[Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen] Artifact: The Scepter Revised

Out of Character (OOC):

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

Assistant Storytellers: Hannah Nyland & Alex Van Belkum

The Scepter of the Dethroned Queen

“This Scepter drawn She leaves us all, to brush aside Their distant call.”

The following is a conversion and upgrade of the Artifact: Scepter of the Dethroned Queen to Mage: The Awakening Second Edition rules.  Sources: The Merit as written, straight out of Mage: The Awakening  2nd edition.  The Artifact example I converted is from our current campaign and straight out of the Reign of the Exarchs sourcebook.

The Scepter of the Dethroned Queen

(12 dots) Artifact: 6 Experience Points: OOOOO OOOOO OO

 Description:

The Scepter… is an ornate shaft of (highly reflective metal) Thaumium that changes to a single helixed dragon made from True White (semitransparent and glowing) Jade.  The ridge of its back is studded with the 10 gemstones.  The Eastern dragon’s neck curls around until its faces forward with an open, angry mouth full of fang.  Its eyes are red and seem to glow. 

The 10 gemstones are representative of the 10 Arcana, much like the Ring

-          Diamond = Prime

-          Ruby = Mind

-          Saphire = Fate

-          Onyx = Death

-          Amethyst = Time

-          Moonstone = Spirit

-          Amber = Life

-          Jade = Matter

-          Aquamarine = Forces

The staff glows golden light when its self-defense mechanism is activated.

Basic Stats:

Durability 4, Size 2, Structure 6, Holds 24 Mana

Effective Gnosis: 6 (Mage accessing the Artifact can use any combination of Gnosis and Arcana on a given spell on the item)

Effective Reach: 6

Determining usage: In general, it takes 24 successes on an extended research to figure out how to use the items power.  Opacity is 6 to study the item itself.

1. “Block Profane Urim” (Prime 4) – One Mana to activate.  The holder can utterly block the effects of a Profane Urim either at the Urim or Target.  While the spell endures, Profane Urim’s automatically fail.  These effects follow normal spell rules and can be increased in duration and/or can use space magic to sympathetically target things (such as the Urim itself).  The downside to this spell is that no Mana can be spent within the spell’s subjects or area of effect.

2. “Fight the Lie” (Special) – The holder can use the Scepter as a +3 Tool Yantra to spellcasting when target is a “Servant of the Exarchs.”  It can be used as a +1 Tool Yantra for any Mastigos.

3. “Counter the Supernal” (Prime 5) – The holder can counterspell against any Arcana and and add its effective Gnosis (6) to the counterspell roll against any spell as if it were the caster’s Gnosis or Arcana.

4. “Supernal Dispellation” (Prime 4) – For a Mana it can use Supernal Dispellation as written.

5. Grimorie (1 dot) Can teach a five dot Seer Rote (Prime 5 (no requirement though)) “Counter the Supernal” using the Occult skill.  It functions as a counterspell but if you do not have any dots in that Arcana you just roll your Gnosis.

6. Dream World - The Mysterious powers of the dream world defense mechanism.  Dream worlds can only be created in the hands of an Archmage.

7. Thaumium O:  item has Mana stored in it, it protects its wielder from Supernal magic. Any spell cast at the wielder provokes a Clash of Wills, unless the wielder chooses to allow the spell. The dice pool for the Clash of Wills is equal to the item’s effective Gnosis/Arcana of the Spell cast into it (6) + dots (1) in the Thaumium merit/ Item Size. Whenever used to Clash, the object expends 1 Mana. Mages can refill the item’s Mana supply using the Prime spell “Channel Mana.”

8. White Jade O:

White Jade + Potency to Wisdom Checks, Acanthus

All jade has a translucent sheen, and Supernally created jade seems to shimmer with an inner glow. Each color corresponds to a Supernal realm, embodying the purity of the higher Truths, defying the corruption of the Abyss. The magical tradition of Taoism also associates each color with one of the five Eastern elements, blue for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal, and black for water

Benefits:

         Attuned to Arcadia, +1 to Wisdom Checks

         The primary application of jade is to purify the fallen world of Abyssal corruption. When used as a channel for Supernal magic as a tool Yantra, it reduces the paradox of any spells cast through it by -2 (like a second Dedicated tool, they stack). This can reduce the paradox dice pool to zero, at which point no chance die is rolled, as it perfectly purifies the supernal energy.

          Additionally, if the magic drawn through it is of the specific Arcana (listed under Purifies: Spirit and Life) that follows the productive cycle of elements, as shown below, the caster may choose to further reduce the paradox of the spell by its dots. However, each time a piece of jade is used in this manner, it reduces the potency by one, until it becomes a piece of inert green jade at potency zero.

        Jade also offers a passive benefit beyond absolving paradox; it provides its bearer a minor protection against the gross emanations of its controlling elemental realm (+1 to resistance against the Gross Arcana of its listed Path: Time).

Reference - Merit: Artifact Rules

Artifact (•••+, Special) Effect: Your character possesses an Artifact, an item from the Supernal World which is both a physical symbol of magic and a unique item independently empowered create to sorcerous effects. These items possess their own Mana stores, and have their own effective Gnosis and Arcana with which to generate effects. They can cast these effects when harnessed by an Awakened owner who has researched (or divined through Prime) the manner in which the item works.

•Determining usage - In general, this takes successes on an extended research action equal to twice the Artifact’s Merit dots.

•Dot Rating - To calculate the cost of an Artifact, look to its single greatest effect, and map it to a spell effect. The base cost is equal to the highest Arcanum used, or three, whichever is higher. Each additional effect adds to the cost, but only half the highest Arcanum used (rounded up)

•Utility Attainments - Including a Utility Attainment in a spell effect (for example, an Artifact that can cast at Sympathetic Range) increases the cost by one dot for each Attainment included.

•Mana - Item can store Mana equal to twice the dot rating.

•Effective Gnosis Rating - The item’s effective Gnosis is equal to half the dot rating, rounded up.

•Accessing Mana - An owner can access the item’s Mana as if it were her own, or can use it to fuel the Artifact’s abilities. The Artifact can also use its Mana as part of its own activation.

•Effective Arcana Rating/Reach - The Artifact has effective Arcana equal to the highest Arcanum used in its various effects.

•Reach/Paradox - Artifacts cannot Reach beyond the “free” Reach for their Arcana ratings on their own. If an Artifact risks Paradox, the user can spend Mana to mitigate Paradox (in any combination of her own or the Artifact’s Mana pool, up to her Gnosis-derived limits) and may choose to contain the Paradox herself. Otherwise, the Artifact automatically releases it.

•Triggering Use - Every Artifact will use its effects under different circumstances, determined when you create the Artifact. For example, an Artifact might cast its effect the moment it is first seen by human eyes, or whenever it’s dropped on the ground.

•Combining Ratings -If an owner accesses the Artifact’s effects, she may use her own Gnosis and Arcana, the Artifact’s, or any combination thereof. 

•Path Tool Yantra - Every Artifact is also a Path tool Yantra worth +1 dice for mages of the Path of the Artifacts’ highest Arcanum.