Mage

Mages have the ability to cast spells. Using mana and various rites, they can tap into primal magical forces (the exact nature of which opinions differ upon). Before the Upheaval, use of magic was relatively rare, as mana crystals are hard to come by and valuable. Now, however, mages have gained the capacity to generate the mana required for spells from the rite in which they specialise simply through performing the rites that have always been part of them. Current scholarly theory holds that this wells up in the form of “proto” mana, instantly channeled into the spell being invoked. This process is not entirely stable, and controlling the upwelling of mana is a difficult and exhausting process, which can do significant harm to a mage if they overuse it.

A mage can source the power for a spell in one of two ways: either use up a mana crystal, or generate proto-mana. Mages can possess spells from up to two of the rites - choosing one as their primary, and the other as their secondary. Initially, a mage can stand to generate enough proto-mana for TWO spells per encounter, increased by one for each rank of the proto-mana tolerance skill they possess. Proto-mana generated in this way can usually only be spent to power spells of the priest’s primary rite - in order to cast their secondary rite spells, they require mana crystals. Later skills allow mages to cast additional proto-mana powered spells through a dedicated implement, including one from their secondary rites.

A mage can choose to overdo the generation of mana during an encounter, casting one additional spell, which takes effect as normal UNLESS it is a healing spell targeted at themselves. However, the excess mana scours the mage, and they IMMEDIATELY fall to 0 body hits and start their death count. You cannot do this more than once per encounter, even if healed up.

Induction into each of the rites grants a minor magical knack that the mage can use at will:

• Wounding: Examining a wound allows the mage to know what caused it
• Fracturing: Examining a broken object allows the mage determine how it was broken.
• Scribing: The mage can read any written language that has not been magically encoded.
• Consumption: The mage can identify any material by taste.
• Binding: The mage can slip out of any mundane bond.

You have one item you have dedicated as an arcane implement. If you possess a use weapon skill (including staff), you can dedicate this as your implement. Otherwise, you can use a weapon shorter than 36” or any other small, portable object (such as a wand, a book, a coin etc.). You have ritually bound this implement to yourself, and it is very hard for you to lose it. Unless someone knows what they have stolen, and are specifically keeping it away from you, you will always find your implement, good as new, within two encounters if it has been lost or shattered. In addition, you can store spell effects in your implement by performing the appropriate rite. The spell effect can then be delivered at a later point, so long as you are in physical contact with your implement. Only one spell may be stored in an implement at any one time. This allows you to perform the rite ahead of time - for example, a sneaky Rite of Wounding mage could REND themselves to store “Share the Pain” in their implement before meeting with an underworld contact, allowing them to REND a traitor without taking the effect themselves at that time.

If you are storing a spell which requires you to directly interact with the target of the spell, you still need to do this. Discuss with the target how you will alert them that you have cast the spell, and what the effects will be once that happens.

If a spell cast via an implement would normally persist for greater than the length of an encounter, it expires at the end of the encounter, as the magic cast through an implement is slightly more unstable.

If you can only maintain a limited number of a spell at once (usually one) implement casting does not allow you to bypass this limit.

You may infuse mana into your implement. Once there it cannot be extracted by any means other than by you using it (e.g., casting a spell, peforming a ritual, enchanting a weapon). You may store up to three mana in this way. Between adventures, so long as you are not using any other distillation skills, you may use your implement to distil up to three mana within it (essentially you may fill your implement's reservoir between adventures if you are not creating crystal mana). If a implement storing mana is ever shattered, the power is released in an explosion, dealing a BLAST DOUBLE for one mana, BLAST QUAD for two and BLAST QUINT for three to whoever is nearest it.

The mage can instantly retrieve or repair their implement with a thought. This may require a TIME FREEZE.

The exception to this is if you have broken an implement as part of a spell, in which case you cannot reform it until the end of the encounter.

Once per an encounter you may channel protomana into your implement and hold it there for a brief moment, allowing you to cast a secondary rite into your implement without using a mana crystal. It is not possible to hold this mana long enough to use in a ritual.

Your implement is particularly attuned to your Rite (either Primary or Secondary) and allows you to manipulate the spells of that rite to a greater degree when casting using your implement. To use this ability your implement must not be a weapon and must be closely related to your Rite; e.g. a piece of a larger item (fracturing), healing or torture equipment (wounding), cup or bowl (consumption), book or quill (scribing), rope or chain (binding). Casting in this manner takes 10 seconds as well as any further restrictions below.

