TEXT: by Dean Shomshak
  The Ultimate
  Super Mage
  HERO   PLUS
  ™
  
  Editor/Developer: Bruce Harlick
  Illustrations: Storn Cook
  Charts: Scott A.H. Ruggels
  Solitaire Illustration: Greg Smith
  Pagemaking & Layout: Bruce Harlick
  Graphic Design: Karl Wu
  Editorial Contributions: Steve Peterson,
  Ray  Greer, George MacDonald,
   Steven S. Long
  Proof Reader: Maggi Perkins
  Managing Editor: Bruce Harlick
  Version 1.0
  by Dean Shomshak
  Copyright @1996 by Hero Games. All rights reserved.
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  The Ultimate
  Super Mage™
  
  3
  Contents
  Introduction .............................................7
  How To Use This Book ..................................7
  A Personal Disclaimer....................................7
  Summary Of Contents...................................8
  Credit Where It’s Due Dept. ..........................8
  Chapter One: Character Creation ...........9
  What Is Magic? .......................................10
  Magical Origins ......................................10
  True Mages ...................................................10
  Scholar-Mages ................................................... 11
  Wild Talents & Mad Mages .............................. 12
  Priests, Pacters & Servants Of Higher Powers . 13
  Occult Investigators .....................................15
  Spirits And Spirit Hybrids ...........................16
  General Discussion ........................................... 16
  Demons ............................................................. 17
  Angels ................................................................ 18
  Elementals ......................................................... 18
  Atavisms ............................................................ 18
  Ghosts ................................................................ 19
  Mythological Gods .......................................19
  Power Level ....................................................... 19
  Miscellaneous Types ....................................20
  Undead .............................................................. 20
  Magical Races .................................................... 20
  Golems............................................................... 21
  Bearers of Enchantment ................................... 21
  Magic Items ....................................................... 21
  Tulpas ................................................................ 22
  Crossover Characters ...................................22
  Developing The Character .....................23
  Developing the Origin .................................23
  Fallen And Redeemed ....................................... 23
  Inheritor Of The Mantle .................................. 23
  Vengeful Hunter ................................................ 23
  In Too Deep....................................................... 23
  Mystical Tests .................................................... 23
  The One Prophesied ......................................... 24
  Elder Sage as Mentor ........................................ 24
  The Myth Of The Magus .............................24
  Initiation............................................................ 24
  Famous Deeds And Far Journeys ..................... 25
  Contests Of Magic ............................................ 25
  Persecution And Fall ......................................... 25
  Rise And Redemption ....................................... 25
  Divinity: The Myth Of The Savior ................... 25
  Applications ...................................................... 25
  Mystic Philosophies................................26
  Doctrines Of Transcendence .......................27
  The White School.............................................. 27
  The Black School............................................... 27
  Doctrines Of The Zoas ................................28
  Order ................................................................. 28
  Chaos ................................................................. 29
  Art ...................................................................... 30
  Nature ................................................................ 30
  The Doctrine Of Contraries ............................. 31
  Fantastic Foci of Legend ..............................32
  Aztec Mosaic Skull ............................................ 32
  The Angelic Crystal........................................... 32
  Holy Blood ........................................................ 32
  Chapter 2: Game Mechanics: Expansions
  And Suggestions ...............................33
  What Should Be Allowed? ......................34
  Abusive Attacks ................................................. 34
  Standards For Defenses .................................... 34
  Skills..............................................................35
  Magic-Related Skills.......................................... 35
  Fake Magic Skills............................................... 37
  General Scholastic Skills ................................... 38
  Combat Skills .................................................... 38
  Communication Skills ...................................... 38
  Cutting Skill Costs ............................................ 39
  Perks .............................................................39
  Contacts And Favors......................................... 39
  Followers ........................................................... 39
  Fringe Benefits .................................................. 39
  Headquarters..................................................... 40
  Vehicles .............................................................. 40
  Wealth................................................................ 40
  Talents ...........................................................40
  Cramming ......................................................... 40
  Danger Sense ..................................................... 41
  Universal Translator.......................................... 41
  Powers...........................................................41
  Adjustment Powers ........................................... 41
  Uncontrolled Adjustment Powers .................... 41
  Concealment Powers ........................................ 42
  Defensive Powers .............................................. 42
  Information Powers .......................................... 44
  Mental Powers................................................... 47
  Movement Powers............................................. 47
  Size And Self-Changing Powers ....................... 47
  Special Powers ................................................... 48
  Other Powers..................................................... 48
  Power Advantages ............................................. 52
  Power Limitations............................................. 56
  Power Frameworks.......................................58
  Special Powers In Power Frameworks ............. 58
  
  4
  Variable Power Pools ........................................ 58
  Disadvantages...............................................59
  Sources Of Disadvantages ................................ 59
  Commentary On Disadvantages ...................... 60
  Astral Travel ............................................63
  The Astral Form Power................................63
  Using Astral Form ............................................. 64
  Extra-Dimensional Movement
  And “Gates” ......................................66
  Gate Tricks ....................................................66
  Permanent Gates ............................................... 66
  Gate Attack ........................................................ 66
  Invisible Gates ................................................... 66
  Reducing Gate Costs ......................................... 66
  Multiple-Destination Gates .............................. 67
  Gating Within a Dimension ............................. 67
  Sample Gates ................................................67
  Standard Gates .................................................. 67
  The Obelisk Of Bromion .................................. 68
  Shining Door..................................................... 68
  More Fantastic Foci of Legend ....................68
  “Venus” Figures ................................................. 68
  The Hope Diamond.......................................... 68
  Madame Blavatsky’s Apport Teasets ................ 68
  The Crystal Skull Of Lubaantun ...................... 68
  Chapter 3: Other Dimensions And The
  Multiverse .........................................69
  Functions Of Alien Dimensions..................70
  Designing Dimensions ................................70
  What’s A Dimension For? ................................. 70
  Designing The Environment ............................ 71
  Inhabitants ........................................................ 73
  Structure Of The Multiverse .......................74
  The Four Worlds ............................................... 74
  The Sephirothic Tree Of Life ............................ 74
  Atziluth .............................................................. 75
   The Sephirothic Tree of Life and
  The Four Worlds........................................ 76
  The Qliphothic World ...................................... 77
  Special Dimensions........................................... 77
  The Astral Plane ...........................................78
  General Nature .................................................. 78
  Divisions Of The Lower Astral ......................... 79
  Astral Inhabitants ............................................. 80
  Travel On The Astral Plane............................... 81
  The Land Of Legends .............................82
  Geography ......................................................... 82
  Inhabitants ........................................................ 84
  Special Conditions ............................................ 85
  Adventure Use ................................................... 86
  The Netherworld..........................................87
  Geography ......................................................... 87
  Landscape Elements.......................................... 87
  Inhabitants ........................................................ 88
  Special Conditions ............................................ 89
  Adventure Use ................................................... 90
  Elysium .........................................................90
  Geography ......................................................... 90
  Inhabitants ........................................................ 92
  Special Conditions ............................................ 93
  Adventure Use ................................................... 93
  Babylon: The City Of Man ..........................94
  Geography ......................................................... 95
  Inhabitants ........................................................ 96
  Special Conditions ............................................ 97
  Adventure Use ................................................... 98
  Miscellaneous Dimensions..........................99
  Malkuth: Loezen ............................................... 99
  Yesod: Yggdrasil, Realm Of Plant Life ............ 100
  Hod: The City-States Of Yong ........................ 100
  Netzach: The Millworks Of Bromion ............ 101
  Tiphereth: The Veil Of The Temple ............... 101
  Tiphereth: Death’s Dominion ........................ 102
  Pachad: The Garden Of Earthly
  Delights .................................................... 103
  Chesed: Realms Of The Four Zoas................. 103
  Qliphothic: The Shining Darkness................. 104
  Chapter 4: Magic ..................................105
  Magic Styles And Magic Theory ...............106
  Natural Magic ................................................. 106
  Ritual Magic .................................................... 106
  High Magic...................................................... 107
  Classes Of Magic And Dimensional
   Energies...............................................107
  Buying Spells through Power
   Frameworks ........................................108
  High Magic: Thaumaturgy ........................108
  Magic Theory .................................................. 108
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 109
  Disadvantages Of Thaumaturgy .................... 109
  Style Notes....................................................... 109
  Sample Thaumaturgic Spells .......................... 109
  Ritual Magic: Hermetic Theurgy ..............118
  Magic Theory .................................................. 118
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 119
  Style Notes....................................................... 119
  Sample Hermetic Theurgy Spells................... 121
  Ritual Magic: Necromancy ........................131
  Magic Theory .................................................. 131
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 131
  Disadvantages Of Necromancy ...................... 132
  Style Notes....................................................... 132
  Sample Necromantic Spells ............................ 132
  Ritual Magic: Technomancy ......................135
  Magic Theory .................................................. 136
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 136
  Disadvantages Of Technomancy .................... 136
  Style Notes....................................................... 136
  Sample Urban Magic Spells............................ 137
  Alchemy ......................................................139
  Magic Theory .................................................. 140
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 140
  Disadvantages Of Alchemy............................. 141
  
  5
  Sample Alchemical Magic..........................141
  Potions............................................................. 142
  Other Items ..................................................... 144
  Lab Work Spells............................................... 146
  Hybrid: Voodoo..........................................147
  Magic Theory .................................................. 147
  Powers And Modifiers .................................... 148
  Disadvantages Of Voodoo .............................. 148
  Style Notes....................................................... 148
  Sample Voodoo Spells..................................... 149
  Other Styles ................................................ 155
  “Elemental” Magic .......................................... 155
  Shamanism ...................................................... 155
  “Zoa”-Based Magic ......................................... 156
  Magic Items and Artifacts..........................157
  Magic Items vs. Magic Foci ............................ 157
  Making Magic Items ....................................... 157
  Sample Magic Items........................................ 158
  Magic Artifacts ................................................ 159
   Sanctums For Sorcerers ............................165
  Traditional Features ........................................ 165
  Building A Sanctum........................................ 166
  Sanctum-Related Adventures ......................... 167
  “Instant Sanctum” Spells ................................ 167
  More Fantastic Foci of Legend ..................168
  Vintrasian Host ............................................... 168
  Sword Of Paracelsus. ...................................... 168
  Devil-Trap Bowls ............................................ 168
  Chapter 5: The Occult World ...............169
  The Occult Subculture............................... 170
  Levels Of The Occult World ........................... 170
  People Of The Occult World .......................... 171
  Occult Societies ..........................................171
  Designing Occult Societies ............................. 171
  Sample Occult Societies.................................. 173
  Cults............................................................173
  How Cults Work ............................................. 174
  Designing A Cult............................................. 174
  The Cultists ..................................................... 176
  Generic Basic Cultist....................................... 177
  Sample Cults ................................................... 179
  Relations with The Mundane World......... 180
  Governments and yhe Supernatural .............. 181
  Supernatural Influence on the
  Mundane World ...................................... 181
  Cosmic Entities ..........................................183
  Astral Gods ...................................................... 183
  Dimension Lords ............................................ 183
  Quemetiel ........................................................ 184
  Princes Of The Universe ................................. 184
  The Supreme Powers ...................................... 187
  Those Obligatory Lost Civilizations ......... 187
  Heavy Mysteries ......................................... 189
  Why Does Earth Have Magic? ........................ 189
  How Humanity Learned Magic ..................... 190
  Provisional Answers To
  Godly Questions...................................... 191
  What Happens After Death?........................... 193
  Chapter 6: Source Book........................194
  Campaign Frameworks ........................195
  Invader From Beyond ..................................... 195
  Holy War ......................................................... 195
  Horror Hunters ............................................... 195
  Troubleshooters .............................................. 195
  Top Wand ........................................................ 195
  The Quest ........................................................ 196
  The Congeries .......................................196
  Region Generator.......................................196
  Skarn’s Hunting Preserves .........................197
  Skarn The Shaper .......................................198
  Skarn’s Palace .................................................. 200
  The Royal Family .......................................201
  Arthon ............................................................. 201
  Torvost ............................................................. 203
  Brell.................................................................. 204
  Soldiers Of The Congeries.........................206
  Hussar.............................................................. 206
  Harridan .......................................................... 206
  Myrmidon ....................................................... 207
  All-Purpose Petty Obstacle Warriors ............. 208
  Adventures In The Congeries .................... 209
  Rescue .............................................................. 209
  Spying .............................................................. 209
  Foment Revolution ......................................... 209
  Prospecting...................................................... 209
  Deal With The Devil ....................................... 209
  The Dragon And The Nagas ................210
  The Dragon ................................................ 210
  The Dragon Bound ......................................... 213
  The Dragon Incarnate .................................... 215
  The Dragon Incarnate, Mk. II:
  The Tiamat Brazier.................................. 216
  The Nagas ...................................................218
  Villains ..................................................220
  Special Villain Types .................................. 220
  Dimensional Conqueror................................. 220
  Bromion, Lord Of Order ................................ 220
  Petty Dimension Lord .................................... 223
  Cassai ............................................................... 223
  Wannabe.......................................................... 225
  Simon Magus .................................................. 225
  Manipulator .................................................... 228
  Pope Joan......................................................... 228
  Corrupter ........................................................ 230
  Brujo ................................................................ 230
  Mad God ......................................................... 232
  Lahatiel ............................................................ 232
  Prankster ......................................................... 233
  
  6
  Imp Of The Perverse....................................... 234
  Vengeful Rival ................................................. 236
  Hierophant ...................................................... 236
  Mage-Hunter................................................... 238
  Witchfinder ..................................................... 238
  Fanatic Priest ................................................... 240
  Tappan Arkwright III...................................... 240
  Thugs ............................................................... 241
  The Sylvestri Clan ...................................... 242
  Patriarch .......................................................... 243
  Bocal McFarlane ............................................. 246
  Cornelius Liefeld ............................................. 248
  Astralle ............................................................. 250
  Supernatural Super-Thugs ........................252
  Transformed Human ...................................... 252
  Pluto ................................................................ 252
  Summoned Entity ........................................... 254
  Lerajie .............................................................. 254
  Weapon-User .................................................. 254
  Matachin ......................................................... 255
  Ouroboros ..................................................256
  Cardinal Krait ................................................. 258
  Typical Canon ................................................. 260
  Regular Cultist ................................................ 260
  Chapter House: Zion Apostolic Church ........ 260
  Fane: Shriner’s Hall ......................................... 261
  Ophite .............................................................. 261
  Dragon Warrior .............................................. 262
  Vril Society .................................................263
  Vril-Ya: Irene Bradford ................................... 265
  Adept: Heinrich Warrenfeld ........................... 267
  Monsters................................................268
  Atavisms .....................................................268
  Fearling ............................................................ 269
  Dreadling ......................................................... 270
  Trauma Ghost ................................................. 271
  Qliphothic Monsters.................................. 272
  Claynull ........................................................... 272
  Darque ............................................................. 273
  A Catalog Of Qliphoth ................................... 274
  Sample Heroes ......................................275
  The Revised Solitaire .................................275
  Artifex .........................................................278
  Jezeray Illyescu And Zontar Bok ...............280
  Jezeray .............................................................. 280
  Zontar Bok ...................................................... 282
  Morningstar ...............................................284
  Appendices ............................................287
  Glossary ......................................................287
  Bibliography ...............................................289
  Other Games ................................................... 290
  Comic .............................................................. 290
  Fiction ............................................................. 290
  Nonfiction ....................................................... 291
  
  Only the impossible has any real charm. All things that
  can happen have been vulgarized by happening too
  often.
  — Clark Ashton Smith
  Strange dimensions of myth and magic, where leg-
  ends are real and humanity a dream…
  Mighty rituals, talismans and incantations to com-
  mand all the powers of Heaven and Earth…
  Sinister demons, foulness incarnate, scheming to
  corrupt the souls of mortals…
  A secret world of wizards and gods, battling for the
  destiny of mankind…
  This is the world of the superheroic mage—the Su-
  per-Mage! Welcome to The Ultimate Supermage, or
  USM for short, another book in Hero Games’ “Ulti-
  mate” series of source books exploring different comic-
  book archetypes. Although the super-mage has never
  been an especially common archetype in the comics,
  it is one of the oldest: indeed, the very first comic-book
  hero to wear a gaudy costume was a magician called
  Dr. Occult.
  USM is not the Hero System’s first exploration of
  comic-book magicians and their adventures. Back in
  1989, there was Mystic Masters. That book, however, is
  long out of print. Hence, USM. While this book owes
  some of its ideas to Mystic Masters, the author and
  Hero Games hope it goes beyond MM, and into a
  whole new realm. Still, thanks are due to Allen Varney,
  for taking the first steps down this path.
  How To Use This
  Book
  The Ultimate Supermage is a guide to creating
  magic-based characters and using them in Hero Sys-
  tem campaigns. While the focus is on CHAMPIONS
  campaigning, the material in this book should be use-
  ful in any genre involving sorcery and the supernatu-
  ral.
  USM is more than just characters and spells, though.
  Magical characters are defined less by game mechan-
  ics than by their style and milieu. Therefore, USM also
  describes the world of the wizard: the mystic dimen-
  sions, secret cults, artifacts, and forbidden lore. USM
  is not complete. No guide to the Magical World ever
  could be. USM is just a beginning. With help from
  USM, GMs can create a Magical World for their own
  campaigns. The dimensions, schools of magic and
  other background material in USM can be taken whole
  into one’s campaign, as a basis for further develop-
  ments; or the USM material can be used as a pattern
  and example for creating one’s own milieu for adven-
  tures of modern-day magic.
  Although some parts of USM can easily be used
  without reference to the rest of the book, GMs really
  should read the entire book before they try using the
  material herein. The Magical World is all intercon-
  nected. Unfortunately, it was not practical to publish
  USM in hypertext. References back and forth have been
  kept to a minimum. Sometimes this means repeating
  what has been said in another chapter. So be it. It is
  better to be repetitive than to be obscure. If any term
  remains mysterious, there is a glossary in the back of
  the book.
  One can use USM, then, in several ways. It is most
  valuable if one wants to run a campaign that centers
  around magical heroes. Many sorts of magic-based
  characters are described, including special types of vil-
  lains for magical campaigns. One can also use USM to
  add magic to a regular superhero campaign. Players
  may want to play a supermage in a regular campaign.
  GMs can get ideas for magical villains and adventures,
  as a change of pace from more worldly villains.
  A Personal Disclaimer
  Magic is unusual among super-powers in that many
  people believe it actually exists. Nobody thinks there
  really are people flying around in powered armor, or
  mutants who fire energy beams from their eyes, or
  people who became super-strong from exposure to
  radiation. While the martial arts are “really real,” even
  their greatest enthusiasts can tell the difference between
  unusual but real abilities (like breaking bricks) and
  pure legend (like bouncing bullets). Thousands of
  people, however, seriously claim that they can do real
  magic: that they can read minds, summon spirits, tell
  Introduction
  Since we have a
  new format, we
  have a new look for
  two old stand-bys.
  The Magnifying
  Glass Icon has been
  replaced by a
  Caution Sign.
  The Stop Sign
  Icon is new and
  colorful.
  These symbols
  will help you quickly
  spot things to watch
  out for.
  
  8
  the future, and do other miracles. Billions of people—
  a large fraction of humanity—believe in evil spirits and
  witchcraft. Writing a source book about magic-based
  adventures, then, becomes a ticklish operation, for
  people’s beliefs about magic are strongly tied to their
  beliefs about religion.
  Because of this, I would like to make one thing per-
  fectly clear. The magic described in this book is not
  real. In fact, magic itself is not real. There are no real
  wizards casting real spells: it’s all a delusion. Yes, some
  of the material in USM is based on authentic magical
  beliefs, but it has all been greatly changed. Make-be-
  lieve based on research is still make-believe. The fact
  is, the “real” occult is un-gameable. Most of it is te-
  dious. While searching for ideas worth stealing, I’ve
  read a lot of occult literature, from ancient grimoires
  to the latest New Agers, and I must say that some oc-
  cultists are either half-wits or lunatics. They aren’t very
  imaginative, either: after all the fancy talk about Di-
  vine Power and Cosmic Wisdom, few promise anything
  more novel than love-spells, good-luck charms, and a
  curse or two to give enemies bad luck. Oh yeah, and
  “visions”: apparently, these guys haven’t heard of tele-
  vision. It’s rather sad that such threadbare stuff has
  such a grip on the human imagination. The make-be-
  lieve magic in comic books and fantasy novels is much
  better than anything the occultists can offer.
  So if your religion frowns on magic—don’t worry.
  Nothing in this book can hurt you. It’s no more real
  than the Land of Oz. And if you religion embraces
  magic, don't take offense at what you find here. And if
  you’re looking for occult wisdom and magic power—
  sorry, not here. What did you expect? It’s a game. Read
  the book anyway: you might improve your judgment.
  Summary Of Contents
  USM begins where every storyteller must begin: with
  characters. Chapter One discusses the various sorts of
  magic-based characters available. Actual mages receive
  the most attention, but spirits, mythological gods, and
  other sorts of characters are not ignored. The career
  path of the archetypal mage is described, as well as
  some mystic philosophies a mage might follow.
  Chapter Two is devoted to expansions and clarifica-
  tions of the HERO System rules. New Skills, Perks,
  Powers and Disadvantages are introduced, although
  as always each GM has final say on what is allowed in
  their campaign. Most notably, this chapter has a full
  discussion of a famous super-mage Power, the Astral
  Form.
  Chapter Three covers an important aspect of the
  Magical World: other dimensions. Wizards often travel
  to other planes of existence in their adventures. Now
  GMs have places for them to go, with suggestions for
  designing universes of magic.
  Chapter Four gets to the heart of the super-mage,
  with a look at magic itself. Several styles of magic are
  described in detail, with dozens of spells for each. The
  chapter continues with discussions of magic items and
  artifacts and the wizard’s headquarters, the “Sanctum
  Sanctorum.”
  Chapter Five introduces the special, secret subcul-
  ture of magic, the Occult World. Its peculiar inhabit-
  ants are described, from cultists to cosmic entities.
  Chapter Six is the Source book, laden with villains,
  monsters, cults, and a complete alien dimension. This
  is no bald list of characters, though. Villains are pre-
  sented as examples of classic villain types. The chapter
  concludes with several examples of magical heroes
  ready to play, including a revised version of Solitaire.
  USM concludes with a glossary of arcane terms and
  a bibliography of inspirational reading.
  Credit Where It’s Due
  Dept.
  Many people and books contributed ideas to USM,
  but I would like to make special mention of William
  Blake. You may wonder what a poet, artist and printer
  of the early 19th century has to do with comic-book
  wizards. Nothing, directly—but in his “Prophetic
  Books,” Blake invented a really cool mythology as a
  way to explore mystical ideas. Both his mythology and
  his mysticism have been virtually ignored by fantasists.
  At most, a few writers have cribbed names from Blake’s
  mythology while ignoring the ideas and principles they
  represent.
  That’s a real shame, because Blake’s mythology was
  strikingly original and his insights sometimes pro-
  found. In adapting the “Four Zoas”—personifications
  of cosmic principles—into something that gamers
  could use I’ve had to change them a lot, but I hope
  Blake’s central ideas have not been mangled too badly.
  Blake deserves a nod for another reason too. The
  Prophetic Books were not just poems. Blake meant
  them to be read as he had printed them, with his own
  full-color illustrations on every page. They weren’t
  comic books—but they were something close to it!
  Even Blake’s style of art, with color added to printed
  drawings, was like a comic book. So who better to sup-
  ply a mythology for a comic-book world? I am pleased
  to offer this small tribute to a neglected comic-book
  pioneer.
  
  All the world’s a stage
  And all the men and women merely players:
  They have their exits and their entrances;
  And one man in his time plays many parts…
  —Shakespeare, As You Like It
  Every story begins with characters. Super-Mage ad-
  ventures are no different. The players need to create
  characters to play, of course, while the GM needs to
  create appropriate villains for them to face. This chap-
  ter addresses the fundamentals of creating magical
  heroes and villains.
  Chapter One:
  One can begin anywhere when creating a character:
  an origin, a type of character, a power or set of pow-
  ers, a role in a story, or even an appearance. Books,
  however, must be linear. We begin with a description
  of the major sorts of magical types suitable for Player
  Characters, each with a discussion of how to build
  them. The chapter continues with a discussion of ori-
  gins and other traditional elements of the mage’s ca-
  reer path, and concludes with a selection of mystical
  philosophies which wizards might follow.
  Character Creation
  
  10
  What Is Magic?
  Before anything else, however, it might be a good
  idea to get it straight just what magic is. Plenty of
  people, from occultists to sociologists, have offered
  definitions of magic, but they don’t matter. The ques-
  tion is, what distinguishes magic from other sorts of
  super-powers? In this case, defining what magic is in-
  volves defining what it is not, and what a mage is and
  what a mage is not.
  First, for humans magic is not an innate power. Spell
  casting is a skill, developed through training just like
  any other skill. Not everyone can do magic, but then,
  not everyone can write symphonies, solve the Rubik’s
  Cube in 30 seconds, or keep a .400 batting average,
  either. Only a few people have the necessary talent in
  either case. Talent for magic may run in families, just
  like any talent, but there’s no real genetic marker for
  magic any more than there is for playing the piano.
  There is magic that doesn’t involve spell casting, but
  this comes from supernatural beings such as demons
  or gods. All magic comes either from supernatural
  beings or spell casters. Magic weapons, for instance,
  are a form of stored magic: the magic was placed in
  the weapon by a spirit or a mage. A person can be en-
  chanted to have magic powers: who did the enchant-
  ing? Even if the person got their powers from an acci-
  dent with a magic artifact, who made the artifact? Even-
  tually, the trail of magic leads back to an innately magi-
  cal being or someone casting a spell.
  Second, the forces employed by magic have nothing
  to do with physical science. A scientist could examine
  a magic sword down to the subatomic level and find
  no reason why it glows and cannot be broken. That’s
  not just real science either: even the greatest alien su-
  per-scientist would be equally at a loss. Magic can only
  be analyzed by magical means. A scientist could mea-
  sure the voltage of a magical lightning bolt, but could
  not say where the current came from.
  It’s not hard to see why. Science manipulates matter
  and energy by manipulating other matter and energy.
  Magic works by manipulating symbols. As yet, science
  has not found any equation to calculate the number
  of kilowatt-hours in a sonnet or a painting. Any sci-
  ence that can make sense of magic will be a very strange
  science indeed.
  What about psychic powers? Those seem like magic.
  A lot of magic duplicates psychic effects such as mind
  reading—and in the real world, ESP and suchlike
  “paranormal powers” are clearly just the old wine of
  magic in the new bottles of pseudoscience.
  In most cases the difference is academic. Suffice it
  to say that if a character is defined as having learned
  mental powers, they are a mage. Mutants don’t learn
  their powers, they just discover they have them.
  So that’s the essence of magic: making something
  happen by controlling mysterious forces (such as “force
  of will”) through symbols. All the rest is just stage-
  dressing.
  Magical Origins
  Exalt thyself: be more than man.
  Be saint or be magician,
  And where the burning Sword awaits
  Defy the old seraphic ban.
  — Clark Ashton Smith, “Dominium in Excelsis”
  The range of characters with magical or supernatu-
  ral origins is quite wide. This work focuses on real wiz-
  ards, as the type of hero and villain least like the “ge-
  neric super,” but at least some attention must be paid
  to other sorts, as the origin types have a fair bit of over-
  lap.
  In the magical community, some origins carry more
  prestige than others. Real mages enjoy pointing out
  that users of magic items or magically-empowered
  people are “not real wizards.” Supernatural creatures
  may be entitled to respect since they embody the power
  that wizards use, but woe betide the upstart who merely
  bears an enchantment or carries a magic item yet
  claims to be a wizard! Many a mage, hero or villain,
  will take the trouble to demonstrate—graphically—
  that a few powers do not a wizard make.
  Scholar-mages and priest-mages don’t get along, ei-
  ther. Priests think they are better than scholar-magi-
  cians because they serve a god. Scholar-mages think
  they are better than priests because they don’t serve a
  god. Unfortunately, becoming a wizard does not cure
  one of human nature.
  True Mages
  Somewhere, somehow, the true mage learned to cast
  spells. Strictly speaking, a true mage has no innate
  powers, only very unusual skills. Because of a mage’s
  special knowledge and training, they can control en-
  ergies unknown to most people—whether personal
  psychic powers or mystic energies channeled from
  trans-cosmic gods. Mages fall into three general cat-
  egories: scholar-mages; wild talents and “mad mages”;
  and priests, pacters and Servants of Higher Powers.
  The Champions Universe already has several ex-
  amples of scholar-mages, including the superheroes
  Solitaire and Dr. Wraithe (from To Serve And Protect),
  and the supervillain Demonologist.
  The Champions Universe also has several priest-ma-
  gicians, shamans and witches. Zuvembie (Enemies: The
  International File), Rashindra Etien (Classic Organi-
  zations) and Tarot (Murderer’s Row) pursue the dark
  side of Voodoo. The Black Druid (European Enemies)
  rules the forces of nature worshipped by his ancient
  faith. Granny Hex (Creatures Of The Night) is a mod-
  ern-day witch. Nether (European Enemies) heads a
  pagan witch-coven, but her magic shows no obvious
  connection to the natural powers revered by the “Old
  Religion.” Her cool, precisely subvocalized spells sug-
  gest a scholar-mage.
  
  11
  Before the present work, however, the CHAMPIONS
  Universe had no magic-users whose powers obviously
  grew from sheer delusional belief, or any wild talents.
  Scholar-Mages
  Among mages, the most “respectable” way to gain
  magic power is through long study of mystic lore. This
  is really all anyone needs to become a wizard, although
  as with nuclear physics, poetry and other intellectual
  disciplines, few people have the talent to be really good
  at it. Truly powerful scholar-mages tend to be elderly:
  in fact, they might be centuries old, using their magic
  to stave off their own aging. Gaining and keeping magic
  power through scholarship demands years of training
  in meditation, visualization and other mental disci-
  plines.
  Although scholar-mages gain power more slowly
  than other sorts of sorcerers, they can gain the great-
  est flexibility in the long run. What’s more, their power
  comes with fewer strings attached.
  Scholar-mages range from mystics seeking spiritual
  advancement, who regard the powers they gain as un-
  necessary distractions, to power-hungry warlocks ea-
  ger to rule the world. Many scholar-mages are intro-
  verted intellectuals who use their powers neither for
  good nor evil, and just want to be left alone to con-
  tinue their research.
  Characteristics
  A scholar-mage’s power depends on mental ability
  and discipline, and their Characteristics typically re-
  flect this. STR is not very important for mages. They
  can be lighter than most superheroes on PD, ED and
  STUN, too. Comic-book wizards like Dr. Strange and
  John Constantine have been cold-cocked by ordinary
  thugs with blackjacks. Mages rely on magical defense,
  not innate toughness.
  Which is not to say they can’t display great endur-
  ance. Mages do weird yoga meditations for hours, work
  around the clock researching a demon lord’s name, and
  then pop off to a battle in Polkadot Hell without even
  grabbing a sandwich first. CON, REC and END could
  actually be pretty good, at least by normal human stan-
  dards. Mages may be intellectuals, but PCs at least
  should have the fortitude to go toe-to-toe with the bad
  guys next to the mutants, martial artists and other he-
  roes.
  A good DEX and SPD are also a good idea for PC
  sorcerers, so they can dish out damage as fast as their
  colleagues and avoid damage from their enemies. Here,
  however, players and GMs have a free hand, depend-
  ing on their conception of a character’s magic. If spell
  casting is assumed to happen at literally the speed of
  thought—wish it and bang, it happens—DEX could
  be very high, like a martial artist’s. If, on the other hand,
  one decides that a sorcerer has to chant some magic
  words and that can be done only so fast, then DEX
  might be comparatively low. That’s not necessarily bad.
  After all, characters with lower than average SPD and
  DEX can free up quite a few points for more and bet-
  ter Powers and Skills.
  Mental characteristics form the cornerstone of the
  archetypal mage. INT is vital: mages tend to empha-
  size INT-based skills. EGO is important too, to reflect
  general mental discipline and to get ECV for mental
  powers. A high PRE reflects a sorcerer’s willpower, abil-
  ity to face Things Man Was Not Meant To Know, and
  the well-documented, real-world charisma that comes
  from confidence, power and will. Socially inept sor-
  cerers might buy PRE with the -1 Limitation, “Only
  for Defense.”
  Of course these rules can have exceptions. There’s
  no reason why a scholar-mage couldn’t also be a bar-
  bell boy, putting his strength at the upper end of what’s
  humanly possible. Elder sages, the sort who can simul-
  taneously be a PC mage’s teacher and DNPC, might
  have kick-ass magic but be so slow and fragile that they
  dare not enter combat at all. Some mages might not
  be extraordinarily intelligent or strong-willed; these
  would have to be either extraordinarily patient and
  hard-working to gain their magic, or use some of the
  “shortcuts” described in the Disadvantages section
  below. Such a lack of innate talent might explain why
  a mage turns to evil: they see stealing artifacts, sacri-
  ficing virgins and cutting deals with terrible Powers
  and Principalities as a way to get more magical power.
  Skills
  Magical and general scholastic skills are as impor-
  tant for scholar-mages as the GM wants them to be.
  Every scholar-mage should have at least a Knowledge
  Skill about magic, and maybe some more Knowledge
  Skills such as “Occult Lore,” “Legends,” “Great Wizards,”
  “Spirits,” or occult specialties like “Demonology,” “Al-
  chemy” or “Astrology.” Mages who can travel to other
  dimensions should probably take the new “Dimen-
  sional Navigation” skill and KS: Other Dimensions,
  unless they really like getting lost. “Fake magic” skills
  such as Sleight of Hand can be useful too.
  Other skills are pure gravy after the magical and
  scholastic skills are taken care of. Physical skills such
  as Climbing or Breakfall are fine if the character can
  afford them. A Professional Skill can represent the
  character’s life before or apart from magery. At least a
  few miscellaneous skills help define a mage as a unique
  character, instead of just another wizard.
  Talents
  Mental Talents such as Cramming, Eidetic Memory
  and Speed Reading are very appropriate for scholar-
  mages. Combat Talents like Combat Sense or Find
  Weakness can reflect exceptional skill at spell combat,
  or a Zen-like mystic awareness of one’s environment
  and opponent.
  
  12
  Powers
  The only innate powers a pure scholar-mage will
  have are very minor powers that can be the result of
  training, such as extra Running or Mental Defense. In
  particular, innate resistant defenses are right out.
  There’s no logical reason why scholar-mages shouldn’t
  cast spells on themselves to give themselves innate
  powers; sorcerers in the comics just never do it, that’s
  all, and whether one accepts the genre conventions or
  not is one’s own business.
  Powers bought as spells form the core of the scholar-
  mage and other mage types. This is such a big part of
  the whole mage character archetype that it gets a whole
  chapter to itself. In brief summary, however, scholar-
  mages are notable for the wide range of powers they
  can use, and their use of Mental Powers and even more
  unusual ranged attacks.
  Scholar-mages may supplement their innate spell
  powers with magic items. These can merely be Foci to
  cut the cost of powers, or be potent Independent arti-
  facts of elder wizardry. It’s important to remember,
  though, that a scholar-mage shouldn’t be completely
  helpless if they lose their Foci: the essence of scholar-
  mages is their knowledge, not their hardware.
  Disadvantages
  Scholar-mages follow a distinctive style in their Dis-
  advantages as well. Psychological Limitations and so-
  cial limitations—Hunteds, Watcheds, Rivalries, and
  DNPCs—are as important for mages as for any other
  sort of hero. The “physical” Disadvantages, however—
  Physical Limitations, Dependencies, Vulnerabilities,
  and Susceptibilities—require special versions such as
  Vows and Prohibitions (described in the “Disadvan-
  tages” section of chapter 2). Mages can also accept a
  Magic Restriction (again, see next chapter) to repre-
  sent the restrictions of their training.
  Wild Talents And Mad Mages
  A few people are born with fantastic aptitude for
  difficult fields—like Mozart writing symphonies when
  he was five years old. Once in a while a child is born
  with a humungous natural talent for magic, and they
  learn how to do it all by themselves. These are Wild
  Talents. Eventually, Wild Talents usually attract the at-
  tention of trained mages. If the Wild Talent is lucky, a
  responsible wizard will agree to teach the Wild Talent
  how to develop their full potential. (Since Wild Tal-
  ents often become the greatest mages, teaching one
  carries a fair bit of prestige.) If the Wild Talent isn’t
  lucky, someone will either jealously try to kill them or
  greedily try to exploit them.
  Lunatics can become very Wild Talents. Raw belief
  has power in magic, and the mad may get special in-
  sights denied to the sane. A loony with even a slight
  natural aptitude for magic might learn to cast spells
  without knowing it. It’s nearly impossible to wean such
  Mad Mages from their madness, however, because they
  magically produce evidence to support their delusions!
  While Wild Talent lunatics might get power without
  any knowledge of formal magic whatsoever, they sel-
  dom go beyond the powers set by their delusions. Still,
  playing a total nut—who magically makes his delu-
  sions real—can be a lot of fun.
  Wild Talents are not too different from scholar-
  mages, but they may specialize in peculiar ways. Think
  of a wizard whose spells all involve food, or who plays
  his spells on an electric guitar. Mad Mages are even
  harder to generalize about: practically by definition,
  they are all sui generis, with selections of powers based
  on their individual delusions.
  Characteristics
  Like scholar-mages, Mad Mages and Wild Talents
  tend to be physically normal in most ways, compared
  to other superheroes (unless part of a Mad Mage’s de-
  lusion happens to included super-strength or some-
  thing like that). Unlike scholar-mages, they don’t have
  to be especially intelligent or strong-willed. Although
  many child prodigies become Renaissance men who
  are good at anything they try, this isn’t universal. Many
  brilliant scientists, artists, poets and musicians are as
  stupid as the rest of us outside their specialties.
  Skills
  Magic-related skills are all not appropriate for a Wild
  Talent or Mad Mage, at least in the beginning. The
  whole point of these archetypes is that they don’t know
  what they’re doing. They literally don’t know what they
  know!
  Magic-faking skills and scholastic skills are inappro-
  priate for the same reason—at least in large numbers.
  There’s no reason why a Wild Talent shouldn’t know
  something about the conventional occult, for instance,
  or why a Mad Mage couldn’t be good at Ventriloquism.
  They just don’t acquire such skills systematically.
  Other skills are chosen just as for any other hero or
  villain, to fit the character’s background or simply to
  give abilities the player wants the character to have.
  Skill Enhancers become unnecessary for characters
  who aren’t going to have masses of Knowledge, Lan-
  guage or other such skills.
  Perks
  “Resource” perks such as Headquarters, a Vehicle,
  or Followers are unlikely, even if they aren’t forbid-
  den. Wealth might explain why a Wild Talent or Mad
  Mage has the time and freedom to develop their pecu-
  liar talents, but isn’t necessary: the world is full of ec-
  centrics living on modest incomes. In fact, Poverty (as
  a Disadvantage) seems like it could be quite common
  among Mad Mages, whose insanity could make it hard
  for them to earn a living.
  Contacts, Favors, and miscellaneous Fringe Benefits
  are as open to Wild Talents and Mad Mages as to any
  other hero or villain.
  The Initiate perk is not appropriate for Wild Tal-
  ents. If they were part of an occult order, after all, they
  wouldn’t be self-taught. Mad Mages aren’t likely even
  
  13
  to be allowed in the door at most occult groups, even
  if they wanted to join, but they might head their own
  weird little groups (such as the Church Electric men-
  tioned in Chapter 5.)
  Talents
  Any of the Talents are quite appropriate for these
  self-taught wizards, as minor magical knacks they have
  developed along with their more spectacular powers.
  Powers
  Innate Powers are just as inappropriate for Mad
  Mages and Wild Talents as for scholar-mages. They
  have spells, not powers. On the other hand, their magic
  might not show the usual traits of spell casting—no
  arcane gestures, cabalistic words or brandished talis-
  mans. For Mad Mages in particular, the spells might
  look like innate powers. Only examination by a magi-
  cal specialist could tell the difference. On the other
  hand, a Mad Mage’s powers might be so peculiar that
  they don’t even register as magic!
  Spells could be just about anything, but to keep the
  distinctive ambiance of magic they should probably
  be rather peculiar—at least with an unusual, “mysti-
  cal” special effect. Wild Talents and Mad Mages could
  have really weird special effects!
  Magic Items should be very personal: Foci for the
  character’s powers, rather than true magic items any
  sorcerer could use. While there’s no reason why a self-
  taught wizard couldn’t have acquired a magical ob-
  ject, or even an Independent artifact, the whole point
  of these characters is the quirky magic they invented
  themselves. At least, such magic items shouldn’t domi-
  nate the character.
  As with scholar-mages, Multipowers and Elemental
  Controls are highly valuable. Variable Power Pools are
  right out: Power Pools should be the hallmark of su-
  premely learned and expert mages or the mightiest of
  supernatural beings.
  Disadvantages
  Most of what goes for scholar-mages goes for Wild
  Talents and Mad Mages as well. Even Vows and Prohi-
  bitions are possible, except that no external power en-
  forces them: they are purely psychosomatic. Mad
  Mages could unconsciously impose any sort of bizarre
  weakness on themselves.
  Priests, Pacters, & Servants of Higher
  Powers
  Most wizards invoke powerful supernatural entities
  in their spells. This doesn’t imply any special rever-
  ence, or even belief in the entities named. Names of
  Power are just another tool in the sorcerer’s kit. Some
  mages, however, seek a closer and stronger relation-
  ship to the Great Powers of the Multiverse. Depending
  on the nature of the relationship, these mages become
  Priests, Pacters, or Servants of Higher Powers.
  Magic and religion have always been bound together
  like Siamese twins. Shamans, voodoo houngans, pa-
  gan witches and other such sorts might back up their
  religious beliefs with half-understood magic. Again,
  their raw power can be quite formidable, but priest-
  magicians are limited to what their religion considers
  possible and acceptable for priests.
  Priest-magicians tend to belong to so-called “pagan”
  or “primitive” religions, or else worship extra-dimen-
  sional “gods” divorced from any Earthly religious con-
  text. The widespread “great” religions like Christianity
  and Buddhism disapprove of sorcery. The Judeo-Chris-
  tian-Islamic complex, for instance, regards all magic
  (except exorcism, faith healing and speaking in
  tongues) as morally suspect if not actively Satanic, even
  though these religions gave the framework for
  kabbalism and demonology. Orthodox Buddhism sug-
  gests that as one moves toward enlightenment and nir-
  vana one might develop various magical powers, but
  these powers are a distraction which one should ig-
  nore. All the “great” religions, however, spin off small
  heretical cults which may be intensely magic-oriented.
  Some cultic guru-leaders might back up their charisma
  with magic.
  A priest-magician’s “god” could be an actual god
  from mythology, a demon lord or other spirit, an ex-
  tra-dimensional tyrant, a cosmic conceptual entity or
  a powerful elder sorcerer. The god could even be a fig-
  ment of the priest’s imagination, making the priest also
  a Mad Mage. Note that the “god” may lie about its iden-
  tity: a priest may think he receives his powers and
  marching orders from Jesus Christ when actually his
  “god” is a loathsome demon or a dimensional con-
  queror disguised by illusion.
  Priest-magicians are not quite the same as Pacters
  or Servants of Higher Powers. Pacters and Servants
  tend to have a more professional relationship with their
  quasi-divine masters, while priests feel more reverence.
  Pacters cold-bloodedly cut a deal with some Lord of
  Evil for power: buy now, pay later. As in become the
  entity’s slave and plaything for all eternity. For the
  moment, Pacters serve just enough to keep their mas-
  ter happy. Servants of Higher Powers tend to feel that
  their employers have more worthy goals. The cosmic
  entity gives them greater magical powers to make them
  more effective troubleshooters.
  The baseline priest, Pacter, or Servant of higher pow-
  ers is still essentially a mage, but their spells are tied
  up with their service to a greater entity. Their patron
  may be able to revoke their ability to cast spells. Pa-
  trons may grant innate powers to their Servants as well,
  making this class overlap with Bearers of Enchantment
  (q.v.) This is particularly common with Pacters, who
  may want physical superiority in addition to greater
  magical power.
  Characteristics
  These are like scholar-mages, for the most part.
  Priests are notable for having a high PRE to fuel their
  communications skills. On the other hand, a high INT
  isn’t as important.
  
  14
  Skills
  Magic-related skills should be quite limited for
  priests, Pacters, and Servants of Higher Powers. They
  have a god to teach them spells, so they don’t need
  Spell Research or other theory-oriented Skills. On the
  other hand, priests at least will certainly have Knowl-
  edge Skills related to their worship, such as “Cult
  Dogma” or “Legends.” Pacters and Servants of Higher
  Powers may have Knowledge Skills related to their pa-
  trons, and a general skill “KS: Cosmic Entities.”
  Magic-faking skills, however, are quite common
  among priest-magicians. Even cult leaders with plenty
  of real power might prefer using tricks to impress the
  yokels, instead of sullying their sacred powers with such
  ignoble uses. Pacters and Servants of Higher Powers
  don’t need them so much.
  A priest, Pacter or Servant’s physical competence
  depends on what the player and/or GM want. In par-
  ticular, evil high priests fight with hysterical fury when
  cornered. They are also very good at sneaking into
  places and escaping when their plans are thwarted, so
  Combat Levels and Skills such as Stealth, Climbing,
  Concealment and Breakfall can be quite appropriate.
  Pacters may receive extra physical competence from
  their patrons, and fight as furiously as evil high priests:
  their masters do not approve of failure…
  Communication Skills are where priests really shine.
  Oratory is practically a given, to keep the cultist Fol-
  lowers hepped up. Priests might also be skilled at de-
  bate (Persuasion), sounding people out (Conversa-
  tion)—or torturing captured infidels for information
  (Interrogation). Servants of Higher Powers, on the
  other hand, adopt a more mysterious and low-key de-
  meanor. Pacters often try to keep their occult connec-
  tions completely secret; Acting is good for this.
  Any other Skills are purely up to the player or GM.
  Skill Enhancers are as useful as always.
  Perks
  Headquarters and Followers are common “resource”
  Perks for literal priests (no surprise there), and most
  have the Initiate Perk. High-ranking priests in sizable
  sects might have Wealth, but usually this is subsumed
  in their Initiate Perk of rank (described in the next
  chapter). Priest-magicians, Pacters, and Servants alike
  often have whopping Contacts in the persons of their
  gods. Cult superiors or the leaders of allied cults are
  other possible Contacts.
  Talents
  Only one Talent deserves special mention. Univer-
  sal Translator can represent the “gift of tongues,” the
  legendary talent of a holy apostle to speak the language
  of whoever they meet—obviously a useful talent when
  one is spreading the One True Faith in exotic foreign
  lands.
  Powers
  Innate powers could be granted by a deity to their
  favorite priests, Pacters or Servants. In folklore, evil
  magicians (who are often pacters as well) share a spe-
  cial talent with ogres and their ilk, of making them-
  selves unkillable by removing their heart and hiding it
  in some secret place.
  As for spells, the priest-magician might believe that
  their magical power comes directly from their god—
  ”God does it, I just ask”—and the spells might have
  been taught by the god, but the priests still essentially
  just cast spells. They may have a few funny Limita-
  tions. Casting a spell in a consecrated temple may count
  as all or part of the Variable Limitations on a spell, for
  instance.
  Priestly magic tends to emphasize ritual. Even if the
  spell itself only takes the usual attack’s half Phase to
  cast, it may well employ Foci from religious ritual, such
  as holy water or the deity’s symbol. Power Frameworks
  are still common, but Multipowers may have fewer slots
  (depending on how wide a range of magic the god al-
  lows to its priests). Power Pools are completely inap-
  propriate.
  Pacters and Servants, on the other hand, may get to
  use very stripped-down, combat-effective magic.
  Pacters just don’t want to be bothered with a lot of
  work in casting spells, and the cosmic kahunas expect
  to send their minions into dangerous situations where
  getting off the first spell is a matter of survival. Ser-
  vants of Higher Powers thus often use High Magic (see
  Chapter 4).
  Note that demon pacters seldom develop much
  power beyond what the demon gives them. They were
  too impatient to learn all the fundamentals of real spell
  casting, after all, and now the demon keeps them too
  busy for deep studies. Finally, demon magic often car-
  ries persnickety conditions and serious limitations on
  its use, with really nasty side effects for breaking the
  rules. For all these reasons, scholar-mages insist that
  deals with demons (or other Lords of Evil such as the
  Kings of Edom) aren’t just wicked, they’re downright
  stupid.
  Magic items, both enchanted Foci and Independent
  artifacts, are common. Artifacts were usually made long
  ago by the patron god.
  Disadvantages
  Vows and Prohibitions are almost de rigeur. Gods
  are finicky about how their followers act, and the more
  a god invests in a particular follower, the more condi-
  tions they impose. Many priests might carry just one
  large Vow, “Deuteronomy”—a collection of manda-
  tory rituals and taboos which are individually easy to
  live with but which add up into fairly strict limits on
  the character’s behavior. Real-world religious taboos
  include dietary restrictions (Hinduism’s are amazingly
  complex), mandatory prayer at specific times several
  times a day (as in Islam), and never cutting one’s hair
  (Sikhism). Following a “Deuteronomy” might even be
  worth a Distinctive Features Disadvantage as well as a
  Susceptibility or Physical Limitation. Pacters and Ser-
  vants get more freedom: as long as they do their job,
  their patron seldom asks for much more.
  
  15
  Naturally, priests, Pacters, and Servants get a whop-
  ping big Watched. They might be Hunted by an en-
  emy cult or servants of rival powers as well.
  Priests and Pacters should also take a Psychological
  Limitation representing their devotion to their god or
  religion; depth of commitment may vary.
  Physical Disadvantages such as Vulnerabilities, De-
  pendence, Physical Limitations, and so on are pretty
  hard to justify except as Vows or Prohibitions. Some
  priests, Pacters, and Servants might take a Conditional
  Distinctive Features from the taint of their god’s mys-
  tical energies.
  Pacters carry a special Physical Limitation:
  “Damned.” Contrary to folklore, it’s very difficult to
  cheat a demon lord: they are experts at contract law.
  Breaking the terms of a contract usually gives the de-
  mon legal grounds to carry the pacter off to Hell right
  away. In game terms, this is a 15 point Physical Limi-
  tation, acting Infrequently but Totally Limiting.
  Occult Investigators
  The “occult investigator” is one of the most endur-
  ing occult hero types, from William Hope Hodgson’s
  Carnacki the Ghost-Breaker to DC Comics’ John
  Constantine. This classic hero type ranges from oc-
  cultists with no powers but their knowledge, nerve and
  wits to supernatural mystery-men whose powers leave
  even superheroes’ jaws dropping in amazement. Oc-
  cult investigators usually lack hard-hitting magic able
  to pound enemies into submission. They employ sub-
  tler tactics such as detective work (to find an occult
  creature’s weaknesses), trickery, ritual magic and—
  when all else fails—manipulating other heroes into
  doing the dirty work. While occult investigators fit
  better in heroic-level campaigns (especially in JUS-
  TICE, INC.) a high-end occult investigator can make
  an unusual guest star for a superhero campaign, and
  they settle comfortably into moodier all-magician
  campaigns.
  Occult investigators specialize in street-level super-
  natural menaces such as ghosts, vampires and cultists.
  In fact, not all of their opponents are magical: an im-
  portant part of an occult investigator’s job is deter-
  mining whether what’s going on is really supernatu-
  ral. Is Old Widow Fielding’s house really haunted, for
  instance, or is her evil nephew trying to drive her crazy
  to get her money? On the other hand, what seems like
  a minor poltergeist or cult guru can turn out to be just
  the tip of a very large and nasty iceberg: Elder Gods,
  ancient curses, the End of Life As We Know It, that
  sort of thing.
  Fortunately, the opponents of occult investigators
  tend to have Achilles Heels commensurate with their
  power, so a small nudge at the right moment can bring
  a massive evil plan crashing down. For a typical ex-
  ample, suppose a powerful cult plans to open a Gate
  to a horrible, nameless Nether-Verse and let the Dread
  Annihilator come to Earth. A four-color sorcerer would
  have to fight the Dread Annihilator. An occult investi-
  gator would discover the weakness in the cult’s plan
  and prevent the Annihilator from arriving at all: say,
  by shooting the alien crystal that powers the Gate, or
  by resetting the cult’s clock so they miss the once-a-
  century alignment when the Gate can open, or even
  using the force of the cult’s ritual to summon a rival
  god to battle the Annihilator. Of course, if the villains’
  plot doesn’t have such a weakness, that’s a good rea-
  son for an occult investigator to team up with four-
  color wizards and other superheroes…
  Finally, one curious feature of occult investigators is
  that they don’t wear superhero-style costumes. In com-
  ics at least, their most common forms of garb are trench
  coats and formal evening wear.
  Until this work, no classic occult investigators have
  appeared in the Champions Universe.
  Characteristics
  Occult investigators generally don’t have any really
  superhuman Characteristics; physically, they are on par
  with extra-competent agents or street-level vigilantes.
  Dark Champions has many suggestions about creating
  such characters.
  Skills
  Occult investigators really shine in this department.
  Detective-style Skills are every bit as important as
  magic-related skills. Combat and physical Skills such
  as Breakfall or Combat Driving make a lot of sense
  too. Martial arts can help compensate for their com-
  parative weakness compared to super-sorcerers and
  supernatural entities.
  Perks
  Occult investigators usually operate on a slender re-
  source base. While Headquarters, Vehicles and Wealth
  are not impossible, they are not very traditional. A tra-
  ditional detective’s partner could be a Follower. On the
  other hand, an occult investigator could have plenty
  of Contacts and Favors; it might even be worth while
  to buy Well Connected for the character. Initiate or
  minor Fringe Benefits such as a private investigator’s
  license or a concealed weapons permit make sense, too.
  Talents
  Most of the Talents are quite appropriate for Occult
  Investigator characters; a few of the Talents themselves
  border on magic.
  Powers
  Occult Investigators don’t rely entirely on Skills. First,
  they may have “non-power Powers” like those de-
  scribed in Dark Champions or The Ultimate Martial
  Artist, developed through training. Super-stealthy
  movement (limited Invisibility or Teleport), immunity
  to pain through force of will (Damage Reduction), or
  super-disguise (Shape Shift) are typical examples.
  While occult investigators can have magic, it won’t
  be very flashy. Some occult investigators gain unearthly
  
  16
  powers through occult studies, like any normal mage.
  Others are Wild Talents whose powers manifest after
  some weird event such as a near-death experience or
  meeting with a spirit. Most occult investigator spells
  overlap a lot with psychic powers: “spells” to read
  minds, dominate wills, and the like. In fact, their pow-
  ers might be innate psychic talents (in pulp fiction,
  the line between ESP and magic often blurs to nonex-
  istence). Dispelling magicks and exorcisms are com-
  mon too, although these tend to be lengthy rituals dif-
  ficult to use in combat. Superhero-level occult investi-
  gators might cast powerful illusions, visit the astral
  dimensions or even travel through time—they just
  can’t use these in combat.
  Any psychic bolts or similar attack spells may take
  so much energy that carrying more worldly ordnance
  makes a lot of sense. Just because they are mystics
  doesn’t mean occult investigators can’t also shop
  through Soldier of Fortune or Guns and Ammo, mak-
  ing them even more like Dark Champions characters.
  A low-power magic item would not be out of place,
  either.
  Disadvantages
  Like true mages, most “physical” Disadvantages are
  quite inappropriate for occult investigators; they’re just
  guys with skills, after all. On the other hand, one comic
  featured a vampire hunter who was crippled and con-
  fined to a wheelchair. A single physical Disadvantage
  can do a lot to make an occult investigator more inter-
  esting, as long as it grows naturally from the character’s
  past. For instance, an occult investigator might be un-
  der a curse (a Vulnerability, Susceptibility, Dependence,
  or even Unluck) from a demon, and now hunts de-
  mons to pay them back. Some occult investigators may
  have incurred Vows and Prohibitions as part of their
  training.
  Since occult investigators are often professional
  hunters of supernatural evil, those evils tend to strike
  back at the investigator: they do have Hunteds. An oc-
  cult investigator might also be Watched by the local
  police. An experienced investigator might have a Repu-
  tation too, and not necessarily a good one. Word might
  have gotten around, for instance, that a certain occult
  investigator tends to abandon his friends to save his
  own skin. A DNPC or two helps round out the occult
  investigator’s roster of social Disadvantages.
  As always, Psychological Limitations are vital to de-
  fine the character’s core.
  Spirits And Spirit
  Hybrids
  I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do I do I
  do I do I do believe in spooks…
  —The Wizard of Oz
  Spirits are one of the broadest classes of magical
  entities. They include angels and demons, ghosts,
  elementals, and many other types of beings. They are
  not made of matter in the normal sense, for their natu-
  ral habitats are on the Astral Plane and its related di-
  mensions, but some of them can assume a solid form
  on Earth.
  Except for ghosts, spirits often personify states of
  mind or matter. Elementals, for instance, personify the
  classical “elements” of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; other
  states of matter such as Ice, Dryness, or even Vacuum
  can have elementals as well. Demons (in all their vari-
  eties around the world) embody human ideas of Evil.
  Judeo-Christian-Islamic Angels (and their analogs in
  other cultures) express ideas of Goodness. The less fa-
  miliar Atavisms personify emotions and physical
  drives. Finally, GMs may define their own original spir-
  its personifying other abstractions, such as Chaos,
  Nature or Justice; a “Spirit of Vengeance” has had a
  very popular comic of late.
  There are also spirit hybrids—the combination of a
  spirit’s powers with a human body. One way for spirit
  hybrids to happen is possession, in which the spirit
  inhabits a human body and grants its host magical
  powers. A spirit might get fused to its human host so
  thoroughly that it cannot leave. This usually happens
  because of some enchantment (accidental or deliber-
  ate) on the human host. Finally, a person might have a
  materialized spirit for a parent and inherit that spirit
  type’s powers. Spirit hybrids have a good excuse for
  putting “Only in Hero ID” on most of their powers
  and characteristics.
  For the most part, spirit hybrids and permanently
  materialized spirits can be treated as straightforward
  superheroes and villains. These notes chiefly concern
  their differences.
  General Discussion
  All the types of spirits are similar enough that there’s
  no point in giving each type its own discussion of
  Characteristics, Skills, and so on. Instead, a single dis-
  cussion will suffice for all, with notes about their dif-
  ferences under the description of each type of spirit.
  Characteristics
  Spirits may have superhuman strength, dexterity,
  constitution, or other Characteristics, but few types of
  spirits have really spectacularly superhuman primary
  Characteristics. On the other hand, many spirits have
  high PD and ED, to reflect that they are made of “ecto-
  plasm” rather than normal matter.
  Skills
  This just isn’t a skill-intensive archetype. Some
  simple-minded types of spirits, such as elementals,
  really shouldn’t have any Skills except for combat lev-
  els. Spirits don’t need the sorts of Skills that wizards
  do, because spirits don’t do magic, they are magic.
  Which is not to say that a spirit can’t have all sorts of
  Skills—it’s just that these will be unusual spirits. Any
  PC spirit, of course, is already unusual by definition!
  
  17
  Perks
  All the Perks are highly implausible for spirits. Few
  spirits could ever get a chance to acquire any Perks that
  would have meaning on Earth. Demon lords, for in-
  stance, have quite an elaborate hierarchy of ranks, but
  a demon’s rank of Marquis, Duke, or Prince won’t get
  him much on Earth—even in those countries where a
  noble title still means anything. Burke’s Peerage doesn’t
  cover the Descending Hierarchy. Likewise, spirits
  hardly ever get to own property or build organizations
  of Followers.
  Talents
  A few of these, on the other hand, work quite well.
  Consider, for instance, Bump of Direction: have you
  ever heard of an angel getting lost? Or Simulate Death:
  that ghost doesn’t have to simulate! Feisty spirits such
  as warrior-demons could have any of the combat-ori-
  ented Talents such as Combat Sense or Defensive Ma-
  neuver.
  Universal Translator deserves special mention. One
  hardly ever hears of language barriers between humans
  and any type of spirits. (In fact, the only case known
  to the author is a legend that Satan cannot tempt the
  Basque people of the Pyrenees: their unique language
  is so difficult that even the Devil can’t learn it.) On the
  other hand, few spirits in stories or legends actually
  speak multiple languages. While Universal Translator
  makes sense for some cosmopolitan spirits, one can
  assume that most spirits just automatically speak their
  summoner’s language, or the language of the region
  where they hang out.
  Powers
  Naturally most of a spirit’s powers should be fully
  innate. A few spirits might also know spells; for in-
  stance, demonic patrons of black magic, or the ghost
  of a sorcerer. Powers bought through Foci should be
  quite rare. The whole point of a spirit character, after
  all, is that it is a creature of pure magic and doesn’t
  need the “props” used by mortals.
  As always with magical characters, Multipowers are
  so useful there seems no reason to build a spirit with-
  out one. Elemental Controls should be generously in-
  terpreted: an “Elemental Control: Spirit Powers” could
  hold all manner of mental and magical effects in addi-
  tion to obvious powers such as Desolidification or
  Flight.
  In particular, GMs should be generous about allow-
  ing some of the Special Powers in Elemental Controls.
  Virtually every spirit, for instance, should have some
  sort of Life Support—they just aren’t bothered by many
  things which harm mortals, and Life Support can be
  quite expensive considering how seldom it becomes
  important.
  Just because spirits are innately magical, however,
  doesn’t mean they can have Variable Power Pools. Tra-
  ditionally, spirits also have a narrow set of powers. Very
  few spirits should ever have any sort of Power Pool.
  Disadvantages
  Many spirits will have powerful Psychological Limi-
  tations. Legends and stories make clear that spirits of-
  ten have very rigid, extreme personalities. In fact, many
  of them are flat-out crazy. Think of demons who have
  to be evil, or angels who have to obey the Divine Law
  every second, or a murder victim’s ghost obsessively
  seeking vengeance. Even Berserks are not inappropri-
  ate for many spirits.
  Spirits can have many “physical” sorts of Disadvan-
  tages as well. This author assumes that almost all sum-
  moned spirits have a Vulnerability to control spells and
  Presence Attacks from their summoner. Evil spirits tra-
  ditionally suffer Susceptibilities to such things as sun-
  light or holy ground. Elementals have weaknesses based
  on the properties of the substance they embody. Each
  type of spirits’ physical Disadvantages are discussed
  more fully below.
  Morally aligned spirits, such as angels and demons,
  chaos spirits and so on, will be Hunted by their moral
  opposites. Other sorts of spirits don’t have any auto-
  matic Hunted; individuals may have enemies, but not
  their class of spirits as a whole.
  Demons
  Naturally, demons usually function as villains. Any
  demon who isn’t utterly vile will be a fluke, either cast
  out of Hell or on the run from other demons who want
  to destroy it for being “too nice.” Demonic spirit hy-
  brids, however, make wonderfully Gothic heroes, for-
  ever striving to stay human in spite of their demonic
  side.
  Physically, demons are pretty tough: even without
  their magic powers, a lesser demon compares well to
  the usual VIPER-style super-agent, and a middle-rank-
  ing demon lord can match most supers. Few demons
  have very many skills, but some of the demon lords
  can have high skill rolls in their special fields of knowl-
  edge. Demons seldom have any perks that would mean
  anything on Earth, and the only talent that’s at all com-
  mon among demons is Universal Translator.
  The magical powers of demons fall in the standard
  power range from agents to supers. depending on the
  demon’s rank. Most demonic powers are innate: ap-
  parent Foci such as weapons or armor are usually just
  special effects. Multipowers are common.
  It’s fair to give demon lords an Elemental Control:
  Traditional Demon Powers, for legends are quite re-
  petitive in describing what demons can do. Many of
  the greater demons are shape-changers or can dema-
  terialize and turn invisible. They are hard to hurt by
  physical means and can fly or teleport. In the popular
  Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, demons are fiery
  beings, so fire-related powers could go in the Elemen-
  tal Control as well. Demons should also have some
  exotic defenses such as Life Support, Mental Defense
  and Power Defense.
  Demonic attacks vary widely, from the blatantly
  physical (i.e. claw or bite Killing Attacks) to the subtle
  and spiritual (such as using Telepathy and Mind Con-
  
  18
  trol to influence a person’s actions). High-ranking de-
  mons have a Universal Transform power with which
  to grant pacters their desires.
  Summoned demons always have a huge package of
  Vulnerabilities, Susceptibilities, and Physical Limita-
  tions: holy symbols intimidate and harm them, they
  can’t cross the lines of a pentacle or attack anyone in-
  side one, trespassing on holy ground snuffs a demon
  out in short order, and anything which violently dis-
  rupts their consciousness sends them back to Hell. By
  possessing a human, a demon can get around some of
  these Disadvantages, but not all. Demons also have
  massive Psychological Limitations such as “Treacher-
  ous,” “Sadistic,” or “Bloodthirsty.” Many even have Ber-
  serks. In short, although demons are spirits of great
  power, they pay for it by equally great weaknesses.
  Angels
  Here we get into more sensitive territory. Classic
  Judeo-Christian-Islamic angels, being agents of God,
  aren’t supposed to have limits—at least, no limits com-
  pared to mere mortals. One must assume either that
  angels are created with very finite power, or that any
  angel operating on Earth does so under severe re-
  straints, either self-imposed or imposed by their Cre-
  ator for whatever obscure reason he may have. Any
  angel spending a long time on Earth in material form
  is either on some special detached duty, or a good-
  hearted oddball whose willfulness is permitted for the
  moment.
  A few other cultures have analogs to angels. The
  Zoroastrian religion has the Amschaspands and
  Yazatas, loyal followers of Ahura Mazda the Good
  Mind. Hinduism has the Devas, enemies of the de-
  monic Asuras. In the last century, deva lore was picked
  up and amplified by the occult movement called The-
  osophy. Angels, yazatas, and Theosophical devas are
  pretty much the same in general, although they differ
  in their minute particulars.
  Physically, the lesser angels don’t have to be much
  beyond ordinary super-agents: Jacob was able to
  wrestle one, after all. They can range up to low super-
  human characteristics. Their greatest emphasis is on
  their powers. The most traditional angelic powers in-
  volve light, such as Flashes and brilliant Energy Blasts
  or Killing Attacks with funky advantages such as NND,
  AVLD, or Based on ECV so they bypass most normal
  defenses. Dispel vs. Summon is also very appropriate,
  for casting demons back into Hell. Of course all angels
  have Flight.
  Angelic Disadvantages are reversed forms of de-
  monic Disadvantages. Most have Psychological Limi-
  tations such as “Total Honesty” or “Never Permits
  Deviation from Divine Law.” Many angels are moral
  specialists with very limited ranges of behavior, so for
  instance an Angel of Mercy can never, ever fight while
  an Angel of Vengeance can never, ever let any sin go
  unpunished. (Just because angels are “good” doesn’t
  mean they are all “nice.”)
  Angels are Susceptible to unholy ground, although
  they don’t let that stop them from fulfilling their mis-
  sions. They can be dispelled by being Stunned, knocked
  out or reduced to 0 BODY. They don’t have Vulner-
  abilities to PRE Attacks under any circumstances, how-
  ever, and there’s no pentacle or other diagram that can
  keep them in or out.
  Elementals
  Elemental spirits embody states or types of matter.
  While Earth, Air, Fire and Water elementals are the
  best-known, in theory elementals could be evoked
  from any substance. In practice, most sorts of “exotic
  elementals” come from common, natural states such
  as mud, ice or smoke. So far, evoking elementals from
  man-made substances such as electricity, plastic, or
  smog remains a science in its infancy.
  Elementals have lots of raw physical power and not
  much intelligence. They lack strong defenses against
  subtler magical attacks, however, and they are sitting
  ducks against mental powers. In game terms, they have
  some Power Defense and Life Support, but little or no
  Mental Defense. Each type of elemental has, naturally,
  an Elemental Control describing some of the powers
  it gets by virtue of its body substance: flight for air
  elementals, density increase for earth elementals, ar-
  mor for any of them (their lack of internal structure
  makes them hard to damage) and so on. Elementals
  can occur in a wide range of power levels.
  Like most spirits, normal elementals are Vulnerable
  to control by whoever summoned them, and they van-
  ish if they are Stunned, unconscious or reduced to 0
  BODY. Elementals are also cantankerous—a Berserk
  or two is appropriate. Most elementals have a Suscep-
  tibility or Vulnerability to opposing states of matter:
  earth elementals, for instance, must stay in contact with
  the ground; ice elementals take extra damage from fire.
  Player character elementals don’t have to use these
  Disadvantages—in particular, they can’t be dispelled
  by a knockout punch! A few of these mystic Disad-
  vantages, however, can help separate a PC elemental
  from all those other heroes and villains with “elemen-
  tal” powers.
  Atavisms
  Atavisms embody strong emotions and raw, physi-
  cal drives such as fear, desire, pleasure, pain, or hun-
  ger. Human thought spontaneously creates them on
  the Astral Plane; some sorcerers know how to sum-
  mon them to Earth. Western Mainstream Occultism
  shies away from exploiting atavisms, but these very
  visceral spirits are well known to the priests, witch
  doctors, and shamans of tribal cultures, who often per-
  sonify them as totem animals.
  Atavisms are described in greater depth in the Source
  book section. While atavisms themselves are too mind-
  less to make decent PCs, characters might gain powers
  through being fused to an atavism. Perhaps
  therianthropy (werewolves and other were-creatures)
  have some connection to atavisms.
  
  19
  Ghosts
  Distinct from all these other types of spirits are
  ghosts. Many stories have been written about ghosts; a
  few ghosts have even starred in comic books.
  Traditionally a dead person sticks around as a ghost
  either because of an exceptionally traumatic death,
  “unfinished business” from life and often both. The
  latter sort of ghost will “pass on” once its business gets
  taken care of. Traditional tasks include avenging its
  murder, getting its mortal remains buried in conse-
  crated ground or passing a message to a loved one. On
  the other hand, some ghosts just hang around for cen-
  turies. Most ghosts only haunt a rigidly defined area,
  but a few can wander.
  There are at least two ways to write up ghosts. First,
  they can be represented as having Persistent
  Desolidification and Invisibility. Alternatively, ghosts
  can be represented as dwelling on the Astral Plane and
  projecting attacks and Images of themselves to Earth.
  In the latter case, ghosts must receive special Disad-
  vantages so that at least some kinds of attacks on the
  Image will affect the actual ghost. An opponent who
  can only be attacked through Transdimensional Pow-
  ers is just too unfair!
  Traditional ghostly attack forms include Telekinesis
  (for “poltergeists”), Mental Illusions, a “deathly touch”
  (which could be an Ego Attack, a Drain or what-have-
  you) and a kick-ass Presence Attack. A few ghosts can
  take over the bodies of the living. Players who want to
  play a ghost PC, take note: many ghostly powers cost
  lots of Active Points, making ghosts hard to fit into the
  standard 250 point range.
  Mythological Gods
  These really have very little of the true supernatural
  “feel,” at least as they are usually presented in comics.
  They are an important part of the supernatural world,
  though, and may mingle with more occult sorts of
  heroes. Not only can mythological god superheroes
  team up with super-mages, wizard-heroes might visit
  the pocket dimensions where the pantheons live. Their
  chief point of interest, as far as the present work is con-
  cerned, is where they fit in the occult cosmos. In most
  other ways, they are just normal superheroes and
  supervillains.
  Most comic-book universes seem to assume that all
  mythologies are true. So far, the Champions Universe
  has followed this assumption. The Greek pantheon has
  been published in a supplement of its own. The Norse
  pantheon has a reference in Champions Universe, while
  Thor appeared by himself in Champions Presents along
  with the Innua (Eskimo) pantheon. Each pantheon has
  its own pocket dimension. In this book, it is assumed
  that most of the various pantheons live in sections of
  the Land of Legends.
  Having all mythologies be true, however, raises some
  sticky questions. Where do gods come from? Do the
  deeds of gods create the myths about them, or do the
  myths created by worshippers shape the characters of
  the gods? Do alien races have living gods? Why aren’t
  all the old pantheons still recruiting worshippers? And
  the biggie: How to reconcile “All gods are true” with
  the Judeo-Christian-Islamic premise that “Only our
  God is true”? The mythologies are not compatible, to
  say the least. See Chapter Five, “The Occult World,”
  for some suggestions on working mythological gods
  into a milieu.
  Power Level
  If mythological gods are freely available as PCs, then
  of course they should be built on the same point level
  as other PCs. If necessary, one can reduce costs using
  stratagems such as “Only in Hero ID” or permitting
  an “Elemental Control: God Powers.” By wringing ev-
  ery last drop of efficiency from the Hero System, one
  can build a 250 Real Point character with 500-600 Ac-
  tive Points of real power. Even without such obsessive
  efficiency, though, a 250 point character would have
  seemed plenty “godlike” to simple folk in ancient times.
  If, on the other hand, gods are assumed to be sig-
  nificantly more powerful than the usual 250 point
  superbeing, one can still assume that PC gods had their
  power reduced for some reason. The Hero ID Limita-
  tion is one option: the god is forced to live part of their
  life as a normal human. Perhaps when mythological
  gods leave their pocket dimensions they only keep their
  full power for a few hours before slipping down to “nor-
  mal super” level. A PC god might be under a curse, or
  penalized by the pantheon head for some reason. Get-
  ting their full power back gives the character some-
  thing to work towards. Or maybe the PC is just a mi-
  nor god within the pantheon.
  Pantheon rulers such as Zeus or Odin, however,
  should be significantly more powerful than any PC.
  On the other hand, to keep them from dominating the
  campaign they must seldom use their full power
  openly. In fact, their full power is better hinted at than
  shown. Pantheon heads may be barred somehow from
  acting on Earth, or have so much trouble in their
  pocket dimensions they just don’t have time to muck
  in human affairs.
  Characteristics
  Physically, gods are clearly superhuman in every way,
  or at least at the upper end of human potential. The
  traditional view in comics is that gods are at least low-
  level bricks, with other powers added on. Spending at
  least 20-30 points each on STR, DEX, CON, and PD/
  ED makes a god suitably superhuman. PRE is also high,
  and in most of the European pantheons the gods are
  notably good-looking.
  Mentally, however, most gods are nothing special.
  The myths of all nations make it clear that the gods
  are no smarter or wiser than the humans who wor-
  ship them. The gods may claim superior wisdom, but
  their actions are those of impulsive, spoiled brats.
  
  20
  Skills
  Mythological gods seldom have many Skills; in this,
  too, they resemble the average superhero. As a general
  rule, gods only have the Skills decreed by their special
  area of concern: combat skills for war gods; Paramedic
  for gods of healing; Stealth, Lockpicking and such for
  gods of thieving and mischief; and so on.
  Gods who come to Earth automatically speak the
  local standard language (i.e. English), although they
  doth sometimes useth badly-mangled archaic forms.
  Buying their culture of origin’s language would make
  a lot of sense.
  Perks
  Mythological gods should not routinely get any Perks
  at all. The Western mythologies, at least, have not been
  worshipped for over a thousand years. Modern neo-
  pagan revivalist groups are small and without influ-
  ence; at best, they could be Contacts. Being a mytho-
  logical god therefore does not automatically grant any
  social standing or resource base.
  Talents
  Most of the Talents are not especially appropriate,
  either. As with most supernatural hero types, there’s
  no reason why a god shouldn’t have Lightsleep, or
  Bump of Direction, or any other Talent, but no special
  reason they should, either. Combat-oriented Talents
  may be appropriate for war gods, however, to repre-
  sent their experience at fighting.
  Powers
  Gods are pretty much invulnerable to attacks from
  mere humans, but the weapons of heroes can do them
  harm. 8 points of resistant defense make a god im-
  mune to small-arms fire and the average old-time
  sword-swinger, while still letting extraordinary weap-
  ons with extraordinary wielders do BODY. Unless a
  god is specifically notable for being hard to damage,
  defenses don’t have to be much higher than an aver-
  age superhero’s. Exotic defenses such as Power Defense
  are quite optional, although Life Support vs. at Dis-
  ease and Aging would be a good idea.
  Attacks should be on the high end of the PC point
  range, if possible. As they appear in the comics, gods
  dish out impressive amounts of damage. The ever-
  popular war gods, for instance, aren’t just bricks, they
  are some of the strongest bricks around.
  On the other hand, gods have fairly limited ranges
  of powers. Although a few mythological god heroes in
  comics—most notably a hammer-swinging thunder
  god—have used an amazing variety of powers through
  their long careers, most of these are ad-hoc powers
  introduced by lazy writers and then forgotten. The
  standard repertoire of frequently used powers is quite
  small. Obviously, the powers assigned to a god will be
  based on the god’s mythological character: storm gods
  get weather control powers, a god of hunting will carry
  a bow, healing gods have Aid powers, and so on.
  Disadvantages
  In this area as well, gods are not too different from
  other superheroes. A god PC may be Watched by the
  pantheon head, and is usually Hunted by a godly
  supervillain from the same pantheon. Psychological
  Limitations or Distinctive Features such as “Pompous”
  would seem appropriate, judging from how gods are
  usually portrayed in comics. To put it bluntly, these
  guys are very stuck on themselves. Finally, a god might
  have an unusual Susceptibility: born of human belief,
  they might take damage from sincere displays of mass
  disbelief and scorn.
  Miscellaneous Types
  Finally, there are the more peculiar or obscure types
  of magical beings that don’t fit in any category but
  themselves. They will only be described briefly.
  Undead
  That is, corporeal undead—not ghosts. Of all the
  types of undead, vampires have received the most at-
  tention in books, comics, movies and role-playing
  games. The other sorts of living dead, the mummies,
  zombies, revenants and the like, have usually been pre-
  sented in less interesting ways. That, however, is not
  necessarily because other sorts are intrinsically less
  interesting.
  The corporeal undead are described as hard to dam-
  age, or at least hard to damage in any meaningful way.
  Since they are already dead, not much more can hap-
  pen to them. Usually, they are also very strong, mak-
  ing them low-level bricks. All too many undead are
  left as nothing more than that.
  Vampires, with their hypnotism, shapeshifting and
  varied powers, make a notable exception. The classic
  vampire, however, combines many archetypes of evil
  in one package: the revenant, the ghoul, the plague-
  demon, the incubus, ghost, witch and sometimes oth-
  ers. GMs can create other interesting undead by add-
  ing other elements to the basic revenant. Undead wiz-
  ards, for instance, have a long pedigree in games,
  sword-and-sorcery and horror stories. Even the basic
  Egyptian mummy combines the revenant with themes
  of curses, divine vengeance and reincarnation.
  Several vampires have appeared in Champions prod-
  ucts over the years. A few other undead have appeared
  as well: Crypt, in Adventurers Club #12, the Sacrifice
  in Kingdom Of Champions and Archimago, Brother
  Bone and Manitou in Creatures Of The Night: Horror
  Enemies. All but Crypt were explicitly undead wizards.
  There have been no corporeal undead heroes pub-
  lished yet.
  Magical Races
  Magical Races dwell on other planes, or perhaps hid-
  den corners of the Earth. The faerie-folk are the most
  notable example. While the faerie-folk dwell in the
  Land of Legends, technically an astral dimension, they
  don’t show the characteristics of spirits. In practice they
  
  21
  are an extradimensional race with magical powers.
  Physically, they are on par with competent humans.
  Their magical powers emphasize illusion and trans-
  formation. Many other mythical beings can come from
  Faerie as well, and both PCs and NPCs could be mem-
  bers of these races.
  Beyond Faerie, the number of magical dimensions
  is limited only by the GM’s imagination. Many could
  hold races with innate magical powers. The descrip-
  tion of the Congeries (see Chapter 6) includes a few
  magical races of the author’s own invention.
  Golems
  These are artificial creatures animated by magic. The
  original Golem was a man of clay animated by a magic
  word, but golems could be made of stone, metal, wood,
  glass, rubber or anything else. While classic golems are
  robot-like, mindless servants, free-willed golems are
  possible as well. Jack Pumpkinhead and the Scarecrow,
  from the Oz books, were free-willed golems. The chief
  common denominator of golems is their resistance to
  damage. While a living statue is obviously resistant to
  harm, the Scarecrow survived losing all his straw stuff-
  ing on several occasions: as long as his head was safe
  (it was detachable), he could ignore any injury to his
  body.
  The villain Kabbalah (in Enemies: The International
  File) had a classic golem as his minion.
  Bearers Of Enchantment
  Heroes and villains may also carry enchantments
  which give them super-powers. Such enchantments
  may come from sorcerers, supernatural beings, magic
  items such as potions or artifacts, or as an accidental
  consequence of magical activity. Some enchantments
  are even inherited (such as Jaguar’s family curse).
  For the most part, characters who gained their pow-
  ers through enchantment are just normal heroes or
  villains. They don’t differ very much from characters
  who gained their powers through radiation accidents,
  super-serums or other forms of “weird science.” Their
  chief point of interest is their origin story: who did
  the enchanting, how, and why?
  The Champions Universe includes many villains,
  such as Dark Seraph, who gained power through sell-
  ing their souls.
  Among villains, Aquarius, Earthmaster, and the
  Seven Horsemen wield magic power gained from ar-
  tifacts. Up until now, the Champions Universe has in-
  cluded no heroes who, like Aquarius, learned limited
  spell casting from contact with an artifact. As of this
  writing, no hero or villain in the Champions Universe
  has gained power through a straight magical accident.
  Enchantment by Powerful Entity
  This origin is closely related to Pacters and Servants
  of Higher Powers (q.v.) Sometimes, powerful beings
  such as demon lords, mighty elder archmages, gods or
  cosmic entities might grant powers to humans. Usu-
  ally they want the humans to do something for them
  in return. The classic case is the pact with the Devil:
  some power or favor, in return for one’s soul. On the
  other hand, powerful beings might grant powers with-
  out expecting any direct service in return, or even by
  accident.
  This origin is separated from true Priests, Pacters
  and Servants of Higher Powers in that the character
  has no idea how their powers work; they just use them,
  that’s all.
  Enchantment by Ritual
  Even people who don’t know real spell casting might
  succeed in casting one spell to give themselves super-
  powers. Such a spell will be a fairly extensive ritual,
  which the person will never have reason to cast again.
  The classic example is the magic ritual which Loup-
  Garou of Red Doom (see Classic Organizations) cooked
  up to turn himself into a werewolf. Origin rituals might
  be used by a sorcerer to give powers to a minion (who
  may or may not be willing), be learned from ancient
  tomes, or like Loup-Garou’s be improvised by some-
  one who doesn’t really know what he’s doing. In fact,
  origin rituals might be done without knowing it…
  Enchantment by Magical Accident
  When great magical forces are unleashed, some of
  the power might go in ways the unleashers didn’t in-
  tend—especially when the forces conflict. This is a
  straightforward “radiation accident”-style origin event,
  only instead of nuclear waste, lightning bolts and ex-
  perimental machines it employs weird artifacts, mys-
  tic bolts and cosmic entities. (The PCs themselves
  might cause an origin event or two by disrupting a
  villain’s Doomsday Spell or breaking an artifact.)
  Characters who get their powers this way diverge
  least of all from the “standard superhero” idiom. Their
  origin, and perhaps their powers, are just a little more
  baroque, that’s all. “You got your powers in a liturgical
  accident?”
  Enchantment by Artifact
  Some artifacts might contain such vast magical
  power that they can spontaneously grant powers to
  people. There has to be some reason why the artifact
  doesn’t give powers to everyone who contacts it: per-
  haps it only bestows power on one person at a time, or
  under special conditions. Examples include a talisman
  which makes the first person who touches it super-
  strong and invulnerable, a magic book which impresses
  knowledge of how to cast specific spells on the reader’s
  mind, or a potion which permanently confers some
  magical power on whoever drinks it.
  Magic Items
  One might have no magic of one’s own, but wield a
  magical item—a magic wand, a sword, a suit of ar-
  mor, a talisman, or whatever. In some ways, item-us-
  ers are the furthest from being real mages, but using a
  magic item can give good practice in employing magi-
  cal energies in case a character decides to learn real
  
  22
  magic (so they aren’t helpless when their arch-nem-
  esis takes that blasted Focus away).
  Examples of heroes and villains with magic items in
  the Champions Universe are too numerous to list.
  There are two—Black Paladin and the Slug—in Clas-
  sic Enemies alone.
  Tulpas
  “Tulpas” are artificial beings materialized from pure
  thought; the term comes from Tibet, where material-
  izing tulpas is one of the most advanced spiritual dis-
  ciplines. A Tibetan lama supposedly takes weeks to
  create a tulpa, but a more hard-core sorcerer might be
  able to speed the process somewhat. A tulpa can have
  whatever powers its creator can imagine, within the
  limits of the creator’s power. A really powerful lama or
  sorcerer might be able to create a tulpa with super-
  powers.
  The creator outlines the tulpa’s personality during
  the process of evocation, but the tulpa has free will
  and its opinions may change, just like any other sen-
  tient being. Elements from the creator’s unconscious
  mind may leak into the tulpa’s mind as well, with un-
  foreseen and probably undesirable consequences.
  A tulpa cannot be discerned from a human being
  without magic or fairly sophisticated medical exami-
  nation. When a tulpa dies, however, its body evapo-
  rates back into nothingness. If a tulpa lives long enough
  it can become fully real—real enough to leave a corpse,
  and to have children.
  All those stories about writers whose characters
  come off the page and get a life of their own are about
  accidental tulpas.
  Crossover Characters
  It’s not uncommon for magical characters to fall into
  more than one of the categories above. Mythological
  gods might use sorcery in addition to their innate pow-
  ers; Pacters might be enchanted to have innate powers
  as well as their spells; anyone might have a potent magic
  item.
  Characters who add magic as a sideline to their main
  sort of powers are quite rare. Most of these have been
  Master Villains: on top of their powered armor, legions
  of agents, deadly oriental martial arts, or whatever, they
  know some magic too. Such magic usually functions
  as an extra means to help the Master Villain achieve
  some non-combat objective, such as stealing a unique
  artifact or brainwashing the hero’s best friend. Their
  magic isn’t much use in combat.
  Among heroes, really wild martial artists who do
  things like split walls with chi-powered shouts could
  qualify as having magic as a secondary specialty. Any-
  one described as “learning” psychic powers could be
  considered sorcerers as well. A mystically-empowered
  character might function most of the time as a con-
  ventional brick, energy blaster, etc. and only occasion-
  ally cast actual spells. A few characters in comics have
  been flat-out confused, and it hasn’t been clear which
  of their powers were magical and which were the re-
  sult of mutation or whatever.
  Theoretically, there’s no reason why any sort of hero
  or villain couldn’t learn a bit of magic on the side. In
  practice, there are good reasons for leaving sorcery to
  the sorcerers, as most comic book writers have done.
  They know a thing or two. First, magic is such a pow-
  erful premise for a character that it seems like a waste
  to use it as an add-on. A good character should have a
  fairly unified origin and set of powers. Mutant sorcer-
  ers, cyborgs with magic weapons and the like are just a
  little too cluttered. Even most Master Villains don’t have
  strong enough personalities to carry magic on top of
  all their other abilities.
  Some origins demand more from the characters than
  others. Anybody could be a mutant, or get zapped by a
  glowing meteor. Magical characters demand explana-
  tion: people don’t become sorcerers, Servants of Higher
  Powers or mythological gods by accident. To use those
  three types as examples, sorcerers have to work for years
  to get their powers; even the Wild Talents have to prac-
  tice. There are billions of people in the world: why did
  the Higher Power choose this person to serve instead
  of another? And while gods are born as gods, why is
  one god mucking around on Earth (as hero or villain)
  while the others are staying back in the Land of Leg-
  ends? If one adds magic to a character’s origin as a
  secondary specialty, this tail may start wagging the dog.
  Second, characters with magic on the side aren’t fair
  to the opposition. Players might like being able to es-
  cape from the death trap by activating that Gate spell
  their arch-nemesis didn’t know about, but what’s sauce
  for the goose is sauce for the gander. How would play-
  ers feel if the villains their characters captured with
  such effort started popping out of jail the same way?
  Magic can make things too easy. When things get too
  easy for the heroes, players get bored. When things get
  too easy for the villains, the players get frustrated.
  Just as importantly, players deserve to feel like they
  know what’s going on in the game world—that there’s
  some internal logic. Powered armor characters have
  one sort of powers and act in certain ways; martial art-
  ists have other abilities; mutants, vigilantes, gods and
  yes, sorcerers have their own distinctive styles as well.
  If the powered armor villain starts incanting, or the
  gun-toting vigilante is revealed as a demon, the play-
  ers’ most probable reaction will be, “Huh? What’s go-
  ing on here?” Not that there’s anything wrong with
  confusing the players once in a while, but it shouldn’t
  be done without a good reason. A steady diet of baffle-
  ment gets old real fast.
  
  23
  Developing The
  Character
  There’s more to creating a character than spending
  points, and this applies to magical characters even more
  than to nearly any other character archetype. Fortu-
  nately, magical characters have an especially rich tra-
  dition to draw upon. Players and GMs can steal ideas
  not just from comic books but also from fantasy nov-
  els, mythology and folklore in creating origin stories
  for their characters and planning how their characters
  will develop. History, legend and myth even suggest a
  general career path for wizards: the Myth of the Magus.
  Developing The Origin
  The importance of the origin story has been men-
  tioned already, but the point is worth repeating. Sor-
  cerers and their ilk have their Powers, Skills, and Dis-
  advantages for reasons, which the origin story should
  address.
  These are some of the traditional plot-elements for
  the origins of magical characters in comic books, fan-
  tasy novels, and mythology. They are thoroughly non-
  exclusive. Many of them can be used at later points in
  a character’s career as well.
  Fallen And Redeemed
  Originally, you weren’t a very nice guy. You may have
  enjoyed wealth and fame as a doctor, businessman or
  other professional, but your pride, ambition and greed
  left no room in your life for any warmer human feel-
  ings. And then your life came crashing down—an ac-
  cident, a legal probe, a partner’s betrayal, something
  took your brilliant career and ripped it to shreds.
  When you hit bottom, you found…magic. Perhaps
  a book, a teacher or an artifact showed you the way to
  a new life. Studying the mystic arts has become a path
  to redemption. Now you pursue a nobler ambition: to
  serve humanity with the powers you have learned.
  Any powers are appropriate for this origin. Skills
  retained from one’s earlier life help individualize the
  character. Disadvantages might include Hunteds
  (people you annoyed in your previous life?), Physical
  Limitations (from wounds or dissolute living), or Psy-
  chological Limitations like, on the one hand, “Haunted
  by past life” or “Lacks self-confidence” or, on the other
  hand, “Extreme sense of duty to mankind” or “Total
  code against killing.”
  Inheritor Of The Mantle
  You are the latest successor to magical powers
  wielded by others before you. Perhaps a knack for
  magic runs in the family, or you has been chosen as
  the next keeper of a powerful artifact.
  Such a character might also inherit Disadvantages
  with the powers, such as Hunteds, Watcheds (perhaps
  by one’s predecessor), or various vows and prohibi-
  tions that must be observed for one to remain “wor-
  thy” of one’s power.
  Vengeful Hunter
  A supernatural force did something rude to you or
  your loved ones, and now you want to commit rude-
  ness right back at it. Vampire hunters are the best-
  known example of Vengeful Hunters. Either the origi-
  nal act of magical malfeasance gave you powers, or you
  went looking for magic with which to fight back: if
  not a true mage yourself, at least you have useful pow-
  ers, weapons, or skills that let you fight alongside the
  real wizards.
  Vengeful Hunters really load up on the Psychologi-
  cal Limitations, things like “Hunting for demons” or
  “Ruthless” or even “Hates everything supernatural.”
  These, however, can make Vengeful Hunters lousy team
  players (especially in a magic-intensive campaign), so
  Psych Lims should be chosen carefully.
  Vengeful Hunters also tend to be hunted right back
  by the ghoulies and ghosties they pursue.
  In Too Deep
  Honest, you never meant it seriously. You didn’t re-
  ally believe a demon would come to your pentacle, that
  your curse would kill, that the cult was more than a
  chance to play dress-up. You got involved with the su-
  pernatural as a lark…and now you can’t get out. You’ve
  seen too much. For your own protection, you’ve had
  to seriously study the mystic arts, to fight the horrors
  with their own weapons. God help you.
  Characters who are In Too Deep tend not to start
  with very powerful or flexible magic. That’s the whole
  point of the character: they are relative beginners, cop-
  ing with circumstances beyond their control. To com-
  pensate, they may have weapons (magic or otherwise)
  or special skills. In Too Deep is a good excuse for a
  fledgling mage to join a team of regular superheroes.
  On the other hand, one could build a whole campaign
  around heroic-level characters who have fallen In Too
  Deep.
  Obvious Disadvantages include Hunteds and Psy-
  chological Limitations like either “Fears the supernatu-
  ral” or “Desperately seeking magical power.” Consid-
  ering how such characters discovered the supernatu-
  ral, some Unluck may be in order, too.
  Mystical Tests
  This usually goes with some other origin bit. To ob-
  tain your magical powers, you had to pass a test of some
  sort. The cosmic entity needed to be sure your devo-
  tion was strong enough, or the elder sorcerer wanted
  to see if your heart was pure. Even if the magic powers
  don’t come directly from the test, it shows you are
  worth teaching.
  The mystical test of initiation turns up everywhere
  in folklore, fantasy and comics. They make good hooks
  
  24
  for stories: the hero needs to get something, so he has
  to pass a harrowing physical, mental or moral chal-
  lenge. Mages in particular can expect to face mystical
  tests again and again.
  The One Prophesied
  It seems your destiny was set before you were born.
  Perhaps you discovered this when you visited some
  back-of-beyond place and all the villagers looked at
  you funny. Eventually some old coot or wise-woman
  explained that their god or culture hero or whatever
  had prophesied that one would come who fit certain
  conditions—conditions you meet. Or perhaps the old
  coot shows up on your doorstep, saying he’s been look-
  ing for you for the last 20 years. Whatever the circum-
  stances, the prophecy says he must give you something.
  The “something” could be a magic weapon or talis-
  man, a scroll of ancient lore, a complete magical edu-
  cation, or even the revelation that you’re the reincar-
  nation of their god or hero, with powers you never
  knew you had. This usually comes as a bit of a shock,
  especially when the old loon adds that fighting some
  ancient demon comes with the job.
  The One Prophesied is a close cousin to the Inheri-
  tor of the Mantle and combines with it very well. Magic
  weapons or innate powers are more “traditional” than
  real spell casting, but this can still be a big step on the
  way to becoming a real mage. One is usually Hunted
  by the arch-enemy of whoever did the prophesying.
  The person who reveals the prophecy and guides one
  to discover one’s powers makes a fine DNPC.
  A final note: What happens to the people who
  guarded the mystic legacy all those years or centuries?
  Having passed on the legacy, do they just shake hands
  and wave you on your way, or do they expect you to
  stick around and be their new culture hero? And when
  you don’t, do they follow you? Pursuit by angry cult-
  ists or tribespeople who feel betrayed could be a head-
  ache. Pursuit by worshipful, would-be followers could
  be worse!
  “Achmed, put that knife down! You can’t go attack-
  ing waiters just because they say the restaurant is full!”
  Elder Sage As Mentor
  Wizards can live to incredible ages. Your teacher
  studied magic for decades, even centuries, gaining great
  knowledge and power. Age, however, has left him or
  her physically feeble. What’s more, the Sage has sev-
  eral lifetimes’ worth of enemies just waiting for him to
  step outside his well-protected sanctum. Your teacher
  would like to help more, but all too often cannot give
  anything but information and advice. Indeed, you must
  protect your teacher now and then.
  Elder Sages might not have amazing raw power, but
  they can do just about anything, given time to pre-
  pare. Variable Power Pools are quite appropriate here.
  Sages run out of steam quickly, though, and are push-
  overs if an attack can penetrate their mystic defenses.
  Such an Elder Sage makes a splendid teacher for a
  PC wizard, and a valuable NPC in any case. In terms
  of knowledge and flexibility, an Elder Sage is demon-
  strably far superior to the PCs. On the other hand, an
  Elder Sage cannot steal the PC’s thunder because the
  Sage’s physical infirmity prevents them from really
  getting into the action.
  There’s no law, however, that says an Elder Sage has
  to be a feeble, reclusive NPC. A somewhat more vigor-
  ous Elder Sage can be an interesting role-playing chal-
  lenge for a creative player who doesn’t need great power
  to have great fun.
  The Myth Of The
  Magus
  Dare with determined will to burst the portals
  Past which in terror others fain would steal!
  Now is the time, through deeds, to show that mortals
  The calm sublimity of gods can feel.
  —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, part I
  Literature builds on legend, and the legends of the
  world present a surprisingly coherent picture of how
  a mage’s life proceeds. Not every wizard treads the full
  path, and each wizard emphasizes certain elements
  more than others, but the path is always there, hidden
  behind the details of biography. Players and GMs may
  not want characters to follow the Myth of the Magus,
  and they don’t have to, but it can provide depth to a
  campaign. Mages deal with powers and face perils be-
  yond the comprehension of ordinary mortals, because
  they are the agents of Destiny. Their reward can be
  nothing less than godhood, because the Myth of the
  Magus fits inside an even grander pattern: the Myth
  of the Prophet or Savior. And here we tread on sensi-
  tive ground indeed, for the greatest Magi of history
  became founders of religions.
  Initiation
  The career path of the Magus begins with initiation.
  An initiation can happen suddenly and all at once, or
  can be a long and slow process. At one extreme, a god
  may simply appear and make some ordinary shmuck
  his servant, authorized to work miracles on demand.
  At the other extreme, becoming a wizard may require
  years of arcane studies that never really end. Most ini-
  tiations fall somewhere in between: the future Magus
  must work a while to gain magical powers, but there is
  some special moment that marks the transition from
  student to master.
  Very often, a future Magus begins as the apprentice
  of some older wizard or prophet. Merlin studied un-
  der Master Bleys. Pythagoras learned from the Scythian
  mage Abaris. Even the evil wizards, the Anti-Saviors,
  have their mentors: Simon Magus was the pupil of the
  cult leader Dositheus; Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope
  Sylvester II, stole a book of black magic from a Saracen
  wizard. The teacher doesn’t have to be human, either.
  Solomon learned his magic directly from God, and any
  
  25
  number of black magicians bought their magic from
  the Devil at the price of their souls.
  Eventually the training ends. No mere dabbler, the
  Magus is confirmed as worthy to command the pow-
  ers of Heaven and Earth. The ministry of Jesus began,
  for instance, with his baptism by John. Sometimes con-
  firmation is no more than a graduation ceremony:
  Medieval legend claimed that the University of
  Salamanca offered regular courses in wizardry. Most
  of the time, however, the initiation involves a trial of
  some sort. The Buddha faced temptation as he medi-
  tated under the Bo tree. Simon Magus proved his power
  by defeating his teacher in a duel of magic.
  Famous Deeds And Far Journeys
  The main body of the Magus’ career begins. They
  work wonders throughout the land. The good mages
  defeat monsters and demons, heal the sick, lift curses,
  and make the land bountiful. They may become the
  teachers of future kings, as Merlin taught Arthur or
  Aristotle (credited with books of magic in the Middle
  Ages) taught Alexander. The evil mages rise in the
  world through false miracles: Gerbert became Pope
  through the Devil’s help; Faust made magical feasts
  for his friends; Aleister Crowley turned his disciple
  Victor Neuburg into a donkey.
  Contests Of Magic
  The Magus faces contests of magical power. The
  greatest (if most mismatched) of such battles was the
  contest of miracles between Moses and Pharaoh’s sor-
  cerers, but there are many other examples. For instance,
  Roger Bacon and his comrade Friar Bungay matched
  spells with the German sorcerer Vandermast; Zyto of
  Bohemia put a rival illusionist in his place by swallow-
  ing him whole, then vomiting him up again into a tub
  of water.
  Persecution And Fall
  The enemies of the Magus rally, however, and things
  turn bad for the Magus. Apollonius of Tyana stood trial
  for black magic in Rome—a capital offense. Nimue
  betrayed a love-besotted Merlin and imprisoned him
  in magic sleep. Love destroyed Solomon as well, lead-
  ing him to foreign women and heathen gods. Doctor
  Dee lost his royal patronage. The evil mages find that
  their powers are not enough: Simon’s magic failed
  whenever he met an Apostle. Faust, like so many other
  pacters with the Devil, learned that he didn’t really want
  to go to Hell after all. Casanova (who ran occult con
  jobs in between seducing women) landed in the dun-
  geons of the Inquisition.
  Rise And Redemption
  After the fall, however, there may be a literal or meta-
  phorical Resurrection to greater glory. Jesus gave the
  ultimate case. Apollonius vindicated himself in court.
  Merlin, like Arthur, shall wake and return in England’s
  darkest hour. At least some of the Devil-pacters repent
  at the last moment and reach Heaven, as did Gerbert,
  his predecessors Theophilus and St. Cyprian, and (in
  some versions) Faust. Casanova escaped in one of
  history’s most astounding jailbreaks.
  With the Resurrection, the Magus might also bring
  a final boon of wisdom for mankind: A Sermon on
  the Mount. Even Casanova did this in his old age,
  through his biography in which he explained every con
  he ever pulled.
  Divinity: The Myth Of The Savior
  In its rare final stage, the Myth of the Magus joins
  the Myth of the Savior: the Magus ascends to Heaven
  and becomes a god. Jesus succeeded; so did Apollonius,
  according to his biographer. Simon Magus tried to
  storm Heaven but was cast down by St. Peter, and died.
  Crowley tried to set himself up as Prophet of the New
  Aeon, and found a dubious “immortality” as the foun-
  tainhead of 20th century occultism.
  After a successful ascension, the followers of a
  Magus-turned-god fill in the other stages of the Myth
  of the Savior after the fact: the divine or otherwise
  mysterious origin; portents at the Savior’s birth; and
  childhood dangers. In fact, the Magus and Savior myth-
  cycle has such a stranglehold on the human mind that
  founders of religions get the Myth spliced onto them
  even if none of the traditional events happened to them
  in life. Mohammed is a perfect example. As set forth
  in the Koran, Islam is the least magical of the great
  religions, and Mohammed never claimed any super-
  natural powers for himself. As the centuries passed,
  however, Mohammed’s real history became encrusted
  with miracles and portents.
  If the Magus is to become a Savior, the wonders and
  portents begin even before the wizard’s birth: a god
  visits the future mage’s mother, perhaps to father the
  mage. Pythagoras was fathered by Apollo; Zoroaster
  was the son of Ahura Mazda; and we all know about
  that kid from Bethlehem.
  Only a complete thicko could miss the birth of a
  Savior-Magus, if the legends are to be believed. There
  are signs in the heavens and wise men from the East
  trotting around. At the birth of Mohammed, all the
  idols in the world fell off their pedestals. The Buddha
  walked straight out of his mother’s womb and left foot-
  prints in solid rock.
  Future Savior-Mages may face special dangers as
  agents of evil try to abort their destiny: thus, Moses
  escaped the slaughter of the Hebrew children because
  his mother set him adrift on the Nile to be found by
  Pharaoh’s daughter.
  Applications
  So much for the Myth of the Magus as it has played
  out in history and legend. How can it be used in a
  game?
  First, the Myth of the Magus demands that one pay
  special attention to the origin of a wizard PC. How
  did the character learn magic? What led them beyond
  the mundane? How were they initiated at the end of
  
  26
  their training? The details of a mage’s origin story cre-
  ate many hooks for the GM: teachers who can give
  advice and assign missions, fellow students who be-
  came friends or rivals, enemies who tried to block the
  future wizard’s course, and so on.
  A mage PC might not have finished their appren-
  ticeship yet: their eventual initiation as a true Master
  of Magic provides a goal for the character and a natu-
  ral climax for a story arc. Wizards may cycle through
  several initiations, too, each with their own trial and
  reward. For a Magus destined to become a god, their
  downfall and “death” becomes just a particularly har-
  rowing trial and initiation.
  Remember that villains follow a distorted version
  of the Myth of the Magus as well. More than one ad-
  venture can revolve around an evil wizard’s attempt to
  win initiation to some greater power. Evil wizards in
  comic books are particularly notorious for seeking
  godhood. Here the PCs become part of the hostile
  mage’s initiation trial. (Simon Magus, in the Villains
  chapter, is trying to resurrect himself and achieve
  godhood this way.)
  Contests of power are the very essence of comic-
  book adventures, whether the hero is a wizard or not.
  A Magus, however, may face challenges that can’t be
  overcome by beating somebody up. A Magus faces
  moral challenges, sometimes with no clue as to what
  constitutes winning. Jesus faced temptation by the
  Devil, and won by refusing to work miracles. To be
  sure, a super-mage will face plenty of challenges where
  blowing away an enemy with flashing spells is entirely
  appropriate, but when the cosmic entities show up and
  demand that the character justify their existence—or
  the existence of all humanity—through a contest, it’s
  best to think twice. Cosmic kahunas often look for
  wisdom rather than raw power.
  One aspect of the Myth which comic books often
  overlook is the aspect of community service. Super-
  mages routinely block invasions from beyond and
  battle evil mages and demons, but they seldom actu-
  ally do something proactively good for their commu-
  nity, nation, or mankind—only prevent evils. For an
  unusual adventure, GMs can challenge a group of PCs
  to use their mystic powers to teach someone a lesson
  in wisdom, rescue a group of people from danger, or
  even save a nation from drought, flooding, volcanic
  eruption or some other natural disaster. They may take
  on apprentices of their own, to carry on the tradition
  of service.
  At the very least, good deeds can be used as intro-
  ductory scene. A forest fire, for instance, might turn
  out to be a dimension lord’s cover for an invasion. An
  attempt to reform a gang leader might reveal clues to a
  Satanic plot to wreck the city. Conversely, after saving
  some people from the supernatural consequences of
  their own folly, the PCs might want to offer a piece of
  their mind.
  The fall-and-redemption or death-and-resurrection
  motif can provide powerful story arcs. These are big
  events in a super-mage’s career, on par with the “ra-
  diation accidents” suffered by normal superheroes. A
  Servant of Higher Powers who breaks faith can un-
  dertake an epic quest of atonement (with a little help
  from their friends). Any super-mage might be tricked
  or seduced into evil and have to work their way back
  to the light. Even a character’s death can be just an
  excuse for another adventure, as their allies try to res-
  urrect them.
  At the end of the Myth of the Magus waits the pos-
  sibility of godhood. This can provide a really long-term
  focus for a mage campaign. Super-mage protagonists
  in comics never actually reach this goal—it’s the end
  of the character’s career, after all—but they may help
  their mentor or some other senior Magus become One
  with the Universe or otherwise transcend mortality.
  Their own victories can gain added meaning as steps
  on the path to Ultimate Wisdom or divine union.
  Mystic
  Philosophies
  It is a truism of the mystics that “as things are above, so
  are they below.” This raises a speculation as to just how
  far above, or how far below, the ecstasy of the mystics
  has carried them.
  —Clark Ashton Smith, “Epigrams and Apothegms”
  Esoteric philosophies are another area where a magi-
  cal character can be developed. Comic-book or mythic
  wizards often fight on the basis of cosmic principles.
  Player-character wizards can do the same. They might
  even try to teach the philosophy they serve and make
  it a force in the lives of others.
  A mage’s philosophy can be intimately tied to their
  power. Every system of supernatural belief insists that
  moral qualities are forces in and of themselves. In
  Western culture, the forces are traditionally Good and
  Evil. There is magic powered by Goodness (usually
  regarded as coming from God) and magic powered by
  Evil (coming from Satan). For instance, holy ground
  (like a church) and holy relics are charged with the
  power of Good; a Satanic shrine or artifact would carry
  a charge of Evil power. Indeed, the whole Universe is a
  battleground between divine Good and demonic Evil,
  and if one is not on the side of Good then one is help-
  ing Evil by default.
  Not all cultures use a system like this. In Taoism, for
  instance, the two great forces which drive the cosmos
  are Yin and Yang. Yang is masculine, active and associ-
  ated with light and Heaven. Yin is feminine, passive
  and associated with darkness and Earth. Although Yang
  is also associated with life and growth and Yin with
  death and decay, neither one is good or evil. Both are
  necessary.
  Eventually, GMs will have to make some decisions
  about the forces which underlie the Magical World.
  This means stepping into the territory of religion and
  
  27
  that is sensitive ground indeed. No matter what sys-
  tem one chooses, somebody, somewhere, would be
  offended. The most one can hope for is not to offend
  any of one’s players too much.
  Good and Evil are, of course, the most familiar poles
  of moral/mystical force to Western players. Not only
  are Judaism, Christianity and Islam built around the
  conflict between Good and Evil, so are innumerable
  fantasy novels, and of course most comic books are
  essentially “Good Guys” vs. “Bad Guys.” If one’s gam-
  ing group includes Jews, Christians, or Muslims who
  feel their religious commitment doesn’t allow a little
  theological make-believe, then Good and Evil should
  probably be the top supernatural forces in the
  Multiverse. Whatever other mythological gods, dimen-
  sion lords, or other powerful beings there may be,
  there’s still the One True God over them and a Satan
  who is his adversary.
  A number of fantasy novels, games and comics have
  used Order and Chaos as the poles of supernatural
  conflict. In practice, though, Order and Chaos tend to
  get treated as watered-down versions of Good and Evil.
  Ho hum.
  This work suggests several more mystical philoso-
  phies that heroes or villains might follow. Two of them,
  the Doctrines of Transcendence, are fantastic extrapo-
  lations from real mystical doctrines, chiefly Eastern.
  After that are the doctrines of the Four Zoas, a set of
  four moral or supernatural “poles,” inspired by the
  mythology created by William Blake for his “Prophetic
  Books.” These are the forces of Order, Chaos, Art and
  Nature. All four Zoas can act to good or evil effect and
  each is associated with various cosmic entities—but
  those will be discussed in another chapter. Last comes
  the great Doctrine of Contraries which reconciles the
  Four Zoas.
  Doctrines Of
  Transcendence
  What boots this evermore creating, when
  Things all sweep into nothingness again?
  —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust part II
  The mystic philosophies of transcendence are based
  on the premise that material existence is essentially bad.
  Everything brings grief and pain in the long run, no
  matter how good or pleasant they seem at the moment.
  Birth itself is a tragedy, for all that is born must even-
  tually die.
  The sorrow of existence comes from its incomplete-
  ness. Everything and everyone is finite and imperfect.
  Only the supreme, divine Source of All—what the
  Kabbalists call Adam Kadmon and the Hindus call
  Brahman—is complete and perfect. The Supreme Be-
  ing encompasses everything, but in the lower worlds,
  it is fragmented into an infinitude of dimensions and
  beings. The solution to the fundamental badness of
  existence, then, is to merge everything back into the
  Source—to dissolve the illusion of Many-ness and Self-
  ness into the impersonal reality of One-ness.
  Now, in practical terms this means destroying the
  Multiverse. Followers of the Transcendent Ways, how-
  ever, argue that the Multiverse itself is the problem.
  Even losing one’s selfhood in annihilation is really a
  benefit, since individual existence is just another trap
  and delusion. Better by far to dissolve one’s existence
  in Infinitude and become one with God.
  Nobody knows how the entire Multiverse might be
  destroyed at a stroke (and a good thing, too, for those
  of us who value our separate existences, illusory and
  sorrowful though they might be). So the seekers of
  Transcendence try to nudge individual beings and
  worlds further along the path to union and destruc-
  tion. There are different ideas, though, about how this
  should be done.
  The White School
  The philosophy called the White School teaches that
  mages and mystics should try to raise themselves and
  their world to higher levels in the Multiverse. The
  higher one’s station in the dimensional hierarchy, the
  closer one comes to union with the Infinite. A follower
  of the White School can push a little closer to tran-
  scendence by living in a higher, more magical dimen-
  sion. Becoming a fully supernatural being, such as a
  ghost or elemental, brings one a little further. Becom-
  ing a semi-divine spirit of the Upper Planes is better
  still, but even this should be seen as merely a prepara-
  tion for crossing the Abyss to the Ultimate Realms.
  Planets and dimensions are more stubborn—there’s
  a lot of inertia—but the compassionate Magus will help
  them by strengthening their connection to higher
  planes, such as by changing a world’s laws of nature to
  make the forces of magic stronger, ultimately the
  dimension’s basic character.
  Another way is to attract influences from the Upper
  Planes of the cosmic entities: a Prince of the Universe
  can do more than any mortal mage to transform and
  raise a world, so anything that encourages a Prince of
  the Universe to manifest on a world is a good thing.
  Following the White School thus does not rule out
  dealing with the Four Zoas or following one of their
  philosophies as well. In fact, White School mages of-
  ten try to become Servants of Higher Powers as a short-
  cut to their own transcendence.
  The Black School
  The Black School philosophy agrees with the White
  School that physical existence, and ultimately even
  spiritual existence, should be annihilated through
  union with the Infinite, but the Black School look down
  the Tree of Life instead of up. The Black School is based
  on the observation that the Multiverse moves toward
  union and annihilation all by itself, through the pro-
  cess of entropy. After countless eons, each dimension
  wears out, decays, and is finally delivered to the noth-
  ingness of the Solipsist—the anti-god, the End, the one
  who personifies all non-existence.
  
  28
  The Black School concludes that Adam Kadmon and
  the Solipsist, the Source and the End, are really the same
  entity, seen from opposite directions. The Multiverse
  is an endless cycle. Seen from one side, the nameless
  Absolute multiplies the dimensions as Adam Kadmon,
  the All-Creator. Seen from the other side, the Absolute
  devours the dimensions as the Solipsist, the All-De-
  stroyer. No energy is ever really created or destroyed,
  though; it just comes from Adam Kadmon again in a
  new form.
  In that case, why fight the current by trying to rise
  through the planes? Everything moves toward reunion
  with the Absolute anyway. The secret to redeeming the
  Multiverse is to shorten the circuit, bringing the So-
  lipsist end closer to the Adam Kadmon end by destroy-
  ing the realms in between. When the entire Multiverse
  has been fed down Oblivion’s gullet, the cycle of cre-
  ation and destruction will cease and everything will
  be One again.
  Most wizards think the Black School philosophy is
  completely bonkers, but don’t say so to a Black School
  mage’s face. Black School mages can be very powerful,
  while they last. They often employ forces and entities
  from the dimensions that have decayed beyond zero
  into negative energy. Not only are these “Qliphothic”
  forces exceptionally potent, their use and presence has-
  tens a dimension’s decay and so brings the dimension
  that little bit closer to dissolution and transcendence.
  Fortunately, qliphothic forces tend to destroy their
  users, so the most powerful Black School mages sel-
  dom have long careers.
  Doctrines Of The Zoas
  Four Mighty Ones are in every Man; a Perfect Unity…
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  Each of the Four Zoas, the highest of the cosmic
  entities who actively govern the Multiverse, personi-
  fies a philosophical outlook as well as various aspects
  of physical reality. All four doctrines, and the relation-
  ships between them, have been obscurely and symboli-
  cally described in the writings of the English mystic
  poet William Blake.
  Both the White and Black Schools are basically hos-
  tile to the Multiverse and want to collapse the Many
  into One, or None. The Zoa philosophies have widely-
  differing visions of existence and people’s place in the
  Multiverse, but they seek transcendence within real-
  ity, not transcendence from reality. They don’t want to
  end the Multiverse to save it.
  Actually, each Zoa philosophy comes in two forms,
  one activist and one passive and contemplative. (To
  use Blake’s terminology, one is “Spectrous” and one
  “Emanative.”) Spectrous philosophies are more like
  regular religions. They seek to change the Multiverse
  to make one aspect of reality—their Zoa—dominate
  the rest. Emanative philosophies are more mystical and
  inward-looking.
  (Incidentally, this is the only part of this book which
  the author takes even the slightest bit seriously.
  Stripped of any supernatural content, the concepts of
  Order, Chaos, Art, and Nature and the need for bal-
  ance between them seem like rather useful ideas—not
  strikingly profound, perhaps, but useful. Most “magi-
  cal” or “mystical” doctrines of Divine Providence,
  Universal Mind, the Oneness of All and suchlike fol-
  derol chiefly consist of hot air and moonshine. The
  Four Zoas represent attitudes that real people have
  about real things. And in a world that seems ever more
  full of fanatics, the Doctrine of Contraries is refresh-
  ingly sane and moderate.)
  Order
  Let all things be done decently and in order.
  —I Corinthians
  Order is a restrictive force which strives to create
  pattern, stability and predictability. There should be a
  place for everything, and everything should keep its
  place. The individual is less important than the group.
  At its best, the world view of Order demands ratio-
  nal truth and proof, no matter how uncomfortable
  those truths may be. In this balanced form of Order,
  which might be called the scientific version, there is
  no place for mystery, illusion or sentiment. Every claim
  or opinion must prove itself through logic and evi-
  dence. Moral claims are not exempt: those who claim
  the right to preach and judge must show that they re-
  ally do know what’s best.
  Unfortunately, most followers of Order do not reach
  this glacial purity of reason and the philosophy be-
  comes one of mere obedience. In philosophies of
  Spectrous Order, a good person is one who does what
  they are told, whether the command comes from the
  government, one’s superior at work, or the priest who
  speaks for that ultimate authority, God.
  People dominated by Spectrous Order have reason
  and logic in plenty, but their axioms usually include
  something about punishing anyone who disagrees with
  them or asks too many questions. The great problem
  is that like all Spectrous philosophies, Spectrous Or-
  der is blind. Spectrous Orderists take traditional dog-
  mas or their own thoughts as truth, without checking
  them against some objective standard. From these
  dubious premises they reason to insane conclusions,
  then force the result on everyone else. The European
  witch hunts gave a classic example: hundreds of thou-
  sands of people died in torment because people knew
  there had to be witches among them, working evil, and
  they invented “evidence” to fit—such as torturing sus-
  pected witches until they would confess to anything.
  Unfortunately, the witch hunt was not really that un-
  usual. History is full of atrocities committed in the
  name of dogma.
  As for Emanative Order, that focuses on stability,
  predictability and understanding. This sort of Order
  looks for pattern and meaning in life, and holds on to
  what it finds. People dominated by Emanative Order
  
  29
  are followers and conservatives. They aren’t cowardly
  or stupid, they just want to know where they stand
  without some Yahoo pulling the philosophical rug out
  from under them.
  The first sin of Emanative Order is complacency.
  Without a kick in the pants now and then, Emanative
  Orderists who find their answers tend to stand pat and
  stop thinking.
  The saddest cases, however, are those Emanative
  Orderists who try to find reason and logic in morality,
  and who are clever enough to reject easy answers. All
  too often their search for perfect moral truth makes
  them too fair-minded: able to see all sides of an issue,
  they can select none. They mean well, weakly; they do
  not cause atrocities, but all too easily abet them through
  their high-minded, principled dithering. (See, for in-
  stance, the United Nations’ responses to the genocide
  in Bosnia and Rwanda.) Such Emanative Orderists
  need a little Spectrous Order, or some Chaotic pas-
  sion, to make them roll up their sleeves instead of
  wringing their hands—or even worse, making excuses
  for their own inaction.
  Order has always been a popular and powerful phi-
  losophy, both on Earth and in the Multiverse at large.
  It isn’t hard to see the reason: Order-lovers build insti-
  tutions such as governments and churches which con-
  trol people’s lives and force-feed them their philoso-
  phy. It’s worked. (When’s the last time you heard a
  politician speak against “law and order”?) To be hon-
  est, Order can create greater good than any other
  force—but it can also cause greater evil. The institu-
  tions of Order amplify both the wisdom and the folly
  of their leaders.
  Real-world social systems of Order are legion. Here
  are a few:
  •Apartheid: One race rules, the other race obeys and
  “keeps its place.”
  •Brahmanism: Everyone in a caste has the same occu-
  pation and only interacts with people from certain
  other castes.
  •Communism: Total submission of individuals to the
  State, the Party, and the “classless society” to come.
  •“Great Society” Liberalism: Local choices of property,
  hiring practices, and association (or non-associa-
  tion) are suppressed to benefit the poor and dis-
  possessed and thereby correct past injustices.
  •Trade Unionism: Organizing workers for collective
  power in bargaining with employers and regulat-
  ing hiring and promotion.
  As Apartheid and “Great Society” Liberalism show,
  philosophies of Order don’t necessarily agree with each
  other, but they all agree that individuals need profes-
  sional help in running their lives. This is certainly true
  to some extent: commerce, public safety and health all
  require a lot of group cooperation guided by trained
  elites. Unfortunately, those elites sometimes forget that
  they too serve the society and think the society exists
  to serve them.
  Chaos
  The tygers of wrath are wiser than the hoses of
  instruction.
  —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
  Few people can live up to the severe demands set by
  philosophies of Order. Selfish desires, of both the flesh
  and spirit, lead people away from perfect obedience.
  Out of rebellious passion grows the philosophy and
  expansive power of Chaos, despite all attempts to re-
  duce the individual to a cog in a machine. Blake re-
  ferred to this force as “Energy.”
  Chaos glorifies freedom, individuality, emotion,
  chance and change. The Chaotic world view is per-
  sonal and emotional, based on feelings instead of facts.
  Chaotics reject planning and hierarchy; they prefer to
  let everyone make their own way, find their own place
  and succeed or fail on their own efforts. A person’s
  goodness or badness can only be judged by circum-
  stance and intent, not by appealing to some abstract
  code of laws. The most extreme Chaotics completely
  deny the existence of Good and Evil: there is only de-
  sire, and whoever has the power gets to decide which
  desires are “Good.”
  At its best, the Chaotic life of sentiment can be very
  pleasant; even a towering rage can be invigorating.
  Emotion can bring people together in ways that are
  far more satisfying than any institution of Order.
  Chaotics can also be valuable social watchdogs, insist-
  ing that institutions keep respect for individuals.
  Chaos has a dark side, though: extreme preoccupa-
  tion with one’s own feelings and desires can lead to
  selfishness, isolation, even madness, and unleash vio-
  lent anarchy on the world. This is Spectrous Chaos.
  People dominated by Spectrous Chaos seek immedi-
  ate gratification of their passions, without regard to
  consequences for themselves or anyone else. The punk
  who guns down another kid for a jacket or a pair of
  sneakers shows Spectrous Chaos. So does the revolu-
  tionary who tears down one government without an-
  other one ready to take over its duties.
  Emanative Chaos is the capacity to feel emotion it-
  self, and to empathize with others. Spectrous Chaotics,
  deficient in this trait, cannot identify with other people.
  They are blind to the feelings of others. Without a touch
  of Spectrous willpower, though, Emanative Chaos can
  become mere sentimentality, ineffectual and self-in-
  dulgent. This reaches far beyond housewives sighing
  over romance novels. The protester who holds sunset
  vigils against nuclear weapons shows domination by
  Emanative Chaos—it’s a beautiful thought, but not
  very effective. Politicians who get weepy over Family
  Values and the flag and wax wroth over taxes and crime
  every election year try to manipulate voters through
  Emanative Chaos—for their own Spectrous ends.
  Although there’s plenty of Chaos about, its advo-
  cates seldom have opportunities to widely publicize
  Chaotic doctrines. Until quite recently on Earth, only
  tribal, barbarian cultures have glorified individual
  achievement over group loyalty. European heroic ep-
  
  30
  ics such as the Iliad, Volsung Saga, and some of the
  knightly romances preserve memories of such cultures.
  Nowadays, some Chaotic doctrine has crept into
  politics by way of democracy, which seeks to give ev-
  eryone a voice in government—however indirectly—
  instead of having decisions made by sacred elites. Other
  Chaos-oriented philosophies include Entrepreneurial
  Capitalism and its ugly side, Social Darwinism (the
  billionaire’s creed of greed, “The meek shall inherit
  what’s left”); the Quakers, Congregationalists, old-style
  Baptists, and other Christian sects which emphasize
  personal conscience and local control; and the entire
  self-help movement.
  However, Chaos never dwells comfortably with ei-
  ther Church or State. The purest voices of Chaos be-
  long to the hermit, the rebel, and the lover. Mystical
  hermits, of course, tend not to broadcast their views,
  although a few (like Henry David Thoreau and St.
  Anthony) wrote books about their experiences. Rebel
  passion now has an institutionalized voice, though:
  rock and rap music, which seldom sing the praises of
  good citizenship. Love, in all its many forms, has in-
  spired art and poetry for thousands of years.
  Some have equated Chaos with entropy and decay,
  but this isn’t true. Without a hefty component of tur-
  bulence and disorder, life as we know it is not possible.
  Too much physical chaos is destructive, but a system
  with too little disorder is sterile—whether that system
  is physical, chemical, biological, or social.
  Art
  We are all better artists than we realize.
  —Friedrich Nietzsche
  Art is the subtlest of the four alignments, and the
  most difficult to grasp, because it doesn’t immediately
  suggest any simple political agenda. Mystic Artifice goes
  far beyond the “fine arts.” Rather, it is the ascendance
  of mind over matter—every aspect of experience that
  grows out of thought. Governments, religions, cus-
  toms, language itself are products of Art.
  To “Artifists,” reality is something made and chosen,
  as Nietzsche suggested. It takes a mind to turn a col-
  lection of sensations into a sunset, a symphony and a
  lover’s kiss. People create their destinies through their
  decisions. Societies don’t just happen, people invent
  them and can change them at will. The most impor-
  tant aspect of existence, then, is Imagination. The body
  is a vehicle for the soul and the world is just so much
  raw materials.
  People who guide their lives by Artifice include
  painters, poets, craftsmen, and artists, of course, but
  also other sorts of makers. The political or religious
  reformer who wants to change society follows Art. So
  does the entrepreneur building a corporation, or the
  inventor designing a new machine.
  Art doesn’t absolutely oppose Order, Chaos or even
  Nature, although they often think they oppose Art.
  From the “Artifist” point of view, the other Zoas sim-
  ply miss the point. Nature is the most deluded in its
  basic premise—that there is an objective, “natural”
  world, and that this world is somehow better than the
  intelligences inhabiting it. To ascribe moral value to
  the blind processes of biology, chemistry and physics
  is ludicrous. As for Order and Chaos, they are just ar-
  guing over the fine points of arrangement. What re-
  ally matters, the philosophers of Art insist, is that
  people recognize how their beliefs and actions create
  the world in which they live—and take conscious con-
  trol of the process.
  From such premises, Spectrous Art draws the con-
  clusion that the world is whatever one wants it to be.
  The only question is whether one has the will to force
  one’s vision on the world. If the world resists, hit it
  harder. If people resist, hit them harder. Anything can
  be changed. With magic, even the laws of nature are
  malleable.
  Earth has seen all too much Spectrous Art in the last
  century. Every reformer is to some degree an Artifist,
  for they see how things could be different and try to
  make their vision real. Unfortunately, totalitarian re-
  gimes such as Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and
  the People’s Republic of China carry the idea to mon-
  strous extremes. After creating a new state, they try to
  create a new man, with no history, experience or be-
  lief except what the State provides.
  Emanative Art draws a different conclusion. If ev-
  ery aspect of experience is artificial, then nothing is
  genuinely real. There is no solid foundation for belief.
  At this point, one has several options. The first is a fall
  into despair and a nihilism even more profound than
  that of the Black School: if everything is a lie, then what
  truth is there but Oblivion? The second choice is he-
  donism: if existence is meaningless, at least it can be
  pleasant. A third option is fanaticism: embracing one
  of the artificial belief-systems, pretending as hard as
  one can that it is real, and hiding from any evidence
  that it’s not—or turning to Spectrous Art and Order
  to force everyone else to pretend too.
  The final choice is to accept that life is a game, and
  simply try to play it well. With a bit of Spectrous Art
  (but not too much, not losing compassion for one’s
  fellow players) perhaps one can even make the game
  better, more beautiful, and more humane…a better
  work of Art.
  Nature
  The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow;
  nor the lion, the horse, how he shall take his prey.
  —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
  Naturists claim they just accept reality without try-
  ing to force it into categories of meaning. Very few
  Naturists, however, show such Zen-like purity. In prac-
  tice the fundamental tenet of Naturism, without which
  none of the philosophy makes sense, is that what is,
  should be. Intelligence should not try to change the
  world. Instead, sentient beings should try to help natu-
  ral processes along.
  
  31
  Spectrous Naturists try to enforce obedience to Na-
  ture. They see themselves as the champions of the en-
  vironment and all the living things who cannot de-
  fend themselves against exploitation. They hate tech-
  nology and civilization; some of the more extreme even
  disapprove of self-awareness itself. These extreme
  Naturists may try to “liberate” themselves and every-
  one else from sentience and return to an instinctive,
  animalistic existence.
  Less extreme Spectrous Naturists argue that they
  don’t hate humanity; they just take a broader view of
  human welfare. To their view, the artificial conve-
  niences that seem to help individuals actually hurt the
  human species and the Earth in the long run. The
  medicine which stops plagues, causes a worse disaster
  through overpopulation and resource exhaustion. The
  factories which produce a wealth of goods poisons the
  consumers with pollution. Too much comfort for the
  body withers the spirit. People need to abandon their
  frenetic, high-tech cities, they say, and return to the
  slower rhythms of Nature.
  On Earth, Spectrous Nature finds its most obvious
  expressions in the environmental movement—par-
  ticularly the more radical groups who basically hate
  human existence. The animal rights movement shows
  Naturist tendencies in declaring human life no more
  valuable than the life of a dog, monkey, or lab rat. Veg-
  etarianism, however, has nothing to do with Naturism:
  humans are genetically programmed to enjoy meat,
  and killing to eat is entirely natural.
  More subtly, Naturism enters politics through con-
  servatism. For many conservatives, Naturism takes the
  form of a reality check. Human nature is not infinitely
  malleable, they say, and people are slow to change.
  Reformers should work cautiously, to see which
  changes will really work as intended.
  Unfortunately, bigots also use Naturism. They often
  claim that attempts to improve people and society are
  not just risky, they are “unnatural” and therefore evil.
  It is “natural” to keep women barefoot, pregnant, job-
  less and voteless, one race is “naturally” superior to
  another, homosexuality is “unnatural” so homosexu-
  als should be persecuted, and so on ad nauseum. The
  appeal to sacred Nature, whatever that Nature is con-
  ceived to be, lies so deep in the human soul that it’s
  very difficult to drag it into the light of day.
  Emanative Naturists disapprove of activist tactics.
  As they see it, the Spectrous Naturists violate their own
  doctrine by trying to force change. Instead, Emanative
  Naturists say one should accept all aspects of existence,
  including one’s own character. The best one can do is
  to ride the currents of the Universe with a minimum
  of effort. There is no need to oppose anything, for there
  is no “Should” or “Shouldn’t,” only what is. Civiliza-
  tions, like individuals or species, will work within the
  limits set by their world, or they will die. When an
  Emanative Naturist takes action, it is to reduce con-
  flict and let the processes of the Universe work them-
  selves out; since they just encourage events which, in a
  sense, “want to happen” anyway, their interventions
  are usually so subtle that nobody but a mage would
  notice.
  Emanative Naturism has no visible pure expression
  on Earth. Esoteric Taoism comes close: the Taoist mys-
  tic tries to comprehend the undivided wholeness of
  existence, without judging any part of it. The Taoist
  concept of wu-wei—acting without visibly doing any-
  thing—sounds a lot like Emanative Naturist notions
  of “intervention.”
  The most advanced Nature mystics, however, ignore
  politics and religion. They meditate on the awesome
  subtlety of natural processes such as evolution, preda-
  tion, reproduction, and symbiosis, whose results put
  human artifice to shame. A recent example comes from
  that most artificial of domains, the computer.
  A few computer scientists now experiment with “ar-
  tificial life”: programs which exchange code in an elec-
  tronic analog of sex, reproduce, and survive based on
  their ability to perform a task. The programs start as
  random strings of code, but evolve into amazingly ef-
  ficient programs that use strategies no one has ever
  seen before. Naturists smile. They are not surprised.
  The Doctrine Of Contraries
  Without Contraries is no progression. Attraction and
  Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and Hate, are
  necessary to Human existence.
  —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
  None of the Zoa philosophies is more “good” or
  “evil” than the other, although they are always in con-
  flict and not just Art against Nature or Order against
  Chaos. Any Zoa can clash with any other. Each of them
  can create both good and evil, depending on what form
  their conflict takes.
  There are two forms which opposing forces can take,
  contraries and negations. Good and Evil are the clas-
  sic example of negations, and most conflicts tend to
  get interpreted in those terms: Light against Darkness,
  Life against Death, Us against Them. They are logical
  opposites who cannot coexist. Good must exterminate
  Evil, lest Evil exterminate Good.
  Contraries are different. They oppose each other, but
  they can both exist. They are not perfect, logical op-
  posites the way Good and Evil or Light and Darkness
  are. Consider Justice and Mercy: they are opposed,
  since Justice insists on punishment while Mercy seeks
  to avert it. Yet justice without mercy would be tyranny;
  mercy without justice would be anarchy. Contraries
  can both be good, despite their opposition. In fact, it
  is their balanced struggle which produces good. When
  one turns contraries into negations and declares that
  only one of the pair can be allowed, the result is evil—
  no matter which side one chooses.
  So it is with the four doctrines of the Zoas. As long
  as they struggle as contraries, all four can produce
  good. A society which can simultaneously encourage
  Chaotic freedom, Orderly responsibility, Artifist inven-
  tion and Naturist realism is a pretty good place to live.
  But let one Zoa demonize its opponent and declare
  itself the only good, and great evil may result.
  
  32
  The Doctrine of Contraries, then, exhorts its follow-
  ers to embrace all four of the Zoa philosophies. When
  one achieves a perfect, dynamic balance of Order, Art,
  Chaos, and Nature in one’s own psyche, one achieves
  Enlightenment—the Eternal Divine Humanity. One’s
  personal universe of thought and perception is de-
  stroyed and re-created, purged of illusions:
  …the whole creation will be consumed and appear
  infinite and holy, whereas it now appears finite and
  corrupt…If the doors of perception were cleansed every
  thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has
  closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow
  chinks of his cavern.
  —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
  Still, this is only a personal Enlightenment. How can
  the physical world—indeed, the whole Multiverse—
  be Enlightened and redeemed?
  The mystics of the Doctrine of Contraries, however,
  ask why the material world should need redeeming.
  They insist that the world is and always has been per-
  fect and complete in itself. If the material world is
  sometimes inconvenient that isn’t the world’s fault. It’s
  only consciousness that has problems.
  A Magus who achieves Enlightenment, however, can
  invoke the power of all four Zoas—all four of the Prime
  Avatars of the Multiverse. That is great power
  indeed…a power to change the world, if the Magus
  chooses to wield it.
  “But we, immortal in our own strength, survive by stern debate
  ”Till we have drawn the Lamb of God into a mortal form.
   “And that he must be born is certain, for One must be All
  ”And comprehend within himself all things both small and great.”
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  Fantastic Foci of
  Legend
  These objects are all real, or at least plausibly
  documented. Some might be needed as ingredi-
  ents or tools for special spells or rituals to make
  magic items; others might be magic items or
  powerful artifacts themselves.
  Aztec Mosaic Skull
  This is a real human skull encrusted with tur-
  quoise, with eyes of shell and wood. It might be
  meant to represent Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec god
  of night and black magic, in his role as the Lord
  of Misfortune.
  The Angelic Crystal
  The Elizabethan magus Dr. John Dee recorded
  that during one of his magical experiments, an
  angel gave him a magical crystal to help him con-
  tact the spirits more easily. Dee’s assistant and
  medium, Edward Kelley, frequently asserted the
  spirits contacted were evil and deceptive; Dee had
  more confidence. The Angelic Crystal is now in
  the British Museum.
  Holy Blood
  More than one church in Europe claims to
  have an actual sample of the blood of Jesus,
  caught in a crystal vial. The Holy Blood forms
  the centerpiece of a yearly parade (usually Good
  Friday), on which occasion the blood miracu-
  lously re-liquefies. Skeptics say that the “Holy
  Blood” is really a faked-up inorganic glop that
  liquefies when it is shaken; science magazines
  have even published recipes. But what if one of
  these relics is real? It would be the most power-
  ful Christian magical artifact ever—surpassing
  even the Holy Grail. (And at least one science
  fiction story has been based on fetching DNA
  from Holy Blood for cloning, a la Jurassic Park!)
  
  But to me my mother Themis, and not once only,
  And Gaia, one person beneath the varied names,
  Had foretold what was the future dispensation—
  That the way of fate was not by strength or force of might:
  Victory and power proceeded from intelligence.
  —Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
  This chapter deals with the mechanics of writing up magi-
  cal characters. Not only does it contain suggestions about
  which Skills, Powers and such are most “wizardly,” it supplies
  several new Skills, Perks, Powers, and Disadvantages.
  Chapter 2:
  Game Mechanics: Expansions And
  Suggestions
  
  34
  What Should Be
  Allowed?
  “Hidden, set apart, in my stern counsels,
  “Reserv’d for the days of futurity,
  “I have sought for a joy without pain,
  “For a solid without fluctuation.”
  —William Blake, The Book of Urizen
  The HERO System already contains many subtleties
  and options; this chapter contributes more. Some are
  merely unusual applications of existing rules. Others
  are new extensions of the rules. GMs should treat ev-
  erything in this chapter as coming with a stop sign—
  watch out how players use these “rules hacks,” but don’t
  forbid them. Magical characters may need them.
  Classic super-mages carry three intrinsic weaknesses
  relative to “normal” superheroes. First, they are essen-
  tially normal humans with extraordinary skills—not
  mutants or cyborgs or augmented by powered ar-
  mor—and unmodified humans are fragile. Second,
  mages are traditionally heavy on Skills. This cuts into
  the points available for combat Powers. Finally, mages
  are supposed to have a wide variety of Powers, for com-
  bat and otherwise. Unless the GM runs an unlimited-
  point campaign, a mage PC may need a few special
  dispensations from the GM to come in under 250
  points and still be an effective character. This can be
  especially true for super-mages who must fight beside
  regular superheroes.
  What rules hacks should a GM permit? The closest
  one can come to a general rule is that if a character
  needs a rules hack to keep up with the other PCs, it’s
  okay. If a rules hack would make one PC significantly
  more powerful than the others, the hack should not
  be allowed.
  The GM might also consider the skills of the play-
  ers. Let’s face it, CHAMPIONS players are not all equal.
  Some of them approach HERO System combat as a
  tactical exercise, using every trick in the combat rules
  to maximize their character’s chances. Other players
  could not care less about clever tactics and just send
  their characters charging into combat chin first. The
  GM should be more restrictive with players who are
  “Mad Thinker” tacticians than with players who pre-
  fer style to strategy. The “Mad Thinker” already has a
  more powerful character, just because of who runs the
  character.
  Abusive Attacks
  This section suggests many new sorts of attacks, us-
  ing new Power Modifiers or applying old ones in new
  ways. Wizards should have attacks unlike those of other
  super beings. In a “traditional” superheroic campaign,
  some of these attacks could be unbalancing, but not
  as unbalancing as one might think. In a supermage
  campaign where everyone follows the same standards,
  they are not unbalancing at all.
  Indeed, the author’s playtest campaign revealed
  something interesting. The players were invited to use
  the rules in the most abusive ways they could imagine
  within the 60-pt attack limit, short of using Power
  Pools. Through many combats, one 60 point Power
  emerged as the most abusive in combat—the most
  likely to quickly take down a villain who was supposed
  to be a major threat, or trash the heroes. Here it is:
  4d6 RKA
  That’s it! The Variable NND Energy Blast, the Un-
  controlled Penetrating Killing Attack, the BOECV
  Flash and all the other weird, “abusive” combat Pow-
  ers proved no more effective than common Energy
  Blasts or Ego Attacks.
  It’s not hard to see why a simple RKA should be so
  effective compared to all the exotic attacks. In an all-
  mage campaign, everybody tends to have the exotic
  defenses that block the exotic attacks. That’s just part
  of being a mage. The high-power Advantages like
  AVLD or Uncontrolled Continuous correspondingly
  reduce the base amount of damage. A simple Killing
  Attack, though, can generate huge amounts of STUN
  through a lucky STUN Multiplier roll. Given an aver-
  age of 14 BODY damage, a x4 STUN Multiplier gives
  56 STUN—the average damage of a 16d6 Energy Blast.
  A x5 STUN Multiplier gives 70 STUN, equivalent to a
  20d6 Energy Blast!
  The laws of probability say that such high rolls
  should not be common. Murphy’s Law, however, of-
  ten overrides the laws of probability. Several times in
  the course of playtesting, villains who under any other
  circumstances would be very tough, only defeated
  through a long fight with clever strategy, would be
  knocked into next week by a lucky Killing attack. To
  be fair, this happened to the PCs a few times, too. Ei-
  ther way, it called for quick improvisation.
  If there’s one attack Power that GMs should view
  warily, then, it is the large Killing Attack. With Killing
  Attacks, there’s no need for subtlety or strategy: just
  keep firing off those Killing Attacks, and eventually a
  good roll will come. The game becomes roll-playing,
  not role-playing, and that’s a worse abuse than any
  funky Power Modifiers.
  It is recommended that GMs try to strike a deal with
  their players: if they will avoid big Killing Attacks, so
  will most of the villains—and even the villains with
  large Killing Attacks will give the PCs fair warning of
  their lethal power. If the players won’t “take the pledge,”
  then the GM just has to give every major villain Dam-
  age Reduction—perhaps with the Limitation, “Only
  Against Killing Attacks” (-1).
  Standards For Defenses
  Normal super beings almost always have lots of regu-
  lar PD and ED in both Resistant and Nonresistant
  forms. Other defenses are quite rare—except for su-
  per-mages. Because mages have such unusual attacks,
  a mage without exotic defenses will be a sitting duck
  
  35
  for the first enemy with an Ego Attack or AVLD, and
  that’s not right. (Most normal supers are defenseless
  against exotic attacks, but they usually have enough
  STUN and CON to take a few attacks and make a few
  counterattacks before they fall.)
  Every mage, then, should have at least a little Men-
  tal Defense and Power Defense, and maybe one or two
  other exotic defenses such as some kind of Life Sup-
  port or a few points of Hardened Defense. A character
  with more than 10 points of Power Defense or 15
  points of Mental Defense is very well protected: they
  will only be seriously damaged by really powerful ex-
  otic attacks.
  There have to be limits, though, especially with PCs.
  PCs who cannot be damaged by any normal attack or
  simple exotic attack invite the GM to devise stranger
  attacks, piling on more Power Advantages. That in turn
  invites the players to give their characters still more
  thorough defenses. If the campaign allows Power Pools,
  the escalation proceeds rapidly: before long, everyone
  is buying that one point of Armor with ten levels of
  Hardened, just to block Autofire Killing Attacks with
  nine levels of Penetrating. Without Power Pools, the
  escalation just proceeds more slowly. The GM can do
  three things to prevent it.
  First, restrict the use of Power Pools. (This is dis-
  cussed in more detail in the section on Power Frame-
  works.)
  Second, set standards for attacks and defenses, lim-
  its beyond which no one goes—not even the mega-
  villains like Dr. Destroyer. No one will buy, say, double-
  Hardened Power Defense if the players know that their
  characters will never encounter, say, double-Armor
  Piercing Drains or the like. As a suggestion, GMs
  should permit only one level of Hardened Defense on
  PD and ED. Power Defense, Mental Defense and other
  special defenses can never have Persistent, Hardened
  forms except in the case of really cosmic villains. (Hard-
  ened special defenses are acceptable in non-Persistent
  forms.) As a natural corollary, normal attacks never
  carry more than two levels of Armor Piercing or Pen-
  etrating, and exotic attacks never carry more than one
  level of those Advantages. Even these will be rare, spe-
  cial attacks few PCs will have or encounter.
  Finally and most importantly, don’t let the game
  become too lethally adversarial. Remember that the
  GM’s job is to create an exciting story, not to crush the
  characters because the players left one tiny chink in
  the characters’ defenses. Of course the villains will
  sometimes need to one-punch the heroes through
  some ridiculously powerful or bizarre attack, but that’s
  only so the players can have the fun of outwitting the
  villain’s death-trap and wiping the sneer off his face.
  Skills
  These are the Sciences which Magick takes to her self for
  servants and helpers; and he that knows not these, is
  unworthy to be named a Magician.
  —Giambattista della Porta, Natural Magick
  This section discusses the place of skills in creating
  magic-oriented characters. Rather than following an
  alphabetical listing, skills are here grouped in terms of
  their applications, with particular emphasis on their
  use by true mages.
  Magic-Related Skills
  Of course the most important Skills for most magic-
  using characters are those skills which deal specifically
  with the supernatural. First are the Skills which apply
  to spell casting itself, then come a selection of impor-
  tant Knowledge Skills about the magical cosmos. For
  magicians, knowledge is power.
  Magic Skill
  This Skill from FANTASY HERO is actually not very
  useful in the context of a superheroic campaign. As
  seen in the comics, superhero magic is reliable; it never
  fizzles or blows up in the mage’s face without some
  external reason. If players really want a little
  unreliability in their mage’s spells as a way to get that
  -Â Limitation and save a few points, just taking “Acti-
  vation 14-” gives the same results without having to
  spend points on a Skill.
  Spell Research
  The Spell Research Skill from FANTASY HERO, on
  the other hand, is very appropriate. This skill is a magi-
  cal analog to the Inventor skill. It is good for devising
  new spells on short notice and figuring out how to use
  captured magic items. Spell Research can also double
  as a magic Power Pool control roll. Like the Inventor
  skill or any Power Pool Control skill, Spell Research
  rolls take a -1 penalty for every 10 Active Points in
  whatever the skill is used upon. Spell Research has a
  base cost of 3 points for a roll of 9 + INT/5, +1 per 2
  points.
  
  36
  Astral Navigation
  This skill facilitates rapid travel on the Lower Astral
  Plane. Someone who makes an Astral Navigation skill
  roll can automatically beat anyone who didn’t. It is vi-
  tal if one wants to use the instantaneous travel per-
  mitted on the Astral Plane, because otherwise one has
  very little chance of getting where one wants to go:
  getting lost in a world built from dreams and night-
  mares is no picnic.
  Astral Navigation is an everyman Familiarity: since
  every human spends a significant amount of time on
  the Astral Plane when they dream, everyone has a free
  8- rating in this skill. it has nothing to do with Dimen-
  sional Navigation (see below). Astral Navigation costs
  3 points for a base rating of 9 + EGO/5, +1 per +2
  points.
  Dimensional Navigation
  This skill is based on INT or EGO, depending on
  whether the GM thinks navigation between dimen-
  sions is a matter of cleverness or will. It enables one to
  travel between dimensions with some assurance of
  arriving at the right place. Kindly GMs may let every-
  one receive an 8- default roll with this skill for free,
  just for pure dumb luck and intuition—it’s an
  Everyman skill characters didn’t know they had. Di-
  mensional Travel skill lets a character cross between
  the planes safely and accurately.
  In general, the skill measures a character’s ability to
  land on target. Making the skill roll means the charac-
  ter arrived quite close to the target area—within a few
  miles, say. A very good roll could put the character even
  closer. A failed roll, on the other hand, means that the
  character arrived a long way from the desired loca-
  tion, perhaps hundreds of miles away. An especially
  bad roll might indicate that the character accidentally
  alerted a hostile wizard or demon, let some Eldritch
  Thingie slip into the world, or arrived in the wrong
  dimension, depending on how nice the GM feels.
  Example: After an adventure in the City-States of
  Yong, Solitaire uses a dimension-travel artifact to
  bring the Champions home. Unfortunately, she only
  has an 8- default skill with Dimensional Travel and
  imprudently tries taking the Champions directly back
  to Homestead. Trying for a very precise target can-
  cels out the benefits for a familiar destination. The
  GM rolls the dice for the skill check—a 17, very bad.
  The GM says the Champions have made it home,
  but someone seems to have left Homestead in a mess.
  And redecorated. And the staff is acting weird, cring-
  ing in terror. The Champions realize that they’ve
  actually gone to Backworld, and are at the headquar-
  ters of their evil counterparts in that world.
  The GM may assign modifiers to the skill check as
  appropriate. For instance:
  -1 to -3
  Very distant, isolated or obscure
  dimension.
  -3
  A dimension the character doesn’t know
  anything about.
  -3
  Very specific destination (such as a
  demon lord’s throne room).
  +1 to +5
  A familiar location in a familiar dimen-
  sion. (+1: Character has visited the place
  a few times. +5: Home.)
  +1 to +3
  Accepting a wider target area (such as
  “Anywhere in Dante’s Inferno” or
  “Anywhere in Pinchwell Cluster”).
  Taking extra time in preparing to move between di-
  mensions will also give a bonus to the roll, just as with
  any Skill. It is up to the GM, however, to decide how
  much time it normally takes to attempt Dimensional
  Navigation.
  A character may go further and make the skill roll
  necessary for their Extra-Dimensional Movement
  power to work at all, for a -Â Limitation.
  KS: Analyze Magic Style
  This Skill acts in a manner analogous to the KS:
  Analyze Style Skill in The Ultimate Martial Artist. It
  lets a character assess another person’s magical abili-
  ties after observing the person using magic for at least
  a full Turn. The other person’s general power rating
  can be guessed, their variety of magic identified, and
  probable strategies predicted. If a magical style has any
  special weakness—and in magic, simple lack of flex-
  ibility can be a weakness—this skill may be able to find
  such a weakness.
  KS: Analyze Magic Style is an INT-based Knowledge
  Skill (base 3 points for a roll of 9 + INT/5, +1 to roll
  for +2 points). A character attempting a KS: Analyze
  Style skill roll gets +2 to their roll if the target has a
  Magic Limitation of at least 10 points (see discussion
  of this Disadvantage). The PER Roll for Discrimina-
  tory Detect Magic can be used as a complementary
  roll. The degree by which one makes a KS: Analyze
  Magic Style roll determines how much information
  one can gain:
  
  37
  Make Roll By:
  Information Gained
  0 (exactly)
  Target’s variety of magic; whether
  target is a novice, adept or master.
  1 or 2
  Target’s power and skill relative to
  oneself (from “I’d easily beat him”
  to “He’d easily beat me”). Major
  Foci identified, even if they aren’t
  Obvious.
  3 or 4
  Both favored and any alternate
  Limitations on main Powers can
  be identified (for instance, “She
  prefers using that talisman [OIF]
  but can get by at greater energy
  cost [x2 END]” for a target with
  Variable Limitation). No magical
  attack from target will get a
  Surprise Maneuver Bonus, if it is
  within the target’s dominant style
  (a magical weapon based on a
  different style of magic may still
  take the analyzing character by
  surprise). Supernatural patron (if
  any) identified.
  Half or Better
  Any magic-based Disadvantages of
  target can be identified (i.e. any
  Vows, Prohibitions, Susceptibili-
  ties, or the like). Character knows
  what defensive Powers would be
  optimum before the opponent
  even attacks.
  Esoteric Knowledge Skills
  Wizards are defined by their special knowledge of
  hidden forces. Scholar-mages in particular should have
  appropriate Knowledge Skills. Here are some typical
  Knowledge Skills a super-mage might buy.
  KS: Cosmic Entities
  The possessor of this skill knows about the really
  powerful people in the Multiverse, the dimension lords,
  and conceptual entities. When one faces such beings,
  knowing their likes, dislikes, powers and (one hopes)
  weaknesses can be a real advantage.
  KS: Dimension
  This is a normal Area Knowledge skill, giving infor-
  mation about another plane’s geography and cos-
  mography, environment, life-forms, society, power
  groups, special dangers and so on. The more specific
  the area covered, the more specific the knowledge will
  be. A character who buys the very general Area Knowl-
  edge “Planes of Malkuth,” for instance, would only
  know if a particular dimension was one of the better-
  known, more or less Earth-like dimensions, with ba-
  sic information on the most commonly visited worlds.
  A character with AK: City of Pelferlost, City-States of
  Yong, could give directions to the best restaurants.
  Dimensional Area Knowledge skill rolls can comple-
  ment Dimensional Navigation skill rolls.
  KS: Magic Style
  Most true mages will have some knowledge of their
  own style of magic; probably, quite a lot of knowledge.
  They may also study other styles of magic. This Knowl-
  edge Skill deals with real magic, not the distorted and
  incomplete knowledge of Occultism. (On the other
  hand, KS: Occultism gives better information on how
  a magical tradition is perceived by people who aren’t
  sorcerers themselves.)
  KS: Occultism
  This Skill does not deal with actual magic. Rather, it
  deals with the concepts and legends of particular oc-
  cult traditions, such as Kabbalism, Taoism or Voodoo,
  along with the major writers about that tradition. Sim-
  ply buying “KS: Occultism” only gives the most gen-
  eral information about occult beliefs, practices and
  folklore around the world. Buying a Knowledge Skill
  for a specific tradition gives more detailed informa-
  tion.
  KS: Occult World
  This Knowledge Skill deals with the secret subcul-
  ture of magic and occultism that extends around the
  world. While it does not deal with other planes, a suc-
  cessful skill roll may suggest who’s most likely to have
  contact with another dimension and where they hang
  out. Mere Streetwise does not deal with this material
  very well; at most, Streetwise will reveal what weirdoes
  the punks and lowlifes have learned to avoid.
  There’s more to the Occult World than just sorcer-
  ers. In fact, locating a real sorcerer through KS: Occult
  World is a rather challenging feat (-0 to -5, depending
  on how zealously the sorcerer maintains secrecy). Even
  an 11- rating in KS: Occult World will suffice to auto-
  matically locate published occultists, the more public
  cult leaders and libraries and museums with major
  occult collections. With a skill roll, one can separate
  the dabblers, the deluded and the charlatans from the
  people with real power and/or knowledge. Private col-
  lectors and little-known sites of mystical power can be
  located. The Skill also serves to keep one abreast of
  interesting current events among one’s fellow sorcer-
  ers and occultists. (For more about the Occult World,
  see that chapter.)
  KS: Spirit World
  Also called “Who’s Who and What’s That.” The pos-
  sessor of this skill is expert in the lore of ghosts, de-
  mons, angels and other spirits of the Astral Realms.
  Fake Magic Skills
  “Fake magic skills” are those which impersonate
  magical effects: Ventriloquism, Sleight of Hand, Mim-
  icry and Disguise. They can be a last-ditch strategy
  when magic is impossible or unsafe. The great thing
  is, magical villains never seem to consider the possi-
  bility of an enemy wizard using non-magical methods
  to achieve their goals! On the other hand, remember
  that the smarter villains can use these tricks as well…
  
  38
  Disguise
  Wizards operate in a dangerous world and acquire
  powerful and subtle enemies. Very often, the best de-
  fense is to seem to be someone else. One can conceal
  one’s identity by shapeshifting or illusion, but some-
  times a non-magical disguise is best. For one thing,
  spells to detect and dispel magic will not penetrate a
  mundane disguise!
  Mimicry
  Mimicry is most useful when combined with a dis-
  guise (magical or not) or Ventriloquism. The Disney
  version of Peter Pan gives an excellent example of us-
  ing Mimicry to fool the arch-villain’s obedient min-
  ions.
  Sleight Of Hand
  When a mage has been stripped of their magic,
  Sleight of Hand can let them seem to still have powers
  of some sort (did you ever see the movie Willow?) It
  also has more conventional uses such as picking the
  bad guy’s pocket or palming a knife.
  Ventriloquism
  Misdirection can be a wizard’s greatest weapon.
  Aside from the applications of “throwing your voice”
  mentioned in the HERO System Rulebook, Ventrilo-
  quism can be used to make one seem to be somewhere
  else. This can be useful if one is hiding from a power-
  ful enemy and it matters who gets in the first shot:
  Example: Solitaire is hiding from Oom the Unspeak-
  able behind a rock. She uses Ventriloquism to make
  a noise behind a different rock. The noise fools Oom.
  He casts his Mystic Blast of Certain Death and kills
  the innocent rock. Then Solitaire pops out from be-
  hind her rock and zaps Oom the Unspeakable.
  One might also try using Ventriloquism to make the
  mega-villain’s henchman mouth off at him (scratch
  one henchman). Finally, once in a while a sorcerer
  might want to call out an Incantation without anyone
  knowing who did it. No doubt clever players can think
  of other uses.
  General Scholastic Skills
  Deduction
  Once information has been gathered through mys-
  tic senses, research among ancient lore and contacts
  with spirits, Deduction puts it all together and reveals
  what’s going on. GMs should be fairly generous with
  Deduction, because players will seldom appreciate the
  significance of occult clues; very few of us have back-
  ground knowledge of cultists, wizards and other di-
  mensions comparable to the conventions of organized
  crime, robbery or terrorism one naturally picks up
  from TV, movies and comic books.
  Area Knowledge
  Not all travels are to other dimensions. Magical he-
  roes may travel to exotic locations on Earth, and it’s
  nice to know what one can expect. For mages and other
  occult heroes, an Area Knowledge might include in-
  formation about sites of magical power, dwellings of
  ancient mages and other locations whose significance
  has somehow escaped the tourist guidebooks.
  Language
  Mages traditionally know a wide range of antique
  and obscure languages: not only are the works of the
  Ancient Masters seldom found in adequate English
  translation, some magical traditions insist that an ar-
  chaic language is essential for spells to work. A stu-
  dent of Kabbalah, for instance, must know Hebrew,
  and the Renaissance demonologists assumed that spir-
  its only responded to Latin.
  Professional Skills
  Sorcerers who use Foci might want to consider buy-
  ing a Professional Skill or two so they can craft their
  own talismans and other paraphernalia. Some magi-
  cal traditions insist that mages craft their own tools. A
  Professional Skill might also be a holdover from the
  character’s life before becoming a mage, or what they
  do in their Secret ID.
  Science Skills
  There’s nothing wrong with magical characters
  knowing a few Science Skills. Some magical traditions
  even imply such knowledge. The old alchemists, for
  instance, used the most up-to-date lab techniques
  available (in fact, they invented those techniques). Why
  shouldn’t a modern-day alchemist be at least Familiar
  with contemporary chemistry? Voodooists and witches
  both use herbs to work magic; SC: Botany would not
  be out of place. Nor would SC: Herbal Pharmacology.
  The few wizards who try to mix high-tech with their
  magic might get at least a Familiarity with Physics or
  other sciences, along with perhaps Electronics or Me-
  chanics. Finally, the scientist-turned sorcerer (which
  includes doctors and psychiatrists) is a classic charac-
  ter type, and there’s no reason such a character should
  forget everything from their former career.
  Combat Skills
  True mages seldom seem to engage in common
  brawling, but that doesn’t mean they can’t. Oriental
  mages often know Martial Arts as well as magic (in
  fact, in the Orient martial arts and magic blend almost
  without a trace). Any sort of mage might appreciate
  some Acrobatics or Breakfall when they are knocked
  head over heels by an opponent’s spell. Magical char-
  acters who are not themselves sorcerers, such as spir-
  its, mythological gods and mystic warrior types might
  have highly developed combat skills.
  Communication Skills
  Getting information can be quite important for wiz-
  ards and other magical heroes. The dwellers in the
  Occult World do not divulge their secrets easily. Act-
  ing, Conversation, Persuasion, Trading and perhaps
  
  39
  some odd forms of High Society might be needed to
  gain a potential informant’s trust. Cult leaders almost
  always have Oratory; so might any magical character,
  hero or villain, who must interact with crowds regu-
  larly. The European grimoires describe contests of will
  with summoned demons which sound a lot like an
  application of Interrogation to break the demon’s will,
  using divine names and magical implements instead
  of the spotlight in the face and the rubber hose. As for
  Seduction applied to extradimensional beings…let’s
  not even think about it.
  Cutting Skill Costs
  All this can add up to many points’ worth of skills—
  points locked away from more important combat abili-
  ties. There are, however, some shortcuts.
  First, some Language skills can be replaced by Cryp-
  tography. Wizards will seldom need conversational
  Hebrew, let alone Sumerian or Atlantean. Cryptogra-
  phy can represent their ability to translate an ancient
  magical document in a few days, no matter what ob-
  scure, ancient language it’s written in.
  Second, Skill Enhancers and using the INT-based
  skill rule helps save points on Knowledge, Professional
  and Science skills.
  Finally, GMs may allow mage PCs to
  apply Skill Enhancers to the 1 point of skill
  gained through Cramming. This way, a
  few hours of research can let a character
  gain an 11- skill in some obscure lore
  (Cramming + Scholar), region or dimen-
  sion (Cramming + Traveler), or 2 points of fluency in
  a language (Cramming + Linguist). GMs probably
  should not allow just any character to use this potent
  combination, but it is a way to represent a mage’s vast
  erudition in subjects that are not useful very often,
  while leaving points free for combat abilities.
  Perks
  Contacts And Favors
  These are quite common among all magical charac-
  ters, and can be wonderfully bizarre. They make a good
  alternative to plain experience points, too. True magi-
  cians hobnob with dimension lords and cosmic enti-
  ties—the mightiest contacts around. Since the cosmic
  kahunas seldom give any help besides cryptic advice,
  though, a Contact with the Great Geometer of Selestar
  might not cost any more points than a Contact with
  Freddy the Fence.
  Other contacts to consider include: other sorcerers,
  especially the PC’s teacher; relatively benign vampires,
  ghosts and other ghoulies; spirit mediums and other
  occult specialists; museum curators, rare book dealers
  and other folk who work with the old and obscure;
  unemployed gods of defunct mythologies; eccentric
  recluses with unique knowledge or skills; faerie lords;
  priests, mainstream or exotic; or whatever government
  agency investigates weird phenomena. Just to drive the
  group’s grim-nightstalker-detective wild, one could
  even take the sentient spirit of the campaign city as a
  Contact; it always knows the “word on the street”!
  Followers
  In the comics at least, only “Master Villain” sorcer-
  ers have Followers. However, some hero mages have
  servants or apprentices as Followers. Good-guy mages’
  Follower never are very numerous; they tend to have
  only one or two, if they have any at all. A well-designed
  Follower, however, can be a boon for both a PC and a
  GM. A Follower can help compensate for a character’s
  weaknesses, while (like a DNPC) providing another
  way for the GM to draw the PC into adventures.
  Remember that a Follower doesn’t have to be hu-
  man: it could be a ghost or spirit, a familiar, a monster,
  a sentient magic item, or some other sort of magical
  “computer” or “AID.”
  As for evil cult leaders and the like, their congrega-
  tions do not necessarily have to be bought as Follow-
  ers. The special nature of cults means that the new Perk,
  “Initiate,” may be enough.
  Fringe Benefits
  Most of the miscellaneous Fringe Benefits are no
  more and no less appropriate for wizards than for other
  heroes and villains. Mages who travel a lot might like
  an international driver’s license, for instance. There are
  still parts of the world where a noble title means some-
  thing—socially, if not legally. Sorcerers may bring pro-
  fessional licenses from their former careers. Mages who
  belong to public hero teams may win police powers.
  Finally, wizards get a few special Perks based on their
  training and deeds: Initiate and Dimension Access.
  New Perk: Dimension Access
  Some dimensions cannot be entered by just anyone
  with an Extra-Dimensional Movement power—or at
  least, not entered safely. There are persons or forces
  that block access or attack anyone who enters the di-
  mension without permission. The right to freely enter
  such dimensions is not easily won.
  Note that right of access does not mean the dimen-
  sion or its masters necessarily will be hospitable. The
  dimension may still be horribly dangerous—but at
  least one has a chance.
  The cost of this Perk depends on how many dimen-
  sions it covers and the value of the access. Access to a
  single restricted dimension is a 1 point Perk; a small
  group of related dimensions is worth 2 points; and a
  large group of dimensions is worth 3 points. In the
  system of dimensions used in this book, the only 3-
  point group of dimensions with restricted access are
  the Brialic Planes (see the chapter on Dimensions for
  an explanation of these). It is recommended that GMs
  not allow PCs to start a campaign with Brialic Access:
  the right to visit these important planes should be won
  through superior role-playing.
  
  40
  Some dimensions may be especially useful to the few
  who can visit them. Access to a dimension where gold
  and jewels are as common as rocks, for instance, can
  make a sorcerer a billionaire. A dimension with heal-
  ing powers would also be especially useful. Access to
  such dimensions may be worth extra points. If a re-
  stricted dimension has a ruling intelligence who be-
  friends anyone who passes its test to win access, then
  the PC who wins access must buy two Perks—the right
  of access and a Contact with the dimension lord.
  Dimensional access makes a good alternative or ad-
  dition to Experience Points for adventures involving
  cosmic entities. If the PCs bring the adventure to a
  successful close, the satisfied cosmic kahuna might
  award them the right to visit an important dimension.
  New Perk: Initiate
  Membership in some cults and magical societies
  carries privileges. First, one can sometimes get help
  from other members. Second, membership in a mys-
  tic society gives other sorcerers an idea of one’s power,
  prestige and connections. It’s sort of like two doctors
  comparing their medical schools and residencies—
  except the doctors aren’t judging the risk of occult ven-
  geance if they kill each other. Finally, occult groups
  may have connections with various supernatural be-
  ings, who may feel friendly to people who give the se-
  cret handshake. How many points a membership is
  worth depends on the size and power of the group,
  and one’s rank within it. For instance:
  Church Electric Deacon: 1 pt. The Church Electric is a
  small and obscure cult, but advanced members
  learn how to make friends with electricity. This lets
  them chat with lightning elementals, try exorcising
  possessed appliances, and other curious feats.
  Bone Children Initiate: 1 pt. This necromantic cult is
  feared and despised by the living in the occult world,
  but high-ranking members who know its myster-
  ies can locate and negotiate with ghouls, zombie-
  masters, vampires and other necromantic horrors
  around the globe.
  New Perk: Cult Leader
  This costs 3-5 points, depending on the size and
  power of the cult. To the occult world, cult leadership
  means one is a fairly important figure with notable
  supernatural power. To the mundane
  world, it means one’s income is tax-free and not sub-
  ject to audit. For the head of a really large religious
  group, such as the Pope, the Aga Khan or the Dalai
  Lama, this fringe benefit goes as high as 10 pts.
  This perk can substitute for other sorts of Fringe
  Benefits, particularly Followers. The difference is that
  a cult leader’s “Followers” are loyal to the cult, not the
  leader. If one can discredit a cult leader, many of the
  cultists will desert and choose a new leader. If a con-
  gregation is genuinely loyal to the person rather than
  the office, they must be bought as Followers.
  New Perk: God
  This is one step up from a cult leader. It costs 10
  points. Most dimension lords and many powerful spir-
  its (Mephistopheles, for instance) have this Perk. Ef-
  fectively they are heads of state, with resources to
  match.
  Headquarters
  Headquarters are quite common among real mages.
  A wizard’s Headquarters is called a Sanctum
  Sanctorum. The Sanctum Sanctorum has many fea-
  tures which set it apart from a normal superhero or
  villain Headquarters, and so this subject receives its
  own discussion elsewhere.
  Of the other sorts of magical characters, however,
  only the major villains are likely to have Headquar-
  ters.
  Vehicles
  Vehicles are not often seen among comic-book wiz-
  ards and magical heroes and villains. This is strange,
  for magical vehicles such as flying carpets are certainly
  common enough in fantasy and folklore.
  Wealth
  Wealth is a peculiar case. On the one hand, comic-
  book mages have big old houses with luxurious fur-
  nishings, and they never worry about paying the bills.
  On the other hand, they never flaunt wealth by pur-
  chasing yachts or the like. Perhaps it’s best to say that
  money is usually irrelevant to the mystical mage. They
  can live comfortably, and afford occasional plane tick-
  ets and artifact purchases, with no visible means of
  support.
  Talents
  Magical characters often have remarkable minor
  abilities which hint at the greater power they can wield.
  Some Talents can be considered minor spells; others
  simply suggest what a remarkable mind a wizard char-
  acter has. Some are innate abilities of supernatural
  beings. Only a few deserve special mention.
  Cramming
  The use of Cramming in combination
  with Skill Enhancers has already been de-
  scribed. It’s just the thing when Professor
  Weird must fight an ancient Mayan hor-
  ror, for example, but he doesn’t know about anything
  Mayan. For just 14 points (Cramming + 3 Skill En-
  hancers), a character can have any Language, Knowl-
  edge Skill or Professional Skill they want—just not all
  at once.
  
