Editing Gladius et Aegis: Arcane Nature Traits

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=Overview=

This page gives several examples of Arcane Nature Traits, as well as some notes on their place in the campaign setting of my home campaign.


=Magus=

===Campaign Setting Notes===

Selecting this trait means that you are a ''Magus'' - a human who has been lucky enough to have both the inherent aptitude for casting magic, and the opportunity to have formally trained in magic.

''Magi'' also refer to themselves as ''wizards, practitioners'' and ''loremasters''. They generally don't call themselves ''sorcerers, shamans'' or ''warlocks'' - these terms refer to entirely different arcane traditions. They often refer to their magic as ''The Art'' or ''The Lore'', and speak of casting magic as ''enacting forma'' or ''mastery of Will''. Archaic terms, especially in Latin, are popular with many magi, as is a certain air of superiority and hubris regarding their magic as opposed to other magics.

The core foundations of ''The Art'' are knowledge and will. Knowledge is required to harness inherent magical talent, and to direct it into spells and rituals. This knowledge is generally from elder ages, with much lore coming from the magical traditions Ancient Egypt and later, Ancient Greece and Rome. Will is required as magic is inherently against nature: it forces the desires of the magus upon reality, and must overcome the resistance of reality to such intrusions.

''"Aptitude"'', or the ability to cast this sort of magic, is a rarity in the world, with magi estimating that no more than one human in one to two hundred thousand being capable of learning magic. Many of these go undetected, as despite the best efforts of magi, there has never been discovered any spell or other means that allow one to search out for those with aptitude. Instead, it tends to be the case that individual magi will note that a human they encounter is seemingly immune to the effect of ''Denial'' (see neutral trait effects below), and will make a guess that the person has aptitude. The next step is for the magus to approach the "potential" and to invite him to become an ''Apprentice'', usually with a demonstration of The Art, and an open offer for the Apprentice to come see him if he wants to learn more. An apprenticeship lasts till the mentor "releases" his protegee, traditionally after a taxing test of magic. Sometimes these mentor-trainee relationships go sour, of course, and an apprentice will decide himself to leave the magus before his mentor feels training is complete. More rarely a mentor might abandon an apprentice that he feels he cannot teach. Magi who never completed their apprenticeships are often referred to as ''Orphans of the Craft'' with a mixture of pity and disdain.

Most ''Magi'' operate alone, or in small cabals, as the prideful nature of those who command ''The Art'' often results in clashing egos. However, most magi also serve within supernatural hierarchies, attending convocations and gatherings when they are called upon, even if they spend as much time pursuing their own agendas as those of their faction. The ''Council of the Invisible Hand'' commands most magi's loyalty, as few magi feel they would wish to be beholden to the ultimate authority of a non-magus. Those ''Magi'' who serve ''Gladius et Aegis'' are often somewhat rebellious in nature, with personalities that have led them to shunning the "mainstream" of the ''Invisible Hand''.

''Magi'' generally follow the ''Shadow Concordat'' strictly, or at least give the appearance of doing so. This is generally true even of those within ''Gladius et Aegis''.

Aptitude is rare and easy to miss, most Magi's existence is dangerous, and their magical tradition is very much centered on the western world. This means that there are probably no more than six or seven hundred magi in the world, and no more than a couple of dozen who serve ''Gladius et Aegis''. However, as Magi are often secretive and somewhat paranoid, there may be twice or even three times that number, with many declining to reveal themselves.


===Character Generation Guidelines===

An above average ''Intellect'' is generally the norm, as becoming a Magus requires study and determination. Magical power is a point of pride and a source of respect amongst Magi as well, so investing in a higher ''Puissance'' score is sensible too.

Recommended ''Background Traits'' include ''Web of Intrigue'', ''Concordat Diligent'' and ''Library of Lore'' and ''Mentor''.
Recommended ''Internal Traits'' include ''Prideful'' and ''Buried Identity.''