• Consumption: You may prepare your reagents within your implement and feed them to another, applying the transformation to the drinker. The effect ends at the end of the encounter or when the effect would usually end, which ever is sooner.
• Scribing: By keeping a spell in your implement for 5 encounters without using it, the spell will become “fixed”. This means the implement becomes available for storing spells again. The fixed spell does not fade, and can be cast at any time. You may only have one iteration of each spell you know stored in this fashion at once.
• Binding: You may pre-cast one of your spells on a target by carefully binding them in your implement, you may do this with either a present participant or victim, or with an appropriate personal item of theirs. The protomana is used at the time of casting, rather than the time of activation. The spell may be activated either by the target or the recipient, but this must be specified at the time of casting. You may never have more than one spell prepared against a specific target.
• Wounding: You gain some additional control over spells which require the wounding of another to cast, when you use your implement to create the wound, as described below.
  • Scar of the Soul: Examination of the scar will give the examiner some insight into why the scar was given.
  • Trace the flow of Life: Use of this spell only causes 2 points of damage for 4 points of healing.
  • Scar of the Heart: The target must no longer be willing to die to protect the secret for this spell to succeed.
  • Excise the Treacherous Heart: Optionally, the target will not remember the application of the spell.
  • Scar the Unquiet Soul: The dead servant is additionally STRENGTHENED.
  • Brand the Memory: You may make the target believe more complicated concepts. A set of no more than three inter-related facts.
• Fracturing: When scourging yourself, gain an additional spell cast at the same moment which ignores the usual physical item specific requirements (e.g. fresh eyes) to cast.

Your implement is a conduit to the primal forces of your rite, and will have exciting special effects. Discuss the sort of things you would like it to do with the GM team.

Choose one spell of your primary rite at this level. You may take this skill up to three times at levels 1-3 and 2 times at levels 4/5, allowing you to eventually take all the spells for your primary rite if you wish.

Choose one spell of your secondary rite at this level. You may only take this skill once per level.

You have the ability to gradually distill proto-mana into crystals between adventures. You can generate one mana crystal per adventure per rank of this skill you possess. If you start a character with this skill, you will start with one mana crystal.

You can cast one additional spell per encounter using proto-mana before suffering a scouring.

With all levels of Protomana Tolerance, you may also use this ability to retire, as you use your soul is consumed as a vessel to channel magic, granting you 15 additional spells at the cost of your life.

You understand the three rites you do not specialise in to the same level as you do your own through the “minor Ritualist” skill.

You understand all five rites, and will be able to comprehend the workings of most arcane effects you encounter from them. You will also have a chance to gain insight into magical effects you encounter that fall beyond the teachings of the five rites.

You are capable of fighting with a staff. (n.b. this skill counts as “Use Staff” for the purposes of buying higher level skills from backgrounds or other sources, but does not count as the same skill for the purposes of free picks at character generation).

You have a studentship at one of the colleges. Other members of the college will tend to react well to you. In addition, you gain ONE of the following benefits (decide when buying this skill) that represents your exact relationship with the college (choosen at purchase):

• Loaned up to 2 pieces of standard equipment per adventure
• College will investigate a question and provide an answer for you (assuming it is something they can reasonably answer and would trust you with)
• Provide you with a small wage (14 Riel per adventure)

You are a notable member of your college. Most members will react well to you, and very low ranking members may even take orders from you. In addition, you gain one of the benefits from Scholar. You can choose to take the same benefit you already have, and in which case you get either a second question, 24r per adventure, 4 standard items or 2 standard items and a superior item.

You can requisition items from the college to fund your adventuring habit. This allows you to obtain standard items, three potions of class D/C, or a single class C potion or mana crystal.

You are very well known, trusted and respected in your college. Most members will know your name and respect you. Most members who are not reasonably senior in their own right will either take orders from you or at least respect and consider any opinions you may have. You may choose one of the following additional benefits relating to you relationship with the college (chosen at purchase):

• Once per an adventure you may use the power of your college to resolve an issue (that is appropriate to them). This may be making some legal problems go away, staging some sort of distraction, arranging a meeting with someone important, or anything else appropriate to your college.
• Loan of a Superior item or use of up to 18r worth of provisions (e.g., alchemy) which may be used in defence of your organisations interests but otherwise returned.
• 1 mana crystal per adventure

You are a professor of the college. You have considerable influence within it, and can borrow as much superior equipment from them as you like, and receive 1 mana crystal per adventure.

Gain a dodge while wearing light armour.

Gain one additional hit while wearing light armour.

You can feel the presence of nearby caches of mana, and can track down hidden stocks of it (or focus for a few seconds and work out whether someone has some in their pockets.

With preparation time (at least five minutes), a mage can create minor effect within the purview of their primary (or secondary) rite if they use a mana crystal. These effects will not be directly combat effective, but can be used for things like transferring or gathering information, destroying or forging evidence, altering items slightly and other similar effects.

This also grants you the beginnings of scholarly insight into your two rites, and you will be able to understand basic arcane effects you encounter from them.

By spending quantities of time and mana, the caster can achieve effects within the purview of their rites of greater magnitudes than with normal spells. Discuss with a GM beforehand what you are intending to achieve first. At this level, up to three mana crystals can be infused into a single ritual. Multiple mages of different rites can work together to create effects that combine their purviews.

