Revision as of 20:42, 3 July 2008

Tarot Sorcery

(NOTE: All of this is currently based off on 1E. DV here means difficulty value or the number of successes to succeed because I'm too lazy to type the full thing every time. It isn't the DV mechanic from 2E)

Kitira's (One of the PCs in my latest campaign) Tarot spells. These are currently being play tested, some are fine, some are overly powerful unless you really want to be paying some close attention to fight flow or be willing to do underhanded things to only dole out so many cards to the character at a time in key plot elements. I'm using both, so this works. Judgement as it stands can turn one person's screw up into a killing blow to a major enemy. Fair warning. Alternate usage is listed after it.

The character these were designed for also made a point of taking a great deal of Occult and specializing in Occult Tarot. I thought it sounded interesting and we ran with it. I did all the sorcery design. Some of it still needs some work, but for the most part, it's working decent, so I thought I'd share. Also, the character's using this deck had to acquire (with artifact and background and as story rewards) the other cards in the deck, all made from orichalum.

THE FOOL – Solar – 2 turns, 40m. While The Fool itself may appear to be a less than imposing, the results of this particular bit of sorcery are nothing to laugh at. One of the most vicious of the Arcana sorceries, The Fool causes the target to roll the value of each of their attributes. Every success is a point NOT lost. This is not without its cost as it deals the caster 9 HLs of aggravated damage. These can be reduced by giving up attribute dots (one dot for each HL). Lost attributes may be regained at regular XP cost. Any target whose Str, Dex, or Sta is reduced to 0 becomes a sickly waif, unable to move without gasping for air, their body rapidly failing. Per, Int, or Wis reduced to 0 turns them into a vegetable, unable to further interact with the world. Cha, Man, or App that is reduced to 0 disfigures the target horribly and permanently.

THE MAGICIAN – Terrestrial Celestial Solar - Emerald/Sapphire/Adamant Countermagics as per the spells in the Core Rulebook (Page 222)

THE HIGH PRIESTESS – Terrestrial – 2 turns casting time, 15 motes. The High Priestess is the Keeper of Balance, the one who maintains the equilibrium in all things and acknowledges all things in life. All must be considered, weighed, and analyzed. However, there are those who would sow chaos and such behavior is not allowed. The High Priestess is a warrior miko who refuses to let that which she holds dominion over fall to rubble. The High Priestess supplements the caster's personal attacks, allowing them to see their opponents weaknesses and penetrate illusions. Glamours, invisibility spells, and other magical means of hiding are all reduced to a DV of 3 for Per+Awa rolls, while concealing shadows and fog are completely ignored. The caster also adds their Essence value to their Dexterity rolls for the duration of the scene, as well as their damage rolls. The eyes of the High Priestess see where you will move and where to hit you. Fair Folk viewed while The High Priestess is active appear to glow faintly and are visibly disconcerted by the caster during this spell. This has no mechanical purpose.

THE EMPRESS – Celestial - 6 turns casting time, 30m. The Emperor may be lord of the land, but the Empress is the one that rules The Emperor. The Empress can possess and dominate a single target. The caster doesn't have to see this target but MUST have met them previously. The ensuing attempt to possess the target results in a Man+Will vs Man+Will battle of the wills. After the initial success of the caster, the possessee can (and will) resist every hour afterwards. The possessee may also challenge the possession every time a virtue roll would have to be made to perform an action contrary to their nature. (I.e. A philanthropist being made to kick puppies, an executioner to release revolutionaries, or a mother to drown her child.) The sorcery takes two turns to disengage. If the target dies while the caster is possessing them, the caster must roll a Sta+Res roll or go into a D10 days long coma.

THE EMPEROR – Celestial - 6 turns casting time, 25m initial, 15 more per 12 hour period. The Emperor is lord of the land and his card reflects as much. The Emperor card's sorcery was modeled on The Great Geas that now compels the Mountain Folk to dwell within the earth, fighting the Darkbrood for eternity. While working on a smaller scale with more limited results, the effect is not one to be sneered at. The target(s) of The Emperor can be as small as a Circle of Exalted or as large as an army. The caster must make Man+Will rolls every three hours at a DV of 3-7 (3 for 5-10 people, 4 for 10-50, 5 for 50-200, 6 for 200-1000, 7 for 1000-5000). Willpower and HLs can be spent to increase dice pool for 3 and 6 dice respectively. HLs spent this way count as aggravated damage for purposes of healing. Each target also gets to make a Man+Res roll at a DV equal to the caster's Essence. Those with Essence higher than the caster subtract one DV for each Essence higher than them they are.

