Magic-biased (but non-wizard) culture

[Glorelendil]

Cool, thanks all! It's great to get such a response... mayhap I will spend some time working on the other Lore ideas. Plants seems feasible and there's some precedent for Fire, but Ice seems on shakier ground. Anybody got any suggestions for those or for other Lores?

I'd do water instead of ice.

[zedturtle]

I'd do water instead of ice.

Any thought on spells? Purify is pretty obvious (and suitably low key) but maybe something like Ulmo's ability to gather tidings from upstream or Elrond/Gandalf's ability to cause floods?

[Southron]

Perhaps healing.

Maybe one reduces fatigue, one removes shadow, and one heals endurance. Perhaps you could use a quote from where Glorfindel heals Frodo before the flight to the ford, Elrond's healing Frodo at Rivendell, Aragorn's application of Kingsfoil, or Gandalf mentioning he healed the King of the Eagles.

[Southron]

For fire,

One for casting a light spell, as Gandalf in Moria. One for setting things on fire like Gandalf did with the pine cones in the Hobbit, and finally one that reduces the hate score of adversaries. I am thinking of Gandalf's ray of light shot at the Nazgul when he rode to rescue Faramir.

[Southron]

I also like the idea that though the Maia may have had access to all spells that the human mage is limited to one path.

Maybe when one starts to follow a magical path they gain an additional trait suitable to their path. So, for healing they could gain Hardy or Robust.

[Glorelendil]

"Sooth" and "Incite" River Spirit?

[zedturtle]

"Sooth" and "Incite" River Spirit?

Hmmm... maybe, but doesn't seem quite right.Plus, it'd only be applicable if there was a River Spirit. We could declare that every river has a spirit, but that doesn't quite sit right with me either.

[zedturtle]

Perhaps healing.

Maybe one reduces fatigue, one removes shadow, and one heals endurance. Perhaps you could use a quote from where Glorfindel heals Frodo before the flight to the ford, Elrond's healing Frodo at Rivendell, Aragorn's application of Kingsfoil, or Gandalf mentioning he healed the King of the Eagles.

Okay, below is what I've got. I didn't do anything for Fatigue, since there are other ways to handle that (removing your helm, removing armour after a battle, etc.)

---

The Lore of Healing
With this lore, a character becomes a master of the healing arts and knows many secrets once known only to wise-women and other worthies. In time, the character call treat wounds quickly, ease pain to allow a companion more energy and even save a dying character whilst in the crush of battle. You must choose one spell when you first select this Virtue, and you may learn a new one by spending one Experience point as your undertaking during a Fellowship phase.

The Hands of a Healer
He sat down on the ground, and taking the dagger-hilt laid it on his knees, and sang over it a slow song in a strange tongue. Then setting it aside, he turned to Frodo and in a soft tone spoke words the others could not catch.

If you have access to the weapon that caused a Wound to a companion, you may spend a point of Hope to invoke this spell. The wound now counts as treated. You must be able to tend to the wounded person without distraction for several minutes.

The Easing of Pain
But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; a little warmth crept down from his shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier. The dusk of evening seemed to grow lighter about him, as if a cloud had been withdrawn. He saw his friend's face more clearly again, and a measure of new hope and strength returned.

You may spend a short rest time with a Weary or Wounded companion. If you spend a point of Hope, the companion receives a number of temporary Endurance points equal to their Body score. At the next prolonged rest, these temporary points are lost and the hero will gain their normal amount of permanent points (see Getting Better for more details). These temporary points might be sufficient to make a character no longer Weary.

Battle Leech-craft
'Are there no leeches among you? She is hurt, to the death maybe, but I deem she yet lives.' And he held the bright-burnished vambrace that was upon his arm before her cold lips, and behold! a little mist was laid on it, hardly to be seen.

It you are in a Defensive Close-Combat stance, you may forsake all of your actions for a round and spend a point of Hope. If you do so, a Dying companion may be stabilized during the battle. The wounded character is still vulnerable to Coup de Grâce attacks.

---

As you can see, Hands of a Healer (and Battle Leech-Craft) is mechanically equivalent to a player making a Healing skill roll and needing to spend Hope to make it succeed. In other words, powerful enough in the beginning but a character with Healing 3 or 4 is almost a good as the mage.

Easing of Pain is a little more powerful and a bit more wonky. As always, feedback on everything most appreciated!

[Southron]

Perhaps healing.

Maybe one reduces fatigue, one removes shadow, and one heals endurance. Perhaps you could use a quote from where Glorfindel heals Frodo before the flight to the ford, Elrond's healing Frodo at Rivendell, Aragorn's application of Kingsfoil, or Gandalf mentioning he healed the King of the Eagles.

Okay, below is what I've got. I didn't do anything for Fatigue, since there are other ways to handle that (removing your helm, removing armour after a battle, etc.)

---

The Lore of Healing
With this lore, a character becomes a master of the healing arts and knows many secrets once known only to wise-women and other worthies. In time, the character call treat wounds quickly, ease pain to allow a companion more energy and even save a dying character whilst in the crush of battle. You must choose one spell when you first select this Virtue, and you may learn a new one by spending one Experience point as your undertaking during a Fellowship phase.

The Hands of a Healer
He sat down on the ground, and taking the dagger-hilt laid it on his knees, and sang over it a slow song in a strange tongue. Then setting it aside, he turned to Frodo and in a soft tone spoke words the others could not catch.

If you have access to the weapon that caused a Wound to a companion, you may spend a point of Hope to invoke this spell. The wound now counts as treated. You must be able to tend to the wounded person without distraction for several minutes.

The Easing of Pain
But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; a little warmth crept down from his shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier. The dusk of evening seemed to grow lighter about him, as if a cloud had been withdrawn. He saw his friend's face more clearly again, and a measure of new hope and strength returned.

You may spend a short rest time with a Weary or Wounded companion. If you spend a point of Hope, the companion receives a number of temporary Endurance points equal to their Body score. At the next prolonged rest, these temporary points are lost and the hero will gain their normal amount of permanent points (see Getting Better for more details). These temporary points might be sufficient to make a character no longer Weary.

Battle Leech-craft
'Are there no leeches among you? She is hurt, to the death maybe, but I deem she yet lives.' And he held the bright-burnished vambrace that was upon his arm before her cold lips, and behold! a little mist was laid on it, hardly to be seen.

It you are in a Defensive Close-Combat stance, you may forsake all of your actions for a round and spend a point of Hope. If you do so, a Dying companion may be stabilized during the battle. The wounded character is still vulnerable to Coup de Grâce attacks.

---

As you can see, Hands of a Healer (and Battle Leech-Craft) is mechanically equivalent to a player making a Healing skill roll and needing to spend Hope to make it succeed. In other words, powerful enough in the beginning but a character with Healing 3 or 4 is almost a good as the mage.

Easing of Pain is a little more powerful and a bit more wonky. As always, feedback on everything most appreciated!

I think you have found your niche in life.

[Robin Smallburrow]

zedturtle

out of curiosity, what did you think of my attempt to provide a universal magic system?

I think your ideas make sense, but the problem with them (as with most fan attempts) is that they don't address what I tried to do: provide a universal explanation for magic. So for example your 'Lore of Healing' - as a cultural virtue how does it differ from other types of healing?? In my system I explained the difference between a 'spell' and a 'magical virtue or ability' - I don't see this here.

Robin S