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Old 07-10-2019, 10:56 AM   #1
Shostak
 
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Default Magical Societies

Magical Societies are organized groups of wizards united by a pursuing a particular branch or application of magic. Membership in a society confers benefits, such as access to arcane secrets, in return for obligations from its members (apprenticeship, administrative service, onerous missions, tedious work, dues, etc.). Each society is distinguished by 1.) a list of spells and talents germane to the group and that members are encouraged—or perhaps required—to learn, 2.) a set of secret talents and secret spells available to members. Since secret talents are sorcerous in nature, wizards do not pay double. Membership in a society is made by first learning the Acolyte talent for that society, which gives access to the society’s Secrets. Highly regimented magical societies could require secrets to be learned in a specific order.

Example society: The Illumined Eye
Rumor has it that the fraternal organization, The Illumined Eye, known by the familiar ancient symbol of an eye in a triangle, is actually a clandestine wizardly society hiding in plain sight, bent on world domination through the application of knowledge of three disciplines: the Liberal Arts (History & Philosophy), the Sciences (Mathematics & Astronomy), and the Magic Arts. If Cidri’s conspiracy theorists are to be believed, the Illumined Eye ruthlessly hunts and mercilessly destroys any wizard who betrays the society (or anyone else they believe is a threat, for that matter), but always in a way that deflects attention from themselves.

New Talent
IQ8
Acolyte of the Illumined Eye
(1) This talent confers knowledge of the basics of the society’s workings, and serves as a prerequisite for all Secrets. Prerequisites: Literacy, five spells from the Illumined Eye’s spell list, and must make a vow of loyalty to the society.

Secrets of the Illumined Eye
IQ Variable: Secret Spell: Improved [Spell]
(1) Spells from the society’s list can be improved so as to be cast with one of the following benefits (determined at the time of casting): 1 less ST, +1 DX, or (with lasting spells) with 2x duration. No spell’s ST cost can be reduced below 1. Prerequisites: IQ at least 1 above that required for the normal spell. Note: Each Improved Spell is learned separately. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 8
Secret Spell: Glyph
(T) Allows the wizard to magically mark a surface, including stone, wood, metal, or even flesh. The mark can always be seen by the caster, who must, at the time of casting, specify if it will be visible or not to others. Either way, a Glyph is “visible” by Detect Magic, Reveal Magic, Mage Sight, and Reveal spells. A Glyph is permanent until subjected to Remove Thrown Spell. A wizard who has placed a Glyph on a person or item rolls 1 fewer dice when scrying for them, and can ignore the first two points of range penalty when casting a thrown spell on them. Cost to cast: 1 ST. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

Secret Talent: Spell Throwing (1) This talent offsets distance penalties of thrown spells by 1 for each level of skill (up to 3), but never gives an actual bonus to casting. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye and at least 4 thrown spells.

IQ 9
Secret Spell: Trace
(S) This spell gives an instantaneous sense of general direction (thataway) and distance (very near, near, far, very far) to a Glyph the wizard has marked on a person or object. This spell is cast at -2 for each Glyph beyond the first the wizard has cast. Cost: 2. Prerequisite: Glyph.

Secret Spell: Memorize (T) Subjects of this spell will be able to perfectly recall information they sense during the duration of the spell, and will retain this memory until sunset or sunrise—whichever comes first.. Cost: 1, plus 1 per turn to maintain. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 11
Secret Spell: Sojourner’s Ward
(1) Like the Ward spell, but lets the wizard stray up to 11 miles from the warded area. This spell will replaces Ward for 50 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of Ward, if desired. Cost 3. Prerequisites: Ward, Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 13
Secret Talent: Astrological Seer
(1) Allows wizards to utilize astrological data they know about a subject to give a +1 to their effective IQ when making scrying rolls/talent level (up to 3). The GM should impose a time requirement for the wizard to research/calculate. Also allows scrying by looking at the stars reflected in any still water. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye, Mathematician.

Secret Talent: Illumined Scholar (3) Note: this talent very similar to Scholar. However, it focuses somewhat more on the arcane, the occult, and religion than on the mundane (“Emperess Niharis III was most notable, not for her solidification of the K’hulp’het Dynasty, but for raising Shek-Baroopath the Lame to the office of High Priest.”); standard Scholars might be skeptical of an Illumined Scholar’s interpretations of history and current affairs (-1 to reaction rolls). Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

Secret Spell: Greater Ward (1) Like the Ward spell, but lets the wizard stray to 53 miles from the warded area. This spell replaces Sojourner’s Ward for 100 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of Ward or Sojourner’s Ward, if desired. Cost 4. Prerequisites: Sojourner’s Ward.

