To His Majesty, King Ethelred, Ruler of Tresiley, Prince of the ...of the spell. Should a sorcerer take on the guise of a hawk, a feather from the bird would act as an associated focus

SaTF-Final (c) 2007 Driftwood Publishing, all rights reserved. Playtest Documents-Confidential, DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

To His Majesty, King Ethelred, Ruler of Tresiley, Prince of theVelm

I have received your reply to my proposal. I am quite glad to see that you agree thefounding of a Chapter House of the Grand White Lodge would mutually benefit both theguild as well as your fledging kingdom, and would like to open a dialogue on the subject.

Your reply indicated a familiarity with the arcane arts. I also hear you are one of the fewto encounter the dread Durconnell before, as well as after his changing, and survived theordeal. I understand that your experiences with Durconnell (particularly the later ones)may have influenced your opinions towards sorcerers in general, but please understandthat this abomination is the exception to the rule, Durconnell was consumed by his ownpower, warping his mind through reckless use of sorcery. It was carelessness, coupledwith great travesty that brought Durconnell to his present state, and he was certainly nevera member of our order. Had he been, he would have surely been counseled in the dangersof abusing sorcery, and should he have failed to take our advice to heart, the order wouldhave dealt with him before he became the monstrosity he is today. I can assure you thatall members of the Lodge practice absolute restraint when confronted with the inherentdangers of channeling sorcery.

I have endeavored to answer your questions concerning arcane theory to the best of myability, but please understand while most of what you enquire about is consideredcommon knowledge to even the apprentices within our order, as well as practitioners ofsorcery in general, some of your questions will espouse much debate amongst the variousforms of sorcery, and even provoke intriguing conversation within the masters of thelodge itself. As one of my associates is fond of saying, “place ten masters in a singlelaboratory and start a conversation on the arts and you are likely to receive as manytheories as masters present, if not more!”

But I digress. I have listed my answers to your questions at the bottom of this document,and will be sending master Elberous along with several apprentices to meet you in thecapital to discuss acquiring the proper land and other resources needed to found a chapterhouse in your city. His knowledge and understanding of the arts is formidable, and heshould be able to answer any further questions you might have about the guild or arcanetheory.

What is “The Art of Sorcery?”Your first question will inspire the largest debate, even among our own order. Most of theguild believes that the art of sorcery (also known as the practice of freeform magic) is theability to understand the laws of magic and manipulate them through ones innate power,proficiency over the art, and the ability to draw upon and channel the Aether (the mysticalenergy that surrounds all, which sorcerers manipulate to channel magic) within theenvironment in order to perform sorcery. By following the laws of magic, the sorcerer isable to change those natural laws most are bound to, and perform great acts of sorcery.

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Again, this is my personal viewpoint on the matter, and is the viewpoint taught by mostof the guild. Other forms of sorcery would contest this theory, however. ManyThaumaturges believe (if you find one articulate enough to speak on the subject) thatsorcery is the practice of manipulating the natural laws of order through inherent abilityand knowledge. By warping the natural laws to his favor, the sorcerer bends reality to hiswill, and can accomplish seemingly impossible feats—feats of Magic.

Theurgists indisputably say that their power is drawn from the divine, and a Theurgistreceives his sorcerous ability from the will of a god (or gods). Many Wizards believe theirpower is drawn from the supernatural properties of the four worldly elements themselves,and by attuning themselves to a particular element they maximize their potential with it.There are many other theories, I have only touched upon some of them.

Are Sorcerers Born or Made?Very few possess the innate power to practice sorcery. One must be born with theinherent ability to work magic. This is very rare; perhaps one in ten thousand people havethe capacity to practice sorcery. Even so, not all with this gift are created equally; somebarely possess the power to channel sorcery, requiring the necessary foci just to practicetheir craft, while others are so strong that their own bodies are considered a focus for thesorcerous arts. Still, just because one has the inherent ability to work freeform magic, thatdoes not mean he or she will ever realize their potential during their life and develop intoa sorcerer. Often during adolescence the child will experience some phenomenon, such ascommunicating with entities drawn to the child’s abilities, the ability to affect othersemotions and feelings, or even more blatant displays of power, such as unconsciouslycausing items to move without so much as touching them, or developing a sense of whatmay happen or come to pass. If noticed (either by a chance meeting with a sorcerer, orfrom rumors heard by the sorcerer that have spread concerning the child’s odd abilities), achild may be taken on at this point as an apprentice to a full sorcerer. If left undiscovered,the child’s abilities will continue to manifest over time, becoming more frequent andunpredictable until puberty is reached. At this time the child may realize his own abilities,and embrace them, awakening himself to the powers of sorcery, or travel the morecommon path, turning away from the powers they possess from either fear or lack ofunderstanding, and retreat towards a mundane existence. However the gift never trulyfades and the spark of magic continues to live within the soul of the person, and may stiragain, particularly if exposed to sorcery.

How is Knowledge Gained?Assuming the gifted individual embraces his birthright and studies the practice of sorcery,he will begin towards the path of enlightenment. The path is a long and difficult one(particularly when traveled without a mentor to guide him), but mastery can be attainedthrough natural ability, training and dedication to the art. There is no single correct path atwhich the end all magical knowledge is attained (although there are some paths that mayseem to be shortcuts to power that are better left un-traveled); there are many routes thatcan be taken towards enlightenment. Along the path the sorcerer learns the fundamentalproperties of the Vagaries of Sorcery (the different spheres or colleges of magic), andhow they interact with one another. The sorcerer uses his proficiency with a Vagary alongwith his inherent ability to work magic.

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The path taken also dictates the form, or style in which an individual practices sorcery. Asorcerer trained in the form of Guild Magery has been educated since childhood in abroad variety of Vagaries, and has emphasized his training on the practice of formalizingsorcery into spells, allowing the sorcerer to channel the energy required to invoke thesorcery easier and therefore less difficult to cast. The form of Thaumaturgy on the otherhand relies exclusively on the practice of freeform sorcery, ignoring the spellformalization process as restrictive and hindering, and chooses on concentrating learningfewer Vagaries, specializing his knowledge rather than spreading it around. The form ofIncanting places particularly emphasis on the spoken word, believing it to be the best wayto harness the Aether to control the forces of the world. There are many different forms,although it is rare for the sorcerer to pick the form he wishes to practice, often he simplytakes the form of his master (master less sorcerers often study Thaumaturgy due to itsfocus, flexibility and ease to master without formal training by a master of its art),although precious few might be able to choose their master (usually those who come fromgreat wealth whose family can afford to finance the teachers in return for taking the childas an apprentice). Such instances are very rare, as even if one was in a position to choosetheir master, the matter is further complicated by the fact so few possess the gift in thefirst place.

What Powers does a Sorcerer Have?The true extent of a sorcerer’s abilities are often limited only by his imagination.Amongst the lodge, a sorcerer is taught how to alter fate, as well as see glimpses of thepast or future. He learns to manipulate the material realm, altering the properties ofsubstances as well as warding himself and others from their bite. A sorcerer can gainpower over the mind, allowing him to coerce, control, and manipulate others actions, altertheir thoughts, or make them see what he desires. He can affect the body, healing orharming it, alter its form, or even change the body altogether. He can move objects fromafar causing them to float upon the Aether, and create items of sorcery. The sorcerer mayalso cast his senses at a distance, extending his vision and hearing far from his presentlocation. He can interact with the spirit realm, communicating with as well as banishinghostile spirits. The true elemental properties of the Vagaries can also be unlocked,allowing the sorcerer control over the basic earthly elements, such as Air, Earth, Fire, andWater.

These are just some of things that can be accomplished with sorcery. There are of coursedarker arts, such as cursing and hexing an individual or area and binding demonic entitiesto the sorcerer’s will. Such practices are forbidden by the order, but many of the otherforms scoff at such “limitations” as they would call them. Having a Lodge within thecapital will serve to protect yourself as well as your kingdom from these dark arts, as theGuild does not tolerate such black sorcery.

What are the Tools of a Sorcerer?A sorcerer uses a variety of different tools to better focus their power. Even the bloodlinesorcerers-that is, the sorcerers born so steeped in power their body acts as a focus tomagic itself, can benefit from additional foci to better harness their powers over magic.Amongst the order the use of foci are quite common, many use one or more devices to

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better harness their inner powers. There are several different types of foci, of which notall are commonly used by a given form.

The most common type of focus with the order is the process known as formalizing aspell. While true sorcerers are able to perform magic freeform-that is, without having tostudy and define specific spells in a laboratory, formalizing a specific spell and itsparameters can aid a sorcerer when casting that particular spell.

Associated foci of the effect the sorcerer is attempting to generate also aid in the castingof the spell. Should a sorcerer take on the guise of a hawk, a feather from the bird wouldact as an associated focus for casting the spell.

Personal Foci are devices created by the sorcerer as a personal link to their own power.While wielding a personal focus, usually a staff or a wand, the sorcerer can work hismagic easier, as the device strengthens the very bond between himself and his innermagic, however a sorcerer must take care not to misplace or lose his personal foci, asonce they have linked themselves to a personal focus he will find channeling magic muchmore difficult than without it.

What is the price of Sorcery?To change (some might say pervert) the natural laws of the world is not withoutconsequences. Sometimes the laws bite back, warping the sorcerer, even when he issuccessful in his attempts. Warping begins to change the sorcerer, detaching him moreand more from the natural laws of the world, allowing him to better channel and contain(that which does not kill us, makes us stronger) the forces of sorcery, at the price of hissanity. The effect is gradual, but over time, if the sorcerer is not careful, he may losehimself to his craft. The very act of performing sorcery can corrupt the sorcerer’s mind,body and soul, manifesting in the form of taints acquired from the taxes of channeling theraw Aether that surrounds all. Some taints can benefit the sorcerer, others may hinderhim. Most mark him in some way that identifies him as unusual, or strange.

As the power granted from sorcery is great, so is the risk. A Sorcerer must discoverbalance between the two, or be consumed by his own ambitions. Durconnell was unableto reconcile between the two and was consumed by his own magic, forever changing him.

Again, I thank you for your time and open mind to the proposal I have set before you. Myenvoy should be there within a fortnight. If you have any other questions about ourillustrious order or the arcane arts in general, please do not hesitate to ask Elberous, hewill be happy to assist you.

Arch Magus GernandusOestenbuurg LodgeA Glossary of TermsBelow is a list of words that will help familiarize the players as well as the Seneschalwith some of the terms included in SaTF.

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Sorcery Pool: The total of a Sorcerer’s KAA + Vagary used to cast the spell.Vagary: A sphere or college of magic learned by a sorcerer. A sorcerer’s VagaryProficiency Rank determines the maximum strength of spell that can be cast, and alongwith KAA, determines the size of the Sorcery Pool when casting spells of that Vagary. Foci: Devices used by a sorcerer allowing him to better harness and control the casting ofhis sorcery. Form: A method in which a Sorcerer has learned to practice his sorcery. Forms grantcertain bonuses and penalties to the casting of sorcery, and also allows the sorcerer to takea group of Vagaries at a reduced cost during character creation.KAA: A character’s own magical essence. Most individuals do not possess a KAA score,only those with a high enough magical Priority do. Natural KAA can be found in theenvironment in nodes, which can be harvested for magical purposes.Aether: Magical energy, also known as mana or essence which surrounds everything, andcan be drawn upon to ease the casting of Sorcery.Heka: Concentrated Aether used to power sorcery, which is generated from within asorcerer’s body, and can also be found naturally within the environment or from thecorpse of a supernatural creature in the form of Heka Nodes. A sorcerer's capacity to storeHeka is governed by his Threshold. Intensity: The magical strength of the spell being cast. The highest Rank of Intensity asorcerer can cast is dependant on his Vagary rank.SIGHT: A derived attribute that determines the character’s ability to perceive thesupernatural, including active Sorcery.Node: A source of Aether which can be harvested by a Sorcerer for Later use. Tax: A form of magical residue that pollutes the blood and soul of the Sorcerer. Tax canaccumulate with every spell cast, but disappears slowly, over a period of time. TakingTax will reduce the Sorcery Pool in a similar way as Fatigue or Pain, and can only berestored through rest. Taking too much Tax can risk corruption.Threshold: Threshold represents the sorcerer’s capacity to retain the inner personalenergy to power his sorcery. It also determines the amount of Tax that can be sufferedbefore risking corruption.Warp: Magical corruption sustained by a sorcerer when botching a spell or taking tomuch Tax. Warping will leave a permanent mark of the Sorcerer, altering him in someway with a stain left over from the Tax accrued by the Sorcerer for overusing his magic.

Chapter 1, the Seed of MagicCreating a character with the seed of magic, either as a sorcerer who has the power tobend the natural laws to his will, or as one of the gifted few who possess supernaturaltraits and abilities are just some of the possible character concepts using this book. If youare looking at creating either a true Fey or a character with a Fey lineage, refer to chapterXX, the Fey for more information creating Fey characters.

Below are a series of questions on the character’s concept and background intended tostimulate thought and help flesh out the character, listed into four categories. The firsttwo are intended for any character created with a magical priority, the second two arespecifically for sorcerers. You might want to discuss these questions with your Seneschalto get on the same page with him about your character’s personal story and the abilities

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you envision for him. Also remember to ask if he will be making any modifications to therules presented in this book, and which options he will be using in his campaign. SaTF isdesigned to be incredibly flexible, allowing the Seneschal to modify the sorcery system tohis own tastes. Because of this, it is a good idea to check with him about any changes thathe has introduced to the system, rather than having to re-tool the character at thebeginning of the first session.

What Makes me Different?Were you born with a supernatural talent, such as the power to hear ones injuries byplacing your hands over the wound or occasionally seeing visions of things that may intime come to pass? Perhaps in addition to the ability to possess these supernaturalqualities you have the Sight, and can sometimes sense supernatural activity, or even thepresence of magic? Or, were you born with the power to channel sorcery, and the powerto cast freeform magic. Whatever the inherent qualities you possess, you are clearlydifferent than most.

Take a look at each of the magical priorities on p. xx and determine which one best fitsinto the character concept. Remember that even if you take the Gifted or SightedPriorities (E and D, respectively), you still need to purchase any gifts you desire with theGifts Priority (so if you want the character to start the game with supernatural giftsremember to select a high enough Gifts priority to create the character you envision). Ifyou have an idea for a gift that isn’t listed, talk to the Seneschal about it, perhaps hemight allow such an ability. If you want to play a sorcerer, keep in mind that you willneed a fairly high Proficiencies/Vagaries priority if you want to build a sorcerer withreasonable starting magical capacity in several Vagaries (not to mention some combatcapacity).

When did I discover the seed of Magic was alive within me?Did you abilities develop in early childhood, adolescence, or very recently? Did theybuild slowly over time, or did the transformation just suddenly come about? Are you stilla sleeper waiting to awaken? Who did you tell about your abilities, or did you keep themsecret? If others did find out, how did they react? Were you persecuted for your abilities,shunned and forced from your home, or were your abilities welcomed? If your characteris a sorcerer, at what point was he apprenticed, or has he educated himself in the art ofsorcery trial and error?

These questions are great for not only determining the character’s history, but alsoprovide a well of ideas for developing Spiritual Attributes for the character. A persecutedcharacter could possess a Hatred for his oppressor(s) and have revenge on his mind. Asorcerer without a master might have a Drive to find one to properly train him in thearcane arts, or a sorcerer who has been embraced by his people and become a wise-man tothem could certainly have a Love, or even an Oath to protect them.

What Form of Sorcery have I been Trained in?Most sorcerers lean a form of sorcery, which determines the way in which a sorcererperforms his magic. If you were apprenticed, then should almost certainly have the sameform as your master. If you did not have a master, did you manage to learn a form on your

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own, or is the character without one? How long did your apprenticeship last, and was itconsidered to be complete, or is their still additional training to be done? Were you apatent or eager learner, or did you lack discipline, and because of that attempt to rushthrough your training. Was your master a kind pleasant individual or a slave driver? Whatis the status of the relationship between the two of you currently?

While a sorcerer can practice magic without a form, most do so for the benefits as well asthe cost reduction for buying multiple Vagaries. Forms are a good thing to talk with yourSeneschal about, as he may have modified or added to the forms listed in this book, orrestricted some for his campaign. Make sure you read each of the benefits and flaws of aparticular form (they are listed in chapter XX) before deciding which one to select.

What have you done since your Apprenticeship?Have you continued to advance your training, or become lax and somewhat lazy? Or areyou still apprenticed to another, and still awaiting to become an adept in the craft? If so,how do you feel about this? Are you striving to break away and make a name for yourself,or are you content for the time, seeking to absorb as much knowledge as possible fromyour master. If you have not had formal training, how have you learned your art? Fromdedication and quite a bit of practice, or do you have books or other materials which youstudy?

Keep in mind all the questions while creating the character. If you get stuck on aparticular issue (how high should I take my Vagaries, or which Gifts should I choose),refer back to the questions and think about the saga you have created for the characterprior to his entering of the campaign. A stubborn apprentice with great potential but alack of discipline would probably have High Attribute and Magical Priorities, but lowerTraining and Proficiency/Vagary Priorities, representing that while the characterpossesses strong promise, the lack of discipline has hurt his development. If you still getstuck, talk to the Seneschal, as well as the other players for suggestions on rounding outthe character. If more than one person is going to be selecting a Magical Priority, it mightbe a good idea to speak to him about what direction he is taking the character in. Whilehaving two characters with the Hands of the Healer Gift is not necessarily a bad thing, itmight be a good idea to take different gifts or Vagaries that compliment one another andthe group as a whole.

Character Creation Characters with the seed of magic are made in a similar way to normal characters, butneed to consider their Magical Priority (replacing the Race Priority in the core rulebook).The following rules are meant to be used with the Character Creation rules found in thecore rulebook and outline the creation of Sorcerers and magically gifted characters, aswell as replace the Racial Priority chart with the Magical Priority chart listed below.

Magical Priority (Replaces Race Priority) A character’s magical priority determines whether he can practice magic, as well as hisnatural talent for Sorcery. Use this chart to determine how the character’s aptitude withmagic.

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Race Name Sorceries AttributesA Bloodline

SorcererSight, KAA, and Threshold; may choose Forms; PersonalFocus; may select Magical and Sorcerous Gifts

B Full-BloodSorcerer

Sight, KAA, and Threshold; may choose Forms; may selectMagical and Sorcerous Gifts

C Half-BloodHedge Mage

Sight, KAA and Threshold; May choose a Hedge Form; mayselect Magical and Sorcerous Gifts

D Sighted KAA and SIGHT; May select Magical GiftsE Gifted KAA; May select Magical Gifts F Mundane No Sorcerous Attributes

Sidebar: What about the Elves?As many will notice, the new priority chart is based upon magical potential, not race.The Fey creation rules are within chapter XX the Fey.

Mundanes have none of the supernatural attributes and cannot use sorcery or possesssupernatural Gifts. They represent the vast majority of the population of the world, andare likely to hold Sorcerers in awe (as well as fear, and even hatred).

The Gifted have the capacity to possess magical gifts, and may acquire them through theGift Priority (taking this priority rank doesn’t give a magical gift, it just allows a Sorcererto take one). They also have a KAA score, which is normally used to power the gifts.

The Sighted are those that have an innate, but somewhat uncontrollable sense for thesupernatural. While this ability power cannot be controlled, the Sighted characters havethe SIGHT attribute which the Seneschal can test, or call upon the player to test, whennear sorcery being channeled, or when in the presence of supernatural phenomenon.Sighted characters may also acquire magical gifts, and have KAA.

Half-Blooded Sorcerers receive all the sorcerous attributes at their default levels. Theymay possess magical gifts, and they may learn Vagaries. A Half-Blooded sorcererrequires 2 foci to perform sorcery, rather than the usual 1 (see foci, on P. XX for moreinformation).

Full-Blooded Sorcerers receive all the Sorcerous Attributes. Full-Blooded Sorcerers arerich in power and possess the ability to become great masters in their craft. They are onlybound by their lack of knowledge as to what they can achieve. Full-Blooded Sorcerersmay acquire magical and sorcerous gifts and may learn a Forms of Sorcery.

Bloodline Sorcerers receive all the Sorcerous Attributes. Rarest amongst all that wieldsorcery, Bloodline Sorcerers have tremendous power that resides within, and have thepotential to become legends. Bloodline Sorcerers can acquire magical and sorcerous giftsand learn Forms of sorcery. So powerful is their connection to the arcane, a BloodlineSorcerer’s body acts as a focus of power, eliminating the need of using a focus to practicemagic.

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The Frequency of each of the PrioritiesWhile every Seneschals world may vary, the general guidelines that are assumed as tothe frequency of each of the Magical Priorities are as follows:

One in a hundred are born Gifted.One in one thousand are born possessing the Sight.One in one ten thousand are born Half-Blooded Sorcerers and can therefore practicemagic.One in one hundred thousand are born Full Blooded Sorcerers.One in one million are born Bloodline Sorcerers.

As you can see, the chances of being born even as a Half-Blooded sorcerer are quitelow, and even being Gifted is very special, as only one in one hundred possess thepotential for supernatural abilities. Compared to Europe at 1250 AD, with a populationof 70-100 million (we will assume 100 million for this example, although it could evenbe higher assuming magic was a benevolent force in society rather than a destructiveone). There would be total 100 Bloodline sorcerers in all of Europe, 1000 Full BloodedSorcerers, 10,000 Half-Blooded Sorcerers, 100,000 people with the Sight, and a millionGifted people. Amongst all of these people, only a fraction would actually come torealize their potential, others living in ignorance of it, or turning away from the power intheir youth.

What happens when a group of players want to create characters with Magical Prioritiesabove F? That is for the Seneschal to decide. If he wants to run a low magic poweredcampaign, he might choose to restrict the number of Magical Priorities among thecharacters, and even limit the highest Magical Priority taken to a certain letter grade (i.e.only allowing a single sorcerer no higher than Priority B, and perhaps another Gifted orSighted character). Or one might assume such people naturally tend to come together,and allow all characters to select Magical Priorities. Campaigns involving an order ofmagic where a group of sorcerers band together for mutual protection and support canbe quite interesting to run, if that is the direction the Seneschal wants to take thecampaign. See the appendix for a list of literature and film references when can inspirethe Seneschal as to the scope of magic within his campaign world.

Derived Sorcerous AttributesCharacters possessing a Magical Priority of E or higher will start with one or more of theSorcererous derived Attributes listed below. These attributes are used to determine aSorcerer’s Sorcery Pool, how perceptive he is to magic around him, and how well he canwithstand the rigors of focusing magical energy through his own body.

KAA (HT+WP) /2 is the amount of raw energy a Sorcerer is able to generate from hisown body. KAA plus the Sorcerer’s Art establishes his base Sorcery Pool, and is also themaximum amount of Aether the sorcerer can safely channel through his body whiledrawing.

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SIGHT (PER+WITS) /2 measures a Sorcerer’s ability to perceive the effects Sorcerybeing channeled or cast, as well as the ability to sense nearby supernatural activity. TheSeneschal may call upon the player to Test his SIGHT Attribute (or roll elect to make theTest himself and tell the player if any phenomenon is detected), when in the presence ofsupernatural activity or sorcery being cast.

Threshold (WP+EN+ST) /2 Threshold represents the sorcerer’s capacity to retain theinner personal energy to power his sorcery. This determines the total amount of Heka thesorcerer can hold within his body at a given time. It also determines the amount of Taxthat can be suffered before risking corruption.

The Life of Robert of PrydonDon decides he wants to create a sorcerer for the upcoming campaign. He decides hewants to play a Bloodline sorcerer, and therefore allocates his B priority to Magic. Heplaces his A Priority in attributes (he envisions the character with strong potential), anda C in Proficiencies/Vagaries (he sees the character’s sorcerous training as incomplete,and a basis for improvement). He puts his D priority in Skills (he did spend a fairamount of time in study), his E Priority in Social Status (he does not want to be a slave),and an F in Gifts (well, it had to go somewhere). After calculating his Sorcerous derivedattributes, he ends up with a KAA of 6, a Sight of 4 and a Threshold of 7.

VagariesVagaries represent the facets of what can be accomplished using sorcery. A sorcerer’sVagary Rank demonstrates his knowledge and ability in a given Vagary, determining hisbase Sorcery Pool when using the Vagary (along with KAA) and the maximum Intensityof spell the sorcerer can cast with the Vagary. A character receives a number of points toassign to his Vagaries equal to his Proficiencies and Vagaries priority. A character cannotstart with a Vagary higher than 8 during character creation.

