Author Topic: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"  (Read 4179 times)

Offline Amseriah

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Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« on: February 12, 2011, 09:03:00 PM »
Ok, please stick with me for this.  If a someone who wasn't a scion, changeling, had wizard's constitution, or marked by power; picked up sponsored magic somehow, would it be a possible for changes to occur to their body because of the alien energies flowing through them?  The character in question has been gifted with Summer Magic but is a Knight of the Cross.  People who become Fae Knights have to take Marked by Power which I could see as having a secondary trapping of filtering the energies associated with the sponsor so that they don't completely screw up the mortal vessel.  If someone didn't have that to refine the energies or a better than human constitution to take care of the damages, could they begin to change physically in a way that would befit the sponsor?  Seelie/Unseelie would become slightly fae like in appearance, and depending upon whether they took any powers could possibly be mistaken for a changeling.  Locations could cause the person to look more in line with the "feel" of the location (volcanos could appear to have embers in their eyes, skin could become ashen, etc.), Hellfire wielders might begin to look demonic, and Soulfire users could appear to be angelic. 

What are your thoughts on this?  Mechanically I could see this as a way to justify buying creature powers and possibly at a very advanced stage inhuman-supernatural stats.  Fluff-wise, it could be a very interesting story to see this character change the more they use their power, and further separating them from humanity (actually, you could buy off debt with mutations-non power mutations that is, you don't get anything for going into debt).

Offline Drachasor

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2011, 10:49:23 PM »
Sure, why not?  I would lean towards saying it isn't true to the books, but that's a minor quibble (admittedly the books don't go over this sort of thing much).

That said, he has been granted summer magic.  He can use the biomancy to augment himself or perhaps get himself augmented in exchange for a favor.  No need to come up with a "magic is warping him" thing to get him altered.  Also, changing yourself violates no Laws.

Offline BumblingBear

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2011, 11:38:46 PM »
How could a knight of the Cross have summer magic?  That would be a servant of two masters.

I would not let a player have both.  A person would have to give up the sword to have summer magic imo.

Anyway, as for "mutations", I would actually run that as a thematic reason for the "Marked by Power" power.
Myself: If I were in her(Murphy's) position, I would have studied my ass off on the supernatural and rigged up special weapons to deal with them.  Murphy on the other hand just plans to overpower bad guys with the angst of her short woman's syndrome and blame all resulting failures on Harry.

Offline Howl

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2011, 11:47:20 PM »
A Knight of the Cross with summer magic actually sounds interesting to me. Especially to roleplay a character like that, having these new powers that you weren't expecting and having to deal with them. Could be fun to roleplay something like that :)

As for the mutations caused by summer magic: Why not? If your group and especially your GM( and the player playing the Knight) think its ok; go with it. It could make things more interesting for the whole group. And there is nothing in the rules that says it isn't possible for sponsored magic to cause mutations!
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Offline BumblingBear

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2011, 11:59:38 PM »
A Knight of the Cross with summer magic actually sounds interesting to me. Especially to roleplay a character like that, having these new powers that you weren't expecting and having to deal with them. Could be fun to roleplay something like that :)

As for the mutations caused by summer magic: Why not? If your group and especially your GM( and the player playing the Knight) think its ok; go with it. It could make things more interesting for the whole group. And there is nothing in the rules that says it isn't possible for sponsored magic to cause mutations!

Indeed.  My character has sponsored magic and I am using "mutations" or sorts as a thematic reason for him to get supernatural physical powers.

One of the side effects of him constantly channeling so much alien power and being around so much magical power is that his body is slowly but surely changing to be more and more supernatural.

I plan on RP this in the future as my character starts to worry that he is losing touch with his humanity.
Myself: If I were in her(Murphy's) position, I would have studied my ass off on the supernatural and rigged up special weapons to deal with them.  Murphy on the other hand just plans to overpower bad guys with the angst of her short woman's syndrome and blame all resulting failures on Harry.

Offline toturi

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2011, 12:35:21 AM »
How could a knight of the Cross have summer magic?  That would be a servant of two masters.
A Changling KotC, I do not see why not.
With your laws of magic, wizards would pretty much just be helpless carebears who can only do magic tricks. - BumblingBear

Offline BumblingBear

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2011, 12:52:51 AM »
A Changling KotC, I do not see why not.

Changelings don't automatically get Summer or Winter magic.  It's something that is specifically gifted to a certain individual or wrested from ancient knowledge by someone or something of power.

I suppose it could be more than possible to be born with magic similar to sponsored magic, but I would call it something different.  Sponsored magic by definition involves being tied to something that may have designs or agendas different than your own.  Otherwise the sponsored magic compels wouldn't have any purpose.
Myself: If I were in her(Murphy's) position, I would have studied my ass off on the supernatural and rigged up special weapons to deal with them.  Murphy on the other hand just plans to overpower bad guys with the angst of her short woman's syndrome and blame all resulting failures on Harry.

