So it would be kinda like a magic desease...

Well there would be some points about this:

1) you mentioned that, if the wizzards want, they claim they can stop all channeling - if that is true, and not just some arrogant talking, they would have to be the "hosts" of the magewars.
That leads to some questions:
1.1) Woudn't wizzards only match themselfes against weaker foes, so they could shine in all their glory, and won't have the danger of getting killed?
1.2) If the Wizzards didn't create the magic desease... i guess for an country that claims to be able to end all channeling, it would be easy to get rid of this pesty thing
1.3) The question what binds them to the outcome of the match, and wether or not the matchs outcome has any consequences stays
- If they are purely for fun... well i doubt many knights and priests want to be matched to overpowered mages, just for "fun"
- If they are for lets say political reasons - As i said, the priestess nation may stick to it. But as i claimed none other would, least of all the wizzards...

Also - what would the contract say? As it seems to be legit to experiment with magic, witch, in may oppinion, is able to cause the biggest disasters, and magic is kinda free-to-use for every1 (Bull endurance - spell often sold at brothels) - where is the cut between a fight and a war made? - to what extend is it allowed to use magic for such purposes? etc.

And - More easily asked - why the fuq would someone cause himself so much trouble, casting an enchantment on every damn mage in the lands, when he could just stop their channeling (i guess the person have to be one of the wizzards or more powerfull then wizzards) - preventing magic wars for all time


So after all i'm realy curious what we will hear of the game developers to this topic... everything i thought about that far goes well untill some point. then the question "But wait what about..." pops up.


Just for fun and glory - Ok that may be best possible... but... sacrisfising so many lifes, just for fun... well ok we may think back to romans... guess thats best possible after all^^ - woudn't explain the "cataclysmic event that lead to the mages wars" tho... also bringing some mages like bm in the arena is hard to explain^^
Political descisions / Preventing of war - How to bind them? Why don't the wizzards break that contract? To splitted up nations that can't predict one champion / Others doesn't stick to it and so on...
If wizzards set it up - why not in their home country? Who hosts the event?



On the globalisation: What we know so far are none advanced machineries or materials. Most things are done by magic, and each country has their own mages. The technology is just reaching blackpowder weapons ("Grimson Deadeyes flavor says: Boltstorm designed the new long range weapon, but grimson had the aim to use it best) - as far as i can tell its a typical front-loader (is this the correct term?) blackpowder weapon - not realy advanced technology.
And lets see what we need globalisation for today:
Workers - Cheap workers in asian and african countrys cyonly nececary for big cooperations
Resources - Sure you can trade resources, but you can also conquer them
And over that there is a "Allie"-system: If you attack an european country, you got the european union. If you attack china, usa, russia, they are big enough itself. If you attack smaller countrys, you get bad press and sink in the view of other countrys - I doubt there is a that globalized allie system, as there is no need for globalisation of the above points. Also, most leaders doesn't need to care about bad press - Warlocks would be honored by their people, wizzards follow the witest. Priest country probaply woudn't allie with countrys of other religions. Beastmasters... well they have no real reason to fight^^
Hollydays - That is luxus, and if there are no mages that do the teleportation for their people,  i doubt there would be much" hollydays" in magewars for normal people
Special knowledge (in magewars: magical arts) - capture mages and force them to do it or teach you

I just don't realy see globalisation work in magewars, unless there is a big bunch of mages that constantly teleports resources around the world^^

So first to the warlocks...
Let me get one flavor text:
Lash of hellfire:
"The perfect torture device. It digs deep and cauterizes the wounds. No mess!"

Rulebook:  "They have shown us fire that burns withing etheria and with that fire your nations will burn."

Even thou not ALL warlocks may be evil, surely MOST are, as most spells are not for simply killing but for killing realy painfull (magebaine, gouhl rot).


+ I never talked about satanists - i just talked about warlocks. Neither did Arcane wonders talk about satanists - they created warlocks. Demons are a huge team in fantasy worlds, and these are not "christian" or "moslem" or "someothercrazyrelgion" demons - that are evil fantasy demons that exist. And i have to say i love demons - chaos in warhammer? Amazing, i'm happy everytime i see one of those epic kickass khorne warriors... a bit less when i know i have to face him soon cause he is on the side of my enemys...
there is no such thing as god or satan in mageawars - and if you want my personal opinion (if someone want to be offended - be it. Its my personal opinion, and as much as you think your religion is right i think i'm right -no need to respond, i don't want a discusion about religion in this threat): Religions are bullshit, drugs for the desperate people who need it to get through life, we would all be much better of without it (less wars, more technological advantage, just think of all the scientists and books that burned in thename of religion and all the wars that were made in name of religion)

