Schools of Magic
Since I first started playing D&D I was never fully happy with the way that spells were divided between “Magic-Users” and “Clerics”. Why couldn’t a wizard cast many of the sorts of spells I’d expect they could from various books and movies? Over the years I came to accept the D&Dism of the Cleric, and now understand the reasons for why the Cleric was introduced to the game and the niche that it fit. Despite that, as I move further away from the standard D&D rules and add more of my own ideas to the game, how magic is divided is something I’ve started to reconsider once again.
While I don’t think the Cleric / Wizard split works for me, I do like the idea of “Schools of Magic” that divide the spells up and allow characters to be more specialized in certain areas. Similar to the way Magic-Users were defined by the colours of their robes in the Dragonlance novels, I like the ideas of White and Black magic, with another set of spells that are neither (grey? red? blue?). Non-human races like Elves could either use the same type of magic as wizards, or perhaps they have their own Green magic.
Thinking about Schools and Magic also leads me to thinking of how spells are presented in Harry Potter. In those books the different types of magic are separated into different “subjects”, in a manner similar to that introduced in AD&D 2nd edition. While I don’t generally like the idea of breaking things down this far, having Wizards being able to learn “spells” that allow them to brew potions as well as more reliance on minor magical items for spell-like effects seems like an interesting idea.
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As much as I like 4e D&D, I miss the Specialist Wizard of previous editions. The idea that you could be REALLY good in one specific area as long as you were willing to sacrifice another area was very appealing. The Evocation Wizard who had a wider selection of offensive magic (+1 spell per level) and hit more often (because of an increased save modifier) was a lot of fun to play. They certainly had their down sides, like being completely barred from two other schools, but that just added to the flavour. Now your choices are limited to a handful of power/spells each level.
The split of magic between Wizard and Priest was one of the earliest gripes of mine. Clerics were just wizards without spellbooks really.
So I fundementally shifted how the two “Spell” systems worked. Mages used magic, Priests used a vastly different mechanic to call forth Miracles (that did not come from them).
At the same time, Wizards I always felt should be able to brew potions and the like, the same as any other spell, and not something one should see as “high level”.
D&D Magic has always seemed like an afterthought that’s been carried forth as a sacred cow and covered with silks and fine jewellry to pretty it up, but its still just an afterthought.
If you are a big fan of vastly different schools of magic, consider some works by piers anthony in the apprentic adept series.
Each wizards (the adept) uses a very different style of magic. One uses glyphs, one rhymes, one potions, one golems etc.
I have always been a fan of specialized magic classes. It makes perfect sense to me that, much like how a doctor can focus their field of study to Dentistry or Dermatology, someone researching the arcane arts could chose to focus their studies. It also helps to explain all the evil Necromancers that adventures tend to be in conflict with in so many campaigns.
@Ameron: The model they’ve gone to with 4e is specific classes having their own Powers (spells). In a way ALL the classes are specialist Wizards now… at least mechanically. In not sure what it is, but I don’t find the spells feel much like spells anymore though.
@Zzarchov: I agree with you – there are quite a few sacred cows, and D&D style magic is one of them. Thanks for the suggestions for things to look at – I like the idea of Glyphs and golems.
@Arturis: I like the idea of specialization, but also the idea that characters could develop over time. Rather than being locked into a specific class, they might be tempted to dabble in that book of Black Magic they discovered on their last adventure…
On page 51 of Cook’s Expert D&D rules (the companion to the Moldvay Basic with the Erol Otus covers) has this little gem I plan to take full advantage of:
“Creating items that duplicate a spell effect once usually requires 500 gp and 1 week per spell level.”
Which means spells can be duplicated as potions. It’s not terribly cost-effective, but having the dwarf belch out a fireball at the right time might be just the sort of unexpected surprise needed to save the day.
Our DM has been bemoaning the fact that the magic users in the party are gumming up the works and making it harder for him to find us adversaries that aren’t dispatched in a single round of combat.
I might just use some of these ideas to help him out.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about a magic organization like this:
Red Magic, The Way of Flesh – Healing, shapeshifting, physical buffs and debuffs, creation of living creatures, other biological effects.
Blue Magic, The Way of Dreams – Telepathy, mind-reading, psychometry, dream-manipulation, psychic illusions, other wholly mental effects (so not including telekinesis and the like).
Green Magic, The Way of Stone – Reshaping and transmutation of matter, non biological shapechanging (turning to stone, etc.). Also includes magical preparation of materials for alchemy.
Yellow Magic, The Way of Light – Energy emission, manipulation, and analysis. Includes everything from lightning bolts to night vision to flight to visual illusions. There are a lot of sub-specialties within this school.
White Magic, The Way of Reality – Teleportation, intangibility, gravity manipulation, planar travel, creation of extradimensional spaces, summoning of extraplanar entities, and other effects involving the manipulation of the fundamental structure of the universe.
Black Magic, The Way of the Void – Cold, darkness, silence, stunning, disintegration, anti-gravity, anti-magic, and other effects involving the destruction or nullification of energy, matter, or fundamental forces.
I notice that there are some major in this system, especially when it comes to necromancy. I’m comfortable with that, really. I can do without undead, as long as I’ve got biological and alchemical constructs.
@matt sheridan: tight! I like it.
I’ve been working on a similar idea. Essentially, my idea is to replace the ‘cleric’ and ‘magic-user’ classes with a ‘magician’ class, and divide all spells into ‘white,’ ‘grey,’ and ‘black’ magic. All spells cost ‘exhaustion’ (loss of hit points; this replaces the standard ‘Vancian’ system), and casting black magic can (with a failed saving throw) cause ‘corruption’ (temporary, and potentially permanent, loss of Wisdom). If a character’s Wisdom drops below 3, he/she is insane, or in the thrall of some extra-planar entity.
The article will be published in Knockspell #3. An early version can be found in this thread (scroll down towards the ‘final’ version):
http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=14426&page=4
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