Offline toturi

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2011, 02:17:56 AM »
I suppose it could be more than possible to be born with magic similar to sponsored magic, but I would call it something different.  Sponsored magic by definition involves being tied to something that may have designs or agendas different than your own.  Otherwise the sponsored magic compels wouldn't have any purpose.
I wasn't so much thinking of Seelie Magic as Sponsored Magic (p183 and 290 YS) as much as Faerie Magic (p166 YS).

Thus the Changling could be born with Seelie Magic (Faerie Magic) and not have it as Seelie Magic (Sponsored Magic).
With your laws of magic, wizards would pretty much just be helpless carebears who can only do magic tricks. - BumblingBear

Offline Drachasor

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2011, 03:12:42 AM »
That said the guy is clearly not a scion going by the OP.  Normal mortal...more or less.  Yeah, Summer Magic and being a Knight of the Cross is really odd, but if it works for the OP's group, then no harm done.

Offline Amseriah

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2011, 03:21:49 AM »
He got Summer Magic because he helped out Titania in a massive way.  As a reward she gifted him with it...he is also betrothed to the Summer Lady.

Offline BumblingBear

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2011, 04:25:05 AM »
He got Summer Magic because he helped out Titania in a massive way.  As a reward she gifted him with it...he is also betrothed to the Summer Lady.

Lily?

I thought she was with Fix?

I am not going to tell anyone how to play their game, it just seems weird to me that someone could be not only a follower of the White God, but a Knight of the cross to boot... and still have Seelie sponsored magic.

The White God is pretty hardcore about no idols, false gods, more than one master, etc.

It would be kind of like the Pope going to skyclad Wiccan rituals and everything somehow still being cool.
Myself: If I were in her(Murphy's) position, I would have studied my ass off on the supernatural and rigged up special weapons to deal with them.  Murphy on the other hand just plans to overpower bad guys with the angst of her short woman's syndrome and blame all resulting failures on Harry.

Offline hank the ancient

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2011, 04:30:35 AM »
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Sure, why not?  I would lean towards saying it isn't true to the books, but that's a minor quibble (admittedly the books don't go over this sort of thing much).

That said, he has been granted summer magic.  He can use the biomancy to augment himself or perhaps get himself augmented in exchange for a favor.  No need to come up with a "magic is warping him" thing to get him altered.  Also, changing yourself violates no Laws.

 That being said, what precisely is the characters changeling heritage? Is the idea of the mutations for them to drift toward full fae status, away from their human half, or to take on some weird and unexpected traits? You could just play it like the changelings in Summer Knight, not sure if they wanna "join the family business", then mix in the obligations towards God. Somehow I see the dual summer court/white god service as having a very lion, witch, & wardrobe feel to it that generally works until some weird fae thing becomes an issue.

Offline Amseriah

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2011, 04:36:15 AM »
He doesn't serve Titania at all, he was gifted the power permanently.  He doesn't go into debt and views it as a tool.  Besides, he isn't Christian so he doesn't really view the Word to be important but the Spirit.  Like Sanya in a way...he does good things but isn't convinced that there is a God.  Oh and we aren't in Canon Dresdenverse Lily isn't the Lady.

Offline BumblingBear

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2011, 05:59:15 AM »
::Shrug:: Ok fair enough.

Sounds a little munchin to me, though.

Consort to the Summer Lady, AND Knight of the Cross, AND sponsored by Summer.

Oh, but the Summer magic is free.

And oh, but he's not actually a Christian.

And oh, he'll be probably getting supernatural strength soon too to add +2 or +4 to the already completely super-catch Sword of the Cross.....



 ::)
Myself: If I were in her(Murphy's) position, I would have studied my ass off on the supernatural and rigged up special weapons to deal with them.  Murphy on the other hand just plans to overpower bad guys with the angst of her short woman's syndrome and blame all resulting failures on Harry.

Offline Drachasor

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Re: Could Sponsored Magic cause "mutations"
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2011, 06:10:30 AM »
The White God is pretty hardcore about no idols, false gods, more than one master, etc.

Most followers of Abrahamic Religions tend to be like this.  As far as we can tell in the Dresden Files, the White God cares more about your ethics/heart than anything else.  Heck, Shiro was only even technically a Christian in the barest of senses.  Michael, as far as we know, is/was the only practicing Christian among the Knights of the Cross.  The White God clearly doesn't sweat the small stuff like religious beliefs or whatnot...what counts is your ethical core and how important that is to you (essentially).  Pretty utilitarian of him.