Sacrificial magic

[Falldog]

... for want of a better phrase.

I'm currently working on a new campaign which will be a bit stone-agey, and I wanted to develop some sort of magic system in which 'shamans' could bargain with the spirits to work more powerful magic than they would otherwise be capable of on their own.

Kind of, "Dear spirit: if you smite all my enemies with a big old lightning bolt, then I shall offer up this moose as a sacrifice." (Before anyone says anything, I sooo know I'm conflating about sixteen different magical/religious systems in such a plan! )

Has anyone seen such a thing before, or anything like it? I just wondered if I could cut out much of the working-out... Yeah, I'm being lazy!

Otherwise, I suppose I would need to work up some new uses for Spellcraft, maybe, or K(Religion) or even Diplomacy, maybe.

Any thoughts?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Mongoose's Conan OGL uses sacrifical magic - there are even some special feats which help you get more out of sacrifices or commit sacrifices more quickly.

You probably wouldn't want to buy the book just for that (although it is a great RPG), but it is worth checking out in a FLGS if you have the opportunity.

Cheers

 

[Falldog]

Cool! I shall check that out.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I *think* that Magic of Faerun has a section on "ritualistic / shamanistic" magic.

Basically, it's a feat that allows you to alter / improve your caster level / some spell effects when you add extra components to your spellcasting.

For instance, a Bear's Strength spell usually has a V, S, and a M component (a few hairs or a pinch of dung from a bull), and takes a standard action to cast.

Using the feat, you'd make an additional component - like a 2 minute invocation to the Bull Gods, complete with dancing and shaking a rattle made of bone fragments in a hardened leather pouch - to get a CL bonus of +3 or so.

It might be worth checking out, if only just for ideas.

 

[Falldog]

Using the feat, you'd make an additional component - like a 2 minute invocation to the Bull Gods, complete with dancing and shaking a rattle made of bone fragments in a hardened leather pouch - to get a CL bonus of +3 or so.

Thanks - that sounds like just the sort of thing I'm after. I *think* I've got Magic of Faerun in the loft... (I moved a couple of months ago and, well, you know what it's like!) ... so I'll see if I can dig it out.

If I fall off the ladder and break something, I can legally hold you responsible, right?