Thaumatology - why should I buy it?

[jacobmuller]

What could I get from Thaumatology that'd make it worth buying?
I'm asking for more info than is available from the index/free sample but Not the whole shebang [that's what buying is for:)]

I'm mainly into SF but I have Fantasy, Magic and the DF series. The magic "flavour" I want, and have yet to actually use, is covered in Basic Set:Characters.

Thank you

[Woodman]

What Thaumatology offers are recipes to spice up the vanilla magic from the Basic Set and some completely different flavors of magic, so if you are perfectly happy with standard magic as it is, you probably wont get that much out of Thaumatology, because its mainly about changing or replacing that magic system.

[Ejidoth]

Thaumatology is a neat book, but it doesn't sound like you need it.

I'd still recommend picking it up eventually if you do fantasy games at all... but maybe only if/when you want to buy a GURPS book and already have all the stuff that would help your games. :P

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

What could I get from Thaumatology that'd make it worth buying?

What's in Thaumatology:

A chapter of minor variants to the standard system.

A chapter of major variants including a 4e version of the old "Unlimited Mana" system.

Clerical magic based on Sanctity too.

An updated 4e version of the old "Ritual Magic" from Spirits and Voodoo.

An adaptation of _that_ system that would cover the magic system from Castle Falkenstein.

A free-form magic system appropriate to a new Gurps Mage the Ascension or (probably) Ars Magica (I am not an Ars expert).

Weird stuff like Gem injection too.

Also Black Magic and other spirit-assisted magic.

A entirely new chapter on Magic as Powers.

Several things I've probably forgotten trying to do this off the top of my head.

But if you don't want more magic and different magic you might not want Thaumatology.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

What could I get from Thaumatology that'd make it worth buying?
I'm asking for more info than is available from the index/free sample but Not the whole shebang [that's what buying is for:)]

I'm mainly into SF but I have Fantasy, Magic and the DF series. The magic "flavour" I want, and have yet to actually use, is covered in Basic Set:Campaigns.

Thank you

Hunh? There's nothing about magic in the Campaigns book.

[Captain-Captain]

Thaumatology is closer to the 'Tool kit for Magic system making' than anything else in GURPS. It's a superb overview of Magic as done in variant forms in GURPS The tree magic of Celtic Myths isn't represented in that specific form, but it covers a lot. And it has a lot of advice towards builing a system yourself.

[jacobmuller]

Thank you for the replies. Don't want to do necromancy on this thread so Big Thank You for the extra replies (particularly the very last one from Kuroshima:)
Based on those:
Would it be fair to describe Thaumatology as a book that does for magic what GURPS does for character generation?
Perhaps, a 4e integrated version of Authentic Thaumaturgy?

Are there any extra Optional Rules that could alter/clarify the way Basic handles stuff, similar to the benefits from High Tech, Martial Arts, DF or Action?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

Thank you for the replies.
Based on those:
Would it be fair to describe Thaumatology as a book that does for magic what GURPS does for character generation?
Perhaps, a 4e integrated version of Authentic Thaumaturgy?

Are there any extra Optional Rules that could alter/clarify the way Basic handles stuff, similar to the benefits from High Tech, Martial Arts, DF or Action?

If you mean is Thaumatology a magic system design engine? Not really.

Lots of customization options for standard Magic, variant and alternate systems and campaign notes but not a design your own magic system from the ground up sort of thing.

There are optional rules about things like modified Magery and even new Enhancements and Limitations for Magery.

[Captain-Captain]

I'm sorry if Ididn't make myself clearer. Thaumatology is the closest thing on the horzieon to a magic system builing tool for GURPs, but it's not that. It's a good overview for this sort of thing but no, it's not that sort of thing itself.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

Would it be fair to describe Thaumatology as a book that does for magic what GURPS does for character generation?

No, Thaumatology does for magic what Fantasy does for fantasy campaigns, or what Space does for space campaigns.