Disciplines

The following are the Disciplines widely available to casters in our campaign. There may be others but they are rare and must be discovered during play and studied between sessions.

Acquiring Disciplines

• The Lesser Form of each Discipline may be acquired by taking the Magic Feat of the same name (the Conjure Feat grants Lesser version of the Conjure Discipline).

IMPORTANT: You can only learn a number of Disciplines equal to half your Magic Skill Rank, rounded down (so a character with Magic at Rank 3 can acquire 2 Disciplines). 

• The Greater version of a Discipline can be accessed by taking the “Mastered Magic” Feat. You need to have Magic Skill at Rank 5 to take Mastered Magic and you can only Master one Discipline (the exception being characters who have the Wizard Paragon Class who can Master two).

NOTE: The “Adept” Magic Feat provides access to a limited version of the Magic Skill which is permanently fixed at Rank 1 - enough to learn a single Discipline.

Using Disciplines

Unless otherwise indicated, the abilities granted by these Disciplines can’t be used in main room of the Ram’s Head or in other places protected by Wards but can be used elsewhere (the Moderator will tell you when Wards are present when you are in an Expedition).

The back room of the tavern is sometimes called “the Ritual Room” because it is not protected by Wards and many Disciplines work there.

Combat related abilities never work in the Live Action environment and are almost always restricted to battles that occur during Expeditions.

Alchemy

The creation of magical potions and elixirs.

Lesser: You start each session with 2 items from the Common Potions list from the Magic Items section that you have created between sessions. You may also Craft Potions during play (see below).

Greater: You start each session with 3 items from the Common Potions list from the Magic Items section that you have created between sessions (instead of the 2 for having the Lesser version). You may also Create new potions (see below).

• Crafting Potions: Alchemists may go on Expedition to travel to the Grendilmir workshop (one of the Core Arcanum) to craft potions during a session (or they may use the Portable Lab Feat). Once there, they risk Manna Burn to create up to three items from the common potions list. For each item, you need to expend a Bundle of Herbs. If more than 1 potion of the same sort is created at the same time, only 1 test is needed.

• Creating Potions: Alchemists can also attempt the creation of a unique Potion with whatever effect they choose. This requires access to the Grendilmir workshop and requires a Vial of Extracted Essence (the Portable Lab cannot be used). The Gatekeeper (or other Moderator) will determine whether the requested potion is too powerful (in which an item of the Alchemists choice from the standard list is created instead). Assuming the potion is acceptable the Gatekeeper (or Moderator) will generate an equipment card. Either way, the materials are consumed and a Mana Burn test is made.

NOTE: Gathering Bundles of Herbs and Vials of Extracted Essence require the use of the Herbalist Feat.

Attack

The use of magic as a weapon.

Lesser: When your turn comes up during a combat on Expedition, you may make a spell attack as your action. Choose the form it takes based on the style of your Tradition. This attack different from a weapon attack in two ways. First, use your Magic Skill to attack and your chosen targets Defense against Magic as your Difficulty. Many creatures have lower Defense against Magic than Melee or Ranged (but some have higher so be careful). Second, if you Fail (all three dice are lower than the Difficulty) the spell Backfires and you take 1 Wound.

Greater: When making an attack, you may spend 1 Advantage Chit to cast an area affect spell. This is typically some form of area attack such as a Fireball or Noxious Cloud but can be whatever makes sense for your character and their Tradition. This will automatically succeed against a Magic Defense of less than 9 (inflicting 2 damage). If you spend 2 Advantage Chits, you need to make a Magic test against the opponent’s Magic Defense. Fail: Backfire - take 2 Wounds, Partial: Inflict 1 damage, Success: Inflict 3 damage, Exceptional: Inflict 5 damage.

Conjure

The use of magic to create or summon objects.

Lesser: This spell allows you to can either create or summon (depending on your Tradition) an object you can hold easily in one hand. The object behaves as a typical item of that kind should and lasts until 10 minutes after you stop paying attention to it or gets more than 100ft away from you. You can maintain a maximum number of items equal to your Magic Skill Rank.

