ED4 Preview #3

[Mataxes]

Using "Discipline as worldview" is a handy shorthand, but in the end I don't think it's quite that simple.

Magic is an inherent quality of life in Earthdawn; even non-adepts are magically "alive". What a Discipline does is allow an individual to tap into and use the greater magical energy of the world to enhance and supplement their natural abilities. It does this through an initiation into a kind of mystery cult; when you look at the world in a particular way the magic responds. It requires a particular kind of focus to pull this off -- thus only certain people have the potential in the first place. And due to their inherent personalities certain Disciplines will not be a "good fit".

I think that once an adept has advanced far enough in his Discipline, the mystic mindset required becomes a bit more instinctive, and thus something that certain individuals can use to unlock the magic of other Disciplines -- provided that they can find somebody willing to teach them, and their personality (and existing mystic practice) is compatible enough.

Following a second Discipline is something that is probably uncommon, perhaps as rare within the adept population as following a Discipline is among the normal population. If you want to make it less common in your game, that's up to you, but it has had (ad will have) a place in the game.

[Roth]

[Mataxes]

[Roth]

[Henghyoke]

[Kasbak]

[Roth]

[Kasbak]

[Roth]

[etherial]