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Technomagic


As science advances, it becomes more and more arcane. Clark's law stipulates that sufficiently advanced technology becomes indistinguishable from magic. In some worlds, this is literally true - technology becomes magic, and certain gifted technicians can use machines to change the real world or do things impossible according to the laws of nature as we know them.

Technomagic comes in four main schools - weird science, occultech, virtual magic and sufficiently advanced technology.

Weird science is the simplest type. Some people have the 'gift', 'spark' or whatever, and can build machines that do physically impossible things. In the game, pure weird scientists are single-schtick artificers. All of the other technomagical traditions incorporate at least some weird science.

Occultech is traditional magic combined with technology. Neon pentagrams, holographic force field, pools full of bioengineered blood and sampled incantations repeated endlessly through a PA system create a strange blend of medieval magic and state-of-the-art technology. Occultech is related to arcanowave, but not the same thing.

Virtual magic uses the powers of computers and virtual reality to work magic. By accustoming yourself to a virtual world where you can overcome the limitations of mundane reality, you train your mind to do the same in real life. By altering the perception of the masses through the media, you change what reality is. A change created in virtual reality soon becomes real. Virtual reality is the same as wizardry's astral space.

Sufficiently advanced technology uses force-fields, hyperspace, artificial intelligence, nanomachines, technobabble and suspension of disbelief to create magical effects that are really not magical at all. But it works just like magic. Only those not in the know think this is magic.

Despite the differences in background, most types of technomagic woks the same, and technomancers often believe in more than one type of magic.

Examples and References

Technocrats, Virtual Adepts and Sons of the Ether from MAGE. Tharkold from TORG. Star Trek. Dirty Pair. Ottoman from Warrior Nun Areala.

Limitations

Hocus Pocus Technomages need their gear. Gizmos, force-field generators, holographic cabalistic symbols or virtual reality goggles all do the same thing, they focus your magic. No gear results in no magic.
Manifestation Technomagical effects manifest through technology. Demons jump off television screens, phazers zap people, power lines send lightning bolts. Without some technological source, natural phenomena, and the right technobabble, your magic will not work.

Common Schticks

  • Artificing
  • Technomancy

Rare or prohibited Schticks

  • Law

Summonables

Occultechnicians summon all sorts of technodemons, while other technomancers rarely use summoning or settle for building robots and bio-constructs.


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Copyright © 1998 and onwards, Carl Cramér. Page downloaded times. Last update Fri, Jun 21, 2002.