Author Topic: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing  (Read 2732 times)

Offline Thrythlind

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Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« on: June 17, 2011, 02:41:34 PM »
I'm rebooting my Divine Blood fanfic to clean away the licensed stuff and leave just my original content behind (relatively easy since more than half the fan fic is original characters anyway).  I'm doing this as both a campaign guide and a novel series (roughly 50% complete on both)

the actual campaign guide is going to be without rules since I create the settings and let everybody decide on their own preferred system to use, but I'd like to be able to have a free rules packet to offer as a free teaser

I'm going to start relatively small here and see about using FATE/Dresden stuff to reproduce magic as it exists in Divine Blood


Magic in DB is powered by beings known as "elements" which are subspecies of the three (known) races to evolve into sentient and world-wide civilization in Earth's history, two of the races are extinct save some surviving elements who have become immortal through a particular process (or were born that way if they were conceived after a parent became Immortal)

elements themselves form units in a psychic network with others on the same wavelength, after a time some started defecting so that conversion paradigms were invented to allow the defector to join the network they'd immigrated into

for most of human history, there were two networks: Orochi and Ashvattha (Nidhog and Yggdrasil in the fanfic)...powered by, respectively, Demons and Gods...a third network exists but isn't well used in the beginning of the story, but develops to become the Silmaril network later on, powered by former humans now calling themselves Ainur

any member of these networks can use their own abilities at will and can draw on extra raw power through the network access to other Immortals and to the massive organic/living computers that provide extra processing and energy (the names of the computers create the names of the Networks...) however, they can also use the powers of other entities in the network


Example:

Nimu Ichi is an Ainur with telekinesis.....she can use telekinesis at will because its her power
Deimosu is an Ainur with electrokinesis and generation...he can thus use that at will, toss around lightning and such

however, if Deimosu wants to move a set of keys from a distance to his hand, he will have to borrow Nimu Ichi's telekinesis to do that

borrowing powers is done through a spell

************************

Each race handles spells differently, but each is aware that just allowing anybody to use any power is a bad idea

Demons operate on a favor system, casting black magic spells leads you to owing magically enforceable "favors" to the Demon powering the spell.  Depending on the nature of the Demon and their relationship to you this can be a minor to severe concern.  A civilian Demon (though said Demons are unlikely to have spells most magicians would find useful) is unlikely to ask for anything terrible.  Most of the more modern Demonic leadership are also human-friendly and tend to prefer lessening hostilities with the Gods.  However, older Demons who miss the "good old days" when it was simply Demons trying to take back "their" planet from the usurpers (Gods) and vermin (everything else) are likely to make people who owe them favors do very, very bad things.

Gods operate on a request form, making their spellcasting slow and also facing the possibility that the God responsible for that spell could decide to deny a caster access to that spell.  A white magician can conceivably access any white spell, just as anybody can cast any black spell, but progressively powerful spells will be more likely to be denied or require longer requests.

Ainur operate on a sort of Passcode situation based on numerology.  Every Ainur's name can be reduced to a single digit number and that number can then be expanded into larger numbers before being reduced again to a single digit representing another Ainur.  The path, even between two Ainur that have "2" as their number" is unique per individual and thus serves as an identifying code.  Each individual has pre-granted permissions to different levels of spells.  Thus, they can cast about as quickly as a Demon, without owing favors, but have a more limited pool of spells to draw from based on past proven trustworthiness and responsibility.

Any element is immediately capable of casting any spell within their network (provided they have appropriate privileges in the Ainur case) and Gods, Demons and Ainur are not considered magicians.

Magicians are highly trained and dedicated mortals(not necessarily human) who have managed to generate enough psychic potential to tap into one or more of the Networks and borrow the power of a God, Demon  or Ainur (mostly Gods and Demons, not any established traditions teaching how to connect to Silmaril without being an Ainur)

Also, near the end of the story, all three networks are linked through individuals with permanent psychic links...meaning that all three networks are possibly becoming one extended network.

