| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dennis |
Posted - 06 Aug 2011 : 04:43:28
I was looking for some new anime when I stumbled upon Seikon no Qwaser. 'Tis the first time I heard of a being who draws superpowers from breast milk...
A lot of fictional characters have strange sources of their powers... Rashemi berserkers drink some nasty wine to augment their battle rage. Popeye eats spinach to gain super-strength. Darna swallows a stone. Natsu (from Fairytail) literally eats fire, and Gajel, metal. Manananggal eat fetus. The Asgardians eat golden apples to attain long life.
Do you know of any individuals or cabals in the Realms who draw power from strange sources (something they eat or drink)? |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 01:19:36
In Karen Miller's worlds, mages use catalysts, like azafris, so powerful and dangerous that they can forever alter the casters' mental state. |
| Nilus Reynard |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 01:02:26
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew
So if a vampire managed to drink his way through half a dozen mages he could progress at a rate that is beyond anything that has been seen before?
This is a serious question concerning this. If this is the case, then I will have to make a note of it just in case anyone playing in any future games tries to use this to get ahead of everyone else power-wise. |
| Marc |
Posted - 30 Oct 2011 : 10:47:06
10 pints of blood
tough for beer it's different, some people I know claim 36 |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 29 Oct 2011 : 19:50:21
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew
How many pints are in the human body? |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 28 Oct 2011 : 18:43:20
Because it's gross and vile and seems ritualistic, the novel managed to reinforce the fact that the necro is a bad guy.
Although phagic practices are often seen in occult writing, consuming the heart, blood, flesh, or organs of various creatures, or of great enemies slain in battle, to establish a symbolic link or to absorb their power. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 28 Oct 2011 : 16:59:02
What does a necromancer need to chew and shallow to summon that [female] demon of decay in The Haunted Lands? |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 28 Oct 2011 : 14:16:20
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
I've seen a spell somewhere that turns potions solid
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew
random spell?
you can pick
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blood-transcription
very nice  |
| Quale |
Posted - 28 Oct 2011 : 12:27:12
MT, there are 3P books by Ronin Arts (101 Arcane Components and 101 Divine Components) that enhance spells. |
| Marc |
Posted - 28 Oct 2011 : 09:04:51
I've seen a spell somewhere that turns potions solid
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew
random spell?
you can pick
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blood-transcription |
| Markustay |
Posted - 27 Oct 2011 : 20:22:20
Addressing Sage & Wooly's sub-discussion:
I like the idea of specific natural materials (liquids, solids, and even gases) that have potion-like effects, and have even created about a half-dozen for my own setting (including certain coral and a type of bone), which do NOT need outside magic to activate (in other words, anyone can use them.. if they can find them). This means the item itself has it's own, internal 'magic'.
I also like the idea of alternate materials for spells, or re-engineering a spell to use different mats (perhaps with varying results).
But what about combining the two? Using a material component for a spell that already has an effect of its own? Couldn't something like that super-charge some types of magic? I think that would be an interesting concept. For instance, if you used a spell that required a pearl, and you used a rare type of pearl that had its own magic-like use, then would you have both effects, some sort of combo-effect, or would it create an entirely new effect?
The original MM's used to give uses for some monster-parts that didn't always require being used as a mat or in a potion - I loved that about them. Sometimes it even gave multiple, extended uses like the ones I am talking about (a stand-alone effect, and its ability to boost a known-spell if used as a component). I would think a world like Toril would be rife with this sort of thing, and I'd bet my last dollar that Ed probably had lists and lists of just this kind of thing (judging by the amount he managed to squeeze into the Volo's Guides).
And on this tangent....
In SECERTS (3rd party), it proposed that part of the secret-ingredients of the Lichdom Ritual was to cast a healing-spell at the precise moment of death. That the Necromantic (Negative/Umbral Energy) magic killed the person and prepared them for Lichdom, but required a tiny bit of 'life' (positive/Radiant energy) as the catalyst for success. Just 1HP worth was all that was needed.
That means that sometimes you have to have an item/mat that is in opposition to the spell itself for it to work, or to generate an epic outcome.
