Wardens Ritual Library
The contents of this page focus on the ritual magic of the Wardens setting, specifically that which is capable using the Ritualist Advantage.
Creating Formulae
Formulae are necessary for the use of both the Artificer and Ritualist Advantages. The process for creating formulae for both is identical, and a formula once created can be used to create either artifacts or rituals.
All magicians with the Artificer or Ritualist Advantages are assumed to already have the formulae for the Common Effects: Sorcerous Arcana listed at the bottom of this page. Sometimes these don't quite suffice for a magician's needs, however, requiring them to invent entirely new ones. This is the process for that.
Deciding the Effect
- You have to first decide the Effect you want, and the details attached to it: Extras, Flaws, and all other details. Record these.
Designing the Formula
- Once you have decided on the Effect you want, you must spend time recording and preparing the formula for this spell. This requires three things: a magical library, time, and an Expertise (Magic) check.
- Magical Library: You must have access to a repository of arcane lore of some kind. Membership in many of the setting's organizations (like the Zodiac Society) includes access to such a library.
- You may also purchase a library as a Ranked Advantage of up to 6 ranks: the first rank to possess a library, and the up to five additional grants granting a +1 per rank to Expertise: Magic checks when able to refer to it.
- Time: Look at the Cost Per Rank of the Effect you want to formulate. For each Power Point of that cost, designing that power takes 20 hours of design time. Add an additional 5 hours per flat point of the Effect's cost. So, a power with a cost of 2 points per rank + 3 flat points takes 55 hours of design time.
- Rushing: You may rush the research job by taking a penalty to the Expertise (Magic) check below. By taking a +5 to the DC, you may reduce the time involved by 25%. You may do this up to three times, taking a +15 DC, and spending only 25% of the normal time in design.
- Expertise (Magic) Check: Once you have spent the necessary time, the GM will make an Expertise (Magic) test for you.
- DC: The base DC is based on the Cost Per Rank of the effect. It is (base point per rank cost x 5) + 5. So, it is a 10 for 1 point per rank, 15 for 2 points per rank, 20 for 3 points per rank, 25 for 4 points per rank, and so on. Then, add an additional +1 to the DC for each 1 flat point of cost on top of that. So a power with 2 points per rank + 3 flat points would be a DC 18 (15 for 2p/r + 3p flat cost).
- Success: If you succeed at the check, you now have a new formula. This formula can be used to Perform Rituals using that Effect. Magicians often trade formulas and accrue them over lifetimes, filling tomes with their various permutations.
- Failure: If you fail the check, you can't quite figure out the specifics of the ritual. You will need to start over.
- Failure (three+ degrees): If you fail the DC by 15 or more, you have not only failed to work out the details, but you have created a work of terrible arcane flaw. You are not aware of this flaw, and if the formula is used to perform a ritual, terrible things will occur. Someone else studying your flawed formula may discern its flaws with an hour of study and an Expertise (Magic) check DC of the original DC + 10.
Using Ritualist
The following is the process for using the Ritualist Advantage.
Choose Formula
- Decide on the Formula you are using. You may be using a formula you already possess, or designing one.
- If you are designing one, refer to the Designing Formulae rules above.
Using Already-Existing Formula
If you have access to an already-existing formula, you may skip the Design Formula step and jump right to the Perform Ritual step. The Sorcerous Arcana are more than simply known invocations: they are also the most-commonly known formulae in the world. Most magicians have a notebook with them scribbled in it, or a thumbdrive with scans of pages with them in it. If a character has the Ritualist Advantage, they are assumed to have access to all of the Sorcerous Arcana formulae. See Effects: The Sorcerous Arcana below for details and links.
You may also simply use a ritual you have designed at some other point, as well. Magicians often re-use the same rituals over and over, particularly if they hit upon a particularly useful formula.
Perform Ritual
Once you have a formula in hand, whether one you've used before, a common one from the Sorcerous Arcana, or one that you put together for this specific instance, you are ready to perform the ritual.
- Calculate Cost: Determine the Power Point cost of the Effect you want to use in this casting. Generally, this means deciding what Rank you want the Effect at, and figuring up that final Power Point Cost.
- Time: A ritual takes 10 minutes per Point Point of the Effect you want. You may reduce the Time Rank of the ritual by one Rank for every -5 penalty you take to the Check.
- Check: This is an Expertise: Magic check, made at the end of the Time. If you reduced the Time to perform the ritual, take a -5 per Time Rank you reduced it by.
