Professional Documents
Culture Documents
-Savaged by HawaiianBrian
The Caribbean during the days of piracy is a
strange and dark place. Voodoo has begun to take
shape in the New World, reports of strange
creatures abound in the waters and jungles of
these unfamiliar isles, and it is said those who
have the desire can study and master small
incantations, at great risk to themselves.
This article is designed to be used for the
Pirates of the Spanish Main setting for Savage
Worlds. It introduces low-level dark magic which
can provide options for gamemasters wishing to
add an element of the supernatural, or even to
characters wishing to harness forbidden power.
While it describes real-world magical practices
used throughout the Caribbean, it does not
attempt to realistically portray such practices, nor
does it intend to endorse or condemn them.
Rituals
Both vodoun, and its close cousin obeah, are cast
by the use of rituals, as opposed to the Miracles
Arcane Background. Perhaps this is due to the
waning of magical power from the world, or
simply due to the subtle power of the spirits that
give rise to them. Whatever the case, those who
wish to master these powers must learn intricate,
Vodoun
Vodoun (popularly known as voodoo) is a bizarre,
and very new combination of African shamanism,
Arawak and Carib beliefs, and Catholicism.
Though it is very complex, simply put this new
religion states that the world is ruled by Loa,
powerful spirits which verge on being gods
themselves, but serve a larger creator. Those who
are willing to make deals with these beings can
wield their magic and curry their favor.
One of the principle tenets of vodoun is
the notion that all humans have two spirits within
them. The first is the gros-bon-ange, which is
similar to the concept of the soul, but exists
without concepts of morality. The second is the tibon-ange, which is the consciousness and moral
spirit of the individual. When a person dies, it is
their gros-bon-ange that carries on into the
afterlife, and the ti-bon-ange that stays around to
ensure its safe passage before fading away. A
particularly revered soul can be called back from
Vodoun Rituals
Aside from the rituals below, hougan and bokor
have access to the ones listed in the Rituals
section below.
The Great Caille Ceremony
Probably the most important rite known to
the hougan, the Great Caille Ceremony allows the
hougan and all the faithful to commune with the
Loa. During the ritual, one of the participants
(perhaps even the hougan himself) is selected
bythe Loa for possession, an act called riding.
While possessed, the victim's gros-bon-ange is
displaced from her body and the Loa fully
controls it using the Puppet Power.
The Loa
The Loa are divine spirits, similar to Catholic
saints (in fact, their identities are often merged).
Each Loa comes from one of two traditions: the
Old World or New World.
Agw, the Lord of the Sea (Old World):
Patron of sailors and husband of Erzulie.
Ashedeh Boco, the Hidden Fire (New
World): The patroness of those with a burning
inner fire those who seek to rebel or destroy, or
to create art.
obeah
Common Hexes
Cloud the Eyes
Power: Obscure
Difficulty:-2
Trapping: A stabbing motion with two fingers.
Jinx
Power: Stun
Difficulty: -6
Trapping: Cutting the fingertip, then flicking the
blood while speaking a quick incantation.
Poppyshow
Power: Puppet
Difficulty: -8
Trapping: Twiddling the fingers as if controlling a
marionette.
Drogues
A few rituals are for the the creation of drogues
(sometimes called gris-gris), small objects that
hold a vodoun or obeah spell. A ritual cast into a
drogue is effectively permanent, although the
effects end if the drogue is destroyed or dispelled
through the use of the Pierce Juju charm or a
similar ritual. It is not unusual to find a ritual cast
into a carving hanging around a pirate's neck or
from the highest yard arm.
Drogues tend to be for protection, rather
than direct attacks. Drogues that offer benefits
such as Quickness, or that are designed to attack a
target, only hold work one time and then are
rendered useless (though they may be used again
for the same purpose if the ritual is re-cast).
Because the creation of a drogue involves the
spirits, the ritualist can only have one drogue of
each type active at a time. They are precious
possessions and no one would ever part with one
willingly, unless for a significant reward.
A few common drogues are listed below,
with their casting difficulty and focus. Creating a
drogue is a long process, and cannot be cast
quick and dirty, though changing the intended
target might increase or decrease the difficulty.
Common Charms
Blood and Iron
Power: Smite
Difficulty: -6 (affects humans)
Trapping: Commingling the caster's own blood (a
small cut will do) with an iron weapon.
Interference
Power: Environmental Manipulation
Difficulty: -4 (any affects apply to humans only)
Trapping: A quick series of hand gestures.
Pierce Juju
Power: Dispel
Difficulty: -8
Trapping: Flicking the fingers thrice at the target.
Cancels effects of rituals or other magic in place.
Duppy Eye
Power: Detect Arcana
Difficulty: -2 (affects supernatural creatures)
Focus: A human skull. When any supernatural
creature comes within viewing range of the skull,
the teeth begin to chatter. This won't stop until the
supernatural entity has left the skull's range.
Viewing
Power: Detect Arcana
Difficulty: -4 (mystical creatures or magic effects)
Trapping: Sliding fingers across closed eyelids.
Walk Through Fire
Power: Environmental Protection
Difficulty: -6 (affects humans)
Trapping: Entering a quick trance and saying a
prayer to the loa or other spirits.
Jumbie Ward
Power: Barrier
Difficulty: +1 per section (affects all undead)
Focus: A jar of rice left by the door, or a chalk
line. Prevents undead from passing the threshold.
Magic Bullet
Power: Smite
Difficulty: -4 (affects humans)
Focus: A pistol or musket ball carved with
mystical symbols or the verver of a revered Loa.
Spirit Lamp
Power: Light
Difficulty: -3 (anyone can see the light)
Focus: Traps a passing spirit in a lantern, causing
it to glow with an unearthly, greenish light.
Ship's Guide
Power: Boost Trait (Boating)
Difficulty: -4 (any human piloting the ship)
Focus: Cast into the figure head at the prow of the
ship, this drogue aids in navigation. This ritual
traps a benevolent spirit inside the figure head.
Turn-Blade
Power: Deflection
Difficulty: -4 (attacks from humans only)
Focus: A gold coin on a cord around the neck.
Voodoo Doll
Power: Puppet
Difficulty: -5 (affects humans)
Focus: A specially-created doll made to resemble
the victim with a lock of the victim's hair or other
personal item attached. There is no range limit to
its use, though characters with the Doubting
Thomas Hindrance get a +2 to resist the effects.
Shrunken Head
Power: Fear
Difficulty: -4 (affects humans)
Focus: Preparing a head for shrinking requires the
right combination of salts and oils. Resistance
rolls are at -2 if the viewer knew the victim.
I hope you enjoy this Netbook. It is distributed freely for use, as long as the contents are not altered.
This game references the Savage Worlds system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at
www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle
Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the
quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
Artwork and photos are in the public domain and are by unknown creators.
This document is copyright 2007 by Brian Reeves. Version 3, April 27, 2010.