From postmaster@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Sat Feb 11 19:38:51 1995 Received: (from major@localhost) by hops.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) id TAA29048; Sat, 11 Feb 1995 19:38:51 -0500 Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 19:38:51 -0500 Message-Id: <199502120038.TAA29048@hops.wharton.upenn.edu> To: owner-rq-rules@hops.wharton.upenn.edu From: owner-rq-rules@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Subject: BOUNCE rq-rules@hops.wharton.upenn.edu: Message too long (>24000) Status: RO >From rq-rules-owner@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Sat Feb 11 19:38:50 1995 Received: from netcom7.netcom.com (netcom7.netcom.com [192.100.81.115]) by hops.wharton.upenn.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id TAA29043 for ; Sat, 11 Feb 1995 19:38:47 -0500 Received: by netcom7.netcom.com (8.6.9/Netcom) id QAA07871; Sat, 11 Feb 1995 16:41:13 -0800 Date: Sat, 11 Feb 1995 16:41:13 -0800 From: akuma@netcom.com (Steven E Barnes) Message-Id: <199502120041.QAA07871@netcom7.netcom.com> To: RQ-Rules@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Subject: Re: RQR: Re: RQ Rules Digest: V1 #70 At Paul's request, here's the draft I have. I liked it lot, and I am stealing several ideas from it... -steve ----------------------------- OK. I will send you stuff from last summer, version 2. I have recently begun working on another version. In September last year I was told that RQ4 was basically dead in the water and became depressed and stopped working on it. This system is due to me and Mike Holliday, not a net.person. If you read German, I have a Runic Sorcery article in Free INT 5 as well. NOTES 2 (C) Paul Reilly and Mike Holliday 1993 Second Release: This is a second experimental version of our sorcery rules, it's merged to some extent with the Gang of Four draft. Major changes: The concept of "Presence" is replaced with that of a "Vessel of Power". This is a bit of a God Learner term but unfortunately such terms are the only ones which can cover several Gloranthan cultures. In any case this is usually a better way to think of it. A Rokari sorcerer thinks of his Staff as an entity that aids him in sorcery, with its own Power and mana (magic points.) The total Power that has been invested in a Vessel will be termed "Vested Power". Ritually cast long duration spells need 1 point of Power to maintain them per point of intensity, rather than 1 per spell. This Power is usually drawn from the sorcerer's Vessel but may be supplemented by other sources through special Rituals. Major features cribbed from RQ4 draft: Spell manipulations are limited by skill as in the RQIV Draft and spell descriptions have been rebalanced to go with this lower Intensity level. Textual notes We offer options at a couple of points and will be looking for feedback. Optional sections will begin and end with a double line of '*'s: *********** *********** Option 1 is described here. *********** Option 2 goes here. *********** Option 3, etc. ************ ************ A single line of ############'s will bracket sections that could get left out entirely if there is no positive response on them. Curly braces with *'s {* like this *} will indicate our comments. {* GENERAL NOTE We're trying to reverse engineer much of the system from what we know about Glorantha, filling in with general stuff from Earth magic where our Glorantha knowledge falls short. Anyone with knowledge about sorcery using cultures in Glorantha that is not in the RQ 3 publications or Cults of Terror, please contact Paul. Also feel free to try to shoot down the system or suggest ideas. Pronoun choice: The majority of Gloranthan sorcerers seem to be male, hence the use of "he" in this work. *} We assume that there are laws of nature in Glorantha and that the different magic systems (Divine, Spirit, Sorcery) have some underlying similarities that reflect these laws. Of course the enormous cultural differences often mask these. (for the Introductory section of the Magic Book) WHAT THE SHAMAN SAYS Sorcerers are men who might have been shamans had they been born in a natural society instead of among the Termite people who live in dead cities of stone. Without the guidance of nature spirits they live in an unnatural way and when their fetch awakens to help them they poison it instead of listening and leave it a crippled and blinded slave. By doing so they have killed the best part of themselves and are doomed to a fruitless and grey existence. Instead of treating spirits with respect they condemn them to heartless slavery and are deaf and blind to the suffering they inflict. Having killed the feeling part of themselves they are callous to the feelings of all beings, whether man, spirit, animal, plant, or stone. Sorcerers have not earned their power fairly but in a cowardly way. As all know, those who would walk the spirit worlds must prove their worth by facing the Bad Man but instead of doing so and thus gaining the freedom of the spirit world the cowardly sorcerer avoids this confrontation by willingly crippling his fetch. This evil deed scars the wizard for life, and perhaps beyond. WHAT THE PRIESTESS SAYS Before the Great Darkness the Celestial Court ruled the world and set the pattern for all existence. Aether ruled the sky realm, and all his children long to return to it. This is why fires rise up; they seek the sphere of their Ultimate Ancestor. Similarly the other Celestial Deities set the patterns for the foundations of our world: the shape of the Earth and Sky, the qualities of the Elements, the Forms of creatures, and the Powers and Conditions of our lives. Lesser Deities followed in their footsteps and set their pattern for humbler things. These deities gave freely of themselves to build a world we might live in. Most generous was Ernalda, who gave of herself so that all might live. Sorcerers have learned to exploit these patterns, drawing on the gifts of the gods but giving them nothing in return. They fuel their tawdry magics with their own souls, and when this fails to satisfy their appetite for power, they draw on the souls of others. ############# (About Malkioni) They manage this by an evil trick, a false religion without true piety. Given a standard of comparison, anyone would see through the lies of their sects, and so they suppress worship of Ernalda and other deities who would protect the common people against their exploitation. ################# WHAT THE SORCERER SAYS Shamans are typically superstitious primitives who are born with magical talent but fail to learn to control their own impulses. At best they resemble children fixed in a world of imaginary friends, at worst they are dangerous madmen. When their magic awakens, usually around the age of adulthood but sometimes earlier or later, they lack the training