A quick random spell generator. Can you think of a spell that wouldn't fit in this framework?
1) Roll 1d12 for an Action
1. Summon
2. Destroy
3. Mend
4. Transmute
5. Shape
6. Amplify
7. Weaken
8. Command
9. Move
10. Know about
11. Communicate with
12. Falsify
2) Roll 1d20 for an Element
1. Electricity
2. Heat
3. Emotions
4. Ideas
5. Dreams
6. Spirit
7. Flesh
8. Fate
9. Time
10. Magic
11. Technology
12. Fauna
13. Flora
14. Earth
15. Air
16. Water
17. Stars
18. Sound
19. Light
20. Shadow
3) If you want to, narrow down your element. A narrower spell formulation should cost fewer HP to cast. Ex: Transmute Earth => Transmute Metal; Summon Fauna => Summon Badger.
Great idea! I'm going to look at some spell lists later and see if I can find something that doesn't fit.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the hardest part about making big random lists for spell creation is not about making all effects possible, but about generating interesting constraints. In games like D&D pre-written spells all have a precise way of working that makes 'em tiresome but also force you to be inventive. I remember not having a light spell like "summon light" but "summon light on this object" which led my group to lighting several rocks to throw them everywhere in a dungeon to get an idea of how it was. In a game like Macchiato Monsters, I think you could want that last bit about working around constraints, not only constraints that you choose by yourself (but it's probably a question of style!).
ReplyDeleteAnd writing a relevant generic table of constraints looks so hard :D
Felix B Yeah, I very much see the fun in what you describe :) That's what I was trying to get to with step 3: add constraints to reduce the spell cost. I'll see if I can come up with a constraint table, but that does sound hard!
ReplyDeleteHow would you do Faithful Hound, Tiny Hut, Ventriloquism, and Floating Disc?
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the Magic Words system I used to play around with: blog.d4caltrops.com - Putting the User back in Magic-User
Faithful Hound = Summon Fauna
ReplyDeleteTiny Hut = Shape Earth? Or Shape Technology? This one would need to be more specialized
Floating Disc = Move Magic maybe
Ventriloquism = Falsify Sound