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The Riddle of Steel:
Alternate Sorcery
by Tom Vogt
based on the Alternate Sorcery rules
from Stephen J. Barringer
Version 1.2
December 17, 2004
I. Introductionhis is a revised version of the sorcery systemoriginally written by Rick McCann.T
Stephen J. Barringer posted the base version of thisalternate system to the Riddle of Steel forum. TomVogt took it from there, modified it heavily and didthe editing and layouting to turn the final result intothis PDF document.
It was designed to do the following things:1) Create a more traditional system of terminology
and description, getting away from the “quasiscientific” feel of the original system.
2) Expand the scope of sorcery’s abilities, givesorcerers a few more directcombat options, andmake lowpower “casual” sorcery more viable.
3) Resolve some of the issues debated about in theoriginal system, such as whether Glamour magicshould produce actual physical light, or how muchdamage one can do with a Movement 3 spell.
4) Bring the system more in line with theremaining TRoS rules, where the TN isseldom modified and boni/penalties areapplied to the dice pools.
This system significantly expands thescope and power of sorcery beyond itsalready considerable range. As a result,the SA costs for improving sorceryhave been increased, and it isrecommended that this system notbe used if you are already havingtrouble controlling sorcerer PCs inyour game. It also changes the“feel” of TROS magic considerably,and people who like the originalatmosphere better shoulddefinitely stick to it.
Also, this version has probably received much lessplaytesting than the one published in the corerulebook. As such, please do not hesitate to send anyand all feedback to Tom via email:
Thanks go to Jake and Rick for TRoS, to Stephen forthe original version and his invaluable feedback onmy modifications, as well as to everyone in the forumwho wrote comments either there or to me directly.
There's also some other TRoS stuff that I've made,which you can get at the same location you shouldlook for updated versions of this document:
http://web.lemuria.org/tros/
Page 2
II. Sorcerer Charactersor the main parts of character creation, refer tothe core rule book. These rules only cover theadditional, sorcererspecific changes.F
1. New Race and Magic PriorityThe new Race and Magic Priority table replaces theone in the rulebook. In addition to a betterdifferentiation among the lower ranks, it also addstwo new kinds of sorcerers: MagicSensitives andHedgeMagicians. Both of these have limitedmagical powers, and are described in more detailfurther below in these rules.
Optionall, you can also use the new differentiation byhuman nationalities, as most people in a medievalworld never leave the immediate vicinity of theirplace of birth, and foreigners are rare in most places.The Seneschal defines which nationalities qualify asbeing from “the vicinity and culture of the campaignlocation”. All Humans in Priority B to D can freelychoose their nationality.
2. Sorcerous AttributesFour special derived attributes are possessed by allsorcerers. Like Reflex, Aim, and other derivedattributes, they are calculated from the temporal andmental attributes, as shown in the SorcerousAttributes table.
Power (POW) is the raw force a sorcerer can channel.Power determines the exact numerical effect ofyour spells and your magic, ranging from theamount of SP dice recovered by refreshmentspells to the damage done by combat spells.
Sight (SGT) refers to the sorcerer’s intuitive magicsense, his ability to perceive magical force,spells, and magical beings. A sorcerer can rollSGT/Ritual Magic or SGT/Arcane Theory toanalyze an active spell or empowered item; hecan also roll SGT/8 to detect active magic, or useSGT in a Resistance Roll against Glamourbasedmagic. (These uses are not active spells inthemselves, and require no SP dice to cast orresist Strain.)
Art (ART) is the sorcerer’s conscious ability to controland direct magic through formal procedures. Asorcerer must roll ART/Arcane Theory toFormalize Spells, or ART/Symbol Drawing tocorrectly draw the runes and glyphs for Rituals.
Capacity (CAP) is the sorcerer’s ability to withstandmagical strain without prematurely aging hisbody. Capacity acts as a “buffer” of points (seebelow) that a sorcerer can take from failedStrain rolls before suffering the effects of agingand knockout.
DDESIGNESIGN N NOTEOTE::
The Attributes were rewritten to make theirfunction more intuitively obvious from theirname, to give them more things to doindependent of their role as “building blocks”for the Sorcery Pool, and to make theSorcerous Attributes less dependent on theTemporal Stats.
Page 3
RACE AND MAGIC PRIORITY
Priority Race and Magic
A Fey (all Fey are sorcerers)
B Gifted Human, Siehe or Halfling
C Sensitive or HedgeMagician Human,Siehe or Halfling
D Human, Siehe or Halfling
EHuman, and choice of nationalitylimited to the vicinity and culture ofthe campaign location.
FHuman, and limited to coming fromthe local area and inexperienced inforeign cultures and travel
Table 1
SORCEROUS ATTRIBUTES
Power (POW) WP + (HT/2)
Sight (SGT) (Per+MA)/2
Art (ART) MA + (AG/2)
Capacity (CAP) HT + (WP/2)
Table 2
In addition, especially advanced, powerful, orcorrupted sorcerers may possess one or two uniqueattributes that allow sorcerers to become trulyterrifying.These attributes are strictly optional, especially forplayer characters, who can not take them unless theSeneschal approves their use, and each additionallevel bought. They were added to open up adevelopment pathway for sorcerers that lets thembecome frighteningly powerful, for a high price.NPCs with one (or, horror, both) of these attributeswill give even master sorcerer PCs a foe to fear.
Apotheosis (APT) reflects the degree to which asorcerer has mastered magic beyond Strain,becoming almost godlike in his power. Everylevel of Apotheosis gives a sorcerer oneautomatic success on all Strain rolls. APT startsat 0 for Gifted humans, Siehe or halflings, andat 2 for Fey, and costs 25 SA points per level toimprove.
Monstrosity (MNS) is the degree to which a sorcererhas been warped and mutated by his overuse ofmagic. Like Apotheosis, every level ofMonstrosity gives a sorcerer one automaticsuccess on his Strain rolls, but each level alsoimposes a crippling Flaw upon the sorcerer.MNS starts at 0 for Gifted humans; halflings,Fey and Siehe cannot buy Monstrosity. Eachlevel of Monstrosity costs 15 SA points, andinflicts a flaw or handicap selected randomly bya d10 roll on the Monstrosity Handicap table.
