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> Vegetative Totems, More fun with spirit guides...
RangerJoe
post Aug 5 2004, 03:17 PM
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A recent posting at Fark got me thinking about the dearth of vegetative totems. Sure, there’s Oak, but given the importance of plants in human societies, you would think you would see more plant magic. May I therefore suggest:

Totem: Wheatgrass

Benefits: +2 dice to health spells, +1 die to spirits of the land or spirits of man (player’s discretion)

Disadvantages: -1 die to illusion spells (once you start talking up the benefits of wheatgrass, nobody is going to believe anything from you). Wheatgrass shamans must also consume at least 2 oz of wheatgrass a day, or (temporarily) lose one point of magic per day. Once magic points have been lost in this manner, consuming wheatgrass regularly will restore a point of magic for every three days of uninterrupted dosing (2 oz).

Description: Wheatgrass is a totem symbolizing vitality, health, and a resurgence of life. It also represents man’s incessant desire to better himself through external means and strict regimens. Wheatgrass shamans tend to be healers, hippies, and visionaries, however, some follow a twisted path (wheatgrass is subject to dangerous molds) on corruption of the metahuman body and mind.
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Ol' Scratch
post Aug 5 2004, 03:54 PM
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The dietary restriction is silly as is the Magic Loss. I also don't see why they would have any bonus with city, desert, or mountain spirits. Based on your description, the following makes a lot more sense for the totem.

WHEATGRASS
Benefits: +2 dice with health spells and +2 dice with field and prairie spirits.
Disadvantages: -2 dice with combat spells due to the totem's focus on health and vitality.
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John Campbell
post Aug 5 2004, 03:58 PM
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Hmm. I can see a grass shaman, but I wouldn't think of wheatgrass being exactly the type of grass involved...
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RangerJoe
post Aug 5 2004, 04:02 PM
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I like the changes. I just wanted something more unique than the typical "-2 dice for combat spells" usually attributed to more passive totems.

My thinking behind the dietary requirement was that a) wheatgrass abusers are sort of like critters and should be treated as such ( : -) ) and b) it might be interesting to see more totems with built-in geas-like behavior (just thinking about Sun and Moon shamans, for example).

Maybe the reduction in "effective magic points" should instead be a reduction in "effective essence," to better reflect the feelings of "vitality" and "wholeness" attributed to wheatgrass imbibing. Perhaps "effective essence" (not to be confused with virtual essence) could be lost at a rate of 0.25 per day, and rebuilt at a rate of 0.25 per day upon resuming the wheatgrass enriched lifestyle. By knocking out effective essence (the character won't slip into "cybermancy" at 0 effective essence, he just won't be able to cast spells, being effectively mundane) the magic rating will also take a hit in the desired fashion.

I see Wheatgrass as a totem for the effete, wealthy, and wanna-be elven.
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RangerJoe
post Aug 5 2004, 04:03 PM
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Aren't there rastafarian rules? If not, there should be.
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Ol' Scratch
post Aug 5 2004, 04:09 PM
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If you want to force an odd restriction on them, give them the equivalence of the Sensitive System flaw due to the totem's focus on holistic living. You need/should give them some other advantage to offset that as well, though. Maybe the Holistic Medicine knowledge skill at their starting Magic Rating like a Unicorn Shaman? I dunno.
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DeadNeon
post Aug 5 2004, 04:17 PM
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I'm wating for cannibus shamans. They'd all have have dietary requirement: Cheetos, and have to spend no less than four hours a day just sitting around and playing video games. :D
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Pelaka
post Aug 5 2004, 05:40 PM
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Just imagine the shock/awe from your players when they find out the big mysterious villane at the end of the six month plot arc is the horrifying toxic poison ivy shaman!

Pel.
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Apathy
post Aug 5 2004, 06:01 PM
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I think they briefly discuss Rastafarians in MitS. If I remember correctly, they treat smoking ganja as a centering technique and/or geasa.
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Ol' Scratch
post Aug 5 2004, 06:04 PM
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Well, rituals in general. The one time I created one I used it as an Expendable Focus for him, too. Even grew his own "Herbal Raw Materials" to make 'em. :)
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Xirces
post Aug 5 2004, 06:22 PM
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QUOTE (Apathy)
I think they briefly discuss Rastafarians in MitS. If I remember correctly, they treat smoking ganja as a centering technique and/or geasa.

