Enlightened Science Rules
Apparatuses
Technocracy Employees must use Apparatuses to engage in Enlightened Science. Unlike the Traditions there is no belief that sheer will can change the world, it requires tools and scientific testing. A general apparatus must be selected for every sphere. Each apparatus may have one regular and one secondary ability (secondary abilities are generally things that might otherwise be ‘specialties’ under more primary abilities) designated as its associated retest. Employees however are not consigned as those Superstitionists are to use one tool to accomplish their goals, after all if all you had was a hammer, every problem would start to look like a nail. For all uses of Enlightened Science any of the Employee’s tool box of Apparatuses can be used. In fact even if it is not in their list, but is a common apparatus of their Convention they may use it at a +2 difficulty to the test. If a procedure is performed with exactly the apparatuses specified for the spheres involved they gain an extra Grade of Success. For any procedure a number of apparatuses are needed for every sphere involved, but every level of Enlightenment beyond 2 allows the Technocrat to need one less Apparatus in a procedure (with a minimum of 1). So an Enlightenment 3 agent performing a procedure including Time, Dimensional Science and Entropy only needs to use two of those three apparatuses and one with Enlightenment 4 would only need to use 1.
Examples of Apparatus Progressions
| General: | Sensor Gear | Authoritarian Behaviors | Medical Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific: | EM Sensor | Government ID | Surgical Tools |
Each apparatus needed in order to empower your science requires a full round. Any interruption of this will start that timeframe over again. Interruptions can vary depending on the type of apparatus but most commonly will result in a Concentration test. So if a procedure is begun on your initiative it can be completed with use of a retest on your next action that occurs at least one round later on the same initiative. Extra physical actions do not reduce this time, though use of Time procedures or other such powers might. Interruption resets the initiative it can be completed on the next round, requiring one to hold their action.
Casting Difficulties
*Base difficulty is always the highest sphere used plus one for each additional sphere
- -1 For casting a procedure you possess
- +1 For dynamic procedures
- -1 Using a Specific Apparatus an unneeded General Apparatus
- -2 Using a Unique Apparatus or an unneeded Specific Apparatus
- -3 Using an unneeded Unique Apparatus
*Note that unneeded Apparatus is one that would otherwise be needed for a procedure but that the employee’s Enlightenment has allowed them to leave out of it.
- +1 If the Resonance of the target of an effect or the area an effect is being created in opposes the caster’s Resonance (this is cumulative for each opposing trait of Resonance)
- -1 If the Resonance of the target of an effect or the area an effect is being created in compliments the caster’s Resonance (this is cumulative for each complimenting trait of Resonance)
- -2 If the Resonance of the target of an effect or the area an effect is being created in is identical to the caster’s Resonance (this is cumulative for each identical trait of Resonance)
- -1 For each supporting Employee in a Procedure that has at least basic knowledge of all spheres involved in he effect (up to your level of Enlightenment).
- -1 For every five Citizens supporting your procedure (up to your level of Enlightenment).
*Gain a plus one trait modifier on your test for each additional grade of time is added to the casting (this is apart from time added for grades of success)
**Spending a Willpower before the test will prevent any chance of a botch. This is aside from that spent for a grade of success.
Conjunctional Effects
Effects using multiple spheres require the use of all apparatuses connected with those sphere (minus one for each level of Enlightenment over 2) however the highest applicable decrease (due to things such as use of a unneeded apparatuses or a specific apparatus) is applied to the difficulty. So if an agent is at Enlightenment 3 but uses the extra unneeded apparatus they would gain -1 to difficulty for the unneeded apparatus. Also the ability associated with any apparatus associated with any sphere in the conjunctival procedure are applicable for retesting.
Note that a full round is required at minimum for use of each apparatus. So an effect requiring three apparatuses will take a minimum of three rounds to perform in order for the procedure to be completed.
*There are certain special exceptions to the Union’s ability to universally cooperate, there are some rare instances of alternate Spheres used by certain Conventions such as Data (instead of Correspondence) and Primal Utility (instead of Prime).
Grades of Success
- +1 for succeeding in an unnecessary overbid
- +1 for a single Willpower spent before the test is made for an effect (this is aside from one spent to avoid a botch
- +1 for each grade of time added to the existing casting time up to a day (Round, Minute, Hour, Day) then plus one for each day after. (this is aside from any time added to gain trait bonuses)
- +1 For every supporting Employee who has the full levels of all spheres required for an effect who also succeeds in the procedure test (up to your level of Enlightenment). An employee acting in this capacity cannot also add toward decreasing the effect difficulty.
