Artes & Sorcery
Artes are unique abilities in which characters can perform during battle. They are created by the player for their character and can encompass a variety of effects (known as perks) which are derived from different sources, such as their Life Paths and even race variations. Artes as a term encompasses abilities that can manifest in many different forms; however, depending on how the form is manifested, will determine if it is one of two different types of Artes: Battle -or- Magic Artes.
Battle Artes
Battle Artes are abilities that take the form of various combat maneuvers and techniques that can be performed by your character. The effectiveness of your Battle Artes are dictated by combat talents (such as Brawling, Marksmanship, Warfare, etc) as well as Life Paths that favor martial combat.
Magic Artes
Magic Artes are abilities that employ the use of magic in the shape of charms and minor spells, each falling under one of the eight types of magic. Magic Artes benefit from the Arcana talent and are favored by Life Paths that are proficient in casting, but can also be used by those that are not vested spellcasters.
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Sorcery is the means by which characters access the Arcanum of Magic. Unlike Magic Artes, sorcery is usable by anyone who has studied the eight types of magic. Compared to Artes, sorcery is far slower, but allows its practitioners unparalleled versatility. Sorcery is expressed through greater spells known as incantations; which, unlike Magic Artes, can encompass more than one type of magic.
To create a spell, one must first determine which type(s) it is under, dictating the effects available to the spell (i.e. an Alteration spell could cause a character to manifest bestial claws, but not conjure a fireball) Once the type is decided, the spell must also be assigned a Circle; or, tiers of power that spells are divided into, with the higher Circles being more powerful and more difficult to learn.
To create a spell, one must first determine which type(s) it is under, dictating the effects available to the spell (i.e. an Alteration spell could cause a character to manifest bestial claws, but not conjure a fireball) Once the type is decided, the spell must also be assigned a Circle; or, tiers of power that spells are divided into, with the higher Circles being more powerful and more difficult to learn.
Once the type and Circle are decided, the spell has a number of points to distribute among its effects, determined by its Circle as follows:
- First Circle: Up to 5
- Second Circle: Up to 10
- Third Circle: Up to 20
These points can be spent on universal perks, similar to Artes, though (X) is determined purely by how many points are distributed rather than a character’s skills. Spells receive the Mystical (1) perk for free to represent their inherently magical effects. The points can also be spent on Potency, which determines the overall power of the spell. For example, an offensive spell with Potency (3) rolls 3 dice for its attack. The ranks of the drangue, favoured by Ea, add their level to either one of the spell’s perks or its Potency.
To cast a spell, the character must gather mana equal to its base points (before level is added). To begin, the character spends Prana equal to the spell’s Circle to activate it and then rolls CLR as an extended action, with each success accumulating one point of mana. If enough mana is gathered, the spell is cast; if the character does not gather enough mana in a single turn, they continue rolling on subsequent turns until the spell is cast. While channeling a spell the character must focus solely on it and as such is unable to effectively defend themselves (Evasion = 0). If the character chooses to divert their attention or is somehow prevented from concentrating on the spell, they lose two points of mana from the spell per turn. A character that possesses Prana is able to spend it on the casting of a spell, converting 2 points of Prana per point of mana.