Post by BadWolf on Dec 18, 2018 21:10:17 GMT
Alchemy Praxis
Alchemical Change
Each level of mastery automatically provides an understanding of how to brew poisons and healing tonics as well as elixirs that grant temporary Attribute Traits. Additional formulae are learned individually, with the same experience cost as rituals of the equivalent level. The recipes listed below are just a sample of the hundreds of alchemical creations possible. The sorcerer must research these other applications, presenting them for Storyteller approval before bringing them into game.
Basic
Healing potions are common throughout history, providing a handy remedy when the sorcerer is not around. Though most tonics come in potion form, alternate versions are known to exist, such as salves that are applied directly to a wound. Either variant restores one Health Level of normal damage per dose, and a given character may only receive one dose per hour. Alchemy also teaches the creation of poisons that are usually undetectable to mundane senses, though certain forms of perception would reveal them (such as vampiric or Garou Heightened Senses or changeling treasures). Normally, these come in potion form, inflicting one Health Level of damage when consumed. Alternatively, the substance could be prepared as a salve that may be applied to an edged weapon (sword, dagger or arrow). In this case, the poison inflicts one additional wound the first time the weapon is successfully used.
Finally, Alchemical elixirs may enhance a person’s natural aptitudes. Basic versions grant the user two Attribute Traits that last for the remainder of the current scene (or until used). These Traits must be assigned during the brewing process and may only modify one Attribute category (Physical, Social or Mental). A character may benefit from only one of these elixirs at a time, and only one such boost may be applied within a one-hour span.
Basic Alchemical formulae take one hour to prepare and last for one week before losing their potency. Some additional recipes available at this level include:
- Blood of the Snake
Part of learning to brew poisons is learning to make the antidotes. This anodyne reduces the damage from any mundane poison (e.g., cyanide, spider venom) by half (round down). Thus, a toxin that normally inflicts three wounds would only cause a single Health Level of damage. These benefits last for the remainder of the game session if the antidote is taken before the poison. When used after the fact, this affects only a single dose. In addition, the antidote must be applied during the same scene in which the poison took effect. Blood of the Snake cannot affect Advancedl evel Alchemical poisons, although it may have the normal effect against Basic preparations and reduce normal damage from an Intermediate poison.
- Nectar of Restoration
Since complex formulae can take a long time to prepare, alchemists have developed the means to sustain themselves over many sleepless nights. This draught restores all personal Attribute Traits in one category (Physical, Mental, Social), specified when the dose is created.
- Philter of Longing
Love potions have put coins in sorcerers’ pockets for centuries. This is not the only passion that can be instilled, however; some have found fear or loyalty to be equally useful. Prepared as either perfume or incense, each dose evokes one specific emotion (chosen during creation) for a single scene. These effects may be avoided if the target wins a Static Mental Test.
Intermediate:
This level allows the alchemist to create more potent brews. Intermediate tonics restore two Health Levels of normal damage or mend a single aggravated wound, whereas poisons inflict equivalent injuries. In addition, you may now brew venoms that paralyze someone for a scene or send him into a deep sleep for up to an hour.
The benefits provided by Intermediate elixirs are also more significant, granting the user three Attribute Traits which last for the remainder of the game session (or until used). A character may only benefit from this or any other elixir once per night, and the bonus cannot be combined with any other magical form of Attribute enhancement within the same category (Physical, Mental, Social).
Intermediate Alchemical works take one full day to formulate and lose their efficacy after one month. Some recipes at this level include:
- Blood of Valor
Many a warrior has wished for that one last burst of strength needed to finish a battle. Alchemy is only too happy to provide them that gift. This potion enables the user to ignore all wound penalties for a single scene. Alternately, a version may be created which simply reduces wound penalties by one level (Bruised counts as Healthy, Wounded counts as Bruised); this variant lasts for the remainder of the game session.
- Essence of the Judge
By applying this salve to her ears, the subject gains the ability to know when someone is lying to her. Alternately, this formula may be prepared as eye drops, allowing the user to tell if written text is fact or mere opinion. Either version requires a Static Mental Test for each statement you wish to verify. This effect lasts for a single scene.
- Philter of Passion
As with the Philter of Longing, this brew causes its target to feel a specific emotion, but the feelings are more intense and the effects last for one hour. Unlike the previous level, this passion may only be averted by the expenditure of a Willpower Trait.
Advanced:
As your mastery increases, you are able to bring about amazing changes in a target. Your healing tonics can now restore all normal injuries over the course of an hour, including up to two aggravated wounds. Sleeping potions that drop victims into an enchanted slumber lasting for a week or more are possible. Poisons are also more dangerous, requiring the target to win a stamina-based Physical Challenge to even remain standing; those characters who win the challenege suffer one aggravated wound. Those who lose suffer enough aggravated damage to drop them to Incapacitated.