===Benefits of being a '''Magus'''===

* '''Arcana:''' You can cast magic! Mastery of The Art is is the source of your Arcana. 
* '''Finesse:''' As your magic comes from careful study and understanding of its underlying principles, you can use your Arcana with a higher degree of conceptual versatility than other supernatural types. Whereas a ghost with mastery of fire might be able to summon infernos and command flames to do his bidding, a wizard that studies pyromancy understands the symbolic and arcane nature of fire, perhaps using a hearth fire to speed healing, or scrying what the "eyes of a fire" might have seen from ashes, or making a candle burn brighter but cooler.
* '''Subtlety:''' A Magus learns control is everything, and so can choose how much arcane force to apply. When testing his ''Puissance'' he can choose to roll fewer dice than normal. Doing so increases the subtlety of the magic, making the casting less obvious. Sacrificing one dice (e.g. rolling 4 dice when you are entitled to roll 5) might be enough to mask an arcane signature. Sacrificing two dice can make the magic seem like a natural event to after the effect scrying. Sacrificing three or more dice can make the magic seem like a natural occurrence to onlookers at the time (for example, a telekinetic shove being taken to be due to a strong gust of wind).
* '''Ritual:''' A Magus can take additional time to bolster the power and control of his magic. Spending an hour casting a single spell gains +1 Puissance for that casting. Spending ten hours adds +2 Puissance. Spending a hundred hours, +3 Puissance. Spending a thousand hours, +4 Puissance. There is no upper limit to this: for each further x10 time spent, add a further +1. However, Rituals can be interrupted (typically by violent means), which can negate the spell altogether.
* '''Cooperation:''' A Magus can work in tandem with another Magus, supporting their casting with his own. This is generally handled as a Difficulty 6 spellcasting, with each 3 points of success adding +1 to the second Magus' Puissance for one casting. However, cooperation generally requires the Magus to understand the magic he is assisting: that is, to have the Arcana that would allow him to cast the spell himself. 
* '''Arcane Principia:''' A Magus has access to a variety of other arcane edges and advantages that he can call upon. The principles of sympathetic magic, of using the true name and of mystic resonance are but a few tools in the Magus' toolbox. The GM will generally award a +1 Puissance bonus to a casting for any use of the Arcane Principia that makes sense within the framework of magical thinking.


===Drawbacks of being a '''Magus'''===

* '''Discord with Modernity:''' Something about the practice of magic jars with the modern world, and makes it hard for magi to get the modern world to work for them. High technology is a particular problem, and magi often have problems with using electronic or electrical devices of any sort of complexity. Computers crash, cellphones pack up, even light bulbs tend to burn out a lot quicker than they ought to. Even more complex mechanical devices can be troublesome, so magi often avoid using firearms, and will tend to take the stairs rather than the elevator, and to walk rather than drive. Though this effect ought to have some practical uses, its far more often a great inconvenience to magi. The effect is outside of a mage's control, and tends to occur to their detriment rather than benefit. The effect increases as a Magus' Puissance increases. A newly trained apprentice might have a computer that crashes more than it ought to and a car that breaks down a little too often. A master that has the power of centuries behind him might find that he has to live an anachronistic lifestyle that is technologically primitive even for him, perhaps with actual burning torches lighting his home, and a riding horse being the only way to move faster than running, short of magic.
The effect also "spikes" when the Magus actually casts magic. Its not uncommon at all for lightbulbs to explode and for telephones to start smoking when a mage is using the Art. 
* '''The Outsider Effect:''' A Magus seems strange to ordinary humans, emanating a sense of wrongness that makes them uncomfortable. This effect can certainly be worked against with determined charm and prolonged friendship, but its always there at some level. This effect also increases with Puissance, and spikes with magic use. An average magus that uses his magic in a crowded street may find that the people present might not remember what happens (see Denial, below) but that they whisper against him and cross the street to avoid him. A powerful magus might find himself persecuted by witch-hunts (or their modern equivalent, tabloid slander) if he interacts at all with human society, and will often have to seek only the company of other magi and supernaturals if he is to be accepted as anything less than a monster.

