Major Arcana and Minor Temptations House Rules
We have a number of house rules that affect play. They are listed below, along with the page numbers in the MET books that they modify. Major changes to the rules(downtime actions, experience spending) have their own section in the House Rules.
Resolution System:
All actions will depend on a pool(aka bonus), usually by adding ratings together – for instance, if you’re computer hacking, maybe your pool is Intelligence + Computers, so if your Intelligence is 3 and your Computers is 2, your bonus for the action is 5. You might also have penalties which will subtract from that pool. You then generate a random number between 1 and 10(I recommend dice, but hand signs and cards also work). Add your pool to that number. If your result is a 9 or higher, then you have succeeded. For every three above nine, it is an extra success – so 9 is one success, 12 is two successes, 15 is three successes, and so on. There are two special cases – if you roll a 1, the action automatically fails. If you roll a ten, roll the die again and add it, with a ten counting as a zero this time (meaning you’ll end up with a die roll of between 10 and 19).
If you have trouble working out the math on the results, here is a table for you:
|
Total: |
8 or less |
9-11 |
12-14 |
15-17 |
18-20 |
21-23 |
….Every +3 |
|
Successes: |
Failure |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
+1 success |
Other Mind's Eye Theatre changes:
p.32 - Merits are bought as per tabletop rules - you have to buy every dot of a multiple-dot Merit.
Example: You want to buy Striking Looks at the 2-dot level. You must spend 6 XP to do so - 2 XP to buy the first dot, and 4 XP to buy the second dot, even though the first dot has no special effects.
p.101 - Morality draws are done with a special roll that simulate tabletop style(more generous) odds. Talk to the Storyteller.
p.103 - We do use the optional rule for gaining derangements. After character creation, we use the same special roll as for Morality loss.
p.107 - Speed is as per tabletop - 5+Strength+Dex Acting Speed, twice that for Running speed
p.136 - Fleet of Foot adds to Acting Speed
p.163 - Optional Rule #1 is used for Buying off Failure
Mages channel higher realities to change common in accordance with their wishes, or to perceive the realities hidden from normal sight. An individual magic is called a spell and the process of doing it casting a spell or spellcasting. Use the following steps when casting a spell.
What spell are you casting?
Decide what the spell is supposed to do. If you are just picking one of the predefined effects from the spell lists, determining the Arcana necessary will be easy, otherwise you may need to ask the Storyteller. If a spell requires the use of more than one Arcana it is called a Conjunctional Spell.
Imago: The Spell in the Mind’s Eye
Once you, the player, have determined the spell to be cast, the mage does the same. He visualizes and imagines the Imago of the desired result. It includes all of the spell’s effects and factors. Without this Imago, the mage’s enlightened will cannot bring the spell to life — his imagination must be engaged to manifest change in the world, and that change matches the image he forms in his mind. In the case of a rote, the Imago has been clarified and defined so precisely that it can be conjured easily in the mind and even taught to others.
Casting Method: Rote or Improvised?
The next step is to determine whether the mage has learned the spell as a rote or must perform an improvised casting.
Rote Spells
Rote spells, also known simply as “rotes,” are tried-and tested magical formulae, handed down from master to apprentice, and developed over the course of a mage’s training and practice in the Art. In order to cast a spell as a rote, your character must know the rote(ie: have bought it with Experience Points and have it written on your character sheet).
Casting a spell as rote has the following advantages:
All rotes are cast using Mudras, ritualized hand and body gestures that serve as mnemonics to bring the Imago of the rote to mind. They are part of the rote formula, passed from teacher to student. Mudras for Vulgar spells are large, flashy, and obvious hand and body gestures, while Mudras for Covert spells tend to be subtle and hard to spot – facial gestures, or movement of fingers. If your character cannot make the associated Mudra, he can not cast a spell as a rote. If he is grappled or otherwise hindered from fully performing the Mudra¸he may take a -1 or -2 penalty to the casting.
Improvised Spells
Improvised spells are based on the mage’s enlightened will and knowledge of the Mysteries. A mage can cast improvised spells by dint of her Path; she needs no training from other mages (although training certainly helps!). Any spell listed in the Arcanum descriptions can be cast as an improvised spell, provided a mage has the proper Arcanum dots. There are some secret techniques that require specialized knowledge aside from just raw Arcana knowledge to perform, but none of the common effects listed in the spell lists falls under this classification.
Casting Action: Instant or Extended?
The next step in casting a spell is to decide whether the casting is an instant action or an extended action. The spell’s description lists which casting action the spell requires.
Instant Spellcasting
Instant casting, also called “fast casting,” takes only a moment, allowing the mage to cast a spell in a single turn. Mages use instant casting when they need a spell right now, particularly when using magic in combat. An instant spell is resolved with a single spellcasting roll. While spellcasting, a mage can take no other action (even if a Merit or other spell normally allows for other actions) and can move no more than his Speed rating in that turn. Instant-action spells can be cast as extended actions if a mage so desires (such as when he has the luxury of time), but not vice versa.
Extended Spellcasting
Extended or ritual spellcasting takes time and a succession of rolls, but builds up power over time. Extended spellcasting allows for elaborate spells with many factors. Rituals can also create wide-ranging and long-lasting, even permanent, spells. Extended spellcasting usually requires a downtime action, but short and simple extended castings might be doable in a shorter timeframe. Extended castings will be covered separately.
Spell Aspect: Covert or Vulgar?
How a spell alters reality determines whether or not reality will accept that spell without complaint. Spells are described as either covert or vulgar. Covert magic works secretly or fools onlookers into believing that the effect is mere coincidence rather than intentional magic. Vulgar magic works outside of those limits, potentially invoking a Paradox.
Whether a spell is Covert or Vulgar is set in the spell description or determined by the Storyteller. It is not dependent on how the spell is perceived, but what it does and how it does it(and sometimes by game balance considerations). A Covert spell can become Improbable, however, if it is cast in such a way as to exceed the threshold of credibility in front of Sleeper witnesses. This is especially likely if the spell is cast several times in a row. An Improbable spell can manifest a Paradox just like a Vulgar spell can.
Casting Range: Sensory or Sympathetic?
The reach of a mage’s powers is limited to the extent of his awareness. Of course, with magic, a mage’s awareness can extend very far indeed.
Spells have two basic ranges: sensory and sympathetic. Sensory spells are within range of the mage’s mundane senses (particularly sight, hearing or touch). Sympathetic spells use the Space Arcanum to extend the mage’s reach virtually anywhere, provided the mage has a strong enough connection to the spell’s target.
Sensory Spells
Most spells rely on a mage’s mundane senses. He can cast a spell on any target distinguishable by sight, hearing or touch and who’s in the mage’s presence. If there’s some question as to whether or not the mage can distinguish the target, the Storyteller may apply a penalty to the mage’s spellcasting pool. Targets that are still within sight but that are extremely far away, such as a sniper on a distant building, are not considered to be within the mage’s presence. Generally, mages
cannot affect targets more than 200 yards away, at best.
For spells that give a Mage magical perceptions, their limits are generally defined by what the Mage could sense. If a Mage in the dark casts Spatial Awareness(Space 1), it allows him to sense his surroundings even though there is no light for him to see by. It will not, however, allow him to sense something on the other side of a wall, for instance, as that would not be within Sensory range of the Mage even if he had full access to his vision.