  41
  Danger Sense
  Danger Sense for comic-book sorcerers usually acts
  on an area. They’re always sensing some nameless
  menace growing to engulf the world. On the other
  hand, they are usually not much good at anticipating
  personal dangers such as a guy sneaking up behind
  them with a blackjack. After getting bushwhacked in a
  moment of inattention, they chide themselves for get-
  ting careless: “Curse me for a novice!” Danger Sense
  that’s limited to a local area, with no clue as to whether
  it’s the PC or somebody else in danger, gets a -Ê Limi-
  tation; Danger Sense that detects nothing less than a
  city-wide peril merits -Â; and Danger Sense that only
  warns when the entire world is in danger gets a -1 Limi-
  tation.
  Universal Translator
  Universal Translator seems virtually universal itself
  among magical characters. No matter what weird di-
  mension they go to, they never seem to have language
  troubles. Likewise, critters from other dimensions can
  usually make themselves understood when they come
  to Earth.
  Yet Universal Translator costs a lot of points. In most
  cases one can assume that travelers to other dimen-
  sions automatically pick up the local lingo. Spirits sum-
  moned to Earth, for instance, will speak the
  summoner’s tongue, while humans who go to the City-
  States of Yong will speak Yongese. Universal Transla-
  tor is really only needed for multilingual situations, or
  for special cases such as musty tomes of eldritch lore
  written in archaic languages. Language problems just
  aren’t much fun, so don’t impose them very often, so
  few characters will ever need Universal Translator.
  Powers
  But here thy sword can do thee little stead.
  Far other arms and other weapons must
  Be those that quell the might of hellish charms.
  —John Milton, Comus
  Wizards can justify having nearly any power. Those
  with Power Pools do have nearly any power. Yet mages
  in comic books and fantasy stories don’t just pull abili-
  ties out of a hat. There is a “wizard style” which some
  HERO System Powers fit and some do not.
  Adjustment Powers
  These form an important part of the sorcerer’s stock-
  in-trade. What’s a cleric without a healing spell, or a
  sorcerer without a spell of spell breaking? Adjustment
  powers can simulate many classic effects. A Drain with
  a long recovery time, or a Persistent Suppress, makes a
  fine curse. Aid can represent many sorts of augmenta-
  tions and healings. Even a fairly small Dispel can be
  useful if targeted at the right power: for instance, a
  Dispel vs. Life Support (Underwater Breathing) in an
  underwater battle.
  One can create an Adjustment Power targeted at
  nearly anything. Adjustments on Characteristics are
  just a beginning. Think of Adjustments that affect
  Movement Powers. A Drain, Dispel or Suppress can
  remove the defense protecting an opponent from one’s
  best NND attack. While there’s no way to affect Skills
  directly, a Drain or Suppress can be targeted at the
  Characteristic on which the Skill depends, with a limi-
  tation that the reduction of the Characteristic only
  applies to the Skill in question.
  Note that when using an adjustment attack against
  a fixed-cost power such as Life Supports, Enhanced
  Senses or Desolidification, the entire power must be
  Drained, Suppressed or Transferred before there’s any
  effect. Draining 5 points from a character’s N-Ray Vi-
  sion, for instance, won’t turn it off.
  Uncontrolled Adjustment Powers
  Most Adjustment Powers are Instant. Making them
  Continuous permits many unusual and powerful ef-
  fects. GMs should view Continuous Adjustment pow-
  ers, especially Uncontrolled versions, warily, but there
  may be circumstances where they are just the thing.
  Here are two notable applications:
  Uncontrolled Suppress
  An Uncontrolled Suppress is a very ef-
  ficient Power, especially if it is bought to 0
  END or on Charges. First, an Uncon-
  trolled, 0 END Suppress gives the same ef-
  fect as a ranged Drain, at less cost. Indeed, an Uncon-
  trolled Suppress is better in nearly every way—except
  that when the Suppress does shut off, all the Suppressed
  Characteristic or Power returns at once.
  GMs who allow Uncontrolled Suppress should in-
  sist on a few conditions. Unless the Suppress is a villain’s
  best black magic curse, there should be an easily dis-
  covered, easily used condition to stop the Uncontrolled.
  See the discussion of “Uncontrolled” in the section on
  Power Advantages.
  Continuous Aid
  This is another formidable Power. The character only
  needs half a Phase to activate the Aid (remember, this
  finishes one’s Phase just like making an attack) and
  suddenly they are much tougher. A Continuous END
  Aid means the character never gets tired; a Continu-
  ous BODY Aid is much better than Regeneration (un-
  less one gets hit by a Transform); a Continuous Aid vs.
  All Characteristics or All Powers (+2) makes one pretty
  much immune to Drains, Suppresses and Transfers.
  And they’re cheap: a Continuous, O END Persistent
  2d6 Aid only costs 30 Active Points!
  Obviously, GMs should disallow such Powers in
  most circumstances, or everyone will want them. They
  might still be allowed in limited circumstances: for
  instance, letting a hero or villain have a single Charge
  of Continuous Aid with a short duration. (The
  
  42
  Hierophant, in the Characters section, has this.) Ma-
  jor villains and monsters, of course, can have anything,
  but the GM should still play fair. Like any other Un-
  controlled effect, there should be some simple condi-
  tion which will stop the Aid.
  Concealment Powers
  Powers of concealment and deception are quite com-
  mon for mages, and no wonder. In a contest of magic,
  knowledge is as important as force. Many wizards be-
  lieve that the best way to deal with enemies is to avoid
  them—until one is ready for a confrontation on one’s
  own terms, ready to get in the first shot.
  Darkness And Invisibility
  Both of these powers have hidden depths. Usually,
  one only thinks of using these powers against visual
  senses, but possibilities are much wider. These powers
  can be applied versus any sense. Invisibility or Dark-
  ness vs. Hearing gives a spell of silence (which may
  block spells requiring Incantations). Invisibility vs.
  Taste/Smell is just the thing to get past guard dogs.
  There are even more exotic possibilities. Area Effect
  Invisibility or Darkness vs. Magical Senses protects a
  sorcerer’s lair from detection by enemies. Darkness vs.
  Mental Senses will play hob with searchers using Mind
  Scanning. And if a hero’s Danger Sense regularly foils
  ambushes, let the villain whip up a spell for Invisibil-
  ity vs. Danger Sense! (But keep this rare: the player
  devoted a lot of Character Points to that Talent, and
  will justifiably be upset if lots of villains can circum-
  vent it.)
  Images
  Images is another power with diverse possibilities.
  First, Images can be cast affecting any sense, not just
  the usual vision or hearing: think of Images vs. Taste/
  Smell, Touch (the illusion even feels solid!), Magic
  Detection, Mental Awareness, Spatial Awareness or
  even vs. Danger Sense or Combat Sense.
  One interesting use of Images, similar to the Dark-
  ness or Invisibility tricks mentioned above, is a use of
  Images to camouflage and conceal. This is an Image of
  something not being there. Such an Image vs. Detect
  Magic, of No Magic Here, isn’t as completely conceal-
  ing as Invisible Power Effects, but it probably costs
  fewer points (for a major spell anyway) and gets around
  one problem with Darkness or Invisibility. Those
  methods make an area impossible to magically scan,
  but a clever mage might realize that a blind spot is it-
  self something of a giveaway. Images gives a searching
  mage something innocuous to detect.
  An Images enchantment can even fool a Detect
  Magic into mistaking one sort of magic for another—
  for instance, to let a demon in disguise pass as an an-
  gel. This could be the only way to fool Aura Vision
  (see below).
  Defensive Powers
  Wizards in comic books, whether heroic or villain-
  ous, hardly ever have any Persistent Defensive Powers
  (Armor, Damage Resistance, Flash Defense, etc.) They
  leave that to the monsters, demons, non-sorcerers with
  magically-bestowed powers and interdimensional
  mega-villains. The one exception is Mental Defense,
  which is easily justified as sheer mental discipline, and
  which seems more “wizardly” than the power to
  bounce bullets off one’s chest. Force Field and Force
  Wall are the defenses most often seen among comic-
  book mages. Non-persistent forms of Mental, Flash
  and Power Defense may be defined, including Mental
  and Power Defense analogs of Force Wall (more on
  this below).
  There is no rational reason for this lack of persis-
  tent defenses. It certainly isn’t beyond the power of a
  high-powered, comic-book sorcerer. They just never
  cast enchantments of invulnerability on themselves.
  The only reason seems to be that that’s one of the signs
  that a character is a sorcerer and not a demon, mutant
  or whatever. It’s a storytelling convention, like the
  white-hatted sheriff shooting the gun from the black-
  hatted outlaw’s hand.
  In fantasy at least, when human mages do have Per-
  sistent defenses against normal, physical attack, it usu-
  ally has some eerie explanation and special effect. The
  classic is the wizard who has removed his heart (and
  thereby his life) and hidden it. One can run the wizard
  through and he doesn’t bleed. The power is Armor,
  with the special effect that the damage just doesn’t
  matter and heals instantly. (On the other hand, if the
  heroes find the wizard’s hidden heart—as they always
  do in stories—the wizard has had it.)
  Are Special Defenses Resistant?
  In magic-intensive campaigns, Killing Attacks
  bought with AVLD or Based On ECV (BOECV, about
  which, much more below) are bound to occur. BOECV
  Attacks that do BODY raise the question most sharply:
  does Mental Defense block the BODY from the attack
  as well as the STUN? In other words, is Mental De-
  fense (and by extension Power Defense, Flash Defense
  and so on) the equivalent of Normal Defenses or Ar-
  mor? This has implications for defining Special De-
  fense Force fields and Force Walls (see below).
  There is a certain consistency to insisting on Resis-
  tant Mental Defense against Mental BODY damage,
  just like one needs Resistant Physical Defense against
  Physical BODY Damage. Such a system is used in The
  Ultimate Mentalist; that work includes an optional new
  Power, Mental Damage Resistance.
  The Ultimate Supermage, however, does not use
  Mental Damage Resistance. It is assumed here that
  Mental Defense is analogous to Armor, for two rea-
  sons:
  First, BOECV is already more efficient (in many
  ways) than AVLD, at less cost. An AVLD, for instance,
  does not gain Line-Of-Sight targeting. Saying that a
  
  43
  BODY BOECV Attack would put BODY through nor-
  mal Mental Defense, while a BODY AVLD vs. Mental
  Defense would fail makes BOECV even more effec-
  tive.
  Of course, one could define the BODY AVLD as act-
  ing against Mental Damage Resistance instead, but that
  opens another can of worms. What about BODY AVLD
  vs. Power Defense or Flash Defense? Why should those
  defenses be more powerful, more able to block BODY,
  than Mental Defense? Should there be Resistant Power
  Defense too? Where does this end?
  Finally and most importantly, players may not have
  read The Ultimate Mentalist. It is very poor form to hit
  PCs with attacks against defenses the players did not
  even know existed. Therefore, it is recommended that
  Mental Damage Resistance be limited to “pure men-
  talist” campaigns, in which all the characters are built
  using the same assumptions.
  Extending Force Field
  There’s no reason why Force Field shouldn’t be ex-
  tended beyond PD and ED to cover Mental Defense,
  Power Defense and Flash Defense. These aren’t neces-
  sary: one can simply give the character some Mental
  Defense (or whatever) that costs Endurance and only
  activates along with a regular Force Field. Creating
  special-defense Force Fields, however, can simplify a
  character’s write-up. In such a case, each point spent
  on special-defense Force Field buys 2 points of de-
  fense—the same as defense that Costs END (-Â) and
  is Linked to a regular Force Field (-Â). Thus, one could
  define a 10 PD, 10 ED, 10 Mental Defense Force Field
  costing 25 points, or a 5 PD, 10 Mental Defense, 10
  Power Defense Force Field costing 15 points.
  (As mentioned, this assumes that Mental Defense is
  Resistant. If one uses the option of separate Mental
  Damage Resistance, then Force Field Mental Defense
  costs the same as PD and ED Force Fields—1 point
  per point of defense.)
  As a shorthand when recording special-defense Force
  Fields, Mental Defense can be abbreviated as “MD,”
  Power Defense as “PowD” and Flash Defense as
  “FD:___,” filling the blank with the sense group of the
  Flash.
  Extending Force Walls
  Given special-defense Force Fields, special-defense
  Force Walls seem a logical extension. Unlike exotic
  Force Fields, exotic Force Wall defense costs the same
  as normal Force Wall defense: 1 point of defense per 2
  Â Base Points (if the Force Wall has an odd number
  of points of defense, round the last point’s cost to 3
  points). There’s no cost reduction because exotic Force
  Walls have a special advantage over normal Force Walls.
  They are transparent to whatever special attack forms
  they don’t have defense against. Thus, an 8 PD, 8 ED, 8
  MD Force Wall will let Power Defense attacks (such as
  Dispels or Transforms) and Flash attacks pass through,
  but these attacks will not break the Force Wall.
  If a Force Wall has, say, only PD and no ED, any en-
  ergy attack will break the wall unless the wall was
  bought with a +Â advantage, “Transparent to ED.”
  Exotic attacks such as Mental Powers, Dispels or
  Flashes, however, already go through a PD/ED Force
  Wall like it wasn’t there (unless of course the attack
  has a PD or ED special effect, such as a projectile). It
  would be silly for a Dispel or Transform to pass through
  a normal PD/ED Force Wall without disturbing it, yet
  break a Force Wall that happened to have Mental De-
  fense added but no Power Defense. Therefore, special-
  defense Force Walls are automatically transparent to
  attacks targeted on defenses the Force Wall doesn’t
  have. That should be worth a few +Â advantages,
  which compensates for the lower cost of special de-
  fenses that cost END.
  What if the Force Wall only has special defenses—
  such as a 6 MD, 6 PowD Force Wall? In such a case, PD
  or ED attacks go right on through without breaking
  the Force Wall. If that Force Wall were, say, 6 PD, 6
  MD, 6 PowD, however, any ED attack would break the
  wall unless the PD portion is bought with the +Â
  “Transparent” advantage.
  This only leaves the problem of how to actually use
  exotic Force Walls in combat. Normal Force Walls are
  broken by the BODY of an attack. In the case of NND
  attacks, the answer is easy: they bounce, because they
  have struck the defense which absolutely negates them,
  no matter how powerful they may be. AVLD Energy
  Blasts and Killing Attacks are treated just like normal
  attacks against normal Force Walls: count the BODY
  rolled on the dice (even if the attack is Stun-Only) and
  compare it to the Force Wall’s relevant defense. But
  what about exotic attacks that don’t do BODY in any
  normal sense? Unfortunately, no general system is pos-
  sible. In each case, one must proceed by analogy.
  Mental Powers vs. Mental Force Walls
  For Mental Powers, the solution is easy. Just count
  the BODY on the dice as if the Mental Power were an
  Energy Blast. Suppose a 4d6 Ego Attack did 15 STUN,
  with a roll of 2, 3, 4, 6. If this was an Energy Blast, this
  would do 5 BODY. A 4 MD Force Wall would break
  and the target would take 11 STUN. A 5 MD wall would
  bounce the attack, and the target would take no STUN
  at all.
  Flash Attacks vs. Flash Defense Force Walls
  Flash Attacks operate the same way. This is especially
  easy because one already counts the “imaginary BODY”
  from Flash Attacks.
  Power Defense Attacks vs. Power Defense Force Walls
  Attacks vs. Power Defense, however, present prob-
  lems because they are so diverse. Here, one must pro-
  ceed by analogy. Transforms are treated as Killing At-
  tacks: count the pips on the dice and compare it to the
  Power Defense (PowD) of the wall. A Ranged Drain
  costs 1d6 per 15 points, so it is comparable to a Killing
  Attack too. Drains and Transfers are therefore also
  handled like Killing Attacks. 1d6 per 5 point Suppresses
  are treated as if they were Energy Blasts, with “imagi-
  nary BODY”; so are ranged Aids.
  
  44
  Dispels are an especially curious case, since they
  could be aimed at the Force Wall, or through it. If one
  tries Dispelling the Force Wall, the amount rolled on
  the Dispel attack is compared to the Active Points of
  the Force Wall in the normal way, although a PowD
  Force Wall gets to apply its own Power Defense against
  the attack. Casting a Dispel through a PowD Force Wall
  is handled like a Normal Attack against a normal Force
  Wall. Even if the wall breaks (a likely event consider-
  ing how cheap dice of Dispel are), the Dispel’s effect is
  reduced by the Power Defense of the Force Wall.
  Notes On Life Support
  Sorcerers in comics and fantasy often cast “spells of
  protection” to let them and their allies breathe under-
  water or live in other hostile environments.
  When is Persistent Not Persistent?
  GMs should not allow Life Support bought as a spell
  to be fully persistent—or at least, they shouldn’t per-
  mit any Limitations to reduce the cost. No Limitation
  on starting up a power is meaningful if the power
  works by itself from then on indefinitely, with no at-
  tention from the caster.
  One permissible form of more-or-less Persistent Life
  Support is a magic amulet which grants some form of
  Life Support as long as it is worn. This is acceptable
  because Foci can be lost or stolen.
  Another option is Life Support which the caster must
  re-start every now and then. To use Underwater Breath-
  ing as an example again, the spell might protect the
  caster for 24 hours or until the caster takes a breath of
  air again, whichever comes first. Such a condition
  wouldn’t even be worth a -Ê Limitation since 24 hours
  is a long time, but it could make other Limitations on
  the spell meaningful—such as Incantations, if the GM
  also stipulates that spells involving Incantations be-
  come difficult or even impossible for air-breathers to
  cast when they’re breathing water.
  LS: Immune to Disease on Others
  LS: Immune to Disease bought Usable By Others
  deserves special mention. This will not restore any
  Characteristics reduced by a disease; that requires an
  Aid. On the other hand, the LS: Immune to Disease
  spell stops any further loss, which the straightforward
  Aid might not do.
  Extending Missile Deflection
  As it stands, Missile Deflection and Reflection can
  affect spells built on PD, ED, NND/AVLD, Flash or
  Adjustment Powers, but not Mental Powers (unless
  they have a physical object or energy bolt as a special
  effect). Having sorcerers able to deflect Mystic Bolts
  defined as Energy Blasts but not ones defined as Ego
  Attacks doesn’t make a lot of sense. So, here are two
  new forms of Missile Deflection. They follow all the
  rules for standard Missile Deflection, except for which
  classes of attacks they affect.
  Missile Deflection vs. Mental Powers
  This has a base cost of 20 points. It is the equivalent
  of buying normal Missile Deflection with the “Based
  on ECV” Advantage (+1), then a Limitation, “Won’t
  Affect Normal Ranged Attacks (a -1 at least) which
  cancels out the cost. It uses ECV instead of OCV.
  Mental Missile Deflection affects any mental attack,
  including powers bought through the Based on ECV
  Advantage or NND/AVLD: Mental Defense attacks.
  The special effect only matters if the mental attack is
  bought as a physical missile, such as a drug-injecting
  dart. It can affect any sort of psionics, however, whether
  defined as mutant powers, magic or some sort of
  “psychotronic” device. Whether it lets one “deflect” an
  energy-based attack such as a pulsing laser beam that
  acts as an Ego Attack must be decided on a case-by-
  case basis by GMs. (Reflecting such an attack, though,
  is out of the question.)
  Missile Deflection vs. Mental is appropriate for sor-
  cerer “psychics.” GMs might let other sorts of mental-
  ists take it too.
  Missile Deflection vs. Any Magic
  Having gone this far, one might as well define a com-
  bined version of Mental and Normal Missile Deflec-
  tion that only affects magic. This has a base cost of 20
  points, just like Missile Deflection vs. Ranged or Men-
  tal. It affects any ranged attack with magic as its spe-
  cial effect, no matter what game mechanic is used to
  define the attack: Energy Blast, Dispel, Mental Power,
  Power Usable vs. Other at Range, whatever. On the
  other hand, it can’t affect any non-magical ranged at-
  tack such as a thrown chair.
  Combining Forms
  Characters who want a Missile Deflection that af-
  fects multiple classes of attacks, such as any mental or
  normal ranged attack, or any magical or bullet-like
  attack, must add the base costs for each class together,
  then buy any pluses to the deflection roll and other
  modifiers. (Such “general deflection” powers can get
  very expensive.) There’s no reason one couldn’t place
  each type of Missile Deflection in a Multipower
  slot…the character just has to anticipate what class of
  attack will come next, that’s all. (But putting different
  classes of Missile Deflection in Elemental Control slots
  is too abusive—just an excuse to cut the cost in half.
  Prudent GMs will not allow it.)
  Information Powers
  Special senses are very common for sorcerers and
  other magical beings. Just about every true mage
  should have a spell to Detect Magic; for more experi-
  enced mages, this could become virtually an innate
  power. Many supernatural beings can see in the dark.
  Some special senses make more sense than others
  for mages. Senses to see in the dark are traditional. Like-
  wise, Spatial Awareness or N-Ray Vision to represent
  forms of “mystical awareness” can fit in a Magical Sense
  Group. Senses like Ultrasonic Hearing or Tracking
  Scent are justified as spells conferring “animal senses.”
  
  45
  New Power: Astral Awareness
  This new Enhanced Sense enables one to see and
  target astral bodies and invisible ghosts, and that’s it.
  It costs 3 points.
  Magic-Detecting Senses
  The Radio Sense Group and Active Sonar are too
  “tech” for most wizards, but one could define a 15 point
  magical analog to Radar and Active Sonar. The char-
  acter emits “mystic emanations” which tell him, her or
  it the shape and position of objects. Magic detection
  powers will pick up these “Magic Radar Sense” ema-
  nations, just as Radio Hearing detects Radar Sense and
  Ultrasonic Hearing picks up Active Sonar.
  One of the most common sensory spells is Discrimi-
  natory Detect Supernatural. A wizard with this power
  can find information about a spell, enchantment or
  magical creature with a successful PER roll. The more
  the wizard makes the roll by, the more detailed is the
  information obtained. Just barely making the PER roll
  might give the general type of a magical aura. Making
  the PER roll by 5 could give complete details of the
  spell’s effect, function and power, including any key-
  words or other procedures needed to operate the spell,
  subject to the GM’s discretion. With the appropriate
  Knowledge Skill rolls, the detector can even make a
  good guess about who cast the spell.
  If the magic-detection sense is raised to a Sense,
  probably the easiest way to describe the sense is that
  the character “sees magic.” Not only can such a person
  tell if an object or being is magical just by looking at it,
  the person can see spirits and other things which are
  invisible to normal sight. This does not, however, pro-
  vide the character another Targeting Sense. One can-
  not target “invisible” entities with Discriminatory
  Ranged Sense Magic; one only knows that something
  is in a general area.
  If one wants a completely independent, Targeting
  magical sense, buy Sense Magic/Supernatural with the
  Targeting advantage. (To be fair, buying Targeting
  should automatically make a sense Ranged and Dis-
  criminatory.)
  “Aura Vision”
  One magical sense that has become a traditional fea-
  ture of real-world occultism is Aura Vision. Suppos-
  edly, all humans—some say, all objects—are sur-
  rounded by a shimmering halo of colored light which
  only the psychically aware can see. This power has al-
  ready been described in some detail in the HERO Sys-
  tem Almanac 1, but is summarized here for cheapskates
  who didn’t buy that book.
  Aura Vision is bought as Detect Aura, Sense, Dis-
  criminatory. Ranged isn’t necessary because normal
  auras can’t be seen more than 1 hex away. Since Aura
  Vision is a psychic effect, like the Sense Magic just de-
  scribed, auras cannot be seen at all in total darkness,
  even though they are more easily seen in dim light than
  bright light. (Not unless the character buys the sense
  as Targeting, anyway.)
  The colors in a person’s aura gives clues to their ba-
  sic personality and current emotional state. (One sys-
  tem for matching colors with meanings is described
  in the HSA1. All that really matters is that one’s sys-
  tem be consistent.) Aura Vision never gives precise an-
  swers, however. Without knowing a person for some
  time, there’s no way to tell what part of an aura is due
  to basic character and what part is due to current emo-
  tion.
  Example: Jezeray the psychic is questioning Freddy
  the Fence and gets close enough to him to see his aura.
  Freddy’s aura shows both the orange of sincerity and
  the yellow-green of deceit (yuck). Jezeray realizes this
  could mean either that Freddy is basically honest but
  now lying for some reason, or that he is normally a
  liar but is now telling a truth and anxious that he be
  believed. Jezeray suspects the latter, but starts think-
  ing of more tough questions that might make Freddy’s
  aura reveal more about his emotions.
  There is no non-magical way to disguise one’s aura,
  but perhaps a sneaky sorcerer or demon could work
  out a spell for this (see “Images,” above). If Aura Vi-
  sion is quite rare in a campaign, however, few beings
  will ever think to disguise their auras.
  Clairsentience
  This is another common power. Think of wizards
  and witches with their crystal balls and magic mirrors.
  A few points about this power deserve clarification.
  First, remember that if one wishes to use
  Clairsentience with a sense people don’t usually have,
  such as IR Vision or Magic Detection, one must buy
  the basic Enhanced Sense as well as the Clairsentience.
  Second, Clairsentience does not let one instantly find
  an object in an unknown location. Clairsentience may
  speed a search because the searcher doesn’t have to
  physically move from location to location, but search-
  ing a small town for something as small as a single
  person could still take days, and searching a major city
  for a villain’s hideout could take weeks.
  Finally, Precognition and Retrocognition demand
  special limitations, which the GM and player must
  agree to beforehand.
  Controlling Precognition and Retrocognition
  There are two ways to use precognition and
  retrocognition. The first is to scan a location’s past or
  future. Using this method, one can see who (or what!)
  enters and leaves a given spot, but one cannot move
  the “point of view” beyond the normal range for
  Clairsentience. If something moves (moved, will move)
  outside that radius, the character can only follow by
  moving himself. The insane difficulty of
  retrocognitively following a person in a fast car is left
  to the reader’s imagination.
  Second, one can follow the timeline of a specific
  object or person. In this case, how far away someone
  might have been or will be from their present location
  doesn’t matter, as long as they are within Clairsentience
  range now. Theoretically, one could watch an alien
  
  46
  visitor’s timeline back to their birth on another planet!
  (One can’t do this for people and objects of
  extradimensional origin, though, unless one’s
  Clairsentience also has the Transdimensional option.
  Otherwise, timelines break when they enter or leave a
  universe.) This method has the limitation that one
  cannot switch targets in the past or future: one can-
  not, say, follow Cardinal Krait’s timeline back to his
  meeting with Demonologist in Marrakech, then switch
  to Demonologist and see where he went after the meet-
  ing.
  Just as normal Clairsentience can’t scan a broad zone
  of space instantly, Precognition and Retrocognition
  can’t scan a long timeline instantly. A second-by-sec-
  ond trace of a subject’s timeline can be sped up, like a
  VCR on Fast Forward or Reverse, but details get lost
  because human brains pick up and process data at a
  finite speed. Quickly scanning whole decades of a
  subject’s timeline just isn’t practical.
  Locating information by looking through time takes
  a Perception roll, and fast scans impose negative modi-
  fiers. The good old Time Chart can be used to give
  modifiers. Scanning the past or future in “real time”
  speed, one segment per segment, imposes no modi-
  fier. A faster scan, one Phase per segment, imposes a -
  2 modifier on the PER Roll; one Turn per segment gives
  a -4 modifier; one minute per segment gives a -6 modi-
  fier; and so on. Long-lasting, fairly static events give
  opposing bonuses: +2 for an event lasting a full Phase,
  +4 for a Turn, etc. Using this as a guideline, GMs can
  make up reasonable modifiers for fast scans. PCs may
  well decide to just scan short sections of a timeline
  and hope they get lucky.
  Alternatively, a character can use a “selected high-
  lights” version of scanning. It is not as precise and con-
  trollable as deciding to scan, say, everything that hap-
  pened between 4 and 3 weeks ago, but when it works it
  saves the character a lot of time. In this system, each
  use of Precognition or Retrocognition picks up one
  important event from the subject’s timeline. For ob-
  jects, significant events include its creation, its use in a
  powerful magic spell or a murder, its destruction, or
  getting a new owner. For people, any event charged
  with strong emotion is magically important: birth,
  death, family tragedy, love’s first kiss, sheer terror, etc.
  The chief problem with this method is getting the
  right scene. The less important an event was to the
  subject, the harder finding the event will be. Suppose
  one is trying to solve a murder by Retrocognition, us-
  ing objects at the scene of the crime as subjects. The
  murder weapon would be perfect: it was intimately
  involved in the crime, and very close to the killer. This
  would be a straight Perception Roll to spot the
  murderer’s face. A vase shattered in the course of the
  murder would not be so good: it suffered a significant
  event (breaking), but it wasn’t closely involved in the
  crime itself. Seeing the details of the crime from the
  vase’s point of view would suffer a severe penalty, if it
  was possible at all.
  If a character has Precognition or Retrocognition,
  they must select a system for how it works, and stick
  to it. If a character scans locations, they can’t also scan
  along subject timelines. If they look for highlights, they
  can’t also do continuous scans.
  Whatever system a character uses, GMs should re-
  member that Precognition and Retrocognition only
  give sensory impressions, which the character—and
  player—must interpret for themselves. GMs should try
  to merely describe what the character sees (or hears,
  smells, magic-detects, etc.) without explaining them
  in any way.
  Mind Scanning
  At the GM’s option, Mind Scanning might give some
  very general hints about the nature of a target mind:
  “Vicious,” “Nimble,” “Like Nothing Human,” etc. It
  adds color.
  Telepathy
  Many wizards and magical characters in comic books
  and fantasy novels can read minds or project their
  thoughts. Telepathy will be a common Power, with
  many uses—and a few headaches for GMs.
  Hiding From Telepathy
  Even if a telepath successfully makes an ECV attack
  and can push past any Mental Defense, all is not lost
  for someone who wants to keep their true thoughts
  hidden. Telepathy is not an infallible way to get the
  truth.
  First, surface thoughts can be hidden using Acting.
  This is the “Method” school of acting: get inside the
  character’s head and try to think what they would
  think. The person using Acting has a Skill vs. Skill con-
  test with the telepath, their Acting skill against the
  mind-reader’s PER Roll.
  Of course, this isn’t enough if the telepath can read
  deep, hidden thoughts. Acting might, at GM’s option,
  be enough to hide even hidden thoughts if the target
  wins the Skill contest by 5 points, but this is the limit.
  Nobody can hide memories or subconscious drives.
  At least, not quickly or by themselves. Brainwashing
  can twist even deep, hidden thoughts to a desired pat-
  tern, although brainwashing takes weeks or even
  months. A few people might be able to brainwash
  themselves through self-hypnosis, but this will still take
  several hours at least, and some quite exotic skills.
  For still deeper mental conditioning, actual Powers
  are needed. A psychic adept might buy an Images vs.
  Mental Sense Group, literally creating a phony mind
  for an attacker to read. Mental powers might also be
  used to edit and rewrite another person’s mind. Simple
  changes such as “Forget you saw a monster” might be
  done with Mind Control or by Telepathy at the
  memory-affecting level (remember, Telepathy can send
  as well as receive at every level). These changes will be
  fragile: any reminder of the event or previous mental
  condition will restore the person’s memory or drives.
  Permanent change requires a Transform (q.v.)
  
  47
  Adding Color to Deep Telepathy
  In comics, it’s traditional for really deep mind probes
  to be played out as little psychodramas. Telepaths don’t
  get a dry account of the target’s memories or desires,
  they perceive themselves as moving into a full-sensory,
  wraparound world. The memory they seek will be
  played out right before their eyes. A probe into the
  target’s subconscious mind gets even more interest-
  ing, as the telepath can interact with allegorical char-
  acters representing aspects of the target’s personality.
  These inner dramas can seem to last several minutes
  or even hours, although only a few seconds pass in the
  real world.
  This “psychodrama” approach makes mind-peeping
  a lot more interesting, to GMs and players both. A deep
  probe can even develop into an adventure in itself, as
  the telepath searches through the target’s inner world.
  In such cases, the GM can scrap the “One fact per
  Phase” and breakout rules. The Telepathy lasts through
  at least one full dramatic scene, and external time
  doesn’t matter. The subject may get a chance to break
  the telepathic contact at especially stressful points in
  the psychodrama.
  Beyond the Subconscious
  As it stands, the Telepathy Effect chart only reaches
  to EGO +30. At GM’s option, Telepathy at the EGO
  +40 level reaches into humanity’s collective uncon-
  scious. The telepath can encounter living archetypes—
  legendary figures from the subject’s cultural and eth-
  nic background, personifying universal mythic themes.
  Any American, for instance, might have Uncle Sam or
  Abraham Lincoln in their deep unconscious; probing
  the mind of an American of Nordic descent might turn
  up Thor or Odin; the mind of anyone in the world
  might contain the Earth Mother, the Wise King or the
  Divine Fool…or the telepath might get a meeting with
  the Dragon. Any of them can join in psychodramas.
  Mind Link
  This power can represent spells allowing communi-
  cation with cosmic entities and dimension lords. Mind
  Scanning is still needed to initiate contact, but if the
  extradimensional bigwig is already well-disposed to the
  character, this should not be difficult. Once the Mind
  Scanning locates the target’s mind, the Mind Link can
  be established. The Mind Link can have a colorful spe-
  cial effect, such as a phantom version of the entity’s
  face appearing to talk with the caster, or the entity’s
  voice speaking from a flame in a brazier.
  Note that Mind Link is a Persistent power. If char-
  acters want, they can keep a low-level Mind Link go-
  ing indefinitely—until they enter a zone that blocks
  Mental Powers, such as an area of Darkness vs. Mental
  Sense Group.
  Mental Powers
  Wizards use Mental Powers a lot: the illusion to trick
  a powerful foe, the hypnotic command to make by-
  standers forget what they’ve seen, and so on. Defining
  a sorcerer’s mystic bolts as an Ego Attack instead of an
  Energy Blast makes them both more effective and more
  mysterious to non-sorcerers. To bystanders, two sor-
  cerers hurling Bolts of Befuddlement at each other just
  seem to be gritting their teeth and wiggling their fin-
  gers. Then, suddenly, one of them collapses. Only
  people with Mental Awareness will see the spectacular
  bolts flying back and forth. As always, sorcerers can
  give their Mental Powers all sorts of funky special ef-
  fects.
  Note that a spell doesn’t literally need to be a Men-
  tal Power to have a mental special effect. A “basic spell
  of disguise” to make people see a mage as wearing or-
  dinary clothes instead of a costume might be called a
  “psychic illusion” but the actual power is still just In-
  stant Change.
  The “Based on ECV” (BOECV) Advantage lets one
  add many innovative powers to the Mental Power ros-
  ter; see “Based on ECV” in the Power Advantages sec-
  tion below.
  Movement Powers
  Of course Flight is the most common for wizards,
  with Extra-Dimensional Movement a close second.
  (OK, EDM is actually in the Standard Powers list. So
  what.) Teleportation is pretty common, too.
  For some reason, spells to grant extra Running,
  Swimming, Superleap or Clinging just don’t seem very
  “mystical.” At any rate, they aren’t seen much in either
  comics or fantasy fiction. Gliding’s pretty rare, just
  because Flight is so much more glamorous.
  Tunneling is rare too, perhaps rarer than it should
  be: with the right special effect, Tunneling can seem
  quite mystical enough.
  FTL Movement is justifiably rare, for the whole idea
  of interstellar travel is just too “tech” to work comfort-
  ably with ancient secrets and mystic lore.
  Size And Self-Changing Powers
  Growth is usually seen only as a special effect in as-
  tral battles, where both combatants might grow miles
  high. This is best represented as a PRE Aid, not Growth.
  Shrinking magic seems almost entirely confined to fan-
  tasy stories for children: “Magic words of Poof Poof
  Piffles/Make me just as small as Sniffles!” Players (and
  their characters) may be more enterprising.
  Among related self-changing powers, Density In-
  crease is unusual, but possible special effects like a body
  of living stone or metal make it a natural for mages
  specializing in mineral magic.
  Stretching is an unusual power for any character,
  mage or not.
  Desolidification has many appropriate special effects
  besides Astral Travel (which see below). Mages can
  become clouds, or shadows, or assume “ghost form.”
  Shape Shift is better known from fantasy than from
  comics. (Think of the famous shapeshifting duel be-
  tween Merlin and Madame Mim in The Sword in the
  Stone.) Even in comics, though, wizards may use Shape
  Shift to get close to an enemy by posing as one of the
  
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  enemy’s lackeys. The special effect may be a “disguise
  of magical illusion,” but the Power is Shape Shift. Turn-
  ing into an animal is another common use of Shape
  Shift. Although by a strict reading of the rules the char-
  acter only gets the animal’s shape, GMs may allow
  shapeshifted characters to also get the animal’s natu-
  ral abilities, at their natural power level: a real bird’s
  Flight or a real wolf’s Killing Attack are pretty feeble
  by superhero standards.
  Duplication is as rare for mages as any other sort of
  character. Considering the point cost, this is no sur-
  prise.
  Multiform, on the other hand, is not too uncom-
  mon: for werewolves and other therianthropes, at least,
  if not for true mages. Here the question is simply how
  one justifies a mage having such a radically different
  alternate form. (Sirius, in Champions Of The North and
  Golem, from Creatures of the Night give two good ex-
  amples of Multiforming mages.)
  Special Powers
  The heterogeneous “Special Powers” are discussed
  (if they are discussed at all) under other categories.
  Defensive Special Powers are discussed under “Defen-
  sive Powers”; Duplication and Multiform under “Size
  and Self-Changing Powers”; Enhanced Senses and
  Mind Link under “Informational Powers”; and Instant
  Change and END Reserve under “Other Powers.”
  Other Powers
  Energy Projection Powers
  The familiar ranged attacks of the energy projec-
  tor—Energy Blast, Ranged Killing Attack, Flash, Tele-
  kinesis and Entangle—are at least as common as men-
  tal Powers for mages. Mages are set apart from mu-
  tants, victims of radiation accidents and other energy
  projectors, however, by their bizarre and colorful spe-
  cial effects and, perhaps, more exotic modifiers than
  usual.
  Change Environment
  Change Environment is pretty common for wizards.
  Weather mages can create or banish rain; necroman-
  cers cast a magic gloom to protect their undead le-
  gions from sunlight; just about any sort of mage can
  summon magical illumination. Well chosen with a
  good range of effects, Change Environment spells can
  be an important part of a wizard’s arsenal. The wizard
  only needs to find out who’s Susceptible to what…
  END Reserve
  It makes a lot of sense for a wizards to pay the END
  of their spells through an END Reserve instead of per-
  sonal END. First, this can represent a person who can
  keep casting spells ‘til the cows come home without
  making them as physically tireless as a “Brick.” Sec-
  ond, Reserve END is cheaper than personal END. Fi-
  nally, Reserve END doesn’t go away if one is knocked
  unconscious. A  END Reserve is worth considering.
  Instant Change
  This power is very common among comic-book
  magicians. The  special effect is usually an illusion to
  make their flashy “working” costume look like ordi-
  nary clothing.
  Presence
  Under some circumstances, extra Characteristics can
  be bought as Powers. But why would one want to buy
  extra Presence this way? Many players regard Presence
  as a largely worthless Characteristic anyway.
  In fact, as a Characteristic it is largely worthless. One
  must buy large (expensive) amounts of Presence to get
  really effective Presence Attacks. EGO is just as useful
  for defending against Presence Attacks, and it can be
  used for more things. Presence bought as a Power for
  special purposes, however, is highly effective.
  Offensive Presence
  Presence that can only be used for attack receives a
  -Â Limitation. The Presence may receive a further -Ê
  Limitation if it only applies to Presence Attacks for a
  limited purpose: for instance, only to cause fear or only
  to inspire trust. With these Limitations, extra Presence
  becomes quite inexpensive—enough for a character’s
  Presence Attack to become a major attack by itself. With
  a total of 60 Offensive PRE, for instance, one gets a
  12d6 Presence Attack doing, on average, 42 points. This
  will get a +10 effect on virtually any opponent. Many
  may suffer a +20 effect, making them lose a Phase in
  which they are at Â DCV. That’s no small potatoes—
  as good as an Entangle.
  Extreme Presence Attacks
  As it stands, the Presence Attack Table (page 170,
  HERO System Rulebook) only goes to (EGO or PRE) +
  30 effects. This is good enough for most situations,
  but once in a while characters may be subjected to even
  greater PRE Attacks. The GM may want some corre-
  spondingly severe effect.
  An (EGO or PRE) + 30 effect PRE Attack to inspire
  fear can make the target flee in terror, faint or surren-
  der on the spot. If loyalty and courage are intended,
  the target will follow the attacker into suicidal danger.
  In effect, it temporarily gives the target new Psycho-
  logical Limitations with Strong commitment. Previ-
  ous Psychological Limitations of less than Total com-
  mitment that might conflict with the attacker’s com-
  mand no longer apply. Total Psychological Limitations
  can be overcome with an EGO Roll.
  A PRE Attack getting a +40 effect is even more se-
  vere. The target is pretty much insane, and will be for
  some time. The new Psychological Limitations are
  Total. No pre-existing Psychological Limitation can
  override them. A frightened target will flee in blind
  panic or slip into catatonia; a target inspired with loy-
  alty will regard the PRE attacker as a living god. The
  target’s personality can be drastically changed.
  Such effects can last a long time. Completely inca-
  pacitating effects such as catatonia will only last from
  a few minutes to a few hours; they can be beat by an
  
  49
  EGO Roll at minuses (-5 for 1 minute after the attack;
  -4 for 5 minutes later; -3 an hour later; and so on). It is
  pure GM’s Option when less crippling personality
  changes are thrown off. Possibilities include:
  • When the target encounters a situation that would
  trigger the previous Psychological Limitations: for
  instance, a target with a Strong Code against Kill-
  ing being made to murder someone.
  • When the target has an opportunity to calm down
  and collect themselves. This requires at least sev-
  eral hours without stress. It may require the target’s
  friends to remind the target of his or her previous
  character.
  • For hyper-PRE attacks to inspire loyalty, the effect
  might be broken by seeing the object of devotion
  utterly humiliated.
  • For extreme cases, therapy by a trained psychiatrist
  or the use of Mental Powers like Telepathy or Mind
  Control.
  • If the new Psychological Limitations have received
  reinforcement for several days, the target’s original
  personality might be restored by nothing less than
  another hyper-Presence Attack the other way, or
  intensive treatment—Mind Surgery—by a telepath.
  Even after the full effect of the PRE Attack is bro-
  ken, though, the character’s Psychological Limitations
  might be permanently changed. If the PRE Attack went
  along with the target’s personality, those Psychologi-
  cal Limitations could be permanently strengthened.
  Conversely, PRE Attacks that opposed the target’s nor-
  mal personality might permanently weaken the rel-
  evant Psychological Limitations—or make them stron-
  ger in reaction. Permanent phobias might be gained.
  It may seem excessive to have a Presence Attack giv-
  ing results similar to a Major Transform, but consider
  how powerful the Presence Attack must be. Assuming
  a 20 PRE character—and that’s pretty typical—the PRE
  Attack must do at least 60 points. That takes a 17d6
  PRE Attack to give a 50/50 chance of affecting the char-
  acter at the PRE + 40 level. Let’s face it, in a campaign
  where most attacks run around 60 Active points, any
  85 point attack should have a fair chance of putting a
  PC down for a long time.
  Naturally, PCs in such a campaign shouldn’t throw
  around 85 point PRE Attacks. This is just the thing,
  however, for Unspeakable Lovecraftian Horrors: it’s
  how they drive insane people who just see them. Noth-
  ing else adequately represents this effect.
  Defensive Presence
  As has been mentioned elsewhere, Presence usable
  only to defend against Presence Attacks is bought with
  a -1 Limitation. This is so cheap that GMs may want
  to limit how much of it can be bought, just as with
  other defenses. It should be noted, however, that su-
  per-mages often seem quite unflappable compared to
  other folk—even other superheroes.
  Summon
  Mages have a virtual monopoly on this power. Sum-
  moning chiefly requires agreement between the player
  and the GM about what, precisely, the character can
  summon.
  Note that a spell can have Summoning as a special
  effect without using Summoning as the base power.
  The College of Demonology in FANTASY HERO, for
  instance, includes a spell which summons a little imp
  which carries things about as the spell caster directs;
  the actual power is Telekinesis, with summoning as a
  quaint special effect.
  Expanding Transform
  Transforms have so many intriguing applications
  that no one could hope to list them all. These are just a
  few interesting new options.
  Visible Effects for Cumulative Transforms
  As the rules stand, a Cumulative Transform has no
  effect until the total passes twice the target’s BODY. At
  the GM’s and player’s option, cumulative Transforms
  might partly change the target in some tactically neg-
  ligible but visually interesting way.
  Example: Dr. Weird has a 2 Âd6 Cumulative Ma-
  jor Transform, “target to frog.” He uses the Trans-
  form on a bank robber, rolling 9 BODY. This is com-
  pletely insufficient to transform the 12 BODY rob-
  ber, so the robber suffers no physical penalty. His skin
  turns green, however, while his eyes bulge out and
  webs form between his fingers.
  Admittedly, this does make a cumulative Transform
  more powerful—as long as the GM plays NPCs as sub-
  ject to panic at unearthly events (like real people are),
  instead of as purely rational tacticians (like most PCs).
  The logic in the above case is that Dr. Weird will
  need 3 shots to Transform the bank robber. Turning a
  person a third of the way to a frog, however, could fairly
  be considered a minor Transform. An all-or-nothing
  6d6 minor Transform costs the same as a cumulative 2
  Âd6 major Transform, is within the standard point
  range for superhero powers, and would have a good
  chance of successfully affecting that burglar, so why
  not allow the cumulative, visible effect?
  Transform Causing Mental Change
  Transforms could be targeted against EGO instead
  of BODY, to represent changing a target’s personality
  instead of their physical form. One would defend
  against such a Transform with Mental Defense instead
  of Power Defense. This is neither an Advantage nor a
  Limitation, since both are rather exotic defenses.
  On the other hand, not all mind-changing Trans-
  forms need be targeted at EGO. Particularly in magic-
  rich campaigns, where characters routinely have high
  
  50
  EGOs and Mental Defense, targeting a Transform
  against BODY and Power Defense will probably be
  more effective.
  A merely “cosmetic” Mental Transform can minor
  personality traits such as habits, tastes and manner-
  isms. Single Psychological Limitations can be changed
  by up to 5 points; for instance, reducing a Limitation
  from Total to merely Strong commitment, or impos-
  ing a personality trait that only occasionally becomes
  a problem. The activation or recovery roll for a Ber-
  serk or Enraged can be changed by one step (say, from
  11- to 14-). Distinctive Features based on behavior can
  be changed by 5 points, too.
  Minor Mental Transforms can change Psychologi-
  cal Limitations by up to 15 points: either the subject
  of the Limitation, the frequency of the Limitation or
  the depth of commitment can be changed. (Thus, a
  Very Common Limitation with Total commitment
  could not be erased, but it could be given a new object
  or reduced to Moderate commitment and Common
  frequency.) Berserks can be similarly adjusted. Behav-
  ior-based Distinctive Features can be changed by up
  to 10 points. Addictions to milder drugs such as alco-
  hol or marijuana can be cured or imposed. Memories
  of isolated events can be changed (for instance, to make
  a person forget they saw something.)
  Major Mental Transforms can change the target’s
  mind in any way conceivable. Whole new personali-
  ties can be created, assuming the person using the
  Transform has sufficient skill.
   Transform Causing Social Change
  Fantasy and folklore are full of cases where magic
  changes a person’s social condition. Examples include
  all those deals-with-the-Devil stories where the pacter
  not only becomes rich, but famous and politically pow-
  erful. The simplest way to represent this is through a
  Transform such as “poor person to rich person,” or
  “nobody into celebrity.”
  Of course, it can work the other way around, too
  (look at the Biblical Book of Job). Imagine the horror
  of a curse which makes everyone forget that you exist,
  and the government insists that your ID is all forged…
  It’s easy to write up: “Person to legal nonentity.” This
  is a major Transform.
  In fact, this is such a major Transform that it’s best
  left to NPCs such as demon lords and djinns. Any sor-
  cerers who have a major Social Transform should be
  reluctant to use this dangerous power. The change in
  the world is never seamless: there are always flaws and
  contradictions left in the social fabric. At best, these
  let other people deduce that an impossible change has
  occurred (which is a good reversal condition for the
  Transform). At worst, reality itself starts spontaneously
  changing, until the world reaches a timeline without
  contradiction. Usually this means erasing the existence
  of the Transformed person and the Transforming wiz-
  ard alike.
  Not all Social Transforms are so complete or so dan-
  gerous. “Cosmetic” Social Transforms produce minor
  changes in status: the loss of a job, hiring at a position
  for which the person is reasonably qualified or grant-
  ing or removing tiny Perks and Fringe Benefits such as
  a minor Contact or an international driver’s license.
  Giving someone a job for which they are not plausibly
  qualified or granting local celebrity or serious disgrace
  would be minor Transforms. So would changing the
  target’s Wealth by 5 points (up or down) or granting
  or removing fairly major Perks or 3-point Fringe Ben-
  efits. Minor Transforms can also be used to create or
  remove local paper trails (for instance, to remove docu-
  mentary evidence of business dealings). A major So-
  cial Transform can create any social status or disabil-
  ity—but not without risk.
   Transform vs. Powers
  Finally, can one transform things that don’t have
  BODY at all, such as enchantments? A sorcerer twist-
  ing one spell into another is not unheard of in fantasy
  novels or comics.
  The logic behind Transform is that “if you could kill
  someone, you might as well have changed them into
  something else.” The logic could be extended to Dis-
  pels vs. Powers: if you could dispel a Power and re-
  place it with another Power just as great, one might as
  well have Transformed the Power. Since Dispel costs a
  fifth as much as the Killing Attack on which Trans-
  form is modeled, one gets a lot more Power Transform
  than Normal Transform for the points. For a Power
  Transform, roll a normal 1d6-per-15 points Transform
  and multiply the result by 5. If the result is double the
  Active Points of the Power, one has Transformed it into
  a different Power—perhaps into no Power.
  Example: Dr. Weird tries stripping Solitaire of her
  Force Field power (a result of a tragic misunderstand-
  ing). Solitaire’s Force Field costs 26 Active Points, so
  the Wizard’s Power Transform must roll at least 52.
  Dr. Weird casts an all-or-nothing 3d6+1 Variable
  Power Transform (Any Power to No Power). He rolls
  a 12, which multiplies to 60: low for that number of
  dice, but more than enough for the purpose. Soli-
  taire cannot use her Force Field spell until Dr. Weird
  relents or she finds the reversal condition.
  A Major Power Transform can change a Power in
  any way the GM will allow. Advantages, Limitations
  and even the nature of the Power could be altered.
  Minor Power Transforms can change Powers in ways
  which may bring minor benefits or problems to the
  user, such as: changing a Power’s Special Effect (for
  instance, a fire-based EB into an ice-based EB); chang-
  ing any single Modifier on a Power; or changing one
  sort of Image Power into another. There are no Cos-
  metic Power Transforms.
  As always, the basic Power Transform only does one
  kind of change: for instance, turning a Ranged attack
  into a Nonranged attack. For a +Ê Advantage, the
  
  51
  Power Transform can do a limited class of changes,
  such as “Any Adjustment Power to Any Other Adjust-
  ment Power,” or “Rewrite Any Limitations.” For a +1
  Advantage, the Transform becomes Universal, able to
  change any target Power any way imaginable.
  Transform vs. Power definitely merits a stop sign. It
  can, however, represent a number of unusual effects
  difficult to define any other way.
  Finally, it is recommended that Power Defense be
  subtracted from Power Transform rolls before multi-
  plying by 5. Otherwise, a Cumulative Power Transform
  becomes virtually impossible to block. Transforms
  aren’t supposed to be easy!
  Regulating Universal Transforms
  Few powers are so potentially destabilizing to a cam-
  paign, in so many ways, as a Cumulative Universal
  Transform. Quite simply, the ability to change anything
  in any way imaginable raises a character to a level of
  power beyond even most superheroes or villains. A
  hero who can turn Doomsday Machines into duck-
  lings, give super-powers to any schmuck on the street,
  create thousand-dollar bills out of thin air or turn
  heads of state into hoboes can really screw up an ad-
  venture—or even an entire campaign. GMs must in-
  sist on some sort of restriction.
  First, buying Transform with the Universal Advan-
  tage does not literally let one Transform anything in
  any way imaginable. A Universal Transform only deals
  with one class of change: physical, mental, social or
  power. GMs have two choices in how they enforce this
  separation. There’s no reason why both could not be
  used in a campaign.
  The most restrictive way is to say that physical, men-
  tal, social and power Transforms are actually com-
  pletely separate powers. If one wants Transforms (Uni-
  versal or otherwise) that will cause, say, both physical
  and mental changes, one must buy two separate Trans-
  forms. Of course, these different types of Transforms
  can be placed in a Multipower.
  The second way is to insist that characters must buy
  special Knowledge Skills, analogous to Weapon or
  Transport familiarities, in order to use the exotic Trans-
  form applications defined above. The standard Physi-
  cal Transform is free. For a Universal Transform to also
  cause mental, social or power-changing effects, how-
  ever, the character must spend at least 2 points on a
  Knowledge Skill concerning that type of Transform.
  Simple, easily defined changes don’t require skill rolls,
  but GMs may ask for skill rolls if the character wants
  to cause some subtle, complicated or far-reaching
  change such as rewriting a judge’s political convictions,
  booby-trapping a hero’s energy attacks so they all turn
  into 0 Range Explosions if used against the caster, or
  changing who’s head of state.
  (As always, GMs can create special exceptions if they
  want to. One good example is changing a person into
  an animal or monster. This is done as a purely physi-
  cal Transform, but after a while the human personal-
  ity might be subsumed in the instincts of the animal
  or monster, a delayed mental effect.)
  Another good way to limit Universal Transforms is
  insist that characters must know what they are doing
  if they want to create something with significant ca-
  pabilities of its own.
  Most traditional transformations do not require
  characters to know much about what they are mak-
  ing, but then most traditional transformations don’t
  try to give the subject new abilities. If one turns a prince
  into a frog, one doesn’t need to know about amphib-
  ian anatomy; but then, frogs have no useful powers.
  Turning a block of lead into a block of gold is easy,
  too, because lumps of metal don’t do anything by
  themselves. Turning an apple into a Macintosh com-
  puter, however, should require more than casual
  knowledge: a computer can do a great many things
  “by itself.”
  In game terms, then, some applications of Univer-
  sal Transform demand that a character have certain
  skills. These applications fall into a few general cat-
  egories:
  Creating Functional Objects
  Creating a useful device requires a fairly detailed
  knowledge of how the desired object works and is
  made, whether the object is a TV set or a magic wand.
  Creating a working machine, for instance, would re-
  quire that a character have Mechanics, Electronics and/
  or perhaps an appropriate Knowledge or Professional
  Skill. Creating a magic item calls for a KS: Enchant-
  ment skill roll and perhaps a Spell Research roll as well.
  Any weapon more advanced than a basic club, spear
  or axe would need an appropriate Weaponsmith skill
  roll. Creating a computer would require skill rolls in
  Electronics, Computer Programming and SK: Com-
  puter Architecture, at the very least.
  The upshot of this is, no, you cannot use Universal
  Transform to create a device—magical or technologi-
  cal—with Powers you lack, not unless you have the
  relevant skills to create the device by normal means.
  Forgery
  It’s assumed that a mage with a Universal Transform
  can create any simple object they can imagine; it’s just
  that for complicated objects, they need special skills to
  be able to imagine them in enough detail. A wizard
  can easily make basic objects such as silverware, doors
  or statues. Unless the wizard has a relevant Professional
  or Knowledge Skill, however, objects created this way
  will be nothing to write home about. A wizard who
  tries creating a painting when he doesn’t know any-
  thing about art will create a pathetic daub, not a thing
  of beauty. (He should stick to modern art, where no-
  body can tell the difference.) As for forging a copy of
  an existing work of art, forget it. Only an expert in the
  craft or art form could have a hope of duplicating a
  Rembrandt painting or Ming vase without the actual
  object in front of them to use as a model.
  
  52
   Granting Super-Powers
  Some wizards can give “origins” at will; usually these
  are evil wizards who use this power to create lackeys
  for themselves, but there’s nothing to stop a hero with
  a Universal Transform from giving people powers. A
  heroic mage might also want to temporarily change
  their comrades into a creature that happens to have
  innate powers, or temporarily grant some single use-
  ful power (such as Life Support for an adventure in an
  unusual environment).
  Again, the wizard must buy special skills. Causing
  an origin (or just granting that one useful power) is
  rather like creating a magic item. Like that, the wizard
  needs a special Knowledge Skill, which might be called
  “Origin Enchantment.” Turning a person or other be-
  ing into a magical creature (such as turning a human
  into a dragon) takes a different skill, “KS: Magical Be-
  ings.”
   Imparting Skills
  Through Transform, it is possible to grant someone
  use of a new skill. One cannot, however, confer a skill
  one does not have oneself. For instance, a wizard who
  wanted to magically give someone the power to speak
  French could only do this if he himself spoke French.
  (And no, Universal Translator would not mean the
  wizard automatically knows all languages, all the time.
  The best the wizard could do in this case is to talk to a
  French-speaking person, or read a French book, until
  he’d temporarily picked up the language. Then for a
  few minutes he could impart French to other people.)
  Likewise, while a sorcerer could grant an ancient arti-
  fact the power of speech, he could not make it explain
  its own origin and use, because that would require cre-
  ating knowledge the sorcerer himself doesn’t have. (The
  proper Power to represent getting information from
  the artifact would be Retrocognition.)
  For Knowledge, Professional and other Background
  Skills, as well as General Skills, one cannot impart a
  skill at a greater level than one has oneself. (I.e. if one
  only has Disguise on an 11-, one cannot grant another
  person Disguise skill at 12- or better.) For skills based
  on DEX, INT or PRE, one could conceivably grant a
  higher skill proficiency, if the target’s Characteristic was
  higher than the caster’s. For instance, a wizard with a
  DEX of 11 and a Climbing skill of 12- costing 5 points
  imparted Climbing skill to someone with a DEX of
  20, he could give the skill at a 14- proficiency (base 9 +
  DEX/5, +1 for the +2 points the caster spent on the
  skill).
  Creating Sentience
  Creating a sentient being by magic is one of the most
  difficult of all feats—so difficult that in most cases it
  should not be allowed at all, on grounds that it is a
  Summon, not a Transform. It’s easy to turn a prince
  into a frog, but it’s not so easy to start with a frog and
  make a prince.
  And while we’re at it, this goes double for raising
  the dead. Resurrection involves a lot more than a Trans-
  formation defined as “dead person to live person.” This
  might be enough to get the body working again, but
  the mind? Not to mention the soul? Hah.
  Most wizards know better than to try. But if a PC
  wants to resurrect a fallen comrade through such a
  Transform, let them try it—and get a demon in their
  comrade’s flesh. At the very least, a genuine resurrec-
  tion requires a metaphysical quest into far dimensions
  to recover the person’s soul.
  Getting Around the Skill Requirements
  Most of these limitations can be evaded if the caster
  has a proper model to work from. It’s easy for a wizard
  with Universal Transform to copy something they al-
  ready have on hand. Returning to the example of mak-
  ing a Macintosh, if the wizard has a normal personal
  computer in front of them, they can make magical
  duplicates with ease: the Transform becomes defined
  not as “turn an apple into a very complicated mass of
  wires and circuits and stuff,” but as “turn an apple into
  this object right here.” Likewise, a wizard who wanted
  to forge the Mona Lisa would need great knowledge
  of painting, unless he had the actual Mona Lisa on
  hand. Conferring skills works the same way: a sorcerer
  could magically grant people knowledge of the French
  tongue if she had someone else who spoke French avail-
  able.
  “Origin magic,” however, can’t take this shortcut.
  Such a Transform is just too powerful. Trying to turn
  a person into a magical being using a living model,
  but without knowledge of magical creatures, is pos-
  sible but risky. For one thing, the copying might be
  too exact and subjects might forget their own iden-
  tity!
  Power Advantages
  Affects Desolidified
  This Advantage becomes very important in magic-
  oriented campaigns, what with astral projectors, misty
  vampires, air elementals and all. If the power only af-
  fects magically Desolid creatures, that is a -Ê Limita-
  tion tacked onto the Power.
  Attack Versus Limited Defense
  Attacks with this Advantage are a good way to rep-
  resent mystical forces which ignore “merely physical”
  defenses.
  Note that some Powers are intrinsically “AVLD”: the
  only defense against a Flash is Flash Defense, the only
  defense against Adjustment Powers is Power Defense,
  and so on. What if one wants to switch Special De-
  fenses on such a power—to create, for instance, a Drain
  that acts against Mental Defense instead of Power De-
  fense? By a strict interpretation of the rules, this re-
  quires buying the Drain with the AVLD Advantage, so
  
  53
  that 1d6 of Drain Vs. Mental Defense costs 25 points.
  Yet would substituting defenses this way really make
  the Drain so much more effective? At the GM’s op-
  tion, characters might be allowed to define Powers
  which act against some other Special Defense than the
  one listed in the rules, at no change in cost. In such a
  case, the substitution would be noted as a +0 Power
  “Advantage.”
  Even still, not all Special Defenses are equal. Mental
  and Power Defense are bought by characters about
  equally often and in about the same amounts. Flash
  Defense vs. Vision is common, but hardly anyone ever
  buys more than 5 points of it. As for Flash Defense vs.
  Hearing, Smelling or other senses, forget it. An exotic
  attack vs. Defenses like that must be bought with an
  AVLD Advantage, just as one would for an Energy Blast
  or other “normal” attack Power.
  BASED ON ECV
  This is one of the workhorses for a mage character.
  BOECV can be used to create many devious new pow-
  ers. As the HERO System Rulebook explains, powers
  with this advantage do not automatically grant one free
  Mental Awareness; they are visible; and they can only
  have effects other than STUN by the GM’s permission.
  The first two conditions are not very relevant since
  most true mages will have Mental Awareness anyway,
  one way or another, which makes all Mental Powers
  visible to them.
  Permission from the GM is presumed for the sake
  of discussion. It is further assumed that the new pow-
  ers all act vs. Mental Defense unless otherwise noted.
  Note that in many ways a ranged attack Based on
  ECV is superior to one bought as an NND or AVLD
  vs. Mental Defense, at equal or lower cost. So be it; but
  in a campaign replete with mages, Mental Defense may
  be as common as resistant PD or ED.
  BOECV Attack Does BODY
  A number of stories, in and out of comics, have pre-
  sented psychic bolts with the power to kill. This is rep-
  resented by an Energy Blast or Ranged Killing Attack
  bought Based on ECV, yet keeping the power to do
  BODY. Just as with NND attacks that do BODY, how-
  ever, this raises the cost of the Power Advantage to +2.
  Each point of Mental Defense subtracts one point
  of STUN and BODY from the damage done by the
  attack.  As explained above, under “Defensive Powers,”
  it is assumed that Mental Defense is analogous to Ar-
  mor. If one has Mental Defense be nonresistant, BODY
  BOECV Killing Attacks become rather more power-
  ful—though not overwhelmingly so as long as attacks
  are kept in the 60 Active Point Range.
  Example: The Hierophant has a new spell, the
  Souldeath Spear, a 1d6+1 RKA with BODY BOECV.
  He uses it on Solitaire and gets a pretty good roll: 6
  BODY, 18 STUN. If Solitaire’s 8 Mental Defense
  (from her Vrilshield) is Resistant, she takes no BODY
  and only 12 STUN. If not, she takes full
  damage…bad, but she is not incapacitated. On her
  next action, she will do something nasty right back
  at the Hierophant. A good STUN roll on a 4d6 RKA
  would have been much worse.
  BOECV Used Only for Targeting
  The first special use of “Based on ECV” is simply to
  make a power Indirect, with line-of-sight range. Such
  a power can be targeted with Mind Scanning, but oth-
  erwise acts vs. normal defenses. In this case, an ECV
  Entangle is just an Entangle targeted as if it were a
  Mental Power; ECV Telekinesis still acts against nor-
  mal Strength; an ECV Energy Blast is still blocked by
  normal ED or PD. When characters have powers Based
  on ECV, one must define which version of the power
  they use—and stick to it!
  BOECV Telekinesis: Psychic Puppeteering
  The BOECV Advantage can create two quite differ-
  ent Powers when applied to Telekinesis. The first ver-
  sion only uses BOECV to make the TK Indirect and
  based on Line of Sight instead of normal range modi-
  fiers. The STR of the TK is still just physical STR, which
  the target resists with their own STR. If used against
  inanimate objects, which lack an ECV for targeting,
  the object’s DCV (based on the object’s size, velocity
  and such) can be used instead.
  Alternatively, ECV TK can be a purely mental power.
  This version can only be used against targets with
  minds. Targets pit their EGO against the STR of the
  ECV TK, just as they would pit their STR against the
  STR of normal TK. If the target wins, it acts freely. If it
  fails, the attacker controls the target’s body for that
  Phase. The attacker can deliver a “psychic squeeze”
  doing STUN (with Mental Defense giving protection),
  or manipulate the target’s body like a puppet on strings.
  Like a puppet, however, the controlled person can-
  not do precise and detailed work unless the BOECV
  TK was bought with “Fine Manipulation.” With Fine
  Manipulation, the controller can make the victim fight
  with their own DEX, SPD, combat skills and powers.
  (This is better than normal TK used to control a vic-
  tim, as described in ULTIMATE MENTALIST, because
  the BOECV TK works directly on the victim’s mind,
  not their body.) If the controller lacks Fine Manipula-
  tion and tries using the victim as a puppet fighter, the
  victim is at Â OCV and DCV cannot use any form of
  combat but normal HTH combat maneuvers, with no
  skill Levels, and can only perform one action per Phase
  at the controller’s behest.
  With or without Fine Manipulation, this version
  cannot be used to lift or throw a target. That requires
  physical force, which Psychic Puppeteering lacks.
  BOECV Entangle: Mental Paralysis
  Entangles bought with the BOECV Advantage can
  also take two forms. The first, using the +1 Advantage,
  is just a normal Entangle given “Mental Power” tar-
  
  54
  geting. The second has a purely mental effect. Instead
  of restraining the target’s body, it restrains the mind.
  Such an Entangle is untouched by any physical force:
  one breaks out by pitting EGO or a Mental Power
  against its DEF and BODY.
  Such a true “Mental Paralysis” also requires an ad-
  ditional +1 Advantage. Aside from the fact that Men-
  tal Paralysis is very powerful against characters who
  don’t have a high EGO or Mental Powers, it is doing
  BODY with a mental effect—and that’s a +2 Advan-
  tage. It doesn’t matter if the BODY is to harm or to
  restrain. (A slightly cheaper but more complicated ver-
  sion of Mental Paralysis is described in The Ultimate
  Mentalist; GMs may take their pick.)
  For purposes of resisting Mental Paralysis or Psy-
  chic Puppeteering—but nothing else—GMs may al-
  low victims of these powers to Push their EGO in try-
  ing to break free. It may seem strange to push EGO,
  especially in heroic campaigns where EGO determines
  one’s ability to Push, but that does preserve the anal-
  ogy with STR used against normal Entangles. An acti-
  vated Berserk, Enraged or Strong to Total Psychologi-
  cal Limitation may grant a few extra dice of Pushed
  EGO at the GM’s option.
  Several other new options for BOECV Entangles are
  described in The Ultimate Mentalist; they are worth
  considering.
  BOECV Flash: Psychic Blinding
  When a Flash is bought with “Based on ECV,” it may
  bypass Flash Defense but each point of Mental De-
  fense negates 1 Phase’s worth of Flash effect. It is thus
  very easy to avoid Psychic Blinding at low cost, but
  this is no different from a normal Flash. The Flash at-
  tack is so potent it has to be easy to guard against. As
  always, the BOECV may be defined as just for target-
  ing, and the Flash still acting against Flash Defense.
  BOECV Area Powers
  Powers such as Images, Change Environment, Dark-
  ness and powers bought with Area Effect can also take
  the ECV Advantage. In this case, however, the only real
  benefit is that the power becomes Indirect and targeted
  by Line of Sight, perhaps through Mind Scanning. The
  Power is targeted at a hex with a CV of 3, the same as
  always. (Mentally-targeted area Powers are also dis-
  cussed in more detail in The Ultimate Mentalist.)
  Damage Shield
  Although Damage Shield is usually applied to at-
  tack powers such as Energy Blast, it can be applied to
  some other Powers as well. First, it can be combined
  with Usable Vs. Other to create truly peculiar effects.
  Consider, for instance, a Damage Shield version of
  Teleport Usable Vs. Other—just the thing against
  grabby opponents. Damage Shield applied to high
  Presence may discourage mentalists from attacking.
  Finally, Damage Shield could be applied to Missile
  Deflection, the defense that works like an attack, to
  create a Continuous version that can be maintained
  while one makes other attacks. This is a great “mystic
  shield.”
  Delayed Effect
  Although intended for use in heroic fantasy cam-
  paigns, sorcerers in other milieus might use this Ad-
  vantage once in a while. It’s a good way to represent
  one-shot powers bestowed by a demon or god: before
  using the power, the sorcerer must conduct a lengthy
  ritual to contact the spirit and ask permission.
  Ego Attack Does Knockback
  This Advantage was actually invented specifically for
  mages. In many ways the force-bolts tossed around by
  comic-book wizards act like Ego Attacks, but they can
  still send a target flying backwards when they hit.
  Invisible Power Effects
  As mentioned in the notes on Powers, things can be
  made Invisible to senses other than the usual sight and
  hearing. For purposes of this Advantage one may de-
  fine a magical sense group comprising magic-based
  Detects, Mental Awareness (but only with regard to
  sensing spirits or magical attacks based on mental pow-
  ers), Astral Awareness and special senses such as N-
  Ray Vision or “Magic Radar” which use magic as their
  special effect.
  Attacks made invisible to Danger Sense or Combat
  Sense (which may be considered a sense group of their
  own) can be very nasty. This option definitely comes
  with a stop sign. Still, it’s a good way for a wizard vil-
  lain to finally get the drop on his hated nemesis and
  put him in a death trap.
  Remember that attacks using the Based on ECV
  Advantage are still visible to normal senses unless the
  Invisible Power Advantage is used too.
  No Normal Defense
  Like AVLD, this gives wizards eerier, more “mysti-
  cal” powers which ignore mundane defenses. It should
  be noted that in an all-magic campaign, Mental De-
  fense and Power Defense (which seem to be the most
  common defenses for NND attacks) are almost ubiq-
  uitous; use AVLD or BOECV instead. NND attacks vs.
  various sorts of Life Support, though, create wonder-
  fully Gothic effects: strangling tentacles for an NND
  vs. LS: Breathing, withering for an NND vs. LS: Aging,
  or an NND vs. LS: Disease for an attack which makes
  the target’s flesh rot away in stinking corruption! NND
  attacks that do BODY—like that last—take a +2 Ad-
  vantage instead of +1.
  NND attacks can make even a tiny power pool a
  valuable asset —so one can get those few points of
  Taste/Smell Flash Defense or Life Support needed to
  block that really weird NND one’s enemy has. (But
  NNDs and AVLDs against really exotic defenses like
  Hardened Power Defense or Double-Hardened Resis-
  tant PD should not be allowed unless Power Pools are
  
  55
  common…and one wants a campaign filled with
  manic power-gaming. NND vs. The Defense Nobody
  Ever Has is very bad form, for GMs and players alike.)
  Trigger
  Powers with Trigger can represent many wizardly
  effects. For instance, a wizard might cast a STUN Aid
  or EDM spell on himself, Triggered to go off if he is
  knocked unconscious. (These can be very abusive; GMs
  should think twice, or thrice, before allowing a PC to
  have such Triggered Powers.) Powers with a Variable
  Trigger can represent all manner of traps and curses;
  add charges, and the trap can fire over and over again.
  When making a Triggered magic trap, the spell ei-
  ther needs Area Effect, or Usable By Other to let the
  spell affect the person who Triggers the trap instead of
  just the item the spell was cast upon. For instance:
  Dr. Weird puts a spell on the door to his workroom
  so that if anyone opens it without knocking in a cer-
  tain way, an Ego Attack strikes them. Just an Ego
  Attack with the Trigger would mean that the Ego
  Attack would hit the door, not the intruder (not very
  useful.) Adding Usable By Other at +Ê lets the door
  fire the Ego Attack at the intruder. Since the intruder
  is touching the door, neither the door nor Dr. Weird
  has to make an attack roll.
  A Triggered power is normally visible when cast and
  when it goes off, but is not necessarily visible to nor-
  mal senses in between. Like a bomb disguised as a tea-
  pot in a china shop, the power may be hard to no-
  tice—or it may be quite obvious, like a bundle of dy-
  namite wired to an ominously ticking clock. In the case
  of a bomb, how obvious the Triggered power is de-
  pends on the Focus. As a suggestion, a spell waiting to
  be Triggered can be found by Detect Magic, and also
  by subtle cues: a slight electrical feeling, a particular
  rune engraved on a ring, a faint odor, or something
  else which a careful and observant person could de-
  tect with their normal senses, even if they couldn’t tell
  what it meant. If the waiting magic leaves really obvi-
  ous traces such as a bright glow, sparks or a reek of
  brimstone, the Visible Limitation would be quite ap-
  propriate.
  Finally, remember that a Triggered Power does not
  gain sentience. The Triggering effect must be some-
  thing which can be objectively defined, using the senses
  of the character who set the Power, but not any of their
  knowledge. “Trigger: When Someone Who Hates Me
  Enters” is only possible by hooking the Triggered Power
  to something with Telepathy. Nor can one use “Trig-
  ger: When Mechanon Enters,” unless one somehow
  hooks the Power to something (perhaps a spirit, rep-
  resented as an AI?) which can recognize Mechanon.
  On the other hand, a Trigger such as “When 7' Tall
  Metal Humanoid Enters” is fair. So is “When Feel Pres-
  sure But See No One,” for a Triggered Power set on a
  floor or a door, to guard against invisible intruders,
  because in this case the invisibility is objectively de-
  fined: something which cannot be seen has touched
  the Trigger object. A Mental Attack could even bear a
  Trigger like “When Target Thinks of Disobedience,”
  since the ability to affect someone’s mind implies at
  least some ability to sense it.
  Uncontrolled
  This Advantage has many applications. Uncontrolled
  Continuous attacks won’t have enough Base Effect to
  do much harm, but if they do damage at all they can
  be remarkably effective in the long run. Uncontrolled
  Suppresses and Aids have already been mentioned (see
  “Adjustment Powers,” above).
  Stopping Uncontrolled Effects
  Here are some suggestions for “Ending Conditions”
  to stop an Uncontrolled combat Power, whether a de-
  fense, an Aid, Suppress or other attack.
  • A fixed time limit: For directly damaging attacks, one
  turn makes a good limit. For an Uncontrolled Sup-
  press or Transform, the limit can be raised to one
  minute. If an attack is permitted to go on longer
  than a Turn, though, there should still be some other
  way to stop the effect.
  • Charge duration: Again, however, there should still
  be at least one other way to stop the Suppress pre-
  maturely (just as with an Uncontrolled attack us-
  ing a store of END or bought to 0 END) if the
  Charge’s duration is over a Turn.
  • Any Dispel on the affected character, whether relevant
  or not.
  • Knocking out or Stunning the caster of the Uncon-
  trolled effect or making them flee.
  • A roll after each Turn or time chart increment of ef-
  fect, to see if the effect continues. For instance: an
  11- chance per Turn that an attack or defense con-
  tinues.
  • Until significantly disturbed: Powers that don’t actu-
  ally cause harm by themselves, such as Images or
  Change Environment, might last indefinitely, until
  disrupted by some outside force. For Uncontrolled
  Images, a traditional ending condition is for the il-
  lusion to be recognized as such.
  Usable Versus Others
  This Advantage is so powerful that GMs should care-
  fully examine any use of it. Remember, every power
  bought Usable vs. Others must have some defense
  which is either reasonably common (but not too com-
  mon or the Power is worthless), or which characters
  can plausibly figure out and obtain; for instance, a
  Hardened Force Wall or Force Field to block a UVO
  Teleport or Extra-Dimensional Movement. If one can’t
  figure out anything else, how about a Characteristic
  roll at minuses? With a DEX Roll at (say) -5, the UVO
  “didn’t really hit” because the victim twisted out of the
  way at the last moment; with an EGO Roll, the victim
  gritted his teeth and resisted the diabolical attack by
  sheer force of will; and so on. As usual, it all depends
  on the Special Effect of the attack.
  Mage characters
  have the possibility
  of running a lot of
  spells at the same
  time. If they get
  involved with the
  use of Trigger or
  Delayed Effect, the
  door is open for
  abuse. One way to
  combat this is to
  give a mage a
  number of “spell
  slots” equal to his
  INT/5. The mage
  would only be able
  to run a number of
  spells equal to or
  less than his spell
  slots at any one
  time. A mage could
  buy up his spell
  slots for 3 pts. each.
  Magical items with
  extra spell slots
  (such as a wizard’s
  staff) are common,
  and a lot of fun! A
  common power of
  a familiar is to give
  the mage an extra
  spell slot or two.
  
  56
  Usable By/With Others
  Use of this Advantage with Trigger has already been
  discussed. Adding this Advantage to a defensive power
  lets a good-guy sorcerer protect innocent bystanders
  from horrid thingies or hostile magic—a very heroic
  thing to do. Movement powers like Flight or Running
  made Usable With Others can represent a flying car-
  pet or a summoned horse and carriage.
  Variable Advantage
  Although expensive, a Power with this Advantage
  can be very useful. A 60 Active Point attack with a Vari-
  able Advantage can’t be overwhelmingly powerful, but
  it will let a character do at least some damage when-
  ever they hit—if they can figure out what they need.
  Even a Variable NND (net +2 Advantage) is not an
  unreasonable Power—on average it only does 14
  STUN, and the attacker may guess wrong about the
  target’s defenses. Variable Advantage can also make the
  difference between hitting with a small attack and not
  hitting at all, since the Variable Advantage can be used
  to put an Area of Effect on an attack. All in all, it is a
  good way to represent the flexibility which is such a
  hallmark of wizards.
  Variable Special Effect
  This Advantage is another good way to represent a
  wizard’s trademark flexibility. With a +Â Advantage,
  one can make a simple Energy Blast come out as light-
  ning, fire, acid, pure mystical force, high-velocity brass
  bookends or what-have-you. The added point cost
  becomes well worth while if one can identify a foe’s
  Vulnerability!
  “Any magical effect” would be a +Â Advantage since
  magic is so all-encompassing. Even “Any elemental ef-
  fect” is still quite broad.
  Power Limitations
  Activation Roll
  This shouldn’t be common for superhero mages—
  they never seem to blow a spell, except under the most
  extreme conditions (as, for instance, right after
  someone’s sandbagged them). This Limitation works
  well, however, for inexperienced mages, or mages
  whose magic is intrinsically a little out of control. Ac-
  tivation Rolls also make a good alternate option for
  characters with Variable Limitation.
  Activation Rolls such as 14- or 15- should not be
  allowed unless the character takes some serious con-
  sequence to failing the roll, such as Jammed or a Side
  Effect. Otherwise, the Activation Roll is little more than
  a way save a few points—or if it’s applied to a
  Multipower with a lot of slots, it can save a lot of points,
  with little real detriment to the mage.
  Charges
  In comics, super-sorcerers never seem to have this
  Limitation on their standard repertoire of spells. On
  the other hand, taking 16 or more Charges on a power
  may be worthwhile for the Endurance it saves. (C’mon,
  how often will Dr. Weird really need to cast more than
  16 Bolts of Befuddlement in one day?)
  Continuing Charges on Instant attacks deserve spe-
  cial mention. Continuing Charges on an attack does
  not give a character an Uncontrolled Continuous at-
  tack without paying points for such a hefty Advan-
  tage. If an Instant power is to keep doing damage to a
  target through a Continuing Charge, despite the
  attacker’s turning to do other things or the target’s
  running away, the attack must be bought to Uncon-
  trolled. Otherwise, the Power will just hang around
  the spot of the original attack instead of clinging to
  the target. A firebolt bought with Charges of 1 turn,
  for instance, would hit its target and do damage, but
  the target could move away on its next Phase and leave
  the firebolt behind. If the attacker can use the Power
  very many times in a day—which had better be the
  case for attack Powers—for any significant duration,
  the Continuing Charges can easily become a hefty
  Advantage.
  Concentrate
  However appropriate this may be for High Fantasy
  or heroic-level modern fantasy, this Limitation is usu-
  ally out of place for superheroic-level magical com-
  bat. Super-mages don’t hold back, they dive right into
  the thick of combat! Concentration works, however,
  for special big spells which the heroes must cast with-
  out interruption to save the world, or which the vil-
  lains want to cast and the heroes have to stop them. It
  may also be used as one of the alternate options for
  characters with Variable Limitation.
  Extra Time
  What goes for Concentration goes for this Limita-
  tion, too.
  Focus
  This Limitation is entirely appropriate for comic-
  book wizards. While few magic heroes rely exclusively
  on Foci, many of them have an enchanted amulet,
  magic weapon or some other magic item.
  Gestures And Incantations
  Superficially, these seem very common in magic-
  oriented comics. At least one heroic Sorcerer Supreme
  is famous for wiggling his fingers and calling out little
  rhymes in the middle of magical battles. Even this hero,
  however, doesn’t do this consistently—most of his
  regular combat spells don’t need the rhymes, for in-
  stance, and he’s broken magical bonds as they tight-
  ened around him. On the other hand, it’s equally well
  established that this hero can’t cast spells if he’s gagged
  and his hands are bound.
  When judging whether a spell caster uses Gestures
  or Incantations, one must remember both the incon-
  venience of these Limitations, and their practical ef-
  fects in combat. First, both Gestures and Incantations
  are very obvious: no whispered words or stealthy twitch
  of the fingers, someone who Gestures swings their arms
  
  57
  around like an orchestra conductor, and Incantations
  are spoken loudly and clearly. Onlookers will know that
  something is up. One can forget about striking from
  surprise.
  Gestures carry the further limit that if any damage
  gets through one’s defenses while the Gesturing takes
  place, the power is aborted. One has wasted an action.
  For Instant Powers bought without Extra Time (such
  as most attacks) this isn’t much of a problem. An en-
  emy can, however, Hold their action to try attacking
  on the same segment, at the same DEX as the mage to
  abort the mage’s attack. Such cases call for a DEX vs.
  DEX roll: if the enemy with the Held action wins, then
  if a single point of STUN, an inch of Knockback or
  any other damage gets through, the spell fizzles. This
  is an acceptable triggering condition for a Side Effect.
  Increased Endurance Cost
  There’s nothing wrong with this Limitation for spe-
  cial spells. Comic-book mages can keep casting their
  standard repertoire of spells ‘til the cows come home.
  Independent
  This Limitation isn’t really meant for superheroic
  campaigns in any case, but it might be appropriate for
  special, powerful artifacts the mage keeps in his sanc-
  tum sanctorum, and which the GM permits as plot
  devices to get adventures going. (See “Magic Items” in
  Chapter Four.)
  Only In Hero Id
  This is fairly appropriate for super-mages, who only
  seem to do major spell casting when in full regalia.
  Requires A Skill Roll
  Like “Activation,” this really isn’t appropriate for su-
  perhero-level mages. In the comics they rarely fail. Al-
  though, a student of magic might take this Limitation.
  Side Effects
  If a super-mage never blows a control roll, then Side
  Effects would seem out of the question. There is no
  reason, however, that Side Effects cannot be triggered
  by something other than a failed control roll. Side Ef-
  fects might happen if a spell is disrupted in the middle
  of casting. If someone grabs Dr. Weird on the same
  segment that he casts his firebolt spell and interrupts
  his Gestures, for instance, Dr. Weird might get a firebolt
  targeted on himself instead. Few characters accept con-
  trol rolls more limiting than 14-; any other circum-
  stance that’s about this common is acceptable as the
  trigger for a Side Effect.
  This sort of Special Effect is often seen with special,
  major spells, as a way to add dramatic tension. “Keep
  them away! The slightest interruption could be FA-
  TAL!” In particular, a spectacular Side Effect when the
  heroes disrupt the villain’s Master Spell makes a great
  way to end an adventure with a bang—and we all know
  that the awesome mystic forces lashing back at the evil
  sorcerer didn’t really vaporize him…
  Limited Harm Side Effects
  Remember, Side Effects don’t have to directly dam-
  age the character through STUN, BODY or other
  simple attacks. They can also Drain the character’s
  Powers. If a Drain only works against one of a large
  number of Powers, though, it should not receive full
  value as a Limitation. Consider, for instance, a wizard
  whose Multipower of attack spells carries the Side Ef-
  fect that any spell which is aborted (through inter-
  rupted Gestures or Incantations) or Dispelled suffers
  a 3d6 Drain—but the other spells in the Multipower
  are not affected. Such a 30 point Side Effect would only
  be worth half as much, -Ê instead of -Â.
  Side Effects That Always Happen
  Finally, a Side Effect which always happens when the
  character uses the Power should be worth more than
  normal. Double value seems appropriate. This works
  out about the same as an Activation Roll, representing
  how reluctant the character will be to use such a self-
  destructive Power. A 30 point Side Effect is an incon-
  venience, but can often be endured. A 60 point Side
  Effect will only be endured in a dire emergency.
  Variable Limitations
  This seems particularly appropriate for experienced
  heroic-level or superheroic ritual mages (see “Ritual
  Magic” and “Hermetic Theurgy” in Chapter Four) who
  must endure hefty Limitations on their spells, but have
  some leeway about which Limitations they use at any
  given time. Normally, for instance, they might rely on
  a magic wand or talisman, an Obvious Accessible Fo-
  cus; if they lose the Focus, they might get by with Ges-
  tures, Incantation and an Activation Roll or some other
  set of Limitations.
  Optional Environmental Limitations
  One possibility, familiar from fantasy, is a sorcerer
  whose powers become greater at a special time or place:
  during the night, in a consecrated shrine, on water,
  etc. The special time or place substitutes for Limita-
  tions such as Extra Time, Concentration or Increased
  END Cost that normally limited the sorcerer’s combat
  effectiveness.
  If PC mages use this option, the player and GM must
  agree upon a set of permitted Variable Limitations.
  Both “Only during the daytime” and “Only during the
  night” are fair Limitations, but if a character can use
  either one then Variable Limitations is no Limitation
  at all.
  Visible
  Originally, this Limitation only referred to Mental
  Powers which were detectable by normal senses. Its
  meaning, however, has gradually extended. Visible can
  also apply to Powers that can’t help but attract atten-
  tion, such as an Energy Blast that creates a clap of thun-
  der one can hear a mile away. Especially powerful or
  evil magic might alert wizards—or even normals—
  from miles away that Something Is Up and they had
  better do something about it.
  
  58
  Power Frameworks
  Power frameworks are absolutely necessary for all
  mages. Multipowers are the best way to get a lot of
  spells, especially if one can think of a few limitations
  to put on the point reserve. Elemental Controls can be
  very useful as well, for minor spells and powers a char-
  acter can all use at the same time. Variable Power Pools,
  however, should be handled with extreme care.
  Special Powers In Power Frameworks
  The question of Special powers and Power Frame-
  works deserves special mention. The HERO System
  rules forbid putting Special Powers in Power Frame-
  works without special permission from the GM. GMs
  are urged to be fairly liberal in granting permission, at
  least with noncombat Special Powers. Some of the
  Special Powers are overpriced, considering their lim-
  ited usefulness in combat, and some do not need to be
  Persistent for all characters. To fill out their concept,
  magical characters often have to buy odd powers that
  are only occasionally useful. A relatively free hand in
  cutting Special Power costs will help them keep up with
  regular superheroes and villains, who more fully con-
  centrate on combat in their design.
  Also, the ability to put Special Powers in Power
  Frameworks makes super mage characters unique and
  special. Everyone should be allowed to strut their stuff.
  Empower your workers of magic!
  Multipowers
  The only real reason to ban many Special Powers
  from Multipowers is that they have Persistent effects
  and would have to go away when the character
  switched slots. For this reason, Powers like Duplica-
  tion, Multiform, Instant Change or END Reserve ob-
  viously can never be placed in a Multipower. For Pow-
  ers like Enhanced Senses or Life Support, however,
  what’s the harm? The character just can’t use that Power
  all the time, that’s all. To use Life Support for an ex-
  ample, its chief use is in resisting NND attacks. Why
  shouldn’t a mage have a spell to defend against such
  attacks, without continuous immunity to hostile en-
  vironments?
  With Force Field expanded to cover special defenses,
  obviously most of those defenses can now be bought
  through a Multipower slot.
  Elemental Controls
  Many GMs consider Elemental Controls abusive;
  since some players try to use ECs as an excuse to halve
  the cost of all their Powers, they do have a point. Al-
  lowing Special Powers in ECs won’t make the problem
  any worse. The real criterion for whether a Power
  should be allowed in an EC is not whether it costs END
  or some arbitrary classification, but whether the Power
  is part of a focused character conception.
  For instance, consider Life Support. For a golem or
  other construct, obviously Life Support is a must. A
  classic living statue simply could not be harmed by
  hunger, poison gas, disease or a host of other hostile
  agents. For a golem, therefore, putting Life Support in
  an EC slot makes perfect sense. Likewise, ghosts, de-
  mons and other spirits have many such immunities.
  Whoever heard of a ghost getting cold or a demon get-
  ting sick?
  An ordinary mage, however, could not justify an EC
  slot of Life Support as constant magical immunity to
  the shocks that flesh is heir to. Life Support isn’t a logi-
  cal necessity for wizards the way it is for golems or
  spirits. On the other hand, a magic-detecting Enhanced
  Sense in an EC slot would be all right because spells
  are a wizard’s raison d’être. Spirit are traditionally sen-
  sitive to magic as well, but allowing a magic-detection
  sense in an EC would be a matter of taste. Golems,
  though, have no traditional or necessary connection
  to exotic senses, so allowing special sense modes in an
  “EC—Golem Powers” would be absurd.
  Variable Power Pools
  Variable Power Pools are so potentially destabiliz-
  ing that letting characters buy Special Powers through
  them doesn’t make a spot of difference. As with
  Multipowers, the real question is whether the Power
  has some effect that endures beyond the moment of
  its use.
  In many ways, the Variable Power Pool expresses the
  essence of the mage character. In the comics, a top-
  flight mage can produce a spell for nearly anything,
  given a few moments to think about it. Yet GMs should
  view Power Pools with grave suspicion. Here, at least,
  GMs should be very strict in what they allow and en-
  force every rule minutely.
  First, Power Pools can slow down play as the player
  decides what Powers to make next and recalculates
  everything.
  More importantly, GMs may find difficulty in chal-
  lenging a character who can have any power, especially
  if the character has a (shudder) Cosmic Pool. What’s
  more, such a character automatically becomes more
  powerful than any character without a comparable
  Power Pool—so pretty soon everyone wants Power
  Pools. The campaign can easily degenerate into a war
  of wits between players and GMs as the GM tries to
  find ways to keep pool-using PCs from knocking over
  villains with contemptuous ease, and the players try
  to figure out a Power that gets around each new villain’s
  defenses.
  Finally, if most wizards have Power Pools they may
  start seeming too much the same. “Dr. Weird’s pow-
  ers? Well, he can do just about anything with his Power
  Pool. What about your guy?” “The Phantasmal
  Stranger? He can do nearly anything too.”
  This is not to say that GMs should flat-out forbid all
  use of Power Pools. GMs simply have to be careful.
  
  59
  A small Power Pool so a character can tailor a spe-
  cial added defense, Life Support form or Enhanced
  Sense isn’t a problem, especially if the Pool can’t easily
  be changed in combat. If a PC is going to buy their
  chief attacks through a Power Pool, however, GMs
  should follow a few rules.
  Enforce the rules governing Power Pools. Remem-
  ber that even with a Control Skill Roll, changing pow-
  ers in a Pool takes a full Phase (unless the “0 Phase to
  Change Pool” Advantage is bought).
  If the player goes whole-hog and buys a Cosmic Pool
  which requires neither a Skill Roll nor any time to
  change, closely examine the Limitations used to bring
  down the Control Cost. Make sure that the Limita-
  tions really limit!
  Putting pre-existing Limitations such as Gestures,
  Incantations or Focus on a Power Pool help give mages
  distinctive styles, and give GMs a handle for challeng-
  ing the character. A mage who relies on Incantations,
  for instance, would have to use some clever strategy to
  beat a demon who radiated a wide aura of silence. A
  wizard who can’t change Powers in the middle of com-
  bat is also not quite so obnoxious.
  Insist that the player choose a well-defined special
  effect for all magic bought through the Pool. All a
  mage’s spells might have space-warping as a special
  effect, or fire, or summoning. Any powers drawn from
  the Pool would have to be justifiable in terms of that
  special effect and share minor limitations because of
  that special effect. A fire mage, for instance, might lose
  much of his power underwater, and any water-based
  spell might neutralize a firemage’s spells, as if it were a
  Dispel or Suppress of as many Active Points.
  Make it clear that Powers which don’t fit the special
  effect will not be allowed. An elementalist cannot pro-
  duce Mental Powers from a Pool; a psychic cannot
  summon demons. That fire-mage could not use whole
  classes of Powers (such as size-changing, most Mental
  powers and several others). Since players tend to be
  quite creative at finding excuses why a Power fits a given
  special effect, Limited Special Effect is usually only a -
  Ê Limitation on a Pool, and this Limitation cannot be
  used to reduce the Real Point cost of the Powers bought
  through the Pool.
  Finally, a mage might be limited to a list of approved
  spells. Such a character could start with a list of spe-
  cific spells he can pull out of the Power Pool—say, one
  for every point of INT. Further spells can only be added
  to the list through the course of play by learning them
  from other mages, tomes of lore or mystic entities, or
  through lengthy spell research conducted according to
  guidelines agreed upon by the player and GM. This is
  only a -Ê Limitation on the control cost1.
  Disadvantages
  Magical characters can have Disadvantages that are
  as distinctive as their Powers. Some Disadvantages will
  be unusual in and of themselves, including the new
  Disadvantage called Magic Limitation. Other Disad-
  vantages will be unusual because of why the character
  has them.
  Sources Of Disadvantages
  Magical Accident
  Many Disadvantages can be justified as the result of
  a mage trying to take shortcuts to power. Learning true
  magic takes years and years. Mages can get impatient,
  just like anyone else. Such shortcuts may have nasty
  unforeseen consequences: mages trying to cast spells
  beyond their real competence may suffer a magical
  accident and suffer some disability as a result. For in-
  stance:
  Psych: Gluttonous + DF: Obese (5 + 5 pts). A sorcerer’s
  headlong search for power led him to skimp on his
  mental discipline. This led to a magical accident
  which left him with an insatiable craving for rich
  food.
  Deliberate Act
  A mage might even knowingly inflict some defor-
  mity or mutilation on him or herself as a way to get
  extra power (Distinctive Features, and maybe a Physi-
  cal Limitation). Only a real fanatic, however, would
  choose such a course as a way of getting more power.
  Examples:
  Phys: One Arm (10 pts). A Satanist is so desperate for
  power from a demon lord that he hacks off his own
  right arm as a sacrifice to show his devotion to the
  “left-hand path.” The demon lord is impressed.
  DF: Hunchback (10 pts, concealable with effort). A
  rather unpleasant dimension lord marks all its ser-
  vants this way.
  Vows And Prohibitions
  Vows and prohibitions are another sort of shortcut.
  In brief, the mage gets more power either by regularly
  doing something special, or by faithfully not doing
  something ordinary. This is a common gimmick in
  tales of magic and magicians. Vows set one apart from
  common humanity and therefore seem magical.
  Sometimes the vow is to do something: for instance,
  always to help those in need, or always to wear blue.
  More often the vow is not to do something: a vow of
  celibacy, for instance, or never to show one’s uncov-
  ered face to others. The vow may be as simple as a
  schedule of rituals one must perform.
  In folklore and religion, the reasoning is either that
  some acts are spiritually “polluting” and so make one
  unfit to wield magical powers, or else that the gods
  like certain standards of behavior and reward them by
  granting magical powers. The greater the inconve-
  nience, the more power the mage gets.
  There are many ways to represent vows and prohi-
  bitions. Some are best treated as Psychological Limi-
  tations: there’s no physical consequence for breaking
  the vow, but the character is nevertheless reluctant to
  do so. Example:
  1The Editor
  thinks that limiting
  Power Pools to a
  pre-approved list of
  spells is a good
  thing. It allows a
  mage flexibility
  while limiting his
  power. Seriously
  consider this
  option.
  
  60
  Psych: Must Help Anyone in Need (20 pts). The sor-
  cerer has vowed to help anyone who is in real dan-
  ger and asks for help, even their worst enemy. The
  Ultimate Powers of Good reward the sorcerer’s self-
  less devotion with more power.
  Other vows really affect a character’s powers, and if
  the character breaks the vow their powers go away for
  a time. Such a vow is a Physical Limitation. While such
  vows probably won’t affect the character Frequently, if
  all the character’s important powers would be lost then
  the vow affects the character Greatly or even Totally.
  Recovering one’s powers usually requires a lengthy and
  difficult ritual of purification—perhaps even a special
  quest to prove one’s contrition to the gods. For in-
  stance:
  Phys: Vegetarian (10 pts). This mystic must never eat
  meat, or he will contaminate his mystic purity and
  be unable to muster more than 15 Active Points per
  spell. Regaining his purity, and the right to use
  magic, requires a long period of fasting, medita-
  tion and ritual asceticism. (Greatly limiting but In-
  frequent. It won’t be triggered in combat. Note that
  the mystic doesn’t have to know he’s eaten meat, or
  something derived from meat such as a cookie made
  with lard-based shortening.)
  If a broken vow causes more gradual harm to the
  character, it could be a Dependence or Susceptibility.
  Breaking such a vow is also not as serious, since as soon
  as the condition which violates the vow is gone, the
  character can get their STUN or powers back. Example:
  Susc: 3d6 STUN, Attacking First (20 pts). The mage
  has a vow of pacifism, an important spirit’s price
  for teaching the mage some powerful magic. The
  mage can only fight in self-defense, once someone
  else has attacked first. If the wizard breaks this vow,
  they feel some of the pain they meant to cause an-
  other. Since there are many occasions in which not
  getting in the first shot is a real combat disadvan-
  tage, this is a Common circumstance.
  Phys: Lose 15 Active Points per Spell for Each Day with-
  out Ritual Observance (10 pts). The mage must
  engage in a demanding set of rituals every day to
  keep their power. Perhaps the mage must spend
  hours meditating, perform a Mass, invoke the plan-
  etary spirit of the day or make obeisance to their
  ancestors at the family shrine. Each day they go
  without such observance, every spell loses 15 Ac-
  tive Points of effect. The wizard won’t get these Ac-
  tive Points back until they perform even more de-
  manding rituals to “get caught up.” (Greatly limit-
  ing, but probably Infrequent unless the sorcerer
  must return home to perform the rituals.)
  Commentary On Disadvantages
  Accidental Change
  This Disadvantage is seldom relevant for true mages,
  but makes sense for spirit hybrids, mythological gods
  posing as normal humans and other character types
  who actually have a distinct “Super ID” which has pow-
  ers they lack in their normal, human ID.
  This Disadvantage could be extended to cover Mul-
  tiple Personality Disorder or possession. In such a case,
  Accidental Change describes the circumstances that
  could cause a change of the controlling personality,
  and the probability of the change occurring. The player
  and GM must also agree on what conditions make the
  character change back to their “normal” personality.
  Age
  This Disadvantage might seem appropriate for
  mages, especially scholar-mages: one does not learn
  magic quickly, and traditional wizards are usually old.
  Even comic-book mages often have a touch of gray in
  their hair.
  Age, however, adds on to Normal Characteristic
  Maxima, and that Disadvantage is right out in most
  superheroic campaigns. Not recommended.
  Berserk
  This Disadvantage is very inappropriate for most
  mages, who gained their power through long and dis-
  ciplined study. It works well, however, for mighty
  megalomaniac mages, dimensional conquerors and
  perhaps for some fanatical cultists, lunatics or demon-
  pacters.
  Dependence
  This Disadvantage only really works if the concept
  is stretched a bit, such as a curse on the character which
  is held in abeyance by a special talisman the character
  must wear at all times. A Dependence could be done
  as a progressive Drain against all the character’s magic
  unless certain conditions are constantly met, making
  it a sort of vow or prohibition.
  DNPC
  Wizards, gods and other magical characters can have
  the usual DNPC family members, love interests and
  the like, but the comics have supplied two types of
  DNPCs which deserve special mention.
  The Impassive Servant
  At least one famous comic-book mage has an im-
  passive Oriental servant who tends his sanctum. The
  Warlock, a.k.a. Dr. Wraithe, of the San Francisco Pro-
  tectors has a tight-lipped and precognitive butler (see
  “The House that Jack Built” in ADVENTURERS CLUB
  #18). Impassive Servants will be Competent DNPCs,
  possibly with useful noncombat skills. Perhaps their
  greatest ability, of course, is their knack for keeping a
  cool head while all Hell breaks loose around them.
  The Enfeebled Teacher
  Some wizards learn magic on their own, but many
  have a mentor of some sort. Such a mentor might seem
  like an odd candidate for DNPC-hood: after all, the
  mentor must know more magic than the pupil, right?
  Well, yes, at least for a starting character. The mentor
  might be so old and frail, however, that he or she can-
  not really engage in combat.
  
  61
  An aged mentor-type is thus slightly less powerful
  than the PCs and has useful noncombat skills, for a
  cost of -5 points plus whatever their frequency of ap-
  pearance might give. The maximum Disadvantage
  value for an Enfeebled Teacher is thus 10 points. GMs
  should play up the teacher’s physical frailty; otherwise,
  the teacher would have to be a Contact.
  Distinctive Features
  These are usually concealable, and not too extreme:
  mages are basically people who know some unusual
  skills. One possibility, however, is the conditional dis-
  tinctive feature that can only be recognized by a rela-
  tively small fraction of the population. Either only a
  small group of people can detect the feature, or only a
  small group can appreciate what it means. While there
  are rules for Conditional Distinctive Features based on
  how easily they are detected, here it will be assumed
  that all Conditional Distinctive Features have a base
  point value of 5, for a Distinctive Feature which a small
  group will notice but which does not automatically
  provoke strong reactions.
  Mystic Aura
  Some Distinctive Features can only be detected by
  beings which have magical senses such as Detect Magic
  or Aura Vision. A demon’s ineradicable magic aura of
  evil is a good example. In this case the demon’s aura
  would be worth 10 points as a Disadvantage, because
  of the strong (usually negative) reactions of whoever
  detects the demon. Other sorts of supernatural beings
  which can otherwise pass for human could have mys-
  tic aura Distinctive Features. Some styles of magic
  (such as Necromancy) mark their practitioners with a
  mystic aura, too.
  A “mystic aura” cannot be worth more than 15
  points, for a subtle feature which causes an extreme
  and uncompromising reaction in the few who can de-
  tect it.
  Membership Token
  This Conditional Distinctive Feature consists of
  some symbol which marks the character’s allegiances
  in the Occult World. It may be a tattoo, a ring, an amu-
  let worn as a tie tack or what-have-you. Anyone can
  see it, but only people in the occult subculture have
  any chance of appreciating its significance. Such mem-
  bership tokens are generally used for members of a
  group (such as a cult) to recognize each other when
  they meet in public life. On the other hand, people
  “on the other side,” whatever that is, may notice mem-
  bership tokens as well.
  Priests and Servants of Higher Powers often wear
  membership tokens as a sign of devotion, just as many
  Christians wear a cross. A token might even have func-
  tions in spell casting, so the character won’t want to be
  without it.
  Hunted/Watched
  The dwellers in the twilight world of magic are a
  fractious lot. They tend to have enemies. What’s more,
  initiates to occult groups will be Watched by their su-
  periors and Hunted by opposing societies. Those in
  contact with Higher Powers may be Watched by their
  benefactors. (Note that Higher Powers may have funny
  ideas about inappropriate behavior—see “Vows and
  Prohibitions” above.)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima
  Superficially, Normal Characteristic Maxima seem
  almost obligatory for true mages. After all, their pow-
  ers all come from their knowledge. The problem is that
  they are also supposed to be superheroes and
  supervillains. With Normal Characteristic Maxima, it’s
  extremely expensive to buy DEX and SPD on the same
  level as the mutants and powered armor jocks. In an
  all-mage campaign where allies and opponents tend
  to operate on the same scales, this isn’t a problem. If a
  mage is the only SPD 4 hero in a mixed hero team,
  however, this is a big problem. Not recommended.
  Physical Limitation
  Many vows and prohibitions can be represented with
  these (see notes above and below).Mages might also
  have a “physical” limitation in terms of what sort of
  magic they can do; see more below, under “Magic Limi-
  tations.”
  More ordinary sorts of physical limitations might
  be used too, of course. They might even have helped
  motivate the character to become a sorcerer, in hopes
  of finding some way to remove the limiting condition.
  Example:
  Phys: Blind (15 pts). Blinded in an accident, the mage
  had to develop “subtler senses,” ultimately leading
  to greater magical proficiency.
  Most spirits have formidable Physical Limitations
  such as being dispelled when they are Stunned, un-
  conscious or at 0 BODY. PC spirits should be excep-
  tions to this rule, for rather obvious reasons.
  Public ID
  Public ID is extraordinarily rare. Very few wizards
  ever achieve that level of popular fame or notoriety.
  Simply being well-known to the occult, or even
  extradimensional community, is a Reputation.
  Reputation
  Reputations can be common in the occult world:
  lots of people in the occult community can know who
  the sorcerer is and what they can do, even if the gen-
  eral public has never heard of the wizard. Even beings
  on other dimensions might know about a super-mage.
  Reputation among a limited group (the Occult World)
  is worth 5 points less than a general Reputation. (See
  Dark Champions, pp. 41-42, for further details).
  
  62
  Rivalry
  Pretty common. As mentioned. mages are a conten-
  tious lot.
  Secret Id
  This Disadvantage is very common, as many mages
  try to hide their powers from the common herd of
  humanity.
  Susceptibility
  The notes for “Dependence” apply to this Disadvan-
  tage, too.
  Characters who gain their powers through deliber-
  ate enchantment by a wizard or supernatural being
  may have extreme Susceptibilities to uncommon ef-
  fects as an “insurance policy” by the enchanter: “So
  you turn on me, do you? Fool! What I created, I can
  also destroy!” Example:
  Susc: 3d6 STUN/phase, Freezing Purple Light (25
  points). The wizard who gave the character their
  powers arranged that the person would suffer ex-
  treme pain in areas with bright purple light and
  freezing cold. Naturally the sorcerer has a Change
  Environment spell to create such an area. (Such an
  exotic Susceptibility would be worthless if some-
  one besides the character did not know of it and
  have the ability to create such a condition.)
  Unluck
  No more or less common among mages than among
  other heroes or villains.
  Vulnerability
  Not forbidden for mages, but not recommended,
  either. Most mages have enough trouble with getting
  one-punched before they get their defenses up any-
  way, without adding to the problem with a Vulnerabil-
  ity. Spirits, mythological gods and other supernatural
  beings may well have such weaknesses, though.
  New Disadvantage: Magic Style Restriction
  This Disadvantage has three aspects. First, it restricts
  what sort of magic a wizard can acquire. It does not so
  much limit what the character is now—that’s repre-
  sented by Limitations on the mage’s Power Frame-
  works and the like—as how the character can develop.
  Of course all a wizard character’s starting powers must
  fit the restrictions. More importantly, any new spells
  gained through experience must conform as well.
  What’s more, some magic items and artifacts may fall
  outside the limits set by a Magic Restriction. It doesn’t
  matter how desperate the situation is, the character
  cannot buy or borrow certain Powers.
  A Magic Restriction can also represent intrinsic
  weaknesses of a magical style. Perhaps spells must al-
  ways use a certain Limitation or small set of Limita-
  tions. The style might impose special weaknesses or
  restrictions on the character, individually too small to
  count as separate Disadvantages.
  Finally, Magic Restrictions also function like the Style
  Disadvantage for Martial Artists. A Magic Restriction
  means that the character’s magic is relatively predict-
  able. Anyone attempting a KS: Analyze Magic Style gets
  +2 to their roll if the target has at least 10 points in
  Magic Restriction.
  The point value of a Magic Style Restriction depends
  on how wide and flexible the magic style is, and how
  severe are the restrictions and penalties suffered by the
  character.
  +5 pts
  Character only uses 1 broad style of
  magic
  +10 pts
  Character only uses 1 narrow style of
  magic
  -5 pts
  Character’s magic style is especially
  strange or obscure
  +5 pts
  Character takes minor Limitations or
  penalties
  +10 pts
  Character takes major Limitations or
  penalties
  Here are some examples of Magic Style Restrictions:
  An alchemist’s magic relies almost exclusively on
  Expendable Foci which take considerable time and
  effort to replace. The only exceptions are very minor
  spells to help him in his work. He cannot use any
  magic items or artifacts, except those created by al-
  chemy. This is a broad style of magic, but with ma-
  jor Limitations: if he runs out of potions and can’t
  get back to his lab to re-stock, that’s it, he has no
  magic: 15 points.
  Members of the Sodality of the Third Eye only do
  mental effects and cannot evoke physical forces at
  all. What’s more, they must either wear their Third
  Eye talisman (an OAF) or take an equivalent -1
  Limitation from Extra Time and Concentration (a
  -1 Variable Limitation, for a -Â Limitation on ev-
  ery spell). They can only use magic items carrying
  mental powers. “Mental effects” is a broad group of
  Powers, but Third Eye mages suffer two significant
  weaknesses. Their powers are worthless against in-
  animate objects or automata, and they must take
  care not to lose their Third Eye: 15 pts.
  The Bone Children cult only employs necromancy,
  and keeps discipline with this Magic Restriction:
  “Magic Ineffective vs. Anyone Who Know’s Caster’s
  Real Name”: 20 pts, for a narrow style which im-
  poses a severe weakness. The cult leaders know all
  the lesser members’ real names, while the lesser mem-
  bers only know the cult leaders’ pseudonyms. Natu-
  rally, all the cult members try to establish Secret Iden-
  tities!
  More examples of Magic Style Restrictions are given
  in the chapter on magic and spell casting, in the de-
  scriptions of particular magic styles.
  Do remember that not all mages need to take a Style
  Restriction! A mage might know and use spells from
  more than one style of magic, or they might have
  gained enough proficiency in their style that they can
  work around its limitations.
  
  63
  Astral Travel
  Magicians in purely magic-oriented comics some-
  times move their consciousness outside their physical
  bodies to travel in astral form—an invisible, ghostly
  double that can travel at the speed of thought. Sor-
  cerer heroes and villains who spend a lot of time with
  “regular” heroes and villains don’t use astral travel
  much. Partly this is just a plot convention. Characters
  who can instantly go anywhere and snoop around can
  ruin a plot’s suspense: “Hey Dr. Weird, before we crash
  Evil Man’s base why don’t you slip in astrally, check
  for ambushes and find where they’ve stashed the Presi-
  dent?”
  In a regular hero team, on the other hand, astral
  travel isn’t good for much besides spying. Astral travel
  gives a mage matchless mobility, but other team mem-
  bers must plod along with less exotic forms of move-
  ment. Also, the comics are clear that astral travelers
  have very little power to affect the solid world. They
  can’t be seen or heard (except by other magicians), can’t
  touch solid objects, and for the most part can only cast
  spells at other astral travelers.
  (This powerlessness does have one important ex-
  ception. Master magicians can possess other people—
  usually a DNPC or an enemy agent—and use their
  bodies to cast spells and charge to the rescue.)
  For these reasons, astral travel will not be a com-
  mon power in the sample characters provided. In case
  anyone wants it for a PC or villain, however, here’s a
  summary of how to represent magical astral travel in
  Champions.
  The Astral Form
  Power
  In the HERO System, the power to travel in one’s
  “astral body” is represented using Desolidification with
  a -1 Limitation, as outlined on pages 62-63 of the
  HERO System Rulebook. What follows is an elabora-
  tion of that basic rule. While these new rules are gen-
  erally stated in terms of magical characters, analogous
  forms of “Astral” Form Desolidification can be defined
  based on other special effects—thus, a mutant men-
  talist who clairvoyantly projects his entire conscious-
  ness, or a high-tech version of Astral Form based on
  transferring the mind into an electromagnetic “energy
  body.”
  Characters may use Desolidification to create astral
  forms. This means that they project some part of their
  essence (their soul, mental self, astral body, etheric
  double, whatever) as a vehicle for their consciousness.
  Their physical body is left behind, comatose and help-
  less. Leaving a vulnerable body behind this way is a -1
  Limitation on Desolidification. Like other Desolid
  characters, astral forms cannot affect the solid world
  in any way, unless they buy Powers with the standard
  +2 Advantage on them. Ordinarily, Astral Form
  Desolidification will be bought to 0 END, and in the
  comic books it always seems to be Persistent as well.
  Every Desolid character has, of course, one class of
  attacks by which they can be affected; for astral forms,
  these are mental powers (including Based on ECV
  Powers which are not, strictly speaking, in the Mental
  Powers Group) and, for sorcerers and magical beings,
  most forms of magical attack. (Magic defined as gen-
  erating a physical effect, such as fireballs or magically-
  created spears, will not affect an astral form. Any magic
  defined as spirit-based, however, or classic comic-book
  High Magic, will definitely affect an astral form. See
  the chapter on magic for further notes on styles of
  magic and their Special Effects.) For magical astral
  projection, astral forms can also be attacked by enti-
  ties on the supernatural Astral Dimension.
  The comatose physical body is the greatest Limita-
  tion on Astral Form Desolidification. Any damage done
  to the physical body is done to the astral form as well,
  no matter how far away the astral form may be—even
  on another dimension. Thus, it is possible to kill the
  astral form by killing the physical body. In the comics,
  the astral form also must return to the physical body
  within some set time period (24 hours is traditional)
  or the host body and astral body will both die. This
  would seldom be a problem, except that bodies can be
  mislaid. If an astral projector’s physical body is moved
  while they are away, they cannot automatically locate
  and rejoin it. (This may amount to a separate Limita-
  tion at the GM’s option, but this is not recommended.)
  Several other special rules apply to Astral Form
  Desolidification. A character in astral form—at least
  the magical version—has entered the fringes of a new
  reality, the “Astral Plane.” On the Astral Plane the rules
  governing existence are different than they are in the
  solid world. (The character has not fully entered the
  Astral Plane described in chapter on other dimensions,
  but they have almost entered it.)
  First, characters in astral form do not need to eat,
  sleep or breathe. They do not age, catch diseases or
  suffer from extremes of climate. Those are problems
  for bodies, and an astral character doesn’t have one.
  Second, astral characters can travel almost instanta-
  neously — at the “speed of thought.” They can move
  from New York to Calcutta in the blink of an eye. The
  only requirement is that they know where they’re go-
  ing. If an astral character wants to go to Calcutta but
  doesn’t have at least a rough idea where Calcutta is,
  they are out of luck. (Astral projectors should study
  their geography.) On the other hand, if they know
  Calcutta when they see it, they have no chance of los-
  ing course or “overshooting” their target. The typical
  range for travel in astral form is the solar system one is
  in, but this may vary depending on the campaign.
  Astral forms are not detectable by normal human
  senses; a new Enhanced Sense, “Astral Awareness,” is
  required to detect them. (For non-magical versions of
  Astral Form, other senses may be substituted, based
  on the special effect of the Desolidification. For in-
  stance, a high-tech “energy body” would be detectable
  by radio senses.) Against an astral form, the sense which
  
  64
  can detect it is always Targeting, even that isn’t nor-
  mally the case with that Enhanced Sense. What’s more,
  astral characters are visible to other astral projectors
  and to creatures on the Astral Plane, and anyone with
  Mental Awareness can at least sense an astral form’s
  presence, even if they can’t Target it.
  The undetectability of astral forms has a down side,
  though. Astral characters can be too undetectable.
  Unlike a normal Desolid character, they cannot talk to
  their physical comrades, only to other astral beings or
  to beings with Astral Awareness. If the astral character
  wants to talk to or be seen by someone who doesn’t
  have the necessary Enhanced Senses, the character
  must use some Power bought to Affect Solid World,
  such as Mind Link, Images or Astral Awareness Usable
  vs. Other.
  Astral characters possess all the innate powers they
  had in their physical bodies, including their Charac-
  teristics and Skills. Thus, a mutant still has his mutant
  powers or a wizard her spells. However, all equip-
  ment—anything bought with the Focus Limitation—
  remain with the host body and cannot be used! (This
  can be circumvented either by not taking the Focus
  Limitation on a gadget or magic item, or by giving the
  item itself the Astral Form Power.)
  Astral characters may use whatever powers they pos-
  sess to attack other astral beings they may encounter.
  As mentioned, however, an astral being’s powers can-
  not affect the solid world unless bought with a +2
  Power Advantage. Nor may they affect characters
  whose Desolidification is based on a different special
  effect (unless of course the astral character has a Power
  with the “Affects Desolid” Advantage).
  Astral characters can travel through any mundane
  barrier, whether physical or energy, but they cannot
  pass through any barrier which has been purchased
  with the “Affects Desolid” Advantage. Such a barrier
  must be broken by force, just like when a physical char-
  acter faces a physical barrier—only any attacks against
  the barrier must carry the +2 “Affects Solid World”
  Advantage to affect the barrier! At the GM’s option,
  some other forms of defense may block astral forms
  as well (for example, a mentalist astral form might be
  blocked by a Mental defense Force Wall).
  Astral forms thus have several advantages over ba-
  sic Desolidification: chiefly invisibility, instantaneous
  travel and Life Support. These “free” powers, however,
  are paid for by the loss of other important abilities:
  chiefly, the ability to communicate with others, and
  the ability to monitor one’s body and keep it safe.
  Finally, there’s the matter of Persistent effects. Any-
  one who plans on doing much astral traveling will cer-
  tainly want to buy the Power to 0 END, and astral travel
  in the comics is always Persistent. But Persistent
  Desolidification costs a lot of Active Points. It’s expen-
  sive even after the Astral form Limitation. And in this
  case, it shouldn’t be.
  Consider what happens when an astral character is
  knocked unconscious. If the Astral Form is Persistent,
  the Power continues. An unconscious, helpless astral
  body is left at the enemy’s mercy. If the Astral Form is
  merely bought to 0 END, the rules say that when the
  character is knocked out, the Power shuts off. The as-
  tral body instantly snaps back to the physical body—
  still unconscious, but perhaps thousands of miles or a
  dimension away.
  Which situation, pray tell, is more advantageous to
  the character?
  One of the guiding principles of the HERO System
  is that Limitations which don’t limit are worth no bo-
  nus, and Disadvantages which don’t disadvantage are
  worth no points. The same should go for Advantages
  which give no advantage. In fact, for Astral Form the
  reversed usefulness of 0 END and 0 END Persistent
  means the Advantage values should be reversed too.
  So making an Astral Form be Persistent is just a +Â
  Advantage, while leaving it 0 END with the “getaway
  special” intact is a +1 Advantage.
  Using Astral Form
  Perceptions
  Astral travel does not automatically grant a charac-
  ter the power to see in the dark or other special senses
  (unless the character bought special senses usable in
  astral form). Thus, an astral traveler could stick his
  head inside a safe, but couldn’t read the documents
  stored inside.
  Astral bodies are detectable only by Astral Aware-
  ness and magical senses. Ghosts, other astral projec-
  tors and other entities on the Astral Plane can see as-
  tral bodies just fine, unless the sorcerer has a separate
  spell to make themselves invisible to astral entities.
  Sensitives
  “Sensitives” are people who can see and/or hear
  ghosts, astral projectors and other invisible spirits.
  Some people just have the knack, without any train-
  ing. In game terms, they have Astral Awareness or
  Mental Awareness defined as a magical sense.
  Sensitives often depart from “commonsense” men-
  tality in some way. Children, lunatics, weird artists and
  superstitious old peasant women are common types
  of sensitives. Prosperous, middle-aged white males are
  never sensitives. Well, hardly ever. If the GM wants to
  give someone unexpected the “second sight,” that’s fine.
  Surprise keeps players on their toes.
  Damage
  Astral Projection itself can be Dispelled or gradu-
  ally Drained away. When this happens, the astral body
  instantly snaps back to the physical body.
  Astral bodies take damage just like real ones, or at
  least real bodies that happen to be Desolid and only
  affected by magic. Most types of magic will affect an
  astral body. The exceptions are types of magic that cre-
  ate purely physical effects, such as spells to create el-
  emental effects: fireball Killing Attacks, stone Entangles,
  lightning bolt Energy Blasts and so on just go through
  an astral body like it wasn’t there, causing no harm.
  
  65
  If the Astral Projection power is Persistent, a stunned
  or unconscious astral body does not snap back to the
  physical body. If the astral body is killed, the physical
  body dies too. If the physical body is attacked and killed,
  the astral body dies as well—again, barring special cir-
  cumstances. At the GM’s option, a “dead” astral pro-
  jector can continue to exist, in astral form, until the
  astral projection time limit is up. They have that long
  to either arrange a resurrection, find a new body (see
  below) or find a way to exist as a ghost. This could be
  an opportunity for a “radiation accident” and a rewrite
  of the character.
  Shelters
  Again at GM’s option, an astral body kept from re-
  uniting with its physical body could avoid extinction
  for a while by taking refuge in some other creature’s
  body. This does not give any control over the host body
  unless the character has Mind Control powers it can
  use astrally.
  If resurrecting the astral projector’s own body isn’t
  possible, it may be possible to find the astral body a
  permanent new body. This must be a body without an
  already resident “soul.” What this means in practice is
  up to the GM, since as mentioned this is a rather dras-
  tic change in the character. Possibilities include cloned
  bodies, the newly-deceased whose bodies haven’t en-
  tirely stopped working, a person in a persistent coma
  whose body is kept alive by life-support machines, a
  developing fetus (reincarnation!) or the character’s
  own body reanimated as a lich or zombie.
  Combat
  A person in astral form has all their powers, except
  for those powers specifically blocked by the rules. Most
  notably, all Focus-based powers are lost, unless the
  Focus itself has the Astral Form Power. A sorcerer can
  thus cast spells normally, as long as the spells do not
  require material components. The spells cannot affect
  the real world, however, unless they have the Affects
  Solid World Advantage—so in practice an astral sor-
  cerer can hardly affect the solid world at all. Combat
  between an astral and a material sorcerer is very mis-
  matched! A pair of astral sorcerers can fight each other
  normally.
  Astral Pursuit
  What if one astral entity wants to fight and the other
  one doesn’t? With instantaneous travel, it’s very easy
  to run away—poof, gone. One can try to track a flee-
  ing opponent through Mind Scanning. Once one has
  a fix on where the opponent is, one can likewise reach
  that area instantly. The phases spent locating one’s
  opponent, however, give said opponent time to rest
  and regain endurance—and maybe plan a trap. No-
  body said being a sorcerer was easy…
  Astral Search
  Players who think that Astral Form lets their char-
  acter invisibly and unstoppably scour a city in min-
  utes to find Evil Man’s secret headquarters or the
  billionaire’s runaway daughter are bound to be disap-
  pointed. For one thing, Astral Form travel gets one to
  one’s destination instantaneously—one cannot see the
  scenery along the way. That means a person cannot
  zip through every building in a city at super-speed,
  looking for criminal hideouts. Astral searchers are lim-
  ited to whatever movement rates they have otherwise.
  Even at superhero flight speed, searching a city could
  take days of constant effort. (This is another reason to
  buy some Mind Scanning or a long-range Detect.)
  Note that while “normal” villains won’t think to
  guard against astral snoops—and most of them
  couldn’t do it even if they wanted to—a sorcerer vil-
  lain will certainly take precautions. (See “Sanctums for
  Sorcerers” for further details.)
  Astral Form And The Astral Plane
  A character in Astral Form is not on the Astral Plane
  described in the chapter on other dimensions, or at
  least not completely. Magical Astral Forms skim the
  border between the physical and astral worlds. They
  can interact with ghosts and other permanent astral
  beings who stay in that part of the Astral Plane closest
  to Earth, from which the physical world is visible, but
  they cannot go deeper into the Astral Plane. To do that,
  they must use Extra-Dimensional Movement. Since
  everything on the Astral Plane is made of spirit in-
  stead of matter, an Astral Form that has fully moved
  onto the Astral Plane will be solid again, at least as far
  as anything or anyone else on the Astral Plane is con-
  cerned—even to beings who moved to the Astral Plane
  physically.
  Permanently Astral Beings
  Astral characters can face special perils. The Astral
  Plane has its own denizens, such as ghosts and ata-
  visms. Such creatures are considered to be in Astral
  Form themselves for purposes of combat. They don’t
  have to buy the actual Power, though, because under
  normal circumstances they cannot leave the Astral
  Plane. Nor can they go deeper into the Astral Plane at
  will. Their permanent astral condition is thus actually
  a disadvantage compared to astral projectors, who can
  escape back to their physical bodies.
  
  66
  Extra-
  Dimensional
  Movement And
  “Gates”
  She had told Judge Hathorne of lines and curves that
  could be made to point out directions leading through
  the walls of space to other spaces beyond, and had
  implied that such lines and curves were frequently used
  at certain midnight meetings…
  —H. P. Lovecraft, “The Dreams in the Witch-House”
  A “Gate” goes beyond basic Extra-Dimensional
  Movement. A Gate is a hole in space connecting two
  widely-separated locations. Anyone can go through an
  active Gate, in either direction, or fire attacks through
  at targets on the other side.
  The base power is usually Extra-Dimensional Move-
  ment, although Teleport is possible for short-range
  Gates within a dimension. (Very long-range Gates
  within a dimension, such as Gates to Mars or to the
  Bandok System, are best represented as EDM. Func-
  tionally, there’s little difference between another planet
  and another dimension: both are “exotic places inac-
  cessible to most people.”) Someone who can only open
  a Gate between a pair of dimensions uses the basic, 20
  point EDM; a Gate spell that can reach any dimen-
  sion, one at a time, needs a base of 40 points; a Gate
  through time costs +20 points; each +5 points doubles
  the mass a Gate can handle in 1 Phase.
  To the basic power is added the Advantages Con-
  tinuous (+1) and Usable by Others (at least +Ê). How
  much of a Usable by Others Advantage the Gate re-
  ceives depends on how many people the Gate’s creator
  wants to be able to use the Gate at once. If the Gate
  can only handle one passenger at a time, only a +Ê
  Advantage is needed. A greater Advantage, or adding
  Area Effect of some sort, lets more people use the Gate
  at a time.
  The Gate takes a new Limitation, Open Both Ways,
  for -Â: if a character opens a Gate from A to B, some-
  one at B will see the Gate open and can attack or cross
  through to A. Gates also take another special Limita-
  tion, Stays Open Until Creator’s Next Phase (-Â),
  meaning that shutting the Gate down isn’t a 0-Phase
  action that its creator can do any time. A Gate stays
  open at least 1 full Phase. Indeed, for a further Limita-
  tion a Gate might take quite a while to shut down,
  during which time God knows what might come
  through!
  Going through a Gate normally counts as a 1 Phase,
  Full Move action. (The exception would be a Gate
  based on a Teleport half-move.) If a being going
  through a Gate has more mass than the Gate is de-
  signed to handle, the Gate just takes longer to send the
  being through—assuming the massive entity can fit
  into the Gate’s opening at all. (A normal Gate, with-
  out any Area Effect Advantage, is assumed to be about
  the size of a normal, household doorway.) A gate will
  handle as much mass as it can on each of its creator’s
  Phases. If an entity had 4 times the mass a Gate was
  designed to handle, for instance, it would take 4 Phases
  to get through.
  Gate Tricks
  These only scratch the surface of interesting Gate
  variations. For many examples of tricky Gates, see the
  World of Tiers series by Philip Jose Farmer.
  Permanent Gates
  Normally a Gate only stays open as long as its cre-
  ator pays END. A Gate can be bought to 0 END Persis-
  tent/Uncontrolled (+1), however, creating a permanent
  “Wormhole.” (Adding the Independent Limitation will
  bring the point cost down a lot, although it presents
  dangers of its own.)
  One or both of the Wormhole access points can be
  mobile, such as a portal from a headquarters to a ve-
  hicle. Such a mobile endpoint is usually connected to
  a Focus which moves or is carried around. The Focus
  Limitation applies to the whole Wormhole even if only
  one end of the Wormhole has a Focus attachment, since
  if the Focus is somehow removed or incapacitated the
  Wormhole stops working.
  Gate Attack
  Normally, one has a choice whether or not to pro-
  ceed through a Gate, even if one is within its area of
  effect. By making the Gate Usable Vs. Others (+1) in-
  stead of Usable By Others, the Gate’s creator removes
  that option. Such a Gate—perhaps primed by a Trig-
  ger—makes a truly formidable trap. (But remember, a
  Power bought Usable Vs. Others must always have
  some defense which is not impossibly rare. Having
  EDM abilities of one’s own and making a DEX or EGO
  roll would be an appropriate defense against a Gate
  trap in an all-magic campaign; in a normal superhero
  campaign, Power Defense might be enough.)
  Invisible Gates
  Normally a Gate or Wormhole is visible and obvi-
  ous. One looks through it and sees an area that doesn’t
  match one’s surroundings. A Gate or Wormhole with
  an Invisible Advantage gives no such clue to its present.
  One unwittingly steps into such a Gate and bang, one
  goes from New Jersey to the Netherworld. This can be
  a bit of a shock.
  Reducing Gate Costs
  Instead of Continuous, one can use a Limitation,
  Charges with duration. Of course, if one wants to open
  a Gate several times a day, for fairly long periods each
  time, this Limitation easily becomes an Advantage. It
  
  67
  still has the improvement over Continuous in that the
  Gate’s creator doesn’t have to keep paying END every
  phase. For a further Limitation, the Gate’s creator can’t
  turn it off: the Gate stays open until the duration of
  the charge runs out. This is worth at least a -Â Limita-
  tion, and for long durations perhaps even more, but
  the Gate must be bought with the Uncontrolled Ad-
  vantage. The GM must decide how often a Gate maker
  will get in trouble because their particular Gate won’t
  close.
  All the traditional spell casting Limitations such as
  Gestures, Concentrate, Focus, extra Time, etc. can ap-
  ply to a Gate. (In fact they had better, since Gates often
  have tremendous Active Point costs.) Extra Time is
  especially good, since it prevents PCs from using Gates
  as a quick and easy escape route. If opening a Gate
  takes an hour, when the Champions Gate into the
  demon’s castle, they’re committed.
  In fantasy or science fiction, Gates often use Bulky
  or Immobile Foci. This may be an ancient monument,
  an elaborate golden door-frame, a huge, sigil-marked
  pentacle inlaid in the floor, or a Time Tunnel with
  banks of machinery. Again, this helps restrict access as
  well as reduce the Real Point cost.
  Multiple-Destination Gates
  Normally a Gate opens to only one place in one di-
  mension at a time, and the Gate’s creator selects that
  destination. Even a Gate or Wormhole spell which can
  access any dimension only accesses one dimension at
  a time; everyone who enters the Gate comes out at the
  same place. There are two ways, however, to change
  this and produce Gates which send different people to
  different locations—even though the people think they
  are entering the same Gate.
  First, there might simply be two or more Gates set
  in the same location. Someone who walks into the
  Gates’ area of effect goes through one of them at ran-
  dom. Adding a Trigger to each Gate lets the user or
  creator control which Gate activates. For instance, an
  alternating pair of Gates would have the Triggers, “Next
  person after other Gate used.” A set of overlapping
  Gates could each be Triggered by the user saying a spe-
  cific command word. Overlapping Gates might even
  be given linked sense modes so that, for instance,
  people carrying magic are sent to one destination while
  people without magic are sent somewhere else. The
  devious possibilities for multiple, Triggered Gates are
  limitless.
  Second, a +Ê Advantage can let the Gate open to a
  variety of locations. This is the same as the +Ê Ad-
  vantage used to give variable results on Adjustment
  Powers and Transforms, but here the specific Advan-
  tage used is Usable By Other. Gates already have Us-
  able By Other, but that is simply to let someone be-
  sides the creator go through the Gate; a second Usable
  By Other lets each user select a destination among a
  predetermined range while the Gate is open. The set
  of dimensions available is limited only by the base
  power of the Gate, and what the caster allows. For in-
  stance, a powerful wizard might create a Wormhole
  which lets one enter any of Earth’s astral extensions.
  Gating Within A Dimension
  Extra-Dimensional Movement, the HERO SYSTEM
  rules make clear, cannot be used to travel within a di-
  mension, either directly or by taking quick hops to and
  from other dimensions. This is undeniably arbitrary:
  if one can arrive by EDM at any location in the City-
  States of Yong, why can’t one arrive back at any loca-
  tion on Earth?
  On the other hand, nobody can afford enough
  Teleport to allow long-distance travel within a dimen-
  sion using Gating as a special effect—and character in
  the comics do this quite often. There are two solutions:
  First, throw out that line in the rules about EDM
  sending characters back to the place on Earth that they
  left. It’s really not that unbalancing if the character has
  EDM at the 30 or 40 point level. Such niceties of the
  rules matter most for combat situations. For 35 points
  a character can buy a 15" Teleport with an out-of-sight
  Floating Point, and in most combat situations that is
  enough to let a hero or villain escape. If the GM doesn’t
  allow EDM to be used at combat speeds anyway,
  whether one goes from New York to Fairyland or to
  Tokyo is really quite academic.
  Sample Gates
  Here are some basic Gates and (active points only),
  and a few examples of “customized” Gates.
  Standard Gates
  45
  EDM to 1 plane, Continuous, Use by
  Other x1 (+Ê)
  67
  EDM to Group of Planes, Continuous,
  Use by Other x1
  90
  EDM to Any Plane, Continuous, Use
  by Other x1
  65
  EDM to 1 Plane, Uncontrolled Con-
  tinuous 0 END, Use by Other x1
  97
  EDM to Group of Planes, Uncon-
  trolled Continuous 0 END, Use by
  Other x1
  130
  EDM to Any Plane, Uncontrolled
  Continuous 0 END, Use by Other x1
  
  68
  The Obelisk Of Bromion
  The Lord of Order called Bromion uses these small
  enchanted obelisks as a sampling device. He sends them
  to magic-rich worlds. They are primed to go off when
  they are among a suitable concentration of psychic
  energy. (They have an auxiliary function, not relevant
  to this discussion, which makes them attractive to
  people with untapped magical potential and provides
  fake “psychic insights.”) Then the obelisk snatches ev-
  eryone within a broad area to Bromion’s plane, the
  Millworks. The obelisk itself stays behind, as a refer-
  ence point. Bromion magically transforms his captives
  into brainwashed agents and sends them back with
  instructions to send him more groups of people.
  The Obelisk is a slender pyramid of gray stone
  roughly a foot square at the base and four feet tall. Its
  surface is carved with occult sigils.
  13 EDM to Millworks, Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged,
  Trigger: Supposed Power Invoked in Area With High
  Psychic Potential (+Ê), Personal Immunity, 6" Radius
  AE (+1), Independent (-2), Bulky OAF (-1 Â), 0 Range,
  4 charges of 1 phase [80]
  Shining Door
  As everybody knows, mirrors are weak points in
  space-time. Alice fell through the looking-glass, the
  Chinese have legends which prophecy an eventual in-
  vasion through mirrors, and mirrors are as popular as
  crystal balls for scrying. Every mirror is a gateway to
  the Astral Plane just waiting to open.
  This spell turns an ordinary mirror into a Worm-
  hole to the Astral Plane. The only requirement is that
  the mirror be large enough for one to move through.
  The Wormhole leads to the section of the Astral Plane
  corresponding to the mirror’s location on Earth.
  The Shining Door will eventually decay on its own
  if someone doesn’t close it, but it will certainly last for
  hours and might last for days. If all else fails, the Shin-
  ing Door also can be cast on the Astral Plane to get to
  Earth: one must simply find a mirror which has been
  in the same place on Earth for long enough to have an
  astral version form.
  The caster must recite a lengthy incantation while
  tracing designs on the mirror with his finger or a
  pointer. A Shining Door is discernable from an ordi-
  nary mirror in that the reflected image blurs and
  ripples, as if seen through water. To use the Shining
  Door, one steps through into the section of the Astral
  Plane corresponding to the mirror’s location.
  13 EDM to/from Astral Plane, Continuous Uncon-
  trolled 0 END, Use by Other x1 (+Ê), Opens Both
  Ways (-Â), 1 Phase Extra Time to Close (-Â), initial 5
  minutes Extra Time to Open (-1), Gestures, Incanta-
  tion, OAF Mirror, Concentrate to 0 DCV (-Â) [65]
  More Fantastic Foci
  of Legend
  “Venus” Figures
  Paleontologists have found hundreds of these
  little stone statues in European and Middle East-
  ern caves where stone age humans once lived.
  They depict women with huge breasts and hips.
  No one knows exactly what they were used for,
  but they certainly had something to do with fer-
  tility.
  The Hope Diamond
  This jewel is unique: a steel-blue diamond that
  fluoresces deep, bloody red in ultraviolet light. If
  there was ever a documented case of a real life
  curse, this is it. The story goes that the Hope was
  cut from the diamond eye of an Indian idol, and
  the goddess Sita destroys every owner of the dia-
  mond. In fact, a remarkable number of the Hope’s
  owners (including the one for whom it is named)
  have died from murder, suicide or violent acci-
  dent, and one went mad. The Hope diamond is
  now on display in the Smithsonian Museum: its
  current owner is the United States Government.
  ‘Nuff said?
  Madame Blavatsky’s Apport
  Teasets
  Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder
  of Theosophy, never worried about being short a
  teacup, saucer or set of sugar tongs; depending
  on the story, she either just materialized them by
  psychic power, or her immortal Tibetan teacher
  would teleport the needed item to her. Many items
  of her magically produced tableware are still
  owned and revered by the Theosophical Society.
  The Crystal Skull Of Lubaantun
  This life-size human skull carved out of rock
  crystal was allegedly discovered in a ruined Mayan
  city in 1927, and archeologists still don’t know if
  it is a real antiquity or a clever fake: it’s impos-
  sible to date. Other crystal skull models have been
  found in Maya country, but none have displayed
  such skilled workmanship. If a light is applied at
  the “neck” of the Crystal Skull, the eyesockets
  glow.
  
  Before my murmured exorcism
  The world, a wispy wraith, shall flee:
  A stranger earth, a weirder sea
  Peopled with shapes of Faery,
  Shall swell upon the waste abysm.
  —Clark Ashton Smith, Song of the Necromancer
  Ah, yes. The infinite planes of the Multiverse. Visits
  to bizarre, alien universes form an important part of
  comic-book wizardry. Heroes may need to harrow Hell,
  fight an extradimensional conqueror on his home
  ground, escape from a hostile cosmos or quest through
  strange worlds to stop a villain’s plot. Even the famil-
  Chapter 3:
  Other Dimensions And The
  Multiverse
  iar “dreamscape” story, in which the heroes have to
  search through the hallucinatory landscape of another
  person’s mind and memories, is a visit to another di-
  mension.
  This chapter provides some hints and suggestions
  for designing alien dimensions and using them in a
  campaign. It also supplies a general scheme for the
  Multiverse and earth’s place within it, which GMs can
  use if they like. Finally, the bulk of the chapter is taken
  up with descriptions of several dimensions, ready for
  GMs to use as settings for adventures.
  
  70
  Functions Of Alien
  Dimensions
  Other dimensions play several roles in a superhe-
  roes campaign.
  First, they make colorful settings for adventures. This
  can be pure tourism. Other dimensions give GMs a
  chance to let the heroes visit locations and people that
  could never exist on Earth. While the mundane world
  has its uses as a setting for fantasy, it’s fun to imagine
  visiting someplace spectacularly different. A vivid de-
  scription of an extradimensional scene raises the play-
  ers’ sense of wonder and prepares them for further
  wonders.
  Second, other dimensions provide a home for crea-
  tures of magic and fantasy, from goblins to gods. Such
  creatures conspicuously do not exist on Earth: as long
  as one keeps the game milieu even remotely like the
  real world, the monsters and magical races have to live
  somewhere else.
  Alien dimensions, like alien worlds, also give the GM
  a chance to play with bizarre cultures. An alien culture
  may be no more than another bit of local color (“Hey
  Dr. Weird, why does everyone wear fruit on their head
  like Carmen Miranda?”) or it may form the focus of
  the adventure. The dimension’s inhabitants might be
  hostile to PCs who break some odd cultural taboo, or
  try to be helpful but in counterproductive ways. GMs
  can even try a little social satire by exaggerating some
  modern trend or other feature of their own society.
  Last (and probably least), other dimensions can
  present interesting strategic challenges to the PCs. In
  an alien cosmos, the different environment and dif-
  ferent laws of nature can change the rules of combat.
  To give a few simple examples, there may be dimen-
  sions where all combat uses EGO and ECV instead of
  DEX and CV; where some classes of powers just don’t
  work (such as flame powers in a water-filled dimen-
  sion); where space is so bent and twisted that any
  ranged attack is as likely to hit oneself as an enemy; or
  where space is filled with some continuous harmful
  effect, such as a continuous Flash or Darkness versus
  one sense group, Energy Blast, Drain or Cumulative
  Transform.
  Designing Dimensions
  But infinitely beautiful the wondrous work arose
  In sorrow and care, a Golden World whose porches
  round the heavens
  And pillar’d halls & rooms receiv’d the eternal
  wandering stars.
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  Designing a universe can seem like a tall order. Here
  are some thoughts to make it easier.
  What’s A Dimension For?
  The first question to ask oneself when designing a
  dimension is what its function will be in the campaign.
  Will the dimension become a regular setting for ad-
  ventures, or will the heroes visit it just once? In the
  latter case, what will be the reason for the visit? There
  are several possibilities, with their own implications
  for the design process. The functions may overlap, of
  course.
  Trap
  By force or guile, a villain might maneuver the he-
  roes into another dimension with the expectation that
  the heroes will be trapped there. Either the dimension
  itself is dangerous, or the villain thinks that the heroes
  just have no way to leave. In this case, the most impor-
  tant aspects to designing the dimension are what dan-
  gers the heroes will face and how they will overcome
  the dangers and leave. If the characters have Extra-
  Dimensional Movement powers (as most super-mages
  do), GMs must invent some reason why the heroes
  cannot just pop back to Earth.
  Treasure Hunt
  The heroes might visit a dimension in search of
  something. Once they have it, they leave and have no
  immediate reason to return. In this case, the most im-
  portant features are the prize the heroes seek, and
  whatever obstacles they must face to get it.
  Home Of Petty Obstacle
  The heroes might visit for a number of reasons. A
  villain might decoy them into a Petty Obstacle’s home
  dimension, or use the Petty Obstacle as a catspaw. A
  Petty Obstacle of a minor dimension lord might com-
  mit rudeness on Earth and the PCs follow him home
  to teach him some manners. The PCs might even land
  in the Petty Obstacle’s home dimension by accident.
  Whatever the reason, all that really matters about such
  a dimension is the Petty Obstacle villain him, her or
  itself. The rest is just stage-dressing.
  Opportunity For A Good Deed
  Here the danger is directed at someone else—prob-
  ably the natives of the dimension—and the natives
  want the PCs’ help in dealing with it. Perhaps the lo-
  cals can reward the heroes with something they need,
  or perhaps the locals can only offer their thanks and a
  
  71
  Favor in return. The local problem may or may not
  bear any relation to the ongoing conflicts of the cam-
  paign. In either case, obviously the most important
  factor of the dimension is the problem the PCs must
  solve.
  Setting For A Fight Scene
  A dimension might be no more than an unusual
  setting for a fight. There are any number of reasons
  why the heroes and villains might be there together,
  from sheer accident (“I told you not to use that spell
  in the temple”) to a formal challenge (“So, pathetic
  humans, meet me for combat in the Plane of Perilous
  Prunes—if you dare!”) While such a dimension might
  be no more than interesting scenery, GMs may want
  to give the dimension some peculiar quality that makes
  the fight more interesting. Perhaps the villain knows
  how the dimension affects combat and hopes this will
  ensure the heroes’ defeat; perhaps the villain is just as
  surprised as the heroes!
  Conclusions
  In general, when designing “one-shot” dimensions,
  the GM merely has to decide what peril or obstacle, if
  any, the heroes will face; what their reward will be for
  overcoming the peril; any specific characters the he-
  roes will meet; and a few details of the local scenery.
  The “obstacle” can be as simple as being lost, and the
  “reward” no more than figuring out which way to go
  to get home. Nor do settings have to be developed in
  much detail: even if the dimension in question is as
  big as the real Universe (and that is very large indeed!)
  only the parts the PCs directly encounter need to be
  described—and that may be no more than a few hun-
  dred feet wide. If no actual characters need to be writ-
  ten up, on a good day designing a one-shot, limited-
  use dimension takes no more than a few minutes.
  Designing The Environment
  After deciding what a dimension is for, one selects
  the dominant features of the environment. If the di-
  mension is to be used for more than a brief visit, one
  may even want to think about the overall shape of the
  world and space. Alien dimensions can be quite Earth-
  like, or they might be mind-bogglingly strange.
  Cosmology
  First, how big is the dimension? A cosmos might be
  billions of light-years across, like our real Universe, or
  a cosmos might be no bigger than a city block, or any-
  thing in between.
  Assuming that the dimension is big enough, does
  matter collect in stars and planets of some sort, or does
  this dimension create less familiar structures? The
  “world” could be flat, or doughnut-shaped, an endless
  cylinder, the inside of a sphere, or some other shape—
  or have no shape at all.
  “Ditkospace”
  Comic books often show chaotic dimensions of
  taffypull blobs, drifting platforms, tunnels and doors
  in space and suchlike oddities. The most notable
  depicter of such dimensions in comic books was Steve
  Ditko, so this author likes to describe these chaotic
  planes as “Ditkospaces,” in tribute to the master.
  “Pathway” Dimensions
  Many minor dimensions are essentially linear: there’s
  only one way to go in them, or at least only one way
  worth going. The lone path might be a road, a tunnel,
  a staircase or a series of platforms hanging in the void.
  Sometimes the “pathway” works more subtly, just by
  giving the characters strong reasons to go in one di-
  rection: for instance, going in toward a lone planet in-
  stead of out into the fiery rings bounding the dimen-
  sion, or following the paths which increase the char-
  acters’ movement rate.
  Time Passage
  Time does not necessarily pass at the same rate in
  another dimension as it does on Earth. If time passes
  more slowly, one might spend a few hours in another
  dimension and find that a much longer time has passed
  on Earth. Conversely, if time passes more quickly, a
  week in another dimension might be a day or less on
  Earth—maybe even only a few seconds. The time chart
  provides an easy standard for time passage that differs
  from Earth. One dimension might operate on a 1 day
  = 1 Earth week ratio, another on a 1 day = 5 Earth
  hours ratio, and so on.
  Remember that time differentials—especially cases
  where time passes very slowly compared to Earth—
  can really screw up a character’s life. One shouldn’t
  have the PCs spend a day in another dimension and
  return to find that a year has passed on Earth and ev-
  eryone thinks they are dead or skipped out, unless one
  plans on building a whole adventure or two around
  this—and one is sure the players won’t be upset at the
  gratuitous disruption of their characters’ lives.
  “Theme” Environments
  Ditkospace is the outer limit of spatial strangeness.
  One can also get interesting effects from taking one
  bit of reality and patterning an entire world around it.
  This can range from simply making this the dominant
  feature of an otherwise Earth-like environment, to
  using this element as pattern for the world itself, or as
  the theme for a Ditkospace.
  Landforms
  A dimension might be all mountains, all river val-
  ley, all ocean, all desert, all plains, all swamp, all cav-
  erns, all badlands (Roadrunner cartoon-style), all gla-
  cier or icecap, all volcanic, all canyon, and so on.
  For instance, imagine a world that’s all canyon. The
  PCs arrive in a little canyon. At its mouth they can see
  that this is just a gully in the walls of a bigger canyon.
  If they try to get out of the big canyon, they find that it
  is just a channel of a vastly greater canyon, hundreds
  
  72
   SAMPLE ONE SHOT
  DIMENSION:
  This nameless
  dimension is the
  storage-place for a
  magical artifact
  which the heroes
  need to save the
  world. (What the
  artifact is does not
  matter.) The artifact
  was hidden here
  long ago by a great
  wizard—let’s say,
  Apollonius of
  Tyana—with three
  deathless monsters
  as guardians. Three
  monsters suggests a
  fairy tale, where
  obstacles come in
  series, so let’s make
  this a “pathway”
  dimension (see
  below), with a
  Greek style. For
  monsters we can use
  write-ups of minor
  villains from Classic
  Enemies, with some
  Mental and Power
  Defense added so
  they won’t be
  pushovers for
  sorcerer heroes.
  The starting-
  point is a Greek
  temple on a
  platform suspended
  in churning chaos.
  The heroes must
  fight the first
  monster for the key
  to the inner
  chamber of the
  temple (the temple
  walls are indestruc-
  tible). The monster
  is a Cyclops; use the
  write-up of
  Hideous.
  of miles wide with furrowed walls a dozen miles high.
  Beyond those walls is another vast channel, and an-
  other…
  Organic Forms
  Dimensions might be dominated by one lifeform,
  or take their shape from some living thing or part of a
  living thing. Possibilities include trees, flowers, vines,
  insects, fish, animals, birds, humans or body parts such
  as hands, heads, eyes or bones. Imagine a Ditkospace
  with giant heads floating among the blobs, their dreams
  visible through their eyes. Imagine a world covered in
  a layer of bleached bones, or all forest. Imagine end-
  less vines a dozen miles wide, and people building cit-
  ies in the flowers. Dimensions based on organic forms
  can be especially eerie or poetic.
  Artificial Forms
  Man-made objects such as buildings and machines
  can provide more themes for dimensions. At least, on
  Earth these things are man-made; on other dimen-
  sions, they might occur naturally, or seem to. A dimen-
  sion might be all one huge building: all castle, or all
  factory, bureaucratic office-building, or whatever, with
  no “outside.” A factory dimension would overlap with
  dimensions based on machinery. Imagine a dimension
  filled with clockwork or giant computer circuits or the
  pipes, boilers and cooling towers of an infinite oil re-
  finery. Other manufactured items can suggest striking
  dimensions as well. A fight in a dimension of mirrors
  could get interesting. A world that’s all graveyard or
  ruins would be great for a moody, downbeat adven-
  ture.
  The Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher produced
  some marvelous pictures of warped architectural
  spaces where up, down and sideways intersect in mind-
  twisting ways. Dimensions in this style, where one
  person’s floor is another person’s wall or ceiling, can
  be called “Escherspaces.”
  Geometric Forms
  Dimensions might even be based on pure geomet-
  ric forms. The dimension of the Spectral Spheres (men-
  tioned in the chapter on magic) is a typical example: a
  space occupied only by globes of iridescent force. Di-
  mensions based solely on geometric forms tend to be
  very simple, suitable only for one-shot use, but geo-
  metric themes combine well with other sorts of themes.
  M. C. Escher, for instance, did a picture of a strange
  planetoid shaped like a tetrahedron (a 4-sided die)
  entirely covered with city; a combination of geometry
  with an artificial form.
  Unusual Substances
  Another way to make dimensions more exotic is to
  change what objects are made of. On Earth, for in-
  stance, trees are made of wood, animals are made of
  meat and bone and the ground is rock or soil. On an-
  other dimension, perhaps everything is mineral: the
  trees are rock and the animals are metal and crystal.
  Or perhaps the trees are made of meat and bone, while
  the animals are made of wood or other vegetable sub-
  stances. A dimension where everything, including the
  ground, is animal, alive and mobile could be very
  strange and dangerous. Other possible substances to
  consider include ice, gelatin, plastic, various liquids,
  clouds and luminous force.
  Color Scheme
  What colors are most common in the dimension?
  Earthly skies are blue, except when covered with gray
  or white clouds, or at sunset. What color is another
  dimension’s sky, assuming it has one? What color are
  the inhabitants, if any? Some dimensions might have
  a more limited range of colors that Earth. A dimen-
  sion might even lack colors entirely: everything is in
  shades of gray.
  Supernatural Bias
  Does the dimension have some intrinsic bias toward
  some forces and away from others? Worlds where
  magic works and technology doesn’t are not too un-
  common in fantasy fiction. Utopian worlds of good-
  ness and hellish dimensions of evil are common too.
  Some authors have posited worlds dominated by Or-
  der or Chaos, or caught in conflict between those
  forces. The present work adds Art and Nature as con-
  ceptual forces which could dominate a world. Any
  combination is possible: thus, one dimension might
  be oriented to Order, Nature and evil, with technol-
  ogy dominant, or neutral on the Order/Chaos axis,
  tending toward Art and Good, but neither magic nor
  technology working very well.
  Dimensions dominated by Order will display tightly-
  knit societies with restrictive laws and traditions and
  well-defined social classes. They are the safest dimen-
  sions for visitors who can follow the rules, and the
  deadliest for visitors who can’t. Note that in some Or-
  derly dimensions, simply being a visitor may be against
  the rules!
  Chaos-oriented dimensions, on the other hand,
  emphasize personal freedom, with many options open
  to individuals. The cost of such freedom, however, is
  the loss of security which a strong collective can offer.
  Even if most of the inhabitants are kindly, there are
  probably rogue elements who may attack visitors. On
  the other hand, if the people tend towards evil and
  hostility, it’s easier to hide and there may be an “un-
  derground” willing to help.
  Art-dominated planes could have any sort of soci-
  ety; Art shows itself in people’s relationship to their
  environment. Art planes are either shaped by their in-
  habitants, or in them apparently natural processes pro-
  duce objects that on Earth must be made by people.
  Theoretically, there’s no reason why a Nature plane
  should not have any sort of society, but in practice they
  should have tribal societies—that’s what seems “natu-
  ral” to most Twentieth-Century Earthers. These di-
  mensions are wildernesses of some sort, or at least
  dominated by Life. A garden, after all, could be con-
  sidered the intersection of Nature with Order.
  
  73
  In extreme cases, worlds dominated by one force
  might count as consecrated ground. A Nature spirit
  on an Art plane, or a Chaos being on an Order plane,
  might start taking damage.
  Other magical effects are possible, too. As mentioned
  above, dimensions might have intrinsic Powers affect-
  ing everyone who visits. Dimensions might change the
  form of visitors, a Transform no one short of a cosmic
  entity can resist. They might even change the rules of
  combat and how Powers work.
  Inhabitants
  The last step in designing a dimension, though
  hardly the least, is to invent the people. Anything is
  possible since this is another universe, but remember
  that the players need something they can imagine in-
  teracting with. Presenting a truly alien being is one of
  the greatest challenges a storyteller can face; it’s great
  if one can do it, but difficult. As a shortcut, one can
  achieve a feeling of “alien-ness” by shortcuts such as
  combining familiar elements in unfamiliar ways. For
  instance, people who talk are familiar, and mountains
  are familiar. Talking mountains are strange. Or, hu-
  mans are ordinary, and things made of silver are ordi-
  nary; humans made of silver are exotic.
  Classic Types
  The comics have established certain traditions for
  the people of other dimensions. One might even call
  them clichés, but they work.
  Pretty Much Human
  No matter how bizarre and unearthly the dimen-
  sion may be, somehow it’s given rise to beings who are
  just like humans in every important way. They may
  have blue skin, funny hair, bumps on their heads or
  antennae, but they still look awfully human—perhaps
  Caucasian human at that. (We’re talking “Star Trek”
  aliens here.) Usually, only a few leader-types have spe-
  cial powers.
  Lone Dimension Lord
  Many dimensions only have one inhabitant, a mi-
  nor dimension lord who is invariably hostile and usu-
  ally quite psychotic. (Well, what do you expect? They’ve
  been in solitary for centuries.) These funny-looking
  humanoids have moderately formidable magic pow-
  ers, enough to give the PCs a decent fight, but they are
  basically petty obstacles.
  Humanoid Animals
  Just like worlds designed by science fiction writers
  of little imagination, other dimensions may have in-
  habitants who are humanoid versions of familiar
  Earthly animals: cat-men, lizard-men and bird-men
  seem especially popular.
  Mythological Creatures
  One way to show that another dimension is a place
  of fantasy is to place creatures from familiar Earthly
  mythology within it. For some reason, dragons seem
  especially popular, but Western mythology offers
  plenty of alternatives.
  Culture
  One could easily write a whole book about design-
  ing fantasy societies, but that really isn’t necessary. This
  is another area where there’s just no substitute for one’s
  own creativity. All this work can do is offer a few hints
  to help one get started.
  Romantic Feudalism
  In many comic book dimensions, the people live a
  traditional, high-fantasy lifestyle, with kings, knights,
  peasants and the rest. Often there’s an evil wizard caus-
  ing problems. This is so familiar it needs no further
  explanation.
  Dimension Lord Despotism
  Most dimension lords are not nice people. They are
  far more powerful than anyone else in the dimension,
  and power has corrupted them. The government con-
  sists of the dimension lord and a few minions, who
  keep the rest of the populace in terrified subjection.
  The only law is the dimension lord’s whim. Since the
  PCs’ usual reason for visiting these dimensions is to
  fight the dimension lord as quickly as possible, they
  usually don’t get much opportunity to see the details
  of how people live under tyranny—they just know that
  it’s not good.
  It’s possible that heroes might succeed in heroically
  overthrowing the tyrannical dimension lord. In that
  case, the GM has some really juicy story possibilities
  as the dimension’s society turns upside down. With
  the old despotic government gone, things get very
  unstable. (Just look at what’s happened in the former
  Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia and numerous
  countries in the Third World.) Some factions will cer-
  tainly try recruiting the PCs to help them; others will
  try killing the PCs, if only to prevent them from ally-
  ing with the opposition. The PCs may wish they’d left
  well enough alone!
  Exotic Human Cultures
  Societies on Earth are a rich source of material for
  cultures of other planes. Humans have tried a dizzy-
  ing variety of social arrangements, ranging from des-
  potic empires to Utopian communes. There have been
  societies where everyone’s life was planned from cradle
  to grave; other societies have allowed virtual anarchy.
  Leaders? There have been god-kings, Commissars,
  Presidents, family elders, warlords, merchant princes
  and dozens of other sorts. One doesn’t need a degree
  in history or anthropology, either: a stack of National
  Geographics can provide exotic cultures by the dozen.
  Or just read the world news section of the local news-
  paper.
  Satiric Exaggeration
  As mentioned, other dimensions are an opportu-
  nity for social satire. To do this, create a society based
  on some aspect of your own, exaggerated to comedy
  or horror. Don’t like “tax-and-spend liberals”? Invent
  Instead of an
  inner chamber,
  however, the door
  in the temple leads
  to another chaos-
  space. A trail of
  floating disks
  leads to another
  platform and
  temple and the
  second monster.
  Plague will do as
  an Empusa (a
  donkey-legged
  vampire hag).
  The door in this
  temple opens to
  yet a third chaos-
  space and line of
  stepping-stone
  platforms, but to
  make this more
  interesting, the
  crossing itself
  appears danger-
  ous: turbulent
  winds (8 STR
  Telekinesis)
  threaten to blow
  the PCs off the
  disks. The third
  monster is of
  course the most
  formidable. The
  Griffin can be
  used as basis for a
  real griffin. When
  the heroes defeat
  the third monster,
  they can easily
  fetch the artifact
  from the temple’s
  inner chamber.
  
  74
  a world utterly drowning in an incompetent bureau-
  cracy that demands everything and delivers nothing.
  Or are the “Religious Right” the guys you love to hate?
  Have the PCs visit a theocratic state where everyone is
  watched by the “family values” thought police to make
  sure they pray on time, while crime, chaos, plague and
  poverty run the streets. Science fiction writers have
  done this sort of thing for decades. Why should they
  have all the fun? Just be sure that your players agree
  with you — or make the adventure enough fun that
  they don’t care about your politics.
  Social satire will be sharpest if set on an “alternate
  Earth.” On the other hand, setting the story on a fully
  invented world lets the satire sneak up on the audi-
  ence—like in Aesop’s fables, where the animals stand
  in for humans.
  Structure Of The
  Multiverse
  How all things live and work, and ever blending,
  Weave one vast whole from Being’s ample range!
  How powers celestial, rising and descending,
  Their golden buckets ceaseless interchange!
  —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Part I
  This section proposes a general structure for the
  Multiverse. Obviously, GMs don’t have to use it if they
  don’t want to, but it does offer certain advantages. It
  gives an illusion of logic to the Multiverse. It’s based
  on a real magical cosmology for a feel of occult au-
  thenticity, but loosely: no real occult theory has ever
  made room for worlds unconnected to the Earth. (500
  years after Copernicus, the occultists still think the
  Earth is the center of the Universe!) The system de-
  scribed below gives a place for the Earth-centered
  Otherworlds of mythology and folk religion, without
  short-changing the really alien dimensions.
  The Four Worlds
  Western sorcerers use the language of Kabbalism to
  describe the general structure of the Multiverse. Real-
  ity is divided into 4 “levels” of being, which the
  kabbalists call “the Four Worlds.” At the bottom is
  ASSIAH, the Material World. Next is YETZIRAH, the
  Formative or Astral World, BRIAH the Creative or
  Mental World, and finally ATZILUTH the Archetypal
  World. All the myriad dimensions fit within these four
  worlds.
  Assiah contains the universes that run by the purely
  material principles of natural law, such as Earth’s cos-
  mos. Inhabitants of Assiatic planes may use magic, but
  their worlds don’t run by magic.
  The planes of Yetzirah do run by magic. On these
  dimensions, symbols and beliefs can control matter
  and energy. All the planes of Assiah and Yetzirah are
  linked by the ASTRAL PLANE. (That’s why Yetzirah is
  called the “Astral World.”)
  The worlds of Briah are completely spiritual, em-
  bodying concepts and states of mind. They aren’t made
  of matter at all. Conceptual entities—the really big-
  time cosmic entities—live on these dimensions.
  Atziluth contains the ultimate aspects of reality, be-
  yond time, space and even separation into distinct
  entities. Atziluth is almost impossible to reach even in
  visions.
  The Sephirothic Tree Of Life
  …all the gods
  Are there, and all the powers of nameless worlds,
  Vast, sceptered phantoms; heroes, men and beasts…
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound
  Over this scheme, the kabbalists superimpose the
  “Tree of Life,” the chain of the 10 “Sephiroth”—ema-
  nations from God—cascading down from Kether (“the
  Crown”) through various concepts to Malkuth (“the
  Kingdom”). Western sorcerers use the Sephiroth to
  further subdivide the planes into various groups. While
  sorcerers argue details about which planes go in which
  sephiroth, they agree on the general classification
  scheme. Atziluth, Briah and Yetzirah each contain three
  of the sephiroth, and Assiah contains just one.
  Assiah
  At the bottom of the Tree of Life is MALKUTH, the
  Kingdom or material world. The Earth is in Malkuth,
  but this Sephira contains many other worlds as well.
  Some sorcerers use “Malkuth” interchangeably with
  “Assiah” to refer to all purely material planes. Others
  restrict Malkuth to planes containing worlds that are
  recognizably similar to Earth in important ways, while
  Assiah includes all the really weird planes running by
  systems of natural law that make them very unlike
  Earth and its cosmos.
  As if that weren’t confusing enough, some sorcerers
  misspell “Assiah” as “Asia,” leading to some decidedly
  peculiar narratives of “travel in Asia.” “Asia” in turn is
  derived from the Greek “Askia,” “Place Without Shad-
  ows” (it originally referred to the southern part of
  modern Turkey); “Assiah” is Hebrew. Just to be obscu-
  rantist, a few sorcerers go further and refer to other
  planes in Assiah as “Shadowless Realms.”
  Yetzirah
  The Yetziratic World holds most of the dimensions
  which heroes will visit. First are the Inner Planes which
  accompany the Earth; beyond them are the Outer
  Planes, whose variety has no end.
  Yesod: Imaginal Realms and Demi-Planes
  YESOD, the Foundation, is the first sephira of the
  world of YETZIRAH. Yesod holds the Lower and
  Middle Astral Planes and Earth’s psychic “Imaginal
  Realms,” so-called because they are created from the
  Astral Plane by human imagination. They are also
  called the Parterres (the “Lands Beside.”) The chief
  Imaginal Realms are the Land of Legends (also called
  Faerie), Babylon, the Netherworld, Elysium and the
  
  75
  Dreamzone. They exist because people know in their
  hearts that they must exist. The Parterres and the Lower
  Astral Plane are sometimes called the “Inner Planes.”
  The Land of Legends holds the “Wild Magic” forces
  of Nature: elves, nature spirits, mythological beasts and
  most of the pagan gods. Such creatures are neither good
  nor evil. As the “ethical” religions such as Christianity
  and Buddhism have grown, the creatures of Faerie have
  lost access to Earth. The Land of Legends is still, how-
  ever, the plane closest to Earth: in fact, spontaneous
  nexus points between Earth and Faerie may form.
  Babylon, on the other hand, embodies the world of
  human Artifice. For better or worse, it is the epitome
  of cities.
  The Netherworld is composed of all the Hells ever
  imagined. It tends toward Chaos, since the most influ-
  ential human cultures have considered disorder to be
  evil. The Netherworld is dismayingly easy to enter.
  The syncretic Heaven of Elysium, in contrast, is quite
  difficult to reach. Ironically, this dimension of self-pro-
  claimed pure Good can be as dangerous to visit as the
  Netherworld: many of the lords of Elysium have little
  tolerance for human imperfection. They insist that
  humans live up to the ideals of their religions.
  The Dreamzone is just that, all the dreams being
  dreamed at any given moment. An adept who can en-
  ter the Dreamzone can visit other peoples’ dreams. It
  is a section of the Lower Astral Plane.
  Humanity is not the only creature to shape the As-
  tral Plane.
  Animal life on Earth creates its own Parterre called
  the Blood Tide. Even plants get into the act, creating
  an astral realm called Yggdrasil. These are extremely
  alien dimensions which humans find difficult to en-
  ter.
  Yesod also receives most of the odd little “demi-
  planes,” scraps of space that are usually simple in struc-
  ture and content. As sorcerers explain it, the material
  planes are like the rooms of an infinite mansion, but a
  mansion is more than its rooms: it is also closets and
  wainscoting and all the spaces above the ceilings, be-
  low the floors and between the walls. These places are
  seldom thought about, and sometimes never seen, but
  they are just as important to the structure of the house.
  Hod and Netzach: The Outer Planes
  The Yetziratic world also contains the sephiroth
  HOD (Glory/Splendor/Fame) and NETZACH (Con-
  quest/Victory/Permanence). These are the magical
  worlds. Hod generally receives the planes that run by
  magic but still basically run by themselves, while
  Netzach planes have a controlling intelligence who may
  be physically united with the whole substance of the
  plane. Netzach planes are also called “The Dominions.”
  There’s a fair amount of overlap between these types.
  Either type may or may not have native races using
  the ambient magic.
  Briah
  Anyone can reach any of the planes of Assiah or
  Yetzirah by magic. One merely needs to know how to
  find one’s destination. The planes of BRIAH are dif-
  ferent. They cannot be reached by traveling the Middle
  Astral Plane. Before one can enter Briah one must pass
  a barrier called the Veil of the Temple, the “highest”
  division of the Astral Plane. Passing the Veil takes more
  than magic power. It takes wisdom, as well. The Veil is
  a test, and nobody is exempt, no matter how great their
  power. Those who fail the test are hurled back to the
  realms of matter. Those who succeed pass to the realms
  of the gods.
  Nobody perceives the Brialic planes as they really
  are. Human visitors perceive these realms as being
  made of matter, because human senses and minds can’t
  perceive pure Spirit. Brialic realms also sometimes have
  emotional auras.
  The three sephiroth in Briah are TIPHERETH
  (Beauty), PACHAD or GEBURAH (Strength/Justice)
  and CHESED or GEDULLAH (Greatness, or Love/
  Mercy/Pity). The Veil goes in Tiphereth, the lowest
  sephira; the Prime Avatars of Order, Chaos, Art and
  Nature, the highest of the Brialic powers, have their
  realms in Chesed. Assigning other planes to sephiroth
  is pretty much a matter of taste.
  A few notable Brialic planes are the Garden of
  Earthly Delights, where all physical desires are satis-
  fied; the Gradient, a seven-leveled plane expressing the
  evolutionary Chain of Being from primal ooze to
  godhood; the City of Pyramids, a place of intellectual
  despair; and of course Death’s Dominion. Some of
  these planes can entrap visitors.
  The Prime Avatars, also called the Four Zoas, each
  have their own dimension. Urizen, Prime Avatar of
  Order, rules the starry wheels and labyrinths of Ulro.
  Urthona, great Lord of Art, dwells in the cosmic city
  of Golgonooza. Tharmas, who rules all Nature, has a
  realm simply called Generation; in nature, things have
  no names, so neither does his demesne. Luvah the
  Anarch, the Zoa of Chaos and passion, rules over an
  ambiguous Eden called Beulah.
  While it’s difficult for dwellers in the material worlds
  to get to Briah, the Brialic powers can send emissaries
  into the lower worlds without great trouble. Sorcerers
  can even summon such emissaries, although they run
  the risk of angering the spirits’ masters. The Powers
  themselves can’t enter the physical worlds, but they can
  send anthropomorphic personifications of themselves,
  of great but finite power. Such incarnations can be
  controlled by a powerful sorcerer, but the sorcerer
  thereby makes an extremely powerful enemy.
  Atziluth
  Beyond the realms of the Four Zoas lies the Abyss.
  The Abyss is the edge of space, time, and division into
  discrete entities. It is an even more difficult barrier than
  the Veil of the Temple. Anyone who tries crossing the
  Abyss and fails is annihilated, body and soul, or warped
  into something monstrous beyond recognition.
  ATZILUTH contains three sephiroth: Binah (Under-
  standing), Chokmah (Wisdom) and Kether (the
  Crown). Each is considered a single plane. BINAH is
  
   The Sephirothic
  Tree of Life and The
  Four World
  
  77
  sometimes called the Dark Sea of Being. It is an infi-
  nite reservoir of power for creation or destruction.
  CHOKMAH is also called the Bright Sea of Forms. It
  contains every possible archetype of objects, actions,
  ideas, structures, or any other category one could name.
  Mystic tomes say that the light of Chokmah shines on
  the dark waves of Binah—and the sparkling reflections
  off the waves is the Multiverse.
  Even the distinction between objects and archetypes
  breaks down in KETHER, the most inaccessible of the
  planes. Kether, also called the Primum Mobile, the
  Mundane Shell or the Aleph, is the ultimate realm of
  indivisible being. In Kether, everything is One. Some-
  one who reaches Kether will see everything, in fact be
  everything, the whole multiversal expanse of time,
  space and dimension.
  Reaching Kether isn’t a feat for a sorcerer, because
  anyone who could reach Kether wouldn’t be a sorcerer
  anymore. They’d be God—Supreme Being of the
  Multiverse. What’s more, to those on the lower levels
  of reality they’ve always been God, because Kether is
  outside Time. (Everyone else whoever has or ever will
  reach Kether is God too—but this doesn’t bear think-
  ing about too hard.)
  The Atziluthic zone also includes a fourth element,
  the “lost sephira” called DAATH, the link between
  Wisdom and Understanding, balanced in the Abyss
  between timeless Atziluth and the realms below.
  Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough, and a
  place to stand, and I will move the Earth.” Daath is
  that place. From Daath, one can call on the limitless
  power of Binah, shape it with the archetypes of
  Chokmah, and cast it down into the realms of Time.
  This is true creation, not transformation, and the only
  limit on what can be created is the intelligence, pa-
  tience and skill of the sorcerer at detail work: that aside,
  it is no more difficult to make a galaxy than a flower.
  What’s more, since Daath is outside time, the sorcerer
  can insert his new creation at any point in history—
  past, present or future. Daath’s nature is, rather un-
  derstandably, one of the greatest secrets in sorcerous
  lore.
  The Qliphothic World
  I have seen the dark universe yawning
  Where the black planets roll without aim,
  Where they roll in their horror unheeded,
  Without knowledge or lustre or name.
  —H. P. Lovecraft, “Nemesis”
  Some sorcerers add a fifth level to the kabbalistic
  scheme, the QLIPHOTHIC planes—either resting be-
  low Assiah, or as a sort of dark “back side” to the Tree
  of Life. These are ancient dimensions whose energies
  have decayed into forms inimical to all normal sorts
  of life and existence. The Kings of Edom originally
  came from qliphothic dimensions, and they aren’t the
  only horrors spawned by these decrepit, evil planes.
  Just as the Atziluthic world holds the fountainhead
  of all existence, the Qliphothic world holds the drain
  down which all existence eventually runs. This is the
  “anti-God” called the Solipsist or the Decreator. The
  Decreator itself is unknowable: just as anyone who
  reached Kether would become one with the Creator
  and Creation alike, anyone who reached the Solipsist
  would join its total Unbeing and be annihilated.
  The closest any being can come to the Solipsist is
  the entity called Quemetiel, the “Crowd of Gods.”
  Quemetiel is a churning, chaotic fusion of long-de-
  funct cosmic entities. It mindlessly sucks in anything
  that comes near, like a supernatural black hole. Any-
  thing eaten by Quemetiel is gone forever.
  Special Dimensions
  The Tree of Life isn’t a perfect or total model of the
  Multiverse. There are “dimensions” that don’t fit on it.
  Alternate Histories
  The biggest exception are the “Parallel Worlds” or
  “Alternate Earths.” Other Earths where history took a
  different turn have been a very important part of all
  the major comic-book milieux, and the Champions
  Universe is no different (see Champions in 3-D, which
  was chiefly devoted to these adventures in alternate his-
  tory.) Yet parallel worlds have no place in the kabbalistic
  scheme.
  That’s no accident or oversight. Alternate history is
  an exclusively science-fictional concept. It has never
  been part of any mythology, religion or occult tradi-
  tion: it’s a genuinely modern idea. The many stories
  set on alternate Earths where magic works are science
  fiction at their heart, not fantasy. So, no matter how
  important parallel worlds may be to a campaign, the
  wizards haven’t heard of them. They are left to the su-
  per-scientists.
  Pocket Worlds
  One gimmick that turns up in fantasy stories or
  comic books now and then is the “pocket world.” This
  is a dimension that’s entirely tucked within some ob-
  ject—for instance, a complete working town inside a
  paperweight, or a painting one can step into and it
  becomes real. Such pocket worlds cannot be accessed
  by normal Extra-Dimensional Movement through the
  Astral Plane.
  Most often the pocket world is within some object,
  which carries the necessary magic to transport people
  into the pocket world. The classic Djinn Bottle could
  be treated as a magic item which accesses a pocket
  world, which one can only depart with the help of
  someone outside.
  The “Hollow Earth”-style cavern realms so beloved
  of comic books could be pocket worlds too: that would
  explain why they don’t collapse and why seismologists
  can’t detect them. There can even be spells to create
  pocket worlds.
  Finally, a pocket world is a great place to hide things.
  First, one has a fairly substantial area, which may have
  dangers for uninvited visitors, in which to hide some-
  thing. Then the object which contains the pocket world
  can itself be hidden. The catch is that one might mis-
  lay an entire world, or have it stolen!
  
