Chronicle System - Chronicle of Sorcery (Dewm)
Chronicle System - Chronicle of Sorcery (Dewm)
SORCERY
INTRODUCTION
In the low-fantasy milieu the Chronicle System emulates, Subtle Sorceries
magicians are rare and wondrous. Witches who dwell in
forests, swamps and highlands provide charms of good The sorceries of the Chronicle System are not the overt, flashy
luck, herbal treatments for every ailment and malevolent spells of many other roleplaying systems. This Chronicle of
hexes. Astrologers gaze upward into the vault of the Heav- Sorcery, along with its attendant Lores, are intended to re-
ens, seeking out destiny’s course as plotted in the patterns flect a “lower” sort of magic, one in which sorcery plays a
of the planets and stars. Alchemists combine strange ingre- distinct role, but without the pyrotechnics, earth-shaking
dients in smoke-filled labs, concoting arcane potions and manifestations, or epic altering of reality of “high-magic”
transmutations for lords and others who can afford their fantasy systems.
prices. Spirit-whisperers dwell at the fringes of tribal soci- Many of the Lores provide effects that could, to the skepti-
eties, feared even by the fiercest of savages, and blood sor- cal eye, be regarded as coincidence, chicanery, or some com-
cerers tap into darkest sacrifice for the power to be found bination of the two. Indeed, the price of many of these Lores
in that bloodshed. is so high that magicians who openly proclaim themselves as
Chronicle of Sorcery is a new ruleset, an add-on to the such often resort to actual sleight of hand, tricks of chemistry,
Combat, Intrigue, House, Warfare and other systems that and taking credit for things that are genuinely coincidental.
make up the Chronicle System. It utilizes the basic rules of It should be noted that throughout the text, the words
the Chronicle System and its various conflict systems, with “sorcery,” “sorceries,” “magic,” and “magics” will be used in-
a few modifications and the addition of some new aspects. terchangeably. While there are specific differences between
These rules are for Narrators who wish to add magic-using the definitions of “sorcery” and “magic,” for the purposes
characters to their Chronicles, and for players who wish to of the Chronicle of Sorcery they are considered one and the
play characters who are wielders of esoteric powers. same.
Chronicle of Sorcery 1
Sorcery Essentials
Several Abilities define your character’s interaction with ferent things. Averting bonuses do NOT stack: only the
the magical forces of the world, both in terms of your abil- best Averting bonus applies in any given situation.
ity to wield and resist them. For every two Sorcerous Benefits (or at the Narrator’s
option, other Benefits of occult power), the character gains
Abilities a +1 Averting bonus. Beings who are themselves wielding
supernatural power develop strong resistances over time to
The precise Abilities used in Sorcery vary. Each Lore has its the sorcery of others.
own set of Abilities associated with its mysteries. In theory,
nearly any Ability might be used with Sorcery, although Hearthwife’s Protection
some are more common than others like those listed below.
Those who know to beware of sorcery can use prayers or
Cunning folkloric remedies to protect themselves, like making a
sign against witchcraft, sprinkling salt upon one’s own
Cleverness and quick-thinking are often vital traits for a head, or similar customs, gaining a +1 Averting bonus.
sorcerer. A sharp mind can also help defend against sor- This is a Challenging (9) Knowledge test. Each degree
cery, as well. of success on this test grants protection for one minute.
Add your Cunning rank to your Sorcery Defense.
Endurance
Health&Composure
Sorcery can take its toll on the body, and those who are Unlike Combat and Intrigue, Sorcery does not have its
physically healthy can often shake off the effects of some own measure of tracking the application of sorcery to the
kinds of sorcery. individual. Some spells may inflict Damage, while others
Add your Endurance rank to your Sorcery Defense. may affect Influence.
Will Scale
A strong mind serves the sorcerer well, for often it requires It is essential to note that the Chronicle of Sorcery is a me-
intense focus and dedication to master the Occult Arts. Those ta-system or module, one that can be folded into other
who might be the target or victim of sorcery will also find a Chronicle System elements. There are battle magics that can
strong Will a boon in defending against magical assaults. be used during Combat, subtle bewitching enchantments
Add your Will rank to your Sorcery Defense. for use in Intrigues, and even mighty war-sorceries that
can impact conflicts on the Warfare scale.
Sorcery Defense As a result, all spells and rituals have a Scale entry, in-
dicating with which other systems that act of sorcery in-
Though potent, magic is not all-powerful. There is some- teracts. Some may even interact with different scales of
thing intrinsic in the living — man and beast alike — narration; a spell that sways the emotions of a target in an
which enables them to resist the powers of sorcery. This Intrigue might have another effect during Combat.
resistance is based on cleverness and strength of body and The kinds of scale are:
mind. Your Sorcery Defense is figured as follows: BB Ability: Considered the “normal” scale of play, Abil-
Sorcery Defense = Cunning + Endurance + Will + ity-scale scenes are normal scenes in which characters
Averting Bonus (from equipment or Benefits) may or may not need to use Ability tests to reflect
dealing with challenges that are not handled through
Averting Bonuses one of the other scales of play.
BB Combat: Combat-scale magics are usually immediate
Certain conditions grant a character additional defense
and quick. The entry indicates what kind of Combat
against sorcerous influence. These can be a number of dif-
2 Chronicle of sorcery
sorcery essentials
Action the use of that spell requires: Greater, Lesser, though some may affect everyone in a given warded area.
or Free Actions. Some wards may also be natural effects, the results of pow-
BB Intrigue: Intrigue-scale magics are usually an Action to erfully magical natural sites, substances, or creatures.
cast, although some may be a Free Action, i.e., one may The majority of wards are Lore-specific: that is, a given
cast the spell and also perform a normal Intrigue action. ward protects against a given kind of magic, usually tak-
ing advantage of that Lore’s particular weaknesses. There
BB Warfare: Warfare-scale magics may affect a battle in are some very potent wards that apply to all kinds of sor-
huge, epic fashion, or simply shift the tides of battle in cery, however. While such wards tend to be weak in actual
more subtle ways. The use of sorcery is almost always a power, their strength is in their versatility. Very magical
Player Action (which may be Greater, Lesser, or Free), creatures often have general warding as part of their natu-
though their effects generally come into play in the ral state.
subsequent Units Action.
BB Ritual: Ritual-scale is unique to Sorcery Actions. Such Ward Rating
spells always require multiple Ability tests in order to
accumulate a given number of degrees of success, and Wards offer protection against magic that directly affects
those actions take a certain amount of time per test. either body or mind. When you take either Damage or In-
fluence from a sorcery effect, you reduce the damage taken
Price by your Ward Rating. Damage or Influence can be reduced
to 0, but not below it. Wards can also reduce the Damage
All magic has a price of some kind, commensurate to the or Influence inflicted by magical creatures.
benefits it grants. At its core, this price is always paid with
Destiny: either by the expenditure of general Destiny points, Ward Penalty
or those that can only be spent on Sorcery. For each Lore,
however, this Destiny is paid via a specific mechanism, typi- Wards are less efficacious against sorcery that inflicts nei-
cally some kind of action and/or ingredient(s) to be utilized ther Damage nor Influence. All but the weakest of wards
in order to spend (or in some cases, burn) that point. Each inflict a Ward Penalty, which is a penalty to the Cast-
Lore pays a different price, as detailed in its description. ing of all sorceries affected by the ward protecting the
Most Lores also have a way to allow others to pay the individual(s). This applies not just to baleful sorcery, but
grievous prices demanded of some sorceries. This is usually to all magics of the Lore the ward defends against, even
employed only when a sorcerer must burn Destiny for a de- if beneficial. The ward also affects the Casting tests of the
sired act of magic—it is, after all, far better to get another to appropriate Lore cast by the one being warded, as powerful
pay this price whenever possible, particularly if the sorcery is protections against a specific kind of magic also work to
being performed on their behalf… or at their expense. inhibit its wielding.
Chronicle of Sorcery 3
Lores
Not all sorcery is the same. To reflect this, the magics When creating new Lore, the Narrator should decide
of the Chronicle of Sorcery are divided into different Lo- which Abilities it employs. The fewer Abilities it uses, the
res, which are modular sets of magical rules. It is up to easier it is for its practitioners to become highly adept
the Narrator to decide which Lores to include in their at the magic of that system. Lores using a single Ability
games, and which of these are available to player char- should be extremely rare and lack diversity in effects; a
acters. single Ability means the Lore is very narrow in focus and
This decision can help shape the chronicles: a setting limited in power.
where Alchemy and Astrology exist is going to be vastly
different one where only Wortcunning and Blood Magic Example
have power. These Lores also provide a starting place for The Narrator thinks that a practitioner of Talismanic Sorcery
Narrators who wish to create unique magical systems for ought to have a few skills to be successful, including a knowl-
their games. edge of the occult significances of the amulets and charms they
make and the handicrafts necessary to actually craft those spe-
Lore Traits cialized talismans. So, the Narrator decides that Knowledge is
required for the magical lores to create them, as is Agility for the
All Lores use the same basic presentation: deft hand to create the often-intricately engraved and crafted
pieces. Deciding that she would like a third Ability for Talis-
Concept manic Sorcery, she decides that Will is another Ability, reflect-
ing the personal power required to awaken the power in the
Every Lore has a basic concept, which can usually be final products.
summed up with one or two succinct sentences, discuss-
ing both where sorcerers derives their magic, and how they Price
use it. There is no such thing as “generic magic” within the
context of a Chronicle of Sorcery: all magic is highly special- Magic comes at a steep price. Generally speaking, if
ized and derived from very specific powers. it is possible to do with magic what one can do with
When creating a new Lore, Narrators should put some mundane action, the mundane action is almost always
thought into what it takes to wield the magic of this Lore. preferable, due to the price of magic. Each Lore has a
If it’s common and easy, why isn’t everyone doing it? If it’s specific cost associated with it, a sacrifice that must be
rare and difficult, how does anyone ever discover they can made in order to cajole the occult powers to do the ma-
wield it at all, to say nothing of finding someone to teach gician’s bidding.
them to do so? When creating new Lore, the Narrator should take a
good look at the power level of the magic within that Lore,
Example and ensure an appropriately high price is paid for the prac-
The Narrator decides she wants to include a kind of subtle sor- tive of powerful arts.
cery in her game based around the power of amulets, talismans,
and other such charms. There is a place in her setting for those Example
who sell protective charms meant to ward off evil, good luck Example: Since the idea of talismanic sorcerers peddling their
talismans, and even symbols of holy significance. She makes wares for coin helped inspire the Narrator, the price for Talis-
note of these concepts, calling her new magical Lore Talismanic manic Sorcery is obvious: money. However, because she wants
Sorcery. them to be fairly accessible, she decides that the costs aren’t going
to be prohibitive—there has to be room for the peasant witch
Abilities selling amulets to superstitious countryfolk, after all. So, in ad-
dition, perhaps talismans have to be “invested” with Destiny in
Like most endeavors in the Chronicle System, magic is order to work. This may come from sorcerers themselve, but per-
based on the use of Abilities. The wielding of most Lores haps those who wear them and believe in their efficacy can—or
require the use one to three Abilities to resolve the various maybe even must—also invest them with Destiny.
sorcery tests involved.
