Shades of Darkness, Essence users, and Essence Companion

 

Earlier, I posted about the role and flavor of magic in Shades of Darkness. One realm with some particular concern for me is Essence.

Only users of Essence individually mentioned are Magicians and Illusionists. Hybrid users of Essence are Mystics and Sorcerers. No semi-spell user Essence users exist, if interpreting the rules as per the standard Rolemaster rules. However, Chamurians can be Rangers and Animists (traditionally Channeling), and sometimes Bards and Lay Healers (traditionally Mentalism).

Now, Essence Companion presents rules for several distinct schools of magic, some new professions, training packages, and of course a whole bunch of spell lists. Out of these, school of magic concept seems especially suitable to consider.

I’d identify two distinct groups of Essence users, with their own schools of magic: Chamurians and the Corrupted (who use Unlife to power their spells). I’ll eventually write a separate article to flesh them out.

 

Essence lists in Spell Law and Essence Companion

 

Aside from Rune Mastery, all open and closed Essence lists in Spell Law are acceptable.

Essence Companion adds several open and closed lists, as well as a set of spell lists applicable to training packages. In my opinion, most of the open and closed lists are fine for Shades of Darkness setting but there are a few exceptions.

Open Essence spell list Fey Conjury is inappropriate and should be banned because dealing with Fay is subject to Sula’fay’s blessings (and the restricted True Fay spell list).

For similar reasons, Elemental Summons is inappropriate.

Then there’s Circle Mastery. Circles are a speciality of Demonologists, a profession unique to Shades of Darkness setting. Demonologists have their own circle spells to deal with binding various demons, so this spell list is inappropriate, unless restricted to work on other kinds of creatures. That should make it quite rare, particularly because knowing and using circles is a known Demonologist skill: anyone using such spells would be regarded suspiciously (even more than spell users usually are).

 

TP lists?

 

Essence Companion introduces a dozen training packages, many of which have their own training package (TP) spell lists.

Frankly, it would be easier to call which ones are appropriate than otherwise. For instance, most schools of magic don’t exist on Scarthen World. There are no herbal or corpist catalysts either.

Amateur magic users would change the tone of the setting into more fantastic one. Then, Amateur Mage should be very rare, Guild Apprentices certainly don’t exist, nor does Journeying Apprentice fit in, though their spell list Traveler’s Way could fit Chamurians. However, Chamurians already have The Vault Opened list that has similar uses to Traveler’s Way.

I don’t see particular problems with Arachnomancy, Brewing Lore, Magical Ropes (although this is more like an Arabian Nights list), Mending Ways, Mirror Magic (as long as 5^th level Mirror Rune is altered in some way) and Predictions. However, Ocean Law should be disallowed since Ulpir have banned all sea travel.

 

And the new professions in Essence Companion?

 

I agree with the setting book: none of the new professions are appropriate to Shades of Darkness. Maybe with one exception.

Rune mages would require the existence of runes from way before.

I can’t see Mana Molders running amok in the wastes.

Warrior Mage, though, could work as a particularly militant Chamurian (e.g. dedicated to the constellation of Dagger) or even an Ulpir Hunter of some kind.

 

Conclusions

 

That’s it for Spell Law of Essence and Essence Companion! Essence magic in the Scarthen World seems to be a Chamurian secret, while it has a dark counterpart (powered by Unlife). Therefore, in later articles I will write about my thoughts on the schools of magic for these two aspects.