Initiation

As Awakened individuals practice their craft, they not only become more proficient at the basic skills of magic but they also build a deeper communion with the ways of magic so that they can ascend to new levels of power.

This growth does not just happen - rather, it is the result of a dedicated process. Both an act of meditation and concentration that builds new strength inside of you. The process itself is known as Initiation. Initiation can take many forms. It might mean immersing yourself in old and dusty texts, the kinds that you can't find on the Matrix. It may mean a vision quest where you commune with a mentor spirit in order to gain guidance and instruction. It could even involve excruciation, purifying your concentration and discipline through pain.

Whatever the process is, it requires both time and Karma but results in significant benefits. The first time you initiate you receive an Initiate Grade stat that is set at 1. It increases by 1 each time you initiate in the future. Your Initiate Grade may never exceed your Magic rating. If your Magic is somehow reduced so that it is lower than your Initiate Grade then your Initiate Grade automatically decreases, and you lose any associated bonuses.

To start initiation, make a [Highest Magic Skill] + Magic. The threshold to beat is the desired Initiate Grade. It is an Extended Test of one month and the magician must spend (10 + Desired Initiate Grade) Karma. Edge cannot be used on this test and once the threshold has been reached and the Extended test interval is complete, you gain the benefits of the first initiate grade as follows:

Your maximum Magic rank increases.

Your maximum Magic rank is 6 + Initiate Grade. Note that the Magic rank does not increase automatically at initiation - you still must spend Karma to increase it.

You gain access to the metaplanes.

When you reach Initiate Grade 1, you gain the ability to visit other metaplanes if you can astrally project. Metaplanes are the homes of spirits and follow the same general characteristics of their residents.

You learn a metamagic.

Metamagics are special processes that enhance the way you interact with magic. Unless otherwise noted, metamagics can only be selected once. Some may be more or less useful for certain types of magicians such as adepts, so make sure to choose carefully.

Conclaves and Covens

Since the Awakening people who can use magic have banded together to learn and to protect themselves from the non-magical people around them. From mystic dojos full of physical adepts to local university magical study groups to Awakened eco-activists, there is bound to be a group that serves your needs.

While the main focus of magic groups - also known as initiation groups, magic societies, lodges, conclaves, cliques, and more - is ostensibly on developing and support the magic knowledge of their members the secondary reason for these groups is as numerous as their names and many get involved in politics at some level while others serve as a central focus for another non-magical group.

In Initiation, the magical link that binds members of the group together also helps each gain deeper insights into the manasphere. If one missteps, the others are there to keep them from falling. Being a member of a magical group reduces the cost of initiation by the Loyalty rating of the group. This represents members of the group giving up their spare time to help a magician work through their Awakening. Being a member of a group also halves the time it takes to initiate.

Metamagics

Absorption

Cost: Minor Action

Prerequisite: Shielding

When a spell is targeted at someone that the initiate is protecting with Boosted Defense, the initiate can take an anytime Minor Action to try to absorb the mana within the spell itself. Roll Sorcery + Magic + Initiate Grade. Each hit on this test counters one hit on the original Spellcasting test, taking a little mana from the spell and creating a “mana charge” within the initiate’s aura.

If the initiate reduces the caster’s hits to zero net hits, the spell fails; reducing the caster’s results to zero hits also means that the initiate has completely absorbed the spell. Mana charges are quite volatile, so they must be used quickly or else they damage the physical form of the initiate’s aura: their body.

Charges last for Initiate Grade combat rounds, after which they go critical. When this happens, each charge causes drain with a Drain Value equal to the number of charges stored within the initiate’s aura. This drain is Stun damage unless the damage taken after the Drain Resistance test is more than the initiate’s Magic rating; in that case it becomes Physical damage.

A word of warning: This technique can be used while astral projecting, but due to the lack of a physical body to reinforce the astral form’s integrity, the Drain Value is twice the number of mana charges. Mana charges are useful though, as they provide a little extra boost to the initiate when using their own magic.

Each charge reduces the Drain Value of the next action the initiate makes, be it spellcasting, conjuring, or any other use of magic that causes drain.

All charges are used on the next Drain Value, with each charge reducing said drain by 1 (to a minimum of 2). Absorption and Reflection cannot be used on the same spell.

Advanced Rites

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

This technique was discovered and codified at Seattle University. It synchronizes the magic of ritual teams by sidestepping some of the inconsistencies created by the individual paradigms of the members of the team.

If the ritual team leader knows this metamagic, no member of the team suffers penalties for being of a different tradition, but if the initiate is not the team leader, then they are the only one to benefit from this technique.