The minimum Vagary Rank required to cast spells of a particular Intensity withoutpenalty is listed in the chart below. See Vagaries, Chapter XX for more information onVagaries.

Spell Intensity Required Vagary Rank1 12 33 64 105 15

FormsForms represent the style and tradition a Sorcerer has been taught in, determining how hismagic is performed. Usually, a sorcerer will start play with a single Form, although extraForms may be chosen with the Additional Form Gift on p. XX. Forms have certainrequirements which must be met in order to be taken, and grant special abilities anddrawbacks to the sorcerer. The other advantage of taking a Form is that it allows the

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sorcerer to take a number of Vagaries at a reduced cost during character creation.

Form Ranks are purchased the same as Vagaries, but cost 1.5 the normal cost (similar toschools in TFoB). The sorcerer normally receives a Vagary equal to his starting FormRank, another at -2, and a third at Form Rank -3. Therefore a sorcerer with a B VagaryPriority who spends 9 points on a Form would have a Form of 6 (since Forms cost 1.5Vagary points). That would grant him a Vagary at Rank 6, another at Rank 4, and a thirdat Rank 3. Some Forms have different default levels, or require certain Vagaries to betaken at specific defaults. See the Chapter XX Forms, on p. XX for details.

A sorcerer may spend any leftover Vagary points to increase Vagaries within a Formduring character creation, as long as the total Vagary Rank does not exceed 8.

The Life of Robert of PrydonDon knows he wants Robert to start with a Form, so he reviews each of them, andfinally decides on the form of Fire Wizrd. He uses all 6 of his Proficiency/Vagary pointsto buy the Form at 4, giving him 1 Vagary at Rank 4 (which must be the Fire Vagary),and the Void and Aether Vagaries at rank 1.

Skill PackagesHere is a list of a few new skill packages that are appropriate for sorcerers. Most will takea package from the list below and a standard one from either the core rules or the TRoScompanion (if their Training Priority is high enough). Some Forms may have certain SkillPackage requirements; check the individual Forms for more details.

Sorcerer’s ApprenticeAncient LanguagesArtRead & WriteStewardship +1Research -1Arcane Theory -1Ritual +1MeditationSymbol Drawing +1Any 2 Occult skills

Rural SorcererArcane TheoryArtMeditationAlchemy +1Herbalism –1SurvivalFirst AidRitual

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FolkloreScroungingOccult: Fey Lore or Occult: Magical Beasts

Ritualist (replaces the same package from the core rules)MeditationArcane Theory +1Art -1Artificer +1 or Alchemy +1Ritual -1Symbol Drawing –1Astronomy +1Read and Write –1Herbalist +1Any 1 Occult Skill

Druid (replaces the same package from the core rules)Secret Languages +1RitualArt MeditationLaw +1OrateHerbalism +1Leadership Occult: Fey LoreOccult: Magical Beasts

The Life of Robert of PrydonWith a Training Priority of D, Robert will start play with

SkillsThe following section contains a few unique skills available only to sorcerers (which arelabeled “Sorcerer” and may only be chosen by a character with a C or higher MagicalPriority) that aid in their casting of sorcery, as well as several additional skills concerningthe occult which may be chosen by any character. In addition we have updated severalskills for use with SaTF which appear below. Some of the skills have rules that interactwith the sorcery rules, which are covered fully in Chapter 4.

Alchemy (sorcerer)This skill of alchemy is used by sorcerers to make potions and other magical liquids. Formore information, see the alchemy rules on p. XX.No Default

Art (Sorcerer)

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This skill determines the sorcerer’s finesse when using magic. One may Test Art whenattempting to impress other sorcerers with WP or Reflexes to demonstrate their elegancein performing magical technicques. Art also aids a sorcerer attempting to hurry quickenedand normal castings. By removing 2 dice and making a Reflexes/Art Test, the sorcerercan speed up the time increment to cast a spell (rounds for quickened spells and minutesfor normal castings) by the number of successes received. If the number of successes ishigher than the Intensity of the spell, it will be cast at the end of the current round/minute.Default 10, for sorcerers only

Arcane TheoryThis skill determines a character’s knowledge on the many metaphysical theories ofsorcery, and can be Tested with MA in situations where one may need information on aparticular aspect or application of sorcery. Sorcerers also use Arcane for research andspell creation. See creating spells on p. XX for details.

Artificer (Sorcerer)A sorcerer can use this skill to make most temporary and all permanent device of sorcery.See the Devices of sorcery section, onp. XX for details.No Default

Occult Not a skill itself but a grouping of skills that a character must declare a particular field ofstudy in. The attribute used to Test occult depends on whether the character is activelysearching (Perception) or recalling knowledge of the field (MA).Example Fields: The Dark Arts, Demonology, the Fey, Magical Beasts, the Spirit Realm No default usually, although some fields may have a default of 13 depending how muchinformation about the field is commonly known (rural folk might be able to make a TN13 Fey Test, for example while city-dwellers would not be able to use the skill untrained).

Ritual (revised)This skill determines a sorcerer’s ability to cast a spell as a ritual as well as his ability tocontribute to a ritual led by another. Regardless of whether the sorcerer is performing orassisting, he must be present for the entire ritual, taking a number of hours equal to theintensity of the spell.

If the sorcerer is leading the ritual he must make a SIGHT/Ritual Test, with each successcontributing 1 Heka that can be devoted towards casting the spell. If assisting anothersorcerer casting the spell, the sorcerer makes a KAA/Ritual Test, with each successallowing the sorcerer to contribute ` point of Heka from his Threshold. The sorcerer is notobligated to devote Heka equal to the number of ritual successes; it merely indicates themaximum amount of aid that can be leant to the sorcerer casting the spell. For moreinformation on rituals, see p. XX. No Default

Symbol Drawing Many approaches to magic call for complex and detailed symbols, glyphs, runes, anddiagrams to be drawn on or around the place of conjuring. To correctly draw out these

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symbols roll Per/Symbol Drawing uncontested. More complex diagrams may requiremultiple successes (but rarely so). Symbols are commonly used with summoning magic,see p. XX for more details.

Magical GiftsMagical Gifts are wondrous supernatural abilities a character has been blessed with. Inorder to choose a Magical Gift, a character must have a magical priority of E or better.Some Gifts are only appropriate to be chosen during character creation, although with agood back story and the Seneschal’s permission, he may allow certain Magical Gifts to bechosen during play.

Using Supernatural GiftsSome supernatural Gifts require to no thought or activation, they simply grant a bonus orspecial ability. Others can be activated at will. Many Magical Gifts however require asuccessful KAA Test to activate. The TN for such Tests is listed in the actual Giftdescriptions, but is usually TN 7.

Some gifts also generate Fatigue. Any Fatigue taken returns after an hour of rest.Sorcerers may choose to power Supernatural Gifts directly from their Threshold ratherthan suffer Fatigue.

Magical Gifts

Beast Speech (Minor)You can both speak to, as well as understand the languages of the animal realm. Note thatwhile this gift allows the character to speak with animals, it does not guarantee that theywill necessarily desire to communicate back, or truthfully answer the character.Characters with this gift also gain +3 bonus dice to any Animal Handling Tests.

Blood of the Forbearers (Minor)You possess the blood of the forbearers, when the men of the world were a sturdier,longer lived people. You have 2 times (up to 3 times with a D or higher magical priority)the normal lifespan as normal man, and are taller by at least several inches (and in somecases more than a foot). During character creation, you can start with an Attribute if 8,provided you have the points required to purchase it. You are also more resistant todisease and sickness, and gain +3 bonus dice to resist either.

Body Mastery (Major)You have remarkable control over the functions of the body, and can even attain a degreeof control over others, with experience. You can manipulate the beat of your heart,control your breathing, temporarily banish fatigue and ignore pain. Most abilities requirea KAA TN 7 Test to activate.

You can use this ability to control your breathing rate, allowing you to hold your breathfor much longer periods of time. A successful KAA Test allows a character to hold his

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breathe for double the normal length of time. Two successes triples the duration, and soon. You can also regulate your body temperature, making it easier to bear freezing coldand scorching heat. On a successful KAA Test, for as long as concentration is maintained,you can withstand Temperatures as low as 0 degrees or as high as 120 degrees withoutprotective clothing or special gear.

When using this ability after being injured, each success on the KAA Test reduces theamount of pain suffered by 1 for 1 hour per success on the KAA Test. You may also usthis ability to temporarily banish fatigue, with each success of the KAA Test reducing theamount of fatigue suffered by 1 for 1 hour per success on the KAA Test. Each use of thisability generates 1 point of Fatigue.

You also have limited ability to affect others with Body Mastery. You can transfer fatiguefrom one person to another, invigorating one, while tiring the other. For each success onthe KAA Test 1 die is transferred between the two parties. Fatigue lost in this manor canonly be recovered through normal rest.

You may also attempt to use any of the other abilities listed above (banishing fatigue,ignoring pain, temperature resistant, etc.) on a willing target, however the KAA Test ismade at TN 9 as it is more difficult to affect others with this gift.

Empathy (minor)You have an innate ability to sense others emotions. Upon successfully activating thisability with a TN 7 KAA Test, you can sense base emotions from the target you are tryingto read. A single success detect very basic emotions (love, fear, hate), with additionalsuccesses possibly giving you additional insight on the target’s emotional state.Activating this gift causes 1 Fatigue.

Foretelling (Minor)You are able to at times able to perceive brief visions of things which may come to pass.From time to time, when sleeping, or staring off in the distance, visions may come to youand show you possible future events. You have no control over your gift, your visionscome to you when you least expect them. The Seneschal determines when this abilityactivates, although a player may choose to sacrifice a point of Luck (or Drama) with theSeneschals permission to stimulate this ability, and perhaps glean a bit of insight on thematter at hand.

Hands of the Healer (Major)You have the incredible ability to heal the injured by laying your hands onto their woundsand concentrating. Any First Aid or Surgery Tests gain +3 bonus dice when treated with aperson possessing this gift. Furthermore, use of this gift can promote greatly acceleratedhealing of a wound. A KAA Test is made, and if successful, roll the number of successesplus any bonus dice from a successful First Aid/Surgery Test, with the TN of the Testequal to the total amount of Pain suffered (much like an Injury Recovery Test). Eachsuccess will restore a point of Pain suffered over time. The successes generated from theinjury recovery Test come back at the rate of 1 point per day, with up to 2 points restored

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immediately (if at least 2 successes are received on the Test). A specific wound can betreated with this gift up to once per week, although multiple wounds on a person couldeach be treated with different applications of Hands of the Healer.

Using Hands of the Healer to promote accelerated Healing causes 1 Fatigue.

Inconspicuous (Major)For some strange reason, you never seem to get noticed. You blend into crowds, peopletend to forget your face, and you have a bit easier of a time getting things done withoutattracting attention. All Sneak, Camouflage, and Disguise Tests receive +1 bonus die.Even when performing actions in full view people will tend to have a hard timeremembering you (“he was wearing clothes, had hair, and had a weapon in his hand, Ithink it was a blade”).

Shapechange (Minor or Major)You have to power to change yourself into an animal for periods of time, gaining theabilities the animal possesses while in its form. The minor version of this gift allows youto change into a specific medium or smaller sized animal (wolf, rabbit, cat etc.), or smallbird (thrush, crow, raven, etc.). The major version of this gift allows you to change into aspecific large animal (tiger, bear, boar, lion, etc.) or larger birds, including birds of prey(Falcon, Hawk, Eagle, etc.). To activate, the character must make a successful KAA TN 7Test. The Transformation takes 15 rounds (about 30 seconds), and all possessions are leftbehind (and some, such as armor, may injure a character unless removed beforetransforming, depending on the beast form chosen). This gift generates 1 Fatigue whenactivated.

Magically Resistant (Minor-must be Sighted)You have the power to shrug off the sorcery cast upon you, when detected beforehandwith a successful Sight Test (see Detecting Sorcery on p. XX). You may devote a numberof dice equal to your KAA less any Fatigue already taken towards a Resistance Test at TN7. All dice devoted towards the resistance Test are removed as Fatigue and regeneratenormally.

Mesmerizing Gaze (Major)You have the ability to enthrall others for short periods on time while gazing directly intotheir eyes. Activating this gift requires a KAA at TN 3+ the Target’s WP. If successful,any persuasion based Tests you make on the target receive bonus dice equal to theamount of successes generated on the initial test. You must maintain concentration andthe target will realize something funny happened after the effect wears off (although hemight not understand exactly what did happen). Use of this ability generates 1 Fatigue.

You may also temporarily mesmerize your target. During such time you might be able tolaunch a sneak attack or cast a quickened spell (either of which is done at -5 dice less theamount of successes received on the activation test), the target may attempt a WP test atTN 7 to break the hold on him at the last second +1 to the TN for each success receivedon the activation Test. If successful he may defend himself against a physical attack with

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1/3 his pool, or attempt an opposed reflexes Test and attack against a spell being cast with1/3 his pool, otherwise he is defenseless to the attack. This power is more difficult toinvoke on the same person during the same encounter, increase the TN by +1 on eachsubsequent attempt (cumulatively) to affect the same target. An individual aware or yourabilities (either through rumor or experiencing it first hand) can attempt to avoid eyecontact and receive Reflexes Test to oppose the activation Test at TN 7.

Mind Speech (Minor)You can communicate with others through thought. A successful WP Test at TN 7 allowsyou to communicate speaking directly with their minds. Characters may attempt to resistunwanted intrusion by making a successful WP Test. The first time you wish to attemptcommunication with another using Mind Speech the target must be within a few feet ofyou. After which, you may communicate with the target a distance of 1 mile per point ofWP either you or the target possesses, whichever is lower. Use of this gift generates 1point of Fatigue.

Night-Eyed (Minor)You see in the night as if it were a heavily clouded day. You cannot see in total darkness,but as long are there are stars in the sky or there is a light source nearby, you suffer nopenalties to vision at night.

Weire (Minor or Major, see below)You have a spiritual bond with another animal, and perhaps even share the same soul.You can communicate with your animal (regardless whether you have the Beast SpeechGift) mentally over great distances (up to 3 miles per point of WP you possess). Theanimal is completely loyal, and will take considerable risks in order to help you in yourendeavors, provided it is treated properly. The animal’s lifespan will adjust to your own,and will age with you, outliving its natural lifespan (or reducing it, in the case of someanimals).

You may enter a trance and shift your consciousness into that of the animal, provided youare within range creating a direct rapport with the animal. You assume the animalsphysical Attributes and abilities while retaining your own mental ones. Should the animaltakes a wound while your consciousness is dominant, an Immediate WP TN 7 test mustbe taken –the level of wound received. Failure forces your consciousness back into yourown body, and you take Fatigue equal to the wound level suffered. You may also chose tobreak the link on your own, automatically receiving fatigue equal to the level of injury theanimal suffered. Should the animal be slain while you are in rapport, you die as well.

Should you ever perish, the animal will die a number of days after you equal to its WP. Ifwill seem extremely depressed and lethargic, refusing to eat or drink. Should the animaldie you immediately lose this gift, as well as 1 point of WP. You may not acquire this giftagain during play.

Buying the lesser version of this gift gives the character a small/medium sized weire. Thegreater version of this gift allows the character to have large creatures (bears, tigers,

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lions), or even supernatural ones (with the Seneschal’s consent).

Wilderness Sense (Major)You are one with nature, and have inherent abilities while in the Wilderness. You canalways sense the direction you are traveling in, and gain +1 bonus dice to all outdoorskills, such as Tracking, Hunting, Animal Handling and Weather Sense, when performedin a wilderness environment.

Sorcerous Gifts and FlawsSorcerous Gifts

Additional Form (Major)You possess the rare honor of being trained in more than 1 form of sorcery. You must beable to meet the requirements for each of the forms, and possess all of the benefits, aswell as the drawbacks of both of the forms. You may also select Vagary Proficiencyprogression you want from either form, provided you take any required Vagaries at theminimum levels.

For example: a sorcerer with both Guild Magery and Wizardy forms could choose tofollow the Guild Mage Vagary progression of 1 Vagary at the Form Rank, 1 Vagary atthe Form Rank -2, and a Vagary at Form Rank -3; or the Guild Mage progression of 1Vagary at Form Rank, 1 at Form Rank -2, and 2 more Vagaries at Form Rank -4, as longas the primary Vagary was the attuned element, as required in the Wizardy form. SinceWizardy also requires the Aether and Void Vagaries, these should be the next twoVagaries chosen by the character, who is then free to assign any other Vagary as thefourth.

Some forms have widely different beliefs and practices regarding the practice of sorceryand are not compatible with one another. For example, the forms of Thaumaturgy andGuild Magery could not be taken with one another, their beliefs and practices are simplytoo different. On the other hand, either could also be a Wizard, or an Incantor. TheSeneschal must approve the combination of Forms chosen.

Familiar (Minor or Major)You begin play with a familiar. This grants you all the powers of the Weire Gift (see p.xx), and your familiar has a threshold of 3, which can be used while the familiar is incontact with the sorcerer. Buying the lesser version of this gift gives the character asmall/medium sized familiar. The greater version of this gift allows the character to havelarge creatures (bears, tigers, lions), or even supernatural ones (with the Seneschal’sconsent).

Friendly Master (Minor or Major)You and your master are still on good terms, and may come to your aid in times of need.The minor version of this gift assumes a reasonable bond between the two of you, andreasonable requests for assistance will be likely agreed upon. The greater version of this

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gift assumes a very strong bond between the two of you-your master will go to greatlengths to aid your character when in need, even putting himself to great risk to help. Thestrength and capacities of your master are to be determined by the Seneschal.

High Threshold (Minor or Major)Your ability to store personal Aether and withstand Tax is greater than most, and isreflected by a higher Threshold than usual. The minor version of this Gift increases asorcerer’s Threshold by +1, the major version increases the Threshold by +2.

Mindful (Major)Your thoughts and consciousness act in union with your body, and the awareness youhave attained aid in your casting of sorcery. Provided you are well rested and withoutFatigue, Tax tests from casting a spell have their TN reduced by -1, to a minimum of 4.

Order (Minor)You are a member in good standing to a Guild of sorcery. You may be able to go them foraid in a particular matter, or use their facilities (usually gaining +1 to +3 dice bonus diceto research and laboratory Tests). Some guilds might consider themselves to have amonopoly over magic in a given area and may require membership, with non-order magesoperating in their territory being told to leave, join, or be eliminated. Guild Mages areconsidered to have this gift automatically, although purchasing this gift in addition totaking the Guild Magery Form might indicate you have an influential position within theguild, and can expect certain favors because of it.

Restorative Soul (Major)Tax bleeds from your body at a greatly reduced rate, allowing you to perform sorcery withless risk than most trained in the arcane arts. Each day your Tax is reduced by 2, ratherthan the normal 1.

Superior Focus (Major)You have managed to come across a superior focus, an item made by someone withexceptional abilities. The focus can be any appropriate item you desire, such as a ring,amulet, or bracer. The item is exquisitely crafted and attractive to behold.

Sorcerous Flaws

Haunted (Minor or Major)In your dealings with the otherworlds, you have somehow attracted the attention of one ormore restless ghosts or spirits. These angry, restless entities plague your days and nights.If suffering from the minor version of this flaw, you are harassed by a single or smallgroup of ghosts or spirits. You may find it difficult to sleep at times and may interfacewith the various entities daily. If you suffer from the major version of this flaw, youreceive little respite from a large group of ghosts and spirits, or one particularly crankyentity. You awake most morning tormented and bleary-eyed and find it difficult to doanything about the voices and visions that barrage you constantly. All attempts to banishor exorcize these spirits and ghosts have failed. They seem to be linked directly to you,

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and even if one is finally put to rest it is not long before another takes its place.

Tainted (Minor or Major)You were not as cautious as you could have been in your youth, you start the campaignwith one or more Taints (see p. XX). If you have selected the minor version of this gift,you are affected by 1 or two lesser Taints determined by the Seneschal. They should bemildly annoying, but not crippling to your character. The major version of this gift meansyou have several significant Taints that are somewhat obvious and very annoying.

Tortuous Magic (Major)Some sorcerers bodies cannot easily handle the channeling of magic through their bodies.Yours happens to be one of them. When ever you cast a spell, you automatically suffer 1additional point of Tax, regardless of how many successes received on the Tax test.

Weak Threshold (Minor or Major)Your Threshold is weak, and you are more susceptible to the harmful effects of Tax, anddrawing Aether comes more slowly to you. The lesser version of Flay reduces yourThreshold by 1, the greater version by 2.

Chapter 2, Forms of SorceryForms represent the style and tradition of magic with which a Sorcerer has trained in.They act as a structure for using Sorcery with specific methods for casting spells. A Formdictates where a Sorcerer draws his power from how his spells are cast, and any benefitsand penalties that are native to the Form. For Example, the Form of Guild Magery is veryorganized, with years of study and training. Practitioners of the method of Guild Mageryare very good at Formalized magic, while weaker at freeform Sorcery. Thaumaturges onthe other hand represent the few sorcerers who have for the most part self-taughtthemselves the magical arts.

The following section contains a listing of some of the various high arts of sorcery,including the Forms and magical Vagaries than one can master over time. You shouldalways communicate with the Seneschal on the type of campaign being run and theavailable arts appropriate for his campaign.

WizardyRequirementsYour highest Vagary during character creation must be your attuned elemental Vagary(no other Vagary may be higher than this). Vagaries: The Wizard’s Attuned Element at his Form, Aether and Void at his Form -3.Proficiencies: Spell Throwing -3AdvantagesAttuned Element: The process of attuning ones self to his element allows the sorcerer tocast such spells as if using a focus. When used in conjunction with other Foci, the spellCTN will decrease with each additional focus used.Elemental Sorcery: When using the Manipulate Element and Conjure Elementmaneuvers with the Wizard’s attuned Vagary, the activation cost for each maneuver is 0.

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DrawbacksRequired Attuned Element: A Wizard’s Primary Vagary must be his attuned Vagary.Furthermore, a sorcerer may never have another Vagary Higher than his attuned Vagary.Opposed Element: When casting spells for the Elementalist’s opposed element, the spellCTN is increased by +2. In addition, a Wizard cannot use the Manipulate Element orConjure Element maneuvers with his opposed Vagary.Elemental Attunement: See belowDescription There are some who choose to attune themselves with one of the four worldly elements;Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. When a sorcerer attunes himself with an element he gains thepower to control and summon its elemental properties without the use of the VoidVagary, however is prohibited from conjuring or manipulating his opposed element. Thefour elements, along with their opposed counterparts are:

Air Opposed by Earth Earth Opposed by Air Fire Opposed by Water Water Opposed by Fire

The attunement between a Wizard and his element are both spiritual as well as physical.An Air Wizard will be uncomfortable in an enclosed space, while and Earth Wizardmight fear wide open spaces. Fire Wizards will be uncomfortable on water, while WaterWizards will naturally recoil from large fires. In any circumstances where the Seneschalbelieves a characteristic of a Wizard’s opposed element might have an effect on theSorcerer, he may choose to impose a 1-3 die penalty to actions while the sorcerer is inconflict with the opposed element.

Example: Robert is traveling by sea. He is naturally uncomfortable on the open water,being a Fire Elementalist, so he might receive a -1 die penalty to actions taken while outto sea as his stomach turns and seasickness sets in. As the seas become rougher, thepenalty might rise.

Seneschals should be careful not to overplay the opposed element. A fire Wizard candrink water, take baths, and doesn’t flee from rainfall. Similarly, a water Wizard can cookhis food in a fire and carry a torch. However a long sea voyage (fire), running into aburning house (water), Traveling deep underground (air), or climbing great heights(earth), are good examples of when a sorcerer might have difficulties outside his attunedelement.

