[RPM] Ritual Path Magic Styles?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Alternately, for more combative wizards who do intend to hit people with their staff: Perk (Charmstaff). An RPM caster with this perk can inscribe runes or sigils on a staff and use them as the base for charms. Possibly each charm that could be stored that way requires a separate perk, or maybe the Charmstaff perk allows you to store any ritual you have Ritual Mastery for in your staff, up to the usual charm limits. I'm not sure which is better.

You could do it with RAW. Ritual #1 cast this spell when I strike someone in anger.
Ritual #2 Cast this spell when I strike the ground with my staff, very hard.
Ritual #3 Cast this spell at whom I point when I hold my staff and say "Smite thee!"
Or take a que from the above and tie each ritual to a string or other item you pull off your staff. You could even have a notched staff with several indented rings to tie a charm knot on. Just make sure you remember the order.

However another way would be to create an additional set of Conditional Rituals. The last issue hints at more possibilities under suggested limitations.
One idea would be to use Symbol Drawing, similar to Alchemy or even simpler just carve a desired symbol and apply the conditional spell to it wich is activated when you touch it, possibly also requiring you speak a word for added safety.

[vicky_molokh]

Oh, and here's just a little Style-Talents-and-Paths schematic:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1...it?usp=sharing

And here's my work-in-progress for defining styles based on that. Currently only Perks have been picked (skills are derived from talents with minor changes):

Spoiler:  

Anatomist
You have an instinctive knowledge of the body, whether the
subject is alive, dead, or “something else.”
Paths: Path of Body, Path of Undead
Required Skills: Forensics, Physiology, Surgery.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: Biology, Diagnosis, First Aid, Physician, Thanatology
Perks: Accommodating Magic, Adjustable Spell† (Harm), Attribute Substitution (Self-Buffs/DX), Life-Force Burn‡, Mighty Spell†, Reduced Footprint†‡, Spell Hardiness†‡



Conduit
The raw energy of magic is yours to command, which gives
you an edge when working with mundane energy as well.
Paths: Path of Energy, Path of Magic.
Required Skills: Alchemy, Electrician*, Innate Attack.
* At low TLs, this is functionally equivalent to Hazardous Materials (Electricity).
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Adjustable Spell†, Area Spell Mastery† (Indirect Damage), Limited Energy Reserve†‡, Mighty Spell†, Psychic Guidance†, Shortcut to Power†



Crafter
Whether conjuring forth objects or making them by hand,
you are particularly skilled at simple creations.
Paths: Path of Energy, Path of Matter
Required Skills: Artist, Machinist, Smith
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -Armoury, Carpentry, Jeweler, Leather-
working, Masonry, and Sewing.
Perks: Convenience Casting† (Matter, Energy), Easy Refill, Mundane Magic†, Natural Alchemist, Natural Thaumaturge, Object Channel‡, Quick and Focused‡




Dark Walker
Whether for good or ill, you explore
the dark, hidden places to deal with the
monsters that humanity would rather
pretend did not exist.
Paths: -Path of Spirit, Path of Undead
Required Skills: Exorcism, Hidden Lore (for spirits
or monsters)*, Urban Survival.
* Or Expert Skill, if appropriate – whichever of the two is
used in your setting to identify monsters and their weaknesses.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Area Spell Mastery† (Exorcism, sense or control), Easy Refill, Frightening Side Effects†, Life-Force Burn‡, Secret Words‡, Spell Duelist, Spell Hardiness†‡, Spell Resistance†


Insight
You tend to know what’s going to happen, whether due to
supernatural intuition or simply an ability to observe and
extrapolate from the present.
Paths: -Path of Chance, Path of Magic.
Required Skills: Fortune-Telling, Gambling, Meteorology (or Weather
Sense),
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Attribute Substitution (Sense/Per), Discreet Ritual† (Any), Mighty Spell†, Natural Thaumaturge, Sanctum‡, Secret Words‡, Stabilizing Skill†, Willful Casting†


Introspection
You can retreat into a carefully crafted world within your
own mind, drawing upon it for strength or inspiration.
Paths: Path of Mind, Path of Spirit.
Required Skills: Dreaming, Meditation, Mind Block,
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Afflicted Casting† (Mystic’s Stupor), Blocking Spell Mastery† (Mind), Discreet Ritual† (Any), Reduced Footprint†‡, Stabilizing Skill†, Willful Casting†