Not exactly - it's mentioned as a possibility, but only if the GM and players think that it's important (read: they can handle it with maturity).

SR (and nearly every RPG world, for that matter) as a whole is very drug-free, presumably the publishers have to be careful about potentially advocating drug use - especially those that equate to RL drugs (there's no pot, coke, speed etc).

Remember there's absolutely nothing wrong with kidnap, murder, theft kids. Just say no to drugs :D

As an aside, Plastic Warriors' (excellent) Running Gear supplement DOES have some of the RL drugs in.
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TinkerGnome
post Aug 5 2004, 06:25 PM
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You know... if there can be a toaster shaman, I guess you can be a shaman of just about anything. Even grass.
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Senchae
post Aug 5 2004, 07:51 PM
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When I saw this topic title I expected a thread about totems that have gone into comas...
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Kanada Ten
post Aug 5 2004, 08:15 PM
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Venus Fly Trap is similar to the Siren totem modifiers and description with a bonus to Swamp Spirits instead of whatever it is. Nightshade might fit with Raven, and Chrysanthemum is perhaps Dragonslayer?
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Ol' Scratch
post Aug 5 2004, 08:17 PM
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I like using Siren for Venus Fly Trap. That's a pretty cool idea.
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Kagetenshi
post Aug 5 2004, 09:04 PM
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With regard to wheatgrass: +1 dice to health spells and the Create Food spell, +1 dice to all spells during the harvest season, -1 dice to all spells during winter? Maybe one more disadvantage of some sort, such as -1 to elemental manips or combat spells?

~J
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mfb
post Aug 5 2004, 09:41 PM
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vegetable totems i want to see: couch potato, bluegrass.
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JaronK
post Aug 5 2004, 10:23 PM
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Carrot totem: +2 for detection spells (carrots are good for vision, right?) -2 for combat spells (Bunnys like carrots, bunnys don't like to fight, so this follows...)

JaronK
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Kagetenshi
post Aug 5 2004, 10:49 PM
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Also, allowed to learn special martial art: Bun Fu.

~J
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RangerJoe
post Aug 5 2004, 11:24 PM
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(Just a note on the veggie path-- I was listening to a pair of vegans today discussing the difficulty of finding good soy cheese, and the joy of tofu quiche, etc. At some point, it became too much, and I turned to them with a wry smile: "It sounds like you're talking about some distopian future where everything is made out of soy.")

Totem: Habanero
Game Effects: +1 die for combat spells, +1 die for elemental manipulation spells. -1 die for detection spells. +1 die for spirits of man. Habanero shamans may go berserk in combat in a similar fashion to Shark, Bear, Gator, (whatever) shamans.
Description: Habanero claims to be the spiciest pepper out there, and regardless of whether or not this is true, Habanero shamans carry the same chip on their shoulder, trying to be the baddest, meanest, most powerful magicians on the street. Habanero shamans are common in rural areas of Aztlan and the southwestern CAS.
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RangerJoe
post Aug 5 2004, 11:25 PM
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Forget blood mages. My next evil Azzie NPC is going to be a habanero initiate.
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Herald of Verjig...
post Aug 6 2004, 06:58 AM
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Blood magic is a metamagic, not an entire tradition. A toxic habañero blood shaman is technically valid (although some would consider habañero to be toxic anyway).
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mfb
post Aug 6 2004, 07:05 AM
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bah. they just don't have the stomach for what habanero represents!
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Herald of Verjig...
post Aug 6 2004, 07:12 AM
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And most people don't have the stomach for what Baron Samedi, Mosquito, and Sangre del Diablos represent either.
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BGMFH
post Aug 6 2004, 07:14 AM
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QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Also, allowed to learn special martial art: Bun Fu.

And also gains aptitude: Switch blade and Aptitude: Taking over Holidays
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