Puck

No, I had not considered glyph. I don't know how it had passed me by but it may be just the word I am looking for. :thumb: Thanks! I had reconsdered the whole foundation of the magic system for a brief span of time and then went on to something else hoping things would resove themselves. It looks as if they have just done so. "Glyph"... has a Greeny, treelike sound to it as well. I'll have to think about it some, but right now it seems great. Thanks again.

Thanks for the heads up. I just picked it up. pdf's can prove to be very handy when writing stuff.

I certainly see your point. I wish there were another appropriate word. Runes fit the bill so well though. I was hoping I could Make the distinction in the runes themselves, like totems for different beasts rather than one beast rune and such. I could possibly use terminology different like "Domains" or "realms", all incorporating the basic idea or power. Both LotR's and the Elric stuff use variations of runes. To me they seem as ubiquitous in fantasy as magic wands, crystal balls, or spells themselves, but I do not live in a Scandinavian country and may have a slightly different perception. Of course in my youth I was suckled on runequest as well, which may have skewed my view even more. "Elemental magic" would not work with most of the Magic in the Green as it is often based on forms, totems, and Ideas rather than elements. Symbolic magic may sort of fit the bill, but it seems way weaker of a term than runes. I think it would be hard to remove runic magic now without some clear and solid synonym to replace it with. I think the Key is in making runic magic somehow conceptually different than what has come before. I do not know if I totally pull this off, but I can try. In the mean time I will be on the lookout for other terminology that may be able to swap in. Thanks, Great observation. You certainly have me re-thinking things.

Yep, in addition to the required "Components". Totemists need ritually prepared pelts and bone weapons as foci to make their spells work. Arrowdancers have to make their arrows in advance and inscribe them with the proper runes etc. Again no real change in the hard "rules", but a lot of "story" based requirements. There are some invading magics as well that have crept into the Green from the outside world. These are less component heavy (maybe based more on Int than Pow). Most traditions also have some special ability magics that require permanent pow costs or special training. Not at all, I would be flattered. I would love to hear what you come up with.

I have not seen the Bronze Grimoire or Melds, but I have seen the spheres and runes from the Unknown East and it is brilliant. (I just noticed it was written by Loz. I have learned that just about anything he writes is a must buy). Just the same, I hope the stuff I am doing here is not a direct copy of other peoples work and maintains some originality. What is killing me is the need to make the system relatively simple for playing and newcomers, but allows for more complexity and growth for storytelling purposes. . Thanks, Lets me know I am on the right track.

Thank You. Your insights and questions are very helpful. Yep, this makes sense. I will seriously take it into consideration. The reasons I went with Int are: 1.That seems to be the formula in BRP(not a particularly great reason). 2. It helps with balance making the Int characteristic somewhat more important. 3. Int could represent the concentration and memory and learning it takes to affect runic spells. I seriously contemplated using Int+Pow and may still do this. Once a character is attuned, casting spells should not be too difficult. This would make newer characters more able. Combining two characteristic is very MRQ and I always feel a little like a copycat when things get too close( I probably shouldn't let that bother me though). Whew! This is a wonderful idea! The problem is that is makes it even more messy. I like the idea of set spells for simplicity sake but I also like the idea of malleability. Creative players and Gm's could come up with new spells based on accents prefixes and suffixes. Furthermore characters could come by old runes inscribed on weapons, items and ruins that contain the knowledge for lost spells. That said I had not planned on detailing all the prefixes and suffixes except for the powerful ones that are runes in their own right. I added this section not as statistics or hard rules, but rather for flavor and an explanation of what was going on when characters cast spells. Whoops, I need to make this clearer. Other Runic masters and teachers in their tradition. I was really just playing with this idea to try to make certain runic traditions or cults to work. It is driving me nuts. Every idea seems to make things horribly more complicated. I have a cult of Neraydian Arrowdancers. They teach a compound Arrowdancing rune incorporating the Runes of Air, Wealding (tree), and death. All of these runes interlock in an arrow shaped triangle to form the arrowdancing rune that allows spells that incorporate each of the runes. I also have the Brotherhood of Dauchiet which uses the separate runes of Man, Mente, and Spirit to represent the physical, mental and spiritual abilities of their philosophy. I am still trying to work all this out myself and make it relatively simple and playable and yet sort of unique and esoteric. This is true. The problem I was trying to figure out was whether someone who gains a Stasis rune within their studies of the Wealding (tree magic) rune could then use it with any other rune that they may have just learned. For simplicities sake I may just do it as you suggest. Probably nothing, the spell just fails. That keeps things simpler. Cool idea though. No, but with the stasis/permanence rune spell effects could be made permanent. Within certain traditions something similar is possible. The idea of the Mastery rune would be to allow Rune mages to keep a large array of spells for a low Int expenditure and to cast more powerful spells than otherwise possible. Thanks again your questions are very helpful.

