Mind Magic
The Art of using thought to affect another's mind, to defend oneself from mental intrusions, and to augment the processes of one's mind. This is done by running your mind through a complex series of abstract thoughts and images in which you invest significant emotional weight called Sequences. The precision of the patterns and the clarity of emotion invested directly correlate to the potency and utility of the Sequence produced.
Through a long and drawn out process, sequences can be invested in certain items, so that the related effects can be used much more quickly. It can take months or years of dedicated effort to create such items.
Student's of the Mind discipline grow in ability as they learn new sequences, personalize the sequences they have learned, and grow in understanding while applying them.
There are two general types of Sequences: Passive and Active
Passive: The Sequences run in the sleeping mind and provide passive effects. They are relatively simple, but also less potent. The three fundamentals of these are Auras, Fixed Defenses, and Acceleration. It is also relatively easy to perform multiple sequences at once, since the perceived cost is additive.
Active: sequences require conscious thought, and perform one specific effect. These are the most complex sequences possible, and can provide very powerful effects. They can range from possession to ensnaring a intruder to boosting speed of thought by orders of magnitude. Performing multiple sequences at once is much harder because the cost is multiplicative.
Categories:
Attack: The application of affecting others minds with your own.
Defense: The application of defending your mind from intrusion or undue influence.
Augment: The application of boosting your own mind's capabilities beyond human's levels.
Mechanics:This is a quest, so magic must have an underlying system. In this system, you gain mastery levels on a given Sequence. These levels go from 1 to 10. 1 signifies a basic understanding of a sequence, and 10 is a mythical level of mastery that only exists in theory. You can increase in levels by dedicating time to training or by purchasing new levels with XP. Gaining levels costs more XP and/or more time to train.
Advancement Costs from level to level are determined by: (1/Avg of Int&Wis x Level^4 x Sequence Complexity x 1/Understanding) = Advancement Cost
Example: Harlon moving from level 1 to 2 in Active Acceleration with Ithroen as a teacher and very little understanding: ((1/9.5) x 2^4 x 8 x (1/1)) = 13.5
Cost
|
Time
|
XP
|
1-3
|
6 Hrs
|
5 XP
|
4-15
|
7H-2D
|
25 XP
|
16-30
|
3D-10D
|
50 XP
|
31-60
|
11D-1M
|
90 XP
|
61-100
|
2M- 6M
|
150 XP
|
101-150
|
7M-1YR
|
200 XP
|
151-300
|
2YR-3YR
|
250 XP
|
301-750
|
4YR-6YR
|
300 XP
|
750-1500
|
7YR- 13YR
|
400 XP
|
So it would take him somewhere between 7 hours and 2 days to pass from level 1
Example: Possession- a 52 element Sequence that allows the caster's mind to enter another living organism and assume control of its mind; Falls into the Offensive category; Active cost to assume; Passive to maintain.
Level 1: Enter the mind of a non-sapient creature that you are connected with for 30 seconds
Level 2: Enter the mind of a non-sapient creature that you are connected with for 30 minutes
Level 3: Enter the mind of a non-sapient creature that you are connected with indefinitely
Level 4: Enter the mind of any non-sapient creature indefinitely
Level 5: Enter the mind of an undefended sapient creature for 30 seconds through physical contact
Level 6: Enter the mind of an undefended sapient creature for 30 minutes
Level 7: Enter the mind of an undefended sapient creature; full access to memories and skills of the vessel
Level 8: Penetrate mental defenses and assume control (20% success rate); full access to memories and skills of vessel; migrate from dead host without penalty
Level 9: Penetrate mental defenses and assume control (60% success rate); full access to memories and skills; migrate from dead host without penalty
Level 10: Penetrate mental defenses and assume control(100% success rate, unless against a 9+ Defense, then flip a coin); full access to memories and skills; migrate from dead host without penalty; can use full breadth of their own magic while in host
This is not a rigid scale. In reality, most students fall somewhere between the levels. For instance, Narsuul would fall in between levels 6 and 7.
Mind Points are an expression of the amount of mental energy that can be devoted to Sequences. Below are the equations that govern the casting of specific Sequences.
Total Mind Pool
Intelligence x Wisdom x Will x Understanding(1-10) = Total Mind Point Pool
Harlon: 10 * 9 * 7 * 1 =630 MP
Cost of casting Active Sequences
1/understanding x 1/Average of Will and Intelligence x Sequence Complexity^2 x Sequence Level^1.5 x # of Currently Active Sequences^2 x # Passive^1.5
Example: Ignorant Harlon trying to cast a Level 3 Active, Complexity 7 with 2 current Active and 3 Passive
(1/1) * (1/8.5) * 7^2 * 3^1.5 * 2^2 * 3^1.5 = 622.6 MP
Cost of casting Passive Sequences
1/Understanding x 1/Average of Will and Intelligence x Sequence Complexity^1.5 x Sequence Level x # Active^2 x # Passive^1.5
Example: Ignorant Harlon trying to cast a Level 3 Active, Complexity 7 with 2 current Active and 3 Passive
(1/1) * (1/8.5) * 7^1.5 * 3 * 2^2 * 3^1.5 =135.9 MP
Casting a new sequence retroactively raises the cost of all the existing ones you have running.