It gets fun when you consider the random - but related - kinds of failure effects you could apply, and the unique types of undead you could generate depending upon where the ritual went wrong. On the other hand, theoretically, all Liches are unique, since each one must research their own methods. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 27 Oct 2011 : 14:08:30
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew
random spell? |
| Marc |
Posted - 27 Oct 2011 : 08:03:26
There's a spell in Ultimate Magic, you drink a pint of dead wizard's blood and learn one spell he knew |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 11:21:51
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I could swear I recall reading somewhere that Halflings can actually O.D. on cheese - if they eat too much they get an intoxication effect.
Ed would know... he literally wrote the book on Halflings. 
Maybe it was a specific type of cheese... can't remember the details.
I'm pretty sure this cheese was initially mentioned in the FR comics. One of the halfling main characters was terribly addicted.
I haven't read them in a while so this could be 100% nonsense, but I vaguely remember cheese being formed from catoblepas milk called death cheese as well.
Whether these two are one and the same I honestly can't remember.
Death cheese and cheeeese are not the same thing. You've got the details right about death cheese, but it's not the same stuff that Foxilon Cardluck of the Realms Master had a problem with. That stuff was called cheeeese, but Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog also names it Luiren Spring Cheese. |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 05:33:00
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I could swear I recall reading somewhere that Halflings can actually O.D. on cheese - if they eat too much they get an intoxication effect.
Ed would know... he literally wrote the book on Halflings.
Maybe it was a specific type of cheese... can't remember the details.
I'm pretty sure this cheese was initially mentioned in the FR comics. One of the halfling main characters was terribly addicted.
I haven't read them in a while so this could be 100% nonsense, but I vaguely remember cheese being formed from catoblepas milk called death cheese as well.
Whether these two are one and the same I honestly can't remember.
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Likewise with magical item design. If your research suggests you need "nine drops of smoldering hatred distilled from a god's soul" and the beating hearts of a dozen ancient dragons and the ears of a thousand shades, then you just might want to try new research in the hopes of designing the item in a way which requires fewer impossible components.
Archmages are ambitious and unrelenting. Impossible is not in their vocabulary. If they have a cut a god's tongue and use it as spell component, then they would do.
After all, Karsus used gold dragon hearts and the TARRASQUE'S (!!!) pituitary gland to cast his Avatar spell... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 04:20:59
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Honestly, I wouldn't regard spell components as a source of power.
I kind of like the idea, actually.
Though, I'd make them specifically conditional sources of power only. For example, highly specialised and intricately crafted spells that aren't readily accessibly and which require extraordinarily unique components that provide significant arcane impetus during the casting.
Why not simply say that the specialized crafting allows for better focus of the magic, which results in greater power/accuracy/whatever for the spell?
That's applicable, of course.
But I also like the notion of establishing an external option for wizards, who may be without a penchant for specialised crafting, to make use of these unique spells for a one-time only effect. Obviously, they'll probably never again be able to cast these spells unless they find the same rare components, or, alternatively, increase their spellcrafting skills. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 04:07:30
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Honestly, I wouldn't regard spell components as a source of power.
I kind of like the idea, actually.
Though, I'd make them specifically conditional sources of power only. For example, highly specialised and intricately crafted spells that aren't readily accessibly and which require extraordinarily unique components that provide significant arcane impetus during the casting.
Why not simply say that the specialized crafting allows for better focus of the magic, which results in greater power/accuracy/whatever for the spell? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 02:22:47
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Honestly, I wouldn't regard spell components as a source of power.
I kind of like the idea, actually.
Though, I'd make them specifically conditional sources of power only. For example, highly specialised and intricately crafted spells that aren't readily accessibly and which require extraordinarily unique components that provide significant arcane impetus during the casting. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 26 Oct 2011 : 01:33:39
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Hierophant druids of sufficiently epic level are able to stroll through Elemental Fire with ease. Although I suppose druids would tend to focus on mastering all the other basic elements before fire, since fire is natural but not particularly conducive to natural weather and ecologies.
Actually, a fire every now and again is good for a forest. It clears out all the underbrush and everything, and gives a chance for new plants and trees to grow.
