Hermetic Magic
These file is based on Storypath System and Ars Magica second identical item. If the item require any product or vis
game, and you will need both to play, as it doesn’t have the basic
rules and expect you to understand the concepts of magic
explained on Ars Magica.
The only focus on this file is to make possible to play a
Magus from Ars Magica using Storypath System. Also, it’s possible
to create Hedge Wizards, mostly by giving supernatural abilities,
but possibly going as far as using an effect system similar to the
use of Hermetic arts, but with different focus.
Creating a Magus
A Magus is created using the same rules as for regular
humans, and have automatically The Gift (including extra edge
dots), 5 edge dots to distribute between Hermetic edges, 10 dots
of Hermetic Arts to be distributed (none higher than 2) and
mastery in Parma Magica (check Rego Effects).
If created before the training, the future Magus must learn
the Arts and his house Edge before be considered an Magus.
Occasionally a Magus would not open properly one of his arts,
and, in this case would not have access to it.
Magus Advancement
Once fully trained and with all arts opened, a Magus can
use experience to advance. Beside all that mundanes can learn, a
Magus can learn Hermetic Arts, costing 6 experience per dot.
Mastery on an spell costs 1 experience per rank of the spell.
New Skill
Magic
The Magic Skill represents the character knowledge of the
workings of magic, not only the ability to cast spells, but the
knowledge and practices that are used in the background of
rituals, enchantments and laboratory activities, as well as dealing
with magical creatures of all kinds. While a mundane may learn
this skill, it’s unusual to have a high score in Magic, and usually
just the more learned Magus have the dedication necessary to
became real master in Magic.
Example rolls using Magic: Casting an spell (+ Resolve),
Understand the meaning of a magical inscription (+ Intellect),
Trace a circle preparing for a Ritual (+ Dexterity), Inspire a
apprentice to learn about the ancient magic (+ Presence), Prepare
a proper offer to a Fae in return from a favour (+ Manipulation).
Flexible Formulaic Magic: The Magus can adjust
formulaic spells slightly while casting. Spending a momentum
when casting a formulaic or ritual spell, the Magus can adjust the
range, duration and target by one scale up or down (or change in
the same scale), adjusting the rank of spell accordingly.
Magical Researcher: The character have a knack for
research magic, preparing a proper theory for your inventions and
enchantments. When inventing an spell or enchanting an item,
you may spend a Momentum to grant your Culture Skill as an
enhancement on any Laboratory Practices roll.
Magical Polymath: The character can understand magic in
a very deep manner, using this understanding to copy some
effects with easy after sensing it. Whenever the character follow
the use of some supernatural edge, you can spend a momentum
to add the Empathy Skill as an enhancement on the roll to
spontaneously cast a similar effect. For example, after see a
shapeshifter transform himself in a bear, the character can use a
momentum to add the Empathy Skill as an enhancement to
Spontaneous cast a Rego Animal/Corpus spell to transform himself
in a Bear.
Method Caster: The Magus have great facility to cast the
spells he invented. By spending a momentum while casting
formulaic spells, you gain 2 enhancement on the casting roll. It
don't work on rituals nor in spontaneous magic.
Methodical Enchanter: The character is a great enchanter
and can repeat any process recently used with easy. You can
spend 1 momentum whenever the character is creating an
enchanted item, and the tests will result in the creation of a
beyond the regular sources, the character still need to provide it
to use this trick.
Quiet Casting: The Magus is trained on non verbal casting.
By spending 1 momentum when casting, the Magus buy off the
Quiet Voice complication or reduce the complication of No Voice to
2. The range of voice is not changed.
Reflexive Casting: The Magus have magical reflexes, and
can cast spells as fast as reacts. Whenever the Magus can react to
an action, he can spend a Momentum to cast an spell that he can
cast as a part of a mixed action (Mastered formulaic or
Spontaneous), doing so causes a complication level 2, that, if not
bought off causes the spell to fail.
Subtle Casting: The Magus is trained on immobile casting.
By spending 1 momentum when casting, the Magus buy off the
Subtle Gestures or No Gestures complications.
Esoteric Skill Specialities
Some skills specialities are particularly useful during the
casting of rituals, there is a few examples. A character with an
esoteric Speciality is capable of minor magical effects, restricted
to interpretation and use of natural occurrences, mainly if used in
combination with the Magic Skill.
Culture: Astrological horoscope, Mystical history
Empathy: Sensitivity, Telempathy
Enigmas: Magical mysteries, Arithmancy
Humanities: Philosophy, Theology, Secret societies
Medicine: Oriental medicine, Bodylines reading
Science: Holistic science, Alchemy, Unnatural Elements
Survival: Magical creatures, Magical herbs
New Paths
All Magus are, one way or another, part of the Order of
Hermes, but the Order as a whole is not a proper path, as the only
thing connecting all the order is the Hermetic Theory, not even all
the magical practices are available to all Magus, being part of
Mistery Cults or available only to members of an specific house.
To fill the Society Path, the 12 Houses are available, also
House Diedne is available, if the game takes place before the
Schism War.
The descriptions of the houses are focused only on the
rules, for more info about the workings of each house, goes to Ars
Magica.
House Bjornaer (Society)
Example Connections: Hermit, Herb gatherer, Hunter,
Lumberjack, Animal handler.
Skills: Athletics, Close Combat, Magic, Survival
Edges: Animal Ken, Danger Sense, Direction Sense,
Hearthbeast, Hardy, Hair Trigger Reflexes, Iron Will, Keen Sense
House Bonisagus (Society)
Example Connections: University Professor, Museum
Curator, Librarian, magic researcher.
Skills: Enigmas, Humanities, Integrity, Magic
Edges: Hermetic Laboratory, Library, Lightning Calculator,
Parma Magica
House Criamon (Society)
Example Connections: Hermit, Astronomy student,
Alchemist, Pagan cultist, seer.
Skills: Culture, Enigmas, Humanities, Magic
Edges: Breath Control, Covert, Danger Sense,
Photographic Memory, The Enigma
House Diedne (Society)
Example Connections: Folk witches, member of pagan
cult, pagan priest, Hermit.
Skills: Culture, Magic, Medicine, Survival
Edges: Animal Ken, Covert, Diedne Magic, Library, Patron
House Ex-Miscellanea (Society)
 All the Ex-Miscellanea are member of one of many hedge
traditions, and have one unique supernatural ability that is not lost
in the opening of arts and can be learned with less experience.
Example Connections: Hedge wizard, alchemist, herb
gatherer, artist.
Skills: Culture, Empathy, Integrity, Magic
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Big Hearted, Cover, Endurance,
Iron Will, Skilled Liar, Speed Reading.
House Flambeau (Society)
Example Connections: Alchemist, war lord, assassin.
Skills: Aim, Athletics, Magic, Survival
Edges: Elemental Magic, Endurance, Hardy, Magical Focus
(Fire), Magical Focus (Perdo)
House Guernicus (Society)
Example Connections: Quesitor, judge, Mage Hunter,
demon hunter.
Skills: Command, Empathy, Integrity, Magic
Edges: Always Prepared, Hardy, Iron Will, Keen Sense,
Photographic Memory, Small Unity Tactics, Tough Cookie
House Jerbiton (Society)
Example Connections: Noble, seer, court Magus, king,
artist, craftsman.
Skills: Culture, Humanities, Magic, Persuasion
Edges: Artistic Talent, Fame, Speed Reading, Patron,
Wealth
House Mercere (Society)
A house Mercere member can be a Gifted Magus, but
usually is not, starting without The Gift and no access to the
Hermetic Arts. But the training of the ungifted Magus grants 100
experience to be distributed as desired.
The Gift
The difference of a regular human and a Magus is The Gift,
the ability to handle magic, Hermetic or not. The Gift is a special
supernatural ability with no cost, but that can’t be learned if not
born with. The Gift gives the capacity of handling all kinds of
magic, so, a character, even if not a Magus, can get any
Supernatural Abilities thru training and can learn the Hermetic
(and NonHermetic) Arts, if they are opened properly.
Unfortunately, anyone that have The Gift causes an
unnatural discomfort on all living creatures around them, humans
and animals, that become suspicious and possibly aggressive, how
bad the others react the the Gifted is determined by the kind.
Warping
Accumulating Warping and Warping Score
The two reasons to get Warping points are the same,
botches, Living on High Magical Aura and Powerful Magic.
For every 5 Warping points a character have, his Warping
Score increases by one (Warp Score 0 Form 0 to 4 Warping points,
WS1 from 5 to 9, and so on). The Warping Score of a character
affects the way a character receives Warping points.
Aura: A character gains 1 point of Warping for every year
living on a area with Magical Aura strength 6, half time for every
strength above. The Warping Score of a Character is subtracted
from the Strength of the aura to determine the time living on the
aura needed to get a new Warping Point.
Powerful Magic: Any Magical Effect causes 1 Warping point
to the target for every 3 ranks, add to this 1 Warping Point if it
lasts at least 1 year. If the effect is designed for the character, it
causes 1 less Warping Point and the Warping Score of the
Character is subtracted from the number of Warping Points
received.
Effects of Warping Score on UnGifted
UnGifteds are not essentially magical, and their bodies
change as they are exposed to magic. When reach Warping Score
1 or more, the character can use experience to gain one
Example Connections: Redcap, artifact creator, guide,
travelling seller, circus member.
Skills: Culture, Integrity, Magic, Survival
Edges: Artifact, Direction Sense, Free Running, Iron Will,
Patron
House Merinita (Society)
Example Connections: Lunatics, fae touched, herb
gatherer, hermit, fae.
Skills: Culture, Larceny, Magic, Survival
Edges: Animal Ken, Artistic Talent, Faerie Magic, Mythic
Blood, Striking, Sympathetic Caster
House Tremere (Society)
Example Connections: Necromancer, Certamen Master,
tribunal leader.
Skills: Command, Humanities, Magic, Persuasion
Edges: Iron Will, Library, Magical Focus (Certamen),
Mercurian Magic, Photographic Memory, Skilled Liar
House Tytalus (Society)
Example Connections: Power hunger Magus, leper
Magus, Titan worshiper.
Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Command, Magic
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Always Prepared, Iron Will, Leper
Magus, Library, Sympathetic Caster
House Verditius (Society)
Example Connections: Artist, craftsman, artificer, artifact
collector, rare material seller.
Skills: Humanities, Magic, Science, Technology
Edges: Artistic Talent, Fast Draw, Hermetic Laboratory,
Patron, Speed Reading, Verditius Magic, Weak Spots.

Blatant Gift: The Gifted modify the attitude of all people
and animals around to became 2 points to the negative and
increase the difficulty of all the social interactions by 2. The Gifted
gains 4 additional dots of edges.
Regular Gift: The Gifted modify the attitude of all people
and animals around to became 1 point to the negative and
increase the difficulty of all the social interactions by 1. The Gifted
gains 2 additional dots of edges.
Gentle Gift: The Gifted does not modify any reaction of
people or animals. The Gifted gains no additional dots of edges.

Supernatural ability with dots limited by the Warping Score.
Unfortunately, their bodies also are warped by the effects of
magic, and when reach Warping Score 1, 3 and 5, the character
gains one Warping side effect, it is usually related to the kind of
magic he was exposed, and have minor game effects, usually
some kind of mark or change on the appearance, like scars on the
skin, excess or lost of hair or change in skin colour. This side effect
may cause prejudice from common folk, as it usually indicate
excess use of magic or friendship with magical beings.
Warping Gifted
A mundane person will not be able to gain any further
Warping Point after reach Warping Score 5, but Magus and other
people with supernatural abilities may thru botching.
Botching: A caster gains 1 point of Warping for every 1 he
gets on a casting roll, even when not using Hermetic Magic and
even if the cast was successful. Half of the Warping Score of the
caster (rounded down) is subtracted of the number of 1s rolled
(no negative values) to determine the number of Warping Points
received. When casting rituals, the Warping Score is subtracted for
each milestone, not every roll, increasing the effects of Warping
and the magnitude of Twilight.
 Twilight
Twilight may happen anytime a Magus (only to the ones
with opened Hermetic arts) receive at least 2 Warping Points for
any reason, when it happen, the Magus must roll Magic +
Resilience against difficulty equals to the number of Warping
Points received + The Enigma dots. If fail on the test the character
vanish from reality and enters Twilight, a magical space out of
reach from all.
The Magus goes thru an unique experience, usually related
to the reason the Magus end up in twilight, and can comprehend it
or not, resulting in a more positive result if the Magus does.