Centering

Cost: Minor Action

Prerequisite: -

A magician who learns to center has an easier time resisting Drain. By using a mundane activity appropriate to your tradition to quiet your mind and block out distractions, you add a number of dice equal to your Initiate grade for the sole purpose of resisting Drain.

These added dice do not affect the outcome of the spell or contribute to damage but can help a character reach or exceed the Drain threshold for certain spells.

Centering can be anything like a prayer in Latin, making arcane gestures, screaming the names of ancient gods - just about anything so long as it isn't subtle. If you're prevented from performing your centering technique of choice, you cannot use this metamagic.

Channeling

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

Channeling can be used by magicians of any tradition, so long as they can use the Conjuring skill, to draw a spirit into themselves. This strengthens the magician’s physical form and allows access to the spirit’s powers but at a cost. While channeling, the magician and spirit combine into a single dual-natured entity with the magician retaining control.

To channel a spirit, a magician makes a Conjuring + Magic vs. Force x 2 test to summon the spirit as usual (and resists the drain of the summoning). Then, as part of the same Major Action, they make a Conjuring + Magic + Initiate Grade vs. Force x 2 test. Net hits from this second test add to services the spirit owes the magician, and the spirit’s hits (not net hits) becomes the Drain Value the magician must resist when the channeling ends and the spirit leaves the magician’s body (regardless of cause). Failing the test means the summoner gets no extra services but must still deal with the designated amount of drain.

While channeling, the magician gains the Dual Natured critter power as well as any powers the spirit has with a duration of “always.” The magician can also use any other powers the spirit has, but at the cost of a service each time a power is used (but they can’t use Materialization or Engulf). In addition, any physical attribute of the summoner with a rank lower than the spirit’s Force is increased by (Force/2, rounded down, maximum of +4), and the magician ignores a number of points of wound modifiers equal to the Force of the spirit.

The spirit is inside your body with you, just suppressed by your magic, and so it can take damage. Because your body acts as a living vessel, damage from physical sources applies to you and you alone, but damage from mana-based combat spells and astral combat applies to you and the spirit equally. And while you might not feel the sweet caress of the pain that damage causes, if you are knocked unconscious or the spirit is disrupted, the channeling ends and you must immediately resist the drain from the second Conjuring test made to channel the spirit.

The spirit returns to its home metaplane under any of the following conditions: after one sunrise and sunset (or vice versa), when the magician goes to sleep, if the magician uses astral projection, if the spirit is driven from your body by Exorcism, or when the magician chooses to release the spirit.

If another magician assenses the channeling magician and gets 3 or more net hits, they can see where the host ends, and the spirit begins within their combined aura. This allows the use of banishing on the spirit; add the channeling magician’s Initiate Grade to the spirit’s dice pool as the magician’s body tries to hang on to the spirit within it.

Cleansing

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

This metamagic is favored by geomancers, geomasons, feng shui masters, and forensic magicians.

In its purest form, cleansing allows an initiate to cleanse astral impressions of an item or area, like those created by strong emotions such as those from a concert, a traumatic or happy event or even a rousing religious service.

To cleanse an object or area of astral impression, make an Astral + Magic + Initiate Grade test against a threshold developed with the table below.

Cleansing is also the means by which metahumanity is able to cope with astral pollution and taint. When in a mana ebb, the magician makes the same test. Every 2 net hits the magician gets on this test reduces the impact of the ebb by one level to a minimum of 0.

The magician must also resist Drain when cleansing a mana ebb equal to the threshold of the ebb. The cleanse lasts for a number of Combat Rounds equal to the Initiate Grade of the magician. During that period, every use of magic by the character requires 1 wild dice.

Dinosaur Summoning

Cost: -

Prerequisite: Invocation

You have forged a personal connection with the Island of Tandora (pg. 130, Astral Ways) and its spirits. When you summon a beast spirit, you may choose to summon a dinosaur spirit. You may not choose the spirit’s force, which is determined by the type or species of dinosaur you choose to summon.

Note that many dinosaur spirits are great form, which requires an additional test and the possibility of summoning an uncontrolled, rampaging dinosaur.

If you are present on the Island of Tandora when summoning a dinosaur, gain a point of Edge on the summoning test, the invocation test, and the drain resistance roll. A dinosaur spirit that is summoned to the material plane does not have the Astral Form or Materialization powers, and instead appears as a dual-natured physical critter. Dinosaur spirits may not move freely in three dimensions - as most other spirits are capable of - they must walk, swim, or fly using their natural means of locomotion.

If a dinosaur spirit is disrupted, the summoner makes an Edge (3) test. If the test is successful, the corpse does not dissipate but instead leaves behind physical remains. Each time a magician harvests the corpse of a dinosaur spirit that they summoned, their Astral Reputation is reduced by 2.

