[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part VIII: Awakened Spirits

((Out of Character (OOC) Document))
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Cannibalized from the Lore of the Forsaken sourcebook for Werewolf: The Forsaken))

Fetishes In-Depth

A Pentacle Academy lecture series by Daduchos Gabrielle and Thunderbolt Guardian Anton (MD), Dean of the Adamant College.

Part Eight: Awakened Spirits

AWAKENED SPIRITS

There’s a stark difference between the Shadow reflection of an object and the awakened spirit of an object. Most objects in the spirit world are the former — the reflections of objects or structures that are significant enough to cast an echo across the Gauntlet but are not associated with a particular spirit.

Most objects in the physical world don’t even have that much — the average car has no Shadow reflection, nor does the average personal computer, lawn chair or fast food wrapper.

However, the spirit of an object or animal can be awakened — sometimes, even that of a place. When this occurs, one of two things can happen. In the case of an animal, and often in the case of an object, the spirit goes “stray”; it is awake, and takes its initial form from the thing that birthed it, but it is not bound to its original physical reflection. However, the spirit may elect to fetter itself to its physical “body,” for familiarity if nothing else, at least at first.

The awakened spirits of animals are no different from any other animal spirits roaming the Shadow. But an awakened spirit of an object may remain bound to its material analog, its mooring. And it is in this fashion that awakened objects become useful to a mage — or dangerous. The spirit of a beaten-down pickup truck may assist a werewolf who’s trying to restore the old vehicle (werewolves don’t always have the credit necessary to buy new cars), but the spirit of a bone saw used in a series of grisly murders is very unlikely to be helpful. That is unless approached by someone hoping to use it for the tasks to which it has grown accustomed….

AWAKENING ARTIFICIAL SPIRITS

Artificial objects with awakened spirits are not fetishes, although they are often confused with them.

Neither are awakened weapons klaives. Powerful artificial spirits can do some fetish-like feats, but they are limited by their Gifts and their Influence to a particular scope of power. Generally speaking, their will is their own, which can make them far more flexible, but also contentious to deal with — like any other living thing. Artificial spirits, awakened or not, have several characteristics that set them apart from other spirit types.

THE MOORING

A mooring is the actual man-made object that births an artificial spirit. Artificial spirits have a much stronger link than natural spirits for their material reflections. Real foxes aren’t attached to fox-spirits — there are foxes and fox-spirits that, while related, are not dependent on one another on an individual basis. A rabbit may have an awakened spirit, but that spirit has taken on a life of its own. On the other hand, many artificial spirits are content to remain attached to the material forms that gave them birth, their moorings. This bond is so strong that the destruction of an artificial spirit’s mooring normally causes the spirit’s death.

Those that survive are scarred by the incident, unable or unwilling to recover, becoming increasingly aggressive and obsessed with the events of their “death.”

The Natural and Elemental Courts often see artificial spirits tied to their moorings as a sign of the Artificial

Court’s youth and rudimentary nature. Their relationship to their material forms has several benefits — they can fetter themselves to a mooring with very little effort. This tie has one major benefit. A hare-spirit’s life is normally as fleeting as its material counterpart. This similarity extends to artificial spirits — giving the least.  Artificial Gaffling a much longer life than other types of spirits.

THE MAN-MADE AND THE SPIRIT

To summarize the relationship between a made thing and the Shadow, briefly:

• Artificial objects may or may not have spiritual reflections in the Shadow, and most don’t. The ones without a spiritual presence simply do not appear on the other side of the Gauntlet. These objects have no discernable spiritual constituent, though there is the potential to gain such over time if conditions are right.

• Man-made objects may or may not have spirits. These includes objects with a spiritual presence. So, artificial objects with a spiritual reflection may have slumbering spirits, awakened spirits or no spirits associated with them at all. A mere reflection in the Shadow does not necessarily correspond to a slumbering spirit.

• Awakened spirits of man-made objects and places may have a special bond with the physical form that gave them birth, called their mooring. The Fetter Numen is nearly universal for artificial spirits, and it does not cost them Essence to link to a mooring. On the other hand, spirits with this bond are bound to their mooring more tightly than other spirits are bound to their fetters, rarely willing or even able to travel far from them.

• Conversely, some artificial spirits may have been awakened from a physical counterpart, but are no more attached to that analog than an animal-spirit is attached to a given animal. They may have been freed by the destruction of a mooring and somehow escaped great trauma, or they simply may never have manifested such a potent bond in the first place. There seems to be no clear rule determining which spirits are moored and which aren’t — such is the fickle nature of Shadow.

A VIEW FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD

A car, a town, a road, a pocketknife or coffee cup normally gains a spiritual aspect only due to the emotional or spiritual significance placed upon it. More specifically, the actions and emotions of humans create Essence and spiritual motes that infuse these material objects with a spiritual reality, if you will.

There are no hard and fast rules for measuring the significance of an object, just as there is no systematic approach to measuring pain, love or hate in the World of Darkness. Such judgments are subjective and should be biased towards the mores of player characters, Storyteller characters and themes of the chronicle.

