Features List?

[IJBall]

It seems to me that a magic user ought to start with a magic skill (namely Elemental). I sometimes use Unarmed Combat for my Mage instead of a weapon. I vote no because I don't want to be forced into a certain fighting style beyond the magic spells that are going to be my stock in trade.

Or Divination - I don't think a Mage "has" to have Elemental Magic: a Mage just needs to start with at least one of the two Magics (Nefarious excepted, as explained above).

[BasiliskWrangler]

Or Divination - I don't think a Mage "has" to have Elemental Magic: a Mage just needs to start with at least one of the two Magics (Nefarious excepted, as explained above).

This makes sense to me. A Magick User doesn't "need" to have Elemental. I could easily see Druidic or Virtuous Magick Users start with Divination.

It's also true that a Nefarious Magick User gets no benefit from the Nefarious Axiom if he/she is a pure spellcaster. But I think what I am hearing is that people want the option to "buy" the weapon skill that appeals to them, rather than being forced to take a dagger.

I'm am thinking .... let's go back to what it was: Nefarious Magick User gets Elemental and basic offensive attack spell.

[IJBall]

It's also true that a Nefarious Magick User gets no benefit from the Nefarious Axiom if he/she is a pure spellcaster. But I think what I am hearing is that people want the option to "buy" the weapon skill that appeals to them, rather than being forced to take a dagger.

I'm am thinking .... let's go back to what it was: Nefarious Magick User gets Elemental and basic offensive attack spell.

I think that's what I'm hearing too.

So, my follow-up suggestion is just to make it very clear in the Player's Manual that Magic-Users will gain no benefit from playing the Nefarious Axiom unless they also have a melee-combat Skill. I think as long as that's made very clear, there's no issue.

[MyGameCompany]

It seems to me that a magic user ought to start with a magic skill (namely Elemental). I sometimes use Unarmed Combat for my Mage instead of a weapon. I vote no because I don't want to be forced into a certain fighting style beyond the magic spells that are going to be my stock in trade.

Or Divination - I don't think a Mage "has" to have Elemental Magic: a Mage just needs to start with at least one of the two Magics (Nefarious excepted, as explained above).

I think I understand where you're coming from. A character that has a weapon skill and Divination to magically enhance their weapons' damage is a fun class to play with. I never thought about picking a Mage as the base class for it though - I always picked the Rogue or Ranger class as the base and added Divination as an enhancement.

I understand about trying to do something to differentiate the Nefarious mage and give him/her some kind of unique characteristic. But most evil mages I've read about didn't use physical weapons. How about applying an adjustment more basic to a mage - like maybe an evil mage gets a little extra damage bonus to offensive spells, but those spells cost a bit more mana than they do for other mages? Or maybe non-offensive spells aren't quite as effective for an evil mage (a bit less protection from Dense Nimbus or Protection from Elements, for example, or maybe an evil mage is unable to learn benevolent spells like Healing)...

If that is too difficult to implement BW, or you don't like it, then I still think I'd like to be able to pick my own weapon skill - Gandalf used swords, for example (though he wasn't Nefarious, of course).

[Calathon]

How about granting the Nefarious Mage the same 5 % chance of doing extra damage when using attacking spells?

To not overpower this type of mage, the 5 % chance could be granted only if the character has no melee skill. Otherwise, this chance could be divided by two so that there would be only a 2.5 % chance (for each magic and melee combat) to do extra damage when being a spellcaster and having knowledge of a melee attack.
This would make the Nefarious Mage weaker in melee combat but stronger in magic combat (compared to nefarious non-magic characters and magic non-nefarious ones).

[Leezar]

I think the magic damage per mana should be fixed.

The level 1 magic attack should do the least DPM, since "casual" spellcasters should not be as powerful as seasoned spellcasters.

The level 2 magic attack should do the most DPM, but not an overwhelming total damage. Maybe 1,5 of what level 1 does, but the sama mana cost? It should be for spellcaster to use in leu of a ranged weapon.

The level 3 magic attack should do a shitload of damage but be expensive; a desperate measure against enemies you need to put down FAST!

Elemental magic should do MORE DAMAGE than divine magic.