_____________________________ Ritual Magic Rituals MA Lloyd (malloy00@io.com) 2nd draft, still incomplete 11 October 1997 _____________________________ The Path of Affections _____________________________ Manipulates the affections or humors in the traditional sense - the forces of emotion, thought and behavior. The modern discipline of psychology roughly corresponds to the range of phenomena included. Mana Path of Affections -0 The subject radiates an aura that modifies reactions to him in a selected direction by 1 per 2 points of success margin. On a critical failure, he gets the inverse modifier for the intended duration. The fraction of people influenced modifies the difficulty: everyone -10, a large group (all children) -8, a small group (the royal court) -4, a very small group (my fiancee's relatives) -0. The traditional aura is one of subtle power, but kindliness, competence, viciousness or other auras should be allowed and will color the reactions differently. This can be resisted, in which case it counts as a hostile ritual and requires a roll to avoid backlash. Love Charm Path of Affections -2 The target is sexually attracted someone specified. The GM may modify the resistance roll from -4 (the target already likes the intended person) to +4 (despises the intended, or prefers another sex or species). If not resisted, the target will act on the emotion as dictated by his personality. Persistent seduction attempts, a proposal of marriage, or an attempted rape are the most likely outcomes, but spending everything he owns to send 4 tons of roses, or killing himself on her doorstep as a gesture of devotion are not out of the question. The induced emotion ends with the duration, but if the target now feels something naturally he may never realize the emotion was once artificial. This *is* a resisted hostile ritual. Should it backlash those performing the ritual suddenly desire someone they ordinarily wouldn't even consider approaching.... Go Away Path of Affections -4 The target must win a contest of Will with the ritual or do everything he can to avoid contacting - or even thinking about - a designated individual. With proper timing this can avert fights, get legal actions dropped or break up love affairs. It counts as a hostile ritual if the designated subject is unwilling, the target merely gets the contest to resist. Sleep Path of Affections -4 This ritual may target individuals (use number of target modifiers) or an area (targets anyone who spends the 3d minute induction time in it). Targets who fail to resist drop into deep natural sleep within 3d minutes. Small disturbances do not wake them, though major ones will. Otherwise they sleep for the duration (maximum 24 hours), plus any further time they need to awaken fully rested. As a targeted ritual it can backlash and put the caster to sleep. It's safe as an area effect. Talisman of Truth Path of Affections -6 Allows the caster to ask 1 question per 2 points of success margin, which the target must answer truthfully and in reasonable detail. The traditional form is a jewel or other talisman placed against some personal part of the anatomy of a sleeping woman to be asked about adultery, but this reflects the interests of compilers of such sources rather than a limitation on the ritual. This ritual can backlash, forcing the caster to answer the next however many questions directed toward him by anybody other than himself. Command Voice Path of Affections -8 The adept speaks a command. If the target fails to resist he must do his best to obey it. The command must be understood, so language matters and commands too complex to be easily remembered or digested willnot work very well. This is a resisted hostile ritual, though the GM may modify resistance to commands the subject would want to obey or find exceptionally objectionable. The default casting time is the time to speak the command and the default duration is only 10 minutes. Longer casting times (to reduce the penalty) usually mean the command is phrased more as a seduction than a forceful command. Enthrallment Path of Affections -10 Transforms the target into a willing slave of the caster. Remove any advantages or disadvantages that cause the thrall to resist his new lot, and add Slave Mentality (limitation: only accept orders from the caster or those he commands you obey). This is the most useful variant, since Slave Mentality allows the thrall to use his skills and initiative in the caster's service. Variants that transform the victim into an obedient idiot or automaton may be easier; Raise Zombie (VO p80) can be considered one. In some traditions the effect ends when the caster dies, but it doesn't always - in some tales the thralls continue to obey standing orders, or become slaves of the caster's slayer, or the first person to give a forceful command, or particularly in the automaton variants stand still and starve to death. This is a resisted hostile ritual. If it backlashes the caster acquires the unlimited form of Slave Mentality. The GM may require a PC that uses this a lot to spend points to buy the resulting Ally Group. Expansions: charms of courage and fear, causing or curing madness, chastity/fidelity