Fortune and Power

In order to use sorcery against a person or object, the user must be able to sense the subject in some way. This usually means being able to see or touch the target; however, a sorcerer can affect anyone who is currently using sorcery on him even if he has no way to sense his attacker.

Casting a spell takes at least a full round. The sorcerer must stand relatively still (moving no more than 1 free space) and concentrate. This does not affect his Defense.

Skill at sorcery is based on Intuition. The character rolls this trait to determine if a spell succeeds.

Sorcery cast at an unwilling target may be resisted. Defiance is used to evade sorcery in the same way Defense is used to evade physical attacks. The target must be aware of the attack in order to defy it. If Perception fails to warn the target, The Adversary should allow an Intuition roll as well.

To make an offensive spell work, the sorcerer must make a trait check: his Intuition versus the Defiance of the target(s). If successful, the dox of this roll is added to the intensity of the spell. The caster makes only one roll, even if there are multiple targets. Subjects are affected based on the dox of the initial roll once per round for the duration of the spell. The dox may differ between targets.

Every sorcerer has a power level that represents the base amount of supernatural energy he can channel in a single round. This is based on his Command trait.

Every spell has an energy level. To cast a spell, the sorcerer must channel that amount of energy and make an Intuition roll vs a challenge level based on the range. If a spell is resisted by Defiance, the sorcery check is made against that trait plus the range modifier.

Sorcerers can cast spells of energy greater than their power level by taking extra time, having followers, or sacrificing their health and sanity.

The damage from a blast is based on the intensity of the spell. Add the dox of the attack roll to this to get the damage.

If the blast is impact, subtract the victim's Protection from the damage. The result is the number of wounds inflicted.

If the blast is indirect, subtract the victim's Constitution from the damage. The result is the number of wounds inflicted.

If the blast is mental, subtract the victim's Willpower from the damage. The result is the number of shocks inflicted.

The Strength of a hold spell is based on the intensity plus the dox. If the trait check is successful, the victim immediately gets a chance to break free. For physical holds, the subject rolls his Strength vs 7 + the Strength of the spell. For mental holds, the subject rolls Command.

If the victim fails to break free, he is paralyzed. The attacking sorcerer may move the subject up to 3 spaces per round, in any direction. The held subject gets another chance to break free every round until the duration expires.

Sorcerers may attempt to halt hostile sorcery with their own. The sorcerer must concentrate for a full round and make an Intuition check versus the Defiance of the caster. If successful, the spell is nullified. This can be used in response to instantaneous spells if the dispeller has not used up his actions for the round.

A daring sorcerer can cast spells beyond his power level by taking extra time. Each +3 energy beyond his power level requires a doubling of the time required to cast the spell. A concentrating sorcerer may do nothing else except move 1 space.

More than 8 hours of concentration may drive the sorcerer insane. The Adversary should be creative.

The defense against direct supernatural attacks is always mental, but such attacks may have physical side effects that require physical defenses. A ball of flame created by a blast spell could be evaded by the Defiance of a character, yet turn the forest around that character into a very physical inferno. A telekinetic attack can be evaded by Defiance - but if the attack were made against a nearby boulder instead, the target would have to use Athlete.

Supernatural forces do not allow for fine control, however. A physical phenomenon created as the result of a magical force cannot be aimed at a character with any sort of precision. Most should be easier to avoid than a direct assault, having a challenge level of 9 or less except in unfortunate circumstances (such as the caster using a hold spell to drop a big rock down a well where a character is hiding).

Burning a Fortune point adds +1 to the sorcerer's power for one spell. The sorcerer may use as many as he likes. The Adversary may set an upper limit based on the power level of the game.

If the sorcerer is unable or unwilling to use Fortune, he may gain power from his own body and mind. One point of extra power inflicts one wound or shock, player's choice. Health (wounds) and sanity (shocks) may be sacrificed at the same time.

It is possible for multiple sorcerers to cooperate in the casting of a single spell. This is uncommon, as it requires all of the spellcasters to voluntarily subordinate their will to that of the leader. This causes the subordinates to be entranced and helpless until the leader relinquishes command or has his concentration broken. To engage in a group ritual is an act of faith and trust.

Needless to say, this activity is more common among hierarchical religious orders or restless cults than among individualist scholars or adventurers.

When conducting a group ritual, the leader will receive a +3 to his power level for each doubling in the number of followers - one follower gives +3, two followers gives +6, four followers gives +9, etc. He may also inflict shocks on his followers for extra energy, +1 energy for every shock inflicted. Followers all take equal amounts - ie, a sorcerer who wishes +6 energy must inflict 6 shocks on each of his followers. Followers whose shocks reach 10 go mad, making them useless for the remainder of the ritual.

There may be objects or locations that give sorcerers a bonus to their power level. The Adversary should be creative.

Nik the wise has a Command of 6. He can cast a spell of energy 6 in one round. If he wants to cast a spell of energy 9, he has options: he can burn 3 points of Fortune, inflict 3 wounds or shocks upon himself, make his apprentice join him in a group ritual, or take an extra round to cast the spell. An energy 12 spell would require 6 Fortune, wounds, or shocks, two apprentices, or four rounds.

Rounds	+Power
1	0
2	3
4	6
8	9
16	12
32	15
64	18
128	21
256	24
1 hour	27
2 hours	30
4 hours	33
8 hours	36
etc...

Vunata, a Kephite priest, has the initiative and wishes to make Juk and Tam suffer. He has a Command of 9. He attacks with a fiery blast: intensity 6, area 2 (to hit both enemies), and duration 2 (he wants them to suffer longer). This spell requires 12 energy, so Vunata burns 3 Fortune to cast it.

Vunata rolls a 9 and adds this to his Intuition (5) for a total of 14. Juk has an Intuition of 2, giving him a Defiance of 9 - the dox is 5, so the spell affects him with an intensity of 11. Tam has an Intuition of 8, giving her a Defiance of 15 - she is unaffected.

Juk subtracts his Constitution (8) from the intensity of the spell (11) to get 3. This would cause 3 wounds, but Juk burns his last 3 points of Fortune to escape them. The spell has a duration of 2, however, so Juk is affected again on the next round. He takes 3 wounds.

Alzheimer the Sane wants to open a gigantic portal to the plane of Uggae to bring horrors into the world. The portal he has in mind will have 1000 spaces in area (horrors are big) and last for over a day (horrors are slow). Adding the energy needed for a 1000 area portal (40) to that needed for a duration of 1 day (42) gives an energy of 82.

Alzheimer's Command is 6. His base power level is not high enough to open this portal. At all. To achieve his ridiculous dream, he recruits 4 sorcerous apprentices to act as acolytes for his death cult. This gives him +9 power during rituals. He spends 8 hours in a group ritual to open the portal, giving him +36 energy. He burns his 20 Fortune for 20 more energy. Last but not least, he inflicts 4 wounds and 7 shocks on himself for +11. His energy level is now 82, enough to cast the spell.