Most magic affects Patterns(people, places, or things) directly. Some spells however create a magical effect the caster then directs at the target, such as a bolt of flame or a magical dart. These spells are Aimed Spells, and must be cast as non-Sympathetic Instant Spells. Generally the target does not get any direct resistance to the spell, but factors such as visibility, Armor, Defense, and range can impact the caster’s roll just as if it were any other ranged or close combat attack. Usually if the spell fails because of these factors, it means the spell manifests but goes off-target instead.
Sensory range is the default of spellcasting and requires no additional effort from the mage.
Sympathetic Spells
Students of the Space Arcanum learn that distance is an illusion, a limit magic can overcome. By including the Space Arcanum in a spell, mages can extend the reach of their magic virtually anywhere in Creation. Spells including a Space element to increase range are called sympathetic spells, since they take advantage of what
some mages call the Law of Sympathy: “Like produces like.” Sprinkling rain onto a map, scrying into a bowl of ink mixed with a drop of the subject’s blood, sticking pins into a puppet containing a lock of the subject’s hair — all of these are examples of sympathetic spells.
To cast a sympathetic spell, the mage must have at least 2 dots in Space and a Mana point must be spent. The stronger the connection between the mage and the target, the easier it is to include the target in the spell’s Imago. If the mage knows little or nothing about the target, it is hard to perceive it in his mind’s eye, making it difficult to build a sympathetic connection. This difficulty is represented with dice penalties. Instead of penalizing a spell for the distance involved (distance is an illusion), it is penalized for the vagueness of the connection to the target. The less a mage knows about the subject, the higher the penalty.
|
Dice Penalty |
Sympathetic Connection Between Caster and Target Target*
|
|
-- |
Sensory: You can see, hear or otherwise sense your target directly. This is the default factor, a sensory spell.
|
|
–2 |
Intimate: You have a piece of the target’s physical substance, such as hair, nail clippings or blood from a creature, a leaf or flower from a plant, or a sliver of material from an object. Or you know the target very well, such as a longtime friend or close family member, a beloved pet or a prized possession.
|
|
-4 |
Known: You know the target, which might be a friend, co-worker or personal possession. You have a photo or other accurate representation of the target, or you can see the target on live video or hear the target over live audio.
|
|
-6 |
Acquainted: You’re acquainted with the target. It might be a casual acquaintance, a co-worker you hardly know, or an item you held or used once. |
|
-8 |
Encountered: You have encountered the target briefly, such as a person you passed on the street or an item you touched once.
|
|
-10 |
Described: You have never encountered the target, but can describe it. You might know a person’s name or physical description, or what an object or place looks like. |
|
-- |
Unknown: If you know nothing about the target, you cannot cast a sympathetic spell on it. Knowing that there is a rival mage in town is not enough to affect the mysterious figure from afar. You must at least know his name, description or location.
|
|
An additional -4 |
If the caster does not know the real name of the target. |
|
An additional -1 to -3 |
For each dot of Fame or Occultation the target possesses. |
Sympathetic Casting Drawbacks
Invoking a Paradox: Does the spell produce a Paradox?
Whenever you cast a Vulgar or Improbable spell, the Storyteller will check to see if a Paradox is produced by the spell. The exact effects of the Paradox will vary and will not necessarily be in keeping with the exact effects specified in the book, but you can generally trust that the more Paradox successes the Storyteller rolls, the worse off you are.
You do however get to know how many dice the Storyteller is rolling to determine a Paradox. The base number of Dice used is based on the Caster’s Gnosis:
|
Gnosis |
Base Paradox Dice Pool |
|
1-2 |
1 die |
|
3-4 |
2 dice |
|
5-6 |
3 dice |
|
7-8 |
4 dice |
|
9-10 |
5 dice |
The base dice pool is also modified by various conditions, including successive Paradox rolls. The more rolls made for
Paradoxes, the higher your next dice pool becomes.
|
Dice Modifier |
Situation |
|
+1 |
Each Paradox roll after the first made for the same caster within the same scene. This bonus accumulates with each roll, so the third roll made for a mage within a scene has a +2 modifier. In the case of an extended casting, this modifier applies to successive Paradox rolls made within the same day.
|
|
+2 |
One or more Sleepers witnesses the magic (vulgar magic only)
|
|
-1 |
The Mage is casting a Rote |
|
-1 |
The Mage uses one or more dedicated magical tools during casting |
|
-1 per point |
The Mage can spend points of Mana on a one per one basis to reduce the Paradox pool. Remember the regular limits on Mana spent per turn. |
If the Paradox pool scores successes, bad things will happen. In addition to possible Paradoxes, the casting roll suffers a penalty equal to the Paradox successes(so if you generate a Paradox with three successes, you apply a -3 penalty to your casting roll).
Backlash
Instead of accepting a Paradox result, you can choose instead to take the energy of your spell into yourself as a Backlash. You can choose to remove successes from the Paradox roll by taking points of Resistant Bashing damage, on a one-for-one basis. You do not have to absorb all the Paradox. The spell is cancelled and nullified, and the Paradox effect is reduced or eliminated(depending on how much of the Paradox you decided to absorb).
The Spellcasting Dice Pool and Spell Factors: What bonus do I roll with?
Once the spell is chosen and its method, action, aspect and range are determined, a casting dice pool is determined. Remember to subtract any penalties from Paradox!
Rote Spell
When a mage casts a rote spell, the player rolls a pool based on Attribute + Skill + Arcanum, using the traits listed in the rote’s description.
Rote Spellcasting Dice Pool = Attribute + Skill + Arcanum
Note that Skill Specialties do not apply to rote casting. A mage with an Occult Skill Specialty in Curses does not get a one-die bonus to his dice pool when casting curse spells, even if the rote uses the Occult Skill. Instead, mages can use their orders’ Rote Specialties.
Improvised Spell
When a mage casts an improvised spell, the player rolls a pool based on the mage’s Gnosis + Arcanum.
Improvised Spellcasting Dice Pool = Gnosis + Arcanum
High Speech
For either Rote or Improvised spells, a caster can increase her ability to cast a spell by verbalizing the components of the spell’s Imago in High Speech. Mages believe that since this language was the native tongue of the Oracles and Exarchs, its words hold power over the Fallen World, forming a sort of “true tongue” that can make things real. If a spell’s true words are uttered during spellcasting, the magic is ushered in by a surge of power. If the Mage knows High Speech, she can spend an Instant Action the turn before casting the spell to chant in High Speech. She then gains a +2 bonus to cast the spell in the following turn, punctuated by more chanting. In game mechanics terms, this means the spell takes two Instant Actions to cast instead of just one, and the Mage looses her Defense for both turns and can move no more than her Speed(she cannot run). The chanting must be roleplayed in at least a loud whisper, enough for nearby observers to hear.
All Extended castings are assumed to already make used of High Speech, and it confers no extra bonuses to those.
Spell Factors
All the preceding rules assume only the most basic spellcasting aspects: that a spell affects a single target for a very short amount of time. A mage can create an Imago, however, that calls for a burst of flame to affect an entire area or for an enchantment to last for a whole day. These elements of a spell — the number of targets or area affected, the amount of time the spell lasts, and even its raw power — are called spell factors, and the mage can increase them as he
desires. Spells are limited only by a mage’s power and knowledge.
