Comments on: Lyle’s Three Laws of Magic

By: Paul (@princejvstin)

Paul (@princejvstin) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:43:11 +0000

Carries, not cares.

By: JRVogt

JRVogt — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:22:57 +0000

Indeed. You should see the reddit comments going on from the Dribble of Ink post. Fascinating to see what people take away from it.

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:56:18 +0000

Thanks, Josh! I just threw the initial thought out there, and was a little surprised by how many responses I got. So often it feels like one is tweeting into the void…

By: JRVogt

JRVogt — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:43:21 +0000

Always fun to see which laws or limits people imbue their magic with. I definitely agree that magic must have limits–in fact, pinning down what it can’t do almost gives you more creative space in which to explore what it can. That odd situation where being forced to work under restraint means your solution becomes more inventive out of necessity.

Great thoughts!

By: Paul (@princejvstin)

Paul (@princejvstin) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:38:01 +0000

Thanks, Anne.

To use a *positive* RPG metaphor (because I am wired that way), in your view, magic should provide negative aspects or Complications to the player characters. Solve one problem, but have a non-positive consequence as as result of using that magic somewhere along the line. But you (as in the characters) can’t mundanely and inductively figure out the cost.

Magic is powerful–but magic cares unpredictable and unforeseeable risks.