If a magician does not harvest the corpse of a summoned dinosaur spirit, they are spared this penalty.

Divination

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

Magicians who learn the metamagic technique of divination have access to have a sixth sense for danger, instinctively knowing when it’s nearby and preparing for it.

Initiates gain a point of situational Edge before making Surprise tests.

They also have access to divination rituals, such as Augury and Sortilege.

To use divination outside of a ritual, the magician must study a subject astrally (this can be a place, an object, or a living being) for several minutes while allowing themselves to be open to the energies surrounding the subject. The magician then makes an Astral + Magic + Initiate Grade test against a threshold of (10 – number of minutes spent examining the subject; minimum threshold of 3). If the magician rolls any net hits on this test, they receive a vision of a future event that pertains to the subject.

The more net hits the magician gets, the more detailed the vision is. The magician must also resist drain with a Drain Value equal to the number of hits they rolled (not net hits). If this is greater than the magician’s Magic rating, the drain is Physical; otherwise, it is Stun damage.

Some magicians who use this method have a fetish, often in the shape of a crystal ball, which helps them open themselves to these energies. These fetishes reduce the drain of divination by 2. Should the magician fail to meet the threshold, they do not receive any visions but must still resist drain.

On a glitch, the vision is misleading, and on a critical glitch the Drain Value is doubled.

There may be an Astral + Logic test to decipher the visions that result from any use of Divination, with a threshold that fits the subject and the story that surrounds them.

Durable Astral Form

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

A new technique recently discovered while on a vision quest to an undisclosed metaplane, this metamagic allows an initiate to fortify their astral form to better resist damage during astral combat. The technique has become very popular with metaplanar explorers, exorcists, and security mages and adepts.

Durable astral form enables an initiate to add their (Initiate Grade / 2, rounded down to a minimum of 1) to their Willpower for Damage Resistance tests while in astral combat.

Efficient Ritual

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

Ritual magic takes time, but sometimes you need that Circle of Healing or Prodigal Spell effect right this fragging second!

If the ritual team leader knows this metamagic, reduce the time it takes to perform a ritual by half (rounded down).

Exorcism

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

Exorcism allows an Awakened individual to pull a spirit from its vessel. Using exorcism requires physical contact with the vessel and is a Major Action that can only occur on the magician’s initiative.

The exorcist makes a Willpower + Charisma + Initiate Grade vs. (spirit’s Force x 2) Opposed test to force the spirit out of its vessel. A magician with the Conjuring skill may add their Willpower to any subsequent attempt to banish the spirit.

The exorcist suffers a Drain Value equal to twice the number of hits (not net hits) that the spirit achieves in each attempt.

Successfully forcing the spirit from its vessel requires an accumulated total of net hits equal to the spirit’s Force, which leaves the spirit in astral space. Net hits from each exorcizing attempt last until the next sunrise or sunset, whichever is later, so the exorcist does not have to force the spirit from its vessel in a single attempt.

Extended Masking

Cost: -

Prerequisite: Masking

This advanced technique lets you extend your masking to include sustained or quickened spells cast by you on yourself and others. or cast on you by another magician, or alchemical preparations that are in your possession.

The magician may mask a number of spells or preparations up to their Initiate Grade (this is in addition to bonded foci).

Each aura masked in this way must have a Drain Value or Potency less than the magician’s Magic rating. As per the masking rules, an Opposed Assensing test is required to view such items. If the observer fails to gain any net hits, the masked items appear to the observer as normal fluctuations in either the local ambient mana or the masking magician’s aura. Net hits provide detail on the aura of the spell/preparation as per the Assensing Table.

Fixation

Cost: Reagents

Prerequisite: -

You magically infuse an alchemical preparation with reagents, extending its shelf life. When you create the preparation, spend at least 1 Reagent (up to the potency of the preparation).

When the preparation's Potency starts to decay, instead of losing 1 Potency every [Potency x 2] hours it loses 1 every day. It also gets a dice pool bonus against Disjoining equal to the number of Reagents you spent on it.

Flexible Signature

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

You can alter your astral signature at will. You can disguise your aura so that it can't be used to identify you, or you can forge the astral signature of another magician you've assensed, or simply reduce the amount of time your astral signature lasts.

When someone attempts to assense your faked signature, add your Initiate Grade to the Assensing test threshold - if a Grade 2 initiate leaves a forged astral signature, another magician could read the signature with 3 hits as usual but at 5 hits would realize the signature is fake and spot the true signature underneath.

You can only forge astral signatures you've read through assensing - this may possibly require a Memory test. You can also reduce the longevity of the astral signatures you leave behind by your Initiate grade in hours.

