Editing Legends - Magic

*[[Legends: Main Page|Back to main page]]

__toc__

==Magic==

The following spheres are tied to the four main styles of magic in the Realm:

*'''Druidism Spheres:''' Druid of the Green, Druid of the Claw, Druid of the Vermintide, Druid of the Lifestream, Druid of the Storm, 

*'''Necromancy Spheres:''' Obtenebromancy, Ghost Calling, Sarcomancy, Thanatomancy, Words of Ending, 

*'''High Wizardry Spheres:''' Glaciomancy, Nomenclomancy, Kinetomancy, Dominion, Stasis,
Wyld Sorcery Spheres: Pyromancy, Chimeria, Lunomancy, Fortunomancy, Entropia, 

As previously stated, a character can only have one ''Spellcasting Skill'' and it cannot be your ''Legendary trait''. 

==CASTING MAGIC==

Casting Magic is not so simple as swinging a sword, but it can be far more powerful.

To use magic follow these steps:

1.	'''Determine the effect you wish to create.''' The GM will let you know whether it is within the aegis of your magical sphere, and also if you are of a sufficient level to achieve that effect.

2.	'''Prepare the spell.''' This takes a single round, and generally involves some sort of ritual gestures or words consistent with the magical style. For example, a Sarcomancer intending to animate a corpse to do his bidding may whisper a word of power into its mouth then stitch its lips shut.

3.	'''Cast the spell.''' This also takes a single round, and must be done as soon as you have finished preparing the spell. Casting a spell is a simple D6 roll, with the number of D6 rolled equal to your Circle of Mastery plus any bonus from the prime attribute associated with that magical style (e.g. Intellect for Nomenclomancy). The target number depends on your skill trait in the Spellcasting Skill.(e.g. if you have Elite Wyld Sorcery, then you need 3+). 

4.	'''Resolve the spell.''' If you score 0 successes, then you fail to cast the spell. If you score one or more successes, the spell takes effect with more successes equating greater effect.

There are some exceptions to this process.

First of all ''Initiate-level''  effects generally do not require spell preparation – you can skip straight to the casting, which only takes a single round.

Second, you can choose to ''quick-cast'' a spell, combining preparation and casting into a single round. However, doing so adds +2 to the target number (e.g. from 3+ to 5+) so this is really only an option for more talented magi.

The default spheres available in the basic game are listed below. You can create new spheres, or even new Spellcasting Skills, but no two spheres within a single magical style can ever use the same prime attribute. This is an intentional a game balance factor, but can be justified in-character as being unable to tap the same aspect of yourself twice to achieve different spheres of magic.

•	Unless otherwise stated allies summoned through Archmage-level magic are 2nd Circle, and through Master level magic are 1st Circle.

•	Damaging effects deal one or two Wounds per success, in the same way as weapons, except where otherwise noted.

==SPELL SPHERES==
===DRUID OF THE GREEN===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Druidism		

'''Prime Attribute:''' Charm

'''Casting Spells:''' A druid of the green recognises the presence of sentient spirits that run through all plant life, who collectively form a meta-entity called The Green. Even the smallest blade of grass contains a fragment of the essence of this meta-entity. You can’t demand things of The Green as it is far greater than any mere human, but with the right words in the secret druidic language, and the right oblations, you can persuade it to work with you.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of The Green can perceive the sentient plant spirits, and can both speak to them and hear their replies with simple spells. 

'''Adept:''' An Adept can persuade plant spirits to do as he asks, though he is still limited by the plant’s capabilities. He could, for example, get a tree to grow in a particular shape, or encourage the roots of weeds to tear down some walls but not others. He can accelerate growth up to an inch or two per second. 

'''Master:''' A Master can turn one plant into another and can summon plants into being where there are none. He can simultaneously enhance and direct plant growth at a rate of a foot of growth per second, allowing him to tear down structures or entangle foes.
Archmage: A true Green Druid can animate plants and gift them human senses, creating armies of treemen and dryads to assist him. He can also merge into plants, and travel unseen through The Green. He can turn an acorn into an oak tree in less than half a minute. He can even create armour of living wood to shield his body, or express thorns out of his skin to cut and tear his enemies.