Withering and Mutation can strike a sorcereragain and again; most other effects happen onlyonce, and the sorcerer should roll again if herolls something that has already happened tohim.
A human sorcerer can buy both APT and MNS, andthe two scores are summed to determine how manyautomatic Strain successes he receives, but once asorcerer buys even one level of MNS, he can nolonger buy any levels of APT beyond what he hasalready bought. Once you start down the dark pathof sorcerous corruption, forever will it dominateyour destiny….
Page 4
MONSTROSITY HANDICAPS
d10 Handicap Effect
1 Withering The sorcerer loses a point eachfrom ST, EN and TO
2 Twisting The sorcerer acquires the Uglyflaw at major level
3 Fury The sorcerer acquires the Rageflaw
4 The Hunger The sorcerer gets an Addiction(like the flaw) to an exotic drug(difficult and/or expensive toacquire) or unsanitary practice(e.g. blooddrinking orcannibalism).
5 Obese The sorcerer acquires the Obeseflaw at major level
6 Torment The sorcerer acquires theTormented flaw at minor level; ifrolled again, this increases tomajor.
7 Unsleeping The sorcerer acquires the LightSleeper flaw.
8 FlintHearted
The sorcerer becomes utterly selfobsessed and callous. Remove anyConscience and Faith SAs andadjust all other SAs appropriately.
9 Power Lust The sorcerer becomes maddenedfor more power. Replace one SAwith a Drive for power. Pointsfrom this SA can only be spent ifat least twice as many points fromother SAs are spent at the sametime.
10 Mutation The sorcerer undergoes a physicalchange of some kind: his eyesmay turn bloodred andfeatureless, his skin may developscales or turn jet black, his fingersmay become crustaceanliketalons, etc.The Seneschal chooses themutation and any minor effects itmay have. The main effect is thatthis usually makes it impossiblefor the sorcerer to pass amongnormal society without disguisinghimself.
Table 3
3. SensitivesSensitive Characters can not cast spells or engage inany other magic, with one exception: They do havethe SGT attribute and can perceive magical forces.They can also resist magic as if they were sorcerers,using SGT (e.g. Glamour magic) as their SorceryPool.
4. Hedge MagiciansNot every sorcerer is a powerful, frightening wielderof magical energies. Many, especially humans, have aquite limited gift. These sorcerers are called HedgeMagicians.A HedgeMagician is a sorcerer, but with thefollowing limitations:● His Sourcerous Attributes are halved.● He can not fastcast nor formalize spells.● He can never gain level 3 in any vagary.
HedgeMagicians make excellent NPCs if theSeneschal does not want to confront the players withthe full power of a sorcerer. They can also make veryinteresting “casual spellcaster” player characters.
5. Sorcerous Gifts and FlawsThese Gifts and Flaws can be taken only by sorcerers.They are often inborn abilities (or shortcomings) of acharacter, linked directly into his magic abilities. Assuch, they are more expensive to acquire or buy offduring the game (i.e. any time after charactercreation). Instead of 10 SA points, minor gifts/flawscost 15 points to buy/remove, while the cost formajors is 25 SA points.In addition, some Seneschals may decide that once aSorcerous Flaw is taken it can never be “bought off”,or that doing so temporarily hampers the sorcererscasting abilities (all sorcererous attributes are halvedand recover at 1 point a week until back to their oldlevel).The Seneschal always has the last word on whetheror not a Gift or Flaw is allowed in his campaign, andwhich flaws can be “bought off” and how.
Sorcerous GiftsAmulet (Minor/Major Gift)
You possess an item that provides an additionalreservoir of magical power, in the form of bonus SPdice, for key spells. Minor Amulets add 1 SP to yourSorcery Pool; major Amulets add 2 SP. Up to threeAmulets may be used on a single spell (thoughthere’s no guarantee of ever finding that many!).
DDESIGNESIGN N NOTEOTE::
This is the Talisman Gift renamed, to avoidconfusion, as the term “Talisman” is used forsomething quite different in these rules.
Artifact (Major Gift)You possess that rarest of things, a truly enchanteditem – an object with a specific spell permanentlyInfused within. The nature of this artifact can bewhatever you determine or the Seneschal is willingto permit, but the rarity of “magic items” at all inTROS means that the more powerful the artifact,the more attention – unwelcome and otherwise –you will attract for possessing it…. (This Gift needonly be bought if you want to start with an Artifact,and can be bought by nonsorcerers if their storyexplains it.
Blood of the Ancients (Minor/Major Gift)Your Gift is stronger than normal, perhapsbetraying descent from one of the Ninethemselves…. Increase your POW Attribute (andthus your Sorcery Pool) by 1 for the minor versionof this Gift, 3 for the major version.
Born to Mastery (Minor/Major Gift)You have an intuitive talent for the complexities ofadvanced magic and ritual. The minor version ofthis Gift raises your ART Attribute by 1, the majorversion by 3, adding to your SP for Castings andRituals and aiding Formalization.
Familiar (Minor Gift)You begin play with a familiar, a spirit bound to youwho takes the shape of a small animal (ferret, frog,cat, owl, bat, etc.). The familiar gives you 1automatic success on all Strain rolls, and byentering a trance you may “ride” your familiar,sharing its thoughts and feelings, seeing through itseyes and directing its movements. However, youexperience the Shock and Pain of any wounds dealtto your familiar!
Page 5
Piercing Eye (Major Gift)Your Sight is more acute and piercing even thanmost sorcerers’. Not only is your SGT Attributeincreased by 2 dice (which also increases yourSorcery Pool), but you can roll SGT/8 to read livingbeings’ auras, the field of psychic energy thatsurrounds them. Each success can reveal oneotherwise nonobvious fact about the target’semotional or physical state to you. A success canalso reveal the presence of any Infused spells (1success per spell), or the level of the target’s SorceryPool if it has one. Clever use can help youdetermine if the target is lying, by spottingdiscrepancies between emotional response andverbal statements.
