(no subject)
All sorcery-flavored, this time. I will eventually complete and/or revise my conversion.
Necromantic Absorptions
Cost: --
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5, one other Ability 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Shadowlands Circle Necromancy, at least 5 Necromancy spells
While the possibility of Absorbtion-type Charms for the three schools of necromancy has long been theorized, only recently have disciples of those schools demonstrated the advanced understanding required to internalize their teachings. As with sorcerous Absorbtions, each school has specific requirements which must be met in addition to the Occult and Essence prerequisites; characters choose two of the three abilities offered.
Ajaian Absorption
Ajaian masters see the Underworld as a mystery to solve, probing the depths of the Labyrinth in search of personal enlightenment. As such, they must have an Investigation of 3 or higher.
--The Ajaian school seeks to shape the Underworld as sorcery shapes Creation. As ghosts and their Arcanoi give the underworld shape, Ajaian necromancers are particularly effective against them, gaining the ability to use Iron Countermagic against any use of an Arcanos by a ghost with lower Essence than the necromancer's.
--Having long plumbed the mysteries of the Labyrinth, the Ajaian necromancer gains additional successes equal to her Essence on any roll to navigate therein. She never becomes lost in ordinary mazes, being attuned and accustomed to the greatest maze of all.
--An Ajaian necromancer is adept at penetrating illusions. Any social attack, spell or Charm which seeks to manipulate the necromancer's perceptions or beliefs increases its difficulty by the necromancer's Essence, so long as the opponent's Essence is equal to or lower than the necromancer's.
Shizuan Absorption
Shizuan masters are warriors; they see the world and the Underworld as a battleground between different aspects of Essence. True understanding of this school requires War 3.
--A Shizuan necromancer understands the ebb and flow of battle, and is never truly unprepared. The DV penalties for all Shape Necromancy actions are reduced by 1; this is cumulative with any other reduction in such penalties.
--The Shizuan necromancer may overwhelm the Essence of others with his own. Whenever he targets another character with a spell or Charm, that character’s effective permanent Essence is reduced by one for that spell or Charm’s effects.
--Destruction is the Shizuan necromancer’s specialty. When he casts a necromantic spell which inflicts damage, tens count as two successes on the damage roll.
Absorption of the Maw
Students of the Maw view necromancy as worship. Every spell is a sacrifice to Oblivion, and every working brings Creation closer to its ultimate end. Their communion with Oblivion requires them to have the Whispers background at 3 or higher. In addition to its other benefits, this Absorption qualifies the necromancer as a priest of the Neverborn or the Void.
--There is power in sacrifice, and the Maw teaches its students to fully exploit that power. The necromancer may spend lethal health levels in place of Willpower (though not the reverse!)
--Some necromantic spells resemble nothing more than dark prayers to the Neverborn and the Void. As a priest and worshipper, the initiate of the Maw understands how to channel these sacrifices more efficiently. As part of the casting of a spell which requires ritual sacrifice, the necromancer may make a prayer roll, reducing the difficulty by her Essence. If she succeeds, then the sacrifice requirement is halved, to a minimum of one sentient sacrifice or one lethal health level, whichever is appropriate.
--The voices of dead gods are the guides and companions of masters of the Maw. When augmenting an Occult roll with the Whispers background, the necromancer adds his Whispers rating to his Occult, rather than replacing it as normal. It is explicitly permissible to augment necromancy spells in this way.
Harmonic Essence Sagacity
Cost: 2m/die
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: Until commitment is released
Prerequisites: Celestial Circle Sorcery or Labyrinth Circle Necromancy, Occult Essence Flow
Sorcery is based on an intimate understanding of the Essence of creation. The Solar draws that Essence deep into himself, becoming one with it, and thereby gains insight. He commits up to twice his (Essence + Occult) in motes; thereafter, until he releases the commitment, his Occult score is treated as one point higher for every two committed motes for the purposes of sorcery spells he casts. This counts as a die bonus granted by a Charm and may not exceed the limits of such, but taking advantage of the bonus is not an action. Whenever a Solar with this Charm active casts a spell, golden threads of power are visible in his anima, hinting at symbols of power.
Abyssal Exalted have a version of this Charm, Silent Voices Insight, which functions identically for necromancy spells; it requires Labyrinth Circle Necromancy, but is otherwise identical. Solars and Abyssals may freely learn either version of this Charm.
