Sources of Supernatural Powers

[Humabout]

Here are a few sources of supernatural powers I intend to include in an epic diablo/WoW-meets-Warhammer-meets-MtG type of setting.  The overall feel of the setting is intended to be Awesomeness coupled with bits of horror, wonder, and exploration.  I don't have a working name yet, so I guess I'll add something eventually.  This is the same setting all fo the Dunweald stuff was made for.

The following are sources of supernatural power.  Any of these powers could be justifiably called "magic," but I prefer to keep it a bit more vague, as the Arcane source is most closely related to the kind of magic most people are familiar with (spells and crazy abilities).  The rest generally derive from nature, other spirits, or the self.  [Note that these are what Gurps calls Power Modifiers.  I've included the various stats and information relating to Gurps, but none of it should particularly interfere with the concepts portrayed.]

[ic=Bardic]
BARDIC

-20%

Bardic powers hearken to the idea that knowledge of power in the same way that Sorcery does, and in fact, shares a great deal with Sorcery.  Bardic powers are far older in origin, however, and have greater ties to ideas surrounding the magic that results from perfecting one's art.  Like Sorcery, the Bardic Arts require access to the magical energies that permeate creation and are affected by fluctuations in them, but they also require musical skill.

You must play your instrument or sing to affect others, and those you intend to affect must be capable of hearing you properly (a successful Hearing roll, if the GM feels it is necessary).  You can always hear yourself unless local noise levels are truly monstrous, so abilities that affect just you usually work.  In all cases, the performance must be at least as loud as normal speech; thus it is hard to use this power while being stealthy.

You may use any number of different instruments, but must have skill 14+ in each - or in Singing, if you use that.  You can talk while playing an instrument, but the music has to be louder, and you must make a Musical Instrument skill roll to keep the tune going correctly while you speak.  You cannot converse while singing, however.
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[ic=Chosen]CHOSEN

-30%

For reasons not necessarily known or understood, either Heaven or Hell has chosen to you to receive tremendous and terrible powers.  These powers do not come without a price, however.  Using them slowly and subtlety alters the user's personality and mindset, shifting them closer and closer to the ideals of those who granted the powers (faithful, honest, chivalrous, righteous, generous, kind, etc. if granted by Heaven or cruel, callous, sadistic, prideful, dishonest, and sinful if granted by Hell).  This manifests as 1 point of Corruption per 20% of the modified trait's value.  While such corruption can be cleansed, it is difficult.

Additionally, whenever you use any of your powers, you briefly gain some kind of bizarre and worrying aspect that betrays the source of your power - you may be enshrouded by a halo, have a chillingly powerful voice, your eyes may glow a baleful red, smell of sulfur, etc.  This is worth -1 to reactions from most people who observe it, and it gives observers a hint that you are doing something supernatural.[/ic]

[ic=Holy]
HOLY

-25%

Your exceptional faith and devotion to Good has earned you tremendous blessings from Heaven.  To retain these gifts, you must be fanatical and unwavering in your dedication to the forces of Good; any faltering results in the immediate loss of all of your Holy powers, even if it would endanger you.  Regaining these powers is not easy, either.  While it is possible to regain your Holy powers, the process is long and difficult.  You must complete a major quest, suffer an incapacitating affliction, or inflict 4d injury upon yourself as proof of your devotion - and none of this will matter if you are not truly contrite about your transgression.[/ic]

[ic=Mystic]
MYSTIC

-15%

You draw your powers from your own spirit, which you must maintain religiously.  Mystical abilities depend on special diet, exercise, and most importantly, meditation.  You must take the disadvantage Disciplines of Faith (Mysticism) [-10] to reflect this.  Each day, roll 1d; this is how many hours you must spend meditating and performing special rituals to maintain your power.  Moreover, you must pay double for rations, which reflects not just your unusual diet, but also incense, ointments, and other consumables required for your daily ceremonies.  If you fail to observe your daily meditation and ritual requirement or are otherwise deprived of the necessary supplies for them, you perform a day-long ritual to restore your inner balance.  Your power will immediately burn out for 1d days if called upon before you do this.
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[ic=Primal]
PRIMAL

-20%

You draw your powers the purity and sanctity of virgin nature.  As a result, you find it difficult to use your powers where nature is denuded and weak.  You are at full skill to use your powers in healthy wilderness, natural caves, etc.; -1 in despoiled wild places such as mines or clear-cut forests; -3 in cities and cut-stone tunnels; -5 amidst ordinary pollution; and -10 in a poisoned wasteland.

