Shadows on the Horizon

Goetia

• Overview
• Goetia
• Hypertech
• Necromancy

Overview

A loose term used to codify a series of ancient arts predating modern science, but that still seem to tap into the basic building blocks of creation despite consensual reality’s shifts in the modern era. Though they would no longer be considered ‘science’ by the current reckoning, perhaps not since the days of Daedalus or perhaps DaVinci, they are no less complex in their studies and application. The Order of Reason may have embraced them but the Technocracy rejects these as superstitious nonsense. Some Traditions still use them as cores of their paradigms, most notably the Order of Hermes and Celestial Chorus. Whereas the Union has used Hypertech to ‘unify’ its identity. Unfortunately Hypertech has surpassed Goetia in modern parlance, so it no longer provides the same protections from Paradox that Hypertech now does.

Goetia like Science or Crafts in this game is divided into multiple facets; Alchemy, Enochian and Sacred Geometry. Someone with regular Medicine, Linguistics, Engineering, etc can use them on the Awakened creations of Goetia, but because the Union has it’s foundation in the Order of Reason it can also be used in dealing with Hypertech. After all the Union is deceiving itself to say that it is anything but magic, but in that dealing with such carries an addition of 4 traits to the difficulty, can only be used for operation, repair and some modification and you still need the right Spheres to know what you are dealing with. Such things cannot be constructed by these means, even if it is in your Paradigm you need to use magic to create Devices. So long as you call a Goetia-Ability as the skill used in dealing with these items the difficulty is normal and design/construction is possible. Additionally the Goetia-version of any ability can be taken as a Specialty for the applicable bonuses. In all challenges you must call the use of a Goetia-Ability before throwing to gain the advantages. Some other minor rules apply to purchase and use of Goetia-Abilities such as:

• Goetia Abiities cost 2 Experience
• You cannot have more levels of a Goetia-Ability than your Arete level
• Different Goetia Abilities can associate with a multitude of regular abilities, which one is used is circumstantial (Like Sacred Geometry applies to all Engineering related abilities as well as Mathematics, but if you are attempting to build a structure like a Chantry house with spiritual attunement and designed to work with extensive warding you would use Architecture for retests. Alchemy applies to Arcane Craft abilities, Chemistry, Medicine, etc. Enochian applies mainly to Cryptography, Linguistics and Lore but has potential applications.)
• Goetia Abilities don’t give retests themselves as discussed above but depending on your level there are other advantages that apply:
  1. Once per session, use full traits no matter how many you have lost on an applicable test.
  2. Cannot lose more than 1 trait per round in applicable Goetia-Ability-related challenges, unless forced to bid extra for negative traits, wound penalties, etc
  3. Gain a free retest per session on an applicable challenge, this comes after any ability retests and before all others.*
  4. Take one purely Mental action (requiring no Social or Physical interaction) free in addition to any other you have that round (at the end of the turn).
  5. Once per session, add 50% (rounded up) to your traits for a single related challenge.

*Note that at Level Three the Abilities can be applied to the use of technology made with Hypertech such as that which the Union and Sons of Ether often create. Until this level only Hypertech allows those outside the proper paradigms to understand or use this technology. Ability benefits do not apply to such tests, but they can now be made using more 'mundane' means.

Goetia also provides specialized benefits with each level you buy in. Each dot costs 2 XP rather than 1 and every time a new dot is purchased a new ability can be chosen from the following list:

Abilities

Alchemy: Chemistry, Crafts, Medicine, Occult
Enochian: Cryptography, High Ritual, Linguistics, Lores
Sacred Geometry: Architecture, Astrology, Engineering, Mathetmatics

General

TBD

Alchemy

(Chemistry, Crafts, Medicine, Occult)

• Expertise- This can be taken multiple times, each one requiring a specific mundane Ability associated with this Goetia Ability to be designated. For tests based on the selected Ability you may add your level of Hyper Ability when determining ties.
• Transmutation- Myth holds that Alchemy can turn lead to gold. This was true, though accepted reality has weakened this. True Magick can still transmute almost anything at the risk of a little Paradox. Alchemy can still make smaller transitions without incurring the wrath of reality. This has one of two uses. The first and easiest in transmutation of state. It takes an house of work per square foot of material and a Mental challenge (retested with Chemistry or Occult) against a difficulty based on how hard it is for the material to exist in that state (ST discretion, like 8 for water to be ice in a dessert or 18 for Mercury to be a gas in the middle of winter). The other is to transmute one material into another. This is limited to base materials to other, similar base materials. This is based on the Periodic Table now, Alkalis to other Alkalis, Poor metals to other poor metals, etc. The challenge for this is the same with the difficulty being 12. It is possible to transition to another type of element, but dangerous. This test automatically fails on ties and for every hour it remains in that form two simple tests are made. Failure of both causes it to explode, doing a level of Aggravated damage per pound or square foot of material to everything in a 20 ft radius.
  These transitions take some basic, easy to come by materials. It takes 15 minutes per pound of materials (square foot for gases) and the new state lasts for an hour plus one per Mental trait spent at the success of the transmutation.

