I'm mass-consuming magical systems. I need more suggestions of unique magical systems I haven't already browsed...

All I could find were Postmodern Magick and the 1st edition. I'm looking at PM now. Is this sufficient? Do you have a link to 2nd ED?

>Runequest
I see no PDFs for this.

>No no. I'm not interested in making my own magic system.
It has a few ready-made systems that merely lack content which the GM has to provide accounting for his setting in the book Thaumatology, and three systems that are more complete and ready which would be Magic, Ritual Path Magic (not Ritual Magic or Path Magic) and Sorcery.

Magic treats spells as skills that depend on three factors: one's intelligence, overall magical talent, and skillfulness/investment with that specific skill. The spells follow a progression of prerequisites that open up into some fairly powerful spells from very basic ones. In general, GURPS magic systems have no daily limit, slots, etc, it is true for magic, where the limiting factor is fatigue, energy, 'mana', that must be spent to fuel these spells, if one can keep that going they can keep casting (typically at great physical or monetary cost). Out of the big three, the least generic, since one is pigeonholed into a more traditional wizard feeling and a (fairly long) list of defined spells with little room for modification.

My knowledge of Ritual Path is incomplete, but it is a verb/noun system (where combinations of 'paths' yield specific spells, 'Control + Fire' in a more generic example), every path is it's own skill and are 'capped' by Thaumagology skill, ritual path casters are sages knowledgeable in magic in general. Ritual Path appeals to a different aesthetic and taste in magical flavor; save for the most powerful mages, spells are casted in (longer/shorter) rituals where the caster must gather large amounts of energy from the enviroment, sacrifices, etc. Effects are divided between Lesser and Greater by how obviously magical, unnatural, or unreal they are, with greater effects being significantly costlier and longer to cast. Ritual Path is much more 'mystical' and spells tend to be subtle.

(cont)

Ars Magica 5th is one that I'd highly suggest, if not for the general mechanics (which are excellent, but similar to other suggested systems) then for all the little bits you can dig into and bolt on to other systems.

It's a video game but I like how KoL represents magic. It's just a simple mana point system but you can draw magical power from your physical strength, your charisma, or just plain arcane knowledge. Also you can regain mana without sleeping by drinking carbonated beverages, taking hot showers or indulging in other comfy stuff.
Not a great new format or anything but a nice place to look for flavor if you're ever lacking it.

Sorcery takes a different approach to magic and runs it purely through Advantages, building magic as if they were powers, then greatly reducing their cost by setting a few stipulations. Sorcerers build their own spells using the extremely flexible Advantages system, by defining enhancements or limitations on those advantages a great variety of effects and flavors can be achieved, Sorcerers have a core list of signature spells. Spells are Alternate Abilities, that is, they have a few limitations: One cannot use an ability and it's alternate at the same time and must voluntarily 'switch' between them, and if for some reason one would disable one, they're all disabled at the same time (though this is not an issue in Sorcery, since it's all run through one single power source, that is Magic), in return, the usually very costly advantages reduce a significant (-80%!) price reduction, additionally buying your most costly spell at full price gives one an extra 'slot' for simultaneous spells. Generally, Sorcerers tend to be fairly specialized, but to avoid creating one-or-two trick ponies, the more generally talented Sorcerer you are, you can call for more powerful spells 'for free' as Improvised Spells (there's a prallel with Cantrips here). Hardcore Improvisation also allows one to improvise much more powerful effects at an increased personal cost. Sorcery can be very costly, but it's very reliable (needing to roll to cast a spell is a self-imposed limitation that one must choose to slap on an advantage when creating a spell), flexible, and can fit a wide variety of spell flavors.

All in all, they're three great systems. They're not perfect, but I think they contend with the best systems I've seen across other games. The other 'incomplete' magic systems in Thaumatology provide the groundwork for heavy personalization, but are also good systems on their own (I'm a fan or Symbol/Sintactic).

Not OP, but I have a similar request. I'm on the hunt for a more basic and straight forward magic system for a lower fantasy game.

Any advice?

Check out the Tome of Magic from D&D 3.5

Specifically Binders.

It's a very cool take on the idea of people making deals with otherworldly beings for power and one of the most flavorful spell casting styles in the entire system.

Truenaming is cool too. Ignore Shadow magic.

>It's just a simple mana point system but you can draw magical power from your physical strength, your charisma
How odd. I don't remember that. I played it many years ago.

Can you guys post PDFs if you have suggestions? Some of these are hard to find.

The mistborn rpg has some particularly weird styles of magics based on the book series by the same name.

Mechanically it's just pools of spell points derived from consuming metals but you have different pools for different sets of abilities.

Which ones are you interested in? Sounds like you were already familiar with several of the ones mentioned.

And for all looking for most of those books:

GURPS.

- Ars Magica 5th (only found a preview)
- Tome of Magic from D&D 3.5 (didn't look yet)
- Mistborn rpg
- Unknown Armies 2nd

Very odd. I'm interested.

I like anima beyond fantasy's system. Dunno if it's similar to any of the ones you tried.

Dungeons & Dragons 3E has a few supplements that introduced some interesting alternative magic systems.

There's Psionics, which are similar to the default level-based magic but different enough to be unique and interesting.