Spirit Ally (Minor/Major Gift)Like Haunted, but your invisible companion isbenevolent rather than malicious. It may or may notcommunicate overtly with you, or explain why ithas chosen to help you, but the spirit entity willnonetheless provide assistance at key moments. Aminor Spirit Ally provides only intermittent andpartial help; a major Ally can accomplish significanttasks at your behest, and will do so frequently. TheSeneschal will roleplay its interaction with you andits exact powers.
Sorcerous FlawsHaunted (Minor/Major Flaw)
You have attracted the attention of an entity of theOtherworld, a ghost, spirit or spectre which onlyyou can see. This entity constantly tormentsand interferes with you by distracting youat key moments, keeping you awake atnight, and generally making your lifemiserable. In the minor version of thisFlaw, your tormentor is moremischievous than hostile, andonly troubles youintermittently; in the majorversion, the Haunt trulydespises you and wants to seeyou destroyed or dead. TheSeneschal will improvise theactions of your Haunter andtheir effects; the Haunter willgenerally take care not toreveal itself to anyone but you,and the more frustrated andangry you get at your “invisibleenemy”, the madder some maythink you….
Inept (Minor/Major Flaw) Through your power may be mighty, your ability tomaster it is not; for whatever reason, you simplycannot consciously control or understand complexmagics very well. Your ART Attribute is reduced by1 for the minor version of this Flaw, and by 3 forthe major version, reducing the Sorcery Pool forCastings and Rituals and making Formalizationmuch more difficult.
Procedural Dependence (Major Flaw)Whether from psychological insecurity or gap inyour training, you are less flexible in yourProcedures than other sorcerers. All your Cantripsand Castings must include the same preset element– you choose from Incantations, Gestures, or yourTalisman – and inability to use that elementprevents you from casting; all Formalized spellsmust include that element for you to use them.The dependence on a material element also meansyou can not fastcast.
Strenuous Magic (Minor/Major Flaw)Some sorcerers simply cannot channel the force ofmagic properly or safely. For the minor version ofthis Flaw, all spells inflict at least 1 Strain pointautomatically, regardless of Strain roll successes;for the major version, all spells inflict at least onemonth’s aging automatically, regardless of Strainresistance successes (remember to roll Knockout!).In addition, possession of either version of this Flawmeans you cannot buy levels in either Apotheosis orMonstrosity until the Flaw is bought off.
Volatile Magic (Major Flaw)Some styles or talents of sorcery
are more dangerous thanothers. Your particular artsare more unstable even than
normal. Whenever you failor fumble any Casting Roll, the
magic escapes your grasp in adestructive outburst! You receive
1d10 – TO electrical Wounds (fromthe Generic Damage Table) appliedrandomly across your body, as for a fall.
WeakBlooded (Minor/Major Flaw)The potency of your Gift is diluted and
weakened. For the minor version, reduceyour POW Attribute (and the Sorcery Pool)by 1; for the major version, reduce POW(and thus the Sorcery Pool) by 3.
Page 6
6. Improving Sorcerous Ability Because this revised system makes sorceryconsiderably more powerful, the SA costs forimprovement are increased, as follows: ● To buy Level 1 in a new Vagary costs 5 SA points. ● To increase an existing Vagary from Level 1 to
Level 2 costs 10 SA points. ● To increase an existing Vagary from Level 2 to
Level 3 costs 15 SA points.
Add 5 points to these costs if working without ateacher, extensive library or other source of studyand education.
● Acquiring a new Sorcerous Gift or buying off aSorcerous Flaw (with Seneschal permission foreither) costs 15 SA points for a Minor Gift or Flaw,25 SA points for a Major one.
● Levels in Apotheosis cost 25 SA points each. ● Levels in Monstrosity cost 15 SA points each.
III. Spellspells is the generic term for all types of activemagical workings. Spells are divided into threetypes, which determine the base Sorcery Pool
available for them, their base casting time, and themaximum number of Vagaries that can beincorporated into them:
Cantrips: A hasty impromptu magic of minimalelegance. Base Sorcery Pool: POW + SGT Normal Casting Time: (CTN) seconds Maximum Vagaries: 1
Castings: More complex and controlled spells, thoughslower. Base Sorcery Pool: POW + SGT + ART Normal Casting Time: (CTN x 10) seconds Maximum Vagaries: 3
Rituals: Extended, hugely complex and powerfulworkings. Base Sorcery Pool: POW + SGT + ART + CAP Normal Casting Time: (CTN x 10) minutes Maximum Vagaries: All
S
DDESIGNESIGN N NOTEOTE::
As should be obvious, a Cantrip is what usedto be called a Spell of One, a Casting is whatwas called a Spell of Three, and a Ritual is,well, a Ritual, or Spell of Many. The nameswere changed simply to provide a little moreclassic magical “atmosphere”.
Page 7
1. Definitions The Casting TN, or CTN, depends on the power andthe complexity of the spell.Start with the Level of the spell, which is simply thehighest Vagary level used in the spell, plus 1 for anyadditional Vagaries used.
Now add modifiers for Range, Target and Duration:
Range is the distance between caster and subject atwhich the spell will function. Note that this is therange of the actual magic effect – throwing astone through magic would be Range 1 if thecaster is touching the stone, since the magicaffects the stone (which is touched), not thetarget.
All magic will automatically hit its target. Again,note that in the example above, this only meansthe stone will be accelerated – but in that case,an attack roll has to be made in order to actuallyhit anything. See Targeting, below.
0 Self only.1 Touch.2 Immediate vicinity (~5 to 10m)3 Line of sight.4 Beyond line of normal sight. This requires a
sympathetic link (an image or portion) of thesubject to find, or incorporated Divinationmagic to scry.