But in general i agree with you, not because you use some type of magic you are nececary evil - there may be warlocks who stuck to this kind of magic for some damn good reasons. I know story about an order of bloodmages whos weapons absorbed the blood of their enemys for spells, who used this power because they needed it to keep the country alive - not because they were evil or something.
But those guys are usualy minorety

So the national dependence: This is a sign of globalisation, there was no such thing in such a scale in the past, and even if you need the resources of the other country - why not conquer it? USA uses china for cheap labor and many labourers - but what would be cheaper then slaves?

The contract - who created it? There is no such thing as a united powerfull magical force, as far as we know.
Also - there are always some madmen who want to see the world burn, and gladly sacrisfice themself for that sake, so the knockback on etheria would just be a bonus to such individuals


And on the mage country: Its the main reason why i can't accept that the mage wars are there to restrict useage of magic... experiments with magic can always fail, and if a country of manic wizzards, who all think themself as geniuses experimentates 24/7 there has to be some HUGE failures... that may likely have effects like a war had.
(Just think about a mage that wants to create a "mana battery"... day for day he stucks his mana in it, and after some years it explodes... imagine the explosion - keep in mind that the same wizzard can build up mana to cast "Electrify" in less then a minute.)

So,
No idea wether someone thought of this bevore but - how about using magewars as a base for a pen and paper game?
(Who has no idea what pen and paper ist: 1) Shame on you! 2) Short: Imagine a Mmo like world of warcraft without an pc, converted to a boardgame, just without a board 3) Googel it )

Ok i guess every1 reading this sentence now knows what i'm talking about when is ay pen and paper (pnp) - if thats not the case: Go googel!^^

Even if the rules may seem to be long now - compared to other pen and papers - they are nothing. Also, most of them are just common sense and i feel writing them is almost not needed at all. I do it nonetheless

Bevore you continue reading, i want to apoligize for any mistakes i make, i'm not a native english speaker

Once again: Bevore you read this, its important you have a vast glimpse of what pnp is about

Shorts:
Exp = Experiance
DM = Dungeon Master, / Game leader
pnp = Pen and Paper

What you will find:
0 - Pro's and Con's
1 - World and Story
2 - Bunch of Rules
3 - Battles
4 - Roleplay

All this rules are just an idea and still in "the alpha" - so i'm glad for any advices


0) Pro's and Con's

Pros:
- You don't need to teach your players new rules (hell if you ever read the entire the black eye rules you know how big this pro actualy is ^^)
- IF you need to explain the system to your players - it will be fast. (alot faster then the averange pnp system at least)
- The world of magewars isn't exactly filled with lore right now. If people play this as an pnp and write their adventures in the lore forum, it could fill the world with more life
- A fight system with numerous ways to individualize your characters

Cons:
- If you want to implement skillchecks for running, jumping etc - you have to invent them on your own.
- You can only play magic characters (according to the rules i offer here - you may always change this and let a warlord be a mercenary leader meele fighter if you wish to - but you have to get the rules for your own then )
- If you don't want to design your own mages - only 8 characters right now

so basicly all the cons just require some effort



1) World and Story:
Well thats pretty much up to the dm, but you can easily stick to the world of magewars.


Examples: For our examples, we will use 3 Mage apprentices, Raziel, Misha and Elenore, who, for different reasons - hunt the warlock cairne bloodsong. The Priestess Elenore got a dream of her god, the wizzard raziel hopes for arcane knowledge and Misha as a childhood friend of Raziel feels responsible for him, and decides to join him, so shes able to keep trouble away.


2) Bunch of Rules
Ok here is where the deal starts.

