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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Jeremy Roberson <ROBERSON@***.EDU>
Subject: Ritual Magic
Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 14:04:34 -0700
Hear, Hear! Let's have a hand for making magic more subtle and mysterious!
I like cks' idea for downplaying magic. I don't know that I would incorporate
it into a standard campaign, but I think it would be fun to see mages as more
reclusive and hidden, rather than tossing man bolts left and right. Makes them
more for role-playing than Real Men players.

J Roberson
Message no. 2
From: IAN <U96_JHURLEY1@******.BITNET>
Subject: Re: Ritual magic
Date: Mon, 3 May 1993 15:58:23 -0500
Someone was mentioning toning down mages. I am against that idea because
of the imbalance that then occurs with gillettes. For example, in the campaign
I am running, I have a troll Street Sam (His own, BTW) who has maxed out his
physical attributes, and thus has a body of 14 or so (after cyberware installed)
He shrugs off small arms fire with ease. Withput magics, he would be nigh-
invulnerable. The same goes for NPC's. Many cannot be taken down with small
arms fire easily. At least not without taking fire in return.
Message no. 3
From: Fade <runefo@***.UIO.NO>
Subject: Ritual magic
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 23:09:35 +0000
From the discussions on the list recently, I've gotten an impression
that a lot of people think ritual magic is very different from
sorcery, and that spells can be cast through rituals that cannot be
cast through normal spellcasting.

I assume the basis for this is the 'ghost dance', since there's
nothing elsewhere that supports this to my immediate knowledge.
It is apparent from several sources (Harlequin's Back, for instance)
that sacrificing one's own life for some purpose lends immense
magical power, also on an individual basis - the ghost dance's
'power' was then most likely from that sacrifice, and not from ritual
- the ritual was used to strike beyond visual range, as is normal
rituals.

So I'd say that ritual magic is only more powerful than regular
sorcery in that it has some special conditions it can avoid -
primarily, LOS or sustaining, as well as giving potentially more
dice.

I know some of you won't agree at all, and in part I agree - it's
cool with rituals that can do really weird or wonderful stuff. But
for ordinary play, I'd say the above is the rule, not the exception,
and that anything outside that should be one-shot deals and not
common at all.



--
Fade

And the Prince of Lies said:
"To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven."
-John Milton, Paradise Lost
Message no. 4
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Ritual magic
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 18:04:07 -0400
At 11:09 PM 5/20/98 +0000, you wrote:
<snipped>

>So I'd say that ritual magic is only more powerful than regular
>sorcery in that it has some special conditions it can avoid -
>primarily, LOS or sustaining, as well as giving potentially more
>dice.
>
>I know some of you won't agree at all, and in part I agree - it's
>cool with rituals that can do really weird or wonderful stuff. But
>for ordinary play, I'd say the above is the rule, not the exception,
>and that anything outside that should be one-shot deals and not
>common at all.

Fade, I couldn't agree more. The normal common ritual magic isn't that
special or high-powered.

Actually, I wrote up a little "fluff" piece on "ancient rituals" that
I'll
clean up, maybe do a re-write or two and post it up here. But the gist of
it is that weird rituals like the Great Ghost Dance or a teleportation
ritual should be a special thing controlled by the GM to advance a story,
nothing more.

Remind me in a day or two if I haven't posted it.

Erik J.


"Ladies & Gentleman, the newest member of the band, the one and only Spice
Boy, GRUMPY SPICE!!!" <and the crowd goes wild!!!>
Message no. 5
From: SThanatos <sthanatos@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Ritual magic
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 19:34:19 -0400
Can't one use ritual magic to increase the area of effect of a spell?
I.E.: A group of mages casting Chaotic World over a whole building or a
floor of a building by ritual magic, where it would just be impossible with
one set of dice.
Message no. 6
From: Wafflemeisters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: Ritual magic
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 05:41:15 -0500
> Re: Ritual magic (SThanatos , Wed 18:34)
>
> Can't one use ritual magic to increase the area of effect of a spell?
> I.E.: A group of mages casting Chaotic World over a whole building or a
> floor of a building by ritual magic, where it would just be impossible with
> one set of dice.

You can increase the area radius as with any normal casting, by
sacrificing succeses for that purpose. Since you can (theoretically)
have more dice for a ritual spell test, you could get a bigger effect,
yes. You also would not have to worry about getting CAUGHT in the
effect :)

-Mongoose X

Further Reading

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Thwap!