Mentor
You’ve mapped out the mind – not only how it works, but
the potential within it, just waiting to be unlocked . . . or used.
Paths: Path of Magic, Path of Mind
Required Skills: Brainwashing, Psychology, Teaching.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Accommodating Magic, Discreet Ritual† (Any), Mighty Spell†, Natural Thaumaturge, Quick and Focused‡, Reduced Footprint†‡, Secret Words‡, Spell Duelist



Mortalist
You’re not necessarily a bad person – you just understand
death and dying, and are adept at working with cadavers in
any capacity.
Paths: Path of Matter, Path of Undead
Required Skills: Expert Skill (Thanatology)*, Poisons, Professional Skill (Mortician)*.
* In a setting with undead, Expert Skill (Thanatology)
includes knowledge of how to put them down for good, while
Professional Skill (Mortician) can identify the difference between
a person, corpse, and zombie – or disguise one as the other.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Afflicted Casting† (Pain), Blocking Spell Mastery† (Curses), Frightening Side Effects†, Life-Force Burn‡, Spell Hardiness†‡, Spell Resistance†

Mystic
Regardless of whether you’re an active practitioner, you
understand the link between magic and religion.
Paths: Path of Crossroads, Path of Spirit
Required Skills: Esoteric Medicine, Religious Ritual, Theology.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Afflicted Casting† (Mystic’s Stupor), Attribute Substitution (Spirit Control or Exorcism /Will), Easy Refill, Object Channel‡, Sanctum‡, Secret Words‡


Neuromancer
Every twitch, every breath, every heartbeat – you truly
understand the connection between mind and body.
Paths: Path of Body, Path of Mind
Required Skills: Body Language, Expert Skill (Neurology)*, Pharmacy.
* Can stand in for any medical
skill to answer questions about the
nervous system, including autonomic
responses, chemical disorders of the
brain, and so on. At low TLs, this skill
represents a knack for telling when
someone “just ain’t quite right.”
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: Psychology, Teaching, Brainwashing
Perks: Afflicted Casting† (Any), Attribute Substitution (Sense Mind /Will), Psychic Guidance†, Shortcut to Power†, Spell Hardiness†‡, Spell Resistance†, Willful Casting†

Nourisher
You understand the cycle of sustenance, from the methods
necessary to keep crops alive to which of those plants will best
feed the hungry.
Paths: Path of Body, Path of Matter.
Required Skills: Cooking, Farming, Naturalist
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: Gardening
Perks: Accommodating Magic, Area Spell Mastery† (Buffs), Easy Refill, Natural Alchemist, Psychic Guidance†, Quick and Focused‡, Reduced Footprint†‡, Sacrificial Blocking Spell†




Pararchaeologist
Ancient magical mysteries are your domain.
Paths: Path of Crossroads, Path of Magic
Required Skills: Archaeology, History, Occultism
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: -
Perks: Convenience Casting† (Any), Discreet Ritual† (Sense), Natural Thaumaturge, Object Channel‡, Sanctum‡, Secret Words‡, Spell Duelist, Stabilizing Skill†

Tempered by Fire
You have come to terms with the risks of working with dan-
gerous energies and materials – if you’re fated to be burned to
a crisp, so be it – which helps you remain calm and focused.
Paths: Path of Chance, Path of Energy
Required Skills: Explosives, Hazardous Materials, Professional Skill (Firefighter).
Required Perks:
Optional Skills: Chemistry, Math
Perks: Adjustable Spell† (Energy), Blocking Spell Mastery†, Limited Energy Reserve†‡, Sacrificial Blocking Spell†, Spell Hardiness†‡, Spell Resistance†, Stabilizing Skill†

True Traveler
You are familiar with other dimensions, and have learned
to adapt and thrive in a wide range of bizarre environments.
Paths: Path of Chance, Path of Crossroads
Required Skills: Area Knowledge (any other realm), Gambling, Survival.
Required Perks: -
Optional Skills: Physics, Weather Sense / Meteorology
Perks: Area Spell Mastery† (Crossroads), Easy Refill, Natural Thaumaturge, Sanctum‡, Shortcut to Power†, Spell Resistance†

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...tdRBz_fnw/edit

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

However, since RPMists really need at least 1 hand free to draw and deploy Charms, this doesn't work as well

The Akimbo Perk is meant to be used when dual wielding, but I see no reason it wouldn't be appropriate when simply wielding a two-handed weapon. It allows you to do lots of stuff that requires a hand "hands-free," like opening doors and reloading. That would allow you to draw Charms as well.

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Since I am enamored with Manasabres I am most interested in coming up with a Magic and Manasabres RPM Style

However you do it, unless you allow manasabres to act as staves by default, you'll want to include the Object Channel Perk.