Finally, incredible enhancements to a person’s body and mind are possible, granting up to four normal Attribute Traits or a single Trait that cannot be lost. Either benefit lasts for the remainder of the game session. As with lesser versions, the specific Traits must be specified when the elixir is made and cannot be combined with any other form of magical Attribute increase.
Advanced Alchemical preparations require one week of dedicated effort and last up to one year before becoming inert. There are few standard Advanced formulae, but many alchemists have found some remarkable creations (with Storyteller approval). Some known examples include:
- Blood of the Messenger
This formula is usually found as a potion allowing a character to speak and understand any language. A salve variant allows the user to select one of the following applications: By applying the salve to the eyes, the user can read any written language. By applying it to the ears, the character may understand any spoken words. Finally, by coating the tongue, the recipient may be understood by any listener. Each of the above uses lasts for one hour.
- Essence of Inner Strength
Some alchemists have uncovered the means of storing personal energy within a substance and recalling it in times of need. For every two temporary Willpower Traits spent during the final hour of brewing, the preparation affords one such Trait. This is one of the few ways to raise a character’s temporary Willpower Traits above her permanent rating. Rumors hint at other formulae that create draughts of Gnosis or Glamour, though these potions are subject to the Storyteller’s approval. In any event, if the alchemist is not capable of donating this energy personally, a volunteer must be present during the creation. The effects end with the scene.
Master:
These creations are the stuff of legends - flying ointment, Love Potion #9, complete cure-all or instant death poison. Your tonics can now increase a person’s Traits well beyond their normal maximum, granting up to six Attribute Traits for the remainder of the game session. Again, these benefits may not be combined with any other magical form of Attribute increase. Master-level Alchemical creations are said to last indefinitely, although not many have been willing to test the theory with the musty old bottles found in the back of an alchemist’s pantry. These concoctions require one month of isolation to prepare, however. You may not engage in any other downtime activity, and your character must remain out-of-game for any stories which occur during this time.
In addition, some whisper that a Master of Alchemy is capable of learning the secrets of life itself.. . .
- Homunculus
This formula allows the alchemist to construct an artificial life form. These creations are fashioned in the shape of small animals, anything from a mouse or spider up to the size of a small dog. The homunculus may even be given wings, gills or similar movement-related capabilities. Each homunculus has eight Attribute Traits, though these are not broken up by category. Any ties or overbids are resolved using the entire set of Traits. Though the creature’s intelligence is no more than that of a well-trained monkey, it is capable of understanding reasonably detailed instructions. In addition, the homunculus may communicate short phrases or simple images to its creator through a limited form of telepathy. Homunculi have the same Health Levels as humans and suffer damage in the same way. Once created, this servant lives for one year (or until destroyed).
Coiling Praxis
Modem sorcerers have developed spells to interact with and control technology, including electronic devices such as radios, computers and evenmost modem appliances. Simple machinery and mechanical instruments of a non-electronic nature may not be affected through this path. Sorcerers who practice Coiling are not technowizards - that is a distinction of practices, not semantics.Technowizards prefer to work their “magic” through devices of science, usually of their own creation, and disdain the idea of magic altogether. Coilers are sorcerers through and through.
Basic:
Malfunction
By spending a Mental Trait, you may cause one nearby electronic device to shut down. This power may be used oncontemporary automobiles (which have electronic control systems), forcing them to stall. The effects of this power continue for one turn (10 seconds), after which the device can be tumed back on. Anyone looking at the device will find nothing out of the ordinary.
Electronic Control
In addition to turning electronic systems on and off at a distance, you are able to operate such equipment at range. Though an electronic device can be made to perform any of its normal functions, it cannot do anything beyond its design. Thus, a telephone may be made to dial a particular number but not to emit a hypersonic burst of noise. Each success on an Extended Static Mental Test lets you issue one command during the scene. If the device in question is sufficiently complex, a Narrator may require you to possess an appropriate Ability to operate it.
Intermediate:
Jamming
This spell allows you to set up a field that disrupts electronic communications in your immediate area. By spending a temporary Willpower Trait, you may also prevent any electronic devices from functioning. This effect covers a 10-foot radius for each Mental Trait you have and lasts for one scene. If a technowizard wishes to use an apparatus whose mundane equivalent is blocked, he must first defeat you in a Mental Challenge.
Data Tap
At this level, your awareness of the technological world has progressed to the point at which you may tap into the electronic information around you. By winning a Mental Challenge, you may “see” television transmissions, “hear” radio broadcasts or “feel” the electrical flow through a device. This spell also allows you to read information directly from computer media, such as floppy disks or CD-ROMs. Each use of this power allows you to monitor a single source for one scene.
