BOON OF THE FISHER KING [-4]
Description: This is the power of the legendary Fisher King. Enough said.
Sponsor: The Fisher King is a very old and very powerful faerie who features in the mortal legends of Bran the Blessed and King Arthur. He is the wounded monarch on which the vitality of the land depends, his life sustained by the magic cauldron that can restore the dead to life. Over the years his legends have been mixed with Christian ones, giving him a severe identity crisis and essentially forcing him into senility.
Agenda: The Fisher King seeks to unlock the true potential of others, generally by sending them on quests. He prizes creativity. A character who incurs significant sponsor debt to the Fisher King finds himself compelled to conform to traditional tropes for questing heroes, including aiding any seemingly helpless individual who asks for it and insisting on antiquated notions of chivalry and honor. Given the degraded nature of the Fisher King's state of mind, such compulsions can take on bizarre and even dangerous forms.
Evocation: Evocations cast with the power of the Fisher King take the appearance of spectral weapons and warriors created to aid their caster. They may not be cast in opposition to the Fisher King's agenda.
Thaumaturgy: Rituals cast with the power of the Fisher King may be used to create things or to inspire and aid others in their adventures. They may not be cast in opposition to the Fisher King's agenda.
Evothaum: All rituals that may be cast with the power of the Fisher King may be cast with Evocation's speed and methods.
Extra Benefits: Characters with the Boon Of The Fisher King may spend a Fate Point or take a point of Sponsor Debt to send a willing character on a quest. A quest is a compel against one of the quest-taker's aspects that sends the quest-taker on a journey to accomplish some great task. While on a quest, a character may invoke the aspect that sent them on the quest by taking a point of sponsor debt. In addition, a character with the Boon Of The Fisher King may spend a Fate Point or take a point of Sponsor Debt to give a Fate Point to or remove a point of Sponsor Debt from a character who is on a quest for them.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1] Evothaum, [-1] Quest-giving. Total cost [-4], looks good.
SUPER-SCIENCE! [-4]
Description: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic; any sufficiently defined magic is indistinguishable from technology. You're able to invent and build fantastic devices that are only dreamed about in science-fiction to create effects that blur the line between science and magic.
Sponsor: Super-Science! is sponsored by Science! itself. Science! is a semi-aware entity formed out of the scientific method and the collected knowledge of the human race.
Agenda: Science! desires to grow through the continued collective accumulation of knowledge and through the propagation of the scientific world-view. Beware, for the cold logic of Science can be used to justify any action...the same inspirations that created radiotherapy for curing cancer, first created nuclear bombs.
Evocation: Super-Science! evocations consist largely of the activation of supernatural weapons. As a result, they tend to be similar to exaggerated versions of real-life weaponry. Examples of Super-Science! evocations include homing missiles, laser blades, acidic bullets, and the like.
Thaumaturgy: Super-Science! rituals work through building machines and solving equations. If a ritual could conceivably be completed by those means, it may be cast with Super-Science!.
Evothaum: Super-Science does not grant the ability to use Thaumaturgy with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Super-Science! does not use the usual set of spellcasting skills. Resources replaces Conviction, Craftsmanship replaces Discipline and Scholarship replaces Lore for the purposes of spellcasting with Super-Science!. In addition, a character with Super-Science receives one free specialization in either Crafting power or Crafting frequency. Finally, a character with Super-Science! never accidentally hexes anything.
Drawbacks: Super-Science! evocations may not be cast without foci. Furthermore, Super-Science! foci and enchanted items are vulnerable to hexing. The difficulty is equal to Scholarship + twice the number of Enchanted Item slots invested in the item.
[-1] Channelling, [-1.5] Broad Ritual, [-3] Casting skill stunts, [-0.5] Free Crafting specialization, [+1] Hexable, [+1] Focus dependency. Total cost [-4]. This breakdown's pretty sketchy, I think that -3 is a lot for the casting skill swap and that the restrictions probably aren't worth a full 2 refresh. But the imbalances roughly even out and I think that this is probably fine.
