 Witch Characters, Has anyone played one? |
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 Feb 16 2004, 04:45 PM
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#26
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: 1-January 04 Member No.: 5,948  |
Not necessarily. Depending on the style or tradition a witch could easily be hermetic, especially considering that elemental are invoked during ritual. What would be more "accurate" for some styles and traditions of wicca/witchcraft would be more of a hybrid tradition, with access to Elementals and the Spirits of Man, but I'm not sure how it would balance. Of course, I should not expect accuracy in Shadowrun magic systems considering they got neither Shamanism nor Hermetic magic very accurate to begin with. |
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Feb 16 2004, 05:15 PM
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#27
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 283 Joined: 30-September 03 From: Kenmore, NY, USA Member No.: 5,663 |
What if they had access to the spirits of the elementals, and the spirits of man only?
No I have not play tested it, however. She is an NPC, so I could very easily have her show up to more runs then normal. Hmmm, and just see how well that works. |
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Feb 16 2004, 06:16 PM
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#28
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
That would be a wu jen. |
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Feb 16 2004, 07:37 PM
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#29
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Just be careful allowing witch/wiccan characters access to elemental magic-- especially spells like sandblast or the summoning of Earth elementals from fine-grained material. Otherwise, next thing you know, you'll have sandwitches hopping around everywhere.
In terms of researching more ritual information for better RPing purposes, many of the newer-age witch groups found stateside have a web presence of some kind or other (I ran into an interesting description/run-through of a ritual adapted from Norse culture whilst looking for customs involving mead. Yes, I run a smaller brewery, and yes, there was a lot of mead-horn sharing in the ritual). All goes to show, I suppose, that many traditions/customs can be covered by the terms witch/wiccan. Determining your character's demeanor and how s/he got into the craft/religion will help you figure out what kind of witch your character would like to be. |
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Feb 16 2004, 07:51 PM
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#30
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: 1-January 04 Member No.: 5,948 |
Actually, that might work. I forgot all about the Wu Jen. There are quite a few similarities between Taoist magic and that of Wicca/Witchcraft. Practitioners often filled very similar roles in their respective societies. |
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Feb 16 2004, 09:29 PM
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#31
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Not Cameron Diaz Group: Retired Admins Posts: 472 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Newark, Delaware Member No.: 188 |
No one was making value judgments about either. Relax. The religious aspects are relevant, and no one's doing any proselytizing. Trust me: if that were the case, warnings would be handed out. That said, there are communities around the world that view "witches" as evil people. (Such as a few places in Africa, where if something goes wrong in an unusual matter, it is believed there must be a curse in action and will immediately begin a search for a witch.) And in those places, they aren't far from wrong; there are folks who call themselves such, and perform services that many would consider wrong or evil. To try to draw parallels between those witches, and American witches or Wiccans, or UK witches, and so on, would do a grave disservice to each culture and the people involved. For anyone who wishes to do further research for the sake of character (PC or NPC) generation, there are some excellent shows that have aired on the Discovery or History channels (such as at least one episode of "Taboo"). There are also good history resources, occult and new age resources, and a plethora of web pages. The advice given so far in regard to generating a "witch" character is worth using. |
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Feb 16 2004, 11:10 PM
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#32
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
Well this witch i'm making would probably be seen as new age since shes between the age of 19-21.
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Feb 16 2004, 11:53 PM
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#33
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
Mana Child - As someone has mentioned before this only truly matters if you want to develop the roleplaying aspect of a mage's particular tradition, ruleswise it's not really that important.
However, if you are interested in the character's magical background, how she views the nature of magic use and spirits, what 'cosmology' she subscribes to and how that affects her outlook on life and her place in the Shadows, then "new-ager" probably isn't going to cut it. If you want to develop this through her foci and the symbolism she uses in her magic, if you want to fill out her relationship with a familiar (ie. Ally spirit) , if you want to look in to what type of styling would be more appropriate for her Divination magic, etc, a little light reseach is a Good Thing™. A lot of players simply pass this over as unnecessary detail but I for one like to pump all this stuff into a well-rounded magic user. Check MitS for some guidelines (or if you can get your hands on them, the Grimoires and/or Awakenings). Do some net searches on Wicca, Neo-Druidism, Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft. Compare the cultural variations, see what fits your concept best. Maybe you'll even find something that'll make you go in a different direction. There are a great many sources (some credible others less so) on the net alone, there are more in books. Keep in mind that in North Am and Britain most "new-ager" type witches are either Wiccans, members of one of the various Goddess sects or Neo-Druidics. Other sorts are present but are less well known (ie. Romany or Gypsy witchcraft for one, West African Quimbondo for another). Note age is completely irrelevant in most cases: there's nothing wrong with a 18 year old Romanian (witchcraft) hexcaster; an African witchdoctor starts his vocation as a child. |
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Feb 17 2004, 12:00 AM
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#34
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
My character is going to be a North am "new ager" or wiccan.
who are the wiccan gods? and how can i do this without MitS becuase i only have the SR3 book. And becuase of my current debt (which isnt that much but it still hinders me from getting the book for a month or 2). This post has been edited by Mana Child: Feb 17 2004, 12:17 AM |
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Feb 17 2004, 12:21 AM
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#35
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
basically what i'm looking for is totems that would be suitable.
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Feb 17 2004, 12:25 AM
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#36
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,047 Joined: 12-November 03 From: Perilously close to the Sioux Nation. Member No.: 5,818 |
I would have to suggest doing some digging yourself. Only you know what you are kind of looking for.