to control it with their conscious minds. Instead the subconscious impulses of the shaman have free rein and the shaman, unable to control his magic, attributes it to an external being, the "fetch". The fetch is not truly a separate being - it is the uncontrolled magic of the shaman manifesting his underlying desires and fears. It often appears as an animal because these impulses are bestial in nature. The shaman also unconsciously and inefficiently produces many other magical effects and attributes them to his "spirit helpers". While some of these are in fact due to demons or wild spirits, in many cases the shaman is unconsciously producing the effect himself. This may even include imaginary "spirit enemies" who "attack" the shaman. However, do not underestimate these primitives if you are forced to deal with them. They are untutored and their powers seem almost random, but can be devastating. They may have the strength of madness in their magic. Perhaps the greatest danger they present is actually unintentional: through their clumsy rituals, they may inadvertently open the way for a demon of true power to cross into our plane. ########################### {* This will need to get rewritten as we get more info from Greg. *} UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES (Introductory section within Sorcery section) (What the Rokari sorcerer says in a quick lecture to Lords) Magic is performed by manipulation of mana through skill and the authority of the Soul. Such a manipulation is called a spell. One manipulates mana with Power. Beings with Power tend to collect all the mana that they can hold over the course of their natural cycle, which is for humans a day. The largest spell that can be shaped is limited by one's total Power, and also by one's skill. Such a mana construction tends to wash away quickly in the tides of mana which flow through Glorantha. The spell structure slowly weakens. When it starts to crumble it usually decays quickly. This is a natural function of the Universe; we call this principle of decay Entropy. It also applies in the mundane world. The skill of creating and maintaining spells that will withstand the ravages of Entropy is called Duration. We use it to craft both spells that stand up better in the short term and to maintain spells indefinitely. In both cases the skill is that of crafting mana so well that it will longer retain its form and purpose. With constant attention an operating spell may be maintained indefinitely. If a spell is not maintained with Power and skill the mana loses its form and the spell will soon end. Thus ordinary folk who are not taught Duration can use only ephemeral magics. Apprentice Sorcerers learn Duration but can usually maintain but one spell. ***** Trained sorcerers learn to Awaken the Higher (or Deeper) Magic. When this happens our Apprentices will attempt to construct a Staff or Wand to house their magic. This allows us to bind and control the power which otherwise might run dangerously wild. Certain holy men seem to need no Staff to perform the Higher Magic, instead they find that a Holy Guardian Angel assists them. In other lands sorcerers find other ways to house their magic, even in low forms such as weapons or animals. These are heretical ways not worthy of true Wizards, yet in their twisted practioners find them effective. Beware the heretical Hrestoli and their Swords of Power. Once the Staff has been made (Note: other cultures have their own equivalents) the Apprentice may graduate to the status of Journeyman. Many Journeymen stay with their masters for a few years. Some choose ordination in the Holy Church. A few strike out on their own. Many will want to enter the service of a Lord, it is this class which is of most interest to this audience. Power Invested in a Vessel such as a Staff or Wand will allow a Wizard to maintain a certain amount of magic indefinitely; with more Invested Power this amount will increase. You should see to it that Wizards in fealty to you have sufficient time for meditation and worship. They also must obey many strictures of the Church and you should try to provide an austere and holy environment for them, free of the temptations of this world. This will aid them in their spiritual growth but will also foster the growth of their magic, allowing them to be of greater service to you. You may wish Wizards in your service to maintain useful magic for you. Remember that Wizards who are maintaining spells are not at their full magical strength. If you wish to employ them on the battlefield you cannot expect them to maintain kitchen spells for you as well. This apportioning of magical energies is an important decision that you should make in consultation with your court Wizard; he knows intimately his own strength and that of his Apprentices and can offer you good advice in this matter. To use one's powers properly one needs to develop one's magical skills as well. Those with much power but inadequate training will be able to maintain many spells but unable to use their full potential to accomplish the greater magics. Thus as the Wizards in fealty to you grow in power it behooves you to allow them time for further training and research. In this way they will serve you better in the long term. ################# ############### VESSELS IN VARIOUS CULTURES (may go in individual College sections): In Seshnela this is typically a staff, in Safelster a staff or wand. (Although splinter groups may use more exotic objects.) Kralorelans use various types of Mandala. In Fronela a staff is most often used but the Grand Knights (Wizard-Knights) of Loskalm normally use a sword but a few may use a shield or even armor (as for example the famous Knight of the Pentacle, uses a Pentacle shield). East Isles sorcerers often use an animal, as do the Wizards of Maniria. The choice of Focus often reflects the nature of the sorcerer or his school. ############### A quick description of the basic system: Learning Sorcery FOREIGNERS Most sorcerers are reluctant to teach foreigners their special magics. The only Brithini known to do so are those at Sogolotha Mambrola. The Rokari Masters of Seshnela teach only those of their own sect and are suspicious even of converts. The Hrestoli of Loskalm welcome converts but typically insist on conversion for those who wish training. Carmanians will teach Low Sorcery to Lunar citizens for a fee, usually at least 50 Lunars a week for the simplest of magics. Most of the rest of Western sorcerers live in city states with less overall political control than in the kingdoms mentioned above and a sorcerer willing to teach may be found with a season or two of searching. Fees begin around 100 pennies per week. Eastern sorcerers rarely teach foreigners as they are typically interested in maintaining the established social order in a harmonious