Paradox
- +1 For every Vulgar effect of a Basic Sphere.
- +2 For every Vulgar effect of an Intermediate Sphere.
- +3 For every Vulgar effect of an Advanced Sphere.
- +1 For every Sphere included in a Vulgar effect that has ‘witnesses’ (for large crowds of the Masses the ST may use discretion to add more Paradox)
- -1 For every Resonance trait a location has (that an effect is occurring in) that matches the caster’s exactly.
*Note that these count per ‘vulgar effect’. A procedure can have multiple effects. For example ‘teleportation’ will both have you disappear from one location and have you reappear in another. This would count as two separate vulgar effects (assuming the origin or the destination are not a Laboratory). That would come to 4 Paradox +1 for each that may have witnesses.
Also No Paradox is accrued for any effects that occur in any Laboratory. Remember this is focused on the location of the effect NOT necessarily where it is created. So if you were to ‘teleport’ from your Laboratory into a room crowded with the Masses you would not get the Paradox from disappearing in your Laboratory but you would get the potential three or more from appearing in the crowded room. Of course if you were just going to someone else’s Laboratory, you would not get any Paradox.
Backlash: Whenever Paradox is accrued the character may make a simple test. A win will cause an immediate backlash, failure will cause the Paradox to accrue and build for a future backlash. The mage can also spend a Willpower to automatically prevent a backlash, most useful in critical situations where backlash would be inconvenient.
Resonance
All Employees start game with 1 Permanent point of Resonance per level of Enlightenment they begin with, one of which must be Static.
Any successful use of Advanced or greater Enlightened Science will garner a temporary point of Resonance. Garnering 3 temporary points of similar Resonance will call for two hard tests, failure will cause them to form into a Permanent Resonance, success on at least one will cause them to disappear. Successful use of a Science greater than 5 will call for 2 simple tests. Failure of both will also cause a permanent point instead of a temporary one, succeeding on at least one will only bring a temporary point.
Other Ways to Gain Resonance (Other stressful Enlightened events up to the STs Discretion can call for two simple tests. Failure of both will garner a Permanent Resonance Trait):
- Going into Quiet garners an automatic permanent trait
- Finishing a Seeking (Success or not) will call for 2 hard tests. Failure of both will also cause a permanent trait.
- Losing a Permanent Willpower will call for 2 simple tests. Failure of both will also cause a permanent trait.
- Learning a Master-Level Sphere will call for 2 hard tests. Failure of both will also cause a permanent trait.
*Note that with very rare exceptions, Resonance generally doesn’t go down. It can be suppress for a time, but one of the only sure fire ways to decrease Resonance is tospend a great deal of time away from the Magical life, keeping a mundane profile and avoiding mystic events or use of magic. Each month so sequestered allows the Mage to remove a Permanent point of Resonance. Certain quests and extensive Meditations can also accomplish a similar cleansing but these have to be planned with an ST and tend to be specific to the Resonance being eliminated.
The Effects of Correspondence, Psychological and Genetic Links
A Correspondence Link is something with a strong enough connection to a target to harken back to them (which does include Arcane Links) or on which an artificial link has been created using Correspondence. Using Correspondence to find and trace the link a Mage can then add Correspondence into any effect to treat that target as if they were touching it/them. This can be something like a place that they frequent multiple times on a weekly basis like a bedroom or club (though in the case of the later so many other links may cause it to be impossible to find), an item they wear or carry consistently like a favorite bracelet or pair of shoes or even a piece of their person like hairs or fingernails.
A Psychological link is something of emotional investment to the target (which does include Genetic links) creating a traceable and useable energy link. This requires Mind to identify and trace and Mind must be added into any effect that wishes to take advantage of it. These things can often have a Correspondence connection to the target, but not always and a Correspondence connection can be warded against or even broken completely by Correspondence or other sciences where as a Psychological connection cannot. The only way for a target to break this connection is a true divestment of their emotional attachment to it. Use of a Psychological link gives a 2 trait bonus to all use of Enlightened Science against (or for) them. This can be something like the ring of a dead parent, the original draft of an original work of art or even the saved first dollar ever earned by the target.
