05-23-2018, 10:17 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Viking magic
In GURPS Vikings, the rules for which type of spell caster gets which types of spells are long, but maddeningly vague. "Bear in mind the needs of their community" is not sufficient guidance for players choosing spells. Before I go all out doing it myself, has anyone ever produced a list of something more concrete that I can look at?
I'm not talking about using alternative magic systems like rune magic or path/book magic or anything like that, just the standard spells. I recognize that when GURPS Vikings says "most of the spells in the Basic Set are appropriate to a GURPS Vikings campaign," it's referring to the third edition Basic Set, which had a rather different list of spells. I'm perfectly happy to use GURPS Magic reproduce that list and get others mentioned, but I'm still just looking at the standard magic system for GURPS. Any easy outs for me? |
05-23-2018, 01:22 PM | #2 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Viking magic
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The second addition of GURPS Vikings provides several details to keep in mind: 1) Spellcasters were feared and distrusted. 2) Magic was powerful, unpredictable, and irrational. This made it something to be feared. 3) Norse warriors were distrustful of magic to the point "it left a bad taste in the mouth." 4) Elemental spirit spells simply don't exist because such beings aren't part of the Norse mythos. 5) Hedge wizards will know basic spells over a large number of categories. a) Communication and Empathy Spells like Sense Emotion and Persuasion. b) Lesser Elemental spells like Find, Shape, and Purify c) Weather related spells d) Making and Breaking spells e) Knowledge (mystics) f) Healing g) minor Mind Control spells (mystics) Several colleges can be eliminated: Enchantment College: magic items are rare and what do exist are made by the Gods or the Dwarves. Gate College: in the hand of the gods or other supernatural beings. Technological College: of this only the Metal spells are really relevant. Last edited by maximara; 05-23-2018 at 01:36 PM. |
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05-23-2018, 01:27 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: Viking magic
Honestly, for Viking magic I'd look at the Futhark runes and the runic system detailed in the back of GURPS Magic and revised in Thaumatology.
Beyond that, for Vikings I can see a lot of Body Control buffing spells; Plant, Animal, Weather, and Food spells for farming; and Water, Weather, Air, and Movement spells (particularly Haste) for sea-faring raiders/traders. I don't think they'd have much in the battlefield artillery spells, but temporary enhancements on weapons, shields, and armor seem right up their alley. Any magic to help them survive the long, cold winters would be very useful.
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05-23-2018, 02:01 PM | #4 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Viking magic
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I'm going to have to play the part of the ambitious player and see what unlikely spells that lets me get away with. By the way, I'm looking at a realistic (as opposed to cinematic) and fantastic (as opposed to historical or mythic) game. Quote:
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05-23-2018, 02:03 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Viking magic
Naturally, but I don't need help implementing that. It's the two whole pages of sorting spells in GURPS Vikings that I want to figure out. Presumably they were written to be used.
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05-23-2018, 05:25 PM | #6 | |||
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Viking magic
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Looking at the chart Enchantment and Meta are the only collages that require Magery 1+ throughout though some colleges are near useless at Magery 0. Quote:
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Yes, M0 majorly limits some colleges (a few to the point they are effectively gutted) but only two really require M1 or higher: Enchantment and Meta. Last edited by maximara; 05-23-2018 at 05:44 PM. |
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05-23-2018, 05:45 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Viking magic
I would honestly look at Path/Book Magic in Thaumology. With the exclusion of the Path of Gadgets, I think that Energy Accumulation Path/Book Magic could provide you with everything you need for flavor. The Path of Forms would even allow for Shapshifters.
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05-23-2018, 06:46 PM | #8 | ||||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Viking magic
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I'm just going to have to go through the spell lists one spell at a time and classify them. |
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05-23-2018, 06:52 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
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Re: Viking magic
I know most people aren't going to get this, but I'm not going for system flavor, I'm going for suitability of spells in the standard magic system, as Graeme Davis tried to describe in the book. I don't want it to feel like reenacting folklore beliefs; I want it to feel like fairly standard RPG magic, albeit only using the spells appropriate to the caster type.
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05-23-2018, 07:14 PM | #10 | ||
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Viking magic
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High Magic fits the Norse quite well. It is the magical equivalent of home remedies. Under this falls things like Craft Magic where special rituals while crafting an item imbues it with magical power. Oaths, knacks, and True Faith all fall under High Magic. Next up is Formulaic Magic ie magic via secret knowledge and elaborate rituals. This is where mystics will be. Low Magic combines High and Formulaic Magic. Spells are easy to learn but are learn via direct story. They produce very potent results. Your average D&D campaign has Low Magic. Quote:
This makes sense as GURPS 4e Fantasy explains, under Runic enchantment, that there is the idea that certain letters or other symbols in themselves are a source of magical power. The Golem of Prague is a prime example of this form of magic. Last edited by maximara; 05-23-2018 at 07:39 PM. |
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spells, vikings |
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