way. Foreigners are typically disruptive. Exceptions to this rule may exist but this is best handled by GM discretion. LOW MAGIC Low Magic is a catch-all phrase covering all lesser magics. In the West this includes the special magics of Knights, Lords, Serfs, and Women as well as the beginning magic taught to Novice Wizards. In the East people learn sorcery appropriate to their function in society. This may be quite specialized. In the East sorcery may coexist along with spirit and divine magic but rarely do individuals learn both spirit magic and sorcery. Low Magic is typically taught to non-Wizards along with religious instruction. Serfs learn it from their village Wizards (often journeymen themselves), Knights are sometimes taught it in academies (Loskalm) or by their Lord's Court Wizard (Seshnela), and Lords are general have tutors in magic as well as other subjects. Some societies arrange formal fees for instruction; in others the Wizards are supported by tithing and their duties include instructing the other Castes in Low Magic appropriate to their stations. The general rule is: You can't get something for nothing. In other societies different criteria are used. In Fonrit the sorcerous Families will train outsiders for a hefty fee. In Kralorela a Master may be a poor wanderer who selects disciples for talent rather than wealth. In the East Isles different criteria are used on each island. The Mostali train all dwarves in the sorcery proper to their function. Specific notes will be found in the descriptions of Colleges of Magic. RESTRICTIONS AND SPECIAL PRACTICES Many societies sorcerers have special restrictions or practices which are accepted as part of their social role. Such restrictions are often taught as moral, religious, or ethical laws. Some restrictions are obviously intended to serve the social good, such as the Oath of Fealty for Seshnelan court sorcerers, but others seem to serve no social function, such as the eating habits of the Kingtroll sorcerers. According to the God Learners there is a hidden purpose in many of these latter traditions : to channel ordinary Life Force, whether of the sorcerer or from his environment, into sorcerous power instead of its usual uses of engendering new life, enjoying life, etc. If you decide that this theory is true in your campaign, you may assess penalties against the sorcerous powers of those who fall away from the path they were taught as Apprentices, or allow bonuses to the magic of exemplary individuals. These traditional restrictions will be detailed in the descriptions of individual Schools. Examples of such practices or restrictions abound: Kingtroll sorcerers learn to eat foods high in Life Force (such as live plants and animals or intelligent creatures freshly clubbed or smothered) and special digestion techniques; the Rokari practice celibacy and abstention from many meats and wine. Some Easterners practice _kundalini_ before any important sorcery ritual. It is difficult to summarize the systems used by such disparate cultures but it is perhaps safe to say that most sorcerers either give up some of the pleasures and benefits of normal life or find an outside energy source of some sort. As on Earth, you can't get something (even magic) for nothing. ******* ******* Should the sorcerers give up the practices they are trained in they often find that their magic may become weaker and/or difficult to control. Apply penalties as you see fit but in general feel free to cut abilities in half for those who give up their strictures. ****** {* Or restrictions could add bonus abilities of some sort. Need to playtest to set the power level right. *} ******* ******* It is possible but extremely rare for sorcerers to switch traditions. The obvious example of such a switch is of course Arkat and his followers. ################# A substitute energy source may be found. Tapping is an example. The Brithini power requirements can consume both the energies of normal life and evergy gained through Tapping; this may explain the 'lifeless' character of Aranolit. In most modern Malkioni societies Tapping is frowned upon. Eastern sorcerers are largely unaware of the Tap spell per se but have similar moral debates about drawing energy from dragon lines. ################# THE SORCERER'S CAREER: Some general notes on the Sorcerer's career path follow. NOVICE In most cultures a potential apprentice serves for a year or more as a novice, giving time for the master to evaluate the candidate's dedication and ability before the formal apprentice bonding. During this time the novice will learn appropriate Lores or other skills as assigned by the master and his willpower and dedication are often tested (and strengthening) by the assignment of seemingly pointless but demanding tasks. These tasks also strengthen the novice's powers of concentration. The novice may be taught Low Magic. [cultural examples] Novices who fail to meet the criteria for Apprenticeship may either be released or remain with their teachers as acolythists, servants who aid sorcerers but learn no High Magic themselves. In some societies novices deemed unsuitable to learn High magic may become apothecaries, alchemists, enchanters, herb-women, etc.: professionals who deal in ritual low magic, often using magic-rich materials from the environment to produce relatively minor effects. APPRENTICE Criteria for acceptance vary greatly among cultures but generally include a minimal level of magical talent. This may be abstracted as a minimum magic skills modifier of 10% {* Check against new skill modifiers *} Specific cultural criteria may override this general rule. Apprentices are also expected to serve their Masters loyally and are usually Bonded to a Master in a special Ceremony. Specific schools often have further requirements, as for example of birth among the Rokari or military and agricultural experience among the Hrestoli. In some traditions Apprentices begin the steps of making a Vessel for their power from the beginning of their Apprenticeship. For example, in the Rokari tradition, an Apprentice plants the seed of the tree which may become his Staff on the day he is accepted as a full Apprentice. Apprentices are trained in such High Magic skills and spells as their Masters deem fit. For most schools these skills include Duration and Range. They may those High Some schools may teach other skills at this time. In the West, Malkioni Apprentices must learn a rigid self-discipline associated with the moral tenets of Malkionism; in the East, techniques such as meditation and focussing Chi energy or identifying geomantic energy flows (dragon lines). Most Masters attempt to inculcate a sense of responsibility and the mores of their school in their Apprentices. An Apprentice who is talented but who seems deficient in these areas may be blocked from further