true names and spell-casting

Part of the reason that Magi use names different from their "true" names is the (Mythic Europe historical) belief that knowing a person's true name gives you power over them.

It is certainly useful in improving Penetration.

Out of curiosity, could you also have a Special Circumstance - (invoking the target's True Name)?

I would use a different term than True Name as that has a mechanical meaning for certain spiritual and other beings with might that is not the same as a human’s original given name.

EDIT: True Names are described in RoP:I, The Cradle & The Crescent, and, I believe, RoP:M if not elsewhere.

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There is also a true name theme in Ancient Magic (p:10) in the form of The Language of Adam.

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Apparently whenever I read AM5 p84, in the Sympathetic Connections panel, whenever they say about using a particular type of name as a sympathetic connection, somehow I am including "true name". Sorry.

Perhaps I should have written Special Circumstance (invoking a sympathetic connection name)

Either seems reasonable (compare with "while touching the target"), and with the right "mythic feel"!

Ursula Le Guin would approve. :slight_smile:

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As a “special circumstance” that you explicitly define as the original name of a human or the true name of those things who have them I think it works fine but in discussing the rules on a forum I think it’s important to make the distinction.