Great Form Channeling

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: Invoking, Channeling

Channeling a great form spirit is the same as channeling any other spirit with two key differences. First, the spirit must be invoked like always, which happens between the summoning and channeling. That means you have to potentially resist drain twice before the channeling occurs.

Second - and this is the biggest reason why some try to use this technique - you gain Immunity to Normal Weapons.

Immunity to Normal Weapons: The magician gains Immunity to Normal Weapons as if their Essence is equal to the spirit’s Force/3 (round down, minimum 1), regardless of the summoner’s actual Essence.

Improved Astral Form

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

A magician draws energy from their body to create the astral form, leaving their physical frame in a sleep-like state in the process. Those who take this technique have learned to draw more energy, putting their frame in a deeper slumber in exchange for more time away from it.

This technique allows the magician to add their Initiate Grade (in hours) to the duration that they can safely project. If this technique is used, the deep slumber means that it takes one minute for a magician’s body to wake up after they return to it, during which time they are considered Unconscious.

Invocation

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

This metamagic allows an initiate to summon great form spirits. Summoning a great form spirit is very similar to summoning a spirit normally, except as part of the same Major Action, the magician must invoke the spirit by making a Conjuring + Magic + Initiate Grade vs. (Force x 2) Opposed test; note that one of the dice added to the pool by the magician’s Initiate Grade is always a wild die.

If the magician gets any net hits, those are added to the net hits from the summoning test to determine how many services the great form owes.

If the magician does not get any net hits, the great form spirit goes berserk and attacks anything and everything within (Force x 10) meters for a number of combat rounds equal to the spirit’s net hits.

Either way, the magician must resist drain equal to the number of hits (not net hits) the spirit rolled. This is Stun damage unless it is higher than the character’s Magic rating, in which case it is Physical.

If the drain is enough to knock the summoner unconscious (or dead), the spirit goes berserk for additional 1D6 combat rounds.

Masking

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

You can learn to change the appearance of your aura and astral form. You can make it look mundane or make your Magic rank look higher or lower up to your Initiate Grade.

When someone tries to read your masked aura, the Assensing test becomes opposed by your Magic + Initiate Grade. If they get any net hits, they see both your mask and your real aura.

If you can use astral perception, you can even make your aura look like a different type such as a spirit or focus. You can also use this metamagic to mask the auras of bonded foci equal to your Initiate Grade.

Master Summoner

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

An initiate with this metamagic can control more spirits through binding than the average conjurer.

A master summoner can control a total Force equal to (Magic + Initiate Grade) x 4.

Paradigm Shift

Cost: -

Prerequisite: 3 Months of time

Paradigm shift allows a magician to set aside their old tradition and choose a new one. Once chosen, this new tradition defines their use of magic, and they lose all access to their old tradition. This metamagic can be taken multiple times, shifting traditions each time.

Paradigm shifts are often accompanied by changing or taking a mentor spirit, but that is not required.

Roleplaying the shift often is the perfect time to look at a magician’s relationship with mentors, but that can be done at any time. The one exception to this is Insect Shaman tradition, as they are required to take the appropriate insect spirit as their mentor (who will often teach this metamagic and gift the Initiate Grade needed to learn it as a reward for joining them). In all cases, this shift is permanent. Toxic mages often have shifted their paradigms to a toxic version of their tradition, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

Psychometry

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

Psychometry is like experiencing flashbacks, a flood of sensory data and emotions that can be uncontrollable. Everywhere the magician goes and everything they touch has an astral impression of some kind. Do you really need to know the life story behind every shot glass and barstool? Magicians who practice psychometry learn not to focus on the astral impressions around him to avoid distractions while going about their daily lives.

To read an impression, the magician makes an Astral + Intuition + Initiate Grade test; see the Psychometry Table for modifiers and results. When reading an impression, the magician has a –4 dice pool penalty to all other actions. Unfortunately, the magician has no control over how long the reading takes and cannot stop until the reading is done. Readings generally take 1D6 minutes, but the gamemaster can alter the duration based on the psychometric experience.

Quickening

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

You can manipulate your sustained spells into a sort of loop so that they sustain themselves instead of relying on you to do it for them.

To quicken a spell, take a Major Action and spend 1 Reagent (per spell level) while you're sustaining the spell. You must spend at least 1 Reagent but may spend up to the number of hits on the Spellcasting test that generated that spell.

The spell becomes permanent and gets a dice pool bonus against dispelling equal to the amount of Reagents you spent on it.

Reflection

Cost: Minor Action

Prerequisite: Shielding

This technique allows a magician to reflect a spell back at its original caster.

