RPGaDay Day 3 2020: Thread

     The word Thread always returns to me Earthdawn. Of course, I play Savage Worlds now. So here is a random thought from 2013 trying to convert magic from Earthdawn to Savage Worlds.

Earthdawn Savage Worlds Magic

Arcane Background [Magician]: [Choose One Elementalist, Illusionist, Nethermancer, Sorcerer or Wizard]

Requirements: Novice, Special

Arcane Skill: Spellcasting (Smarts)

Starting Power Points: 10

Starting Powers: 2 from their spell list

Starting Spell Matrix: 1

All Magicians need a hand free to cast and thread spells. 

Arcane Background [Shaman]

Requirements: Novice, Special

Arcane Skill: Nature (Spirit)

Starting Power Points: 10

Starting Powers: 2 from their spell list

Each spell is contained in a spell fetish.

Shamans do not need a hand free to cast spells. Instead they need to hold a spell fetish in their hand that represents the spell they are casting.

Shamans are protectors of the untamed, wild lands of Barsaive. They may find themselves suddenly without their powers if they knowingly harm nature (such as a blast spell they wielded burning a forest down) and needing to perform a Ritual of Atonement or Deed in order to regain their powers.

Special Advancement Rule:

For every 2 New Powers Edges obtained, characters with a Magician Arcane Background gain 1 Spell Matrix.

For every New Power Edge obtained, characters with the Shaman Arcane Background get 1 Spell Fetish to contain the spell. Each spell fetish weighs at least 1 lb.

Additional Edges:

Enhanced Fetish

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background Nature

Upgrades one Spell Fetish to hold one additional spell characteristic.

Enhanced Matrix

Requirements: Seasoned, Arcane Background Spellcasting

Holds one additional spell characteristic.

Armored Fetish

Requirements: Veteran, Arcane Background Nature

Upgrades one Spell Fetish to hold one additional spell characteristic. The Fetish gains a +4 bonus to Toughness to resist all Damage Types for the purpose of Breaking Things (see p.71 Savage Worlds Deluxe hereafter SWD). In addition, the Armored Fetish grants the character a +1 Parry bonus when targeted by a Disarm Called Shot attempt (see p.72 SWD) on the Armored Fetish.

Armored Matrix:

Requirements: Veteran, Arcane Background Spellcasting

Holds one additional spell characteristic. The Matrix gains a +4 bonus to Toughness to resist all Damage Types for the purpose of Breaking Things (see p.71 SWD).

Share Fetish

Requirements: Heroic, Arcane Background Nature

Upgrades one Spell Fetish to hold one additional spell.

Share Matrix

Requirements: Heroic, Arcane Background Spellcasting

Can hold 2 spells.

Concept: Characters use their Nature/Spellcasting to thread.

Flow of Casting.

A character can only have one spell in a spell matrix at any one time (with the exception of Share Fetish/Matrices).

Placing a spell in a Spell Matrix requires a Spellcasting (4) Test. Shaman spells are already contained in their Spell Fetish, however they need to grab the spell fetish to cast (which costs them a –2 draw multi-action penalty unless they have the Quickdraw Edge)

A spell in a Spell Matrix or Spell Fetish requires 0 Power Points to cast the basic ability. For example, they can cast a 2D6 bolt every round. A magician can either thread the additional spell characteristics of the spell costing them time and increasing the difficulty of casting or they can spend their Power Points to quick cast spells.

Spellcasting (4) Test

Spell Characteristics:

Can be done once:

Adds a D6 to a Damage Spell

Add 25% to the Range Increments of a Spell

Add 1 round to the Spell’s Duration (not available on Instant Duration).

Add the Heavy Weapon characteristic to a Damage Spell.

Improve a Burst template from Small to Medium or Medium to Large.

A raise on a thread weaving attempt allows the magician to add two burst categories if available.

Can be done twice:

Add an additional target to a single target spell.

A raise on a thread weaving attempt allows the magician to add two spell characteristics of their choosing if available.

The best example of this is the Bolt Spell

0 PP: 2D6 damage, all the time instead of the usual 1 PP as long as it is in a Spell Matrix.

Spellcasting (4) to thread once or 2 PP: 3D6 bolt

Spellcasting (4) to thread once or 2 PP: Range 16/32/64

Spellcasting (4) to thread once or 2 PP: Heavy Weapon

Spellcasting (4) to thread once or 2 PP: 2 Bolts

Spellcasting (4) to thread twice (Or a single (8) Raise for one thread weaving) or 3 PP: 3 Bolts

Or a combination such as:

Spellcasting (4) to thread twice  (Or a single (8) Raise for one thread weaving) or 4 PP:  3D6 Heavy Weapon bolt

Restriction: Cannot combine D6 damage with multiple target bolt options.

Unlike Earthdawn, where magicians cannot thread and cast in the same round, it is possible in Savage Worlds to do so with the multi-action penalty. They can also use their small pool of Power Points to quickly cast spells when needed without threading.

So most Spellcasters will be dealing with MA penalties for Spell Matrix attunement to switch spells or for Spellcasting Characteristics. Shamans will deal with MA penalties for switching spell fetishes out for grabbing different spells.

Spells not in a Spell Matrix can be cast from the magician’s Grimoire. Spells not in Spell Matrix cost their normal amount of power points to cast. A 1 on the Spellcasting or Wild Die when doing so causes 2D6 astral backlash to the grimoire. If the grimoire takes a wound (Toughness 8), the spell is wiped from the grimoire and the character can not use the spell again until he can copy the spell from another magician’s grimoire (this doesn’t cost an advancement)

A character can also cast any spell they do not know as long as they have access to another magician’s grimoire, as long as they have the Rank requirements to cast it (Novice spells for Novice magicians, etc.). This extremely dangerous method of casting is called Raw Magic, and uses the wielder of the spell as a conduit for the corrupt magical energy. Raw Magic spells always cost power points.  A 1 on the Spellcasting or Wild Die when doing so causes 3D6 astral backlash to the caster. Double 1s usually catches the attention of a Horror through a Horror Mark as well.

Shamans do not have grimoires so cannot grimoire cast. They can attempt raw magic casting of any spell normally available to them at their rank using themselves as a conduit for nature’s magic. They make their Nature skill roll at –2 when doing so however since they have no spell fetish to act as a focus and must have a hand free to cast in this manner unlike their normal casting method.