Viking shamanism

[War Cry]

Continueing (sp?) with the work on my viking based game, I am in the process of refining one of the magics available - shamanism. I've included a brief description of the shaman magic (how it's done and what it does). What I am looking for is help on the limitations. I want to make sure they match the written text. I've included a list of what I've come up with, but a critique would be most beneficial. Oh, the term Sveldig is a holdover from my highschool gaming days. It is so ingrained in me and a couple of the people I game with that we can easily connect Sveldig=Viking.

 

 

The shaman magic practiced by the Sveldigs is much different than what is commonly perceived or practiced in other cultures. In order for a shaman to cast her spells, she first has to enter a trance, by listening to singers chant songs of enchantment. The trance state lasts several hours and cannot be broken without risking injury to the soul of the shaman. She also has to be standing on a gallows like platform raised up on pillars.

While in a trance, a shaman can send her soul out in animal form to see faraway places or to travel to the underworld to ask for insight into the future or for glimpse of the past. She can communicate with the plethora of spirits around her, both good and evil, and can compel them to serve her by helping her friends and allies or hindering her foes. She can also animate the unburied battle dead and send them out to fight the next day or place curses upon her enemies or the foes of her family and lord. Most of a shaman’s magic involves blessings, curses, spirits, and divination.

It must be noted that the shaman is not a medium; she cannot contact a specific dead person’s soul and question it. Instead, she will travel to the Land of the Dead in spirit form and look back on the world of the living. Her visions can be either detailed and symbolic or fuzzy and literal.

Some shamans have familiars. These creatures are nothing more than natural beasts with which the shaman has a strong connection, either spiritually or by taming the animal. The familiar of a Sveldig shaman does not grant her any more mystical powers than usual but a shaman can use her magic through her familiar. As a shaman is forbidden to carry or use weapons of iron, her familiar fills the role of guardian and protector.

 

Common limitations

Concentrate 0 dcv (trance) - 1

Extra time 5 hours - 3*

OAF immobile (platform) - 2**

Incantations (chants) - ¼***

Gestures (stand; arms raised)- ¼

Requires a skill roll - ½

Side effects (soul attacked) - 1

1 charge - 2****

Only cast at night; dark - ½

 

Total limitations - 10

 

*the nights vary greatly depending on season, but 5 hours seems reasonable as an average.

**I dunno about this one - limitation or sfx?

***her helper is doing the chanting, not the caster - is it still a limitation on the spell as is or should it be different?

****shamanism is a "fire and forget" magic. I'm more used to the traditional FH magic. The idea is the shaman spends the night working her magic and the next day she can release the spell. If it's a curse or blessing, she touches her intended target to activate the magic. Is the trigger advantage more appropiate? Or is it lingering? Bah, I'm still working my way between 4th and 5th edition So much to remember!

 

Anyway, my last 3 points are really the ones I'm the most concerned with.

Any help and ideas, as always, are greatly appreciated.

 

Once again, many thanx to all of you:D

[Manic Typist]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

Very intriguing.

[McCoy]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

Considering how close the Runes and literacy were linked to the gods, Oden in particular -- What would be the value of an incantation limitation if the incantation had to be written, not spoken?

[Old Man]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

Well, then it becomes gestures + extra time + concentrate + OAF.

[McCoy]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

Well' date=' then it becomes gestures + extra time + concentrate + OAF.[/quote']

And maybe RSR:Futhark.

[War Cry]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

Considering how close the Runes and literacy were linked to the gods' date=' Oden in particular -- What would be the value of an incantation limitation if the incantation had to be written, not spoken?[/quote']

 

I have that covered with one of the other magic using types - rune carvers.

The way I have it set up, there are 3 "schools" of magic. Runic magic is a gift from Odin, shamanism is a gift from Freyja, and the troll-wise get their magic from nature. The first two people are okay with. The troll-wise wizards are not liked and there is a good chance their own people will kill them if they learn about one.

 

I'm not 100% happy with my rune magic right now either. I like the effects it generates, but it still feels clunky to me.

[War Cry]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

And maybe RSR:Futhark.

 

Dagnabit. I knew I was missing something of extreme importance for the rune carvers. Doesn't really help the shaman, but all the same, thanx for this. It most certainly helps with the other.

 

Not a lot of critique on this one. Did I actually do something right the first time around?

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Viking shamanism

 

**I dunno about this one - limitation or sfx?

***her helper is doing the chanting, not the caster - is it still a limitation on the spell as is or should it be different?

****shamanism is a "fire and forget" magic. I'm more used to the traditional FH magic. The idea is the shaman spends the night working her magic and the next day she can release the spell. If it's a curse or blessing, she touches her intended target to activate the magic. Is the trigger advantage more appropiate? Or is it lingering? Bah, I'm still working my way between 4th and 5th edition So much to remember!

 

** How much of a pain is it to get to a usable platform? If they're all over the place, just let that be SFX. If the shaman has to build one every time they cast a spell, or else stay close to home so they always have one available, then it's an immobile OAF.

 

*** There's a limitation in Fantasy Hero called Ritual, where a spell needs multiple people to cast. If you don't have that, you can use the Crew-Served limitation.

 

**** Delayed Effect.