===Other Effects of being a '''Magus'''===

* '''Denial:''' Ordinary humans instinctively avoid believing that magic has occurred. Usually this means that they react with immediate disbelief or shock, and later rationalise away what they have experienced with whatever explanation they can. If they can't come up with a justification to themselves, they might even suffer amnesia, or just create a fictional chain of events different to what actually happened. Supernatural creatures don't suffer this effect, nor do other Magi. Also, potential magi with "the aptitude" don't suffer it either, which often the only way in which Magi can discover their would-be apprentices. Some other humans that don't have the aptitude can also avoid the ''Denial'' effect - this number includes children with high imaginations, individuals with a low grip on reality (such as severe schizophrenics) and obsessive devotees of arcane esoteria (normally called "true believers" by the Magi). However, few of these fringe elements tend to be believed when they report what they truly saw! Magi see the Denial as a blessing and a curse, as it both prevents them from using their magic to openly gain status in the human world and helps protect their secrecy.


=Vampire=

===Campaign Setting Notes===

Selecting this trait means that you are a ''Vampire'' - once human, but now undead, thanks to the cursed Embrace of your vampiric sire.

Vampires also refer to themselves as ''the Blood, the Damned'' and ''the Family''. Commonly they refer to the vampiric condition as the ''Curse'', but also as the ''Dark Gift'' or the ''Endless Night''.

Vampiric powers are referred to as ''Blessings of the Blood'', or simply ''Dominions''. They are not taught, but rather occur as a natural (or more accurately, unnatural) part of the vampiric condition. Certain powers tend to run along certain bloodlines, but also new powers often emerge with age and experience, or through the copious consumption of the blood of supernaturals, be they other vampire, or any other creature with magic within them.

Vampires are not naturally gregarious, and usually view each other as competitors in the hunt. They often dislike each other intensely, but they're also savvy enough to know that the rest of the supernatural world likely hates them even more, so they cooperate for the sake of personal survival. Blood isn't just about sustenance to vampires, but also about power, and it is the pursuit of power that motivates most Vampires, coming second only to fear of mortality and the desire to survive and live forever.

Most Vampires pay lip service to ''The Circle of Night'', but will often associate with other factions too, as their loyalty goes only to the faction that best serves their needs and desires. Few Vampires serve ''Gladius et Aegis'', and those that do are almost invariably younger vampires, who are clinging to the idea that their former humanity still exists and are determined to live moral lives even if their very essence tells them that morality is redundant to them. Vampires of ''Gladius et Aegis'' are often so determined to be as human as possible that they can seem excessively moral to their allies. It is perhaps the struggle to deny their own nature that forces them to be strait-laced, and perhaps also an understanding that if they are to earn trust, they cannot show even a hint of their inner darkness.

''Vampires'' usually follow the ''Shadow Concordat'' strictly, and its rumoured that the ''Circle of Night'' metes out dire punishments to the Damned who slip up on this. In particular there is a strong emphasis on the importance of secrecy.

New Vampires are not created often, as a sire must surrender a little of his power (a permanent -1 Puissance) to turn a mortal human, and they rarely have any desire to share the world with yet another competitor. Often when sires create new progeny, they do so because they have been forced to do so by vampires with more power than them, who see it both as an opportunity to weaken the sire, and to further their own interests. The ''Circle of Night'', for example, sometimes sees the need for a strategic policy of gradually increasing vampire numbers to increase their faction's relative power in an area, and will force an expendable vampire to almost deplete his entire essence in creating new progeny. The number of vampires in the world is hard to measure, but likely lies somewhere between one and two thousand.

The nature of these sorts of arrangements mean that most Sires resent their Progeny, and many Progeny hate their Sires for cursing them with vampirism. Also, its more common for a vampire to be introduced to the long night by a proxy than by their own Sire.

