Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy has many names. Just as it is the inheritor of many forms of magic it is also the progenitor of many of others including Hucksters, Hexagrams, and many forms of Witchcraft. Practitioners of Thaumaturgy learn astronomy, astrology, alchemy, and forms of eastern magic. Thaumaturgist practice magic by combining the power of their mind and spirit, the place and time, and the inherent mystical properties materials together. They are voracious students, inventive, and greedy for knowledge.
Learning Thaumaturgy:
Edge: Thaumaturgy 3
Skills:
Academia Occult: 2
Science: Mathematics 1
Science: Astronomy 1
Alchemy 1
Faith 1
All thaumaturgist must have a good fundamental understanding of the occult, complex mathematics, movement of the stars, magical properties of things, and a connection to the spirit world in order to make magic.
A thaumaturgist begins play with a number of spells equal to the lower of academica: occult, and faith. Materials, and places may be prepared with Science: Mathematics, and Alchemy. Times are determined using astronomy. Faith is utilized to cast but uses the trait defined in the power rather than spirit.
High Powers:
Dragons Teeth
Trait: Knowledge
TN: 3 + special.
Duration: 1 round/raise
Components: Alchemically treated teeth (any kind). Requires 1 ounce GR, and 1 ounce human blood for every 3 teeth. TN 5 Alchemy roll. Can treat 3 additional teeth per raise, or reduce strain cost by 1 (cannot be mixed with other teeth).
Time: NA
Strain: 3 + special.
Range: 10 yards/faith level
This power will turn 1 or more teeth into fighting men. These men are mockeries of life but have statistics equal to veteran walking dead. One tooth is requires per man, and 1 strain must be spent per man (so minimum strain spent is 3 + 1 for one man). The target number for power is equal to 3 + 2 per man. So minimum TN is 5.
Solar/Lunar Fire/Frost
Trait: Spirit
TN: 5
Duration: Instant
Components: Both: Polished Crystal lenses treated with 1 ounce solution of ghost rock and human blood. Solar: Lenses suspended in geometric symbol of sun made from gold (worth $1000) and hung from dawn until dusk to collect suns rays for seven consecutive days. Luna: Lenses suspended in geometric symbol of mood made from silver (worth $1000) and from dusk until dawn for seven consecutive nights. Construction TN: Alchemy: 5, Mathematics: 7. For every raise on both skills gives +1 to cast spell (use minimum number of raises for both skills). This component is not consumed unless player botches faith roll when casting. It can be targeted and destroyed, stolen, and lost. Lenses can be worked into other items, jewelry, and clothing. Doing so may require expert assistance, or additional skills.
Time: Solar fire can only be cast during day, and lunar fire can only be cast at night.
Strain: 1
Range: 20 yards/faith level.
The spell does 1d12 fire/cod damage per success and raise.
Fire Mantle
Trait: Spirit
TN: 9
Duration: 1 round/strain
Components: Ashe mixed with one ounce of ghost rock. Alchemy roll TN 5.
Time: March 21 – April 19 (Aries), July 23 – August 22 (Leo), November 23 – December 21 (Sagittarius) decrease TN by 2. If components are mixed during these days TN decreased by 2.
Strain: 1 per round
Range: 1 person within 10 yards/faith level per success and raise.
This spell helps the thaumaturgist protect themselves and their allies from the flames. It provides armor against fire damage. Minimum success provides 2 AV against flames. Every additional strain spent at casting increases AV by 1.
Long Step
Trait: Cognition
TN: 7
Duration: 1 hour + 1 hour/raise
Components: Land: 1 pound of horse hoof carved with symbols of travel sand dipped in 1 ounce of Ghost Rock, Sea: 1 pound of fish bone carved with symbols of travel and dipped in 1 ounce Ghost Rock, Air: 1 pound of flying bird bones carved with symbols of travel and dipped in 1 ounce of Ghost Rock.
Time: Components must be completed at dawn.
Strain: 6 + 1/additional hour of effect
Range: Special
Doubles the rate of travel utilizing the method of travel for the duration.
Ghost Shield
Trait: Mein
TN: 5
Duration: 3 rounds per strain
Components: Eight-ounce or larger chunk of ghost rock.
Time: NA
Strain: 1 per 3 rounds
Range: Self
Ghost shield creates an invisible barrier of protection against both ranged and hand-to-hand attacks. To cast the Thaumaturgist places the chunk of ghost rock in their hand and makes a faith roll. If successful the ghost rock turns into dust (if larger the ghost rock loses eight-ounces of value). The thaumaturgist spends 1 strain immediately and may choose to spend 1 strain every 3 rounds after to maintain the shield. While up the ghost shield has a 50/50 chance of stopping any attack (roll die and call out even or odd). Only damage that cannot be deflected like drowning or poison gas slips by the shield.
Doppelganger
Trait: Mein
TN: Special
Duration: 1 strain per day.
Components: Special
Time: Special
Strain: 3
Range: Self
Doppelganger allows a thaumaturgist to take on the form, image, voice, and potentially some of the memories of someone else. To use the power the power, the thaumaturgist merely has to beat the TN, expend the components, and pay the cost of strain.
Doppelganger:
TN 5: Solution made from fresh blood of person being copied and 1 ounce of ghost rock.
TN 7: Solution made from fresh nail and hair clippings of person being copied and 1 ounce of ghost rock. Alternatively, solution made from old/dried blood of person being copied and 1 ounce of ghost rock.
