: Mages now use Gutter Magic, as described in Hunter: The Vigil: Witchfinders, albeit with some alterations to bring them in line with vampires, changelings, and so forth.
Gnosis: Gnosis remains as the supernatural power-trait. It determines resistances, Mana-per-turn, maximum attribute/skills ranks, and Aura/Nimbus strength. It costs New Dots x8. It no longer determines Paradox pools, but does figure prominently in many spells.
Paradox: Paradox is now done Witchfinders style (an increasing number of penalties for constant spell-casting). It applies at all level of gnosis.
Unseen Sense: All mages get Unseen Sense at Gnosis 1.
Starting Mysteries: All mages start with 4 dots of Mysteries, at least two of which must be in-Path for them.
Purchasing Mysteries: Mages may purchase Mysteries at New Dots x4 (for Favored Path Mysteries or Universal Mysteries) or New Dots x6 (For non-favored Path Mysteries).
Maximum Mysteries: There is no Max number of Mysteries a wizard can learn, so long as they have the XP.
Mystery Dice Pools: The pool for a Mystery is now Attribute+Skill+Mystery instead of Attribute+Skill+Gnosis. Where applicable, contested rolls to resist a Mystery are versus [Attribute+Supernatural resistance] instead of just [Attribute] as is in Witchfinders at present. Path Favored Mysteries
New Mysteries: Electromagnetism, Soul, Flesh
Acanthus/Witches Fortune, Mind, Time
Bonus Dot: Composure
Mastigos/Warlocks Passion, Shadow, Space
Bonus Dot: Resolve
Moros/Necromancers Disease, Twilight, Transmutation
Bonus Dot: Composure
Obrimos/Elementalists Foretelling, Health, Supernal
Bonus Dot: Resolve
Thyrsus/Shaman Hearth, Nature, Elements
Bonus Dot: Composure Paradigms
: This is a bit of fluff we'll be borrowing from Mage: The Ascension. In brief, a Paradigm is one's conception of
magic works. All magic is a product of will, but the human psyche isn't well equipped to channel raw magic directly through their minds. A paradigm is an intellectually consistent framework of why magic works that serves as 'insulation' between the Mage and the Magic.
In practice, a paradigm has two parts. First, it's a philosophy or methodology, an
of why and how magic works. This can be anything, so long as it's internally consistent, though they usually follow after mortal magical traditions (though hyper-science is also common), because that's how most mages are trained. High Gnosis may be understood as the ability to frame more and more magic in the context of one's paradigm.
Secondly, and more concretely, it's a set of physical actions (formally called Rituals or Methods) and/or physical objects (formally called Foci) that the mage uses to practice his magic. These can be almost anything, but they are always visually recognizeable actions/objects (a raygun, an inscribed Seal of Solomon, a
shout), though the mage may try to conceal the action or pass it off as something else with a Dexterity+Stealth or Manipulation+Subterfuge roll, at a penalty equal to twice the spell level.
If the mage tries to cast magic
their Rituals, Methods, or Foci (usually either because they're trying to be subtle, or because they lack their materials or are unable to use them), then they can still cast the spell, but it suffers a -5 penalty and the spell is considered Vulgar for the purposes of Paradox.
Zen Martial Arts
Entheogenic rituals (mind-altering drugs and vision quests)
Music (singing spells)
Ceremonial Magic: Enochian Invocation (calling angels)
Ceremonial Magic: Demonology
Runes and symbols (and the inscribing thereof)
Mad Science: Electromagnetism
Mad Science: Nanotechnology
Mad Science: Genetic Engineering
Prayer & Religious Practices: Christian Theurgy
Prayer & Religious Practices: Sufi Mysticism
Prayer & Religious Practices: Kabbalism
Prayer & Religious Practices: Mesoamerican Blood-Letting
Prayer & Religious Practices: African Tribal Shamanism
Prayer & Religious Practices: Theosophic Meditation
Prayer & Religious Practices: New Age practices
Herbs and hedge-witch potions
Mirrors and pools of water
: A Legacy is a group of mages that share a certain philosophy, usually with thematically linked Paradigms, who forge their souls into specific shapes and ideals. They gain a particular affinity with two specific Mysteries, called the Legacy Mysteries; purchasing a Legacy Mystery that is also in-Path costs New Dots x2, otherwise it costs New Dots x4 (essentially a 4th in-Path Mystery). Legacies also have a specific Curse, which afflicts the Mage with some kind of weakness related to their magic -- most commonly a penalty to spellcasting rolls in some specific situation or circumstance.
Legacies are not restricted to any specific Path or Order -- any Mage may join any Legacy, provided they can find either a tutor or a grimoire explaining the process of forging one's soul. That said, some Legacies, especially small or new ones, are heavily affiliated with specific Orders. The Jeffries and Talbot family Legacies are examples of this, the families keeping tight control over their private knowledge. Others, such as the Uncrowned Kings, are known globally and have hundreds of adherents.
