How ACKS saved my sword and sandal fantasy game

As I continue to develop my lands, I came across something rather beautiful - an opportunity to employ some of the other classes that I hadn't considered before because I wanted to keep the campaign predominately low-magic. But in some places, such as the Islands of the Silver Sea, which is one of the few places in the world where the Wizards are trained formally, I felt like there would be some kind of class that focused on both arcane magic and warfare (as the guardians of the Wizard's tower-cities). The Elven Spellsword (minus the Elven) fits this genre quite well.

However, I did want to make a person's magical ability dependent on some rare element so as to diminish the number of persons who would be willing to embrace this class. Spellswords' magical abilities are dependent on arcane crystals that can be created by some high level Wizards. (The Arcane Crystal represents a pure form of the imposition of logic and order in a world of natural chaos and destruction.)  This has created a bit of a social effect as well, since the Spellswords then become dependent on the Wizards for their power. Such power can also be psychologically addictive, and it is one further way that the formally trained Wizards of Karethor maintain both order and control, as well as the unending support of their favored bodyguards.

Good stuff! I love that you are taking the time to work through your setting's implications on magic.

Does the power in the crystals fade over time, such that continued loyalty to the wizard is needed to secure a "re-fuel"?

Or does the wizard need to actively sustain the crystal's power?

 

The ability of the Arcane Crystal to hold its form, and thus its ability to impose order over chaos, over time depends on how many corrupting influences it has been exposed to. If it becomes too corrupted, the Arcane Crystal shatters. Also (since it is bound in rules of logic), an Arcane Crystal cannot be added to or built upon, but represents a stable aspect of the Universe of Magic in a world of shifting energies. Each Arcane Crystal is the way it is until it is no more.

With a very special note of gratitude to ACKS (which continues to remain a reference and inspirational device), I am very happy to announce that I have changed the ruleset to Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells, which seems to fit the world even better.