[Mage: The Awakening] Fetishes Indepth: Part IV: Creation Steps

((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 Four: Fetish Creation Steps (6 Steps)

Fetishes provide creative players with a clean canvas to really flex their creativity. Just as with spells, spirits can grant powers that go beyond the effects of their Numina. As hard to learn and potent as the Fetish Rite or Create Fetish Spell is, it would be a shame to use it lightly; a proper fetish should be inspirational in some way, saying something about the one who forged it and the spirit that seethes beneath the surface.

The first section of this guide will outline the basic conceptual steps a player and storyteller should be going through in order to create a fetish. This will include the original concept of the fetish, what sorts of spirits may be workable for that item, appropriate vessels for the spirit, and potential chiminage as well.

The second section of this guide details the mechanical aspects of a fetish, to help determine what level fetish the item is. This guide is intended to provide players with a certain degree of autonomy when making their own fetishes – to account for a “typical” range of fetishes, with those that are truly exceptional in some way requiring strong justification.

Throughout the guide, there will be sidebars that specifically call out special rules or reminders for players and storytellers alike.

CONVINCING THE SPIRIT

It’s commonly said that the spirits used for fetish-making are merely fulfilling bargains struck ages ago between Father Wolf and the other lords of the Shadow Realm. Some claim that it is the werewolf’s right to create fetishes and talens. Others say that there is no innate right, save the rule of strength — and that is enough. A few others argue that they have no right to bind spirits in such a manner without the spirits’ consent, and man and wolf will never throw off the stigma as long as they continue to antagonize the spirit world. Nonetheless, the People are long used to the idea that they simply cannot allow any spirit to do as it pleases just because it’s a spirit. This attitude carries over toward the philosophy of fetish creation. Sometimes a powerful werewolf thwarts the base desires of the fetish bound spirit. Other times it’s the “master” who’s being played in a subtle way.

Nonetheless, some spirits can be coerced to enter a fetish willingly. Why is that? It can be for many reasons, and it’s a wise mage who knows them all and can use them to sway a spirit’s decision.

Some powerful spirits consider such physical vessels excellent bolt-holes, even if binding may delay their plans for a few years. Spirits bound in fetishes are extremely hard to locate. Most importantly, they are normally in the material world, where few creatures, especially spirit foes, can detect them. Even creatures that have the ability to detect supernatural energies outside the spirit world suffer a -2. Spirits bound into fetishes no longer need to expend Essence to exist. They may not relish their time constrained within a fetish (or even talen), but about the worst fate that can be suffered from that point on is their eventual freedom when the fetish is broken or the talen is used. Many hibernate, secure in their eventual independence.

Fetishes gain small amounts of Essence, usually flavored with the correct resonance when fulfilling their functions. To a hammer-spirit, everything looks like a nail, or more appropriately, having a potent user smashing things to rubble with their physical flavors the Essence to their liking — with very little effort on the spirit’s part.

Curiosity drives other spirits. While their senses are dulled into near-blindness by the binding rite, spirits still have some feel for their use and the nature of their wielders. If nothing else, they learn things from “tasting” the Essence they consume. For many spirits, unknowing of the material world, this is an interesting experience. Mission and motive also drive the spirits. Jagglings of War relish the thought of being taken into battle, slaking their thirst on the blood-spattered resonance of violence. Being used in this manner is not only fulfilling but also makes the spirit world more habitable for their kind

(Chorus). Violence begets violence. So tell me again, who is using who?

Moreover, once freed, spirits have interesting tales to tell their superiors. Some spirits, while useful to mages, also act as double agents — spies for their immaterial masters. This is one of the chief methods the ancient spirit lords have for keeping tabs on the deeds of Forsaken.

Rank also motivates many spirits. Should they please their spirit king while in service to a user, they may grow in their own power, progressing up the spirit hierarchy, although such things are measured in many lifetimes and not in dots on a character sheet.

