[Bakha]

Armageddon's system is something like this. All spells can be cast at seven different power levels. Each one has progressively more powerful effects. Components also play into this. I had a long explanation typed up, but just pasting the help file would probably be easier.

So, you have a general idea of the properties of the items you need for a spell. You then have to go about finding them through experimentation. Some components are foraged raw material or available items that can be bought in stores or are readily available. Others must be crafted from foraged raw materials. Casting at the higher power levels requires rare components. Since there is a general anti-magick stigma in the world of Armageddon and very little literacy, components are usually shrouded in secrecy and passed down via word of mouth from one PC to another.

Items only have to be in your inventory; holding is not necessary. There are definite weaknesses and limitations to the system. For example, why does this blue feather work as a pret component, but this red feather doesn't? The system is still pretty interesting, though. It also provides a limiting factor for the sheer devastation that magick can wreak on Armageddon. The main problem with the system, as with much of Armageddon, is that there is no way to erase the knowledge of the player from one of that player's PC to the next. So, the player may very well use the knowledge gained with a prior PC for their next one. Of course, discoveries are supposed to happen ingame and in character, but it's hard for players to not carry prior knowledge with them to their current PC. That being said, it's also one of the cool things about playing Armageddon (and probably any game for that matter, as I know I discovered quite a bit of ingame lore about Threshold as Magnus that wasn't available to newer players), as you finally unravel the mysteries of the game. Then you become staff, and all the mystery is ruined.