compulsions, aphrodisiacs and general lust, amplify sexual pleasure, cause arguments, cause(emotion), ward off (negative emotion) _____________________________ The Path of the Dead _____________________________ Rituals dealing with souls and the dead - the spirits of mortals, and their discarded housings as opposed to supernatural entities and powers. Ghost Empathy Path of the Dead -0 Path of Visions -4 Reveals the reasons a ghost has not passed on to the afterlife. Sometimes the reason will be something the necromancer can resolve, though some ghosts are remaining voluntarily, and some situations will be beyond resolution. Necromancy Path of the Dead -0 Calls up a spirit from the dead by name. The spirit may make one speech or answer one question per 2 points of success margin, but is not compelled to do so. The presence of a descendant of the spirit gives a +3 bonus, and may encourage the spirit to be more truthful or cooperative. Lay Ghosts Path of the Dead -2 Guides a spirit to the afterlife. Spirits trapped in the mortal realm seldom resist, but those with a reason to stay resist with ST + Will. In some traditions this ritual is performed at every death to help the spirit reach the proper afterlife, or as insurance against it troubling the living. Pulverize Path of the Dead -5 Reduces a corpse to dust (ash in some traditions accompanied by a flash of fire). Animated dead resist with HT, but there is no risk of backlash (unless the caster himself is dead...). It is fairly rare in traditional tales, though sometimes used to destroy vampires or other walking dead. In modern fantasy it is more common, handy for removing evidence and sometimes used as a regular form of cremation. Soul Zombie Path of the Dead -6 As VO p80, except for the change of Path. Note the initial sentence is untrue, this has nothing to do with the Raise Zombie effect. The now soulless body counts as an animated corpse for most magical purposes. Animate Corpse Path of the Dead -8 Re-animates a dead body. For the duration the corpse obeys a simple instruction given during the ritual - typically something like 'walk that way' or 'kill anyone entering the tomb'. Fresh corpses retain the physical stats they had just at death, longer dead corpse are less capable. None have IQ or skills, any attacks are at default. Corpses are destroyed at -10 x HT, and many will already be part of the way there from the cause of death or later decomposition. Resurrection Path of the Dead -20, Path of Health -20 Restores a relatively intact corpse to life. The spell will perform minor repairs, but it wont work on those killed by more than -2 x HT wound damage. The target must be recently dead (no more than a couple of days) or still nearby (as a ghost or bound spirit). This ritual may be resisted if the soul is happy where it is, and would count as a hostile ritual - on a backlash the caster joins the soul in the afterlife. Expansions: borrowing ancestral abilities or knowledge, guiding reincarnation, seeing past lives, warding against the wrath of the dead. _____________________________ The Path of Dreams _____________________________ Rituals associated with dreams and the dream world. Much of the path may not be appropriate in traditional settings; it is closely tied to the Victorian era, spiritualism, psionics and the early development of modern psychotherapy. This is particularly true of the dream world. It and related concepts like a traversable astral plane appear to be modern inventions. Dreamwalk Path of Dreams -0 As VO p74. Dream Visitor Path of Dreams -0 As VO p74, except the casting time is reset to the 1 hour standard. Dream Sanctum Path of Dreams -3 Path of Protection -6 As VO p74. Works like most other protection rituals, effects from the dream world cannot touch anything within the protected area without winning a quick contest with the Dream Sanctum ritual first. Night Terrors Path of Dreams -6 As VO p74, except the casting time is reset to the 1 hour standard. Dream Shackles Path of Dreams -8 As VO p74. Temptation Path of Dreams -10 The target must win a contest of Will against the ritual or immediately drop into a dream state (sleepwalking if he is moving when this happens) for several minutes and dream about a temptation selected by the caster. The GM sums the point costs of any advantages and disadvantages the he thinks incline the target toward or away from the temptation. The target must make a Will roll modified by that sum (and you thought -15 point Lecherousness would never be a serious problem...). If it fails, he surrenders to the dream temptation, and will never awaken, eventually wasting away (GM option: magic or ultratech may awaken him with a blank mind) _____________________________ The Path of the Elements _____________________________ Rituals that direct the forces of the natural world, such as the weather, winds, fire, and geology. Cloak Path of Elements -0 or Path of Protection -2 A simple ritual often maintained continuously. The subject is unharmed by the weather, he can walk barefoot in the snow comfortably, is immune to cold or heat, sunburn, glare, wind chill, and the harmful effects of precipitation or blowing dust (he still ends up wet or dirty, but only mildly discomforted.) Fireproofing Path of Elements -2 or Path of Protection -2 An area protected by this ritual is less susceptible to accidental fires. For each point of success margin subtract 1 from any rolls to set something not intended to burn on fire - this includes fuel fire numbers, spell skill rolls and chances of secondary fires from explosions. For every two points of success margin the damage done by flames is reduced by 1, which reduces the chance a fire spreads and increases the chance it goes out (see VE p194). Kindle Path of Elements -4 Any desired flammable objects in the target area burst into flame. Candles, oil lamps, loose paper, dry thatch or grass ignite normally, more difficult materials like firewood, cloth bales or house walls, require a success margin of 2, the traditional water soaked pile of wood requires a margin of 4 or better. Rainmaker Path of Elements -5 As VO p76, except the area is the smallest region a natural weather system delivering the desired effect could occupy. If the effect is intended to cover a large region, roll at -2 x radius in miles. Any sort of weather can be encouraged: dry sunny spells, calms and severe storms are nearly as common as rain. For very rare effects, the GM can set the base odds below a 3 on 3d, requiring a margin of success to have any chance at all. Odds of 3 indicate something happens about twice a year, set rarer events one point lower per factor of 2 less common. For example if a hurricane hits an area about every 30 years, raising this to twice a year requires 6 doublings, so a margin of 6 raises the odds to 3 on 3d. Weather that never occurs in the area cannot be created with this ritual at all. Bind the Winds Path of Elements -6 Controls the winds in a half mile radius. They may blow from any direction at up to gale force, form columns of rising or falling air of similar speeds, or go still (which will calm rough seas as well). The effect can even still convection currents, which will put out fires quickly and limit gas flows to diffusion (millimeters per hour! the 'diffusion' demonstration involving opening scented bottles at the front of the classroom is a fake, the transfer mechanism there is bulk flow). Altering the winds takes 5 seconds per mph vector shift, which rarely produces hazardous shear, but with a little planning this effect can seriously threaten ships or aircraft. Bolt From Heaven Path of Elements -10 Calls down a bolt of lightning (or beam of light, or pillar of fire, exact appearance varies with tradition) which blasts everything in the target area for 30d damage. If the area includes an intelligent being this counts as a hostile ritual allowing a resistance roll and requiring a second roll to avoid backlash (VO p74). A backlash is usually less visually dramatic - a bright flash and the magician is incinerated. Evil magicians suffer such a failure at the climatic confrontation in many tales, accompanying odor of brimstone optional. Expansions: walk on water, landslide, earthquake _____________________________ The Path of Fate _____________________________ Magic that ordains the future, sometimes called luck, but the classical view is less the manipulation of chance than the suspension of its action. Blessings and curses, and a wide range of conditions, limitations, tabus, geasa, quests and tests of a more ambiguous nature can be laid with this path. It is also the path of unbreakable oaths and bizarre prophecy. Stroke of Luck Path of Fate -0 As VO p77, except the casting time is reset to the standard 1 hour, and the last sentence on Initiation level is dropped. Sword Blessing Path of Fate -0 For every two points of success margin, anyone using the blessed object can re-roll one result involving it. For a sword this includes to hit, damage, or parry rolls, but the ritual will work on any object and allows re-rolls of anything plausibly connected to its use. A result can only be re-rolled once, and you are stuck with the second result, so it isn't usually a good idea to re-roll marginal successes, but it is allowed. Moneymaker Path of Fate -2 As VO p76. Enchanted Sleep Path of Fate -5 A classic fairy tale curse, applied either to a number of targets or an area. Those who fail to resist drop into enchanted sleep within 3d minutes. Victims of enchanted sleep will not awaken, but do not age, need food or water, and are not harmed by the natural environment. The fairy tale version has a built in mechanism for breaking the spell early, if the caster wants one it can be built into the ritual at no penalty; otherwise the effect lasts for the full duration or until someone improvises a counterspell. Journeyman's Curse Path of Fate -6 As VO p76, except the casting time is reset to the 1 hour standard. Malediction Path of Fate -8 As VO p76. Doom Path of Fate -10 The caster fixes the cause and circumstances of the victim's death! Anything the GM agrees to is allowed and will come to pass - eventually. Until it does nothing else will slay the target, though awful things can happen to him in the meantime. Dooms don't necessarily hasten death, but they lean that way - the more obscure the doom the more