Cutting down the trees can be good too for preventing these massive fires we see spreading all the time in certain parts of the country... people sometimes get too squeamish about this kind of stuff. Now, stripping an area barren... yeah, not so great. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 22:16:30
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Likewise with magical item design. If your research suggests you need "nine drops of smoldering hatred distilled from a god's soul" and the beating hearts of a dozen ancient dragons and the ears of a thousand shades, then you just might want to try new research in the hopes of designing the item in a way which requires fewer impossible components.
Archmages are ambitious and unrelenting. Impossible is not in their vocabulary. If they have a cut a god's tongue and use it as spell component, then they would do. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 22:07:21
quote:
Originally posted by Therise
The spider is probably consumed anyway by the activation of the magic, as most material components are.
I doubt that it actually makes its way down to the stomach for digestion.
This is going to anger the arachnid activists out there... |
| Therise |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 22:04:47
The spider is probably consumed anyway by the activation of the magic, as most material components are.
I doubt that it actually makes its way down to the stomach for digestion.
|
| Ayrik |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 20:27:59
I suppose I can agree with that. If a player is really disgusted by the idea of swallowing wriggling spiders then he can always attempt to research that spell again, with a different approach, again and again, until he gets something more palatable.
Likewise with magical item design. If your research suggests you need "nine drops of smoldering hatred distilled from a god's soul" and the beating hearts of a dozen ancient dragons and the ears of a thousand shades, then you just might want to try new research in the hopes of designing the item in a way which requires fewer impossible components. |
| Yoss |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:48:10
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Yoss
All I know is that I want no part of casting a spell that requires me to use some sort of blood and urine paste as a component.
Honestly, I wouldn't regard spell components as a source of power. I see spell components -- whether verbal, somantic, or material -- as a way of shaping the magic you've tapped into. It's like an extension cord -- it doesn't generate electricity, it just allows you to control it and put it where you want it.
As I'm reading it, the original post is more about things like Popeye and his can of spinach.
Ah ok, yeah I see what you're saying. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:25:25
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I could swear I recall reading somewhere that Halflings can actually O.D. on cheese - if they eat too much they get an intoxication effect.
Ed would know... he literally wrote the book on Halflings.
Maybe it was a specific type of cheese... can't remember the details.
I have no Realms-specific examples, but Scify.Fantasy is rife with the stuff. You have the psi-enhancing 'Spice' from Dune, the 'Sponge' from the Wellworld series (had an effect similar to Voodoo zombies - the addiction was so bad you could turn people to near-mindless slaves), and there was also one in the Earthsea novels - something that they ate and turned their teeth black, IIRC.
And then there were the Lotus-Eaters of Greek Mythology fame. I don't recall if that had an beneficial effects, so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. If we wanted 'plain old drugs', I'd have to include Krrf (sp?) from the Thieve's World anthologies.
There was also a drug derived from a strange creature (Alzabo) in the Book of the New Sun series, which allowed the imbiber to partake of someones memories, after eating some off that person (similar to what some ghouls can do). The ability was part of the creatures own repertoire - it ate someone and then mimic'ed that person's voice (and memories) from afar to lure their friends and family to their deaths.
Those are good examples, MT. I remember, there's a character in HunterXHunter, a member of the renowned group Spider [aka Geni Ryodan], whose "live" vacuum cleaner eats almost anything. She cleans her group's literally bloody mess.
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Whoever conjured Xingax, he/she must have eaten some nasty spell components.
Now I have to wonder if the Imaskari who summoned the Krakentua had to eat Sushi.
Sushi? Well, Samas Kul had to eat roasted boar before casting his most powerful transmutation spell. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:15:30
So basically, naturally (or unnaturally) occurring substances that act like magical potions.
So no brewed potions, recreational drugs, spell-components, etc... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:10:15
quote:
Originally posted by Yoss
Don't park services do burns in order to help the natural ecology, and cut down on crazy amounts of brush that make it more difficult to fight a forest fire when they occur non-man-made? Sounds vaguely like something I don't remember from a fire science class I dropped out of 5 or 6 years ago.