===DRUID OF THE CLAW===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Druidism

'''Prime Attribute:''' Resilience

'''Casting Spells:''' A druid of the claw taps into the feral spirit within himself and uncages the beast in his soul. Body-painting, scarification and blood all feature prominently in his magical style, as do claw and tooth talismans. 

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of The Claw is aware of his inner beast, and of that of others. He can judge the attitudes of wild animals perfectly.

'''Adept:''' An Adept of the Claw can tap into the power of his inner beast, gaining a temporary bonus to his physical prowess (+1 to a single physical attribute for X rounds, where X is successes).  He can also enhance other living beings similarly, and can command predators and beasts to do his bidding as if they were trained dogs.

'''Master:''' A Master can shape-change into the shape of predator beasts for as long as he chooses (split +X amongst physical attributes for duration of spell, and change shape). He can tame a wild animal to act as his companion, or enrage a tame one so it becomes permanently feral.

'''Archmage:''' A Claw Lord can turn animals into humanoid, intelligent beastmen who will serve him loyally. He can take the form of huge and powerful predators, such as tyrannosaurs or dragons (+X to X physical attributes for duration of change).
 
===DRUID OF THE VERMINTIDE===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Druidism

'''Prime Attribute:''' Cunning

'''Casting Spells:''' A druid of the vermintide senses the scuttling inhuman rhythms of the vermintide and allows himself to be drawn into it. The vermintide hates him, but he can trick it into doing his bidding. Sweet syrups, dead flesh and other things that insects and vermin love are the tools of his magic.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of The Vermintide senses the presence of vermin, and can communicate with them. 

'''Adept:''' An Adept can direct the Vermintide, perhaps calling rats from streets around into a single building, or persuading a swarm of spiders to cover a tree in webs.

'''Master:''' A Master can summon the vermintide, perhaps vomiting forth clouds of flies, or causing hundreds of rats to burst out through the wood of the floor. His control of them is now far more precise.

'''Archmage:''' A Vermin Lord can transform himself into a swarm of vermin. If the swarm becomes too broken, however, his consciousness risks becomes scattered too. He can summon avatars of the vermintide to fight on his behalf.

===DRUID OF THE LIFESTREAM===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Druidism

'''Prime Attribute:''' Presence

'''Casting Spells:''' A druid of the lifestream understands that Orgone, the mystical energy of life, flows through the universe and is the source of all life. He can channel this energy through songs, dances and haunting music.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of the Lifestream can detect lifeforce through his sixth sense, and identify lifeforms with his senses.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can draw orgone into a certain area, increasing fertility (of plants and animals), strengthening immune systems, and doubling the rate of natural healing.

'''Master:''' A Master can work healing spells (healing one wound per success). He can cure most diseases with his magic. 

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage of the Lifestream can undo the damage of aging, and undo longstanding damage (e.g. curing paralysis or healing old scars). He cannot return the dead to life, however.

===DRUID OF THE STORM===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Druidism

'''Prime Attribute:''' Willpower

'''Casting Spells:''' A druid of the storm sees the uncaring energies of the storm and the sky, and bends them to his formidable will. Words of power help him focus his will, and use of foci such as an oaken staff help him channel it.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of the Storm can predict weather patterns, perfectly gauge windspeeds and the moods of the sky.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can summon wind enough to fill a ship’s sails. Given time he can cause clouds to shed rain. He can modify existing weather, for example turning hail to snow.

'''Master:''' A Master can summon weather from nowhere, for example causing rain to fall indoors, or snow to fall in a desert. He can fire blasts of wind or electricity from his fingertips to pin down, knock over or burn his enemies.  

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can unleash an inferno of electricity, damaging all in the area. He can summon hurricane force winds. He can call elementals of air, lightning or rain into being, and command them. He can even fly, commanding the winds to carry him to his destination.