Sorcery
Stilling the Loom (Solar Circle)
Cost: 40m + 2m/tick
Gathering his Essence around him like a veil of light, the sorcerer makes the Greater Seal of Cessation as he intones the hundred secret words that the pattern spiders use to describe time itself. The world seems to dim around him, and as he completes the spell, everything in Creation but him seems to freeze in place. He has stepped briefly outside time and causality in order to act without opposition.
The sorcerer gains a number of "free" ticks equal to his Occult, plus one additional tick for every two motes he spends beyond the base casting cost of this spell. He need not Join Battle; he acts immediately and may continue to act freely until the spell expires (at which point he rolls Join Battle as normal for the Cast Sorcery action). During these ticks, time passes only for him; other characters are considered to remain on the tick where the spell was cast, and the passage of time does not resume for them until this spell ends.
The sorcerer may act as he pleases during the spell's duration, and the world reacts to his actions (and only to his actions). Physical and social attacks he makes are considered Unexpected, and only Charms which explicitly defend against unexpected attacks may defend against them. Likewise, other spells he casts are considered unexpected attacks. If the spell's target is normally permitted a resistance roll, reduce the die pool of that roll to zero before applicable Charms take effect.
A sorcerer who casts this spell enacts a priority override on the Loom of Fate, and is thus immediately revealed to the eyes of Heaven if he is currently inside Fate. Casting this spell while it is already in effect brings disastrous results; both spells end immediately and local causality shatters, producing a zone of (the sorcerer's Essence) miles with effects similar to the Ritual of the Wrapped Fly. This zone lasts until the pattern spiders can effect repairs, and may become a Wyld zone despite all they can do (though even if they restore causality fully, the effects of the catastrophic period may take decades to recover from). The foolish sorcerer immediately suffers Pattern Bite as the vengeful spiders assault his fate, as though he were a Sidereal with 10 points of Paradox.
Seal of Unmaking (Solar Circle)
90m
To the initiates of the Adamant Circle is entrusted the power of the Unmaker's Sign, the conceptual pattern of Essence which can instantly undo the work of the Primordials who shaped Creation. Shaping his Essence into this potent seal, the sorcerer sets it against a point within (Essence x 200) yards. Instantly, the bonds of order which form Creation are unmade for a radius of (Intelligence + Occult) yards around the target point. All objects and beings who possess an ordered shape within the target area are instantly and irrevocably destroyed unless they possess and use a perfect defense each tick they remain within the spell's area. In addition, any active persistent Charms or spells of less than the Adamant or Void circles in the area are immediately dispelled at the beginning of each tick, as their Essence rebels against constraint. Charms with a duration greater than instant retain their efficacy for the tick on which they are activated or the first tick on which they enter the spell's area, and end immediately on the next. If a creature should prove to be partially within the spell's area, it takes twenty-five dice of aggravated damage as portions of its body are unmade. Anyone within the area of the spell who is not instantly unmade must check for mutation each round, as though exposed to Pure Chaos.
The area of the spell expands in radius by one yard each tick, until it reaches a radius of (Intelligence + Occult) x 5 yards. At this point the spell itself ends, leaving behind it a zone of Pure Chaos -- but its damage is not yet done. The Wyld zone continues to eat at the fabric of Creation, forming a zone of Deep Wyld for a one mile radius around itself at a rate of one yard per tick. If the Pure Chaos is somehow destroyed (by use of Wyld Shaping Technique, or other such effects) before this radius is achieved, the Deep Wyld ceases to grow; however, if it is left unchecked, it forms a Middlemarch around itself for a number of miles equal to the sorcerer's Essence, growing at a similar rate. That Middlemarch forms a vast Bordermarch for dozens of miles; on average, the radius is equal to the sorcerer's Essence x 5 miles, but variation occurs dependent on the local geomancy.
A sorcerer who possesses the Silurian Absorption may set the Seal of Unmaking against a single person or object, so long as she knows that person or object's name. In this case, the target must also be within line of sight and range, and the spell assaults them for (Intelligence + Occult) ticks; they suffer the full effect of being within the radius of the first version of the spell for that duration, but no harm comes to their surroundings. If the Seal destroys its target, the spell ends, leaving behind a wisp of Pure Chaos which flickers in nameless colors and patterns before fading away.