Guild Magery RequirementsScholar package, at least several years of training with the guild.Vagaries: 1 Vagary at Form, 1 Vagary at -2, 2 Vagaries at -4Proficiencies: Spell Throwing at -4Advantages

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Formalization Benefits: Guild Mages are trained to rely on Formalized castings as a wayto cast their magic. A sorcerer using a formalized spell counts as having 2 foci forpurposes of casting the spell. For instance, a Guild Mage only using a Formalized Spell asa focus receives a -1 to the CTN casting of the spell, where a Guild Mage using aFormalized spell in conjunction with another focus would cast the spell at -2 CTN.Adaptive: Since Guild Mages frequently cast formalized magic, they are better atadapting their formalized spells for different parameters. The activation cost for the MetaSorcery Maneuver is 0, rather than the usual 2. Starting Spells: A Guild Mage starts with double his MA score in Formalized spells. Guild Facilities: A Guild Mage has access to the libraries and Laboratories of the Guild,as well as accomplished Sorcerers who can be consulted for advice on a variety ofmatters. The Seneschal can choose to award modifiers to Research, Arcane Theory, andLore Tests based upon the size of the guild and wealth of information it may possess. AGuild Mage must be actually at a Guild House to benefit from this bonus. DrawbacksFreeform Sorcery Weakness: While Guild Mages are very adept at casting Formalizedspells, they are weaker at freeform Sorcery. When casting an unformalized spell, the CTNis increased by +2.Guild Requirements: Most Guilds have certain codes of conduct and requirements, suchas dues and fees, or restrictions such as teaching unguilded students. Should these rulesnot be kept, punishments can be harsh.DescriptionThe principles of Guild Magery have been passed down through the generations as one ofthe first widely taught Forms of Sorcery. It emphasizes on the Formalization of spells asthese are both easier and therefore safer to cast. Members are generally recruited duringadolescence, when training is usually the easiest. They will study for many years as anapprentice before finally earning their staff and becoming a Magus, with the full rightsand privileges of a member of the Guild.

Guilds may be publicly known, or a secret society. When they are public membershipmight be pricy; they may have Social Priority restriction of D or higher to enter, althoughthe truly gifted, (priority A) might be able to get free entry. Secret societies may existsimply not to draw unwanted attention to themselves, or because sorcerers are activelyhunted out and destroyed.

IncantationRequirementsRequires Orate, 2 Ancient LanguagesVagaries: 1 Vagary at Form, 1 Vagary at -2, 1 Vagary at -3Proficiencies: Spell Throwing at -4AdvantagesCommanding Voice: When using the Shouting Dialogue maneuver, the Incantorreceives a +2 die bonus, rather than the normal +1 die.Quick Caster: The Incantor learns the Quickened Cast maneuver at Vagary Proficiency 1with all Vagaries he has learned. Also, when attempted to speed up a Quickened Casting

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using the Art skill, only 1 die is lost from his pool when using the skill, and he receives+2 bonus dice towards the Reflexes Test.Words of Guard: The mastery of the spoken word allows the sorcerer to excel at Wordsof Guard. When using the Word of Guard skill to attempt to counter an opposingsorcerer’s spell, he gains +2 dice to the skill Test.Drawbacks Must Speak: An Incantor must use Dialogue while casting spells. If he is gagged orotherwise rendered unable to speak, he cannot perform sorcery. The Incantor’s penalty forwhispering while casting a spell is -4 dice, rather than the usual -2 (see the Dialoguemaneuver on p. XX).

The Form of Incantation believes the power of sorcery can be mastered through themastery of the spoken word. An Incantor must be able to speak to cast spells, if he isgagged or unable to speak he will not be able to use magic. Their training requiresknowledge in at least 2Ancient Languages. They are also good at Oration, as their training in the spoken worddemands clarity and precision when speaking. Incantors make excellent battle sorcerers,being able to cast their spells quicker than normal.

SymbolistRequirementsRequires Symbol Drawing, 2 Written LanguagesVagaries: 1 at Form, 1 at Form -2, 1 at Form -3Proficiencies: Spell Throwing at -4AdvantagesInks: Symbolists can create create inks as lesser items of sorcery which can be then usedto scribe onto an object, allowing the sorcerer make the inks beforehand then createobjects in the field. Also, each ink created yields 3 spells, rather than the normal 1 (seecreating lesser devices of sorcery on P. XX for more details).

Charged Items: Many Symbolists keep several inks, scrolls, and tablets at hand so theycan quickly cast favored spells. A Symbolist starts play with up to 12 KAA worth ofsingle use charged spells. Each of these charged items are created by the Symbolist, andtherefore must be spells he can personally cast.

Artificer: The runes and symbols of a Symbolist hold great power and can be used toamplify the master node used to create a permanent Item of Sorcery. If the Symbolistmakes a successful extended Symbol drawing skill with a number of successes requiredequal to the KAA of the node being used, the nodes strength is increased by 1. A botch onany of the Tests will however destroy the node.

DrawbacksMust Gesture: A Symbolist must draw or trace his spells. If he is unable to use Gestureshe may not cast sorcery. If the Symbolist must use subtle gestures (a quick tracing of asimple symbol into the air), the die penalty is -4, instead of the normal -2 die penalty (seethe Gestures Maneuver on p. XX for more details).

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Difficulty Quick Casting: When attempting to speed up a spell using the art skill, thesorcerer must remove 3 dice from his SP, rather than the normal 2.

The Form of Runecasting places emphasis on the written word and symbolism, drawingdetailed runes and symbols on either an object or directly into the air itself in order toharness their powers and channel sorcery. Symbolists also make excellent artificers astheir knowledge of the written word allows them to strengthen the base node used tocreate and item of sorcery, increasing its power. They can also create charged Items ofSorcery quicker and by expending less KAA by unlocking the power of the symbol, theglyph, and the written word.

Runcasters unable to gesture are powerless to cast magic. They are also poor at rushingtheir magic, symbols must be drawn with precision, attempting to speed up the casting ofthe spell usually creates imperfections that can hamper the successful casting of a spell.

ThaumaturgyRequirementsNoneVagaries: 1 at Form, 1 at Form -2Proficiencies: Spell Throwing at -4AdvantagesEnvironment Drawing: Drawing Aether from the environment is easier for theThaumaturge, who eschews the personal risks associated with drawing Aether from hissurroundings. When using the Draw maneuver, each point of Heka drawn from theenvironment only reduces his dice pool by -1, rather than the usual -3.Unorthodox Caster: A Thaumaturge does not learn the traditional routines to casting aspell. Because of this, he is less reliant on using either Gestures or Words to performsorcery. A Thaumaturge receives no dice penalty when using subtle Gestures or Dialogue,and can perform sorcery without Gestures or Dialogue at a -2 dice penalty. He howeveronly receives a +1 die bonus to his SP when using Blatant Gestures and Dialogue, ratherthan +1 per.Drawbacks No Formalization: A Thaumaturge may not formalize spells, and cannot use the Meta-Sorcery maneuver.Increased Maneuver Proficiency Rank: Because of the lack of training, Thaumaturgestend to learn sorcery maneuvers at a slower rate than normal. Add +2 to the minimumVagary Proficiency Rank of each maneuver (for instance, while the Quickened Castmaneuver is usually learned at Vagary Proficiency 3, the Thaumaturge does not lean howto use the maneuver until Vagary Proficiency 5). The exception to this are the Gesturesand Dialogue maneuvers, which are still learned at Proficiency 1.Non-Adaptive: The concepts of Thaumaturgy are not compatible with the other moredisciplined forms (although a Seneschal might allow a sorcerer to take Wizardy or asimilar form that does not involve rigorous disciplined learning), and their concepts areusually overwritten by taking a new form. A Thaumaturge that leans another form willlose his Thaumaturgy benefits and drawbacks, as he gains the qualities of their new form.

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Stigma: Many of the other forms (and particularly the Guild Mages) considerThaumaturges as primitive, and somewhat barbaric compared their more traditionaldisciplines. Because of these, Thaumaturges often suffer a -1 to -2 die bonus to any socialTests when dealing with other members of the more traditional Forms.

A Thaumaturge, or miracle-worker, is one who has learned how to practice sorcerywithout formalized training. As the Thaumaturge generally pursues his craft as a solitaryendeavor, his approach to sorcery is somewhat different to the more disciplined forms.Because of this unorthodox training, a Thaumaturge has fewer preconceived notions onthe “proper” practice of freeform sorcery. They find it easier to draw Aether from theenvironment and can perform sorcery easier with the lack of having to use elaborategestures and a commanding voice. However the Thaumaturge learns most sorcerousmaneuvers slower than other forms, and cannot properly formalize spells. They are alsoconsidered somewhat “barbaric” by the other more disciplined forms due to their lack ofdisciplined training, not receiving the same level of respect a sorcerer of a moretraditional form would garner.

Thaumaturges would disagree with their critics. Many believe that the raw form ofsorcery is best suited without the many traditions and routines that in their opinion limitthe overall potency of sorcery. The Thaumaturge believes that by will and practice onecan bend the natural laws to their will, and the teachings of many of the other formsinhibit the craft they stride to master. Some will even take on apprentices and train themin this form of truly freeform sorcery, although this is often a strict master and apprenticerelationship, they are no known schools or orders that teach Thaumaturgy.

Since Thaumaturges do not subscribe to formalizing spells, they often use a personalfocus, or are bloodline sorcerers themselves. They also try to keep a stock of Nodes onhand that can act as an associated focus in addition to fueling a spell with the Aether theyprovide.

TheurgyRequirementsDruid or Acolyte PackageVagaries: At the Seneschal’s discretion, but normally 1 at Form, 1 at Form -2, 1 at Form-3Proficiencies: Spell Throwing at -5AdvantagesDivine Magic: A Theurgist is one who gains his power from a god, extraordinarysupernatural entity, or a pantheon of entities. He does not simply draw just from theenvironment; the Theurgist draws from a higher power to channel his divine magic,whose power surrounds all. Because of this, he does not suffer the +1 to the spell CTNwhile using the Draw maneuver (see the Draw maneuver on p. XX for details). While aTheurgist can tap into his own personal Threshold to power divine magic, he cannotoverdraw, and any Nodes which the Theurgist draws from must be deemed appropriate tothe type of religion or faith he follows (holy water drawn from a spring a saint once drankfrom, a sprig of mistletoe cut at the full of the moon, etc.).

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Divine Auras: When performing divine magic in an aura attuned the entity the Theurgistgains his power from, the aura acts as a magical Aura for the Theurgist.Judgment: Theurgists make Judgment Tests in all circumstances where a CorruptionTest would be made. Although the mechanic is functionally the same, Taints suffered arealways appropriate to the character’s religion, and the nature of the action beingperformed, as well as recent past actions. A Theurgist acting in accordance with his faithwill experience Taints that connect him with the entity he severs (the Theurgist’s Hairmight Turn wide, or he might begin to experience fits where he passes out and has visionsthat may come to pass), while Taints acquired when performing actions contrary to thebeliefs of the Theurgists Faith might punish the Theurgist in some way (the Theurgistmight lose his capacity to perform divine magic until he atones, or might suffer atemporary or permanent malady for going against the will of the entity). The Seneschalmight also require a Theurgist to make a Judgment Test on any sorcery Test where hemight consider the action taken goes grossly against the faith he follows (see Sin Not,below). Drawbacks Sin Not: A Theurgist may not use his sorcery to commit acts considered sins by hisreligion. Ether he will be unable to perform such sorcery in the first place (God shall notallow those to use his power for evil), or there will be severe consequences to performingsuch an act (woe to the druid who slays father oak). In such circumstances the Seneschalmight require an immediate Judgment Test, regardless of Tax or whether the Test wasbotched or not.Required Magic: Depending on which supernatural entity the Theurgist draws his powerfrom, certain Vagaries may be required to be taken. The Seneschal may choose to adaptthe Vagaries, removing some abilities while granting others, or even create new Vagariesfor the Theurgist. Seneschals should refer to the Seneschal’s chapter for ideas how toadapt the Vagaries for Theurgy to fit with the higher powers in his campaign world, aswell as to take a look of an example customized Theurgist form, the Druid. Divine Gestures and Dialogue: Theurgist speak prayers and perform religious blessingswhile casting sorcery, similar to the way a sorcerer uses gestures and dialogue to castspells. However when performing divine Gestures and Dialogue, it is obvious to thoseviewing that the Theurgist is a practitioner of a particular religion, which may or may nothave social considerations, depending on where the sorcerer is and the persuasion ofthose near him.Divine Warping: A Theurgist does not necessarily consider warping a terrible thing, as itbrings him closer to the being he worships, however most Theurgists are cautious not toconsciously attempt to bring themselves to the hereafter, as the entity will choose theappropriate time the Theurgist will join him (or her). A Theurgist may not embrace thewarp as he is not being detached from the reality he lives, but being brought closer to thedivine truth he knows exists. A Theurgist does not believe in the concept of ruin throughperforming divine sorcery, but does believe when his work on the mortal plane is done hemay ascend to the next realm.

A Theurgist is able to practice magic (they are loathe to call it sorcery-which implies onewho bends the forces to his will-a Theurgist is one that through the grace of a divineentity can perform holy magic to serve their faith), through the will of a supernaturalentity (or pantheon of entities). Because of this, the divine Aether that is drawn power the

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magic that brings about the will of the divine is not Taxing to them. Holy Places to theTheurgist’s Faith serve as magical auras when working Theurgy in them, as the power ofthe divine is a boon to the Theurgist’s magic. Unlike sorcerers, a Theurgist does notsuffer from corruption (how could one call working the will of the divine corrupt?), butthey do face judgment from the being they serve. Taints taken on a judgment Test reflectthe divine nature of the entity they serve, unless the magic hat was used goes against thebelief of the entity, in which case he may scourge the Theurgist, afflicting some punishingTaint upon the Theurgist permanently, or until he can properly atone for his actions.

Warping is not always considered a terrible thing for a Theurgist, as it may bring himcloser to the being he serves, although caution must still be taken, most Theurgists aresmart enough to know not to consciously attempt to bring themselves to the hereafter, asthe entity will choose the appropriate time the Theurgist will join him (or her), and mightlook unkindly to one who blatantly attempts to hurry the process.

Whether a faith allows Theurgists is up to the Seneschal to decide. While some faithsmight encourage Theurgy, in others it might be quire rare, or against a religion’s beliefstotally. Theurgists of different faiths might have widely different divine abilities andrequirements; this form is designed to be as flexible as possible so that the Seneschal canadapt it to his particular campaign setting (see Chapter XX for more details). Also,Theurgy does not mean that a particular faith does not have miracle workers or lessersaints (see the TRoS Companion, p. XX), both systems can work side by side, if theSeneschal wants them to. Finally, even though a Theurgist is granted his powers from thedivine, others within his own faith might take a different view, perhaps because of theirown interpretation of the divine’s will, or even jealously that one could wield suchpowers that others of the faith (particularly those higher on the hierarchy) cannot.

Players wishing to choose this form should have a sit down with their Seneschal and talkabout the options available. Is the entity the Theurgist serves a god (or The God), or couldthe power come from an almost dead religion that still holds some power through theremaining few that practice it, or is the power granted from some powerful spirit, or anentire pantheon of entities?

Chapter 2, The Art of SorcerySorcerers possess great power, with the ability to bend the natural laws to their will andthere is little that one born and versed in the arcane arts cannot do. These rare individualscan accomplish truly magnificent feats, from the manipulation of the fates to travelingthroughout the lands in a blink of an eye. Sorcery in The Riddle of Steel is freeform, oneis not required to spend weeks in a laboratory learning a specific spell (although doing somakes it easier to cast), sorcerers are only limited by their knowledge and theirimagination.

But no power is without its price, and this is especially true of sorcery. Wielding magic isThe Riddle of Steel is dangerous. The corrupting influence of sorcery taxes the body,mind, and the soul of the sorcerer who wields it, and by overusing or recklesslyperforming magic the sorcerer can become tainted or even warped by the energies

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channeled through him. A sorcerer may eventually suffer ruin, and be consumed by thevery energies he has sought to master.

Performing SorceryThe first thing one needs to consider when performing sorcery is what the desired resultis. Perhaps the sorcerer wants to create a ward against a specific weapon? Removeanother’s pain? Sense a spirit said to haunt a local? Once the result is decided upon, theappropriate Vagary used to cast the spell needs to be chosen (a Vagary measures thesorcerer’s proficiency in a particular sphere or college of magic). The sorcerer’s Vagaryproficiency along with his KAA forms the base Sorcery Pool (or SP) used to cast thespell. Sometimes a sorcerer will use multiple Vagaries together to create a spell, but mostof the time a single Vagary will be used. Once the Vagary (or Vagaries) most appropriateto the spell is chosen, the sorcerer must determine the spell’s Intensity, or the power levelof the spell that will be needed to be cast to achieve the desired result. The Intensity of thespell determines how much energy must be expended to power the spell into existence.Next, the spell’s Parameters must be decided on. The Parameters define the spell’sRange, Duration, Volume, and Target, as well as determine the Casting Target Numberfor the spell, or CTN, which is the number that must be rolled to successfully cast thespell. Finally, the sorcerer must decide if any maneuvers will be required to cast the spell(such as, using the Spells of Many maneuver to cast spells with multiple Vagaries, orusing the Quickened Cast maneuver to cast a spell in seconds, rather than minutes).

The sorcerer then divides his sorcery pool between casting the spell, and resisting the Taxaccrued when channeling the Aether through the body, and makes the Test at the CTN ofthe spell. Normally, a single success is all that is needed on the casting Test to bring thespell into existence, although the Seneschal may declare that complex spells requireadditional successes to be successfully cast. Extra successes can also be devoted towardsimproving the spell in a variety of ways, such as speeding up the casting time taken tocast the spell, strengthen it’s effects, increase the Duration or number of Targets affected,or make the spell harder to resist, counter, or dispel. Successes gained on the Tax Testreduce the overall amount of Tax taken while casting the spell, which is equal to theIntensity of the spell being cast. If the number of successes exceeds the Intensity of thespell, no Tax is received on the casting.

The Life of Robert of PrydonRobert needs to get past 2 sentries standing watch over the town’s walls. All he needs isa brief distraction to get past the guards quickly. He wants to use the Fire Vagary, tomake the sentries believe they heard something behind them, hoping they will go toinvestigate and give Robert enough time to slip past. Robert’s Fire Vagary Proficiencyis 4, which adds to his 6 KAA, forming his Sorcery Pool of 10 dice to cast the spell. Hedetermines that simply causing the guards to believe they heard a noise is an Intensity 2Fire effect, and therefore the spell will require 2 Aether to power the spell, either fromhis own Threshold, a Node, or by drawing from the environment. He quickly calculatesthe Parameters as a Range of 2, as the sentries are about 100 feet away, a Volume of 2,since both of the men are standing relatively close to one another, a Target of 4, sinceboth are human, and a Duration of 1, since the noise will be brief. The base CTN of the

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spell is 9, but Robert has a personal Focus, and is also a Wizard, so he is considered tobe an attuned focus for fire magic. Using both foci reduce the spell CTN by –1, so theactual CTN will be 8. Finally, since Robert needs to cast the spell quickly, so hedeclares he will be using the Quickened Cast maneuver, which will reduce his SorceryPool by the Intensity of the spell, reducing his SP from 10 to 8, but will allow Robert tocast the spell in rounds, not minutes.

Robert powers the spell from his Threshold, expending 2 Aether to channel the spellinto existence. He then splits his Sorcery Pool evenly, devoting 4 dice to cast the spell,and the other 4 dice to resist Strain. On the casting Test Robert rolls an 8, 6, 6, 1,receiving 1 success, and successfully casts the spell, which will go off in 2 rounds(normally spells take a number of minutes equal to the Intensity of the spell to cast,however Robert used the Quickened spell maneuver to reduce the casting time torounds). On the Tax Test Robert rolls a 9, 10, 5, 3, receiving 2 successes and thereforetakes no Tax while casting the spell.

The sentries take their attention from the wall and Robert sneaks past unnoticed…..

The Sorcery PoolJust as Bladeslingers have a Combat Pool and archers have a Missile Pool, sorcerers havea Sorcery Pool. A sorcerer draws his energy to cast magic from his Sorcery Pool, as wellas resist Tax. The Base Sorcery pool varies, and is based upon the sorcerer’s KAA + theVagary used to cast the spell.

Base Sorcery Pool= KAA + Vagary

The Sorcery pool is affected normally (and reduced by) by Shock, Pain, Fatigue, as wellas Tax (see below). The Sorcery Pool is also modified by whatever maneuvers are used tocast the spell. The caster splits the Sorcery Pool (after all modifiers have been takenaccount of) between Casting the spell and resisting Tax. Unlike a bladeslingers CombatPool, the Sorcery Pool refreshes after the spell is cast, not each round.

ThresholdThreshold represents the sorcerer’s capacity to retain the inner personal energy to powerhis sorcery. When a sorcerer draws Aether from his Threshold to power a spell being cast,simply place a number of checks (/), starting in the leftmost box on the Threshold Bar,equal to the amount of Aether the sorcerer needs to draw.

For example: Robert decides he wants to cast an Intensity 2 spell, drawing directly fromhis Threshold. He records this by placing 2 checks in the two leftmost boxes of hisThreshold Bar.

Threshold/ /

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While drawing from a sorcerer’s Threshold is usually the preferred way to power a spellas you don’t have to consume a valuable Node or take the extra time and risk drawingfrom the environment, the sorcerer’s Threshold capacity will diminish as he accrues Tax,(see Tax, on p. XX) since Tax is recorded on the Threshold bar in the form of X’s startingon the rightmost box of the Threshold Bar.

For Example: Robert successfully cast the spell, but doesn’t get any successes on the TaxTest. He therefore records 2 X’s (since the spell was Intensity 2) on the Threshold Bar,starting with the rightmost box.

Threshold/ / X X

When an X meets a /, the / is replaced with an X without any other ill effect.

Should a sorcerer’s Threshold completely fill, he may choose to overdraw it, convertingchecks to Tax. Simply change each point of Aether drawn from a check to an X, startingwith the rightmost check.

For example: Robert has managed to completely fill his Threshold bar, having taken 4Tax (the Tax is recorded an a X, and fills from right to left), and tapping 6 Aether topower his spells.

Threshold/ / / / / / X X X X

He needs to cast another Intensity 2 spell very quickly, does not have any nodes, andcannot take the time to draw. He reluctantly decides to overdraw his Threshold. Hereplaces the 2 rightmost checks with X’s.

Threshold/ / / / X X X X X X

Robert receives the 2 Aether to cast the spell, but ends up receiving 2 additional points ofTax in the process for overdrawing his Threshold, and could receive up to 2 additionalpoints (if he doesn’t get any successes on the Tax Test).

Recovering ThresholdA sorcerer can recover Heka from his Threshold through rest and meditation. If thesorcerer receives a full 8 hours of sleep, his entire Threshold is restored the next morning.A sorcerer may also make 1 SIGHT/Meditation Test be day, with the sorcerer gaining anumber Heka back equal to his casting success. Tax is recovered at the rate of 1 point perday. See Tax on p. XX for more details.

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Spell Casting Quick ReferenceThe process of creating and casting a spell is outlined in a series of 6 steps listed below,with page references to the appropriate sections for more information.

Step 1, Determine what result you are trying to achieve.Consider what you are trying to accomplish with your magic. Refer to the Vagaries (seeElemental Sorcery, on p. XX, and Weyrth Sorcery, on p. XX), choose whichever one(or ones) are best suited to bring about the desired result. The sorcerer’s KAA + Vagaryused determine the base Sorcery Pool used to cast the spell and resist Tax. Also refer tothe Intensity descriptions in the Vagary descriptions as well as the sample spellsprovided to gauge which Intensity is most appropriate to casting the spell. The spell’sIntensity determines how much energy, or Aether must be expended to power the spell.Step 2, Set the spell’s ParametersDetermine the Spell’s Range, Volume, Target, and Duration, with each rated from 1-4(see parameters, p. xx). Add the parameters together to calculate the spell’s CTN.Step 3, Decide if any Maneuvers will be usedDecide on which (if any) maneuvers will be required to cast the spell, such as to cast thespell as a Quickened Casting, incorporate multiple Vagaries into the spell, or cast a spellof higher Intensity than your Vagary proficiency normally allows. Maneuvers reduce theSorcery Pool by the amount listed in the maneuver’s description (see maneuvers, p.XX).Step 4, Split the Sorcery Pool between the Casting Test and the Tax TestThe sorcerer must now split his pool between casting the spell and reducing Tax.Remember to reduce the pool by the amount of Pain, Shock, Fatigue, and Tax taken, aswell as by any maneuvers chosen. Step 5, Make the casting TestRoll the number of dice allocated towards the casting Test, at the CTN of the spell. Ifsuccessful, proceed to steps 9 and 10. If the sorcerer received any additional successeswhile casting the spell, he may now devote them towards strengthening the spell’spower, speeding the time increment taken to cast the spell, increasing the number ofTargets affected by the spell’s magic, or increasing the spell’s duration (see p. XX formore details).Step 6, Make the Tax Test Once the spell is cast, roll the number of dice allocated towards the casting Test at theCTN of the spell. Each success decreases the amount of Tax suffered (equal to theIntensity of the spell cast) when casting the spell by 1 (see Tax, p. XX for more details).Mark any Tax received as X’s on the Threshold Bar, starting with the rightmost box. Ifthe sorcerer’s Tax successes exceed the Intensity of the spell, no Tax is taken.

