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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: ANANDA%BSU.DECNET@*****
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 92 09:34:00 CST
I think some of you may be missing the point here. As I understand it, the
original idea was not to have Air, Earth, Fire and Water as totems, but
_aspects_ of those elements as totems. The guy in the Secrets of Power trilogy
is called a _rock_ shaman, rather than an earth shaman. He does some stuff
that is extremely difficult to explain in game terms. One thing in particular
comes to mind: he creates a figure out of sticks, mud, and rock, and it
becomes a wolf-like tracker that can continue for days without rest, food, or
water. The guy seems to get major power bonuses when he's near Ayers Rock.

When SR first came out, I remember a discussion about the lack of magical
traditions other than the stereotypical-wizard-like Hermetic mages and the
Amerindian shamans. With the London sourcebook, we've got druids, too. But
what about other traditions? Nothing official's been done with voodoo, let
alone any of the magic of the far east. Some of the other 'types' of magic can
now be explained via a combination of pseudo-hermetic magic or shamanic magic
with geassa (e.g. necromancy), but there are others that don't fit the hermetic
or shamanic or druidic mold easily (e.g. precognitive magic). Perhaps the idea
of a stream shaman or a rock shaman is an attempt to bend one of the non-
standard magical traditions into the SR mechanics. (?)

-Ananda

ananda%bsu.decnet@*****.msus.edu /ananda%bsu@*****.msus.edu \__if the .decnet
ananda%bsu.decnet@*****.bitnet \ananda%bsu@*****.bitnet / causes problems

<assorted sounds of automatic weapons fire, grenades, yells, sirens in distance>
<silence>
character just showing up: "So, people, are we having fun yet?"
<more sounds of automatic weapons fire, yells, and sirens>
Message no. 2
From: Chaos <KSJWB@******>
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 92 19:48:08 -0900
=> #49 KSREC Wed 03 Jun 18:59

From: Greet's
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions

I'm Following you....Bardic Magic????
Message no. 3
From: ANANDA%BSU.DECNET@*****
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 92 13:45:00 CST
> is from Chaos ...
>I'm Following you....Bardic Magic????

Well, maybe. We originally came up with the discussion long before the
Grimoire came out... In the post-Grimoire era, bardic magic can be explained a
couple of ways: an initiate who centers via music, a music geas, and I *think*
druids do something with music, too. (The London sourcebook is something I
don't own...can anyone clarify the link?)

Also, it depends on which type of bard you're talking about. Cultures other
than the Welsh had bards; one example is the nordic skjald. I don't remember
if skjalds did any magic per se, since it's been a few years since I've studied
nordic stuff...

What might be interesting to try is a person who *needs* music of some sort to
use magic. Hmmm....here's a wild idea. How about a musician who finds out
he's magic-capable only after he's been wired with a synthlink and other
stuff...drop his essence a couple of points, give him a music geas...maybe some
type of instrument (probably low-tech) as a power focus.... This could really
throw your players, especially if they're familiar with some of the adndish
bards and you let this character be an older elf who calls himself a bard.
Toss in a few weird new spells for extra effect.... >:-)

later,
Ananda

ananda%bsu.decnet@*****.msus.edu /ananda%bsu@*****.msus.edu \__if the .decnet
ananda%bsu.decnet@*****.bitnet \ananda%bsu@*****.bitnet / causes problems

(PS to Scooby: this is an idea for an Npc!! ;)
Message no. 4
From: Chaos <KSJWB@******>
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 92 13:46:58 -0900
=> #43 KSREC Fri 05 Jun 23:37

From: Greet's
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions

Ok...That is a good explanation for Bardic Magic..But under what Hermatic or
Shamatic?.....
And if you can explane that What about Wicca (witchs)???
-Ronald Cannon
Message no. 5
From: Chaos <KSJWB@******>
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 92 11:52:32 -0900
=> #44 KSREC Mon 08 Jun 22:02

From: Greet's
Subject: Re: "new" totems / magical traditions

Ok...So you don't think there are only two type..I like it..I like it...
--------
For thoughts that would like to read a book about initiate groups...
A good one is "The Adept, Book Two:The Lodge Of The Lynx"...
A good one for thoughs who would like to know more about group Magicians..
and how to run one....it's by Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Turner Harris..
Well TTYL
-Ronald Cannon

Further Reading

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These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.