Quote:
Originally Posted by Puck
I have been thinking a lot about a similar type of runic magic for BRP. What I am messing with right now is:
1.Runes are mystic symbols/writing representing and element/idea/concept giving individuals power in the form of spells (not chunks of bark that appear where people die).
2. Characters must attune or bond themselves to a particular rune. The process requires a teacher and costs the user 1pt. of power. Characters can attune themselves to more than one rune.
3. The character can then learn spells related to the particular rune. Spells must be learned separately but are all cast under the same skill. Skill begins at casters Int. Each Rune realm would have a number of spells, perhaps 4-10 (I am guessing here) that could be cast with the same runic skill.
4. Different Guilds, Cults, Societies could claim mastery over one or more runes. Some Societies may have different spells than others even though they may use the same rune (They use the rune differently).
I have not worked out whether Magic or Sorcery spells would work best for the base as this rune system is a bit of a bastardization of both. I have played around with this a little with Wealding (tree rune) magic and Totemist (animal rune) magic over in the Shared-world corner, but there I still used the sorcery system and made it very simple.
It seems like with BRP a lot could be done with this with very little work.
|
1. While I like the idea of a written, or carved rune, allowing access to the Rune power through Similarity or other magical law, I think that the Runes themselves should be scattered about the land, in appropriate places. I model it on (a probably warped view of) the Australian legends of the Dreamtime, and think of the Runes being embodied in specific places in the world. Go to the power spot to bind the rune. As a GM I like the ready-made quests that this creates.
2. I agree about binding multiple runes. I've played with multiple levels of binding, ultimately leading to mastery and apotheosis, sort of a "There can be only one" as the ultimate power play for characters that want to own a rune.
3. Somewhere I've seen a classification of spells based on Runes, which could be a good jumping-off point for you. Unless a web search (or this list) comes up with it, I'm not sure I can dig it up.
Magic vs. Sorcery: I wanted a "you can do anything but it's going to cost you" system that evolved from RQ3 Sorcery. But I think it could also, and maybe more easily, be modeled on Magic: Each time you bind a rune, you get a new spell that takes free INT.
Steve