Legacy: Resurrection Men
Legacy Mystery: Twilight, Soul
Legacy Curse: Undead can always tell when an individual is a Resurrection Man -- a ghost or vampire can pick out a single Resurrection man out of a crowded auditorium. They also know in loose terms what the Resurrection Man is ("a necromancer"), and while they are not compelled to do anything with the knowledge, Resurrection Men are usually pestered by swarms of ghosts wherever they go.
Legacy: The Jeffries Family
Legacy Mystery: Elements, Health;
Legacy Curse: Paradox accumulates at -2 per spell, instead of -1.
Legacy: Bene Ashmedai
Legacy Mystery: Shadow, Passion
Legacy Curse: The Diabolist is unable to cast magic upon hallowed ground; they further take a -(Gnosis) penalty to cast magic against anyone bearing a holy symbol of any religion (this only applies to purposefully constructed holy symbols, however -- two pieces of wood that happen to form a cross do not count).
Legacy: The Talbot Family
Legacy Mystery: Time, Twilight
Legacy Curse: Non-Paradigm spells are cast at a penalty of -(5+Gnosis) instead of -5.
Legacy: Uncrowned Kings
Legacy Mystery: Flesh, Transmutation;
Legacy Curse: The Uncrowned King must have a calling -- something that involves both mind and body (alchemy is traditional, but martial training, auto-repair, book-binding, hand-crafting furniture, and so forth are all acceptable). The mage must work at his calling for at least twenty hours a week, or else suffer a -3 penalty on all Mystery rolls for one month.
Legacy: Bearers of the Eternal Voice
Legacy Mystery: Mind, Passion;
Legacy Curse: Whisperers suffer a -(Gnosis) penalty to Mystery rolls whenever they are completely alone.
Legacy: The Eleventh Question
Legacy Mystery: Foretelling, Time
Legacy Curse: Questions must have a mystery to solve -- it can be a police case or a scientific research project, or some other mystery, but it must be a serious mystery that challenges the Question's skills. The Question must spend at least twenty hours per week working on this mystery, and during that time, the Question takes a -(Gnosis) penalty to all Mystery rolls that does not somehow relate to their present case. Self-defense and survival always relates, however. Imbued Items, Artifacts, and Magical Tools
: Mages are infamous for using enchanted objects, whether wands, cauldrons, swords, or what-not. These can be divided into Imbued Items (themselves divided into contingent and persistent), Artifacts, and Magical Tools. Magical Tools are described under Improved Spellcasting, but the others are described here.
(●●-to-●●●●●+) is an item that contains a spell. They cost a number of merit dots equal to the level of the spell, plus one for contingent items and plus two for persistent items. An Imbued Item may only ever contain a single spell.
Contingent items require a trigger for each use. A gesture, a word, anything. They then produce a magical effect -- the user rolls the Attribute+Skill required for the spell, though they do not add a Mystery (not having one). The user must also spend any willpower costs associated, and if they are a mage, they can spend the mana cost as well. Otherwise, they take 1 Resistant Lethal Damage, as the spell charges itself from their life-force. If relevant, the spell has a Gnosis equal to the level of the spell, this can be increased by 1 Gnosis per additional Merit dot.
Persistent items are always active. Only spells with a duration of a Scene or more can be turned into persistent items. These items are automatically active, and determine their Gnosis in the same way as Contingent items. If there are specific parameters for the spell, they are set when the item is constructed (thus a persistent Doppelganger item would only ever imitate one person). 90% of Persistent items are imbued with either Status, Mystic Shield, or Darkened Countenance (invisibility cloaks).
Any Mage with can create an Imbued Item provided he pays the XP, knows the Mystery, and has Crafts and Occult scores equal or greater than the level of the spell. Most Imbued Items use spells at a level of 1-to-3, though potentially at high dot costs due to heightened Gnosis. Imbued Items with 4th or 5th level spells tend to be rare and ornate, and most are have been exposed to the Transmutation 4: Silver spell at some point in their existence, and will have noticeably higher Durability.
(●●●-to-●●●●●+) is an Imbued Item that contains more than one spell or that contains a spell of 6th level or higher. An Artifact has a dot rating equal to the highest spell+1, plus 1 for every additional spell. In all other ways (activation rolls, Gnosis -- all spells use the same Gnosis, etc) Artifacts function like Imbued Items, and can be either Contingent or Persistent.
Artifacts cannot be created by mortal hands. Most are of Supernal origin, though some come from the Abyss, or from archmasters of truly legendary power. They tend to be powerful (6+ dots, and 10+ dot artifacts are not unheard of), nearly indestructible, and are
. Most cities will have at most one or two Artifacts, and even London has fewer than a dozen spread out among the Orders. They are precious, and the Awakened have killed, betrayed, and in a few places even started wars over the possession of Artifacts.
: Over the centuries, mages have developed a number of methods for improving their spells, gaining greater power and control over magic. A few of the most common follow.
If dealing with spells wherein higher dice pools confirm no bonus, such as Lore 2: Mystic Shield or Hearth 5: Hallowed, bonus to spellcasting rolls can instead grant a higher effective Gnosis for that spell alone, at a rate of +3 bonus = +1 Effective Gnosis, rounded up.
