#160 possible magic system

[Konstantin Stupnik]

Most serious problem about magic in systems
without classes is that it is hard to
make it so that magic is not far more efficient
than melee combat.
Here is idea about a little bit different magic system,
that should support player, but will
not become main weapon.

Primary attribute concerning magic is
"mana transfer bandwidth" :)
This is amount of mana that
character can absorb from space around
him in a certain period of time.
The spell is combination of runes.
After player pronounced the spell runeword,
spell is starting to charge (with
speed depending mtb).
After spell was charged, it can be released.
This process can fail either in beginning
(failed to start spell charging) or at the
end (failed to release the spell).

Runewords are combined according to quite simple rules.

Example:
{element}+{concatenation metarune}+
{power amplyfier}+{concatenation metarune}+
{spell application area}

Particular concatenation metarune depends on total
length of runeword.
i.e. for spell above "concatenation metarune for 3 runes"
should be used.
{power amplyfier} can be omitted, to release very
basic and week (and cheap) spell.

There can be more metarunes, like {mix elements}
metarune to achive something like {fire}+{ice}={water}/
{steam}.

runes and metarunes are both affected by "required
intellegence" limits.
This limits can work like this:
If rune that require intellegence 40 is about to be used
in a spell,
and char have intellegence between 35 and 40,
he still can cast spell with this rune, but with much
lesser chance.
Probabilities of casting are distributed between
int limit-5 and int limit+5.
i.e. if intellegence is greater that limit by 5 or more,
this rune will not affect whole spell casting probability.
Different runes are checked independently during spell
cast probability check.

Runes and spells can be found in a spellbooks.
String values for runes are generated at the beginning
of the game or choosed randomly from large enough
amount of statically predefined values.

Very first time player is using rune, he can
1) read it from the book. if casted successfully,
it is automatically added to his personal spellbook.
or
2) Type by letter by letter manually :)
Once again - if spell succeeded, it is added to
spellbook.

Later on player can cast known spells from his spellbook.
Spellbook have no material incarnation it is metaentity in
players mind :)

Oooph. Sorry for my english.
I can type more or less correctly, but this require a lot
of time :)