As I understand it, the Magic Burner was written for the Revised Burning Wheel which preceded Gold.
The main problem in converting it is that the Abstractions and Distillations relied on a spell weaver skill (will + sorcery) that is no longer in use. Most other chapters of Magic Burner seem to work just fine, and indeed, are referenced to in Gold.
Unfortunately for me, I really like my Magic Burner and I especially like the Abstractions and Distillations chapter and would love to find a way to include them in my game with some more official guidelines than what I’ve been working on.
Skill: Abstractions Wise (used to tease out Abstraction Facets from known spells)
Skill: Distillations Wise (used to distill/combine abstractions)
Skill: Spell Weaving (used to create new spells from abstractions)
Advantage Dice: a +1D for similar spell knowledge (you know multiple spells with the same facet that you want to abstract)
Disadvantage: a +1 Ob for dissimilar spells (you only know one spell with that facet)
Circles and Resources to find and aquire any needed books/instructors/help.
The abstractions proccess becomes a series of linked tests using all of the above. Learning individual Facets is just like first reading and practicals once you locate/buy/discover/research (have) them. Using them to alter existing spells is just like in the magic burner (add the extra obstacle and action cost to the existing spell).
Creating new spells require linked tests for each facet added to create the spell as well as to distill it. (Distillation would work the same as before except it would now count as a linked test.
Of course, all of those new skills could be replaced by just using the Sorcery skill for everything (I do tend to over complicate things) but by using the advantages and linked tests I believe it could still work out. Lower skilled mages would probably just stick with the standard spells (maybe a facet or two), them learn to alter a spell here and there untill, (finally) they are ready to begin creating their own spells.
I’ve been reading old board posts on this, and there is this post by Thor, which he recently shared: http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?11438-Using-Abstraction-and-Distillation-with-BWG
The basic problem, as has been outlined, is the change of the use of the Spellweaver rule. To wit, it used to be Sorcery+Will, no Forks, to cast spells. Now its Sorcery + any Forks… So, to use Abstraction, the difference has to be made up. From the usual attribute caps, this means a difference of 4-6 dice from the old system. Symbology and Astrology are good Forks worth 2D, so now we need to come up with 2-4 more dice.
Wises may provide additional Forks, but take a look at Thor’s method with the rods.
I am not a fan of magic items being integral to a Wizard’s performance (Thor’s method). I would instead advocate for the use of Schools of Magic as an adjunct to the Abstraction system, as per the Magic Burner, pp. 77-78. Basically, it means buying 1D,2D,or 3D bonuses to casting spells at a cost of 10,25,50 rp, much like affiliation costs for Circles. Rules for Advancement of the Schools are on MaBu p. 78
I would limit the Schools to apply to certain elements or certain impeti, based on the desired idiom.
For an Ars Magica game, I’d allow purchasing similar advantages at character creations (renamed as Techniques and Forms, as per that game) for each different Element and Impetus, and I would allow them to stack. Thus, a wizard with Sorcery B6 , 2D Ignem Form (Fire element) and 1D Perdo Technique (Destroy Impetus), would cast a Fire/Destroy abstraction spell at 9D, plus Forks. Same character casting a Create/Water abstraction is at B6+Forks…
Yes, this means that some min/maxers will buy Fire/Destroy at 3D+3D, for casting at 12D, but this is no different from preGold Sorcery B6, Will B6, which was pretty easy to get at character creation. And it comes at a hefty rp price
The real problem becomes using Distillations and Regular BWG Sorcery with this system, given the huge casting boost. For an Ars Magica game, I’d either drop the Distillation/regular Sorcery, and just go with pure Abstractions for every spell cast(i.e no Abstraction can ever be distilled), or else go with it and simply accept the huge power boost to casters. This last option is probably a really bad idea, as it will likely produce seriously overpowered effects.
Another alternative is that the School of Magic/Affinity/Proficiency bonuses apply only to Abstractions. Once the spell is distilled, or if the caster is casting a Regular Sorcery spell, then he/she casts by regular BWG casting rules. I.e. Sorcery+Forks only.
This system may be used to create D&D style Schools of Magic, like School of Invocation or Abjuration, etc…
As I said, I’m not 100% familiar with all the Sorcery rules, so I’m sure I’m overlooking something pretty big… so, experts, please help me out. What am I overlooking?
Helping dice.
I do like the idea of advantages being gained from the environment for casting on the fly it would make sense to use what’s on hand (although tapping into a bonfire seems like a linked test of Spirit Binding or perhaps Fire-Wise), I althen like the idea of a mage using an implementation such as a staff, rod, or wand to assist him in his work although that seems to be very un-burning wheel of me, (I think it just makes for a better story if a mage who excepts an advantage for using a wand (Wand Wielder Dt.) has to suffer a disadvantage
when he doesn’t have one any more.) I would still limit the number of advantage dice, help, ect. to no more than double your skill dice (except for artha).
I do think that once you have combined facets you shpuld be able to treat that combination ad if it were a first reading, taking it through practicals amd then second reading, just as you could the facets themselves under MaBu (I presume that “Learning New Spells” is similar In Gold), this would cut down on the abstraction process and allow mages to call upon frequently used combinations with greater effectiveness.