4th edition obsidian and blood magic

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gazlaack
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4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by gazlaack » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:05 am

Hello,
In the fourth edition, i saw nothing about interdiction of blood magic for obsidian.
It is always a ule or it is not?
Thank for your answer

Bonhumm
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by Bonhumm » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:56 am

There is little 'racial lore' in 4th edition yet beside the tidbits race description in the Players Guide.

However, lore from previous edition is considered canon. Thus, the data concerning obsidimen being reluctant to use blood magic (beside living armor) found in the 1st edition Denizens of Earthdawn and 3rd edition Namegivers of Barsaive should be considered still valid.

Of course, there is always a way for a player and/or GM to come up with a reason why a specific obsidiman would act differently.

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Mataxes
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by Mataxes » Fri Mar 13, 2020 11:37 am

Please note: RELUCTANT.

That does not mean they can't, just that they prefer not to.
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ragbasti
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by ragbasti » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:14 am

Obsidimen are deeply linked to their life rock and all of their brothers. Entering a blood pact, or using other blood magic, is problematic since their first allegiance will always be this initial link.
That's where this reluctance comes from, not from an overall inability to do so.

So an obsidiman needs to trust you a lot more deeply to ever even consider blood magic (such as oaths, promises, or group patterns)

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Mataxes
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by Mataxes » Sat Mar 14, 2020 4:51 pm

And you can feel free to downplay that for the sake of gameplay.

I understand how some people can find it troublesome to keep your obsidiman character out of a group pattern, and thereby miss out on the power boost that can go along with it.

The extent to which a group is comfortable with mechanical power disparity between individual player characters can vary widely, and you aren't doing it wrong to allow solutions that work for your group.
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gazlaack
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by gazlaack » Sat Mar 14, 2020 5:15 pm

Thank for you return,

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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by Belenus » Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:41 pm

Anyway, the condition for a group pattern is always that the characters blindly trust each other.
So if one clarifies ingame in advance that the group will stand by the Obsidian in case of a threat to the liferock, or at least not in the way of the Obsidian, there should be no objections.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by ChrisDDickey » Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:39 am

Belenus wrote:
Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:41 pm
Anyway, the condition for a group pattern is always that the characters blindly trust each other.
So if one clarifies ingame in advance that the group will stand by the Obsidian in case of a threat to the liferock, or at least not in the way of the Obsidian, there should be no objections.
If a horror gets his hooks into a member of a group, it has a path to get its hooks into every member of that group. And into every member of every liferock that has a member in that group.

There is a difference between "I trust you with my life and soul", and "I trust you with the lives and souls of everybody within my extended family".

It is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of safety. There is a huge difference between "I wager my life and soul", and "I wager the life and soul of everybody I care about".

Finally, it is very definitely and specifically not just a matter between an Obsidiman and his Group. It is very specifically an issue between each and every member of the Obsidimans liferock and each member of the one Obsidimans group.

Not everybody is willing to wave away that risk for an assurance that the group will try really, really hard not to be mind eaten by a horror. I could very easily see a majority of the members of a life-rock being very, very, very upset with any member who joined their life-rock into a magical link with an adventuring group that few of them know. And having very strong objections to such reckless behaviour. I mean one can't just say there should be no objections.
(if of course that is the way the gm wants to play it)

Lursi
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by Lursi » Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:10 am

ChrisDDickey wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:39 am
Belenus wrote:
Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:41 pm
Anyway, the condition for a group pattern is always that the characters blindly trust each other.
So if one clarifies ingame in advance that the group will stand by the Obsidian in case of a threat to the liferock, or at least not in the way of the Obsidian, there should be no objections.
If a horror gets his hooks into a member of a group, it has a path to get its hooks into every member of that group. And into every member of every liferock that has a member in that Group
.

Hm.. so you say if one Lightbearer gets horror marked that horror has a path to all Lightbearers?

That would mean that group patterns for large groups are just another word for suicide.

As they say”strength is in numbers” I wonder whether such ruling makes sense.

In my opinion, the opposite should be the case. Once you are part of a strong group, it should be harder to twist your soul.
Of all things I lost, sanity I held dearest.

ragbasti
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Re: 4th edition obsidian and blood magic

Post by ragbasti » Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:06 pm

What do you mean, IF a light bearer gets horror marked? :roll:
Panda had a very interesting post in regards to that ;)
(not official but I like it)

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