The best way to judge the likelihood of an object or place having a spiritual presence is to consider three factors. First, mull over the emotions associated with an object or place. Then, think about the magnitude of the emotional outpourings associated with it and, finally, the frequency of that emotional imbuing over time. Hospitals are fountains of emotion of all sorts and, therefore, always have some presence in the Shadow. Over time, even many of the objects in the hospital grow to have strong manifestations in the spirit world (some long after the hospital itself disappears). Now consider the difference between a small town’s infirmary and the mammoth spiritual presence of a huge, old hospital like Cedars-Sinai, Walter

Reed or St. Bartholomew’s in London. To use the same method on a more intimate level, consider the contents of your nightstand. Pens, magazines and lamps are all but guaranteed have no counterpart in the spirit wilds, but a well-used diary will frequently cast a spiritual shadow, however faint.

Sometimes objects or places with emotional significance may have a reflection in the spirit wilds without truly developing spirits of their own. For example, the reflection of the gun that shot Martin Luther King, Jr, might have a devoted following of grief-spirits, without being a spirit itself.

Even if an object or a place has a spirit, it is most likely asleep. It can be seen in the spirit world as a translucent, often stylized shadow of its material form. The spirit is always tethered to its physical form; if the material form is moved from place to place, the spirit analogue will either slowly move after it or fade from sight only to reappear once the object has rested for a time in one place.

MOORED SPIRITS

An awakened artificial spirit bound to a mooring has more of a sense of individuality than most spirits of its Rank, but is also much more limited. Without the Unfetter Numen, it cannot stray more than five feet from the location of its mooring, even while in Shadow.

Most moored spirits possess the Fetter and Materialize Numina. They have a natural affinity with Fetter, and it never costs them Essence to use this Numen to inhabit (haunt?) their material reflections, although they are still bound by the other restrictions of the power.

Moored spirits can use the Fetter gift to inhabit nearby objects, but should those objects move out of the range of their true material forms, the link is lost and the spirit is forced either back into its natural body or into the Shadow — at the spirit’s option.

For example, the awakened spirit of a battered van uses Fetter on a motorcycle next to its mooring in a crowded parking lot. But were the Harley to move away from the van, the Numen’s effects would be cancelled, and the spirit harmlessly, but forcefully, ejected into either the Shadow or the physical form of the van. It would not cost any Essence for the spirit to use Fetter again to re-attach itself to its mooring.

If discorporated, moored spirits re-forms in the spirit world within five feet of their material forms following the normal rules for spirits. If their physical forms are destroyed, moored spirits automatically discorporate. Some may survive and become unattached spirits, while others are undone by the experience. The spirit must succeed at a Resilience test or be destroyed along with its mooring.

NUM INA

Here is a list of new Numina that pertain especially to moored spirits, although some may be used by other spirits as well.

• Spiritual Vision: This Gift allows a spirit in the physical world, whether fettered or in Twilight, to peer into the spirit world for a short period of time. Roll the Spirit’s Power + Finesse. The number of successes indicates the number of minutes the spirit can activate this ability. This Numen is particular to spirits that have spent a great deal of time in the physical world.

• Unfetter: This Gift allows a moored spirit to unbind itself from its physical counterpart for a time. Spend a point of Essence and roll the spirit’s Finesse. The number of successes is the number of hours the spirit may stray from its mooring. If the spirit is not within its normal range of the mooring after that time, it discorporates.

ART IFICIAL SPIRIT INFLUENCES

What follows are some extrapolations of Influence for Artificial spirits. The Storyteller must define the spirit’s sphere of influence. Generally speaking, a lesser Gaffling may only affect its Anchor. Greater Gafflings can influence any object within its descant; a greater Gaffling house-spirit might be able to affect itself or other houses. At higher levels of power, the spirit can affect others within its choir or even type. Remember, some spirits have more than one descant, or have more esoteric choirs than the ones listed in Werewolf: The Forsaken. Use your imagination.

Strengthen (•): The spirit can enhance its sphere of influence.

• The artificial spirit can make an object more robust (gaining an extra point of Structure per level of the spirit).

• Improve the item’s quality (+1 to die pool per level of the spirit, not to exceed +5 dice from an item’s quality).            This only affects die pools influenced by using this object as a tool, of course. (See the “Equipment” section in World of Darkness for details on equipment quality and die bonuses.) The Storyteller may rule that due to the nature of the device, and/or its materials, bonuses above +3 are not allowed. Bonuses for weapons cannot exceed the weapon’s damage dice. Also, while supernatural in origin, these kinds of improvements are still considered natural — the equivalent of quality and material bonuses. This power does not allow the object to inflict aggravated damage nor protect it from aggravated damage.

• Degrade the item’s quality by one per level of the spirit (to a maximum of -3).

Manipulate (••): The spirit can make minor changes within its sphere of influence.

• The spirit slightly changes the appearance of an object: shade of color, cleanliness, create or remove small scratches, etc. This would be enough to make finding a car in a crowded mall parking lot rather difficult. It can also dim the lights, fade the ink on the page of a book, leave spots on the glasses in the dishwasher and so on.

• Increase a vehicle’s Acceleration by two per level, starting at this level.

Control (•••): The spirit can make dramatic changes within its sphere of influence.

• The spirit can radically change the appearance of the object, shifting colors or even shape — for instance, returning a dilapidated house to pristine condition.

• Control allows the spirit to essentially dictate an object’s functioning. The more complex the machine, the more a spirit can affect its workings. Screwdrivers might strip the heads of screws, but computers may destroy data on their hard drives and cars may not start or tires may suddenly go flat.

