| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
In order the dissociate spell level with character level, I'm looking for another word to replace the "level" of spells, even if spells remain organized in increasing levels of power and difficulty.
Ideally, I'm looking for a term that can be used both in character and out-of-character in game mechanics' descriptions for all classes and pseudo-european spellcasting traditions.
There has been other treads on this subject before, and words such as "degree", "circle", "orbitals" have been mentioned.
While the word "mana" does not directly apply, I'm open to Latin, Greek or foreign words describing "level of powers" betting than English.
ideas are welcome
'findel
You could just go with "power". Fireball is a power 3 spell, for example.
Grade. 1st Grade spells include Magic Missile. Nah, sounds to much like school. Grade 1 spell Magic Missile? Sounds better, at least.
Circle is the most used term amongst people I play with. It seems to be the best as it smoothly goes with game mechanics and in-character comments.
Tiers or grades could be also considered.
Threads - "And then he wove seven threads spell like it was mere cantrip!"
EDIT: Also, magnitudes.
|
The interesting thing is that having such a term also enables IC quantification of a caster's power. "He's a fifth circle wizard at the least; I saw him casting Cloudkill when the drunken fratboys woke him up at 4AM."
Describing a non-caster's level IC is actually harder, you'd have to find some different "grading" abilities. "He's a third grade Paladin, he can Smite thrice a day." It's even harder with rogues.
Constellation
Sphere (latin: Sphaera, pl. Sphaerae; sumerian: Gur)
Animus (pl. Animi; or Anima, pl. Animae); latin for breath (of life), soul, spirit
Crown (latin: Corona, pl. Coronae; sumerian: Aga)
Ordo (pl. Ordinis); latin for order, grade
Aedes (pl. Aedis); latin for temple, sanctuary, house
Corpus (pl. Corporis); latin for body, substance, essence or even ensemble or corpse
Ars (pl. Artis); latin for art
Costa (pl. Costae); latin for rib
Ramus/Sarmentum (pl. Rami/Sarmenti); latin for branch
Also...
1) You may use various terms in the same campaign. Maybe each culture, organization or whatever has its own names for spell levels.
2) You could have a different name for each single level. Works best with #1 above. For example, a Druid may call spell levels with natural or elemental names (in any language you want, of course), a Diabolist may call them as the nine circles of Hell (Avernus, Dis, Erebus, and so on)... imagination is the limit.
I like circle or order.
It does not really apply to your situation...
In a current homebrew, we IC refer to spell level as "dec's". All wizards from our country grow and live in the same community/fortress. Except for adventurers, learning magic is a slow process ( cultural reasons mostly ) So cantrips are learned/taught after puberty a, First Dec are those that can be mastered usually in one's mid to late teens, second dec in twenties and so on. Dec is a shortening for decade. If one is seen mastering levels beyond their years.. " He is younger than his dec's would suggest" Or " She is young for her dec's"
Greg
It does not really apply to your situation...
In a current homebrew, we IC refer to spell level as "dec's".
There might be something to do with the word "deck" however (as in a deck of cards), or with other words on the theme of tarot...
@Astral Wanderer
Thanks for the latin voc. As for your N.B. 1 and 2, I'm more after words that will specifically be the same for all classes and game system's "official" terms. Whether different cultures and tradition have different names in addition, that remains to be decided.
'findel
I'd also add that the Kabbalah has many cool-sounding and apt terms that could be used to call spell levels.
For example, Zohar, Shekhinah, or Sephira (pl. Sephirot). Under the Sephira denomination, each spell level from 1 to 9 could be named Keter, Chokhmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod and Yesod, with some exceptional spell (for whatever reason it may be considered exceptional) called a Malkuth.
"He's summoning a Tiferet, everyone, beware!"
There are also many other nice terms.
Thelema
Ka (this is especially well suited for religious casters from Osirion)
Synesis
Sophia (best suited for Wizards and Clerics)
Pistis (best suited for Clerics, Inquisitors, Oracles and Paladins)
Aletheia (best suited for Good-aligned divine casters)
Nous (best suited for Wizards and Magi)
Caen
Thelesis
Ennoae
Individual names. Ninth level= Carl " Omg, He can cast Carl spells!"or cantrips=Cindy "Don't worry about this guy, he can barely cast a Cindy"
Okay, I know. Time to log from the forums.
Greg
Order is my favorite, because it doesn't sound too esoteric to understand,* but it has some pretty deep implications, especially in mathematics, where several of those definitions are evocative of the mathematical progression of spellcasting, which would be visible to characters in the setting.
Characters in the setting would call them "Third Order spells" for example.
The total prepared/castable spells for each spell caster would be a "matrix" that increases along two dimensions (or orders), you attain higher orders, and you acquire more spells of each order as a direct function of your highest-order spell. Not only does it work with the matrix nature of spells, but it also implies vastly increasing complexity with each order.
* I typed that statement before reading some esoteric names upthread that are actually quite good. It wasn't directed at any earlier poster!
Valences. Also use generic and funky spell names.
Check out Sepulchraves Excellent Story Hour here for excellent and very vancian wizards and their nerdy arcano-scientific lingo:
...
She must locate her books and items, but how? Now that her highest valences were denied to her, the ‘Discern Location’ dweomer was beyond her abilities – and she would have to acquire the spell in any case..
...
She loathed the prospect of moving, especially as her higher spell valences were within sight again.
In the end, she decided to take a risk. Feezuu summoned one of her Quasits.
"You will ‘Commune’ for me," she said.
"‘Communing,’ is not covered in our compact," the tiny Demon said slyly. "Do you wish to renegotiate?"
This ENWorld thread on How do you make a Mage magical? discussed this among other things..
Also this thread Do characters know what spell levels and HP are?
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Valences.
Check out Sepulchraves Excellent Story Hour here for excellent and very vancian wizards and their lingo.
Also this ENWorld thread on How do you make a Mage magical? discussed this among other things..
Why then not "Vances". That's a Third Vance spell.
Evil Lincoln gave me this math idea: alephs. The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is used in describing transfinite numbers. For example, what we think of normally as "infinity" is aleph-null. Aleph-one is a higher order infinity, aleph-two an even higher order one.
Given that math rules often break down if you aren't careful with your infinities, it seems to me a great parallel to magic spells.
Fireball is aleph-three. :)
Edit: Also would explain why, no matter how many aleph-one spell slots you have, you can never use them to memorize an aleph-two spell - you would need an infinite number!