GURPS 4th edition. Thaumatology

✍ Scribed by Phil Masters

• Publisher: Steve Jackson Games Incorporated
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 275
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/thaumatology/

✦ Table of Contents

Introduction
About This Book
Publication History
About GURPS
About the Author
1. What is Magic?
The Idea of Magic
Magic Seen as Real
Magic in Fiction
Words for Magic
Conceptions of Magic
Magic as a Cookbook
Academic Terminology
Magic as Engineering
Magic as Art
Magic as Negotiation
Magical Invention
Magic as Divine Favor
Magic as Reality-Shaping
Sources of Magic
The Laws of Nature
Places of Power
Gods and Spirits
Ethical Magic
Colors of Magic
Subjective Reality
Laws of Magic
Magic-Workers
Natural Ability
Dumb Luck
Secret Supernatural Favor
Supernatural Inspiration
Education
Physical Initiation
2. Minor Spell Variants
Limited and Modified Magery
Wizardly Weaknesses
Special Limitations
Visible Magical Gifts
Spell Signatures
Other Appropriate Limitations
Unusable Prerequisites
Buying Off Limitations on Magery
Magery With Enhancements
The Unarmored Wizard
Magic Based on Other Attributes
Problems and Solutions
Critical Successes With Spells
Critical Magical Failures and Luck
Changing the Spells
Banning Spells
Secret and Lost Spells
Changing Specific Spells
Fearsome Magic
Shapeshifters’ Choices
Minor System Tweaks
Conditional Negation
Minor System Additions
Trading Energy for Speed and Skill
Capping Spell Skill Levels
Skill-Based Limits
Skills to Salvage Critical Failures
Magery-Based Limits
Changing the Colleges
Example: Tree Magic
The Ogham Alphabet
Alternative Elements
Elements and Medicine
Ethics and Spells
Suggested Spells
Enegry Sources
Extra Fatigue
Familiars
Energy Other Than Fatigue
Powerstones
Mass Magic
Alternative Power Stores
Static Power Supplies
Meditation, Holiness, or Study
Ley Spells
Sacrifices
Sacrifice Values and Character Points
Spell Slots
Mana
Mana Levels
Non-Mages Casting in Lower-Mana Areas
Mana-Related Traits
Technology Disrupts Magic?
Eliminating Mana
Magic Resistance and the Mage
Magic Addiction
3. Major Variations
Clerics and Magery 0
Varieties of Magery
Clerical Spell-Magic
Clerical Spells
Requirements
Power Investiture (Shamanic)
Ceremonial Castings
Sanctity
Priestly Spell Lists
Critical Failures on Clerical Magic
Example: The Temple of Hephaestus
Priest-Wizards
Ritual Magic
The Prerequisite Count
Strange Paths
Extending the Rule of 20
No Defaults to Core Skill
Ceremonial Castings
Known and Unknown Techniques
Alternative Core Skills
Divine Ritual Magic
Wildcard Colleges
Combining Ritual and Spell Magic
Threshold-Limited Magic
The Power Tally
Thresholds and Calamities
Adjusting the Numbers
New Advantages
New Magery Limitations
Magic Items
Thresholds and “Energy Spells”
Options and Considerations
Use With Standard Spellcasting
Clerics and Threshold-Based Magic
Use With Ritual Magic
Mandatory and Significant Modifiers
Using the Concept
Ceremonial-Only Casting
Astrological Modifiers
Example: The Cabal
Chinese Symbolism
Magical Laws
Casting Interdimensionally
Universes Where “Distance” Is Meaningless
Other Potential Modifiers
Modifiers and Magic Items
The Voodoo Doll
Example: A Modified Casting
Assisting Spirits
The Concept
The Agreement
The Casting
The Price of Power
Starting With Spirit-Assisted Magic
4. Material Magic
Inherent Magic
Materials for Wizards
Celtic Tree Talismans
Natural Medicines
Magic-Rich Minerals
Mana Organs
Gemstones
Alchemy
Concepts of Alchemy
Alchemy and Special Modifiers
Schools of Alchemy
Laboratory Procedures
Alchemical Inventions
Alchemical Gadgeteering
Herb Lore
Herb Uses and Rarities
Consuming Multiple Elixirs
Alchemy and Medicine
Enchanting Items
The Standard System
Elixir Delivery Methods
Lend Skill in Items
Enchantment Through Age
Activating Items
Enchantment Through Deeds
Devotional Enchantment
Magic Items as Advantages
Advantages
Enhancements
Limitations
Disadvantages
Interactions
Examples
Power Talents and Gadget Items
Item Drawbacks and Personalities
Restricted Items
Willful and Sapient Items
New Disadvantages for Items
Weapon-Form Modifiers
Example: The Silver Harp
