I am listening to Adam Koebel’s Mage game on the roll20 channel and as roleplayers usually do; I imagine what kind of character I would play.
Now Burning Wheel is a way better system then Mage so I wonder if it could work in BW as well.
Concept: “People are Magic” Social Worker
A character who is very in tune with other’s and wants to help them. His idea is that if you can affect small change in enough people it will have positive effects on everyone in a community/city and make the world better for everyone. (As he has Magic powers he can bolster this change in people through magic)
Now this has 2 problems I think
#1 “Social Worker” isn’t really a thing in medieval fantasy type societies (but it could be) #2 How would you do the Magic part of it? I am thinking some kind of practical magic could work but that seems like the lamest way. Part of that concept would ultimately be to commune with the spirit of the city and of the community to affect change in that way - but Spirit Binding doesn’t really fit there either because of the backlash you get. Maybe the best way to do this would actually be Faith?
If this doesn’t work in Burning Wheel I am totally fine with it, just wanted to ask around for options if it could work.
I would look into Art Magic, basically you would say I use Social Magic to impose an Advantage/Disatvantage/ect. And roll ur sorcery test based on duration/number of people/ect. Just note affecting a whole town with a spell is going to be pretty difficult test.
Social worker isn’t a thing, but the priest as shepherd is, as might be itinerant priest or monk as minister. And village elder or other trusted member of a community as solver of problems is a definite possibility. You can make this work.
You could do this with magic. Art Magic for advantages and traits, definitely. Or regular Sorcery for the few spells with social applications.
You could also just have straight aura reading to perceive problems and something like Astrology, Dreamer, and social skills to convince people to listen to you. In this case you’re not bolstering magically, you’re recognizing problems and finding solutions somewhat supernaturally.