5 Comments

1. 

   Brad Smith on June 23, 2010 at 7:55 pm

   Review by Brad Smith for Authentic Thaumaturgy
   Rating:
   Does this let you do real magic? No. At least, I hope not…What, then, is this for?This is written as a guide by a self-styled Real World Magician on how to translate the magic he knows of into gaming terms. Bearing in mind this is his perspective, and that what is “real” is not necessarily the best thing, this is actually a useful book.He basically goes into magical laws (of which Murphy’s has been included), the relationship between magic and psionics (see The Psionics Handbook for D&D3 for a similar view), cultural references, and, finally, a rump magic system that’s very calculation-intensive.Is this for everyone? No. Mr. Bonewits has some very, ah, strong opinions that some might find irritating, offensive, or otherwise bad. It also might not be useful to everybody, given that I know very few people who actually make up their own systems. I bought it, but am not going to ever use it for anything other than reading material. However, I am glad that I bought it. You may want to do some quick perusing in the store first, though.

2. 

   Anonymous on June 23, 2010 at 8:14 pm

   Review by for Authentic Thaumaturgy
   Rating:
   If written today, this would be a simulation program – and it desperately needs one, ideally written to run on a Palm. As a workable simulation system for role-playing, it just sucks; it’s far too complex. It’s far more accurate than any comparable system, but if you play it, all you will be playing IS magic. As a workable simulation system to explain the process of magic in non-mystical terms, it is truly unique, and near as I can tell, accurate within the bounds of experimental error.So as a means of developing a workable “spell list” for a campaign or a character, to then be expressed in other terms – magnificent. Likewise, it’s great for designing effective rituals. (Um. This might be a “danger, will robinson, danger” moment for gamers – as it IS great for designing effective rituals.)Authentic Thaumaturgy begs to be revisited and turned into a true gaming engine. It also begs to be revisited and turned into a resource aimed at truly pragmatic real-world spell design.But until that’s done, it’s a great resource book, and the ideas it contains aren’t easily found in any other single place.BTW, I considered Bonewitz’s uncensored opinions about nearly everyone under the sun to be hilarious, even when they annoyed me.Isaac; “A spell is a THING, not a process!”
   Don’t confuse the spell with the ritual that produces it.RITUALISTS! [snort]

3. 

   Anonymous on June 23, 2010 at 9:12 pm

   Review by for Authentic Thaumaturgy
   Rating:
   If you’ve ever wondered about the theory behind the magic systems used in your favorite RPG, this gem will surely enlighten you. Bonewits talks about the origins of the magic systems used in various games, shows how they are different from “real world” magic theories, and presents alternative approaches that will make your favorite game even more exciting. While he’s obviously not a gamer himself, he gives those of us who are plenty of tools to modify our current games or create new ones. This requires work and imagination, but anything worthwhile does.

4. 

   Rory Wilkins on June 23, 2010 at 9:29 pm

   Review by Rory Wilkins for Authentic Thaumaturgy
   Rating:
   Yar, I’ll agree with other reviewers that the author has some rather strong opinions that may or may not be offensive. Take it all with a mountain of salt.

   Odds of me actually using the material inside verbatim in a game I run? Not terribly good. But the book itself is AMAZING “GM Fuel”. Material good for stoking the fires of a GM’s imagination. I’m glad I bought it and glad I read it. I won’t go so far as to say it is a “must have” book, but it should be on everyone’s list of books to consider.

5. 

   Shawn Sewell on June 23, 2010 at 9:50 pm

   Review by Shawn Sewell for Authentic Thaumaturgy
   Rating:
   This is a great book to add to your collection for roleplaying for all hard-core players, especially those who want a true feel to their magic system. Bonewits is the only person alice who hold a degree in thaumaturgy, and from ucla no less. He adds depth to magic systems everywhere. The only to disadvantages are that you have to translate what he says into the gaming system of your choice, and he lays only the basic groundwork for revamping all the spells out there. The material is straight out of his other work, Real Magic. I love the book, just am worried about using it in my already made games.