THE HIEROPHANT – Terrestrial - 3 turns casting time, 1 willpower per day. 20m. The Hierophant is the keeper of mysteries, the lore master, and the chronicler of secrets. Once The Hierophant has been successfully cast, the caster is able to pry information from even the most chthonian of texts and individuals. The caster's reading and writing speeds are doubled and their linguistics/lore/occult/investigation rolls are tripled (note that specialties are NOT included in this increase). The spell of choice for those raiding a library with limited time.

THE LOVERS – Terrestrial - 4 turns casting time. 20m. The Lovers compels the deepest desires in our hearts and can be used to twist those desires to the whim of the spell caster. Essentially, The Lower can force two characters into loving each other madly. The caster must make a Man+Willpower roll for each unwilling target in the spell. Note that these individuals need not be present but the caster MUST have physically seen them before to get a clear picture in their head. The DV of the roll is equal to the target character's Ess+Res. If successful the spell lasts the caster's Essence multiplied by weeks. For that duration, the targeted lovers can not be made to stray by any non magical means. Charms to do so with have their DV increased by the caster's Essence, even if they did not normally have one. After the duration, the emotions remain but can be ended like normal emotions.

THE CHARIOT - Celestial – 25m, 2 turns casting time. The caster of The Chariot is never at a loss for travel. When The Chariot is cast, the clouds themselves descend to the caster, wrapping her and up to her Essence in others before vanishing into thin air. The Chariot of clouds reappears in a place up to 50 miles per Essence of the caster away to any location she/he has previously seen, either personally or through scrying. Disorientation sets in immediately as each traveler becomes disoriented for (6 – their Stamina) hours, taking a -2 to all actions in that time. This spell will not put the caster or their companions into solid objects or leave them floating in mid-air. If the intended place no longer exists, they will be deposited on the nearest bit of solid footing available.

THE HERMIT – Celestial - 4 turns casting time. 20m and 1 willpower per day of duration (no willpower regen during this time). Intense study and personal exile can lead a person to a greater knowledge than themselves. When The Hermit is cast, the caster's Social's all drop to 1 for the duration of the spell. However, double the points in these attributes are relocated temporarily to the caster's Mental attributes. Training times are quartered as well. Once the spell wears off, the attributes return at a rate of one dot, per attribute, per hour.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE – Terrestrial – 15m, 2 turns casting time. The Tarot Deck is often used by the uninitiated as a regular deck of cards (The Minor Arcana at any rate) and as such, The Wheel of Fortune harkens back to this gambling streak that its fellow cards have forgotten. For a cost of 10m, the next spell the sorceror(ess) has a chance of performing exceptionally well or being a complete failure. The caster rolls their Per+Occ DV of 2. If the roll is successful, roll two more dice, one at a time. Caster calls odds or evens on the first die, rolls it, then rolls the second die. If number on the first die matches caster's call, the second die is added to the next sorcery cast in successes. If the number is opposite the caster's call, they are subtracted in successes.

JUSTICE – Terrestrial – 15m, 2 turns casting time. The harsh light of the Sun reveals all and allows Justice to be done. While Justice is in effect, every question the caster asks is made with the oppressing heat of The Unconquered Sun and is just as difficult to escape. To the person being questioned, the caster's eyes blaze with fire and their body is wreathed in writhing solar flames. Anyone trying to keep a secret or tell a lie to the caster while Justice is active does so at a DV equal to the caster's Essence and the caster's Presence and Manipulation pools to interrogate someone are doubled. Justice lasts for a scene or until it is willfully deactivated.

THE HANGED MAN – Celestial - 20m, 2 will, +HLs, three turns. All hostiles with lower Essence than the caster in a 300 yd radius choke for 2xHLs sacrificed. Successful Resistance rolls at DV 3 can negate the damage for Exalted targets with Essence less than or equal to the caster's. Targets with essence greater than the caster reduce DV by one for each level of Ess higher than caster.

