Re: [DL] How Do You Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well?

["Matt the Drifter" <deviantsevant@msn.com>]

> As my local game store has been too lazy to get in
> either Hexarcana or River o' Blood for me, I was
> ondering if anyone could give me a sample of the
> voodoo system for my next adventure (ie how it works,
> the basics, etc.) No need to copy an entire chapter,
> just a few points will do. If you can bluff me with
> it, I can bluff my players. Thanks!
>
>
> James

(SPOILERS)


















Okay here's a bit of the nitty gritty:

1) The lowdown on how voodoo work _really_ depends upon whether the voodoo
is being used by a "good guy" or "bad guy." Bokkors (aka evil voodouns) use
straight Black Magic with Voodoo Trappings. They even have a few nifty
little Black Magic Powers in the books for them, specifically the Voodoo
Doll, which is _much_ different from the voodoo doll presented to players.
So if youse using them as a bad guy just use the Black Magic Rules and
spells and fit them wicked voodoo trappings.

2) As for the real Voodoo, it works very similarly to Shaman Powers. They
even get thier own Guardian Spirits, called Loas, who can, for the
expenditure of Fate Chips, "ride" the hero and work through them granting
powers to the hero for a period of time. There are  about 5 or 6 presented,
but I think the coolest ones are Baron Samedi (don't get an ego Baron) and
Legba. The Baron has power over the dead and in addition to granting various
abilities along this line, when he's riding a Chual (chosen voodoun) gives
them a distinct gallows humor. Legba is the "voice" of all the other Loas
and can let your hero do things like understand anything spoken in any
language for a time and also confuse others speech around him. The "side
effect" of Legba is that you walk with a limp while he's riding you, oh and
when he leaves it _hurts_ for a while (Losta Wind loss).

The Voodoo skill was updated in Hexarcana to the "2nd edition magic rules."
Voodouns have a Spirit skill called Voodoo which is used to cast all Voodoo
Spells. Voodouns also need to "prep" spells as they take time and
ingredients (conjure bags) to use. Also most spells must be prepped at a
Voodoo Shrine. Spells _not_ prepped at a shrine suffer a -5 penalty. A
shrine can be as simple as a little alter set up in the corner of some
cowpokes hotel room, or a full-out Hounfor hut complete with a bloody
chicken fence. Also also, most spells require a specific article from the
target of the spell be incorporated into the conjure bag, which means the
voodoun must know what spell they want to cast on someone, get something
personal of thiers, go make the gris-gris, then "cast" the spell.

Okay I'm babbling. How to fool your posse: Voodoo is not a quick thing. Most
Voodoo Spells take time and ingredients to prepare and a special shrine.
Only a handful of spells exist that can be used on the fly. If you want to
use Voodoo in you campaign for an extended period of time I stongly
reccommend Hexarcana, but in the absence just keep the above in mind and use
"similar" spells from the Native American Tradition. Or just think up
classic Voodoo type spells and make spells that effect the body a contested
Voodoo vs. Vigor Check and Spells that effect the Mind or Spirit a contested
Voodoo vs. Spirit Check.

Hope that helps ya out. More folks will undoubtedly clarify even before I
get this posted =]

xxoo
Matt the Drifter