01-24-2020, 02:27 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
Alchemy is not bad chemistry, as it would be an easier skill if it was, and it would likely be covered by Expert Skill (Natural Philosophy). It is also esoteric medicine, mysticism, philosophy, and religion under a single discipline. It was a form of magic and, even in modern time, there are people that practice modernized versions as magical systems.
Even without magic, Alchemy should probably function as a form of Esoteric Medicine and Philosophy as well as a form of Chemistry. Chemistry defaults to Alchemy-3, so I would give appropriate specialties of Esoteric Medicine and Philosophy similar defaults. Each school of Alchemy should be its own required specialty though, as Eastern Alchemy is different than Indian Alchemy, which is different than Western Alchemy, each related to its own specialty of Esoteric Medicine and Philosophy. |
01-24-2020, 02:41 PM | #13 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Endor
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
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"Alchemy", the GURPS skill, refers to the skill of mixing magical ingredients; in a no mana setting, there are no such things, so there's no such skill. Someone from a magical world who already has the skill will find it largely useless in a manaless world, because the physics are different! "Alchemy", as a real historical practice, refers to the pre- or proto-scientific skill of mixing chemical ingredients and to a body of mystical lore -- which are the GURPS skills of Chemistry and Theology. Quote:
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01-24-2020, 02:52 PM | #14 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
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01-24-2020, 03:11 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
Perhaps it was written with the assumption that our world actually has some "Low Mana" areas where it might work, or might have had some in the past.
That would be where it developed. That wouldn't mean of course that Newton actually knew where to find such areas to make it work. I don't think "Very Low Mana" existed when Who's Who was published (I think introduced in Thaumatology?) but that's an even better tool to go with. You could even make it "Aspected Very Low Mana" so only certain colleges would work. I'm not sure how colleges work in respect to alchemy though. |
01-24-2020, 03:19 PM | #16 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
I think canonically Earth is low-mana. I know it was in 3rd edition.
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01-24-2020, 04:46 PM | #17 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
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GURPS Cabal was a secret magic campaign that could be our Earth but that was left up to the GM. Voodoo and Spirits used a Ritual Magic system that expressly did not use mana.
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Help make a digital reference for GURPS by coming to the GURPS wiki and provide some information and links (such as to various Fanmade 4e Bestiaries) . Please, provide more then just a title and a page number. Last edited by maximara; 01-24-2020 at 06:35 PM. |
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01-24-2020, 06:45 PM | #18 | |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
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IQ 13 Alchemy-13 [8] Chemistry/TL5-14 [6] Which given the way GURPS 3e leaned toward our Earth is No Mana makes next to no sense.
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01-24-2020, 09:42 PM | #19 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
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Ritual magic does not depend on mana to function; it worksIn 4E, T126's "Ritual Space and Mana" says mana modifiers MIGHT replace requirements for ritual space, which leaves the door open to stacking both penalties, making them super-hard. Of course, that wouldn't mean their respective 'worlds' (although Shadow War seems like more of a distinctive world, Spirits is just more like a generic sourcebook?) would lack mana... Voodoo 44: If the GM and players decide to add “normal” magic to the campaign, it shouldS26 "The astral plane is a low-mana area" S41: "Magical spirits may require mana constantly to exist" S44: "At the GM’s option, spirits with Dependency (Mana) can be treated as “magical creatures.” |
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01-24-2020, 10:10 PM | #20 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: Alchemy in a no mana world
Another alternative to mana is sanctity. Sanctity allows divine magic to function and may exist in worlds without mana without issue. Cosmic entities like gods should not require mana to exist and, quite frankly, the default spiritual templates to not depend on it either.
Yet another alternative is threshold, which involves the direct manipulation of reality. Threshold is a wonderful system for RPM or Energy Accumulating Path/Book Magic, especially if it is used as an optional energy source (though the threshold should be 0 instead of 30 in that case). Normal energy accumulation would represent subtler manipulations of reality while tapping into threshold would represent vulgar manipulations. |
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alchemy, chemistry |
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