This also grants you a deep understanding of your two rites, and you will be able to comprehend the workings of most arcane effect you encounter from them.

You can infuse up to five mana crystals into rituals. At this level, you can achieve world shaking effects.

You may use this ability to retire. By pouring your very soul into the ritual you can increase the effect of the ritual immensely to the power of adding approximately 15 mana crystals to the ritual. This effect can be made greater with multiple mages using this ability in tandem.

You have +2 body hits.

By spending 10 seconds taking the energy contained with a mana crystal and imbuing it into a weapon, unusual abilities can be bestowed upon the weapon. Mechanically the weapon gains 10 uses of ONE of the following calls (Rend/Strikedown/Wound10/Disarm/Entangle) or 3 uses of one of the following calls (Blind10/BlastSingle/Fear/Shatter). Which call is added to the weapon must be decided by the caster when enchanting the weapon, and a weapon cannot be under more than one enchantment at a time. The enchantment will last until all charges have been used up.

By spending 10 seconds carefully absorbing the energies within a mana crystal, you may ease the ravages that casting using protomana have enacted on your body, allowing you to cast a further two times before scourging yourself (mechanically replaces two lost protomana). This is quite painful and you are mechanically under the effects of a REND while doing this.

By spending 10 seconds taking the energy contained with a mana crystal and imbuing it into some armour, unusual abilities may be bestowed upon the armour. The armour gains 3 special resists. These resists can be used to resist the full effect of any call (you will take neither the damage nor the effect component of a call that you choose to resist) and will remain immune to the effect part of that call for the rest of the encounter. A suit of armour can never be under the effect of more than 1 enchantment and the enchantment only ends when the last resist has been used.

Binding, closing, halting. Rite of binding spells usually require either applying some sort of binding or the creation of a symbolic focus to cast.

You may apply a mundane binding (such as tying someone up, or chaining up a door) with appropriate ritual forms. The binding will resist all mundane assaults for 24 hours.

You wrap a small piece of ribbon around an item you are carrying, and target a single, similar item in range. The ribbons grow and bind them to the ground, preventing them from being used. If you target an item being held, call a DISARM on it. If another individual picks up the item, you may call additional DISARMS on it.

You wrap a strip of bandage around your arm for five seconds. Once complete, you may stem the flow of blood for any target in range and call HEAL 1 against them. For the rest of the encounter, they cannot bleed out.

Wrap a piece of ribbon around your mouth. As long as it remains, neither you nor a target of your choice can make any noise (even through other physical actions). The target can still use abilities that would normally require speaking (such as using priest miracles), but no one can hear the words coming from their mouths.

Rebind the grip or any appropriate wrapping on a weapon or item. That item is bound to your service, and cannot be taken from your possession without your consent (including by a DISARM, to which you may call IMMUNE). This lasts until you cast this spell on another item.

Wrap a short length of rope around one of your arms or legs. This bursts forth, wrapping around the arm and making it unusuable. The same happens to a single target in range. You may call WOUND 30 (limb), taking a wound 30 on the same limb).

Caster specifies a target and an emotion, and makes a cat’s cradle (10 seconds of roleplaying). While the spell is in effect the target is incapable of feeling that emotion, and it lasts as long as you maintain the grip on the cat’s cradle..

You create a voodoo doll of a target (10 seconds of appropriate roleplaying). That target is WEAKENED. You may only maintain one instance of this spell at once, and need to hold the voodoo doll in a hand to maintain it.

The caster holds a length of chain in their hands, and acts as if they are being weighed down to it, sagging to the ground. Upon casting this spell, everyone in the encounter is bound in place by chains of lethargy, and unable to take actions other than talking for 15 seconds.

Caster selects a single target by carefully preparing a representation of them (10 seconds obvious preparation). Caster gains the ability to call ZERO REND against the target every 30 seconds for the rest of the encounter. You may only maintain one instance of this spell at once, and need to hold the voodoo doll in a hand to maintain it.

This spell requires the pre-preparation of tieing a pre-prepared length of silk around some either one of the target’s limbs or their neck. Once this binding is in place, the caster can activate it through a few moments concentration and the infusion of mana or protomana. Once activated, the target is immune to all damage for ten seconds, then is dealt a QUINT as the silk violently incinerates.

Caster selects a single target by carefully preparing a representation of them (10 seconds obvious preparation). Target has to perform physical actions commanded by the caster (e.g., attack your comrades), the target is aware of the effect and is not compelled to keep quiet about the effect. Very strong monsters are instead WEAKENED for the duration of the effect, and are not affected by STRENGTHEN calls while it continues. Directing the target requires conscious effort, and thus you can only maintain one instance of this spell at once, and need to hold the voodoo doll in a hand to maintain it.

