Lina Inverse from Slayers casting a Magic Missile-like spell wrote:"East winds that blow
Have you as their source
Into my hands
Ignite all their force!
FLARE ARROW!"
Years ago, I considered the idea of attaching poems to spells, so players have to recite it when casting a spell (but not magic items, as they would have a one or two word component to activate its spell-like effects, with clues laid out on the item). The idea was to add a level of immersion to the role-playing and to add a level of tension, as there is a good chance of magic miss-fire if you cant recite it right, but it fell flat as I'm not a poet and my focus turned towards more "Carcosain" style of spell-casting, which is already flavored with drown-out rituals (Although, it would add to the flavor to such a spell-casting system).
So what do you guys think of such a verbal prop?