• Machines that do not need direct human intervention can function by themselves. This does not mean that knives can levitate or throw themselves into walls — objects cannot defy gravity, for example. Cars can start and drive themselves; computers can power themselves on and manipulate their own keyboards. Houses can shutter their own windows, and open and close doors. A motorcycle with a sidecar could move of its own volition, but a normal motorcycle probably could not, since it could not stand itself up.

• The spirit can affect repairs on its physical form or any object to which it is Fettered. This is an extended action using the spirit’s Power as the die pool. Each success allows heals one point of Structure. As with normal repairs, the Storyteller can rule that there’s no way for the object to be repaired if the damage is too extensive. These repairs are not permanent, but may allow an object to function for a time.

• Increase an item’s Durability by one. This is considered a supernatural enhancement at this level, protecting the item from aggravated damage.

Create (••••): The spirit can create a new example of its sphere of influence.

• Create a brand-new object within the same descant.

• Spirits can spectacularly re-shape objects within their descant, turning a junked Pinto into a Rolls Royce.

• The spirit can affect repairs on any of the same descant.

• Repairs at this level are permanent.

• Increase an item’s Durability by two. This is considered a supernatural enhancement at this level, protecting the item from aggravated damage.

Mass Create (•••••): The spirit can create multiple examples of its sphere of influence. A number of items equal to the spirit’s Rank come into existence for one day per success scored.

• Create a permanent object within the same choir. This requires five successes.

• Create multiple identical items within the same descant.

• Create a brand-new object within the same choir.

• The spirit can affect repairs on any of the same choir.

• Mass improve or degrade. This allows the spirit to affect the quality of a number of items appropriate to its choir, as per the level one Influence. The effect lasts one day.

• Increase an item’s Durability by three. This is considered a supernatural enhancement at this level, protecting the item from aggravated damage.

[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part VII: Klaives & Weapon Fetishes

((Out of Character (OOC) Document))
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Cannibalized from the Mind's Eye Society Fetish Creation Guide)) 

Fetishes In-Depth

A Pentacle Academy lecture series by Daduchos Gabrielle and Thunderbolt Guardian Anton (MD), Dean of the Adamant College.

Part Seven: Klaives & Weapon Fetishes

Klaives

For many werewolves, teeth and claws are the only weapons they ever need. But the People also have a long history of forging weapons and binding spirits into them to increase their power. These fetish weapons are called klaives. A klaive is a hand‐to‐hand weapon — a sword, dagger, spear, axe, hammer or other implement of destruction.

Activating a klaive is normally a reflexive action that invokes the weapon’s power for the remainder of a scene. Even without being activated, a klaive is still a solidly made weapon of its type.

Fetish Weapons: Klaives

Although a brutal instrument such as a lead pipe could have a spirit bound within, it wouldn’t be a klaive. A klaive is a weapon forged for that purpose, imbued with minor powers of war. They are often sized such that they can be used most effectively in werewolf forms.

Mages with Spirit magic, particularly Thyrsus, can also use and create Fetishes, Talens, and Klaives.

All Klaives are fetished weapons, but not all Fetish weapons are Klaives. For our purposes, and to promote a uniform understanding of what a Klaive is, and is not, here are some guidelines:

Klaives...

• Are created items, forged intentionally, for the purpose of being weapons and hosts to spirits.

• Are most effective in Dalu and Gauru forms for werewolves

• (Werewolves only) Do not require a successful Resolve + Composure check to be usable in Gauru form.

• Are NOT weapons bought from a store, online, or made for human/sleeper use.

• Are never firearms or archery tackle.

• Are not delicate, and do not require finesse in order to use.

Conversely, Fetish Weapons...

• Can be any weapon with a spirit bound to it.

• Can be a mundane weapon, from any source.

• (Werewolves only) Should impose a Resolve + Composure draw in order to be usable in Gauru, provided it is a weapon that can be used in Gauru in the first place (example: NOT a Firearm)

Overall

When creating Klaives and Fetish weapons, it’s important to keep in mind that most spirits will be fairly particular about what manner of item they inhabit. If the item is too small for the power level of the desired Fetish, the spirits will be insulted, and most certainly bear a grudge. If the item is too large for the relevant power of the Fetish, they will be suitably flattered, but in the end, the task they are being asked may well be too daunting for them to take on.

In mechanics terms, use the natural damage rating plus one of the weapon as a general guide for an appropriate level for the Fetish, for example: A standard Dagger has a damage rating of 0. Any spirits who would willingly meld with the item to create a Fetish will be very small and weak (Rank 1 or Rank 2, at most), keeping the level of the Fetish to one or two dots in power.

A Large Axe carries a damage rating of 2. This could potentially house multiple smaller spirits (three Rank 1, one Rank 1 and one Rank 2), or one median sized spirit (one rank 3). Combined, the Spirits would amount to an item between 2‐3 dots in the Fetish Merit.

A Great Axe, with its hefty damage of 3, can house the larger spirits (Rank 4 or Rank 5), with a Fetish rating of 4 or 5 dots. Deviations from the above guidelines are allowable, and should be made with the following considerations in mind:

-       What is the quality of the item? A normal dagger, bought at a cutlery shop or Army/Navy surplus store won’t attract more potent spirits. However, a dagger hand-crafted by a blacksmith or master knife maker (Crafts 3 or higher), or one with a significant amount of effort put into the quality of the item (5+ Successes on the roll to create the item) certainly would. The description of the item should reflect the quality of the weapon.