Once per adventure this spell may be cast on a willing comrade or the caster themself. Upon casting specify a simple goal. When the target next dies, instead they get up again on twice their full hits, with the effects of strengthened and immune rend and immune fear. Regardless of damage called take only single for each hit. They can only act to achieve the specified goal in the most direct manner, and will die in 2 encounters or a few hours. They cannot be healed in any way. If upon death the target is no longer willing, or the goal no longer applies this does nothing.

Harming, scouring, necromancy. Rite of Wounding spells often involve inflicting harm on yourself or a willing ally to cast.

Inflict a REND on yourself/a willing and conscious ally to inflict a REND on a target within sight.

You must spend 30 seconds mutilating the target. The scar that you inflict cannot be healed by any means, and will always become apparent to those in the vicinity of the target, no-matter what methods are used to disguise or hide it.

This can be used in two ways. Either you open a wound on yourself, and transfer up to four hit points to an individual, or you open a wound on a willing and conscious individual and transfer up to four of their hit points to yourself.

You must spend 30 seconds phys-repping the carving of a bloody pattern into the target’s chest. Upon completion the target is compelled to tell you ONE secret that the target would die to protect (you may specify what you want to know, but will only be successful if the target would die to protect the secret). If the target has no such secret, the carved pattern immediately heals. This rite can only be successfully performed upon an individual ONCE. The scars produced by successful application of the rite will interfere with any future casting by any mage.

The caster is able to remove one emotion, memory, or desire from the target. The rite takes 30 seconds and a piece of flesh deep within the target must be cut out. The target must remember or feel the emotion, memory, or desire during the rite. This means the target must either be cooperating or the subject of particular clever trickery. The more deeply held the emotion, memory, or desire, the deeper the caster must cut; as such it is common for the target of this rite to carry long-lasting physical manifestation of their loss (e.g., aching joints, twinging scars, sudden headaches, etc).

Caster deals themselves a DOUBLE. A target within range experiences a terrible vision of their own death, and takes a FEAR.

Spend 10 seconds hacking someone on their death count to pieces. You can HEAL yourself for a number of body hits equal to the victim’s maximum.

The caster carves a symbol into both their own forehead and that of a deceased individual. The body rises from the dead (with its previous intelligence and stats), and serves the caster. It cannot be healed in any way. The scar the caster cuts will heal over the course of a week - the spell cannot be used again within this time, and if the undead servant remains at the end, it will crumble into dust.

The caster inscribes a small slash behind each ear of a willing or unresisting target. The target will believe a single fact about the caster (of the caster’s choice) for the next week.

The first time this is cast, the caster has to plunge a dagger deep into their own heart. Over the course of thirty quite painful seconds, the flow of their blood stops and crystals of mana begin to grow and stud it, causing major internal damage that leaves the caster on 0 hits when it finishes. This process transforms the user’s heart into something very like a magical implement. It also fundamentally changes some facts about how their body works. While the heart on some level still sustains them, it does not need to be within their chest to do so.

This has a number of advantages. The heart can hold up to three charges of power at any one time, which can be expended to accomplish one of three effects. These are to all intents and purposes spells, though unlike normal spells can always be used while the heart is touching the caster, even if they are unconscious. The caster can also remove their heart from their chest if they wish, can secrete it away from their person, and can summon it back to themselves as per the Returning Implement ability (although if they do it appears in their hand rather than in their chest cavity). The heart starts with the full three charges, and this spell can be CAST with a different ritual to regain one charge - specifically, the caster must extract the heart from a living body (which takes ten seconds of hacking at the chest).

The three effects are as follows. Firstly, the caster may expend a charge to fully heal all of their wounds. When they do, small, sharp crystals poke out from bits of their skin - though discreetly enough that only someone with deep knowledge of the rite of Wounding would notice. Secondly, the caster may temporarily infuse a recent corpse with unnatural vigour to temporarily fight for them. This requires contact with the recent corpse of a living creature, which will stand up on its full hits and fight to the best of its ability till it collapses either from damage or at the end of the encounter. Finally, it may be used to suck the life force from those around you and empower yourself. You may call MASS SINGLE (which can’t be arced) and are then under the effect of a STRENGTHEN.

If for any reason your heart is SHATTERED or hacked to pieces while it has charges, it explodes like an implement. It will reform shortly afterwards as long as your body remains intact, but it will no longer be charged. If your heart is in your chest and a SHATTER strikes your torso, this occurs.

The caster cuts a symbol into their own flesh. This can either permanently remove a major affliction from a target (up to and including recent death), or grant a minor boon. The scar created is a conduit of this effect - granting a boon permanently leeches some part of the caster’s power (for as long as the target lives) , and removing a blight takes some part of it onto the caster. This has no immediate effect, but is deeply imbalancing (hence ONCE PER LARP), and can take a toll over time.