4 Chronicle of sorcery
lores
Arts
Every Lore is divided into multiple Arts. These are the
smaller-scale categories of magic within that Lore, divided
by themes or systems appropriate to the Lore in question.
It might be by source of power, by effect, by concept, or by
any other method of categorization. Each Art is purchased
as a Benefit, and most Arts have at least one Requirement
(which may include other Arts as prerequisites).
Each Art has at least one Ritual and one Spell, and most
have more than one. Upon learning an Art, the practitio-
ner may select one Ritual and one Spell from that Art.
Additional Spells and Rituals from a known Art may be
learned by finding mentors who know them, finding re-
corded information with that lore within or by risky ex-
perimentation.
When creating a new Lore, Narrators should create at
least three Arts to go with it, dividing the power of the
magical discipline among them. The more powerful a Lore
is, the more individual Arts it should have. Arts have no
practical minimum or maximum numbers of Rituals or
Spells associated with them, but if there are fewer than
two of each kind, some thought should be put into possi-
bly folding those Techniques into another Art. Alternately,
if an Art has more than a half-dozen or so of both Rituals
and Spells, it should probably be split into multiple Arts.
Resonances
Of course, since there is no cost but time and access to
In order to work, magic must draw upon the very stuff
learn new Spells and Rituals, learning such a great variety
of the world, whether naturally occurring or man-made,
of spells and rituals can overbalance that Art somewhat.
to forge a connection between the powers of magic and
the physicality of the practitioner’s world. Like the tallest
Example
tree in the field that pulls the lightning’s arc to earth, these
There are many possible Arts. At first, the Narrator toys with items allow the magician to call upon those powers and
the idea of dividing them up by origins: an Art for country harness them.
witches, one for religious talismans, and so on. In thinking Each Lore has its own symbols and associations. These
about it, she decides that she would rather the Arts reflected the aren’t necessarily things: they could be people, times, plac-
function of their talismans. So, listing the kinds of talismans es, events, or even emotions and states of being. Each Spell
she sees her chronicle featuring, she puts together her list of Arts: or Ritual has specific Resonances noted in its description
the Art of Amulets for protective tokens; the Art of Relics, for that grant bonuses or penalties to the act of magic, or alter
religious artifacts; and the Art of Seals, for talismans of in- its outcomes in some way. But each Lore also has Reso-
tricate design that do overtly magical things. Pondering this, nances that apply to some or all of its Arts.
she thinks she would like this Lore to have a lot of variety, so Resonances do not just assist magic, however. Wards
she comes up with two more that don’t seem to fit well into the provide protection against it, and while there are a few
other categories: the Art of Memento Mori, for cool ancestral low-powered Wards that can defend against all magics,
and necromantic tokens that draw on the dead; and the Art of the most powerful are Lore-specific, granting aid against
Trophies, for magically imbued reminders of victory in battle. sorcerers using powers of a particular nature.
Five is quite a few Arts, but as the major form of magic in her When creating new Lore, Resonances serve to mitigate
chronicle, it seems appropriate. powerful magics. Requiring specific situations can make
Chronicle of Sorcery 5
lores
At its core, the sorcery presented here is very simple: it is a system built on the premise of the Chronicle System’s
expenditure of Destiny: by either spending or burning Destiny Points, the character can alter the way the story is
unfolding.
The changes wrought by sorcery to the narrative are more dramatic than those of normal Destiny expendi-
tures. In exchange for that heightened influence, however, there are some requirements: the changes must be
made in accordance with the sorcery’s theme; the character must have invested in Benefits to use the sorcery;
and the sorcery always uses specific resources and costs in addition to the basic Destiny Point cost to accomplish
those changes.
6 Chronicle of sorcery
lores
Astrology
Concept: Some claim the paths of destiny can be seen in
the patterns of the stars above. Others would have one believe
that the stars themselves force the movement of Fate. These
distinctions are meaningless to the dedicated astrologer, who
simply knows that what has been, what is now, and what may
be to come can all be read in the eternal, slow dance of the
stars in the firmament. Astrologers are often sought for their
insights into events both great and small, ranging from what
lies in store for the humblest individual, to the outcomes of
events that will shake a kingdom to its very core.
Chronicle of Sorcery 7
lores
humankind. rifices are not symbolic, but literal, and their magic is pow-
BB Horoscopy is the examination of individuals, revealing erful as a result. Within their purview are the magics of
to the astute astrologer the personality, flaws, strengths, life and death, of bodily strength and fertility, and of injury
and other such traits of an individual. and disease. It is said that some of them also know magics
of heredity and lineage, with greater power derived from
BB Auspicity involves the techniques of determining the those whose blood is noble or royal.
best timing for events, of seizing advantage of the
power of the stars for one’s own purposes. Abilities: Blood sorcerers require strength of body and
BB Prejudication is the art of applying the movement of quick intuition and insight to summon their powers. Thus,
the stars to whole societies. An astrologer skilled in blood magicians favor Endurance, particularly when the
this art is of great benefit to a lord, guiding him on the blood they spill is their own, and Cunning to conjure and
most auspicious times to enact his will on his domain. direct the powers from mortal vitality.
Resonances: The horoscope is an absolute necessity for Price: The price demanded by blood magic is, of course,
any kind of astrological work. Every astrologer learns how blood itself. Sometimes, the simple spilling of blood is
to create a horoscope, which requires either a clear night enough, inflicting Damage, Injuries, and sometimes even
sky and set of astrologer’s tools (including sextant and as- Wounds on those whose life essence is spilled for the
trolabe) with which to take measurements himself, or an blood magician’s work. The “purity” of blood can also be
ephemeris, a book in which the movements of the celestial a factor, with slave and commoner blood being essentially
bodies has already been charted. worthless for anything but lesser spells, while the blood of
royals provides the greatest efficacy for the most powerful
Blood Sorcery of rituals.
Arts: The magics that delve into blood sorcery are varied:
Concept: Magic is always paid for, and none are so well
they are numinous and brutal by turns, capable of great
aware of this as the justly feared blood sorcerers. Their sac-
8 Chronicle of sorcery
lores
feats of wonder, but usually at a terrible price. the essence of other, alien entities without form risks losing
themselves. Increasing isolation from others due to ill-ease
BB Haruspexy, or blood divinations, using spilt blood and and strange sensations in those one meets are the perils of
even the sacrifice of life to gain insight into the destiny the early powers of this path. The possibilities of possession,
of those for whom the magician attempts to divine. madness, and even the destruction of one’s own soul await
BB Cruentus involves the manipulation of life itself. These those who cross the threshold of the spirit world.
arts harbor spells of healing, transformation of the Arts: Each time Spirit-Whispering is learned, it is learned
body, and similar magics associated with the force of for a specific kind of spirit. In many ways, Spirit-Whisper-
life itself. ing is just a general term for a whole body of related Lores.
BB Devoveum is the laying of curses and maledictions. Such spirits may be the spirits of the dead, terrible shadow
Spilt blood is used to enact violence and hatred, pow- entities, elementals great and small, natural spirits of wood
ers which these spells harness and direct towards their and glade, demons, faery spirits, or any manner of other
victims. entities.
BB Piaculum augments the empowerment of other magics. BB The magics of Cajoling involve the propriation and
The arts of sacrifice can transform, alter, and manipu- befriending of spirits, approaching them in a spirit of
late other magics sympathetically, for what blood is to benevolence and friendship.
the body, magic is to the world.
BB The magics of Commination involve the threatening and
Resonances: The bronze or iron arthana, a rune-engraved castigation of spirits, forcing them to obey, including the
knife consecrated (or some might argue, desecrated) for powers that permit the harming of such entities.
bloodletting, is the first and foremost resonance of Blood BB The magics of Entreatment involve the calling of spirits
Sorcery. Even when it is not being paid as a price, shed to the person of the spirit-whisperer, conjuring them
blood can empower blood magicss, as can graveyards and to come and empowering them to take on physical (or
the sites upon which the great loss of life has occurred. at least visual) manifestations.
Spirit-Whispering Resonances: Many who would speak with the spirits rely
on ecstatic experiences, be they derived from asceticism, giv-
Concept: In the dark places of the world, they wait: enti- ing oneself over to vices or indulging in hallucinogens. The
ties unseen and unheard, save by the very sensitive. The exact form of this ecstatic experience depends on the na-
spirit-whisperer learns the secret languages and songs of ture of the spirit being invoked.
the spirits, calling to them in voices of cajoling, command,
enticement, or threats. To others, spirit-whisperers might Talismanic Sorcery
seem mad—but when the spirits of the lands, the other-
worlds, and the dead attend their beck and call, those who Concept: Talismans, amulets, charms: how many have
doubt are silenced as strange and inexplicable things begin depended on these items of good fortune, blessings and
to unfold at the will and direction of the spirit-whisperer. protection to get them through difficult times? Pilgrimage
badges, apotropaic tokens, and good luck charms handed
Abilities: The Lore of Spirit-Whispering demands down through generations: these small pieces are simple
much of those who practice it. Awareness of the subtle- superstitions… or are they? The talismanic sorcerer har-
ties of the world around them often reveal the will of the nesses the simple beliefs of such traditions, magnifying
spirits they interact with. It is Persuasion that allows spir- them through magic into something more than simple
it-whisperers to influence and command the spirits they fancy or old wives’ tales.
interact with into obedience, while a strong Will protects
them from losing the sanctity of their sanity and spiritual Abilities: The Lore of Talismanic Sorcery requires Knowl-
freedom that is usually the danger of dealing with the edge of the occult significances related to talismans, Agility
numinous world. in order to craft them with the delicate precision required,
and Will to imbue the talismans with magical power.
Price: Spirit-whisperers who uses their own spirit to touch
Chronicle of Sorcery 9
lores
Price: Like alchemy, the creation of talismans requires some fashion. Is it any wonder that there is magic in the
rare ingredients. As such, the biggest cost of practicing tal- simple green gifts of the earth as well? From the gentle
ismanic sorcery is money, though to a lesser degree than country healer down the lane to the sinister venefica who
alchemy. Talismans must also be “empowered” through the talks to her mandrake familiar in a dank cave, those who
use of Destiny Points, whether that of the creator or of master the magic of plants unlock an impressively versatile
those who wear the charms. arsenal for themselves and those around them.
