So I'm aware the average DM/player takes the simpler path and essentially ignores it, but I'm bound and determined to include a mana system including relationship between terrain types and color of mana and perhaps even color identity where it might mingle with chosen race, alignment, or even class. Getting this out of the way, I've decided to use the spell points variant, as it's more flexible and works best with mana.
If all else fails, I'm not 100% against simply reflavoring ("despite elves being green, and druids being green, and you being an elf druid, the druid spell list contains fire-based spells, which are fundamentally red, and you fancy yourself a Red & Green druid and thus would like to cast one of such spells now and then. Well, we're surrounded by mountainous terrain; go ahead and roleplay your character connecting with the mountain; meditate for a round or something. Okay, now despite you already having your allotted spell points, I'm going to describe your character as channeling red energy--red mana through your body and spending the necessary number of spell points to cast that fire spell you wanted.")
But I feel like I'd much prefer somehow build a system where making these mana bonds with terrain yields uses of a universal feature (but similar in usage to Wild Shape or Rage) that adds "mana points" to their "mana pool" preferably of the appropriate color, that is a fraction of the alotted number of spell points for their level based on some statistical factor (level, spellcasting ability modifier, etc) maybe even differing depending on if said color is the same, an ally, or enemy color to your base racial color (humans of course choose 1)
Does anyone have any insight or opinions on how to go about this? I feel like it's a ton more work and may not always jive properly to label spellcasting classes with colors and force them to pretend certain spells match (fire spells on the druid spell list shouldn't be green for example) and making a forced spell list of a certain color for each also undermines each class's strengths and weaknesses and flavor. I just want the players' (and certain NPCs/enemies) to believably draw mana from lands they've connected with and be reasonably believed to cast appropriate spells with said colored mana without messing up what the classes are ultimately all about. (For example, druids care about more terrain than just forests and they are capable of casting spells that aren't inherently related to grass, trees, and animals + in Magic, there are entities that a Cleric might worship that don't identify with White all the time)
So just looking for a simple enough way to enforce the flavor without harming the gameplay.
I've been GMing a Ravnica-based story and I thought a lot about it. I finally decided to keep mana more as a background element than a gameplay matter. It just kept giving more and more issues.
So I'd be glad to see if we can get some insight because I'd really like to make something about it.
I'm glad running my story as it is but adding some rules for mana could be great.
I once made a list of spells per colour. Characters would choose two colours, which would constitute their spell list regardless of class. i.e., a red/black druid would cast fire balls and raise dead spells but no green spells. Characters who chose a single colour had access to a extra single-colour specific spells.
All in all, I'm not sure to what degree it added a plus value to the game. On mobile now, but I could send you a link this afternoon if you'd like
I'm thinking - As a move action, a PC can make a mana bond with the square they find themselves on that turn (if they haven't already on that square) and later, as a bonus action, turn 1 of those bonds into a use of a universal feature that adds 1 mana point to their mana pool when expended, so it's literally like playing a land for the turn, followed by choosing when to expend (tap) it to add the mana. My only issue (besides fully tracking which squares have been previously bonded with) is when to reset their uses of the feature. A long rest should *replenish* uses of something, not reset it, because then the PC could avoid long rests, as besides spellcasting resources, there's not much to gain besides hit points.
Ironically, I could tweak it to behave like Puzzle Quest, and if the PC possesses mana bonds in increments of 3, then I could say "bonus action: get 4 uses of "Gather Red Mana", because you're a Zendikari Goblin. Next turn: Bonus Action: you get 3 uses of "Gather Black Mana". Alternatively: Bonus Action: get 2 uses of "Gather White Mana". However, the problem still remains of when to reset the uses of this feature.
A while ago i'd been trying to build a system where instead of the usual alignments, you derive your alignment from the colors, so you could have any combination of colors as your alignment, each of which has its moral strengths and weaknesses.
And as a result you can only cast spells associated with your color(s), which I based off of the list Laurefindel made and mentioned before (with two or three minor adjustments).
Now because the fewer colors you have in your alignment the fewer spells you would be able to choose from, I decided to put in a system of bonuses to your spellcasting, based on how much your alignment limits your spell list for each class. Basically each color you have adds a number of points to a score for your class (you can have between 1 and 11 points in this tally), and the more points you have the fewer of these bonuses you get. But I could never come up with a full list of bonuses that wouldn't imbalance the game too much.
That's a whole other can of worms that while tantalizing, I'm unsure if it would or wouldn't be a heap more work than necessary.
So, 1. What would you say are alignment like sentiments that your players should know when deciding their alignment?
2. Were the spell lists just 5 different colors, or was there a Black Druid, Blue Sorcerer, Green Paladin, Red Wizard, White Warlock spell list, etc?
Yes the alignment is based on the values and vices of each color.
1 For example black values frugality, individuality and power, but is prone to selfishness and paranoia. White values community, law and morality but can be oppressive and conformistic.
2 It has a separate list for each color of each class, so black bard, blue bard, red bard, green bard and white bard spells, rinse and repeat for every class. And each list would have a marking indicating how many points it adds to the class's score. For example the cleric's list of white spells is very long, so white adds 3 points to the score, while the cass's red spell list doesn'T even have a spell on every level so it only adds 1 point. So a mono red cleric gets more extra benefits than a mono white for example.
Maybe after the holiday i will upload somewhere a document of what i had built so far if anyone is interested. Right now my means are too limited.
I honestly believe that the issue is more with the Vancian casting system, which clearly doesn't represent magic and mana in the MtG universe. I would personally look towards something like Shadowrun's magic system, which technically allows you to use godlike feats of magic... but the higher power you go, the more "drained" you get, and higher levels will physically injure or even kill you. Pre-Mending planeswalkers essentially would have been immune to the effects of drain, and post-Mending planeswalkers would be highly resistant to it. Mana could add points to your resist drain roll for spells attuned to its colors.
I don't intend to utilise Planeswalker PCs. Perhaps in the future. I found a homebrew someone made for a Planeswalker class, and I'm not a fan of most of it (or planeswalker as its own class-- planeswalkers have their own classes just like everyone else) but it does do an okay job of a "Gathering Mana" function, which for a span of 1 minute you can take a bonus action each turn to increase the capacity of your mana pool (from 0 to 1 at the start) and add 1 to it. End of your turn, mana points deplete, and fills back to full capacity. So, kind of behaves like playing a land each turn and ramping up, but prevents PCs from getting to their highest level spells and continuing to cast only highest level spells for the period.
Only issue I see with simply taking those spell lists and recycling them for all classes is Warlocks' expanded spell lists from their otherworldly patrons overlap with multiple spells for these colors. Otherwise, I suppose having colored spell lists is okay