  78
  Minds as Dimensions
  Plenty of comic-book stories have dealt with jour-
  neys inside another person’s mind. From the inside,
  the person’s mind is a little world where scenes from
  memory and imagination shift kaleidoscopically. This
  can be handled through another application of Extra-
  Dimensional Movement, even if a person’s mind isn’t
  literally another dimension. Sorcerers might even en-
  ter another person’s mind physically; mere psionics
  have to leave their bodies behind.
  Cyberspace
  This is another science-fictional concept, treating a
  computer network as a “dimension” one’s mind can
  enter. With comic-book super-science, it may even be
  possible to enter cyberspace physically, as in the move
  Tron. Strictly speaking, since cyberspace is from sci-
  ence fiction it is outside this book’s scope, but comic-
  book wizards tend to get around. Cyberspace can be
  treated much like the Astral Plane. In fact, cyberspace
  might be a new astral dimension, a realm of machine
  consciousness analogous to Yggdrasil or the Blood
  Tide. (See the description of Technomancy in Chap-
  ter Five for further speculations.)
  The Astral Plane
  …where do inhabit
  The shadows of all forms that think and live
  Till death unite them and they part no more;
  Dreams and the light imaginings of men,
  And all that faith creates or love desires,
  Terrible, strange, sublime and beauteous shapes.
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound
  The Astral Plane is one of the most important of
  the dimensions. Both Eastern and Western occult tra-
  ditions have proposed a dimension where spirits dwell.
  It has been important in magic-oriented comic books
  as well. Not only does the Astral Plane provide access
  to other dimensions, it can be an interesting —and
  dangerous—place in its own right.
  General Nature
  The Astral Plane comes in three sections, each with
  its own distinctive nature and appearance. The ability
  to reach one section of the Astral Plane by Extra-Di-
  mensional Movement does not automatically grant
  one the ability to reach the other two sections: they
  are effectively three connected planes. Each section
  contains access routes to the other two sections, how-
  ever.
  The three divisions of the Astral Plane are the Lower,
  Middle and Upper Astral. The Lower Astral Plane im-
  pinges directly on Earth. People who astrally project
  about the Earth stay on the interface between the Lower
  Astral and material planes (see “Astral Form” for more
  details). Other dimensions have their own Lower As-
  tral zones as well. The Middle Astral enables one to
  move between all the Lower Astral Planes of Assiah
  and Yetzirah. (One moves from Earth’s Lower Astral,
  to the Middle Astral, to the Lower Astral of the other
  plane.) The Upper Astral gives access to the higher,
  spiritual dimensions of Briah, but the passage to the
  Brialic planes is not easily made.
  The Astral Planes aren’t made of matter in the nor-
  mal sense of the word. Instead, they and their deni-
  zens are made of ectoplasm—a substance that bridges
  the gap between ideas and matter. Thus, on the Lower
  Astral, thought can create objects all by itself. That’s
  how ghostly pirates get ghostly ships to sail, for one
  example. Buildings, objects or places that were the fo-
  cus of great thought and emotion for a long time can
  endure on the Lower Astral long after their material
  form was destroyed. On the Lower Astral Plane, for
  instance, Stonehenge and the Parthenon are still un-
  damaged. In fact, thoughts can even create quasi-liv-
  ing beings on the Lower Astral Plane, such as Atavisms
  and Imaginary People (see below).
  Connections To Other Planes
  The Lower Astral Plane has connections to several
  other dimensions that grew out of it. The many dis-
  tricts of Faerie can be reached from the Astral Plane
  by normal astral movement, without using any sort of
  Extra-Dimensional Movement power. So can the
  Netherworld, Elysium and Babylon. Once entered,
  however, these realms can only be left through some
  sort of EDM or by pre-existing nexus points.
  The Lower Astral known to most sorcerers is shaped
  by human life and thought, but sorcerers have found
  that animal and plant “consciousness” have created
  their own astral planes. Currently, the most popular
  names for these dimensions are the Blood Tide and
  Yggdrasil. These are very strange, inhuman dimen-
  sions; only masters of astral travel can find the way to
  enter them at all.
  If one travels in the right direction on the Lower
  Astral—into the Fourth Dimension—one leaves Earth
  for the colorful, swirling chaos of the Middle Astral.
  From here one can reach countless other dimensions.
  It’s just a matter of knowing which route to take. If
  anything dwells permanently on the Middle Astral, it
  remains unreported so far. The Middle Astral is also
  called Limbo, or the Void, because nothing exists there
  except a way to someplace else. Beyond the Middle
  Astral in turn lies the Upper Astral Plane, also called
  the Veil of the Temple. Because of the Upper Astral
  Plane’s importance and unusual properties, it receives
  a separate description.
  Perceptions
  While traveling in the Lower Astral, one sees the
  Earth—or whatever other world one is on—but col-
  ors are washed out and everything has a silvery cast, as
  if it glowed with a faint grayish light. This “astral glow”
  does not, however, provide any real light. It’s just an
  odd effect of normal light as seen from the Astral Plane.
  An astral traveler in a pitch-black cave would be just
  as blind as a normal person.
  
  79
  All other sensations on the Lower Astral are muted,
  too. Sounds come thinly, as if from a distance. (This
  does not actually affect hearing Perception rolls,
  though.) Taste and smell don’t exist at all. Obviously,
  material objects can’t be felt on the astral plane. Their
  astral counterparts, created by people perceiving the
  real objects, can be felt only faintly. Texture and tem-
  perature hardly exist at all. Even pain from attacks is
  less, although damage stays just the same.
  Strong sensations on the Lower Astral only come
  from consuming an atavism; this lets a spirit briefly
  experience the emotion or sensation that created the
  atavism. Since most atavisms get made by very unpleas-
  ant feelings, most spirits leave atavisms alone. (De-
  mons, however, enjoy feeding on atavisms and encour-
  age their production.) The massed thought of religious
  ceremonies, however, can create strong positive ata-
  visms. In particular, spirits flock to ceremonies in
  which an animal is killed, cooked and eaten. It lets the
  ghosts smell and taste food again.
  Divisions Of The Lower Astral
  What worlds or what vast regions hold
  The immortal mind that hath forsook
  Her mansion in this fleshly nook…
  —John Milton, Il Penseroso
  The Lower Astral itself has subdivisions. Travel be-
  tween them may sometimes be difficult, but requires
  no special powers. This list is not meant to be exhaus-
  tive. GMs can add other astral territories, as desired.
  Astral Earth
  Part of the Lower Astral corresponds to the Earth.
  In this section of the Lower Astral one can see normal
  mountains, beaches, trees, houses, roads, cities and so
  forth. One does not, however, see the people living in
  them and using them. That’s because the Earth seen
  on the Lower Astral Plane is not the real Earth: it’s a
  copy projected onto the Lower Astral. The people who
  occupy “Astral Earth” are ghosts, dreamers and the like
  (see “Inhabitants” below). As mentioned above, ob-
  jects and places about which people have thought and
  felt strongly can endure long after their physical origi-
  nals were damaged or destroyed. Conversely, places that
  no one ever thinks about much are thinned out or com-
  pressed: the Lower Astral oceans, for instance, tend to
  fade out into gray limbo once shore is out of sight,
  because nobody pays much attention to any particu-
  lar part of, say, the mid-Atlantic. Antarctica hardly ex-
  ists at all on the Astral Plane.
  People traveling in astral form merely skim the edge,
  as it were, of Astral Earth. They do not fully enter As-
  tral Earth and therefore cannot move from Astral Earth
  to other parts of the Astral Plane, not without Extra-
  Dimensional Movement. Many creatures of the Lower
  Astral, however, can move from Astral Earth to the
  interface with real Earth and interact with astral pro-
  jectors, inflicting and taking damage when they fight.
  Imaginary Places
  The Lower Astral also contains places that have no
  physical counterpart at all. They are entirely the prod-
  uct of imagination. One must leave the guide of Earthly
  geography behind to locate most of these places. These
  places are archetypes, generalized examples of loca-
  tions. The ghost port of Puerto Muerto, for instance,
  is created out of memories and stories about the Age
  of Piracy: it doesn’t correspond to any particular town
  in the Caribbean, but it has the classic elements of any
  seedy port from a tale of pirate adventure. Other imagi-
  nary places grow from dreams many people have
  dreamed, such as the Spooky Empty House, the High
  School Where You’re Naked, or the Sky where You Fly.
  The Dreamzone
  The Lower Astral provides access to people’s dreams.
  Since all dreams are “near” each other on the Lower
  Astral, one can fairly speak of a special division of that
  plane devoted just to dreaming. This section is called
  the Dreamzone (see CHAMPIONS IN 3-D for further
  details of the Dreamzone).
  Cysts
  Finally, strong magic or strong, weird thought can
  create pockets of the Astral Plane with really strange
  properties. No one has ever cataloged these pockets of
  weirdness. They appear and disappear without warn-
  ing in the remote, unfrequented areas of the Lower
  Astral.
  Sample Regions
  An example is worth a thousand explanations. Here
  are some typical locations which astral voyagers might
  visit.
  The Ghost House
  This house in what is now a slum district existed for
  almost a century and acquired three ghosts, or rather
  its astral “echo” acquired the ghosts. The real house
  burned down a decade ago; its lot remains vacant. The
  astral house still exists, though, maintained by the
  ghosts. The ghosts are friendly in most ways, but they
  are fiercely protective of their home.
  Puerto Muerto
  This ramshackle port is one of the more curious
  “imaginary places” on the Lower Astral. It is a collec-
  tion of old-fashioned, run-down buildings of wood
  and stucco on the shore of a bay. Clumsily built docks
  reach out from the sandy shore. Dilapidated boats with
  rotting sails are tied up at the docks or rest at anchor
  further out in the little bay. The whole town is totally
  quiet. The only person visible at first is a fisherman
  mending a net out on the dock. His shabby clothes
  drip water. He’s missing an eye, the flesh has fallen away
  from his bones in a few places, and he’s slightly trans-
  lucent. Welcome to Puerto Muerto, a real ghost town…
  Only after meeting the net-mending fisherman will
  visitors see the other inhabitants of Puerto Muerto.
  All the people of an old-time waterfront are here: fish-
  
  80
  ermen and floozies, sailmakers, carpenters, tradesmen
  and their wives, even a few guttersnipe children. Ev-
  erybody is a translucent specter. Some are otherwise
  lifelike. Others range from the merely drowned or
  knifed, through various stages of decay, to skeletons in
  seafaring garb. The people aren’t friendly to “breath-
  ers,” as they call the living, but fear or a good bribe can
  overcome their surliness.
  The best place in Puerto Muerto to meet people and
  get information is a sleazy waterfront dive called Cut-
  throat Carl’s. It’s easy to see how it got its name: Carl
  the bartender has a slit throat, though he’s in pretty
  good shape every other way. Lurly the barmaid is
  downright gorgeous: the way her damp, low-cut gown
  clings to her body could make any man ignore the sea-
  weed in her hair. She and her boyfriend Rhody are the
  two chief dangers in Puerto Muerto.
  Although Lurly is a flirt, she’s a dangerous girl to
  romance. Aside from Rhody, her kisses literally drown
  men. “Lurly” is actually Lorelei, the ghost of a woman
  who drowned herself in the Rhine because of a faith-
  less lover, and subsequently lured men to a watery
  doom. What she’s doing in Puerto Muerto is anybody’s
  guess.
  “Rhody” is Rhodeon, the son of one of the nymphs
  of the Hesperides by Poseidon’s son Triton. This hero,
  whose exploits have been lost even to legends, died in
  battle. His ghost headed west, the direction of his
  mother’s garden and the Underworld across the Ocean
  Sea. He got lost and ended up in the New World. His
  divine heritage makes Rhodeon super-strong and able
  to breathe underwater.
  Rhodeon is extremely jealous and protective of
  Lorelei. If he catches any man paying too much atten-
  tion to her, Rhodeon tries to beat that man into a pulp.
  After several centuries, Lorelei finds Rhodeon’s pos-
  sessiveness rather annoying, so she flirts all the more
  in hopes of finding a man who will beat Rhodeon and
  take her away from Puerto Muerto. She has only stayed
  with Rhodeon this long because he’s the only man her
  kisses don’t drown.
  A few miles up the shore from Puerto Muerto, an-
  other inlet holds a small, ruined fort occupied by ghost
  pirates. The skeletal pirates come to Puerto Muerto
  every now and then and raise hell with their roister-
  ing. Fortunately, none of the people in Puerto Muerto
  can really die because they’re all already dead. The pi-
  rates also occasionally sail their ghost ship to Earth.
  Half a mile from shore, the gray sea fades away into
  the gray space that lies between astral locations. The
  same happens only a quarter-mile inland. Puerto
  Muerto thus consists of a strip of coastline a few miles
  long, fading out on every side into nothingness.
  The Sky Where You Fly
  This imaginary place grew out of flying dreams. It is
  a cloudscape with birds and a fuzzy, indistinct ground
  far below. Astral travelers who enter this zone find that
  instead of falling, they are flying. Flight here has no
  Endurance cost. One gets 1" of Flight per point of EGO.
  This does not add to any Flight powers the person may
  already have.
  The Spooky Empty House
  This zone grew from nightmares about being chased
  by unseen monsters through an endless house. Once
  one enters the Spooky Empty House, the nightmare
  begins. If one lets the nightmare run its course, one
  will be chased by the monsters (which are never seen,
  only heard) and eventually open a door and fall down
  an endless precipice back to the general Dreamzone.
  Alternatively, the character can make an EGO roll to
  break out of the dream’s storyline and change its
  course, such as turning and facing the monsters. The
  monsters may turn out to be less terrible than one had
  imagined.
  Kaleidoscape
  This Cyst is a weird “chaos zone” of turbulent light
  and twisting shapes. It is only likely to be entered
  through a botched attempt at instant astral travel. Space
  in the kaleidoscape warps back on itself so a person
  quickly comes back to where they started. The second
  escape attempt only comes after the trapped character
  calms down, studies the environment and makes an
  INT roll to find the zone’s hidden pattern of activity.
  A successful INT roll complements the subsequent
  Astral Navigation roll.
  Missile combat is almost impossible in the
  Kaleidoscape. The spatial turbulence acts as a continu-
  ous Missile Deflection with an OCV of 10 affecting all
  ranged attacks. Movement is also affected: people who
  try to move to a particular hex (for instance, to close
  with an opponent for hand-to-hand combat) must
  make an attack roll to hit the target hex, just as if they
  were leaping or targeting an Area Effect attack. In the
  kaleidoscape, however, hexes have a DCV of 6.
  New Golgotha
  This Cyst consists of a few distorted, nightmarish
  city blocks. It folds back on itself: moving four blocks
  brings one back where one stated. New Golgotha grew
  from a paranoid’s fantasies of power and persecution.
  The paranoid believed he was Jesus, and the CIA was
  after him with pain-ray machines. As a further com-
  plication, the paranoid is long dead but his ghost keeps
  the fantasy going. To have any chance of escaping, the
  character must confront the paranoid’s ghost and make
  a convincing effort to counter his delusions. Not only
  will the CIA Men in Black stalk the lost character, the
  paranoid will respond to challenges by calling blue
  bolts from Heaven.
  Astral Inhabitants
  As the mind of God creates by His word, so man by his
  mind and speech can procreate immortal progeny.
  —Lodovico Lazarelli
  The Lower Astral is occupied by a lot more than just
  plane-traveling wizards. Many sorts of beings visit the
  Astral Plane or even dwell there permanently. Nor-
  mally, everyone on the Astral Plane is visible and solid
  to everyone else, although astral beings may be harder
  to damage than are physical creatures.
  
  81
  Ghosts
  Large numbers of ghosts dwell on the Lower Astral
  Plane. Most ghosts only spend a short time—if any—
  on the Lower Astral before they evaporate and the
  person’s soul moves on to its eternal reward, but Earth’s
  vast population ensures a steady supply of new ghosts.
  A few ghosts endure for decades or even centuries.
  Dreamers
  People may stray onto the Lower Astral in their
  dreams; in fact, dreamers are as common as ghosts.
  Usually, dreamers stay in a layer of the Lower Astral
  called the Dreamzone, where their private visions take
  form, but once in a while dreamers stray off the
  Dreamzone to the general Lower Astral without real-
  izing it, and no one knows why.
  Dreamers can also enter the Lower Astral through
  dreams that are so common they’ve achieved a certain
  independent existence and created places in the gen-
  eral Astral Plane. Common nightmares are one ex-
  ample: the millions of people who have dreamed of
  being chased through an empty house by monsters,
  for instance, have created the location called the
  Spooky Empty House, which can act as a portal from
  the Dreamzone to the rest of the Astral Plane.
  Finally, people who die while they’re dreaming may
  endure as ghosts. Some move from the Dreamzone to
  the general Astral, while others stay on the Dreamzone,
  caught in infinite dreams.
  Imaginary People
  Many of the imaginary locations come with imagi-
  nary people to complete the scene. To use the examples
  below, the Spooky Empty House has its elusive mon-
  sters, and Puerto Muerto has a complete population
  of imaginary fishermen, sailors and tradesmen. Most
  of these imaginary people are just ordinary people
  except that they never really die. They fill their roles,
  and that’s it.
  Atavisms
  Whenever humans experience strong, visceral emo-
  tions such as rage, pain, ecstasy or terror, they create a
  grotesque little spirit on the Lower Astral. These crea-
  tures are called atavisms or (confusingly) elementals.
  Atavisms might evaporate in a few days, or hang
  around for centuries. Although most atavisms are not
  actually evil, they embody raw emotions and drives
  which most “white” magicians prefer to keep re-
  strained. Much of “Black Magic” consists of the delib-
  erate creation and control of atavisms for evil ends.
  Visitors From Other Planes
  Spirits from Elysium and the Netherworld may en-
  ter the Lower Astral to observe human affairs and
  prompt good or evil thoughts. Rare astral travelers
  from other dimensions may visit. Not all are friendly.
  Some are astral predators.
  Travel On The Astral Plane
  “Distance” doesn’t have the same meaning on the
  Astral Plane as it does on Earth. Places can be “near”
  or “far” based on how similar they are. To an experi-
  enced astral voyager, it’s a shorter trip from the grain
  fields of Kansas to the grain fields of Ukraine than to
  the mountains of Colorado. Astral Colorado, in turn,
  is not too far from Astral Chile or Astral Switzerland—
  they are all lands of high, rugged mountains.
  Mundane Travel
  A traveler on the Lower Astral can follow Earthly
  geography using their normal movement abilities. All
  the freeways, roadsigns and cities echo onto the Lower
  Astral. That, however, is the slow way to travel, and
  one is limited to sections of the Lower Astral that mimic
  real locations on Earth. Many of the most interesting
  parts of the Astral Plane are purely imaginary and don’t
  correspond to any specific place on Earth.
  Fast Travel Shortcuts
  To bypass normal geography, or reach imaginary
  locations such as the High School Where You’re Na-
  ked, it is only necessary to think about the desired lo-
  cation as strongly as possible, and keep moving. It
  doesn’t matter whether one walks, flies or rides an as-
  tral train. Eventually one will arrive. How quickly the
  scenery shifts depends on one’s mental discipline (i.e.
  EGO) and experience. One might also have to pass
  through several other zones of the Lower Astral, which
  might not be very pleasant.
  How long a “shortcut” journey takes cannot be pre-
  cisely defined. A trip between similar locations takes
  less time than a trip between very different locations.
  Familiar locations are quicker and easier to reach than
  a location one knows little about. If two people sepa-
  rately travel between two locations, the person with
  the higher EGO score arrives first—everything else
  being equal. If one person’s EGO is at least 5 points
  greater, that person arrives much sooner. On the other
  hand, if people travel in a group, they all travel at the
  rate set by the person with the highest EGO.
  One can buy a skill, Astral Navigation, which im-
  proves the speed and accuracy of “shortcuts” on the
  Lower Astral. Someone who makes an Astral Naviga-
  tion skill roll can automatically beat anyone who didn’t.
  While it would be possible to create some table or
  formula relating travel time to target location famil-
  iarity and similarity, EGO and Astral Navigation skill,
  there’s really no need. An astral shortcut doesn’t take
  “23 minutes,” it takes “long enough to get boring.”
  Clocks don’t work on the Astral Plane. If for some rea-
  son it really matters who travels faster, make Astral
  Navigation rolls for the parties concerned and modify
  the results according to how well the people know their
  destinations, their EGOs, how similar the destinations
  are to the starting points and—let’s be honest here—
  what would make a good story!
  
  82
  Instant Travel
  Finally, some spirits and experienced astral voyag-
  ers can move anywhere in the Astral Plane at the speed
  of thought. (In game terms this is FTL Movement.
  Astral projectors who have EDMed onto the Astral
  Plane automatically have this power.) The catch is ar-
  riving at the right place. One can flash to personally
  familiar locations with a simple Astral Navigation roll.
  Less familiar locations may put minuses on the Navi-
  gation roll, and may even require that the astral trav-
  eler also make a KS: Astral Geography skill roll. Fail-
  ing a roll means arriving in an undesired and prob-
  ably unknown location.
  Getting Lost
  Getting lost on the Lower Astral usually isn’t seri-
  ous. One simply “shortcuts” back to a familiar loca-
  tion and starts over. Occasionally, however, there are
  problems.
  First, some locations (such as Cysts) are so weird
  and disorienting that they interfere with one’s ability
  to leave them. Such regions are always disconnected
  from Earthly geography, so normal movement will not
  suffice to escape them. “Shortcut” travel and instant
  travel both require Astral Navigation rolls at hefty mi-
  nuses to succeed, and one cannot just keep making skill
  rolls over and over. One must wait a while between
  attempts, which means one will perforce interact with
  the new environment.
  Exactly how long one must wait is up to the GM,
  but as a suggestion the character’s condition must
  change and the character must experience a dramatic
  scene of some sort. At its simplest, this could consist
  of the character exploring the location and discover-
  ing a route back to the normal Astral Plane. Raising
  the drama level, perhaps the character must experi-
  ence some emotion or perform some action before they
  escape. (In such cases, the GM should provide plenty
  of clues about what the character should do—after all,
  this is an interruption, not an adventure of its own.)
  Some locations may have inhabitants who can help
  or hinder lost characters. Lost travelers may have to
  face some danger or gain the help of a local spirit to
  escape. Strange locations might have equally strange
  inhabitants. Indeed, some bizarre pockets of the As-
  tral Plane may be intrinsically damaging in physical
  or mental ways.
  The Land Of
  Legends
  “For he led us, he said, to a joyous land,
  Joining the town and just at hand,
  Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew
  And flowers put forth a fairer hue,
  And everything was strange and new…”
  —Robert Browning, The Pied Piper of Hamelin
  The Land of Legends, or Faerie, is the oldest of the
  Imaginal Realms. Here dwell the nature spirits and the
  pagan gods, born when people imagined everything
  in Nature to possess a human will. For millennia be-
  fore the “ethical religions” pushed the Godhead be-
  yond the sky, every stream and mountain and forest
  grove had its ruling genius. Greater gods spoke in the
  crash of thunder and the ocean waves. There was noth-
  ing abstract or symbolic about these gods and spirits:
  they were as real as one’s next-door neighbor, and it
  was a rare person who did not encounter a god, elf or
  spirit sometime in their life.
  Then the Ban fell and slowly pushed the gods and
  spirits from the world. The Land of Legends pulled
  away from the Earth and became a recognizable world
  of its own. That was when the “legends” actually be-
  came legendary.
  The Land of Legends remains partly open to Earth.
  Spontaneous nexus points from wilderness areas still
  cast the occasional human into Faerie, or let an elf or
  satyr visit its former haunts for a time. Nexi become
  rarer every century as humanity cuts down the for-
  ests, plows the land, delves the earth and wraps the
  world in concrete, asphalt and steel. A glamour has
  passed from a world no longer sacred. But now the
  Ban is crumbling. Ancient powers wake, eager to re-
  claim their emperies, unwilling to sleep again…
  Geography
  There I suck the liquid air,
  All amid the garden fair
  Of Hesperus, and his daughters three
  That sing around the golden tree.
  —John Milton, Comus
  Of all the Parterres, the Land of Legends most re-
  sembles Earth. It has all the natural features of earthly
  landscapes: forests, seas, meadows, deserts, mountains
  and all the rest. Nexus points always lead from an Earth
  location to a very similar region of the Land of Leg-
  ends. One might be in Faerie for hours without know-
  ing it! The Land of Legends, however, is a “good bits”
  version of the Earth. Large, homogeneous, boring re-
  gions such as oceans, deserts or steppes are compressed
  in the Land of Legends. There’s nothing the size of the
  Atlantic Ocean, Sahara Desert or American Great
  Plains. Any distinct region in the Land of legends can
  be crossed in a day or two by boat or horseback. The
  Land of Legends’ geography does not make sense on
  
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  the large scale. Landscapes flow into each other in im-
  possible ways: mountain into swamp, jungle into
  desert. Different regions can even have different sea-
  sons.
  Connections between regions aren’t consistent, ei-
  ther. For instance, suppose two travelers set out from
  the same location in the Land of Legends. One trav-
  eler goes 100 miles north then 100 miles east, while
  another traveler goes 100 miles east and then 100 miles
  north. They will not arrive at the same place! Connec-
  tions between regions can even change, depending on
  the time of day or the weather.
  The Land of Legends does, however, have a struc-
  ture on the largest scale. It is flat, not a sphere. The sky
  is a dome of unbreakable blue glass during the day,
  star-spangled black glass at night; the Sun and Moon
  move along their tracks by hooks hanging from the
  dome.
  Just as it has a top, the Land of Legends also has a
  bottom: it rests on the back of an immensely, impossi-
  bly huge dragon, the Dragon, chained there until the
  end of the world. Beneath the Dragon is Chaos—the
  Astral Plane.
  Landscape Elements
  Certain elements occur again and again in Faerie
  landscapes. The most wondrous, unearthly regions are
  set on islands, mountains or underground. Of course
  there are no cities, but spectacular, fairy-tale castles are
  not uncommon. These might be made of gold, or perch
  on clouds or pillars, or spin like tops. Fountains, jew-
  els, caves and gardens with miraculous trees or flow-
  ers are very traditional as well.
  Most of the Land of Legends is more beautiful than
  the average wilderness on Earth. Most regions seem
  caught in perpetual spring or early summer, with lots
  of flowers. The exceptions are correspondingly more
  ugly and frightening: nightmare forests of twisted, dead
  trees and deathly fungi, for instance, or wastelands in-
  habited only by lurking, slinking abominations.
  Pantheon Realms
  Most of Faerie is held in common by the lesser spir-
  its, particularly the elven-folk. Pockets of the Land of
  Legends are held by old (and not-so-old) “pagan” pan-
  theons such as the Greco-Roman, Celtic, Yoruba or
  Shinto gods. Historically, the pantheons kept to them-
  selves and kept the borders of their regions closed. In
  recent centuries, however, the pantheons have com-
  municated more. Even if humans have stopped believ-
  ing in some of them, they can believe in each other
  and live off the immense reserve of stored belief that
  is the Land of Legends itself.
  Sample Regions
  The Onyx Kingdom
  A cave in the Dragon Mountains leads through miles
  of passages to a huge cavern hung with gigantic stalac-
  tites. Equally huge stalagmites squat about the cavern
  floor. All the cavern, however, is of black onyx. Dim
  light comes from huge jewels hanging from the stalac-
  tites on silver chains. The largest stalagmites bear deli-
  cately carved little onyx palaces on their tops. This is
  the Onyx Kingdom, principality of the svartalf Clan
  Ectol, and the original home of Vilsimbra the Dark Elf
  (see the Devil’s Advocates in Creatures of the Night:
  Horror Enemies).
  Clan Ectol is divided into six great Houses, each with
  its own palace. The Prince of the First House is nomi-
  nal ruler of the Onyx Kingdom, but he is really just
  the first among equals; he has no real power over the
  Princes of the other houses. The Dark Elves devote their
  immortal lives to endless, tangled intrigues for pres-
  tige. Mortal visitors will inevitably get swept into these
  plots and counter-plots. The svartalfar might also en-
  slave unwary humans.
  Wondrous Islands
  The seas of Faerie have many islands. Traditionally,
  islands are “otherworldly” places, so Faerie’s islands
  tend to be quite strange. A few have useful or danger-
  ous features or inhabitants; most are just colorful bits
  of scenery to pass by. For instance:
  • Island girdled with cliffs of dark rock veined with
  gold.
  On top is a dense forest of wild shrubbery and
  gloomy cypresses. In the center is a natural-look-
  ing fountain of water perfumed with a bittersweet
  scent (myrrh). This is the Water of Death which
  repairs any damage a corpse may have suffered, but
  which is infallibly fatal to the living when imbibed.
  It also acts as a 15d6 Dispel against magic when
  sprinkled on something or someone.
  • Tiny island raised over 500' high on a huge silver
  pillar.
  On top is a little silver palace surrounded by a
  belt of flowering herbs and trees. Nothing lives on
  the island but bees and small golden birds.
  • Island surrounded by spike-topped brass palisade
  carrying a brass fishnet.
  The wind in the net makes a menacing hum. The
  island is covered with dark firs bearing cones of deep
  bronzy glass. A grim brass tower is intermittently
  visible through the trees. The only visible inhabit-
  ants are large black birds that attack anyone who
  crosses the palisade, but someone unfriendly lives
  in the tower.
  For further inspiration, see accounts of the voyages
  of Maeldun, St. Brendan or Sinbad the Sailor (classi-
  cal), or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
  (modern).
  The Even Wilder West
  Even the supernatural world of the Native Ameri-
  cans has been invaded by the white man. The legend-
  ary of the Old West grew while the Old West still ex-
  isted, and it hasn’t faded with time. A flood of dime
  novels and movies created a surge of old-style mythic
  belief which grounded in the Land of Legends. The
  Native American sections of Faerie swelled.
  
  84
  The first new inhabitants were the Native Ameri-
  cans themselves. In some cases, the Ghost Dance actu-
  ally worked. Hundreds of Native Americans magicked
  themselves to the Land of Legends, where the buffalo
  still roamed and the white men hadn’t come. As the
  myth of the West grew, however, the Land of Legends
  insisted on players to fill all roles. Nexus points sucked
  in cowboys, homesteaders, outlaws and anyone else
  convenient. Within a few decades, the Even Wilder West
  took shape: a blend of the Happy Hunting Grounds,
  Western movie clichés and generic Fairyland.
  The land itself encourages Caucasian visitors to act
  like cowboys, sheriffs, outlaws, schoolmarms and other
  classic roles, even to supplying clothing and other nec-
  essary props through outrageous coincidence. Visitors
  and residents interact with Native American tribes, but
  also with Native American-styled elves, gods, spirits
  and monsters. The whites have guns (which hardly ever
  need reloading); the Native Americans have magic and
  the friendship of the supernatural powers. They’re
  quite evenly matched.
  Inhabitants
  And on the tawny sands and shelves
  Trip the pert fairies and the dapper elves.
  By dimpled brook and fountain-brim,
  The wood-nymphs, decked with daisies trim,
  Their merry wakes and pastimes keep:
  What hath night to do with sleep?
  —John Milton, Comus
  The inhabitants of the land of Legends are, of course,
  tremendously varied. Most of the various races live all
  mixed together now, without regard to their mythol-
  ogy of origin. One might encounter North European
  elves, Greek satyrs, the Russian Baba Yaga and Japa-
  nese tengu all in the same forest. Fortunately, in Faerie
  everybody (including visitors) speaks the same lan-
  guage. The inhabitants can be grouped into six gen-
  eral categories.
  Fairy Folk
  Fairies are not unique to northern Europe. Similar
  humanoid beings occur in mythologies around the
  world, such as the Peris of Persian legend or the
  Nunnihe of the Cherokee. In Europe alone, the fairy-
  folk had many names: Elf, Sidhe, Sith, Tylwyth Teg,
  Fay/Fee, and so on.
  Although some traditions divide the elves into
  “good” and “bad” tribes, such as the Peris and Deevs
  (Persia) or the Seelie and Unseelie Courts (Scotland),
  none of the elves can be considered truly “good” in a
  human sense. Some races of elves simply aren’t actively
  hostile to man. The fairies of the Land of Legends are
  not the bright and noble elves of Tolkein: the careless
  immortals of folklore are all capricious, deceptive and
  dangerous. They can be amazingly generous when it
  suits them, but they are just as likely to wreck a mortal’s
  life for sport. Remember, they were called the Fair Folk
  or the Good People out of fear, in hopes this would
  prevent their anger.
  The dominant races of elves look very much like
  regular humans, although in European legend at least
  they have finer features and sometimes pointed ears
  and slanted eyes. They live in forests, grottoes or in
  palaces under hills. Variant races live in other environ-
  ments. Undines (also called nixies), for instance, live
  in lakes or beneath the sea; the sinister svartalfar, the
  Dark Elves, live in caverns deep underground and fear
  the Sun. For more information on elves, see their de-
  scription in the Source book.
  The various sorts of fairies do not count as spirits.
  They can be truly killed by normal attacks, not just
  dispelled. Since they have no souls, the price they pay
  for immortality, they will take death as seriously as any
  human—once it’s staring them in the face.
  True Nature Spirits
  Besides the faerie-folk, who vaguely represent the
  powers of Nature in general, the Land of Legends also
  holds creatures which are clearly spirits personifying
  particular natural phenomena. Dryads, for instance,
  are the spirits of the trees, with magic powers over veg-
  etation. Air-spirit Sylphs dwell in the clouds. Naiads
  live in rivers, lakes and fountains.
  The nature spirits are not terribly powerful overall,
  but they can have great magical control over their own
  home. They are even flightier than the elves; few of
  them can keep their minds on one topic for more than
  a minute.
  Mythological Races
  Many cultures have legends of monsters and intelli-
  gent but distinctly nonhuman races. They are flesh and
  blood, like humans, rather than spirits. Some of these
  races have magical powers, others do not. All of them
  live in the Land of Legends.
  Listing all the mythological monsters possible would
  take a small book in itself. The HERO System Bestiary
  makes a good starting place.
  Gods
  Not every godling or tribal spirit survives. A god has
  to be believed in by tens of thousands of people at a
  time, for hundreds of years, before it coalesces out of
  the Astral Plane and takes up residence in the Land of
  Legends. (The gods of small tribes are usually just ata-
  visms, or are held in common by many tribes under
  different names.) What’s more, there must be real wor-
  ship; minor gods invented just because someone
  thought there ought to be a god of something don’t
  count. (The Greek poet Hesiod, for instance, lists nu-
  merous “conceptual entity” gods in his account of the
  world’s creation: Moros [god of doom], Hypnos [god
  of sleep], and so on. None of them were actually wor-
  shipped, so none of them became real.)
  Some pantheons are far more powerful than others.
  The old European and Middle Eastern gods are just
  scrimping by, after 2000 years of Christianity and Is-
  lam, while still-worshipped pantheons such as the Japa-
  nese and West African gods are quite powerful and
  active.
  
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  The different cultural pantheons don’t like each
  other, any more than different human cultures like each
  other, but the common threat posed by the “ethical
  religions” has prompted an indefinite truce between
  most pantheons. The unprecedented contact between
  pantheons has resulted in inter-cultural amours, and
  even a few children—new godlings unknown to my-
  thology (but they’d better become known if they want
  to survive long).
  Talking Animals
  The Land of Legends includes populations of most
  of Earth’s wildlife—at least, of all the species people
  cared about. (Microbes and a few zillion species of in-
  sects and other tiny creepy-crawlies might be missing,
  leaving an ecology that only works because it’s super-
  natural, but who’ll notice?) Some of these animals can
  talk or have even more remarkable powers. Talking
  animals are one of the most common features of fairy
  tales and legends. Usually they help the hero, in return
  for some favor the hero has done for them. Talking
  animals are seldom powerful enough to fight PCs;
  that’s not what they are for. They are advisors, wish-
  granters and givers of gifts, not another notch on the
  belt.
  Humans
  The Ban between Earth and the Land of Legends
  isn’t perfect. Humans still slip into Fairyland now and
  then, and not all of them get out again. The Land of
  Legends has ways of dealing with them.
  Some humans are allowed to live in the Land of Leg-
  ends. They must find roles for themselves suitable for
  a myth or fairy tale. The Land accepts humans who
  become hermits, consorts to faerie lords or ladies, ped-
  dlers, knights, poor but honest woodcutters and the
  like. (Or in the Even Wilder West, humans who as-
  sume classic Western roles.) A human who finds a place
  among the mythic races—with the satyrs, centaurs,
  gnomes or tengu, for instance—will change into a
  member of that race in just a few days.
  A human who refuses any sort of assimilation will
  eventually be caught by the elves and placed in an en-
  clave with other stubborn humans. This little village
  of exiles is located in the Sullen Country, a drab moor
  under perpetual overcast skies, completely surrounded
  by treacherous, viper-infested bogs. As long as the ex-
  iles don’t try to leave, the faerie-folk let them farm in
  peace. Theirs is a hard life, with the dubious compen-
  sation of immortality.
  Special Conditions
  The Land of Legends itself has certain special prop-
  erties which further distinguish it from Earth. Most of
  them cannot be represented in game terms, or at least
  it would not be practical.
  Flexible Time
  The passage of time in the Land of Legends has little
  relation to time on Earth. A person can spend months
  in Faerie, yet return to Earth mere hours after they
  left—or one can return from a night’s revels in Faerie
  and find that decades have passed on Earth. Usually,
  however, the difference between Earth time and Faerie
  time is not so extreme (in game terms, only 1 step dif-
  ference on the Time Chart either way, or less).
  Time isn’t even consistent between the various re-
  gions of the Land of Legends. What seems like a day to
  one visitor can seem like a week or an hour to some-
  one else. Time only stays consistent within a group of
  visitors: if anyone gets separated from the group, time
  might go funny for them.
  GMs should not impose severe time differentials
  arbitrarily or often. Minor time differentials simply
  emphasize that the heroes really have gone “beyond
  the fields we know,” The threat of more severe time
  distortion helps keep a group of heroes together in the
  Land of Legends: characters will think twice about
  striking off on their own if they know that they could
  come back a day later and find that the rest of the group
  gave them up for lost and returned to Earth weeks ago.
  On the other hand, if one hero gets separated from the
  group by circumstances beyond their control, a time
  differential can give mind-blowing effects. The sepa-
  rated PC might have their own adventure lasting weeks
  or even years (narrated in summary by the GM), then
  encounter the other PCs again and find that they’ve
  only been gone a few minutes! In short, time differen-
  tials should be used to enhance a story, not just to make
  the PCs’ lives more difficult.
  Some of the faerie lords and gods can control the
  time differential. For instance, if King Oberon feels
  really pleased with something the heroes have done,
  he might make their two-week quest through Faerie
  only have taken two hours on Earth. Conversely, if the
  PCs visit an elf-mound and give offense, their host
  might make their night in Faerie last a century on
  Earth—but only if the GM wants to do a time-travel
  adventure.
  Life Support vs. Aging
  Most inhabitants of the Land of Legends stay one
  age forever. Human visitors gain a similar benefit in
  most parts of the Land of Legends; the homelands of
  defunct pantheons may have lost their aura of immor-
  tality. As usual with Faerie, however, immortality is a
  mixed blessing.
  First, humans dwelling in the Land of Legends can-
  not have children. Any children who enter the Land of
  Legends will stay children forever, like Peter Pan. Gods
  or elf-lords can suspend this effect if they choose, at
  least long enough for a child to be born or grow up.
  Second, aging is sometimes merely deferred, not
  avoided completely. On returning to Earth, sometimes
  one gains back lost aging—based on the passage of
  time on Earth rather than Faerie. If this amounts to
  decades, coming home can be a considerable shock, as
  Rip Van Winkle found out! Like the time differential
  itself, this effect seems totally beyond human control,
  but stays consistent within a group of visitors; and like-
  wise, most big shots in the Land of Legends can con-
  
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  trol the return of lost aging, if they so choose. Legends
  speak of Faerie lords and ladies storing the deferred
  aging in a small box which they give to a returning
  mortal, with instructions never to open it. Unfortu-
  nately, the human never gets an explanation of why
  the box should stay closed—so eventually someone
  opens it, and the person instantly grows old.
  Fixed Paths
  The Land of Legends tries to ramrod visitors into
  its ancient story motifs, and sometimes it isn’t at all
  subtle. A danger foreshadowed becomes a danger un-
  avoidable: if the PCs learn that the route to their goal
  holds certain hazards, the Land might not let them
  bypass those hazards. This happens most often at door-
  ways, tunnels and other passages between one place
  or another, where a normal person’s movement would
  be constricted. For instance, if one must face a mon-
  ster to get through a mountain pass, it’s no good try-
  ing to fly, teleport or tunnel past the monster. The pass
  just goes on forever, and when the PCs eventually stop
  there’s the monster again, waiting to ask its riddle, de-
  mand its tribute or issue its challenge to fight.
  Curses
  Any permanent resident in the Land of Legends can
  put a curse on anyone who deeply wrongs them. Typi-
  cal situations when a curse can be laid include: a dying
  person, on their killer (if they didn’t die in a fair fight);
  a host, against a treacherous guest; a guest, against a
  treacherous host; a parent, against an ungrateful child;
  or on oneself, as a penalty if one breaks an oath. There
  can even be a “whoever” curse, linked to a place or
  item, such as the curse Alberich put on the Rhinegold
  when Wotan robbed him of it. A person must have a
  genuine grievance for a curse to work, such as murder,
  theft, or betrayal of trust. Merely disliking someone is
  not enough.
  A proper, Legendary Curse cannot really be repre-
  sented in terms of game mechanics because its effects
  are so complex and far-reaching. If one absolutely must
  represent a Legendary Curse as an attack, it is a Trans-
  form: Person to Cursed Person. Since this power can
  only be used in the Land of Legends, however, it can
  be left as a plot device. (The curse’s effects, however,
  can hound a person through the Multiverse.)
  A Legendary Curse does not involve any sort of di-
  rect attack. Instead it manipulates future events to the
  victim’s detriment. Curses can wait for years to act.
  There’s no way to avoid a curse: the very actions one
  takes to block a curse will probably set in motion the
  events which bring one’s destruction.
  On the other hand, the curser has no control over
  the curse either, except to annul it. Legendary Curses
  often have side effects the curser really didn’t want,
  making the curse a hollow vengeance. A classic case
  forms the plot of the Iliad. The Greek leader
  Agamemnon offends Achilles by claiming as his prize
  a girl whom Achilles had captured. Achilles not only
  drops out of the siege of Troy, he asks his mother (a
  goddess) to make the Greeks lose battles. Once
  Agamemnon apologizes, Achilles will re-join the war
  and the gods can favor the Greeks again. The curse
  works: the Greeks suffer a crushing defeat and
  Agamemnon grovels…but Achilles’ best friend
  Patroclus dies in the battle.
  A Legendary Curse can be lifted in three ways. First,
  the person who set the curse can revoke it. Second, a
  few extremely powerful persons can lift some curses.
  In Faerie, Oberon and Titania or the pantheon heads
  have this power. Outside Faerie, most cosmic entities
  can lift a curse. Some curses, backed by mighty arti-
  facts or special oaths, are beyond any power in Faerie.
  (Wotan, for instance, couldn’t do a thing against
  Alberich’s curse, which was backed by the power of
  the Rhinegold.) Anyone who can break a curse will
  require a very strong motivation to do so…which
  brings in the third method, of atonement. Performing
  some difficult and/or dangerous task might break a
  curse, by showing one’s sincere contrition. Some curses
  might come equipped with atonement loopholes:
  “Henceforth, you will suffer [fill in the torment] until
  you [fill in the task].” In other cases, a work of atone-
  ment might persuade some powerful entity that one is
  worth saving from the curse.
  Legendary Curses should be used sparingly, but they
  should be used. First, curses are a threat to prevent PCs
  from charging through the Land of Legends as if it
  were a shooting gallery or a monster-filled dungeon
  crawl. One good curse from an elf they beat up or
  robbed should convince most PCs to mind their man-
  ners in the future. Second, a Legendary Curse can drive
  an adventure, even when the PCs aren’t the target. A
  really big curse can start wars, manipulate kingdoms,
  propagate through generations and drag in the gods
  themselves.
  Adventure Use
  The Land of Legends can easily become an impor-
  tant part of a campaign, since it gives a GM all of my-
  thology and folklore to work with. These suggestions
  can only scratch the surface of the possibilities.
  Origins: Gods and other mythical creatures can come
  from the Land of Legends, whether as PCs, NPCs or
  monsters.
  Quests: A quest through the Land of Legends can make
  an uncommonly memorable adventure. The goal of
  the quest is less important than the striking characters
  the PCs meet along the way: tricky elvish nobles, help-
  ful talking animals, pagan gods, wicked witches in gin-
  gerbread houses…
  Tricky Tests: This motif can be worked into other plots.
  Myths and fairy tales are full of contests where things
  are not as they seem—perhaps because one’s oppo-
  nent is disguised through illusion, or because of some
  danger one was not warned about.
  Resources: The Land of Legends contains many things
  of use to sorcerers, or other heroes and villains for that
  matter. Chief among these are the inhabitants them-
  selves. If a recipe for a magic potion or ritual calls for
  
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  dragon scales or centaur blood, one must go to the
  Land of Legends. What’s more, some of the Land’s in-
  habitants know much that is hidden, or have special
  magic powers: the trick is getting them to help. Pow-
  erful magic items may be tucked away in remote parts
  of Faerie as well. Finally, the Land may hold natural
  resources difficult if not impossible to find on Earth,
  such as blue roses or mythical minerals like the
  toadstone.
  Confronting The Dragon: The ongoing threat of the
  Dragon will eventually lead to a face-to-face meeting
  on the underside of Faerie. Heroes might try forcing
  or tricking information from the Dragon (fat chance),
  or they might have to keep the Dragon’s servants from
  breaking its chains.
  The Netherworld
  My object all sublime
  I shall achieve in time:
  To let the punishment fit the crime,
  The punishment fit the crime!
  —Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado
  The Netherworld is the Imaginal Realm built from
  human ideas of evil. Here dwell the demons, incarna-
  tions of hate, fear, rage and all other negative emo-
  tions, in a chaotic landscape as hostile as themselves.
  The Netherworld isn’t just Hell: it is every Hell ever
  imagined, mashed together.
  Geography
  A dungeon horrible, on all sides round,
  As one great furnace flamed; yet from those flames
  No light, but rather darkness visible
  Served only to discover sights of woe…
  —John Milton, Paradise Lost
  The Netherworld has no consistent, large-scale ge-
  ography. It can seem completely different from visit to
  visit. Particular regions are locally stable, but the con-
  nections between them are fluid. Large sections of the
  Netherworld might even seem to follow some overall
  plan, but different visitors can find completely differ-
  ent geographies. On one visit, heroes might land in
  the nine descending circles of Dante’s Inferno. On a
  return visit, they might find the city of Pandemonium
  from Milton’s Paradise Lost instead. If one travels long
  enough, though, any Hell can be found eventually.
  Landscape Elements
  The Netherworld’s landscape varies widely, but it is
  all unpleasant, composed of elements that people find
  ugly or frightening. There’s lots of traditional fire,
  smoke, lava and barren stone. Every place in the
  Netherworld is dimly lit and the air reeks. Other tra-
  ditional features for Netherworld scenery include:
  sandy desert; glaciers and plains of ice; pits and
  trenches; swamps; rivers and lakes of fire, boiling blood,
  pitch, slime or icy black water; garbage and offal; dark,
  trackless forests; reptiles; insects, worms and maggots;
  vicious beasts.
  Cultural Hells
  The Netherworld isn’t limited to Judeo-Christian-
  Islamic ideas of Hell. A Hindu visitor will arrive in that
  religion’s demon-realm of Naraka. A Taoist encoun-
  ters the Chinese Hells. Even the Greek Hell of Tartarus
  and the Norse Hell of Niflheim might be encountered,
  although since those pantheons are no longer actively
  worshipped it is unlikely that anyone would appear in
  them spontaneously. In fact, no matter what Hell one
  appears in, it’s possible to enter other cultures’ Hells—
  for instance, to descend a crack in the plain of ice at
  the bottom of Dante’s Inferno and end up in Niflheim.
  Demon Lord Fiefdoms
  The more powerful demon lords might shape stable,
  personal demesnes according to their tastes. Here they
  torment the souls of former pacters and people whose
  ruling passion put them in the demon’s jurisdiction.
  The tortures of the damned often show a certain rough
  justice…or at least they would if they were not infi-
  nite punishment for finite crimes.
  Personal Hells
  Finally, the Netherworld also tucks in very personal
  Hells. Everyone has “personal demons”—private fears,
  feelings of guilt and situations they dread facing. A visi-
  tor to the Netherworld might turn a corner and step
  into their private Hell. Personal Hells need not be con-
  fined to a single location: they can take the form of a
  subplot or a sequence of characters threaded through
  other sections of the Netherworld.
  GMs should design a “personal Hell” scene for at
  least one character on any adventure to harrow the
  Netherworld, using the character’s personality and his-
  tory as a guide. Encountering a personal Hell might
  be no more than a jab at a character’s Psychological
  Limitations, or it might put a hero in deadly peril. Here,
  for instance, are the private Hells the Champions might
  encounter:
  Defender gets attacked through his need to uphold
  the family name. He meets his heroic father, grand-
  father and great-grandfather, chained and tor-
  mented, and learns that they weren’t so heroic after
  all as his ancestors confess their crimes. The first
  James Harmon cheated the native Africans to estab-
  lish the family fortune. James II took bribes and mis-
  used his police power. James III took the victorious
  soldier’s ancient “privilege” of having his way with
  the local girls. Each of them fell from virtue only once,
  but their moment of selfishness and hypocrisy was
  enough to land them in Hell. There’s a fourth set of
  chains ready for Defender.
  Jaguar fears losing control to the Beast’s fury. His
  private Hell is a meeting with his bestial half—his
  family curse given independent existence—amid the
  bodies of everyone who has ever died because of him.
  
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  The corpses get up and attack, and only Jaguar can
  hurt them. He has to knowingly, deliberately kill
  them all again, as his vicious double cheers him on.
  Obsidian can count himself lucky not to have a per-
  sonal Hell: as an alien, humanity’s Netherworld has
  no claim on him. On the other hand, the demon lords
  may make a special effort to destroy him because they
  fear his alien-ness.
  Quantum’s anger is fueled by her feelings of guilt at
  living while so many of her friends and family died.
  On a raid into a demon’s fortress, she finds a (phony)
  “dimensional viewer” that lets her see and talk to
  her dead parents. They revile her for letting them
  die when she had the power to save them.
  Seeker, the carefree swashbuckler in pursuit of En-
  lightenment, still has a hook for the Netherworld:
  his vanity. His teacher Mr. Edo appears to accuse
  him of seeking nothing but glory and girls, that his
  honor and heroism come from self-serving pride
  rather than genuine altruism. The phony Mr. Edo
  magically strips Seeker of his brawn and horribly
  scars his face. Then Seeker gets a nasty confronta-
  tion that challenges him to defend someone who dis-
  likes him from deadly peril. If he can show selfless
  courage despite weakness and ingratitude, he beats
  his private Hell and gets his strength and looks back.
  Solitaire has trouble with moral ambiguity. She al-
  ways wants to “do the right thing,” and fears she
  might make a mistake. She discovers that the Sena-
  tor she refused to kill really was evil, a servant of the
  demons assigned to destroy America from within—
  and his plans are nearly complete.
  Of course, everything the heroes hear and see in their
  private Hells is a lie: Defender’s ancestors, Jaguar’s
  vengeful victims, Quantum’s parents, Seeker’s teacher
  Mr. Edo and the rest are demons in disguise or illu-
  sions, and they’re lying their heads off. One seldom
  finds truth in the Netherworld!
  Sample Regions
  The War Zone
  Baphomet, Lord of Wrath, receives the souls of
  people whose lives were dominated by anger and vio-
  lence. He has shaped his demesne into a patchwork of
  battlefields from humanity’s dirtiest wars: the jungles
  of Vietnam, the alleys of Beirut, the trenches of
  Gallipoli and so on. Here the damned fight and re-
  fight their wars for eternity, against each other and
  against the gangs of thugs and brigands who reveled
  in brutality. Superhero visitors to Baphomet’s war zone
  will certainly meet a few deceased supervillains—and
  maybe a former hero or two.
  Mount Mulciber
  Mulciber, Hell’s greatest smith and artificer, keeps a
  very small demesne: a barren, black volcano in whose
  cavern-riddled depths he keeps his forges and work-
  shops. Since very few people are drawn into evil by
  passion for craftsmanship, most damned souls in
  Mulciber’s forge will be there because Mulciber bought
  them from another demon lord. They aren’t there to
  work as slaves, Mulciber bought them to use as raw
  materials. He does his best work in soul-alloyed metal.
  The Labyrinth of Greed
  The Lord of Avarice, Lucifuge Rofocale, has a spec-
  tacular demesne of twisting, jewel-studded caverns.
  The caverns are constantly shrouded in magical dark-
  ness, however, for Lucifuge Rofocale is so greedy that
  he can’t stand the thought of anyone but him even
  looking at his possessions. Here avarice demons over-
  see chain gangs of pirates, con men, industrial robber
  barons, petty thieves, bankers and princes—all people
  whose lives were ruled by greed, slaving for eternity
  among unseen riches.
  Niflheim
  Niflheim was the Norse Hell, the destiny of those
  who had died “straw deaths” as cowards. (The Prose
  Edda says this included all men who died of sickness
  or old age, but other epics tell of men who died peace-
  fully yet achieved Valhalla.) The mistress of Niflheim
  was Hela, daughter of Loki, who was normal flesh-color
  on one side of her body and blue-black on the other.
  Niflheim is a dark land wreathed in icy fog. The for-
  tress-hall of Hela is named Sleet-Cold; its threshold,
  Falling-To-Destruction; her dish, Hunger; her knife,
  Famine; her servant, Idler; her maid, Sloven; her bed,
  Disease and her bed-cover Unhappiness. The hall is
  guarded by a giant dog called Garm, whose breast is
  sprinkled with blood.
  Niflheim also included a special hall, however, for
  the very worst sinners, set apart on Nastrand, the
  Strand of the Dead. As the Prose Edda explains, “It is
  all woven of serpent-backs like a wattle-house; and all
  the snake-heads turn into the house and blow venom,
  so that along the hall run rivers of venom; and they
  who have broken oaths, and murderers, wade those
  rivers.”
  Inhabitants
  We are the ministers of pain, and fear,
  And disappointment, and mistrust, and hate,
  And clinging crime…
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound
  Demons
  The dominant inhabitants of the Netherworld, of
  course, are the demons. One can get a lot of gaming
  mileage from demons based on Judeo-Christian-Is-
  lamic mythology (such as the sample demons from
  Creatures Of The Night: Horror Enemies), but a little
  research in mythology and folklore can turn up fasci-
  nating demons from other cultures, such as Hindu
  Rakshasas or the plague-causing Maskim from
  Mesopotamian myth. The gods of evil or death from
  defunct mythologies might stay active as demon lords.
  
  89
  In fact, famous demons like Beelzebub and Astaroth
  started as the gods of nations competing with the an-
  cient Hebrews (most notably the Phoenicians and Syr-
  ians.)
  Demonic Animals
  In some parts of the Netherworld, the demons re-
  ceive assistance from animals. Many demon lords ride
  some sort of beast: examples of demon steeds from
  the grimoires include horses, wolves and crocodiles.
  Infernal “hell hounds” are also quite traditional. Drag-
  ons, vipers and other vicious beasts also help the de-
  mons torment their charges.
  Damned Souls
  The other chief inhabitants of the Netherworld are
  damned human souls. The damned usually look just
  as they did at their time of death, aside from any dam-
  age inflicted on them. Depending on what section of
  the Netherworld they are in and what punishment they
  receive, the damned might be naked, dressed in tat-
  tered clothes they wore in life, or something more ex-
  otic: in Dante’s Inferno, religious hypocrites had to walk
  in immensely heavy cowled robes of gilded lead. In
  some cases, the damned might be altered in strange
  and horrible ways, such as in the Wood of the Suicides
  (Dante again), where the damned were turned into
  bleeding, speaking trees.
  Special Conditions
  Indestructible Spirits
  None of the Netherworld’s inhabitants can truly die
  or lose consciousness no matter how they are tortured
  or mutilated, because they are already dead. Condi-
  tions which would spell death for a living person (suf-
  ficient negative BODY) only incapacitates a damned
  soul. Given time, it will regenerate. (1 BODY/turn Re-
  generation is enough.) Likewise, negative STUN sim-
  ply means that a damned soul cannot do anything. It
  remains aware of what happens around it, or to it, as if
  it were continually Stunned. This lets the demons do
  truly horrible things to their charges…and the damned
  stay conscious through it all.
  On their home turf, demons share these immuni-
  ties; they can’t even be dispelled. Once incapacitated,
  however, demons or the damned can be truly destroyed
  by special means. Being eaten is one method; demons
  feed upon damned souls, and the more refined demon
  lords have their own version of gourmet cooking (as
  described by C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Proposes a Toast).
  Lesser demons who fail in their assignments may end
  up on the dinner table as well.
  Some kinds of magic might permanently destroy a
  soul or spirit. These should be fairly exotic attacks, such
  as AVLD Killing Attacks or Adjustment Powers. An
  AVLD Killing Attack vs. Mental Defense, Penetrating
  BODY Drains or a strong enough Dispel once a de-
  mon or soul is incapacitated by BODY loss might be
  enough. Avarice demons Transform the damned into
  metal and stone, then break them up for raw materials
  for their craftsmanship; this is pretty final, too.
  Any method chosen to kill a Netherworld inhabit-
  ant should be somewhat difficult. Christian theolo-
  gians call Hell “the Second Death.” Delivering a third
  and ultimate death to a spirit should be a momentous
  event that might have serious consequences, not to be
  done lightly.
  Environment Control
  The highest ranks of devildom, the true Arch-Dev-
  ils and Demon Kings, have special power over their
  personal demesnes which is not reflected in their write-
  ups. This is really a power of the demesne itself, to re-
  spond to its master’s desires. While such responsive-
  ness is hard to quantify, some guidelines can be given.
  In most cases, exact numbers aren’t necessary.
  None of these environment control effects cost any
  END. They are plot devices.
  Change Environment
  First, the demesne’s master can produce any non-
  damaging environmental condition which is even re-
  motely appropriate for its territory. This will cover as
  much of the demesne as the demon wants. Typical ef-
  fects include greater light, gloom, wind, rain, heat, cold
  or odors.
  Topographic Control
  The demon king can change its demesne’s landscape
  at will, creating or destroying hills, valleys, rivers, gorges
  and other landforms. Again, by itself this can’t be used
  as an attack, although it may be used as the Special
  Effect of an attack (see below). Changing the landscape
  can still cause inconvenience, though; for instance, a
  demon king might fracture the land with a network of
  canyons to hinder someone who tries escaping on foot.
  Illusions
  A demon king can create wide-area, virtually unde-
  tectable illusions in its demesne. Illusions are used to
  deceive intruders about where they are, who they face
  and what sort of danger they are in. Any combat auto-
  matically breaks the illusion. Illusions are especially
  popular with the subtler sort of archdevil, who would
  rather trick and seduce the heroes.
  Limited Omniscience
  The master of a Netherworld demesne can have great
  awareness of local events. The demon king effectively
  has Clairsentience with all its senses, enabling it to look
  anywhere in its demesne that it pleases. The demon
  king can also Mind Link with any of its demon min-
  ions at will. Fortunately for heroes, archdevils don’t
  spend all their time spying on their fiefdoms—only if
  they have reason to suspect a threat, or once in a while
  just to keep their minions paranoid.
  Environmental Attacks
  Finally, features of the environment can be evoked
  and controlled as attacks. In a volcanic demesne, for
  instance, the demon king can create small eruptions
   SAMPLE TORMENTS
  OF THE DAMNED
  In the unlikely
  event that a GM
  lacks a suitably
  sadistic, perverted
  imagination, here are
  some typical
  punishments for the
  damned to suffer. All
  are taken from that
  excellent guide to the
  Netherworld, the
  Inferno of Dante
  Alighieri. Some of
  the sins Dante saw
  on his trip through
  Hell may seem
  quaint nowadays,
  but manic cruelty
  never goes out of
  style.
  THE LUSTFUL
  are blown about like
  leaves in perpetual
  storms. HOARDERS
  AND WASTERS,
  natural enemies,
  spend eternity trying
  to smash each other
  by rolling huge rocks
  around. HERETICS
  are sealed into tombs
  of red-hot iron.
  MURDERERS wade
  through a river of
  boiling blood.
  Centaur archers on
  the banks prevent
  them from getting
  out. FLATTERERS
  march through
  excrement.
   SIMONISTS—
  people who sell holy
  offices—are stuck
  head-first in pits,
  with flames on the
  soles of their feet.
  FORTUNETELLERS
  are forced to march
  with their heads
  twisted backwards;
  nevermore will they
  see where they’re
  going. SOWERS OF
  DISCORD get sliced
  up by demons, over
  and over.
  TRAITORS are
  frozen into a lake of
  ice.
  
  90
  (RKA Explosions) and streams of lava (RKA with Lin-
  ear Area of Effect). In a swamp, belts of quicksand (Area
  Entangle with Limitations) can be laid down and the
  plant life animated to clutch and strangle (Nonselec-
  tive Area TK).
  The Active Point cost of such environment-based
  attacks should be about the same as the Active Point
  costs of the demon king’s main attack powers…except
  that the following Power Advantages are available for
  free: Continuous, Uncontrolled, and Indirect.
  Although Range Modifiers shouldn’t count, the OCV
  for long-distance environmental attacks should be
  quite low: it’s no fun to have characters exterminated
  by an enemy they never even see. Environmental at-
  tacks should also come with fair warning, such as a
  small earth tremor and wisps of smoke before a volca-
  nic eruption, or a light sprinkling of acid rain a Turn
  or so before it becomes a deadly downpour. Environ-
  mental attacks are to weaken and hinder heroes, not
  kill them outright, and to demonstrate how powerful
  a demon lord is on its home ground.
  Once the heroes face the demesne’s master directly,
  though, this gentlemanly code is suspended. A demon
  lord can use its environmental attacks simultaneously
  with its personal attacks—remember, it’s the demesne
  itself that’s attacking, not the demon—and will use
  them to maximum effect in combat. No, doubling the
  demon king’s attack capability is not in the least bit
  fair to the players. But what sort of idiot expects fair
  play in Hell?
  Adventure Use
  Heroes can find many reasons to harrow Hell. In
  fact, a trip to Hell is practically obligatory for heroes
  in mythology. While modern heroes (mage or other-
  wise) might simply be stranded in the Netherworld by
  accident and have to escape, usually heroes go to Hell
  deliberately.
  One classic plot is the rescue from Hell: a demon
  lord or evil god holds a hero’s DNPC captive, and the
  hero goes to free them.
  Legends about heroes who go to Hell to get some-
  thing they need are pretty common too. A demon lord
  might own an artifact the PCs need, or one of the
  damned might have knowledge the heroes can’t get any
  other way.
  Finally, a demon lord’s plot to wreak havoc on Earth
  might lead the heroes to a personal confrontation in
  the Netherworld. Heroes should be warned, though,
  that attacking a high-ranking demon lord in its own
  fortress is extraordinarily dangerous. Foolhardy, even.
  And in the Netherworld, there really are fates worse
  than death.
  Elysium
  The heaven of hogs is a sublimated hog-wallow.
  —Clark Ashton Smith, Pertinence and Impertinence
  Elysium is the Imaginal Realm formed from human
  ideals of Goodness; more specifically, the ideals set by
  the so-called “ethical” religions. Since the most wide-
  spread moral doctrines define “goodness” chiefly in
  terms of obedience to some authority, Elysium tends
  to reflect Order more than anything else. Certainly, the
  most aggressive, activist dwellers in Elysium tend to
  be rigidly authoritarian. They are “good,” by the stan-
  dards of the cultures and religions which created them.
  That does not necessarily make them gentle, merciful
  or in other ways “nice.” The Great Powers of Elysium
  have plans for humanity, and those plans take little
  regard for individuals.
  Elysium began forming in the Astral Plane in the
  6th century BC. This century saw a remarkable wave
  of religious reformers, prophets and mystics. In China,
  Lao-Tzu revealed the mystic vision of Taoism and Kung
  Fu-Tzu (Confucius) proposed a more worldly philoso-
  phy of good conduct and social contracts. In India,
  Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha—the En-
  lightened One—and set forth a path of inner peace
  and transcendence. Vardhamana, founder of Jainism,
  preached the doctrine of total nonviolence and rever-
  ence for all life. In Persia, Zarathustra (Zoroaster) pro-
  claimed the duty of every person to choose the right
  side in the eternal war of Good and Evil. The Jews in
  Palestine were reforming the Torah after their captiv-
  ity in Babylon. In Greece, philosophers like Thales and
  Pythagoras laid the foundations of rational inquiry and
  humanism.
  All these thinkers rejected the capricious, all-too-
  human gods of their time as irrelevant or even nonex-
  istent. They created new moralities, based on higher
  laws than mere tribal custom and the whims of fickle
  gods. Their new Laws were meant for all people and
  all circumstances. New beliefs created new spirits and
  new spirit-realms which gradually pulled away from
  the Land of Legends even as the Land of Legends pulled
  away from the Earth.
  Geography
  Elysium is the most difficult of the Shadow Realms
  to reach from the Astral Plane. Without an invitation
  or a total religious commitment, attempts to reach
  Elysium by Extra-Dimensional Movement take -5 on
  the Dimensional Navigation rolls.
  It’s not easy to go from one section of Elysium to
  another. In the other Parterres, connections between
  regions are easy and visible: it’s just a matter of travel-
  ing the right path. In Elysium, however, the regions
  have not yet grown together. To pass from one region
  to another, one must locate hidden nexus points, or
  have Extra-Dimensional Movement powers. As a gen-
  eral rule, The Judeo-Christian-Islamic Heavens have
  pretty good access to each other (even if they won’t
  
  91
  admit it), and the Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist
  Heavens have very good connections (and are even
  willing to admit each other’s existence), but the Heav-
  ens of the Eastern and Western religions have no con-
  tact between them.
  On the other hand, Elysium also has nexus connec-
  tions to the other Imaginal Realms—even its enemy,
  the Netherworld. Nexus points to the Netherworld and
  Babylon are carefully guarded, but the zones of the
  Eastern religions maintain strong, even promiscuous,
  connections to regions within the Land of Legends.
  Taoism, for instance, is only half an ethical religion:
  popular Taoism is inextricably tied to older animistic
  beliefs in gods, nature-spirits and ancestor-worship.
  Chinese sections of the Land of Legends, for instance,
  are ruled from the Celestial Emperor’s court in
  Elysium.
  Landscape Elements
  If human ideas about Paradise are fuzzy, they are
  also quite repetitive. Gardens and palaces are the most
  common environments. Even when Paradise features
  mountains and forests, they are stylized, well-behaved
  mountains and forests, with terraces and pavilions
  from which one can enjoy the view.
  All the lesser symbols of ease and pleasure show up
  over and over in Elysium, too. Palaces, fountains and
  even trees are made of silver and gold. Jewels appear
  as gravel in streambeds, or the pavement of halls. Fruit
  trees and flowers abound. The blessed wear clothes of
  costly fabrics and dine on the finest food and drink,
  but no one has to do laundry or go to the bathroom.
  The regions where the Great Powers themselves
  dwell, however, go for grandeur instead of luxury. Here
  the scenery runs to mammoth temple-palaces of gold,
  marble and jewels, with rivers of fire, blinding light
  and hosts of spirits singing praises.
  Religious Heavens
  Most regions derive from the Heavens or Paradises
  envisioned by a particular religion. Here are the luxu-
  rious Seven Heavens of Islam, the paradisiacal island
  of P’eng-lai from Chinese mythology, and many more:
  popular Taoism and Buddhism have dozens of Heav-
  ens. Since human ideas of Paradise are often quite
  fuzzy, many regions in Elysium merely echo general
  ideas of what a Heaven should be, without following
  specific myths too closely.
  The most isolated bloc of Elysian regions are the Jew-
  ish, Christian and Muslim demesnes. There is some
  communication between regions since the three reli-
  gions share their God (even if they disagree on his
  message). The Judeo-Christian-Islamic spirits, how-
  ever, refuse to even admit the existence of the other
  Heavens. In fact, the angels are under orders not to tell
  the blessed of each religion that people of the other
  two religions made it in. The Eastern bloc spirits (Bud-
  dhism, higher Taoism and higher Hinduism) think this
  is funny.
  Ironically, the region which gives Elysium its name
  is small and isolated from the rest of the dimension.
  Elysium was the Paradise envisioned late in the his-
  tory of Greek religion, when Pythagoras and other
  mystics created an ethical religion on a mixture of
  Greek, Middle Eastern and even Hindu ideas.
  Pythagoreanism lasted until at least the 2nd century
  AD, but the triumph of Christianity stifled it.
  Popular Heavens
  Several of the Heavens in Elysium, however, were
  never formally defined by dogma. They are the Para-
  dises of popular imagination. Here, for instance, is the
  Heaven of folk Christianity, all fluffy white clouds and
  harp music. Specialized Heavens for particular occu-
  pations fall into this category too, such as Gourmet
  Heaven (all dining room), Fiddlers’ Green (a place with
  great fishing, good sailing and a fine port town is where
  all sea-faring men dream of going) and Doctor’s
  Heaven (a golf course).
  Sample Regions
  The Heavenly Jerusalem
  “It had a great, high wall, with twelve gate, and at
  the gates twelve angels…The wall was built of jasper,
  while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foun-
  dations of the wall of the city were adorned with every
  jewel…and the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each
  of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of
  the city was pure gold, transparent as glass…And the
  city had no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for
  the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
  (Revelations 21:12-23)
  The Garden of Eden
  “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the
  east…And out of the ground the Lord God made to
  grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good
  for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
  and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”—
  Genesis 2:8-9.
  Four rivers spring from the hill where the Tree of
  Life and the Tree of Knowledge grow. There is no rain,
  but a mist periodically rises from the ground to water
  the plants. All kinds of animals dwell in the Garden,
  except the accursed serpent.
  Eden is somewhat unusual among paradise-gardens
  in that it is relatively natural: the trees and plants may
  bear flowers and fruit continuously, and the animals
  are all vegetarians, but the plants are still just plants
  and the animals are just animals: they aren’t made of
  gold or anything like that. Even the Trees of Knowl-
  edge and Life look like regular fruit trees.
  Although Eden is connected to other Jewish, Chris-
  tian and Muslim Heavens, access is forbidden. Eden
  has angelic guards with flaming swords at its access
  points with orders not to let any human enter for any
  reason.
  
  92
  The Palace of God
  In the mystical Book of Enoch, the pre-diluvial pa-
  triarch is carried in a vision to Heaven and God’s own
  palace. He described it thus:
  “I came near a wall built of crystals and surrounded
  by tongues of fire…I went into the tongues of fire and
  came near a large house built of hailstone crystals. The
  walls of the house were like a tesselated floor of crys-
  tals, its floor also was crystal. Its ceiling was the path
  of stars and lightning. Between them were fiery
  cherubim…A fire surrounded the walls and its por-
  tals blazed…There was a second house, greater than
  the former…its floor was fire, and above it stars and
  lightning. Its ceiling also was fire. And I looked and
  saw a lofty throne. Its appearance was transparent hail-
  stone, its wheels like the sun, and then the sight of the
  cherubim. From underneath the throne came streams
  of fire so that I could not look directly at it. The great
  Glory sat there. His raiment shone more brightly than
  the sun and was whiter than snow…” (1 Enoch)
  Pop Heaven
  This is the Christian Heaven as popularized in count-
  less movies, cartoons and TV commercials: fields of
  puffy clouds inhabited by white-robed men and
  women (all Caucasian—so far, mass culture hasn’t let
  Pop Heaven get racially integrated) with white wings
  and tinsel haloes. Some of them have little harps. Pop
  Heaven is entered through a gate of golden filigree,
  with St. Peter (or at least someone who says he’s St.
  Peter) as gatekeeper, with a book listing who’s due to
  arrive.
  Janna
  “Janna” (“Garden”) was the name given to the
  Heaven of Islam. The Koran describes it thus:
  “This is the similitude of Paradise which the god-
  fearing have been promised; therein are rivers of wa-
  ter unstaling, rivers of milk unchanging in flavor, and
  rivers of wine—a delight to the drinkers, rivers, too, of
  honey purified; and therein for them is every fruit, and
  forgiveness from their Lord.” (Sura 47:16)
  Other stanzas mention the houris, the beautiful,
  dark-eyed and perpetually virginal maidens who wait
  to pleasure the faithful Muslim man when he wants a
  change from drinking water, milk, honey and the wine
  that was forbidden to him in life. Unfortunately, the
  Koran does not mention any corresponding rewards
  for faithful Muslim women.
  P’eng-Lai Shan
  These three islands form the Eastern Paradise of
  popular Taoism. Here life is all ease and pleasure. The
  houses are of gold and silver, and the trees bear coral
  and pearls. The birds and animals are white. They
  drink, like the inhabitants, from the Fountain of Life.
  The flowers constantly scent the breeze with delicious
  perfumes, and their seeds make whoever eats them
  immortal. P’eng-lai’s most famous inhabitants are a
  group of deathless sages called the Eight Immortals.
  Legends claimed that P’eng-lai was hard to reach
  even for an Earthly paradise. The water around the
  islands had no buoyancy, so ships would sink; they
  could only be reached by magic. Actually, P’eng-lai was
  never on Earth at all, but it’s still true that no one can
  sail or swim in the waters around these blessed isles.
  Amitabha
  Amitabha is only the most notable of the Buddha-
  land Heavens. Amitabha features avenues of trees deco-
  rated with jewels, lotus ponds, birds which sing in tune
  with spirit musicians, perfumed air and jewels strewn
  like gravel. It is inhabited by Buddhas, Boddhisattvas
  (“saints”), angelic spirits and minor gods.
  Buddhism is notable among religions in that its
  Heavens are not places for permanent residence after
  death. They are merely pleasant way stations between
  incarnations for advanced souls. The real goal of Bud-
  dhism is nirvana—dissolving the self into the Cosmic
  Mind which is the only true reality.
  Rock Candy Mountain
  “Oh, the buzzing of the bees in the peppermint trees,
  and the soda-water fountain…” The modern version
  of the garden of luxury, as envisaged by a hobo, fea-
  tures candy growing on trees and other tasty surprises.
  No supernatural powers have yet claimed Rock Candy
  Mountain. It’s a thoroughly pagan bit of Paradise where
  a fellow can loaf to his heart’s content, and even tease
  the ineffectual, wooden-legged cops and the dogs with
  rubber teeth. Of course, it gets dreadfully boring after
  a while, but that could be said of most of the Heavens
  ever described.
  Inhabitants
  The inhabitants of Elysium are not as diverse as those
  of Earth’s other Shadow Planes, but they include some
  of the most powerful of spirits. The gods of Elysium
  are actively worshipped by millions of people, so they
  have abundant magical energy to share with their sub-
  ordinates.
  Some of the Elysian spirits have roles in more than
  one religion. The Archangel Gabriel, for instance, is
  an important figure in both Judaism, Christianity and
  Islam. Gabriel must keep hopping between demesnes
  and pretend in each one that the other demesnes don’t
  exist because their religion is false.
  Angelic Spirits
  Each of the ethical religions has its own classes of
  servitor spirits. In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic com-
  plex, these are angels. The amschaspands and yazatas
  of Zoroastrianism are very similar. Hinduism and Bud-
  dhism share the devas. Popular Taoism has assorted
  fairies and genies called shen. Confucianism has no
  spirits of its own, but advises followers to revere their
  ancestors and the gods of Taoism, because they are part
  of tradition.
  
  93
  The angels are currently the most active and mili-
  tant of the Elysian spirits (and certainly the spirits most
  familiar to most readers of this book). Note, however,
  that few angels are warm-and-fuzzy benefactors of
  mankind. Only the Angels of Mercy fit that modern,
  watered-down conception. Older lore insists that an-
  gels punish as often as they reward or assist…
  Blessed Souls
  The souls of notably good, or at least notably reli-
  gious people can go to Elysium when they die, just as
  evil souls go to the Netherworld. It may be noted that
  Elysium’s population is considerably smaller than that
  of the Netherworld.
  Saints And Sages
  The mightiest among the blessed are the saints. Their
  “god” delegates power to them; some have magic pow-
  ers of their own, developed before their death; some
  even receive significant worship on their own. The term
  “saint” here refers not just to Christian saints, but also
  to the Hebrew prophets such as Elijah and Isaiah,
  Muslim imams and Sufi mullahs, great Hindu gurus
  and yogins, Buddhist bodhisattvas and Taoist and Con-
  fucian sages. Even a few secular people whose virtues
  brought them reverence have become saints in Elysium,
  including rare, saintly wizards such as Apollonius of
  Tyana.
  The great holiness of the “saints” in life has let them
  stay more or less active after death as helpers of hu-
  manity in their various ways. Since the Ban affects the
  spirits of Elysium too, saints seldom get to help people
  on Earth in direct and spectacular ways, but they may
  give advice through visions to susceptible humans.
  Having been mortal themselves once, saints have more
  sympathy for the problems of ordinary people.
  Gods And Demigods
  This is the touchiest area for players and GMs. The
  “gods” of the various religions dwell in Elysium: Jeho-
  vah/Allah and numerous Chinese gods such as Shang-
  Ti the Celestial Emperor, as well as deified founders of
  religions such as Jesus, the Buddha and Lao-Tzu. These
  are the ones who tell the angelic spirits what to do and
  bear the responsibility for their actions.
  It should be noted that the gods have the power and
  personalities ascribed to them by popular belief, not
  official doctrine. Whatever the theologians say about
  their god’s infinite power, perfect wisdom and total
  goodness, most people still regard their god as a big
  daddy in the sky who will give them a spanking if they
  upset him but can be bribed or finessed. The gods of
  Elysium are not all-knowing, and they do make mis-
  takes. Some of them even have temper tantrums.
  These gods are rather more powerful than the “pa-
  gan” gods of the Land of Legends, even the pagan gods
  which still receive worship. Fighting these guys directly
  is seldom a good idea, even when it’s possible. The
  “power” gods popularly conceived as monarchs (Je-
  hovah/Jesus/Allah, Shang-Ti, Ahura Mazda) have
  power on the order of Dr. Destroyer, and aren’t afraid
  to use it. The “wisdom” gods (the Buddha, Lao-Tzu,
  Confucius) have just as much power, but most of it is
  dedicated to defense, evasion and knowledge. The Bud-
  dha, for instance, is a total pacifist who is almost im-
  possible to harm or restrain in any way. This makes
  the “wisdom” gods more unstoppable than the “power”
  gods—except the “wisdom” gods are less activist and
  more willing to listen to reason.
  In most cases, the gods can be treated as plot de-
  vices with mouths: they talk (and talk, and talk) and
  give the occasional display of mind-numbing power,
  but heroes and villains will do most of their interact-
  ing with the saints and angelic spirits.
  Special Conditions
  Indestructible Spirits
  Like the demons and the damned of the
  Netherworld, the blessed spirits of Elysium cannot be
  destroyed by any normal means. “Death” on other
  planes just dispels them back to Elysium and “death”
  in Elysium itself just forces a temporary
  discorporation; they will re-form eventually. Certain
  terrible magic spells can bring true death to an
  Elysian—but if giving the final death to one of the
  damned is a thing not done lightly, think how porten-
  tous it would be to kill one of the blessed!
  Immortality
  In all the districts of Elysium, there is no sickness or
  death (at least, no natural death). While in Elysium,
  mortals become immortal: all diseases are healed and
  aging stops for the duration of the visit. It’s quite easy
  to become permanently immortal (i.e. get Life Sup-
  port vs. Disease and Aging), if one of the Great Powers
  concurs; stealing immortality is more difficult and one
  can make powerful enemies that way. In fact, some
  districts of Elysium contain items which will cure dis-
  ease and prolong life even if taken to Earth, such as
  the Peaches of Immortality from Chinese mythology.
  Environment Control
  Just as the chief powers of the Netherworld can con-
  trol the environment or their personal demesnes, the
  Great Powers of Elysium can manipulate the Heavens
  under their control. (See the Netherworld description
  for details.)
  Adventure Use
  Allies and Patrons. With all the enemies the heroes
  have, one would think they’d like a few powerful
  friends. Elysium would seem to offer such allies. Actu-
  ally, Elysium offers fewer friends than PCs might ex-
  pect.
  First, the Great Powers of Elysium are not especially
  cordial. The “wisdom” gods are reluctant to offer any-
  thing but advice. The “power” gods insist on absolute
  obedience. Both types may insist that characters prove
  themselves worthy of any help at all, and they have
  very high standards.
  
  94
  Second, even though the ethical religions which cre-
  ated the Ban also created Elysium, the Elysians them-
  selves are still affected by the Ban. When the ethical
  religions pushed Godhood off the Earth into the Great
  Beyond, all the gods were banned from massive, direct
  intervention on Earth—even the gods and spirits cre-
  ated by the ethical religions themselves. Just like the
  demons or the gods of pagan myth, the Elysians can
  only appear on Earth through great effort or with the
  help of an Earthly sorcerer.
  Finally, misery on Earth is not necessarily bad for
  Elysium. Secularism is as great an enemy to the gods
  of Elysium as any of the evil powers of the Netherworld.
  Religion—all religion—flourishes in times of trouble.
  As long as a menace doesn’t directly threaten to re-
  duce their worship, Elysium’s Great Powers don’t care.
  Limited Favors and Resources. Even if the PCs don’t
  want a permanent alliance with one of the Great Pow-
  ers of Elysium, they may still seek a favor on some spe-
  cial circumstance. The Elysian spirits do have great
  power, which they might be persuaded to use on a
  character’s behalf. There are two catches: the Elysians
  may demand that PCs prove themselves worthy of help,
  and they will certainly insist on some favor in return.
  Desperate characters (player or NPC) may try to steal
  some sort of help from Elysium. For instance, a per-
  son with a Significant Other dying of cancer, AIDS or
  the like might try getting an all-curing apple from the
  Tree of Life in Eden. This would lead to conflict with
  Elysian spirits, either in Elysium or on Earth afterward.
  Elysian Enemies. Since the religions which created
  Elysium do not all tolerate each other, neither do the
  Elysian powers. Religious conflicts on Earth may get
  supernatural intervention. Wars create civilian casu-
  alties. Heroes who try to stop a “Holy War” may find
  themselves fighting against Elysian spirits. After that,
  they may be put on one of the Great Powers’ hit lists.
  What’s more, as mentioned above, Elysians are not
  infallible. They may be deceived, deluded or misguided,
  or just in the wrong place at the wrong time. (See
  “Lahatiel,” in the Enemies section of the Source book,
  for an example.)
  Babylon: The City Of
  Man
  The catalogue of forms is endless; until every shape has
  found its city, new cities will continue to be born.
  —Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
  Babylon is the fourth of the great astral realms: the
  reflection of Art onto the Astral Plane, completing the
  Great Quaternion. Once it was tiny, but as the human
  race has multiplied and bound the Earth in railroads,
  highways and cities, Babylon has exploded in size and
  power. It is still smaller and less mighty than the Land
  of Legends, Elysium or the Netherworld, but it is only
  a matter of time before it eclipses the Land of Leg-
  ends.
  Mystics say that the lords of Elysium and the
  Netherworld view Babylon’s rise with both hope and
  fear. Babylon tips the ancient balance of power. An al-
  liance with Babylon could give either realm a final
  victory…or Babylon might gain the power to conquer
  both and make Man truly the measure of all things.
  Among humans, the principle of Artifice finds its
  greatest expression in cities, and so Babylon is the ul-
  timate city. It echoes all the great cities of the past and
  present, real and imagined; perhaps even the cities to
  come. Mere size is not enough. A city must have radi-
  ated its image into men’s thoughts, so that it became a
  thing of symbol as much as of wood and stone and
  steel. The London of Queen Victoria is more real than
  the London of today—at least in Babylon. Hiroshima,
  whose famous cherry groves serenely bloom a short
  walk from humanity’s most terrible feat of destruc-
  tion, echoes in Babylon more powerfully than does
  Osaka, a sprawling megalopolis which exists only be-
  cause it is useful.
  Thus Babylon is like every great city on Earth, only
  more so. Its skyscrapers tower impossibly high. Its free-
  ways are wider than football fields; its back alleys form
  a cramped and tangled maze. It is built on a bay, a river,
  a crossroads and an oasis. Like Rome and San Fran-
  cisco, it has seven hills. In its malls and department
  stores and arcades and bazaars one can buy anything
  possible to human art or fancy—but some things cost
  more than money.
  What most worries the Powers and Principalities of
  the other astral realms is that Babylon is, above all, the
  realm of secular ambition. Power, money and skill rule
  affairs in Babylon. True, the world’s great religions have
  ordained cities as their hearts: Jerusalem, Rome, Mecca,
  Benares. Babylon holds many a temple, cathedral and
  mosque. But the cities have found so much more to
  occupy men’s minds; so many ways to distract people
  from religion. St. Augustine advised Christians to re-
  nounce the City of Man for the City of God. As fewer
  and fewer people take his advice, Babylon grows. When
  humanity realizes it can build a new Heaven and new
  Earth all by itself, what will happen to the gods?
  
  95
  Geography
  I behold Babylon in the opening streets of London…
  —William Blake, Jerusalem
  One can journey to Babylon directly from other
  planes, or approach it from the Astral Plane. From the
  Astral Plane, Babylon seems quite small, a tightly-
  bounded blur of towers. Once one enters the city gates,
  however, Babylon explodes outwards to the horizon
  in every direction and one is in the city center. From
  the inside, in fact, Babylon doesn’t seem to have an
  outside: whichever way one goes, one just finds more
  city, and eventually one comes back to where one be-
  gan. Many of the main streets seem to go straight but
  actually form closed loops. It is possible to find the
  city gates again and leave for the Astral Plane, but one
  must know the proper route.
  Babylon has many districts, each with its own char-
  acter. The districts interpenetrate, appearing and dis-
  appearing like overlaid mirages. A short walk down
  an alley can take one from Victorian London to an-
  cient Alexandria. A flight of steps might connect im-
  perial Beijing to a Middle Eastern bazaar or a modern
  mall. Somewhere in Babylon—it’s not shown on any
  map—there’s a subway leading to the city of Pande-
  monium in the Netherworld, and an elevator that can
  reach Heaven.
  And speaking of maps: guides to the mazy, shifting
  streets of Babylon are sold throughout the city, but
  interpreting the maps is a task fit for an Einstein. New
  visitors are advised to get expert help, such as a cabby
  (unlike New York, Babylon’s cabbies sometimes speak
  English) or a street urchin.
  Historical Districts
  Some districts mimic the great cities of the past and
  present, from ancient Athens to modern Los Angeles.
  Some of the oldest districts are starting to fade, though;
  only fragments remain of cities from more than 2000
  years ago.
  Imaginary Districts
  Babylon also contains hints and fragments of imagi-
  nary cities such as the Emerald City of Oz or the sky-
  piercing spires of the traditional science-fiction city,
  complete with monorails and helicopter pads. These
  districts are usually only seen in the distance; it’s quite
  difficult to actually reach them. (Every city has its dis-
  tricts where “you can’t get there from here.”)
  Abstract Districts
  Finally, some districts are based on abstract,
  stripped-down aspects of cities. Imagine a neighbor-
  hood where only the plumbing of the buildings stands,
  or a huge, tangled cloverleaf where it’s always rush hour
  and the traffic is always jammed, or a district entirely
  composed of funeral parlors and tombs.
  Sample Districts
  Futuropolis
  This is the classic sci-fi movie city, complete with
  mile-high, Art Deco skyscrapers and aircars flitting
  about. Everyone is Caucasian and wears a silver
  jumpsuit. Fins make buildings, vehicles and machines
  look aseptically high-tech, in a quaint and clunky sort
  of way. There’s no sign of plant or animal life, wild or
  domesticated.
  Paradise City
  This district is still under construction. In fact, it
  always will be under construction. It is meant to be
  the perfect, Utopian city. The people constructing it,
  however, are never satisfied. Buildings and streets get
  demolished as fast as they are built, to make way for
  something better, so nothing ever gets finished. While
  they work at this unending task, the people live in tents
  and shacks of scrap lumber, canvas and trash.
  Byzantium
  This is the central, administrative district of Babylon,
  where Artifice shows itself most beautifully. Byzantium
  features broad streets and plazas lined with stately
  public buildings and villas in Greco-Roman style: lots
  of white marble, columns, domes, mosaic floors and
  carved friezes. Even the apartment buildings, shops and
  taverns on the district’s fringe show a crisp, quiet dig-
  nity. Besides government, the chief industries of
  Byzantium are architectural and ornamental.
  Byzantium has plenty of stonecutters, mosaic-layers,
  gardeners, goldsmiths, potters and painters. One looks
  in vain for knackers, rat-catchers or sewer-cleaners.
  In the middle of Byzantium stands the palace com-
  pound of the Emperor. (The Emperor has no name;
  he’s just “The Emperor.”) The vast, labyrinthine pal-
  ace compound includes gardens, barracks and a huge
  throne room with a vaulted roof of dark blue lapis la-
  zuli set with jeweled constellations. Absolutely every-
  thing in the palace is beautiful, or at least not ugly. The
  palace contains enough Greek statues, Ming vases,
  Japanese scroll-paintings, jeweled Faberge knickknacks
  and Persian carpets to pay off the debts of every na-
  tion on Earth. Whole businesses in Byzantium work
  full-time creating more objets-d’art to divert the Em-
  peror and his court.
  In some ways, the Imperial Palace is a microcosm of
  Babylon, just like Babylon is a microcosm of Earth.
  The Palace extends into several districts of Babylon,
  where it takes the form of celebrated buildings from
  history and legend. In the Old China district, the Pal-
  ace takes the form of the Forbidden City. In Classical
  Athens, the Palace is entered through a copy of the
  Parthenon. From Victorian London, the Palace can be
  entered through the Tower of London.
  
  96
  The Library
  The Library of Babylon is one of the more incred-
  ible repositories of knowledge in the Multiverse. It has
  copies of nearly every book or magazine ever formally
  published on Earth, and a lot that weren’t.
  The Library’s acquisitions program even extends to
  books that don’t yet exist, and might never exist. One
  room in the Library’s basement is so large it is virtu-
  ally a dimension of its own. It holds millions of auto-
  mated printing presses churning out every book that
  could ever be written. For centuries, the presses sim-
  ply printed pages of random letters, on the theory that
  eventually they would print out everything. Naturally.
  most of what the presses produced was meaningless.
  In 1973, however, Archimago gave the Library an en-
  tropy spirit able to sift meaningful information out of
  random processes; the spirit makes sure that the presses
  only print syntactically meaningful statements—real
  words in real languages, not gibberish. In return for
  this, the Library’s staff put their entire resources at
  Archimago’s disposal; that’s how he learned how to
  destroy universes and many other dreadful secrets of
  magic.
  Archimago’s gift has vastly accelerated the Library’s
  program, although they still have the problem of find-
  ing out what stuff is actually true (the spirit knows
  nothing but grammar; it can’t sort truth from false-
  hood).
  A borrower’s card for the Library of Babylon is a 1
  point Fringe Benefit. This lets one use the Library’s
  reference services at a low level. Effectively, the Library
  has an 11- rating in every conceivable Knowledge Skill.
  A privileged membership, which raises the Library’s
  knowledge rating to 13-, costs 5 points. Reference
  searches take hours to days, at GM’s whim—no ben-
  efit for extra time—for low-priority users, or up to an
  hour for high-priority users. No PC can start as a high-
  priority user; this Fringe Benefit is only granted by the
  Library in return for a bequest as magnificent as
  Archimago’s entropy spirit.
  The Rookeries
  The name comes from Victorian London, but most
  major cities have had these noxious, violent, crowded
  slums. Babylon’s Rookeries are the worst of all. The
  slab-like public housing high-rises of concrete jostle
  smaller tenements of decaying red brick. Streets and
  alleys between buildings have been roofed over and
  divided into rooms. Shanties perch on the rooftops and
  improvised bridges, tunnels and ladders connect the
  various structures. The chief industry is crime. The
  people see all intruders as targets for robbery and
  murder. If a criminal escapes into the Rookeries, noth-
  ing short of magic can locate him or drag him out
  again.
  Inhabitants
  Once out of nature I shall never take
  My bodily form from any natural thing,
  But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
  Of hammered gold and gold enameling
  To keep a drowsy Emperor awake…
  —William Butler Yeats, Sailing to Byzantium
  Humans
  Most of the inhabitants of Babylon are just ordinary
  humans, gathered from all the great urban civilizations.
  While most Babylonians live with their own kind in
  their own districts, they travel through the city freely.
  Walking down a street in Babylon, one might see a
  Chinese rickshaw dodge an elephant bearing a sump-
  tuous Indian howdah, a Medieval bishop arguing the-
  ology with a Greek philosopher, pinstriped Chicago
  mobsters eyeing Los Angeles Bloods strutting in their
  colors, a French courtier dripping with lace and jew-
  els, Victorian streetwalkers and merchants of
  Timbuktu. Many people are difficult to place; trades-
  men, laborers, petty crooks and street vendors look
  pretty much the same in all ages. Every native of
  Babylon speaks at least three languages fluently. This
  usually includes English (currently the world’s most
  popular language).
  Conurbites
  This magical race is analogous to the elves of the
  Land of Legends. The Conurbites live TV-commercial
  lives of glamour and conspicuous consumption. They
  look mostly human; some of them have “cyborg” ma-
  chine parts, and their skin has a plastic sheen. Like the
  faerie-folk, they have innate powers. Conurbite pow-
  ers usually deal with controlling or reshaping matter.
  Each also has a special attack form based on an appli-
  ance, such as “morphing” a hand into an electric carv-
  ing knife (HKA) or a super-powerful blow dryer (EB
  with Double Knockback). The Conurbite race is very
  new, and hasn’t found its final form yet.
  Pop Icons
  People, real or imagined, can materialize in Babylon
  if enough people think about them. John F. Kennedy
  and Elvis live in Babylon. So do Bugs Bunny and
  Ronald McDonald. Watch out for Jack the Ripper:
  Babylon’s version is as lethal and unstoppable as people
  have imagined Jack to be, making him far nastier than
  the real Jack ever was.
  The Emperor
  The Emperor of Babylon might be human, but then
  again he might not. Nobody knows what the Emperor
  looks like, because he always goes masked or in dis-
  guise. The Emperor often moves about Babylon in-
  
  97
  cognito. He is reputed to be an extremely powerful
  magician or spirit; this would explain how he man-
  ages to balance the many competing factions of
  Babylon and keep the city from self-destructing. The
  common people often simply call the Emperor “The
  Man”—authority without a face.
  Living Machines
  Everybody treats the machines in their lives as
  though they had thought and will—so in Babylon,
  some of them do. Earthly cities have problems with
  packs of stray dogs. Babylon has problems with packs
  of stray cars.
  Living Art
  Babylon also has the occasional living statue, store
  mannequin or gargoyle. Even if they can’t move, they
  can talk. Talking paintings are pretty common, too. In
  Babylon, anything which counterfeits the human form
  tends to come to life.
  Really Weird Things
  Finally, Babylon is starting to generate strange crea-
  tures worthy of the wildest urban legends. More than
  one hook-handed serial killer stalks Babylon’s streets.
  One really doesn’t want to meet the mutant alligators
  in Babylon’s sewers, or the elementals of smog and toxic
  waste. This is final proof, if any were needed, that
  Babylon has come of age as a dimension: it has started
  generating places, creatures and images of its own, in-
  stead of merely copying things directly from human
  imagination.
  Special Conditions
  Town air makes you free.
  —Holy Roman Empire law
  Aside from its geographic peculiarities, the dimen-
  sion of Babylon has only one physical special condi-
  tions that could affect play. In many ways it is the most
  Earth-like and “human” of the Parterres. Most of
  Babylon’s “special conditions” are social.
  Long-Distance Scanning
  Babylon’s twisted, interwoven, many-folded space
  has implications for any attempt to locate things at a
  distance (as by Mind Scanning or Telescopic Enhanced
  Senses). On the one hand, for purposes of scanning
  nothing in Babylon is more than 1 kilometer (500
  hexes) away: after that, range modifiers stop. On the
  other hand, it is impossible to register the direction of
  anything more than 100 meters (50 hexes) away. A scan
  beyond this range will register a shimmer of readings
  from all directions, appearing and disappearing.
  Babylon is a great place for hiding.
  Money
  All forms of currency, from all periods in history,
  are accepted in Babylon, at least in the banks. (One
  may have trouble finding a shop that accepts stone-
  disk money from Yap, but the banks can handle it.) It’s
  quite possible to pay for something in florins and re-
  ceive change in a mixture of dollars and denarii. None
  of the money in Babylon, however, is quite like any on
  Earth. Archaic money has the problem that it is new: a
  numismatist might pronounce it a fair copy of an old
  coin, but worthless except for the metal it contains.
  Paper money, especially contemporary paper money,
  isn’t even a convincing fake. A Babylon dollar, for in-
  stance, looks like “Monopoly” money. (And maybe it
  is: a lot of people play that game.)
  Real-world money, however, can be spent in Babylon.
  In fact, it’s worth more in Babylon than on Earth—
  about ten times as much! The Babylon government,
  however, frowns on people tossing real-world money
  around freely. Any honest citizen will direct visitors
  from Earth to the nearest bank, where they can ex-
  change their cash or (in modern districts) withdraw
  money from their Earthly checking accounts in
  Babylon currency. Dishonest citizens will accept the
  Earth money, but lie about how much it’s worth.
  Why is real-world money so valuable? Because
  money is concentrated secular power, that’s why—a
  talisman carrying the power of the State, and that’s
  big magic. The Netherworld takes power from damned
  souls; Babylon takes power from money, and as more
  real-world money lodges in Babylon, the city becomes
  more real and draws closer to Earth.
  Secret Societies
  Politics in Babylon gets bizarre. The diverse popula-
  tion holds no consensus about how the city should be
  run. To make things worse, beings on other dimen-
  sions—demons, gods and dimension lords—lobby and
  conspire for influence.
  The result is a plethora of scheming secret societies.
  A major fraction of Babylon’s population belongs to
  one society or another. The leaders of the societies are
  often wizards or Servants of Higher Powers of some
  sort. Fortunately, the Emperor has personally infil-
  trated most of the societies. Here are a few of the larg-
  est conspiracies:
  The Shadow Cabinet
  The Shadow Cabinet serves the cause of Order. It
  seeks to take over the government of Babylon and cre-
  ate a regimented society, as prelude to taking over the
  Earth itself. The Shadow Cabinet can call on limited
  help from Elysium, but serves Urizen the Prime Ava-
  tar of Order before all others. Many rich and powerful
  people in Babylon belong to the Shadow Cabinet. The
  supreme leaders, however, are all Servants of Higher
  Powers working for various Lords of Order such as
  Bromion. They offer members group solidarity and
  protection, a religious experience of the Great Unity
  and the promise of power and influence in the New
  Society.
  
  98
  The Shadow Cabinet controls an array of spirits with
  strange powers and even stranger appearances, such
  as the War Pigs, large hogs with self-working machine
  guns mounted on their backs; the Futures Traders, two-
  faced men in suits who talk backwards and forwards
  and remember the future as well as the past; and the
  Young Pioneers, truculent boys in coonskin caps,
  armed with oversized hatchets and paralyzing squirt
  guns.
  The Fool’s Parliament
  This conspiracy is the chief enemy of the Shadow
  Cabinet. Its leader have pacts with various Lords of
  Chaos and promote radical freedom through a pro-
  gram which outsiders describe as “political surrealism”
  but which the leaders describe as “Jell-O wrestling with
  penguins.” Order-lovers often deride individuality and
  impulse as foolish. The Parliamentarians reply that if
  freedom is folly, they are glad to be fools—and dress
  the part, too.
  Membership in the Fool’s Parliament does offer
  practical benefits. It can act as a labor union of sorts,
  helping workers deal with management injustice or
  financial problems. Those who want it can find a pi-
  etistic religious experience with a Lord of Chaos. Some
  people join for a chance to strike back at society, or for
  a chance to wear a silly outfit. A few people even join
  for serious philosophical reasons.
  The greatest weapon of the Fool’s Parliament is Car-
  nival. By declaring Carnival, the FP can paralyze whole
  districts of Babylon as revelry draws people from work
  to jam the streets. Carnival can force business leaders
  to take the FP’s demands seriously. The FP can also
  cause or provoke sabotage, walkouts and other labor
  actions. Against politicians, they prefer weirder meth-
  ods such as dream control and guerrilla home redeco-
  ration.
  The Fool’s Parliament controls its own strange crea-
  tures and agents, such as the insidious Men In Plaid
  with their hypnotic googly-eye glasses and INT-Drain-
  ing ninny hammers.
  Red Gold Society
  This secret society flourishes in most of the Chinese
  districts in Babylon: Imperial Beijing, Pulp-Era Shang-
  hai, Modern Hong Kong and Chinatown. The lone
  exception is Mao Industrial Park, representing mod-
  ern Communist China, and the Red Gold Society is
  working hard to make inroads there, too. The Red Gold
  Society is both a cult and a political conspiracy, with a
  triple purpose. First, it fights Communist influence in
  Babylon. Second, it seeks Chinese domination of
  Babylon (and eventually Earth as well). Finally, it pro-
  motes traditional Chinese culture and religion.
  Most of the Society’s leaders are sorcerers and priests
  of the Chinese gods. These leaders often have public
  lives as businessmen, bureaucrats or aristocrats, al-
  though a few (like The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu) stay
  hidden at all times. The remaining leaders are Chinese
  gods themselves: either they pretend to be human or
  stay behind the scenes (except during worship services)
  as “silent partners.” No cosmic entities are involved in
  any way.
  The Red Gold Society controls or allies with several
  other Chinese groups such as Tongs and Triads, using
  street gangs for muscle. Front groups include the Three
  Rings Triad, the Black Phoenix Tong, and gangs like
  the Blue Turbans, the Tiger Fists and the Jade Daggers.
  The Society, however, has no monopoly on Chinese
  organized crime in Babylon.
  Not all the members and operatives of the Red Gold
  Society are human. The Society has recruited a variety
  of Chinese spirits and monsters from the Land of Leg-
  ends and the Netherworld, including Chinese vam-
  pires, goblins and ghosts.
  The Red Gold Society has already set up regular con-
  tact with Earth. The Jade Empress, an aged alchemist
  and last daughter of the Manchu dynasty who runs
  the Silver Scorpion Triad in Hong Kong, has been made
  a full partner in the Society.
  Adventure Use
  Look For Someone/Something. Babylon has people
  with amazing skills. Its merchants can obtain just about
  anything (if the price is right). Its library infinitely sur-
  passes anything on Earth. Finding an object or con-
  sultant in Babylon, however, can be an adventure in
  itself—especially if someone else doesn’t want the PCs
  to succeed.
  Follow A Villain There. Villains can exploit Babylon’s
  resources too. A villain might journey to Babylon to
  obtain something, or just to hide out. Some villains
  might even operate out of Babylon; for instance, he-
  roes who clash with the Silver Scorpion Triad might
  follow the Jade Empress to Babylon.
  Meet Famous People—real and imaginary—as long
  as they are urban. Babylon gives PCs a chance to team
  up with Sherlock Holmes or superheroes from their
  favorite comic books. On the other hand, they might
  have to fight Al Capone’s gang or Jack the Ripper.
  
  99
  Miscellaneous
  Dimensions
  Ten thousand orbs involving and involved,
  Purple and azure, white, and green, and golden,
  Sphere within sphere; and every space between
  Peopled with unimaginable shapes,
  Such as ghosts dream dwell in the lampless deep…
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound
  Not all dimensions call for the detailed treatment
  suggested for the Astral Plane, the Parterres and (in
  the Source book section) the Congeries. In most cases,
  just a few locations and important characters will do.
  The dimensions below are not meant to be important,
  recurring settings within a campaign. Rather, they are
  examples to illustrate the sorts of worlds found in the
  various divisions of the Multiverse. Enough informa-
  tion has been given so that GMs can use them for an
  adventure or two. If a dimension is a hit with the play-
  ers, one can develop it further.
  Malkuth: Loezen
  This ancient world orbits a dying green star that only
  gives a tenth as much light as earth’s sun. A few bright
  stars are visible even during the day. Only powerful
  magic, focused on great megaliths, permits life to con-
  tinue. The megaliths boost the sun’s light for miles
  around them, giving light equal to a heavily overcast
  day on Earth. The civilized folk of Loezen dwell near
  the megaliths. Beyond the areas of full effect, the light
  gradually dims and the land becomes colder and wilder.
  Humans, or beings much like humans, are a distinct
  majority in the civilized regions. There are also hu-
  man-animal hybrids and intelligences that are wholly
  alien. About half a million years ago, Loezenian mages
  began exploring other planes and imported numer-
  ous species from them, including some that were sen-
  tient. Other things came too, unbidden, subtle forces
  that the wizards did not detect until it was too late to
  control or dispel them. One of these caused the sun’s
  decline: a qliphothic entity entered the heart of
  Loezen’s sun and has grown larger for hundreds of
  millennia, draining away the sun’s energy.
  About 250,000 years ago, Loezen’s mages created the
  megaliths to delay planetary death and hold back the
  monsters that had begun appearing. Since the Time of
  the Blazing Star c. 200,000 years ago, however, the
  greatest magical knowledge has been lost. Things are
  slowly decaying. As the emerald sun weakens, and ero-
  sion and mischance take their toll, megalith after mega-
  lith falls, one every few centuries. The most powerful
  and evil of the monsters seem to delight in living near
  failed megaliths, blocking wizards from repairing them.
  In any case, the wizards of the present age are an un-
  cooperative lot. And so the wild regions grow, and the
  monsters become bolder and more powerful. By now,
  some former settlements couldn’t be restored even if
  the monsters were driven off: ancient spells have mixed
  and decayed there, producing perils to the soul as well
  as the body.
  Among the perils of the wildlands are “They Who
  Laugh and Leap,” degenerate hyena-like humanoids;
  the Spidertrap Vines, which telepathically lure victims
  to the deadly heart of their nets of tendrils; “They Who
  Strike in Storm” and their steeds, the bat-winged “Ones
  Who Swoop in Silence”; the three-headed Slow Howl-
  ers; and the Specter Groves, where bizarre mutilations
  of the spirit can take place.
  Loezen still has many mighty mages. If they would
  only work together, they might even be able to save
  their world. Unfortunately, they are all too jealous of
  their own power and independence to trust each other;
  Loezen shows the downside of Chaotic individualism.
  Some of the notable mages are:
  ROTAZ TAZORN, the Sacred One, dwells in an un-
  derground labyrinth. He’s over 100,000 years old;
  he’s spent most of that time in suspended anima-
  tion in an armored sarcophagus. His mind is still
  aware and active, however, and his magical helmet-
  crown lets him use his super-psychic wizardly pow-
  ers despite his physical impairment. He spends most
  of his time and energy magically feeding energy into
  Loezen’s sun. He also rules a small community of
  storm strikers which help guard his labyrinth.
  QUEEN CHARSADDA has ruled the city of Olm for
  the last century. She married Olm’s last King, who
  died soon after. Charsadda has strange powers over
  life and death: apparently she hasn’t aged since she
  came to Olm, and people killed by her secret police
  have turned up alive again years later. What’s more,
  for assassins she uses duplicates of the victim’s
  friends or relatives. She owns a mighty Talisman
  which makes its wearer almost totally invulnerable.
  NOROM BARCALDINE, the Prince that Never Was,
  erased his kingdom of Arzakeen through his rash
  experimentation with time travel. He himself sur-
  vives (as a “glitch” in space-time) and he knows a
  spell that lets him enter and leave the lost land of
  Arzakeen, despite the fact that now Arzakeen never
  existed. He managed to save a day of Arzakeen’s
  existence; now Arzakeen lives that day over and over
  again, and only Norom knows it (just like the movie,
  Groundhog Day). When he tires of Arzakeen, Prince
  Norom wanders about Loezen. In addition to his
  general-purpose spells, including some powerful
  combat spells, Prince Norom knows a lot about time
  magic. His chief advise to wizards who want to
  travel in time, however, is simply: don’t.
  Clearly, Loezen is a doomed world. The ancient wiz-
  ards actually understood this: the megaliths were in-
  tended only as a stopgap measure until they found a
  way to leave Loezen for another world, which they did
  through the agency of the Blazing Star. Why some
  people stayed behind must remain a mystery of hu-
  man and inhuman nature. An impressive quest for
  Earthly heroes would be to find a way to save Loezen
  from its slow doom.
  
  100
  Yesod: Yggdrasil, Realm Of Plant Life
  …move along these shades
  in gentleness of heart; with gentle hand
  Touch—for there is a spirit in the woods.
  —William Wordsworth, Nutting
  Yggdrasil is most simply defined as the Astral Plane
  created by plant consciousness, but this still requires
  some explanation. Plants have no consciousness in any
  human sense, but they do have awareness. They react
  to their environment and to each other. An individual
  plant’s “mental” field is much weaker than a human’s,
  or even an animal’s, but there are an awful lot more
  plants in the world! Yggdrasil, the ash-tree supporting
  the world in Norse myth, supplies the most popular
  name for the dimension created by these massed “men-
  tal” fields.
  Unlike Faerie, which grew from human ideas about
  Nature, Yggdrasil is truly a realm apart from human-
  ity. A wizard who enters Yggdrasil—physically, astrally
  or clairvoyantly—finds nothing comprehensible in
  human terms. There is no sight in Yggdrasil, because
  plants do not see when they reach toward light. Nor
  do they hear. There is something like touch in
  Yggdrasil, and something like taste or smell, since
  plants react to tissue damage and chemicals, but even
  these senses register in ways alien to human minds.
  Just learning to interpret the sensations of Yggdrasil
  would be the work of years.
  Nor is Yggdrasil a friendly plane. Humans who think
  of the vegetable kingdom as placid and gentle don’t
  know much about plants. Plants compete with each
  other—as individuals and as species. The trees in a
  forest strive to overspread each other and claim a
  greater share of precious light. Different species secrete
  chemicals to attract or repel insects, or to boost or in-
  hibit another species’ growth, a vegetable diplomacy
  known to every master gardener. Parasitic plants slowly,
  vampirically feed upon their hosts. The “spirit in the
  woods” is one of ruthless war.
  Yggdrasil reflects this. Human visitors to Yggdrasil
  may encounter the psychic equivalent of chemical
  warfare, parasites burrowing into their bodies, and
  even less comprehensible attacks, all driven by passion-
  less, relentless hunger. Yggdrasil doesn’t ignore animal
  intruders: to it, they are fertilizer that needs to stop
  moving. Visitors must leave quickly, or go mad—and
  maybe not leave at all.
  Hod: The City-States Of Yong
  On this plane the largest bodies of matter are no
  more than a few miles in diameter, although they have
  surface gravities comparable to Earth. The larger plan-
  etoids are inhabited by humanoid beings with catlike
  eyes, Caucasian skin tones and features (at least in those
  sections of Yong yet seen), and hair colored black,
  green, blue or purple, fading to gray or white as they
  age. Light for these small worlds comes from orbiting
  rings of yellow-white glowing rocks. Meteor-streams
  of such rocks occur naturally.
  Groups of these planetoids, gravitationally bound
  in clusters, form the City-States. Each city-state is ruled
  by an Autocrat elected by a council of the cluster’s lead-
  ing merchants. To cement the election, the new Auto-
  crat receives superhuman powers. The Autocrats are
  all intense rivals, although the physical nature of the
  plane makes real war and conquest impractical. Es-
  pionage is an accepted part of inter-city relations, and
  has a code of professional ethics of its own. Most of
  the Yongese are farmers, but a sizable minority lives in
  the cities (1/cluster) as tradesmen and artisans. Remote
  clusters sometimes have trouble from pirates.
  The entire plane is filled with air, so transport be-
  tween planetoids is not difficult, at least not on a small
  scale. Planetoids within a cluster are only a day or so
  apart, whereas going between clusters can take up to a
  month. Of course, Yong doesn’t actually have “days”
  or “months.” (Planetoids do have “oscillations” of the
  rings, which last from 6 to 48 hours.)
  Among Yongese, magic is fairly common and ac-
  cepted as a normal part of life, but isn’t used very cre-
  atively. Magic flying boats are the second-commonest
  way of moving between planetoids, after pterodactyl-
  like beasts. Yongese magic always requires lengthy ritu-
  als and is usually used to make magic items. Autocrats
  gain their powers through a rather dangerous magic
  ritual, but few are themselves sorcerers. The ritual is
  kept a great secret, because it strains the fabric of Yong’s
  reality and can have unpredictable side effects. No two
  Autocrats get exactly the same powers. Physical en-
  hancement and energy projection are common results;
  mental abilities are less common.
  Among the city-states that have been heard of are
  Yelbock in Pinchwell cluster, Vimpstead in Skartaven,
  and Pelferlost (cluster and city have the same name).
  Pelferlost Central’s light-ring glows greenish instead
  of yellow, because of the empowerment ritual being
  used three times in a single hour.
  
  101
  Netzach: The Millworks Of Bromion
  And was Jerusalem builded here
  Among these dark Satanic Mills?
  —William Blake, Milton
  The Millworks is a plane of Order ruled by an
  Ordainer named Bromion. Most wizards consider it
  one of the Dominions, in Netzach, because Bromion’s
  control is so total.
  The Millworks consists of two interpenetrating
  spaces. The first space is full of industrial machinery.
  It’s a vast foundry and machine shop full of gears,
  lathes, furnaces, triphammers and conveyer belts, lit
  by scattered gas jets and vats of molten metal. The sec-
  ond space is lit by sourceless, clear white light and is
  mostly empty. Huge silvery spheres ranging from 100'
  to 200' in diameter hang in the void. Irregular, rounded
  holes in the spheres give access to the second space.
  Occasionally a conveyer belt, chain or curving bridge
  of silver metal reaches between spheres.
  The machine-space has normal gravity and lots of
  catwalks to walk upon. The sphere-space seems to have
  normal gravity—a fixed “up” and “down”—but a per-
  son can walk around in empty space as if there was a
  floor. (Effectively, everyone’s Running is turned into
  an equal amount of Flight.) If a person wants to move
  up or down, they merely need to walk up or down an
  imaginary stairway. If a person stands still for more
  than a few seconds, a 1 hex disk of silvery metal grows
  under their feet. Such disks vanish less than a minute
  after people leave them.
  Bromion is not alone in the Millworks. He shares
  the dimension with a race of bizarre humanoids which
  tend the machines. These creatures have the legs and
  head of a horse and a four-armed humanoid torso, but
  are covered in shiny black chitin and have large com-
  pound eyes, like an insect. These workers never tire
  and obey Bromion without question. They are also
  completely devoid of original thought: they only do
  what Bromion tells them, even to the point of letting
  someone kill them because they haven’t been ordered
  to defend themselves.
  Bromion and his workers try to capture all intrud-
  ers and “reprocess” them in the machines to turn them
  into loyal slaves of Urizen. This involves melting cap-
  tives down in special furnaces and casting a new per-
  son from the resulting “metal.” (In game terms it’s a
  Transform, with rather baroque special effects.)
  Tiphereth: The Veil Of The Temple
  Through ultimate cycles, as in cycles old,
  Phantoms and apparitions manifold,
  Shall pass before the spectral eyes of Man
  In whom illusion doth itself behold.
  —Clark Ashton Smith (Fragment)
  Beyond the Middle Astral lies the endless, rippling
  grayness that is every visitor’s first view of the Upper
  Astral. The Upper Astral is tricky: its substance is al-
  most infinitely responsive to thoughts—so responsive
  that it externalizes and makes real any hopes, fears or
  expectations a visitor may have. One can materialize
  whole phony dimensions from the Upper Astral. On
  the Upper Astral, all gods and beliefs are true, because
  the dimension shapes itself to fit.
  The great challenge of the Upper Astral, in fact, is to
  stop projecting onto it. The Upper Astral will copy
  anything. Does the character keep on his guard against
  attack? The Upper Astral obligingly produces enemies.
  Does a character seek mystic Enlightenment? God
  Himself appears to give it…but this God has nothing
  to say that the character hasn’t heard or thought al-
  ready. Within minutes of one’s arrival, the Upper As-
  tral Plane will cocoon one in a pocket dimension.
  The Upper Astral Plane is called the Veil of the
  Temple because it blocks access to the Brialic Planes
  of pure Spirit. To pass to the realms of the cosmic con-
  ceptual entities, the true “gods” of the Multiverse, one
  must first control one’s own mind and stop projecting
  one’s own beliefs and fantasies onto the Upper Astral.
  Successfully passing the Veil is one of the greatest ini-
  tiations a wizard can undergo.
  Pocket dimensions created by the Veil can have any
  characteristics the GM wants. Anything can happen
  in them, for essentially the characters are subjected to
  a Mental Illusion of unlimited power. Characters can
  revisit their own past, meet omnipotent gods or expe-
  rience godhood themselves, die and be reborn—any-
  thing. But none of it is real; none of it has any effect
  outside the astral pocket, except for what the charac-
  ters may learn about themselves and each other.
  Adventures in the Upper Astral Plane necessarily
  tend toward psychodrama. The Veil of the Temple
  chiefly responds to the unconscious minds of visitors;
  it isn’t an Instant Magic Wish-Fulfilling Dimension (for
  that, go to the Garden of Earthly Delights). The Veil
  builds its pocket dimensions based on visitors’ memo-
  ries, deep-seated attitudes and mythic archetypes. Visi-
  tors to the Veil tend to find painful memories replay-
  ing themselves, perhaps in disguised form. Phobias,
  obsessions and other neuroses get triggered. In short,
  the Upper Astral Plane wrenches characters by their
  Psychological Limitations.
  Visitors to the Veil can even become more than one
  person. The Veil can externalize suppressed aspects of
  a person’s personality. A macho, tough-guy character
  might encounter his Anima, the suppressed feminine
  side of his personality. A character much concerned
  with virtue might meet her Shadow, a compilation of
  amoral drives she’s never wanted to face. Conversely, a
  
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  cynical villain might be shocked to encounter their own
  lost idealism in the person of their younger self…and
  if this is starting to sound a lot like “A Christmas Carol,”
  well, it is. Dickens wrote an excellent model for an ad-
  venture on the Upper Astral Plane.
  All this psychological wrenching is not without its
  rewards, though. First, an adventure in the Upper As-
  tral is a great excuse for buying down a Psychological
  Limitation that’s become too great a nuisance. Cos-
  mic entities may use the Veil of the Temple as a test-
  ing-ground for PCs, to see of they are worthy of a boon.
  Finally, anyone who wants to gain access to the Brialic
  dimensions must run the gauntlet of the Upper As-
  tral. Before the Veil will let one cross to the Mental
  Worlds for the first time, one must show some sign of
  spiritual progress in an Upper Astral psychodrama. In
  game terms, this could mean that a character encoun-
  ters an “other self” and reconciles with it in a convinc-
  ing display of role-playing, or they beat an important
  Psych Lim. Instead of Experience Points, they get the
  Fringe Benefit, “Access to Briah” (3 points).
  Tiphereth: Death’s Dominion
  “Nobody sees Death,
  Nobody sees the face of Death,
  Nobody hears the voice of Death,
  Savage Death just cuts mankind down…
  Dragonflies drift on the river,
  Their faces look upon the face of the Sun.
  But then suddenly there is nothing…
  Death’s picture cannot be drawn.”
  —The Epic of Gilgamesh
  Death’s Dominion is cold, still and dark. The night
  never ends. The impossibly brilliant stars, set in un-
  earthly constellations, do not turn; the black, black
  shadows never move. No breeze blows. A thousand
  atom bombs could not move a single grain of sand in
  Death’s Dominion. It’s too late for Time and change
  here; this is where all stories end, and there’s nothing
  left to tell.
  The realm of Death goes on forever, its barren plains,
  dry valleys and harsh stone mountains black and sil-
  ver in the eternal starlight. Here and there one finds
  clusters of buildings: cottages and condominiums, huts
  and high-rises. Sometimes there are whole cities, for
  cities die too. In the buildings sit or stand the dead,
  patient and unmoving as a trunk of forgotten maga-
  zines in the attic. The doorways have no doors to close
  them.
  Only the living can bring change to Death’s Domin-
  ion. Living visitors, who cast no shadows here and leave
  no footprints, can briefly rouse the dead. In most cases
  the dead merely speak for a few seconds but do not
  move. The specters of family, friends and loved ones
  can be roused to movement and speech for a few min-
  utes, but no more. Normally one only finds the dead
  of one’s own species.
  Sooner or later, one comes to Death’s palace of ebon
  stone. The doors stand always open. A vaulted passage
  taller than most trees and nearly a kilometer long leads
  to Death’s throne room. Light comes from torches on
  the walls, their heatless white flames caught in mid-
  flicker forever. Death’s stark, angular throne looks
  empty…but anyone who comes to the throne room
  somehow knows that it is not. To speak for Death, some
  deceased relative or loved one of a visitor will stand at
  the foot of Death’s huge throne. As the Epic of
  Gilgamesh says, Death itself cannot be seen or heard
  by the living, no matter what their power.
  Now for practical considerations.
  Everything in Death’s Dominion is absolutely inde-
  structible, except visitors. There is no way to kill the
  dead, or even to take a souvenir.
  Time in Death’s Dominion is an illusion. No matter
  how long a visitor stays in Death’s Dominion, they re-
  turn to the worlds of time and matter at the same
  moment they left. Visitors do not need to eat, excrete
  or sleep, and nothing in Death’s Dominion could cause
  them harm except Death itself, who usually won’t
  bother. While heroes may fight Death’s avatars, the
  “masks” it wears to make itself seen and heard by mor-
  tals in the lower worlds, on its home turf Death wears
  no mask and cannot be fought. Death cannot even be
  targeted, no matter what Enhanced Senses a character
  might have. What visitors do to each other is their own
  business.
  One can bargain with Death to restore someone’s
  life, but Death always demands a life in return: if some-
  one is to live beyond the span of years allotted by fate,
  someone else must take their place in Death’s Domin-
  ion. Sometimes, Death may demand that heroes fetch
  to its Dominion someone who has cheated Death and
  lived too long, such as by becoming undead or by steal-
  ing other people’s bodies.
  The true measure of Death’s power comes with the
  restoration to life if a bargain is fulfilled. This will be
  no vulgar opening of tombs. Death simply rewrites the
  past so the person didn’t die: the fatal bullet missed,
  the heart attack wasn’t quite so bad, or the medics ar-
  rived sooner. Only the people who went to Death’s
  Dominion will know that history changed; even the
  person restored to life won’t remember. The resurrec-
  tion, however, is not a rejuvenation. If the person was
  old when they died, they remain old when they come
  back.
  Alternatively, Death can restore a person through
  transmigration. This requires that someone offer to
  die so that the other person can live again—to sacri-
  fice all their remaining years. In this case, Death puts
  the resurrectee’s soul in the selfless person’s body, to
  live out that person’s destined lifespan. Death never
  says how long that will be.
  The final mystery of Death’s Dominion concerns its
  relationship with the lower astral realms such as the
  Netherworld and Elysium. How can the deceased be
  both in Death’s Dominion and whatever afterlife their
  religion decrees, or a ghost on the Astral Plane? Some
  mystics propose that people have multiple souls, with
  multiple destinies after death. Others say that Death
  can fetch souls out of any “afterlife” whenever it pleases
  and plunk them down in its Dominion for visitors to
  
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  meet, or that the solid specters in Death’s Dominion
  are mere “records” of the dead, like a photo album
  equipped with memories. In practice, it really doesn’t
  matter.
  Pachad: The Garden Of Earthly
  Delights
  At first, visitors to the Garden of Earthly Delights
  might think they are in a section of Elysium. The Gar-
  den is just that, a lush, fantastic garden or park filled
  with fruit, flowers and brilliantly colored birds. The
  magic of this dimension is that anything a visitor
  wishes for, becomes real. Anything. Well, anything
  physical. The Garden cannot grant knowledge or wis-
  dom. It can, however, satisfy any desire for pleasure,
  possessions, power or nearly anything else, material-
  izing whatever objects, people or other “props” are
  necessary. Want to be Emperor of the World? The Gar-
  den of Earthly Delights will create a whole phony Earth
  if it has to.
  So what’s the catch? Simply this: nothing that hap-
  pens in the Garden is real. It seems real by any test that
  any visitor could attempt, but nothing created by the
  Garden can pass beyond it. The luxuries, the perfect
  friends and lovers, the powers given by the Garden
  vanish the moment one tries to take them from the
  Garden to another dimension. The Garden is the sweet-
  est, most seductive trap imaginable: everything one
  could want, with no responsibility, forever. But a gilded,
  upholstered, perfumed cage is still a cage.
  The ultimate futility of the Garden’s pleasures is best
  shown by two visitors to the Garden trying to fight.
  The Garden accommodates them both by tracelessly
  substituting a fake for each opponent. That way, both
  people can win—and yet neither of them has really
  won at all. They’ve both been given private fantasies
  of victory, and the Garden keeps them separate to pre-
  serve the delusion.
  Chesed: Realms Of The Four Zoas
  The Prime Avatars of Order, Chaos, Art and Nature
  have a quartet of linked dimensions in Chesed. They
  have no stable appearance: instead they flicker between
  a set of images. In fact, mystics say that these are really
  just one dimension, viewed four different ways—just
  as the Prime Avatars are really four aspects of one be-
  ing, called Albion by William Blake or Adam Kadmon
  by the Kabbalists, but the Avatars have forgotten their
  basic unity. The best evidence for this view is that all
  four dimensions share the image of a dark forest called
  Entuthon Benython.
  Ulro
  Ulro is the realm of Urizen the Prince of Light, Prime
  Avatar of Order. Ulro shows four faces to the visitor.
  The first is the Forest of Entuthon Benython. The en-
  tire forest grew, banyan-like, from the Tree of Mystery
  which sprang up under Urizen’s heel as he sat writing
  his books of laws. The tree-trunks rise like pillars; the
  leafy branches interlace in a dense web, creating dark,
  vaulted spaces like caves, the second image of Ulro.
  In this view, Ulro is a labyrinth of caverns, with the
  peculiar property that every path, from every point,
  leads downhill. One cannot backtrack, because the
  caves change behind one. Crystals in the walls and ceil-
  ings glitter with points of light like stars in the night
  sky, the third image.
  Ulro becomes a huge void holding layer on layer of
  slowly turning concentric rings bearing stars and plan-
  ets, like an old armillary-sphere model of the Solar
  System. The rings themselves are of crystal, only vis-
  ible by an occasional glint of reflected light. The sky of
  Ulro is full of clockwork.
  Each star or planet is an entrance to a shining, crys-
  talline space, the fourth face of Ulro, where dwell the
  spirits who serve Urizen. The “sun” in the center of the
  starry wheels is Urizen’s palace of marble and crystal,
  blazing with light to illuminate all the space around it.
  Around the palace are Urizen’s garden and orchard,
  including the Tree of Mystery, which can easily expand
  and darken to become the Forest of Entuthon
  Benython again.
  Urizen is not always found in his palace. Sometimes
  he explores the cave and forest with a globe of fire in
  his hands, seeking he knows not what. Sometimes he
  makes adjustments to his starry wheels. He often goes
  to the Tree of Mystery to argue fruitlessly with Orc
  (see below).
  Beulah
  The demesne of Luvah, Prime Avatar of Chaos and
  emotion, is a “soft, moony realm” of summer nights
  and perfumed bowers. It is also the wilderness of
  Entuthon Benython in its fiercest aspect. Beulah
  changes to echo the mood of whoever is in it. Beulah
  can be a maudlin romance-land, a garden for play, a
  hellish waste of hate and violence, or anything in be-
  tween—but the moonlit, summer garden of love and
  the wilderness of tortured, twisted passions are its most
  common form. In the latter form, Luvah takes the form
  of Orc, a young giant wrapped in flames, chained to
  the Tree of Mystery. In the romance-land version of
  Beulah, Luvah and his other aspect Vala appear as
  young lovers. Luvah and Vala take many other forms
  as well, as many as there are emotional states.
  Generation
  The realm of Tharmas, Prime Avatar of Nature, has
  no proper name; such things do not exist in Nature.
  “Generation” describes what Tharmas does: create and
  maintain the blind cycles of birth, life and death.
  Again, Entuthon Benython is a fundamental image
  of this dimension. Under the influence of Tharmas,
  the forest is wild and tangled, almost a jungle, with
  spirits resembling wild animals. This can flip without
  warning to other images, such as a forest-like kelp bed
  (only the water does not inhibit breathing), or the
  tangled jungle of veins, nerves and tissues inside a vastly
  magnified living body, lit by sourceless light.
  
  104
  The central image of Generation, however, is a wild
  and rocky seashore. Entuthon Benython surrounds a
  dark and bitter lake called Udan Adan; this lake can
  expand in a moment to a seashore, with Tharmas ris-
  ing from the water like a tidal wave.
  Golgonooza
  Golgonooza is the city of Urthona, Prime Avatar of
  Art. The forest of Entuthon Benython completely sur-
  rounds it, with the farmlands of Allamanda as a buffer
  zone. Golgonooza is a square, fortified city, with cas-
  tellated, golden walls, four gates in each wall and four
  massive statues by each gate. The walls are low but the
  interconnected buildings within tower thousands of
  feet into the air.
  Golgonooza lacks most of the features of a real city,
  like shops or vehicles. It is actually more of an archi-
  tectural fantasy of towers, terraces, streets and court-
  yards, as much a castle as a city.
  In the middle of Golgonooza are the twin citadels
  of Luban and Cathedron. Luban holds the great forge
  of Los the Smith, one aspect of Urthona. Cathedron
  holds the looms of Enitharmon the Weaver, another
  aspect and Los’ wife. There do Los, Enitharmon and
  their children create spaces and times for other beings
  to live in. Cathedron and Luban are both indefinitely
  tall: one can see that they have a top, but one can never
  reach it, no matter how far or how fast one travels.
  The overall form of Golgonooza is stable, but its
  character changes. The buildings of Golgonooza can
  be made of gold like the walls, or silver, iron or brick
  and stone. They can be crisp, Art Deco spires like some-
  thing from an old science fiction illustration, or lush
  palaces with carved walls, onion domes and minarets,
  or pagodas, or the grim, forbidding skyscrapers of an
  urban nightmare. Golgonooza shows all the faces of
  Artifice, from the best to the worst.
  Qliphothic: The Shining Darkness
  Step not down, therefore, to the darkly-shining world:
  beneath is spread the Deep, forever formless, lightness,
  foul, joying in illusion, irrational, precipitous and
  sinuous, ceaselessly whirling around its own maimed
  depth, eternally wed to a shape inert, not breathing and
  void.
  —The Chaldean Oracles
  Nearly everything in this mystical cosmos is black,
  in a multitude of shades and hues. Darkness itself is a
  form of radiation in this dimension. Human eyes are
  not happy viewing the Shining Darkness. This is the
  home plane of the darques, and many other sorts of
  qliphothic entities live here as well.
  In the Shining Darkness, huge, angular masses rise
  from vast, warped planes in utter disregard for grav-
  ity. Indistinct things flop and writhe between them.
  Every few kilometers is a loose cluster of humanoid
  statues, like huge, sitting fetuses made of compacted
  gray ash. Darques and necheshiron nest in the empty
  eye sockets of their oversized heads.
  Humans and other organic beings face danger just
  from being on this plane. The darkness slowly leaches
  away life-energy and replaces it with the plane’s own
  mysterious energies. This is a Penetrating, Cumulative
  1d6 Transform every 10 minutes. As the Transform
  proceeds, skin darkens. When the Transform is 3/4
  complete, the being’s body is completely black and
  starts to glow with the Shining Darkness’ radiance.
  When the Transform is complete, the being’s body
  crumbles and the victim becomes a darque.
  If the victim returns to Earth before that, he/she will
  radiate a 1" radius field of Darkness vs. All Vision last-
  ing 1 minute for every point of Transform taken over
  the victim’s BODY. (This would make a great “radia-
  tion accident.”)
  It’s virtually impossible to bring a steady source of
  normal light into the Shining Darkness. Mundane light
  sources such as flashlights or matches explode the
  moment they are activated, as the dimension rips out
  their stored energy. A simple kitchen match would be
  a mere 1/2d6 Energy Killing Attack Explosion; a flash-
  light or cigarette lighter full of fluid would be a 2-3d6
  KA Explosion; a more powerful light source would give
  an even more powerful blast. Other energy-emitting
  Powers and devices would suffer a similar effect, turn-
  ing into KA Explosions of x1 1/2 the Active Points of
  the Power, using up triple Endurance or Charges.
  Weapons can be adjusted to work normally with an
  Inventor Skill Roll. Magical energy-emitters use Spell
  Research. Innate energy-projection Powers will work
  normally after the character makes both INT and EGO
  Rolls at -3. (These rolls should be made by the GM,
  out of sight of the player: the character doesn’t know
  if they succeeded until they use the Power.)
  If the Shining Darkness is used as the site of a Trea-
  sure Hunt adventure, it needs no further dangers, just
  a special location to hold whatever it is the heroes seek.
  If the only challenge of the Shining Darkness is to be
  getting out of it, then the GM needs to add some rea-
  son why the heroes can’t just EDM away.
  As a suggestion, a PC can realize (with a Spell Re-
  search roll) that any Extra-Dimensional Movement
  from the Shining Darkness to a positive-energy dimen-
  sion such as Earth’s would open an uncontrolled
  Wormhole. The horrors of the Shining Darkness could
  pass to Earth, while Earth’s energies would drain away
  to the Shining Darkness. Therefore, they must seek a
  “neutral energy point” where Gates can be opened
  safely. (The “neutral energy point” is a plot device de-
  fined by the GM. The PCs will know it when they see
  it. The important point is, it isn’t nearby and the PCs
  must find it before they turn into darques or get eaten
  by something horrid.)
  
  Chapter 4:
  Magic
  I have bedimm’d
  The noontide sun, call’d forth the mutinous winds,
  And ‘twixt the green sea and the azured vault
  Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder
  Have I given fire, and rifted Jove’s stout oak
  With his own bolt; the strong-based promontory
  Have I made shake, and by the spurs pluck’d up
  The pine and cedar: graves at my command
  Have waked their sleepers, oped and let ‘em forth
  By my so potent art.
  —William Shakespeare, The Tempest
  Magic powers, of course, form the very raison d’etre for
  mages. Everything else is just frills. Selecting spells is one
  of the most important steps in designing a super-mage.
  This chapter tells how to build an effective spell caster,
  with descriptions of several distinctive styles of magic.
  There’s more to magic than just spells, though. Tales of
  magic also feature magic items, ranging from good luck
  charms to mighty artifacts of the gods. Examples of magic
  items and artifacts are given as well.
  
  106
  Magic Styles And
  Magic Theory
  The Earth has seen about a dozen major styles of
  magic, each with its own literature and theory. These
  came from the civilized cultures of Europe, Egypt, the
  Middle East, India, China and West Africa. Every tribal
  or barbarian culture has its own style of magic too,
  although in many cases the differences between tribal
  styles would only interest anthropologists; primitive
  magic is strikingly uniform. On top of this, fantasy fic-
  tion has invented dozens of more styles of magic. Just
  describing all the major styles of magic would take a
  fat book of its own—and probably would be rather
  more information than most players would want!
  Fortunately, the many styles of magic fall into three
  general classes: Natural Magic, Ritual Magic and High
  Magic. Although styles of magic seldom fit precisely
  and absolutely into a particular class, one type of magic
  usually dominates. Each class has a basic theory about
  how magic works.
  Natural Magic
  Most primitive styles of magic fall into this class. So
  does Alchemy and, to a large extent, Voodoo. Natural
  Magic assumes that various substances have intrinsic
  magical properties. These occult virtues are just as
  natural, in their way, as a substance’s color, taste or tex-
  ture. According to classic Natural Magic theory, cast-
  ing a spell is rather like baking a cake: one assembles
  the right ingredients and combines them in the right
  way, and the magic happens. The magic is in the in-
  gredients, not the person casting the spell. The mod-
  ern theory admits that in fact Natural Magic also in-
  volves the caster’s personal psychic energy, which acts
  as a catalyst to unlock and direct the magic of the spell’s
  ingredients.
  “Ingredients” for Natural Magic include herbs,
  stones, parts of animals or humans, water from vari-
  ous sources, and pictures and images—usually of gods.
  Why does an herb or stone have one occult property
  and not another? The ingredients for a Natural Magic
  spell are selected according to five overlapping crite-
  ria:
  The Law of Sympathy says that things which seem
  alike in some way really are alike, and can affect each
  other. By this reasoning, a plant with lung-shaped
  leaves must be good for breathing problems. Gold is
  bright and yellow like the Sun, so gold must promote
  life and growth the way the Sun does. Birds fly away,
  so a charm of feathers will make bad luck fly away.
  And so on forever.
  Sympathy is strongest if the ingredient really does
  have the property desired for the “spell.” To cultures
  naive of science, there is no great difference between a
  curse, a poison and a gun; black magicians use all three.
  This might be called the Law of Reality. In a world of
  “real magic,” a Natural Magic spell might magnify the
  genuine properties of substances, such as using a drop
  of gasoline or a book of matches in a fire spell.
  The Law of Contagion says that things once in con-
  tact can still affect the other. Thus, one can cast a spell
  on someone by doing something to a snippet of their
  hair or clothing. Just touching an object can be enough
  to pick up its magical powers. (Here one sees the rea-
  son for celebrity endorsements: use the same product
  as a famous person, the ads seem to promise, and you
  will gain some of the celebrity’s charisma.)
  Any Exceptional Object is apt to seem magical. A
  four-leaf clover, for instance, only seems magically
  “lucky” because most clover only has three leaves. The
  first or last of anything is exceptional and magical.
  Finally, some magical attributions are pure Tradi-
  tion. Why is a rabbit’s foot lucky, when it didn’t help
  the rabbit? Why does the Yoruban god Orunla favor
  the colors green and yellow, or the Greek god Dionysus
  favor the panther instead of some other animal? If there
  was a reason, it was forgotten long ago.
  Ritual Magic
  When a Natural Magician invokes a god through the
  god’s sympathetic link to its image or symbol, the spell
  starts to overlap with Ritual Magic. This style of magic
  works through the agency of spirits and psychic influ-
  ences, invoked and controlled through ritual. In its
  most grandiose forms, Ritual Magic claims to com-
  mand even the gods, or God. Magic rituals involve
  magic words and prayers, the names of the spirits, spe-
  cial gestures, magical diagrams and talismans, pictures
  and images of gods, sacrifices and various symbolic
  tools. Either the spirits do what the magician com-
  mands, or they grant some magical power to the ma-
  gician, or the magician’s own ritual-fortified spirit does
  the job.
  In most of the sophisticated magical traditions, it is
  accepted that spirits operate in a separate world which
  touches the material plane but is not part of it. Each
  culture has its own name for the spirit world, and some
  cultures postulate many layers of spirit worlds, but in
  Western Mainstream Occultism this other dimension
  is called the Astral Plane. For this reason, magic which
  uses control of the spirit world to effect change in the
  material world fairly may be called Astral Magic or
  Spirit Magic instead of Ritual Magic.
  Note that even though Ritual Magic requires lengthy
  preparation, this does not mean that every casting of a
  spell requires a ten minute incantation with incense
  and a rune-struck circle. Some do, but super-sorcerers
  can toss Ritual Magic around as easily as High Magic.
  Ritual magicians can prepare their magic in advance,
  ready to be called upon at need. Traditionally, they do
  this by consecrating magic items such as wands and
  talismans, or by dealing with powerful spirits. The sor-
  cerer does either of these in a long, fancy ceremony;
  after that, they can trigger the magic whenever they
  want.
  
  107
  Most of the more famous, real-world traditions of
  magic are forms of Ritual Magic. Kabbalistic magic,
  for instance, is based on commanding angels and dev-
  ils by using their names and the omnipotent Names of
  God. The Hermetic magic of the European Renaissance
  assumed that the planets radiated mysterious influ-
  ences which one could concentrate and control by ritu-
  als directed at their ruling spirits. Hindu and Tantric
  magic stripped the “astral theory” down even further:
  they claimed that Spirit was the true reality and the
  physical world just a sort of collective dream. By de-
  veloping one’s will through austerities, meditation and
  ritual, one could take over the dream and re shape it to
  suit oneself.
  Three styles of Ritual Magic will be described in
  some detail. The first, Hermetic Theurgy, is the style
  of magic built up by Western Mainstream Occultism
  over the last 2000 years. The version presented here is
  a loosely based on what grimoires and occultists actu-
  ally claim for their dubious art, with some legend and
  pure fantasy. As always, historical accuracy has been
  sacrificed to produce something gamers can actually
  use. The second, Necromancy, has only slight connec-
  tions to occult lore but has a distinguished history in
  fantasy fiction. The third, Technomancy, is pretty much
  brand new, with only a few literary antecedents and
  no precedents at all in occultism.
  High Magic
  High Magic is essentially fictional. In its pure form,
  it works without any instrumentality at all—no magic
  words, talismans or incantations, no images or herbal
  brews, nothing. This is the magic of gods and spirits
  themselves. Mythological gods, demons, djinns and the
  like don’t muck about with drawing magic circles or
  other hugger-mugger, they just wish for something and
  it happens.
  High Magic is the sort of magic most often seen in
  comic books, where the emphasis is on action, not ex-
  planation. Many of the wizards in fantasy novels are
  basically High Magicians too. High Magicians in fic-
  tion may keep a veneer of Ritual Magic: they may say
  some magic words, wiggle their fingers or wave a magic
  wand, but precisely how the magic works is never ex-
  plained. The magician can get along without these
  props if it suits the author’s purpose. These magicians
  seem to tap into cosmic energies or their own psychic
  power directly, without the help of spirits or collec-
  tions of magic substances. Quick and flashy, High
  Magic is the style most obviously suited to super-mages
  and dimension lords.
  Classes Of Magic And
  Dimensional Energies
  The three basic kinds of magic dovetail neatly to the
  Kabbalistic model of the Multiverse proposed in Chap-
  ter Three. All magic starts with the caster’s own psy-
  chic force, but humans don’t have enough intrinsic
  magic to do anything very impressive. Mages must use
  their intrinsic magic to tap into some external power
  source and shape it to their will.
  Natural Magic employs the magical energies of the
  Earth itself. The substances used in Natural Magic are
  both conduits and batteries of this power. Natural
  Magic is the easiest form of magic to learn, because
  humans are part of the magic field themselves.
  The catch is that a Natural Magician is totally de-
  pendent on their Foci and their connection to the
  Earth. Oh, Natural Magic will work in other dimen-
  sions for a while, as a kindness to players who would
  like to play a Voodooist or Alchemist…but away from
  the Earth, a Natural Magician’s spells gradually lose
  power and reliability. On Earth’s Imaginal Realms this
  loss will be a matter of days or weeks; in the Outer
  Planes, it could be a matter of hours. Spells built as
  Charges stored in a Focus will last indefinitely, but the
  Charges cannot be recovered off Earth.
  Of course, Foci lost in the Outer Planes will be im-
  possible to replace until the magician gets back to
  Earth. (In some of the Imaginal Planes such as the Land
  of Legends or Babylon, appropriate substances might
  be found.) All this will be part of any Magic Restric-
  tion they take as a Disadvantage. (As presented, it’s still
  too slight to be worth an actual Limitation on the Pow-
  ers themselves, on top of the Limitations already taken
  for Foci and possibly Charges.) Ritual Magic draws its
  power from the Astral Plane. It works as well on any of
  the Imaginal Planes as it does on Earth itself. Some
  spells might not work in the Outer Planes, because the
  requisite spirits don’t exist on those dimensions. Only
  spells which literally summon an Earthly spirit are
  likely to be affected right away, though. Other spells
  will gradually become less powerful and reliable, but
  the magician won’t have trouble for a few days. Skill-
  ful Ritual Magicians might even learn how to adapt
  their spells to use the native spirits of the dimension.
  (This would require a Spell Research roll at -1 per 10
  Active Points of the spell, plus several days in which to
  study the dimension’s magical traditions.)
  High Magic works equally well throughout the en-
  tire Multiverse. Some dimensions naturally inhibit
  magic, but at least High Magicians will be no worse
  off than any other sort of wizard. The forces which
  High Magic calls upon are truly universal; they ulti-
  mately derive from the cosmic entities of the Upper
  Planes.
  The classes of magic can be associated with the
  sephiroth on the central pillar of the Kabbalistic Tree
  of Life, the main filing system for Western occultism.
  The sephiroth show what dimensions supply the power
  for each class of magic.
  Natural Magic draws its power from the Earth, in
  the sephira Malkuth in the Assiatic division of the
  Multiverse—the “Material World.”
  Ritual Magic operates through the Lower and
  Middle Astral Planes, which are filed under Yesod, the
  first and central sephira of the Yetziratic or Astral
  World. The astral power of Yesod flows naturally down
  
  108
  the channel to the Earth in Malkuth, but with some
  effort a sorcerer can pull Yesod’s power to the Outer
  Planes of Netzach and Hod as well.
  The High Magic energies used by most dimension
  lords and sorcerers of the Outer Planes come from the
  realms of Briah, the Mental World, by way of the
  sephira Tiphereth.
  As for the cosmic entities of Briah themselves, their
  power is bound into the structure of the entire
  Multiverse. Beyond all limits, it flows down from
  Kether, the fountainhead of Creation itself.
  Buying Spells Through
  Power Frameworks
  Most of the attack spells are given in versions with
  about 60 active points, giving them parity with the at-
  tacks of most superheroes. Some of them can be
  learned in less powerful versions; any could be scaled
  up to greater power levels. Defensive, movement and
  other miscellaneous spells usually run to about 30
  points, although there are examples of 60 some Active
  Points or even higher.
  While these spells are described using separate
  Multipowers, a sorcerer doesn’t have to buy a separate
  Multipower for each spell. Since one can only attack
  once in a Phase anyway, all of a sorcerer’s attack spells
  might as well be consolidated into a single Multipower.
  Nor does a sorcerer have to buy all the versions of a
  spell. A High Magician could buy, say, three slots of
  Sorcerer’s Stars, two slots of Koriol’s Crimson Crys-
  tals, one slot of the Suns of Saravane and a Hypnotic
  Helix. The spell versions given below are only some of
  the more common variants; over the centuries, mages
  might have created dozens of variations of some clas-
  sic spells.
  Less powerful spells such as defenses, movement
  Powers and information Powers can be put in a smaller
  Multipower or an Elemental Control. A Multipower is
  cheaper, all other things being equal, but with an EC
  the character can use more than one spell at a time at
  full power.
  If the character is meant to only use one low-power
  spell at a time, the small Multipower pool might as
  well be added to the large Multipower pool to make
  an even bigger pool. Each Phase, then, the mage can
  select a 60 point attack power and a 30 point defense
  power, a 60 point slot for all-out defense and a 30 point
  slot for movement (in case the mage needs to get away
  from something really bad) or use three 30 point Pow-
  ers at once. As a final bonus, the mage can take a few
  spell slots of 90-some Active Points for major non-
  combat powers or even (if the GM is generous) a spe-
  cial attack power for situations dire enough that the
  character is willing to forego defense, movement and
  information.
  High Magic:
  Thaumaturgy
  I will repeat a subtle rune—
   And thronging suns of Otherwhere
   Shall blaze upon the blinded air,
   And spectres terrible and fair
  Shall walk the riven world at noon.
  —Clark Ashton Smith, Song of the Necromancer
  Thaumaturgy is the stripped down, flashy, combat-
  oriented magic used by comic-book super-sorcerers
  and dimension lords. Such sorcerers just wave their
  hands, perhaps chant a little rhyme, and balls and
  beams of light appear to do what they want. It is the
  most familiar form of High Magic and may be used as
  a model for other styles.
  The downside of Thamaturgy is that learning it takes
  longer. In terms of game mechanics, this reflects the
  relative lack of cost-reducing Limitations on High
  Magic spells. Ritual Magicians can get more spells for
  their points, at cost of accepting more serious Limita-
  tions (such as Focus or Charges) and consequently a
  greater chance of their powers being taken away from
  them.
  Magic Theory
  Thaumaturgy calls on the energies of the Outer and
  Upper Planes. For some spells, the Thaumaturge draws
  energy directly from the Upper Astral Plane or vari-
  ous Outer Planes and shapes the energy into a spell. In
  other cases, the Thaumaturge invokes a powerful di-
  mension lord or cosmic entity—the “Higher Pow-
  ers”—to tap a stream of power already partly shaped
  by that entity. The Higher Power does not actually cast
  the spell and create the effect. It may not know that it
  is being invoked. Rather, the invocation acts like a lens
  or filter, giving the magical energy a tendency to gen-
  erate certain effects, making the Thaumaturge’s job
  easier.
  Invoking Higher Powers this way doesn’t automati-
  cally make the sorcerer a Servant of Higher Powers.
  Most of the Higher Powers don’t insist on any special
  relationship with mages who call on their power for
  Thaumaturgy. They may notice a mage who repeat-
  edly calls on them, however, and take action later. If
  the Higher Power approves of the sorcerer, it might
  become a Contact. On the other hand, if it doesn’t like
  the sorcerer it might cut off the sorcerer’s link to its
  power so that particular spell fizzles or blows up in
  the sorcerer’s face. If neutrally disposed, it might sim-
  ply ask for some service in exchange for all the times
  its power helped the sorcerer.
  What do the Higher Powers get out of this arrange-
  ment? One suggestion is that the more a cosmic entity’s
  power is used by sorcerers, the bigger that power grows.
  As an alternative explanation, some cosmic entities
  might permit lesser beings to use their special spells as
  a way to get publicity. Or perhaps when an entity
  reaches a certain level of mystical power, its magic
  
  109
  “spills over” and the entity can’t really stop sorcerers
  in other dimensions from exploiting its overflowing
  power.
  Powers And Modifiers
  Users of Thaumaturgy are notable for their lack of
  Limitations. Thaumaturges may call out little rhymes
  when they cast their spells—but not always. They make
  sweeping gestures to call their power—but blast off
  Entangle effects. They fire off spells as quick as thought,
  ducking and dodging enemy spells nimbly. Use of tools
  is rare and their magic seems highly reliable. Do they
  use Limitations at all?
  Quite possibly not. Few Thaumaturges, however,
  have reached this acme of austere purity. Some do use
  Foci, Gestures or Incantations, or they accept a little
  uncertainty in their magic through Activation Rolls
  and perhaps even Side Effects. With time and practice
  (and Experience Points) they will reduce the Limita-
  tions on their spells.
  One good strategy for Thaumaturges is to take Vari-
  able Limitations. This makes the mage virtually im-
  possible to “disarm” completely, but the mage may have
  to accept some inconvenience under some circum-
  stances. The following Limitations are especially good
  for filling a High Magician’s Variable Limitation:
  Activation Roll
  Concentrate
  Extra Time
  Gestures
  Incantation
  Only in Hero (or Villain) ID
  Side Effects
  “Only in Hero ID” can be an acceptable Limitation
  on Thaumaturgy all by itself. In the comics,
  Thaumaturges never do their thing in ordinary cloth-
  ing. They might do tiny spells in their Secret ID, but
  when the sky is falling and nameless horrors run
  amuck, they Instant Change into colorful outfits be-
  fore they start blasting away with their mystic bolts.
  This limit, however, is not mandatory and is not as-
  sumed in the spell descriptions below.
  Disadvantages Of Thaumaturgy
  Thaumaturgy is one of the most inclusive styles of
  magic a sorcerer can choose. No Powers are excluded.
  While Thaumaturgy itself does not directly employ
  spirits the way Ritual Magic does, Thaumaturges are
  not automatically excluded from also learning Ritual
  Magic spells or using Natural Magic items. In fact,
  many sorcerers may use Thaumaturgy for combat and
  other styles for non-combat effects. Generic
  Thaumaturgy imposes no Magic Style Restriction on
  its practitioners. Individual Thaumaturges may take a
  Magic Style Restriction to reflect a dominant “theme”
  in their magic or an inability to use other sorts of
  magic, but they don’t have to do so.
  Style Notes
  Thaumaturgic spells are often named after various
  extra-dimensional entities and power objects—thus,
  “Koriol’s Crimson Crystals” or “The Suns of Saravane.”
  The sorcerer often calls out the name of the spell, some-
  times as part of a little rhyme. (In the comics, though,
  this is just a Special Effect.) The spells appear as simple
  luminous forms such as globes, disks, swirls and beams,
  maybe with zigzags, spurs and sparkles.
  Sample Thaumaturgic Spells
  It is assumed that all these spells take a -½ Variable
  Limitation, for a -¼ value. As mentioned above, other
  Limitations are quite possible.
  Attack Spells
  Auras Of Elan
  This spell is an old favorite. No one knows who in-
  vented it. It makes glowing auras appear around what-
  ever the sorcerer wants to affect, and the target moves
  at the caster’s will.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  49
  Multipower (61 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim (-¼)
  5u
  33 STR TK, ½ END [61]
  3
  5u
  25 STR TK w/Fine Manipulation,
  ½ END [59]
  3
  5u
  23 STR TK, Indirect (+½), ½ END [59]
  3
  5u
  18 STR TK, Selective 3" Radius AE
  (+1 ¼) [61]
  6
  Bindings Of Bromion
  The dimension lord Bromion, one of the Ordainers
  of Urizen the Lawgiver, began the use of these potent
  spells. Bromion hates free will in other beings; he calls
  it “rebellion.” He shared his Bindings with sorcerers
  on other planes who also served Urizen, to help them
  quash “rebellion.” Centuries later, sorcerers of whom
  Bromion would never approve use the Bindings, too.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  12d6 Mind Control [60]
  6
  5u
  10d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal
  (+¼) [62]
  6
  5u
  2d6 Entangle, BODY BOECV (+2) [60]
  6
  5u
  20 STR TK, BOECV (+1) [60]
  6
  5u
  14 STR TK with Fine Manipulation,
  BOECV [62]
  6
  
  110
  Cerulean Spells
  These psychic bolts are another very common at-
  tack. Even minor sorcerers might have lower-powered
  versions of the Cerulean Spells. These attacks are only
  visible to the victim and to anyone with Mental Aware-
  ness. They appear as sparkling beams of blue light.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  Cerulean Spear: 5d6 Ego Attack,
  ½ END [62]
  3
  5u
  Cerulean Spray: 5d6 Ego Attack,
  Nonselective 1 Hex AE [62]
  6
  Fuzonic Flames
  These spells evoke the awesome, fiery energy of the
  dimension called the Burning Sky. That dimension’s
  ruler, Fuzon, apparently never objects to anyone tap-
  ping its dimension’s energies this way.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  4d6 ERKA [60]
  6
  5u
  2 ½d6 ERKA, 1 Hex AE [60]
  6
  5u
  2 ½d6 ERKA, Penetrating [60]
  6
  5u
  1 ½d6 ERKA, Penetrating,
  Continuous [62]
  6
  Hypnotic Helix
  This spell creates a glowing spiral of multicolored
  light which makes people extremely suggestible. Sor-
  cerers throughout the Multiverse have use the Hyp-
  notic Helix, or spells just like it, for thousands of years.
  Many variations exist: the slots given are just the two
  most common.
  While unscrupulous sorcerers often use a Hypnotic
  Helix to force people to serve them, champions of
  Good prefer to use the Helix to make bystanders for-
  get traumatic supernatural events. For most people,
  forgetting that they had a supernatural scare is an ac-
  tion they would like to do anyway, so not much Mind
  Control is needed.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  34
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, Concentrate to ½ DCV (-¼),
  Max Range 4" (-¼)
  3u
  12d6 Mind Control [60]
  6
  3u
  5d6 Mind Control, 20" Cone AE
  (+1 ½) [62]
  6
  Koriol’s Crimson Crystals
  This spell ensemble was invented millennia ago by a
  mighty extra-dimensional sorcerer called Koriol. They
  have been popular ever since. Swirls of light coalesce
  into shards of red glass that envelop the target or form
  a protective barrier.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  6d6 Entangle [60]
  6
  5u
  4d6 Entangle, Damage Transparent
  (+½) [60]
  6
  5u
  4d6 Entangle, Backlash (+½) [60]
  6
  5u
  Force Wall (10 PD, 10 ED),
  ½ END [62]
  3
  Saffron Spheres
  This is another spell that even beginning sorcerers
  often learn. It creates a glowing yellow ball. This darts
  out and either explodes in a blinding yellow flash or
  radiates bright yellow light for a minute without any
  further attention from the sorcerer. A final form cre-
  ates a zone of strobing light that can actually knock a
  person out.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  4d6 Flash, Nonselective 1 Hex AE
  (+¼), ½ END [60]
  3
  5u
  3d6 Flash, Nonselective 4" Radius
  AE (+¾), ½ END [60]
  3
  5u
  Change Environment (Light),
  32" Radius, 0 END, Uncontrolled for 1
  minute (+½) [60]
  6
  5u
  4d6 EB, AVLD: Flash Defense vs.
  Sight (+1 ½), 1 Hex AE [60]
  6
  Scintillant Suns Of Saravane
  The starlike bodies in the dimension of Saravane
  radiate a “psychic light.” By calling upon the light of
  Saravane, a sorcerer can blind a foe no matter how care-
  fully shielded the foe’s eyes might be. Mental defense,
  however, gives protection. The Scintillant Suns aren’t
  much good against other mages, but are very effective
  against other super beings.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  3d6 Flash: Vision, BOECV (+1) [60]
  6
  5u
  2d6 Flash: Vision, BOECV,
  8" Cone AE (+1) [60]
  6
  5u
  2d6 Flash: Vision, BOECV,
  4" Radius AE (+1) [60]
  6
  
  111
  Silver Circles Of Selestar
  The dimension of Selestar is entirely controlled by
  the Geometers, minions of Urizen the Lawgiver. The
  Geometers have developed many spells using geo-
  metrical forms, which they share freely with Urizen’s
  other followers. The Silver Circles create a swarm of
  silver hoops which wrap around the spell’s target. Many
  variations exist.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  6d6 Entangle [60]
  6
  5u
  4d6 Entangle, Damage
  Transparent (+½) [60]
  6
  5u
  4d6 Entangle, Sticky (+½) [60]
  6
  5u
  3d6 Entangle, 6" Cone AE (+1) [60]
  6
  Sorcerer’s Stars
  This flexible spell provides a wide range of basic
  mystic bolts. It is one of the most common of
  Thaumaturgic spells. Each form of the spell fires a
  many-pointed ball of light at the target. Most versions
  only do STUN to the target. Many more versions are
  possible.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  12d6 EB [60]
  6
  5u
  8d6 EB, AP [60]
  6
  5u
  8d6 EB, 1 Hex AE [60]
  6
  5u
  6d6 EB, AP, 1 Hex AE [60]
  6
  5u
  5d6 EB, AVLD: Power Defense
  (+1 ½) [62]
  6
  5u
  4d6 EB, AVLD: Power Defense,
  1 Hex AE [60]
  6
  Spectral Sphere
  Long ago, a sorcerer discovered a pocket dimension
  that held nothing but strange, iridescent globes of force.
  From the outside these globes were as yielding as soap
  bubbles, but from the inside they were extremely tough
  and able to bounce both physical, energy and mystical
  force. The sorcerer developed a spell to summon one
  of these bubbles from its dimension, to use as an at-
  tack. The Spectral Sphere sucks in whoever it hits, forc-
  ing them to curl into a ball as the Sphere bobs in the
  air.
  While use of the Spectral Sphere is not too uncom-
  mon, so far only this one function is known.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  4d6 Entangle, Backlash (+½),
  -½ Var Lim [60]
  6
  Evil Attack Spells
  Some Thaumaturgic spells are widely regarded as
  unethical or irresponsible to use. The spell may invoke
  an entity of evil, or affect targets in morally dubious
  ways, or simply have side effects that present dangers
  to the surroundings. Sorcerers who use these spells
  anyway either don’t know about the problems with
  them, or they don’t care.
  Cursed Clutch Of Cassai
  This spell evoke arcs of ghostly violet light which
  wrap around targets, draining away psychic energy in
  painful or even fatal ways. The drained psychic energy
  goes to the dimension lord Cassai, who has taught this
  spell to sorcerers throughout the Multiverse as a way
  to increase his own power. Many sorcerers aren’t too
  keen on helping Cassai in this way. Fortunately, the
  Clutches carry their own retribution. If a sorcerer is
  interrupted in casting the Clutch, the arcs turn around
  and drain some of his psychic energy instead. (For
  more about Cassai, see the Source Book.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  34
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, Side Effect: 3d6 Ego Attack
  if Interrupted (-½)
  3u
  6d6 Ego Attack [60]
  6
  3u
  4d6 Ego Attack, AP [60]
  6
  3u
  1d6 RKA, BODY BOECV (+2),
  Penetrating, +1 STUN Mult
  (+½) [60]
  6
  Qliphothic Claws
  This spell invokes the annihilating energies of a deep
  Qliphothic dimension to form a black aura around the
  caster’s hands. Whoever the caster then strikes is
  drained of life energies. The more the Claws are used,
  the stronger they become: this is a Transfer, and the
  life- force goes to make the Claws more powerful. As
  long as the caster doesn’t switch to another attack form,
  the Claws can increase in power without limit, since
  each added damage class of the Claws increases the
  maximum amount of BODY that could be Transferred.
  When the Claws reach really high power levels, how-
  ever, their great power can have mind-altering, intoxi-
  cating effects on the caster; this could even be a magi-
  cal “radiation accident” turning the caster berserk or
  causing permanent changes in powers.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  2d6 BODY Transfer to Transfer,
  Return 1 pt/turn (+¼), Damage
  Shield Only With Grab (+¼),
  0 END, -½ Var Lim [60]
  0
  Sinister Sigils Of Set
  These sigils, created by that evil god thousands of
  years ago, drain away the victim’s life force in various
  debilitating ways. The spell is tremendously flexible.
  Originally this was a Ritual Magic spell using rings or
  plaques bearing the Sigils, but unscrupulous sorcerers
  have worked out a Thaumaturgic version which no
  longer requires such a Focus. While Set is apparently
  long dead, his Sigils have been used so often by evil
  mages that other wizards will automatically assume
  that anyone who uses the Sigils must be corrupt. The
  spell creates weird glyphs that shine an unholy light
  on their victims.
  
  112
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  5d6 Suppress, vs. Any 1 Phys
  Char (+¼), Uncontrolled (1
  minute), 0 END to Maintain,
  Personal Immunity [62]
  6
  5u
  1 ½d6 Drain, vs. Any 1 Phys
  Char, Ranged, Continuous,
  Uncontrolled (1 minute), 0 END,
  Personal Immunity [60]
  6
  5u
  2d6 Drain, vs. Any 1 Phys Char,
  Ranged, Personal Immunity, 4"
  Radius AE (+1) [60]
  6
  Vipers Of Vorkill
  This spell, named for its extra-dimensional creator,
  summons the magic-eating entities called the
  Necheshiron in astral form. The caster uses the astral
  Necheshiron to weaken or destroy other spells. The
  catch is that sometimes the Necheshiron appear physi-
  cally, not astrally, and outside the caster’s control. The
  thought of an infestation of Necheshiron on Earth
  gives any sensible sorcerer the shivers.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  Multipower (61 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, Acts 15 (-¼), Side Effect: 4 x
  100 pt Summon Necheshiron (-1)
  2u
  16d6 Dispel, vs. Any 1 Magic
  Effect (+¼) [60]
  6
  2u
  3½d6 Drain vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼), Ranged [61]
  6
  2u
  1½d6 Drain, vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼), Ranged, Uncontrolled
  (1 minute) Continuous 0 END to
  Maintain [56]
  6
  2u
  8d6 Suppress vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼), ½ END [60]
  6
  2u
  5d6 Suppress, vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼), Uncontrolled
  (1 minute), 0 END to Maintain [56]
  6
  2u
  3d6 Suppress, vs. All Magic
  Effects (+2), Uncontrolled
  (1 minute), 0 END to Maintain [60]
  6
  Defensive Spells
  Thaumaturgy also provides the quickest and most
  convenient defensive powers for mages. These spells
  usually take the form of glowing disks which block
  incoming attacks: even if the disk is not very large, at-
  tacks are drawn to strike it. Stronger defenses might
  be indicated by layers of disks which an attack must
  break through. Other common forms for defenses in-
  clude glowing spheres around the caster or a hole in
  space which sucks away incoming attacks.
  Most of the defensive spells below fall into two power
  levels. The ones of about 30 Active Points are meant
  for use in Elemental Controls or small Multipowers,
  as described above. Others are about 60 Active Points,
  for “all-out defense” spells fitting in a wizard’s major
  Multipower.
  Deflecting Disk
  This is an extremely common spell. A disk of light
  appears in front of each incoming attack. If the disk
  holds, the attack bounces. If the disk breaks, the attack
  hits with undiminished force. Several forms of Deflect-
  ing Disk are possible. Some forms deflect any non-
  mental ranged attack, magic or not; others deflect any
  magic attack, including ones based on mental powers,
  but won’t affect non-magical attacks. While the four
  versions shown here are given as a Multipower, an in-
  dividual slot could be selected and made part of an
  Elemental Control.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  Multipower (30 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  2u
  Missile Deflection +5 vs. All Ranged
   Attacks [30]
  2u
  Missile Deflection +5 vs. All Magic
   Attacks [30]
  2u
  Missile Deflection +0 vs. All Ranged,
  Adjacent Hex (+½) [30]
  2u
  Missile Deflection +0 vs. All Magic,
  Adjacent Hex (+½) [30]
  Haloes Of Huland
  This spell creates softly glowing auras around the
  caster which cannot themselves stop attacks, but they
  reduce the damage. A red Halo reduces damage from
  physical attacks, a yellow Halo from energy attacks, and
  a blue Halo from mental attacks. While the Haloes are
  most useful if all three are used in a Multipower, single
  Haloes might be known in the form of Elemental Con-
  trol slots. (But GMs shouldn’t let PCs put each kind of
  Halo in an EC slot. That’s just an excuse to chop the
  cost in half, and that’s blatant rules abuse.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Multipower (30 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, Non-Persistent: defense shuts
  down if character unconscious (-¼)
  2u
  Damage Reduction (½ vs.
  resistant PD) [30]
  2u
  Damage Reduction (½ vs.
  resistant ED) [30]
  2u
  Damage Reduction (½ vs.
  Mental) [30]
  
  113
  Ordonian Aura
  This all out-defensive spell lets one protect other
  people as well as oneself, as long as the other people
  stay close enough to touch. The first version is best for
  mundane threats; the second version is meant for situ-
  ations where one might have to weather a wide variety
  of magical attacks.
  The Auras appear as cascading ripples of colored
  light, like water running down a pane of glass, envel-
  oping the caster and any person touching him. Up to
  3 other people can be protected, or 4 if the caster does
  not protect himself with the Aura.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  Force Field (15 PD, 15 ED), Use by
  Others x4 (+¾), ½ END [60]
  3
  5u
  Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED, 10 MD,
  10 PowD), Use by Others x4,
  ½ END [60]
  3
  Shield Of Selestar
  This spell, developed by the Geometers of Selestar,
  was originally taught to servants of Order. The spell
  was useful enough that sorcerers with no cosmic com-
  mitments started using it too. The Shield consists of
  intersecting silvery lines forming a filigree globe
  around the caster.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  25
  Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED, 10 MD),
  ½ END, -½ Var Lim [31]
  1
  Soul’s Citadel
  This spell makes a dome of force that is virtually
  impervious to mental powers. One may put the Cita-
  del around oneself and one’s friends, or put it around
  someone at a distance—a great way to defeat a men-
  talist, since the dome is quite transparent to all other
  attacks.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  17
  12 MD Force Wall, -½ Var Lim,
  Must Make Closed Dome (-½) [30]
  3
  Wizard Walls
  This is a linked set of spells for defending an area, or
  for all-out defense with a wizard’s other defensive pow-
  ers. It creates barriers of force. These look like vertical
  disks of pastel light hanging in the air, connected by
  arcs of light. Many versions are possible.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  Force Wall (10 PD, 10 ED),
  ½ END [62]
  3
  5u
  Force Wall (8 MD, 6 PowD,
  6 FD: Sight), ½ END [62]
  3
  5u
  Force Wall (8 ED), Transparent to
  PD (+½), ½ END, + Force Wall
  (8 MD), ½ END [60]
  2
  5u
  Force Wall (8 PD, 8 ED, 8 MD) [60]
  6
  Information Spells
  Wizards are all information junkies; aside from the
  pleasures of pure knowledge, knowing the score helps
  them stay alive in a dangerous profession.
  Akashic Eye
  Eastern occultists say that humans have an nascent
  “Third Eye” sensitive to psychic impressions, which can
  be developed through meditative exercises. This spell
  creates a literal Third Eye in the caster’s forehead, which
  lets them see into the thoughts of other people. This
  luminous Akashic Eye is only visible to the person it is
  used upon, or to mentally aware people. It only works
  on people within 4 hexes.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  10d6 Telepathy, ½ END, -½ Var
  Lim, Concentrate ½ DCV (-¼),
  Max Range 4" (-¼) [62]
  3
  Astral Vision
  This spell lets the caster look onto the part of the
  Lower Astral Plane corresponding to their location on
  Earth and see what’s going on. This is particularly valu-
  able when facing astral entities that can sense and act
  upon people on Earth.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  Clairsentience: normal vision,
  Transdimensional, 0 END, 0 Range,
  Only to Lower Astral Plane (-½), -½
  Var Lim [60]
  Contacting The Great
  This is a generic interdimensional contact spell;
  nearly every type of magic includes some version of it.
  First the sorcerer uses the Mind Scan to locate the tar-
  get entity, then the Mind Link (which falls outside any
  spell Multipowers or Elemental Controls) to commu-
  nicate if the entity is willing. An extra-dimensional
  patron or Contact is always considered a familiar mind,
  giving a bonus to the Mind Scanning “attack” roll.
  Even very minor magicians might be able to contact
  powerful entities on other planes. Most Satanists, for
  instance, can’t summon their demonic patrons; they
  just contact them and ask them to come. Mages use
  this spell to contact their cosmic Contacts and patrons.
  There may even be powerful spirits who act as infor-
  mation brokers, trading their knowledge of obscure
  lore for equally obscure favors.
  The spell given here assumes the sorcerer can only
  contact one powerful extra-dimensional being. If the
  sorcerer can contact more than one entity (which for
  an experienced Thaumaturge is quite likely) the Mind
  Scan will need a bigger Transdimensional advantage
  (at cost of some ECV plusses) and the Mind Link will
  cost more.
  The Thaumaturgic version of this spell creates a
  swirling vortex of light in which the face of the con-
  tacted entity appears.
  