 
===OBTENEBROMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Necromancy

'''Prime Attribute:''' Courage

'''Casting Spells:''' An Obtenebromancer recognises the lifeless cold void that lies between and beyond worlds, and channels it through his own being. In doing so he must confront his own mortality – his power is defined by how long he can stare at the void before turning away. Paradoxically, the  rituals of obtenebromancy often involve light sources, such as candles and lanterns, plus careful shadowplay with the obtenebromancer’s hands.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Obtenebromacy can see in normal and magical darkness. He can also analyse light and shadow with his magic, discerning truth from illusion and noticing the slightest shifts in brightness and hue.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can shape existing shadows to a degree, causing shadows to lengthen or darkness to grow deeper. He can form shapes from the darkness, but these are weak and transient things. 

'''Master:''' A Master can summon darkness to envelop his foes, and can extinguish flames and other light sources with his magic. He can reach into one shadow and out through another, or cause the shadows to cut at his enemies, with the force and effect of a dagger strike.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can fade into one shadow and emerge from another. He can transform himself into living shadow, immune to normal weapons but vulnerable to bright light. He can summon shadelings to fight for him, whose dark hands drain life with their touch.

===GHOST CALLING===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Necromancy

'''Prime Attribute:''' Presence

'''Casting Spells:''' Ghosts manifest where souls cannot let go, and can be tenacious and difficult opponents. A Ghost Caller learns the mysteries of their twilight world, and commands them through the paraphernalia of his art – chains, ferryman coins, bones and grave dirt.

'''Initiate:''' A Ghost Caller Initiate can see ghosts who are choosing to be invisible, can recognise items that are important to ghosts, and can see the touch of ghosts on the living world.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can influence the actions, thoughts and emotions of ghosts, though he cannot yet control them. He can enchant weapons s that they can strike ghosts.
Master: A Master can ritually summon specific ghosts to him, can call back the souls of the long deceased for interrogation, and can command ghosts to do his bidding. He can bind them to places.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can destroy ghosts with a word and a gesture, can force them into people or objects and can become ghost-like himself, immune to non-magical attack. He can bind ghosts into any task he sees fit, and can even change their plasmic forms to whatever he imagines.

===SARCOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Necromancy

'''Prime Attribute:''' Dexterity

'''Casting Spells:''' Sarcomancers work with corpses and commonly see themselves as artisans of flesh rather than mere magi. Though magic undoubtedly plays a part in providing the animating force their tools are those of a craftsman – thread, needle, staple and saw. Most Sarcomancy effects, unlike the spells of other spheres, are extended processes taking minutes to hours rather than seconds or moments.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate Sarcomancer can identify the undead, and detect their presence. He can also recognise the different sorts of animating forces, and detect who pulls an undead’s puppet strings.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can cause dead flesh to animate briefly, and direct it to perform simple explicit actions. Undead created by Adepts have no initiative and cannot attempt complex tasks such as combat.

'''Master:''' A Master can reanimate corpses and skeletons into warriors and servants, capable of rudimentary communication and complex tasks, and gifted with the same level of intelligence as a young child (albeit without the ability to truly learn). A Master can also take control of the undead creations of Adepts. 

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can destroy or dominate the undead of lesser sarcomancers easily, can stitch together sarcomantic monstrosities from multiple corpses, and can work with the dead bodies of non-humanoids, such as insects or monstrous beasts. He can even bind extra appendages to his own flesh, for a certain grisly versatility.

===THANATOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Necromancy

'''Prime Attribute:''' Resilience

'''Casting Spells:''' Thanatos is death energy – the opposite force of orgone that eventually causes the death of all living things. While Orgone is invoked through dance, Thanatos is drawn to stillness. Thanatomancers will self administer poisons and neurotoxins that stop their own hearts for a few seconds, and can transiently paralyse their limbs. The tougher a Thanatomancer is, the more he can take, and the stronger his magic becomes.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Thanatomancy can sense the presence of Thanatos, identifying those who are soon to die and ascertaining the means of their death.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can draw Thanatos into a certain area, weakening fertility (of plants and animals), and causing plant life to wither. If he draws it into a living enemy, he can inflict damage directly through organ failure and paralysis (1 wound per hit).

