I just remembered something that I really shouldn't have forgotten. Self-Sponsored Magic!
A while back on the board, somebody came up with the idea that you could have Sponsored Magic without a sponsor. The Compels would be ordinary Aspect Compels, not agenda Compels. The cost of the Power wouldn't be affected since all Compels are created equal.
Later on, I realized that that mechanic would be a great way to represent spellcasting expertise that isn't just "bigger numbers". In particular, I figured it would be a good way to model over-specialization in a field. I had in mind the scene where Langtry stonewalls an army with a ward cast in Evocation time and (maybe) no threshold.
So I came up with some Superior X Powers. Other people joined in and we came up with some stuff that'd fit the Senior Council (and Luccio).
So, let me show you the Powers.
Superior Warding for Arthur Langtry. Partially to represent that scene where he and the gatekeeper stop an army, partly just because he deserves some extra Warding tricks.
SUPERIOR WARDING [-2]
Description: A master wizard can refine his skills in a particular area so fully that his abilities are qualitatively different from those of a normal mage. While normal specialization simply makes one faster and stronger and more effective, this level of focus provides entirely new capabilities. Arthur Langtry, the Merlin, has developed his skill with wards so fully as to stop an army of vampires in the middle of a fight without use of a threshold.
Musts: You must have both Evocation and Thaumaturgy with at least some specialization in wards in order to take this power.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Warding does not provide any form of Evocation.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Warding does not provide any form of Thaumaturgy.
Evothaum: Superior Warding allows its user to cast wards with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: A character with this power may cast wards freely without need for a threshold.
Note: Because this power requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, it grants no focus slots and does not have its cost reduced when the user already has spellcasting powers.
Superior Biomancy for Listens-To-Wind. A guy who can shapeshift in combat ought to be capable of Evocation-speed biomancy. The extra benefits were designed to help him with his doctoring and with the disguises that True Shapeshifting makes him good at.
SUPERIOR BIOMANCY [-2]
Description: A master wizard can refine his skills in a particular area so fully that his abilities are qualitatively different from those of a normal mage. While normal specialization simply makes one faster and stronger and more effective, this level of focus provides entirely new capabilities. Listens-to-Wind is so practiced at Biomancy that he more than held his own against a Naagloshii in a shapeshifting combat in the infamous “Turn Coat” Case File.
Musts: You must have both Evocation and Thaumaturgy with at least some specialization in Biomancy in order to take this power.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Biomancy does not provide any form of Evocation.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Biomancy does not provide any form of Thaumaturgy.
Evothaum: Superior Biomancy allows its user to cast Biomancy rituals with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Superior Biomancy allows its user to alter their own physical form slightly, which lets them use Lore in place of Deceit for disguise attempts. It also allows said user to use Lore in place of Scholarship for medical treatment owing to the detailed knowledge of the human body that it requires.
Note: Because this power requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, it grants no focus slots and does not have its cost reduced when the user already has spellcasting powers.
Superior Worldwalking for Rashid. Because Worldwalker is kind of redundant with spellcasting. It even says so in Your Story.
SUPERIOR WORLDWALKING [-2]
Description: A master wizard can refine his skills in a particular area so fully that his abilities are qualitatively different from those of a normal mage. While normal specialization simply makes one faster and stronger and more effective, this level of focus provides entirely new capabilities. Rashid, the Gatekeeper, is so practiced at worldwalking that navigating the border between worlds is no harder than climbing a staircase for him.
Musts: You must have both Evocation and Thaumaturgy with at least some specialization in transportation and worldwalking in order to take this power.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Worldwalking does not provide any form of Evocation.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Worldwalking does not provide any form of Thaumaturgy.
Evothaum: Superior Worldwalking allows its user to cast transportation and worldwalking rituals with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: You may use Investigation or Lore to find places where the border between Earth and the Nevernever is weak. In addition, you may use your Lore skill instead of your Survival skill while in the Nevernever.
Note: Because this power requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, it grants no focus slots and does not have its cost reduced when the user already has spellcasting powers.
Superior Crafting for Luccio. The Warden Sword breaks the normal enchanted item rules, and the game doesn't really support the idea of enchanted items that only one person can make. This power explains that. Unfortunately it's questionably well-written.
SUPERIOR CRAFTING [-2]
Description: A master wizard can refine her skills in a particular area so fully that her abilities are qualitatively different from those of a normal mage. While normal specialization simply makes one faster and stronger and more effective, this level of focus provides entirely new capabilities. Warden Anastasia Luccio in her prime (and original body) was so talented at Crafting that she created the Warden Sword, the most useful tool against warlocks the White Council has ever used.
Musts: You must have both Evocation and Thaumaturgy with at least some specialization in Crafting in order to take this power.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Crafting does not provide any form of Evocation.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Crafting does not provide any form of Thaumaturgy.
Evothaum: Superior Crafting does not grant the ability to use Thaumaturgy with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: A character with Superior Crafting need not reduce the power of enchanted items that they make in order to make them usable by someone else. Furthermore, they may combine two Enchanted Item slots to create a single item or potion with two effects. Such an item or potion has twice the number of uses that a normal item would have, and may be enhanced with extra Enchanted Item slots normally. Its uses can be spent on either effect. Finally, a character with Superior Crafting may cast rituals to create special Enchanted Items. Said rituals use Crafting strength bonuses as complexity bonuses and Crafting frequency bonuses as control bonuses. Items created this way may be designed for any character, may be sustained with the Enchanted Item slots of the character receiving them, and need not have traits equal to those implied by the recipient's abilities. The complexities of these rituals are generally roughly equal to three times the item's strength plus twice its number of uses minus four for every item slot they will take up, but the GM is encouraged to meddle with this formula. The recipient must participate in the ritual that creates the item for them. If the recipient is unusually good or bad at Crafting, that might warrant a decreased or increased complexity, respectively.
Note: Because this power requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, it grants no focus slots and does not have its cost reduced when the user already has spellcasting powers. Also, be careful with this Power. It's not all that well-written and as such is liable to cause problems.
And Superior Divination for Martha Liberty because she might as well be a diviner and somebody wanted to write Superior Divination.
SUPERIOR DIVINATION [-2]
Description: A master wizard can refine her skills in a particular area so fully that her abilities are qualitatively different from those of a normal mage. While normal specialization simply makes one faster and stronger and more effective, this level of focus provides entirely new capabilities. Martha Liberty, the reputed Spymaster of the High Council, is so practiced at Divination that Scrying a needle in a haystack is no harder than finding Waldo for her.
Musts: You must have both Evocation and Thaumaturgy with at least some specialization in Divination in order to take this power.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Divination does not provide any form of Evocation.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Divination does not provide any form of Thaumaturgy.
Evothaum: Superior Divination allows its user to cast Divination rituals with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Superior Divination expands the line-of-sight restrictions of Evocation, permitting its user to cast spells on targets that she sees through scrying or through other forms of divination. Spells targeted this way may not have a power greater than half the strength of the scrying effect that they are targeted through.
Note: Because this power requires Evocation and Thaumaturgy, it grants no focus slots and does not have its cost reduced when the user already has spellcasting powers.
Hope you find at least some of these useful.
PS: Martha Liberty is no longer a water mage, her notes should reflect that.
PPS: I've been thinking about Eb's role as the combat specialist of the group, and I don't think he really lives up to it. There are three things that bring victory in a wizard fight: big evocations, big defensive items, and high initiative. Eb's the best only at the first thing on that list. He could afford to spend more item slots to pump up the defence item easily enough, though. And an initiative stunt could work. Maybe let him spend a FP to automatically go first in the first round of a fight. Call it Quick On The Draw or something.