Comprehend the Twilight is a complex action with a number
of milestones equals to twice the Warping Score (minimum 1).
The process can be an solo adventure thru the twilight or,
simplified to, a complex action of Magic + Attribute (difficulty 2),
with a complication equals to the Warping Score (minimum 1) for
every milestone. If the complication is not bought off, the result is
a Warping Point for every level of complication bought off.
The time in the twilight is different from real, and the
Magus get out of twilight according to his Warping Score by the
end of the twilight, if it’s 1, it takes a few minutes, 5 takes a moon
circle, 9 takes several years and if it’s 10 is the final twilight,
lasting forever. Once again, the Enigma edge dots are subtracted
from the Warping Score to define the time spent on the twilight,
and if it’s reduced to 0 or less, it will be an instant in real world,
but still the normal time to go thru the Twilight for the Magus.
Twilight Scar
Once out the Twilight, the Magus reappears on reality,
usually where he was when entered Twilight or near it, but now
with a Twilight Scar, a magical effect permanent on the character.
A twilight scar usually is a sensible magical effect, like bright eyes,
a weird smell, the fact the Magus now floats about a centimetre
from any solid surface he stands, or the fact the Magus floats in
the air while sleeps.
The scar is not positive or negative per se, but may be in
certain conditions, for example the most visual effects brings the
Hermetic Arts and Edges
Hermetic Arts
The Hermetic Arts are 15 special traits, rated from 1 to 5 (7
with the Master in Art edge), that may be learned only by an
Gifted character that have the art opened. The arts give access to
all the rules described on Hermetic Practices and Hermetic Spell
Descriptions.
They are divided into 2 great groups, the 5 Techniques,
Creo, Intellego, Muto, Perdo and Rego, and the 10 Forms, Animal,
Aquam, Auram, Corpus, Herbam, Ignem, Imaginem, Mentem,
Terram and Vim.
To cast an spell, the Magus needs at least one dot on all the
related techniques and forms of the spell. The arts grants their
dots as enhancements on all the spell casting rolls, as described
on the Hermetic Practices section.
The Forms also grants resistance to attacks using the form
in question, even if not magical in essence, working as Soft Armor
against direct attacks or enhancements to avoid indirect damage.
Imaginem, Mentem and Vim are exceptions, as they doesn't
protect against damage, but attacks against the Magus senses,
will and the twilight.
Animal grants resistance to natural weapons and poisons
of animals.
Aquam grants resistance to Drowning, Thrist, water impact
and water jets.
Auram grants resistance to all kinds of suffocation and
weather phenomenon, such as lightning.
Corpus grants resistance to human unarmed attacks and
diseases.
Herbam grants resistance to wooden weapons, herbal
poisons and starvation.
Ignem grants resistance to fire and cold.
Imaginem grants resistance to confusion, deafening or
nausea caused by sights, sounds, smells, tastes and other
sensations (like motion sickness).
Mentem grants resistance to all kind of persuasion,
attention of common folk, what may be good or bad, and it’s
possible to sense the scare as an active magical effect.
Warping and Other Traditions
Other magical traditions don’t goes thru Twilight, as their
arts are different from the Hermetic arts. Almost any effect is
possible, and most of the effects usually are simple accumulation
of effects and conditions as the Warping Score rises.
A non Hermetic Elementalist may be forced closer to his
main element, for example becoming more explosive if he is
focused on Fire or more stubborn if focused on Earth, to the point
it is the only way he behave, receiving complications of acting in
the oppose way and gaining elemental physical traits after
Warping Score 6. Once reach Warping Score 10, the elementalist
is so warped that became more elemental than person.
An Necromancer may slowly turn into a living dead, at least
on appearance, loosing body weight or inflating slowly as the
Warping Score rises, with a pale or purplish skin and whitened
eyes after Warping Score 6. When reach Warping Score 10, the
Necromancer became a corpse, feeding of souls to feel the lack of
his own.
A Witch may be turned into a hag as she accumulate
Warping Score, it may be the traditional green skin and long nose
looks, or more like a troll appearance, or any other magical
creature related to the tradition. When reach Warping Score 10,
the witch looses all the humanity and became a monster.
A theurgist versed in the art of summoning spirits and
magical beings may attract the attention of powerful creatures
that start working against him on some situations, that action may
became more frequent or more powerful, culmination to the
abduction of the theurgist once the Warping Score is 10.
A wise woman may loose her magical powers for a period of
time every time she increases her Warping Score, getting sick
with a weird fever. The time without powers starts around a week,
and gets longer and the sickness gets worsen as the Warping
Score increases, until the last time when rise to Warping Score 10,
loosing the Gift permanently if don’t die of the sickness.

deception or temptation, magical or not.
Terram grants resistance to stone and metal weapons and
mineral poisons.
Vim grants resistance to avoid Twilight.
Hermetic Edges
Hermetic Edges are a group of edges related to the use of
Hermetic Magic, and they can only be chosen by characters that
have the Gift, usually learned only by a Magus, but many of them
work just fine for other gifted people.
Alchemy (1 to 5)
The Magus is adept on Alchemy, being more capable in the
creation of enchanted items than regular Magi. When enchanting
an item, the character gains the dots in this Edge as enhancement
on the laboratory practices.
The Magus can invent spells using this Edge in place of any
art he doesn’t have, but the invented spells can only be used in
enchanted items.
The Magus can brew potions of rank up to the dots in the
edge. A potion is brewed following the same rules as for the
creation charged item, possibly having multiple charges, but the
potion is consumed on the use. The target of the spell on the
potion is always the one that consumes it, limiting to Range
Personal and Target Individual, but the duration is defined by the
spell, limited to a scale no higher than 2.
Finally, the Magus is capable of transferring vis between
recipients (but not capable of finding it at nature) using no spells,
limited to rank equal to the dots in this Edge.
Artifact (1 to 5)
The Magus have access to a enchanted item, a talisman,
invested item or lesser item, with rank equal the edge dots. The
Artifact was created by the Magus or specifically to his use.
 Diedne Magic (3)
The Magus is more capable of Spontaneous Casting and
Ceremonial Casting, reducing the tiring complication to half of the
spell rank. It may inflict a 3 complication on social action against
other Magus, if the other is against the use of traditional Diedne
magic and see you spontaneously casting a spell.
Elemental Magic (3)
When casting an Spell using one of elemental forms
(Aquam, Auram, Ignem and Terram) ignore the requisite in any
other elemental form, using the highest of the elemental forms
used instead of the lowest.
Faerie Magic (3)
Prerequisite: House Merinita
The Magus can use special options of range, duration and
target, commonly related to faeries. This options must be invented
in the spell, or can be used casting spontaneous spells and if the
caster knows the trick Flexible Formulaic Magic. Also, Faerie aura
adds its full power to the casting rolls of the character (usually
only half).
Road (Range Scale 1): the target is in the same road, path
or way as the caster.
Fire (Duration Scale 1): the effect lasts for as long as the
fire is kept burning, and the caster feed the fire to prolong the
effect. If any person feed the fire the duration is not extended,
even if the fire keep burning.
Bargain (Duration +1): bargain is a secondary duration,
used to set a point when the effect will start. To cast an spell with
this effect, the target must make a promise that, as long it’s not
broken, will keep the spell inactive. Once the promise is broken,
the spell is activated, as if it was casted on the target at that
moment. All the Penetration stunt is doubled during the cast.
Until (Condition) (Duration Scale 3): the effect lasts until
a determined condition is met. The spell automatically ends if the
target dies or enter Twilight.
Year +1 (Duration Scale 3): the target last until the day
after the first anniversary of casting the spell.
Bloodline (Target Scale 2): the target is the target and all
the living descendants and all the ones that are born during the
duration of the spell. It is connected to the blood of the target, so
non blood related are not affected.
Hearthbeast (3)
Prerequisite: House Bjornaer
The Magus have a Hearthbeast, an specific animal form that
is still able of casting spells (but have no voice nor capacity of
gesticulate, what causes the proper complications). A Magus in
Hearthbeast form is treated as a animal for all definitions, and no
magic can differentiate him from a regular animal of the species.
If needed, a Magus can use Survival + Resolve (difficulty 0) to
change shape, what can be part of a mixed action.
Hermetic Laboratory (1 to 5)
While wealth can buy lots of things, a proper Laboratory
with good source of Vis is not one of them. This edge define the
availability of helping hands and vis for the Magus, and its dots
are added to any Laboratory Practices roll the Magus do when in
his own laboratory.
Leper Magus (3)
Prerequisite: House Tytalus
The Magus have an magical version of Leper, causing
horrible scars and disfigurations, giving automatically the Striking
edge for its bad appearance. The curse allows the Magus to drain
the energy from his body, causing injury conditions, in return the
energy boost his magic greatly. A Bruised condition grants 2
enhancements to any casting roll and reduces the vis needed by
any ritual by 2 ranks, an Injured condition grants 4 enhancements
to any casting rolls and reduces the vis needed by any ritual by 4
ranks and a Maimed condition grants 6 enhancements to any
casting rolls and reduces the vis needed by any ritual by 6 ranks.
All the injury conditions caused by the use of this edge are
aggravated and deadly. This edge is not obligatory to all Tytalus
magi, but it’s exclusive to them.
Magical Focus (1 or 3)
An Magical Focus is an area of study that the Magus is
focused, and can be a Minor (1 dot) or a Major (3 dots), a minor
focus is a very restricted group of effects or targets, as diseases,
wind, lust, healing people, etc, while a major focus are wider, as
damage, weather, emotions, necromancy, etc. When casting a
spell from his Magical Focus, the Magus gains 2 enhancements.
Focus on an Art is a major focus, while focus on Certamen is a
minor one (that apply to all the certamen rolls).
Master in Art (2)
The Magus is above the others in his knowledge and power
related to an art. He can have up to 7 dots in one of the arts. This
edge don’t rise this value to 7, just allow the magus to rise it with
experience. A Magus can have this edge multiple times, once for
each art.
Mercurian Magic (3)
When casting a Ritual, you may cast using Vis 2 ranks
lower than usual. You invented the Wizard’s Communion Spell
proper for the highest rank ritual you invented, and automatically
invents a new version of higher level when invent a new ritual of
higher rank. If you have mastery on Wizard’s Communion, you
can add the mastery enhancement when casting any spell
targeted by it. Wizard’s Communion is a Muto Vim Spell using the
Split Spell Casting effect.
Mythic Blood (3)
The Magus are descendent of a powerful magus, wizard or
magical creature. When casting any spell, the difficulty of casting
it is reduced by 1. Additionally the Magus have a rank 2 or lower
spell that he can activate or deactivate freely as part of a mixed
action with no need for roll. The Magus also gains a free Magical
focus (1 dot) related to the effect granted by this edge.
Performance Magic (Activity) (1)
The Magus gain access to a new duration, (Activity). The
chosen activity can be of any kind, like playing music, craft items,
hunting, speaking or walking. The entire casting of the spell
became a part of the activity, including its gestures and words,
and the character can roll the casting as soon he start the activity.
If the Magus can’t speak(sing or play an instrument) or speak too
low and can’t move or just do a few movements during the
activity, he faces the proper complications of No Voice, Quiet
Voice, No Gestures or Subtle Gestures. The character can use only
one (activity) duration spell at any time.
(Activity) (Duration Scale 0): the effect lasts for as long
the caster keeps doing the chosen activity, dispelling as soon as
the activity is finished or end for any reason.
Sympathetic Caster (3)
The Magus the ability of developing a situational arcane
connection based on a sympathetic connection. A sympathetic
connection is created by the caster to allow him to cast an Spell in
the target without any real connection to it.
Sympathetic connections works as an arcane connection to
target an spell and to add enhancements that can only be used to
surpass spell resistance. Besides the time to create the mundane
item, giving a regular object in a Sympathetic connection to a
target takes about 15 minutes of work similar to a ceremonial
casting, but extremely simple and personal.
A Sympathetic connection can add from 0 to +2 to the
penetration, according to the quality off the representation. The
nickname of the target or use a generic figure (target form or
shape) can establish the connection, but add no enhancement, the
complete name or a specific figure (recognisable characteristics of
the target) adds +1 and the true name or a perfect figure (an
realistic representation of the target) +2, the difference between
them is related to the mundane representation and not the acting
of establishing the connection.
