Other possible power sources

[Baby Samurai]

Where exactly do Rogues fit into the Arcane/Divine/Martial hierachy?

They've stated that the Rogue's source of power is Martial.

 

[Baby Samurai]

…Exalted? My source of power is this stick up my ass.

 

[Andor]

Gasoline. Gasoline powered characters will kick butt.

And then you introduce the new Athas where long term use of gasoline has destroyed the ecology, the world is a wasteland, but the is new hope in the form of green powered heroes (biofueled halflings, battery powered gnomes, etc) who fight the Gas Lords.



Personally I think an aura is an effect, not a source. And I suspect you'll see the warlord useing them right out of the gate with 4ed.

I would like to see the return of the Binder, I love that class. Artificers will no doubt return in Eberron 4 along with their gasoline powered warforged henchmen.

Truenames are cool in theory but no one has yet done a good adaptation of them to an RPG. And, frankly they probably fold into the existing arcane source.

Remember that these 3 power sources are actually pretty broad. Divine covers the gifts of Gods, the Power of Nature (Druids and Rangers), and probably Faith itself for those not devoted to a particular God. Looking at it that way, Chi (Produced by faith in oneself and meditation) and Incarnum probably both fall under the heading of Divine.

Likewise any magic that is not divine probably is Arcane even if it's not Wizardry. A warlock is Arcane in 3.5 for example. Perhaps a Tattoed Monk and a Psion are arcane in 4ed.

 

[Baby Samurai]

Gasoline. Gasoline powered characters will kick butt.

And then you introduce the new Athas where long term use of gasoline has destroyed the ecology, the world is a wasteland, but the is new hope in the form of green powered heroes (biofueled halflings, battery powered gnomes, etc) who fight the Gas Lords.

Well, the original designers of Dark Sun said they wanted a cross between a medieval fantasy world (FR etc), and Road Warrior/Mad Max.


"The juice!"

 

[paradox42]

It seems to me that most of you are describing effects, not power sources. For example, this one quoted above - does time itself give the PC their power? Or is time what the PC is able to effect through his power? How would time be a power source equivalent to martial or divine? "I draw upon the power of time?" That's not arcane or divine?

Anyway, my guesses: Psionic, Ki, and Social (Bard - music is rolled into this power source. Using wits, charm, subterfuge etc. the Social power source allows characters to manipulate the emotions, minds, and even the actions of her targets.)

With "Social" you yourself seem to be describing effects more than sources.

But WRT my post, that was why I specifically brought up the History Monks- if you've read a Discworld book where they show up you know what I mean, and if not, then you probably don't. They're a weird concept, essentially being a group of people who watch history unfold in the world beyond their secluded valley and try to keep it from coming unraveled. The powerful ones who appear outside the valley can do things like (effectively) stop time, reverse time, precognition and postcognition, and other such time-related things. And they do all this by somehow drawing power from time itself- they literally store it up in batteries and expend it to power some of their abilities. The book that shows this best is Thief of Time, which devotes at least half the book to happenings in and among the History Monks and their home valley.

As for drawing on time as a power source, think of the phrase "force of history" and consider what that actually means. Does history, in fact, have a force behind it? If it does, what if you could manipulate that force? It'd probably be called "Fate" (which Knight Otu mentioned, though I'm not sure he had this concept in mind for that power source) in a low-tech world like a typical D&D realm, admittedly, but the ability to manipulate it would be pretty powerful.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The History Monks had a sizeable influence in Night Watch as well.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Martial
Arcane
Divine

Psionics (the Mind)
Ki
Shadow
Heritage
True Names
Pacts
Blood (yes, that red stuff you get out of people. You don't have to drink it, necessarily, the spilling's important. I'm speaking Maho Tsukai here)
Death (Your own, tapping negative energy. Other people, getting a reward from the Reaper for supplying him)
Souls (Well, blood, death and souls could be rolled into one, draining "life force" to fuel your powers)
Music
Tech (Gadgets, Artifice, Clockworks)
Gems (Maybe other items of power. Not magic items, mind you. Special charms and so on)
Places
Nature
Light
Words

 

[Thurbane]

Will a martial marshal still be able to use martial weapons?

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Punky Power!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I see ... wands powered by AA batteries.

And a new familiar - a pink bunny with a drum. Provides an Con bonus so you can keep going and going.