Wicca, also known as modern witchcraft, and Satanism are two distinct belief systems often misunderstood and misrepresented. Although both involve elements of magic and witchcraft, they differ fundamentally in their core beliefs and practices. Wicca is a modern pagan religion that emerged in the mid-20th century. Its adherents, known as Wiccans, worship nature and follow a polytheistic belief system, honoring multiple gods and goddesses. Wiccans see themselves as caretakers of the Earth and strive to live in harmony with it. They believe in the concept of karma and adhere to the Wiccan Rede, which emphasizes doing no harm and taking responsibility for one's actions.
They believe in the concept of karma and adhere to the Wiccan Rede, which emphasizes doing no harm and taking responsibility for one's actions. Satanism, on the other hand, is often misunderstood due to its name and association with evil. There are different branches of Satanism, but the most well-known is LaVeyan Satanism, founded by Anton LaVey in the 1960s.
Help Me Find Food/Drink-related Magic
Partly because we're going to do a Kingmaker game where we focus a little more on the survival side of things, partly because I just like exploring the weirder side of games, I'm trying to get a fairly comprehensive list of magic in Pathfinder that creates or preserves or seasons or interacts with food and drink in any way. Here's what I've got so far. If you can think of other magic -- items or spells -- that interact with food, please reply!
Spells:
- Create Food Creates bland flavorless food for 6 (or more if you heighten, though I think that's crazy, surely two castings of a level 2 spell are less valuable than one casting of a level 4 spell)
- Verdant Sproud Food for one
- Nature's Bounty Food as though you had eaten a meal, and by the way can I just note how inconsistent PF2e is about how it measures food? Most of these things talk about food for a size medium creature for a day, but then sometimes you talk about individual meals, or volumes, or whatever. Anyway, this is a Focus spell, so I presume someone who has it can feed six people an hour more or less indefinitely.
- Magnificent Mansion and Resplendent Mansion A nine course banquet for 150. But can you request nut-free meals for those who are allergic.
- Remake Obviously not intended for this, but presumably could make food.
- Create Water Water, obviously, not food.
- Gentle Repose Clearly intended for your buddy's corpse, but the fluff makes it sound pretty clearly like a good refrigeration equivalent.
- Purify Food and Drink Speaking of refrigeration, it seems like you could maybe just let your food spoil and the purify it later? My GM isn't allowing it, which is maybe a lost opportunity for roleplaying when you take some horrifying moldy, maggot-ridden piece of meat and then purify it and serve it up to your party. "Enjoy!" Also its AoE is by volume, just to be maximally confusing about how many people it can serve.
Rituals:
- Heroes' Feast A three hour meal for ten.
Magic Items:
- Explorer's Yurt Bland food for 10
- Ration Tonic Food and drink as a potion. Hilariously, since this is pretty clearly supposed to be a sort of magical way to carry food easily, it's actually less space efficient than rations, which are by RAW L Bulk for a week's worth of food (which is obviously absurd).
- Knapsack of Halflingkind Obviously not supposed to be the major point of this, but it creates four berry tarts per day that seem like they are probably normal berry tarts in terms of how much food they provide.
- Bountiful Cauldron Hearty and delicious food for 12.
- Bottomless Stein I roll my eyes at it being impossible to transfer the ale to another container.
- Jug of Fond Remembrence "Just enough alcohol to share with a friend," but no prohibition on pouring it out this time.
- Feather Token (Puddle) You gotta be pretty desperate to pay 8gp for 2 gallons of water
- Decanter of Endless Water And on the other end of water creation, here we have "enough water to serve the drinking needs of a fairly large town quite easily," for 320gp, or 40 Feather Token (Puddle)'s.
- Portable Gaming Hall The most over-the-top way to get a gallon of ale available.
- Gingerbread House Live out your Hansel & Gretel fantasies and also apparently pig out on candy and hot cocoa to the tune of a day's nourishment for ten.
- Ring of Sustenance and Aeon Stone (Clear Spindle) both remove the need to eat/drink
- Preserving Rune for your magical refrigeration needs
- Draxie's Recipe Book Can apparently season 100 pounds of food with a Glitterdust spell, in the most random effort to salvage the theme of a magic item I have ever seen.
See anything we missed?
Today a decade later, I remain utterly enchanted by the sacred foods which once graced Brigid’s Feasting Table. Over the years I’ve baked seeded cakes, braided bread, oat bannocks, and barley pies, I’ve fried golden pancakes, made fresh cheeses, savory soups, and side dishes, and concocted creamy libations, all inspired by the “Bright” or “Exalted” one and her Feast of Light. Whether we’re talking creamy dairy and rich butter, toasty oats and barley, honey, eggs, wild berries, wild greens, or aromatic sun herbs – not mention a splash of red ale and a wee bit of whiskey, each year my appreciation for Irish cuisine deepens!
LaVeyan Satanism is an atheistic belief system that rejects the concept of a supernatural Satan. Instead, it promotes individualism, self-empowerment, and indulgence in the earthly pleasures. Satanists see themselves as their own gods and focus on personal goals and desires. While Wicca has a strong emphasis on spirituality and divine worship, Satanism is more of a philosophical and ideological movement. The rituals and practices within each belief system also differ significantly. Wiccans gather in covens to celebrate the cycles of nature, perform spells for healing or attaining desires, and engage in rituals such as drawing down the moon. Satanists, in contrast, do not typically gather in organized groups or perform rituals in the same way. They may engage in individual rituals or ceremonies to affirm their beliefs and desires. In terms of ethics and morality, Wicca promotes the idea of causing no harm and living in harmony with others and nature. Satanism, on the other hand, encourages its followers to embrace their own desires and pursue personal goals without causing unnecessary harm to others. This fundamental difference in ethical principles is often misunderstood, leading to misconceptions and misrepresentations of both belief systems. It is essential to approach these belief systems with an open mind and a willingness to understand their complexities and nuances. While Wicca and Satanism may incorporate elements of magic and witchcraft, their core beliefs and practices differ significantly. Each has its own unique worldview and should be studied and approached separately to avoid confusion and misinformation..
Reviews for "Wicca and Satanism: How Do They Address the Concept of Evil?"
1. John Smith - 1 star
I found "Wocca vs Satanism" to be extremely uninteresting and poorly written. The characters lacked depth and the plot was confusing and disjointed. The author's attempt at incorporating elements of Satanism into the story felt forced and not well-researched. I struggled to get through the book and ultimately found it to be a waste of my time.
2. Sarah Johnson - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Wocca vs Satanism" based on the intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat. The writing style was unengaging and the pacing was inconsistent. The main character, Wocca, came across as one-dimensional and lacked any real development throughout the story. The inclusion of Satanism felt out of place and didn't add anything substantial to the narrative. Overall, I was disappointed with this book.
3. Michael Thompson - 2 stars
I found "Wocca vs Satanism" to be a confusing and convoluted read. The story lacked clarity and coherence, making it difficult to follow along. The characters were underdeveloped and their motivations were unclear. Additionally, the incorporation of Satanism felt unnecessary and didn't enhance the overall plot. There were moments of potential intrigue, but they were overshadowed by the messy execution of the story. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.