Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 04:02 PM
Yeah....sex, drugs and rock n roll....here we go:
New Path of Magic
Name: The Bards / Artists Way
Mentor-spirits:
Versions of Sun, Erzulie, Phoenix, The wise warrior, Fire-bringer, Dragonslayer, Seductress
(thought they fit best to the concept, but with a proper explanation, many others would fit, too)
Drain: Willpower + Charisma
Type: Possession OR Materialization (choose at CG)
Combat: Riot Spirit (Guardian, shows himself as bouncer, samurai, warrior-poet, etc.)
Detection: Music Legend (Guidance)
Health: Random other ghost (GM-choice, changes every time summoned)
Illusion: Drug-Spirit (Man)
Manipulation: Musician Spirit (Task)
I want to thank Blade foremost for the terrific inspiration. If he want´s to join, i would say this is his baby as well.
Please place your comments about this, i really would like to get it balanced.
Blade
Jul 27 2009, 04:10 PM
My original write-up in the bard-build topic:
QUOTE
Here is the punk tradition from my punk campaign:
For many Awakened, the Punk tradition is a joke. For them, Punk mages are just shamans who see their totem through their own culture. But for other Awakened, the Punk tradition does exist: the mystic trips of punk legends may not have been all because of drugs. And after all, why shouldn't a cultural movement, nearly a century old, with a huge impact on the collective mind and its own vision of the world, couldn't have what it takes to form a magic tradition? Finally, as other Awakened put it: 'If rastas have their own tradition, why can't we have ours?'
Anway, the fact is that there are mages out there who are said to belong to the punk tradition (most of them won't acknowledge it, they don't fit in any of your fucking categories!) and they can use magic just like any other Awakened.
It's hard to tell what the core beliefs and philosophy of punk magic is. Each Punk mage has his own, and you can't get two of them to agree on what it is. Most of the time, they'll end up fighting each other or/and drinking beer and taking drugs while talking about something completely different. There are still some things that are common between a lot of Punk mages: their rituals involve drinking beer, taking drug, listening to/playing punk music and insulting people and the Society. When summoning spirits, they don't really negotiate for a number of services: they ask something, a spirit answers their summoning (if the mage is powerful enough) and then it might do what the mage ask or might do something completely different. Another difference is the force of their spells and spirits: most punk mages don't want to restrict magic and will cast their spell and summon their spirit at the force 'the magic wants'. (In game, they roll the force: if the mage has rating 3 magic, he rolls 1d6, if he has rating 4 he rolls 1d8 and so on).
Drain: Willpower+Charisma
Type: Materialization ("I'm the master of my own body, I'm not letting anyone possess me!")
Domains:
Combat: Riot Spirit (Fire)
Detection: Punk-legend Spirit (Guide)
Health: Beer Spirit (Water)
Illusion: Drug Spirit (Plant)
Manipulation: Musician Spirit (Artisan)
(And don't forget to have your totem send a weird naked indian to take you to a metaplan to meet Jim Morisson...)
booher
Jul 27 2009, 04:18 PM
Well if you make it possession and give him access to a guardian spirit for combat purposes this tradition could easily be used to devastate in physical combat. That doesn't seem to fit in too well with the artist theme if you ask me.
Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 04:24 PM
If i unleash a guardian spirit materialized at him, it wouldn´t fit, too^^ But if the guardian spirit takes elemental attack and a sonic-beam, it looks a little bit different....hmmm...now that you bring me on this idea...he could also just scream...cool. Thanks
But if you think this doesn´t fit, just check Blades explanation. If i remember right, there are often riots at (especially) hard rock and punk festivals. And don´t forget the chaos-days in germany....punk-made....if you take punks related to radical left-winged.
@blade: i love to go on my first metaplane-run....for the first time i can´t look forward.^^
Blade
Jul 27 2009, 04:29 PM
QUOTE ("Wikipedia @ on Atari Teenage Riot")
Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 04:38 PM
Just burned some aaaeeehmm....incents for celebrating. ^^
InfinityzeN
Jul 27 2009, 05:39 PM
If he is a heavy metal/death metal/speed metal type, then hell yea he can have a kick ass possession spirit. Need those fire effects too, what would a metal concert be without fire pots going off and huge flashes of light to match the throbing bass and screaming lead?
Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 06:14 PM
Yeah....groovy. The idea is getting better and better.
MondoTrasho
Jul 27 2009, 06:44 PM
The user Medecineman had a similar but more general approach for something like this on the german forums, so anyone interested might want do drop him a message.
TBRMInsanity
Jul 27 2009, 07:16 PM
This tradition reminds me so much of Brutal Legend (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BCtal_Legend ). Heavy Metal RULES!!!!
Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 07:23 PM
So nobody has a problem with the "random" spirit?
