I'm new at this message forum thing, I hope this isn't too long a message.

I've been working out some thoughts about the Ars Magica system, in particular thinking about how a fifth edition should be. It seems to me that the existing spell guidelines can be greatly clarified without changing how they work at all...

Does this work? Or have I missed something?

Nat

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Ars Magica Spell Guidelines - Clarified

The idea of this is to make the guidelines for choosing spell levels clearer and easier to use. At the same time, the new system should give exactly the same results as the old one in terms of generating spell levels.

The single thing that this system changes is the definition of
What this system changes is the definition of "magnitude"

"First magnitude" is split into five...

Level 1 becomes first magnitude
Level 2 becomes second magnitude
Level 3 becomes third magnitude
Level 4 becomes fourth magnitude
Level 5 becomes fifth magnitude

(In the game magi can refer to these as "lower magnitude" spells... suitable for apprentices, hedge magicians and spontaneous magic.)

Thereafter:
Level 10 becomes sixth magnitude
Level 15 becomes seventh magnitude
etc.

(These are the "higher magnitudes" where spells become more potent...)

The assumption is that *all spells* have the same basic range, duration and target, namely "touch", "momentary" and "individual".

Table 1 - Modifiers for Changing Range from Touch...

to Personal: -1 magnitude
to Eye: no change
to Reach: +1 magnitude
to Near: +2 magnitudes
to Far: +3 magnitudes
to Sight: +4 magnitudes
to Arcane Connection: +5 magnitudes

Table 2 - Modifier for Changing Duration from Momentary...

to Concentration or Diameter: +1 magnitude
to Sun: +2 magnitudes
to Moon or Ring: +3 magnitudes
to Season: +4 magnitudes
to Year: +5 magnitudes
to Permanent or Instant: +6 magnitudes

Table 3 - Modifier for Changing Target from Individual...

to Small: -1 magnitude
to Group or Room: +1 magnitudes
to Circle or Structure: +2 magnitudes
to Boundary: +3 magnitudes
to Sight: +4 magnitudes

Add the modifiers for changing range, duration and target with one or more modifier for the desired spell effect found on a seperate list under each combination of technique and form.

It is through the seperate technique form combination lists that game balance is preserved and controvertial powers can be easily raised or lowered in the number of magnitudes they require. Also it tidies up those extra modifiers, like Creo Animal "finished animal product" +1 magnitude. Casters may take more than one modifier from the technique form list.

e.g.
Spell Effect modifiers for Creo Animal

Basic effect: Create dead animal (size -5/-4)

Desired Effect Magnitude modifier
Create animal part -1

Create dead animal (size -5/-4) 0

Create finished animal product +1
Create dead animal (size -3/-2) +1

Create dead animal (size -1/0/+1) +2
Create insect +2

Create dead animal (size +2/+3) +3
Create living animal (size -5/-4) +3

Create dead animal (size +4/+5) +4
Stop disease +4

Heal body level +5

Create living animal (size -3/-2) +6

Create living animal (size -1/0/+1) +7
Create insect swarm +7
C. tiny magical beast (size -5/-4) +7
Heal two body levels +7
Restore lost sense +7
Restore lost limb +7
Cure disease & effects +7

Create living animal (size +2/+3) +8
C. small magical beast (size -3/-2) +8
Heal four body levels +8

Create living animal (size +4/+5) +9
C. med. magical beast (size -1/0/+1) +9
Heal six body levels +9

C. large magical beast (size +2/+3) +10
Heal eight body levels +10

C. v. large magical beast (size +4/+5) +11
Heal ten body levels +11

Create a dragon +12
Heal twelve body levels +12

Raise an animal from the dead +13 (ritual)

(Complex or powerful creatures may require additional magnitudes to create)

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Next, check for requisites.

Finally compare the total magnitude modifier for the spell, minimum 0, with Table 4 to determine the level of the spell (in game terms).

Table 4 - Spell Magnitudes and Levels

Total modifier: Spell level:
0 1
+1 2
+2 3
+3 4
+4 5
+5 10
+6 15
+7 20
+8 25
+9 30
+10 35

additional +1 +5

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Note, for game balance... some Technique Form combinations might seem to offer powerful effects for "less" than others... but this balances the need with some techniques to extend range, duration and target (e.g. Auram spells).

One of the conclusions of taking this approach is that is becomes more obvious that one could cast a spells with duration Sun/Instant as duration Diameter for one magnitude less, and still add vis for an "Instant" effect.

(This was always possible, it just becomes more obvious).

On solution, as this makes "instant" spells too easy, is to impose modifiers, +1 or more, if a spell is to be designed to be used with vis. Or demand a minimum of "sun" duration before vis can be used to boost to an "instant" effect.

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The only problem that I find with the AM4e guidlines in the main sourcebook is where Perdo spells (PeAn, PeAq, PeHe, and PeVi) have a basic duration of "Instant". It makes more sense to change this to "Momentary"...

e.g.
(p. 132)

PeHe 15
Wizard's Autumn
(R: personal/sight, D: instant, T: boundary)

Causes all the deciduous leaves to turn brown and fall to the ground. The full process takes a minute. The trees do not bud again until next spring.

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Why is this "Instant"? The trees "heal" in their normal cycle, no property is permanently removed.

If I assume Wizard's Autumn to have a "momentary" duration... then I can imagine a spell six magnitudes higher with a more powerful "instant" effect:

PeHe 45
Wizard's Blight
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