∆ Blood Magic
: It is a well-known fact that the energies of blood and death can empower magic. The anguished cries of the soul, the willing sacrifice of blood, the energies released by death can all be harvested to put darkly-tinted power behind a spell.
When casting a spell, a mage can inflict damage upon either himself or upon a willing (or incapacitated) living target, gaining +1 to his spellcasting roll for each point of Resistant Lethal damage inflicted (to a maximum of +5). Killing the sacrifice grants another +5 bonus to the spellcasting roll, which stacks with that for inflicting damage. If the sacrifice is some manner of living supernatural creature -- another mage, a changeling, a werewolf -- then killing them grants a
bonus to the spellcasting roll equal to twice the victim's Power Trait (Gnosis, Wyrd, etc). Animal sacrifice grants a bonus equal to the animal's size to a spellcasting roll (to a maximum of +5), and only upon the animal's death. Additional sacrifices provide diminishing returns: Additional animal sacrifices grant a +1, human sacrifices a +2, and supernatural sacrifices a +4 per for the next three deaths, and +0, +1, and +2 thereafter.
A spell may only be empowered by a single type of sacrifice -- the death of higher-order beings simply overwhelms and washes away whatever charge is provided by the death of animals and/or mere mortals. The exception is that the mage can always sacrifice their own blood to further a spell, in addition to any other sacrifices.
Bleeding oneself or a willing victim is not a breaking point.
Animal sacrifice may or may not be a breaking point depending on how humanely the animal is slaughtered.
Bleeding an unwilling victim is a Wisdom 3 breaking point.
Human sacrifice to empower a spell is a Wisdom 2 breaking point.
Mass human sacrifice to empower a spell is a Wisdom 1 breaking point.
For obvious reasons, practicing blood magic can be a very fast route to Wisdom degeneration, insanity, and execution by the Guardians of the Veil. Animal sacrifice, bleeding oneself, or only bleeding (and never killing) willing volunteers are all practices which are acceptable but will raise eyebrows if engaged in often. Torturing or killing people to empower one's magic, however, is the kind of thing that the Consilium takes
∆ Assisted Spellcasting
: Many hands make light work, and this can be just as true in the realm of spellcasting as it is in more mundane activities. By delegating aspects of the spell to subsidiary casters or even mortal assistants, the magus can raise and control far more power than would normally be possible.
First, the mage may recruit mortals, teaching them a few actions or a mumbled incantation, and simply getting a
of them. While this can raise a great deal of power, it's inefficient and rapidly runs into diminishing returns unless done on a truly massive scale. The first three assisting mortals each grant a +1 bonus to the spellcasting roll. Afterwards, every time the total number of assistants is multiplied by 3, a further +3 bonus is added to the spellcasting roll. Thus, nine mortal assistants grants a +6 bonus, twenty-seven a +9 bonus, eighty-one a +12 bonus, etc.
Alternatively, the mage may use skilled occultists or supernatural creatures, including other mages. Such characters must have a combined Occult+Supernatural Power Trait equal to the level of the spell, and must have been trained in the proper procedures (a process taking about a day of intensive study per spell level). The first three assisting occultists grant a +2 bonus to spellcasting rolls per person; further assistants grant a +1.
Finally, the mage may rely upon the members of their Cabal. Mages who are part of the same themed and oath-bound Cabal add their Gnosis to the spellcasting roll when acting as assisting spellcasters -- Cabals of powerful wizards can achieve incredible effects. No more than three such mages may assist a single spell as afterwards the clashing paradigms and power-flows cancel out any positive effect, even if a Cabal has more members are available. Cabal members are assumed to have studied one another's paradigms and spells over the course of months and even years, and are able to assist any spell not explicitly kept secret without prior training.
∆ Magical Tools
: A Magical Tool is a special object that enhances a single kind of spell. It might be a sacrificial dagger made of blood-specked obsidian that helps summon demons, a hickory wand that can be used to aim bolts of arcane energy, or a leather drum that when beat would summon rain.
(●-to-●●●●●+) is a merit that represents an object that grants a bonus equal to the Merit's dots to a single kind of spell. For instance, the aforementioned obsidian dagger would be a 5-dot Magical Tool merit, and would grant a +5 bonus to spellcasting rolls for the Shadow 4: Summon/Banish Demon spell. The hickory wand, meanwhile, could be a 2-dot Magical Tool merit, and would grant a +2 bonus to spellcasting rolls for the Lore 4 version of Evil Eye, that deals Lethal Damage.
Creating a Magical Tool requires minimum Crafts and Occult scores of equal to the merit's dots, and the expenditure of the necessary XP. The creator does
have to be a mage, but they do need to have a solid understanding of magical theory (hence the Occult score requirement).
Magical Tools of 1-to-3 dots are common in occult circles, and most wizards will make a few Magical Tools of their own for their most commonly-used spells. Magical Tools of 4-to-5 dots, however, tend to be rarer, and are often passed down to from master to apprentice, sometimes for centuries. Magical Tools of 6+ dots exist, but are the kinds of things which are locked away in guarded vaults or entrusted into the care of Hierarchs and Councilors alone.