Potency is a measure of a spell’s power. For damaging spells, it is the spell’s damage. For other spells, Potency has different effects. Potency also denotes a spell’s resilience against other mages’ attempts to counter or dispel it.
Target is the creature or object or the number of creatures or objects that a spell affects. The default is one target: a single living being or inanimate object of up to Size 20, or a small area. To affect larger beings or things, you must add additional Target factors.
Duration is how long a spell lasts. The default for most spells is one turn (for transitory spells) or one scene (for prolonged spells). Once Duration elapses, the spell ends. Any mage can increase his spell’s various factors, although he does so at the cost of dice penalties (for instant castings) or additional required successes (for extended castings). A mage with advanced understanding of a spell’s Arcanum (one dot higher than is normally required to cast the spell) can increase her factors by more dramatic amounts, as explained below.
Note that spell factors might seem complicated at first, but they are optional. A mage does not have to alter the default factors of his spellcasting, as explained in the individual spell descriptions for each Arcana, but he has that choice. Beginning players might want to wait until they’ve mastered the basics of the spellcasting system before they try altering spell factors.
The spell’s description lists which factor is primary. Successes rolled in the spellcasting are applied to this factor. A single success gives a spell the following factors:
Potency: 1 point
Target: One (of Size 20 or smaller), or a circular radius of one yard or a defined area of five square yards.
Duration: One turn (three seconds) for transitory spells, and one hour or scene for prolonged spells.
Extra successes enhance the primary factor only. To enhance the other factors, you must assign dice penalties before the roll is made. Note that only successes can increase the primary factor.
Potency
Potency describes a spell’s raw power. It is also the measure of a spell’s resiliency, how hard it is to counter or dispel. Even if a spell requires only one point of Potency, the caster might still wish to increase its Potency if he suspects a target will try to counter or dispel it. A spell with Target or Duration as its primary factor (i.e., successes are applied to one of those factors), has a default Potency of one point, making it easy to counter or dispel even if the casting resulted in an exceptional success. (The spell affects many targets or lasts a long time, but has little resilience against countering or dispelling attempts). Potency is the primary factor for the majority of spells listed later in this chapter. If a spell description does not call for successes to be devoted to number of targets (or area affected)
or Duration, assume that its successes apply to Potency.
|
Potency |
Dice Penalty |
|
1 |
None (basic success) |
|
2 |
-2 |
|
3 |
-4 |
|
4 |
-6 |
|
An additional -2 penalty for each extra dot of Potency |
|
Target
Spells are targeted against one or more creatures or objects. The magic is woven directly into that target’s Pattern, bypassing any intervening obstacles. Two questions to consider are: How many targets are to be affected, and how big is each target?
|
Number of Targets |
Dice Penalty |
|
One |
None (basic success) |
|
Two |
-2 |
|
Four |
-4 |
|
Eight |
-6 |
|
Sixteen |
-8 |
|
Impose an additional –2 die penalty per x2 targets. For example, 32 targets would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
|
Size
Once a mage knows who he targets, he must account for the largest target in the group. Targets of exceptional size (larger than a dump truck) require extra spell control.
|
Size of Largest Target |
Dice Penalty |
|
20 or less |
None (basic success) |
|
21-30 |
-2 |
|
31-40 |
-4 |
|
41-50 |
-6 |
|
51-60 |
-8 |
|
Impose an additional –2 die penalty per +10 extra Size. For example, a target of Size 61-70 would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
|
Area-Affecting
Instead of one or more specified targets, a spell might affect a circular radius around a specified spot (radiating equaling in all directions), or a defined volume (measured in three dimensions — width, length and height — defined by the spellcaster). The spell then applies to anyone or anything in that radius or volume, friend or foe. The mage cannot single out specific targets within the declared space.
Area-Affecting
Instead of one or more specified targets, a spell might affect a circular radius around a specified spot (radiating equaling in all directions), or a defined volume (measured in three dimensions — width, length and height — defined by the spellcaster). The spell then applies to anyone or anything in that radius or volume, friend or foe. The mage cannot single out specific targets within the declared space.
|
Radius or |
Defined Volume |
Dice Penalty |
|
1-yard radius |
5 cubic yards |
None (basic success) |
|
2-yard radius |
10 cubic yards |
-2 |
|
4-yard radius |
20 cubic yards |
-4 |
|
8-yard radius |
40 cubic yards |
-6 |
|
16-yard radius |
80 cubic yards |
-8 |
|
Impose an additional –2 die penalty per extra x2 radius or x2 area. For example, a 32-yard radius or a 160-cubicyard volume would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
||
Advanced Area-Affecting
If the mage has dots in the spell’s primary Arcanum that are one or more higher than normally required to cast the spell, he can increase the radius or
defined volume by more dramatic steps.
|
Radius or |
Defined Volume |
Dice Penalty |
|
1-yard radius |
5 cubic yards |
None (basic success) |
|
4-yard radius |
20 cubic yards |
-2 |
|
16-yard radius |
80 cubic yards |
-4 |
|
Impose an additional –2 die penalty per extra x4 radius or x4 area. For example, a 1024-yard radius or a 5,120-cubic-yard volume would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
||
A mage can alter a spell that normally affects one or more targets to affect a radius or defined volume, instead. His Arcanum dots must be one or more higher than what is normally required to cast the spell (although he uses the basic, not advanced, chart to determine the actual area affected), and doing so costs one Mana spent during casting.
Duration
There are four types of spell Duration: lasting, concentration, transitory and prolonged. The spell descriptions provided later in this chapter list each spell’s Duration.
Lasting
A lasting spell’s effect is a natural part of reality; it has no defined Duration, since it persists as long as it is natural for it to. For example, a spell that sets a target on fire is lasting. The fire is real and continues to burn normally until it is put out or there’s nothing left to burn. The target’s injuries are also real and must heal normally. Likewise, a spell that heals injuries is lasting. The healing restores the target to its natural state, so wounds do not re-appear when the spell ends.
Concentration-based, transitory and prolonged spells all create an unnatural effect, such as transforming someone’s shape. Their effects end once the spell’s Duration expires. That is, reality restores things to normal. Spells with a lasting Duration do not count against the maximum number of spells a mage can maintain (based on his Gnosis).
Concentration
A concentration-based spell’s Duration is as long as the mage applies mental effort to keep it going. The mage cannot take any other action, except for simple movement (up to his Speed; he cannot run). The mage also receives no Defense against attacks, although he can seek cover from ranged attacks. If the
mage is attacked, a reflexive Resolve + Composure roll must be made for him to maintain concentration. If the mage stops concentrating for any reason, voluntarily or not, the spell ends. The exception is if he decides to add Duration factors as if it were a transitory spell (see below) before the spell is cast, in which case the spell lasts for an additional time equal to its assigned Duration, and then lapses. The mage cannot start concentrating on a spell again once he has stopped, even if the spell hasn’t lapsed yet.
