shamans

[preacher65]

I have just updated the information on additional spirit types and posted it on the Wiki:

http://mrqwiki.com/wiki/index.php/MRQ2SpiritMagic

I hope you all find it useful as a reference guide to spirit types.

Hi, sorry for resurrecting a dormant thread, but I've just started playing MRQ2 again after a 9 month gap. Back then I found the shaman rules very confusing. I was hoping this article would help me, but the wiki is down. Does anyone have an offline copy of this article?

Meanwhile I will read through all the excellent posts in this thread and hope they shed a bit more light on the subject.

 

[The Greek]

There will be a couple of articles on shamanism in S&P in February and March. Goes into depth on the subject and should hopefuly give the information people are looking for.

 

[preacher65]

Thanks Pete, I'll look forward to them.

I also found the mrqwiki article through Google's cache.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

As a heads up for everyone interested in Spirit Magic, the first of a two part article further exploring and clarifying Shamanism (mainly written by Delariad & co) will be hopefully appearing shortly in S&P. Paraphrasing, its a FAQ turning the dial up to 11 for spirit magic.

In addition a greatly expanded and revised version of Spirit Magic will be appearing in Blood Magic. Its four times the length of the original chapter and in theory should be compatible with the forthcoming article, well the first part at least! :wink:

Edit: Picked to the post!

 

[Deleriad]

Yes. The piece comes in two parts and was directly inspired by this thread and Vagni's work. The first part is a deep exploration of rules, culture and spirits that attempts to unify and expand on the chapter in the RQ corebook. As Pete says, it's sort of a FAQ turned up to 11. Pete has kept an editorial eye on it so it's as close to official as you can get without actually being in the core book.

The second part is primarily done by Vagni and is a bestiary of spirits, tables for questing on the spirit plane, a couple of example spirit cults (one for the white hats, one for the black hats) and some sample NPCs.

Least ways that's the plan.

 

[Antalon]

Hello,

the forthcoming articles sound great. I have found Shamanic magic rules a bit hard to grasp, although I think I have it figured out now.

What is 'Blood Magic'? A new product?

Antalon.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

What is 'Blood Magic'? A new product?

Its a book about magic involving bloodshed, sacrifice, inheritance and so on. Its pages are packed with new concepts, mechanics, skills and ideas; with some additional spells, spirits and a bit of illumination about the prevalence of blood in historical worship and superstition.

It has a range of different sacrificial methods taken from both the real world and the fantasy genre, then incorporates them into revised versions of Divine, Sorcery and Spirit magic as well as offering other, unique magic systems. Its very much a toolbox of magic with snippets of flavour text throughout.

As to when it will be published that I cannot answer. It all depends on how long the editing, art, layout and proofing takes.

 

[Simulacrum]

What is 'Blood Magic'? A new product?

Its a book about magic involving bloodshed, sacrifice, inheritance and so on. Its pages are packed with new concepts, mechanics, skills and ideas; with some additional spells, spirits and a bit of illumination about the prevalence of blood in historical worship and superstition.

Ah ha - thought from an earlier post this was a WR-specific project - if it's a generic RQ book of extra stuff I am really, really looking forward to it.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Ah ha - thought from an earlier post this was a WR-specific project - if it's a generic RQ book of extra stuff I am really, really looking forward to it.

SpellCom is WR specific. Blood Magic is generic RQ.

 

[ThatGuy]

I eagerly await both the S&P stuff and the Blood Magic stuff (and they are different right? Not one and the same?)

I would love to give the spirit magic users that don't have the amazingly powerful/ potentially unbalancing discorporaring fetch yet to have more options than simply "turning on" their spirit.

Although that is an over simplification. The benefit of spirit practioners on a team cannot be overstated, especially when a malicious spirit comes into play...

 

[Mongoose Pete]

I eagerly await both the S&P stuff and the Blood Magic stuff (and they are different right? Not one and the same?)

