Magic and Character balance

[Tylin]

Hi folks I'm new Runequest and had a question about magic. Is it unbalancing to not make common magic available to everyone? I would like to have magic available to a few professions i.e. priest and wizard/sorcerer. Also is it a good idea to covert common magic spell to sorcery?

 

[cerebrolator]

I'm fairly new to this since I didn't play any of the previous editions of RQ and I've only run three sessions to date. Nonetheless, I thought that I would chime in. I have my own homebrew setting and it apparently isn't as magic rich as Glorantha. I'm running two groups (with my kids in one and adults in the other). In both groups I have someone playing a sorcerer. All of my non-sorcerer characters didn't put many points into developing their common magic abilities. In the game, they have been as effective as the sorcerers. So, I think that the game is balanced even when magical abilities are basically limited to more traditional magic using characters like sorcerers and priests. That's just my opinion though and more experience my change it.

 

[TrippyHippy]

It's a setting decision.

Glorantha has always had magic available to all, in some form or another. I don't see this as unbalancing, if everybody's got it!

Other settings won't - Elric we are told, for example, will be quite restrictive about magic as befits the setting. I'm sure other settings will make similar decisions.

 

[andyl]

As others have said 'common magic' is tuned for Glorantha (and maybe other magic rich settings) where everyone does have magic.

I don't think you can convert most of the common magic spells to to sorcery, or at least not easily. The manipulations may not make sense, or the spell would be way too overpowered.

If you are playing in a lower magic setting either
a) don't allow Common Magic at all.
b) allow Common Magic as its own school of magic for a certain type of spell-caster. Other spell-casters could practice Sorcery or any other type of magic you want.