Necromantic Absorptions
Cost: --
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5, one other Ability 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Shadowlands Circle Necromancy, at least 5 Necromancy spells
While the possibility of Absorbtion-type Charms for the three schools of necromancy has long been theorized, only recently have disciples of those schools demonstrated the advanced understanding required to internalize their teachings. As with sorcerous Absorbtions, each school has specific requirements which must be met in addition to the Occult and Essence prerequisites; characters choose two of the three abilities offered.
Ajaian Absorption
Ajaian masters see the Underworld as a mystery to solve, probing the depths of the Labyrinth in search of personal enlightenment. As such, they must have an Investigation of 3 or higher.
--The Ajaian school seeks to shape the Underworld as sorcery shapes Creation. As ghosts and their Arcanoi give the underworld shape, Ajaian necromancers are particularly effective against them, gaining the ability to use Iron Countermagic against any use of an Arcanos by a ghost with lower Essence than the necromancer's.
--Having long plumbed the mysteries of the Labyrinth, the Ajaian necromancer gains additional successes equal to her Essence on any roll to navigate therein. She never becomes lost in ordinary mazes, being attuned and accustomed to the greatest maze of all.
--An Ajaian necromancer is adept at penetrating illusions. Any social attack, spell or Charm which seeks to manipulate the necromancer's perceptions or beliefs increases its difficulty by the necromancer's Essence, so long as the opponent's Essence is equal to or lower than the necromancer's.
Shizuan Absorption
Shizuan masters are warriors; they see the world and the Underworld as a battleground between different aspects of Essence. True understanding of this school requires War 3.
--A Shizuan necromancer understands the ebb and flow of battle, and is never truly unprepared. The DV penalties for all Shape Necromancy actions are reduced by 1; this is cumulative with any other reduction in such penalties.
--The Shizuan necromancer may overwhelm the Essence of others with his own. Whenever he targets another character with a spell or Charm, that character’s effective permanent Essence is reduced by one for that spell or Charm’s effects.
--Destruction is the Shizuan necromancer’s specialty. When he casts a necromantic spell which inflicts damage, tens count as two successes on the damage roll.
Absorption of the Maw
Students of the Maw view necromancy as worship. Every spell is a sacrifice to Oblivion, and every working brings Creation closer to its ultimate end. Their communion with Oblivion requires them to have the Whispers background at 3 or higher. In addition to its other benefits, this Absorption qualifies the necromancer as a priest of the Neverborn or the Void.
--There is power in sacrifice, and the Maw teaches its students to fully exploit that power. The necromancer may spend lethal health levels in place of Willpower (though not the reverse!)
--Some necromantic spells resemble nothing more than dark prayers to the Neverborn and the Void. As a priest and worshipper, the initiate of the Maw understands how to channel these sacrifices more efficiently. As part of the casting of a spell which requires ritual sacrifice, the necromancer may make a prayer roll, reducing the difficulty by her Essence. If she succeeds, then the sacrifice requirement is halved, to a minimum of one sentient sacrifice or one lethal health level, whichever is appropriate.
--The voices of dead gods are the guides and companions of masters of the Maw. When augmenting an Occult roll with the Whispers background, the necromancer adds his Whispers rating to his Occult, rather than replacing it as normal. It is explicitly permissible to augment necromancy spells in this way.
Harmonic Essence Sagacity
Cost: 2m/die
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: Until commitment is released
Prerequisites: Celestial Circle Sorcery or Labyrinth Circle Necromancy, Occult Essence Flow
Sorcery is based on an intimate understanding of the Essence of creation. The Solar draws that Essence deep into himself, becoming one with it, and thereby gains insight. He commits up to twice his (Essence + Occult) in motes; thereafter, until he releases the commitment, his Occult score is treated as one point higher for every two committed motes for the purposes of sorcery spells he casts. This counts as a die bonus granted by a Charm and may not exceed the limits of such, but taking advantage of the bonus is not an action. Whenever a Solar with this Charm active casts a spell, golden threads of power are visible in his anima, hinting at symbols of power.
Abyssal Exalted have a version of this Charm, Silent Voices Insight, which functions identically for necromancy spells; it requires Labyrinth Circle Necromancy, but is otherwise identical. Solars and Abyssals may freely learn either version of this Charm.
