The Path of Twilight
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Title: Veneficus, Ombramancer, Ombramagus, Shadow Magus
Origin: Invocation
Attribute: Spiritual
School: Phantasm
Effects: Arcane, Chaos, Force, Glamour, Profane, Shadow, Spirit, Temporal
Called Shadow Magic or sometimes Ombramancy, those who follow this Path draw their energy from the Realm of Shadow. Most witnesses distrust the use of this Path, as little is truly understood about the shadow realm, even by those who explore it. The Realm is a dark mirror of the physical world, and the caster draws upon this mirror image, shaping it and using it to create illusions which overlay the real world, shaping the perception and emotions of those who witness it.
Those who walk this Path are constantly trained to maintain discipline, as the realm of shadow is said to exploit the weakness of those who enter it. Veneficii often start feeling contempt for those who do not study the Path, feeling that those around them are 'weak', not having the discipline that the Shadow Magus has.
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Form Benefits
When someone spends Essence within (Might x 10) yards of the character, they can attempt to steal it. This is an Instant Action, taking place at the point the Essence is spent. The character rolls Spiritual + Occultism as a Results Roll. The Potency of the roll determines how much Essence is added to the Essence Cost of the target. This is an obvious effect, the character usually gaining an indigo aura, or glowing violet eyes.
The victim can choose to pay the new Essence Cost, granting the character half the total Essence spent, or they can cancel the action, spending an amount of Essence equal to the character's Growth, granting the character half that amount. If the victim does not have enough Essence, the remaining cost is paid by Health. If the victim cancels their action, any Actions expended are still used, but the victim does not benefit from the action itself. If the action had a limited number of times it could be used (such as 'once per Scene'), it is considered to not have been used, and may be activated at a later point.
Shadow Vision
At Growth 1, the character can see in twilight or darkness as if it was broad daylight. As long as there is any light source at all (including starlight), the character is not hindered by darkness. The character can also see clearly through mist or fog up to a the character's Might in yards, suffering no penalties for hampered vision.
Shadow Magic
At Growth 3, the character draws on the Realm of Shadow as an Invocation to cast a simple weave, granting the character access to a Power. The character spends 2 Essence and an Action, and makes a Results Roll. The character rolls Spiritual + Occultism. If successful, the character gains access to the Power desired for a number of Rounds equal to the Potency of the roll. Concentration is not required. In addition, when using a Spell with the Spell Effect of Chaos, Shadow, or Glamour, the Effect Potency is equal to the Spell Potency, rather than half Spell Potency. Botch Condition can still apply for excessive successes (see below).
Shadow Step
At Growth 5, the character can step into any nearby shadow, moving to another visible shadow by spending 3 Essence and an Action. The character may attempt to do this as an Active Defence, increasing the Essence Cost by one. If the attacker gets less Successes than the character's Might, the attack misses and the character teleports safely. If the attack has enough Successes, the opponent strike the character, who then teleports.
Shadow Journey
At Growth 7, the Shadow Magus can spend 4 Essence and step into the Twilight physically as an Action. Alternatively, if the character is in the Twilight, they may use this benefit to step back into Creation. This benefit may be activated as an Active Defence by increasing the Essence Cost by one. If the attacker does not get as many Successes on the attack roll as the character's Might, the attack misses as the character passes through the veil. If the attack has enough Successes, the opponent strike the character, who then passes through.
Botch Conditions
The Path of Twilight uses energy from the Realm of Shadow. The essence of this Realm can infest and drain someone who has drawn too much energy from the Realm. If the Spell gains more Successes than the caster's Might, the character loses Health and Essence equal to the number of Successes that surpassed the maximum Potency of the Spell. Characters who's Health is reduced to 0 make an immediate Death Save, with failure resulting in the character's soul being hollowed out and the character's doppelganger taking possession.
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