Ways to Gain Magery?

ajardoor · 11-03-2013, 03:05 AM

Okay, so in my setting, Magery is not a genetic trait, but something you can learn, earn or pick up at random.

The more difficult, expensive and dangerous the method is (and maybe obscure?), the more likely it is to work and allow a character to gain Magery.

So can you think of some rituals a person could try or events they could endure that would gift them with Magery? Something cool or worth building an adventure around. Ideas?

Nereidalbel · 11-03-2013, 03:24 AM

What fantasy races exist in your setting? If dragons are a thing, they open a couple ways to gain magic.

ajardoor · 11-03-2013, 03:28 AM

Only humans, but monsters exist.

Libertine · 11-03-2013, 07:38 AM

Spending time in other worlds could be a way to gain magery as the player learns how to pull the energy from other worlds. Maybe there are training exercises that seem like benign missions(go to the land of durgenost through the portal to the summit of the mountain of whoknowsit and place the wachamajig bell on the pole) the obstacles on the road to the task builds the PC's mind in a specific way as to allow him/her to pull energies from that dimension thus opening other colleges and more levels of magery.

desorto · 11-03-2013, 09:00 AM

Maybe a multi-part quest for the elixir of Magery.

1. Find the formula (maybe in haunted ruins or protected by secretive order of monks or something like that).
2. Assemble the ingredients (horn of minotaur, tongue of sea serpent, etc.) Probably should be 3-5 challenging ingredients.
3.For extra oomph it could be consumed out of a rare or hard to get receptacle (magical chalice, skull of powerful, ancient mage, etc.)

That could be a whole campaign's worth of stuff just to get Magery.

johndallman · 11-03-2013, 11:18 AM

Being subjected to magic helps! The more and weirder spells you are subjected to, the greater your chances to developing magery.

The Consortium of Extremely Ethical Research Magicians always needs test subjects, and charges minimal fees!

benz72 · 11-03-2013, 12:28 PM

It could be tied into an item (ring, athame, staff, book, etc.) so that crafting the item is the 'quest' and is provides strong incentive to protect that item.

For extra fun, secretly make prolonged use with and item transfer the abilities into the user... 'huh, I thought I needed this broach, but I guess I really don't anymore.'

PTTG · 11-03-2013, 01:12 PM

Well, Odin traded his eye for knowledge, and hung himself in a tree for a few days for magical power.

A sufficiently dramatic ritual self-sacrifice could grant magical power... but it should inflict a price. It could work out as an adventure where the PC in question earns 5 points, gains 15 points or so of disadvantages, and gains the potential of 1 level of magery. This would unlock the magery, but it would take more time to get the skills to use it.

Nereidalbel · 11-03-2013, 01:31 PM

Question: Are all mages "good", or are some willing to resort to more extreme measures?

Anaraxes · 11-03-2013, 03:29 PM

- Eating the heart of a dragon, or drinking its blood, is traditional
- Sacrifice -- the more valuable and personal, the better
- Find the master; earn his respect so he'll teach you
- Deal with the (a) devil; (b) gods; (c) otherworlders, whether that's Sidhe, djinn, elementals, or Old Ones
- Study, study, study. Learn the secret language of magic, or the true names of things.
- Live in a magical place (Faerie, convergence of ley lines)
- Acquire a/the magical item (Excalibur, the One Ring, Harry Potter's wand)

11-03-2013, 03:05 AM	#1
ajardoor Join Date: Jun 2010	Ways to Gain Magery? Okay, so in my setting, Magery is not a genetic trait, but something you can learn, earn or pick up at random. The more difficult, expensive and dangerous the method is (and maybe obscure?), the more likely it is to work and allow a character to gain Magery. So can you think of some rituals a person could try or events they could endure that would gift them with Magery? Something cool or worth building an adventure around. Ideas? __________________ My blog: http://tabletoprpg333.home.blog

11-03-2013, 03:24 AM	#2
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? What fantasy races exist in your setting? If dragons are a thing, they open a couple ways to gain magic.

11-03-2013, 03:28 AM	#3
ajardoor Join Date: Jun 2010	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Only humans, but monsters exist. __________________ My blog: http://tabletoprpg333.home.blog

11-03-2013, 07:38 AM	#4
Libertine Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Satsuma, Fl	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Spending time in other worlds could be a way to gain magery as the player learns how to pull the energy from other worlds. Maybe there are training exercises that seem like benign missions(go to the land of durgenost through the portal to the summit of the mountain of whoknowsit and place the wachamajig bell on the pole) the obstacles on the road to the task builds the PC's mind in a specific way as to allow him/her to pull energies from that dimension thus opening other colleges and more levels of magery.

11-03-2013, 09:00 AM	#5
desorto Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Oklahoma	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Maybe a multi-part quest for the elixir of Magery. 1. Find the formula (maybe in haunted ruins or protected by secretive order of monks or something like that). 2. Assemble the ingredients (horn of minotaur, tongue of sea serpent, etc.) Probably should be 3-5 challenging ingredients. 3.For extra oomph it could be consumed out of a rare or hard to get receptacle (magical chalice, skull of powerful, ancient mage, etc.) That could be a whole campaign's worth of stuff just to get Magery.

11-03-2013, 11:18 AM	#6
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Being subjected to magic helps! The more and weirder spells you are subjected to, the greater your chances to developing magery. The Consortium of Extremely Ethical Research Magicians always needs test subjects, and charges minimal fees!

11-03-2013, 12:28 PM	#7
benz72 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chagrin Falls	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? It could be tied into an item (ring, athame, staff, book, etc.) so that crafting the item is the 'quest' and is provides strong incentive to protect that item. For extra fun, secretly make prolonged use with and item transfer the abilities into the user... 'huh, I thought I needed this broach, but I guess I really don't anymore.' __________________ Benundefined Life has a funny way of making sure you decide to leave the party just a few minutes too late to avoid trouble.

11-03-2013, 01:12 PM	#8
PTTG Join Date: Feb 2011	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Well, Odin traded his eye for knowledge, and hung himself in a tree for a few days for magical power. A sufficiently dramatic ritual self-sacrifice could grant magical power... but it should inflict a price. It could work out as an adventure where the PC in question earns 5 points, gains 15 points or so of disadvantages, and gains the potential of 1 level of magery. This would unlock the magery, but it would take more time to get the skills to use it.

11-03-2013, 01:31 PM	#9
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? Question: Are all mages "good", or are some willing to resort to more extreme measures?

11-03-2013, 03:29 PM	#10
Anaraxes Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: Ways to Gain Magery? - Eating the heart of a dragon, or drinking its blood, is traditional - Sacrifice -- the more valuable and personal, the better - Find the master; earn his respect so he'll teach you - Deal with the (a) devil; (b) gods; (c) otherworlders, whether that's Sidhe, djinn, elementals, or Old Ones - Study, study, study. Learn the secret language of magic, or the true names of things. - Live in a magical place (Faerie, convergence of ley lines) - Acquire a/the magical item (Excalibur, the One Ring, Harry Potter's wand)