  114
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  6d6 Mind Scanning, Trans-
  dimensional to Patron’s Plane (+½),
  +8 ECV, -½ Var Lim, Visible,
  Concentrate 0 DCV, 5 minutes
  Extra Time (-2) [61]
  3
  +5
  Mind Link to 1 being, Any
  Distance, Any Dimension, Only
  via Mind Scanning (-½), -½ Var
  Lim, Visible, constant Concentrate
  0 DCV (-1) [15]
  Fada’s Far Seekings
  These classic spells are widely used. Once a target’s
  general location is known through the Mind Scan, the
  Clairsentience may be used to pinpoint the target’s lo-
  cation. Unfortunately, in the interdimensional version,
  at best the caster finds which dimension the target is
  on. In that case, the Clairsentience simply gives a view
  of a swatch of that dimension, so the caster knows what
  they’re getting into before they venture there. The stan-
  dard version used on Earth scans the Quaternion.
  There may be other versions that scan groups of Outer
  Planes.
  The spell creates a spinning disk of iridescent light
  from which threads of light radiate out to infinity; only
  the caster and mentally aware people can see these
  threads as they sweep through the world or beyond,
  seeking their target. When the caster chooses to use
  the Clairsentience options, the center of the disk opens
  into a view of the desired region.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  36
  Multipower (63 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, constant Concentrate ½
  DCV (-½)
  3u
  9d6 Mind Scanning, +8 ECV [61]
  4
  3u
  6d6 Mind Scanning, Trans-
  dimensional: Astral (+¾), +3
  ECV [63]
  4
  3u
  Clairsentience: Vision, x64 Range
  (95 miles) [60]
  6
  3u
  Clairsentience: Vision, Other
  Dimensions (Astral), x16 Range
  (6 miles) [60]
  6
  Temporal Trance
  This spell, whose origin is lost to history, lets the
  caster briefly experience the future. This will be the
  future of whatever location the caster is at, not the
  caster’s personal future. The caster sits cross-legged in
  the air and weaves a twisting halo of silvery threads
  around himself. For several seconds, the caster seems
  to stand in the future scene, seeing the sights, hearing
  the sounds, and so on—even sensing what magic is in
  use, if the caster has a magic detection sense. The
  Temporal Trance is so debilitating, however, that no
  human being could survive casting it twice in one day.
  The Trance is inherently imprecise. As always with
  precognition, it merely shows the most probable
  future…or rather, what was the most probable future
  before the caster gained foreknowledge. The Trance
  must reach at least an hour into the future: closer times
  remain hidden. Finally, there is always uncertainty
  about what time will be seen, one step down on the
  Time Table from the length of time in the future de-
  sired. Someone looking 1-4 hours into the future has
  an uncertainty of plus or minus 5 minutes from the
  target time; looking more than 5 hours into the future
  gives an uncertainty of up to 1 hour; looking more
  than a day into the future gives a 5 hour uncertainty;
  and so on.
  GMs should remember that the Temporal Trance
  only gives experience of the future. One should avoid
  giving explanations and just tell what the character sees,
  hears, feels and smells (and magic detects, if relevant).
  While some scenes can be self-explanatory (“Your com-
  rades and your party guests are talking, laughing and
  dancing. The munchies are almost gone”) they may
  often be ambiguous (“Ten hours in the future, the land-
  scape is scorched and cratered. The air stinks of smoke
  and blood. You see several twisted bodies, burned be-
  yond recognition, scattered about the battlefield”).
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  10
  Clairsentience: normal Vision,
  Hearing, Touch, Smell, Sense
  Magic, Precognition, 1 charge of 1
  turn (-1 ¼), Automatic Side Effect:
  6d6 CON Drain (-2), initial
  Gestures, Concentrate 0 DCV
  throughout (-1), initial 1 turn
  Extra Time (-½), Limited
  Control over When Seen (-¼) [60]
  [1c]
  Miscellaneous Spells
  Then there are spells neither for attack, defense nor
  information. Some are for “all-out movement” (see
  “Extra- Dimensional Movement and Gates” in Chap-
  ter Two for more powerful movement spells). Others
  are “combat support”: they have uses in combat, but
  have both offensive and defensive applications.
  
  115
  Aethyrs Of Edirne
  About once a century, the dimension lord Edirne
  personally teaches versions of her spells to some wiz-
  ard she considers worthy. A few of those wizards have
  passed the secret of her Aethyrs on to other wizards.
  The Aethyrs create zones of swirling, foggy light that
  inhibit magic in various ways. One slowly drains power
  from enchantments; the second strips away Power
  Defense; the third blocks magical senses. They are usu-
  ally bought as Charges with Duration and the Uncon-
  trolled advantage so a wizard can cast an Aethyr and
  then use other magic.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  52
  Multipower (65 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  4u
  1d6 Drain, vs. All Magic (+2),
  Ranged, NND: Hardened Power
  Defense (+1), Uncontrolled,
  Personal Immunity, 10" Radius
  AE (+1 ¼), 8 chgs of 1 turn (-0)
  Cost END to cast (-¼) [65]
  6
  4u
  4d6 Suppress vs. Power Defense
  (x½), Uncontrolled, Personal
  Immunity, 16" Radius AE (+1 ½),
  8 chgs of 1 turn, Cost END to
  Cast [65]
  6
  4u
  2" Radius Darkness vs. Mental
  Awareness, Normal Vision and All
  Magic Senses, Uncontrolled,
  Personal Immunity, 8 chgs of 1
  turn, Cost END to Cast [61]
  6
  Levitory Locus
  When a sorcerer wants to carry several people a long
  distance, the Levitory Locus gets the job done. The
  Locus creates a filigree disk of magical force which car-
  ries people through the air along with the caster. Note
  that the spell uses a combination of Usable by Others
  x2 and 1 Hex AE instead of Usable by Others x8. The
  former method lets the spell’s passengers move around
  a bit and fight without having to keep hold of the spell’s
  caster—though if they are knocked out of the hex of
  the Locus, they’re in trouble.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  54
  12" Flight, Use by Other x2 (+½),
  1 Hex AE, x8 NCM, -½ Var Lim [68]
  2
  Shadows Of Shaldus
  This spell casts a mantle of impenetrable darkness
  around the caster. While this doesn’t stop attacks, it
  does make the caster hard to hit. The caster, on the
  other hand, can see out of the Shadows perfectly well.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  44
  1" Radius Darkness vs. All Vision,
  Damage Shield, Uncontrolled, 0
  END, Personal Immunity, -½ Var
  Lim [55]
  0
  Teng Wei’s Translocation
  The ancient Chinese sorcerer Teng Wei developed
  several spells of teleportation, which he taught to a few
  other sorcerers in his travels around and off the Earth.
  In the 2800 years since Teng Wei’s apparent death in a
  teleport accident, other sorcerers have created dozens
  of variations on Teng Wei’s spells, until it’s impossible
  to tell which were the original versions. These are only
  a few variations.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  50
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim
  5u
  25" Teleport, ½ END
  1/10"
  5u
  15" Teleport, x4 Mass, x4 NCM, 2
  floating Points [60]
  3
  5u
  11" Teleport, x250 NCM [62]
  1/10"
  3u
  Extra-Dimensional Movement, any
  plane, x4 mass, ½ END, 1 phase Extra
  Time (-½) [62]
  3
  Notably Powerful Spells
  Some of these spells are attacks: anyone who can cast
  these spells as regular attacks is significantly more pow-
  erful than the average mage. While such beings have
  distinctive spells with normal combat effects too, these
  sample spells all use more peculiar powers, just to show
  what’s possible.
  Ordinary human mages might be allowed one or
  two of these spells for really desperate situations. It is
  recommended that PC spells of “all-out attack” only
  be usable once per day, or carry some other serious
  Limitation. At the very least, they should require full
  Gestures and Incantations—plus something else to fill
  a Variable Limitation.
  Curse Of Premature Burial
  This ghastly spell makes the ground open beneath
  the victim and suck them down, trapping them in a
  little cyst 10 feet underground. The victim has air for
  the moment, but will soon suffocate and die without
  Life Support, a rescue or some way to dig or teleport
  their way out. While this is a Thaumaturgic version,
  Hermetic Theurgists could have their own version
  based on invoking earth elementals.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  70
  2", DEF 5 Tunneling, Close Behind,
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged (+½), -
  ½ Var Lim [87]
  9
  Loom Of Space
  This awesome spell is the epitome of mystic Arti-
  fice: the creation of a new dimension from scratch. The
  caster projects raw power into Limbo and creates not
  just matter, but space and time for it to occupy. The
  caster can design the new cosmos any way they want,
  to the limits of their imagination. Even the Four Zoas,
  however, cannot build a universe of any complexity
  and have it come out fully as designed. There are al-
  ways surprises, and once a universe is created the caster
  has no intrinsic control over its destiny.
  
  116
  In game terms, this is a Transdimensional Transform.
  It had better be Cumulative or the dimension will be
  very small—perhaps the size of a suitcase—and Vari-
  able, or the mage will only be able to create one very
  simple sort of dimension. Rules for both Physical and
  Power Transforms apply: the caster must build up
  double the BODY of any object in the new dimension,
  and double the Active Points of any intrinsic Power.
  The point cost of space itself comes from the Size Table
  for Headquarters (Hero System Rule Book p. 187). Put-
  ting anything at all complex (including intrinsic Pow-
  ers) in a plane counts as original creation of a com-
  plex item without a pattern, so the spell will require at
  least one Skill Roll using a new Skill, Dimensional En-
  gineering or Worldsmithing.
  Not surprisingly, casting such a potent spell is no
  easy matter. Unlike most Thaumaturgy, the Loom of
  Space carries many Limitations. Gestures, Incantations
  and special tools are required to direct the cosmic en-
  ergies into their proper form. Failing a Worldsmithing
  Skill Roll means the caster has lost control of the spell.
  The backlash will hurl the caster (and anyone else
  nearby) into some other dimension (and probably a
  nasty one) while blocking any dimension travel pow-
  ers for an indefinite period.
  (Simple dimensions, however, will give the caster
  plusses on the Skill Roll. Alternatively, the creator can
  forego trying to define the dimension’s properties. In
  this process, the spell caster just tosses a number of
  objects into the spell and hopes the new dimension
  takes its pattern from them. Tossing a shoe into the
  spell means the new dimension will probably feature
  shoes: perhaps shoe trees that grow their own shoes,
  or a shoe-shaped planetoid, or shoe monsters. But the
  caster won’t be able to predict just how the “shoe
  theme” will manifest.)
  Creating a universe, even a tiny one, requires tre-
  mendous energy, and that energy has to come from
  somewhere. In game terms, this is a Variable Limita-
  tion. If no other source of power is available, it comes
  from the caster (CON and BODY Drain), which will
  probably be fatal with more than two or three Phase’s
  worth of creation.
  (Remember, there is no defense against a Side Ef-
  fect. On the other hand, the caster’s ghost can become
  the spirit of the dimension.) Alternatively, the caster
  can sacrifice something: a powerful artifact (adding
  the Expendable Limitation at -1 on the Focus require-
  ment); a large number of sentient, souled beings (does
  anyone need to be told how evil this is?); or a pre-ex-
  isting pocket dimension or Astral Cyst.
  Once a new dimension is built up to a certain size, it
  can continue growing on its own. No one knows what
  the threshold for independent growth is. Likewise, no
  one knows how big an artificial cosmos might grow.
  Which raises the question: is there such a thing as a
  “natural” universe, or were they all created by sorcer-
  ers of older dimensions? Another disturbing question
  is the matter of reversal conditions. Every Transform
  either “heals” with time, or it has some condition which
  reverses it at once. Artificial dimensions are no differ-
  ent. The caster can choose something fantastically ob-
  scure and improbable as the reversal condition, but
  the dimension must have some circumstance which
  will destroy it. Some wizards believe that a new
  universe’s “Achilles Heel” will fade with time, but they
  don’t know this. Do the ancient, “natural” dimensions
  have “Achilles Heels” as well? This is one question most
  wizards would rather not see answered.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  12
  1d6 Transform, Universal (+1),
  Cumulative, Indirect (+½),
  Transdimensional: The Dimension Created
  (+¾), Continuous, Hard to Dispel
  (+¼), constant Gestures (-½),
  constant Incantations (-½),
  constant Concentrate 0 DCV
  (-1), OAF Ritual Paraphernalia,
  Requires a Skill Roll: World-
  smithing (-½), Side Effect: EDM
  to Nasty Dimension vs. All in
  Area + All EDM Powers Removed
  (-1) -1 Var Lim: 4d6 CON + 4d6
   BODY Drain/Phase Side Effect,
  Expendable Focus or Sacrifice
  (-½) [75]
  7
  Trokin’s Reluctant Journey
  The Chaos Lord Trokin, a mischievous but gener-
  ally well intentioned meddler, enjoys using this spell
  to humiliate opponents. A few other powerful entities
  have learned this spell as well. For combatants with-
  out ranged attacks or high movement rates, the spell
  can at least take them out of a fight for a Phase or two—
  which can change the strategic balance of a fight com-
  pletely. If Trokin feels the need to get serious, it can
  use the spell to teleport a non-flying opponent straight
  up into the air (for 10d6 damage when they hit) or
  Hold its action to teleport one opponent into another
  opponent’s attack. The defense against this attack is to
  have teleportation Powers of one’s own, plus a DEX
  Roll.
  The special effect for Trokin’s Reluctant Journey is a
  pair of disks of iridescent light. One sweeps across the
  target, making him disappear; the other disk mimics
  the first disk’s movement somewhere else, where the
  target reappears.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  60
  15" Teleport, Use vs. other (+1),
  Ranged (+½), -½ Var Lim [75]
  7
  Vortex Of Banishment
  This thoroughly obnoxious spell sends the target to
  another dimension, which for most beings means they
  will never be seen again (or for supervillains, that they
  won’t return until several adventures later). The di-
  mension chosen will usually be one that is very dan-
  gerous, to make doubly sure the target won’t come
  back.
  
  117
  So powerful an effect simply cannot be applied to
  maximum effect, or it will be the end of the campaign.
  First, there has to be some defense against this attack,
  although the PCs might not know it at first. Second,
  it’s ironclad tradition that beings with power on this
  level are also selectively stupid. They never select a di-
  mension which will mean instant death for the heroes.
  While the dimension of banishment may have mystic
  properties which prevent a simple EDM escape, the
  heroes can always find a way out eventually, either be-
  cause of an ancient, hidden Gate, by combining their
  powers, or with the help of some entity living in the
  dimension.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  72
  Extra Dimensional Movement:
  One Plane, x4 Mass (30 pts),
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged (+½),
  1 Hex AE, -½ Var Lim [90]
  9
  Wizardbane Web
  This potent spell completely removes a wizard’s abil-
  ity to cast one particular spell, which the caster speci-
  fies when they cast the Web. A wizard can strip away
  an opponent’s magic powers, one by one, through re-
  peated use of this spell. Mercifully, the Web cannot
  remove a spell that the caster doesn’t know the target
  has.
  The Web appears as a tangle of purple-red strands
  that wrap around the target and disappear. The power
  used is a Power Transform (as described in Chapter
  One): take the points rolled on the Transform dice,
  subtract the target’s Power Defense, multiply by 5, and
  compare the result to the Active Points of the spell to
  be stripped away. If the result is twice the spell’s Active
  Points, the target can no longer use that spell.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  60
  4d6 major Transform vs. Power,
  Remove Any 1 Magic Power (+¼),
  -½ Var Lim [75]
  7
  Word Of Unmaking
  This is an attack of ultimate power. It calls upon the
  Solipsist, the Avatar of Unbeing, to de- create the tar-
  get. Not only will the target be destroyed, it will never
  have existed! (The “retroactive” aspects are gradual and
  unreliable, though: it takes several days for all the
  memories and records of an unmade thing to disap-
  pear, and a few strong-willed people might remember
  its existence. The caster always remembers things un-
  made.) The spell comes in two versions, one for small
  targets and one to unmake everything in an area.
  Few sorcerers have the power to cast the Word, and
  few of them are so corrupt as to use it. Most sorcerers
  regard the Word of Unmaking as a crime against real-
  ity. Even many villainous mages will seek to destroy
  the Word’s user—as a matter of self preservation, if
  nothing else. Mages who follow the sinister creed of
  the Black School, however, regard the Word of Unmak-
  ing as the sacred pinnacle of magic: they claim that by
  annihilating things, they free them from the bounds
  of Time and Space to become one with the Absolute.
  The Word of Unmaking poses further dangers, too.
  Its use requires great precision. Any disruption of the
  spell’s casting will turn its effects against the caster. It
  is not impossible that the caster could be caught within
  the area version and be unable to escape.
  What’s more, unmaking things can have far-reach-
  ing consequences. Reality will try to accommodate, but
  the greater the causal ties a target has to the rest of the
  world, the more serious the wrenching will be. Un-
  making an ordinary person or a patch of desert prob-
  ably won’t affect the rest of the world much. Unmak-
  ing a world leader or the Empire State Building would
  severely twist reality: many people would remember
  the change, and all sorts of weird disruptions of time
  and matter would occur.
  Once the Word is started, it keeps running until its
  target has been annihilated. It is too powerful to dis-
  pel. The only spell that would stand a chance of stop-
  ping the Word of Unmaking would be the Loom of
  Space with an appeal to Adam Kadmon, the One Who
  Is All.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  Multipower (95 pt pool), -½ Var
  Lim, 1 Phase Extra Time (-½), Side
  Effect: Caster Annihilated if Spell
  Disrupted (-1)
  6u
  1 ½d6 Transform, NND: Hardened
  Power Defense (+1), Cumulative,
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END
  to maintain, Hard to Dispel x1 (+¼),
   x3 END (-1) [109]
  33
  2u
  1d6 Transform, NND: Hardened
  Power Defense (+1), Cumulative,
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END to
  maintain, Hard to Dispel x1 (+¼),
   6"x16 Radius AE (+2), x3 END [94]
  27
  
  118
  Ritual Magic: Hermetic
  Theurgy
   I invoke, conjure and command thee, O Spirit N.,
  to appear and show thyself visibly before this circle,
  in fair and comely shape, without deformity or
  guile, by the Name of ON; by the name Y and V,
  which Adam heard and spake; by the name of
  JOTH, which Jacob learned from the Angel on the
  night of his wrestling and was delivered from the
  hands of his brother Esau; by the Name of God
  AGLA, which Lot heard and was saved with his
  family; by the Name ANEHEXETON, which
  Aaron spake and was made wise; by the Name
  SCHEMES AMATHIA, which Joshua invoked and
  the Sun stayed upon his course…
  —Lemegeton (Lesser Key of Solomon)
  Hermetic Theurgy is the dominant European form
  of Ritual Magic, built up over the course of 2000 years.
  Occultists have never agreed on a name for the Euro-
  pean tradition of ritual magic. Many just call it
  “Magick,” with the “k” to distinguish it from stage il-
  lusions. (The most pretentious occultists even tack on
  a silent “e” at the end.) The name given in this work,
  “Hermetic Theurgy,” comes from the history of West-
  ern magic.
  The Neoplatonists were the first Europeans to pro-
  pose a complete theory of how magic worked. They
  used Theurgy (“God-Working”) to obtain visions of
  the gods and draw divine power down to Earth. At
  about the same time, Jewish mystics created Kabbalism,
  which likewise offered visions of God and control of
  spirits. Christianity suppressed Theurgy, but in the
  Renaissance, Europe discovered the ancient world’s
  magic as well as its art, law and science. Theurgic and
  Gnostic texts such as the Picatrix and The Emerald
  Tablet were called the “Corpus Hermeticum” because
  supposedly they had been written by Hermes
  Trismegistos (“Thrice-Great Hermes”), either the ac-
  tual god or a mighty Egyptian wizard of the same
  name. The Renaissance occultists called themselves
  “Hermetic Philosophers”—calling oneself a philoso-
  pher was a lot safer than calling oneself a wizard!
  The Hermetic and Kabbalistic occultists strongly
  influenced the writers of grimoires such as the Key of
  Solomon, but Kabbalism itself remained little known
  until the 19th century. 19th and 20th century occult-
  ists such as Eliphas Levi and Aleister Crowley later
  added Kabbalism and older Theurgic ideas such as the
  Astral Plane and pagan gods to the magic of the
  grimoires, to make modern Western Mainstream Oc-
  cultism: hence, Hermetic Theurgy.
  Hermetic Theurgy can be used as a pattern for other
  styles of Ritual Magic, such as Taoist magic or Tibetan
  Tantric magic. The particular Foci will differ, as will
  the relative emphasis on Gestures, Incantations and
  other elements, but that’s just window dressing. The
  technical differences between styles of Ritual Magic do
  not matter much in game terms.
  Magic Theory
  Some people assert that the feelings and concep-
  tions of our souls can by the force of the imagina-
  tion be rendered volatile and corporeal, so that, in
  accordance with their quality, they can be carried
  up to certain planets and, affected and strength-
  ened by the power of the planet, they will come
  down again to us and will obey us in whatever we
  want.
  —Fabio Paolini, Hebdomades
  Modern Western magic takes its theoretical base
  from astrology, kabbalism and the Theurgic notion of
  an astral plane where spirits dwell. Renaissance astrolo-
  gers decided that rather than predicting absolute des-
  tinies, the planets radiated a mysterious influence
  which predisposed events on Earth to happen in vari-
  ous ways. For instance, a committee of savants blamed
  the coming of the Black Death on an especially baleful
  conjunction. Kabbalism gave each planet a ruling an-
  gel or demon who might be invoked to increase that
  planet’s effect on a magical operation. Kabbalism’s hi-
  erarchies of angels, heavens and “emanations” from
  God gave an acceptable, Judeo-Christian way to inter-
  pret the spiritual dimensions where Theurgy said the
  gods dwelled. The old Theurgists identified these lev-
  els of the Astral Plane with the crystal spheres around
  the Earth which held the stars and planets—neatly re-
  turning to astrology.
  Self-proclaimed modern mages have very reluctantly
  admitted that the Sun and planets do not orbit the
  Earth in crystal spheres, and so their power is seldom
  invoked directly. Instead, occultists invoke the
  “sephiroth” (divine emanations) of kabbalism. The
  sephiroth, however, have been matched with the vari-
  ous planets, and so have acquired their associated gems,
  metals, perfumes and other correspondences: thus the
  astrological core remains. Tarot cards, pagan gods,
  kabbalistic angels and other mystic ideas further ex-
  tend this mammoth, tangled web of symbolism. The
  kabbalistic “Tree of Life” (a diagram of the sephiroth)
  serves as a filing system.
  Through intensive concentration on these symbols,
  the magician creates a “thought-form” on the Astral
  Plane. Whether the symbols of astrology, kabbalism
  and pagan gods refer to external powers or aspects of
  the unconscious mind is deemed irrelevant. What
  matters is that these symbols are channels of energy
  which can charge a thought-form with enough power
  to affect the physical world. Raising enough power,
  however, requires lengthy rituals.
  
  119
  Once a magician has built a spell out of thought-
  forms, they can fire off the spell right away or store it
  for later use. In Hermetic Theurgy the most popular
  method is to bind the spell to a talisman. Once conse-
  crated this way, the talisman can be used again and
  again. Another option is to personify the spell as a spirit
  which serves the magician or which confers a magic
  power the magician can then use at will. Again, whether
  the magician has summoned a real spirit or just imag-
  ined one doesn’t matter: the power acts as if it were a
  spirit. In these ways, Hermetic Theurgists use long cer-
  emonies to gain magical powers they can use later at a
  moment’s notice.
  Powers And Modifiers
  While the description of how Ritual Magicians
  “store” their magic might seem to imply that they buy
  all their spells with Delayed Effect, it’s not so. The ritual
  to gain the spell—to consecrate the talisman, bind the
  spirit, or whatever—is just a plot device to add “color”
  to the character’s powers. Once the magic wand or tal-
  isman has been made, it can be used indefinitely; it’s
  just a Power on a Focus. Once the spirit has been sum-
  moned and it has granted a gift of power, it doesn’t
  have to be summoned over and over again.
  Actually, the Theurgist’s use of “stored” magic im-
  poses Limitations, not Advantages. Many traditions
  insist that a magician needs special Foci to cast spells.
  Incantations are common to invoke the spirits. Ges-
  tures are pretty traditional too: waving the magic wand
  or the ritual “god-form” postures used to invoke pa-
  gan gods. Charges can represent a magical Focus that
  only carries a certain amount of energy, or a power
  one is forbidden to use more than a certain number of
  times per day. Perhaps a ritual only gives one a magi-
  cal power for a limited time, and the ceremony must
  be performed every day.
  Non-combat spells such as summonings, divinations
  and exorcisms can have their cost reduced by insisting
  on a full ritual each time the spell is cast. In this case,
  not only are Gestures, Incantations and Foci practi-
  cally obligatory, the spell also takes Extra Time and
  perhaps Concentration or Increased END Cost. Some
  powerful spells might even take the Limitation that
  they can only be cast at a special time or place. Such
  “ritual conditions” can be as simple as “Only at Night”
  or “Only in a Church” (suggested value: -½) to “Only
  on a Mountaintop, At Midnight, with the Full Moon
  in Pisces” (at least -3).
  Just like Thaumaturges, the best of all Limitations
  for Hermetic Theurgists to take is Variable Limitations.
  This way they can have a “preferred method” for cast-
  ing their spells, which lets them act as effectively in
  combat as any other hero or villain. Theurgists, how-
  ever, must take a bigger Limitation.
  Remember that Variable Limitation shouldn’t be a
  carte blanche to take any old Limitation at will: the
  player and GM should define a “standard” set of Limi-
  tations and a list of acceptable substitutions ahead of
  time. (See “Variable Limitation” in Chapter Two for
  further discussion.)
  Disadvantages Of Hermetic Theurgy
  If the character can only use Hermetic Theurgy and
  can never learn spells or use magic items of other magi-
  cal styles, they get a 10 point Magic Restriction: a broad
  style, imposing minor restrictions (large Variable Limi-
  tations; spells weaken outside the Quaternion). Since
  Hermetic Theurgy is itself a fairly broad style with
  many borrowings from other styles, no Hermetic
  Theurgist has to take any Magic Limitation if they don’t
  want to.
  Specialized substyles (such as only Tarot magic or
  only planetary magic) may impose another 5 points
  in Magic Restriction to reflect their narrowness.
  Hermetic Theurgists should also take a Physical
  Limitation as a Vow: they must keep up a schedule of
  rituals and consecrations to maintain their power.
  Since this rarely interferes with adventuring, this is only
  worth a small Disadvantage. This is worth 5 points if
  they lose power slowly from not keeping up their
  schedule of rituals (such as losing 2d6 Active Points
  from each spell per day, or suffering a progressively
  worse Activation Roll). If the loss is more severe, the
  Vow may be worth 10 points, or even 15 points if the
  character loses their magic completely an Infrequent
  event, but Totally limiting.
  Style Notes
  For the evocation of the genii who served the Old
  Man of the Pyramid it suffices to say:
  THOMASOS, BENESSER, FLIANTER. You are
  then liable to be encompassed by thirty-three
  several intelligences. To obtain their consideration
  say: LITAN, IZER, OSNAS, and they will bow
  down before you, individually remarking:
  NANTHER.
  —The Black Pullet
  The literature of the Western occult tradition gives
  a wealth of information for GMs and players who want
  to add color to Hermetic Theurgist characters. Admit-
  tedly, one must sift through a lot of garbage to find the
  good stuff, but a little cribbing from the grimoires can
  add verisimilitude.
  The Special Effects of Hermetic Theurgy spells
  should reflect their occult background. For many spells,
  the Special Effect is actually that of a spirit appearing
  to perform some action. Another possible effect is
  glowing symbols appearing in the air: Hebrew letters
  for kabbalistic and angelic spells, astrological symbols
  for planetary magic, flaming sigils of demon lords for
  demonic magic, and so on.
  
  120
  Talismans
  Broadly speaking, a “Talisman” is a small object
  which confers some magical power on its bearer. If the
  talisman’s power is passive, protective and continuous,
  the talisman is an “Amulet.” Amulets and talismans can
  be as simple as a four-leaf clover, or as elaborate as an
  engraved and jeweled pendant.
  Amulets and talismans were originally believed to
  get their powers from their materials, their shape and
  the words, pictures and symbols drawn upon them. In
  the 19th century, occultists such as Eliphas Levi and
  the Golden Dawn decided that a talisman actually got
  its power from the labor of its creation: in shaping the
  talisman and consecrating it in a ritual, magicians im-
  pressed their own psychic force on the talisman and
  directed it to some particular goal. The materials, form
  and symbols were just devices to set the magician in
  the right frame of mind. A talisman made of cardboard
  would work as well as one made of gold and gems.
  Consecrating a talisman is one of the chief spell cast-
  ing methods of modern magic. Modern talismans are
  usually just simple hand-held disks, squares or other
  shapes, bearing magic sigils and sacred names. Some
  magicians include Bible verses written in Hebrew.
  Other traditional forms for talismans include rings,
  brooches and pendants. All the details of the conse-
  cration ritual—the colors of the talisman, the time of
  the ritual, the incense burned and more—are chosen
  according to complicated systems of astrological and
  kabbalistic correspondences.
  Most talismans can be assumed to be Universal Foci:
  any sorcerer (at least, any Hermetic) can use any talis-
  man if they make a Spell Research roll, although talis-
  mans quickly burn out when used by anyone but their
  creator. Its maker can keep a talisman working indefi-
  nitely by repeating its consecration every few months.
  Some sorcerers, however, might make talismans which
  no one else can use.
  True Summoning
  The acme of Hermetic Theurgy is to summon a spirit
  into visible, solid manifestation. Angels and demons
  are the most powerful spirits available to a Hermetic
  Theurgist, but also the most dangerous to summon.
  They require especially intricate rituals. Just making
  the tools for such rituals can take months. Even the
  tools for making the tools must be handmade and con-
  secrated! Thus a ritual magician must make their own
  sword, knife, sickle, wand, staff, bell, trident, trumpet,
  pen, ink, cloth, paper and book. Without such elabo-
  rate preparations, however, a summoned demon could
  escape the pentacle and destroy the magician.
  Elementals and other spirits aren’t quite so dangerous
  to summon, and so require less preparation, but no
  summoning is ever completely safe.
  In game terms, then, a Hermetic Theurgist will usu-
  ally buy the Summoning power with massive Limita-
  tions: Bulky Foci (to represent the numerous tools in-
  volved), lots of Extra Time, Concentration, Incanta-
  tions, the Side Effect of an outraged and unbound spirit
  if the ritual is interrupted, and perhaps even an Acti-
  vation Roll to reflect that it’s so easy to make a mistake
  in such a complicated project.
  If a Hermetic Theurgist wants a spirit they can sum-
  mon at will to fight or serve, standard practice is to
  summon the spirit in a full ceremony, bind it to serve
  and then key it to a talisman. By invoking the talis-
  man, the sorcerer can make the spirit instantly appear
  to fulfill its obligation. In game terms this is a Sum-
  moning power bought through a Focus, probably with
  Charges and Incantations.
  Names And Words Of Power
  Most styles of Ritual Magic include “Words of
  Power,” secret words which rouse the spirits to action,
  and Hermetic Theurgy is no exception. The best Words
  of Power are the secret names of the gods and spirits
  themselves. Hebrew kabbalists carried this idea to its
  ultimate conclusion. According to some kabbalists,
  every object, force and process in the Universe is un-
  der the control of its own special angel. If one knows
  the name of an angel, one can control it—and thereby
  control whatever the angel controls.
  If one could not find the name of the requisite an-
  gel, one could still employ the ineffable Names of God.
  Much of kabbalism was actually devoted to searching
  for divine Names hidden in the Pentateuch. So power-
  ful was the name YHVH that even the term used to
  describe it—Tetragrammaton, literally “Four Letter
  Word”—became a Word of Power.
  Names and Words of Power, then, make a great way
  for a Hermetic Theurgist to cast spells. A spell can be
  keyed to a word, such as the name of an angel. The
  spell goes off when the caster incants the name. The
  spell itself might be personified as a spirit with a name,
  and so by calling the name of the spell spirit one calls
  it forth to act.
  In game terms, this is simply a power with the In-
  cantations Limitation. Other Limitations are optional.
  The sorcerer will still have to expend END, of course,
  unless the spell was bought with Charges or 0 END.
  Nor does the spell necessarily have the Trigger or De-
  layed Effect Advantages, although this is a great ex-
  cuse for such spells. Usually, activating the latent spell
  with a Word of Power is just a special effect.
  Traditional Foci
  Hermetic Theurgists use many special tools in their
  rituals, and any of these might be further consecrated
  to carry magic powers, in the manner of talismans.
  Each of these tools must be separately consecrated by
  passing it through the smoke from special incense or
  sprinkling it with consecrated water. Most of them have
  various mystic sigils drawn on them as well. All in all
  they are a fair handful. A wizard who uses diverse Foci
  for spells can still take a single Focus Limitation: the
  Focus is the satchel in which they carry all their tools.
  
  121
  These are the major implements:
  ASPERGILLUS: A device for sprinkling holy water or
  other liquid. Normally it’s used to consecrate other
  tools. Sometimes it is a bundle of dried herbs.
  ALTHAME: A ceremonial dagger. Athames are used
  for breaking magical connections, banishing hos-
  tile forces and other aggressive magical acts.
  BACULUM: A magic wand that’s been to college. See
  WAND.
  CENSER: A bowl with some charcoal and incense
  burning in it. Hermetic rituals need special incenses
  depending on their purpose. Not only does the in-
  cense help set a mood, spirits can form temporary
  bodies out of the smoke.
  CHALICE: A consecrated cup, also called a GRAIL.
  Used, naturally enough, for containing and receiv-
  ing—often literally, as a container for sacred oil or
  filled with water for scrying.
  CROWN or HAT: A symbol of authority. In the Key of
  Solomon the Crown is just a paper circlet bearing
  the inevitable symbols. The mask of a costume
  could be consecrated as a Crown (hint, hint).
  PENTACLE (1): Another name for a talisman.
  PENTACLE (2): Also called a MAGIC CIRCLE, al-
  though not all of them are circular. The classic five
  point star (the Pentagram) is just the best known
  example; pentacles in grimoires are usually much
  more elaborate, and may include candles, braziers,
  bundles of herbs or such exotically noxious sub-
  stances as the skull of a parricide and a bat drowned
  in blood.
  Magic circles serve two functions. First, they con-
  centrate and direct the energies of the ritual. Second,
  they protect the wizard from hostile entities, either by
  keeping them outside the pentacle or by keeping them
  inside a designated part of the diagram.
  RING: For summoning some spirits, the magician
  needs special protection in the form of a magic ring.
  Rings make an excellent form for talismans, too (In-
  accessible Foci).
  ROBE/COSTUME: Hermetic magic demands special
  dress for its rituals. The traditional mage’s costume
  was based on an old-time scholar’s gown, but mod-
  ern mages can be more up to date with their sym-
  bolic garb (“Obey, spirit! By the Power Tie of
  Solomon, I command it!”).
  SWORD: Like an athame, only more so, a sword is used
  to threaten reluctant spirits, or attack hostile ones.
  It doesn’t have to touch its target: the weapon sym-
  bolism is enough. The grimoires unanimously say
  that ceremonial swords must be made of unalloyed
  metal.
  WAND: Wands are symbols of authority, like the
  bishop’s crozier or the monarch’s scepter. They are
  used to summon and direct magic forces. A Her-
  metic wizard will probably have several wands, of
  different designs for different purposes.
  Sample Hermetic Theurgy Spells
  In most of the sample spells, it is assumed that char-
  acters use at least a -1 Variable Limitation. Some spells
  have fixed Limitations as examples of more restrictive
  substyles; for instance, spells based on talismans or
  Tarot cards. Any of them can be rewritten to have dif-
  ferent Limitations if one so desires.
  Attack Spells
  Angelic Attack Spells
  According to Kabbalism, everything in the Universe,
  from each speck of dust to stars and planets themselves,
  is under the control of an angel. By properly invoking
  an angel, one can influence whatever is under that
  angel’s control. More precisely, one can invoke one’s
  personal Holy Guardian Angel and make it convey
  one’s commands to the angel controlling the phenom-
  enon.
  The old rabbis recorded the names and powers of
  dozens of angels, far too many to describe in detail.
  Instead, several of the more important “elemental an-
  gels” will be listed, with the phenomenon they con-
  trol. Creating specific powers is left, as they say, as an
  exercise for the reader. Such powers would carry the
  Incantation Limitation, but everything else is nego-
  tiable.
  BARADIEL: hail
  BARAKIEL: lightning
  DUMIEL: silence
  GABRIEL: fire
  KOCHBIEL: darkness
  MATHARIEL: rain
  RA’AMIEL: thunder
  RA’ASHIEL: earthquake
  RACHAB: the sea
  RUACHIEL: wind
  SAWAEL: whirlwind
  SHAMSHIEL: daylight
  SHALGIEL: snow
  Atavistic Attacks
  The Ritual Magician’s control of spirits may include
  the deliberate creation and control of atavisms. In the
  Western tradition, use of atavisms has always been re-
  garded as black magic, and so has been little docu-
  mented.
  The French novelist J. K. Huysmans, however, found
  himself in the middle of a long-distance battle between
  atavism-employing sorcerers: the famous “Battle of
  Bewitchment” between Abbe’ Boullan (leader of the
  Vintrasian cult) and the Marquis Stanislas de Guaita.
  Huysmans described the symptoms of atavistic attack
  as extreme anxiety, bruises, smears of slime, the smell
  of rotting meat, “poltergeist” activity, spontaneous
  small fires and the sound of the strange “astral Bell,”
  ranging from a clear bell like tone to a faint click. The
  
  122
  atavism itself is invisible except to the victim and any
  nearby “clairvoyant” persons (i.e. anyone with Men-
  tal/Astral Awareness).
  While the various forms of atavistic attack can be
  used close up, it is really most useful cast at a distance
  and targeted through Mind Scanning, as was done in
  the “Battle of Bewitchment.”
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -1 Var
  Lim (-½)
  4u
  6d6 Ego Attack [60]
  6
  4u
  3d6 Ego Attack, Continuous [60]
  6
  4u
  1d6 RKA, BODY BOECV (+2),
  Invisible to Sight (+½), +1 STUN
  Mult (+½) [60]
  6
  Egyptian Soul Magic
  The Greek Theurgists drew heavily on the ancient
  magic of Egypt. The Egyptian priest-magicians had
  made profound study of the human soul, and from
  this derived many potent spells. The catch was that
  Egyptian magic took a long time to cast, requiring long
  prayers, consecrated images and other impedimenta.
  In the last 2 centuries, the rediscovery of ancient Egyp-
  tian culture by archeologists has led to a revival of in-
  terest in ancient Egyptian magic as well. Modern Her-
  metic Theurgists have refined the Egyptian spells into
  subtle and powerful magical attacks.
  The Egyptians believed that human beings had more
  than just a body and soul: there was the ka, or spirit
  double; the ba, the breath or life force; the ib or heart,
  the conscience which would be judged by Osiris; the
  sekhem, which was both will and magical power; and
  several others. Many spells operated by restraining or
  loosing various of these aspects of the spirit, in an op-
  ponent or in oneself.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Asphyxiate/Bind Ba: 4d6 EB, Based
  on ECV (+1), Continuous [60]
  6
  4u
  Force Truth/Invoke Ib: 12d6
  Telepathy [60]
  6
  4u
  Quell Sekhem: 3d6 Suppress, vs.
  EGO, PRE & All Spells (+2),
  Uncontrolled for 1 minute, 0 END to
  maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Project Possessing Ka: 18 STR TK,
  Based on ECV (+1), ½ END [61]
  3
  Julianic Soul Disjunction
  Classical Theurgy was founded by Julianus the
  Chaldean, author of the Chaldean Oracles, and his son
  Julianus the Theurgist. The older Julianus could make
  the souls of other people leave and re-enter their bod-
  ies. The younger Julianus turned this into a rather pe-
  culiar attack spell, by making the target’s soul move
  partly out of their body, and stick there. For instance,
  the body still stands vertically, but the soul (which con-
  tains the victim’s point of view and sense of where their
  body ought to be) is spun about horizontally. This
  greatly inhibits the soul’s ability to control the body.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  6d6 DEX Suppress, Uncontrolled
  (1 minute), 0 END to maintain, -1 Var
  Lim [60]
  6
  Physical Phantasms Of Simon Magus
  Simon Magus, the con-man wizard whose preten-
  sions of godhood were fatally punctured by the
  Apostles, was nevertheless one of the ancient world’s
  greatest masters of illusion. In fact, he was so skillful
  he could make his illusions real. Simon’s discoveries
  have survived to the present day as masterpieces of the
  illusionist’s art.
  Simon’s phantasms include four spells useful for
  combat:
  His Malison of Madness causes perpetual halluci-
  nations; these are only “cosmetic” changes to the envi-
  ronment, but they are patterned by the victim’s own
  fears and can make effective action difficult. If used
  from surprise, even strong-willed people can be af-
  fected. It can be broken through Mind Control, Men-
  tal Illusions or Telepathy at EGO+20 effect, as well as
  Dispels.
  The Apparitional Attack creates an illusionary at-
  tack with real effects. It could be a bolt of flame, a pack
  of vicious, biting dogs, or virtually anything else.
  The Forceful Phantasm materializes “spirits”—tra-
  ditionally angels or demons—which do what the caster
  wills.
  Finally, the Etherealization spell makes real things
  imaginary. As its BODY drops, the target turns wavery
  and transparent, until it vanishes completely. Instead
  of Power Defense, Mental Defense blocks this attack,
  since a strong-willed person can force themself to stay
  real. (See “AVLD” in the chapter on Powers for more
  discussion of this.)
  Other, non-combat versions of Simon’s Physical
  Phantasms are found in the Miscellaneous Spells sec-
  tion.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Etherealization: 2 ½d6 BODY Drain,
  Ranged, Continuous, Blocked by
   Mental Defense, not Power Defense
  (+0) [62]
  6
  4u
  Apparitional Attack: 2 ½d6 RKA,
  Variable Special Effect (+½) [60]
  6
  4u
  Malison of Madness: 6d6 minor
  Transform vs. EGO [60]
  6
  4u
  Forceful Phantasm: 26 STR Telekinesis
  w/Fine Manipulation, ½ END [61]
  3
  Talisman Of Havoc
  This is one of a set of talismans described in The
  Black Pullet. According to that grimoire, this talisman
  will cause all manner of destruction, including earth-
  quakes, storms and hail, but can also be used to pro-
  tect one’s friends. The talisman is made of poppy-red
  satin embroidered with silver; the magician must also
  wear a ring engraved with certain characters, and say a
  different magic word to activate each function of the
  talisman.
  
  123
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  28
  Multipower (62 pt pool), OAF
  Talisman, Incantations
  3u
  Hail: 5d6 EB, Indirect (+½), 4"
  Radius AE (+1) [62]
  6
  2u
  Earthquake: 4d6 EB, x2 Knockback
  (+3/4), 8" Radius AE (+1 ¼), Only vs.
  things touching ground (-1) [60]
  6
  2u
  Storm Winds: 13 STR TK,
  Continuous, 4" Radius AE (+1), ½
  END, No Punch/Squeeze (-¼) [62]
  3
  2u
  Destruction: 4d6 RKA, Only vs. Rigid
  Structures (-1) [60]
  6
  2u
  Protection: 12 PD, 12 ED Armor,
  Use by Self or 1 Other (+¼),
  Uncontrolled, 4 Charges of 5
  Minutes (-0) Cost END [63]
  6
  Tarot-Based Spells
  The Tarot cards have gone far beyond mere fortune
  telling to become a central part of general occult sym-
  bolism. Modern theurgists have found that Tarot cards
  make excellent talismans. The 22 “Major Arcana” are
  best since they have the most vivid symbolism, but in
  some decks (notably the “Thoth” deck designed by
  Aleister Crowley) all the cards have distinctive illus-
  trations. The spells below are merely examples. Not all
  of the spells are attacks, but enough are that the whole
  set might as well be filed in this section.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  31
  Multipower (62 pt pool), OAF Tarot
  cards
  3u
  The Fool: 6d6 INT Suppress,
  Uncontrolled for 1 minute, 0 END to
  maintain [60]
  6
  1u
  The Magician: 5d6 Aid, to Any 1
  Spell (+¼) [31]
  3
  3u
  The Emperor: 12d6 Mind Control [60]
  6
  3u
  The Chariot: 12" Flight, Use vs.
  Other (+1), Ranged (+½) [60]
  6
  8u
  The Chariot: 13" Flight, Use with 3
  Others (+3/4), ½ END, x8 Non-combat
  [72]
  1/10"
  1u
  The Hermit: Invisibility vs. Detect
  Magic & All Vision [30]
  3
  3u
  The Wheel of Fortune: Missile
  Reflection +6 vs. All Ranged, +2
  Return OCV [62]
  3u
  Strength: 5d6 Suppress, vs. Any 1 S
  pell (+¼), Personal Immunity,
  Uncontrolled for 1 minute, 0 END to
  maintain [62]
  6
  3u
  Death: 4d6 BODY Drain, Ranged [60]
  6
  3u
  Temperance: Force Field (10 PD,
  10 ED, 10 MD, 10 PowD), Uncontrolled
  for 1 minute, 0 END to maintain [60]
  6
  3u
  The Tower Struck By Lightning: 4d6
  RKA [60]
  6
  3u
  The Moon: Images vs. Hearing &
  All Vision, 7 PER, 2" Radius (+¼),
  ½ END [61]
  3
  3u
  The Sun: 3d6 Flash vs. Vision, 3"
  Radius AE (+1) [60]
  6
  3u
  The Last Judgement: 12d6 Telepathy [
  60]
  6
  Tetahatia’s Blinding Darkness
  The grimoire called Armadel describes a series of
  potent spirits which can confer all manner of powers
  and secret knowledge on their summoner. The angel
  Tetahatia lets the magician create a field of utter dark-
  ness. The magician may cast this spell using a talis-
  man bearing Tetahatia’s sigil, or by other means such
  as calling on Tetahatia while gesturing and intensively
  visualizing the angel’s sigil. A copy of the sigil appears
  in the air and waves of darkness roll out from it.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  5" radius Darkness vs. normal vision,
   ½ END, -1 Var Lim [62]
  3
  Thavael’s Plant Mastery
  Another spirit from the Armadel promises to confer
  all the secret lore of plants. Successfully evoking the
  spirit Thavael would be a great excuse for a character
  to buy Knowledge Skills such as Herbal Medicine or
  Occult Herbalism. The Armadel doesn’t mention that
  Thavael can also confer some flashier powers relating
  to plants. These spells let the wizard animate and con-
  trol local plant life for various forms of attack.
  These spells are most easily used in locations where
  plant life is plentiful. “Need Plentiful Plant Life” as a
  Limitation can fill -½ worth of the Variable Limita-
  tion because there are many circumstances in which
  vegetation _won’t_ be plentiful: flying, on a boat, on
  most city streets, and so on. If there is no plant life
  nearby for the wizard to animate, the spells are more
  difficult to cast (because the wizard must scrape to-
  gether other Limitations); the necessary vegetation
  sprouts from a glowing copy of the sigil.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
   41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var
  Lim
  4u
  Clutching Vegetation: 4d6 Entangle,
  Indirect (+½) [60]
  6
  4u
  Choking Vegetation: 3d6 EB,
  NND: LS: Breathing or Rigid Neck
  Protection (+1), Uncontrolled for
  1 turn, Continuous, 0 END to
  Maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Animate Plants: 23 STR TK,
  Indirect (+½), ½ END [59]
  3
  2u
  Cracking Roots: 4d6 RKA, Only vs.
  Rigid Masses (-1) [60]
  6
  Zyto’s Annoying Alterations
  The trickster-wizard Zyto of Bohemia was best
  known for his mastery of illusion but, like Simon
  Magus, some of his illusions were powerful enough
  they became real. One of Zyto’s most notorious spells
  was one to cause minor physical changes to his vic-
  tims. The tale is told how Zyto got revenge on nobles
  who had insulted him at court by standing out in the
  castle courtyard and shouting “Fire, fire!” When the
  offending nobles stuck their heads out the window to
  see what was going on, Zyto conjured stag’s horns on
  them, so they couldn’t pull their heads back in. The
  transformations caused by this spell do not, in and of
  themselves, harm the victim in any way—but as the
  
  124
  story shows, they can still be quite effective in the right
  circumstances.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  10d6 cosmetic Transform, Any non-
  impairing minor change to victim’s
  body (+¼), -1 Var Lim (-½) [62]
  6
  Planet-Based Spells
  Each of the planets bears certain traditional asso-
  ciations in Western occultism, which suggest the pow-
  ers that can be gained by invoking each planet. As usual,
  the planetary energies can be stored in talismans or
  invoked by other means. These sample spells are drawn
  from the general character of each planet rather than
  any specific claim from a grimoire.
  Not every sorcerer who employs planetary magic will
  know spells for every planet, or every spell listed for
  any particular planet. The spells are just typical ex-
  amples, showing the sort of effects a sorcerer could get
  from each planet.
  The various magical associations of each planet were
  first definitively set forth by the Late Renaissance Ger-
  man occultist, Henry Cornelius Agrippa von
  Nettesheim, and no later occultist has substantially
  disagreed with him. Since Agrippa, however, three
  more planets have been discovered. The discovery of
  Uranus, the first planet beyond Saturn, threw astrol-
  ogy into a spin from which it has yet to recover. Asso-
  ciations for the outer planets are still shaky, and few
  sorcerers try using them. In the real world, astrologers
  haven’t even suggested metals or colors for the new
  planets. Magicians haven’t agreed on Sephirothic at-
  tributions for the outer planets, either.
  The most popular theory is that new planets take
  their mystical character from the dominant trends on
  Earth at the time of their discovery. (Well, from the
  dominant trends in the Western world at the time of
  their discovery. Apparently, Asia and Africa don’t count
  in Western astrology. Asian astrologers return the fa-
  vor by steadfastly ignoring the new planets.) Each of
  the three outer planets seems like a more intense ver-
  sion of one of the inner planets; the inner planet is
  raised to a “higher octave,” in the words of one astrolo-
  ger.
  Sun Magic
  The Sun is associated with light, will and the life
  force; it is considered a beneficial “planet.” Its element
  is Fire, its metal gold (no surprise) and its color yel-
  low. The Sun is associated with Tiphereth on the
  Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
  By invoking the Sun, magicians can not only create
  brightly luminous magical attacks, they can heal, ren-
  der people somewhat resistant to magic, enhance the
  magic of their friends and banish spells which call on
  Dark Forces such as demons.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Sun Bolt I: 8d6 EB, AP [60]
  6
  4u
  Sun Bolt II: 8d6 EB, Affects
  Desolid (+½) [60]
  6
  4u
  Sun Bolt III: 5d6 EB, AVLD: Flash
  Defense vs. Vision (+1 ½) [62]
  6
  4u
  Flare: 3d6 Flash vs. Vision, 3" Radius
  AE (+1) [60]
  6
  4u
  Banish Dark Forces: 16d6 Dispel, vs.
  Any Darkness or Demonic Magic
  (+¼) [60]
  6
  4u
  Enhance Magic: 7d6 Aid, vs. Any 1
  Spell (+¼), Ranged [61]
  6
  2u
  Solar Ward: Force Field (12 PD,
  12 ED, 6 MD, 6 PowD), Use by 1
  Other (+¼), Uncontrolled, ½ END,
  Only vs. Magic (-1) [60]
  3
  2u
  Illumination: Change Environment:
  Sunlight, 4" radius, Uncontrolled 0
  END to maintain [30]
  3
  1u
  Healing: 5d6 Aid, vs. Any Characteristic
  (+¼), Restore Only (-½) [31]
  3
  Moon Magic
  In Western astrology, the Moon is associated with
  change and things which change: emotions, mirages,
  illusions and magic itself. It is a feminine planet, often
  considered quite sinister, or at least ambiguous. Its el-
  ement is Water, its metal is silver and its color is white.
  On the Tree of Life, its place is in Yesod.
  The Moon’s fluid power is chiefly invoked in spells
  of illusion and transformation. Lunar energies are also
  used to increase or decrease the power of other spells,
  or for secrecy.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Moon Mirage I: 12d6 Mental
  Illusions [60]
  6
  4u
  Moon Mirage II: Images vs. Normal
  Hearing, All Vision, 10 PER, ½
  END [62]
  3
  4u
  Transmutation: 2d6+1 Physical
  Transform, Any Substance, Same
  Shape (+¼), Cumulative [61]
  6
  4u
  Inflict Lunacy: 2d6+1
  Transform vs. EGO, Cause Any
  Insanity (+¼), Cumulative [61]
  6
  4u
  Alter Spell: 3d6+1 Power Transform,
  to Any Similar Power (+¼) [62]
  6
  4u
  Spell Waning: 3 ½d6 Drain, vs. Any
  1 Magic Effect (+¼), Ranged [61]
  6
  2u
  Spell Waxing: 5d6 Aid, vs. Any 1
  Magic Effect (+¼) [31]
  3
  
  125
  Mercury Magic
  The swift motion of Mercury led to associations with
  thought, travel, exploration, the element of Air and
  the metal mercury or quicksilver. Its color is gray and
  its sepher is Hod. Superficially, Mercury seems quite
  an innocent planet, but its qualities of restlessness and
  impersonal, abstract thought give it an amoral aspect.
  Mages invoke Mercury to gain information through
  mind-reading and various forms of Clairsentience.
  Mercury can also be used to build spells to move one-
  self or others quickly.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Wings of Mercury I: 15" Flight, ½
  END, x64 NCM [62]
  1/10"
  4u
  Wings of Mercury II: 13" Flight, Use
  w/Others x4 (+3/4), ½ END, x8
  NCM [62]
  1/10"
  4u
  Forcible Leap: 12" Flight, Use vs.
  Other (+1), Ranged (+½) [60]
  6
  4u
  Forcible Jump: 12" Teleport, Use vs.
  Other, Ranged [60]
  6
  4u
  Hear Thought: 8d6 Telepathy,
  Invisible vs. Mental [60]
  6
  4u
  Free Thinking: Clairsentience:
  Normal Sight, Hearing, Detect Magic,
  x16 Range (5 miles), ½ END [62]
  3
  4u
  Roving Mind: 8d6 Mind Scanning,
  +11 ECV [62]
  4
  2u
  Leap of Mercury: 15" Teleport [30]
  1/5"
  1u
  Quicken Mind: 6d6 INT Aid [30]
  3
  Venus Magic
  Brilliant Venus is associated with all things related
  to the goddess which gave it its name: love, beauty, plea-
  sure, fertility and the gentler emotions. Its metal is
  copper, its element is Earth, its color green and its
  sepher Netzach.
  Traditionally, the most aggressive application of
  Venerean energies has been the creation of love charms.
  Venus is more useful for calming opponents than over-
  whelming them. Yet Venus is not an entirely benevo-
  lent planet; it is also Lucifer the Morning Star. Venus
  can be used to manipulate and seduce.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  3u
  Emotion Control: 12d6 Mind
  Control, Only for Emotions (-½) [60]
  6
  3u
  Spread Peace: 7d6 Mind Control,
  Nonselective 4 Hexes AE (+3/4),
  Only to Stop Anger/Aggression
  (-½) [61]
  6
  3u
  Plant Suggestion: 8d6 Mind
  Control, Var Trigger (+½), Only
  Emotions (-½) [60]
  6
  2u
  Charisma: 8d6 PRE Aid, Invisible
  (+½), Self Only (-½), Only to Attract &
  Persuade (-1) [60]
  6
  3u
  Healing: 3d6 Aid, to All Chars (+2),
  Ranged, Restore Only (-½), + LS:
  Disease, Use vs. Other (+1),
  Ranged [59]
  6
  Mars Magic
  From the most ancient times, the blood-hued planet
  has been associated with war and all violent emotions.
  Astrologers call it the “Lesser Maleficent” of the plan-
  ets. Yet Mars also supplies courage, energy and force
  of will. It is more concretely associated with iron, fe-
  ver, blood, the color red and the element of Fire. Its
  place on the Kabbalistic Tree is Pachad.
  Magicians employ Mars for works of violence, hate
  and destruction. Mars-based attack spells use fire and
  iron for their special effects. Mars can also be used,
  however, for defense.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Fire Blast/Iron Javelin: 4d6 RKA [60]
  6
  4u
  Flaming Sword: 2d6+1 HKA, AP, ½
  END [61]
  3
  4u
  Warrior’s Power: 3d6 STR Aid +
  3d6 DEX Aid, Lose 1 pt/minute (+½),
  Uncontrolled [60]
  6
  3u
  Fever: 3d6 EB, NND: LS: Disease (+1),
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END to
  Maintain, 1 turn Gradual Effect/
  increment (-½) [60]
  6
  3u
  Enrage: 10d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal,
  Fixed Effect: Rage (-½) [62]
  6
  3u
  Instill Courage: 5d6 Mind Control,
  Nonverbal, 6" Radius AE (+1 ¼),
  Fixed Effect: Courage (-½) [62]
  6
  2u
  Iron Ward: Force Field (8 PD, 8 ED,
  8 MD, 8 PowD), Hardened [30]
  3
  Jupiter Magic
  The planet named for the King of the Gods carries
  associations of rulership, law and justice; also money,
  faith, morals, truth, the sky and weather. Its element is
  Air, its color blue and its metal tin. Magicians associ-
  ate Jupiter with Chesed.
  Although astrologers call Jupiter the “Greater Be-
  nevolent,” the planet can be invoked for direct attacks
  through its association with storms. Jovian energies
  are also almost as good as Mercurial for getting at the
  truth. Finally, Jovian magic gives authority and power
  over others.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Lightning Bolt: 12d6 EB [60]
  6
  4u
  Storms of Jove: 13 STR TK, ½ END,
  Personal Immunity, 24" Radius
  AE (+1 3/4) [62]
  3
  4u
  Calm Tempest: Change Environment:
  No Wind, 32" Radius, Uncontrolled
  0 END to Maintain [60]
  6
  3u
  Command Confession: 12d6 Mind
  Control, Fixed Command: Tell the
  Truth (-½) [60]
  6
  3u
  Penetrate Deception: +10 EGO; +10
  Mental Defense, Hardened; + N Ray
  Vision; + 5 Enhanced N Ray PER;
  Only to Penetrate Mental Illusion,
  Images, Shape Shift, Etc. [62]
  4u
  Reveal the Truth: 10d6 Suppress, vs.
  Any 1 Illusion or Deception Spell
  (+¼) [62]
  6
  2u
  Dignify: 4d6 PRE Aid, Lose 1 PRE/
  minute (+½) [30]
  3
  
  126
  Saturn Magic
  Slow moving Saturn has associations with time,
  slowness, weight, age and death. The ancients figured
  out that Saturn must be the outermost planet, adding
  associations with restriction and limitation. Its element
  is Earth, its metal the dull and heavy lead and its color
  black. On the Tree of Life, Binah receives Saturn.
  Saturn is the “Greater Maleficent,” the planet which
  binds and destroys. Yet Saturn has its purpose in the
  scheme of things: it forces people to face their own
  limitations and overcome them. Saturn also provides
  stability and perseverance.
  Magicians, however, usually employ Saturn’s darker
  aspects. Saturnine energies can be used to hinder, slow
  and restrain enemies, or for even deadlier effects.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Leaden Bonds: 6d6 Entangle [60]
  6
  4u
  Weight of Time: 6d6 SPD
  Suppress, Uncontrolled (1 Minute),
  0 END to Maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Weariness of Age: 6d6 END Suppress,
  Uncontrolled for 1 Minute, 0 END to
  maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Leaden Limbs: 3d6 Suppress, vs.
  DEX, SPD & All Movement Powers
  (+2), Uncontrolled for 1 Minute,
  0 END to maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Wither: 2d6 BODY Drain, Regain 1
  BODY/2 turns (+¼), Ranged,
  Continuous, ½ END [60]
  3
  2u
  Stability of Saturn: Force Field
  (10 PD, 10 ED, 10 PowD), ½ END [31]
  1
  Uranus Magic
  Uranus was discovered in 1781, when the Age of
  Reason bore the fruit of revolution and laid the foun-
  dations of modern science. Consequently Uranus gov-
  erns science, technology, electricity and revolutionary
  change. Some occultists claim Uranus as their plan-
  etary patron as well. Its element is Air. In many ways
  Uranus echoes Mercury. Aluminum would seem like
  an appropriate metal: it was discovered just a few de-
  cades before Uranus and is manufactured using elec-
  tricity.
  The few mages who invoke the outer planets em-
  ploy Uranus to control electricity, machinery and the
  spells of others. None of the yet-unassigned colors
  seem appropriate for Uranus, so it gets Transparence—
  no color at all, not even white. Alternatively, it gets or-
  ange, on the grounds that that’s the only color left.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Surprising Reversal: Missile
  Deflection +6 vs. All Magic, to
  Any Target
  3u
  Animate Machines: 25 STR TK w/
  Fine Manipulation, ½ END, Only vs.
  machines (-½) [59]
  3
  3u
  Call the Current: 2d6+1 RKA, Fully
  Indirect (+3/4), Only from Electrical
  Source/Machinery (-¼) [61]
  6
  2u
  Detect Magic, Ranged,
  Discriminatory, +12 Telescopic [31]
  Neptune Magic
  This planet was discovered in 1846, a time of confu-
  sion and uncertainty in Europe and America. Roman-
  ticism had reached its full hysteria; Communism, An-
  archism and other -isms challenged the political Es-
  tablishment; just two years later, a wave of abortive
  revolutions would sweep Europe. In many ways, Nep-
  tune is like the Moon: it is a planet of chaos and diffu-
  sion, governing mysticism, madness, dreams, gasses
  and other unbounded, indefinite things. This charac-
  ter makes Neptunian magic peculiarly difficult to de-
  fend against. Neptune’s element is Water. Magnesium
  (extracted from sea water) might be an appropriate
  metal, and cyan (blue-green) an appropriate color.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Inflict Sleep: 1 ½d6 STUN Drain,
  NND: Hardened Power Defense
  (+1), Uncontrolled (11-chance/turn
  to continue), Continuous 0 END to
  Maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Inflict Insanity: 1d6 Transform to
  Hebephrenic, Cumulative,
  Penetrating, Uncontrolled
  (1 minute) Continuous 0 END
  to Maintain [60]
  6
  4u
  Gaseous Form: Desolidification,
  not vs. Wind Powers, 0 END [60]
  0
  2u
  Dream Gate: EDM: Dreamzone, x4
  Mass [30]
  3
  Pluto Magic
  The newest and outermost planet—so far—was dis-
  covered in 1930. Scientists were penetrating the struc-
  ture of the atom. Nazism, Fascism and Soviet totali-
  tarianism were consolidating their power, setting the
  stage for the World War Two apocalypse.
  Pluto has the traits of Mars, raised to fearsome in-
  tensity. Mars rules violence and war; Pluto rules holo-
  caust and death. Mars governs willpower; Pluto gov-
  erns mass movements, the “Triumph of the Will” over
  reason and conscience. Mars is fiery, but Pluto is ther-
  monuclear, the planet of radical transformation. Pluto
  also carries associations with things which are “under-
  ground,” literally or metaphorically, such as mines and
  tunnels, espionage, secrecy and treachery.
  The perfect metals for Pluto would be plutonium
  or uranium, but platinum is pretty good too: the plati-
  num family of metals fall right below the iron family
  of metals in the periodic table of elements—a fair anal-
  ogy to iron, the metal of Mars, raised to “higher oc-
  tave.” As a suggestion, it receives purple, the dark hue
  of royalty and absolute power.
  
  127
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Transmutation: 2d6+1 Transform, to
  Any Substance (+¼), Cumulative [61]
  6
  4u
  Disintegration: 1d6 RKA, BODY
  NND: LS: Radiation or Hardened
  Power Defense (+2), Continuous [60]
  6
  4u
  Mass Appeal: 12d6 PRE Aid [60]
  6
  4u
  Darkness of the Outer Void: 3" radius
  Darkness vs. Sense Magic/All Vision,
  Personal Immunity, ½ END [60]
  3
  2u
  Open the Depths: 3", DEF 8
  Tunneling [30]
  1/5"
  Spirit Summoner’s Spell Package
  Whatever type of spirit a Hermetic Theurgist sum-
  mons, pretty much the same sort of spells will be
  needed: one to summon the desired type of spirit, one
  to bind it to service, and one to get rid of the spirit if
  binding doesn’t work.
  Conjure Spirit
  This spell summons one class of spirits—demons,
  angels, elementals, atavisms, or what have you. Tradi-
  tionally, summoning a spirit involves a lengthy ritual
  with a magic circle and all manner of paraphernalia.
  Super-mages can cut down the ritual somewhat, but
  the spell still takes at least a minute to cast, with Ges-
  tures, Incantations and Concentration. The Variable
  Limitation can be filled by Foci, more Extra Time, In-
  creased END Cost, an Activation Roll and/or a Side
  Effect. The most distinctive Focus for Summoning in
  the European grimoires is the magic wand.
  Note that by itself this spell merely summons the
  spirit. It gives no control whatsoever!
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  1 x 100 pt Summon Spirit, Var:
  Any Spirit of Class (+¼), -1 Var
  Lim, 1 minute Extra Time (-1 ½),
  Gestures, Incantations, Concentrate
  0 DCV (-½) [62]
  6
  Bind Spirit
  Once a spirit has been summoned, it must be bound
  into service. While there are several ways to force obe-
  dience from a spirit, the most straightforward is simple
  Mind Control. Even here, some subtlety is needed:
  Mind Control never lasts very long, even with the Vul-
  nerability to binding spells from their summoner
  which most spirits have. Simply ordering a spirit to do
  something may compel service for a minute or so, but
  for tasks which take longer the sorcerer must subdue
  the spirit so that it serves more or less willingly.
  Binding a spirit for a lengthy task, then, requires a
  fair bit of preparation. The spirit must be threatened,
  bribed or otherwise convinced that it really ought to
  do what the sorcerer asks, if only because it fears the
  sorcerer’s retribution. Then the Mind Control com-
  mand is not “Do this,” it becomes “Do a service for
  me”—and the spirit thinks that agreeing to do the task
  was its own idea.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  12d6 Mind Control, -1 Var Lim,
  Only vs, Spirits (-1) [60]
  6
  Exorcise Spirit
  If a spirit cannot be bound (and in the case of spir-
  its which the sorcerer did not personally summon this
  is quite likely), this spell will send it back to wherever
  it came from…if the spirit isn’t too powerful, or the
  summoning spell didn’t carry the Difficult to Dispel
  Power Advantage. In that case, the sorcerer will be in
  trouble. Spirits know when someone has tried to Dis-
  pel them, and it makes them very angry. The really
  smart masters of summoning always keep yet another
  spell ready for a fast getaway!
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  20d6 Dispel vs. Summon, -1 Var
  Lim [60]
  6
  Defensive Spells
  The published occult literature mentions very few
  spells or talismans to protect one from ordinary, physi-
  cal harm, although the grimoires are full of pentacles
  to protect one from the spirits one summons. Ordi-
  nary, persistent defenses can be handled through amu-
  lets or enchanted clothing, giving the sorcerer enough
  defenses to get by in most circumstances. These spells
  are for special circumstances.
  Air Walls
  A number of medieval wizards knew spells to create
  walls of “solid air.” Roger Bacon was even said to have
  built a bridge of solid air across the English Channel,
  dissolving it when he had passed across. Air walls are
  not quite invisible; they can be seen by light reflecting
  off them, like well polished glass. Some walls are per-
  manent, while others only endure while the sorcerer
  concentrates on them.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  2u
  6d6 Entangle, Only to Create Walls
  (-1) [60]
  6
  2u
  3d6 Entangle, 12" Linear AE (+1) [60]
  6
  4u
  Force Wall (10 PD, 10 ED),
  ½ END [62]
  3
  Talisman Of Stealth
  This is another talisman from The Black Pullet. This
  talisman and ring “gives invisibility, even to the eyes of
  genii, so that God alone shall witness the actions of
  the possessor. It is accompanied by the power of pen-
  etrating everywhere and passing through brick walls.”
  The talisman is made of yellow satin embroidered with
  black silk.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  Multipower (60 pt pool), OAF
  Talisman, Incantations
  3u
  Invisibility vs. Sense Magic & All
  Vision, 0 END [60]
  0
  3u
  Desolid, not vs. magic, 0 END [60]
  0
  
  128
  Vigilant Spirit Of Artephius
  The sorcerer Artephius, author of “The Art of Pro-
  longing Life,” proved the value of his methods by writ-
  ing his book in the 12th century at the alleged age of
  1025. The most important part of prolonging life,
  Artephius wrote, was not getting killed by one’s en-
  emies, so he designed defensive spells for all occasions.
  One of them was a spell to summon a spirit to follow
  one around and interpose itself between oneself and
  attacks. The spell is bound to a ring the sorcerer wears.
  The spirit stays invisible until it is needed.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  21
  Missile Deflection +4 vs. All
  Ranged, Damage Shield,
  Uncontrolled, Trigger: Danger
  Sense goes off (+¼), IIF Ring,
  1 chg of 1 minute (-1), 1 minute
  initial Extra Time (-3/4) [63]
  15
  Danger Sense, out of combat, +2
  to roll, IIF Ring
  Watchful Ward Of Artephius
  This spell was another important part of Artephius’
  system of magic and concentrated paranoia. The
  Watchful Ward summons a spirit which protects the
  sorcerer at all times, but is especially useful when the
  sorcerer has to sleep. If anyone attacks the sorcerer, the
  invisible spirit instantly raises a force field to block the
  attack and sounds a load alarm.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  Force Field (14 PD, 14 ED, 12 MD,
  12 PowD), Trigger: Attack on
  Caster (+¼); + Change Environment
  (alarm), 2" radius, Trigger (+¼);
  1 charge of 1 turn (-1 ¼), 1 minute
  Extra Time (-1 ½), -1 Var Lim [62]
  Miscellaneous Spells
  Convenient Kerubic Craftsman
  This spell invokes the mighty Kerubim, the angels
  of the material world, for their help in magically re-
  pairing broken objects. The Kerubim themselves do
  not appear. Instead, the broken fragments glow, move
  together and re-join.
  Unfortunately, this may be only a stopgap measure.
  While small objects can be totally and permanently
  repaired by a single phase’s application of the spell,
  large objects slowly “heal back” the Transformation
  BODY they have taken, and so slowly fall apart again.
  (In game terms, if a single application of the spell will
  repair an object, the repair is permanent: there is no
  “reversal condition.” If 2 shots are needed, the object
  has an Activation Roll to survive each month: 15- if 2
  shots were needed, 14- for 3 shots, 12- for 4 shots, etc.)
  If a repaired object gets hit with magical attacks, it
  quickly falls apart again—whether the attack did BODY
  or not.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  2d6+1 major Transform (broken
  to whole), Var: Any Object (+¼),
  Cumulative, -1 Var Lim [61]
  6
  Expel Pestilence
  The greatest old-time wizards, like Pythagoras and
  Apollonius of Tyana, saved whole cities from plague
  with their magic. With the rise of Christianity, this
  power became a feature of saints rather than sorcer-
  ers. Even the few Medieval and Renaissance mages who
  won reputations as good guys never matched the heal-
  ing feats of the ancients. Evidently this useful spell has
  been lost.
  The spell has two components. First, it grants Life
  Support vs. Disease to everyone in its Area of Effect to
  stop whatever disease they have. Then a small Aid helps
  speed their recovery.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  LS: Disease, Use vs. Other (+1),
  Ranged (+½), Indirect (+½),
  Invisible vs. Sight/Sound (+3/4),
  1"x512 Radius AE (+3 ¼); + 1d6
  Aid, vs. All Phys Chars (+2),
  Ranged, Indirect (+½), Invisible,
  2"x256 Radius AE (+3); 1 hour
  Extra Time (-2 ½), -1 Var Lim [60]
  6
  Faust’s Enchanted Feast
  Yes, Virginia, there really was a Doctor Faustus…and
  he was one of the pettiest, weediest self-proclaimed
  Masters of Magic in history, who never deserved liter-
  ary immortality. He did, however, know how to throw
  a good party, complete with gourmet food produced
  by magic. One tale says that Faustus summoned magic
  servants who would merely step out of sight and re-
  turn seconds later with a covered dishes full of food.
  In this way, Faustus once supplied a thirty-six course
  banquet, with whatever drink the guests desired. In
  game terms, the magic servants are just a fanciful spe-
  cial effect for a Transform (food from thin air). Each
  casting will supply several kilograms of food, with serv-
  ing dishes.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  25
  3d6+1 Transform, Var: Any Food/
  Drink (+¼), Gestures, Incantations,
  1 turn Extra Time (-1) [62]
  6
  Physical Phantasms Of Simon Magus
  Simon’s power to erase the boundary between real-
  ity and illusion was good for more than fighting. The
  Morphic Mutation can change small objects—or be-
  ings—in any way imaginable, or even create objects
  from thin air. Simon claimed that he had actually cre-
  ated a living boy using this spell. Simon also performed
  miraculous healings by creating an illusion of the
  subject’s body being made functional again, then mak-
  ing the illusion real. Through this he made the lame
  walk, gave sight to the blind, cured lepers and the in-
  sane and generally did most of the miracle cures at-
  tributed to his competitors, Jesus and the Apostles—
  but he couldn’t raise the dead.
  
  129
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  3u
  Morphic Mutation: 2d6 major
  Transform, Universal (+1), 1
  phase Extra Time (-½) [60]
  6
  3u
  Healing Hand: 2 ½d6 major
  Transform (maimed/diseased body
  to whole), Cumulative, 0 Range [60]
  6
  Prophecy Of Danger
  For millennia and around the world, one hallmark
  of a true Magus is the ability to predict disasters such
  as earthquakes, storms, plagues and wars. Such news
  was not always well received by the people in charge.
  The sorcerer sends his spirit forward in time, check-
  ing for major upsets. The spell actually consists of two
  powers: Danger Sense and precognitive Clairsentience.
  These Powers work together to locate a time of peril
  (with a successful Danger Sense roll). With luck, the
  sorcerer can then tell what the danger will be just by
  looking around at the future scene. Typically the spell
  requires several minutes of trance. Some versions em-
  ploy scrying Foci such as a bowl of water or crystal
  ball.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Clairsentience: normal vision,
  Danger Sense, future; + Danger
  Sense, out of combat; initial 5
  minutes Extra Time (-1),
  Concentrate 0 DCV constant (-1) [60]
  4
  Self-Transformation
  Another traditional power of sorcerers is the ability
  to change their shape. Sometimes this was a genuine
  alteration of the mage’s body; at other times, this power
  was believed to be just a very thorough illusion. In prac-
  tice, it usually doesn’t make much difference.
  By itself, this spell does not grant the wizard any
  special abilities. Its chief uses are disguise and intimi-
  dation (by assuming the shape of some horrible mon-
  ster).
  By making the Shape Shift Uncontrolled and 0 END,
  it could become a Multipower slot without keeping
  the sorcerer from using the other spells in the
  Multipower—if the GM is generous.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Shape Shift: any human/animal/
  monster, -1 Var Lim [30]
  3
  Zyto’s Solid Seemings
  Around Zyto of Bohemia, no one could be sure what
  was real, as when he made a goose seem to pull a heavy
  wooden beam, or made his own leg fall off. Zyto could
  make illusions one could touch and heft. He never
  shared his secrets, but later mages have reconstructed
  some of his best spells, with good reason: an illusion
  one can touch can be just the thing to fake out an op-
  ponent. Zyto could even make simple, solid-seeming
  illusions that could continue without him maintain-
  ing them at all.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  43
  Multipower (64 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  Images vs. normal Sight/Hearing/
  Touch, -10 PER, ½ END [62]
  3
  4u
  Images vs. normal Sight/Hearing/
  Touch, -5 PER, 4" Radius (+½),
  ½ END [61]
  3
  4u
  Images vs. normal Sight/Hearing/
  Touch, -4 PER, 0 END Persistent [64]
  0
  Notably Powerful Spells
  These sample spells are built on about 90 Active
  Points. They are examples of the sort of special spells
  a Ritual Magician might have. These should seldom
  be spells for direct attack: in a campaign where 60 Ac-
  tive Point attacks are the rule, only cosmic entities and
  mega-villains should be able to throw a 90 Active Point
  attack, even going all-out. A wizard can show great
  power in other ways besides crushing opponents,
  though.
  Call To The Kerubic Contractors
  This spell is just the thing for a sorcerer who is build-
  ing a Sanctum Sanctorum. (See later in this chapter
  for more about these Headquarters for wizards.) The
  mage summons the mighty Kerubim and instructs
  them in what they shall build. The Kerubim can pro-
  duce nearly anything, from plumbing to enchantments.
  First, however, one must engage in lengthy negotia-
  tions with the Kerubim about how much work one is
  entitled to receive at a time, and the Kerubim will never
  pass that limit. (In game terms, they will only build as
  much as the character has spent Headquarters Points
  to have.) With greater power and experience (and put-
  ting Experience Points into the Headquarters Points
  reserve) the Kerubim will raise the limit of what the
  character can receive.
  Summoning the Kerubim requires lengthy prepara-
  tions, including the drawing of an elaborate pentacle,
  and can only be done once per day. Each day, the
  Kerubim will complete one task, either a Physical or a
  Power Transform. On the first day of work, for instance,
  they might build the physical structure of a Sanctum,
  from the foundation to the plumbing and wiring; on
  the second day, create the furnishings; and on each
  subsequent day create one magical effect for the Sanc-
  tum.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  16
  1d6+1 Transform, Cumulative,
  Universal: Anything for a Sanctum
  (+1), Uncontrolled, Hard to
  Dispel x1 (+¼), Selective 7" Radius
   AE (+1 ¼), -1 Var Lim, initial 1 Hour
  Extra Time (-1 ¼), 1 charge of 1
  minute (-1 ¼), Costs END, x3
  END (-1) [90]
  27
  
  130
  Grand Soul-Ward
  Sometimes whole populations need protection from
  attack. This mighty spell can protect everyone in an
  entire city from psychic attack, without the people
  knowing a thing. It’s not possible to raise a permanent
  soul ward, but just shielding the people for a critical
  minute or two can save them from untold horrors.
  While the Soul Ward requires total concentration to
  maintain, the power to thus shield thousands of people
  at once marks a wizard as truly a great soul.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  31
  Mental Defense (12 pts), Hardened,
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged,
  Indirect (+½), Invisible vs. Sight/
  Hearing (+3/4), ½ END, 5" x 1024
  Radius AE (+3 ½), -1 Var Lim,
  initial 1 turn Extra Time (-½),
  Concentrate 0 DCV Constant (-1) [94]
  4
  Infernal Vortex Of All-Consuming Flame
  Now, this spell does have combat uses, when one
  wishes to destroy a great many people at once—or at
  least get them to run away very fast. It is an evil spell,
  for it summons the very fires of Hell to radiate out
  from the caster. These flames will burn virtually any-
  thing, given time, and they sweep out to cover a broad
  area.
  Not only is invoking the Powers of Hell this way
  morally dubious (to say the least), it presents dangers
  to the caster, too. If the spell is forcibly interrupted (as,
  for instance, the caster’s Focus being taken away or their
  Gestures being broken) the spell rebounds and hurls
  the mage into the Netherworld. The mage is sure to
  arrive in an especially unpleasant region, from which
  they will not return any time soon.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  34
  1 ½d6 RKA, Penetrating, Damage
  Shield, ½ END, 6" x4 Radius AE
  (+1 ½), -1 Var Lim, initial 1 Phase
  Extra Time (-¼), Side Effect:
  Disrupting Spell Sends Caster to
  Netherworld (-1) [94]
  4
  Mass Exorcism
  Swarms of summoned monsters can be a nightmare
  for a sorcerer, because even if the monsters were sum-
  moned in a group by one spell, once the monsters
  spread out they must be Dispelled one by one. Hence
  the advantage of an exorcistic spell with a broad Area
  of Effect.
  Admittedly, the Mass Exorcism only works against
  quite weak spirits such as minor spirits and atavisms—
  but those are the spirits most likely to be summoned
  in large mobs as well.
  This example of a Mass Exorcism has a great advan-
  tage in that the exorcism ignores walls and other bar-
  riers; spirits can’t escape a Mass Exorcism by ducking
  behind something. The spell has a disadvantage,
  though, in that the caster must remain stock-still and
  focus their entire mind on casting the spell. The caster
  will be a sitting duck for any attack.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  45
  12d6 Dispel vs. Summon, Indirect
  (+½), 5" Radius AE (+1), -1 Var Lim,
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-0) [90]
  9
  Quaternion Banishment
  This powerful spell is the ultimate and irresistable
  weapon against beings from the Outer Planes. The spell
  hurls the power of the entire Quaternion—Elysium,
  the Netherworld, the Land of Legends, Babylon and
  Earth—against an Outer Planes intruder. A flaming
  symbol, the Quaternion Seal, appears around the tar-
  get. The target will be hurled from the Quaternion and
  will die if they ever return: Earth and its whole pano-
  ply of Imaginal Realms has become like a deadly poi-
  son to them.
  In rules terms, this is a Transform which only af-
  fects beings from outside the Quaternion, but con-
  versely those beings have no defense against it. The
  spell takes a few seconds to cast and at least a Turn to
  reach its full effect (i.e. for the continuing Transform
  to cumulate to twice the target’s BODY). The spell can
  only be cast once per day. The Uncontrolled effect stops
  prematurely if the caster is knocked out or flees, or if
  the target voluntarily leaves the Quaternion before the
  Transform is complete.
  When the Transform is complete, the target vanishes
  back to its home dimension. Henceforth it suffers a
  Susceptibility of 3d6 STUN per Phase if it enters any
  dimension of the Quaternion again. Regeneration will
  not remove this Transform, because the final effect of
  the Transform is to negate any Regeneration Power’s
  ability to “heal” this particular Transform’s effect on
  the target. (This may seem like a lot for a single Trans-
  form, but this is a 90 Active Point Power. With that
  sort of Active Points, one can stretch the rules a bit.)
  Like any Transform, though, the Quaternion Ban-
  ishment has reversal conditions. First, the Banishment
  is lifted if a spirit from any of the four Parterres of the
  Quaternion invites the target to return. The target can
  also evade the Banishment by possessing the body of a
  human, elf or other creature from a Quaternion plane.
  Finally, the caster’s death lifts the banishment.
  The Quaternion Banishment can only be cast by a
  Theurgist who at some point has received power from
  ruling spirits of all four Parterres. (For instance, the
  caster might have been healed by an archangel, extorted
  a magic power from a demon king, had a curse re-
  moved by the Emperor of Babylon and wielded the
  magic weapon of a pagan pantheon head.) Need one
  emphasize that it is very difficult to achieve such fa-
  vor? No PC can start out qualified to cast a Quater-
  nion Banishment, but winning the requisite gifts of
  power in time to stop a dimensional conqueror would
  make a good adventure. Then all the heroes have to do
  is keep the dimensional conqueror from creaming
  them while the Banishment takes effect…
  
  131
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  26
  2d6 Transform, NND: Being a
  Quaternion Native (+1), Cumulative,
  Uncontrolled, -1 Var Lim, 1 Charge of 1
  Minute (-1), Costs END, initial 1
  Phase Extra Time, Only Usable On
  Quaternion Planes (-¼) [90]
  9
  Zyto’s Fabulous Phantasm
  The most powerful of the spells attributed to Zyto
  of Bohemia created an illusion which could endure
  for days without any further attention from the caster.
  The image had to be fairly simple to be convincing,
  but the illusion could be heard and even touched. De-
  spite including tactile sensations, the Fabulous Phan-
  tasm could not actually exert pressure or resist force;
  pushing through a Phantasm would break the spell and
  make the illusion vanish.
  Fabulous Phantasms can include sound and move-
  ment, but by themselves they can only follow a fixed
  sequence of actions, like a film loop on endless replay.
  A few specialists in illusion have learned an additional
  spell which summons a minor spirit (effectively a dis-
  embodied AI) which can control the Phantasm and
  let it seem to react to events.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  45
  Images vs. Touch, Hearing, All
  Vision, Detect Magic, -5 PER, 1
  Hex (+0), Uncontrolled, 0 END to
  Maintain, 1 Var Lim, initial 1 turn
  Extra Time (-½) [90]
  9
  Ritual Magic:
   Necromancy
  How canst thou hear
  Who knowest not the language of the dead?
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley,
  Prometheus Unbound
  Properly speaking, Necromancy is a divination tech-
  nique: summoning spirits of the dead for information.
  For some reason, people have always believed that any
  slob would become a fountain of divine wisdom once
  they’re dead. Perhaps Lucan’s witch Erichtho (see the
  sidebar) had the right of it: anyone with the nerve to
  raise the dead deserves a straight answer.
  And necromancy did take nerve, once upon a time.
  Both the Jews and Romans made necromancy a capi-
  tal crime. Christianity continued the suppression quite
  effectively. In the 19th century, however, necromancy
  made a surprise comeback in the form of Spiritual-
  ism. All those respectable Victorians gathering in par-
  lors for their seances were actually would-be necro-
  mancers. The Spiritualist movement never entirely
  died. Indeed, a few necromancers still pull in gobs of
  money. They call it “Channeling.”
  A middle-aged woman twitching and talking in a
  fakey accent, however, is not what most people think
  of as a proper necromancer. It took the deliberate art-
  istry of the fiction writer to take all the old legends of
  witches, black magicians, ghosts, ghouls and the walk-
  ing dead and create a full-fledged Enchanter of Death
  like Erichtho. That’s the sort of necromancy we gamers
  love! Enough reality—on with the fantasy!
  The dreadful science of necromancy began, of
  course, in Egypt. The Egyptians built much of their
  religion around death. Their sorcerer-priests found
  that the separation of body, soul and life force at death
  was not total and might be reversed. So that the dead
  might guard their own tombs and advise the living,
  the priests found ways to make the dead walk and
  speak, as if anticipating the future day when mighty
  Osiris would raise them to true life again. In times of
  decadence the priests conducted less reverent experi-
  ments as well. Later and wiser priests banned the aw-
  ful secrets learned from committing abominations
  upon the living and the dead, but the suppression was
  never complete. Whatever one necromancer discov-
  ered, the terrible Dragon learned as well and passed
  on to necromancers of the future. There’s always some-
  one who lusts to master the power of Death.
  Necromancy remains one of the rarer styles of magic,
  but it has spread to every culture with a sophisticated
  magic tradition. While it is not an absolute rule that
  every necromancer must be a black-hearted fiend, the
  very nature of this magic means that practitioners must
  break the religious and civil laws of their community.
  Necromancers often know something of at least one
  other magical tradition as well. Necromancy’s extreme
  secrecy means that practitioners usually have a back-
  ground in some other tradition before they find and
  use the forbidden magic of Death. The evil Voodoo
  sorcerers called Mayomberos, for instance (see “Voo-
  doo,” below) always act on at least the fringes of nec-
  romancy.
  Magic Theory
  Necromancy is closer to Natural Magic than most
  Ritual Magic styles, through its frequent (almost om-
  nipresent) use of bones and other body parts as Foci.
  Corpse-based Foci, however, must still be properly
  consecrated. Necromantic magic is all based on con-
  trolling the spirits of the dead; Foci and ritual tools
  made from corpses control the ghosts through the Law
  of Contagion (since the ghosts were once in bodies,
  parts of such bodies retain a magical link to them).
  The necromancer can then force spirits to occupy, ani-
  mate and empower dead bodies or the Foci. The nec-
  romancer can also use the ghosts as a link to the fear-
  some gods of Death, Darkness and Destruction.
  Powers And Modifiers
  Necromancy’s reliance on Foci has been mentioned.
  Other limitations are more optional. While the Egyp-
  tians were very big on Words of Power, modern nec-
  romancy has broken away from its Egyptian roots
  enough that Incantations are not obligatory. Side Ef-
  fects if a spell is disrupted, however, are quite appro-
  priate: the necromancer deals with exceptionally dan-
  
  132
  A Thessalian Witch
  Raises The Dead
  There was foam on
  her lips as she [the
  witch Erichtho]
  raised her head and
  stared at the ghost
  beside her; but it
  shrank from re
  entering the
  punctured breast.
  Why should it be
  confined to a prison
  so hateful as a body
  dead of a deep belly
  wound? Poor ghost,
  cruelly robbed of
  death’s final gift—
  absolution from the
  fate of ever dying
  again!
  Erichtho was
  astounded and
  furious that the Fates
  allowed the ghost to
  vacillate. First she
  took live serpents and
  beat the rigid body
  with them; then she
  magically opened the
  vents that led to the
  Underworld, and
  barked down angrily
  into the silence
  below: “Hey there,
  you, Tisiphone and
  Megaera, what are
  you about? Did you
  not hear? I have been
  expecting you to
  hurry with your
  relentless whips
  across the empty
  floor of Erebus and
  make this ghost obey
  me. Observe that I no
  longer call you
  Kindly Ones. I am
  using your proper
  names, you Stygian
  bitches! Be careful, or
  you will find yourself
  hounded relentlessly
  by me from tomb to
  tomb and from pyre
  to pyre in broad
  daylight without
  escape…And you
  gerous forces. For combat magic, Concentrate and
  Extra Time are obviously out of the question—and
  although the necromancer’s greatest powers have noth-
  ing to do with combat, they fully recognize the need
  for fast, violent spells as a matter of self-preservation.
  It’s especially important to give necromancers a few
  high-power ritual spells. These make the necroman-
  cer villain more than just a local nuisance. While a
  necromancer may have a high-powered combat spell
  or two, more often these spells are lengthy ritual en-
  chantments which act as devices to drive the plot.
  Disadvantages Of Necromancy
  Because they usually know other magic as well, nec-
  romancers seldom take a very large Magic Restriction
  disadvantage: 5 points for their need to periodically
  consecrate their Foci and propitiate the spirits of the
  dead. A magician who only knew necromancy, or at
  least whose combat magic was all necromantic, would
  take another 10 points to reflect the narrowness of their
  style. On the other hand, a necromancer’s need to rob
  graves for raw materials, plus the general ickiness of
  what they do, means that a necromancer is automati-
  cally Watched by the local authorities. Those authori-
  ties may not know about the necromancer, but if they
  find out they won’t be happy. Necromancers are also
  often Hunted by churches and by other wizards. Nec-
  romancers are necessarily peculiar people, so baroque
  Psychological Limitations would seem in order. A nec-
  romancer might have an unwholesome aura of death
  about him that other wizards and sensitive people
  might detect; death wizards might even have a Vul-
  nerability to magic styles based on Light and Life.
  Style Notes
  Necromancy deals with more than animating the
  dead and harming the living. Forces and conditions
  traditionally associated with death can be evoked as
  well. Thus, necromancy includes spells to evoke dark-
  ness, silence and terror. For special effects, these spells
  have putrid-hued glows or motes of light, inky shad-
  ows or unholy stenches (using an olfactory effect in-
  stead of a visual or auditory effect).
  Human arm bones and leg bones make excellent
  wands and rods of power. Skulls have many uses. Amu-
  lets might be carved of bone as well. Blood, human or
  animal, can be shed in ritual sacrifice or be used as an
  ingredient for noxious compounds. Mummy dust,
  corpse hair and preserved body parts find frequent use
  in necromancy. Some rituals and spells call for other
  materials associated with death and decay, such as lead,
  graveyard dirt, bitumen, pitch, natron and myrrh (used
  in mummification), luminous fungus and other
  oddments.
  Sample Necromantic Spells
  As usual, major spells hover around 60 Active Points.
  For these examples, it is assumed that spells carry the
  usual -1 Variable Limitation. A few spells have addi-
  tional Limitations unique to themselves.
  Attack Spells
  Necromancers generally know several vicious attack
  spells. Many necromancers come to decide that the best
  defense is a good offense. What’s more, some fields of
  necromantic research work best if the, erm, ingredi-
  ents are fresh. Very, very fresh…
  Arms Of The Unhallowed Dead
  This is one of the most visually dramatic attack spells
  a necromancer can learn. It is based on the principle
  that all soil contains the decayed remains of living crea-
  tures, including humans. It uses those remains to evoke
  skeletal arms from any soil. These arms grab at the
  spell’s target, holding him in place. The spell cannot
  affect flying targets and only restrains a target’s legs:
  the victim is only at ½ DCV until they can break free
  of the clutching hands. On the other hand, the spell’s
  special effect is so surprising that GMs may award an
  OCV bonus the first time it is used.
  Cost
  Power
  END
  24
  4d6 Entangle, Damage Transparent
  (+½), Only to Hold Legs to Ground
  (-1), -1 Var Lim (-½) [60]
  6
  Enfeeblement
  This spell afflicts the victim’s life force. While it
  doesn’t directly harm the victim, it greatly reduces their
  energy. This may be enough that the strain of serious
  exertion—such as spell casting—will quickly knock the
  victim out. The enfeeblement lasts at least 1 turn. Af-
  ter that, the victim gets a CON Roll (9 + CON/5) at -3
  to recover. The victim gets another CON roll, at -2, a
  minute later, and so on for every interval on the Time
  Chart, getting +1 on the roll each time.
  Cost
  Power
  END
  40
  6d6 Suppress END, Uncontrolled,
  0 END to maintain, -1 Var Lim [60]
  6
  Fear Of Death
  This simple spell simply invokes the fear of death
  which all beings have, and uses it to make the necro-
  mancer seem more frightening. Even if the spell does
  not actually make opponents (or potential opponents)
  flee in terror, it may give the necromancer a Phase in
  which to get off the first shot.
  Cost
  Power
  END
  12
  +30 PRE, Only to Cause Fear (-1),
  -1 Var Lim [30]
  
  133
  Horrors Of The Grave
  This spell raises the fear of death so intensely that
  the victim may hallucinate. The caster can emphasize
  the hallucinatory aspect to make the victim experience
  his flesh rotting off his bones, attack by shambling
  hordes of zombies or other horrors; this must be at
  least a major change to the victim’s setting. Whether
  the victim will take STUN is optional. Alternatively,
  the caster can emphasize the fear, making the victim
  literally pass out from terror. Many variations are pos-
  sible.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Multipower (60 pt pool), -1 Var Lim
  3u
  12d6 Mental Illusions, Must be
  visions of deathly horror doing
  major change to setting (-½) [60]
  6
  4u
  6d6 Ego Attack [60]
  6
  4u
  3d6 Ego Attack, Continuous [60]
  6
  4u
  3d6 Ego Attack, 3" Radius AE (+1) [60]
  6
  Remote Corpse Animation
  This spell manipulates a corpse like a puppet.
  Through this spell the necromancer can act, and even
  attack, from far away. Since the animated body is sim-
  ply a remote terminal for magical force, it can absorb
  tremendous amounts of damage without losing its ef-
  fectiveness as a puppet. Of course the necromancer
  must have some way of seeing what they are doing.
  The versions of this spell shown below use the “Based
  on ECV” Advantage to make the Power Indirect and
  act on Line of Sight. Necromancers who will settle for
  only animating nearby corpses can drop the Advan-
  tage and perhaps get a stronger TK.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  Multipower (60 pt pool), Need
  Corpse to Animate in Target Area
  (-1), -1 Var Lim
  2u
  20 STR TK, Based on ECV (+1) [60]
  6
  2u
  13 STR TK + Fine Manipulation,
  Based on ECV [58]
  6
  Rigor Mortis
  This spell makes the victim’s muscles seize up, as they
  do in a corpse during the rigor mortis phase. The
  victim’s physical strength is irrelevant: it takes strength
  of will to break this spell’s grip.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  2d6 Entangle, BODY Based on ECV
  (+2), -1 Var Lim [60]
  6
  Rot
  This spell makes a patch of the target’s flesh literally
  rot away. It doesn’t work on inorganic materials such
  as metal or concrete, which cannot be afflicted by dis-
  ease.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  1d6+1 RKA, BODY NND: LS:
  Disease (+2), -1 Var Lim [60]
  6
  Withering Touch
  This spell calls on the forces of age and decay to tem-
  porarily debilitate a victim. The spell’s chief disadvan-
  tage is that the necromancer must get up close and
  personal with the target, and most necromancers like
  to keep a safe distance from their foes. There are ver-
  sions which act at a distance, at the cost of a less pow-
  erful effect.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  Multipower (62 pt effect), -1 Var Lim
  4u
  4d6 Drain, vs. Any Physical
  Characteristic (+¼), Recover 1 pt/
  turn (+¼) [60]
  6
  4u
  2 ½d6 Drain, vs. Any Phys Char,
  Recover 1 pt/turn, NND: LS:
  Aging (+1) [62]
  6
  Defensive Spells
  Necromancers need spells to keep themselves safe
  from harm at least as much as other sorts of wizards.
  Their repertoire of possible defensive powers is as wide
  as any other mage’s: from directly making themselves
  more resistant to damage, to evading damaging forces
  completely, to simply not letting a foe know that there’s
  anyone to attack.
  Death Aura
  This spell creates a dark aura of deathly energy which
  withers anything which touches the caster, such as
  grabbing enemies or Entangles. Naturally, the Death
  Aura is never bought with the Gestures Limitation.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  41
  3 ½d6 BODY Drain, Recover
  1 BODY/2 turns (+¼), Damage
  Shield, -1 Var Lim [61]
  6
  Spectral Form
  Through this spell a necromancer turns their body
  ectoplasmic, literally turning into a ghost. Not only
  does this let the necromancer walk through walls, it
  renders them absolutely immune to nearly all sources
  of damage. Only certain very exotic physical/energy
  attacks (i.e. those bought with “Affects Desolid”) or
  some kinds of magic will affect the necromancer. (See
  notes on spirits as characters for the sorts of magic
  which can affect a necromancer who’s “gone ghosty.”)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Desolid, not vs. Spirit Affecting
  Magic, 0 END, -1 Var Lim [60]
  Spectral Ward
  The necromancer turns their body partly ectoplas-
  mic, halfway between living and ghostly form. This
  makes the necromancer resistant to normal sorts of
  damage but does not interfere with other spell cast-
  ing.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Force Field (12 PD, 12 ED), ½ END,
  -1 Var Lim [30]
  1
  pale, dirty creature,
  Proserpina Hecate;
  before paying your
  annual visit to the
  Olympians, you
  undergo a little
  beauty treatment,
  eh? But I shall
  prevent that in the
  future, and force
  you to display your
  real complexion. I
  shall tell everyone
  exactly what food
  is served to you
  down there
  beneath the earth,
  and what guilty
  secret attaches you
  to that gloomy
  royal husband of
  yours! When
  Mother Ceres hears
  of your defilement,
  she will never want
  to see you again. As
  for you, Pluto, who
  got far the worst
  share of the world
  when it was
  divided at your
  father’s dethrone-
  ment, unless you
  are prudent I shall
  crack the roof of
  your den and let
  the sunlight in to
  strike you blind!”
  …The corpse’s
  frozen blood grew
  warm; it coursed
  into the blackened
  wounds and
  through each
  artery until it
  reached the fingers
  and toes. Both
  lungs began to
  work and new life
  invaded the
  marrow of his
  bones, so that each
  joint throbbed,
  
  134
  each muscle
  tightened, and then,
  instead of slowly
  raising himself limb
  by limb from the
  ground, he leaped
  up suddenly and
  stood erect.
  Granted, his jaw
  still hung down and
  his eyes glared;
  indeed, he looked
  more like a dying
  man than one
  restored to life,
  because he
  remained pale and
  stiff and seemed
  stupefied by his
  return to the upper
  air. Nor did a sound
  come from his
  mouth; Erichtho’s
  charm allowed him
  to reply only, not to
  volunteer informa-
  tion.
  —Lucan,
  Pharsalia
  Dust Of The Silent Tomb
  The best defense against attack, of course, is not to
  let an enemy know that one is present at all. By sprin-
  kling this dust on their shoes and an outer garment,
  necromancers render themselves unseen and unheard.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  21
  Invisibility vs. Normal Sight,
  Hearing, ½ END, -1 Var Lim [31]
  1
  Wall Of Bone
  This spell can be used both to confine an enemy and
  as protection from attacks. It creates a wall of inter-
  locking bones. This wall endures on its own for a
  minute at most before collapsing into dust. Typically,
  casting the Wall of Bone requires a pinch of powdered
  bones.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  Force Wall (6 PD, 6 ED), Blocks
  Vision, Uncontrolled, 6 chgs of 1
  minute (-0), -1 Var Lim [60]
  [6c]
  Zone Of Obscurity
  This spell’s effect is like that of the Dust of the Silent
  Tomb, but it acts over an area. The Zone of Obscurity
  isn’t perfect at concealing those within, but at night it
  is certainly enough to carry a small horde of undead
  minions past any merely human guards. The Zone can
  be made to block more senses, at cost of being less
  perfectly concealing.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  29
  Images vs. normal Sight, Hearing,
  -8 PER, 2" Radius (+¼), ½ END,
  -1 Var Lim, Fixed Image: Nobody
  There (-½) [58]
  3
  Miscellaneous Spells
  These spells are not directly for combat, but they
  include the enchantments which form the heart of the
  necromancer’s craft: the spells to create and control
  the Undead.
  Clutch Of The Damned
  This very minor spell illustrates how necromancers
  might use their art for relatively mundane goals. The
  Focus is an articulated, skeletal human hand attached
  to a strong cord. The necromancer uses this as a grap-
  pling hook: the hand actively grabs for any support.
  This can be used to help in scaling walls or crossing
  between buildings. The necromancer can also use the
  hand to grasp loose objects and pull them back.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  10
  Multipower (21 pt pool), OAF
  1u
  5 STR TK + Fine Manipulation,
  ½ END [21]
  1
  1u
  5" Swinging [5]
  1
  Control Undead
  The undead of a necromancer’s own creation are
  usually quite loyal, but it never hurts to have insur-
  ance. This spell is also useful if the necromancer meets
  undead who roam free or who serve another master.
  What about types of undead built using the Automa-
  ton rules, which don’t have an EGO? One can assume
  that lesser undead Automata have an effective EGO of
  10 against necromantic mind control, but no other sort
  of mental powers. More powerful undead might have
  a higher EGO. Since this doesn’t help such undead and
  even hurts them by laying them open to control, this
  special use EGO may even be considered a Disadvan-
  tage.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  25
  10d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal
  (+¼), Only vs. Undead (-1),
  -1 Var Lim [62]
  6
  Create Lesser Undead
  This ritual raises undead horrors from the grave. The
  spell requires suitable human or animal remains: for
  instance, creating a zombie requires a complete body,
  while raising a ghost might simply require that the spell
  be cast upon the target’s grave. The spell might also
  require a Focus such as a rod of command or a brazier
  of burning blood, a ritual diagram traced around the
  remains, invocations to dark gods or even a small blood
  sacrifice.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  25
  1 x 100 pt Summon, Any Undead
  (+¼), -1 Var Lim, 1 turn Extra
  Time (-1) [62]
  6
  Gloom
  Many of the undead take damage from sunlight,
  which can severely limit their usefulness. This spell
  creates a broad zone of deep shadow in even the bright-
  est day. The Gloom takes no effort to maintain.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Change Environment 8" radius,
  0 END, -1 Var Lim [30]
  Speak With Dead
  As mentioned, the purpose of real world necro-
  mancy was to get information from the dead. This spell
  enables a necromancer to communicate with spirits
  of the dead. Part of the intended person’s corpse will
  do for targeting purposes, since it is assumed that the
  spirit and body retain some link. Without such a physi-
  cal link to the spirit, the necromancer must target
  through Mind Scanning or some other method—or
  like the Spiritualist medium, send a general call into
  the Beyond and hope that someone answers: “Is any-
  one there?”
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  40
  8d6 Telepathy, Transdimensional:
  Afterlife (+½), -1 Var Lim [60]
  6
  
  135
  Notably Powerful Spells
  Finally, these are the potent rituals which form the
  necromancer’s greatest power.
  Such major enchantments always require Obvious
  Accessible Foci, Gestures, Incantations and Concen-
  tration to 0 DCV (for -2 worth of Limitations) plus at
  least 5 minutes’ worth of Extra Time to cast. Side Ef-
  fects for interruption, Increased END Cost, Charges
  and assorted ritual conditions are other possibilities
  to fulfill the Variable Limitation.
  Create Greater Undead
  This spell enables the necromancer to generate high
  powered undead creatures such as ghosts and mum-
  mies; a variant spell creates groups of lower-powered
  undead. The spell requires suitable human remains,
  plus several items of ritual paraphernalia such as a rod
  of human bone and lead, a mixture of blood and alco-
  hol to burn in a skull brazier, and various liquids and
  powders to sprinkle on the body or bodies.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  14
  1 x 200 pt Summon, Any
  Undead (+¼), Limits Package
  (-2), 1 hour Extra Time (-2 ½),
  -1 Var Lim [87]
  9
  Hand Of Glory
  The notorious Hand of Glory can be produced as
  an Independent magic item, but there’s also a version
  which is simply a spell cast using a Focus. Physically,
  the Hand of Glory takes two forms, both based on a
  severed human hand. In one version, the fingers of the
  hand are set on fire. In the other, a candle of human
  fat is planted on the back of the hand and this is set
  alight. In either case, anyone besides the wielder who
  sees the flame from a Hand of Glory is either para-
  lyzed or falls asleep. This version causes paralysis. While
  the Hand will be virtually useless against sorcerers,
  whose wills are too strong, a Hand of Glory can inca-
  pacitate whole mobs of normal humans.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  19
  2d6 Entangle, BODY BOECV
  (+2), Personal Immunity,
  Uncontrolled, Nonselective 7"
  Radius AE (+¾), Limits Package
  (-2), Focus is Expendable (-¼), -1
  Var Lim, 0 Range, Victims Must
  See Flame (-¼), 1 chg of
  5 minutes (-¾) [90]
  [1c]
  Promise Of Undeath
  This spell is cast upon a person who yet lives. When
  the recipient dies, they are automatically reanimated
  as some sort of undead (decided in advance by the
  caster). There’s nothing to stop a necromancer from
  casting this spell on themself—potentially a nasty sur-
  prise for anyone who kills the necromancer.
  The spell requires a lengthy ritual in which the spell’s
  recipient is symbolically represented as dying and re-
  turning to life. One version of the spell is essentially a
  twisted version of a Catholic “Requiem” Mass.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  1 x 150 pt Summon, Any Undead
  Type (+¼), Trigger: Target of Spell
  Dies (+¼), Limit Package (-2), 1
  Hour Extra Time (-2 ½), -1 Var
  Lim [90]
  9
  Zone Of Horror
  This spell is a more powerful version of the “Hor-
  rors of the Grave” spell described above. This spell acts
  over a wide area, forcing the terror of death on every-
  one within (except the caster). While the spell won’t
  harm other sorcerers, and other supers can probably
  endure its effects, in a few phases all normal people
  will succumb to unconsciousness. This spell is thus an
  excellent way for a necromancer to assure that they
  won’t be interrupted in other work, or to clear out
  guards.
  The Zone of Horror takes 5 minutes to cast, but can
  be maintained continuously from then on. The Zone
  cuts through all barriers except those based on Mental
  Defense.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  2d6 Ego Attack, Continuous,
  Indirect (+½), Personal Immunity,
  ½ END, 24" Radius AE (+1 ½),
  Limits Package (-2), initial 5
  minutes Extra Time (-1), -1 Var
  Lim [90]
  4
  Ritual Magic:
  Technomancy
  “Why shouldn’t a modern city have its special
  ghosts, like castles and graveyards and big old
  manor houses once had?”
  —Fritz Leiber, Our Lady of Darkness
  Technomancy—the fusion of science and magic.
  With two such powers conjoined, what would not be
  possible? Imagine computers casting spells with digi-
  tal precision, a million times faster than any human
  wizard. Imagine machines brought to life with syn-
  thetic souls. Imagine mass-produced magic and
  cyborged spirits.
  Imagine a load of bullcrap, say most wizards. Magic
  and high tech are just too different, they insist. Science
  is about what works even if you don’t believe in it:
  objective, impersonal, measured and precise. Magic,
  on the other hand, is fundamentally subjective, am-
  biguous and very personal. The magician views reality
  as a network of interconnected symbols vibrant with
  meaning, life and power. Intangible and “subjective”
  qualities such as moral character and mythic resonance
  are as fundamental to magic as they are alien to scien-
  tific thought. A computer could no more cast a spell
  than a toaster could write a symphony.
  
  136
  And yet…could it be that science is simply too new,
  not yet assimilated? And that wizards who deny the
  possibility of technomancy are just miffed at being
  upstaged by high-tech wonders they can’t understand?
  Well, maybe. A few of the younger mages are ex-
  perimenting with combining modern technology and
  magic. They have made some progress. Television sets,
  for instance, work just as well as crystal balls for scrying.
  Spells to enchant bows and arrows can be adapted to
  guns and bullets. Summoners have raised elementals
  from scrap metal, electricity and smog.
  So 
  far, 
  however, 
  these 
  self-proclaimed
  “technomancers” have only performed traditional feats
  using new materials. Scrying with a TV set, to return
  to that example, only exploits the TV set’s symbolic
  character as a “device for seeing” without involving or
  understanding how television actually works. The “ur-
  ban elementals” show more promise, since they are
  attempts to exploit forms of matter with new proper-
  ties.
  What “technomancy” exists, therefore, should more
  properly be called “urban magic.” It uses the products
  of technology as symbolic foci for magic, or crafts spells
  specifically to affect technological artifacts, or relies on
  occult energies generated by modern cities. It is the
  newest and rarest of the magic arts. As a new disci-
  pline lacking tested traditions to guide research, it is
  also quite dangerous. Experiments in urban sorcery
  have produced some quite appalling accidents.
  Maze, of the Devil’s Advocates (see Creatures Of The
  Night: Horror Enemies), was the first urban sorcerer to
  show real power. Not only has he used strange,
  technomantic rituals to boost his dimension-warping
  powers, he’s summoned “urban spirits” such as smog
  elementals and junkyard golems. Unfortunately, Maze
  is so loony he couldn’t explain his magic even if he
  wanted to. Other technomancers tend to be eccentric
  as well.
  Magic Theory
  The premise of technomancy is that when people
  create and use their machines, they invest them with
  psychic energy. What’s more, large concentrations of
  “processed” matter such as steel, concrete and glass
  warp the Earth’s “magic field,” creating their own
  strange elementals. Just as older styles of Ritual Magic
  invoked the spirits of nature or the planets,
  technomancy invokes the new spirits and psychic forces
  of the city.
  Urban magicians have already evolved some shared
  terms. Urban ley lines are called “power mains” or, since
  they often follow main roads, “thoroughfares.” Ley line
  intersections are “substations” or “juncture boxes.” A
  city’s pattern of mystic energies is called “the Grid.”
  Some urban magicians hypothesize that the ener-
  gies of cities even create an astral dimension similar to
  Yggdrasil or the Blood Tide. They call this dimension
  “The Grey” (always with British spelling, just to be
  pretentious) or “The Silverbright.” It would form the
  substrate of Babylon just as Yggdrasil and the Blood
  Tide are linked to the Land of Legends. Two wizards
  have already disappeared in the course of trying to di-
  rectly enter the Silverbright.
  Powers And Modifiers
  As the sample spells below demonstrate,
  Technomancy is quite a heterogeneous art: some spells
  require many Limitations, while others get by with just
  one. Many Technomantic spells only require that the
  caster be in a certain environment, such as one with
  cables of some sort or an electric power outlet. This is
  because Technomancy is so new that no standards have
  been established. Every Technomancer has their own
  substyle, with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some
  casters require Foci, or Incantations, Charges or some
  other common Limitation on all their spells; some
  don’t. Players and/or GMs who create Technomancers
  must decide on their own what Limitations the char-
  acters take.
  Disadvantages Of Technomancy
  Technomancers do not need to take a Magical Style
  Restriction, for two reasons. First, they probably know
  some other style of magic as well. Second,
  technomancy is weird—every urban mage’s spells are
  custom creations. Their uniqueness compensates for
  any narrowness of style, making technomancers no
  more vulnerable to Analyze Style than any other mage.
  At most, an urban mage might take a small Vow-
  based Physical Limitation from their need to stay in
  contact with a city’s Grid, just as Hermetic Theurgists
  must conduct rituals to maintain their powers. A
  Technomancer will conduct peculiar rituals such as
  meditating under high tension lines while wearing a
  tinfoil hat, or carrying a pocketful of batteries three
  times around the crosswalks at an intersection.
  Style Notes
  Special Effects can vary widely in technomancy, as
  the spells below demonstrate, but they keep an “ur-
  ban” feel. Spells might be accompanied by sparks, fluo-
  rescent glows or puffs of smoke. Nearby lights may
  flicker and machines behave oddly.
  Foci are common. When used, they often have a
  strong connection to the desired spell effect. Thus, a
  spell to evoke or manipulate electricity might require
  a penlight, electric toothbrush or some other small,
  battery-powered item. A spell to summon elemental
  forces of concrete, metal, smog or glass would require
  a Focus of that substance, or related to it at any rate.
  Smog spells, for instance, might use a talisman cut from
  an old muffler and steeped seven days in gasoline and
  old motor oil.
  
  137
  Sample Urban Magic Spells
  These spells employ modern technology as foci, or
  are designed to affect machinery and the urban envi-
  ronment. First comes a set of 60 point attack spells
  suitable for a wizard’s main Multipower, then a few
  defensive spells and a variety of miscellaneous spells
  of various power levels.
  Attack Spells
  Animate Cables
  The mage makes any cables, cords or wires in the
  area animate and attack the target. If necessary, the
  cables will rip out of the wall or out of the ground.
  The cables can attack from any direction. If they hap-
  pen to carry heavy electric current, so much the bet-
  ter, but this can’t be guaranteed. If the caster uses this
  spell around power lines, the electric current from the
  broken lines can make this spell very powerful indeed
  (see “Living in a Dangerous World,” p. S44, Hero Sys-
  tem Rule Book). If the only cables available are tele-
  phone cords and such, the caster must be satisfied with
  their ability to grab and squeeze.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  39
  23 STR Telekinesis, Indirect (+¾),
  Only in regions with wires, cords
  and cables (-½) [59]
  6
  Electric Carving Knife Of Dancing
  With this spell, the wizard gives an electric carving
  knife the ability to run without a power source, and to
  fly through the air. The caster then tosses the knife at
  an opponent. The knife will loop around the oppo-
  nent, trying to slash each phase; the caster does not
  have to control the knife and can even depart. The at-
  tack stops within 1 minute or when the target man-
  ages to strike the knife out of the air. (An electric carv-
  ing knife’s small size gives it a DCV of at least 8; its
  OCV for each attack equals the caster’s.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  1d6+1 RKA, Continuous,
  Uncontrolled, 0 END, OAF,
  Incantations, Must Make Attack
  Roll Each Phase (-½) [60]
  Kiddie Space Gun Of Doom
  This spell works by literalizing a metaphor: it makes
  a toy plastic “space gun” shoot a real energy bolt. One
  can use a toy laser gun (such as is used in Laser Tag
  and similar games) or one of those toy guns that spits
  sparks when its handle is squeezed.
  Many sorts of exotic attacks are possible: an urban
  mage might buy several sorts of attacks through a
  Kiddie Space Gun.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  6d6 EB, NND: Power Defense (+1),
  16 chgs, OAF [60]
  [16c]
  Power Surge
  This spell causes a massive surge in an electrical sys-
  tem, damaging whatever machines draw power from
  it. Although the spell does very little damage by most
  standards, most of the machinery in an ordinary build-
  ing has very little DEF or BODY. Thus, the spell can
  knock out lights, security cameras, electronic locks and
  other non-massive equipment, even if it’s hidden in-
  side a wall (from the Indirect advantage). If the build-
  ing or region’s fuse box or transformer is in the area of
  effect, it may be damaged as well—which could shut
  off power to an entire skyscraper or city block.
  The spell caster needs some small, battery-powered
  item to wave while invoking Barakiel, the angel of light-
  ning; a penlight will do.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  1d6 RKA, Invisible to Sight/
  Hearing (+¾), Indirect (+¾),
  16" Radius AE (+1 ½), Only Affects
  Machines Hooked to Power
  System (-1), Gestures, Incantations,
  IAF [60]
  6
  Smog Alert
  With this spell, the mage gathers choking pollution
  out of the air and forces it into the victim’s lungs. The
  pollution’s corrosive properties are increased even fur-
  ther by the magic. The caster invokes the names of air
  spirits and industrial corporations with bad pollution
  records.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  48
  4d6 EB, NND: LS: Breathing (+1),
  Continuous (+1), Incantations [60]
  6
  Spirit Gun
  This spell enchants a gun so its bullets can affect
  ghosts and other desolid entities. The gun itself must
  be specially prepared by having a mystic symbol drawn
  on it, and the caster must say a magic word as he fires.
  The charges of the spell are limited by the number of
  bullets the gun will hold.
  The version given here assumes the caster uses a pis-
  tol. One could easily develop versions for use with auto-
  matic weapons. Many other sorts of enchanted guns
  can be developed, too.
  This spell can be a Multipower slot. If one is willing
  to buy spells outside Frameworks, one can build a ver-
  sion of the spell wherein the Affects Desolid advan-
  tage is a “free floating” Power Advantage that can be
  applied to any gun (up to a certain base power level).
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  2 ½d6 RKA, Affects Desolid (+½),
  OAF (Gun), Incantations [60]
  [8c]
  or
  11
  Affects Desolid on up to 40 pt
  attack, Variable Special Effect:
  Any Gun (+¼), OAF (Gun),
  Incantations [25]
  
  138
  Defensive Spells
  Clothes Of Steel
  This spell makes the caster’s clothes as strong as steel
  without making them less flexible. The clothes gain a
  silvery sheen and a momentary hard, metallic finish
  where impacts land.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  Force Field (12 PD, 12 ED), ½ END
   [30]
  1
  Dereliction
  If an urban mage wants to move about unseen, this
  spell is just the thing. The countless millions of people
  who have studiously ignored beggars have created a
  powerful psychic force a mage can harness. By invok-
  ing this force through the chant of “Spare Change?
  Spare Change?” and an outstretched hand, the caster
  can move unseen virtually anywhere. The caster isn’t
  literally invisible; people just refuse to notice him. Be-
  cause this is magic, it doesn’t matter if the wizard is
  actually in full costume, walking through the White
  House; if anyone looks at him, their eyes glaze and they
  quickly walk past.
  The spell has two great weaknesses. First, it only
  works on people, not animals or cameras and other
  mechanical sensors. Second, getting involved in any
  sort of combat nullifies the spell. On the other hand, it
  isn’t necessary to whine for change and hold out one’s
  hand all the time, just when within 1 hex of other
  people.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  34
  Invisibility vs. Detect Magic, All
  Sight, All Hearing, 0 END, initial
  Gestures, constant Incantation
  (-½) [60]
  Warding Debris
  This spell sets a cloud of any convenient trash orbit-
  ing the caster. Chunks of debris dive in front of in-
  coming ranged attacks to take the damage. The spell is
  given in two levels of power and effectiveness. The first
  must be actively maintained. The second is better at
  intercepting attacks and can run by itself for a turn
  before it needs renewing. (The Damage Shield makes
  the spell Continuous and Missile Deflection already
  costs 0 END; one merely need give a reasonable con-
  dition to end the Uncontrolled effect.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Missile Deflection +0 vs. All
  Ranged, Damage Shield, Need
  Supply of Small, Solid, Discarded
  Objects (-¼), -½ Var Lim (-¼) [30]
  40
  Missile Deflection +5 vs. All Ranged,
  Damage Shield, Uncontrolled,
  Need Supply of Trash (-¼), -½ Var
  Lim (-¼) [60]
  Miscellaneous Spells
  Mind Radio
  This spell enchants a portable radio/headphone set
  so that it picks up “thought waves” instead of radio
  waves. By tilting the radio at a person and fiddling with
  the dials, a particular person’s mind can be read. This
  does require some concentration.
  If the caster is able to read the target’s memories (and
  wants to), the memories are received in the form of an
  old-time radio drama, complete with Hammond or-
  gan background music and a narrator. At least with
  most people there are no commercials.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  10d6 Telepathy, ½ END, IAF,
  Concentrate ½ DCV [62]
  3
  Summon Cab
  This spell has a prosaic but useful effect: it makes a
  perfectly ordinary taxicab drive up, ready to take the
  wizard where he wants to go. There’s even a good
  chance that the driver speaks English. The spell works
  anywhere there’s a road; the driver’s mind is clouded
  so he can’t explain why he happened to be deep in the
  Ozarks or wherever.
  The driver will, however, still expect the caster to
  pay his fare. Getting out of this is the caster’s problem,
  but a mage of power should have no difficulty.
  The Focus for this spell is a little plaque shaped like
  a taxi, cut from metal taken from a wrecked cab. Vari-
  ant spells can be created to summon an ordinary po-
  liceman, a pushcart vendor, or even a parking space
  (equivalent to Summoning a 0 point Vehicle with no
  DEF, BODY, Movement or anything else but SIZ), or a
  general form with a +¼ Advantage.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  1 x 25 pt Summon (cabbie with
  Vehicle), Gestures, IAF [35]
  3
  Tomorrow’s News
  This spell lets an ordinary TV set pick up broad-
  casts from the future. Unfortunately, the caster can’t
  always control how far in the future the TV set will
  reach. What’s more, just as with any foreknowledge, it
  only shows a probable future, which may be changed
  by the wizard’s own actions. Even if getting probable
  news broadcasts from a few days or weeks ahead doesn’t
  give a mage absolute foreknowledge of dangers and
  opportunities, a few glimpses at future football games
  and currency markets can take care of all a wizard’s
  financial needs. The spell only works once per day.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  9
  Clairsentience: Vision, Hearing,
  Precognition, Bulky OAF
  (TV set, -1 ½), Gestures (Fiddle
  with “rabbit ears” antenna),
  Incantations, Concentrate ½
  DCV constant, 1 charge of 1
  minute (-1), Acts 12-, 1 turn
  initial Extra Time (-½) [45]
  [1c]
  
  139
  Notably Powerful Spells
  Electric Wall
  This spell creates a broad, thin sheet of crackling elec-
  tricity which the caster can form into simple shapes,
  rather like a Force Wall. The Electric Wall, however,
  does not block things from moving though. Instead,
  anything that goes through an Electric Wall receives a
  nasty shock. Most super beings will barely feel the Elec-
  tric Wall, but normal people will be in great pain; most
  will know better than to try going through the Wall.
  Like the Power Surge spell described above, this spell
  requires an invocation to Barakiel while waving a small,
  battery powered object.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  4d6 EB, AP, Uncontrolled
  Continuous 0 END to maintain,
  14 Hexes AE (+1 ¼), initial
  Gestures, Incantations, OAF,
  initial x2 END (-¼) [95]
  18
  Urban Renewal
  This ironically named spell shows urban magic at
  its highest power level. This is an urban mage’s great-
  est spell.
  The caster twists the Grid of city forces to cause a
  massive release of energy in a target area. The destruc-
  tive force might take the form of a very local earth-
  quake, or a freak, super hot fire, an explosion, etc. The
  authorities can probably find a “rational explanation.”
  The spell can completely destroy a small building, and
  severely damage a large one. If the building is weak, or
  the caster succeeds with a Demolitions skill roll, the
  spell could topple a skyscraper.
  Casting the spell takes at least 5 minutes. The spell
  must be performed at a precise place in the city to tap
  into and direct the full power of the Grid, and must be
  cast at a particular time (such as midnight, or when
  the full Moon is highest in the sky). As a consequence
  of this, it can only be cast once per day. The particular
  place, time and Foci must be determined anew for each
  target, demanding a KS: Urban Magic skill roll for each
  use of the spell. If the caster fails, the Grid short cir-
  cuits and does something spectacularly nasty and un-
  predictable, with the caster in the center of it. This
  should be a disaster of Biblical proportions.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  5d6 RKA, Variable Special Effect
  (+½), Indirect (+¾), No Range
  Modifier (+½), 20" Radius AE
  (+1), Must be Cast at Correct
  Place and Time (-1), 5 minutes Extra
  Time (-2), 1 Charge (-2), Costs END,
  Gestures, Incantation, OAF (varies),
  Concentrate ½ DCV, Must Make KS:
  Urban Magic Skill Roll (-½), c. 140
  point Side Effect: GM’s Choice
  (-½) [281]
  28
  Alchemy
  High-housed within the Alchemic Citadel,
  We are served by Azoth and by Alkahest.
  Out of the gleamless mire and sand we make
  Pactolian metal. Fumed from our alembics
  The world dissolves like vapors opium wrought…
  —Clark Ashton Smith, “Soliloquy
  in an Ebon Tower”
  The alchemist is a special sort of wizard. Alchemists
  try to exploit the supposed occult virtues of natural
  substances, concentrating and combining them into
  new substances with magic powers; this is Natural
  Magic in its purest form. The best-known goal of al-
  chemy was the Philosopher’s Stone, which could turn
  lead into gold. The Elixer of Life, which cured all dis-
  ease and made one immortal, was nearly as famous.
  Alchemy was independently invented in Egypt, then
  India and China. The first alchemy consisted of reci-
  pes for creating colored metal alloys and fake gems.
  Success led the alchemists to seek more ambitious
  transformations: if they could change a metal’s color,
  why couldn’t they change its properties completely—
  and turn lead into gold? In China, the alchemists tried
  to go beyond medicines for specific ailments to a uni-
  versal medicine that would prevent age and death it-
  self.
  For centuries, alchemy relied on purely physical and
  chemical processes to change the form of matter, such
  as heating, mixing, dissolving and distilling. As long
  as the alchemists kept discovering new chemical tech-
  niques and reagents, the art flourished. In this way,
  European alchemists laid the foundations of modern
  chemistry and pharmacy. Occultism entered alchemy
  simply because it was the only theory around to ex-
  plain the world—and no clear line was yet drawn be-
  tween natural and supernatural influences. Making
  properly clear glass, for instance, was thought to de-
  pend as much on the phase of the Moon as the right
  mixture of ingredients.
  The chief occult theories adopted by the alchemists
  were astrology and the Doctrine of Signatures. Astrol-
  ogy claimed that for any operation, from shoeing a
  horse to fighting a war, some arrangements of the plan-
  ets were good and some were bad. What’s more, there
  were mysterious affinities between the planets and vari-
  ous metals, jewels, plants, animals, symbols, perfumes
  and even diseases. The Doctrine of Signatures claimed
  that visible forms revealed occult virtues. Thus, by as-
  trology and the Doctrine of Signatures, to treat heart
  disease one needed an herb with heart shaped leaves,
  administered when Mars (which governed blood and
  the heart) was in a favorable conjunction. Alchemists
  combined lab work and magic in hybrid operations
  such as heating a substance in a crucible decorated with
  planetary symbols, or distilling a liquid seven times
  while the Moon was in Pisces. At first, however, the
  astrological side of alchemy was not considered magi-
  cal: the influence of the planets and the Zodiac was
  
  140
  considered natural and automatic, like the influence
  of the Moon over the tides.
  In India, alchemy died out after only a few centu-
  ries. In China and Europe the art began to wither in
  the 17th century AD. The search for the Philosopher’s
  Stone produced much fraud but little gold. In China,
  alchemists thought that compounds of mercury and
  arsenic were the key to immortality. Emperor after
  Emperor died of self-administered poison: so much
  for the Elixer of Life. In both cultures, the wealthy elite
  which had kept the alchemists in business realized they
  were wasting their time and money. The rise of sci-
  ence gave new alternatives to magic. As early as the
  16th century, the alchemist and doctor Paracelsus
  called gold making a delusion and urged that alche-
  mists should turn to pharmacy. After 1800, only a few
  crackpots still believed in alchemy.
  At least, that’s the public story.
  Many alchemists were no more than con men. Many
  more honestly believed that turning lead into gold was
  just a matter of cooking the right stuff the right way. A
  few, however, pushed beyond astrology to the secret
  lore of Hermetic and Taoist ritual magic. They com-
  bined sorcery with their own studies of matter to cre-
  ate a new mystic art. Lead into gold? Feh! They could
  change matter into magic, and Man into God!
  The new breed of alchemists could have revolution-
  ized the world. They created magic in a bottle, ready
  for anyone to use. Because of three factors, they did
  not.
  First, the wealthy nobles who supported alchemical
  research weren’t interested. The princes of Europe
  wanted gold. The Chinese mandarins wanted immor-
  tality. That was all. Nobody wanted to hear that al-
  chemy could have other uses. Even Paracelsus’ modest
  suggestion of alchemical pharmacy was scorned by
  everyone but a few other alchemists: acknowledged in
  his life as the greatest healer in Europe, he neverthe-
  less lived in constant poverty.
  Second, Renaissance Europe was a dangerous time
  for sorcerers. This was the age of the witch hunts.
  Church dogma said that all magic came from the Devil.
  A sorcerer who showed his powers to the wrong per-
  son could face prison, torture and death. Neither Prot-
  estant nor Catholic witch-hunters cared about the tech-
  nical differences between witchcraft, sorcery or Her-
  metic alchemy. By the time it was safe for sorcerers to
  show their faces again, the whole idea of alchemy had
  sunk into disgrace. Magical alchemy has remained a
  secret art even by the standards of the occult world.
  Finally, as for China, change simply wasn’t allowed.
  No one would even think of making magic available
  to the common people. After all, peasants were expend-
  able, as decreed by Heaven. Improving their lives
  wouldn’t just be a waste of time, it might even be blas-
  phemy. Taoist alchemy remained a secret held by a few
  priests and magicians: to the common folk, alchemi-
  cal magic was just another wonder tale.
  Magic Theory
  Sorcerous alchemy assumes that all substances have
  magical properties as well as physical and chemical
  properties. These magical properties, however, are very
  weak in their natural state. Through ritualistic labora-
  tory processes, the alchemist concentrates the occult
  virtues of ingredients and combines them to further
  strengthen and shape their effect. The final product
  remains matter, but matter charged with intense spiri-
  tual force. This concentrated magic can be used by
  anyone. (With a bit less effort, the alchemist can make
  a less refined product that only he or she can trigger;
  i.e. an ordinary Power on a Focus, without the special
  Power Modifiers of true alchemy.)
  Powers And Modifiers
  Alchemists can create potions and items for nearly
  any effect, using nearly any Power. Alchemy is defined,
  to an unusual extent, by Advantages and Limitations.
  Foci
  In game terms, alchemy is a style of magic which
  utterly depends on Expendable Foci, and usually
  Charges as well. The alchemist cooks up his Foci in
  the lab, and uses up a bit of each Focus whenever the
  power is used: a dose of potion is imbibed, a powder
  sprinkled, a capsule thrown. Foci take quite a long time
  (at least a few days) to produce from strange and per-
  haps rare or costly ingredients. Without appropriate
  lab facilities and ingredients, alchemists cannot restore
  their Charges. For most of an alchemist’s “spells” a -¼
  Limitation, “Expendable,” tacks onto the Focus Limi-
  tation. The Focus in turn is usually Accessible, and
  Obvious to other wizards at least, even if a little Sleight
  of Hand can conceal its use.
  Charges
  Charges are an easy Limitation to handle for ordi-
  nary Instant powers such as a Healing/BODY Aid po-
  tion or an alchemical grenade. A bit of the Focus is
  used up, the Power triggers and a Charge has been ex-
  pended. Continuous powers such as Armor or Invis-
  ibility can be bought using Charges with duration.
  Alchemical Foci which permit one to use an Instant
  power at will for a limited period of time, such as a
  potion that for one hour confers the power to read
  minds, are less obvious. One option is to give the power
  an ad-hoc Limitation, “Only Usable Within Period
  After Expend Focus” certainly worth no more than a -
  ¼ Limitation for a 1 hour period of use, with no bo-
  nus for Charges.
  Inappropriate Limitations
  The way that alchemical Foci are prepared in ad-
  vance through long procedures might make Extra Time
  and Delayed Effect seem necessary, but actually nei-
  ther is appropriate for alchemy in superheroic cam-
  paigns. Since the long work of cooking up Foci will
  usually be done between adventures, the time this takes
  
  141
  isn’t worth a Limitation. The inconvenience is ad-
  equately represented by the -¼ “Expendable” Limita-
  tion. Without the Extra Time, the “Delayed Effect”
  Advantage loses any purpose.
  Standard Advantages
  Alchemical spells might be usable only by the alche-
  mist. Alchemy is most distinguished from other magic,
  however, when its products can be passed around to
  other people. The familiar “magic potion” is the clas-
  sic example. If alchemical magic only occurs as a plot
  device for villains and minions—they carry a potion
  like VIPER agents carry guns—the magic can be treated
  as a Universal Focus magic item. If one introduces an
  actual alchemist character, however, one might want
  to explicitly recognize alchemical magic as powers that
  can be stored and shared with other people. “Usable
  by Others x1” (+¼) and “Trigger” (+¼) represent this
  quite well: the alchemist “casts the spell” in the lab,
  and can then pass around Charges of it for other people
  to Trigger and use. No matter how many Charges are
  in the power, obviously each Charge can only be used
  by one person, either the caster or somebody else.
  Do remember, though, that a character who can loan
  their powers out to other characters can have drastic
  effects on a campaign. If one character in a group can
  make the other characters invisible, or boost their de-
  fenses, characteristics or powers, effectively the other
  characters have a bunch of powers they never paid
  points for. GMs should carefully scrutinize alchemist
  characters for anything which would make their group
  too powerful. This goes for NPC alchemists in villain
  teams, too! And only a fool would let a PC get an al-
  chemist Follower who would cheerfully hand out new
  powers to all his boss’ buddies.
  Power Frameworks
  When building an alchemist character, one must
  consider that some alchemy “spells” are to be used on
  oneself to give continuing effects, while others are to
  be used directly on others and are either Instant ef-
  fects or are Uncontrolled and can be left to their own
  devices. One solution is to use more than one
  Multipower, one for self affecting “potions” and one
  for alchemical “weapons.” They cannot be placed in
  one Multipower because otherwise throwing a stink
  bomb (one slot in the Multipower) would deactivate
  one’s Potion of Invulnerability (another slot in the
  Multipower).
  Having more than one Multipower might seem ex-
  pensive, but Limitations on the Multipower point re-
  serve cut costs a lot. All alchemical spells are based on
  Expendable, Obvious Accessible Foci. By the strictest
  interpretation of the rules an alchemy Multipower
  shouldn’t take this Limitation on the point reserve as
  well as the slots because each slot of the Multipower is
  a different Focus. Since there are many ways an alche-
  mist could be disarmed of all his potions at once, how-
  ever, forbidding the Limitation on the point reserve
  would be needlessly strict. An alchemist’s many po-
  tions, pills and powders still act like a single Focus, so
  it’s entirely fair to Limit the Multipowers as if they were
  bought through a single Focus—an Expendable one
  at that. With the cost of each point reserve more than
  cut in half, two Multipowers become quite affordable.
  Alternatively, one can buy an Alchemy Power Pool.
  With a Power Pool, the problem of keeping a “potion”
  effect running while attacking with an alchemical
  “weapon” disappears. Power Pools, however, do have
  problems of their own.
  Disadvantages Of Alchemy
  Alchemists may take a fairly hefty Magic Limitation.
  Alchemy can achieve nearly any effect, but carries
  major weaknesses. Although alchemists can still ac-
  quire and use magic items and artifacts, having to cast
  all their own spells through Expendable, Accessible Foci
  is always greatly limiting (from running out of Charges
  and the time and expense of recharging). The result is
  a 15 point Magic Style Restriction. Alchemy imposes
  no other Disadvantages.
  Style Notes
  Alchemical potions, pills and powders can produce
  nearly any effect. Alchemical magic is distinctive,
  though, for producing physical (including energy) ef-
  fects. For instance, Desolid spirits are not affected by
  alchemical attacks unless the attack has Affects Desolid.
  Alchemy hardly ever produces mental or spiritual ef-
  fects directly. Instead, a potion gives its imbiber men-
  tal powers.
  Trigger Methods
  There are many possible ways to activate alchemical
  magic. A certain well-known fantasy roleplaying game
  has popularized the potion, a liquid one drinks to trig-
  ger its effects, but there are other options. Some nasty
  alchemical attacks—drugs, poisons and the like—
  might need to be unwittingly consumed by the vic-
  tim, or could be delivered by syringe or dart. Sprinkled
  powders are another possibility. So are oils or lotions,
  pills, pellets and capsules, liquids sprayed from an at-
  omizer or squirt gun, or even cupcakes with “Eat me”
  written on the top in frosting.
  Sample Alchemical
  Magic
  In the real world, the legends of alchemy are pretty
  much limited to gold making, magic medicine, magic
  poisons, and potions to turn people into animals or
  monsters, like Circe used in the Odyssey. Fortunately,
  fiction is broader than legend.
  Alchemical magic divides into three sections. The
  first, referred to as “Potions” for its most famous form,
  confers some magical power on the user. “Other Items”
  are treated more like normal Foci: they are used di-
  rectly on another person or the environment to create
  an effect. Finally, alchemists can buy minor “Lab work
  
  142
  Spells” to help them in their work. Unlike other al-
  chemical magic, Lab work Spells don’t require Expend-
  able Foci on Charges, but they are very weak.
  As always, the examples provided are just that: ex-
  amples, chosen to illustrate whole ranges of possibili-
  ties.
  Potions
  These examples of self-affecting “potions” have three
  power levels. Some are minor effects built on 30 Ac-
  tive Points. The majority are built on the game stan-
  dard 60-some Active Points, although since most of
  them carry the Usable By Others and Trigger Advan-
  tages their real value is somewhat less. Finally, a few
  examples are given of potions built on about 90 Active
  Points. These potent potions can be a villainous
  alchemist’s “ultimate weapon” or a non-combat effect
  useful in advancing plots.
  An alchemist could build a Potion Multipower with
  a 90-some point reserve and buy one or two special,
  90 point slots and numerous 60 point and 30 point
  slots. This lets them use more than one potion at once,
  but only one major effect on themselves.
  Other users of an alchemist’s potions must abide by
  the same use limitations as the alchemist themself. Just
  as a potion’s creator cannot use more than one major
  potion effect (a Multipower slot) going at once, nei-
  ther can anyone else. Changing a Multipower slot is
  changing a Multipower slot, even with Charges of ef-
  fect that can be passed around.
  Offensive Potions
  Potion Of Strength
  This is just one simple example of a self-enhancing
  potion. Other variations could boost the user’s DEX,
  SPD, REC, STUN, Running or whatever.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  +20 STR, Use by Other x1, Trigger:
  Ingest, Expendable OAF, 4 chgs
  of 5 minutes (-0), No Figured
  Chars (-½) [30]
  [4c]
  Potion Of Domination
  This potion temporarily grants the ability to influ-
  ence the minds of other people. In this case there are
  no Charges. Instead there is a period in which the
  potion’s user has this power; the user must still delib-
  erately turn on the Power and expend some END.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  7d6 Mind Control, ½ END, Usable
  by Other x1, Trigger: Ingest,
  Expendable OAF, Power Usable
  for 1 Hour (-¼) [61]
  3
  Potion Of Earth Control
  Made from rare minerals and bits of the body of an
  earth elemental, this potion grants the power to ani-
  mate soil and rock. Like the Potion of Domination,
  the Powers granted can be used for 1 hour.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  Multipower (60 pt pool),
  Expendable OAF, Powers
  Usable for 1 Hour (-¼)
  2u
  23 STR TK, ½ END, Usable by
  Others x1, Trigger: Ingest, Only vs,
  Earth/Stone & Things in Contact
  (-½) [59]
  3
  2u
  4d6 Entangle, Usable by Other x1,
  Trigger: Ingest, Only vs. Targets Near
  Earth/Stone (-½) [60]
  6
  Potion Of Immolation
  This is an example of a variant potion. It could be
  shared around like a regular potion, or treated as a
  personal magic item. The latter version permits a more
  powerful effect because no Active Points are being
  spent on making the Power be usable by others. Here,
  these two versions are represented as Multipower slots.
  If an alchemist wants just the personal-use version, this
  can be justified by saying that only a person with ex-
  perience at magical forces can rouse the energies stored
  in the potion.
  In this potion, the effect stored is an aura of flame
  which doesn’t harm the user or their possessions, but
  will harm anyone else who comes into contact with
  the user. Many other potions can be treated this way.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  Multipower (60 pt pool),
  Expendable OAF, 6 chgs of 1
  minute (-0)
  [6c]
  3u
  2d6 RKA, Damage Shield, Usable
  by Other x1, Trigger: Ingest [60]
  3u
  2 ½d6 ERKA, Damage Shield [60]
  Divine Dragon Elixer
  This is an example of a really powerful potion. This
  potion changes whoever takes it into a dragon, with
  full powers: armored scales, flight, claws and fangs, the
  works. The original Chinese version turned one into a
  Chinese dragon, with magic powers over wind and
  water; a European version would turn one into a Eu-
  ropean style, fire breathing dragon.
  Obviously, many variations on this potion are pos-
  sible. The Transform doesn’t even have to be into a
  monster; the potion’s user could simply gain great
  power in some way from the Transform. A whole ad-
  venture could be built around an evil alchemist’s at-
  tempts to get the exotic ingredients needed for a po-
  tion like this, with a fight against the transformed al-
  chemist at the climax. Fortunately, a potion’s effects
  are always temporary. An hour after taking the potion,
  the villain changes back and loses the added powers.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  25
  2d6+1 Transform to Dragon,
  Cumulative, Uncontrolled, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger, Expendable OAF,
  1 Chg of 1 turn (-1 ¼) [87]
  [1c]
  
  143
  Defensive Potions
  Invisibility Potion
  Invisibility is one of the more common powers
  claimed for wizards of all sorts, and it’s a power that is
  always in demand for illicit purposes. Never mind the
  adulterous trysts and other pranks, though; both he-
  roes and villains might use an Invisibility Potion to
  sneak around, steal things and escape from their en-
  emies.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  Invisibility vs. All Vision, No Fringe,
  Usable by Other x1, Trigger: Ingest,
  Expendable OAF, 4 chgs of 5
  minutes (-0) [60]
  [4c]
  Potion Of Shrinking
  Being small can be useful in many ways. This po-
  tion shrinks its user to between 4 and 5 inches tall.
  Not only does this make the user very hard to locate
  and hit, it lets them reach many places blocked to nor-
  mal-size folk. Best of all, any Foci carried will shrink
  along with the user, so a shrunken alchemist can still
  use their arsenal of alchemical weapons.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  24
  40 pts Shrinking, Use by Other x1,
  Trigger: Ingest, Expendable OAF, 3
  chgs of 1 hour (-0), Cannot Stop Until
  Charge Duration Ends (-¼) [60]
  [3c]
  Potion Of Steel Skin
  This potion temporarily makes one highly resistant
  to most normal forms of damage by turning one’s skin
  into flexible, living steel.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  28
  Armor (14 PD, 14 ED), Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Ingest, Expendable
  OAF, 4 chgs of 5 minutes (-0) [63]
  [4c]
  Miscellaneous Potions
  Elixer Of Ascent Into The Roseate Clouds
  This product of Taoist alchemy will move whoever
  takes it to the Celestial Emperor’s court in the dimen-
  sion of Elysium. The effect is that the person rises into
  the air and vanishes among pink-glowing clouds.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  9
  EDM to Elysium, Use by Other x1,
  Trigger: Ingest, Expendable OAF [30]
  [4c]
  Fragrance Presentation Elixer
  This odd Chinese potion pill temporarily grants one
  a sense of smell so keen and accurate that it’s as good
  as vision for finding one’s way around—or for fight-
  ing.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  13
  Targeting Sense on Smell, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Ingest, Expendable
  OAF, 3 chgs of 1 hour (-0) [30]
  [3c]
  Snake Oil
  This proverbial potion is like the Strength potion
  described above, but it acts on Presence instead, mak-
  ing its user incredibly persuasive.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  +20 PRE, Usable by Other x1,
  Trigger: Ingest, Expendable OAF,
  3 chgs of 1 hour (-0) [30)
  [3c]
  Winged Flight Potion
  This potion, known both East and West, temporarily
  grants the power to fly by making great feathered wings
  sprout from the ingester’s shoulders. This may present
  minor inconveniences. Two versions are given. Versions
  of this potion which simply levitate the imbiber are
  more common, but less colorful; one such is the fa-
  mous “Supernatural Flight Elixer of Grandee Chang.”
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  10" Flight, Use by Other x1, Trigger:
  Ingest, Expendable OAF, 3 chgs of
  1 hour (-0), Restrainable (-½) [30]
  [3c]
  or
  23
  14" Flight, ½ END, Use by Other
  x1, Trigger: Ingest, Uncontrolled,
  Expendable OAF, 3 chgs of 1 hour,
  Restrainable (-½) [63]
  [3c]
  Azoth
  Few alchemical products will make more friends for
  an alchemist than this one, the Life Principle suppos-
  edly isolated by Paracelsus. Azoth instantly heals even
  mortal wounds, as long as the person who uses the
  potion is still alive. Properly administered, it can work
  an even greater marvel and restore life to dead tissue.
  Alas, Azoth can only revive bodies, not minds and souls.
  If used on a very fresh cadaver the mind may be quite
  similar to what the person had before, but won’t be
  identical (i.e. a PC resurrected by Azoth will actually
  be a brand new character, with no Experience Points.)
  If the body has been dead more than a few minutes,
  the result will be either a mindless husk or a totally
  unexpected consciousness (like, say, a demon).
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  19
  Multipower (62 pt pool), Expendable
  OAF (-1 ¼)
  [4c]
  2u
  8d6 BODY Aid, Use by Other (+¼),
  Trigger: Ingest (+¼), Only to
  Restore Lost BODY (-½) [60]
  2u
  1 x 100 pt Summon, Var: Any
  Dead Thing Restored to Life (+¼),
  Only Revives Body, Not Mind/Soul
  (-½) [62]
  Golden Flower Elixer
  This marvelous potion pill temporarily grants the
  ability to read minds. To the target of the Telepathy,
  the user’s face seems to radiate tendrils of golden light.
  As with the Domination and Earth Control potions
  above, each Charge simply grants the ability to use the
  potion’s Power for a given time span.
  
  144
  More 
  Chinese
  Elixers
  The Chinese elixer
  names in the main
  text are all real, even
  if their effects are
  from the author’s
  imagination. The
  names are taken
  from a Chinese
  alchemist’s recipe
  book, the Tan Ching
  Yao Chueh of Sun Ssu
  Mo, translated with
  extensive commen-
  tary by Nathan Sivin.
  Sun Ssu Mo gives a
  long list of various
  “Immortality
  Elixers,” with recipes
  for several of them.
  As inspiration, here
  are some more
  elixers with evocative
  names from Master
  Sun’s list:
  Grand Unity Jade
  Powder Elixer
  Fine Day Elixer
  Grand Unity Spirit
  S u m m o n i n g
  Elixer
  Elixer of the Four
  Wonderful Sub-
  stances
  Elixer for Salvation
  from Distress
  Wonderful Metamor-
  phosis Elixer
  Scarlet Snow and
  Flowing 
  Pearl
  Elixer
  Beaming Moonlight
  Elixer
  Scarlet 
  Brilliance
  Elixer
  Nine Cauldron Elixer
  of the Yellow Em-
  peror
  Liquid Gold and Jade
  Flower Elixer
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  7d6 Telepathy, ½ END, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Ingest, Expendable
  OAF, 4 chgs of 5 minutes (-0), Cost
  END [61]
  [4c]
  Potion Of Animal Form
  This potion lets the imbiber take the form of any
  animal, including hybrid forms such as griffins or uni-
  corns, but one keeps the same mass. Whether “non-
  magical” abilities such as wing-based Flight or a small
  Killing Attack come with the new shape is up to the
  GM. One can choose whatever shape one pleases on
  taking the potion, but cannot assume any other shape
  until the potion’s effect ends an hour later (or when
  one ingests another potion). This includes one’s natu-
  ral shape—if the animal form chosen becomes incon-
  venient, one cannot resume human form at will.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  Shape Shift: Any Animal Form, Use
  by Other, Trigger: Ingest, Expendable
  OAF, 3 chgs of 1 hour (-0), Must Stick
  With First Shape Chosen (-½) [30]
  [3c]
  Philter Of Ultimate Wisdom
  Well, not quite, but this potent drug will enable its
  user to enter a trance and contact powerful entities on
  one of Earth’s astral shadows. One version might put
  the user in touch with the “Great Powers” of The Land
  of Legends, while another version might enable con-
  tact with the “Great Powers” of the Netherworld. The
  Philter gives up to 5 minutes of mental contact.
  6d6 of Mind Scan might seem insufficient to locate
  high EGO pantheon leaders, demon kings, archangels
  or whatever, especially since these beings always have
  Mental Defense. One may assume, though, that these
  big shots are usually interested in contacting people
  on Earth. Once they feel the philter user’s mind in the
  area, they drop their Mental Defense. After that, the
  user only has to roll higher than the target’s EGO once
  to establish the Mind Link.
  Someone who uses the Philter doesn’t have to specify
  a particular being as a target. Instead they can simply
  cast their mind out with an invitation to make con-
  tact. Of course, this can present certain dangers, espe-
  cially if the user doesn’t know which dimension will
  be searched…
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  6d6 Mind Scan, Transdimensional
  (+½), Usable by Other x1, Trigger:
  Ingest; + Mind Link x1 to “Great
  Powers,” Any Distance/Dimension,
  Usable by Other x1, Trigger,
  Expendable OAF, 1 Charge of 5
  Minutes (-¾), Concentrate 0 DCV
  Constant (-1) [90]
  [1c]
  Other Items
  Any product of alchemy that isn’t used on oneself is
  simply an “Other Item.” The examples shown below
  all carry the “Usable by Other” and “Trigger” Advan-
  tages for consistency’s sake, but if an alchemist char-
  acter is never going to hand these items out for other
  people to use, these Advantages can be dropped and
  the Active Points made up by increasing the item’s base
  effect.
  Offensive Items
  Alkahest
  According to some alchemists, making the
  Philosopher’s Stone could only be done by first mak-
  ing a substance called Alkahest, the Universal Solvent.
  Alkahest could dissolve any form of matter. (How one
  would keep Alkahest from dissolving its container
  never seems to have been recorded.)
  Hermetic alchemists succeeded in making Alkahest
  centuries ago. Alkahest, they have learned, is not quite
  a universal solvent; there are a few rare substances (also
  the product of alchemy) that it can’t affect. Nor can
  Alkahest dissolve through force fields, which are not
  made of matter. Nevertheless, few alchemists are will-
  ing to try storing Alkahest; instead they prepare two
  liquids which will become Alkahest when combined.
  Not only is diluted Alkahest a powerful laboratory
  tool, concentrated Alkahest is a fearsome weapon. Pure
  Alkahest can dissolve thousands of times its mass; a
  few ounces can dissolve a tank and eat a crater in the
  ground before it is neutralized. One had better be care-
  ful when preparing and handling the capsules of proto
  Alkahest; any accident could be deadly…
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  1d6 RKA, BODY NND: Force
  Field (+2), Uncontrolled, Usable
  by Other x1, Trigger: Mix Capsules
  and Throw, Expendable OAF, 6 chgs
  of 1 minute (-0) [60]
  [6c]
  Congealed Frost Elixer
  This powder must be kept in tightly sealed vials. To
  use it, a vial of elixer is uncapped and thrown as far
  away as possible. The powder explodes in a burst of
  snow and icy fog, creating a zone of more-than-Arctic
  cold that will quickly incapacitate anyone who isn’t
  specifically protected against cold.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  3d6 EB, NND: LS: Cold (+1),
  Uncontrolled, Use by Other x1,
  Trigger: Throw, 5" Radius AE (+1),
  Expendable OAF, 6 chgs of 1 minute
  (-0) [60]
  [6c]
  
  145
  Demon-Expelling Pellets
  Since evil spirits might interfere with delicate al-
  chemical operations, Chinese alchemists developed
  these exorcistic pellets compounded from stinking, ir-
  ritating and toxic substances. Burning one creates a
  cloud of smoke that will force any spirit in the area to
  leave quickly. It’s none too pleasant for any humans,
  either, but not actually damaging.
  The original version of these pellets had to be burned
  in a brazier of charcoal. Modern science has supplied
  an improvement: nowadays, Demon-Expelling Pellets
  can be tipped with the same mixture of chemicals used
  in matches, so they can be ignited by scratching them
  against any rough surface.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  ½d6 RKA, BODY AVLD: Power
  Defense (+2 ½), Penetrating,
  Uncontrolled, Use by other x1,
  Trigger: Ignite, 5" Radius AE (+1),
   Expendable OAF, 6 chgs of 1 minute
  (-0) (60)
  [6c]
  Fiendish Poison
  This insidious toxin will kill just about anything in
  a minute or less. It has the disadvantage that it takes
  effect mere seconds after the victim consumes the poi-
  son; this means that it’s very obvious that the victim
  was poisoned and may not give the poisoner a chance
  to get away.
  The Fiendish Poison is neither ranged nor non-
  ranged. It only works if the victim swallows the poi-
  son, making it useless in combat. The poison does have
  a distinctive taste and odor, but in some strongly-fla-
  vored food this won’t be noticed by anyone who doesn’t
  have Discriminatory Smell. It can be tasted in wine,
  beer, soda or other beverages with a normal PER Roll—
  but then it’s too late.
  The poison’s progress is very swift. If a Paramedic
  Roll is made in the first Turn after the poison takes
  effect, the victim takes no further damage: the victim
  has been induced to vomit up the poison. On the sec-
  ond Turn of effect, the Paramedic roll to stop the poi-
  son is at -2; on the third Turn, at -4; and so on. Even if
  the poison is stopped, the victim may still die because
  of Bleeding effects.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  1d6 RKA, BODY NND: Immunity
  (+2), Usable by Other x1, Trigger:
  Victim Ingests, Uncontrolled,
  Expendable OAF, 6 chgs of
  1 Minute (-0), Use Restrictions
  (-½) [60]
  [6c]
  Spirit-Returning Elixer
  This shimmering powder is compounded from sub-
  stances traditionally believed to be hostile to the spirit
  world. Tossing it on a spirit may force the spirit to re-
  turn to its own dimension.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  21
  14d6 Dispel vs. Summon, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Throw,
  Expendable OAF [63]
  [6c]
  Wizard Glue
  This alchemical adhesive makes a pretty good trap.
  The Wizard Glue consists of a thick liquid which is
  brushed onto a surface. Each Charge of Wizard Glue
  is enough to cover a full Hex of surface. Then the sur-
  face is lightly dusted with a fine powder. Any sharp
  impact (such as a footfall) will make the Wizard Glue
  set instantly, trapping whatever was touching it that
  Phase. If several people run through a patch of Wiz-
  ard Glue on the same Phase, the glue will trap all of
  them.
  Since the Wizard Glue can be brushed quite thin, it
  may appear like nothing more than a slight discolora-
  tion or dampness on the treated surface. An area
  trapped with Wizard Glue is easy to spot if one searches
  for it deliberately; if not, it may be noticed with a Con-
  cealment roll (possibly at minuses for bad lighting) or
  a PER Roll at -5.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  3d6 Entangle, 1 Hex AE, Usable by
  other x1, Trigger: Surface Touched,
  Expendable OAF, Only immobilizes
  the body part touching area (-1), 1
  turn Extra Time to use (-1) [60]
  [4c]
  Essential Salts
  A long and complicated alchemical process, first
  described by the scholar Borellus, takes the body of a
  living (or once-living) thing and reduces it to a pow-
  der. This powder can be activated by other substances
  or magic words to reconstitute the former entity.
  As with Azoth, restoring minds and souls has proved
  far more difficult than restoring bodies; animal in-
  stincts and reflexes survive the reduction to Essential
  Salts, but memories and other aspects of true person-
  ality are lost. The only known solutions to the mind
  loss problem involve pacts with powerful and evil spir-
  its. Still, an alchemist can store a whole zoo in a small
  spice rack through the use of this spell, and call up the
  creatures on demand.
  Theoretically, a revived creature could be returned
  to its Essential Salts, stored and re-used, but in prac-
  tice this is seldom possible and Essential Salts remain
  Expendable.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  1 x 100 pt Summon Animal, Var:
  Any Animal (+¼), Usable by Other
  x1, Trigger: Add Reconstituting
   Agent, Expendable OAF [87]
  [4c]
  Defensive Items
  Egg Of Night
  This is nothing more than an alchemical smoke
  bomb. Unlike smoke grenades produced by orthodox
  chemistry, the smoke from an Egg of Night will also
  block magic detection.
  An Egg of Night is just a large pellet about the size
  of a fat almond. Any sudden, hard impact will set them
  off which is a good argument for keeping them in a
  padded pouch.
  Eightfold Luminos-
  ity Elixer
  White Snow Elixer
  of Master Mao
  Elixer of Meteors’
  Halting at the
  Moon
  Dark Pearl Elixer of
  the Emperor of
  the North
  Elixer of Fright at
  the Falling of the
  Moon
  Immortal 
  Child
  Elixer
  
  146
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  22
  2" radius Darkness vs. Detect Magic
   & All Vision, Usable by Other x1,
  Trigger: Sharp Impact, Uncontrolled,
  Expendable OAF, 4 Chgs of 1 turn
  (-½) [60]
  [4c]
  Miscellaneous Items
  Scrying Oil
  This iridescent oil can let anyone “scry” scenes far
  away. All one has to do is pour the oil into still water
  and stare into the shimmering swirls. The Oil will show
  what’s happening at that moment at any location one
  thinks about, as long as it is within range.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  Clairsentience: Normal Vision, x16
  Range (6.4 km/4 mi.), Usable by
  Other x1, Trigger: Pour in Water and
  Stare, Expendable OAF, 3 Chgs of 1
  minute (-¾), Concentrate 0 DCV
  Constant (-1) [60]
  [3c]
  Philosopher’s Stone
  By the time the Hermetic Alchemists found a reli-
  able recipe for the Philosopher’s Stone that would turn
  base metals into gold, such transmutations were no
  longer a major field of interest. The Philosopher’s Stone
  is still one of the more difficult products for an alche-
  mist to attempt, but many modern alchemists support
  themselves by gold-making. Even those who don’t
  make the Philosopher’s Stone themselves can trade
  with alchemists who do. Selling alchemical gold takes
  some discretion, however, because the Transform
  which makes the gold can be reversed by certain con-
  ditions (such as contact with reasonably pure iron).
  The Philosopher’s Stone isn’t actually a lump of rock.
  The historical accounts of alchemy claim that the
  “Stone” was actually a reddish or ocher powder. This
  form was also called the Powder of Projection, a name
  the author has never seen explained. Most accounts
  say that lead was changed to gold by heating it in a
  sealed crucible with a tiny amount of this powder.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  2 ½d6 Transform (lead to gold),
  Usable by Other x1, Trigger: Heat
  with Lead, Expendable OAF, 0
  Range, 1 hour Extra Time (-2 ½) [60]
  [4c]
  Lab Work Spells
  Each lab work spell is explicitly given as an example
  of a class of related spells. While they were invented as
  a way to make alchemical work more “magical,” some
  lab work spells have intriguing possibilities in creative
  hands. Lab work spells are the only form of alchemi-
  cal magic which doesn’t use Expendable Charges. No
  lab work spell can go over 15 Active Points. A
  Multipower of lab work spells is very cheap, but one
  might as well just buy a Power Pool of them and be
  done with it.
  Analyze Alchemy
  This process identifies what an alchemical product
  is supposed to do. The Focus consists of small bottles
  of various tinctures, miniature wands attuned to the
  various forces of Natural Magic, and so on; a com-
  plete kit can be packed in a small satchel. While an
  analysis kit costs quite a lot, it can be used over and
  over again. Of course, a kit is useless except in the hands
  of a trained alchemist.
  Similar spells identify samples of animal, vegetable
  or mineral matter. For minerals, a wand of silver and
  magnetite is rubbed with the unknown specimen and
  held to a tablet holding samples of known minerals:
  the wand will point to the sample most like the un-
  known mineral. Vegetable or animal specimens are
  soaked in special solutions. The solution is then
  dripped onto pads of absorbent paper or felt, where it
  forms a picture of the plant or animal the sample came
  from, and blurry symbols representing the organism’s
  occult virtues. Anything beyond that is up to the
  alchemist’s own knowledge and reference books.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  2
  Detect Alchemical Magic,
  Discriminatory, OAF, 1 minute
  Extra Time (-1 ½) [8]
  Liquefy
  This spell takes a small amount of solid matter and
  renders it liquid without any application of heat. The
  substance will stay liquid for days. Alchemists use this
  spell to mix together substances which can’t usually
  be alloyed, such as metal with glass, as part of potion-
  making or experiments. (It is also a quick, safe way to
  make unusual castings, such as a ring of cast ruby.)
  The Focus is a hollow glass wand filled with the liquid
  metal quicksilver.
  Similar spells change the properties of matter in
  other ways, such as freezing liquids, crystallizing sub-
  stances that don’t naturally occur as crystals, or chang-
  ing a substance’s color to something more symboli-
  cally appropriate for a magical operation. Each such
  spell uses a wand made from something with the de-
  sired properties, such as a chalcedony wand for a freez-
  ing spell (quartz was once thought to be ice so thor-
  oughly frozen it couldn’t melt again), or wands of col-
  ored glass for a color changing spell, and so on.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  4
  1d6 Transform to liquid, OAF, 1
  minute Extra Time, 0 Range [15]
  1
  
  147
  Hybrid: Voodoo
  “Be careful what you do,
  Or Mumbo-Jumbo, God of the Congo,
  And all of the other
  Gods of the Congo,
  Mumbo-Jumbo will hoo-doo you…”
  —Vachel Lindsey, The Congo
  Actually, this section should be called “Magic of the
  Afro-American Religious Complex,” but that’s just too
  long and scholarly to endure. So this whole tangled
  mess of African-derived religion and sorcery might as
  well take the name best known to Americans: Voodoo.
  Voodoo, a mixture of Natural Magic, Ritual Magic and
  religion, may be used as a model for the folk magic of
  many tribal cultures.
  African slaves carried their religious ideas and folk
  magic to the New World. In what became the United
  States, the slaves were outnumbered by the ruling
  whites, so much of the religion was lost, overwhelmed
  by Christianity. In Brazil and the Caribbean, however,
  there might be dozens of black Africans to every white
  European, so the old ways fared better.
  To hide their beliefs from their masters, the slaves
  adopted a veneer of Catholicism, producing several
  hybrid cults: Macumba, Santeria, Voudon and many
  others. Native American beliefs quickly seasoned the
  mix. Later came bits of Spiritualism and European
  grimoire magic. The Voodoo religions are still evolv-
  ing.
  The larger, more public Voodoo sects serve the same
  magical functions as any other religion. The priest asks
  the gods to bless the members of the community, make
  them prosper, keep them from harm but to harm their
  enemies. Worshippers may consult the priest-magician
  privately for more personal goals, such as fortune tell-
  ing, a love charm or a spell to drive away evil spirits
  and curses…or a curse of their own to put on an en-
  emy. Officially, the Voodoo priests only cast hexes on
  deserving targets, but we all know how flexible ideas
  of guilt can be.
  Until recently, mainstream “white” culture tarred all
  the Voodoo religions with the same brush. Voodoo
  meant blood-crazed cultists dancing orgiastically to
  pounding drums while devil-masked priests stuck pins
  in dolls and raised zombies from the grave: “Mumbo-
  Jumbo will hoo-doo you.” Serious, unbiased studies
  of Voodoo are quite a new thing; one can understand
  why Voodooists have been reluctant to go public.
  While Voodoo ceremonies do involve drumming
  and dancing, one sees far less overt sexuality than in,
  say, the average discotheque. Sacrificed animals are
  cooked and eaten by the congregation; repugnance at
  seeing one’s dinner butchered is a peculiarly Western
  quirk. Most Voodooists are as disgusted by the thought
  of human sacrifice and magical murder as any good
  Christian, Buddhist or Secular Humanist.
  BUT
  Not all Voodooists follow such a benign path. The
  horrors of slavery, poverty and oppression made some
  people invoke powers of death, destruction and ven-
  geance instead of life and healing. From this grew more
  sinister cults, steeped in murder and sorcery. Even to-
  day, these cults keep their secrets remarkably well. In
  the 1950s, the anthropologist Lydia Cabrera discov-
  ered the vicious Abakua cult surviving in the hinter-
  lands of Cuba, decades after even the Cuban peasants
  had dismissed the cult as long extinct. In 1989, the dis-
  appearance of an American college student in
  Matamoros, Mexico led to the discovery and suppres-
  sion of another murderous Voodoo cult, which may
  have practiced Abakua. Ominously, there are reports
  that Cuba’s collapsing economy is causing a resurgence
  of Abakua in that country.
  The cults of Voodoo form a spectrum. Santeria and
  the “Rada” form of Haitian Voudon represent the be-
  nign side of Voodoo. The “Petro” branch of Voudon
  worships fiercer gods; the bokors (sorcerers) of Petro
  Voudon are quite willing to cast death-curses for their
  clients. Santeria priests warn against the necroman-
  cers of Palo Mayombe. Mayomberos concede that they
  rob graves and command ghosts, and that some
  mayomberos act as supernatural hit men, but they
  don’t kill humans in their ceremonies. The yet more
  secretive Abakua cult is rumored to do just that; cer-
  tainly the Matamoros cultists did. The Matamoros cult
  leader, Adolfo Jesus de Constanza, would torture his
  victim, perhaps skin him alive, then rip out the victim’s
  heart and drink blood from it—if possible, before the
  victim lost consciousness and died.
  Magic Theory
  Voodoo combines Spirit Magic with Natural Magic.
  Most of the practical magic claimed for real Voodoo
  practitioners combines herbs and other natural ingre-
  dients with an invocation to a god or ghost.
  All the Voodoo religions have four features in com-
  mon: spirit possession; equating African gods with
  Catholic saints; belief that all natural things have magi-
  cal power; and blood sacrifice.
  Practitioners of Voodoo believe in a complicated
  spirit world. There is a God who created the Universe,
  but he delegates the work of running the world to lesser
  spirits—the gods of Voodoo—who are called ‘orishas,’
  ‘loas’ or ‘saints.’ The spirits of the dead are also very
  important to Voodooists. All of these spirits can take
  over the bodies of willing humans. In a Voodoo wor-
  ship ceremony, the worshippers get to meet their gods
  face to face. A few will temporarily become gods. In-
  carnate through their worshippers, the gods can use
  their magic to help or harm.
  Each African god is matched with a Catholic saint
  or other religious figure. The slaves recognized features
  of their own gods in the statues and icons their mas-
  ters made them worship. They decided that the saints
  and gods were just different names for the same be-
  ings. Yemanya, blue- robed goddess of motherhood
  and the sea, was the Virgin Mary; Jesus was Obatala,
  
  148
  white-robed lord of purity; Babalu-Aye, god of heal-
  ing, was St. Lazarus. Gods and saints could even have
  different genders, as when the slaves identified St. Bar-
  bara with Chango, god of fire, lightning and justice:
  both St. Barbara and Chango were just masks the spirit
  used to make itself known to mortals.
  The power of spirits was closely linked to the magic
  of the natural world. Water, minerals, animals and es-
  pecially herbs had magical properties which a clever
  person could exploit. In Santeria, this natural magic is
  called ashe’ (ah-SHAY). Not only do Voodoo priests
  use ashe’ to help in contacting the spirits, the spirits
  can help the Voodooist turn ashe’ to more worldly
  goals. Professional Voodooists must learn the uses of a
  multitude of herbs, animal parts and other substances.
  The last core belief is related to the third. To call the
  gods and get favors from them, one must feed them
  the life-force of sacrificed animals. Actually, most reli-
  gions contain blood sacrifice in some form or another,
  but few accept the exchange of blood for power in such
  a businesslike way.
  Powers And Modifiers
  Voodoo magic is extremely Focus oriented. The Foci
  might not be noticeable, as with the drug-based magic
  which is such an important part of Voodoo, but al-
  most every power a Voodooist has will operate through
  some sort of Focus. Almost—but not necessarily all.
  A significant part of Voodoo magic consists of magi-
  cal drugs and potions. These might be written up the
  same way as Alchemy.
  Disadvantages Of Voodoo
  Voodoo is a broad, heterogeneous style. It carries
  with it only minor inconveniences. Foci are extremely
  common, but not inevitable: one cannot count on a
  Voodooist being helpless without Foci. The greatest
  problem a Voodooist faces in being a Voodooist is the
  demands of their religion. Voodooists must keep on
  the good side of their gods, who are capricious even
  when benevolent, and that takes a significant invest-
  ment of time and resources. Voodooists in America
  may endure petty harassment from neighbors who
  object to their religion, particularly animal sacrifice.
  Generic Voodoo never takes more than a 10 point
  Magic Style Restriction, although a 5 point Watched
  by Local Authorities is possible.
  Style Notes
  The magic of “real Voodoo” magic is seldom sup-
  posed to have visible effects. A cursed person gets sick
  or loses their job; a blessed person’s problems end and
  that’s it. “Fictional Voodoo” is far more lurid. Voodoo’s
  stealthy nature still accounts for much of its glamour,
  but a victim of Fictional Voodoo knows they are un-
  der attack, even if the attacking Voodooist is miles away.
  A victim doesn’t just quietly keel over from a heart
  attack; no, they hear the pulsating rhythms of the Voo-
  doo Drums pounding in their head, catch a glimpse
  of the priest in full regalia holding the doll and pin,
  and then the pain hits.
  Some Voodoo Sects
  Santeria
  This Voodoo sect originated in Cuba. Its gods, the
  orishas, come from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Its
  terminology and liturgy is in a mixture of Yoruban and
  Spanish. Cuban immigrants have spread Santeria
  through black and Hispanic communities in the US,
  and it has started to gain white converts as well. In
  Santeria the orishas are temperamental but on the
  whole benign. Its priests are called santeros. Special
  priests, called babalawos, are trained to use a complex
  fortune telling system called the Table of Ifa. By now,
  most major cities have a botanica, a shop for herbs,
  icons and other Santeria supplies.
  Voudon
  This sect comes from Haiti, with a long- established
  branch in New Orleans. Its gods, the loa, come in two
  main groups. The Rada group is based on Yoruba gods;
  they are generally benign. The Petro gods, either from
  Congo gods or invented in Haiti, are fiercer and more
  willing to help in works of vengeance and hate. The
  language of Voudon is Creole. Priests are called
  houngans, priestesses are mamans and their temples
  are houmforts. Voudon sorcerers are bokors. Accord-
  ing to anthropologist Wade Davis the most notorious
  element of Haitian Voudon, the Zombie, is quite real,
  but done through drugs rather than necromancy. Like
  Santeria, Voudon concentrates on possession by the
  gods, but with a brisker sideline in curses and
  counterspells.
  Palo Mayombe
  Also called Palo Monte. This cult derives from Congo
  tribal beliefs, by way of Cuba. Instead of gods, Palo
  employs spirits of the dead. The palero or mayombero
  invites possession by ghosts as a way to master them.
  Such spirits become the sorcerer’s agents to commit
  magical murder and give him a spirit’s invulnerability
  to harm. According to one author, not all paleros use
  their powers for evil; a few American doctors have stud-
  ied Palo because it has a vast store of medical magic as
  well. Still, the mayombero’s scepter is a human shin-
  bone wrapped in black cloth; the focus of his power,
  the nganga, is a cauldron filled with human remains
  stolen from graves, animal blood and other noxious
  ingredients.
  Umbanda
  This Brazilian cult combines traditional African and
  Catholic elements with a form of Spiritualism, in a
  rather complicated hierarchy of orishas, angels, Na-
  tive American spirits and saints. Umbanda ceremonies
  may include a seance. Umbanda has a “black magic”
  version called Quimbanda.
  