Advanced:
CyberLink
Your relationship with electronic devices has grown beyond your role as an external operator. By spending a Mental Trait, you may directly interface with a single device or network, controlling this system as if it were part of your own body. You may even override programmed security features by making a Mental Challenge. If another character attempts to take control of this system while you are linked to it, your adversary must first defeat you in a Mental Challenge. Once established, your link to the device lasts for up to one scene. If you perform this spell as a full ritual, you may sustain your connection for as long as you remain awake.
Master:
Implant:
Whereas lesser spells allow you to control devices as an external agent, this potent effect enables you to physically merge with a machine. By spending a Physical Trait and winning a Mental Challenge, you may embed any one hand-held device within your body. Once the device is implanted, you may perform any of its normal functions as if they were part of your natural body. For example, an embedded telephone would allow you to send and receive calls simply by thinking about it. Likewise, an implanted calculator would enable you to do complex calculations ILiny our head.” You may never have more implants than your permanent Willpower Rating. This melding lasts up to one hour for each Mental Trait you have, after which point you must remove the device or suffer two aggravated wounds.
Conjuration Praxis
This Praxis allows the sorcerer to manipulate objects much as a stage performer does. Unlike simple misdirection, reality is being altered right under the observer’s nose. Any objects you wish to affect with these arts must be prepared in advance according to the style of magic practiced, such as consecrating a blade to the Goddess or hypnotizing a human subject. Because of the necessary preparation time, this Praxis is ineffective in combat. While you may prepare objects for conjuration, you cannot claim to have the spell “lying in wait” in a comer. Unless otherwise specified, any use of this Praxis requires a Static Mental Test.
Basic
Tip the Scales
At the simplest level, you are able to levitate or move small hand-held objects weighing up to one pound for each Mental Trait you have. Precision applications, such as opening a lock, require you to win a Static Mental Test. The force generated by this spell is not enough to cause damage or even resist another character’s efforts to stop it.
Thin Air
This spell allows you to make small life-forms or other hand-held items (up to 5 pounds for each Mental Trait you possess) invisible. By spending an appropriate Mental Trait, you may even teleport the object to any hidden location within 10 feet of its original location. Alternatively, you may cause one apparently solid object to pass through another. This includes the classic sawing-in-half trick as well as more subtle applications. Neither item is harmed by this traversal, and the objects may remain co-located for up to one minute for each Mental Trait you spend.
Intermediate
Call to Hand
You can summon, move or levitate a living creature of less than half an average human’s mass. You may also perform the same trick with inanimate objects of approximately steamer-trunk size. Not only can you shuffle these objects about, you may also cause them to disappear from one location and reappear in another. Both the origin and destination of this spell must be within line-of-sight. The maximum range of this effect is 50 feet.
From the Hat
This art allows you to snatch large or complex inanimate objects, such as a bottle of wine, a sword or a boom box, from the air. The object must be prepared beforehand and may be no larger than a chair.
Advanced
Presto
Dramatic efforts are now possible for the conjurer. You may levitate large items (roughly car-sized) or up to three human-sized creatures, moving them anywhere within line-of-sight, to a maximum range of 100 feet. Living things may be affected with this spell, though only if they do not consciously resist.
Master
Hidden Pockets
As your control over matter and space reaches its peak, you are able to fashion extra-dimensional pockets around you. These spaces exist outside of normal reality, accessible only to their creator. However, this spell does not grant you unlimitedcapacity-eachobject squirreled away weighs about half as much as it normally would. Thus, if you were carrying a large book in one of these spaces, it would seem as if you had a paperback in your coat pocket. Each use of this spell pushes a single hand-held object outside reality. This object may remain there for up to one month, though you may return it to hand simply by taking an action to reach for it. Living creatures may not bestored in this way.
Conveyance Praxis
Whereas Conjuration deals with the relocation of objects, this path allows the sorcerer (or other willing targets) to move quickly from place to place. This includes both direct flight and teleportation. The nature and manifestation of these effects must be specified when this path is learned. Some practitioners employ a vehicle, such as a broom or flying carpet, and others use more flashy means, including the infamous “puff of smoke.”Unless otherwise specified, any use of this path requires a Static Mental Test.
Basic:
Short Hop
The first level in this art allows you to move anywhere within your immediate area in a single turn, up to 10 feet away for each Mental Trait you possess. You may only travel to a location that you could normally reach: Jumping or teleporting across a room is valid, but appearing inside a locked room is not.
Secret Portal
This spell allows a character to walk through any single material barrier, such as a door or wall. If someone else is the beneficiary of this effect, she must pass a Static Mental or Physical Test or be disoriented for a full turn after the crossing.If this rite is performed on a barrier that only exists in game (say a curtain that represents a steel door), then the player simple steps through when the spell is cast. On the other hand, if the barrier is real and there is already ascene taking place in the target location, the action there is put on hold while you move out-of-game to the destination. Once you arrive, you must describe your arrival to any players there.
