Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-20-2018, 12:56 PM   #1
dataweaver
 
dataweaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

What magic systems would go well with Chinese Elemental Powers? I'm considering a variant of the Alchemy rules to beef up the Alchemy and Herb Lore skills, using the Sacred Architecture rules from Urban Magic to incorporate some more Feng Shui, and possibly doing something based on Path Magic and using the Chinese Mystical Modifiers from Thaumatology to address Chinese beliefs concerning gods and spirits. What else would be appropriate?
__________________
Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4]
dataweaver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-20-2018, 03:47 PM   #2
Refplace
 
Refplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

I think most could be adapted.
RPM could be different Paths, though balancing them would take some work.
Path/Book, Realm. Symbols, all could work.
I tried to do the I Ching as a Symbol system but it was a lot of work and unsatisfactory in the end.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
Refplace is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-20-2018, 03:57 PM   #3
dataweaver
 
dataweaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

Yeah; I'm more inclined to stick to using the I Ching as a source of Magical Modifiers — the Oriental counterpart to the Decans.
__________________
Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4]
dataweaver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-20-2018, 04:06 PM   #4
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

I would suggest a five element version of Realms with the following fthree significant weaknesses (Thaumotology, pp. 188 to 192). First, Realms are incapable of permanently creating matter, though they can permanently transform matter through applications of magic. Second, Realms are incapable of permanently destroying matter, though they can damage matter through applications of magic. Third, Realms cannot produce effects that go backwards in time, as what has occurred cannot be undone with mortal magic. I would have six levels per Realm, though only gods could learn and use the sixth level, meaning that each level would cost 10 points.
AlexanderHowl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-20-2018, 04:48 PM   #5
dataweaver
 
dataweaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

And that plays well with Chinese Elemental Powers? I could be wrong, but such a system strikes me as something that would end up competing with or replacing the Powers, not complementing them.

In general, I'm looking for systems that do something different than what the Elemental Powers do: making elixirs or concoctions, contacting spirits, etc.
__________________
Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4]
dataweaver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2018, 06:19 AM   #6
mehrkat
 
mehrkat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Austin Texas
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

Go with sorcery but limit power spells to appropriate to a magic practitioner of that area.
__________________
He stared out in the distance to see the awesome might of the Meerkat war party.
mehrkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2018, 07:21 AM   #7
dataweaver
 
dataweaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

Sorcery strikes me as too similar to Chinese Elemental Powers. Unless it can be shown to be especially appropriate, I'd rather steer away from using multiple Power-based systems together.
__________________
Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4]
dataweaver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2018, 07:30 AM   #8
Bruno
 
Bruno's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

Quote:
Originally Posted by dataweaver View Post
Sorcery strikes me as too similar to Chinese Elemental Powers. Unless it can be shown to be especially appropriate, I'd rather steer away from using multiple Power-based systems together.
Whereas I would stick to the same mechanic where possible to ensure that characters are built on a reasonably level and consistent playing field, regardless of their power source.

I do get the appeal of having a different mechanic for each, but things have to get very apples and fruitbats levels of "doing different stuff" before a different mechanic makes me comfortable.
__________________
All about Size Modifier; Unified Hit Location Table
A Wiki for my F2F Group
A neglected GURPS blog
Bruno is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2018, 07:52 AM   #9
Refplace
 
Refplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
Whereas I would stick to the same mechanic where possible to ensure that characters are built on a reasonably level and consistent playing field, regardless of their power source.

I do get the appeal of having a different mechanic for each, but things have to get very apples and fruitbats levels of "doing different stuff" before a different mechanic makes me comfortable.
Yeah but if he is not already using Sorcery its a moot point.
On the chance he is, all Chinese Elemental Powers is though is really a list of prebuilt abilities. So it could fit fine within Sorcery or you could just save points by buying many of them as alternative abilities.
That loses the flexibility of Sorcery but could potentially be cheaper for higher end abilities, especially if you only have a few of them.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
Refplace is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2018, 09:47 AM   #10
dataweaver
 
dataweaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Complementing Chinese Elemental Powers

I'm not intending to use Sorcery here; so yeah, it's a moot point. Besides, one thing Sorcery doesn't handle well is ceremonial magic: it assumes that all spells require nothing more than a second of concentration and the expenditure of a FP — quick, no muss and no fuss. That doesn't really work for Chinese Alchemists, for instance.

As well, Sorcery doesn't strike me as a good target for the Chinese Mystical Modifiers found in the Appendix of Thaumatology; and one thing I'm hoping to do is to put them to use.

Path/Book Magic, on the other hand, works well with said Modifiers; my main concern there lies in what the Paths or Books should be. My initial impulse was to use the Path column in the Bagua Modifers table as a basis for an eight-Path set: e.g., the first cut for the Path of Li gets all of the Rituals from the Path of Cunning, while the first cut for the Path of K'un starts with the Rituals from the Path of Dreams, supplemented by Path of Health Rituals that are limited to healing humans. Further refinement would be needed, of course.
__________________
Point balance is a myth.[1][2][3][4]
dataweaver is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:34 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.