Moreover, nature responds poorly to the inexorable march of technological progress and the ravages it heralds.  You are at a penalty equal to half the TL (round up) of the most advanced manufactured item you are carrying, wearing, or riding in or on.  Use the full TL of implants and prosthetics.  Thus a TL 3 sword gives -2, while a TL 4 glass eye gives -4.  Abilities that don't require a success roll instead lose 10% of their potency – Ally point value, DR, etc. – per -1 (round down).
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[ic=Sorcery]
SORCERY

-10%

You gain your powers through study of manipulating the fundamental forces and elements of creation.  You require a magical medium known as mana to mediate your spells, and the strength of local mana may vary.  In areas where mana is High, you gain a +5 bonus to any success rolls to use your abilities; in areas of Low mana, you suffer a -5 penalty, instead.  Areas where there is no mana or where mana behaves unpredictably also exist.  Abilities that don't require a success roll instead lose 10% of their potency –DR, damage, etc. – per -1 (round down).
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[ic=Spirit]
SPIRIT

-20%

Your power derives from your command of natural and supernatural spirits of the world.  You work through them, speak to them, and gain your power from them.  They are a fickle lot, however, it is often difficult to distinguish your powers from Mystic ones.  There are some important differences, however.

Spirits are fickle, and whether or not they oblige your requests at all depends on an unmodified reaction roll.  Individual spirits responsible for particular abilities may be more or less friendly, individually.  If so, that one ability has an extra -5% modifier per -1, or +5% per +1, on top of the basic power modifier that applies to all abilities.

Furthermore, spirits demand respect.  This imposes a -5-point disadvantage - usually Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism), Sense of Duty (Servitor Spirits), or a simple Trademark in the form of a small offering or token.  If you fail to live up to this, the spirits cut you off immediately - even if it might cause you harm or death.  Since they ultimately want you to turn them loose on the world, though, it is easy to make amends; a minor sacrifice, such as a food offering or 1d hours of ritualistic prayer and meditation, is usually enough.
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[ic=Unholy]
UNHOLY

-25%

The forces of Hell are a malicious and dangerous lot who seek to destroy or enslave the world.  They would cause everything to sink into a festering pit of sin and filth, if they were not opposed by the Angelic Host.  Since they are often restricted from direct interference in the world, they prefer to work through others, granting them powers in exchange for following one simple tenant - oppose and despise anyone not aligned with the Legions of Hell.  You must take Intolerance (All Non-Evil Entities) [-10].  Should you falter in your hatred and evil works, your demonic powers will turn on you at the worst possible time and then burn out.  Restoring them is possible, but only after completing a major quest for Hell or suffering an incapacitating affliction or a major self-inflicted injury(4d+ injury).
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[Humabout]

Update:  Added Bardic, Primal, Sorcery, Spirit, and Unholy to the original post.

[khyron1144]

Interesting stuff.

Your Mystic power source reminds me of a letter to the "Forum" section of Dragon that suggested something like Psionics with its dedicated Psionicist class should be made core and the Monk should be brought back and they should be grouped together in the same class group based on using focused willpower and inner strength to affect weird changes to the outer world.

Somehow, these days everything reminds me of something I once read in Dragon.

[Humabout]

Thanks, man.  Mystic was originally based solely on Chi-type stuff, but then I started thinking and incorporating more of the fantastic things you hear about yogis into it, and then I was listening to Tool and started adding some of the less overtly Psi psychic power stuff to it, and now we have something quite odd and interesting, imo.  Mystic is a power souce I see a lot of magic-users dabbling in, from spirit-workers to druids to some wizardsly sects.

For those familiar with gurps, everything except Primal and Spirit incorporate an extra -5% into the modifier for the existance of countermeasures, be them an anti-power (in the case of Holy opposing Unholy and vice versa) to naturally occurring traits that negate the power source (Psychic and magical nulls blocking Sorcery, Bardic, and Mystic powers).

I'm open to other ideas for sources of magical powers, as well.  This wasn't intended to be a comprehensive list, so much as a list of the major sources people would encounter.  I'm contemplating some specialized sources, like a closeness to death that grants some necromantic powers, or some such.  I'm still trying to figure out just how to work in a 3.5e Warlock-type invocation power source, too (although that really smacks of just being a Chosen of Hell).