Intermediate:
Gift of Wings
This spell allows you to fly at a significant speed, covering distances of up to a mile in a few minutes. Once set in motion, the destination is fixed; you cannot change your mind after the journey has begun. Some vehicle or other means of transport (such as a broom or flying carpet) is necessary to manifest this effect.
Safe Journey
Similar to the previous spell, this application extends both your capacity and the distance you can travel. This flight is quite fast and can cover a distance of up to 100 miles in just an hour or two. It costs one Mental Trait to cast this spell, plus an extra Trait for each additional person (or equivalent cargo) you wish to bring along.
Advanced:
Stepping Out
Whereas the preceding spells move an individual through space, this effect bypasses standard motion and teleports the caster (or one other willing individual) directly to her destination. Travel takes only a minute. If the destination is not within line-of-sight, then it must be well known and within one mile for each Mental Trait you possess. This transport ignores any physical obstructions along the way, though magical barriers or wards will prevent the effect. Upon arriving at your destination, you must undergo an Extended Simple Test. Each consecutive failure on this test leaves you off balance and unable to function for one turn. A temporary Willpower Trait may be spent before the initial test to prevent this disorientation.
Master:
Going Home
An enhanced version of Stepping Out, this effect allows you to teleport to or from any well-known location, regardless of how far away it is. You may even bring (or send) additional people, even if you do not go. This latter option costs one Mental Trait per person and only willing targets may be affected. If this spell is performed as a ritual, you may bring others to where you are, though the same costs and limitations apply. In this case, your targets must either be in a known location or else carrying a specific token that you have prepared in advance for this purpose. As with Stepping Out, those people who travel in the blink of an eye suffer the risk of becoming disoriented upon arrival.
Cursing Praxis
This Praxis has caused more than one sorcerer to be burned at the stake, for it allows you to use magic to bring harm to your opponents. All curses require a Mental or Social Challenge, which may not be negated with Willpower. A sorcerer may only bestow one curse upon a given individual at a time, though you always have the option to override any prior use of this path. Other sorcerers skilled in this Praxis may attempt to break an existing curse, as long as their knowledge equals or exceeds that of the original caster. This process uses the normal rules for Unweaving. Because of the nature of these effects, you may be required to forfeit a temporary Humanity Trait if a Narrator feels that these powers are being used carelessly or maliciously. Cursing also requires that the exact words be noted for the benefit of the Storyteller, who will determine what results the curse has in accordance with the story.
Basic:
Mishap
You may hex someone with a minor inconvenience, such as causing him to drop an object or to say something inappropriate, for example. You may even cause a target to have a small accident, such as tripping and spraining an ankle (one Health Level of normal damage). The curse may be brought about immediately if the circumstances are right at the time of casting; otherwise, the effect will manifest sometime during the current game session.
Falling Out
This spell allows you to promote the effects of Mishap to all members of a small group. The targets must be directly linked in some way: two lovers, all the living children of an individual, everyone who participated in a specific attack on the caster, etc. The specific manifestation of the effects may not be the same for each victim, but there will be a common thread among all the victims’ misfortunes.
Intermediate:
Misfortune
At this level, you may cause calamities with lasting consequences. For example, your curse could ruin a friendship, cause a target’s house to bum down, or have someone charged with a crime he did not commit. You may even bring about direct injury - two Health Levels of normal damage or one aggravated wound - in the form of a lasting illness or random mishap, such as getting hit by a stray bullet. Again, the specific nature of the curse will determine how quickly it comes into effect, though most such afflictions will manifest before the end of the current story.
Advanced:
Great Curse
You may now inflict a long-term debilitating illness (permanently lose two Attribute Traits or gain up to two Negative Traits) upon your target. This may be the result of a heart attack or stroke, the loss of a limb or an emotional breakdown. Alternately, the curse may invoke a terrible disaster, such as a member of the victim’s immediate family being murdered. If you intend the subject to die, you must also spend a temporary Willpower Trait before the challenge is resolved. As with all Advanced sorcery, you must spend a full minute preparing: In this case, you build up anger and malice toward your subject. The Storyteller maychoose to waive this premeditation if the curse is directed at someone immediately threatening your life.
Master:
Hand of Fate
The most directed application of this Praxis is the ability to tip the scales of destiny in one direction or the other. By defeating a character in a Mental Challenge (versus his Social Traits), you may force him to lose all ties for the next hour. If your target has a power allowing him to win all ties, the effects cancel each other out and tests are resolved normally.
Death Curse Notes:
Some of the most terrifying applications of this art include curses cast at the moment of death. If the Storyteller wishes to allow this option, you may cast any single curse that you already know, but it will have a much broader scope of effect. This curse may only be cast upon an enemy, either one directly involved in your death or one that you have been fighting with for a long time.
