Earthdawn, what the flock was there? Options

[Thanee]

Earthdawn is a great game. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[sabs]

Shadowrun, if all the conspiracies were true and the technology was stripped out and elves were even more aggravating and frolic-y.


With Yakety Sax playing, of course.

I love Benny Hill

[Cheops]

I run a weekly Earthdawn game, and have run very high circle games in the past. Surprisingly while a Wizard can stuff a City in a Bottle (High Circle Ritual Spell), a Warrior can puree him. It is actually really well balanced between casters and non casters. Casting spells takes time, and the really powerful stuff often takes days to cast. It is very different from the various incarnations of Shadowrun as far as its internal balance is concerned.

Yeah. It'll mostly come down to what sort of opponent they are facing and the manner in which the spellcaster prepared. If you've got a sneaky Wizard like the player in my game he has Solo Flight Named on him so not much can touch him -- combine that with Thorny Retreat and it gets nasty. Even worse the Nethermancer in the group has taken to casting Fog of Fear to corral the baddies into the Thorns and then that damage fog (name escapes me at the moment) once they are stuck. My experience has been that the Spellcasters make the best Defenders and Controllers whereas the Warrior is a Striker supreme. The 9th Circle Warrior in my group was able to puree a Corrupted Drake in less than a minute whereas the Spellcasters didn't do much. Now, the Warrior collapsed in a tired/unconcious heap afterwards but still...

[sabs]

sigh
Earthdawn.. I love that game.
I wish there was an earthdawn game near me.

[Cheops]

sigh
Earthdawn.. I love that game.
I wish there was an earthdawn game near me.

Yeah I was running my campaign for 3 years. We took a quick break to play some SR but we'll be going back once the current SR story is done. I'm planning on weaving the two stories together. In ED my group was able to defeat Ristul by trapping the three Nightwists of the Mad Passions in the weaponsmith/wizard's rings. Let's just say that the rings will be making a comeback...

[sabs]

Ooh Nice..
I ran a long standing campaign where the Nethermancer of the group had become a Human Agent of MountainShadow. The rest of the party where really just his companions. I think we played for two years. We only got to 7th Circle. But they were getting pretty grossly powerful. That being said, they only ever barely survived their one and only real Horror fight. Most of the time they spent fighting Theran Slave ships (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shinobi Killfist]

For those who have played Earthdawn I have a couple questions.

-Did the main non-human races equal the humans in numbers?
-Did all sentient beings have access to some form of magic as mentioned earlier in the thread?

If the answer to both questions is yes then what happened? In the sixth world non-human races are less than 10% of the population and those who can use magic are less than 1%.

I think others answered the numbers part fairly well. As to what happened, it is just far too early in the magic cycle. As I understand it magic is inflated higher than it should be in SR due to the great ghost dance so there should probably be even less than you see. I do not know if the later books or editions changed this but initially at least the various races were not really regarded as from human stock. My guess is at high magic levels once things settle they become more distinct and less altered humans and more a separate species. I liked the game and setting quite a bit but it is hard to find players since other bigger name games rule the Fantasy section.

Oh and I think everyone on the planet could cast some magic through they might not be mages. At least in 1e various spellcasting talents could be done through mundane skills as well, this is true for a lot of magical talents. The big difference was mundane skills cost a lot more than talents, and I think you could use your karma die(edge) on magic but not skills.

One thing I dug was the magic item system. To quote the wiki, "One of the most innovative ideas in Earthdawn is how magical items work. At first, most magical items work exactly like a mundane item of the same type. As a character searches for information about the item's history, performs certain tasks relating to that history, and spends legend points to activate the item, he unlocks some of the magic in the item. As the character learns more about the item and its history, he can unlock more and more power within the item.

Each magical item, therefore, is unique by virtue of its history and the scope of its powers. For example, one magical broadsword may have only 4 magical ranks and only increases the damage of the blade. On the other hand the legendary sword Purifier, has 10 magical ranks and grants its wielder numerous powers."

[sabs]

The problem with Mundane Spellcasting.. (which btw, is what all spellcasters in SR are doing)
was that it did not protect you from astral space. You glowed like a beacon, and every spell you cast had a chance for you to get horror marked. You also took damage (read drain) for casting a spell using mundane spellcasting.

