I’ve been considering what Arcane Abilities Original Research/Integration would produce, and wanted some feedback on what I’ve devised, and suggestions for more. I’ve been using the following principles when designing them.
- The ability can be used at level 1, and every level of the ability should make it more useful.
- The abiliity should have no maximum level, as abilities don’t have maximum levels.
- Ideally, the ability shouldn’t require a Roll if used as part of an action that already takes a roll. Many of these abilities could be used on the same spell, and I would not want to make a system where one spell took a dozen rolls. In other words, the abilities should function more like Penetration than Finesse.
- The ability should approximately equal a major virtue at 50-75 XP (An ability score of 4-5, or an accelerated ability score of 10-12). In general I think that creating these abilities would require 50-60 breakthrough points, and I think the researcher should end up at least close to the major virtue level.
This allows characters to learn the equivalent of a major virtue in 5-8 seasons with common source qualities, but an dedicated teacher could tutor a student in half a year to a year (3 + 6 (1 student) + 3-5 communication +5-8 teaching can impart 19 xp a season). I feel this is quick enough to be practical and be a balanced against other methods such as Hermetic Realm Initiation (TC&C) which would allow a magus with a ReVi lab total of 60 and 15 pawns of Vis to teach any hermetic virtue they have to anyone without more than 15 levels on supernatural hon-hermetic arts and abilities
2 and 4 imply that for someone Skilled (score of 6 or more), the ability should be able to do more than the virtue. This is the benefit of creating an ability that needs several seasons to match the virtue, instead of a teachable major breakthorugh that can be taught via tractus in one season.
Flexible Hermetic Magic
You can vary the effects of Formulaic spells to a degree, while still getting the benefit of casting known magic. You can adjust the Range, Duration, and Target of your formulaic spells, but the sum of the level of the alterations must be less than your score in Flexible Hermetic Magic.
For example, Converting a LV 10 spell to go from +3 Sight to +2 Voice and the Duration from +2 Sun to +3 Moon would require a Flexible Hermetic Magic Score of 10.
This cannot adjust a formulaic spell into a spell that would normally be a ritual (Level greater than 50, Year Duration, Boundary target, etc). Casting Success, fatigue loss, and penetration are all calculated based on the new level of the spell.
This ability makes many flaws relating to spontaneous magic far easier to work around (such Chaotic magic and Difficult Spontaneous Magic) because low level spells adding or subtracting a magnitude is 1 level instead of 5, but otherwise it wouldn’t be usable with a score of 1. If it ever becomes relevant, you may wish to make major flaws minor or combine flaws for the purpose of mystery initiation, Magic character Transformations, or creating new characters to continue the saga.
An additional breakthrough from studying Grugachan Flexible Formulaic magic could turn this into an accelerated ability
Empowered Hermetic Magic
I really wanted to call this Boost, but that is already used for a different Mutatem virtue/spell mastery ability. This is to the MuVi Wizards Boost (Form) what Flexible Hermetic Magic is to MuVi Wizards Reach (Form)
You can empower your formulaic spells beyond thier invented level. You can increase the effect of your spells as if they were up to your Empowered Hermetic Magic Score higher. The effect of these additional levels is simple for General spells (just increase the general spell level), and should be applied to the most scalable aspect of the guideline at storyguide’s discretion. For example, CrIg create a fire doing +15 damage should deal more damage when empowered.
Casting Success, fatigue loss, and penetration are all calculated based on the new level of the spell.
Enduring Spellcraft
You can cast spells so that they last for longer than normal. (This cannot be used with the Concentration, Momentary, Ring, and other similar Durations such as the rune Duration. This also cannot further extend durations that can be extended such as the Astrological Durations in TRME:49).
When casting a spell, the magus may make a Stress Die + Intelligence + Enduring Spellcraft vs 3*multiple desired. If you succeed the spell lasts for the desired number of durations. If you fail, the spell lasts for a simple die number of durations. If the roll botches the spell lasts for a simple die number of a lower duration. For example, if you botch an attempt to cast a spell with a duration of Suns, the spell will last a simple die number of diameters.
Effortless Spell-casting (Accelerated Ability)
I’m not happy that the ability effectively has a cap at 15, which is roughly equivalent of a 6.5 in a normal ability, but after that there is nothing else for it to do. Maybe have it effect fast cast magic or casting initiative in some way?
You reduce the penalty of casting spells with more discrete words and/or gestures by your effortless casting score, to a minimum of 0.
Blood Magic
When casting a spell, you can increase your casting total by spending additional fatigue levels. These levels are short term for spontaneous and formulaic spells, and long term for ritual spells. You can spend up to your score in Vitality Magic fatigue levels. Each fatigue level gives you a +5 bonus on your roll. If you spend more fatigue levels than you posses, you must soak damage without the help of armour. For example, if you spend 3 levels you don’t have you must soak 15+stress die damage.
You must decide how many fatigue levels you are spending before rolling, and you lose the levels and/or gain wounds regardless of the success or failure of the spell. This can render you unconscious and even kill you if you greatly overtax yourself.
Additional breakthroughs on Blood Magic:
Vigilant Blood Magic: When casting blood magic, you can chose not to expend fatigue levels, taking wounds as if you didn’t have them. When doing so, you always take at least a light wound. For example, a Tired mage wishes to spend 3 fatigue levels to boost his magic, but feels that falling unconscious is an unacceptable risk. He spends 1 fatigue level, becoming dazed, and must soak stress die + 10 damage. Even if he successfully soaks all the damage, he will still suffer a light wound.
Blood Enchantment: You can use Blood magic to improve your lab total when enchanting. Each level of ‘fatigue’ only provides a +2 bonus to the lab total. This is a delicate processes that needs to be done carefully so side effects do not inhibit your ability to work in the laboratory, and counts as a seven day distraction as you must spend time recovering. You cannot take any additional wounds or long term fatigue during the season. Using Blood enchantment is incredibly taxing on the body: you must make an additional aging roll in winter if you use it more than once a year.
Blood Sacrifice: You have learned to use the blood of others, much as you learned to use your own. This is far less effective as you need to expend some of the provided energy to control the rest, which increases the number of botch dice by one for each sacrifice. You can perform a number of sacrifices equal to your blood magic score in one spell. A non-sapient Sacrifice (Anything with cunning) provides a +1 bonus to your casting total for every level of fatigue and +5 damage it takes. A sapient Sacrifice (anything with Int) sacrifice provides double the bonus. A sacrifice that loses a level of fatigue it doesn't have is dies, and one cannot inflict any levels of fatigue beyond the one that kills it. While not infernal, Blood Sacrifice is generally considered unsavory.
I’ve also been trying to think of something for Sacrificial Magic based on Leper Magus, Hermetic Sacrifice, or the Magical sacrifice in Subrosa 13, but I've not come up with anything id consider good.