Arts: Talismanic Sorcery is divided into Arts, each based Abilities: The practitioner of Wortcunning must know
on different kinds of talismans. much… and more. Healing is vital for those who would use
their powers to aid and cure, while Knowledge teaches the
BB The Art of Amulets involves the creation of protective green sorcerer arts of poison and empowerment. Though
charms that defend against ill-luck, misfortune, sick- it is not used in the Lore proper, many of the herbwise
ness, and baneful magic. also know skills of Survival, allowing them to wild-harvest
BB The Art of Memento Mori involves ancestral and necro- their herbs, if they do not grow them themselves.
mantic tokens that invoke memories of death or near-
death that help ward mortality away, as well as tap into Price: The price of Wortcunning is innocuous, simply re-
the power of those memories and events. quiring very specific herbs used in the magics, which must
be harvested properly. As such, wortcunning’s price is truly
BB The Art of Relics channels some power tied into the be- time: seasons spent growing or finding the proper herbs, in
liefs of the faithful, tapping into the symbols, relics and the proper conditions.
even body parts of saints and heroes of the faith to
grant blessings. Arts: The arts of Wortcunning are many. The powers in-
BB The Art of Seals involves the creation of talismans of in- herent in the green sorcery are broad, although rarely as
tricate design and power, with a wide variety of magi- overtly powerful as other Lores. What it lacks in power,
cal results. however, it makes up in versatility.
BB The Art of Trophies draws upon the power of victory, BB Charms of Plenty are those intended to enhance the
imbuing war and combat talismans taken from life- fertility of woman, kine, and field.
and-death violence to empower those who wield them BB Charms of Succor bring healing, peace, and blessing
with victory in such situations. upon those so gifted.
Resonances: The Spells and Rituals of Talismanic Sor- BB Charms of Venefica unleash terrible powers of pain,
cery frequently employ Resonances associated with places, cursing, barrenness, and poison.
events, and times. All talismanic sorcerers use a clavilogia, BB Charms of Enamorment create passion, love, and loyalty
or an “account of keys,” containing the knowledge they in those affected by them.
have learned and then inscribed regarding their art. It is
used for all Rituals in Talismanic Sorcery, in addition to Resonances: Herbwise sorcerers must maintain a work-
whatever other Resonances those Rituals may require. ing space, properly consecrated to the green witchery they
perform. This is called the greenbower, and may be space in
Wortcunning a cottage, a secret glade in a forest, or a cave in the woods.
This place is where sorcerers works their Wortcunning
Concept: Healing, harming, feeding, clothing, building: magics. Additionally, all wortcunning magics are embod-
all the important endeavors of humanity involve plants in ied into physical materials using herbs, although their final
form may be elixirs, ointments, incense, oil, spell-pouches,
or other tangible items.
10 Chronicle of sorcery
Works of Magic
Bodies of individual occult knowledge are referred to as choice of one Technique from that Art. The purchase of
Lores. Each Lore is organized along a general theme, e.g., this Benefit also provides a point of Sorcerous Destiny, or
Blood sorcery or Astrology. Lores are themselves broken “phantom” Destiny Points that can only be used to fuel
down into Arts, collections of rituals and spells around a magical Techniques.
given occult technique, and/or a source of power or proce- Finally, each Sorcerous Art Benefit also grants a spe-
dure. Arts are composed of one or more Techniques, which cial themed mechanical advantage that reflects abilities or
are the actual acts of magic themselves. Techniques gener- changes to the sorcerer who has unlocked these powers.
ally can do multiple things, depending on whether Destiny
is being spent or burnt. Some even grant some minor abili- Access to Arts
ties without the expenditure of Destiny at all, though these
are usually very minor tricks easily mistaken for chicanery Learning a new Art requires more than just the invest-
and prestidigitation. ment of a Benefit. There is usually a story requirement
of some kind to gain access to this knowledge. The pre-
Arts cise nature of this should be tailored to the chronicle in
question, of course—the strange bloodlines that awaken
An Art is a “group” of similar magics within a Lore, a occult magic in their scions that works for one campaign
collection of rituals and spells based upon a given occult might not suit the one where such occult lore is the result
theme or procedure. This organization may be whatever of sacrifice, ordeal, and transformative enlightenment.
the Narrator desires, from similar power sources (Fire Narrators should establish at the beginning of their cam-
Magic, Star Magic, Wortcunning, Mental Sorcery, and so paigns how characters learn new Arts, though they need
on), similar outcomes (curses, blessings, fertility magic), not necessarily reveal this to their players. Some ideas in-
and cultural or other origins (the shamanic magics of the clude the following.
Andara tribesmen, or the ancient rituals of a fallen Empire
of God-Kings lost to history).
Indeed, Narrators are encouraged to even reorganize the Lore
Lores that will be presented in the Chronicle of Sorcery se-
ries to fit the magical schema of their own chronicles. An
Art must include, at minimum, one Ritual and one Spell
within their operations; most often include a few of each
(something to keep in mind should the Narrator do some
restructuring).
Learning a new Art requires three things: the expen-
diture of a Destiny Point to purchase the corresponding
Benefit, access to the Lore, and time spent studying it. Arts
Sorcerous Art Benefits
Access to Arts is gained for a character through the pur-
chase of a Benefit, though such a purchase doesn’t mean
the practitioner automatically knows all the Techniques
within that Art. It merely provides access to those Tech-
niques, although the purchase of an Arts Benefit usually
grants a free Technique along with it.
Techniques
Like any other Benefit, Sorcerous Art Benefits are pur-
chased with a Destiny Point. These Benefits grant access to
the Techniques of a specific Art, including the immediate
Chronicle of Sorcery 11
works of magic
Sorcerous Libraries
Some campaign settings may include grand libraries filled
with tomes of occult lore for those who are brave enough
to plumb their depths. For rules on these, see page 16 for
the Research Sorcery action and the Sorcerous Library
Wealth Holding on page 47.
Magical Bloodlines
The Power is passed through the Blood. Those with “purer”
bloodlines awaken their sorcerous talents faster and earlier,
but even those with the slightest trace may have one or two
gifts awaiting cultivation. These might be ancient and adored
lineages of sorcerer-kings, or secretive and strange families
trying to keep their secret heritage from public knowledge.
Accidents of Birth
No one knows how or why, but sometimes certain indi-
viduals manifest magical gifts, occurring without any ap-
parent rhyme or reason. There may be some outward sign
of its presence: omens or portents at the person’s birth, a
strange mystical mark on the skin that appears when their
awakening is nigh, or some other significant event related
to the person, i.e., a shepherd’s child whose favorite ewe
gives birth to a two-headed lamb, and the like.
All Lores share a single method for learning new Arts What is madness and death to some awakens magic to oth-
and Techniques, learned from a mentor sorcerer who ers. Sorcery comes to those strange few who survive terrible
practices the same Arts. Finding such an individual may accidents, illnesses, and tragedies: the goodwife who nearly
very well be an extended endeavor, as most sorcerers are drowned in the flood; the courtier who suffered a fatal wast-
wise enough to hide their presence from the world in ing sickness, yet miraculously survived; the old hag on the vil-
general, preferring to work through layers of false identi- lage’s periphery who faced starvation last winter, but emerged
ties, contacts, and the like. when spring’s first buds blossomed. All of these come out the
In campaigns where magic is passed from master to ap- other side of their ordeal with wisdom, strength... and occult
prentice, it is the method and circumstances of this in- powers waiting to be unlocked and tapped.
struction that takes center stage in the learning of new
Blessings of Gods & Spirits
magic. Perhaps sorcerers attend well-regulated, formalized
collegia of sorcery. Or, they may seek out reclusive, misan- The touch of the Otherworldly reaches into the recesses of
thropic masters, intent on proving themselves worthy to the human soul, awakening power to be wielded for good
serve as their apprentices. Their education in magic might or ill. This touch may be capricious, injecting magic into
be a sort of academic study, filled with occult figures and the world just to see what happens. It might be vengeful,
strange diagrams, or perhaps it is a monastic undertaking, bringing doom to those who have upset it in some way, in
characterized by meditation on seemingly senseless riddles the person of a newly fledged sorcerer. Or it may simply
and the practice of ascetic disciplines intended to sharpen desire a servitor to perform its tasks in the world, making a
the body, mind, and spirit of the student into a vessel into pact with them that grants the servant the ability to chan-
which arcane power can be poured. nel power to bring about their master’s grand agenda.
12 Chronicle of sorcery
works of magic
The Chronicle System’s use of a Destiny Point mechanic already provides a way for players (if not characters) to af-
fect the outcome of play. Within this context, all sorcery does is provide a way for characters to do the same, albeit
within a distinct occult context. To that end, the sorcery mechanics in Chronicle of Sorcery also utilize Destiny
Points as a “fuel” for the magic invoked.
Though most Techniques have some kind of very basic benefit that is free or can be invoked via the use of an
appropriate Ability test, the true power in sorcerous actions is available only through the use of Destiny Points.
As with standard uses of Destiny, some effects require a simple expenditure of Destiny, while great feats of magic
require that the Destiny Point be burnt.
Because the purchase of sorcery already requires the investiture of Destiny into the appropriate Benefits, many
of those Benefits also provide points of what is called “Sorcerous Destiny.” These points act as Destiny Points for
the sole purpose of fueling acts of magic. They cannot be used in any of the other ways Destiny is used: those
characters that come to rely on the power of magic to transform the world around them often find that the more
power they gain, the less that natural Fate seems to favor them.
Chronicle of Sorcery 13
works of magic
Spells
In contrast, spells are simpler works of magic, more quickly
evoked, though usually of lesser power. Spells enact magic
that is more immediate, and does not require extensive
preparations or ritual behaviors to use. Spells may be used
in other scales of play, such as Combat, Intrigue, or War-
faree—spells that affect things on the House Action scale,
however, are usually Rituals.
A spell is distinct from a ritual not only in its scale of
invocation, but in that they only ever require the use of a
single Ability check to unleash their power. The success or
failure of this test determines the outcome of that action,
as usual. It is notable, however, that unlike rituals, the pow-
er unleashed by a spell result in effects that are usually very
subtle, often easy for the skeptical to dismiss as whimsy or
mere coincidence.
Learning New
Techniques
Unlike initiating into new Arts, learning Techniques does
not require investing in a Benefit, although there are Ben-
efits that grant characters additional Techniques. Learn-
ing a new Technique requires three things: access to the
Technique, time spent studying and experimenting with
the lore, and a successful Learning Ability test.
Access to the Technique usually comes from the same
sources as Sorcerous Arts: usually mentors who already
know the Technique, or books of lore wherein that Tech-
nique’s secrets have been recorded. Unlike Arts, whose se-
crets are too vast and complex to be contained within a
single tome, a Technique can be contained upon a single
page—indeed, some of these books may contain several
Techniques.