FETISH CREATION MECHANICS

What really matters is the process: the care that the fetish-makers spend to select materials that add meaning to the fetish, the time spent preparing chiminage, the spirit selected. Creating a new fetish is a lot like crafting a work of art. There is a method, but it is a circular process, and can start in any number of places — don’t get too hung up on the order of the steps. It’s certainly fine to double-back to refine your creation.

At this point, it’s time to at least consider the game mechanics side of things. Jot down whatever you’d like the fetish to do as a general concept. Things like “add armor” or “make me go faster” or even “make me harder to see” are all worthwhile abilities for a fetish to have. The exact mechanics of the fetish will be worked out below – but for now, having a solid vision of exactly what you want your fetish to do will keep you on‐task and focused, without adding a lot of unnecessary tweaks to the final product.

Remember – with the exception of fetishes that utilize the character’s stats to be able to work (hitting a target with a klaive, for instance, to deliver another effect) – all relevant pools are based off the fetish, not the Character. It is the fetish’s power that is being utilized, not necessarily the character. For example, if a werewolf wanted to make a fetish that duplicated the effects of the Gift:

The following lists enable players to select a number of powers available to create a suite of abilities for their fetish. They also allow for some enhancement of the fetish, as well as adding some mechanical restrictions to reflect some of the odd quirks of the fetish, noted above.

STEP ONE: CONCEPT

Inspiration can come from many places. Necessity is the mother of invention, and may dictate a particular ability that a cabal requires. A better road of inquiry might come from your character’s background: her goals and the goals of her cabal, path or legacy. Can you create something that helps fulfill them? Can you come up with a fetish that fills a gap in your character concept? Don’t be afraid to pull from other sources for inspiration — pop culture, gothic literature, myth, movies, song — any can be your muse.

A fetish that enforces and strengthens what makes your character unique is a great achievement.

The first step, and arguably the most important, in making a fetish is to create the concept. In short, what do you want your fetish to do? Don’t worry about mechanics at this point – think in abstract and very basic terms. Do you want your fetish to provide your character with armor? Allow greater movement, whether that is a faster swimming speed, or perhaps more running speed? At this point, it is probably best to have a sheet of paper to write down your ideas, scratch out things that are or are not workable.

Storyteller Note: Red Flags

Storytellers should see a red flag if a character begins to work on a fetish that steps on another cabalmate’s function or character concept.  Take a look at the example fetishes and you will notice something else. They all have quirks, sometimes corresponding to spiritual bans. These quirks give them flavor and often limit their power. A vanilla fetish is boring and should not be encouraged — a fetish is a living thing with supernatural power, potentially playing a key role in a story that emphasizes what animistic horror can entail. It shouldn’t be devalued by treating it as just another form of technology. Write down whatever will be the fetish’s key power using the examples as a guide. Be sure to include some kind of idiosyncrasy involving when or how the fetish’s power functions.

There are some things that a player may add to a fetish that, combined with other things on the sheet, can become unbalancing. There is no creation system out there that can accurately and reliably counteract this sort of behavior, either intentional or not. That’s where the Storyteller comes in. It is –your‐ responsibility to keep an eye out for those fetishes that, when combined with other powers or talents, unbalance the game.

Likewise, for fetishes that go through higher approvals (specifically, fetishes that do not conform to the rules in this Guide), there are a number of things to keep an eye out for. These are:

• A fetish that covers up a weakness of some kind – some aspect of a Major Template

• A fetish that is a straight port of a spirit’s Numina. Spirits trapped within a fetish do not have access to their Numina normally, and while a fetish’s powers may be similar in theme, they are not identical.

• Remember, fetishes are not simply “magic items”. They possess a spirit within them – and that spirit has its own goals, personality, and may affect how well the fetish performs. See “Rebellious Tools”, p.143 of Lore of the

Forsaken.

• Lastly, remember that fetishes are an “add-on” if you will. They should not replace or overshadow the character’s natural abilities. Fetishes enhance and aid – they do not overpower.

