I have a new player entering my saga who is interested in playing a companion with a talent for divinatory astrology. Now, I have the 4th edition Mysteries, and have acquainted myself with its take on astrology within in the Order, but it offers little in the way of rules for classic, omen heavy star reading. I myself am not knowledgable about this sort of divination, and I'm not entirely sure how to proceed.
I want to allow her character to have the ability to make prognostications of varying levels of vagueness, but I'm not certain how to go about it. Have any of you ever dealt with non-hermetic astrology in your sagas? Any advice? Also, if you know of any web resources that may come in handy, links would be much appreciated.
One way to create an astrologer without reintroducing a 'Divination' Virtue or such is to model astrology on the Visions Minor Supernatural Story Flaw. Just replace its dependency on ominous places with a dependency on studying the constellations, and make sure your astrologer is driven enough to always look out for omens among the stars.
In this way, you as the SG maintain full control on the information given out.
Part VI of Richard Kieckhefer's 'Magic in the Middle Ages' provides an overview of contemporary astrological practices and a good list of literature to follow up on.
The problem with straight astrology is that it breaks the Limit of Time. I would be very inclined to work it in as a non-Hermetic technique, i.e a Divination virtue. (The is one in The Dragon and the Bear, but I never used it.)
I also like Berengar's solution, Visions based on strange astrological phenomenon. That's an excellent idea.
I myself really liked the Augury shtick. For a Criamon magus, I once stuck the flavor text of Magical Imagination onto Enigmatic Wisdom, and piled on Dream Interpertation, Augury, and Oneiromancy as inner mysteries. (Changing the prime ability to Enigmatic Wisdom.)
I think that Augury based on the Astrology skill plus Visions will make for a fine astrologer. I'll pile some of the Hermetic Astrology shticks to that - such as daily astrological influences.
Yes, going the visions/augury route seems like a natural, now that you mention it. I didn't realize that Bear and Dragon had some astrology rules, I have the pdf but it's rather hard to read on my tiny little screen. Thanks!
