A System of Anti-Magic

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    Sorry for the long delay between posts. Things have been hectic and I have run out of steam a bit after working on the Gygax 75 Challenge. I have one post I am working on, but it is a bit complex and taking some time to work through. In the meantime, here is a recent idea that I had about making magic work in your games. 


    For setting reasons beyond description here, the techniques to counter magic are common knowledge. Therefore, anyone, on seeing someone attempting to work magic can attempt to counter it as a reaction (or interrupt or something that somewhat limits this).


    For "normal folk", they can declare one of three things: the name of the spell, what the spell will do, or the school of the spell. Correctly naming the spell or what it will do automatically cancels it. Correctly naming the school allows them to make an Arcana test to counter the magic. Getting close enough on the name or school will also allow for this Arcana test.


    For wizards or other well-informed folks, if they correctly declare any of the three it will automatically cancel the spell. As before, getting close enough with the name or description of the spell allows for an Arcana test. However, they can also choose not to declare anything and instead attempt to forcefully cancel the spell. They then make an Arcana test at disadvantage to counter the magic.


    Anyone who has read and remembers the formula for a spell will automatically recognize it being cast. For obvious reasons, wizards will be familiar with more formulas than other people. Someone can only be familiar with a number of spells up to their Arcana score (a cap unlikely to be relevant to non-wizards).


    While this system is certainly destructive on magic-users' spellcasting, I also think that it helps answer the worldbuilding question of "why aren't there repositories of spell formulas for me to copy from?" Further, this allows the game mechanics to really indulge in the power of spells because it provides an easy and common method to counter them. And of course, all of this would be in addition to the normal ways of dealing with a caster (like whacking them on the head in the middle of it).

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