RPM Traditions Confusion

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Lameth

lol, oh please spoil it for me. I need examples to help me build this please.

Well, off the top of my head, he uses standard White Council Hermetic style stuff, he also studies and uses necromancy, works with a Voudoun loa, accepts power investiture from a faerie queen and channels a fallen angel. There may be other examples ... does that help?

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Well, off the top of my head, he uses standard White Council Hermetic style stuff, he also studies and uses necromancy, works with a Voudoun loa, accepts power investiture from a faerie queen and channels a fallen angel. There may be other examples ... does that help?

Yes so in essence, he still uses the same Paths of magic like everyone else on the world [energy, matter, body, etc.], along with the same core skill of Thaumaturgy like most people that use magic, but he has just acquired special perks, skills, and advantages that would allow him to use another traditions magics?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Lameth

Yes so in essence, he still uses the same Paths of magic like everyone else on the world [energy, matter, body, etc.], along with the same core skill of Thaumaturgy like most people that use magic, but he has just acquired special perks, skills, and advantages that would allow him to use another traditions magics?

Probably how I would run it.
Are you looking specifically at Dresden or just a general magic question?
If general I would have the core skills of different Traditions default to each other if similar but be separate skills if wildly different, for example if they had different Paths.
And I would let a mage create new sells based on stuff he saw from other Traditions using his Tradition but theother one just being inspiration. Even if he might add a few symbols from the other one into the mix.

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Probably how I would run it.
Are you looking specifically at Dresden or just a general magic question?
If general I would have the core skills of different Traditions default to each other if similar but be separate skills if wildly different, for example if they had different Paths.
And I would let a mage create new sells based on stuff he saw from other Traditions using his Tradition but theother one just being inspiration. Even if he might add a few symbols from the other one into the mix.

Yes Dresden is a good fit for the world. so yes.

My OP question is what would happen if the traditions are different, would they also view the paradigm of magic different as well? Maybe not have the same paths, or same names, or maybe even combine and twist them around?

So if a Hermatic mage, with the standard paths wanted to learn a Chinese ritual where they see the paths instead as the five elements [Wood, Metal, fire, water, earth], how would he learn it? If the given spell calls for a Lesser effect of Earth and a Greater effect of Wood, but the hermatic has the standard paths [Matter, Energy, Body, etc] and not the Chinese Paths nor their paradigm, how could he learn it? Or does everyone have all the same paths, maybe just with different names and concepts?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Lameth

My OP question is what would happen if the traditions are different, would they also view the paradigm of magic different as well? Maybe not have the same paths, or same names, or maybe even combine and twist them around?

So if a Hermatic mage, with the standard paths wanted to learn a Chinese ritual where they see the paths instead as the five elements [Wood, Metal, fire, water, earth], how would he learn it? If the given spell calls for a Lesser effect of Earth and a Greater effect of Wood, but the hermatic has the standard paths [Matter, Energy, Body, etc] and not the Chinese Paths nor their paradigm, how could he learn it? Or does everyone have all the same paths, maybe just with different names and concepts?

Back to being a campaign setting really.
The Paths set up in RPM are really based on Realms and designed to encompass almost everything in a handful of choices.
If you base it off the 5 elements, each element could have components of Body, Energy, Matter, Mind, and Spirit so would work a lot dfferently, in that case I would call it a different version of Thaumatology as well.
One could try to duplicate the others spell effects but the approach would be so different as to be nearly impossible to learn directly. You would just invent your own variant. But thats just how I see it.
Page 13 in Ritual Path Magic hints at this I think.

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Back to being a campaign setting really.
The Paths set up in RPM are really based on Realms and designed to encompass almost everything in a handful of choices.
If you base it off the 5 elements, each element could have components of Body, Energy, Matter, Mind, and Spirit so would work a lot dfferently, in that case I would call it a different version of Thaumatology as well.
One could try to duplicate the others spell effects but the approach would be so different as to be nearly impossible to learn directly. You would just invent your own variant. But thats just how I see it.
Page 13 in Ritual Path Magic hints at this I think.

Ok thank you

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Lameth

he has just acquired special perks, skills, and advantages that would allow him to use another traditions magics?

Dresden gains (and loses) access to a number of power sources other than "just magic". None of them seem to involve the same sort of study as his White Council wizardry. Some of those power sources can produce effects on their own. Some of them he uses to enhance his regular spellcasting. So it's a variety. Butcher doesn't really go into details on how anything other than the Council-style wizardry works. (Not that he spends a lot of time even on that; those stories aren't about the mechanics, even though they're sometimes a plot point.)


In game terms, you might model some of them as additional RPM paths so you can add their beneficial effects to other spells, while others (such as the Winter Court mantle) you might go so far as to model with entirely different mechanics, even spells-as-powers.

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Dresden gains (and loses) access to a number of power sources other than "just magic". None of them seem to involve the same sort of study as his White Council wizardry. Some of those power sources can produce effects on their own. Some of them he uses to enhance his regular spellcasting. So it's a variety. Butcher doesn't really go into details on how anything other than the Council-style wizardry works. (Not that he spends a lot of time even on that; those stories aren't about the mechanics, even though they're sometimes a plot point.)


In game terms, you might model some of them as additional RPM paths so you can add their beneficial effects to other spells, while others (such as the Winter Court mantle) you might go so far as to model with entirely different mechanics, even spells-as-powers.

I was pondering an additional level of the magic of that type of game. Most powerful and skilled "true" magic users, use RPM.

Then there is a secondary "lesser" level that uses the core skill of Occultism, being a Hard skill. Then use Books from Path/Book to represent a sort of "lesser" hedge magic. This would be for the lesser users of magic. Maybe that old woman in the woods that knows some hedge magic, or an Occultist that can get by with a few rituals. This would allow lesser workers of magic instead of being a full blown RPM mage, they may only a few rituals from their "books", or maybe even a minor path with some themed rituals...all under the core occultism skill.

Thoughts? workable?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Lameth

Thoughts? workable?

How far have you read in the series?

[Lameth]

Originally Posted by Refplace

How far have you read in the series?

Only a few but this was more based on my world ideas. I’m not trying to mimic Dresden world but more take inspiration from it. Would it not work what I am proposing?