A Different Kind of Magic

Manipulating Spirits

from Elemental Forums

I just finished reading Shakespeare's The Tempest. If you're familiar with the play, then you probably know about Prospero. If you don't, let me explain. Prospero was the Duke of Milan, until he was betrayed by his brother. The play starts with Prospero exiled on an island alone with his daughter, many years after the betrayal. During this time, Prospero has become an incredibly powerful magician.

One of the things I found interesting about this play was Prospero's style of magic, which is reflective of Renaissance beliefs about magic as a whole. Prospero gains his power through manipulation of the various spirits on the island, rather than through his own power. By manipulation, I don't mean mind control or other magical means to control them. I mean he uses mundane language and actions to get what he wants from the spirits and other supernatural beings he encounters.

I would like to see some of this sort of magic in addition to the traditional casting of spells. I imagine that the Cataclysm left many spirits and supernatural beings wandering the world of Elemental, and that the Sovereign should be able to contact and enlist these spirits, should he choose. His ability to recruit them should be based on his diplomacy ability, as opposed to magical skill. There could be many different ways to enlist these creatures to your cause, either through doing a quest for them or simply convincing them that joining your side is the best option for them. A sovereign's success at such an attempt would depend on their ability to see what the being wanted and appealing to that. I believe that a feature like this would enhance gameplay by deepening the gameworld.

7,289 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Well if it's not in vanilla the RPG-esque system and mod ability should make this a snap to implement (Though I imagine they'll have quests to get certain higher-level forces on your side).

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

So, diplomacy = magic?

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

An interesting idea, and I love the Tempest, but I'm not sure it's necessary for the initial release.

Also, while Prospero used spirits to accomplish his magic in the play, he also threatened to bind Ariel to a tree for 12 years if the spirit misbehaved (as well as initially freeing him/her/it from more or less the same situation).  Clearly, he has some power of his own.  (Just to be annoyingly contrarian.)

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Lord, reply 2
So, diplomacy = magic?
End of Lord's quote

Maybe, sorta. The OP reminds me of the older discussions about Independent Kingdoms/Powers and how they might connect to the questing system.

The devs are apparently planning to work on backstory steadily rather than leaving it until the final polishing stages before RTM, so they should have plenty of opportunities to build in entities and/or quests that could do something along the lines of Prospero's situation. They might balk at something like a bound spirit, but surely we'll at least see some unique spells (or possibly even spell research lines) available only via some sort of 'arrangement' with an elder power (Cataclysm survivor).

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Basically a kind of necromancy?

I'd pretty much vote for ripping off D20 magic for a start.  E.g. Arcane magic, Divine magic, Warlock magic, Sorcery magic, Elemental magic yaddah yaddah.  I would like to see magic taken beyond MoM's stereotypical poles, though that's a good start as well. Might as well rip-off everything that has come before: e.g. spirit eating (NWN2:MOTB), golem creation, miscellaneous Conjuration, etc...