A Magical Tool can be any object imaginable, though most follow traditional norms. Wands and staves, old-fashioned weapons such as knives or swords, cups, pentacles, mirrors, coins and amulets, and so forth are all common, though there's theoretically nothing stopping one from enchanting a digital camera or an iPad. The more powerful the Magical Tool, the stranger and more occult it looks -- a 2-dot wand may simply be a length of polished wood, but a 5-dot wand will have metallic bands engraved with alien runes, and an emerald embedded into the tip. Most Magical Tools of 4-dots and higher have been exposed to the Transmutation 4: Silver spell at some point in their existence, and will have noticeably higher Durability.
A Mage may not have more merit dots worth of Magical Tools than their Gnosis+2 – they simply are unable to incorporate any more than that into their paradigm.
: Spending an hour sending electromagnetic signals by means of a short-wave radio or such grants Mana once per day. Wiring a building or constructing a complex electronic device, and then sending it forth to be used grants Mana.
This is the Mystery of Electromagnetism, sometimes called the Mystery of Galvanism or the New Mystery of the Elements. This is a very modern Mystery, developed by technognostic mages in the last hundred years, but popular all the same. It is magic that deals with electromagnetism, such as radio waves, electrical signals, magnetism, and so forth.
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Investigation+Electromagnetism
With this spell, the technognostic mage is able to perceive electromagnetic transmissions and translate them in his mind. He can watch television based on satellite signals, listen to the radio, or take a call, all in his own mind. Public or broadly-accessible transmissions (such as radio or television) are available for a single success, as are transmissions directed specifically to the mage (such a call to his cell-phone). Police transmissions, cell-phone calls that neither originate nor end near the mage, and military transmissions require an increasing number of successes. This ability does not grant the mage any particular ability to decipher encoded transmissions.
Listening to an hour-long transmission in the comfort of one's one mind grants Mana, once per day. With a willpower point, the mage may allow another person to receive and comprehend transmissions.
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Science+Electromagnetism
The mage is now able to send transmissions as well as receive them. He may place a call, make a general radio transmission, or transmit a video. He may attempt to imitate another type of transmission (faking a Police APB, say), though this requires a Manipulation+Subterfuge roll. He may also boost transmissions received with the previous spell.
The strength and range of the mage's transmissions depend on his Gnosis.
Gnosis 1: The transmission has a range of 50 miles, or may pierce 100 feet of solid earth, or Security 1 shielding.
Gnosis 2: The transmission has a range of 100 miles, or may pierce 200 feet of solid earth, or Security 2 shielding.
Gnosis 3: The transmission has a range of 500 miles, or may pierce 400 feet of solid earth, or Security 3 shielding.
Gnosis 4: The transmission may reach anywhere on the same continent, or may pierce 800 feet of solid earth, or Security 4 shielding.
Gnosis 5: The transmission may bounce off satellites and reach anywhere on earth or in space, or may pierce 1600 feet of solid earth, or Security 5 shielding.
If more than one limitation applies, simply add up the Gnosis required. If one is 400 feet below ground, and also wishes to send a transmission 50 miles away, one must have Gnosis 4 or better.
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Computer+Electromagnetism vs. Security or Intelligence+Computer of the System Operator (if any)
With this spell, the technognostic mage may alter existing transmissions, or control electronic devices. He can command a security system to ignore his presence, order video cameras to not record his presence, command a computer to disgorge a file, or turn a cell-phone off with a look. A single success suffices for most such uses, though if dealing with a secure system or an active controller, the mage must either exceed the system's Security dots or beat the System Operator's Intelligence+Computer roll. Objects obey the mage for the rest of the scene, and combined with the Receive and Transmit spells, the mage can control them at a distance once the initial spell has been cast, or can download information directly from a computer into his mind, say. However, objects cannot act outside of their parameters. An electrical fan can turn on and off, but it can't hop around.
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Science+Electromagnetism
With this spell, the technognostic mage is able to magnetize any metallic object with range, granting it up to (Successes) strength. Magnets are covered on Page 63 of Mage: The Awakening: Tome of Mysteries. The mage may create magnets that attract or repel, and which exert pressure in all directions or only in one (as an electromagnet). The mage may also create a magnet with lesser Strength than what he rolled, if he so chooses. Electromagnetic Pulse (●●●●●)
Cost: Mana + 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Science+Electromagnetism
With this spell, the technognostic mage is able to send out an electromagnetic pulse from himself with a radius of (Successes x3) yards. All electronic devices within this area are irrevocably destroyed, dropping down to Structure 0 instantly, though certain military devices are shielded against EMPs. Electronic life-forms (such as Sparky or Lisa/01) instead take the mage's Gnosis+Successes as bashing damage.
: Spending an hour in introspective meditation grants Mana once per day. Acts of great morality (selfless labor for others, such as working in a soup kitchen or as a church volunteer in an urban ghetto) and immorality (murder, torture) generate Mana.