TN 9: Solution made older nail and hair clippings of person being copied and 1 ounce of ghost rock.
TN 11: Solution made from contaminated sample of nail and hair clipping of person being copied and 3 ounces of ghost rock.
* At Marshal's discretion other materials may substitute for any of the suggested above.
If items of personal value to the person being copied are utilized during creation of solution the following benefits are provided for the duration of the spell.
Intimate/Cherished Belonging: Academia: Person being copied 4, +6 Acting like person, ability to use skills of target using base statistic without -4 unskilled negative.
Personal belongings: Academia: Person being copied 3, +4 Acting like person, ability to use skills of target using base statistic. Still have -4 negative.
Belonging used or carried every day: Academia: Person being copied 2, +2 Acting like person.
If cast on the person beings copied birthday, or anniversary of their death the thaumaturgist gets a +2 to cast the spell.
Ward
Trait: Spirit
TN: 5
Duration: 1 hour per strain.
Components: Powdered salt, brick dust, and ghost rock. 1 ounce of each must be utilized per 25 square feet warded.
Time: Best cast at sunrise, or sunset. Increase TN by 2 if cast any other time.
Strain: 2 + Special
Range: Region outlined by powdered solution.
The thaumaturgist outlines the region they wish to protect with the Ward and will into existence a ward protecting the region from intrusion. Any creature with a spirit die type can be stopped. Only those designated by caster can pass unmolested. All others must beat the thaumaturgist fait roll when cast.
Following Modifiers may apply:
Cast within area that has threshold +2
Cast within caster own home +4 (not cumulative with threshold modifier).
Area is prepared with proper geometric designs. Mathematics roll TN 9. +2
The entire area warded is enclosed by walls with no corners (round room) +2
Hades Call
Trait: Spirit
TN: 11
Duration: NA
Components: Two silver coins struck by lightning, 3 eagle feathers, chili pepper, white vinegar, mistletoe, one pound of ghost rock, and 4 nails (1 copper, 1 iron, 1 gold, and 1 silver), 2 gallons of palm wine, and 8 ounces of cedar oil.
Time: Must be done within 3 days of death at 3AM. Spell preparations must be complete before 3AM.
Strain: 7 + 2 per +2 bonus to cast roll.
Range: Touch
The caster must anoint the body with numerology and symbols corresponding to the proper Zodiac signs (Mathematics TN 7, Astronomy TN 7, and Occult TN 9). This takes approximately 1 hour. The chili pepper mixed with the white vinegar is then scattered around the body. The eagle feathers, mistletoe, and ghost rock are stuffed into body (TN 9 Medicine: Surgery Roll, or TN 9 Profession: Mortician roll otherwise scar is created that gives body first rank of ugly as sin, or raises ugly as sin by one rank if already possessed). The Palm Wine is injected into the bodies veins. This usually takes one hour (TN 7 Medicine roll, or Profession: Mortician roll reduces this by half, of by three quarters if proper equipment available.). Body is then posed properly (Occult Roll TN 7). The nails are driven into the shadow cast by the body. The body is anointed with the cedar oil, and the coins placed atop the eyes of the body.
At 3 AM the caster finishes the ritual and the Marshal may make a faith roll for the caster. For every raise on Mathematics, Astronomy, and Occult roll caster receives +1. Caster may expend strain in increments of 2 to receive +2 bonus. For every success and raise on casting roll the corpse receives an additional card to come back Harrowed pulled by the Marshal after character pulls their normal allotment of cards. Should the ritual fail (TN 11 minimum not reached) the Marshal will make a separate faith roll for caster upon which they may spend chips, and apply any bonuses the caster received. They may pretend to make this roll even if the caster succeeded to deliberately generate doubt. If TN 11 roll is reached by Marshal then they may pull 1 card per success and raise. If Joker pulled then body will raise as Greater Walking Dead (Undead with access to all none faith based abilities of character, and their memories). This event will not be immediately obvious to caster.
Psevdis Mnemosyne Solution
Trait: Smarts
TN: Opposed Smarts Roll
Duration: Permanent
Components: 1 ounce Ghost Rock, 1 ounce human blood, half ounce of Cerebrospinal fluid, spoon full of parsley, and sage.
Time: Must be mixed in the hour before sunrise.
Strain: Special
Range: Solution must be ingested by, or sprayed into targets face (-2 to faith roll if this done).
This creates a solution that imparts false memories into the target. It can supplement, or alter memories. What memories to be imparted must be decided during the solutions brewing. This is a complex process requiring deliberate concentration and complex formula provided by the caster (Mathematics roll TN 7, each raise provides + 1 to faith roll). The strain of crafting the solution varies depending on how complex, and far back the memories go.
Memory Age/Length: Strain: Faith Roll Modifier:
Minutes 1 -0
Hours 2 -2
Days 3 -4
Months 4 -6
Years 5 -8
Decades, or 6 -10
important memories
At times the target may get flashes of truth if confronted by confrontational and emotional situations that surround the memory (Ex: a forgotten loved one pleading with them), or direct evidence contradicting the memory (Ex: Photographic evidence showing memory to be impossible). Under this situation they may make a smarts roll against TN 9 with a -1 per raise caster had on their Faith roll.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:03, Sat 13 Nov 2021.
