Shadowrun

optional conversion note: if working with SR5e, Easy (threshold 1) is Very Easy in Mythras. Each step in threshold increases the step. so

• • Threshold 1 - Very Easy

  • Threshold 2 - Easy

  • Threshold 3 - Standard

  • Threshold 4 - Hard

  • Threshold 5 - Formidable

  • Threshold 6 - Herculean

  • Threshold 7 - Hopeless

you probably won't see too many at that high end. I would normally just stop with Herculean. it's 10% of skill anyways. This is also a pretty soft definition, as scaling past 3 successes steeply falls off, and you need very high pools to get the averages. One could easily use the stock table from SR and go

• • Threshold 1 - Very Easy

  • Threshold 2 - Standard

  • Threshold 3 - Hard

  • Threshold 4 - Formidable

  • Threshold 6 - Herculean

and be pretty on. The second one there is based on average human attributes and max skills

Magic

This is one of the primary shifts in structure between Shadowrun core and what I'm doing with Mythras Shadowrun. In Shadowrun, Hermetics and Shamans use essentially identical mechanics for everything. Hermetics are limited to elementals, shamans get nature spirits, but their spellcasting is the same.

Instead, I make a much stronger dividing line with these. Shamans are now treated as Animists directly, and have full domain over the spirit, including elementals. Shamans do not cast spells, they get spirits to do their dirty work. When making your own spirits, limit them to folk magic if you need spellcasting.

On the other hand, Sorcerers are all Hermetics and have complete domain over casting magic, with relatively unfettered access to the spells in the book (exceptions noted below). Many also tap into folk magic for minor effects.

The other one is that I put a much stronger link to culture. You are not just a "generic mage" anymore. You have a background. This is most impactful to sorcery, which now has some constraints on abilities. Conjuring (animism) has totems, so it feels a little more the same.

Conjuring

Animism duplicates Conjuring. I recommend following it pretty close. Most of the spirits are fairly easily done. I would leave off spellcasting outside of Folk magic spells for most spirits. Shapechanging too.

Note, even the Spirit Worshippers cannot Astral Project, but they should be able to negotiate with spirits. You might want to speed up the transition to the spirit world, but maybe not. Their spirits are VERY powerful. An intensity 2 spirit is probably at least a Force 5 spirit. The ones in the books are examples, but they cover a lot of the bases. Some example spirits

City Spirit

Demense, Manifestation, and one or more of the following: Endowment (Camouflage in region), Passion (Confusion), Passion (Fear), Perceptive

INT: 2d6+6

POW: As per its Intensity

CHA: 3d6

Culture and Lore skills of their people and region = 100%+(INTx2)

Spectral Combat = 50%+POW+CHA

Willpower = 50%+(POWx2)

Storm Spirit - treat as an air elemental

Land Spirit - treat as an earth elemental

Water spirit - treat as a water elemental

Additionally, the making of Fetishes is quite powerful - careful of fetish proliferation, as there are no inherent social structures to prevent access, but there is the limit to bound spirits (p136). Respect that.

For initiation here, I would put in pulling others into the astral.

Sorcery

Sorcery duplicates Sorcery. There are many variations of the Wrack spell in the core SR book. Honestly, they are pretty close in effect. Just use Wrack as the base.

For their spells, I would constrain them to their Cult (make a cult, examples p212 Mythras) and give them 7-9 spells taught by the cult. That's a lot, but the Sixth World is pretty high magic.

It should also follow the rules of magic, briefly summed up here

• • Sorcery needs a magical link

• Sorcery cannot alter the fabric of space and time

• Sorcery cannot divine the future with certainty

• Sorcery cannot summon or banish spirits

• Sorcery cannot raise the dead

• Sorcery cannot create magical items

• Sorcery cannot bridge the astral and physical planes

• Sorcery cannot create complex things

• Magic is not intelligent

The following spells are not available due to these laws

• • Banish (cannot summon or banish)

  • Evoke (cannot summon or banish)

  • Hide Life (cannot summon or banish)

  • Portal (cannot alter space or time)

  • Summon (cannot summon or banish)

  • Switch Body (cannot bridge the astral)

  • Teleport (cannot alter space or time)

  • Undeath (cannot bridge the astral)

The following spells are restricted to Initiates only: Castback (aka Reflection), Enchant (aka Anchoring or Quickening, depending on the target), Protective Ward (aka Shielding). Also, Shapechange should preserved your DNA.