The Vagaries and Spell IntensityVagaries represent proficiency with a particular field of magic. A sorcerer’s Vagaryproficiency forms the Sorcery Pool and the Vagary Rank determines the highest Intensityof magic which can be cast with the Vagary along with the maneuvers a sorcerer can usewhile performing sorcery. For the Full Vagary description see Elemental Sorcery, p. XX,and Weryth Sorcery, p. XX.

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When creating a spell, the sorcerer needs to determine the result of what he is trying toachieve and what Vagary, or Vagaries (with the Spells of Many maneuver) will be used inthe casting, along with the Intensity of the spell. The Seneschal has the final say overwhat a certain Vagary can do at a particular Intensity.

A spells Intensity determines its overall level of power, and is the most important elementto building a spell. Intensity varies from 1-Minor, to 5-Extraordinary power. A sorcerer isnormally limited to casting spells equal or lower than their current Vagary Rank, howeverit is possible to attempt to cast higher Intensity spells through the Empower spellmaneuver (see p. XX). See the individual Vagary descriptions for guidelines on theappropriate Intensity levels for creating spells.

Spell Intensity Required Vagary Rank1 12 33 64 105 15

Casting ParametersWhen casting a spell, the sorcerer chooses the value for each parameter, and then addsthem together to get the final CTN. This is the number which must be rolled on Castingand Tax Tests. Some Vagary parameters will differ from the ones listed here. See theindividual Vagary descriptions for more details.

RangeThe Range parameter determines at what distance the target can be from the sorcererwhen the spell is cast.

Range ValueSelf/Thrown/Touch 1Close-within 30 feet 2Near-within 300 feet 3Far-within 3000 feet 4

VolumeThe Volume parameter determines the total amount of space affected by the spell. Somespells have a field effect (such as Illusions and Wards as well as Elemental spells),affecting everyone within the field for the duration of the spell (although should theTarget leave the field any effects will immediately cease). Anyone in the field is affectedby the magic (including the sorcerer himself) unless the Discriminate Maneuver is used tospecifically exclude a number of Targets.

Targeted spells require the sorcerer to choose a number of Targets. Each Target isaffected for the duration of the spell regardless of whether he stays within the initialcasting volume of the spell or not. The sorcerer can Target a number of individuals within

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the spells Volume equal to his SIGHT attribute. The sorcerer may devote additionalcasting successes to choose additional targets provided they are within the volume of thespell. All targets must be within the sorcerer’s vision to be targeted.

In cases where more precise volumes are needed (such as when performing RawElemental Sorcery), see the Elemental Sorcery rules on p. XX.

Volume ValueIncorporeal/Individual 1A Small Room (a Tower Room) 2A Large Room (the common room of aninn)

3

A Defined Boundary or Area (a castle, afield, a bridge, etc.)

4

DurationAll magic is instantaneous and quickly dissipates, unless a Sorcerer chooses to build itwith the Duration parameter, or Maintains through either his Sorcery Pool or a Matrix(see Maintaining spells). Each additional success devoted towards the spell’s durationincreases the time increment by 1. For example, if a sorcerer was casting a spell as anormal Casting with a duration of 3 and received 2 successes while casting the spell, hecould increase the duration of the spell by 3 hours.

Duration ValueInstant/Maintained 1Minutes 2Hours 3Days 4

TargetThe target of the spell is determined by its sentience (thinking beings are harder to affectthan inanimate objects).

Target ValueIncorporeal/Self 1Inanimate/Plant 2Animal 3Intelligent 4

Spell Foci-Tools of the TradeA spell’s CTN can be modified by the Foci a sorcerer uses to cast his spells. These itemsact as tools the sorcerer employs to better concentrate while performing sorcery. While asorcerer can attempt to cast a spell without a focus, it is very difficult to do so (+3 to theCTN of the spell). If the sorcerer uses a single focus to cast a spell, he suffers no CTNpenalty. If he uses multiple Foci to cast a spell, he receives additional reductions to theCTN when casting the spell. No spell can be reduced below CTN 4, regardless of the

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amount of foci used. Each of the different types of foci a sorcerer can use are listedbelow.

Associated FociAn associated focus is a focus that is attuned with the type of spell the sorcerer is casting,such as a bit of fur from the animal a sorcerer is attempting shape change into, a flame inorder to cast an elemental spell of fire, or an herb associated with a particular Vagary ofsorcery.

FormalizationA sorcerer can study a specific spell and devote himself to mastering its properties (seeFormalized spells on p. XX for more information). Formalizing a spell is considered afocus for that specific spell.

Appropriate NodeIf a sorcerer is drawing upon a node of the same Vagary being cast to power the spell, italso counts as a focus for the spell.

Living FocusBloodline sorcerers (sorcerers born with an A Magical Priority) are considered livingFoci, and therefore do not need a focus in order to cast their spells. When used inconjunction with other foci, the sorcerer receives a CTN modifier that will aid in hiscasting of sorcery.

Personal FociA personal focus is a particular item attuned directly to the sorcerer, easing the sorcerer’scasting of magic (see he Personal Foci rules, on p. xx for more details).

Foci ModifiersAs stated previously, a sorcerer must have a focus in order to cast a spell (eitherassociated, attuned, formalized, living, or personal. Attempting to cast a spell without atleast one of the above foci will incur a +3 penalty to the spell CTN. If a sorcerer uses 2foci to cast a spell, he receives a -1 to the spell’s CTN. If he has 3, he receives a -2 CTNmodifier. Casting a spell with 4 foci grant a -3 CTN modifier, and casting a spell with all5 foci reduce the spell’s CTN by -4. Regardless of the number of foci being used to cast aspell, the minimum spell CTN is still 4.

SidebarTypes of Associated Foci-TBD

CTN ModifiersEvent CTN Modifier NotesAssociated/Formalized/Living/Node/Personal/Foci

+0 CTN Casting a spellthrough a focus

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2 of the 5 foci listed above -1 CTN Using 2 foci to casta spell



5 of the 5 foci listed above -4 CTN Using all 5 foci tocast a spell

No Foci +3 CTN Casting without theaid of a focus.

Spellcasting CTN’s Above 10It is quite possible to generate a CTN greater than 10 when building spell parameters.The seneschal can address this in a number of ways.

First, the Seneschal can simply call for an open-ended roll. This is the default method. Ifthe character manages to roll a 10 on 1 or more dice, roll it again, and add 10 to theresult.

Second, the Seneschal can rule that no spell can be built with a CTN higher than 10,after modifiers. For example, a Sorcerer with 3 foci that was shouting and using blatantgestures could build a CTN 12 Fire spell, as the foci modifiers reduce the spell CTN by-2.

RitualsBlood of an ox slain with a blade of thrice forged steel, water taken from a raging sea,roots of ginsing cut under the new moon…..Components sacrificed to create a Water spell to increase one’s strength….

A Ritual is a spell cast over a long period of time, allowing the sorcerer to build Hekathrough sympathetic speech, gestures and components. The sorcerer may also draw Hekafrom other participants in the ritual, allowing him to cast the spell with a larger reserve ofHeka.

Ritual sorcery takes hours equal to the intensity of the spell to cast. There must be onelead sorcerer, who makes the Casting and Tax Tests, along with any number ofparticipants willing to add their own Heka to the ritual. The lead sorcerer must have theminimum Vagary Rank to cast the desired spell (Rituals cannot be empowered), but theparticipants aren’t required to have any knowledge of the Vagaries being used, they mustonly have a Threshold and the ritual skill. Before starting the ritual, appropriatecomponents sympathetic to the casting must be acquired spell (a sword for a weaponboon, or pure spring water for a healing spell), equal to the spell’s intensity. Suchcomponents usually also act as an associated focus for the, and if the sorcerer hasgathered sympathetic components in a ritualistic manor (a sword that has slain no less

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than 10 men, or spring water gathered at dawn immediately after a unicorn drank from thesame pool), the Seneschal may allow a bonus of +1 to +3 or more dice to the sorcerer’sRitual Test. Once the components are gathered and all the participants have arrived, thesorcerer destroys any gathered consumable components and makes a SIGHT/Ritual Test,with each success generating 1 point of Heka which can be used in the casting of thespell. If the sorcerer has assistance casting the spell, each participant can make aKAA/Ritual Test, with each success allowing the participant to add 1 point of their ownThreshold Heka. The sorcerer then casts the spell normally (and usually with blatantgestures and dialogue, gaining +2 bonus dice to the SP).

Additional Casting SuccessesAs stated previously, a sorcerer normally only needs a single casting success in order tocast a spell, but the more casting successes received the more potent the spell canbecome. The sorcerer’s additional casting successes can be used to amplify the effects ofthe spell such as by increasing the spell’s duration, or the amount of targets that can beaffected, or strengthen the spell, improving it in some way (see the Intensity descriptionsfor details), etc. See the Casting Parameters on p. xx, Detecting Sorcery on p. xx, and theindividual Vagary descriptions for details.

Additional Targets: For each additional success devoted towards Additional Targets, thesorcerer may effect 1 additional Target that is within the Volume of the spell.

Strengthen Effect: Generally, most spells allow the sorcerer to gain additional powerwhen additional successes are dedicated towards the spells effect. In most cases, eachadditional success increases the power of the spell in some way, but some effects require2 or 3 additional successes to increase the power of the spell (see the Vagary descriptionsfor details).

Increasing Duration: Each additional success devoted towards this effect increases theDuration increment chosen when casting the spell by 1. For instance a sorcerer that put aduration of Days who devoted 3 additional successes towards duration would mean thespell would last a total of 4 days.

The Price of SorceryAll things have a price, and this is especially true of Sorcery. Tapping the Aether isdangerous and tiring to any sorcerer, and doing so taxes the mind, the body and the soul.As stated earlier, when casting a spell, a sorcerer must roll to resist Tax immediately aftermaking the Casting Test (provided the spell be successfully cast), with however manydice he chose to devote towards the Tax Test, at the spell CTN. The Sorcerer takes anamount of Tax equal to the Intensity of the spell, -1 per success on the Tax Test. The TNfor the Tax Test is equal to the CTN of the spell. If the sorcerer manages to reduce theTax taken to 0, he has carefully manipulated the forces of magic without getting burnedin the process. If the sorcerer takes one or more Tax, starting from the rightmost boxwithout Tax currently, mark an X for each Tax received (an example of taking Tax is inthe Threshold section on p. xx). This reduces the amount of personal Aether the sorcerercan expend, and also reduces the sorcerers SP by the total amount of Tax received. It is

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possible for a sorcerer’s Tax to exceed his Threshold. Simply mark the amount ofadditional Tax taken below the Threshold Bar. Tax dissolves slowly, over time. Each daythe sorcerer goes without picking up any additional Tax, 1 point of Tax is removed. Taxoff the Threshold bar is removed first, then from the leftmost box on the Threshold Bar.

CorruptionThere is serious risk when a sorcerer overtaxes himself or carelessly performs magic.Whenever a sorcerer takes Tax over his Threshold, botches a Casting or Tax Test, orbotches a KAA/Draw Test, he risks corruption. Corruption represents the poisoning of thebody, mind, and soul from the Aether the sorcerer must tap into to perform sorcery.

When botching a Casting or Tax Test, or taking Tax that exceeds the sorcerer’s Thresholdthe Seneschal rolls a number of corruption dice equal to the Intensity of the spell cast bythe sorcerer, plus one additional die per point of Tax the sorcerer has exceeded hisThreshold by. Finally, the Seneschal adds a number of dice equal to the sorcerer’s Warptotal (see Warp, below). The Seneschal makes then rolls the pool at TN 6 and comparesthe number of successes to the chart below.

Success Total (at TN 6) Effect1 Knockout Test2-3 Taint (Temporary), KO Test4-6 Warping, Taint (Permanent), KO7+ Ruin

Knockout TestThe backlash of energy surges through the sorcerer, stunning him as well as possiblyknocking him unconscious. The sorcerer must make a Knockout Test at TN 5+ theIntensity of the spell. The sorcerer’s Knockout pool is reduced by the amount is theamount of Tax the sorcerer has taken over his Threshold (if any). If the Test fails, thesorcerer is knocked unconscious for 1d10 rounds (1d10 minutes if the Test is botched). Ifsuccessful, the sorcerer suffers Shock equal to the Intensity of the spell + 1 per point ofTax the sorcerer has exceeded his Threshold by.

TaintThe polluting energies of sorcery manifest as a Taint, changing the sorcerer in some way.Taints can be anything from a physical change in the character (such as a witch mark orthe sorcerer’s eyes changing color), a mental one (the sorcerer develops a fear or phobia),or a supernatural flaw that affects the soul of the sorcerer (flames glow blue in hispresence, a breeze constantly follows the character, blowing his hair about). Many Taintsare annoying (animals now are uncomfortable in your presence), some are just unusual(your hair always appears to be damp) and a few may even be beneficial (byconcentrating you can make flames dance gently or flicker), or a mixed blessing (youhands and feet become webbed, giving you +2 dice to Swimming Tests, but you nowhave great difficulty wearing gloves).

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Usually the Taint is related to the type of magic the sorcerer was trying to perform. Forexample, a sorcerer casting a spell to summon a spirit that might cause the sorcerer toattract a lesser spirit entity to follow the sorcerer around and make his life interesting,while a sorcerer attempting to sense another’s emotions might find over time his owneyes change color depending on the mood he is in. When using one of the 4 earthlyelemental Vagaries, the sorcerer’s Taint might become a reflection on the elementalaspect of the Vagary, such as a sorcerer’s eyes becoming sea blue after receiving Taintwhile casting a Water Vagary spell, rather than a true reflection of the spell being cast (hewas casting healing magic).

Seneschals are encouraged to use their imagination to its fullest when assigning Taints. Alist of possible Taints below is only to serve as an example, being able to adapt a Taint onthe fly based upon the circumstances gives meaning to the corruption mechanic andallows the sorcerer to design a risk mechanic suiting his tastes.

Temporary Taints will eventually fade in time. How long a temporary Taint takes to fadeis up to the Seneschal to decide, but usually the abnormality will stay for a period of somemonths before finally fading away, diminishing in strength over time, although somesorcerers have simply awoken one day without any signs of the Taint which affected thempreviously.

Permanent Taints suffered from Warping do not go away, but at the Seneschal’sdiscretion, might change or manifest themselves in other ways over time.

WarpingAs the sorcerer warps the natural laws, sometimes the natural laws bite back, warpinghim in return. The sorcerer suffers a permanent Taint, is knocked out for 1d10 roundsautomatically, and must make a Knockout Test as above or be knocked out for 1d10minutes (hours if the sorcerer botches the roll). The sorcerer also acquires 1 point ofWarp. The good news is that the sorcerer’s Tax is reduced by half its current value as thepollution bleeds away to create the permanent Taint.

When a sorcerer suffers Warping, he starts to become detached from the mundane realm.He begins to see things in a different light, he begins an eerie transformation. Everythingseems a little stranger than it was before. Mentally and physically, he or she becomes alittle less "connected" with the world and its inhabitants.

Warping has its benefits. A sorcerer’s capacity to store personal Aether is increased, as ishis capacity to withstand Tax. A sorcerer’s Threshold increases by 1 each time he Warps.However random energies that now call to the sorcerer, attempting to embrace him, andwhen under stress make their presence known. A sorcerer’s Warp is added to the dicepool of all Corruption Tests made. The Seneschal may also Test a sorcerer’s Warp with aTN equal to the sorcerer’s WP in times of stress when a character might be forced to goagainst his Spiritual Attributes. If the Test is successful, the sorcerer will feel anoverwhelming sense to give into his SA’s, regardless of risk or circumstance (thesescenes should be role-played to the hilt, with the Seneschal rewarding a player forsuccumbing to his Drives, Passions, Hatreds, Conscience, Oaths, and even his Destiny).

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A sorcerer may also choose to embrace the warp. By embracing the warp a sorcerer mayadd his Warp score to his Sorcery Pool to cast a spell. However doing so requires thesorcerer to make a Corruption Test. If the sorcerer would have had to face a CorruptionTest anyways (because he botches either the Casting or Tax Test, or Takes Tax over hisThreshold), the sorcerer’s Warp score is doubled when added to the Corruption pool.

RuinYou are consumed by the very magic you draw upon. You might be destroyed by it, anentity may come and claim you, or the warp might drive you insane with power. In anyevent the character is removed from play.

Detecting SorceryAny character with the SIGHT attribute has the innate ability to detect sorcery while it isbeing worked. The range for such detection is the Intensity of the spell being cast x 10feet for Half-Blooded Sorcerers and the Sighted, spell Intensity x 100 feet for Full-Blooded Sorcerers, and spell Intensity x 1000 feet for Bloodline Sorcerers. Any characterwithin this range with the SIGHT attribute may make a SIGHT Test at TN 7.

Detection RangeMagical Priority Detection RangeHalf-Blooded and Sighted 10 Feet x Spell IntensityFull Blooded 100 Feet X Spell IntensityBloodline 1000 Feet x Spell Intensity

Those with a Form making the SIGHT Test will be able to ascertain more about thesorcery being cast. The number of successes determines how much the character is able todiscover about the magic being cast (if one sorcerer is using words or gestures in theother sorcerer’s presence, the detecting sorcerer is considered to have 1 successautomatically, with additional successes adding to the result).

Success Result1 The character senses sorcery is being cast nearby2 The character knows the Intensity of the spell being cast (and, if

schooled in the art of Sorcery he may perceive the Vagary being used tocast the spell, at the Seneschal’s discretion)

3 The character realizes who is casting magic (if he is within line of sight,if not he gets the general direction of where the sorcery is coming from),as well as the time the magic is released (how many rounds or minutesuntil the spell is cast).

A sorcerer may choose to perform the Concealed Casting maneuver, devoting dice toreducing a spell’s detection signature. Each die devoted towards reducing the signaturereduces halves the detection signature for the spell.

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The Seneschal might also allow a character with the SIGHT Test to sense strongsupernatural occurrences (such as ghosts nearby) or when closely examining a powerfulmagic item.

Resisting SorcerySpells can normally only be resisted if they are thrown directly at the target (see thethrown spell rules for more details), directly affects the mind of the target (see the FireVagary for details).

Threshold and ResistanceThose with a Threshold, (priority C+) can expend personal Aether to gain automaticresistance successes. If the opposing sorcerer strengthened the spell’s effect, the totalnumber of successes the character must generate is increased by the number of additionaleffect successes.

Characters without Threshold do not normally receive any sort of Spell Resistance test;they are simply affected by the sorcery, unless they possess an appropriate ward againstmagic.

Spiritual AttributesSome have theorized that one with extremely strong convictions and beliefs can affect thenatural laws, albeit in a much weaker form than the sorcerer’s ability to bend the laws ofreality. A person’s inner beliefs ingrained into his spirit can actually shield him in someway from the changes a sorcerer makes to the natural laws. If a character is aware that heis being affected by sorcery, or about to be, he can invoke a relevant Spiritual Attributeand Test it at TN 7 to resist the effects of a spell. If he succeeds, he is unaffected by thespell.

Spell Resistance TN 7+

A character’s Faith in a particular religion opposed to magic can ward off the hostileeffects of sorcery, as can his Love for someone being placed in jeopardy by the sorcerercasting the spell, as well as Hatred for the sorcerer himself. Even a Drive or Destiny canrise on occasion and be called upon to negate hostile magics being cast at the character.

If a character is unaware that he is being affected by sorcery, the Seneschal might allowthe character to burn a Luck point to get a single success (although if the sorcerer devotedadditional successes to the spell’s effect this won’t be enough), or for 1 Luck point gain aLuck SA Test (the Luck point is removed after the Test is made).

Thrown SpellsMost spells are targeted on a person or a place. For many spells with a physicalcomponent (such as elemental sorcery), it is however possible to cast the spell locally, (inthe sorcerer’s hands) and then thrown at the target. This has the advantage of reducing the

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Target parameter of the spell, but allows the Target a chance to get out of the way of thespell, and introduces the possibility that the sorcerer could miss.

The Seneschal has the final say over which spells can be thrown and which ones cannot,but as a general guideline, the most suitable spells are those that are created as basicForms (such as elemental effects, balls or bolts of fire or lightning and the like).

Thrown spells always have a range parameter of 1, (because the sorcerer casts the spellinto his hands) and the Target parameter is based upon what is being Thrown. Once thespell has been completed, the sorcerer must throw it at the target. This is down by usingthe sorcerers Throw proficiency, following the normal rules for missile attacks (TRoSp.82 or TFoB p.6; the sorcerer may throw the spell the round after it is cast, if he holds itfor subsequent rounds he will get to add his Aim derived attribute. The ATN for aThrown spell is 7+ (or 6+ if the sorcerer is using a Wand or Staff foci, see p.xx). Therange increments for thrown spells are as follows:

Distance RangeLess than Vagary in yards Point Blank (+1 die)Vagary in yards Short2 x Vagary in yards Medium (-1 die)5 x Vagary in yards Long (-3 dice)10 x Vagary in yards Extreme (-5 dice)Over 10 x Vagary in yards Beyond Extreme (not possible or -10 dice;

Seneschals call)

The target is allowed to attempt to get out of the way-outside of combat the target uses hisReflex as a dice pool, while in combat the target must split dice from his CP for dodgingthe attack as usual.

The Seneschal must determine the dodge TN based upon the circumstances-if thecharacter has plenty of opportunity to get out of the way, use the Full Evasion TN of 4. Inmore restricted situations, the Partial Evasion TN of 7 might be more appropriate. Finally,in a situation where the target has nowhere to go, use the Duck & Weave TN of 9.

The sorcerer may hold the spell a number of rounds equal to his KAA, after which hemust release it.

Matrixes A matrix is anything that contains KAA. This includes people (of priority C or higher),some animals, or an object specifically enchanted to hold KAA.

There are two ways that spells may be stored into a matrix. They can be Maintained(which uses the Matrix to “hold” the spell and keep it in a constant effect), and they canbe Hung (which uses the Matrix to “hold” the spell at the moment of casting so that itdoes not take effect take effect until the caster wished it to).

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All Matrixes have a KAA rating. Whenever spells are Sustained or Hung in a Matrix, theKAA of the Matrix is reduced by the Intensity of the spell plus 1 per additional 2successes devoted towards strengthening the spell’s effect. This means that a Matrix withKAA 7 that is Sustaining or Hanging a spell with an Intensity of 4 at the time it was castwith 5 additional successes devoted towards Strengthening would occupy 6 points in aMatrix, leaving 1 point available for further use.

Maintaining SpellsMaintained spells are spells that have already been cast and the act of sustaining themsimply “keeps them going”. All limitations of the original spell still apply. For example,if a caster casts a spell with Range of “touch” on a target and stores the spell in a Matrix,the spell will only affect the target as long as the target is touching the matrix. Likewise,if he casts a “self” spell, he will always be have to be touching the Matrix himself or thespell will not be in effect. If it’s not going to be always possible for the sorcerer to touchthe Matrix, then he must use a higher Range Parameter to be safe. To Maintain a spell,the sorcerer must cast the Maintain maneuver, costing a number of dice equal to theIntensity of the spell. See the Maintain Spell maneuver, on p. XX for more details.

Hung SpellsHung spells are stored in a Matrix in exactly the same way as Sustained spells. Thedifference is that a Hung spell is not presently in effect. When a sorcerer hangs a spell ina Matrix, he specifies the condition(s) under which the spell will take effect. At the timethe condition are met, if the parameters are right, the spell will immediately take effect. Ifthe parameters are not right at the time the conditions are met, but will remain Hung untilthe next time the conditions are met, and so on. To Hang a spell, the sorcerer must castthe Hang Spell maneuver, costing a number of dice equal to the Intensity of the spell. Seethe Hang Spell maneuver, on p. XX for more details.

Living MatrixesAny living sentient being with a KAA is considered a Matrix, and thus can maintain aspell within his own body. This not usually desirable however, any KAA devoted towardsmaintaining a spell does not count towards the KAA pool until the spell is released. Somesorcerers have been known to maintain spells in another’s body, such as a companion oran apprentice. This must be done willingly; a sorcerer cannot force another to maintain aspell for him. For most circumstances however, a sorcerer will generally use a device as aMatrix. Also, serious Trauma can cause the spell to be lost. If the sorcerer takes anyshock, he must make a WP/Art Test – the shock suffered. If the Test fails any spellsmaintained are lost. If the sorcerer is knocked unconscious, any spells maintained througha living Matrix are also lost and must be recast.

