Shadows on the Horizon

Magic Rules

Charms / Gadgets

A Charm can potentially have the effect of any Sphere magic. The effect requires Prime 3 and any other Sphere required in the Charm. This determines base difficulty. Basic charms can be used once, and if the effect is at all vulgar the item used is destroyed by Paradox upon consumption (unless Prime x5 is used to counteract the Paradox) and will fade after three months of disuse. One batch can produce up to 2x the Mage's Arete in Charms, however creation of any Charms cost 1 Quintessence per Charm.

Gadgets: To use Hypertech Technocracy members need at least one level of an appropriate Hyper Ability to the gadget they are making. Those with Primal Utility can organize an appropriate Primal Venture to assemble the gadget and any Quintessence directly drawn from it into the gadget's construction will count as Pawns of Tass

The Rote for creating Charms is Prime three, but when casting the level of the sphere of magic being put into it must be added to this. If it is a power of pure Prime then the minimum level is three, but for higher levels of Prime the level is used to determine the difficulty.

Difficulty Modifiers

Grades of Success

*If Tass is used with complimentary Resonance a simple (single Sphere) Charm can be created with only Prime 2 and a Charm can be placed on a living thing using Prime 4.

Activation: An awakened being can activate a Charm by either spending a point of Quintessence or by making an Arete test. The difficulty of the test is determined by the level of the highest sphere used in the Charm's effect. If you are the creator of the Charm the difficulty in -1 and if the Charm is opposed to your Paradigm the ST may assign a +1 to the difficulty.

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Periapts/Batteries

A Mage must collect ten pawns of Tass for every level of the Periapt being made. Creating a Periapt requires a base of Prime 3, but must be used in conjunction with other Spheres as follows. With Matter 4 Tass can be formed into a Periapt but the materials must remain the same. With Matter 5 5 the material can be alters as the creator wishes and it can be fused directly into an item. With Life 5 it can be fused directly into a living creature. For every level of the Periapt it can hold up to 5 Quintessence normally, however using Prime 5 in its creation allows it to hold 10 per level. The Periapt and the Quintessence used from it will always have the Resonance of the Tass used to create it, for the better or worse of magic it is used to fuel. This Resonance can be change if Master level Prime is used in creation of the Periapt. If Quintessence from a Periapt is ever used in an effect that accrues Paradox, the Periapt also gains a point of Paradox and reduces the available room for Quintessence until that Paradox is removed. In the creation of the Periapt a Grade of Success is required for every level of the Periapt.

Batteries: Using Hypertech, Technocracy members need at least two levels of an appropriate Hyper Ability to the battery they are constructing. Those with Primal Utility can organize an appropriate Primal Venture to assemble the battery and any Quintessence directly drawn from it into the Battery's construction will count as Pawns of Tass.

Flaws (level bonus):

Use: Any Awakened being can draw from a Periapt they are touching, using it directly in effects or drawing it into themselves up to their Avatar rating. The right levels of Prime can all it to be drawn upon at a distance.

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Artifacts / Inventions

The object to be made into an Artifact must be chosen carefully. First it must be in sync with the Mage's Paradigm and in accordance with the Spheres being used.

With Prime 4 an Artifact can be created of an object.

A found or garnered item is always limited in capability. These items have a rating based on the higher of the Crafts/Technology/Computers/Etc used to create it or the 'Antiquity' of the item assigned by the ST. Artifacts made with these items can only ever use one Sphere in any effects they may have. The level of the Artifact is limited by the Crafted/Antiquity rating plus one for every two levels the enchanter has in Matter (round down).

An item created by the Mage can go much further. It is still limited by the Crafted rating, however these can include multiple Spheres.

With Prime 5 an Artifact can be created from a living creature , this is known as a Blessing.

The level of complexity of the creature determines the level of Artifact it can be turned into. Insects and simple plants can be level one or two, Small animals and larger or more complex plants can be three or four and larger or intelligent animals (like man) can be 5. The level of the Artifact is limited by the Complexity rating plus one for every two levels the enchanter has in Life (rounded down).

Life can be used to craft or modify life. With a Life 4 effect an existing life form can be raised a level per two grades of success and with Life 5 a new creature can be created with an additional grade of success needed in addition to those already required for each level the new life form is capable of.

Once the item is created/obtained it must be purified and maintained in purity while the Artifact is enchanted. Often this requires repeated use of Prime 2 but can vary based on the Paradigm.

To determine the Artifact's point value you must add together the Sphere ratings of each of it's individual effects and subtract one for each point of Flaws included (explained later). Subtract one for every level of Arete the creator has over 5. That total is multiplied by two for an effect that is continuously active (add one to the multiplier for each such effect after the first). Add one to this final total if a Periapt is being incorporated into it (explained later), and additionally for certain special Paradox effects (explained later). This rating determines how many total grades of success the Enchanter needs in a Vulgar Prime 4/5 effect to Quicken the object/creature. This quickening test must be made for each effect the Artifact will possess, and while each test can be done with High Ritual to help the final outcome the artifact must be properly purified between each step of the enchantment (this will take a month per test).

Inventions/Devices: To use Hypertech Technocracy members need at least three levels of an appropriate Hyper Ability to the invention or device they are constructing. Those with Primal Utility can organize an appropriate Primal Venture to assemble the invention or device and any Quintessence directly drawn from it into the Battery's construction will count as Pawns of Tass.