Secret Spell: Ward of the Watchful Eye
(C) like the Greater Ward ward spell, but with a Scrying spell attached that gives the wizard a chance to identify who or what has broken the ward. This spell will replace Greater Ward for 100 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of any of the other Wards, if desired. Cost: 5, in addition, the ST cost of the scrying spell is incurred at the time the ward is broken, regardless of how inconvenient this may be. Prerequisite: Scrying, Greater Ward, Illumined Scholar.

IQ 14
Secret Talent: Adept
(3). By first spending a round concentrating and successfully rolling 3d against lowest attribute, wizards with this talent may then attempt to cast any spell they know from the society’s list at 1 less ST, +1 DX, or 2X duration, as per Improved Spell (but not Improved Spells!).
Prerequisite: Illumined Scholar.

Secret Talent: Arcane Toughness (2) Like Toughness, but yours is supernatural, gained by attuning your body to mana. Prerequisite IQ 14 for level 1, 15 for level 2. Prerequisite: Illumined Scholar.

Secret Spell: Catch Thrown Spell (T) Inspired by the old adage that the best defense is a good offense, this spell stops a thrown spell cast on its subject and allows it to be redirected, with an appropriate DX roll, as the subject’s next action. Cost: 3 ST to cast, 1 to maintain. Prerequisite: Spell Throwing.

Secret Spell: Forget (T) Erases one memory the wizard is aware of (the sight of your brother’s execution, the time you caught your spouse in bed with your best friend, that one important thing the Thorsz told you to do) from a subject until restored by Remove Thrown Spell or a successful 4d IQ roll after each full night’s rest. An unwilling subject may resist the spell with a 4d v IQ roll. Costs 10. Prerequisites: Telepathy, Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 15
Secret Spell: Thaumodynamic Converter
(T) This defensive spell converts each die of magical damage (missile, blast, shock shield spells, and a staff’s occult attack) to one point of energy that the subject (who must have Mana Master) can use as gathered mana. 2 to cast, 1 to maintain. Prerequisites: Mathematician, Illumined Scholar.

IQ 16
Secret Spell: Hexagram
(1) Like Pentagram, except with the added benefits of Dispel Missiles, and 1d occult damage (like a staff’s) to any being crossing the boundary. 6 to cast, 1 to maintain. Can also be made Permanent (see Permanent Pentagram). Prerequisites: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye, Dispel Missiles, Blast.


The Illumined Eye’s Spell & Talent List


Aid
Alchemy*
Analyze Magic
Architect/Builder*
Astral Projection
Charisma*
Confusion
Control Gate
Control Person
Courtly Graces*
Curse
Dark Vision
Delete Writing
Destroy Creation
Detect Life
Detect Lies*
Detect Magic
Diplomacy*
Dispel Missiles
Dissolve Enchantment Duplicate Writing
Far Vision
Friendship
Geas
Glamor
Great Voice
Insubstantiality
Invisibility
Lock/Knock
Long-Distance Telepathy
Look Your Best
Mage Sight
Pathfinder
Pentagram
Persuasiveness
Remove Cursed Object
Remove Thrown Spell
Repair
Reveal Magic
Reveal/Conceal
Scrying
Soothe
Spell Shield
Spellsniffer
Staff I-IV
Stalwart
Summon Scout
Telekinesis
Telepathy
Trailtwister
Turn Missiles
Ward
Whisper
Word of Command

*Talent
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Old 07-10-2019, 09:56 PM   #2
Shoug
 
Join Date: May 2019
Default Re: Magical Societies

I really love this idea. Not to ruin it by suggesting something much less exciting, but might I offer a wholly different mechanical take on the idea of a "Magical Society?" I prefer houserules which incorporate minimal "whole cloth," so to speak. I like it when houserules elegantly and efficiently link together existing coordinates within the original document rather than simply adding pages (but your custom spells are all very reasonable and well designed and humorous to boot!).

Might I offer: Each Magical Society corresponds to a specific "partition" of the existing spells list. Deciding how to divide the list is up to you. Then, each Magical Society has a corresponding 12 IQ Talent which is exclusive to Wizards, costs 1 point, and can be bought up to 4 times. This talent represents your knowledge and skills of the specific rituals of secrecy for that Magical Society. The Magical Society offers you all of the benefits of the Wizard's Guild, as they pertain to their specialization, at a discount of (25*TalentLevel)%. This means that if you buy a Magical Society's talent 4 times, then, if you have access to high level society members, you may learn any of the society spells for free.

