Arcane Magic as an Inherant Evil - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Arcane Magic as an Inherant Evil

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
inkpenavenger
Oct 30, 2010 22:17:53
What could be a logical rationale in a campaign setting that would make arcane power inherantly evil? What sort of mechanics might that entail for a PC using arcane magic and slowly sliding into depravity?
#2
Grimbus
Oct 31, 2010 7:10:37 In a battle between mortals and the gods, a bunch of arcane wizards managed to slay/injure/banish a god using arcane magic. The god now lives in hades or whatever the campaign equivalent is. The dying god/ the god's sibling(s) cursed arcane magic. The result is a divine curse which affects anyone who uses divine magic.

SA simple mechanic - any PC using an arcane spell rolls a D20 and adds the spells level. Any roll over 20 gets a "curse point". When the number of curse points exceeds the character's wisdom score, then the character is lost.

You may invent effects or potions to ameliorate this effect.

#3
David
Nov 06, 2010 10:43:40 Arcane magic was never meant to be. Divine magic is the only kind of magic the gods allow. Arcane magic is a corruption of divine magic and therefore ''evil''.

It's possible that some mages become very strong and long-lived by using arcane magic. One might even say they are almost godlike. Surely, the strongest of them was the fiend who invented arcane magic in the first place.
#4
catskilleagle
Nov 06, 2010 12:58:44 Maybe people just think it's evil. Maybe the despot who forged the last great empire heard a prophecy about how wizards would dethrone his son. Through a series of purges, (a program of pograms?) he destroyed the centers of arcane lore, tore down temples to gods of the arcane and programmed generations to believe arcane magic was evil...

This can mean some great plot twists later in the campaign. It also leaves arcane power sources more open to the PCs. You can still play arcane classes without being evil. You just have to keep it a secret.

And you'll want to consider what it means to have arcana as a trained skill...
#5
kezian2late
Nov 07, 2010 10:11:11 You could use "magic is dangerous" instead of "magic is evil". Think to Dark Sun or Wheel of Time: in the former, magic is actively damaging to the world unless carefully controlled. Of course, nobody cares about the "control" part and only cares about the "damaging" part. In Wheel of Time, it's so rare that people are suspicious and superstitious about it. Also, using magic too much makes you go crazy, so there's that too.

Mechanically, I don't think you should have serious "oops, you died from using your powers too much" mechanics in operation. Perhaps something more like arcane daily powers causing the character to be fatigued until the end of the encounter, or granting combat advantage to adjacent enemies for a turn. The long term effects might not even be mechanical, instead manifesting in the form of rotting flesh, sunken (or glowing) eyes, and tendrils of magical flame crawling across the skin. You might want to take a look at the Taint and Corruption rules from Heroes of Horror, which was either a supplement for 3.5.

In fact, now that I've got that idea going, Taint might be the best method. The penalties are somewhat minor at first, only getting serious if the character starts abusing their power all the time. To avoid losing characters to random chance, you should also provide a taint-removal system, like "every day you don't use an arcane daily power you lose one point of Taint" or, if you are using 3.5, "every day you don't cast a spell from the wizard/sorcerer spell list you lose one point of Taint". This would keep characters manageable, and only present problems if the heroes are on a really long adventure and don't rest or travel frequently.

As for the logical rationale you were looking for, I'm thinking Things that man was not meant to know. Arcane magic could consist of siphoning the reality-warping energies of the far realm to temporarily supersede the laws of physics. Using arcane magic thus damages both the mind and the body. People fear arcane practitioners because they so often go cackling mad and try to kill everyone around them. Or, to expand upon Grimbus's idea, the god of magic could be evil, and the god wants reality torn asunder so that pure energy and madness can reign. Evil magic tends to have an evil source, so that's where I'm coming from.

tl,dr;
Don't have serious effects so that players can still use arcane magic.
Magic has dangerous side effects.
Magic has an evil or dangerous source.
#6
Leafar
Nov 07, 2010 18:22:00 If you have a moment, please go to my "Your Votes Will Create This World" thread and please place a vote. It is Round VI, the last round, and this world can finally be born. Thanks! : )
#7
Lord_Ventnor
Nov 07, 2010 22:25:52 Why not take a leaf from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting? Arcane Defiling sounds like the kind of thing you might be looking for.
#8
eyesofargus
Nov 30, 2010 13:14:33 All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator.
#9
pruano
Nov 30, 2010 14:24:46
Why not take a leaf from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting? Arcane Defiling sounds like the kind of thing you might be looking for.