Devices as MatrixesA device possessing KAA can be used to maintain one or more spells, but whilesustaining a spell within a Matrix, the sorcerer gains 1 point of Tax (in addition to anyTax taken while casting the spell), which does not regenerate while he sorcerer is storinga spell within the Matrix (simply mark a * over the X on the Threshold Bar). Once thesorcerer stops drops all the spells sustained within the Matrix, the Tax regenerates

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normally. For a device to sustain a spell, it must remain in contact with the sorcerer. If thesorcerer is separated from the device for more than a day, the spells within it are lost.

Sorcery ManeuversManeuvers allow sorcerers to change some principles of their spells. Most maneuvershave a Sorcery Pool die cost to activate. This cost removes dice temporarily from theSorcery Pool while casting the spell (and the subsequent Strain Test) but refresh after theCasting and Tax Tests are made, thereby making the spell itself harder to cast. The ranklisted next to each maneuver is the minimal Vagary proficiency required to use aparticular maneuver. If the sorcerer’s Vagary proficiency is lower, he simply does nothave the knowledge and training necessary to use that particular maneuver with theVagary.

Casting Sorcery Maneuvers

Combat Casting (Proficiency 1)When casting a spell, the sorcerer must usually stand reasonably still and concentrate forthe amount of time it takes to cast the spell. Any serious distraction, such as attacking orbeing attacked while in combat, will immediately abort the spell. A sorcerer may declarehe is combat casting against any number of attacks or distractions directed towards him inany round he is casting the spell.

The sorcerer specifies what action(s) he wishes to perform, takes as many dice from hisSP as he wishes, and makes the Terrain roll. If successful, the sorcerer may take thedesired action with his normal die pool (for instance, if the sorcerer was attempting tomake a melee attack, he could use his CP in the current round). If the maneuver roll fails,the sorcerer can still take the desired action, although he must abort the spell in order todo so. Any dice devoted towards this maneuver are removed from the SP while castingthe spell.

If the character takes a combat action, he receives his full CP for one round of combat.Other actions earn the standard die pool. The TN for the Test must be determined beforerolling, a character cannot make the roll and see what the best success was and thereforedecide what action to take. If the character elects for purely defensive combat actions, hemay not elect to make an attack without losing the spell.

Terrain Stand/Crawl

Cautious(Simpleactions)

Normal(Combat -Defence only;Complexactions)

Hurried(Combat –Attacking;VeryComplexactions)

Sprinting(VeryStrenuousand/orComplexactions)

SorceryConcentration

- 4 5 6 7

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Example: Robert comes under bow fire while attempting to cast a spell. He declares thismaneuver, takes 3 dice out of his SP to make the Terrain Test, and declares he will onlyattempt defensive actions, therefore needing a TN of 5+. He succeeds in the Terrain Test,then makes an evasion roll with his Combat Pool and manages to avoid the arrow. Whenhe casts his spell in the next round, his SP is down 3 dice, because of the Combat Castingmaneuver.

Conjure Element (Void 5)This maneuver allows a sorcerer to conjure and dispel the raw elemental materialsassociated with the elemental Vagaries (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and pure Aether). TheIntensity of the spell determines the maximum Volume parameter that can beincorporated into the spell. When the maneuver is used in conjunction with the Conjureelement maneuver, the sorcerer can create and throw raw elemental material (seethrowing spell, p. XX for more details). Activating the maneuver costs 1 die from the SP.

Draw (Proficiency 3)Sorcerers may use this maneuver to reduce the Heka cost used to cast a spell, by drawingAether directly from the environment. For every 3 dice removed from the sorcerer’s SP,he reduces the total amount of Heka expended by 1, to a minimum of 1 Heka (at least onepoint must be powered directly from the sorcerer). Using Aether is also more volatile,increase the spell’s CTN by 1 when using this maneuver.

Concealed Casting (Proficiency 5)This maneuver allows the sorcerer to reduce the detection signature of a spell. Afterpaying the activation cost of 2 dice, each additional die devoted towards this maneuverhalves the signature of the spell, reducing the casting detection range.

Discriminate (Proficiency 9)By paying the activation cost of 2 dice, this maneuver allows the sorcerer to choose toexclude a number of targets from the Volume of a field spell (see the Volume Parameteron p. XX for details) equal to the number of additional dice removed from his SP for thecasting of the spell.

Empower (Proficiency 1)A sorcerer may use this maneuver to cast spells with a higher Intensity than his Vagaryrank allows. The activation cost to use this maneuver is equal to the difference betweenthe sorcerer’s current Vagary proficiency and the minimum Vagary proficiency requiredto cast the spell. In addition, for each Intensity higher the spell is over the sorcerer’sVagary rank, the spell CTN is increased by +1.

Example: Robert wants to cast an Intensity 4 Air spell. This requires a Vagaryproficiency of 10, but Robert only has an Air Vagary of 8, so he will need to empower thespell. He removes 2 dice from his pool (since he needs an Air Vagary of 10 and only hasan Air Vagary of 8) for the activation cost, and increases the spell CTN by +2.

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A sorcerer can devote a maximum of 5 dice towards the Empower Maneuver. Therefore asorcerer with a Vagary of 9 could only Empower to Intensity 4 spells, he would require aVagary of 10 to Empower to Intensity 5 effects (which are gained at Vagary Rank 15).

Gestures (Proficiency 1)While a sorcerer normally needs to make some hand motions when casting a spell, hemay use this maneuver to attempt casting the spell with subdued gestures or whilecompletely still, at a die penalty. He may also use blatant gestures to cast the spell,incurring a bonus die to casting the spell.

Blatant Gestures +1 DieSubdued Gestures -2 Dice Still Cast -4 Dice

Dialogue (Proficiency 1)A sorcerer is assumed to speak in a firm, clear tone when working sorcery. Alternatively,he may sing, use a musical instrument, or anything else appropriate with the Seneschal’sconsent. When using the Incanting maneuver, the sorcerer can either gain or lose dice toeither shouting their spells, whispering them, or casting them Dialogue.

Shouting +1 DieWhispering -2 DiceSilent Cast -4 Dice

Hang Spell (Proficiency 3)With this maneuver a sorcerer can hang a spell within a Matrix, to be activated at a latertime through a trigger. The sorcerer must pay an activation cost equal to the Intensity ofthe spell, and if casting the spell into another person with KAA or a device, touching theMatrix. The sorcerer must also determine what will trigger the spell. Often used triggersinclude saying a specific phase (normally used to trigger thrown spells), taking damage(to trigger pain reducing or healing spells), or when the environment changes around thesorcerer (casting a spell to allow a sorcerer to breathe water when submerged). Ifsuccessful, the spell is successfully Hung. See Hung spells on p. XX for moreinformation.

Maintain Spell (Proficiency 3)This maneuver allows a sorcerer to sustain a spell within a matrix indefinitely. To cast aspell into a Matrix, the sorcerer must pay an activation cost equal to the Intensity of thespell, and if casting the spell into another person with KAA or a device, touching theMatrix. If the spell is successful, it is stored with the Matrix. See Matrixes, on p. XX formore information.

Manipulate (Element) (Aether 5)This maneuver allows a sorcerer to sense and manipulate the basic properties of each ofthe elements, allowing him to detect, shape, move, and control the raw element. The

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Intensity of the spell determines the degree of manipulation the sorcerer has over theelement, as well as the maximum Volume which that can be incorporated into the spell.When the maneuver is used in conjunction with the Conjure element maneuver, thesorcerer can create and throw raw elemental material (see throwing spell, p. XX for moredetails). Activating this maneuver costs 1 die from the SP.

Meta-Sorcery (Proficiency 3) This Maneuver can alter some of the parameters of a Formalized spell. Once paying anactivation cost of 2 dice, for each additional die removed from the SP, the sorcerer maychange a parameter value by 1 level. Therefore if a sorcerer chose to dedicate 3 dicetowards this maneuver, he could change up to 3 parameter values, or 1 parameter value 3levels, etc. The CTN is affected by any changes made by the alterations of this Maneuver.

Example: Robert decides he wants to cast his "Command: Sleep" at a fleeing foe. Theproblem is, he only has it Formalized at Range 2 (feet). He removes 3 dice from his SP(an Activation cost of 2 +1 for the Parameter changed) and notes that his TN hasincreased by 1 (since going from Range 2 to Range 3 will increase the CTN of the spellby 1). The target is now easily within range of the spell, as range 3 is 1000 Feet.

Overcharging (Proficiency 1)A sorcerer may choose to expend additional Heka to cast a spell, with each additionalpoint increasing the SP by 1 for casting the spell. A sorcerer may expend a maximumamount of additional Heka equal to his KAA Attribute to overcharge a spell.

Quickened Casting (Proficiency 3)This maneuver allows the sorcerer to cast his magic in seconds, rather than minutes,allowing the sorcerer to use sorcery during combat. The sorcerer must remove a numberof dice equal to the Intensity of the spell being cast (if used with the Spells of Manymaneuver, the sorcerer must remove dice equal to the highest Intensity spell used in thecasting of the spell). The sorcerer will then be able to cast the spell in a number of roundsequal to the Intensity of the spell.

If the sorcerer needs to cast the spell even faster, he may remove additional dice from hisSP and make a TN 7 Test, which each success reducing the number rounds needed to castthe spell by 1. If the sorcerer receives more successes than the intensity of the spell, itgoes off in the current round.

Spell of Many (Proficiency 1)By using this maneuver a sorcerer can weave multiple Vagaries into the casting of a spell.The sorcerer must pay an activation cost of 2 dice, plus 1 die per additional Vagary thesorcerer wants to incorporate into the casting of the spell. The Intensity of the spell isbased equal to the highest Intensity effect being cast, and the sorcerer uses the Vagaryequal to the highest Intensity of the Vagaries used (if there is a tie the sorcerer chooseswhich Vagary he wants to use).

Counter-Sorcery Maneuvers

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Counterspell (any)If a sorcerer successfully detects a spell that is in the process of being cast, (see DetectingSorcery, p.XX) he may attempt to Counterspell it, dispelling the sorcery before it is fullyweaved.

The counterspelling sorcerer must either use the Aether Vagary, or the opposing Vagaryto the spell being cast. The counterspell’s Intensity must be equal to the spell beingcountered, and the counterpell itself must go off in equal or fewer rounds than thecountered spell. The CTN of the Counterspell is equal to the base CTN of the spell beingcast, modified by any of the counterspelling sorcerer’s Foci.

If successful, the spell is negated, unless the opposing sorcerer devoted additionalsuccesses towards hardening the spell, making it more difficult to counter or dispel. Insuch cases, the counterspelling sorcerer must be able to devote enough effect successes tocounter the opposing sorcerer’s hardened successes, otherwise the spell will take effectwithout interruption.

Chapter 4, Elemental SorceryPractitioners of the art of Elemental Sorcery divide the properties of magic into 5Elements; the traditional elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water; and Aether, from whichthe power of sorcery is derived. Man is thought to be composed of the first four, (Airrepresents a person’s Soul, and his tie to the fates; Earth is a person’s bone, nails andteeth, which ties him to the material realm, as the origins of man start with the clay fromwhich he was molded; Fire is the mind, which governs a person’s passions and thoughts,with Water representing blood (the vital life force that flows within us), and drifts withinthe fifth, The Aether, which surrounds him. A precious few are born composed of all 5elements, giving the person KAA, and an innate ability to manipulate the Aether in whichall drift. These are the chosen few that have the potential to become Sorcerers. While notan element, the Void connects each of the elements together creating a nexus from whichall things come.

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General Properties of a Vagary at a given IntensityBelow is a guideline on the overall power of a Vagary at each Intensity level. They give aplayer a rough idea of what can be accomplished at each Intensity Rank, and give theSeneschal a template for creating additional Vagaries for his campaign. Each IntensityRank allows the sorcerer to accomplish new effects within the Vagary. Also, while thechart only lists the progression of the sorcerer’s ability to manipulate a Vagary (withControl, Domination and Mastery as the higher Intensity effects), each effect canpotentially be strengthened at higher Intensity Ranks. For instance, while a sorcerer leanshow to incorporate warding into his magic at Intensity 2, the Earth Vagary, whichspecializes in protective magic vs. the material realm, continues to grant more powerfulwarding effects at higher Intensities. Review each of the Vagaries to get a more detailedidea on what exactly can be accomplished at a given Intensity Rank.

Novice-Intensity 1 DetectionThe Novice gains to power to detect the effects of a particular Vagary, as well as use theVagary to sense the properties governed by the Vagary. For instance, a Novice of the FireVagary could sense emotions, as Fire governs the Mind, while the Earth Vagary could beused to seek out the presence of a particular metal, or seek out flaws or imperfections inan object, as the Earth Vagary governs the material realm. Normally, successful activationof this power allows the sorcerer to find what he is looking for in the volume of the spell,or point to the general location if whatever being detected is outside the Volume butinside the range of the spell. When attempting to enhance ones own senses (such as usingthe Water Vagary to aid in First Aid or Surgery Tests or using the Earth Vagary to sense

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imperfections in an item), the sorcerer’s dice pool is increased by 1+ the additionalsuccesses devoted towards Strengthening the effect, up to the sorcerer’s Sight.

Apprentice-Intensity 2 Manipulation, WardingThe Apprentice learns how to perform basic manipulation of the qualities of a particularVagary, such as by using the Air Vagary to manipulate the Fates to understand basicprobabilities for success or failure for the task at hand, or using the Water Vagary tocause or suppress Pain and Fatigue. Warding allows a sorcerer to protect himself againstthe magic of a particular Vagary. This ability may be extended to others by using theVolume parameter as a field effect.

Adept Intensity 3 Control, AlterationThe Adept can control the properties of his Vagary, allowing him more fine tunedmanipulation, such as by entering a rapport with the fates with the Air Vagary, orsummoning spirits with Void Sorcery. The sorcerer may also make basic alterations, suchas using the Earth Vagary to make naturally occurring changes to an object such asmaking it rust, or use the Water Vagary to make changes to a Target’s body, such asgranting him gills or claws. Journeyman Intensity 4 Transformation, DominationThe Journeyman of a Vagary can use its qualities to transform what it governs, allowingthe sorcerer to transmutate one metal into another with the Earth Vagary, or transformhimself or another into a beast with the Water Vagary. The journeyman can dominatewhat a Vagary governs, allowing for much greater control, such as by causing a friend toattack a friend with the Fire Vagary, or bind spirits with the Void Vagary.

Intensity 5 Destruction, MasteryThere is little a Master cannot accomplish through his art. He can use a Vagary to destroy,such as by disintegrating material with the Earth Vagary, causing someone’s body to failthem with the Water Vagary, or even sever someone’s ability to work sorcery with theAether Vagary. The Master’s degree of control allows him to manipulate the fates tomake the near impossible to become very possible, and to take complete control ofanother with the Fire Vagary.

The Vagaries DetailedEach Vagary grants power over it associated properties. The Air Vagary grants powerover the fates. It also gives the Sorcerer the ability to manipulate the fates themselves,allowing a sorcerer to cause the improbable to become probable. The Earth Vagary grantspower over the material realm, giving the sorcerer power over non-living matter. Asorcerer versed in the Earth Vagary can alter material, making it stronger or weaker, ortransmute it altogether, changing its properties, as well as protect the bodies of thosewarded from material harm. Fire magic is the magic of the mind. It allows a Sorcerer tocommand people’s passions, and alter their perceptions and thoughts. Water magic is themagic of life itself, it allows for the transformation of life, be it to change a person’sshape, to heal, or to injure. Aether is the power to manipulate the very forces of magicitself, allowing the sorcerer to move objects by having them float on the Aether, create

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wards against sorcery, as well as allowing the sorcerer to permanently create magicalobjects with sorcery.

The sixth Vagary, known as the Void, allows for the conjuration of the 5 elementalvagaries. For instance, the Vagary of Fire is not only the Vagary of the Mind, but alsoinfluences the actual element of fire itself. When one of the Elemental Vagaries is used inconjunction with the Void, it is possible to manipulate and conjure the elements of Air,Earth, Fire, Water and raw Aether.

Each of the following Vagaries provide examples of what can be done at a particularIntensity Rank, along with example spells. When performing freeform sorcery, look atboth the general properties of a Vagary section above as well as the specific Vagarydescription to get the best idea at what Intensity a particular effect can be generated. TheSeneschal has final say on the appropriate Intensity Rank of the effect you are trying toachieve, so make sure to run the effect by him first.

The Vagary of AirThe Vagary of Air rules the fates. This allows the sorcerer to enter a rapport with them,granting the power to manipulate chance to his favor, or against those he wishes to hexwith his wrath. He may also consult the fates to attempt to discover the past, or explorefuture probabilities (the future is too difficult to attempt to read accurately, however thesorcerer can determine the odds on a near future event, as well as receive visions of whatmay come to pass). A sorcerer may also use Air Sorcery to influence fate for good or ill,creating Boons and Hexes that can affect a target, as well as affect them with Geasa,Blessings and Curses.

The sorcerer’s power to affect fate is based upon how probable the event is likely tooccur. For example, causing a galloping horse to throw its shoe is not terribly improbable(Intensity 3), but having the king struck dead on the battlefield by a bolt of lightning(Intensity 5) would be highly improbable. A sorcerer will have trouble in somecircumstances affecting large volumes with a fate effect, as the chances of a particulareffect occurring coincidentally over large areas becoming much less likely. Because ofthis, most fate sorcery is directed against a single Target.

When used with Aether and Void sorcery, the sorcerer can unlock the true elementalproperties of the Vagary, manipulating and conjuring Air, and when used in conjunctionthe Water Vagary, control the weather itself.

Sustaining Sorcery through the FatesCertain fate affects can last for longer periods of time than are normally able to beaccomplished through sorcery, by invoking the fates to sustain the sorcery. Boons, Hexes,Blessings and Curses are all examples of spells the sorcerer can have the fates sustain.Casting a short term fate efect upon a Target (such as cursing a Target until he returns theproperty he has stolen) has a Duration of 5, while ongoing Gesa of indeterminate time hasa Duration of 6. Boons, Hexes, Curses and Gifts (but not Gesa) sustained by the fateshave a condition determined when the spell is cast that will break the spell. While the

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sorcerer has influence over what the condition is, the fates (and therefore the Seneschal)as final say over what the particular condition is. The sorcerer will know the condition asthe spell is cast, and must explain the condition to the Target of a Boon or Blessing (heneed not disclose the condition to a cursed character), who must agree to the conditionbefore the spell is boon or blessing is bestowed. When a character cursed or hexedperforms the condition, the spell is immediately lifted. Characters with a boon or blessingimmediately loose the ability they were granted, and also suffer the wrath of the fates forperforming the condition forbidden to them, afflicting them with a flaw or even an Anti-Destiny (see below).

GesaOne versed in Air Sorcery has the power to implore the fates to bestow a Geas upon aTarget. A Geas is a vow, or prohibition, that affects the Target of the spell, for itsduration (most Geasa are sustained by the fates). A Geas must be cast in the presence ofthe intended target, who must clearly hear and understand the vow agreed upon or theprohibition placed upon them. Should the Target of the spell break the vow agreed uponor commit the prohibited act he will suffer an affliction of some kind, in the form of aHex, Flaw, Anti-Destiny controlled by the Seneschal. An Anti-Destiny bestowed througha Geas works in a similar way to a Spiritual Attribute (however the character has nocontrol over when to invoke it, nor can he spend points from it), which builds as thecharacter comes closer to reaching the Anti-Destiny set for him, occasionally adding orsubtracting dice from the character’s actions when performing Tasks pertaining to theAnti-Destiny. Such afflictions usually build over time (the penalty from a Hex will grow,a lesser Flaw will become a greater one, an Anti-Destiny will increase in value overtime), or increase as the Target repeats the prohibited act.

Novice-Intensity 1 PropertiesThe novice learns how to sense the hand of fate, and can detect the influence of a Boon,Hex, Curse, or Geas on a Target. He can also consult the fates to get a basic grasp on theprobabilities of a specific action allowing him to easier judge the benefits or troubles atthe task at hand (Can I beat that swordsman?), gaining a good grasp of his chance ofsuccess (use the Duration Parameter to determine how far ahead the sorcerer can attemptto see).

Apprentice-Intensity 2 PropertiesThe Apprentice can implore the fates to invoke a die bonus/penalty (+1 die if successful-the sorcerer may strengthen with every 2 additional successes increasing thebonus/penalty by another +1, up to a maximum of +3) to a specific narrowly definedaction (your next battle, your game at cards tonight, etc). Once the action is complete theBoon/Hex will cease (even if the duration is still in effect).The sorcerer may alsomanipulate chance to cause complex mundane devices to fail (such as a siege engine or acrossbow), with a single casting success causing the object to jam while additionalsuccesses devoted towards strengthening the effect might cause the device to becomedamaged or even destroyed (the Seneschal should judge each device individually, butusually 3 successes will cause damage requiring the item to be repaired before it can beused again, while 5 or more successes will completely destroy the device). He may also

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attempt to discern the condition placed upon a spell sustained by the Fates on a character,requiring a number of successes exceeding the number of successes the sorcerer who castthe spell put into hardening it.

Adept-Intensity 3 PropertiesThe Adept learns to enter a rapport with the fates allowing him to discern information ofthings that have come to pass. Such information is revealed in dreamy detail, and oftencloaked in symbolism (a Duration of 1 allows the sorcerer to look hours into the past;with a Duration of 2 the sorcerer can look days in the past; Duration 3 Weeks; andDuration 4 Months). Additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effectincrease the clarity of the vision, although even the strongest visions will leave somethings open to interpretation. The sorcerer can also use the fates to alter chance in onesfavor, causing a possible event to become reality, making for instance a pursuer’s horsethrow a shoe or cause an attacker’s bowstring to break. Such events should be easilyexplainable (as well as relatively easy to repair or replace), just fortuitous to occur at thegiven moment. He also learns to cast Geas magic on willing Target, with the Targetvowing to fulfill a task or perform an action. Such a vow must have a definite goal, (“Ivow to deliver this message to the king myself”). The Target also must agree on the priceto be paid for breaking the vow. See Gesa, on p. XX for more information. An adept alsoleans to grant minor Blessings and Curses, placing minor gifts and flaws upon anopponent, which are usually sustained by the fates (see p. XX for details). Finally, thesorcerer may consult the fates and discern a target’s true-name (with his permission).

Journeyman-Intensity 4 PropertiesThe sorcerer influence over the fates to cause the more improbable to occur, such ascausing sure-stepped horse to fall and break and break its leg in a ditch the rider did notsee, or cause a woman well beyond her childbearing years to become fertile. The sorcerermay attempt to petition the fates to foresee a possible future event. As the future isconstantly changing, a sorcerer will receive the hazy visions of what might come to pass.The sorcerer’s control of the fates allows him to create Boons and Hexes that governbroader circumstances (“May your sword always strike true”), granting a +1 diebonus/penalty to a broad action (every 2 additional successes devoted towardsstrengthening the effect increase this bonus/penalty by another +1, up to a total of +3).Casting a Geas on an unwilling Target is now possible, however the Geas must be inresponse to a reaction by something done by the Target, and appropriate to the actiontaken (a sorcerer might Geas a thief who has stolen from the sorcerer or someone thesorcerer has been petitioned by to suffer an affliction each time he steals). Many sorcerersare known to hang retributive Gesa with the trigger to strike at the Target who has slainthem (most sorcerers will make it common knowledge that killing them will provoke thefates to make sure the targets are aware of the Gesa), bringing a terrible curse upon theTarget. The sorcerer can bestow major Blessings and curses, placing a major Gift or Flawupon a Target. Finally, the sorcerer can now invoke the fates to alter his own true-name,or the true-name of another (which is instantaneous magic but requires the expenditure of10 SA points from the target to integrate the new name into the Target’s Soul).

