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overthinking roleplaying games
Mar. 22nd, 2012 10:20 amI think I just broke Shadowrun from my perspective.
In theory, a magician would take Essence loss from SRS and hormone treatment. But there are many traditions Shadowrun would handle as shamanic mages where transvestism and even primitive versions of SRS are just fine. What really nails the lid down on that argument for me is that the Australian aboriginal tradition of penile subincision - where the initiate magically gains a vagina and menstruation - was handed down by a lizard spirit. I'd assume that hermetic mages are much, much more saddled by gender dualism as part of their magical practice (I figure these are the much more Golden Dawn style THERE IS A GODDESS AND HER CONSORT WHAT DO YOU MEAN GENDERQUEER) and they might take Essence loss.
There's a world of difference between gender flux as accepted within millenia of shamanic tradition and going into your friendly Beacon Hill chop-shop to get that bitchin' new Bone Knitting installed, right?
But wait. Because in a lot of Siberian traditions, metal is seen as an important ward against evil spirits, and a lot of initiatory visions involve the shaman's body being stripped down to the skeleton, which is replaced with metal, and then reassembled. Couldn't a player argue that getting +3 Initiative wards off a lot of what passes for evil spirits in 2050s Seattle? Wouldn't the process of lying there, knowing that parts of your body are being replaced and that you will resurface to the middle world as a different person, be a useful trance experience? Ultimately the only reason the Essence rules exist as they do are to limit characters being kickass magicians and cyberbadasses. I'd suggest that a player character should be able to get away with no Essence loss from some procedures as part of suddenly being thrown into much, much deeper affairs of the gods, spirits and ancestors within the Sixth World. We are talking "you mess with dragons and very old nobles in the Tir" variety deeper.
In theory, a magician would take Essence loss from SRS and hormone treatment. But there are many traditions Shadowrun would handle as shamanic mages where transvestism and even primitive versions of SRS are just fine. What really nails the lid down on that argument for me is that the Australian aboriginal tradition of penile subincision - where the initiate magically gains a vagina and menstruation - was handed down by a lizard spirit. I'd assume that hermetic mages are much, much more saddled by gender dualism as part of their magical practice (I figure these are the much more Golden Dawn style THERE IS A GODDESS AND HER CONSORT WHAT DO YOU MEAN GENDERQUEER) and they might take Essence loss.
There's a world of difference between gender flux as accepted within millenia of shamanic tradition and going into your friendly Beacon Hill chop-shop to get that bitchin' new Bone Knitting installed, right?
But wait. Because in a lot of Siberian traditions, metal is seen as an important ward against evil spirits, and a lot of initiatory visions involve the shaman's body being stripped down to the skeleton, which is replaced with metal, and then reassembled. Couldn't a player argue that getting +3 Initiative wards off a lot of what passes for evil spirits in 2050s Seattle? Wouldn't the process of lying there, knowing that parts of your body are being replaced and that you will resurface to the middle world as a different person, be a useful trance experience? Ultimately the only reason the Essence rules exist as they do are to limit characters being kickass magicians and cyberbadasses. I'd suggest that a player character should be able to get away with no Essence loss from some procedures as part of suddenly being thrown into much, much deeper affairs of the gods, spirits and ancestors within the Sixth World. We are talking "you mess with dragons and very old nobles in the Tir" variety deeper.