Last Emperor: Spiritbinders

This is a the Last Emperor guide to converting D20 Dragonstar characters to the NWoD/Storytelling/Mage system used for the new game.

Note: This article is an attempt to recreate the Jack Vance-inspired fire-and-forget spell system used by D20 and D&D wizards within the Mage: the Awakening and the Storytelling system.

Description

In any group seeking enlightenment, there are those whos journey ends far short of the eventual goal. The reasons are many, for some the work and dedication requires exceeds their ability to overcome these personal obstacles. For others, a distraction or false path leads them away.

Along the path of magery, perhaps the most interesting diversionary pathe are the Spiritbinders. The origins of these wizards is lost in antiquity. From the perspective of a True Mage, the Spiritbinder know very few bits of magic, a handful of rotes, and no idea how to cast improvisational magic. Teaching the skills of a spiritbinder takes longer the the initiation into True Magic, but once the basic are taught the access to great power can be very quick indeed.

When first encountered, the Spiritbinder seens to use magic in a very similar manner to other mages. They are studious, learned members of society. They cast rotes, or "spells", with a variety of effects. Their casting uses both tools and muntras.

Upon closer examination the spiritbinders magic is wildly different. Spiritbinder rank their spells on a scale of 1 to 10 (or 0 to 9 depending upon the numbering system). This may sound similar to the 13 practices, but the is no relation between the ranking of a spell and the use of the practices. Some of the lowest rank spells would require a Patterning or Making practicies, where some of the highest rank spells might require the simplest of Unveilings. And the spells cross arcana with as little reasoning. It may appear that the caster is a master of many arcana. But he lacks understanding of the undlerlying arcana and practices that even a novice has.

For the Spritbinder to cast a spell requires three parts: learning or discovering the spell, "memorizing" or precasting the spell, and casting or releasing it.

Learing or discovering a spell for the Spiritbinder requires finding and understanding a spell well enough to be able to duplicate it. Then comes a long process of copying the spell into their spell book. This process takes a day or more or work (usually a day per rank of the spell), and a number of expensive inks, quills, and other materials. This must be done in a quiet place and be uninterrupted.

Precasting the spell again requires a period of quiet contemplation with reviewing the spells in their spell book. More primitive spiritbinders refer to this process as "memorizing" their spells, though to the more modern understaning of cognitive science this makes absolutely no sense. During this process, the Spellbinder selects a set of spells to prepare. How many spells may be prepared in this manner has some relation to the experience the spiritbinder has with using their methods and the number of spells they currently know.

Casting the spell, like casting rotes, requires only a few seconds of concentration, a few hand gestures and a spoken word or two. In addition many spells require a material component, a small item representing the spell usually of insignificant cost, which is consumed by the casting of the spell. Once a spell has been cast, the preparation ritual must be performed again, usually after a full rest before the spell can be cast again.

The keys to the Spiritbinders power is their spellbooks and their material components. Adding a new spell to their books is a time consuming and expensive process. A Spiritbinder who looses their spellbook is unable to "memorise" new spells. They are required to painstaking recreate their book from either other casters, or from their own notes.

Mages are familiar with the use of tools, symbols to focus their powers. But these tools are usually specific to both the Mage and to their path. A mage with three or four such tools is considered to have many. But the Spellbinders tools are unique to their spells, Each spell requires it's own material component, speific to that spell. A spellbinder may have several hundred of these items, collections of powders, bits of metal, small carved objects. bits of preserved animals or plants, gems of various types and sizes, and so on. Spiritbinders resort to all kinds of mundane trickery to organize this stuff for quick retrieval, usually belts and jackets with multiple pockets.

With these two facts, it becomes apparent where their power (and name) comes from. The Spiritbinders bind spirits, the natural manefestations of magic, and command them to use a Numen to create the magic. In more precise terms, Spiritbinders are a disciple of Spirit, using their powers to find, bind, and control a number of weak spirits. Usually this done through a bargaining process rather than using a force of magic to bind the spirits. As a disciple of Spirit, the Wizard uses a variation of the Familiar Pact rote to convince a sprit to work with the Wizard. The nature of the bargian works as an agreement to provide shelter and Essence to a spirit in return for occasional use of its power at the command of the Wizard.

The process or writing a spell in the spellbook is clearly a ritualistic process, requiring all the aspects of an extended spell casting: quiet undisturbed place, specific tools, a clear mind and an extended period of time. It is during this process the Spiritbinder calls forth a sprit (or collection of spirits) with a specific influence. The process of writing the spell in the book loosely binds the spirit to the book (not as tightly as a fetter, but the spirit isn't expected to remain in the Material world for long). It also serves to create sympathetic gateway between the Spiritbinder and the new spirit for channeling essence.

Most spirits find being bound an utter anathma, fighting against it with all their power. But the Spiritbinders book provides a place of shelter for the spirit, hiding it from sight or seeking within the enchanted covers and providing it with a minimal essence to continue survival. All of the spirits the Spiritbinder gathers are weak ones, subject to being attacked or destoryed by other, stronger spirits. So this symbiotic relationship seems to work well for them. This ritual does not always succeed, and when failure occurs, spiritbinders seem unable to ever write that particular spell into their spellbooks.

During the process of preparing their spells, the Spiritbinder uses the spellbook to channel Essence from the sympathetic nature of the arcane writings of the spell and the material components into the specific spirit. This again is a ritual process requiing a a quiet place, specific tools, and several minutes of undisturbed time.

The final process of casing a spell requires the Spritbinder commnad the sprit to loose it's influence numen upon the world. Like rote casting, this takes only a few seconds of time. though a few spells take longer to cast.

Spellbinders are a facinating study in alternative magic use. While their spells are quite powerful and usually quite vulgar, the suffer from some significant limitations, mostly due to their lack of understanding of the magic they wield.

Game Mechanics

To learn Spiritbinding requires the merit Spiritbinder, which has the prerequiste of Gnosis 1.

To add a spell to a spell book requires using "Write spell", a poorly named rote:

Write spell (Spirit 3 + Prime 1): Practice: Weaving, Action: Extended (dots = spell rank * 2), Duration: Lasting, Aspect: Covert, Mana: 1, Dice pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Spirit

This rote creates a sprit binding within their spellbook. It calls a sprit with a specific influence, and offers them the deal: A safe place and access to Essence in return for providing a service perhaps once per day. If the casting succeeds, the sprit finds a new home within the spellbook.

To prepare (or "memorize") a spell requires the rote "Energize Spell", also poorly named:

Energize spell (Spirit 3 + Prime 2): Practice: Perfecting, Action: Extended (dots = spell rank), Duration: Instant, Aspect: Cover, Mana; 0, Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Spirit

This rote provides a boost of essence to an spellbook bound spirit. The number of successes on the caster's roll give that number of Essence to the spirit. In addition the spirit may make a Power + Finess roll and gain the number of successes as Essence. Spells generally require between three and five dots of Essence.