Casting:
Magic Intuition (5) - The character can see or otherwise sense the
presence and shape of magical forces. This ability is similar to the magic
Sight of Pattern and Logrus, but often less precise and easier to mislead.
If a character with Magic Intuition can bring to mind the image of the
Pattern or Logrus, they are able to use the Pattern or Logrus lens with only
casual concentration, rather than summoning the image of the power to
mind and then fighting to hold it there.
Note that magical sight provided by other means (e.g. a Logrus lens)
can substitute for having this ability as a prerequisite for other
powers, such as Sorcery.
Mantic Manipulation (5) - A living creature tends to contain more
magical energy than an equal mass of inert matter, and a sentient one
still more. This 'life force' is essentially magic. Someone with mantic
manipulation can cast quick, simple spells, using the magic power of their
own body. This is generally even weaker than the local magic environment,
but ensures that magician always has a little bit of power in reserve, no
matter where they are. Using mantic manipulation can rapidly exhaust the
user, making Endurance an important attribute.
The initial 5 points gives the user the ability to channel small
reserves of energy. This can be used in conjunction with Ritual Magic
(see below) to create and cast simple spells much quicker than normal
(within a minute, regardless of the local shadow environment). These
spells are generally considered 'flavor' spells, used for lighting
cigarettes and the like, and have little significant effect. Without
Ritual Magic, Mantic Manipulation has little use on its own. However, it
is still often bought as the prerequisite to Power Words (see below)
Power Words (special) - This is an enhancement to Mantic
Manipulation. Instead of using Ritual Magic to focus the reserves of
energy created by mantic manipulation, the magician learns specific
spells which can be cast at a moment's notice. Use of even a simple Power
Word will tire someone of Chaos Endurance, and exhaust someone with only
Human rank.
The magician has trained his mind in such a way to automatically
trigger a surge of mantic power channeled in a specific way. Once a power
word is defined, there is no changing it. Because the power word does not
take into account the local magic environment or the proximity to the
powers, the exact affects are often uncertain, particularly far from the
place the Word was created.
The Power Words do not have to be verbal, and could be gestures,
whistles, etc. However, speech provides the best means of mastering an
exact trigger that will not be used accidentally. Power Words designed to
do the same thing by different magicians will be unique. The effects are
restricted to the immediate time and place of the caster, and are
virtually instantaneous, having no useful duration. Power Words with a
target other than the speaker must always choose their target in the same
way as the Word is spoken, limiting each word to either line-of-sight
(must be able to see the target location) or touch (must touch the
target), or some other location relative to the speaker's body.
Buying this power grants the magician the ability to learn 5 power
words. Additional power words can be purchased for one point each. Once
20 power words have been bought, the magician is assumed to have mastered
the basics, and can invent additional ones over time without a further
investiture of points. Like a new sorcerous spell, a new power word must
be approved by the GM. Power words can be countered in the same way as
any other magical effect, though they have the advantage of speed in use.
The effects of Power Words are limited to the sort of magic powers
the magician possess. The more sophisticated the effect, the greater the
drain on the speaker. The strength of the word is dependent largely on
Psyche.
The following example words do not require other powers:
All these effects are either internal, or otherwise originate from the
magician.
Burst of Magic - This simply releases the magic unchanneled at the
target point. Besides acting as a sort of flare for the magically
sensitive, this can be used to prime a magical construct temporarily
rendered inert, or can be grabbed and manipulated by another prepared
magician before it fades.
Burst of Strength - Give the speak a brief burst of intense
strength. This can be used to jump farther, hit harder, break things, etc,
but timing must be good.
Chaos Negation - Used to counter the influence of chaos on the body,
protecting one from destructive changes brought on by shape shifting or
Logrus. This is largely redundant for Pattern users.
Fling - This gives the target a instantaneous push directly away
from the speaker. It is only capable of flinging relatively small objects
away, and does not possess enough force to move something braced against
it, nor to throw a weapon with any force or accuracy. Hitting the target
is based on Warfare.
Lifeforce - This transfers some of the user's living energy into a
target. This does not actually heal the person, but can counter
destructive life-consuming energies, wake the unconscious, or help in
medical emergencies when the heart, lungs or brain have stopped briefly.
