For me, the qabbalistic tradition's cool, it's possession and logic-based. I also like the Norse one; runes kick ass. Voodoo's fun. And of course, I'm partial towards Wuxing, but that's just because I'm Chinese.
I'd like for there to be a Qlippothic one, though, based on summoning demons. That would also rock.
Full Version: What's your favorite magical tradition?
Wow... You asked a question without attaching a poll to it... I'm floored.
Too many traditions.
And how about answering the question?
And how about answering the question?
I like the gun toatting, sword swinging, grenade launching, fully augmented cyberzombitized street samurai tradition? does that count? if not I like the Technomancer tradition seeing as how they are really just another form of awakened magic users themselves!
In my current group, we have a traditional shaman and a Tir Shaman.
Tir Shaman's spirits are Guardian / Fire / Plant / Guidance / Task.
Tis a homemade tradition, but seemed more in tune with elves.
Tir Shaman's spirits are Guardian / Fire / Plant / Guidance / Task.
Tis a homemade tradition, but seemed more in tune with elves.
The Draconic tradition of course.
Ummm.. details about the Draconic tradition?
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| Ummm.. details about the Draconic tradition? |
The short version, I'm really busy this morning. No flavor text for you.
Combat: Fire
Detection: Air
Health: Beast
Illusion: Water
Manipulation: Earth
Drain: Willpower+Intuition
Voodoo is probably my favorite, conceptually. That or Christian, because I'm a sucker for Christian mythos.
My characters tend towards Buddhist or Wicca, because using Intuition for a drain stat is just a good thing.
My characters tend towards Buddhist or Wicca, because using Intuition for a drain stat is just a good thing.
I have a lot of favorites -
Hermeticism: Because I love the analytic approach of Renewed Hermeticism.
Shamanism: Particularly Amerind shamanism, because I love the way it interacts with the North American continent, which I love as well.
Aztec Magic: Because it's like an "exotic" take on shamanism.
Black Magic: For the rebel in me.
But most of all, Chaos Magic: Because of that real world connection. Besides, what other tradition lets you steal ideas and style from every other tradition on a whim? The runner ideal manifest in metaphysics
Hermeticism: Because I love the analytic approach of Renewed Hermeticism.
Shamanism: Particularly Amerind shamanism, because I love the way it interacts with the North American continent, which I love as well.
Aztec Magic: Because it's like an "exotic" take on shamanism.
Black Magic: For the rebel in me.
But most of all, Chaos Magic: Because of that real world connection. Besides, what other tradition lets you steal ideas and style from every other tradition on a whim? The runner ideal manifest in metaphysics
I'm a big fan of the Norse tradition, I just love summoning Guardian Spirits that look like Valkyries and making them attack people. You're my einherjar now, bitches!
Toaster shaman, anyone?
In all seriousness, Chaos Magic rocks the house on account of trying to be the machine code of magic.
In all seriousness, Chaos Magic rocks the house on account of trying to be the machine code of magic.
i love shamnistic magic as i really like the idea of the totem, or mentor spirit guiding the character (and being a handy plot hook from the gms point of view) hermetic magic is cool to...i really have always enjoyed the idea of looking at magic as a science, but overall shamanism is where its at, although i prefer the animal totems of old and am not so psyched on the new shaman rules such that they dont need to choose a totem, what is a shaman anyway without its totem, im not trying to be cocky, ust actually wondering...
toxic shamanic magic is my favorite. I love me some poisoners.
To play, though, 4th edition voodoo is totally sweet, esp. with all the awesomeness in street magic.
Traditional Amerind shamanic magic is a close, close second. It really resonates with me as an artist. A shaman that doesn't take a totem will probably still have a patron spirit, just not one that they commune with personally. They would need to rely more on their community for learning and understanding. They're also probably a lot more down to earth and less prone to crazy talk than others.
To play, though, 4th edition voodoo is totally sweet, esp. with all the awesomeness in street magic.
Traditional Amerind shamanic magic is a close, close second. It really resonates with me as an artist. A shaman that doesn't take a totem will probably still have a patron spirit, just not one that they commune with personally. They would need to rely more on their community for learning and understanding. They're also probably a lot more down to earth and less prone to crazy talk than others.
| QUOTE (whitezero) |
| ... what is a shaman anyway without its totem ... |
A character with 5 BP to spend?
voodoo, definitely voodoo.
possession (I still think it's overpowered, but I'll deal with playing it.)
Guardian spirits, guidance spirits, task spirits, spirits of man, what more could you ask for, someone to totally buff you out(guardian), cast spellss better than you can (man) do techno stuff better than yucan (task) and send you on a metaplanar quest and provide divination for ya (guidance) Yeah water spirits are good too.
Then you get to use charisma as your drain stat, awesome, I'm an elf (in this campaign.)
Zombies, fucking zombies man what more can I say.
possession (I still think it's overpowered, but I'll deal with playing it.)