Odd exceptions to this pattern do exist, but are rare. Sometimes a more humane vampire might fall in love, and seek to keep his beloved from aging. Sometimes, a benevolent vampire might give the Dark Gift out of mercy or compassion to a human who is going to die. Sadly, even these creations often end in tragedy...


===Character Generation Guidelines===

Above average ''in Physicality, Socialisation'' and ''Intellect'' is recommended, to reflect the general increase in capabilities that comes with becoming a vampire. The low to moderate ''Puissance'' scores that come with this trade off are in keeping with vampiric nature as well, as supernatural power is not something that is easily increased for vampires. a higher ''Puissance'' generally reflects great age and experience.

Recommended ''Background Traits'' include ''Web of Intrigue'', ''Concordat Diligent'' and ''Old Money''. Vampires are also power-hungry, so traits that reflect power acquired so far are also appropriate.
Recommended ''Internal Traits'' include ''Self Preservation'' and ''Desire for Control.''


===Benefits of being a '''Vampire'''===

* '''Arcana:''' You have supernatural abilities linked to your vampiric condition. This is the source of your Arcana. 
* '''Undead resilience:''' As you are essentially a corpse animated by cursed blood, you don't have to worry about a lot of mortal frailties. You don't need to eat food, drink (other than blood), breathe, sweat or excrete. In fact, you can't do these things even if you wanted to. Extremes of temperature don't bother you, at least short of the temperatures that freeze or boil your blood. You suffer general discomfort far less - pain feels somewhat abstract to you, loud noises won't give you a headache, silence won't make you nervous, pitch darkness or bright light are equally fine. Even physical attacks don't worry you greatly - the flesh is just a shell, and it isn't your organs that keep you going, but the Blood. Almost all physical attacks inflict ''Fatigue'' on you rather than ''Impairment'', and factors that would cause physical ''Fatigue'' to mortal humans often won't effect you at all.
* '''The Kiss:''' Vampiric saliva is replaced with a potent soporific drug that renders humans in a state of soporific bliss for a minute or more, and clouds their memory either side of exposure as well. This drug requires direct skin contact. The Kiss makes feeding a lot easier for Vampires, as it stops victims from resisting and hides the event from the victim's mind. The Kiss doesn't require feeding: it can be used for other practical purposes too. Other supernaturals are effected by The Kiss to varying degrees. Other Vampires are unaffected. "Mostly humans" like wizards and warlocks are no safer against The Kiss than ordinary mortals, though they're more likely to know about it and to seek to avoid it.
* '''Fangs:''' All Vampires can extend and retract their fangs at will. Fangs aren't terribly practical for fighting purposes, but are useful enough for feeding.

===Drawbacks of being a '''Vampire'''===

* '''The Hunger:''' The less ''Blood Pool'' you have, the hungrier for blood you are. If your Blood Pool is empty, then the Hunger overtakes you immediately. If it is not empty, but equal or less than your ''Puissance'', then you must pass increasingly difficult Intellect tests to control yourself if exposed to the sight or smell of blood. If it is above this level you still feel desire to feed, but can control it. When you are overtaken by the ''Hunger'' you lose control of your own actions, seeking to feed by any means possible, regardless of danger. The Hunger passes only once you have filled your ''Blood Pool''.
* '''Vampiric Vulnerabilities:''' Silver weapons and fire harm you as easily as they would harm a mortal human. True faith, holy symbols and holy ground can drive you back, though strong willpower (and an Intellect test) can overcome this. Garlic does nothing to you, however. Sunlight is the worst: for each combat round (or few seconds) that you are exposed to direct sunlight, you take 1 Physical Fatigue damage. Indirect sunlight during the day does the same, but more slowly (1 Fatigue per minute). A wooden stake through the heart will paralyse you till it is removed.
* '''Daytime weakness:''' You cannot use Arcana between dawn and dusk. During the day, you lose 1 Blood Pool just from the sheer effort required to remain undead. Your attributes are all at -1 dice penalty during the day. You sleep much as a human sleeps, but this is due to quiescence and fatigue of the blood during the day rather than a need for physical rest. You need a minimum of (''Puissance'') hours of sleep per 24 hours, though never more than the number of hours between dawn and dusk. If you do not receive this much sleep, then you lose all your remaining ''Blood Pool''.


