GURPS Magical Styles: Traditional Styles

Belief Made Real Magic in games is typically less subtle than real-world beliefs. That's fine in fantasy settings with dragons, elves, and fireball-chucking wizards. It's workable in horror stories, too, because those only look like they're set in reality . . . it's just a matter of time before evil cults, cursed tombs, and little girls with spinning heads show up to scare you. But it takes a special kind of magic to coexist peacefully with a world that could be the one outside your window – possibly for centuries or millennia. GURPS Magical Styles: Traditional Styles is a look at magical practices inspired by historical ones. It uses the approach in GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles to craft five takes on magic that could be going on next door without anyone being the wiser: Bodily Magic reinterprets the boldest claims of traditional martial arts in terms of mana instead of chi. Dream Magic leaves much to the imagination – literally – by focusing on illusions that could pass for showmanship, and of course the sleeping world. Spoken Word Magic elaborates on the historical belief that words are power . . . which they are, even without magic. Theurgy is an academic art that takes a lifetime to master to the point where its effects truly matter, assuming the scholar doesn't get lost in their studies. The Way of the Mystic Assassin presents magic that makes staying out of sight its top priority – all the better to kill you with. Each style comes with specialized spell lists and new spells. More important to GMs who want subtle magic in historical or modern-day campaigns, each refers liberally to real-world beliefs. And each comes with advice on how to use it . . . including thoughts on interactions with the "standard magic" of fantasy and horror wizards, for those who want a bit of everything. Often, reality is stranger than fiction!