When anyone or anything an initiate is protecting with Boosted Defense is targeted by a spell, the initiate can make a Sorcery + Magic + Initiate Grade Opposed test as an anytime Minor Action versus the caster’s original Sorcery + Magic test to cast the spell. Any net hits the initiate gets count as Spellcasting hits for the spell as it is reflects back at its caster; the original target does not have to resist the spell. The initiate must resist drain with a Drain Value equal to the spell being cast (including modifiers from adjustments) + 1.

If the spell is an area spell, only those protected by the initiate’s Boosted Defense do not have to resist the spell on a successful use of Reflection; all other targets of the initial spell must resist as normal. The one exception to this is an area Indirect Combat spell, as the whole spell is reflected on a successful use of Reflection.

Reflected spells can be reflected again, with the Drain Value increasing by +1 each time. This can lead to “sorcery tennis,” at least until one of the magicians runs out of Minor Actions or is knocked unconscious from drain.

Resilient Artificing

Cost: Minor Action

Prerequisite: Shielding

Weaving mana into a telesma can be dangerous; one wrong move and it can blow up in your face and rip away at your aura to the point of permanently damaging your holistic integrity.

With this metamagic, an initiate learns to better protect themselves from this kind of mana backlash. It’s not perfect, but it helps.

On a critical glitch during Step 5: Craft the Focus, the Essence lost is reduced by Initiate Grade x 0.1 (to a minimum of 0).

Sacrifice

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

This metamagic technique allows an initiate to walk the path of Blood, commonly referred to as Blood Magic, and can be learned by magicians, aspected magicians, and adepts.

At its core, this technique allows a magician to tap into the power of the blood by inflicting wounds on a living subject to generate Blood Points and then use those points to enhance and empower their use of magic, as well as cast a series of Blood Magic specific spells.

It is the when, who, how and why that determines which variant of blood magic is being used and the kind of magic the practitioner uses determines what can be done.

Sacrifice can only be learned from another initiate or a spirit who knows it; it cannot be self-taught.

Blood Magicians are divided commonly between Life Magic and Death Magic. See Street Wyrd (pg. 157) for more.

Sensing

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

This technique taps into the initiate’s innate connection to the surrounding ambient mana field and allows them to become more sensitive to it, both subconsciously and consciously. The magician has learned to attune themselves to the Gaiasphere and discern details of how the ambient mana within the surrounding area is behaving without having to use astral perception or projection.

The magician uses the Observe in Detail Major Action and makes a Perception + Intuition (4) test. Success means the magician can feel mana flows, ebbs, and voids within (Initiate Grade) kilometers. If the flow or ebb is aspected toward the magician’s tradition, they receive +2 dice on this test.

Adepts without the Astral Perception power can learn this technique. Sensing cannot be used to sense astral forms, spells, mana barriers, spirits, or foci.

Gamemasters may also give the character a chance to sense some unusual change nearby even if they are not actively using sensing; in this case, the gamemaster should make the Perception test in secret to not give anything away.

Severing

Cost: -

Prerequisite: Shielding

This technique allows an initiate a chance to detect what is called a “sending.” This is where the mystic link needed to target a spell is formed, and it happens during Step 5: Perform the Ritual. Once you’ve detected the sending, you can take steps to defend yourself properly.

Severing allows an initiate to detect a sending directed at them, or someone else within (Initiate Grade) meters, regardless of whether a spotter or a material link of some kind is used. To do this, roll Astral + Intuition + Initiate Grade against a threshold of (4 + the number of hours the ritual usually takes – the number of hours spent on the ritual at the time of the attempt). If the initiate is asleep during the sending, apply a –6 dice pool penalty on the Severing test. This test happens automatically, once during each hour of the ritual, and the gamemaster can roll in secret if they wish. Once a magician has detected a sending, they have several choices.

The sending can be assensed (needing 2 net hits to determine the spell type and the astral signature of the leader of the ritual), the magician can use Boosted Defense or other defensive sorcery to help resist the incoming spell, or astral tracking can be used to trace the sending to the ritual’s foundation. If the magician chooses to use a spirit, the spirit does not need to detect the sending. If the initiate asks another magician to track the sending, they must get 3 net hits on their Assensing test of the target of the sending to see it.

Shielding

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

A character with the shielding metamagic learns to better protect themself and others against hostile spells as they are cast.

When the magician declares Boosted Defense, they can add additional dice directly to the spell defense pool equal to their Initiate Grade.

These additional dice cannot be used for any other use of Counterspelling, including dispelling.

Spell Shaping

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

You can reshape your area spells at the cost of making casting them harder. For every -1 Dice Pool Penalty you take to your Spellcasting test, you may either increase an area's spell radius by 1 meter, decrease it by 1 meter, or create a 1-meter radius spherical bubble within the area of the spell that remains unaffected by it - note that some metahuman types may require a larger bubble than others.