Wizards, Elementalist, Illusionists and Nethermancers had a special magical version of spellcasting, and used Spell Matrixes to hold their spells, and protect them from astral space. Purifying the corruption and meaning that any spell cast by them did 1 strain (about 1/2 a drain) though it wasn't resistable.

[Shinobi Killfist]

Ooh Nice..
I ran a long standing campaign where the Nethermancer of the group had become a Human Agent of MountainShadow. The rest of the party where really just his companions. I think we played for two years. We only got to 7th Circle. But they were getting pretty grossly powerful. That being said, they only ever barely survived their one and only real Horror fight. Most of the time they spent fighting Theran Slave ships (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My first horror fight ended quickly in favor of the party. It went like this round one it attacks and hurts the warrior everyone but me misses, I tie a thread to cast astral spear with my nethermancer. Round 2 I cast astral spear and exploding dice hell happens with like a D8+D6 roll ending up doing something like 78 damage. It being a weak horror that ended the fight. Meanwhile my character becomes obsessed that it couldn't be that easy and this is all a trap somehow.

[Shinobi Killfist]

The problem with Mundane Spellcasting.. (which btw, is what all spellcasters in SR are doing)
was that it did not protect you from astral space. You glowed like a beacon, and every spell you cast had a chance for you to get horror marked. You also took damage (read drain) for casting a spell using mundane spellcasting.

Wizards, Elementalist, Illusionists and Nethermancers had a special magical version of spellcasting, and used Spell Matrixes to hold their spells, and protect them from astral space. Purifying the corruption and meaning that any spell cast by them did 1 strain (about 1/2 a drain) though it wasn't resistable.

Yeah I loved it. I just wanted to point out that it was possible to cast spells through skills for mundanes. Only the insane or dumb would do so, but it is possible.

[Semerkhet]

One thing I dug was the magic item system. To quote the wiki, "One of the most innovative ideas in Earthdawn is how magical items work. At first, most magical items work exactly like a mundane item of the same type. As a character searches for information about the item's history, performs certain tasks relating to that history, and spends legend points to activate the item, he unlocks some of the magic in the item. As the character learns more about the item and its history, he can unlock more and more power within the item.

Each magical item, therefore, is unique by virtue of its history and the scope of its powers. For example, one magical broadsword may have only 4 magical ranks and only increases the damage of the blade. On the other hand the legendary sword Purifier, has 10 magical ranks and grants its wielder numerous powers."

Agreed 100%. I loved this part of the Earthdawn system. I played and ran Earthdawn in 1st edition back in the mid-90s and my only previous fantasy game was the usual suspect. After years of +2 Short Sword it was fabulous to have unique magic items that could, in many cases, increase in utility and potency in concert with the character who possessed it as part of their overall progression. Not to mention loads of story potential in uncovering an item's secrets. I thought Earthdawn was a fabulous game and whenever I finish running my current Shadowrun game I'd probably take a gander at the current Earthdawn edition.

[Angelone]

Earthdawn is a fun game. I love the setting and how they handled the magic items. The only character I remember having was an 8th circle Elven Troubadour who wielded a troll sword I think they were called (basically a huge two-hander).

[sabs]

One of the things I'm workign on addign ito Shadowrun is Threading. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think threading is such a neat, and interesting concept that adds so much to the world.

[Summerstorm]

Hm... people could use magic skills? Hm... i somehow have missed that, when i played, i guess.

Really?

Hm, ah well. As i remember about 15% of the people had magical talent... but not all were adepts, right? Also Dwarves were the "standard" race (as in they were morst numerous and in barsaive provided most stability and economic+political power) and humans were grossly overpowered with their ability to handpick talents of whatever way they wanted. (I loved that)

Also... from circle 11 or so onward the FISTS of warrior counted as siege weaponry? Fun times.

But yeah i LOVE the whole magic concept, threading and names (and the POWER of naming). And also the whole idea of legend points and the ability too pretty much make yourself BETTER by making yourself known. (Which is why troubadours/bards were AWESOME). Only game where the social classes are totally awesome.

Hm... i should get myself into a group sometimes...

[Stormdrake]

What is threading?

[sabs]

threading is the ability to create magical links between 'patterns' (auras) of people, groups, objects, and locations.

You could do things like weave a thread between your str and the pattern of your home city. This would result in your strength being higher when you were in your home city.