Transitory Spells
A transitory spell’s default Duration is one turn.
|
Duration |
Dice Penalty |
|
1 turn |
None (basic success) |
|
2 turns |
-2 |
|
3 turns |
-4 |
|
5 turns |
-6 |
|
10 turns |
-8 |
|
Add an additional –2 dice penalty per extra +10 turns. For example, a 20-turn transitory Duration would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
|
Prolonged Spells
A prolonged spell’s default Duration is one scene or one hour.
|
Duration |
Dice Penalty |
|
One Scene/hour |
None (basic success) |
|
Two Hours |
-2 |
|
12 hours |
-4 |
|
24 hours |
-6 |
|
Two days |
-8 |
|
Impose an additional –2 dice penalty per extra +2 days. For example, a four-day prolonged Duration would levy a –10 dice penalty. |
|
Advanced Prolongation: If a mage has dots in the spell’s primary Arcanum that are one or more higher than normally
required to cast the spell, he can increase the Duration by even more dramatic steps.
|
Duration |
Dice Penalty |
|
One Scene/hour |
None (basic success) |
|
24 hours |
-2 |
|
Two days |
-4 |
|
One Week |
-6 |
|
One Month |
-8 |
|
The spell is permanent until cancelled or dispelled. Living targets, however, grow, change and heal. Spells with an indefinite Duration cannot be cast upon a living creature. |
|
Atlantean Runes
The alphabet of Atlantis, like the words of that language, reverberates with power. (See “Words of Power,” p. 117.) Atlantean runes can be inscribed onto the target of a transitory or prolonged spell to automatically extend the spell’s Duration by +1. (The mage does not have to extend the Duration himself by assigning dice
penalties or extra successes; the rune does all the work.) Runes do not affect spells with Durations of lasting or concentration. If the spell is area-affecting, the periphery of each cardinal direction must be marked with a rune.
The spellcaster must personally inscribe the rune himself by drawing, painting or carving it no more than a day before spellcasting. This effort requires at least an instant action and maybe a successful Dexterity + Crafts roll, depending on the method used. Mages cannot use pre-made runes, printing them out in bulk and slapping them onto targets as needed. Each rune must be handmade in the moment.
Resistance Against Magic: Is this spell Resisted?
Before dice are rolled for spellcasting, any resistance the target might have against magic must be considered, as it could affect the dice pool and outcome of the casting.
Living creatures have a degree of innate resistance to magic; their Patterns can sometimes resist change imposed from without. Consult the spell’s description to see whether it allows the target some form of defense. There are two types of innate protection against magic: “contested” resistance(the target rolls a pool and compares it with the caster’s successes) and “automated” resistance(one of the target’s Attributes is subtracted directly from the caster’s roll). Generally, “contested” resistance occurs for all or nothing effects, where “automated” resistance is used for effects that can succeed in degrees. The spell description will usually provide the details of how and if a spell is resisted.
Mages can also use countermagic to gain additional protection against spells.
Countermagic
Mages have the ability to counter many uses of magic, particularly magic directed at them. Countermagic is in addition to any form of resistance against magic that a
character already receives, as described above. Countermagic is applied before any roll is made to contest an incoming spell. A mage has three different options for countermagic: “Dispel Magic” (see p. 220), whereby the he cancels existing spells; “Magic Shield” (see p. 222), whereby he shields himself against other spells; and “Counterspell” (see below), whereby the mage blocks an attacking spell with a special countering spell. The first two methods require the Prime Arcanum. “Counterspell” requires one dot in one of the Arcana used by the attacking spell.
Counterspell
(Any one of the attacking spell’s Arcana at •)
The mage creates Pattern interference that can weaken or even cancel a spell.
Practice: Shielding
Action: Instant and contested; successes are compared to the target spell’s Potency
Duration: Lasting
Aspect: Covert
Cost: 1 Mana
When someone directs a vulgar spell at the mage or other targets whom the mage wishes to protect, he can cast a countering spell that creates a form of magical interference, weakening or even canceling the attacking spell, similar to how an obstacle can act as cover against a ranged attack. He must first have Mage Sight to be able to perceive the attacking spell. Like a dodge action, he can cast Counterspell against vulgar spells cast by another mage with a higher Initiative. (He cannot counter attacks with lower Initiatives if he has already performed an action in the turn. See “Dodge,” p. 156 of the World of Darkness Rulebook, for rules on how this circumvents the normal Initiative order for the turn.) A mage can even counter sympathetic spells cast directly at him (but not those cast at other targets), by
sensing the sympathetic conduit being forged by the spell (again, he must have Mage Sight for this).
Successes are subtracted from the target spell’s Potency. If the target spell is left with no Potency, it is canceled entirely. If even a single point of Potency remains, the spell is applied against its target (at its reduced Potency). A covert spell cannot normally be countered, since the defending mage must first identify its Arcanum components using the normal rules for doing so (see “Scrutinizing Spells,” p. 278). Such investigation is not normally possible within the same turn in which the spell is cast, although some Time magic might give a mage the extra time needed or clue him in on what spell the caster will cast before he casts it. Vulgar spells do not need this kind of scrutiny; they are obvious enough to counter within the same turn of casting.
A spell aimed at more than one target does not need to be countered for each target; a successful countering diminishes or prevents its effects against all targets.
A countering mage must have at least one dot in one of the Arcana used by the attacking spell. For example, to counter a conjunctional Mind 3 + Life 2 spell, a mage needs either Mind 1 or Life 1, but not both. If he does not have a proper Arcanum lore, he cannot counter the spell. Counterspell can be learned as a rote (use Occult Skill), but it must be learned separately for each Arcanum to which it applies.
Mana Cost
Players spend points of Mana to allow mages to perform various feats of magic, including the following:
In the case of instant-action castings, the spell’s entire Mana cost must be spent for the mage in a single turn, or he cannot cast the spell. See “Gnosis,” p. 76, to determine the mage’s maximum allowable Mana expenditure per turn. For extended-action castings, points can be spent over the course of the casting, as long as the total required points are spent by the final roll.
After the Spell is Cast
Spell Control
Once the spell has been cast, you can not generally expand its parameters – if you cast it to affect a 5 yard area, you can’t expand it to 10 yards, and if you cast it at Potency 3, you can increase its Potency to 5. You can, however, reduce the parameters of the spell – you can shrink its area or reduce its Potency, for instance. You can exclude specific people or things from the spell’s effect, for instance to let an ally through a ward(exceptions must be made on a case by case basis – broader exceptions like “My allies” require Fate 2 in the casting). Once you do this, however, you can’t return the spell to its original state – you can’t expand its parameters once you shrink them. You can even eliminate a spell entirely, cancelling it. Changing a spell’s factors requires an Instant action, cancelling a spell is a Reflexive Action.
Spell Tolerance
A mage can tolerate only a certain number of spells cast on him before the resonance’s signal-to-noise ratio interferes with his ability to cast magic. This effect is called “contagion,” and a mage’s ability to withstand it is called his Spell Tolerance, determined by his natural Stamina. Each spell cast upon him (by himself or others) in excess of his Stamina levies a –1 dice penalty to any spellcasting roll made for him. He suffers this penalty for as long as the total number of spells
exceeds his Spell Tolerance. The exception to this rule is a spell that lasts for only an instant (one turn); its effect is too fleeting to interfere, so it doesn’t count toward the mage’s Spell Tolerance total.
