MortalSorcery/Shadow

The Path of Shadow

Practitioners of the Path of Shadow are viewed with even more suspicion than is normal for a practitioner of magic. “What does he do that requires he hide in the shadows?” they reason, and treat with them but rarely. Although shadow magic is not inherently evil, those who use it tend to hang around the edges of civilisation, thieves, assassins and the like, and this is an association that will not easily be changed.

System

There are four major effects associated with the Shadow-magic - the sorcerer can deepen or alter existing shadows, create shadows were none would normally exist, and solidify shadows into three-dimensional shapes.

Deepen

Standard test: Wits + Occult: The sorcerer can use his magic to affect the shadows in his immediate area, causing them to be far darker than normal and capable of concealing more. This does not change either the size or shape of the shadows, merely their intensity. The exact effect of this would depend on the light conditions around the sorcerer at the time he attempts to cast this spell. In a well-lit open area the effect would be minimal, while in a poorly lit warehouse, filled with crates and crannies, it would provides bonus dice to Stealth tests equal to the Essence of the sorcerer.

Move

Standard test: Wits + Occult Concentration required: Normally shadows only move as the light that creates them moves, but an accomplished sorcerer can make shadows move as if of their own volition. The sorcerer can move the shadow, change its size and shape, and even animate it as he desires, but it must remain connected to the object that created it at all times – mortal sorcery cannot “disconnect” a person from his shadow.

    +----------------------+--------+
    |  Effect              |  Cost  |
    +----------------------+--------+
    |  Move                |   1    |
    |  Change size         |   2    |
    |  Change shape        |   2    |
    |  Animate             |   3    |
    +----------------------+--------+

Create

Standard test: Wits + Occult Concentration required: As well as being able to move shadows, a sorcerer versed in this path can create a shadow where none otherwise exists. This shadow can be projected anywhere the sorcerer desires (within his line of sight), even into areas where no shadow could normally exist. The size and shape of the shadow to be created are entirely up to the sorcerer, although the larger or more complex the shadow is the harder it will be to create.

    +--------------+--------+        +-------------+--------+
    |  Size        |  Cost  |        |  Shape      |  Cost  |
    +--------------+--------+        +-------------+--------+
    |  Dog         |   0    |        |  Simple     |   0    |
    |  Man         |   1    |        |  Complex    |   1    |
    |  Horse       |   2    |        |  Baroque    |   2    |
    |  Elephant    |   3    |        +-------------+--------+
    |  House       |   4    |
    +--------------+--------+

Solidify

Standard test: Wits + Occult (1 Willpower, Difficulty 2): The ultimate mastery of shadows allows the sorcerer to pull a shadow into existence, giving it shape and even substance through sheer willpower and skill. The size of the shadow and the degree of substance that the sorcerer wishes to give are the main effects on the difficulty of the test, the point of Willpower providing the energy needed to draw the shadow into three-dimensionality. The object whose shadow the sorcerer has pulled into the real world still retains a fragment of its shadow, a pale ghostly outline that is not fully restored until the sorcerer ends his magic.

    +--------------+--------+        +-----------------+--------+
    |  Size        |  Cost  |        |  Solidity       |  Cost  |
    +--------------+--------+        +-----------------+--------+
    |  Dog         |   0    |        |  Shape only     |   0    |
    |  Man         |   1    |        |  Thick mist     |   1    |
    |  Horse       |   2    |        |  Cobweb         |   2    |
    |  Elephant    |   3    |        |  Quasi-solid    |   3    |
    |  House       |   4    |        |  Fully solid    |   4    |
    +--------------+--------+        +-----------------+--------+

All effects of the Path of Shadows last for one scene, unless otherwise stated. A botch with shadow magic will generally cause the opposite effect to the one the sorcerer intended, i.e.: A sorcerer botches a roll to deepen the shadows in a dimly-lit room, instead of the shadowy areas becoming darker they brighten almost to invisibility, becoming useless to hide in.