Spells and Rituals
Celestial
Level 1
- Hiding the Stars (R)
Dice Pool: Divination+Celestial
Difficulty: 6
Chi: None
Despite the name, this spell does not actually alter the heavens. Rather, it veils the mummy from celestial forces. By muddying the etheric waters, so to speak, the astrologer defends herself against malign divinations. Her ties to the heavens become clouded, disrupting any attempts to locate her through any means of scrying. Alternatively, the mummy can cast this spell over someone else, who must be present for the whole ritual.
Successes that the mummy's player scores on this ritual subtract from divining or locating effects that are targeted against the ritual's recipient. One success erodes from the ritual each time someone performs a divination against the subject, until the last cobwebs of obscurity blow away. The celestine cannot cast this ritual multiple times to hide completely. Only the results of the most recent casting take hold.
Lung Tan
Level 1
- Lesser Spirit Projection (S)
Dice Pool: Occult+Lung Tan
Difficulty: 7
Chi: 1
Since Wu'Tian do not roam the Underworld during their death cycle, they depend on their Arts for exploring the Yin Realm. Lesser Spirit Projection is the first and most common of these spells, functionally identical to the Necromancy spell Separate Ka. Wu T'ian also have a level-three variant of this spell called Greater Spirit Projection that duplicates the effects and reduced difficulty of Separate Ba. Players should note, however, that Wu T'ian employing Greater Spirit Projection will return to the Gate of Heaven as normal if killed or disrupted during their underworld sojourn.
Feng Tan has its own versions of both Lesser and Greater Spirit Projection for exploring the Yang Realm. Apart from their cosmological destination, the Feng Tan spells otherwise operate exactly as their Lung Tan counterparts.
- Iron Body Meditation (R)
Dice Pool: Stamina+Lung Tan
Difficulty: 7
Chi: None
Encompassing a family of similar rituals (one for each level), Iron Body Meditation allows a Wu T'ian to channel Yin energy through her flesh, fortifying her body against injury. These rituals require a number of Lifeforce points equal to half their level (rounded down) and take at least one hour to perform, during which time the caster must meditate and focus her will. Some immortals prefer to sit motionless in lotus position, while others prefer the graceful movements of Tai Chi Chuan or yoga, but the meditation practice employed must facilitate a sense of calm and well-being. Performing Iron Body Meditation amidst loud noise or other significant distraction raises the difficulty by two. Each success scored in this ritual provides one extra soak die against bashing or lethal damage, one extra bruised health level, or one hour of duration. Immortals cannot allocate more successes to either soak dice or health levels, however, than their Stamina rating or the ritual's level (whichever is lower). Note that any damage retained in extra health levels remains once the ritual's duration ends.
Necromancy
Level 1
- Judge the Soul (S)
Dice Pool: Divination+Necromancy
Difficulty: 6
Chi: None
With but a brief glaze, a necromancer can weigh the purity of a subject's soul. The caster learns to judge the corruption of those claimed by Apophis or the purity of those in harmony with Ma'at. The caster need not speak any mystical syllables to exercise the judgement, although she must scrutinize the subject clearly for a full turn. Such intense staring may well draw notice.
On a successful roll, the mummy can determine immediately if another individual is a Mummy or if they possess True Faith. The Necromancer can tell if someone is scrupulous or compassionate or craven and slovenly. With three or more successes, the mummy can evaluate the subject's specific moral strengths or weaknesses by noting which parts of the soul shines brightly or flickers weakly.
Telltale signs seeping from the subject's spirit give away his inner nature. By this means, the mummy can separate potential allies from more dubious companions. Vampires and other supernatural creatures can often be identified by their characteristic lusts or frailties. A vampire's thirst for blood is written on every pore of his undead face, while a werewolf's rage and spirituality battle in his every gesture. This magic also functions in the underworld, although the necromancer must be able to see across the Shroud or be a spirit in Duat herself. The mummy can also determine the general demeanor of ghosts.
The ability to judge the soul can be fooled or clouded, for even the Judges of Ma'at are not infallible. Supernatural shrouds (such as a vampire's ability to conceal his presence or a wizard's spell to shield his emotions) may confuse the judgement. A subject with the relevant magic who achieves more successes than the necromancer's player did can even generate a false reading. A vampire might seem like a normal person, or an infernal magician could appear to be pure of heart, for instance.