Sorcery
From FFa2Wiki
Sorcery is the art of shaping magic. The character learns how to draw in or channel magical forces to create Spells. Sorcery is divided into Forms, which give a unique flavour to the way magic works, and into Schools, which represent the specific way that magic can be shaped and used. Once a character has purchased Sorcery, they gain access to Sorcerous Talents. Sorcery is not ranked, nor are Schools.
Casting Spells
- Describe Spell. What does it do?
- Determine Form of Sorcery to be used.
- Determine School appropriate for Spell.
- Determine base Difficulty and Essence Cost by School Used.
- Add Modifiers. What is the Area / Duration / Range?
- Add Modifiers. Is there any other effects the Spell does?
- Modify Casting Time and Essence Cost.
- Choose a Skill appropriate to the Spell being cast.
- Add bonuses for Tools.
Forms
Each Form of Sorcery is built around a philosophy or belief system. A character can not work Sorcery unless the character holds to the beliefs of the Form, as the ritual and tradition of the magical form is fuelled by the character's understanding and faith in the traditions of the Form being used. A character who adopts more than one Form of Sorcery blends the understanding of the two Forms, melding them into a greater understanding. The character does not suddenly decide a previous Form of thought is 'wrong', but rather that they have discovered deeper mysteries in the Form they already possessed.
Each Form costs 60 DP. If the character is from a Nation which favours the form of Sorcery, the character gains a -20 DP discount on the Form. If the game master accepts Races, the character gains a -20 DP discount if the Form is favoured by the Race in question. The minimum DP Cost for Sorcery is 20 DP if both the Nation and the Race chosen by the character favours the Form of Sorcery.
The Path of Amairgin
Attribute: Social
School: Divination
Effects: Earth, Glamour, Kismet, Plant, Sound, Thunder, Water, Wind
This Form of Sorcery draws upon the power of legend and names, and concentrates on the forces of nature.
The Path of the Artificer
Attribute: Physical or Mental
School: Conjuration
Effects: None
This Form of Sorcery concentrates on the creation of artifacts and enchantments, and allows the creation of servants and items of power.
The Ashen Path
Attribute: Spiritual
School: Restoration
Effects: Blood, Death, Disease, Life, Poison, Profane, Sacred, Spirit
This Form of Sorcery manipulates the energies of the Underworld, giving the mage the power of life and death.
The Path of Awakening
Attribute: Spiritual
School: Divination
Effects: Earth, Fire, Ice, Plant, Thunder, Vermin, Water, Wind
This Form of Sorcery allows the caster to speak and interact with the spirits of nature and beyond, granting them contact with the Spirit World.
The Azure Path
Attribute: Mental
School: Evocation
Effects: Arcane, Earth, Fire, Force, Temporal, Thunder, Water, Wind
This Form of Sorcery invokes powerful pacts and treaties with entities from outside of Creation, allowing the caster to harness potent forces and to shape space.
The Path of the Chorister
Attribute: Social
School: Transmutation
Effects: None
This Form of Sorcery harnesses the Song of Creation, shaping the world through manipulation of the Aria. An unstable and dangerous form of Sorcery.
The Spiral Path
Attribute: Social
School: Evocation
Effects: Acid, Chaos, Death, Disease, Metal, Poison, Profane, Vermin
This Form of Sorcery calls upon Infernal powers to grant the caster what they desire, at the risk of damnation. Responsible for the destruction of Cordona.
The Path of Sulieman
Attribute: Social
School: Transmutation
Effects: Arcane, Earth, Fire, Shadow, Water, Wind, Sacred, Spirit
This Form of Sorcery invokes pacts with the Elemental Nobles, calling upon them for aid and allowing the sorcerer to harness powerful elemental magic.
The Path of Twilight
Attribute: Spiritual
School: Phantasm
Effects: Arcane, Chaos, Force, Glamour, Profane, Shadow, Spirit, Temporal
This Form of Sorcery allows the caster to draw upon the Realm of Shadow, granting them control over the forces of that mysterious mirror world.
The Path of Veils
Attribute: Social
School: Phantasm
Effects: Chaos, Force, Glamour, Kismet, Light, Order, Shadow, Sound
This Form of Sorcery draws upon the power of Faerie, allowing the sorcerer to craft glamour and create illusions real enough to kill.