Artifact Flaws:
1-3 points can be reduced from the rating of an Artifact for Minor, Moderate and Major flaws being added. Ultimately these are at ST discretion however here are some general examples:

Minor- Works only at night, must be fed 10 Quintessence before it works, must be immersed in some odd or expensive substance when not being used (five pounds of vampire ash, water from an underground lake, sand from the Sahara)

Moderate- Must sacrifice a goat before it can be used, works only when Mercury is in retrograde, must be kept in some peculiar or extremely expensive substance when not being used (steam distilled essential oil of rose, a werewolf pelt, human tallow)

Major- Must make a human sacrifice before use, needs to be fed 40 points of Quintessence to be used, works only during New Moons or Eclipses, must be lowered four times a year into the depths of the Marianna Trench when not used for four days, must be stored someplace that is very difficult to access like the Vatican Library or the deepest temple chamber in Machu Picchu.

Other possible flaws could be a Wonder that works sporadically for 2 points, or a wonder that takes a long time to warm up for 1. A Wonder can never be reduced by more than three points with Flaws.

Incorporating a Periapt: A Periapt can be incorporated into an Artifact in one of three ways. Either way it must be built separately first as described above. Without extra use of Matter it can be placed into an existing setting in the Artifact during the Quickening. If one has Matter 3 and adds an extra point to the Artifact rating the Periapt can be merged physically into the Artifact during the Quickening, though it remains a separate object set there in. Finally with Matter 5 the Periapt can be made one with the Artifact during the Quickening, indiscernible from the Artifact itself by adding an additional level to creations.

Paradox Effects: Normally Wonders are great tools for mitigating Paradox, making things more coincidental. However somethings are just plain Vulgar and use of them, even with a Wonder will gain the wielder Paradox as normal. Some Wonders can handle the Paradox they garner in a more direct way. Prime 5 MUST be used in the creation of any Wonder that has any of the following effects:

Paradox Accruing- These Wonders can collect Paradox themselves, up to 10 per level of Periapt contained in the Wonder. In these the law of balance applies, as the Wonder can only hold a certain total between Quintessense and Paradox. As the Paradox overcomes the Quintessense that power disappears and should it ever overflow its capacity of Paradox that Paradox will backlash on the wielder in full. An extra 5 pawns of Tass per level of Periapt are needed in creation of a Wonder with this ability.
Paradox Absorbing- For each extra level added to the Artifact rating these Wonders can hold up to 10 Paradox. In the case of these, unlike the Accruing, should it ever overflow this capacity the Wonder will simply shatter. An extra 5 pawns of Tass is needed per level of this added to an Artifact.
Paradox Randomization- This adds only one point to the Artifact rating of a Wonder and quite simply will assign the Paradox to any Awakened creature in the local area. This can include the wielder, his friends or even his enemies. Randomization is decided by the ST.
Paradox Scattering- This adds only one point to the Artifact rating of a Wonder that already has the Paradox Accruing feature and causes it to spread the Paradox backlash caused by overflowing it's capacity to all Awakened creatures within a 10 ft radius.

Activation: An Awakened being can activate an Artifact in two ways. If an Artifact is used without knowing what it is capable of, the effects can be dangerous and random. A point of Quintessence will activate the item automatically. The Mage can also make an Arete test against the rating of the item. If you are the creator of the Artifact the difficulty in -1 and if the Artifact is opposed to your Paradigm the ST may assign a +1 to the difficulty.

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Talismans / Devices

Talismans and Devices are more dynamic and independent forms of Wonders. In essence they are Artifacts/Inventions with a bit of their creator's will imbued into them as to make them capable of independent actions. For the purposes of creation we will start with the foundations of Artifacts and build from there. When an Artifact is made into a Talisman it gains the following abilities:

Abilities

Downsides

Crafting a Talisman is very similar to that of crafting an Artifact. Add one point to the overall rating. A permanent point of Willpower must be sacrificed for each point of Arete that it will possess (This can be drawn instead from a willing subject during creation by adding Master level Mind into the creation. and at the time of Quickening the creator will lose that many permanent Willpower as they are invested into the Talisman. Any Wonder so created can hold 2x the Craft/Antiquity/Complexity rating in points.

Additional Flaws: In addition to the usual flaws Artifacts can have a Talisman can have Flaws right from the core book that it gives the wielder when in their possession. These must be appropriate, and agreed on by the Storyteller but can potentially go beyond the normal limit of three. Minor 'side effects' can be added that have no impact on the rating, but particularly appropriate ones can garner difficulty benefits from Storytellers.

When completed the Talisman will take a point of Resonance from its creator (whatever their highest trait is) which will only return upon it's destruction. Those who wield the Talisman gain that Resonance trait while doing so. A Talisman can also gain more Resonance overtime, but never more than three and never of more than one type. If the Talisman is brought into a situation that exudes a large amount of that Resonance the Talisman can act independently of its owner. The circumstance is up to ST discretion, but if called in such a way it will use it's powers in a way appropriate to the situation without prompting. This is always direct and simple, and can never happen more than once a day. If the wielder is touching it when this happens they can make an Awareness test against 7 traits to notice before it happens and though they will not know what it is about to do they can spend a Willpower to prevent it.

Use: In general a Talisman will act on the command of its wielder, no matter who it may be. A Talisman will not act against its creator though they do not truly think in any way so it's concept of acting against its creator will be very simple and straight forward. A Prime 1 Mind 1 effect will attune a user to the item and it will also not act against them until it is reattuned. Should the item have been separated from its creator or wielder unwillingly it will act as described above to return to them.

