There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing a character stomp their feet to shoot up a rock from the ground before punching it toward their target, which could be a way to change a simple earth blast spell. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra are perfect examples of using martial arts for magical actions. This won't work for every spell and it requires some homebrewing, but it can make casting some spells incredibly satisfying. Either way, it gives more insight into the character, their state and potentially the type of spell cast.Īlso consider using martial arts or dance forms to enhance the way spells are performed. These could be the same motions for the same spell, perhaps even performed by the same character at different emotional stages. They're incredibly easy to use for personalised descriptions, like the difference between "Their gloved hand closes with a controlled motion." and "Their fist clenches fast and with anger.". The movement requirement is often nothing more than a character being able to move freely rather than being restrained, but we can use movement for far more to enhance the way spells are used and described. These can all be used to enhance the description of a spell, but I'm going to ignore line of sight and range here to focus on the 4 that allow for the most personalisation of spells.įor those systems without spell components and requirements you can simply make them up, it gives you all the freedom to make everything look as personalised and detailed as you wish. In general, spells can have requirements that range from materials used, line of sight, range, spoken words, movements and tools required to cast it. Many tabletop RPGs have a spell system with components many people ignore, especially the material components. "You cast your spell and the lock glows violet for a few seconds before the door creaks open." Spell components "With a quick flick of the wrist you unlock the door with your wand." "You shoot a purplish energy from your wand and unlock the door."
This one is fine for a dramatic moment, but in other moments it can simply be turned into: You hear the magical energies pulse within as the lock glows violet for a few moments before a clicking sound lets you know the lock has opened." "You repeat the same motions you've repeated a thousand times over and a small, thin burst of purplish energy shoots from your wand into the lock. Longer descriptions for these types of spells could be cut into pieces so you'll have a different way of describing the exact same spell. If anything, they can disrupt the flow of the game. Small spells or non-dramatic moments don't need long, detailed descriptions. It's the same principle of build up, release and impact, except this time it's about the way a moment in game comes across to your players. I don't recommend going in such detail and length for every spell, but when the stakes are high or a moment of drama is called for, increasing the length of the description can be very effective.
Is the second one a bit over the top? Possibly. A second of silent passes before a massive explosion echoes throughout the cave's chambers and fire bursts out from within it, all but licking your face as it reaches out as if trying to desperately hold onto something before being pulled back into the darkness from which it came."
With one swift motion he flings the fiery ball into the cave. This is also an easy way to enhance the description from the plain and simple to the more interesting and immersive.Ĭonsider the difference between "He casts a fireball from his hand and the cave nearly explodes upon impact." and "He stretches his hand backward as a ball of blazing energies begins to form within his palm. Depending on the type of spell you're describing, focusing on one or more of these can help elevate the spell description and make it stand out from others. So for a simple spell it could be energy building up in a wand, the wand shooting it to a target, and the impact of the spell on the target. Actions tend to have 3 main stages: the initial build up, the release and the impact of the action.