Guardian spirits, guidance spirits, task spirits, spirits of man, what more could you ask for, someone to totally buff you out(guardian), cast spellss better than you can (man) do techno stuff better than yucan (task) and send you on a metaplanar quest and provide divination for ya (guidance) Yeah water spirits are good too.
Then you get to use charisma as your drain stat, awesome, I'm an elf (in this campaign.)
Zombies, fucking zombies man what more can I say.
Chaos magic
| QUOTE (fistandantilus3.0) |
| Chaos magic |
Why?
The variety. I like the idea of a character keeping lore on his PDA, but not being all snobby that "my magical tradition is right". I guess that's the main thing. I se it as more open minded, not so exclusive/snobby. I dig the idea of a guy going over a grimoire one day, and chilling with a bunch of shamans in a sweat tent the next.
Obviously, I need to re-read the Chaos Magic section. 
Published? Hedge witchcraft. Pansy Wiccans got nothing on these witches, and it's a possession tradition to boot. Possession is fun.
So fun, in fact, that I asked "Why can't I be possessed by a fire elemental?" and made my own tradition called the elementalist. (Yes, I know Quabbalists can be possessed by fire elementals. They aren't any fun.) The elementalist has:
Combat Fire
Detection Air
Health Earth
Illusion Man
Manipulation Water
Willpower + Intuition
Possession tradition.
It focuses on the idea that the universe is made up of the 4 classical elements, and that People are as well. letting a spirit possess you is really just letting the raw nature of that element come forth from within yourself. All magic is accomplished through tapping the proper element. Illusion magic is linked with spirits of man because only man is capable of lying. Elementalist rarely ever learn illusion or summon spirits of man.
But honestly? Hedge witches.
So fun, in fact, that I asked "Why can't I be possessed by a fire elemental?" and made my own tradition called the elementalist. (Yes, I know Quabbalists can be possessed by fire elementals. They aren't any fun.) The elementalist has:
Combat Fire
Detection Air
Health Earth
Illusion Man
Manipulation Water
Willpower + Intuition
Possession tradition.
It focuses on the idea that the universe is made up of the 4 classical elements, and that People are as well. letting a spirit possess you is really just letting the raw nature of that element come forth from within yourself. All magic is accomplished through tapping the proper element. Illusion magic is linked with spirits of man because only man is capable of lying. Elementalist rarely ever learn illusion or summon spirits of man.
But honestly? Hedge witches.
| QUOTE |
| QUOTE (whitezero) ... what is a shaman anyway without its totem ... A character with 5 BP to spend? |
true lol!
| QUOTE (fistandantilus3.0 @ Nov 7 2006, 09:18 PM) |
| The variety. I like the idea of a character keeping lore on his PDA, but not being all snobby that "my magical tradition is right". I guess that's the main thing. I se it as more open minded, not so exclusive/snobby. I dig the idea of a guy going over a grimoire one day, and chilling with a bunch of shamans in a sweat tent the next. |
Amen!
I absolutely love Chaos Magic. I'm a sucker for all the Great Theories of Everything. Chaos Magic is not merely about using magic to do stuff in the world: it is first and foremost the tradition of choice for the true scientist of magic. (Sorry about the "not being all snobby" part. 
) It has a certain purity that other traditions don't have. Of course, I'd argue that having a more narrowly defined tradition is quite often an advantage, but all the truly interesting stuff comes from the interaction of all those ages-old traditions in what is now an awakened, globalized world.My main SR character is an elven adept who focuses almost as much on magical research and philosophy as he focuses on his physical aptitudes. In SR3, I was working on some houserules for a sort of polytheistic possession tradition (which my adept was [EDIT: researching/developing] in-game) in which my adept would invoke the powers of a totem/mentor spirit to gain access to new powers for a limited period of time (followed with drain). So you can guess how happy I was when I read about Infusion in Street Magic!!! It should be his grade 6 metamagic if/when he gets there.
Other cool traditions (and/or mentor spirits - taking Chaos Magic seriously, symbols are often much more important to me than traditions):
- Black Magic: Because you can never really dismiss it once you've read Nietzche.
- Christian Theurgy: Because angels are too annoyingly cute not to use.
- The Path of the Wheel: Because Tir elves are assholes.
- The Qabbalistic Tradition: Because of all those Illuminati conspiracy theories even today.
- The Zoroastrian Tradition: Because it was the start of both monotheism and moral dualism.
- Wuxing: For Feng Shui (i.e. Geomancy - which is just way too cool.)
- Anything with non-animal mentor spirits: Sun, Mountain, Sea, Wise Warrior, Dark Goddess
- Shamanism - North American or other: Dog, Raven, Snake, Wolf, Owl, and Dragon (obviously).
I think it was Year of the Comet that first described Dragon as a mentor spirit. I don't have the book with me here, so I can't look it up, but it said something along the lines of: Dragons do not attempt to force things to follow certain specific paths; instead, they shape the paths so that all paths will bring things where Dragon wants them. It might sound silly, but these few words mean a lot to me. I think they constitute one of the wisest thing I have ever heard, read or otherwise come across.
Sorry for the long rant, but the topic is just too delicious for me not to indulge.
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