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Quantumboost · 05-26-2019, 11:49 PM

An Infinite Worlds-type campaign I'm in started in Shadowrun, and we've been using a combination of Sorcery (basically Spells as Powers coupled with Alternate Abilities), as well as Path/Book magic. Most of this is my GM's work, but I've helped out some with things like the Enchanting system, specific Adept Powers, Metamagics, and Spirit stats.

Path/Book is mostly needed to accurately model basic "every Magician has these" abilities like Astral Projection, ritual spellcasting, and calling up spirits, which would otherwise be ruinously expensive for things that every magic-user is expected to be able to do. It does mean that Magicians need to learn the Ritual Magic skill with a specialization... but they're supposed to have some Magical Tradition anyway, so that's not much of a stretch.

Instead of using FP/QP costs, "Drain" deals 3 FP damage (not QP, because falling unconscious due to casting when you're physically exhausted is important yo), can be negated with a successful Will roll, and is a -5% Limitation (modeled using a Resistible Backlash). It's also reduced proportionately by cutting down the spell's intensity, so if you cast a fireball that deals 1/3 the damage it potentially could, it only deals 1 FP if you fail the drain soak roll.

Adept Powers are just Advantages with the Magical, -10% modifier for being sensitive to Mana Domains/Ebbs/Voids.

Initiation Grade is represented by Sorcery Talent [10 points/level], which is the Power Talent for all magical abilities (Mystic Adepts just have one Initiation level, after all).

For the directly-magical skills:

The Spellcasting Skill Group has two skills: Spellcasting (QN/VH), which is rolled in order to cast any Sorcery spell (all Sorcery spells are appropriately modified to require a QN roll), and Ritual Spellcasting/Book of Shadows (QN/VH), which covers targeting spells with material links rather than line of sight, and also contains "general" magical abilities as rituals like creating Wards and various metamagic-related Techniques. None of us have looked into Counterspelling too deeply yet.
Conjuring is Path/Book magic's Path of Spirit (QN/VH) directly, limited to the setting-appropriate rituals.
Assensing (Per/VH) is a slightly modified form of the Awareness skill from Pyramid 3/97, which already does the 'reading auras' thing besides. It'd be appropriate to anchor a few rituals to it for characters who can't learn Ritual Spellcasting/Conjuring proper but need to be able to do things like astrally project, go on Metaplanar Quests, or create Wards.
Enchantment is split into the Alchemy skill for processing reagents (per Pyramid 3/66, "The Material Difference") and Crafting Imbuement skills (Pyramid 3/102). The latter requires purchasing a Imbuement Advantage, but the heavy constraints on Shadowrun-style Enchantment cut it down to 1 or 2 points at most*. At SR's current state of enchanting advancement, only Channel Weapon (generalized to Channel Item for things like Health Spell Fetishes in the form of a trenchcoat, or that sort of thing)/Infuse Gear/Precise Gear and Combination Skills made from those are available, but it's a setting where people are continuing to make strides in understanding of magic, so introducing new types of Foci isn't wholly inconceivable. That'd potentially up the cost of Imbuement.
Arcana is just Thaumatology from the Basic Set, and used to identify/invent spells/powers as normal for Thaumatology.
Theology tells you things about how a given Magical Tradition views the world, what types of spirits they can summon and how they're likely to behave, and lets you puzzle out things about the associated Metaplanes. Expert Skill (Spirits) would identify spirits independent of Tradition. Navigation (Astral) as described in the recently-published GURPS Powers: Totems and Nature Spirits would allow finding your way through the Metaplanes, and helpfully defaults to Theology at -4 (or IQ-2 for spirit guides).
Innate Attack is as normal.
We don't use any special rules for astral combat, it might be appropriate to have that be a familiarity for melee weapon/unarmed combat skills?

* The first level is Imbuement 1 (Limited Skill Access, Channel Weapon/Item, -80%; Requires appropriate focus formula, -10%; Accessibility, In a Tradition-appropriate Mystic Lodge, -10%; Costs character points, ⅕) [1]. The second level is Imbuement 3 (Limited Skill Access, Channel Item/Infuse Gear/Precise Gear, -40%; Requires appropriate focus formula, -10%; Minimum Reagent Cost** 1, -5%; Accessibility, In a Tradition-appropriate Mystic Lodge, -10%; Magical, -10%; Costs character points, ⅕) [2]. We've ruled that Destiny Points in the form of Edge can fill in for character points, but that might not be appropriate in a pure Shadowrun game.
** A combination of Reduced Fatigue Cost and Trigger, Magical Reagent; this means the minimum reagent cost is equivalent to 1 FP. Since the reagent is potentially retrievable if you destroy the item, we've halved the discount.