See the Learn Technique Action (see page 15 for more
details on the mechanics of this action.
14 Chronicle of sorcery
Sorcery Actions
The following actions are available to characters in chron- ment carried to your test result. The result replaces your
icles that utilize sorcery. Some of these actions require Sorcery Defense against the first use of sorcery against you
that the character be a full sorcerer, or possess some kind in that scene.
of knowledge—as such, some of these actions list a Re-
quirement for that action to be taken. These actions also INVOCATION RITUAL
list what Scale they operate in: Ability, Combat, Intrigue, Requires any Ritual Technique
Ritual, or Warfare.
In many ways, this is where the “heavy lifting” of a ritual-
ALIGNMENT RITUAL casting occurs. It builds the magical power of the Ritual
Requires any Ritual Technique being performed, and focuses it through the techniques of
the Ritual itself, whether that takes the form of chanting,
Alignment is the act of preparing a ritual space for the symbolic gestures, the use of ritual ingredients, the crafting
performance of that Ritual. This usually includes the intro- of some kind of handiwork, or nearly any other action that
duction of various symbols to the work space in order to can be imbued with occult significance.
better harmonize it with the powers to be raised; hence the Like Alignment, Invocation uses a different Abil-
name “alignment,” as it aligns the area with the magic to ity (though most Rituals in a given Art tend to use the
be wrought within it. Every ritual uses a different Ability same one) and Difficulty for Alignment, and uses a base
(though most Rituals in a given Art tend to use the same time. The time to perform this rite may be increased
one) and Difficulty for Alignment, and uses a base time or decreased, as above with Alignment, although the
for Alignment. modifiers for this test can never be altered by more than
This process can be rushed through or done methodi- +6 or -6.
cally. For every 25% of the time increment the prepara- When the time has elapsed, the sorcerer must make an
tion is reduced by, increase the Difficulty by +3. For every Ability test at the Difficulty for the Ritual. The results of
50% of the time increment the preparation is increased success and failure of this test differ with each Ritual, and
by, reduce the Difficulty by 3. Thus, rushing through and are noted in each for its specific Invocation step.
doing the preparation in half the time increases the Dif-
ficulty by +6, while taking double the time decreases it LEARN TECHNIQUE ABILITY
by -6. Requires any Sorcerous Art Benefit.
Success on this Ritual prepares the area for the perfor-
mance of magic within it. For each degree of success past Once you have invested the time required to learn a new
the first, the sorcerer gains a bonus die to use in other tests Technique, you may make an Ability test using the Abil-
during the Ritual. Once a bonus die is used, it is gone. ity that governs the learning of it, with a Difficulty deter-
Failing this process does not prevent the accomplish- mined by the Technique itself. If you are learning from a
ment of the Ritual, but it does impose a -1D to all sub- mentor, you may add half of that mentor’s relevant Ability
sequent tests to perform it; failing this roll by 5 or more Rating to your test result.
imposes a -2D to subsequent tests. The sorcerer doesn’t On a success, you learn the Technique and may add it
always know how well the preparation has gone, however, the list of Techniques available to you.
so the Narrator should roll the Ability test out of sight of If you fail to make the Difficulty by four or fewer points,
the sorcerer’s player. you may continue to study the Technique, reducing the
Difficulty to learn it by 3.
AVERTING ANY (GREATER) If the Learning Test is failed by 5 or more, that source
of the Technique is too bewildering to understand. If you
You strengthen your will against a magical attack, calling are learning from a book, you simply cannot understand
on your own resolves, your faith in your gods to protect the meaning behind the scribblings; if from a mentor, your
you, or upon cultural invocations or gestures against malign teacher’s descriptions and demonstrations are too obtuse
sorcery. Roll a Will test (bonus dice from the Dedication for you to learn it. You may learn that Technique only if
specialty apply) and add any Averting bonus from equip- you find different access or a source for it.
Chronicle of Sorcery 15
sorcery actions
16 Chronicle of sorcery
sorcery actions
thy) test. You cannot, however, detect the fact that some- The sorcerer must make a Formidable (12) Will (Co-
one simply has magical ability, unless they use it. ordinate) test. Multiply the numbers of degrees of suc-
cess by the sorcerer’s Will Rating; this result is then
UNLEASHING RITUAL added to the bonuses granted by their assistants’ Ritual
Requires any Ritual Technique Assistance test results. This total is the number of ad-
ditional “floating” points that may be added to any test
The very final step in any Ritual, Unleashing takes all of during the ritual, as the sorcerer desires, usually to bump
the power that has been raised and concentrates it into a results upwards out of failure ranges or to gain additional
focused manifestation of magical power, releasing it into degrees of success.
the world to take effect. This moment is critical, and can If any of the assistants fail their Ritual Assistance test
make or break the success of the rite. by 5 or more points, not only do they not add anything to
Unleashing is always a Will test with a Difficulty deter- this pool of points, but they actively invoke a -1D penalty
mined by the Ritual in question. Unleashing takes a mere at some point in the ritual process. The Narrator chooses
moment, a single heartbeat. Success or failure results de- the test where this occurs, but once the penalty has been
pend upon the Ritual in question, although failing an act used, it is gone.
of Unleashing inevitably has dire consequences.
SPELLCASTING ANY (COMPLEX)
RITUAL ASSISTANCE RITUAL
Unlike Ritual Techniques, the casting of a Spell is a much
During a Ritual, you may assist a sorcerer in the perfor- simpler, more immediate process. Spellcasting is a standard
mance of it. The exact extent of this aid is determined by test using a Complex action (in scales where such things
what level of knowledge of the Ritual being performed you matter), with an Ability and Difficulty determined by the
possess. During the sorcerer’s Ritual Coodination action, you Spell being cast. Each Spell includes these details, as well
may make an Ability test using the appropriate Ability. as the results of success and failure for that test.
The Difficulty is Routine (6) if you know the Technique
being used, Challenging (9) if you don’t know it but pos-
sess other Techniques from the same Art, Formidable (12)
if you are a sorcerer who posseses only a similar initiation
into the same Lore, or a Hard (15) test if you are simply
using the relevant Ability with no other knowledge of the
magics being raised.
Success on this test allows you to add half the Rating of
the Ability in question to the sorcerer’s Ritual Coordina-
tion result. Failure indicates you add nothing to the benefit,
but you do still count as a participant for the purpose of
the sorcerer’s limits in Ritual Coordination. If you fail this
test by 5 or more points, you negatively impact the Ritual’s
performance (see Ritual Coordination for details).
Chronicle of Sorcery 17
Sorcery Qualities
The following Qualities are tied to the mechanics for the if you don’t meet the full Empathy requirements to do so.
sorceries introduced in this material. Both Benefits and Unlike other Sensitives, you may make an Awareness
Drawbacks are purchased as normal for those traits in the (Empathy) test to feel when someone possesses knowledge
Chronicle System. Except where exceptions are noted in the of any Techniques, at a Difficulty of the target’s passive
text below, they follow all the normal rules and assump- Will, reduced by one point for each Technique the target
tions about Benefits and Drawbacks. has mastered.
You may also spend your Destiny Points to cancel out
Benefits expenditures of Sorcerous Destiny Points on spells cast
against you. This is an innate, reflexive ability, and you need
The following Benefits interact with the Chronicle of Sor- not even know the magic is coming to use it. You may
cery rules. Note that these rules introduce a new category never purchase Sorcerous Qualities.
of Quality: Sorcerous Qualities. The following rules also
Gifted Ritualist Ability
include some additions to the normal Ability, Fate, Heri-
tage, Martial, and Social Qualities. The power of a magical rite flows smoothly at your command.
Requires knowledge of at least
Averting Adept Ability
one Ritual Technique
Your skill at defending yourself from magical
attack is almost instinctual. Choose one of the three Ritual Actions (Aligning, Invok-
ing, Unleashing), and gain a +1D when performing that
Requires Will 4
action. This Benefit can be taken multiple times, once for
When using the Averting Action, your may re-roll 1s on each of these actions.
the Will test. Additionally, Averting is now a Lesser Ac-
Gifted Spellcaster Ability
tion for you.
Magic wrought on-the-fly seems to come naturally to you.
Blood of the Sorcerer-Kings Heritage
Requires knowledge of at least one Spell
Magical power flows through your veins as surely as blood does. Technique
You bear the physical signs of an ancient lineage of pow- You may re-roll all 1s on Spellcasting Action tests. Ad-
erful sorcerers. This Benefit grants you access to the Lore ditionally, you may also add your Will Rating to the test
favored by your sorcerous ancestors, and you are also con- result.
sidered to be initiated into one of its Arts. Though you do
not automatically gain a Technique, you are considered to Magic Resistance Ability
always have access to the Lore of that Art for the purpose Occult power seems to flow off of you, failing to take hold.
of learning new Techniques from it. It also only takes you Requires possession of no Sorcerous Qualities
half the time to learn the Techniques of that Lore as a
whole. You gain a Sorcerous Destiny Point. You are considered to always be under the effects of a
Standard Ward. If you are currently protected by a stronger
Blood of the Witch-Hunters Heritage
ward, increase the effect of that ward only for the purpose
You are a creature that stands opposed of protecting you. You also may add your Endurance ranks
to magic and all of its corruption. to the results of all Averting Action tests. You may never
Requires possession of no Sorcerous Qualities purchase Sorcerous Qualities.
In any culture where there are those who wield magical Natural-Born Sorcerer Fate
power, there will be those who rise to fight against it. You The talent to use magic comes to you innately,
bear the physical signs of such a heritage (the precise de- as natural as breathing.
tails of which to be determined by your Narrator, perhaps Requires Will 4
with your input). You are considered to be a Sensitive even
18 Chronicle of sorcery
sorcery qualities
Sorcerous Benefits
Quality Requirement Effects
Sorcerous Qualities
Access to Art; gain a Technique; +2B bonus to Learn Technique
Sorcerer Will 4
with common Arts; Sorcerous Destiny Point
Sorcerous Initiation Sorcerer or any Lore Access to Art; gain a Technique; Sorcerous Destiny Point
Sorcerous Proclivity Know of any Technique Two Sorcerous Destiny Points
Technique Mastery Access to any Art Gain two Techniques
Ability Qualities
Averting Adept Will 4 Re-roll 1s on Averting test, Averting is a Lesser Action
Gifted Ritualist Know one Ritual Technique +1D to one Ritual Action
Gifted Spellcaster Know one Spellcasting Technique Re-roll 1s on Spellcasting, and add Will Rating to result
Magic Resistance No Sorcerous Qualities Standard Ward; add Endurance Rating to all Averting results
Fate Qualities
Gain a Technique; +1B to all tests using Techniques
Natural-Born Sorcerer Will 4
in chosen Art; Sorcerous Destiny Point
Prophetic Dreams Will 5 Experience oracular dreams
Heritage Qualities
Access to Lore & Art, Learn Techniques
Blood of the Sorcerer-Kings —
in half time, Sorcerous Destiny Point
Blood of the Witch-Hunters No Sorcerous Qualities Detect magicians, spend Destiny Point to counter magic
Martial Qualities
War-Mage I Fighting 3, Know any Technique Choose weapon; gain +1 Averting bonus when wielding weapon
War-Mage II Fighting 4, Will 4, War Mage I Add Will to Combat Defense when taking Spellcasting action
War-Mage III Fighting 5, Will 5, War Mage II Strike with both weapon and spell
Social Qualities
Sorcerer’s Gaze Will 3, any Lore Use Will in Intrigue techniques
Choose a Technique that you now know even though you Premonitions are simple dreams, more emotion and feel-
are not initiated into the Art from which it springs; you are ing than concrete images. They are warnings of trouble in
automatically considered to have access to the Lore need- your personal life, and provide inspiration and strength
ed to learn that Art, however. You gain a +1B to casting to make it through those events. In game terms, you may
all Techniques in that Art, including your first Technique. choose any single test the following day to gain a +1D on,
You gain a Sorcerous Destiny Point. reflecting a sudden insight into the difficulty and how to
navigate it best.