often outright bizarre coincidences offer a chance to meet it. A doom must be announced in the presence of the target to take effect, though he need not understand the pronouncement. This is a resisted ritual. It can backlash, in which case the GM assigns a doom to the caster - but doesn't tell him what it is! Doom is a death spell with the actual death delayed to a dramatic moment. Players who don't want to play a character the GM will eventually take control of and railroad into the forecast doom should be allowed to hand over the character as an NPC and reenter the game as if they had died. It can be fun to keep the character for a while if the GM allows the first couple approaches of the doom to have a way out, but he should NEVER allow the doom to be avoided forever. Expansions: recover stolen goods, win a (contest/card game/fight/lawsuit), confess or die/lose your soul, legitimate curses (usually on violators of tabus, particularly sexual ones like incest, adultery or abandoning a spouse or lover) _____________________________ The Path of Glamoury _____________________________ Magic of confusion, deception and illusion. Disguise Path of Glamoury -0 The subject looks and sounds exactly like someone else for the duration. It's a handy substitute for makeup, and since it includes the illusion of clothing, for tailoring. The magic itself is flawless, but is limited to the caster's idea of what the disguise should look like - IQ rolls may be needed to disguise yourself as someone you are not very familiar with, or Artist if you are making up the image. Disguise does not grant any abilities of the original, and disguising yourself as something of a different shape or size won't stand up to physical contact. Fanfare Path of Glamoury -0 Produces a brief familiar sound centered on the caster. It is usually cast in quick form at a penalty to generate trumpet fanfares, thunder cracks, the roar of a Krayt dragon or other dramatic announcement of the caster's presence. Magelight Path of Glamoury -2 A light source, and any reflected light from it, is visible only to a specific class of people, perhaps just the caster, more often also his companions, potentially everyone. In fact the light source is simply a symbol, the magelight uses no fuel and burns for the ritual effect duration. By accepting an additional -3 for lack of the symbol it could appear as a glowing globe atop the mage's staff, a flame hovering over his cupped palm etc. The symbol also has the advantage the light can be turned on and off in the usual way the source is controlled. Maze Path of Glamoury -4 An area under this ritual can't be found on purpose unless the seeker was specifically exempted during the casting or wins a contest of Will with the ritual skill each time he wishes to locate the place. It is most effective when applied to a travel chokepoint - a doorway, the only path to a cliff top tower or something similar - denying access to the entire area without the difficulty of enspelling the whole thing. Privacy Path of Glamoury -4 The area is isolated from the outside. Sounds, odors and light sources within the area will not leave it. Outside light sources can illuminate things in the circle, but even in broad daylight the contents appear hazy, dull and background colored - treat anything within as if it were camouflaged. Mirage Path of Glamoury -7 Produces an illusion of anything the caster can clearly imagine. It looks exactly as specified, produces appropriate sounds, light, heat or cold, and at higher TLs radar, sonar, magnetic or any other energy returns. Energy emissions (beams, flame heat etc.) will never inflict more than 1 point of damage, odors or flavors are not produced, and the mirage won't stand up to physical contact if the underlying reality is of a different shape. It can be laid over existing items as a mass disguise, and persists even if the items move out of the original area. Traditionally the most common uses are to convert a ruin to a fine manor or to conceal an army. Invisibility Path of Glamoury -10 The subject cannot be detected visually, though sound or touch can give him away. Traditionally flawed versions are more common and may provide bonuses to skill. Some suggestions: may not to let go of an object (the classic invisibility token) +1; doesn't work on mirrors, film, or other technology +2; doesn't work on animals +2, doesn't work on a large class of people (women, children, honest citizens) +4. _____________________________ The Path of Health _____________________________ Rituals that heal or harm directly, the principles are the same whether used for good or ill. The usual image is the manipulation of the life force (pneuma, vis vitalis) of the target. Beneficial Health rituals typically involve the laying on of hands, and use herbal potions, oils, bandages or at least aromas, though there are modern traditions that depend entirely on light and crystals. Dose Path of Health -0 This ritual cures a disease or long term ailment. The healer must have an accurate diagnosis (within the tradition, it need not be accurate as viewed by modern Western medicine). If there is no traditional diagnosis (e.g. it's a new disease) tack