Master-Intensity 5 Properties

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The sorcerer can cause the near impossible to become very possible, such as causing ahealthy person to drop dead without any explanation, or breaking an item thought to benear indestructible. His power to see into the past increases, allowing him to see eventswhich have long since come to pass ( a Duration of 1 he can look seasons into the past,Duration 2 allows him to see years, Duration 3 decades, and Duration 4 centuries). Suchinformation is more and more cloudy the farther back the sorcerer goes. The sorcerer’smastery of the fates allows him to affect any Target with a Geas, deserving of it or not.He can also use fate magic to influence the other Vagaries, allowing the sorcerer to havethe fates sustain a spell upon a Target, with the normal rules for sustaining such magic (ifthe Target performs the stated condition a malevolent spell is broken while a benevolentspell is stripped from the character, who also suffers the wrath of the fates, see p. XX fordetails). With a personal article of a Target, the sorcerer can determine his True-name(spiritual entities True-names can be discerned after receiving 20 research extended Testsand casting this spell) without his permission (who receives a WP Test to resist). He mayalso bestow major gifts and flaws upon a Target.

The Vagary of Air at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Detect the influence of the fates; divine the fates to understand base probabilities2 Receive a Lesser boon or bane to a near future specific action; cause complex

mechanical devices to fail; sense condition placed upon a spell sustained by thefates.

3 Discern the past, causing possible events to become reality; cast a Geas on awilling Target; grant lesser blessings and curses; divine a willing target’s True-name

4 Cause the improbable to become possible; forsee the future; Geas a deservingTarget; curse a Target; create non-specific Boons and Hexes; grant majorBelssings and Curses; change a Target’s True-name

5 Cause the near impossible to become possible; see things long since come topass; Geas any Target; discover a Target’s True-name with a personal article

Example Air Spells

Intensity 1 Air Vagary SpellsProbabilities (R2, V1, T1, D1) CTN 5This spell gives the sorcerer the basic probabilities of an eminent task and nearby task athand. For instance, a sorcerer could ask what the odds of one swordsman beating anotherwho are about to duel in front of the sorcerer, and would get the base probabilities ofsuccess (the comparison of the swordsmen’s dice pools). The sorcerer does not know theoutcome, just the chances for success.

Intensity 2Gremlins in the Machine (R3, V1. T2, D1) CTN 7A sorcerer can cast this spell on a complex mechanical device to cause it to fail. A singlesuccess will cause the device to jam momentary, those controlling the device should onlyneed to readjust the device to restore it to full working order. With 2 additional successes

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devoted towards Strengthening the effect, the spell does enough damage that the devicemust be repaired before returning to service. With 4 or more additional successes, thesorcerer can destroy the item, or severely damage it, requiring extensive repairs before thedevice can be used again.

Lesser Boon (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9 When touching a target you may bless another to a specific short term goal, granting hima +1 die bonus to any Tests involving that goal (every 2 additional successes devotedtowards strengthening the effect increase this bonus by +1, up to a maximum of +3). Sucha goal needs to be specific and short term. For example: “You will fight well today” is notspecific enough a boon, but “Your sword shall strike true on the battlefield today againstthe marauding Ghol who seek to pillage our country” would be a reasonable enoughboon.

Intensity 3Impede (R4, V1, T2, D1) CTN 8This spell allows the caster to target an enemy’s wagon wheel or a horse’s shoe and hexit, causing the wheel to damage itself of fall off or for the horse to throw its shoe, causingthe opponent to lose ground to the sorcerer. This can be used to catch up against a fleeingtarget, or slow down a pursuer giving the sorcerer more time to escape.

Geas (R1, V1, T4, D4) CTN 10This spell creates a pact between a sorcerer and a willing target which is enforced by thefates (and doubles the Heka cost for casting the spell). While shaking hands and castingthis spell the target swears to perform a certain task for the sorcerer within a set time orsuffer the malady defined by the sorcerer at the casting of the spell (which must be clearlyexplained to the Target). This Geas can never be forced onto a Target, he must readilyagree to it, and the terms and conditions of the Geas must be make clear the Target at thetime of the casting.

Intensity 4Rot of the Land (R2, V4, T2, D4) CTN 12This curse will blight the fields attended to a small village, causing the soil to sour for aslong as the fates enforce the effect. Crops in the field will wither over time and die, andcrops recently planted will not properly grow. No matter how much water, fertilizer orcare is given the field will suffer this plight until the curse is removed. The condition tobreak the curse (the curse can also be dispelled, but this is very difficult, see p. xx fordetails) often depends on the reason why the curse was placed upon the field in the firstplace. For instance, if the curse was placed as a response to the villagers poaching ortrespassing on the sorcerer’s lands, the condition might be that the villages must makerestitution to the sorcerer in some way, or might exist until the parties responsible leavethe village, or die off.

Weapon Boon (R1, V1, T2, D3) CTN 7By touching a weapon and casting this spell, the sorcerer grants a +1 die (every 2additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effect increase this bonus by +1)

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to the combat pool of anyone who uses the weapon for 1 hour (additional successes canbe used to increase the amount of hours the boon stays in effect).

Person of Quality (R1, V1, T4, D6) CTN 12This spell allows the sorcerer to grant a major gift to a Target, which is sustained by thefates. A condition is declared to the Target at the time the spell is cast. If the Target takesan action that causes the condition to trigger, the gift is permanently lost, and fates willafflict the Target with some Curse, Hex, or even an Anti-Destiny (as determined by theSeneschal).

Intensity 5Death from above (R4, V1, T4, D1) CTN 10The sorcerer manipulates the fates to cause the near impossible to occur. A stray arrowmay find the general on the field and fell him, or perhaps a bolt of lightning on a slightlyovercast day might arc down and fell the King whilst inspecting his men. The sorcerermust be able to see his target and the nature of the target’s death must be plausible, eventhough somewhat unlikely (the fates dislike being asked to bend the tapestry of realityand may take unlikely to those who have no qualms about tearing holes in it).

The Vagary of EarthThe Vagary of Earth rules the material plane. A sorcerer trained in this vagary can detectthe presence of specific materials, create wards to protect him from them, alter theproperties of non-living matter, such as stone and metal, air and water, making themstronger, weaker, or change their properties altogether, even altering their size. At higherIntensities, the sorcerer can transmute liquids, materials, and gases, from one type ofsubstance to another. Such transmutations are not perfect however, will feel slightly oddto the touch, and will seem slightly different to the naked eye, particular when comparednext to the genuine article. At Intensity 5, the sorcerer can make true substances in verysmall quantities.

While most of the alterations to a substance are temporary (spells that inflict damage to asubstance, such as disintegration, or purify a substance by destroying the impurities), it isimportant to note that while any alterations are temporary, any effects that occurred whilethe spell was in effect remain. For instance, if a sorcerer reduces his opponent’s helm to aquarter of its normal size, killing him, the target certainly won’t be any better once theduration of the spell expires and the helm enlarges back to its normal size.

Earth sorcery may only effect non-living matter. Living material (or once living materialin the case of wood) can be worked when used in conjunction with Water 4 Sorcery. Thisincludes blood, water, or any other liquids, materials, or gasses within a body.

Wards with a Volume Parameter of 2 or higher are cast as field effects, normally centeredon an individual or item to allow the field to move as the item or person does.

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When performing Earth Sorcery, in some instances the elemental Volume Parameterchart should be used to determine how much material in a given form (liquid, solid, gas),can be affected. See p. XX for details.

Novice-Intensity 1 PropertiesThe novice gains the ability to detect specific material substances (gold, silver, iron). Hemay also detect a materials quality, if it has any flaws or imperfections, or if it is trulyexceptional in nature (the sorcerer gains +1 die to any evaluation Tests concerningjudging the quality of an item, with each additional success devoted towardsStrengthening the effect granting an additional +1 bonus die to the Test).

Apprentice-Intensity 2 PropertiesThe Apprentice can make lesser temporary changes to a particular item, such as honingits edge or balancing its weight (+1 weapon damage), making it more resilient and strong(+1 to armor or greatly decreasing an item’s chance to break). He can make permanentnatural alterations to an object, causing a sword to rust, or stone to weather (the Seneschalshould determine the results based upon the number of successes were dedicated towardsstrengthening the effect). He can also ward the body against a specific object (the swordof the knight in the blue tabard attacking my friend) granting +1 to AV against the item(every 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effect increase the AVprotection by +1).

Adept-Intensity 3 PropertiesThe sorcerer can purify a material by causing separating it from any impurities,permanently dissolving them (allowing a sorcerer to remove toxins from liquids,pollutants from the air, and even purify iron, effectively reverting a steel weapon back tobase iron). He may ward a Target against a specific type of item, making the Targetresistant to a particular type of material (Steel, Silver, Bronze) granting +1 to AV againstthe material (every 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effectincrease the AV protection by +1). He may mend mundane objects, repairing them frombreakage or restoring them from heavy wear. He may also rearranging matter into crudeshapes, for the duration of the spell. Finally, the sorcerer can change the temperature of asubstance, causing water to freeze or boil, or heat metal so that it becomes too hot totouch (characters wearing metal armor will need to immediately remove it or suffer aGeneric Intensity 2 wound to a random armored location every 3 rounds), Such changesoccur over a short period of time (normally 10 rounds), but additional successes devotedtowards Strengthening the effect can increase the rate the temperature changes occur,with each additional successes reducing the number of rounds by 1.

Journeyman-Intensity 4 PropertiesThe Journeyman can transmute one like substance to another, changing liquid to liquid,gas to gas, or solid to solid. Complex transmutations of uncommon substances mightrequire additional successes, or an appropriate skill Test (for instance, creating a goodstout might require a Craft Brewing skill). He may also now sculpt more complexshapes, turning a lump of ore into a sword, or large rock into a statue, for the duration ofthe spell. The sorcerer can create greater wards where no specific material strike true,making the Target resistant to harm from any material, granting +1 to AV against the item

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(every 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effect increase the AVprotection by +1). He can make major changes to an object, making it extremely resistantto damage (increasing AV by +2, which overwrites the Intensity 2 resilient effect), or veryweak and brittle. Finally, a substance can be enchanted to ignore the effects of a material,allowing a sword that can cleave through armor, adding +1 to the weapon’s damage vs.armor (with every 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effectincreasing it by 1), or causing gases to seep through cloth covering a persons faceattempting to filter air.

Master-Intensity 5 PropertiesThe Master may disintegrate any mundane material, permanently reducing it to mere dust.He may shrink or grow a material object by 50%, with every 2 additional successesdevoted towards strengthening the effect increasing or decreasing the object’s size byanother 50%. The sorcerer can turn any substance into another, turning solid substancesto liquids or gases, and vice versa. Finally, the sorcerer can perform perfecttransmutations in very small amounts of a material (Volume 1: Tiny Grains, Volume 2: ¼Ounce, Volume 3: ½ Ounce, Volume 4: 1 full ounce), creating the substance in its trueform (allowing the sorcerer to create true-silver, bronze, or even gold).

The Vagary of Earth at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Detect the presence substances; detect the quality of a material2 Make minor changes to an item; ward against a specific item; cause natural

changes to an object; 3 Purify a substance; mend objects; ward against a specific material (Silver, Steel,

Bronze, etc.); crudely shape a material; heat or cool a substance4 Transmute materials; sculpt complex shapes; ward against all materials; greatly

strengthen or weaken a material; cause a substance to ignore materials; 5 Disintegrate matter; alter a material’s size; change any substance into another

substance; create perfect transmutations in very small qaunities

Example Earth Spells

Intensity 1 Earth Vagary SpellsEvaluate (R1, V1, T2, D1) CTN 5When this spell is cast and the sorcerer touches a crafted item, he may add his castingsuccesses to any evaluation Tests to judge the quality of the object in question.

Sense Gold (R1, V4, T2, D2) CTN 9This spell allows the sorcerer to sense the location of gold within the Volume of thisspell. While this spell will reveal the presence of gold, it does not detect amount, just thegeneral direction.

Intensity 2 Earth Vagary Spells

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Improve Armor (R1, V2, T2, D3) CTN 8This spell improves durability of a set of mundane armor touched for the duration of thisspell. The armor’s protection is increased by +1, turning for instance a set of mail fromDR 4 to DR 5.

Rust Metal (R3, V3, T2, D1) CTN 9When this spell is cast all mundane metal within the volume of the spell will immediatelyrust for the duration of the spell, reducing damage and protection by -3 of weapons andarmor, and possibly destroying delicate items made from metal. The items are moresusceptible to damage, and if broken will need to be repaired after the duration expires.

Weapon Ward (R3, V1, T1, D2) CTN 7This spell wards the sorcerer against a specific weapon declared when the spell is cast.The weapon will not strike the sorcerer true, seeming to slip away from him at the lastpossible moment.

Intensity 3 Earth Vagary SpellsFortify Stone (R1, V4, T2, D1-M) CTN 8When this spell is cast all stone within the volume of the spell will strengthen, making itmuch more difficult to damage (strength is increased by casting successes), making castlewalls near impenetrable to siege engines and gunpowder, for as long as the spell ismaintained (the Seneschal should determine the resilience of the stone based upon castingsuccesses, but 3 or more successes should make the walls incredibly resilient totrebuchets and catapults, with 5 or more successes granting a similar level of protectionagainst cannon fire and explosives). The sorcerer can affect 2 cubic feet x the sorcerer’sArt with a single application of this spell.

Heat Armor (R2, V2, T2, D1-M) CTN 7While this spell is cast on a suit of metal armor and maintained, it causes the armor toquickly heat (taking 10 rounds – the number of additional casting successes devotedtowards Strengthening the effect). The character whose armor is Targeted takes a level 2Generic wound every 3 rounds once the armor has fully heated, unless it is removed orcooled in some way. Prolonged burning may increase the severity of the wound sufferedat the Seneschal’s discretion.

Intensity 4 Earth Vagary SpellsLead to Gold (R1, V2, T2, D4) CTN 9With this spell the sorcerer can transmute lead to gold for the duration of this spell. Whilethe transmutation appeals genuine at first glance, detailed examination will reveal thesubstance as a fraud. Sorcerers trying to convince another that the gold is the real thingare wise to use this spell in conjunction with a Fire Vagary spell to attempt to convincethose present that the substance is legitimate.

Intensity 5 Earth Vagary SpellsDisintegrate (R3, V3, T2, D1) CTN 9This spell permanently destroys any inorganic mundane material within the volume of thespell. Should the sorcerer cast this spell on a portion of a larger area (at the base of a wall,

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for example), the area might suffer additional damage due to the loss of structuralintegrity.

The Vagary of FireThe Vagary of fire rules over the power of the mind. A sorcerer with mastery over thisVagary can command the weak willed, have others see what he wants them to, and eveninfluence the memories of his targets. When used in conjunction with the Aether andVoid Vagaries, a Sorcerer can gain control of the true Elemental properties of Fire,allowing the sorcerer to conjure flame and manipulate fire.

Any attempts to charm, beguile, or change memories of a target grant a Willpower test(opposed by the sorcerer’s WP + devoted Strengthened Successes), as do any commandsthat require thought (such as engaging in combat or performing a series of actions). Briefcommands made that are completed instinctually (drop that, sleep, fall down, you are inpain), do not generate a resistance test.

Novice-Intensity 1 PropertiesAt this degree of control the sorcerer has the power ward himself against magic of themind (Gaining an additional die towards any WP Tests from mind magic + any additionaldice from Strengthening the spell), sense basic emotions (love, hate, caution, fear). Hecan also detect the presence of magical mental influence on a target.

Apprentice-Intensity 2 PropertiesThe Apprentice can use Fire sorcery to manipulate the Target, allowing him to makereasonable requests to a target (to make a tired sentry fall asleep on guard duty at night, orto have a guard allow a sorcerer past a checkpoint with his staff). He begins to gain thepower to make the target perceive things that aren’t really there, the sorcerer can make thetarget see a non-tactile illusion that affects only 1 sense (usually sight or sound), andinspire or generate fear in others with sorcery, granting a +1 die to Leadership orIntimidate Tests (for every 2 additional successes devoted towards Strengthening theeffect is increased by +1). He can manipulate another’s perception’s for instance makingthe Target believe he is in pain, or that the pain he currently suffers isn’t all that bad(increasing or decreasing the Target’s pain by 1 +1 per additional success devotedtowards Strengthening the effect, up to a total of +/- 5).

Adept (Intensity 3) PropertiesThe adept’s control over the mind allows him to communicate mentally with a willingtarget. He can beguile someone, making the target much friendly to the sorcerer for theduration of the spell. The sorcerer can give a target unreasonable orders (fall asleep or liedown while on guard duty, attack a stranger), create non-tactile illusions, as well asimplant or alter memories that are not integral to the target’s personality or personalhistory. The barrier of Language is easily traveled, the sorcerer can communicate withanother without having to know his language (each will simply understand in their baselanguage what the other is saying). Along with Aether 3, the sorcerer can project his mindand soul from his body, traveling disembodied through the Aether.

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Intensity 4 PropertiesThe Sorcerer can command the target very unreasonable orders (kill your friends, removeall your armor). His influence over a target allow for any reasonable request made by thesorcerer likely to be followed, without question, unreasonable requests will grant theTarget a Willpower Test (choose an appropriate TN based upon the nature of the request),vs. the sorcerer’s Social/Persuasion. The sorcerer can create perfect, tactile illusions, aswell as create a masking illusion, completely deleting an image, sound or smell from aTarget’s Senses. He can also make major alterations to memories or implant newmemories as well as delete them.

Intensity 5 PropertiesAt this degree of control the sorcerer can take complete control of the target, effectivelymaking him a puppet to do as the sorcerer wishes for the duration of the spell. While inthis state, all of the puppet’s pools are reduced by -2 dice, as while the sorcerer hascontrol of the individual, and his abilities, there is still some difficulty in manipulating thetargets actions from a distance. The target will also tend to shake as well while underDomination, to avoid this, the sorcerer must make a Reflexes Test/Slight of Hand Test(which might be actively opposed by characters on the lookout for strange occurrences).He may also may drastic changes to a target’s memory, rewriting any and all memoriesand experiences for the spell’s duration.

The Vagary of Fire at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Detect magical mental influence; sense emotions; ward against mental control2 Ask a target to perform reasonable requests; create non-tactile illusions affecting

1 sense, increase ability to inspire others; cause a Target to receive or ignore pain3 Communicate with minds at a distance; ask a target to commit unreasonable

actions; beguile someone; affect a target with non-tactile illusions; make minoralterations to memory; communicate with others regardless of language

4 Give a target very unreasonable orders; create perfect tactile illusions; create amasking Illusion that completely removing a sense; major alterations to aTarget’s memory

5 Domination; complete re-writing of a target’s mind

Example Fire Spells

Intensity 1 Fire Vagary SpellsSense Emotions (R2, V1, T4, D1) CTN 8This spell grants the sorcerer the ability to sense a target’s basic emotions (Love, Hatred,Fear, Caution). A single success discerns the basic emotional state of the Target, whileadditional successes devoted towards Strengthening the effect might give the sorcereradditional insight concerning the emotional state of the Target.

Intensity 2 Fire Vagary SpellsDistraction (R3, V1, T4, D1) CTN 9This spell creates a momentary noise that will usually cause enough of a distraction for an

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individual to sneak past (+3 dice to Stealth Tests). While only the sentry will hear thenoise (as the Volume parameter is only 1), he may call other guards attentions to it (“Didyou hear that?”).

Fires of the Passionate Soul (R1, V1, T1, D3) CTN 6When this spell is cast the sorcerer gains +1 die to any leadership based Tests. For every 2dice devoted towards Strengthening the effect, the bonus is increased by +1.

Moans of the Damned (R1, V2, T4, D2) CTN 9Anyone within the Volume of this spell will hear soft, eerie moans and cries seeming toemulate from the surrounding area. Those hearing such sounds in the area for the firsttime are often made uncomfortable by them, a failed WP Test (unopposed) may causethose in the area to attempt to leave at the earliest possible moment.

Camouflage (R1, V2, T1, D3) CTN 7This spell blends the sorcerer into the surrounding environment, making him harder tosee. The sorcerer receives +1 die to Stealth Tests (each additional success devotedtowards Strengthening the effect increases the bonus by +1), when make against an areain which he can easily blend into (a darkened corner, a wall, nearby plant life, etc.).

Intensity 3 Fire Vagary SpellsMind Speech (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9This spell allows the sorcerer to communicate with a nearby person using his mind,allowing him to remain silent in the presence of others. Those who do not wish to speakwith the sorcerer can attempt to drive him out with a successful WP Test. This spell doesnot give the sorcerer the ability to read another’s mind, just project and receive projectedthoughts.

Beguiling (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9A Target affected by this spell (the Target may resist with a WP Test) will be comefriendlier to the sorcerer, provided he did not have a strong dislike for him previously.The Target will become very susceptible to suggestions (add casting successes to anyPersuasion Tests) made by the sorcerer for the duration of the spell, and will followreasonable requests typical to the best of his ability.

Displacement (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9This spell displaces the sorcerer’s image a short distance, making him to appear a fewfeet from where he actually is. Those attempting to attack the sorcerer will realizesomething is wrong once the image is struck, but will still have a difficult time attemptingto discover the sorcerer’s true location (after striking the image the attacker will have a -4dice penalty to hitting the sorcerer until a successful blow is struck, after which theattacker will suffer a -2 dice penalty). The sorcerer gains an advantage when fightingothers with this spell, gaining an additional +4 dice until he successfully strikes the target(or his image is hit), afterwards he receives a +2 dice bonus from the confusion thedisplaced image generates.

Illusion of the Unharmed Body (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9

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A Target under the influence of this spell will feel his pain decrease by the sorcerer’sCasting Successes for the duration of this spell, by 1 pain, with each additional successdevoted towards Strengthening the effect reducing the pain suffered by an additional 1, upto a total of 5 pain. Note that while the pain is reduced, the Target’s injury remains, and ifleft untreated, the target will not stabilize on his own, and will continue to suffer bloodloss. The spell also does not temporarily mend broken bones or other injuries, it justreduces the overall pain suffered.

Translation of the Unknown Word (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9This spell allows the sorcerer to understand the words of a nearby person withoutknowing his language. Both parties speak in whatever language they know, but the otherhears them in the language most familiar to them.

Sleep of the Restless (R2, V2, T4, D2) CTN 10Those in the volume of this spell will feel the uncontrollable urge lie down and sleep.Those affected will remain asleep for the duration of the spell. While this spell does notnormally grant a Resistance Test (unless a character affected has KAA), loud noises orothers attempting to wake the character will prompt an immediate WP Test to wake up.

Intensity 4 Fire Vagary SpellsKill thy Friend (R3, V1, T4, D2) CTN 10You command a Target of this spell to turn on his friends/colleagues, compelling him toattack without hesitation or mercy. The Target receives a WP Test to resist the spell, withfailure forcing him to comply until the command is broken, the duration ends, or theTarget in killed or knocked unconscious.

Invisibility (R1, V1, T4, D2) CTN 8This spell makes the sorcerer completely invisible to others, making him undetectable tonormal vision. Any Stealth attempts are increased by +5 dice. Spells Targeting anindividual cannot affect the sorcerer unless he is successfully touched, and anyoneattempting to strike a invisible character in melee combat is down 1/3 their normal CP,until an injury is given that generates Blood Loss, after which the sorcerer is easy to findby following his blood trail (depending on the amount of Blood Loss suffered and theseverity of the wound, the Seneschal may wish to impose a smaller die penalty oncharacter’s attacking the sorcerer until enough blood is lost to easily track the sorcerer).Missile weapons attacking an invisible character suffer a ½ MP modifier, until the Targetis struck with an arrow, after which the bowman will have an aiming point, only sufferinga -3 die penalty.

Intensity 5 Fire Vagary SpellsDomination (R2, V1, T4, D3) CTN 10Domination is a powerful form of command allowing the sorcerer to take completecontrol of the target, effectively making him a puppet to do as the sorcerer wishes for theduration of the spell, should the Target fail a WP Resistance Test. While in this state, allthe target’s pools are reduced by -2 dice as while the sorcerer has control of the target andhis abilities, there is still some difficulty in controlling his actions from a distance. Thetarget will also tend to uncontrollably shake while dominated, which the sorcerer can

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avoid with a successful Reflexes/Slight of Hand Test. The target is a complete slave andunder the complete mental control of the sorcerer, and can even be compelled to injure ordestroy himself, at the Sorcerer’s whim.

Mental Reconditioning (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTNThis spell allows the sorcerer to completely re-write a Target’s memories, removingmemories known to the sorcerer, as well as adding new ones. While these memories willonly last for the duration of the spell (after which the Target’s true memories will begin tomanifest themselves slowly, over time), clever sorcerers have been known to give thetarget a Matrix sustaining the spell with a memory that the item is very special and neverto be taken off.