Greater: This creates larger, more complex and more durable objects. Anything relatively simple, lighter than you are and no larger in any dimension than you are tall (like a barrel) can be conjured with a Difficulty of 7, Difficulty 9 for heavier, more complex or larger (such as a footbridge) and Difficulty 11 for heavier, more complex AND larger (such as a carriage). The result determines the quality of the item. A failure is a Backfire and means you take 2 Wounds. The object behaves as a typical item of that kind should and lasts until 1 hour after you stop paying attention to it or gets more than a half mile away from you. Only 1 of these larger items can be maintained at one time (this is in addition to any smaller items you may have created).

Defend

The use of magic as a form of Defense.

Lesser: When you are the target of an attack on Expedition, instead of making a Combat test against the Difficulty of the attack to defend yourself, you may use your Magic Skill instead (reducing the damage by the number of dice that score). There is no Backfire for failure.

Greater: When an ally is targeted by an attack on Expedition, you may use an Advantage Chit to defend them by making a Magic test the attacker’s Magic Defense and reducing the damage by the number of dice that score (if you fail, the spell Backfires, and you take 1 Wound. After resolving your spell and reducing the damage, if any damage remains your ally may still make a Combat test to defend themselves as usual, potentially reducing it even further.

Distract

The use of magic to confuse or confound.

Lesser: There are a lot of spells that could have these effects including things like illusions, psychic attacks or gusts of snowy wind. Make a Magic skill test against the Magic Defense of your chosen target. If successful, the number of dice that score is the number of actions the Difficulty of Defending against their attack actions is reduced by 2 (so when anyone defends against an affected Troll that makes a Diff 8 Dam 5 attack, they only need defend with a Combat skill test against a Difficulty of 6). A failure is a backfire and means you take 1 Wound.

Greater: Once per combat, you may spend 2 Advantage chits to use the Greater version of this Form, but only when fighting a group of 2 or more (it cannot be used against a single opponent). Make a Magic skill test against the Magic Defense of your chosen target. If successful, the number of dice that score is the number of turns they lose. A failure is a backfire and means you take 2 Wounds.

Divination

Using magic to sense the future to help the caster guide their present. 

Lesser: Once per Expedition the caster may attempt a "Reading" against a Difficulty determined by the number of time they have attempted a Reading so far in the current session. If it the first time, the Difficulty is only 6, if they have already done it once or twice the Difficulty is 8 and if they have already done it more than twice the Difficulty is 10. Each success gives them 1 "Portent". A Portent can be expended to force a reroll of any randomly generated element of the Expedition. This doesn't refer to combat but to story elements found in the Arcanum Guide such as determining what creature (if any) is encountered. Such events can only be redirected once (you can't use two Portents to reroll the reroll). Portents must be used in the Expedition for which they were generated or they are lost. Because the caster must already by on Expedition to do a Reading they can't generate Portents until they appear somewhere (so they can't be used to effect the "Through the Ether" result).

Greater: Once per Session the caster may attempt to read the Omens. This must be done in the Ritual Room with the assistance of the Gatekeeper. They choose a subject - up to three words - written on a piece of parchment and given to the gatekeeper when the spell is cast. It can be anything. A person, place, thing or even an action. After casting the caster must check for Manna Burn. Within the hour they will get three insights into the subject. These will often be five words or less and can be vague but at least one is usually helpful in some way.  

Enchanting

The creation of minor magic items.

Lesser: You start each session with 2 items from the Common Charms list from the Magic Items section that you have created between sessions.

Greater: You start each session with 3 items from the Common Charms list from the Magic Items section that you have created between sessions (instead of the 3 for having the Lesser version). You may also Create new Magic Items (see below).

• Crafting Charms: Enchanters may go on Expedition to travel to the Grendilmir workshop (one of the Core Arcanum) to create Charms during a session (or they may use the Portable Workshop Feat). Once there, they risk Manna Burn to create up to three items from the common charms list. For each item, you need to expend a Bundle of Bones. If more than 1 potion of the same sort is created at the same time, only 1 test is needed.

• Creating Items: Greater Alchemists can also attempt the creation of a unique expendable magic item with whatever effect they choose. This requires access to the Grendilmir workshop and requires a Vial of Potent Blood. The Gatekeeper (or other Moderator) will determine whether the requested item is too powerful (in which which case a small ingot of emerald slag worth 10gd is created). Assuming the item is acceptable the Gatekeeper (or Moderator) will generate an equipment card. Either way, the materials are consumed and a Mana Burn test is made.