-       What is the weapons personal history? A brand new, out of the box Mossberg 590 12 gauge, bought from an online auction, won’t catch the eye of a greater Spirit. A Thompson M1928 used by a US Army Ranger to assault German machine gun nests on D‐Day would stand a better chance. The sidearm of a county sheriff, carried day in, day out, cleaned daily, used with a good deal of reverence and seriousness in the line of duty for over 30 years (thus establishing a behavior pattern of care and ritual‐like treatment) would also please a more potent spirit. The Weapons history should be included in the write-up of the Fetish, as well as the Application for the item.

-       Did the PC bribe the spirit in a suitable fashion? Is the PC creator or PC user making it ʹworth their whileʹ to give up freedom for this type of service? This could be reflected as a certain form of chiminage (in the form of a restriction on the item) or other restriction that in a very real way make the PC have to go out of their way on a regular basis (in rare circumstances, on a daily basis; more commonly weekly; and monthly for less powerful items). The Chiminage should be noted in the Fetish Write Up, as well as the Application for the item.

Damage: Above and Beyond…

Weapons are built with the limited capacity to cause damage. Size, shape, and type of weapon all affect its ability to deal damage. Asking a spirit to imbue the item with a greater ability to harm its target requires extra coercion, convincing, or perhaps even some bribery.

Fetish Weapons and Klaives has the same damage rating as the weapon carries in its normal, inert state at no extra cost. To increase the damage rating of a Fetish beyond those limits, apply the following as individual Fetish Powers during creation:

• +1 damage past base (10 point power)

• +2 damage past base (20 point power)

• +3 damage past base (30 point power)

• +4 damage past base (40 point power)

• +5 damage past base (55 point power)

Note, Klaives, and Fetish weaponry created from ordinary items cannot have a damage rating greater than 5. Example: A Longsword has a base damage of +2. You could spend 10 points to raise that to +3, or 20 to raise it to +4, but not 40 to bring it to +6.

War Form Weaponry are treated differently, in a separate section to follow.

Upping the Ante

Specific materials can cause aggravated damage to different targets. Shaping fire and other elements into a permanent Fetish weapon is not possible. No mundane melee weapon, and only a few firearms and ammunition types, have the ability to inflict damage. If a player wishes the Fetish to deal aggravated damage, they must add the following as a power during creation of the fetish:

• The fetish is a weapon that inflicts aggravated damage. (25 point power)

War Form Weaponry as Fetishes and Klaives

The large, devastating weapons designed to be used in Dalu and Gauru of the Uratha (Werewolves), and the Throwback and War Forms of the Ferals make terrifying and destructive Fetishes and are nearly ideal for use as Klaives. If players wish to make a standard War Form Weapon into a fetish, use the following guidelines:

• The damage rating of a War Form Weapon cannot be increased beyond 10.

• The damage type of a War Form Weapon can be upgraded, with the same costs as normal.

• War Form Weapons cannot be used in any form that is smaller than size 6.

• War Form Weapons cannot be used in any form that lacks opposable thumbs.

• Mage’s can utilize War Form Weapons if they can increase their size and strength to wield them.

• The highest rank spirit that can be bound into a weapon of this type is Rank 5

[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part VI: Design System

((Out of Character (OOC) Document))
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Cannibalized from Werewolf: The Forsaken Source book: Lore of the Forsaken)) 

Fetishes In-Depth

A Pentacle Academy lecture series by Daduchos Gabrielle and Thunderbolt Guardian Anton (MD), Dean of the Adamant College.

Part Six: Fetish Design System (4 Steps)

This four-step system will help you evaluate the level of a fetish. It is important that you realize this is not a system for construction, just a means of assessing the relative level of a fetish. It works by assigning a numerical value of points to each ability or power of the fetish and then adding them up. Compare this total to the chart below, and you’ll have a good idea of the correct level to assign a newly minted fetish.

Talens can also be evaluated by this system for Storytellers and players who want to check that these items are not too powerful.

STEP ONE: FIND THE POWERS

First, you need to define all the fetish’s abilities — the powers or benefits it gives the character. The best way to keep track of this is to just write them down separately, or you may just want to underline or highlight them. For example, the Claw Stick from Werewolf: The Forsaken allows a mundane stick or blunt object to inflict lethal damage — that’s its power. Spirit Wings, on the other hand, has two powers: it allows the user to fall silently and levitate, and each power adds to the point total.

For the purposes of evaluation, it’s unimportant if the fetish has more than one spirit. After all, some single spirit fetishes have more than one power. The power level descriptions and the fetish point total for each one are the major guidelines.

STEP TWO: ADD ENHANCEMENTS

Take a look at the descriptions of the powers again, looking for words that describe how the powers function, how long they function and what kind of action it takes for them to be activated. Ones that give an extra benefit are called enhancements. Enhancements can make a relatively weak power strong. For instance, a fetish that gives a character +2 to all Mental tasks for an hour is certainly stronger than one that gives the same benefit for a mere turn.

Enhancements are broken down into major and minor forms. In almost all cases, two minor enhancements will increase the final rank of a fetish by one. One major enhancement will also likely increase rank by one. Add the points from enhancements to the fetish point total.

                                                                                                                    

STEP THREE: SUBTRACT RESTRICTIONS

Now, look again at the description, but this time, look for things that limit the power or powers of the fetish.  These work essentially like enhancements: they’re broken into major and minor restrictions, but they subtract from the fetish point total, rather than add to it. Paralleling enhancements, two minor restrictions or one major Restriction will drop the fetish’s rank by one.