The Enigma (1 to 5)
Prerequisite: House Criamon
The Magus have a deep understanding of magic, and can
add the Magic Skill to any roll to overcome Twilight. Unfortunately,
this understanding also makes the Magus more prepense to
entering Twilight, and Magic is added to the difficulty of any roll to
avoid entering Twilight.
Verditius Magic (1)
Prerequisite: House Verditius
Verditius have 3 advantages on the creating items and one
limitation on his spell casting. First part of this edge is that a
Verditius Magus can add his Technology skill as an enhancement
on the enchantment rolls of any enchanted items he creates.
Second, when creating an mundane item, for later
enchanting or not, he can create structures that are impossible for
mundane ways, and it’s not considered a magic deed, the example
is usually positioning a stone on a solid frame on a way that is
impossible to take it out without breaking the frame, or forging
Hermetic Practices
Casting Spells
All Spells use a dice pool equals to Magic + Attribute
(difficulty 1 + spell scale). The casting roll just shows the
character did it properly, don’t means the spell worked completely.
To be successful, the caster needs to buy the Effect Stunt,
otherwise the spell will have no effect.
Besides this, the caster needs to go thru the target Spell
Resistance, requiring the Penetration Stunt, otherwise the effect
will not affect the target at all.
Arts, Casting and Requisites
To be able to cast an spell, the Magus must have at least
one dot in each of the arts used, if the spell uses multiple
techniques and arts, the caster needs to have at least 1 dot in all
of them.
When casting an Spell, the caster receives the dots in the
lowest technique and the lowest form used with the spell as
enhancements on the test. For most of the spells, that use only
one technique and one form, it means the Magus adds both as
enhancements on the roll.
Casting Inside Auras
Auras have huge effect on the casting results, sometimes
positive, sometimes negative, according to the kind of aura. There
are 4 kind of aura, Magic, Faerie, Divine and Infernal, with a
power that range from 0 (mundane) to 10, usually never higher
than 5 unless for the most rare conditions. The power of an aura,
according to the kind, have impact on all spells casting rolls or
milestones of rituals and enchantments.
Magic aura adds power as enhancement.
Faerie aura adds half power as enhancement.
Divine aura causes 3 times power as complication.
Infernal aura causes power as complication.
Notice that this is the impact on magic, and the effects on
faerie powers, divine powers and internal powers are different.
Fatigue
Fatigue is the main limitation on spell casting, not only for
Magus, but also to the most powerful Hedge Wizards. Magic is
tiring, both physically and mentally, taking unprepared caster to
unconscious of over casting. All casting methods causes fatigue if
not properly managed, Spontaneous more than others, but it’s the
price to invent and cast an spell at the same time.
Every fatigue complication applies to all casting rolls, but
also to any action that requires resistance attributes. All Fatigue
condition are stackable, and affect all future casting, recovering 1
complication per hour of resting.
Not buying the fatigue complications off not only makes the
action fail automatically, but also gives the Magus the unconscious
condition. Getting unconscious don’t recover any fatigue, and also
no Hermetic Spell so far made it possible.
Casting Stunts
Effect (effect level successes): That is the effect of the
spell, that’s the first stunt that must be bought and without it the
spell fails. This stunt doesn’t cover damage and other conditions
applied to the target, as described on spell effects.
metal with a piece of wood locked in it without burning the wood.
Third advantage is that a Verditius Magus makes any
mundane item better than average without any effort, any item
have a +1 extra enhancement when used for the designed
propose, for example, an sword gains an +1 enhancement on
combat strike, a musical instrument gains a +1 when played, this
bonus can increase to +2 if the Magus use Vis on the
manufacture, consuming vis as an item rank 1.
A Verditius Magus is dependent on the use of Instruments
for Formulaic Spells, incapable of doing so without it. An
Instrument is a simple magical tool designed to aid the cast an
specific formulaic Spell. Constructing a instrument takes about
one hour of work, usually its constructed during the invention of
the spell, but the Magus can construct an instrument at any
moment if it’s lost or out of reach.

Penetration (spell resistance of target): This stunt
must be used to surpass target Spell Resistance. Any target of the
spell with Spell Resistance higher than the number of successes
used on this stunt is not affected by the spell. In case multiple
targets, the caster just buy this once and all targets with a equal
or lower value of resistance are affected while higher resistances
are not.
Extended Duration (varies): This Stunt add an additional
duration of the same kind to the spell, for example 1 sun (to the
next sunrise or sunset) became 2 suns (the second sunset or
sunrise). The cost of this stunt is equal to 1 + Duration scale
successes, for the Sun example, it would be 2. This stunt can be
used as many times as desired, but cannot affect spells with
Duration Momentary, ring or any other that require a physical
condition, like fire or runes.
Critical Casting (4 successes): This Stunt add 1 level to
the effect of the spell if it is a General level spell. Occasionally it’s
possible to add a secondary effect to the spell to turn the level up
(cure a second injury), or use a similar effect of higher level (cure
a Maimed condition instead of a Injured condition), but it’s
impossible to change the effect of the spell to something too
different.
Formulaic Spells
Formulaic spells are the standard way to cast, taking a
round to be completely cast and allow the use of Mastery. It relies
on the caster memory, being cast using Intellect.
During a Formulaic Casting, a Magus can add up to 2
additional enhancements to the casting, but doing it will apply a
Fatigue Condition with complication equals to then enhancement
granted on himself too.
If failing to cast the spell, the caster will receive a Fatigue
condition with complication 2.
Formulaic cast can’t be part of a mixed action, as it needs
full attention of the caster.
Mastered Spells
An Mastered Spell is a formulaic spell that was studied to
the point the Magus can cast it faster and can resist others using
the same spell against easier. When casting a Mastered Spell, the
Magus receive +2 enhancement or cast it as part of a mixed
action (but both both).
When a magus is targeted by one spell that use the same
effect that he mastered, increase his spell resistance by 2.
He can still add enhancements for stunned conditions, and,
if have the skill trick Flexible Formulaic Magic, can change it as
usual. The magus gains mastered spells by spending experience.
Word and Gestures
Casting Formulaic and Spontaneous spells require
concentration, a series of bold movements to be done and words
to be pronounced with firm voice (10m of voice range, 50m if
screaming). The Magus can avoid the use of it, but it cause
complications, that, if this is not bought off, cause the casting to
fail.
The complications related to casting are not stackable, so
the Magus can pick no more than one from each.
 Spell Casting Quick Reference
Roll: Magic + Attribute Spell Level: Highest Effect level +1 per additional Effect
Difficulty: 1 + Spell Scale Spell Scale: Sum of the Range, Duration and target Scales
Stunts: Effect + Penetration Spell Rank: Highest between Spell Scale and Spell Level
Kind of Spell Attribute Enhancements
Formulaic Intellect Technique + Form + Mastery + up to 2*
Spontaneous Cunning Technique + Form
Ritual Resolve 3 + Technique + Form + Specialities + up to ½ spell rank*
Ceremonial Resolve 3 + Technique + Form + Specialities
* Cause Fatigue if added ** Turn into Fatigue if not bought off
Quite Voice (complication 2): The caster is using whispers
to cast. Any spell with range voice is limited to 5m, even if the
complication is bought off.
No Voice (complication 5): The caster is not pronouncing
any words to cast. Any spell with range voice is limited to
personal, even if the complication is bought off.
Subtle Gestures (complication 1): The caster is using
subtle gestures to cast.
No Gestures (complication 2): The caster is not moving a
muscle to cast.
Spontaneous Spells
Spontaneous spells are formulaic spells cast without
previous invention, but the spell is specially fatiguing and limited.
It relies on the caster fast thinking and perception, being cast
using Cunning.
When casting an spontaneous spell, the caster receives a
tiring complication equals to the spell rank, that, if not bought off
is turned into a fatigue condition with same complication. The
caster can’t add any enhancement in exchange of fatigue.
Spontaneous cast can be part of a mixed action, as it take
no more than the strength of will of the caster.
If failing to cast the spell, the caster will receive a Fatigue
condition with complication equal the spell rank.
Ritual Spells
Ritual spells are cast with a action that takes the spell rank
times 15 minutes. Rituals require previous preparation, not just to
invent the spell used, but to acquire the proper materials and vis
to be performed. It relies on the caster mental resistance, being
cast using Resolve.
A ritual is not just a series of movements and words, as the
formulaic and spontaneous spells, they require vis and takes great
advantage from several fields of knowledge the caster may use as
references. The time it takes for the ritual, as well as the use of
vis, grants 3 extra enhancements to the caster.
Vis is a requirement to cast any ritual, consuming vis the
same rank as the ritual, as described on Laboratory Practices
below. The caster may use ritual tools (see below) to grant some
extra enhancements to the casting, as fit to the effect and target.
During a Ritual Casting, a Magus can add up to half the
spell rank additional enhancements to the casting, but doing it will
apply a Fatigue Condition with complication equals to then
enhancement granted on himself too.
If failing to cast the spell, the caster will receive a Fatigue
condition with complication equal to half the spell rank.
Ritual Tools
Ritual Tools are a set of esoteric items the caster uses to
increase the effectiveness of the ritual by adding his knowledge
and specialisation on several subjects, according to the desired
effect and target. To be capable of using ritual tools, the caster
need to have esoteric specialisation on skill. The time it takes for
the ceremony, as well as the use of vis, grants 3 extra
enhancements to the caster.
While some tools, like astrological horoscopes, arithmancy
and alchemy can be useful to most effects, others are limited, like
Complications
Size + Word and Gestures
Size + Word and Gestures + Spell Rank**
Size
Size + Spell Rank**
esoteric medicine can be used only on living things, So it’s up the
story guide to define which tools can be used on each ritual.
The ritual tool of each speciality is chosen and prepared
during the ritual preparation and few (like incense) are consumed
by the use, each one granting the skill speciality enhancement to
the ritual casting roll (no more than one tool per speciality).
Ceremonial Spell
A ceremonial spell is a ritual cast without precious
invention, giving flexibility but making it fatiguing. It relies on the
caster mental resistance, being cast using Resolve.
Ceremonial casting don’t require proper preparation, but
require vis and takes advantages of the ritual tools, so it may take
some time to gather the vis and prepare some tools (15 minutes if
in a Hermetic laboratory with enough vis, to hours in a low magic
forest).
It works like a ritual, but the caster receives a tiring
complication equals to the spell rank, that, if not bought off is
turned into a fatigue condition with same complication. The caster
can’t add any enhancement in exchange of fatigue.
If failing to cast the spell, the caster will receive a Fatigue
condition with complication equal the spell rank.
Spell Resistance
The value of Spell resistance determines the minimum
number of successes needed in the penetration stunt to affect the
target. There are several sources of spell resistance, usually
related to Vim spells, but it’s common for magical creatures to
have some natural resistance, hardly higher than the Desperation
pool.
Hermetic magi are particularly resistant to spells thanks to
Parma Magica. Parma Magica is a simple and powerful spell
Mastered by all Hermetic Magus as soon as the training start.
Parma Magica grants the spell level as Spell resistance to all kinds
of magic.
A Magus adds +2 to his Spell resistance against any spell
he mastered, working against any Hermetic Spell with same
effects, even with different Range, Duration or Target, but not
other kinds of spells with similar effects.
Spell resistance only protects the magus from spells that
target the magus. For example, to use a Creo Ignem to set the
Magus on fire, it’s necessary to pass his spell resistance, but to set
fire around him and let him burn, it’s not necessary, neither to
throw a rock on him or open a pit under his feet.
Aiming Spells
Spells that don’t target directly the intended target, like
using magic to open a pit under another magus, needs to be
aimed, the same way as any attack. The attack is considered a
part of the casting, and use the successes of the casting to
surpass defence, buy stunts and possibly buy off complications
related to the attack. On the positive side, it isn’t affected by Spell
Resistance of the final target.
Arcane Connections
Arcane connections, beside being useful as spell ranges,
can also be used to increase the penetration of spells. The
s t r o n g e r c o n n e c t i o n s l a s t l o n g e r a n d p r ov i d e s b e t t e r
enhancements that can only be used to buy the Penetration stunt.
A permanent connection, like the connection between a
Magus and his familiar or his talisman, provides 3 enhancements.
A lasting connection, like a body part, an Invested Item or
rocks from a specific place, lasts for years or even decades and
provides 2 enhancements.
A established connection, like the favourite equipment or
cloth, hair, feathers and scales or lesser items, lasts for weeks or
even months and provides 1 enhancement.