Mages are very careful in allowing others to cast magic upon them, even beneficial magic. Likewise, the spells of enemies such as curses and degradations can combine to interfere with the subject’s spellcasting, making those afflictions even more troublesome than they might otherwise be.
Enchanted or imbued items that a mage wears or carries count toward his Spell Tolerance, but not as strongly. An item counts as only one spell toward Spell Tolerance for every two spells (or fraction thereof) that are enchanted or imbued into it. For example, an item imbued with one or two spells counts as one spell toward Spell Tolerance, while an item imbued with three or four spells counts as two spells. See “Enchanted and Imbued Items,” p. 280, for more details about such items.
In addition, multiple spells with the same effect on the same target do not “stack” or accumulate. Only the spell with the highest Potency takes precedence. The other spells of the same kind remain, and may take effect if the Duration of the most potent spell expires, but they have no effect on Spell Tolerance until then. For example, if a mage casts a “Magic Shield” spell (see p. 222) on a subject, granting two points of armor against spells, and then casts another Magic Shield spell granting four points of armor, the subject has four points of armor, not two or six. If the four-point spell wears off before the other, the subject still has two points of armor remaining (from the first spell). In terms of Spell Tolerance, only the four-point spell applies to the subject’s total.
Note that such precedence applies to only spells with the same effect, not just the same Arcanum. If a subject has a Strength-boosting Life spell, then a Stamina-boosting Life spell, or any other Life spell cast on him, they all affect the subject normally. Another Strength-boosting spell, however, does not stack with the first. Only the most potent spell takes effect, and both count as one toward Spell Tolerance.
Active Spell Limits
Mages are also limited in the number of spells the can have active at any one time, whether cast on themselves or something else. A Mage can only maintain a number of Active Spells at any one time equal to his Gnosis plus three. Attempts to cast any additional spells when a Mage has reached this limit simply fail.
For the cost of a dot of Willpower rating(which can be restored with an expenditure of eight experience points), a Mage can relinquish a spell, freeing it from his control. The spell no longer counts against his Active Spell Limit(although if he is the target of the spell, it will still count against Spell Tolerance). Once he relinquishes such a spell, he can no longer dismiss it at will, restrict or limit its spell factors, or alter it in anyway using the normal rules for spell control. It acts as if it were a spell cast by another mage. Mages usually reserve relinquishment for indefinite Duration spells; the cost is judged to be too high for spells that will eventually
dissipate after their Duration expires.
Disbelief and Unravelling
When a Sleeper encounters magic or the supernatural, he cannot usually cope with what he sees. Supernatural disturbances trouble Sleepers who witness them — until the embrace of Disbelief erases all evidence of the occurrence from their minds. Mages debate endlessly about why this is so. Ancient records have no references to any such effect before the fall of Atlantis and the division of the worlds. It seems that human souls, cut off from the Supernal World and exiled to the Fallen World, cannot cope with the truth of magic. Something violently tries to keep their eyes shut.
When a Sleeper witnesses a vulgar act of magic, it always triggers Disbelief. The Sleeper’s reaction depends on his Willpower. In many cases, the effects alter or amend the Sleeper’s memory of the event, but humans have been known to react in unpredictable ways. If multiple humans witness the same vulgar act of magic, each interprets it differently according to his Willpower and the resources his unconscious mind uses to explain the event.
A Sleeper who witnesses a vulgar spell might very well unravel that spell with the force of his Disbelief – this is called Unravelling. The result is an extended action, accumulating successes over time. In the first turn in which the spell’s effect is witnessed, roll the Sleeper’s Resolve + Composure and compare the successes to
the spell’s Potency. If successes exceed Potency, the spell is dispelled. If they are equal to or less than the spell’s Potency, the spell is unaffected. This roll is repeated every ten minutes, successes accumulating until the spell is dispelled.
Special Cases
Combined Spells
The Arcanum descriptions explain discrete spells and their effects. Sometimes, however, a mage wants more than one of these spells to take place with a single casting. The result is called a combined spell. The chief advantages of a combined spell are that it counts as only one spell toward the total the mage may have active at the same time, and all its effects activate simultaneously. The drawback is that the mage must have a certain degree of expertise in the Arcana used (+1 dot above the rating normally required for the spell), along with increasing degrees of Supernal understanding (Gnosis) for the combining of more than two spells.
|
Number of Spells Combined |
Required Gnosis |
|
Two |
3 |
|
Three |
6 |
|
Four |
9 |
Mages cannot combine the same spell or spells with the same effects. For example, a mage cannot combine a spell that boosts his Intelligence with a different spell that boosts both Intelligence and Wits. Combined spells are still limited by the normal rules for spell accumulation. If the caster knows one of the combined spells as a rote, but the other is improvised, the combined spell cannot be cast as a rote. It must be improvised.
Once it’s determined that it is possible for a character to cast the desired combined spell, a -2 penalty is subtracted from the spellcasting bonus per additional spell after the first. The lowest dice pool of the two spells is rolled. For example, if the mage combines a Forces 3 spell with a Mind 2 spell, not only must he have Forces 4 and Mind 3 to be able to cast the combined effect, but the lowest of the two spell’s dice pools is used.
For reasons of either balance or clarity, some modifications need to be made to the spells as listed in the Mage: The Awakening book. Although the Storyteller will certainly make on the spot rulings as necessary, the most common of such alterations will be listed here for easy reference.
Destroy Object (Death 3, p. 137) is Vulgar, not Covert.
Control Ghost (Death 3, p. 138) is Covert, not Vulgar.
Supreme Honing (Life 4, p. 190) is Vulgar, just like Honing the Form.
Siphon Essence (Prime 4, p. 229) requires Spirit 4 as well.
Siphon Integrity (Prime 4, p. 229) requires Matter 4 as well, and a given caster can only benefit from it once a month.
Portal (Space 3, p. 238) Portals created with this spell require some degree of volition in order to go through – someone could throw a rock through, but a rock won’t just roll through on its own. In addition, living beings who are unwilling to go through the Portal may roll Dexterity + Gnosis – if they get even one success, they pass the Portal as if it is not there. As an important note, they don’t get this roll if they were tricked into going through the Portal – in that case, they were still willing, even if they didn’t realize they were going through a Portal.
Exorcism (Spirit 3, p. 248) only affects Spirits. To affect Ghosts, a similar Death 3 spell is required.
Postcognition (Time 2, p. 260) requires the Mage to both have a Temporal Connection to the time/place/even, and a clock time she wishes to view.
Clarification for all spells:
Mana
Mana is the fluid form of Prime, the prima
materia, Supernal energy filtered down into the Fallen World. Some of it is
residual energy left trapped when the Abyss formed, recycled over the millennia
into a thousand forms, but some of it is fresh, brought into the world by a
mysterious form of grace from on high.
Mana is an Advantage trait for mages. A mage can hold up
to 10 points of Mana in his Pattern, and he can hold even more with increasing
dots of Gnosis, as illustrated on the “Effects of Gnosis” chart, p. 76.
Mana itself is normally invisible and intangible,
undetectable to those without Mage Sight. Any mage standing in a Hallow can
sense its ambient Mana with a successful Wits + Occult roll. Mages perceive
Mana in many different ways. It is most often described as a fiery, fluid
energy, either pure white or prismatic, containing all the colors of the
spectrum.