DEATH – Solar – 35m, 4 will, 4HLs, three turns. Kitira was never able to determine the spell within this tarot card. It's secrets are still locked, the last mystery of her research. Only after reclaiming mastery of the rest of the deck will Death's secrets be unlocked. The four HLs of damage sacrificed are done so as Agg and occurs as soon as the spell is invoked. However, once the sorcery is completed, the caster temporarily bonds with the third circle demon (for my game, non-canon demon He Who Eats With Crows) within the card to become a figure of horrifying power. Their physical attributes and their perception raise to 15 (this isn't including any other bonuses they may have) as their flesh hardens into blackened stone, turning lethal dmg to bashing, and giving a hardness equal to their soak. They are also granted 3 Agg soak. This effectively gives them a soak of 15 Bashing, 7 Lethal, 3 Agg, plus their armor soaks, and most things hitting at Lethal become Bashing. They also gain access to 1st through 3rd Circle Excellencies. Any other stat change is purely up to the ST as they feel it fits with their game. This effect lasts two times the Essence of the caster in turns. At the end of the time, the caster must roll a Per+Willpower vs. the demon within the card (mine is a non-canon demo, currently using a dice pool of 14) or be possessed by the demon for (6 - Essence) months (minimum of one month). Regular exorcisms won't work as the possession is part of a contract the caster implicitly makes with the demon for the release.

TEMPERANCE – Celestial - 30m, 2 will, 4 turns. Many scholars have suggested that if the Solar Sorceress Kitira of The Silver Dawn had cast this instead of The Hanged Man, that her circle may have well survived a considerably longer time. However, unbeknownst to these self-same scholars, the powers aligned against The Silver Dawn were far greater than anyone but Kitira realized. Temperance allows the caster to calm mobs and quell armies. It allows the caster to force their will on those intent on violence and crush such hateful emotions like putting out a match. All beings within a 300 yard radius are enveloping in a warmth like the noon day sun and must make a valor roll at a DV equal to the Caster's essence or lay down their arms for a number of days equal to the caster's Essence. Beings with a higher Essence than the caster subtract 1 DV for each Essence level higher than the caster that they are. However, this includes ALL individuals, including allies. The powers of Temperance do not play favorites.

THE DEVIL – Terrestrial (First Circle) Celestial (Second Circle) Solar (Third Circle) - As Demon Summoning of the First , Second, or Third Circle as from the Core Rulebook (Page 222 for 3rd Circle)

THE STAR – Celestial – 25m, 3 turns. The Star shines brightly, guiding the other heavenly bodies through the sky. Just as The Star guides the others through the sky, the caster can guide her party onwards to their destination unerringly. The Star allows the caster to illuminate their path to any target that she has seen personally or through a scrying mirror, regardless of distance. She and up to four members of her circle can now not be led astray as to their destination's location. This innate sense of which direction their location is in does not include any information about traps, obstacles, oceans, caverns, mountains, or any other possible hindrance. It only allows the caster and party members to know with a certainty where their destination lies.

THE MOON – Celestial – 20m, 1w per size of animal (1-house pet size, 2-large dog, wolf, gazelle, 3-dire wolf, horse, tiger) - Luna has many faces that change as she travels through the sky. So does the caster, in this way, has many forms that she can drape around herself. Taking a page from the Lunars book, The Moon card allows the caster to shapeshift into any animal, majestic or lesser (I.E. for predatory animals with attacks, this stops at tigers and dire wolves, for non-predatory animals, this stops at musk ox or rhino sized animals) for an Essence number of days. During this time, their belongings are stored in Elsewhere, and return when they return to their normal form. This was another rumored favorite of the sorceress Kitira for raiding the libraries of those who hid them from the world as a mouse or wasp, only to reform and consume the knowledge therein in a matter of days, change, and leave, glutted on new information.

