Wild west RP concept

[Guyshane]

So this is an idea for an RP I've been mulling over in my head for a while, the chat yesterday inspired me to write it down and get feedback. I would like to stress that this is not active. Hell I don't even have the setting or the backstory perfect yet and the power sets might be up for some tweaking. Also I need to get some GMing pointers before I start. Aside from all that, read tell me what you think because constructive criticism is good.

RP concept: wild west wizards (really needs a better name)

Setting:
Alternate universe old west. This will include alternate versions of western states. This version of the West is covered in constant sandstorm due to backstory, these sandstorms vary in intensity from difficult to walk through to striping flesh from bone. Towns and major roads have runed pillars, which project a warding blocking sand and some monsters (more on that later). Tribes in the setting have set up their own versions of warding. Bandits will often operate in sandstorms but close to the roads, often wearing heavy-duty clothing or a minor warding to protect themselves. Animal life has survived, somehow (something that I need to iron out). This all takes place about 20 years after this universe’s version civil war.

Backstory:
During this universe’s American civil war (note: I am unsure whether it will be for the same reasons as the actual American civil war or not I figure I’ll ask you guys about it)…Sorry what was I saying? Ah, yes the backstory. So during the war a wizard found a map to a location of a temple of the Precursors (Precursors are a race of ubermagic people who were here before humans who disappeared for an unknown reason) he managed to convince most of his company to come with him to seize the (rumored) power and riches. While it is completely certain that they got to the temple and were living there for a couple weeks. Then something happened, its unclear what but whatever it was unleashed strange magics with odd effects, the sandstorms being the most visible of them. Reconstruction has been ongoing since the war ended and people have begun moving west in spite of the dangers. However the entropry has increased of late.

Character:
As you may have guessed by the title you play a wizard in the American frontier/ old west. You guys can interact however you want: fight each other, make a huge alliance, make smaller alliances which fight each other, team up and raise emus. Whatever floats your boat. I think it’s pretty clear what the end game goal is but how you get there will all depend on how you interact with each other. You can make your backstory what you want. Everyone can have two weapons to start with, one magical foci (examples: staff, blasting rod, crystal ball, doll) and one physical weapon (melee or gun). Everyone gets one kind of magic. Using any type of magic to rapidly will tax you mentally and magically. Your characters will start at the town that is the edge of the frontier (to be determined where that is).

Magic types

Necromancy: Communication with and control over the dead. Can talk with the dead to discover information, ask spirits for help, summon zombies. The more powerful the undead the more difficult to affect. You can also consume spirits to increase your own strength. You can only mess with the dead, living souls are outside your reach. How the necromancer treats the dead can have repercussions good or bad. Slang term for a necromancer is Grave.

Creation: You can create things both living and non-living. The best way I can describe this magic is like casting an illusion on reality. Your thoughts affect the things you make and if you cant hold the idea of the object in your mind as summoned it will change radically or just outright collapse, so great mental focus is needed. Also the power is limited or it would be over powered. The objects made last as long proportional to how much power you put in. You can make them permanent by using almost all of your full power. Slang is Maker

Probability: You alter probabilities for various effects. This can be good luck for you, hexes on enemies, making the impossible possible (RARELY), go wild. If you aren’t careful about manipulating probabilities it can mess up chance in a localized area with various odd effects (raining chickens, liquefied cows, etc.). Also causing too much good or bad luck for someone will eventually cause the other shoe to drop (burst of the opposite until their luck re-establishes itself to normal terms). Slang is Ace

Telekinesis: Move objects with your mind. This can also be used for force blasts and shields (though making them out of force would be more difficult than just moving an object for the same goal). The heavier the object the more power you use in moving it, farther the distance the more power is required. Also this power is a bit difficult to contain and can result in poltergeist-esque activity if one isn’t careful. Slang is Controller

Anti-magic: Magic that affects other magic, all other mages should fear you! BWAHAHA!!!...Anyway you can affect other magic. Its easier to absorb the other magic than to outright undo it. Absorbing magic can help increase your magic reserves (mental strain stays though) but undoing magic will disorient the other mage. Also if you don’t put enough power in the other mage can overpower the anti-magic. Slang is Blocker

Enchanting: Using runes to enchant objects to give them various effects. I feel this is fairly self-explanatory but some things should be clarified. This is slower than most other magic. The trade off is that it is much more stable than other magic and is more difficult to be absorbed or negated by anti-magic. It also can be used as a constant spell (this is how the wards work) or it can be activated as a brief burst to say give your weapon a boost or be used in a trap. You can’t cast spell mid-battle with this, they require more time than that. Slang is Writer.