THE POWER OF BLOOD [-4]
Description: A true blooded elder vampire can draw a form of magical power from the life in the blood they have stolen. This power can be used to manipulate the blood of others and the blood of the vampire itself.
Musts: The Blood Drinker and Feeding Dependency powers are required in order to purchase this one.
Sponsor: The Power Of Blood lacks a conventional sponsor. It is fueled by its user's nature and by the blood that its user has stolen.
Agenda: The Power Of Blood wants its users to drink more and more blood. It has no long-term agenda, just endless bloodlust.
Evocation: Evocations cast with The Power Of Blood work through the physical control of blood.
Thaumaturgy: The Power Of Blood allows its user to cast rituals that manipulate or make use of blood.
Evothaum: Any ritual that may be cast with The Power Of Blood may be cast with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Any spell cast with The Power Of Blood costs hunger stress instead of mental stress.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1] Evothaum, [-1] Hunger stress. Total cost [-4], looks good.
CHAOS MAGIC/THE BLESSING OF THE UNNAMED [-4]
Description: Drawing on the power of the Nameless God of Chaos you are able to cast spells that fit into its essential nature: chaos, destruction, madness and the bending of reality. Making use of this power can cause ripples in the very nature of causality.
Sponsor: The Nameless God of Chaos sponsors users of this power.
Agenda: The Nameless God of Chaos wishes to twist the world until nothing but chaos and madness remains.
Evocation: Chaos evocations consist of brute-force reality-bending. They often resemble entropomantic attacks.
Thaumaturgy: Chaos rituals twist the world in subtle ways. Their effects are many and varied, but they always serve to promote the goals of the Nameless God.
Evothaum: Chaos Magic allows its user to use entropomancy, psychomancy, and diabolism with the speed and methods of evocation.
Extra Benefits: Chaos Magic users get free Thaumaturgy specializations in complexity and control for spells that twist the natures of things.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1.5] Broad Evothaum, [-1] Free specializations. Total cost [-4.5]. Maybe I should drop one of those specializations.
Ma’at Magic [-4]
Description: Ma’at was the ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice. In practice, the concepts of Truth, Order, and Justice prevail as the Goddess Ma’at’s theme.
Sponsor: Ma’at (the personification of Ma’at the concept, and facilitator of "Final Justice" in Duat, the Underworld, where Anubis weighs one's heart against her Feather of Truth)
Agenda: To seek Truth, enforce Order and ensure Justice is done. Those Sponsored by Ma’at are often required to accept requests to mediate situations, like Judges or Viziers.
Evocation: Evocations based on Ma’at tend to be direct and focused. Fallout tends to occur in visibly stilted ways (Accidental fires that spread evenly, items break cleanly, etc.). Evocations of Ma'at are usually used in the Justice phase of a Sponsor's work, and must reflect a Just and fitting punishment (Shadow Evocations against someone proven to have blinded another, for example).
Thaumaturgy: Rituals involving Ma’at often make use of precise measurements, use of balance in item placement, well-chosen incantations(preferably in ancient Egyptian), and intricate repetitive gestures. Ma'at rituals promote the process of Investigation, Determination of the Truth, and Atonement/punishment for transgressions.
Evothaum: Ma’at Magic allows its user to cast Divination, Entropomancy, and Conjuration spells with the speed of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: Those Sponsored by Ma’at are gifted with a knack for feeling out the truth in situations, they may choose to use Lore to roll for the Empathy trapping "Reading People", or for the Investigation trapping "Examination". The Sponsored must choose which when affirming his appointment as Ma'at's Favored.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1.5] Broad Evothaum, [-1] Lore stunt. Total cost [-4.5]. Again, the unusually broad evothaum throws off this one's cost.
YULETIDE MAGIC [-4]
Description: Drawing on the power of the Saint Nicholas, you’re able to cast spells that fit his essential nature: warmth and coldness, charity, protection, travel, and power over secrets. These magics are under the sway and watch of Saint Nicholas himself; making use of them will inevitably catch his notice.
