Reversible Oghams

[WoeRie]

Because it will be relevant in our next gameing session, I would like to know if an Ogham is automatically capable to invoke it's reversed form (if applicable)?

Or is the reversed form a different Ogham Stone, which has to be found separately?

Thanks for your help!

[jujuzecatboy]

I don't think they're all reversable. The ones that are only need one ogham. It's two powers in one stone.

[Clovis]

A pertinent question! The way I see it, there are three possibilities:

1) If you want to go RAW, I would say that it only works when plainly stated in the book, therefore for Calm Water, Humidity, Petrification, Curative berries, etc.

2) However, you might allow every Ogham to automatically give access to its reversed version: Call Aquatic Creature/Repel Aquatic Creatures, Pure Air/Poisonous Air, Pure Earth/Defiled Earth, Cold Resistance/Cold Vulnerability, etc.

3) Conversely, you can state that all Ogham only have one effect, and that an entirely different Ogham is required to invoke the opposite effect. So for example, Fire Resistance and Fire Vulnerability would be two different Ogham.

As far as I'm concerned, I would go for the third option, but it’s your call.

I hope it helps!

[WoeRie]

Thank you, yes, the 3rd option was the one, I was prefering, too.

But I'm surprised that 1 is RAW? I expected 3 to be RAW, at least that was the way I told my players.

[Clovis]

p. 152 of Book 1 - Universe states that, "Some Ogham are reversible; in such a case, it is indicated in their descriptions. Thus, a Humidity Ogham may become a Drying Ogham, etc."

Therefore, if we go by the book, Ogham can only be reversed if their description plainly states it. Otherwise, the Ogham is not reversible.

However, so as not to make certain Ogham more powerful than others and not to restrict possible Ogham, I would say that virtually all Ogham can be reversible (at least, when it makes sense, since, for example, I can't see what the reverse of Fuse With Earth would be!), but that it requires a distinct Ogham. You can't just use any Ogham "in reverse."

[StripelessTiger]

I just ran into this and I agree that it is a separate and distinct Ogham. Alot of the existing Oghams already seem like opposites of others, so I just compiled a little list and added my own. Some feel more reversible than others (kinda like the Advantages/Disadvantages).

WATER

• Call Aquatic Creatures <> Repel Aquatic Creatures
• Create Wave <> Calm Waters
• Raise Humidity [you should use a Fire ogham for the reverse]
• Freezing [you should use a Fire ogham for the reverse]
• Summon Mist, Rain <> Calm Storm
• Purify Waters <> Pollute Waters
• Summon Spring, Fountain (Water Column)

AIR

• Breath <> Choking
• Call Birds <> Repel Birds
• Gust <> Calm Wind
• Purify Air <> Miasma
• Create Whispers (Sound) <> Improved Hearing
• Summon Lightning, Thunder

EARTH

• Earthquake*
• Move Earth (Earth Pillar)*
• Sculpt Earth*
• Fuse with Earth
• Petrify
• Purify Earth
• Stone Arrow
• Tracking

FIRE

• Create Flames <> Extinguish Flame
• Increase Heat <> Reduce Heat
• Create Light
• Resist Heat <> Heat Vulnerability
• Sleeping Volcano <> Awaken Volcano

VEGETAL

• Animate Plants
• Bark Skin
• Curative Berries <> Poisonous Plant
• Poison <> Vegetal Antidote
• Camouflage
• Vegetal Growth

ANIMAL

• Bear (Strength)
• Calyre (Agility)
• Eagle Eye (Alertness, Perception) <> Blind Eye
• Endurance (Stamina)
• Shield (Protection)
• Summon Animals <> Calm Animals

LIFE

• Resist Cold <> Cold Vulnerability (Morcail)
• Cure Disease, Poison
• Healing
• Vital Energy
• Regeneration <> Withering (Morcail)
• Wound (Morcail)

*For Earth it seems like some of the Oghams could be multi-purpose, since you can move earth in a variety of ways so returning it to normal requires re-sculpting it or moving it again.

Also things like Lightning have no opposite because, well just try canceling and stopping lightning. Its the result of a storm so Calm Storm seems like the obvious choice.

And Life is designed to give life, I'm not sure if that means taking it away, so it seems more like a Morcail "corruption" of an Ogham. Pretty sure Wound is listed as a Black Magic or Morcail spell in one of the other books as well.

Just my little input on the matter.