Smiths

From: Michael Raaterova <michael.raaterova.7033_at_student.uu.se>
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 16:20:09 +0100


Hi all -

The ideas about smiths and their magic got me thinking. Someone [whose name eludes me for the moment] said that they neither used divine magic or spells in the usual sense to do their thing.

The RW smiths of ancient times were figures of mystery and magic and slightly taboo. I think Gloranthan smiths are the same.

IMG, they use spells to heat their forge and bless their smithy, but their real magic comes from within. They have discovered the secrets of smithing more or less by Questing, and so their powers to shape metal become innate, and not spells sacrificed for.

Smiths are Enchanters in this respect - they put part of their Essence into their masterpieces. The various Enchant [metal] spells floating around are not so much enchantments as ceremonies to consecrate and empower the chunks of ore, to make them suitable for a smith to really enchant into various pieces of power.

Also, common smiths are either wandering around the countryside trying to make a living or tied to a noble, forbidden to leave.

The Master Smiths (of the Wayland kind) are more likely shacked up in some strange place where only the worthy may enter. They will make what you ask of them, and more, if you can pay their price, which is mostly not a bag of wheels, but some strange artifact or object, like Dragon Scales, Swan Maidens, Styx Water, Giant Blood and Phoenix Feathers.

Gamespeakingly, Smiths and Master Smiths have a score in Enchant. With the proper rituals, the smith can usually make truly wondrous things with the sacrifice of POW, MP and other things. Going further, the smith can summon spirits to _integrate with_ (not bind to) the weapon, essentially making living objects. This is of course also true for Artificers, with their Golems and Singing Birds and Golden Guard Lions.

The standard system for such things simply isn't good enough, so instead of forcing smiths and artificers to comply with the system, i scrap the system in order to make my smiths mysterious figures capable of strange enchantments.

Usually their powers come from Dedication, Sacrifice and Quest, giving them weird skills with which to craft objects of wonder. Usually they must be Masters of their craft before they can quest for such powers.

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