Astral perception was way more advanced. In order to use relics/magic items you needed to weave a thread between yourself and the pattern of the weapon. Linking yourself to it.

It's a really neat concept.

[flowswithdrek]

Hm... people could use magic skills? Hm... i somehow have missed that, when i played, i guess.

Really?

Hm, ah well. As i remember about 15% of the people had magical talent... but not all were adepts, right? Also Dwarves were the "standard" race (as in they were morst numerous and in barsaive provided most stability and economic+political power) and humans were grossly overpowered with their ability to handpick talents of whatever way they wanted. (I loved that)

Also... from circle 11 or so onward the FISTS of warrior counted as siege weaponry? Fun times.

But yeah i LOVE the whole magic concept, threading and names (and the POWER of naming). And also the whole idea of legend points and the ability too pretty much make yourself BETTER by making yourself known. (Which is why troubadours/bards were AWESOME). Only game where the social classes are totally awesome.

Hm... i should get myself into a group sometimes...

I must have missed that to

Some magical talents mirror mundane skills such as melee weapons, but talents progress faster. If you have enough legend points (experience) you meditate eight hours and simply increase its rank by one. Skills take longer to learn, weeks and months. Only adepts can use magical talents (which includes spellcasting). There are a few things some non adepts can do such as a farmer using halfmagic to help his crops grow or a smithy using halfmagic to make his forge burn a little hotter but its just really just fluff. Normal people can use day to day magic items as they live in an age of magic after all, items such as magic cooking pots etc.

The fluff in the book states that one in twenty has the potential to become an adept but less that that actually do.

[Shinobi Killfist]

One of the things I'm workign on addign ito Shadowrun is Threading. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think threading is such a neat, and interesting concept that adds so much to the world.

I love threading. Threads to items, locations etc was just awesome.

Heck I even loved spell threading, I think extra time is a better way to balance spells than drain. If it takes 3 actions to pull of the fireball spell if always seemed more profound to me while at the same time giving others enough chances to contribute to the fight. Also unlike SR and multiple actions when I am threading for two rounds so round 3 I can throw the fireball I feel like I am doing something instead of just sitting around for 3 passes waiting for the next CT while all the fast people move around.

[Nath]

You could do things like weave a thread between your str and the pattern of your home city. This would result in your strength being higher when you were in your home city.

Or get inaugurated as President of the UCAS to tap into the mana of a nation to enchant an item that will save the world (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[sabs]

Or get inaugurated as President of the UCAS to tap into the mana of a nation to enchant an item that will save the world (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I'm assuming he became inaugurated as the President of the UCAS to get access to the UCAS Pattern item. This allowed him to weave some threads from it, to an item.. etc.

Threading leads to some coool shit.

if you had an object of great importance of an enemy and you spent karma(lp) to weave threads to it you could get bonuses for fighting that 1 singular enemy.

It was a way to allow characters to buff for for a tough horror fight, without making them super-crazy powerful in every other fight.

[Cheops]

Actually, one of the coolest things I find about threading is Group Patterns and weaving threads to each other to boost abilities. That way a group that had been together for a long time could bolster each other by virtue of Naming their group and learning about each other's Patterns. It can really make a group get attached to each other's characters (pun intended).

[Ascalaphus]

Is this why there's now a Tapestry of Fate in (the White House, IIRC)?

[Wanderer]

IIRC it is also implied in ED books that the mana level is being kept unnaturally high at the level just low enough to keep most Horrors offworld but high enough to use really advanced magic like resurrection spells instead of gradually tapering off. And the cause of this is some big Oricalchum pillars artifact in Thera. And that the metaphysical tension build-up between the natural tendency of the mana cycle and its artificial stabilization is what eventually causes the focal point of the freeze-up, Thera/Atlantis, to explode towards the end of the mana cycle.

[Manunancy]

if you had an object of great importance of an enemy and you spent karma(lp) to weave threads to it you could get bonuses for fighting that 1 singular enemy.

It was a way to allow characters to buff for for a tough horror fight, without making them super-crazy powerful in every other fight.

I hope there's some sort magical condom for this - sticking something of yourself into an Horror sounds like a great way to catch nasty things.

[Stormdrake]

See this is all very cool and really should be worked into shadowrun or maybe a shadowrun game twoo hundred years in the future.