Magics and Cultures

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Mar 30, 2006 21:43:04
I recently picked up Tome of Magic and became interested in alternate systems of magic. What cultures of the Flanaess do you think are most likely to use Pact Magic, Shadow Magic, True Name, Incarnum, Warlock Incantations and Psionics.

My thoughts...
Pact magic - Suel
Shadow Magic - Rhenee
True Name - Oeridian
Incarnum - Flan
Warlock Incantations Ur-Flan
Psionics - Baklunish

Anyone else have opinions?
#2

OleOneEye

Mar 30, 2006 23:35:16
I do not know what is detailed in the Tome of Magic, but:

Oeridians traditionally use big, flashy war magic. Evocation would be their school of choice. Such is one of the primary reasons they dominated the Flaneass in the migrations. As Erythnul is known for changing form, transmutation may be popular among the more savage Oeridians.

Suel would seem to use enchantments and illusions. They have large slave populations to control and also seem fascinated with lies and deception.

Baklunes seem affiliated with divinations, what with their focus on fate.

Ur-Flan undoubtedly use necromancy. I like to think of them as solely devoted to Nerull.

Baklunes, and Oeridians to a lesser extent, use psionics, judging by their gods.

Being pushed into marginal lands, Flan may have turned their magical focus toward abjuration for protection. I also think of them as favoring transmutation so they can be more like the nature they adore.

Rhennee seem like they would favor illusions.
#3

Mortepierre

Mar 31, 2006 3:04:31
Hmm.. Pact magic strikes me as more Baklunish. After all, apart from their advance in the psionic arts, they also had regular contact with denizens from the four elemental planes (some of which they bound).

True Name would probably be either Ur-Flan or Suel. Perhaps both. They are the two cultures most likely to "play god" with it.

Shadow Magic is certainly Suel. They're devious enough to develop a liking for it, even though one might argue that - given Xan Yae portfolio - it should be Baklunish as well.

Incarnum should be viewed with horror by most Oerthian cultures, even evil ones. Using souls for power is something the Ur-Flan would probably do but I prefer to keep their focus on necromancy and fiend-summoning.
#4

pauln6

Mar 31, 2006 3:55:00
In my campaign I have converted the Cult of the Blackflame to shadowcasters. Not sure if it's a cult of Suel origin but I think so.
#5

zombiegleemax

Mar 31, 2006 5:42:49
Psionics and elemental magic would be strong in the West - the Baklunish lands, the Bakhoury Coast and in Suhfang. Both would be fairly limited in the Flanaess itself (elemental cults notwithstanding in the case of elemental magic).
#6

zombiegleemax

Mar 31, 2006 11:25:47
So far the only warlock I have had (PC) was a refugee from the Horned Society. Considering the amount of rapine and pillage done to the Shield Lands in 576 CY it wouldn't be out of the realm for there to be some warlocks that developed from the remaining populace either. I am mainly using devils as the progenitors of the warlock seed rather than demons but if you include demons obviously the whole Flaeness conquered by Iuz's armies could be a breeding ground.
#7

varthalon

Mar 31, 2006 19:11:37
From the articles in Oerth Journal. various other sources, and my own campaign and opinions...

The Baklundish
Arcane: big on Elemental forces, Summonings, and other planar beings. Pact magic would be a good fit.
Divine: Solid pantheistic outlook, the Baklundish people worship all their gods as one group, turning their specific prayers to whichever diety oversees what is being asked about (very Hinduish)
Psionics: one of the few peoples in Oerth with the gift of Psionics (which they were given by Xan Yae) and psionics has a very monastic order to it since it is only taught in a few of the monestaries of Xan Yae and Zouken.

The Suel
Arcane: a dark and cruel people, practicing all of the schools of magic but being especially good with the necromatic arts (their goddess of magic is also thier goddess of death). Dark, secretive and Machiavellian, shadow magics would fit well here along with normal wizardry.
Divine: Polytheistic outlook, the Suel tend to worship one specific diety in their pantheon and send all their prayers to that god or goddess (more greek/roman in flavor). Strife between the faiths is not uncommon.
Psionics: rare, but some knowledge of it, stolen from the Baklundish before the twin cataclysms. Suel psionics is very hidden and information about it is often inaccurate, since it is most often used in espionage and assassinations.

The Oeridian
Arcane: they use their magics to conquer others. Most of their magics are gears toward combat, and enhancing combat effectiveness. Warmages and combat specialized mages abound.
Divine: Evolving. The Oeridian pantheon started very basically, with Pelor, Beory, and the four seasonal gods. Over time and with interaction with the other races the oeridian pantheon has developed into a more polytheistic system.
Psionics: Actively hunted. The leaders of the Oeridians understand the arcane and divine and know how to use it and those that wield it as their tools, but they do not understand psionics and see it as a possible source of sedition.

The Flan
Arcane: the Flan had a horrible start with magic, with one of their first mages being Vecna and most of the early Ur-Flan empires devistating themselves with the misuse of magic. The current Flan still tend to avoid arcane magics and have no particular 'flavor'. Those that do go into it often follow the path of those before and delve into necromancy or perhaps develop as warlocks.
Divine: very Druidically based, with unfortunate dealings with dark dieties and he who must not be named.
Psionics: almost none, and no developed tradition.

The Rhennee
Arcane: the Rhennee excell in charms and illusions, and to a lesser extent divinations.
Divine: an alien people, the Rhennee have been forced to accept what gods they could find here on Oerth and worship the more common dieties of any of the pantheons.
Psionics: almost none, and no developed tradition.
#8

ripvanwormer

Mar 31, 2006 20:15:15
Pact magic - Scattered in ancient, forgotten tomes. It doesn't seem very elemental, so probably Suel originally, but mages of all kinds might indulge in it.

Shadow Magic - The Valley of the Mage, the ancient Suel spellcaster Xodast

True Name - Flan

Incarnum - Olman

Warlock Incantations - The ancient Suel house Malhel, Horned Society

Psionics - Worshippers of Xan Yae and Zuoken, St. Cuthbert's Order of the Stars, worshippers of Delleb, worshippers of Syrul or Lydia, monks in the Far West
#9

Mortepierre

Apr 01, 2006 1:08:04
The Oeridian
Divine: Evolving. The Oeridian pantheon started very basically, with Pelor, Beory, and the four seasonal gods. Over time and with interaction with the other races the oeridian pantheon has developed into a more polytheistic system.



I would be very interested in knowing which source identified Beory and Pelor as Oeridian gods when they have always been presented as Flan
#10

zombiegleemax

Apr 01, 2006 14:10:09
Actually, it's not as kooky as it sounds.

We know from Holian's stuff in the LGJ (Death Knights) that Solan was the Oerid name for Pelor. Pelor also seems to have been known to the Bakluni (if that Bakluni pantheon thread over and Canonfire is to be believed) and we know that the Bakluni and Oerids shared a lot of history in the past.

Finally, as the Oerids basically conquered the Flanaess (the various Suel enclaves in Keoland, Urnst, Rhizia notwithstanding) and we find that Beory, Pelor, Rao, Nerull etc are still considered major gods - then they've either been really successfully absorbed by the Oerids and/or the Oerids knew them already by other names. It comes back to the origin of the Common gods in the various gods lists. Some are gods that may have been common to the various cultures before they mingled during the Migrations; others will have been absorbed and adopted by the common Flanaessi culture after the Migrations.

P.