Prophetic Dreams Fate Another way that premonitions might be employed is
You are visited by dreams of an oracular nature. when spending or burning a Destiny Point to edit a scene,
allowing you to have retroactively dreamt of this situation
Requires Will 5
(although such dreams aren’t always believed or remembered
You have two kinds of dreams: premonitions and portents. when they happen). In such a situation, the scene editing
When you sleep, roll 1d6. On a 6, you experience one or results from the character gaining insight from the dream.
the other (as chosen by the Narrator). You are considered a Portents are prophetic dreams, powerful visions of what
prescient with regards to other rules in Chronicle of Sorcery. is to come—or of what is happening now. The dreams are
Chronicle of Sorcery 19
sorcery qualities
Sorcerer Sorcerous
20 Chronicle of sorcery
sorcery qualities
Chronicle of Sorcery 21
sorcery qualities
22 Chronicle of sorcery
sorcery qualities
Chronicle of Sorcery 23
sorcery qualities
feebleminded react with terror. Shadows positively Destiny Points you have. Each Lore has its own kind of
writhe in anticipation of your approach, predators traditional substance associated with it, and many cul-
and scavengers are drawn to your location. Sensi- tures and faiths maintain superstitions about the kinds of
tives and Prescients with such a knowledge of your herbs, minerals, or symbols that weaken sorcerers. Lores
power that they hear a low susurrus of haunting for the Chronicle of Sorcery include typical vulnerabili-
voices whispering of your dark nature, and are treat- ties for that type of sorcery.
ed as though they had the Fear Flaw with regards BB 1 - 2 points: The touch of the substance stings, but
to you. When you perform any act of magic that does not truly injure you.
involves burning a Destiny Point or Sorcerous Des-
tiny Point, every prescient within 100 miles dreams BB 3 points: The touch of the substance raises welts, re-
of the occurrence. quiring a Routine (6) Endurance (Resilience) test or
take an Injury.
Taboo (Stricture) BB 4 points: The touch of the substance raises welts, re-
quiring a Challenging (9) Endurance (Resilience)
Taboos restrict behavior, such as vow to to never eat the
test or take an Injury.
meat of a stag, or to never allow a huntsman to cross one’s
threshold. This taboo is often in alignment with the cul- BB 5 points: The touch of the substance burns or sickens
tural superstitions of the sorcerer’s culture, or thematic to you, requiring a Challenging (9) Endurance (Resil-
the Lore in which they have invested through the adop- ience) test or take an Wound.
tion of this obligation. Lores for the Chronicle of Sorcery BB 6+ points: The touch of the substance burns or sick-
include typical taboos for that type of sorcery. You may ens you, requiring a Formidable (12) Endurance
take this Flaw more than once. (Resilience) test or take an Wound.
Vulnerability Witchmark
You or your magic are vulnerable to a substance in some Somewhere on your body is a Witchmark, a birthmark,
capacity. When in the presence of that substance, your scar, or unnaturally symmetrical pattern on your skin
Spellcasting actions are performed at -1D. Warding that that betokens you as a sorcerer. Depending on the set-
incorporates that substance in its creation is increased ting, this mark may put you in grave danger of being
by one rank, and those who bear the substance and are revealed as a reviled practitioner of sorcery, or it might
affected by Warding are also considered to be protected mark you as one of the blessed few capable of channel-
by Warding of one rank higher. Sorcerers who have this ing divine magic. The mark exists because of a need for
Drawback typically go to great lengths to avoid contact your power to manifest itself through your body, which
with the substance, but also to keep secret their weakness means that not only do you bear a physical sign, but it is
to the substance. also easier to know you for what you are. The Difficulty
If you come into contact with the substance, you may for Sensitives to detect your magic and your presence is
be physically affected by it, based on how many Sorcerous reduced by 3.
24 Chronicle of sorcery
Common Sorcerous Arts
Though each Lore has its own set of unique Arts, these Arts who wield those arts might be focused accordingly. A re-
are available to anyone who possesses any of the Sorcerous quirement to aid the truly faithful, to avoid the cardinal
Art Benefits. In essence, they are considered “general” Arts, sins of the faith, to provide their magics for the good of
outside the normal Lore-based restrictions of accessing the church and its clergy, or to only perform magic with
new Arts. While they are mechanically accessible to any the blessing of the priesthood is common for sorcerers of
sorcerer, the sorcerer must still find a source from which to religious convictions. Cultural obligations and taboos run
learn them. These so-called “common sorceries” are almost the gamut, although many include service to the heroes
always steeped in the themes of a sorcerer’s other Lores, or or leaders of one’s nation, tribe, or clan, using one’s power
in the religious or cultural overtones of those from whom to see to the prosperity or success of wars against a cul-
the sorcerer learned these magics. turally defined enemy or to simply uphold that culture’s
highest virtues.
Traits of
Sorcerer’s Aura
Common Sorcery
Abilities: The common sorceries require Knowledge of the Like Obligations and Taboos, the signs of the Sorcerer’s
techniques of magic involved, and the Will to enact those Aura often manifest along religious or cultural lines. These
powers. Each of the common Arts also requires another dif- will depend on the exact nature of that society, but the
ferent Ability: Consecration’s force of personality mandates signs of corruption by magic or otherworldly powers al-
the use of Persuasion, while Awareness is vital for the Art of most always manifest themselves. A culture of horse no-
Divination. Those who would work Warding require signifi- mads may see the workings of dark witches in those who
cant Cunning to overcome the subtleties of sorcery. frighten or even sicken horses by their presence and/or
cause their precious small oases of water to stagnate, while
Price: Of all the magics, common sorceries demand the the people of an agricultural nation know the signs of
least from their practitioners. With a few exceptions, most foul magic caused by those whose presence blights crops,
of these Techniques simply require the normal expenditure causes farm animals to sicken or madden, and cause ter-
of Destiny Points (Destiny or Sorcerous). rible storms that threaten everyone’s livelihood.
Chronicle of Sorcery 25
common sorcerous arts
Learning Techniques: Learning Consecration Tech- BB Success, One Degree: Use of magics to which the
niques is always a Knowledge test. target is attuned gain a +1 bonus to Spellcasting or
Unleashing actions.
ATTUNEMENT OF SPIRIT BB Success, Two Degrees: Use of magics to which the
Spell
target is attuned gain a +2 bonus to Spellcasting or
Unleashing actions.
Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Consecration
Test: Persuasion Scale: Ability, Combat, Intrigue BB Success, Three Degrees: Use of magics to which the
Learning: 3 weeks Challenging (9) target is attuned gain a +1B bonus to Spellcasting or
Destiny: Spent Unleashing actions.
Resonances: Specially prepared ointments
BB Success, Four Degrees: Use of magics to which the
and unguents (30 silver)
target is attuned gain a +1D bonus to Spellcasting or
Through the work of attunement, a willing individual may Unleashing actions.
be made more receptive to magic of a specific kind. By
smearing the target’s head, hands, and the chest over the BENEDICTION OF PERSONAGE
heart with the properly prepared ointments, uttering invo- Spell, Ritual
catory words meant to align the target’s spirit, magics of Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Consecration
the specific sort the spell is aligned with will function in a Test: Persuasion Scale: Ability, Ritual
superior way on the target. This affects only a single indi- Learning: 8 weeks Hard (15)
vidual whom the sorcerer must touch (the sorcerer himself Destiny: Spent (Spell or Ritual of Convocational Benediction,
may be the target). The Difficulty of working the spell is Sorcerer) or Burnt (Ritual of Anointing, Sorcerer)
based on the magic to which the target is being attuned. Resonances: None or Ritual Regalia
A target may be attuned to a single specific Technique, the and Incenses (1 gold)
workings of a given Art, or even to the whole of a Lore.
A sorcerer knowledgeable in Benediction may lay bless-
Type Difficulty ings of great purpose on those who consent to their lay-
ing-on of hands. This Technique usually involves a great
Technique Challenging (9)
deal of exhortation to some power or another: the gods,
Art Hard (15) spirits, Fate itself, the ancestors, or whomever/whatever
Lore Heroic (21) else the sorcerer believes bring such favor. This Technique
26 Chronicle of sorcery
common sorcerous arts
An Anatomy of Magic
can be performed as a Spell or as one of two Rituals, and BB Failure: The benediction has no effect, and cannot be
the sorcerer must provide the Destiny Point that powers attempted again for a full cycle of the moon.
the rite. BB Success: For each degree of success, the target gains
a bonus die to a pool that they may choose to use at
Benediction of personage Spell
any time during the spell’s duration. The roll they are
augmenting must be an action that directly contributes
When performed as a Spell, Benediction involves no reso-
to the success of the action named in the benediction,
nances other than the sorcerer laying hands on the one
and once a die has been used, it is exhausted.
they intend to bless. This affects only a single individual
whom the sorcerer must be able to touch. The sorcerer Convocational Benediction Ritual
must name a given task or purpose that is possible to ac-
complish (even if difficult) in the span of a year. Thus, “re- The first ritual mimics the effects of the spell version of the
trieve the Chalice of Orann” is a viable benediction; “serve Technique, save that it is used to bless multiple people. This
the Church of Orann” is not. version requires a Destiny Point be spent to power it, and
This spell is a Formidable (12) Persuasion test. If suc- requires Ritual Regalia, along with a measure of rare in-
cessful, the spell functions for one month. This time may censes. Ritual assistants usually walk around the outside of
be increased to a season by performing it at a Hard (15) the ritual space, maintaining a low chant or hymn, swinging
Difficulty, or a full year as a Heroic (21) Difficulty. censers filled with the incense.