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Talisman Periapts and Device Batteries

Put simply these are Periapts made at the level of a Talisman. When the Periapt is made it'sits wielder imbues a permanent point of his Willpower into it. Otherwise it is made the same as any Periapt and has the same general capabilities with the following modifications.

Abilities

Down sides

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Grimoires and Principae

These are deep teachings written by an awakened being to teach others of a similar ilk the lessons they have learned on their path to ascension. The rating of the Grimoire determines what it is capable of teaching:

*Note that only those of a compatible Paradigm the tome is written in can gain any advantage from it. This can often cover a specific Tradition or an array of specific groups across various Traditions.

To learn the information in a Grimoire there are often rather stringent requirements. At minimum one must be able to read the language that the book is written it, additionally they often require certain levels of knowledge or intelligence to be able to comprehend what they contain. They also often require certain physical praxes to trigger the book's enlightening ability. One may require somatic movements by the Mage, or perhaps can only be read by the light of the moon. These requirements are at the STs discretion and must fit the Paradigm the book is written for. Unfortunately, especially when you find or recover a book, you cannot know what these requirements are and they are not an easy thing to uncover. You may not even know all the Grimoire is capable of teaching you for days months or years as you experiment or advance your knowledge to a point of understanding what is written. Some even have visual effects, like three dimensional images or moving texts, that are vulgar and so unless being used in a Sanctum can garner the bearer Paradox as they use it. These are primarily flavor and may have no bearing on the rating of the book. STs are encouraged to be creative and make sure these things are appropriate to the Paradigm and/or pertinent to what is being learned. The ST may allow for the drop of a point of rating for 2 or more particularly complex requirements or perhaps one major one, like the sacrifice of an animal with it's blood being spread across the pages every time one wants to read from it.

Creation- A Grimoire is created on the foundations of a Talisman. They can have the additional ability of a Talisman to their teaching capability, however this is rare and most often is simply for defense of the tome. In fact if an effect is set to go off if a certain set of requirements is not met and only then, one point can be taken away from the points that effect adds to the creation. This is because the point values above add to those of the creation of the Talisman, and this can be come very daunting, very quickly if someone wants it to have additional powers. Because the Mage must invest their will into these books they must be Talismans and cannot be Artifacts. In addition to any invested from Arete added to the item the Mage must invest an additional permanent point of Willpower into the creation. Fortunately they can choose not to give them any Talisman-like powers, thereby not needing any Arete and not garnering them the permanent Arcane link a Talisman would otherwise represent.

Flaws- as listed in the Talisman section can still apply to the creation, however any learning requirements or minor effects can be added without general effect on the rating (with the exceptions listed above). At least some separate requirement should be placed on each item that the tome teaches, as this is the nature of the item, but ultimately this is at the ST's discretion.

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Spirit Wonders

Working with spirits has distinct advantages and disadvantages over trying to imbue raw magic into an item. The creation of Talens and Fetishes can be vastly faster than other types of Wonders, but the spirits used to make them can be temperamental. Mage have no natural influence among spirits like the Werewolves and those that deal in the Spirit Sphere are far more susceptible to their wrath than the relatively sheltered Vampires with Spirit Thaumaturgy.

The first major hurtle for a Mage is finding the right spirirt to accomplish what they want. Dreamspeakers and those with the skill dealing with the more Earth-bound spirits of the Middle Umbra generally have an easier time if they learn the deeply establish customs for dealing with those spirits. The chiminage can be higher than it might be for a Garou but ultimately those spirits are relatively predictable and with the proper lores you can know what to prepare for and what to expect. Most Mage dealing with High Umbral spirits are not so lucky, preparation is still key but those forms of spirits can be more fickle and\or mutable. They can offer a far wider range of capabilities at the STs discretion (where as those of the Middle Umbra are more narrow) but what they want in return can be somewhat unpredictable and they have a bit more influence over the use of the abilities they provide in the binding, especially when something goes against their nature. The most dangerous form of these dealings however is with the denizens of the Low Umbra, Wraiths and Specters and other such things. These creatures generally enter these pacts to gain access to the world, gain closure or even gain a new fetter.

In general this assumes the more proper option of dealing with aspirit, on their terms, and coming to a greater agreement called Chiminage. There are two other major ways of creating Talens and Fetishes that are generally considered 'less' proper:

The first of these is Trial by Combat. In this the Mage enters direct combat with the Spirit, bests and binds it. This can have one of two outcomes. First, the beaten spirit respects the Mage for his success. This tends to be more common among spirits of combat or conflict where they are bested at the sor of competition or combat they favor, or at least when the Mage has taken them on in their own territory. These result in relatively effective and successful Talens and Fetishes. Alternately, the Spirit may be sullen or simply angry at being beaten into submission, usually occurring when a Mage has taken advantage of them, commited foul play or otherwise used dirty tactics. These will ultimately have a major flaw, or a couple of lesser flaws. In these cases the flaws will be predictable and consistent.

