Best magic for Ancient Egypt?

[RyanW]

Running an Ancient Egypt campaign (historical fantasy), and though none of my players have opted to go for a magic sort, they might in the future. I'm thinking Path/Book would be the best fit (with the Book of Coming Forth Into the Light, i.e. the Book of the Dead being the archetype), but I have mostly theoretical experience with it. Any better suggestions, or ideas how to best adapt it?

[Refplace]

Yeah, Path/Book seems a good fit, magic tends to slow and ritualistic. I'd invent a few Paths and Books as well.

[Phantasm]

I might consider effect-shaping Ritual Path Magic instead, with some books describing the rituals but nothing stopping the creation of new rituals.

I'd also keep things rather low-key, with overt magic (like tossing a fireball) as a Greater effect.

[AlexanderHowl]

The Energy Accumulation rules, either for Path/Book or RPM, would probably be a better fit for Egyptian magic. The rituals were mechanically very simple and straightforward, they just required mystical energy. Each Path/Book would manifest as the magician adopting the mantle of a specific deity and, through emulating that deity, drawing upon the mystical energies of that deity.

[Astromancer]

From what I've read by Wallace Bubge, it sounds like path/book. Illusions and using writing as a ritual element both were big. Chants and mantra-like things were in too. I'd also read up on the corespondences in GURS: Cabal because matterial components seem to be a thing in Egyptian takes. Have different gods have influence over one or more decands because that makes evoking the gods useful in magic. Many spells referenced the stories of the gods in order to have the god evoked perform a similar magic. Note there was nothing like a separation between religion and magic. Spells and prayers were routinely blended together.

[Astromancer]

Just checked. Wallace Bubge's Egyptian Magic is available on Kendell for 99 cents. Used paperbacks of the Dover edition have to be cheap on Amazon.

[Shostak]

There is a section on magic in the excellent GURPS Egypt which is in print. That section might help inform creating the Books one might feature if using Path/Book, or use them as-is for standard magic.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Just checked. Wallace Bubge's Egyptian Magic is available on Kendell for 99 cents. Used paperbacks of the Dover edition have to be cheap on Amazon.

There is also the free Internet Archive version. If you want to convert the epub format so Kindle can use it, Digital Reads has step by step instructions Of course there is the iBooks option for the iPad/iMac crowd.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Shostak

There is a section on magic in the excellent GURPS Egypt which is in print. That section might help inform creating the Books one might feature if using Path/Book, or use them as-is for standard magic.

I looked over that section and about the only thing of use is the first two paragraphs, a paragraph on Learning magic, and the new spells that follow.

The remainder suffers from the problem all Classic books did; instead of using Religion or Spirits to do magic, it tries to shoehorn everything into the default magic system. In cases like this it has a very square peg into round hole via sledgehammer feel to it.

The key parts of the paragraphs are these:

"The basis of Egyptian spellcasting was the belief that every word had inherent power. By speaking or writing properly crafted sentences, one could bring about changes in the nature of things."

"Magic words were symbolic keys to a deeper form of power. The true goal of sorcery was to attain a state of consciousness in which one saw the true nature of the universe and could change the universe through sheer will."

"The best-known Egyptian spellbook was the Book of Coming Forth By Day (see p. 93), known in modern times as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Other popular spell collections include Amduat (That Which is in the Underworld), the Book of Gates, the Book of Overthrowing Apep, the Book of the Divine Cow and the Litany of Re."

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Just checked. Wallace Bubge's Egyptian Magic is available on Kendell for 99 cents. Used paperbacks of the Dover edition have to be cheap on Amazon.

Originally Posted by maximara

There is also the free Internet Archive version. If you want to convert the epub format so Kindle can use it, Digital Reads has step by step instructions Of course there is the iBooks option for the iPad/iMac crowd.

That is amazing. Thanks.

I'm quite entertained by the first chapter, which basically says "They believed in an omnipotent creator god and in bodily resurection to an eternal paradise, yet they also held many superstitions." Oh, the lack of self-awareness...