on an extra -2. If the ritual works the disease immediately begins to fade, and vanishes totally in the usual recovery time (if it has one) or 3d days, whichever is less. Modifiers: If the patient's HT is less than 10, subtract (HT-10). For minor external causes (common cold, minor infections, worms, athlete's foot) there is no penalty. Severe external causes (fevers, pox, pneumonia, plague, gangrene) and minor internal dysfunctions (asthma, mild allergies) are at -2. Major dysfunctions (cancer, congenital heart disease) are at -4. Chronic problems (malaria, AIDS, lead poisoning, most internal dysfunctions) are at an additional -4 for more than a temporary remission. Ease Path of Health -0 Removes the symptoms of an illness for the duration of the effect. It does not cure the illness, though if the ailment is one people naturally recover from and the duration outlasts the recovery time it appears to. The symptoms begin to fade immediately, most vanish within an hour, though severe symptoms may take a few days to be completely masked. Conception Path of Health -2 The subject of this ritual is more likely than normal to produce a child. Add the success margin to pregnancy rolls made by the target or their sex partner(s). The usual unmodified odds are a 5- for a single sexual contact, 7- for a month of regular sexual activity, -4 for typical birth control precautions. The minimum duration is 1 month, compute duration modifiers from that point rather than normally. For an additional -2 to skill the caster can specify features desired in the child (usually sex, but sometimes elements of appearance). If that outcome is at all possible and the modifier makes the difference to the conception roll, the baby has the desired feature, otherwise ordinary chance determines the results. Strike Barren Path of Health -2 Prevents the target from producing offspring for one month (minimum duration, compute modifiers from that point rather than normally). In many traditions this is regarded as an evil ritual requiring backlash checks, but if the subject consents there is no risk. GMs option whether it prevents cloning, gamete donations and other ultratech methods of reproduction. Succor Path of Health -4 As VO p75, except Initiation level has no effect. Instead allow one (HT+1) roll per day per point of success margin, up to a maximum of 12 rolls in addition to normal healing or medical care. Malaise Path of Health -5 As VO p75. In traditions where disease is not at the whim of the spirits the illness will be one the subject could plausibly come in contact with, or an internal dysfunction. Most traditions allow the caster to specify a maximum severity if he only wants an irritating or an incapacitating illness, and often some of the general symptoms - fevers, blindness, hallucinations and sexual impotence are probably the most common. Evil Eye Path of Health -7 As VO p75. This is not strictly a hostile ritual requiring backlash checks. It has a built in, and usually greater, risk factor. A voice variant is fairly common; instead of making eye contact the caster forcefully tells the target to drop dead. This has a little better range at the cost of loss of subtlety. Expansions: Sobriety, Waybread, poisoning, epidemic, encourage lactation (in cows, human mothers, virgins...), ease birth, cure addictions, cause/cure impotence, remove blemish/freckles/wrinkles/scars/warts _____________________________ The Path of Journeys _____________________________ Rituals concerned with travel or movement, both in the physical and supernatural realms. Guidestar Path of Journeys -0 The subject always knows the direction to go to reach a specific destination. The special effect can manifest as anything from a warm feeling when traveling the right direction to an actual guide - often a small distant light - which may or may not be visible to others. The Guidestar may point anywhere the caster knows well, to any more or less public place he can uniquely name, or to any person or object present at the casting (including the caster, casting a pointer to yourself on a distant subject is an excellent way to get anyone vaguely curious to seek you out). Fair Winds Path of Journeys -2 For the duration semi-random events arrange themselves to minimize the subject's travel time. Winds are always favorable, traffic signals change as he approaches, traffic jams melt before him, public transit runs right on schedule, his luggage is always the first off the plane and his standby seats always become available. The trip won't set a new speed record, but may only miss by enough to avoid delays caused by publicity. Prisoner's Charm (Houdini Effect) Path of Journeys -4 The subject can easily escape restraints or circumvent barriers to his passage. He can free himself from bonds, handcuffs, straight jackets and similar restraints in 1d seconds, squeeze through narrow passages without risk of becoming stuck, locked barriers prove to be unlocked when he tries them, and traps or security systems will be inactive or go off slightly too late to hinder him. The charm doesn't conceal him from sensors, has no effect on living guards, and only opens barriers to passage - locked