[dataweaver]

Very rough sketch:

Reality Hacking

Do you think that’s air you’re breathing?
— Morpheus, The Matrix

Reality Hacking is a style of RPM that’s a product of the computer age. It views reality as being composed primarily of information which can be hacked. It specializes in manipulation of information technologies such as data storage and communication channels, but is not limited to such: given appropriately detailed simulations and the Laws of Sympathy, even elements of the physical world can be hacked. The energy accumulation process collects abstract information pertaining to the desired Effects and builds a model of what the cybermancer wants to change, strengthening the mystical ties between the model and the thing being modeled. When sufficient “energy” (that is, data) has been accumulated, the hacker tweaks the model and forces the thing modeled to conform to the changes.

Empowering Trait: Magery (Ritual Path)
Core Skill: Computer Hacking
Sacred Space: rather than the age of the site providing a bonus, available processing power (i.e., computer Complexity) determines the Sacred Space bonus of a cybermancer. Ritual Adepts don’t require computerized Ritual Space; but they still benefit from it.
Paths and Books: Path of Mind, Path of Energy; Book of Data.
Perks: Stabilizing Skill (Mathematics)

Suggestions welcome.

UPDATE: incorporated advice through #36.

[dataweaver]

Other Styles I’m considering: diplomancy (which is centered around fae-like geases) and clerical magic.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

Very rough sketch:

Reality Hacking

Do you think that’s air you’re breathing?
— Morpheus, The Matrix

Reality Hacking is a style of RPM that’s a product of the computer age. It views reality as being composed primarily of information which can be hacked. It specializes in manipulation of information technologies such as data storage and communication channels, but is not limited to such: given appropriately detailed simulations and the Laws of Sympathy, even elements of the physical world can be hacked. The energy accumulation process collects abstract information pertaining to the desired Effects and builds a model of what the cybermancer wants to change, strengthening the mystical ties between the model and the thing being modeled. When sufficient “energy” (that is, data) has been accumulated, the hacker tweaks the model and forces the thing modeled to conform to the changes.

Empowering Trait: Magery (Ritual Path)
Core Skill: Computer Hacking
Sacred Space: rather than the age of the site providing a bonus, available processing power (i.e., computer Complexity) determines the Sacred Space bonus of a cybermancer. Ritual Adepts don’t require computerized Ritual Space; but they still benefit from it.
Paths: Energy, Magic?

Suggestions welcome.

Path of Mind would make sense, as the brain is a computer, just composed of wetware instead of hardware. I could also see Path of Chance working, but with that description and enough thought, any Path could be justified.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

Very rough sketch:



Empowering Trait: Magery (Ritual Path)
Core Skill: Computer Hacking
Sacred Space: rather than the age of the site providing a bonus, available processing power (i.e., computer Complexity) determines the Sacred Space bonus of a cybermancer. Ritual Adepts don’t require computerized Ritual Space; but they still benefit from it.
Paths: Energy, Magic?

Suggestions welcome.

I would go with Mind for creating AIs and manipulating them.
Chance for randomness of data, good for searches and hacking passwords.

[dataweaver]

Right. At a minimum, Path of Mind, with a Perk (or Advantage? Zero-Point Feature?) that lets you use Mind to do Mind-like things (alter perceptions, mess with memory, influence decision-making, translate languages, etc.) to digital devices rather than people. So: Paths of Energy and Mind. Not the only things they can do by a long shot; but it covers a lot of what makes them special.

Optional specialties would be Digital for the Path of Mind and Electronics for the Path of Energy (though that’s something of a misnomer, as it would also include radio signals: theoretically, any energy flow that has been modulated in such a way as to carry information). Possibly allow for a sort of Expert Skill (but VH rather than H) that combines those specialties and other similar ones from other Paths into a new, hybrid Path.

Note that GURPS Technomancer is a great source of inspiration for cybermancer rituals.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

Right. At a minimum, Path of Mind, with a Perk (or Advantage? Zero-Point Feature?) that lets you use Mind to do Mind-like things (alter perceptions, mess with memory, influence decision-making, translate languages, etc.) to digital devices rather than people. So: Paths of Energy and Mind. Not the only things they can do by a long shot; but it covers a lot of what makes them special.

Eh, there's already precedent for affecting computers with Mind on RPM40.

[dataweaver]

There is? Where? The only thing I see there that’s close is “Computerized Ally”, which uses Control Energy and Create Mind to awaken a computer. Arguably, the Path of Mind has more to do with “awakening” than with “the computer”.