advancement. JOURNEYMAN When the apprentice has learned sufficient skills (typically after seven years or more), usually including Intensity, Duration, Range, Sorcery Lore, and other skills, he may be deemed ready to act on his own, without the constant guidance of a Master. We refer to a sorcerer with this independent status as a Journeyman. Exact requirements vary by school but usually include several skills at 50% and the approval of a Master. In many schools the boundary between Apprentice and Journeyman is marked by the Apprentice investing some of his Power into a Vessel. Vessels are described below; the archetypical example is the Wizard's Staff, considered the mark of a full sorcerer in Seshnela and many Seshnelan colonies. A Vessel of Power enhances the sorcerers in many ways. In some schools additional restrictions fall on the Journeyman; these will be described under individual schools. Journeymen may also enjoy access to certain benefits, such as training in 'secret' skills or spells of their school, unavailable to Apprentices. Many sorcerers remain as Journeymen throughout their lives, never attaining the status of Master. MASTER A Journeyman of sufficient skill, knowledge and power may become a Master. In Western cultures this is often a formal status controlled by a guild or council, while in some Eastern cultures the Journeyman simply declares his Mastery when he feels that he is ready. A Master is qualified to teach and may take Apprentices. Most Masters have several knowledge and sorcery skills at 75% or better and have invested at least ten points of Power in either their Vessel of Power or enchantments. ADEPTS An Adept is truly powerful, a match for a strong shaman or mighty Priest. Adepts have learned subtlety as well as power and have learned to use a little force to produce large effects, often in human affairs as well as magical. Some Adepts hold positions of great spiritual or temporal power such as (Arch) Bishop, Court Wizard to a great noble, Mandarin, or Lama. Others may be essentially pure researchers who retire to a monastic lifestyle. It is thought that among the mightiest Adepts are a few who take on the role or poor wanderers or pilgrims, going where curiousity or deeper motives take them. Adepts typically have mastered (90%) several Lores and are eager to learn more. Many yearn to rediscover lost knowledge, or to uncover altogether new knowledge. Adepts have usually mastered the basic sorcery skills and ritual magics as well as those skills special to their school. Some Adepts may have rare or unique manipulation skills and spells. Adepts usually have a great deal of Power invested in their Vessels, Enchantments, or both. _______________________________________ SORCERY Sorcery is the art of producing changes in the world through applied knowledge in accordance with the will. Temporary changes may be effected with the expenditure of magic points, e.g., in spirit magic spells. Permanent changes require the use of Power, as for example through Enchantment. Sorcerers, through ritual magic, may use Power to back long-duration spells, but unlike enchanting, the Power is not permanently lost. When the spell ends, the sorcerer retains the Power that was used to back the spell. This flexible long-duration magic is one of the great strengths of Sorcerers and is described under Ritual Casting below. ######### One technique of sorcerers is to create "switchable permanent effects": by using their own Power, the Power in their Vessels, or (in some cases), the Power of others, they can create magical effects of indefinite duration - but when that effect is ended, The genius of Sorcery is that Sorcerers learn to build up a resevoir of Power with which they produce an effect of indefinite duration through ritual magic, but when that effect ends they can begin another. This will be described below under Ritual Casting. ########## SPELL TYPES (These would probably go in the front of the Magic Book, keeping the organization of RQ 3 where possible) Instant Instant spells are as described in RQ3, taking effect immediately. They cost magic points. Active Active spells require concentration to maintain, as per RQ3. Some spells, e.g. Sense Projection, are Active while in use but can remain dormant when not concentrated upon. An Active spell may require additional magic points to maintain or when special functions of the spell are employed. {* Comment: I would like it if Active spells were no longer Temporal per se but had a magic point cost per time and lasted until you ran out of magic points. After all the guy has to concentrate on the spell to maintain it - how does the spell know how much time has passed? I can see a limited duration for spells that are supposed to hold together by themselves but it seems to me that Active spells are not doing that! The guy who is Flying doesn't have a watch to check when his Duration is running out. I think he should just get worn out (loss of MPs) from maintaining the spell and decide when to stop - or if he is interrupted he may need a Concentration roll to continue. People with no Duration skill have their Active spells end when they cease concentrating. People with Duration may let an Active spell lie Dormant. This is exactly the sort of thing that I think should distinguish the sorcerer from the dilletante. With this suggestion, 'Temporal' and 'Passive' come to mean the same thing.*} Task Magic Task Magic is magic designed to go with a task. It is like active magic in that it must be maintained with a modicum of attention, but it is designed to be maintained while performing another task. As long as that task is successfully being performed the caster is assumed to be able to maintain the spell. {* Fireblade in RQ II was task magic for fighting: you only needed to roll to keep it if you got hit. *} A significant interruption will necessitate a Concentration roll to keep the spell. Much Peasant magic falls under this heading: such spells are often called "Work Prayers". Passive {* May be combined with Temporal under suggestion above *} Passive spells need no further concentration once cast. They will hold together for their Duration and then come apart over a few melee rounds. Maintained A spell which can be maintained indefinitely, generally through Ritual Magic. Used mostly by sorcerers. _________________ ################### DEFINITIONS Instant Instant spells are as described in RQ3, taking effect immediately. They cost magic points. Active Active spells require concentration to maintain, as per RQ3. Some spells, e.g. Sense Projection, are Active while in use but can remain dormant when not concentrated upon. Task Magic Task Magic is magic designed to go with a task. It is like active magic in that it must be maintained with a modicum of attention, but it is designed to be maintained while performing