Daimonis Praxis
Believing themselves secure in their powers, mortals have long sought to command the forces of the otherworld. Also known as Daimonic Summoning, this Praxis deals with the nebulous powers of the Deep Umbra. This is the most dangerous form of magic possible, for the creatures being courted extend beyond the limits of human understanding. Some sorcerers claim that every god, demon or angel ever conceived has some otherworldly incarnation. As with most arts, the style and mode of this practice varies with the tradition - a Kabbalist works differently than an American Satanist, and one does not attempt to call an angel with the rite used for an African devil. However, one thing is certain - commerce with creatures so alien to human existence always comes at a high price.
No sorcerer with half a brain performs these spells lightly or carelessly. This sort of summoning demands plenty of ritual tools, days of preparationand all senses working on full thrusters when - or if - the summoned creature appears. A sorcerer needs to be clever, strong-willed and lucky if she’s going to truck with Umbrood - there are reasons why the gods do not walk the earth, and the Storyteller is under no obligation to be merciful. Depending on the creature that arrives, the Storyteller may allow it to win on all ties or even shrug off certain spells. Daimonis is concerned only with Umbrood. The path of Spirit Calling handles incarnations of nature and the elements, and the Restless Dead are the province of Necromancy. For rules regarding spirit creation and combat, see Chapter Four or Laws of the Wild.
Basic:
Summoning
You may summon a single Umbrood, such as one of the infernal host, a demon baron, an angel, even a Celestine if you get very lucky. However, you cannot control what it will do once it arrives. Casting this spell requires an Extended Mental Challenge.
Dismissal
This simple spell allows you to protect yourself from the forces you summon. By winning a Social Challenge, you may force a summoned Umbrood to leave the immediate area for the remainder of the scene. If you take the time to enact a full ritual, you may extend the duration to an entire day. This spell may even be used to attempt to exorcise a hostile spirit that has taken possession of another individual (this has no effects on wraiths using Puppetry or who are skinriding). You may not cast such a spell on yourself.
Intermediate:
Lesser Pact
You are now able to force certain behavior in lesser beings or negotiate a temporary truce with greater entities. If you succeed in a Mental Challenge, you may require a minor Umbrood to perform one action. If the task assigned would take more than an hour to complete, you must also spend a temporary Willpower Trait once the challenge is resolved. Alternately, a successful Social Challenge (and plenty of roleplaying) will render any otherworldly being non-hostile. The spirit will not harm you or those under your protection for the remainder of the scene, though any other action is fair game.
Dolor
This spell allows you to direct your wrath against spirits who displease you. For each success on an Extended Mental Challenge, you may inflict one aggravated wound. Willpower may not be used to resist this effect, though it does allow for a retest. This power may be used on any being that originated somewhere other than the physical world.
Advanced:
Truce
A greater form of Dismissal, this spell can be used to terminate your relations with a particular spirit. This effect only prevents the creature from coming within sight of you or affecting you directly. Alternately, you may choose to protect some other individual or object. The application requires a temporary Willpower Trait and lasts for the remainder of the current storyline. Truce may not be used to end demonic pacts.
Master:
True Binding
Beyond mere control over lesser Umbrood, this potent spell allows you to attempt direct mastery over any being you are capable of summoning. You must know the appropriate Summon spell before attempting to control a specific individual, though your target need not be one that you personally summoned. This spell requires an Extended Mental or Social Challenge (Storyteller’s choice). However, unlike normal Extended Challenges, both sides continue accumulating successes until there is a clear winner. The first player to gain a number of successes equal to his opponent’s current Willpower Rating wins the overall challenge. The terms and conditions of this binding must be specified before the spell is cast. They may be as specific as requiring a single action of arbitrary difficulty or as open-ended as serving the victor until released. However, if the binding lasts for more than one month, the captive may reattempt the challenge. If the captive is successful, the tables are turned and the servant becomes the master. This gambit may occur at any pointduring a game session, though only one attempt is allowed per month. It should go without saying that only a fool would attempt to make an Umbrood into a pet. The sorcerer would do well to remember that his captive will, at some point, go free and is likely to savor his revenge in the way that only immortals can.
Divination Praxis
The art of fortune telling has long been amainstay of sorcery, fromTarot cards and tea leaves to rune casting and the I Ching. The specific set of tools or method used will depend upon your chosen style and is subject to Storyteller approval. Unless otherwise stated, all uses of this Praxis require a Static Mental Test. Looking into the future can be problematic in many chronicles. Storytellers should feel free to tailor the format and content of information gained as needed to preserve the story plot. A Narrator or Storyteller must be present during the use of this Praxis, and she will determine the exact nature of the information given out.
Basic:
Query
At this level, you may gain answers to simple yes-or-no questions. As with all applications of this art, the trick is knowing which questions to ask. You may ask up to three questions about any specific topic during a given scene, though each requires a separate Static Mental Test. In general, information about the present or near future (a few hours) only may be gained.