Some mages perceive Mana as another sort of power or
force, in accordance with their own Path. The particular Arcanum a mage uses
for his Mage Sight often colors the experience. Mages study the Prime Arcanum
to better understand Mana and learn how to manipulate and use it in their
magic. To some degree, all mages wield the power of Mana, but some are better
at storing and using it than others.
The Mana Advantage is rated in points rather than dots.
Mana points measure the Mana resources currently available to a mage. Players
spend points of Mana to allow mages to perform various feats of magic.
Qualities
Mana is rarely neutral. It is most often stamped with the
tenor or character of a particular type of resonance — its quality. The place
where the Mana is found or wells up usually determines its quality, but some
Mana might be so strongly stamped that it continues to bear its quality even
amidst conflicting aspects. Mages can attempt to change the resonance of a
place and so change the quality of Mana that wells up there. See “Resonance,”
pp. 277-280. A character’s own Mana takes on the quality of his nimbus, colored
by his Path. See “Nimbus,” pp. 90-91.
Spending Mana
A mage’s ability to spend stored Mana is measured by his
Gnosis: one point per turn per Gnosis dot that he has. A mage with Gnosis 1 may
spend one point of Mana per turn. Therefore, the mage may cast an improvised
spell, but it cannot be a sympathetic spell or one that delivers aggravated
damage. All those additions would exceed the amount of Mana that can be spent
in the casting.
Mages who reach their spending limit cannot spend any
further points of Mana that turn. Any actions requiring Mana spending are then
impossible.
What can you spend Mana for?
• Improvised Magic: Casting an improvised spell
requires the expenditure of a point of Mana, unless the primary Arcanum used is
one of the mage’s Path Arcana. See “Improvised Casting,” p. 111.
• Sympathetic Spells: Casting a spell upon a
target beyond sensory range requires the expenditure of a point of Mana. See
“Sympathetic Magic,” pp. 114-115.
• Aggravated Damage: Mages must spend a point of
Mana for a spell to inflict aggravated damage. The mage must first have the
prerequisite Arcana dots to cast an aggravated effect, as described in the
spell descriptions.
• Power: Certain spells that significantly alter
the laws of nature or physics might require the expenditure of Mana, as
described in the spell descriptions.
• Pattern Restoration: Mages can infuse Mana into
their physical Patterns to heal wounds. The cost is three Mana points per one
bashing or lethal wound. This is an instant action. Those mages unable to spend
more than three Mana per turn can take as many consecutive turns performing
this action as they need, until they’ve spent all three points. (It will take
at least three turns for a mage with Gnosis 1, two turns with Gnosis 2, and one
turn with Gnosis 3 or higher.) This is a reverse effect to Pattern scouring
(see below). The number of times a mage can spend Mana to restore his Pattern
within the same 24-hour period depends on his Gnosis. At Gnosis 1-4, he can do
so only once. With Gnosis 5-6, he can perform two Pattern restorations per day.
With Gnosis 7-9, he can do three, and Gnosis 10 allows him to perform up to
four restorations per day.
• *New* Augment Downtime Actions: Expending small
amounts of magical energy over the course of the month to help with your
activities can add up, both in terms of effect and in terms of Mana. You can
assist a mundane action by spending a point of Mana to add an Arcana rating to
your downtime pool. You should probably provide an explaination of how your use
of magic is assisting you. You can spend multiple points of Mana to add
multiple Arcana to your pool, but you can only add the same Arcana once.
Example:Johnny Magus is performing the downtime
action: Research Old Newspaper Clipping. Maybe he’s looking for an obscure
clue. Normally, he would roll Intelligence + Academics. His pool for that is
only 4, and he’d like to do better. He has the Mind Arcana at 3, however, and
wants to use it to help him, perhaps by augmenting his mental faculties and the
like. He can spend a point of Mana on the downtime action to add in his Mind
Arcana, bringing his total to 7. If he also wanted to add in his Fate 2(perhaps
casting rotes to let him “luck out” in his search), he would have to expend an
additional Mana.
Note that for actions that are primarily magical in
nature(ie: where you are rolling Attribute + Arcana instead of Attribute +
Skill) you do not have to pay this cost. You could, however, choose to pay this
cost to add in additional Arcana.
Example: Jenny Wise is taking a downtime action to
analyze a mystic phenomeon using spells from her Prime Arcana, and thus is
rolling Wits + Prime. If she wanted to, she could spend a point of Mana to add,
for instance, her Life Arcana to her roll to represent using spells to increase
her stamina allowing her to spend more time on her research.
Regaining Mana
The majority of Mana in the world is bound up in existing
Patterns. “Free” Mana is rare. It is found in Hallows, places that collect it
like dew. This makes Hallows extremely valuable to the Awakened. Mages have
fought wars for control of various Hallows, and still struggle to control the
precious Mana they offer.
• *Changed* Mages who perform an oblation (a
ritual function associated with Path) at a Hallow can gain Mana points. Doing
so is a downtime action that requires the Mage visit the Hallow multiple times
during a month, performing an hour of uninterrupted ceremony each time. The
final downtime roll is Gnosis + Composure, and represents how much magical
energy the Mage has taken in over the course of her visits. Each success
provides one Mana. Every Hallow produces only so many points of Mana in a
month, however, and the total Mana gained by all Mages performing Oblations at
it cannot exceed this amount. The ceremony should express the symbology of the
Path, such as a ritual to recognize the solstices and equinoxes for Acanthus,
or a rite of remembrance for the ancestors for Moros. See “Occult
Correspondences,” p. 35, for ideas on culturally specific myths or religions
upon which a mage could base his oblation.
• *Changed* Mages can scour their own Patterns to
free up Mana. A mage elects to degrade one of his Physical Attributes by one
dot in return for three Mana points. The lost Attribute dot is restored
approximately one month later(in general, at the end of the next game the Mage
attends). He might burn muscle mass (Strength), transform nerve impulses
(Dexterity), or convert adrenaline (Stamina). It takes a full turn to perform a
Pattern scouring, during which time the mage can do nothing but move his Speed.
This is a reverse effect to Pattern restoration (see above). The number of
times a mage can scour his Pattern within the same 24-hour period depends on
his Gnosis. At Gnosis 1 to 4, he can do so only once. With Gnosis 5 to 6, he
can perform two Pattern scourings per day. With Gnosis 7 to 9, he can do three,
and Gnosis 10 allows him to perform up to four scourings per day. A Mage
can only Pattern Scour when he has no Mana.
•*Changed* A mage can elect to instead scour his
Health. He suffers one lethal wound of Resistant Damage and gains three Mana
points. Magic cannot protect against this Resistant Damage, and it cannot be
healed by Pattern restoration or any known supernatural power, and it heals
much slower than usual, taking in general a full month(again, it isn’t healed
until the end of the next game the Mage attends). See “Resistant Damage,” p.
124, for details about how to mark such damage on the character sheet. Unlike
the scouring of Attributes, there is no limit to the number of Health scourings
a mage can perform in the same day. The mage can even kill himself by scouring,
inflicting a lethal wound on his last Health box, although he can’t use the
Mana he gains unless he has some means of staying conscious while he spends the
next minutes dying (marking his wounds as aggravated until he is dead; see “Incapacitation,”pp.
