Explaining Sorcery in Game Terms

[Sneaky Git]

I know that there has been a ton of talk about how magic works, how to make speels, and whatnot... And I know that the rules suggest that "as a general guideline sorcery is scientific in it application but not its effect." (Revised Ed. p110)

I certainly belong to the school of thought that magic is magic.  And here is my problem (although "problem" might be too strong a word).  I want to explain magic in game terms... Mages don't accelerate molecules in order to start a fire, they __________.

What I'm saying is this.. how would the sorcerers in a Weyrth-like reality describe what they do?  How they do it?  Would they even try?

Oh, and another question...am I correct in assuming that every spell with a duration greater than instant needs Summoning?  If not, when does Summoning apply?

What do you think?

Chris

[Sneaky Git]

I know that there has been a ton of talk about how magic works, how to make speels, and whatnot...

Ahem... "spells" even.

Doh.

[Brian Leybourne]

I'm not even going to begin to tackle the rest of your message (because I'm tired of talking about it AGAIN) but as for your last question...

Yes, Summoning is used to fuel the Duration component of spells. Duration 1 requires Summoning 1, right through to Duration 3 that requires Summoning 3.

Brian.

[Sneaky Git]

I'm not even going to begin to tackle the rest of your message (because I'm tired of talking about it AGAIN)

Sorry. Didn't mean for it to be a live grenade.

but as for your last question...

Yes, Summoning is used to fuel the Duration component of spells. Duration 1 requires Summoning 1, right through to Duration 3 that requires Summoning 3.

Brian.

Cool.  Thanks.

Chris

[Brian Leybourne]

I'm not even going to begin to tackle the rest of your message (because I'm tired of talking about it AGAIN)

Sorry. Didn't mean for it to be a live grenade.

Yeah, sorry, that was a bit rude. I probably should have dropped a smiley in there, it's just one of those topics that seems to come up again and again, every couple of months and after a while you get sick of talking about it :-)

Brian.

[Lance D. Allen]

To make a fire, sorcerers rapidly increase the temperature in a specific location.

To make something/someone grow/shrink, they simply expand/contract their aura, forcing their body to mirror it.

Illusions are sculpted out of light and shadow.

Or perhaps they simply push <vagary> in just this certain way, like their master taught them, to get this effect, and combine it with this effect... voila!

[Sneaky Git]

Yeah, sorry, that was a bit rude. I probably should have dropped a smiley in there, it's just one of those topics that seems to come up again and again, every couple of months and after a while you get sick of talking about it :-)

Brian.

Thanks... and no harm no foul.   That's what I like about this place...  Lots of polite folks all interested in (basically) the same thing (TRoS... duh).

To make a fire, sorcerers rapidly increase the temperature in a specific location.

To make something/someone grow/shrink, they simply expand/contract their aura, forcing their body to mirror it.

Illusions are sculpted out of light and shadow.

Or perhaps they simply push <vagary> in just this certain way, like their master taught them, to get this effect, and combine it with this effect... voila!

Cool!  Now that's what I'm talkin about!  Thanks!

Chris