THE SUN – Solar – 15m per 7 cards (I.E. on the 8th card, the next 15m are spent regardless of whether it's the last card or not) and EVERY card possible must be imbued for the spell to work. This cannot be cast within combat. Outside of combat, it takes two hours of preparaton. The fire of The Unconquered Sun is just that... Unconquered. The licking flames of The Sun know this and cherish their father's gift. When The Sun is called into play, each card of the unbroken Tarot whose spell has been mastered becoming a blazing Solar missile, capable of inflicting massive casualties on those it strikes. Each card is imbued with the burning light of the sun and when thrown can fly up to 100 feet times the caster's Essence away. The imbued power bursts from the cards in a fearsome display, slamming through those within its reach. Each card, upon striking, emits solar flames hitting all within a radius of 20 feet times the caster's Essence. The cards flames do a base damage of the caster's willpower + successes on a Per+Occ roll. This damage cannot be dodged and can only be soaked by armor, even by Exalted. Also, those hit not making a Sta+Res roll at DV 3 are also lit on fire and are dealt increasing amounts of damage each turn. (1L first turn, 2L second turn, 3L third turn.) This is one of two spells in the Tarot that has prereq. Sorceries. The sorcerer must have all other Tarot spells barring Death already learned in order to learn The Sun.

THE WORLD – Terrestrial – 25m, 4 turns casting time. The World embraces all that is natural, thriving, and alive on the plane of Creation. The caster who invokes The World card establishes a neutral zone in 50 feet times their Essence. No naturally occurring wildlife will raise claw/paw/fang against anyone within the zone. All Creation born humans have similar compulsions, feeling unnaturally at ease within the circle. Those wishing to violate the peace established have to make a Man+Sur roll to do so at the caster's Essence DV. However, doing so will earn them the ire of all living things within the circle, including their companions, unless said companions have also successfully broken the compulsion. This compulsion does not affect the undead, the fair folk, wyld-spawned monsters, or demons.

STRENGTH – Terrestrial - 5m per 2 dots of STR, two turns. The Arcana card of Strength boosts the caster or an applicable target's strength by two dots for every 5m spent. The increase can be twice her Essence for the target in strength this way and the effect is scene long.

THE TOWER - Terrestrial - 5m per 2 levels of Soak, two turns. The Arcana card of The Tower boosts the caster or an applicable target's soak by two levels for every 5m spent. The increase can be twice her Essence for the target in soak this way and the effect is scene long.

JUDGEMENT – Terrestrial - 25m, two turns. One of The Solar Sorceress Kitira's greatest accomplishments, Judgement has the effect of being able to reverse damage done in any 3 second moment of time. The card favored her after a loosed demon stove in the head of her Lunar bodyguard, Keeper of Silence. The demon, an enormous obsidian stag beetle, who in the time it took for the card to loose its power, was already trying to escape through a window, had its own head stove in and crumbled into pieces. (Particularly with The Ace of Wands, this is really really powerful. For anyone not wanting a serious headache (or not being an ass about people stealing this card as a plot point) I recommend instead doing something like rolling each of the health levels to be transferred with a success equaling a HL transferred)

ACE OF SWORDS

Terrestrial - 5m per target, two turns. The Ace of Swords, one of the four rulers of the Minor Arcana creates an ethereal sword in the air above the caster. The sword does 8 raw damage + the caster's extra successes on a Per+Occ roll (DV 1). The sword ignores normal armor soak. Armor made of the 5MM soaks damage as normal.

Celestial - 15m, two turns. The Ace of Swords more powerful incarnation removes the concept of multiple targets and replaces it with a singular purpose: the death of an individual. The caster rolls Per+Occ score. The number of successes is the number of swords added to the first. Each sword does 8 + caster's Essence in damage. The sword, as with the previous spell, ignores normal armor's soak but soaks regularly to the 5MM.

Solar - 20m, 1 will, three turns. Instead of a single sword, a figure on horseback appears above the caster. The figure is swathed in leper's rags, brandishing a long, golden blade. He rides a horse of bone and fire and his name is Hrulik, The Severing Sickness. The Ace of Swords greatest form unleashes, for a duration of Essence turns, Hrulik. Hrulik has stats equal in power to a Second Circle demon of your choice and two full dice actions per turn. Hrulik's attacks/Arcanoi/excellencies/etc. should all be very combat based. After an Essence number of turns, the card turns into a vortex, sucking its prisoner back within.

ACE OF WANDS

Terrestrial - 10m, two turns. The Ace of Wants grants the sorcerer power over their greatest adversary... themselves. After casting Ace of Wands, the sorcerer's spells are all reduced in number of turns to cast by one.