  149
  Macumba, Candomble, Batuque
  These are the older forms of Voodoo in Brazil. They
  are pretty much the same as Santeria, even to the names
  of the orishas.
  Abakua
  The most vile and vicious of the Voodoo cults de-
  rives, like Palo and Petro Voudon, from Congolese
  sources. It comes from Cuba. If the Matamoros cult
  was actually Abakua, then Abakua’s rites feature hu-
  man sacrifice of the most grotesque sort.
  In the 19th century, Abakua cultists called Ñañigos
  were greatly feared in Cuba. They were sort of a cross
  between the Mafia and the Boogyman, notorious for
  their skill at kidnapping and murder, a skill alleged to
  come from magical powers. Eventually the authorities
  suppressed the Ñañigos and they were forgotten. Ac-
  tually, like the Japanese ninja clans they had merely
  retreated into the hills, as Cabrera found out. Unfor-
  tunately for research- minded GMs, Cabrera’s work on
  these “Voodoo Ninjas” does not seem to be available
  in English.
  Obeah
  Obeah is the form which Voodoo takes in Jamaica
  and the West Indies. Obeah emphasizes practical magic
  over religious devotion. Casting and lifting curses is
  an important part of the business of an “obeah man.”
  Obeah curses are often backed up with poison.
  Sample Voodoo Spells
  There is malice, oh!
  —Voudon ritual chant
  Attack Spells
  Voodoo is full of aggressive magic; a proper bokor
  or mayombero can kill a victim six ways from Sunday,
  or so it is claimed. Yet very little of this is flashy, in-
  your-face magic—the sort a comic-book adventure
  demands. Voodoo curses work from far away, and the
  victim seems to die in an accident or from sudden ill-
  ness. Even the gods seldom use lightning bolts or other
  such gross displays of power.
  Still, there are some spells from the Voodoo tradi-
  tions which can be adapted for reasonably straight-
  forward combat. Beyond this, the magical theories,
  practices and Foci of Voodoo sects suggest more fan-
  ciful, showy spells. Even if they aren’t anthropologi-
  cally correct, they preserve the feel of Voodoo, and that’s
  what matters most.
  Domination
  The expert Voodooist has a fearsome hypnotic power
  over both spirits and their fellow men. Both can be
  commanded to do nearly anything. When a Houngan
  or Maman picks up their sacred rattle, the asson, or a
  Mayombero brandishes his shinbone scepter, the
  kisengue, wise men hope they have given no offense.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  12d6 Mind Control, OAF Symbol
  of Power [60]
  Whisk Away Spirit
  Voodoo priests know many spells to drive away evil
  spirits; it’s an important part of their trade. This spell
  uses an iruke, a ceremonial feather duster or flywhisk.
  The priest twitches the iruke at the spirit while invok-
  ing a god or two, and the spirit is whisked away—or at
  least gets a strong incentive to leave. There are several
  ways to write up this power.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  28
  Multipower (60 pt pool), OAF Iruke,
  Incantation
  3u
  13d6 Dispel vs. Summon, Affects
  Desolid (+½) [58]
  6
  2u
  4d6 Ego Attack, Affects Desolid
   (+½), Only Affects Spirits (-1) [60]
  6
  2u
  EDM to Remote Part of Astral Plane,
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged, Affects
  Desolid (+½), Only Affects Spirits
  ( 1) [60]
  6
  Zombi Astral
  According to Haitian Voudon, the human part of
  the soul, the ti bon ange, can be caught and placed in a
  pottery jar when a person dies. Normally this is done
  as part of the funeral rites, to protect the soul for a
  while before helping on its way. It is also possible to
  capture a soul and turn it into a zombi astral, a ghost
  slave. The zombi astral can be written up as a separate
  entity summoned through the jar and sent to work
  the magician’s will, or as a power.
  This example of a jarred soul has powers like a pol-
  tergeist; it moves things around as its master directs. It
  is too weak to be a significant attack by itself, but it
  can lock doors, steal unguarded Foci and do other
  things to hamper a person. Naturally, it is best used
  from far away, guided by Mind Scan. The special effect
  for the TK is a transparent phantom. The zombi astral
  can be freed by breaking its jar.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  28
  10 STR TK w/Fine Manipulation,
  BOECV (+1), ½ END, OAF [56]
  3
  Control Doll Magic
  Probably the most famous feat of Voodoo magic is
  the control doll: a little mannikin of rags, wax or clay,
  charged with a bit of the victim’s hair, clothing or nail
  clippings. It might have some graveyard dirt, bone
  shavings or herbs in its stuffing to help it work. The
  diabolical voodoo witch-doctor sticks a pin in the
  mannikin, and the victim has a heart attack. Mind con-
  trol and other powers are supposedly possible through
  the control doll as well.
  Actually the “voodoo doll” is quite rare in real voo-
  doo; it’s more a feature of European witchcraft. How-
  ever, control dolls are not unknown. What’s more, con-
  trol dolls can be used to transmit blessings as well as
  curses—but the curses are all one ever hears about.
  
  150
  A control doll is most effective when used from a
  long way away, using the doll’s magic link to the vic-
  tim to target the attacks. In such a case, voodoo sor-
  cerers can concentrate and take all the time they want
  to make the attack. Up close, victims seldom sit still
  long enough. The doll can still be used, but it becomes
  less reliable and the doll can be taken away. In effect,
  control doll spells have a Variable Limitation: from
  close up, they carry an OAF and Activation Roll; from
  far away, in which condition the doll obviously can’t
  be taken away from the sorcerer, the spells carry Extra
  Time.
  The Attacks
  This set of spells is assumed to be for a master voo-
  doo sorcerer, who doesn’t actually need something
  from the victim to cast these attacks; he or she just
  mentally concentrates on identifying the doll with the
  victim. A Voodooist who must have something from
  each victim would take a further Limitation. The sor-
  cerer can cause intense pain or actual heart attacks to
  whittle the target down, hypnotize them into working
  the sorcerer’s will like a puppet on strings, or send
  horrible hallucinations.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  Multipower (62 pt pool), 1 ½ Var
  Lim (-¾)
  3u
  Pain: 6d6 Ego Attack [60]
  6
  3u
  Heart Attack: 1d6 RKA, BODY
  BOECV (+2), Invisible Except to
  Mental (+1) [60]
  6
  3u
  Domination: 10d6 Mind Control,
  Nonverbal [62]
  6
  3u
  Puppeteering: 13 STR TK, Based on
  ECV (+1), Invisible Except to
  Mental (+1), ½ END [62]
  3
  3u
  Hallucinations: 12d6 Mental
  Illusions [60]
  6
  Remote Effect
  When casting curses, the sorcerer concentrates on
  the doll, imagining that it is the victim and the pins
  are going into the victim’s body instead of the doll’s.
  Distance is no object.
  The version given here is just a basic minimum, to
  let a Voodooist attack the average superhero if the sor-
  cerer has a fair idea where the hero will be so Mind
  Scanning won’t be too hard. A really dangerous Voo-
  doo sorcerer could (and probably should) have more
  dice of Mind Scan and more plusses to ECV. A Voo-
  doo sorcerer who really wants to do someone harm
  will try to get a Sympathetic Link to help in targeting.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  18
  7D6 Mind Scan +5 ECV 1 minute
  Extra Time (-1 ½) [45]
  3
  Sympathetic Link
  A Voodoo sorcerer’s psychic attacks are more cer-
  tain to succeed if they have something connected to
  the victim, as closely connected as possible—prefer-
  ably an actual part of the victim, such as a lock of hair,
  nail clippings or spittle. Sorcerers may go to great
  lengths to get such a relic of a victim. (This is the “Law
  of Sympathy” mentioned in the discussion of Natural
  Magic, hence a “Sympathetic Link.”)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  10
  +5 levels Any Attack ECV, Need
  Something from Target’s Body
  (-1 ½) [25]
  Drug Magic
  Priests and sorcerers in all the branches of Voodoo
  are masters of herbal medicine. Their knowledge can
  be used to harm as well as heal. Voodooists can create
  powerful magic toxins from poisonous herbs, animals
  and purely occult ingredients such as human bones
  and colored chalk. Their magic makes their drugs act
  more quickly and selectively than any real toxin.
  Typically, the drug is in the form of a powder. Voo-
  doo legend has it that it is enough to leave a packet of
  the powder near the victim’s home, or sprinkle it where
  they walk. More plausibly, the victim could ingest the
  powder. The most dramatic technique is to blow the
  powder in the victim’s face. Unless the victim is in her-
  metically sealed armor or has a suitable Force Field,
  the drug will be instantly absorbed through the skin
  and take effect. In some examples, it is assumed the
  powder is blown in the face; in others, that the powder
  can be used in several ways.
  All these powders are based on Charges, but in most
  cases no number has been given. In some cases, the
  Charges must be shared among the slots of a
  Multipower, to represent a powder that can be used in
  different ways, and sometimes one use will be a con-
  tinuing effect (Charges with Duration). For the ex-
  amples, it is usually assumed that there are enough
  charges that they do not represent a Limitation on the
  power.
  Curse Powder
  This magic dust is compounded from a variety of
  stinging and burning ingredients, such as poison ivy
  and cayenne pepper, then enchanted. The victim im-
  mediately gets an extremely painful rash, like being
  stung all over by nettles. The powder can also be puffed
  around to affect many people at once.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  31
  Multipower (62 pt pool), OAF, [chgs]
  2u
  6d6 EB, NND: Force Field (+1),
  0 Range [60]
  2u
  5d6 EB, NND: Force Field (+1),
  1 Hex AE, 0 Range [62]
  Hallucinogen Powder
  This powder is made from several herbs containing
  dangerous alkaloids, such as datura (a.k.a. zombie cu-
  cumber). Either the victim instantly has a walloping
  great hallucination, or is plagued by continuous mi-
  nor hallucinations for several minutes. The caster gets
  to select the general content of the hallucinations, too
  (something not possible with a mere drug).
  
  151
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  Multipower (60 pt pool), OAF
  2u
  12d6 Mental Illusions, 0 Range [60]
  2u
  8d6 Mental Illusions, Uncontrolled,
  0 Range, 4 chgs of 5 minutes (-0) [60]
  Paralytic Powder
  This is a quicker-acting but less effective version of
  the Zombie Powder (see below). It instantly paralyzes
  the victim when blown in their face, but the victim
  stays conscious. The sorcerer has a choice when using
  the powder, to treat this as a physical or mental En-
  tangle, based on what seems most likely to hold the
  target: the ECV Entangle will hold even the strongest
  muscleman if his will is weak, while high-EGO men-
  talists and mages can be paralyzed by the physical En-
  tangle effect.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  Multipower (60 pt pool), OAF [chgs]
  2u
  4d6 Entangle, Damage Transparent
  (+½), 0 Range [60]
  2u
  2d6 Entangle, BODY BOECV (+2),
  0 Range [60]
  Sedative Powder
  This powder simply puts the victim to sleep. Unlike
  the previous powders, its great value comes from use
  by stealth. Instead of being openly blown in the face, it
  is slipped to the victim in some secretive way: as a drug
  in their food, for instance, or a powder sprinkled in
  their shoes to be absorbed through the skin (hence the
  Ranged advantage, to reflect that the sorcerer can plant
  the powder and be far away by the time it takes effect).
  The powder will keep a person unconscious for a long,
  long time.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  34
  2d6 STUN Drain, Recover 1
  STUN/minute (+½), Ranged,
  Uncontrolled, Var Trigger (+½),
  IAF, Use Limitations (-¼), 4 chgs of 1
  minute (-0) [60]
  [4c]
  Zombie Powder
  Finally, this is the celebrated Zombie Poison discov-
  ered by anthropologist Wade Davis. Its chief chemical
  component is tetrodotoxin, obtained from either the
  puffer fish or the sea toad. The Haitian bokors who
  compound the drug, however, give credit to the shav-
  ings of human bone and the ritual of preparation. The
  version presented here inclines more to romance than
  fact.
  The Zombie Powder is not quite instantaneous, but
  will put anyone not protected by magic or a non-hu-
  man metabolism into a deathlike trance in less than a
  minute. Only a close medical examination can tell that
  the victim is still alive. Yet the victim remains conscious
  through the pronouncement of death, the nailing shut
  of the coffin, burial… The poison wears off anytime
  from 12 hours to 2 days later, at the discretion of the
  bokor. Then, the hallucinogenic Zombie Cucumber is
  used to complete the brainwashing process and turn a
  live man or woman into a mindless zombie slave.
  The Zombie Powder differs from the other magic
  dusts presented here in that it can be used by someone
  other than its creator, making it even more like a true
  product of alchemy. It can also be used in many ways
  besides being blown in the target’s face, such as being
  placed in the victim’s food.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  35
  1 ½d6 major Transform to
  Deathlike State, Use by Other (+¼),
  Var Trigger (+½), Uncontrolled,
  Hard to Dispel (+¼), IAF, 4 chgs of
  1 minute (-0), Use Restrictions (-¼)
  [62]
  [4c]
  Indirect Attack Spells
  The Voodoo traditions also include various ways to
  attack a person indirectly, by attacking their property
  or social standing: Voodooists are notorious for curses
  based on Social Transforms. A skilled Voodooist can
  make a person’s life utterly miserable.
  Bad-Luck Curse
  This is just one form of a curse to inflict bad luck on
  a person. This version comes from Palo Mayombe. It
  uses a powder compounded from poison ivy, pepper,
  the brains of a black cat and a black dog, a whole ta-
  rantula, salt, sulfur and graveyard dirt. A packet of
  powder is placed near the victim’s house, whose luck
  then turns bad.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  23
  1d6 Transform to person with 4d6
   Unluck, Cumulative, Uncontrolled, 5"
  Radius AE (+1), Indirect (+½),
  Invisible vs. Sight/Hearing (+¾),
  IAF, 1 chg of 1 minute (-1), Use
  Restrictions (-¼) [64]
  [1c]
  Fire Curse
  This curse comes from Santeria and invokes Chango,
  god of fire and lightning, to destroy a building. A mix-
  ture of several powders is wrapped in red silk and scat-
  tered on the building’s door at midnight, and then a
  photograph of the building is ritually burned in the
  flame of a red candle. Some days later, the building
  catches fire. The magic makes 1 hex worth of fire for 1
  minute; with luck, the rest of the building catches and
  burns naturally.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  1d6 RKA, Indirect (+½), 1 Hex
  AE, Trigger: Random Number of
  Days (+¼), Uncontrolled, IAF, 1
  chg of 1 minute (-1), Minor Ritual
  Conditions (-¼) [41]
  [1c]
  Job-Loss Curse
  As a final example, Voodoo priests can cast a curse
  for the specific purpose of making someone lose their
  job. This is a cosmetic Social Transform. It is targeted
  from far away, using some form of Mind Scan, analo-
  gous to the Control Doll given above. Instead of a doll,
  though, this Santeria spell uses a lemon, the sacred liq-
  uid called omiero, a powder called precipitado rojo and
  
  152
  a bird to sacrifice. The victim (and anyone else nearby)
  gets a brief vision of the santero throwing the prepared
  lemon at them while cursing them—the visual and
  auditory effect of the spell.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  13
  6d6 cosmetic Transform to
  unemployed, BOECV (+1), OAF,
  initial 1 hour Extra Time (-1 ¼),
  Incantation, Concentrate 0 DCV
  (-½), Must be Targeted via Mind
  Scan (-½) [60]
  6
  Defensive Spells
  Defensive magic is very common in Voodoo, but it
  all takes the form of amulets and exorcisms to drive
  away bad luck and evil spirits. There’s very little in the
  way of flashy defenses against open attacks, magical or
  otherwise. While Haitian folktales tell of bulletproof
  Bokors, details are sadly lacking. Here one has no choice
  but to stray further from documented Voodoo prac-
  tice.
  Amulet Of Chango
  Chango is the Yoruban god of war, lightning, fire
  and kingship. He has become one of the most popular
  and widespread of the Voodoo gods. Properly invoked,
  he will warn his devotee of harm and help them es-
  cape it. His amulet is a small pouch of red velvet stuffed
  with herbs, aloes, brown sugar and other ingredients,
  sewn shut with red thread and stuck with a tiny gilded
  sword engraved with the name of St. Barbara. The
  sword breaks when danger threatens and must be re-
  placed.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  11
  Danger Sense, Any Threat; + 4 levels
  DCV; IAF, 1 chg of 1 phase [40]
  [1c]
  Amulet Of Ogoun
  Ogoun is another Yoruban war god. He governs
  weapons and all things made of metal. One of his sym-
  bols is a smith’s hammer. Properly consecrated, a min-
  iature hammer will bring the blessings of Ogoun, pro-
  tecting the bearer from harm.
  The Amulet of Ogoun only gives a low level of in-
  vulnerability by super being standards, but it’s about
  as good as Voodoo can do. If the Amulet supplies
  enough defense that no BODY from an attack gets
  through, the attack visibly bounces. If any BODY gets
  through, the attack shows no deflection, but simply
  doesn’t do as much damage as it should have against a
  seemingly unprotected person.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Armor (6 PD, 4 ED) + 9 PD, 6 ED,
  IAF [30]
  Death-Bar Bracelet
  Santeria claims that the god Orunla, patron of di-
  viners, won a special power for his babalawo priests:
  the power to overturn fate’s grimmest decree and bar
  Death itself. A dying person can be kept alive through
  a ritual cleansing with cotton balls, cocoa butter, pow-
  dered eggshell, two white pigeons touched to the
  person’s body and then released, and Orunla’s brace-
  let of green and yellow beads. After this process, no
  one in the same room as a person wearing a conse-
  crated bracelet of Orunla can die!—Not unless the
  bracelet is taken off or the person leaves, at any rate.
  This can give a sick person a chance to recover on their
  own.
  In Haitian superstition, a powerful Houngan or
  Bokor can achieve a similar result by removing the Ti
  Bon Ange from the body and hiding it away in a bottle;
  they can do this to themselves or to others. A person
  whose Ti Bon Ange is protected this way can never die
  until their soul is freed from the bottle, although they
  can still suffer harm.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  10
  1d6 CON Aid + 1d6 BODY Aid,
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END,
  Invisible to Sight/Hearing (+¾),
  4" Radius AE (+1), Fragile IAF,
  initial 1 hour Extra Time (-1 ¼),
  initial x4 END (-¾), Only to Keep
  People Just Barely Alive (-1 ½) [47]
  Elekes
  These are the five bead necklaces of the most popu-
  lar gods of Santeria: Obatala, Eleggua, Oshun, Yemanya
  and Chango. Each necklace has its own pattern of col-
  ored beads. Properly consecrated, the necklaces grant
  the wearer limited protection from many of the sub-
  tler forms of magical attack.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  7
  Mental Defense (base 5 pts) +
  Power Defense (5 pts), IAF [10]
  Miscellaneous Spells
  Basic Possession
  The fundamental act of Voodoo religion is posses-
  sion by one’s gods. Every Voodooist has a particular
  patron god, but may be possessed by other gods on
  occasion. Possession only happens after at least sev-
  eral minutes of dancing and the sacrifices to the gods.
  While possessed, a celebrant acts the role of the god
  and speaks in its name—even in its voice. The god’s
  ritual paraphernalia and favorite food must be given
  to it or it will be unhappy. The god may be able to
  channel some minor powers through its host. The host
  may or may not remember what happened while they
  were possessed.
  Possession is represented through two Powers. First
  is a Mind Scan to locate the god. It is not a very accu-
  rate Mind Scan by most standards, but then it doesn’t
  have to be: the gods are familiar to their worshippers,
  and neither priest nor worshipper is very picky about
  which god they get. Once the Mind Scan makes con-
  tact, the priest creates a Mind Link between the god
  and the worshipper. The god takes it from there. The
  Mind Link between god and worshipper is deeper and
  stronger than a normal Mind Link because the Voo-
  dooist is trained to willingly submerge their own per-
  
  153
  sonality and give the god full control of their body.
  The Mind Scan portion of the spell may be placed
  in a Multipower. The Mind Link only happens after a
  Mind Scan contact, so the Mind Link receives all the
  Limitations placed on the Mind Scan portion of the
  spell.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  6d6 Mind Scan, Transdimensional
  (+½), Use by Other x1 (+¼), +5
  ECV, initial 5 minutes Extra
  Time (-1), Bulky OAF Ritual
  Paraphernalia and Assistants (-1 ½),
  Gestures, Incantations [62]
  6
  6
  Mind Link to Voodoo Gods, x1, Any
  Distance/Dimension, Use by
  Other x1 (+¼), Only in Ritual
  Setting (-3) [25]
  Cribo Curse
  Real criboes are large black snakes found in the West
  Indies. They are harmless, but popular superstition
  asserts that criboes have deadly supernatural power.
  This Obeah spell attracts a phantom cribo to bite any-
  one who disturbs the cursed object in a predefined way.
  The cribo is sure to hit because the victim has already
  touched the trigger object. The cribo’s victim will
  quickly “swell up and bust”—the invariable end of an
  Obeah curse. The spell can be used either as a mur-
  derous trap or to protect an item from theft or other
  disturbance.
  The cribo, which is only visible in the moment that
  it bites, is conjured through a lengthy incantation with
  much hand waving. The spell caster also ties a little
  bottle onto the object to be protected. The bottle holds
  sea water, laundry bluing and small oddments such as
  a dead cockroach, a rusty nail or a bit of red flannel.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  17
  ½d6 RKA, BODY NND: Power
  Defense (+2), Uncontrolled
  Continuous 0 END, Var Trigger
  (+½), Use by 1 Other: Protected
  Item/Place (+¼), Personal Immunity
  (+¼), initial 5 minutes Extra Time (-1),
  Gestures, Incantations, Concentrate
  0 DCV (-½), IAF Charm Bottle [60]
  Horn Of Ghosts
  Mayomberos use the npaka, an animal horn filled
  with a noxious liquid, to materialize ghosts. Not only
  can the npaka force a ghost or other astral spirit to
  materialize, the mayombero can store enslaved ghosts
  within it and call them out to defend him. In this ex-
  ample, the spirits are Trauma Ghost Atavisms (see the
  Source Book chapter) whose rigid plan of behavior is
  to attack their master’s enemies.
  Materializing a spirit can be handled by yanking the
  spirit from the Astral Plane to Earth. Note that this
  spell acts interdimensionally but not at range: the
  mayombero must poke the npaka into the space cor-
  responding to the spirit’s location on the Astral Plane.
  If the spirit is written up using Persistent Desolid and
  Invisibility, an alternate spell can be used, a Transform.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  Multipower (60 pt pool), OAF
  1u
  8 x 75 pt Summon Trauma Ghost
  Atavism
  [1c]
  3u
  EDM to Earth, Use vs. Other
  (+1), Indirect (+½),
  Transdimensional to Astral Plane
  (+½) [60]
  6
  2u
  ½d6 Transform, Cumulative,
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END to
  Maintain, Affects Desolid, NND:
  Hardened Power Defense (+1), 0
  Range [50]
  5
  Love Bath Liquid
  The bread and butter magic of most Voodooists has
  nothing to do with combat; they make their living off
  spells to help people achieve ordinary desires…such
  as getting cozy with that special someone. This magi-
  cal potion is quite typical: a consecrated mixture of
  omiero and several other liquids and herbs, added to
  an otherwise normal bath. For several hours afterward,
  the bather radiates a magic aura of sexual attraction.
  This isn’t enough to force another person’s will, but it
  can powerfully augment natural charms.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  32
  5d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal,
  Damage Shield, Use by Other (+¼),
  Trigger: Bathing (+¼), IAF, 1 chg of
  5 hours (-¼) [56]
  [1c]
  Workroom Of A Voodoo Sorcerer
  The dirty little room was littered with the Obeah man’s
  stock in trade. A number of vials containing some sort of
  unholy liquor were lying ready to be handed over to some
  foolish negro in exchange for their weight in silver. In every
  corner were found the implements of his trade, rags, feath-
  ers, bones of cats, parrots’ beaks, dogs’ teeth, broken bottles,
  grave dirt, rum, and egg shells. Examining further, we found
  under the bed a large canarie or earthen jar containing an
  immense number of round balls of earth or clay of various
  dimensions, large and small, whitened on the outside and
  fearfully and wonderfully compounded. Some seemed to
  contain hair and rags and were strongly bound round with
  twine; others were made with skulls of cats, stuck round with
  human or dogs’ teeth and glass beads. There were also a lot
  of egg shells and numbers of little bags filled with a farrago
  of rubbish.
  —Hesketh J. Bell, Obeah: Witch-
  craft in the West Indies
  Voodoo Terminology
  ASHE’: In Santeria, the magic power within natural
  substances, especially herbs.
  ASSON: A sacred rattle used in Haitian Voudon, a
  gourd filled with seeds or snake vertebrae, covered
  with a loose web of beads or more snake vertebrae.
  BAKA: An evil spirit in Haitian legend. It usually ap-
  pears in animal form and may serve an evil sor-
  cerer. The most common form for a baka is a goat
  horned dog.
  
  154
  BILONGO: An evil spell of Palo Mayombe or Palo
  Monte.
  BIZANGO: A network of Haitian secret societies with
  a fearsome reputation. It acts as a neighborhood
  court which decides whether or not a troublemaker
  should be punished by being turned into a zombie.
  Also called SHANPWEL, ZOBOP or many other
  names.
  CANARI: A pottery jar for holding the Ti Bon Ange
  after a person’s death. Usually it is broken during
  the funeral rites. Also called a GOVI.
  CEIBA: The silk-cotton tree, the premier sacred tree
  in all the Caribbean sects of Voodoo. In the north-
  ern United States, many Voodooists consider a ce-
  dar tree an acceptable substitute.
  CORPS CADAVRE: The body in Haitian Voudon, as
  distinct from the souls, the GROS BON ANGE and
  TI BON ANGE.
  COUP L’AIR: An “air” spell in Voudon, a means of
  harming someone from a distance without using a
  powder.
  COUP POUDRE: A “powder” or drug-based spell in
  Voudon.
  DJAB: In Voudon, a devil or baka.
  DUPPIE: A West Indies or Jamaican ghost, also called
  a JUMBIE.
  EBBO: In Santeria, an amulet or talisman.
  EMPEREUR: Founder and supreme leader of a region’s
  Bizango societies.
  FWET KASH: A sisal whip used in Bizango rituals.
  GAD: A tattoo charm against evil, given at initiation
  into a Voudon society.
  GROS BON ANGE: The “Great Good Angel,” one of
  the souls everyone has in Haitian Voudon. Unless
  captured by magic, it immediately returns to God
  when a person dies. (Note: writers about Voudon,
  and even practitioners themselves, do not agree
  about which soul should be “Gros” and which
  should be “Ti.”)
  GUEDE’: A Haitian graveyard spirit, known for mali-
  cious mischief and rampant sexuality. Also a proper
  name, a pseudonym for the Petro Voudon death-
  god Baron Samadi.
  HAND: In United States Voodoo magic, a pouch filled
  with diverse ingredients, used to work magic. Func-
  tionally equivalent to a Hermetic Theurgy talisman.
  HOUMFORT: A Voudon temple. It may be as simple
  as a tent.
  IRUKE: Ritual feather duster or fly whisk used in
  Santeria to banish spirits.
  KISENGUE: A human tibia wrapped in black cloth,
  used as a scepter or magic wand by a Mayombero.
  LOOGAROO: In West Indies Obeah, a person who can
  take off their skin and become a vampiric will-o-
  the-wisp. From the French Loup-Garou.
  MADOULE: A miniature sacred coffin, the symbol of
  Bizango societies.
  MAMADJO: The Obeah name for mermaid-like spir-
  its who inhabit certain lakes and springs.
  NGANGA: A cauldron filled with blood, bones and
  other disgusting things; the fundamental focus of a
  Mayombero’s power.
  NPAKA: An animal horn filled with a special liquid. It
  is used in Palo Mayombe to make ghosts manifest.
  OMIERO: A complicated potion used in Santeria for
  medicine, consecration and spells.
  OTAN: Sacred stone of an Orisha, which keeps a
  santero in touch with his gods. Otanes must be kept
  in ornamental bowls and occasionally “fed” with
  sacrificial blood or “cooled” with herbal baths.
  PAQUETS CONGO: A name for a “Hand” in Haitian
  Voudon.
  PIERRE TONNERE: “Thunderstones,” allegedly cre-
  ated by spirits and thus filled with magic power.
  Actually they are Arawak axeheads.
  PRESIDENT: Leader of a Bizango cell.
  REINE: “Queen,” a female rank in Bizango societies. A
  full Bizango cult will have a Premier Reine,
  Dieuxieme Reine, Troisieme Reine, Reine Drapeau
  and Reine Voltige. The last is often supposed to be
  a Loup-Garou (see LOOGAROO).
  RIEGO: Sprinkling with sacred liquid, used in Santeria
  for consecration and exorcism.
  SAHUMIERO: Fumigation with incense, used in
  Santeria for consecration and exorcism.
  SEANCE: A Bizango meeting.
  TI BON ANGE: “Little Good Angel” in Voudon, the
  part of the soul which carries the personality. It stays
  around after death and faces various dangers which
  houngans try to prevent.
  TONTON MACOUTE: “Uncle Strawbag,” a wander-
  ing conjure- man used as a traditional Haitian
  boogyman. The Duvalier regime patterned its no-
  torious secret police on this legend and the GUEDE’.
  VEVER: Symbolic designs drawn in flour or ashes to
  attract the loa in Voudon. Abakua uses something
  similar.
  WANGA: In Voudon, a charm or talisman used for
  selfish or harmful purposes.
  ZOMBI CADAVRE: A zombie of the flesh, missing only
  its Ti Bon Ange; the familiar sort of zombie.
  ZOMBI ASTRAL: A Ti Bon Ange captured by sorcery
  and kept in a jar as a slave.
  
  155
  Other Styles
  There are many other real and fictional styles of
  magic, but most of them can be treated as variations
  on High Magic, Ritual Magic or Voodoo. As examples,
  here are discussions of Elemental Magic and Shaman-
  ism, with a few suggestions about what sort of magic
  would be most appropriate for champions of Order,
  Chaos, Art and Nature.
  “Elemental” Magic
  Many stories and games have featured wizards whose
  magic is all based on a single natural phenomenon.
  Most familiar, perhaps, are styles of magic based on
  the classic “four elements”: thus, Air Magic, Earth
  Magic, Fire Magic and Water Magic. One can use other
  states of matter, too, to define schools such as Ice Magic
  or Dust Magic. Even more abstract physical qualities
  such as light, darkness, space and time can form the
  basis of magical styles. One might as well add Plant
  Magic and Animal or Flesh Magic; they’ve certainly
  been used often enough. Such styles are “elemental” in
  the sense of an Elemental Control, based on a single
  underlying theme.
  The Fantasy Hero and its two companions give nu-
  merous “elemental” styles. While Fantasy Hero spells
  are entirely different from superhero-level magic, the
  Spell Colleges can provide plenty of inspiration.
  Whether an “elemental” style of magic is High, Ritual
  or Natural Magic is up to the player and GM. If the
  spells have few Limitations and are treated more like
  regular super-powers, then the character is probably
  using High Magic. On the other hand, if the mage must
  cast all their spells through Foci which consist of fairly
  literal representations of the element controlled, then
  the mage uses Natural Magic. Either way is fine.
  An “elemental” theme has the advantage that the
  wizard immediately stands out from other sorcerer
  characters—as long as the other character do not use
  the same theme! Elemental magic also narrows down
  one’s choices when designing a character. Sometimes
  this can be a benefit: wizards can present so many op-
  tions that choosing among them can be difficult, es-
  pecially for inexperienced players.
  Most elemental themes suggest quite obvious attack
  powers. Powers for defense, movement and informa-
  tion can present more difficulty: GMs may have to be
  liberal in what they will accept as fitting within a theme.
  If elemental sorcery has a downside, it is that elemen-
  tal mages can easily seem no different from other en-
  ergy projectors.
  One way to emphasize the difference between el-
  emental mages and other energy projectors with simi-
  larly themed powers is through quirky little abilities
  the character has. A wizard with air and weather magic
  might never lose his hat or get wet, no matter how hard
  the wind blows or rain falls. Pets always like a visiting
  animal mage (though guard dogs are another matter),
  and birds take food from her hand. A wizard of space
  and time never has to wait at stoplights. Such little bits
  of “business” aren’t useful enough to write up as pow-
  ers, and they aren’t obvious or important enough to
  count as Distinctive Features, but they can make it clear
  that this guy isn’t just another mutant.
  Elemental mages should buy a Knowledge Skill of
  their style of magic. Skills related to the natural be-
  havior of their “element” would be appropriate as well:
  a plant wizard could have the Science Skill Botany, a
  fire mage might know how to construct fireworks or
  other pyrotechnic devices, an earth mage could be a
  skilled prospector or mining engineer, and so on.
  Absolute restriction to an elemental theme is a 10-
  15 point Magic Limitation disadvantage, depending
  on how broadly the GM and player interpret the el-
  emental theme.
  Shamanism
  Shamanism is very “in” nowadays. The New Age folks
  have loved shamans for years. A few of the more pre-
  tentious comic-book writers picked them up, too. Sha-
  mans have even turned up on TV, in the show North-
  ern Exposure. They would seem to be a natural charac-
  ter type for mages…but first let’s see what shamans
  really are.
  Shamanism is a widespread and very ancient reli-
  gious and magical tradition. Its purest form is found
  in Siberia (the very word “shaman” comes from a Si-
  berian tribal language) but shamans are also found
  among the Inuit, Native Americans, Indonesians and
  other peoples. There’s evidence of shamanism prac-
  ticed long ago in Europe, India, China and Tibet.
  Defining shamanism isn’t easy. It blurs into other
  religio-magical professions, such as priest, witch doc-
  tor, exorcist and healer, but the core feature of sha-
  manism is the shaman’s ability to put himself in a
  trance. While in trance, the shaman can separate his
  soul from his body and send it great distances through
  this and other worlds. This enables the shaman to deal
  with the gods and spirits directly. The shaman absorbs
  some of the powers of a spirit himself, most notably
  an immunity to fire and knives. The shaman enters
  his trance by drumming, dancing and singing. In some
  cultures the shamans use drugs as well. In his trance,
  the shaman narrates and mimes his journey through
  the mortal and spirit worlds.
  While the shaman puts on a good show, he’s no mere
  entertainer. Many cultures believe that a person can
  lose their soul, either from a bad scare, conflict with
  another person, an evil spirit or simply by accident.
  People who lose their souls become too listless and
  depressed to function normally. What’s worse, the fear
  inspired by a case of soul loss can make other people
  lose their souls. In a society that lives hand to mouth,
  an epidemic of soul loss can wipe out a tribe. The tribe
  needs the shaman to find lost souls, put them back in
  their bodies and stop the contagion. This may mean
  ransoming a soul from Khan Tengri, Lord of the Dead.
  The shaman also exorcises evil spirits, guides the souls
  of the dead to their afterlife, and takes the souls of sac-
  
  156
  Miscellaneous
  Divinatory
  Techniques
  Most of the so-
  called “occult
  sciences” started as
  vulgar fortune telling
  systems. There are
  literally dozens of
  such divinations.
  Most of them have
  little use in adventure
  gaming: heroes are
  unlikely to be
  menaced by a villain’s
  mastery of
  Moleosophy, the art
  of telling a person’s
  character by the
  moles on their body.
  Tiromancy (divina-
  tion by cheese) and
  cromniomancy
  (divination by onions
  placed on an altar at
  Christmas Eve—I’m
  not making these up)
  also seem unlikely to
  spawn occult menace
  or heroic power. A
  few of the lesser
  divinatory tech-
  niques, however,
  suggest interesting
  special effects for
  magic or at least
  provide names for
  traditional schools of
  fantasy magic.
  AEROMANCY:
  Divination by
  atmospheric
  phenomena.
  Related,
  AUSTROMANCY,
  divination by
  winds.
  ANTHROPOMANCY:
  Divination by the
  entrails of a
  human sacrifice.
  One or two of the
  later and weirder
  Roman emperors
  used this. Cf.
  Haruspicy.
  rificed animals to offer them directly to the gods. Con-
  versely, a shaman can send evil spirits to plague an
  enemy.
  While one can deliberately set out to become a sha-
  man, one will never be better than second-rate. The
  best shamans are chosen by the spirits themselves.
  Moody, erratic or hysterical behavior is the first sign
  of a shaman’s calling. Most shamans are male. The
  shaman to be is trained by an older shaman, or by the
  spirits (often the ghost of a dead shaman). The
  shaman’s initiation climaxes in a vision quest in which
  he experiences his own death and resurrection.
  A realistic shaman has little to recommend him as a
  super-mage. A character who needs to drum and dance
  for half an hour to do any magic at all has certain dis-
  advantages in a fight. In any case, shamans are doc-
  tors, not fighters. They get things done in the spirit
  world by knowing who to talk to and what to say, not
  by raw power. With a little stretching, however, a sha-
  man makes a fine occult investigator. Shamanic train-
  ing can also be used as just one aspect of a mage char-
  acter; for instance, a character trained at shamanism
  and High Magic, or shamanism and nature magic.
  Shamanic initiation is certainly a good reason for a
  character to know astral projection!
  One can stretch the shaman archetype even more to
  create combat-effective spells based on commanding
  spirits. In this case, shamanism is just another flavor
  of Ritual Magic. Such a “fantasy shaman” bears little
  similarity to what’s claimed for real shamans, but the
  same could be said for Voodooists, Hermetic mages or
  in fact any other sort of wizard based on a “real” style
  of magic.
  Inspiration for Fantasy Shaman spells can be found
  in the sections describing Hermetic Theurgy and Voo-
  doo. Shamans will employ homely Foci such as drums,
  bullroarers and charms made from wood, bone, feath-
  ers and other natural substances. They will have spells
  to summon, bind and exorcise astral spirits. With spirit
  control as a Special Effect, Fantasy Shamans might
  evoke and control natural forces such as wind or wild
  animals. Finally, real shamans must know herbal medi-
  cine and a Fantasy Shaman could expand this into
  knowledge of powerful magic drugs like those em-
  ployed in Voodoo.
  ‘Zoa’-Based Magic
  For the most part, Servants of Higher Powers will
  just use ordinary Thaumaturgy, Ritual Magic or some
  other style. Servants of Higher Powers are defined by
  their motives, not their powers. Since the Four Zoas
  are such an important part of the supernatural world,
  however, GMs and players might want to invent a few
  “trademark” spells for servants of each Prime Avatar.
  Such spells mark a sorcerer as a follower of a particu-
  lar cosmic entity: “Aha, he’s using the Bindings of
  Bromion in their original form—he must work for
  Urizen!”
  Some players may also feel that sorcerers and enti-
  ties aligned to a particular Zoa should have an entire,
  distinctive style of magic. Here are a few suggestions
  for such styles:
  Art Magic
  Since mystical Artifice consists of imposing one’s will
  on reality, in a sense all magic is Art Magic. Indeed,
  magic is often called “the Great Art.” Beings aligned
  toward Urthona, however, might favor spells which
  particularly emphasize the supremacy of Mind over
  Environment. Transforms, or spells using transmuta-
  tion or transformation as a Special Effect, are a good
  example. So are Images and Mental Illusions—to make
  people sense what you want instead of what’s really
  out there. Since cities are the most artificial environ-
  ment on Earth, a few Art Mages might be
  technomancers.
  Art-oriented Ritual Magicians would use carefully
  hand-crafted Foci. Art spells might have reduced ef-
  fect against things in their natural state, such as uncut
  stone, trees or wild animals.
  Nature Magic
  Servants of Nature would evoke elemental forces
  such as Air, Fire, Earth and Water, as well as magic of
  Plants and Animals. Thus, a Nature Mage’s Energy Blast
  might take the form of a bolt of lightning or a blast of
  hail; an RKA might take the form of a wolf appearing
  from nowhere to bite the target; an Entangle would
  consist of vines, grass or tree branches twining around
  the target. Other Nature spells might affect the target’s
  body and life force directly. Some Nature Mages might
  have problems in cities or other places where natural
  things are excluded.
  In a more abstract vein, spells might be based on
  natural principles such as adaptation, evolution and
  symbiosis. An “Adaptive Shield,” for instance, might
  become more and more effective against one attack
  Special Effect, at cost of becoming less effective against
  other forms.
  Order Magic
  Servants of Order would most often favor
  Thaumaturgy. First, Thaumaturgy emphasizes pure
  light and simple geometric forms in its Special Effects,
  and both light and geometry are often used to sym-
  bolize perfect order. More importantly, Thaumaturgy
  is uniform throughout the Multiverse, so in a sense all
  of Urizen’s servants will be using the same magic. Since
  Servants of Order have a clear social mission, most will
  probably have a spell or two for controlling the wills
  of other people. Spells to break the magic of the ser-
  vants of rival powers, and to contact their own patrons,
  are likely as well.
  
  157
  Chaos Magic
  Chaos embraces ideas of emotion, unpredictability,
  freedom and autonomy. All of these can form the ba-
  sis of spells. Chaos mages might be adept at rousing or
  quelling the emotions of other beings. Chaos magic
  might also come well supplied with defensive spells:
  with a good enough defense, one can ignore the threats
  of others. Unpredictability can be introduced through
  odd stratagems such as spells with random Variable
  Special Effects or even Multipowers where one never
  knows which slot will be activated. Finally, Chaos is
  often associated (justly or not) with destruction, and
  Chaoticists often find themselves in the role of the
  rebel. A few spells of violent, even indiscriminate de-
  struction would not be out of place at all.
  Magic Items And
  Artifacts
  In the recess some four feet deep reposed a strange
  collection of articles: a wand of hazelwood, a
  crystal set in gold, a torch with a pointed end so
  that it could be stuck upright in the ground,
  candlesticks, a short sword, two great books, a
  dagger with a blade curved like a sickle moon, a
  ring, a chalice and an old bronze lamp, formed out
  of twisted human figures, which had nine wicks.
  All had pentacles, planetary signs, and other
  strange symbols engraved upon them, and each
  had the polish which is a sign of great age coupled
  with frequent usage.
  —Dennis Wheatley, The Devil Rides Out
  There’s more to comic-book magery than casting
  spells. Magic items are important too. A well-designed
  magic item can become the center of a character, an
  adventure or even a whole campaign.
  Magic items come in two classes: ordinary magic
  items and artifacts. Artifacts are distinguished from
  ordinary magic items in that they carry the Indepen-
  dent Limitation. Each artifact is a unique, irreplace-
  able object; artifacts tend to be more powerful than
  rank-and-file magic items as well.
  Magic Items vs. Magic Foci
  One may wonder what the difference is between a
  real magic item (such as an enchanted Wand of Fire-
  balls) and a Focus which just happens to be used for
  casting spells. In game terms the differences are pretty
  small.
  A magic item has a fixed set of powers. A given Fo-
  cus, however, might be used for different spell powers
  by different mages. For instance, that “Wand of Fire-
  balls” has just one power: it shoots fireballs. A “golden
  wand tipped with a sulfur crystal,” on the other hand,
  might be used for any number of fire magic spells, or
  even for spells where any wand would do.
  A magic item might be used by anyone who makes
  their Spell Research roll to figure out its use (unless
  it’s a personal Focus). A mere Focus is worthless to
  anyone, sorcerer or not, who doesn’t know the relevant
  spell.
  A magic item takes a lot of work to replace. A mere
  Focus is easier to replace—not necessarily easy, just
  easier than it would be if it had to be enchanted. (But
  a magic item is still easier to replace than an artifact.)
  A magic item always has an aura which registers to
  the Detect Magic power. A Focus which just happens
  to be used for magic might not have an aura, and if it
  does the aura will be weak—a mere echo of the spells
  it was used to cast.
  In practice, the differences between a magic item and
  a magic Focus usually only matter if a wizard’s spells
  carry Variable Limitation. A Focus is a good way to fill
  a Variable Limitation. If one takes away a magic item,
  those powers are simply gone. If one takes away a Fo-
  cus, the wizard might be able to substitute something
  else.
  Making Magic Items
  At some point, PCs may want to make their own
  magic item or artifact. What’s more, trying to stop a
  villainous mage from making a magic item or artifact
  can form the basis of an adventure. In the baldest game
  terms, making a magic item is easy: one pays points
  and writes down the new Powers. This may be enough
  in some cases, but it’s rather boring, isn’t it?
  More precisely, magic items are created using the
  Power Transform described in Chapter 2. Each Power
  of the item requires a separate use of Power Transform,
  rolling at least double the Active Points of the desired
  Power. Cumulative Power Transform makes it possible
  to create very powerful items. When the item is com-
  pleted, its user then spends the Character Points to own
  it.
  This is better, but still rather cold-blooded and ab-
  stract. This is one area where game mechanics are not
  enough.
  In story terms, creating a magic items requires a lot
  more than using a Power and spending Character
  Points. One must assemble special tools and materi-
  als, perform long rituals and generally go through
  hoops. Making a magic item is a long, complicated
  process and may form the basis of an adventure in it-
  self.
  Materials
  Magic items are made from rare and exotic materi-
  als—not necessarily precious, just hard to obtain. Com-
  monplace substances such as wood or metal must be
  obtained under persnickety conditions such as only at
  an astrologically propitious hour, and prepared using
  properly consecrated tools. Some materials might be
  flat-out bizarre; if not incorporated into the finished
  item, they will be used up in some way during the en-
  chantment process.
  BIBLIOMANCY:
  Divination by
  book, opening a
  book (usually
  the Bible, the
  Book) at
  random and
  sticking a finger
  in. The sentence
  one touches
  supposedly gives
  an answer to
  one’s question.
  Also called
  STICHOMANCY.
  RHAPSODOMANCY
  does the same
  thing but uses
  poetry.
  BOTANOMANCY:
  Divination by
  plants. Related,
  XYLOMANCY,
  divination by
  wooden twigs.
  CAPNOMANCY:
  Divination by
  smoke.
  CARTOMANCY:
  Divination by
  cards—the good
  old Tarot
  reading. The
  Tarot cards are
  great for made
  up magic
  because they
  have so much
  symbolism built
  in.
  CATOPTROMANCY:
  Divination by
  mirrors (using a
  mirror instead
  of a crystal ball).
  CEROMANCY:
  Divination by
  the shapes
  formed from
  dripping wax.
  Related
  
  158
  MOLYBDOMANCY,
  interpreting the
  shapes formed
  by dripping
  molten lead into
  water.
  CRYSTALLOMANCY:
  The old crystal
  ball trick. Also
  called scrying.
  Other scrying
  tools have
  included bowls
  of water,
  ordinary
  mirrors, black
  mirrors, jewels,
  a pool of ink
  cupped in the
  palm, or a
  polished seed.
  GEOMANCY:
  Interpreting the
  designs formed
  by tossing a
  handful of earth
  into a circle—in
  particular,
  looking for
  certain patterns
  of dots which
  geomancers
  have given
  special Latin
  names. There
  are many
  variations,
  including
  HALOMANCY
  (using salt
  instead of dirt)
  and
  TASSEOGRAPHY
  (tea leaf
  reading).
  Here are some examples of the sort of strange sub-
  stances that might be used in making a magic item:
  Mineral
  Colored diamond, meteoric iron, water from a ge-
  ode, sand from Mt. Sinai, fulgurite (dirt fused into glass
  by lightning), a fossil.
  Vegetable
  Mandrake root, seeds of a rare orchid, wood from
  1000 year old oak, a rare spice or herb, a 12 leaf clover.
  Animal
  Blood or bone (human/rare animal/dragon/etc.),
  mummy dust, a virgin’s tears.
  Tools
  Several traditional occult tools have already been
  mentioned in the description of Hermetic Theurgy (see
  above), but these do not exhaust the possibilities. Some
  tools are used to shape the magic item. Others are used
  as paraphernalia for rituals of consecration.
  In the European tradition of ceremonial magic,
  major rituals call for a magic circle, an altar, special
  vestments, candles, a book holding the words of the
  spell, perhaps a brazier burning special incense, and
  maybe even an assistant or two. Less common are caul-
  drons, mirrors, idols or musical instruments such as a
  bell or trumpet.
  Environmental Conditions
  An enchantment ritual’s success may depend on its
  being cast at a certain time or place. Weather and other
  special conditions may be needed as well.
  Special Times
  Solstice, equinox, dawn, midnight, planetary con-
  junction, eclipse.
  Special Places
  Megalithic circle, ruined church, 1000 year old grave-
  yard, mountain top, the North Pole, a Place of Power
  in other dimensions.
  Special Conditions
  Lightning storm, comet, aurora, special cloud for-
  mation, “Green Flash” at sunset, a major riot or carni-
  val.
  Sample Magic Items
  None of these magic items are enough by themselves
  to equip a character, whether hero or villain, but they
  can be an important part of a character’s power. The
  Blasting Wand or Planetary Bell could supply the main
  attack forms of a starting hero or subsidiary villain.
  The Tarnkappe would be just the thing for a villain
  who specializes in getaways. A new magic item can be
  just the thing to upgrade a villain.
  Blasting Rod
  The Blasting Rod is a classic magic item from the
  Western tradition of ceremonial magic. Its powers are
  vast; the Grand Grimoire promises to tell how to make
  “the dreadful Blasting Rod, which causes the spirits to
  tremble; which God also used to arm his Angel when
  Adam and Eve were driven out of the Earthly Para-
  dise; wherewith finally, he smote the rebellious Angels,
  precipitating their ambitions into the most appalling
  gulfs by the power of this very Rod—of this Rod which
  collects the clouds, disperses tempests, averts the light-
  ning, or precipitates each and all upon any portion of
  the Earth at the pleasure of its director.”
  Well, not quite. Maybe God’s own Blasting Rod could
  do all this with a worldwide range, but mere mortals
  have to settle for a less awesome instrument. Even with
  more limited powers, however, a Blasting Rod is quite
  a formidable weapon. It raises or calms storm winds
  in areas small by natural standards but big enough to
  humans, throws lightning bolts and bolts of supernatu-
  ral force, and both compels and dispels spirits. The
  Grand Grimoire describes a Blasting Rod made of
  hazelwood capped with magnetized steel, with typi-
  cally convoluted conditions on its manufacture.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  31
  Multipower (62 pt pool), OAF
  [16c]
  3u
  Lightning: 12d6 EB [60]
  3u
  Concussive Force: 7d6 EB, x2
  Knockback (+¾) [61]
  3u
  Mystic Force: 5d6 EB, AVLD: Power
  Defense (+1 ½) [62]
  3u
  Raise Tempest: 10 STR TK, Personal
  Immunity, ½ END, 128" Radius AE
  (+2 ½) [60]
  3u
  Disperse Tempest: Change
  Environment: Calm, 128" Radius,
  0 END [60]
  2u
  20d6 Dispel vs. Summon, Only vs.
  Spirits (-1)
  2u
  12d6 Mind Control, Only vs. Spirits (-1)
  Planetary Bell
  The German grimoire called Magia Naturalis et
  Innaturalis describes a substance called electrum
  magicum, an alloy of the seven planetary metals (gold,
  silver, copper, mercury, iron, tin and lead). A bell made
  of electrum magicum will summon angels or treasure
  spirits.
  This is a simple handbell, decorated with sigils rep-
  resenting the seven astrological planets (Mercury, Ve-
  nus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun and Moon). By ringing
  the bell and calling out a magic word, a sorcerer can
  evoke spirits of the planets to work their will. The so-
  lar spirit creates blinding light; the lunar spirit creates
  illusions; the mercurial spirit carries the wizard and
  up to 3 other people with great speed; the venerean
  spirit puts people in a dreamy languor in which they
  cannot do much of anything; the martial spirit strikes
  with a spear of magical force; the jovian spirit subjects
  others to the magician’s will; and the saturnine spirit
  inflicts a weary slowness.
  
  159
  Finally, an eighth magic word conjures a spirit which
  empties a huge bag of golden ducats at the magician’s
  feet. (A sorcerer with a Planetary Bell never needs to
  worry about money, but nowadays this function of the
  Bell must be used carefully. Both government agents
  and the local Mafia will become very interested in a
  person who suddenly has a lot of gold. Still, it’s a good
  excuse for a sorcerer to have the Wealth perk.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  27
  Multipower (61 pt pool), OAF,
  Incantation
  3u
  Sun Flare: 4d6 Flash vs. Vision,
  Explosion [60]
  6
  3u
  Moon Mirage: Images vs. normal
  sight, Detect Magic, -4 PER, 2"
  Radius (+¼), Uncontrolled (until
  detected), 0 END to Maintain [61]
  6
  3u
  Mercurial Flight: 10" Flight, Use w/
  Others x4 (+¾), 0 END, x16 NCM [60]
  3u
  Languor of Venus: 2d6 Entangle,
  BODY BOECV (+2) [60]
  6
  3u
  Spear of Mars: 8d6 EB, AP [60]
  6
  3u
  Jovian Rulership: 12d6 Mind
  Control [60]
  6
  3u
  Saturn’s Slowing: 6d6 SPD Suppress,
  Uncontrolled (1 Turn), 0 END to
  maintain [60]
  6
  1u
  Treasure Spirit: 4d6 Transform air
  to gold ducats, 0 Range, Only Use
  Once/Month (-4) [60]
  6
  Tarnkappe
  The original Tarnkappe was created by the dwarf
  Alberich and his enslaved brother Mim. When Wotan
  robbed Alberich to pay off the giants Fasolt and Fafnir,
  the giants got the magic cloak as well as Alberich’s trea-
  sure and the Rhinegold. Fafnir killed Fasolt and used
  the Tarnkappe to turn himself into a dragon. Later,
  the amnesiac Siegfried used the Tarnkappe to imper-
  sonate a fellow called Gunter (see Ring of the Nibelungs
  for the full sordid tale, although Wagner changed the
  cape into a helmet.)
  As usual, later copies are not as good as the original.
  Modern tarnkappen only let their wearer turn invis-
  ible or assume the superficial form of anything the
  same mass. One could use a tarnkappe to take the shape
  of a dragon, but would not gain a dragon’s size, bite,
  flight or flaming breath. Still, this cloak of black metal
  threads is just the ticket for wizardly espionage. An
  upgraded version could itself form the basis of a for-
  midable character.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  30
  Multipower (45 pt pool), IAF
  3u
  Shape Shift, anything, 0 END [45]
  0
  3u
  Invisibility vs. Detect Magic, All
  Vision, 0 END [45]
  0
  Magic Artifacts
  Artifacts are those potent, Independent magic items
  which play many important roles in tales of magic. A
  hero or villain might own an artifact; indeed, such an
  artifact might be an important part of the character’s
  power. Many a story has revolved around a hunt for
  an artifact of great power. A particular artifact may be
  the only way to defeat a powerful villain. Conversely, a
  villain might obtain a black magic artifact which lets
  him defeat the heroes. One common plot is that the
  villain is searching for such an artifact, and the heroes
  have to stop the villain from getting it.
  Artifacts have a number of common traits. Not ev-
  ery artifact will have every trait, but every artifact will
  have most of them.
  First, artifacts are usually very old. Occultists and
  fantasy writers don’t believe in progress: the mightiest
  magic is always the oldest. Thus, attributing magic lore
  and artifacts to the Egyptians is good; ascribing them
  to Atlantis is even better, to an occultist’s way of think-
  ing. It’s true that extreme age gives anything an air of
  mystery and romance.
  Second, artifacts don’t get made by mere mortals.
  They are gifts from the gods, or created by legendary
  wizards so powerful (and usually so far in the past) as
  to be nearly divine themselves.
  In consequence, artifacts often provide some form
  of contact with the god involved in its creation. A PC
  wizard with an artifact might buy a Contact along with
  the artifact. And they usually help pay for the artifact
  and Contact by being Watched by the deity or cosmic
  entity in question!
  The greatest artifacts often pose dangers to their
  users. Their magic might be too powerful for humans
  to use safely. Worse, black magic artifacts often enslave
  their wielders—a very deliberate curse built into the
  artifact by its evil creator.
  Personal Artifacts
  The Tablet Of Destinies
  The Tablet of Destinies is the mightiest magic item
  from Mesopotamian myth. Its first owner was Tiamat,
  the great primal dragon who lived before the gods or
  the world existed. When the gods rebelled against
  Tiamat, she gave the Tablet to her son Kingu, com-
  mander of her army of monsters. The god Marduk took
  the Tablet when he defeated Kingu and Tiamat. The
  Tablet became the prime token of rulership for who-
  ever was king of the gods (in some traditions Marduk,
  in others the god Ellil or Enlil). The Tablet had more
  than symbolic importance: when Anzu the Storm Bird
  stole the Tablet from Ellil, all the gods save Ninurta
  refused to challenge the rebel god’s stolen power:
  HARUSPICY:
  Divination by
  the entrails of a
  sacrificed
  animal. Very
  popular back in
  the Roman
  empire. The
  kinks and
  blotches of the
  intestines gave
  messages from
  the gods.
  HYDROMANCY: A
  scrying
  technique using
  water. Possibly
  related
  PEGOMANCY,
  divination by
  fountains.
  LITHOMANCY:
  Divination by
  precious stones,
  either by scrying
  or as a
  geomantic
  technique.
  Subtype
  MARGARITOMANCY,
  divination by
  means of a
  pearl.
  ONEIROMANCY:
  Interpreting
  dreams for
  omens.
  PYROMANCY:
  Divination by
  fire, either
  scrying or
  throwing tokens
  into a fire and
  interpreting how
  they burn.
  Scrying with a
  lamp flame is
  called
  LAMPADOMANCY.
  
  160
  RHABDOMANCY:
  The famous
  divining rod. Also
  called DOWS-
  ING.
  SCIOMANCY:
  Divination by
  shadows or ghosts
  (“shades”).
  SPODOMANCY or
  TEPHROMANCY:
  Divination by
  ashes.
  THEOMANCY:
  Divination by
  oracles or persons
  possessed by
  gods.
  ZOOMANCY:
  Divination by the
  behavior of
  animals. Many
  specialties, such
  as
  OPHIOMANCY
  (snakes) and
  MYOMANCY
  (mice).
  “Father, who could rush off to the inaccessible
  mountain?
  “Which of the gods your sons will be Anzu’s con-
  queror?
  “For he has gained the Tablet of Destinies for him-
  self,
  “Has taken away the Ellil power; rites are aban-
  doned!”
  The ancient myths give few clues about precisely
  what the Tablet can do, but they make one thing clear:
  the Tablet of Destinies bears a power even gods must
  fear.
  The Tablet of Destinies is a rectangular slab of trans-
  lucent white alabaster inlaid with golden cuneiform
  writing and little drawings of human, animal and ab-
  stract forms. The back bears a drawing of a stylized,
  dragon-like monster. The Tablet is only about 33 cm
  long, 23 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Holes drilled in the
  corners let one attach cords to the Tablet and wear it
  like a breastplate.
  The Tablet is written in Sumerian, a language not
  well understood even today. If one touches the Tablet
  and speaks a certain command word, the writing and
  pictures change; in all the Tablet holds 20 “pages” of
  small print and illustrations.
  The main powers of the Tablet deal with control of
  individuals and societies. With the Tablet, one can force
  other people to do one’s command, or completely en-
  slave them to one’s will. (The latter effect is undone if
  the enslaver loses possession of the Tablet for 24 hours.)
  The Tablet can change a being’s place in society in any
  way imaginable: a homeless bum can become billion-
  aire, or a world famous celebrity can become a legal
  non-person forgotten by all. The Tablet can also boost
  the power of any spell cast by its bearer.
  Anyone who wears the Tablet gains a “mantle of ra-
  diance” which inspires awe and terror in others. The
  Tablet can also deflect all ranged attacks, wards its
  owner’s mind and makes its owner lucky—while it is
  actually being worn.
  Anyone who would employ the Tablet must study it
  intensively for weeks, unless they have skills concern-
  ing the Sumerian language and Mesopotamian magic;
  that cuts study time down to a few days. Once a func-
  tion of the Tablet is known, it can be used at will.
  The greater powers of the Tablet are somewhat un-
  reliable in human hands. If the user fails an INT roll
  when using the Tablet, the Tablet glows brightly and
  the writing shifts for 1 minute into an explanation of
  how it has spontaneously changed the user’s destiny.
  Effectively, this is 8 dice of Unluck on the caster, im-
  posed within the next few days. While the Tablet can-
  not flat-out kill its user, it can shape future events to
  make the user face terrible danger and strip away pos-
  sessions and social connections that might help the
  user to cope—all achieved through outrageous coin-
  cidence. Very often, this string of bad luck involves giv-
  ing power to some minion of the Dragon, for the Tab-
  let seeks to return to its creator.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  16
  Multipower (82 pt pool), OIF (-½), Independent
  (-2), Spell Research +
  Cryptography Needed to Discover
  Each Function (-¼), Requires INT
  Roll to Use (-½), Side Effect: 8d6
  Unluck (-½)
  [8c]
  1u
  16d6 Mind Control [80]
  1u
  8d6 Mind Control, 4" Radius AE
  (+1) [80]
  2u
  3 ½d6 major Transform to Willing
  Slave, Cumulative [82]
  1u
  13d6 Aid, to Any 1 Spell (+¼) [81]
  1u
  2d6 major Social Transform,
  Universal (+1), Cumulative, Hard
  to Dispel (+¼) [82]
  7
  Mantle of Radiance: +30 PRE,
  Offensive Only (-½), Ind, OIF (-2 ½)
  10
  Missile Deflection +2 vs. Any
  Ranged Attack, Damage Shield, Ind, OIF
  5
  Mental Defense (+17 pts), Ind, IIF
  (-2 ¼)
  6
  4d6 Luck, Ind, IIF
  The Scepter Of Night
  The Scepter of Night is much older than humanity;
  in fact, it is older than life on Earth. The Scepter is a
  tool of the Kings of Edom, a device by which lesser
  beings can tap the Kings’ incredible power. Like all
  Edomite artifacts, however, the Scepter of Night pre-
  sents peculiar dangers to its wielder.
  In this case the danger is nothing more—and noth-
  ing less—than an involuntary Mind Link to the Kings
  of Edom. Each time one uses the Scepter, one must
  make an EGO Roll. Failure means that one’s mind has
  been involuntarily linked to a King of Edom such as
  Vulshoth or Deizzhorath the Dissolver. The Scepter’s
  wielder can have Mind Links to more than one King.
  One will start receiving dreams from that King. Some
  of the dreams will tell how to use other functions of
  the Scepter and giving instructions for more Edomite
  magic. All these dreams will be weird and frightening.
  As time goes by, the King will be able to deepen the
  link, gaining more power over the Scepter’s wielder
  and eroding their sanity. Getting rid of the Scepter will
  not break the Mind Links. Eventually, anyone who uses
  the Scepter of Night becomes a gibbering madman or
  a fanatical slave of the Kings, if not both.
  The Scepter does, however, provide many useful
  powers. It can slow time, warp space to provide in-
  stantaneous travel or access to worlds and dimensions
  once ruled by the Kings, drain life energies or project
  stunning mental force. It can summon any lesser
  Edomite entities, as long as the summoning power adds
  up to 60 base points (i.e. 1 x 150 pt Summon, 4 x 100
  pt Summon, etc.) and lets the wielder communicate
  with such creatures. Alas, the communication is one
  way: the Scepter’s wielder can send thoughts, but not
  receive them. Edomites recognize the Scepter as a tool
  of their masters, and so will probably obey the wielder,
  at least for a while, but the Scepter provides neither
  real control over the entities it calls, nor any way to
  force them back from whence they came.
  
  161
  The Scepter can even grant people super-powers,
  although once more these come with certain unpleas-
  ant side effects. (What powers and what side effects
  are left to the GM’s fevered imagination, but they
  should be thoroughly grotesque and leave the aug-
  mented person open to control by the Kings.)
  Physically, the Scepter is a slender rod of pitted black
  stone, about 1.3 meters long and 2 cm wide, bound in
  a web of shiny black metal. At the end, a claw grip holds
  a globe of crystal that seems full of dark, swirling
  clouds. Stone, metal and crystal are all unknown to
  science. The Scepter cannot be destroyed by anything
  less than a cosmic entity or a supernova.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  Multipower (76 pt pool),
  Independent (-2), OAF, Spell
  Research to Discover Each Function
  (-¼), EGO Roll to Avoid Side Effect
  (but power still works, -¼), Side
  Effect: Involuntary Mind Link to
  King of Edom (-½)
  1u
  60 pt Summon, Any Edomite
  Monsters (+¼) [75]
  7
  1u
  5d6 Telepathy, 6" Radius AE (+1 ¼),
  + Universal Translator, Only to
  Send Messages to Edomites (-1) [76]
  6
  1u
  Empower: 1d6+1 Transform,
  Grant Various Powers (+¼),
  Cumulative, Uncontrolled
  Continuous, 0 END to Maintain,
  0 Range, Target Must be Willing [75]
  7
  1u
  Slow Time: 2 ½d6 SPD Drain, Ranged,
  Regain 1 SPD/2 minutes (+¼),
  Continuous, ½ END [75]
  3
  1u
  Life Drain: 1 ½d6 Drain, vs. All
  Phys Chars (+2), Regain 1 pt/turn
  (+¼), Ranged, Continuous, ½ END [75]
  3
  1u
  Area Life Drain: 1d6 Drain, vs. All
  Phys Chars (+2), Regain 1 pt/turn (+¼),
  Ranged, Continuous, Personal
  Immunity, ½ END, 5" x32 Radius
  AE (+2 ¼) [75]
  3
  1u
  Mental Bolt: 6d6 Ego Attack, ½
  END [75]
  3
  1u
  Cast Gloom: Images vs. Normal Vision,
  -3 PER, 256" Radius (+2), Uncontrolled, 0
  END, Fixed: Darkness (-½) [76]
  8
  1u
  True Gating: Extra Dimensional
  Movement: Edomite Planes,
  Continuous, Use by Other (+¼),
  ½ END, Opens Both Ways (-½),
  Full Phase to Close (-½) [75]
  3
  4
  Mental Defense (+8 pts), Doesn’t
  Work vs. Edomites (-1)
  The Krypticon
  The Krypticon is the world’s greatest tome of
  Thaumaturgy. It was written by the ancient Greek
  magus Thestor, who claimed he transcribed it from a
  book shown to him by the cosmic entity Kryptos, God
  of Secrets. The Krypticon tells fabulous secrets of magic
  dealing with space, time and dimension.
  Since then the Krypticon has had many owners. It is
  something of a tradition for each owner to add records
  of their own magical discoveries to the Krypticon, mak-
  ing the book three times longer than it originally was
  but also making it an excellent research aid. The
  Krypticon not only raises its owner’s effective rating in
  all magic-related Knowledge Skills, it greatly increases
  the chances of successful Spell Research.
  The heart of the Krypticon, however, is the mighty
  spells recorded by Thestor. One must be able to read
  Greek to use the Krypticon, but for most mages this is
  not a problem. Each spell slot requires a separate Spell
  Research roll to learn, but once a mage succeeds in this
  roll they can use that particular spell whenever they
  want; they don’t have to keep making Spell Research
  rolls. A mage trying to master a spell from the Krypticon
  can attempt a Spell Research roll once a week.
  Once mastered, a spell from the Krypticon takes a
  full hour of study to memorize, and these spells are so
  powerful that no mortal brain can hold more than one
  of these spells at a time (hence the Charge limitation
  on the entire Multipower). Once cast, the spell fades
  from memory. Spells take a full turn to cast, with Ges-
  tures, Incantations and Concentration, so they cannot
  really be used in combat. They are so powerful that a
  sorcerer thousands of miles away can detect their use,
  no matter what shielding or concealment the user
  might employ.
  The Krypticon also carries a powerful version of
  “Contact the Great” (see “Thaumaturgy” for a descrip-
  tion of this spell) which enables the book’s owner to
  contact entities on other planes. While the Mind Scan-
  ning component of this spell is not strong enough to
  force contact with most cosmic entities, it is strong
  enough that cosmic entities will notice and probably
  allow contact anyway; the Krypticon is known to ev-
  eryone who’s anyone, cosmically speaking, and any-
  one who uses it is worth their notice.
  The great power of the Krypticon inevitably causes
  trouble for its owner. Quite simply, it’s too valuable. It
  is unique: no one has ever succeeded in hand-copying
  Thestor’s text, and purely mechanical attempts at re-
  production (such as copy machines) always fail. Pho-
  tographic film burns if it catches the image of a
  Krypticon page. Other wizards will try to take the Book
  of Secrets, by force or stealth; the Book of Secrets works
  as well for villains as for heroes.
  Dimension lords and cosmic entities keep their eyes
  on whoever uses the Krypticon as well. If a Great Power
  see the Krypticon’s owner using it in a way that’s against
  their interest, they will make their displeasure known.
  And one cannot get involved with the Great Powers
  without offending somebody!
  
  162
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  14
  Multipower (145 pt pool), OAF,
  Independent (-2), 1 hour Extra Time
   to prepare (-2 ½), 1 turn Extra Time
  to cast (-1), Gestures, Incantations,
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), Visible
   (-¼), 1 reusable Charge (-1),
  Costs END, Spell Research Roll to
  gain use of each slot (-¼)
  1u
  Open Gate: EDM: Any Plane,
  Continuous, Use by Other (+¼),
  1 Hex AE, 0 END to Maintain,
  Delayed Effect (+¼), Opens Both
  Ways (-½), Full Phase to Close
   (-½) [140]
  14
  1u
  Banish: EDM: Creature’s Home
  Plane (20 pts), Use vs. Other (+1),
  x2exp18 Mass (+4 ½), Ranged,
  Delayed Effect [145]
  14
  1u
  Banish: 38d6 Dispel vs. Summon,
  Delayed Effect [142]
  14
  1u
  Mass Banish: 19d6 Dispel vs.
  Summon, 14" Radius AE (+1 ¼),
  Delayed Effect [142]
  14
  1u
  Very Mass Banish: 12d6 Dispel vs.
  Summon, 5"x128 Radius AE (+2 ¾),
  Delayed Effect [144]
  14
  1u
  Close Gate: 38d6 Dispel vs. Gate,
  Delayed Effect [142]
  14
  1u
  Spellbreaking: 32d6 Dispel, vs.
  Any Magic Effect (+¼), Delayed
  Effect [144]
  14
  1u
  Summon the Great: 1 x 430 pt
  Summon, Various Dimension
  Lords (+¼) [145]
  14
  1u
  Cloud Memory: 6d6 Mind
  Control, Nonverbal, Indirect
  (+½), 5"x256 Radius AE (+3), Only
  to Forget Something (-½) [142]
  14
  1u
  Invent Your Own
  1u
  Invent Your Own
  10
  Contact the Great: 7d6 Mind Scan,
  Transdimensional: Any (+1), +14
  ECV, Ind, OAF (-3), Gestures,
  Incantations, Concentrate 0 DCV,
  5 minutes Extra Time (-2), 4 chgs
  Cost x2 END
  14
  5
  + Mind Link x1, Anyone, Any
  Distance/Dimension, Ind, OAF (-3),
  Concentrate 0 DCV Constant (-1)
  3
  +4 levels Spell Research, Ind, OAF
  2
   +2 levels Any Occult Knowledge Skill,
  Ind, OAF
  -15
  Hunted 8- by other mages who
  want the Krypticon (More Pow)
  -10
  Watched 11- by Cosmic Entities
  (More Pow)
  The Clavicle Infernalis
  The celebrated Krypticon is neutral; its great power
  can be used for either good or evil. The Clavicle
  Infernalis, another of the great tomes of magic lore, is
  very definitely evil. It is the premier text of black magic.
  Grimoires like the Lemegeton, the Red Dragon and the
  Grimorium Verum are pale shadows of this blasphe-
  mous tome. There have been only three copies of the
  Clavicle Infernalis in all history; for its spells to work,
  they must be hand-copied in demon’s blood on parch-
  ment made from human skin. Its title translates as the
  Key to Hell; it is also called the Nether Key.
  The first Nether Key was written by the Gnostic cult
  leader and arch-heretic Basilides in the 2nd century
  AD. The archmage Abra-Melin recorded that he de-
  stroyed this book in the 9th century AD, but someone
  must have made a copy before then, for the 16th cen-
  tury French Satanist called Ansuperomin boasted that
  he owned the Key and had made another copy. Since
  then, copies of the Nether Key have been owned by sev-
  eral notorious Satanists, such as the German necro-
  mancer Johann Georg Schropfer and the hideous Abbe
  Guibourg.
  Most of the spells in the Clavicle are straightforward
  feats of demonology. Before opening it, one must re-
  cite the words which open the Gates of Hell: Zazas,
  Zazas, Nasatanada Zazas. The book provides spells for
  summoning both single demon lords and armies of
  minor demons. Its binding spell can compel absolute
  obedience from most demons (as long as the demon
  was summoned by the caster); if binding isn’t possible,
  it provides a powerful spell of dismissal. Another set
  of spells brings the Netherworld to Earth: the first by
  opening a portal, the second by physically moving a
  hefty chunk of Netherworld territory to Earth. The
  third simply creates a huge cloud of dark, sulfurous
  smoke to make a region more homey to demons and
  other horrors. The remaining spells are purely miscel-
  laneous. An area effect Mind Control lets the Nether
  Key’s owner prompt evil thoughts and deeds in a wide
  area. The Nether Key also lets one grant demon-based
  superpowers to others, as an excuse for origins. Other
  spells are up to the GM; they may be added as desired,
  since the Clavicle Infernalis exists chiefly as an excuse
  for demonic mayhem on a grand scale.
  The great power of the Clavicle presents three dan-
  gers to its owner. That its power corrupts practically
  goes without saying: even its banishment works by
  calling on the superior evil power of the Dragon. Sec-
  ond, many good-aligned wizards (especially Jewish,
  Christian or Muslim ones) will try to destroy any
  Nether Key they hear about. They will try to destroy its
  owner, too, assuming that anyone who’d own a Nether
  Key must be hopelessly corrupt. For that matter,
  Satanist wizards will pursue the Key as well, wanting
  to claim its power. Finally, the spells themselves are
  dangerous. Any interruption while chanting the
  Clavicle’s long invocations will prompt a horrible back-
  lash.
  Exactly what this means is left to the GM and should
  be decided on a case by case basis, but it should be
  spectacular—a disaster of truly Biblical proportions.
  Having the Nether Key’s user dragged off to Hell is the
  least of the Side Effects possible. Uncontrolled demonic
  armies, all water within 10 miles tuning to blood and
  rains of fire are other possibilities. Go wild. Afterwards,
  the Clavicle’s user should be gone and the heroes should
  be saying, “No one could have survived that!” This time,
  they might even be right.
  
  163
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  Multipower (115 pt pool), OAF,
  Independent, 1 minute Extra Time
  to use (-1 ½), Incantations (-¼),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), Spell
  Research to cast each spell the first
  time (-¼), c. 114 pt Side Effect if
  Casting Disturbed (-1)
  1u
  1 x 300 pt Summon, Any Demon
  Lord (+¼) [112]
  11
  1u
  256 x 100 pt Summon, Any Minor
  Demons (+¼) [112]
  11
  1u
  Induce Demonic Possession: 6d6
  Transform to Demon Possessed
  Person, Acts vs. EGO (+0), Any
  Demon (+¼) [112]
  11
  1u
  Rule Demon: 7 ½d6 Transform to
  slave for 1 mission, Acts vs. EGO
  (+0) [115]
  11
  1u
  38d6 Dispel vs. Summon [114]
  11
  1u
  Gateway to Hell: EDM:
  Netherworld, x2 Mass, Use by
  Others x2 (+½), Uncontrolled
  Continuous 0 END, 9" Radius AE
  (+1), Opens Both Ways (-½), Full
  Phase to Close (-½) [112]
  11
  1u
  Hell On Earth: EDM: Earth,
  Use vs. Other (+1), x8 Mass (+¾),
  Ranged, Indirect (+½),
  Transdimensional to Netherworld
  (+½), 36" Radius AE (+1 ½) [115]
  11
  1u
  Hellish Atmosphere: Change
  Environment: Stench and Gloom,
  1024" Radius, 0 END Persistent to
  maintain [110]
  11
  1u
  Veil of Sin: 6d6 Mind Control,
  Nonverbal, 4"x64 Radius AE
  (+2 ½) [112]
  11
  1u
  Infernal Empowerment: 6d6
  Transform, Give Any ‘Demonic’
  Powers (+¼) [112]
  11
  1u
  Invent Your Own
  4
  +6 Levels for Any Demonology
  Skills (inc. Spell Research), Ind, OAF (-3)
  -10
  Hunted 8- by Heroic Mages (As Pow)
  Star Of Urizen
  The Star of Urizen is a talisman created by the Prime
  Avatar of Order for his favored servants. Actually there
  are many such talismans, but Urizen only assigns one
  Star per dimension. (Why just one? It’s traditional,
  that’s why.) Not only does a Star of Urizen provide
  several useful powers to its wielder, it can consider-
  ably enhance the power of whatever spells its wielder
  knows already.
  Urizen does not permit Stars to stay long in the hands
  of wizards who are not firmly committed to his cause.
  As long as the Star’s owner uses it to seek out and de-
  stroy the minions of Chaos, Urizen asks no more, but
  if the Star’s owner uses it too much for personal causes,
  eventually Urizen will send one of his Order spirits to
  take the Star away. Such minions will be able to deac-
  tivate the Star or even make it attack its owner.
  A Star of Urizen is a golden disk about 7 cm in di-
  ameter, with a band of geometric engraving around
  the rim and a spiky, multifaceted crystal about 5 cm
  wide in the center. When in use the Star’s crystal glit-
  ters with white light. A Star of Urizen might be worn
  as a necklace or used as a brooch (for instance, as a
  clasp for a cloak).
  Note that a Star of Urizen is not officially a Focus.
  This lets a Star be used by a sorcerer in astral form: the
  Star does its own astral projection along with its wearer.
  However, since the Star is still Independent, it can still
  be stolen or lost.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  15
  Multipower (54 pt pool),
  Independent (-2), Can Be Controlled
  by Urizen or Ordainers (-½)
  1u
  18d6 Dispel vs. Summon [54]
  5
  1u
  10d6 Mind Control [50]
  5
  1u
  10d6 Telepathy [50]
  5
  1u
  8d6 Aid, to Any Spell (+¼) [50]
  5
  1u
  7d6 Mind Scan, Transdimensional:
  Ulro (+½) [52]
  5
  4
  Mind Link x1 to Order Minions, Any
  Distance/Dimension, Independent,
  Costs END, Concentrate 0 DCV
  Constant (-1)
  2
  2
  Sense Chaotic Forces, Ind
  4
  + Ranged +6 Telescopic, Ind, Costs
  END, Visible
  1
  -10
  Watched 11- by Urizen (More Pow)
  Artifacts For Headquarters
  These artifacts are meant to be built into a sorcerer’s
  “Sanctum Sanctorum”; they are too bulky to move
  around. Typically, such artifacts either protect the
  headquarters, provide information or otherwise help
  the sorcerer get into adventures. They seldom enhance
  the sorcerer’s combat power in any meaningful way.
  For further relevant notes, see “Sanctums for Sor-
  cerers.”
  The Mirror Of Ozoth
  The Mirror of Ozoth goes all the way back to the
  lost civilization of Shamballah (see “Those Obligatory
  Lost Civilizations”, Chapter 5), making it over 5000
  years old. It was made by the Lord of Art called Ozoth,
  the Master of Ultimate Vision. Ozoth gave the Mirror
  to the mystic Nagas. After the fall of Shamballah the
  Mirror passed from one human magus from another.
  It has been lost and rediscovered several times.
  The Mirror is a powerful scrying device. It can view
  any place on Earth, or look through the Outer Planes.
  The Mirror cannot, however, view the Imaginal Planes
  of Earth it was made before those dimensions existed.
  Magic auras become visible when scryed through the
  Mirror. One can target a viewing location directly, or
  by looking for a person via the Mind Scan function.
  The Mirror does have a few little problems. When
  improperly handled, it does unpleasant things. For
  instance, if it is struck by a magical attack it might suck
  everyone in the room into a hostile dimension or into
  a shared dreamscape. If one uses the Mirror’s scrying
  to target a mental attack, and miss badly, the Mirror
  might reflect the attack back at the caster. GMs should
  come up with their own set of rare circumstances in
  which the Mirror of Ozoth malfunctions, and what
  entertaining things it does to people in the area. At
  
  164
  least one such malfunction should discourage the
  Mirror’s owner from using it to target attacks, since
  zapping a person from a thousand miles away isn’t very
  heroic.
  Physically, the Mirror of Ozoth is an oval of glass
  about 1 meter wide and half again as high, in a simple
  golden frame decorated with plaques bearing mystic
  symbols. It might be mounted on two freestanding
  pillars or hang on a wall. It weighs about 30 kilograms
  (75 pounds). No mundane force could ever break it.
  The glass bears a spiralling pattern of low ripples which
  makes the Mirror’s face a shimmering whirlpool of
  fragmented, distorted images and silvery-golden
  streaks. When someone concentrates and activates the
  Mirror, the twisted reflections blur and swirl. After sev-
  eral seconds a clear view of the target location expands
  out from the center to fill the glass.
  Any magical adept can figure out how to use the
  Mirror of Ozoth with a simple Spell Research roll. Even
  a person with no training in magic might activate the
  Mirror by accident. This is not always a good thing:
  they may unwittingly scry targets which can trace the
  Mirror’s energies back to their source.
  Although technically portable, the Mirror of Ozoth
  does not travel well. Aside from being heavy and bulky,
  the Mirror must be kept in an area shielded from un-
  wanted psychic influences which can make the Mirror
  scan the wrong location or show false visions. Shield-
  ing requires an exorcism process that takes days to com-
  plete. In practice, this means the Mirror must be kept
  in a sorcerer’s sanctum.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  14
  13d6 Mind Scan, ½ END, +10
  ECV, Base OAF (-2), Independent
  (-2), Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), 1
  turn Extra Time (-1), 50 pt Side
  Effect: GM’s Discretion (-½) [101]
  4
  29
  Clairsentience: Normal Vision,
  Sense Magic, x2exp14 Range
  (worldwide), 0 END, No Range
  Modifier (+½), Independent Base
  OAF (-4), Concentrate 0 DCV
  Constant (-1), initial 1 turn Extra
  Time (-½) [190]
  3
  +Transdimensional on Clairsentience
  (Outer Planes), Independent Base
  OAF (-4), Concentrate 0 DCV
  Constant (-1), initial 1 turn Extra
  Time (-½)
  4
  Mind Link x1, anyone, any
  distance/dimension, Above Limits
  (-5 ½) [25]
  2
  Sense Magic/Ranged/Discriminatory,
  Above Limits (-5 ½) [15]
  Astral Weathercock
  The Astral Weathercock comes from old China. Less
  than a dozen were ever built, and only a few survive to
  the present day. They are universally acknowledged as
  a masterpiece of occult engineering, combining Tao-
  ist sorcery with precision mechanics.
  The world’s first seismograph (a device to detect and
  locate earthquakes) was invented by the Chinese sci-
  entist Chang Heng in 132 AD. His “Earthquake Weath-
  ercock” consisted of a bronze urn holding a heavy in-
  verted pendulum free to swing in any direction, at-
  tached to a system of levers. The urn was ringed with
  eight dragon heads, each one holding a ball in its
  mouth. When an earth tremor—even one too faint for
  a human to feel—shook the urn, a lever flipped the
  ball from the dragon head facing opposite the direc-
  tion of the quake.
  A Chinese wizard of the Third Century adapted this
  seismograph to produce a device which sensed distur-
  bances in the magical ether instead of disturbances in
  the ground. Instead of a simple vibration sensing pen-
  dulum, the Astral Weathercock’s urn holds three pen-
  dulums whose bobs are miniature golden shrines to
  gods of magic, hooked together by levers, gears and
  pulleys inscribed with mystic signs. A smaller vessel
  above the urn holds several balls of white jade inscribed
  with Chinese numerals, like lottery balls. When pow-
  erful supernatural forces shake the ether, a valve opens
  and balls drop from a dragon’s mouth into a padded
  bowl while a chime sounds. The head gives the direc-
  tion of the disturbance; the numbers give the distance.
  While the Astral Weathercock isn’t infallible, it can lo-
  cate a magical disruption to within a few tens of miles.
  In game terms, the Astral Weathercock has world-
  wide Danger Sense, limited to magical sources of wide-
  spread danger. It detects any strong supernatural event,
  even ones not directly malevolent (such as spells from
  the Krypticon); technically Danger Sense shouldn’t
  detect such outbursts, but what the heck. Magic that
  strong is bound to be a threat to somebody.
  As always with Danger Sense, the Astral Weather-
  cock provides no real advance warning of occult dis-
  turbances. If Oom the Unspeakable is coming to Earth
  to ravage and destroy, the Astral Weathercock only reg-
  isters a menace once Oom actually arrives. Fortunately,
  most supernatural threats take time to develop. Once
  the Astral Weathercock registers a disturbance, its
  owner might have an hour in which to plan a response
  before the situation becomes critical.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  6
  Danger Sense 12-, out of combat/
  sensory (magic sense), worldwide;
  Base Independent OAF (-4) [32]
  4
  + 11 levels to Danger Sense, Base
  Independent OAF, Only to Locate
  Danger Source (-1) [22]
  
  165
   Sanctums For
  Sorcerers
  Comic-book sorcerers sometimes turn their homes
  into full-fledged headquarters. After the home of Dr.
  Strange™, comicdom’s most intensely detailed sorcerer,
  a wizard’s headquarters home is called a “Sanctum
  Sanctorum.” Not all super-mages have a sanctum, but
  a well-developed sanctum can become both an impor-
  tant part of a wizard’s power and virtually a character
  in its own right.
  Traditional Features
  A few traditions have grown up about sanctums. Not
  every sanctum should follow every tradition listed here,
  but these are all classic features which help create a
  mystical ambiance.
  High Fashion And Respectable Age
  Wizards just don’t live in tract houses or condos.
  They prefer spooky-looking old mansions, stone tow-
  ers, even castles on the astral plane—at the very least,
  a distinguished-looking, elderly townhouse. Fortu-
  nately, just about every metropolitan area in North
  America has a few old Victorian houses, so wizards
  should have no problem finding suitably atmospheric
  places to live. (And fortunately for detail-minded play-
  ers, books of old house plans are easy to find.) Europe
  of course is stuffed with stately homes.
  An Eerie Past
  The wizard’s home might have been unusual even
  before the wizard moved in. Perhaps it was built on an
  Indian burial ground or ritual site. It may have gained
  a reputation as a haunted house or “bad place” because
  of insanity, suicide or murder among previous tenants.
  It doesn’t matter that such antecedents suggest a house
  steeped in black magic. Any peculiarity in a house’s
  construction or history helps emphasize that this no
  ordinary place.
  Books And Artifacts
  Wizards tend to accumulate all manner of occult
  knicknacks and souvenirs. These might be quite pow-
  erful items in rules terms, or they might just look odd
  and grotesque. It really doesn’t matter, as long as the
  wizard isn’t going to use them as a matter of course.
  Typically, such occult artifacts either have no power
  in and of themselves (they’re just interesting Foci for
  spells which the sanctum’s owner might not even be
  able to cast) or they have powers one wouldn’t really
  want to use very often anyway. For example, the Black
  Stone of Bolingbroke can suck people into the Plane
  of Perilous Prunes, but will frequently swallow the
  person who triggered it, too. The chief use of such trin-
  kets is as hooks to draw the PCs into adventures, such
  as when DNPCs accidentally trigger the Mirror and
  the heroes have to rescue them.
  Likewise, sorcerers often keep a library of mystic lore.
  Great locked tomes bound in dragonskin, crumbling
  scrolls of faded runes, metal plates or stone tablets
  etched with the sinister glyphs of prehuman races—
  one can tell at a glance that these did not come from
  Waldenbooks. The library may be nothing more than
  a bit of colorful scenery to explain how the character
  learns spells. It might constitute a magical “lab” built
  into the Headquarters. A few special books might even
  be potent magic items in their own right, artifacts
  bought through Headquarters Points (see below).
  Magical Wards
  All this valuable—and sometimes dangerous—para-
  phernalia needs a bit more protection than the aver-
  age home security system can provide. And of course,
  wizards have enemies who laugh at deadbolts and bur-
  glar alarms. Sanctums usually carry special warding
  spells to keep out intruders, especially intruders of the
  magical sort. A skilled and determined sorcerer can
  probably bypass any conceivable set of wards given
  time, but a sanctum’s defenses can usually keep out
  any normal burglar and at least delay any mystical as-
  sault. (A bit of Hardened Armor or Force Field to keep
  out those pesky teleporters and extra-dimensional
  gaters is essential.)
  Wards can be handled in two ways. First, they can
  be bought as Powers for the sanctum, using Headquar-
  ters Points. Second, the sorcerer might simply have a
  few spells which impart Persistent or Uncontrolled
  defenses to any building they are cast upon. This works
  especially well if the sorcerer can get the spells through
  a Power Pool! Examples of such warding spells are
  given elsewhere.
  Such warding spells bought through a Power Pool
  don’t cost the wizard any points, but they have the dis-
  advantage that they break. Once the Lavender Doom
  breaks through the force field on the door, the whole
  sanctum becomes vulnerable until the spell is cast
  again. Defenses bought with Headquarters Points are
  more enduring.
  Space Warps
  Space itself may do funny things inside a sanctum.
  A sanctum might be bigger inside than out. Rooms
  and corridors might connect in ways not possible in
  three-dimensional space. A sanctum might even in-
  corporate Gates to other dimensions or zones of folded
  space where any surface might simultaneously be the
  floor to one person, a wall to a second person and a
  ceiling to a third (the “Escher Effect,” from the per-
  spective-warping pictures of Dutch artist M. C. Escher.)
  Gates are bought normally, either as Headquarters
  powers or as free-floating persistent spells. A sanctum’s
  being bigger inside than out requires nothing more
  than paying the points for the area: one pays points
  for the area inside a Headquarters, not for how much
  land it covers. If a small bungalow happens to contain
  
  166
  rooms the size of football fields, that’s just an interest-
  ing special effect and maybe a few points spent on Dis-
  guise for the sanctum. Likewise for space-warping con-
  nections within the sanctum: how the rooms connect
  in a Headquarters is purely up to the player. Since
  “Escher rooms” are a blatant effect which might affect
  combat, however, such areas ought to be bought as
  Persistent Change Environment powers for the sanc-
  tum.
  Special Occupants
  Sorcerers don’t need to live alone in their sanctums.
  Sorcerers may have live in DNPCs; an impassive ser-
  vant is traditional. Other occupants might be magical
  beings such as ghosts, fairies or talking statues, who
  merely provide some more colorful ambiance to the
  sanctum.
  Power Boosts
  A sanctum might be more than just a colorful
  safehouse for relaxing between adventures. A sanctum
  might provide real power to its owner. A wizard’s sanc-
  tum might house some potent artifact: the extra -1
  Limitation on a Focus bought as part of a base, on top
  of the 1:5 ratio between Character Points and Head-
  quarters Points, makes this option extremely attrac-
  tive. A prudent GM, however, will make sure that these
  Focused Powers really never leave the sanctum. Pref-
  erably these artifacts will carry powers which merely
  help involve PCs in adventures. One classic example is
  a scrying device which scans far places and other di-
  mensions for supernatural naughtiness.
  Special ritual chambers offer another power boost
  for a sanctum’s owner. A ritual chamber might be rep-
  resented by an Aid on spells cast within it. It might
  even be a Power Pool a wizard can call upon as long as
  he or she is inside the chamber, to use directly or to
  augment other spells.
  Building A Sanctum
  In terms of game rules, building a sanctum is easy:
  just shell out the points and haggle with the GM about
  what one can get for them. If one just wants to have
  the sanctum and get it over with, that’s enough. Within
  the context of the game world, however, just how does
  one turn an ordinary mansion into a magical fortress?
  Here are some suggestions, for those who are inter-
  ested.
  Specialty Spells
  One may assume there are spells which warp space,
  turn brick, wood and glass stronger than steel and ban
  intruders from other dimensions. These spells take a
  long time to cast and require expensive ritual equip-
  ment. They might seriously deplete the caster’s magi-
  cal powers for a time, leaving him or her dangerously
  vulnerable for days. In essence, they have such severe
  limits on their use that they are only worth casting if
  one is building a sanctum.
  The “Kerubic Contractor” spell (in the Hermetic
  Theurgy section above) is one such spell. Sanctum-
  building spells don’t actually have to be written up,
  though: in essence, the points sorcerers spend on their
  sanctums shows how well they know these special spells
  and what sort of resources they have available. Such a
  sorcerer could build a sanctum for someone else, but
  only if that other person had the appropriate time,
  money and both physical and metaphysical resources
  to support the effort (i.e. has points of their own to
  spend).
  The sanctum-building spells might not be widely
  known, and casting them might require tools and
  materials that simply cannot be obtained by ordinary
  means. What’s more, building a sanctum might require
  the cooperation of cantankerous local spirits who want
  favors in return.
  Instant Sanctum
  Actual spells to create all the effects that go into a
  sanctum could cost more points than the sanctum it-
  self. Sorcerers with Power Pools, however, already have
  every spell in the world—limited by their power level
  and character conception, of course. Even a modest,
  45 point Power Pool can supply spells to simulate many
  features of the classic sanctum, such as Persistent Force
  Fields and space warps. Examples of such “instant sanc-
  tum” spells are given below. The problem with such
  spells is that if something happens to break or dispel
  them, they’re gone until the spells can be cast again.
  Hire A Contractor
  If one lacks the spells or resources to build a sanc-
  tum oneself, one might be able to hire someone else to
  do the job. For instance, an aged sorcerer might spe-
  cialize in building sanctums for young pups new to
  the business, in return for later favors.
  Various spirits and extra-dimensional entities might
  specialize in occult architecture as well. In the Arabian
  Nights, Aladdin had a djinn build him a complete pal-
  ace in one night. In Jewish legend, King Solomon em-
  ployed djinns and demons to build his magnificent
  palace and the great Temple of Jerusalem. Suitably
  powerful djinn (such as Haseem, in Chapter 6) make
  the most reliable contractors in the spirit world, as-
  suming one can be bound into service. Presumably,
  such djinns can do alterations to existing buildings as
  well as building sanctums from scratch.
  Likewise, several demon lords from the grimoires
  are said to build towers, temples, camps and fortifica-
  tions. They can probably do sanctums too—but de-
  mons are hard to command, and habitually treacher-
  ous. A demon lord who builds a sanctum under du-
  ress will certainly include a number of unpleasant sur-
  prises in his design! (Anyone for Mystery Disadvan-
  tages? Lots of Mystery Disadvantages?) Demon lords
  only work willingly and reliably for villainous mages
  who sell their souls or work hideous evils in payment.
  
  167
  This Old Sanctum
  The PCs might even simply find a sanctum created
  and abandoned by some other sorcerer long ago. While
  this begs the question of how sanctums get built in the
  first place, it does speed things up and lets the GM
  give the PCs a sanctum with story hooks already in-
  stalled, as it were. The sanctum might be in poor re-
  pair after years, decades or even centuries of neglect.
  Magical traps and defenses might still be in place; old
  spells might have decayed and interacted to create
  unplanned dangers. Ghost and weird things from other
  dimensions might have moved in. All in all, this is one
  fixer-upper even Bob Vila can’t handle.
  Sanctum-Related Adventures
  Treasure Hunt
  PCs who want to build a sanctum need something
  unusual and hard to get: a special book of spells, per-
  haps, or a relic like a stone from the Temple of
  Solomon. The PCs have a lead about where to find the
  necessary item. Actually getting the item, however, re-
  quires going someplace exotic—perhaps even through
  time or to another dimension. Once there, the PCs
  must overcome obstacles such as guardian monsters,
  possessive current owners, mechanical and magical
  traps, or perhaps even a mystical test to determine if
  they are worthy to receive the item.
  Quid Pro Quo
  Somebody involved in building the sanctum (either
  a hired builder or a local spirit who must be appeased)
  wants a favor in return. This could be the story hook
  for a Treasure Hunt, or the person might want some
  special deed performed. The deed doesn’t actually have
  to be dangerous, just challenging to the PCs’ abilities.
  For instance, the ghost of a murdered man haunt-
  ing the sanctum to be might want the PCs to pass an
  important message to his daughter, but he doesn’t
  know where she lives and in fact she has changed her
  identity through the Witness Protection Program.
  Or, local Native American spirits could insist that
  the PCs perform a special ritual before the spirits will
  let the PCs exploit the energies of their ancient sacred
  ground. The problem is finding instructions for the
  ritual when apparently the last person who knew it died
  a century ago. The spirits won’t say anything more until
  the ritual is done—not even to tell the PCs how to do
  the ritual.
  Gander-Sauce
  In the above adventures, the PCs might be hindered
  by enemies or rivals who don’t want them to build their
  sanctum. Well, turnabout’s fair play: the PCs’ enemies
  will face the same difficulties in building their own
  sanctums, and the PCs can hassle them in turn. For
  this adventure, the PCs learn that one of their enemies
  is building a sanctum that will increase his or her
  power. The PCs try to stop the evil mage from com-
  pleting his or her own Treasure Hunt or Quid Pro Quo.
  First the PCs must figure out the villain’s specific ob-
  jective. Then they must catch up with the villain, who
  by then has a considerable head start. The PCs may
  have to face the same dangers and obstacles their en-
  emy has already passed through. At last they must face
  their enemy and keep him or her from the objective.
  Unwanted Tenants
  Once the PCs get their sanctum, they might discover
  that they aren’t its only occupants. Something has
  moved in when they weren’t looking. Whatever it is,
  it’s weird, elusive and at least potentially dangerous.
  The PCs must catch it and either get rid of it or deter-
  mine that it isn’t a threat. “Something under the bed is
  breathing…”
  Ordinary(?) Problems
  A sanctum may be a Fortress of High Wizardry, but
  that doesn’t mean it can’t have ordinary problems like
  phones that quit or rusty pipes. The PCs, like any sen-
  sible person, call in the appropriate service personnel
  (electrician, plumber, carpenter, whatever). Unfortu-
  nately, that’s the day when something truly mind-blow-
  ing attacks the sanctum. The PCs must repel the at-
  tack while protecting the innocent workman and if
  possible without blowing their Secret IDs.
  “Instant Sanctum” Spells
  These spells are all built on 45 Active Points or less.
  There is no reason why they could not be more pow-
  erful; the 45 point limit is just to show what’s possible
  with a rather modest Power Pool or a few Multipower
  slots. As always, GMs have the final say on what’s al-
  lowed in their games, and admittedly these spells
  stretch the rules pretty broadly. Still, it’s interesting to
  see just how much one can put in a sanctum without
  actually spending Headquarters Points.
  Limitations aren’t given. Suffice to say that “Instant
  Sanctum” spells should take at least a few minutes each
  and be moderately inconvenient to cast so wizards
  aren’t magically fortifying every building they enter.
  The spells might wear off in a few days without magi-
  cal maintenance, too.
  Basic Ward
  This spell reinforces the walls of a building, making
  them as strong as steel armor plate. Then the wizard
  casts versions for ED, Mental Defense and Power De-
  fense Force Fields. All should share the Limitations that
  they cannot cumulate—two 14 PD wards are no bet-
  ter than one—and that if one ward breaks, they all
  break.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  14 PD Force field, 0 END Persistent,
  Invisible to Sight/Hearing (+¾),
  Hardened, Use by Other (the
  building, +¼) [45]
  
  168
  Concealment Spell
  This spell hides all the other “Instant Sanctum” spells
  that have been cast on a building.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  Invisibility vs. Magic Detection,,
  0 END Persistent, Use by other
  (+¼) [45]
  Space Warping
  This expands, twists or otherwise reshapes the rooms
  in a building so it can have more space inside or to
  create “Escher effects.”
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  Change Environment 4" Radius,
  Any Spatial Distortion (+1), 0 END
  Persistent [45]
  Alarm Spell
  This spell is set to create a loud alarm when a cer-
  tain condition is met: someone who opens a certain
  door without knocking, for instance. Normal Triggered
  spells are assumed to have only normal human senses,
  but no intelligence and hardly any ability to tell one
  person from another.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  Images vs. Hearing; 8" Radius (+1),
  Variable Trigger (+½) [25]
  2
  Watcher Spell
  This spell gives the Alarm Spell the ability to use non-
  standard senses such as Detects. (Alarms set to Detect
  Invisibility are especially valuable.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  Clairsentience: one sense, Use by
  Other (+¼), 0 END Persistent [45]
  MageDrainer
  This nasty little number gradually drains away all of
  an intruder’s magic as long as he, she or it is inside the
  building. The only way to stop the drain is to turn off
  all one’s magical defenses—which turns most wizards
  into sitting ducks.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  ½d6 Drain; vs. All Magic (+2),
  Recover 5 pts/minute (+¼),
  Personal Immunity (+¼), Invisible
  to Sight/Hearing (+¾), NND vs.
  Natural (non-magical) Power Defense
  (+1),  Continuous, Uncontrolled, 0
  END, Ranged, 8" Radius AE (+1 ¼) [45]
  Bilocation
  Finally, here’s a really powerful Instant Sanctum
  spell, the sort a wizard with a large Multipower might
  have as one of their major, non-combat spells. This
  spell makes a building exist simultaneously on Earth
  and on another, pre-chosen dimension—perhaps the
  Land of Legends or Babylon.
  Although written using a Radius Area of Effect, the
  dimensional overlap is confined to the sanctum itself.
  One can enter the house from one door on Earth and
  go out another door to the other dimension.
  Making a building bilocate does have one great dis-
  advantage: while it makes it very easy for the new
  sanctum’s owner to reach the other dimension, it is
  just as easy for creatures from the other dimension to
  get to Earth. Turning off Bilocation is at least as diffi-
  cult as turning it on.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  EDM: Other Dimension/Earth, Use
  By Other x1 (+¼), Continuous, 0
  END Persistent, Invisible vs. Sight
  (+½), 8" Radius AE (+1), Opens Both
   Ways (-½), 5 Minutes Extra Time to
   Close (-1) [95]
  More Fantastic
  Foci of Legend
  Vintrasian Host
  The 19th century cult leader Pierre
  Vintras claimed to miraculously pro-
  duce Communion wafers stained with
  the blood of Christ. The occultist
  Eliphas Levi inspected three of these
  Hosts, however, and claimed that on all
  three the alleged blood formed Satanic
  symbols.
  Sword Of Paracelsus.
  The great doctor and alchemist had
  a sword with a crystal pommel, on
  which was engraved the word AZOTH,
  Paracelsus’ word for the life principle.
  Legend says the pommel was also the
  stopper for the hollow hilt of the sword,
  in which Paracelsus kept the Elixer of
  Life. Modern scholars say that
  Paracelsus’ great magical medicine was
  laudanum—tincture of opium—but
  then, modern scholars don’t know ev-
  erything
  Devil-Trap Bowls
  For a while in some parts of
  Mesopotamia, people would bury these
  pottery bowls under their thresholds or
  at the corners of their homes. The in-
  cantation written in a spiral around the
  inside of the bowl was supposed to fix
  the attention of any evil spirit that came
  near and so prevent it from entering the
  house.
  .
  
  Chapter 5:
  “Superstitious? Perhaps. Baloney? Perhaps not…”
  —The Black Cat
  This chapter is concerned with the secret world of sor-
  cery. Mages deal with a panoply of groups, entities and
  forces which most people never see. First, the hidden sub-
  culture of wizards and would be wizards is described.
  Then several special features of the Occult World are dis-
  cussed, such as cults, cosmic entities and—of course those
  obligatory lost civilizations like Atlantis, which occultists
  love to claim as the source of their magical wisdom.
  The Occult World
  
  170
  The Occult Subculture
  “You want the Elucidated Brethren of the
  Ebon Night. Three doors down.”
  ”Who’re you, then?”
  ”We’re the Illuminated and Ancient Brethren
  of Ee.”
  —Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
  Sorcerers, mystics, occultists and spirits form a dis-
  tinct subculture the Occult World. “Occult” means “se-
  cret” as well as “magical,” and the Occult World has
  both traits. The Occult World is like an onion of four
  layers, each layer more secretive and magically potent
  than the last.
  Most people never see more than the most superfi-
  cial aspects of the Occult World. A person with the
  “Occult World” Skill only has significant knowledge
  of their own layer of involvement (and of course the
  higher, or shallower, layers). Of deeper layers they will
  know little, and their information will be vague and
  probably not very accurate. For instance, the local “Psy-
  chic Palm and Tarot Reader” will only know about the
  Pop Occult World in detail, no matter how high his
  Occult World skill rating may be. At most, he knows
  how to contact a few serious occultists. Even sorcerers,
  players in the True Magic World, know far more about
  their fellow practitioners than about the spiritual “Pow-
  ers and Principalities” from whom the magic forces
  flow.
  It’s worth repeating that KS: Occult World is a gen-
  eral Skill. What’s more, it is chiefly concerned with
  people and organizations; it gives little or no knowl-
  edge of occult or magical doctrines, legends, literature,
  spirits or the like. For precise information, one needs
  more specialized Knowledge Skills such as “Cults,”
  “Magic Theory,” “Occult History,” “Grimoires” or “The
  Spirit World.”
  Levels Of The Occult World
  Level 1: The “Pop Occult” World
  The outermost layer consists of the most superficial
  aspects of occultism: the newspaper astrologers, crys-
  tal mongers, trance channellers, storefront psychics and
  other charlatans and honest dupes of the New Age. A
  lot of these people and their clients genuinely believe
  they have tapped the wellsprings of wizardly power.
  Most of them wouldn’t know real magic if it bit them.
  Their chief value to practitioners of real magic is that
  their gullibility makes them perfect lackeys and experi-
  mental animals. Real world example: your local palm-
  ist, astrologer, channeler or crystal healer.
  Level 2: The True Occult World
  The next layer in consists of the serious occultists.
  These people know just enough about real magic to
  get themselves in trouble. A few even know enough to
  avoid real trouble. Many cult leaders fall into this class.
  Other examples of second layer occultists include a few
  proprietors of occult bookstores, private collectors of
  occult memorabilia, Hebrew scholars and genuine
  Satanists.
  Not all these people necessarily believe in magic, but
  they can tell genuine esoteric lore from phony imita-
  tions. Books written by these people are seldom found
  outside specialty stores and superior University librar-
  ies. Few of these people ever achieve much fame or
  notoriety in the mundane world, even if they try. Real
  world example: Gershom Scholem, the 20th century’s
  top scholar of kabbalism.
  Some magical heroes and villains may fit in the sec-
  ond layer of the Occult World as well. They may have
  gained their powers through magic or wield a magic
  item, but they don’t actually know much about the
  supernatural. Champions Universe example: Loup
  Garou (from Red Doom in Classic Organizations).
  Level 3: The Magical World
  People in the third layer of the Occult World know
  and perform real magic. Most Super Mage heroes and
  villains fall into this category. So do the cults with real
  magic. These people may battle in public, but on the
  whole they agree that mundane people must not be
  told what’s really going on. Even pro-magic radicals
  like Demonologist never try to explain the facts of
  magic to the masses.
  Level 4: The Supernatural World
  The fourth and last layer of the Occult World usu-
  ally shows itself only to third layer magicians. This layer
  goes beyond the Earth and consists of the prime mov-
  ers of the supernatural world, from demon kings and
  dimension lords to the Four Zoas themselves. These
  beings don’t use magic, they are the magic. A few of
  the mightiest wizards may become fourth level pow-
  ers if their agendas are broad enough. Archimago, for
  instance, became a fourth level power when he became
  the Solipsist’s minion and set out to destroy the Uni-
  verse.
  Actually, the fourth layer can only be considered part
  of the Occult World because its denizens sometimes
  interact with humans. While the “Occult World” skill
  can be used to get information about spirits, gods and
  cosmic entities, such rolls will be at severe minuses: at
  least -5, and only the most general information can be
  found. For any sort of specific information about su-
  pernatural beings, characters must use other skills, such
  as Spirit World, Occult Cosmology or Gods and My-
  thology.
  
  171
  People Of The Occult World
  There are many sorts of people in the Occult World,
  with varying degrees of involvement, from storefront
  psychics to super sorcerers. Descriptions of some of
  the more common types follow. As always, individu-
  als may fall into more than one type.
  Occultists
  Occultists study magical claims and beliefs, but they
  do not necessarily claim to have any magic powers of
  their own. Many occultists practice “occult sciences”
  such as astrology or Pyramid Power, but claim these
  “sciences” work by themselves, regardless of who uses
  them. The class of occultists includes peripheral schol-
  ars such as anthropologists, folklorists and fantasy au-
  thors, who study beliefs about magic powers without
  believing in the powers themselves.
  Charlatans
  Charlatans don’t have real magic powers, but they
  claim they do. At most, a few of them have minor tal-
  ents such as aura vision or dowsing. Some charlatans
  are sincerely self-deluded; they have convinced them-
  selves that they have “powers” of some sort. Many char-
  latans are deliberate frauds who prey on the gullible.
  They pretend to tell the future, remove (or inflict) bad
  luck and curses, talk to spirits or bend spoons. A few
  of them write weighty tomes of occult doctrine. A de-
  liberate charlatan’s greatest fear is a stage magician, who
  knows all their tricks.
  Charlatans often have ambivalent feelings about real
  sorcerers, who have the powers to which charlatans
  pretend. Charlatans are seldom willing to admit, even
  to themselves, that their own powers are false. Still, they
  want the real power the sorcerer commands. Some
  charlatans may seek out real mages and beg for les-
  sons. Others try to stay away from wizards. Charlatans
  aren’t helpless, though: their skills can gather them
  great wealth and wide, loyal followings. A charlatan
  who has the ear of the Mayor or a local Mafia don can
  cause a lot of trouble for a hero.
  True Magic Users
  This class includes priests, people with magic weap-
  ons, occult investigators with genuine powers and all
  other people who at least use magic, even if they aren’t
  wizards themselves. Naturally, these are the most im-
  portant people in the Occult World for the purposes
  of the campaign.
  Cultists
  Cultists worship occult forces. Their leaders may be
  occultists, charlatans or true mage priests. In fiction,
  cultists are notable for fanatic, even suicidal devotion
  to their leaders and their gods. Cultists are discussed
  in more detail below.
  Supernatural Beings
  Most supernatural beings fall outside the occult sub-
  culture. They embody the power which occultists seek,
  but they generally do not become part of the web of
  social interactions which makes up the Occult World.
  Even the supernatural beings who live in the middle
  of humanity, such as vampires, hide their nature from
  occultists as much as from ordinary people. Thus, KS:
  Occult World gives very little information about spir-
  its, undead or other supernatural beings. At most,
  knowledge of the Occult World gives vague, general
  and inaccurate information about what sort of
  ghoulies might be out there.
  As always, there are exceptions. If a spirit or magical
  being becomes the god of a cult, it has become part of
  the Occult World. Its connection to the cult will be-
  come known, even if the spirit’s true nature and pow-
  ers remain a mystery. If any mediums or channellers
  have genuine “spirit guides,” those spirits become part
  of the Occult World as well. And of course, any gods,
  demons or other supernatural beings who become
  superheroes or supervillains will become as well known
  in the Occult World as in the mundane world.
  Occult Societies
  Occult practitioners do not all operate alone. Many
  of them band together to form occult societies of vari-
  ous sorts, ranging from sorcerous supervillain teams
  to guilds of psychic advisers, crystal healers and other
  New Agers. This section deals with more or less “secu-
  lar” groups. If the group exists for the purpose of wor-
  ship, it is not an occult society but a cult which sort of
  group will be described in turn.
  Designing Occult Societies
  Purpose
  Sorcerers and occultists can form societies for many
  different reasons. The many specific reasons, however,
  boil down into four main classes. As usual, none of
  the classes are exclusive.
  Social
  Many societies form simply as a way for like minded
  people to be with each other. Occultists and wizards
  are no different, and with their esoteric interests they
  can have problems finding people who can chat about
  the same things. Such occult societies can be no more
  than informal bull sessions, or full fledged professional
  associations. (Don’t laugh. Who do you think orga-
  nizes those “psychic fairs”?) Of course, public associa-
  tions will only consist of occultists and charlatans; any
  real mage who joins is probably shopping for minions.
  Promote A Style Of Magic
  People in the same profession often band together
  to establish standards of workmanship, protect their
  “turf” from outsiders (such as government regulators,
  foreign competition or people in similar professions)
  
  172
  and attract people to the profession. Of course, guilds
  of wizards will be much smaller than guilds of plumb-
  ers or cosmetologists.
  It is up to each GM to describe how widespread, fo-
  cused and disciplined a mage’s guild may be. At one
  extreme, all necromancers might belong to the Dread
  Legion of the Grave and follow a Master Plan to con-
  quer the world. At the other extreme, a society might
  consist of one master wizard and her students, who
  have agreed to help each other out if they get in trouble.
  Magical societies which emphasize teaching a style
  of magic form an excellent part of a mage’s back-
  ground. Such a society explains where and how the
  character learned magic. If the character maintains
  good relations with the society it gives a convenient
  justification for the character learning a new spell. If
  the character doesn’t maintain good relations with the
  society which taught them, the society can become a
  formidable Hunted. After all, they know all the
  character’s tricks…
  Promote A Cause
  The members of this sort of society might use many
  different styles of magic, but they share some general
  goal or ideology. They might all be servants or pro-
  moters of mystical Order, Art or some other orienta-
  tion, or they might follow a particular religion or po-
  litical cause. The Devil’s Advocates (see Creatures Of
  The Night: Horror Enemies), for instance, share the goal
  of destroying all modern technology.
  Complete A Project
  Finally, mages might gather to achieve some spe-
  cific goal, such as defeating a common enemy or cre-
  ating a powerful artifact. When (or if) the goal is
  achieved, the group splits up.
  Mage PC groups will probably fall into the third
  class: the “cause” they promote is “stopping the bad
  guys.” Exactly what “stopping the bad guys” entails is
  up to the players and GMS. It may be as simple as
  thumping any dimensional conquerors who show their
  face on Earth or as vast and complicated as bringing
  Enlightenment to humanity.
  Magical Power
  Of course, societies of full super mages are most in-
  teresting, but GMs may find uses for societies of oc-
  cultists and charlatans as well. These groups can’t fight
  the PCs spell for spell, but they may have social or fi-
  nancial influence that can be brought to bear.
  On the other hand, a group of occultists can be a
  useful Contact for PCs as well. Not everyone has to be
  an enemy. Collectively, the group may have more eso-
  teric Knowledge Skills and a better library than it is
  practical for the PCs to spend points upon. Such a
  group may be happy to help out real mages, in return
  for favors such as magic lessons or contributions to
  the library.
  Of course, it is possible for such a group to become
  too friendly. A gang of hero worshipping occultists
  following the PCs around, pleading to become their
  disciples, could be quite a nuisance!
  Size
  It is assumed in this work that societies of real wiz-
  ards will be quite small. First, there simply aren’t that
  many wizards in the world, and they are scattered
  thinly. Second, there just isn’t any literary precedent
  (in novels or comics) for large syndicates of wizards.
  Indeed, fiction and history (of real occult societies such
  as the Golden Dawn) suggests that sorcerers (and self
  proclaimed sorcerers) are a fractious lot addicted to
  schism and infighting.
  Finally, and most importantly, keeping wizard
  groups small keeps the focus of the campaign firmly
  on the PCs. On the one hand, they are not faced with
  indestructible, inexhaustible enemies. After the PCs
  have knocked down their 50th wizard from the Syndi-
  cate of Evil and wizard #51 pops up spoiling for a fight,
  they may well wonder what good they’re doing. On
  the other hand, if there are no benevolent wizard
  groups much larger than the PCs’ own group, that
  keeps the responsibility for stopping the bad guys
  firmly on the PCs’ shoulders, where it belongs. If there’s
  a big syndicate of good guy sorcerers, PCs may be
  tempted to run to them for help and advice every time
  they hit a snag.
  All this only applies, however, to societies of super
  level mages. Societies of occultists and charlatans can
  be very large, for the same reason that cults are very
  large: because most of the members have little power.
  Indeed, a super mage society may encompass hundreds
  of students and acolytes, as long as only a few mem-
  bers are mages with significant power.
  Openness
  The more genuine power an occult society has, the
  more secretive it will be as well. That’s one of the basic
  rules of the Occult World. As in the real world, societ-
  ies of occultists and charlatans may be completely out
  in the open obscure to most people, perhaps, but not
  actually hiding. (Charlatans may be a little dodgier, if
  they are deliberate con men.) Groups which dabble in
  fragments of real magic will be more secretive: they
  will communicate with other “serious students” but
  they won’t be in the Yellow Pages. Traditionally, groups
  of true sorcerers will stay completely hidden from com-
  mon humanity. After all, they have enemies as power-
  ful as they are.
  (There are two plausible exceptions to this rule. First,
  a small cabal of sorcerers might use a public occult
  society as a blind, a recruiting ground for students or
  as a source of cannon fodder. Second, a team of sor-
  cerers might masquerade as more conventional super-
  heroes or supervillains a form of hiding in plain sight.)
  
  173
  Organization
  The small size of societies of real mages gives them
  very simple organizational charts. Either there is a
  leader and a few followers, or the group is an alliance
  of nominal equals. Individual members may have gran-
  diose titles, but these have no practical significance.
  These groups operate according to the personalities
  of the members, not some abstract chart.
  Teaching orders (like the Vril Society in the Source
  Book or the historical Golden Dawn) are somewhat
  more complicated. They tend to be organized in grades,
  from rank novices to the masters. One’s rank suppos-
  edly shows one’s magical prowess. A one room school-
  house is a pretty fair model for these societies, although
  a few historical groups claimed hundreds of members
  (and the Freemasons, back when they still pretended
  to be occultists, had thousands).
  Sample Occult Societies
  The Vril Society, described in the Source Book, is an
  example of a teaching occult society. The Sylvestri clan
  is a loose occult society as well as a family. The Devil’s
  Advocates, a society of supervillain mages, was de-
  scribed in Creatures Of The Night: Horror Enemies.
  They and these capsule descriptions can guide GMs in
  designing occult societies.
  Newtonian Society
  Now defunct, but once a very important group. Back
  in the 17th century, Isaac Newton (one of the most
  brilliant scientists in history) turned his attention to
  the supernatural and mastered wizardry as easily as he
  had mastered physics and mathematics. Newton’s re-
  searches revealed the potential of a defense against
  demons that was even better than religious faith: cold
  disbelief. Demons could not influence people who flat
  out did not believe in them! Newton shared this dis-
  covery with several contemporary wizards, and they
  formed a society with the goal of hiding the existence
  of magic from the public.
  Up until the 1940s, most wizards of the Western
  world cooperated in this goal, although many did it
  for selfish reasons. Those who refused to hide their
  magic were discredited or otherwise forced to comply.
  The Newtonians’ last great success was preventing Nazi
  Germany from mastering black magic. Archimago,
  however, proved beyond the Newtonians’ power to
  restrain, and the Devil’s Advocates have been even
  more public. In 1987, the Newtonians decided that
  their goal of mass disbelief in Black Magic Horrors
  could not be achieved by any ethical means, and the
  society dissolved. Since then, members have gone their
  own ways.
  Reformed Druids Of Gaia
  This group of wizards and their students serves
  mystical Nature. The group formed in the 1960s, when
  a few scattered members of the “back to nature” move-
  ment became the disciples of Nature oriented mages.
  The disciples met through groups like Greenpeace and
  the Sierra Club and persuaded their masters to form
  an alliance. Now some of the students are masters
  themselves.
  The Reformed Druids are benevolent but mostly
  pacifistic. They work to acquire legal title to wilder-
  ness areas, using methods which if not entirely ethical
  are still nonviolent (they are quite willing to use mind
  control to further a purchase). Along the way, they try
  to promote “green” attitudes.
  Tetragrammaton
  This society dates back to the occult boom of the
  16th century. It is a professional alliance of
  Thaumaturges. Its chief purpose is to train appren-
  tices and carry on the traditions of Thaumaturgy. It
  also acts to mediate disputes between members. It es-
  pouses no other goals or ideology, declaring itself above
  “worldly” conflicts. If individual members want to
  muck about in worldly affairs, such as by becoming
  heroes or villains, that is no concern of the other mem-
  bers as long as they leave each other alone. Any mem-
  ber who attacks another member will be expelled.
  The name of this society refers both to the great four
  letter name of God in kabbalism, and to the four “Guid-
  ing Words of the Magus”: to Know, to Will, to Dare
  and to Keep Silence.
  Triskele
  The Devil’s Advocates weren’t the first group of wiz-
  ards to try establishing a reign of magic. From the 1910s
  to the 1940s, the group calling itself Triskele tried a
  number of schemes to force large scale magic on the
  world. Their last attempt was Nazi Germany an attempt
  to indoctrinate a nation, and through it all of Europe,
  in a radically anti rational ideology which embraced
  all manner of occult notions. The resulting horrors
  convinced the Newtonians (and several other wizards
  besides) that Triskele had to be destroyed. Most of the
  Triskele wizards died in the purge, but a few escaped
  and remain in hiding so far.
  Cults
  For example, the Garrison investigation into
  the assassination of President Kennedy in
  New Orleans brought to light the “Orthodox
  Old Catholic Church of North America,” a
  deviant sect dating back to an obscure schism
  in Utrecht, Holland, in the 18th century,
  which, after numerous permutations, had
  become occult and homosexual in orienta-
  tion.
  —Daniel Lawrence O’Keefe, Stolen
  Lightning
  
  174
  Cults are an important part of the magical world.
  Just like vigilantes have their street gangs and crime
  syndicates and superheroes have their high tech ter-
  rorist agencies, sorcerer heroes have cults to fight. The
  function is the same: providing large numbers of low
  power opponents for the heroes.
  How Cults Work
  A cult’s general structure resembles that of any other
  villain agency. At the bottom are scads of low power
  “agents.” At the top is an autocratic leader, or perhaps
  a small cabal of leaders. In between, the larger cults
  probably have a cadre of officers. The leaders consider
  the rank and file members expendable. If the cult has
  multiple leaders, they probably scheme and jockey for
  power over each other. If the leaders never squabble,
  they are probably just higher ranking officers fronting
  for a secret, true leader.
  Cults differ from other agencies, however, in their
  motivations. First and foremost, they are religious or-
  ganizations. Cultists aren’t soldiers or employees, they
  are worshippers. Even when cultists rob, extort or kill,
  they do so out of faith. They may love their leaders or
  fear them, but they never doubt them, for the cultists
  believe their leaders’ authority is divine.
  The leader’s divine authority is, in fact, the chief dif-
  ference between a cult and a normal religious sect.
  Leaders of mainline sects (Christian or otherwise) may
  claim to interpret divine will, but they don’t claim to
  be their god or gods’ sole spokesperson. Cult leaders
  generally do. In fact, cult leaders may claim to be gods
  themselves, or at least superhuman. A lot of them re-
  ally believe it, too. Because cultists think their leaders
  are divinely infallible, cultists have very high morale.
  Cultists may be quite willing to throw their lives away
  in a fight. The most fanatical cultists can commit the
  most loathsome crimes without remorse: because they
  were on “a mission from God,” they perceive no sin or
  guilt.
  Cults employ lots of magic whether the magic really
  works or not is open to question. In a comic book
  world, some cult leaders can have real magic powers,
  either through sorcerous training or the favor of the
  cult’s “god.” Cult leaders seldom have a very wide range
  of magic, but their magic can be powerful within its
  narrow limits.
  Officers might have weaker versions of the leader’s
  powers. Rank and file cultists seldom have true magic
  powers at all, but their skills and fanatical devotion
  can make them more formidable than they seem. A
  few cult leaders might even bestow low power enchant-
  ments or magic items on their followers. They won’t,
  however, give their cultists anything that could be used
  against the leaders or that they can’t afford to lose.
  Every cult needs a god to worship. Many real world
  cults deify their leaders, who claim to be the reincar-
  nation of Jesus or someone like that. Most comic book
  cults serve arch demons, horrific Elder Gods or other
  powerful extra-dimensional beings. Cults serving an-
  cient pagan gods of evil such as Set are not unknown,
  either. The greatest danger from these cults is that the
  cult leader usually has some way to summon the cult’s
  “god.” In fact, the cult usually clashes with the heroes
  because of the cult’s attempt to do this. If the cult suc-
  ceeds, the heroes have a bad fight on their hands.
  As a rule, the more powerful a cult’s “god” is, the
  harder it is to summon. Cultists of Baphomet (a good
  fight for a team of heroes but not overwhelming) can
  summon their “god” almost at will, but cultists of
  Vulshoth (a world shaking peril) might only get one
  chance to summon the Elder God as a result of a long
  and difficult procedure.
  Even if the cult claims to worship a more “conven-
  tional” god or gods, their beliefs will be twisted and
  grotesque. Real Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus,
  Buddhists, Voodooists and such won’t have anything
  to do with such heretics. Their worship might be based
  on a demon’s impersonation of the god in question.
  Cultists seldom have very creative strategy. They can
  be clever at getting entrance to where they want to go;
  if they have lots of time to prepare, they get a cultist
  hired at the museum, billionaire’s house or other place
  they want to raid. In fact, one classic cult story routine
  is the trusted VIP who turns out to be a ruthless un-
  dercover cultist—in fact, usually the cult leader! Once
  their target for theft or murder is in sight, however, off
  come the overcoats, out come the daggers and weird
  costumes, and the cultists make a human wave attack
  while the leader casts spells. Succeed or fail, most of
  the cultists will prove expert in getting away, too, since
  they always know a lot more about escape routes than
  the police or heroes do. In fact, they may build secret
  tunnels to enter and leave.
  Oh yes, the weird costumes. Comic book cultists love
  dressing in floppy robes and strange masks or head-
  dresses. Leaders may wear tights, but it isn’t common.
  Cult leader outfits are elaborate and gaudy: imagine
  the Pope gone Heavy Metal. Tasteful understatement
  is not the cultist way.
  Designing A Cult
  One must make a number of decisions when de-
  signing a cult besides its deity: its purpose, size, magi-
  cal power, operating structure, aggressiveness, world-
  liness and other factors. Some of these factors deserve
  special mention.
  Cult Purpose
  Cults have many different purposes for existing.
  Most of them, however, fall into several broad catego-
  ries. None of these categories are mutually exclusive;
  in fact, most cults fall in two or three categories at once.
  Occult Cults
  These promise “secret wisdom” and magical power
  to their members. Most comic book cults fall into this
  category. Real world examples include Theosophy and
  the “mystery cults” of the ancient world.
  
  175
  Pietist Cults
  These promise surer salvation through a closer, more
  intense religious experience than “mainstream” sects
  provide. Charismatic, Pentecostalist and Fundamen-
  talist Christian denominations are examples of real
  world pietist cults.
  Therapy Cults
  These cults promise “inner growth” and help with
  psychological problems, not necessarily with direct
  experience of deity. Transcendental Meditation,
  Scientology, the Hari Krishnas and many “New Age”
  groups are therapy cults.
  Apocalyptic Cults
  The cult believes that something world shaking will
  happen soon, and they want to be ready for it. In the
  real world, this is usually Armageddon and the Last
  Judgment. The cult sets up a compound with bomb
  shelters and entirely too much heavy weaponry, or it
  exhorts everyone to sell their possessions and gather
  on the hilltops. In the former case, at least, the cult
  probably cannot complete its desired preparations le-
  gally. Of course, fantastic cults may also be preparing
  to summon their god and cause the Apocalypse. Real
  world examples are legion, with the late David Koresh’s
  Branch Davidian group in Waco and the Om Shinri
  Kyo cult in Japan as famous recent cases.
  Missionary Cults
  This sort of cult wants to convert the unbelievers. A
  villainous, black magic cult may have to do this slowly
  and covertly, but members may still dream of a future
  age when everyone worships Ug the Unspeakable. Ev-
  ery major religion began as a Missionary Cult.
  Political Cults
  This is often a more aggressive strategy for conver-
  sion: it would be easier to make everyone worship Ug
  the Unspeakable if every other religion was illegal. Or,
  the cult’s religious beliefs might be tied up with some
  political goal as well. (For instance: forbidding abor-
  tion; kicking out a foreign monarchy; giving one eth-
  nic group power over all others; creating a dictator-
  ship.) Politically active Fundamentalist sects fall into
  this category.
  Utopian Cults
  These cults are a specialized form of Political Cult.
  These guys want to build a better society. This can range
  from setting up a commune to taking over the world.
  They differ from normal Political Cults in that they
  genuinely want to improve people’s lives, not just gain
  power over them. Their ideas of Utopia, however,
  might not jibe with most people’s desires.
  Libertine Cults
  These cults let members satisfy desires repressed by
  society usually involving sex and violence. In the an-
  cient world, libertine cults were often open, even domi-
  nant in some societies; they gave structured, socially
  sanctioned opportunities for occasional frenzy while
  keeping order the rest of the time. Nowadays, liber-
  tine cults must be small and secretive.
  Criminal Cults
  These cults also engage in robbery and murder for
  profit, giving cultists financial as well as religious ben-
  efits. Thuggee was a criminal cult; so are the real world
  Leopard Societies.
  Greedy Cults
  Strangely, cults whose members must renounce
  worldly goods often have leaders who acquire worldly
  goods in amazing quantities usually from the mem-
  bers. When the cult leader can’t shear enough from
  their loyal flock of sheep, maybe they will look else-
  where. Notably psychotic leaders might use their min-
  ions for violent crime instead of the usual bunko
  schemes, making the cult also a Criminal Cult.
  Hereditary Cults
  These cults could have any purpose, but member-
  ship is restricted to people born into certain families,
  clans or castes; conversely, anyone of a given family,
  clan or caste may be expected to be part of a cult. Many
  tribal cults are hereditary.
  Magical Power
  Cults vary widely in the magic they can muster. Some
  might be just like cults in the real world, without any
  real magic: they are dangerous because of what they
  can persuade people to do with the means at hand (es-
  pecially when the means at hand include automatic
  weapons or poison gas.) Other cults might have just
  enough magical knowledge to cause trouble. (The clas-
  sic scenario is a cult leader who gets hold of a real
  magical artifact, and either becomes power mad or
  unleashes some dreadful menace.) Finally, some cults
  might control powerful, serious magic. These last form
  the most common cultic opponent to mages.
  The variety of magic available to a sorcerous cult
  bears repetition. Cults may get magical powers directly
  from their “god”, as priest-magicians; this can be any
  sort of magic available to other mages. Cults may em-
  ploy Ritual Magic within a framework of some reli-
  gious tradition such as Voodoo, Satanism or Shaman-
  ism. Or, the cult leader may simply be a scholar mage
  or Wild Talent who’s decided to gather some follow-
  ers.
  Openness
  What is the cult’s attitude to the gentiles around
  them? Some cults retreat from the world of “unbeliev-
  ers” and are only occasionally dangerous to outsiders.
  At the other extreme, some cults want to End Civiliza-
  tion As We Know It. A comic book style villainous cult
  will naturally tend toward the latter end of the spec-
  trum, because it’s easier to get the heroes involved in
  fighting them. On the other hand, a reclusive cult might
  just be biding its time until it can summon its god and
  destroy the world. Some cults pursue their goals quite
  openly; others keep their true objectives secret even
  from most of the members.
  
  176
  Size
  How many people belong to the cult? A cult with
  only a dozen or so members is only a one shot oppo-
  nent, unless the members are quite extraordinary.
  When the heroes bust the cult, that’s it: there are no
  more cultists to carry on. If the cult is large, however,
  the cult is probably also quite spread out, with several
  cells in different regions. Even if all the cultists stick
  together (perhaps they have their own town) many
  cultists will certainly escape the heroes, and can turn
  up again to work further evil.
  When cults are used for horror and suspense in fic-
  tion, the cults are very large. Dennis Wheatley’s
  Satanists, Sax Rohmer’s Si Fan or H. P. Lovecraft’s
  Cthulhu Cultists, for instance, number in the tens of
  thousands and operate worldwide. A milieu can only
  support one or two giant occult conspiracies, however,
  lest it seem cluttered.
  Organization
  Small cults use the basic schema described above: a
  leader, a few lieutenants, and the rank and filers. Larger
  cults, however, may need to use more complicated or-
  ganizational plans.
  The simplest expansion is the polysegmental cult.
  When one cell gets too big, a cult lieutenant leaves to
  start a new cell. Each cell is pretty much the same and
  operates on its own. Such cults may be persistent, but
  each cell probably isn’t very strong. More commonly,
  however, the cells are more firmly linked by some
  shared hierarchy.
  First, each cell leader could answer to a super leader.
  The super leader may command a larger, more pow-
  erful central cult, or he/she/it might normally stay in
  relative isolation in a secret temple or on another di-
  mension, or the super leader might shuttle between
  local cults.
  If the cult is very large and old, its “branch offices”
  could have lesser cells of their own. Heroes would start
  by busting a small, local cult, move on to the more
  powerful regional cult center, then finally tackle the
  deadly master cult itself. Busting such a cult can be the
  focus of an entire campaign.
  Leaders seldom command in isolation. Every leader
  likes to have a staff to handle the routine work and
  stroke their ego. This staff of special functionaries cre-
  ates a more complicated hierarchy within the cult. This
  might not be significant in combat the Most Reverend
  Keeper of Sacred Missives is probably just a regular
  cultist with special duties but when heroes actually
  want to find out the cult’s secrets, finding the right
  person to interrogate can be important.
  What’s more, cults with internal hierarchies develop
  infighting as officers jockey for position and the leader’s
  favor. Everyone remains a fanatic, of course, but inter-
  nal rivalries may be strong enough that one officer will
  betray another to the heroes.
  GMs don’t actually have to create complicated or-
  ganizational charts, even for the campaign’s largest and
  most important cult. After all, the players will never
  see most of it. In designing an important cult, how-
  ever, it may be worth one’s time to note a few cult of-
  ficers who can present special problems or opportu-
  nities to the heroes in the adventure planned.
  The Cultists
  The others were waiting for him in the Inner
  Sanctum, standing around with the sheepish
  air of people not normally accustomed to
  wearing sinister hooded black robes.
  —Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
  Why Cultists Join
  Cultists don’t come from nowhere. In the real world,
  people join cults because they like what the cult offers:
  a close society of like minded people, a profound reli-
  gious experience, a purpose to life, and so on. It’s only
  once a person is in the cult that brainwashing may start
  to keep them from leaving, and most real cults don’t
  brainwash at all. Fictional cults may be more aggres-
  sive. Here are some common reasons real or cribbed
  from fiction and urban legend why people join cults.
  Attracted By Points Of Doctrine
  People might become cultists because they like one
  aspect of a cult’s beliefs or practices (such as free love,
  shared property or isolation from corrupt, secular so-
  ciety) so much that they will excuse less savory aspects
  (such as human sacrifice).
  Kidnapped And Brainwashed
  Some cults get members by grabbing people off the
  street and brainwashing them into loyal zombies. (This
  doesn’t happen in real life, but it’s a classic for fiction.)
  Progressive Radicalism
  People who feel the need for a more intense reli-
  gious experience may go from a mainstream church
  to a pietistic sect to a loony tunes radical cult.
  Raised In Cult
  This begs the question, but it does give a reason for
  a cultist’s faultless loyalty. Cultists tend to raise their
  children as cultists too.
  Recruited By Significant Other
  A friend, relative or lover invites the person to join
  them in the cult (at first probably not saying what the
  cult really is see below). The person joins to keep or
  increase the emotional relationship.
  Recruited Under False Pretenses
  The cult pretends to be some other sort of organi-
  zation, which can recruit people openly. This could be
  anything from a normal church to a kennel club. Mem-
  bers are gradually drawn into stranger, more secretive
  and less wholesome activities.
  
  177
  Thrill Seeking
  Some people might join a cult just to shock their
  staid relatives, to play dress-up or because they think
  belonging to a secret society is romantic. They get more
  than they expected.
  Generic Basic Cultist
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  13
  CON
  6
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  10
  INT
  0
  11- PER Roll 11-
  11
  EGO
  2
  11- ECV: 4
  13
  PRE
  3
  12- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  12-
  8
  PD
  5
  Total: 8 PD
  8
  ED
  5
  Total: 8 ED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha  4, 8, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  26
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 42
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Cultist Skills & Abilities:
  Cult Weapon/Power of Choice (see below) (20)
  Cult Defensive/Miscellaneous Power of Choice
  (see below) (20)
  Minor Power/Weapon/Skills of Choice (see
  below) (5)
  KS: Cult Dogma 8- (1)
  Choice of two of the following skills:: Breakfall,
  Climbing, Concealment, Disguise, Special KS,
  Language, Lockpicking, Special PS, Security
  Systems, Shadowing, Sleight of Hand, Stealth,
  Streetwise or Tactics (6)
  2 Levels w/ Weapon/Power of Choice (6)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 58
  Total Character Cost: 100
  Disadvantages: 500+
  Distinctive Features:
  Distinctive Feature, Easily Concealed (Cult
  Costume, Tattoo, Ornament, Secret
  Handshake, etc.)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Religious Fanatic (vc, total) (25)
  Watched:
  Cult leaders, more powerful, 11-  (10)
  Local Authorities, as powerful, NCI, 11-  (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 100
  These are “high end” cultists which have unusual
  weapons or abilities. A few examples are given below.
  Such cultists, acting in concert, can be more than a
  mere nuisance—especially to the community unlucky
  enough to have them. “Low end” cultists simply carry
  everyday weapons such as knives, clubs or guns.
  These cultists have been brainwashed into fanatical
  devotion to the cult and its beliefs and practices. When
  they fight, their hysterical fury makes them compa-
  rable even to well trained fighters such as VIPER agents,
  although they lack the classic super agent hardware.
  They can make suicide attacks; indeed, they may de-
  liberately kill themselves as “human bombs” or sacri-
  fices to summon powerful monsters. In a heroic cam-
  paign, a mass of cultists can be a serious threat. In a
  superheroic campaign the cult leaders use cultists as
  cannon fodder while they prepare their own attacks
  or escapes.
  Sample Cultist Weapons, Powers And Skills
  Defensive Abilities and Weapons
  Fanatic Resistance To Pain: Very often, cultists can suck
  up unbelievable amounts of damage without falling.
  It’s not that they take less tissue damage from attacks;
  they just don’t care! Until tissue damage (i.e. BODY)
  actually stops the body from working at all, a cultist
  keeps going. Any attack powerful enough to knock out
  a cultist with this power will probably wound the cultist
  fatally anyway.
  The cultist’s resistance to pain and shock usually
  requires some special display of faith. Traditional forms
  are a hymn, prayer or chant constantly repeated, a cultic
  costume, or a sacred symbol carried by the cultist.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  +20 PD, 20 ED; Not vs. BODY of
  Normal Attacks (- ½), -½ Limit of
   Choice: Incantations Constant,
   IAF Holy symbol, OIF Cult
  Costume [40]
  Active Magic Ward: This is an actual enchantment
  carried by a cultist, protecting them from most forms
  of magical or material harm. It has some sort of physi-
  cal sign: a costume, a sacred symbol, or even mystic
  symbols painted on the skin. The spell lasts one hour.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Force Field (13 PD, 13 ED, 13 MD,
  13 PowD), OIF or IAF, 1 chg of 1
  hour (-½) [40]
  [1c]
  Magical Deflection Ward: This enchantment could be
  carried by the same sort of physical sign as the ward
  above. Whenever a spell hits a cultist bearing such a
  ward, the cultist gets a Missile Deflection roll to see if
  the spell bounces. (The Damage Shield advantage lets
  the cultist Missile Deflect even without a half phase
  free.)
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  19
  Missile Deflection +3 vs. Any
  Magic, Damage Shield, OIF or IAF,
  1 chg of 1 hour (-½) [39]
  Mundane Major Weapons
  Mundane Guns: see the Hero System Rule Book or Dark
  Champions for lots of these. Particularly note the dis-
  cussion of special ammunition on pp. 78-82 of Dark
  Champions.
  
  178
  Living Bomb Suicide Harness: This is just one form
  of the Living Bomb Suicide Harness, several sticks of
  TNT strapped to the cultist’s body with a quick trig-
  gering device. The cultist’s job is to get into a certain
  place and blow themselves up. This may be to assassi-
  nate someone, blow up a building (such as the heroes’
  Headquarters), to clear a building before the other
  cultists charge in, or just to terrify the populace. See-
  ing a cultist happily blow himself up this way should
  be worth at least +5d6 on a Presence Attack!
  Variations include using several hand grenades, for
  an Autofire Explosion, or explosives on some sort of
  deadman switch so if the cultist is incapacitated they
  still might succeed in their mission or at least make
  sure the cultist can’t spill secrets to the authorities.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  19
  4d6+1 RKA, Explosion, 0 Range,
  1 chg, OIF, Side Effect: Certain
  Death (-1) [97]
  Chain: This is just a length of ordinary chain. The cult-
  ist can use it as a flexible club, or whirl it out to wrap
  around an opponent, also causing an impact.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  16
  4d6 Entangle, Damage Transparent
  (+½), OAF, 0 Range, 1 Reusable
  Charge (-1 ¼) [60]
  +4
  +3d6 HA, OAF [9]
  1
  Magical or Exotic Weapons
  Enfeeblement Chain: This is a magical addition to the
  chain weapon described above. When the cultist suc-
  ceeds in Entangling a victim with the chain, the cultist
  then activates the spell on the chain. The STR Drain is
  just one option, to keep very strong victims from break-
  ing out of the chain. The helpless victim is then at-
  tacked in other ways. STUN or BODY Drains are other
  options.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  2d6 STR Drain, Uncontrolled
  Continuous, OAF, Linked to Normal
  Chain Attack (see above) [50]
  [16c]
  Hellish Drug: In pulp fiction, cults often know how to
  concoct drugs that act more quickly and powerfully
  than any mundane drug. The drug may be adminis-
  tered in various ways. Injection or forced inhalation
  clapping a pad dosed with the drug over the victim’s
  face are the most melodramatic methods, but cultists
  might use more subtle techniques. A drug might be
  slipped into a victim’s food or drink. An inhaled drug
  might be concealed as a perfume spray or a corsage. A
  drug might be a contact toxin, absorbed through the
  skin, painted on something the victim handles or in a
  liquid “accidentally” spilled on the victim. Whatever
  the method, the cult tries to have several cultists on
  hand to keep the victim unconscious.
  Treat a drug syringe as if it were an AP 1d6 RKA,
  although it doesn’t actually do any damage. If this
  “imaginary” KA would penetrate the character’s physi-
  cal defenses, the NND takes effect. This way, the sy-
  ringe has a good chance of penetrating armored cloth
  costumes and such, but can’t affect the seriously invul-
  nerable characters.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  Injected: 8d6 EB, NND vs. Immunity
   to “Imaginary” 1d6 AP RKA (+1),
  OAF, 0 Range [80]
  [2c]
  20
  Sneakily Administered: 8d6 EB,
  NND vs. LS: Breathing or Other
  Defined Immunity (+1), IAF, 0
  Range, Use Restrictions (-½) [80]
  [2c]
  Magic Club: This is a club enchanted to cause more
  stunning force than usual. The club bears distinctive
  painted or carved symbols.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  1d6+1 HKA, +2 STUN Mult (+1),
  OAF [40]
  [16c]
  Vampire Dagger: The Vampire Dagger is obvious, po-
  tent magic. It looks like a dagger of unusual design; it
  might have a blade made of glass, or enameled some
  color, or its hilt might have some grotesque form. When
  the cultist wills, however, the dagger’s blade shines with
  eerie light and it slides through flesh, clothing, armor
  or even normal force fields as if they weren’t there. The
  victim feels the pain and damage, however. A few
  strikes from a Vampire Dagger can kill a normal per-
  son, leaving a withered, aged corpse.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  1d6 HKA, BODY NND: LS: Aging
  (+2), OAF, [45]
  [12c]
  Minor Abilities
  Mundane HtH Weapons: See the Hero System Rule
  Book or Fantasy Hero.
  Cultists might employ all manner of small, non
  magical weapons such as clubs, daggers, power drills
  and torches. Most of these do ½d6 or 1d6 HKA dam-
  age, with OAF and perhaps a STR Minimum. They
  might be used with martial arts.
  Intimidating Display: Military history shows that be-
  ing rushed by a gang of howling lunatics often makes
  people cut and run. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the
  famous Rebel Yell or “Kill for the love of Kali!” Some
  cults take advantage of this and send the cannon fod-
  der into battle chanting the praises of their god, hop-
  ing for a Presence Attack good enough to let the cult-
  ists get in the first shot.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  5
  +12 PRE, Offensive Only (-½),
  Only with Gang of Other Cultists
  (-½), Incantations Throughout
  (-½) [12]
  Bulletproof Gear: Kevlar vests and other gear are other
  mundane equipment that some cults will not disdain.
  They may not help much against mages and other su-
  perheroes, but it can give the cultists an edge against
  police, security guards and other normal humans.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  5
  Armor (4 PD, 4 ED), OIF, Acts 12-
  [12]
  Mental Defense: The cultist’s fanaticism renders them
  somewhat resistant to mental powers.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  5
  Mental Defense (7 pts total) [5]
  
  179
  Self Sacrificial Minor Summoning: This lesser version
  of the Self Sacrificial Summoning gives a trapped cultist
  a final way to strike back by using themselves as a hu-
  man sacrifice to their god, summoning a servant of
  the god who might be better at fighting or achieving
  the mission. By definition, it can only be used once.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  5
  1 x 50 pt Summon, 1 Charge Costs
  END, x4 END (-1 ½), OAF Weapon,
  Side Effect: Own Death (-1),
  Incantations, Concentrate ½
  DCV (-¼) [40]
  16
  Witchsight: The cultist can see in the dark.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  5
  IR Vision [5]
  Miscellaneous Major Abilities
  Martial Arts: The cultist has 20 points worth of ma-
  neuvers, extra damage classes, weapon elements and/
  or skill levels. The martial art may be barehanded or
  use a weapon. If the cultist uses a weapon, the cultist
  could spend points for a weapon or, if the cultists use
  normal weapons, the cultists could just buy a Weapon
  Familiarity.
  Self Sacrificial Major Summoning: With this power,
  cultists use themselves as human sacrifices to summon
  a powerful servant of their god. A cultist stabs herself
  in the heart, cuts his own throat or leaps to his death
  from a precipice, while calling out a prayer…and some-
  thing really nasty appears. Typically, just a few espe-
  cially “favored” cultists have this power.
  The spell cannot be stopped once the fatal wound is
  inflicted. The cultist cannot be healed: the spell makes
  sure the cultist dies. The prayer is not really an Incan-
  tation, and the means of the cultist’s suicide doesn’t
  matter. By adding a few other Limitations on this spell,
  such as Costs END or Extra Time, in some cases it may
  be possible to raise the spell’s power enough that the
  cultist can summon the god itself.
  Cost
  Powers
  END
  20
  1 x 250 pt Summon, Side Effect:
  Mortal Wound on Self (-1) [80]
  [1c]
  Sample Cults
  Two other cults, Ouroboros and the Hunter’s Moon,
  are described in detail in the Source Book. GMs can
  flesh out these capsule descriptions of other cults if
  they wish.
  The Astral Light Fellowship
  The Fellowship is a fully public cult: it keeps the de-
  tails of its rituals secret, but it’s in the local phone book
  and Yellow Pages under “Metaphysical.” The Fellow-
  ship offers a limp sort of New Age “occult wisdom”:
  all is One, all is Love and all is God; one can develop
  psychic powers through meditation, an odd diet and
  wearing the right crystals; anything is true if it’s “true
  for you”; great spiritual Masters guide human devel-
  opment from the Astral Plane; and so on. A few mem-
  bers join and a few members leave every month, but
  total membership stays about 50. Members are all nor-
  mal men and women with no special skills (i.e., vic-
  tims).
  Nobody in the Fellowship has any real magic, in-
  cluding their beloved guru, the Reverend Orville
  Makepeace. The Reverend knows just enough occult-
  ism, however, to get into serious trouble if a real magi-
  cal artifact fell into his hands. The Fellowship’s struc-
  ture is very simple. There’s Reverend Makepeace, a few
  minor officers such as the treasurer, and everybody else.
  The Church Electric
  The Church is quite public; in fact its leader, who
  calls himself Father Spark, would love publicity. Fa-
  ther Spark’s claims are so weird, however, that no one
  in the media will take him seriously.
  Father Spark believes that it’s God who pushes the
  current through the wires. The Church Electric’s cer-
  emonies feature electronic music, light shows and
  enough sparking machinery for a mad scientist’s lab.
  As a sacrament, celebrants hold hands and let current
  flow through their bodies. Not surprisingly, the Church
  Electric is very small (only about 30 members). Most
  of the members have done entirely too many drugs.
  The catch is, Father Spark is a Mad Mage with amaz-
  ing powers over electricity. He can pull current from
  any wall plug or power line and make it work his will.
  He can even summon powerful “electric angels.” He
  insists his powers are a gift from God. As further proof,
  he’s taught a few members of his church how to make
  friends with electricity, making them highly resistant
  to electrical damage and able to talk to appliances.
  Although a day with Father Spark will set a scien-
  tific rationalist whimpering, there’s nothing malevo-
  lent about the Church Electric. (Not every cult has to
  be evil.) In fact, Father Spark can be a useful Contact
  for PCs. He hears a lot through the power line.
  The Leopard Societies
  These West African cults combine banditry with
  their murderous religion. Native anti witch move-
  ments, colonial authorities and modern African gov-
  ernments have all failed to eliminate the Leopard So-
  cieties. Not only do the Societies provide a religion,
  comradeship and loot to their members, they promise
  lethal power.
  By wearing metal claws and special masks and cos-
  tumes, Society members supposedly gain the power
  to turn into leopards. They use this power to rob and
  murder. Anthropologists say it’s a classic bit of
  totemism.
  What the anthropologists don’t know is that the
  Leopard Societies’ magic really works. Cultists start out
  with just costumes and metal claws. Through ritual
  murders, in which they eat part of the victim’s flesh,
  they first gain enchantments on their paraphernalia,
  and eventually become true were leopards. This, how-
  ever, is their only magic.
  
  180
  The Seven-Headed Beast
  This cult claims to rule Satanism worldwide. While
  this is an exaggeration, the ‘Beast does control a major
  fraction of the world’s Satanists. The Seven-Headed
  Beast is actually an alliance of Satanic cult leaders
  there’s supposed to be seven, one for each of the Seven
  Deadly Sins, but they can’t always manage that who
  coordinate their efforts to spread evil through the
  world in their own distinct ways.
  Each Head is wealthy and powerful. The Head of
  Wrath, for instance, is the Death Merchant, a billion-
  aire arms dealer. The Head of Pride, who also calls him-
  self the Mysteriarch, runs a leading think tank; his
  minions are spread through American Federal, state
  and major city governments. The Manager, Head of
  Avarice, has dozens of entertainment stars under con-
  tract to himself and to Satan. And so on. Thus, while
  the Satanists who serve the Seven-Headed Beast have
  little magic and are weak in combat, the Heads not
  only have their demonic magic, they have vast social
  power. Most of the time they operate separately, mak-
  ing them a serial opponent.
  The Vicars Of Saint Michael
  This group believes they serve the Archangel
  Michael. Actually, the entity their leader Bishop Joseph
  Clay calls to their services is the dimension lord Cassai
  (see the Source Book). In return for their service, Cassai
  has given the cultists, and especially Bishop Clay, lim-
  ited Thaumaturgy. Cassai wants to drain Earth’s magi-
  cal energies, but he cannot stay on Earth very long. He
  has the Vicars locate objects and places of great magi-
  cal power for him. They summon him to that loca-
  tion, and he siphons the magic.
  There are only 20 full Vicars, but Bishop Clay has
  deputized a few senior cultists to set up branch
  churches. When they have a squad of suitably devout
  fanatics, they will call Cassai and be confirmed as Vic-
  ars as well. The Vicars believe they are building a “ho-
  liness underground” that will save the world from black
  magic.
  Relations With The
  Mundane World
  The Occult World is never wholly separate from the
  mundane world of ordinary people. The top level, the
  Pop Occult World, is neither secret nor secretive. It is a
  tradition in the comics, however, that the people who
  operate in the deeper levels of the Occult World hide
  themselves from the Mundane World. The usual ex-
  planation is that mundane people are “better off not
  knowing.”
  Not knowing what? Throughout all history, virtu-
  ally everyone has believed in ghosts, demons and black
  magic; skeptical materialism is a very modern thing.
  Most people still believe in a god of some sort, who
  personally intervenes in people’s lives. Studies suggest
  that tens of thousands of psychics, astrologers, palm-
  ists, crystal healers and other occult types practice in
  the United States alone, with millions of clients. It ain’t
  “superstitious” Third World peasants keeping them in
  business!
  And that’s in the real world. Think what the belief
  level must be in a typical comic book world, full of
  people who can fly, lift a truck, shoot ray beams from
  their eyes or read minds. Persuading people that some-
  thing is magic would not be a problem. If anything,
  the problems will be the other way: no doubt myriads
  of educated Americans will believe that super powers
  come from pacts with Satan instead of mutation or
  chemical accidents.
  So it seems strange that real wizards even the vil-
  lains would avoid the public eye, when so many people
  will believe in them anyway. If one keeps this tradition
  in one’s campaign, however, there are more or less ra-
  tional, practical reasons for a wizard to keep a low pro-
  file.
  First, believers are more dangerous than disbeliev-
  ers especially believers in positions of power. Sensible
  villains don’t want the awesome manpower and fire-
  power of agencies like the FBI bought against them.
  Remember, wizards are people of superior intelligence.
  Evil mages just might notice that flamboyant, public
  supervillains spend a lot of time in jail, which is a real
  crimp in the lifestyle. As for the heroes, they don’t want
  to be pestered with hordes of would be acolytes and of
  course they are too enlightened to prostitute their hard
  won skills in big business or the talk show circuit. Nor
  do they want right wing religious nuts shooting at
  them.
  Nearly all wizards would agree that the Secret Arts
  are, well, secret. Maybe one could rend the veils of
  mystery and make wizardry a science as accessible as
  electrical engineering, but would that be wise? The
  more selfish mages prefer to stay “the few and the
  proud.” They spent years tracking down the cryptic
  lore of wizardry and winning their initiations. No way
  do they want ordinary slobs picking up Thaumaturgy
  Made Easy in Waldenbooks and doing just as well!
  Other wizards might worry about the effects of un-
  supervised dabbling in the Black Arts. Even a villain
  might shudder at the thought of thousands of blun-
  dering Sorcerer’s Apprentices unleashing things far
  worse than animate brooms.
  Socially responsible wizards might also want to keep
  the common people in the dark about the real super-
  natural menaces facing mankind. The now defunct
  Newtonian Society, for instance, promoted rational
  materialism because of its discovery that demons could
  not influence people who did not believe in them.
  Finally, the supernatural forces that most people
  believe in are really quite feeble. As such, even people’s
  witches, demons and other bogeymen give them com-
  fort, because they can be faced and controlled. How
  will people react to terrible Powers like the Dragon,
  
  181
  the Kings of Edom or Skarn the Conqueror's forces
  appeased by no ritual, blocked by no charm, conquered
  by no friendly god? The horror writer H. P. Lovecraft
  warned:
  We live on a placid island of ignorance in
  the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
  not meant that we should voyage far… Some
  day the piecing together of dissociated
  knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas
  of reality, and of our frightful position
  therein, that we shall either go mad from the
  revelation or flee from the deadly light into
  the peace and safety of a new dark age.
  —The Call of Cthulhu
  Governments And The Supernatural
  “There are virtually no laws against the
  practice of Black Magic in this country now.
  Only that of 1842, called the Rogues and
  Vagabonds Act, under which a person may be
  prosecuted for ‘pretending or professing to tell
  Fortunes, by using any subtle Craft, Means or
  Device’!”
  —Dennis Wheatley, The Devil Rides Out
  It’s impossible for governments to be completely in
  the dark about magic. They probably won’t understand
  any of it, but they will know that wizards and demons
  and gods are real. Scientists will test captured magical
  villains within an inch of their lives. Even if science
  cannot discern anything about magic the scientists will
  prove the existence of powers completely beyond
  physical explanation. Research and intelligence agen-
  cies will certainly go looking for more information.
  This won’t mean public disclosure of the supernatural’s
  existence, though: the Feds (of whatever nation) will
  keep everything secret, so as not to give information
  to rival governments.
  Intelligence Agencies
  Intelligence agencies will be the most avid research-
  ers of the supernatural. Magic would be just too useful
  to them: agencies would love to have spies who could
  read or control minds, walk through walls, turn invis-
  ible or kill from a distance with no weapon at all. In a
  world with real magic, mages may find themselves
  under pressure to assist in programs of ‘ESPionage.’
  Spy agencies tend to run out of control and do things
  the nation’s legitimate authorities would not allow.
  When the Agency asks Dr. Weird to teach them about
  magic, they might take no for an answer…but then go
  to his nemesis Count Evil and try making a deal with
  him instead. And of course, Secrecy and National Se-
  curity are well known solvents for any moral qualms
  about reckless experiments on human subjects.
  The nation and its government won’t even benefit
  from their spies going supernatural. A little knowledge
  is a dangerous thing, and that’s especially true with
  the supernatural. People who use magic carelessly of-
  ten end up getting used by the magic instead. “En-
  slaved” spirits become the masters. Minds get warped
  in strange ways. The “occult research” units of intelli-
  gence agencies will probably turn into cults following
  demented versions of National Security. Their agents
  might not even be human anymore.
  Magic And The Law
  With wizards and elves and God knows what all run-
  ning around, legal questions are bound to arise, just as
  with other super beings. The supernatural, however,
  can lead to some especially bizarre situations that will
  be mentioned only briefly.
  First, have the courts gotten the word that magic is
  real? Or will a claim that a crime was committed by
  magic get the case thrown out of court? Even if the
  courts accept the existence of magic, proving that
  Count Evil used Voodoo to murder someone from
  miles away could be tricky. Worse, there might be wit-
  nesses who saw Count Evil sitting quietly while the
  victim collapsed from a sudden heart attack witnesses
  without Mental Awareness, who couldn’t sense Count
  Evil’s deadly psychic bolts striking his victim down.
  Then there are civil rights. Have summoned and
  bound spirits been kidnapped and enslaved? Can na-
  ture spirits claim aboriginal rights? If your wife dies
  and comes back as a vampire, are you still married? If
  a hero stakes her, is it homicide? Let’s merely shudder
  and pass by the possibilities of giving Social Security
  and the vote to vampires, ghosts and liches: “Excuse
  me, we object to the term ‘undead.’ We prefer to think
  of ourselves as ‘living impaired’…”
  Supernatural Influence On The
  Mundane World
  Connections between the Mundane World and Oc-
  cult World work the other way, too. Denizens of the
  Occult World may shape events in the Mundane World.
  In fact, it’s an open question just how much of current
  events is really due to secret magical manipulation.
  Why Don’t Wizards Rule The World?
  Good question. But then, who says they don’t? Or at
  least rule parts of the world? Admittedly, no single mage
  or group of mages, not even the Devil’s Advocates or
  the Sylvestri clan, could rule a world that didn’t want
  to be ruled. Running even a small country requires the
  cooperation of large organizations such as the army
  or the police, the bureaucracy and major industries.
  A wizard could secretly influence a government (or
  some other large institution) indirectly, though. The
  simplest method is to control the leaders’ minds. The
  problem there is that, as mentioned, there are actually
  more leaders than most people think. Controlling one
  or two isn’t enough to really hold a nation in a grip of
  iron.
  Alternatively, a sorcerer might try influencing the
  masses directly, by using Mind Control or Telepathy
  over wide areas to put ideas into people’s heads. En-
  hanced Presence used on people via television would
  
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  give a similar effect. But does anyone need to be re-
  minded how about the fickleness of the public?
  The greatest argument against such occult overlords
  is that the world is such a mess. Many wizards have
  ways to know the future, and that would be a formi-
  dable power in itself. A nation’s power brokers would
  embrace a wizard with genuine precognition as if he
  was their long lost brother. With leaders warned in
  advance of every disaster and opportunity, the nation’s
  government would display uncanny efficiency and
  wisdom. That’s a more unbelievable fantasy than su-
  perheroes.
  Either things really are as they seem, with lots of little
  power brokers following their own conflicting agen-
  das and nobody really knowing what’s going on, or
  the Secret Masters want chaos, confusion and misery.
  At least, one set of manipulators wants that. There could
  be several secret cabals jockeying for control, under-
  cutting each other’s efforts at any point. In that case,
  the game world is just like the real world, only there
  are more interest groups than people think.
  Possible Secret Connections
  Controlling governments is not the only way in
  which supernatural forces could affect the mundane
  world. If the GM wishes, quite a lot of current affairs
  could be due to such hidden forces. These examples
  are provided just to start the imagination working.
  Tip-Offs
  Mages can have better intelligence sources than any
  spy agency. Some of them can see into the future,
  through divination. Others can commune with spirits
  who see just about everything.
  Even if wizards with such information sources do
  not meddle in politics or business, they might discreetly
  intervene when warned of global disaster. Why are
  heroes so lucky at stopping Doctor Destroyer and his
  ilk from conquering the world and Ending Civiliza-
  tion As We Know It? Somehow the heroes always learn
  what’s afoot before it’s too late. Perhaps a wizard has
  subtly helped them along prompting a hero to patrol
  near the Technodyne building on the night the arch
  villain’s henchmen steal the Neutronic Reverser, or
  nudging the villain to issue his demands before he’s
  really got the world by the throat.
  Causeless Events
  Sometimes things happen for no apparent reason.
  Big things. Experts try to explain them, but the expla-
  nations seem weak. It’s as if an elephant knocked down
  a house, without leaving any footprints. So maybe once
  in a while the paranoids are right and there are secret
  forces at work—not all the time everywhere, just once
  in a while. It’s not Catholics or Jews or Communist
  Bankers…it’s magic. Let’s take a few examples from
  modern history:
  • In 1988, the Soviet Union was a superpower. By 1991,
  the Soviet Union was gone. It abolished itself. Did a
  wizard use Mind Control on the Soviet Congress
  of People’s Deputies? Did some vast and terrible
  Power decree an empire’s doom? Or (a scarier
  thought) was it all an accident? When a Social Trans-
  form is too implausible, history and reality buckle
  and warp to remove the glitch, and no one knows
  how far the effects can reach. Did the Soviet Union
  have its history pulled out from under it?
  • What is it about Yugoslavia? The Balkan people look
  the same, talk the same and have lived next door to
  each other for centuries, yet they still hate each
  other. The Serbs are the strangest of the lot. Attack-
  ing Croatia to avenge the massacres your parents
  suffered in World War Two is comprehensible (if
  reprehensible). Hating the Muslims because of the
  Battle of Kossovo six hundred years ago is impos-
  sible. Nobody holds a grudge that long. Indeed,
  Serbs, Croats and Bosnian Muslims who emigrate
  to the United State get along just fine. It’s as if the
  land itself was under a curse…
  • In the 1960s, NASA was an amazingly competent or-
  ganization. The American space program had a bad
  start, but NASA learned quickly and developed doz-
  ens of new technologies, from multi-stage rockets
  to ball-point pens. The Apollo Project put a man
  on the Moon ahead of schedule (!) and under bud-
  get! The Space Shuttle, however, has been plagued
  with delays, cost overruns and technical problems.
  Actually, that’s what a reasonable person would ex-
  pect from a hideously complicated machine using
  several experimental technologies. Instead of be-
  ing put under a curse, has NASA lost the blessing
  of some outside Power?
  Physical Anomalies
  Supernatural forces might reveal themselves through
  strange physical phenomena. In the early decades of
  this century, Charles Fort gained some notoriety
  through his books about rains of frogs and other oddi-
  ties. More recently, Robert Corliss has produced simi-
  lar collections of anomalous events reported by scien-
  tists and witnesses of good character, ranging from
  cases of rapid fossilization to unconfirmed sightings
  of new planets.
  Now, most physical anomalies are merely rare; there
  is no challenge to science in the “Green Flash” at sun-
  set or in rocks that give a musical tone when struck.
  Strange lights on the Moon, local darkening of sun-
  light on clear days, rains of peculiar objects and such
  are less easily explained away. Perhaps they are side
  effects of powerful magical forces used in the area.
  Alien Abduction
  A lot of hoo haw has been raised of late about people
  being kidnapped and experimented on by aliens. The
  aliens paralyze people in their beds and levitate them
  out through windows and walls turned insubstantial,
  into waiting flying saucers. In the United States, the
  aliens are short and gray, with huge, jet black eyes.
  