- Team Checks: Others with the Expertise: Magic skill can help you perform the ritual, as a Team Check. Assistants make a DC 10 Expertise: Magic check. Any degrees of success grant you a +2 to the check, or a +5 if three or more degrees of success are accrued all together.
- DC: The DC for this ritual is 10 + Power Point Cost of the ritual. This can be made as a Routine Check, if desired.
- Success: If successful, you gain use of this magical Effect for a single scene, invoked during this Chapter. If you wish to use it again during the Chapter, you may do so by spending a Hero Point.
- Failure: On a failure, the magic is not invoked properly, and it dissipates harmlessly. If you gain 3 or more degrees of failure, a magical backlash occurs.
Casting On The Fly (Fast Rituals)
Instead of a lengthy magic working, you can spend a Hero Point to quickly tap into the world's ambient magic and your own arcane talent and quickly throw together a magical Effect.
- You do not need a formula.
- Figure out the Effect and its full Power Point Cost.
- Time: This takes one round per Power Point of the effect you want. You may not reduce this time further.
- Check: This is an Expertise: Magic check, made at the end of the Time. Team Checks do not apply
- DC: The DC for this is 15 + Power Point Cost of the Effect, and you cannot make this as a Routine Check. Success grants you use of the ability for one scene during the Chapter. Magical backlashes happen on two or more degrees of failure.
Using Artificer
The following is the process for using the Artificer Advantage.
Common Effects: The Sorcerous Arcana
The following is a list of the spells of the Sorcerous Arcana, by Effect, with links to the pages that detail them in specific.
Effect | Spells |
---|---|
Affliction (Bindings) | Baleful Bindings of Bal'Hemoth (Chains) • Bidding of Bal'Hemoth (Mind Control) • Grasp of Ghorummaz (Trapped in Stone) • Chains of Kar'Kradas (Shadow Tentacles) • Shining Shackles of Sirrion |
Affliction (Curses) | Bitter Lash of Bal'Hemoth (Hopelessness) • Accursed Fecundity (Tumors; Linked to Damage) • Blessing of the Black Goat (Transformed into Satyr) • Curse of the Howling Madness (Insanity) • Dream Dementia (Hallucinations) • Lamal's Labyrinth (Confusion) • Lamal's Rebuke (Stunning vs Chaos) • Miasma of Malador (Blinding; Linked to Damage) • Light of the Lumenvirate (Blinding; Linked to Damage) • Scourge of Shatachna (Scourge; Pain) • Shadows of Shatachna (Area; Blindness, Fear) • Scintillating Sun of Sirrion (Blinding, Perception Area) • Shining Suns of Sirrion (Blinding, Perception Area; Linked to Damage, Nullify) • Somnambulant Spell of Sirrion (Sleep; Area Cloud) • Chant of Chaos (Madness, Hearing Perception Area) • The Yellow Sign (Madness, Vision Perception Area) • Fangs of Yig (Paralysis) • Yig's Inexorable Transformation (Transform into Serpent Person) |
Affliction (Environmental) | Garden of the Black Goat (Entangling Vines) • Thunderous Tread of Ghorummaz (Earthquake) |
Affliction (Wards) | Ghorummaz's Dictum (Ward Against Unnatural Creatures) • Heshem's Holy Hearth (Ward Against Creatures of Evil, Darkness) • Sign of the Modrossus (Ward Against Magical Creatures) • Shatachna's Seal of Silence (Prevent Speaking of Subject) • Ward of Weyan (Ward Against Chaos) |
Affliction (Other) | Light of Lamal (Truth-Speaking) • Mists of the Modrossus (Memory-Erasing) • Fifth Wheel: The Wheel of Waiting (Time Freeze) |
Burrowing | None Commonly Known |
Communication | Sixth Wheel: The Wheel of Whispers (Air, Auditory) |
Comprehend | None Commonly Known |
Concealment | Hood of Heshem (All Visual) • Cloak of Idolon (Magic) • Veil of Idolon (Mental Senses, Remote Sensing) • Mists of Malador (Visual Attack) • Obscuring Orb of Obroros (Selective Area Visual, Mental) • Scarlet Shades of Sirrion (Visual Attack) |
