Magic Circles on a Community Scale?

[Hotrod]

Since magic circles have no upper size limit, I've occasionally wondered about how one might use circle magic to create a safer or more inhabitable space. For example, a wizard's simple protection circle that keeps out lesser supernatural creatures could be drawn, carved, or otherwise permanently set in a neighborhood, house, palace, or town to keep out vampires, dwarvlings, and other similar threats. A greater protection circle could be especially useful within magic/psionic communities or guilds, granting 10 additional PPE or ISP to each inhabitant, and could allow a community to set up in some pretty nasty and hostile areas, such as some of the nastier areas in the Disputed Lands or some spots in the Land of the Damned. Both types grant save bonuses vs magic and psionics, which would help keep the peace among inhabitants. Since these circles are ritual incantations, they would have to be reactivated daily (pretty cheaply for reactvations) or use a permanence ward to keep them going.

This approach could be even more effective using summoners, as protection circles have indefinite durations and can combine some very specific effects. Linking four circles with a power matrix could combine the effects of a power circle (free spells, saving throw bonuses, spell strength), an invisibility circle (to keep a community hidden, like Wakanda or something), protection from elemental forces to moderate extreme weather, and/or a superior protection circle to control access into the community.

I've never explored this in an adventure, but this could be useful from a GM perspective in providing some sort of safe zone in an otherwise hostile area that the players stumble upon. Alternately, it could be yet another obstacle for the players to overcome when attacking the Big Bad's Fortress of Doom.

[Library Ogre]

A simple protection circle, unsealed, laid out by the walls of the town, creating 4 equal sized districts.

If you want to get fancy, have public parks and art create the symbols necessary. Maybe a circle of protection from elements that keeps a seaside down from being drowned?

[dreicunan]

This is a crazy cool idea which I will definitely use if I evrr get a chance to GM Fantasy again.

[MT_Juicer]

I've actually had this same thought. The University of Montana has a large oval in the middle of campus, there are five smaller circles (each of the cardinal directions and one in the center). It often made me think of a similar campus time for a magical academy, or summoner's estate. I thought it would harness large scale possibilities with multiple practitioners and large rituals. On a community scale the UM campus could equate to a fair sized village (10-15,000 people; 35,000 on a home football Saturday, which could be similar to a festival in PF setting).

I always had issues with how multiple circles would interact with each other and the combination of ritual and "donated" PPE. What solutions for these issues would everyone suggest?

[eliakon]

The city of Serune in the Slayers Anime is laid out as a giant magic circle
The walls of the city form the lines of a massive protective seal that empowers white magic and weakens black magic.

A giant circle of protection (Simple) would be pretty easy to lay out, and empower.

If your worried about supernaturals and just what mortals in your city draw a huge circle of protection: Superior) with a wall around your city, slap a diabolist ward on it and presto... a city wall that lesser supernaturals and undead cant even be within eyeshot of.

I think about this a bunch as this topic is rather regular here and comes up on a fairly regular basis.
As such I have given a bit of thought on how I would lay out the circles, and the best way to set it up and the rest.

[the ancient gamer]

Isn't there a big portion a city in the original first edition books that is surrounded by a protection circle?

[Hotrod]

Isn't there a big portion a city in the original first edition books that is surrounded by a protection circle?

The Place of Magic has a circle under its entrance that curses people as they enter. I don't know of something like what you're describing in 1st Ed books, though I don't know Yin Sloth very well.

[ShadowLogan]

I've never explored this in an adventure, but this could be useful from a GM perspective in providing some sort of safe zone in an otherwise hostile area that the players stumble upon. Alternately, it could be yet another obstacle for the players to overcome when attacking the Big Bad's Fortress of Doom.

Rifts has a Lizard Mage that has a Tower that includes Teleportation Circle IIRC (WB16o). IIRC its held up as rare/unique, though that might just be for Rifts setting where Circle Magic itself isn't heavily practiced.

While some circles might be attractive from certain POV, more practical and desirable ones might be "Healing" (everyone is healthy), or "Force" (depending on area, might also keep out bad weather), and "Protection from Elemental Forces" (more for "weather control" than anti-elementals).

[Library Ogre]

What the hey, let's look at these and have some fun.

