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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Michael Coleman <mscoleman@********.NET>
Subject: New Magic systems
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 18:17:33 -0500
Has anyone come up with an eastern style magic system (there is a brief
glimpse of one in the Underworld SourceBook). I mean there is a western
system (Hermetic) and a primitive/naturalistic system (Shamanic) but there
is no eastern system. Hermetic is easily adapted to an Cabalistic or Arabic
system and Shamanic has been adapted to polytheistic systems. But neither
has the right favor for a Taoistic or Buddhistic or other eastern systems.
You could probably use a Shamanic system for India using the same
polytheistic systems out there like the Egyptian one being discussed on this
list.
Message no. 2
From: Alfredo B Alves <dghost@****.COM>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 18:50:47 -0500
On Sun, 30 Aug 1998 18:17:33 -0500 Michael Coleman
<mscoleman@********.NET> writes:
>Has anyone come up with an eastern style magic system (there is a brief
>glimpse of one in the Underworld SourceBook). I mean there is a western
>system (Hermetic) and a primitive/naturalistic system (Shamanic) but
there
>is no eastern system. Hermetic is easily adapted to an Cabalistic or
Arabic
>system and Shamanic has been adapted to polytheistic systems. But
neither
>has the right favor for a Taoistic or Buddhistic or other eastern
systems.
>You could probably use a Shamanic system for India using the same
>polytheistic systems out there like the Egyptian one being discussed on
this
>list.

Do a websearch for Japan and Shadowrun.

Or check the Webring. If I recall correctly, the Japan Imperial (State?)
is a member. It includes Shinto and Bhuddist magic and is the best Japan
net.book I've seen.

D. Ghost
(aka Pixel, Tantrum, RuPixel)
o/` Trideo killed the Video Star ... o/`

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Message no. 3
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 19:11:29 -0500
----------
> From: Michael Coleman <mscoleman@********.NET>

> Shamanic has been adapted to polytheistic systems.

Actually, the shamanic system blows for polytheistic systems (some of
them). By stressing not only the animal forms, but also singularity of
support (i.e., one shaman, one totem), you run into problems that I don't
think a lot of people are going to realize.

Example: Say someone knows very little about Shadowrun, but he's been
reading a lot about Druids, so he decide to make one in his upcoming game.
Then he's told to choose a totem. Wha? He want to play a druid, one who
respects the Old Gods and nature, not some sort of shaman who follows a
particular animal.

Example #2: Some aspects of Wicca stress a dualistic approach to deity,
with both a Goddess and a God, with one priest\ess being perfectly capable
of invoking either one. How do you reflect that given the current system?
The only way I can see would be an adaptation of the Loa system, but that
doesn't really work either, not for a lot of traditions in the Craft.

Now, I don't claim to speak for all polytheists in the world (my mouth
ain't _that_ big), but a lot of polytheists that I know invoke whichever
god is appropriate at the moment, not just one that they follow
exclusively.
Message no. 4
From: Alex Pennock <acjpenn@******.COM>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 20:59:56 -0500
Alfredo B Alves wrote:

> On Sun, 30 Aug 1998 18:17:33 -0500 Michael Coleman
> <mscoleman@********.NET> writes:
> >Has anyone come up with an eastern style magic system (there is a brief
> >glimpse of one in the Underworld SourceBook). I mean there is a western
> >system (Hermetic) and a primitive/naturalistic system (Shamanic) but
> there
> >is no eastern system.

