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Old 08-06-2015, 10:10 PM   #11
Pragmatic
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

(On tablet, excuse errors and brevity.)

Anyone besides me think good system for Last Airbender?

**************

Re: Divine Favor. I think DF mostly improv, few learned prayers (Dungeon Saints from Pyramid opposite), yes?
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:17 PM   #12
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

Man, this is cool.

I feel like this would work in a campaign where Divine Favor is used with a lot more parity than the skill-based Magic system from Basic. I've had Divine Favor and skill-based in a campaign, side by side, and I think the players perceived Divine Favor to be much less flexible (due to not taking frequent advantage of general prayer, no doubt) but more reliable and potent. This seems like a great way to stack sorcerers against paragons in a balanced way.

I like it better than RPM for fantasy games, since there is less emphasis on getting everything prepared beforehand like D&D or Vance or whatever. RPM fits hidden magic nicely, but this is just so much more intuitive for me in an openly magical setting.

Nice work, PK! This is one of those supplements that reads well and offers me immediate utility. Some of the new enhancements/limitations are very handy, too.

cannot believe you did Haircut, but it is actually a very useful example of how to build something that is more useful in a game
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Old 08-07-2015, 12:25 AM   #13
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

Perfect, first day of my holiday and a really ingenious book waiting for me.
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Old 08-07-2015, 02:45 AM   #14
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

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Originally Posted by Raekai View Post
Bought it immediately. My only question is... Do I use Sorcery or do I use Ritual Path Magic? This is probably one of the most difficult dilemmas I will have to tackle this week. What do you think, PK? What are the pros and cons of each system? Could they even be used together (like Divine Favor in Pyramid #3/66)?.
Sure. Replace Sorcerous Empowerment with Ritual Adept + levels of Magery (Ritual Path), and use RPM for "improvised magic" instead of sorcery. That way you have fast, easy "sorcery evocations" and slow, versatile "RPM rituals."
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Old 08-07-2015, 05:24 AM   #15
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

Well, I was supposed to be saving money, but it looks just to good to put off.
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Old 08-07-2015, 06:27 AM   #16
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

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...-15% Sorcery PM...
Is the definition of this missing from the book? I noted it in some of the spells, but didn't see the definition of the PM.

Thank you,
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Old 08-07-2015, 06:37 AM   #17
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

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...-15% Sorcery PM...
Is the definition of this missing from the book? I noted it in some of the spells, but didn't see the definition of the PM.
That should be the first one in the Inventing New Spells sidebar on p. 13. (Also, we do our best to put new power modifiers in the Index... and, indeed, I note this one is listed. Whew; no errata about this!) :-)
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Old 08-07-2015, 07:27 AM   #18
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

Definitely a worthy read, I posted a review on my blog. My advice: don't buy it for the converted spells (they may not be quite what you expected), buy it for the expanded Sorcery system and especially for the enchantment rules.
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Old 08-07-2015, 08:06 AM   #19
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

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Originally Posted by PK View Post
Sure. Replace Sorcerous Empowerment with Ritual Adept + levels of Magery (Ritual Path), and use RPM for "improvised magic" instead of sorcery. That way you have fast, easy "sorcery evocations" and slow, versatile "RPM rituals."
If I get some free time and the money to buy a copy of this book, I'd like to flesh this idea out. I know you and others have pointed out that it works well for Harry Dresden style magic, but the thing that sounds so appealing is the potential for a great mix of signature spells in combat/emergencies and real flexibility given sufficient prep time.

On a possibly related note, I'm still looking for a good Magic replacement that plays nicely with 150-200 starting point characters.

Last edited by Miles; 08-07-2015 at 08:11 AM.
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Old 08-07-2015, 08:40 AM   #20
Peter Knutsen
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Default Re: GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery

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Yes, quite a bit. Sorcerous Empowerment has been overhauled slightly, improvised magic has been heavily revised, and spells now have keywords that allow them to be governed by a consistent set of rules. Also, the enchantment system is 100% new.

It would be fair to say that "The Power of Sorcery" was my way of dipping my toe into the concept of this system, and with this book I was able to dive in completely.
Just to be sure, the PDF is a stand-alone work, not requiring the referencing of the preceeeding Pyramid article?
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