Chronicle of Sorcery 27
common sorcerous arts
BB Alignment: Formidable (12) Knowledge, 30 minutes. BB Invocation: Formidable (12) Persuasion, 1 hour. The
The sorcerer prepares the Ritual area with the rare in- sorcerer calls upon the powers to which they pray to
censes, instilling their virtue into the space with ritual watch over and guide the one being anointed. This may
movement and chants. Those to be blessed need not be include a homily from the faith of the land pertaining
there for this phase, but once it ends, the Invocation to the role the one being anointed will fulfill, recita-
must begin within a quarter-hour. tions of those who have been thus anointed before and
BB Invocation: Formidable (12) Persuasion, 1 hour. This other cultural elements. Each degree of success from
step is functionally identical to the Spell version above, Invocation reduces the Difficulty of the Unleashing
including the ability to alter the duration of the bene- step by 3. Failure does not end the ritual prematurely,
diction by increasing the Difficulty. This part of the but it does increase the Difficulty of the Unleashing
Ritual involves the prayers to the powers the sorcerer step to Heroic (21).
favors for their blessings on the endeavor. For each de- BB Unleashing: Very Hard (18) Will. In this final step,
gree of success in this step, each target gains a non- the sorcerer leads the target in the recitation of an
renewing bonus die that is used to help accomplish the oath, usually an ancient and revered tradition of the
task named in the rite. Failure at this stage ruins the role into which the target is being anointed. If success-
Ritual. ful, the target gains use of a special blessing: at some
BB Unleashing: Routine (6) or higher, Will. The final point during their lifetime, as long as they maintain
blessing is uttered and empowered by the sorcerer’s their oath and act in the capacity of the role to which
will, investing those gathered there with the power they are being anointed, a spent Destiny Point gains
of the rite. The Difficulty of Unleashing this Ritual is one of the effects of a burnt point. The target gains
equal to 6 plus one for each person beyond the first one use of this blessing for each degree of success in
being targeted by it. If successful, the ritual’s power the Unleashing over the course of their lifetime in that
settles on the targets, investing them with the bonus role. Failure in the Unleashing is usually taken as a sign
dice generated in the Invocation. If the Unleashing of castigation that the candidate is unworthy, accom-
fails, the power generated is wasted, with no other del- panied by some physical sign of that lack, e.g., a holy
eterious effects. symbol cracks, the central gem of a crown clouds and
falls out of its setting, the dubbing sword actually cuts
Ritual of Anointing Ritual the new knight, and so on.
This Ritual is much more rarely performed. Its focus is CONSECRATION OF PLACE
not to invest blessings towards the performance of a single Ritual
task, but rather to instill rarified blessings in someone who Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Consecration
is taking on a mantle of responsibility for the rest of their Test: Persuasion Scale: Ritual
lives: kings, rare knightly orders, high priesthoods, and Learning: 12 weeks Challenging (9)
the like. Because of the great magical cost to the sorcerer Destiny: Spent or Burnt (Sorcerer)
performing the rite, this is not given casually. This version Resonances: Extensive redecoration of the target
requires a Destiny Point be burnt to power it, and requires location with fine materials and symbols appropriate to
Ritual Regalia and a measure of rare incenses. Ritual as- the purpose in question (100 gold). The work must also be
sistants usually walk around the outside of the ritual space, performed at a ritually auspicious time, whether a high holy
maintaining a low chant or hymn, swinging censers filled day of a given faith, a cultural festival, a day of astrological
significance, or the like.
with the incense.
BB Alignment: Hard (15) Knowledge, 1 hour. The space The sorcerer may consecrate a location towards a given
for this rite must be in a properly consecrated holy practice, philosophy, religion, or purpose. Generally speak-
space (see Consecration of Place, Temple Consecration) ing, this allows someone in the consecrated area to mim-
aligned with the powers the sorcerer invokes in this ic the effects of a non-Sorcerous Benefit for an hour by
ritual. This step is performed during the last hour of an spending a Destiny Point (as normal for Battlefield Quali-
eight-hour vigil the target of the spell must maintain. ties) as long as their aims and goals are aligned with the
28 Chronicle of sorcery
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practice, philosophy, religion, or other purpose invested BB Invocation: Routine (6) or higher Persuasion, time
into the Consecration. Those affected do not have to meet varies. The time require for the invocation of power
the prerequisites of the Benefit, with one exception: if the and the Difficulty varies with the area to be Conse-
Benefit granted has other Benefits as a prerequisite, only crated. If this roll fails, the entire Ritual is ruined and
those who have the prerequisite Benefit(s) may take ad- must be started anew, including the investiture of gold
vantage of the Consecration. See the “Sample Consecra- equal to the Difficulty of this step in Resonances.
tions” sidebar for examples of these Consecrations.
This ritual affects an area whose size is determined by Size Difficulty Time
the power of the ritual’s Invocation. The effects of this rite A chamber no more
Routine (6) 30 minutes
last until the sorcerer’s death, until they cast this ritual on than 10’ on a side
another site, or until the location is desecrated in some way A larger chamber of
Challenging (9) 1 hour
that destroys the location’s Resonance. A given sorcerer up to 25’ on a side
may only have a single Consecration of Place active at any A massive chamber, or
given time, unless they burnt a Destiny Point in the work- series of chambers of Formidable (12) 3hours
ing of the rite, in which case the Ritual’s effects are perma- up to 60’ on a side
nent on the site, transcending even the sorcerer’s demise or An entire building of
Hard (15) 6 hours
the use of this rite in another location; only desecration of up to 150’ on a side
the site can disrupt it. A soaring cathedral or
Very Hard (18) 12 hours
moderately sized keep
BB Alignment: Challenging (9) Knowledge, 1 hour. Once
the chamber is prepared, the first hour of the auspi-
BB Unleashing: Formidable (12) Will. The final act of
cious timeframe is spent in the singing of hymns,
Consecration is powerful. If successful, not only does
chanting of orisons, and similar vocalizations, aided by
it instill the ritual effects on the location, but for one
a ritual assistant who possesses the Benefit the sorcerer
day per degree of success, everyone who enters the
intends on imbuing the location with.
Chronicle of Sorcery 29
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30 Chronicle of sorcery
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Chronicle of Sorcery 31
common sorcerous arts
Powers of divination and prophecy are easy to manage in fiction, as it’s generally only a single person controlling
the flow of that story from beginning to end. It’s harder to control them in a roleplaying game, where players can
and do make decisions that the Narrator has no way of anticipating. To that end, here are some suggestions for
implementing visions and premonitions into a game successfully.
BB Prepare a few “warning visions” in any given scenario. Couch them in the symbolism appropriate to the sor-
cerer’s divination style, but don’t be so oblique that it’s essentially useless. Consider this method just another
source of information gathering, just as valid as any bit of carousing in a tavern or seduction of secrets from an
enemy—it just uses a different medium.
BB Provide some basic symbolisms when the Technique is cast, again based on the method employed by the sor-
cerer. It is then up to the player to decide how to make those symbols apply to a given situation. When a player
does so (and be very lenient and flexible), allow the benefits of a burnt Destiny Point to be gained for simply
spending a point. Thus, if the vision is “a fox rips the belly out of the bellowing bull,” and the player decides
that is the pretty redhead getting one over on a drunken knight, then a Destiny Point spent by that player in
such a situation can be used to gain the benefits of burning that point instead.
BB If no other ideas present themselves, simply allow the reading to be vague: “the premonitions are good for your
success,” “the reading indicates danger to yourself and your loved ones” and the like, and simply give the one
for whom the divination was performed a “floating” bonus (+1B for a Spell, or +1D for a Ritual) that can be
applied to any single roll that might have something to do with the context given.
See also the rules for the Prophetic Dreams Benefit for other suggestions on how to adjudicate Divinations, as
the main difference between prophetic dreaming and sorcerous divination is that the sorcerer may choose when to
seek this information, while the prophet must wait for the visions to come of their own accord.
All Divination Techniques are assumed to have a Meth- Later, a doddering old cartomancer begs a place to stay in
od associated with them, and can only be learned if that her castle for the winter, in exchange for teaching her to read
Method is already known (although possession of a Tech- someone’s cards. The lady accepts, finding him a place in the
nique with a new Method is sufficient lore for the sorcerer servants’ quarters for the winter. The Technique he teaches her
to spend the three weeks to learn the new Method). If the is Reading (Sortilege), so she spends the three weeks to also
sorcerer encounters a Technique they already knows, but is learn Sortilege, and now may use either the Gazing or Sorti-
crafted to use a different Method, they may simply spend lege Methods when using her Reading Technique.
the time to learn the new Method, and thereafter use that
Technique with either Method. Gazing
Example: Lady Erdalla is a sorceress of some moderate skill. One This divination method concerns gazing into substances
of her knights brings her an ancient grimoire upon returning from whose makeup is filled with patterns that the sorcerer
a crusade. Within its pages, the lady finds a method for determin- may read to discern the information that they seek. This
ing the character of an individual by divining it from the burning includes such methods as catoptromancy (mirror gazing),
of a poppet of that individual, with a bit of their hair sewn into crystallomancy (crystal or crystal ball gazing), hydromancy
it, which in games terms is the Reading Technique (Gazing). She (bodies or basins of water), libanomancy (rising smoke,
must first study the Gazing Method, which takes three months, usually from sacrifices or incense), nephomancy (clouds
before she can spend the time to learn the Reading Technique. Else- and other atmospheric phenomena), and pyromancy
where in the book, she finds a method for scrying to discover where (open flames).
hidden caches of gold can be found: this is a Dowsing Technique
(Gazing), so she need only work to learn the new Technique. Techniques: Casting, Dowsing, Reading, Witching
32 Chronicle of sorcery
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Modifications: In order to use a Divination Technique lege, the sorcerer does not supply the signs that must be
that uses one of these methods, consider the substance into read, but must pluck them out of their environs. Nearly
which the diviner must gaze as an additional Resonance. anything may be read as omens, though most sorcerers
are adept at one or two primary “categories” of signs: the
Hieroscopy movement of people around them, the passage of clouds or
birds through the sky, the sounds of the wind through the
Hieroscopy uses sacrifice to ascertain the future. These leaves, the movement of animals in the local environs, or
methods teach that at the edge of mortality, a living crea- any number of other signs.
ture is exposed to what may come, and that is imprinted
indelibly upon their body. This is a collection of the tech- Techniques: Casting, Dowsing, Witching
niques used to read those signs. Such methods may include
Modifications: Spells that use omens take 10 minutes
reading the entrails or other organs of sacrifices, by spatters
to cast, and Rituals that use omens double the base time
of blood, the smoke and flames of a funereal pyre, or by
required for their Invocation step.
reading the cracks in bones after a funeral pyre.