A neat idea for an eastern magic system is geomancy, bit commplex to explain
here, involves using the "energy" of an area to cast magic..if this sounds
interesting, feel free to mail me personally. acjpenn@******.com
Message no. 5
From: Michael Coleman <mscoleman@********.NET>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 22:00:22 -0500
> >Has anyone come up with an eastern style magic system (there is a brief
> >glimpse of one in the Underworld SourceBook). I mean there is a western
> >system (Hermetic) and a primitive/naturalistic system (Shamanic) but
> there
> >is no eastern system. Hermetic is easily adapted to an Cabalistic or
> Arabic
> >system and Shamanic has been adapted to polytheistic systems. But
> neither
> >has the right favor for a Taoistic or Buddhistic or other eastern
> systems.
> >You could probably use a Shamanic system for India using the same
> >polytheistic systems out there like the Egyptian one being discussed on
> this
> >list.
>
> Do a websearch for Japan and Shadowrun.
>
> Or check the Webring. If I recall correctly, the Japan Imperial (State?)
> is a member. It includes Shinto and Bhuddist magic and is the best Japan
> net.book I've seen.
>
> D. Ghost

I went to Japanese Imperial State and the magic systems are modification on
Hermetic and Shamanic styles. Not exactly what I was looking for but
interesting none the less. Thanks.

Mike
Message no. 6
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 13:36:25 +0100
And verily, did Alex Pennock hastily scribble thusly...
|A neat idea for an eastern magic system is geomancy, bit commplex to explain
|here, involves using the "energy" of an area to cast magic..if this sounds
|interesting, feel free to mail me personally. acjpenn@******.com
|

If it's so fascinating, and could be used shadowrun, then it is on topic,
and therefore doesn't need to go off list.
(That's what the term "thread" is for after all. An on-going topic...
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| Windows95 (noun): 32 bit extensions and a |
| | graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit |
| Andrew Halliwell | operating system originally coded for a 4 bit |
| Finalist in:- |microprocessor, written by a 2 bit company, that|
| Computer Science | can't stand 1 bit of competition. |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ o+ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ |
|5++ X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! :( |
Message no. 7
From: Adam Getchell <acgetchell@*******.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Magic systems
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 12:35:23 -0700
Someone mentioned Feng Shui, which is the study of chi flow in geographic
locations. Classical Japanese and Chinese literature is replete with
examples of certain days having "inauspicious" directions. In "The Pillow
Book of Sei Sonagon", a book about a 10th century attendant to the Empress
of Nippon, there were certain days when they could not go to the capitol
without travelling in a circle, basically: to go straight there would have
involved travel in a forbidden direction.

Korea (where I'm running a game and where I was this summer) has a mix of
Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and shamanism. Shamans are called
wudang. They may be somewhat similiar to North American shamans, except
that the most prominent animals in Korean folklore are the tiger, dragon,
and bear. Turtles, cranes, and monkeys are also mentioned. Animism seems to
be on a more "primal" level, rather than being specifically tied up with an
animal. Given the long history of the region, there would be a lot of magic
potential there.

As far as powerful magic figures and players there would be many. Off the
top of my head I can think of Sun Wu 'Kung, the "Monkey King" in Chinese
folklore, Confucianism (which is not a religion but has aspects of magic in
its ancestor worship), Taoism (tied up with many monastaries and of course,
heavily pervading Eastern martial arts), the Black Dragon society in Japan
(an ultranationalist society that perpetrated many ... um, atrocities for
Imperial Japan at the turn of the century), of course the Emperor of Japan,
sun of Amasteru the sun-goddess, the monks of Shao-lin (though as a
practical matter they are being heavily commercialized today), the
Hwarang-Do in Korea, the Dragon Kings of China, resurgent samurai, ninjas,
and much more. And this hasn't even touched the incredibly rich religious
and philosophical traditions of India. Basically, grab some books and do
some reading and you will have magical source material in spades...


>Has anyone come up with an eastern style magic system (there is a brief
>glimpse of one in the Underworld SourceBook). I mean there is a western
>system (Hermetic) and a primitive/naturalistic system (Shamanic) but there
>is no eastern system. Hermetic is easily adapted to an Cabalistic or Arabic
>system and Shamanic has been adapted to polytheistic systems. But neither
>has the right favor for a Taoistic or Buddhistic or other eastern systems.
>You could probably use a Shamanic system for India using the same
>polytheistic systems out there like the Egyptian one being discussed on this
>list.

--Adam

acgetchell@*******.edu
"Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability in the opponent." --Sun Tzu

Further Reading

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