A weak connection, like a equipment or cloth recently or
frequently used, a wound and the weapon that caused it, a
Charged item or mundane item created, lasts for hours or days
and provides no enhancements.
If the connection don’t affect all the targets, the connection
is used only against the target it does, but not for others, that
need regular penetration stunt.
The use of multiple connections don’t stack, so only the
most powerful connection will be used against each target. But it’s
possible to use multiple connections with the same spell to affect
multiple targets.
Certamen
Certamen is a rite that links two magi in a unique non lethal
combat. To start the rite, one of the magi choose one Technique
and the other chooses one Form, both of them can choose to veto
the choice of the other, forcing to pick another.
Certamen is treated as a regular combat of the two
phantasms of the Magi in combat. The phantasms have just 5
basic values, Force, Finesse, Resilience, Form and Technique.
Force is equals to the Intellect, Finesse equals to the Cunning and
Resilience equals to Resolve of the Magus, Form and Technique
are the ones chosen by the Magi in the beginning of the Certamen
(each one chooses one of the skills).
Initiative roll is done using the highest skill (technique or
form) + Finesse.
The only actions the alter egos can take are close combat
strike, and can use any of the stunts described to close combat
strike. The target of the attack have defence 1, but add the other
skill (if attacker used Technique, defence uses Form and vice
versa) as Soft Armor.
Every Injury in the phantasm causes 1 Fatigue to the
caster, impacting all the future actions from the caster. The first
one that loses concentration (for example for failing to pay all the
fatigue complications on the actions) loses. The Magus also loses
if loose concentration for any reason and if the chosen art wasn't
opened.
Laboratory Practices
Thru the point of view of a Hermetic Magus, the magic
theory set by Bonisagus is science, as it works is a similar way as
science works, except that the Magus uses his gift to induce the
result, making it repeatable by any other magus that also repeats
the same Hermetic process. Magic is the main skill to use on a
Hermetic laboratory, but also Technology to handle the refined and
precise equipments and possible Culture, Humanities and Science
to analyse the external aspects of the results, like astronomical
conditions and regional differences on the paradigms involved.
Most, if not all, actions on a laboratory are mental.
Any Laboratory Practices can use extra successes to add
the following stunts. Laboratory practices, no matter for what end,
can use the following stunts, but any other stunt need to be
bought using only the last milestone successes.
Further Advance (2 successes): The Magus grants 1
enhancement on his next Laboratory Practices to invest the effect
on this item.
Breakthrough (4 successes): This stunt can be used to
solve one additional milestone with no need of extra time.
Hermetic Laboratory Edge
A Magus working on his laboratory receives the dots in the
Hermetic Laboratory Edge as an enhancement in all the
Laboratory Practices rolls. Several Magus can share the same
laboratory and each one have a different edge dots, not related to
the physical structure of the laboratory, but to be used to the local
and the people working there.
Vis
Controlling quantities of Vis is not going to be used on this
system so the process can be simplified. Instead, vis extraction
became a part of the preparation of a ritual or of the enchanting
of an item.
When casting a ritual or enchanting a item that require Vis,
a Magus can search for the need in his laboratory, and don’t need
to worry about any ritual or item that has rank equals or lesser
than his Hermetic Laboratory Edge, as it’s abundant enough.
A Higher rank item or ritual may need some harvesting,
rolling Laboratory Practices (including Hermetic Laboratory Edge)
with difficulty equals to the ritual or item rank, with success the
Magus could gather all the needed Vis, but for the rest of the
season, his Hermetic Laboratory Edge is lowered by 1. A Magus
can’t do it if his Hermetic Laboratory Edge is 0, even if temporary.
If it was not enough, a Magus may need to go after some
Vis, dowsing or using spells to find it, check the Dowsing Edge and
Intellego Vim spells for more information.
Inventing Spells
As the spell cast by a Magus is unique for him, every Magus
must invent his own spells, what he can do based on someone
else inventions. The process is a complex action of laboratory
practices (difficult equal to the spell rank), taking a number or
milestones equal to twice the spell rank, and each milestone takes
a number of hours equals to the the spell rank.
Using a book about the spell to be invented, grants the
book rank as enhancements to the test.
The caster need to have at least one dot in every art used
in the spell, but it’s not necessary to cast the spell by yourself to
invent the spell, except that it’s impossible to be sure the
invention was finished unless the spell is cast.
Formulaic or Ritual Spells
The spell is invented as Formulaic or as Ritual Spell, not
both, so even if the Magus has invented an Ritual and later is
capable of casting that as a formulaic, he will need to invent it
again.
Formulaic are limited in relation to a ritual, as it’s
impossible to guide the amount of vis necessary to some effects
when casting formulaic.
Formulaic spells can’t have any of the scales 3 or higher.
Formulaic spells can’t have rank higher than 6.
Inventing Similar Spells
When inventing an spell that uses the same effect as
another already invented, it’s possible to use that in your favour.
The number of milestones is reduced by the spell level and the
scale of Range, Duration and Target that are not changed. If
nothing is change, but an in effect option (the animal in which the
target turn into, or the new spell affects only horses and not all
the animals) the new spell takes just one milestone to be
invented.
To invent a higher level of the same spell, for example
Parma Magica, the Magus just need go thru a number of
milestones equal to the new spell level. The Magus automatically
knows all the lower levels of a spell once invented the higher level
of the spell, limited to the same range, duration and target.
Writing Books about Spells
A book can be written about any spell a character invented.
Writing the book is a complex action using Magic + Manipulation,
has a number of milestones equals to the spell rank and difficulty
2. The rank of the book is 1, unless the writer spend the last
milestone extra successes to increase it, every rank increase
require 2 successes.
Enchanting Items
There are 3 types of enchanted items, Invested Items,
Lesser Items and Charged Items.
Invested items are specially created items that can receive
a number of effects in it, but takes a large amount of vis and long
time for preparing. The item rank of an invested ite','m is equal to
the rank of the highest spell invested in it plus 1 per additional
spell invested, minimum of rank 2.
Lesser items are items permanently enchanted with an
specific effect, requiring some vis and some preparation for the
enchantment. The item rank of an Lesser item is equal to the rank
of the spell invested in it, minimum of rank 1.
Charged items are receptacles of effects to later use,
storing a effect in a way anyone can release with the proper
command. The item rank of an Charged item is equal to half of
the rank of the spell stored in it (rounded down), minimum of rank
1.
Preparation
The first step on enchanting an item is the preparation, it
starts by creating the proper item to receive the power intended.
It can be done by any mundane means, but usually requires
special materials, the exact process of acquiring the materials is
up to the story guide, but the number of milestones is equal to
item rank, a rank 0 item can use rocks and sticks to be
constructed, while a rank 5 item will probably take an entire
adventure just to gather the materials, and a 10 will be the work
of an entire covenant.
It’s important to notice that the item rank is defined before
investing the spell, and the maximum spell rank (and number of
spells) are limited by it, no the contrary. So, it’s possible to plan
for a item and invest a lower rank spell, but not invest a higher
rank spell on a lower rank item.
Once the item is read, invested items need to be opened to
the investment, while the others do not. The processes of opening
is a complex Laboratory Practice action, difficulty equals to the
item rank and a number of milestones equals to half of the item
rank (round down), also it requires Vis according to the item rank.
Investing Spells
Investing the spell in the item is a complex Laboratory
Practice (difficult equals to item rank), requiring a number of
milestones equals to double of the item rank and taking about 30
minutes per milestone. Using a book about the item to be
enchanted grants the book rank as an enhancement to the
Laboratory Practice rolls.
Both Invested items and Lesser items require vis according
to the item rank. It’s impossible to invest a spell with Range,
Duration or Target scale 3 or higher.
By standard, the item have Penetration 0 and can be used
once a day (Invested and Lesser items) or have 1 charge. All the
additional successes can be used to add this special Stunts, only
available to some items.
Extra Charges (2 successes, only Charged Item):
Invest extra Charged of the spell on the item.
Extra Daily Uses (2 successes, only Invested and
Lesser Item): The item can be used one more time per day.
Environmental Trigger (2 successes): The item self
activates on an specific environmental condition, for example
Sunset and Sunrise, New Moon, start raining, or item is attacked.
Restrict Use (1 success): The item have a restriction in
its use, it can be as generic or as specific as needed, for example,
just works for one specific Magus, any person in certain bloodline,
only in the first night after the new moon.
Penetration (2 successes): Add 1 to the penetration of
the item.
An invested item can go thru the entire investing spell
process multiple times, accumulating multiple effects, as long the
highest spell rank +1 per additional spell is no higher than the
item rank. The item have just one value of penetration, defined by
the spell with the highest penetration on test.
Talismans
Talisman is an special kind of invested item, usually a ring,
wand or a staff, used to focus the magical energy of the caster
during casting. It can only be used on Formulaic and Spontaneous
Cast, not on ritual, or ceremonial casting, and it grants its ranks
as Enhancements on casting rolls when used.
The process of creating an talisman is the same of a
common invested item, but during the preparation of the item,
when the item receives vis to be prepared for multiple effects, it’s
possible to set a part of the item rank as a talisman bonus,
limiting further enchantment. Every rank used to this end grants
an enhancement to the caster when using, while the remaining
levels can be used to invest spells as usual.
Only the creator can fully use the talisman, while others
can only use the invested spells, with no enhancement on the
casting.
Writing Books about Items
A book can be written about any item a character
enchanted. Writing the book is a complex action using Magic +
Manipulation, has a number of milestones equals to the item rank
and difficulty 2. The rank of the book is 1, unless the writer spend
the last milestone extra successes to increase it, every rank
increase require 2 successes.
Using Enchanted Items
To use a enchanted item, the user must test Magic +
Cunning (difficult item rank), activating the chosen effect as
designed. Using a item can be part of a mixed action, possibly
even activating multiple items.
If the item is used as an weapon, the activation roll is also
used to attack the target, and the attack have a enhancement
bonus equals to the item rank.
The item is the origin of the effect, so a personal effect
affect only the item, a touch effect need the item to touch the
target.
Familiar Bounding
Familiars have a magical forged bound to the Magus. The
process of creation of the void start with the befriend of the
creature, using a normal bound of Camaraderie or Friendship, and
only one enhancement need to be established to move to the
magical Enchantment.
The process is a series of Laboratory Practices that result
on a magical version of a friendship bound, requiring Vis of rank
equals to the number of enhancements to be added to the bound.
Different of a regular friendship, a Familiar Bound refill the
enhancements used at a rating of 1 enhancement per day until it’s
maximum, and can’t be broken unless the magical connection is,
for example thru the death of one of them, because the Magus
entered twilight or if one of them decides to break the connection.
As with regular friendships, the Magus and Familiar can
strength their bound thru magic, repeating the process of creating
the bound and spending Vis, unfortunately, the bound don’t stack
and it’s necessary to create a stronger bound to increase the
original bound.
For each 2 enhancements the bound have, the familiar
gains some special powers, like the ability to speak each others
language, mental communication, magical natural weapons,
shared senses or sharing concentration (the familiar can keep a
concentration Spell active for the Magus). Besides this powers, the
familiar has automatically receives the form resistances from the
Magus and it’s Parma Magica when active.
Hermetic Breakthrough
Hermetic Breakthrough is an invention that takes the
Hermetic Theory further, adding a new Range, Duration, Target, or
even a new Effect, represented by the creation of a new Hermetic
Edge.
Hermetic Breakthrough are hard to achieve, and hardly it is
known when it will be reached, it is a complex action of Laboratory
Practices (difficult 4 + rank), that have a number of milestones
equals 10 times rank, each taking up to an entire session.
Once finished, the character can use experience to gain a
Hermetic Edge representing the Breakthrough, and can use it from
now on. He can also teach it to any other Magus and write books
about it. The rank of the Breakthrough is the number of dots of
the Hermetic Edge.
Writing Books about Breakthrough
A book can be written about any breakthrough a character
reached. Writing the book is a complex action using Magic +
Manipulation, has a number of milestones equals to the edge dots
and difficulty 5. A Magus studying the book can spend experience
to learn the edge without the need of an entire Hermetic
Breakthrough, as if was studying with the character.

 Hermetic Spell Descriptions
All spells are ranked only in the game rules, and there is no
limit on the number of ranks a spell can have.
A Magus would use the descriptions of Range, Duration and
Target as described, but would describe the effect as simple,
complex, extremely complex or so, to describe the effect, not a
number as described here.
Spell Level and Scale
Spells are defined by its effects, ranges durations and
targets, all fixed once the spell is invented.