containers he isn't planning to crawl into, or in which he won't fit, will not open at his touch. Shadow Walk Path of Journeys -6 Allows the adept to move instantly to any familiar location within a mile. His passage must be unobserved. A puff of smoke or recessed doorway is sufficient cover to depart, but the destination must be unobserved for several minutes before he arrives. He appears at the next moment in the future it meets that requirement, jumping somewhere under constant security surveillance can take the adept out of circulation for a *long* time. The Fairie Road Path of Journeys -10 Allows rapid travel to anywhere familiar to the adept. Upon completing the ritual he must begin moving, and soon passes into unfamiliar surroundings (traditionally a misty forest, but twisting caverns appear in some tales and strange back alleys work just as well). After several hours (if anybody times the trip, every timekeeper measures a different result) he sights the desired destination, arriving just at sunset (if traveling by day) or sunrise (by night). Ordinarily the one following the moment of departure, but if the trip normally takes weeks the GM may declare several days passed in the mortal realm during the trip. Anyone who can keep up with or track the adept can follow. Usually nothing encountered will interfere with the journey, but anybody who goes haring off to chase pretty floating lights deserves whatever happens to him, and anyone who stops moving or loses track of the adept emerges wherever (and whenever!) the GM likes. If the campaign allows travel to other worlds or times, this effect can reach them as well - but unless you have been there, or have incredible directions from someone who has traveled there this way, the best you can do is wander around randomly. Expansions: The Witch's Ointment _____________________________ The Path of Nature _____________________________ Rituals dealing with plants or animals, or the vital force (anima) behind them. The modern concept of ecology matches the classical concept well. Cornucopia Path of Nature -0 This ritual has a minimum duration of one season, penalties for longer durations are computed from that. Plants within the target area grow as if conditions were better than they actually are. To determine the effects on crops, find the expected yield under the actual conditions, and increase it by 5% per point of success margin. Notice this is a multiplier, not an added yield, if nothing will grow under the actual conditions, cornucopia will not help. Green Thumb Path of Nature -0 Causes a plant to thrive unless someone actively tries to harm it. The plant can be considered to have proper light, water and soil nutrients, and is immune to frost, heat, pests, parasites, random grazers, accidental forest fires or similar hazards. Gentle Presence Path of Nature -2 Animals must win a contest of Will-5 against this ritual to feel hostility toward or fear of the subject. He will be ignored at a distance; at close range animals may decide he is a curiosity or potential playmate, and while they wont intentionally harm him accidents can happen. Though often associated with pacifist saints, the effect is not negated by violence - it can be used to walk up to and kill animals. Walk Among Brambles Path of Nature -2 or Path of Journeys -2 The subject can travel through any vaguely passable vegetation at his normal walking pace. Vines will not trip him, thorns never scratch and contact with poison oak is harmless. He will not need a machete to penetrate dense jungle or thick gloves to reach into a thorn bush It does not erase a trail, but often makes it harder to follow, and Tracking rolls will be needed where others would leave an obvious slashed trail. Hunter's Guide Path of Nature -3 Attunes the subject to the nearest example of a type of plant or animal. He knows in which direction it lies, but not how far. Once attuned, the guide points to the same target even if it is no longer the nearest. The casting fails if the duration wouldn't be long enough to walk to the target. The type can be a bit narrower than species (adult male horses is a legal type), or much broader (anything with blue flowers). Possible effects include causing a pointer to always fall in the right direction, always chancing onto tracks pointing the right way at moments of decision, or being actually led by a guide, typically a small bird. Plague of Locusts Path of Nature -5 The target individual or area attracts all animals of a particular type within up to 1/2 mile per point of success margin. Animals failing a will roll travel there and try to remain nearby, roll daily for ongoing effects. The 'plague' only shifts animals around, surrounding areas actually have fewer than normal. Usually this isn't noticed, but it can be used as a Pied Piper effect. Expansions: wither/halt crop growth _____________________________ The Path of Protection _____________________________ Rituals intended to avert, deflect or mitigate dangers or threats, or to exclude particular influences. Curse Sanctum Path of Protection -0 As VO p77. Chaperone Path of Protection -3 As VO p76, except for the change of path. Drop 'or a ritual cast