The second and rather desperate option is Coercion... forcing them into a binding through sheer mystical might. This is simply using Spirit (x3 for Talens and x4 for Fetishes) to bind it without any agreement or cowing on its part. These are seriously flawed, and not necessarily in a consistent way. Mage that do this are advised to be very specific with the rules of the binding as the spirit can use any loop hole to negatively affect the uses of the Talen or Fetish. They can also potentially hold back the power, allowing it to work normally at times, but at more important times delay its effect for a round or more. That is just the effect on the item, there are long term effects as well. Once the spirit is free, it and it's brood may seek to harass the Mage. If it is beholden to or beloved of a greater spirit, that spirit may harass him even while the spirit is bound. Doing tis too an Umbrood of the High Umbra or Spirit of the Middle Umbra will also certainly gain Spirit Noteriety, one point for each Talen made this way and a point per level of each Fetish made this way.

Enslavement: This method is on rare occasion used by Void Engineers, entrapping the alien entities and utilizing their advanced abilities. A smart Engineer will not flash these around other Convention members, or even some of the more conservative of their own.

Talens and Fetishes, being formed from bound spirits, are energized by the spiritual energies of Gnosis and no raw Quintessense. As such they have a Gnosis rating and any creature that possesses Gnosis naturally can use them by testing their permanent Gnosis against it or by spending a point of Gnosis. A Mage with the Spirit Sphere can test their Arete to do the same, and any Mage or other awakened creature can activate them by spending a Willpower.

Talens

A Talen is a a very temporary binding where a spirit agrees (or perhas doesn't agree) to perform one act on behalf of the wielder and is released. Generally this requires Spirit 3 (subject to alteration based on the 'Other' Realms rules above) to perform the binding itself. Even with these temporary items Spirits can be remarkably picky about what they will be bound into and what they will do for the user while there. Spirits have their own alien forms of etiquette and propriety. For Spirits of both the Middle and High Umbra require study and formulation of specific Talens. The most well-established of these are the use of Middle Umbra Spirits by the Shape Shifters. They have developed a vast array of Talens they can make with relative impunity, as their spirit nature and ancient packs allow for it. For a Mage it is generally faster to develop new Talens but they will wind up owing something to a spirit that agrees to being used (or a collection of them if the Mage wants to make a batch) or if they force the binding they gain Spirit Noteriety.

Learning Talens: This is a relatively easy matter, if there is an existing Talen ritual/formula... it can be taught between Spirit Magi with little effort or time, about a week for game purposes. It can be learned from others too, but good luck getting the Shifters to talk (not to mention you would have to have the skill and power to work with Middle Umbra Spirits to use theirs, most Mage tend to stick with the High Umbra, allowing less effort and a broader range of options)

Creating a New Talen: Talens are fairly easy to develop, the Mage must take a week of research and then spend another week scouring the Umbra for the right types of spirits, make a test of Cosmology and Spirit Lore against difficulty set as follows:

Base for High Umbra Spirits9
Base for Middle Umbra Spirits7
Spirit is well founded in the Mage's Paradigm-2
Spirit is truly alien to the Mage's Paradigm+4
Spirit is apt to be friendly to the Mage-1
Spirit is apt to be hostile to the Mage +2

Failure of either of these tests calls for another week and another set of tests. When determining what a new Talen can be capable of an ST is encouraged to remember they can onlt be made from relatively minor spirits and to work with the player to determine an appropriate object to be used in the binding and an appropriate standard Chiminage. Even players who are going to Coerce the spirit rather than dealing are wise to follow these set Talen standards, because to ignore them or 'go off the cuff' will allow for increasing flaws in the final effect and greater ability for the spirit to resist (based on ST discretion). The times for creating new Talens is consecutive with times for creating and learning Rotes.

Low Umbra\Shadowlands: Creatures from this realm are a bit more complicated to work with, they intelligent and knowledgeable of mortal affairs, unlike the relatively alien and ignorant spirits of the other realms. Most were once members of what they refer to as the Skinlands. Coercion and beating them in combat ultimately have the same effect, an upset Wraith or worse Labyrinthine creature growing angier and building Angst. They also have a far greater chance of resisting doing what they are told. Part of this binding often includes helping the spirit with 'unfinished business', or with powerful use of Sphere magic the allowance of the spirit to wander the lands of the living for a time or even the creation of a new fetter to tie them further to the Shadowlands.

Fetishes

Fetishes are, if not really a permanent binding, a long term one that can offer a good deal more power that is reusable. Creation of one begins very similarly to that of Artifacts\Inventions, finding or creating an appropriate object. The rating is similar, but there is one additional complication to having the right item for the long term residence of a spirit. The item doesn't just need to be a suitable vessel for power within the Mages paradigm, but must also be so for the Nature of the spirit being bound. The rating determines the Potency of the Spirit that can be bound into it which in turn determines what the spirit can offer for the power of the Fetish. In some cases two spirits can be convince to be bound into an item together, though this is a difficult process, but in such a case the second spirit only adds half its Potency added to the total (rounded up). Fortunately, after the right item is found or made there is little more to be done unlike other Wonders. Like with Talens most commonly a deal is struck with the spirit(s), but again combat or coercion are useable. Even with coercion a strong item must be used to contain the potency of the spirit for so long, but if the Mage does not use a vessel appropriate to the spirit is used in this case it gives the spirit more strength and reason to resist being used with it. With a Fetish made this way the spirit can attempt to escape once per year at a time that embodies their nature or any time the Fetish is brought to their home realm. They test their Willpower against the Mage's directly. Success allows them to flee the vessel. Also at any time the object is broken or destroyed the spirit is freed. The allies of coerced spirits may make regular attempts to do this.

