Post originally by Lord Liaden at 2005-01-31 23:34:50
Converted from Phorums BB System

With all due respect, Polaris, I get the impression that you haven't looked at the magic-system creation section of Fantasy HERO for 5th Edition. It presents a dozen different sample magic systems - not just groupings of spells, but entire distinctive approaches to magic with IMO distinctive flavors, and with several different options for greatly reducing the cost of buying spells. Not to mention extensive advice and guidelines on building your own original magic systems.

For my part I don't find that these spells resemble superpowers, except insofar as they use the same "Powers" options as are used to build superpowers, as well as guns and swords and cyberware and psionics and so many other things.

On the characteristics front, I've heard this complaint about HERO in lower power-level campaigns many times. I do think that there's some validity to them, but the kind of scenario you describe is most common for the character minimaxer... less so for someone who just prefers creating what's appropriate to a character concept.