===Other Effects of being a '''Vampire'''===

* '''The Blood:''' You draw power from the Blood, and must record a Blood Pool score on your character sheet. The maximum Blood Pool score you can have is equal to three times your ''Puissance'' attribute. For example, if you have a ''Puissance'' of 3, you have a maximum ''Blood Pool'' score of 9.
Each time you use any ''Arcana'', you must spend at least one point from your Blood Pool, up to a maximum equal to your ''Puissance'' attribute. Each Blood Pool you spend adds +1 to your Puissance test for the purpose of that single usage of the ''Arcana''. For example, if you have a ''Puissance'' of 3, you could spend up to 3 Blood Pool in order to roll up to 6 dice on the test. You can only regain blood by feeding on the blood of other creatures. Human blood gives you back 1 Blood Pool point for each pint you take. The blood of creatures with a Puissance score is far more potent, giving you a number of Blood Pool points equal to their Puissance for each pint you take. Animal blood is less potent, requiring two or three times as much blood for the same benefit as feeding on a human. Also, more potent blood tastes better, and animal blood is barely palatable.
Volume is not an issue when feeding - the consumed liquid is mystically transformed into your inner essence. A vampire can keep feeding long after his Blood Pool score is maximised: this "gorging" provides no practical benefit, but is intensely pleasurable for the vampire. You can also lose blood through bleeding, but vampiric bodies bleed far less easily than human bodies. For each point of ''Physical Injury'' you suffer, you lose 1 point of Blood Pool. You can't use Arcana without spending Blood Pool. Also, you can't use Arcana between dawn and dusk, regardless of whether you are exposed to sunlight or not.


=Warlock=

===Campaign Setting Notes===

Selecting this trait means that you are a ''Warlock'' - a human who has made a pact with demons or other malign otherworldly entities in exchange for arcane power.

''Warlocks'' sometimes call themselves''demonologists'', if they are seeking to come across as scholarly, but more often stick with ''Warlock''. Female ''Warlocks'' sometimes refer to themselves as ''Witches'', but more often avoid that appellation in order to avoid being confused as wiccans, which they almost never are. A female ''Warlock'' will more often just call herself a ''Warlock''! They refer to their magic as ''The Pact'', and speak of casting magic as ''paying the Price'' or ''offerings''. 

''The Pact'' refers to the source of their power: magic lent to them by demons who themselves need the ''Warlocks'' as agents in the world. In return for payment on the Warlock's part (usually blood or flesh, rather than souls, as selling your soul to a demon simply allows him to move into the empty shell of your body) the demon provides the raw power that empowers the Warlock's magic.

Anyone can become a Warlock, but few humans get the opportunity to interact with a demon, and any given demon can only be tied to one warlock. Their numbers are therefore limited by the number of demons who are able to exert enough arcane force to reach out of Hell, and make an offer to a mortal. As the individuals are chosen by demons, they tend to be unpleasant or outright evil people, as if the demon is going to spend his precious resources on empowering a mortal, he's going to want to make sure that the mortal will enact his will. Warlocks are certainly encountered more rarely than vampires or magi, but this is possibly because they often avoid contact with other supernaturals, as many supernaturals see them as nothing less than pawns of hell, and entirely untrustworthy. Warlock lore suggests that there are always six hundred and sixty six warlocks in the world, but this may be a lie spread by the demons in order to have others mis-estimate their true numbers.