The Vagary of WaterThe Vagary of water rules over the domain of the flesh and blood. It gives the sorcerercontrol over the form of man and beast. It also allows for the influence of non-sentientanimals, allowing the sorcerer to stimulate their reactions for good or ill by manipulatingthe flow of the humors within their bodies to provoke certain behaviors (for more precisecontrol over an animal, Fire Sorcery must be used). The sorcerer can detect the presenceof life (or lack thereof), as well as accelerate the healing process altogether. He may altera target’s form, causing substantial mutations, and even change ones shape into that of ananimal. Those proficient in the way of Water Sorcery can use the Vagary to inflict pain oreven death at higher degrees of mastery. Finally, the sorcerer will learn to regenerategrievous and even lethal wounds over time.

Novice (Intensity 1) PropertiesAt the beginning degree of novice, the sorcerer gains the power to sense life, allowinghim to detect the presence of life within the volume of the spell. He also learns to sensethe lack of life in a target, allowing him to diagnose injury (adding +1 die towards anyFirst Aid or Surgery Tests, with additional successes devoted towards Strengthening theeffect improving the bonus by +1).

Apprentice Intensity 2 PropertiesThe Apprentice can make minor cosmetic changes to a Target, changing the color of theTarget’s hair, the tone of his skin, modify his weight, etc.). He can track a specific target,provided he has a focus of the target (such as a piece of clothing or lock of hair). Thesorcerer can cause the target to experience different sensations, lowering or intensifying aTarget’s pain by 1, + an additional +1 per die devoted towards the effect. He may alsorestore or drain a target’s fatigue (by gaining or losing 1 point of Fatigue +1 peradditional success devoted towards the effect). The sorcerer may also make a targetresistant to poisons or disease (+2 dice to any Tests against disease or Poison +1 per dieput towards the effect).

Adept Intensity 3 PropertiesThe sorcerer gains the power to make major changes to the target (alter its size, bodydensity, give claws or other animal features such as improve a Target’s ability to see atnight, etc), toughening the skin to increase the AV of the Target (+1 to the Target’s AV,

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+1 per increment of dice devoted towards Strengthening the effect) or change the target’sform into a medium or small sized land animal (the target’s material possession’s stay,and might be damaged or damage their wearer, depending on the form chosen, unless theVoid Vagary is incorporated into the casting). He can increase any physical attribute by 1(every 2 additional successes devoted to the effect increase this by 1, up to the racialmaximum). The sorcerer’s control over the body allows him to accelerate the healingprocess, allowing wounds to heal quicker than normal (allowing a Healing Test each daythe effect is maintained, and restoring pain up to the total number of effect successes).Finally, the sorcerer can alter an animal’s mental state, shifting it by 1 level (hostile-cautious-neutral-curious-friendly), with additional successes devoted towards the effectshifting the animals mental state additional levels.

Journeyman Intensity 4 PropertiesThe journeyman gains the power to transform a Target, turning him into animal. UnlessFire 2 is incorporated into the spell, the Target risks losing his own consciousnessbecoming entirely an animal if he stays too long in animal form (WP Test every 6 hoursat TN 8, -1 day per spent in animal form). He can cause a Target to take on theappearance of another person, provided the sorcerer knows that person. He may alsomake very drastic changes to a Target (grow wings to allow basic flight, alter size, etc).The sorcerer may adapt a person’s body to become tolerant towards a poison (includingalcohol), making the target immune to its effects (provided the spell’s duration ormaintenance exceeds the amount of time the poison takes to dissolve and pass throughthe body). He can achieve the same effect against disease, a target already infected willslowly regain his health and targets unaffected will be granted complete protectionagainst the disease while exposed to it. The sorcerer can also cause major sensations tothe target’s body, and can cause a Target to fall into a restful sleep, as well as experienceintense pain or pleasure.

Master Intensity 5 PropertiesThe Master can change the form of himself or another without worrying about losing hisown identity (with no Fire requirement), and can change a Target supernatural creaturewith Aether 5 Sorcery (gaining any innate properties of the creature). He may, inconjunction with the Earth 4 Sorcery, transmute the target into a material (such as stone).The sorcerer’s control over life is so accurate he can make subtle changes to the target’ssystem causing lethal injuries (such as causing his heart to stop). He may stabilizegrievous injuries resulting maiming or destruction and promote their reattachment andregeneration (any damaged organs must be present, the sorcerer does not have thecapacity to create new ones, and the Seneschal may rule that the trauma is too great torestore) over time, provided he start restoring the injury within minutes of the injurybeing taken. The Vagary Water at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Can sense Life; diagnose injury

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2 Make minor cosmetic changes to a target; grant resistance to poison or disease;deaden or cause pain; remove or cause Fatigue; grant resistance to poison ordisease

3 Major changes to a target; increase physical attributes; accelerate healing;manipulate an animals mental state

4 Shapechange into an animal, or take on the form of another; make drasticchanges to a Target; make a target immune to poison or disease; cause majorsensations to a Target

5 Greater shapechange; cause lethal injures, restore grievous injuries

Sample Spells

Intensity 1 Water Vagary SpellsThe Chirurgon’s Tool (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9This spell allows the sorcerer to detect the exact nature of an injury in a target, allowingthe sorcerer a number of bonus dice equal to his casting successes equal towards and Firstaid or Surgery rolls made during the duration of this spell.

Sense Life (R1, V3, T1, D2) CTN 7With this spell the sorcerer can detect the presence of nearby life within the volume ofthis spell. The magic does not detect the strength of the life (a rat will register as life), justits location.

Intensity 2 Water Vagary SpellsBlack Death’s Bane (R1, V4, T, 4, D1-M) CTN 10This spell will create a field large enough to grant increased resistance to a village fromthe effects of disease, granting them a resistance Test they might not otherwise receiveand/or increasing resistance Tests to disease equal to the sorcerer’s casting successes, aslong as this spell is maintained.

Banish Fatigue (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9When touching a target and casting this spell, the sorcerer can remove a point of Fatigue,+1 additional point for every success devoted towards the effect, which returnimmediately once the duration of this spell expires.

Pain (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9This spell racks a target with intense Pain for the duration of this spell, lowering all poolsby -1, with each additional effect success increasing the penalty by a further -1.

Intensity 3 Water Vagary SpellsAccelerate Healing (R1, V1, T4, D1-M) CTN 7This spell greatly accelerates the healing time for an injury. When this spell is cast theTarget receives an immediate Health recovery Test, with an additional Health Test beingmade each day the sorcerer maintains this effect. The Target can heal a total amount ofpain equal to the effect successes devoted towards this spell. This spell can only be caston a wound once per week, but should the Target suffer from multiple wounds, each canbe treated with a separate application of this spell.

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Dark of Night to Cloudy Day (R1, V1, T1, D3) CTN 6This spell gives the sorcerer the ability to see at night as if it was a cloudy or overcastday. As this spell improves the character’s eye to process light better, it will not help ifthe character is in total darkness (for instance, underground with no light source). Suddenbright lights will temporarily blind the sorcerer, causing a -5 dice penalty to all actions,with the penalty being reduced by -1 each round after the first

Toughened Hide (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9This spell hardens the target’s skin making it as tough as the hardest leather, adding +2 tohis AV for the duration of the spell. The hide makes the character’s skin much denser andtougher, but it becomes uncomfortable for the character to wear restrictive clothing orarmors. A character wearing anything heavier than leather armor will not be able toproperly move or fight well while under the influence of this spell, suffering a -4 CP diepool modifier from the restricted movement and irritation.

Intensity 4 Water Vagary SpellsWolf Form (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9This spell allows the sorcerer to take the form of a wolf for the spell’s duration, howeverthe longer the sorcerer stays in wolf form, the greater the risk he will lose his own mindand take on the conscious of the beast (Every 6 hours a WP Test must be made at TN 8,-1 die per day spend in animal form). By incorporating Fire 2 into the casting, the sorcererwill retain his own conscious, regardless how long spent in animal form.

Curse of the Swine (R2, V2, T4, D2) CTN 10This spells allows the sorcerer to change a small group of targets into pigs for theduration of the spell.

Wings of the Angel (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9The sorcerer sprouts wings on his back allowing him to fly at 30 MPH for the duration ofthe spell.

Intensity 5 Water Vagary SpellsSlay (R2, V1, T4, D2) CTN 9The sorcerer causes a nearby target’s hard to stop, killing him over the course of a minuteor two, at which time the target is completely incapacitated.

Recover the Mangled Limb (R1, V1, T4, D1-M) CTN 7When cast and sustained, this spell allows a sorcerer to heal a mangled or removed limb(see accelerated Healing on p. XX), provided the spell is cast within a few minutes of thedamage received. Once the total pain is reduced to by 3 levels, this target is no longer inserious jeopardy of losing the limb and no longer requires this spell to be maintained.

The Vagary of Aether The Vagary of Aether rules over the domain of magic itself, and its manipulation of theAether, the fifth Element of the arcane. Those that wield its powers can detect magical

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auras, realms of power, and sense magic in general as well as conceal their effects. Theircontrol over the Aether allows them to use it to lift and propel objects upon it (thesorcerer must meet both the weight restriction placed on the Intensity of the spell alongwith the Volume Parameter of the spell being cast). Aether sorcery is also used to createlesser, simple, and greater devices of sorcery. Knowledge of Aether allows the sorcerer tounlock the elemental properties of the other 4 elemental Vagaries, granting the sorcererthe manipulation maneuver, allowing him to control the raw properties of Air, Earth, Fire,and Water.

When used with knowledge of the Void Vagary, the sorcerer can summon and controlRaw Aether. See Elemental Sorcery on p. XX for more details.

Novice (Intensity 1) PropertiesAt the beginning degree of novice, the sorcerer learns to observe the magical, allowinghim to sense sorcery as well as items created by it, as well as conceal a spell or item’smagical aura (effect successes either add to the sorcerer’s SIGHT Tests to sense magic orreduce another’s attempts to perceive them). He may also float very light objects upon theAether (less than 5 pounds).

Apprentice (Intensity 2) PropertiesThe Apprentice learns the ability to manipulate the Aether around him, and use it to movesmall objects (100 lbs or less), or cause gather a small pocket of Aether the size of a fistand cause it to glow with weirelight, illuminating an area with a bluish-white light. Hisknowledge of the Aether allows him to create a ward against Targeted sorcery (but notThrown spells). The Apprentice also learns to ward an area against scrying. The protectedarea is completely immune to scrying, although the scryer will be able to sense the areawarded as well as its boundaries. He can also sense the magical aura of others, allowingthe sorcerer to discern if a Target has the gift of magic. Finally the sorcerer can createsingle use devices of sorcery (see Devices of Sorcery, p. XX).

Adept (Intensity 3) PropertiesThe Adept gains greater control over the Aether, and can now move objects weighing 500lbs. or less, or cause his own body to float upon the Aether, allowing the sorcerer tolevitate and move at slow speeds (3 mph +1 MPH per increment devoted towardsStrengthening the spell). He can also propel objects at great speeds. Treat such use ofAether magic as a thrown spell, causing damage based upon the weight of the object (seethe Solids Volume chart on p. XX-Damage should be based upon the weight and type ofobject Thrown, normally 3 or 4 Damage per Volume Parameter). He can also use theAether to push Targets away from him (causing them to be pushed back 2 feet x the effectsuccesses and requiring a knockdown Test -1 die per success devoted towards the effect).The sorcerer’s degree of control also allows him to create a personal or field ward againstpersonal missile weapons, causing the missile to veer away from the Target momentsbefore impact. The sorcerer may also infuse an item with Aether, allowing it to strikeTarget’s as if it was a magical weapon (enabling the weapon to bypass mundane wardsand strike creatures normally only affected by magic).

Journeyman (Intensity 4) Properties

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The Journeyman’s degree of control over the Aether allows him to move much largerobjects on the Aether (3000 lbs. or less). He can place an arcane mark on the Target,allowing the sorcerer to affect the target with Sorcery at any distance, provided both arein the same realm, as a Range 4 parameter (and +2 to the spell CTN). The sorcerer canalso create a ward against energy, transmuting it harmlessly before it can endanger thesorcerer, either as a personal ward or as a field. The amount of energy that can beabsorbed by the field is 10 + any additional successes devoted towards the effect. TheJourneyman also gains the ability to create greater devices of sorcery, allowing him tocreate permanent magical items.

Master (Intensity 5) PropertiesThe sorcerer’s mastery over Aether allows him to perform sorcery to avoid taking Tax bycreating a Tax trap, absorbing 1 point of Tax +1 another point for each additional successdevoted towards the effect. While the spell is in place the Tax taken is held in the trap,and bleeds off at the normal rate of 1 point a day (in addition to the Tax the sorcerernormally bleeds off). If the trap is dropped before the Tax bleeds off, the sorcererimmediately takes all the Tax himself. A sorcerer may only have a single Tax trap up at atime. He may also sever another’s KAA permanently destroying a Target’s capacity toperform sorcery. The spell must be performed as a ritual (such spells are usually cast toinflict great punishment upon a Target for some great transgression committed), and eachsuccess on the Casting Test devoted towards the effect reduces the Target’s KAA by 1. Ifthe Target’s KAA is reduced to 0, he becomes mundane (priority F). If a Fey is the Targetof this spell, and his KAA is fully severed, he will die in a number of hours equal to hisWP score.

The Vagary Aether at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Detect and Conceal Sorcery2 Weirelight; sense Rifts; Draw Aether, lift small objects (less than 5 lbs); sense

magical aura; wards against sorcery; create anti-scrying ward; create lesser, singleuse devices of sorcery

3 lift 500 lbs; throw objects at great speeds, infuse item with Aether; levitate4 Lift 3000 lbs; Arcane Mark; energy wards; create greater devices of sorcery5 Tax trapping sorcery; sever another’s KAA;

Sample Spells

Intensity 1 Aether Vagary SpellsSense Magic (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9This spell allows a sorcerer to sense active and passive sorcery within the Volume of thespell, with each effect success increases the sorcerer’s SIGHT Tests by 1 (while detectingsorcery), for the duration of the spell.

Intensity 2 Aether Vagary SpellsScrying Bane (R1, V3, T2, D3) CTN 9

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This spell wards a room sized area against scying for an hour (although additionalsuccesses can be used to increase the Duration), allowing the sorcerer to conduct ameeting without fear of being spied upon through the use of sorcery. Another sorcererusing a Sight Projection on the scryed area will immediately sense that the location iswarded, unless Fire 3 is incorporated into the casting of this spell to create an illusion(Fire 2 will suffice if the sorcerer is only trying to make an illusion affecting a singlesense) over the area, making the area look vacant or otherwise occupied, in which casethe sorcerer attempting to scry is deceived, unless his success total exceeds the sorcererwho placed the anti-scrying ward. If the warding sorcerer is concealing a moving area, hissuccess total is considered halved, as the fringe areas where the illusion melds into theterrain are easier to spot.

Weirelight (R1, V2, T 1, D1-M) CTN 5With this spell the sorcerer forms a small globe of Weirelight which is normally placedupon the sorcerer’s staff, if he has one as a focus, or in the palm of the sorcerer’s hand,which emits a bluish white light that is strong enough to light up to a 30 foot area, whilethe spell is maintained. The sorcerer may also dim the glow by concentratingmomentarily (although extinguishing it altogether will terminate the spell).

Personal Sorcery Ward (R1, V1, T1, D3) CTN 6This spell wards the sorcerer against magic cast upon him for the duration of the spell.The number of effect successes received while casting this spell are used to negateincoming spells Targeting the sorcerer (thrown spells, as they are not directly Targeted,are unaffected by this spell). The sorcerer may choose to counter any spell Targeting him,(subtracting successes equal to the effect successes generated while casting the ward) onthe incoming spell. The sorcerer will immediately sense when Targeted by a spell whilethe ward is in effect, and must expend a point of Heka from his Threshold in order toinvoke the ward. Use of a sorcery ward does not counter a spell, but merely negates itseffects on the warded Target. Therefore if a spell is cast Targeting the sorcerer and 2others, the other two Targets will be affected by the spell, even if the sorcerer prevents itfrom affecting him.

Intensity 3 Aether Vagary SpellsLevitate (R1, V1, T1, D1-M) CTN 4This spell causes the Aether surrounding the sorcerer to lift him up and carry him, for aslong as the spell is maintained. The sorcerer will move at relatively slow speed (3 MPH+1 MPH per additional success devoted towards the effect)

Intensity 4 Aether Vagary SpellsArcane Mark (R1, V1, T4, D3) CTN 9With this spell the sorcerer may mark a Target while touching him, allowing him to affectthe Target should he wander from the sorcerer sorcerer’s line of sight. While this spell isin effect, the sorcerer can cast spells on the Target by adding +2 to the CTN, regardless ofwhether or not he possesses LoS on the Target or not (if the Target is outside LoS Range,the spell’s Range is considered to by 4, otherwise use the true range of the Target).

Intensity 5 Aether Vagary Spells

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Tax Trap (R1, V1, T1, D4) CTN 7This spell allows the sorcerer to collect Tax and store it within a trap for the duration ofthe spell. Any Tax contained within the trap bleeds away at the rate of 1 point per day, inaddition to any Tax the sorcerer bleeds off normally. Should the spell end prematurely(because for example it is dispelled or the sorcerer loses concentration while maintainingit) the sorcerer immediately receives the full Tax contained by the trap.

The Vagary of the VoidThe Void is the nexus from which all things flow, also known as the Over-Realm. Thesorcerer can use Void sorcery as a nexus to contact, commune, and interact with spiritsfrom the realms. Practitioners of the art can sidestep through the Void enabling themhasten themselves, mask their presence from mundane detection, as well as phasethemselves between the mortal plane and the Void making them intangible and unable tobe effected by mundane means. The sorcerer can also extend his senses by using the void,allowing the sorcerer to see at hear things far from his current location.

Knowledge of the Void allows the sorcerer to unlock the elemental properties of the other4 elemental Vagaries, granting the sorcerer the conjure maneuver, allowing him toconjure and remove the raw Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Novice (Intensity 1) PropertiesThe novice can use his abilities to sense spirit beings from the Void and beyond (allowingthe sorcerer to sense spirits, ghosts and demons), as well as sense nearby Void shifts,sensing any active portals within the area.

Apprentice (Intensity 2) PropertiesThe Apprentice learns to open a minor Void rift in which the sorcerer can project a sensethrough (Vision or Hearing) that can be used to see or hear things at a distance. Howsmall the rift is based on the Volume parameter (with Volume 1 the projection is a foot indiameter, Volume 2 compresses the projection to 6”, Volume 3 flattens the projection,allowing it to go under doors or other type spots, and Volume 4 makes it the size of acoin), while the Range Parameter determines how far the projection can stray from thesorcerer’s current position (With Range 1 the projection can travel up to 1000 feet fromthe sorcerer, Range 2 allows the projection to travel 1 mile from the sorcerer, with Range3 the projection can travel up to 10 miles away from the sorcerer, while Range 4 allowsthe projection to travel any distance away from the sorcerer). The projection is conjureddirectly in front of the sorcerer, moves relatively slowly, (Move 3) and can ascend ordescend, turn or hover in place. He can also ward an area against otherwordly intrusion,creating a field in which the supernatural must make a WP Test at TN 7, receiving moresuccesses than the sorcerer’s effect successes to cross.

Adept (Intensity 3) PropertiesThe path of the journeyman now leads him into greater understanding of the spirit realmand the ability to summon spirits as well as banish spirits, allowing him to drive spiritsback to their natural plane of existence. He may also sidestep into the void, allowingtravel at greater speeds than normal while staying in the mortal realm (succeeding in the

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spell allows the sorcerer to increase movement by 20% over the course of a day withadditional increments devoted towards Strengthening the spell increasing this by +20%per increment). The sorcerer’s ability to scry things from a distance improves, and he maynow incorporate both Sight and Sound into his Sense Projections. He may also attempt touse the Void to create a portal at a weak point or rift between two realms, allowing thesorcerer to find a path into the realm where the true entrance is hidden, or conditional (aring of mushrooms that only allows access to the fey realm on a night of the new moon).Along with Fire 3 and Aether 3, the sorcerer can disembody his own spirit, allowing it totravel the realms. While in such a form, the sorcerer cannot affect the mortal realm, butcan interact with the spirit realm normally.

Journeyman (Intensity 4) PropertiesThe Adept can sidestep into the Void and leave his image there, making him invisible toothers vision. The sorcerer can now project his own SIGHT attribute through his senseprojection, in addition to normal vision and sound, allowing him to perceive things withhis SIGHT score, as well as casting spells through the projection itself (at +3 to the spellCTN and a Range Parameter of 4, unless the target is within the casting or quickenedspell range, in which case the true range parameter is used). He can also create pathwaysinto the Void, allowing the sorcerer to greatly increase his movement while traveling inthis manor (at double the normal rate, additional successes can be devoted towardsStrengthening the effect, increasing the movement rate by 3 or 4 times the normal travelrate). Finally, the Journeyman can transport himself into the other realms, allowing entryinto other-worlds without the presence of a rift or weak point.

Master (Intensity 5) PropertiesThe Master has the power to merge with the void, leaving his mass within it, whileappearing in the mundane realm as a wraithlike entity. While in this form, the sorcerer isimmune to non-magical attacks, and can travel through solid substances as if they werewater. The sorcerer can be affected by sorcery, and may cast spells in this form, but at +2to the Spell CTN. Void tunnels can be created to allowing the sorcerer to send himself oran already conjured Sense Projection through the Void instantaneously, with the RangeParameter based upon how familiar the sorcerer is with the area he desires to teleport to(R1-Very Familiar, such as the sorcerer’s home; R2- Familiar, such as an inn the sorcererfrequents; R3-Somewhat Familiar, a place the sorcerer has been to occasionally; R4-Barely Familiar-a place the sorcerer has been to only a few times). Along with Aether 5,the sorcerer may also create transfer portals, devices that allow instantaneous travel fromone portal to another attuned portal.

Traveling Through the VoidThe Void is a realm similar to the mundane realm, and the other-realms of magic and thefey. The Void is commonly referred to as the over-realm, as it lies above all the otherrealms and worlds. It also has its share of entities and beings native to it, which cansometimes become attracted to those traveling through it.

Traveling through the Void can be dangerous, particularly when done for extendedperiods of time. Whenever a character sidesteps into the Void, all things will appear in a

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grey like haze, and the character will hear a constant noise or hum surrounding him. Anyperception based Tests towards the mortal Realm or the Void are made at -3 dice. Thecharacter is also susceptible to attack from either realm while sidestepped.

Characters traveling through Void Tunnels cannot affect or be affected by the mortalrealm, and only suffer a -2 die penalty to perception Tests while within the Void, due tothe strangeness of the environment.

Finally, every hour spent in the Void requires a WP Test at TN 7 (or TN 9 if the characteris fully in the Void, such as when traveling through Void tunnels). If the Test is passed,nothing happens, but additional Tests are made at -1 die per additional hour spent in theVoid where the sorcerer passes the WP Test. If the Test is failed, the character’s MA andWP is reduced by 1, and the die penalty to the initial WP test is negated. A botch removes2 from each attribute. If either attribute is reduced to 0 the character goes insane.

Once a character leaves the Void for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours), his MAand WP returns at the rate of 1 point per hour. Character going insane may return tonormal in time (determined by the Seneschal), but will at the least pick up a random fearor phobia determined by the Seneschal.

A Sorcerer’s using the Void to instantaneously transport himself isn’t in the Void longenough to become adversely affected by it, but there are some problems a personencounters when folding the Void around them. First, the experience is incrediblydisorientating, the character is dazed and cannot act for 3 combat rounds –the number ofsuccesses received on a WP Test (if the penalty is reduced to 0 the character canimmediately act).

Second, a sorcerer can only fold himself in a location he can clearly see, or through aportal he has created or attuned himself too. While a sorcerer can use a Sense Projectionto gain LoS to a location, it is more dangerous than being able to spot the locationdirectly. When using a Sense Projection, a successful MA Test must be made at TN 7.Failure indicates the sorcerer has made a miscalculation. A D10 is rolled, on a 1-4 thesorcerer (and anything/anyone brought with him) have folded directly into a solid objectnear the location, killing anyone who teleported immediately, on a 5-8 the sorcerer ismerely teleported to a nearby location (determined by the Seneschal), and on a 9-10 thesorcerer is teleported somewhere within the Void and will need to find a way out.

