[Mage: The Awakening v1.9] Yantras & Thaumaturgy Part 3/5

 ((Out of Character (OOC):

Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Mage: The Awakening
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler))

-          Scribing Runes (+2) (High Speech Sigils & Atlantean Glyphs) - An intersection between incanting in High Speech and concentrating on an imago, some mages use runic High Speech to enhance the power of a spell. Most use the boost from a runic Yantra to boost a spell’s duration; the need to scribe the runes on to the spell’s subject makes them less useful for most other castings. Anything that disrupts the careful shape and arrangement of the runes makes them an imperfect description of the spell’s imago, ending the effect. The runes themselves are a written form of High Speech quite apart from the fortune-telling iconography of Sleeper occultists. They most often speak to effects of permanence and durability. Some inscribe the runes of a healing spell onto their cabalmates in the form of mystic tattoos that heal injuries, while others paint or carve them into solid objects to make them harder than diamond. When using runes on a person, a mage may paint her subject, scribe the runes with a tattooing gun, or brand them right into the subject’s flesh.

1.        Using runes on an item or the subject of the spell adds +1 spell factor of Duration on whatever Duration Table it uses.

2.        Adds +2 to the spellcasting pool

3.        Drawback: If the Runes are disrupted the spell dissipates, like if a tattoo gets slashed.

4.        Can be used on items or as tattoos or Henna

5.        Recognizing Runes takes an Intelligence + Occult roll with a -1 if it involves an Arcana the mage does not know, -1 if it is not part of a Rote that he knows, -1 if it involves non-magical concepts.

6.        Glyph Lore (Supernatural Merit: • to ••••) – Requires High Speech, Intelligence 3, Occult 3.  Each dot allows the mage to know and translate one of the Glyph forms below automatically.  They can also reproduce these glyphs for purposes of reverse-engineering Rotes and converting them to use a different style.

7.        There are Four types of traditional Glyph writing:

a.        Traditional Atlantean -  To the Diamond orders, this represents Pure written Atlantean (what is left of it).  The runes look strangely similar to many languages and mystical symbols, but do not match any of them precisely. Some rare runes have an appearance so alien that human eyes have difficulty fully perceiving them (maybe one is written in 4 dimensions), but mages sometimes distrust such examples for fear that they are designs born of the Abyss.

b.        Illuminated -  The Illuminated category includes pictograms and even actual illustrations whose lines draw the eye to follow them to their hidden meaning. Classical runes often have pictographic elements; the sign of the Death Arcanum resembles a skull, for example. Beyond Classical variations are pictograms that, to Sleepers, look nothing like their Classical counterparts. Mages see the hidden meaning instantly in the pictogram’s curves, shading and negative space. Obscure Mayan codices sometimes display examples of the form. So do Renaissance paintings that (thanks to the influence of Seers of the Throne and Guardians of the Veil) usually hang in private collections or behind vault doors. These pictures reveal the runes’ meanings using the geometry of their composition and their symbolism. The Illuminated form is commonly used by mages from non-literate cultures and thus is held in low esteem by mages who believe the Awakened Nation possessed a truly literate society.

c.        Palimpsest - The Palimpsest form takes its name from an ancient practice in which used papyri are scraped enough to allow scribes to use the pages again. While this recycling is supposed to leave “blank” space for the new writer, the original characters can often be recovered. The Palimpsest style refers to a style of writing in which runes are inscribed in an overlapping pattern. Scribes take stylistic liberties with the supposed Pure form of the runs to create complex occult sigils, geometric patterns and even illustrations. Some of these have been compared to the geometric artwork found in the Islamic world. There is some overlap among the Palimpsest style and others. Palimpsests are commonly used to strengthen conjunctional spells, but some mages simply prefer the style, and others hold that it is the “true” way to write the Atlantean language. There is enough stylistic variation to make it unlikely that Sleepers would recognize the relationship between Palimpsest and Classical forms, but an Awakened eye spots the runes in either case. Palimpsests are difficult for neophytes to decode; apply an additional –1 penalty to Intelligence + Occult rolls.  Also grants an additional +1 to Combined, Conjunctive, or other metapractices which combine two effects.  This cannot be done in combat.

d.        Vulgar  - Vulgar: What constitutes Vulgar High Speech runes is largely a matter of taste, with the Diamond holding that their script is pure and other forms are ignorant variations. But the fact of the matter is that there are several ways to write the runes for magical purposes. Many of these alternate forms are actually integrated into other written languages, such as Classical Chinese, Aramaic or Sanskrit. While the alternate forms always differ from the standard versions of each language, the shape of the lines and subtle variations on key characters carry the power and messages of the runes.  Some mages call this these types Vulgar script because it utilizes languages developed in the Fallen World, but some adherents reply that the so-called Classical form is a recent invention designed to create a “pure” Atlantean that never really existed, distilled down from the sacred marks of many examples. A few bold mages hold that their particular version is the primordial tongue — not the Classical runes. They have the advantage of observation, since Atlantean glyphs replicate the patterns mages observe when using various forms of Mage Sight. On the other hand, Vulgar forms display the same patterns, though writers sometimes use unusual variations. For example, a calligrapher might rotate the “perspective” of a glyph a few degrees to alter the curve of a stroke. Nevertheless, the core pattern remains constant.

•              Tool Yantras - Each mage maintains at least a handful of magical tools, mundane items that have a symbolic link to specific kinds of magic. Almost no mages rely on just a single tool. Even if she only uses magic appropriate to its symbol, it’s too easy to take the tool away from her.  Each item used as a Yantra adds +1 to the spellcasting pool.