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  (Other parts of the world report aliens who look quite
  different.) The aliens stick their victims with needles,
  perform medical tests and sometimes implant small
  metal objects in them. Then the aliens levitate their
  victims back.
  Now, obviously this can’t be happening at the rate
  which abduction promoters claim: tens of thousands
  of people floating over city streets into big flying sau-
  cers just could not be hidden. Nor have any of the metal
  implants ever been recovered and studied. The whole
  thing seems to be a sort of spontaneous dream or hal-
  lucination, patterned by decades of bad sci fi movies.
  But that’s the real world. In a magic world, here’s no
  problem. Obviously the “Grays” aren’t space aliens, they
  must operate from the Astral Plane. Nobody sees fly-
  ing saucers hovering over houses and apartment build-
  ings, or bodies floating through the air, because the
  aliens are pulling out people’s astral bodies. The im-
  plants don’t show up on X rays because they are really
  made of ectoplasm.
  But what are the implants for? What are the Grays
  up to? Two things are for certain: it is nothing good
  for humanity, and it’s a major operation. Super mage
  heroes had better put a stop to it PDQ!
  Cosmic Entities
  The awful shadow of some unseen Power
  Floats, tho’ unseen, amongst us.
  —Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Hymn to
  Intellectual Beauty”
  The Multiverse holds beings whose power dwarfs
  that of even most super beings. Some of them—the
  lesser ones—can be objectively represented in game
  terms, with Characteristics, Skills and Powers. Others
  are purely metaphysical: they operate on scales humans
  can barely comprehend, as pure plot devices. Fighting
  them is as absurd as fighting the laws of arithmetic.
  These are the Cosmic Entities.
  Sooner or later, GMs using the Occult World will
  have to make some decisions about who’s running the
  Multiverse. Even to duck the question and leave it a
  mystery is to declare something about the putative
  Supreme Power: either that there isn’t one, or that he/
  she/it/they deliberately stays hidden and unknowable.
  One must also decide how the lesser cosmic entities
  relate to the Supreme Power or Powers. Of course this
  is intimately related to one’s game system of moral or
  mystical alignments, and like that is a question of reli-
  gion.
  GMs should use cosmic entities sparingly. They
  won’t inspire much awe if they show up too often or
  act in ways that are too ordinary. Even lesser powers
  such as Skarn or the Dragon, who are explicit enemies
  of the heroes, should be managed carefully to preserve
  their aura of mystery. A cosmic entity’s appearance
  should be a big event in a campaign, even in a magical
  campaign. They don’t show up just to kibitz, take tea
  or swat the PCs down. That’s what minions are for.
  The really cosmic entities only do big stuff, like issu-
  ing cryptic warnings of Doom or subjecting the he-
  roes to harrowing tests. And they don’t feel obliged to
  explain their motives.
  What follows is a sample hierarchy of cosmic enti-
  ties. It is loosely arranged by the kabbalistic model of
  the Multiverse, starting with the entities most associ-
  ated with the Earth and humanity, moving up to the
  truly universal entities.
  Astral Gods
  The most immediate of the cosmic kahunas are the
  local Great Powers of Earth’s Imaginal Realms. These
  are the various pagan pantheon heads, archdevils,
  faerie royalty and Great Gods of human religion and
  myth, plus the Emperor of Babylon. These are power-
  ful beings, but still finite. Very powerful humans, such
  as Dr. Destroyer, can equal or surpass them in power.
  The Dragon is the great exception to this rule. Its
  power is truly beyond calculation; but fortunately, that
  power is bound, so the Dragon can only act in limited
  ways.
  Dimension Lords
  Many of the Outer Planes of Netzach and Hod are
  ruled by powerful supernatural beings. Most of these
  dimension lords are not overwhelmingly mighty com-
  pared to a group of superheroes or mages from Earth,
  but a few of them have terrifying power. Some of them
  aren’t content with ruling a whole dimension and in-
  stead want to rule them all. These are the “dimensional
  conquerors.” Skarn the Shaper (in Chapter Six) is a
  good example of a dimensional conqueror; he is at
  about the upper limit of power for a dimension lord.
  The Multiverse is eternal, but individual dimensions
  are not. As eons pass, even a universe can wear out and
  decay. From these ancient, decrepit dimensions come
  horrors like the Kings of Edom and the Qliphoth: the
  “Shells” or “Husks,” creatures whose very nature op-
  poses and destroys the energies of life, magic and ex-
  istence itself.
  Lords Of Order, Chaos, Art And Nature
  In the Multiverse, the four poles of the moral com-
  pass are Order, Chaos, Art and Nature (see “Mystic
  Philosophies” in Chapter One). Each of these concepts
  has powerful exponents. Some of these Zoa Lords are
  mighty spirits sent from the Brialic planes by the four
  Prime Avatars. Urizen the Lawgiver, for instance, sends
  powerful minions called Ordainers throughout the
  Multiverse to create and enforce Order. Mrs. Meigs (see
  Creatures Of The Night: Horror Enemies) and Bromion
  (see the Characters chapter) are examples of Ordainers.
  Entities of similar power promote Chaos, Art and Na-
  ture and rule many of the dimensions.
  The Kings Of Edom
  Countless aeons ago, dimensions now lost spawned
  the monstrous beings which the secret lore of
  kabbalism calls the Kings of Edom—supposedly the
  
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  lords of “practice worlds” which God created and de-
  stroyed before making the Earth. The Kings of Edom
  and their minions are all horribly alien and utterly
  deadly to other forms of life. It’s not that they want to
  rule or corrupt other beings; they just regard humans
  and similar beings as cattle…or ants, to be crushed in
  passing.
  A few billion years ago, a massive alliance of Great
  Powers managed to imprison the Kings of Edom on
  barren planets and hidden dimensions. Unfortunately,
  this did not completely expunge the Edomite taint
  from the Multiverse. Some of the Kings’ minions re-
  mained free, and mortals could still contact the im-
  prisoned Kings and receive trickles of power from
  them.
  The Kings rarely affect human affairs. When they
  do, it is usually because some insane human has opened
  a way for them or their monstrous minions. Even when
  they act directly, it is usually long distance, through
  mind-controlled humans or as psychophysical projec-
  tions. Having a King of Edom actually get free to act
  physically should be a once-per-campaign, apocalyp-
  tic event.
  No one has ever done a census of the Kings of Edom,
  because A) nobody knows where more than a few of
  their prison planets and dimensions are located, and
  B) the Kings of Edom tend to make gibbering, drool-
  ing maniacs out of anyone who contacts them and has
  nothing to offer. Vulshoth, the Lord of Black Tentacles
  (in Creatures Of The Night) is just one King of Edom.
  Other documented names include Deizzhorath the
  Dissolver and Pthaar the Phantast, Master of the Scar-
  let Sun.
  Each King of Edom is a unique creature with its own
  distinctive appearance and special powers. All of them
  have mighty mental and paraphysical powers of some
  sort. Their powers register faintly to special senses as
  magical, but also as psychical and as exotic science.
  They seem to fall outside the categories recognized by
  humans. Even a minor King is as mighty as most di-
  mension lords. A major King like Vulshoth is as pow-
  erful as any dimension lord, even when still weak from
  imprisonment. The full power of a major King of
  Edom would dwarf even a dimensional conqueror like
  Skarn.
  Quemetiel
  Quemetiel, the “Crowd of Gods,” is the name given
  in secret kabbalistic lore to the mightiest of Qliphothic
  entities. It is the final end of all natural and supernatu-
  ral existence, the drain down which the Multiverse eter-
  nally runs. In Quemetiel the long-forgotten, decaying
  gods of moribund dimensions smash together and
  merge into a mindless, gibbering chaos. Whatever
  Quemetiel can grasp, it pulls in and consumes, but its
  feeding only makes it hungrier. One can easily come
  too close to Quemetiel, too: located on the boundary
  where existence breaks down, space and time them-
  selves are uncertain. Is Quemetiel as big as a planet?
  As small as a baseball? Near? Far? Are you going to-
  ward it or away?
  Although Quemetiel is mindless, some people will
  propitiate it. Quemetiel has limitless power to consume
  and destroy, and some beings find uses for such power.
  What’s more, one can gain power by feeding
  Quemetiel: as with a black hole, throwing things in
  releases energy. Sacrificing a major god or a dimen-
  sion lord to Quemetiel, for instance, could give a mage
  almost unimaginable power.
  Princes Of The Universe
  The “Creative World” of Briah holds dimensions of
  pure spirit. This is where the true gods dwell, the enti-
  ties which embody concepts and forces felt through
  the entire Multiverse.
  Each of the Brialic dimensions is home to a cosmic
  entity. These conceptual beings are sometimes called
  the Avatars, the Entelechies or the Princes of the Uni-
  verse. Above even the Princes are the Four Zoas: the
  Prime Avatars of Order, Chaos, Art and Nature.
  Each Prince of the Universe embodies some univer-
  sal concept. The Princes of the Universe include Death;
  the Trickster; Chroneval, the maintainer of Time; the
  mystic Triple Goddess; Kryptos, the god of secrets; and
  Thaumiel, the two-faced avatar of duality and nega-
  tion.
  The Princes are quite beyond human limitations. In
  their home planes, fulfilling their proper functions,
  they cannot be defeated. For instance, nobody—not
  even another Prince—can hide anything from Kryptos,
  because Kryptos knows all that is hidden. The Trick-
  ster can deceive anyone. Death, as everyone knows,
  takes everything in the end simply because everything
  ends. The only way to overcome an Avatar is to act
  outside its sphere of control, or get the Avatar itself to
  operate outside of its sphere of control.
  Some Princes may, on occasion, materialize on Earth
  or other planes to pursue their objectives: the Trick-
  ster to cause mischief; Thaumiel to create a conflict;
  and so on. A materialized Prince can only wield finite
  power, although it is still more powerful than any but
  the greatest of dimension lords. A Prince might ap-
  pear in any form conceivable, including a mythologi-
  cal god of Earth. They are only recognizable as super-
  natural entities if they will it.
  Materialized or not, a Prince of the Universe seldom
  acts as a direct opponent of heroes. Rather, it creates a
  situation with which the heroes must cope, using its
  chief power: Plot Device.
  The Trickster
  The Trickster is an important aspect of Luvah the
  Anarch. It is the Chaos Lord with humans are most
  familiar. The Trickster has acted in the form of many
  human gods, wearing them as a human might wear a
  mask. As Thrice-Great Hermes, god of messengers,
  
  185
  merchants and thieves, he brought divine visions to
  human wizards. As Loki, he wove webs of treachery
  and laughed at the death and destruction he caused.
  Anansi, Coyote, Eshu, Satan—his names have been le-
  gion. Whatever mask he has worn, the Trickster has
  sought to upset established power and custom and
  make life…interesting.
  Chroneval The Timekeeper
  Although it is Urthona, Prime Avatar of Art, who
  creates Time itself, it is Chroneval, a servant of Urizen
  the Lawgiver, who maintains it. Chroneval makes sure
  that causes come before effects and watches out for
  paradoxes like people going back in time to kill their
  grandfathers. Small changes in history may escape
  Chroneval’s notice, but when paradox threatens he
  sends out powerful minions (the Chronstables) to
  change history so the paradox is averted. Often this
  means trying to kill the time traveler. (Simon Magus,
  who is trying to change history on a massive scale, has
  had to evade dozens of attacks from Chroneval.)
  In his own dimension, the Villa of Centuries,
  Chroneval appears to be a man swathed in a hooded
  robe. Where his head should be, however, is an hour-
  glass flanked by two eyes floating in the air. The irises
  of his eyes are spinning, toothed gearwheels.
  Chroneval’s hands are jointed bands of brass. He may
  also manifest as a time-god such as Ptah.
  The Triple Goddess
  The Triple Goddess is one of the most powerful of
  the Princes of the Universe, and one of the most mys-
  terious despite also being one of the most active. The
  Triple Goddess has assumed literally hundreds of forms
  on Earth. Indeed, she has taken over two dozen roles
  within the Greek pantheon alone. Her manifestations
  are most obvious when a full trinity of goddesses ap-
  pears, such as the Fates, but the Triple Goddess can
  possess and use single members of trinities as well.
  Continuing with the Greek pantheon, for instance, as
  Artemis, Selene, and Hecate she embodied the Moon
  as maiden, mother, and crone; as Hera, Amphitrite,
  and Persephone she was Queen of Heaven, Sea, and
  Hell (never the Earth, though; the Earth-Mother god-
  desses were energized by a different Avatar).
  The Triple Goddess is one of the great Powers of
  Nature. Some wizards even think that she is a femi-
  nine form of the Prime Avatar of Nature itself. Her
  motives are especially hard to fathom, for the Triple
  Goddess embodies the full cycle of birth and death.
  She kills as easily as she nurtures. Goddess theologians
  say that her killing is itself a form of nurturing: she
  hurries one creature to the grave to become fertilizer
  for other beings yet to come. This is cold comfort,
  though, when one is about to become mulch.
  Thaumiel
  Thaumiel (Hebrew, “Twins of God”), also called the
  Two-Faced God, is the lord of negation and opposi-
  tion. It is responsible for making people mistake con-
  traries, qualities which can both be true and good, into
  negations—one Good and one Evil. The conflict be-
  tween contraries is invigorating and purely mental;
  Thaumiel does his best—and worst—to push the con-
  flict between Good and Evil into physical form. As far
  as Thaumiel is concerned, anyone who won’t kill for
  what they believe is a slacker. After all, you can’t com-
  promise with Evil. If you’re not part of the solution,
  you’re part of the problem.
  Usually, though, Thaumiel has created both sides of
  a conflict. If two groups of people are screaming at
  each other and both sides proclaim their virtue and
  neither will budge an inch, it’s a safe bet that Thaumiel
  controls them both.
  Thaumiel insists that what it does is fundamentally
  good. It argues that if it weren’t for Evil, no one would
  know what was Good. Actually, though, it just wants
  to keep people fighting. When people start thinking in
  terms of contraries instead of negations, they become
  (shudder) Free Thinkers and Thaumiel loses its power
  over them.
  In the material planes, Thaumiel is only seen through
  the people and gods it has energized to create purges
  and wars. In the Veil, Thaumiel is seen as a dualistic
  face, two faces combined into one. It often influences
  Veil scenarios, trying to trap visitors in conflicts with
  their own images of evil. Thaumiel does not want
  people passing the Veil, for in the Brialic realms they
  might learn too much.
  The Four Zoas
  They saw their Wheels rising up poisonous
  against Albion:
  Urizen cold & scientific, Luvah pitying &
  weeping,
  Tharmas indolent & sullen, Urthona
  doubting & despairing,
  Victims to one another & dreadfully plotting
  against each other
  To prevent Albion walking about in the Four
  Complexions.
  —William Blake, Jerusalem
  The greatest of the conceptual entities are the Four
  Zoas, also called the Prime Avatars of Order, Chaos,
  Art and Nature. The Prime Avatars are like the Princes,
  only more so. Despite their power, however, the Prime
  Avatars most often act through their agents, the Lords
  of Order, Chaos, Art and Nature.
  The Four Zoas are beyond good and evil; or at least,
  they inspire both good and evil. Their conflict is eter-
  nal and even necessary. In their proper, balanced men-
  tal relationship, each Zoa curbs the excesses of its op-
  posite. Unfortunately, the Four Zoas are themselves
  fallen beings. They strive for supremacy instead of bal-
  ance.
  What’s more, the fallen Zoas are themselves divided.
  Each Zoa has active and passive aspects; these are called
  the Spectre and Emanation of the Zoa. Humans gen-
  erally perceive the Spectre as male and the Emanation
  as female—a cultural quirk which, one should not be
  
  186
  surprised to learn, has nothing to do with the funda-
  mental reality of the Zoas. The Fall also gave each Zoa’s
  Spectre and Emanation separate, often conflicting
  wills.
  When did the Great Fall happen, and how may the
  Zoas be redeemed? To answer that question, one must
  remember that the Zoas are mental abstractions. They
  don’t exist within space or time. As sentient symbols,
  they exist in their fallen and unfallen forms at once,
  everywhere and everywhen.
  Mere humans, however, can only perceive the Zoas
  and receive their influence one way at a time. The Zoas
  appear imperfect because Man is imperfect. If one can
  master one’s own soul and balance the influence of
  the Zoas, what seemed like a deadly fourfold strife will
  be revealed as a perfect fourfold harmony.
  Urizen, Zoa Of Order
  “Let each chuse one habitation,
  ”His ancient infinite mansion,
  ”One command, one joy, one desire,
  ”One curse, one weight, one measure,
  ”One King, one God, one Law.”
  —William Blake, The Book of Urizen
  The Prime Avatar of Order is Urizen the Lawgiver,
  who rules the labyrinthine dimension of Ulro. Urizen
  and his followers strive to make the Multiverse ratio-
  nal and predictable, with a place for everything and
  everything in its place.
  Humans usually see Urizen in his Spectrous form as
  an old man with long, white hair and beard, perhaps
  wearing royal robes and a crown—very much like
  popular Christian images of God the Father. He often
  carries a globe of fire or simple scientific instruments
  such as scales, a compass or a quadrant. In his unfallen
  form, Urizen is young, handsome, and blazing with
  light. He may be dressed as a farmer, carrying a shoul-
  der bag of the Seeds of Wisdom.
  Urizen’s Emanation is Ahania. She is Urizen’s con-
  science, and the embodiment of conscience in general,
  which establishes moral order within the soul. When
  estranged from Urizen’s force of will, however, she is
  impotent regret, sorrow and confusion. The Spectrous
  Urizen won’t even admit that Ahania exists. When es-
  tranged, Ahania appears as a shadowy phantom, or
  even nothing more than a voice weeping on the wind.
  Urizen’s followers like to claim that in fact he is the
  original Creator, who made the cosmos by defining its
  scientific laws:
  Times on times he divided and measur’d
  Space by space in his ninefold darkness,
  Unseen, unknown; changes appear’d
  Like desolate mountains, rifted furious
  By the black winds of perturbation.
  —William Blake, The Book of Urizen
  At the very least, Urizen personifies the comprehen-
  sibility of the Universe. If there were no consistent,
  unchanging laws of nature, no one could hope to pre-
  dict or control their environment. But there are such
  laws of nature, so people can act with some confidence
  that what worked yesterday will work today and to-
  morrow—and they can hope to figure out these rules
  through their own reason.
  Luvah, Zoa Of Chaos
  “I suffer affliction
  ”Because I love, for I was love, but hatred
  awakes in me,
  ”And Urizen, who was Faith and certainty, is
  chang’d to Doubt.”
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  The Prime Avatar of Chaos is Luvah, a.k.a. the
  Anarch, ruler of Beulah. Not surprisingly, Luvah is tre-
  mendously unpredictable; he inspires both horrible
  atrocities and the most selfless acts of love and self-
  sacrifice. Luvah has as many forms as he has person-
  alities, and his personalities are as varied as passion
  itself. In Luvah’s most destructive, Spectrous mood he
  is Orc, a flaming giant. When Luvah manifests as the
  holy devotion of the saint or martyr, he might be seen
  as Jesus or some similar religious figure.
  Luvah’s Emanation is called Vala. Reconciled with
  Luvah, she represents empathy and the pleasure that
  comes from fulfilling an emotion—even the cathartic
  effect of a good cry. When estranged, she is the arch-
  deceiver, emotionality that blinds reason and thwarts
  effective action. She brings both pleasure and pain,
  delight and despair. Like Luvah, she can appear in many
  forms, from a sweet little girl to a frenzied Maenad.
  Urthona, Zoa Of Art
  Therefore Los stands in London building
  Golgonooza,
  Compelling his Spectre to labours mighty;
  trembling in fear
  The Spectre weeps, but Los unmov’d by tears
  or threats remains.
  ”I must Create a System or be enslav’d by
  another Man’s.
  ”I will not Reason & Compare: my business is
  to Create.”
  —William Blake, Jerusalem
  The Prime Avatar of Art is Urthona, who dwells in
  the cosmic city of Golgonooza. Cities are an impor-
  tant symbol to Artifists. That so many cities are hor-
  rible places, say Artifist thinkers, just shows that hu-
  mans have yet to face up to their abilities—and respon-
  sibilities—as creators.
  Urthona differs from the other Zoas in having three
  chief forms instead of two. Properly speaking,
  Urthona’s Spectrous aspect is Los the Smith, who ham-
  mers out the chain of Time on his anvil. Los appears
  as a strong, mature man of the viewer’s own race, wear-
  ing a blacksmith’s leather apron and carrying a mighty
  hammer.
  
  187
  Los is unique among the Zoa Spectres, however, in
  recognizing that he is a fallen being. He externalizes
  his own tendency to blind willfulness as the nameless
  Spectre of Urthona. The Spectre is an awesome pres-
  ence, a fierce giant covered in iron scales, with flaming
  red eyes. Yet Los can keep the Spectre chained to labor
  in his cosmic forge.
  The Emanation of Urthona is called Enitharmon.
  She weaves spaces on her loom, just as Los forges time.
  Enitharmon creates consensus reality: people’s ability
  to agree on what is real and how things should be done.
  When estranged from Los, however, Enitharmon be-
  comes a deceiver, trapping people in social games like
  governments and religions. Enitharmon has been so
  successful at this that most people become very upset
  when someone tries showing how arbitrary and arti-
  ficial their society is. Mortals see Enitharmon as some
  woman who was an important influence on them—
  often their mother, but a friend, teacher or lover are
  other possibilities.
  Tharmas, Zoa Of Nature
  Tharmas replied, riding on storms, his voice
  of Thunder roll’d:
  ”Image of grief, thy fading lineaments make
  my eyelids fail.
  ”What have I done? both rage & mercy are
  alike to me;
  ”Looking upon thee, Image of faint waters, I
  recoil
  ”From my fierce rage into thy semblance.
  Enion, return.”
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  The Prime Avatar of Nature is Tharmas; among
  Western mages and mystics, he is often called Pan.
  Naturists claim that Tharmas is the oldest of the Zoas,
  because Art, Order, and Chaos are only possible in a
  pre-existing world of Nature. The dimension of
  Tharmas has no proper name, for there are no names
  in Nature. William Blake called Tharmas’ domain Gen-
  eration, a fair name as it implies both birth and death.
  Every living thing ever born has passed through
  Tharmas’ hands.
  Tharmas can appear as any living thing, but one of
  his more common forms is that of a giant wrapped in
  a free- standing wave, rising out of Life’s first home,
  the sea. Tharmas himself might be made of water. He
  may also grow wings and take to the air, wrapped in
  clouds, glittering with rainbow hues.
  Tharmas’ Emanation is called Enion. She represents
  the natural processes of growth and development, the
  mute energy that keeps life going for its own sake. Es-
  tranged, Enion becomes existential Despair at the blind
  cruelty of Nature, wherein all life feeds on death. In
  this form Enion appears as a blind, bent old woman in
  rags, wailing a lament. When reconciled with Tharmas,
  however, she is the Earth Mother herself, a mature
  woman whose charisma goes far beyond mere beauty.
  The Supreme Powers
  Atziluth, the Archetypal World, is beyond time, space
  and even individual identity. In Kether, the highest of
  the Sephiroth, all existence becomes unity. This unity
  is also called the Primum Mobile, the Absolute, Brah-
  man, the Tao or Adam Kadmon the Primal Man. In
  his poems, William Blake called it Albion, the fusion
  of the Four Zoas. Adam Kadmon has intelligence, since
  it contains all intelligences, but nothing about its will
  is humanly conceivable beyond the “I Am That I Am”
  of pure existence.
  Viewed as Adam Kadmon, the Multiverse is its own
  supreme being. There’s little point to invoking Adam
  Kadmon in magic, though. Adam Kadmon plays no
  favorites at all. In it, the noblest saint and most hei-
  nous sinner, the mightiest god and tiniest particle, are
  all the same—just tiny fragments of the eternal, time-
  less whole.
  Adam Kadmon does, however, have an enemy. From
  the mystical point of view, everything has its dynamic
  opposite. The totality of all existence implies a corre-
  sponding totality of non existence, just as the notes of
  a song define a space of silence. Adam Kadmon is the
  sum of all contraries. Adam Kadmon’s opposite, the
  De-Creator, the Anti-God, is the Solipsist—the sum
  of all negations. And the Solipsist is not passive. It hun-
  gers to consume the Multiverse and turn the Infinite
  into Zero. A few wizards have hit the absolute nadir of
  corruption and willingly become its accomplices.
  How can the Solipsist do this? How can something
  which by definition does not exist have power? How
  can it help and protect a wizard who serves it, as it
  protected Archimago from the Kings of Edom and all
  his other mystic creditors? This is a great mystery, one
  far beyond this author’s power to explain.
  Those Obligatory Lost
  Civilizations
  the commonest and gravest error of moder-
  nity lies in believing that antiquity is dead.
  —Clark Ashton Smith, “Epigrams
  and Apothegms”
  Mysterious “lost” civilizations are so common in fan-
  tasy fiction they’ve become a cliché. The fantasy writ-
  ers, however, cribbed the idea from the occultists. Oc-
  cultists don’t believe in progress; in every occult tradi-
  tion, the dogma is that once, long ago, the lore of magic
  existed in a pure and complete state. Usually it was
  given to humanity by superior beings from higher di-
  mensions, such as God or angelic powers. Over the
  millennia the secret lore was lost or corrupted. Oc-
  cultists hardly ever admit to actually inventing any-
  thing; they prefer to claim that they have rediscovered
  that original lore from Egypt, Tibet, Atlantis or wher-
  ever, perhaps with the help of those superior extra-
  dimensional beings.
  
  188
  While occultists are very good at ignoring contrary
  evidence, they really prefer to avoid any chance of dis-
  proof. Hence, they try to ascribe their magic lore to
  extinct cultures of which little is known. Egypt was
  popular as the fountainhead of magic ever since Ro-
  man times. In the 19th century, however, the Egyptian
  hieroglyphics were translated and systematic archeol-
  ogy began. Occultists started looking for new progeni-
  tors. The mysterious East and its ancient, exotic magi-
  cal traditions filled the bill for a while. Tibet proved
  the most popular. Occultists who wanted to stick to
  European sources invoked the Druids, who were 2000
  years dead and had obligingly written nothing down.
  In 1882, however, a lawyer named Ignatius Donnelly
  provided the perfect ancient civilization through his
  epochal book, Atlantis: the Antediluvial World. Occult-
  ists loved it. Here was a civilization older than Egypt,
  they could invent whatever facts they wanted and no
  one could prove them wrong! Donnelly’s claims for
  Atlantis as the birthplace of civilization were compara-
  tively modest. Occultists like Edgar Cayce and H. P.
  Blavatsky added tales of mingled sorcery and super
  science that have been a fixture in “lost continent” fan-
  tasies ever since.
  Naturally, some occultists wanted to hog the glory
  by inventing their own lost continents and civilizations.
  Blavatsky took ‘Lemuria,’ a hypothetical land bridge
  connecting South Africa to India (proposed by 19th
  century biologists), and rewrote it as a lost continent
  more ancient than Atlantis. Early in the 20th century,
  “Colonel” James Churchward promoted his own ver-
  sion of Lemuria, which he called ‘Mu’ and moved to
  the Pacific Ocean. Other occultists added polar lost
  lands such as Hyperborea and Thule.
  Atlantean and Lemurian revelations continue, ob-
  tained by channeling dead wizard-priests and warrior-
  kings, or by perusing “Akashic records” on the Astral
  Plane. Continental drift and direct studies of the ocean
  floor have proved that lost continents are completely
  impossible, but that doesn’t bother occultists a bit, or
  the fantasy and comic book writers who crib from
  them.
  In case one wants to use Atlantis, Lemuria, et al. in
  one’s Champions campaign, here’s an overview of their
  history and culture as revealed by the crackpots. It is
  of course a compromise between many conflicting
  sources.
  Civilization is immensely older than the 5000 years
  or so which historians and archeologists know about—
  hundreds of thousands of years older. Civilization be-
  gan on Mu or Lemuria and spread to other continents,
  most notably Atlantis. First Mu collapsed into the sea,
  leaving Atlantis as master of the world. Atlantis in turn
  set up colonies in Central America and Egypt (which
  is why both the Egyptians and Aztecs built pyramids)
  and a few other places. Then Atlantis sank about 11,000
  years ago. Cut off from the mother land, the colonies
  fell into barbarism, but the lore of Atlantis was pre-
  served in legends and secret priesthoods.
  The Atlanteans and Muvians were sun worshippers
  with caste-based societies. One ruling class consisted
  of priest-magician-scientists commanding technology
  and sorcery of vast power, far more advanced than
  anything known today. The other ruling class consisted
  of a European-style feudal nobility which controlled
  the military. The king (who was also sometimes head
  priest) had Ra or Atlas as his title.
  Being immensely wise, the priests knew that their
  knowledge and powers would be misused by ordinary
  slobs like you and me, so they selflessly kept the com-
  mon folk living like Medieval peasants. Thus, the
  Atlanteans had flying warships and ray guns for the
  aristocrats, but not spin dryers or automobiles for the
  commoners. Such was the wisdom of the angels, gods
  or space aliens who taught civilization to Mu and
  Atlantis.
  Unfortunately, the priest-kings weren’t wise enough
  to predict their continent sinking and save themselves.
  Atlantists fall into two schools about this. One group
  says that the catastrophe was natural: one day the Earth
  hiccuped, and Atlantis was gone. (Some claim the con-
  vulsion was worldwide, and the present continents rose
  from the sea as Atlantis and Mu sank.) The other group
  says that the Atlanteans fell into wicked ways, misused
  their vast powers and blew up the whole continent.
  (The latter version of the end of Atlantis would ex-
  plain the lack of physical evidence. For just 127 Active
  Points one can build an Uncontrolled Continuous 1d6
  Transform with a huge radius of effect; the effect is
  “small land mass to unbroken ocean floor.” It is a So-
  cial Transform, too—in fact, a bigger version of the
  “Word of Unbinding” from the Thaumaturgy section
  of Chapter Four—so that the land mass in question is
  not only gone, it never existed and any cultural effects
  on the world at large get erased as well. This could erase
  an entire cycle of civilization. Only artifacts protected
  by Power Defense would survive. It makes a hell of a
  Side Effect for a spell gone wrong.)
  One doesn’t need tired old Atlantis, though, to pro-
  vide lost civilizations where magic might have flour-
  ished. Archeologists have found several genuinely “lost”
  civilizations…and some of them aren’t that ancient!
  Legends suggest other civilizations which could be
  added to the ancient world without tossing out basic
  facts of history and geology.
  In the last few decades, Soviet archeologists uncov-
  ered the Bactrian civilization in central Asia, contem-
  porary to Pharaonic Egypt. The centuries of Bactrian
  history remained virtually unknown to the empires of
  ancient Europe and the Middle East.
  Satellite surveys of Saudi Arabia recently discovered
  the ruined city of Ubar, long believed mythical. Ubar
  presents a genuine mystery, for this little walled town
  was built in the heart of Arabia’s “empty quarter,” the
  Rub’ Al Khali, the driest and most hostile desert on
  Earth! What’s more, Ubar met its end in a truly
  Atlantean cataclysm, when a huge cavern under the
  city collapsed.
  
  189
  The first Phoenician traders to visit Tartessos in
  Spain (the Biblical Tarshish) had to cast their anchor
  stones of silver, so much of the metal did they receive
  for their cargo of wine and oil. Now, not even the ru-
  ins of Tartessos remain.
  The Indus River cities of Mohenjo-Daro and
  Harappa remain mysterious as well; their writing de-
  fies translation.
  Moving forward in time, Sub-Saharan Africa had
  over a dozen major kingdoms spanning more than
  2000 years of history: Kush, Axum, Ghana, Zimbabwe,
  the Swahili trade cities, Songhai, the holy city of Ife…
  Africa doesn’t need made-up empires; the real ones
  were fabulous enough. Timbuktu, center of Africa’s
  trade in gold, had a university equal to anything in
  Europe. A Dutch traveler to Benin in the 17th century
  reported that the King’s palace was larger than the
  whole city of Haarlem.
  African civilization collapsed from a combination
  of European exploitation and wars among themselves.
  State- supported Portuguese piracy ravaged the opu-
  lent trade cities of East Africa. The slave trade set the
  West African kingdoms at each other’s throats and
  drained away the best and most skilled workers. At-
  tacks from Morocco and nomads like the Tuareg fur-
  ther weakened the African states. By 1900, the empires
  which had dazzled European visitors three centuries
  before had vanished into ruin. Their histories either
  were never written down or were lost in the sacking of
  their cities.
  Finally, legends speak of cities and kingdoms that
  could have been real, even if they weren’t. For instance,
  the Aztecs claimed that they came from a land called
  Aztlan somewhere to the north; speculations place
  Aztlan anywhere from northern Mexico to Washing-
  ton state. (The lost continent nuts have not ignored
  the similarity of “Aztlan” and “Atlantis” either.) Cen-
  turies later, the Spanish Conquistadors chased the mi-
  rage of Cibola, the City of Gold.
  Buddhist legends in India mention Shamballah and
  Agharti, somewhere north of the Himalayas.
  Very ancient Mesopotamian myths tell of a yet more
  ancient Earthly paradise to the east called Dilmun.
  Some archeologists think that Dilmun might have been
  the island of Bahrain; in fact, they’ve found traces of
  irrigation systems dating back to Sumerian times. The
  Bible contributes the city of Erech, founded by Cain
  in the land of Nod.
  None of these historical or might-have-been nations
  can match the occult magnificence of Mu and Atlantis,
  with their flying warships, giant power-crystals and
  eons of history. It doesn’t take a million-year empire,
  however, to account for magic artifacts and the like.
  Most of the great achievements of antiquity, like the
  Parthenon, the Great Pyramid or the Hanging Gar-
  dens of Babylon, were built in less than one human
  lifetime by nations whose glory days only lasted a few
  centuries—in some cases, only a few decades. A nation’s
  size doesn’t really matter, either. The tiny city state of
  Athens achieved heights of culture and influence sur-
  passing the cruel majesty of mighty Assyria.
  Local Golden Ages can be created for little-known
  or imaginary kingdoms without wrenching real his-
  tory: the bright centuries when Cairo, Baghdad and
  Timbuktu were centers of art and scholarship faded
  without permanently affecting even their own lands,
  let alone anyone else. Bactria, Tartessos or Dilmun
  could have had wizards on every street corner without
  any modern historian being the wiser. GMs should do
  a little reading and build their own lost citadels of wiz-
  ardry—and leave poor old Atlantis to rest in peace.
  Heavy Mysteries
  Wherefore, from Magic I seek assistance,
  That many a secret perchance I reach
  Through spirit-power and spirit-speech…
  That I may detect the inmost force
  Which binds the world and guides its course.
  —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Part I
  Eventually, players will wonder why the campaign
  world is the way it is. Why do people get super-pow-
  ers? Why haven’t people always had them? Where did
  mythological gods come from? What’s so special about
  the Earth, that dimensional conquerors should focus
  on it and not some other world? These are the Heavy
  Mysteries of the campaign.
  There’s no need to answer such questions right away;
  too much planning in early stages can be bad for a
  campaign. Indeed, some mysteries might be left
  “ufficially unknown and unknowable.” As a campaign
  develops, though, GMs might want to give some
  thought to the Heavy Mysteries—and nowhere more
  so than in a magical campaign. The Occult World is
  built on mysteries.
  Below are some possible answers to a few supernatu-
  ral Heavy Mysteries. As always, these are only sugges-
  tions, examples taken from the author’s campaign of
  the sort of answers GMs might invent. Use them or
  ignore them as you will.
  Why Does Earth Have Magic?
  This is the fundamental “Heavy Mystery” of a magi-
  cal campaign. What makes Earth so special? Why does
  Earth have gods and wizards and astral realms, while
  other worlds in this Universe apparently do not?
  As a suggestion, the reason has nothing to do with
  humanity. Earth has a “magic field” because of events
  billions of years in the past, when the Earth was still
  forming. It is a mystery whose full solution is not sus-
  pected by even the wisest of sages. Even the Dragon
  doesn’t know. Only Kryptos, that Prince of the Uni-
  verse who is Knower of All Secrets, could tell the tale.
  Eons ago, a vast and terrible war swept through the
  Multiverse, a war against the dreadful entities called
  the Kings of Edom. The Kings of Edom and their more
  powerful servitors were eventually conquered and
  
  190
  imprisoned in hostile dimensions and barren worlds.
  Their bindings were meant to last for Eternity. Unfor-
  tunately, things don’t always work out as planned.
  One of the prison worlds, a small, frozen rogue
  planet drifting between the stars, was caught in the
  gravitational field of a new star. It became part of the
  new system of planets forming around the star, fol-
  lowing a slender cometary orbit. Hundreds of mete-
  ors and planetoids struck the small world, but not hard
  enough to break it open and free the Kings. After a few
  million years, though, one of the new planets got in its
  way. They hit. The little planet shattered and melted.
  The impact didn’t do the bigger planet any good, ei-
  ther. Most of the two planets merged. Some of the
  material splashed out by the tremendous impact even-
  tually coalesced into a large satellite. Thus were the
  Earth and Moon formed.
  The captive Kings just barely survived the impact,
  although their physical bodies did not. They regener-
  ated themselves using the materials at hand: the mol-
  ten minerals of the Earth’s interior. They soon found,
  however, that they had exchanged one prison for an-
  other. Their bodies were not stable; they could project
  their minds freely through the Earth’s substance, or-
  ganizing new bodies wherever they pleased, but they
  could not escape its substance. They had become a new
  race. Billions of years later, certain sages among the
  small sentient beings who evolved on the planet’s sur-
  face would call them the Gaiagens—the Earth-Born.
  A distorted form of the name would become better
  known:
  There were Giants in the Earth in those days.
  Earth is magical because deep in its mantle dwell
  dozens of Kings of Edom. The Earth’s magic field be-
  gan as the spillover of their personal power. It has
  grown since humanity began; human minds act as tiny
  lenses and amplifiers, augmenting the magic field and
  shaping it into new forms like the Imaginal Realms.
  If the Gaiagens wanted, their massed power could
  pull the Moon from the sky or exterminate humanity
  in about five minutes. Fortunately, they don’t want to.
  They do know of humanity. A few thousand years ago,
  a few Gaiagens used volcanoes to create temporary
  bodies on the surface world. Mythology dimly remem-
  bers them as entities such as Surtur, Lord of the Fire
  Giants, or Typhon the Terrible, whose fifty mouths
  belched flaming stones. The Gaiagen explorers decided
  that humanity was irrelevant to their current existence.
  Humanity had better hope that nothing disturbs the
  Gaiagens in their incomprehensible world of liquid
  stone. Otherwise, Typhon the Terrible might walk the
  Earth’s surface again…
  How Humanity Learned Magic
  In the real world, most ancient magic is childishly
  primitive stuff. That doesn’t stop occultists from claim-
  ing that ancient wizards were the greatest of mages.
  The whole “Occult Wisdom of the Ancients” routine
  was well established even by Roman times…and it’s
  true that for several centuries if an enterprising Greek
  or Roman wanted to learn astronomy, mathematics
  or other “secret arts,” he had to go to Egypt or
  Mesopotamia.
  Rather conveniently for GMs, though, any amount
  of fantasy magic can be spliced into the ancient world
  without distorting history: before the modern period,
  everyone believed the world was full of gods, demons,
  wizards and monsters, and lived their lives accordingly.
  Now we know they were wrong, but if magic had been
  real, very little would have been different. The ancient
  world is a marvelous source for mighty artifacts, se-
  cret tomes and eerie legends.
  The only question, then, is where did all this occult
  wisdom come from in the first place? The usual an-
  swer— then and now—is that it was imparted by some
  god or spirit. Whether this happened in Egypt, Tibet
  or Atlantis or some other “lost civilization” is just a
  matter of taste. As an example of how humans might
  have learned magic, here are the Nagas and the lost
  civilizations of Agharti and Shamballah.
  The Nagas are described in the Source Book. For
  here, suffice to say that they are benevolent serpent-
  men with obscure connections to their great enemy,
  the Dragon. Six thousand years ago, the Nagas created
  the first human civilizations worthy of the name. The
  Dragon had just manifested on Earth. It was already at
  work, recruiting people by guile or force for its grim
  empire of Agharti, based along the northern edge of
  the Tibetan Plateau. The Nagas responded by creating
  the nation of Shamballah in what is now Mongolia.
  The Nagas never forced the proto-Mongols into civi-
  lization. They just showed them the advantages of sani-
  tation, a food surplus and specialized professions, and
  the proto-Mongols accepted. The Nagas not only
  taught the Shamballans how to work metal, use the
  wheel and many other useful arts, they guided them
  in evolving a system of government based on clan
  councils and taught them about justice and honor. The
  Shamballans quickly developed a martial code very
  much like that of the Medieval knight.
  The Nagas picked the proto-Mongols for their mar-
  tial valor; as nomadic herders, living on the harsh
  steppes of central Asia, they were the toughest, bravest
  people in the world. The Nagas knew, however, that
  stopping the Dragon would require more than lances,
  swords and bows. The Dragon was teaching its min-
  ions to use magic. The Nagas did the same. The best
  and the brightest of Shamballah’s men and women
  learned Thaumaturgy from the Nagas, so that sorcery
  could be met with sorcery.
  After centuries of war, the Dragon won. Agharti de-
  stroyed Shamballah. Its cities were razed to the ground.
  But the Dragon also lost; while its energies were fo-
  cused on Shamballah, the Nagas had planted other civi-
  lizations in other parts of the world, such as Dilmun
  in the Middle East and Cibola in South America, and
  they wrought Agharti’s doom. Mythology dimly re-
  members that ancient conflict as the battle between
  Marduk and Tiamat. The Dragon bent its will to cor-
  rupt or destroy these other civilizations in turn, but a
  third wave of cultures was already rising: Egypt,
  
  191
  Sumeria, Mohenjo-Daro, the Minoans… History was
  on its way.
  The first wizards, Shamballan and Aghartan, had to
  learn Thaumaturgy: no other style of magic was
  known. The Astral Plane was empty, for the faerie-folk,
  demons and other creatures of legend were not yet
  born. It was Dragon chained in humanity’s collective
  unconscious that linked mankind to the Astral Plane
  and made its dreams turn real. Thus the Netherworld,
  oldest of the Imaginal Realms, formed in the Dragon’s
  belly and Faerie, the next realm, condensed on its back.
  The Dragon, the Nagas, and the wizards recognized
  the potential these new spirits had as allies. The
  Dragon, with its vast mental power and inside view of
  humanity, was most successful at recruiting or creat-
  ing spirits. Hence it is that an entire Parterre is devoted
  to its service and even the faerie-folk are less than
  friendly to their human creators. Hence it is too that
  the craft of dealing with spirits has always been viewed
  with suspicion.
  Still, no one could deny that the craft was useful.
  The astral spirits were more easily commanded than
  the forces of the Outer Planes. As the centuries passed,
  there were more and more types of spirits, too: ata-
  visms, nature spirits, demons, ghosts and gods. Even-
  tually, some mages didn’t bother learning
  Thaumaturgy, relying exclusively on the new spirits.
  Thus did the first styles of Ritual Magic evolve.
  Natural Magic fissioned off as well. From the first,
  the Nagas and the Dragon had taught their disciples
  how to use material objects to focus their will. Some
  substances, they found, already had natural affinities
  for some kinds of magic. Indeed, they had magic of
  their own: if one could tap this power, one could con-
  serve one’s own energy. Again, some mages eventually
  turned this “supplemental” art into whole new styles
  of magic.
  By the start of recorded history, Ritual Magic and
  Natural Magic both flourished beyond the control of
  either the Dragon or the Nagas. Both types of magic
  got tangled up in religion, producing hybrids such as
  Voodoo and Classical Theurgy. Indeed, most of the
  really creative work in magic has been in Ritual and
  Natural Magic: very few new styles of High Magic were
  ever developed. Still, there are quite a few
  Thaumaturges out there.
  Research in every field continues, for the same rea-
  son as when the new magic styles began. The war
  against the Dragon has never stopped, only gone un-
  derground. The Dragon and its minions still seek new
  ways to conquer and subvert mankind, and humanity’s
  defenders still seek new ways to block the Dragon’s evil
  schemes.
  Provisional Answers To
  Godly Questions
  The ancient Poets animated all sensible
  objects with Gods or Geniuses, calling them
  by the names and adorning them with the
  properties of woods, rivers, mountains, lakes,
  cities, nations and whatever their enlarged
  and numerous senses could perceive.
  And particularly they studied the genius of
  each city & country, placing it under its
  mental deity,
  Till a system was formed, which some took
  advantage of, & enslav’d the vulgar by
  attempting to realize or abstract the mental
  deities from their objects: thus began
  Priesthood:
  Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales.
  And at last they pronounc’d that the Gods
  had order’d such thing.
  Thus men forgot that All deities reside in the
  human breast.
  —William Blake, The Marriage of
  Heaven and Hell
  This author assumes that worship builds up a magi-
  cal “static charge” which eventually materializes gods
  and their pocket dimensions out of the Astral Plane.
  (In most cases, the pocket dimensions were welded
  onto Faerie.) The gods are just how their worshippers
  think they should be, right down to believing the ori-
  gin stories of their own mythology. Dozens of differ-
  ent pantheon heads firmly believe that they created
  humanity; they even remember doing it! Learning the
  truth would hit them hard. Some might even flip out
  or self-destruct.
  There are no “alien gods.” Earth and humanity are
  special this way. That’s why the dimensional conquer-
  ors like Skarn want to conquer Earth but ignore, say,
  Bandok VII.
  By all evidence, worship is as old as homo sapiens
  itself. Between five and six millennia ago, however, the
  quality of worship changed. For one thing, gods be-
  came worshipped by entire nations. Before then, each
  tribe— even each extended family—had its own sa-
  cred ancestors or animal totems. With the birth of civi-
  lization came the idea of great gods that anyone might
  worship. Usually these were organized as the patron
  gods of social classes or professions (i.e. warrior gods,
  priest gods, gods of agriculture, sea gods for fisher-
  men and sailors and so on). For the first time, a god
  might be worshipped by thousands of people instead
  of a mere few hundred.
  Mythology also received a boost. In this age of open
  war between the followers of the Nagas and the min-
  ions of the Dragon, there were men and women with
  great powers who did great deeds. Their deeds passed
  into legend and people worshipped their faded memo-
  ries. There never was a human Zeus, an Indra or a
  
  192
  Marduk, but there were mighty warriors who hurled
  the lightning at monsters. There never was an Athena,
  but there was a stern woman who taught Achaean
  tribes the arts of war and peace.
  The legendary figures of ancient heroes became the
  focus of new state cults. Other gods would be invented
  from whole cloth, but like the legendary heroes would
  be given human faces. As worship grew, more and more
  psychic energy condensed around these figures of hu-
  man gods, until…hey presto! They were real.
  Since the mythological gods are only deluded spir-
  its, there’s nothing to seriously offend Jewish, Chris-
  tian or Muslim players. The big God can remain as the
  true Creator and Supreme Being. (Note that in many
  mythologies, the primordial, true Creator of the Uni-
  verse is an impersonal force not actually worshipped.)
  On the other hand, if none of the players care very
  much, then even Jehovah is just another local spirit
  with delusions of grandeur.
  For the last 2500 years, the pantheons have been in-
  hibited from acting on Earth, which is why they are
  defunct in so many parts of the world. Sorcerers call
  this “the Ban,” and it started with the advent of the
  first widespread religions to propose general standards
  of conduct instead of mere obedience to a god’s whim
  of the moment.
  As the gods had more trouble manifesting on Earth,
  more of their worshippers defected to the newer “ethi-
  cal” religions such as Buddhism and Christianity. As
  the gods’ pool of worshippers dropped, they weakened
  and were even less able to act on Earth. By the 10th
  century AD, all the European and Middle Eastern pan-
  theons were near death. Even the major Far Eastern,
  African and Native American pantheons could only
  appear on Earth physically with great effort. The cul-
  tural disruption caused by European colonialism and
  missionary work weakened these gods still further.
  Then something happened in the first half of the 20th
  Century; what it was remains a Heavy Mystery. People
  started getting super-powers. Archimago declared a
  Dark Renaissance of magic. And the Ban weakened.
  The gods are still weak—but they have a second chance.
  They mean to make the most of it.
  Here are some sample “case studies” of pantheons:
  Babylonian
  These gods haven’t been worshipped for almost 2000
  years. Even their mythology was forgotten until arche-
  ologists started digging up the Middle East. The gods
  who began in Sumeria and adapted themselves to
  Akkad, Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldea found them-
  selves utterly without worship when Christianity took
  over. They couldn’t even draw on the common energy
  of the Land of Legends because they were city gods,
  with a tiny astral realm of their own.
  A few gods, like Nergal and Ereshkigal, survived by
  becoming demons in the Netherworld. The minor gods
  simply died. The remaining major gods retreated to
  their temple home, sealed it and cast themselves into
  suspended animation. All that keeps them alive is the
  Tablet of Destinies (see Chapter Four).
  Unbeknownst to them, their little astral realm has
  grown into a major dimension: Babylon, the City of
  Man. While they still aren’t worshipped, if they left their
  temple they would be super beings of significant power.
  Aztec
  This vicious pantheon suffered a profound shock
  when the Spanish conquered Mexico. These gods had
  never dealt with any Old World pantheons, so they
  hadn’t heard about the troubles those gods faced be-
  cause of the ethical religions. The energy from human
  sacrifice had let them ignore the Ban. Within a decade
  after the Spanish arrived, worship of the Aztec pan-
  theon dropped precipitously, and the Ban fell on them
  with full force.
  For centuries, the Aztec gods lived a hungry exist-
  ence, too proud to ask the other pagan pantheons for
  help. They survived through dribbles of worship: as
  characters in tales, propitiated through bits of folk
  magic and ritual…but no sacrifice! No more delicious
  spurt of blood from a ripped out human heart!
  Then the Ban suddenly lifted. Like most of the old
  gods, the Aztec gods took decades to notice, but when
  they did it sparked a whirlwind of plotting to regain
  their bloody dominion on Earth. They need sacrifice
  to restore their power. If no one will sacrifice to them,
  maybe they can do it themselves; and if they can’t get
  any humans, maybe they can kidnap and sacrifice other
  gods…
  Chinese
  For thousands of years, the Chinese had the world’s
  largest and mightiest pantheon. The more philosophi-
  cal and mystical aspects of Taoism, Confucianism and
  Buddhism never replaced the common folk’s faith in
  human gods. The gods became complacent. They
  hardly noticed the Republican revolution that ended
  the Manchu monarchy. By the time they agreed they
  should do something about the Japanese invasion in
  World War Two, the war was over. Then the Commu-
  nists took over and virtually outlawed all religion.
  The small gods of rivers, mountains and cities died
  in a few years, and even the greatest gods found them-
  selves in a bad way. Suddenly the Chinese Diaspora—
  the colonies of immigrants in Southeast Asia, the
  United States and around the world—became very
  important.
  The Celestial Bureaucracy still hasn’t fully reorga-
  nized, but the gods are learning how to get by on a
  greatly reduced base of worship. The official policy set
  by the Emperor of Heaven is to wait Communism out:
  it will eventually fall, the people will remember their
  old gods and China will become China again. In the
  meantime, they must follow the example of Hong
  Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia: get out there and hustle!
  The gods don’t agree on their methods—some would
  gain reverence through terror, others through helpful-
  ness, some through deception and as always the Eight
  Taoist Immortals treat the whole situation like a joke—
  but they all break through the Ban to Earth every
  chance they get.
  
  193
  What Happens After Death?
  For characters in most games, death is the end. Not
  in a magic campaign, though: in the Magical World,
  death is just a change of venue. Lots of dead people
  can stay active.
  So what happens to people after they die? Religion
  and occultism propose dozens of answers. In a game
  milieu, they can all be more or less correct.
  Some people’s souls go to Elysium or the
  Netherworld. People who have genuinely lived up to
  the high ideals of their religion get their faith’s Heaven
  in Elysium. Notably wicked people get the Hell they
  deserve. They may not think they deserve it, but they
  don’t make the choice: their evil has strengthened their
  unconscious connection to the terrible Dragon who
  carries the Netherworld in its belly. They have given
  themselves to the Dragon in life; the Dragon takes them
  at death.
  Other people don’t really have any strong convic-
  tions about the Afterlife, and no great burden of sin to
  make the decision for them. These people’s souls of-
  ten become ghosts on the Lower Astral Plane, clad in
  their astral bodies.
  Some ghosts reincarnate. They hang around Astral
  Earth until they see an opportunity to occupy a devel-
  oping embryo, and slide in. Usually this pretty much
  erases their memories, but once in a while someone
  remembers bits of their past life. Naturally they haunt
  the lands they knew in life, so most reincarnation hap-
  pens in India and the Far East, where most of the be-
  lievers in reincarnation live.
  Other ghosts stay on the Astral Plane for a greater
  or lesser time. Some of them are destroyed by astral
  predators. Most eventually dissipate on their own when
  they get bored with existing. Nobody knows what hap-
  pens to the souls when the astral body finally dissolves;
  perhaps they go to Death’s Dominion and merge with
  the effigies that all deceased sentient beings have in
  that realm, or perhaps they merge with the Astral Plane
  itself.
  In practice, what this means is that just because a
  character is dead doesn’t mean they are out of the game.
  A character (PC or NPC) can be resurrected, go to
  Heaven or Hell, or become a ghost. They might even
  stay active in the campaign, making death just an es-
  pecially severe “radiation accident.”
  Books Of Magic
  Books of magic have a sort of life of their own. Some
  have altogether too much…
  —Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
  Books of spells and mystic lore are a traditional fea-
  ture of magical adventures. Some of these grimoires
  are real books, although one has been lost for over a
  thousand years. Others are from legend, but claimed
  to be real.
  The Key Of Solomon: This grimoire is the foundation
  document of Western ceremonial magic, supposedly
  written by King Solomon himself (although the Key
  can’t possibly date from before the Middle Ages). The
  Key tells how to summon spirits and extort services
  from them, with instructions—insanely complicated in-
  structions—for making the numerous magical tools
  required. Although the Key’s English translator S. L.
  Mathers claimed it was a book of “white magic,” the
  use of animal sacrifice in the Key’s procedures make
  this claim a teeny bit suspect. Still, the Key of Solomon
  has a reputation as the supreme book for summoning
  and controlling spirits. Of course, no real sorcerer
  would use the Mathers English translation: they’d have
  an unexpurgated Latin manuscript.
  Chaldean Oracles: The “last holy book of the ancient
  world” was the guiding text of Neoplatonist Theurgy.
  It was written around the 1st century AD, either by
  the magus Julianus the Chaldean or his son Julianus
  the Theurgist. The book itself is lost, known only
  through quotations by other late Classical authors at
  least, no one admits to owning a complete copy. The
  Chaldean Oracles gave instructions for Theurgy, a sys-
  tem of religious magic based on Greco-Roman gods.
  Theurgy’s most practical goal was the consecration of
  idols to give them magic powers. The “Oracle” part
  came with the second goal, obtaining messages from
  the gods by channeling them in seances. Finally, the
  Oracles give instructions on rising through the layers
  of the Astral Plane, with magic words and sigils to get
  one past the lesser gods and spirits of the planes. The
  goal is to reach the plane of the Supreme Godhood.
  Stanzas Of Dzyan: This monumental, enigmatic guide-
  book to the origin and history of humanity and the
  Universe was invented by Madame Helena Blavatsky,
  the founder of Theosophy. She claimed that Dzyan was
  the fundamental text of occultism, preserved in secret
  by the Mahatmas of Tibet. Her own magnum opus,
  The Secret Doctrine, was a commentary on excerpts of
  the Stanzas. Skeptics pointed out that her quotes from
  the I were suspiciously similar to sections of the well-
  known Hindu Rig-Veda; Blavatsky shot back that the
  Rig-Veda was plagiarized from the divine Stanzas of
  Dzyan. Blavatsky’s “quotes” from Dzyan are splendid
  examples of mystical gibberish, babbling of Dhyan
  Chohans, lotus buds, Fire Mists and the Seven Rays.
  Her voluminous explanations make their meaning
  even more opaque. Clearly, the Stanzas of Dzyan is a
  masterpiece of Cosmic Wisdom, and probably a po-
  tent grimoire of High Magic.
  
  Chapter 6:
  Therefore, since the world has still
  Much good, but much less than ill,
  And while the sun and moon endure
  Luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure,
  I’d face it as a wise man would,
  And train for ill, and not for good.
  —A.E. Housman, “Terence, This Is Stupid
  Stuff”
  This chapter deals with the hardware of setting up a magic-based
  campaign. It begins with a discussion of plot frameworks a GM can
  use as the basis of a story arc, or even of an entire campaign. The bulk
  of the chapter consists of sample villains, cults and monsters. In par-
  ticular, it supplies two powerful villains who can form the focus of
  campaigns: Skarn the Shaper, the insane ruler of a patchwork dimen-
  sion; and the Dragon, the personification of all human evil.
  The author does not expect all these villains to be directly useful to
  all GMs. They are not, however, just isolated characters. They are given
  as examples of types of villains, to help GMs design their own.
  Source Book
  
  195
  Campaign
  Frameworks
  GMs and players in an all-wizard campaign might
  want to use a running plot line or subplot to provide
  unity to their adventures. Not all adventures will fit
  into the campaign framework, but enough will that
  the players feel like their characters are part of an on-
  going epic. What’s more, such a framework provides
  clear goals for the PCs, whether it’s to save the Earth
  from the Unspeakables from Beyond, become the
  world’s greatest wizard, or just to earn their rent for
  another month.
  Some frameworks are open-ended: there can always
  be another Nameless Horror, and dimensional con-
  querors are pretty much indestructible. Other frame-
  works provide definite termination points: one hero
  becomes Archmage, the magic artifact is finally located,
  or whatever. When the PCs reach the resolution, the
  GM either ends the campaign or switches to another
  framework. Some frameworks can overlap.
  Invader From Beyond
  This is a classic. In it, a hyper-powerful villain—a
  “Dimensional Conqueror”—has set his sights on
  Earth. The PCs, as the most powerful and capable of
  the good-guy sorcerers, must stop the conqueror. The
  conqueror launches plot after plot to invade the Earth;
  before long he’s also launching attacks specifically at
  the PCs.
  Requirements
  A powerful, psychotic dimension lord; his cadre of
  lackeys and allies; his weird, patchwork home dimen-
  sion, stitched together from conquered worlds; ways
  the dimension lord could conquer the world; knowl-
  edgeable but limited friendly NPC sorcerers as infor-
  mants and teachers; bad-guy sorcerers willing to sell
  out humanity. Most importantly, the PCs really must
  be the sorcerers most willing and able to defend the
  Earth.
  Dark Renaissance
  A cabal of evil sorcerers wants to destroy techno-
  logical civilization and establish the rule of magic over
  the world. The PCs oppose them. The PCs are power-
  ful, but not uniquely so among good-guy mages. They
  might be part of a wide community of mages divided
  by the Dark Renaissance agenda.
  Requirements
  Evil sorcerer activists; plans by which the bad guys
  really could cause such a profound change in the world.
  Holy War
  The bad-guy sorcerers try to promote one god or
  ideology. The good-guy sorcerers follow a different god
  or ideology and try to stop them. Most famously, the
  bad guys are Satanists out to take over the world and
  deliver it into Evil. Other possible conflicts include
  Order vs. Chaos,  Art vs. Nature, humanists vs. reli-
  gious fanatics, the autocratic East vs. the democratic
  West, allied pagan pantheons vs. Judeo-Christian-Is-
  lamic complex, and so on . (Alas, many of the classic
  conflicts are now defunct or politically incorrect.)
  Requirements
  A duality which lets one clearly define “Us” vs.
  “Them,” typically with no confusion about who’s good
  and who’s bad; fiendish plots whereby the “Them” can
  promote their unholy goals.
  Horror Hunters
  Terrible, fiendish Things lurk just outside common
  human knowledge. If unchecked, they would bring
  about a reign of horror and destruction. The PCs, the
  few who know, must seek out the Horrors and drive
  them back to the shrieking pits of madness which
  spawned them.
  Requirements
  Fiendish Thingies—whether vampires, demons, or
  Slimy Unspeakables is up to the taste of the GM and
  players; ancient lore telling of the terrible menace;
  magic artifacts that are as dangerous as they are help-
  ful; remote locations for the Horrors to come from;
  perhaps a senior horror-hunter to pass on the mission
  before he gets munched himself; lots of victims. This
  is best as a heroic-level campaign framework, but su-
  perheroes can have running clashes with horrific mon-
  sters too. (The monsters just have to be that much
  tougher.)
  Troubleshooters
  A slight variation of the “Horror Hunters” campaign.
  The PCs help people with all sorts of supernatural
  problems, not just horrible Things That Go Bump in
  the Night; the overall tone is much lighter. The super-
  natural isn’t always menacing; occult creatures such as
  ghosts, fays and castaways from other planes might
  need expert help from the sorcerer PCs, too. The PCs
  might operate for pay (like the “Ghostbusters”), or they
  might just be terribly altruistic.
  Requirements
  A wide variety of supernatural creatures; clients,
  human, and otherwise; a way for clients to locate the
  PCs; a base of operations. This also has a strong he-
  roic-level feel, but superheroic-level troubleshooters
  and occult detectives aren’t impossible.
  Top Wand
  Who’s the top sorcerer in the world? Sorcerers might
  compete intensively for power and status. Being “top
  wand” might bring more than just prestige: perhaps
  Earth’s “Sorcerer Supreme” or “Archmage” gets a spe-
  cial fund of magical power or custody of some tre-
  
  196
  mendous artifact. The competition goes far beyond
  formal battles between sorcerers. Would-be Archmagi
  will hunt for magic items, occult lore, and other ways
  of increasing their power. They might also try to re-
  duce the competition by murdering other competi-
  tors…
  Requirements
  Rival sorcerers of comparable power, so the PCs are
  neither hopelessly outclassed nor cakewalking over
  their rivals; things to fight over; some authority, mys-
  tical or social, which can certify a wizard as “Top
  Wand”; a reason why the PCs should work together
  (at least for now) instead of stabbing each other in the
  back.
  The Quest
  This is the most short-term, closed-end framework.
  The PCs are trying to obtain something rather impor-
  tant to them: a mystic artifact, an ancient spell—even
  a long-lost relative or teacher. They must first locate
  the target object, then pass by assorted dangers and
  barriers to get the object.
  Requirements
  A target object for the quest, whether a lost princess
  or mystic enlightenment; a reason for all the PCs to
  seek the object together; clues to the object’s location;
  opposing forces (animate and inanimate) to hinder
  them.
  The Congeries
  I am haunted by recollections
   Of lands that were not of earth,
  Of places where mad perfections
   In horror were brought to birth…
  —H. P. Lovecraft, “Primavera”
  If one chooses the “Invader From Beyond” campaign
  framework, one needs not just a powerful “Dimen-
  sional Conqueror,” one needs a dimension for the vil-
  lain to use as a base of operations, a cadre of subsid-
  iary villains to act as officers, and various sorts of min-
  ions. When one fights a really high-end dimensional
  conqueror, one also fights his whole organization. As
  an example, here is the supernatural tyrant Skarn the
  Shaper and his mad domain, the Congeries.
  The Congeries is a chaotic, patchwork dimension.
  First, Skarn built the Congeries by merging dozens of
  little dimensions, each with its own wildly different
  environment, into his native plane of Orom. Then
  Skarn capriciously altered local environments still fur-
  ther. By now the Congeries has literally hundreds of
  different environments, as one idea after another
  caught Skarn’s fancy.
  It’s hard to gauge the size of the Congeries. Space
  itself is warped, twisted and so riddled with worm-
  holes that whether a location is “near” or “far” depends
  only on which route one takes. Most of the Congeries’
  volume, however, is just air or otherwise uninhabit-
  able. The relatively “normal” areas in which human-
  like creatures can live are collectively no larger than a
  medium-sized state. The Congeries’ population is in
  the tens of millions.
  The “center” of the Congeries is the former dimen-
  sion of Orom, a broad band of land twisted into a tre-
  foil knot. Several platforms of land drift nearby. The
  band and platforms bear compact towns, farmland and
  forest, with only small anomalous regions such as im-
  possibly deep pits of blue fire or patches of living quick-
  sand. In the very center is a knot of interlocking worm-
  hole portals to other sections of the Congeries, includ-
  ing Skarn’s palace. Bridges lead from the trefoil band
  to the portals. Orom is one of the most sable parts of
  the Congeries.
  The Congeries’ inhabitants are as diverse as its ge-
  ography. A major fraction are humanoid because the
  original Oromians were humanoid and Skarn prefers
  to annex dimensions with humanoid inhabitants, but
  even the humanoids vary wildly. By now the people of
  the Congeries range from normal-seeming humans to
  talking rock formations.
  All the people of the Congeries have one thing in
  common, though. Skarn is their God. They dare not
  question his will.
  Region Generator
  The Congeries is far too diverse to list its regions.
  Instead, GMs should create weird environments as
  needed for adventures. Most of the pocket environ-
  ments have a short descriptive phrase of the form
  “<Place Term> of the <Adjective> <Noun>” instead
  of, or in addition to, proper names. Using the lists be-
  low, one can generate new place names quickly. Add
  new words as old ones get used.
  
  197
  Skarn’s Hunting
  Preserves
  Skarn has created several special enclaves in the Con-
  geries, zones of space accessed only by one or two
  wormholes. He uses these areas as game preserves
  wherein he may amuse himself by hunting using only
  his physical abilities. Skarn stocks the preserves with
  fierce and powerful beasts from throughout the
  Multiverse. He also pops captured enemies into game
  preserves if he thinks they might give him good sport.
  Typically, Skarn uses the hunt as an opportunity for a
  wager: anyone who survives the hunt and finds the
  hidden way out of the preserve can go free and maybe
  win some other boon as well.
  One typical hunting preserve consists of a bubble
  of space about 3 miles in diameter, giving it an area of
  30 square miles. (Gravity is reversed so the entire in-
  ner surface is “down.”) It is entered through a door in
  Skarn’s palace. If that door is closed—which is usually
  the case—the only exit is through a cunningly hidden
  wormhole leading to a waiting room back in the pal-
  ace. The waiting room has strong walls, locked doors
  and narrow, barred windows in case some strong, fe-
  rocious beast finds the wormhole.
  The preserve is lined with a “floor” of earth, but this
  “floor” has gaps. Anyone who passes through a gap
  emerges half a mile above the surface of the bubble at
  the point opposite the gap. Looking through a gap,
  then, one sees the opposite floor! Light shines evenly
  from the horizonless sky, brightest at the zenith where
  one looks through the greatest thickness of self lumi-
  nous air.
  The preserve’s rolling terrain is covered in thin to
  dense forest, with patches of marsh, brush and a few
  ponds. Both flora and fauna are varied, fantastical and
  occasionally dangerous. The largest plant is a huge tree,
  up to half a mile tall, with blue-green round, cupped
  leaves 5-10 feet wide. One such tree grows up through
  a gap in the sky, where its leaves hide the gap. Pools of
  water in the leaves and vines and moss hanging from
  the broad branches support whole ecologies in the sky.
  Hazardous plants include strangling animate vines,
  fungi that explode like hand grenades, adhesive moss
  and giant pitcher plants offering treacherous conceal-
  ment or fruit within.
  There are always several large, dangerous animals in
  the preserve. These alone should be designed as fairly
  serious hazards, at least to PCs who have had some of
  their powers stripped away by Skarn. Typical beasts
  could include a truculent herbivore rather like a rhi-
  noceros covered in iron scales, or a cross between a
  puma and a centipede. In addition to these “showpiece”
  beasts, the preserve has various “nuisance” beasts such
  as giant, camouflaged land clams that try to swallow
  people whole; horned snakes that leap from trees to
  impale their victims; giant insects; and something that
  shoots huge, grasping tentacles out of the ground.
  D20
  Place Term
  Adjective
  Noun
  1
  Mountain(s)
  Red/Orange
  Stones
  2
  Valley
  Yellow/Green
  Statues
  3
  Plain
  Blue/Purple
  Walls
  4
  Hills
  Black/Dark
  Windows
  5
  River
  White/Pale
  Spires
  6
  Lake
  Gray/Brown
  Eyes
  7
  Marsh
  Silver/Golden
  Mouths
  8
  Garden
  Brazen/Iron
  Faces
  9
  Forest
  Crystal
  Hands
  10
  Desert
  Burning
  Giants
  11
  City
  Frozen
  Flowers
  12
  Hall
  Liquid
  Trees
  13
  Castle
  Flowing
  Slime/Ooze
  14
  Caverns
  Flying
  Beasts
  15
  Dungeon(s)
  Dancing
  Men
  16
  Island(s)
  Singing
  Blades
  17
  Domain
  Moaning
  Gates
  18
  Land
  Screaming
  Mirrors
  19
  Temple
  Dreadful
  Fires
  20
  Place
  Shining
  Mists
  
  198
  Skarn The Shaper
  Background: Sorcerers throughout the Multiverse fear
  and respect the power of the sinister Skarn, shaper of
  worlds. Skarn’s appetite for conquest knows no limits.
  As people of several dimensions have learned the hard
  way, Skarn cannot be appeased by tribute, concession,
  or compromise. Nor does he fear threats of terrorism
  or revenge by powerful allies, for few beings have
  greater power than Skarn.
  Skarn, however, became a dimensional conqueror
  by accident. Originally he was merely one of the rul-
  ing Triumvirs of the little dimension of Orom. The
  Oromians ruled themselves through a collective presi-
  dency called the Triumvirate. Many Triumvirs, Skarn
  included, were also sorcerers.
  Skarn had the bad luck that the other two Triumvirs
  hated each other, far beyond mere party rivalry. Their
  hatred led both Triumvirs to the awful step of inviting
  possession by cosmic entities, each hoping thereby to
  crush his rival and make his own party supreme. One
  became a Lord of Nature called the Beast, devoted to
  razing Orom’s cities and making people live simple lives
  in harmony with their environment. The other became
  the Lord of Art called Nomarch Phase, equally deter-
  mined to let everyone shape their part of the world
  however they willed.
  The battles between the Beast and Nomarch Phase
  caused terrible destruction throughout Orom. To make
  things worse, their parties took up arms against each
  other too. What the Beast and Nomarch Phase didn’t
  wreck, the civil war quickly ruined.
  Skarn grimly vowed to save Orom by destroying both
  cosmic entities. After great effort, Skarn learned a spell
  that could link their life forces into a vicious circle of
  mutual destruction. It would be horribly dangerous.
  The Beast and Nomarch Phase would have to strike
  him with their magic at the same time for the spell to
  work. What’s more, Skarn had no idea what effect he
  himself would suffer.
  Still, the spell worked. Skarn tricked the Beast and
  Nomarch Phase into casting bolts of destruction at him
  at the same instant. He caught both attacks and
  bounced the power back, changed into spells of life
  draining. The Beast sucked the life out of Nomarch
  Phase; Nomarch Phase drained the Beast, with Skarn
  in the middle. Both cosmic entities struggled against
  the curse, but neither would let the other one go. They
  dragged each other down into death, evaporating like
  an evil dream.
  But what of Skarn? He had served as the conduit for
  the life forces of two gods as opposite as night and day.
  When they died, their power and souls crashed together
  into Skarn, and merged. Skarn became more than
  mortal, a living paradox of contrary cosmic forces.
  Worse, the three minds shattered as they came together.
  A new mind coalesced from the fragments of memory
  and passion, a mind that called itself Skarn but cer-
  tainly was not the Skarn who had risked everything to
  save his world.
  From Nomarch Phase came a passion to change the
  world. From the Beast came an equally strong will to
  force people to live in harmony with their environ-
  ment. The original Skarn provided a messianic streak.
  All three had an iron determination to see their will
  done, no matter what the cost.
  The new Skarn quickly conquered Orom. Getting
  the Oromians to accept the changes he wanted to make
  in their world and themselves took longer. Many thou-
  sands died in the purge rather than submit to trans-
  formation.
  Once Skarn had reshaped Orom to his satisfaction,
  he turned his attention to nearby dimensions. Why,
  they needed his help as much as Orom had! Rallying
  all his power, Skarn merged the smaller dimensions
  with Orom so he could “improve” them in turn. Cen-
  turies later, Skarn has spliced dozens of little dimen-
  sions together with Orom, producing a composite
  universe called the Congeries. Now he’s ready to tackle
  bigger game. Earth, with its high magical potential and
  billions of inhabitants, has Skarn drooling with an-
  ticipation. Ultimately, Skarn wants to merge the en-
  tire Multiverse into the Congeries, with himself as “be-
  nevolent” despot leading everyone to universal Uto-
  pia—no matter how much death and destruction he
  must cause along the way.
  Quote: “Rejoice, puny mortals! I, Skarn, have come to
  transform your worthless, insignificant lives!”
  Personality: Skarn is a fanatical Utopian reformer as
  well as a megalomaniac. He wants to create a perfect
  universe full of contented, perfect people. The catch is
  that Skarn’s notions of perfection have very little to do
  with what anyone else wants. If he decides that a re-
  gion really needs rains of acid every Thursday, he’ll
  reshape it to fit. If the people are lucky, he’ll remember
  to reshape them to withstand the acid. The practical
  result is a capricious, Old Testament sort of godhood,
  sending blessings and curses virtually at random.
  Since Skarn firmly believes that everything he does
  is for the best, he’s very hard to turn aside from any
  course of action. Nothing is too vicious for him, be-
  cause “the end justifies the means.” Anyone who dis-
  agrees with him is obviously an enemy of reality (or at
  least a victim of false thinking) and must be destroyed
  for the good of the Multiverse. Even if one can out-
  fight Skarn, that’s only a brief stopgap measure. Skarn
  can, however, be tricked into renouncing his claim on
  a world—at least for a while.
  Skarn takes godhood very seriously, in his fashion.
  He justifies his conquests through his own supposed
  perfection, and refuses to show any sign that he is less
  than perfect. Thus, if he makes a promise he must keep
  it—to the letter, if not the spirit—because as a god, he
  can’t show such “merely mortal” traits as lying or
  treachery. He can also show godlike generosity in re-
  paying his debts. The catch is finding a way to put him
  in one’s debt; this requires doing him a quite extraor-
  dinary favor that comes as a complete surprise. He
  won’t offer to spare the Earth, for instance, if the he-
  roes will only get him the Orb of Fluxweaving. Hag-
  
  199
  gling is not very divine.
  Skarn also likes a good fight. This is one of the few
  things that can temporarily override his messianic
  complex. His very favorite sport is hunting; he loves
  “the most dangerous game,” hunting sentient prey
  (such as PCs) through his “game preserves” in the
  Congeries, using only his physical powers. Naturally
  he always expects to win, and this can make him rashly
  accept side bets such as relinquishing his claim to the
  Earth. Of course, he’ll also ask for a rematch: “Same
  thing next year?”
  Powers/Tactics: Even without magic, Skarn is a strong
  and skillful brawler (part of his heritage from the
  Beast). He also has a fairly wide range of innate pow-
  ers of attack, defense, dimensional travel, and trans-
  formation, using conventional light-show special ef-
  fects (i.e. Thaumaturgy). Skarn is also extremely hard
  to damage because his body can become a sort of liv-
  ing hole in space. If he wishes, things can fall through
  him into endless Limbo.
  (Specifically, by becoming a hole in space Skarn gains
  the powers listed in his Elemental Control, plus extra
  Damage Resistance and hardened defenses, and his
  claw or bite attacks become Armor Piercing and Pen-
  etrating. Skarn normally keeps his Elemental Control
  up every waking moment, but he will drop it for a non-
  magical duel. He also loses these Powers while stunned
  or unconscious.)
  Finally, Skarn is a sorcerer of almost limitless flex-
  ibility. He was quite skilled even before his apotheosis.
  Becoming a god, and the cosmic knowledge gained
  from Nomarch Phase, raised his power even more. As
  long as Skarn stays in the Congeries, the worship by
  his subjects lets him cast whatever spell he wants, in-
  stantly. On other planes, away from his worshippers,
  Skarn is not quite so infallible and has to spend a few
  seconds (a Phase) changing the roster of spells in his
  Power Pool.
  Skarn fights fair, at least in formal combat. One on
  one, he will restrict himself to his opponent’s SPD
  unless he’s clearly losing; then he’ll rise to 1 SPD higher.
  If he still loses—why, he meant to lose, as a reward for
  a gallant foe. Skarn would even rather lose than use
  his magic when he’s promised not to, but woe betide
  any outsider who intrudes on a fight, even to help
  Skarn. At least at the start of a combat, Skarn doesn’t
  use combat subtleties such as Held Actions. If he’s been
  insulted or no formal rules have been agreed upon, he
  uses all his power to annihilate his opponents as quickly
  as possible, with whatever backup he has available.
  Appearance: Skarn is a 7' tall, bear-like humanoid,
  seemingly made of star-flecked space. His only visible
  features are some reflections off body contours, lumi-
  nous yellow orange eyes and short ivory horns, jaws
  and claws. If he wishes, he can return to physical form,
  in which case he has a sleek auburn pelt over a formi-
  dably muscular body. He wears a golden loincloth.
  Skarn The Shaper
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  50
  STR
  40
  19- 25 ton; 10d6 [5]
  26
  DEX
  48
  14- OCV: 9/DCV: 9
  50
  CON
  80
  19-
  20
  BODY
  20
  13-
  28
  INT
  18
  15- PER Roll 15-
  26
  EGO
  32
  14- ECV: 9
  40
  PRE
  30
  17- PRE Attack 8d6
  12
  COM
  1
  12-
  31
  PD
  21
  Total: 31+ PD/16+ rPD
  31
  ED
  21
  Total: 31+ ED/16+ rED
  7
  SPD
  34
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
  25
  REC
  10
  100
  END
  0
  70
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 355
  Movement:
  Running: 16”/32”
  Swimming: 7”/14”
  Teleport: 16"/32"
  Powers & Skills:
  Dimension Lord Powers:
  Universal Translator 15- (20)
  Magic Spells: Power Pool, (100 pt. pool),
  Cosmic (+2), Lose Cosmic Off Congeries
  (-½), ½ Var Lim (-¼) (186)
  Spell Research (Magic Pool Control) 21- (15)
  Innate Powers: Multipower (115 pt pool) (115)
  u - Claw/Bite: HKA 2d6+1, ½ END, AP and
  Penetrating Only w/ “Hole in Space” Powers
  (+1, -¼) (79/6) [4]
  u - Thaumaturgic Blast: EB 15d6 (75/7) [7]
  u - Dimensional Blast: EB 10d6, Affects
  Desolid (+½) (75/7) [7]
  u - Cosmos Blast: EB 10d6, Variable Special
  Effect (+½) (75/7) [7]
  u - Ray of Enfeeblement: EB 6d6, AVLD:
  Power Defense (+1 ½) (75/7) [7]
  u - Bolt of Many Forms: EB 5d6, +1 Var
  Advantage (+2) (75/7) [7]
  u - Dispel Magic: Dispel 20d6, vs. Any 1 Magic
  Effect (+¼) (75/7) [7]
  u - Protective Aura: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED,
  8 MD, 6 PowD) 0 END (40/4) [0]
  u - Wall of Force: Force Wall (8 PD, 8 ED)
  (40/4) [4]
  u - Aura of Deflection: Missile Deflection vs.
  Any, Ranged (+1) (40/4)
  u - Planar Gate: EDM to Any Plane, Use by
  Others x2 (+½), ½ END (70/7) [3]
  u - Gating From Congeries: EDM to Any
  Plane, Continuous, Use by Others x2 (+½),
  ½ END, Opens Both Ways (-½), Full Phase
  to Close (-½), initial Concentrate 0 DCV
  (110/4) [5]
  u - Gating To Congeries: EDM to Congeries,
  Continuous, Use by Other x1 (+¼), 0 END
  Persistent, 6" x 64 Radius AE (+2 ½), Open
  Both Ways, Full Phase to Close, Concentrate
  0 DCV (115/4) [0]
  u - Gate Snatch: EDM to Congeries, Use vs.
  Other x8 Mass (+1 ¾), Ranged, Indirect
  (+½), Transdimensional to Any (+1), 10"
  Radius AE (+1), 1 turn Extra Time (-1),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (115/4) [11]
  
  200
  u - Reshape Area I: Transform 2d6 major,
  Universal (+1), Cumulative, 2 x 7" Radius
  AE (+1 ¼), Concentrate 0 DCV (112/7) [11]
  u - Reshape Area II: Transform 9d6 cosmetic,
  Any Environment (+¼), 12" Radius AE (+1
  ¼), Concentrate 0 DCV (112/7) [11]
  u - Thaumaturgic Transformation: Transform
  3d6 major, Person to Anything (+1),
  Cumulative, 1 turn Extra Time, Concentrate
  0 DCV (112/4) [11]
  u - Power Boost: Aid 4d6, Max +30 pts (+3
  pts), to All Magic (+2), Ranged, Indirect,
  Transdimensional (+1), Only for Others
  (-½), Concentrate 0 DCV (115/6) [11]
  Living Hole in Space: Elemental Control (20
  points) (20)
  a - Damage Reduction (50% vs. resistant PD,
  50% vs. resistant ED), Not Persistent (-¼)
  (60/32)
  b - Teleport 16", ½ END (40/20) [1/10"]
  c - Missile Falls In: Missile Deflection +3 vs.
  All, Damage Shield (39/19)
  d - Attacker Falls In: EDM to Limbo, Use vs.
  Other (+1) x4 Mass (+½), Damage Shield, 0
  END, Only vs. Grab/Move Through/
  Haymaker (-¾) (70/29)
  Tough Skin:
  Damage Resistance (16 rPD, 16 rED) (16)
  Damage Resistance (+15 rPD, +15 rED), Only
  when “Hole in Space” Powers Active (-¼)
  (12)
  Hardened Defense on Damage Resistance (31
  rPD, 31 rED), Only when “Hole in Space”
  Powers Active (-¼) (8)
  Hardened Defense on 31 PD, 31 ED, Only
  when “Hole in Space” Powers Active (-¼) (12)
  Dimension Lord Defenses:
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 20 (15)
  Power Defense: 10 (10)
  Lack of Weakness:  -5 (5)
  Life Support: Total (30)
  Movement Abilities:
  Running: +10" (16" total) (20) [1/5"]
  Swimming: +5" Swimming (7" total) (5) [1/5"]
  Keen Perceptions:
  N Ray Vision (blocked by magic Force
  Field/Wall) (20)
  Tracking Scent (10)
  IR Vision (5)
  Astral Awareness (3)
  Mental Awareness (3)
  Ultrasonic Hearing (3)
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory (15)
  Bump of Direction (3)
  Combat Sense 15- (3)
  Skills & Perks:
  Acrobatics 14- (3)
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  Climbing 14- (3)
  Concealment 15- (3)
  Dimensional Navigation 15- (3)
  Stealth 14- (3)
  Tracking 15- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: General Magic 15- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Empowerment Magic 15- (2)
  KS: Transmutative Magic 15- (2)
  KS: Plane Lore 15- (2)
  KS: Analyze Magic Style 15- (2)
  Perk: Brialic Access (3)
  God (15)
  Headquarters Reserve (300 pts) (60)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 886
  Total Character Cost: 1221
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  when Humiliated (common) 14- 11- (25)
  Distinctive Features:
  Bestial Cosmic Entity (Can’t hide, cause fear)
  (20)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Insists on Respect  (25)
  Never Lies or Breaks a Promise  (25)
  Devoted to Reshaping People and Worlds
   (15)
  Loves a Good Fight  (15)
  Public ID (10)
  Reputation:
  Reputation: Messianic lunatic conqueror 14-
  (extreme) (20)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN, Being Gated/Teleported by Surprise
  (uncommon) (15)
   3d6 STUN, Dimension Warping Attacks, Even If
  Deflected (uncommon) (15) (15)
   2d6 STUN, Attacks Affecting Desolid, Even If
  Deflected (uncommon) (10)
  Unluck: 3d6 (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, BODY, Dimension-Warping Attacks
  (uncommon) (20)
   x1 ½ STUN, BODY, Attacks Affecting Desolid
  (uncommon) (10)
  Villain Bonus (881)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 1221
  Skarn’s Palace
  One of the warp portals in the center of the Conge-
  ries leads down a hallway to the massive doors of
  Skarn’s palace. A pair of living statues of sphinx-like
  beasts guards the doors, but these are relatively easy
  for a skillful sorcerer to sneak past or deceive. (Skarn
  is so sure of his power that he’s never bothered to in-
  stall locks on the doors or really paranoid and percep-
  tive doorkeepers.)
  Beyond the door, one finds oneself in the central
  courtyard of the palace. The courtyard is actually a
  large hollow space completely surrounded by the pal-
  ace, an Escher- like labyrinth of warped perspectives,
  staircases, arcades, towers and intersecting planes of
  gravity.
  Skarn’s palace is virtually a self-contained town. Visi-
  tors who wander its halls could encounter nearly any-
  thing. The palace has all the normal fixtures of a royal
  residence: throne room, ballroom, council chamber,
  kitchen, bedrooms, servants’ quarters, storerooms, and
  all the rest. Very little else about this palace is normal,
  though. Some of what characters encounter in Skarn’s
  palace will be funny, some of it macabre, and some
  merely bizarre, but GMs should try to keep a visit to
  Skarn’s palace constantly disorienting.
  
  201
  Sample Strangeness
  • A door labeled “Sandbox.” It opens onto a sandy beach
  on a sea of green champagne. The beach and sea
  are in a vaulted room at least a kilometer square, lit
  by a huge, glowing banana hung from the ceiling.
  • A concert hall with a rack of disembodied, still-liv-
  ing heads on stage. Skarn gathered the best singers
  of the Congeries and gave them dubious immor-
  tality and “freedom from distractions,” then forgot
  about them.
  • Rooms with no walls or ceiling and nothing under
  the floor: they are just platforms hanging in a
  Ditkospace void, with doorways in and out.
  • An “impossible stairway” that somehow forms a
  closed loop without ever changing direction: some-
  one who goes up or down it eventually comes to
  the place where they started.
  • Mirrors that reflect things reversed top to bottom
  instead of side to side.
  • Ranked desks of skeleton clerks with quill pens, do-
  ing the palace paperwork.
  • Quivering, tentacled balls that drift through the air
  to no apparent purpose.
  • A hallway where everyone else is walking on the walls.
  They give strange looks at anyone who walks on
  the floor.
  Skarn’s Throne Room
  A hallway of crystalline Gothic arches leads to Skarn’s
  grandiose throne room, a huge hollow globe with float-
  ing platforms carrying petitioners, courtiers and ser-
  vants in sublimely random disregard of gravity. The
  only stable platform, hanging opposite the entrance,
  carries Skarn’s throne of gold, ice and time-stopped
  flame.
  Palace Guards
  In the palace, one frequently encounters guards, ei-
  ther alone or in small groups. Most are humanoid, but
  a few look completely non-human. Some might be
  mistaken for furniture. Use the “All-Purpose Petty
  Obstacle Warrior” (see “Soldiers of the Congeries” be-
  low) for palace guards. Most will have weapons de-
  signed to stun or capture intruders.
  Special Equipment
  Skarn’s palace has a number of special pieces of
  equipment which may give intruding PCs a hard time.
  The All-Seeing Eye of Skarn
  In the middle of the courtyard hovers the huge All-
  Seeing Eye of Skarn. The one-hex wide eyeball turns
  to look at (and magically scan) everyone who comes
  through the doors; it is harder to fool than the door-
  keeper golems. It constantly scans the palace with its
  Clairvoyance, looking for people or objects whose vi-
  sual, magical and Spatial Awareness images aren’t con-
  sistent. It is programmed to regard such people as us-
  ing concealment magicks, and therefore probably hos-
  tile. As soon as the person comes into the open, it blasts
  the person with its Dispelling beam (21d6 Dispel vs.
  all magic) and raises the alarm.
  Skarn and some of his cadre can set other duties for
  the Eye as well. The Eye can look into virtually any
  section of the Congeries and watch for specified ob-
  jects or activities. Since it lacks genuine intelligence,
  however, it needs detailed, specific instructions for
  searching—just like a computer.
  The Mage Prison
  Skarn has a special prison for mages and supernatu-
  ral beings. This chamber’s anti-magical field continu-
  ally drains 1d6 Active Points from all magic within it,
  including a wizard’s ability to cast spells. It acts on SPD
  3, like the Eye.
  The Image-Projecting Mirror
  This large, ornate mirror can act as a “terminal” for
  the Eye of Skarn, allowing the Eye to show what it sees.
  (The connection with the Eye is a 0 point ability, analo-
  gous to a TV screen hooked up to a computer-con-
  trolled security system. For the Congeries, this is “off
  the shelf technology.”) The mirror can also project
  huge, multiple images of whatever happens before it
  throughout the Congeries. Skarn uses this power to
  make public announcements.
  The Royal Family
  Yes, Skarn’s a family man, of sorts. He’s had many
  wives, and many more concubines. At least three lasted
  long enough to bear him children, although there is
  no guarantee they survived the experience. If Skarn
  has any other children, they are as yet not publicly
  known.
  Arthon
  Background: Skarn’s son Arthon inherited his father’s
  great skill at magic, but only a small measure of his
  bodily strength and toughness. Arthon has become the
  Congeries’ second most powerful sorcerer, and a for-
  midable mage by any standards. He often acts as Skarn’s
  proxy on magical military operations.
  Quote: “One would think that even outworlders would
  have better manners when meeting royalty; but no. It
  seems one will have to deliver a lesson.”
  Personality: Arthon is a cold-blooded schemer who
  always keeps an eye out for his own advantage. He’s
  particularly intent on increasing his own powers of
  magic, and will exploit and betray anyone else to get
  what he wants—as long as this doesn’t directly com-
  promise Congeries security.
  Arthon is also insufferably proud. Anyone who
  doesn’t bow and scrape to him is likely to receive a
  “lesson in manners” which may well prove fatal. Ab-
  solutely nobody except Skarn likes Arthon, but Arthon
  thinks that people are more obedient to masters they
  
  202
  fear than to masters they love.
  Finally, Arthon loathes his half-brother Torvost,
  whom he considers a stupid, vulgar brute. Arthon isn’t
  ready to murder Torvost, not as long as Skarn lives,
  but he won’t miss a chance to undercut Torvost and
  make him look bad.
  Powers/Tactics: Arthon has dimensional powers simi-
  lar to his father’s. He is also tremendously learned in
  Thaumaturgy, but for most feats he still needs the
  “crutches” of ritual procedures for maximum effect;
  thus, he cannot easily muster his full power in com-
  bat, and most spells remain slightly unreliable (the
  Magic Skill Roll). Most often he fulfills his Limitations
  requirement through Foci (he always keeps several
  OAF talismans stashed in pockets in his belt), Gestures,
  and Incantations. If necessary he will accept Increased
  END Cost. He only uses Extra Time or Concentrate
  for non-combat spell-casting, and only dire need
  would make him accept Side Effects on a spell.
  Since Arthon isn’t especially brave and he dislikes
  bruises, he prefers to do his fighting from behind a
  screen of expendable soldiers. He never goes to all-out
  attack; he often Holds his action and always keeps good
  defenses up. In fact, one of his favorite strategies is
  throw his entire Multipower into defense by putting
  up both of his mystic shields and Shrinking to raise
  his DCV, then using his Power Pool to craft a pair of
  devastating 75 point attacks (with OAF, Gestures, In-
  cantations and x2 END), with the remaining 25 points
  placed in miscellaneous defenses or Invisibility. Even
  if he doesn’t have time to adjust his Power Pool for
  this, his Power Pool “default setting” includes a num-
  ber of defensive spells and at least one full-power at-
  tack.
  Appearance: Arthon looks like a slender bear-man just
  over 6' tall, with small horns on his head and delicate
  claws on his fingers and toes. He wears a long, belted
  tabard with a high collar and a large, talismanic brooch
  on his chest. When not using his dimensional powers,
  he has short, light brown fur. When he has his dimen-
  sional shield up, his body seems made of black, starry
  space.
  Historical Mages
  History gives no shortage of people who ei-
  ther claimed to be wizards, or whom later leg-
  end turned into wizards. Such legendary mas-
  ters of magic can be used to add verisimilitude
  to the background of invented artifacts, books
  of magic or even characters. These are only a few
  of the most famous mages of history. All these
  people really existed, although in some cases the
  facts of their lives are now difficult to discover.
  Agrippa, Henry Cornelius
  (1486-1535 AD): The author of The Occult
  Philosophy tried to harmonize the natural science
  of his day (which meant Aristotle, filtered
  through the Catholic Church) with occult lore.
  He thus established the framework for ritual
  magic using invocation of planetary powers
  which would persist for over 300 years. Even in
  his own life he was reputed a great Magus.
  Albertus Magnus, Saint
  (1206?-1280): Albertus, Bishop of Ratisbon
  was one of the greatest scholars of his day. His
  contemporaries called him Doctor Universalis—
  master of all knowledge. He worked to reconcile
  Christian theology with Greek logic, a task com-
  pleted by his pupil Thomas Aquinas. As an al-
  chemist, Albertus was the first person to isolate
  and describe metallic arsenic. After his death he
  was awarded the title of Doctor of the Church,
  and was canonized in the 20th century. Albertus
  also recorded contemporary beliefs about the
  properties of herbs, charms and talismans; his
  book on the subject became a standard grimoire.
  In legend, he was a true Archmage. He possessed
  the Philosopher’s Stone and could change the
  weather or even the seasons. He even made an
  oracular android or golem—which Thomas
  Aquinas smashed because it wouldn’t shut up
  and let him study.
  Apollonius Of Tyana
  (flourished 1st century AD): This Greek
  archmage traveled as far as India, which he
  claimed was the original home of Pythagorean
  doctrine. According to his biographer, Apollonius
  ended plagues, exorcised demons and did many
  other good works with his magic, all the while
  exhorting people to follow the teachings of
  Pythagoras. In Rome, his enemies falsely accused
  him of black magic. He refuted the charges in a
  stirring speech, then vanished from his prison
  cell. He briefly reappeared to one of his disciples
  later, but his death is not known.
  
  203
  Arthon
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  25
  STR
  15
  14- 800 kg; 5d6 [2]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  23
  INT
  13
  14- PER Roll 14-
  21
  EGO
  22
  13- ECV: 7
  25
  PRE
  15
  14- PRE Attack 5d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  20
  PD
  15
  Total: 20+ PD
  20
  ED
  15
  Total: 20+ ED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10
  REC
  0
  50
  END
  2
  35
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 175
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Teleport: 10”/20”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Training:
  Combat Levels: 1 Level w/ Magic Multipower (5)
  Blood of Skarn Abilities:
  Universal Translator 14- (20)
  Magic Spells: Power Pool, (75 pt. pool),
  Requires Magic Roll (-½), Max 25 Real Points
  per Power (-1) (90)
  Spell Research (Magic Pool Control) 20- (15)
  Innate Powers: Multipower (91 pt pool),
  Gestures (-¼) (73)
  u - Black Bolt: 12d6 EB (60/5) [6]
  u - Black Burst: 8d6 EB 1 Hex AE (60/5) [6]
  u - Black Lance: 8d6 EB, AP (60/5) [6]
  u - Aura of Elan: 33 STR TK, ½ END (62/5) [3]
  u - Aura of Elan: 23 STR TK 1 Hex AE, ½ END
  (61/5) [3]
  u - Soul Binding: 2d6 Entangle, BODY BOECV
  (+2) (60/5) [6]
  u - Gate Attack: 12" Teleport, Use vs. Others,
  Ranged (60/5) [6]
  u - Mystic Shield: Force Field (12 PD 12 ED),
  ½ END (30/2) [1]
  u - Mystic Shield: Force Field (10 PD 10 ED),
  Use by Other x2 (+½) (30/2) [3]
  u - Size Alteration: Shrinking 2 Levels, 0 END
  (30/2) [0]
  u - Size Alteration: Growth 4 Levels, 0 END
  (30/2) [0]
  u - Gate: EDM, Any Plane, x4 Mass, Use by
  Others x4 (+¾), Freely Open for Full Phase
  (-½) (87/5) [9]
  Living Hole in Space: Elemental Control (13
  points) (13)
  a - Damage Resistance (20 PD, 20 ED),
  Hardened, Not Persistent (-¼) (25/10)
  b - Teleport 10", 2x Mass (25/13) [1/5"]
  c - Missile Falls In: Missile Deflection +3 vs.
  All (26/13)
  d - Life Support: Full, Not Persistent (-¼)
   (30/14)
  Tough Skin:
  Hardened Defense on 20 PD, 20 ED (10)
  Mystic Defenses:
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 16 (12)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Keen Perceptions:
  Astral Awareness (3)
  Blood of Skarn Skills and Perks:
  Cryptography 14- (3)
  Deduction 14- (3)
  Spell Research 14- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: General Magic 14- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Other Dimensions 14- (2)
  KS: Cosmic Entities 14- (2)
  KS: Cosmic Legends 14- (2)
  Upper Nobility (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 374
  Total Character Cost: 549
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Inhuman Wizard (Won’t Conceal) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Insists on Respect/Obedience  (25)
  Greedy for Magical Power  (15)
  Fear/Dislike of Close Combat  (15)
  Devious and Treacherous  (15)
  Public ID (10)
  Reputation:
  Skarn’s Viceroy, 8-, Extreme/14-, Local (10)
  Rivalry:
  Torvost (5)
  Susceptibility:
  2d6 STUN, Being Gated/Teleported by Surprise
  (uncommon) (10)
   2d6 STUN, Dimension Warping Attacks, Even If
  Deflected (uncommon) (10)
   2d6 STUN, Attacks Affecting Desolid, Even If
  Deflected (uncommon) (10)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, BODY, Dimension-Warping Attacks
  (uncommon) (20)
   x1 ½ STUN, BODY, Attacks Affecting Desolid
  (uncommon) (10)
  Watched by:
  Skarn, 8- (More Pow, Mildly Punish) (5)
  Villain Bonus (274)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 549
  Torvost
  Background: Skarn’s son Torvost inherited his father’s
  physical prowess, but not his magical skills. Torvost
  has developed his combat skills until in some ways he
  surpasses even Skarn. Torvost often leads armies in-
  vading other dimensions: he’s no tactician, but in close
  combat he can out-fight nearly any opposition.
  Quote: “Hey, let’s fight! C’mon, it’ll be fun. Well, at least
  it’ll be fun for me.”
  Personality: Torvost’s two favorite things in life are a
  good fight and a good party. Not only is he the Conge-
  ries’ greatest warrior, his godlike constitution makes
  him the ultimate party animal. He’s mostly honest,
  absolutely fearless and all in all a pretty decent chap.
  Admittedly, being a demigod has given Torvost a teeny
  little ego problem, but this only makes him rip people’s
  heads off when he’s gravely insulted or when circum-
  stances make him look foolish. And of course he
  wouldn’t dream of disobeying his father.
  Torvost is very popular with the rank-and-file sol-
  diers of the Congeries, with whom he spends much of
  
  204
  his time. The only person in the Congeries whom he
  flat-out dislikes is his half brother Arthon, whom he
  considers a bloodless, cowardly sneak.
  Powers/Tactics: Torvost is a “brick” with unusually re-
  fined fighting skills. In addition to normal combat
  maneuvers, he knows some special tricks: choking or
  squeezing the breath from an opponent, wrapping up
  an opponent in any sturdy wreckage that might be
  available, and a punch with tremendously concentrated
  force that tends to shatter any rigid object he hits.
  Torvost is also highly resistant to damage. His only
  magical talent is the ability to understand and speak
  any language.
  Like Skarn, Torvost prefers fighting one on one. His
  tactics aren’t very subtle, since usually he can win
  through raw force. If an opponent proves unusually
  tough, or Torvost must fight a group of competent
  opponents, he will use more sophisticated combat
  maneuvers such as grabbing one opponent to throw
  at another. Torvost is never stupid, just direct.
  Appearance: Torvost is a shaggy, hugely muscular bear-
  man standing just over 7 feet tall. His fur is a deep
  golden brown. Like Skarn, he has two small horns on
  his head. Normally he only wears black metal wrist-
  bands and a breechcloth-like plaque on a chain-link
  belt.
  Torvost
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  50
  STR
  40
  19- 25 ton; 10d6 [5]
  24
  DEX
  42
  14- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  28
  CON
  36
  15-
  18
  BODY
  16
  13-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 14-
  20
  EGO
  20
  13- ECV: 7
  28
  PRE
  18
  15- PRE Attack 5½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  35
  PD
  25
  Total:  35 PD/ 20 rPD
  30
  ED
  24
  Total:  30 ED/ 20 rED
  7
  SPD
  36
  Pha  2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
  20
  REC
  8
  56
  END
  0
  60
  STUN
  3
  Total Characteristic Cost: 271
  Movement:
  Running: 11”/22”
  Swimming: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Training:
  Combat Levels: +3 Levels w/ Combat (24)
  Combat Sense 14- (7)
  Defense Maneuver (5)
  Martial Arts—General Combat Training (22)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Punch
  +1
  +3
  10d6 Strike
  Kick/Roundhouse
  -2
  +1
  14d6 Strike
  Disarm
  -1
  +1
  60 STR
  Disarm
  Block
  +2
  +2
  Block, Abort
  Escape
  +0
  +0
  65 STR vs.
  Grabs
  Special Maneuvers: Multipower (50 pt pool) (50)
  u - Bite: 3d6+1 RKA, 0 Range (50/3) [5]
  u - Choke: 3d6 NND vs. LS: Breathing or Neck
  Protection (+1), Continuous, ½ END, 0
  Range, Must Grab (-½) (49/2) [2]
  u - Shatter: 3d6+1 (6 ½d6 w/STR) HKA
  1 Phase Extra Time, Concentrate ½ DCV,
  Only vs. Rigid Matter (-1) (50/2) [5]
  u - Wrap Up Opponent: 5d6 Entangle, 0
  Range, Need Some Tough Material (-¼)
  (50/3) [5]
  Blood of Skarn Powers & Abilities:
  Damage Resistance (20 PD, 20 ED) (20)
  Running: +5" (11" total) (10) [1/5"]
  Swimming: +4" (6" total) (4) [1/5"]
  UV Vision (5)
  Telescopic Vision: +4 (6)
  Telescopic Hearing: +4 (6)
  Perception Levels: +2 Levels w/ all PER Rolls (6)
  Blood of Skarn Skills, Talents, & Perks:
  Ambidexterity (3)
  Universal Translator 12- (20)
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  Climbing 14- (3)
  Concealment 12- (3)
  Stealth 14- (3)
  Survival 11- (3)
  Tracking 14- (7)
  Upper Nobility (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 225
  Total Character Cost: 496
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  if Tricked or Humiliated, 8-, 14- (15)
  Distinctive Features:
  Beast Man (Can’t Conceal) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Will Never Surrender, Flee or Refuse Physical
  Challenge (25)
  Expects Respect/Obedience (15)
  Loyalty to Skarn  (15)
  Honest & Honorable  (10)
  Public ID (10)
  Reputation:
  Skarn’s Champion, 8-, Extreme/14-, Local (10)
  Rivalry:
  Arthon (5)
  Watched by:
  Skarn, 8- (More Pow, Mildly Punish) (5)
  Villain Bonus (271)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 496
  Brell
  Background: Skarn’s daughter Brell is considerably
  younger than her half-brothers Arthon and Torvost.
  She shows signs of formidable potential, but since she
  has not greatly developed either her physical or magi-
  cal powers, and doesn’t get involved in palace rivalries
  or other affairs of state, the movers and shakers in the
  Congeries tend to ignore her. She spends much of her
  time out in the Congeries, helping the people cope with
  Skarn’s latest modifications to them and their envi-
  ronment. Her good works have made her the most
  popular of Skarn’s children with the common folk.
  
  205
  Quote: “Please, you mustn’t judge my father harshly. He
  only wants what’s best, in his fashion.”
  Personality: Brell is quite modest and unassuming, a
  remarkable thing in a family of raging egomaniacs. Ever
  since she was a child, Arthon and Torvost both made
  it very clear to her that she could never hope to be as
  powerful as them, so she never tried. Her “charity work”
  started as an excuse to stay away from the palace, and
  has grown into a genuine interest in the Congeries and
  its diverse population.
  As a result, Brell is probably the only really impor-
  tant person in the Congeries who might give the PCs a
  fair hearing. While she has great respect for her divine
  father, she has to admit that sometimes Skarn’s will is
  awfully inscrutable.
  Powers/Tactics: Brell’s parentage gives her incredible
  vitality by human standards, and she has casually
  picked up a bit of Thaumaturgy. Her single greatest
  ability is shape-shifting. She can assume an incredible
  variety of forms. She can stay in any humanoid form
  indefinitely.
  As long as she stays in humanoid form, she can also
  cast Thaumaturgic spells for attack and defense. None
  of her spells are very formidable, but then she’s a lot
  less fragile than the average human mage. Brell strongly
  dislikes combat, however, and would only fight—
  physically or magically—if she had to.
  Appearance: In her natural form, Brell is a humanoid
  female with sleek, cinnamon-hued fur, a bear-like head
  with small ivory horns, and small claws on her fingers
  and toes, but she can look any way she wants.
  Brell
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  25
  STR
  15
  14- 800 kg; 5d6 [2]
  20
  DEX
  30
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  20
  EGO
  20
  13- ECV: 7
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  20
  COM
  5
  13-
  17
  PD
  12
  Total: 17+ PD/ 6+ rPD
  17
  ED
  12
  Total: 17+ ED/ 6+ rED
  4
  SPD
  10
  Pha  3, 6, 9, 12
  10
  REC
  0
  46
  END
  0
  35
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 148
  Movement:
  Running: 18”/36”
  Flight: 12”/48”
  Powers & Skills:
  Shape-Shifting Powers:
  Form Changing: Multipower (45 pt pool) (45)
  u - Humanoid Form: Shape Shift, any
  humanoid, 0 END Persistent (40/4) [0]
  u - Radical Shift: Shape Shift, anything, 0 END
  (45/4) [0]
  Enhanced Shifts: Multipower (30 pt pool), Only
  when using non-persistent Shape Shift (-¼)
  (24)
  u - Growth: 4 Levels, 0 END (30/2) [0]
  u - Shrinking: 2 Levels Shrinking, 0 END
  (30/2) [0]
  u - Natural Weapons: 1d6+1 HKA, Var Sp FX
  (+¼), ½ END (30/2) [1]
  u - Running: +12", ½ END (18" total) (30/2)
  [1/10"]
  u - Wings: Flight 12", x4 NCM, Restrainable
  (-½) (29/2) [1/5"]
  Function Follows Form: Power Pool (16 pt
  pool), Only Powers Suitable to Altered Form
  (-¼)  (22)
  Magic Abilities:
  Mystic Learning: Multipower (65 pt pool),
  Gestures (-¼), Only in Persistent Humanoid
  Form (-¼) (43)
  u - Mystic Bolt: 9d6 EB (45/3) [4]
  u - Mystic Bolt: 4 ½d6 Ego Attack (45/3) [4]
  u - Mystic Bonds: 3d6 Entangle, Damage
  Transparent (+½) (45/3) [4]
  u - Spell Breaking: 12d6 Dispel vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼) (45/3) [4]
  u - Mystic Shield: Force Field (5 PD, 5 ED, 5 MD),
  ½ END (19/1) [1]
  u - Spell Deflection: Missile Deflection +0 vs. All
  Magic (20/1)
  u - Change the Living: 1½d6 Transform,
  Universal (+1), Cumulative 1 phase Extra
  Time, Concentrate 0 DCV (57/2) [6]
  u - Augmenting: 4d6 Aid vs. All Physical
  Characteristics (+2) 1 phase Extra Time,
  Concentrate 0 DCV (60/2) [6]
  Blood of Skarn Powers:
  Damage Resistance (6 PD, 6 ED) (6)
  Mental Defense: 10 (6)
  Universal Translator 13- (20)
  Bump of Direction (3)
  Blood of Skarn Skills & Perks:
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Congeries Geography 13- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Congeries Races 13- (2)
  KS: Body Alterations 13- (2)
  KS: General Magic 11- (1)
  Upper Nobility (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 219
  Total Character Cost: 367
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Alien Magical Aura (Few Detect) (5)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Abhors All Combat  (20)
  Loyalty to Skarn  (15)
  Honest and Honorable  (15)
  Public ID (10)
  Reputation:
  Skarn’s Daughter, 8-, Extreme/14-, Local (10)
  Watched by:
  Skarn, 8- (More Pow, Mildly Punish) (5)
  Villain Bonus (187)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 367
  
  206
  Soldiers Of The
  Congeries
  There’s more to fight in the Congeries than Skarn
  and his children. Skarn’s armies are as heterogeneous
  as their dimension. They have the same functions as
  any soldiers in a villainous organization: petty obstacle
  between the heroes and the main villain; combat sup-
  port for the main villains; occupying force for con-
  quered territory; legwork in tracking down heroes and
  making their lives miserable; and all-around gofers.
  Hussar
  The Hussars are an elite cavalry unit noted for their
  religious devotion to Skarn. Hussars never surrender,
  and only quite overwhelming opposition can make
  them accept the shame of breaking off a mission.
  Hussars carry two weapons, a non-magical lasso and
  a magical polearm called a glaive. A glaive shoots a
  variety of magical blasts from its runic tip, while its
  blade can easily chop through a brick wall. Standard
  Hussar tactics are for one Hussar to paralyze a target,
  then other Hussars immediately attack with impact or
  life drain blasts, phase after phase. Once an opponent
  is incapacitated, the Hussars either carry off the target
  with their lassoes or land and hack the target up with
  the blades of their glaives. In a battlefield situation,
  Hussars target opposing officers. In such a case, they
  alter the routine to paralyze targets, lasso them and
  then either blast them in the air or carry them up very
  high and drop them.
  Most Hussars look essentially human (although per-
  haps with odd hair and skin colors), but they wear
  sword-and-sorcery outfits of leather straps, metal
  plates enameled with mystic glyphs, helmet, cloak,
  greaved boots and arm bracers. They ride harpy-like
  creatures called Harridans.
  Hussar
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  15
  STR
  5
  12- 200 kg; 3d6 [1]
  15
  DEX
  15
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  11
  EGO
  2
  11- ECV: 4
  14
  PRE
  4
  12- PRE Attack 2½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  8
  PD
  5
  Total: 15 PD/ 7 rPD
  8
  ED
  5
  Total: 15 ED/ 7 rED
  3
  SPD
  5
  Pha  4, 8 ,12
  6
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  0
  28
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 54
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Training:
  Combat Levels: +2 Levels w/ Glaive & Lasso (10)
  Magical Equipment:
  Glaive & Lasso: Multipower (56 pt pool), OAF
  (28)
  u - Force Ray: 9d6 EB, ½ END (56/3) [3]
  u - Life Drain Ray: 4d6 EB, AVLD: Power
  Defense (+1 ½), ½ END (55/2) [2]
  u - Paralysis Ray: 2 ½d6, 2 DEF Entangle,
  Damage Transparent (+½) 1 Hex AE, ½
  END (56/3) [2]
  u - Blade: 3d6 RKA, ½ END, 0 Range (56/2) [3]
  u - Lasso: 25 STR TK, ½ END, Only to Grab and
  Hold (-½), Full STR Only with Mount (-¼)
  (47/2) [2]
  Magic Harness & Bracers: Elemental Control,
  OIF (9)
  a - Armor: (+7 PD, +7 ED) + Power Defense:
  5 (26/9)
  b - Bracers: Missile Deflection +3 vs. All
  Magic (26/9)
  Hussar Training:
  Animal Handler 11-: Harridan (3)
  Breakfall 12- (3)
  Riding 12-: Harridan (3)
  Follower: Harridan Steed (20)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 106
  Total Character Cost: 160
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Otherworldly Warrior (Hard to Conceal, Weirds
  People Out) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Fanatic, Worshipful Loyalty to Skarn
  (20)
  Devoted to Mission  (15)
  Watched by:
  Commanding Officer, 11- (More Pow, Mildly
  Punish, NCI) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 160
  Harridan
  Harridans look like a bizarre, harpy-like hybrid of
  woman and pterodactyl: a human head and breasts
  on a pterodactyl body. Their scaly hides are dark
  purple, blue or green, while the human parts are lighter
  shades of the same color. Their large claws exude a
  venom which weakens victims. (The victim loses 1d6-
  1 STR per turn until the victim makes a CON roll—9
  + CON/5—at -5.)
  Harridans are too smart to be mere animals, but
  aren’t quite smart enough to be people (one of Skarn’s
  more abominable works). The average Harridan has a
  vocabulary of less than 20 words, and can’t put more
  than 3 words together in sequence. Trained Harridans
  become very loyal to their riders and won’t carry any-
  one else. Wild Harridans are almost berserkly vicious.
  
  207
  Harridan
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  15
  DEX
  15
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  20
  CON
  20
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  8
  INT
  -2
  11- PER Roll 11-
  8
  EGO
  -4
  11- ECV: 3
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  2
  COM
  -4
  9-
  15
  PD
  11
  Total: 19 PD/ 4 rPD
  15
  ED
  11
  Total: 17 ED/ 2 rED
  3
  SPD
  5
  Pha  4, 8 ,12
  8
  REC
  0
  40
  END
  0
  30
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 67
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 15"/60"
  Powers & Skills:
  Harridan Abilities:
  Body Form: Elemental Control (17)
  a - Claws: 1d6+1 RKA, AP, ½ END, 0 Range
  (35/12)[1]
  b - Wings: 15" Flight, x4 NCM, Restrainable
  (-½) (35/12) [1/5"]
  Claw Venom: 1d6 STR Drain, Recover 1
  STR/turn (+¼), NND: Inorganic Body or
  Immunity (+1), Continuous, Uncontrolled, 0
  END, Linked to Claw, Only if Claw does
  BODY (-½) 1 turn Gradual Effect per
  increment (-½) (17) [0]
  Armor: (+4 PD, +2 ED) (9)
  Telescopic Vision: +4 (6)
  Flight Training: +2 Levels w/ Flight (Turn Mode,
  Move By, Move Through, DCV) (10)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 83
  Total Character Cost: 150
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Hideous Monster (Can’t Conceal, Extreme) (25)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Ferocious, reluctant to quit fight  (15)
  Loyal to Rider  (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 150
  Myrmidon
  Skarn uses Myrmidons for living-wave assaults and
  simple guard duty. Myrmidons have no sense of self-
  preservation: they will advance into blatant, certain
  death if ordered. Their greatest power is their sheer
  refusal to lay down and die. They are so relentless that
  if they can’t break out of a restraint (an Entangle spell,
  handcuffs, glue on the floor, etc.) they will literally tear
  themselves apart trying.
  Myrmidons have three ways to attack. Each Myrmi-
  don carries a weapon, either a spear, scimitar or mace.
  A jewel set in the Myrmidon’s forehead fires a magical
  energy beam. Finally, in close combat Myrmidons can
  spit webs that hinder an opponent’s movements.
  A mass of Myrmidons in combat with a single tar-
  get receive a collective Tactics skill check each phase to
  do something clever such as Coordinating or starting
  to stagger attacks so they can attack on more segments
  each turn. For instance, on the first Tactics roll a group
  of 6 Myrmidons staggers its attacks so that 3 attack on
  segments 6 and 12, while 3 Hold their actions to at-
  tack on segments 3 and 9; on the second Tactics roll a
  Myrmidon from each trio holds its action until after
  their opponent has made its attack and can’t act fur-
  ther that segment; and so on. Myrmidons actually be-
  come smarter and smarter fighters as a combat
  progresses, and new additions to a squad instantly pick
  up on the tactics in use.
  Myrmidons look a bit like humanoid ants, only with
  beetle-like wing cases hanging from their shoulders.
  (They have wings, but they are non-functional.)
  Another Historical
  Mage
  Chang Dao-Ling
  (flourished 1st century AD): The greatest
  wizard of Chinese history has been called “the
  Taoist Pope.” He gave Taoism an organized
  church and turned its priests into hucksters of
  magic charms. Chang Dao-Ling first built his
  reputation as an exorcist. He had a magic
  sword which could kill demons or trap them in
  pottery jars. Then he set his sights on immor-
  tality. Chang learned how to make the Pill of
  Immortality, but the process was fearfully
  expensive. To finance the project, Chang set up
  a town and taxed the inhabitants. He also
  charged nine bushels of rice for magical
  healings. Eventually he did create the magical
  Pill. He shared the Pill with the one disciple
  who had the faith—or stupidity—to jump off
  a cliff with him. Both of them took the Pill and
  flew up to Heaven, where Lao Tzu, the legend-
  ary founder of Taoism, made Chang Dao-Ling
  the master of all spirits. Chang’s descendants
  inherited his stature as the patriarchs of
  Taoism. They ruled a section of western China
  as a semi-independent, semi-theocratic state
  for many centuries. After the Communist
  Revolution the patriarchy moved to Taiwan.
  They still have Chang’s magic sword and guard
  hundreds of trapped demons. Ordinary
  Chinese still employ the charms designed by
  Chang Dao-Ling and keep a picture of him
  riding through the sky on his tiger.
  
  208
  Myrmidon
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  15
  STR
  5
  12- 200 kg; 3d6 [1]
  11
  DEX
  3
  11- OCV: 4/ DCV: 4
  10
  CON
  0
  11-
  8
  BODY
  -4
  11-
  8
  INT
  -2
  11- PER Roll 11-
  N/A
  EGO
  0
  —
  ECV: N/A
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  2
  COM
  -4
  9-
  5
  PD
  12*
  Total: 10 rPD
  5
  ED
  12*
  Total: 10 rED
  2
  SPD
  -1
  Pha  6, 12
  5
  REC
  0
  20
  END
  0
  *Modified for
  N/A
  STUN
  0
  Automaton
  Total Characteristic Cost: 26
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Training:
  Combat Levels: +2 Levels w/ Multipower(6)
  Weapon Fam: Spear, Scimitar & Mace (2)
  Myrmidon Abilities:
  Attack Abilities: Multipower (25 pt pool) (25)
  u - Forehead Gem Beam: 1 ½d6 ERKA (25/2)
  [2]
  u - Spit Webbing: 2 ½d6 DEX Drain (25/1)
  [6c]
  u - Weapon Choice:
  Spear: 1d6 (1 ½d6 w/STR) HKA, AP, OAF
  (22/1) [2] or
  Scimitar: 1 ½d6 (2 ½d6 w/STR) HKA, OAF
  (25/1) [2] or
  Mace: +5d6 HA, ½ END, OAF (19/1) [1]
  Unstoppability: Elemental Control (23)
  a - Automaton: Takes No STUN (45/23)
  b - Armor: (+5 PD,  +5 ED)* (23)
  Active Sonar  (15)
  Tactics 11- (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 123
  Total Character Cost: 149
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Humanoid Bug (Can’t Conceal, Causes Fear)
   (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Mute (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Obeys Anyone Who Uses Command Words  (15)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN+BODY/phase, when restrained (c) (40)
  Watched by:
  Commanding Officers, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 150
  All-Purpose Petty Obstacle Warriors
  Petty Obstacle Warriors may have many different
  forms and missions, but they all fulfill one role: token
  opposition. They aren’t powerful enough to actually
  win an open fight with a mage, but it should take a few
  Phases to defeat a small group of them, too. An attack
  on a group of PCs by Petty Obstacle Warriors has little
  chance of success, but it lets the PCs know someone is
  gunning for them. Conversely, Petty Obstacle Warriors
  as guards or defenders can show that the PCs’ enemy
  really is trying to block them from their goal, without
  actually hindering the PCs that much. They are easy
  opponents for use early in an adventure.
  Skarn uses Petty Obstacle Warriors for several pur-
  poses. His palace guards are Petty Obstacle Warriors.
  Their secondary spells/items emphasize detecting con-
  cealed intruders. He may send a platoon of various
  Petty Obstacle Warriors to attack the PCs and watch
  the fight via scrying, as a way to gauge the PCs’ power
  and look for weaknesses. These have more lethal at-
  tacks and spend their secondary item points on more
  defenses. Many of Skarn’s soldiers in an invasion will
  be Petty Obstacle Warriors. Replacing their Distinc-
  tive Features with another limitation, such as “Secre-
  tive,” they can be used as spies. Indeed, Petty Obstacle
  Warriors can be used for nearly anyone in the Conge-
  ries who acts as a nuisance to the PCs.
  Petty Obstacle Warriors can range in appearance
  from oddly-garbed humans to weird, alien thingies.
  Each has one major power, just strong enough that PCs
  have to take it seriously.
  
  209
  All-Purpose Petty Obstacle Warriors
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg;  2½d6[1]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  10
  INT
  0
  11- PER Roll 11-
  11
  EGO
  2
  11- ECV: 4
  13
  PRE
  3
  12- PRE Attack 2½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  10
  PD
  7
  Total: 17 PD/ 7 rPD
  10
  ED
  7
  Total: 17 ED/ 7 rED
  3
  SPD
  3
  Pha  4, 8 ,12
  6
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  0
  25
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 56
  Movement:
  Running: 7”/14”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Training:
  Combat Levels: +2 Levels w/ Primary Weapon or Spell
  (6)
  Magical Equipment:
  Primary Spell or Item:
  Mystic Englobement: 5d6 Entangle, Gestures
  (29) [8c]
  Soul Bolt: 5d6 Ego Attack, Gestures (29) [8c]
  Enervation: 6d6 END Suppress, Uncontrolled,
  Gestures, 6 chgs of 1 turn (-¼) (30) [6c]
  Magic Wand: 35 STR TK, ½ END, Gestures,
  OAF (29) [3]
  Talisman of Negation: 20d6 Dispel vs. Any
  Magic Effect (+¼), Incantations, OAF (29)
  [12c]
  Secondary Spell or Item:
  Flying Disk: 10" Flight, OAF (10) [1/5"]
  Magic Sight Helm: “Radar” Sense, OIF (10)
  Amulet: Missile Deflection +3 vs. Any Magic,
  OAF (10) [8c]
  Standard Equipment and Training:
  “Uniform”: Armor (7 PD, 7 ED), OIF (14)
  Mental Defense: 7 (5)
  Running: +1" (7" total) (2) 1/5"
  Skill Choice: Breakfall, Concealment, Tactics,
  Etc. (3)
  KS of Choice 11- (2)
  PS of Choice 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 74
  Total Character Cost: 130
  Disadvantages: 75+
  Distinctive Features:
  Weird Appearance (Hard to Conceal)(10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Loyalty to Skarn  (15)
  Vulnerability or Susceptibility, GM’s Choice  (20)
  Watched by:
  Officers, 11- (More Pow, NCI, Mildly Punish) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 130
  Adventures In The
  Congeries
  Most obviously, PCs can go to the Congeries to fight
  Skarn. Of course, attacking Skarn on his home turf,
  with his Cosmic Pool and palace guard, is a bit sui-
  cidal unless the PCs have a really clever strategy and a
  bit of luck. Direct attack, however, is not the only rea-
  son to visit the Congeries.
  Rescue
  Skarn, or one of his minions, has captured a DNPC,
  a PC’s teacher, or somebody else important. The PCs
  go to the Congeries to rescue the person from durance
  vile.
  Spying
  The PCs need to know more about Skarn and his
  plans. They slip into the Congeries in disguise to gather
  information.
  Foment Revolution
  This is difficult, since for centuries the people of the
  Congeries have been conditioned to obey Skarn with-
  out question. Revolutions only succeed when the ex-
  isting regime has grown feeble and mild. A strong, bru-
  tal tyranny may experience palace coups, but never
  genuine social revolutions. So it is with Skarn: as soon
  as his secret police find evidence of serious disloyalty,
  the Army will occupy the region while Skarn turns
  everyone into something loathsome. Building a true
  revolutionary movement could take years, and even
  then the PCs and revolutionaries must wait for a time
  when Skarn is out of action.
  Prospecting
  This assumes that a PC who’s making a magic item
  or planning a ritual needs some special substance, like
  a purple moonstone or the bile of the Great Crested
  Whatamore. Unfortunately, this substance is only
  known to occur on one dimension, which Skarn con-
  quered and merged into the Congeries a century ago.
  The PCs must enter the Congeries, find the requisite
  substance in the remains of the dimension, and get
  out again without being caught by Skarn’s spies.
  Deal With The Devil
  Skarn may be a villain, but he’s also one of the
  mightiest sorcerers in the Multiverse. If the PCs can’t
  research a potent spell or locate an obscure dimension
  any other way, they can beg Skarn for help. Or the GM
  can raise the stakes by putting the whole Earth in dan-
  ger, and only Skarn has the power to stop the threat. If
  properly approached, Skarn can be talked into doing
  just about anything—for a price. Skarn may insist that
  the PCs become his quarry in a hunt: if they live and
  escape, Skarn will give them what they want.
  
  210
  For a world-sized favor, Skarn will insist on a world-
  sized favor in return, such as the PCs releasing him
  from any vows to leave Earth alone. Skarn might even
  ask the PCs to conquer a pocket dimension for him.
  (Kindly GMs might make the target dimension be a
  hotbed of evil, so that PCs won’t feel too bad about
  handing it over to Skarn.) Remember, Skarn never
  dickers: his first offer is his only offer.
  The Dragon And
  The Nagas
  Hidden in the caverns of inaccessible
  mountains, or coiled in the unfathomed
  depths of the sea, he awaits the time when he
  slowly arouses himself into activity. He
  unfolds himself in the storm-cloud, he washes
  his mane in the darkness of the seething
  whirlpools. His claws are in the fork of
  lightning, his scales begin to glisten in the
  bark of rain-swept pine trees. His voice is
  heard in the hurricane, which, scattering the
  withered leaves of the forest, quickens a new
  spring. The dragon reveals himself only to
  vanish.
  —Okakoro Kakuzo, Book of Tea
  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will
  not die. For God knows that when you eat of
  this fruit your eyes will be opened, and you
  will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
  —Genesis 3:4
  Skarn the Shaper is a straightforward, in-your-face
  sort of mega-villain. It’s entirely up to the GM to make
  him seem a convincing threat. One can also take a more
  metaphysical approach, creating a mega-villain who
  presents a spiritual threat instead of a physical danger.
  When designing this style of villain, it helps to do some
  research in religion, mythology and folklore, to find
  the powerful symbols which will make a villain more
  than just another enemy. Such a foe is the Dragon.
  Cultures around the world have legends of snakes
  or part-snake creatures as bestowers of magical knowl-
  edge and power, whether for good or evil. Here are a
  few:
  Sumeria: The primal dragon Tiamat was the original
  owner of the magical Tablet of Destiny which gave
  rulership of the Universe.
  Egypt: The solar serpent called the Uraeus showed the
  king’s divine right to rule, granted by Ra the King
  of the Gods.
  China: Dragons were mostly benevolent creatures who
  control rivers and the weather and have many magi-
  cal powers. The trigrams of the I Ching were first
  seen on the back of a “dragon horse.”
  Greece: The semi-divine snake-man Cecrops, an early
  king of Athens, taught humans to build in stone.
  One story of Teiresias, Greece’s most famous seer,
  had it that he gained his powers when a serpent sent
  by Athena licked his ears. The healer-god Asclepius
  was shown a magic herb by a serpent.
  India: The Nagas of India, like the Chinese dragons,
  controlled rivers. While some legends paint them
  as malevolent, in many they are guardians of Heaven
  and the teachers of heroes.
  Semites: The Serpent, “subtlest of beasts,” persuades
  Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowl-
  edge of Good and Evil. The name of the Seraphim,
  one of the highest orders of angels, literally means
  “Fiery Serpents.”
  Central America: The Aztec Quetzalcoatl and Mayan
  Kukulkan taught the civilized arts to Man.
  (Quetzalcoatl also told the Aztecs not to give him
  human sacrifices, but they did it anyway.)
  Wizards know that all this is more than coincidence.
  There are two reptilian Powers in the magical world:
  the Dragon and the Nagas. The Dragon is the supreme
  Power of Evil of Greater Earth. It wants to corrupt and
  rule mankind. The mystic race of Nagas opposes the
  Dragon; they seem to care about human welfare, al-
  though the details of their motives remain inscrutable.
  The Dragon
  “Now will you obey me, or must I appeal to
  your Superior, at the sound of whose name
  the earth trembles, who alone can look
  directly at the Gorgon’s head, who can make
  the very Furies cringe and lash them with
  their own scourges? Yes: I mean the God who
  dwells in an underworld beneath your
  underworld, and therefore ranks you
  contemptuously with the Olympians—the
  God who is not afraid to swear by your Styx
  and then break his oath!”
  —Lucan, Pharsalia
  Background: We have met the enemy and it is us.
  Since the dawn of civilization, the Dragon has lurked
  in humanity’s collective unconscious. The Dragon is
  the original Power of Evil. Mythology remembers the
  Dragon under many names: Tiamat, Apep, the
  Midgard Serpent and many others. The best evidence
  is that humanity acquired the Dragon about 6000 years
  ago—just before the invention of civilization. Earth
  was no Eden of loving-kindness, but humans were
  cruel and violent only by impulse and practicality, as
  animals are. The studied, deliberate evil of a Nazi Ho-
  locaust or a drug pusher was unknown.
  
  211
  Strictly speaking, the Dragon exists wherever any
  human goes. It does, however, have a focus of aware-
  ness and action, an astral form chained beneath Faerie,
  glaring down on the Void of Dreamless Sleep. Its vast
  mouth is a portal to the Netherworld, which is why
  Medieval artists would represent Hell as located in the
  jaws of a monster. As long as that astral form is bound,
  the Dragon’s power is restrained.
  While the titanic chains binding the Dragon seem
  to be made of steel, that is only a seeming. Nothing
  physical could hold the Dragon. The Dragon’s chains
  were forged by ancient magic out of the noblest as-
  pects of humanity, such as courage, altruism, faith and
  honor. Tradition says there are a thousand chains.
  When humanity follows its higher instincts, the chains
  tighten. In times of cowardice or surrender to evil,
  chains break and the Dragon’s power grows. If the
  Dragon broke free, humanity would cease to be hu-
  man—if it survived at all.
  The Dragon resents its imprisonment. For 6000
  years, it has tried to escape into the physical world.
  Various cults and sorcerers have fallen under its sway
  and tried to help it. It taught black magic to mankind;
  it and its minions created the curses of lycanthropy
  and vampirism; it taught the first empires how to rule
  by armed terror and religious mystery. It still broods
  and schemes to corrupt mankind through its pawns,
  slipping its monstrous dreams into the minds of hu-
  mans too much ruled by hate, fear, greed and ambi-
  tion.
  So how did humanity get stuck with the Dragon?
  The Dragon’s origin is a great mystery. The few enti-
  ties who know, refuse to divulge the secret. Mages and
  mystics have several theories, though, each with points
  for and against them. Here are a few of them:
  • Some believe the Dragon is a degenerate aspect of
  one of the Four Zoas. Many Chaos-oriented mages,
  for instance, believe the Dragon is Urizen. Servants
  of Order, on the other hand, think the Dragon must
  be Orc, an avatar of Luvah. William Blake’s ecstatic
  verses could support either views. In fact, there are
  also a few passages in which Tharmas and Urthona
  are described as malevolent and scaly. So if the
  Dragon is one of the Zoas, which one? Its behavior
  gives no clue.
  • Another theory has it that the Dragon is simply that
  part of the collective unconscious controlled by the
  reptilian hindbrain, the ancient part of the brain
  responsible for territoriality, aggression and the will
  to power. But then why did it suddenly activate 6000
  years ago?
  • Some suggest that the Dragon is an intruder, a spirit
  from one of the Outer Planes, or maybe from an-
  other world in this dimension. After all, the Dragon
  seems to be older than any of the demon princes,
  faerie lords or other beings of the Imaginal Realms.
  If the Dragon is older than these products of hu-
  man thought, then it must be the result of inhu-
  man thought. But then where did the Dragon come
  from, and how did it get locked in humanity’s col-
  lective unconscious?
  • Some Christian mages and occultists have an expla-
  nation: the Dragon is “that old serpent” Satan him-
  self, the true Satan who opposes the true God of
  the Multiverse. The chief problem that other mages
  see with this theory is its parochiality: what makes
  humanity so special—for good or evil—that we
  have to be the Dragon’s jailers and keep the rest of
  the Multiverse safe?
  • Finally, a few occultists think that the Dragon is a
  relic of a supposed civilization of sentient dinosaurs.
  Some believe the dino-wizards died out 65 million
  years ago; others believe they lived more recently
  on a lost continent. Either way, the Dragon is a fu-
  sion of their malevolent ghosts, or something like
  that. Most wizards think this theory is too stupid
  to need refuting.
  The real question, though, is how can humanity get
  rid of the Dragon? As yet, the only known way to de-
  stroy the Dragon is to exterminate mankind. No one
  cares much for that solution.
  Even if some other way could be found to kill or
  expel the Dragon, psychic adepts say that the conse-
  quences would be appalling. The Dragon is too much
  part of us. Losing it would be the psychic equivalent
  of hacking off a limb. The Land of Legends would fall
  apart without the Dragon’s support as well, and that’s
  another hefty chunk of the collective unconscious. The
  psychic maiming would surely drive all humanity in-
  sane. The Dragon, then, cannot be destroyed. It can
  only be contained, its influence on mankind mitigated.
  Some mystics even say that the coming of the
  Dragon—the loss of humanity’s innocence—was a
  fortunate fall. Before the Dragon, humanity was largely
  static. Within a thousand years of the Dragon’s entrap-
  ment, however, humanity had farming, stone archi-
  tecture, pottery, writing, astronomy, arithmetic…and
  magic. Humanity became dynamic. A few mystics even
  claim that the Dragon makes it possible for humans to
  work magic. Without the Dragon, the spirit world
  would have been closed to mankind forever.
  Will there ever be an end to this battle? Will human-
  ity never be free of this cancer on its soul? The mystics
  offer one faint and distant hope. A few adepts—a very
  few—have broken free of the Dragon’s influence by
  rising to the ultimate heights of psychic self-mastery.
  They have completely walled off or excised the part of
  their mind that holds the Dragon; in a sense, their
  minds are no longer human. Such masters are beyond
  even the Magi. Some call them Archmages. Unfortu-
  nately, the Archmages usually lose all emotional com-
  mitment to humanity with their liberation from the
  Dragon, and depart for other planes.
  Once every several hundred years, though, an
  Archmage retains human compassion and stays a while
  to help the rest of humanity reach Enlightenment.
  These masters might be called Buddhas or Messiahs.
  If all humanity can be brought to Enlightenment—
  not abandoning their human nature but transcending
  it—the Dragon will be exorcised forever. Good luck!
  
  212
  Quote: “You would try to deceive Me? I know you better
  than you know yourself: your dreams, your terrors, your
  darkest desires…” (Here the Dragon tells the PC about
  something they thought was utterly secret.)
  Personality: The Dragon doesn’t have a reason. It is
  evil, like water is wet. It has two great desires: to break
  free and to conquer humanity. If it ever succeeded in
  ruling the Earth, its “policy” would be to maximize
  human misery; like the Inner Party from Orwell’s 1984,
  its rule would be like a boot stamping on a human
  face, forever.
  The Dragon cannot even be used to fight other cos-
  mic evils. It doesn’t care if humanity gets conquered
  by Skarn, the Kings of Edom or anyone else; as long as
  enough of humanity survives to sustain its own exist-
  ence—such as its worshippers—it would enjoy seeing
  everyone else die horribly. If the Dragon sees a chance
  to get free with some other cosmic evil’s power, it will
  even sacrifice its own minions.
  Naturally, the Dragon is not the forgiving sort. If
  anyone thwarts its plans, that person is marked for
  death, by the nastiest way the Dragon can arrange.
  Death can be averted, however, by submitting to the
  Dragon and letting oneself be broken into miserable,
  mindless slavery.
  Powers/Tactics: Despite being bound, the Dragon still
  has influence. After all, it’s part of every one of us.
  Normally, the Dragon cannot access people’s conscious
  minds but it can read or influence dreams. Sometimes
  its promptings slip through as a whisper in the back of
  one’s mind. One such whisper led a geneticist to in-
  vent the COIL gene and become King Cobra. Another
  prompted an American Senator to name a secret soci-
  ety VIPER. There’s no telling how much of the dark
  side of history was due to the Dragon.
  The Dragon’s powers depend on what form it’s in.
  Normally, the Dragon is a spirit on the Astral Plane,
  magically bound in chains. In this “base form” the
  Dragon’s power is quite limited, although it is inde-
  structible and almost omniscient. Its chief power is its
  tremendous Presence. Its voice alone can terrify or
  compel attention, and only persons of exceptional will
  can resist its hypnotic eyes. It also may employ a few
  other mental powers. Alone, these would not be deadly,
  but they can bedazzle mortals long enough for a few
  demons to squeeze out between the Dragon’s teeth.
  Most Netherworld creatures obey the Dragon with-
  out question and will be happy to murder some poor
  fool caught in the Dragon’s mental snares.
  Sometimes the Dragon gets a partial escape from its
  bondage. The Dragon has many mortal servants. Once
  in a while they can magically create a body on Earth as
  a conduit for the Dragon’s mind and power. By pos-
  sessing such a synthetic body, the Dragon can act in
  the physical world directly.
  Bodies for the Dragon can vary widely, according to
  the power and skill of their makers. Bodies might be
  golems, creatures of magically-prepared flesh and
  blood, or tulpa constructs of ectoplasm. Naturally, the
  Dragon’s servants try to give it as powerful a body as
  possible. One ectoplasmic body for the Dragon has
  endured for centuries: it is called the Death Dragon.
  While the Death Dragon is very powerful, like its “par-
  ent” it too is magically bound and can only act in lim-
  ited ways. (See Watchers Of The Dragon for more about
  the Death Dragon.)
  While bound on the Astral Plane, the Dragon can-
  not do much directly; it must work through its min-
  ions. Its minions, however, are many and varied. Some
  are humans who deliberately open themselves to the
  Dragon through cults like the Red Banner or
  Ouroboros and work the Dragon’s will directly. The
  Dragon also has inhuman servants. It or its human
  servants have created whole races of monsters such as
  the Uraei and Ophites. The greatest wave of monster
  creation happened more than 5000 years ago, in a con-
  flict mythologized later as the battle between Marduk
  and Tiamat:
  Sharp of tooth and unsparing of fang.
  She filled their bodies with venom instead of
  blood.
  She cloaked ferocious dragons with fearsome
  rays,
  And made them bear mantles of radiance…
  —Enuma Elish
  A few of the original Dragon Warriors still survive,
  hidden in long-lost crypts or magical prisons. They
  are formidable creatures indeed. Recovering Dragon
  Warriors is a high priority for Dragon cultists.
  While many of the Dragon’s minions are quite pow-
  erful, though, the Dragon’s counsel is their greatest
  power. The Dragon is the ultimate secret mastermind.
  It gathers vast amounts of information through its own
  ability to tap people’s dreams and memories. It shares
  what it learns with its minions. One can assume that if
  any human knows something, the Dragon can find it
  out in a month or so. There are few secrets from the
  Dragon, and so there are few secrets from its minions.
  It can tell them about Mr. Big’s secret escape tunnel,
  or a hero’s Secret Identity, or the launch code for a
  nuclear missile…
  Appearance: The Dragon’s appearance depends on
  which form one encounters. Its astral “base form” is of
  course a gigantic dragon. The Dragon prefers to pos-
  sess bodies that resemble its base form, and its min-
  ions try to satisfy it, but bodies that don’t look at all
  dragon-like are possible.
  
  213
  The Dragon Bound
  And he seized the dragon, that ancient
  serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and
  bound him for a thousand years…
  —Revelations 20:2
  This is the Dragon, still bound beneath the Land of
  Legends. Effectively it is an AI controlling a large set of
  powers. No physical force can affect it in any way. It
  can only be attacked mentally, and there is no way to
  stun it or knock it out. On the one hand, the Dragon is
  so unbelievably huge that even a nuclear explosion
  would be a pinprick. On the other hand, the chains
  which bind the Dragon keep it from acting any way
  but mentally (with a few special exceptions), so it might
  as well not have a body at all.
  The Dragon’s mental powers, however, make it quite
  formidable enough to face. Most of these derive from
  the fact that the Dragon is literally part of everyone on
  Earth—and every Earth-descended human dwelling
  in Babylon, the Land of Legends or any other plane,
  for that matter.
  First, the Dragon can find any human’s mind, any-
  where. This may take a while, in the case of people
  with very high EGOs or who have gone to an Outer
  Plane, but the Dragon can find them eventually. This
  Mind Scan is completely undetectable, by the target
  or any mentalist nearby, and no amount of Mental
  Defense will block it because in a way the scan is com-
  ing from inside the target’s own mind!
  Once the Dragon locates its target, it can read the
  target’s mind. Again, for humans this is undetectable
  (20 points of the effect rolled must go to keeping the
  target from noticing the Telepathy). This Telepathy
  carries another curious Limitation, in that the Dragon
  accesses minds from the bottom up. It resides at the
  EGO + 40 level of mentality (the collective uncon-
  scious). By rolling more than the target’s EGO on its
  Telepathy roll, it can access the next level up, the target’s
  personal unconscious mind. Through this it can tap
  into people’s dreams, neuroses and drives. At target’s
  EGO +10, it can read memories. Only at EGO + 30
  would it read surface thoughts, and this is rare.
  Note that the Dragon’s Telepathy also lets it project.
  It can send dreams to virtually everyone, and plant
  deep, hidden thoughts in most normal people’s heads.
  Since Mental Defense does work against this Telepa-
  thy, strong-willed super mage PCs don’t have to worry
  about the Dragon getting anywhere close to their con-
  scious minds. Even dream-tapping, though, is enough
  to let the Dragon learn a great deal about them, and
  eventually the Dragon is sure to get a few lucky rolls
  and access to their memories. Unless the Dragon’s tar-
  get has an EGO + Mental Defense of at least 50, the
  Dragon will learn one’s Secret ID, DNPCs and major
  weaknesses in a matter of weeks. And while the Dragon
  cannot act on this information, it can relay the data to
  minions who can.
  Even if one can completely shut the Dragon out of
  one’s mind, the Dragon can still hunt one down. It can
  search other people’s minds for memories of the tar-
  get person. It could take months, even years for the
  Dragon to find what it wants to know, but it has plenty
  of time…
  The Dragon’s other powers are only usable in spe-
  cial circumstances. Visitors to the Astral Plane who
  come within the Dragon’s Line of Sight can be tele-
  pathically contacted. There is no way for a human to
  shut the Dragon’s mental “voice” out of their heads.
  Nor does it matter if one refuses to talk to the Dragon;
  it “hears” what one thinks, and can probably catch even
  hidden thoughts.
  Face to face, the Dragon’s first form of attack is its
  unbelievable Presence. Seeing a monster whose eye is
  the size of a city can be rather overwhelming! Those
  who try using mental powers on the Dragon, however,
  face something even worse. The Dragon will happily
  open its mind to them…and let them feel the infinite
  foulness within, the foulness that they carry within
  themselves. At 23 dice of Presence Attack, even strong-
  willed psychics may go mad with horror. However, the
  Dragon cannot really control the long-term effect of
  this mammoth Presence Attack. Some maddened vic-
  tims might start worshipping the Dragon (which the
  Dragon likes) but an enduring terror is more likely.
  Finally, the Dragon has a Power Pool it cannot use—
  at least, not very much. The Dragon has a very few
  attacks it can use freely through the Power Pool. When-
  ever the Dragon breaks a chain, it gets another attack
  form. When a new chain is forged, the Dragon loses a
  slot. Both are rare events. Powers should be based on
  mental effects or the Dragon’s close connection to the
  Netherworld (for instance, it can open its jaws a crack,
  just large enough to form a Gate to the Netherworld
  through which a demon can exit).
  There is one circumstance in which the Dragon can
  use its Power Pool freely. If some fool makes contact
  with the Dragon’s mind and the Presence Damage
  Shield doesn’t slap them down, the Dragon can use
  the Power Pool to strike back, but only against that
  person. Thus, if one mentally attacks the Dragon—
  and the Dragon can only be attacked using mind-based
  attacks (i.e. Mental Powers, BOECV Powers, Trans-
  forms vs. EGO)—the Dragon can counterattack freely
  on that Phase, against that person, as long as the coun-
  terattack is also a mind-based effect that costs no END.
  Appearance: Bound on the Astral Plane, the Dragon
  seems to be about 400 miles long. Its stony scales are
  the size of football fields; its eyes, like lakes of swirling,
  dark fire. It is wrapped in mammoth iron chains. Each
  link is the size of a supertanker. (Of course the chains
  aren’t really iron: nothing of mere matter could hold
  the Dragon.) Its back is imbeeded into the underside
  of the Land of Legends. A few of the chains have bro-
  ken, their ends trailing into the void beneath.
  
  214
  The Dragon Bound
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  N/A
  STR
  0
  —
  10
  DEX
  0
  11- OCV: 3/DCV: 3
  N/A
  CON
  0
  —
  N/A
  BODY
  0
  —
  30
  INT
  20
  15- PER Roll 15-
  35
  EGO
  50
  16- ECV: 12
  N/A
  PRE
  0
  —
  N/A
  COM
  0
  —
  N/A
  PD
  0
  N/A
  ED
  0
  4
  SPD
  20
  Pha  3, 6, 9, 12
  N/A
  REC
  0
  N/A
  END
  0
  N/A
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 90
  Movement:
  N/A
  Powers & Skills:
  Bound Powers:
  Awesome Powers: Power Pool (105 pt pool),
  Cosmic (+2), Very Restricted Use (-1)  (183)
  Massive Psychic Powers: Elemental Control (86
  pt pool) (86)
  a - Mental Foulness: 115 PRE, Damage Shield
  vs. Mental, Offensive Only (-½), Limited
  Effects (-¼) (172/49)
  b - Locate Mind: 14d6 Mind Scan, NND: Not
  Being Human (+1), Transdimensional:
  Wherever Earth Humans Are (+¾),
  Invisible vs. Mental Senses (+½), 0 END,
  +10 ECV, 20 Pts of Rolled Effect Must Go to
  Make Scan Unnoticed (-¾) (292/118) [0]
  c - Read Mind: 17d6 Telepathy,
  Transdimensional (+¾), Invisible (+½), 0
  END, 20 Pts Go to Make Telepathy
  Unnoticed (-¾) (234/85) [0]
  d - Open Mental Contact: 10d6 Telepathy,
  NND: Not Being Human (+1), 0 END 13"
  Radius AE (+1) (175/89) [0]
  Fearsome Aura: +40 PRE (40)
  Commanding Gaze: +40 PRE, Not for Skill Rolls
  (-¼), Need Eye Contact (-¼) (27)
  Ugly Visage: +2 COM (1)
  Flash Defense: Vision, Hearing, Mental: 7 each,
  Hardened (27)
  Mental Defense: 30, Hardened (29)
  Power Defense: 20, Hardened (25)
  Inescapable Mind:
  Mental Awareness, Targeting, +20 Telescopic
  (53)
  Mind Link x4 to Anyone, Any
  Distance/Dimension (35)
  Cramming (5)
  Eidetic Memory (10)
  Background Skills & Perks:
  God of Major Cult (10)
  Concealment 15- (3)
  Conversation 17- (3)
  Deduction 15- (3)
  Persuasion 17- (3)
  Spell Research 23- (19)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: General Magic 15- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Black Magic Horrors 15- (2)
  KS: Occult/Magic/Supernatural World 15- (2)
  KS: Secret Things 15- (2)
  KS: Human Evil 15- (2)
  KS: World History 15- (2)
  KS: World Politics 15- (2)
  KS: Who’s Who in Everything 15- (2)
  KS: Analyze Magic Style 15- (2)
  PS: Researcher 15- (INT Based) (3)
  Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ any Knowledge Skill (6)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 933
  Total Character Cost: 1023
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Hunted by:
  Naga and Allies, 14- (As Pow) (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Can Only Act in Very Limited Ways (25)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Lusts to Rule and Corrupt Humanity (25)
  Vengeful  (20)
  Relishes Fear and Pain (15)
  Fear of Non-human Minds  (10)
  Reputation:
  Supreme Power of Evil 14- (extreme, limited
  group) (15)
  Watched by:
  Lords of Babylon, Elysium & Faerie, 8- (As Pow)
  (5)
  Villain Bonus (788)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 1023
  Sample Power Pool Slots
  Mental Illusions: 14d6, 0 END (105) [0]
  Mental Binding: 3d6, 3 DEF Entangle, BODY
  BOECV (+2), 0 END (105) [0]
  Hellfire: 2d6 RKA, BODY BOECV (+2), 0 END
  (105) [0]
   Gating: EDM: Netherworld, x4 Mass (30 pts),
  Continuous, Use by Other x2 (+½) 1 Hex AE, 0
  END, Opens Both Ways (-½), Full Phase to
  Close (-½) (52) [0]
  Summon Demon: 4 x 200 pt Summon Demons,
  Any Demons (+¼) (100)
  Bind Soul: 2d6 Transform vs. EGO to Insane Slave,
  Cumulative, BOECV (+1), 0 END (105) [0]
  
  215
  The Dragon Incarnate
  Straightway Odin cast the serpent into the
  deep sea, where he lies all about the land; and
  this serpent grew so greatly that he lies in the
  midst of the ocean encompassing all the land,
  and bites upon his own tail.
  —Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda
  This is an extremely powerful ectoplasmic body for
  the Dragon, one powerful enough to devastate armies
  and defeat whole teams of heroes. It’s hardly plausible
  that such a body could be made from scratch, except
  maybe with the help of a high-powered artifact like
  the Tablet of Destiny. More likely, the Dragon’s min-
  ions would incarnate it in a less powerful body and
  increase its power through further rituals featuring the
  sacrifice of magic items and hundreds (if not thou-
  sands) of human victims.
  Thus incarnate, the Dragon loses much of its con-
  tact with the minds of all humanity, but it gains tre-
  mendous destructive power. Its gigantic body can crush
  a tank in one bite, knock over a skyscraper with a swat
  of its paw or send a whole convoy flying with a sweep
  of its wing or tail. Nor need it fear any mundane
  weapon less powerful than a nuke.
  On top of that, it still has magical powers. Some are
  physical: the ability to breathe devastating blasts of fire,
  lightning or cold. Others are psychic, for it is still a
  master of minds. If it wants to take the time, it can cast
  powerful spells for any other effect it wants. (The GM
  must define what spells it has built when it is encoun-
  tered.) It also still has its Presence Damage Shield, al-
  though not when it concentrates on attacking other
  ways (the Damage Shield is the default slot for the
  Multipower).
  Free to act, with this sort of power, at first the Dragon
  will ravage the world, destroying whole cities for the
  fun of it. In a few days, however, it will settle down to
  establishing its New World Order. It will more selec-
  tively annihilate centers of government and use its
  mental powers to enslave political, military, business
  and cultural leaders. The very people needed to rally
  humanity against the Dragon will become its front
  men.
  The Dragon will then set itself up as a god. King
  Cobra, VIPER, and the various Satanist cults will join
  it almost at once as they recognize their true master.
  Its minions will recruit other organizations notable for
  their evil, such as drug syndicates, racist groups, and
  of course supervillains, by promising them power over
  their enemies, swelling its cadre of worshippers. Gates
  to the Netherworld will unleash the Hordes of Hell on
  the Dragon’s enemies. Unless the Dragon’s body can
  be destroyed, in a month it will rule the world and the
  Earth will become a Hell of torment and despair. For-
  ever.
  Fortunately, such a mighty incarnation has impres-
  sive weaknesses as well. It is still only a projection or
  extension of the real Dragon, and that makes it vul-
  nerable to certain exotic forms of magic which dis-
  rupt its astral cohesion. Its aura of evil is so powerful
  that every sorcerer and psychic in the world will know
  that it’s loose, and have some idea what direction it is:
  within the hour, wizards by the dozen will mobilize to
  fight it and its minions. The Heavenly Hosts of Elysium
  will follow as soon as they can find a way to Earth, to
  engage the infernal legions of the Netherworld. But
  will they be enough?
  In this form, the Dragon is about 400 feet long from
  nose to tail. It is a classic European dragon, with batlike
  wings, huge claws and teeth, scales the size of shields
  and a jagged crest running along its head and down its
  spine. Most of its body is shiny black, but the scutes
  along its belly are blood red.
  The Dragon Incarnate
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  110
  STR
  10*
  14- 100 kton; 22d6 [5]
  18
  DEX
  24
  15- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  40
  CON
  60
  14-
  35
  BODY
  14*
  12-
  28
  INT
  18
  12- PER Roll 15-
  30
  EGO
  40
  12- ECV: 10
  40
  PRE
  30
  13- PRE Attack 8 d6
  0
  COM
  -5
  9-
  30
  PD
  36
  Total: 30 PD/ 30 rPD
  30
  ED
  32
  Total: 30 ED/ 30 rED
  6
  SPD
  32
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  20
  REC
  16
  80
  END
  0
  *Growth bonuses added
  65
  STUN
  0*
  in
  Total Characteristic Cost: 287
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 30”/1920”
  Powers & Skills:
  Magical Abilities:
  Spell Pool: Power Pool (105 pt pool),  1 Turn Between
  Attempts to Change Pool (-½) (140)
  Spell Research: Pool Control 23- (19)
  Giant Dragon Abilities:
  Giant Monster Powers: Elemental Control (60)
  a - Growth: 18 Levels, 0 END Persistent,
  Always On (80)
  b -  Damage Reduction (¾ vs. rPD, ¾ vs. rED)
  (60)
  c -
  Flight: 30", 0 END, x32 NCM (60)
  [0]
  Monstrous Attacks: Multipower (95 pt pool)
  (95)
  u - Claw/Bite: 5d6 HKA (10d6 w/STR), ½ END
  (94/9) [4+]
  u - Swat: 14d6 HA (22d6 w/STR) 1 Hex AE, ½
  END (73/7) [3+]
  u - Wing/Tail Sweep: 9d6 HA (14d6 w/STR),
  x2 Knockback (+¾), 20" Cone AE (+1 ½), ½
  END (94/9) [4+]
  u - Swallow Into Hell: EDM: Netherworld (20
  pts), Use vs. Other (+1), x500 Mass (+2 ¼)
  1 Hex AE (95/9) [9]
  u - Portal To Hell: EDM: Netherworld, x2
  Mass (25 pts), Use by Other x1 (+¼),
  Continuous, 8 Hexes AE (+1), 0 END,
  Opens Both Ways (-½) (94/6) [0]
  u - Fire Breath: 5d6 RKA, PI (94/9) [16c]
  u - Lightning Breath: 19d6 EB (95/9) [16c]
  
  216
  u - Frost Breath: 2d6 RKA, BODY NND: LS:
  Cold (+2) (90/9) [16c]
  u - Ripping the Mind: 7 ½d6 Ego Attack, ½
  END (94/9) [4]
  u - Mental Illusions: Mental Illusions, ½ END
  (94/9) [4]
  u - Telepathy: 15d6, ½ END (94/9) [4]
  u - Mind Control: 15d6, Nonverbal (94/9) [9]
  u - Mindlock: 3d6, 3 DEF Entangle, BODY
  BOECV (+2) (90/9) [9]
  u - Mental Foulness: 60 PRE, Damage Shield
  vs. Mental, Offensive Only (-½), Limited
  Effects (-¼) (90/5)
  Foul Aura: +30 PRE, Damage Shield vs. Mental,
  Linked, Offensive Only, Limited Effects (20)
  Tireless in Combat: ½ END on STR [27]
  Wings & Tail: Extra Limbs (5)
  Flash Defense, Vision, Hearing: 5 each (10)
  Lack of Weakness: -5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 20 (14)
  Mental Damage Resistance: 6, Hardened (4)
  Power Defense: 20,  5 pts Hardened (21)
  Life Support: Full
  Targeting Sense on Mental Awareness (23)
  UV Vision (5)
  Telescopic Vision: +8 (12)
  Mind Link x1, Anyone, Any Dimension (25)
  Cramming (5)
  Eidetic Memory (10)
  Universal Translator 15-  (20)
  Background Skills:
  Perk: God of Major Cult (10)
  Concealment 15- (3)
  Conversation 17- (3)
  Deduction 15- (3)
  Persuasion 17- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: General Magic 15- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Black Magic Horrors 15- (2)
  KS: Occult/Magic/Supernatural World 15- (2)
  KS: Secret Things 15- (2)
  KS: Human Evil 15- (2)
  KS: World History 15- (2)
  KS: World Politics 15- (2)
  KS: Who’s Who in Everything 15- (2)
  KS: Analyze Magic Style 15- (2)
  PS: Researcher 15- (INT Based) (3)
  Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ any Knowledge Skill (6)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 919
  Total Character Cost: 1206
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  When defied or insulted (vc) 11- 14- (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Horrific Giant Monster (Can’t Conceal, Extreme)
  (25)
   Every Sensitive On Earth Knows It’s Loose
  (Can’t Conceal, Strong) (20)
  Hunted by:
  Naga and Allies, 14- (As Pow) (20)
  Lords of Elysium 14- (As Pow) (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  No Fine Manipulation (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Lusts to rule and Corrupt Humanity
  (25)
  Vengeful (20)
  Relishes Fear and Pain  (15)
  Reputation:
  Supreme Power of Evil 14- (extreme, limited
  group) (15)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN + BODY, Going 24 Hours Without 20
  Human Sacrifices (uncommon) (30)
  Unluck: 3d6 (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, BODY, from BOECV Attacks that do
  BODY (uncommon) (20)
  x1 ½ STUN, BODY, Other Effect,
  Transdimensional Attacks (uncommon) (15)
  x 1 ½ STUN, BODY, Other Effect, Affects
  Desolid Attacks (uncommon) (15)
  Watched by:
  Lords of Babylon, Elysium & Faerie, 8- (As Pow)
  (5)
  Villain Bonus (811)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 1206
  The Dragon Incarnate, Mk. II:
  The Tiamat Brazier
  The Tiamat Brazier is another way the Dragon could
  manifest on Earth; this time, by possessing a golem
  specially created and consecrated for that purpose. The
  Tiamat Brazier could be created by a sorcerer or cult
  in service to the Dragon, such as an Ouroboros cell or
  a member of the Sylvestri clan. Any halfway compe-
  tent group of sorcerer heroes could defeat and destroy
  the Tiamat Brazier; even a single hero could do it, with
  good strategy. Of course, the heroes will have to get
  past the cultists or other defenders first.
  It’s not its combat abilities, however, that make the
  Tiamat Brazier dangerous. Once a month, on the night
  of the New Moon, it can send a wave of psychic force
  sweeping outward almost half a mile. Because of the
  Area effect and Indirect, Line of Sight is not necessary;
  everyone in the Area of Effect has their mind opened
  further to the Dragon’s influence.
  The next time the person feels some selfish, antiso-
  cial urge—to shoplift something she can’t afford, to
  beat hell out of that annoying kid, to force himself on
  the pretty dame who keeps saying no, whatever—the
  Dragon gives them a nudge to make them act on that
  urge. (This is an EGO + 10 effect; something the tar-
  get wouldn’t mind doing.) When the Tiamat Brazier
  has fanned the fires of Id, an incredible wave of beat-
  ings, muggings, thefts, rapes and murders follows.
  Heroes, being strong willed sorts, can ignore the Tiamat
  Brazier’s perfidious influence…but what will happen
  to the city?
  The Tiamat Brazier appears to be a knobby, black
  iron statue of an emaciated, wingless dragon; the style
  is rather like one of H. R. Giger’s Aliens. The top of the
  head, however, is cut off to form a bowl of fire. This
  fire also shines through the red glass eyes. This fire is
  the Tiamat Brazier’s greatest weakness: if the flame is
  extinguished, the Brazier goes berserk, cannot use its
  mental powers and gradually loses its life force. A simi-
  lar but even more rapid weakening happens if the Bra-
  zier is enveloped in a Mental Defense Force Wall, which
  interferes with the Dragon’s possession of the golem
  body.
  
  217
  The Dragon will do its best to keep the Tiamat Bra-
  zier free and active. Not only does the Brazier increase
  the Dragon’s grip on thousands of people at a time, it
  lets the Dragon gain direct experience of the material
  world. And so what if it must ditch the minions who
  created the Brazier? With its power to read human
  desires and exploit them, it can recruit new minions
  easily enough.
  The Dragon Incarnate, Mk. II:
  The Tiamat Brazier
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  35
  STR
  10*
  16- 3200 kg; 7d6 [3]
  18
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  25
  CON
  30
  14-
  12
  BODY
  2*
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  23
  EGO
  26
  12- ECV: 8
  30
  PRE
  20
  15- PRE Attack 6d6
  0
  COM
  -5
  9-
  16
  PD
  10*
  Total: 29 PD/ 13 rPD
  16
  ED
  9*
  Total: 29 ED/ 13 rED
  5
  SPD
  22
  Pha  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  15
  REC
  12
  50
  END
  0
  *Growth  & DI bonuses
  45
  STUN
  10*
  added in
  Total Characteristic Cost: 178
  Movement:
  Running: 12”/24”
  Swimming: 0”/0”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Ability:
  Combat Levels: +2 Levels w/ Claw (6)
  Living Statue Powers:
  Living Statue: Elemental Control (15)
  a -
  Huge Size: 10 pts Density Increase + 5 pts
  Growth, 0 END Persistent, Always On
  (30/10) [0]
  b -
  Claw: 1 ½d6 HKA, ½ END (31/16) [1+]
  c - Brazier Body: Armor (+13 PD +13 ED)
  (39/24)
  d - Pain Resistance: Damage Reduction (¼ vs.
  rPD, ½ vs. rED) (45/30)
  e - Golem Metabolism: Life Support: Full (15)
  Mental Flame: Multipower (75 pt pool),  Fragile
  IAF Flame in Head (-¾) (43)
  u - Mind Control: 10d6 Nonverbal, ½ END
  (75/4) [3]
  u - Telepathy: 12d6, ½ END (75/4) [3]
  u - Breathe Fire: 2d6 RKA, AP, +1 STUN Mult
  (+½), PI, ½ END (75/4) [3]
  u - Foul Aura: +50 PRE, Damage Shield vs.
  Mental, Offensive Only (-½), Limited
  Effects (-¼) (75/3)
  Fan the Fires of Id: 6d6 Mind Control,
  Nonverbal, Trigger: Next Selfish, Antisocial
  Urge (+¼), Indirect (+½), 6" x 64 Radius AE
  (+2 ½), Fixed Command: Do It! (- ½), 0
  Range, Only at Dark of the Moon (-2), 5
   minutes Extra Time (-2), Fragile IAF Flame in
  Head (-¾) (15) [1c]
  Flash Defense, Vision: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 20 (15)
  Power Defense: 8 (8)
  Knockback Resistance: -2 (4)
  Targeting on Mental Awareness (23)
  Running: +6" (12" total) (12) [1/5"]
  Swimming: -2" (-2)
  Universal Translator 13-  (20)
  Background Skills:
  Climbing 13-
  Concealment 13- (3)
  Deduction 13- (3)
  Persuasion 15- (3)
  Scholar
  KS: General Magic 13- (2) (INT Based)
  KS: Black Magic Horrors 13- (2)
  KS: Occult World 13- (2)
  KS: Analyze Magic Style 13- (2)
  KS: Secret Things 13- (2)
  KS: Human Evil 13- (2)
  KS: World History 13- (2)
  KS: World Politics 13- (2)
  KS: Who’s Who in Everything 13- (2)
  Skill Levels: +1 Level w/ any Knowledge Skill (3)
   Total Powers & Skills Cost: 310
  Total Character Cost: 488
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  When defied or insulted (vc) 8- 14- (15)
  If head flame is extinguished (c), 14- 14- (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Grotesque Living Statue (Hard to Conceal,
  Scary)  (15)
  Hunted by:
  Hunted by occult Heroes, 8- (More Pow) (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  No Fine Manipulation (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Striving to Corrupt and Rule Mankind
  (25)
  Vengeful  (20)
  Relishes Pain, Fear and Worship (15)
  Reputation:
  Supreme Power of Evil 8- (extreme, limited
  group) (10)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/Turn, Head Flame Extinguished (c)
  (15)
  1d6 STUN/Phase, Being Inside Mental Force
  Wall (uncommon) (15)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Villain Bonus (198)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 488
  
  218
  The Nagas
  Korkpee the first snake-man came up out of
  the salt water by the Larakia country in the
  north. He carried with him a big bundle of
  the sacred objects called Darndurr and he
  carried a big bundle of kininga, the yam
  sticks, with which he made spring water.
  —Australian Aboriginal legend
  Background: Humanity has never stood alone against
  the Dragon. We’ve had the Nagas as helpers and advi-
  sors. Curiously, humanity’s allies are also reptilian.
  Mythology speaks of serpents, dragons and snake-men
  as bringers of wisdom, prosperity and civilization as
  often as it portrays them as corrupters and destroyers.
  The Nagas refuse to disclose their own origins, but
  they have been around as long as the Dragon has. Be-
  tween them, the Nagas and the Dragon founded the
  first civilizations and used them to make war on each
  other—a war for the future of humanity. That war
  continues to this day.
  Nowadays, though, the Nagas stay in the back-
  ground. They seem bound by an inscrutable code of
  conscience: they have raised empires and cast them
  down, but they never meet force with force. Unlike the
  Dragon, the Nagas never compel people to do anything.
  Instead, they create situations in which a carefully se-
  lected person is overwhelmingly likely to do what they
  want—the right person in the right place at the right
  time. With wizards who have shown concern for hu-
  manity, they are more straightforward: they warn
  mages about major plots by the Dragon and suggest
  they put a stop to them.
  What are the Nagas? From whence did they come?
  Why have they opposed the Dragon for 6000 years?
  The masters of occult lore agree that solving the mys-
  tery of the Nagas would also solve the mystery of the
  Dragon—or vice versa. No one seems to know the an-
  swers but the Nagas themselves, and they won’t tell.
  They only say that until humanity can master the
  Dragon on its own, they must follow their duty.
  Quote: “My identity is unimportant. I believe you should
  know that a threat to Humanity is growing on Sakhalin
  Island—I must say no more. Here are plane tickets, if
  you need them.”
  Personality: Despite their commitment to human des-
  tiny, the Nagas are pacifists. They are teachers, advi-
  sors and sometimes manipulators; only a truly des-
  perate situation will prompt them to act directly, and
  even then the Nagas eschew violence. They may help
  humanity’s champions, but they insist that humanity
  must solve its own problems and fight its own battles.
  Powers/Tactics: All Nagas are masters of both
  Thaumaturgy and Theurgy (although their form of
  theurgy is not limited to the traditions of any one hu-
  man culture). Each has mastered at least one other style
  of magic as well, such as elementalism or alchemy.
  In its basic form, a Naga only has a 52 point Power
  Pool, and when it takes human form it must take a
  Phase and use a Spell Research roll to shift the Power
  Pool. In a crisis, a Naga can assume its full-power, “Ser-
  aph” form in which its Cosmic Power Pool increases
  to 80 points and it gains several other powers besides.
  The Nagas can only use their full power for a short
  time as it tires them greatly. (There is a practical as
  well as a philosophical reason for making humanity
  look after itself.)
  Until a Naga is directly attacked, it uses its magic to
  prevent confrontation. They often use illusions to keep
  potential menaces distracted, at least long enough for
  innocent bystanders to get away; then they vanish
  themselves.
  Appearance: The Nagas have three forms. Their basic
  “Naga” form is a snake-man, a humanoid torso on a
  long snake body. Their entire skin is scaly. They have
  narrow, triangular faces. Instead of hair, they have a
  saw-toothed crest on their head. Individual Nagas can
  be recognized by slight differences in their features and
  the color patterns of their scales. They are generally
  spoken of as male, just because they show no female
  sexual features, but no one really knows if they have
  gender at all. Their scales are yellow-green, dark green
  and bronze.
  When the Nagas use their full power, they change to
  their second form. They turn transparent white, sur-
  rounded by a swirling aura of iridescent light. Wings
  unfold from their shoulders; their aura gives an ap-
  pearance like feathers. This is their “Seraph” form.
  Finally, the Nagas often use their magic to assume
  human form. They use a form of neutral race: is the
  person a light-skinned black, a swarthy Caucasian, or
  an Asian? The head is totally bald; the eyebrows, the
  only hair they show, are black but the eyes might be
  any color. They dress conservatively and unobtrusively.
  In the Western world, for instance, typical garb might
  be a tan suit, with a green tie and a golden tie-tack
  shaped like a Chinese dragon as the only distinctive
  element. They seem male, but that’s probably just to
  fit cultural assumptions about authority figures. They
  use obvious pseudonyms like “Mr. Smith.”
  At least, these are the Nagas’ usual forms. Their magic
  would let them temporarily assume any form they
  wanted, if it suited their purpose.
  The Nagas make their home in a secret valley some-
  where in the high mountain ranges of Central Asia.
  Their magic protects it from detection and invasion.
  There they keep the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree
  of Life. In the West, most people think the Tree of
  Knowledge is an apple tree. The Chinese claim that
  the Tree of Life is a peach tree. Since both trees grow
  wild in the Central Asian mountains, the legends may
  be right.
  
  219
  The Nagas
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  18
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  20
  CON
  20
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  28
  INT
  18
  15- PER Roll 15-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  18
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  10
  PD
  8
  Total: 27 PD/ 16 rPD
  10
  ED
  6
  Total: 27 ED/ 16 rED
  4
  SPD
  12
  Pha  3, 6, 9, 12
  8
  REC
  4
  40
  END
  0
  *Only in Hero ID (-¼)
  25
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 116
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 12”/384"”
  Powers & Skills:
  Magic Abilities:
  Spell Casting:
  Power Pool (52 pt pool), Cosmic in Super ID
  (+2, -¼), -½ Var Lim (-¼) (104)
  Enhanced Magic Power Pool (+28 pt pool),
  Cosmic*, -½ Var Lim (-¼), Only in Fully
  Energized Form & Taking CON Drain (-1)
  (45)
  Mental Defense: 14, 6 pts Hardened (11)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Life Support: Immune to Disease, Does not Age
  (6)
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory (15)
  Astral Awareness (3)
  Energized Form:
  Energized Form: Elemental Control*, Side Effect:
  1 ½d6 CON Drain, Recover 1 CON/2 Hours
  (-1) (10)
  a - Force Field (11 PD 11 ED, 6 PowD),
  Hardened, 0 END (47/11) [0]
  b - Energy Aura: 2d6 RKA, Damage Shield
  (45/10) [4]
  c - Wings:  Flight 12", x32 NCM (44/10) [1/5"]
  d - Energy Enhancement: 2d6 Aid, Max +18
  Pts (+3 pts), vs. All Chars Except CON, INT
  & COM (+2), Lose 1 pt/minute (+½)
  (45/10) [4]
  Energized Armor: Armor* (+5 PD, +5 ED) (12)
  Tail:
  Extra Limb*, Limited Manipulation (-½) (3)
  Reach: +1" Stretching*, 0 END,  Limited
  Manipulation (-½) (4) [0]
  Background Skills & Abilities:
  Cramming (5)
  Eidetic Memory (10)
  Conversation 13- (3)
  Cryptography 15- (3)
  Deduction 15- (3)
  English, fluent, no accent (3)
  Jack of All Trades (3)
  KS: Analyze Magic Styles 15- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: General Magic 15- (2)
  KS: Legends 15- (2)
  KS: Magical Beings 15- (2)
  KS: Occult/Supernatural World 15- (2)
  KS: Other 15- (2)
  KS: Other Magic Style 15- (2)
  KS: Thaumaturgy 15- (2)
  KS: Theurgy 15- (2)
  KS: World History 15- (2)
  Linguist: Native Nagan
  Other Language, fluent, no accent (3)
  Other Language, fluent, no accent (3)
  Other Skill of Choice (3)
  Other Skill of Choice (3)
  Scholar (3)
  Spell Research 18- (9)
  Initiate: Legendary Fount of Magic  (5)
   Total Powers & Skills Cost: 341
  Total Character Cost: 457
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  to Naga Form if Struck by Magic Attack (c) 14-
  (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Serpent Man, Great Magical Power (Hard to
  Conceal, Strong Reaction) (15)
  Hunted by:
  Hunted by Dragon & Minions 14- (As Pow) (20)
  Hunted by Assorted Evil Wizards, 8- (As Pow)
  (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Always Uses Minimum Force  (25)
  Committed to Human Welfare in Broadest Form
   (20)
  Secretive  (15)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/Turn, Being Near Dragon, its Avatars
  or Creations (uncommon) (10)
  Bonus (222)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 457
  Another Historical
  Mage
  Levi, Eliphas
  (1810?-1870): Pseudonym of Alphonse Louis
  Constant, a defrocked French priest and artist
  who became the most famous occultist of the
  19th century. His books, such as Dogma and
  Ritual of High Magic, The Key to the Mysteries
  and History of Magic, popularized both
  kabbalism and the notion of the Astral Plane
  among European occultists. Indeed, Levi
  coined the term “occultism.” Although Levi
  geve lessons in occultism, he did not claim to
  be a practicing sorcerer. He did claim that once
  an admirer talked him into summoning the
  spirit of Apollonius of Tyana, but that the
  experiment gave ambiguous results: a spirit
  briefly appeared and knocked Levi out, but
  Levi didn’t know if it was the ghost of the
  famous mage.
  