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Talens

A Talen is a very temporary binding where a spirit agrees (or perhaps doesn't agree) to perform one act on behalf of the wielder and is released. Generally this requires Spirit 3 (subject to alteration based on the 'Other' Realms rules above) to perform the binding itself. Even with these temporary items Spirits can be remarkably picky about what they will be bound into and what they will do for the user while there. Spirits have their own alien forms of etiquette and propriety. For Spirits of both the Middle and High Umbra require study and formulation of specific Talens. The most well-established of these are the use of Middle Umbra Spirits by the Shape Shifters. They have developed a vast array of Talens they can make with relative impunity, as their spirit nature and ancient packs allow for it. For a Mage it is generally faster to develop new Talens but they will wind up owing something to a spirit that agrees to being used (or a collection of them if the Mage wants to make a batch) or if they force the binding they gain Spirit Notoriety.

Learning Talens

This is a relatively easy matter, if there is an existing Talen ritual/formula... it can be taught between Spirit Magi with little effort or time, about a week for game purposes. It can be learned from others too, but good luck getting the Shifters to talk (not to mention you would have to have the skill and power to work with Middle Umbra Spirits to use theirs, most Mage tend to stick with the High Umbra, allowing less effort and a broader range of options)

Creating a New Talen

Talens are fairly easy to develop, the Mage must take a week of research and then spend another week scouring the Umbra for the right types of spirits, make a test of Cosmology and Spirit Lore against difficulty set as follows:

Base for High Umbra Spirits9
Base for Middle Umbra Spirits7
Spirit is well founded in the Mage's Paradigm-2
Spirit is truly alien to the Mage's Paradigm+4
Spirit is apt to be friendly to the Mage-1
Spirit is apt to be hostile to the Mage+2

Failure of either of these tests calls for another week and another set of tests. When determining what a new Talen can be capable of an ST is encouraged to remember they can only be made from relatively minor spirits and to work with the player to determine an appropriate object to be used in the binding and an appropriate standard Chiminage. Even players who are going to Coerce the spirit rather than dealing are wise to follow these set Talen standards, because to ignore them or 'go off the cuff' will allow for increasing flaws in the final effect and greater ability for the spirit to resist (based on ST discretion). The times for creating new Talens is consecutive with times for creating and learning Rotes.

Low Umbra\Shadowlands

Creatures from this realm are a bit more complicated to work with, they intelligent and knowledgeable of mortal affairs, unlike the relatively alien and ignorant spirits of the other realms. Most were once members of what they refer to as the Skinlands. Coercion and beating them in combat ultimately have the same effect, an upset Wraith or worse Labyrinthine creature growing angrier and building Angst. They also have a far greater chance of resisting doing what they are told. Part of this binding often includes helping the spirit with 'unfinished business', or with powerful use of Sphere magic the allowance of the spirit to wander the lands of the living for a time or even the creation of a new fetter to tie them further to the Shadowlands.

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Familiars

The calling and bonding of a Familiar starts very much like making a Fetish. The Vessel will determine the maximum level the Familiar can attain. A deal is struck with the spirit as with a Fetish, combat can sometimes be used, but coercion is likely a poor idea... If the Familiar turns on you it can make your life very miserable. The fact that bonding this way to a Mage allows the Mage to directly feed them Quintessence for energy is often a large part of this deal, but most spirits will ask for a bit more. In some cases trust is established before the bonding and these are usually the most productive relationships.

Making of a vessel can take many forms, most often the Spirit will Materialize in its most powerful form or the Mage will Breach the Gauntlet for them and then the Mage will use Prime 3 to give it Permanence. These Familiars can have a starting rating up to 5 and a grade of success on the effect is needed per level. It is also possible for the Mage to create the Body with Life 5 for a living creature or Matter 4 for a construct. The spirit can then either use the Possession Charm on it or the Mage can use Spirit 4 to place it in the new vessel, followed by Prime 3 used for Permanence. These Familiars can have a starting rating determined like that of Wonders depending on the vessel. A Familiar purchased at character creation is always capped at 5, but one created in these fashions starts at 1 and can go up to the determined maximum level over time as they bond more and it grows in its vessel. The maximum level can be increased in the same way as Wonders, recrafting or enhancing the vessel. The main difference is that the spell of permanence must be cast again. Third and more grim a spirit can possess a living creature, or the Mage can destroy its spirit and place the chosen spirit inside, again using Prime 3 for Permanence. This is rather a dark path and can taint the Mage's soul. In this way the Familiar can immediately attain up to the living creature's Complexity in Familiar rating, but the Mage will gain Spirit Notoriety.

Once in a vessel the Mage must form a bond with it. This requires the use of Prime 3 and Spirit 4. Once formed a permanent Arcane Connection forms. Anything the Familiar Touches is like the Mage touching it, they can automatically sense each other's emotions, the Familiar can now take Paradox for the Mage and the Mage can sustain it by 'feeding' it Quintessence (this can be done at any distance, but a Familiar requires at least it's rating in Quintessence every month to survive and for each week they go unfed they take a level of Bashing Damage). Special requirements can be set upon creation of a Familiar that can lower their Quintessence requirements. This is at ST discretion and should be rare or hard to attain (like cat hearts stewed in the finest cream) and overall can never bring the need below 1. The familiar will still have its vessels needs of course, and animal needs food, a construct may need oil or batteries, a zombie may require 'maintenance'... etc.

