Read Magic

[foster1941]

Lord said:

I've been thinking about giving magic-users the inate ability to read magic at 5% per level after 1st level. Read magic will still be an important spell for the early levels because this ability will have a very small chance of working and read magic always works. But by time thieves are able to read magic scrolls, magic-users will be able to do so as well without needing a spell. Obviously this means that at high levels the read magic spell would be usesless, but I don't know if it would really have that much of an impact or not.

I'd have no problem with adding such an ability (and even upping the chances to, say, 10%/level), with the proviso that magic-users who read scrolls (or foreign spell books or other 'magical writings') in such a manner have the same chance for backfire as thieves do. Since read magic is 100% reliable and in AD&D every magic-user automatically knows it, this won't be a chance that many are willing to take (which is why the rulebooks didn't bother to mention it, of course ), but it's there for those players who ask about it...

[Lord Cias]

foster1941 said:

I'd have no problem with adding such an ability (and even upping the chances to, say, 10%/level), with the proviso that magic-users who read scrolls (or foreign spell books or other 'magical writings') in such a manner have the same chance for backfire as thieves do. Since read magic is 100% reliable and in AD&D every magic-user automatically knows it, this won't be a chance that many are willing to take (which is why the rulebooks didn't bother to mention it, of course ), but it's there for those players who ask about it...

That's a good idea. Although I might give magic-users a slightly better chance (maybe only a 20% chance for failure). In fact, I think this will be a new house rule (so I'll stop talking about it here ).

[AxeMental]

Cias wrote: "I have thought about making two kinds of magical languages. The first type would be more like an actual language made up of runes and/or hieroglyphs. Magic-users would be able to read this language without needed of a read magic spell, and this is what thieves eventually learn how to read at level 10. Then there are illegible magic scripts which do require a read magic spell, even for a magic-user."

I kind of think such a thing exists already in the game. For instance, an adventuring group could come across an old library and find books written about magic by wizards. These are not in another language really but technical jargon only a brainiac with some basis for understanding could decifer (not unlike advance quantom physics perhaps). Then there are books or scrolls in the very same library that are written in magic that requires a read magic spell to read. In this case the written spell holds magical power trapped within. Thats why the words disappear as they are copied into spell books. This later is what the thief can activate, the former he could probably figure out, but would likely never want to waist his time. And remember, a thief never gains the ability to read any complete language when making their RL role, rather only what is in front of them at the time. To truely learn any language and writing system would take alot more time and information.

I would stay away from creating such a dual system of writing for magic. It demistifies things IMO, which will take away from the game. It's also fluff unimportant stuff that can be imagined by each player in thier own way.

[order99]

i'd say Lord Cias' idea is probably the quickest and most elegant solution-after all,unless you were 20th level or higher,you'd most likely prefer Read Magic if possible.