Indeed. Preventing forest fires for too long can allow for a buildup of highly flammable material, which makes subsequent fires much harder to control. Using controlled burns allows for the same positive effects of a forest fire, without having it rage out of control. And the end result is that there's less potential for uncontrolled fires.
quote:
Originally posted by Yoss
All I know is that I want no part of casting a spell that requires me to use some sort of blood and urine paste as a component.
Honestly, I wouldn't regard spell components as a source of power. I see spell components -- whether verbal, somantic, or material -- as a way of shaping the magic you've tapped into. It's like an extension cord -- it doesn't generate electricity, it just allows you to control it and put it where you want it.
As I'm reading it, the original post is more about things like Popeye and his can of spinach.
|
| Markustay |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:09:43
I could swear I recall reading somewhere that Halflings can actually O.D. on cheese - if they eat too much they get an intoxication effect.
Ed would know... he literally wrote the book on Halflings.
Maybe it was a specific type of cheese... can't remember the details.
I have no Realms-specific examples, but Scify.Fantasy is rife with the stuff. You have the psi-enhancing 'Spice' from Dune, the 'Sponge' from the Wellworld series (had an effect similar to Voodoo zombies - the addiction was so bad you could turn people to near-mindless slaves), and there was also one in the Earthsea novels - something that they ate and turned their teeth black, IIRC.
And then there were the Lotus-Eaters of Greek Mythology fame. I don't recall if that had an beneficial effects, so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. If we wanted 'plain old drugs', I'd have to include Krrf (sp?) from the Thieve's World anthologies.
There was also a drug derived from a strange creature (Alzabo) in the Book of the New Sun series, which allowed the imbiber to partake of someones memories, after eating some off that person (similar to what some ghouls can do). The ability was part of the creatures own repertoire - it ate someone and then mimic'ed that person's voice (and memories) from afar to lure their friends and family to their deaths.
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Whoever conjured Xingax, he/she must have eaten some nasty spell components.
Now I have to wonder if the Imaskari who summoned the Krakentua had to eat Sushi. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:05:50
Whoever conjured Xingax, he/she must have eaten some nasty spell components. |
| Farrel |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 19:04:48
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Necromantic spell, item, and potion components do tend to be the most foul and disgusting. But then again, even the first level spider climb spell requires the caster swallows a live spider, not an experience most people would find tasty. This basically tells me that Gygax was trying to gross out is kids while playing. It also makes me wonder why there aren't more medieval witch-burning sorts of wizard lynchings.
I personally would make a terrible Wizard, I can't even look at spiders without breaking out in a cold sweat 
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Yet, if anyone actually bothers to really examine the ingredients in typical bottles of soda, chocolate bars, and hot dog weiners they will probably never want to go near such disgusting processed chemical garbage again. A potion of undead control doesn't look half as bad when compared against what goes into so-called chicken nuggets.
How do you like your Baloney? I like mine with extra lips, eyelids and buttholes thanks 
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
As far as the oddball components in identify ... I'd always thought the pearl and feather were ground into powder and mixed into the wine, a little of which was dabbed onto the item to be examined whilst the rest was steadily consumed by the wizard over the course of the hour. The resulting penalty to CON is basically a combination of indigestion and hangover, wizards really can't hold their drink.
Continual usage of this spell would give alot of Wizards terrible Gall Stones after a while. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 25 Oct 2011 : 18:54:57
Necromantic spell, item, and potion components do tend to be the most foul and disgusting. But then again, even the first level spider climb spell requires the caster swallows a live spider, not an experience most people would find tasty. This basically tells me that Gygax was trying to gross out is kids while playing. It also makes me wonder why there aren't more medieval witch-burning sorts of wizard lynchings.
Yet, if anyone actually bothers to really examine the ingredients in typical bottles of soda, chocolate bars, and hot dog weiners they will probably never want to go near such disgusting processed chemical garbage again. A potion of undead control doesn't look half as bad when compared against what goes into so-called chicken nuggets.
As far as the oddball components in identify ... I'd always thought the pearl and feather were ground into powder and mixed into the wine, a little of which was dabbed onto the item to be examined whilst the rest was steadily consumed by the wizard over the course of the hour. The resulting penalty to CON is basically a combination of indigestion and hangover, wizards really can't hold their drink. |
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