I have some thoughts on this, but I'll wait to see how Matt weighs in on this.

Besides, I need to dig out the rulebook and reacquaint myself with the specifics of magic to make sure I'm thinking it out correctly.

Hey guys,

In regards to the two specific primalism questions, below are my thoughts:

1. To grow claws of fangs would be an Average spell (page 144) for a primalist, although if the character already keeps his teeth filed or has long nails, I could be persuaded to drop it to an Easy. If the spell succeeds, they gain a 1L attack using the Brawl skill. I would give a +1 damage bonus for each extra success. I envision these as being physical transformations... where the character's body grows these weapons... teeth lengthen, nails grow, etc... With that being said, I could see some GMs wanting these to be ghostly/magical versions of the natural weapons that overlay the character. Whichever way you go, I think that natural weapon should be obvious, not just a bonus to damage.

2. When trying to emulate an animal's ability to improve an attribute or skill, just use the table at the bottom of page 133. As a GM it is up to you to decide if the totem would grant such an ability. For example, I would let a spider-totem primalist increase their Stealth skill or Agility, but not their Singing skill or Health. As for the wolf speed... improving a secondary attribute (Move) by +1 is an Average check, with each additional success giving another +1. In terms of outward appearance, I wouldn't force a physical transformation, although I would describe the character as feeling infused with the speed of the wolf and have his running gait more lupine and hunched.

Overall, I picture primalism as a more "internalized" magic with few outward signs other than the transformation and behavior of the character. I don't see giant glowing versions of the totem surrounding or infusing the character - like the old Bravestar cartoon or Vixen (DC comics) or Animal Man (DC comics) sometimes do.

Does this help?

Matt pretty much covered what I was thinking of, although I originally envisioned an Easy version of the claws spell would be converting one's unarmed attack from nonlethal to lethal (so the type of damage changes as opposed to the amount).

Other than that, we're spot on. If I was feeling inspired, I'd potentially add thematic flavor to the spell, like perhaps hearing the ghostly echo of a wolf's howl when invoking a wolf ability. But that's strictly SFX.

Edit: Oh, and yes, Survivors is definitely on my GenCon shopping list. Waja want! Waja get!

I'm glad it synched up with how you guys imagined it... it certainly helped my crystallize my thought on the primalists. We will have a primalist PC in the Frontier Justice game... the spider mongrel I posted sooooo long ago.

Hullo, folks, Matt,

Still on the topic of Primal Magic, an interesting question comes to mind.

What is the essential difference between the spells Strength of the Bear and Strength of the Wolf, for example, on the part of two Shamans? Primarily in a game mechanics difference and what it does for the Shamans in question?

I am assuming both shamans simply want to increase their STR attribute - which would use the table Increase/Decrease Attribute on page 133 to determine the success/difficulties.

I personally would make the Strength of the Bear spell 1 difficulty lower to cast because strength is a core aspect of a bear that comes to my mind when I think of them.

Stength of the Wolf would require a bit of explaination from the player, as I (personally) do not see wolves as 'strong' in terms of physical might. I see them as hardy and enduring, perhaps wiley and cunning, but a player with enough conviction would get away with it.

So in my totally optional rule world, this is how I see it:
Core Attributes of Animal --> -1 to spell difficulty
Attribute of Animal --> base difficulty

As for what it does... I would have the bear shaman's physique hulk out a bit and the wolf shaman to become more lean and angular (fat melting away) so his muscles are more noticable.

Ahhh... I think I understand what you were asking...

I don't look at the actual attributes of the totem animals when determing the outcome of the spell. For balance's sake, a Diff 3 spell has to give a +1 to an attribute, regardless of what kind of animal is being emulated.

By reducing the difficulty for mimicing a core attibute of a totem (as mentioned in a previous post), you rewarding the caster enough, IMO.

Part of this decision was also for people who have small/tiny totems. An ant shaman should be able to mimic the strength of his totem (as they are famous for being able to lift a alot compared to their size/weight).