Challenger RPG Forums

Magic ceases to be fascinating when you can use it constantly.

Are we fascinated by airplanes, cars,computers, light bulbs, radios and other wonders that surround us?

No. And neither are players whose characters carry around a bunch of magic things or cast spells they can use whenever they want.

This is why I love to use items and spells that can only be used a limited amount of times or/and at specific moments.

Here are a few examples:

1. Restricted teleport spell:

According to the Third Book of MightySpells (a rare volume you found during your last adventure) you can cast a teleport spell that will take you and your party to a place you know well, as long as:

a. Certain planets happen to be incertain constellations.

b. A person who personally knows you is present at that place when you cast the spell or any other condition your GM wants happen.

Normally, nothing would happen if you cast the teleport spell from the book. But, next week, the required astrological conditions will be met and, theoretically, you could cast the spell.

Note: the conditions are only met when the GM wants PCs to go to a given place where adventure awaits them.

All teleport spells could be restricted this way, if the GM wants.

Similarly, instead of a teleport spell, the PCs could open a gate to another dimension or to a different world.

2. Restricted magic weapon or item:

The item or weapon is temporary or there is a price to pay.

For example, according to an ancient (elven, dwarven, etc.) legend, the weapon you found was given aspecial mission.

Once this mission is accomplished, it vanishes, its power vanishes (it becomes an ordinary and probably cheap and uglyweapon again) or you suffer a curse or adverse consequence (it drains energy from you, causing you to lose 1 or more HPs permanently each time you use it, for example) until you return it to the sanctuary, tomb or other place where you found it.

In some extreme cases, you might simply have to roll a saving throw. If you fail, the weapon, machine or magic item sucked your life force and you die.

Alternately, the weapon is unstable and explodes, breaks or melts and becomes useless (this could damage the character using it or not).

Note: This helps the GM to get rid of annoying magical weapons, mechas (giant combat robots) imported from other worlds and similar things.

3. Restricted spell:

The Fourth Book of Mighty Spells teaches the amazing “Buoyancy” enchantment, that can be "prepared" by performing a special ceremony when the stars are in a certain position. Fortunately for you, the stars happen to be in that position, you perform the ceremony and prepare the spell that would allow you to enchant an armor preventing it from sinking for 5 minutes by simply uttering some mystical words if your armored friend falls in the ocean during that dangerous trip you were planning.

Once you cast this spell, the mystical words will not work again unless you perform the corresponding ceremony at the appropriate time... Which happens only when the GM wants you to be able to have such a power ready to use for a given adventure.

And finally, if you don't use the spell within, let's say, one week of game time, its power is lost and it becomes useless.

Any spell or additional spell the GM might want PCs to have may have this restriction, and NPCs could also have a few powerful or useful spells ready this way.

A particularly helpful restriction could be that the power corrupts the user. This makes NPCs using the power more scary and prevents players from using it later on.

For example, the power user could eventually be turned into a mindless and horrible monster, be devoured by Nyarlathotep, or suffer other sinister undescribable fate. 

Fantastic article. I agree with you about the benefits of limiting magic usage. I've actually used that 'corrupting' trick before in one form or another. It's really effective.

Thanks for sharing your ideas here. I checked out your other pieces as well. Without a domain name it's hard to get the exposure your writing deserves, but I appreciate the work you put into it regardless. Thank you.

Best Regards,