'''Master:''' A Master can inflict maladies with his magic, and kill specific organs (for example causing blindness, or paralysis). He can use his magics to kill living beings of the 1st and 2nd Circle instantly, with nothing more than a touch. Lesser beings (such as insects) can be killed en masse.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage of Thanatomancy can inflict rapid aging with a curse, and can instantly kill any living being by touching them, regardless of Circle of Mastery. Doing this draws much Thanatos through the Archmage himself though, and will invariably injure the mage. In game system terms, the spell needs to score at least as many successes as the target’s Circle of Mastery to be effective.

===WORDS OF ENDING===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Necromancy

'''Prime Attribute:''' Intellect

'''Casting Spells:''' Theologists claim that the world was sung into being, but that there are also certain words which will end the world as well. Mages who seek the Words of Ending learn of the death of magic. The Words need only be spoken to be used, but the Necromancer will generally spend a little time shielding himself with sigils and gestures to ward the Words from harming himself.

'''Counterspells, Unsummons, Unweavings:''' Use of Words of Ending is covered in greater detail in the chapter on Magic Clarifications.
 
===GLACIOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' High Wizardry

'''Prime Attribute:''' Resilience

'''Casting Spells:''' Ice Magic is simple, as High Wizardry goes, involving little more than channelling White Energy through the wizard’s physical frame. Often a Glaciomancer’s power is defined by how tough they are, as channelling elemental force is fairly painful. More experienced Wizards learn protective rites that allow them to handle greater energies without freezing their own blood, but ultimately physical endurance is the heart of this magic.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Glaciomancy can perceive cold, not just as the absence of heat but as an energy in and of itself. He can also shield himself from its effects, making him effectively immune to extreme weather conditions and to the glaciomancy of others. This does not protect him from the inner cold that comes from handling Ice Magic however – that injury is too deep inside him to shield against.

'''Adept:''' An Adept becomes a fulcrum of white energy, and can shift cold from one place to another. He can extinguish mundane fires, chill people enough to cause them pain but not damage them, and can form ice crystals as he pleases from moisture in the air. 

'''Master:''' A Master can fire blasts of ice shards, or freeze opponents directly with his magical assaults. He can directly damage people and things with ease.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can form ice-armour around himself (equivalent to full plate armour, but no limitation on spellcasting), can summon ice-elementals to fight for him, and can create walls of ice, hailstorms, biting blizzards and much more with very little effort.

===NOMENCLOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' High Wizardry

'''Prime Attribute:''' Intellect

'''Casting Spells:''' Nomenclomancy know of the true name of things, spoken in the tongue of gods and dragons, can command much power. They know the spells that allow them to use these names against their enemies. Aside from the initiate level name-detection spells, Nomenclomancy requires the caster to know a target’s true name to affect it.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Nomenclomancy can sense the given-name of any person, and guess their true name with a little study and thought. They can’t yet use this power, but it is a solid foundation. 

'''Adept:''' An Adept can know the Named, for example predicting how someone will think or act, or learning information about their past or their life.

'''Master:''' A Master can use summon the Named to him (though the Named has to travel under his own power), or forbid the Named from entering a certain area. He can take advantage of the weaknesses of the Named (adding casting successes to any dice pool against the Named, for example attacking, mental conflicts, or social interaction.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can change the true Name of things or people, and through this subtly change who or what they are. For example, a willow tree that has its name changed to an oak tree will likely grow oak leaves and acorns from then on. Drastic changes (for example renaming a man so that he becomes a tree) may reverse themselves naturally, as things are quite resilient, but there will generally be at least some period of alteration. An Archmage can also rename himself. 

 
===KINETOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' High Wizardry

'''Prime Attribute:''' Precision

'''Casting Spells:''' Kinetomancers are able to manipulate physical forces, such as gravity and momentum. They can smash enemies away, pin them to the ground, or launch them into the air. Kinetomancy is based around a series of complex runes, woven in the air with the Wizards hands and fingers. Slight deviation on these precise actions can cause the forces balanced to backfire on the wizard. 