Yeah, you can do a Pre-Apocalipse Dark Sun campaign.
#10
AdmiralRanger
Dec 01, 2010 3:36:08 I made a concept for a campain based on Dark Sun where magic drains life force. Any mage who tries to use magic for good must drain his own life force. This is pretty lefal exept to multiclass charecters. Also I made a vastly simplified version of the Taint mecanics for a howmbrew game system. I will just post them below. I recommend the Taint rules though these are only for if you do not have Heroes of Horror. (or in my case did not feel it fited in to the feel of the setting.

Soulblight
Soulblight represents the corrupting taint of evil magic. Those who use evil magic earn soulblight. The spell description of the spell, magic item or monster will tell you how much soulblight you get for using it. Rather than bring a game mechanical penalty soulblight determines how you play your character.

Good intentions

Up to one half will

You manage to fight off the corruption. No effect yet.

Between one half and equal to will

You still have good intentions but you no longer have the emotional attachment to those you protect. Other than close friends and family you no longer really care about people’s suffering; in fact it can be quite funny...

Higher than Will

You no longer bother protecting lesser beings. You might still care about close friends and family but otherwise you are a creature of evil that relishes the pain of others.

Evil or self centred

You become more inclined to pointless violence and cruelty but mostly you are unaffected.

Neutral (accidently contaminated)

Up to one half will

Start to tend towards selfishness and enjoying pain in others.

Higher than one half

You are an evil monster that exists only to feed on others pain.

Higher than will

Your human mind is completely consumed. You are now a mere animal fit only to be put down.

#11
AdmiralRanger
Dec 01, 2010 3:37:02
All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator.

Some body seems to miss the point of aracne magic.
#12
eyesofargus
Dec 01, 2010 13:02:05
All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator.

Some body seems to miss the point of aracne magic.