You must declare the use of this metamagic when you cast the area spell. You may not take more dice worth of penalty than your Magic rank.

Unlike the Increase Area effect, this has no effect on the spell's Drain.

Sympathetic Linking

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

An initiate who knows the Sympathetic Linking metamagic can use sympathetic links to target rituals with the Material Link keyword; increase the ritual threshold by 2 if using a sympathetic link.

A material link is an integral part of the target. For an inanimate object, the material link must be something that is an essential part of its structure. A brick from a wall would be a material link to that building, but a decoration in the building would not. If the target is a living being, the material link must be a tissue sample. However, tissue samples decompose eventually and cease being viable as a material link. Blood and other bodily fluids are viable for a few hours, and a tissue sample that’s a finger or larger can last a few days before losing its usefulness. A simple Biotech + Logic test can give a more concrete estimate of how much time the sample has left. Chemical preservations destroy the sample’s viability as a material link.

A sympathetic link can only be created for sentient beings, as inanimate objects lack sympathy. The subject for the link may be something the target uses frequently or that holds sentimental or personal value. If an item has been used by the target for more than five minutes (a pen, a wrapper for a McHugh’s burger, etc.), then it can also be considered a sympathetic link. Sentimental objects can last as a sympathetic link for weeks; frequently worn items are viable for days, and objects used continuously for more than five minutes are viable as a link for twice the amount of time the target held them during their most recent usage (of five minutes or longer). Bonded foci are considered sympathetic links.

Adept Metamagics

Adept Centering

Cost: Minor Action

Prerequisite: -

Adept Centering allows you to overcome possible negatives from adverse conditions such as poor lighting, challenging environments, or even swirling illusions. By performing a centering action, you retain your focus so that your opponents cannot take advantage of you.

When acting against you, opponents cannot spend dice pool rerolls or benefit from advantages due to environmental conditions or changes in their attack or your defense values tied to Illusion spells.

This applies to your current Combat Round when you perform the centering action or their next turn after the action was performed. The centering action can be simple but it should be obvious to anyone who is paying attention. It could be singing, chanting, making ritualistic hand gestures, et cetera. As long as it helps align the mind and body, it is sufficient.

Animal Attunement

Cost: -

Prerequisite: Animal Empathy

Adepts may bond with a friendly, mundane critter, gaining its trust, sharing power with it, and creating a powerful mana conduit between the two. The bonding process should be roleplayed out accordingly for the animal being bonded with and the way of the adept in question, at the end of which time the adept pays (15 – animal’s Essence) Reagents.

Once so bonded, the adept may see the world through the animal’s senses to a range of (adept’s Magic) kilometers, changing from their own senses to the critter’s or back as a Minor Action. The adept may also send brief, silent commands to their animal companion when within the same range. Finally, the critter rolls +1 die on all tests it makes for every level of Initiation the adept has (including the level wherein they choose this metamagic.

Apex Predator

Cost: -

Prerequisite: The Beast's Way

Those on this path have become predatory, and animals sense this.

Any animal that attempts to attack the adept (commanded or not) must make an Opposed Willpower + Intuition Test against the adept’s Magic + Intuition + initiate grade.

Failure means that the animal will not attack the adept, either out of predatory respect or fear of being eaten by the adept, and it will take actions based on that mindset. Awakened critters get a +2 modifier to this test.

The animal may attack other people with the adept, just not the adept. If the adept attacks the animal, then the animal may freely counterattack.

Astral Projection

Cost: -

Prerequisite: Astral Perception

An adept who is already capable of perceiving the astral plane may, with this metamagic, fully project themselves onto it. All the usual rules for Astral Projection apply, including for Astral Combat, with two exceptions: First, all of an adept’s powers may apply to their astral self, and second, adepts begin to lose Essence much more quickly than full mages if they remain on the astral for too long. They can only remain away for Magic hours (not Magic x 2), and they will lose 1 point of Essence for every minute they are away beyond that, not for every hour).

Domain of the Spiritual

The background caused by domains of religious significance, such as churches, cemeteries, and so forth, doesn’t affect those on this path as much as other adepts. Reduce background count penalties by 1 + initiate grade if the background count is aspected toward a religion or spiritual significance.

Exorcism

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: -

The exorcist suffers a Drain Value equal to twice the number of hits (not net hits) that the spirit achieves in each attempt.

Fae-Touched

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: The Speaker's Way

Those on this path gain a hauntingly beautiful appearance. An adept may pit his Magic + Intuition + initiate grade against the target’s Willpower + Intuition in an Opposed Test.