First criteria: I need to be able to draw a frickin' enormous circle. Usually, this means "Drawn in Any Substance"

That leaves:
Protection from Angels
Protection from True Elementals
Protection from Elemental Forces
Protection from Evil
Protection from Ghosts, Spirits, and Entities (must be drawn in green)
Protection from Good
Protection from the Jinn
Protection from Magic (Simple)
Protection from Undead

Many of the ones excluded required either an expensive component (I am not surrounding an entire city in Gold or Silver), or an unsuitable one (wax, salt, chalk). The above can be drawn in stone walls, wooden palisades, or even dirt tracks.

From these, you have several that are more time-limited... they require something to burn, and a burning candle will not result in a long-lasting circle. That leaves:

Protection from Elemental Forces
Protection from Jinn (requires a lit oil lantern, but that's easier to manage than a lit candle... you can refill oil to keep it burning)
Protection from Magic (Simple)
Protection from Undead

Of these, Protection from Magic is the cheapest and easiest. Protection from Undead is a close second (a silver cross and a clove of garlic are not MUCH more expensive than "whatever you like", but they are). Protection from Elemental forces has the biggest start-up cost (four gemstones), but, aside from that, it's also probably the most useful. Protection from Jinn is a pretty specialized one... Jinn aren't as common, the costs are close to what you'd pay for Elemental Forces, and you have the ongoing cost of your oil lantern.

Me? I'd go with Elemental Forces or Undead. Elemental Forces is just USEFUL. I mean, it prevents fires from spreading, though it might have an interesting effect on cooking fires and forges. It also means that you won't suffer random tornados, rain storms are less severe, and hail damage is lessened. Protection from Undead is less useful, in that the undead aren't as common as "weather" (or even Warlocks, IMG), but when you need your town to be immune to the undead, it's a pretty useful one. A neat side effect, that will protect your town? Mind-controlled minions of the undead who come into your town to defeat your defenses will be freed from mind control.

[Library Ogre]

Second Part: Power Circles

These are a lot harder to manage, being a lot more time limited, and frequently made of expensive materials or the corpses of something... which can be difficult to achieve if you want a person to stand in it, and almost impossible if you want to build a town there. Can you encircle an entire town in an unbroken line of mangled leeches? For how long? I tend to view those as unworkable for city-wide power circles.

However, in the "Can be made big and work when you need it to" category are:

Force (need to sacrifice a dove every time you want to bring up the magical wall)
Knowledge (you have to paint the walls of the town, and the symbols, but could be VERY useful and interesting. And macabre, since you're burning tongues)
Power (the circle must be DRAWN with the bone of an elf, but it can be made of any substance; also, only one quarter of the circle is empowered)
Teleportation (any substance, but more of a "get stuff other places" option, especially since you need faerie wings)
Wonder (drawn in any substance)

Wonder is an interesting case, and could be really cool, if you can find some way to make a unicorn horn last forever. I bet casting the fire warlock spell "Eternal Flame" on a unicorn horn won't work.

[Hotrod]

All good points. I would also throw in the Power Matrix as well. The way it's written is a little weird. While its symbols must be drawn in gold, the lines themselves don't. Thus, you could have a big power matrix (which is actually a convenient design for a fortress) with huge lines but small symbols, and you could put linked circles into some corner bastions; they wouldn't have to be large, either.

If you interpret that being in one linked circle confers the benefits of all, then this could be even simpler. You could make one huge circle drawn in whatever and connect it to a pretty small power matrix and three other small circles, none of which need to be large.

[Library Ogre]

All good points. I would also throw in the Power Matrix as well. The way it's written is a little weird. While its symbols must be drawn in gold, the lines themselves don't. Thus, you could have a big power matrix (which is actually a convenient design for a fortress) with huge lines but small symbols, and you could put linked circles into some corner bastions; they wouldn't have to be large, either.

If you interpret that being in one linked circle confers the benefits of all, then this could be even simpler. You could make one huge circle drawn in whatever and connect it to a pretty small power matrix and three other small circles, none of which need to be large.

Reread that, Hotrod.

The Mystic Symbol of Unbridled Power is the linking symbol and focus of the power matrix, with the symbols of dimensions, forces, unbridled power, knowledge, mystic knowledge, and magic/infinity inscribed in each point of the star-shaped symbol. All symbols must be drawn in real gold.

So, as I read it, you inscribe Unbridled Forces twice... once as the giant, six-pointed star you stand in, and once as a focus within one of the points. But both times, it has to be in gold.