The spell level is equal to the highest effect level +1 per
additional effect. As an example, a spell designed to heal 1
Bruised condition from a target have a level 3 effect, but an spell
designed to heal 2 Bruised conditions from the target is a level 4
effect (3 + 1).
The spell scale is equal to the sum of Range, Duration and
Target Scales. For example, a spell with Range Touch (scale 0),
Duration Moon (scale 2) and Target Room (scale 1) have scale 3.
The spell rank of spells is the highest value between the
spell level and the spell scale. For example, as Spell that is level 3
and scale 4 is a rank 4 Spell, while one with level 0 and scale 2 is
a rank 2 Spell.
Ranges
The range define the interaction between the caster and the
target, not by the distance, but by the way the caster perceives
the target.
Personal (Scale 0): the target is the caster.
Touch (Scale 0): the target is touched by the caster. It
includes also the room, structure or boundary the character is in,
and a group holding hands ones to the others, even if not all are
touching the caster.
Eye (Scale 0): the target is looking into the casters eyes.
Voice (Scale 1): the target can hear the caster casting.
Sight (Scale 2): the caster is capable of seeing the target.
Arcane Connection (Scale 3): the target is reached by the
use of an arcane connection.
Durations
The duration is the time the spell stay active once cast
successfully.
Momentary (Scale 0): the effect last a extremely short
time, just enough to make it happen. There are not many effects
that can be momentary (and useful), usually only effects that do
instant damage, heal or movement, but others are possible.
Concentration (Scale 0): the effect lasts for as long the
caster maintain concentration.
Diameter (Scale 0): the effect lasts for the time the sun
takes to cross its own diameter in the sky, about 2 minutes.
Ring (Scale 1): the effect lasts for as long the target stays
inside the drawn circle in the ground. The circle can be the same
to be used as a Circle target.
Sun (Scale 1): the effect lasts until the first of sunset and
sunrise.
Moon (Scale 2): the effect lasts until both a full moon sets
and a new moon sets.
Year (Scale 3): the effect lasts until the sunrises in the
fourth consecutive equinox or solstice.
Target
The target defines what can be targeted by the spell, not
the form of the target, but if it targets a individual, a group or any
other reference.
Individual (Scale 0): the target is a single creature,
object, element or spell.
Circle (Scale 0): the target is all the possible targets inside
a drawn circle in the ground.
Room (Scale 1): the target is all the possible targets inside
a room. To target the room itself use individual, this target is the
content of the room.
Structure (Scale 2): the target is all the possible targets
inside a structure. To target the structure itself use individual, this
target is the content of the structure.
Boundary (Scale 3): the target is all the possible targets
inside a defined boundary. Natural (tree line of a forest, all land
between 2 rivers, etc), artificial (the inner side of a wall, the
outskirts of a citadel, etc) or imaginary (the boundaries of a
country, the land of a family, etc) can be used as targets.
Part (+0): the target is a part of something, that can be
any kind of target, for example a part of a person, a part of a
country, as well as a part of a group. It don’t affect the scale of
the the spell, but it is necessary to be able to target a part of a
target without affecting other parts, for example to target the
hand of a person or two members of a larger group.
Group (+1): the target is a group of targets, that can be
any kind of target, for example a group of rooms, a group of
countries, as well as a group of parts. It rises the scale of the
target by 1, for example, a group of individuals is scale 1, a group
of rooms is scale 2.
Sizes of Targets
The size of the target isn’t a limitation on the spell rank, the
same spell that works on a cat works on a bull or a whale (if
designed to do so), but it’s harder to affect bigger targets, causing
complications that, if not bought, will cause the spell to fail.
Individual, room and structure sizes are defined by their
size scales and circles and boundaries by the size of the largest
possible creature that fit inside it.
Individuals size 1 or 0 cause no complication, size 2 or 3
causes complication 1, 4 or 5 causes complication 2 and 6 or
larger complication 3. If the individual is size -1 to -3, it grants a
enhancement 1 in the casting roll, and if the size -4 or smaller
enhancement 2.
Circle or Room size 2 or less cause no complication, size 3
or 4 causes complication 1, 5 or larger causes complication 2.
Structure size 3 or less cause no complication, size 4 or 5
causes complication 1, 6 or larger causes complication 2.
Boundary size 6 or less cause no complication, size larger
than 6 causes complication 1 or more, up to the Story Guide to
define according to its size.
A group, besides the size of the largest member of the
group, also causes complications according to the quantity of
members it have, a group with more than 10 targets cause a
complication 1, and it increases by 1 for every ten times
multiplication (2 to 100, 3 to 1.000, and so on).
Effects
The effects are sorted by the Technique and Level, with
descriptions of targets available for each Form.
Specific or General Spells
Spells can be as opens or as specific as they are invented,
it’s possible to create an spell that turn any animal into a dire
beast, or one that do that only to horses, and it is going to be the
use of the same effect, so the same rank, but still being different
spells.
Creating a spell more precise can be positive or negative,
so it’s not going to affect the spell rank, but once invented, the
spell is not going to change, and a spell more specific, more
generic or with a different focus must be invented to achieve a
different result form the same effect.
Direct Attacks with Spell
Several spells cause damage, most of them by attacking
the target directly. When a spell is used to attack the target,
different form the Perdo Effects that cause injuries to the target,
or effects that cause indirect damage, it will work as an one shot
weapon.
The weapon has enhancement equals to the dots in the
technique used and tags defined by the spell. The Quality tag is
not available to this end.
Check Aiming Spells on Hermetic Practices for more info on
the attack.
 Damage Rating and Tags
Several effects create situations or materials with a damage
rating, from fire to poison. For that end, some of the tags
presented for indirect damage must be bought using tags, as
happens to weapon tags.
Continuous is the main issue, Continuous (hour) counts as
1 tag, Continuous (minute) counts as 2 tags and Continuous
(round) as 3 tags.
Deadly counts as 2 tags.
Non-Lethal counts as 1 Tag.
The type of threat is treated as a tags too, some of them
are automatic according to the effect, Contact (0), Environmental
(1), Ingestible (0) or Injectable (-1).
It’s also possible to create an DR 0 condition, for example
illuminating the environment, making it colder or wormer but not
enough to be dangerous for humans. A condition that is not
dangerous to humans, but is for other creatures are treated as DR
1, no matter the DR for the other creature, for example creating
sun light to kill vampires treat DR 0 to humans but DR up to 5 to
vampires, but is treated as DR 1 for level calculation.
Creo Effects
Creo Technique is used to create things from nothing, heal
creatures, bring creatures to maturity and increase attributes.
General Throw element to attack (level 1 + tags).
Create elemental armor (level tags).
Create dangerous condition (level DR + tags).
Raise the spell level (level).
Heal injuries 10 x level times faster.
Cause enhancement on casting roll up to level.
Cause level Warping Points (0 WP equal taint)
Level 0 Ensure health during effect.
Heal injuries 5 times faster.
Level 1 Create an object.
Create a simple element.
Level 2 Create a simple creature.
Create an unnatural object.
Create a refined element.
Level 3 Create a common creature.
Create a pure element.
Cure Bruised Condition.
Age creature to full maturity in 1 sun.
Level 4 Create a complex creature.
Cure Injured Condition.
Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to average).
Age creature to full maturity in 2 hours.
Level 5 Create an unnatural creature.
Stop progress of a disease.
Cure Maimed Condition.
Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to max).
Age creature to full maturity in 10 diameters.
Level 6 Cure Taken Out Condition (not death).
Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to Max + 1).
Age creature to full maturity in 1 diameter.
Level 7 Cure all injury conditions (not death).
Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to Max + 2).
Age creature to full maturity in a moment.
Level 8 Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to max +3).
Level 9 Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to max +4).
Level 10 Raise from the dead.
Add 1 dot on Attribute (up to max +5).
Healing, Curing and Repairing
Healing a creature is a improve on the natural healing
process of the creature, tanking time, but allowing the creature to
heal all the injuries faster for as long the effect is working,
including injuries caused during the Spell effect.
Curing is a momentary effect targeting one specific injury,
undoing it completely (it doesn’t improve, it vanishes leaving no
marks), closer to maturing the injury than healing the creature.
Repairing an object is not a Creo but a Rego effect, as it
reshapes the material to fix the damage, but works in a
permanent way. But it’s possible to use Muto to give self
repainting property, than Creo to cure as it is working in the same
way as a creature.
Feeding on Temporary Food
Any created material is perfect for all criteria, unfortunately,
it will not last long, so will not the nutrients and effects. While the
duration of the food, it’s common food, and will supply the body
with all the regular nutrients, as if it was natural food, but it won’t
last forever, and if it is the only thing the person eat for a while,
he will be hungry again immediately, but not hungrier then before
eating it.
Same rules work for drinking conjured water and breathing
conjured air, as long it’s there, there is no reason to not work,
once it’s over it returns to previous condition and a new source,
real or created, will be necessary.
Creating Items and Knowledges
When creating a item, from scratch or by changing other
items, it’s impossible to create something the character don’t
understand the inner workings on a deep level. For example, it’s
impossible to create a computer if the character don’t know how it
works on circuit level, or a gun if the character don’t know how
the bullet is shot, at least as a natural version of the object.
Magic have ways to make anything work, so it’s possible to
create a magical computer, capable of working, connecting on
internet and sharing files, even if the Magus have no idea how a
computer works, but it’s a unnatural object, requiring a effect one
level higher.
Illusions don’t need to be trustful, as they are only the
image of the object, not an object itself. But a poorly made illusion
will bring the attention of an expert if it is flawed. An option is to
use an Intellego spell to get the mental image of the object to be
replicate, creating all the details this way.
Intellego Effects
Intellego Technique is used to learn information about the
target, from general conditions to natural and magical properties.
Intellego spells are not affected by size complications, unless
combined with other effects.
General Learn if target is created by spell up to level.
Level 0 Make a Sense unaffected by element.
Get the mental image of target.
Sense the consciousness.
Sense the conditions.
Sense the motivation.
Learn natural properties.
Detect active magic rank 3 or higher.
Detect magical aura and determine power.
Detect Vis and determine rank and art.
Detect Regio boundaries and ways.
Level 1 Learn magical properties.
Locate target.
Detect active magic.
Level 2 Speak with conscious creature.
Get mental image of target and surrounds.
Read conscious creature thoughts.
Detect traces of powerful magic.
Detect recent presence of magic.
Level 3 Speak with natural object or dead body.
Read conscious creature memories.
Detect traces of magic.
Level 4 Speak with artificial object.
Thoroughly probe the creature mind.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing is one of the most common uses of
Intellego, to do so it’s necessary to have a arcane connection to
the target, and even so the effect is a mental image of the target
and surrounds, an general impression of it, enough to know the
general feeling of it, not properly the use of senses. To have a
proper sense of distant location, it’s necessary to use Imaginem,
as it will give the proper senses input from the target.
For example, to locate a person it’s necessary to use
Intellego Corpus or Mentem (one get the body the other the
conscience, no requiring the other), but to see what is happening
around the person, it’s necessary to use Intellego Imaginem and
target the location the person is.
Magical Sense
 Magical Sense is a special target for Intellego effects. Any
effect that use as target one magical sense will return its effects
thru the target senses, even if the natural ones don’t work.
For example, it’s possible to add an effect of Intellego
Terram that allow to learn magical properties of objects using as
target vision, if the owner of the affected vision sees any object
with magical property (and the spell have penetration enough to
go thru the spell resistance of the target), it will automatically be
learn as soon as seen, as easy as identifying the colour or
distance of the object. Even a blind person, once pointed to an
object, will be able to see it’s magical aura and learn its effect.
Taste: +0
Touch: +0
Smell: +0
Hearing: +1
Vision: +2
Muto Effects
Muto Technique is used to change properties and shape of
the target, transform into other kinds of creature, objects or
materials (requires always the Forms related to the initial and final
conditions).
General Give armor to target (level tags).
Give weapon to target (level tags).
Give damaging property (level DR + tags).
Change Target of spell (level +2).
Change effect of spell (level).
Change spell (level -2, require new arts).
Split spell casting (level +5).
Level 0 Transform raw material in an item made of it.
Transform an object into another of same Form.
Change appearance of creature.
Change the scale of one property of object.
Level 1 Transform an creature in another of same Form.
Transform an object into another of other Form.
Gives object a new property.
Change the scale in one property of creature.
Level 2 Transform an creature in other from other Form.
Transform creature into an object of same Form.
Transform the nature of element.
