RPM with other sources [Powers/RPM]

[AlexanderHowl]

This discussion builds on my previous threads concerning applying RPM to supers and superscience. So, I was thinking this morning that you should be able to do RPM with any paranormal or supernatural source, and that any paranormal or supernatural source with a -10% power modifier would likely not require any major adjustments. For example, you could use Biological, Chi, Divine, Psionic, or Super from Powers or Mutant and Superscience from Supers. Other sources may work, though they would require some more customization than the previously mentioned sources.

In fact, you could probably run a setting where there are ten different sources of RPM (Biologial, Chi, Divine, Magical, Mutant, Psionic, Super, and Superscience), each with their own form of Magery and Ritual Adept and each with their own core skills and paths. In the case of core skills, I would suggest Biology for Biological, Physics for Psionic, Ritual Magic for Divine, Thaumatology for Magical, Weird Science for Superscience, etc.. In the case of paths, they could be anything that could fit within the framework of the source.

What do you think? Would you want to try a non-Magical form of RPM? What oddities do you think would occur in a setting with multiple of forms of RPM from multiple sources?

[Ejidoth]

Pyramid 3/105 has Chi Sorcery, which is sort of an alternate system for using all those esoteric Trained by a Master skills as sorcery powers. Instead of Sorcerous Empowerment and Sorcery Talent, it uses Ki Investment and Ki Talent.

I'm not a huge fan of that system as written, but it's a good read if you're considering non-magical Sorcery options, and it explains how the base advantage was priced differently due to the smaller set of available abilities, which may be applicable for, e.g., a Psionic version as well.

With regards to Divine Sorcery, I'd argue that that's what Divine Favor is. It uses Patron instead of Sorcerous Empowerment for improvisation, but it's still the same sort of alternate-abilities-as-learned-powers build.

A biological one might reasonably build off the Epigenetics modular ability from GURPS Powers: The Weird instead of Sorcerous Empowerment.

[AlexanderHowl]

The thread is about different forms of RPM, not different forms of Sorcery. I do not really like Sorcery, as you have to spend points on a sorcery pool, which does not really do anything. In addition, RPM is arguably stronger and more flexible for the points spent, especially with high levels of Magery and Ritual Mastery.

[Ejidoth]

My mistake.

As far as RPM-from-other-sources, Pyramid 3/66 has the Alternative Ritual Path Magic article, as well as the Ritual Path Specialists article, both of which could help make the various versions of RPM distinct.

Superscience was talked about in that other thread.

Mutant and Super are probably too generic. Like, you could make a version of RPM based on them, but just the source plus 'RPM' isn't really enough to give a distinct concept. It's a way to do 'magic user' in a setting where powers are all from some super/mutation origin and 'mana' isn't a real thing, though.

Divine is plausible enough. A lot of historical magical believes were esoteric religious beliefs, after all, and the Alternative Ritual Path Magic article has suggestions on how to combine RPM with Divine Favor, allowing your deity to help you cast spells or provide you with extra energy.

For Chi-based RPM, I'd suggest looking up fāngshì, a kind of traditional Chinese mystic. Adapting it properly would take more cultural knowledge than I possess, but you could definitely make something that uses RPM from that concept. What little I know reminds me a lot of historical western astrologers, alchemists, and mystics.