A bond can be broken with a Spirit 5 effect that is contested and requires a grade of success per rating the Mage has in their familiar. The Mage can of course release the bond at any time, sometimes this is even set upon the creation of the bond. Death of a familiar can be very damaging to the Mage. The Mage loses a number of Quintessence equal to the Familiar's rating (for each one they don't have to lose they take a level of unsoakable aggravated damage), the Mage must make a Willpower test against 5 traits or be rendered stunned for a number of rounds equal to its rating, if the death is caused by the Mage they lose a point of Destiny and a Fate scar appears on their soul (and the Familiar's rating cannot be recovered).

Generally Familiars don't garner Paradox, though some may be outside of consensual reality or do things as such. When this is witnessed by a Sleeper it will garner's it's Mage a point of Paradox. A Familiar can however take on the Mage's paradox, even that caused by its existence. The Mage can choose to do this the round after they have gained the Paradox (assuming it has not backlashed). A Familiar can hold up to 5 points of Paradox per Familiar rating, but the moment this exceed that limit it automatically backlashes as a whole on the Mage (along with any the Mage already has). This can extend to Paradox accrued by a Wonder being wielded by the Mage.

Essence

Essence is the amount of spiritual power a familiar has; it is often a reflection of how powerful it was as a spirit. Familiars do not store Quintessence- they cat it. It fuels their basic life functions: breathing, nutrition and energy. Some of this magical food, however, is converted to Essence, used by the familiar to power some of its Charms. (A mage can tap his familiar's Essence points to gain Quintessence points, on a one for one basis. He does not need the Prime Sphere to do this. Obviously, draining a familiar's Essence leaves it with fewer points to spend on its own powers.)

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In Shadows on the Horizon we use the Familiar rules from Forged by Dragon's Fire pg. 84 rather than those provided in Mage the Ascension: Companion pg. 63.

Familiar Creation

The Familiar creation process, for LARP, is summarized as follows.

Types of Familiars

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Familiar Charms

General Charms

Aggravated Damage (5 PTS)
By spending one Essence point per attack, the familiar can enhance its weapon, delivering aggravated wounds. Only one weapon (including natural weaponry, like claws) at a time can be so enchanted by this Charm.

Armor (1-5 PTS)
At the cost of one Essence the familiar gains armor levels equal to the level of this Charm that is purchases for the scene. These act just like normal armor, going down with damage and while they cannot be stacks they can be reactivated whenever the armor is penetrated so long as the Familiar has the needed Essence.

Bad Luck Curse (3 PTS)
By spending one point of Essence, the familiar can cause a single target to suffer bad luck. Declared before a test the target loses on ties (if they have a power that allows them to win on ties this cancels that power for this test instead). If activated after a test they can force the target to retest if they won.

Claws/Teeth (2 PTS)
The familiar has a set of claws or teeth (choose one) that is capable of inflicting 2 lethal damage upon a successful attack. This can be purchased twice to get both.

Flight (2 PTS)
The familiar can fly, either through the use of wings or by levitation. Distance traveled is twice normal walking speed.

Healing (5 PTS)
With this power a familiar can heal another creature. For one point of Essence it can heal one bashing or lethal level, or for two points it can heal one aggravated level.

Hide (1 PT)
When you can't run and you can't fight, sometimes the best move is to sit still and hide. With some natural cover a familiar can hide from whomever searches for it. The familiar has to have some amount of cover, and needs to remain relatively silent and unmoving. A searcher would need to be looking specifically for the Familiar and then must make a Perception challenge against their Stealth which they get a +3 trait bonus to.

Illuminate (I PT)
The familiar can either give off an ambient glow or light its eyes like flashlights. The light is enough to read by and lets the familiar act like a lamp for others in a small area.

Invisibility (5 PTS)
The familiar can make itself invisible to normal sight. Sounds and touch impressions (footprints), however, still remain. If the familiar spends one Essence point, it remains invisible for a scene, but if it interacts physically or socially with another being besides its mage, it becomes visible. If two Essence points are spent, the invisibility lasts for one scene and the familiar need not worry about bumping into other beings and losing this Charm's power.

Large (2 PTS)
The familiar is larger than a human, perhaps the size of a bear or a horse. The familiar receives one extra Bruised Health Level.

Luck (4 PTS)
By spending one Essence point, the familiar allows itself or its mage a single retest. This may result in. This Charm can only be used once per task.

Paradox Nullification (5 PTS)
The familiar can nullify one point of Paradox per game session. The familiar must take on the Paradox itself and then send it off to the Umbra; this takes one full tum per point. This Charm can be bought multiple times for extra Paradox point nullification per session.

Quintessence Grazing (7 PTS)
The familiar still has the Quintessence grazing ability it had as a spirit. It can collect Quintessence for sustenance on its own (cutting down on the amount of weekly Quintessence its mage must provide). The feeding requirement is reduced by one or a number of points equal to the highest Node rating their Mage has (without affecting the Node's output). For refreshing Essence the Familiar can draw one per day from a Node and one per week by just Scrounging around.

Read & Write (1 PT)
The familiar knows how to read and write its mage's primary language. If it wants to read more, it needs to learn dots of Linguistics. If it doesn't have opposable thumbs, it must use its mouth to hold a writing instrument, and its handwriting is sloppy. If it has no fingers, it cannot type.

Resilience (3 PTS)
This familiar is tough. It gains one additional Bruised Health Level. This Charm can be taken multiple times, but a familiar cannot gain more than double its original Health Levels.