Celestial - 15m, two turns. The Ace of Wands channels the power that sorcerers desire and uses it to feed the hunger for ever more. This stage of The Ace of Wands allows the user to enter into a battle of the wills with another sorcerer or Essence user and attempt to siphon their power. A Per+Occ roll is made, at a DV of the opposing sorcerer Essence. If successful, the two sorcerers engage in a titanic battle of wills. For the duration of their sorcerous combat, they can't make any other actions. Both make Per+Occ rolls on each of their turns. Willpower may be spent to grant 3 extra successes. The first to accumulate a 15 success lead on the other is victorious. The winner steals Essence*the successes on a Per+Occ roll, while the other has to make a DV 3, Per+Occ roll or take a number of Agg dmg equal to their Essence. Sta+Res rolls can convert this damage to Let instead of Agg.

Solar - 20m, 1 will, three turns. The Ace of Wands, when it finally reaches its Solar form, summons a four armed, four legged spider woman, clad in a silken kimono. She is Tar Lashan, The Blazing Web. Each of her four arms holds a wand, shimmering with flame. Tar Lashan has two free actions per turn . She, like Hrulik, has stats equal to a Second Circle demon. Like the other Aces, the Ace of Wands Solar form unlocks the ancient spirit/demon sealed within the card for a length of turns equal to the caster's Essence. Tar Lashan's abilities are all very Sorcery/magic based. After an Essence number of turns, the card turns into a vortex, sucking its prisoner back within.

ACE OF COINS

Terrestrial - 10m, two turns. The Ace of Coins tolerates not the greedy, the materialistic, or the crass. It allows its caster to rain down coins upon their foes, growing ever larger until all are crushed under the weight of their own wants. Identical mechanically to Obsidian Butterflies from the core rulebook, only from the sky instead of flying at someone.

Celestial - 25m, four turns. The Ace of Coins distaste for those that place money above all else grows as the caster grows in power. The Ace of Coins gains the ability to corrupt or ruin any currency within Essence/2 miles of the Caster. This functions for any type of currency and the transmutation lasts for an Essence number of days. After that, the coin slowly begins reverting back to normal with higher currency pieces taking the longest to change back. This is not an illusion, the coinage is actually changed for the duration of the spell. Jade Koban turns to coal, coins with the Empress' face grow mustaches, etc.

Solar - 20m, 1 will, three turns. When The Ace of Coins is unleashed to its full potential, it calls upon the entity trapped within to grant its powers. The entity called is an old man with sharp teeth, wrapped in silken finery. He holds a scale in one hand that he uses to evaluate the worth of a person's soul and in his other hand is a bag of coin with which to buy it from them. He is Drel-Ud, The Thumb on the Soul's Scale. 2nd Circle Demon with abilities entirely based around social manipulation and the ability to make (particularly extras) change sides. After an Essence number of turns, the card turns into a vortex, sucking its prisoner back within.

ACE OF CUPS

Terrestrial - 15m, two turns. The Ace of Cups is a water bearer, and oftentimes, a wine bearer. In this case, it brings the gift of intoxication to any within a 300 yd square area. To resist this intoxication requires a Sta+Occ roll to avoid the transmutation at a DV equal to the caster's Essence. If the target's Essence is higher than the caster's, subtract one from the DV for each dot higher they are. Those affected make rolls to resist intoxication and penalties as normal.

Celestial – 30m., two turns. As per Blood of Boiling Oil in the Core Rulebook.

Solar - 20m, 1 will, three turns. Like her other kin trapped within the tarot, the being trapped within The Ace of Cups can be temporarily freed upon the Solar form of the Ace being reached. The figure that emerges from The Ace of Cups is a delicate porcelain woman with four faces. She speaks every language at once as her head spins atop her slender necks. Each pair of eyes matches the element of that direction. Unlike her brother Drel-Ud, she is peaceful and a diplomat that smoothes the interactions of others. She is Melisandra, The White Speaker With Silver Tongue. 2nd Circle Demon stats revolving around social manipulation and forced understanding. Useful for scaring barbarians into holding their position or intimidating Dragon-Blooded into not slaughtering a Lunar-protected tribe, etc.

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