New Reality Seeds

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Buffy seems to use RPM style magic (heck, it was probably one of the primary influences on the development of RPM), so mana might not even exist in a Buffy timeline. Willow seems to use grimoires a lot in the early part of the series and then becomes less dependent on them as she improves her magical capabilities. She also does not seem to learn any spells per se, as she does not have to spend months studying a specific spell before she can use it, which would weigh against the standard magic system.

The show seemed to use some improvisational magic along with ritual magic of some kind.

The less powerful mages used books and deals with spirits/gods/demons/whatever to cast magic.

The more powerful ones sometimes used rituals and sometimes used purely improvisation (I doubt that anybody would have created a "skinning" spell).

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

The show seemed to use some improvisational magic along with ritual magic of some kind.

The less powerful mages used books and deals with spirits/gods/demons/whatever to cast magic.

The more powerful ones sometimes used rituals and sometimes used purely improvisation (I doubt that anybody would have created a "skinning" spell).

Yes, pretty much RPM (perhaps with the Pact limitation for Magery and Ritual Adept).

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Yes, pretty much RPM (perhaps with the Pact limitation for Magery and Ritual Adept).

Very probably Path/Book Magic, possibly RPM (which is a worked example of PBM).

[Michael Cule]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

You did not have a United States until the adoption of the Constitution in 1789.

They called themselves 'the United States': that's the name on the peace treaty with Britain. (1783 five years before the final ratification of the Constitution.)

There's an argument that the States weren't really United until after the Civil War. But there's a clear continuity.

[fchase8]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Buffy seems to use RPM style magic (heck, it was probably one of the primary influences on the development of RPM)

The description of GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic even states:

Designed to emulate the magic of real-world traditions and popular books, movies, and television shows

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

The show seemed to use some improvisational magic along with ritual magic of some kind.

The less powerful mages used books and deals with spirits/gods/demons/whatever to cast magic.

The more powerful ones sometimes used rituals and sometimes used purely improvisation (I doubt that anybody would have created a "skinning" spell).

The Buffy RPG had magicians able to do telekinesis (Willow was lifting pencils early on).

And I think it was that spells would be more powerful, if done from a book. So wizards with less innate magical ability, like Giles, would use books (he was a librarian...), and they would be used for big spells, like bringing Buffy back from the dead.

But yeah, by the end Willow had enough power to make things happen on the fly, especially when she was Dark Willow. Though 'skinning' could be seen as a particularly gruesome form of telekinesis...

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Very probably Path/Book Magic, possibly RPM (which is a worked example of PBM).

Given the power level evidenced by Willow (and the permanent nature of enchanted items), it seems too potent for Path/Book magic. After all, Buffy was capable of using a Troll Hammer to beat down a goddess centuries after it had been enchanted.

[Astromancer]

Try this one...

Garamantes

In most worlds, the Garamantes were a people who lived in the Sahara and had a nation that Rome couldn't conquer. This was mainly because the well-fortified cities of the Garamantes (the name itself meant "castles".) were far out in the desert. The Garamantes thrived using water from ancient aquifers. It was the failure of these aquifers in the 5th century CE that brought down their culture.

However, on this Q6 Low/Normal Manna (90%/!0%) parallel, the aquifers are still going strong in the 16th century CE. Your Renaissance Swashbucklers have heard that there are ancient libraries in the cities of the Garamantes with many Roman, Greek, and Egyptian texts, as well as other obscure ancient languages and peoples. Your patrons have sent you south through lands dominated by the Barbary Pirates on the Coast and wild tribes inland to buy copies of rare texts from the still pagan warriors of the desert wastes.

Basically, Swashbucklers in Arabian Nights territory exploring off the edge of their maps.

[awesomenessofme1]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Manna

I'm sorry, but this has been bothering me for a while. "Manna" is bread from heaven. The word for magical energy is "mana".

[ericthered]

Manna -2N


On this world, some dews, especially in deserts, leave behind small morsels of bread on the ground. This Manna can be used in place of mana to fuel magic, even for those lacking magery. Manna does not last longer than a day, though that is plenty of time for an ambitious mage to gather it up and perform a great wonder with it.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

I'm sorry, but this has been bothering me for a while. "Manna" is bread from heaven. The word for magical energy is "mana".

Technically, mana is an Australasian term that doesn't mean "source of power".

The fact is really that we need a new word.