Zaranthan
Jul 27 2009, 07:34 PM
It's risky. I wouldn't mind it if the player was a good sport about taking the chance element in stride, but if he resummoned spirits until he got the one he wanted, and the GM let him, I'd be pretty cheesed off.
The spell force needs a little control as well. Maybe have a chance the force will come out +/-2 from what the mage intended, but having zero control at all is just plain useless. If you overkill with a stunball, you're hurt, but okay. If you get dealt a force 1 control emotions, you're probably screwed.
Machiavelli
Jul 27 2009, 07:59 PM
I don´t get your point about spell-force. I think i missed something.^^ What do you mean?
booher
Jul 27 2009, 08:05 PM
Well yes I will agree that the guardian spirit fits with the punk aspect, but bard was still implanted in my mind, which is why I was thinking it fits less, for punk it works fine I believe.
How similar do you intend this to be to the punk tradition blade listed?
TBRMInsanity
Jul 27 2009, 08:33 PM
I like Blade's suggestion to use a Beer Spirit (Water Spirit) instead. It just seems to fit better then a random spirit. Otherwise as a GM I could do some evil #@$% like have an insect spirit be called. It is best to have a defined boundary.
Machiavelli
Jul 28 2009, 09:12 AM
If we are talking about the punk-tradition in special, a beer-spirit would fit better. True. But Punk is just a version of music, so this would be too specified for me. Therefore i made it "music" and not only "punk" and here every music-direction has his own traditions and views. Beer would just be too specified.
Blade
Jul 28 2009, 10:03 AM
The Bard's Way
Music have been with metahumanity since the very first ages. Music moves the spirit of metahumans from every culture. Music can make you move, music can make you laugh or cry, music heals, music is magic, magic is music.
Just like each culture will have its own music, each culture will have its own bards. Some of them will be aware of their magical abilities while other will consider that it's the work of their music, of their muses or of their music god. Most of mages following the Bard's way have to play music in order to cast spells or summon spirits, but this is actually a Geas that they inflict themselves without realizing it and some Bards are actually able to cast without having to play music, though they'll often play it inside their head.
Even if the Bard's vision will depend on its culture, there are still some common elements between bards of all culture, beside their use of music. As could be expected, art, emotion and creativity is central in their beliefs. Most of them feel mana as noise or raw sound input that they shape into effects with rhythm and harmony. They also often refer to "muses" that can be mythical creatures or legendary musicians of their musical culture.
A lot of Bards also put an emphasis on other aspects of life, such as love and celebration.
Drain: Willpower + Charisma
Type: Possession OR Materialization. Depending on their culture, some bards are possessed by the spirits or music or dance while other draw spirits in our plane with their music.
Combat: War-music Spirit (Guardian) - Percussions
Detection: Muse or Music Legend (Guidance) - Voice
Health: Drug spirit (Plant) - Strings
Illusion: Wind Spirit (the wind carries music but can also change it or fake it) - Woodwind
Manipulation: Musician Spirit (Task) - Dance
Machiavelli
Jul 28 2009, 06:51 PM
Ah, you came right before me. I was planning to make it a little bit "more detailed" too, but had no time up to now. *sniff* Ok, now that we know that we are crazy....ever thought about another tradition? Something like....aeeehmmm...JEDI?^^ I think an fire spirit with energy aura, would be able to create an amazing light-sword.^^
HappyDaze
Jul 28 2009, 10:36 PM
QUOTE
Something like....aeeehmmm...JEDI?^^ I think an fire spirit with energy aura, would be able to create an amazing light-sword.^^
One of my players just did this with a Psionic tradition Mystic Adept. He's a bit of a pyrokinetic, and with the Possession 'spirits' he Channels, he's pretty nasty. He developed a Mageblde spell (personal physical manipulation) to get him a sustained blade to use as well.
Machiavelli
Jul 29 2009, 05:53 AM
I will prepare the tradition on the weekend when i have more time. It would be great if your player (or you) could poste his "tradition"-details. This would save a lot of work and provide inspiration.^^
Machiavelli
Jul 30 2009, 04:33 PM
Because i am no friend of overspecialized concepts, i overthought the whole thing a little bit. For me, artists see the world mainly through emotions, therefore this is the source of their inspiration. Being an artist is also something that is completely connected to humanity, something exclusive if you might want to say. Because of this, i planned the path around things that makes mankind "go on", the wish to be creative and willing to take burdens on themselves just to see what is behind the next corner.
Drain: Willpower + Charisma
Type: Possession OR Materialization (choose at CG)
Combat: Anger (Guardian)
Detection: Inspiration (Guidance)
Health: Drugs (Random other ghost - GM-choice, changes every time summoned)
Illusion: Love (Man)
Manipulation: Talent (Task)
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