  220
  Villains
  “Attempting to be more than Man We
  become less”
  —William Blake, The Four Zoas
  Magical heroes need villains to fight. Magical vil-
  lains can be amazingly diverse. This section can only
  give a few examples of villainous mages, magical be-
  ings, and their organizations.
  Special Villain Types
  These are types of villains particularly associated
  with wizard heroes and an all-magic campaign, as dis-
  tinct from villains who just happen to have magical
  powers.
  Dimensional Conqueror
  “Ah! Are there other wars beside the wars of
  sword and fire?
  ”And are there other sorrows beside the
  sorrows of poverty?
  ”And are there other joys beside the joys of
  riches and ease?
  ”And is there not one law for both the lion
  and the ox?
  —William Blake, Visions of the Daughters of Albion
  At the high end of the power scale is the ultra-pow-
  erful magical tyrant who rules an entire cosmos. Even
  this isn’t enough for the Dimensional Conqueror, how-
  ever. These megalomaniacs want to take over worlds
  in other dimensions, too. To be precise, DCs want to
  annex the Earth, which for some reason is an extremely
  valuable piece of real estate. Perhaps the presence of
  super beings has something to do with this…
  The Dimensional Conqueror often has some mysti-
  cal link to its home plane that augments its power.
  Sometimes the DC is just a very powerful sorcerer.
  Other DCs are purely supernatural beings or cosmic
  entities with innate powers instead of spells: they don’t
  use magic, they are magic, and sorcerers on other planes
  may invoke their power. Others can be somewhere in
  between, mighty sorcerers who magically transubstan-
  tiated their bodies from flesh and blood to mystical
  force.
  It’s a good idea not to introduce too many Dimen-
  sional Conquerors into a campaign. One or two highly
  distinctive “regulars” are quite enough, with one or two
  more as occasional fill-ins. Each DC should have some
  unique feature of its appearance, powers or methods,
  for there is danger of DCs seeming like cookie-cutter
  stereotypes. All DCs are megalomaniacs in the extreme,
  with a lust for committing rudeness on Earth that
  passes all reason—if they didn’t, there’d be no story.
  Anything that distinguishes one DC from another, or
  from other powerful magical villains, is useful.
  A high-end Dimensional Conqueror has enough raw
  power to trash an entire superhero team in a simple
  brawl. Low-end DCs are still powerful enough that
  heroes must consider their tactics instead of just blast-
  ing away. Every DC has a 100+ point Multipower for
  special feats and favorite attacks and/or defenses. A
  high-end DC will add a hefty Power Pool. Attacks
  should be 15-20 active points higher than the normal
  range for the heroes’ attacks, with correspondingly high
  defenses. Damage Reduction is obligatory, so a lucky
  Stun Multiplier roll on a Killing Attack doesn’t one-
  punch the DC.
  Fortunately for the heroes, Dimensional Conquer-
  ors have equally large limitations on their actions,
  which provide the key to their defeat. Very often the
  DC has such a monstrous ego that it fights with one
  hand tied behind its back, so to speak, deliberately not
  using its full power so as better to display its omnipo-
  tence.
  Bromion, Lord Of Order
  Background: The Ordainer called Bromion didn’t al-
  ways work for Urizen the Lawgiver. Originally,
  Bromion was one of the greatest of the Lords of Arti-
  fice, a Son of Los and one of his father’s chief assis-
  tants at the forge of worlds. Bromion was the Prime
  Avatar of Art’s envoy to Order, personifying the criti-
  cal faculty. He often worked with Urizen when the Zoas
  of Art and Order cooperated in creating a civilization.
  Bromion came to sympathize too strongly with
  Urizen’s plans to order and regiment life throughout
  the Multiverse. He decided that Urizen’s Order was also
  the highest expression of Art, and therefore Los,
  Enitharmon, and all their children should support
  Urizen without reservation. This led him into conflict
  with other children of Los. The dispute escalated until
  Bromion raped Oothoon, the soul of sweet delight and
  Emanation of his brother Theotormon. Outraged,
  Theotormon captured Bromion and imprisoned him.
  Bromion escaped, however, by renouncing his status
  as a Son of Los and cosmic entity. Instead he became
  one of Urizen’s Ordainers.
  When Bromion fell from Briah into the worlds of
  Matter, he lost much of his power. After creating the
  Millworks as a base of operations, however, he still has
  enough power to bring other worlds under Urizen’s
  sway. He is one of the most devoted and dangerous of
  the Lords of Order.
  Quote: “All evil is disobedience and disharmony. With-
  out free will, there can be no evil. Submit!”
  Personality: Bromion is a fanatic. When he fell from
  true cosmic status and became a mere Ordainer, his
  mind shrank as well as his power. He is a mere Spectre
  of his former self. His love of structure and planning
  hardened into a blind hatred of disobedience and
  “messiness.” Even most of Urizen’s mortal servants
  think that Bromion is a bit extreme. Bromion sees his
  task as that of eliminating all free will, so that no one
  will ever disobey Urizen’s Law.
  
  221
  About the only thing that can turn Bromion aside
  from fighting people whom he has set out to capture
  and enslave, is damage to an area he has shaped into
  his ideal of mechanistic perfection—especially dam-
  age to the Millworks itself. His impulse to keep things
  tidy is as strong as his drive to capture and “correct”
  rebellious mortals. This is an opportunity for an
  Unluck check: if Bromion receives even a single point
  of Unluck, his neatness fetish makes him break off
  combat to make repairs.
  For such a compulsively self-controlled guy,
  Bromion’s attitudes toward his former alignment are
  woefully confused. Deep down, Bromion knows that
  his defection was wrong; that’s why he defends it so
  fanatically. Servants of Art painfully remind him of
  his former state. If a Servant of Art seems at all sym-
  pathetic, Bromion will try recruiting them to the side
  of Order as well; their defection will confirm his own.
  If the Servant of Art is not sympathetic, Bromion will
  make a special effort to destroy them and may hunt
  them thereafter.
  Powers/Tactics: While Bromion no longer has the in-
  calculable power he once had as a Son of Los, his magi-
  cal powers are still quite vast. His ability to subtly shape
  thoughts has curdled into a set of spells, the Bindings
  of Bromion, for brute-force mind control. He also
  knows several other spells, either generic or developed
  by other Ordainers, and some of these are very power-
  ful as well.
  In combat, however, Bromion prefers his lesser (75
  Active Point) spells so he can keep his full defenses.
  Normally Bromion fights cautiously. He prefers spells
  which simply prevent opponents from fighting back,
  such as the Silver Circles of Selestar, his ECV Entangle
  or the Cloud of Unknowing. Once Bromion has all his
  opponents restrained, he breaks out the spells that do
  STUN. He only uses his full-power attacks if he’s lost
  his temper. His Power Pool usually goes to create spe-
  cial senses or defenses (for instance, an Enhanced Sense
  so he can see through his own Cloud of Unknowing,
  or a defense to block an NND attack to which he is
  otherwise vulnerable.)
  Bromion’s importance to Urizen rests, however, on
  his knowledge of magical smithcraft. Bromion can cre-
  ate magic items of great power or completely trans-
  form a captive. Bromion can make a person as fanati-
  cally devoted to Order as he is, and even give them
  super-powers. Bromion prefers to work his smithcraft
  through the Millworks, since once the Millworks ma-
  chinery is set for a task, it and Bromion’s drone ser-
  vants can do the job on their own with no further su-
  pervision.
  Bromion can even transport people from any other
  dimension to the Millworks. Fortunately, he usually
  considers such personal kidnapping to be beneath his
  status. Unfortunately, he has created magic items to
  do his dirty work for him and spread them through
  dozens of dimensions, including Earth. (See “Obelisk
  of Bromion” under “Gates” in Chapter Two.)
  Finally, Bromion can create vast magical effects
  through the Millworks: this is represented through his
  Headquarters points. Automated soul-smithing is just
  one effect. Bromion can also manufacture magic items
  or do anything else a plot demands, if he has time to
  prepare. For instance, Bromion can spy on other di-
  mensions or even look through time if the GM so de-
  sires, create magical super-weapons or assemble spe-
  cial-purpose automaton minions. If Bromion has rea-
  son to expect an invasion of the Millworks, he will cer-
  tainly put Headquarters points into special attacks or
  defenses for himself and set traps for the attackers.
  Appearance: Bromion’s head and arms look like those
  of a normal human. He has a narrow face and his lips
  are usually pursed in disapproval. Most of his body,
  however, is hidden by his swirling, faceted robes. He
  could be thin or fat, tall or short. (In fact, under his
  Ordainer’s robes Bromion is quite brawny; pumping
  bellows and swinging a hammer for a few eternities
  will keep even a spirit in good shape. No physical,
  magical or mental force can remove Bromion’s robes,
  however, since they are part of his self image and there-
  fore part of Bromion himself.) In addition to his shin-
  ing, pastel robes, Bromion wears a cylindrical white
  headdress and a large, golden disk as a brooch.
  Bromion’s Bindings take the form of rhombs of col-
  ored light. Most of his other spells are generic globes
  and beams of light. His big repair spell has an espe-
  cially impressive special effect: a miles-high phantom
  image of Bromion appears and tendrils of white light
  spread out from its fingers. As the tendrils move
  through the Millworks, damage to the machinery dis-
  appears.
  Bromion, Lord Of Order
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  30
  STR
  20
  15- 1600 kg; 6d6 [3]
  23
  DEX
  39
  14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  30
  CON
  40
  15-
  15
  BODY
  10
  12-
  23
  INT
  13
  14- PER Roll 14-
  23
  EGO
  26
  14- ECV: 8
  30
  PRE
  20
  15- PRE Attack 6d6
  8
  COM
  -1
  11-
  25
  PD
  19
  Total: 35 PD/ 35 rPD
  25
  ED
  19
  Total: 35 ED/ 35 rED
  6
  SPD
  27
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  15
  REC
  6
  60
  END
  0
  45
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 238
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  
  222
  Powers & Skills:
  Magic:
  Library of Spells: Multipower (106 pt. pool)
  (106)
  u - Bindings of Bromion: 12d6 Mind Control,
  ½ END (75/7) [3]
  u - Bindings of Bromion: 2 ½d6, 2 DEF
  Entangle, BODY BOECV (+2) (75/7) [7]
  u - Bindings of Bromion: 20 STR TK, BOECV,
  PI, ½ END (75/7) [3]
  u - Mystic Bolt I: 5d6 EB, AVLD: Power
  Defense (+1 ½), PI, ½ END (75/7) [3]
  u - Mystic Bolt II: 6d6 EB, BOECV (+1), PI, ½
  END (75/7) [3]
  u - Nimbus of Nullity: 20d6 Dispel, vs. Any
  Magic Effect (+¼) (75/7) [7]
  u - Silver Circles of Selestar: 6d6 Entangle, PI
  (75/7) [7]
  u - Cloud of Unknowing: 1" radius Darkness
  vs. Sense Magic, Danger Sense & All Vision,
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged, Uncontrolled, 8
  chgs of 1 turn (-0), Cost END (75/5) [7]
  u - Mystic Shield I: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED,
  10 MD), ½ END (37/4) [1]
  u - Mystic Shield II: Force Field (10 PD, 10
  ED, 10 PowD), ½ END (37/4) [1]
  u - Deflecting Disk: Missile Deflection +5 vs.
  Magic (30/3)
  u - Magical Enhancement: 5d6 Aid vs. Any
  Physical Characteristic (+¼) (31/3) [3]
  u - Greater Bindings of Bromion: 8 ½d6 minor
  Transform vs. EGO, Any EGO +10 Mind
  Control Effect Made Permanent (+¼),
  Gestures (106/9) [11]
  u - Greater Bindings of Bromion: 10d6 Mind
  Control, Nonselective 10" Radius AE (+1),
  Gestures (100/8) [10]
  u - Greater Bindings of Bromion: 25 STR TK
  w/Fine Manipulation, BOECV, ½ END,
  Gestures (108/10) [5]
  u - Broad Mystic Blast: 6d6 EB, AVLD: Power
  Defense (+1 ½), PI, Nonselective 16" Cone
  AE (+¾), (105/8) [10]
  u - Gating: EDM, any dimension, Continuous,
  Use by Other x1 (+¼), ½ END, initial
  Gestures, Opens Both Ways (-½), Full Phase
  to Close (-½) (100/4) [5]
  u - Gating Snatch: EDM to Millworks x2 Mass,
  Use vs. Other (+1), Ranged, Indirect (+½),
  Transdimensional: Any (+1), G, 1 phase
  Extra Time (-½), Opens Both Ways (-½),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (100/4) [10]
  u - Repair the Millworks: 1d6 Transform
  (damaged to whole), Cumulative, Indirect
  (+½), Continuous, ½ END, 5" x 2exp11
  Radius AE (+3 ¾), constant Gestures (-½),
  constant Concentrate 0 DCV (-1) (105/4)
  [5]
  u - Smithing: 2 ½d6 Transform, Universal
  (+1), Cumulative, Gestures, 0 Range,
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (95/4) [10]
  Magic On the Fly: Power Pool (20 pt pool), 0
  Phase to Change (+1), INT Roll to Change
  (+0), Only 1 Power At a Time (-½) (33)
  Lord of Order Abilities:
  Spirit Powers: Elemental Control (15)
   a - Damage Resistance (25 PD, 25 ED),
  Hardened (16)
  b - Life Support: Full (16)
  c - Sense Magic, Targeting, +2 PER (15)
  d - Spiritual Resistance: Damage Reduction (½
  rPD, ½ rED), Only vs. Killing Attacks (-1)
  (22)
  Hardened Defense on base PD, ED (12)
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Lack of Weakness: -5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 15 (10)
  Power Defense: 10 (10)
  Universal Translator 14- (20)
  Background Skills:
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  Deduction 14- (3)
  Spell Research 14- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Thaumaturgy 14- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: Plane Lore 14- (2)
  KS: Urizen’s Law and Organization 14- (2)
  KS: Mental Transforms 14- (2)
  KS: Physical Transforms 14- (2)
  KS: Spell Transforms 14- (2)
  KS: Time Lore 14- (2)
  Perk: Head of State (10)
  200 pt Headquarters Reserve (40)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 483
  Total Character Cost: 721
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Visibly Radiates Power (Can’t Conceal, Scary)
  (20)
  Hunted by:
  Agents of Chaos, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Won’t Compromise or Negotiate (vc, strong)
  (20)
  Hates Disrespect/Disobedience (20)
  Driven to Create/Maintain Order (15)
  Hunting Servants of Art (15)
  Public ID (10)
  Reputation:
   Order Freak, Hates  Free Will 11-, Extreme  (10)
  Susceptibility:
   1d6 STUN/turn, Being in Area Consecrated to
  Chaos (uncommon) (15)
  Unluck: 3d6 (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x1 ½ STUN, BODY, Chaos Magic (uncommon)
  (10)
  Watched by:
  Urizen, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (451)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 721
  
  223
  Petty Dimension Lord
  These wannabe cousins of the Dimensional Con-
  queror have far less power. They may threaten visitors
  to their home dimensions, but have no hope of con-
  quering other worlds. Very often, they rule their tiny
  home dimensions simply through lack of any serious
  opposition. While a Petty Dimension Lord often has a
  few really formidable special powers, once the heroes
  find a way around the PDL’s main power the PDL isn’t
  much tougher than a regular, superhero- level sorcerer.
  With clever tactics, even a lone PC wizard can fight a
  Petty Dimension Lord and win.
  Petty Dimension Lords seldom become regular en-
  emies of sorcerer heroes. They are usually encountered
  because a sorcerer has landed in their dimension by
  mistake, or because the PDL has some artifact or in-
  formation the hero requires. A Dimensional Con-
  queror or other magical villain might decoy a hero into
  a Petty Dimension Lord’s realm as a trap.
  Cassai
  Background: There isn’t one. Cassai has been around
  a long time, doing pretty much the same thing he does
  today. Since he is fundamentally a minor character with
  a one-dimensional personality, created to fill a few spe-
  cific roles, he doesn’t need a fancy background. If one
  wants to make Cassai a recurring character in the cam-
  paign, one can invent a life story for him. If not, all
  one needs to know about this Petty Dimension Lord is
  that he used to be mortal; now he’s not; and he is tre-
  mendously paranoid and greedy for magical energy.
  Cassai is an avaricious specialty craftsman. He’s quite
  skilled in making magic items, and will do this for any-
  one who will pay him. He only takes payment, how-
  ever, in magical energy, the same energy he uses to
  enchant magic items. He always demands at least twice
  as much energy (in Active Point terms) as the item will
  require. Cassai will take magical energy in the form of
  other magic items, standing enchantments he can
  Drain, or raw life-force taken from willing or unwill-
  ing victims.
  One employs Cassai by contacting him extra-dimen-
  sionally and shipping “payment” to him. Then, at a
  pre-arranged time, Cassai will place the finished item
  at a pre-arranged place in his dimension for the client
  to pick up. Delivery to a client’s own dimension costs
  extra. The only time Cassai ever willingly lets anyone
  else into his dimension is when a client sends beings
  (these must be sentient beings) for Cassai to drain.
  Cassai will leave victims just barely alive if so instructed;
  otherwise, he will assume that he can take all their life-
  force.
  Quote: “Intrudings! Thievings! Punish and destroy!”
  Personality: Cassai has two ruling passions: greed and
  paranoia. He wants to increase his store of magical
  energy, and he lives in fear of robbers taking his pre-
  cious energy. He expects that robbers will also try to
  kill him. Thus, Cassai hardly ever leaves his dimen-
  sion, even to collect fees or deliver finished items, be-
  cause he always suspects that enemies will ambush him,
  keep him from returning home and thereby kill him,
  and then loot his treasury.
  Why does Cassai collect magical energy so fanati-
  cally? He just does, that’s all. If Cassai is developed into
  a more significant character, then Cassai is probably
  building a stockpile for some really tremendous feat
  of enchantment—using his Cumulative Power Trans-
  form to create something with hundreds of Active
  Points, such as a major artifact or a spell to turn him-
  self into a dimension lord on the order of Skarn.
  Powers/Tactics: Cassai is quite an expert at manipu-
  lating magical energy. Most of his spells work by steal-
  ing, absorbing or redirecting magical energy. His
  “Cursed Clutch” spells are actually ranged variations
  on his spells to Transfer magic or life-force, although
  they cost more energy than they send to Cassai—un-
  less someone else uses them, the reason why Cassai
  teaches them (for a surprisingly low price) to mages
  on other planes. (The “Cursed Clutch of Cassai” is de-
  scribed more thoroughly in Chapter Four.)
  Unless Cassai has gone Berserk, in combat he merely
  tries to incapacitate opponents, so he can siphon away
  their magic and life-force later. Thus he prefers to use
  Ego Attacks and the AVLD attacks, with Flashes to blind
  opponents. If opponents prove unusually hard to sub-
  due, or Cassai has gone Berserk, he switches to the le-
  thal form of his Cursed Clutch and the Sorcerer’s Star
  EB. If opponents seem especially dangerous, Cassai will
  keep his Precessive Shield up and try to turn the
  enemy’s spells against them.
  Cassai’s most valued spell, however, is his Power
  Transform. When he has built up enough magical en-
  ergy in his own body (i.e. when his END is high
  enough), he materializes it in the form of an irides-
  cent crystal egg. This is a Cumulative Power Trans-
  form—pure magical energy, ready to be turned into
  enchantments for magic items. Since Cassai has already
  cast the Transform, anyone who knows the rituals to
  shape the energy (the Trigger) can use these crystal
  eggs.
  Appearance: Cassai stands at least 8' tall but is very
  thin, with long arms and legs and a long, wedge-like
  head. He wears a ribbed tabard belted at the waist. His
  body seems to be made of pale blue crystal, his tabard
  of sheet silver. Circular ripples of lavender energy con-
  stantly radiate from his head, torso, hands and feet.
  Cassai’s small dimension is a taffy-pull chaos of
  gaunt, angled bands of white stone and twisting
  streams of blue fire in empty space. A simple disk of
  white stone hanging in space is the only part of Cassai’s
  dimension where one can enter or leave through Ex-
  tra Dimensional Movement or where one can teleport:
  in the rest of the dimension, those movement modes
  are blocked as if by a Hardened Force Field (of course
  Cassai is immune to this effect). Cassai’s palace looks
  like several abstract, Art Deco cathedrals set base to
  base to form a star.
  
  224
  Cassai
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  20
  CON
  20
  13-
  15
  BODY
  10
  12-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  21
  EGO
  11
  13- ECV: 7
  25
  PRE
  15
  14- PRE Attack 4d6
  6
  COM
  -2
  10-
  20
  PD
  16
  Total: 28 PD/ 18 rPD
  20
  ED
  16
  Total: 28 ED/ 18 rED
  6
  SPD
  29
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  15
  REC
  14
  40
  END
  0
  35
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 191
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 10”/20”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/
  Multipower(10)
  Magic:
  Magic Powers: Elemental Control (15)
   a - Mystic Shield: Force Field (8 PD, 8 ED, 8
  PowD), 0 END (36/24) [0]
  b - Life Support: Full (30/15)
  c - Flight: 10", 0 END (30/15)
  d - Sense Magic, Targeting, +2 PER (29/15)
  e - Magic Absorption: 3d6 ED Absorption,
  Max +30 pts (+6 pts), to All Magic (+2),
  Lose 5 pts/Minute (+¼); +1d6 ED
  Absorption to END, Max +20 END (+4
  pts), Lose 2 END/Turn (+¼); Only vs.
  Magic (-½) (79/43)
  Spells: Multipower (69 pt pool), -½ Var Lim:
  GI/Acts 14- (-¼), Side Effect: 3d6 Drain vs.
  Aborted/Dispelled/Reflected Slot (-¼) (46)
  u - Cursed Clutch: 6 ½d6 Ego Attack (65/4)
  [6]
  u - Cursed Clutch: 4 ½d6 Ego Attack, AP
  (67/5) [7]
  u - Cursed Clutch: 1d6 RKA, BODY BOECV
  (+2), Penetrating, +2 STUN Mult (+1)
  (67/5) [7]
  u - Siphon Magic: 3d6 Transfer to END, vs.
  Any Magic (+¼), Return 1 pt/Turn (+¼)
  (67/5) [7]
  u - Siphon Life Force: 3 ½d6 BODY Transfer
  to END, Return 1 BODY/2 Turns (+¼)
  (69/5) [7]
  u - Saffron Sphere: 4d6 Flash vs. Vision, 1 Hex
  AE [60/4] [6]
  u - Saffron Sphere: 4d6 EB, AVLD: Flash
  Defense vs. Vision (+1 ½), 1 Hex AE, PI
  (65/4) [6]
  u - Sorcerer’s Star: 13d6 EB (65/4) [6]
  u - Sorcerer’s Star: 5d6 EB, AVLD: Power
  Defense (+1 ½) (62/4) [6]
  u - Precessive Shield: Missile Reflection +9 vs.
  Any Magic, to Any Target (68/5)
  u - Store Magic: 1 ½d6 Transform, Universal
  (+1), Cumulative, Trigger: Ritual (+¼), x8
  END (-3 ½) (63/1) [48]
  u - Clairsentience: Normal Vision/Sense
  Magic, Other Dimensions, 0 END,
  Concentrate ½ DCV Throughout (-½)
  (67/3)
  u - EDM: Any Plane, x4 Mass (50/3) [5]
   Dimension Lord Powers:
  Damage Resistance (10 PD, 10 ED) (10)
  Flash Defense, Vision: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 20, 5 pts Hardened (17)
  Power Defense: 7 (7)
  Background Skills:
  Breakfall 13- (3)
  Dimensional Navigation 13- (3)
  Spell Research 13- (3)
  Trading 14- (3)
  KS: High Magic 13- (INT Based) (3)
  KS: Spell Transforms 13- (3)
  KS: Other Planes 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 294
  Total Character Cost: 485
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  if Struck (very common), 8-, 11-(20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Over Forceful Manner: Always PRE Attacking
  (Hard to Conceal, Annoying) (15)
  Enraged:
  by Theft (Real or Imagined) (common), 14-, 14-
  (10)
  Magic Limitations:
  Limited High Magic Style (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Vengeful (vc, strong) (20)
  Paranoid and Possessive (vc, strong) (20)
  Greedy for Magical Energy (vc) (20)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/Phase, Darkness Fields
  (common) (20)
  1d6 STUN/Minute, Being On Other Plane
  (common) (10)
  Vulnerability:
  x1 ½ STUN+BODY, Indirect Attacks
  (uncommon) (10)
  Villain Bonus (230)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 485
  
  225
  Wannabe
  Through the ghoul-guarded gateways of
  slumber,
   Past the wan-mooned abysses of night,
  I have lived o’er my lives without number,
  I have sounded all things with my sight…
  —H. P. Lovecraft, “Nemesis”
  This magical villain wants to take over the Earth and
  become a dimension lord or sorcerous tyrant, but
  doesn’t have the raw power for it…yet. Such sorcerers
  tend to be almost as obsessive and arrogant as Dimen-
  sional Conquerors. Once the heroes block a Wannabe’s
  scheme to gain power, the Wannabe may become a
  Vengeful Rival as well (see below). Wannabes fall in a
  wide range of power levels. A less powerful Wannabe
  will usually be found working for some demon lord
  or more powerful sorcerer, hoping to gain power
  through service. Wannabes might easily be more pow-
  erful than PC magicians, but they all fall far short of a
  Dimensional Conqueror’s might. After all, that’s what
  draws the Wannabe into conflict with the heroes: the
  Wannabe tries getting more power and doesn’t care
  who gets hurt in the process.
  Simon Magus
  Background: Simon Magus was one of the greatest
  wizards of the first century AD, but not half as great as
  he pretended. Simon studied magic in Egypt from the
  wizard Dositheus. He ousted Dositheus as master of
  the school when Dositheus angrily swung at Simon
  and his staff passed through Simon as though his body
  were made of smoke—only the first wonder Simon
  faked through his illusions.
  Mere wizardry didn’t offer enough fame or wealth
  for Simon. He decided to become the god and prophet
  of his own religion. Why not? The cult of that guy Jesus
  seemed to be doing well, and with Simon’s magic pow-
  ers he wouldn’t get nailed to a post, either. Simon tossed
  together some dumbed-down magic lore, mysticism
  and Greek philosophy, and invented Gnosticism.
  Simon built quite a following in Palestine, and his
  fame spread through the Roman Empire. Unfortu-
  nately, he angered the Apostles when he tried to buy
  what he supposed to be their magic tricks. Several
  Apostles clashed with Simon, exposing his illusions,
  but Peter and Paul became his special nemeses. The
  rivalry came to a head in Rome, where the Emperor
  Nero commanded that Peter and Simon fight a duel
  of miracles—and Simon didn’t do well. One case was
  typical: Simon made ferocious dogs appear and rush
  at Peter, but Peter made them disappear. Simon real-
  ized he had better use one of his few spells that wasn’t
  an illusion, his power to fly…but he would claim he
  was ascending to Heaven itself.
  The next day, Nero and Peter gathered to see Simon
  make good his boast to storm Heaven. Simon stepped
  off the roof of a tower and swiftly rose upwards. As he
  flew he read Nero’s mind; if Nero accepted this as proof
  of divinity, Simon would return and become the
  Emperor’s favorite. If not, he’d get out of town.
  Nero was impressed. Simon decided to climb out of
  sight, then hover an hour before returning. But Peter
  wasn’t done with him. Peter commanded the “spirits”
  bearing Simon to depart in the name of God. Sud-
  denly, Simon found himself plummeting from the sky,
  and he couldn’t get his flight spell to work again! Simon
  crashed in a street ironically named Holy Way, and
  died. So much for Simon the god.
  Except that’s not the whole story.
  Simon’s talents included astral projection. Mostly he
  used it to spy on people. As he fell, he tried something
  dangerous, something he’d never tried before—but
  what did he have to lose? He projected his astral body
  through time. If he searched the past and future, maybe
  he could find some way to bring a rescue back through
  time just before his body hit.
  Simon has searched through the millennia, looking
  for magic he could carry through time. Since he can
  only stay in astral form for 24 subjective hours, he
  possesses weak-willed beings. In his borrowed bodies,
  he searches for magic secrets and for other people he
  might possess; children and animals are easiest, but he
  prefers adult bodies. On the other hand, in a few cases
  he’s possessed people through almost their entire life.
  Such is the way of Simon Magus, Lord of Illusions.
  Quote: “Stop interfering! This is a matter of life and
  death!”
  Personality: Simon is a greedy, ambitious con man.
  When he wants something, his natural impulse is to
  trick someone into giving it to him. Failing that, he’ll
  try stealing it. Making an honest deal comes a distant
  third. He hates to fight or otherwise risk his borrowed
  body’s skin; after all, he could still die if he didn’t leave
  in time. He’s quite ruthless, if violence ever becomes
  necessary.
  Curiously, although Simon has now lived in bor-
  rowed bodies for centuries longer than he lived in his
  own flesh, he still wants to regain his own body and
  time. First, there’s no place like home. Second, he’s got
  a serious mad on at Christianity; if Simon regains his
  body, he’ll devote his new life to strangling Christian-
  ity in its cradle and establishing Simonism as the reli-
  gion of the Roman Empire. Eventually, though, frus-
  tration might drive Simon into madness, leading him
  to try changing history before his own birth, making
  even his spiritual existence a paradox.
  Simon’s hatred for the heirs of Peter and Paul lead
  him into frequent conflict with agents of the Roman
  Catholic Church. His attempt to drastically change
  history has earned him the enmity of Chroneval, the
  cosmic entity who guards the stability of the space-
  time continuum, so he must contend with Chroneval’s
  agents, the Chronstables, as well.
  Simon frequently uses his magic to reach a position
  of social prominence. This could be anything from a
  congressman to the coolest kid in school. When in a
  male body, he’s almost sure to have a girlfriend whom
  he calls Helen; part of Simon’s Gnostic doctrine held
  that an aspect of God was lost on Earth, incarnated as
  
  226
  a series of women, including Helen of Troy. (Yes, Simon
  was the first magician to have a beautiful assistant. In
  Roman times, his divine ‘Helen’ was a prostitute from
  Tyre. Simon claimed he was another aspect of God,
  come to redeem her.)
  Simon manages a curious bit of doublethink; he re-
  ally believes this, even while he knows he made it up.
  A lot of his self-confidence depends on maintaining
  this controlled delusion, so he really does revere each
  “Helen.”
  Powers/Tactics: Simon has many spells relating to il-
  lusion and mind control. He reached such mastery of
  illusion that he could make some of his illusions more
  or less real, or dissolve real things into illusion. He also
  learned various low-powered, common spells. Centu-
  ries of time-hopping have raised his powers even fur-
  ther. Now, he can even create short-lived, mini-dimen-
  sions—cysts—on the Lower Astral Plane.
  Simon prefers using some combination of Gestures,
  Incantations, and/or Focus amulets to cast his spells,
  but if all else fails, he can cast the spells of his
  Multipower through sheer concentration. The magic
  from his Power Pool generally uses Foci and Charges;
  he usually keeps a few small Triggered Powers for es-
  caping from Entangles and to protect him from Flash
  Attacks.
  Simon’s chief combat tactic is avoidance. He never
  fights if he doesn’t have to. If he faces opponents he
  can’t simply bypass, he tries bribery, deception and
  intimidation. One common strategy is to pretend to
  give up, go away, and spy on his enemy clairvoyantly
  to discover what they want, believe and expect, the
  better to fool or bribe them. If all else fails, Simon tries
  to recruit lackeys and hirelings to handle rough stuff.
  When Simon absolutely has to fight, he tries to sur-
  prise his foes and make them fight among themselves.
  Through Illusions (Mental and Images) he creates false
  targets and spreads confusion. Only once his opposi-
  tion is thoroughly disorganized will Simon use his
  Apparitional Attack and Etherealization. He also has
  no scruples about taking and threatening hostages to
  get what he wants. If he has plenty of time to prepare
  for a conflict, he might even shape an astral cyst into a
  kill zone of traps and illusions (some bought through
  Headquarters Points, others as Triggered Powers cre-
  ated through the Power Pool), and try to lure his en-
  emies into it. (He can use his Power Pool to put Ad-
  vantages like Invisible Power Effects on his Gate spell
  so heroes won’t detect the Gate—until they are through
  it, in a world gone mad, with a Hardened Force Field
  around the cyst preventing their escape.)
  Finally, Simon’s nonlinear life gives him consider-
  able foreknowledge of events. Not only has he lived in
  future centuries, he has studied all recorded history in
  detail, looking for clues to magic that would let him
  save his life. If he expects to need really detailed infor-
  mation about a period, he just occupies a body in a
  near future time and questions people who lived
  through the events which interest him. In modern pe-
  riods, he can peruse almanacs, newspapers and histo-
  ries. He may even research the careers of heroes he
  expects to meet.
  Simon’s time-hopping has one great limitation,
  though. He cannot double back on his personal
  timeline. Thus, he cannot possess anyone in a time-
  frame when his past (or future!) self is already pos-
  sessing someone else. That’s what keeps him from sim-
  ply possessing someone back in the 1st century AD
  and catching his falling body through Telekinesis, or
  murdering the Apostle Peter before their clash in Rome:
  Simon already exists in that period, so that time frame
  is barred to him forever.
  Appearance: Simon’s appearance depends on what
  body he’s in. He could be young or old, male or fe-
  male, any race or even in the body of an animal if it
  suits his purposes. (He wouldn’t possess an animal
  unless he was desperate or very sure he could get what
  he wants that way: spell casting becomes difficult in a
  non-human body.)
  Another Historical
  Mage
  Crowley, Aleister
  (1875-1947): The 20th century’s most notori-
  ous and influential self-proclaimed sorcerer was
  the child of psychotically strict Fundamentalist
  parents. At a young age, he decided that his
  mother was correct: he was a child of the Devil.
  Crowley loved scandal, billing himself as “the
  Beast 666.” The press responded by dubbing him
  “the Wickedest Man in the World.” Protégé and
  later rival of S. L. “MacGregor” Mathers in the
  Golden Dawn, Crowley virtually rewrote
  ceremonial magic to bring it up to date. He also
  gave it an ideology and metaphysics of his own
  invention, complete with a short gospel chan-
  neled from a spirit called Aiwass: The Book of
  the Law, in which he proclaimed the end of the
  Judeo-Christian “Aeon of Osiris” and the
  dawning of a new “Aeon of Horus.” At the heart
  of Crowley’s doctrine was the Motto of Thelema:
  “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the
  Law.” Crowley is credited with feats such as
  turning the poet Victor Neuberg into a donkey
  and letting himself be possessed (temporarily)
  by the arch-demon Choronzon. His non-occult
  achievements include translating Baudelaire,
  writing poetry and a pretty good occult novel
  called Moonchild, world-class mountaineering
  and addiction to heroin. He died peacefully, in
  genteel poverty. His funeral was bizarre.
  
  227
  Simon Magus
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: [7]/DCV: [7]
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  23
  INT
  13
  14- PER Roll 14-
  21
  EGO
  22
  13- ECV: 7
  23
  PRE
  13
  14- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  10
  PD
  8
  Total: 22 PD/ 12 rPD
  10
  ED
  6
  Total: 22 ED/ 12 rED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 130
  Movement:
  Running: 10”/20”
  Flight: 12”/24”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/
  Multipower(10)
  Magic:
  Ritual Magic: Power Pool (52 pt pool), Hours or
  Lab to Change (-½), -1 Var Lim (-½) (65)
  High Magic: Multipower (69 pt pool), ½ Var
  Lim: Activation, Concentrate, Gestures,
  Incantation, Focus (-¼), All from END
  Reserve (55)
  u - Psychic Bolt: 6 ½d6 Ego Attack (65/5) [6]
  u - Psychic Phantasms: 13d6 Mental Illusions
  (65/5) [6]
  u - Visible Phantasms: Images vs. Normal
  Sight/Hearing, -8 PER, 4" Radius (+½), ½
  END (68/5) [3]
  u - Forceful Phantasms: 30 STR TK w/Fine
  Manipulation, ½ END (69/5) [3]
  u - Apparitional Attack: 3d6 RKA, Var Sp FX:
  Any (+½) (67/5) [7]
  u - Etherealization: 2½d6 BODY Drain,
  Ranged, Continuous, ½ END, Blocked by
  Mental Defense, not Power Defense (+0)
  (69/5) [3]
  u - Malison of Madness: 6½d6 minor
  Transform (65/5) [6]
  u - Exorcism: 23d6 Dispel vs. Summon (69/5)
  [7]
  u - Spirit Bolt: 9d6 EB, Affects Desolid (+½)
  (67/5) [7]
  u - Mind Reading: 13d6 Telepathy (65/5) [6]
  u - Mind Reading: 9d6 Telepathy, Invisible vs.
  Mental (+½) (67/5) [7]
  u - Mind Reading: 4d6 Telepathy, Affects Solid
  (+2), 0 Range, 1 Phase Extra Time,
  Concentrate ½ DCV (-¼) (60/2) [6]
  u - Illusions: 4d6 Mental Illusions, Affects
  Solid (+2), 0 Range, 1 Phase Extra Time,
  Concentrate ½ DCV (60/2) [6]
  u - Domination: 13d6 Mind Control, 1 Phase
  Extra Time (65/3) [6]
  u - Morphic Mutation: 2d6 major Transform,
  Universal: Physical (+1), 1 Phase Extra Time
  (60/3) [6]
  u - Healing Hand: 6½d6 minor Transform
  (Diseased/Impaired to Whole), 0 Range, 1
  turn Extra Time (-1) (65/2) [6]
  u - Time Travel: Extra Dimensional
  Movement, Any Time, Only in Astral Form
  (-½) (60/3) [6]
  u - Shape Cyst: 1d6 Transform, Universal
  (+1), Cumulative, Invisible vs. Magic (+½),
  5"x4 Radius AE (+1 ½), Only on Astral
  Plane (-½), 1 Turn Extra Time (-1) (67/2)
  [7]
  u - Gate to Cysts: EDM: Astral Cysts (30 pts),
  Continuous, Use By Other x1 (+¼), Opens
  Both Ways (-½), Full Phase to Close (-½)
  (67/3) [7]
  Magic Powers: Elemental Control, ½ Var Lim:
  Activation, Concentrate, Gestures, Incantation,
  Focus (-¼) (12)
  a - Force Field (12 PD, 12 ED), ½ END (30/12)
  [1]
  b - Flight: 12", ½ END (30/12) [1/10"]
  c - Clairsentience: Vision, Hearing, Sense
  Magic, (30/12) [3]
   d - Astral Form: Desolid, not vs. Spirit Magic,
  0 END (Persistent), Lack Body (-1) (80/29)
  e - Possession: 4d6 Transform vs. EGO:
  Person’s Mind to Simon’s Mind, Affects
  Solid (+2), Only While Astral vs. Physical
  Targets (-½), Side Effect: Astral Form
  Vanishes (-1), 0 Range, Concentrate 0 DCV,
  1 Phase Extra Time (-½) (180/31) [4c]
  Mental Defense: 15, 5 pts Hardened (12)
  Power Defense : 11, IAF (Amulet) (7)
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory, Costs
  END, Acts 14- (7) [1]
  Mystical Energy Reserves: 100 pt END Reserve,
  Recharges 6 END/Turn (16)
  Universal Translator 14- (20)
  Cramming (5)
  Background Skills:
  Acting 14- (3)
  Astral Navigation 14- (3)
  Conversation 14- (3)
  Deduction 14- (3)
  Oratory 14- (3)
  Sleight of Hand 13- (3)
  Spell Research 14- (3)
  Trading 14- (3)
  Ventriloquism 12- (5)
  Jack of All Trades (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Gnosticism 14- (INT Based) (2)
  KS: General Magic 14- (2)
  KS: World History 14- (2)
  KS: Occult History 14- (2)
  KS: Occult World 14- (2)
  KS: Spirits 14- (2)
  KS: Worldsmithing 14- (2)
  Traveler (3)
  Initiate: Any Gnostic Sect (5)
  Headquarters: 100 pt reserve (20)
  Skill Levels: +1 level w/ Acting, Sleight of Hand,
  & Ventriloquism (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 469
  Total Character Cost: 599
  
  228
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Possessing Spirit (Few Detect) (5)
  DNPC:
  Current ‘Helen’, 11- (Normal) (15)
  Hunted by:
  the Catholic Church, 11- (Less Pow, NCI) (15)
  the Local Bunko Squad, 11- (Less Pow, NCI,
  Mild) (10)
  Chronstables, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Hungers for Social Prominence
  (15)
  Seeks Magical Power (15)
  Manipulative & Deceptive (15)
  Coward (10)
  Rivalry:
  Christian priests & churches (superior position)
  (10)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Villain Bonus (369)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 599
  Manipulator
  These sneaky wretches might have considerable raw
  power on their own, but they prefer to talk or trick
  someone else into doing the dirty work while they
  themselves stay safely hidden in the background. The
  Manipulator may appear as an “adviser” to a powerful
  person, or assume some even more insignificant role.
  Simply exposing a Manipulator may be enough to
  foil its evil scheme. For one thing, their dupes tend to
  be proud as well as powerful, and such people get up-
  set at being played for fools. Even if the powerful “front
  man” knows that the humble Manipulator is the real
  brains of the outfit, it may be possible to convince the
  front man that the Manipulator is going to betray him.
  Whatever powers a Manipulator may have, they al-
  ways have great skill at persuasion and deception. A
  Manipulator might not have any real powers at all—
  just an unholy talent for talking people into doing
  things.
  Pope Joan
  Background: Jo-Anne Hocking decided that she was a
  witch when she was 10. She spent the next 20 years
  becoming one. She read every book about the occult
  she could find and joined dozens of New Age move-
  ments. None of it gave her the power she wanted, but
  she gained the skills that let her join the Vril Society
  and learn a little real magic.
  Hocking might have stayed with the Vril Society, but
  she kept experimenting on her own with other occult
  disciplines. One experiment got her in serious legal
  trouble (something involving hallucinogens and a
  teenage boy.) She had to leave the area quickly and the
  Society kicked her out. She had her introduction to
  the Magical World, though. A year later she located
  one of the surviving members of Triskele (the occult
  society whose attempts to force magic on the world
  had climaxed with Nazi Germany) and became the
  apprentice of Montage, mistress of theurgy. Montage
  could not only summon spirits, she could, through
  extended effort, create entirely new spirits to order.
  Several years later, Hocking set out on her own. She
  had learned enough to work out her own version of
  Montage’s great spell of evocation. She could only use
  it to put a synthesized spirit into the body of a psychi-
  cally vulnerable and utterly deluded person, and she
  had to work from a pattern; a mythological god. With
  her feminine wiles and sorcery, however, meeting those
  conditions wouldn’t be much of a problem. And with
  a super-powered love-slave at her command, who knew
  what she might accomplish?
  Quote: “Pluto, be a dear and get rid of these people, will
  you?”
  Personality: Pope Joan is quite brilliant, but she’s fun-
  damentally lazy. (Ironically, she has worked far harder
  to become a sorceress than she would have to become
  a doctor, lawyer or company executive. She doesn’t re-
  gard studying magic, however, as “real work.”) She’s
  also quite ruthless, as long as she herself doesn’t have
  to do the violence. Avoiding combat makes a lot of
  sense for her, but she lacks defensive spells because she
  figured her wits would keep her out of danger, so why
  go to all the trouble of learning how to cast mystic
  wards? Her laziness even extends to her standard modus
  operandi of making a man her super-powered slave
  instead of doing the dirty work herself.
  Powers/Tactics: Pope Joan practices a narrow form of
  theurgy—magic dealing with spirits, the soul and the
  gods. Her style is much closer to Classical Theurgy than
  to modern Hermetic Theurgy. Her greatest power is
  to give her lover the powers of a mythological god. This
  spell requires a bed decked out as a sort of magical
  shrine, a few relics of the god in question and some
  lesser ritual paraphernalia. It also requires at least a
  month of subtle brainwashing to make her lover be-
  lieve that he really is the god while making him utterly
  obedient. Pope Joan has a special Mind Link to her
  empowered lover which other mentalists can’t detect.
  (The lover is not, however, possessed by the actual
  god. He is simply delusional, with super-powers. If
  something breaks the delusion, such as Telepathy at
  the EGO+30 level or losing a fight with the real god,
  the Transform reverses and the powers vanish. Em-
  powered love-slaves are built on up to 300 points. Pluto,
  in the section on “Supernatural Super-Thugs” below,
  can be used as a model.)
  Pope Joan also has several other spells. Her greatest
  combat spell, a version of “Julianic Soul Disjunction”
  (see “Hermetic Theurgy” in Chapter Four), rips
  people’s astral bodies partly free of their material bod-
  ies and freezes them that way. Such people have diffi-
  culty controlling their bodies (SPD loss) until their
  astral and material bodies merge again. She also has a
  weaker version for use on a single target. Her other
  spells are relatively generic, although most deal with
  influencing the mind or soul. Pope Joan prefers to fo-
  cus her spells through small talismans she wears as pins,
  pendants or bracelets (IAF); without them, she needs
  Extra Time or Gestures and Incantations.
  
  229
  Her own mind is well shielded. Pope Joan has even
  learned how to make her mental defenses undetect-
  able using special crystal earrings.
  Pope Joan knows perfectly well that she is hopelessly
  outmatched in any fight with even a single super-mage,
  so she tries to stay out of fights. If a fight comes look-
  ing for her, she casts a Mass Soul Disjunction. With
  the enemy slowed, Pope Joan either tries to run away
  or she seeks cover to snipe with her spells while her
  love-slave fights.
  Appearance: Pope Joan appears to be a remarkably
  beautiful, auburn-haired woman in her mid 20s. She
  dresses in New Age kitsch: stone-washed jeans and tie-
  dyed shirts or peasant blouses, dripping with “mysti-
  cal” pins and pendants (ankhs, pentagrams, crystals,
  unicorns, zodiac symbols, etc.) This is to conceal the
  real talismans she prefers to use in her magic, mixed
  in with the trash.
  Actually, Pope Joan is in her late 30s, and not quite
  so ravishingly beautiful; she uses low-level enchant-
  ments to preserve a seeming of youth. Any Dispel cast
  on her will remove her glamour spell.
  Notes: Jo Anne’s rather odd pseudonym comes from
  the scurrilous Medieval legend of a woman called Joan
  who disguised herself as a man, became a priest, and
  eventually a Pope. None of this stopped her from car-
  rying on love affairs, which eventually resulted in preg-
  nancy. Everything came out—as it were—when she
  had the baby in the middle of a church procession.
  She was put to death in an attempt to hush the whole
  thing up, but some occultists claim she is commemo-
  rated in the Tarot card called The High Priestess or
  The Female Pope. Jo Anne sees the Pope Joan legend
  as symbolizing masculine fear of feminine sexual and
  spiritual power. She also puts the card on the sign ad-
  vertising her New Age supply store and consultation
  service, the “Astral Karma Metaphysical Center.”
  Pope Joan
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  15
  DEX
  15
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  10
  CON
  0
  11-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  20
  EGO
  20
  13- ECV: 7
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  20
  COM
  5
  13-
  2
  PD
  0
  Total: 2 PD
  2
  ED
  0
  Total: 2 ED/
  3
  SPD
  5
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  5
  REC
  2
  20
  END
  0
  20
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 65
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Level +1 Level w/ DCV (5)
  Magic Abilities:
  Spells: Multipower (52 pt pool), ½ Var Lim
  (-¼), Acts 15- (-¼) (35)
  u - Psychic Assault: 5d6 Ego Attack (50/3) [5]
  u - Psychic Puppeteering: 13 STR TK, BOECV
  (+1), Invisible vs. Sight/Hearing (+¾)
  (52/3) [5]
  u - Soul Disjunction: 5d6 DEX Suppress,
  Invisible vs. Sight/Hearing (+¾), ½ END
  (50/3) [2]
  u - Hypnotic Illusions: 10d6 Mental Illusions
  (50/3) [5]
  u - Hypnotic Mastery: 10d6 Mind Control
  (50/3) [5]
  u - Hypnotic Mastery: 6d6 Mind Control,
  Invisible vs. Mental (+½), Nonverbal (+¼)
  [52/3] [5]
  u - Spellbreaking: 14d6 Dispel, vs. Any 1 Magic
  Effect (+¼) (52/3) [5]
  u - Warding Spirit: Missile Reflection +6 vs.
  All Normal (52/3)
  u - Warding Spirit: Missile Reflection +6 vs.
  All Magic (52/3)
  u - Mirages: Images vs. Normal Hearing, All
  Sight, -7 PER, 2" Radius (+¼) (51/3) [5]
  u - False Aura: Images vs. Detect Magic, Aura
  Sense, -6 PER, 0 END, 0 Range (49/2) [0]
  u - Soul Fortification: 3d6 EGO + 3d6 STUN
  Aid, Lose 5 pts/minute (+¼), Ranged (52/3)
  [5]
  Mass Soul Disjunction: 6d6 SPD Suppress,
  Uncontrolled, 9" Cone AE (+1), 1 chg of 1
  minute (-1), Costs END, x2 END, Concentrate
  0 DCV, 0 Range (19) [14]
  Empower/Enslave Lover: 7d6 Transform, Grant
  Powers of Any Mythic God, Max 300 pts (+¼),
  Immobile OAF: Shrine Bed & Paraphernalia,
  Must Have Steady Love Affair With Target for
  1 Month (-2) (19) [1c]
  Mental Defense: 10, Invisible vs. Mental w/IAF
  Crystal Earrings (+½, -½) (8)
  Mind Link to Current Pawn, Invisible vs. Mental
  (7)
  Background Skills:
  Acting 14- (5)
  Conversation 13- (3)
  Disguise 12- (5)
  Greek (accented, English is native) (3)
  KS: Mental Magic 11- (1)
  KS: Mythology 13- (2)
  KS: Occult World 11- (1)
  KS: Theurgy 13- (2)
  KS: Western Mainstream Occultism 13- (2)
  Latin (fluent) (1)
  Oratory 13- (3)
  Persuasion 13- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  Seduction 13- (3)
  Sleight of Hand 13- (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 170
  Total Character Cost: 235
  
  230
  Disadvantages: 100+
  DNPC:
  Current Lover/Pawn, 14- (As Pow) (10)
  Hunted by:
  Vril Society, 11- (More Pow) (20)
  Magical Hero, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Fear of Close Combat (15)
  Manipulative (15)
  Treacherous (10)
  Greedy for Magic Power (10)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Villain Bonus (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 235
  Corrupter
  A variant of the Manipulator, but instead of power
  and control the Corrupter just wants to draw people
  into evil ways. The subtler sort of demon lord often
  falls into this category.
  Brujo
  Background: Lysander Cordas was a second-rate sor-
  cerer who’d hit his limit of competence. As he grew
  old without growing wiser or more powerful, he con-
  cluded that he’d wasted his life. If he had his life to live
  over again, he wouldn’t waste his youth on dusty tomes
  of mystic lore; he’d go for the gusto!
  In a normal man, such regrets would be vain—but
  even a minor sorcerer can call Mephistopheles, the Lord
  of Pacts. In return for the promise of Lysander’s soul,
  Mephisto offered him youth, strength, good looks, and
  fighting skill. Instead of a sage, he could try life as a
  rogue. Mephisto would collect Lysander’s soul when
  Lysander reached his present age again.
  Lysander, happy at receiving a 40+ year delay in pay-
  ing his side of the bargain, agreed at once. Mephisto,
  true to his promise, turned Lysander into a brawny
  young stud who could whip wildcats with his bare
  hands.
  Lysander used his new physical prowess, with the
  magic he still had, to take over a street gang. He’s liv-
  ing it up, debauching himself with all the pleasures he
  denied himself before. His Hispanic followers call him
  El Brujo—the Witch-Man.
  Quote: “Hey, hombre. You about to have some really
  bad luck.”
  Personality: Brujo lives for violence, pleasure and
  thrills, making up for previous decades of monk-like
  existence. Since he’s never been beaten, he’s developed
  a lazy arrogance, like a tiger closing in on a deer with a
  broken leg. He’ll challenge any man to fight, anywhere,
  anytime. He’s just as insufferable with good-looking
  women; again, in his new life he’s been seldom refused
  and never failed to get what he wants. He takes drugs
  with an abandon that would kill a normal man, but
  his superhuman constitution and mental training let
  him get away with it. Brujo’s topping it all off with
  leading his gang to dominance of the city’s underworld,
  just for the pleasure of pushing people around.
  Like any convert to a new ideology, Brujo wants to
  spread the word. He encourages others to follow his
  example of amoral hedonism. He doesn’t set out to
  destroy people’s lives this way, but that is the usual re-
  sult. With his magic, Brujo can escape the consequences
  of his new taste for sex, drugs, crime, and violence;
  not so the young men and women he lures into his
  gang. Brujo knows perfectly well that his new buddies
  and lovers risk disease, addiction, prison or death, but
  he doesn’t care. He was a selfish man even before his
  pact and now he just wants to keep the party going.
  Powers/Tactics: Most importantly, Brujo is a hand-to-
  hand fighter of rare speed and power. On top of this,
  he still knows how to use spells. They may not be very
  powerful spells, but they give him a definite edge in
  most combat. He loves the feel of his fists smacking
  into an opponent who is stumbling around blind in
  his Darkness field. As Lysander Cordas, he cast his spells
  through lengthy incantations and mystic passes; now,
  as a shortcut he’s stitched his combat-useful spells into
  his vest, ready to call upon in an instant.
  Normally, Brujo uses his spells lightly, to preserve
  the mystery and terror of his magic. Only in a real
  knock-down, drag-out battle will he use his full magic
  powers. His greatest magical achievement is a spell on
  his most loyal henchmen. He says the spell makes them
  unbeatable. In fact, they have unwittingly agreed to let
  themselves become possessed by wrath demons. (Brujo
  can possess people with other lesser demons types,
  too.) When Brujo says a special word, the spells will go
  off and the four young men will turn into wrath de-
  mons. They will never turn back. Brujo will save this
  for an emergency.
  Appearance: Lysander has become a 6’1" tall young
  man with bronzed skin, black hair and a lean but pow-
  erfully muscular build. He’s extraordinarily handsome,
  in a sullen and dangerous sort of way. He wears skin-
  tight black leather pants with lots of zippers, chains
  and studs, and an open leather vest stitched with in-
  terlocking mystic runes.
  Notes: Mephisto gave Lysander a terrible Achilles heel.
  A magic scan clearly shows that Brujo’s physical prow-
  ess is the result of some magical augmentation; only a
  very close and detailed examination shows that this is
  a total transformation instead of a mere enhancement.
  A Dispel against any of Brujo’s major combat statis-
  tics (STR, DEX, etc.) will undo Mephisto’s transfor-
  mation and turn Brujo back into old Lysander Cordas.
  And then Mephisto will appear to claim Lysander’s
  soul, as per the exact wording of their contract.
  Brujo could be used to give Dark Champions vigi-
  lantes a supernatural surprise. As a combatant, he is
  no match for a team of Champions superheroes and
  little more than a nuisance for a team of super mages.
  Brujo serves two functions in a super mage campaign.
  First, he can be a petty obstacle between the heroes
  and their goal, whatever that might be. Second, he can
  present the heroes with a moral challenge. Convinc-
  ing Brujo’s followers that altruism and responsibility
  
  231
  really matter could be far more difficult than just beat-
  ing him up. For a little extra urgency, Brujo could have
  seduced a hero’s DNPC into his gang.
  Brujo
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 200 kg; 4d6 [2]
  24
  DEX
  42
  14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  20
  CON
  20
  13-
  15
  BODY
  10
  12-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 14-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  20
  COM
  5
  13-
  19
  PD
  15
  Total: 31 PD/ 12 rPD
  19
  ED
  15
  Total: 31 ED/ 12r ED
  6
  SPD
  26
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  12
  REC
  8
  40
  END
  0
  35
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 185
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Level +2 Levels w/ Hand-to-Hand
  Combat (10)
  Martial Arts—Dirty Infighting (28)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Low Blow
  -1
  +1
  4d6 NND
  Punch
  +0
  +2
  10d6
  Trip
  +0
  +1
  8d6+v/5;
  target falls
  +4 Damage Classes (already added in)
  Use Art with Knife
  Demon Pact Powers:
  Spells: Multipower (41 pt pool), Incantations, -1
  Var Lim (-½) (23)
  u - Hypnotic Domination: 8d6 Mind Control
  (40/2) [4]
  u - Hypnotic Illusions: 8d6 Mental Illusions
  (40/2) [4]
  u - Mind Reading: 8d6 Telepathy (40/2) [4]
  u - Hypnotic Paralysis: 2d6, 2 DEF Entangle,
  Damage Transparent (+½), Invisible vs.
  Vision (+½) (40) [4]
  u - Spellbreaking: 11d6 Dispel, vs. Any 1 Magic
  Effect (+¼) (41/2) [4]
  u - Mystic Shadows: 2" radius Darkness vs. All
  Vision, Personal Immunity (+¼) (37/2) [4]
  u - Curse: 1d6 Drain, vs. Any 1 Char (+¼),
  Regain 1 pt/minute (+½), Ranged,
  Continuous, Invisible vs. Vision (+½), ½
  END (40/2) [2]
  u - Damage Deflection: Force Field (12 PD, 12
  ED, 8 MD), ½ END (40/2) [2]
  u - Scrying: 6d6 Mind Scanning, +5 ECV, OAF
  Silver Bowl of Water (40/1) [3]
  u - Scrying: Clairsentience: Vision, x16 Range
  (4 miles), OAF Silver Bowl of Water (40/1)
  [4]
  u - Scrying Vision Quest: Clairsentience:
  Vision, to “Astral” Planes, OAF Silver Bowl
  of Water (40/1) [4]
  u - Conjure Scratchets: 2 x 25 pt Summon
  Scratchets, Requires Ritual (-2) (40/1) [4]
  u - Fuse Person with Demon: 1d6+1 major
  Transform, to Any Lesser Demon Type
  (+¼), Cumulative, Trigger: Command
  Word (+¼), Requires Ritual (-2) (40/1) [4]
  u - Contact Mephisto: 5d6 Mind Scan,
  Transdimensional: Netherworld (+½), +1
  ECV, Only to Contact Mephisto (-1), OAF
  Ritual Gear, x3 END (-1 (40/1) [12]
  More Contact Mephisto: +3d6 Mind Scan,
  Transdimensional: Netherworld (+½), +1
  ECV, Only to Contact Mephisto (-1), OAF
  Ritual Gear, x3 END, Incantations, -1 Var Lim
  (-½) (6) [+9]
  Still More Contact Mephisto: Mind Link to
  Mephistopheles, Any Distance/Dimension,
  OAF Ritual Gear, Costs END, x3 END (-1),
  initial 5 minutes Extra Time (-1), Gestures,
  Incantations, constant Concentrate 0 DCV
  (-1) (2) [3]
  Lecanomancy: Detect Magic, Discriminatory,
  OAF Bowl, Water & Oil, 1 turn Extra Time
  (-1), constant Concentrate ½ DCV (-½) (2)
  Mystic Vest: Power Defense: 7, OAF (3)
  Knife: 1d6 HKA, OAF , STR Min 5 (-¾) (5)
  Mental Defense: 10 (6)
  Background Skills:
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  Combat Sense 13- (3)
  Cryptography 13- (3)
  English (as perfect as he wants) (3)
  KS: Gang Life 13- (2)
  KS: General Magic 13- (2)
  KS: Occult Legends 13- (2)
  Latin (accented) (1)
  Linguist (Spanish is native) (3)
  Scholar
  Sleight of Hand 14- (3)
  Streetwise 13- (3)
  Weapon Fam: Common Street Weapons (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 139
  Total Character Cost: 324
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Swaggering Gang Megahunk (Hard to Conceal)
  (10)
  Damned (Few Detect, Strong Reaction) (10)
  Hunted by:
  Hunted by Police, 11- (Less Pow, NCI) (15)
  Hunted by Rival Gang, 11- (As Pow) (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Successful Dispel vs. Primary Physical
  Characteristic Reverses Transform—and Pact
  Comes Due (inf, total) (15)
   Cannot Fight or Flee Mephisto (inf, total) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Showoff  (20)
  Proud and Egotistical (15)
  Pursues Pleasure (15)
  Watched by:
  Mephisto, 14- (More Pow, NCI) (15)
  Villain Bonus (79)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 324
  
  232
  Mad God
  Circumstances release a powerful supernatural be-
  ing on Earth, and the heroes have to stop its rampage.
  The being might be truly insane, lashing out accord-
  ing to its own weird agenda, or it might just be angry.
  The traditional Mad God scenario is, “Foolhardy West-
  erners disregard native warnings and tamper with
  something they should have left alone”—a shrine, idol,
  cave, or whatever. Either the “god” is enraged by the
  “sacrilege,” or the stupid meddlers release a horrible
  demon imprisoned long ago.
  On the other hand, the Mad God might be fright-
  ened and confused at being thrust into the incompre-
  hensibly alien world of Earth. Whatever the reason, a
  Mad God is a great excuse for a tough fight with lots
  of property damage. Mad Gods are usually one shot
  enemies.
  Lahatiel
  Background: “Oh come on, Rabbi! If it was an angel,
  why did it try to kill me? I’m one of the good guys!”
  “Sure, I know that, and you know that, but he doesn’t
  know that. This is an Angel of Wrath and Vengeance—
  one of God’s hit men. He doesn’t interpret the Law, he
  enforces it. And the Law says, ‘Thou shalt not suffer a
  witch to live.’ You being a sorcerer and all, that puts
  you in a bad spot. Down here on Earth, we make com-
  promises. This angel, he doesn’t know about compro-
  mise. What do you expect, his last job was probably
  Sodom and Gomorrah!”
  “But why is he here, now? I don’t think that porno
  shop I found him burning down—and the block of
  buildings it was in—was so especially evil that it called
  for divine intervention.”
  “Ah. Yes, boychik, now that is a very good question.”
  Whatever the reason, Lahatiel (“Flaming One of
  God”) is on Earth now. Few of the humans who cross
  his path will find it a blessed event. As an angel, Lahatiel
  can follow the Law of God in every detail. Mere hu-
  mans cannot live up to his standards of perfection.
  Quote: “No mortal is innocent. All sin must be punished,
  the Law upheld!”
  Personality: Lahatiel is an executioner without mercy
  or pity. His function is to be aimed and fired at a tar-
  get selected by broader, wiser minds than his. On Earth
  without supervision, he will find missions of his own.
  There’s no shortage of sinful behavior to punish, and
  for Lahatiel the sentence is always death.
  The greatest weakness of the Angel of Vengeance is
  his mental inflexibility. To him, there is nothing be-
  tween perfect virtue and vilest evil. If Lahatiel can be
  tricked or manipulated into doing something “sinful,”
  such as damaging a church, he flips out and may even
  dispel himself. He may hurt a lot of innocent bystand-
  ers, however, before he goes.
  Powers/Tactics: Lahatiel has the typical powers of his
  order of angels, the Aralim (“Valiant Ones”): a sword
  of flame he can materialize at will, a blinding burst of
  light, levitation, a fiery aura, great resistance to dam-
  age and superhuman fighting skill. He can mentally
  follow a fleeing target, as long as he has some idea (i.e.,
  to within a city block) of where the person is. He can
  be superhumanly strong if he wants, and increase any
  one Characteristic (or pair of Characteristics, to a lesser
  degree) at will. Thus, if Lahatiel needs to speed up he
  can increase his DEX and SPD, if he needs a better
  Perception roll he can boost his INT, and so on.
  Warrior angels like Lahatiel fight in a distinctive style
  which some humans call Jihad: “Holy War.” A fighting
  angel stays as still as possible until the last possible
  moment, then moves with blinding speed. Every mo-
  tion is pared down to a bare minimum. Jihad empha-
  sizes defense and counterattack; thus, Lahatiel’s best
  sword attack can only be used after a successful Block.
  Appearance: Lahatiel doesn’t quite look like the ste-
  reotypical fair-haired bloke with white robes and
  wings. Think of a slim, muscular man, about 6' 6" tall.
  He’d be spectacularly beautiful if he weren’t made of
  blazing, blue-white light, and there was more human
  feeling in his too-perfect face. In one hand he carries a
  large sword of blue flame. From his back spring six
  broad, arching triangles of shimmering pale violet, as
  well as several violet streamers that curl and wave
  around his body and form his only clothing. That’s an
  Angel of Wrath and Vengeance.
  Another Historical
  Mage
  Dee, Dr. John
  (1527-1608): This physician, mathematician
  and general genius devoted his life to seeking
  knowledge of the spirit world through scrying.
  For his troubles, a mob once burned his house
  down. Unfortunately, Dee himself was no good
  as a seer, despite receiving a magic crystal from
  an angel. His most successful scryer was a part-
  time alchemist and full-time rogue named
  Edward Kelley. Through a long and stormy
  partnership, Dee recorded many volumes of
  Kelley’s conversations with spirits. The spirits
  had a great deal to say: invocations in Enochian,
  the alleged language of angels; strange cures for
  minor ailments; and much windy occult lore
  about the Astral Plane. The problem was, the
  spirits never told where the two men could find
  some much-needed money. Despite occasional
  appointments as astrologer or alchemist to
  Queen Elizabeth and other monarchs and
  nobles, Dee often lived in poverty.
  
  233
  Lahatiel
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  14- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  23
  DEX
  39
  15- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  18
  CON
  16
  14-
  10
  BODY
  0
  12-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  12
  COM
  1
  13-
  15
  PD
  11
  Total: 25 PD/ 10 rPD
  15
  ED
  11
  Total: 25 ED/ 10r ED
  5
  SPD
  17
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10
  REC
  4
  36
  END
  0
  29
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 130
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 13”/52”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Jihad(6)
  Martial Arts—Jihad (21)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Block
  +2
  +2
  Block, Abort
  Counterstrike
  +2
  +2
  6d6/3d6 KA,
  Must follow
  Block
  Defensive Strike
  +1
  +3
  4d6/2½d6 KA
  Grappling Throw
  +0
  +2
  6d6, Target
  falls, only
  after grab
  Reversal
  -1
  -2
  35 STR Escape
  Grab 2 limbs
  Use Arts with Barehanded, Flaming Sword
  Angelic Powers:
  Multipower (46 pt pool) (46)
  u - Flaming Sword: 1½d6 HKA, Penetrating, ½
  END (44/4) [2]
  u - Cast Light: 3d6 Flash vs. Vision,
  Nonselective 1 Hex AE (+¼), ½ END (45/4)
  [2]
  u - Joint Break: 1d6 HKA, BODY NND: Lack
  of Weakness/Double Jointed (+2), Only
  Targets Limb to Impair/Disable (-½) (45/3)
  [4]
  u - Righteous Rage: +37 STR, ½ END, No
  Figured Chars (-½) (46/3) [+3]
  u - Tracking: 8d6 Mind Scanning, +3 ECV, 1
  phase Extra Time (-½) (46/3) [4]
  Fiery Spiritual Nature: Elemental Control (18)
   a - Flaming Aura: 1d6 RKA, Penetrating,
  Damage Shield, 0 END (37/19) [0]
  b - Armor (10 PD, 10 ED), Hardened (37/19)
  c - Flight: 13", ½ END, x4 NCM (39/21)
  [1/10"]
  d - Enhancement: 3d6 Aid + 3d6 Aid, to Any 1
  Characteristic Each (+¼), Self Only (-½)
  (37/13) [4]
  Hardened Defenses on PD, ED (7)
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Lack of Weakness: -5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 8 (5)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Life Support: Need not breathe, Immune to Disease,
  Aging, Extreme Heat/Cold (19)
  Universal Translator 12- (20)
  Combat Sense 12- (3)
  Defensive Maneuver (5)
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  KS: Jihad 12- (3)
  KS: Theology 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 263
  Total Character Cost: 393
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  if he believes he has sinned, 14-/11- (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Inhuman Power & Perfection (Can’t Conceal,
  Cause Awe/Terror) (20)
  Style Disadvantage (10)
  Hunted by:
  Demons & Satanists 11- (As pow)
  (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY (20)
  Brightly Luminous, Can Never Be Unobtrusive (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Utterly Devoted to Enforcing Divine Will (25)
  Relentless and Merciless (25)
  Susceptibility:
   3d6 STUN+BODY, Believing Has Sinned
  (uncommon) (30)
  1d6 STUN+BODY/phase, Satanic
  Symbols/Places (uncommon) (30)
  Watched by:
  God 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (78)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 393
  
  234
  Prankster
  This is a variation on the Mad God, but the Prank-
  ster has a different agenda. The Prankster wants to
  cause social havoc, not physical destruction. The
  Prankster has a great sense of humor but their victims
  seldom appreciate the jokes.
  Pranksters don’t have great attack powers; that’s not
  what they are about. They are, however, exceptionally
  slippery foes.
  Imp Of The Perverse
  Background: The Imp of the Perverse is a powerful
  Chaos spirit from a Brialic dimension. It is a fairly typi-
  cal example of Luvah the Anarch’s spirit minions. It is
  not a human spirit at all, and so lacks the weaknesses
  which help mere mortals cope with demons, angels,
  and other local supernatural fauna.
  How the Imp of the Perverse gets to Earth is the GM’s
  problem. Once here, however, the Imp immediately
  starts doing what it does best: being a pest. Playtesting
  has shown that most sorcerers would rather fight Skarn
  blindfolded than deal with the Imp.
  Quote: “HoohaHEEhahahaha! I KILL me!” [Where-
  upon the Imp “morphs” one hand into a gun, shoots
  itself through the head, falls backwards with a lily in
  its hand, and teleports away.]
  Personality: The Imp of the Perverse is a ‘Toon on
  amphetamines, a compulsive maker of mischief. The
  more serious a person is, the more the Imp will tor-
  ment them. It tries to enrage its victims so much that
  they chase it, following it into one humiliation after
  another. At least the Imp never deliberately does seri-
  ous physical harm to its victims, although it often for-
  gets that mortals lack its resilience—and the psycho-
  logical harm it causes can be devastating.
  Powers/Tactics: The Imp bedevils people in two ways.
  First, it uses its shape-shifting powers to pull pranks
  and put people in embarrassing situations. Second, it
  reverses personality traits in its victims. In game terms,
  this is a Transform which reverses a single one of the
  target’s Psychological Limitations. Because the choice
  of Psych Lims is random, and the personality is not
  entirely changed, this Transform is considered Minor
  but not Variable.
  The Imp can teleport. Not only does it use this abil-
  ity to move, it makes small teleports—just a few
  inches—to avoid ranged attacks. (This is the special
  effect of its Missile Deflection.)
  Finally, the Imp can muster incredible Presence. It
  seldom uses this to cause fear; it prefers to join this
  with its Shape Shifting to assume a role and make its
  victims play along. For instance, if the Imp suddenly
  decides to take the form of General Patton (complete
  with backdrop flag) it can use its Presence to make its
  luckless victim take the role of a private due for a chew-
  ing-out. If the Imp is cornered with no way out, it uses
  the Presence as a last-ditch defense: it just looks up at
  its angry pursuers as tears well in its big, soulful eyes.
  Appearance: In its natural form, the Imp of the Per-
  verse is a small, green-skinned humanoid with a shock
  More Historical
  Mages
  Paracelsus
  (1490?-1541): Pseudonym of
  Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, a
  German physician and alchemist. On the
  one hand, Paracelsus introduced the
  medical use of opium and zinc oxide to
  Europe, argued that alchemists should seek
  medicines instead of gold, and chided his
  fellow doctors for blindly following Classical
  authorities instead of seeing what actually
  worked. On the other hand, he wrote about
  elementals and produced symbolic gibber-
  ish no different from that of other alche-
  mists of his day. Paracelsus’ aggressive
  contempt for his fellow doctors made him
  extremely unpopular with them. They used
  their wealth and influence to hound him
  from town to town. Despite winning
  international fame as Europe’s most
  successful healer, Paracelsus died in poverty.
  In legend, Paracelsus had a magic sword
  whose crystal pommel both contained a
  bound spirit and the Elixer of Life. A
  manuscript telling how to make a magic
  mirror is also attributed to him.
  Pythagoras
  (flourished 6th century BC): This
  philosopher brought Egyptian and
  Babylonian mathematics to Greece, discov-
  ered the dodecahedron and found the
  mathematical basis of musical harmony. He
  also established a cult-like school of
  philosophy in Italy whose symbol was the
  pentagram. Pythagoras’ most important
  doctrine was that the Universe operates by
  numbers and ratios. He also taught paci-
  fism, vegetarianism and reincarnation. The
  school was later suppressed by the Romans.
  His later followers ascribed the usual
  miracles to Pythagoras, such as stopping
  plagues, and said he was the son of the god
  Apollo.
  
  235
  of bright orange hair. It can, however, look like any-
  thing it wants. Anything. Magical senses will not reveal
  its true nature. Whatever its form, it may be recog-
  nized by its maniacal giggle.
  Note: No, the Imp of the Perverse is not a serious vil-
  lain. That’s the point. It is very much a change-of-pace
  villain. Wait until the PCs have saved the world and
  are feeling puffed up. Then spring the Imp on them,
  throw in some incredibly pompous villain as a fellow
  victim and try for maximum silliness.
  Imp Of The Perverse
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  15/35
  STR
  5
  12- 200 kg; 3d6 [1]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  15/19
  BODY
  10
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 14-
  17
  EGO
  14
  12- ECV: 6
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  8
  COM
  -1
  11-
  20
  PD
  17
  Total: 30 PD/ 10 rPD
  20
  ED
  15
  Total: 30 ED/ 10 rED
  5
  SPD
  23
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  8
  REC
  0
  CHA after slash
  40
  END
  3
  includes bonus for
  35/39
  STUN
  0
  Growth
  Total Characteristic Cost: 140
  Movement:
  Running: 18”/36”
  Teleport: 15”/30”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +3 OCV, Reverse Psych
  Lims (6)
  Imp Powers:
  Chaos Spirit Powers: Elemental Control, Can’t
  Use in Area Consecrated to Order (-¼) (12)
  a - Shape Shift: Anything, 0 END, Invisible vs.
  Magic Senses (+½) (60/36) [0]
  b - Armor (10 PD, 10 ED) (30/12)
  c - Life Support: Full (30/12)
  d - Peversion: 10d6 minor Transform: Reverse 1
  Psych Lim, 0 Range, Can’t Control Which Psych
  Lim Reverses (-½) (100/38) [16c]
  Imp Abilities: Multipower (60 pt pool) (60)
  u - Incredible Presence: +60 PRE, Offensive
  Only (-½), Requires Acting Roll (-½)
  (60/3)
  u - Ignore Damage: +40 PD, +20 ED, Requires
  Breakfall Roll (-½) (60/4)
  u - Teleport: 15" (30/3) [1/5"]
  u - Running: +12" (18" total), ½ END (30/3)
  [1/10"]
  u - Shrinking: 2 levels, 0 END (25 kg mass, +4
  DCV, -4 PER, +6" KB) (30/3) [0]
  u - Growth: 20 pts, 0 END (1600 kg mass, -2
  DCV, 4" KB, +2 PER, +1" reach) (30/3) [0]
  u - Heal Self: 6d6 Heal Aid, Self Only (-½),
  Restore Only (-½) (30/1) [3]
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 12 (9)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Clinging: STR 15 (10)
  Enhanced Perception: +2 with all PER Rolls (6)
  Imp Skills:
  Acrobatics 12- (3)
  Acting 13- (3)
  Breakfall 12- (3)
  Concealment 12- (3)
  Disguise 11- (3)
  Mimicry 11- (3)
  Stealth 12- (3)
  Skill Levels: +2 Levels with all Skills (10)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 262
  Total Character Cost: 402
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Bizarre Cackle (noticed) (5)
  Hunted by:
  Order Minions or Past Victims, 11- (As Pow)
  (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY
  (20)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Must Cause Confusion & Disruption (20)
  Goes Along w/a Gag or Routine  (15)
  Provokes Pursuers to Continue Pursuit
  (15)
  Hyperactive, Short Attention Span (10)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN+BODY/Turn, Ground Consecrated
  to Order (common) (30)
  Villain Bonus (172)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 402
  
  236
  Vengeful Rival
  In some way a PC showed up the Vengeful Rival,
  and the rival has never forgiven this humiliation. The
  rival and the PC may have studied magic together. The
  Vengeful Rival makes a great Hunted for PC sorcerers,
  because the Rival will ally with anyone else hostile to
  the PC. Vengeful Rivals often cut deals with Dimen-
  sional Conquerors to destroy their mutual nemesis.
  Although Vengeful Rivals may have more raw power
  than a PC sorcerer—perhaps through deals with ex-
  tra-planar beings—they aren’t as clever or flexible at
  using their power. Once their death trap fails or their
  plot unravels, they usually flee.
  Hierophant
  Background: No one but the Hierophant himself
  knows his story. He has hidden his past well: no gov-
  ernment has his fingerprints or tax records on file; he
  has no bank account, credit cards or picture ID; put-
  ting his face on a “Wanted” poster will not turn up
  anyone who remembers this man from years before.
  Even the occult community’s grapevine can’t find who
  he is, or at least any teachers he had either won’t rec-
  ognize him now or they won’t talk. He is a true legal
  non-person.
  The Hierophant’s past, however, isn’t really what
  matters. The Hierophant has big plans for the future.
  He intends to become the most powerful person in
  the world—no matter what the cost, to him or anyone
  else.
  Quote: “What?! Solitaire! Accursed witch, you have in-
  terfered with my plans for the last time!”
  Personality: The Hierophant is a simple man, and a
  simple villain. He just wants power. He’d be hard-
  pressed to explain why he wants power; it’s not a ques-
  tion of celebrity, or any special project he wants to fin-
  ish. He’s just deeply insecure, and needs ever-greater
  magical power to feel in charge of his life.
  The Hierophant is too insecure, however, to stand
  alone as a power unto himself. He wants some more
  powerful being as backup. Thus the Hierophant has
  become a mercenary priest, always hustling to make a
  deal with some dimension lord, offering it worship on
  Earth in return for greater power for himself.
  The Hierophant also has a vicious temper. Normally
  he keeps it under tight control, but when his pride is
  affronted his wrath can drive him to imprudent at-
  tempts at revenge. Once the PCs thwart a plot to bring
  some malevolent godling to Earth, the Hierophant will
  vow to destroy them. After two or three defeats, the
  Hierophant will get a reason for seeking power: for
  revenge, and the Hierophant will become a full fledged
  Vengeful Rival.
  Powers/Tactics: The Hierophant commands impres-
  sive Thaumaturgy. He knows many spells for a wide
  range of effects. He can be a formidable combatant,
  for he can tailor his Baleful Bolt and Goetic Glow as
  NNDs versus defenses a character doesn’t have—if he
  can guess their weakness or deduce it from analysis of
  their magic. What’s more, he wears an amulet which
  feeds him all the Endurance he needs. This only lasts
  for one minute, so he must take care not to enter com-
  bat prematurely. As a last ditch defense, he has the
  Shocking Word, a powerful concussive spell he only
  uses when Entangled or surrounded by many foes.
  Although the Hierophant uses Thaumaturgy, he can
  employ magic items of other sorts. His Magic Limita-
  tion simply reflects that although he is quite learned,
  his spell casting is rigid and pedantic—there’s little
  personal creativity. This makes his magic style easy to
  analyze (see “KS: Analyze Magic Style” in Chapter Two
  for details).
  The Hierophant likes to have minions. He knows
  spells to summon elementals and one class of Outer
  Plane spirits. (This class is left for GMs to define on
  their own, as a surprise for players.) His magical min-
  ions are exceptionally loyal, since he magically enslaves
  them. If he can trap a hero, of course he will try to
  enslave them too.
  He also tries to attract followers by promising in-
  credible spiritual revelations and occult powers. While
  he prefers to attract social leaders such as politicians
  and businessmen, he has use for common nobodies as
  well. Not only do followers feed his ego, their life-force
  feeds the magical amulet that enhances his spell cast-
  ing. (In game terms, the amulet is recharged by some-
  body taking 2d6 CON Drain, at a recovery rate of 5
  pts per season. The Hierophant cajoles or bullies his
  rank-and-file “disciples” into taking the CON Drain
  for him.) As a result, the Hierophant has no true Fol-
  lowers he can count on in a pinch: since he doesn’t
  bother wasting magic on enslaving his cultists’ wills,
  they feel few qualms about deserting him.
  The Hierophant usually builds himself a sanctum
  sanctorum before launching any plans to gain power.
  (A typical sanctum of his follows.) He’s quite expert at
  building sanctums.
  Appearance: The Hierophant is a swarthy, Caucasian
  man of medium height and weight. It’s hard to tell his
  true age, but he looks middle-aged. His eyes, heavy
  eyebrows and short, triangular beard are black. He
  shaves his head. The Hierophant speaks in a deep, ca-
  denced voice.
  The Hierophant wears a bloused silk tunic and trou-
  sers tucked into gold-cuffed black gloves and boots, a
  billowing black cloak with a high collar clasped by his
  amulet, a belt and a fairly elaborate headdress (which
  may change from adventure to adventure). The tunic
  bears a large, flamboyant design. His usual colors are
  red and purple.
  
  237
  Hierophant
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 3½d6 [1]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  18
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  10
  PD
  7
  Total: 20 PD/ 10 rPD
  10
  ED
  6
  Total: 20 ED/ 10 rED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  8
  REC
  2
  36
  END
  0
  26
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 118
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Teleport: 15”/30”
  Flight: 12”/24”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Level: +1 Level w/ Magic
  Multipower (5)
  Magic Spells and Abilities:
  Spells on the Fly: Power Pool (10 pt pool), Spell
  Research Roll to change & use (-½) (13)
  Thaumaturic Spells: Multipower (94 pt pool),
  Only in Villain ID (-¼), -½ Var Lim: GI/Acts
  14- (-¼), Side Effect: at least 3d6 Drain vs.
  SPD if Aborted/Dispelled/Activation Fails
  (-½) (47)
  u - Aura of Elan: 23 STR TK, 1 Hex AE,
  Personal Immunity (61/3) [6]
  u - Baleful Bolt: 4d6 EB, +1 Var Advantage
  (+2) (60/3) [6]
  u - Cerulean Spear: 6d6 Ego Attack (60/3) [6]
  u - Goetic Glow: 2d6 Flash vs. Vision, +1 Var
  Adv (+2) (60/3) [6]
  u - Hypnotic Helix: 12d6 Mind Control (60/3)
  [6]
  u - Hypnotic Helix: 12d6 Telepathy (60/3) [6]
  u - Koriol’s Crimson Crystals: 6d6 Entangle
  (60/3) [6]
  u - Nimbus of Nullity: 16d6 Dispel vs. Any
  Magic Effect (+¼) (60/3) [6]
  u - Nimbus of Nullity: 5d6 Suppress vs. Any
  Magic Effect (+¼), Uncontrolled for 1
  minute, 0 END to maintain, Personal
  Immunity (62/3) [6]
  u - Sigils of Set: 5d6 Suppress vs. Any Phys
  Char (+¼), Uncontrolled for 1 minute, 0
  END to maintain, Personal Immunity (62/3)
  [6]
  u - Sorcerer’s Star: 12d6 EB (60/3) [6]
  u - Brief Gate: EDM: Any Plane, x2 Mass, x2
  END, +x8 Mass, 1 Turn Extra Time (-1), x2
  END (60/2) [8/12]
  u - Extra Mystic Shield: Force Field (9 PD, 9
  ED, 6 MD, 6 PowD) (30/1) [3]
  u - Shadows of Shaldus: 1" Radius Darkness
  vs. Sense Magic + All Vision, Personal
  Immunity, ½ END (30/1) [1]
  u - Fada’s Far Seeking: 5d6 Mind Scanning, +3
  ECV (31/1) [2]
  u - Vanishing Paths: 15" Teleport (30/1)
  [1/5"]
  u - Enslavement: 1 ½d6 Transform,
  Cumulative, NND: Hardened Mental or
  Power Defense (+1), Continuous, ½ END,
  Max Range 4" (-¼) (86/4) [4]
  u - Grand Transubstantiation: 2d6+1 major
  Transform, Universal (+1), Cumulative, 1
  turn Extra Time (-1), Concentrate 0 DCV
  (-½) (72/2) [7]
  u - Shocking Word: 10d6 EB, Explosion,
  Personal Immunity, 0 Range, 1 Charge,
  Costs END, Incantation (87/1) [9]
  u - Conjure Elemental: 1 x 225 pt Summon
  Any Elemental (+¼), 1 Turn Extra Time
  (-1), x2 END, 1 Var Lim: OAF/More Extra
  Time (94/2) [18]
  u - Conjure Outer Plane Spirits: 1 x 225 pt
  Summon Class of Spirits (+¼), 1 Turn Extra
  Time (-1), x2 END, -1 Var Lim: OAF/More
  Extra Time (94/2) [18]
  Array of Spells: Elemental Control, Only in
  Villain ID (-¼), -½ Var Lim as above (-¼),
  Side Effect as above (-½) (15/7)
  a - Mystic Shields: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED),
  0 END (30/7) [0]
  b - Deflecting Disk: Missile Deflection +0 vs.
  All Magic, Damage Shield (30/7)
  c - Levitation: 12" Flight, ½ END (30/7)
  [1/10"]
  d - Mystic Senses: Sense Magic, Targeting
  (30/7)
  Mental Defense: 10 (6)
  Amulet of the Hierophant, IAF:
  Power Defense: 5 (3)
  Endless Energy: 1d6 END Aid, Continuous,
  1 chg of 1 minute (-1), Hard to Recharge
  (-1), Self Only (-½), Restore Only (-½) (2)
  [1c]
  Mystic Wardrobe: Instant Change: Costume,
  Gestures, Incantations (3)
  Cramming (5)
  Simulate Death 13- (3)
  Background Skills:
  Acting 13- (3)
  Concealment 13- (3)
  Conversation 13- (3)
  Cryptography 13- (3)
  Dimensional Navigation 13- (3)
  Oratory 13- (3)
  Spell Research 13- (3)
  Stealth 13- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Thaumaturgy 13- (2)
  KS: Occult World 13- (2)
  KS: Spell Transforms 13- (2)
  KS: Physical Transforms 13- (2)
  KS: Spirits 13- (2)
  KS: Dimension Lords 13- (2)
  KS: Dimensions 13- (2)
  Linguist (native English) (3)
  Latin, fluent with accent (1)
  Arabic, fluent with accent (2)
  Hindi, fluent with accent (2)
  Headquarters: 100 pt reserve (20)
  Perk: John Doe (2)
  Well Off (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 250
  Total Character Cost: 368
  
  238
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Sinister Charisma (Concealable) (5)
  Hunted by:
  PCs, 11- (More Pow) (20)
  Magical Limitation:
  Just not very creative (10)
  Physical Limitation:
  Funny Diet Restrictions (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Craves Power and Respect (20)
  Extremely Vengeful (20)
  Paranoid (10)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/phase, Public Ridicule/Humiliation
  (uncommon) (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, Ordinary HTH Attacks (very
  common) (30)
  Watched by:
  Current Patron, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (115)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 368
  Mage-Hunter
  Some people fear and hate the supernatural. (Is it
  any wonder, with psychopaths like the Hierophant
  around?) Some people hate the supernatural so much
  they want to eliminate it—by killing every sorcerer they
  can find.
  By definition, Mage-Hunters are seriously obsessive
  people. Their hatred of magic doesn’t stop them, how-
  ever, from using a bit of magic themselves: they ratio-
  nalize it as “turning the enemy’s weapons against him.”
  Mage-Hunters can’t hope to compete with real mages
  in innate power and flexibility, but they make up for it
  with skills and special weapons (magical or otherwise).
  Mage-Hunters rely on a deadly surprise attack. If this
  doesn’t incapacitate the target, Mage-Hunters will usu-
  ally flee. Mage-Hunters usually become obsessed with
  victims they fail to kill, go mad and come to very sticky
  ends.
  Witchfinder
  Background: One night, little Jeremy Blaine’s comfort-
  able, middle-class childhood came crashing down. He
  and his parents were walking home from the movies.
  They took a shortcut through an alley, where they met
  Archimago, fleeing from a scheme’s ruination.
  Archimago needed a quick human sacrifice or two
  to regain his power. He instantly paralyzed the little
  family. Jeremy watched helplessly as the old wizard
  drained the life-force from his parents and transformed
  their husks into demons. Archimago didn’t need a third
  sacrifice, and so he spared the boy. Jeremy didn’t ap-
  preciate the favor.
  Jeremy grew up in foster care. He became a top stu-
  dent and star athlete in high school, but he turned
  down all the offers he received from college recruiters.
  On his 18th birthday he inherited his parents’ modest
  savings and used the money for a 5-year trip around
  the world. He visited private libraries and esoteric sages,
  martial arts trainers, and weapon smiths. At the end
  he was ready to begin his life’s work.
  That meeting with Archimago had taught Jeremy
  that there were devils in the night, and the worst of all
  were the devils in human form who treated with the
  Dark Powers. He had lost his parents to black magic,
  but he could stop the magicians from claiming any
  more victims…by killing them all first.
  Quote: “‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’—so you
  can suffer and die!”
  Personality: Jeremy has never forgiven himself for liv-
  ing while his parents died, and his irrational guilt fu-
  els his hatred of all sorcerers. He’s determined to purge
  all magic from the world—kill the wizards, burn their
  books and sanctums, and destroy the artifacts—or die
  in the attempt. A few magic items can be spared if they
  help him kill wizards, but he plans to destroy them
  too, once the last sorcerer is dead. If one sorcerer man-
  ages to escape ambushes a few times, however, Jeremy
  might get so obsessed with that particular wizard that
  he would use any magic, even make his own pact with
  a supernatural being, just to kill his nemesis.
  Powers/Tactics: The Witchfinder has only one item of
  magic, a pair of ornate bracers that parry spells and
  glow to point the direction of magic. (He doesn’t know
  that Mephistopheles arranged for him to get the bracers
  and can turn them off whenever he wants. The
  Witchfinder won’t get a chance to kill Old Nick’s most
  favored servants—just their competition.)
  Beyond that, Jeremy is a hyper-competent man with
  a lot of paramilitary hardware: guns, grenades, explo-
  sives, etc. He’s got something to kill, or at least hurt,
  just about anything supernatural. He even built spe-
  cial holy water grenades to use on vampires and de-
  mons.
  The Witchfinder never openly challenges the mages
  he tries to kill. Instead he stalks them, learning their
  habits so he can find an opportunity to attack with
  complete surprise. Although he’ll settle for shooting a
  sorcerer through the head from a rooftop, he really
  prefers to leave a messy corpse as a warning to people
  about what they can expect if they meddle with the
  Black Arts. If his target doesn’t die quickly, he flees to
  try again later.
  Appearance: The Witchfinder is a wiry man of middle
  height, in his mid to late 20s. He has crewcut brown
  hair, gray eyes and a brooding expression. He wears a
  big game hunter-style ammunition vest and belt hung
  with grenades and tool pouches, over a camo-patterned
  flak suit.
  
  239
  Witchfinder
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  20
  CON
  20
  13-
  13
  BODY
  6
  12-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  18
  PRE
  18
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  9
  PD
  5
  Total: 17 PD/ 4 rPD
  9
  ED
  5
  Total: 17 ED/ 4 rED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12
  10
  REC
  4
  40
  END
  0
  33
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 134
  Movement:
  Running: 7”/14”
  Swinging: 7”/14”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Combat (16)
  Range Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Range Mod (6)
  Martial Arts—Jiu-jitsu (16)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Slam
  +0
  +1
  4d6+V/5;
  target falls
  Choke Hold
  -2
  +0
  Grab,
  2d6 NND
  Joint Break
  -2
  +0
  1d6+1 HKA
  Disarm
  -1
  +1
  STR 30
  Disarm
  Witch Hunting Equipment:
  Weapons: Multipower (70 pt pool), OAF (35)
  u - Rifle: 2d6+1 RKA, AP, +1 STUN Mult
  (+½) (70/3) [16c]
  u - SMG: 2d6 RKA, Autofire (+½), +1 STUN
  Mult (+½) (67/3) [30c]
  u - Combat Shotgun: 2½d6 RKA, x2
  Knockback (+¾), Reduced by Range (-¼)
  (70/2) [6c]
  u - Incendiary Grenades: 1d6+1 RKA,
  Penetrating, 1 Hex AE, Uncontrolled
  Continuous, 2 chgs of 1 minute each (-¾)
  (70/3) [2c]
  u - Thunderstrips: 8d6 EB, Explosion, Indirect
  (Under doors, etc. +¼), Sliding Range (-¼)
  (70/2) [2c]
  u - Gas Grenades: 5d6 NND vs. LS: Breathing
  (+1), 1 Hex AE, PI, Thrown Range (-¼)
  (69/2) [2c]
  u - Flash/Bang Grenades: 4d6 Flash vs.
  Sight/Hearing, Explosion, Thrown Range
  (-¼) (67/2) [2c]
  u - Plastic Explosive: 3 ½d6 RKA, Time Delay
  (+¼), 0 Range, 1 turn Extra Time (-1) (69/1)
  [4c]
  u - Smoke Pellets: Darkness 2" Radius vs. All
  Vision, Thrown Range (-¼), 2 chgs of 2
  phases each (-1 ¼) (30/1) [2c]
  u - Holy Water Grenades: Change
  Environment 2" Radius, 2 chgs of 2 phases
  each (-1 ¼) (10/1) [2c]
  Costume: Armor (4 PD, 4 ED) + 4 PD, 4 ED, OIF
  (13)
  Visor, OAF:
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (2)
  Vision Enhancement: UV Vision, +4
  Telescopic Vision, (5)
  Swingline: Swinging 7", OAF (3)
  Mystic Bracers, OIF:
  Missile Deflection +3 vs. All Magic, (17)
  Mental Defense: +5 (3)
  Power Defense: 5 (3)
  Detect Magic, Ranged, +2 Telescopic (7)
  Trained Abilities:
  Mental Defense: 10 (6)
  Running: +1" Running (7" total) (2) [1/5"]
  Witchhunting Skills:
  Breakfall 13- (3)
  Bugging 13- (3)
  Climbing 13- (3)
  Concealment 13- (3)
  Demolitions 13- (7)
  Interrogation 13- (3)
  Lockpicking 13- (3)
  Paramedic 13- (3)
  Security Systems 13- (3)
  Sleight of Hand 13- (3)
  Stealth 13- (3)
  Weaponsmith 11- (Slugthrowers) (3)
  Lightsleep (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Occult 13- (2)
  KS: Supernatural Beings 13- (2)
  KS: Sorcerers 11- (1)
  KS: Real Magic 11- (1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 203
  Total Character Cost: 337
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Hunted by:
  FBI & Police, 11- (As Pow, NCI) (15)
  Devil’s Advocates, 8- (More Pow) (15)
  GM’s Choice Supernatural Being, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Hatred of Mages and Supernatural Beings (25)
  Fear of Capture (20)
  Ruthless (15)
  Reputation:
  Murderous lunatic, 8- (10)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Villain Bonus (110)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 337
  
  240
  Fanatic Priest
  This type of villain serves some other entity, a “god”
  of some sort. The “god” gives the priest magical pow-
  ers to use on its behalf. The priest seldom has much
  magic beyond what the “god” provides. Since the Fa-
  natic Priest always appears as a villain, either the “god”
  is itself evil, or the priest misunderstands the god’s
  motivations. (Indeed, the god might have no motiva-
  tions humans could understand.)
  Fanatic Priests often appear as leaders of cults, but
  not necessarily. A Fanatic Priest could be a lone wor-
  shipper, although they might have ambitions of start-
  ing a cult someday.
  A Fanatic Priest’s deity could be a mythological god,
  a demon lord or other spirit, an extra-dimensional
  tyrant, cosmic entity or powerful elder sorcerer. It could
  even be a figment of the priest’s own imagination,
  making the Fanatic Priest also a Mad Mage (see “Mage
  Origins” in Chapter One).
  If they’re lucky, Fanatic Priests have attacks and de-
  fenses in the same power range as the PC mages, but
  their powers are less varied than a true wizard’s. Priests
  also have the disadvantage that they must constantly
  please their god, who is probably a real bastard. (If it
  wasn’t, the Fanatic Priest wouldn’t be a villain.) If a
  Priest doesn’t follow all the rules and prohibitions com-
  manded by the god, and generally display Fanatic loy-
  alty, the god will take away the Priest’s powers and
  maybe even drag him or her off to eternal torment.
  Failure in a mission may be seen as disloyalty.
  Tappan Arkwright III
  Background: Tappan Arkwright III doesn’t deserve his
  life. It’s not his fault that he’s trying to deliver man-
  kind into the monstrous clutches of the Kings of Edom.
  Arkwright is a scion of one of Boston’s oldest, richest,
  and most respectable families. Not one ancestor for
  the last ten generations wasn’t a millionaire; most were
  other Boston Brahmins. Perhaps a touch of inbreed-
  ing is responsible for Arkwright’s curious deformity.
  Arkwright’s birth defect isn’t large—only two inches
  across. He can comb his hair to cover it. On the back
  of Arkwright’s head is a tiny second face. It cannot
  breathe or speak, because its nose and mouth lack a
  throat, but it can move its lips. It is Arkwright’s twin
  brother, imperfectly absorbed as a fetus. The twin has
  a little brain of its own, connected to Arkwright’s.
  Normally the Twin sleeps, but somehow its walnut-
  sized brain receives mental emanations from the im-
  prisoned Kings of Edom, although it cannot initiate
  contact. When Arkwright sleeps, sometimes the mad
  dreams of the Edomites leak across.
  And sometimes the Twin wakes. If Arkwright him-
  self is unconscious at the time, the Twin can take con-
  trol of him, body and brain. The Twin is a loyal ser-
  vant of the Kings of Edom, from whom it has learned
  much. Arkwright knows the Twin does terrible things;
  he’s tried to kill himself twice. Both times, the Twin
  overpowered his will and stopped him. He just hopes
  that the Twin can be stopped before it succeeds in free-
  ing its dread masters.
  Quote: “Now die, and know that your death is…utterly
  meaningless.”
  Personality: Arkwright himself is a gentle person
  whose only expertise is in Art Nouveau engravings, but
  the Twin is a murderous magician and fanatical wor-
  shipper of the Kings of Edom. The Twin despises hu-
  man beings. The Kings of Edom have promised to give
  it a new, inhuman body, one it will exclusively control,
  when they are free. Until then, it enjoys murdering
  humans—any race, age or gender—whom it thinks will
  not be missed too quickly. So far, the Twin has covered
  its tracks well: the FBI suspects the existence of a serial
  murderer who kills his victims in ritual fashion, but
  they haven’t yet connected any of the crimes to
  Arkwright or to the Twin’s other, patternless killings.
  Powers/Tactics: Arkwright, or rather the Twin, has
  learned several powerful spells from the Kings of Edom
  themselves. Some of the spells involve channeling trick-
  les of power from particular Kings such as Vulshoth.
  All but one of these spells draws their energy from a
  reserve of power; the remaining spell is a ritual of hu-
  man sacrifice which charges the reserve. To cast this
  spell, Arkwright must slash his helpless victim in sev-
  eral places before stabbing the victim’s brain with an
  icepick and sucking out the mingled blood and cere-
  bral fluid.
  When controlled by the Twin, Arkwright is also un-
  cannily resistant to damage. His body is not physically
  tougher than a normal man’s, but his fanaticism acts
  like PCP: he just ignores the damage and keeps fight-
  ing. Thus he can survive wounds that would incapaci-
  tate or kill a normal man.
  If Arkwright has any reason to expect combat, he
  immediately summons Edomite monsters to fight for
  him. He can Summon a single monster of up to 200
  Base Points, or up to four monsters of base 150 points
  or less. Arkwright prefers to let the monsters do his
  fighting for him, which the monsters will do because
  of the authority the Kings have given him. While the
  monsters engage Arkwright’s enemies, Arkwright takes
  the best cover he can find and snipes with his own
  spells.
  Appearance: Tappan Arkwright III is a slender, unas-
  suming man in his mid-30s, with a narrow face and
  fine, web-like dark hair worn artistically long (but less
  than shoulder length) to conceal the Twin’s face and
  swept back from his receding hairline. He dresses con-
  servatively, but wears a silk scarf instead of a tie.
  
  241
  Tappan Arkwright III
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  8
  STR
  -2
  11- 75 kg; 1½d6 [2]
  21*
  DEX
  26
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  18*
  CON
  13
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  23*
  INT
  10
  14- PER Roll 14-
  17*
  EGO
  11
  12- ECV: 6
  20*
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  8
  COM
  -1
  11-
  17*
  PD
  12
  Total: 17 PD/ 4 rPD
  17*
  ED
  10
  Total: 17 ED/ 4 rED
  4*
  SPD
  7
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  6*
  REC
  0
  36*
  END
  0
  30*
  STUN
  6
  *Only in Villain ID (-¼)
  Total Characteristic Cost: 100
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Swimming: 25”/400”
  Powers & Skills:
  Edomite-Given Powers:
  Edomite Spells: Multipower (90 pt pool),
  Incantations, *, most from END Reserve (60)
  u - Power Ritual: 6d6 BODY Transfer to END
  Reserve, Restore Only (-½), 1 Turn Extra Time
  (-1), Expendable OAF: Human Sacrifice (-1 ½)
  (90/2) [9]
  u - Black Tentacles of Vulshoth: 4d6 Entangle,
  Shares Damage (+¼), +1d6 BODY Drain,
  Ranged, Recover 1 BODY/2 Minutes (+½),
  Uncontrolled (while Entangle lasts)
  Continuous 0 END (90/6) [9]
  u - Vulshoth’s Clutch of Horror: 3d6, 3 DEF
  Entangle, BODY BOECV (+2) (90/6) [9]
  u - Deizzhorath’s Kiss: 6d6 RKA (90/6) [9]
  u - Deizzhorath’s Kiss: 2d6 BODY Drain,
  Ranged, AP x2, Uncontrolled (11- chance
  each turn it continues) Continuous 0 END
  to maintain (90/6) [9]
  u - Pthaar’s Reign of Dreams: 18d6 Mental
  Illusions (90/6) [9]
  u - Dominion of Edom: 14d6 Mind Control,
  Nonselective 1 Hex AE (+¼) (87/6) [9]
  u - Domination and Corruption: 7d6 minor
  Transform vs. EGO, Var: Make Any
  EGO+20 Mind Control Effect Permanent
  (+¼) (87/6) [9]
  u - Between the Spaces We Know: 25"
  Teleport, x16 NCM, x4 Mass, 2 Floating Pts
  (90/6) [1/5"]
  u - Summon Minion: up to 1 x 200 pt
  Summon, Var: Any Edomite Monsters (+¼)
  (87/6) [9]
  u - Clairsentience: Vision, x256 Range (95
  miles), 0 END (90/6) [0]
  Awful Energy: END Reserve: 100 END * (8)
  Resist Damage: Damage Reduction (50% vs.
  rPD, 50% vs. rED), * (48)
  Damage Resistance (4 PD, 4 ED), Invisible Power
  Effects (+½), * (5)
  Mental Defense: 15* (10)
  Link to Kings of Edom: Mind Link x1 to Kings of
  Edom, Any Distance/Dimension, Target Has
  Mind Link (-1), No Conscious Control (-2)
  (5)
  Priestly Skills:
  Concealment 14- (3)
  Cryptography 14- (3)
  Stealth 13- (3)
  Streetwise 13- (3)
  KS: Edomite Lore 14- (3)
  SC: Edomite Hypergeometry 14- (3)
  Wealth (5)
  Initiate: Edomite Cult Leader (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 226
  Total Character Cost: 320
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  if Knocked Out, either way (very common), 14-
  (25)
  Distinictive Features:
  Double Aura, one nasty (Few Detect, Creepy)
  (10)
  Hunted by:
  FBI Special Crimes Unit, 8- (As Pow, NCI) (15)
  Occult Investigators, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Devoted to Kings of Edom; Sees humans as
  Cattle (20)
  Murderous (15)
  Fear of Killing Attacks (15)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN, Whenever a King of Edom Wants
  (uncommon) (15)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Watched by:
  Edomites, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (81)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 326
  Thugs
  Master Villains often like to have a squad of com-
  paratively low-powered thugs to do the dirty work and
  back them up in a fight, and magical Master Villains
  are no different. Their thugs may be minor demons or
  elementals, brainwashed cultists, ethereal wraiths, low-
  power undead such as zombies, mind-controlled ani-
  mals, or even stranger things. Each Master Villain’s
  thugs should be as distinctive as the villains themselves.
  An Oriental mastermind sorcerer, for instance, might
  employ ninja with cloaks of invisibility and magic dag-
  gers.
  Of course, thugs never receive magical weapons or
  powers that are very powerful. Just as with more con-
  ventional agent hardware, wimpy items are cheaper
  and easier to produce than high powered weapons, and
  the bosses don’t want to hand out goodies that could
  be too effectively used against them—either by rebel-
  lious thugs or the heroes.
  Magic-oriented thugs are usually fanatical, if not
  actually mindless. This is worth playing up: it makes
  them seem creepier and more formidable than their
  power level really justifies. Heroes used to mowing
  down VIPER agents by the score may still get the creeps
  from cultists who cheerfully die for a chance to take a
  hero with them.
  
  242
  The Sylvestri Clan
  Background: The Sylvestri clan has been in the thick
  of supernatural evil for 300 years. The clan consists of
  several related, extended families: the Sylvestris them-
  selves, the McFarlanes, the Liefelds and a few other
  minor families. Members of the Sylvestri Clan are
  found on at least three continents.
  The lineage’s involvement in black magic began with
  Count Giacomo Sylvestri, a friend and pupil of the
  notorious 17th century Satanist, Pietro Mora. Unlike
  most Satanists, Giacomo had the patience and discre-
  tion to learn magic of his own instead of relying on
  what the Lords of Hell would proffer. He became pow-
  erful enough, both magically and politically, that he
  could defy both Church and State. Giacomo even es-
  caped his deal with the Devil by going beyond the de-
  mons to serve the Dragon directly, if you can call that
  an escape. Through magic he has prolonged his life
  for centuries, with no end in sight, and has become
  one of the Dragon’s most favored servants.
  Giacomo raised his children as Satanists and Dragon
  worshippers as well. They continued the tradition with
  their own children. The Sylvestris married other black
  magicians, bringing them into the extended family. By
  now the far flung clan includes at least twenty adepts
  of significant power, and dozens of minor sorcerers.
  The clan members described here are fairly typical.
  Even family members with no talent for magic may
  stay involved as cultists and accomplices. Not all the
  family members choose to follow this peculiar “family
  business,” and they have a high attrition rate, but after
  300 years they are numerous enough to constitute a
  major power bloc in the Magical World.
  The Sylvestris are more than just Satanists. They all
  know that the Lords of Hell are just front men for the
  Dragon, and many Sylvestris serve and worship the
  Dragon directly. (At least two Cardinals of Ouroboros
  are Sylvestris.) They will also ally with other evil pow-
  ers, such as evil gods, non Judeo-Christian demons,
  extra-dimensional tyrants and minor qliphothic enti-
  ties. Giacomo has forbidden any contact with the Kings
  of Edom, though, because he recognizes that the
  Edomites’ goals are fundamentally incompatible with
  the goals of the Dragon.
  The Sylvestris have several Headquarters. The most
  important of them are located in the three family
  homelands. Castello di Sylvestri in the Apennine
  Mountains of Italy is the supreme headquarters.
  McFarlane House is located in a small town in Scot-
  land. The Liefeld Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt,
  Germany is the chief nexus for the clan’s financial web.
  All these Headquarters have extensive defenses both
  mundane and magical, including full suites of “Instant
  Sanctum” spells cast on them.
  Goals: In brief? Whatever would please the Dragon. In
  the long term, this means freeing the Dragon, annihi-
  lating civilization as we know it and making the Earth
  an eternal Hell of misery from which even death gives
  no escape. In the short term, however, the Sylvestris
  follow many goals. Close relatives are more likely to
  work together, but for the most part Sylvestri sorcer-
  ers only cooperate for brief, specific missions. Typical
  operations for Sylvestris can range from creating a
  magic item or kidnapping victims for sacrifice to pro-
  voking wars, plagues and famines: if it’s nasty, Sylvestris
  will do it. Some Sylvestris even hire out to other evil
  sorcerers and cults, as a way of making contacts—and
  keeping an eye on potential rivals of the clan.
  Tactics: Since the Sylvestris don’t work together as a
  tightly integrated unit, they share no tactics. Each in-
  dividual Sylvestri has their own characteristic modus
  operandi and combat style.
  Group Relations: Relationships between the Sylvestris
  are weird. They will work together on missions, and
  any Sylvestri can count on help from the others if
  they’re in danger from outside forces such as hostile
  cults, good guy sorcerers, churches, or governments.
  Indeed, there is quite a lot of inbreeding in the Sylvestri
  Clan from “kissing cousins,” a practice Giacomo en-
  courages for reasons of his own. At the same time, the
  Sylvestris are selfish amoralists who will gladly betray
  each other when things are going well, if they think
  they can gain more power that way. Keeping up with
  family gossip on who’s doing what with whom (or to
  whom) is a major preoccupation.
  The Sylvestris agree, however, that family patriarch
  Giacomo is the boss, after the Dragon. First, Giacomo
  has the most seniority and experience; he’s definitely
  the clan’s most powerful sorcerer. Second, he’s survived
  every assassination attempt and killed the would be
  assassins. Finally, the Dragon says Giacomo is the boss,
  and most Sylvestris know better than to argue with
  the Dragon.
  Other senior Sylvestris receive respect and obedi-
  ence in proportion to their age, power and favor with
  Giacomo. Giacomo appoints an informal council of
  elders to advise him and oversee family operations.
  Obedience to elders is preached as an important part
  of Sylvestri etiquette. Actually, respect for elders is a
  matter of self preservation in Clan Sylvestri: young
  snots who mouth off at their seniors don’t live to be-
  come seniors themselves…
  Clan Sylvestri has fairly cordial relationships with
  other Satanic and Draconic cults and sorcerers. Other
  evil mages and cults may work with individual
  Sylvestris, but keep their distance from the clan as a
  whole. Among the various minions of Evil, no one
  hates the Sylvestri clan enough to try wiping it out,
  with revenge from the united clan if they fail. Natu-
  rally, all good aligned mystic organizations despise the
  Sylvestris.
  Reputation: The Sylvestris are bad to the bone and
  dangerously unpredictable: there are so many of them,
  with such diverse powers. They’d be even more dan-
  gerous if they worked together more closely. As it is,
  one simply never knows what they’ll do next.
  Most law enforcement agencies have no idea what
  the Sylvestris are up to. The Sylvestris devote quite a
  bit of effort to keeping the cops in the dark. It’s not
  
  243
  easy, considering that many Sylvestris engage in kid-
  napping, torture, murder and other perverse activi-
  ties. The family is also hip deep in the international
  drug trade, more for its value as a corroder of social
  values than for the money; through their demonic con-
  nections, the Sylvestris have amassed total assets worth
  billions of dollars and several are multi-millionaires.
  A few Sylvestris have fallen because of their criminal
  activities, but so far the family has passed them off as
  isolated “black sheep” and hidden the occult aspects.
  Campaign Use: Most obviously, the Sylvestris are an
  ongoing threat to the heroes. They make a fine source
  for new villains, too. If one cannot think of some other
  origin for an evil sorcerer or magical super thug, one
  can say they are another Sylvestri. The Sylvestris can
  be an excuse for all sorts of different sorcerers, villains
  and monsters to work together.
  The Sylvestris are so widespread and have their fin-
  gers in so many pies that they are easy to justify as a
  hero’s Hunted. Heroes might have thwarted Sylvestri
  plots in the past, or gained their powers by accident
  from a Sylvestri magic ritual, and so on. For one in-
  triguing possibility, a hero might even be a Sylvestri
  who’s “gone rogue” for some reason, and the family
  wants them back—or dead. In every generation, a few
  Sylvestris try to drop out and lead normal lives. If they
  succeed, their children might inherit a knack for magic
  and become Wild Talent mages. If they fail, they might
  seek good guy sorcerers like the PCs for help.
  Patriarch
  Background: After twenty years, the Comte Giacomo
  Sylvestri at last would have a child: his third wife was
  pregnant. His ancient line and title would continue.
  As great a relief, the unfruitfulness of his past wives
  and mistresses was not his fault. He’d had a brilliant
  life: a successful army commander; fluent in French,
  German, Latin and Greek; a shrewd investor; a patron
  of the arts. He had succeeded at everything except sir-
  ing an heir.
  Then too, on his business trip to Milan, Giacomo
  had consulted the notorious Pietro Mora, rumored to
  be a sorcerer as well as a doctor and astrologer, and
  obtained from him a horoscope. His wife’s child was a
  boy, Mora had said, and Giacomo would have more
  sons than Jacob of Israel. Giacomo had returned early
  from Milan to tell his wife the news. In high heart, he
  strode to their chamber, threw open the door to greet
  her—and felt a dagger of ice in his heart.
  His wife was naked on their bed. So was the hand-
  some young guard. They broke their embrace, as sur-
  prised as he. Giacomo moved first. They barely had
  time to scream before he slew them both with his
  sword.
  A week later, Giacomo sobered up. Wine could not
  erase the horrid clarity of that moment at his cham-
  ber door. The child had not been his. Killing his wife
  and her lover did not kill the truth that he could never
  sire an heir. He was the last Sylvestri. Giacomo had to
  laugh, remembering Pietro Mora’s assurance: more
  sons than Jacob indeed! And so Giacomo decided to
  ride back to Milan and kill Mora as well. What was
  another murder? He did not regret killing his faithless
  wife any more than he regretted the men he’d slain on
  the battlefield.
  Only Mora did not die. When he saw Giacomo’s
  sword, Mora simply raised his hand and spoke a Word.
  One of the rings on his fingers flashed red and Giacomo
  felt fire explode in his head. He staggered forward, half
  blind with pain, until a second blast sent him crum-
  pling to the floor.
  To his surprise, Giacomo woke up again. Mora
  wanted to know why Giacomo sought his death; it was
  a strange reaction to good news, was it not? Giacomo
  told of his wife and why he’d slain her. “Your horo-
  scopes are no better than fart wind, wizard.”
  Mora frowned, but thoughtfully. “Not my words, but
  those of my lord and patron, the great Duke Astaroth.
  He has never been wrong before, but his words must
  be considered closely. He said the child was a boy. He
  never said it was yours. The rest of his prophecy may
  yet come true—if you dare to fulfill it. Will you accept
  damnation to gain an heir?”
  Giacomo laughed bitterly. “God has shown His ‘love’
  for me well enough. I am an adulterer and a murderer
  and do not repent it! Let your devil do his best and
  worst. If he can make my seed fertile, he shall be my
  liege as well!”
  So it came to pass. Giacomo sold his soul to the
  archdevil Astaroth and took another wife. Soon he had
  a baby daughter, with another child on the way. As
  Astaroth commanded, none were baptized. With proof
  of Hell’s power, Giacomo contacted Mora again. He
  wanted to learn sorcery himself. Since Milan was be-
  coming too hot for Mora, the Satanic wizard gladly
  moved to Castle Sylvestri.
  As always, the Comte did well at his chosen task.
  When Mora left five years later, Giacomo was able to
  summon demons himself, and just in time. The Pope
  had allied with a neighbor to conquer and destroy him.
  Many of Giacomo’s own people welcomed the invader;
  he was as thorough in damnation as everything else,
  and had earned their hatred. The few who stayed loyal
  were not enough, but a few Wrath Demons sent among
  the besiegers at night evened the score. Even as the army
  retreated from his gates, though, an arquebus shot
  pierced him. The wound festered into gangrene; mor-
  tal medicine was helpless, and so Giacomo summoned
  the demon called Marbas, a President who can cure
  disease and appears in the form of a lion.
  To Giacomo’s dismay, this time his conjurations did
  not cow the demon. His sickness made him too weak.
  “Payment, son of Adam!” the demon growled as it
  stalked around Giacomo’s magic circle. “Life and health
  I give, in return for what else is most precious to thee!”
  “Fiend!” he cried. “My soul is pledged already!”
  The demon bared its fangs, a grin. “That I
  know…but what did you get that was worth damna-
  tion? Give it to me, with thy two hands, and perfect
  health shall be thine for all thy days.”
  
  244
  What could the demon mean but his eldest son
  Pietro, his heir? A fine little lad, though Giacomo didn’t
  see much of him; that was the nanny’s job. But then,
  he had two other sons, one legitimate, and already wise
  folk did not question his word… “Agreed, spirit. With
  my own two hands will I grant thy desire in…a week?
  If you will assure my life until then?”
  “A week,” Marbas agreed. “I shall know if thy pay-
  ment is given with less than thy full heart.” And it van-
  ished in a flash of flame.
  In the days to come, Giacomo announced sadly that
  little Pietro was sick. The nanny did not contradict him.
  Pietro got all the toys and sweets he wanted. And then
  Giacomo stood in the circle again, his son sleeping in
  his arms from an herbal potion. Pietro would not suf-
  fer, he told himself. Once more the lion Marbas paced
  outside his circle. Once more it grinned.
  “Come forth and be healed,” the demon said. Steel-
  ing his nerve, Giacomo stepped out of the circle, knelt
  and laid Pietro on the stone floor. “Now, let all infir-
  mity depart!” the demon commanded. A wave of sul-
  furous fumes swirled around Giacomo, making him
  cough, but he felt the pain and corruption leave his
  flesh. Pietro coughed as well and opened sleepy eyes.
  “Daddy?” he murmured. Then he shrieked, a thin,
  brief sound as Marbas leaped upon him and swallowed
  him whole, knocking Giacomo back into the circle.
  “Thou payest well, son of Adam,” the demon said. It
  licked its chops and vanished. Giacomo regretted his
  damnation for the first time. And the last. Henceforth,
  no crime was beyond him and the Lords of Hell were
  much pleased.
  Over the years Giacomo became a mighty wizard,
  both from the powers the demon princes gave him and
  what he learned on his own. In fact, he proved a little
  too skilled for them: he has escaped Hell, if you can
  call it an escape.
  When old age closed in on him, Giacomo contacted
  the Dragon that had spawned his demon servant-mas-
  ters and made a final pact. The Dragon gave him im-
  mortality in exchange for eternal service as its tool for
  mankind’s destruction. As token of their pact, to main-
  tain his immortal life he must sacrifice one of his own
  blood every year. This Giacomo has done for three
  hundred years. He has had dozens of children, as
  Astaroth foretold, and hundreds of grandchildren and
  further descendants…and his hands have run red with
  their blood.
  Quote: “A moment, please, before you attempt some-
  thing heroic and foolish. There is something you should
  know…”
  Personality: Giacomo is haughty, cold and vicious. He’s
  an amazingly competent person, and he knows it. He’s
  become the Dragon’s favorite acolyte in the Quater-
  nion, and he knows that, too. As far as Giacomo is con-
  cerned, the Multiverse divides into four categories: the
  Dragon; himself; that which serves the Dragon and
  himself; and that which should serve the Dragon and
  himself. In short, he’s a psychopath and a fanatic. He’s
  good at hiding it in public, though. Giacomo can be
  quite charming when he wants.
  Giacomo is never foolish. He hasn’t lived three cen-
  turies in a dangerous profession by taking needless
  risks. He doesn’t get personally involved unless he has
  to: not only does he ensure his own safety, he can blame
  underlings for failure. Thus, heroes usually encounter
  Giacomo only at his pleasure, when he has lots of
  backup, deadly pre-cast spells ready to trigger and a
  hostage DNPC or two—or when the Sylvestris have
  captured them.
  Powers/Tactics: The Sylvestri Patriarch is a theurgist
  of amazing power; in any ranking of Earth’s wizards,
  he’s always near the top of the list. He has only three
  significant limits on his magic.
  First, he can only cast theurgic spells; the Dragon
  has forbidden him to use other sorts of magic.
  (Giacomo can use alchemical potions since they are
  actually spells cast by someone else, but the Dragon
  will punish him for it later.) Giacomo uses Hermetic
  Theurgy with a demonic emphasis. He starts by using
  his sword cane (in either sword or cane form) as an
  OAF to fulfill his Variable Limitation; if he loses use of
  the sword cane he uses his talismanic rings (OIF) with
  Gestures and Incantations or a 14 Activation Roll.
  Second, Giacomo must sacrifice one of his descen-
  dants every year. If he does not, he loses the magical
  toughness and immortality granted by the Dragon (his
  Damage Reduction, Regeneration and Life Support)
  and 5 points off his STR, DEX and CON. What’s more,
  all his magic will take a 14- Activation Roll. (Giacomo
  practices other rituals to maintain his power as well,
  but he doesn’t need to follow a strict schedule.)
  Finally, Giacomo must observe limits on the Active
  Points of his spells. He can build spells of up to 77
  Active Points, but these spells must take 1 turn Extra
  Time (in addition to the Variable Limitation) and can
  only be performed under ritual conditions such as only
  at certain hours of the day or night, or only in a prop-
  erly consecrated chamber (i.e. when it suits the GM’s
  plot). His combat magic produces spells in fixed ranges
  of power: up to 63 points, 31 points, or 15 points.
  Thus, in a particular Phase Giacomo might produce
  a 62 point attack spell (31 Real Points), a 31 point de-
  fensive spell (15 Real Points), a 31 point movement
  Power (15 Real Points), a 15 point special defense (7
  Real Points) and a 15 point Enhanced Sense (7 Real
  Points, for 75 Real points total). If interrupted while
  casting a major ritual, his Power Pool might hold the
  70-77 point ritual spell (22 Real Points), a 60-63 point
  attack spell (31 Real Points), a 31 point defense (15
  Real Points) and a 15 point miscellaneous Power (7
  Real Points, for 75 points total). Any change in his
  Power Pool requires a Spell Research roll (as, for in-
  stance, to change his attack spell each Phase or to
  change the Limitation on a spell).
  Giacomo carries an enchanted sword cane. The de-
  mon forged Hell Sword in the cane only does a little
  damage when it hits—it’s only a sharpened epee, after
  all—but the hellfire flickering along the blade will dam-
  age anything, and keeps burning for a full Turn. (The
  
  245
  sword does full damage, with Damage Classes from
  the Fencing maneuvers, when it hits; after that the
  hellfire does 1d6 Double Penetrating Killing damage
  each Phase.) Giacomo is quite skilled at its use and
  often practices with his great great grandson
  Dashwood, a.k.a. Matachin.
  Appearance: The Patriarch carries his centuries well;
  he looks like he’s in his mid 40s. He’s a handsome fel-
  low, with a narrow mustache and just a few streaks of
  gray in his wavy black hair. When in public, mingling
  with Italian high society, he wears immaculately tai-
  lored, gray silk suits. Only close inspection of his
  dragon headed sword cane and rings would hint that
  Giacomo is a sorcerer; his rings bear demonic sigils,
  while the gold wire embedded in the rosewood of his
  cane twists into runes.
  On formal occasions Giacomo wears opulent, sev-
  enteenth century garb slightly modified for the de-
  mands of ritual sorcery: trousers and broad collared
  jacket of dark, richly embroidered material, with lace
  cuffs, a ruffled cravat and leather belt and boots. He
  adds a black mantle lined with red silk and a golden
  coronet. The belt, mantle and coronet all bear Hebrew
  letters and mystic characters. The mantle is held across
  his shoulders by two ensymboled brooches linked by
  a golden chain. The collar of his jacket is embroidered
  in gold with a rampant dragon on one side and the
  Secret Seal of Solomon on the other.
  Patriarch
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  23
  DEX
  39
  14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  13
  BODY
  6
  12-
  23
  INT
  13
  14- PER Roll 14-
  23
  EGO
  13
  14- ECV: 8
  28
  PRE
  18
  15- PRE Attack 5½d6
  14
  COM
  2
  12-
  15
  PD
  11
  Total: 15 PD
  15
  ED
  10
  Total: 15 ED
  5
  SPD
  17
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10
  REC
  2
  70
  END
  12
  35
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 192
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Magical
  Attacks (10)
  Martial Arts—Fencing (19)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Froissement
  -1
  +1
  Disarm, 30
  STR
  Parry
  +2
  +2
  Block, Abort
  Lunge
  +1
  -2
  +2 Killing DC
  Strike
  +0
  +2
  +1 Killing DC
  Use Art with Normal Sword, Hell Sword, Single Stick
  Hell Sword: 1d6 HKA, Penetrating x2,
  Uncontrolled (1 turn), Continuous, 0 END, OAF
  (30) [0]
  Theurgy:
  Demonic Theurgy Power Pool: (77 pt pool), 0
  Phase + Skill Roll to Change (+1), -1 Var Lim:
  Focus/C0DCV/GI/Acts 14-/Side Effect (-½),
  Slot Active Point Limits (-½) (115)
  Spell Research/Pool Control 20- (15)
  Abilities Granted by the Dragon:
  Damage Reduction (¼ rPD, ¼ rED), Must Keep
  Ritual Schedule (-¼) (24)
  Regeneration: 1 BODY/Turn, Must Keep Ritual
  Schedule (-¼) (9)
  Life Support: Need not breathe. Immune to
  Disease, Aging, Extreme Heat/Cold, Must
  Keep Ritual Schedule (-¼) (15)
  Mental Defense: 15 (10)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory (15)
  Astral Awareness (3)
  Wizard’s Wardrobe: Instant Change, any
  clothing (10)
  Cramming (5)
  Background Skills:
  Astral Navigation 14- (3)
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  Cryptography 14- (3)
  Deduction 14- (3)
  Dimensional Navigation 14- (3)
  English (Fluent, No Accent) (3)
  French (Fluent, No Accent) (2)
  German (Fluent, No Accent) (2)
  Greek (Fluent With Accent) (2)
  Hebrew (Fluent With Accent) (3)
  High Society 15- (3)
  Interrogation 15- (3)
  Italian (Native) (0)
  KS: Analyze Magic Style 14- (2)
  KS: Demonology 14- (2)
  KS: Dragon Lore 14- (2)
  KS: Fencing 11-
  KS: Hermetic Theurgy 14- (2)
  KS: Imaginal Planes 11-
  KS: Occult History 11-
  KS: Occult World 14- (2)
  KS: Spirits 14- (2)
  KS: Western Occultism 14- (2)
  Latin (Fluent, No Accent) (2)
  Linguist: (3)
  Oratory 15- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  Sleight of Hand 14- (3)
  Trading 15- (3)
  Weapon Fam: Blades (1)
  Contact: Ouroboros 12- (3)
  Contact: Cult of the Red Banner 11- (2)
  Contact: The Seven-Headed Beast 11- (2)
  Initiate: Cult Leader (5)
  Wealthy (10)
  Headquarters: 200 pt. Reserve (40)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 411
  Total Character Cost: 603
  
  246
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Powerful, Tainted Magic Aura (Few Detect,
  Strong Reaction) (10)
  Enraged:
  by Defiance, Insult or Humiliation (common),
  11-, Recover 14- (8)
  Hunted by:
  Magical Heroes, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Magic Restriction: Only Theurgy (10)
  Physical Limitation:
  Must Perform Sacrifice Rituals to Keep Physical
  Toughness & Magic Powers (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Devoted to the Dragon (15)
  Vengeful (15)
  Treacherous (10)
  Reputation:
  The Dragon’s Chief Disciple, 11- (Extreme,
  Limited Group) (10)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN + BODY, Whenever Dragon Wants
  (uncommon) (30)
  1d6 Drain/Turn vs. All Magic on Holy Ground
  (uncommon) (10)
  Watched by:
  the Dragon, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Devil’s Advocates, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Authorities because of Murder Rituals, 11- (As Pow,
  NCI) (10)
  Villain Bonus (335)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 603
  Bocal McFarlane
  Background: “He’s a deep one,” his parents used to say
  about young Bocal McFarlane. “He’ll go far.” His cous-
  ins thought Bocal was just boring. Even as a child, Bocal
  listened more than he spoke. While his cousins pes-
  tered their parents to initiate them so they could work
  deviltry, Bocal kept his nose in a book, studying what-
  ever occult lore was permitted.
  At sixteen, Bocal was to be initiated into Satanism.
  To Giacomo Sylvestri’s surprise, Bocal already knew
  how to summon and control minor demons: he’d stud-
  ied more than was allowed. The Sylvestris, though, are
  practical people in their fashion. First the Patriarch
  whipped Bocal within an inch of his life for his dis-
  obedience, then initiated him anyway and authorized
  more advanced training.
  At eighteen, Bocal announced that he was going
  away. He wanted to learn how certain demon lords
  changed the forms of mortals—and he wanted to learn
  from the demons themselves. Bocal endured five years
  of torment in the Netherworld as the slave of Zepar, a
  Duke in the Cohort of Lust. When he returned, Bocal
  gave a brief report of what he learned: “Their way
  doesn’t work for humans.” Remarkably, however, this
  failure only seemed to have sharpened his interest in
  body magic. A month later, Bocal left for India to learn
  the body control techniques of the fakirs.
  Bocal pursued the lore of biomancy for decades,
  becoming quite proficient in this rare style of sorcery.
  At last, in the Library of Babylon he learned of the
  mysterious Lords Carnidine, powerful servants of Na-
  ture dwelling on one of the Outer Planes. A little trad-
  ing of favors gained him a plane travel device from
  one of his relatives and Bocal vanished from human
  ken for over a decade. To this day, the other Sylvestris
  do not know Bocal’s adventures in pursuit of the Lords
  Carnidine, but they know he found them. Bocal re-
  turned as a true master of life magic.
  Bocal became one of House Sylvestri’s most effec-
  tive operatives. Few mages were ready for his unusual
  style of magic. The other Sylvestri elders, however,
  never trusted him. Despite his age and experience, he
  was not admitted to Giacomo Sylvestri’s confidence
  and accepted as a family elder. He had never accepted
  a permanent pact with either a demon lord or the
  Dragon.
  That changed several years ago. Bocal announced a
  new project. He would transform himself into a living
  avatar for the Dragon to possess. To do it right would
  take many years, but in the end the Dragon would have
  a body fit to channel its awesome power. The die was
  cast; he was not only bound to the Dragon, he would
  sacrifice himself to become the Dragon. Such loyalty
  could not go unrewarded: Bocal was finally admitted
  to the inner circle of Sylvestri councils.
  Now Giacomo trusts Bocal completely. After all, the
  Dragon would warn Giacomo if Bocal plotted treach-
  ery against him and the family, and after the pact Bocal
  couldn’t possibly keep secrets from the Dragon, right?
  Quote: “Do you know the legend of Prometheus? If you
  do not tell me where you have hidden the Tablet of Des-
  tinies, I will rip out your liver and eat it. Then I will heal
  you. Then I will rip out your liver again—and again—
  and again…”
  Personality: Although his metamorphosing body and
  spells make Bocal a powerful combatant, he’s no dumb
  bruiser. He only indulges his lust for physical combat
  and cruelty when it seems relatively safe for him; if he
  lacks sufficient backup he sticks to sniping from afar
  or even aborts the mission and retreats. Bocal is not
  the most intelligent Sylvestri (although a genius by
  normal human standards), but he is one of the most
  patient. What he lacks in raw insight he makes up for
  in persistence.
  In the same manner, Bocal is seldom mastered by
  his ambition. His appetite for power is not yet sated,
  but he feels he can afford to work slowly. Indeed, none
  of the other Sylvestris yet know the full extent of Bocal’s
  plans, and they probably never will. For instance,
  Giacomo doesn’t know that despite Bocal’s pact with
  the Dragon, the Dragon cannot harm Bocal at will as
  it can Giacomo. Quite possibly, even the Dragon
  doesn’t know this; Bocal has never needed punishment
  so far. The Dragon should know all of Bocal’s plans, as
  it knows the deep motives of all humans…but is Bocal
  still human? Quite possibly, he is not. And if anyone in
  the Sylvestris can cheat the Dragon, it’s him. As his
  parents said, he’s a deep one.
  Powers/Tactics: Bocal’s magic lets him do many nasty
  things to people’s bodies. His magic is actually not as
  
  247
  flexible as it once was (he used to have a Power Pool);
  his slow but continuing metamorphosis into a dragon
  forces him to keep adjusting his spells. For instance,
  he has given up Gesturing when he casts spells. This
  also accounts for his magic’s slight unreliability.
  Bocal still has some formidable spells. He can inflict
  many sorts of pain and harm, from muscle cramps to
  severe astigmatism. If he is willing to put all his power
  into one spell, Bocal can lay out whole crowds through
  migraine headaches or make a target’s flesh literally
  melt off their bones. Most of the time, however, he
  settles for his lesser attacks so he can keep his defenses
  up. If he can close with an enemy, he may even eschew
  ranged attacks, put up double defenses (both Force
  Field and Damage Reduction) and rip into his enemy
  with teeth, claws and his Kinetic and Disrupting Touch
  spells. Bocal enjoys such rough and tumble if he’s sure
  he will win.
  Bocal’s magic has one great weakness. It doesn’t work
  against inorganic entities. Thus, if he faces a disem-
  bodied or astral spirit such as a ghost or Mob Ruler
  atavism, the only attack he can use is his Mind Con-
  trol. (He can, however, use his magic on materialized
  spirits such as summoned demons.) Nor can he magi-
  cally affect inorganic golems, to say nothing of robots.
  This accounts for 5 points of his Magic Limitation;
  the other 5 points comes from his limited style of com-
  bat magic.
  Bocal has become one of House Sylvestri’s top in-
  terrogators. Instead of mind reading, he employs more
  traditional forms of persuasion—given a special twist
  through his magic. Bocal starts by augmenting the
  victim’s CON so he will stay conscious. Then Bocal
  rips off one of the victim’s arms and chews off the flesh
  as if it were a drumstick. Before the victim dies from
  blood loss, Bocal heals him and restores the arm. Then
  Bocal says he will continue eating and restoring parts
  of the victim’s body until he talks. That’s when he hits
  the victim with a Mind Control to tell what he wants
  to know: at that point, even the strongest willed per-
  son could be forgiven for wanting to spill his secrets
  instead of his guts.
  Appearance: Bocal McFarlane’s meta-morphosis into
  a dragon is well underway and continuing: every year
  he splits his skin like a reptile and emerges a little larger
  and a little less human. His massive body is covered
  with armored scales; his face has pushed forward into
  a blunt muzzle with long, sharp fangs; he’s grown wings
  and a tail; his hands and feet are becoming taloned
  paws.
  Out of combat, Bocal dresses in the manner of his
  Victorian youth, in oversized black formal wear, com-
  plete with a top hat and gold headed cane. (Of course
  this is a calculated absurdity.) In a fight, Bocal lets his
  clothes rip away (stretching his wings pretty much
  shreds his shirt and waistcoat), but he may wave the
  cane as he casts spells in hopes that the opponent will
  mistake it for a Focus. He walks hunched over, and is
  as comfortable on all fours.
  Bocal Mcfarlane
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  33*
  STR
  13
  16- 800 kg; 6½d6 [3]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  15*
  BODY
  6
  12-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  17
  EGO
  14
  12- ECV: 6
  23
  PRE
  13
  14- PRE Attack 4½d6
  4
  COM
  -3
  10-
  16
  PD
  11
  Total: 23 PD/ 7 rPD
  16
  ED
  11
  Total: 23 ED/ 7 rED
  5
  SPD
  23
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10
  REC
  0
  46
  END
  0
  *Bonus for Growth
  40*
  STUN
  1
  added in
  Total Characteristic Cost: 144
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Wings: 15”30”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Multipower
  (10)
  Dragon Powers:
  Dragon Body: Elemental Control (10)
  a - Huge Size: Growth 10 pts, 0 END
  Persistent, Always On (400 kg mass, -1 DCV,
  2" KB, +1 to PER) (20/7) [0]
  b - Claw/Bite: 1d6+1 PHKA (20/10) [2+]
  c - Tough Hide: Armor (7 PD, 7 ED) (21/11)
  d - Wings: 5" Flight, Restrainable (-½), x2
  END, + 10" Gliding, Restrainable [15" total]
  (20/5) [2/5" for the Flight]
  Lack of Weakness: -5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 10 (7)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Regeneration: 1 BODY/Turn (10)
  Life Support: Immune to Aging (3)
  Life Support: Immune to Disease, Use by Other
  x1 (+¼) (4)
  Tail: Extra Limb (5)
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory (15)
  Cramming (5)
  Biomancy: Multipower (94 pt pool), Incantations,
  Acts 14-, Side Effect: 3d6 Drain on Slot Used
  (-¼) (47)
  u - Prospero’s Curse of Cramps: 6d6 DEX
  Suppress, Uncontrolled 0 END to maintain
  (CON Roll each Turn to stop) (60/3) [6]
  u - Momentary Migraine: 6d6 Ego Attack (60/3)
  [6]
  u - Meat Puppets: 20 STR TK, BOECV (+1)
  (60/3) [6]
  u - Paralyze: 4d6, 4 DEF Entangle, Damage
  Transparent (+½) (60/3) [6]
  u - Twisting Joints: 1d6+1 RKA, BODY NND:
  Lack of Weakness/Double
  Jointed/Contortionist Roll (+2) (60/3) [6]
  u - Induce Astigmatism: 3d6 Flash vs. Vision,
  NND: Hardened Power Defense (+1) (60/3)
  [6]
  u - Bladeskin: 2d6 RKA, AP, Damage Shield
  (60/3) [6]
  u - Domination: 12d6 Mind Control (60/3) [6]
  u - Conjure Demon: 100 pt Summon, Var: Any
  Minor Demon Type (+¼), 3 Chgs (-1 ¼),
  Costs END, x3 END (62/1) [18]
  
  248
  u - Kinetic Touch: +6d6 HA (9d6 total), x2
  Knockback (+¾) (31/1) [3+]
  u - Disrupting Touch: +3d6 HA (4d6 total),
  BODY AVLD: Lack of Weakness (+2 ½)
  (31/1) [3+]
  u - Body Toughening: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED,
  10 PowD) (30/1) [3]
  u - Body Toughening: Damage Reduction
  (¼ rPD, ¼ rED) (30/1)
  u - Body Control: Life Support: Full (30/1)
  u - Augmentation: 4d6 Aid, vs. Any Phys
  Char/Movement Mode (+¼), Lose 1 pt/Turn
  (+¼) (30/1) [3]
  u - Psychic Sight: Clairsentience: Normal Sight,
  Sense Magic, ½ END (31/1) [1]
  u - Melt Flesh: 1d6 RKA, BODY AVLD: Power
  Defense (+2 ½), Penetrating, +2 STUN Mult
  (+1), Continuous, ½ END, initial 1 Phase
  Extra Time (-¼) (94/4) [4]
  u - Mass Migraine: 2 ½d6 Ego Attack,
  Continuous, PI, ½ END, 6" x2 Radius AE (+1
  ¼), initial 1 Phase Extra Time (-¼)(94/4) [4]
  u - Flesh Sculpting: 2d6 Transform, Any
  Change to Living Tissue (+1), Cumulative, 0
  Range, 1 Phase Extra Time (-½), Concentrate
  to 0 DCV (-½) (75/2) [7]
  u - Conjure Demon Lord: 1 x 225 pt Summon
  Demon, Var: Any Demon Lord (+¼), 5
  minutes Extra Time (-2), x3 END, Concentrate
  to 0 DCV, OAF Ritual Paraphernalia (94/1)
  [27]
  Background Skills:
  Acting 14- (3)
  Cryptography 13- (3)
  English (Native) (0)
  Gaelic (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Hindi (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Interrogation 14- (3)
  Italian (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  KS: Body Magic 13- (2)
  KS: Demonology 11- (1)
  KS: General Occult 13- (2)
  KS: Life Shaping and Augmentation 13- (2)
  KS: Monsters 11- (1)
  KS: The Lords Carnidine 11- (1)
  Latin (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Linguist  (3)
  Paramedic 13- (3)
  SC: Biology 13- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  Spell Research 13- (3)
  Initiate: Senior Sylvestri (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 245
  Total Character Cost: 389
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  if Take BODY (common), 8-,  Recover 11- (15)
  Distinctive Features:
  Large Dragon-Man (Can’t Conceal, Scary) (20)
  Hunted by:
  Magical Heroes, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Magic Restriction:  Biomancy, Limited Methods
  (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Bloodthirsty & Sadistic (15)
  Ambitious  (10)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 Suppress for 1 minute vs. All Magic if Eat
  Anything But Raw Meat (uncommon) (15)
  1d6 STUN/Phase, On Holy Ground
  (uncommon) (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x1½ STUN, BODY, Cold Attacks (uncommon)
  (10)
  Watched by:
  the Dragon, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Patriarch, 8- (As Pow) (5)
  Villain Bonus (154)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 389
  Cornelius Liefeld
  Background: Cornelius Liefeld was something of a
  rebel in his younger days. What do you do to shock
  your parents—but not so much they try to kill you—
  when you come from a family of Satanic sorcerers?
  Why, say you want to be a scientist, of course. Cornelius
  got a doctorate in chemistry, and studied alchemy on
  the side as a concession to his parents.
  Like most young rebels, though, once Cornelius got
  a taste of the real world he settled down and became
  just like his parents. There was no dramatic turning
  point in his life. He just kept encountering situations
  in which it was inconvenient to be a law-abiding sci-
  entist. First he compromised his principles just a little
  by using some alchemy, but in a few years he was mur-
  dering enemies, trading favors with other family mem-
  bers, and generally behaving like any other Sylvestri.
  The clan has forgiven Cornelius’ youthful rebellion,
  and he is now highly respected for his remarkable pow-
  ers of alchemy.
  Quote: “Who, me? Sir, I have not the faintest idea what
  you are talking about. If you don’t leave me alone, I shall
  call the police.”
  Personality: Cornelius is not actively vicious, just com-
  pletely amoral. He has no loyalty to anyone; all rela-
  tionships, even with the Sylvestri clan, are kept strictly
  business. He wouldn’t save his own mother’s life if he
  wasn’t paid for it in some way, in money, resources or
  a promise of favors in return. His blunt and merce-
  nary ways have irritated senior Sylvestris, but not
  enough for any of them to chastise him. After all, they
  are hardly in a position to prate of virtue. Cornelius
  would even betray the clan, if the profit to himself was
  great enough and he was sure he would get away with
  it.
  
  249
  There is one thing that can override both Cornelius’
  avoidance of danger and his greed: his pride in his
  magic. He will not easily let pass any slur on the art of
  alchemy, his alchemy, especially from other kinds of
  sorcerers. He just might lose his cool and toss an at-
  tack potion at the insulting person.
  Powers/Tactics: Cornelius has adapted modern lab
  techniques to the ancient art of alchemy, with spec-
  tacular results. He has become one of the top alche-
  mists in the world, expert in both European and Tao-
  ist traditions, while still in his forties. He can create
  potions and other alchemical items for nearly any ef-
  fect he wants. At the moment he’s researching immor-
  tality and invulnerability, although so far his only re-
  sults have been to addict himself to heavy metal toxins
  such as mercury, and the ability to place himself in
  suspended animation.
  His alchemical mastery, however, has not turned
  Cornelius into a fighter. While competent compared
  to a normal person, he is no fighter and he knows it.
  For the most part he supplies alchemical weapons to
  cultists or agents working for the clan. One common
  strategy is to hire some crook with an obscenely high
  Sleight of Hand skill to slip a vile magical toxin or po-
  tion into someone’s food or drink.
  Cornelius might be watching nearby to make sure
  his potions are used correctly and to gauge their effec-
  tiveness, but he won’t be part of an assault on heroes.
  He carries potions on his person in case he is noticed
  and attacked, but these are almost all for defense and
  to help him get away. Any offensive potions will be for
  Flashes, Darkness or other powers to delay or hinder
  pursuit. He might carry one Continuous Area Effect
  attack with which to threaten bystanders as a diver-
  sion. If he can’t get away, he will try to surrender—in a
  public place, to a policeman. He knows he’s safe in
  government hands, and will never spend more than a
  few days in custody.
  As a typical example, the set of potions and personal
  items shown below might be used to set up a trap.
  Enemies of the Sylvestris (such as PCs) would be lured
  to a restaurant and shown their seats. All but one of
  those seats, however, would be painted with Wizard
  Glue primed to go off about a minute after people sit
  down. The waiters are all Sylvestri agents. The one per-
  son who sits on an untrapped seat gets a drink spiked
  with the Theriomorphic Potion: when he drinks,
  within 2 Turns he turns into a berserk monster—and
  his comrades are stuck in their seats, which are firmly
  bolted to the floor. Cornelius is in a booth nearby,
  watching to be sure it all works. If the transformed
  person runs off before killing his friends, Cornelius
  has a vial of Congealed Frost Elixer ready to freeze them
  into unconsciousness.
  Appearance: Cornelius Liefeld is a fat, middle aged
  man. He is completely bald, without even eyebrows (a
  side effect of thallium poisoning). His skin is fishbelly
  pale, except for about an hour after he doses himself
  with arsenic, when he looks flushed and almost life-
  like. Outside the lab he dresses in suitably large, black
  business suits with a string tie and porkpie hat. He
  keeps various small potion vials and capsules in pock-
  ets inside his jacket and other places hidden about his
  person. Every few hours he takes a small sip of mer-
  cury from a hip flask or snorts a pinch of a powdered
  lead and arsenic compound. If he goes a day without a
  “fix” he gets jittery and nauseous (reduce INT and EGO
  by 5 and DEX by 3).
  Cornelius Liefeld
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  8
  STR
  -2
  11- 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  12
  BODY
  4
  11-
  23
  INT
  16
  14- PER Roll 14-
  13
  EGO
  6
  12- ECV: 4
  10
  PRE
  0
  11- PRE Attack 2d6
  8
  COM
  -1
  11-
  6
  PD
  4
  Total: 6 PD
  6
  ED
  2
  Total: 6 ED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  25
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 63
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Alchemy:
  Alchemical Power Pool (96 pt pool), Expendable
  OAF (-1 ¼), Only Personal & True Alchemy
  (-½), Only change in Lab (-½), Max 4 Charges
  per Slot (-¼), Max 48 Active Points for
  Personal Alchemy (-½) (108)
  Alchemy Labwork Power Pool (15 pt pool),
  Only Alchemy labwork Spells (-1), OAF Lab
  Kit (17)
  Immunity: Metallic Toxins (2)
  Simulate Death 12- (3)
  Background Skills:
  Arabic (Fluent Conversation) (2)
  Classical Greek (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Concealment 14- (3)
  Cryptography 14- (3)
  English (Native) (0)
  German (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  KS: Alchemy 14- (2)
  KS: Astrology 11- (1)
  KS: Occult Naturalism 14- (2)
  KS: Occult World 11- (1)
  KS: Western Occultism 14- (2)
  Latin (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Linguist (3)
  Paramedic 14- (3)
  PS: Apothecary 11- (2)
  PS: Glassblower 11- (2)
  SC: Anatomy 11- (1)
  SC: Biology 11- (1)
  SC: Chemistry 14- (2)
  SC: Metallurgy 11- (1)
  SC: Mineralogy 11- (1)
  SC: Pharmacology 14- (2)
  Scholar (3)
  Scientist (3)
  Sleight of Hand 12- (3)
  Headquarters (75 pt reserve) (15)
  
  250
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 193
  Total Character Cost: 256
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Pale, Bald Fat Man (Noticed) (5)
  Hunted by:
  Magical Heroes, 8- (More Pow) (15)
  Magic Restriction:  Exclusive Alchemist (15)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Addicted to Heavy Metal Toxins (5)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Avoids Combat  (20)
  Mercenary (10)
  Proud and Defensive of his Art (10)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Watched by:
  Senior Sylvestris, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (36)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 256
  Sample Power Pool Potions And Items:
  True Alchemy:
  Congealed Frost Elixer: 3d6 EB, NND: Life
  Support: Cold (+1), Uncontrolled, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Throw, 5" Radius AE (+1),
  Exp OAF (-1 ¼), 2 Chgs of 1 Minute (-¾)
  (60/20) [2c]
  Theriomorphic Potion: 1d6+1 Transform to
  Berserk Monster, NND: Nonhuman
  Metabolism (+1), Uncontrolled, Use by Other
  x1, Trigger: Victim Ingests Potion, Hard to
  Dispel (+¼), Exp OAF, 1 Chg of 1 Minute (-1)
  (65/17) [1c]
  Wizard Glue: 3d6 Entangle, 1 Hex AE, Use by
  Other x1, Trigger: Surface Touched, Exp OAF,
  1 turn Extra Time (-1), Only immobilizes body
  part touching glue painted area (-1) (60/12)
  [4c]
  Personal Items:
  Armor Potion: Force Field (16 PD, 16 ED, 16
  MD, 16 PowD), 3 Chgs of 1 Turn (-¾) (48/16)
  [3c]
  Invisibility Potion: Invisibility vs. Detect Magic,
  Magic Radar, Mental Awareness, All Vision, 2
  Chgs of 1 Minute (-¾) (40/13) [2c]
  Smoke Bomb: 2" radius Darkness vs. Detect
  Magic, All Vision, Personal Immunity, 2 Chgs
  of 1 Turn (-1) (37/11)  [2c]
  Portable Hole Spray: 7" Teleport, Use By Other
  x1 (+¼), Uncontrolled, Opens Both Ways
  (-½), Stays Open Full Turn (-½), 4 Chgs of 1
  Turn (-½) (24/6) [4c]
  Astralle
  Background: Perrenon Sylvestri was eager to leap into
  the thick of Sylvestri magical operations. She didn’t
  want to spend years getting some serious power. On
  the other hand, she didn’t want to sell her soul out-
  right and become a demon lord’s pawn. So she struck
  a compromise. Perrenon contacted each of the seven
  planetary demons: Aratron, Barsabel, Bethor, Hagith,
  Och, Ophiel, and Phul. In exchange for small bequests
  of magical knowledge and power from the demons,
  she offered herself as a lover to all seven, with a prom-
  ise of other favors. Through this, Perrenon quickly
  gained a wide range of magic powers. On the rare oc-
  casions when she needs a supervillain-style pseud-
  onym, she calls herself “Astralle.” When undercover,
  she calls herself “Perry Wood.”
  Quote: Undercover: “Hi, what’s your sign?”
  In Combat: “Barsabel, shield me! Aratron, bind him!”
  Personality: Perrenon is entirely cynical about human
  motivations. Most people, she believes, have just two
  desires, lust and greed, and follow these desires blindly.
  Clever people (like her) manipulate these two desires
  in others to gain power, which is all that really mat-
  ters. Men are particularly easy for a beautiful woman
  like her to control: just offer them some nooky and
  they’ll do anything. Hey, look how she got her powers.
  In a world of stupid sheep, it’s practically a moral duty
  to be a wolf.
  Perrenon never reflects on the possibility that her
  pursuit of power made her just as easy to control as
  the “sheep” around her. This wasn’t lost on the Plan-
  etary Demons, though…
  Powers/Tactics: The Planetary Demons each gave
  Perrenon one attack spell and one defensive or mis-
  cellaneous spell which she can mix and match any way
  she wants. She also has a number of other spells based
  on demonology or astrology. Her planetary spells are
  cast using a belt of enameled plaques bearing the sigils
  of the seven Planetary Demons and some combina-
  tion of Gestures, Incantations, Concentration or an
  Activation Roll.
  Perrenon’s greatest power is actually her skill at as-
  trological forecasts; by studying the positions of the
  planets in the Zodiac, Perrenon can often get visions
  of the future. She’s especially skilled at predicting the
  future actions and circumstances of individuals (rep-
  resented by a mixture of Precognitive Clairsentience
  and Mind Scanning). The more she knows about a
  person, the greater her chance of making an accurate
  forecast. (Of course this combination—Mind Scanning
  into the future—is an obscenity no PC should be al-
  lowed to have.)
  Perrenon’s chief tactic, then, is to search people’s
  timelines for events which she can turn to her advan-
  tage. If she wants to find someone, she looks forward
  to find where they will be; then she goes there at the
  appointed time…or sends her hirelings. Perrenon val-
  ues her own safety above all else. When she can’t get
  what she wants by working undercover, she tries to get
  somebody else to do the dirty work or at least back her
  up in a lightning-quick operation. If she encounters
  unforeseen problems, Perrenon immediately flees.
  Appearance: Perrenon Sylvestri is a voluptuous woman
  with cornsilk blonde hair. When not undercover as
  “Perry Wood” she wears flowing costumes of dark blue
  silk that leave her arms and legs bare, with lots of
  décolletage, and a blue-lined black satin cape. Around
  her waist is the belt of dark blue and gold sigil plaques.
  A black domino mask is optional and strictly for ef-
  fect.
  
  251
  Astralle
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  18
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  18
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  16
  COM
  3
  12-
  7
  PD
  5
  Total: 7+ PD
  7
  ED
  3
  Total: 7+ ED
  4
  SPD
  12
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 90
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 17”/136”
  Teleport: 13"/26"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +1 Level w/  Main Magical
  Multipower (5)
  Planetary Demon-Given Magic:
  The Favor of the Demon-Planets: Multipower
  (79 pt pool), OIF Talisman Belt, -½ Var Lim
  (-¼) (45)
  u - Och’s Solar Flare: 3d6 Flash vs. Normal/IR
  Vision, 1 Hex AE (52/2) [8c]
  u - Och’s Illumination: Change Environment:
  Sunlight, 8" radius, ½ END (25/1) [1]
  u - Phantasms of Phul: 10d6 Mental Illusions
  (50/2) [8c]
  u - Concealment of Phul: Invisibility vs.
  Normal Vision/Detect Magic (25/1) [2]
  u - Ophiel’s Forcible Flight: 10" Flight, Use vs.
  Other (+1), Ranged (+½) (50/2) [8c]
  u - Ophiel’s Instant Transport: 12" Teleport
  (24/1) [1/5"]
  u - Hagith’s Mental Mastery: 10d6 Mind
  Control (50/2) [8c]
  u - Hagith’s Attractive Aura: +20 PRE, +10
  COM, Costs END, Only to Persuade (-¾)
  (25/1) [2]
  u - Barsabel’s Flaming Spear: 2d6+1 RKA, AP
  (52/2) [8c]
  u - Barsabel’s Iron Shield: Force Field (7 PD, 7
  ED, 6 PowD), Hardened (25/1) [2]
  u - Lightning of Bethor: 10d6 EB (50/2) [8c]
  u - Bethor’s Revelations: N Ray Vision, Only
  to See Through Magic (-1) + Ranged Sense
  Magic (35/1)
  u - Aratron’s Leaden Bonds: 5d6 Entangle
  (50/2) [8c]
  u - Aratron’s Subtle Clutch: 5d6 DEX Suppress
  (25/1) [2]
  u - Contact Demon: 8d6 Mind
  Scanning, Transdimensional: Netherworld
  (+½), +6 ECV, 1 turn Extra Time (-1),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (78/2) [6]
  u - Astrological Search: 13d6 Mind Scanning,
  +7 ECV, 1 hour Extra Time (-2 ½) (79/2)
  [6]
  u - Open the Way: EDM: Earth, Use by Other
  x1 (+¼) Ranged, BOECV (+1),
  Transdimensional: Netherworld (+½),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½), x2 END (65/2)
  [12]
  Minor Gifts of the Demon-Planets: Multipower
  (45 pt pool), Only in Villain ID (-¼), -1 Var
  Lim: Focus/G/I/C/ET (-½) (26)
  u - Shield of 7 Star Demons: Force Field (16
  PD, 16 ED, 8 PowD), ½ END (45/2) [2]
  u - Winds of Asmodeus: 17" Flight, x8 NCM
  (44/2) [1/5"]
  u - Astrological Forecast: Clairsentience: Sight,
  Mind Scan, Precognition (45/3) [4]
  u - Astral Gate: EDM: Astral
  Dimensions/Earth, x4 Mass, 1 phase Extra
  Time (-½), x2 END (40/1) [8]
  u - Call Scratchet: 4 x 25 pt Summon Scratchet,
  3 chgs Cost x2 END (45/1) [8]
  u - Contact Demon: Mind Link x1 to Demon
  Lords, Any Distance/Dimension,
  Concentrate 0 DCV Constant (-1) (20/1)
  Astrology: +8 ECV on Mind Scanning, Only in
  Villain ID, -½ Var Lim, Requires PS:
  Astrologer Skill Roll and Info About Target
  (-½) (8)
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Mental Defense: 9 (5)
  Costume: Instant Change, Costs x4 END (-2), -½
  Var Lim (- ¼) (1) [4]
  Background Skills:
  Acting 13- (3)
  AK: Babylon 11- (2)
  Concealment 12- (3)
  Conversation 13- (3)
  Dimensional Navigation 12- (3)
  English (Idiomatic, Native Accent) (4)
  Italian (Native) (0)
  KS: Astrology 12- (2)
  KS: Demonology 12- (2)
  KS: General Occultism 11- (1)
  KS: Occult World 11- (1)
  Latin (Fluent Conversation) (1)
  PS: Astrologer 13- (4)
  Scholar (3)
  Seduction 13- (3)
  Shadowing 13- (7)
  Library of Babylon Borrower’s Card (1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 177
  Total Character Cost: 267
  
  252
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Demon-Tainted Aura (Few Detect, Strong
  Reaction) (10)
  Hunted by:
  Sorcerer Hero, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Physical Limitation:
  Main Multipower Can Be Controlled by
  Demonic Patrons (15)
  Demonic Patrons Can Summon Her (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Terrified of Capture, Punishment or Death (20)
  Greedy for Magic Power (10)
  Lecherous (10)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN + BODY, Whenever Planetary Demon
  Wants (uncommon) (30)
  1d6 STUN/Turn. Holy Symbols/Ground
  (uncommon) (10)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Watched by:
  Senior Sylvestris, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Planetary Demons, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 275
  Supernatural Super-
  Thugs
  Like other villains, evil wizards may want a bit of
  muscle to back them up, something more than the
  usual cultist. If a project might lead them into conflict
  with another sorcerer, they want to be sure they can
  kick butt—in a spiritual sense, of course. As always
  with wizards, however, style is everything. Supervillain
  wizards never just hire some cheap hoods with big guns
  to blow away the opposing wizard. No, they hire mys-
  tical cheap hoods.
  There are many sorts of magical super-thugs. Lower-
  powered demons make fine, colorful super-thug lack-
  eys; so do elementals. Lesser sorcerers with a few com-
  bat effective powers might hire out as mercenaries in
  return for greater mystical knowledge. Some wizards
  can create their own minions, such as mummies, lesser
  vampires, golems or stranger creatures. Such undying
  entities may survive their creators and be employed
  by later sorcerers, too.
  A supernatural super-thug probably won’t get much
  chance to display a sparkling personality. Their only
  role, after all, is to fight the heroes. They become in-
  teresting through their unusual powers, special effects
  or appearance.
  If one doesn’t have the time or energy to create su-
  per- thugs from scratch, one can easily modify lower-
  powered villains from Enemies books. Just change the
  name and make the appearance and special effects
  weirder. From Classic Enemies, for instance, Hideous
  or any other brick could become a golem or earth el-
  emental; Plague could be a bizarre spirit from another
  dimension; or Lazer could be a minor mystic with a
  cloak of levitation and a wand that shoots flaming vi-
  pers.
  A throwaway super-thug’s background doesn’t re-
  ally matter very much. If one needs to quickly add a
  background to a supernatural super-thug, here are
  some classic options, with sample characters.
  Transformed Human
  Another option is a hapless human transformed into
  a super-powered slave (as in the case of Leech from
  Classic Enemies.) The person could be the victim of an
  occult accident. Or, the human could have been a vol-
  unteer: in return for becoming a lackey, the person got
  power, revenge, immortality, a cure for a loved one’s
  fatal illness, or the like. The person could even have
  transformed themselves.
  Pluto
  The manipulative theurgist villain, Pope Joan, se-
  duced the bank vice-president Lloyd Barclay and, us-
  ing her magic, gave him the delusion that he was Pluto
  (the Roman god of wealth and the dead), with powers
  to match. While Pope Joan could have simply used
  Barclay to embezzle the bank’s funds, she wanted more.
  After all, the ancient relics she uses in her magic often
  are not for sale at any price, and to her it seems silly to
  buy materials for her magic research when she has a
  besotted demigod who’s willing to steal them.
  Barclay-Pluto, then, goes out nights with Pope Joan
  to carry off bags of money and gems from bank vaults
  and jewelry stores. Pope Joan has told him that it’s a
  personal insult that banks do not sacrifice to him or
  otherwise acknowledge his authority over them, so they
  should take money as forced “tribute.”
  Although Pluto is under orders to avoid fights, he
  does not always obey this command. He’s quite sure
  he can defeat any mere mortal. With his Death Touch
  and power to turn invisible, he’s not entirely unjusti-
  fied. Note that although Pluto needs his black-enam-
  eled metal helmet to use some of his powers, the hel-
  met is not actually magical; Pluto’s need for it is en-
  tirely psychosomatic, because in myth the real Pluto
  used such a helmet.
  Pluto’s greatest weakness, of course, is that his pow-
  ers all depend on Pope Joan’s magic and his own delu-
  sion. Pope Joan can deactivate any of his powers at
  will, or even cancel the whole enchantment. A Mind
  Control or Telepathy powerful enough to reach into
  Pluto’s memories will also turn him back into Barclay
  by suppressing the false identity created by Pope Joan’s
  brainwashing. Finally, losing a fight to the real Pluto
  could break the delusion. The real Pluto knows about
  Barclay and is not amused. Neither are the other Greco-
  Roman Gods. A meeting with Pluto or Hecate would
  not be implausible.
  Barclay is a handsome, muscular man in his late for-
  ties, with a few streaks of gray in his curly black hair
  although his beard and mustache are still all dark. (The
  other people at the bank have noticed how fit Barclay
  
  253
  now seems.) At work, in his “disguise” as Barclay, he
  wears tailored black suits with a royal purple silk tie
  and golden cufflinks and tie tack. In his “real” identity
  as Pluto, he wears a black chiton clasped by a golden
  brooch, black sandals, and a black metal helmet in
  Greek style with a black horsehair crest.
  (Note: Pluto can be used as a model for writing up
  “real” mythological gods who take a human form Se-
  cret ID. By removing the “Only in Super ID” Limita-
  tions and adding a few other Multipower slots, Pluto
  can also be used as a basis for the actual god Hades/
  Pluto.)
  Pluto
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  40*
  STR
  24
  17- 6400 kg; 8d6 [4]
  21*
  DEX
  26
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  23*
  CON
  21
  14-
  13
  BODY
  6
  12-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  13
  EGO
  6
  12- ECV: 4
  25*
  PRE
  12
  14- PRE Attack 5d6
  14
  COM
  2
  12-
  20*
  PD
  10
  Total: 20 PD/10 rPD
  20*
  ED
  12
  Total: 20 ED/10 rED
  4*
  SPD
  7
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  13*
  REC
  0
  46*
  END
  0
  45*
  STUN
  0
  *Only in Hero ID (-¼)
  Total Characteristic Cost: 129
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +1 Level w/  Hand-to Hand
  Combat (5)
  Pope Joan-Given Powers:
  Multipower (42 pt pool), * (34)
  u - Death Touch: 4d6 HA (6d6 w/STR), BODY
  AVLD: Power Defense (+2 ½) (42/3) [4]
  u - Death Aura: 2d6 BODY Drain, Damage
  Shield, AP (40/3) [4]
  u - Desolidification, not vs. magic,
  Concentrate ½ DCV Constant (-½), IAF
  Helmet (40/2) [4]
  Helmet of Darkness: Multipower (45 pt pool),
  IAF, * (26)
  u - Invisibility vs. Detect Magic + All Vision, 0
  END (45/2) [0]
  u - Aura of Darkness: 2" radius Darkness vs.
  Detect Magic + All Vision, Personal
  Immunity, ½ END (45/2) [2]
  u - Returning to the Underworld: 7", 7 DEF
  Tunneling, Can Fill Behind (45/2) [1]
  Damage Resistance (10 PD, 10 ED), * (8)
  Mental Defense: 8* (4)
  Power Defense: 5* (4)
  Life Support: Immune to Disease (3)
  IR Vision (5)
  Bureaucratics 14- (3)
  KS: World of Finance 12- (3)
  PS: Banker 12- (3)
  Headquarters: 25 pt  reserve (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 116
  Total Character Cost: 245
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  if EGO+20 Telepathy/Mind Control Suppresses
  Delusion (common), 14- (20)
  Enraged:
  by Challenge to Godly Identity (very common),
  11-,  Recover 14- (20)
  Hunted by:
  Vril Society, 8- (More Pow) (15)
  Real Greek Gods, 8- (More Pow) (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Pope Joan Can Turn Off Powers At Will (inf,
  total) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Infatuated with Pope Joan (20)
  Overconfident (20)
  Greedy (10)
  Watched by:
  Pope Joan, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 245
  Another Historical
  Mage
  Solomon
  (flourished 10th century BC): In real
  life, King Solomon briefly turned Israel
  into a major regional power. He is
  credited with the Biblical books of
  Proverbs and the Song of Solomon. Later
  legend expanded on his wisdom and
  splendor to make him the ultimate
  Magus, whom God himself had given
  mastery over all the spirits and all the
  powers of nature. Some famous European
  grimoires of the Renaissance were
  claimed to be the work of Solomon
  himself. More legends center on
  Solomon’s seal and ring, with which he
  bound demons to serve in building the
  Temple in Jerusalem and imprisoned
  rebellious djinns in brass bottles.
  Solomon had a weakness for women,
  though. Like any Middle Eastern mon-
  arch, he had many wives from many
  lands. His foreign wives led him into
  idolatry, and God punished him by taking
  away his magic powers.
  