Portals: You can use interconnecting spatial portals. These can be used for the standard function of teleporting, also you can use them for other effects such as blades or you could link one portal to various portals. The greater the distance your traveling or the bigger the portal the more power it takes to maintain. You need to be careful with portals since they have a priority on space and will cut anything in their path, also opening a portal to a location you don’t know will result in a randomized portal. Slang is Door.

Chemerism: You can turn various body parts into those of animals. In addition you can create wings for yourself without sacrificing your arms, turn into animals with enough focus and even turn into an actual chimera (amalgamation of animals, not the Greek myth chimera). Using this power allows you to be affected by the minds of the animals you are using, sustained use of this power for a long period can have allow the minds of the animals to affect you while not channeling your power. Also the clothes wont survive mass changes unless you have them enchanted to do so. Slang is Skinwalker.

[Victin]

I like this one. I think the magic types need some better outlines, as long with some improvement, because they look kinda arbitrary for me. I mean, I'd play as it is right now, though I'd like it more with some kind of change in the magic powers (minor change, major change, w/e; I'm kind of having a hard time explaining myself here. I suppose if I were to tell what exactly bothers me with each type of magic, but... I dunno if I'd be annoying you nor if I have time to type such Wall of Text)

[agoraoptera]

You make me sad, because I don't know which magic type to go for (Probability reminds me a whole lot of Wilders)
Consider me very interested.

[JackAlsworth]

Wait, so the school of probability is fate wizards?

[agoraoptera]

Wait, so the school of probability is fate wizards?

Ooo I saw it more as messing with likelihoods than actual manipulation of fate itself. (Or maybe I just have a different conception of fate magic... Yeah, that's more likely )

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

What Agora said. So... many... options...

(on the one hand, bater. on the other hand, Door. On the third hand, why limit myself to powers that consist of what I think of as Pratchett or Gaiman references? XD)

It looks confusing, but... fun. Definitely fun.

[Endless Sea]

As hilariously abuseable as screwing with fate would be, fate in and of itself is kind of not something I'd like to work with. Predestination doesn't sit too well with me- it's like railroading, except more. To be fair, I doubt there's gonna be something along the lines of, say, RoH-style chosen ones and stuff in the RP proper, and I wouldn't throw up much of a fuss if there was; just wanted to say my two bits.

[Victin]

Actually Shane spoke about liquid cows and chicken rain. I don't see how luck can affect that. I have a few ideas for spells which I believe would fit this class, because it fits no other. Though I'd like to pair with a Maker. And maybe a Writer.

[Endless Sea]

Actually Shane spoke about liquid cows and chicken rain. I don't see how luck can affect that.

...?

Also, I'm suddenly having ideas for a Mass Effect/Dead Space RP of some sort. I have no idea why. *shrug*

[Victin]

Actually Shane spoke about liquid cows and chicken rain. I don't see how luck can affect that.

...?

Also, I'm suddenly having ideas for a Mass Effect/Dead Space RP of some sort. I have no idea why. *shrug*

*facepalm*

It's nonsense to have liquid cows, that means there is some reality warping asides from the "luck/fate/with elephants" part.

[AMimsyBorogove]

"Manipulation of fate?"



Silly rabbit! Manipulating fate is for Remilia. =P

[Scarab]

*Takes a deep breath and repeats to herself* I do not have time to be taking on anymore projects, I do not have time to be taking on anymore projects, I do not have time to be taking on anymore... Damn but these new RPs look interesting...