This is a very tricky step. It’s easy to talk yourself into restrictions that really aren’t there. For example, look at the four-dot fetish from Werewolf: The Forsaken First Edition, Man’s Hammer. It’s a powerful fetish that completely destroys man-made objects. It does have some limitations that are pretty easy to pick out: “The object cannot be larger than the user himself and cannot be composed of more than one material.” Your first guess would be that both of these are pretty, well, restrictive. Think about this fetish in your game. Is this really worth two separate restrictions? Is not being able to destroy the entire Great Sphinx in one blow a restriction? No, clearly not, but not being able to destroy a car, a bomb or an ATM due to the many materials that make them up is a worthy restriction.

Take care that a restriction is not really a power in disguise. For instance, a pigment that only werewolves can see is not a restriction, but a powerful ability. Subtract the value of the restrictions, and you now have the fetish point total.

STEP FOUR: COMPARE FE T ISH POINT TOTALS

If the point total is way off from what you were shooting for, say by 5 points or more, this system should give you some ideas about how to tweak the fetish’s description to bring it in line. Perhaps you need to just revise your idea entirely. If the fetish is less than 5 points off, then it may not need any real tweaking. This is something that the Storyteller needs to make a call on based on her interpretation of the rules for the chronicle.

FE T ISH LEVEL ASSESSMENT CHART

Fetish Points Fetish Level

<= 10 1

11-20 2

21-30 3

31-40 4

41+ 5

<= 30 Talen

STEP FIVE: GUT CHECK

There isn’t a single rules system out there that can’t be broken or exploited. Once the final bit of math is done, look at the fetish overall and compare it to the general guidelines for fetish power (Werewolf: The Forsaken). The Storyteller has the final say here as to whether a fetish appears to be too powerful or weak for its final rating. If something seems to be a little off, it may have to have a duration tweaked. Overall, remember that fetishes should be useful, but they should not contribute more power to the character than his nature does. The greater focus of the game is on the abilities internal to the character, and fetishes shouldn’t shift that focus.

The Gut Check step is the most important one. The storyteller should take a look at the fetish, compare it to other powers and fetishes the character has, and look for any particularly unbalancing combinations. The storyteller should also compare the incoming fetish to published fetishes of the same level. If at any point the storyteller is not satisfied, or otherwise feels as though the fetish doesn’t work well with other elements within the scope of their authority, they should either go to the player with their concerns or, if this is not workable, deny the fetish.

Putting It All Together

Every single fetish needs to have the following information, for the storytellers to make informed decisions about your fetish. It should further be noted that each fetish requires its own application – multiple fetishes can be lumped into one application if they are similar or identical.

• Fetish Name: What is it called?

• Fetish Level: How many dots is it?

• Physical Description: What does your fetish look like? Does it always come in one form, or could this be crafted some other way?

• Spirit: What spirit is housed within the fetish?

• The Deal: What sort of chiminage was provided to the spirit to get it to agree to reside within the fetish? Or did your character lock the spirit in a binding circle and force it into the fetish?

• Descriptive Paragraph: Technically, this is optional, but highly recommended, as this describes how everything fits together.

• Point Breakdown: Each Power, Enhancement, and Restriction needs to be listed out, with its associated number of points alongside it.

• Durability: Described in corebook, Durability is the measure of the fetish’s hardness. Use the chart in the CoD Corebook or other source material determine your fetish’s Durability. Many fetishes will be rated at a one or a two – however, remember that Durability is enhanced by the rating of the fetish. Therefore, a 2‐dot fetish with a “natural” Durability of 2 has a reinforced Durability of 4. List this as the natural Durability, followed by the reinforced figure in parenthesis. For instance, the example above would read “Durability 2 (reinforced 4)”.

• Size: There is a chart for fetish sizes on p.139 in Lore of the Forsaken. Use this to determine the Size of your fetish, and list it.

• Structure: This is the sum of the (reinforced) Durability, and Size of the fetish. So, if the example fetish above is a Size 1 item (say, a skull of some sort), its Structure is 5

• Damage: If applicable, list the Damage rating of the fetish, followed by the damage type abbreviated in parenthesis afterward. By way of an example, a fetish greatsword would be listed “Damage: 4=3 (L)”.

Fetish Design Template

Fetish Name:

Fetish Level:

Spirit:

Physical Description:

Deal Struck:

Durability: (reinforced to) Structure:

Size: Damage:

Power List

Power: Points:

Power: Points:

Power: Points:

Enhancement List

Enhancement: Points:

Enhancement: Points:

Restrictions List

Restriction: Points:

Restriction: Points:

Point Total:

Total Fetish

Rank:

[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part V: Point System

((Out of Character (OOC) Document))
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen

Venue: Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)

Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler

Cannibalized from Werewolf: The Forsaken Source book: Lore of the Forsaken)) 

Fetishes In-Depth

A Pentacle Academy lecture series by Daduchos Gabrielle and Thunderbolt Guardian Anton (MD), Dean of the Adamant College.

Part Five: Power Evaluation, Enhancements, & Restrictions

POWER LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

A Note Fetish Power Duplication:

Some things should be clarified in regards to fetishes duplicating powers. In no case is this system meant to truly short‐change the requirements of a supernatural power. When utilized in fetish form, the costs of the Gift must still be paid, in Essence, and/or Willpower. In addition, if the Gift in question only lasts for a number of turns equal to the number of successes, the fetish is considered to have the “Restricted Duration” Minor Restriction, without lowering the “cost” of the fetish.  Or, to put it another way, unless additional Enhancements or Restrictions – over and beyond what is required by the power ‐ are placed on the fetish, the duplicated power works exactly as written, with no alteration of the fetish’s power level. However, the activation test pool may end up as equal to some other traits (instead of the usual Attribute + Skill + power, ie Wisdom or Gnosis thrown in), as with any other fetish. No more than one power may be duplicated in any one fetish.

