your characters feeling”. But if you straight up tell players how their characters are feeling, they tend to feel railroaded.
I agree! Being told how you feel can pull you out of the game, breaking the immersion because of the difference
But in certain exception its important to use it, especially when the emotion is something that is imposed like fear or disgust since you dont control it
Also if the feeling is also artificial in the fiction, then it might be interesting to make them feel like the emotion is alien to them, it doesnt come from them, because then the difference of emotions because intra diegetic and not immersion breaking
Definitely. The more time that passes the more…i guess content i am with the magic system. I still definitely feel like I *could* do better with the concept. But for now i’m really focusing on weapon techniques, alchemy, and downtime.
I’ll probably release the public playtest with the magic system as is and work on improving it as needed later.







