Visuals of Magic

[Hell_Born]

I know that Ravenloft is a low-magic setting, but eventually any party is going to run into magic, whether at the hands of an opponent or even at those of an arcanist ally (or party member). As Ravenloft is a setting where the "storytelling" style of play is the optimal one, cast spells should have a little more detail than "the Fireball explodes".

My question is this; how do you handle the "visuals" of magic? What do spells look like when they're cast? Is there any sort of "special effect" from a wizard (sorcerer, shadowcaster, whatever) as they begin to cast a spell? What do "generic" (+1 sword etc) magic items look like?

A personal idea on the matter is for the Shadowcaster, from Tome of Magic; the darkness seems "drawn" to the Shadowcaster- it doesn't actually move, or provide any concrete bonus, but in the eyes of the viewer the nearby patches of shadow seem to stretch and waver ever so slightly in his direction. When he prepares to cast, shadows and gloom coils and flows around him, shaping itself into an undulating umbral mass that silhouttes him. But I'm not too sure if that's suitable though...

Anyway, what's your answers to my questions?

[Jester of the FoS]

I like to describe the environment. A wind rustling papers despite the calmness a moment ago, odd scents and sounds, perhaps a trembling of the ground and dimming of the lights.

[Archedius]

Well for necromancy spells- I usually have the speech of the caster grow far heavier than normal- seemingly slowed. This goes along with their hand movements slowing as well seeming to broil the air around them. Those watching might see shapes on the edge of their periphery or think they hear the voices of the damned leaking up from the ground. Only for the 'dark' necromantic spells- some of them I don't count as evil.

[HuManBing]

I heard a really good idea on the DnD Wizards forum for necromancy spells.

The caster prepares his spell, and then whatever effects the spell would normally have, it takes effect on HIM first. His eyes seem to grow and his face seems to shrivel as his flesh turns a ghastly pallid grey...

Then, with an inhuman effort, he wrenches the effects off of himself, and targets an enemy, sending the magic across as an unholy shadow...


I liked that so much I think I'm going to use that in my next adventure

[Joël of the FoS]

I heard a really good idea on the DnD Wizards forum for necromancy spells.

The caster prepares his spell, and then whatever effects the spell would normally have, it takes effect on HIM first. His eyes seem to grow and his face seems to shrivel as his flesh turns a ghastly pallid grey...

Then, with an inhuman effort, he wrenches the effects off of himself, and targets an enemy, sending the magic across as an unholy shadow...

I liked that so much I think I'm going to use that in my next adventure

Cool idea, indeed

And it makes the PCs think twice before rumaging through the necromancer's spellbook

Joël

[Archedius]

wow- I like that idea better than mine. Makes your stomach turn to think how animate dead is cast...

[kottakinge]

Try to describe spells which can advantage your players.
A wizards who cast stoneskin or barksin have a visible effect so the warrior won't lose his time trying to put his sword in his stomach.
As spells are a rare thing they're spectacular.
A fireball will explode in a screaming sound, putting fire to everything.
The druid make a deep and long sound in order to call the thunder, the holy symbol of the priest shine in a bright halo and the wizards just put some disgusting things from his pouch to the air while singing a complex mantra.
Magic item need as often as possible a good background.
Not every +1 weapons, but in this case they're always from the best material and lighter that their mundane conterpart, even if the players can't detect magic he senses that this is a good sword.
I keep the idea from HumanBing for my next session, cool idea indeed

[Hell_Born]

First of all, what is the "manifestation" of animate dead under HumanBing's idea? Secondly, on the subject of magic items, how do you generally describe them? As Ravenloft isn't exactly the place for blades with a preternatural sheen or unbelievably beautiful craftsmanship, do you go the other direction and make all magic items look sinister and menacing instead? For example, a +1 sword might have a grip edged in bone -human bone- and the blade may be etched with what a historian can tell you to be curses against the wielder's enemies in an ancient, forgotten langauge.

[HuManBing]

Answers to your question:

First, it's not technically my idea, though I'm flattered and pleased that you think it is. Actually, I read it on the Wizards board and somebody else came up with it And just imagine if I were an unscrupulous gamer...!

But seriously, you ask a good question. Animate Dead forces the unliving to walk. Perhaps the caster becomes, for a brief moment during casting, the type of undead he's trying to animate? Maybe his bones seize up or something?

Secondly, in Masque of the Red Death, even minor enchanted magical items are somehow noteworthy. The 2nd ed. game described a Katana +1 that only keeps its bonus when it's in Japan, for example. I'd suggest that in each case the weapon might even have a dim Int score. If it's a +1 sword that's been used by a Falkovnian commander, for example, it might have a disquieting pulsing sensation of vigor or bloodlust or something similar when wielded.

D&D shouldn't be an equipment haul, and typical D&D falls prey to that a lot. Ravenloft is a chance to breathe some magic back into magical items! You can even hide the bonus from the players, so they judge more on their feelings towards the magical items (assuming it has an Int score and can react, otherwise then purely on appearance) rather than on a mere probability roll.

Once, a PC's magical mace clashed against an enemy's sword. There was a fair bit of sparks and crackling, which livened up the combat nicely.

[cpt_machine]

I feel doing something like this would be a little too extreme, sure have marvel/dc style flashs of energy when spells are cast but the fact the dead are rising up to kill you is bad enough, you dont need to drive that home by changing how the necromancer looks.

[Archedius]

a good point Captain- it all depends on the mood you want to strike up I suppose.