**********************

Realms, Domains and Affinities are essentially specialties that have been genetically coded into individual Demons, Gods and Ainur (respectively)

in the story, the Ainur are in the process of developing these, actually

these operate essentially the same and give the individual complete control over their stated specialty

for example, Eija, Goddess of Blood can make blood flow as normal through a body even if flesh and vessels are destroyed....she can also purify blood of unhealthy content, poison it, corrupt it (such as by causing a fast version of leukemia) and if someone is already bleeding, she can pull it out of the body faster...she is also able to follow some conceptual influences, such as seeing blood on the hands (though that is part of her nature as a ghost-whisperer/death-seer already) or tracing family trees and the like...if she wanted, she could bless a blood-brother type oath to actual make the involved genetically related

however, she has no telekinetic ability outside of control of blood and her only psychic ability beyond that is her ability to see, talk to and control ghosts as well as to since a person's lifespan and see how they've been involved with death in their life time

having each God, Demon and Ainur with a different specialty reduces the number of overlapping spells in existence and also allows the individual more ability to manipulate the world and defend themselves

*****************************

Finally, the life force of each species is somewhat different. 

Demonic "Vitae" is the most powerful and least efficient, they will tend to either use way too much power (creating blatantly spectacular displays of wasted energy) or way too little (causing very subtly, minor changes and shifts) because it is hard for them to cut off at just the right levels.  Some Demons specialize in the "way too little" end, others goal full bore for the "way too much".  Demons essentially have a broken faucet.

God "Mana" is the most stable and least flexible.  They are hard to dispel, but it is very hard for them repurpose mana and change over from one intent to another.  Gods make the most use of preset spells and abilities to get around this and they do very little on the fly.

Ainur/human "Chi" is the most adaptable and least powerful.  Disrupted effects can be easily redirected into another effect.  Contrary to Demons, where power is hard to shut off, Ainur and humans have trouble getting it started.  As compared to the broken faucet, they have a kink in the hose.  However, Chi is the most efficient and the most suited for enhancing other abilities.  Such as martial arts and driving and the like.

************************************

Finally, magic like stuff that isn't magic:

manipulation of raw life force (Vitae/Mana/Chi) can be done by anyone of sufficient training without using spells, however, this is limited to:

blasts, shields and enhancing existing capabilities

anything like illusions, fine-control, actual fire or lightning, poison and the like requires an appropriate Realm/Domain/Affinity or else a spell

seals and gates: the act of creating a pocket dimension to lock something away (descendants of the arts that created Yomi, Nirvana and Shangri-La), again, proper training allows for creating seals and gates without spells (however, Gods, Demons and Ainur have teleportation abilities anyway, so using a gate is unlikely for them)

circles: are power focusing tools, Demons invented the basics, humans/Ainur have the most mastery
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Original Fiction: Bystander, Greenwater, Zodiacs, Choice and Consequences
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Offline Thrythlind

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2011, 02:51:55 PM »
what I'm thinking:

anybody can take magic modeled on either Thaumaturgy or Evocation with specialties in White, Black or Green(Ainur)

compels for Black magicians, the Demon you cast from wants a favor

compels for White magicians, the spell takes longer, or the spell is denied

compels for Green magicians, you don't have permission for that spell

compels for any magician: the spell you are trying to cast no longer exists because the entity powering it has died in the war

Gods, Demons and Ainur would be required to take Realms, Domains, Affinities based on Seelie/Unseelie magic

and also be required to take White, Black or Green magic as above

basic compels for anybody using Vitae - full Demons, half-Demons, anybody using a familiar which converts other life force types into Vitae: too much power (a subtle effect is ruined by being to obvious), too weak (an attack's power is cut off too soon), dispelled (the easily disrupted nature of the attack makes it easily cancelled by enemies), tiring (the effort to use just the right amount)

basic compels for anybody using Mana - full Gods, half-Gods, anybody using a rune made to convert other life force types : frozen (your mana is already locked up in another effect you have to end first), hesitate (wait to see what effect you'd need)

basic compels for anybody using Chi - humans/Ainur, half-humans/Ainur, anybody using a crystal made to convert other life force types: tiring (takes a lot of effort to build up power), over focused (focus too much on getting power and not enough on the advantages of flexibility chi has)
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Offline Haru

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2011, 04:26:38 PM »
I don't know Divine Blood, but most of it sounds like sponsored magic of one sort or another. You get a package deal for a specialized type of magic with debts and compels and everything, you just have to design them once and be done with it.

Realms, Domains and Affinities could just be some sort of refinement to increase the capability of the sponsored magic.