With a fair amount of wiggling, you could use ANY totem for ANY thing, more or less. All it takes is a matter of perspective. |
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Feb 17 2004, 12:31 AM
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#37
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 777 Joined: 18-February 03 Member No.: 4,110 |
My God you people are patient. I love each and every one of you for it, it's something I think has maybe been rubbing off on me irl... but I still have a long way to go.
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Feb 17 2004, 12:34 AM
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#38
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
well considering i'm a newb i wouldnt know what the hell i'm looking for let alone doing at all.
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Feb 17 2004, 12:46 AM
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#39
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Target Group: Members Posts: 84 Joined: 15-April 03 From: My own personal purgatory Member No.: 4,453 |
No offense, but if you don't know what you're looking for, how do you expect us to know?
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Feb 17 2004, 12:48 AM
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#40
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
i didnt mean that as such i just thought that it would help if i knew how other people would go about doing the same thing.
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Feb 17 2004, 12:51 AM
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#41
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 777 Joined: 18-February 03 Member No.: 4,110 |
Sandwiched in between the jokes in my first few posts, I provided what I'd like to think was somewhat helpful information, information that was reposted and restated by several Old Timers as well, when it appeared that it might have been missed. I'm not quite a newb, but I don't consider myself experienced by any means, either. That being said, it's the very reason I choose not to play any magical characters. I don't have a sufficient working grasp of the ingame mechanics to feel comfortable with a magical using character. For that very same reason, I would reccomend you hold-off on a playing a magical character as well, until you get some experience under your belt. Not a personal attack, just some friendly advice that I even follow myself. If you really want to make a magically active character, more power to you. You're more courageous and industrious than I am, and I salute you for it. I tend to take a lazier route. How comfortable are you with the magical rules in the SR3 main book? This post has been edited by Shanshu Freeman: Feb 17 2004, 01:28 AM |
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Feb 17 2004, 12:53 AM
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#42
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,047 Joined: 12-November 03 From: Perilously close to the Sioux Nation. Member No.: 5,818 |
Oh, when you put it that way...
You are esseniatly asking how to make a magician character in a certain tradition. Well, let's get the ball rolling. First off, you don't have to follow any established tradition. If you want new-agey, you can just have her use a bunch of crystals in her magic, and develop it from there. For a shaman, I think the most important component is the totem. So look at a totem you like, and interpret it through whatever your interpretation of witchiness is. |
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Feb 17 2004, 12:56 AM
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#43
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 167 Joined: 27-January 04 From: Warwick, QLD, Australia Member No.: 6,027 |
was the crystal thing for hermatic or shamanistic tradition or does it work for both?
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Feb 17 2004, 12:57 AM
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#44
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,047 Joined: 12-November 03 From: Perilously close to the Sioux Nation. Member No.: 5,818 |
It can easily work for either.
You know what, drek this. Do you have AIM or any other IM service? We can chat about it a whole lot easier that way. |
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Feb 17 2004, 01:00 AM
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#45
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
To help you on your way here's a net resource with some generic and not too deep information (while not being too out there for newbs) on a number of things that have been discussed in this thread: The Celtic Connection (try the Wicca and Shamanism links at the bottom of the page for starters)
Hundreds more are just a Google Search away. |
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Feb 17 2004, 01:02 AM
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#46
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 302 Joined: 20-October 03 Member No.: 5,740 |
Just have her magic style involve a lot of tools and things. Witchy things. I like my candle magic thing. It would make a good geas. Ooh. ideas..
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Feb 17 2004, 01:41 AM
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#47
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 283 Joined: 30-September 03 From: Kenmore, NY, USA Member No.: 5,663 |
I think that is going to be how she does her centering, hmmm can you have two different centering skills, without having to take...
Ohhhh I know maybe it is one of those limited spells she will take. Would that seem proper game mechanics for a spell to have, I mean if I took a limitation for like heal, and I would have to put the proper runes into the candle and such for the spell to work. I'm just wondering if that sounds right. Guess I'll have to do some re-re-re-re-re ect, reading of the BBB. |
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Feb 17 2004, 02:41 AM
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#48
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: 1-January 04 Member No.: 5,948 |
What's amusing is that often only dividing line between Witch and Tribal Priest/es or Shaman in those cultures is whos "side" the magic worker is on. Synner - Good post.
One thing to remember is that there may be many witches whose traditions have been handed down through the family, especially by the 2060s and the return of magic.
Considering I can think of at least a half dozen varieties of North American Wiccans/Witches, you might want to get a little more specific. I should also say that, to me, New Ager is closer to aspects of Christianity with bits from Wicca, Native American Shamanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, and pieces of mysticism from all over the world. Magic is in the form of "psionic powers". But that is just from my experiences.
Gods and Goddesses really vary by tradition. Some will use whatever divine being(s) happen to resonate with them, no matter the origins. Others are only deal with god/desses from a specific cultural/religious origin (such as Celtic, Norse, Greek, Summarian, or Egyptian).
All of them work well, but those that likely have the closest "feel" in my opinion, would be Cat, Dog, (Field) Mouse, Owl, Raven, Snake, and Wolf. |
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Feb 17 2004, 02:46 AM
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#49
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,047 Joined: 12-November 03 From: Perilously close to the Sioux Nation. Member No.: 5,818 |
Hey, sorry Mana Child, but I gotta go. Hope the others can help you out better.
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Feb 17 2004, 02:49 AM
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#50
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 302 Joined: 20-October 03 Member No.: 5,740 |
I had an idea: You could take one of the basic totems and have the character identify their totem with an ancient God. i.e. a Cat shaman who sees her totem as the embodiment of Bastet, or a Raven shaman who worships the Morrigan. Yess..
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