Target is the kind, diversity and size of whatever isaffected by the spell. A spell that affectscomplicated, large or multiple targets is moredifficult than one affecting a single small object.
A single human or humansized target is thenormal case, with a Target of 0. Modify thisvalue as follows:
+1 if the target is much larger or smaller(a factor of at least 3)
+2 if it is very large or small (a factor of10 or more)
+1 if the target is extraordinarily complicated,or part of a larger whole
+1 for multiple targets (up to a dozen)+2 for large groups (more than a dozen)
Affecting more than one target with the samespell always requires that they form a group ofsome kind, or are standing close together. TheSeneschal should raise the CTN further if thespell targets exceptionally huge groups (say, awhole army or village).
Duration is the time for which the spell lasts. Cantripscannot have a Duration longer than 0, as theSummoning Vagary is required to fuel a selfenduring spell.
Also see Sustained Spells and Permanent Spells,below, for more details.
0 Instant1 Sustained (see Sustained Spells, below)2 Minutes or Hours (15 minute per success)3 Hours or Days (12 hours per Casting Success).4 Permanent (see Permanent Spells, below).
TargetingWhile magic never misses, stones accelerated bymagic, or blades of ice created through a spell do notautomatically hit their targets, unless guided bymagic as part of the spell.
A spell can be explicitly built so that it will hit theproper target upon casting. This requires the use ofthe Vision Vagary. This method works reliably, butcan not be used for Cantrips, and therefore not forcombat spells.
A second method is using spells as missile attacks.The spell is directed at the missile, creating oraccelerating it. Only with proper aim, however, thetarget is actually hit.Likewise, a spell based on touch (Range 1) stillrequires the sorcerer to actually touch the target –not necessarily an easy task if the target is evading.
In all cases of the second kind, the sorcerer will maketwo rolls – a magic roll for the spell, and an attackroll in order to hit.For melee attacks, use the brawling proficiency. Formissile attacks, use the new proficiency Spells, withan ATN of 6, independent of range. However, slowmoving attacks (thrown rocks, etc.) can be evadedusing the rules in TfoB. The MP starts to refresh whenthe sorcerer has completed the spell (i.e. after thecasting time is up) and the sorcerer can “hold back”the spell for a few turns before releasing it to get hisMP refreshed. The actual spell (and Casting Roll) ismade when the spell is released, i.e. at the time of theattack.
In both cases, melee and ranged, a single success isall that is needed and additional successes mayimprove the accuracy of the attack, but not thedamage done.
Page 8
Sustained SpellsSustained spells are powered from the sorcerer'sSorcery Pool. They remain in effect until the sorcerercancels them, or loses consciousness (KO or sleep).Sustaining a spell this way ties up all dice used in thespell, including the dice used in the Strain roll. All ofthese dice are used to sustain the spell and do notrecover as long as the spell is in effect.
Permanent SpellsThe creation of permanent spells requires that thesorcerer infuses the spell with a part of his life forcein order to sustain it. The sorcerer will thus age onemonth per Level of the spell made permanent, aboveand beyond whatever aging the strain of the spellmay cause (though he only rolls for knockout once).There are two kinds of permanent spells – those withand those without a Spellbreaker condition. Bothkinds can be forcibly dispelled, but spells with aSpellbreaker will also end when a specific action ismade on the behexed target (e.g. the kiss of ahandsome prince, the presence of a specific object,person or type of person, the saying aloud of akeyword, etc.). Note that for a Spellbreaker to beused, the spell must include the Divination Vagary.Every Spellbreaker Condition is subject to Seneschalapproval.
Dormant SpellsAre available as outlined in the core rulebook.
Dispelling and ResistingSpells can be forcibly interrupted, either while ineffect or while being cast (the later especially forrituals).Dispelling is a spell in itself, requiring both Castingand Strain rolls. It can utilize either the SummoningVagary (to draw the magical energy away) or at leastone of the same Vagaries as the spell to be dispelled(to neutralize its effect). If the sorcerer knows neitherSummining nor any of the Vagaries used in the spell,he can not dispell it.Every success on the dispelling roll lowers the Force(see below) of the target spell by 1. In order tocompletely dispell a spell, its Force must be loweredto 0.
All living beings also can make Resistance Rollsagainst spells that affect them directly, i.e. if they arethe target of the spell. Resistance Rolls are made withWP against spells that affect the mind and HT againstspells that affect the body. The TN of the roll is twicethe CTN of the spell.
When a sorcerer or other magic being is the target ofa spell, they have much better chances of resisting.Any being capable of magic, i.e. anything that has aSorcery Pool, can add dice from the Sorcery Pool toany Resistance Rolls. These dice are spent, as if theyhad been used to cast a spell (but no Strain Rollneeds to be made).
Every success rolled on the Resistance Roll removesone success from the spell Roll of the attackingsorcerer.
If multiple targets are attacked by the same spell,each target resists the spell individually with theirWP or HT. However, dice from Sorcery Pools affectthe spell directly and should be rolled before anyindividual Resistance Rolls are made, and theirsuccesses add to the rolls of all Resistance Rolls in thegroup.
2. ProcedureProcedure defines the time and material elementsrequired for spell and modifies the casting method,without changing the effect. The same spell can bedone using different procedures.
Casting TimeBy working more slowly and carefully, a spell can bemade easier to complete. On the other hand, if time isof the essence, a spell can be hurried to complete itquicker, but more difficult.There are three casting times levels: Slowcast, Normaland Fastcast. Refer to the Casting Times table for theresulting casting times. If spells are used duringcombat, assume that each exchange lasts 1 second.
Slowcast is used when the sorcerer proceeds slowlyand carefully. At least 2 material elements (seebelow) must be used, and any number can beused during the casting to gain additional dicefor the Casting/Strain Rolls.
Page 9
Normal is just that, the sorcerer is neither hurriednor taking his time. Unless a player specificallyannounces that he is doing something different,he is always assumed to be casting normally.Normal casting does not require materialelements, but a maximum of 2 can be used, ifavailable, and will make the spell easier.
