[Idea] Household Magic - Casual Magic Users/hobbyists

[Urahra 5359]

Household Magic

---

LOTC creates the image of a society that is truly inundated with magic. We have giant magical trees, scores of wizards and witches, and just about every flavor of magic you can think of.

However! I feel there is one place where LOTC is lacking. I’ve noticed that all the magic users in the game seem to be decently powerful mages for whom magic is their life’s work. There’s no one who’s only a “little” good at magic. Or who mastered maybe one useful spell for gardening and never worried about learning more.

I have a character I’m sort of playing on the side. Tanith. She is a servant-type character (exactly the opposite of what I usually play) who will probably spend most of her time doing household chores once I find an actual person to employ her. I was thinking earlier how easy it would be to do such chores with magic. Lighting a stove instantly with a magical fire that keeps a certain temperature and doesn’t go out. Creating a small magical light for when it gets dark. Levitating a mop so that it will clean the floors by itself. There are lots of practical uses for small bits of magic that a character like Tanith might take advantage of. A slave or servant who knows household magic would probably be very valuable.

Practitioners of “Household Magic”, as I’ve called it, wouldn’t be mages in the strictest sense of the word. As I said above, they’d be people who mastered one or two spells for practical or household purposes. For instance, Tanith, the character I mentioned above, is a cook and might know one spell for keeping a fire hot in the oven. However, she would by no means be an evocation mage.

I think it’s slightly silly for every person with magic on the server to be a “career mage” who knows ALL THE SPELLS in their magic branch and devotes their life to the practice of magic. There are people who, if magic was a real thing, might only practice as a hobby or learn a bit because it is practical – magical hobbyists and casual users. There would also be people who tried and failed to become career mages, but learned maybe one or two spells along the way. It would be the difference between a published author and, say, a person who once took a poetry class and still writes sometimes when they feel like it.

Naturally, it would be a little silly to make a person using “household magic” fill out a complete MA, though they’d probably still be required to find a teacher and be taught. While I’m not sure how the MA team would choose to handle casual users or magical hobbyists, I think it’d be realistic to have them. Just with any field, there are people who practice as a career and people who might be interested as a casual hobby.

Perhaps there should be a "Reduced" MA that gives people permission to RP knowing one or two small spells, to be used only for "practical" (read "non-combat, RP only") purposes? A person who knows a spell to light a magical fire in an oven wouldn't go around throwing fireballs at people, obviously. That would be silly. This is really just "flavor" magic that allows people to enhance their RP.

Just my thoughts.

[DecoLamb 959]

I'll make a long winded post about how much I agree with this once I get on the computer, but I adore this idea.

Ive wanted so long to see a rise of the kitchen witch, the place where magick has its heart, and where the real magic of food and family is created. This.. just.. THIS!

[Wizard 125]

This will make roleplaying a servant or butler much more enjoyable. Instead of doing long and tedious chores, tasks can be done with ease with household magic. I support!

[Space 2333]

This is a amazing idea. It will make the whole server seem more 'Fantasy' and less 'Medieval with Different Species'.

[Myoni 56]

-thinks she wouldn't be able to employ any of these people without them being labeled a witch and burned at the next mass for decorative purposes...-

I'd love to hire Tanith to serve my character and her husband but I'm not sure how household magic would be recieved in Oren...

[Urahra 5359]

-thinks she wouldn't be able to employ any of these people without them being labeled a witch and burned at the next mass for decorative purposes...-

I'd love to hire Tanith to serve my character and her husband but I'm not sure how household magic would be recieved in Oren...

Well, the idea's not approved yet. XP

Besides, Tanith is also a dark elf. My experiences in Oren tell me that elves aren't very welcome there.

[Myoni 56]

It usually depends... if she says she's a follower of the church they don't give a damn... I mean look at Lion, he's a dark elf.

[danic 343]

I love it. When I finished reading this I instantly thought of Harry Potter and Mrs. Weasley (I think she was a household mother? Been so long since I read the books). I see a woman carrying around a small, gnarl wand, popping a fire in the stove, and stirring the pot of stew while you sweep up those dusty floorboards!

I've always wondered why the only magic users you see are ones in those big guilds, all powerful and such. Where are the simple hobbyists that just mind their business, knowing only the simplest of magic that makes life just a bit easier?

[An Old Salt 33]

Well, my opposition to this is twofold. Primarily that it is another attempt to circumvent the magic application; which I will admit is daunting, but necessary. Yes, you are asking for a sort of "mini-magic", but there is no way to moderate people who could take that same magic and use it to attack or "power game" others. This is why the magic team and the application format were put into place. I guess you could call it the slippery slope argument.

Secondly, is that it sort of downgrades what magic is in the world of Asulon (or this server - however you prefer to look at it). Yes in some fantasy settings, magic is fun, entertaining and somewhat prevalent. However in this world, from all accounts of lore that I have read, magic is a very big deal. Even the most basic use of it requires practice and training at substantial cost to the caster. While you are portraying it in the amusing light of igniting cooking fires and sweeping floors, that is still arcane magic and the animation of objects - both of which are fields of the art which require study and sacrifice on behalf of the user.

[Urahra 5359]

I'm glad you explained your perspective instead of just voting no and leaving without comment.

I understand where you're coming from. One of my very good friends, Blawharag, is on the magic team. It's true that magic takes a heck of a long time to learn. However! I think this adds to my point. Wouldn't there be plenty of people who would learn one spell and quit? Or try for a while, then decide it's too hard? And wouldn't there be plenty of people who would think "Well, I guess I can learn one spell with four months of practice and that will be enough"?

And I understand about the powergaming. Hopefully there would be some kind of non-combat agreement in the application, if it is implemented, which can result in a ban or a strike if broken.

[Sagwort 832]

This is quite interesting; I can see shops opening up selling enchanted items, such as hoes of automatic gardening, little stone golems that clean for you. If you have ever seen the books written by Diana Wynne Jones, she makes magic seem much like it is in Lord of the craft. Wizards and Witches are not an uncommon sight, however they are still untrusted and what not. She had one book where a little toy trolley acted like a carting service to people around the house. It would bring plates of food to you and what not.

Any-hoo, yes, I will bring this to the attentions of my fellows Magic Teamians and I am sure (I hope) they will have the same views on this as I do.

[DecoLamb 959]

Little stone golems...

Little.. stone.. golems..

...OH GOD LIVING LAWN GNOMES FUUUUUUU-

[An Old Salt 33]

You are most welcome. Also, please don't get me wrong, from a purely fun and roleplay aspect - I love it. When I first looked into joining this server a month or so ago, I wanted to involve my character in magic. Then I saw the magic requirements and process and decided against it.

Just to say, if the idea was implemented, I wouldn't be disappointed. :grin:

[~ Ashdrek / CalmCrysis ~ 32]

I, for one, love this idea and if I can accept it, I shall e more than happy to elonwrote lore, spells and other miscellaneous parts. Any comments from the magic team before I move on with the process?

[~ Ashdrek / CalmCrysis ~ 32]

I, for one, love this idea and if I can accept it, I shall be more than happy to help write llore, spells and other miscellaneous parts. Any comments from the magic team before I move on with the process?