The Vagary Void at a Glance…….Intensity

1 Detect Void Shifts; Activate open portals2 Sidestep through Void to increase travel rates; Sense Projections; control the 5

Elements (when used in conjunction with the other 5 Vagaries)3 Invisibility; pathways through the Void; Sense Projections including both vision

and sound; create a portal at a weak point between the realms4 Sense projections incorporating SIGHT; creating pathways through the void,

portals to an other-realm

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5 Wraithform; Void Tunnels a sorcerer can send himself or a Sense Projectionthrough; Void Transfer Portals (with Aether Sorcery)

Intensity 1 Void Vagary SpellsSense Spirit (R1, V3, T1, D1-M) CTN 6This spell allows the sorcerer to detect the presence of any spirit activity within thevolume of the spell while it is maintained.

Intensity 2 Void Vagary SpellsThe Eye (R2, V2, T1, D1-M) CTN 7This spell creates a Sight projection 6’ in diameter, which can be sent up to a mile awayfrom the sorcerer’s current position to scout ahead. It can fit through small openings(greater than 6”), and appears as only a small distortion of air, which can be detected byonlookers with an opposed Perception Test (with the TN varying based upon how alertthe observer was, -3 dice due to the projection’s size) against the Sorcerer’s Agility atTN 7. The projection moves at speed 3, and can rise or descend, as well as hover in place.A sorcerer must concentrate while looking through the projection, and cannot engage inany other actively.

TbD….

Raw Elemental SorceryA sorcerer versed in one of the elemental Vagaries can unlock its raw elementalproperties through knowledge of the Aether and Void Vagaries. Knowledge of Aethersorcery allows a sorcerer to manipulate the elements, allowing him to control the flow ofair, shape stone, intensify or smother flame, cause waves to rise, or even shape pureAether. Knowledge of the Void allows a sorcerer to conjure, as well as remove theelements, summoning or banishing the material back to its elemental realm of existence.The sorcerer’s ability to wield raw elemental sorcery is governed by 2 maneuvers,Manipulate Element, which requires the Aether Vagary Proficiency at rank 5, andConjure/Dispel element, which requires the Void Vagary Proficiency at rank 5. Spells arecast using the appropriate element using one or both of the elemental maneuvers. TheIntensity of the spell determines what effect the sorcerer can generate while casting rawelemental spells, as well as the maximum Volume Parameter that can chosen for the spell(in order to select a Volume Parameter of 3, the sorcerer must cast it as an Intensity 3spell). There is a Volume Parameter chart for each type of substance, Liquids, Gases,Solids, and Energy, along with the element most associated with the substance (Water forLiquids, Air for Gases, Earth for Solids, and Fire/Aether for Energy). This is not to sayhowever that an element exclusively uses a particular substance chart. For instance, whilemanipulating and conjuring water the Liquids Volume chart is used, while throwing largechunks of ice would use the Solids Volume chart, and when creating a fine mist thesorcerer would refer to the gases chart. These charts can also be used in place of thegeneral Volume Parameter chart found on p. XX when a sorcerer needs a more precisefigure on what exactly is affected by the spell.

Novice-Intensity 1 Detection, Trace Conjuration/Removal, Simple Manipulation

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At this rank the sorcerer can detect the presence of the appropriate element, as well asperform very simple manipulations, such as causing a breeze to stir or draw a word in thedirt (both sensing and manipulating the element requires the Manipulate maneuver). Thesorcerer may also conjure/remove (with the Conjure maneuver) trace amounts of theelement (Volume of 1 maximum). For example, a sorcerer could cause a candle to lightor extinguish, or conjure enough water to fill a chalice.

Apprentice-Intensity 2 Basic Manipulation, Lesser Conjure/Removal The sorcerer can now perform basic manipulations, such as causing a fire to intensify instrength or smother, as well as cause water to rise from an underground spring. Thesorcerer can also conjure and remove larger volumes of materials, and when combiningboth the Manipulate and Conjure maneuvers together the sorcerer can throw the elementat a distance.

Adept Intensity 3 Control, Alteration, Greater Conjuration/RemovalAt this level of control the sorcerer can shape an element into crude shapes, allowing thesorcerer to raise walls and other basic objects (Earth is permanently shaped, howeverDuration must be tied to the other Vagaries to hold an unnatural shape, or they willsimply flow back or disperse to their regular forms). The sorcerer can also conjure andremove an element over a much larger area (see the individual Volume for moreinformation).

Journeyman Intensity 4 Transformation, Complex Shaping, GrandConjuration/RemovalThe sorcerer can transform an element completely, turning air into poison gas, or waterinto ice, as well as create complex shapes, creating statues of earth or jets of fire in thesemblance of wild animals. The sorcerer can also conjure and remove elements over vastareas.

Master Intensity 5 MasteryAt this Intensity the Sorcerer can accomplish truly impressive feats of sorcery, causingsmall tornados, minor earthquakes.

Raw Elemental Sorcery Volumes

Parameter Description DimensionAlternateDimensions

Volume(cubic)

Mass(lbs)

Solid(Earth)

1 Sling Stone 0.50" radius sphere 0.8" cube .523" 0.052 Large Rock 0.52' radius sphere 10" cube 0.6' 1003 Catapult Stone 0.87' radius sphere 17" cube 2.82' 5004 Large Boulder 1.50' radius sphere 30" cube 17.65' 3,000

Liquid (Water)1 Cup 8 oz -- 14.4" 0.52 Barrel 42 gallons -- 5.34' 332.7

3 Large Well 3,172 gallons3' radius x 15'deep 424' 26,402

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4 Watering hole 33,662 gallons 75'x20'x3' 4,500' 280,351Gas (Air)

1 Breath 3"x3"x3" 500 mL 30" --2 Small Room 10'x10'x8' -- 800' --3 Small Building 30'x10'x16' -- 4,800' --

4A LargeMeadow

1/8 mile radius @30' high 1200'x1200'x30'

41,033,520' --

Energy (Fire and Aether)1 Candle Flame .25" radius sphere -- 0.065" --2 Torch 1.5" radius sphere -- 14.13" --3 Burning Bush 5' radius sphere -- 523' --

4BurningBuilding 15' radius sphere -- 14,137' --

NotesOnly Solids and Energy can be thrown. Solids are hurled in huge mass of material, andhurling a Volume 3 solid increases the Throwing TN by +1, while hurling a Volume 4Solid material increases the throwing TN by +2. Energy Volumes are compressed andexpand to fill the volume once they reach the target, and suffer no TN penalty.

Elemental DamageWhen throwing an element, the damage inflicted is based upon the substance hurled, aswell as the Intensity of the spell. For every 2 additional successes devoted towardsStrengthening the effect, the sorcerer can inflict an additional point of damage, orimprove the effect in some way. The following chart as a guideline on how much damagecan be afflicted when throwing a particular element.

Air: Hurling Air by itself causes no damage; although the sorcerer can cause bursts of airto knock down a character (additional successes used to strengthen the effect reduce thecharacter’s knockdown pool). Compressed as a ball and thrown air will expand (using theenergy volume chart) causing 4 Blunt Damage and 10 shock (each is increased by +1 per2 additional successes devoted towards the effect). The sorcerer may also projectlighting, causing 7 Generic Damage (additional successes devoted towards the effect canincrease the damage suffered) and ignoring metal armor.

Affecting a character with Poison Gas requires the character to make a Health Test at TN9, with additional successes devoted towards Strengthening the effect reducing thecharacter’s Health Test. Success indicates the character did not receive a lethal dose, butmust leave the affected area immediately or make additional Tests. Failure indicates thecharacter will become incapacitated almost immediately, losing 1 point of health per houruntil death sets in.

Geomancy: Rock hurled at an opponent causes 4 x the Volume Parameter of the spell inBlunt damage, with additional successes devoted towards the effect causing additionaldamage. Hurling sand or dirt uses causes no damage but can momentary blind a target(reducing his CP by ½ and unable to shoot missile weapons until he clears his eyes).

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Pyromancy: Fire damage is treated as generic damage and is based upon the Intensity ofthe spell cast. Intensity 1 fire causes a single point of Generic damage, while Intensity 2causes 3 damage, Intensity 3 causes 6 Damage, Intensity 4 10 damage, and Intensity 5dragon fire causes 15 damage. Fire can be hurled as a great ball using the solid chart, orbe compressed and thrown. Additional successes devoted towards the effect can be usedto increase the damage further. Cloth and leather armor may catch fire, which may causeadditional damage, should the character not take steps to extinguish it.

Hydromancy: Normal water does not cause damage, but can cause knockdown similar toAir, and also gets the target wet, which may affect their equipment (bow strings areunusable if soaked). Ice can be hurled (using the solids chart), causing damage equal tothe 3 x the Volume of the spell in crushing damage.

Aethermancy: Pure Aether can be projected and thrown using the energy Volume chart,causing 5 Generic damage (additional success can be used to Strengthen the effect), andcan affect spirits, ghosts and demons in addition to mortals. In addition, a character hitwith hurled Aether that has a Threshold takes 1 point of Tax in addition to the damagesuffered.

Chapter 5, The LaboratoryThis chapter contains information on furthering the art of sorcery through research andexperimentation. Information on acquiring sources of power which can be harvested forlaboratory research, rules for creating magical devices of sorcery, personal foci, andformalizing spells are included within.

Formalized SpellsWithin the Sorcerer’s personal tomes are those spells that he has formalized.Formalization of a spell is a time consuming but rewarding process, involving heavyresearch, experimentation, and practice resulting in a transcribed spell. Formalized spells provide several advantages. They may be passed on from one sorcererto another provided the spell is transcribed in mutually understandable script (manysorcerers invent their own secret cipher for writing their spells so they cannot be stolen).The Formalization process refines the spell, and casting a formalized spell counts as afocus (and when used with other foci, gives the sorcerer a CTN reduction to his spell.Once the spell has been fully formalized, the sorcery can begin to master it, getting up to3 additional specialty dice to throw while casting the spell.

Formalizing a SpellTo properly formalize a spell, the sorcerer needs to make an extended series ofMA/Arcane Theory Tests. The number of total successes is equal to the Intensity of thespell x the CTN of the spell. Therefore an Intensity 3 spell with a Range of 3, a Volumeof 2, a Target of 2, and a Duration of 1 would take a total of 24 successes to properlyformalize (3 Intensity x CTN of 8).

A Test can be made each day the sorcerer can dedicate 6 or more hours formalizing aspell. All research towards learning the spell must be done in a library, laboratory, or

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other such environment where research and experimentation can be safely conducted.Especially fine facilities may provide bonus dice to the tests at the Seneschal’s option.

If a sorcerer has tome or scroll of another sorcerer with the exact spell already formalized,the research takes half the normal time to receive a Test to formalize a spell (3 hoursinstead of the normal 6 per day). The sorcerer could still devote the same overall timeresearching the spell per day, gaining 2 separate Tests, or study 2 different spells at thesame time.

Specializing in a Formalized SpellOnce a spell has been fully formalized, the sorcerer can specialize in it, granting bonusdice (from +1 to +3) when casting the spell. Specialization dice are bought with SApoints, with +1 cost 2 SA points, +2 4 SA points, and +3 costing 6 SA points. These costsare cumulative, so a character wishing to go from no specialization to +3 would pay 12total SA points.

Formalized Specialization CostsBonus SA Cost+1 2 SA+2 4 SA+3 6 SA

Personal FociMany sorcerers choose to rely upon a personal focus to greater harness their powers. Apersonal focus is an item that has been linked directly to the sorcerer’s own KAA. Asorcerer may only have 1 Focus in existence at any given time and can only make anotherone should the current one become lost or destroyed. A focus can be literally any type ofitem, although the most common Foci are generally staffs and rings/amulets.

Making a FocusThere are two ways that a personal focus can be made, either as a staff, or as an item.Each is described below.

Creating a StaffBy far the most common type of focus is the staff (or rod, or wand). This requires noparticular crafting skills, but a bit time on the sorcerer’s part to find an appropriate treewhich he can feel an attunement to (usually a tree near the place where the sorcerer wasborn). The sorcerer spends a week searching, making a KAA test at TN 7. If successful,the sorcerer finds a suitable branch (each additional success reduces the amount of timetaken to find the proper branch by a day). Once this is done, the sorcerer must spend asecond week attuning himself to the focus. At the end of this time, the sorcerer attuneshimself directly to the focus by spending a week in meditation and investing a portion ofhis spirit into the device, sacrificing SA points equal to his KAA Attribute. Once this isdone the sorcerer has attuned himself to his focus, linking his KAA directly to it.

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The second way to make a focus involves making an appropriate item that can be used asa focus. This must normally be done by the sorcerer himself, and therefore he mustpossess the appropriate crafting skill (such as jewelcrafting), in order to make the item tobecome the focus. Once this is done the sorcerer must invest a portion of his spirit intothe device, as describer above.

Starting with a FocusWith the Seneschal’s permission any Sorcerer with a B or higher Magical Priority and aArt score of at least 3 may start play with a staff focus, or by purchasing the Major GiftSuperior Focus the sorcerer can start play with item focus (such as a ring, bracelet, oramulet), without paying the SA cost. Should the focus become lost or destroyed duringplay however, the sorcerer must create a new one using the rules outlined above.

Benefits of a FocusThere are several benefits to a sorcerer to use a Focus. Each are listed below in detail.

Staffs and WandsStaff and Wand Foci are better at “Spell Throwing”. The long narrow shaft becomes aneasier aiming point then launching the spell from the hand. The ATN to throw a spellwhile holding a staff or wand Foci is 6 rather than the usual 7.

Also, should any spell be cast with a Range parameter of “Touch”, this also includesbeing touched by the Focus.

Satisfies Focus RequirementA personal focus satisfies the focus requirement to casting a spell (see CTN modifiers, p.XX). When used in conjunction with another focus (whether it be an associated, living, orformalized) it reduces the spell’s CTN by -1. If used with 2 other foci, the CTN isreduced by -2. If used in conjunction with all the other foci the CTN is reduced by 3. SeeCTN modifiers on p. xx for more details on the various type of foci and their benefits.

Foci as Matrixes A Focus also acts as a Matrix (see Spell Matrixes, p.xx), with a KAA value equal to thesorcerer’s current KAA. The Focus also has a pre-existing link with the sorcerer, itrequires no attunement, and therefore the sorcerer does not receive any Tax when storinga spell within it.

Drawbacks of a FocusSorcerers who create a Focus run the risk that it might be taken away from them. Shoulda sorcerer ever become separated from his Focus, he immediately suffers a +3 CTNpenalty to all spells cast (this in addition to any other penalties for not having a focus,therefore if the sorcerer did not have an associated or attuned focus, or was not abloodline sorcerer, or was casting a non-formalized spell, the penalty would be +6 to thespell CTN). In addition, his KAA is reduced by the amount he linked into his focus.

Should the focus be destroyed, the backlash is tremendous. The sorcerer immediatelymust make a Knockout Test at TN 7 -1 per die attuned into the focus. If the sorcerer

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failw, he is knocked out for 1 hour per point of KAA attuned into the focus. If thesorcerer receives a success, the duration is only minutes, and with 2 successes, thesorcerer is knocked out for a number of rounds equal to the amount of KAA attuned. Ifthe sorcerer achieves 3 or more successes, he is remains standing, although he feelsterrible and immediately knows the focus has been destroyed. Any KAA attuned(including the first point required to establish the connection) is lost permanently(although it can be bought back). The sorcerer also suffers the +3 to the CTN penaltyuntil such time as he can create another focus, or fully retrains himself to work magicagain without the use of a personal focus (each month spent without the focus reduces thepenalty by -1).

Heka NodesHeka nodes are manifested, concentrated Aether either found naturally occurring withinthe environment or from the carcass of a magical beast, which can be collected andharvested by a sorcerer to create items of sorcery, or be expended to gain temporarybenefits while casting a spell. Each Node is attuned to a particular Vagary of sorcery, andis often found within its attuned element. For instance, a supply of water nodes could befound in a pure stream of water, while earth nodes could be found in exceptional crystals.Nodes harvested from a creature often reflect the element(s) the creature is most attunedwith. A dragon would have a high number of Fire nodes, with some Aether and Earthnodes as well, while a sea monster would have a high number of water nodes, etc.

Each node is rated by its strength, the greater in strength the more powerful the node is toa sorcerer. Many nodes found occurring in nature are relatively small nodes, mostlystrength 1 with a few strength 2 nodes. Higher strength nodes are usually found in thebodies of supernatural creatures, along with smaller nodes. Nodes can be used to pay theAether cost to power a spell cast by a sorcerer (granting the sorcerer 1 point of Heka perpoint of strength the node possesses), and if a node is sacrificed that is also the same asthe spell being cast, it acts as an attuned focus for the spell (using a fire node to cast a firespell). The sorcerer can use a single node of high strength (although this is rare, mostsorcerer’s use higher strength nodes to create devices of sorcery, due to their rarity) ormultiple nodes of lower strength, but cannot channel more Heka from the nodes than thesorcerer’s KAA to cast a spell.

Example: Robert has almost completely burned through his Threshold, and finds himselfhaving to cast an Intensity 3 spell. He has a single strength 5 fire node, as well as 2 1strength fire nodes, and 2 1 strength Aether nodes. Robert uses 3 of the 1 strength nodes(2 Aether and 1 fire), to completely pay the Heka cost for the spell. Since on of the nodessacrificed was a fire node, he is also considered to have cast the spell with an attunedfocus, reducing the spell’s CTN by -1 when used in conjunction with another focus.

Nodes found within the environment are normally found in low strength patches, of 3-12nodes with most being strength 1, with perhaps one or two of strength 2-3 Heka. If apatch occurs in an area with a magical aura associated with it, it is possible that the siterenews itself, usually on an annual or bi-annual basis, allowing the sorcerer to come backand harvest additional nodes at a later date.

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Nodes harvested from a creature vary in strength and type depending on the beast’sabilities and the Vagaries associated with it. As an example, the body of a dragon mightcontain 100 total nodes of KAA. More than half of the nodes will be 1 KAA strengthfrom the dragon’s blood and scales. The teeth and the claws would yield approximately20-25 nodes of 2-4 strength, with each eye yielding a 3-8 strength node, and finally theheart itself acting as a 9-12 strength node. Most of the nodes would be attuned to fire,although some of the nodes would likely be from the other Vagaries, and the heart itselfwould be almost certainly be attuned to the Aether Vagary. The dragon is an example of acreature of extremely high node density, most creates would yield far fewer nodes. A Heffor example might contain a single 3-5 strength earth or water node (normally within thecreature’s heart), and another 4-8 low strength nodes (1-2 Heka each) in the creatureshorns, claws and other vital areas.

Searching for Heka NodesA sorcerer can search for Heka Nodes in the environment, and an Intensity 1 AetherDetect node spell will reveal any nodes within the volume of the spell, otherwise thesorcerer will can sense a nearby Node with a successful SIGHT Test at TN 7. Manysorcerers spend portions of their time each year attempting to find nodes. Each week asorcerer spend node hunting, a SIGHT/Orienteering or Area Lore Test should be made (ifthe sorcerer has a Node detection spell up, his SIGHT attribute is increased by +2). Thesorcerer may choose to modify the Test based upon whether or not the area traveled isparticularly strong or weak in nodes, or if the sorcerer is occupied with other actions andspending less time on actively searching for nodes. If the Test is successful, the sorcereracquires a strength 1 node for each success received on the Test. The Seneschal shoulddecide which Vagary (or Vagaries) are associated with the nodes, or if the sorcerer istrying to search for nodes of a specific Vagary, he may do so, at a -2 dice penalty to hisSIGHT Test. Whether or not the node patch is a renewable source or not is up for theSeneschal to determine.

Creating Devices of SorceryIt is possible for a sorcerer through time, dedication, the Aether Vagary, and the use ofHeka Nodes to create devices of sorcery. There are several types of magical devices, eachlisted below, along with the Aether Vagary requirement to make.

Lesser DevicesLesser devices are spells which have been hung into an object as a temporary matrix toactivate with a specific trigger (see Hanging spells, on p. XX for more information),destroying the object and releasing the spell. To create a lesser device, the sorcerer mustbe able to cast Intensity 2 Aether spells. Examples: Potions, Scrolls, symbols and glyphs

Step 1, Determine the spell to be CastIn order to create a lesser device, the sorcerer must first decide which spell he wants tocast, the level of effect, and the parameters levels used in the casting. This determines the

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Vagary (or Vagaries used), the number of successes that will be required on the CastingTest, and the base CTN of the spell.

For example: Robert wants to create a potion which reduces the pain of the person whodrinks it by 3 for 1 hour. Reducing pain can be accomplished with both the fire and watervagaries (one convinces the Target he really isn’t in pain, the other dulls the Target’snerves) at Intensity 2, but since Robert is a Fire Wizard, he naturally decides to cast thespell using the fire Vagary. The spell’s CTN is 9 (Range 1, Volume 1, Target 4, Volume3), and he must receive at least 3 successes on the casting Test (the Target’s pain isreduced by 1 per success devoted towards the effect).

Step 2, Create the Device that will house the Spell Next, the sorcerer must create the object to hold the spell and contain the Heka from thenode sacrificed. The object normally relates in some way to the spell’s trigger. Forexample, a spell triggered to activate when ingested normally takes the form of a potionor food, a clay disk can be fashioned that triggers a spell when stepped upon, and symbolor glyph can be scribed to be used to trigger a spell when read. The materials use to craftthe device are normally trivial or inexpensive, although the Seneschal may require moresubstantial costs in his own campaign. Once the materials are gathered, the sorcerer needsto make an extended series of KAA/Artificer Tests (for certain objects, such as potions,scrolls or symbols, the Seneschal may allow the sorcerer to use other skills to fashion thedevice, such as Herbalism, Ancient Languages: Written, or Symbol Drawing), gaining anumber of successes equal to the CTN x the Intensity of the spell cast into the device.Each Test takes 2 hours.

Example: As Robert is creating a potion, the Seneschal gives him the option of creatingthe device with either the Artificer or the Herbalism skill. Since his Artificer skill is thebetter of the two, he will use that to cast the spell. The total number of successes he willneed to cast the spell is 18 (the CTN of the spell, which is 9 x the Intensity of the spell,which is 2). He can make a KAA/Artificer Test every 2 hours, and he ends up having tomake 10 Tests, taking him to 2 days to accomplish.

Step 3, Cast the Spell into the DeviceOnce the sorcerer has enchanted the device, he must cast the spell being placed into it. Ifsuccessful, and the sorcerer receives any additional successes required to achieve thedesired effect, the spell is placed into the device. If the spell fails, or the sorcerer doesn’treceive the required number of successes on the casting Test to achieve the desired resultdetermined in step 1, the device is considered ruined, and the process must be started overagain. Any additional successes above the minimum required have no additional effect.

Example: Robert casts the pain spell into the device, and receives a total of 4 successes,1 over what he needed (which is discarded). The spell is successfully cast into the device.

Step 4, Sacrifice Nodes and Seal the DeviceThe sorcerer must now sacrifice nodes of the same Vagary as the spell being placed intothe device, equal in total strength to the Intensity of the spell, with an additional nodesacrificed for every 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effect (the

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stronger the spell’s effect, the more nodes required to support it). Once the nodes aresacrificed, the sorcerer must cast the Create Lesser Device spell as a ritual. If the Test issuccessful, the device is properly made, while failure ruins the device and wastes thesacrificed nodes, returning the sorcerer to step 1.

Example: Robert sacrifices 3 strength 1 fire nodes (for the Intensity of the spell, +1 forthe 2 additional successes devoted towards strengthening the effect) He then casts theCreate Lesser Device spell successfully, creating the remove pain potion. Robert sighs inrelieve, pleased with his success.

Creating Lesser Devices in BatchesIt is possible for a sorcerer lesser devices in batches (either additional objects, or a singleobject with additional uses), creating more than 1 device at a time. The number ofsuccesses required to create the second item of a batch is ½ the normal amount, andcreating the third + of the same device at a time is 1/3 the normal amount, round down.The sorcerer must create all the devices at the same time. He must also still cast eachspell into the device separately, as well as sacrifice the appropriate amount of nodes foreach device.

Example: Robert is pleased with the potion, and decides to create another 5 for futureuse. The first device will still require 18 successes, while the second only 9, with thefourth and fifth requiring an additional 4 successes each, for a total of 35 successes.Once Robert crafts the devices, he will still need to individually cast the spells into thedevice, as well as sacrifice the number of required Heka nodes.

Greater Devices A greater device of sorcery is a device capable of producing persistant as well as invokedeffects.

TBD…

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