another task. As long as that task is successfully being performed the caster is assumed to be able to maintain the spell. {* Fireblade in RQ II was task magic for fighting: you only needed to roll to keep it if you got hit. *} A significant interruption will necessitate a Concentration roll to keep the spell. Much Peasant magic falls under this heading: such spells are often called "Work Prayers". Passive Passive spells need no further concentration once cast. They will hold together for their Duration and then come apart over a few melee rounds. Maintained Spells may be Maintained through an ongoing sorcerous ritual or by Power from a sorcerer's Sorcery Pool. A Maintained spell requires at least one magic point per day per point of intensity, sometimes more. ############################ Those without Presence are thus limited to short-term spells. This includes Serfs, Knights, and Lords as well as Apprentices before the Trial. ################ __________________________________________________________ Low Magic This includes magic designed for Serfs (or Peasants), Knights, and Lords as well as beginner Wizard magic. Instant or Active magic: These descriptions work just as they do in RQ III (Or in RQ IV). There is no Duration skill: Active spells last until they are released. They may cost additional MPs to use in certain ways, as in the Lance effect from Form/Set. They may also cost additional magic points to maintain for long periods. Rote Spells Much Peasant, Knight and Lord magic is designed to accompany specific tasks and while the task is being performed normally requires no additional concentration. That is, the spell may automatically be maintained while the task is being successfully performed. Plow Prayer, for example, can be maintained while plowing, Sheep Song while herding, etc. No concentration roll is needed unless the workman is distracted or interrupted. Similar spells, prayers, and chants exist in other cultures under various names. A knight can fight while maintaining a Knight spell and only needs to make a concentration roll if hit or otherwise surprised. (Like the old Fireblade spell from RQ II.) Lord magic goes with Lordly tasks such as making speeches, etc. Peasant magics typically cost one MP per hour per point of Intensity to maintain. Wizards can also maintain certain spells in the same way. MANIPULATING SPELLS Manipulation is measured in Points. The effects of one point of manipulation are different for Quick Casting and Ritual Casting and will be described below under these headings. Skill Limits The total points manipulation on a spell is limited by the effective spell skill: Maximum Total Points of Manipulation <= (Spell Skill + Ceremony bonus) / 10. Always round up when calculating limits. {* The effect of including Ceremony means that an Apprentice will almost always want to cast a spell out of a cookbook, using many spell diagrams, chants, etc. He is still limited by his skills with individual manipulations. This seems right to me: the experienced Wizard can rattle off a spell with the same effect (or better) as the Apprentice's carefully prepared spell. *} Individual manipulations are limited by skills: Maximum Points of Manipulation = Manipulation Skill / 10. Example: A sorcerer with Neutralize Magic 75%, Intensity 64%, Duration 38%, and Range 51% can cast Neutralize Magic and add up to 8 total levels of manipulation (7.5 rounded), using up to a maximum of 6 levels of Intensity (6.4 rounded), 4 levels of Duration (3.8 rounded), and 5 levels of Range (5.1 rounded). A typical high-powered spell might be Intensity 7 and Range 2. (Remember that a base spell is Intensity 1.) The chance to successfully cast the spell is 75%, regardless of the amount of manipulation used. QUICK CASTING Calculate manipulation limits as above. The sorcerer determines which manipulations to use within these limits. Effects of Manipulations on quick casting: A base sorcery spell with no added manipulation has Intensity 1, Range 1, and Duration 1. duration of 10 minutes, and a range of 25 meters. It costs 1 MP to cast. The three most common manipulations are Intensity, Duration, and Range. Each level of these three manipulations added to a spell costs 1 MP. Normally, manipulation has a linear effect, that is, each point adds the same additional effect as the previous one. When used in a ritual, each point of Duration or Range adds more than the one before it. (See below.) INTENSITY - Each additional point of Intensity adds a point of intensity. The exact effect of this varies with the spell. DURATION - The Duration of a spell is the Duration rating times the base duration. The base duration for a spell is 10 minutes except where otherwise noted in the spell description. RANGE - The range of a spell is the Range rating times the base range. The base range for a spell is 25 meters except where otherwise noted. Time for Ceremony: {* For now, as in RQ3 *} Casting chance is the minimum skill among all spell skills (including Cermony modifiers) and manipulations used. Results of Casting: fumble: lose all magic points and/or have funny magical effects. failure: abort spell, lose 1 MP success: normal Special - add 1d3 free manipulation to spell? or half cost? Critical - add 1d6 free manipulation to spell or MP cost =1 ? TYPES OF SPELLS Instant spells Instant spells cost magic points to cast. The ************************************************8 ________________________________ MAINTAINING SPELLS: A sorcerer may maintain a total Intensity of long duration spells equal to his Sorcery Pool. SP which is used for this purpose is 'commited' and is not available for other purposes, such as strengthening the sorcerer's attack and defense. THE VESSEL OF POWER In most Gloranthan traditions, an Apprentice who is deemed ready by his teacher is guided in the creation of a Vessel of Power. (Those who do not use a Vessel often make many small Enchantments to aid them instead.) As the Vessel is completed, the Apprentice invests some of his Power into the Vessel. This will be referred to as his Vested Power. Vested POW may be increased through sacrificing Power in much the same manner as a shaman increases the Power of his fetch or priests their Rune Magic. Vested Power is kept separate from the sorcerer's personal Power, even if he uses himself as a Vessel. In this case the sorcerer may perceive his Vested POW as an awakened inner presence (thought of as a new Chi energy center in the East or as a Holy Guardian Angel in some Malkioni cultures.) There are benefits and drawbacks to using various Vessels. If a Vessel is taken the sorcerer may be denied access to Higher Magic; if it is destroyed the sorcerer may fashion a new Vessel. Vested POW is not lost if a Ve It contains both Power and mana, or magic points. The Power in a Sorcery Pool is 'detachable' and may be assigned to certain tasks. The Power in one's Sorcery Pool may be employed in several ways: Presence has several uses: MARK1 1. Invested POW can act as normal POW, holding Magic Points equal to itself and regenerating once per day. 2. Invested POW can be left on a spell to stabilize it. This requires one point per point of intensity in the spell. It can be used top maintain such spells as Sense Projection or Telepathy which require conscious attention to use; in this case the spell remains dormant until the sorcerer returns his attention to the spell. The point of Presence used to maintain a spell is not available to the sorcerer for other uses such as shaping spells. 