Magic Negation - Scatters random magic energy, disrupting spells and
enchantments in the immediate area.
Pattern Negation - Works internally as protection from the energies
of the Patterns. The Patterns energies are similar enough that this word
will work against either of them equally well.
Psychic Defense - Uses the magic to reinforce your psyche for an
instant. Useful for breaking unwanted mind links suddenly.
Light Strobe - Releases a flashbulb effect. Mostly useless for
illumination, but can be used to temporarily blind a target.
Spark - Creates a brief spark. Not very intense, but enough to ignite
combustable materials or trash sensitive electronics.
The following sample Power Words require Ritual Magic:
In some cases, other powers can substitute for this requirement. It
could be theorized that Corwin's use of a Power Word against Strygalldwir
was a variant on Pain Attack, usable against Chaos creatures, and based
on his imprint of the Pattern. All these words are twice as tiring as the
simpler ones, if not worse. They are different from ordinary Power Words
because they either utilize a mental link, or manifest energy which
appears at a distance (like Grab, which pulls a target towards the caster).
Grab - This gives a telekinetic pull on the target, always on a
direct line to the speaker at that moment. It will only work on small
objects that are not held somehow, and once the object has launched
itself, it could be intercepted and the speaker must still catch it on
their own.
Neural Disrupt - This attacks the nervous system of the target,
causing them to twitch or flinch, and throwing off their coordination for
an instant.
Pain Attack - Works against a target person or creature. The
momentary burst of pain does real damage, and against tough opponents is
only valuable for its surprise value. Weak creatures can be tormented into
helpless terror.
Psychic Disrupt - Breaks the concentration of the target. This can
interrupt magical spells, the summoning and control of the Logrus or
Pattern lens, or a weak trump call. This attack grows less effective after
the first use, as the target can brace themselves against the attack.
Resume True Form - This will return magically transformed objects
back to their normal form. It is somewhat effective on shape shifters who
are not in a natural form, but can be resisted by them with some effort.
The following sample Power Word requires Shadow Manipulation, and
is as tiring as the ones based on Ritual Magic:
Weaken Structure - This works best against rigid objects, weakening
the material. Timing is important, as the effect is fleeting.
While it is possible to combine Power Words with the effects of
Conjuration, only a small amount of mundane matter can be summoned even by
the most skilled magicians, and would require tremendous energy to
compress the conjuration into such a short span of time. Something like
the following is possible (although tiring) for a mage with Conjuration:
Create Throwing Dart - Creates a small throwing dart out of thin
air, appearing in the speaker's hand.
Likewise, the uses of Compelling-style Power Words are limited.
There is almost no duration to speak of, making the compulsion weak at
best, and its abruptness would serve to warn the target of what was going
on. However, a strong psyche might be able to come up with something like
the following:
Fear Attack - Broadcasts a psychic burst of intense fear at the
target. This can inspire panic in the weak, uneasiness in others, but
passes quickly and can be resisted by those of higher or psyche. This can
inspire an attack as easily as flight, as the target's instincts regarding
threats are not impaired. This is best used to heighten the effect of some
dramatic or threatening action on the speaker's part.
Ritual Magic (5) - The magician can alter the flow of local magical
energy. It does not include Magical Intuition, but using Ritual Magic
without such is dangerous, for the caster will not be able to tell when
mistakes appear in the spell, creating a potentially-fatal situation. The
amount, skill and range of abilities are dependent on psyche and on
practice. It is easier to warp magic in familiar ways. Once the magician
stops concentrating on the flow of magic, it will tend to return to
normal. This can be nearly instantaneous, or take minutes to years,
depending on the psyche of the magician, the nature of the shadow and any
attempts to disrupt the spell. Thus completed spells must be renewed
periodically or they will expire. Ritual magic and its effects cannot
leave the shadow of their creation without being dispelled.
At this level of skill the magician can create psychic contact with
a target, allowing for the normal probes, attacks or psychic duels (see
"news psyche"). This ability is occasionally referred to as 'Respondences'
by magicians. The magician can also tap whatever local magic is available,
increasing the raw power available for psychic contact and combat, but not
skill. Likewise, the magician can draw on magic forces to extend their
brute strength (again, not their skill) or increase their stamina (but
not true healing or regeneration).