There are by necessity shared concepts and refinements to bring everything into line. Whilst giving my editorial input to the article Bruce kindly gave me permission to utilise several of his ideas and make them 'official'.

The S&P article explores the Spirit Magic rules, trying to clarify and follow on from the concepts not clearly explained in the Core Rulebook. For example, giving answers to common questions frequently raised on the forum.

The animism chapter in Blood Magic however goes a lot further, giving the full scope and flexibility of the original conception. You'll get to see a number of unusual applications of Animism, mainly from real world mythology and high fantasy tropes, designed long prior to MRQ2, but not included due to the significant page count.

I would love to give the spirit magic users that don't have the amazingly powerful/ potentially unbalancing discorporaring fetch yet to have more options than simply "turning on" their spirit.

Don't worry, Blood Magic even has a small section on playing animists without spirits period. Not every tradition has fetches and there's plenty of other unique things a Spirit Magician can do without one. :wink:

 

[Antalon]

This sounds like very exciting stuff - the S&P articles should hopefully give us more comfort with the 'basic' rules before blood magic.

Since I developed my own setting I have found spirit magic much easier, as I needed to envisage what the spirit world was and how it affected the mundane world. With those concepts clearer in my mind, I found the spirit magic rules much more obvious.

I think a lack of understanding of what 'spirit' traditions are - which is so very different from modern western culture - was at the heart of my difficulties.

More generally - the RQ system really comes alive when you use it to create your own world. The flexibility but order of the system really helps.

Antalon.

 

[Vagni]

The second S&P article is about done now, just a few tweaks and Deleriads magic touch and I hope we're there.

The articles have gone in some really interesting directions.

 

[Vagni]

I shall eagerly await Blood Magic now as well. :wink:

 

[Deleriad]

The second S&P article is about done now, just a few tweaks and Deleriads magic touch and I hope we're there.

The articles have gone in some really interesting directions.

Having great fun reading Vagni's spirits. Am presently wondering if I can sneak in a bit of flavour text for one of the spirits in the second part which would read "I am a sexy, shoeless god of ... barf." Then it's off to Mongoose to see if it passes muster.

 

[cerebro]

I hope they start from zero.

 

[Vagni]

I hope they start from zero.

My spirits go to 11. :wink:

 

[PhilHibbs]

My spirits go to 11. :wink:

I feel robbed! There were no Intensity 11 spirits in the article! :lol:

 

[Vagni]

My spirits go to 11. :wink:

I feel robbed! There were no Intensity 11 spirits in the article! :lol:

Just for you Phil: :wink:

Intensity 11 'Spinal Tap' Rock spirit
INT 6 (fixed INT)
POW 30
CHA 6

Persistence 120%, Spirit Combat - bleed form ears attack 150%, Lore (Rock music) 90%, Lore (illegal substances) 90%, Lore (alcohol) 90%

The Rock spirit has several powers including the ability to throw televisions from hotels windows from as high as the 11th floor, the ability to make music one level higher than anyone else and a special 'kill drummer' ability, usable once every 11 months that inflicts 11D6 damage to a random location on a drummer in the most embarrassing way possible. All of these abilities are usable by the shaman who is shameless enough to internalise them as well as the peculiar ability to smell any gloves within 11 metres.

Manifests as a ghostly green skeletal t-shirt smelling faintly of vomit and stale beer.

The sacred spot of "stone 'enge", a tiny stone circle only 11 inches high found on the Rock of Ages, is the best place to summon the spirit - although any dubious drinking establishment is also fair game.

 

[EricJ]

My spirits go to 11. :wink:

I feel robbed! There were no Intensity 11 spirits in the article! :lol:

Just for you Phil: :wink:

Intensity 11 'Spinal Tap' Rock spirit
INT 6 (fixed INT)
POW 30
CHA 6

Note that this spirit is also opposed by the cult of Indlas Sommer. Indlas likes his drummers.