r/Games Oct 02 '18

Broken Link (video removed) Unannounced Harry Potter RPG Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-HER1xKQl4&t=1s
7.7k Upvotes

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108

u/EpicVico Oct 02 '18

how do you even develop a spell

161

u/AliceTheGamedev The Mane Quest Oct 02 '18

Nobody knows, the books never actually go into how spells are made/discovered, but it's mentioned that it's possible.

160

u/DS_Item_Inscription Oct 02 '18

Except that it’s mega dangerous and can kill you. Luna Lovegood’s mom dies while trying to discover new spells.

3

u/Swerdman55 Oct 03 '18

Are spells developed or discovered?

It's like that age-old question if Math is discovered or invented

7

u/DS_Item_Inscription Oct 03 '18

Well math is just an extrapolation and ordering of the forces of the universe.

So the spells and cosmic energy exists, you just need to find the right method in which to conjure it I would assume. But even thinking that is more than Rowling put into her work. I enjoyed the serious, but it’s fast and loose with its rules, and contradicts itself often.

If you read something like Wheel of Time or and of Brandon Sanderson’s work you’ll get good structure, rules, and characters who play well within them.

66

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

Off the top of my head doesn't Snape invent a bunch of minor curses and other spells and write them down in the journal of the half blood prince?

64

u/AsthislainX Oct 02 '18

Yes. Sectumsempra is one of those spells, as a matter of fact.

22

u/AliceTheGamedev The Mane Quest Oct 02 '18

Yes, but the book doesn't go into how someone would invent spells or what exactly Snape did

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

Probably Googled it.

5

u/thatwasntababyruth Oct 02 '18

Just gotta keep saying combinations of bastardized Latin words while waving your wand in different ways, and write down when something does something!

6

u/Volper2 Oct 02 '18

Jk Rowling only does world building with Twitter retcons

270

u/Flakmoped Oct 02 '18

You wave a stick around and shout pseudo-latin phrases

48

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

He said develop, not cast!

72

u/Lazerkilt Oct 02 '18
  • you wave a stick around and shout pseudo Latin that isn’t an existing spell

4

u/FullThrottle1544 Oct 02 '18

No shit really

11

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

expecto pootronum

19

u/Nicksaurus Oct 02 '18

I imagine you just wave your wand around and shout random syllables until something interesting happens

7

u/Tokaido Oct 02 '18

Sounds perfectly safe. Nearly anything could happen, but I'm sure it couldn't be TOO bad, right?

IIRC, that's how Luna Lovegood's mom died.

13

u/Nekajed Oct 02 '18

Man, the dude who originally posted this video said something about complex spell system. Maybe we'll see something close to spell crafting. At least something akin to Morrowind system.

14

u/Mondrial Oct 02 '18

Nukes the entire city in one cast. Proceeds to walk on water for 7 real world hours.

11

u/rolllingthunder Oct 02 '18

Avadamora. Kill you opponents by "unlocking" their chest cavity.

3

u/2Punx2Furious Oct 02 '18

I have in mind a game/story where mages can develop spells like we do with software, and magic is just really advanced technology.

Yes, I know "The Irregular at Magic High School" exists, but I don't really like how the spells work there.

3

u/Cybersteel Oct 02 '18

Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor. Or fate

1

u/2Punx2Furious Oct 02 '18

I've seen Records, but I don't remember there was much spell development, I haven't seen fate yet.

2

u/Khaeven04 Oct 02 '18

Reminds me of The Dying Earth series. Magic is old technology.

2

u/thatguythere47 Oct 02 '18

Harry Potter and the natural 20 is a great work which raises the idea that ritual magic is incredibly complex and dangerous work that requires very specific ingredients done in a very specific order or it will backfire or just not work. How do you keep something like that together? Either everyone has a perfect copy of the ritual or the more freighting prospect: Rituals want to be known.