Purchasing Magery Variation [Thaumotology/RPM]

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anders

Alcoholism works exactly this way. Roll once per year against HT+2 or lose a point in an attribute. And there are fungal toxins which damage your kidney and liver permanently - representing that by HT loss wouldn't be unrealistic.

It doesn't seem to me that societies that have sacrificial rituals involving bodily harm usually also have the ability to calculate the precise damage to inflict exactly 1 point of HT loss, rather than either giving little enough to allow full recovery, or a lethal dose. So in such a society I wouldn't approve a player saying, "I want my character to take a measured one-HT-point dose of this poisonous fungus as part of a ritual offering to the spirit of magic."

Sure, you, as a player in a society with a scientific worldview, can conceptualize such a thing. But the question for me as a GM is going to be, first, if your character can do so, and second, if they have any reliable procedure for arriving at that effect.

[AlexanderHowl]

The sorcerers of the Yoruba people of West African take poisons that supposedly given them magical power in exchange for physical health.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

My first question is "Why?" What's the point of this rule? Is this the only way to gain more Magery? Is it a shortcut to power? What's this modification trying to solve.

At most it looks like a bit of background flavour that will rarely if ever come up in actual gameplay.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

The sorcerers of the Yoruba people of West African take poisons that supposedly given them magical power in exchange for physical health.

Does a single dose lastingly impair their physical health? Or is it ongoing consumption of the poison?

[AlexanderHowl]

It is a month long ritual that permanently changes the individual. According to the Yoruba, they grow a new organ that allows them to do magic.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It is a month long ritual that permanently changes the individual. According to the Yoruba, they grow a new organ that allows them to do magic.

Well, if you want that to be an option in your campaign, you can make it available in your world. Though from the description, it sounds as if a reasonable model might be HT-1 [-10]+ Magery 0 [5], reducing the character's point value.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by whswhs

It doesn't seem to me that societies that have sacrificial rituals involving bodily harm usually also have the ability to calculate the precise damage to inflict exactly 1 point of HT loss, rather than either giving little enough to allow full recovery, or a lethal dose. So in such a society I wouldn't approve a player saying, "I want my character to take a measured one-HT-point dose of this poisonous fungus as part of a ritual offering to the spirit of magic."

Sure, you, as a player in a society with a scientific worldview, can conceptualize such a thing. But the question for me as a GM is going to be, first, if your character can do so, and second, if they have any reliable procedure for arriving at that effect.

Oh you would expect a few to die along the way. But those who succeed...

People have used strong toxins for things like abortions since forever. Ergotamine, for instance, causes arterial constrictions. Will cost you a couple of fingers and toes, or might kill you, if you take too much. People still used it. Digitalis is another classic example of a preparation which has a very narrow therapeutic interval and yet has been used extensively in folk medicine.

I think there's a fundamental difference between the two of us - you think it's gamey and unrealistic and I don't. I can respect that and I don't think further conversation on this topic is useful. Cheers.