Arcane Specialties

By A. Gittoes

This optional rule allows a mage (as well as rogues and warriors via the Arcane Adept talent, see below) to gain easy to use minor magics called cantrips or to gain other unusual arcane influenced benefits. The mage replaces the Arcane Blast ability gained at level 1 with the Arcane Specialties ability instead, which allows them to learn a single specialty of their choice. Arcane Blast itself becomes one of the available specialties that a character can learn although they are no longer forced to take it if they don’t wish to. Regardless of the specialty selected, almost none of the powers require magic points to cast or use and thus only a select few are mage only. Many however do involve a hand gesture or the use of an arcane device when casting.

A mage using the Arcane Specialties Optional Rule can select one specialty at level 1 to replace the Arcane Blast ability and then gain a second at level 6 to replace the Spell Blast ability and a third at level 10 to replace the Power Blast ability. Choose from the following list:

Arcane Blast: As per the Arcane Blast description p.20 Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook.

Arcane Ward: You can will a magical barrier about yourself that protects you from certain harm. As a free action you can spend a single Magic Point when struck by a damaging attack to increase your current Armor Rating by 1d6 for that attack alone.

Aura of Thorns: You can release a magical aura that injuries everyone within 3 yards of your person. Anyone within that range, friend or foe, takes your Willpower in Penetrating damage at the start of your turn. You also take half this damage (rounded down) yourself as well. It costs a Minor action to activate and maintain this aura each turn.

Beguiler Cantrip: With a magical hand sign you can influence the minds of others. When using this cantrip as a Minor action you gain +1d6 bonus to the next Communication test you undertake.

Chaos Magic: When you generate combat or spell stunt points you may choose to spend them on stunts from the Chaos Stunts table listed on p.88 of the Titansgrave book instead. However the power is damaging to the mind and so you lose 1 point of Intelligence permanently upon taking this power.

Cleanse Cantrip: With a touch and a wiping motion you can clean any item, such as dirty clothes, rusty metal or grimy surfaces, making them appear shiny, new and free of foul filth and odors. Alternatively you can cleanse water or food making it pure by removing toxins, poisons or germs.

Counterspell: When an enemy casts a spell at you, you can use a Minor action to make a Counterspell hand gesture. Doing so lets you resist their Spellpower roll with a +2 bonus. If holding your Arcane Device while gesturing the bonus is increased to +3.

Curse Cantrip: By pointing your Arcane Device at an enemy and saying words of power you can place a curse upon that target that will last until the end of an encounter or the target dies. It takes a Minor action to cast this Hex and you must be able to see the target when you do. Any attacks you make against this opponent gain +2 on your attack or casting rolls and inflict a further +3 damage on the target. You can however, only have one Curse active at a time.

Defensive Cantrip: By holding forth your Arcane Device in a self-protective gesture with a minor action, you give yourself + 2 Defense bonus. You can still perform a major action in addition to this cantrip using your free hand.

Eldritch Lance: This cantrip can be taken with or without the Arcane Blast power. If used on its own it allows the caster to make a special Ranged Attack that channels magical energy into a lance of power without the need for an Arcane Device. It is a normal ranged attack using an Accuracy (Arcane Blast) test and does 1d6 + Willpower damage up to 10 yards. Alternatively the Eldritch Lance can be combined with a traditional Arcane Blast to increase its power significantly. Thus if used with the Arcane Blast power, Eldritch Lance increases the damage of that attack by an extra 1d6 per blast.

Familiar: You possess the arcane knowledge to summon a familiar to do your bidding. It takes 1 hour to perform this ritual and costs 50 sp in components. When finished you gain the service of a familiar such as a regular small animal, a winged imp or an artificial mechanical creation. This creation acts independently of you but it always obeys your commands. It never makes rolls of its own but can give you a + 2 bonus on any test where it is capable of giving you aid. It may or may not be able to talk depending on your wishes. If you possess magic points you can spend 1 point to see through its eyes for up to 10 minutes but your real body is deaf and blind while doing so. You can only have one familiar summoned at a time. However you can dismiss your familiar at any time, but to summon it again you must cast this ritual again. Otherwise the effects of this power are permanent and even if killed the familiar can be summoned back anew.

Gun Mage: You can choose a black powder weapon (or blaster if you are in Titansgrave) as an arcane device. You are considered trained when using it. Further the gun now counts as a magic weapon and it allows you to substitute Willpower for Perception when inflicting damage.

Hidden Secrets: Through hidden arcane formulas you have unlocked the knowledge to acquire something that is normally beyond your area of expertise to learn. Upon taking this power you choose one talent (including those from Specializations) and regardless of its class restrictions you gain the ability to learn this talent. However you are still required to meet the talent’s Requirement restrictions. Note that Hidden Secrets does not let you take the talent itself; it only gives you the ability to take it when you reach a level that lets you select a new talent.

Healing Hands Cantrip: You can perform the Heal action with but a touch that releases a burst of soothing magic. You do not require bandages or other aids to perform the heal action and when you do heal it is for an amount of Health equal to the Stunt Die + your Intelligence + your Willpower as well.

Learned: Gain 2 focuses of your choice.

