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Memoriam Ignis • 2017 rpg finalist

Niño Rodel Buzon • no link

Magic is sad and beautiful. A chance to express yourself fully and make a difference, at the cost of your mind. Will you journey to make the world a better place? Or will you lord your powers over others? And more importantly, will you even still be "You" in the end?

Before your journey as a Wizard begins, commit to paper (Bond Paper recommended) your most treasured memories, enough to fill it with only a half-inch above, the sides, and bottom blank. Your SpellMaster (GM) then prepares a candle in front of you. As your journey starts he invokes the Spirit of Magic by bringing the candle alight. Your SpellMaster guides you on your odyssey and advises you in the manner in which your memories must be kindled in the Spirit of Magic to bring your spells to life. The more complex the spell you've described, the longer your memories stay wreathed in the Spirit of Magic and burned away. 

At the end of your adventure, when your SpellMaster extinguishes the Spirit of Magic, check how much you still remember of your old life. Are you still you? Are you better? Are you worse? And was it worth it?

Author Comments

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Judge Comments

The Law of Equivalent Exchange… For everything that is received, something must be taken. In “Memoriam Ignis”, exactly what is received is up to the player. Will it be power? Wealth? A better world? What must be taken is already known. The fuel that powers your magic is the memories that make you who you are. There is an inherent existential crises buried shallowly beneath the surface of this game, and it is this: What do you want, what are you willing to do to realize your goal, and when you achieve it, will you still be the same person who began the journey? The use of fire as a game mechanic is dear to my heart, as it was at the center of my entry in last year’s competition, but this game makes so much more use of that mechanic by using it to destroy the memories of the player. Melancholic and painful, the author has crafted a beautiful opportunity to explore the pursuit of power and the dynamics of sacrifice and success that must be used to achieve it. - Daniel Adams


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