NOTE: Gathering Bundles of Bones and Vials of Potent Blood require the use of the Harvest Feat.

Enhance

Effects that enhance the abilities of the caster's allies.

Lesser: You may spend 10 minutes and risk Manna Burn to enhance a chosen ally. The nature of the enhancement is up to you and is informed by your Tradition. Examples include blessings, strengths spell or some form of inspiration. The affected character gets three re-rolls they can use at any time for anything, but they can’t use more than one per test.

Greater: The same as the Lesser version but if affects the entire party instead of targeting a single character. Anyone can use one of the three re-rolls the spell bestows.

IMPORTANT: Each caster may only have one Enhance spell (of either type) active at any time.

Heal

The restoration of health to an injured being (intended for humanoid characters but works on all living targets - never autimatons, the undead).

Lesser: You may spend 10 minutes and risk Manna Burn to heal all of a character’s damage. This also removes any lingering effects of poison and disease, and will neutralize psychological effects such as fear and temporary madness. This must be noncombat on Expedition. In the live action space you must spend the 10 minutes tending your patient in the Ritual Room or similar safe area.

Greater: During combat, you may use an Action to heal the ally of your choice. Make a Magic skill test against a Difficulty of 7 if you can touch them, 8 if they are close (within 30ft) or 9 if they are a short distance (up to 120 feet). The number of successes is the number of Wounds you heal. No backfire occurs if you fail your test but nothing is healed. The first time each combat you attempt this it costs 1 Advantage Chit. Every subsequent attempt costs 1 additional Chit (2 for the second time, 3 for the third and so on).

Protect

Effects that use magic to absorb damage.

Lesser: You may spend 10 minutes and risk Manna Burn to Protect a chosen ally. The nature of the Protection is up to you and is informed by your Tradition. Three times the affected character may reduce the damage they take by 1 Wound, but they can’t use this more than one per attack.

Greater: The same as the Lesser version but if affects the entire party instead of targeting a single character and it reduces damage by 2 (instead of 1). Anyone can choose to use the Protected effect of the three times the spell allows.

IMPORTANT: Each caster may only have one Protect spell (of either type) active at any time.

Summoning

The caster summons a being that can help them on Expeditions.

Lesser: Summoning a minion requires ten minutes so can’t be done in combat. Only one minion can be maintained at a time, so once one has been summoned a second cannot be summoned until the first one has been dismissed or driven off. The kind of creature called depends on the caster’s tradition. Cleric summon small celestial spirits. Druids summon animals. Mages summon demons. Sorcerers summon creatures from the elemental planes. Hedge Mages and Spellsingers summon fey. The minion remains for the rest of the Expedition, until dismissed by the summoner or driven off. The lesser version understands only very simple commands but doesn’t speak and won’t venture more than 30 or 40 feet from the summoner, making it all but useless for anything but combat. In combat a minion can’t be targeted directly by the enemy (but will be affected by indirect attacks). When the summoner is targeted they may choose to make the minion the target instead, defending with a Combat Skill Rank of 2. They have a Wound Capacity of 2, and if they take 2 or more wounds, they vanish - having returned to wherever they’re summoned from. When the summoner gets a turn they may choose to have the minion attack in their stead, doing so with a Combat Skill Rank of 2. Other than combat, they won’t be able to make actions that require skill tests but if they need to make a save or a test to react to something assume they have a Rank of 2.

Greater: The creatures summoned by the Greater version of this Discipline are larger, smarter and more powerful than the Lesser version. They can communicate telepathically with the summoner at a range of 300 feet and are able to share what they see and hear, making them useful scouts. They have Athletics, Combat, Perception, Agility and Endurance at Skill Rank 4 (like the lesser versions anything else they need and should have is assumed to be at Skill Rank 2). They have a Wound Capacity of 3 and after any battle in which they took damage they are recover 1 point. Like the lesser version they can intercept attacks that target their summoner but for 1 Advantage Point, they may intercept an attack made against another party member. Like the lesser version, their summoner may have them attack on thier turn, but they may also have them attack when an Edge card is drawn (instead of adding a chit to the reserve).

Magic Feats can be acquired to add abilities to the minions