Awaiting inspiration
Jan. 3rd, 2021 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethMy daydreams are getting stuck again, because they're like
become wizard
learn many spells
make magic items
... that mostly do things that technology can now do.
Divine magic has a clear edge in healing, but arcane magic can make, like, goggles of night vision... which I could also buy... from a shop.
Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but possibly cheaper.
And all the shapeshifting magic is awesome, except when I get down to it, what do I really want to use it for? For the length of a musical sequence it would be cool to be a fish or bird of squirrel, sure, but then what?
And the magics dont really scale up in Pathfinder. So you'd have individual hand crafted flying carpets, which take aaaaages each, cost an irreducible amount, and only have an advantage if you're, like, really commited to reducing carbon footprint one seat at a time.
Or aiming to fly to other planets. No fuel is a stupendous benefit if you're trying for distances like that. Even with one carpet's worth of thrust, if it just keeps going for like ten thousand years, sorted. And you can keep it inside for maintenance purposes, as long as there's a strong bit to push.
You'd have to know if magic stops working between planets though.
Finding out could be... awkward.
I am currently not enthused about going to other planets though. We'd still be humans so we'd still have all the same stuff to deal with, on another planet.
Being able to put shapeshifting magic in a hat or an elixir would be pretty cool.
Nation states would want to go all Mission Impossible with it though. That would be less cool.
You could do awesome cosplays with it. But it vaguely feels like cheating.
I mean if you made the whole costume yourself then making the body to go in it seems like a craft too.
But using a glamer to make people see something screen accurate is a different game than everyone else is playing.
I think the problem is said daydreams keep getting as far as 'a group of fellow adventurers! and we could have a home base! and live there!'
and then not going out on adventures.
... I am, like many lucky people, super extra bored of being alone in my flat.
Magic can Summon beings but I suspect it is a bad idea to Summon for purposes of, say, board games.
... I mean, not if you're super extra careful about their alignment, but a table full of Imps would be a terribad idea even before they decided to up the stakes.
So. Get magic. Something something profit?
Ah well.
Ideas will happen eventually.
become wizard
learn many spells
make magic items
... that mostly do things that technology can now do.
Divine magic has a clear edge in healing, but arcane magic can make, like, goggles of night vision... which I could also buy... from a shop.
Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but possibly cheaper.
And all the shapeshifting magic is awesome, except when I get down to it, what do I really want to use it for? For the length of a musical sequence it would be cool to be a fish or bird of squirrel, sure, but then what?
And the magics dont really scale up in Pathfinder. So you'd have individual hand crafted flying carpets, which take aaaaages each, cost an irreducible amount, and only have an advantage if you're, like, really commited to reducing carbon footprint one seat at a time.
Or aiming to fly to other planets. No fuel is a stupendous benefit if you're trying for distances like that. Even with one carpet's worth of thrust, if it just keeps going for like ten thousand years, sorted. And you can keep it inside for maintenance purposes, as long as there's a strong bit to push.
You'd have to know if magic stops working between planets though.
Finding out could be... awkward.
I am currently not enthused about going to other planets though. We'd still be humans so we'd still have all the same stuff to deal with, on another planet.
Being able to put shapeshifting magic in a hat or an elixir would be pretty cool.
Nation states would want to go all Mission Impossible with it though. That would be less cool.
You could do awesome cosplays with it. But it vaguely feels like cheating.
I mean if you made the whole costume yourself then making the body to go in it seems like a craft too.
But using a glamer to make people see something screen accurate is a different game than everyone else is playing.
I think the problem is said daydreams keep getting as far as 'a group of fellow adventurers! and we could have a home base! and live there!'
and then not going out on adventures.
... I am, like many lucky people, super extra bored of being alone in my flat.
Magic can Summon beings but I suspect it is a bad idea to Summon for purposes of, say, board games.
... I mean, not if you're super extra careful about their alignment, but a table full of Imps would be a terribad idea even before they decided to up the stakes.
So. Get magic. Something something profit?
Ah well.
Ideas will happen eventually.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-05 07:05 pm (UTC)I'm idly making a magic system for a story right now and it occurred to me, reading this, that it's just pretty shiny nothing unless it has a point. Plotwise. The magic is there to get you to the point of the plot, or to help at an important part, or to give the character something to agonize over or use. At the end of the day, "what can the magic do" depends on "what does the magic need to get done".
...I hope I don't forget that.
" have a home base! and live there!' and then not going out on adventures."
This, I feel. Found family, spacious real estate, good food, who needs all this saving the world business? It can go on behind the scenes. I feel that. I wish more media would work like that but, it doesn't. Sadly. For me. Apparently most other people are very into "things go boom and also much vehicle chase". But yeah! plot. conflict, all that nonsense. fuck that.
...So what can magic be used for in a peaceful commune situation? Hmmm
no subject
Date: 2021-01-07 10:15 am (UTC)Indeed, magic systems are a lot of plot levers and character stuff in a pointy hat.
I like that magic can make instant home bases, like Mage's Magnificent Mansion, but the game is not exactly docused on getting better decor.
So far in Pathfinder for peaceful magic there's
cauldron of plenty or sustaining spoon
both make food
goblet of quenching or decanter of endless water
both make water
ioun torch and lots of other items make light
unguent of timelessness is handy for making things last longer but so is good archival paper etc.
There's an elixir to calm emotions that looks handy. expensive, but helpful.
A Traveler's Any Tool is like a swiss army knife turned up to 11, helps with the crafting. There are a whole bunch of spells available to boost craft skills one way or another. And another set for knowledge skills. Peaceful study and creation.
Pathfinder rules have said there is other less combat oriented magic around, but the books are focused on stuff for adventurers. So if an item is peaceful it is portable and mostly there so you dont have to do encumbrance math and keep track of consumables.
items that make food forever have to balance against how much gold went into them in the first place but seem like a pretty good start if they take inedibles and make edibles.
lots of things, but all a bit sideways of the assumed main adventure.