Fastcast allows a sorcerer to act quickly andcomplete a casting in a shorter time than itwould usually take. Fastcasting does not allowfor the use of any material elements.Fastcast Cantrips are the only magic quickenough to be used during melee combat. Inred/red situations, use the CTN of the spell asthe TN for the reflex roll to determine whetherweapon or magic hit first. Any wounds takenbefore the cantrip can be cast will remove dicefrom the sorcery pool.
Optional Casting Times Rule:To make the differences between casting timesmore pronounced, you can use the followingoptional complications:Slowcast automatically reduces the CTN by 1, ifthe sorcerer makes a successful Art/Ritual Magicroll prior to casting.Fastcast only works if the sorcerer succeeds in aWit/CTN roll first. The sorcerer can add dice fromthe SP to this roll, but they are expended as if theyhad been used for the Casting Roll.
Material ElementsExternal aids that help the sorcerer to focus andchannel the magical energies. Every material elementgrants the sorcerer one additional die for either theCasting or the Strain roll. If he uses several materialelements, he can divide these dice up as he sees fit. If,for example, a sorcerer uses Incantations, Gesturesand a Talisman, he could add 2 dice to the Castingand 1 die to the Strain roll.
Cantrips and Castings are fast and comparativelysimple spells, and the following material elements areavailable:
Incantations: A few words pronounced clearlyenough to be easily audible in earshot, usually ina secret or ancient tongue. Cannot be used bygagged or otherwise silenced spellcasters.
Gestures: Movements of hands and arms. Cannot beused by bound (or worse, amputee) spellcasters.Sorcerers encumbered or otherwise only capableof limited movements may need to roll AG inorder to make gestures.
Talisman: A physical object unique to the spellcasterand properly prepared for use in castings. Theobject can be almost anything, though rings,staffs, wands, etc. are most common. Must beworn or held by the sorcerer during casting andif it is taken from the caster or knocked out of hishand during casting, the magic is disrupted.
Optional Talisman Rule:To make talismans more interesting, everytalisman is prepared for a specific Vagary and onlyworks if used for spells employing that Vagary.This forces sorcerers to carry several talismans withthem, and forces them to sometimes work without.
Incantations, Gestures and a Talisman or other ritualtools are required for Rituals and do not count asmaterial elements, i.e. they do not grant additionaldice. Instead, the following additional materialelements are typically used in Rituals, and will grantthis benefit:
Runes and Symbols: Glyphs, symbols and patternsmust be drawn on the floor, walls, or subject (ifpresent); a successful ART/Symbol Drawing rollis required.
Meditation: The caster must meditate for (CTN/2)hours beforehand and make a successfulWP/Meditation roll. This time is in addition tothe actual casting time.
Place of Power: The caster must be in either hishome lab or a place of sacred/mystic power.Finding such places can be an adventure all byitself.
Page 10
CASTING TIMES
Spell Type Slowcast Normal Fastcast
Cantrip (CTN x 10) seconds (CTN) seconds instant or 1 second
Casting (CTN) minutes (CTN x 10) seconds (CTN) seconds
Ritual (CTN) hours (CTN x 10) minutes (CTN) minutes
Table 4
Time of Power: The ritual must be cast at apropitious time: dawn, high noon, sunset ormidnight, depending on the nature of the ritual(healing magics work best at dawn, angelicevocations at noon, necromancy or demonicconjurations at midnight, etc.). Alternatively, theritual can be cast at a specific holy or seasonalday (summer or winter solistice, etc.).
Ceremonial Followers: Different from sorcerouscooperation (see below) these people simplyhelp create the atmosphere of the ritual bychanting, holding candles, etc. Harder to obtainthan one might think, as it requires theassistance of nonsorcerers who know what'sgoing on and don’t want to kill the sorcerersinvolved! This is why so many sorcerers wind upas cultic priests of one type or another; religionis (sadly) a very good way to get people to dofrightening things they don’t understand….
Sacrifice: The lifeforce of living beings, taken awayduring the ritual by killing them, is a timehonoured tradition. A roll of SGT must succeedfor the sacrifice to be useful (the victim will bedead even if the roll fails). The TN for this rolldepends on the CTN of the spell. Burning plantsor herbs allows the sorcerer to roll SGT vs.2xCTN, sacrificing animals requires a SGT vs.CTN roll, while human sacrifice – black magic –allows a SGT vs. CTN/2 roll.
Again, every material element used (and in somecases only if the appropriate roll for it succeeded)grants one additional die to either the Casting or theStrain roll.
DDESIGNESIGN N NOTEOTE::
Procedures allow sorcerers more flexibilityand – if they are willing to take a greater risk– speed, so that their options in combat orother fast-paced action sequences aren'tlimited to “Spells of None” or embeddedspells.
Play balance is kept by three facts:
● Only Fastcast Cantrips are quick enough tobe used in melee combat
● No material elements can be used forthese
● They can not be formalized (see below)
3. Additional Casting Options Additional effort and preparation can make magiceasier to handle and, maybe more importantly, lessrisky. These options are complicated and take muchtime and effort, and should be covered adequately byappropriate roleplaying.These options are only available for some spell types,as noted in their description.
Formalization (Cantrips and Castings only) Formalizing a Cantrip or Casting requires anExtended Test of ART/Arcane Theory, with eachroll representing a day of research and testing.During adventures, this time can be split up intoshorter periods of at least two hours each, but thedice pool (i.e. ART) must also be split up and allrolls must succeed. For example, a sorcerer with anART of 7 studies for 3 hours in the morning, 2 hoursduring the noon and another 3 hours in theevening. He has 7 dice for all three rolls, so he splitsthem up, making the first rolls with 2 dice each andthe last one with 3.Once the Extended Test has accumulated as manysuccesses as the CTN of the spell, a Skill Test ofPer/Read+Write allows the sorcerer to transcribethe spell successfully. A Formalized spell is unflexible and can only be castexactly the way it was formalized. Its definitionscan not be changed during casting.