Last edited by Shoug; 07-10-2019 at 10:06 PM.
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Old 07-11-2019, 05:24 AM   #3
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Magical Societies

Thanks, Shoug. My first few stabs at this were considerably more complicated, with elaborate prerequisite chains and rank tiers. I got rid of as much In favor of simplicity. A set of talents I did away with dealt with mana gathering to allow wizards to cast possibly spells in desperate situations, but they just felt too complicated for the fast and furious TFT engine. One could certainly divvy up the spell list into related categories and created magical socieities based on those, though that is not the focus of The Illumined Eye, which I see as a splinter group within the Wizard's Guild and thus privy (though not necessarily prioritizing) to the entire spell list.

I did not mention in the opening post, but others are encouraged to share their secret societies.
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Old 07-11-2019, 06:51 AM   #4
Tywyll
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Default Re: Magical Societies

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shostak View Post
Thanks, Shoug. My first few stabs at this were considerably more complicated, with elaborate prerequisite chains and rank tiers. I got rid of as much In favor of simplicity. A set of talents I did away with dealt with mana gathering to allow wizards to cast possibly spells in desperate situations, but they just felt too complicated for the fast and furious TFT engine. One could certainly divvy up the spell list into related categories and created magical socieities based on those, though that is not the focus of The Illumined Eye, which I see as a splinter group within the Wizard's Guild and thus privy (though not necessarily prioritizing) to the entire spell list.

I did not mention in the opening post, but others are encouraged to share their secret societies.
These are cool. I would love to see other examples!
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Old 07-11-2019, 08:26 AM   #5
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Magical Societies

I've done something like this for my campaigns that use GURPS Magic (especially because I find that spell list overwhelmingly long, broad, complicated and powerful). Most of the societies in my campaign aren't secret, but the details of exactly what they know and what special magic they know tends to be at least partly only known by them.
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Old 07-13-2019, 09:23 PM   #6
Shostak
 
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Default Re: Magical Societies

The Flame Eternal This society devotes itself to the study of life, the life force, thanatology, spirits and the undead, and necromancy.

New Talent
Acolyte of The Flame Eternal
(1) Prerequisites: Literacy, Mundane Talent: Undertaker/Embalmer

Secrets (all have Acolyte of The Flame Eternal as a prerequisite)

IQ 8
Secret Spell: Don’t Fear the Reaper
(T) This spell removes all fear of death from subjects. Those under this spell are immune to Terror of the Grave. Cost: 1, lasts 2d rounds.

Secret Spell: Terror of the Grave (T) This spell causes the victim to momentarily see a vision of their mortality so horrifying that they suffer the following, determined by a 3d roll:
3-5: No effect
6-8: Victim is stunned and unable to execute its next Move and Action (in either order).
9-12: As above and must roll 3d v IQ or drop a ready weapon/item.
13-15: As above and -1 IQ for 2 rounds.
16-18: As above and suffer 1 point of fatigue.
Cost 1.

IQ 9
Secret Spell: Detect Undead
(S) Like Detect Life, but can detect undead.

Secret Spell: Summon Shadowight (C) Brings a shadowight (ST 5, DX 8, and IQ 8, plus 5
points; MA 10). Cost: 1 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Secret Spell: Summon Zombie (C) Summons one zombie or skeleton, ST 8 DX 9 IQ 0 Costs 1 to cast, 1 to maintain. If cast on an existing corpse, it will need renewing only every other turn.

IQ 10
Secret Spell: Grip of Death
(C) This spell causes two undead hands to reach out of the earth and grip the legs of anyone standing in the hex, immediately causing them to be unable to move (shifting allowed) and to suffer -2DX until they break free or destroy the hands (each ST 6, DX 11). To break free, a figure must spend by spending a turn and successfully roll 3d v ST. If Grip of Death is cast into a hex with a prone figure, the victim suffers -4DX. Each additional Grip of Death cast into a hex confers no additional DX penalties to the victim, but adds 1 to the roll to break free. Costs 2.

IQ 11
Secret Spell: Arcane Physicker
(S) This spell heals one extra point of damage when the caster tends the wound with a Physicker talent. The extra point of damage will be healed after one hour’s rest. Cost: 3 ST. Prerequisites: Aid, Physicker.

Secret Spell: Paralyze Limb (T) Instantly deadens one leg, arm, tentacle, or wing for 2d turns. Costs 3 to cast, double the cost for victims with ST 20-30. Not effective on larger targets.

IQ 12
Secret Spell: Strike Barren
(T) The subject is unable to conceive or sire children. Does not affect women already pregnant. Costs 20, lasts 2-12 days.