173–174, of the World of Darkness Rulebook). A Mage can only Scour his
Health when he has no Mana.
• *Changed* Mages don’t like to talk about it, but
there is an unsavory practice that can also yield up Mana to a mage: the blood
sacrifice of a living creature. Animals of cat-size or larger (Size 2 or more)
provide one Mana each, although only one such killing per month provides Mana.
A human provides one Mana per Health point (an already-wounded victim has less
Mana to yield than a healthy one), but the victim must die; he cannot be bled
until he is close to death. The mage must inflict the killing blow to gain the
Mana — he cannot stumble across a freshly killed body and claim it as a
sacrifice. Nor can he claim Mana from an accidental death (such as if he
witnesses a fatal car wreck). Only the mage who delivers the killing blow gains
the Mana; other mages who participate in wounding the victim gain nothing. The
killing mage gains the Mana in the subsequent turn, but it requires an instant action
during which he can move only up to his Speed as he soaks in the escaping
energies (he also loses his Defense). If he does not perform this action, he
does not gain the Mana and it is lost.
This practice is sure to cause a Wisdom degeneration
roll. While a mage can go on a killing spree to reap Mana, he can only reap a
total amount of blood-sacrifice Mana points per month equal to twice his Gnosis
dots (Gnosis x2).
• Mages with dots in the Prime Arcanum have some
additional options for regaining and tapping into Mana. See the description of
the Prime Arcanum on pp. 219- 232 for more information. In general, if
being used in downtime you can get one “free” casting of a non-ritual spell
each month without spending downtime actions.
• *Changed* In general, Artifacts do not act as
"Mana Batteries" that you can withdraw from - it makes Artifacts way
out of balance for their cost. Some artifacts might be exceptions to this, but
talk to your Storyteller before assuming anything.
Tass
On occasion, Mana congeals or crystallizes into material
form, known as tass, from the Arabic word for “cup” or “goblet.” Tass has no
set form. Its shape is dictated by the nature of where it forms and other
unknown currents in reality. Tass nearly always forms in or around a Hallow,
although sometimes tass is the remains of a Hallow gone dry and vanished from
reality.
Tass might be found in mushrooms growing at the edges of
a magical glen, in the fruit of plants in the midst of a Hallow, in crystals,
or soil, or water from a sacred spring — any of an endless array of forms.
Whatever its apparent shape, all tass is fundamentally the same: Prime made
manifest in solid form, convertible to Mana and usable by those who understand
how.
Edible or drinkable forms of tass are the most prized,
for a mage can convert them to personal Mana points simply by ingesting them.
(It generally takes one hour after ingesting solid tass before the points are
available, or 10 minutes after drinking liquid tass.) Some mages cultivate
gardens near Hallows or tass-prone spots to take advantage of their fruit or
vegetable yields, or they regularly collect the suffused spring water in jars
for later drinking. Like all growing things, however, these manifestations of
tass vary in potency. Some are large and full of Mana, while others might be
stunted or bruised, lacking vital essence. The Storyteller judges how much Mana
any particular mushroom, apple or draught of water yields. A general guideline
is one Mana point per pound of tass food or for every 16 ounces of tass drink.
Tass that can be ingested may be stored for later use,
although fruit must be dried and water sealed or else it rots like normal fruit
or becomes stagnant if left in the open. This bounty does not last forever,
though. It loses its potency at a rate of one Mana per week after the first
week of storage.
The ability to utilize tass in non-edible sources (such
as tass congealed into rocks or tree bark) comes from the Prime Arcanum. A mage
with Prime 2 can draw the Mana bound up in tass for personal use, either
replenishing his Mana points or using the tass’s Mana directly for magic.
Unlike organic tass, object tass doesn’t lose its potency over time and can be
stored indefinitely until its Mana is tapped.
*New* Gathering and storing Tass properly can be
time-consuming, especially at an active Hallow where other Mages might be
taking in the ambient Mana by performing Oblations. Gathering Tass takes a
downtime action as described in the downtime actions.
Experience – Awards, Complications, and Spending
Experience Awards
To start with at least, I’ll be awarding up to six experience points each month. Depending on how often some of these points get given out, I might add additional opportunities for experience later on.
Experience spending works pretty much like in the book, with the exception of buying Arcana, Rotes, and some Merits (mostly those Merits which assist with downtime actions) – those all require a successful downtime action before you can purchase them.
Bonus XP at Character Creation
For this chronicle, I want to hand out an allotment of
experience points for people to use to round out their characters. I've found
that although World of Darkness can produce very competent characters at
creation, some experience points are usually required to fit to a specific
concept.
Since there are certain things I want to encourage folks to have for their
characters, I have decided to tie these bonus experience points to certain
things...fulfill the requirements, get the XP. You get the exact same points if
you fulfill requirements after having played the character for a bit, and in
some cases people will benefit from having some time to get to know their
characters before submitting information. Instead of hounding people for
background information and such as Storytellers occassionally do, instead it's
just a matter of "Submit it when you're ready...but you don't get the
extra points til I have your stuff."
Here is the tentative breakdown of points I'm giving out. This is subject to
change, and will likely be refined, but I've been hashing this over for two
months now so this is pretty close to the final form:
15 points - Submitting a written background of no longer than two
pages. It can be in point form, in the form of a timeline, narrative, whatever.
I am less interested in flowery prose than the who, what, when, where, why and
how of your character. If I don't know a) who you were before you Awakened, b)
what your Awakening was like and c) how you came into Mage society, something
is probably wrong. I should also have an idea of your family and friends
outside of the other PCs. Every background should also answer two questions
that I consider mandatory for every character in this chronicle: Why/how did
they come to Saskatoon? And why will they stay in Saskatoon when the going gets
tough(or worse)? (because, you know, it will - that's part of the point)
10 points - Filling out a 'Details' information
sheet I'll make available when I have it finalized. Those who played in
TaODV have an idea of what I mean - I'll be asking for the basics like where
you live, what your identity amongst the Sleepers is like, etc.
5 points - Submitting a short(no more than 200 words) webpage
write-up for your character, and having a photo of your character up on the
webpage. As far as the photos go, you'll probably have plenty of opportunities
at games for me to snap a shot of you for the webpage, so mostly you just need
to worry about the write-up. Information for the webpage should mostly only be
common knowledge stuff.
10 points - Being part of a Cabal with at least three members
20 points - Having connections to other characters. You can gain
these points from a few different types of connections, up to a combined total
of 20 points(you can have more connections, of choice, but that's the maximum
points):
10 points - A major connection with a character outside your Cabal, one you are possibly willing to kill or die for. Close family, lovers, a hated enemy, friend for life, etc.
5 points - A minor connection with a character outside your Cabal, such as a good friend, a cousin, roommates in College, a minor rivalry, etc.
5 points - A major connection with a character inside your Cabal. See the description for a major connection above.
