Simian Circle Games

In the 2nd Edition of Far Away Land, I am really intent on players being able to create stories and narrate as much as possible during play. I think it is an easy way to get players involved in the game and give them a sense of ownership and agency over their interactions and actions. It gives them that wonderful moment to shine and be the center of attention. That feels good.

The new magic system reflects this style of play by allowing for a more freeform approach to magic that provides players and GMs a list of descriptors and effects to build the basic definition of a spell. The system uses two keywords, a descriptor (like provoking or weakening) and an effect (like plume or blast). With this two-word combination, the player (within guidelines) is free to determine the spell specifics. As a character increases in their magical abilities, the effects of that spell likewise increase. For example, a low-level wizard with a spell that creates light might be able to conjure up something like the light of a candle while a high-level caster with the same spell might be able to create a flash of light blinding a room full of goabs! The high-level caster could even have the option to modulate its power as needed.

I really believe this system can create spells that feel linked to the PC, who is free to change the name of the spell to personalize it once it is defined, and allows for more nuance and storytelling.