by a powerful initiate' from the last paragraph, and use a delay of 1d days per 2 points of success margin. Alternately the amulet can work exactly like Sword Blessing in the Path of Fate, but the re-rolls can only avert harm. Allow symbolic 'uses' - a blessed rabbit's foot could re-roll anything attributable to 'bad luck' (as opposed to lack of skill or outright stupidity), a bit of jewelry set with an amethyst (said to ward off drunkenness) could re-roll Will rolls to resist Alcoholism or HT rolls to avoid the effects of drink. In this variation the charm averts a smaller class of dangers and isn't guaranteed to work, but might work several times, and more than one can be carried (only one retry is ever allowed per die roll though) Reversal of Fortune Path of Protection -3 As VO p78. Poison Burner (Alicorn) Path of Protection -4 The target becomes non-toxic, usually accompanied by a visible effect that verifies a poison was present: unicorn horn or a gem changes color, harmless blue flames erupt from the item burning the poison off in wisps of vile smoke etc. If used on a poisoning victim it halts further damage, but won't reverse harm already suffered. Sanctuary Path of Protection -4 As VO p78. Soul Cleansing Path of Protection -4 As VO p78. Vitality Path of Protection -4 Path of Health -4 As VO p75, except the time required is reduced to the normal 1 hour. Ghost Shirt Path of Protection -5 As VO p79, but drop the effects of initiation level. The effect is always to protect against unintentional attacks except for critical successes, unless the charm is carried by the caster, in which case it protects against all unintentional attacks. In no case does it protect from intentionally targeted attacks. Expansions: forbidden entry (prevent unauthorized use of vital resources), property protection, invulnerability _____________________________ The Path of Spirits _____________________________ Rituals concerned with true supernatural powers - monsters, fey, the undead, demons, gods and the like. Spells of communications, summoning, banishment, exorcism and control of demons, raising undead and creating monsters in vitro. Summon Path of Spirit -0 This ritual attempts to summon a supernatural entity by name. The framework is the same for most entities (Command, Call and Invite are not distinct). An unmodified roll allows any willing entity to appear. Unwilling entities may require a success margin (4 for moderate manifestations, 8 for greater manifestations, more for powerful gods), and always get to resist at Will -3. An entity may be summoned within a warded space if the caster helped erect the ward, but this guarantees it will try to resist. Summoned entities are not constrained to do (or not do) anything other than appear - powerful demons may respond willingly, confident the caster cannot Master them once they arrive. Turn the Spirit Path of Spirit -2 Path of Protection -5 As VO p80. Mastery Path of Spirit -3 As VO p79. Turn the Beast Path of Spirit -3 Path of Protection -6 As VO p80. Ritual of Banishment Path of Spirit -4 As VO p80. Ritual of Slaying Path of Spirit -5 As VO p80. Expansions: exorcism _____________________________ The Path of Transformation _____________________________ Rituals that allow changes of shape, appearance or body function, often on a permanent basis. Altershape Path of Transformation -0 Changes the caster into his alternate form - a natural animal that reflects his inner nature. The GM should allow the player to chose any form that isn't clearly at odds with the character description (dangerous carnivores are not appropriate for vegetarian pacifists for example). The effect lasts until he goes through the ritual again to return to human shape - both shapes can be considered the adept's natural form. Consider your altershape carefully, since the ritual always transforms you into the same animal. The caster retains his intelligence, and in some forms (birds in particular) may even still be able to speak. He can use the basic natural abilities of the form, but complicated aerobatics or tearing things apart with your teeth take practice (and purchased skills) to master just as Acrobatics or Brawling does in human form. Inner Form Path of Transformation -4 The appearance of the subject alters to reflect their inner nature. Only appearance *level* changes, the subject remains recognizable. The GM will need to judge the subject's inner nature carefully to rule on his final appearance. Most people will be Attractive, those with serious character flaws or questionable morals (like say the vast majority of PCs) end up Average. Only the purest of motives merit Very Beautiful, and only the blackest of villains should drop to Ugly or worse. Anybody so far gone as to merit Monstrous probably considers it a positive effect, it allows him to fits in better in Hell. It may be outer appearance already matches inner form, in which case nothing will be observed to happen. This ritual can be resisted and can count as a hostile ritual with a backfire risk. Polymorph Path of Transformation -6 Allows the caster to transform himself (or a willing subject) into any natural animal, plant or object of similar size (be