I am trying to put together a slightly different magic system that will work for the various traditions in the Green. It kind of incorporates a little of BRP's "magic" and "Sorcery". I am a little afraid that the description is a little convoluted and unclear. I am also concerned that it is a little to much like MRQ's rune magic. I would appreciate any comments or advice. (note: each runic realm will have roughly 10 individual spells associated with it, but those would be described later). Runic Magic Runic magic is the prevalent magic that is used in the Green. It incorporates elements of both Magic and Sorcery. In order to cast spells a character must be spiritually or psychically bound or attuned to a particular rune. Characters who are attuned to a rune are often called talented. The binding ceremony often must be accomplished in a location that is particularly strong or infused with the particular rune and often during portentous times. To become talented a character generally needs the guidance of a teacher or spiritual guide who is already talented and skilled in the use of the rune. The process of binding a rune costs the recipient a point of permanent Pow. Once a character is talented they gain the runic skill of the particular rune they sacrificed for at a level equal to their intelligence. Attunement with a rune assumes a character has a deeper mystical understanding and belief in the tenants and primacy of the particular rune. Once a character is talented in a rune they may begin to learn spells and enchantments associated with that rune. All spells within a rune realm are cast using the Runic Skill from that particular rune. In order to successfully wield spells a character must have a rune matrix or focus for that particular spell within his vision as well as be able to make the particular gestures and utterances to bring about the effects of the spell. As with other forms of magic, characters may only know as many spell levels as they have points in Int. What are Runes? Runes are pictograph symbols containing the essence of a particular power, concept, or force in the physical world. Each rune represents a spoken sound as well as a hand or body motion, that when combined with particular thoughts, images, or beliefs can bring about magical and physical manifestations in the material world. The runes themselves represent the particular concept or idea and alone are simply a form of writing or symbol. The pictograph can then be combined with other runes or prefixes, suffixes and accents to add verbal action, meaning, and manipulation to the rune. Visually speaking the rune and the prefix intersect forming essentially a new spell rune called a matrix. For instance the rune Fire incorporating the prefix “inception”, to ignite, and suffix “throw” would denote the matrix to magically hurl flaming missiles at an enemy. Each spell tied to a particular rune has a pictograph symbol or matrix depicting the rune, incorporating the particular suffixes, prefixes and accents to affect the spell. Spell matrices are usually inscribed on weapons, jewelry, staffs, rods, or as tattoos on hands and arms. When characters learn spells it is assumed that they learn the required accents, prefixes and suffixes, as well as the gestures and utterances that when added to the rune will bring about the spell effects. Many traditions combine multiple runes into a common idea. These are called compound runes and essentially work the same as singular runes but tend to be less powerful magically speaking. There are also several very powerful suffixes that are runes in their own right and must be attuned like any other rune. When combined with other runes to cast spells suffixes can be very powerful. Stasis/Permanence : Casters who are attuned to the stasis rune may double the duration of many spells by rolling under both the runic skill of the base spell as well as the runic skill of the Stasis Rune. In order to double the duration of the spell an additional point of power must be spent; In order to triple the length of the spell two point must be spent etc. The Stasis rune also allows effects of some spells to become permanent. This rune is necessary to infuse items with permanent magical powers. The use of the Stasis rune in this way generally cost permanent Pow. Mastery: The mastery rune allows magicians to cast spells at a greater level than may normally be possible. The rune of mastery may be added to any Spell allows variable spells to be cast at any level as long as the caster knows the spell at its basic level. The spell still requires the allotted Pow expense. For instance: If a Spell user knows Sorcerers Sharp Flame at a level of “one” they may cast it as if they knew it at a level of five as long as they rolled under both their Fire Rune skill and their Mastery Rune Skill. The spell would require the expense of five points of power to cast.

What I told Dustin at Chaosium was October. As I am a greenhorn at doing this I am not really sure. As of monday I am done teaching and my summer vacation begins. I can then put some serious time into it. I am hoping to have most of the writing done by July. The big question is how long the editing, art, and graphic layout will take.

I just saw the blurb on the front page. I usually do not go there. Thanks for the add Trifletraxor. looks cool. This gives me a thought. Maybe I can challenge my art guys to do something a little more with the picture. Thanks.

Oh, I see. Thanks, Yep, there is no way I can ever do any kind of good editing with my own writing until it is at least a few months after It has been written and even then I cannot do a very good job. It sure makes life easier to have someone who is a really good proofreader on your side. That is odd. In Chaosium's reply to my submission for the Green they required that I remove it from the wiki before they could accept the proposal. Part of the reason may be that I clearly told them that I had placed it on this site and asked if there were any issues. I wanted to be up front about that rather than run into any problems later on.