This is the Mystery of the Soul, one of the oldest and most controversial of all Mysteries. Practices involving the removal and manipulation of the soul stretch back into the mists of history, and unscrupulous mages have long taken, ransomed, and even consumed souls. Thus, the Mystery has a decidedly dubious reputation in the modern day, as the province of Reapers like the Tremere. At the same time, it is the Mystery of the Soul that allows the damage caused by such evil mages to be repaired. Thus the practitioners of the Mystery of the Soul are a highly polarized group, consisting of Nefandi, reapers, and other criminal mages on the one hand, and the most respected defenders of order on the other.
Soul Marks (●)
This spell allows the practitioner to examine a soul. Used upon a person, it merely confirms the presence or absence of a soul. If used upon a soul detached from a body, either free-floating in the Twilight or stored in some manner of container, the spell proves more informative.
It can determine the ‘health’ of the soul, informing the practitioner whether the soul is saintly (Morality or the equivalent 8+), normal (Morality 4-7), tarnished (Morality 1-3), or monstrous (Morality 0).
The spell can determine whether the soul has suffered recent violence – that is, whether the soul’s owner failed a degeneration check within the last week.
Finally the spell can determine the nature of the owner with a successful Int+Occult – mortals have normal souls, mages have overly-bright souls, werewolves have soul-spirit fusions, and vampires, changelings, and fetches all have things that look and act
like souls, though whether they in fact are is a matter of debate.
The difficulty, of course, is very few agree to have their souls removed for such an investigation. Examining an ‘interesting’ soul unmoored from its body grants Mana once per day.
Soul Jar (●●)
Dice Pool: Composure+Crafts+Soul
The spell creates a soul jar, an object that is capable of indefinitely holding one or more souls. Soul jars can take just about any form, though sealed containers of some kind are traditional; one also encounters gemstones or dolls being used as soul jars. The soul jars contain the stored souls in such a way that they can’t escape, though soul jars with large numbers of souls tend to ‘leak’ magical energy, creating odd, ghost-like effects.
This spell may also be used to put a free-floating soul into a soul jar, or to remove a soul from such a jar. The soul does not get a roll to resist. Breaking or opening a soul jar frees all souls contained within. Freed souls automatically return to their owners, although this may take a little time depending on the distance the soul must traverse.
Soul jars are subtle, occulted things, even when they ‘leak’. Any attempt to magically locate a soul jar must gain successes exceeding that of the caster’s Gnosis.
A mage can only create soul jars enough to hold Gnosis+Soul souls at any given time – whether this is many small soul jars or a single large one is up to the mage.
Sever the Soul (●●●)
Action: Extended (one hour per roll; target number is the victim’s Willpower)
Dice Pool: Composure+Occult+Soul vs. Resolve+Composure+Supernatural Resistance (yes, a three-part resistance)
The spellcaster is limited to a number of rolls equal to his own Resolve+Composure (not his total dice pool). For obvious reasons, this spell is best used on a sleeping or otherwise incapacitated target.
This spell is the heart of the reaper’s magic. With it, the practitioner is able to remove the soul of an unwilling victim, tearing it out and casting it into the Twilight. The loss of a soul tends to lead to dark results, most commonly madness, the loss of supernatural powers, and death.
A soul so removed takes the form of a wisp or flicker of energy in the Twilight. Unless first placed in a soul jar, souls automatically return to their owner at the end of the scene, rejoining in a flash of light visible only in the Twilight.
Soul Bind (●●●●)
Dice Pool: Composure+Occult+Soul
This spell allows a magus to attach a soul to some place it does not belong. This can be a different, presently soulless individual, or some kind of soulless entity such as a corpse or a golem (in such a case, the creature must incorporate a soul jar into its construction).
Attaching a soul to a different person grafts it in place, essentially allowing that person to have a soul once more. For all intents and purposes, the individual is a now a normal person with a normal soul, and with the Morality/Wisdom/etc level of the soul’s previous owner. The soul-recipient may experience flashes of the soul-donor’s memories or emotions, and in cases of serious morality mismatch, insanity may result – putting a saintly nun’s soul into a Scelestus rarely ends well.
Placing a soul into an inanimate being – dead body, computer, construct, what-have-you – causes the being to come alive. They gain Mental attribute dots equaling the caster’s Gnosis, and Social attribute dots equaling half the caster’s Gnosis, rounded up – in both cases, distributed as the caster sees fit (5th dot and higher costs double, and attributes may exceed human limits). The being gains a Morality score equal to that of the soul. Physical attributes depend on the body; skills must be taught. This spell does not give any particular control over the new being, though most mages plan ahead and have means of controlling their creations.
Soul jars used in the creation of automatons continue to count against the mage’s soul jar limit. Soul Consumption (●●●●●)
: Mana + 1 Willpower
With this dark spell, the reaper consumes a soul, devouring it for the power contained within. It may be used either on free-floating souls, or on soul-jars. For each dot of morality that the soul possessed, the Reaper can gain one of the following:
One point of Mana
One point of willpower
A +2 bonus to the reaper’s next spellcasting roll (max of +10)
Heal one point of lethal damage or three points of bashing damage; two morality dots consumed may heal one point of aggravated damage.
Stop the mage’s aging for one month.
The reaper can expend the consumed soul’s morality dots in any fashion he likes – the soul of a Morality 7 teenager can be consumed to gain three willpower points, a +4 bonus to the reaper’s next spellcasting roll, and to stop their aging for the next two months.