Magic energy can often be converted into more conventional forces
and energy, such as heat, light, electricity. This allows for telekinetic
effects, fire starting, lightning bolts, wards, shields, power bolts and
other brute force operations. It can also give the inanimate the
appearance of life or enhance its qualities. The magician can also attempt
to unweave or shatter another spell or disrupt magic items.
As usual, the effectiveness of any of these techniques varies wildly
across shadow, and they usually require both total, uninterrupted
concentration and a significant amount of time. Unaided, ritual magic is
usually far too slow and too weak to be useful in combat. The real art of
spell casting comes in getting the greatest effect out of the least
energy expended, and is one reason many magicians' subtler spells
resemble coincidence in action. Many magicians' spells have a unique
style to them or a sort of trademark special effect.
Sorcery (+5) - This requires at least Magical Intuition to see
the spell as it is hung (a Lens can substitute for this), and Ritual Magic,
but is much more effective when Shadow Manipulation is known as well, and
grows more useful still when combined with more advanced magical powers.
In many shadows, magic is too weak or too slow to be useful. A sorcerer
can cast a spell in a known shadow environment, leaving a few key
lynchpins out, and "rack" the spell on a magical artifact or a power
focus. The racked spell can be released later by invoking the lynchpins,
which are normally only a quick word or gesture each. In addition to
allowing spells to be released fast enough for some combat effectiveness,
the lynchpins act much like variables in a computer program, allowing the
sorcerer to leave essential parts of the spell undefined. The sorcerer
usually casts the spell on a shadow they are familiar with magically. The
magic force required is locked away in the racked spell, making sorcerous
spells relatively effective in most shadows, not merely the one they were
cast in. Anything not defined in advance must be replaced by a
lynchpin. Lynchpins can be optional, such as one to end the spell rather
than wait for it to expire on its own. Optional lynchpins still increase
the casting time of the spell, but do not have to be used to release it.
Racking a sorcerous spell actually takes even longer than normal
ritual magic due to the added complexity of the variable lynchpins.
Sorcerous spells are created using combinations of Ritual Magic and
Shadow Manipulation, called microspells. Each microspell takes about 30
minutes to cast on a shadow that has sufficient magical energy available
and is familiar to the caster. Unfamiliar or magic-weak shadows can take
several times longer. In addition to the base thirty minutes, every
lynchpin adds an additional 5-10 minutes to the casting time (under good
conditions). If it takes Merlin 20 minutes to cast an invisibility spell
on Earth using ritual magic, it will take 30-40 minutes to cast a
simple sorcerous spell that would do the same thing there, plus more time
for any variable lynchpins (such as the target of the spell).
The basic microspells are Portal, Transformation, Channel Magic, and
Mind Touch, all based off of Ritual Magic. Portal and Transformation
require Shadow Manipulation, as well. Sorcerers who are exceptionally
adept with another power can combine the effects of that powers with a
sorcerous spell by means of an Invoke Pattern (or Logrus, Shape Shifting
or whatever) micro-spell, which basically brings the power to mind when
the spell is released and weaves its power into the magic.
Channel Magical energy summons a burst of power prepared in advance
during the casting of the spell, and forces it into a chosen form. This
energy can be combined with other micro-spells to enhance their power
and/or duration, or used to create simple magical shields and wards.
Alternatively, the energy can simply be released into the environment, and
manipulated directly, which is occasionally useful in magic-poor shadows.
Channel Magic can also be used to attempt to disrupt other spells.
Using magical energy spells to increase the raw power of a spell is
extremely risky, and can result in a dramatic and dangerous magical
accident, or a spell escaping control. They are more often used to
increase the duration of a spell. A single magical energy microspell can
maintain a spell for about twenty-four hours, on average. Local shadow
conditions and the strength of any attempt to resist or tamper with the
spell can cause the actual duration to be much shorter.