Some sample spells that will be asked about

Transmogrify

Only one version of this spell is known to exist - Transmogrify (Goo). This spell affects only living creatures, and non-living material — including clothing, gear, and cyberware — are not affected. Cyberware remains still, as though frozen in the substance. If removed, the target may suffer significant physical damage (depending on what is removed) as determined by the gamemaster.

The goo itself is a semi-fluid substance of mystical origin. The target gains 2 points of natural armor, as they become rubbery and loose their shape. Their DNA is still present, however, and thus it is possible to determine who the "gooed" target is.

At the end of the duration, if no parts of the goo have been taken and no damage inflicted, the target resumes his form unharmed.

Acid Stream *Concentration, Resist (Evade as per missile attack)* This variant of Wrack creates acid that sprays forth from the hand of the sorcerer towards it’s target. Even when cast at long ranges, the spray can be seen to emanate from the caster, leaving a trail of droplets in its wake. Instead of inflicting damage directly to the target, this spell does not ignore armor. Instead it eats at armor first, then at the flesh underneath as per an acid, according to the table below

Once the target is hit by the acid, concentration does not need to be maintained for the acid to continue to work.

This spell can be parried as an S force missile weapon. However, this will cause the parrying object to be subjected to the spell.

Manabolt

Treat as Wrack, Change resist to Endurance

Lightning

Treat as Wrack, Iron and Steel armors do not protect, but kevlar and other substances protects fully. Bronze protects half.

I would pull some of the spells from After the Vampire Wars, but not all of them. Most of the Monster Island ones are not appropriate (time control, space control, etc), but the following might be good choices

• • Actuate Mechanism (but won't work on electronic locks)

  • Augment Incalescence

  • Conceal Serpenthood (maybe Conceal Orkhood?)

  • Diagnosticate Heredity

  • Penetrate Phantasm

  • Repudiate Calefaction

Some Sample cults might look like

Military Order

Lone Star, CorpSec, Military, ...

Benefits: Training, Protection, Material Aid (shelter, food, occasionally weaponry), Magic, Gifts

Skills: Combat Style, Unarmed, Lore (Strategy and Tactics), Invocation, Shaping

Spells: Attract Missile, Bypass Armour, Damage Enhancement, Damage Resistance, Haste, Protective Ward, Transfer Wound

Traditional skill driven advancement and access.

Oath (Order)

Scholastic Order

MIT&M, Corp Investigator, ...

Insight, Perception

Lore (any), Invocation, Shaping

Abjure (Process), Intuition, Mystic (Sense), Neutralise Magic, Perceive (Sense), Project (Sense), Sense (Knowledge)

Traditional skill driven advancement and access.

Oath (to pay back a debt)

Medical Order

Doc Wagon, …

Benefits: Training, Material Aid, Social Status, Magic, Gifts

First Aid, Locale

Healing, Invocation, Shaping

Abjure, Damage Resistance, Neutralise Magic, Palsy, Regenerate, Repulse (Vermin), Transfer Wound

Traditional skill driven advancement and access

Oath (Hippocratic, Corp)

Hermetic Order

Wage Mage, MIT&M, ...

Perception, Willpower

Lore (any), Invocation, Shaping

Abjure (Substance), Banish, Damage Resistance, Mystic (Sense), Protective Ward, Spirit Resistance, Spell Resistance

Reputation based advancement and access

Oath

Criminal Order

Yakuza, Mafia, ...

Deceit, Insight

Streetwise, Invocation, Shaping

Haste, Hinder, Holdfast, Intuition, Mark, Phantom (Sense), Project (Sense)

Reputation base advancement and access

Oath

Enchant

I would make this a product of initiation, i.e. higher level in a Cult. This would be the gift of Matrix out of Monster Island. This would likely be an outgrowth of Sorcery, since Animism already has fetishes.

Folk Magic

Drop this. It is not in regular shadowrun really. If you need to duplicate a folk magic spell, put it into the sorcery framework. It just got an upgrade. Folk magic abilities are by and large in cybernetics, decking, and rigging as tech abilities (i.e. Knock = Open Maglock, Alarm = Set Alarm, Voice = Hack Speakersystem, etc)

Using all of them

Do you want both? I think that's up to you. Full mages are serious business. I actually prefer to have more "aspected" mages. Both versions of magic in Mythras are very powerful.