You'll note that you gain no points for a minor connection inside your Cabal,
because honestly every connection inside your Cabal should be at least a minor
one. Similarily, a minor connection between two non-Cabalmates obviously has to
be something more than "That guy I know", since pretty much every PC
will qualify for that after a month or two. These connections have to be
approved by both players, although they don't always have to be recipricol -
someone whom you consider a hated enemy might think of you as no more than a
minor annoyance. In any event, you must submit to me the connections and the
reasons for them.
You'll also note that this format largely echos what Layne used for his
Inheritence game. That's because when something works, I steal it.
5 points - Being the master of a PC apprentice. Since the
Master-Apprentice relationship is so important to Mage, I figured it deserved
it's own seperate reward. This is in addition to whatever points might be
gained from a Connection between Master and Student. This award is only for an
active relationship(implying that the Master is teaching, and that the
Apprentice is to some degree subservient). Also, if the student desires they
can "donate" some of their starting XP to the Master to represent the
gap in knowledge between Master and Student.
In the end, that means there is 60 XP that pretty much everyone should be able
to get, one way or another, and that's not including any points from being the
Master of an Apprentice(I'll limit points from that on a case-by-case basis).
In World of Darkness, that's enough to round out your character and put them
firmly into the "Established" area, but not so much it is overpowering.
One spending restriction on this bonus XP, though: You can't put more than half
of it towards any one area(Attributes, Abilities, Merits, Arcana, Rotes,
Gnosis). Although I'd prefer if you spend most of this XP when you get it, you
can bank some of it if you wish(this makes extra sense if you're playing a
younger or more inexperienced character), so long as you don't abuse such.
Complications
Instead of having Flaws or Hindrances or what have you that give points at character creation, instead we'll be using Complications - facets of your character that yield experience points when they significantly hinder or complicate your character's life.
You can have up to three Complications at any one time. If you have less than three Complications, you can add one by speaking to the Storyteller. Complications can be elements you want to bring into the story, or story elements that you want to take ownership of so to speak - if a particular NPC that has been harassing you really appeals to you, you can make him a more central aspect of your character by taking him as an Enemy Complication, for instance. It doesn't mean that you can't have bad stuff happen to you that doesn't involve Complications - that will probably happen all the time - but it does mean that the Storyteller will give more care and attention to Complications. A witch hunter NPC whose ire your character attracts might normally be distracted or driven off by random events - but if he's a Complication, he'll stay on you until he's dealt with and even then, you might find he had underlings of friends willing to take up the torch, for example.
Once you've got a Complication, there are three ways to get rid of it again:
The prime benefit of taking Complications is as a signal to the Storyteller about what sort of plots you're interested in for this particular character. In addition to that, however, any month in which your character's life is significantly hindered by one of your Complications, you get an extra experience point. If multiple complications affect you, you still only get one experience point however. If a Complication enters play but doesn't really have a significant hindering effect, there is no experience reward - if you have the "Lame - limps on one leg" Complication, you'll probably be roleplaying it all the time, but not get any experience. If, on the other hand, you have to chase down an important item in a foot race and lose out because of your reduced movement, then you get the point... Ideally, this means we don't have to worry about balancing Complications relatively to each other.
You can potentially make anything you wish into a Complication - just run it by the Storyteller. There is no one complete list that will encapsulate all possibilities. That being said, you can probably think of Complications as of coming in three "flavors". Active Complications are Complications that require you, the player, to bring them into play - mental defects and the like often fall into this category. I won't get after you for not roleplaying them, but of course unless you roleplay them they can't get you in trouble, and if they don't get you in trouble, you don't get any experience points. Passive Complications are ones that will generally be in play all the time - for instance, being blind, or having a curse on you that means you can't work magic indoors. You'll still only get the experience when they significantly hinder you, but they're around all the time just because of who you are. Lastly, there are Triggered Complications - these are things that you generally have to wait for the Storyteller to bring into the plot. Examples of this are being hunted by an enemy, or having a dark secret that might get leaked to your enemies. These categories aren't ironclad, but just give you an idea of the different types of things you might think up.
To get you started, here is a list of example Complications, some of each type. Feel free to post suggestions or ideas in the forums if you want.
Addiction
Your mage suffers an addition to some substance, such as nicotine, alchol or some hard drug. Some substances might be trivial and easily obtained, while others might be illgeal, dangerous or liable to cause health or psychological problems. If you don't get your fix, you might go into withdrawl.
Aloof
Your character is uncomfortable in social settings and avoids crowds and interaction as much as possible. She dislikes being the center of attention and recoils from center stage.
Amnesia
Your character can't remember anything about his past, his history or the events of his life. If you choose, you might also give the Storyteller permission to make up additional Complications for you which you are unaware of...
Behavior Blind
Your character doesn't really understand human behavior and is blind to common social cues that communicate other people's basic feelings. Maybe he was raised by wolves or terrible parents, but he is socially maladapted. He can't tell when others use sarcasm or innuendo, or if he's boring them.
Coward
Your character is afraid to confront unknown situations, and hesitates when he should act boldly. This Complication is often as relevant to heated social situations as it is to actual physical combat.
Cursed
You suffer from a severe curse given to you by some great supernatural power. Maybe you stutter uncontrollably when you try to say something important. Maybe you are doomed to be wounded in every battle you participate in, or maybe you'll die if you ever refuse hospitality offered to you.
Dark Secret
Some terrible past haunts your character. Perhaps he turned on his mentor, or is secretly in love with a Scelesti. Either way your character's secret can range from causing embarassment or trouble all the way up to a secret that could get you killed...
Defective Sense
One of your sense is dulled or abnormally damaged in some fashion. Perhaps the character is hard of hearing, has limited taste receptors, is color-blind or is correctably nearsighted and will suffers penalties to rolls involving that sense. Maybe you only have one eye or on ear. Or maybe you go all the way and make a character who is blind or deaf...
Devil's Mark
Somewhere along the line, your mage made a pact with a demon, devil or servant of the Abyss and it funneled its foul power into him, leaving a mark in the process. This blemish is dark and unwholesome looking, but is insensitive to pain. In ages past, the "witch prickers" of the Inquisition would test these marks with special pins before they burned infernalists at the stake. In the modern day, the puritanical pricks are few and far between and most people who see this mark will just think it's a birthmark.
Disfigured
A hideous disfigurement makes your character's appearance disturbing, probably imposing a penalty on rolls relating to social interactions.
Deep Sleeper
Snore, toss and ignore the alarm - your mage sleeps like a force of nature. You are prone to sleeping in, and suffer penalties when you need to wake up suddenly.
Deleterious Circumstances
Your magic rolls are at a -2 penalty in certain resonably common circumstances, such as when in a town of over 5000 people, or during the night. Or maybe you suffer a greater penalty in less common circumstances, like while in deep wilderness or sitting down.
Degeneration
Your character will die without the aid of magic or science to sustain her. She might be the victim of a disease or curse, or maybe she's something that wasn't meant to be alive in the first place. At the lowest level maybe you have no natural healing...or for a more severe version, maybe just walking around causes you to slowly fall apart and take damage that must be naturally healed.
Echoes
Your mage manifests the traditional marks associated with the supernatural. Maybe it's a little quirk like not having a shadow, or maybe milk curdles around your mage and mirrors break.
Enemy
Somewhere along the line you have made a powerful enemy and they seek your destruction - maybe phyiscal, maybe social or mental.