The Path of the Wild
Attribute: None
School: Conjuring
Effects: Any
This Form of Sorcerer allows the wielder to transform themselves or channel primal energies through their body, allowing possession by the entities of the Spirit World.
The Path of the Witch
Attribute: Spiritual
School: Restoration
Effects: Arcane, Chaos, Death, Disease, Glamour, Kismet, Life, Order
This Form of Sorcery allows the creation of powerful talismans and charms, which can grant luck or protect the owner, or to strike out at one's adversaries.
Schools
Each Form of Sorcery subscribes to six Schools of Magic. Each Form of Sorcery has one School which is favoured above all others, and is gained free when the character first joins the School. Each time a character purchases a Form of Sorcery, they gain a new School. If there are overlaps, the character gains no benefit from the overlap. In addition, a character can purchase additional Schools of Magic, and gains advantages for doing so. Each new School costs 5 DP, plus an additional 5 DP for each School the character already knows. If the character has taken the Path of the Artificer, or the Path of the Wild, no new Schools actually assist the character in casting Spells.
Conjuration
The School of Summoning. Each Form of Sorcery chooses a specific type of Entity which can be summoned to Creation to serve the character who summons it. The School is centred around the binding of spirits and animating the world around the character. Both the Path of the Artificer and the Path of the Wild favour Conjuration.
Divination
The School of the Seer. This School of Magic focusses on expanding the senses and gaining knowledge of the world that exists around the character. It is also the School of Subterfuge, allowing the character to take away the senses of another, preventing them from gaining knowledge best kept secret. Both the Path of Amairgin and the Path of Awakening favour Divination.
Evocation
The School of War. This School concentrates on the destructive aspects of magic, creating powerful effects which can destroy and cripple one's opponents. It is the School that produces direct, devastating results. The Evocation School of Magic knows nothing of subtlety. The Azure Path and the Spiral Path both favour Evocation.
Phantasm
The School of Deception. This School is one that develops the mind, teaching one how to manipulate and deceive the senses rather than attacking one directly. This School allows one to create things limited only by the imagination of the caster, and this particular School of Magic is favoured by the Path of Twilight and the Path of Veils.
Restoration
The School of Healing. This School of Magic teaches the sorcerer how to heal the body, and how to observe the flow of life within those around them. The School is focussed on the perfection of the body, though it may also be used to main or harm the physical body as well. This School of Magic is favoured by the Ashen Path and the Path of the Witch.
Transmutation
The School of Manipulation. This School teaches the art of creation and alteration, allowing the caster to change the shape and form of the physical and spiritual world. It also gives the caster control of space and time, allowing teleportation, flight, and other such benefits. This School of Magic is favoured by the Path of the Chorister and the Path of Suleiman.
Titles
Titles are the proper name used for someone who practices a specific Form of Sorcery. Most people simply use the generic terms such as 'Witch', 'Sorcerer', or 'Magician', but those who have a knowledge of the different styles of magic may differentiate between the Forms of Sorcery, and use the proper formal term.
Attribute
Each Form of Sorcery has an Attribute associated with the Form. This Attribute is always the Attribute used when casting a Spell or using the Form. The exception to this is the Path of the Wild, which does not use Spells. If a character possesses more than one Form, they may select the Attribute associated with any of the Forms they possess. The Spell is treated as being from the Form whose Attribute is selected. If more than one Form has the same Attribute, the player must choose which Form the character is using.
Spell Effects
Each Form of Sorcery has a list of Spell Effects. These Effects are used with some Schools of Magic or Form Benefits to create specific styles of magic, a signature which promotes the Form used by the character, and the character's personal style. Some Effects are elemental in nature, but others promote a specific feel which can be unnerving to those who witness it. When a character gains a Form of Sorcery, they choose one Effect from the list as their personal style. A character then gains a number of Effects equal to their Growth. As the character gains higher levels of Growth, they gain a new Effect to add to their repertoire, from any Form of Sorcery they know. At Growth 7, a character should have 7 Effects, plus one Effect for each Form of Sorcery known. If an Effect has an Effect Potency, it is equal to half the Potency of the Spell cast using the Effect unless the character's Form specifies otherwise.
When a target is affected by a Spell Effect, all special effects apply to the target at the same time.
See Spell Effects for a list.