Fastcasting and Formalization can not be usedtogether, especially formalized fastcast cantrips arenot possible.
Formalization reduces the CTN of the spell by 1.
Optional Formalization Rule:If you believe Formalization is too powerful,include material elements in the formula, i.e. aswith definitions, it is determined during theformalization which material elements are used forthe spell, and these can not be left out nor newones added.
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Cooperative Magic (Rituals only) This option is only useable for Rituals. Additionalsorcerers participating in a Ritual can contributetheir SP dice to the overall Pool as follows: the firsttwo sorcerers can add their ART dice, and everysorcerer after that adds 1 die.The leader makes both Casting and Strain rolls, andsuffers all effects from any incurred Strain.However, all sorcerers participating can withdrawfrom the Ritual at any time up to its completion,depriving the leader of the SP dice contributed.Since the Ritual must be completed once it wasinitiated, Cooperative Magic is generally only usedby sorcerers who trust each other implicitly (a hardthing to come by!).
4. Magic FlavoursMagic is a highly personal matter and most sorcerershave their own unique view on the matter.Some (heretics) believe, magic is a godly or angelicpower granted to them by their respective deities.Druids believe in the power of nature, spirits and lifeenergy as the driving force behind their magic. Someprogressive sorcerers think of magic in a naturalphilosophical way, as just another littleunderstoodforce of nature, such as sunlight and magnetism.There are even those who wield magical powers andyet refuse to consider themselves sorcerers – priestswhose blessings are just a little more effective thanusual fall into this category. Most of theseunconscious sorcerers are no more than HedgeMagicians.
Flavours add additional depth to magic. They haveno gamemechanical effects, except that theSeneschal may limit the use of certain SA to spellsthat are within the proper flavour, especially the faithSA.
IV. Casting and Strain Rolls wo rolls are made to resolve a spell: A CastingRoll, which determines whether the spellworks as intended, and a Strain Roll to resolve
the toll the casting takes on the sorcerer.TTo resolve these rolls, divide your Sorcery Poolbetween Casting and Strain. You can divide any wayyou like, and you do not have to use the entire pool.You do, however, have to allocate at least one die tothe Casting roll.
Resolve both rolls independently, using the sameCTN.
Every die used on the Casting Roll is temporarilyexpended, and will recover as described in Recovery,below. Dice allocated to the Strain Roll remain in thePool and can be used in future rolls.
Optional Strain Roll rules:In the basic rule, it does not hurt to always use theentire remains of the Sorcery Pool for the StrainRoll. An optional rule can reward characters whocast carefully and do not need so many dice toresist strain.Simply consider any 1s rolled on the Strain Roll tospend the die, as if it had been used in the CastingRoll.
A second, softer alternative is to consider all StrainRoll dice to be expended, but recovering at a muchfaster rate, say one die per minute.
1. Spell EffectsAdd the number of successes in the Casting Roll, andmultiply them with the Level of the spell to gain theeffect of the spell, furthermore called Force.What exactly the effect is depends, of course, on thespell itself. As a guideline, one success should beconsidered equal to one point in an appropriateattribute.For example, a levitation spell with a Level of 2 and 3successes rolled would have a Force of 6 and be ableto lift weight equivalent to that which someone withStrength 6 could lift.Damaging spells always do their effect in woundlevels. The Toughness of the victim is substracted,though armour does not usually work against magic.
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2. Strain, Capacity and Aging Every spell inflicts Strain points equal to its CTN. Thiscan be reduced either by levels in Apotheosis orMonstrosity (every level reduces Strain by 1) or bysuccesses on the Strain Roll (every success reducesStrain by 1). Strain can not be negative.
If there is any Strain left after considering Apotheosis,Monstrosity and the successes of the Strain Roll, thecasting has inflicted Strain on the sorcerer. Notedown the number of Strain points caused.
A sorcerer can accumulate Strain points equal to hisCAP before the magic begins to eat away at his fleshand lifeforce, effectively aging him.Every Strain point taken above CAP ages the sorcererby one month, requiring him to roll Knockout vs. aTN equal to 5 plus the months aged every time agingoccurs.Note that Strain accumulates – the CAP limit is notper spell, but subject to a slow recovery as outlinedbelow.
DDESIGNESIGN N NOTEOTE::
The concepts of Strain and Capacity wereadded to give sorcerers some margin of errorbefore they begin to burn their vital lifeforce,thus making “casual” sorcery a little moreviable. To reduce the utility of the CAPAttribute, the “recovery rate” from Strain canbe lengthened as necessary – 1 point per 2days, week, or even month – so that the“margin of safety” becomes less frequentlyavailable.
3. RecoverySorcery Pool dice expanded through spells willrecover automatically, with the rate depending onhow much rest the sorcerer is getting. See the SorceryPool Recovery table for an overview.Note that dice that are still bound in a sustained spelldo not recover as long as the spell is in effect.
Strain will disappear naturally, at a rate of 1 pointper day. It can also be recovered more quicklythrough meditation.
Meditation is a way to recover strain and/or sorcerypool dice more quickly than waiting for naturalrecovery.At most once per day a successful roll ofWP/Meditation can be made. Every success on thisroll can be used to either recover 1 SP dice, or
eliminate 1 point of Strain. The sorcerer can decidefreely how to distribute his successes. The mediationperiod will take half an hour per success rolled,although the sorcerer can declare before rolling howlong he wants to meditate at most, in which case anyadditional successes are lost.If the sorcerer is interrupted during the meditationperiod, his recovery is halved (round down). Forexample, if he is interrupted after 2 hours, he willonly recover 2 pts. of SP or Strain.
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SORCERY POOL RECOVERY
Activity SP recovery
rest or sleep 1 per hour
light activity (onroadtravel, guard duty, etc.)
1 per 2 hours
strenuous activity (offroadtravel, combat, exhaustingwork, etc.)