Mage Armor: You have trained long and hard to cast magic while encumbered by armor. You can wear light leather or heavy leather (or scout armor from Titansgrave) without suffering the effects of Strain when casting spells.

Magic Sense: You can sense if an object is magical just by touching it. This power does not tell you what the object does or how it works, only that it contains magical power of some kind. No roll is required to use this power; the GM will inform you it is magical when you touch such an object. Alternatively you can spend 1 magic point if you possess them to increase your Magic Sense to a range of 5 yards. The effects of this amplified range last for 1 minute.

Magic Sight: You gain Dark Sight, which allows you to see up to 20 yards in darkness without a light source.

Overchanneled Spells: When you cast spells that deal damage you gain a +2 bonus to the total damage inflicted.

Power Blast: As per the Power Blast description p.21 Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook.

Scourge of Alecto: You can assault a single target with a magical blast that suppresses their fury and power. As a Major Action you can make an opposed test of your Willpower (Self-discipline) vs the target’s Willpower (Courage). If you win, the target of your attack is unable to face you on a subconscious level and so cannot initiate any hostile actions against you unless you attack them first.

Shadow Step: When you step into shadows you can use a Major action to become invisible until you move or take another action.

Shapeshift Bird: You can transform yourself and your belongings into a type of bird of your choosing. You cannot cast spells or even talk while in this form but you can shapeshift back at will. You have a total of 5+ your Constitution in Health levels and anything that reduces this to zero forces you to change back to humanoid form (although your normal health levels are unaffected by that attack). To change forms takes a Major Action. While in this form you can only make brawling attacks, but you do gain a flying speed of 8 + willpower.

Shapeshift Canine: You can transform yourself and your belongings into a canine such as dog or wolf. You have a total of 8 + your Constitution in Health levels and anything that reduces this to zero forces you to change back to humanoid form (although your normal health levels are unaffected by that attack). While in this form you can only make brawling attacks, your speed is 12 + dexterity and you can perform the Set Up combat stunt at will as a free action without having to spend stunt points.

Shapeshift Snake: You can transform yourself and your belongings into a large snake. You cannot cast spells or even talk while in this form but can shapeshift back at will. You have a total 8 + your Constitution in Health levels and anything that reduces this to zero forces you to change back to humanoid form (although your normal health levels are unaffected by that attack). To change forms takes a Major Action. While in this form you can only make brawling attacks, your speed is 8 + dexterity (though you can slither into hard to reach places) and you can make a poisonous bite as a brawling attack that slows a target reducing their Speed Rating by 5 until the end of the encounter (the effects aren’t cumulative from successive bites).

Smite Cantrip: You can channel your mana into your melee attacks. When making a melee attack you can spend 2 Magic Points to increase the damage by 1d6. You must possess Magic Points to be able to have this cantrip. Casting this cantrip is a free action. If using a weapon that is also your Arcane Device you gain +1 to the attack roll as well.

Spell Binding: You can bind a single weapon of your choice so that it can be summoned to your hand or dismissed as you desire. You can cast this binding on a single weapon (or perhaps even ammunition such as an arrow or battery) of your choice. It takes 1 hour to perform this ritual and costs 50 sp in components. Once cast you can summon the weapon to your hand or dismiss it out of existence as a Minor action. It can be dismissed at any range even if you can no longer see it. If the weapon is destroyed you can dismiss it and when it is summoned back it will return undamaged like it was at the time of casting this binding. You can cast a spellbinding on up to a maximum of three separate weapons or pieces of ammunition.

Spell Blast: As per the Spell Blast description p.21 Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook.

Spell Mastery: When you cast spells the Magic Point cost is reduce by 1 to a minimum of 1 to cast any spell.

Taunting Whispers Cantrip: With a wave from your Arcane Device you can force an opponent to hear a barrage of vicious voices that taunt and mock them. When you cast this cantrip you can inflict upon this target the Taunt combat stunt at will without having to spend stunt points, though you must still make a Communication (Deception) vs Willpower (Self-Discipline) test as normal but you gain +3 to the test. Casting this power costs a Minor action to perform.

Telekinetic Magic: You can project your will out to 15 yards and mentally control objects as though you were using your hands. You can manipulate any object you can see, moving the object in the air, opening or closing it, operating it or even striking or throwing it. However the object is limited only to those you would normally be able to interact with or be able lift with your own hands. If you use this power to strike an opponent directly or with an object or throw something at them you make an Improvised Weapon attack and if successful the target is struck with the telekinetic force, hit by the object or has the flung object strike them. You can only manipulate one object at a time using this power.

Weapon Training: You choose to forgo some magical training to instead undertake marital training. Gain a single Weapon Group of your choice that you do not possess.

NEW TALENT ARCANE ADEPT TALENT

Classes: Mage, Rogue and Warrior. Requirements: Intelligence 2 or higher

You have grounded your learning in the basics of Arcane magic.

Novice: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty of your choice. Further gain the Arcane Device ability if you do not possess it. If you already have the Arcane Device ability gain + 5 Magic Points instead. You can now attune a new arcane device by spending 5 health levels instead of magic points if you wish.

Journeyman: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty of your choice.

Master: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty of your choice.