Mind Touch makes a mental contact with a target, allowing direct
psychic combat or an invasive spell that attempts to alter the target's
mind or body. The mental contact will not last long enough for serious
psychic combat unless the Mind Touch is reinforced with a Channel Magic
micro-spell. A Mind Touch is often combined with Transformation spells
intended for sentient targets, and is also useful for lie-detecting spells
and the like. Spells containing Mind Touch almost always have an optional
lynchpin to break the target, as a precaution against having the spell
turned against the magician. Spells with Mind Touch often do not require
Warfare to hit.
Portal creates a short-lived portal between a point near the
magician's location and a known shadow. The location of both sides of the
portal can be determined at the time the spell is cast, or lynchpins can
be substituted. The other end must be focused on a known location, either
someplace the caster has been or has magically researched. The opening
only lasts for an instant unless fed additional magic power, and is most
often used for teleportation or a summoning attack spell. Magic only has
a limited range through Shadow, and thus summoning spells may fail if too
far from the item being summoned.
Transformation alters the local shadow in a small way. Changes will
rapidly revert to normal unless maintained, at a speed relative to the
shadow's nearness to the Patterns. Most spells will last only moments
without an added Channel Magical microspell or the caster's magic
manipulation to reinforce them.
Shadow items are easiest to alter. Attempts to alter sentient beings
require mental contact (usually through an added Mind Touch microspell)
and psychic resistance must be overcome. This spell is usually used for
altering mundane shadow items or creating illusions, but can be used to
transform weaker or willing sentients into something else. Some variation
of the transformation is possible through use of lynchpins. This allows
only small changes in style, color, etc. A spell designed to turn a
target into either a sword or a staff would require two micro-spells, and
one would be wasted. In addition to making physical changes in the target
or small changes in the environment, the spell can be used to prepare a
target for an influx of magic energy.
A sorcerer can memorize or "rack" a single spell at a time. However
magic items can be made to hold a racked spell for later release, as can
summoned powers like the Logrus.
Racked spells tend to decay over time unless actively maintained.
Sorcerers must therefore spend a great deal of time casting and
maintaining spells to take advantage of this skill.
Sorcerous spells usually have a lynchpin to designate the target,
and another to adjust the spell for the shadow it is released in (magic
strength/ proximity to the Powers).
Sample Invasive Spells:
Telepathy - Mind Touch + Channel Magic.
Sleep - Mind touch + Channel Magic energy. Often has a lynchpin to
wake the victim before the spell ends normally.
Cardiac Arrest - Usually only fatal to those of Human END,
an inconvenience at best against those of Amber END or better. Mind Touch
+ Transformation.
Stone Binding - Mind touch + Channel Magic energy, for a paralysis
spell. Some versions add Transformation, and actually put the target in
stasis or turn them to stone.
Strength Drain - Mind touch + Transformation (+ Channel Magic if the
spell is intended to do more than provide a few moments of weakness).
Psychic cloak - Mind touch + Channel Magic for duration. Those
affected by the spell will ignore the presence of the caster (they will
not ignore being stabbed or otherwise attacked, which will generally cause
the spell to fail quickly).
Return Shape Shifter to (Human/Demon/Avatar) Form - Mind touch +
Channel Magic. Useless on non-Shape Shifters.
Sample Defensive spells: Sometimes have no target lynchpin, assuming
the spell is released on the magician. This provides a little better
response time, at the cost of versatility.
Invisibility - Transformation + Channel Magic. Usually is not quite
total, as this would temporarily blind the caster. This is physical
invisibility, not mental cloaking.
Disguise - Transformation + Channel Magic. An illusion.
Bodily Defense - Channel Magic. Floods the body with magic, helping
protect the sorcerer from invasive magic and power attacks.
Ward - Channel Magic + Transform (to define & prepare the target
area to hold the magic). Similar to Bodily defense, but generally forming
a sphere around the target.
Defensive Shield - Channel Magic + Transformation. Enchants a target
object, making it temporarily very resilient.
Spellbreaker - Channel Magic. Scatters wild magic in the area,
disrupting standing spells and enchantments.
Summoning Spells: All these spells require somehow locating the
substance to be summoned, before the spell can be cast and released.