1 per 3 hours
any hour during whichwounds were suffered
none
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V. The Vagaries he Vagaries have been changed only slightlyfrom the core rule book. There is nothingwrong with them and the rewrite here serves
mostly clarification purposes.TTo save space and reduce redundancy, only changesto the system in the core rules are outlined here.Everything else should be taken from the core rules.
Temporal VagariesNot only physical matter, but also other physicaleffects are covered by the three temporal Vagaries.The inclusion of Growth in Sculpture and theaddition of the new Forces Vagary resolves theproblems revolving around fire, gravity and otherconcepts that are too scientific for a medieval fantasysetting.
SCULPTURE – Magic that changes the physicalform, shape or size of matter. Sculpture can notcreate or destroy matter, though it can transform it inways such that it looks like it did (e.g. changing airinto metal would allow the sorcerer to “create asword from thin air”).
Material: The amount of change brought upon thebase material(s). This covers the changing of onematerial into another, or the combining orseperation of various materials. This can be usedto split objects apart along their material lines(e.g. seperating a wooden axe shaft from theiron axe head).
1 Up to two kinds of material can be affected,transmutated into each other, or combined orseperated.
2 Complex objects consisting of up to 10 differentmaterials can be affected.
3 Any number of materials can be affected. Notethat sculpting living beings will often requirethis level, as all but the most simple livingbeings consist of hundreds of different materials.
Shape: The form and shape of the object, coveringgeometric detail and complexity.
1 Can create only basic geometric shapes (spheres,cubes, pyramids, etc.)
2 Complex polygons can be created, though finedetails may require an appropriate crafts roll fora proper execution.
3 Intricate, finely detailed objects can be created,including mechanic machines that will actuallywork and simple living beings (note that thiscovers just the body, not the life force).
Size: The size and weight of objects. Note thatchanging the weight requires the additional orsubstracted material to come from somewhere,so unless the object is surrounded by similarmaterial (e.g. growing an ice object out of alake), other material needs to be transmutedusing the Material component.
1 Doubling or halving the object's size or weight.2 Size or weight may be multiplied or divided by a
factor of 10.3 Size or weight may be affected at will, limited
only by common sense and Seneschal decree.
FORCES – Magic that affects forces of all kinds, i.e.anything physical that is not matter. Fire, sound, lightand lightning fall into this category as well as theforce of life itself. As with Sculpture, Forces can notcreate or destroy any of these items, but cantransform them into each other. In conjunction withSculpture, matter can also be transformed into forcesthis way.
Complexity: The kind of forces affected.
1 Simple forces like fire and sound can beaffected. In general, a force that could beaffected manually, using at most simple tools, isa simple force.
2 More difficult forces such as light and lightningcan be manipulated. In general, any force thatmedieval technology can not influence directly isa complicated force.
3 The forces of life and magic require the highestlevel of mastery. Note that magic summoned inthis way is unshaped, and can not be used tosustain spells or refresh the sorcerer's SP – theVagary of Summoning must be used foranything beyond raw power. This raw magical ismost useful as an energy source to “create”other forces, seemingly out of nothing.
Optional Raw Energy rule:If Complexity 3 makes energy too easily available,the Seneschal can decide that “burning” magic inthis way reduces the amount of magical energyavailable to the sorcerer temporarily, raising theCTN of his next spell by 1 or more.Another alternative is to link life force and magicalenergy, and think of mana as coming from theenvironment – burning raw mana would thenresult in the withering of plants around thesorcerer, clearly showing the evils of his way.
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Manipulation: The extend of the manipulation of theforce affected.
1 Doubling or halving the strength of the force,changing its direction in one plane only.
2 Reversing the direction of the force, multiplyingor dividing its strength by a factor of 10.
3 This level of mastery allows the sorcerer tomanipulate strength and direction of the force atwill.
Combination: The number of forces affected.
1 Only one force can be affected.2 Up to three forces can be affected, including
transformation of one force into another.3 Any number of forces can be affected and
transformed into each other.
MOVEMENT – This temporal Vagary remainsunchanged. Note that kinetic energy is not covered bythe Forces Vagary, as movement was not generallyregarded to be the same kind of phenomenon as, say,heat during the middle ages. “Kinetic energy” is amodern term not wellsuited to magic.
Mental VagariesMagic that affects the minds of others (or the mind ofthe sorcerer itself, though magic of that kind is notwithout danger). It is important to note that all magicof this kind has no physical effects whatsoever, andonly affects minds and thoughts.
The mental Vagaries remain unchanged, except forone clarification regarding:
GLAMOUR – Creates illusions only, with no actualeffect on the environment. Whatever is being createdby Glamour magic exists only in the mind of thetarget.
From this rule it follows that illusionary light doesnot actually illuminate anything. It is possible toextend the effect and create the illusion of anilluminated surrounding. Whether or not thisillusionary surrounding is identical to the realsurrounding depends on the sorcerer (who may notknow what the surroundings really look like, thoughhe can use Vision to find out).
Spiritual VagariesThe spiritual Vagaries remain unchanged.
VI. Sample Spellsome sample spells showcasing the new rangeof options in this system, as well as revisedversions of several sample spells from the
original rules.SRemember that while some CTNs may seem to bequite low that any living target can resist spells, somany successes may be needed to get the spell towork as intended.
Cantrips
BLAST OF SOUNDCantrip (Forces 2)
Level Range Target Duration2 2 0 0
CTN 4
This Cantrip amplifies anything the target (a singlehuman within 10m) hears by about x10 for afraction of a second. This is usually too short for thevictim to actually “hear” anything except for thesubconscious feeling of a major headache andtemporary deafness.Apply the Force (CS x2) as a shock effect on thevictim, i.e. reduce all his pools by Force for thisround. In addition, have the victim roll HT/Force. Ifhe fails this roll, he is deafened for 1d10 hours, ifhe botches the roll, he is permanently deafened.