3. Invested POW not used for other purposes may strengthen the magical offense and defense of the sorcerer. Suggested rate: Offense: +1 effective POW per ten points of Invested POW on POW vs. POW tests. Defense: +1 effective POW per five points of Invested POW on POW vs. POW tests. Round upwards in both cases. (May have different powers for different types of Vessel.) Note: All spells are thus magically connected to their casters and as such may be used to target sympathetic magic back at the caster. Presence may be used to shape mana into spells with total points (intensity + range) equal to the available Presence. 3 Vessel: When a sorcerer gains access to High Magic he starts to build up a Sorcery Pool as described below. Often a sorcerer will Invest his Sorcery Pool in a creature or object, with certain effects described later under Investiture Ritual. This power object will be called a Vessel. A sorcerer who does not Invest his Sorcery Pool experiences it as an awakened inner presence (thought of as a new Chi energy center in the East or a Holy Guardian Angel in some Malkioni cultures.) In this case the term "Vessel" is understood to mean the sorcerer's own body. Sorcery Pool (SP): The sorcerer's Sorcery Pool is built up with Power in much the same fashion as a shaman builds up his fetch or priests buy Rune Magic. It contains both Power and mana, or magic points. The Power in a Sorcery Pool is 'detachable' and may be assigned to certain tasks. The Power in one's Sorcery Pool may be employed in several ways: 1. It may hold 'raw' or uncommited magic points just like any other Power. If a sorcerer is in contact with his Vessel he has access to this mana for spells and it also boosts his magical and spiritual attacks and defenses. The vessel's (MPs / 5) are added to the sorcerer's MPs for defensive POW vs. POW tests; its (MPs/10) are added to the sorcerer's for offensive POW vs. POW tests. Magical attacks on the Vessel itself are calculated as if they were attacks on the sorcerer if the sorcerer is in contact with the Vessel; otherwise they must overcome only the Vessel's own MP. 2. Power not otherwise employed collects mana (regains magic points) at the usual human rate of 1 MP / Power / day. This goes into the pool of raw MPs described above. 3. Through ritual magic, Power may be detached from the Sorcery Pool and set to maintaining spells indefinitely. This is described under "Ritual Casting" below. Note that this normally requires one point of Power per point of Intensity of the spell. ################## (Exception: with the Transfer Maintainence ritual, most of the necessary Power may be supplied by the spell's target. ################## The Power used to maintain a spell is not available to the sorcerer for other uses such as holding and regaining magic points. The Power used in maintaining a spell returns to the SP when the spell ends. No magic points return, but the Power begins regaining magic points as usual. Ending spells: Sorcerers may automatically draw their SP Power back into the SP by touching the ensorcelled object or creature with the Vessel and willing it to return. This ends the spell. The spell may also be ended by Dispell, Dismiss, or Neutralize Magic. Sorcerers have a double chance to Neutralize their own magic due to their detailed understanding of the spell's structure. _________________________________________ NEW HIGH SORCERY SKILLS AND RITUALS These may be learned only after a Sorcerer has begun to develop his Sorcery Pool. These are skills which may be available only to some schools of magic. *************** *************** Preparation (Skill and Ritual) A sorcerer uses this skill both to Prepare spells in a Preparation Ritual and to cast Prepared Spells. The caster Prepares a spell in a ritual in which the total manipulation is limited by his Preparation skill as well as the ordinary limits on manipulating ritual spells. If successful he may then Commit points of his SP equal to the magic points of the Prepared spell in order to hold it until he wishes to release it. The Prepared spell may be cast at DEX Strike Rank with a successful Preparation roll. Note that Sorcery Pool used to hold Prepared spells is unavailable for other purposes. A sorcerer may hold any number of Prepared spells as long as he has the SP to do so. *************** Preparation (Ritual) A sorcerer may uses this skill to Prepare spells in a Preparation Ritual. The caster Prepares a spell in a ritual in which the total manipulation is limited by his Preparation skill as well as the ordinary limits on manipulating ritual spells. If successful he may then Commit points of his SP equal to the magic points of the Prepared spell in order to hold it until he wishes to release it. The Prepared spell may be cast automatically at the Sorcerer's DEX Strike Rank. Note that Sorcery Pool used to hold Prepared spells is unavailable for other purposes. A sorcerer may hold any number of Prepared spells as long as he has the SP to do so. *************** *************** {Balance notes: Remember that this instant casting comes at the cost of a spell that otherwise would be always on. A guy with 6 SP could hold a battlefield-ready Palsy 6 with his Pool. Or he could have on a Ward Missiles 6 or some such. Without this ritual the guy who is purely defensive is at a big advantage. I like Preparation a lot, it gives you another option for what to do with your SP. Also I like the image of a Wizard casting a quick emergency spell out of his Staff.