Secondary Wounds
Effects that do Secondary Wounds inflict an additional damage equal to half the Potency of the primary effect. Damage from Secondary Wounds affect only the Healthy of the victim. The victim rolls Soak once, and applies it to each Damage individually. Some non-Spell abilities have access to Effects, such as the Aura and Ray Powers, or Familiars. The Potency of the Effect is equal to the Might of the character unless specified otherwise.
Origin: Invocation and Petitioning
The Origin of a Path determines where the character draws their power from. Some sources come from Petitioning, drawing the attention of entities from beyond, while others are Invocations, which draws energy to the character to manipulate under their own power. Some people feel more comfortable about Invocations, treating them as safer than Petitions. Others worship the entities who respond to the call of a Petition, seeing them as a greater power and a mentor, or even a god.
Sorcery is performed in one of two ways: the character either performs Invocations, which allows the character to draw in power and use it, or the character performs a Petition, asking powers that exist outside of Creation to aid the character in what they are about to do. A part of using the proper Origin of Sorcery is in the Skills the character would use for casting the Spell.
Invocation
Invocations are useful for most forms of spell-casting, as the character only needs to rely on themselves. They draw in the energy, weave it into the proper shape, and then unleash it into the effect the character desires. The character does not ask for any assistance in performing the Spell, and in turn, the character gains no assistance and keeps their autonomy.
Common Casting Skills
Awareness, Craft, Linguistics, Lore, Occultism
Blocking Invocation
Invocations require the character to have ready access to the energy or rituals involved in casting the Spell. In most cases, to perform an Invocation, the character must have freedom of movement and be able to speak and act without interruption. Being hindered increases the Difficulty of performing an Invocation (see Casting).
Petitioning
Petitions are entirely different than Invocations. The character calls upon outside forces to help aid the character in spell casting. In most cases, the process is pretty simple - the character performs the proper ritual required to appease the entities that will aid the character, and in turn the entities provide the energy for the caster to shape into the Spell effect. The character does sacrifice some of their freedom to be able to cast spells, usually in the need to perform rituals or provide boons to the entities which grant the caster their power.
Common Casting Skills
Artistry, Diplomacy, Integrity, Perform, Presence
Blocking Petitioning
Petitioning requires the character to have contact with the Realm associated with the character's Form of Sorcery. Wards are the most effective method in which the sorcerer can be blocked from casting a Spell. If the character's access to the Realms are blocked, then the entities can not heed the call of the caster. In most cases, this is an all or nothing situation. Either the caster is not blocked, or they are.
Spell Potency
When the character casts a Spell, they produce a Potency. This Potency determines how effective the Spell is, and how difficult it is to cancel the Spell later. A Spell has a Potency equal to the number of Successes rolled, up to twice the character's Might. For Spells with a Range of Touch, the Successes on a melee attack roll against the target's Defence is used to determine the Potency of the Spell.
Bonuses and Penalties
Some Spells can give a bonus or penalty to the recipient. If multiple bonuses or penalties are granted, only the highest bonus and highest penalty are applied at their full value. The recipient then adds +1 for each additional bonus or -1 for each additional penalty.
Familiars and Summoned Allies
A number of Forms of Sorcery allow the permanent summoning of familiars and allies. A summoned Familiar is allowed to be trained, improving as the character gives it attention. The character may use the Occultism Skill in place of both the Animal Ken and Profession (Teacher) Skill to help improve the familiar or ally. In addition, each time the character gains a level of Growth, a Familiar (but not an ally) gain a number of additional points equal to the character’s new Growth to be improved. Either the player or the game master will spend these points, as detailed under the Familiar type in question.
Rounding
Whenever anything is halved for a Spell, round up all fractions.
Modifiers for Spells
Modifiers adjust the Essence Cost and Difficulty of a Spell, but allow the player to fine tune exactly what it is the Spell is capable of. Once the player has decided what modifiers to use for the Spell, the Spell is finished and capable of being used. See Spell Modifiers
Manifestation
When a sorcerer prepares to cast a Spell, they must gather the energy that will be unleashed, harnessing it with their Essence, before it is unleashed into the world. Whether it be drawing energy from another Realm, or crying out to the Entities that rule those Realms, the effect is obvious, and terrifying to those around the caster. This event is called manifestation.
The caster chooses a Spell Effect each time they cast a Spell. This Effect manifests in the vicinity in some way that is obvious. If an Effect is being used with the Spell the caster is using, that Effect becomes the default manifestation for the Spell. Manifestations do not automatically centre around the caster, but they do manifest in the caster's area.