Call Lightning - Portal + Transformation. Creates a bolt of
lightning drawn from an elemental plane or laboratory, which arcs down a
path created by Shadow manipulation. Another way of electrocuting
someone.
Pressurized Lava - Portal. Squirts out magma at the target. Warfare
determines accuracy.
Self-Teleport - Portal. This spell comes in two forms. One teleports
the user and all their possessions, or even a small group of people, but
will not work if the caster is physically tied to their present location.
The other leaves everything but the caster's body behind, and allows
escape from any non-magical bonds.
Piano Gate - Portal. (Created by David Sommerfeld, and one of my
personal favorites). A piano appears in midair above the target, falling
normally.
Sample Attack Spells:
Lightning Bolt - Channel Magic + Transformation (to insure the bolt
travels in a useful path, rather than frying the magician)
Fireball - Channel Magic
Magic Missile - Channel Magic + Mind Touch. A mental link guides the
bolt to target, so the chance of hitting is not as dependent on the
magician's warfare.
These spells barely scratch the surface, and sorcerers are encouraged
to create their own spells. Building a custom spell is a simple matter of
combining the necessary microspells and determining which lynchpins are
needed, including the optional ones. You should have the GM look over the
spell to make sure they agree it will work as you intend. It usually takes
a couple of weeks' research for a magician to develop and test a new
spell.
The effects of the spell must be spelled out precisely in advance,
with lynchpins used for anything that the sorcerer wants to decide "on the
fly".
Increasingly sophisticated spells are possible by combining Sorcery
with Conjuration or Compelling. Spells of Conjuration can be created...
the spell takes as long to cast as the normal conjuring time added to the
time to rack the spell, but the spell can be prepared, stored and
released normally. A Spell of Compulsion works in the same way, the
preparation time must be spent normal, plus the effort of crafting the
spell, but the compulsion can then be released with a couple of lynchpins
at the magician's whim. This allows for psychic attacks without going into
direct psychic combat or a possible psychic duel.
Conjuring:
Shadow Manipulation (10) - Though it is possible to possess this
ability without having any Casting powers, most users of this also have
at least Ritual Magic, if not full Sorcery. The magician is capable of
manipulating Shadow with this ability. Though it is more difficult than
the manipulation of magical forces, it allows for the creation of
objects, and (if Ritual Magic is known) more sophisticated spells.
With Shadow Manipulation alone, the magician can create objects out
of raw shadow stuff. These items have little power - they may only have
item qualities or powers at the GM's discretion, and never higher than
the 2-point level. They quickly dissipate once they are out of the shadow
they originated from, but only take a matter of minutes to make
(depending on the psyche of the manipulator). More permanent creations
are possible, if the item is 'mundane' (no Qualities or Powers), and
significant time is taken (hours or days, though the shaping can be done
with breaks in between sessions).
Since the shadow manipulator can directly affect the stuff of
shadow, they can create transformation spells not possible with ritual
magic alone. Lead can be turned to gold, cloaks made as strong as armor,
water to wine, etc. Attempts to alter sentient creatures require entering
mental contact, and need a psychic advantage for full effectiveness.
'Real' targets (Logrus and Pattern masters) usually cannot be affected
unless the magician has Advanced Shape Shifting, and an active power
defense is usually absolute against such spells. Transformation spells
are not long-lived. Without regular maintenance they will fade like any
other at a rate determined by the shadow environment and caster's psyche.
Sentient targets' psyche also helps reverse the spell, as does shadow
travel.
A shadow manipulator (if capable of Ritual Magic, as well) can create
short-lived gateways to a known location in shadow. These gates will
quickly seal themselves unless actively maintained, but a gate becomes
somewhat easier to open through repetition. These spells are frequently
used to contact off-shadow sources of power (sentient or not), for
summoning of hostile environmental attacks (smoke clouds, lava rocks,
etc) with mass that mere ritual magic cannot provide, and for
teleportation spells. Note: it is possible to open a gate to a location
that is known only through magical research, or learned of from someone
else. It's not, however, wise... one of the many reasons so many
magicians without proper training tend to get killed or let something
horrid into their world.