Supernatural souls are more potent, and may be treated as having effectively triple their Wisdom/Harmony/Humanity dots in Morality, for the purposes of soul consumption.
Consuming a soul is a Wisdom 1 breaking point, and if known marks the mage as a reaper, to be hunted down and executed by the Consilium.
A reaper may only consume one soul per turn, though the consumption is reflexive.
: Spending an hour taking care of one’s body (such as by giving oneself a haircut) grants Mana once per day. Enacting a permanent change to one’s body such as a tattoo or piercing generates Mana, as does self-harm.
Where the Mystery of Health is concerned with
the body, the Mystery of Flesh is concerned with
it. This is the Mystery of ascetics and transhumanists, of trendy punk kids and venerable monsters only tangentially human. To them, the body is a tool, and sometimes a weapon.
Many practitioners of the Mystery of the Flesh tend to have a distinctly unromantic view of their bodies, and often an unhealthy one – anorexia, self-harm, and forced sleep-deprivation are all common among initiates. Others treat the body as a temple, caring for it with all the fervency of a priest caring for his church – followers of this approach are actually often followers of a religious paradigm, derived from Zen martial arts or crusading holy knights.
Skin Deep (●)
Dice Pool: Resolve+Crafts+Flesh
This spell allows the initiate of the flesh to make superficial alterations to their flesh. None of these alterations go more than skin-deep, but the mage can change their skin tone, their hair color, their eye color, the length of their hair or fingernails, they can add or remove shallow scars, and make minute alterations to facial structure (altering the tilt of their eyebrows, slightly widening or narrowing their nose – nothing that requires changing bone structure).
The mage is not limited to mundane alterations – if they want to give themselves naturally green hair or grow tiny ridges across their face, they can do so. The changes to the mage’s body are essentially permanent, or at least till the mage alters their features once again.
This spell is primarily cosmetic, but it can provide +1 to +2 bonus dice on certain rolls, if used in a targeted way – if the mage is trying to seduce someone who has a particular fondness for redheads, it can add to Persuasion (Seduction) rolls if the mage alters their hair-color; ducking into alleys and quickly changing hair and skin color can provide a bonus to Stealth (Shadowing) rolls, etc.
Body Regulation (●●)
Dice Pool: Resolve+Athletics+Flesh
This spell allows the mage to regulate their metabolism and reflexes, speeding it up or slowing it down, as they desire. While this spell is active, the mage is able to speed or slow their metabolism by a factor equal to their gnosis.
Speeding their increases the speed of healing, dividing the time needed to recover from wounds by their Gnosis (so a Gnosis 4 mage would heal lethal wounds in 12 hours instead of 48). This stacks with the Quick Healer merit. Slowing down their metabolism so that they require less air, water, and food – multiplying the amount of time they can go without by their Gnosis. It also multiplies the duration of any poison by their Gnosis+1 (so a if the poison normally deals damage every 10 minutes, a Gnosis 4 mage would have it deal damage every 50 minutes -- granting that much more time to find an antidote).
Creative players will be able to think of other possibilities (allowing for extremely rapid weight gain or weight loss, etc).
Flesh and Bone (●●●)
: Scene, or 24 hours
Where previous spells of the Flesh were subtle, Flesh and Bone allows the mage to make gross, violent changes to the human form. With their fingers, they can swim through flesh, grab and twist bone, and shove internal organs about. It is a visceral, bloody magic, and one that can be used in multiple ways.
As an attack, the caster now deals Lethal damage with their unarmed attacks – a slap can tear flesh away, a punch can collapse bones.
The mage can do extremely rudimentary healing – seal up a wound, align a bone, etc. This is a crude measure (the mage simply lacks the fine control to do more), but they can convert a single Aggravated wound into a Lethal one, though only once on a given person per set of wounds.
The mage can shove about flesh and bone to give himself or another a bone carapace (with an armor value of Gnosis and a defense penalty of one-half Gnosis, rounded up – stacks with Mystic Shield
or mundane armor), or bone weapons such as jutting spikes or quills (dealing lethal damage equal to one-half Gnosis, rounded up, and used with the Brawl skill).
Used on someone else, this requires an extended Dexterity+Crafts roll and 3 Mana per alteration, with a target number of five times the recipient’s Stamina, each roll requiring one hour. Such alterations ‘decay’ at the rate of 1 point of Gnosis per two days (so bone-armor would lose one point of armor value every two days), vanishing completely at Gnosis 0.
Used on oneself, it requires only an instant action and 1 Mana per alteration, and the effect lasts for a scene (essentially, the mage memorizes the specific changes applied to their body, and is able to call them up with what amounts to muscle-memory).
The primary downside of bone-armor or bone-weapons is that they are
obvious and inhuman, and so are rarely used – though some mages do find subtle uses for it, such as a hidden elbow blade. Creative players will undoubtedly think of more uses.
If the mage wishes to extend the duration of the spell to 24 hours, they must spend an additional point of Mana during the casting.
