From:	Chris Siebenmann <cks@********.UTCS.TORONTO.EDU>
Subject:	Whys and more details of my changes
Date:	Mon, 3 May 1993 13:46:39 -0400

Historical magic has no instant spells ('instant' here we will take to
be usable in a combat round, regardless of how long that combat round
nominally takes in the game system of your choice). Historical magic,
especially shamanistic, is based around rituals and spirits. (I
welcome corrections on this, but please cite sources)

The 'background' for this reduction is historical accuracy. Clearly you
have to ditch or modify FASA's backgrounds; I don't care about that,
because I do that anyways. Magic, if you buy into my modifications, was
always that way after the Awakening. I don't think there are particularly
huge changes in FASA's background needed; all the significant magical
influences in the history have been ritual magic.

Of course ritual magic is not particularly useful on, say, security
guards. That's why mages have spirits and elementals. 'Combat' mages
will use those heavily; ritual magic is more less showy uses of power.
'Fast' rituals require props and require minutes instead of hours, not
seconds; they are (deliberately) not particularly usable in combat.
The specific fast ritual usage I was thinking of was healing; for game
balance purposes, it's probably a good idea to let mages at least
stabilize people in the field.

Improvised elemental summoning is similar to fast rituals; a speedy
version that takes minutes instead of hours. I'm not certain how to
balance it gamewise; I think summoning higher-level elementals via
this way should be horrifically difficult. Perhaps it requires a
spirit quest (ala summoning greater forms) against Force^2 of the
elemental you're trying to summon.

Both fast rituals and improvised elemental summoning are an attempt
to make mages more useful during long adventures away from their bases,
and when things happen. If you don't think they need this, feel free
to delete them, or reserve them for GM's option roleplaying.

'Gifts' are mainly intended for Shamans, so that they can still
exercise some of their more interesting totemistic abilities (for
example, a Racoon Shaman with a Gift of TK). Some things feel right
for the ability to do inherently, and I wanted to preserve that
as an option. I thought it was fairly explicit that only mages could
buy gifts; in any case, this is the intent. Mundane characters are
and remain un-gifted magically.

The overall effect of my changes is intended to make mages a much
more quiet and non-combat oriented type of character. They're still
very useful, even in combat (more so hermetic mages than shamans),
but their major use is out of combat, with carefully thought out
ritual magics. No longer will mages be necessary magical heavy
artillery; I think this is a good thing.

- cks