There's Magic of Incarnum, a really unique system that involves creating "soulmelds", which are like temporary magic items that give you power as long as you keep them up, and shifting your magical power (or "essentia") from one soulmeld to another to make them stronger as the situation requires.

There's also the Tome of Magic, which has three different magic systems. The most interesting one is Pact Magic, which is based on letting an extradimensional being share your body and give you powers, while also influencing your personality and causing some sort of mutation as a sign of the contract. The other two are Shadow Magic, which is basically just a bunch of spell-like abilities you can use, and Truename Magic, which is magic words that you can use as often as you want as long as you pass a skill check.

>anima beyond fantasy's system.
Which one?

>implying the order of mage-slayers won't hunt you down and kill you

DCC has a cool magic system, in my opinion. Good system in general, really.

The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks has a cool magic system based around colors, sort of. You can read an overview on wikipedia, I think.

I know other people have said Ars Magica but I'll mention it again.

Are you only looking for things that are already mechanically written up for RPGs? If you don't mind regular novels, pretty much every Brandon Sanderson series has a new weird magic system. I swear he writes books just to justify making up bizarre magic systems.

In addition to Mistborn, there's Elantris, The Emperor's Soul, Warbreaker, The Rithmatist, and The Way of Kings (which features no less than twelve different types of magic just by itself - it's a real improvised weapon sort of book, but good if you can make it through it.)

I'd like something condensed like a manual or a wiki or something so I don't have to wade through novels to get a grasp of the magic systems.

There's wikis for all of Brandon Sanderson's shit, for sure. I think the main one is named The Coppermind?

Oh boy... Let me see if I can summarize the Sanderson cosmere magic systems...
Slight spoilers may follow.

Allomancy - consuming and burning metals gives a wide variety of supernatural abilities
Feruchemy - different metals allow you to store physical, mental, and spiritual atrributes for later use
Hemalurgy - different metals to transfer properties from one being to another

Surgebinding - a bond with an aspect spirit gives you power over two of the ten powers of creation by absorbing storm based mana, more as you embody the aspect better
Shardbearers - a weightless blade only gained by killing someone who posseses one that cuts any object, passes through flesh, and destroys souls can be summoned with the focus of ten heartbeats. Also power armor.
Soulcasting - using storm based mana captured in gem stones, transmute one of the ten prime materials into another

Biochromatic Breath - everyone has one breath, but if one person collects enough of them they gain supernatural senses and can invest them into other things to animate them.

AonDor - people turn into Elantrian super humans with magical powers of matter manipulation while within a walled city

Rithmatists - use chalk ans geometric figures to create magic effects

Aviars - magic birds give magic powers to people they bond with based on where they come from

There are some others but I cant remember them now.
The most interesting thing is that there is a hidden metaplot between all the worlds of all the books that connects all these magic systems together as manifestations of the same cosmic ruleset.

>All I could find were Postmodern Magick and the 1st edition. I'm looking at PM now. Is this sufficient? Do you have a link to 2nd ED?

Check out Unknown Armies 3rd edition, its magic is a bit more player facing (this is coming from someone who still loves 2nd edition).

1st edition Unknown Armies is obsolete in every way as 2nd edition is just a cleaned up version of 1st edition but with more content. Splatbooks like Postmodern Magick aren't necessary because the important magic rules are in the main books anyways.

Well I can't find them.

The Warhammer Fantasy and Warhemmer 40k games have a somewhat unique magic system, where the primary limiting factor is the risk involved in using it, as their magic comes directly from a hellish alternate world. It's an important part of the worldbuilding of both settings.

Runescape magic
each spell uses a mixture of "runes", basically magical ammo, in different combinations of type and quantity

non-combat spells usually have a fixed success rate, usually 100% sometimes less, while combat spells have an accuracy based on equipment, metal armor makes you less accurate but an enemy wearing it is easier to damage

Rifts/Palladium fantasy/nightbane.....palladium in general
Basic spend points get spells, but lots of external stuff, lelines, human/animal sacrifice, old trinkets can get more points.
Not all spells are combat oriented, notvall magic is spells. Diabolists draw and write magical language for strong effects, summoning circles, tattoo magic, rune magic, tons of diffrent branches of magic, ect.
Also you can get pretty cool settings from the astral planes and dream streams (in nightspawn/nightbane)

I know this but I've never actually seen the WH40K magic system.

I used to play so I know about it.

There's no magic in World of Tanks, dummy.

Then read fucking Sorcery, Thaumatology and especially Thaumatology: Rule Path Magic

I mean I get it, "GURPS is too big and sfuff", but there are readily magic systems and pretty dope ones.

>Implying a glacing hit when your penetration exceeds his armour five times is anything else than magic

if you hit at a very steep angle, then even a big bullet can be deflected

>D&D
If you mean Vancian casting, there's also
>Truenaming.
>Binding.
>Incarnum.
>Invocations.

But if you've got all those covered already nevermind.

>Dresden Files

Check out Dungeon World's style magic system.

It's just something like 'When you want to change the natural world'- then you roll to see if you fail, succeed with consequences, or total success.

Try Spell Law from the RoleMaster system.
Characters have a pool of Power Points; more powerful spells use more points, so they can either fire off a few big spells or more lower powered ones