Ouch! This does not sound as fun as it once did. I hope my outside help holds up for the little Green project. This may sound like a stupid question, but what do you mean by copy edit?

Thanks, good to hear. The dank dark mists of the Green may be a perfect place to introduce some Cthulhuish horrors. Would be a pity not to have something of the sort lurking around. >:->

Thanks rust! I appreciate all your help and interest. I believe so.

I just got the go-ahead from Dustin at Chaosium to work on the Green as a future setting for BRP. Whaaa Whoo! For those who never visited the recesses of the Shared-World on this forum, the Green started to develop as a fragment of the Shared-World with a lot of help and encouragement from members here on the forum. This book and setting will truly be a child of BRP Central. Thanks to all who helped!:thumb: Hopefully I can still count on your help along the way. This is the first and probably best quick description: A fantasy dragging ideas in from Larry Niven’s Intragrel Trees, Endor and the wookie world from Star Wars, and particularly Arboria from Flash Gordon. (Also hugely influenced just by watching squirrels or ants climbing trees while I was sitting in a deer blind and wondering what it would be like if…) The whole idea would be that the relatively limited setting would be overshadowed with vast trees. The canopy would be a world of its own complete with strange races, both intelligent and bestial and adapted to their verdant environment. The Branches would be huge and easy to walk on.. at least to a point. Much of the magic would be based on manipulating and influencing the ubiquitous wood and growing things. Beneath this green world is the dark, swampy root world where other less wholesome critters dwell. Into this world more civilized humans are making inroads to trade for the valuable, woody, magical and medicinal goods of the Green. In trade these foreigners bring metals and strange magic. The following is the first few lines to present a glimpse of the setting. The Green Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the Dreams of trees unfold. -J.R.R Tolkien, The Two Towers- Some say it was a garden planted by the gods when the world was young so they could shade themselves from the fiery sun and take rest from their prodigious pursuits. Others maintain that there is strong healthy magic pouring down with the waters that feed the land, enhancing its flora and fauna with prodigious health and size. Still others speculate that it is a verdant hell where the spirits of the prideful and cursed are sent to spend out eternity in a place were they are only but insects, preyed upon by venomous predators. Perhaps, there is a little truth to each….. Stretching from the Sky-shelf Mountains in the east to the shores of the Open Ocean in the west lies the forested lands of Verduria, often simply called: The Green. The sky is dominated by monolithic cypress and oak-like trees that stretch hundreds of feet towards the heavens and cover the dark interior with their canopies. The mist shrouded land is veined with large slow moving rivers and most of the earth below the limbs is dark, shadowy and often wet an swampy. The trees and swamps of the Green provide cover and sustenance to a broad array of life. Thousands of species: insects, snakes, lizards, mammals and birds as well as less wholesome things have found their homes under and in the leafy canopy of the verdant Eden. Many of these creatures, like the trees themselves, have grown to enormous size. With the dangers of Verduria come a wide variety of benefits and resources not found in other parts of the world. The green is abundant with strange herbs, fruits and flowers that work as drugs and medicine and are in high demand. The wildlife itself provides a wide variety of trade goods : venoms, furs, ivory and even giant insect chitin find high prices in the markets of more civilized lands. The Green can be a setting in its own right, but hopefully it can be placed of the edge of any homebrew or published setting to give a kind of change of pace and setting for existing campaigns.

A friend of mine just finished a concept sketch of a tree child or Frelmick. It looks pretty darn close to how I imagined them.

A really cool, characterful, detailed magic system that is simple to use. and These are along the lines I was thinking. Although some cults may teach more than one type of magic; for instance the Volcano-dwellers may have two realms/runes: fire and earth each one learned separately and having a separate skill. Definitely not.... .....which is more along the lines of BRP magic. The other option I was seriously considering was the RQII battle magic or BRP sorcery where there is no skill. The way I wanted to write it though only certain spells would be available based on the rune, school, or totem the character belonged to. This is how I wrote the Totemists and Wealding magic. Hmmn? It is one of those things that as soon as I start writing I am going to second guess myself and find all sorts of reasons that I wrote it the other way. :ohwell: I am starting to swing to the side of giving each totem, rune, realm a skill though. Skills should go up pretty quick with only having one skill for a bunch of spells and there are other things that can be done with this to give magic a little more flavor. Thanks...always helpful to hear from you. You may not find magic so bad... I was pleasantly surprised. It is pretty basic but plenty pliable..What is really nice is that I think RQ or II or III magic could both be used with the system without skipping a beat. :thumb:

I have been agonizing over a magic system and how it is going to play out. I would very much appreciate any advice, comments or help from more experienced BRPers. So far I was going to have magic based on Runic or totemic realms. Each rune would have a number of spells available within its sphere of influence. Characters could attune themselves to a rune at the cost of a Pow and learn spells from a order or cult that specialized in that particular rune. Where I am having trouble is how the magic system would work from there. The basic options I am messing with are: 1: Sorcery pretty much as written in Brp. Spells are simply learned and then cast with no skill. This is how I already wrote up Totemists and practitioners of the Wealding Rune. This option certainly make the game simple, is easy to write up, and is great for introducing people to the game, and for one or two session adventures. 2: The other option I have been playing with is to attach a skill to each rune or rune realm (roughly 4-10 spells). All spells identified with that particular rune would be cast on the same skill. This could allow for a great deal of other ideas and flavors to be infused into the magic system including bonuses for staffs, components(these could be important to the Green) and other items incorporated from the game world itself making magic as well as the game world more colorful. With all the added details come the price of complication though. I believe this route would be more viable to longer campaigns were characters could grow or develop their skills. 3: another option might be to cast each spell at Pow x5 like the old spirit magic. This would incorporate a little of both worlds. (Possibly Pow x3 naturally, but Pow X5 if they had their components or staff with them). Any advice?

That would be a lot of fun! Not too much discussion going on over there right now though.

Has anyone made up an electronic Gm screen or list of tables for Brp? I have checked the Downloads and didn't see anything. One of the things I liked best about MRQ was the ability to use the tables in the SRDs to make print outs of character creation, weapon tables, and other charts and have them easily at hand when writing adventures or when the gaming group got together. Another huge boon was having a electronic version of the stats of races and monsters that could just be copied and pasted with a few edits and printed so they could be on hand for the Gm during the game. This is particularly handy when using the Hit location option and saves gobs of time.

I have not come up with anything specific yet, but in the Steel and Gunstones world I had a group of traveling entertainers called sight weavers. They were basically bards or storytellers that used magical light shows and eventually illusions to enhance their storytelling abilities. Through time their illusionary and emotion adjusting abilities became a magic school in its own right. Since many sightweavers hung around theaters in seedy areas of town or traveled from village to village performing, they were alway a little suspected although often popular if there stories were good. Do to the criminal possibilities of the art, sightweavers were legally bound to wear a broach in public to denote their status. Even so sightweavers tended to be rogue or underworld type characters.

I have never read Jack Vance but his name and Tschai seems to come up a lot. I must add Planet of Adventure to my reading list but it may be a while before I get to it. I did order another LeGuinn book from the library but it has not arrived yet. That map is an old one and the Green is not really on it. I was thinking of placing it in the southwest corner of the map and cutting it off from the deserts by that row of mountains. I think it can be seen on the larger map. If I am going to spend and serious time on Steel and Gunstones I may have to re-draw the world map. Summer is coming soon though and I should have a lot of time on my hands. I have heard of Birthright, but cannot remember ever really looking at it. I think it came out after I left the D+D scene. I know I changed the name of the Desert region from Karah Chur to Kaharah Char when a D+D supplement of almost the same name was released. >:-> I will try and get more stuff posted up tonight. It takes more work than I thought because I am finding different versions of each write up. I kind of like stuff from both and then try to jamb them together and it doesn't flow well. They are also laced with game mechanic stuff that I am trying to take out. The piece that holds all this stuff together is the history write up, but it was also the first piece I wrote and it is really shoddy and needs a lot of work. I have not got around to fixing it up yet.

It seems like a strange choice for a sci-fi hookup as Steel and Gunstones is pretty much a high fantasy, but with adjustments it might be interesting. I was seriously toying with the idea of using the Steel and Gunstones setting as the outer world around the Green. There is going to be a lot of common ground between the two: Trogod, Many other races and creatures, several societies, and particularly historical background and magic. There is not reason the two cannot be separated though and maybe have common traditions and myths do to an ancient common colonization or commerce between the two worlds. Feel free to adjust them to fit your campaign's need.

Wow! That is fun to read! That is exactly how I hoped it would play out when I first started writing the Green... Kind of a wilderness that any setting or tech level could interact with. I've kind of fallen into the fantasy route as it is hard to get into a lot of details without falling into a particular setting and ruleset. I think it will be fun to write Sci-Fi options for the Green once I get the fantasy stuff more ironed out. In the mean time I'd love to hear about any future expeditions into the Green your colonists from Pharos make. If that little excerpt was the pilot for a sci-fi television series or book I would definitely rush out and buy the rest.

I though up a couple of pics of the old map in the Gallery. I tried to use photoshop to write in some of the more prominent place names. Hopefully you can make out what is going on.

Yes, definately, when I wrote this I assumed the map would be in front of the person reading it, and even then I think I refered to the map too much. I have an old copy of the original map (I kept changing it in later years). I will attempt to place it in the images section.