A Genetic link is a truly potent piece of the target’s being, it includes both Correspondence and Psychological links (both of which are extremely difficult if not impossible to sever), but is more. No additional Spheres are needed to utilize the benefits of this link, use of Correspondence cannot be blocked in tracing the target and use of any True Enlightened Sciences on the target cannot be resisted (including Entropic Curses and Mind Controls). The Employee must still test for the success of the procedure and botching will either turn the procedure directly back on them as the energies invert or prevent the use of any of their procedures with that link ever again… or both, at the ST’s discretion. It should be noted that if the target is aware of one having this link, use of Correspondence to trace it back cannot be blocked and they gain the same benefits of a Correspondence and Psychological link back upon the holder (though none of the other benefits that come with a Genetic link. The target cannot use Enlightened Science to destroy the Genetic item or else will receive an immediate point of Jhor. These can include fresh blood from the target (dried and unpreserved blood will only be a Psychological and Correspondence Link), a subject of the target’s true love, a substantial body part (including teeth), or in the case of a Wraith one of it’s Fetters.
Duration, Concentration and Empowerment
(And other fun procedural facts)
An Employee is limited in their procedures in two important ways. First, only one effect can be created per round. This counts for each round any given effect takes to be cast. So even if you are taking two rounds to be able to use an apparatus and gain a Grade of Success, you can only be creating that one effect during that time, even if the completion of your procedure is on a different round. Second, an Employee can only have as many active effects going in one round as they have Enlightenment x2.
Many effects have a duration with a base and which can be increased with Grades of Success. This is in essence setting the procedure to run on its own and have its effect independent of the Employee’s further control. The advantage of this is that the procedure does not weigh on the Employee’s concentration thereby going through its duration regardless of interruption. On the other hand, those that oppose this procedure in some way or who wish to counter it do so against a static difficulty not directly against the Employee so they are afforded no ability to cancel or retest. The employee may add Prime Energy to raise this static difficulty up to their spending limit.
An effect can instead be maintained through sheer concentration. This allows them to directly contest any effort to resist or counter the effect, allowing for retests or cancellations. Unfortunately these effects weigh on their will. For each so maintained effect further procedures are increased in difficulty by one. Any event that the ST deems may disrupt their concentration will call for a variable Mental challenge or else drop all such effects.
Finally, an effect with a duration can be ‘Empowered’ with Prime to extend their longevity. This can be done in one of two ways. First, an Employee can add Prime 2 into the effect and bind it to an battery that can contain Prime Energy they place into it. A point of Prime Energy is needed per level of the highest sphere for each renewal this spell can go through. This is limited because most batteries can’t hold much power (use the object ratings listed under the Devices section in FBDF as a base for what can be held). This can only be fueled once and when the Prime Energy runs out the battery is burned up and the effect stops. The second option is to use the same thing to tie an effect to a Periapt (described in FBDF). In this case the Prime Energy can continuously be refilled through the Periapt and so long as there is enough the effect will continuously renew. Empowerment is generally most practical for long term spells, most commonly Shields and Electronic Countermeasures.
Contested Effects
While effects don’t always state an additional test, if it has an immediate, direct effect on another character one is required. The traits used depend on the procedure. As a rule attacks on the body used Physical traits, Mental and Paranatural effects use Mentals and Dimensional or Emotional effects use Socials. This can vary based on ST discretion (though once set should be included in the write up of any Procedure) and can sometimes pit two different traits against each other. These are often based on the apparatus the Employee uses to create the procedure. For example a Syndicate Agent uses a complex psychological folio about a subject’s sleep patterns to put a room full of people into a quiet slumber. This may allow him to pit his Mentals against their Socials. An Employee uses their Apparatus Abilities for retests and the targets use one the ST deems applicable. So a New World Order Agent using intimidation tactics to maneuver a target into a probability pattern that ould appear like bad luck would first create his procedure and upon success Test his Mental traits (retesting with Intimidation) against theirs (retesting with Leadership). If another Employee or RD Superstitionist is successfully Aware of an effect and attempts to countermand a test of their Enlightenment against their opponent’s may be taken after the successful procedure creation but before any test against its target to reduce the Grades of Success.
Alternate Spheres
Below is a list of alternate names the Union uses for Spheres and if applicable the difference in how they operate.
- Correspondence Principles (Correspondence)
- Data (Alternate Correspondence):
- Dimensional Science Paraphysics (Spirit)
- Entropic State Control (Entropy)
- Forces Based Paraphysics (Forces)
- Life Sciences (Life)
- Material Sciences (Matter)
- Primal Utility Theory (Prime)
Primal Ventures and Horizon Influences- Influence Assets count as individual Primal Ventures of the same levels for uses of level 1 Primal Utility. - Psychodynamics (Mind)
- Temporal Science (Time)