Admittedly, much of this is barely-tested and kludged together where it isn't straight from other books, but it's mostly worked so far for the circumstances we've found ourselves in. ^_^;

05-26-2019, 11:49 PM	#2
Quantumboost Join Date: Jul 2018	Re: Magic as Powers (ala Shadowrun) An Infinite Worlds-type campaign I'm in started in Shadowrun, and we've been using a combination of Sorcery (basically Spells as Powers coupled with Alternate Abilities), as well as Path/Book magic. Most of this is my GM's work, but I've helped out some with things like the Enchanting system, specific Adept Powers, Metamagics, and Spirit stats. Path/Book is mostly needed to accurately model basic "every Magician has these" abilities like Astral Projection, ritual spellcasting, and calling up spirits, which would otherwise be ruinously expensive for things that every magic-user is expected to be able to do. It does mean that Magicians need to learn the Ritual Magic skill with a specialization... but they're supposed to have some Magical Tradition anyway, so that's not much of a stretch. Instead of using FP/QP costs, "Drain" deals 3 FP damage (not QP, because falling unconscious due to casting when you're physically exhausted is important yo), can be negated with a successful Will roll, and is a -5% Limitation (modeled using a Resistible Backlash). It's also reduced proportionately by cutting down the spell's intensity, so if you cast a fireball that deals 1/3 the damage it potentially could, it only deals 1 FP if you fail the drain soak roll. Adept Powers are just Advantages with the Magical, -10% modifier for being sensitive to Mana Domains/Ebbs/Voids. Initiation Grade is represented by Sorcery Talent [10 points/level], which is the Power Talent for all magical abilities (Mystic Adepts just have one Initiation level, after all). For the directly-magical skills: The Spellcasting Skill Group has two skills: Spellcasting (QN/VH), which is rolled in order to cast any Sorcery spell (all Sorcery spells are appropriately modified to require a QN roll), and Ritual Spellcasting/Book of Shadows (QN/VH), which covers targeting spells with material links rather than line of sight, and also contains "general" magical abilities as rituals like creating Wards and various metamagic-related Techniques. None of us have looked into Counterspelling too deeply yet. Conjuring is Path/Book magic's Path of Spirit (QN/VH) directly, limited to the setting-appropriate rituals. Assensing (Per/VH) is a slightly modified form of the Awareness skill from Pyramid 3/97, which already does the 'reading auras' thing besides. It'd be appropriate to anchor a few rituals to it for characters who can't learn Ritual Spellcasting/Conjuring proper but need to be able to do things like astrally project, go on Metaplanar Quests, or create Wards. Enchantment is split into the Alchemy skill for processing reagents (per Pyramid 3/66, "The Material Difference") and Crafting Imbuement skills (Pyramid 3/102). The latter requires purchasing a Imbuement Advantage, but the heavy constraints on Shadowrun-style Enchantment cut it down to 1 or 2 points at most. At SR's current state of enchanting advancement, only Channel Weapon (generalized to Channel Item for things like Health Spell Fetishes in the form of a trenchcoat, or that sort of thing)/Infuse Gear/Precise Gear and Combination Skills made from those are available, but it's a setting where people are continuing to make strides in understanding of magic, so introducing new types of Foci isn't wholly inconceivable. That'd potentially up the cost of Imbuement. Arcana is just Thaumatology from the Basic Set, and used to identify/invent spells/powers as normal for Thaumatology. Theology tells you things about how a given Magical Tradition views the world, what types of spirits they can summon and how they're likely to behave, and lets you puzzle out things about the associated Metaplanes. Expert Skill (Spirits) would identify spirits independent of Tradition. Navigation (Astral) as described in the recently-published GURPS Powers: Totems and Nature Spirits* would allow finding your way through the Metaplanes, and helpfully defaults to Theology at -4 (or IQ-2 for spirit guides). Innate Attack is as normal. We don't use any special rules for astral combat, it might be appropriate to have that be a familiarity for melee weapon/unarmed combat skills? * The first level is Imbuement 1 (Limited Skill Access, Channel Weapon/Item, -80%; Requires appropriate focus formula, -10%; Accessibility, In a Tradition-appropriate Mystic Lodge, -10%; Costs character points, ⅕) [1]. The second level is Imbuement 3 (Limited Skill Access, Channel Item/Infuse Gear/Precise Gear, -40%; Requires appropriate focus formula, -10%; Minimum Reagent Cost 1, -5%; Accessibility, In a Tradition-appropriate Mystic Lodge, -10%; Magical, -10%; Costs character points, ⅕) [2]. We've ruled that Destiny Points in the form of Edge can fill in for character points, but that might not be appropriate in a pure Shadowrun game. A combination of Reduced Fatigue Cost and Trigger, Magical Reagent; this means the minimum reagent cost is equivalent to 1 FP. Since the reagent is potentially retrievable if you destroy the item, we've halved the discount. Admittedly, much of this is barely-tested and kludged together where it isn't straight from other books, but it's mostly worked so far for the circumstances we've found ourselves in. ^_^;