Quote
Finally, magic like stuff that isn't magic:

manipulation of raw life force (Vitae/Mana/Chi) can be done by anyone of sufficient training without using spells, however, this is limited to:

blasts, shields and enhancing existing capabilities

This could be done by adapting channelling/ritual for the blasts and shields. Enhancing an ability could either be done by a stuntlike power to provide a flat +2 bonus, or you could use magic to create aspects to tag. Or a combination thereof, so it always gives a bonus that can be increased if need be.
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Offline Thrythlind

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2011, 04:34:52 PM »
well a mortal magician wouldn't have a realm....but someone playing a Demon would

so a Demon would have a realm in addition to the sponsored magic (the sponsored magic gives him/her access to the realms of other Demons)

the mortal magician would just have the sponsored magic giving him/her access to Demonic powered spells (if this is after the war has exploded, he's hopefully only drawing on the list of allied Demons)

**********

basically, Realms/Domains/Affinities are personal powers to a specific Demon/God/Ainur...they don't acquire new ones save only very rarely (say getting promoted to replace the now dead God of the Sea)

Magic is the practice of accessing the inborn powers of someone else

******************

thanks for bringing up sponsored magic though, that does help
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Offline Haru

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2011, 04:39:42 PM »
well a mortal magician wouldn't have a realm....but someone playing a Demon would

That's what I thought it could be used for.
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Offline Thrythlind

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2011, 04:40:30 PM »
ahhhh...got it

so, basically...which is probably just repeating what you said:

Mortal Magician
Black Magic (-4)

Demon
Black Magic (-4)
Refinement: Realm: Torrent (-1) (effects within the physical or conceptual definition of a torrent do not provoke debt, others can indebt themselves to you by calling on Torrent-based spells)

about right?
« Last Edit: June 17, 2011, 04:49:17 PM by Thrythlind »
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Offline Haru

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2011, 05:21:34 PM »
Yepp, that's about how I thought it could work.
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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2011, 01:51:54 AM »
Hmm, okay, done this way...Following Eija from the fanfic (the reboot might turn out moderately different once I take away the copyrighted characters, change locations, change world settings...actually...even in the first 22k words its already pretty different...eh, but the basic set up is the same)

Eija Satomi
High Concept: Demi-Goddess Exorcist
Trouble: I Disturb People, I Disturb Myself
Daughter of Hecate
Creepy Cute
Blood on My Hands
Always Kind and Gentle

Sponsored Magic: White Magic (-4)
Unknown to Heaven: (suffer popped blood vessels and internal bleeding consequences when casting spells, unavoidable, Heaven's defenses treat her like an invading curse/virus) (+2)

Cloak of Shadows (-1)

Death Seer (-4)
modelling her ability to talk to ghosts off of Ghost Speaker, modelling her ability to see the blood on a person's hands and how quickly they might die given current state of health on the Sight (less broad scale of info, much more safe), her ability to defeat ghosts comes can be modeled on channeling...makes Death Seer come to (-4)

Channeling: Raw Life Force (Chi/Mana) (-2)

Martial Artist's Constitution: (-0) (wizard's constitution)

Total Refresh: -9

Empathy: +4
Discipline: +4
Lore: +3
Scholarship: +3
Stealth: +3
Rapport: +3
Fists: +2
Weapons: +2
Alertness: +2
Resources: +2
Burglary: +2
Athletics: +1
Survival: +1
Endurance: +1
Presence: +1
Conviction: +1

(I don't give her intimidation as a skill because she never tries to intimidate, her scaring people is all from her Trouble)

Okay:

First Arch - characters meet, nothing major

Second Arch - Hostage Crisis gains +1 refresh, doesn't spend it, +1 Skill, doesn't spend it

Third Arch - Behemoth Crisis gains Extreme Consequence: Identity Merging with Kaname, gains +1 refresh, loses Unknown to Heaven, gains skill point, adds Contacts +1 (divine Grandmother and others)

Fourth Arch - Ascension - entire arch spent fixing the Extreme Consequence, "Daughter of Hecate" becomes "Psychically Linked with Kaname" since its JUST Kaname, leaves it as an aspect rather than a full power.  "Demi-Goddess Exorcist" becomes "Goddess of Blood" gains 1 refresh (adds Domain: Blood to sponsored magic).  2 Skill points (Deceit +1, Conviction to +2, still has 1 point), loses ability to channel Chi when becomes full Goddess

Fifth Arch - Relaxation - "Psychically Linked with Kaname" becomes "Kaname, a Sister in My Head" no other change

Sixth Arch - Family Reunions "Blood on My Hands" becomes "My Loved Ones Understand"

Seventh Arch - Hecate's Disaster/War begins - +1 Refresh, +1 Skill, Refinement on Magic/Domain +1 Control, +1 Power when Healing

Eight Arch - Capturing Gauron "Kaname, a Sister in my head" becomes "Kaname and I both Love Sousuke"