Sorcery
Stilling the Loom (Solar Circle)
Cost: 40m + 2m/tick
Gathering his Essence around him like a veil of light, the sorcerer makes the Greater Seal of Cessation as he intones the hundred secret words that the pattern spiders use to describe time itself. The world seems to dim around him, and as he completes the spell, everything in Creation but him seems to freeze in place. He has stepped briefly outside time and causality in order to act without opposition.
The sorcerer gains a number of "free" ticks equal to his Occult, plus one additional tick for every two motes he spends beyond the base casting cost of this spell. He need not Join Battle; he acts immediately and may continue to act freely until the spell expires (at which point he rolls Join Battle as normal for the Cast Sorcery action). During these ticks, time passes only for him; other characters are considered to remain on the tick where the spell was cast, and the passage of time does not resume for them until this spell ends.
The sorcerer may act as he pleases during the spell's duration, and the world reacts to his actions (and only to his actions). Physical and social attacks he makes are considered Unexpected, and only Charms which explicitly defend against unexpected attacks may defend against them. Likewise, other spells he casts are considered unexpected attacks. If the spell's target is normally permitted a resistance roll, reduce the die pool of that roll to zero before applicable Charms take effect.
A sorcerer who casts this spell enacts a priority override on the Loom of Fate, and is thus immediately revealed to the eyes of Heaven if he is currently inside Fate. Casting this spell while it is already in effect brings disastrous results; both spells end immediately and local causality shatters, producing a zone of (the sorcerer's Essence) miles with effects similar to the Ritual of the Wrapped Fly. This zone lasts until the pattern spiders can effect repairs, and may become a Wyld zone despite all they can do (though even if they restore causality fully, the effects of the catastrophic period may take decades to recover from). The foolish sorcerer immediately suffers Pattern Bite as the vengeful spiders assault his fate, as though he were a Sidereal with 10 points of Paradox.
Seal of Unmaking (Solar Circle)
90m
To the initiates of the Adamant Circle is entrusted the power of the Unmaker's Sign, the conceptual pattern of Essence which can instantly undo the work of the Primordials who shaped Creation. Shaping his Essence into this potent seal, the sorcerer sets it against a point within (Essence x 200) yards. Instantly, the bonds of order which form Creation are unmade for a radius of (Intelligence + Occult) yards around the target point. All objects and beings who possess an ordered shape within the target area are instantly and irrevocably destroyed unless they possess and use a perfect defense each tick they remain within the spell's area. In addition, any active persistent Charms or spells of less than the Adamant or Void circles in the area are immediately dispelled at the beginning of each tick, as their Essence rebels against constraint. Charms with a duration greater than instant retain their efficacy for the tick on which they are activated or the first tick on which they enter the spell's area, and end immediately on the next. If a creature should prove to be partially within the spell's area, it takes twenty-five dice of aggravated damage as portions of its body are unmade. Anyone within the area of the spell who is not instantly unmade must check for mutation each round, as though exposed to Pure Chaos.
The area of the spell expands in radius by one yard each tick, until it reaches a radius of (Intelligence + Occult) x 5 yards. At this point the spell itself ends, leaving behind it a zone of Pure Chaos -- but its damage is not yet done. The Wyld zone continues to eat at the fabric of Creation, forming a zone of Deep Wyld for a one mile radius around itself at a rate of one yard per tick. If the Pure Chaos is somehow destroyed (by use of Wyld Shaping Technique, or other such effects) before this radius is achieved, the Deep Wyld ceases to grow; however, if it is left unchecked, it forms a Middlemarch around itself for a number of miles equal to the sorcerer's Essence, growing at a similar rate. That Middlemarch forms a vast Bordermarch for dozens of miles; on average, the radius is equal to the sorcerer's Essence x 5 miles, but variation occurs dependent on the local geomancy.
A sorcerer who possesses the Silurian Absorption may set the Seal of Unmaking against a single person or object, so long as she knows that person or object's name. In this case, the target must also be within line of sight and range, and the spell assaults them for (Intelligence + Occult) ticks; they suffer the full effect of being within the radius of the first version of the spell for that duration, but no harm comes to their surroundings. If the Seal destroys its target, the spell ends, leaving behind a wisp of Pure Chaos which flickers in nameless colors and patterns before fading away.