-          Dedicated Tools (Special) - Each mage has a dedicated magical tool — an item that synchronizes with her Nimbus and that feeds in to her understanding of magic.

1.       A mage has one magically dedicated tool at any given time.  It is usually a personal item or something associated with his Awakening.  If the item is lost, a new tool can be Dedicated with a significant amount of time, meditation and spellcasting.

2.       Each Soulstone a mage creates counts as an additional Dedicated tool.

3.       If the spell being cast is aligned with the Dedicated tool, it may confer the +1 to the spellcasting pool just as any tool.

4.       These dedicated tools can be of benefit even when the tool has no semiotic link with the mage’s desires, limiting the risk of paradox when casting Vulgar magic. Each Dedicated Tool worked into a spell as a Yantra cancels out the highest Paradox dice trick in play working backwards from severity (Rote, 8s again, 9s again, 10s again, 1s cancel successes) and reduces the paradox pool by -2.

5.       To make additional Dedicated Tools the mage must expend a Willpower Dot to make an additional one.  They fdo not need to expend this for Soul Stones or for their one Dedicated Tool.

6.       When a mage uses one of their Praxis Spells all Tool Yantras worked into the spell count as Dedicated Tools and dramatically reduce the chance of Paradox.

7.       Platonic Exemplars and Artifacts used as Dedicated Tools reduce Paradox by -2 when they are used as Yantras for Vulgar spells.

8.       Attuned Weapon (Supernatural Merit: • to •••••)  - An Attuned Weapon is a special kind of Dedicated Tool that acts as an very special Arcana Tool and Path Tool as well.

a.       Requirements: The weapon must also be attuned to a specific Arcanum which is one of the Mage’s Ruling Arcana.  Attuned weapons must be archaic Melee Weapons that the ancient Wizards use, knives, blades, swords, staff, wand, daggers, etc.  The rationale is that these are the weapons that a true Mage uses.  You can only ever own one Attuned Weapon and they take a long time to make but are covered by the sanctity of merits. Simple and archaic ranged weapons like bow and arrows, slings and the like also work with this merit.  Maybe someday they can be turned to simple guns as revolvers or blunderbuses, but the secrets have not been found to make the right rituals to create ranged extensions of the mystical energies. The truth that supports Attuned Weapons would need to change over time.

 

b.       Attuned Weapons add their Merit Dots to the base damage of the weapon.  These do stack with the mundane equipment mods but not with finishing spells.  Whether true or not, mages are considered to be mannered and elegant—champions of old ways and ancient methods. (The Free Council balk at this suggestion, but it doesn’t make it any less assumed.) As such, many mages build their own Attuned Weapons: melee-style hand-held weapons that reflect their magic and speak to a time before.

                                                                                                                                       i.      Choose a melee weapon that best suits the character’s person’s persona.  The character must have built this weapon herself The weapon must be attuned to one of the mage’s Ruling Arcana.

                                                                                                                                      ii.      Dots in the Merit translate into an accuracy bonus not weapon damage, the damage done is always lethal.

c.        Attunement Effects: (nWod Mirrors: Infinite Macabre p18)

                                                                                                                                       i.      Forces – The mage can, once per scene, turn the weapon into the embodiment of a particular “force” (fire, lightning, light, etc.)—this lasts for a number of turns equal to the character’s Gnosis score, and each turn it does one bashing damage to the character while it remains in her grip (this cannot be prevented with protective gloves or other gear). However, during this time the weapon does aggravated damage to targets. +1 against mummies.

                                                                                                                                      ii.      Prime – If the weapon makes a successful attack on a creature possessing Essence or Mana and does damage exceeding the target’s Stamina, then the weapon also robs the victim of one Essence or Mana point and the point is transferred to the mage (Essence is transferred as Mana). In addition, it gains +1 dice against Awakened targets and Supernal beings.

                                                                                                                                    iii.      Mind – If the weapon makes a successful attack on a sentient creature (self-aware) and does damage exceeding the target’s Resolve score then the weapon also robs the victim of one Willpower point and the point is transferred to the mage. +1 against Astral entities.

                                                                                                                                    iv.      Space – If the mage makes a successful attack on the target and draws blood, the mage may scry into the weapon at any point over the subsequent 24 hour period and see the victim and her location (though the only sense experienced is sight).  This effect is detectable as any scrying spell is.  Gains +1 against Demons (Fallen Angels).

                                                                                                                                     v.      Matter – The weapon ignores Durability as a factor when making attacks on any material and inorganic object. In addition, it gains +1 dice against Promethean targets.  It also has Armor Piercing +1.

                                                                                                                                    vi.      Death – The weapon can attack Ghosts and gains +1 against Vampires and similar undead creatures.

                                                                                                                                  vii.      Life – Once per game session, the mage can use this weapon in a way opposite of its intent: to heal instead of damage. Make an attack as normal, and successes gained instead heal that number of points of lethal (or bashing) damage. The weapon does not heal aggravated damage. +1 against Primordials.

                                                                                                                                 viii.      Spirit – The weapon can hit spirits (manifest or note) and gains +1 against Spirits and Werewolves.

                                                                                                                                    ix.      Fate – On a successful attack, roll a single die. If that die comes up a 10, then double the damage done. If that die comes up a 1, then the attack was successful, but only does bashing damage. If it comes up 2-9, no effect takes place beyond normal attack and damage resolution.  +1 against the Hedge Beings.

                                                                                                                                     x.      Time - The mage always goes first in Initiative. In addition, it gains +1 dice against changeling targets.