If the opponent fails, then the target believes in an idealized mana-based illusion of the adept. The adept can then substitute Magic + initiate grade for Charisma for all Charisma tests against those who believe the illusion. If the Opposed Test was successful, the illusion lasts twenty-four hours.

This can be done 1 + initiate grade times a day. Drain from each attempt equals the target’s hits in resisting the attempt (minimum 2).

Finding Your Way

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

When an adept initiates, they may choose this Metamagic to gain an adept way at no Karma cost. This may be an adept gaining their initial way, or this manner of introspection may represent a paradigm shift as they leave an existing way and transition to a new one (in which case they lose all the benefits of their original choice while gaining all the benefits of their new way).

Infusion

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: Adept Centering

An adept with the Infusion Metamagic is able to temporarily draw mana into themselves and channel it into boosting their existing powers, but it requires tremendous exertion. After using a Major Action to focus and center themselves, they may add +1 level of temporary power to existing adept powers for every level of initiate grade they possess.

This boost will last for (Magic) rounds (or may be ended early); at the end of the infusion, the adept’s system is burnt out by channeling this additional power, and they must resist Stun Drain equal to their Magic rating.

Item Attunement

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: Adept Centering

Some adepts can create a powerful bond between themselves and a favorite vehicle, weapon, or other piece of gear. These threads of power woven between user and item turn the piece of equipment into an extension of the adept’s body and make the fantastic into the routine when using it. Bonding with (or creating) the item in question should be role-played out as appropriate for the adept, the item, and their way (and may use the usual rules for crafting a focus or other Build/Repair skills as appropriate). At the end of the crafting or bonding process, the adept invests a part of their ability into their chosen item, spending Karma from the Item Attunement chart (see below).

When making a mundane check directly with an attuned item - not an Astral, Conjuring, Enchanting, or Sorcery test—the adept may add +1 die to their pool for every level of Initiation the adept has (including the level wherein they choose this metamagic).

Gamemasters and players must use their best judgement for when this bonus will apply; some of those times are more obvious and appropriate than others. To receive this bonus, the adept must be actively using the item, must maintain physical contact with it, and must be able to describe this bonus in some way related to skill and experience.

Attacking or blocking with a favorite commando knife is obvious, and a player may also be attempting a Performance or Intimidation check to impress someone or even a roll to carve wood with it (but simply having their favorite throat-cutter on them would not assist in Stealth tests). A getaway driver would get the bonus when chasing through city streets, of course, and they would also receive the bonus dice when making a vehicle Body test to resist crash damage (but not if the car was crashed into while sitting in park). Desperately bashing someone with your beloved solidbody guitar would apply as much as making a Performance test with it (but simply having the guitar nearby would not assist in a social roll).

If a piece of armor or clothing is attuned to, the bonus would apply only directly to soak rolls made, or at the gamemaster’s discretion while using gear in a way it was crafted for (such as getting a bonus when sneaking in a stealth suit, or tests to sprint while wearing your favorite running shoes), but not to every test made while wearing your lucky underpants!

This bonus can apply in augmented reality (with favorite AR gloves or a lovingly customized cyberdeck or commlink, for instance), but not in full virtual reality. A jacked-in adept using a control rig may receive the bonus for a vehicle they are physically piloting while onboard but not for something being controlled remotely.

Master of the Nine Chakras

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: Nerve Strike, The Magician's Way

The adept has a better understanding of how magic flows with a person’s vital energy. With this power, the adept can strike specific spots of energy concentration, causing a disruption of this flow and temporarily reducing the target’s Magic attribute.

Refer to Nerve Strike, but the attack reduces Magic instead. Magic lost this way has an effect similar to a background count, as the target accumulates dice pool penalties for casting spells or using Magical skills.

If the subject’s Magic is reduced to 0, the target cannot use any magically related skill or adept power until the attribute recovers.

Mentor Form (Animal)

Cost: Major Action, 20 minutes.

Prerequisite: The Beast's Way, Attune (Animal)

Some say there is power beyond earthly qi. Others say the energy harnessed is no different than a mage summoning a different spirit. In any case, adepts on this path have found a way to become closer to their animal companion.

With this metamagic, the adept taps into that power to become the beast she has bonded. After a twenty-minute preparation process, the adept shifts into the animal form that matches the animal she is attuned to, with all the abilities of said animal. However, this transformation is not the temporary suspension of human form: it is more akin to a shapeshifter’s ability, and many adepts who follow the Beast’s Way can be mistaken for a shapeshifter.

