#RPG – Actual Fucking Nightlife – Part Five – Magicians

Magicians can come from many different traditions, but magic is extremely rare. Magicians are simply humans with the capacity to tap into the latent flow of magic.

Magicians must take the following Monster Powers:

  • Indomitable Will
  • Dark Magic
  • Spellcasting

Possible Banes: Salt, religious symbols, painted eyes, gargoyles, mirrors, corn dollies, horseshoes, white heather, brass, candles, roosters, garlic, gemstones, cold iron, mistletoe. (Magician’s Banes typically make their magic more difficult, giving the target an extra die to roll to protect themselves).

It is not suggested that Spellcasting become a part of regular play, but a human becoming a Monster in a quest for supernatural power is a powerful trope nonetheless.

Magicians generate Satiation by performing any transgressive act, typically within the lore of whatever magickal tradition they cleave to. Human or animal sacrifice are popular ones, as are extended acts of debauchery or even taking the other path and living an ascetic and ritualistic existence.

Magicians have to spend Satiation only when performing acts of magic, though they can never store more than d12. If a Monster Power that they replicate with magic requires the expenditure of Satiation, they lose two levels.

Magicians aren’t limited by their Satiation as Monsters are, save when it comes to using their Monster Powers and they cannot starve from a lack of Satiation. The powers they replicate are replicated at the Spellcasting level and last for a number of minutes depending on their Spellcasting die type (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours).

Magicians cannot heal using Satiation as Monsters can. Should they become a Monster, they lose their Spellcasting ability, but retain their Dark Magic ability in their new form.

Casting a spell requires a roll of Spirit+Spellcasting against a d8+d8 difficulty and three actions to make invocations and to make gestures, or to draw runes or whatever else is appropriate for their tradition.

Example: Valkyr is a magician from the nordic tradition. Having drawn Satiation from hunting and killing a bear and devouring its heart, Valkyr finds himself confronted by witch-hunters. He hurriedly locks the door and slams the couch up against it, rending his shirt, drawing blood and bellowing a prayer to Tyr and the spirit of the bear for power. The difficulty is rolled at a 5, Valkyr rolls his Spirit d10, Indomitable Will d4 and Spellcasting d4 for a total of 7. A successful cast. He sprouts claws and fangs with a value of d4, ready to help in combat.

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