The warlock says hi.
#13
Grimbus
Dec 09, 2010 19:11:06
Who cares? The OP has long gone.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 inkpenavenger Oct 30, 2010 22:17:53	What could be a logical rationale in a campaign setting that would make arcane power inherantly evil? What sort of mechanics might that entail for a PC using arcane magic and slowly sliding into depravity?
#2 Grimbus Oct 31, 2010 7:10:37	In a battle between mortals and the gods, a bunch of arcane wizards managed to slay/injure/banish a god using arcane magic. The god now lives in hades or whatever the campaign equivalent is. The dying god/ the god's sibling(s) cursed arcane magic. The result is a divine curse which affects anyone who uses divine magic. SA simple mechanic - any PC using an arcane spell rolls a D20 and adds the spells level. Any roll over 20 gets a "curse point". When the number of curse points exceeds the character's wisdom score, then the character is lost. You may invent effects or potions to ameliorate this effect.
#3 David Nov 06, 2010 10:43:40	Arcane magic was never meant to be. Divine magic is the only kind of magic the gods allow. Arcane magic is a corruption of divine magic and therefore ''evil''. It's possible that some mages become very strong and long-lived by using arcane magic. One might even say they are almost godlike. Surely, the strongest of them was the fiend who invented arcane magic in the first place.
#4 catskilleagle Nov 06, 2010 12:58:44	Maybe people just think it's evil. Maybe the despot who forged the last great empire heard a prophecy about how wizards would dethrone his son. Through a series of purges, (a program of pograms?) he destroyed the centers of arcane lore, tore down temples to gods of the arcane and programmed generations to believe arcane magic was evil... This can mean some great plot twists later in the campaign. It also leaves arcane power sources more open to the PCs. You can still play arcane classes without being evil. You just have to keep it a secret. And you'll want to consider what it means to have arcana as a trained skill...
#5 kezian2late Nov 07, 2010 10:11:11	You could use "magic is dangerous" instead of "magic is evil". Think to Dark Sun or Wheel of Time: in the former, magic is actively damaging to the world unless carefully controlled. Of course, nobody cares about the "control" part and only cares about the "damaging" part. In Wheel of Time, it's so rare that people are suspicious and superstitious about it. Also, using magic too much makes you go crazy, so there's that too. Mechanically, I don't think you should have serious "oops, you died from using your powers too much" mechanics in operation. Perhaps something more like arcane daily powers causing the character to be fatigued until the end of the encounter, or granting combat advantage to adjacent enemies for a turn. The long term effects might not even be mechanical, instead manifesting in the form of rotting flesh, sunken (or glowing) eyes, and tendrils of magical flame crawling across the skin. You might want to take a look at the Taint and Corruption rules from Heroes of Horror, which was either a supplement for 3.5. In fact, now that I've got that idea going, Taint might be the best method. The penalties are somewhat minor at first, only getting serious if the character starts abusing their power all the time. To avoid losing characters to random chance, you should also provide a taint-removal system, like "every day you don't use an arcane daily power you lose one point of Taint" or, if you are using 3.5, "every day you don't cast a spell from the wizard/sorcerer spell list you lose one point of Taint". This would keep characters manageable, and only present problems if the heroes are on a really long adventure and don't rest or travel frequently. As for the logical rationale you were looking for, I'm thinking Things that man was not meant to know. Arcane magic could consist of siphoning the reality-warping energies of the far realm to temporarily supersede the laws of physics. Using arcane magic thus damages both the mind and the body. People fear arcane practitioners because they so often go cackling mad and try to kill everyone around them. Or, to expand upon Grimbus's idea, the god of magic could be evil, and the god wants reality torn asunder so that pure energy and madness can reign. Evil magic tends to have an evil source, so that's where I'm coming from. tl,dr; Don't have serious effects so that players can still use arcane magic. Magic has dangerous side effects. Magic has an evil or dangerous source.
#6 Leafar Nov 07, 2010 18:22:00	If you have a moment, please go to my "Your Votes Will Create This World" thread and please place a vote. It is Round VI, the last round, and this world can finally be born. Thanks! : )
#7 Lord_Ventnor Nov 07, 2010 22:25:52	Why not take a leaf from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting? Arcane Defiling sounds like the kind of thing you might be looking for.
#8 eyesofargus Nov 30, 2010 13:14:33	All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator.
#9 pruano Nov 30, 2010 14:24:46	Why not take a leaf from the Dark Sun Campaign Setting? Arcane Defiling sounds like the kind of thing you might be looking for. Yeah, you can do a Pre-Apocalipse Dark Sun campaign.
#10 AdmiralRanger Dec 01, 2010 3:36:08	I made a concept for a campain based on Dark Sun where magic drains life force. Any mage who tries to use magic for good must drain his own life force. This is pretty lefal exept to multiclass charecters. Also I made a vastly simplified version of the Taint mecanics for a howmbrew game system. I will just post them below. I recommend the Taint rules though these are only for if you do not have Heroes of Horror. (or in my case did not feel it fited in to the feel of the setting. Soulblight Soulblight represents the corrupting taint of evil magic. Those who use evil magic earn soulblight. The spell description of the spell, magic item or monster will tell you how much soulblight you get for using it. Rather than bring a game mechanical penalty soulblight determines how you play your character. Good intentions Up to one half will You manage to fight off the corruption. No effect yet. Between one half and equal to will You still have good intentions but you no longer have the emotional attachment to those you protect. Other than close friends and family you no longer really care about people’s suffering; in fact it can be quite funny... Higher than Will You no longer bother protecting lesser beings. You might still care about close friends and family but otherwise you are a creature of evil that relishes the pain of others. Evil or self centred You become more inclined to pointless violence and cruelty but mostly you are unaffected. Neutral (accidently contaminated) Up to one half will Start to tend towards selfishness and enjoying pain in others. Higher than one half You are an evil monster that exists only to feed on others pain. Higher than will Your human mind is completely consumed. You are now a mere animal fit only to be put down.
#11 AdmiralRanger Dec 01, 2010 3:37:02	All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator. Some body seems to miss the point of aracne magic.
#12 eyesofargus Dec 01, 2010 13:02:05	All arcane magic is derived from evil beings. If you use the arcane power source, foul spirits will be able to constantly influence the world around you. You are a walking plothook generator. Some body seems to miss the point of aracne magic. The warlock says hi.
#13 Grimbus Dec 09, 2010 19:11:06	Who cares? The OP has long gone.