Each heading contains a description of powers that fit its criteria and lists some examples of powers. If it seems like a power might belong to more than one category, then use the highest point total. Each level description includes some bulleted examples, some from existing fetishes. Remember, some fetishes may have more than one power. If this is the case, assign bonuses to each power.

LEVEL ONE POWERS: MIDDLING (+10 FETISH POINTS EACH)

These powers are relatively minor. The magical effects they generate might be characterized as “tricks” — although the actual ability might be just the thing needed for a character’s success in a particular situation. These powers are often no more advantageous for a particular task than an excellent set of tools or are no more helpful than a piece of readily obtainable, albeit advanced human technology. A fetish that gives a user no more utility than an advanced PDA or camcorder is cool, but not game-altering.

At this level, a fetish is no more useful than a good piece of technology. The benefits provided at this level are relatively minor, and certainly not game‐breaking. The storyteller should still utilize caution for characters that possess a number of “smaller” fetishes.

• A weak fetish with a minor or specialized effect.

• A minor dice bonus under certain circumstances, such as a bonus Specialty or two.

• A very simple utility like a sturdy padlock that chews up lock picks used on it.

• This power acts as a ±2 modifier to a roll based on a single Attribute or Skill. Thus, fetish providing a +2 to Computer rolls qualifies here, but a fetish providing a +2 to Intelligence rolls –and‐ Computer rolls does not. This power may not be selected more than once on the same fetish. 

• The power creates light, equal to that of a high‐powered flashlight.

• The power permits short‐lived levitation (no more than a few turns usually).

• The power duplicates the effect of a 1‐dot Gift, Spell, or ability.

• The power provides 1/1 or 2/0 or 0/2 Armor that stacks with mundane and Mage Armor.

• The power repairs small, simple objects with few moving parts.

• The power provides the use of 1 dot of an influence or 2 dots of something very specific and niche.      

• The Fetish gains a +1 equipment modifier to its mundane function                             

• The power initiates communication with spirits but does not provide a means to do so.

• The power duplicates one particular ability of a mundane object (make a call, unlock a lock, deliver a poison), noted specifically in the description of the fetish.

• The power is a minor, short-lived magical effect: levitation, the creation of light, magical sustenance, phantom noises, increased movement and minor armor, for example.

• The power can affect permanent changes but on a limited scope, such as the repair of small, simple objects.

• If the power affects spirits, it merely facilitates communication, such as allowing Lunes to see the actions of the user.

• The power is merely a supernatural means of doing something that a mundane object can do: delivering a mundane poison, recording an incident, wiretapping and such.

LEVEL TWO POWERS: EXTRAORDINARY (+20 FETISH POINTS EACH)

These powers are very useful and may become quite powerful with enhancements. These magical effects are pretty profound, and any die-pool modifiers they confer have fairly broad applications. The magical effects generated are pretty impressive and will likely be called upon during a session.

The powers bestowed at this level of ability are useful, and are likely to be used during any individual game session. 

• A moderate bonus to a particular power such as a +3 to its dice pool, or something that replicates the benefits of a modern technological item and improves on them by adding its rating to the item’s equipment modifier.

• This ability adds up to a ±2 modifier to a task roll but modifies a single trait category (Mental, Physical, Social) or use groups (Power, Finesse, Resistance).

• A weapon with a minor bonus like inflicting a minor Tilt on its first strike in combat,

• This ability provides a ±4 bonus to a task draw utilizing a single Attribute or Skill, as above.

• The Fetish gains a +2 equipment modifier to its mundane function

• The power provides 2/2 Armor in any combination.

• The fetish permits communication across the Gauntlet.

• The fetish provides a minor healing effect, such as clearing infection. Healing damage is not possible at this level.

• The fetish duplicates the effects of a 2‐dot Gift or Rote.

• The fetish is a minor klaive with a base damage rating of +0 or +1 Lethal. See Appendix I.

• The fetish may create illusions that may fool most senses, but may not do damage.

• The fetish is usable by a wolf‐blooded character or another minor template.

• The fetish imitation of 2 dots of influences.

• This ability adds up to ± 2 modifier to a task roll but modifies trait categories (Mental, Physical, and Social) or use groups (Power, Finesse, and Resistance). These modifiers can apply to multiple Skill or Attribute tasks.

• The power allows a blunt weapon to inflict lethal damage.

• The ability substantially increases a character’s ability to gain information.

• Miscellaneous effects: good healing magic, magical disguise, concealment, temporary blindness, illusions and so on.

• The fetish is a minor klaive with a damage rating of one or two dice.

LEVEL THREE POWERS: EXCEPTIONAL (+30 FETISH POINTS EACH)

These abilities are very powerful and can greatly influence a game, granting powerful new capabilities or allowing her to compensate for general weaknesses, such as the ability to mitigate the effects of Rage. Die-pool modifiers generated at this level are broad. Magical effects are impressive, but often blatant. A Storyteller can pretty much guarantee that these fetishes will be used in most stories.