Cloaking
A caster can attempt to conceal the manifestation of a Spell. Doing so costs the caster Essence. The caster spends an amount of Essence up to their Might, which increases the Casting Time appropriately. Anyone who wishes to notice the manifestations must then roll Spiritual + Awareness with a Difficulty equal to the Essence spent by the caster to cloak the Spell.
Incantation
A caster is not normally silent when they cast. Instead, they call out their Spells, speaking words of power and performing complex motions with their hands or with instruments of magic. A caster can attempt to conceal these motions and words of power, but doing so costs Essence. The caster spends an amount of Essence up to their Might, which increases the Casting Time appropriately. Anyone who wishes to notice the invocations must then roll Spiritual + Awareness with a Difficulty equal to the Essence spent by the caster to conceal the Spell casting.
Restraint
A caster who is restrained suffers penalties. The three conditions a sorcerer needs is freedom of movement, freedom to perform gestures, and freedom to speak. For each of these freedoms which are denied the caster, they suffer a +2 Difficulty to their roll. Even when the caster is actively concealing their Spell casting, any restraint will penalize their rolls.
Casting
Once the player knows what they wish the character to cast, they choose a Skill which would be appropriate to the incantations the caster is performing. Are they doing an elaborate sword-dance to call upon their magic? The caster might then use either Perform (Dance) or perhaps Blades to cast their Spell. Is the caster speaking an archaic incantation while drawing patterns in the air in trails of energy? Either Occultism or Linguistics may work.
The character rolls the Attribute associated with the Form of Sorcery they are using, and the Skill, as a normal Skill roll. The Successes rolled becomes the Potency of the Spell. The maximum Potency a character is allowed to have is equal to twice the character's Might.
Dispelling Magic
To Dispel another caster's Spell, the character must know the same School of Sorcery. The character casts a 'Spell' with an Essence Cost of 1, and a Difficulty that is equal to the Potency of the Spell being Dispelled. Any Modifiers that are required are added. The Potency of this 'Spell' reduces the Potency of the Spell that was cast. If this reduces the Potency of the target Spell to 0, the target Spell is Dispelled, and destroyed.
If the target Spell was made Permanent, it is only dispelled for the duration of the Dispelling. To counter a permanent Spell requires DP expended equal to the Potency of the Dispel attempt, thus permanently reducing the Potency of the target Spell.
Concentration
While the caster is attempting to maintain a Spell with concentration or is in the process of casting a Spell, and becomes distracted, they must make a concentration roll. Concentrating on a Spell is a Free Action, and uses one Free Action per Spell being maintained through Concentration.
The caster must roll Spiritual + Endurance, with a Difficulty determined by the nature of the effect which triggered it. For every Spell the caster is maintaining, they lose one Success. The caster needs only one Success to succeed. Making a Concentration Roll is a Free Action.
A character is capable of concentrating on more than one Spell at a time. For each Spell the character must maintain, they lose one Success on all rolls they must make, and lose one point from their Defence, Resistance, and Resolve, Initiative, and Speed.
| Trigger | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Attack (Any Type) | Successes of Attack |
| Jogging / Running | 2 / 4 |
| Skill Roll | Difficulty of Skill Roll |
Grimoire
A grimoire is a list of Spells that the caster knows well and can cast with little effort. When the caster designs a Spell, they may spend 1 DP to have the Spell in their grimoire. The Spell must be written out, with all aspects determined.
When the caster uses a Spell that is in their grimoire, the Essence Cost of the Spell is reduced by the character's Might, which includes reducing the Casting Time of the Spell as well.
A Spell that is part of a grimoire can not be changed. Everything about the Spell is static. If the caster wishes to modify the Spell, they must build it from the ground up, and then pay the 1 DP to add the new version of the Spell into the grimoire as well.
Path of the Artificer
The character has mastered the project they are working on, and can make copies faster and easier than the original prototype. The Essence Cost and Project Time are reduced by the character's Might, and the Resource Cost of the project is reduced by Half Might before the roll is made.
Path of the Wild
The character practices a transformation until it becomes instinct for the character. The Conjuring Pool used for the form is reduced by the character's Might, allowing them a more detailed form with greater power. Each time the character gains a new level of Growth, they may use the additional Conjuring Pool to augment the form.
Sorcerous Talents (Masteries)
The Sorcerous Talents a character can take provide benefits to the caster. See Sorcerous Talents for a list.