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Kinetomancy can sense and quantify physical forces, for example knowing exactly how much someone weighs or how fast something is moving. 

'''Adept:''' An Adept can create and direct only small forces, but with some dexterity, for example moving a quill so it writes, or causing a pebble to float into the air. No more force can be exerted than an ordinary man could exert with a finger and thumb.

'''Master:''' A Master can summon forces, with the same strength and precision that a warrior has in his sword arm. He can also modify existing forces notably, for example reversing the direction of an arrow’s flight, or tripling the weight of a charging enemy so that he can barely lift his limbs.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can summon considerable power, striking with telekinetic blows as hard as a warhorse kicking, or lifting with the strength of ten men. He can manipulate many smaller forces at once, for example causing six or seven swords to dance in the air and launch attacks.

===DOMINION===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' High Wizardry

'''Prime Attribute:''' Presence

'''Casting Spells:''' The Dominator learns to train his voice so that others cannot help but obey, putting psychic force behind their words. A thrall must be able to understand and hear the language of the Dominator to be effected. A thrall cannot be commanded to do anything beyond its capabilities – for example, an ordinary man cannot be commanded to fly, or to lift a warhorse over his head.

To succeed in using Dominion, the Wizard must roll a number of successes equal to the target’s Circle of Mastery. If the victim has attribute traits such as Willpower directly add to the number of successes needed.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Dominion can sense when others are acting through will other than their own, and can sense how strong the will of an individual is.  

'''Adept:''' An Adept can subtly influence behaviour with his words, though he has trouble getting people to do anything outside of their nature.

'''Master:''' A Master can make their thralls do whatever is commanded, even if the action is self destructive. The control is only momentary though, and must be renewed from minute to minute.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can give lasting commands that the thrall must continue to obey for as long as the Dominator wishes. These can be unreasonable or complex as the Archmage wishes – for example, a man ordered to hold his own head underwater will continue to do so till he drowns.

 
===STASIS===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' High Wizardry

'''Prime Attribute:''' Willpower

'''Casting Spells:''' Stasis Wizards are able to use forces of Order and the Unchanging to command people and things to be still. This involves considerable concentration and will, during the casting of these spells the Wizard will often remain entirely still himself.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Stasis can draw upon inner stillness to protect himself from mental command and magical influence. Even if an opposing Mage is much more powerful than him, the Initiate can choose to remain unmoved. He can also shield others in this way, though in this case his power must at least equal that of the opposing spellcaster.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can slow things down, but not yet still them. Slowed opponents suffer a penalty to dice pools equal to successes rolled for the duration of the scene, for any tasks that require quick thought or movement.

'''Master:''' A Master can freeze moving things in place for a short while (duration equals successes in rounds). Once his spells expire the targets continue at the same pace as before. Note that this is a magical stillness in time, rather than a physical lack of motion: for example a candle flame frozen will stop be stopped mid flicker, but is still hot to touch and will not burn out.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can inflict stillness or slowness that lasts much longer (duration in days instead of rounds). Small things which do not resist much (e.g. a falling leaf, or a buzzing fly) can be frozen perpetually.

===PYROMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Wyld Sorcery

'''Prime Attribute:''' Resilience

'''Casting Spells:''' Fire Magic is not learnt, but rather an inborn connection to the elemental planes of fire. Channelling these energies is a matter of instinct, but naturally drawing close to such heat is somewhat painful. Fire mages often have singed hair, and scarred burnt skin from spell-castings where they tried to draw a little too much power…

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Pyromancy can perceive heat in its quantity and flow. He can also shield himself from its effects, making him effectively immune to extreme weather conditions and to the pyromancy of others. This does not protect him from the inner heat that comes from handling Fire Magic however – that injury is too deep inside him to shield against.

'''Adept:''' An Adept becomes a fulcrum of heat and fire, and can shift heat from one place to another, though he cannot render an area colder than the general environment with this. He can cause fires to move one from place to another, heat people enough to cause them pain but not damage them, and can form sparks and heat as he pleases from the air. 

'''Master:''' A Master can unleash gouts of flame, or burn opponents directly with incendiary explosions. 