STEP TWO: MECHANICAL BASICS

Now that you have the power written down, it’s time to work out the mechanics. Remember, fetishes are not Spells. The Mage doesn’t have this magical ability; it’s the spirit inside the fetish. Therefore, the power of the magical effects generated by a fetish should be a function of the fetish’s rank, not based on the stats of the mage who merely activates it. Only rarely should the Mage’s Attributes or Skills come into play. The general exception to this is targeting, such as hitting someone with a klaive once it’s activated.

Variable effects (range, duration and so on) should be based on the rank of the fetish or, alternately, the number of successes on the activation roll. Ideally, the two complement one another. Any circumstance that modifies the successful use of a fetish should affect the activation roll.

Fetish Activation Roll:

-       If Resonant: Roll Manipulation + Occult, Action: Extended, Duration: Scene

-       If Unskilled Mage: Roll Gnosis, Action: Instant, Duration: Scene

-       If Spirit Mage: Roll Gnosis + Spirit, Action: Instant, Duration: Scene

General Fetish Limitations

Here are some general limitations on fetishes by rank.

• Talens cease to function after one use.

• One- to three-dot fetishes have only one spirit bound into them.

• Four- or five-dot fetishes may have multiple spirits bound into them, as many as three in the most potent fetishes. 

Note: While spirits inside a Fetish cannot fight or damage each other if they are discordant/in conflict, their natures can conflict. (Example: a spirit of fear and a spirit of comfort both bound into the same fetish). Their natures combine together to modify the effects of the fetish overall. (Example: if you had a spirit of weaponry and a spirit of savagery inside the same fetish, their combined natures make it a fetish resonant with brutal murder)  Most of the time a creator of the Fetish would want to make sure the spirits jive before they are bound into the item.  In a pinch the creator can make spirits that are not compatible work together before the Fetish self-destructs from conflicted nature.  Such a thing would be cruel to the spirits.

STEP THREE: EVALUATE THE FETISH’S LEVEL

Using the guidelines on of Werewolf: The Forsaken, determine the level of the fetish (covered in Part 1). It’s actually better to let some time pass between writing up the fetish and evaluation. The Storyteller, not the system, has the final word on this matter. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board and tweak the fetish’s abilities and other characteristics.

STEP FOUR: DETERMINE THE EMPOWERING SPIRIT

Once you have the concept sorted out, it’s time to think of what kind of spirit you want to use in your Fetish. It should be indicative of your fetish’s concept in some manner – a cheetah‐spirit, for instance, is not a good choice in a fetish whose concept is tied to unlocking security doors, for instance.

Don’t be afraid, though, to stretch your thinking a little. A fetish that provides speed has a number of different spirits that may be able to provide benefits – spirits of sports cars (or the aforementioned cheetah!) would be particularly suitable, but so, too, are spirits of horses, the wind, or even lightning. Surely you’ve heard the phrase “quick as lightning”?

Don’t keep to typical expressions of your concept, but put that animistic thinking cap on, and consider broader spiritual concepts that may be workable for your fetish idea. Many fetishes have a quirk or other idiosyncrasy inherent to them. This is not mandatory, but when present is almost always tied to either the nature of the Fetish (or its inhabiting spirit) or to the amount of power the fetish provides to the character.

Make a note of two or three possibilities here –it’s not imperative to choose one right now, but get some ideas down. At the very least, they’ll spark with something later in the process, and guide you to a perfect quirk for your fetish.

Thinking of the physical side – what does your fetish look like? What might be an acceptable “house” for your desired spirit? Dependent upon the type of spirit, your character may be treading dangerously close to violating the spirit’s Ban in some manner. Keep this in mind when working on your fetish, and ensure that the vessel is fitting from a thematic standpoint.

Once you have some idea of the power your character is after, it’s time to start thinking about the spirit that will be needed to complete the ritual. Think about animals, things, emotions or even natural phenomena that seem related to the power. These associations will lead to the correct spirit. Keep in mind that there are many possible answers, but while there is not one right answer there probably is a “best” or “better answer.”