Hidden Meaning
This spell may be cast any time you are studying awritten text or listening to someone speak. By winning a Mental Challenge, you are able to “read between the lines” and get the basic gist of what is being said. You will be able to determine whether the writer (or speaker) believes what is being expressed as well as how much is opinion versus fact. Even if you do not know the language in question, you will gain a general sense of the tone and content of the work, though no other details will be available.
Intermediate:
Attunement
This spell allows you to draw general information about your surroundings. If you pass a Static Mental Test, you may gather basic impressions about the local area: the presence (but not location) of other supernatural beings, the rough population of the region, disturbances (supernatural, physical), current social dynamics, etc. Hard facts (names, dates, phone numbers, etc.) may not be gained through this power. Any use of this spell requires the presence of aNarrator, who will decide exactly what information is obtained.
Secret Whispers
Your powers of information-gathering have become reflex, allowing you to size up an individual even if you have never met her before. You must engage your target in conversation for at least five minutes and have her touch something of yours (i.e., a handshake, a Tarot card) before attempting to cast Secret Whispers. An Extended Static Mental Test will determine how much you discover. As always, your information comes in flashes and glimpses, with no hard facts. This power may only be used on a given individual once per game session.
Advanced:
True Visions
By now, you have mastered the art of pulling information out of thin air. You can read details about the subject of inquiry, gaining one piece of information for each success on an Extended Static Mental Test. This may be a name, a date or even a brief vision related to the question or subject at hand. These inquiries may be spread out over the course of a scene, though once you fail a test, you may not seek information on this topic for the remainder of the game session. You must spend at least five minutes with your chosen Divination medium, concentrating on the subject and speaking to no one, before beginning the test. Time also imposes less of a limit in your visions. However, the farther ahead you go, the more significant the events need to be and the vaguer the vision in return. Thus, you could tell that the subject of your inquiry would meet someone within the next six months, and a serious accident or a marriage could be predicted years in advance. The events must have farreaching consequences for you to be able to see them in the tapestry of fate.
Master:
Pulse of the World
This is a more potent version of Attunement and is always considered active once it is learned. A Narrator may come up to you at any time and provide you with hints about events occurring both within the chronicle and elsewhere across the globe. This awareness may even take the form of prophetic visions of the future, though again, details are subject to change without notice. It may manifest while you are staring into the depths of a cup of tea, creating art or making crafts, even in the middle of conversation with friends (which can be disconcerting to people watching you). It is important to remember that this power is an intuitive or subconscious ability. If you’re lucky, the power may manifest largely in dreams, but more often it will follow your waking hours. Constantly catching snatches of events without context and being psychically assaulted by the resonances of Third World massacres can take their toll on your body and mind.
Enchanting Praxis
The counterpart to Alchemy, this path deals with the creation of magical items. These artifacts take many forms, from rings and amulets to enchanted weapons and cloaks. Templates for creating other artifacts are also available. These additional procedures have the same experience cost as rituals of equivalent level.
The particular style of the creations will depend upon your character's heritage, and anything you create may normally be used only by members of your particular magical tradition (an African shaman cannot use a Scottish witch's creation). You may, however, design an item specifically for another character. Such dedicated talismans may only be used by the creator and the intended recipient and do not require any sort of test to activate. There are two requirements for creating a talisman. First, the sorcerer must specify the effect she is creating. Second, she must specify the condition under which the talisman works (i.e., when the moon is full, when blood is wiped across it, the user must sing while using it). Without both, the creation fails. All uses of this path require a Static Mental Test to see if the creation process was successful. The Storyteller may opt to make this a blind test with the outcome only revealed the first time you attempt to use the item.
Basic:
At the lowest level, you may create simple magical tokens. Each token may be activated only once and the effects typically last for a single scene. These items take one day to prepare and will hold their power for up to a week before the enchantment fades. Some common tokens include:
Fate's Blessing -
This simple favor grants the user three retests during the course of a single game session. No more than one of these retests may be used during any given set of tests. The creation could be a string of beads that must be rubbed to activate the magic or a cake that must be shared with someone else.
Minor Amulets -
Native shamans have long known how to distill the essence of the great beasts, gaining the powers inherent in their nature. The strength of the buffalo, the grace of the cougar or the vision of the eagle can all be called upon by shamans wise in these ways. Amulets grant the user two Attribute or Ability Traits that last for an hour (or until used). A character may only benefit from one of these Amulets at a time and the Traits gained must be specified when the item is created. The token may be a medicine wheel carried in a pocket or on a necklace or a feather harvested from a particular bird and worn in the hair. A silver toe ring that causes the wearer to dance beautifully (Performance: Dance x 3), as long as she goes barefoot. A pen that translates chicken-scratch writing into calligraphy when the pen is dipped in ink made from violets.
