Priest magic as Book magic

[Anders]

Book magic is an alternative approach to Path magic, involving books with a unifying theme rather than Paths. I'm toying with using this for Priest magic in an upcoming campaign, with Clerical Investment [4/level*] standing in for Magery.

These are suggested rituals for the Holy Bible, although you could probably justify similar lists for the Tanakh, the Koran and the Book of Mormon as well.

Banish (p.B160)
Chaperone (p.T152)
Cleansing (p.T157)
Dose (p.T148)
Exorcise (p.T161)
Journeyman's Blessing (p.T153)
Lay to Rest (p.T162)
Soothe (p.T150)

*Built as Magery ("one Book only, -60%)

Matrimonial Blessing
Effect Shaping: Book Skill-4
Energy Accumulation: 6 points
This is a minor blessing which is part of the marriage ritual (alt. this is the marriage ritual). Some tokens of the wedding are blessed (typically the rings, in Western cultures) and the newlyweds must carry them at all time for the next month. If they do, they gain a +2 bonus to Reaction Rolls towards each other, helping them to avoid fights or at least settle them in a non-straining manner. They also +2 get to any Self-Control rolls, Will rolls, etc. to resist temptations to stray.

Edit: Incorporates RyanW's suggestion.

[vierasmarius]

Great idea! Fits perfectly with the concept of a holy book as "Direct Word of God", endowed with true power. I do have some misgivings with Magery at 4/lv, since that's the same price as the Book skill itself... but then again, Magery can mean different things for Path/Book magic than just a Talent, so it may be fine. I could see allowing Limited Non-Mage Ceremonies, and letting True Faith stand in for Magery 0 (but only for a Non-Mage casting rituals of his own Faith). Religious Ritual is also an obvious choice as the "core" skill for such magic users.

If basing magic Books on real-world religious texts, you could come up with particular excerpts that relate to each ritual - Exorcism could have a line about driving out demons, Lay to Rest could cite that "Dust to Dust" thing said at funerals, etc. This would mostly be for flavor, but I think would help make the magic feel more grounded.

Most modern monotheism have largely equivalent duties (Marriage and funeral ceremonies, birth or coming of age rites, blessings of homes or endeavors, etc) and so would have basically the same rituals in their Books. More varied would be pantheistic religious, where each deity / aspect would have its own Book. Actually, the same might be true of monotheisms with lots of saints or angels (I'm looking at you, Catholicism).

[vicky_molokh]

Neat idea.

[Refplace]

I typically think of Priest magic as more Path but the Book work too, especially for more hierarchical or bureaucratic type deities then elemental or nature types.

[RyanW]

Great idea.

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Matrimonial Blessing
Effect Shaping: Book Skill-4
Energy Accumulation: 6 points
This is a minor blessing which is part of the marriage ritual (alt. this is the marriage ritual). Some tokens of the wedding are blessed (typically the rings, in Western cultures) and the newlyweds must carry them at all time for the next month. If they do, they gain a +2 bonus to Reaction Rolls towards each other, helping them to avoid fights or at least settle them in a non-straining manner.

I might also give a +2 to Self-Control rolls, Will rolls, etc. to resist temptations to stray, but if they fail anyway (or choose not to resist) the ritual is broken.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Great idea.

I might also give a +2 to Self-Control rolls, Will rolls, etc. to resist temptations to stray, but if they fail anyway (or choose not to resist) the ritual is broken.

this is a great idea. Also, you could make it so rather than needing to wear the rings for the next few months, the effects only work when the rings are on.

As for the magery being so cheap, I'd like to point out that this is very utilitarian magic that doesn't unbalance a campaign even if you have very high levels of magery in it. I suppose it makes extreme supernatural powers vulnerable to preists, but --- aren't they supposed to be very vulnerable to priests?

now if you have a different spell list, that might be an issue.

[Anders]

The -60% is from Thaumatology (One Book Only -60%). And I mean Power Investiture, not Clerical Investment. You could also use Religious Rank [10/level] but that makes it difficult to build the pious and humble low-ranking priest who performs miracles. And it would give an enormous power boost to hierarchical religions.

Thanks everybody. It always feels good when people appreciate my ideas.

I really don't know enough about the "Eastern" religions to make a book for them. Many rituals would be universal, obviously. Burial practices, marriages, etc. are found all over the world.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

I really don't know enough about the "Eastern" religions to make a book for them.

Wouldn't Christianity, Islam and their relatives count as Eastern? They came to most us from the (Near/Middle) East, unlike Daruma, after all.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Wouldn't Christianity, Islam and their relatives count as Eastern? They came to most us from the (Near/Middle) East, unlike Daruma, after all.

By "Eastern" I mean Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and possibly Zoroastrianism (although the latter is closer to the Abrahamic religions). It's not a perfect geographical division - there are many muslim areas in Asia - but it is how the phrase would be used in Sweden.

[ericthered]

Eastern vs. Western in religion is used to differentiate between religions that came out of the middle east (the west) and those that came out of india (the east). (and I would definitely put zorastrianism as western, due to to interchange of ideas between it and the abrahamic religions).

As for the eastern religions: I don't know enough either.