[Guyshane]

People it isn't fate its probabilities. Its manipulating your luck or someone else's luck. as for the raining chickens or liquified cows bit its if you go messing with a lot of probabilities in a short amount of times it can lead to ridiculously unlikely probabilities coming to pass

[Victin]

People it isn't fate its probabilities. Its manipulating your luck or someone else's luck. as for the raining chickens or liquified cows bit its if you go messing with a lot of probabilities in a short amount of times it can lead to ridiculously unlikely probabilities coming to pass

But can I conjure myself bouncy? And liquefy my enemies?

[Scarab]

People it isn't fate its probabilities. Its manipulating your luck or someone else's luck. as for the raining chickens or liquified cows bit its if you go messing with a lot of probabilities in a short amount of times it can lead to ridiculously unlikely probabilities coming to pass

But can I conjure myself bouncy? And liquefy my enemies?

I think you might be able to but... well observe the rulwes, there are a lot of limits on what can and cannot be done with magic. I guess you could use enchanting for the most stable, um... bounciness? I dunno guys, this sort of thing is confusing to me.

[Guyshane]

Well I suppose they are a numeric possibility, but I would need to work out balancing on stuff like that both in terms of in-game and in possible magical repercussions. Also Scarab would be correct to say that enchanting would be an easier way of doing it

[Victin]

Well I suppose they are a numeric possibility, but I would need to work out balancing on stuff like that both in terms of in-game and in possible magical repercussions. Also Scarab would be correct to say that enchanting would be an easier way of doing it

Yeah, I supposed that for the bounciness part it'd be easier for me to enchant myself bouncy, though I'm not sure how to enchant my enemies liquid... Can I enchant them on fire?

[Guyshane]

Well I suppose they are a numeric possibility, but I would need to work out balancing on stuff like that both in terms of in-game and in possible magical repercussions. Also Scarab would be correct to say that enchanting would be an easier way of doing it

Yeah, I supposed that for the bounciness part it'd be easier for me to enchant myself bouncy, though I'm not sure how to enchant my enemies liquid... Can I enchant them on fire?

If they were willing to stand there and let you cast the enchantment on them. It would be easier to set an enchantment that causes fire as a trap.

[Victin]

So which class would be more fitting to cast fireballs and stuff?

[Guyshane]

None of them. I chose these magic types specifically so you guys would use them in different ways than you normally would elemental magic is all well and good but a lot of time the cooler things happen outside the norm. okay I suppose Creation could allow you to throw fire balls but thats a rather uncreative use of the power.

[Victin]

None of them. I chose these magic types specifically so you guys would use them in different ways than you normally would elemental magic is all well and good but a lot of time the cooler things happen outside the norm. okay I suppose Creation could allow you to throw fire balls but thats a rather uncreative use of the power.

Unless the fireball is an illusion and you are actually firing ice at your enemy

EDIT: Can I create a portal at the edge of my blade?

[Guyshane]

None of them. I chose these magic types specifically so you guys would use them in different ways than you normally would elemental magic is all well and good but a lot of time the cooler things happen outside the norm. okay I suppose Creation could allow you to throw fire balls but thats a rather uncreative use of the power.

Unless the fireball is an illusion and you are actually firing ice at your enemy

EDIT: Can I create a portal at the edge of my blade?

Not how the creation power actually works, I was using the illusion thing as a descriptor of the focus required to use the power. And you can create the portal on the edge of your blade, but why bother? The portal will cut through anything in the space it is opened in.

[Victin]

None of them. I chose these magic types specifically so you guys would use them in different ways than you normally would elemental magic is all well and good but a lot of time the cooler things happen outside the norm. okay I suppose Creation could allow you to throw fire balls but thats a rather uncreative use of the power.

Unless the fireball is an illusion and you are actually firing ice at your enemy

EDIT: Can I create a portal at the edge of my blade?

Not how the creation power actually works, I was using the illusion thing as a descriptor of the focus required to use the power. And you can create the portal on the edge of your blade, but why bother? The portal will cut through anything in the space it is opened in.

That's why I'd create it at the edge of my blade. Ultimate cutting edge.

[Guyshane]

Your hearing me but missing the point. The edge of the portal cuts through space itself, It already is the ultimate cutting edge. Hell for that matter a sword would be duller than the portal edge

[Endless Sea]

Victin, I think the point Guyshane's trying to make here is that, well, why bother with a sword when you've got portals?