blk@syteka.UUCP (Brian L. Kahn) (04/09/85)
net.games.frp.physics is a great idea! I'm a technical type, and i always enjoy a game more when there is a semi-plausible physical explanation. This also helps figure out tricky questions, such as mana depletion. In my system, the power source for magic is good old gravity. As an energy source, gravity never goes away. HOWEVER, the difficult part in performing magic is manipulating those flux lines (or gravity waves?) do make changes in the physical level - sometimes very subtle (illusion) and sometimes very gross (fireballs!). Most physics minded folks know that gravity does odd things on our planet, depending upon the structure of the planet's crust. This makes for 'mana' rich and poor areas. If the force lines are all messed up, magic don't work so good. Performing magic disturbs and distorts these force lines, when the magic is in effect and power is being drawn. After the magic settles down, the mana level usually comes back up, too. Strong or repeated magic, on the other hand, makes permanent changes. This is why some areas feel magical, even when no spells are in effect. These areas can be permanently messed up. So mana is tied up in strong spells, and can be permanently messed up by magical battles or some such. I use this same reasoning to explain why metal messes up magic (magnetic flux lines confuse spells) and why gems and crystals can be given magical properties. B<
slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (04/23/85)
> Hey, come on guys! Do we need a new group for this? There is little > enough traffic in net.games.frp, how about just posting this stuff > here. I agree! The items proposed for frp.physics are exactly the sort of thing I'd like to see in plain old frp. How many newsgroups do we need, anyway? -- Sue Brezden Real World: Room 1B17 Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb AT&T Information Systems 11900 North Pecos Westminster, Co. 80234 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honk if you love Shiva! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~