Mental Penalties: Overuse of Sequences, particularly at higher levels and complexities, can cause mental instability. This is signified by the roll of 1d1000(No Ta'veren bonus) for casting a Active Sequences over Level 5 or 8 complexity, 5 or below will count as a negative modifier to your mental stability. For levels 9 and 10 or complexity 9 and 10, this roll becomes an insanity roll. Passive is a nat 1.
Failing the roll will result in temporary insanity, and multiple failed rolls will cause the insanity to last longer or become more pronounced.
Example of using Level 3 Destruction 5 times in rapid succession.
- No chance of insanity or mental instability
- Roll above a 3 on a D1000 to avoid penalties
- Roll above a 30 on a D1000 to avoid penalties
- Roll above a 300 on a D1000 to avoid penalties
- Accrue mental instability, and possibly insanity points. The further you go past this, the greater the mental taxation.
Attack: LINK
Aura (4)- Active or Passive Sequence that allows the caster to emanate an aura of their choosing
Control(5)- Active Sequence that allows you to influence the minds of others, and at higher skill proficiencies you may give them absolute commands
Destruction (3)- Active. Cause damage to a target's mind
Illusion (8)- Project illusions into a target's mind
Possession (10)- Active Sequence to cast; Passive to maintain; allows the caster's mind to enter another living organism and assume control of its mind
Reading (10)- Active Sequence that allows the caster to sense emotions, read thoughts, or delve into memories
*Possession is normally a complexity of ten, but for characters with the "Warg" trait the complexity is halved. So it is represented with a five instead.
Defense: LINK
Barrier (5)- Active or Passive. Project a barrier surrounding your thoughts.
Detect (9)- Passive or Active Sequence that allows the caster to detect mental intrusions
Fortify (3)- Passive or Active. Builds a fortification in your mind to stop mental intrusions; helps organize thoughts
Mirage (8)- Active. Caster creates false emotions, thoughts, and memories within their mind
Reflect (5)- Active. This allows the caster to reflect an aggressor's attack back at them
Trap (3)- Passive. Caster sets up a mental trap to disrupt mental attacks
Augment: LINK
Accelerate (8)- Passive or Active. It will allow you to speed up your thoughts and reaction
Endurance (7)- Passive. Enhances the caster's mental endurance.
Focus (8)- Passive or Active. Enhances the caster's ability to focus his mind
Multi-tasking (9)- Passive or Active. Allows for greater ability to multi-task.
Regeneration (7)- Active. Increases rate of recovery from mental trauma.
Senses (6)- Passive or Active. The mind analyzes input from the senses more accurately, and draws more complete information from them.
- Will can be raised to 11 when either Focus or Endurance reach level 9 and are kept in active. 12 requires both Focus and Endurance to be Level 9. 13 requires Level 10.
- Intelligence can be raised to 11 when either Acceleration or Multi-tasking reach level 9 and are kept in active. 12 requires both to both to be Level 9. 13 requires Level 10.
Attack vs Defense- The Attacker has the initiative, so he gets the advantage in the dice. The Defender gets the advantage in the bonuses. Then understanding and INT allow the attacker and the defender's relative skill to figure in. The highest score is the winner of a battle.
Attacker
3d50 + Attack bonus + (Understanding + INT)^(3/2) = Attack Score
Defender
1d100 + Defense bonus + (Understanding + INT)^(3/2) = Defense Score
Higher score wins
Example: Rob (UND 7; INT 9) attacks with Control Level 8(+20), and Jim(UND 4; INT 7) defends with Passive Fortify 3(+6), Barrier 4(+8), and Trap 2(+6)
Bob
3d50 + 20 + (7 + 9)^(3/2) = Attacking score
24 + 20 + 64 = 108
Jim
1d100 + 6 + 8 + 6 + (4 + 7)^(3/2) = defensive score
3 + 20 + 36 = 59
Obviously, Bob wins in the above and successfully Controls Jim
Example: Stan (UND 8; INT 9) attacks with Destruction 9(60), and Joff(UND 9; INT 8) defends with Passive Fortify 7(30), Barrier 6(20), and Trap 8(50)
Stan
3d50 +60 + (8+9)^(3/2)
82 + 60 + 70 = 212
Joff
1d100 + 30 + 20 + 50 + (9+8)^(3/2)
98 + 100 + 70 = 268
This time the defender wins. Since Joff's highest defense bonus came from Trap, Stan is affected by Trap