5. Paths and Books
Essential Principles
Effect Shaping Theory
Paths vs. Books
Books, Hidden in Plain Sight
Path/Book Ritual Terminology
Path/Book Advantages
Other Appropriate Traits
“Mystic Symbol” Advantages
Path/Book Magic in Operation
Learning Path/Book Magic
Magical Steps
Extended Rule of 20 – Again
Ritual Space and Sanctity
Ritual Space and Mana
Aspected Space
Elements
Ritual Parameters
Decanic Modifiers and Rituals
Combined Efforts
Multiple Simultaneous Effects
Effect Shaping in Operation
Path/Book Ritual Magic as Religious Ritual
Energy Accumulating Magic
Energy Accumulating in Operation
Learning Outside Your Tradition
Options and Variations
Conditional Rituals
Combined Ceremonies
Sensing Ritual Attacks
Canceling and Dispelling Effects
Path/Book-Related Items
Backlash: Instant Karma
Alternatives to Ritual Magic Skill
Paths
The Path of Cunning
The Path of Dreams
The Path of the Elements
The Path of Form
The Path of Gadgets
The Path of Health
The Path of Knowledge
The Path of Luck
“Routine Magic” Paths
The Path of Nature
The Path of Protection
Path/Book Ritual Magic and Spirits
The Path of Spirit
Fetishes
Example Books
The Book of the Names of the Dead
Book Titles
Gentle Arts of the Floating World
The Deeper Principia, Annotated
Writing New Books
6. Flexible Magic
Simple Flexible Magic
Effect Class
Symbol Magic
Selecting a Symbolic Lexicon
Symbol Magery
Example Lexicons
The Futhark Runes
Working the Magic
How Symbol Drawing Works
Recognizing Intent and Capability
Energy Cost
Symbol-Based Enchantment
Example: Improvisational Symbol-Castings
Symbol Magic: Variations
Ideogram Symbols
Whole-Language Symbol Magic
Knot-Symbol Magic
Words of Power
Syntactic Magic: Overview
Dividing Up the Universe
Syntactic Workings
Parameters
Casting Time
Distraction
Syntactics Magic: Verbs and Nouns
Capping Syntactic Magic
Suggested Verbs and Nouns
Defining Castings
Ogham Verbs and Nouns
Working the Effect
Example: Verb-Noun Working
Verb-Noun Enchantment
Syntactic Magic: Realms and Power
Defining the Realms
Defining Effects
Realms as Powers
Performing the Working
Example: Realm-Based Working
Realm-Based Enchantment
Syntactic Magic: Special Cases and Options
Practices
Techniques
Errors and Side Effects: Reality Bites Back
Countermagic
Disregarding Energy Costs
Linked Workings
Collaboration
GMing Syntactic Magic
7. Magic is Power
Unusual Background (Supernatural Ancestry)
Magical Advantages
Talents as Magic
Magic and Modifiers
New Enhancements
New Limitations
Affliction: The Evil Eye
Powers
Supernatural Powers in Play
Supernatural Creature Abilities
Gods and Arch-Devils
Sample Powers
Bardic Arts
Elemental Command
Personal Holiness
High Craft Powers
Plane-Walking
Reincarnation
Shamanism
Chi Control Powers
Soothsaying
Freeform Folkloric Magic
Mortals with Supernatural Servants
Summoning and Binding
Supernatural Allies and Patrons
“The Lord Gave, and the Lord Hath Taken Away”
Spirit Vessels
Template Features
Templates and Personal Abilities
Limiting the Advantage
Sample Spirit Vessel Packages
Becoming the God
8. Games of High Enchantment
Magical Campaigns
Magical Adventures
Research Games
Magic in Society
Magic of Mass Destruction
Magical Imagery
"Subtle, and Quick to Anger"
Identification and Recruitment
Study vs. Field Experience
Magical Society
Interactions Between Magic Systems
The Lab-Rat Problem
Transformations
Game Mechanics
Themes and Variations
Announcing Curses
Otherworldly Entanglements
Asking for Higher Favors
The Stuff of Raw Magic
Insubstantial Beings Affecting the Material World
Magic Is Psi
Four-Color Wizards
Power Tends to Corrupt
Worked Examples
The People of the Ocean
Recreating Magic from Fiction
The Wisdom of the Ancient Seers
Mystic Chinoiserie
The Gem Injection Problem
Changing Magic
Appendix A: Magical Modifiers
Magical Scope Parameters
Variant Durations: Conditional Termination
Sympathy
Traditional Materials
Names
Contagion
Sacrifice Bonuses
Significant Dates
Hermetic Astrology
The Sephiroth
The Hebrew Alphabet
Chinese Mystical Modifiers
Appendix B: Alternative Critical Failure Tables
Appendix C: Spell Prerequisite Counts
Bibliography
Index

✦ Subjects

GURPS