Intermediate:
More complex workings allow you to extend the durability of your creations. Rather than having only a single use, these items may be used once per game session for each temporary Willpower Trait you spend during the final hour of their manufacture. The scope of these items is still the same, however, providing Basic effects, Merits (up to three Traits in value), or something of your own creation for one scene. These charms take an entire week to create, during which time the sorcerer may do nothing other than eat, sleep and work. The items remain enchanted one month for every two Mental Traits you have.
Lesser Wards -
These talismans duplicate the effects of the various Lesser Ward rituals found in other Praxes. Each of these patterns must be learned separately, though there is no additional experience cost to create a talisman if you already know the ritual form. Once activated, the benefits apply for the remainder of the current scene.
Spirit and Creature wards function slightly differently than their equivalent rituals. Rather than requiring a Mental Challenge to enter a protected area, the creature must win a Static Physical Test, or the spirit must win a Static Mental Test (difficulty equal to the sorcerer’s Mental Traits at the time of creation). Each attempt to touch the protected individual requires a separate test, and if the attacker fails, he may not try again for the remainder of the scene.
Major Amulets -
Similar to the Minor Amulets of the previous level, these items grant the wearer one Attribute or Ability Trait that may not be permanently lost. This benefit lasts for the entire scene in which the amulet is activated. As with similar gains, the specific Traits are specified when the item is created and cannot be combined with anyother form of enhancement within the same category. Pearl earrings that grant an extra Social Trait if washed in wine and rubbed with velvet before wearing, or shoes that confer a single Stealth Ability when filled with grave dirt are good examples of Major Amulets. A golden locket that shows a picture of any relative or friend of the sorcerer after a rose petal is placed inside it. A silver basin that will allow water collected in it under full moonlight by the target’s mother to wash away a flesh scar for a single game session.
Advanced:
Though similar in format to the Intermediate level, both the scope and utility of Advanced creations are increased. Each Mental Trait spent during the final hour of its creation allows an item to be used once a night. These objects require a month of dedicated effort to fashion properly. No other activity is possible during this period. If the creation test is successful, the sorcerer must determine the desired life span of the item. She may opt to spend a temporary Willpower Trait, which will empower the newly forged artifact for one full month, or a permanent Trait, resulting in a lasting creation. If she fails the Static Mental Test, the item may still function, though it will crumble to dust after its powers are used once.
Greater Wards -
Similar to the Intermediate version, these talismans duplicate the protection granted by the various Greater Wards of other Praxes. However, the benefits apply only as long as the ward is worn. Such items are usually pieces of jewelry or clothing and have an activation condition (i.e., a necklace that wards against a specific demon so long as the target doesn’t come in contact with flies).
In the case of Spirit and Creature wards, the banned creature must spend a temporary Willpower Trait to touch the protected individual. Even then, the creature or spirit still suffers the harmful effects of the ward whenever it comes into contact with the wearer. In addition, ranged attacks or supernatural powers require a Static Mental Test to target the bearer of the ward.
Potent Amulets -
In addition to granting the wearer one permanent Attribute or Ability Trait, this charm allows the recipient to throw the Bomb in tests or challenges involving the appropriate Trait. These benefits are considered always in effect and may not be combined with other forms of Attribute enhancement. Examples include a tattoo, made with enchanted inks, that grants an extra Social Trait if placed over the heart or a golden torque that grants a Physical Trait if dipped in freshly spilled blood before each full moon.
Menial Golems -
Servants are always handy to have around. This rite allows you to enchant a statue, animating it in a limited fashion. Though capable of simple functions such as digging, cleaning or moving objects around, these servants have almost no intelligence of their own. They may follow simple orders, nothing more complex than a three-yearold child could understand. Menial servants possess no Attribute or Ability Traits, no Willpower and two Health Levels. If they take more than two levels of damage, they crumble to dust. Because they are not alive, these automatons require no food or rest, nor do they need to breathe. The animated brooms from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice are good examples of menial golems.
Master:
More potent and versatile than Advanced charms, creations at this level require one month of isolation to prepare. Your character must remain out-of-play and undisturbed for the entire duration of the working or all time spent to that point is wasted. These are often creations of legend - a harp that plays by itself if strung with human hair, a cloak that confers invisibility when stitched with silver thread, or a salve that removes disfiguring flesh scars.
These artifacts are almost unlimited in their scope. Master-level powers may be employed once per game for each Mental Attribute you spend during the final hour of creation. Alternately, you may fashion talismans which bestow any Intermediate effects at will. Some specific creations available at this level include:
Superior Golems -
Whereas the Menial Golems described above are incapable of independent thought or action, the servitors created at this level have a much greater capacity for direction. You may issue moderately complex orders, anything a 10-year-old child could understand. These servants will then attempt to carry out those commands, dealing with situations as they arise. Each servitor is fashioned with 10 Attribute Traits, though these are not broken up by category. Any ties or overbids are resolved using the entire set of Traits. Superior Golems have two Ability Traits and four Health Levels, do not need to eat or sleep and may ignore all wound penalties.