Soak Lethal/Aggravated (3 or 5 PTS)
For three freebie points the familiar can soak lethal damage with its Stamina. For five points it can soak lethal and aggravated damage.

Speech (1 PTS)
The familiar can speak verbally. Unlike most familiars, who can only communicate empathically with their mage, this familiar has learned the ability to speak with its own voice. It must learn Linguistics to speak any language other than its mage's native tongue or spirit speech.

Speed (2 PTS)
For each point of Essence spent a familiar can double its speed. This power only lasts for one scene, at the end of which the strain weighs on the familiar. It must rest for one hour per Essence point it spent to double its speed.

Spirit Gossip (3 PTS)
The familiar can seek through the Umbra or query other spirits for specific information and lore. He can make a Social test retested with an appropriate Ability (Intimidate to scare up the information, Etiquette to politely request it, etc.). The difficulty varies with the complexity of the question. It takes at least one turn to gather the information but might take up to an hour for obscure lore. He can spend additional Social traits for more detailed information.

Telekinesis (3 PTS)
The familiar has the ability to levitate objects with its mind. It must concentrate while doing so, and can take no other action. This costs one Essence point per 30 pounds of weight lifted.

Telepathy (3 PTS)
The familiar can communicate telepathically with any one in sensory range, regardless of language, although it cannot perform telepathic attacks or distractions.

Venom (I, 3 OR 5 PTS)
The familiar can administer poison through a touch, bite, claw or stinger. It must first make a successful attack with the weapon before it can administer the poison (a reflexive action once the attack succeeds). Only one poison dose can be administered per hour, unless one Essence point is spent per extra dose.
For one freebie point the poison causes one point of unsoakable bashing damage plus one per round for each Essence spent after activation. For each round after the first the victim may avoid the wound by spending a Stamina trait and making a Stamina related Physical challenge against 8 traits. This wound cannot be healed for one day unless the victim gets medical care or magic that removes the poison.
For three freebie points the poison causes three points of unsoakable bashing damage plus one per round for each Essence spent after activation. For each round after the first the victim may avoid the wound by spending a Stamina trait and making a Stamina related Physical challenge against 10 traits. This wound cannot be healed for three days unless the victim gets medical care or magic that removes the poison.
For five freebie points the poison causes three points of unsoakable bashing damage plus two per round for each Essence spent after activation. For each round after the first the victim may avoid the wound by spending a Stamina trait and making a Stamina related Physical challenge against 12 traits. This wound cannot be healed for three days unless the victim gets medical care or magic that removes the poison.

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Animal Charms

*Animal Familiars do not garner Paradox through their existence like most other Familiars do, they may purchase Primal Urge as an ability that may be used in any test related to their animal nature and may substitute normal feeding patterns (hunting, carrion, ants, etc) as a substitute for one point of required Quintessence (this must be done daily without exception to apply)*

Dark Sight (2 PTS)
The familiar can "see" in total darkness. This can either be actual vision, heightened smell, a sonar-like sense, or even a mystical ESP. The familiar suffers no penalties for acting in complete darkness.

Entrancement (3 PTS)
The familiar can stare a person or creature in the eye and completely captivate it, holding it in a hypnotic gaze. The target can and will still react if attacked or deliberately distracted, but if left alone he will continue to keep eye contact with the familiar. This requires the familiar to spend one point of Essence and maintain constant eye contact with the enraptured target, who can resist with a Willpower challenge against the Familiar.

Fear (4PTS)
The familiar radiates an aura of palpable fear to creatures around it. It might bring back memories of childhood and being chased by the neighborhood dog, or it might remind a creature of what it's like to be chased by a predator. Whatever the case, this Charm leaves the affected creature unable to act for one turn and scared for the next 10 turns (he suffers two trait penalty penalty to all actions during this time). It costs one Essence per creature targeted. Targets resist by making a static test of their Willpower against the Familiar's Willpower.

Nightvision (1 PT)
The familiar suffers no penalty when in low-light conditions, although complete darkness will blind it normally.

Sharp Sense (1 PT)
The familiar has one particular sense sharpened well beyond human capability, such as a dog's sense of smell and hearing. This allows it to make test impossible for humans (such as tracking by smell) and are up two traits using that sense.

Tracking (1 PT)
The familiar can track any being, provided it first has a sample of the target's Resonance. Successfully reproducing a mage's Resonance requires Prime 2 and Mind 2, but it's best if the familiar can "sniff" at something the target has actually touched or altered magically. When tracking, make a Perception related test retested with Alertness against 6 traits (this can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on conditions and the age of the scent).

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Bygone Charms

*Bygone Familiars can take Abilities, Merits/Flaws, Advantages and other items available to Bygones in the Bygone Bestiary with ST permission*
In addition to the exclusive list below, bygones can also learn any animal Charm.

Firebreath (5 PTS)
By spending one Essence point the familiar can spit a gout of flame from its mouth. This is actual fire, not an illusion. The flame can shoot a distance of 10 feet from the familiar, in a cone three feet wide at its farthest reach. The familiar makes a Dexterity related challenge retested with Melee to hit its target, and inflicts two levels of aggravated damage. Flammable objects the flame touches might ignite. Firebreath can also be used to heat objects, akin to a Bunsen burner.

lllusions (7 PTS)
The familiar can create an illusory object that others might mistake as real. Onlookers make an Intelligence related challenge retested with Enigmas to realize that the object is not real. The object is insubstantial and is revealed as false once touched. This costs a varying degree of Essence, depending on the size and complexity of the illusion. A large rock costs only one point, while a giant prancing dragon might cost three points.

