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Message no. 1
From: Wafflemiesters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Hermetic / shaman dicotomy
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 02:00:31 -0600
> Okay, but here comes the BIG question. If the Totem does the picking, why
> can't it pick the "Hermetic Mage" and switch him over? Sure it means
getting
> used to things, but it could be done...

===================
IMO, for the same reason a shaman can't turn his back onhistotem and
simply become a hermetic- Its a not only a lifestyle choice, its a part
of what you and your magic inherently are. If thatsoundslike current
ideas on sexual orientation, it makes sense- they personality roots run
as deep or deeper.
===================

Well, it depends on how you see the totem. If the totem is actually
nothing
more then a shipload of self imposed geasa and mental blocks, someone
with
the hermetic piece of mind will not be able to switch to the shamanic
tradition. If, OTOH, a totem is more then an "imaginary friend", it
would
be possible. What if Hermann, the hermetic, is so bear-like that at one
time of his life Bear chooses to take him into his hairy family?
Or what about a hermetic who thinks he's a shaman?

==================
Or what about ashamn who thinks he's hermetic? Neither couldcojusre
spirits inapropriate to his true nature. Hermetics inherently interact
with magic in awaybased on fumaula that leads to working with the
elements. Medicine men instead interact with moreholistic elements, and
thus variuous spirits of the world.

Mongoose
Message no. 2
From: Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Hermetic / shaman dicotomy
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 06:21:24 -0800
Wafflemiesters wrote:

> > Okay, but here comes the BIG question. If the Totem does the picking, why
> > can't it pick the "Hermetic Mage" and switch him over? Sure it means
getting
> > used to things, but it could be done...

> Well, it depends on how you see the totem. If the totem is actually
> nothing
> more then a shipload of self imposed geasa and mental blocks, someone
> with
> the hermetic piece of mind will not be able to switch to the shamanic
> tradition. If, OTOH, a totem is more then an "imaginary friend", it
> would
> be possible. What if Hermann, the hermetic, is so bear-like that at one
> time of his life Bear chooses to take him into his hairy family?
> Or what about a hermetic who thinks he's a shaman?

This runs into the same problems that shamans switching totems does:
Suddenly you have your Shark totem decide (once the combat's done) that
Snake's what's needed to heal his chummers. And then when they need to
sneak away, call on Rat....

Sounds to me like you can just use the Voudoun rules, because the loa
cover most of the bases; SR doesn't resolve (thankfully) whether or not
Totems are internal or external, so either answer provided bove is
false.


-Matt

------------------------------------
With nomads I am numbered. -- E. MacColl
Message no. 3
From: losthalo <losthalo@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Hermetic / shaman dicotomy
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 17:37:01 -0500
At 06:21 AM 3/2/98 -0800, you wrote:
>This runs into the same problems that shamans switching totems does:
>Suddenly you have your Shark totem decide (once the combat's done) that
>Snake's what's needed to heal his chummers. And then when they need to
>sneak away, call on Rat....

If there were no game advantages to the totems, there'd be nothing wrong
with that, would there? Certainly there are cultures where a given shaman
(or equivalent) can call upon more than one totem.

losthalo
Message no. 4
From: Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Hermetic / shaman dicotomy
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:45:36 -0800
losthalo wrote:
>
> At 06:21 AM 3/2/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >This runs into the same problems that shamans switching totems does:
> >Suddenly you have your Shark totem decide (once the combat's done) that
> >Snake's what's needed to heal his chummers. And then when they need to
> >sneak away, call on Rat....
>
> If there were no game advantages to the totems, there'd be nothing wrong
> with that, would there? Certainly there are cultures where a given shaman
> (or equivalent) can call upon more than one totem.

Riiiiight -- cultures like, oh -- Voudoun? Maybe that was why I
mentioned
it in my post, yeah.

The point to be made, however, is that there *are* game advantages that
go
along with the Totems, so allowing switching between them is slightly
more complicated than just rp'ing it. (After a fashion, the character
above *is* thinking like a shark in combat, and a rat afterwards.)


-Matt

------------------------------------
With nomads I am numbered. -- E. MacColl

GridSec: SRCard
SRTCG Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/2189/ccgtop.htm
Message no. 5
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Hermetic / shaman dicotomy
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 22:10:48 EST
In a message dated 98-03-02 06:21:58 EST, mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM writes:

> This runs into the same problems that shamans switching totems does:
> Suddenly you have your Shark totem decide (once the combat's done) that
> Snake's what's needed to heal his chummers. And then when they need to
> sneak away, call on Rat....

Ah now wait a minute. This is that "overgeneralization attitude" that gets
people into trouble all the time. A Totem comes and goes when -IT- feels like
it. Sure, Shark may believe that "Snake" is more important now, but -Snake-
may be too busy to be bothered at the moment (or the water is too cold in
Shark's case... :). What you are describing is something more of a
"Playerized Priority", which is a HUGE break away from the rules.

> Sounds to me like you can just use the Voudoun rules, because the loa
> cover most of the bases; SR doesn't resolve (thankfully) whether or not
> Totems are internal or external, so either answer provided bove is
> false.

Ah, but even the Voudon rules aren't so cut and dry as you are suggesting. It
takes time to develop certain connections, and even then the Voudon must
choose which Loa s/he can commune with in a carefully selectable order, else
there is massive spiritual conflict involved.

And SR does resolve the conflict, it give's the GM the choice. That is all
that matters...

-K

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