2.1) Characters
Each player select a character (a mage). Depending on how powerfull you want your people to be you may give them a number of spellbookpoints, of with they may build a spellbook. (If you want to start with a group of apprentice mages who can cast 1 spell each fight - give them 1 or 2 points only, if you want experianced archmages for truly gigantic battles and hordes of enemys give them the full 120 points)


2.1.1) Spellbook Building:
NO "Buildings" - Ofc your mage may summon a wall, but don't allow them to take spawnpoints, temples, siege weapons etc. in their spellbooks - if a mage want to take a conjuration in his spellbook judge wether or not he may do so. You may let mages have acess to different buildings at specific battles in the campain, for example defend a temple, but don't let them summon temples
NO Monsters - You should be generealy carefull with monsters in mage spellbooks, commonly as with conjurations you need to decide wether or not to let it in. Personaly, i would allow the summoning of etheral creatures if one of the mages REALY wants to, but in general I recomend sticking no monsters at all. If you want you can take familiars  and mercenaris wich they not summon but who travel with them for whatever reason.
NO Equipments - Equipments are your tools to "reward" the mages - they may loot it from enemys, buy them in towns or get them as rewards for their acomplishments. The only equipment that isn't targeted by this rule is the forcemasters blade, as it belongs to the mage^^

note: On every card the dm has the last word wether or not you may include it


Example: Each of our apprentice mages gets 3 Spellpoints to build their starting spellbooks with:
Elenore, the priestess chooses  Minor Heal, Pillar of Light and Pacify -  she wants to support her group
Misha, the Forcemaster chooses Galvitar, Force Blade - she wants to go for the meele fighting
Raziel, the Firewizzard chooses 3 Flameblasts - he wants to go for powerfull magic spells to destroy his foes


2.1.2.) Experiance:
You will reward the mages with experiance in form of spellbook points, with wich they may include new spells to their spellbooks. - How you want to distribute it is up to you - you may give experiance for certain monsters to the mage who killed it, to the mage who dealed the most damage, or just give experiance for damage and healing done etc., or for roleplay purposes, all up to you (if i say you, i target the dm )
I recomend a flat experiance gain for every1 + some bonus experiance for those who shined in certain tasks
I also recomend the following formular:
10 Exp = 1 Spellbook Point
Monsters MAY give their creature level in exp, if you want your mages to get stronger through fighting. (so if a character kills of 10 wolfes (level 1) they get 1 spellbookpoint.

As i said, giving players experiance is all up to you.
I just highly recomend the 10 exp = 1 spellbook point formula, because getting exerpiance often keeps your players more on track then getting 1 spellbook point every evening of play

Example: After a day of play the players accumulated xp:
Elenore: 19 XP
Misha: 17 XP
Raziel: 21 XP
So Elenore and Misha both have 1 Spellpoint more to include to their spellbooks, while Raziel already has 2
Elenore decides to put another minor heal in her spellbook
Raziel goes for an fireball
While Misha decides to save her spellpoints for more a more powerfull spell.


2.1.3.) Battle:

Battles are fought in spaces, like in the magewar arena. you may obviously block some parts out, or put some walls on the battlefield bevore the battle starts. up to you

2.1.3.1.) Players in Battles:
In battle, each mage starts with his chaneling and 0 mana. Battles are fought normaly. Equipments doesn't need to be summoned. (Care: The forcemasters blade has to be summoned each battle!)
After battles you have two options -
1) each mage gets back each of his spells after battle. Pro: Multiple battles possible Con: May afflict rp usage of spells (This doesn't need to be a con, but it can)
2) Each mage regenerates all his spells once a day Pro: Spells seem rare, players will think bevore casting. If a spell is used in battle, it isn't avivable for rp purposes and vice versa Con: Multiple battles a day /Long fights are harder to pull of.
3) Each mage regenerates spells equal to 1 spellpoint per houer  Pro: Spells regenerate constantly, and players can decide wich spell they need to have back fast, and for wich spell they can wait. Rp spellcasting will get interesting con: Lategame, when players hurl realy much spells in epic battles, they will need years to regenerate spells.
4) (Warning: For this attempt, you need to chance the exp gain alot,): Players won't get their spells back to their books automaticly, but need to buy them back via experiance.

Note: I would recomend something between 2 and 3 - While they act, mages regain spells equal to X spellbookpoints / houer and if they rest for a long time (the night for example) they regain their entire spellbook)

Note: You may want to give mages acess to special one-time-use-spells - a priestess for example could have access to one resurection, wich she could cast on other mages as well as npcs  - but there is no way to refresh this spell. A brave warrior who defeated a demon avatar in the name of light may get a divine intervention stuck to him etc.

Note: You may want to change the total life value of the player mages to half, or even a third its realy high - Also you may think about halfing the channeling value (to 4/5) - Life and channeling value may be increased with experiance over time (For example 1 life = 20 Xp, 1 Channel = 50 xp, just hypotetical values)


Example to my method of spell regeneration: Our mages burned all their spells in the last confrontation. Now they walked for 2 houers - they regained spells equal to two spellbook points. Elenore chooses to regain blinding flash, Raziel gets two of his flameblasts back, while Misha still wait one more houer so she will be able to summon her beloved blade again.


