3e Sorcery! ...again!

[Arteliex]

Yay! Another Sorcery thread!

Ok, so I've been reading Elric of Melnibone, in no small part because its been said to influence Exalted sorcery quite a bit.

I've been reading about it in the context of mortals using it. And I must think...if every sorcery is the product of sorcerous working, and those working are like the sorceries used in Elric... then my gods! I mean, I can see it, a EXALT wouldn't even want to use sorcery most of the time, much less a mortal, because of the massive drain. Its something he CAN do, when he needs, but not something that is anything nearly as easy as 1st and 2nd edition had it.

-Character 1: Hey, we're going to need you to do that thing.
-Sorcerer: *whines* but...but its harrrrrrrd.....
-Character 2: Just do it!
-Sorcerer: *goes limp* ughghghghghghgh.....



*note: Just to say, just in case, Im not complaining in the slightest. It makes me happy.

[Zelbinnean]

It's worth noting that sorcery and sorcerous working are different but closely related systems.

There hasn't been rev commentary about like...Belgariad or Shadowrun exhaustion/drain-type effects from using it. You just don't use your own mote pool.

[Arteliex]

It's worth noting that sorcery and sorcerous working are different but closely related systems.

There hasn't been rev commentary about like...Belgariad or Shadowrun exhaustion/drain-type effects from using it. You just don't use your own mote pool.

True! But the rituals themselves must be damnably exhausting. I mean, anytime I used Demon of the (whatever) Circle, I portrayed it as very draining, as you're constantly performing the ritual for many hours straight and it just seems common sense that its exhausting.

Im just excited to see what it has to offer and all the cool moments there are to be had with the system.

[Will2goforth]

Hmmm I haven't checked out that series but from what they said sorcery will be fun and exciting to play in 3e. I'm hoping it goes for more of the Flat Earth style where sorcery is powerful and rare but for those gifted or make a deal with a major power there is so much you can do.

[Aquillion]

I believe they've said that part of the goal is to make Sorcery more practical to use frequently (since it's no fun to make "sorcerer" your main concept and the almost never get to use actual spells, which was a problem in previous editions due to the insane mote and WP costs.)

On the other hand, if you want a great world-changing work that leaves you drained afterwards, I would expect that Sorcerous Workings would fit better.

[Robert Vance]

It's worth noting that sorcery and sorcerous working are different but closely related systems.

Close! Sorcerous workings are sorcery proper, but distinct from spells (also sorcery proper).

There hasn't been rev commentary about like...Belgariad or Shadowrun exhaustion/drain-type effects from using it. You just don't use your own mote pool.

You'll be able to play Elric.

[Arian Dynas]

Hm, can you gather motes for sorcery while doing other things? Dodging, swinging your sword and such?

[Robert Vance]

Hm, can you gather motes for sorcery while doing other things? Dodging, swinging your sword and such?

I had a Twilight sorcerer PC in my long-running 2e game, and man was there absolutely nothing that irked me more than the fact that the sorcery system just dropped you out of the combat system entirely.

[goldfaction]

I wonder what 3E necromancy will be like... and is there any hope of DBs getting access to it (beyond a one-in-a-thousand oddity), or Lunars/Sids getting 2nd circle?

[leo1925]

As a big Elric fan let me tell you that the magic in the series isn't consistent. We have seen characters take hours or even days preparing and casting and we have seen characters unleash magic in an instant (those characters include Elric), in addition we have seen magic being more tiring than scaling a mountain and magic that doesn't tire you any more than swordfighting does. We ha even seen a sorcerer fighting in a battle throwing disintegrate rays on after another.

I think that the magic presented in the Elric series should taken as inspiration for aesthetics, trappings and maybe even themes for your exalted sorcerers.

[Zelbinnean]

Close! Sorcerous workings are sorcery proper, but distinct from spells (also sorcery proper)

Thanks for the clarification!

[Synapse]

It's probably closer to Flat Earth's, Zorayas is a terrific sorceress.

[Demac]

I wonder what 3E necromancy will be like... and is there any hope of DBs getting access to it (beyond a one-in-a-thousand oddity), or Lunars/Sids getting 2nd circle?

My understanding, which is based off nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors, is that necromancy isn't a seperate "sorcery alike" system. I think the kinds of rituals you do to gather motes and merits you take will depict the flavor of sorcerer you play. So if someone wanted to play the equivalent of a Dragon-of-Differnt-Color, it would look more like a sorcerer who made pacts with underworld spirits or was tricked into touching the Cenotaph of Urosh-Kar rather than someone with a genetic adnormality and they wouln't be precluded from learning sorcery spells not related to death, but would probably have some sort of advantage when casting death flavored spells.

If' I'm right, "Necromancer" will probably be a term reserved for anyone who animates the dead or summons underworld spirits rather than someone who went through dark mirrors of the 5 stations of sorcery.

[JayTee]

I can remember a direct quote from (John, I think?) saying that Necromancy is a style of Sorcery, and not a completely separate system.

[Tiresias]

I wonder what 3E necromancy will be like... and is there any hope of DBs getting access to it (beyond a one-in-a-thousand oddity), or Lunars/Sids getting 2nd circle?

We know there are ways to get sorcery besides Exaltation. We also know that the Exalted have their own sorcery initiation charms. I asked Vance if they were redundant way back when, and he said no. It seems that characters will have access to "standard" sorcery initiations as well as sorcery initiation through Exalted charms. It's also likely that there will be some sort of sorcery initiation through the power of the Underworld that would qualify as necromancy.

So an informed guess would say that Dragon-Blooded necromancers are totally feasible.