The caster invokes an almighty hurricane of the power of their right. All around them, on any creature that lives or has once lived, old wounds suffered will begin re-opening and closing at random, causing harm to anyone in a wide area around the caster. It takes one spell casting to invoke this storm, at which point it will blow mightily for about five minutes (i.e. usually an encouncter). While the storm blows, a GM will randomly call a alternating mixture of THROUGH SINGLES and ZERO effect calls at everyone in the vicinity every few seconds. By expending another spell charge, the mage can temporarily focus the storm in on one target - allowing them to call three shots of single or any 0 effect call other than FEAR or SHATTER (BLIND X is 5) at that target. The caster may expend a spell charge to end the storm early.

By ritually tearing apart a living or recently dead individual, the caster can completely extract their memories, and keep hold of some of them for themselves. This can either allow the caster to obtain any secrets they wish from the target, or assimilate some of their skills for their own. At the GM’s discretion, you gain the use of a skill of up to level three that the target possessed. Most mooks will possess level 1-3 warrior or skirmisher skills, as a guideline. You keep this ability until you next use this spell (in either mode).

Breaking, destroying, toppling. Fracturing Rites involve breaking components or exposing weaknesses in the caster.

Caster becomes immediately aware of the weakest point of any one mundane object. Your own weakness is temporarily revealed, and you take +1 damage from the next attack that hits you.

The caster is aware of the weakest point of a person’s very life. Usually this is still too strong to fracture. But if the target is already on their death count, the caster may rend apart their mortal existence. With this spell, you can execute someone at sight range by appropriate roleplaying of hacking with a weapon at the air (call <name> EXECUTE). To weaken another’s connection to their mortality, you must crack your own - the next time you go onto your death count this adventure, start it at +15 seconds.

The caster must shatter a clod of earth on the ground (easily obtained while in the countryside, in the city you probably need to have a supply). Call a Strikedown on anyone within sight.

The caster ritually destroys a weapon or shield in their hands (which needs to have been pre-weakened between encounters unless the caster has been STRENGTHENED). A weapon or shield of equivalent size range is instantly SHATTERED.

The caster must break a component significant to a rite of magic, a particular deity, or other power. The caster then gains three resists, which can be used against spells or effects from that particular form of power.

It will cost 27 Riel to gain an artefact of sufficient power between adventures, and you may acquire a maximum of 2 between adventures in this way. Please inform the GM of the total number of religious artefacts you have acquired this way at the beginning of each adventure. This value should be used as a guide for GMs when determining if an artefact counts for the purposes of this spell.

The caster crushes a skull (small animal skulls can easily be obtained between larps). An unconscious target loses all memories of the last half an hour.

Slam your weapon into the ground, cracking the earth. Call a MASS STRIKEDOWN. This cannot be arced

The caster must break a vow of temperance (regarding food) that they have adhered to for at least a week. Many casters choose alcohol or chocolate. An intelligent target is overwhelmed by feelings of their own weakness, and may not make calls and may only defend with one hand for one minute (call SIXTY SECOND REND).

The caster shatters a small piece of glass. Targeted large inanimate object is gradually fractured over five minutes as rents open up in it, and it is rendered easily destroyed at the end of the process.

The caster concentrates for a few seconds, and their own implement is rent apart until they choose to reform it. This does not cause the normal explosion, and instead the caster gains combat abilities dependant on how much mana was in the implement (which is expended). While their implement remains broken, the caster cannot use any further spells.

0 mana: The caster may call TRIPLE with any weapon they can use. 1 mana: The caster may call QUAD with any weapon they can use, and gains a single call of REND to use this encounter. 2 mana: The caster may call QUAD with any weapon they can use, and gains two uses of REND for this encounter. 3 mana: The caster may call QUINT with any weapon they can use, and gains two uses of REND for this encounter.

The caster crushes an eye in each hand. The caster may then call mass blind 5 which can be arced. The eyes must be fresh - extracting a pair of eyes takes ten seconds as long as you have something sharp.

Every being which exists has connections which tie them to existence. Having reached the heights of Fracturing, you have an intuitive sense of these ties and how one would theoretically shatter them. Of course the threads that tie most creatures to reality are entirely too strong to shatter without severe repercussions (see retirement option), but it is still possible to strike them in such a way that it feels as if they are being severed. Equally, occasionally you might come across creatures who are genuinely so loosely tied to reality that you really can sever those connections with ease.

To cast this spell requires the shattering of the caster's own life force, with each casting of the spell reducing their death count by 20 seconds for the duration of the encounter in which they cast the spell, if the mage's death count has dropped to 0 they may still cast this spell one more time at the cost of taking a SLAY (but would be advised to use the retirement option instead). If the mage's life is protected by some sort of supernatural effect (for example, the Aura of the Splintered Man) then that protection is suspended for the rest of the encounter and the mage suffers the personal negative consequences of both effects (in the case of the Splintered Man, a single use of this spell would mean that if dropped to 0 hits they would bleed to death over the course of 40 seconds, but would still suffer the PARTY SINGLE and PARTY REND calls from other players bleeding to death or being executed).