''Warlocks'' generally operate alone, save for being forced to work for or alongside the demon that empowers them. However the schemes of demons often lead to them suggesting to their warlocks that they join certain factions, either for protection or to further their intrigues. Almost all factions include some ''Warlocks'', though they are not the dominant force in any one. Few serve ''Gladius et Aegis'', as its essentially altruistic mission doesn't generally further demonic agendas. Those that do are exceptional cases, with individual reasons for their choices, but are met with considerable suspicion, as many cannot believe that the Warlock could be there other than with their Demon's permission, and that no Demon would be in favour of protecting humanity. There are odd occasions, however, when ''Gladius et Aegis'' accepts Warlocks. Around fifty years ago there was a Warlock who convinced them that both he and his demon hated supernaturals more than humanity, and thus he was willing to protect humanity to spite those supernaturals. Seventy-seven years ago there was another Warlock who claimed that he mastered his demon entirely with the aid of magi, and that he was now seeking to make amends. He did much good work for no less than twenty five years, before suddenly betraying his allies during a confrontation with an archfiend of hell who had been patiently waiting for those souls to be brought to him.

''Warlocks'' generally come to knowledge of the ''Shadow Concordat'' late, and rarely abide by it, though it might often suit their purposes to pretend to do so. Few ''Warlocks'' actively and properly follow the ''Concordat''.


===Character Generation Guidelines===

An above average ''Puissance'' is generally the norm, as demons are powerful beings, and invest strongly in their warlocks. High ''Intellect'' is uncommon, as the last thing a demon wants is for a ''Warlock'' to be able to outwit him.

Recommended ''Background Traits'' include ''New Fortune'' and ''Fame'', as these are often the things that demons tempt mortals with.
Recommended ''Internal Traits'' include ''Immoral'' and ''Driving ambition.''


===Benefits of being a '''Warlock'''===

* '''Arcana:''' You can cast magic! Your Pact is is the source of your Arcana. 
* '''Sacrifice:''' A Warlock can offer blood or flesh to his demonic patron in order to be granted a boost of extra power. Blood loss is treated as physical impairment damage, while flesh offering is physical injury. This can be the Warlock's own blood and flesh, or that of a sacrificial victim. The injuries must be inflicted either with the Warlocks own hands, or with tools or weapons used by the Warlock while the Warlock is less than arm's reach away from his target. Note that this damage doesn't happen spontaneously - the Warlock must cause the injury or blood loss directly. For each point of Physical Impairment inflicted, the Warlock gains +1 Puissance for the next single spell he casts, as long as it is within the next few minutes. For Physical Injury inflicted, the +1 Puissance lasts for several minutes, and is cumulative. Note that sacrifice is not required for casting magic: it just makes the magic more potent.
* '''Soul Sacrifice:''' The Warlock can offer his own soul - simply by mentally deciding to do so - in order to immediately and permanently gain +3 Puissance. However, once he has done so, he loses self-volition, and is forever the mind slave of the demon.


===Drawbacks of being a '''Warlock'''===

* '''Eventual Damnation:''' Hell awaits every Warlock in the afterlife. There are apocryphal tales of redemption, but no reliable accounts. Some Warlocks consider this liberating, as they reason there is no point doing moral or good things, as there will be no reward for doing so.
* '''Unholy:''' A Warlock is aligned to hell, and as such is burnt by holy water as if it were acid, unable to cast magic on consecrated ground, driven back by symbols of Christian, Jewish or Muslim faith, etc. 


===Other Effects of being a '''Warlock'''===

* '''Voice of Temptation:''' Warlocks always have the voice of the Demon with them, and the Demon can speak to them at any time, though only the Warlock can hear the demon's voice. The demon can also be seen in reflective surfaces (though again, only to the Warlock) and can control the Warlock's dreams entirely. The demon will often ask or tell the Warlock to do certain things, and every demon has a variety of capabilities to encourage the Warlock to acquiesce. These techniques range from the infliction of crippling pain or orgasmic pleasure, to the denial or warping of senses, to small boosts or detriments to a Warlock's inherent arcane, physical, social or mental capabilities. However, there are two restrictions as to what a demon can do. Firstly, it can never over-ride a Warlock's free will. Secondly, it cannot directly affect the world beyond the warlock's body: that's why it needs the warlock!
* '''Denial:''' Same as for Magi, above.

[[Category:Gladius et Aegis]]