- A book that will translate anything written into it into the caster’s native language if the pages are first sprinkled with paper ash.
- A breadbox that always has a fresh loaf of bread in it, so long as three slices from the last loaf are left inside.
Fascination Praxis
Many sorcerers earn a good living using this Praxis, brewing the common love-spells of unrequited suitors and forging more potent chains of dominion over political rivals. This art skirts the border between the light and the dark, bending the will of the people affected to the desires of the caster. Bewitchment takes many forms, from the subtle attraction one person has toward another to the feelings of fealty or submission that turn people into playthings. Though legend exaggerates the powers of this art, most spells do not need to last forever to achieve their effects.
Beware, though - such things do come with their downsides. An individual with extra charisma may find herself the recipient of unwanted attention. An entrapped woman might start to obsess over her “beloved,” and everyone knows that hell hath no fury..
Supernatural creatures are well aware of powers that affect emotions, and they may make a Willpower test to ignore you for one scene. In addition, thevampiric power of Presence, the Garou Gift: Rollover or the changeling Art: Sovereign may be unaffected by certain levels of this path. As with all forms of sorcery, you must specify the magical style you employ to bring about these effects. Most styles involve some form of binding or sympathetic magic.
Basic
Entrancement
The simplest form of allure is friendship. This spell evokes that emotion, toward either the sorcerer or some other individual. Though this does not allow you to command the target like a puppet, he will at least be open to reasonable suggestions and be polite to you. This power requires a Social Challenge and lasts for a single scene. If you attack the target, insult him or otherwise treat him rudely, the enchantment fades. Vampires with Majesty, Garou with Rollover and changelings using Grandeur are not affected.
Awe
This spell creates an aura of attraction and respect around you, influencing everyone you encounter. By spending an appropriate Social Trait, you gain a free retest on any Social Challenge for the remainder of the scene. The benefit does not apply to any sort of intimidation or fear-based powers and drops immediately if you exhibit any violent behavior. Vampires with Majesty, Garou with Rollover and changelings using Grandeur are not affected.
Intermediate:
Voice of Passion
You are able to instill any single emotion in acharacter. For example, you could force an individual to feel uncontrollable fear, extreme exhaustion or intense lust. This is normally done through your voice.
Though you may dictate a target’s feelings, how he responds to them is another matter. Thus, if you invoke terror in your opponent, he may choose to run away, freeze in place or even cower in a corner. He would not be able to attack, however, as that is not an appropriate response. A Narrator has final say over which actions are allowable, taking into account the victim’s Nature.
The duration of this effect is determined by an Extended Social Challenge. One success evokes these feelings for a scene, whereas two successes increase the duration to an hour. Three or more successes cause this emotion to manifest for the remainder of the game session, though the target may spend a temporary Willpower Trait to ignore the effects for a single scene.
Advanced:
Glory
Your mere presence is enough to cause heads to turn and hearts to race. This spell surrounds you with an aura of grandeur and majesty that make it difficult for others to act in a hostile fashion near you. Anyone within 30 feet of you who can see you is affected and must defeat you in a Social Challenge or spend a Willpower Trait before initiating an aggressive or hostile action. If a would-be opponent fails in this challenge, he may not attempt to circumvent this spell again for the remainder of the game session. Vampires with Majesty, Garou with Rollover and changelings using Grandeur who encounter Glory have both effects cancel. In other words, a vampire’s Majesty and a sorcerer’s Glory cancel each other out and both characters interact normally. Once you cast this spell, you should hold your arms out to the sides to let other players know about this effect. These benefits apply for the remainder of the current scene, though the spell immediately fades if you take any hostile actions.
Master:
Captive Heart
This potent rite binds an unlucky victim, body and soul, to the regent. The thrall gains the Negative Social Trait Submissive x 2, though only the regent may call upon it.
While this binding is in place, the regent may force the thrall to perform any single action by defeating him in a Social Challenge. Of course, given the Negative Traits in the regent’s favor, this rarely proceeds to a test. The effects are similar to a vampiric blood bond. Once cast, the bond remains in place until one of the pair dies, though the caster may specify a set of circumstances which will release this compulsion. This may be as simple as the sorcerer or regent speaking the words “You are free” or it may last as long as the regent (or thrall) possesses a particular item. The Storyteller has final say over the boundaries of the bond and what termination conditions may be set.
A Note to Players:
The regent’s player should take the thrall’s player’s feelings into consideration when commanding him. Being degraded, abused and humiliated, even in game, isn’t fun for anyone, and only an asshole would trample another person’s feelings deliberately. The Storyteller has every right to deny this spell in game or to revoke a bond if the regent’s player is getting out of control or the thrall’s player is suffering. This is supposed to be fun for everyone.