Additionally, the mage may experience (at player discretion) one ofthe following roleplaying effects (based on the mage's secondary rite) after using the skill:

• The mage feels distant and spacey. As if they are a long way away from the events around them. (Consumption/Wounding)
• The mage has a sense of loss, and that someone is keeping something important from them. (Scribing/No Secondary)
• The mage has the certain understanding that others do not have the right to make decisions. (Binding/No Secondary)

This spell has two modes of operation, depending on how strongly tied an individual is tied to the world. You can inherently tell the difference (ask the GMs which applies). It is very rare to find an entity which is weakly tied to the world.

Standard Use: Having cast this spell against a target, their own life will pulse and their connection to their body will briefly weaken. Call WOUND 10 ALL LIMBS.

Weakly Tied Use: Having cast this spell against a target, you may call direct damage at them until they stop moving (a QUAD every 5 seconds). Once they have stopped moving you may call EXECUTE, completely removing them from the world (cannot be resisted or prevented). Mages who understand the intricacies of this spell might get an unusual experience should they ever interact with a Dragon. If you have had this opportunity, please speak to the GMs about your experience.

This spell can also be used as a retirement option

The caster can see all the points tying an individual to this world. The caster simply reaches out and starts to sever each and every one in sequence. The target then fractures into nothingness and is utterly destroyed (Cannot be resurrected by any means). The process is not without its drawbacks, the act of shattering an entities links to the world requires you to shatter your own, a process which happens inside your mind, but none the less severs your own connections to the world. It takes a full 30 seconds to complete the severing, and while this ritual is taking place the target is aware of their very existence being scrutinised and destroyed by the caster and will typically react in a violent manner (please call a time freeze when you start so that a GM can brief the target appropriately). If the target escapes during the ritual then it cannot be completed. If successfully, then both the target and the caster will vanish from the world, the caster typically lasting long enough to say a few words to those left behind.

The caster raises their implement or their arms above their head, and sends a colossal flare of power into the sky. Faint cracks become visible fleetingly, and something will come through. Exactly what is rumoured to vary each time, with stories of gods brought to heel and the Dragons themselves consenting to give audience through the use of this power. Different quantities of mana/protomana can be used with this spell, and will summon something of commensurate power. Whether or not its on your side is another matter entirely. Casting this spell requires tremendous strength of will on the part of the mage, and can only be used once per adventure.

Transformation, Purification, Healing. Consumption Rites involve consuming reagents.

As the rite of Consumption deals principally with transformation, it is often observed that the process of utilising the rite brings about dramatic changes to the personality of one who uses it. Some of this stems from the addictive nature of the reagents, some from the startlingly different ways of seeing and thinking available in some forms, and some simply from the profoundly transformation nature of the magic. The extend of this influence is of course moderated by the initial nature of the user, but some changes are always observed.

Mechanically, several spells have role-play guidelines for overuse of a spell, in this case overuse is more than once or twice per adventure, although initially the effects are likely to be very slight, growing with each adventure of overuse. The extent you wish to follow these guidelines is left to the player's discretion, but even the strongest of minds is likely to partially succumb to a spell's effects given enough usage.

The caster drinks a sip of distilled water. This cleanses them of moderate strength poisons and most diseases. It also removes WEAKEN from the user.

You may also reflexively call RESIST if you are hit with a POISON, so long as you then cast this spell immediately after. This will protect you from any immediate effects of the poison from this strike. It will usually protect you from any long term effects of the poison from this and future strikes, although you should check with the GM to be certain. To protect yourself from immediate effects (call RESIST) of any future strikes you would need to cast the spell for each occasion you were struck.

The caster eats a morsel of food. They restore three hit points.

The caster eats a small insect and briefly gains a prehensile tongue, which they can use to call a ZERO DISARM against any target within 10 meters.

After consuming this reagent the caster’s body becomes somewhat gelatinous, allowing the caster to force their way through gaps only inches wide. The form lasts for 5 minutes. In this form the caster cannot wear armour, cannot wield a weapon, takes all damage against them as a DOUBLE, and cannot bleed to death. In this form they are immune to non-magical healing. If they are dropped to 0HP in this form, then when they return to normal they will be on 1HP.

Roleplay Effects: The form is relaxing to be in as everyday aches and pains simply vanish. Overuse of this spell is likely to result in the caster preferring this form over their own body, as they become steadily more aware of slight aches and twinges in joints and muscles which they simply hadn't noticed before. This can become some extreme that some mages have sought ways to permanently take on this form.

The caster drinks a vial of mild acid. This is extremely painful and you should take 3 seconds of the rend effect. For the rest of the encounter, you may call a SINGLE against anyone who deals you flesh damage via melee blow.