The powers available to a fetish at this level begin to border on the exceptionally powerful, a potent Fetish with serious impact.  Fetishes at this level are expected to be used often, so Storytellers should plan for this eventuality.

• This ability adds up to a ±4 modifier to task roll utilizing either a single trait category (Mental, Physical, Social), or use group (Power, Finesse, Resistance).

• The Fetish gains a +3 equipment modifier to its mundane function

• The fetish is a greater klaive, with a base damage rating of +2 or +3 Lethal. See Klaives.

• This ability duplicates the effects of a 3‐dot Gift or Rote.

• A moderate influence at three dots or combination of influences equaling three dots

• A custom Numen, an alteration to an existing Numen

• The power ends or modifies Supernatural or mundane conditions

• The fetish permits serious movement enhancements for the character: boosting the effectiveness of climbing, swimming, burrowing, etc.

• The fetish serious new mode of travel that only works in the shadow like flight for short distances or spider climbing.

• The ability heals Bashing damage.

• The power provides 3/3 Armor in any combination (max 5 of any one Armor trait)

• The fetish is a greater klaive with a damage rating of three or four dice.

• This power bestows an entirely new mode of travel: flight, burrowing or swimming, for example.

• The magical effects are impressive: invisibility, finding a target’s Achilles’ heel, missile deflection, clairsentience or whatever seems appropriate.

• The fetish allows the wielder to circumvent an opponent’s ability to detect her.

• This ability adds up to +4 modifier to a task roll, and Modifies trait categories (Mental, Physical, Social) or use groups (Power, Finesse Resistance).

• Power that ends or controls Death Rage or modifies Rage.

LEVEL FOUR POWERS: POTENT (+40 FETISH POINTS EACH)

These powers are distinguished from merely exceptional powers by their increased scope and potential to radically alter the chronicle. For example, these potent abilities may give the wielder some real control over the spirit world from the material world, such as the power to modify the Gauntlet.

At this level of power, fetishes are called upon often, and provide for their wielder a large degree of power.

• The fetish is a greater klaive, with a base damage rating of +4 or +5 Lethal. See Klaives.

• The fetish conceals the user from magical scrying.

• The fetish provides a broad bonus to a certain activity (ie social maneuvers +3)

• The fetish provides +3 bonus to defense, or resistance traits, or against magic, spirit stuff, or other supernatural abilities all of a certain type or choir

• The fetish provides 4 dots in Influences

• The ability alters the local Gauntlet rating, plus or minus two.

• The fetish provides direct control over spirits while in the Shadow – forcing them to become visible, for example. This ability cannot deal damage to the spirit or make it utilize its Numina.

• The fetish duplicates the effects of a 4‐dot Gift, Rote, spell, or other supernatural ability

• The fetish provides luck to its owner, allowing her to benefit from the 9‐again rule for the duration of the power.

• The power reduces travel time in the Shadow up to half.

• The power provides up to a +4 bonus when dealing with hazards in the Shadow.

• The power provides 4/4 Armor (max rating 5 in any one armor)

• The fetish permits mind reading. Utilize the rules for Telepathy

• The fetish creates illusions that may inflict Bashing or Lethal damage, using the fetish’s level as the relevant dice pool for attacks.

• The power may heal Lethal damage.

• This power is a potent magical ability: mind reading, fantastic luck, concealment from magical scrying, illusions that can maim or kill.

• The power directly influences the Gauntlet.

• This ability exerts control over spirits in the Shadow, such as forcing spirits to become visible.

• This power reduces travel time in the Shadow or mitigates the dangers of travel there.

LEVEL FIVE POWERS: PENULTIMATE (+55 FETISH POINTS)

Penultimate abilities outstrip the power level of most Gifts. This level of power is almost always resident in a five-dot fetish, or, rarely, in a heavily restricted four-dot fetish. These represent the abilities of the most powerful spirits and mages deals with.

The strongest set of abilities a fetish can possess, these powers are the pinnacle of achievement and are legendary. Only the most powerful spirits that can be housed in a fetish power these abilities and characters should be very careful in making deals with these entities, lest they come out on the short end of the stick.

• This power destroys a single man‐made object per use.

• The fetish may command obedience from one or more targets without a reflexive action to resist its effects. Usually limited to a supernatural creature type or spirit choir.

• The fetish is a weapon that inflicts aggravated damage

• The fetish can cause any damage inflicted to consume or destroy Essence or Willpower

• The fetish allows the wielder to act like the Bane of lesser spirits

• The fetish grants +5 Lethal damage to attacks

• The fetish is unbreakable, or unmovable.

• The fetish adds 9s again and 8s to an applicable roll

• This power duplicates the effect of a 5‐dot Gift, spell, Rote, or other supernatural power

• The fetish adds +5 or more to a roll

• This power may heal Aggravated damage.

• The fetish provides a rote action on a specific roll with the expenditure of willpower points

• The fetish provides 5 dots in influences

• The power provides 5/5 Armor.

• This power destroys any single object created by man.

• Commands obedience without any reflexive action to resist.

• The weapon inflicts aggravated damage.

• This weapon ignores all common defenses.

• The fetish is unmovable.

• The fetish is unbreakable.

• Adds +5 or more to a roll.

ENHANCEMENTS

Enhancements add to the overall effectiveness of powers. A fetish’s power(s) may have more than one enhancement, but powers with more than two enhancements can become overwhelming — this should draw the cynical eye of the Storyteller.