} _____________________________________________ TRANSFER OWNERSHIP (Ritual) aka Parasite Spell Ritual Certain Colleges* teach this ritual as a means of extending the Sorcery Pool of the sorcerer with the mana of other creatures. It is used when casting long duration spells on a willing target. It can be used on an unwilling target but the target Power must be overcome and the target must be somehow constrained throughout the ritual. The sorcerer first ritually casts a long duration spell as usual. Now he begins the Transfer Ownership Ritual. This ritual, if successful, will transfer most of the burden of spell maintainence to the target creature. ************** ************** The sorcerer must leave one point of his Sorcery Pool, which has the 'spell instructions', committed to the spell as if he were maintaining a one point spell. ************** For every (Duration Skill / 10) points of Intensity in the spell, the sorcerer must leave one point of his SP committed to the spell in order to maintain it. ************** ************** The spell will now be maintained by the target, automatically draining the target of magic points at the rate of one point per day per point of Intensity in the spell. For a complete creature such as a human, this means that the creature will effectively lower its Magic Point recovery rate from (POW MP's per day) to (POW - Maintained Intensity) MP's per day. Note that it costs no initial MPs from the target as the cost to start the spell is paid by the caster. This ritual is abhorred by shamans and some priests, who see the spell as a parasitic spirit. They may consider it their duty to 'save' the spell recipient from this parasite by Dispelling or Dismissing his probably-expensive spell. This ritual must be used on on a spell cast on something with its own MP's to be effective. For example, a creature, or an object with a spirit bound in it. It is thought that the Brithini have a similar magic of more general application, allowing them to draw on the power of a creature to fuel a spell cast not on that creature but on something else. [ This would be most useful but is alas beyond the reach of mortal sorcerers. Some might even consider such a drain immoral.] *Paul's opinion: _certainly_ Brithini, probably Rokari, Boristi, Sedalpists, God Learner offshoots. Possibly others? Carmanians have something else to do with their magic points, so they might have forgotten this one. Example: Sir Michael wishes to go questing. He appeals to his lord, Baron Robert, for a blessing from Robert's Court Wizard, Stone. Robert grants the favor as Michael has been a loyal knight for many years. Michael asks for two effects to help him, Strength of the Righteous and Ward Against Evil Magic. Stone assesses Michael (who is POW 12) and decides to cast Increase Strength 5 and Ward Magic 4. This will cost Stone two of his Sorcery Pool to maintain until the spells are ended. It will also cost Michael 9 points of his MP recovery rate to maintain the spells. Stone succeeds in both the initial casting and in Transferring the spells (he is an adept after all). Michael is now set for questing. His Strength is up by 5 and he is protected against spells. However, he recovers MPs at the rate of three points a day, down from 12. Should he use magic or encounter combative spirits on his quest this could work against him. Example 2: I bet most Brithini recover MP at 1/day. Serfs maybe even 0. But they're all enhanced. Serfs probably with extra CON, maybe DEX. Horali are certainly all enhanced. Talars are protected. ___________________________________ SPELLS: Base Chance: Since a sorcery user is manipulating the world directly rather than through the intermediaries of spirits or gods, his understanding of the world is important to determine his initial facility with the spell. {* This is analogous to engineers learning basic science to improve their base chance at various specialized engineering skills; the theoretical background helps a lot in the early stages but practical experience is needed for Thus, after learning the spell 'recipe', a student gains a base chance in a spell equal to his magic bonus plus his special chance {*or skill over ten *} in a related skill, often a Lore. Related skills are listed in the spell descriptions. If more than one skill is listed, use only the best. {* Note that Lores are actually useful to sorcerers here. But not unbalancing; high Lore skills allow a master to pick up new spells relatively easily but the high base chance here is cutting out only the easiest part of the skill to learn, i.e. gets them through the low skill range where training time would be short anyway. *} Peasant Magics: These are common to most Western cultures as they are descended from Brithini models. There are some Eastern equivalents to many of these spells, but note that many eastern peasants gain their magic from worship of the Rice Mother and other deities, obviating the need for sorcery. __________________________________________ Vessels and their effects: A Vessel houses the magic of a sorcerer and is considered to be almost an extension of the sorcerer. Staff: The preferred form of Vessel among most Malkioni. Rokari use Staffs almost exclusively. In some cases Staff may continue to grow and change asits owner gains power. The creation ritual for Staffs is generally a closely guarded secret taught only to loyal Apprentices after they have served for at least five to ten years. Staffs usually appear to be wood. Staff users are generally upright in morals and rigid in personality. The symbolism of the staff is important here: a wild growing plant is bound, cut, defined, straightened. This represents also what Rokari and many other Malkioni Wizards wish to impose on their own magic: a rigid and controllable definition. Familiars: The familiar is an animal used as a Vessel. The animal is somewhat independent with vestiges of its own will. In addition, the baser impulses of the sorcerer may show through in the animals behavior. For example, a sorcerer who dislikes trolls may be calm and polite when forced to deal with them. His monkey, on the other hand, may chitter at them, throw clods of dirt, or otherwise act offensively. General Vessel Rules The Vessel is intimately linked to the sorcerer as it houses his magic. A sorcerer will have a general idea of the direction and distance of his Vessel as long as it is within his maximum possible Ritual spell range. (See Ritual Magic Range and Duration table) This general idea will tell the sorcerer the range to his Vessel in terms of the Ritual Range table, i.e., in the same room, 0-1 km, 1-2 km, 2-4 km, etc. CREATE FAMILIAR RITUAL Ceremony This ritual transfers the sorcerer's Sorcery Pool to a living incomplete creature, usually an animal. As the familiar will normally retain some of its original personality, an animal who likes the sorcerer is normally chosen. This will have profound effects on the animal and some on the sorcerer. The sorcerer may spend Power to enhance the animal's characteristics at a one for one basis. He may not cause its INT to exceed his own. A mental link allows the sorcerer to communicate with the familiar. It will generally obey the sorcerer but if forced to act against its animal instincts it may oppose the will of the sorcerer in a MP vs. MP test. The Sorcerer will benefit from the magic points in his Sorcery Pool in this test. The sorcerer must have his familiar present to use his Sorcery Pool for Ritual During the transger process the