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can surround himself with flame  that injures those who come nearby, can summon fire-elementals to fight for him, and can create sweeping firestorms with very little effort.

===CHIMERIA===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Wyld Sorcery

'''Prime Attribute:''' Precision

'''Casting Spells:''' Perception is subjective and some have an instinct as how to manipulate it. Chimeromancers draw ephemera from the hopes and fears of those around them, and use them to manifest illusions. Often the spellcasting involves literally shaping the images with the caster’s fingers, though the weaving is far faster than any mundane creation process.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Chimeria can see illusions for what they are. He can also watch the dreams of those who are sleeping, and even see glimmers of images dancing around the heads of those who are actively using their imagination, whether through daydreaming, creativity or terror.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can create illusions and misperceptions, adjusting sensory stimuli that are present so that all around perceive them slightly differently. For example, he could make a rat appear to be a chicken, or a sword seem to be a bundle of reeds. 

'''Master:''' A Master can create full hallucinations, creating images and sensations that have no basis on what is actually there. Though such images are not real (for example an illusory fire casts no heat or light, and does not burn things) they can fool all five senses and seem completely real (for example the aforementioned fire could be made to feel hot, and could seem to inflict damage). These hallucinations always fade if the Chimeromancer departs.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can imbue the illusions with permanency and a kind of half-life, so they move around independently, persist when the chimeromancer has gone, and (if an illusion of sentient life) respond as people expect them to. An Archmage can also pull images directly out of people’s imaginations and dreams rather than crafting them himself. 

===LUNOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Wyld Sorcery

'''Prime Attribute:''' Willpower

'''Casting Spells:''' Madness and Wyld Sorcery are the best of friends, and many of the most powerful sorcerers are quite insane. Lunomancy allows them to tap this affinity, and inflict it on others.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Lunomancy can see the touch of madness on others, and can identify individual lunacies. However, a Lunomancer can never see his own madness.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can subtly enhance or suppress existing madnesses, for example making a slightly perfectionist individual into an obsessive compulsive. Temporary “madnesses” such as fear, anger and lust can also be enhanced or suppressed. 

'''Master:''' A Master can inflict madness on those who are entirely sane, and though these psychoses rarely last more than a day the sensation of having once been mad will be carried by the victim always. 

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage’s madnesses last far longer, often for a full month or more. They are also far more extreme, and the Archmage can craft neuroses and madnesses not normally part of the human condition.

===FORTUNOMANCY===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Wyld Sorcery

'''Prime Attribute:''' Manipulation

'''Casting Spells:''' Many people, including some Fortunomancers, believe that Fortunomancy does not truly exist but is rather the product psychology and self-fulfilling prophecy. Certainly a fortunomancer needs to convince those around him that his curses and blessings work, and certainly their magic are always explicable through coincidence. Even if he is alone, a Fortunomancer needs to convince himself, clutching lucky charms or asking his dead granddad to guide his hand, for example.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Fortunomancy can tell if someone or something is lucky or unlucky. He can read the fortunes of himself and others (often coming up with cryptic and multi-applicable advice) and can sense Fortunomancy at work.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can influence luck in the smallest of ways, enough to give an edge where chance is the main determinant of success. For example, in a game of dice the Adept could win two times out of three. 

'''Master:''' A Master can seem to run into impressive good luck frequently (for example, finding a dropped pouch of gold coins in the gutter). However they have a hard time creating the same coincidence twice (such as predicting a card draw twice in a row), as if fortune is trying to convince them that life really is random. He can also inflict bad luck on others by cursing and hexing them.

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage seems to be unbelievably lucky at times. He has the same tricks as a Master, but his coincidences are bigger (stumbling across an abandoned crown, or surviving dragonsbreath because of a handy nearby pool of water).

===ENTROPIA===

'''Spellcasting Skill:''' Wyld Sorcery

'''Prime Attribute:''' Strength

'''Casting Spells:''' The Entropic Sorcerer sees the ties of structure and stasis that run through things as glistening spiderwebs, and then grabs at these invisible threads to pull the structure tumbling apart. As these threads are thickest near the target objects, an Entropist needs to be near to his target to affect it.