Gives creature a new property.
Level 3 Transform creature into an object of other Form.
Lasting Transformations
While all transformations, changes and properties given
using Muto technique rests just for the duration of the spell, some
of its effects may last longer. Anything that somehow destroy, use
or consume the result of a transformation will make the
transformation last, for example, a rock turned into water and
then drank by a person will not turn back into stone until it’s out
of the person body, a person transformed into a statue will not
turn back into a pile of meat if the statue is broken in pieces.
Other effects, like turning poison into water, may poison the target
once the effect ends, in the end it’s up to the story guide decide
the results of the transformation.
Properties
Properties are the main focus of the Muto technique.
Properties include all kind of characteristics that an object or
creature have, like the burning capacity of fire, the size of a
object, the strength of a structure, the senses of a creature, etc.
It’s impossible to remove completely any property of a
creature (it’s a Perdo Effect), but it’s possible to reduce it to a
lower scale. Reducing the heating property of a torch, without
reducing its size or light emission, it’s possible to make it burn as
a candle, or oven less, but it will still burn.
It’s possible to give new properties to a target, making it
unnatural, like fire with the property of being solid, a creature with
the property of being immaterial, an object with the property of
self repairing. The basic property is scale 1, for example giving a
flight property will allow it to fly at scale 1, to rise the scale it’s
necessary to give extra effects, increasing the spell level.
Besides this, all transformations that gives unnatural
properties related to another form, like the emitting light (Ignem),
claws (Animal), metal skin (Terram) have a requirement of that
form, except it won’t increase the level of the effect, as it’s
already part of the effect. Giving claws to a person is a general
Muto Corpus/Animal effect, and making a floating rock is a level 1
Muto Terram/Auram effect.
Wizard’s Communion
Split Spell Casting is unique effect of Muto Vim, called by
the Mercurian name, it split the casting of a spell among multiple
casters. This effect must be cast by several casters targeting one
spell that will be cast before the casting itself. Once this casting is
complete, the casters must start casting the target spell at same
time, and the successes after beating difficulty of each of them
will be added together to buy of complications and effect.
For example, 10 Magi are preparing to cast the Aegis of the
Heart on their covenant, the spell is a Rego Vim rank 10 (level 10
scale 6), so all the casters target the Aegis with Wizard’s
Communion, once finished, they start casting the Aegis, all them
start the ritual together, their successes, after difficult 7, are
combined and used to buy the Effect stunt.
Perdo Effects
Perdo Technique is used to weaken, damage and destroy
the target. It also can take natural and magical properties from
the target.
General Dispel spell (level).
Cause disease (level complication + virulence).
Cause complication on casting roll (level).
Reduce duration of arcane connection (by level).
Level 0 Damage object.
Do superficial damage to creature (no injury).
Cause pain to creature.
Cause Fatigue condition level 1 to creature.
Spoil food and material.
Remove residual element.
Level 1 Destroy creature corpse.
Destroy object or simple element.
Cause Bruised Condition.
Level 2 Cause Injured Condition.
Destroy refined element.
Level 3 Destroy one of creature minor senses.
Destroy pure element.
Age mature creature by 1/12 of its lifespan.
Remove magical property of object.
Cause Maimed Condition.
Drive creature insane.
Level 4 Destroy one of creature major senses.
Remove natural property of object.
Cause Taken Out Condition.
Level 6 Kill creature.
Level 8 Destroy one of creature properties.
Causing Injuries
Causing injuries is the main use of Perdo technique in battle
against creatures and even other Magus, as it ignores any kind of
protection but spell resistance and require far less effort to cause
damage. It target the body of the target, so, to affect a human
you need Perdo Corpus, an animal Perdo Animal, a ghost Perdo
Mentem and a pure magical creature (demon, for example) Perdo
Vim.
If the target lacks the targeted Injury condition box, the
wound gets worse, as the body is already weakened, for example,
using 2 Cause Maimed Conditions on a target, takes it out, as
most of the targets lack a second Maimed Condition. The except is
the taken out condition, that can’t accumulate to kill the target,
requiring the effect Kill creature to kill with no chance of surviving,
a creature taken out, can, yet, die for the hurts, but it’s up to the
story guide.
It’s possible to cause injuries using magical attacks, like fire
balls, freezing rays and lightening bolts, or creating dangerous
conditions, like toxic air, smoke area or acid water, but this spells
uses other technique.
Temporary Destruction
Perdo effects can be permanent, and it’s actually easier to
make it so, just give momentary duration, but it’s possible to
make a temporary effect by adding a duration to it, and once the
duration is over the target is back to normal. Unfortunately there
is a limit to it, it’s impossible to unkill a creature, so any Kill
creature effect is momentary, as well as any unintended kill.
Rego Effects
Rego Technique is used control the target actions, but also
to move it around and teleporting it.
General Create a Ward (level).
Add armor against form attacks (level tags).
Use object to attack (level 1 + tags)
Transfer Condition to target (level complication).
Sustain or suppress your spell (level +2).
Sustain or suppress any spell (level).
Add spell resistance (level).
Move raw vis (level +2).
Level 0 Control object or unconscious creature.
Plant suggestion in creature mind.
Calm creature.
Level 1 Control creature’s emotions.
Paralyse creature.
Move target on walking speed to any direction.
Animate plant or dead creature.
Repair a condition in an object.
Level 2 Make creature completely passive.
Summon creature.
Animate object.
Refine element.
Move target on running speed to any direction.
Transport target to close range.
Level 3 Completely control a creature.
Purify element.
Move target on speed 2 to any direction.
Transport target to voice range.
Level 4 Move target on speed 3 to any direction.
Teleport target to sight range.
Level 5 Move target on speed 4 to any direction.
Transport target up to arcane connection range.
Wards
Wards are an special kind of magic, capable of protecting
against creatures and objects related to the Form used. The target
of a ward is what is going to be protected, not the creatures and
objects to kept away.
The target of the ward must be a circle, room, structure or
boundary, and it creates a invisible barrier just around the target
that blocks the kind of creature or object to go pass from one side
to the other. Creatures and objects that are blocked by the ward
also cannot touch or damage the limits of the ward (walls of a
room or structure or the line of the circle).
It is treated as a physical cover, having a combination of
soft and hard armor equals to the ward level. To cross the barrier,
the creature or object needs to break it, causing a number of
injuries in the barrier equals to it hard armor. Any creature or
object with spell resistance higher than the penetration of the
ward can also cross the barrier at will as if it was not there.
It’s possible to block spells (using Vim), treating the ward
level as Spell resistance to any spell trying to cross the barrier.
Any spell that does damage can also try to break it instead of
passing thru it.
Once the ward is broken, the spell is dispelled.
Control Creature or Object
To control a creature or object the caster need to speak the
commands high enough to the target to hear it, unless the spell
has a concentration duration, in this case, the target is under the
caster mental control during the effect.
An object being controlled will move the moving parts and
possibly bend if need, for example a chair will bend the legs to
walk around as it is not capable to move the legs, and a tree will
bend its branches to hit or grapple creatures.
Commanded creatures obey commands, and commands
that cause no harm to the target or go against its nature will be
followed with no resistance. If commanded to do anything that
goes against its nature or harm itself, the creature will try to
resist, testing Integrity + Composure, adding its results to the
spell resistance, and breaking the spell if it gets higher than the
penetration of the target, this bonus is valid for 1 command and
don’t stack.
Some commands can cause an enhancement on the test,
for example suicidal commands and commands that force the
target to destroy things it loves or worked hard to build.
Animate
An animated object works as a mindless creature, being
commanded by the one that animated it unless the effect is taken
by another caster. Different from control, the caster don’t need to
focus on the animated object to make it move and can give a
general order to the animated object to it follow the best it can,
with no chance of resistance.
The animated object have some crude senses of vision and
audition, so cannot recognise specific features unless it’s obvious,
but the caster can command it with nothing but a thought while
on his presence. An animated object is still an object, not a
creature.
An animated living plant is capable of unroot and move
around, but will need to root again to keep alive after some time.
An animated dead creature will not be alive by any means,
so there is no need of food or air, but it also have no memories
from previous life and will not behaviour as if it was alive, possibly
even rotting and smelling as any dead body.
Moving, Transporting and Summoning
Using a Move effect on the target allows the caster to move
the target in any direction, including levitating and flying. If used
on itself, the effect is effectively flight, as the caster control its
own position, but it’s not possible to allow the target to control
itself, for that it’s necessary to give the target an unnatural
property.
Transporting the target takes it from a place to another in a
moment. The destination must be at range according to its level,
and the connection must be to the place, not an individual, if an
individual is the destination, the spell will swap their positions. If
the duration of a transport is not momentary, the target will return
to the location it was once the duration spires or the spell is
dispelled, if momentary there is no automatic return. If the
destination have any sort of spell resistance, the caster needs to
have penetration enough to beat the highest of the target and the
destination spell resistance.
Summoning is different from transport, as it compels the
target to came to the caster by its own means, running if
necessary. As with Control, the target may resist if it goes against
its nature, and the caster will have no control of the target (but
it’s possible to add an control effect to the casting).
Parma Magica
Parma Magica is a Rego Vim spell that all the Magus learn
and get mastery as part of the initial training. It is invented on
level 1 initially, using the effect Add Spell Resistance, Range
Personal, Duration Sun and Target Individual, being easily cast by
anyone with Rego 1 and Vim 1.
Most Magi invent more powerful Parma Magica as soon as
possible to be more protected from all kinds of magic, but it
requires more a experienced Magus as the spell becomes more
powerful.
Animal Targets
Animal effects target any kind of animal, animal products
(silk, leather, wool, bones, etc) and items made of animal
products (leather armor, wool clothes, webs, etc).
Insects and similar creatures are simple creatures, fishes,
amphibians and reptiles are common creatures and mammals and
birds are complex creatures.
Aquam Targets
Aquam effects target bodies of water, from water drops and
inside cups, to pounds, springs, rivers, lakes and seas. To target a
part of a larger amount, treat the part as a separated body of
water. There can be also Aquam creatures, both spirits of
elemental water and water elementals, all of them targeted by
this form.
Simple water includes any liquid, but cannot differentiate
impurities, refined water can be used to manipulate a liquid
leaving solid particles and creatures behind and pure water can be
used to manipulate a liquid components of a mixture of liquids.
Auram Targets
Auram effects target air and weather phenomena (not the
modern concept of gases), so it targets winds, clouds, bolts of
lightning. There can be also Auram creatures, both spirits of
elemental air and air elementals, all of them targeted by this
form.
Simple air includes all gases and common weather
phenomenon (rain, lightnings, wind), refined air can manipulate
gases leaving particle behind and great weather phenomenon
(storms in general) and pure air can manipulate specific gases
leaving other behind and extreme weather conditions (tornados).
While a body of air is treated as a creature for defining the
size, weather covers a much larger area, related to the range of
the effect from the centre, Close or short causes no complications,
it includes effects inside structures, Medium range causes a
complication 1, Long range 2, Extreme 3 and beyond that 4.
Corpus Targets
Corpus effects target the body of people, living or dead, but
not their minds. When controlling a body of a conscious person,
the mind is fighting against the caster, what may cause
complications.
It’s possible to create a corpse, but not create a living
person, even a mindless husk, as it is beyond the limits of magic.
Returning a person from death doesn’t return the mind to it, so,
even if the body is technically alive, it’s a mindless husk.
Herbam Targets
Herbam effects target any kind of plant, plant products
(cotton, wood, paper, etc) and items made of animal products
(clothes, wooden objects, books, etc).
Living plants are treated as simple creatures, even if they
are incapable of moving around. There can be also Herbam
creatures, like ents, trents and spirits of trees and woods, all of
them targeted by this form.
Ignem Targets
Ignem effects affect fire and it’s effects, light and heat,
including its absence, darkness and coldness. The target of Ignem
effects are always elements, open flame (always simple element)
or heat (purity according to the intensity), the size is according to
the size of the flame or the target to be heated. There can be also
Ignem creatures, both spirits of elemental fire and fire elementals,
all of them targeted by this form.
Simple heat is enough to boil water or freeze water if
removed, refined is enough to melt lead or condense methane if
removed, and pure heat is enough to melt any metal or produce
dry ice if melt.
