Magic Users in RPGs: Part 2

When we speak about magic in TTRPGs, there are several ways to think about that. Some people will say that everything that’s not found in our “normal” world is magic. Depending on the scenario, that denomination can vary, but magic users in RPGs are usually people that can heal, shoot lightning, summon creatures, create illusions, and so on. We have talked a bit about power sources and what kind of magic user you can be in a previous article, and focused mostly on D&D. In this article we are going to discuss how far their power can take them, and what are its limits.

Ammunition, Energy or Life Force?

D&D and some of its related systems, like Pathfinder, build upon the ideas of Charles Vance, a writer that sees spells as gun cartridges: aim, shoot, forget. This has led to a lot of discussion, because we see other ways to account for the amount of magic anyone can do all the time in TTRPGs and other media. Jedis use “the Force” and they usually are limited by how much it gets them tired.

In classic CRPGs and other console games, it’s usual to have a mana bar/mana sphere that allows the magic user to cast as many spells as they have points for. In Avatar Legends, bending elements is not seen as magic per se, but the limitations are given by what the “magic” accomplishes, and characters take levels of fatigue to use the elements in certain ways. In anime (and there’s a lot of anime-inspired TTRPGs around) people can sometimes burn their own life force or willpower to go beyond their limits and create something huge and magical.

Consequences and Changes: There’s No Free Lightning

Mage: The Ascension won’t limit how many times per day you can evoke a fireball, but there’s a lot of consequences to that. The Paradox is a force made of the universe pushing back when you change reality around you. The consequences can hurt, exhaust or even kill someone that goes too far.

Através das Trevas, a Brazilian TTRPG operates on the premise that all mages are crazy, because that’s what allows them to see beyond and make the things they do. Consequences and sacrifices are another way to give magic a cost and limit its use. The magic users can cast as much as they want, but they will have to deal with the things that come along. 

So What Is The Best Way to Play With Magic Users in RPGs?

It all depends on the story you and your group are trying to tell. If the theme is Avatar, Books of Magic, or a DC Comics adventure in which Zatanna can turn the world upside down with a few words spoken backwards, maybe limiting the amount of “magic” someone can do is not the way.

If you are in a dungeon delving scenario where your players should manage their resources and use them in the smartest way, and that is a big part of the challenge, the idea of mana or spell slots makes a lot of sense. In a one-shot adventure your players will probably care little about consequences and expending resources, but in a longer campaign that will surely be accounted for. 

It’s important to think that the power level of the magic users in your game should make sense and not break the game in ways that would make your group stop having fun. And also, if there are characters that aren’t magic users, they shouldn’t feel useless compared to the people that can fly, shoot meteors and grow back severed legs. The main limit of the magic users’ powers should be the one that better fits your game. 

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