Spells - Buying, Learning and Forms
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One of the things a lot of people may overlook in Shadowrun is how spells are purchased/learned in game. I think it’s very important to understand that mages and shamans need to get access to either teachers or buying formulas. This can also be an excellent opportunity to bring in new NPCs and teachers. In most games I see a lot of people just spend the karma and poof! New Spell! Also character creation is much more exciting when you add personal touches to your character in this way.
Teachers
Everyone has to learn magic somehow. Teachers should be a part of every mage’s life. How they were taught magic should be reflected in how the character uses magic. Shaman’s should have a path laid out before them or if the GM sees fit, allow the character to learn directly from their totem.
Teachers’ ideologies can’t help but bleed into their students and this will give your character all kinds of roleplay opportunities. Some teachers may be healers who will need deep convincing in order to teach offensive combat spells. Some may be professional wage mages who are always trying to get the character off the street or perhaps an old professor who doesn’t really know what the runner does but may be deeply unsettled if they were to find out.This is an excellent character to set up as a contact for your new character!
Buying Spells
Spells come from a lot of places. They span from online catalogs, teachers, classrooms in colleges, even shops in the mall. Each kind of magician will have a special way of encoding their spells into another medium so others of their traditions can understand. Here are some examples:
Hermetic Mages:
Formulas written down with complex patterns meant to form thoughts and ideals. Medieval paintings often hide specific information through iconography or specific images. Things like fish meaning to use water or dragons to mean “apply heat”. These kinds of things are awesome in that you can hide powerful magical spells in art. This is what Magical Theory (1st and 2nd Edition) and Magical Background (3rd Edition) are for.
Shamans:
Formula for shamans is kind of strange. It’s lore and understanding hidden in art and song. Things like woven tapperies using special knots, carvings of important symbols or figures, paintings of spirits or totems. Some of these can even be transitory. Consider a group of shamans who gather to share a sand art rendition of a powerful spell that only is able to be understood or read once the group finishes the drawing.
Voodoo:
Spells would be placed inside prayers, drawn out Veves, stories of specific Loa along with their hidden meanings. These would be placed in books, sacred places (Such as Crossroads or Cemeteries) and of course given during ceremonies and gatherings.
Wicca:
Books of Shadows should be the principal method for these magicians to pass on spells. Being able to copy a spell from anothers BoS should be considered an honor as the spells themselves would be inscribed with the magician’s understanding and feelings as the spells were worked. This would give deep insight into the spell but also the magician.
How to get them
In the 6th world magic is rare, but magical trappings are ubiquitous. Tons of malls, store fronts and back alley stores carry magical materials. Most of these would only be “fetish” worthy, meaning that they hold significance to the mage, but aren’t inherently magical. Even mundane people would find these items intriguing and may even purchase some thinking they will help them.
Even the Matrix has whole sites developed for magicians and mail order services. Given the price of Foci, I’d be rather hesitant to ship something like that to my front door. However spell formula and art could easily be shipped for the standard fees found in whichever edition you enjoy.
This is another thing for earlier editions, Mages and awakened SHOULD be on the Matrix. You don’t need a datajack to use the Matrix. Pocket secretaries, trode nets, etc allow Mages to interact without having to pay the essence price. I personally feel like this is why so much was changed with the matrix in general in editions beyond 3rd. Let your mages surf the matrix!
Learning Spells
Learning spells has rules presented in each ruleset. Usually spending some amount of Karma and time, then making a sorcery roll in order to commit the spell to memory. This process in and of itself presents some amount of roleplay that I think it’s often ignored and stepped over. Training in spells can present and reinforce the characters’ connection to their tradition. Having to buy new books for Hermetics and new bones, skulls, art and handmade goods for shamanic traditions can show up in various parts of your runs. Each a little token which will remind the runner of the run and continue to add layers of background to the characters themselves.
Let me know how you go about improving your magicians spells and the creation of the foci. I’m always intrigued with how people adapt magic to their Shadowrun campaigns as I feel like it is overlooked and used more as just a superpower. Traditions and magic should allow you to add layers to your game, enjoy it!