Create | Labors of the Lumenvirate (Light Constructs) |
Damage | Accursed Fecundity (Tumors; Linked to Affliction) • Storm of Ghorummaz (Lightning) • Hook of Heshem (Claws) • Miasma of Malador (Acidic; Linked to Affliction) • Might of Malador (Necromantic) • Light of the Lumenvirate (Light; Linked to Affliction) • Flames of the Phoros (Ranged Area Fire) • Firelance of the Phoros (Ranged Fire) • Fireward of the Phoros (Reaction Touch Fire) • Flamesummons of the Phoros (Ranged Area Fire; Existing Flames only) • Scythe of Shatachna • Searing Sun of Sirrion (Light, Perception Area) • Shining Suns of Sirrion (Light, Perception Area; Linked to Affliction, Nullify) • Maw of Vhoka |
Deflect | Third Wheel: The Wheel of Warding |
Elongation | None Commonly Known |
Enhanced Trait | Auspicious Augury of Ahgrazul (Advantage: Second Chance) • Arms of the Mother (Advantages; Linked to Extra Limbs, Movement, Weaken) • The Enchantment of Ios (Presence + Fascinate Advantage) • The Everwatchful Eye of Ios (Uncanny Dodge, Danger Sense) |
Environment | Illumination of Abbridon (Daylight) • Great Gale of Ghorummaz (Storm) |
Extra Limbs | Arms of the Mother (Tentacles; Linked to Enhanced Advantages, Movement, Weaken) |
Feature | None Commonly Known |
Flight | None Commonly Known |
Growth | None Commonly Known |
Healing | None Commonly Known |
Illusion | Illusions of Idolon (All Senses) • Phantasms of the Phoros (Visual) |
Immortality | None Commonly Known |
Immunity | None Commonly Known |
Insubstantial | None Commonly Known |
Leaping | None Commonly Known |
Luck Control | None Commonly Known |
Mind Reading | None Commonly Known |
Morph | None Commonly Known |
Move Object | Hand of Heshem • Fourth Wheel: The Wheel of Winds |
Movement | Airts of Ahgrazul (Dimensional, All Mystical) • Arms of the Mother (Swinging; Linked to Enhanced Advantages, Extra Limbs, Weaken) • Heshem's Way (Dimensional, All Mystical) • The Crying Road (Dimensional, Dream) • Seventh Wheel: The Wheel of Worlds (Dimensional, All Mystical) |
Nullify | Abjurations of Abbridon (Binding, Darkness, Evil Summons) • All-Revealing Light of Abbridon (Concealing, Illusions) • Holy Hosts of Heshem (Magic) • Temperance of the Triluminary (Magic) • Occult Exorcism of Obroros (Mind Effects, Possession) • Magefire of the Phoros (Magic) • Sorcerous Sun of Sirrion (Magic, Perception Area) • Shining Suns of Sirrion (Magic, Perception Area; Linked to Affliction, Damage) |
Protection | Aegis of Abbridon • Flameshield of the Phoros • Shining Shield of Sirrion |
Quickness | None Commonly Known |
Regeneration | None Commonly Known |
Remote Sensing | All-Seeing Eyes of Abbridon (Vision) • Ahgrazul's Compass (Visual) • Omens of Obroros (Obroros Itself) • Second Wheel: The Wheel of Watching (Visual) |
Senses | Auspicious Augury of Ahgrazul (Precognition) • The Eight Eyes of Ios (Radius Vision, Counter Illusion and Concealment) |
Shrinking | None Commonly Known |
Speed | None Commonly Known |
Summon | Beast of Bal'Hemoth (Demon or Giant Spider) • Summon Dark Young (Thousand Young of the Black Goat) • Dream Denizens (Nightmare Creatures) • Call of Kar'Kradas (Unique Horrors) • Hounds of Kar'Kradas (Darkhounds) • Umbral Kraken of Kar'Kradas • Malevolent Minion of Malador (Undead) • Servitors of Shatachna (Shadow Demon) • Star Demons of Sirrion • Unspeakable Summoning (Unspeakable Servitor) • Dance of Vhoka (Animated Weapon) • First Wheel: The Wheel of Workings (Animated Objects; Linked to Transform) • Curse of Yig (Vipers) |
Swimming | None Commonly Known |
Teleport | Crooked Path of Kar'Kradas (Shadows) |
Transform | First Wheel: The Wheel of Workings (Broken Objects into Repaired; Linked to Summon) |
Weaken | Arms of the Mother (Strength; Linked to Enhanced Advantages, Extra Limbs, Movement) • Vile Venom of Vhoka (Strength) • Wondrous Working of Weyan (Magic) |