2.1.3.2) DM in battle

Now this is your section. And with you, i target the dm, again.
For Battle purposes you have:

Monsters. For novice mages, even 1 or 2 monsters may proove to be a almost impossible task (Just toss a group of 4 mages with 3 spellbook points each against an earth elemental and you know what i mean) - so try to balance out the fights. let the mages feel pressure, but try not to kill them

Mages. If you want a REALY powerfull opponent for your players you can toss them a earth elemental, or a horde of 200 goblins. Or pit them against a mage. Mages make great bosses, build them spellbooks, give them some adds, maybe incrase their life and they will cause huge headache to your players.

Objectives: Obviously, you may get different objectives in fights for the players. Kill the mage bevore he can cast his escape spell (kill him in 10 rounds). Destroy the gate to hell bevore it can spit out an archdemon. Defend the temple that holds back the dark forces. and so on. Obviously, if they fail, they have to face the consequences (For example to face a demon avatar, if they are unlucky)

Note: Equipments: You may attach equipments to powerfull enemys - this will leave the players with the choice: Will they try to defeat the foe with the equipment, to potentialy loot it? Or will they destroy the equipment so they don't need to fear its wrath? Keep in mind to always put some dissolves in enemy-mage-spellbooks, so they can use it if a player steals an equipment you don't want your players to have

Note: Feel free to adjust any values as you feel you need it. Just inform your players you did this .. or not.. if you want them to have a nasty surprise - I recomend crit imunity (critical hits won't ignore armor) if you want tougher creatures. Also, you may want to equip monsters with "basic" equipments like leathergloves to make them tougher.

Note: Always keep in mind your players may want to flee of battles

Note: If your players attack enemys they know they can't defeat, make sure they know they can't defeat him. if they proceed fighting and don't want to flee, don't hesitate to kill them...

Note: Once your mages are grown  a bit you may want them to have a fight with 12 goblins or some kind of mosnters you don't have enough cards for - just let them come in as reinforcements after they died

Note: You may want to modify some monsters, for example remove the "slow" of the earth elemental and grant it a quick attack. Do such modifications as you feel you need, you are the dm, you tell the story

Note: You may want to stick enchantments to your npcs's so they are more powerfull.

Note: Don't use the "hinder" rule if mages want to flee


Example 1: In a fight, our three adventurers may find themself faced to 3 Knights of Westlock, the townguards, who attacked the group because raziel is accused of throwing a fireball to a peasant. (in fact, a servant of Cairne did this, but try to explain that to the angry townguards). The leader of the townguards just came out of a brothel, so he has the Bull Endurance enchantment on him. The mages now have to choose wether they want to flee, fight, or try to talk their way out of the situation. Since our three mages feel too proud to flee and don't see a way to talk their way out - so the fight agianst the three brave townguards starts.

Example 2: The three mages find themselfe faced against an earth elemental - an easy opponent for much xp, they guess. - since its slow, they can just kite it till its dead. But once the earth elemental arrives there is a nastry surprise - it can do his "two fisted power smash" as a quick action and may do it after a move, even thou its "slow" - seeing they can't deafeat such a powerfull foe our three mages decide to flee and take a run for it.

Example 3: The mages have grown in power and finaly face their foe - The warlock Cairne Bloodsong. He ist about to open a gate to hell, to summon aldramech (Say he will suceed in 10 rounds). He is defended by several firewalls, wich hinder the movement of our heroes as well as two whirling spirits and several imps and other demons.
After our heroes mannaged to fend of the demons, and get through the firewalls, there is not much more time left. Cairne almost opened the gates to hell, aldramechs voice already fills the caive. The mages wave their most powerfull spells to destroy the gate to hell - just in time,they suceed, but now they are exhausted, wounded, almost out of spells and still have to face the enraged Cairne. Will they suceed, or will their jurney end as a sacrisfice to Cairnes Demonic lords?


3) Roleplay
Well, as the world of magewars is just about to develop, and we don't know much about its lore, its pretty much up to the dm to set up the tasks for his players. Just keep in mind the spellbooks of your mages, and that they may use this spells to solve the tasks you give to them Be prepared to face a teleport if you want them to climb up somewhere.