Sponsor: Santa Claus
Agenda: To reward good children, and to promote the traditions and spirit of Christmas.
Evocation: Yuletide evocations involve the control of warmth and coldness.
Thaumaturgy: Yuletide rituals encourage or make use of warmth, coldness, charity, protection, travel, and secrecy.
Evothaum: Yuletide Magic allows its user to cast conjuration and warding spells with evocation's speed and methods.
Extra Benefits: A character with Yuletide Magic gets a one free specialization in conjuration complexity and another in conjuration control.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1] Evothaum, [-1] Free specializations. Total cost [-4], looks good.
Semi-Revised Sponsored Magics:
Foxfire [-4]
Description: A gift from the fox spirits of legend allows you to cloud minds, fool the senses, and even drive people to insanity.
Sponsor: The fox spirits of Eastern legend, AKA nine-tailed foxes, huli jing, kumiho, kitsune, and many other names. Contrary to many modern interpretations, fox spirits tend to be unrepentant monsters with a taste for human flesh, though benevolent individuals exist. Many scholars compare the diversity of fox spirit myths to faerie lore in European traditions, though the two are (probably) distinct supernatural genera. Fox spirits are often worshiped, or at least placated, in traditional shrines.
Agenda: Seduction, illusion, the gaining of status and wealth through dishonorable means or Faustian bargains. Foxfire prefers to be used in indirect ways, but when grave insult or disrespect is offered, it kindles brightly with the desire for vengeance.
Evocation: Foxfire evocations are often limned in ghostly blue or red flames. Foxfire employs raw spiritual energy channeled in the form of voracious insubstantial fire It is quick to take hold and consume, but just as quick to burn out or be quenched.
Thaumaturgy: Foxfire can be employed to manipulate emotional states, create durable illusions, and to cause effects in a target household that resemble a haunting or demon possession. When used offensively it has a the unique preference for inflicting mental stress, the fire that burns cold but sears the soul.
Evothaum: Foxfire allows its user to cast Photomancy and Psychomancy with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: When using foxfire for maneuvers that cloud or deceive the senses (illusions, maneuvers to inflict certain consequences), the spell gets a number of free extra shifts for duration equal to the caster's Deceit skill. The original maneuver must still be successful for this to take effect.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1.5] Broad Evothaum, [-1?] Extra Deceit duration. Total cost [-4.5?], looks a bit sketchy.
BIBLIOMANCY [-4]
Description: You can project the world of the word into the real world. Nothing from the world of the word can exist without context as it would lose its meaning and therefore its existence. Monsters drawn from books remain monsters and heroes, heroes.
Sponsor: Bibliomancy draws upon the world of words for its powers. The world of words is essentially a conglomeration of everything ever written, from novels to textbooks. It is not actually sentient, but it has a sort of will nonetheless.
Agenda: The world of words has no concrete agenda, but it is generally in favour of knowledge and against the destruction of books. Sometimes it will try to force reality into the shape of a novel.
Evocation: Bibliomantic evocations make use of the Word element. Word evocations generally function by bringing things from the world of words into reality. This can create almost any evocation effect, but it requires access to written material containing the desired effect.
Thaumaturgy: Bibliomantic rituals can blur the line between text and truth, perform a wide variety of divinations with a textual thematic, create books or other associated objects, and open portals to certain realms.
Evothaum: Bibliomancers may summon creatures from books, divine written things, and create written materials with the speed and methods of evocation.
Extra Benefits: A Bibliomancer adds two to his or her Resources skill when using it to determine Library quality or to purchase a new Library. In addition, a Bibliomancer may use a Library of any sort as an Arcane Sanctum of an equal rating.
[-1] Channelling, [-1] Ritual, [-1] Evothaum, [-1] Library stunt. Total cost [-4], looks good.
So, do these breakdowns look good to everyone?
If so, then what should we do about the sketchy cases? The unusually broad evothaum effects of some of these have put them up to 4.5 refresh. Any suggestions for a solution?