ELEMENTAL STRIKECantrip (Forces 3)
Level Range Target Duration3 2 0 0
CTN 5
This powerful Cantrip transforms any appropriateenergy source into a bolt of lightning thatautomatically hits the target and does a damage ofForce (CS x3). This is “fullbody damage”, so usethe generic damage table. The target's TO willreduce the damage, but armour does not count.The Cantrip needs to take its energy fromsomewhere, so the sorcerer should have one ormore energy sources handy. The life force of asacrifical animal is often used (the animal willsuffer the same damage amount as the target of thespell, usually killing it). Alternatively, raw magicalenergy can be used.
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SORCERER'S FISTCantrip (Forces 3)
Level Range Target Duration3 1 1 0
CTN 5
This Cantrip adds a lot more “punch” to a sorcerer'smelee attack. Roll for attack as outlined inTargetting, above. If the sorcerer hits his target, hewill do Force (CS x3) points of damage instead ofnormal punching damage.Note: The Target value is +1 because it is limitedto the point of impact, not the whole body.
MANA DRAWCantrip (Forces 3)
Level Range Target Duration3 14 0 0
CTN 47
This spell replaces the Mana spells from the corerulebook. It will allow the sorcerer to recover CS x3points into his sorcery pool.The downside to this spell is that it depends verymuch on the source of magical energy. If thesorcerer has a raw source available (anything thatstores mana, such as a magical item or anothersorcerer) then use a range of 13, depending onwhether he can touch it or come near. If thesorcerer has to draw mana “from nowhere”, use arange of 4.
MINE SHAFTCantrip (Sculpture 1)
Level Range Target Duration1 3 1 0
CTN 5
This is the spell of the same name from the corerulebook, modified for these new rules.This creates a pit roughly CS x CS m wide and CSm deep anywhere within lineofsight of thesorcerer.A single success will be enough to force someoneinto an AG test to avoid stumbling, but at least 3successes are required to reliably trap someone (atleast for a while).Alternatively, the pit can be smaller, but deeper.Double the depth if you halve the width (e.g.instead of a 2x2x2m pit, the sorcerer can create a1x1x4m pit.
RAPIERS OF BONECantrip (Sculpture 3)
Level Range Target Duration3 2 1 0
CTN 6
This is the spell of the same name from the corerulebook, modified for these new rules.Damage done according to the new rules is CS x3.However, since the damage is internally, substractonly TO/2. A deadly spell indeed.
FLINGCantrip (Movement 1)
Level Range Target Duration1 1 1 0
CTN 3
A modification of the same spell from the corerules. This causes any small object held by thecaster to become a missile, much as if the casterhad thrown it, except somewhat faster (dependingon the number of casting successes).Resolve as a missile attack using the Spellsproficiency. Damage is CS and damage type(cutting, piercing or bludgeoning) is determined bythe object used.
PLAGE OF THE DWARF/GIANTCantrip (Sculpture 2)
Level Range Target Duration2 2 0 0
CTN 4
Same as the spell of the same name from the corerules, this spell shrinks or growth any target in theimmediate vicinity of the caster by a factor of about10. The range can be extended to lineofsightwhich will raise the CTN to 5.
MINDGATECantrip (Vision 3)
Level Range Target Duration2 2 0 1
CTN 5
Another adaption from the core rules. The marginof success between casting and resistance rollsdetermines how clearly the thoughts can be read.Note that this is a sustained spell.
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Castings
SEAL WOUNDCasting (Sculpture 3, Forces 3, Conquer 1)
Level Range Target Duration5 1 1 0
CTN 7
This is the spell of the same name from the corerulebook, modified for these new rules.Mending flesh and bone, as well as revitalising thelife force of the affected body part, this spell willlower the Pain value of a wound by 5 per CS. Themechanics used here are the same as for normalhealing, except that the spell replaces the HT/Painroll.
LEVITATIONCasting (Movement 1, Summoning 1)
Level Range Target Duration2 0 0 1
CTN 3
Adapted from the core rule book spell of the samename. However, this spell includes force on thecaster himself, allowing him to float slowly into anydirection he desires. His total “levitation power” isCS x2 and must be divided up between lifting himand lateral movement. For simplicity, assume that 4successes are required to lift the sorcerer if he is ofaverage weight. Add 1 for every level ofencumberance. The remaining successes can movehim any direction with a speed equal to a movescore of the same value.Example: With 5 successes (Force 10 – CS x2), thesorcerer can lift himself up (4) and move around asif he had a move score of 6.
FLIGHTCasting (Movement 2, Summoning 2)
Level Range Target Duration3 0 0 1
CTN 4
Essentially a stronger version of Levitation. Thesame mechanics apply, but thanks to the x3modifier, the sorcerer will usually get considerablymore speed. In the example above, his move scorewould be 11 (5 successes x3 = 15, minus 4 for thelevitation).Using Movement 3 would raise the level to 4 andthe CTN to 5, resulting in yet faster flight (a moveof 16 in the example above).
DOMINATECasting (Conquer 3, Summoning 3)
Level Range Target Duration4 14 0 3
CTN 811
This powerful spell will turn the target into thehappy puppet of the sorcerer for many hours oreven days.If the target does not manage to reduce the CS tozero with its resistance roll, it will follow anycommand of the sorcerer, even to its death.There are many variations of this spell, mostlydepending on the range the sorcerer can manage torealize.
ARMOUR OF AIRCasting (Movement 3, Summoning 3)
Level Range Target Duration4 1 0 3
CTN 8
Adaption of this excellent spell from the core rulebooks. Armour value of the resulting armour is animpressive CS x4. However, it also prevents thesorcerer himself from launching any missile attacks,and it will slow his movement (CP and Move 1).
Rituals
TRANSFORMRitual (Sculpt. 3, Vision 3, Conq. 3, Summ. 3)
Level Range Target Duration6 14 1 0
CTN 811
This is yet another spell of the same name from thecore rulebook, modified for the new rules.Note that Conquer 3 was added to allow a livingvictim to survive the transformation without dyingfrom the pain. If transforming a nonliving object,Conquer is not necessary, the level and CTN dropone point and the spell is possible as a Casting!As with Dominate, above, the range depends verymuch on the circumstances the sorcerer canarrange.
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