Hmm, read some of the posts, got some mixed ideas, of course didnt read through the whole thread. I have several ideas, and wil ltouch upon other magic usage as well.
Magery
Idea 1: GM Questing
This is probably the most flexible and easy way. Basically, you'd have some magic spirit GMs. These magic spirits could appear at any random time, or through specialized ritual (obviously would need to have OOC and IC brought together to work well). For random times, the spirit will appear in eithe rlarge groups of people or very small ones (1-3). In large groups, he would either ask some sort of riddle, or ask for the characters' opinion on some highly philosphical question, that any interested folks could answer. Neither would have a real 'correct' answer, rather, he'd ask for views and reasoning, and would take, say, the top 10-25% (depending on interested group size) most intelligent of the interested people's answers (small groups would just have the option for everyone to be tested, though the test which is explained later would be harder). They would then be brought on some sort of quest that was predesigned, and would all go through by themselves once. It would involve several tests and riddles that would measure responsibility, morality, and other good qualities of a trusted mage. In fact, the characters might not even know they were being tested, for example the spirit might just leave after deciding who will be tested, and then test them when they are off by themselves.
As for the rituals, it would involve non costly resources, but would vary in materials, vocals, and movements (and the like) about every week. You'd be able to find out through "wandering" npcs that would have preset wandering locations, and would have a few keywords to activate before speaking of the ritual. I imagine this would be much easier to do than static quests. If needbe, they could just be placed outside of the major towns. Another way to find out the rituals is through books that might come up rarely in a library shelf. Once someone knowqs the ritual, or thinks they do, theyd contact one of the magic GMs about it, and theyd set up a time for the roleplay. After being summoned, the GM would give a short riddle or task for the person to do, and would then teach them the rune.
Advantages: Only people deserving of magic would get it. Probably the most clever solution. Also the most dynamic.
Disadvantages: Relies on Gm schedules. Would probably be a bit hard and exclusive.
Idea 2: Pre wipe handout
While maybe not as easy or provable, many would argue that this is the most fair way to do it. You would basically give out about 1/4 to 1/2 of the runes to each person who was a mage before wipe, the amount depending on the power of the mage. Power and, of course, existance of the abilities would be proven by having 2 or 3 witnesses, which could be pm'd by gms after the player says that thos epeople saw them with magic. The power would be also asked by the gm, and to a certain extent affected by what the player said. After getting the runes, magic is further taught via a transfer spell (all mages would have to be given it, or at leats most of them), thus allowing those mages to teach how they wish to teach. To limit someone just throwing runes to people, there'd be restrictions. Power of this rune (the spell is combining the transfer rune with another, duh) affects the chance of transfer. If you have no skill, but have the rune, it'd be about a 1% chance of trasnfer. Each time you cast the spell it will drain all of the mana and food from you. As for being given a rune when you dont want it, perhaps something when you cast the spell on the person, like the client saying "You feel a magical essence trying to enter your body and mind, do you wish to allow it?", and then you type !yes or !no. If you choose yes, you have a chance out of 20, directly based on willpower, of absorbing the rune, and if you do, it'll say something like "You feel a new magical ability course through you", and if failed it'll say "The feeling subsides suddenly". If you choose no, youll get something like, "You force the essence from your body". This way it wouldn't be easily abused.
Advantages: At first, at least, and for a while, only those desrving magic would have it. Players could have creative quests. Allows for Magic schools.
Disadvantages: Could be abused if someone really wanted to.
Idea 3: GM chosen
This follows the prewipe rules concerning how it's transferred after the initial peopel are chosen. Basically, the gms each choose maybe 3 or 4 people they think have a character that can roleplay a mage. of course, this leads to a great deal of bias and probably isn't the best course of action.
Advantages: Only those deserving magic would have it, at first.
Disavantages: Bias possible. Could be abused.
Idea 4: Pre-wipe System
Using the prewipe system, you set up a staff, offering, and rune combination, spreading the runes about the isle.
Advantages: Probably the most trusted way. Easy enough to implement
Disadvantages: Anyone who's at least slightly persistent can have magic. Isles are much bigger and it'd be annoying finding good places for runes, and even more annoying going to each one.
Idea 5: Static NPC Quests
Im sure you all know these, it's where an npc has a retrieval or riddle sort of test to give you a rune. I think its explained in the old manual or something.
Advantages: Simple way for people to learn magic.
Disadvantages: Once someone's done each quest, everyone else will soon know. Hard to choose where to place the npc's. Scripting time
I myself would go for Idea 1 here (even though 2 would give Ules magic right away
)
Now, for other magic, Im sure a lot of this is decided, but you lot will listen anyway
Bardic Magic:
Im thinking that each bardic "magic note" will have a corresponding instrument. The harp might be love (charming or weakening), the flute energy, the lute enhancement, etc. Having an instrument gives you temporary access to the note. You can play to learn the note once a day, and your willpower and essence decide how quickly you'll memorize the note. Once you learn the note, you can use it with other instruments. You always need some sort of instrument to play a "magic song". For the songs, unlike mage magic, they'll be completely dynamic. If you combine a weakening note with one that strengthens the song, it'll be a strong weakening spell (almost an oxymoron). If you combine, say, slowing and weakening, it'll do both. Bardic songs an consist of a single note, though it need sto be played twice in that case. Skill in bardic magic is affected the most by perception (hearing, so you can tune the notes correctly), then by willpower, then essence, then intelligence. Since bardic magic can really, at its worst, make you unable to attack, and cannot damage much by itself, the stats wont matter as much, as for, say, mage magic.
Druid Magic: The recipe books in the library seem to be a good start here. based on your library research skill, you can research an herb an amoutn of times dependant on intelligence, library reading, and willpower until you memorize it. This will be graetly taxing on your stat cap for the day, and evenm at max stats you probably couldnt learn more than 2-3 herbs a week. As for mixing and such, you can leave that like before, it all seemed fine.
Priest Magic: I've Seen shrines around the island, and other religious looking things, and this seems to be perfect for where to quire the psalms or whatever for priest magic. You'd need some offering, like holy water, and then you'd recieve a blank psalm book. In that book, you can print a psalm, by using ink, a quill (or whatever), and the knowledge of a psalm. Knowledge of a psalm is gathered in many places, either through the library, certain npcs, landmarks, monsters (undead), and some possibly through a knowledge transfer skill from other priests and clerics. There'd then be a writing skill that would give you a chance to write the psalm in the book. It'd be about a 25% chance to start, and when failed wastes the ink and your focus for the day. After succesfully writing a psalm, you then use your research skill and attempt to learn the psalm. You can do this up to three times a day, until you learn the rune, and the book dissapears into your magic menu (alt)
Just so you know, those ideas (non mage magic ones) are from the top of my head and not refined as best i could. if i knew they had a chanc eo fhappening, id of course have thought more.
) it's fair to say alot of them have very little to no substance as characters. there are a very many of them that were made to literally be walking guns. to this end i completely understand why the magic system is guarded over as it is. so an open system is just not going to work.
