I'm Bob, the NPC Sage
Aug. 12th, 2008 09:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
So there's an old saw about D&D where people point out that the magic-user can cast fireballs, cause earthquakes, summon horrific monsters, but doesn't really have anything like "build a shack", "ensure good crops", "dig a well" or any other spell that a local community would really have a need for. Basically, magic-users are walking bundles of barely contained destructive arcane energies and who really needs that? Clerics have more useful spells in this regard, but they've got a built-in framework to be part of a community. Wizards are better off in towers far away.
I was thinking about Ritual Spells in 4th. ed. Ritual spells are mostly spells of long duration and/or questionable utility. By way of example, one of the ritual spells is "magic mouth". There's been a lot of complaining that Rituals are taking all of the quirky "cool" spells while the magical powers the Wizard can actually use on the fly are all blaster-type spells good only for combat. But frankly, I'm OK with that -- most magic-users simply stock up on attack spells anyway. Are you really going to take Magic Mouth over Magic Missile?
Ritual spells also solve the early problem of a wizard's place in a community. Now a "wizard" can simply be a guy who's got the Ritual Caster feat and has a bunch of Rituals. The Rituals all do useful, community-oriented things. Without delving into dungeons, this guy can hang out a shingle and provide useful services. I think that's pretty neat.
later
Tom
So there's an old saw about D&D where people point out that the magic-user can cast fireballs, cause earthquakes, summon horrific monsters, but doesn't really have anything like "build a shack", "ensure good crops", "dig a well" or any other spell that a local community would really have a need for. Basically, magic-users are walking bundles of barely contained destructive arcane energies and who really needs that? Clerics have more useful spells in this regard, but they've got a built-in framework to be part of a community. Wizards are better off in towers far away.
I was thinking about Ritual Spells in 4th. ed. Ritual spells are mostly spells of long duration and/or questionable utility. By way of example, one of the ritual spells is "magic mouth". There's been a lot of complaining that Rituals are taking all of the quirky "cool" spells while the magical powers the Wizard can actually use on the fly are all blaster-type spells good only for combat. But frankly, I'm OK with that -- most magic-users simply stock up on attack spells anyway. Are you really going to take Magic Mouth over Magic Missile?
Ritual spells also solve the early problem of a wizard's place in a community. Now a "wizard" can simply be a guy who's got the Ritual Caster feat and has a bunch of Rituals. The Rituals all do useful, community-oriented things. Without delving into dungeons, this guy can hang out a shingle and provide useful services. I think that's pretty neat.
later
Tom
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 02:52 pm (UTC)(I mean, do you want a couple of Tensers floating disks, or some plate mail for the imperial guards?)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 03:35 pm (UTC)"There are some economic difficulties, though... "
A club costs 1gp, there are a lot of economic difficulties in D&D.
later
Tom
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 03:44 pm (UTC)That stick you pick up off the ground-- improvised weapon.