'''Initiate:''' An Initiate of Entropia can see how decayed or stable things are, and sense how prone they are to collapse.

'''Adept:''' An Adept can speed the decay of something which is already falling apart. A sword that is slightly rusty can be made to crumble into red dust in seconds, and a crack of rot running through a solid wooden door is enough to cause the door to crack and splinter.

'''Master:''' A Master can inflict entropy where there is none, for example causing a newly forged suit of armour to fall apart clanking onto the ground. He can also tug at the threads which hold living things together, causing organs to fail and flesh to tear open. 

'''Archmage:''' An Archmage can send out invisible tendrils of his own, stretching out as far as he can see, and entangle the silver threads of structure from a distance. He can also create entropic infections which are not limited to a single place, but instead act as epicentres of decay and decrepitude, affecting all around them for miles around. An entire forest could be made to wither and die over a course of months, or a stone castle could be made to fall into ruin. Such large workings are strenuous, however, and contact with Entropy often causes the Archmage to age prematurely. 

==Magic Clarifications==

These were added to the main rules when we ran into discrepancies in playtesting, or points that needed clarification. These are optional interpretations, and how magic works exactly is up to the GM.

===RULES PRECEDENCE===
Note that sometimes the rules listed under the Spheres contradict those listed below. In this case, the Sphere's description takes precedence.

===Direct Damage===
Direct damage spells combine roll to hit with damage rolls. Targets defend using Agility and a dodging skill (e.g. Acrobatics or Athletics). Typically parrying skills cannot be used (e.g. Sword-fighting).

An Adept mage deals 1 wound damage maximum with a successful spell.

A Master mage deals 1 wound damage for each success in excess of defence.

An Archmage deals 2 wounds damage for each success in excess of defence.

Additionally certain magics may also tag on certain additional effects. For example a pyromancy attack may set someone ablaze, so that they suffer 1 additional wound each turn till the fire is put out.

If a magic is described as being able to create explosions, then the mage can target attacks against whole groups of enemies at once. An enemy is considered grouped if within melee striking range of a single opponent, or if ranked up. If a magic is described as being able to damage many enemies at once, or “all enemies in the area” – e.g. an Archmage of Storm or Pyromancy, then one group is targeted per success.

Direct damage spells can be multi-cast, like a ranged multiple attack, adding +2 to the TN for each extra target or group of targets.

===Transformations===

An Archmage of some spheres can transform into a buffed form, with a +X bonus to spread amongst attributes as he chooses (and as is appropriate to the description). Note that this is +X dice, not +X trait levels. For example a +1 bonus to an Elite (+3) attribute would put the attribute at +4, not +5.

Also, he may gain a special benefit dependent on the magic – for example, Pyromancers in the form of living-flame may be immune to non-magical damage, and will set fire to whatever they touch. The GM can veto certain transformations and buffs as outside of the sphere’s aegis. For example, transforming into Ghostform cannot make you tougher or stronger.

This form can be held for as long as the mage likes, though sleep or unconsciousness end the effect.

''Druids of the Claw'' do not use these rules, and instead use the rules described under the sphere description. Also they can sleep in their transformed state.

===Influence Effects===

Effects that mentally or emotionally influence enemies are competed by the target, most commonly with the Willpower attribute trait giving a bonus. The target will normally be looking for a 6+, though certain skills (Meditation, Soldiery) might be used at GM’s discretion. 

To use the effect fully the mage must score at least as many successes in excess of the target equal to the target’s Circle of Mastery. Scoring less successes in excess than Circle of Mastery means there is an effect but it is much diminished.

Note that you can also use non-magical skills to create Influence effects using the above rules (e.g. Intimidation to frighten someone) but that the effects will be less marked and are more likely to be strongly modified by situation – for example, trying to rout enemies with intimidation is only really possible once you have proved your combat superiority.

===Summoning Effects===

Summoned allies are '''1st Circle''' for '''Master-level magi''', and '''2nd Circle for Archmage-level magi'''. Special qualities and powers must be bought out of the trait allocation for the ally. 