Enochian

(Cryptography, High Ritual, Linguistics, Lores)

• Deciphering the Arcane- The Awakened have an Awareness of the Supernatural unlike any other, but to discern what they have sensed requires the use of power themselves, leaving the opening for detection. With the proper Lores it is possible for those practiced in Enochian to gain some insight into what they detect. With some study and a mental challenge (difficulty based on the foreign nature of the magic) retested with Investigation the signs can be found to narrow down the origin and possibly some of the effect a magic may be having. For anything other than True Magic signs given by the ST will be somewhat enigmatic and up to interpretation that can be further whittled down using Cryptography.
• Expertise- This can be taken multiple times, each one requiring a specific mundane Ability associated with this Goetia Ability to be designated. For tests based on the selected Ability you may add your level of Goetia Ability when determining ties.
• Language of the Arcane- Paradigm is little more than a language. With some observation of a target’s casting technique, or use of the arcane (at least a minute) it is possible for you to determine their Paradigm and use that to your advantage. With nothing else you are up two traits on any attempt to disrupt their casting. With at least one level of a needed Lore (Tradition, Convention, Nephandi, Etc) you can determine generally where their training is from. With a more specific level of Lore (Order of Hermes, Syndicate, etc) you can determine what if any Faction they may be in. In either of these later cases it is a simple test, retested with the associated Lore.
• Rosetta Stone- Paradigms of reality are like languages, they all have unifying factors. Ignore all trait penalties or increases in difficulty when using Enochian to decipher programming created directly via Hyper Coding.
• Umbrood Protocols- Knowledge of Enochian allows the skilled to use the language of the ancient pacts made with the powerful spirits of the High Umbra.

  A series of steps are needed:

  1. A Spirit Lore Mental test with a difficulty equal to twice the spirit’s Potency to obey the proper pentacles, circles and rituals.
  2. An actual summoning with the proper Spheres.
  3. Willpower Challenge (modified by the chart below) which can be retested with the Umbrood Protocols Ability is made against the Spirit going through a grandstanding extravaganza (some roleplaying should be called for here). Whichever party fails must make 2 simple tests to see if they botch.
  • If the wizard wins, the spirit will obey his commands — for an agreed-upon price.
  • If the spirit wins, it departs without incident (and makes a mental note about the weak-willed magician).
  • If the Umbrood botches the test, it agrees to the mage's demands without further argument.
  • If the wizard botches, all hell breaks loose; the spirit takes its revenge through any number of gruesome Charms or Storyteller inventions. Use your imagination

  Demand	Test Modifier
  Trivial Task (identifying an item)	+2
  Minor Task (the item's location)	+1
  Fair Request (retrieving the item)	0
  Favor (creating a new item)	-2
  Major Task (fighting an enemy)	-4
  Extended Service	-8

  *Should a modifier shift the Mage’s Will to zero or less they are automatically unsuccessful as they are too weak willed for the spirit to serve.

Sacred Geometry

(Architecture, Astrology, Engineering, Mathematics)

• Arcane Alignment- By spending a Scene/Hour realigning the energies of a loaction you may reduce one Paradox from using Sphere magic for you and others with Sacred Geometry, with a successful Mental test against 9 traits (retested with Architecture). Requires having Artifact Alignment first.
• Arcane Architect- When Sacred Geometry is used to construct a structure, for each successful month spent in construction (up to the Sacred Geometry level), the monthly Quintessence cost is reduced or the duration is increased of enchantments you or others with Sacred Geometry create on that structure.
• Arcane Engineer- Any Artifact you create with Goetia abilities, so long as it is a mechanism you may reduce the Paradox accumulation by one or grant it one free level of Quintessence, this must be declared before construction.
• Artifact Alignment- Once per scene you may reduce one Paradox from using an Artifact by adjusting it’s Mathematical Geometry for a turn, with a successful Mental test against the level of the Artifact (retested with Mathematics).
• Celestial Graphing- With proper alignments and geometric markings gain a free retest on one failed test while casting a High Ritual within your Sanctum.
• Expertise- This can be taken multiple times, each one requiring a specific mundane Ability associated with this Goetia Ability to be designated. For tests based on the selected Ability you may add your level of Hyper Ability when determining ties.

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