Conjuration (+10) - An enhancement on Shadow Manipulation, the
magician may now quickly create 'mundane' Shadow items. Naturally, the
conjurer can choose to alter existing shadow objects just as easily as
pulling them out of 'thin air'. In addition, enchantments can be placed
on items that are more powerful than is possible with Shadow
Manipulation, and resilient enough to survive shadow travel to a limited
degree. As difficult conjurations require hours (or even days) of total
concentration, Endurance is an important attribute.
Conjuration can be broken into different techniques, as follows.
Basic Conjuration: The character can conjure up mundane objects or
creatures (note that mundane is a relative term, depending on the shadow).
The artifacts or creatures behave normally, just like any natural specimen
of the sort. These conjurations last just as long as a normal one would,
but have no special abilities. This is the same as what is provided by
Shadow Manipulation, but is quicker on average, with small items capable
of being produced within a matter of seconds.
Conjure Shadow Artifact: The character can conjure up an artifact or
creature with any of the qualities or powers normally available to the
character. Such a conjuration is faster than normal, usually requiring
only an hour or two of work at most, but is designed to be temporary. It
cannot leave the shadow of its creation, and in any event will weaken and
fade away quickly, depending on the amount of Pattern in the shadow.
A guideline would be as follows: about six hours in Amber, a day in
the Golden Circle, and days to years in shadow. Because of the
unpredictable nature of Chaos' environment, an item could last a few
hours, or decades, or anywhere in between.
Empowerment: The conjurer can temporarily implant magic power into a
mundane object or creature. Preparing the target requires about thirty
minutes. Once the target is ready, Qualities and whatever Powers the
conjurer has control of can be implanted in the creature. This requires
about ten minutes per point of Qualities, and about an hour per point of
Power. These times can vary depending on the amount of magic in the
shadow, of course. Like Shadow Artifacts, empowerments will fade quickly,
especially if near a Pattern. However, because the magic is contained
within the target, the empowerment will survive a limited amount of shadow
travel intact. It is also possible to extend the empowerment for a more
permanent effect, but this can take ten times the normal time required.
The conjurer can also store raw magic in an item for use in relatively
magic-poor conditions, but the magic will fade like any other empowerment
and must be used relatively quickly.
Complex Conjuration: Any or all of the techniques above may be
combined without difficulty. Combining Empowerment and Basic Conjuration
allows the creation of permanently enchanted artifacts and creatures.
Their powers will weaken with time away from the shadow of their creation
or exposure to Pattern or Chaos, but will recover if returned home before
total loss of power occurs, or can be re-empowered.
Compelling (+5) - This requires both Ritual Magic and Shadow
Manipulation, at minimum. This allows mental impulses (feelings,
emotions, memories, desires, and the like) to be bound into an item,
creature, or person. While a psyche advantage is important, the
effectiveness of High Compelling is also based largely on two other
factors. The longer the time spent creating the compelling, the longer it
will last and the stronger it will be. The more subtle the change, the
less likely it is to be challenged and resisted. Or noticed by others
near the target. Subtle compellings can sometimes affect those whose
psyche would be too strong to defeat in a psychic duel.
A Compelling can be removed by the use of magic, and a magic/power
defense will often weaken one rapidly. Walking the Pattern or Logrus will
destroy all compulsions utterly. Compellings without a significant psyche
advantage will begin to break down as soon as they are questioned.
The possible effects of Compelling are as versatile as any psychic
attack. A geas can be laid, memories created or blurred, or a totally new
personality could be overlaid. The more subtle the change, the longer it
is likely to last.
Compelling a subject directly requires a mind link, but not
necessarily psychic contact, although this could result if the subject
notices the compulsion being placed. This can be achieved through a
magical spell effect, Logrus tendril, Trump contact, physical contact,
prolonged close eye contact, etc. However, one of the sneakier ways to use
Compelling is to plant it in a object like any other conjuration. Once
the object or creature is touched or otherwise able to make mental
contact, the compelling will take effect. Typically, the item will have
two or more compulsions, one to encourage possession of the object, and
the others to have the desired effects. A target may have the compulsion
broken, only to have it restored by the object later.