A character can summon any number of magical allies, but can only control a number equal to his Circle of mastery. Any summoned allies in excess of this will act according to their underlying nature – for example, fire elementals will attack anyone in sight and seek to burn everything.

'''Sarcomancy''' is a specific exception to this, as the natural behaviour of mindless undead is to obey their masters and to continue their appointed tasks. However a sarcomancer can still only direct (i.e. change the standing orders) of a number of undead each round equal to his Circle.

Controlling magical allies does not take an action.

Players can design their summoned allies, subject to GM approval. 

===Buffs and debuffs===

Buffing and debuffing is limited to master level mages or higher.

Buffs and debuffs automatically hit. They give special qualities to allies, or modify one of the following: Defence dice pool, Attack dice pool, Damage dice pool, Armour. At the GMs discretion certain effects might effect attributes instead.

Master-level buffs and debuffs can add or deduct 1 point at most, and last X rounds, where X is successes.

Archmage-level buffs and debuffs add or deduct X points, and last X hours.

A character can only benefit from one buff at any one time. If he receives a new buff, then he can choose which to keep. A transformation counts as a buff for this purpose.

A character can suffer from multiple debuffs, all of which stack. 

A legendary character can spend an action to “shake off” debuffs. Roll Circle of Mastery at TN 6, reducing a debuff by 1 point per success rolled.

===Slow Casting===

A spellcaster can choose to cast a spell over ten combat rounds. If he does so, his Spellcasting skill is upgraded to a 1+ skill for that casting only. 
This is most often used to maximise buffs and transformations, without going through the hassle of recasting the same spell over and over again.

===Countering Magic===

Magic is most directly countered through the Sphere ''Words of Ending'', though creative players may find other ways to counter magic (for example using pyromancy to melt away ice armour) at the GM’s discretion.

When countering magics of lesser magi (for example an Adept of Ending countering an Initiate of Pyromancy) only one success is needed to completely counter the effect.

Against equal magi, countering uses the rules below.

Against more powerful magi (for example, a Master of Ending countering an Archmage of Sarcomancy), countering automatically fails.

Countering magic comes in different forms:

'''Unweaving''' is undoing the persistent magics of others – for example, buffs and debuffs. Against equal power magi, each success counteracts one success of the spellcaster’s effect. 

This could have partial results – for example, if an Arch-Druid of the Wild has transformed himself with 5 successes, he would have a buff of +5 to 5 attributes. If an Archmage of Ending then attempts an unweaving and scores 3 successes, the buff would be reduced to +2 to 2 attributes, with the GM likely describing the druid half-transformed back into human form, but still with some features of his transformed state. Unweaving is applied cumulatively.

'''Interrupting''' is negating magic as it is cast. Interrupting can only be done in the time space between the target spell’s preparation and casting, so is normally performed as a quick-cast. Also, because of this, quick-cast spells themselves cannot be countered. Interrupting a mage of equal power deducts 1 success from the subsequent casting per success that the counterspell gets. Against slow-casting, a mage can interrupt many times cumulatively.
Normally interruption will not be enough to stop a spell triggering, though it can certainly take the edge off it.

'''Unbinding''' and '''Banishing''' are depriving another mage of his magical allies. Allies which are summoned into existence can be banished, whereas allies which have been magically befriended or dominated can be unbound. Against a mage of equal power banishing/unbinding removes one ally per success. Against lesser magi, banishing/unbinding removes all the magical allies of one target mage.

'''Disenchanting''' is carried out against magical items. The level of the wondrous artifact is used as an equivalent sphere level in this circumstance (e.g. Minor = Initiate, Moderate = Adept, etc.). Against weaker artefacts (e.g. Adept versus Minor) remove all magical qualities from the item for a full hour per success. Against equal artefacts (e.g. Master versus Major) remove all magical qualities from the item for a round per success. Greater artifacts (e.g. Initiate versus Major) cannot be disenchanted by the spellcaster.

[[Category:Legends]]

==Credits==

This page by [[User:Asklepios|Asklepios]]