Ignem can be used on reverse of fire, using Perdo Ignem as
if it was Creo “Glaciem”. For example, using Perdo Ignem, it’s
possible to Throw Ice to attack, Create extreme cold condition,
Supernatural Abilities and Hedge Wizards
Supernatural Abilities
Magic goes beyond the Hermetic Theory, and it’s possible to
find people capable of magical effects that don’t have the Gift and
who’s magical abilities may not be part of the hermetic theory.
Gifted people, Hermetic Magus or not, can develop any
supernatural ability thru mere practice, spending experience, but
non gifted need to be born this way or be changed by magic
somehow (check Warping for more info). Learning a new ability
costs 8 experience per dot. To a Magus, due to the opening of the
arts, each dot in a supernatural ability costs 12 experience.
Even Gifted people have difficulty to have multiple
supernatural abilities, once reached a total of 6 Supernatural
abilities dots, any further dot costs 12 experience to be added.
Additionally, the process of opening the arts, not just the
Hermetic arts, but any art, usually erases all the supernatural
abilities the character had before. Traditions that are focused on
supernatural abilities usually have a way to open the arts without
erasing some specific abilities, these abilities are treated as
Create ice armor, or Create objects made of ice. In the end, it’s up
to the Story Guide.
Imaginem Targets
Imaginem effects targets sensations, that includes sensorial
illusions, but also can target immaterial things like shadows and
conceptual things people on a portrait.
The target, don’t matter the complexity of the original one,
is always treated as element, that can be created (creating
illusions), destroyed (invisibility), copied, moved, changed,
animated, etc.
A simple image is seen or heard or tasted, smelled and
touched, a refined image combines any 2 of the 3 options and a
pure element cover all senses.
Mentem Targets
Mentem effects target the consciousness of people, living or
dead, that includes ghosts and spirits, treated as creatures.
Besides it, thoughts and emotions can be treated as objects, and
memories are treated as elements, simple memories have minor
effect on the owner, refined memories have meaning to the owner
but don’t change his personality and pure memories defines what
the owner is.
To take a Mind in and out of the body, it’s necessary to
transport it. While no mind is in, the body is a mindless husk,
probably left unconscious unless hungry.
Terram Targets
Terram effects target any kind of mineral, mineral products
(rocks, metals, mineral oils, etc) and items made of mineral
products (metal armor, rock tools, etc). There can be also Terram
creatures, both spirits of elemental earth and earth elementals, all
of them targeted by this form.
Earth is treated as a body of element, simple earth includes
sand, mud, dirt and any mix of them, refined earth includes
common metals and crystals, pure earth includes rare metals and
gemstones, according to its size, to target a part of of a larger
amount, treat the part as a separated body of earth.
Vim Targets
Vim effects target magic, including magical auras, regiones,
vis, spells, casting roll and other targets.
Magical auras and regiones are treated as structures if
targeted directly, even without physical boundaries, there are
magical ones that do the job.
Vis, spells and other targets are described in the effects,
treated as individuals, most of them general effects with level
linked to the target spell or vis rank. In the case of Vis, the rank is
the same as the ritual or item it will be used on.
Vim also targets creatures of pure magic, as faeries, angels
and demons, but, as humans are, they are impossible to create,
needing to be summoned to appear.

tradition abilities and never costs more than 8 experience per dot.
House Ex-Miscellanea traditions are one example, each one
have a tradition ability that isn’t erased and costs less experience.
(Realm) Adjuration (1 to 5)
The character is able to bind the will of creatures from a
chosen realm. The creature is bound to the caster and must obey
all orders given by the caster. The binding have Range Eye, Target
Individual and Duration Sun. To bind the target, roll Magic +
Resolve (difficulty 5), gaining (Realm) Adjuration as enhancement,
extra successes are used to gain Penetration Stunt. During the use
of this Ability, a character can add an additional enhancement up
to his dots in the ability, but doing it will apply a Fatigue Condition
with complication equals to the enhancement granted on himself
in the end of casting.
The creature is incapable of direct act against the adjurator,
and must obey every command given, but it’s up to the creature
interpret the command. The bound is broken if the summoner dies
or is sent to twilight, what the creature can try to indirectly cause.
Animal Whisper (1, 3 or 5)
The character is able to interact with animals with easy, as
if was capable of talking. With this Ability, the character can use
his social skills to interact with animals the same way he does to
people. Optionally, a character with this ability can use Survival,
instead of social skills, to interact with animals with the same
results. The one dot allows the character to speak to a restrict
group of animals (snakes, cats, birds, etc), while the 3 dots allows
to speak to all kinds of reptiles, birds or mammals, and the 5 dots
version allows to speak to any animal.
Blessing (1 to 5)
The character is able to bless with good luck. The effect of a
bless is a enhancement or a complication to any character trying
to go against the target on an general group of tests, it can focus
on an Skill, Attribute or an context of situations. The Bless have
Range Touch or Eye, Target Individual and Duration Diameter. To
bless the target, roll Magic + Resolve (difficulty 2 + enhancement
granted), gaining Blessing as enhancement, extra successes are
used to gain Penetration Stunt. During the use of this Ability, a
character can add an additional enhancement up to his dots in the
ability, but doing it will apply a Fatigue Condition with complication
equals to the enhancement granted on himself in the end of
casting.
Cursing (1 to 5)
The character is able to curse with bad luck. The effect of a
curse is a complication or a enhancement to any character trying
to go against the target on an general group of tests, it can focus
on an Skill, Attribute or an context of situations. The Curse have
Range Touch or Eye, Target Individual and Duration Diameter. To
curse the target, roll Magic + Resolve (difficulty 2 + complication
caused), gaining Cursing as enhancement, extra successes are
used to gain Penetration Stunt. During the use of this Ability, a
character can add an additional enhancement up to his dots in the
ability, but doing it will apply a Fatigue Condition with complication
equals to the enhancement granted on himself in the end of
casting.
Death Sense (2)
The character can sense spirits around you as an special
sense. Any time the character is near an spirit, he can feel it
somehow, as easy as a person hears a sound when it’s silence.
More spirits and a long list of deaths in the place add “noise” to
the feeling, and it’s became a hard to pinpoint the individual spirit.
If trained in Magic Skill, it’s possible to determine some simple
informations about the spirits with a test of Magic + Cunning
(difficulty 10 - spell or item rank), for example, how long the spirit
is dead, what kind of death it was (disease, violence, nature, age,
etc) or the intentions of the spirits.
Dowsing (1)
The character is able to detect Vis in the nature, usually
used to find water or some special material by attuning to the
proper kind of vis. To use this ability is necessary an dowsing rod,
an mundane roughly 30cm long wood stick, without it the user is
unable to attune to any kind of Vis. Transforming a regular stick in
a dowsing rod takes about 15 minutes of work similar to a
ceremonial casting, but extremely simple and personal. Finding
Vis using this ability takes a Complex action of Survival, difficulty
2, with milestones equals to the rank of ritual or item to be
enchanted. Every 2 additional successes can be used to remove
one milestone of the total. The time for each milestone is
proportional rarity of this kind of vis in the environment, for
example find Aquam vis in a desert may take years, but in the see
only a few minutes.
Enchanting Music (1 to 3)
The character is able to enchant people using his music.
This ability works on a similar way as Influence, granting 1
Enhancements per dot on tests to Block Influence, Encourage or
Prevent Behavior or Thought, Shift Attitude or Atmosphere, on
people or groups of people listening to his music.
Entrancement (1 to 3)
The character is able to entrance people by looking into
their eyes. This ability works on a similar way as Influence,
granting 2 Enhancements per dot on tests to Block Influence,
Encourage or Prevent Behavior or Thought, Shift Attitude or
Atmosphere, on people looking directly to the character’s eyes.
Flight (3 or 5)
The character can fly with maximum speed 2. Flying in
maximum speed is tiring the same way as running, but a
character can fly at speed 1 for long periods as if was walking.
Taking off require some effort, a test of Athletics + Dexterity
(Difficulty 1), but once airborne it don’t require more effort than
regular movement, maybe some Athletics tests to do some
manoeuvres.
The 3 dots version allows to fly, but it is necessary an flight
broom, an mundane broom prepared to allow this ability to be
used, without it the user is unable to fly and fall immediately if
lose contact to it at any time (and so does the broom).
Transforming a regular broom in a flight broom takes about one
hour of work similar to a ceremonial casting, but extremely
simple. The 5 dots version allow the character to fly without the
broom.
Healing (1 to 5)
The character is able to cure wounds and fatigue from the
one he touch, it’s a action that can’t be part of a mixed action.
The power have Range Touch, Target Individual and Duration
Momentary. To heal the target, roll Magic + Resolve (difficulty 1),
gaining Healing as enhancement, the extra successes are used to
heal the target, 2 successes to cure 1 Fatigue condition, 3 for 1
Bruised condition, 4 for 1 Injured condition and 5 for 1 Maimed
condition and 6 for Taken Out condition. During the use of this
Ability, a character can add an additional enhancement up to his
dots in the ability, but doing it will apply a Fatigue Condition with
complication equals to the enhancement granted on himself in the
end of casting.
Immunity (1 or 3)
The Character is completely immune to one source of
damage or material, for example acid, fire or iron, so you never
receives a Injury or Stun caused by this material. The 3 dots
version grants immunity to a fairly common source of damage,
while the 1 dot version grants immunity to a rare source or one
that is limited to Stun.
(Realm) Invocation (1 to 5)
The character able to invoke creatures from a chosen
supernatural realm (divine, infernal, magic or faerie). The
character does a ceremonial casting to invoke a supernatural
creature directly from the chosen realm, bounding to the caster’s
will for one sun, sending it back to the original realm when it’s
over. The invoker must know the name of the target to invoke it.
To use this ability, roll Magic + Resolve (difficulty 6),
gaining (Realm) Invocation as enhancement as well as any skill
speciality enhancement related to the chosen realm. Extra
successes are used to gain Penetration Stunt, combined to the
ones granted by the arcane connection. It takes about one hour of
activity to finish the invocation. During the use of this Ability, a
character can add an additional enhancement up to his dots in the
ability, but doing it will apply a Fatigue Condition with complication
equals to the enhancement granted on himself in the end of
casting.
The creature is incapable of direct act against the invoker,
and must obey every command given, but it’s up to the creature
interpret the command. The bound is broken if the invoker dies or
is sent to twilight, what the creature can try to indirectly cause.
Magic Sense (1)
The character can sense magic around you as an special
sense. Any time the character is near an enchanted item or an
active spell, he can feel it somehow, as easy as a person hears a
sound when it’s silence. More spells and enchanted items add
“noise” to the feeling, and it’s became a hard to pinpoint the
origin. If trained in Magic Skill, it’s possible to determine
technique, form or rank of spell or item with a test of Magic +
Cunning (difficulty 10 - spell or item rank). Powers that don’t have
a technique and form are identified as the closer combination
possible.
Premonitions (3)
The character can sense the future, the proper situations it
happens is up to the story guide. In the beginning of every scene,
the character roll Cunning (Difficulty 0), the successes are granted
as momentum but only the character can use it in that scene,
loosing any not spent by the end of the scene. The character can
also spend 5 momentum to “anticipate” the situation, having an
small item on his pocket that is useful to solve the problem,
remembering the way the situation can be solved, or something
similar.
Second Sight (3)
The character can see thru all kinds of illusions with easy.
This ability allow the character to see thru almost any illusion,
with no need to surpass any magical resistance, but the character
require a Empathy + Cunning (difficulty spell level) to notice, what
can be a reaction to the presence of the illusion.
Sensitivity (1)
The character can sense the past, touching an person or
object, or when entering in a place where important events
happened. Whenever the character touch an person or object, a
piece of its history camera to the mind of the character, usually an
important event that defines the target essence. The character
can suppress the sensation, but shocking events will always pass
thru the buffer, and may cause some impact.
Shapeshifter (1 or 3)
The character able to change shape, turning into an specific
animal. The shape must be of an animal from size 0 to 2, it’s
usually of an mammal, but it’s possible to be a reptile or bird, and
in extremely rare cases a fish or amphibian. The shapeshifter,
when turned into animal, is treated as human and animal for Spell
targeting, and shapeshifting is treated as a magical effect of
Animal and Corpus Forms. It’s impossible to cast spells when in
animal form, but the animal keeps all magical effects after
shapeshifting, except if it change the shape of the shapeshifter, in
this case the effect is dispelled with the transformation.
If needed, the character can use Survival + Resolve
(difficulty 0) to change shape, what can be part of a mixed action.
It’s possible to have multiple animal forms if this Ability is picked
multiple times.