This spell may be purchased again at 4 dots, in which case the unarmed attacks deal lethal damage, quick-healing can convert 2 Aggravated damage into Lethal, and alterations decay at the rate of 1 point of Gnosis per week.
Action: Extended (one roll per hour; 15 successes) the first time, Instant thereafter (see below)
Duration: 24 Hours
Dice Pool: Resolve+Subterfuge+Flesh
At this point, the adept of the flesh has sufficient control to enact very fine changes over their body. They can imitate others with near-perfection, or create entirely new people out of their imagination. The only limitation of this spell is that it cannot violate the conservation of mass – a skinny, five-foot-four girl is not going to be able to imitate a six-foot-four bodybuilder.
If creating a completely new identity, the caster simply gains 3 automatic successes to subterfuge rolls pretend to be a new individual (such rolls usually only come up if someone suspects shapeshifting is already occurring).
If imitating an existing individual, the caster gains 1-to-3 automatic successes to subterfuge rolls, depending on how much information they have about the target’s looks. Meeting the person or having a single photograph grants 1 automatic success; multiple photographs or long-term acquaintance grants 2 automatic successes; dozens of photographs and video feeds from all angles and in all states of undress, or having the target at hand grants 3 automatic successes. Simulating the target’s dental patterns, fingerprints, or retinas can be done, but requires detailed medical information (dental patterns, say) and a successful Intelligence+Medicine roll.
The first time this spell is cast to imitate a given individual, it takes one hour per roll. Afterwards, the mage simply ‘remembers’ the pattern and appearance of the individual and can slip into it with an instant action. Perfection of the Form (●●●●●)
Cost: 1 Mana + 1 Willpower
Duration: Scene, or 24 hours
Dice Pool: Resolve+Athletics+Flesh
This spell allows the master of the flesh to improve their body, toning muscle, improving nerve connections, strengthening bone, and so forth. They become more than human, stronger, faster, and more durable than mere mortals.
The caster gains a number of bonus attribute dots equal to their Gnosis, which are distributed across the caster’s Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina scores. No more than 5 bonus dots can be added to any given attribute. These attributes can be increased past the human limit of 5.
If the mage wishes to extend the duration of the spell to 24 hours, they must spend an additional point of Mana during the casting. Alternate Spells
Aura Read (Mind ●●); Replaces Psychosis
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Empathy+Mind, minus Composure
This straightforward spell allows the mage to see the target's aura. At its base, the spell provides the mage with the shade (pale, vibrant, etc) and a single color (orange, green) of the target aura. For every two points of Gnosis past Gnosis 1, the mage gets an additional color.
If confronted with some manner of arcane occultation, such as a changeling's Mask or a vampire's Obfuscate, the mage's successes on Aura-Read must exceed that of the protective spell.
Oneiric Vault (Mind ●●●●●); Replaces Erase
Cost: 1 Mana + 1 WP
Action: Extended (one hour per roll; requires twice the Mage's Willpower in successes)
Dice Pool: Intelligence+Subterfuge+Mind
This obscure spell allows the mage to lock away some portion of their mind inside an 'Oneiric Vault,' a subconscious construct that is one part magic and two parts brainwashing. To begin, the mage must decide what it is that they desire to lock away. This might be a fact, a memory, an emotion, a personality trait, Mental or Social Attributes or Skills, or any combination of the above -- there is no real limit to how much of their minds the mage can put away, from a single fact to everything (rendering the mage an amnesiac... which can be desirable if the mage has ruined their own lives badly enough).
The mage must set a triggering condition for the Oneiric Vault to be unraveled. The condition may be obscure, but it must be possible. The chosen portion of the mage's psyche is then put inside the Oneiric Vault. During the mage's waking life, that portion of their mind is gone. The mage cannot use it, it cannot be affected, and the mage may not even be aware of it. All but the most powerful magics will fail to notice it -- Telepathy (whether from Auspex 4 or Mind 3) or changeling Court contracts will only notice the locked away psyche upon an ES. Depending on the amount or kind of information locked away, even an ES can return seemingly confusing results (an ES on a Fleeting Spring 1: Cupid's Eye may show a strong desire to kill, but not explain how it fits with the apparently sweet-natured mage being examined). The hidden portion of the mage's mind is freely accessible while the mage is dreaming -- this can cause the mage to have dreams that seem radically out of sync with their day-to-day personalities and memories.
The usual duration for this spell is one week per dot of Gnosis rating of the mage, and may be ended at any point by activating the triggering condition. The mage may double the duration of the spell by spending one point of Willpower per additional week during the casting. Any time during the duration of the spell, the mage may renew the enchantment with a new casting. Cast under these conditions, the mage does not need to roll, merely to expend the mana and willpower. However, fracturing the mind for extended periods is extremely stressful. If the vault lasts a number of days greater than twice the mage's gnosis, the mage must roll Resolve+Composure when the vault ends, with a penalty equal to the number of weeks the vault has lasted. Failure results in the mage gaining the Multiple-Personality Derangement, with the vaulted portions of psyche being formed into a new personality.
Using the more extreme applications of the spell (cutting out personality traits or emotions) is a Wisdom 5 breaking point.