For example, if the power you are looking for has something to do with speed, think about things that have an association with speed: animals like cheetahs and horses, natural phenomena like wind or a sports car. For weapons, you are normally looking for spirits that are aggressive: spirits of war, spirits of predators, spirits of dead warriors or spirits of violence. Time to put your animistic thinking cap on.

IN-GAME RESEARCH

This is not a simple academic exercise. The maker has to hunt for their information: scouring libraries, roaming their territory for inspiration, visiting the Shadow to negotiate with spirits or consulting with mages of greater experience (the connections between tribemates can be especially helpful here). The Storyteller can and should use the actions of fetish creation as a story hook, or at least a subplot. This can be summarized in design and mediation between the Storyteller and players.

The creation of four- and five-dot fetishes often involves more than the discovery that a bear-spirit is needed for the fetish. For many potent fetishes, the final discovery should point to a particular, individual spirit as being the best candidate for the fetish: not “a Bear Jaggling,” but rather “The Great-Bear-Spirit of Fulsom Gap.” Now, the mage has to go find that spirit. The system below can give you some idea of how long it will take a werewolf to get to that point.

Fetish Research

Researching information about the spirits needed to create a fetish is not a straightforward or easy task. To complete this task, the character is assumed to have access to more experienced mages, lore and access to the spirit world.

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult

Action: Extended (2 + 3 successes per level of fetish, talens count as level 0; each roll represents one day of research)

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: Your character obtains faulty or imprecise information about the spirit he needs. He cannot use the bonuses for chiminage when performing the Rite of Binding, the Fetish Rite or any Rite of Summoning as connected to this spirit.

Failure: Your character makes no progress in locating the information he’s after.

Success: Your character makes progress in his search for information.

Exceptional Success: Your character discovers excellent information about the spirit needed. The next roll made towards the process of creating the fetish gains a +2 bonus.

Suggested Equipment: Access to a locus (+1), access to animistic lore (+2), player has roleplayed several inquiries successfully (+2)

Possible Penalties: Researching an obscure power (–2), limited library (–2), no access to the spirit world (–4)

STEP FOUR: MATERIALS FOR THE RITUAL

Suitability to the game and character is more important than economic value; to a certain extent, it’s even more important than quality. Simply put, the more meaning that can be invested in the object, the more suitable it is to act as the vessel for the spirit. This association might be concrete or abstract, but it should be visible. These materials act as Yantras for the Create Fetish Ritual (Spirit 3). Here are some ways to relate the vessel to the spirit and the fetish:

• Purpose — A fetish whose purpose is to cut something should have an edge; a fetish that gives someone the power of flight might resemble wings.

• Contagion — Like calls to like. If a fetish is powered by a tiger-spirit, the vessel may actually be made from the parts of a tiger, such as a bone, teeth or fur.

• Form — The vessel’s color, texture, and/or smell could resemble a spirit’s form. Write a short description of the final physical form of the fetish. Again, this should have meaning; it should reflect the nature (type, descant and so on) of the spirit itself and the power or powers of the fetish. This association might be concrete or abstract, but it should be visible.

Once you are done with that, stat out the fetish’s basic Traits. Write down the physical attributes for a fetish Durability, Size, and Structure. (See “Breaking a Fetish,”) Fetish weapons should have all the stats of a normal weapon for ease of play.

STEP FIVE: DETERMINING CHIMINAGE FOR THE RITUAL

Chiminage is a gift for the spirit. If the spirit is from a living animal or plant, think about things that have value for its living cousins: food, shelter, comfort, pleasure, enjoyment. Think also of the spirit’s agenda: for the spirits of living things, these are items that promote that lifeforms’ advancement and growth. This could include the destruction of its competitors or predators, but not to the extent of unbalancing nature. The Storyteller has the final word on whether or not a given form of chiminage is appropriate for a spirit.

STEP SIX: PERFORMING THE RITUAL

The actual steps for performing the ritual spell are in the Mage: The Awakening corebook.  The Fetish Creation Rite from Werewolf: The Forsaken 2^nd Edition accomplishes the same resultant items.