Sunday 19 February 2017

Dungeon Master: Magic Duration

The duration of a magical effect has a great impact on its usefulness. It also enables different tactics depending on the kind of magic your players have access to. For that reason, as well as to get my own thoughts on the matter down, I'll briefly go over the different duration of magic that can be used. Hopefully someone finds them useful. Since magic items feature so often, I'll be mentioning them quite often.

Time Limit and Single Use

Potions are typically a single use item with a time limited effect. These work great since they introduce some resource management, and they are not long term so any mistakes in giving a too powerful potion is only felt once. However, some players tend to hoard this kind of item for that perfect moment and end up not using it at all. Or, when they do use it, combined they become more powerful than foreseen.

Time Limit and Limited Use

In older editions of Dungeons & Dragons, wands and the like had a certain number of charges. After they were used, the item crumbled to dust. In this case it remains a tactical choice like the single use item, but the item will eventually run out. While having a larger impact on the campaign, it still is less of an impact than a permanent effect (though it potentially allows for more burst use than the next option). This is an optional rule in the current edition (default is the next one).

Time Limit and Limited Use (Recharges)

In the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons, many items have effects that can be used a certain number of times and recharge the uses at a certain rate (usually involving a die roll). The magic effect has a time limit as well (in cases such as detect magic). Since these items recharge, they remain useful throughout a campaign, but because they have a certain number of charges they still need to be managed. This still presents choices for the players. This kind of magic effect system can also be used if making your own role-playing game or campaign and I'd say is a common choice. The D&D 5th edition system has some magic items that are permanently lost under some condition. This partially combines the features of this category and the one before it. I'd say that overall, however, it's closer to this category.

Time Limit and Unlimited Use

Though these kinds of items aren't very common, an item can theoretically have a limit magic effect but an unlimited number of uses. Cantrips are an example of a non-item version of this use (like minor illusion). These kinds of items or effects tend to be weaker so that they don't overshadow the other kinds above. If made stronger, it can overshadow the natural abilities of a class or character (if the party is understaffed, this may be desirable). A staff that allows fireball to be cast as an action with no charges would be one such example (in higher level play this may be weak enough to be fine). At the same time, an item that allows detect magic, dispel magic or counter spell to be cast by anyone could stand in for a wizard if needed. 

No Time Limit and Limited Use

For completion's sake, this is the last type. I would say this is one of the rarer types to use. When I have seen them, it's usually in the form of a potion that permanently raises a stat or a curse that permanently lowers a stat. They can be quite hard to control. They always need to be remembered and accounted for.

Unlimited Effects

A character can be given a magic effect that lasts forever. For example, a character can be resistant to all forms of damage. Such a change would be huge, but can be warranted in some cases (become a god, major blessing from a god before fighting a god, etc.). Regardless, these effects are the most dangerous for a Dungeon Master to give and have the largest effects typically (unless a comic book style depowering occurs later). Typically, they are given to NPC baddies that are fought later in a campaign (the vampire is a classic example as is the invulnerability or resistances of werewolves).

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