Crossing the Threshold (Twilight ●●●●●); Replaces Aspect of the Banshee
This spell allows the necromancer to open a door or gate into the lands of the dead. The precise effect differs depending on where the spell is cast.
If cast at an Avernian Gate, the Avernian Gate opens.
Otherwise, the spell opens a door that allow passage into the Twilight.
The spell functions regardless of what specific dimension the necromancer is in -- it works equally well in the mortal world, in the Twilight, or in the Underworld (provided the necromancer is near an Avernian Gate at the time). The spell allows a number of Size 5 people equal to the necromancer's successes to pass through, or a smaller number of larger objects. The necromancer is also able to bar unwanted visitors -- such ghosts or corporeal creatures must roll Power or Presence+Resolve, and exceed the necromancer's Gnosis to pass through.
The gate lasts for one scene, but can be closed earlier by the necromancer with an instant action.
Command the Foundations (Elements ●●●); Replaces Immersion
Dice Pool: Dexterity+Crafts+Elements
This spell grants the elementalist control over an existing manifestation of their element. The elementalist is able to move the element about, fashion it into simple forms, bid the element to stay or to advance, and in general form it to his will. The amount of the element that the mage is able to control depends on their Gnosis.
Gnosis 1: 20 lbs of earth or water; a five-square-yard fire; a 5 mile-per-hour wind or a five-square-yard cloud
Gnosis 2: 50 lbs of earth or water; a ten-square-yard fire; a 10 mile-per-hour wind or a ten-square-yard cloud
Gnosis 3: 200 lbs of earth or water; a fifteen-square-yard fire; a 20 mile-per-hour wind or a fifteen-square-yard cloud
Gnosis 4: 500 lbs of earth or water; a twenty-square-yard fire; a 40 mile-per-hour wind or a twenty-square-yard cloud
Gnosis 5: 2000 lbs of earth or water; a thirty-square-yard fire; a 60 mile-per-hour wind or a thirty-square-yard cloud
Each addition point of Gnosis doubles the weight of earth or water, doubles the area of fire or cloud, and adds 20 MPH to wind-speed. The elements are able to move at a speed determined by the caster's successes. Earth moves at a Speed of (successes), Water at double that, and Fire or Air at quintuple that (wind has its own speed).
Creative players will undoubtedly come up with clever ways to use elements; the above numbers and the mage's gnosis should serve as a guideline for such uses (currents in water would have a speed equal to half that of a wind; wind would inflict penalties equal to Gnosis to ranged attacks, etc).
Schrodinger's Step (Space ●●); Replaces Dimensional Push
Dice Pool: Wits+Athletics+Space
This spell makes the mage's location spatially uncertain, frustrating attacks. The mage may be here, or there, or a half foot to the side, dodging bullets and evading blows by not actually being present at any given location until the action is resolved. Of course, there are limits to how much uncertainty a human body can take, and how much space and time can be twisted into a pretzel.
Mechanically, this functions as a bonus to Defense equal to the Mage's Gnosis, which applies equally to both firearms and melee attacks, but otherwise is normal defense (going down if confronted with multiple attackers). Visually, the mage appears to dodge attacks by miniscule distances, evading bullets by millimeters and letting swords swing an inch from his nose.
If the mage wishes to extend the duration of the spell to 24 hours, they must spend an additional point of Mana during the casting. Mystery Errata
Mystic Shield (●●): Extending the duration to 24 hours costs a second point of Mana, not 1 WP.
Resolute Spirit (●●●●): May only be used 1/Scene
Glimpse (●): May be cast as a Reflexive action for 1 Mana; it boosts Initiative by Gnosis instead of +5.
Oath-Crafting (●●●●): A character may have only one Oath upon them at a time. Oaths are equivalent to Changeling pledges, and may be affected by powers that can alter such pledges (such as Spellbound Autumn 5 or Abjurism 5)
House Rules (●●●●) and Hallowed (●●●●●): Attempts to breach or bypass the wards (with spells or mundane rolls) must exceed the caster's Gnosis in order to succeed.
Miracle (●●●●●): This spell may raise the dead, but only if they have been dead for no longer than (Gnosis) days.
Static (●): Instead of total immunity to mind-reading and a -3 versus emotional/thought manipulation, this power instead inflicts a (Gnosis) penalty on any attempts at mind-reading/control/manipulation.
Necromantic Slave (●●●): This is replaced by the Death 4: Revenant spell, and works equivalently. A single success raises the corpse and instills it with a Passion, and further successes can improve the Revenant. The witch cannot have more than (Gnosis) revenants active at any one time.
Command Appearance (●●●●): This roll is penalized by a ghost's Resistance; however it may also be used to command a ghost in the immediate area of the caster, even if witch does not have that ghost's Anchor. (In other words, if suddenly attacked by a ghost, the witch may command it).
Casting the Towers (●●●●): Ignore the separate roll to hit; rather, this spell is penalized by the target's Defense, and incorporates the attack roll into the casting roll.
Omniscience (●●●) and Spatial Window (●●●●): These have the same range limits as Translocation (●●●●●)
Siphon (●●●): This spell inflict Resistant Lethal damage.