Post originally by Josh Harrison at 2003-04-30 22:30:52
Converted from Phorums BB System

<b>Jamie Craig wrote:
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Cheap magic use was the reference to one player ... [SNIP]
This comes about due to spellcasting being free except for casting time which is normally only a constraint in combat. This means it can become underappreciated due to the fact it costs nothing to use.</b>

This "cheap magic" is a feature of the setting -- in a world where you can go down to the corner store and buy a pot that will magically preserve whatever leftovers you put in it, the ability to fly everywhere with little effort is nothing miraculous.

Earthdawn really requires a shift in mindset with regards to magic in general, and spellcasting in particular -- in many games spells are treated as a limited resource, either through D&D's spell slots, a spell point mechanic like GURPS, or the drain of something like Shadowrun.

Once you get past the view of spellcasting as "mystic ammunition" and view it as a tool to be used when needed, many of the other objections raised with the high magic level become academic.

Of course, given that the Horrors are attracted to heavy and indiscriminate magic use, wantonly whisking around the countryside with magic spells is not necessarily the brightest thing to do. In this case the setting, rather than the system, provides the balance. (Of course, this places more responsibility on the GM to enforce the "reality" of the setting's checks and balances.)

I will freely admit that the setting, in some respects, is not for everybody, but I advise approaching it with an open mind, rather than with some of the long standing preconceptions of the genre.

-- Josh Harrison
"If you're not having fun, you're not playing the game right."