The adept’s Physical attributes become those of the animal, but Mental attributes and skills remain the adept’s. This ability has the drawback of being difficult for the adept to shift back into human form, for the adept’s mind slowly becomes more primal in the animal body.

After a few days, the adept can become permanently lost in the animal. The adept needs a successful Astral + Magic (2) test to shift into animal form at the end of the ritual.

The adept can stay in animal form for as long as she wishes. Returning to human form requires an Astral + Magic (3) Test. Failure means that the adept must wait another 2 hours to gather her thoughts and override the animal form’s increasing instincts. Every 24 hours spent in animal form increases the test’s threshold by 1. If the threshold exceeds the adept’s Logic, he becomes the animal permanently.

Power Point

Cost: -

Prerequisite: -

If you're an adept or mystic adept, you can gain a power instead of a metamagic.

You can take this as many times as you like.

Presence

Cost: -

Prerequisite: The Speaker's Way

The presence of a follower of the Speaker’s Way is very palpable, sometimes even visible, when the adept speaks.

An adept with this metamagic can add her initiate grade in dice to all tests for one social skill, which is chosen when the metamagic is selected. The metamagic cannot be selected multiple times.

The bonus also only applies when the adept is using her skill on others, not when she is resisting social skills of others.

Psychometry

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: The Spiritual Way

Stillness Of The Void

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: The Invisible Way

An adept who meditates can steel his mind against Detection spells and ritual magic and become as nothing.

To enter this state, the adept must remain still and concentrate only on managing his breathing for five minutes; he also cannot speak, gesture, or move.

Performing any action, such as being moved or taking any damage, will break the adept’s concentration, and he will have to start again.

While resisting Detection spells, add 1 + initiate grade to the Opposed test. Items in the adept’s possession are also resisted by the adept in this manner to prevent detection (e.g., a Detect Guns spell).

Astrally tracking the adept also becomes difficult, adding 1 + initiate grade to the threshold of the Assensing Test for astral tracking. The adept can stay in this mental state for eight hours.

Supernatural Prowess

Cost: -

Prerequisite: The Athlete's Way

For any physical action, the adept can substitute a physical attribute for Magic + initiate grade for that test. If done during combat, the substitution affects all physical actions associated to that attribute within a Combat Turn.

This metamagic cannot be combined with Attribute Boost. This can be done 1 + initiate grade times per day. Dice pools temporarily change with this action.

Virtuoso

Cost: Major Action

Prerequisite: Enthralling Performance

An artistically oriented adept with this metamagic has focused the sum totality of their creativity into a single, shining creation or composition that serves as a testament to their power, their devotion to their way, and their practiced ability in their chosen medium. Physical works of art can be a virtuoso creation, but so can performance pieces. One need not be on the artist’s way to create such a work - a warrior or athlete might have a favorite kata or knife-dance, an artisan could create a technologically advanced magnum opus, a magician’s way follower a particularly dazzling set of illusion spells, etc. These masterpieces echo with power and talent in equal measure, intoxicating and distracting all those who see or experience them, and the emotion lingers and colors the astral space around it for quite a time, tilting it in the favor of the prodigy who created such a wonder.

Physically, a material Virtuoso piece may serve as telesma when creating a focus, and counts as though its Object Resistance for crafting is (creator’s Initiate grade) lower. It also serves as a material link to the creator.

A Virtuoso piece counts as an Enthralling Performance to all who witness or experience it for the first time (without costing the creator adept any actions) and grants the adept a bonus on their Enthralling Performance test equal to the adept’s Initiate grade.

In addition to that distracting, mesmerizing effect, the Virtuoso piece instills in all viewers/hearers/ witnesses a strong emotional surge aligned with its creation (a few-word description decided upon by the creator at the time that it is crafted). An angry rock song may instill feelings of aggression and impatience, a lovely ballad may soothe and becalm audience members, a painting of cavorting nymphs and satyrs can fill viewers with feelings of lust and gluttony, a ring depicting of a tiny onyx dragon can instill feelings of dread or hopelessness in all those who cower before it, etc. This effect should, at the least, factor into assigning Social test Edge to assist in influencing the audience, and at the gamemaster’s discretion may also apply a dice pool modifier to appropriate Social tests, up to the adept creator’s Initiate grade.

Finally, being in the presence of a crafted Virtuoso piece, or playing a performed Virtuoso piece, realigns its creator with their talent and passion and bolsters their confidence in their work. Once per game session, if their Edge is below their Edge attribute when they are near their crafted good or performing their favorite piece, refill their Edge to their attribute level. If they are already at or above their Edge attribute, they gain a pool of wild dice equal to their Initiate grade that they can apply, one at a time, as bonus dice on any tests they make within (Magic) rounds of enjoying or performing their masterpiece.