I have this image in my head of a sky-high tower. Legends say this ancient spire is a monument to (possibly the birth) of magic. Also described as home of the gods. Magic is commonly thought of as a gift of the gods; so who knows, maybe both are accurate?
‘Magic is a gift of the gods’ has me thinking about an interesting wrinkle for a DDN homebrew: The line between arcane and divine magic is blurred.
I need ideas on how to bring this out in the setting. Preferably tweaks, rather than all-out spellcaster re-writes (just wanna capture that flavor). BTW All races and classes available, no restrictions.
I’m aware of Ptolus, the City by the Spire but only by name. I only know it’s a freakishly huge book. Borrowing a bit of imagery 
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If anybody can help me get my creative juices flowing, it's you guys-n-gals Thank you.
In the days of old, the land was ruled by three great wizards. They were masters of magic far beyond anything known today. Their zest for life was their downfall though and they began to succumb to lichdom. Realizing that magically prolonging their lives was going to turn them evil the wizards forged a great tower and warded it so completely that as liches they would never be allowed to escape. Now years later the doors to the tower remain sealed. The wards cause the tower to radiate magic in all sorts of wonderful ways. Such powerful magic draws all sorts of creatures to the city. The dark of night is no safe place in this city.
A cult has arisen that worships the beings who live in the tower. This cult is entirely made up of young beautiful women dressed in white who carry messages from citizens to the "Seers". If the question is worded perfectly the Seers use their magic to give you the answer or possible even to aid you in your quest. If though the question is poorly worded or has some loophole the Seers set about to assure your downfall. You become branded with a mark that causes creatures far and wide to seek you out and destroy you. Only the bravest or most foolhardy ever dare ask the Seers a question but it is rumored that they have knowledge of strange magics and wondrous powers that few hardy adventurers can resist forever.
On the last Fall day of the year, the cult marches through the city in total silence. They climb a twisting set of stone stairs up to the tower. They then circle a great pit and toss sacrifices into it. It is said messages sent up at this time are given special consideration. New cultists are inducted and those who have served long enough are tossed into the pit. No one knows the powerful hold these "Seers" have over these women. For whatever reason a young girl will just join the cult to the dismay and consternation of her parents. Should anyone interfere in her duties though they gain the ire of the "Seers" so no one dare interfere lightly.
Adventure idea #1
1. The PCs are told of an ancient tomb with vast wealth buried far beneath the earth. Only the Seers know it's location.
2. The PCs need someone to aid them in the asking of their question. The greatest soliciter in the city is currently on death row facing the Kings justice in a faraway land.
3. If the PCs rescue the solicitor there is little doubt he would aid them in asking the question.
4. If the PCs successfully rescue the soliciter he aids them in asking the question.
5. The PCs appear to have succeeded and set out on the quest.
6. The original person who told the PCs of the vast wealth hires a band of assassins to take you out. And get the location of the treasure.
7. The tomb itself.....I leave that to you :-).
Emerikol. wrote:
Haven't even started to imagine the city that surrounds the spire yet. Your ideas are great, Emerikol.
Cultists definitely fit the quasi-religious feel I'm imagining for magic (in general) here. Knew this thread would get my creative juices flowing . Thanks!
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I have a question for any interested: How might you blur the line between arcane and divine magic? In a flavor sense at least (although mechanical tweaks are cool too).
I'm struggling with a way to flavor magic as less myserious (less arcane ). Is it possible to 'blur the line' without losing the concept of the wizard, or making the cleric less distinct? If I elminate the line altogether, what does that mean for the spellcasting classes? It's just flavor I'm trying to capture but it still feels risky (for lack of a better word).
I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you.
An excerpt from a Giant In The Playground Games article might help. In this case, it is based on Divine and Arcane magic coming from the same source (in this case, represented by the Sun and Moon):
If the power all flows from the same source, why can one class wear armor and one can't? Why can one class heal and the other can't?
One solution would be to alter the classes so significantly that you have wizards who can heal and clerics who can cast fireball, but I don't think that's a good idea here. This is a setting, not a new RPG, and the more fundamentally I change the classes, the less usable material from other sources will be in a campaign run in this world. So I want to keep the classes similar to their existing nature, but just tweak the story behind their powers.
I'm thinking now of the wizardry being more of a secret cult rather than a science. Wizardry involves the summoning and binding of spirits associated with the Sun and Moon, and then using words of power to extract magic. It's not as harsh as it first sounds, though, because the Sun and Moon ultimately created the spirits for that purpose. The wizards may worship their benefactor, but ultimately their spellcasting is essentially a craft, not a religious experience. In fact, what if the familiar was replaced with a Sun or Moon spirit made flesh, that was a literal sign of the wizard's bargain? I kind of like that, it has an old medieval feel to it. Since most citizens of the world worship the Sun or Moon, the idea of binding their servants is unpalatable, resulting in a need for secrecy about the wizards' means and identities. Wizardry might even be a capital offense in some nations, depending on local customs.
That leaves us with divine magic as more or less unchanged from the standard model: servants of a god that draw magic from their worship. Sun Clerics and Moon Clerics can basically divide up all the existing domains, and the idea of Sun Druids and Moon Druids is a very cool one. Moon Druids might only take on nocturnal animal companions, for example, and be more into shapeshifting. Heck, that might lead to a whole variant druid class for the Sun Druid.
Spelley, that is very helpful. Thank you so much. Gotta read the full article.
Have a feeling I might be saying that a few more times; so, just know I'm thankful for everyone .
I've decided that arcane magic will indeed be less mysterious; I'll reflavor spellcasting as spellcrafting. Crafting in the sense that wizards appretice themselves to another, in order to learn an art.
Also, llike handcrafters using natural, indigenous materials, wizards use magic in spellcrafting. Wizards are fulfilled by spellcrafting in much the same way clerics are in worshipping gods and recieving spells.
Still mulling over exact wording but that's the general direction I'm headed. Thinking about some mechanical tweaks now.