The 1 dot variation require the shapeshifter to build an
transformation skin from the skin of the intended animal, what
takes about one hour of work to enchant it (still requires to kill
and skin the animal). The character can have any number of skins
of the same kind of animal, but it don’t change the appearance of
the shapeshifter on animal form, and having skins from different
animals won’t work. The 3 dot variation allows the shapeshifter to
assume the form with no need of transformation skin.
Wilderness Sense (1)
The character have a unnatural connection to nature,
allowing to instinctively sense direction, weather changes and
natural hazards on the region. When using the Survival Skill to
any of this situations, the character gains 3 enhancements, and
can do it even when not exposed to nature, for example from
inside a cavern or structure, during a complete dark night and
even when blinded and deafened.
NonHermetic Arts
Many traditions have their own arts, that work on a similar
way to the Hermetic Arts. To be able to develop an NonHermetic
Art, the character must have the Gift and have the art opened, in
a similar way to what happen to a Magus. Non Hermetic Arts are
learned thru experience, the same way as the Hermetic do,
costing 6 experience per dot in the art.
Different arts don’t need to respect the same rules nor have
the same difficulties on the same effects as Hermetic Arts. One
example is the Death Connection that allows contacting spirits of
the unknown, while the hermetic necromancers need to use
arcane connections, or the healing ability that allows to cure
fatigue, what is impossible on Hermetic theory. But some arts may
treat the same effect as a level higher or lower than the Hermetic
version.
Ability Arts
Ability arts are mere expansions of the Supernatural
abilities, sometimes allowing the Gifted to turn the ability into
something more flexible. This kind of art requires the character to
have at least one of the affected abilities before can develop the
art, and the art complement the abilities, granting enhancements
on the Casting rolls, allowing to Invent Formulaic or Ritual Spells,
or making it more flexible. For example:
- Charm and Uncharm are arts used in combination with
Blessing, Cursing and Healing abilities to invent, cast and dispel
Formulaic and Spontaneous spells with related effects. Blessing
can be used to move, enhance or protect, Cursing can be used to
weaken, hurt or control and Healing to heal, cure or remove
condition (including Fatigue with Level equal to the complication).
They have access to the Undirect target option.
- Magic Sight is an art that can be combined with Death
Sense, Magic Sense, Premonition, Second Sight and Sensitivity to
refine the effects of all these abilities and be able to combine
them.
- Skinchanging is an art that allow a Gifted with the
Shapechanger ability to create transformation skins of creatures
that he doesn’t have the ability related, and even create forms by
combining the skins of several creatures to build a chimera,
needing to test the art to create a new transformation skin and to
change to forms he doesn’t have the ability.
- (Realm) Binding is an art they allow a Gifted with the
(Realm) Adjurator and (Realm) Invocation invent and cast rituals
of summoning, binding, banish and dispelling creatures and
effects related to the chosen Realm.
Pairing Arts
Other arts are similar to the Hermetic Arts, allowing the
gifted to cast and invent spells, rituals and possibly enchant items.
These arts are always used in pairs of Technique and Form,
sometimes having other names, but the idea is the same. For
example:
- A Glamourist hedge tradition have 2 Techniques, Charm
and Uncharm (same that are combined to the abilities), and 3
Forms, Body, Shape and Vision, allowing, thru combination,
conjuration (ChBo) and vanish (UnBo) of material things,
transformation (ChSh) and reversing (UnSh) of material things,
creation of illusions (ChVi) and invisibility (UnVi).
- A Necromantic hedge tradition have 2 techniques,
Command and Commune, that combined with the 2 forms, Body
and Spirit, allow to command the dead spirits and dead bodies,
Sense and communicate to the spirits of the dead and read the
past and future thru the dead bodies.
- A Druidic hedge tradition have 3 techniques, Control,
Empower and Transform, that combined with the 4 forms, Animal,
Herbs, Human and Spirit, working similar as the Hermetic Magic,
but limited to Spontaneous and Ceremonial casting.
Focused Arts
The last kind of arts are sets of arts, used one by one,
never combining with each other, less powerful than the other
arts, as they don’t combine with each other, but versatile as each
art have a few uses and the set of arts are large.
- A True Namer knows the true names of several things,
being able to control this things when call their names. There are
a few dozens of names, each one capable of controlling a small
group of similar targets, from the clouds to different kinds of
animals.
- A Hiperborean singer can sing the effects with the notes
that play, each few sequences of tones build an art that have a
meaning, musics about the weather can make wind and rain, or
bring a clear day, while musics about war can incite the fury of the
gods in the warriors or make the enemy shake in their armours.
- A Power Speaker can say the words used by gods to
create several things, the more words he knows, more effects he
can cast, from screams that cause damage, to soft words that
cure wounds and whispers to command the one who listen.
Combination of Arts
The arts don’t need to combine with each other as the
hermetic arts, some magical schools teach the Gifted arts from
multiple traditions, without combining them on a single set of arts.
- A school teach Charm and Uncharm that are combined
with the natural abilities of Blessing, Cursing and Healing and with
the 3 forms, Body, Shape and Vision, also teach Alchemy and
several esoteric specialties from mundane skills that are used on
rituas.
- A tradition of witches and warlocks teach some ability arts
(exploring the natural abilities), several esoteric Specialities that
are used to cast previously written rituals, while the students rely
on their natural abilities to faster spell casting.
Different Ranges, Durations and Targets
Hermetic Magi are strongly connected to the position of the
celestial bodies to define duration and uses a lot of symbols to
reach and define targets, but it may not be the way other
traditions developed their magical theories. You can find a few
examples of how the spell can use other definitions to be cast.
Veil of Death (Range Scale 2): the target is a spirit of the
dead, no matter the distance or connection. The caster can choose
to target a specific spirit or a random spirit with the same easy.
Veil of Time (Range +2): The target is not in the present,
but in the past or future. Besides the increase in scale, this range
adds a complication that reduce the level of detail of the vision.
The level of the complication is determined by the distance in
time, and can be partially bought off, 1 for up to a Diameter in the
Past, 2 for up to a Diameter in the future or a Sun in the Past, 4
for up to a Sun in the future or a Moon in the Past, 6 for up to a
Moon in the future or Year in the Past and 8 for up to a year in the
future or more in the Past. Notice that it’s a possible future, not
necessary the one that will happen. If the leftover complication is
0, the information received have details, people and objects are
recognisable and the flux of time is clear. Leftover of 1 takes the
details away, but it’s still possible to identify the main people and
objects, and most of the time flow. Leftover of 2 takes most of the
sensibility of time, it’s hard to define the order of events and
relate the people to actions, but it’s possible to identify people and
objects. Leftover of 3 take most of the identifications, it’s possible
to identify the most important person or object, but any other will
be no better than a blur. Leftover of 4 gives flashes of the event,
maybe some information about the protagonist of the event or
why the importance (if not already known). Leftover of 5 or more
leaves no proper information.
(Realm) Name (Range Scale 3): the target is reached by
the use of its true name, as long the target is original from the
chosen realm.
Indirect (Target +0): the target of the spell is indirect, the
spell is cast into a direct target, but don’t affect it, affecting only
those that interact to the direct target of the spell in a specific
manner. For example targeting anyone that touch the target, or
the weapon used against the target.
Ranges by Affection
The range by affection connect the target to the caster by
emotions and not distance.
Personal (Scale 0): the target is the caster.
Friend (Scale 0): the target is bounded by a love or
friendship to the caster. Includes also the caster’s favourite tools
and equipments.
Colleague (Scale 1): the target is or was bounded by
camaraderie to the caster. Includes also all the regular tools and
equipment of the caster, as well as the favourite tools and
equipment of any brother.
Known (Scale 2): the caster know the target, and can
identify it in the middle of others.
Seen (Scale 3): the target has been saw by the target at
least once, but the target don’t know anything about him and
possibly can’t recognise him if in the middle of similar people. It’s
impossible to target the unknown.
Range by Distance
The range by distance is a more fixed target, not connected
to psychological bounds but to distances.
Personal (Scale 0): the target is the caster.
Short (Scale 1): the target is within a short range.
Long (Scale 2): the target is within a long range.
Out of Range (Scale 3): the target is anywhere, including
other dimensions.
Durations by Time
The duration by time is a more fixed duration, not
connected to celestial movement, but the flow of time itself. It
also allow the caster to get longer durations by adding successes
to it.
Momentary (Scale 0): the effect last a extremely short
time, just enough to make it happen.
Concentration (Scale 0): the effect lasts for as long the
caster maintain concentration.
Minute (Scale 0): the effect lasts for 1 minute, plus 1 per
additional success invested.
Hour (Scale 1): the effect lasts for 1 hour, plus 1 per
additional success invested.
Day (Scale 2): the effect lasts for 1 day, plus 1 per
additional success invested.
Month (Scale 3): the effect lasts for 1 month, plus 1 per
additional success invested.
Target by Area
The target by area is a more fixed target, not connected to
physical barriers but to distances to a chosen point in space, that
point needing to be at range to the caster.
Individual (Scale 0): the target is a single creature,
object, element or spell.
Close (Scale 1): the target is all the possible targets inside
a close range to a position.
Short (Scale 2): the target is all the possible targets inside
a short range to a position.
Medium (Scale 3): the target is all the possible targets
inside a Medium range to a position.
NonHermetic Enchanted Items
Almost all traditions have the capacity of creating magical
items with different limitations. Invested Items, are probably the
rarest, requiring many refined techniques, but lesser Items and
Charged items are common.
Among the traditions more connected to the nature and
healing, simple items and potions are even more common, even
among traditions that lack any art. Hedge wizards from those
traditions have the Alchemy Edge as basic part of their training.
The alchemy edge, in this case, allows the Gifted to invent spells
using the tradition abilities even if not learned, for example, a Folk
Witch that lack the Healing ability, can still brew a Healing Potion.
Many traditions have ways to create Enchanted Items that
don’t fit on the Hermetic Theory or Alchemy, or at least are not of
common use by Hermetic Magus. It’s possible to find some
mysteries that have special items, requiring specific Edges to do
it, as described below.
Fast Enchanter (2)
The Gifted can enchant Charged Items in minutes. The
creation of the item takes only 1 minute per milestone, and can be
done out of the laboratory (in this case not using the Hermetic
Laboratory Edge). Invested Items and Lesser Enchantments can’t
be enchanted this way.
Fetiche Caster (2)
The Gifted can create fetiches, a physical vessel containing
an elemental spirit to sustain the magic. It’s possible to charge the
Fetiche with some magic effect, gaining the access to the new
duration Fetiche. Construction a Fetiche is similar to enchant an
Lesser Item rank equals to the spell rank, including vis consuming
during the casting of the spell.
Fetiche (Duration Scale 2): the effect lasts for as long the
Fetiche is intact, dispelling if the Fetiche is damaged or
disenchanted.
 Powerful Enchanter (1)
The Gifted can create items using spells with range,
duration and target scale 3 or higher. The process is the same, but
it is necessary to add vis as if it was 1 rank higher (invested and
lesser items) or according to the spell rank (charged items).

Rune Caster (1)

The Gifted can create items enchanted by the written magic
in it. The caster can create the enchanted item thru writing the
effect on it using the magical alphabet, working as a charged
item, but the effect must have the new Duration and Target. The
caster must have a system of magic to describe the effects.
Rune (Duration Scale 2): the effect lasts for as long the
runes are not damaged. It must be used with the Inscription
target.
Inscription (Target Scale 0): the target is the object or
creature where it is written, must be used with the Rune Duration.

Supernatural Enchanter (1)

The Gifted create items based on supernatural abilities as if
they were spells. These items are created considering the rank of
the spell as twice the dots of the ability, and the gifted must have
the proper ability to be able to use it. Items like this grants the
user the supernatural ability for as long as the item is held
properly. An charged item will grant the ability to the user for a
diameter as standard, but can grant for a sun increasing the item
rank by 1, a moon increasing by 2 or a year increasing by 3.

Talisman Constructor (1)

The Gifted can create talismans to other casters. If
designed for an specific person, it will work as if it was made by
the person, working with half of its rank to others. It’s possible to
create a large amount of talismans and let others to pick the ones
that work best, possibly finding one that works as it was made by
the person.
Unless the character is capable of creating Invested Items,
it’s impossible to invest spells on the talismans created with this
Edge.

Tattoo Inscriptor (1)

The Gifted can enchant tattoos, giving the user a limited
number of uses of a Spell per day by touching the tattoo, as a
Lesser Enchantment.