Secret Spell: Virility & Fertility (T) The subject of this spell that engages in sexual intercourse is twice as likely to sire/conceive a child. Costs 20, lasts until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever comes first.

IQ 13
Secret Spell: Control Undead
(T) Like Control Person, but affects undead entities, who resist with the higher of ST or their controlling wizard’s IQ. Costs 3 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Secret Spell: Summon Zombie Swarm (C) Summons seven zombies in a megahex. Costs 5 to cast, 2 to maintain. If cast on an existing corpses, it will need renewing only every other turn.

Secret Talent: Blood Magic (3) This talent lets a wizard get mana from sacrifice at the rate of (ST+IQ)÷10 (round down) for sapient beings, and ST/20 (min 1) from sentient beasts. Extra mana may be granted for special cases like newborn babies, seventh sons/daughters of seventh sons/daughters, etc. Magical energy gathered by blood magic must be used immediately.

IQ 14
Secret Spell: Arcane Master Physicker
(S) As per Arcane Physicker, but heals two extra points of damage. Cost: 5 ST. Prerequisite: Arcane Physicker.

Secret Spell: Speed Healing (T) This spell lets the subject heal damage at 1 point per day. Cost: 5 to cast. Cannot be maintained; must be cast afresh each day.

Secret Spell: Slow Healing (T) This spell causes its victim to heal at one-half the normal rate, and healing by Physickers and Master Physickers is reduced by 1. Permanent until dispelled by Remove Thrown Spell or stronger. Costs 5.

Secret Spell: Summon Wight(C) Like Summon Myrmidon, but brings a wight, which will obey the summoner’s orders. Costs 4 to cast, 1 to maintain.

Secret Spell: Wither Limb (T) Like Paralyze Limb, except permanent until dispelled with Remove Thrown Spell or stronger. Costs 5 to cast, double the cost for victims with ST 20-30. Not effective on larger targets.

Secret Talent: Path to Power (1). Wizards with this talent my learn spells on the order’s spell list one IQ level higher/talent level (max 3) than their IQ would normally allow. Spells are cast at -1DX for each point of difference between the wizard’s IQ and the spell’s.

IQ 15
Secret Spell: Megahex Terror of the Grave
(T) Cost 5.

Secret Spell: Seven-hex Grip of Death (C) Like Grip of Death, but affects 7 contiguous hexes within range. Costs 7.

Secret Spell: Steal Youth (T) Requires two subjects who must be willing or restrained. Adds 5 years to the age of one target and takes 1 year off the age of the other for every 20 ST. On a roll of 17, the effects are reversed, and on an 18 the reversed results are tripled, and, in both cases, Steal Youth can never again be used to benefit that character.

IQ 16
Secret Spell: Drain Life
(S) Like Drain Strength, but 1 point for every 3 ST stolen.

IQ 18
Secret Spell: Soul Jar
(S) This spell puts the wizard’s soul into a lidded receptacle, such as a jar or bottle. So long as the soul jar is active, the body will not die, regardless of how much injury it has sustained, though it will fall unconscious at 0 ST. The body cannot heal by mundane methods if the soul jar is not in contact with the body. If the wizard strays more than the number of miles equal to their IQ, they lose 1 fatigue every 15 minutes, and cannot recover them by any means until they return to the safe zone. If the soul jar is broken or if the wizard’s body has been injured enough to normally cause death and the soul reenters it, the wizard dies immediately. A casting roll of 17 or 18 results in the immediate death of the wizard. Costs 30, lasts until the next rising or setting of the sun, whichever comes first.

IQ 20
Secret Spell: Reincarnation
(S) A figure who has this cast upon them dies immediately and is reborn into another being of the same race. On each birthday, a 4d roll v the new body’s IQ will allow all previous memories (and spells and talents) to be recalled. Cost: 50.

Secret Spell: Undying Zombie (C) Like Zombie, but the zombie does not weaken over time if it stays within the number of miles from its unbirth place equal to its ST. Prerequisite: Zombie.