Note: Oh bevore i forget - some players tend to attack townguard and so on - make sure that while you are in town, you have some "nsc cards" (like knights) avivable for a townfight
Note: You may want to include skillchecks - you need to make this rules up on your own Or maybe i update this if someone has a good idea on how to implement it

Hardly depends on what you summon

If you summon Humans or Animals i guess they are teleported

If you summon Legends i guess Avatars of them are created as stated for demons above(otherwise it would be odd if BM Vs BM Both, one after another would summon the same animal legend)

Other creatures vary - Earth elemental will be created of the earth of the arena, while some beeings (etheral) will be just magic... others again then are summoned or created one or another way

Thanks
Its just confusing to know wich countrys are ruled by wich leader, even some personal storys, but no idea why exactly we fight

Edit: To Djamal:
Your 4th point is already stated. (The woodelfs support the mage wars because they fear the damage that an actual war could cause) but i guess this isn't true for every possible mage (a necromancer or warlock for example woudn't care about destruction^^)
to your 5th point: Magewars seems to be an institution not that old, since there were former "regular"-wars including mages (the woodelfs needs to restore the balance of their forest, so they have been devasted in a time bevore the mage wars^^)
7th point: Code of honor: Why should a necromancer or warlock stick to that?^^
Personal Motivation (For proud, fighting for gods) - that would be "just for fun fights" not explaining why the magewars prevent wars / prevent fighting mages in wars
Mage orders send their ppl to die: Warlocks don't realy have an order, also i highly doubt that the oh-so-holy-priesthood would send their so long loyal people to death just for testing purposes^^
So from the things and me thinking about it i belive it has to be the political desicion made through wars (like plot of league of legends eg ) - rewards would be possible too (like gladiator pitfights) in terms of motivation for the mages, but that woudn't prevent them from fighting in wars^^

So my guess: Political descisions.... But I'll wait till the story team gets the official answer
edit2: Then again, there is an country building military strenght, so why would countries still spend money for their troops if everything is solved through mages....
and if a country is attacked what stops the mages (in this case the country in "defence" is the one of the priestresses, forgot the name^^) from joining the war... so realy curious what is the trick about the magewars^^

So there are two Types of mages i realy love:

Technomancers  (as already stated) - with steampunk magic e.g. clockwork golems, steam armor / weapon, and so on. If they fit in the story of your world - PLEASE bring them!!^^

Battlemage / Runemage - Dressed in an (Leather-)Armor, worn over a robe, with a cloak over his shoulder plates and with a 2-Handed sword or a glaive, ornated with various powerfull runes he is able to trained in arcane and warschool, specialised on takeing down mages. He could also be able to bind Spells to his Runeweapons to unleash them when the time is right. (So like enchanting /imprinting an instand spell on it, and after that use it e.g.while using a movment action (but not takeing the quick action of it - he uses up a full action to imprint something and later can release it for free))
His arsenal would include:
- Arcane Magic
-Battlemagic
-Counterspells
-(Unique-)Equipments
-(direct-dammage)-Attackspells
-Enchantments for Equipments
-Protective Spells against other magic.

Well first of all:
Why shoudn't you have enough mages?
You get 4 Mages in the MagewarsCoreset.
If you want to play now lets say you get 3 of each spelltome, to get at least 4 copies of each spell.
Now you have exactly 4 epic spells.
You have exactly 4 mages.
So if there is an epic spell you want to build with every mage - you can.

I guess magewars is designed to be played without every1 forced to have the coreset and a complete collection of cards by himself, and I like that - thus i don't see a reason why there shoudn't be a 2nd copie of an epic spell - how else to get it if not by buying the coreset again.

+They simply printed EVERY card at least once in their corespelltomes, to statisfy every player and every possible deck... realy don't see what you are complaining about

Just because you and the guys you play with don't need this spell this is no reason for not printing it. You could also say "Omg why HellfireLeash, we don't play warlock"

+if you mean mage exclusive: Still possible that in future expansions there will be mages of similiar shools, wich will then get the spell without needing the coreset (maybe there will be another coreset once?)

So generaly the points i got were "We do Pitfights so they don't fight outside" - but what was the original reason for this?

Are the mages sanctioned? Personal Glory? Political Descisions made through fights? Boredom?

Didn't find anything in the backgroundstory for this, just that there is an institution called magewars in a special city and that it is supported by the countries / organisations of the mages who fight in there^^

Do any1 got anything more specific wich i overlooked?^^

Edit: Ok so after some time has passed without response - realy noone knows why they set up the mage wars? we get tons of background of the world but nothing refered to the game? ^^ there has got to be somethign!^^