Modifications: In order to use a Divination Technique that These techniques are truly strange, but ancient in prov-
uses one of these methods, consider the sacrificial remains enance. Spells are wrought through the use of trances,
which the diviner must read as an additional Resonance. entering into dreamlike, often ecstatic states in which vi-
sions come to the sorcerer. Rituals, on the other hand, are
Omens wrought in dreams, the seeking of universal truths through
the medium of sleep.
A relatively benign divinatory method, the reading of
omens takes time. Unlike other methods such as sorti- Techniques: Casting, Dowsing, Reading, Witching
Chronicle of Sorcery 33
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Somatomancy
Sortilege
34 Chronicle of sorcery
common sorcerous arts
This Spell is a quick working, intended only to provide Five years Formidable (12)
insight into what lies ahead for the target. This is an 10 years Hard (15)
Awareness test, with a secret Difficulty set by the Narra- 25 years Very hard (18)
tor. This Difficulty should range from Routine (6) if the
Lifetime Heroic (21)
character is about to experience dramatic, life-changing
events to Hard (15) for events of note in the immediate
BB Unleashing: Routine (6) or higher Will. As with the
term, but with no real impact on the long-term—the
Spell version above, the Narrator secretly sets the Dif-
more important and dramatic the events in the next
ficulty of this step based on the degree of imact events
week, the easier it is to see them. The sorcerer receives
in the timeframe covered by the ritual will have. If this
information of some kind from his work: they just have
roll fails, however, the sorcerer knows that they were
no way of knowing whether or not their insights are
not able to achieve true visions: the portents are cloud-
accurate.
ed and unclear. Again, refer to the sidebar “Divination
The magic reveals the most significant events, in general
and the Art of Prediction” for suggestions on how to
terms, within the next week, although it does not indi-
handle the outcomes of this ritual.
cate exactly when such things might occur. See the sidebar
“Divination and the Art of Prediction” for methods of ad- DOWSING
judicating the results of this spell.
Spell
The Unfolding Path Ritual Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Divination
Test: Awareness Scale: Ability
A more reliable method for determining an individual’s Learning: 2 weeks Routine (6)
fortune, this ritual takes some time to perform. It gives Destiny: Spent
the sorcerer an impressively greater span of vision, cast- Resonances: Any Resonances are based
ing their sight ahead entire months or even seasons to see on Divination Method employed.
Chronicle of Sorcery 35
common sorcerous arts
Through this Technique, the sorcerer can cast wide occult he can pinpoin the location of his target within a ten
senses, seeking the presence of specific items or substances foot wide area.
in the world surrounding them. Each kind of material this BB Success, Four Degrees: The sorcerer’s link is sure,
spell can seek out is a different spell, effectively, requir- allowing them to move confidently toward the tar-
ing the sorcerer to spend the normal time and resources get at a rate of 3 yards per turn. Upon arriving in the
to learn that new spell; this takes the normal time if the area where it is found, they can pinpoint its exact
sorcerer has a mentor or written resource. However, the location.
sorcerer can create a new version of the Spell by spending
double the time (four weeks) to do so. A sorcerer may cast this spell again without spending
This spell has extremely broad potential applications, al- another Destiny, but each subsequent Spellcasting action
though it is notable that what it detects is always extremely is at a cumulative -1D. This penalty is lifted if the sor-
precise. If used to detect substances, a singular specific sub- cerer spends Destiny in the recasting of the spell. Though
stance must be named: “water” rather than “liquids,” “gold” this is often used when sorcerers fail the Spellcasting roll,
rather than “metals,” “swords” rather than “weapons,” or even a successful sorcerer might use it, if their divinations
“oak trees” rather than “plants” or even a general “trees.” brought them just enough success to find the general area
This spell cannot be used to detect people, although it may where the substance they seeks lies, casting a second time
be used to detect animals. to hopefully (due to a much lower Difficulty) pinpoint the
When this spell is cast, the Narrator determines how far target’s exact location.
away the nearest such substance is, setting the Difficulty in
READING
secret, and the sorcerer takes the Spellcasting Action.
Spell, Ritual
Distance Difficulty Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Divination
Within 50 feet Routine (6) Test: Awareness (Spell), Knowledge (Ritual); Scale:
Within 100 feet Challenging (9) Intrigue, Ritual; Learning: 3 weeks Challenging (9)
Destiny: None (Spell), Spent (Ritual)
Within 500 feet Formidable (12) Resonances: Any Resonances are based on the Divination
Within 100 feet Hard (15) Method used.
Within 2,000 feet Very hard (18)
Unlike Casting, this Technique does not look into a sub-
Within one mile Heroic (21)
ject’s future. Instead, it looks at who they are in the mo-
ment, and what in their past has influenced the person
BB Failure: The sorcerer searches the area for 10 minutes, they are now. This Technique can be used to work either
following one sign after another, but the search is ulti- quick divinations that give a simple idea of who the person
mately fruitless. is, or more extensive rituals that lay bare a great deal about
BB Success, One Degree: The sorcerer’s link to the item the subject’s personality and past.
is unsure. They follow the signs at a movement of a
half-yard per turn, constantly stopping to reevaluate Flash of Insight Spell
the signs. When they arrive in the area where the sub-
stance is, they can’t pinpoint it exactly, but know it lies This quick spell is often absurdly easy and subtle in its ex-
within an area approximately 10 yards across. ecution; indeed, only other sorcerers trained in the Divina-
tion Method used to cast this spell can even detect that the
BB Success, Two Degrees: The sorcerer’s link to the
sorcerer has cast a spell at all (and only if they succeed at a
item is fair. They follow the signs with some measure
Challenging (9) Awareness test).
of confidence, traveling at 1 yard per turn. When they
For all intents and purposes, this spell functions as a
arrive in the area, they know it lies within an area 5
magical Read Target Intrigue Action, save that the Diffi-
yards across.
culty is the target’s Sorcery Defense. With a successful test,
BB Success, Three Degrees: The sorcerer’s link is very the sorcerer gains a +1D on all Deception and Persuasion
solid, allowing him to follow the signs with surety, at a tests against the target for the duration of the intrigue. On
pace of two yards per turn. When he arrives in an area,
36 Chronicle of sorcery
common sorcerous arts
Insights
Readings generate Insights about a subject. Each de- Example
gree of success generates both a single Insight and an
The sorceress Lady Erdalla is mostly certain of the loyal-
Insight Die.
Insights are details about the subject’s personality ty of her favorite champion, Ser Wardun, but only a fool
and past. They may include any of the following de- doesn’t make certain. As such, she has a servant cut a bit of
tails about a character (see Chapter 3: Character hair from him while he sleeps, and the lady uses it to cast
Creation in the A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying: her Reading (Gazing) ritual. She generates a total of five
Game of Thrones Edition rulebook for details on these degrees of success between the ritual’s Invocation and Un-
traits). leashing actions.
BB A Background Event, or other detail about the She seeks to know her knight’s weaknesses, so she starts
subject’s past. by asking for his Vice and Motivation. The Narrator re-
veals that her knight-champion—who presents himself as
BB A Quality possessed by the character that is
the perfectly chivalrous, ideal knight—has the Licentious
not known to the sorcerer, either a Benefit or a
Vice and a Motivation of Lust. Wondering where such
Drawback (chosen by the sorcerer).
things have come into play, Erdalla seeks a Background
BB A Goal, of which the subject may have several. Event and finds one that is well known to everyone, the
BB What Motivation drives the subject. rescue of one Lady Perda (a rival of Erdalla’s).
But the Reading also reveals something others do not
BB Virtues that the subject holds in high regard.
know: the supposedly chaste Perda rewarded him in her
BB Vices that the subject indulges in occasionally. boudoir for the rescue! Concerned, Erdalla inquires after his
BB A relationship to a character known to the sor- current relationship with Lady Perda, and finds that not
cerer that is important to the subject, particularly only are they still lovers to this day, but he brings Lady Per-
if that relationship if of interest to the sorcerer. da delicate information. Concerned, she then asks after his
relationship with herself, and her worst fears are confirmed:
Insight Dice are a mechanical representation for
he is revealing the lady’s secrets to his damnable lover!
how a sorcerer might use any of these details. In or-
der to gain the benefits of using one of these Insight With this in mind, she seeks to coerce the knight into
Dice, a sorcerer must invoke or otherwise utilize one revealing his treachery. Using his Lust Motivation and
of the Insights gained above. Once they have done Licentious Vice against him in an Intrigue, Lady Erdalla
so, that particular Insight and Insight Die are ex- grants herself a two-step Disposition improvement and
pended. A sorcerer may also transfer the use of these a +1D to her Deception rolls against him as she enacts a
Insight Dice to others. seduction of her own. He falls almost completely under her
BB Gain a +1D to Deception and Persuasion tests spell, and when she confronts him, he reminds her that
against the subject for one scene. he is her leal, devoted champion, as he spends a Destiny
Point to try and improve her Disposition toward him.
BB Improve the subject’s Disposition to you by two
Lady Erdalla uses another Influence Die to negate that
steps during an Intrigue scene.
expenditure, reminding him that it was not her boudoir
BB Gain a +1D on a number of attack rolls against he has been visiting all the time.
the subject equal to the sorcerer’s Awareness. When she calls two other knights in, he draws his blade,
BB Negate the spending (but not burning) of a point but she has already prepared those knights to battle the traitor,
of the subject’s Destiny. telling them that he has betrayed her by telling her secrets to
Lady Perda, and using the Insight Dice associated with those
BB Gain the benefits of having spent Destiny ap-
secrets to grant them a bonus on their first five attack rolls
plied to the subject.
(because her Awareness is 5) to take him prisoner. They do so
BB Gain the benefits of having spent Destiny against handily, and now all that is left is for her to concoct a suitable
actions taken by the subject. punishment for the traitor-knight.
Chronicle of Sorcery 37
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38 Chronicle of sorcery
common sorcerous arts
seals, protective oils, and the chalks, chisels, and inks with
which warding sigils are enscribed. This spell is simply a standard Hearthwife’s Protection
(see Averting Bonuses, page 2) that is backed up by potent
Learning Techniques: Learning Warding Techniques is Warding magics. With a quick gesture, the sorcerer de-
always a Knowledge test. fends themselves against sorceries directed at them.
Chronicle of Sorcery 39
common sorcerous arts
This spell is a Cunning test and requires spending a until the ward drops to Standard, passes through another
Destiny Point. The warding protects the sorcerer for one protective interval and then is no more.
minute, and the result determines how powerful the Ward For example, a bandit protected from the King’s Ar-
is. The sorcerer need not choose how powerful the Ward canists by his camp witch goes through the ritual, result-
is beforehand: they may simply make the test and see how ing in a two-week protective interval, and a Potent ward.
powerful the Ward is. Because Ward Penalties inhibit even This lasts for two weeks, at which point it drops to Ad-
magic cast by the one they protect, the sorcerer may choose ept for another two weeks before dropping to Standard
a lesser result. Rating. After another two weeks, the Warding Blessing
vanishes entirely.