Spell and Talent list
Aid
Alchemy*
Chemist*
Death Spell
Destroy Creation
Detect Life
Drain Strength
Little Death, The
Minor Medicament
Mundane Talent: Undertaker/Embalmer*
Naturalist* & Expert Naturalist*
Pentagram
Physicker* & Master Physicker*
Possession
Priest*
Regeneration
Revival
Scrying
Summon Lesser Demon
Summon Demon
Theologian*
Trance
Vet*
Zombie

*talent

Last edited by Shostak; 07-14-2019 at 12:57 PM. Reason: Typographical correction
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Old 07-14-2019, 08:08 AM   #7
MikMod
 
Join Date: May 2019
Default Re: Magical Societies

This is really good! I wasn't sure when you posted the first one, but with the second you can see the different flavors of magic really coming through!
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Old 07-14-2019, 08:41 AM   #8
Shostak
 
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Location: New England
Default Re: Magical Societies

Thanks! I hope others will be inspired to offer some of their own wizardly orders.
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Old 07-14-2019, 11:25 AM   #9
warhorse11h
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Default Re: Magical Societies

This is what I wish this forum was always like. These ideas are well conceived and are great inspiration not just for secret societies. Without making any religion effective, these could easily be used as templates for religions in Cidri. I really like these.
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Old 07-14-2019, 11:48 AM   #10
MikMod
 
Join Date: May 2019
Default Re: Magical Societies

Ok then - I was inspired! --->


The Mesmerists / The Circle of Illusion / The Order of Tricksters

Charming Master Manipulators of the Mind.


New Talent
IQ 8 Talent. Acolyte of the Circle(1) This talent confers knowledge of the basics of the society’s workings, and serves as a prerequisite for all Secrets. Prerequisites: four spells or talents from the Mesmerists list, and must take a vow of secrecy.

Secrets

IQ 9 Talent: Legerdemain (1). Small scale slight of hand, card tricks, vanishing coins. Can be used in place of Pickpocket.

IQ 10 Talent. The Subtle Cast(1). Can be taken up to five times, each one enables the mesmerist to cast any Mesmerists spell as if they had an IQ of one higher than they do, enabling casting without apparent movement or speech. Even the ususal hand movements may be well disguised, though spoken spell casts remain pretty clear to anyone nearby.

IQ 11 Spell. Fragmented Image (C). As image but can be in multiple parts, e.g. Shower of petals, flock of doves, shards of glass, as long as all parts are the same kind of thing. Costs 1 ST.

IQ 12 Spell. Permanent Image (C). As image but lasts until disbelieved. Can be touched without it being dispelled, but objects and people simply pass through it. Costs 3 ST.

IQ 13 Talent. Patter (1). Limited word of command, five minutes to cast. Implants an idea or belief in anyone listening, unless they actively want to disbelieve, or have an established bad reaction to the caster, in which case they can roll 3D vs IQ. Often used before an illusion or image to 'soften' an audience. If patter is effective, any disbelieves will be at one extra die.

IQ 13 Spell. Fragmented Illusion (C). As Illusion but can be in multiple parts, e.g. Shower of petals, flock of doves, shards of glass, as long as all parts are the same kind of thing. Costs 4 ST plus 1 per turn.

IQ 14 Talent. Resistant Images (1). Causes any Image spells cast by the mesmerist to be resistant to dissolution by disbelieve. People can still disbelieve, and they may see through the image, but others will not and it does not dissolve the image - it remains as long as someone believes it (and that could be the wizard).

IQ 18 Spell. Vast Image(C). Creates a complete and unlimited image, such as a foreign landscape, fleet of ships, army of giants, which can encompass people's entire field of view. Will affect anyone within sight range of the mesmerist, whether or not they can see them, so several square miles of people, a whole city, could be affected. Can be limited by the mesmerist to cause local effects such as 'transporting' everyone in a bar with their tables and drinks to be suddenly 'on board a ship in a high storm'. ST 6 to cast, 4 to renew.



Spell and Talent list
Note Mechanician talents are rare in the order and are focused on creating traps, puzzle boxes, sword-sticks, secret doors, etc not siege engines or guns.

IQ 7
*Carousing

IQ 8
Blur
Image
*Sex-Appeal

IQ 9
Confusion
Darkness
Look Your Best
*Alertness
*Charisma

IQ 10
Clearhededness
Dazzle
Trailtwister
Whisper
*Diplomacy
*Mimic

IQ 11
Control Animal
Great Voice
Illusion
Persuasiveness
Sleep
*Courtly Graces
*Detect Lies
*Mechanician
*Tactics

IQ 12
Freeze
Friendship
Invisibility
Mage Sight
Soothe
*Ventriloquist

IQ 13
4-Hex Image
Control Person
Curse
Stop
Telekenesis
*Master Mechanician

IQ 14
4-Hex Illusion
Dispel Illusions
Glamour
Telepathy
*Disguise

IQ 15
7-Hex Image
Unnoticeablity

IQ 16
7-Hex Illusion
Long-Distance Telepathy
Megahex Sleep

IQ 17
Geas
Insubstantiality

IQ 18
Megahex Freeze

IQ 20
Possession
Word of Command

* Talent

Last edited by MikMod; 07-14-2019 at 12:05 PM.
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