Roleplay Effects: Overuse of this spell can result in serious and long term gastric issues, with many practitioners being unable to digest food more rich than bread and cheese while others report extreme allergies to common foodstuffs.

The caster consumes a fragment of pretty much anything. They gain knowledge about that thing at GM discretion.

Roleplay Effects: It is rare to witness mages who have had the opportunity to overuse this spell. However, when overused casters report a strange effect: that written symbols seem to develop flavour. In extreme cases, mages have been found happily devouring their own books while researching, often reporting they had not even realised what they were doing.

After consuming a particularly volatile reagent the caster may call ZERO REND at a target within 5 meters, as they release a stream of flame from their mouth like the dragons of legend.

Roleplay Effects: This reagent will leave the caster feeling mildly ill, an effect which tends to get progressively worse each time the reagent is consumed. Regular usage will tend to result in shallow breathing and increased body temperature, leading to the impression they have a constant fever.

This reagent is made from the larva of particular breed of Wasp, and is highly palatable. Upon consumption the caster loses 2HP but gains 6 points of armour as chitinous plates form from their skin. The armour is Natural and if used in conjunction with Acid Transformation the armour points count as body points for the purposes of establishing whether your opponent is dealt acid damage. The armour is lost after standard armour but before HP. The armour benefits from magical effects that would repair armour as well as magical effects that would heal HP, but is unaffected by mundane armour repair, medicine, or alchemy. At the end of the encounter the armour is lost as the plates drop off.

Roleplay Effects: Over use of this reagent can cause irritation of the skin, eventually leading to serious patches of dermatitis. Another side effect is loss of sensation on parts of the body (usually the hands), which can lead to the caster accidentally injuring themselves as they pick up scalding pots or similar without noticing.

Having performed this rite, the caster becomes capable of superhuman feats of consumption. It takes approximately 30 seconds for your internal digestion and jaw to re-align itself. For the next 20 minutes biting through a wall and drinking lava is within their capability. The caster is immune to all but the most powerful effects of what they consume within the next 20 minutes. Most poisons become harmless and diseased food is perfectly nutritional. The negative effects of reagents can be assumed to not apply when drinking them under the effects of Fortified Consumption, unless explicitly stated that they do.

Roleplay Effects: This spell is responsible for one of the enduring perceptions of what it is to be a consumption mage. Long term use of this spell tends to effect the mage's perception of what is desirable to eat, with most mages picking up at least one or two weird eating habits (human hair, live mice, and candle wax being some of the more pleasant examples). In the most extreme cases the mages starts to desire things which are actively harmful to them, usually passing away shortly after.

The caster consumes an alchemical potion that provides a standard call effect, or a poison. Seconds later, they start exuding it from their skin and it covers any weaponry they use. You may gain the effects of the potion three times, on your next three blows.

Effects not covered by a standard call may also be applied, but require 10 seconds roleplaying physical contact with an unresisting character, during which time you may explain what effects you have applied)

Roleplay Effects: Use of this spell tends to result in emotional changes in the caster. The exact changes seem to be specific to the combination of caster and potion (i.e., a mage will have a different emotional reaction to a restoration of the flesh potion and a steel rot potion , and two different mages will have different reactions to a restoration of the flesh potion). Usually it is only a matter of time before a mage hits upon a potion which causes some sort of pleasant side-effect, often getting hooked. Equally, sheer utility might force a mage to regularly use this ability with a potion which causes an unpleasant emotional reaction, such as irritability or intense sadness.

The Flame of Dissolution is the reason most Consumption mages know when they can and cannot consume lava. In order to cast it, either lava or an artificial simulation of lava must be used. This reagent should not sensibly be consumed unless under the effects of fortified consumption. If attempted you will be able to make your call, then immediately drop to 0HP. You may call MASS QUAD STRIKEDOWN once. Prepared simulated lava gradually transmutes into the real thing in the gullet of the mage, and takes thirty seconds after drinking before they can make the call (after which they can make it at any time, but can only have one batch “brewing” inside them at once).

Roleplay Effects: Use of this spell tends to leave the caster feeling incredibly powerful, with most feeling a wave of exhilaration for an hour or two after each casting. Overuse of this spell can result in the mage have severe depression between uses of the spell, with their post-casting highs becoming ever more intense.

The caster consumes a live swarm-forming insect. They then transform into a furious, terrifying swarm of magical insects. This form has a number of advantages - as a dissolute swarm, you are not affected by calls STRIKEDOWN, REND, DISARM and SHATTER. You also take only a single from all non-mass damage calls. Any armour you have becomes part of you, and you gain two additional armour hits. Finally, you can skeletonise a corpse (or dying individual) in five seconds, healing yourself for 2 when you do. While in this form, you may only call single, should fight with a single weapon up to 36” or a pair of short weapons, and will not have access to any weapons calls that you would usually have. You can still use other spells while in this form.