Don’t get hung up on the examples listed below under each category. Depending upon the specific power, one limitation may be either major or minor. In other words, one power’s minor enhancement may be another power’s major enhancement. If the enhancement is going to improve the power’s performance nearly every time, then it’s probably a major enhancement, even if it’s listed under minor enhancements below.

Even if a fetish has more than one power, and a particular enhancement could affect all the powers that the fetish has, only assign the enhancement points once. Do not assign them for each power that could possibly be affected.

MINOR ENHANCEMENTS (+5 FETISH POINTS EACH)

Minor enhancements normally modify low-level powers, or just provide a slight boost to a given power. Particularly potent powers should probably have minor enhancements if they have any enhancements at all.

• Automatic: A minor power that works automatically, but only under limited circumstances. This does not mean automatic activation of the fetish.

• Immunity: The character cannot be affected by the fetish’ own power. For example, the power is some kind of explosion or emanation that does not affect the wielder.

• Range: The power doubles the range of weapons or thrown objects.

• Time: The power lasts longer than normal, such as a minute per success on the activation roll. The time enhancement changes a fetish’s power duration from a number of turns equal to the successes on the activation draw (the default) to a minute per success on the activation draw. Spending a point of Essence instead of making an activation draw is counted as rolling one success.

MAJOR ENHANCEMENTS (+10 FETISH POINTS EACH)

Major enhancements substantially improve the effectiveness of the power. They are used to make minor powers more attractive, and likely shouldn’t be paired with more potent abilities.

• Extra Uses: The fetish has one extra use (talens only).

• Fast Activation: Activating the fetish is a reflexive action, rather than an instant action. Almost all combat oriented fetishes have this enhancement, otherwise, a user would have to activate it and then use the fetish on the following turn.

• Range: The power quadruples the range of weapons or thrown objects.

• Tattoo: A fetish that exists as a tattoo (this may be a normal tattoo, a scar or a brand). To destroy the tattoo fetish, the wearer must suffer a number of aggravated points of damage equal to the rank of the fetish, delivered to the general area of the tattoo.

• Time: The power lasts longer than a normal scene, such as one hour per success on the activation roll.  This time enhancement changes a fetish’s power duration from a number of turns equal to the successes on the activation draw (the default) to an hour per success on the activation draw. Spending a point of Essence instead of making an activation draw is counted as drawing one success.

RESTRICTIONS

Like enhancements, restrictions are cumulative. A fetish with many limitations is far less powerful and is, therefore, cheaper. This fetish’s power is only usable in specific situations when it would normally be more useful. More importantly, restrictions breathe added life into a fetish — they define not what a fetish does, but what it is.

Think about the mercurial nature of spirits, draw upon their bans, their quirks, and their deeply inhuman nature. Think about the nature of animism — the idea that everything has meaning and personality when evaluating an item. If it has none of these things, a Storyteller might need to send the author back to the drawing board. On the other hand, having more than three restrictions of any type is a red flag that someone’s more concerned with min-maxing than having the fetish make sense.

The rule of thumb when deciding whether a restriction is minor or major: if the restriction is only going to come into play nearly every time the fetish could be used, then it’s probably a major restriction.

MINOR RESTRICTIONS (–5 FETISH POINTS EACH)

• Restricted Targets: This power only affects certain, specific targets: duguthim, Azlu, males or whatever.

• Restricted Locations: This power can only function in forests, in the Shadow, in the ocean and so on. These are usually places where werewolves often find themselves.

• Extra Cost: Using the fetish costs a point of Essence.

• Minor Chiminage: The spirit must be offered some fairly easily obtainable offering to use the fetish again. Needs to recharge in the sun, under flowing water, in a basin filled with 16-year-old, single malt scotch (Cost — ) or whatever seems appropriate.

• Minor Consequences: –2 to some other roll for the duration of the power, or after the power, normally lasting a scene or less.

• Restricted Duration: Power that normally lasts a scene only lasts for one round per success.

• Restricted Number of Uses: Power can only be activated three or fewer times a day.

MAJOR RESTRICTIONS (–10 FETISH POINTS EACH)

• Difficult Activation: Using the fetish takes an Extended Action.

• Unreliable: The target of the power gets a reflexive roll to avoid its effect.

• Major Consequences: –2 or more to some other roll for the duration of the power, or just after the power activates. Or this consequence lasts much longer than a scene, such as a day.  The Major Consequences Restriction levies a ‐4 penalty on another roll, lasting one scene or less, or levies a ‐2 penalty for a minimum of a day.

• Actions: This power can only be called upon in a few, specific cases, such as the defense of a locus, during an ungin, while fighting a specific foe and so on. Only in highly specific circumstances does the nature of the power suggests broader uses.

• Extra Cost: Using the fetish costs a point of Willpower or Rage.

• Restricted Number of Uses: Power can only be activated once a month.

• Major Chiminage: As above, but the spirit’s chiminage is difficult to obtain: the blood of a vampire, uncut diamonds (Cost +).

• Talen: The fetish is a talen.

• Restricted Duration: A power that normally lasts a scene may only last for one round.

Note: No matter how many restrictions are placed on a fetish, the fetish level cannot be reduced by more than one level. So, a fetish that has 60 points invested into it (thus, a 5‐dot fetish) cannot be lowered to a 3‐dots or lower due to restrictions. Players are encouraged to place whatever restrictions that make sense on the fetish from a thematic point of view, however.