Cthulhu Mythos Book Magic

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by 7omnia7

Well I meant "consistent" with Medieval Magiks, which aren't coherent at all!

OK. In that case, Thaumatology and Horror (especially with its Derangement optional rules) could allow to design a great system.

Originally Posted by 7omnia7

BTW, thank you vary much for the tables!!!

Don't mention it. It was a pleasure to post it. It take me quite a long time to build them and, finally, there are quite useful - especially during the games when I didn't convert a NPC in advance and suddenly need one of his/its skills.

[7omnia7]

Thinking about Book Magic, would it make a difference actually having an authentic Magical Grimoire (e. one of the specific XVI century Necronomicons) in the performance of the Book rituals?
In an effect shaping context would the lack of a "real" Book impose a penalty to the Ritual?

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by 7omnia7

Thinking about Book Magic, would it make a difference actually having an authentic Magical Grimoire (e. one of the specific XVI century Necronomicons) in the performance of the Book rituals?
In an effect shaping context would the lack of a "real" Book impose a penalty to the Ritual?

I think it's up to you to decide...

In GURPS Cthulhupunk, authors justify the importance of true books (in comparison to internet copies) with the fact that modern copies often contain a lot of errors. So, an old grimoire would be better than a modern printing of the Necronomicon (or its ebook version) because the old book is much more close from the original.

This justification is, in my humble opinion, a very good one. It really motivates the characters to search for older books.

[Gollum]

Oh, I forgot to speak about rules consequences... Here again, rules provided by Cthulhupunk are very interesting.

Books are defined with several stats (format, language, etc.)Two of them are really useful:

• the fright check modifier
• and the bonus to Cthulhu Mythos skill.

the fright check modifier is given with two numbers (example: -5/-10 for the original Necronomicon). The first number is when reading the book without really learning it. The second one is when learning it slowly and surely.

The bonus to Cthulhu Mythos skill is the maximum improvement that the book can give. (example +10 for the original Necronomicon). This improvement is not free! The player must spend earned character point to get it (points earned during the adventures or through study, no matter). But once the character improved his skill by this number, the book won't anymore bring him anything.

Different versions of the book change these two stats. The different versions of the Necronomicon, for instance, range from -5/-10 to -2/-3 for fright check modifiers and from +10 to +3 to Cthulhu Mythos skill. One version (the modern version of the Necronomicon) doesn't even bring anything.

• Cthulhu Mythos : +0
• Fright Check: 0/0

[7omnia7]

Thanks Gollum!

[fschiff]

Magic in Taft-1? Reference?

[7omnia7]

Originally Posted by fschiff

Magic in Taft-1? Reference?

Yes I'm using those rules on Book Magic but I'm only using the Effect Shaping mechanics.

[fschiff]

I meant which book/article talks about Taft-1 in any depth?

[7omnia7]

Originally Posted by fschiff

I meant which book/article talks about Taft-1 in any depth?

"GURPS Infinite Worlds: Worlds of Horror".
Taft-1 is pretty interesting. It really looks like an alternate World of the Delta Green setting: "What if Stalin survived with all of the Karotechia's lore ?".

[marcusbaer99]

Didn't GURPS Cthulhupunk cover some of this?