Ninth Arch - Poseidon vs the Da Danaan - +1 Skill, Lore +4, Conviction +3 (she kind of uses a sword in the mindscape, but it's a mental combat, so Lore)

Tenth Arch - Period of Calm - "Kanama, a Sister Wife?" becomes "The Three of Us Belong Together" (with occasional social consequences of some people thinking Kaname and Eija have a physical attraction to each other)

Eleventh Arch - Meridia Siege - Helps Persephone and Hel cross over Sophia, Hecate's ghost kills Persephone, Eija violently seals Hecate's ghost..."Always Kind and Gentle" becomes "Beware the Nice Ones" (Extreme Consequence?) +1 Refresh, +1 Skill

Twelfth Arch - Demon/God Invasion - acts as a combat medic, Kaname and Eija consumate relationship with Sousuke and feel echoes of it through psychic link...gains power: "True Telepathy (-2): Only Kaname and Sousuke (+1)"

Thirteenth Arch - Retaking Kyushu - more acting as a medic, +1 Skill

Fourteenth Arch - Preparing - has meeting with Persephone's family now that Persephone is Dead...where Hades has been all this time is revealed, +1 Skill (current place of story) (has 5 skill I haven't placed yet, hmm)

Making Eija currently like this:

Eija Satomi
High Concept: Goddess of Blood
Trouble: I Disturb People, I Disturb Myself
The Three of Us Belong Together
Creepy Cute
My Loved Ones Understand
Beware the Nice Ones

Sponsored Magic: White Magic (-4)
Domain: Blood (-1) (can be used to reproduce her ability to travel between large pools of blood)
Refinement: +1 Control, +1 Power when Healing (-1)

Cloak of Shadows (-1)

True Telepathy: Sousuke/Kaname only (-1)

Death Seer (-4)

Channeling: Raw Life Force (Mana) (-2)

God's Constitution: (-0) (wizard's constitution but lifetime is indefinite, no gameplay effect)

Total Refresh: -14 (of 15 possible)

Empathy: +4
Discipline: +4
Lore: +4
Scholarship: +4
Stealth: +3
Rapport: +3
Conviction +3
Alertness: +3
Fists: +2
Weapons: +2
Resources: +2
Burglary: +2
Athletics: +2
Survival: +1
Endurance: +1
Presence: +1
Contacts: +1
Deceit: +1
Intimidation: +1
Investigation: +1
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Offline Thrythlind

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2011, 03:03:03 AM »
jumped ahead of myself

but

would it be feasible to include the Immortal's methods of teleportation/dimensional travel under their sponsored magic as soon as they get a Domain?

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Offline Haru

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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2011, 01:32:53 PM »
hmm, I don't know how big of a deal that would be in this world. If it is something that comes with a domain, sure, it is included. Otherwise you could take something like worldwalker to simulate that power.
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Re: Divine Blood Style Magic - Help in Reproducing
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2011, 01:42:02 PM »
well it depends person to person

Ainur (Coordinate Shift, temporarily merge two points in space) can teleport numbers easily and accurately across distance, but have difficulty with time, accuracy and effort the closer their two points of travel are

Demons (Dimensional Burst, either through boundaries into another pocket dimension, or bounce off borders back into the world they came from) can teleport tactically fairly well, almost Nightcrawleresque, but it's very obvious to both magical and mundane senses and they can't easily carry people with them

Gods travel through mediums (sympathetic links between like things, similar to a limited version of what the Ainur do, but quieter and more efficient) and are the quietest and basically make a gateway out of the affected medium such as crossroads for Persephone and blood for Eija


Now, Morrigan, whose medium is laundry has issues traveling since she occasionally comes out of laundry machines and its not conducive to bringing others unless she finds laundry hanging to dry somewhere...Kali needs black cloth at two points

Originally given that Eija was very nice and friendly and didn't like killing people, I thought traveling through blood wouldn't be all that useful

and now that the wars started, she's made a practice of popping up out of blood pools to grab wounded people and drag them back to medical tents through their own blood

***************************

It has occasionally been a plot point,  Demons were limited to about a 100 ft range with difficulty when Nidhog crashed at one point

mostly, it's been a way to make things easier to move around a world(s)-spanning plot
« Last Edit: June 18, 2011, 01:55:18 PM by Thrythlind »
Thrythlind Stories and Games: http://Http://thryth.webs.com
Original Fiction: Bystander, Greenwater, Zodiacs, Choice and Consequences
Fan Fiction: Chi and Chakra, Divine Blood, others
Games: The Unnamed System, Lycan Life
Fan Art
Blog on Writing Technique and occasional rants