Insubstantial (7 PTS)
The familiar can become incorporeal, and may pass through walls or other obstacles and cannot be physically affected in any way (but neither may it physically effect anything while insubstantial). This costs one Essence point per scene.

Swallow (4 PTS)
Somehow the familiar is able to swallow an incredible amount of stuff and not be the worse for wear. It does not matter what the stuff is made of - organic, inorganic, toxic - none of it harms the familiar. The familiar can swallow items equal to twice its body weight per day, but each item must be able to fit through its mouth. Once swallowed, the object is shunted off into the Umbra somewhere.

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Construct Charms

*Construct Familiars can be combined with AIs with ST permission. Some do not garner Paradox through their existence like most Familiars do, however they must appear to be completely mundane items*

Chill Object (1 PT)
The familiar can cool an object to freezing temperature. It must concentrate on the object it is chilling. Each point of Essence spent drops the temperature 20 degrees Fahrenheit. An object can only be cooled 20 degrees per turn via this method.

Control Electrical Systems (5 PTS)
The familiar can manipulate electrical systems. It might use this to shut down the security in a building, fry the circuitry, or electrocute someone. The familiar makes a Wits related challenge retested with Technology against a difficulty determined by the Storyteller. Each object that the familiar tries to manipulate requires the expenditure of one Essence point.

Cyberpresence (3 PTS)
This familiar retains some of its presence in the Umbra - very specifically, it can manifest in the Digital Web. Unlike most familiars, it can accompany its mage when he jacks in, although it always manifests in its physical shape in the Umbra: a laptop computer is still a laptop computer. It can use all of its abilities while in the Digital Web.

Encryption Software (2 PTS)
When physically connected to a computer or a piece of technology the familiar can act like a watchdog over that piece of technology to ward off attempts to hack into it. This is a matter of defense and cannot be used to make it easier for his mage to jack into another's system. For each point of Essence spent the familiar gets two dots of Computer Ability to use in defense of his mage's system (this cannot more than double the familiar's ranking), and also raises by one the difficulty of anyone attempting to break in.

Heat Object (2 PTS)
The familiar can heat an object. It must concentrate on the object it is heating. Each point of Essence spent raises the temperature 20 degrees Fahrenheit. An object can only be heated 20 degrees per tum via this method.

Jack In (2 PTS)
The familiar can get on line anywhere there is a cell phone signal strong enough to carry on a phone conversation. This power won't work in places far from civilization or in areas where the signal may be disrupted, such as gullies or valleys.

Shock (5 PTS)
This familiar can send out an electric shock to a target. The shock can reach roughly 10 feet from the familiar, but only in a straight line. This is a Dexterity related challenge retested with Melee to hit. Each electric shock causes two levels of aggravated damage and costs one Essence point.

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Elemental Charms

*Elementals can purchase Spirit Charms with ST permission*

Create Element (3 PTS)
The familiar can create a quantity of its basic element: fire, air, water or earth. For each point of Essence spent, an amount equal to five square feet is created from nothing. The substance is natural and endures only so long as conditions allow: fire without fuel to burn disappears within two turns, water without a container trickles away, and air without a windbreak will disperse.

Elemental Immunity (3 PTS)
The familiar is immune from any damage caused by its element. Salamanders with this Charm take no damage from fire; sylphs take no damage from falling through air; undines can breathe in water; gnomes suffer no wounds from weapons of the earth (metal or stone) . A familiar can buy this Charm only once.

Engulf (4 PTS)
Acts just like the Bygone Charm, Swallow, above.

Insubstantial (7 PTS)
As the Bygone Charm, above.

Shapeshift (7 PTS)
By spending one Essence point the familiar can assume a different shape of equal size. For two points it can shapeshift to something larger (from a cat to a human). For three points, it can shift into something much larger (a cat into a rhinoceros). The new shape lasts for one scene. Elementals cannot assume forms antithetical to their element: a salamander cannot turn into a pool of water, and a sylph cannot become a rock.

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Undead Charms

*Undead Familiars may purchase Wraith Arcanoi with ST permission*

Ancient Knowledge (3 PTS)
The familiar can call upon ancient and forgotten lore by speaking with the spirits of the dead. This acts like the Spirit Gossip Charm, above, except that information unknown to anyone living can still be gained.

Fear
As the Animal Charm, above.

Insubstantial (7 PTS)
As the Bygone Charm, above.

Invigorate (5 PTS)
The familiar can spend Essence to make itself temporarily stronger, faster, smarter or more attractive. For every point of Essence spent, one named trait can be added to an Attribute for the rest of the scene.

Wither (4PTS)
The familiar can suck the life out of someone by touching him. For every point of Essence spent it can deal one point of unsoakable bashing damage to an individual. It must first make a Dexterity related challenge retested with Brawl.

Flaws

Familiars can take flaws that award them extra freebie points.

Immobile (5 PTS)
The familiar cannot move on its own and needs its mage (or someone else) to carry it about. For example, a laptop or PDA familiar cannot naturally move, since it has no legs or other means of locomotion.

Tiny (2PTS)
The familiar is quite small and can crawl into spaces larger beings cannot. Anything smaller than a normal housecat fits into this category. The familiar has the following Health Levels: Bruised - 1, Injured - l. Mauled - 2, Crippled - 5, Incapacitated.

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