Difficulty Ward Rating (Rating Penalty)
Routine (6) Incidental (1 -1) Difficulty Ward Rating (Rating Penalty)
40 Chronicle of sorcery
common sorcerous arts
This spell is a Formidable (12) Cunning test. If the test shiver up their spine. If this test is successful, choose
is successful, the sorcerer spends a point of Destiny and one of the Focus traits above (Lore Focus, Art Focus,
chooses the effect: or Technique Focus) and apply it to the existing Ward.
BB Lore Focus: Augmenting a Ward to protect against This lasts for one year for one degree of success, a de-
magics of only a specific Lore increases the Ward’s cade for two degrees and is permanent for the life of
Rating by 1 step. the Ward at three or more degrees of success. If this test
is unsuccessful, the Ward itself is damaged, reduced in
BB Art Focus: Augmenting a Ward to protect against Rating by one point per degree the test failed by. The
magics of only a specific Art increases the Ward’s Rat- backlash also inflicts one Wound on the sorcerer per
ing by 2 steps. degree the test failed by.
BB Technique Focus: Augmenting a Ward to protect
against magics of only a specific Technique increases Calibrate Warding ritual
the Ward’s Rating by 3 steps.
Rather than altering an already existing Ward, this ritual al-
This boost to the Ward lasts for one minute with a single
lows a sorcerer who is creating a Ward to calibrate those en-
degree of success, one hour at two degrees, six hours at
ergies into one of the Focuses noted above (Lore Focus, Art
three degrees and for a whole day with four degrees. This
Focus, or Technique Focus). Doing so from the creation of
effect can be dispelled by the sorcerer at any time.
the Ward is much safer than altering Wards, and the process
Align Wardings Spell
is simply the addition of the Calibration Ritual Action. This
is done between Invocation and Unleashing in a ritual. This
This spell is used to make adjustments to already existing ritual does not cost any additional Destiny Points, although
Wards, even if the sorcerer did not create them. These are it does use 5 gold worth of additional Resonances.
longer-term adjustments than those provided by Sorcerous BB Calibration: Challenging (9) Cunning, 30 minutes.
Aegis, and can be applied to Wards that are not protecting This step shapes the Ward energies as they are being
the sorcerer herself. A sorcerer who attempts such manip- wrought, focusing them into one of the Warding Focus-
ulation must be warned, however: Wards are potent things, es above. If this test is successful, any Ward that results
and some have died in tampering with them. from the successful completion of the ritual gains one of
BB Alignment: Challenging (9) Knowledge, 10 minutes. The those Focuses. If this test is a failure, the ritual proceeds
sorcerer spends the Alignment time of this rite studying as normal, without any ill effects, as though this step
the mystic currents of the Ward in question. This time had never been included in it, save for the expenditure
is spent in the presence of whatever the Ward is laid on, of time and Resonances. If this step is a critical failure,
whether that is a person, an item or even in a place. the ritual is ruined with no other ill effects.
the spell. This phase is delicate and fairly difficult, for the Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Warding
sorcerer might cause some measure of disruption if they Test: Knowledge Scale: Ritual
aren’t cautious. If this phase is successful, each degree of Learning: 6 weeks Hard (15)
success adds +1B to the Unleashing stage of this spell. If Destiny: Invested (Subject)
Resonances: Specially crafted inks
it is not successful, not only does the ritual immediately
and tattooing needles (5 gold)
stop, but any subjects involved immediately take 1 point
of damage per point of Ward Rating being altered. This ritual allows a sorcerer to craft tattoos wrought with
BB Unleashing: Hard (15) Will. With the power aligned protective inks and designs meant to defend against sor-
to the already existing mystic currents of the Ward, the cery. While this ritual does not itself grant protections, it
sorcerer seals them in with a barked word of power. does permit protections from other rituals that defend a
Anyone benefiting from the Wards at this moment person (rather than a place) to be retained permanently,
feel a sudden jolt through their bodies, like a sudden albeit often at a somewhat reduced power. In order to
Chronicle of Sorcery 41
common sorcerous arts
use this ritual, the sorcerer must also know another ritual
that grants Wardings of some kind; this is usually either
the Apotropaic Working or Sorcerous Unravelling spells.
When this ritual is begun on the target, they must already
be under the effects of the protective ritual.
BB Alignment: Formidable (12) Cunning, 2 hours. This
step can be performed without the subject’s presence, for
it is the stage in which the sorcerer designs the tattoos
specific to the subject. The sorcerer may even prepare the
designs and simply retain them for a point in the future,
but each set of designs is unique to the individual.
BB Invocation: Hard (15) Knowledge, 3 hours. The pro-
cess of tattooing is usually painstaking and lengthy, but
it must all be performed in a single session. Each de-
gree of success in this test grants a +1B to the Unleash-
ing of the ritual.
BB Unleashing: Hard (15) Will. When the ritual is success-
fully Unleashed, the subject spends the Destiny Point re-
quired by the work. A sensation like fire roars through the
body of the one so protected, inflicting four Wounds to
them—it is quite possible for someone to be killed by this
Ritual. Each degree of success beyond the first reduces
the number of Wounds taken by one. If the subject is still
alive at that point, they now have the Warding Tattoos
Benefit (see the sidebar Warding Tattoos).
42 Chronicle of sorcery
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Chronicle of Sorcery 43
common sorcerous arts
curse lasts the lifespan of the sorcerer, and grants any sor- target of the sorcerer’s magic is treated as though it were
cerer targeting someone or something within it with mali- protected by a Ward with a Rating determined by the cast-
cious sorcery a +1D to the sorcery tests. ing of this spell, even if the target of the spell is wholly
willing.
Difficulty Ward Rating (Rating Penalty) This spell is a Knowledge test, with a Difficulty based
Formidable (12) Standard (4 -3) on the potency of the Ward the sorcerer laying the curse
Hard (15) Adept (5 -1D) wishes to use (see the chart for Difficulties and their re-
spective Ward Ratings). Each degree of success on this test
Very hard (18) Potent (6 -1D)
grants one week of duration. Failing this test results in no
Heroic (21) Powerful (7 -2D) effect whatsoever, although a critical failure does result in
a backfire: the sorcerer attempting to cast Witch’s Bane is
WITCH’S BANE laid under the effects of the spell with a Ward Rating equal
Spell to that being attempted upon the target. This lasts for 24
Common Sorcerous Arts: Art of Warding hours.
Test: Knowledge; Scale: Ability
Learning: 12 weeks Very Hard (18) Difficulty Ward Rating (Rating Penalty)
Destiny: Spent Resonances: None Routine (6) Apprentice (2 -1)
Formidable (12) Basic (3 -2)
This spell is aptly named, for it is a curse laid on another
sorcerer that works to counter the magics they may at- Very hard (18) Standard (4 -3)
tempt to employ. While under the effects of this curse, any Heroic (24) Adept (5 -1D)
44 Chronicle of sorcery
Sorcerous Wealth Holdings
The following Holdings are useful for incorporating ele- use them, wise Houses maintain a careful guard on them.
ments of sorcerous lore into a chronicle that employs the Because much of the power of the site comes from the
Chronicle of Sorcery material. Exact details of how available state of natural wilderness around it, this Place of Power
such Holdings are depend upon the Narrator’s chronicle, still counts against the limit of each domain having only a
of course. single estate holding at a time. Places of Power are always
These mechanics are based on the revision of Holdings aligned to a specific Lore.
available in the Out of Strife, Prosperity rules addition for
the Chronicle System. New Rule: Any sorcerer using the site to perform ritual
magic may use the Tap the Wellspring Ritual Action (see
ARTISAN CRAFTSMAN (SORCEROUS) PERSONAGE sidebar). You gain a +1B to use that action if the ritual you
are casting is of the Lore aligned with the Place of Power.
This variation on the Artisan Holding represents a skilled
craftsman of magical goods. The presence of such an arti-
ficer guarantees a proliferation of sorcerers who seek him TAP THE WELLSPRING RITUAL
out for his goods.
Taken before the Alignment Ritual Action, Tap the
This Holding functions in all ways as the Artisan Crafts-
Wellspring allows a sorcerer to tap into the place of
man Holding, granting a House Fortunes Roll Bonus +1,
power and harvest additional power for use in the
as well as reducing the cost of magical goods listed in this rite, an act which takes the same amount of time as
book (and subsequent Chronicle of Sorcery supplements) by the Alignment action for that Ritual. This is a For-
25% for members of the House. midable (12) Will test, with the degrees of success or
failure determining its benefits.
Improvements
BB Failure, by 5 points or more: Your reach ex-
The following improvements are available for Artisan ceeds your grasp, and the wild sorcerous powers
(Sorcerous) Holdings. run rampant. You and any ritual assistants take a
Wound, and any others in the area take an Injury.
Scholar*: +5 Wealth, 2d6 months. The artisan is also a re- In either case, Tertiary Characters (who can take
nowned scholar of occult lore, providing access to learn- neither Wounds nor Injuries) are killed outright
ing magics through a combination of their own personal by the backlash. You and any other sorcerers in-
experiences and the books they maintains as references for volved in the ritual have your magic seared from
their work. your soul for a full day, making you unable to use
magic of any kind during that time.
PLACE OF POWER
BB Failure, 4 points or less: You fail to raise any
Time: Investment: power, and may not attempt to do so for a full
2d6+12 months 1 Land, 4 Wealth cycle of the moon.
Requirement: No Communities larger BB Success, 1 degree: You gain a +1B to the
than a Hamlet. Alignment ritual action that follows.
The domain in which this Holding is located has a place BB Success, 2 degree: You gain a +1B to the
of great sorcerous power, providing those who work their Alignment and Invoking actions that follow.
magic in that place with a great wellspring of occult po- BB Success, 3 degree: You gain a +1B to the Align-
tency. Such places are always natural places of power that ment, Invoking, and Unleashing actions that follow.
have been worked in some way: perhaps a ring of stand-
BB Success, 4 degree: You gain a +1B to all sub-
ing stones has been erected there, a cavern’s interior has
sequent actions in the ritual. Additionally, you
been hewn, or a holy hill has been slowly worked into a
may upgrade any one of these +1B bonuses to a
tor with a spiral path up its side. Because such sites in-
+1D during the rite.
evitably draw the attention of those sorcerers who wish to
Chronicle of Sorcery 45
Sorcerous Wealth Holdings
Improvements
SORCERER PERSONAGE
Time: 2d6+6 months Requirement: None
Investment: 10 Wealth
46 Chronicle of sorcery
Sorcerous Wealth Holdings
Chronicle of Sorcery 47