sorce Variants of this spell which allow more exotic familiars may exist. animal Enchantment: Change the default user condition to Maker only for spirit magic and sorcery, Initiates of (God who provided the Enchantment) for divine magic enchantment. Spirit Magic Enchantments: According to third hand info these are actually making spirit houses. RITUAL CASTING A sorcerer may maintain a single spell through an ongoing Ritual that takes virtually his entire attention. If the Ritual is interrupted the spell will fail. He is limited by his normal manipulation limits on total manipulation, Range, and Intensity. This process is very draining and although some sleeping is done the normal pattern of sleep is interfered with. As a sorcerer's Duration skill increases he may maintain spells for longer periods before collapsing and ending the spell. This exhaustion is primarily mental and does not come under the fatigue rules. After three days of rest the sorcerer will have recovered from the strain of the spell and could begin another long ritual. To trade off simplicity for "realism" figure out a collapse probability per day. Levels of Minimum Maximum time spell can be maintained (weeks?) Duration skill 0 - - 1 5% 1 2 15% 2 3 25% 4 4 35% 8 (1 season) 5 45% 16 (2 seasons) 6 55% 32 (4 seasons) 7 65% 64 (1.5 years+) 8 75% 128 (3 years+) 9 85% 256 (6 years+) 10 95% 512 (12 years+) 11 105% 1024 (24 years+) Using Vested Power to Maintain Spells Sorcerers with Vested Power may use some or all of it to maintain spells indefinitely. This Power is assigned to spell maintainence through ritual casting. The total manipulation is as usual limited by spell skill. Note spell skill can be enhanced with Ceremony. This affects both total manipulation possible and casting chance. When a lasting spell is cast by this method one point of Power per point of Intensity in the spell must be drawn from the Vessel to maintain the spell. This Power returns to the Vessel when the spell ends. Power used in this fashion is unavailable for other purposes. ######################## The casting chance will be the minimum among all manipulation skills used and the spell skill modified by Ceremony. Duration is used to maintain any lasting spell and is figured into the casting chance. {* This could be true for Ritual Casting even if battlefield casting depends only on spell skill. *} ######################## ******* When a lasting spell is cast one point of Power must be assigned from the Sorcery Pool to maintain the spell. This Power will return to the Sorcery Pool when the spell ends. ******* Casting Spells with Range Magic points from the Vessel may be used to boost the Range of a spell in a ritual casting as specified below. This type of long range spellcasting is sometimes called a "ritual sending". ################# The Power used to boost the Range of a spell returns to the Pool once the spell is cast but if the spell is to be maintained Power equal to the Intensity of the spell must be left with it. ################# Note that if a long Duration spell is ritually cast with long Range there may be difficulties in recovering one's Power. ################# Casting time in hours = totals MPs in the spell. {* At 9 levels of Ranges, Sendings travel at 27 km/hour like POW 9 spirits. Lesser Sendings travel slower, greater Sendings faster. This seems balanced enough to me as skills for non-Brithini top out around 100%. If you want this could be changed to days, I don't think it's necessary. *} Levels of Casting time (hours) Range Minimum Duration (weeks) Range (km) 0 - - - - 1 5% 1 1 1 2 15% 2 2 2 3 25% 4 4 4 4 35% 8 8 (1 season) 8 5 45% 16 16 (2 seasons) 16 6 55% 32 32 (4 seasons) 32 7 65% 64 64 (1.5 years+) 64 8 75% 128 128 (3 years+) 128 9 85% 256 256 (6 years+) 256 10 95% 512 512 (12 years+) 512 11 105% 1024 1024 (24 years+) 1024 CEREMONY The Ceremony skill bonus for time spent performing Ceremony (see Ritual Magic) adds to the spell skill. It increases the spell's chance of success and also increases the total amount of manipulation available. It has no effect on manipulation skills, and the normal skill limit (one-tenth of manipulation skill) still applies. Non-ritual castings use melee rounds of time to determine the amount of bonus. Ritual castings use hours of time to determine the amount of bonus. This applies whether the caster is using lots of time or a point of power to get the ritual effect. Long rituals take 8 hours a day of casting time. The sorcerer can continue one indefinitely, as long as he or she gets enough rest (at least 8 hours of sleep out of every 24). Example: A sorcerer with Damage Boost 77%, Intensity 56%, and Duration 44% wishes to cast a spell with a duration of two weeks. He adds 6 levels of Intensity and 2 levels of Duration to the spell, and must spend either 2 weeks or 2 melee rounds and a point of POW to cast the spell. If he is wise, he spends enough additional time with Ceremony to increase his spell skill to 95% or above, to maximize the chance for success. DISPELLING SORCERY SPELLS To dispel a sorcery spell, one must dispel the total intensity of the spell. Spells cast with ritual duration count double {* Note Parallel to Rune Magic which also costs POW *} A Intensity 5 spell cast normally can be dispelled in the same way as a five point spirit spell. A ritually cast 5 point spell may be dispelled just as a 5 point divine spell, i.e., as a 10 point spirit magic. A Sorcerer has a double chance to Neutralize his own magic due to his detailed understanding of the spell's structure. If a sorceror is maintaining a spell with Power from his Vessel he may automatically dispell it by touching the ensorcelled object or creature with the Vessel and willing the spell to end. This returns the Power which maintained the spell to the Vessel. Note that if a ritual spell ends for any reason the Power maintaining the spell returns to the Vessel (this does not add any MPs to the Vessel, but the Power so returned begins to regenerate MPs as usual. Usually such a spell only ends when dispelled or when the target (or physical token, if any) of the spell is destroyed. VARIANT RULES These are methods taught by various schools for ritual sorcery PHYSICAL TOKENS (Common in Ralios, Seshnela, and some Eastern Schools) A physical token is made as part of the ritual for a spell and actually contains much of the pattern used by the spell. A good example of a physical token is the portrait of Dorian Grey in "The Picture of Dorian Grey" by Wilde. If the physical token is destroyed the spell ends. Physical tokens allow great detailed control of magic but are vulnerable to being stolen or destroyed. A sorcerer may retain the physical tokens of a spell himself or they may be given to the target. Generally a sorcerer will be trained either to use physical tokens for all ritual spells or for none.