[Whiskeyjack]

Many of the ones excluded required either an expensive component (I am not surrounding an entire city in Gold or Silver), or an unsuitable one (wax, salt, chalk). The above can be drawn in stone walls, wooden palisades, or even dirt tracks.

This might be easier than you think. If the circle is constructed of masonry, you can simply have a layer made of concave bricks. run the material down it, then cap with another flat or concave brick. The contents inside will stay put as long as they are level. You could even put in enough that you wouldn't have to worry about shifting. Make it 6" thick for salt or wax. It's a lot to come up with, but doable.

In my world, this was very common during the time of a thousand magics Some ruins may even survive that contain dormant circles.

[ShadowLogan]

All good points. I would also throw in the Power Matrix as well. The way it's written is a little weird. While its symbols must be drawn in gold, the lines themselves don't. Thus, you could have a big power matrix (which is actually a convenient design for a fortress) with huge lines but small symbols, and you could put linked circles into some corner bastions; they wouldn't have to be large, either.

If you interpret that being in one linked circle confers the benefits of all, then this could be even simpler. You could make one huge circle drawn in whatever and connect it to a pretty small power matrix and three other small circles, none of which need to be large.

While there might not an actual limitation in terms of size for the Circle, it might be more practical for construction (not activation) to be limited to the size of individual buildings or maybe districts/areas. In this way you allow for horizontal growth should the need arise. It's also a way to give more options to the community to include more "expensive" component circles to limited areas.

[Hotrod]

All good points. I would also throw in the Power Matrix as well. The way it's written is a little weird. While its symbols must be drawn in gold, the lines themselves don't. Thus, you could have a big power matrix (which is actually a convenient design for a fortress) with huge lines but small symbols, and you could put linked circles into some corner bastions; they wouldn't have to be large, either.

If you interpret that being in one linked circle confers the benefits of all, then this could be even simpler. You could make one huge circle drawn in whatever and connect it to a pretty small power matrix and three other small circles, none of which need to be large.

Reread that, Hotrod.

The Mystic Symbol of Unbridled Power is the linking symbol and focus of the power matrix, with the symbols of dimensions, forces, unbridled power, knowledge, mystic knowledge, and magic/infinity inscribed in each point of the star-shaped symbol. All symbols must be drawn in real gold.

So, as I read it, you inscribe Unbridled Forces twice... once as the giant, six-pointed star you stand in, and once as a focus within one of the points. But both times, it has to be in gold.

Right you are, then. I guess it's one huge circle and a small power matrix with three other small ones.

[Library Ogre]

Many of the ones excluded required either an expensive component (I am not surrounding an entire city in Gold or Silver), or an unsuitable one (wax, salt, chalk). The above can be drawn in stone walls, wooden palisades, or even dirt tracks.

This might be easier than you think. If the circle is constructed of masonry, you can simply have a layer made of concave bricks. run the material down it, then cap with another flat or concave brick. The contents inside will stay put as long as they are level. You could even put in enough that you wouldn't have to worry about shifting. Make it 6" thick for salt or wax. It's a lot to come up with, but doable.

In my world, this was very common during the time of a thousand magics Some ruins may even survive that contain dormant circles.

Until your masonry cracks a bit and your salt gets wet and flows down the crack. It's possible, and an Earth Warlock would make your construction more resilient against that, but I'm still going to prefer something like Elemental forces.

[Axelmania]

Rerversing this concept, if there is a city full of 100,000 people and a summoner spends a few months drawing a giant circle around the whole city, and then seals it with blood so ONLY he is permitted inside, would everyone inside start taking 2d6/melee until they got out?

[Library Ogre]

Very difficult to do, since the crossbeams of the circle would be hard to put in, post facto. However, I would say that anyone inside a circle when it is created gets to stay (until they leave)

[kiralon]

Be a good way to keep vermin out of a city (protection from spell).

I wonder if it would be possible to impregnate string with enough gold or whatever the ingredient is and then just run it around the circle, and if you are doing the crossbeams of the circle whether it matters if the crossbeams and the other items have to be on the same vertical level of the string or if they have a certain tolerance. I know circles don't have to be perfect but the closer the better, and ovals won't do, but could the crossbeams go over buildings and have the ingredients put in certain houses and buildings as long as they are straightish lines.