Roleplay Effects: Dissolving your mind into a swarm is very disorientating, and hampers your ability to focus your mind. Immediately after reforming the caster is usually quite confused, suffering from lapses of concentration and memory. Overuse of this spell can cause long-term loss of faculties.

The caster consumes a sample of an inorganic material, and transforms, their flesh becoming a fluid, living construct of it. This will have effects at GM discretion.

Roleplay Effects: Related to your transformation and at GM discretion.

Learning, Creation, Meteoromancy. Scribing Rites involve the drawing of arcane symbols.

The caster scribes the relevant symbol upon an item. The caster is then aware of the location of the item. Early experimentation with what happened when such a scroll entered the Flux was unfortunate, but eventually it was discovered that so long as you cast the spell to provide only a rough idea of the items location (no more specific than a quarter mile) it is possible to use the spell with no adverse effects.

The caster scribes the symbol upon a scroll, above an image of a small, mundane item (up to around the size of a single handed weapon or medium shield). The scroll then burns away, leaving the item in its ashes. Any object created will appear to be made of ink and scroll, but will function as the item desired. You may not use this spell to create Superior or higher quality items without the relevant crafting skills. If you do have the relevant crafting skills then you can create items up to the same level you could through other methods, items created this way still count towards your usual limit of how many items you may create between adventures.

The caster scribes the symbol of a closed eye on a piece of parchment. The paper flies from their hands and wraps around the eyes of a target, calling a Blind 10.

The caster draws a line no longer than 30meters in length, and draws a symbol at one end. The caster can then specify a category of being (usually humans not present at the time of casting). If an entity of the type specified crosses the line, the caster will know.

The caster scribes one of a few symbols on the ground. Over the next five minutes the weather begins to change (the caster can specify the type of weather). This weather will then remain for 6 hours, before nature takes over. This can be used to bring rain to a desert or stop the wind atop a tall mountaintop, but cannot be used for devastating or offensive weather.

The caster inscribes a stylized lighting bolt on a scroll. The paper ignites and a ink-black bolt of lightning leaps forward from the flames, striking a target for a DOUBLE STRIKEDOWN.

Inscribe this symbol on a single written work. The next person who begins to read it instantly absorbs all knowledge contained within.

The caster can either create a single large object (up to about a caravan in size) or a large number of copies of a simple thing. Items created this way are substandard unless you have a relevant crafting skill, in which case they are of standard quality (even if you could craft superior or higher quality items through other methods).

The caster scribes a symbol on the ground beneath their feet (5 secs RP). Once completed, they may call FEAR up to three times at targets within five metres, as long as they don't move from that spot.

This may be cast upon any individual, weapon or object, by drawing the relevant symbol upon them/it. The person or item gains ONE of the following immunities for the duration of the encounter: Strikedown, Disarm, Shatter, Through (if cast on armour, damage is taken on the armour), Rend, Weaken, Blind, Fear, Poison, Backstab (only does a Single or Single effect). Casting this spell on an individual or item that is already under the effects of Symbol of Protection will over-write the earlier effect.

The caster scribes the symbol upon an object or area of 2 metre radius or less. (This does not work on living creatures). The colour drains out of the affected area, the details becoming inky until all that is left is a representation of what was there of ink on scroll. The area that has been converted to scroll can be easily cut through. [If used on the ground or a thick object, converts up to 1m of depth]. Alternatively, this spell can be used to re-realise anything that has been absorbed into a scroll by a prior casting. When used in combat this spell should be called as SHATTER (and if successful specify “that item is a paper scroll”), this shatter can be resisted as normal.

This may be cast by the caster upon themselves once, ever. The caster selects one of the sets of symbols they already know and inscribes them upon their body. They gain the ability to freely cast the ability without the usual ritual and paraphernalia (although additional restrictions such as standing still will still apply). Twice per encounter, you can cast the spell associated with the symbol you have become without any preparation time. If the spell has a variable casting time, you get the effect at the lowest casting time. Normal mana costs and burnout restrictions still apply.

The benefits of this spell are tied to your ability to cast it, any effect which prevents you casting Symbol of Becoming (e.g. certain addiction effects) will prevent you using the abilities gained by casting the spell.

The caster begins inscribing a symbol on the ground, gathering an enormous quantity of power to unleash upon the area in the form of a great calamity (huge lightning bolt, meteor strike, rain of fire etc.). The caster must stay in one place as they prepare the symbol, and the longer they prepare it for the greater the effect. After five seconds of preparation they can detonate the symbol to call a DOUBLE to everyone other than the caster in the encounter. This increases by one damage for every additional five seconds spent preparing it up to a maximum of QUINT at twenty seconds. Spending an additional five seconds adds STRIKEDOWN to this call, while an additional ten seconds adds REND.