  254
  Summoned Entity
  This could account for nearly anything. The
  Multiverse is full of bizarre entities. Here’s an amusing
  thought: perhaps there’s a dimension lord who runs
  an employment agency for supernatural mercenaries.
  Lerajie
  Lerajie is one of the many minor demon lords de-
  scribed in the Lemegeton. As occultist A. E. Waite
  quaintly summarized in his Ceremonial Black Magic,
  Lerajie is “a powerful marquis, coming in the likeness
  of an archer, clad in green and bearing bow and quiver.
  He occasions battles and causes arrow wounds to pu-
  trefy.”
  Lerajie thus makes an excellent soldier for a demon-
  summoning sorcerer. He can either make a victim in-
  stantly break out in running sores or cause small
  wounds that quickly turn gangrenous. His arrows can
  also have a purely spiritual effect, inspiring undirected
  rage. (See The Ultimate Mentalist for a discussion of
  emotion based Mind Control.)
  Technically, Lerajie cannot be disarmed for more
  than 1 Phase: a new bow will just appear in his hands
  on the next Phase. If his arms are restrained so he can-
  not draw his bow, however, he cannot use his magical
  archery.
  Lerajie
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  23
  STR
  13
  17- 600 kg; 4½d6 [4]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  18
  CON
  16
  14-
  10
  BODY
  0
  12-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  18
  PRE
  8
  14- PRE Attack 3½d6
  12
  COM
  1
  12-
  23
  PD
  18
  Total: 23 PD/8 rPD
  23
  ED
  19
  Total: 23 ED/8 rED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10
  REC
  2
  36
  END
  0
  31
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 140
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Level s w/  Wounds,
  Sores, Enrage (6)
  Range Skill Levels: +2 Range Mod Levels s w/
  Wounds,  Sores, Enrage (4)
  Archery: Multipower (75 pt pool), Restrainable
  (-½) (50)
  u - Cause Sores: 1d6+1 RKA, BODY AVLD:
   Power Defense (+2 ½), ½ END (75/5) [3]
  u - Putrefying Wounds: 4d6 ERKA, ½ END, 1
  hour Gradual Effect (-2) (75/2) [3]
  u - Enrage: 10d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal (+¼),
  ½ END, Fixed Emotion: Rage (-1), Use
  Normal CVs (-¼) (75/3) [3]
  u - Cause Battle: 10d6 Mind Control, Nonverbal,
  Nonselective 1 Hex AE (+¼), Fixed Emotion:
  Rage, Use Normal CVs (75/3) [7]
  Demon Lord Powers:
  Demon Resistance:
  Damage Resistance (8 PD, 8 ED), Hardened
  (10)
  Hardened Defense on base PD, ED (12)
  Mental Defense: 8 (5)
  Power Defense: 5, Not vs. Transforms (-½) (3)
  Life Support: Need not Breathe, Immune to
  Disease, Aging, Extreme Heat/Cold (19)
  IR Vision (5)
  Universal Translator 12- (20)
  KS: The Cohort of Wrath 11- (2)
  PS: Archery Tutor 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 151
  Total Character Cost: 295
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Berserk:
  in Combat, 8-,  Recover 11- (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Demon (Hard to Conceal, Scary) (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY (20)
  Movement, Powers Blocked by Pentacles (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Treacherous (15)
  Vain About Archery Skill (10)
  Susceptibility:
  2d6 STUN + BODY/phase, Contact w/Holy
  Symbol/Place (50)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 Effect, Summoner PRE Attacks/Bindings
  (common) (20)
  x2 Effect, PRE Attack After Holy Symbol Attack
  (common) (20)
  Watched by:
  Baphomet, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 295
  
  255
  Weapon-User
  The sorcerer either supplied magic weaponry to a
  loyal minion, or hires someone who already has for-
  midable magic items. The Champions Universe already
  includes several villains whose powers come from
  magic items.
  Matachin
  Matachin’s proper name is Dashwood Sylvestri, of
  the far-flung Sylvestri clan. Although not a sorcerer
  himself, Matachin wields the Qliphothic Sword, which
  channels forces of negative existence to debilitate who-
  ever it hits, utterly ignoring all conventional defenses.
  Even when not in use the Qliphothic Sword will drain
  life-force from anyone who touches it without proper
  protection. The enchantments which let Matachin
  wield the Sword give him some minor life- draining
  powers of his own.
  Matachin doesn’t just act as an enforcer for the
  Sylvestris. He also hires himself out to other evil wiz-
  ards and cults. He usually reports what he learns about
  his employers to the senior Sylvestris, but not always:
  like all Sylvestris, he does not fully trust his kinfolk. As
  the Sylvestris say, knowledge isn’t power; knowledge
  other people don’t have is power.
  Matachin
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  20
  STR
  10
  13- 400 kg; 4d6 [2]
  21
  DEX
  33
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  20
  CON
  20
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 13-
  15
  EGO
  10
  12- ECV: 5
  18
  PRE
  18
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  6
  COM
  -2
  10-
  13
  PD
  9
  Total: 31 PD/ 18 rPD
  13
  ED
  9
  Total: 31 ED/ 18 rED
  5
  SPD
  19
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  8
  REC
  0
  40
  END
  0
  30
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 119
  Movement:
  Running: 7”/14”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Fencing (6)
  Martial Arts—Fencing (22)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Ballestra
  +2
  -2
  6d6 AVLD/
  4d6 Drain;
  Requires a
  half-move
  Disarm
  -1
  +1
  STR 30
   Disarm
  Parry
  +2
  +2
  Block, Abort
  Slash
  -2
  +1
  6d6 AVLD/
  4d6 Drain
  Strike
  +0
  +2
  5d6 AVLD/
  3½d6 Drain
  Use Art with Swords, Swords are the Default
  Qliphothic Sword: Multipower (65 pt pool), OAF
  (32)
  u - Strike Through Defenses: 4d6 EB, AVLD:
  Power Defense (+1 ½), AP, ½ END, 0 Range
  (65/2) [3]
  u - Ghost Strike: 4d6 EB, AVLD: Power Defense
  (+1 ½), Affects Desolid (+½), ½ END, 0
  Range (65/2) [3]
  u - Drain Vitality: 3d6 BODY Drain, Recover 1
  BODY/2 turns (+¼), AP, ½ END (60/3) [3]
  u - Default Draining Aura: 2d6 CON Drain,
  Damage Shield, 0 END Persistent, Use by 1
  Other: Sword (+¼), Trigger: No Other Slot in
  Use (+¼), Personal Immunity (60/3)
  Antilife Powers: Elemental Control (12)
  a - Transfer Life Force: 1d6+1 BODY Transfer,
  to Any Phys Char (+¼) (25/13) [2]
  b - Armor (8 PD, 8 ED) (24/12)
  c - Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED, 5 PowD) (25/13)
  [2]
  Magical Mask, OAF:
  Flash Defense: Sight: 5 (2)
  Mental Defense: 8 (2)
  Minor Skills & Abilities:
  Power Defense: 7 (7)
  Life Support: Immune to Extreme Cold, Disease
  (6)
  Running: +1" (7" total) (2) [1/5"]
  IR Vision (5)
  Combat Sense 12- (3)
  Acrobatics 13- (3)
  Interrogation 13- (3)
  KS: Fencing 12- (3)
  KS: Occult World 12- (3)
  KS: Black Magic 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 161
  Total Character Cost: 280
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Aura of Cold and Shadow (Can’t Conceal) (15)
  Hunted by:
  Mage Hero, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Physical Limitation:
  Virtually Blind in Bright Light Without Mask
  (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Glory Seeking/Showoff (20)
  Loves Transferring from Helpless Victims (15)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/minute, Hot Environment (common)
  (10)
  2d6 STUN, Aid Spells (uncommon) (10)
  Vulnerability:
  x1 ½ STUN+BODY, Heat/Fire Attacks
  (common) (20)
  Watched by:
  Senior Sylvestris 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (55)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 280
  
  256
  Ouroboros
  They reptilize upon the Earth.
  —William Blake, The Book of Ahania
  Background: Ouroboros is a major cult, with branches
  throughout Europe, the Americas,  Australia and sev-
  eral satellite groups in Asia and Africa. It worships the
  Dragon in the form of the Gnostic serpent god Abraxas.
  The leaders of Ouroboros plot to subjugate humanity
  to the Dragon’s will.
  Ouroboros claims to date back to the original Gnos-
  tic cults of the 1st to 4th centuries AD. In one sense
  this is true; the worship of the Dragon does extend
  back to the Gnostic cults, and hasn’t changed all that
  much. The Dragon’s cults, however, enjoy no tradition
  of apostolic succession like that of the Roman Catho-
  lic Church. The traditions endure, but individual cult
  groups come and go.
  The modern cult of Ouroboros began early in the
  19th century. Volunteer soldiers from throughout Eu-
  rope (including Lord Byron) joined the Greek revolu-
  tion against the Turks. Some of the soldiers belonged
  to Satanic or witchcraft cults. Their dreams led them
  to Greece, to a little monastery belonging to no recog-
  nized church, and a tiny cult which preserved ancient
  rituals and enchantments. The partisans found the true
  cult of which theirs was a distorted echo, and their true
  god…the Dragon.
  The partisans carried the word of the Dragon back
  across Europe and did their best to fuse their own cults
  to the cult in Greece. After decades of growth, conflict
  and reorganization the great cult of Ouroboros as-
  sumed its multifarious modern form.
  Doctrines and Goals: Ouroboros worships the Dragon
  under the name of Abraxas. According to cult doctrine,
  the human soul is a spark sent out by the nameless
  Supreme God, trapped in a material body and a mate-
  rial world by the wicked demigod Jehovah. To redeem
  the lost sparks of his own divinity and bring them back
  to himself, the Supreme God created another demi-
  god, Abraxas. Abraxas began the job in the Garden of
  Eden by persuading Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of
  Knowledge of Good and Evil—the first step in break-
  ing the restrictions imposed by Jehovah. The duped
  minions of Jehovah have said that Abraxas is “that old
  serpent” Satan, the Enemy, but actually Jehovah is the
  real “god of this world” and enemy of the true God.
  Ouroboros doctrines spin out from there. For some-
  one who has “Gnosis,” the awareness of one’s own di-
  vinity, nothing is evil anymore…at least, nothing done
  to the unenlightened mass of humanity. Most humans
  are not capable of Gnosis because they only have “ani-
  mal souls” instead of divine souls. Even if a person has
  a divine soul and doesn’t know it, if they die they just
  reincarnate. Since the divine soul is indestructible, what
  happens to the body doesn’t matter.
  There’s a lot more to Ouroboros theology, but the
  practical consequences can be stated simply. For the
  Ouroboros cultist, Good is Evil, human life is trivial
  and whatever a Cardinal says, goes.
  Organization: Ouroboros has a partially segmented,
  decentralized structure. The cult is run from several
  headquarters called Fanes. Each Fane controls a net-
  work of local covens spread through a wide region.
  The high priest of the Fane, called a Cardinal, depu-
  tizes lieutenants called Canons to lead each coven. A
  coven’s meeting place is called a Chapterhouse.
  Chapterhouses and Fanes are often disguised as ordi-
  nary, semi-public buildings. (These bases don’t have
  to be paid for by the controlling Canon or Cardinal,
  since they belong to the cult as a whole. Chapterhouses
  seldom run to more than 50 points plus disadvantages;
  Fanes run around 150-200 points.)
  The Dragon selects one Cardinal to become the
  Archimandrite, its personal viceroy as leader of the
  whole cult. Still, Cardinals retain considerable freedom
  of action—as long as their actions successfully pro-
  mote the Dragon’s goals. If a Cardinal fails, he or she
  must explain matters to the Archimandrite.
  The Archimandrite and Cardinals are powerful
  priest-magicians. Each one is a distinctive supervillain.
  Canons are elite agents (base 75 points), and all pretty
  much the same. Cultists are base 50 point competent
  normals. The cult includes at least a dozen Cardinals.
  Each Cardinal controls 3-18 Canons. Local covens have
  10-30 members. If a coven expands much beyond 30,
  the Cardinal splits off a new coven with its own Canon.
  Cardinals themselves directly control larger cult
  groups, ranging up to 50-60 members. What’s more,
  at each worship service at a Fane there will probably
  be a visiting local coven or two. Special events may
  draw even more covens, so Fanes are built to accom-
  modate hundreds of cultists.
  A Cardinal’s congregation may include squads of
  special, elite cultist agents. These can vary widely from
  Cardinal to Cardinal (and are left for GMs to invent).
  The cult also commands various low to intermediate
  power monsters created by the Dragon or by priests
  and wizards of the past.
  Canons and Cardinals often have considerable
  worldly power as well. They might be able to call on
  resources unrelated to the cult, such as conventional
  criminal gangs and supervillain mercenaries, political
  or business connections, or even alliances with other
  cults.
  Finally, note that Ouroboros is just one form of the
  Dragon’s worldwide cult. The cult takes other forms
  and other names in other parts of the world, such as
  China, Africa and the Middle East. These cults have
  their own hierarchies. Nevertheless, if the Dragon or-
  ders another of its cults to work with Ouroboros, the
  cults will cooperate. Only the Cardinals and
  Archimandrite know the full size of Ouroboros and
  its connections with other Draconic cults.
  Magic and Equipment: The Canons and Cardinals
  employ Ritual Magic emphasizing Foci and Incanta-
  tions. Their combat magic comes from their elabo-
  rately carved and jeweled staves of gilded bronze and
  
  257
  human bone. Every Canon knows 3 spells: a basic psy-
  chic bolt (which the victim sees as a bolt of bright green
  light), a Sigil of Set (the actual rune is carved inside
  the mouth of the serpent head atop the staff), and a
  curse of slow death.
  The Death Curse deserves special mention. It has
  no visible effect, so unless the victim sees the caster
  point the Serpent Staff or hears the Words of Power
  spoken, the victim might not know that a spell has been
  cast on them. Each hour thereafter, however, the vic-
  tim suffers a 1d6 BODY Drain. The curse proceeds for
  16 hours; with the return rate factored in, the victim
  will take 20 BODY on average. A normal person thus
  has a 50% chance of death. The curse can be stopped
  by dispelling, giving the victim Power Defense, or ex-
  orcism. (Exorcism from any religious or magical tra-
  dition will do, so long as the victim can win a Skill
  Roll struggle, his EGO vs. the Death Curse caster’s EGO.
  The victim can try again for each hour of exorcism.)
  The Death Curse is used for stealthy assassinations; it’s
  not much use against supermages.
  Cardinals add another Sigil of Set to their repertoire
  of staff based powers, as well as a powerful destructive
  bolt called the Dragon’s Kiss, spells to summon and
  bind minor demons and reptilian monsters created by
  the Dragon, and at least one noncombat spell of their
  own choice. The Death Curse can be sent long dis-
  tance, psychically. The typical Cardinal adds another
  Multipower of low power defensive or miscellaneous
  spells bought through another Focus.
  For defense, the Canons and Cardinals have the
  Warding Band. This is also made of gilded bronze, with
  a few tiny disks of semiprecious stone engraved with
  mystic runes. It could be a necklace or choker, a brace-
  let or even a watch band. Its design always includes a
  snake biting its own tail. It provides temporary pro-
  tection against physical and some magical forces.
  Cardinals may add more magical abilities if they
  wish. These are always bought through some sort of
  Focus.
  Finally, each Canon and Cardinal has a reserve of
  points to use for lengthy, non combat ritual spells.
  While these can change from adventure to adventure,
  they aren’t bought through a Multipower or Power
  Pool; they are a plot device. The cult leader can even
  apply these points to their Fane’s headquarters’ points,
  getting five times the Real Points—as long as the spells
  are cast from the Fane’s ritual chamber.
  Very few of the Ouroboros cultists have Spell Re-
  search. They learn magic from scrolls left by previous
  cults of the Dragon. Once in a while the Dragon teaches
  a new spell to a Cardinal, who writes it down.
  Costumes: Ouroboros costumes are typical cultist
  robes, tied with a sash around the waist. Their favorite
  color is green and they use lots of snake and dragon
  motifs. Canons have fancier robes, with a hooded cloak
  and a tasseled stole. Cardinals get an even fancier cos-
  tume, with a high collar to the hooded cloak and a
  gilded half mask covering the upper face.
  Tactics: Ouroboros is insidious. The cult tries to sneak
  cultists into a community gradually, recruiting as they
  go. Leaders try to achieve positions of influence in the
  community, such as doctor, police captain, teacher,
  business leader or even priest of a public church. Only
  the smallest of towns can be controlled outright, but
  in a year or two the cultists can build enough of an
  organization to hide their activities from casual view.
  Then they can get on with their real projects.
  Ongoing projects, such as producing more Uraeus
  serpents, are usually run by low key, well established
  cult cells. These operations can stay hidden for decades
  and will probably be discovered only through infor-
  mation found at other cells. Projects with a clear end
  condition, such as finding and reviving a long buried
  Draconic monster, creating a body for the Dragon to
  possess or kidnapping homeless people to turn into
  brainwashed Ophites, are more easily discovered since
  they require more contact with the outside world.
  Ouroboros always tries to avoid open fights. The
  cultists prefer to stay hidden. Ouroboros would rather
  bomb a Sanctum, hold a DNPC hostage or slip poison
  in an enemy’s food than attack directly. Every cell in-
  cludes a few trained investigators skilled at discover-
  ing Secret IDs and DNPCs, assuming they have time
  to work. If the cultists must fight in person, though,
  they attack with hysterical fury. If cult losses mount,
  the leader will order the rank and file cultists to launch
  a human wave attack. Once the leader has gotten away,
  the surviving cultists scatter, to regroup weeks or
  months later. Compromised bases are destroyed when-
  ever possible. The cultists will sacrifice themselves for
  their leaders.
  Sometimes the sacrifice is quite literal. It’s a mark of
  special favor from the Dragon for a cultist to receive
  the Self Sacrificial Summoning power (see “Cults” in
  Chapter Five). It’s not unusual for an Ouroboros group
  to include one cultist (often a Canon) with this power,
  or some other mighty and destructive spell activated
  by self murder. Cultists with such powers are eager to
  use them, killing themselves to show their devotion
  and bring victory for their cause.
  Relations with Other Agencies: As mentioned,
  Ouroboros cooperates with any other cult of the
  Dragon, if such joint ventures are commanded.
  Ouroboros will also work with Satanic cults such as
  the Seven-Headed Beast or Bullet Bulls on an ad hoc
  basis, since they share the same long term goal of a
  humanity enslaved to Evil. The degree of cooperation
  is really up to the Satanists: the Ouroboros leaders rec-
  ognize that the demon lords grew from the Dragon’s
  influence on humanity’s collective unconscious, but
  the Satanists seldom recognize the Dragon’s primacy.
  Other cults are viewed with total disdain, if not ac-
  tive hostility, even other black magic cults. Cardinals
  sometimes team up with individual evil sorcerers
  whose goals do not conflict with Ouroboros. Mundane
  criminal agencies are considered mere pawns and hire-
  lings. Law enforcement agencies are zealously hidden
  from.
  
  258
  Cardinal Krait
  Background: Cardinal Krait is actually Lester Bowen,
  a locally prominent judge and pillar of the commu-
  nity. He’s a second-generation cultist, directed by the
  cult to become first a lawyer and then a judge so the
  cult has an operative high in the region’s legal system.
  Now that he himself is the region’s cult leader, Bowen
  hopes to carry this plan even further. He would like to
  reach elected office—preferably Governor or Senator,
  but he’d settle for becoming a representative in the state
  legislature…for now.
  Bowen has another grand plan in the works as well,
  a plan to create an avatar for the Dragon. He has raised
  his daughter Venus to become the Bride of Abraxas
  and bear the god’s child for the god to possess. Venus
  doesn’t know this. Although she’s been raised by cult
  nannies, taught by cult tutors and protected from “un-
  suitable” aspects of the world (such as unchaperoned
  meetings with boys) by cult bodyguards, she hasn’t
  been introduced to the cult itself. Bowen thinks it’s very
  important that Venus be an innocent virgin when she
  meets her future husband (one of the powerful mon-
  sters created by the Dragon long ago, serving as a stand
  in for the Dragon). On the other hand, he’s had her
  educated so that she wouldn’t find anything too shock-
  ing about mating with a reptilian “god.”
  Bowen’s personal congregation and Fane is disguised
  as the local branch of the Shriners. (Go on, make the
  players wonder if the whole club is a front for
  Ouroboros). It is described below.
  Quote: “Attack, my minions! Abraxas commands their
  death!”
  Personality: Cardinal Krait is a typical cult leader: loud
  and leading from the rear. He’s no fool, though. He’s a
  skilled administrator who keeps his cult cell prosper-
  ous and well-hidden. So far, no hint of scandal has
  clouded his name, despite a superficially public life.
  No one would believe he leads a vicious cult.
  Bowen’s connections with organized crime remain
  hidden too, for the same reason: anyone who learns
  anything gets murdered, and cultists in the local po-
  lice force and city government destroy all the evidence.
  Bowen would actually have to be caught in the act with
  witnesses to be arrested for anything, and even then
  he could probably get off. The scandal of arrest, how-
  ever, could block his political aspirations—and earn
  PCs his undying hatred.
  Powers/Tactics: In addition to Krait’s main spells, he
  can create various minor defensive effects using the
  talismanic rings he wears at all times. Most importantly
  for the cult, he can not only mentally contact the
  Dragon, he can share that contact with others: his cult-
  ists can have the ultimate religious experience.
  Krait tries to deal with problems quietly when pos-
  sible. First he tries legal harassment against people who
  stand in his way. Then he hires ordinary local thugs
  (who have no idea who hired them) to attack them; he
  also uses thugs against ordinary people who have
  learned of the cult’s existence.
  If the cult has to fight its own battle, Krait stays in
  the rear, exhorting the cultists while casting Sigils of
  Set on their opponents. He flees if there is any chance
  his hood might be removed and his identity exposed.
  Appearance: Lester Bowen is a stout, middle-aged man,
  balding on top. His costume is a belted green robe with
  a full-face hood, high triple collar, flaring sleeves and
  lots of embroidery.
  
  259
  Cardinal Krait
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [2]
  20
  DEX
  30
  12- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  18
  CON
  16
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  12- PER Roll 13-
  20
  EGO
  20
  12- ECV: 7
  18
  PRE
  8
  12- PRE Attack 3½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  10
  PD
  7
  Total: 20 PD/ 10 rPD
  10
  ED
  6
  Total: 20 ED/ 10 rED
  4
  SPD
  10
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  8
  REC
  2
  36
  END
  0
  26
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 110
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Magical
  Combat (10)
  Serpent Staff: Multipower (70 pt pool), OAF,
  Incantations (31)
  u - Mystic Bolt: 5 ½d6 Ego Attack, ½ END (69/3)
  [3]
  u - Sigil of Set: 6d6 Suppress, vs. Any 1
  Characteristic (+¼), 0 END, Uncontrolled
  (67/3) [0]
  u - Sigil of Set: 4d6 Suppress, Vs. Any 1
  Characteristic (+¼), 0 END, Uncontrolled,
  Personal Immunity, 5 Hexes AE (+1) (70/3)
  [0]
  u - Dragon’s Kiss: 4 ½d6 RKA, 0 Range (70/3)
  [7]
  u - Death Curse: 1d6 BODY Drain, Ranged,
  BOECV (+1), Recover 1 BODY/2 hours (+1
  ¼), Invisible vs. Sight/Hearing/Mental (+1),
  Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END to maintain,
  Personal Immunity, 1 Hour Gradual Effect
  between increments (-2) (70/3) [7]
  u - Summoning: 2 x 100 pt Summon, Any Minor
  Demon or Creature of the Dragon (+¼), 4
  chgs (70/2) [4c]
  u - Binding Spell: 7d6 minor Transform vs. EGO
  (Willingly do 1 task), Only vs. Spirits or
  Willing Recipients (-½) (70/3) [7]
  u - Greater Scrying: Clairsentience: Normal
  Vision, Hearing, Sense Magic, x32 Range (10
  miles), ½ END, constant Concentrate ½ DCV
  (-½) (69/3) [3]
  u - Contact Dragon: 9d6 Mind Scan,
  Transdimensional: Astral Plane (+½), +1 ECV,
  initial Concentrate 0 DCV (- ½), 1 phase Extra
  Time (-½) (70/2) [7]
  Rings of Defense: Multipower (20 pt pool), IIF
  Rings, Incantations (13)
  u - Damage Reduction (50% vs. normal PD)
  (20/1)
  u - Damage Reduction (50% vs. normal ED)
  (20/1)
  u - Missile Deflection +0 vs. Any Magic (20/1)
  u - Invisibility vs. normal vision (20/1) [2]
  u - Clairsentience: Vision (20/1) [2]
  Warding Band: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED, 5 MD),
  OIF, 4 chgs of 1 minute (-¼) (14) [4c]
  Talismanic Ring: Power Defense: 5, OIF (3)
  Magesight Talisman: Sense Magic, Ranged,
  Discriminatory, IAF (9)
  Worship Ritual: Mind Link to Dragon, Any
  Distance/Dimension, Use with Others x4 (+¾),
  initial 1 turn Extra Time (-½), OAF Staff,
  constant Concentrate 0 DCV (-1) (7) [5]
  Individual Noncombat Ritual Spells (see “Hermetic
  Theurgy: Notably Powerful Spells” and “Instant
  Sanctum Spells” in Chapter Four for inspiration)
  (27)
  Background Skills:
  Acting 13- (3)
  High Society 13- (3)
  Oratory 13- (3)
  Persuasion 13- (3)
  Streetwise 13- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Gnostic Cult Doctrine 13-  (2)
  KS: Occult World 13- (2)
  KS: Western Occultism 13- (2)
  KS: Law 13- (2)
  KS: Local Criminal Underworld 13- (2)
  Ancient Greek (Completely Fluent w/ Accent)
  (3)
  PS: Judge 13-  (3)
  Contact: Police Chief 12- (3)
  Contact: Mob Leader 12- (3)
  Perk: Cult Leader (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 188
  Total Character Cost: 298
  Disadvantages: 100+
  DNPC:
  Daughter, normal, 11-  (15)
  Hunted by:
  Occult Hero, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Magic Restriction:  Only Spells Allowed by Dragon
  (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Can Be Possessed by Dragon Any Time (inf,
  total) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Religious Fanatic (25)
  Politically Ambitious (15)
  Ruthlessly Secretive (10)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Susceptibility:
  2d6 STUN, Successful Attack On Serpent Staff
  (uncommon) (10)
  Watched by:
  the Dragon, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Archimandrite, 8- (As Pow) (5)
  Villain Bonus (46)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 298
  
  260
  Typical Canon
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [2]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  15
  EGO
  10
  12- ECV: 5
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  8
  PD
  5
  Total: 18 PD/ 10 rPD
  8
  ED
  5
  Total: 18 ED/ 10 rED
  3
  SPD
  3
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  0
  25
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 65
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/6”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Magic (10)
  Serpent Staff: Multipower (56 pt pool), OAF,
  Incantations (25)
  u - Mystic Bolt: 5 ½d6 Ego Attack (55/2)
  [3]
  u - Sigil of Set: 5d6 Suppress, vs. Any 1
  Characteristic (+¼), 0 END, Uncontrolled
  (56/3) [6]
  u - Death Curse: 1d6 BODY Drain, Ranged,
  Recover 1 BODY/2 hours (+1 ¼), Invisible vs. Sight/
  Hearing (+¾), Uncontrolled Continuous 0 END to
  maintain, 1 Hour Gradual Effect between
   increments (-2) (52/2) [5]
  Warding Band: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED, 6 MD),
  OIF, 4 chgs of 1 minute (-¼) (13) [4c]
  Talismanic Ring: Power Defense: 5, OIF (3)
  Magesight Talisman: Detect Magic, Ranged,
  Discriminatory, OAF, Incantations to start, Costs
  END, x3 END (3) [3]
  Individual Noncombat Ritual Spells (see “Hermetic
  Theurgy: Notably Powerful Spells” and “Instant
  Sanctum Spells” in Chapter Four for inspiration)
  (22)
  Background Skills:
  Oratory 12- (3)
  KS: Gnostic Cult Doctrine 11-  (2)
  KS: Western Occultism 11- (2)
  Pick 2 Skills from the following List: (Acting,
  Bribery, Interrogation, Sleight of Hand,
  Stealth, Magical KS, Appropriate PS) (6)
  Perk: Initiate: Ouroboros Lieutenant (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 98
  Total Character Cost: 163
  Disadvantages: 75+
  Magic Restriction:  Only Spells Allowed by
  Cardinal (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Can Be Possessed by Dragon Any Time (inf,
  total) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Religious Fanatic (25)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Watched by:
  Watched by Cardinal & Dragon, 8- (More Pow,
  NCI) (10)
  Villain Bonus (3)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 163
  Regular Cultist
  The regular Ouroboros cultist conforms in every way
  to the Generic Cultist (q.v.) Their standard defensive
  ability is the Chant of the Faithful (extra PD and ED,
  with constant Incantation and an IAF Holy Symbol).
  For attacks, the cultists carry normal, non-magical
  weapons such as submachineguns, pistols with special
  ammunition, clubs and chains.
  Chapter House: Zion Apostolic
  Church
  The Zion Apostolic Church is tucked into a solid
  block of small businesses in an aging retail district
  downtown. Once it was another shop. Now its shabby,
  windowless front has a cross over its door and a sign
  giving its name. It is not affiliated with any other
  church. Now and then someone enters: a derelict, a
  tired woman shepherding two small children, a clerk.
  Inside is a tiny chapel with folding chairs and a wooden
  cross, made antiseptic by white walls and a tiled floor.
  Visitors can talk to either Reverend George Smith or a
  deacon. The church is open from 9 AM to 8 PM every
  day, sometimes later, with services on Sunday morn-
  ing and occasionally at other times.
  The only visible clue that things are not what they
  seem comes from that tiled floor: someone who stud-
  ies the pattern of the tiles and the straight or curving
  lines and dots engraved in some of them and makes a
  Spell Research or Magic Knowledge roll will realize that
  the tiles form the sigils of a magic spell. The spell is to
  hide any other magic used in the building. Careful
  searching for magic will reveal that the church’s wall
  are reinforced with spells. A really good magical Per-
  ception roll shows that quite a lot of magic has been
  done in the building: dark, evil magic.
  Reverend Smith is an Ouroboros Canon and the
  church is just a front. The special church services are
  held in the basement, in honor of Abraxas. One wall
  holds a gilded plaque of a stylized dragon biting its
  own tail. The stone altar top and concrete floor are
  carved with gutters leading to a drain in the floor. A
  locked cabinet in the altar holds an ornate dagger and
  bowl, a brazier, a box of foul incense and a bottle of
  bleach. The walls are painted with reptilian monsters
  amid churning abstraction. When the bare fluorescent
  tubes in the ceiling are turned off, streaks of luminous
  paint in the murals form distorted, runic writing. The
  floor and altar are very clean, but close inspection of
  the walls and ceiling finds spots of dried blood.
  Most of the time, of course, nobody but Reverend
  Smith or a deacon are in the church. During the night,
  even they aren’t there. The basement shrine, however,
  always has a guardian living in a compartment behind
  the dragon plaque: a reptilian creature called a Uraeus.
  It defends the shrine to the death—and as long as it
  stays within 2 hexes of the plaque, it is nearly inde-
  structible.
  When the cultists arrive for the “special” church ser-
  vices, one person doesn’t leave. That person is a
  
  261
  drugged, kidnapped victim, usually a homeless der-
  elict or a young runaway. The victim is slaughtered on
  the altar, the cultists and the Uraeus drink the victim’s
  blood, and the Uraeus disintegrates the corpse.
  Fane: Shriner’s Hall
  The neighborhood used to be quite upscale, back in
  the 1950s. Now its fine houses have been converted
  into apartments. The main streets carry a Bohemian
  mix of used book stores, import shops, repertory the-
  aters and cafes. All the telephone poles are thickly pa-
  pered with handbills for obscure local bands.
  One side street holds the old Shriner’s Hall, a two
  story brick and concrete building. The Hall proper
  occupies most of the ground floor, although the
  building’s front holds a cafe called “Lotta Latte.” The
  upper floor is divided into small office suites, only two
  of them occupied (“Bergson Enterprises,” a one-man
  operation whose business changes monthly, and “Il-
  luminator Press,” which publishes little religious tracts).
  Nobody in Lotta Latte, Bergson Enterprises or Illumi-
  nator Press even knows that the building has a base-
  ment.
  Only Illuminator Press is genuine. Bergson Enter-
  prises owns the building through a holding company
  that also owns Lotta Latte and five or six skyscrapers
  downtown; the Shriners who meet at the Hall are all
  Ouroboros cultists; Mr. Bergson is a Canon; and the
  nonexistent basement holds horrors.
  Most significantly, the basement holds the large, or-
  nate shrine to the Dragon. This is like the shrine in the
  Chapter House given above, only bigger and fancier.
  The gilded and jeweled statue of the Dragon biting its
  tail is the focus for a spell which enhances cult magic
  used in the shrine. A locked chamber off the shrine
  holds the cult group’s most important possession, a
  reptilian skull carved out of black crystal which moni-
  tors this Fane and permits mystic communication with
  other Fanes. If anyone invades the Fane, the Black Crys-
  tal Skull will track their progress, alert the Cardinal
  and coordinate the resistance by the Ophites. If the
  defenders lose and the Fane itself faces destruction, the
  Skull passes everything it knows about the attackers to
  Black Crystal Skulls in other Fanes.
  Other chambers in the basement include a barracks
  for the Ophite guards, prison cells, a torture chamber
  and apartments for visiting dignitaries. A network of
  shafts, crawl spaces and hidden sliding panels in the
  ceilings let the Ophite guards invade any room in the
  building without being seen.
  Ophite
  The Ophites are no longer human. Some were cult-
  ists who were so fanatical that they gave up humanity
  to be magically transformed into reptile men, the bet-
  ter to serve their god. Others were just people kid-
  napped, brainwashed, and transformed by the cult.
  Ophites are often used as guards by Fanes. Their stan-
  dard tactic is for one Ophite to grab or knock down
  an opponent, and then all the other Ophites claw and
  bite while the target is helpless. They may use their
  Clinging and Concealment to set ambushes, lurking
  above doors to leap down on victims.
  Ophites have only one physical weakness: the magic
  that transformed them isn’t a perfect spell, so any magic
  which changes them in other ways or drains their life
  force causes a shock them.
  Ophites look like muscular men (they are actually
  neuter) covered with heavy, scaled hide, a tail and dis-
  torted, snakelike heads. They have impressive claws and
  fangs.
  One of Ouroboros’ ongoing projects is an improved
  Ophite, with more intelligence and able to breed.
  Ophite
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  18
  STR
  8
  13- 300 kg; 3½d6 [2]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  8
  INT
  -2
  11- PER Roll 13-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  2
  COM
  -4
  9-
  10
  PD
  6
  Total: 17 PD/ 7 rPD
  10
  ED
  6
  Total: 17 ED/ 7 rED
  3
  SPD
  3
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  8
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  28
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 67
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Martial Arts
  (6)
  Martial Arts—Wrestling (10)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Grab
  -1
  -1
  28 STR Grab
  Takedown
  +1
  +1
  3½d6, Target
  Falls
  Escape
  +0
  +0
  STR 33 vs.
  Grabs
  Reptile Powers: Elemental Control (11)
  a - Claw/Bite: 1d6 HKA, AP (1½d6 w/ STR)
  (22/11) [2+]
  b - Scaly Skin: Armor (7 PD, 7 ED) (21/10)
  Clinging (18 STR) (10)
  Breakfall 12- (3)
  Concealment 11- (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 63
  Total Character Cost: 130
  
  262
  Disadvantages: 50+
  Distinctive Features:
  Reptile Man (hard to conceal, cause horror) (20)
  Strong, Inhuman Aura (few detect, cause horror)
  (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Religious Fanatic (25)
  Susceptibility:
  2d6 STUN, Magic Adjustment Attacks &
  Transforms (common) (15)
  Watched by:
  Watched by Cardinal , 11- (More Pow,)
   (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 130
  Dragon Warrior
  This is a brand-new Dragon Warrior, like the ones
  which fought in Tiamat’s War more than 5000 years
  ago. This example, however, was created by a cultist
  using the Self-Sacrificial Major Summoning. Its mind
  is not yet developed. It instinctively serves Ouroboros
  and the Dragon, but at first it has very little idea what
  it serves. If it lives very long, the cult will indoctrinate
  it.
  Its existence is not completely stable, either. Given
  time, consumption of at least its own mass in human
  blood, and certain ritual practices, it will trade in some
  of its Disadvantages. For instance, the surviving origi-
  nal Dragon Warriors aren’t mute, but they only un-
  derstand Sumerian. Once stabilized, Dragon Warriors
  are immortal unless killed. If sealed into an airless crypt
  (or other rare circumstances which GMs can define),
  instead of dying they go into suspended animation
  until disturbed (this is one of their replacement Dis-
  advantages).
  This particular Dragon Warrior not only has great
  physical power, it commands a deadly black flame. It
  can breathe this out in a weak form as often as it wants,
  or four times a day spit a concentrated bolt that can
  burn away anything not protected by high quality
  mystic shields. Eight times a day, it can exhale a dilute
  version of the black flames in a zone of impenetrable
  darkness.
  This Dragon Warrior has glittering black scales, nar-
  row bat-like wings and sharp spines running down its
  back and on its joints. Other Dragon Warriors can look
  quite different. Some are more serpent like. Some of
  them aren’t even reptilian: the list of Tiamat’s Dragon
  Warriors includes several types of monsters, such as
  Scorpion Men, Mad Lions and Whirlwinds.
  Dragon Warrior
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  53*
  STR
  23
  20- 37.5 ton; 10½d6 [5]
  23
  DEX
  39
  14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  23
  CON
  26
  14-
  16*
  BODY
  4
  12-
  8
  INT
  -2
  11- PER Roll 11-
  17
  EGO
  14
  12- ECV: 6
  20
  PRE
  10
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  2
  COM
  -4
  9-
  20
  PD
  13
  Total: 31 PD/ 11 rPD
  20
  ED
  15
  Total: 31 ED/ 11 rED
  6
  SPD
  27
  Pha 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  12
  REC
  0
  46
  END
  0
  *Bonus from Growth
  45
  STUN
  0
  added in
  Total Characteristic Cost: 165
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 17"/68"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Multipower
  (10)
  Dragon Powers:
  Dragon Body: Elemental Control (20)
  a - Huge Size: Growth 20 pts, 0 END
  Persistent, Always On (1600 kg, 5 meters
  long, -4 DCV, -4" KB, +2 PER Rolls Against,
  +1" reach) (40/13)
  b - Scaly Hide: Armor (11 PD, 11 ED),
  Hardened (41/21)
  c - Wings: 17" Flight, x4 NCM, Restrainable
  (39/13) [1/5"]
  Dragon Warrior Attacks: Multipower (52 pt
  pool) (52)
  u - Claw/Bite: 2d6 HKA (4d6 w/STR), AP, ½
  END (52/5) [2+]
  u - Wing/Tail Sweep: 4d6 HA (6d6 w/STR), x2
  KB (+¾), 1 Hex AE, ½ END (30/3) [3+]
  u - Blackfire Breath: 10d6 EB (50/5) [5]
  u - Blackfire Bolt: 1d6 RKA, BODY NND:
  Hardened Power Defense (+2),
  Uncontrolled, 4 Chgs of 1 Turn (-½)
  (52/3)[4c]
  u - Shadow Breath: 2" radius Darkness vs.
  Detect Magic/All Vision, Personal
  Immunity, Uncontrolled, 8 Chgs of 1 Turn
  (-0), 0 Range (52/3) [8c]
  Black Aura: +25 PRE, Only to Cause Fear (-¾),
  Costs x2 END (-1) (9) [4]
  Mental Defense: 10 (7)
  Power Defense: 7 (7)
  Life Support: Full (30)
  Mystic Sense: Radar Sense (15)
  Wings & Tail: Extra Limbs  (5)
  KS: Dragon Lore 8- (1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 222
  Total Character Cost: 387
  
  263
  Disadvantages: 250+
  Berserk:
  if takes BODY, 11-, Recover  8- (25)
  Distinctive Features:
  Glittering, Spiny Black Dragon (Can’t Conceal,
  Terrifying) (25)
  Physical Limitation:
  No Fine Manipulation (15)
  Mute (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Dedicated to Service of Dragon and Destruction of
  Others (20)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 BODY Drain/Turn, Stunned or Unconscious
  (very common) (20)
  2d6 STUN, Adjustment Attacks vs. magic
  (common) (15)
  Vulnerability:
  x1½ STUN+BODY, Attacks w/”Affects Desolid”
  (10)
  Villain Bonus (147)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 387
  Vril Society
  Only, the more I think of a people calmly
  developing, in regions excluded from our
  sight and deemed uninhabitable by our sages,
  powers surpassing our most disciplined
  modes of force, and virtues to which our life,
  social and political, becomes antagonistic in
  proportion as our civilization advances,—the
  more devoutly I pray that ages may yet elapse
  before there emerge into sunlight our
  inevitable destroyers.
  —Edward Bulwer Lytton, The Coming Race
  Background: This occult society was born from a Vic-
  torian novel. Edward Bulwer Lytton (he of “It was a
  dark and stormy night”) wrote The Coming Race, a tale
  of a man who discovers an underground civilization
  of supermen, the Vril-Ya. Their Utopian society is based
  on their mastery of vril, the force which underlies all
  other forces. Through vril, the supermen light their
  cavern homes, read minds, run their machines and
  annihilate solid rock with a thought.
  The narrator finds his 19th century American atti-
  tudes hopelessly at odds with Vril-Ya customs. A Vril-
  Ya woman who has fallen in love with him despite his
  inferiority helps him escape, with much tragic senti-
  ment. The narrator fears, however, that his visit has
  sparked Vril-Ya interest in the surface world and that
  if the Vril-Ya ever emerge from their underworld they
  will supplant ordinary humanity.
  Bulwer Lytton never pretended that The Coming
  Race was anything but a satiric fantasy. Bulwer Lytton,
  however, was a leading occultist as well as a popular
  novelist. The Coming Race so captivated some of its
  readers that they wondered if it might be partly true—
  that Bulwer Lytton had published secret lore in the
  guise of a novel. Thus the Vril Society began, a collec-
  tion of loonies dedicated to developing their own mas-
  tery of the psychic power of vril.
  The Vril Society flourished in 1920s Germany, a na-
  tion then agog over both Master Races and lost civili-
  zations. As Hitler consolidated his power, however, he
  suppressed the occult societies which had helped pre-
  pare his way. Several Vrilists found havens in the Nazi
  Party, while staying in contact with other former Soci-
  ety members.
  After the War, some surviving Vrilists secretly revived
  the Society to make themselves worthy of joining the
  Coming Race. Their Nazi contacts had obtained for
  them a share in the Nazi trove of sorcerous books, ar-
  tifacts and experimental data. Now the Vrilists actu-
  ally had some idea what they were doing.
  Decades later, the Vril Society has developed truly
  formidable magical powers. What’s more, the leaders
  have decided not to wait for the Vril-Ya but to impose
  rule by humanity’s closest analog to the all wise Com-
  ing Race—predictably, themselves.
  Doctrines and Goals: The Vril Society members like
  to think of themselves as the vanguard of a rational
  Utopia. They agree with Bulwer Lytton’s Vril-Ya that
  when everyone has absolute power, everyone neces-
  sarily learns absolute responsibility. By developing their
  own vril-power, the Society members hope to lay the
  foundations of a perfect society on the Vril-Ya model.
  In this perfect society of self sufficient small towns,
  there will be no hunger, poverty, ignorance or oppres-
  sion. When the Coming Race arrives on Earth’s sur-
  face, they will find people worthy of acceptance as
  equals.
  The problem is that to rebuild society on the Vril-Ya
  model, the Society must get rid of the societies hu-
  manity already has. They have Bulwer Lytton’s assur-
  ance (in the person of a Vril-Ya scholar) that other so-
  cieties, including Western style democracy, cannot
  abide the presence of a genuine Utopia. Conflict would
  be inevitable, so the Vrilists mean to strike pre-
  emptively. This will mean the death of countless mil-
  lions, but the lives of ordinary humans mean little to
  these self-proclaimed supermen.
  So far, however, the Vril Society has done very little
  but squabble with itself and other occult societies.
  Their most promising field agent, a girl raised by the
  Society who showed amazing talent for vril manipu-
  lation, went rogue on her first mission and became
  the superhero Solitaire. The leaders of the Society are
  still bickering over that one. If the Vril Society ever
  agrees on what to do next, it could become a force to
  be reckoned with.
  Vril itself is a curious concept. According to The
  Coming Race, all other forces are just aspects of vril. It
  can manifest as light, heat, electricity, magnetism, dis-
  integrating force (an intriguing anticipation of nuclear
  energy) or even—in fact, especially—as psychic en-
  ergy. The human mind can generate vril energy in tiny
  amounts; the superhuman minds of the Vril-Ya race
  could generate it in large quantities.
  Now that some of the Society members have learned
  to use vril to some degree, they would like to contact
  
  264
  the Coming Race and implore their help in develop-
  ing their vril further and taking over the world. Soci-
  ety members will be extremely interested in any re-
  ports which hint at subterranean races or “lost worlds.”
  (The Society does not believe scientists who argue that
  the giant, deep cavern network described by Bulwer
  Lytton could not exist.) Many members have tried to
  psychically contact the Coming Race. Some of them
  claim they briefly touched minds of vast power deep
  in the Earth, but have gained no real information.
  (They aren’t lying, though: they felt the presence of
  the Gaiagens in the Earth’s mantle.)
  Group Organization: The leaders of the Vril Society
  have the nerve to style themselves Vril-Ya, like Bulwer
  Lytton’s super race. The Vril-Ya’s claim that they would
  bring peace, order and wisdom to the world would be
  more convincing if they weren’t so fractious them-
  selves. The eight Vril-Yas are so busy with their own
  feuds and rivalries that they hardly have time to think
  about world domination. Their alliances shift weekly;
  each has tested each other’s powers in secret conflicts;
  each Vril-Ya seeks an edge to make him or her the un-
  disputed leader of the “leaderless” Society, and all try
  to keep each other from getting that edge.
  Of course the lower ranking members see none of
  this. The Vril-Yas put up a united front when other
  people are watching.
  The Vril Society has four levels: Aspirant, Initiate,
  Adept, and Vril-Ya. Aspirants are drawn from other
  occult societies. The Adepts all have memberships in
  other occult and New Age groups as recruiters. Likely
  candidates for membership are asked if they’d like to
  get some real magical power in exchange for total se-
  crecy and total obedience. Those who accept become
  Aspirants. Aspirants practice meditation, yoga, and
  other mystical exercises to activate their innate vril.
  They also pay most of the Society’s bills and keep the
  Vril-Yas living in high style. They don’t learn about
  the Society’s world takeover pretensions. Aspirants only
  hear that the Vril-Yas work by spiritual means to ad-
  vance mankind.
  When Aspirants first show signs of psychic ability,
  they advance to the Initiate tier. Here they receive in-
  tensive training in using their mystic talents. The So-
  ciety keeps a list of magical powers for Initiates to
  achieve, rather like Boy Scout merit badges.
  Initiates must completely abandon their old life: quit
  their jobs, cut off friends outside the Society, even aban-
  don their families. The Society is their family now. (And
  the Vril-Yas are happy when that becomes literally true.
  Some of the Society’s best students in the last 20 years
  have been children of members, raised like Solitaire
  within the Society and trained from early childhood.)
  Initiates who develop real power and earn enough
  “merit badges” advance to the tier of Adepts. Adepts
  receive a large magical crystal that helps them channel
  their powers more efficiently and progress from psy-
  chic powers to full High Magic. (Solitaire was an un-
  usually capable Adept.) Adepts are addressed as
  “Brother” or “Sister.”
  If an Adept is lucky, he or she will eventually be pro-
  moted to Vril-Ya and receive a Vril Rod, a more potent
  tool for focusing magic. Promotion requires the agree-
  ment of at least four Vril-Yas. Adepts thus get practice
  at rivalry, backbiting and cliquishness as they curry
  favor with the Vril-Yas. Vril-Yas are addressed as “Mas-
  ter” or “Mistress.”
  Among their duties, Adepts recruit new members
  and train Aspirants. Senior Adepts and some Vril-Yas
  run training centers in several cities scattered through
  Europe and North America. Initiates eventually move
  to the Vril Society’s secret headquarters somewhere in
  western Europe, to receive advanced training from the
  Vril-Yas.
  There are only 8 Vril-Yas, each built on a base of 100
  points, plus disadvantages and a little experience. The
  Society has 14 or so Adepts, based on 75 points. The
  30+ Initiates are built on 25-50 points plus disadvan-
  tages, while the 80 or so Aspirants are just 0 point
  normals with a little occult knowledge. The whole Vril
  Society would never be encountered all at once.
  Magic and Equipment: The Vril Society employs a
  mixture of mentalism and High Magic. Members start
  by learning low power psychic disciplines—basic Ritual
  Magic—but as their power grows and attunes them to
  cosmic energies, their spells evolve into High Magic.
  They still keep a strong emphasis on mental effects.
  Their training methods let them cast spells by sheer
  force of will, usually without even gesturing. While Vril
  Magic is limited to energy and psychic effects, the Vril-
  Yas can do nearly anything they imagine within that
  broad limit.
  The most important tool is the Vril Rod carried by
  each Vril-Ya. A Vril Rod looks like a hollow tube of
  silvery metal about 4 feet long, decorated with a
  knurled collar and a few sliding switches a third of the
  way along its length. The user slides switches and turns
  the collar to evoke different powers.
  Examining the inside of the tube reveals a number
  of wires, crystal beads and metal baffles set in the walls
  of the tube. The switches and collar can connect dif-
  ferent wires to each other or change the position or
  angle of the baffles. The Vril-Yas claim that changing
  the settings changes how vril currents flow and vibrate
  in the rod. None of this makes sense either to scien-
  tists or other sorcerers, but sabotaging a Vril Rod de-
  stroys its power so it must be true.
  The Vril Rod not only reduces the fatigue of casting
  spells for a Vril-Ya, it makes channeling and shaping
  the vril force so much easier that the effect is of a dra-
  matic increase in power. (In game terms, the Vril Rod
  puts a -1 Focus Limitation on the powers created
  though the Vril-Ya’s Power Pool. This lets a Vril-Ya keep
  more Powers going at once: for instance, to make 70
  Active Point attacks while maintaining a 70 Active Point
  defense.)
  The Vril Society’s second notable piece of equipment
  is the Vril Crystal, a faceted ball of transparent quartz
  which Adepts receive. The Vril Crystal helps them fo-
  cus their energies more easily, reducing fatigue.
  
  265
  (Solitaire’s “Widget” is of course a Vril Crystal, but a
  very unusual one. No other Vril Crystal talks to its
  owner.)
  Finally, Adepts and Vril-Yas are allowed to wear spe-
  cial artificial wings. These are held by straps around
  the shoulders and a belt around the waist and fold over
  the shoulders so the wing tips fall at knee level. When
  the wearer slips their arms into straps in the wings and
  energizes them with vril power, they can fly. This, how-
  ever, takes so much energy that only a Vril-Ya can do
  other magic while remaining aloft. Even then, they
  must settle for gliding instead of full, powered flight
  (unless the Vril-Ya allocates some of their Power Pool
  to that purpose).
  The wings are not generally issued on field missions,
  since they cannot be hidden. (That’s why Solitaire
  didn’t have a set of wings on her first mission. She could
  use these wings if she ever acquired a set, but she
  doesn’t know how they are made.) Vril-Yas routinely
  wear Vril Wings as part of their ceremonial garb. Ad-
  epts may be issued Vril Wings if on missions where
  sudden getaways may be needed, or if they must get
  someplace unobtrusively.
  The Vril Society keeps its bases hundreds of feet
  underground, in huge caverns hollowed out by their
  Vril-Yas and illuminated by magic. Not only does this
  emulate the subterranean lifestyle of the Coming Race,
  it gives them passive protection against attack and most
  magical searches.
  Costumes: The Vril Society is unusual among occult
  groups in preferring simplicity—a calculated simplic-
  ity—in their garb. Members wear sandals and sleeve-
  less robes or tunics and trousers in solid colors and
  plain designs. The Vril-Yas all wear sleeveless, hooded
  robes of shimmering white. Their Vril Wings are of a
  solid, very pale tint of their choice, glittering with sil-
  ver from the quills of the artificial feathers.
  Tactics: As yet the Vril Society has no plan for taking
  over the world, but individual Vril-Yas, pairs or trios
  may engage in plots to gain power, prestige, occult
  knowledge or other goals. Since these are not sanc-
  tioned by the Vril Society as a whole, they have little
  consistency between them. One Vril-Ya might try cur-
  rying favor with a hero team by advising it on mystical
  matters, while another Vril-Ya hires villains to steal
  magic artifacts from museums.
  All the Vril-Yas, however, take care to preserve the
  Society’s secrecy. They don’t even mention the Vril
  Society to anyone but a sorcerer or serious mystic
  whom they are pretty sure will keep the secret. Usu-
  ally, the most a Vril Ya will admit is that he or she be-
  longs to “a mystical society” without naming names.
  (Sometimes their judgment is wrong. Also, sometimes
  students quit and blab. Thus, the Society’s existence is
  known to most advanced occultists, even if they don’t
  know any details.)
  Vril-Yas will always avoid capture at all costs. In fact,
  Vril-Yas will help each other avoid capture, no matter
  what rivalries may lie between them. They are smart
  enough to realize that even if a captured Vril-Ya didn’t
  talk, a good detective could discover a lot about the
  Society just from a member’s identity, past and paper
  trail.
  Finally, all the Vril-Yas agree that people who know
  too much about the Vril Society must be silenced. They
  differ, however, in the extremity of the measures they
  would use. Some insist on assassination, while others
  believe a good scare, a good bribe or a little telepathic
  memory wiping is enough.
  As a result, the Vril Society generally stays in the
  background, whatever their methods or objectives—
  besides, they consider themselves too physically too
  weak for front line combat. When the Vril-Yas do or-
  ganize enough to seek real power, their takeover at-
  tempts will be fairly subtle, aiming at real control rather
  than the trappings of power. Their chief methods will
  be blackmail, bribery (offering officials help with elec-
  tion or re election, rather than money), sabotage, mind
  control and discreet assassination.
  If open combat is forced upon the Society, however,
  the Vril-Yas can muster potentially awesome firepower
  through the “Vraser Effect,” a technique discovered in
  1986 by the most recent Vril-Ya. The Vril-Yas line up
  in series and feed all their power into one of their num-
  ber, who delivers an attack of devastating power. The
  Vril-Yas were a little surprised, but highly gratified, to
  discover that by working in concert they really can have
  the city destroying power Bulwer Lytton described.
  Nothing but a full scale assault on a Society base, how-
  ever, can prompt them to work together this way.
  (In game terms, the Vraser Effect is done by a chain
  of Aid powers. The first Vril-Ya does an Aid on the
  second Vril-Ya’s Aid to the third Vril-Ya’s Aid, and so
  on, to the one who does an Aided Aid on the final Vril-
  Ya’s actual attack. While this requires close coordina-
  tion, four Vril Yas in series can generate a 175 point
  attack, with only average rolls on the Aids. All eight
  could muster 215 Active Points, but they’d more likely
  work in two teams of four.)
  Relations with Other Organizations: The Vril Society
  has no close allies or active enemies. It maintains
  friendly neutrality with less esoteric occult societies,
  and chilly neutrality with any group which knows more
  real magic than the Vril-Yas do. The Vril-Yas won’t have
  anything to do with Dark Renaissance activists. The
  Seven-Headed Beast tried a hostile takeover of the
  Society a few years ago, which prompted a rare instance
  of cooperation among the Vril-Yas and the first field
  use of the Vraser Effect. The Satanists didn’t repeat the
  attack and the Vril-Yas never agreed on a counterat-
  tack. Law enforcement agencies such as the FBI,
  PRIMUS and UNTIL would oppose the Society if they
  knew of its existence, power and goals.
  Vril-Ya: Irene Bradford
  Background: Irene Bradford is a fairly typical Vril-Ya.
  She joined the Vril Society in 1962; she was recruited
  from the Theosophical Society in London. As usual,
  her recruiter gave her The Coming Race to read before
  sounding her out any further. Irene liked Bulwer
  
  266
  Lytton’s portrayal of Vril-Ya society, especially the high
  place of women within it. One facet of Theosophy that
  annoyed her was that the great Ascended Masters were
  all men.
  Irene advanced rapidly through the Society and be-
  came a Vril-Ya in 1978. Part of the reason for her ad-
  vancement was her special project. Back in the 1960s,
  she had theorized that prenatal telepathic condition-
  ing could greatly increase the ease and power with
  which a person learned vril manipulation. By the late
  1970s, her research project showed clear success at a
  surprisingly young age. Irene had to endure much grief
  from her fellow Vril-Yas when the girl Elaine went
  rogue despite her conditioning, but she survived it.
  Quote: “There is no hatred or ambition in what we do.
  If you are a threat to our enlightened way of life, you will
  die. It’s as simple and rational as that.”
  Personality: Irene now seeks some dramatic success
  with which to restore her prestige in the Society. Along
  the way she would like to erase the mistake she made
  in the person of Solitaire, making her the Society’s most
  strident advocate for Solitaire’s death or capture. She
  feels no mother love for Solitaire: such sentimentality
  is unworthy of the Coming Race.
  Indeed, she hates Solitaire, and not just for her be-
  trayal. Irene fears her daughter. Just how powerful will
  Solitaire become? What will happen if Solitaire dis-
  covers that Irene is her mother? Irene knows what she
  would do to someone who’d wronged her so deeply.
  And if a vengeful Solitaire got her hands on a Vril
  Rod…it wouldn’t be pretty.
  Powers/Tactics: With her Vril Rod in her hands, Irene
  can evoke just about any energy or psychic effect imag-
  inable. She cannot, however, transmute matter or per-
  form delicate biological manipulations (thus no Aid,
  Growth or other self adjustment powers, and very little
  in the way of Transformation effects: while Irene can
  loosen or break the forces between molecules that keep
  matter solid, only one Vril-Ya ever succeeded in ma-
  nipulating nuclear forces, and the radiation release
  killed him). If something can be justified by telepathy,
  telekinesis or energy manipulation, though, Irene can
  do it, even to telekinetically warping space time to
  teleport. Irene also can’t create Persistent effects, al-
  though she has learned how to set up Triggered Pow-
  ers to defend herself while she sleeps.
  If Irene needs no special movement powers to con-
  duct a fight, she will put up a powerful Force Field to
  defend herself, then blast away. If she needs to keep a
  minor third Power going, she will scavenge points by
  taking more Limitations on her attacks, such as Ges-
  tures or an Activation Roll. Her power is much reduced
  without the Vril Rod: changing powers takes a full
  Phase and a Vril Mastery Skill roll then, and she must
  either seek alternate Limitations or reduce the num-
  ber or power of her effects. She can only use these al-
  ternate Limitations: OAF Vril Crystal, Gestures, Con-
  centrate, Extra Time or Activation Roll.
  Appearance: In her youth, Irene Bradford was quite
  beautiful. She is still slim and well preserved although
  in her fifties, a side effect of heavy vril use (none of the
  Vril-Yas look as old as they really are). She stands 5’8"
  tall, with whitening blonde hair, the same vivid green
  eyes as her daughter Solitaire, and an expression of
  majestic, inhuman calm. Her Vril Wings are pale green.
  
  267
  Vril-Ya: Irene Bradford
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  8
  STR
  -2
  11- 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  10
  BODY
  10
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  21
  EGO
  22
  13- ECV: 7
  20
  PRE
  10
  11- PRE Attack 4d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  3
  PD
  1
  Total: 3+ PD
  3
  ED
  0
  Total: 3+ ED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  5
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  0
  22
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 67
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 10”/20”
  Gliding: 20”/40”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Magical
  Combat (10)
  Vril Powers:
  Vril Mastery: Power Pool (70 pt pool), 0 Phase
  and No Skill Roll to Change with OAF Vril
  Rod (+2, -1), Slightly Limited Range of Powers
  (-¼) (129)
  Vril Mastery Skill 19-  (15)
  Vril Wings: Multipower (20 pts), OIF (13)
  u - Gliding: 20" (20/1)
  u - Flight: 10"  (20/1) [1/5"]
  Mental Defense: 20 (16)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Vril Rod: +20 END, OAF  (5)
  Vril-Ya Skills:
  Deduction 13- (3)
  Interrogation 13- (3)
  KS: Vril Science 13- (3)
  KS: Occult World 13- (3)
  KS: Western Occultism 13- (3)
  German (Fluent with Accent) (2)
  Perk: Vril-Ya (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 217
  Total Character Cost: 284
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Age:
  40+ (5)
  Distinctive Features:
  Mind of Power (Few Detect) (5)
  Cult Costume, Vril Rod (Easily Concealed) (5)
  Enraged:
  by Confronting Inferior Intellects (common), 8-,
  Recover 14- (5)
  Hunted by:
  Seven-Headed Beast, 8- (As Pow, NCI) (20)
  Magic Restriction:
  Limited Range of Effects, Reduced END Only
  with Vril Rod/Crystal (15)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Fear of Close Combat (20)
  Pride/Arrogance in Abilities (15)
  Paranoid (15)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN, Losing Vril Rod While Using it
  (common) (20)
  Watched by:
  other Vril-Yas, 14- (As Pow) (10)
  Villain Bonus (29)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 284
  Adept: Heinrich Warrenfeld
  Heinrich Warrenfeld knows exactly what he wants
  from the world, and that’s power. When he tells people
  to do something, he wants them to do it. Beyond that,
  his tastes are not extravagant. Stories of “Secret Mas-
  ters” who could control events led him into the occult.
  The Vril Society has given him the power he sought:
  with his Mind Control, he usually can make people do
  what he tells them.
  Heinrich’s current assignment in the Society is as a
  recruiter within other occult societies. He uses his
  Conversation skill and mental powers to persuade the
  leaders of societies to let him join, then he inspects the
  other members to see who has the talent and attitude
  the Vril Society wants.
  Heinrich sees his assignment as an important step-
  ping stone to Vril-Ya status as well. He plans to build a
  network of Contacts in the occult world, for his own
  benefit. If he can retrieve some mystic tome or arti-
  fact, or nip some plot against the Society in the bud,
  he figures that this will make the other Vril-Yas more
  willing to promote him. In the meantime, he practices
  his powers and seeks to develop them as much as he
  can.
  (The PCs can thus encounter Heinrich in a variety
  of situations. If any PC or DNPC belongs to an occult
  society, Heinrich will join and start recruiting. If the
  PCs try locating some potent artifact, Heinrich and
  some super-thugs he’s hired are after it too. Heinrich
  might even try getting the PCs to attack some group
  hostile to the Vril Society’s interests.)
  
  268
  Adept: Heinrich Warrenfeld
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  13
  CON
  6
  12-
  10
  BODY
  10
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 13-
  17
  EGO
  14
  12- ECV: 6
  13
  PRE
  3
  12- PRE Attack 2½d6
  10
  COM
  0
  11-
  3
  PD
  1
  Total: 13 PD/ 10 rPD
  3
  ED
  0
  Total: 13 ED/ 10 rED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  5
  REC
  0
  26
  END
  0
  22
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 50
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 10”/20”
  Powers & Skills:
  Vril Powers:
  Vril Mastery: Multipower (50 pt pool) (50)
  u - Vril Blast: 8d6 EB, * (50/4) [2/4]
  u - Mental Blast: 4d6 Ego Attack, * (50/4) [2/4]
  u - Mental Control: 8d6 Mind Control, *
  (50/4) [2/4]
  u - Vril Manipulation: 27 STR TK, * (49/4)
  [2/4]
  u - Mind Reading: 8d6 Telepathy, * (50/4)
  [2/4]
  * ½ END with OAF
  u - Vril Wings: 10" Flight, OIF (20/1) [1/5"]
  Vril Protection: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED), -½
  Var Lim: x2 END or OAF Vril Crystal (-¼)
  (16)
  Mental Defense: 8 (5)
  Background Skills:
  Conversation 12- (3)
  KS: Western Occultism 12- (3)
  KS: Occult World 11- (2)
  KS: Vril Science 11- (2)
  German (Native) (0)
  English (Native Accent) (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 105
  Total Character Cost: 155
  Disadvantages: 75+
  Distinctive Features:
  Cult Costume, Vril Crystal (Easily Concealed) (5)
  Magic Restriction:
  Limited Range of Effects, Reduced END Only
  with Vril Rod/Crystal (15)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Takes Damage Done to Vril Crystal (15)
  Ambitious (10)
  Fear of Close Combat (20)
  Pride/Arrogance in Abilities (15)
  Paranoid (15)
  Unluck: 1d6 (5)
  Watched by:
  Vril-Yas, 11- (More Pow)(10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 155
  Monsters
  Not all a super mage’s enemies are human. There
  are also races and monsters, from Earth and beyond.
  Some might be Summoned by enemy wizards; others
  have lives of their own. They might come to Earth or
  be encountered when mages do the traveling. Here are
  a few examples that GMs can use, from almost trivial
  threats to creatures that can challenge an entire group.
  A few might even be friendly, under the right circum-
  stances. These examples also introduce two new classes
  of monsters: the Atavisms and the Qliphothic entities.
  Atavisms
  Atavisms are spirits embodying strong emotions and
  the raw drives of the body. Any intense experience can
  produce an atavism on the Lower Astral Plane. Most
  atavisms lack true intelligence, but that doesn’t mean
  they can’t be dangerous. Under the right circumstances,
  an atavism’s blind will can be as dangerous as a demon’s
  malice.
  Many sorts of experience can create atavisms. Strong
  emotions such as love, hate, rage or fear often gener-
  ate atavisms; the stronger the emotion, the more pow-
  erful the atavism will be. (Unfortunately, the negative
  emotions seem to carry the most visceral power.) In-
  tense physical sensations such as agony and ecstasy
  create atavisms as well. DT hallucinations, for instance,
  aren’t all in the drunkard’s head: the creepy critters
  can really appear on the Astral Plane.
  Many people sharing an experience not only makes
  atavism creation more likely, the atavisms tend to be
  more powerful. Religious ceremonies can create ata-
  visms of awe, reverence and joy. More sinister atavisms
  can grow from lynch mobs, angry or exultant crowds
  at sporting events, or other riot prone situations. Some-
  times these powerful atavisms can psychically domi-
  nate their creators or even other people who happen
  to be nearby, sucking them into a primitive, obsessive
  mass mind. Psychologists call it “mob fever” and ex-
  plain it away as the power of suggestion. Sorcerers know
  that when everyone in the revival tent starts falling and
  speaking in tongues, or innocent, moral bystanders get
  swept into a mob and commit hideous crimes, they
  have fallen under the power of an atavism.
  Pain and passion come together most intensely in
  violent deaths. Murders, fatal accidents and other
  deaths can create a “psychic snapshot” of a person,
  similar to a ghost but actually an atavism.
  Finally, atavisms might be created deliberately. Some
  sorcerers know how to incarnate their emotions as ata-
  visms, but they don’t have a monopoly on the art.
  Demagogues, charismatic preachers and “crowd
  pleaser” entertainers might have a knack for creating
  atavisms, without even knowing it. They just know that
  sometimes they get a crowd “in the palm of their hand.”
  
  269
  In most cases, atavisms don’t last very long. Either
  they evaporate on their own or some astral predator
  (such as a stronger atavism) eats them. In some cases,
  however, atavisms can last indefinitely. Atavisms are
  more likely to survive long periods when similar ata-
  visms are created over and over in one place. Prisons,
  brothels, churches and casinos, for instance, may be
  “haunted” by atavisms on the Astral Plane. Repeated,
  deliberate creation of an atavism in a ritual framework
  has the same effect. Eventually the atavism never dis-
  pels. In time, such atavisms may develop into angels,
  demons or gods.
  Atavisms can vary quite a bit, but their powers fol-
  low simple patterns. Their chief power is usually to
  transmit the feeling that created them to another
  being’s mind. Some powerful atavisms can do this to
  people on Earth while they themselves stay on the As-
  tral Plane. Atavisms also have fairly typical spirit pow-
  ers: high defenses, partly resistant, at least some Men-
  tal and Power Defense, some Life Support, and per-
  haps Flight. Atavisms which can affect people on Earth
  might have Transdimensional Clairsentience or other
  transdimensional powers.
  Atavisms vary tremendously in appearance, though.
  Spontaneous atavisms created from pain or negative
  emotions are all grotesque, but all unique. These usu-
  ally look like bits of human bodies spliced together
  with parts of ugly, frightening animals such as octopi,
  bugs and reptiles. Positive motion atavisms also look
  rather weird, even if they’re not ugly. Atavisms created
  by death traumas look like the person who died. Ritu-
  ally evoked atavisms take whatever shape their creator
  imagines, usually some totem animal or legendary
  monster.
  GMs can use atavisms as one more hazard for the
  Lower Astral Plane. They might be “wandering mon-
  sters” or they might haunt a location the PCs want to
  visit. Atavisms which can attack or control people on
  Earth while they stay on the Astral Plane can also make
  an interesting challenge to heroes.
  Atavisms are also another class of spirit for sorcer-
  ers to use. In the “developed” world, usually only evil
  magicians employ atavisms; the traditions of Europe,
  the Middle East, and the Orient do not approve of these
  id created spirits. They did not even have a name until
  the English painter and occultist Austin Osman Spare
  thought of calling them “atavisms” to represent the
  earthy, primitive energies they embody. Before that,
  they were (rather confusingly) called “elementals”—
  when they were referred to at all.
  In “primitive” cultures, however, priests and shamans
  routinely evoke atavisms. An atavism might actually
  be Summoned for a specific purpose, or it might just
  be the “special effect” of a spell. Most obviously, ata-
  visms can be used to deliver a “psychic attack” to one’s
  enemies. Atavisms can also be used, however, to aug-
  ment a person’s strength, endurance or other physical
  abilities. As totemic familiars, they can help shamans
  in all sorts of work on the Astral Plane.
  Fearling
  Fearlings are an example of the weakest sort of ata-
  vism. Their touch transmits the feeling of terror which
  created the atavism; this sudden, pointless terror has a
  stunning effect. The victim may even get a brief vision
  of the circumstances which created the fearling.
  The fear touch attack has a curious weakness. It can-
  not affect beings who are immune to fear for some
  reason, and if this happens the fearling takes a terrible
  feedback. Beings can be immune to fear because they
  have no emotions at all, have enough Mental Defense
  to block the attack, or have strong Psychological Limi-
  tations such as “Suicidal Overconfidence.” In fact, any-
  one who doesn’t see the attack coming is considered
  fearless for the moment. For this reason, atavisms try
  to show themselves before they attack, but since they
  are stupid creatures they sometimes forget.
  Fearlings are not only created from fear, they need it
  to survive and they take damage from strong emotions
  opposed to fear. One can actually harm a fearling by
  rolling higher than its Presence with a Presence Attack
  based on courage, love or humor.
  Other negative emotions may create similar ata-
  visms. In these cases, the Ego Attack’s special effect is a
  blast of hate, rage, pain, or other feeling.
  Like most atavisms, fearlings and their cousins have
  no distinctive shape, but they are all small and gro-
  tesque.
  
  270
  Fearling
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  8
  STR
  -2
  11- 75 kg; 1½d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  8
  BODY
  -4
  11-
  5
  INT
  -5
  10- PER Roll 10-
  11
  EGO
  2
  11- ECV: 4
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  0
  COM
  -5
  9-
  10
  PD
  8
  Total: 23 PD/ 13 rPD
  10
  ED
  7
  Total: 23 ED/ 13 rED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha  4, 8, 12
  5
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  0
  20
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 34
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Superleap: 9"/18"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Fear Touch (6)
  Fearling Powers:
  Spirit Form Powers: Elemental Control (20)
  a - Small Size: 2 levels Shrinking, 0 END
  Persistent, Always On (+4 DCV, -4 PER, +6"
  KB, 1.5 kg mass) (40/13) [0]
  b - Armor (13 PD, 13 ED) (39/20)
  c - Fear Touch: 4d6 Ego Attack, ½ END, 0
  Range (50/20) [2]
  Mental Defense: 6 (4)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Life Support: Need not Breathe, Immune to
  Disease & Aging (16)
  Leaping: +7" Superleap [9" total] (7) [1/5"]
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 111
  Total Character Cost: 145
  Disadvantages: 25+
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY (20)
  Fear Touch Blocked by Fearlessness (10)
  Area Mental Defense Acts As Force Wall to
  Atavisms (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Relentlessly Aggressive (20)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN + BODY, Using Attack on Immune Person
  (30)
  1d6 STUN, Successful PRE Attack Based on Positive
  Emotion (common) (10)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, BODY, Magic w/Affects Desolid
  (uncommon) (20)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 145
  Dreadling
  Dreadlings are a more powerful version of fearlings.
  There’s no way to tell them apart just by looking, until
  the dreadling uses its incredible Presence Attack.
  Dreadlings have a Fear Touch just like their lesser cous-
  ins, and add the power to literally paralyze an oppo-
  nent from fear, if only for a moment. (Even normal
  humans can easily break this small Mental Entangle.)
  Dreadlings can also cast a fear aura which can affect
  beings on other planes which touch the zone of space
  corresponding to the dreadling’s position. The usual
  situation is a dreadling on the Astral Plane which can
  affect both astral and Earthly beings, but it works the
  other way too: if the dreadling is materialized on Earth,
  its fear aura will affect creatures of the Astral Plane.
  Fortunately, dreadlings cannot see transdimensionally
  to use this power deliberately on beings on other
  planes. On the other hand, dreadlings keep this slot
  active when they aren’t using their Multipower any
  other way. People who enter a place haunted by
  dreadlings on the Astral Plane may well walk through
  a dreadling’s fear zone.
  The link between Earth and the Astral Plane works
  the other way for dreadlings, too. Mental or magical
  senses (such as mental Awareness, Astral Awareness or
  Aura Vision) can pick up an off plane dreadling’s fear
  aura, and the sensing person can try attacking the
  dreadling with mental powers or any spell carrying the
  Affects Desolid advantage.
  
  271
  Dreadling
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  8
  BODY
  -4
  11-
  5
  INT
  -5
  10- PER Roll 10-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  0
  COM
  -5
  9-
  14
  PD
  11
  Total: 27 PD/ 13 rPD
  14
  ED
  10
  Total: 27 ED/ 13 rED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  7
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 57
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Superleap: 9"/18"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +1 Level w/ Multipower (5)
  Dreadling Powers:
  Spirit Form Powers: Elemental Control (20)
  a - Small Size: 2 levels Shrinking, 0 END
  Persistent, Always On (+4 DCV, -4 PER, +6"
  KB, 1.5 kg mass) (40/13) [0]
  b - Armor (13 PD, 13 ED) (39/20)
  Fear Powers: Multipower (50 pt pool) (50)
  u - Aura of Dread: +50 PRE, Offensive Only
  (-½), Fear Only (-¼) (50/3)
  u - Paralyzing Fear: 1½d6, 1 DEF Entangle,
  BODY BOECV (+2), ½ END, 0 Range
  (49/3) [2]
  u - Fear Touch: 4d6 Ego Attack, ½ END, 0
  Range (50/3) [2]
  u - Fear Aura: 2d6 Ego Attack,
  Transdimensional: Earth/Astral (+½),
  Damage Shield, 0 END (50/5) [0]
  Mental Defense: 7 (4)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Life Support: Need not Breathe, Immune to
  Disease & Aging (16)
  Leaping: +6" Superleap [9" total] (6) [1/5"]
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 153
  Total Character Cost: 210
  Disadvantages: 75+
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY (20)
  Fear Touch Blocked by Fearlessness (10)
  Area Mental Defense Acts As Force Wall to
  Atavisms (10)
  Can Be Attacked from Earth Using Mental
  Powers or Magic w/Affects Desolid (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Relentlessly Aggressive (25)
  Susceptibility:
  3d6 STUN + BODY, Using Attack on Immune Person
  (30)
  1d6 STUN, Successful PRE Attack Based on Positive
  Emotion (common) (10)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 STUN, BODY, Magic w/Affects Desolid
  (uncommon) (20)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 210
  Trauma Ghost
  Trauma Ghosts aren’t real ghosts; they are atavisms
  created by violent deaths or near deaths. Most
  hauntings are actually Trauma Ghosts. A Trauma
  Ghost looks like the person whose emotion created it,
  while its ectoplasmic body shows whatever circum-
  stances caused its death (a person who died from stab-
  bing leaves a Trauma Ghost that drips spectral blood
  from its wounds, a hanged person’s Trauma Ghost
  shows rope burns on the neck, and so on.)
  A Trauma Ghost even thinks it is the person who
  created it, and might not admit that it’s dead. Trauma
  Ghosts only have frayed copies of minds, however; they
  are only capable of a few simple thoughts. Left to it-
  self, a Trauma Ghost will play out the same course of
  actions again and again, for centuries (another trait of
  most hauntings). Talking to a Trauma Ghost can be
  like talking to a skipping record, as they respond to
  everything with their small stock of little monologues.
  Many Trauma Ghosts are harmless if they aren’t dis-
  turbed. A few, however, have behavior programs that
  make them dangerous to the living. A typical example
  is the Trauma Ghost of a murder victim that seeks ven-
  geance for its murder. It attacks anyone who reminds
  it of the killer. Just being the same gender might be
  enough to set it off.
  Any Trauma Ghost might turn murderous if one
  threatens its existence through magical attacks or at-
  tempts at exorcism. This can be a proper bell book and
  candle religious exorcism, or simply an attempt to con-
  vince the Trauma Ghost that it should “pass on.” (In
  game terms, an improvisational exorcism is a Presence
  Attack. If it exceeds the Trauma Ghost’s PRE, it takes
  1d6 damage, STUN and BODY both. Mind Control
  achieving at least +10 EGO has the same effect. True
  exorcism causes continuing Susceptibility damage;
  PRE attacks and Mind Controls do instant damage.)
  Trauma Ghosts exist on the Astral Plane, where they
  are fully solid at all times. They can see events on Earth
  if they want, and make themselves visible. (If the viewer
  fails a PER Roll, the ghost might be mistaken for a live
  person.) While visible, they can attack with a “deathly
  touch” that chills the soul.
  
  272
  Trauma Ghost
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  14
  DEX
  12
  12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5
  15
  CON
  10
  12-
  7
  BODY
  -6
  10-
  5
  INT
  -5
  10- PER Roll 10-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  25
  PRE
  15
  14- PRE Attack 5d6
  8
  COM
  -1
  11-
  9
  PD
  7
  Total: 26 PD/ 17 rPD
  9
  ED
  6
  Total: 26 ED/ 17 rED
  3
  SPD
  6
  Pha 4, 8 ,12
  6
  REC
  2
  30
  END
  0
  20
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 54
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +1 ECV w/ Deathly Touch
  (2)
  Trauma Ghost Powers:
  Spirit Form Powers: Elemental Control (25)
  a - Deathly Touch: 4d6 EB, BOECV (+1),
  Transdimensional: Earth (+½), ½ END,
  0 Range, Must be Visible (-½) (55/15) [2]
  b - Display Trauma: Images vs. Hearing + All
  Vision, -1 PER, Transdimensional to Earth
  (+½), Indirect (+½), 0 END, 0 Range, Fixed
  Image: Self (-½) (57/16) [0]
  c - Clairsentience: Normal Vision, Hearing,
  Interdimensional, 0 END, Only to Corresponding
  Point on Earth (-1) (67/21) [0]
  d - Armor (17 PD, 17 ED) (51/26)
  Mental Defense: 10 (7)
  Power Defense: 7 (7)
  Life Support: Need not Breathe, Immune to
  Disease & Aging (16)
  KS: Human Original 8- (1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 136
  Total Character Cost: 190
  Disadvantages: 75+
  Berserk:
  if Exorcism Attempted (very common), 11-,
  Recover 11- (25)
  Physical Limitation:
  Dispelled if Stunned/Unconscious/0 BODY (20)
  Area Mental Defense Acts As Force Wall to
  Atavisms (10)
  Can Be Attacked from Earth Using Mental
  Powers or Magic w/Affects Desolid (10)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Rigid Program of Behavior (25)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN+BODY/minute, Exorcisms
  (common) (20)
  Villain Bonus (5)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 190
  Qliphothic Monsters
  The qliphothic planes are the dimensions of nega-
  tive energy. Some of these deathly, decrepit dimensions
  have brought forth their own weird forms of anti-life
  and anti-spirit. Qliphothic creatures are entirely in-
  imical: they are entropy incarnate. When a qliphothic
  creature enters a normal cosmos, it disrupts its sur-
  roundings as it feeds on positive energy; and the more
  it feeds, the hungrier it gets. Some qliphothic entities
  live by destroying matter or energy. Some feed on
  magic. Some affect space-time itself. Qliphothics are
  not even made of matter in any normal sense, although
  some varieties can wrap themselves in warped, trans-
  muted matter, producing perverse mockeries of life.
  Some sages believe that the Edomites are such hybrid
  forms.
  The monsters described below are typical
  qliphothics. There are many more. The esoteric lore
  of the Kabbalah gives names to some of the Qliphoth.
  Some orders of Qliphoth are single beings; others are
  races of beings. A list is given below, as inspiration for
  designing more qliphothic entities. (The reader will
  notice that Quemetiel and Thaumiel have also been
  used in this book, as the names of inimical cosmic
  entities.)
  Many of the Hebrew names of the qliphoth, how-
  ever, are quite long and virtually unpronounceable for
  English speakers. In the last few decades, some West-
  ern sorcerers have started coining vernacular names
  for these creatures.
  Claynull
  The a’abiriron (ah-ah-BEER-rear-on), more popu-
  larly called the argillan or claynull, is one of the more
  powerful and dangerous qliphothic monsters. Its touch
  drains away the energies which hold matter together.
  That is how it feeds. Anything it touches is reduced to
  a heavy, frictionless fluid—the atoms have lost their
  ability to combine in molecules or interact with any-
  thing else. It isn’t even really matter in the normal sense
  anymore. (For the scientifically minded, this residue
  is denser than mercury, chemically inert, has the su-
  perfluid properties of Helium II and is an almost per-
  fect electrical and thermal insulator. It has all the prop-
  erties of a vacuum except the absence of matter. A su-
  per scientist could do incredible things with it. It is
  also immune to Transforms because technically it has
  no BODY anymore.)
  While a claynull can feed off any matter, it is espe-
  cially attracted to energy rich forms such as
  radioactives, explosives and corrosive chemicals. This
  may include superbeings with energy manipulation
  powers. It will pursue such matter even into harmful
  situations, although it will then try to grab the matter
  and retreat to safety as it eats.
  The claynull’s behavioral “program” is simple but
  effective:
  
  273
  1) Move around slowly, eating.
  2) If you “taste” energetic matter, stop and eat it.
  Move around enough to eat all of it.
  3) If bright light or anything else causes harm, go
  underground. A claynull will let itself lose half its
  BODY to the Susceptibility before it retreats from qual-
  ity food.
  4a) If something hits, hit back once before retreat-
  ing.
  4b) If something causes real damage, go berserk and
  hit it real good several times.
  5) After eating and growing enough, bud off other
  claynulls. (The GM has total discretion about what
  constitutes “enough.”)
  The name “a’abiriron” is Hebrew for “clayey,” and
  this well describes this creature. It is nothing but a big
  flowing blob of clear, pale silvery ooze, with no inter-
  nal structure. (Actually, the creature itself is invisible,
  but its Damage Shield keeps it covered with a very thin
  layer of transmuted air.) It forms pseudopods with
  which to attack. Anything touched by it starts dissolv-
  ing, and continues dissolving for 1 turn, taking another
  1d6 of damage every 2 segments. While a BODY Aid
  will restore damage, it will not stop the dissolution.
  The claynull is highly resistant to nearly all forms of
  damage and wounds seal up almost instantly. (Note:
  Yes, an Automaton with BODY Aid is obnoxious, but
  this creature is supposed to challenge a hero group’s
  abilities.)
  Claynull
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  38
  STR
  3*
  17- 2400 kg; 7½d6 [4]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  25
  CON
  10
  14-
  14
  BODY
  0*
  12-
  3
  INT
  -7
  10- PER Roll 10-
  —
  EGO
  —
  —
  ECV: 8
  20
  PRE
  10
  14- PRE Attack 4d6
  0
  COM
  -5
  9-
  12
  PD
  30#
  Total: 12 rPD
  12
  ED
  30#
  Total: 12 rED
  3
  SPD
  3
  Ph (2), 4, (6), 8, (10), 12
  6
  REC
  0
  #Automaton Cost
  30
  END
  0
  Bonus for Growth &
  —
  STUN
  —
  DI added in
  Total Characteristic Cost: 95
  Movement:
  Running: 2”/4”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 OCV w/ Strike (4)
  Qliphothic Monster Powers:
  Giant Ooze Powers: Elemental Control (22)
  a - Huge Size: 20 pts Growth + 5 pts Density
  increase, 0 END Persistent, Always On (3200
  kg, -5" KB) (50/19) [0]
  b - Automaton: Takes No STUN (45/23)
  c - Damage Resistance (12 PD, 12 ED), #,
  Hardened (45/23)
  d - Tunneling: 2", DEF 10, Close Behind
  (44/22) [1]
  e - Spatial Awareness + N Ray Vision, +2 PER
  (49/27)
  f - Wounds Just Re-Seal: 3d6 BODY Aid,
  Continuous, 0 END Persistent, Self Only
  (-½), Restore only (-½) (45/11) [0]
  Matter Disruption: 1d6 RKA, Penetrating x2,
  Uncontrolled for 1 turn, Damage Shield, 0
  END Persistent, Always On (40) [0]
  Power Defense: 10, Hardened (12)
  Life Support: Full (30)
  Matter Melts Away: +3 SPD, Only for
  Uncontrolled Matter Disruption Effect (-1)
  (15)
  Pseudopods: Extra Limbs (5)
  Slow Speed: -4" Running (-8)
  Sinks Like a Stone: -2" Swimming (-2)
  Stealth 12- (3)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 246
  Total Character Cost: 341
  Disadvantages: 200+
  Berserk:
   if Take BODY (common), 11-,  Recover 14- (15)
  Distinctive Features:
  Liquescent Horror (Can’t Conceal, Extreme
  Reaction) (25)
  Physical Limitation:
  No Manipulation (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Total Compulsion to Seek and Eat Energetic
  Matter (25)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 BODY/Phase, Sunlight or Other
  Bright Light (very common) (50)
  Vulnerability:
  x2 BODY, Transdimensional Attacks
  (uncommon) (10)
  x2 BODY, Affects Desolid Attacks
  (uncommon) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 350
  Darque
  Darques are strange creatures from the qliphothic
  plane called The Shining Darkness. They appear as
  large knots of shimmering black streamers floating in
  the air. They feel ice cold and filmy. Some occultists
  call darques “Schichiriron,” but this is a mistake: the
  true schichiriron are rather more powerful.
  Darques attack by wrapping around victims and
  absorbing their life force, leaving the victim weak. They
  can also project an aura of darkness around themselves.
  They can see through this darkness just fine, and so
  can people they’ve wrapped around. Such a person will
  also see the world as darques see it: dark areas seem lit
  with silvery radiance, while well illuminated areas seem
  dark. Light sources are cores of blackness radiating
  obscurity. Being insubstantial, darques are unusually
  resistant to normal sorts of damage, but bright light
  shocks and evaporates their substance. Naturally they
  try to stay in dark surroundings as much as possible.
  
  274
  Darque
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
  17
  DEX
  21
  12- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  13
  CON
  6
  12-
  6
  BODY
  -8
  10-
  8
  INT
  -2
  11- PER Roll 11-
  11
  EGO
  2
  11- ECV: 4
  18
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 3½d6
  2
  COM
  -4
  9-
  17
  PD
  14
  Total: 30 PD/ 13 rPD
  9
  ED
  6
  Total: 22 ED/ 13 rED
  3
  SPD
  3
  Pha 4, 8, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  30
  END
  2
  20
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 51
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 17"/34"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ DCV(10)
  Combat Skill Levels: +1 Level w/ Grab (3)
  Qliphothic Monster Powers:
  Living Darkness Powers: Elemental Control (20)
  a - Sapping the Strength: 1d6+1 STR Transfer
  to STUN, Return 1 STR/turn (+¼), AP,
  Damage Shield, ½ END (50/30) [2]
  b - Darque Aura: 1" radius Darkness vs. All
  Vision, Personal Immunity (+¼), Use w/1
  Other (+½), ½ END, 0 Range, Must Share
  Immunity with Grabbed Victim (-¼)
  (40/11) [2]
  c - Armor (13 PD, 13 ED) (39/20)
  d - Damage Reduction (½ PD, ½ ED) (40/20)
  e - Dark Flight: 17" Flight, ½ END, Not in
  Bright Light (-½) (42/15) [1/10"]
  f - Inescapable Grasp: +27 STR, 0 END, No
  Figured Chars (-½), Only for Holding Onto
  Grabbed Victim (-1 ½) (40/7) [0]
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5 (5)
  Flight: 5", x3 END (-1), Only in Bright Light
  when Can’t Use Other Flight (-0) (5) [3/5"]
  UV Vision, Use w/1 Other (+½), Must Share
  w/Grabbed Person (-½) (5)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 151
  Total Character Cost: 202
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Physical Limitation:
  Bright Light = Normal Darkness for Darque Vision
  (10)
  Mute, can only communicate with humans by gestures
  (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Hatred of high Energy Beings (15)
  Susceptibility:
  2d6 STUN, Flash Attacks (common) (15)
  1d6 STUN+BODY/turn, Bright Light (very
  common) (40)
  Vulnerability:
  x1½ STUN, Light Based Attacks (common) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 205
  A Catalog Of Qliphoth
  According to Aleister Crowley’s Magick in Theory and
  Practice, each order of Qliphoth represents an inver-
  sion of a positive mystical idea. Thus, Quemetiel, the
  “Crowd of Gods,” denies the basic mystical premise
  that everything is fundamentally connected in unity
  and wholeness; A’athiel, “Uncertainty,” embodies ig-
  norance; the A’arab Zarag, “Ravens of Dispersion,” are
  an evil parody of the Heavenly Host of angels. The
  Qliphoth also correspond to various elements of
  kabbalism and astrology, such as the sephiroth and the
  signs of the Zodiac. No real sorcerer takes these asso-
  ciations seriously.
  Crowley’s list of Qliphoth goes as follows:
  QUEMETIEL: “Crowd of Gods”
  BELIA’AL: “Worthlessness”
  A’ATHIEL: “Uncertainty”
  THAUMIEL: “Twins of God”
  GHAGIEL: “Hinderers”
  SATARIEL: “Hiding,” “Concealers”
  GHA’AGSHEBLAH: “Smiters,” “Breakers in Pieces”
  GOLACHAB: “Flaming Ones”
  THAGIRION: “Litigation,” “Disputers”
  A’ARAB ZARAG: “Ravens of Dispersion”
  SAMAEL: “False Accuser,” “Deceivers”
  GAMALIEL: “Obscene Ass”
  LILITH: “Woman of Night”
  BA’AIRIRON: “The Flock”
  ADIMIRON: “Bloody”
  TZALALIMIRON: “Changers”
  SCHICHIRIRON: “Black”
  SCHALEHBIRON: “Flaming”
  TZAPHIRIRON: “Scratchers”
  A’ABIRIRON: “Clayey”
  NECHESHTHIRON: “Brazen”
  NECHESHIRON: “Snakey”
  DAGDAGIRON: “Fishy”
  BAHIMIRON: “Bestial”
  NASHIMIRON: “Malignant Women”
  
  275
  Sample Heroes
  So much for villains, cultists, and monsters. What
  about heroes? As a service for players, here are several
  magic-based PCs. First is good old Solitaire, rewritten
  to show off more “magical” features. Since her origi-
  nal appearance, she has also gained a bit more detail
  in her origin. Solitaire is followed by some characters
  from campaigns the author has run or been in: tested
  PCs.
  These PCs have been chosen to show off as wide a
  range of origin types and game mechanics as was pos-
  sible. There is still some overlap. Both Zontar Bok and
  Artifex, for instance, use END Reserves instead of buy-
  ing up their own END. Having players copy ideas from
  each other is not a problem, as long as the characters
  are in different campaigns.
  The author thanks his fellow players for contribut-
  ing their characters, and Steve Long for fleshing out
  rather sketchy ideas about Solitaire’s past with the Vril
  Society.
  The Revised Solitaire
  Background: “Lift that block,” Irene Bradford com-
  manded.
  Elaine looked at the block of concrete and concen-
  trated. She’d never picked up anything that heavy be-
  fore. The crackling power of Vril, the master force
  which underlay all other forces, gathered around the
  block. Ever so slowly it began to rise above the floor,
  an inch at a time, until Elaine had lifted it a full foot.
  “Very good. Put it down.”
  Elaine lowered the block more quickly than she’d
  intended, making it crash to the floor. Mistress Irene
  glanced at her in disapproval.
  “Sorry,” Elaine said.
  “Defend yourself!” Mistress Irene shouted suddenly,
  telekinetically flinging a knife at the girl. Without even
  thinking about it, Elaine shaped a shield out of crack-
  ling vril, and the knife bounced harmlessly away.
  “Find Brother Anthony and bring him here.”
  Elaine projected her mind outward, seeking the vril-
  trace of Brother Anthony’s mind. It didn’t take long.
  Before he could raise his shields, she sent, Come here!
  Bereft of self control, Brother Anthony left his books
  and walked at once to the Training Room. A hint of a
  smile tugged at Mistress Irene’s mouth when he opened
  the door and walked into the Training Room. Elaine
  recognized the blank look on Brother Anthony’s face
  as the sign of her mental control.
  “Release him,” Mistress Irene said.
  She did. In a moment the blank look went away, and
  Brother Anthony shook himself. “Where am…oh,
  hello, Vril-Ya,” he said with a low bow to Mistress Irene.
  “Is there something you want of me?”
  “No,” she replied. “Return to what you were doing.”
  After he left, she turned to Elaine. “Now, for your
  last test, destroy that block.”
  Again Elaine concentrated, and one after another,
  bolts of mystic energy dashed against the stone. To
  show off her control of vril, she varied them, from fire
  to cold to light to a dozen other forms of energy be-
  sides the force of raw vril. In a minute, there was noth-
  ing left of the block but flinders.
  What power! Mistress Irene thought to herself. My
  experiment has worked! Elaine will be the most power-
  ful agent and assassin the Vril Society possesses—and
  she is mine to command! The Seven Fools are about to
  learn a thing or two about true power.
  “Congratulations, Elaine,” she said to the girl. “You
  have passed every single test and have become an Adept
  of the Society. You have learned well over the last sev-
  enteen years, and the Vril Society and I are very proud
  of you. You will be a great help to us in the coming
  years, as we strive to advance the Good.”
  “Thank you, Mistress. I am honored to serve.”
  “As a reward for your diligence and loyalty, the So-
  ciety has a gift for you. Behold!” And as she spoke the
  last word, Mistress Irene brought forth from her robe
  a shimmering crystal globe that floated into the air and
  began circling Elaine’s head.
  Hello Elaine the crystal said to her, in her mind.
  Elaine was enchanted. She thought the Vril Crystals
  which adepts received were beautiful, but she hadn’t
  imagined they could talk! Hello…Uh, what do I call
  you?
  Call me whatever you like the crystal replied. Was
  that a note of humor in its voice?
  I think I’ll call you…Widget! Elaine sent, delighted
  to have a new friend.
  Widget it is
  Reaching the Senator was easy. Just a trickle of vril
  in a person’s mind, and they did whatever Elaine com-
  manded. Now the Senator’s evil would be purged and
  justice done, as the Vril Society commanded. She
  blasted his office door off its hinges and exclaimed,
  “Senator Jeremiah Relm, for your abuse of power and
  crimes against humanity you must pay the ultimate
  penalty!”
  “Wait! What abuses? What do you think I’ve done?”
  the Senator cried.
  Solemnly, Elaine listed off the Vril Society’s charges.
  But for each charge, the Senator had a defense: her facts
  were wrong, or there was another side to the issue; his
  actions in Congress had not been Evil, they had been
  Good. Changing people’s opinions was the Senator’s
  business. After debating with Elaine for an hour, her
  indignation had faded into doubt and unanswered
  questions. Could the Society have sent her after the
  wrong person?
  Irene Bradford was furious. She was watching Sena-
  tor Relm’s press conference on C-SPAN. Elaine had
  failed! She almost couldn’t believe it, but there was the
  Senator, sitting in the middle of his smashed-up of-
  fice, explaining what had happened.
  
  276
  “Mistress?” came an Adept’s hesitant voice from the
  doorway.
  “What?” she snarled back at him.
  “Esteemed Vril Ya, the Adept Elaine is here.”
  “She’s what?” Irene asked, unable to believe her ears.
  “She’s here, Vril Ya. She says she has questions for
  you.”
  “You fool! She’s been corrupted by that Senator! She’s
  obviously returned to spy on us, or betray us to the
  authorities! Capture her for interrogation!”
  “At once, Vril Ya!” the Adept said.
  Alone again, Irene stared at the TV without really
  seeing it. Somehow, her daughter had developed a will
  of her own. What would
  she do? Irene remem-
  bered how she had raised
  her daughter, remem-
  bered the punishments
  that were supposed to
  break Elaine to the
  Society’s will. What
  would she herself do, in
  her daughter’s place?
  And she shuddered.
  Elaine was alone, mis-
  erable and scared. Her
  world had ended.
  She couldn’t believe it
  when 
  Widget 
  had
  warned her that her
  friends were coming to
  hurt her. But then she
  saw it herself in their
  minds. Using her supe-
  rior abilities, she had
  fought her way out of the
  Society’s secret enclave
  and escaped. Now she
  was on a bus going to
  New York, with no friends, no money and little knowl-
  edge of the world outside the Society.
  Things will be all right Widget said, trying to com-
  fort her. It didn’t work.
  She had done her best to be Good, to live up to the
  Society’s expectations—but the Society had attacked
  her. She was Good—did that make the Society Evil?
  Had the Society merely tried to use her for its own
  Evil ends? She tossed these questions back and forth
  in her mind for a long time, but there was no escaping
  the obvious answer to both of them…yes. Yet the So-
  ciety had made her what she was. Did that mean that
  she was really evil? That question was even more dis-
  turbing. She realized right then and there that she could
  never have anything to do with the Society again.
  But she knew that there had to be some way she could
  use her abilities for Good. While pondering this di-
  lemma, she glanced at the headline on the newspaper
  held by another passenger on the bus. CHAMPIONS
  FOIL VIPER ATTACK ON BANK it said. She’d heard
  of the Champions; the Society described them as thor-
  oughly Evil people with powers like hers. But if the
  Society said they were Evil, wouldn’t that make them
  Good?
  When the other passenger put the paper down,
  Elaine picked it up and read the story. The Champi-
  ons had stopped this other group, VIPER, from steal-
  ing money from a bank, and had protected several
  bystanders in the process. They definitely didn’t sound
  Evil. Once again, the Society had tried to deceive her.
  This was a way she could use her powers for Good: she
  could join the Champions!
  Personality: Elaine King
  (she picked the last name
  on the spur of the moment
  prior to her interview with
  the Champions) was raised
  to be a tool of the Vril So-
  ciety, and it shows. The So-
  ciety raised her to believe
  in a very Manichean view
  of the world. She sees ev-
  erything in terms of black
  and white, Good and Evil,
  right and wrong. The Good
  must be protected, the Evil
  destroyed. Unfortunately
  for the Society, however,
  Solitaire realized that there
  was more to Good and Evil
  than obedience to the So-
  ciety.
  This is not to say that
  Solitaire is a prude or that
  she does not allow for hu-
  man failings. She has
  gradually accepted just
  how far from perfect the
  world really is, and tries to
  allow for this. Her wran-
  gling disputes about whether an action is Good or Evil
  sometimes irritate her more pragmatic teammates Jag-
  uar and Quantum. Still, Solitaire can be surprisingly
  harsh, even ruthless, once she’s convince that some-
  thing is definitely Evil. If not for her disgust at how the
  Vril Society tried to make her an assassin, her fear at
  making an irreversible mistake and her innate com-
  passion, Solitaire could easily have become a vigilante
  instead of a more typical superhero.
  Solitaire’s trainers brutally punished her whenever
  she made a mistake: Irene Bradford did not tolerate
  failure. To this day, Solitaire fears to make mistakes or
  fail in her chosen tasks. She believes, quite wrongly,
  that her friends would abandon her if she fouled up
  too badly. When she does make a mistake, she tries to
  correct it herself, without letting her friends know
  about them.
  The Society also raised Solitaire to avoid strong
  emotion and close relationships. This has left her shy
  and reserved; she is content to stay in the shadow of
  
  277
  her more flamboyant teammates.
  (Paradoxically, for someone so shy, Solitaire’s cho-
  sen profession in her Secret ID—fashion model—
  makes her the center of attention. Again, this is the
  result of her training, which taught her to work with a
  role no matter how much it conflicts with her personal
  inclinations. To compensate, she jealously guards her
  private life from the media.)
  Solitaire gets along with her teammates well; they
  are the first “family” she has ever really known. Quan-
  tum draws Solitaire out while Solitaire restrains
  Quantum’s temper. Obsidian finds her ethical concerns
  similar to his own nobless oblige. Although Seeker’s flirt-
  ing often leaves Solitaire blushing, they share a mystic
  quest for truth. While Solitaire has relatively little in
  common with Jaguar, they remain civil and Solitaire
  is the only teammate who really understands what it’s
  like to live with magic.
  Out of all the Champions, however, Solitaire feels
  closest to Defender. They have felt a strong mutual at-
  traction almost from the time they met. So far, how-
  ever, they have pulled back from an intimate relation-
  ship. Defender worries about inadvertently hurting the
  emotionally inexperienced Solitaire, while Solitaire
  feels it might not be ethical to date a teammate; she
  wouldn’t want Defender to compromise his duty to
  the entire team out of feeling for her. Quantum has
  been working on Solitaire, and Seeker on Defender, to
  overcome their scruples and get them together: their
  friends realize what a fine couple they would make.
  Quote: “But that’s not right!”
  Powers/Tactics: Due to the in utero telepathic condi-
  tioning she received from her mother, Solitaire is an
  especially capable manipulator of magical force. She
  calls this energy “vril.” Vril can be converted into nearly
  any form of energy (as the Variable Special Effect EB
  shows), but is particularly suited for psychic effects.
  The Vril Crystal she calls Widget is an important part
  of Solitaire’s magic. As long as she has Widget around
  her, she can cast spells by pure will, with amazing speed
  and little fatigue. Without Widget, Solitaire must con-
  centrate or take extra time, perhaps point at her tar-
  get, and her powers become less reliable. Widget glows
  whenever it assists in a spell or warns her of danger. It
  must freely orbit Solitaire to do this. Their psychic link
  is so strong that Solitaire suffers any damage done to
  Widget.
  (Vril Crystals are not normally intelligent and tele-
  pathic. Irene Bradford certainly did not know about
  Widget’s special properties when she gave the crystal
  to Solitaire. Why Widget is different is a mystery Soli-
  taire does not yet know she should explore.)
  At present, Solitaire only knows relatively straight-
  forward applications of Vril magic. She knows, how-
  ever, that supposedly vril can be turned into any force
  imaginable. As she experiments, she will develop more
  powers, both mental and physical, and hone the pow-
  ers she already has. She does not suffer from a Magic
  Restriction: first, Vril Magic is a High Magic style, and
  second, it is a rare and unusual style which few wiz-
  ards have encountered. The Society’s “official” claim,
  in fact, is that Vril Magic isn’t really magic at all, but
  super-advanced science (witness the tech-seeming Vril
  Rods).
  In combat, Solitaire usually takes a “support” role:
  telekinetically holding enemies in place for someone
  else to blast, mentally controlling lesser villains into
  surrendering or wasting actions so her teammates can
  concentrate on more serious threats, and so on. She
  has also used Mimicry and Ventriloquism to confuse
  opponents—for instance, by making their leader seem
  to order them to flee, or by making one villain think
  another villain insulted him. In noncombat situations,
  Solitaire’s skills make her a superb infiltrator.
  Appearance: Solitaire is a beautiful young woman
  standing 5’10" tall, with green eyes, auburn hair and
  exquisite features that somehow never get marred by
  dangerous situations. She wears a dark rose, ankle-
  length hooded cape and thigh-length boots over a shiny
  bodysuit of a similar color. Her cloak pin is of gold
  with a large, red crystal (which has no value whatso-
  ever, as a Focus or otherwise). She does not wear a mask
  or gloves. Her Vril Crystal, Widget, is an iridescent
  globe of faceted crystal which orbits her body.
  Notes: For a vastly more powerful version of Solitaire,
  showing how she could develop with experience, see
  The Ultimate Mentalist by Steven S. Long.
  As originally presented in the Champions rulebook,
  Solitaire was part mentalist and part energy projector,
  but had very little magical “flavor.” This has been
  changed by giving her a wider range of Powers and
  Skills, making her a more flexible character. These have
  been paid for by putting mage-style Limitations on her
  Elemental Control and Multipower, and lowering some
  of her Characteristics to the heroic human range. Soli-
  taire still lacks the traditional intellectual skills of a
  scholar mage; the details of her background were cho-
  sen to reflect this. With Experience, she will learn more
  about the occult world and the supernatural. She is
  still, however, a good model for a fledgling mage.
  Solitaire
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  13
  STR
  3
  12- 150 kg; 2½d6 [1]
  20
  DEX
  30
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  20
  EGO
  20
  13- ECV: 7
  13
  PRE
  3
  12- PRE Attack 2½d6
  18
  COM
  4
  13-
  8
  PD
  5
  Total: 21 PD/ 13 rPD
  6
  ED
  2
  Total: 19 ED/ 13 rED
  5
  SPD
  20
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  8
  REC
  2
  36
  END
  0
  26
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 108
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Teleport 15"/30"
  
  278
  Powers & Skills:
  Vril Powers & Abilities:
  Vril Magic Powers: Elemental Control, -1 Var
  Lim: OAF Widget/Extra Time or Concentrate
  + Activation Roll (-½) (10)
  a - Vrilshield: Force Field (13 PD, 13 ED, 8
  MD) (30/10) [3]
  b - Vrilpath: 15" Teleport, x2 END (-½) (30/7)
  [2/5"]
  c - Mental Eye: 6d6 Mind Scanning, x2 END
  (30/7) [6]
  Vril Magic Spells/Mentalism: Multipower (51 pt
  pool), -½ Var Lim: Gestures/IAF
  Widget/Concentrate/Extra Time/Activation
  Roll (-¼), ½ END with OAF Widget
  (-1 Limitation on +¼ Power Advantage) (46)
  u - Raw Vril Blast: 10d6 EB,  (50/4) [5/2]
  u - Shaped Vril Blast: 7d6 EB, Var Special
  Effects (+½), (52/5) [5/2]
  u - Mental Blast: 5d6 Ego Attack, (50/4) [5/2]
  u - Domination: 10d6 Mind Control, (50/4)
  [5/2]
  u - Mind Reading: 10d6 Telepathy, (50/4)
  [5/2]
  u - Vril Manipulation: 33 STR TK,  (50/4)
  [5/2]
  Widgetvision: Danger Sense 11-, out of combat,
  any attack, local area, OAF (12)
  Background Skills:
  Bump of Direction  (3)
  Acting 12- (3)
  Disguise 11- (3)
  Mimicry 11- (3)
  Stealth 13- (3)
  Ventriloquism 11- (3)
  KS: Vril Society & Magic 11- (substitutes for
  Everyman skill AK: Home Country) (0)
  KS: Occult 11- (2)
  Donation for Homestead, the Champions’ base
  (1)
  Donation for Slingshot, the Champions’ plane
  (4)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 142
  Total Character Cost: 250
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Talks to Widget (Concealable, Weirds
  people out) (10)
   Powerful psychic aura (Few Detect) (5)
  Hunted by:
  VIPER, 11- (As Pow, NCI) (20)
  Vril Society, 8- (As Pow, NCI) (15)
  Howler, 11- (As Pow) (15)
  Physical Limitation:
  Takes any damage done to Widget (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Avoids strong emotion or intimacy (15)
  Moral absolutist (15)
  Fear of making or admitting to mistakes (15)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Unluck: 2d6 (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 250
  Artifex
  Created by James Ganong
  Background: Billy Doyle hated his miserable life. It
  wasn’t easy being a smart, sensitive kid in a South Bos-
  ton slum where a musical car horn was most people’s
  idea of an uplifting cultural experience.
  There were only two points of light in his gray neigh-
  borhood. The first was the library. It was small and as
  dingy and beat up as the neighborhood, but it had a
  few books on art that weren’t too badly defaced. The
  second was Uncle Button, who walked barefoot in the
  Boston winter and covered his stained and faded
  clothes with tassels, little mirrors, and buttons. Uncle
  Button made and sold buttons from bits of metal,
  wood, and plastic he scavenged from dumpsters. He
  also told wonderful stories: stories from history, from
  mythology, from books, or all three mixed together—
  like how George Washington crossed the Styx to res-
  cue Minnie Mouse from the Grand Inquisitor.
  One day, when Billy was thirteen, he asked Uncle
  Button where he got his stories. Uncle Button an-
  swered, typically, with a story. He told how once upon
  a time a young man, who had been rich but now was
  poor, had wanted to understand his own story, and if
  he might change its course. He walked the cold, un-
  friendly streets of his city, looking for meanings as
  much as for work and food. One day he saw a street
  that looked more inviting. In it were jugglers and
  costermongers, children playing, merchants weighing
  gold dust and women haggling over fish. That street
  led to another street and another. He found a whole
  city, secretly woven into the city he’d known before—
  a city called Babylon. From Babylon he traveled to
  many other lands, and in the fullness of time he dis-
  covered where stories come from. Uncle Button waved
  his hand. “Here.”
  It was sort of a disappointing ending for the story. A
  few days later, Billy heard unfamiliar sounds from an
  alley. He followed the sounds to a street he’d never seen,
  bustling with fantastically varied people. “Hey, what
  city is this?” he asked a pushcart vendor.
  The vendor looked at Billy like he was crazy. “The
  only city there is,” he replied. “Babylon!” Billy quickly
  looked back over his shoulder. The alley was gone.
  Billy’s life in Babylon could fill a novel—one by
  Dickens. It was not an easy life. He saw Babylon’s rook-
  eries and workhouses more than its palaces. After a
  year, though, Billy found himself as an apprentice to a
  conurbite mask-maker and then things were better.
  Two years later, Billy discovered the Fool’s Parliament
  and was accepted as a student of the Great Art of magic.
  Billy proved an enthusiastic student. He didn’t miss
  South Boston a bit. As a dweller in Babylon, as a pro-
  spective member of the Fool’s Parliament, he invented
  a new life for himself, right down to a new name and a
  new appearance. Now he called himself “Art Long.” He
  looked forward to becoming a full member of the
  Fool’s Parliament and helping to build a new and
  
  279
  spritelier world.
  And then one day his master, Mr. Lowjink, threw
  him out. “You’re a damn yes-man, Art! You’ve got noth-
  ing in your head but what I put there! Get some expe-
  rience! Get some ideas of your own! Get a life!”
  Well, that was a bit of a shock, but Art got over it. He
  now divides his time between apartments in Babylon
  and Los Angeles, taking advantage of the currency ex-
  change rate between worlds. He manages a modest liv-
  ing by making fanciful, high-quality masks; he’s had a
  few exhibitions in a Los Angeles gallery and is a famil-
  iar figure in the L.A. art scene. As Artifex, Master of
  the Cosmic Craft, he also does his bit to build a new
  world of freedom and Artifice where everyone can
  make the life they please.
  Quote: “We all make our own reality. Of course, I’m bet-
  ter at it than most.”
  Personality: Artifex is an enthusiastic, even obnoxious,
  spokesman for the ideology of Art. As far as he’s con-
  cerned, everything is just raw materials. It annoys him
  that most people just accept whatever they get from
  chance and the power elite instead of making their own
  way. Artifex has a quarrel with the Powers of Evil be-
  cause they would take away what little opportunity for
  self-creation and self-improvement people have (he’s
  also a radical libertarian). And really, can’t the demon
  lords and dimensional conquerors think of something
  more original than conquest and slaughter? Any dunce
  can wreck things; improving the world, now that’s a
  challenge.
  Artifex will freely admit that others may be more
  powerful than him, but he’s always sure that he’s
  smarter than his opponents. He tells them so, too. In
  his short career he has already insulted Mephistopheles,
  the Dragon, Skarn and Bromion to their faces. The
  word on the occult grapevine is that one should not
  stand too close to Artifex. Pretty soon, someone is go-
  ing to blow him up real good.
  Powers/Tactics: Artifex is a Ritual Magician of an un-
  usual sort, who’s trying to become a High Magician
  and Servant of Higher Powers. His Hero ID is far more
  than just a costume; it’s a complete physical transfor-
  mation, what Artifex calls his “Body of Art.” In this
  form he can cast spells. His diverse selection of spells
  is somewhat weak in offense and defense, but his non-
  combat abilities are remarkably flexible, including most
  of the Physical Phantasms of Simon Magus.
  Artifex has even started learning how to Transform
  spells and make magic items by himself. (If he fails an
  Activation Roll when Transforming a spell, his Trans-
  form seems to work but the new Power has a -½ Limi-
  tation which neither Artifex nor the Power’s possessor
  knows about. Each failed roll imposes another -½ of
  Limitations.) Artifex’s Clairsentience spell is particu-
  larly notable: he can make objects literally talk and re-
  count whatever happened to them, including any
  magic they were involved in.
  His Variable Limitation makes Artifex hard to “dis-
  arm.” he prefers to fill the Variable Limitation with his
  magic staff (OAF), but if he loses that he can switch to
  his rune-stitched gloves (OIF) with Gestures and In-
  cantations or 1 Phase of Extra Time. If he loses the
  gloves too, he must Gesture, Incant and take either
  Extra Time or lower his Activation Roll to 12-. Failing
  all, he can cast spells by pure will, with a full turn of
  Extra Time. Artifex must, however, be in his “Body of
  Art” hero mode. If knocked out, he changes back into
  his normal human ID and cannot cast spells until he
  takes a Turn to change back into Artifex. If he’s tied
  up, he can’t change.
  Artifex knows that he’s weak on combat magic, but
  he tries to out-think opponents instead of pounding
  them into submission. He avoids direct confrontation.
  Instead he tries to snoop around, concealed by illu-
  sion if necessary, and find an opponent’s weaknesses.
  He has no intention of “fighting fair”: as a Chaotic
  Artifist, he makes his own rules.
  Appearance: Artifex is in his late 20s now. In his “merely
  human” identity of Art Long, he stands 5’8" and weighs
  140 pounds. He has straight, sandy brown hair, pale
  blue eyes and average, forgettable looks. He regards
  this form as an annoying but necessary part of his life
  on Earth. In Babylon, he stays in his “Artifex” form. In
  his “Body of Art” he is 6' tall, slim but fit, with shoul-
  der-length, curling blonde hair, silver eyes and the
  impossibly regular good looks of a Pre-Raphaelite an-
  gel. He moves gracefully, like a dancer, always with a
  hint of posing for a photo op.
  Artifex’s costume varies, since it is also his regular
  clothing (or at least his regular clothes for the Babylon
  half of his life). The most stable feature is the fluted
  silver mask that covers the upper half of his face. Next
  comes his flaring greatcoat. This is made of ballistic
  cloth, with no magic enhancement at all—just in case.
  The coat is usually indigo with a black silk lining and a
  high collar, but Artifex can change its color at will. He
  wears this as Art Long, too. As Artifex he also wears
  black gauntlet-style gloves stitched with magic runes
  in silver and gold and carries an ornate golden staff
  topped with a fleur-de-lys. Mask, gloves and staff are
  all enchanted so he can fold them up into bundles small
  enough to fit in pockets inside his greatcoat. All other
  garb changes, but Artifex likes loose, belted tunics and
  trousers tucked into knee-high black boots.
  Artifex
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  20*
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7
  20*
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  18
  13- PER Roll 13-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  20*
  PRE
  8
  13- PRE Attack 4d6
  20*
  COM
  4
  13-
  8*
  PD
  5
  Total: 14 PD/ 6 rPD
  8*
  ED
  3
  Total: 14 ED/ 6 rED
  4*
  SPD
  8
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  6*
  REC
  0
  26*
  END
  6
  35*
  STUN
  8
  * Only in Hero ID (-¼)
  Total Characteristic Cost: 94
  
  280
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 15"/30"
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Level: +1 Levels w/ Ranged
  Combat(5)
  The Great Art of Magic:
  Major Magic: Multipower (63 pt pool), *, Acts
  15- (-¼), -1 Var Lim (-½), All from END
  Reserve (31)
  u - Mage Bolt: 12d6 EB (60/3) [6]
  u - Apparitional Attack: 2½d6 RKA, Var Sp
  FX: Any (+½) (60/3) [6]
  u - Forceful Phantasm: 25 STR TK w/Fine
  Manipulation, ½ END (59/3) [3]
  u - Spellbreaking: 16d6 Dispel, vs. Any Magic
  Effect (+¼) (60/3) [6]
  u - Spellweaving: 2½d6 minor Power
  Transform, Any Small Change to Power
  (can’t change base Power) (+1), Cumulative,
  Activation to 14- (-¼), Side Effect: GM
  Selected -½ Limit on Power (-½) (62/2) [6]
  u - Morphic Mutation: 1½d6 Transform,
  Universal Physical (+1), Cumulative (62/3)
  [6]
  u - Masterful Mirage: Images vs. Detect Magic,
  normal Hearing, All Vision, -8 PER, ½ END
  (61/3) [3]
  u - Memory Search: 12d6 Telepathy, 0 Range,
  Only to Memory (-1), 1 Turn Extra Time
  (-1), Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (60/1) [6]
  u - Talk to Inanimate: Clairsentience: Detect
  Magic/Hearing/All Vision, Retrocognitive,
  +3 All PER, Only on Inanimate Objects (-1),
  0 Range, Concentrate 0 DCV (61/1) [5]
  Minor Magic: Multipower (30 pt pool), *, Acts
  15-, -1 Var Lim (-½), All from END Reserve
  (15)
  u - Mystic Shield: Force Field (9 PD, 9 ED, 9
  MD, 9 PowD), ½ END (30/1) [1]
  u - Magic Wings: 15" Flight, x2 NCM (30/1)
  [1/5"]
  u - EDM: Planes of Art/Earth (30/1) [3]
  u - Healing Hand: 6d6 BODY Aid, Restore
  Only (-½), 1 Turn Extra Time on Others
  (-¼) (30/1) [3]
  Magic Reserves: END Reserve: 80 END, 5
  REC/Turn, * (10)
  Mental Defense: 9 (5)
  Power Defense: 5 (5)
  Crime-Fighting Equipment:
  Kevlar Coat: Armor (6 PD, 6 ED), OIF, Acts 15-
  (10)
  Mask:
  Sense Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory, IAF
  (10)
  IR Vision, IAF (3)
  Phrasebook: Universal Translator 13-, OAF  (10)
  Background Skills:
  Dimensional Navigation 13- (3)
  Streetwise 13- (3)
  AK: Babylon 13- (3)
  PS: Maskmaker 13-  (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Art Magic 13- (2)
  KS: Who’s Who and What’s That 13- (2)
  KS: Other Dimensions 11- (1)
  KS: The Four Zoas 11- (1)
  KS: General Magic 11- (1)
  Babylon Residency Permit (1)
  Library of Babylon Borrower’s Card (1)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 156
  Total Character Cost: 250
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  out of Hero ID if Unconscious, 14- (common)
  (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  ‘Unnatural’ Looks (Hard to Conceal) (10)
  Hunted by:
  Hunted by Ouroboros, 8- (As Pow, NCI) (15)
  Hunted by Agents of Nature, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Arrogant (15)
  Pushy Advocate of Artifice/Dislikes Nature (10)
  Feels Contempt for Authority (10)
  Reputation:
  Annoying Artifice Freak, Makes LOTS of
  Enemies, 8-, Extreme  (10)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/Turn, Areas Consecrate to Nature
  (uncommon) (10)
  1d6 Drain/Turn vs. All Magic, Areas Consecrate
  to Order (uncommon) (10)
  Watched by:
  Lords of Art, 11- (More Pow) (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 250
  *
  *
  *
  Jezeray Illyescu And
  Zontar Bok
  Created by Jeff Skagen
  Jezeray
  Background: Jezeray Illyescu is a genuine psychic. Her
  Gypsy grandparents came from Romania at the start
  of World War Two and assimilated. Jezeray grew up in
  an ordinary American suburb.
  She was not, however, a normal child. As far back as
  Jezeray can remember, she could see colored auras
  around people—auras nobody else could see. And
  while it isn’t strange for children to have imaginary
  playmates, it is a little strange to get help from them in
  class. Once Jezeray figured out that you could tell a
  person’s true emotions from their aura, her social iso-
  lation became complete. Not only did she talk to people
  who weren’t there and look strangely at people who
  were, she was not tactful in reporting what she saw in
  people’s auras.
  Her Gypsy grandmother explained the problem to
  her. Jezeray had the Second Sight; she was psychic and
  other people weren’t. Still, maybe she could make
  money at it, like J. Z. Squire or that Madame Zora who
  sometimes advertised on late night TV, between the
  infomercials. Jezeray was getting the hang of reading
  psychic impressions off objects. Between that and the
  spirit world, how could she lose?
  
  281
  Jezeray’s first attempts to be a psychic fortuneteller
  after school were a dismal flop. Not many people would
  take a teenage psychic seriously. Much of the time,
  people’s questions were not something she could an-
  swer by psychometry or asking around the spirit world.
  When she could—especially when her flashes of pre-
  cognition came—her clients didn’t like what she told
  them.
  Maybe Madame Zora could give her some tips. And
  maybe…just maybe…Madame Zora was a real psy-
  chic too?
  She wasn’t. In fact, Madame Zora was quite amazed
  to meet someone who really had the powers to which
  she pretended. Madame Zora and Jezeray formed a
  partnership. Madame Zora taught Jezeray how to put
  on a good show, tell people what they want to hear
  and keep them coming back. Most clients, she said,
  really just need someone to talk to. Give them a cup of
  tea, a sympathetic ear, and some reassurance and they’ll
  be fine. So what if they think the reassurance comes
  from their dear departed Uncle Fred? In return, Ma-
  dame Zora got a genuine psychic to cover her charla-
  tan butt when a client had a real problem.
  Jezeray and Madame Zora became rather fond of
  each other, but when Jezeray graduated from high
  school it was time to set up shop for herself—which
  she has. Her trailer sees a small but steady trickle of
  clients come for seances and help with minor personal
  problems. Now and then it sees far stranger things as
  well…because of Jezeray’s new partner.
  Some objects carried stronger psychic traces than
  others. Old objects with colorful pasts became a spe-
  cial interest of hers. In a junk shop one day, a green
  glass ball someone had turned into a paperweight
  caught her eye. Its psychic aura was rich and intense,
  almost alive She bought it and scanned it.
  To her astonishment, she found not just a past, but
  a person—a spirit in the glass ball. He called himself
  Zontar Bok and said he was a Warrior-Mage of
  Shamballah. Jezeray received impressions of flashing
  energy bolts, ferocious monsters in sinister temples and
  warriors on horseback thundering over the steppes.
  She had to giggle; it was all straight out of a trashy
  sword-and-sorcery movie. This must be one crazy
  ghost! And yet, her retrocognition had never lied be-
  fore.
  To give him credit, this “Zontar Bok” spun a good
  yarn. He never slipped in his stories; the detail was in-
  credible. What’s more, he never showed any knowl-
  edge of the real world. Maybe he was real. Jezeray had
  never heard of Shamballah, but she’d heard of Atlantis.
  J. Z. Squire channeled an Atlantean priest king called
  Mathra. Maybe she could channel Zontar Bok and
  move into the big money.
  Zontar liked the idea. He’d been a teacher in life, he
  was sure he could give some sage advice. In fact, he’d
  be glad to talk to anyone under any circumstances.
  Jezeray’s attempt to channel him, however, worked
  better than either expected. Zontar found himself in
  the body of a nineteen- year-old girl, an embarrassing
  position for one of his age and dignity. Fortunately for
  Jezeray, Zontar is an honorable fellow. He managed to
  put himself back in the orb and return her body to
  her—although not before raiding the refrigerator and
  having his first meal in 5500 years.
  Jezeray and Zontar still tried to add channeling to
  her routine, but it didn’t work out. Zontar proved too
  blunt and too ignorant of modern life. They found,
  however, that Zontar has lost none of his skill as a wiz-
  ard. They have formed a partnership. Through Zontar,
  Jezeray gets to move in a much higher circle of the
  Occult World, with the super-mages. Through Jezeray,
  Zontar gets to live again and carry on the war against
  the Dragon. They both find the arrangement agree-
  able.
  Quote: “I sense a disturbance in the Force…Eww, this
  Hierophant is one sick puppy.”
  Personality: Jezeray is still rather shy at heart, although
  Madame Zora’s training lets her pretend not to be. Now
  she wants to be taken seriously. Channeling Zontar has
  increased her reputation as a nut in some circles, but
  has opened a new option to her: through him, she can
  become a superhero. She doesn’t mean to let Zontar
  hog all the glory, though. Jezeray hopes she can estab-
  lish herself in the superhero or super-mage commu-
  nity as herself, as a psychic detective. Either way she
  can win approval for herself.
  Powers/Tactics: Jezeray is a powerful psychic, a Wild
  Talent mage. Her greatest power, of course, is her abil-
  ity to channel Zontar Bok, but she can also contact
  spirits and see auras, the past and (to a limited extent)
  the future.
  As yet, Jezeray has no offensive abilities at all. If dan-
  ger threatens, she finds someplace to hide so she can
  channel Zontar. She does, however, have two excellent
  defensive abilities. The first is her precognitive aware-
  ness of danger: very little takes Jezeray by surprise, and
  she unconsciously knows how to be where harm isn’t.
  Jezeray can also become psychically invisible: actually,
  people see her but a low level psychic domination
  makes them ignore her. Of course this only works on
  people in her direct vicinity; it won’t affect security
  cameras, robots or the like. Small and defensive though
  this Power may be, it hints that Jezeray has the poten-
  tial to develop other, more dangerous psychic powers.
  Finally, Jezeray sometimes has precognitive dreams
  warning of future dangers to humanity. (This is the
  Planetary Range with No Conscious Control added to
  the Danger Sense.) Because these are dreams, they are
  symbolic and imprecise, never saying directly what the
  danger will be or where it will happen. They exist to
  give the GM another plot hook.
  Jezeray knows perfectly well that she is an investiga-
  tor, not a fighter, but she resists summoning Zontar
  until absolutely necessary. She doesn’t have to worry
  much about getting hit. Besides, she doesn’t want to
  miss anything: she doesn’t want to come back to her
  body and hear about all the cool stuff that happened
  while Zontar was in charge.
  Appearance: Jezeray is a 19-year-old girl and rather
  pretty in a long-legged, coltish sort of way. Her usual
  
  282
  outfit consists of a bustier, rumpled jacket, shorts, ny-
  lons and low-heel shoes. She wears Zontar’s green crys-
  tal orb on a chain around her neck. She often stands
  close to people and stares intently just off to one side
  of them, inspecting their aura, or looks at spirits no
  one else can see (at least, no one without Astral Aware-
  ness).
  Incidentally, because of her previously poor social
  skills, Jezeray is still a virgin. On the up side, she can
  make friends with unicorns. On the down side, she’s a
  spell component. Now and then evil sorcerers try to
  sacrifice her.
  Notes: Jezeray herself is an example of an occult in-
  vestigator. Her Multiform with Zontar Bok, a magical
  “combat monster,” is an interesting solution to the
  problem of creating a magical character who has both
  effective combat abilities and lots of investigative Pow-
  ers and Skills. The challenge is to play both characters
  fully, instead of treating one as an appendage of the
  other.
  Jezeray
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  18
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 14-
  18
  EGO
  16
  13- ECV: 6
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  14
  COM
  2
  12-
  4
  PD
  2
  Total: 4 PD
  4
  ED
  0
  Total: 4 ED
  4
  SPD
  12
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 80
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +6 Levels w/ DCV, Linked to
  Danger Sense (-½)(20)
  Wild Mage Powers:
  Psychic Powers: Elemental Control (22)
  a - Pull Back the Veil of Time: Clairsentience:
  normal Vision, Past, Future, Can’t See
  Present (-½), 0 Range, initial 1 Turn Extra
  Time (-½), constant Concentrate 0 DCV
  (-1) (60/11) [6]
  b - Spirit Seeking: 6d6 Mind Scan,
  Transdimensional: Lower Astral (+½), Only
  vs. Spirits (-½), 1 Turn Extra Time (-1),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½) (45/8) [4]
  c - Unnoticeability: Invisibility vs. normal
  Hearing/Smell/All Vision, ½ END, Not vs.
  Mechanical Sensors (-½) (44/15) [2]
  d - Sense Coming Threat: Danger Sense 15-,
  Out of combat, Mystical; + Planetary Scale,
  No Conscious Control (-2) [43]
  e - Channeling: Multiform to Zontar Bok (230
  pts), OAF Orb, 1 Phase Extra Time (½),
  Concentrate 0 DCV (-½)(46/16)
  Mind Link x1, Anyone, Any Distance/Dimension,
  initial 1 turn Extra Time (-½), Concentrate 0
  DCV Constant (-1), Only to Astral Spirits
  (-½), Linked to Spirit Seeking (-½) (70
  Mental Defense: 14 (10)
  Astral Awareness (3)
  Sense Aura, Discriminatory (10)
  Enhanced Perception: +2 w/ all PER Rolls (6)
  Bump of Direction  (3)
  Background Skills:
  Acting 12- (3)
  Concealment 13- (3)
  Deduction 13- (3)
  Persuasion 12- (3)
  Sleight of Hand 13- (3)
  Stealth 13- (3)
  Scholar (3)
  KS: Spirits and the Spirit World 13- (2)
  KS: Psychic Phenomena/Manifestations 13- (2)
  KS: Occult Lore 11- (1)
  KS: Local Ghost Stories 11- (1)
  PS: Psychic Advisor 8- (1)
  PS: Library Researcher 11- (2)
   Total Powers & Skills Cost: 170
  Total Character Cost: 250
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Distinctive Features:
  Strong Psychic Aura (Few Detect) (5)
  Odd Behavior (Noticed) (5)
  Hunted by:
  Hunted 8- by Ouroboros (More Pow) (15)
  Hunted 8- by Hierophant (As Pow) (10)
  Magic Restriction:  Only Psychic Powers (15)
  Money: Poor (5)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Nearsighted, needs glasses (5)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Avoids All Combat (15)
  Hungry for Approval (15)
  Seeks Psychic & Occult Knowledge (10)
  Nosy (10)
  Public Identity (10)
  Reputation:
  Amazing Psychic/Complete Nutcase Fraud
  (depends who you ask), 8- (5)
  Vulnerability:
  x1½ Effect, Mental Powers While in Trance (5)
  Watched by:
  Police Bunco Squads (Less Pow, NCI, x½) (5)
  Villain Bonus (334)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 250
  Zontar Bok
  Background: Zontar Bok’s career in life was pretty
  normal for a warrior-mage of lost Shamballah. At that
  time, Shamballah had existed for nearly 200 years.
  Zontar was born and raised in what is now Mongolia
  and spent his boyhood years herding sheep and yaks,
  learning horsemanship and other nomad skills. While
  still a teenager he survived a few battles against raiders
  from Agharti. When he was seventeen he decided to
  seek his fortune in a colony town. His wits and dili-
  gence brought him to the attention of a wizard, who
  
  283
  took him as an apprentice. Zontar eventually proved
  worthy of advanced training by the Nagas themselves.
  Zontar served Shamballah and the Nagas as a war-
  rior-mage for many years, fighting in dozens of battles
  against Agharti. Eventually he retired from field duty
  to teach new students while improving his own un-
  derstanding of magic, and in time he died.
  Unlike the other wizards of Shamballah, however,
  death was not the end of Zontar Bok’s story. Some-
  how, the crystal orb from the top of his wizard’s staff
  survived the millennia. By devious routes it came to
  America, where it was found by a young psychic,
  Jezeray Illyescu. Jezeray noticed the orb’s powerful psy-
  chic aura. When she tried “reading” its aura to discover
  the orb’s past, she contacted the soul of Zontar Bok.
  Now Zontar lives again, if only for short periods in a
  borrowed body, and continues fighting the good fight
  against the evil minions of the Dragon.
  Quote: “Yes, it is an honor to meet me.”
  Personality: Back in Shamballah, Zontar Bok was a
  Very Important Person, and he still expects to be
  treated that way. After all, he was one of the favored
  disciples of the godlike Nagas. He automatically as-
  sumes that other people, even other mages, will defer
  to his judgment. If it weren’t for his fierce devotion to
  fighting the Dragon, he’d be insufferable.
  Zontar does not enjoy occupying the body of a young
  woman. It’s…undignified. Showing his embarrass-
  ment, however, would be even more undignified, so
  he acts as if everything were normal.
  Zontar feels an avuncular regard for Jezeray and
  chides her when she puts herself in danger. He tries to
  take care of her body when he’s occupying it, but there’s
  only so much he can do, even with the Restorations of
  the Ragnar. More than once, Jezeray has returned to
  her body to find it bruised and aching, or in the grip
  of a hangover. Zontar considers modern beer greatly
  superior to what they had back in Shamballah, and
  sometimes he overindulges.
  Powers/Tactics: Zontar Bok knows a wide range of
  combat spells. As long as he has his orb, he can keep
  firing off spells for a very long time indeed. If he has
  time to raise his two defensive spells, he becomes nearly
  indestructible by normal means.
  As a warrior mage, Zontar Bok never learned any
  magic that wasn’t useful in combat: even his magic-
  detection spell was to help in locating Aghartan forces.
  In his retirement, however, he started studying funda-
  mental magic theory and thereby gained a small Power
  Pool. Through this he can create nearly any effect he
  wants—as long as it has no more than 10 Active Points.
  Zontar’s strategy in a fight is to hide until he can get
  his defenses up. Then he charges in and blasts away. If
  he has comrades, he tries for a surprise attack by
  teleporting them into the middle of the enemy group.
  He’s a good team player. Zontar’s code of honor deals
  strictly with keeping his word and loyalty to his com-
  rades: in a general melee, or against minions of the
  Dragon, he sees no dishonor in striking from behind.
  Appearance: At the time of his death, Zontar Bok was
  an elderly Mongolian man; people with psychic senses
  will see an image of this Zontar Bok overlaid on Jezeray
  when he possesses her body. If he occupies her body
  for very long and he has the time, he Instant Changes
  her clothing (through the Power Pool) to a copy of the
  boots, trousers, caftan and fringed, sleeveless jacket that
  were his usual garb in life. Zontar’s orb is a 2" sphere
  of green crystal; once it surmounted his staff, but now
  Jezeray and Zontar wear it as a pendant on a necklace.
  Notes: Zontar Bok is a Thaumaturge. As a tactical ex-
  ercise, he is unusual chiefly for his complete focus on
  combat and complete reliance on Gestures. Still, even
  a 10 point Power Pool can be useful to create special
  sense modes and unusual defenses.
  Some GMs may well balk at allowing characters to
  get such high defenses, albeit temporary ones, for two
  piddling Multipower slots. What can I say, I felt gener-
  ous that day. On the other hand, notice that there is
  virtually nothing underneath those two magic shields:
  physically, Zontar is no tougher than a VIPER agent.
  What’s more, it takes two Phases for Zontar to put those
  defenses up. In an ambush, that can be a real problem.
  Zontar Bok
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  10
  STR
  0
  11- 100 kg; 2d6 [1]
  18
  DEX
  24
  13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
  18
  CON
  16
  13-
  10
  BODY
  0
  11-
  18
  INT
  8
  13- PER Roll 14-
  20
  EGO
  10
  13- ECV: 7
  15
  PRE
  5
  12- PRE Attack 3d6
  14
  COM
  2
  12-
  4
  PD
  2
  Total: 4+ PD
  4
  ED
  0
  Total: 4+ ED
  4
  SPD
  12
  Pha 3, 6, 9, 12
  6
  REC
  0
  36
  END
  0
  24
  STUN
  0
  Total Characteristic Cost: 89
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Flight: 15"/120"
  Teleport: 10"/320"
  Powers & Skills:
  Thaumaturgy:
  Thaumaturgy Multipower (62 pt pool),
  Gestures, -1 Var Lim: OAF Orb/1 phase Extra
  Time, Concentrate ½ DCV, Activation 15-
  (-½) (35)
  u - Cerulean Spear: 5d6 Ego Attack, ½ END
  (62/3) [3]
  u - Cerulean Spray: 4d6 Ego Attack,
  Nonselective 1 Hex AE (+¼), ½ END (60/3)
  [3]
  u - Sorcerer’s Star: 12d6 EB (60/3) [6]
  u - Sorcerer’s Star: 5d6 AVLD: Power Defense
  (+1½)  (62/3) [6]
  u - Hypnotic Helix: 12d6 Mind Control (60/3)
  [6]
  u - Fuzonic Flame: 4d6 RKA (60/3) [6]
  u - Fuzonic Flame: 1½d6 RKA, Penetrating,
  Continuous  (62/3) [6]
  u - Scintillant Sun of Saravane: 2d6 Flash vs.
  Vision, BOECV, 8" Cone AE (+1) (60/3) [6]
  
  284
  u - Spectral Sphere: 4d6 Entangle, Backlash
  (+½) (60/3) [6]
  u - Tendrils of Tarlac: 18 STR TK, Selective 3"
  Radius AE (+1 ¼)  (61/3) [6]
  u - Runes of Raladon: 8d6 Suppress, vs. Any
  Phys Char (+¼), ½ END (60/3) [3]
  u - Runes of Raladon: 3d6 Drain, vs. Any Phys
  Char (+¼), Recover 1 pt/turn (+¼), Ranged
  (60/3) [6]
  u - Darwilt’s Dweomer Disruption: 16d6
  Dispel, vs. Any 1 Magic Effect (+¼) (60/3)
  [6]
  u - Reflections of the Ragnar: Missile
  Reflection +10 vs. Any Magic (60/3)
  u - Spengler’s Spectacular Shield: Force Field
  (12 PD, 12 ED, 10 MD, 10 PowD),
  Uncontrolled, ½ END  (59/3) [3]
  u - Resilient Raiment of the Ragnar: Armor
  (13 PD, 13 ED), Uncontrolled, Activation
  15- (-¼) Activation may be lower
  depending on coverage of current clothing
  (-¼), Costs 6 END/Turn (-¼)  (58/2) [6]
  u - Spectral Steed: 15" Flight, Uncontrolled, ½
  END, x8 NCM  (62/3) [1/5"]
  u - Telgar’s Transposition: 10" Teleport, x32
  NCM, x4 Mass, 1 Floating Pt (60/3) [1/5"]
  u - Restoration of the Ragnar: 4d6 Aid, vs. All
  Chars (+2), Restore Only (-½) (60/3) [6]
  u - Darwilt’s Dweomer Detection: Sense
  Magic, Ranged, Discriminatory, +8
  Telescopic  (27/1)
  Thaumaturgy Power Pool (10 pt pool), Gestures,
  Requires Spell Research Roll (-½), 1 turn
  Extra Time (-1), 30 pt Side Effect: GM’s Choice
  (-½), -1 Var Lim: OAF Orb/Concentrate 0
  DCV, Acts 14- (-½) (12)
  Magesight: IR Vision
  Magic Reserves: END Reserve: 100 END, 11
  RC/turn, -1 Var Lim: OAF Orb/REC is per 5
  minutes (-½) (17)
  Extreme Self-Confidence: +5 PRE, Defensive
  Only (-1) (2)
  Background Skills:
  Spell Research 13- (5)
  KS: Thaumaturgy 13- (4)
  KS: Nagas 12- (3)
  PS: Warrior-Mage 8- (1)
  Trans Fam: Horses (replacement Everyman skill)
  (0)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 141
  Total Character Cost: 230
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  o Jezeray when Asleep/Unconscious, 14- (20)
  Distinctive Features:
  Loud, Pompous (Easily Concealed) (5)
  Hunted by:
  Minions of the Dragon, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Hierophant, 8- (As Pow) (10)
  Magic Restriction:  Only Thaumaturgy (10)
  Normal Characteristic Maxima (20)
  Physical Limitation:
  Unfamiliar with Modern World (10)
  Nearsighted, Needs Glasses (5)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Won’t Break Word (15)
  Overconfident (15)
  Arrogant and Overbearing (10)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 230
  Morningstar
  Created by Dean Shomshak
  Background: Virgil Keats Rohan has two fathers. One
  is an accountant with a taste for classic literature. The
  other is the demon lord Belial. This has complicated
  Virgil’s life.
  Belial sired Virgil 24 years ago, with the help of a
  Satanist sorcerer. The sorcerer intended to incarnate
  Belial on Earth: the sorcerer thought that if Belial pos-
  sessed his own, half-human child he could wield his
  full power on Earth without having to worry about
  either dispelling or a rebellious and fragile host. Of
  course, binding spells on the child would make sure
  that Belial wielded his vast power to the sorcerer’s ben-
  efit.
  The sorcerer chose Virgil’s mother according to oc-
  cult criteria. She was hypnotized so she would not re-
  member the supernatural rape. The sorcerer planned
  to donate the human side of the impregnation him-
  self. While he attempted to consummate his part, how-
  ever, the police burst in and rescued Virgil’s mother. It
  all made the papers, but nobody but the sorcerer him-
  self knew this was more than just a case of kidnapping
  and rape by a Satanist pervert.
  Several months later, Virgil’s mother married the
  safest, most non-threatening man she could find. The
  year after that, she gave birth to Virgil. Neither she,
  nor Virgil’s father, nor Virgil himself had any clue that
  he wasn’t entirely human.
  Virgil had a turbulent but mostly happy adolescence.
  He had even less emotional self-control than usual for
  teenage boys, but he had a core of decency that tem-
  pered his mercurial passions. For instance, he was more
  likely to put up his fists for someone else’s benefit than
  his own. Fortunately, Virgil could let go of an emotion
  as easily as he picked it up.
  Virgil became an excellent student and athlete. Tae
  kwon do became his favorite sport: it calmed his mind
  while it exercised his body. Virgil’s not sure what made
  him decide to become a biologist.
  
  285
  When Virgil was 22, however, the sorcerer returned.
  The sorcerer meant to regain Belial’s favor by captur-
  ing Virgil and presenting him to the demon lord—
  whether as son or sacrifice would be up to Belial!
  The sorcerer activated Virgil’s latent demonic pow-
  ers and recounted the true circumstances behind
  Virgil’s conception. Virgil’s human nature, however,
  remained dominant despite his demonic form. Virgil
  repudiated Belial and, in his struggle with the sorcerer,
  broke the pentacle holding the demon lord. Belial
  grabbed the sorcerer and sent him down to Hell: Belial
  has little patience for failures. Before departing him-
  self, however, Belial promised that someday Virgil
  would serve his demonic sire, whether he wanted to
  or not.
  Virgil hasn’t told his parents about any of this: he’s
  sure his mother would flip, and his father wouldn’t be
  any help in any case. So far, his only confidante is his
  brother Horace. Keeping secrets goes against his na-
  ture, but then he’s never had this big a secret to keep.
  Quote: “Yeah, I’m a demon…well, half demon. But
  aren’t you forgetting something? Demons are supposed
  to punish people like you.”
  Personality: Virgil himself hasn’t yet decided what to
  make of his occult parentage. His powers and satyrlike
  alternate form don’t bother him as such; in fact, he
  thinks they’re kind of cool. What bothers him is what
  they mean. His attitude toward all religion wavered
  between boredom and disgust (the latter because he
  always got sick when his mother dragged him into
  church). Learning that he’s half the son of a real live
  demon is a bit much for a lifelong materialist to take.
  He’s trying to learn more about demons and the su-
  pernatural, more than half in hopes of fitting it all into
  some rational framework. He can’t believe that he him-
  self is automatically damned just because he’s half de-
  mon. Learning his true parentage, however, has sharp-
  ened his moral concerns. That played a large part in
  his decision to act as a part-time superhero while he
  finishes college.
  Along the way, Morningstar is trying to make con-
  tacts in the Magical World. Belial’s agents don’t leave
  him alone for long. He knows that eventually he will
  have to fight his demonic father directly, and when that
  happens he wants to have all the power and allies that
  he can.
  Virgil also still wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s a
  rotten poker player: he can’t bluff, or hide when he has
  a good hand. He’s easily roused to aggressive emotions
  such as anger, love or protectiveness (effectively, PRE
  attacks based on such emotions are always 1 level
  higher on the PRE Attack chart than rolled). Fear and
  suchlike “restraining” emotions, however, have less
  power over him. They go against his extroverted na-
  ture. The pain of taking BODY damage, though, can
  send him into demonic fury.
  Powers/Tactics: Morningstar has low-level superhu-
  man strength (in the 3-4 tons range), invulnerability
  (his skin easily resists small arms fire) and borderline
  superhuman reflexes. He can jump 70' forward or 30'
  up. He also commands the burning light of his de-
  monic father, but so far he’s only figured out 7 specific
  applications. Morningstar prefers to stay well back
  from opponents when he uses his ranged attacks and
  use tae kwon do and his Force Field for infighting. The
  flaming sword is reserved for occasions when he needs
  to do a lot of damage quickly. With practice and expe-
  rience, he may learn how to generate attacks of some
  sort while keeping his aura of flaming force up. He
  can sense the presence of demonic forces, if they are
  very close to him. To assume his demi-demon form he
  has to say or at least think the word “Morningstar”;
  his clothes transform but the process takes several sec-
  onds, so it isn’t an Instant Change.
  Virgil only has two physical disadvantages. First,
  Judeo-Christian symbols and consecrated ground
  cause him nausea and pain. Second, the presence of
  demons or Satanic magic can make him involuntarily
  change into his demi-demonic form. (Fortunately,
  when he feels the change starting he has a Phase in
  which to get out of sight of onlookers.)
  Description: Virgil is blond-haired and blue-eyed,
  quite good looking, with a light but athletic build. (He
  doesn’t look “pumped.”) As Morningstar he gains
  golden-furred, goatlike legs and tail, horns, pointed
  ears and a considerably more powerful build. His cos-
  tume resembles golden wrestler’s tights, but with flar-
  ing shoulders, a high collar and flamboyant curves
  along the chest and collar.
  Notes: Morningstar is a straightforward superhero
  given an occult spin. He could provide a magical con-
  nection to a normal superhero team, or provide physi-
  cal force for a team of magical characters. He can be
  used as a model either for spirit hybrid or mythologi-
  cal god PCs.
  Morningstar
  Val
  CHA
  Cost
  Roll Notes
  30*
  STR
  16
  15- 1600 kg; 6d6 [3]
  23*
  DEX
  3‘
  14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8
  25*
  CON
  14
  14-
  12
  BODY
  4
  12-
  13
  INT
  3
  12- PER Roll 12-
  14
  EGO
  8
  12- ECV: 5
  25*
  PRE
  12
  14- PRE Attack 5½d6
  14
  COM
  2
  12-
  20*
  PD
  11
  Total: 20 PD/ 10 rPD
  20*
  ED
  12
  Total: 20 ED/ 10 rED
  5*
  SPD
  14
  Pha 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
  10*
  REC
  2
  50*
  END
  0
  40*
  STUN
  0
  *Only in Hero ID (-¼)
  Total Characteristic Cost: 135
  Movement:
  Running: 6”/12”
  Superleap: 11"/22"
  
  286
  Powers & Skills:
  Combat Skills:
  Combat Skill Levels: +2 Levels w/ Tae Kwon Do
  (6)
  Martial Arts—Tae Kwon Do (16)
  Maneuver
  OCV
  DCV
  Notes
  Arm Block
  +2
  +2
  Block, Abort
  Front Kick
  +0
  +2
  8d6 Strike
  Roundhouse Kick
  -2
  +1
  10d6 Strike
  Takedown
  +1
  +1
  8d6 Strike;
  Target Falls
  Demon Hertiage:
  The Burning Light of Belial: Multipower (62 pt
  pool), *, initial Gestures (-¼), Side Effect: 3d6
  Drain vs. Any Slot that’s Aborted, Dispelled or
  Reflected Back (-¼) (35)
  u - Blinding Bolt: 5d6 Flash, ½ END  (62/3)
  [3]
  u - Blinding Burst: 3d6 Flash, 3" Radius AE
  (+1) (60/3)6
  u - Blazing Bolt: 5d6 EB, AVLD: Flash Defense
  vs. Vision (+1½)  (62/3) [6]
  u - Burning Bolt: 2 ½d6 RKA, AP (60/3) [6]
  u - Burning Sword: 2d6+1 HKA, AP, ½ END
  (61/3) [3+]
  u - Blazing Shield: Force Field (10 PD, 10 ED,
  10 PowD), ½ END (31/2) [1]
  u - Dramatic Pyrotechnic Effects: +30 PRE,
  Offensive Only (-½) (30/1)
  Burning Fists: +3d6 HA, *, Only with Force Field
  Up (-½) (5) [+1]
  Tough Skin: Damage Resistance (10 PD, 10 ED)
  * (8)
  Flash Defense, Sight: 5* (4)
  Power Defense: 5 (5 pts)
  Leaping: +5" Superleap [11" total] * (4) [1/5"]
  Sense Demonic Forces 12- (5)
  Background Skills:
  Breakfall 14- (3)
  KS: Tae Kwon Do 11- (2)
  KS: Demonology 11- (2)
  KS: English Literature (0)
  SC: Biology 11- (2)
  Total Powers & Skills Cost: 115
  Total Character Cost: 250
  Disadvantages: 100+
  Accidental Change:
  to Hero ID in Presence of Demon Magic, 11-
  (15)
  DNPC:
  Brother Horace, 8- (Normal) (10)
  Distinctive Features:
  Satyr (Hard to Conceal, Noticed) (10)
  Demonic Aura (Few Detect, Strong Reaction)
  (10)
  Enraged:
  When Take BODY (common), 11-, 11- (x½) (10)
  Hunted by:
  Agents of Belial. 11- (As Pow) (15)
  Psychological Limitation:
  Showoff (15)
  Strong Sense of Duty (15)
  Seeks Knowledge of Supernatural (10)
  Very Emotional (10)
  Secret Identity (15)
  Susceptibility:
  1d6 STUN/turn, Contact w/Holy
  Symbol/Ground (15)
  Total Disadvantage Points: 250
  More Historical
  Mages
  Bacon, Roger
  (1214-1294): This English Franciscan friar,
  philosopher and scientist is generally credited
  as the first European to make and describe
  gunpowder. In his writings, Bacon did not deny
  the possibility that magic might be real, but
  he considered it weak and unreliable compared
  to natural science. Despite his skepticism, Ba-
  con was later mythologized as a great wizard.
  Through his secret science he could create il-
  lusions, summon spirits, instantly transport
  people hundreds of miles, build a bridge of
  “solid air” across the English channel and wit-
  ness events far away. He once made an oracu-
  lar head of brass, but a careless assistant spoiled
  the experiment and the head exploded. After
  a well-meant use of his far-seeing device for a
  student led to tragedy, Bacon renounced magic
  and lived his last years in a monastic cell built
  into the wall of a church. When he died, he
  was buried there. Admiring contemporaries
  called Bacon Doctor Mirabilis—the Miraculous
  Doctor.
  Cagliostro, Count Alessandro
  (1745-1795): In the 18th century, occult pre-
  tensions were simply part of the act for rogu-
  ish courtier adventurers, but Cagliostro out-
  did them all. In his years of promoting Egyp-
  tian Rite Freemasonry, he gave vast amounts
  of money to the poor despite no visible in-
  come; but then, it was claimed that he could
  make diamonds by alchemy. He also evoked
  the spirits of Voltaire and other famous men
  at a banquet, healed thousands by the laying
  on of hands—and charmed the socks off Eu-
  ropean high society. Then a jealous rival pro-
  duced a sleazy journalist and part-time black-
  mailer who claimed that Count Cagliostro was
  really Giuseppe Balsamo, a cheap thug from
  Sicily. Cagliostro could not refute the claims.
  His brilliant career ended in disgrace and he
  died a prisoner of the Inquisition.
  Nostradamus
  (1503-1566): Pseudonym of Michel de
  Notre Dame, a physician and astrologer who
  became Europe’s most famous seer. He pro-
  duced a series of four-line poems whose re-
  markably opaque imagery is supposed to con-
  tain prophecies of world events far into the
  future, including the End of the World.
  
  287
  Appendices
  Glossary
  Many obscure terms have been used in this work.
  Some are taken from real occultism; others were coined
  by the author. While most have been defined at some
  point in the text, here is a quick for the reader.
  ABYSS: The barrier between the Briah planes of Spirit
  and the Atziluth planes of ultimate reality. The Abyss
  annihilates anyone who has not overcome desire
  and balanced all the aspects of their own soul.
  ADAM KADMON: The “Primal Man” of Kabbalism,
  representing the sum of all things, or God made
  manifest. Western sorcerers use Adam Kadmon to
  represent the totality of undivided existence in
  Kether. Other traditions call this Avatar of Every-
  thing the Source, the Absolute, Brahman, the Tao
  or Albion.
  AMULET: A magical object intended to protect its
  owner from harm. Amulets take many forms, but
  most can be worn.
  ANGEL: The spirits who serve God in the Judeo Chris-
  tian Islamic religious complex. Officially angels are
  all good, but there are angels responsible for death
  and destruction. The Bible even describes God as
  sending “lying angels” to deliver false prophecies.
  Other religions, such as Hinduism and Zoroastri-
  anism, also include spirits pretty much the same as
  angels.
  ASSIAH: The “Material World,” the division of the
  Multiverse holding universes that run by systems
  of natural law and not by magic (even if magic is
  used by the universe’s inhabitants). The Earth’s
  universe is an Assiatic Plane.
  ASTRAL BODY: An invisible, intangible “spirit body”
  which a mage can detach from their physical body
  and use as a vehicle for their consciousness. Astral
  bodies travel at near infinite speed and are virtu-
  ally undetectable and unstoppable, except by magic,
  but they cannot affect the physical world. Accord-
  ing to occult lore, astral bodies are made of ECTO-
  PLASM, everyone has one and people routinely
  wander in their astral bodies when they dream. As-
  tral and physical bodies are connected by a silver
  cord that only breaks at the physical body’s death.
  Souls may hang around in their astral bodies after
  the physical body’s death as a ghost. Eventually the
  soul sheds the astral body, which either evaporates
  or becomes a mindless haunt.
  ASTRAL MAGIC: Another name for Ritual Magic.
  ASTRAL PLANE: A dimension made, so occultists
  claim, either of a kind of matter more “subtle” and
  “finely divided” than normal matter, or else of pure
  thought. People who know how can use the Astral
  Plane to reach other dimensions. Dreams happen
  on the Astral Plane, whose substance is extremely
  susceptible to influence by thought. The Astral Plane
  has three layers, the Lower, Middle and Upper As-
  tral Planes. The Middle Astral Plane is also called
  the Void. The Upper Astral Plane is the VEIL OF
  THE TEMPLE.
  ASTROLOGY: The doctrine that the arrangement of
  the Sun, Moon and planets in the signs of the Zo-
  diac can influence events on Earth. Astrology is one
  of the chief sources of Western Mainstream Occult-
  ism and Hermetic Theurgy.
  ATAVISM: Spirits associated with raw emotion and
  unconscious drives, often imagined in totem like
  animal forms. Hideous, twisted atavisms can be
  created by pain, violence, hate and fear. Black ma-
  gicians may deliberately create such atavisms and
  use them to attack their enemies.
  ATZILUTH: The “Archetypal World.” There are only
  three Atziluthic Planes: the Dark Sea of Power which
  sustains all existence, the Bright Sea of Forms which
  supplies all concepts and patterns of form and sub-
  stance, and the Primum Mobile of total, undivided
  existence. Access to the Atziluthic Planes is blocked
  by the Abyss.
  BINAH: “Understanding.” Third station on the
  Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Mages call Binah’s dimen-
  sion the Dark Sea of Being, the reservoir of raw
  energy from which the Multiverse is made.
  BLOOD TIDE: The astral dimension created by ani-
  mal consciousness. The Blood Tide is difficult to
  locate and enter. It is dangerous and quite alien.
  Fortunately, there is little contact between the Blood
  Tide and the human astral realms.
  BRIAH: The “Mental World” of purely spiritual dimen-
  sions, where the symbolic “true gods” of the
  Multiverse dwell. Access to the Brialic Planes is
  blocked by the Veil of the Temple.
  CHESED: “Mercy.” Fourth station on the Tree of Life.
  It holds the quadripartite dimension of the Four
  Zoas.
  CHOKMAH: “Wisdom.” Second station on the Tree
  of Life. In the Kabbalistic model of the Multiverse,
  it receives the Bright Sea of Forms, a dimension
  made of the pure archetypes of all existence.
  CYST: A “pocket” in the Astral Plane, a tiny, self con-
  tained environment. Cysts can be made as a side
  effect of powerful magic, by human madness or for
  no reason at all. Once entered, cysts are hard to leave.
  They are often quite nightmarish.
  DEMON: Generally, any evil spirit. Specifically, the evil
  spirits associated with the Judeo Christian Islamic
  religious complex. Also called “Devils.”
  DIMENSION: Actually, a “dimension” is just some
  quantity that can be measured, such as length, du-
  ration, temperature or Gross National Product.
  Thanks to generations of comic books and occult-
  ists who thought that ghosts operated in “the Fourth
  
  288
  Dimension,” the term is also used for other uni-
  verses. Also called a Cosmos, World or Plane.
  ECTOPLASM: A form of spiritualized matter or ma-
  terialized spirit, more “finely divided” than regular
  matter. Ghosts, astral bodies and demons, among
  other things, are made of ectoplasm.
  ELEMENTAL: A spirit embodying a state of matter or
  natural condition, such as fire elementals, earth
  elementals, lightning elementals, and so on. Con-
  fusingly, some occultists use “elemental” to mean a
  spirit created by strong emotion, pain or violence.
  (in this work, such spirits are called ATAVISMS.)
  Styles of magic based on a particular kind of mat-
  ter or energy, such as earth magic, air magic and
  light magic, are often called “elemental” styles.
  GRIMOIRE: A book that gives instructions for spells.
  Hardly any of the real grimoires were written by
  their claimed authors.
  HIGH MAGIC: Magic that harnesses truly cosmic en-
  ergies through pure force of will (perhaps with the
  cooperation of various dimension lords).
  HOD: “Splendor.” Eighth station on the Tree of Life. It
  receives the dimensions that work by magic but are
  not bound to a dimension lord.
  IMAGINAL REALMS: The dimensions created by
  thought out of the Lower Astral Plane. The chief
  Imaginal Realms are the Parterres and the
  Dreamzone. Small but distinct astral settings such
  as Puerto Muerto or CYSTS are Imaginal Realms,
  too. So are the realms created by nonhuman con-
  sciousness, the Blood Tide, Yggdrasil and the
  Silverbright. Sometimes the Lower Astral Plane in
  general is included as an Imaginal Realm. The
  Imaginal Realms are also called the INNER
  PLANES.
  INNER PLANES: The dimensions associated with the
  Earth. These are the Lower Astral Plane, the Par-
  terres of the Quaternion and the realms of nonhu-
  man consciousness. Also called the IMAGINAL
  REALMS.
  KABBALISM: Jewish mysticism combining esoteric
  theology and cosmology with magical beliefs about
  numbers, letters, words and spirits. It is one of the
  chief sources of Western Mainstream occultism and
  Hermetic Theurgy. Also spelled “Cabalism” or
  “Qabalism,” depending on how popular or preten-
  tious the writer is.
  KETHER: “Crown.” First and topmost station on the
  Tree of Life. It represents the ultimate unity of all
  things.
  LYCANTHROPE: A werewolf. People who change into
  other animal forms are THERIANTHROPES.
  MALKUTH: “The Kingdom.” Tenth and lowest station
  on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Mages assign to
  Malkuth the dimensions bearing Earth-like worlds.
  MANCY: A suffix indicating a fortune telling method;
  thus, geomancy (telling fortunes through a hand-
  ful of dirt) or pyromancy (throwing symbolic ob-
  jects into a fire and seeing which ones burn first).
  By extension, mancy is used in the names of magic
  specialties, such as “necromancy” for magic of death
  and the dead, or pyromancy for any magic dealing
  with fire, not just fortune-telling. (The proper suf-
  fix should be turgy or urgy, “working,” but nobody’s
  likely to change at this point.)
  NATURAL MAGIC: Magic that relies upon the magi-
  cal energies and properties of plants, animals, min-
  erals and other sorts of matter.
  NECROMANCY: Magic of the dead. Originally it
  meant summoning spirits of the dead to ask them
  questions. Since most traditions held that calling
  up a ghost required exhuming the body and doing
  disrespectful things to it, necromancy came to in-
  clude magic to make zombies, death spells and other
  abominations. Necromancy in the old sense is still
  practiced, though: it is called “Channeling.”
  NETZACH: “Victory.” Seventh station on the Tree of
  Life. Mages give it “the Dominions,” the dimensions
  bound to and ruled by mighty spirits (dimension
  lords).
  OUTER PLANES: The material (but magical) dimen-
  sions of Yetzirah, which exist independently of
  Earth.
  PACHAD: “Justice.” Fifth station on the Tree of Life. It
  receives certain Brialic dimensions, most notably
  those particularly considered to test the character
  of visitors.
  PARTERRE: The astral dimensions which are, to some
  degree, extensions of the Earth. Usually the term is
  limited to the dimensions of the QUATERNION:
  the Land of Legends, the Netherworld, Babylon and
  Elysium.
  PLANE: A universe, cosmos or dimension.
  PRINCES OF THE UNIVERSE: Powerful spiritual
  entities of the Brialic Planes. They personify arche-
  typal concepts. In the field of action which thay
  symbolize, they are unstoppable. Also called “Ava-
  tars.”
  QUATERNION: The four main IMAGINAL REALMS
  of Earth: Babylon, Elysium, Faerie and The
  Netherworld. Sometimes the Earth itself is included,
  as the Quaternion’s hub.
  QUEMETIEL: The last, degenerate stage of existence
  before complete nonentity. It is a mindless, chaotic
  fusion of long defunct gods and spirits at the “bot-
  tom” of the Qliphothic Planes.
  QLIPHOTH, QLIPHOTHIC: Hebrew, “Shells” or
  “Husks.” Referring to dimensions of negative en-
  ergy and the associated forces and beings.
  Qliphothic entities and energies dissolve and de-
  grade the substance and magic of normal, positive
  energy universes.
  RITUAL MAGIC: Magic that uses complex rituals to
  command spirits or to augment the magician’s own
  
  289
  spirit to give it magical powers. Also called Astral
  Magic or Spirit Magic.
  SANCTUM SANCTORUM: Latin, “Holy of Holies.”
  A wizard’s Headquarters so called because of its
  inaccessibility by ordinary folk.
  SEPHIROTH: Hebrew, “Emanations.” The stations on
  the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, each one representing
  an attribute of divine power. Mages use the
  Sephiroth to catalog dimensions.
  SILVERBRIGHT: An astral realm of “machine con-
  sciousness” proposed by technomancers. So far
  there is no direct proof of its existence. Some mages
  call it “The Grey.”
  SOLIPSIST: The Avatar of Unbeing, personification of
  nonexistence. It seeks to annihilate all existence.
  SPIRIT MAGIC: Another name for Ritual Magic.
  TALISMAN: An object which confers some magical
  power on its owner or user usually an “active” power
  such as good luck, wealth or control of a spirit, to
  distinguish talismans from “passive” protective
  AMULETS.
  THAUMATURGY: Greek, “Wonder Working.” In gen-
  eral, magic treated as a way to affect the physical
  world for practical goals. More specifically, the
  quick, combat oriented style of High Magic most
  often seen in comic books. Thaumaturgy is char-
  acterized by gesturing, invocations to various di-
  mension lords and simple luminous forms as the
  Special Effect of spells.
  THERIANTHROPE: This is the general term for a
  curse that turns a human into a ravening animal or
  beast man. “Lycanthropy” only refers to wolf men.
  In folklore around the world, people also turn into
  many other sorts of animals, such as hyenas, foxes,
  tigers, leopards, bears, snakes and sharks.
  THEURGY: Greek, “God Working.” Classically, magic
  devoted to religious ends such as prophetic visions.
  More generally, Theurgy includes all magic which
  deals with spirits and the soul, such as astral travel
  and getting magic power from spirits. In this work,
  the modern synthesis of Classical Theurgy,
  Kabbalism, Medieval demonology and diverse
  forms of mind and spirit magic is called Hermetic
  Theurgy.
  TIPHERETH: “Beauty.” Sixth station on the Tree of
  Life. Mages assign the Veil of the Temple and vari-
  ous other planes of Briah to Tiphereth.
  TREE OF LIFE: A Kabbalistic icon, showing the ten
  “emanations” of god from the primal, unmanifest
  Godhead to the material world. It is the chief “fil-
  ing system” for symbols in Western Mainstream
  Occultism. It is also used in this work as a “map” of
  the Multiverse.
  TULPA: A synthetic person magically created out of
  pure thought. According to Tibetan occultism,
  someone skilled in the proper meditations can cre-
  ate a person just by imagining that person very
  strongly for a long time. Tulpa creation is one of
  the most advanced of magical arts.
  UPPER PLANES: The dimensions of Briah, where the
  really cosmic spirits hang out.
  VEIL OF THE TEMPLE: The upper level of the Astral
  Plane which both gives and blocks access to the
  planes of Briah. The Veil of the Temple tends to
  externalize the desires, fears and expectations of
  visitors.
  WITCHCRAFT: This term has several meanings, de-
  pending on who you talk to. The most important
  are: 1) A mixture of traditional herb lore, midwifery
  and simple folk charms, used by both rural and
  urban lower class folk around the world. 2)
  Satanism. According to the witch hunting church-
  men and civic authorities of Renaissance Europe,
  the Devil gave his worshippers magical powers with
  which to work evil. 3) An innate magical power to
  cause harm to others, perhaps without knowing it;
  sometimes called “the Evil Eye.” This form of “witch-
  craft” is known to and feared by every folk culture
  in the world. 4) A vulgar name for Wicca and its
  offshoots: neo pagan cults inspired (sometimes very
  loosely) by fragments of ancient pagan lore. Many
  adherents of the “witch religions” now admit they
  are inventing a new religion based on old ideas, not
  literally reviving an old one. (The “scholarship” sup-
  porting claims for a unified “Old Religion” of Earth
  Goddess worship pervading Europe has been dis-
  credited.)
  WORLD: This word can have several meanings: 1) A
  planet within a universe or dimension. 2) A whole
  small dimension which is mostly one habitable area,
  with no “outer space.” 3) A major division of the
  Multiverse, holding dimensions of a certain type.
  The “Four Worlds” are ASSIAH, YETZIRAH,
  BRIAH and ATZILUTH.
  YESOD: “Foundation.” Ninth station on the Tree of
  Life. Mages file the Lower and Middle Astral Plane,
  the Imaginal Realms and the tiny Demi Planes to
  Yesod.
  YETZIRAH: The “Astral World” or “Formative World,”
  holding the material universes that run by magic
  instead of natural law. The Yetziratic Planes are all
  connected by the Middle Astral Plane.
  YGGDRASIL: The astral dimension created by plant
  consciousness. There is almost no contact between
  Yggdrasil and the human astral realms, and a good
  thing too: Yggdrasil is very alien and very danger-
  ous for human visitors.
  ZOA: One of the four Prime Avatars, or the conditions
  they personify: Order, Chaos, Art or Nature. Can
  also refer to anything connected with the Prime
  Avatars, such as Zoa magic, Zoa spirits and so on.
  
  290
  Bibliography
  The literature of magic, in comics, fantasy fiction,
  nonfiction and folklore is overwhelmingly vast. This
  is hardly an exhaustive listing.
  Other Games
  Dozens of role-playing games have included magic,
  but few have placed magic in a modern setting. The
  games listed here are especially notable, mostly for their
  examples of secret occult subcultures.
  Mage: The Ascension (White Wolf Game Studio). This
  game not only presents magic in the modern world,
  it proposes a milieu in which mages simultaneously
  rule the world and stay utterly hidden from mun-
  dane humanity. Conflicts arise because different
  factions of mages have different ideas about how
  the world should be run. This game has many in-
  triguing concepts despite flashes of New Age pre-
  tension. It and its many supplements are well worth
  reading. Other titles in White Wolf’s “Storyteller”
  system can be mined for inspiration if one wants a
  powerful supernatural subculture for one’s cam-
  paign.
  Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium). Spellcasting is only a mi-
  nor part of this game, but the whole premise is that
  a horrific secret world of unearthly forces lurks just
  out of public view. If one wants a strong horror el-
  ement in a campaign’s Occult World, one should
  definitely take a look at Call of Cthulhu and its many
  supplements. It’s the best game treatment of the
  Lovecraftian Slimy Unspeakables which inspired the
  Kings of Edom.
  Nephilim (Chaosium). Unfortunately, Chaosium’s suc-
  cess with Call of Cthulhu did not carry over to this
  new game. It is of value chiefly as an example of
  what not to do, working from the silliest elements
  of popular occultism—even an astrology chart to
  determine how the characters’ powers wax and
  wane each day. Some of the spells might be worth
  cribbing, though.
  Kult (Metropolis Games). Another horror game of the
  “Reality is nothing like we believe” type. Some in-
  teresting notions, really creepy cults (in the supple-
  ments) and another take on the idea of an arche-
  typal city dimension.
  Comic
  Magic-oriented comics come in waves. At the mo-
  ment of writing, one such wave is at its height, or just
  past. Some of the titles listed are no longer published,
  but are available in compilation volumes. The titles
  listed here are simply some highlights.
  Books of Magic (DC Vertigo). Adventures of a very
  young wizard who has just discovered his powers
  and doesn’t really know how to use them. Weird
  and wonderful.
  Dr. Strange (Marvel). This is the definitive super-mage
  title. All the characteristic elements of super-mage
  adventures—light show spells with alliterative
  names, weird dimensions, cosmic entities, the
  works—are found in this comic, and most were
  invented there.
  Ghost Rider (Marvel). The original Ghost Rider was
  about a man fused to a demon. The present Ghost
  Rider has a rather more complicated origin, which
  fortunately does not matter. A good example of a
  magic-based superhero operating in a grim and
  gritty Occult World—Super-Mage meets Dark
  Champions.
  Hellblazer (DC Vertigo). Very grim title about John
  Constantine, a heroic-level occult investigator who
  frequently needs new DNPCs.
  Sandman (DC Vertigo). A look at Dream, a true cos-
  mic entity, and how he and his fellows interact with
  humanity and each other. Sometimes enigmatic,
  always good.
  Fiction
  There have been literally hundreds of fantasy novels
  with wizards as protagonists or in their major support-
  ing cast. These few authors are included because GMs
  can draw specific material from their work.
  Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy (Inferno,
  Purgatorio, Paradisio). “Inferno” is the classic guided
  tour of Hell. The other sections continue through
  Purgatory into Heaven, but they are less interest-
  ing.
  Bear, Greg. The Infinity Concerto, The Serpent Mage.
  Interesting version of Faerie and fairy folk.
  Beckford, William. Vathek. If you’re ready to go be-
  yond Sinbad, Aladdin and Ali Baba but the full
  Thousand and One Nights seems too intimidating,
  try this. It’s the best Arabian fantasy ever written in
  English.
  Blish, James. Black Easter, The Day After Judgment (also
  published in one volume as The Devil’s Day.) The
  only novels ever to present grimoire demonology,
  take it seriously and push it to its logical, horrify-
  ing conclusion. Suggests what a Ritual Magician
  must do to get and keep their powers; also, a look
  at what might happen to the world if the heroes
  lose.
  Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities. Undefinable and inde-
  scribable, but it was the main inspiration for
  Babylon. GMs can get lots of ideas for exotic cities
  from this book.
  deLint, Charles. Moonheart. Celtic and Native Ameri-
  can magic at work in contemporary Canada,
  interplanar conflict and a great Sanctum
  Sanctorum.
  Dietz, Tom. Nearly everything. Very good portrayals
  of magic secretly at work in modern Georgia, us-
  ing both Celtic and Native American mythology.
  
  291
  Hodgson, William Hope. The House on the Borderland.
  An Irish house is the focus of creepy, enigmatic,
  cosmic forces. It would make a great Sanctum
  Sanctorum.
  Hughart, Barry. Bridge of Birds, Story of the Stone, Eight
  Skilled Gentlemen. Very funny, and a wonderful in-
  troduction to Chinese myth and magic.
  Lucan. Pharsalia. Mostly this is a satiric history of a
  Roman civil war, but Chapter 6 includes Erichtho,
  a truly classic wicked witch and necromancer.
  Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry. Inferno. A science fic-
  tion writer goes through Hell in this updated ver-
  sion of Dante’s classic. Good source material for the
  Netherworld.
  Weinberg, Robert. A Logical Magician, A Calculated
  Magic. Fluffy look at how supernatural creatures
  might adapt to the modern world—with a few
  deeper thoughts on where they come from and how
  they can be defeated.
  Wheatley, Dennis. The “Black Magic” Novels. Dennis
  Wheatley’s novels of noble heroes pitted against
  Satanism pretty much defined the Satanic Cult
  Conspiracy for the twentieth century. Wheatley was
  not a very good writer, but he was very popular in
  his day. His heroes often seem a little ridiculous,
  but his Satanists are still creepy—and a good model
  for incorporating a Black Magic Conspiracy into
  one’s campaign.
  Nonfiction
  Yes, this is the heavy stuff. One might even say pon-
  derous. About a zillion books have been written about
  “real magic,” but very few have anything worth a
  gamer’s attention. Also look for books of mythology.
  No specific titles will be given, since there are just too
  many.
  Blake, William. Collected Works. The inspiration for
  the top cosmic entities presented in this work. Cool
  stuff. Blake’s last three “Prophetic Books,” Vala, or
  The Four Zoas, Milton and Jerusalem are tremen-
  dously obscure, but don’t let that stop you: since
  the experts don’t agree what they mean, your inter-
  pretation is as good as theirs. Try to find facsimile
  editions of Blake’s original, illustrated versions—
  ancestors of the comic book!
  Butler, E. M. The Myth of the Magus. The history of
  magic told through the lives of its most celebrated
  practitioners, from the original Magi to Theosophy.
  —. Ritual Magic. Surveys European ceremonial magic
  through biography and the grimoires, including
  several side trails ignored by Waite’s book.
  Cavendish, Richard (ed.) Man, Myth and Magic: An
  Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural. What
  it says.
  Crowley, Aleister. Magick in Theory and Practice.
  Crowley talks a good game, as charlatans go. This is
  supposedly an a workbook for would be Ritual
  Magicians…after they’ve spent a decade or so mas-
  tering Yoga, Meditation, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
  Still, Crowley’s appendices can be mined for inspi-
  ration.
  Cummings, Richard. The Alchemists: Fathers of Mod-
  ern Chemistry. Light, popular introduction to Eu-
  ropean alchemy.
  Davis, Wade. The Serpent and the Rainbow. Good in-
  troduction to Voudon and its role in Haitian soci-
  ety. The movie inspired by the book is more lurid
  but a lot of fun too.
  deCamp, L. Sprague. Lost Continents. Definitive sur-
  vey of the Atlantis myth and its many Lost Civiliza-
  tion spin-offs. Tells of some of the weirder people
  in 19th-20th century occultism.
  O’Keefe, Daniel Lawrence. Stolen Lightning: the Social
  Theory of Magic. Why people believe in magic, and
  what it really is they believe in. Very scholarly.
  Thompson, Stith. Motif-Index of Folk Literature. Mas-
  sive research guide to world mythology, organized
  by motifs such as “Dragons,” “Magic Item Gained
  Through Test of Bravery” and the like.
  Waite, Arthur Edward. The Book of Ceremonial Magic.
  A detailed overview of grimoire magic. Waite’s
  Edwardian writing style and pious interjections are
  sometimes a bit thick, but it beats the grimoires
  themselves. Don’t read them, read this.
  Wallis Budge, E. A. Amulets and Talismans. Definitive,
  illustrated guide to, what else, amulets and talis-
  mans. Good ideas for Foci. Wallis Budge also dis-
  cusses Kabbalism and other aspects of Western
  Mainstream Occultism.
  —. Egyptian Magic. Lots of ideas for Egyptian styled
  wizardry.
  Webb, James. The Occult Underground, The Occult Es-
  tablishment. History of occultism in the 19th and
  20th centuries, showing its back-door connections
  to better known movements in art, religion, psy-
  chology and even politics, with many portraits of
  bizarre people and events.
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero System/Hero System The Ultimate Super Mage.pdf