generous, anything from a mouse to a horse should be OK). The duration can always be ended early by willing yourself to return to your natural form. Change Curse Path of Transformation -6 Changes the target into an animal of the caster's choice. It may not change the victim into a form that cannot survive in the current environment, does not shorten his lifespan even if the form naturally ages faster, has no effect on his intelligence (GMs option: it may stabilize his sanity, staying sane for a century as a toad seems difficult, but is normal in fairy tale sources of this spell) and often he can still speak in his original voice. Like Enchanted Sleep, early termination options can be added if the caster desires, otherwise use the normal duration. The versions used in most tales are cast by incredibly powerful beings who can take the skill penalties for fast casting a thousand year duration -6 ritual. This is a resisted hostile ritual, on a backlash the caster changes into the selected form. Variants that change the subject into trees, objects, or stone or metal statues work similarly - though they usually prevent speech and may leave the target unaware of his surroundings. Eternal Youth Path of Transformation -10 The object of many magicians life's work, this ritual permanently arrests the subject's aging, or for an additional -2 to skill sets a target age he ages toward (backward if he is already older!) before aging stops. In most traditions this ritual is more than a little dangerous (the Taoist version for example involves drinking deadly poisons). If the ritual fails make an HT roll to avoid instant death; if it succeeds you die a slow death instead - begin making weekly aging rolls. Eternal Youth requires the cooperation of the subject, though the mage may neglect to mention risks of failure. Expansions: magical strength _____________________________ The Path of Visions _____________________________ Magical information gathering. There are three major kinds of effects: sensory enhancements are fairly rare in traditional sources; binary detectors often attached to objects (the cup from which liars cannot drink, the slipper that fits only the true princess, the girdle only the chaste can wear) are very common; as are effects that provide information in more or less complete phrases, like most classical divinations or inspired prophecy. Lost and Found Path of Vision -0 As VO p77, except the casting time is reset to the standard 1 hour, and the default duration is until the object is found or the standard 12 hours, not 2d days. Vision of Luck Path of Vision -0 As VO p77. Reveal True Love Path of Vision -0 One of the most common divinations, the subject sees a brief vision of his true love (or in some variants future spouse). It provides no additional information - though the vision often shows someone the subject recognizes. In some variations instead of a vision the next eligible person met will be the true love. Like any precognitive vision this requires quite a bit of GM judgment and willingness to finesse the future to pull off. Scrying Path of Vision -4 The caster has a vision of a specific person, place or object as it is now, or by taking a penalty equal to the duration modifier for the same period, at a moment in the past. The vision lasts only a minute or two, covers only the immediate surroundings of the target (the room it's in, or a few dozen yards if it is in the open), and provides no special insight about where the target is. A success margin of 2 or more shows the scene in good illumination even if the light there is (was) poor. A margin of 4 or more also transmits sound. Many variants use a crystal, but a mirror, reflecting pool, fire, smoke, inkblots, dancing shadows or sunlight or even purely mental vision can work. Seeking Path of Vision -4 The caster can home in on a specific person or object (a general class of objects is at -2, and points to a random nearby example). It usually works as a tool drawn to the target - a pendulum, dowsing rod, compass needle.... The default form simply gives direction from the direction of the pull, but at -4 it can be worked to search a symbolic space - a map, phone book etc. Intentionally hidden targets are found at -1 to -5, depending on how strongly the person concealing it wanted it hidden. Treasure Lamp Path of Vision -8 An enchantment placed on a light source. For the duration anything of great value, or places where such objects are hidden, illuminated by the lamp will be obvious. Traditionally faint blue flames burn above them, in some variants visible only to the person holding the light source. Great value is intentionally left vague, it might mean great value to the caster, the lamp holder, or simply the person who last handled the object. Variants sensitive to something else - secrets, dangers, fateful things, evidence - might also be possible. Expansions: clarify senses, answer a question about the past or present detect sorcerers, discover the identity of a thief, life tokens, personality reading, chastity tests, reveal invisible. _____________________________ Credits _____________________________ Thanks to Dataweaver for useful comments and ideas.