CHANNELER DISCIPLINE

 

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Arcanists and those who use spells are often called Channelers. Those who hone this Discipline’s lores are better able to harness the spells that they possess or even the Traditions that they follow. Invest in this Discipline if:

  • You want to further your expertise with your particular Arcane Tradition

  • You want to choose and be attuned to a Theurgic Anchor (e.g. Necrotheurgy)

  • You want to improve your ability to cast magic, allowing yourself to move while casting or repel attackers.

On the different Traditions:

Most Channelers follow one of these methodologies, though a few have no Tradition to speak of.

ANIMANCY: Named for the spiritual entities they use and only they can see, Animancers use “Anima” (sing. Animus) to channel dangerous etheric energies into spells. Depending on who you ask, Anima are either summoned spirits, conscripted spectral beings or mental constructs.

DIABLERIE: Diabolists are wrought through a perilous rite called “Diablerie Servitoris” or an “Eldritch Guest”, where a symbiotic entity is introduced into a would-be Diabolist’s internal systems to assist in the channeling and usage of etheric energies.

TALISMANRY: Talismongers have learned to use magical items to channel dangerous energy into their spells. While they become dependent on such items, they are capable of great flexibility.

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW

Basic Skills

Arcane Ember: Create a light with magical effects.

Eldritch Defiance: Channel magic to withstand a Control effect. 

Etheric Arcana (Ritual): Perform minor spells and Rituals of your Tradition 

Complex Skills

Bond of Oaths: Create a bond between yourself and several other allies. 

Empowered Arcana (Ritual): Move while casting spells and gain more rituals.

Resist Fear: Fortify your mind against fearsome attacks

Theurgic Anchor (ATN): You may anchor yourself to a risky facet of magic

Erudite Skills

Arcane Proficiency (Ritual): Gain more options for your Tradition

Etheric Pulse: Knockback if you are interrupted during Etheric Concentration

Metamagic Augmentation: Augment a spell with a Sphere Mastery skill. 

Resist Warp: Fortify your mind against reality-maddening creatures.

Supreme Theurgy (1/P) Greater and improved capabilities for each Anchor.

BASIC SKILLS

Arcane Ember

(Basic Channeler; Active-Conc, Imbue-Revive, Sense, Aftereffect)

A basic expression of magic, this skill allows you to conjure an Arcane Ember -- a light made of energy that can guide and reveal spirits. This skill’s use is outlined below:

  • Step 1: EConc-10

  • Step 2: Invoke “Arcane Ember”

  • Step 3: Hold aloft in your hand and/or activate a light prop -- ideally red-colored. If it is held in your hand, you may not hold anything else in that hand.

While you carry this light, you gain two benefits:

-- Repeated Revival (Aftereffect): When you imbue a “Painful Revive” on an ally, you may imbue the same effect on an ally via melee touch (i.e. a touch with hand or melee weapon). You may not move from your original position while delivering this effect.

-- Spirit Light: While you are holding this light aloft in your hand, you and all individuals within step and arm’s reach of you can Speak to Spirits, which must also be within that range. Spirits may represent a person’s ghost or an intangible entity. They cannot be spoken to normally and are represented by wearing purple headbands.

Prop requirement: Lantern, glowstick or flashlight -- ideally of a red color. This prop may not be used to represent any other item at the same time, such as an in-game lantern.

Eldritch Defiance

(Basic Channeler; Active-Focus, Imbue-Cure/Heal)

This Skill allows a spellcaster to channel their magical energies inward, resisting or overthrowing a debilitating effect upon them.

  • Step 1: Be suffering from a Strike effect or a Pain Wound

  • Step 2: After 5+ seconds, expend 1 Focus.

  • Step 3: Invoke one of the options below to gain its effect. You may only choose an option if you are of that Arcane Tradition. You may not augment this Skill further.

-- “Animantic Defiance” -- You cure all Strike and Pain Wounds upon you. Also, your Animus inspires your ally to defiance as well. As an Aftereffect, you may imbue 1 ally with “Cure Strike” via packet/foam dart or melee touch.

-- “Diabolic Defiance” -- You cure all Strike and Pain Wounds upon you. Also, your “Guest” heals your injuries. As an Aftereffect, invoke “heal 2” to regain up to 2 HP.

-- “Talismanic Defiance” -- Your Rune Wand blasts away the attack, You may invoke this immediately after receiving the effect instead of suffering the effect first.

Etheric Arcana

(Basic Channeler; Active-Ritual, Conc-Aug)

This skill allows for the concentration of magical energy to perform spells as well as a basic understanding of one’s Arcane Tradition: spiritual Animancy, painful Diablerie, or materialistic Talismanry. This has the following functions below:

— Etheric Concentration: You can now perform Etheric Concentration (EConc), allowing you to use Spells. It is similar to a normal Concentration count except as below::

  • Any hit on the weapon/shield you’re holding counts as a hit on you

  • You cannot augment Etheric Concentration (see Empowered Arcana)

— Arcane Focus (-Focus): Energize your body against injury.

  • Step 1: Expend 1 Focus

  • Step 2: Invoke “Arcane Focus”

  • Step 3: Gain “Resolve 2”. With an Arcane Tradition, you can choose an alternate effect:

    • Animancy: invoke “Animantic Focus” to imbue “Resolve 3” to yourself or an ally.

    • Diablerie: invoke “Diabolic Focus” to gain “Heal 2”

    • Talismanry: invoke “Talismanic Focus” to repair your Rune Wand

— Arcane Ritual: You can perform a 10+ minute Ritual whose procedure and effects reflect your Arcane Tradition. Their procedures are described in greater detail within their section. You may only perform one Ritual or Craft per Period. If you have no such Tradition, you do not benefit from this.

-- Animancy:

  • Channel Animus: You create an Animus Crown

  • Harmonic Animus: Cure Curses from or revive 1-5 living/dead allies

-- Diablerie

  • Diabolic Renewal: Mend your injuries and blight

  • Diabolic Ichor: Turn your blood into an Elixir

-- Talismanry:

  • Talismanic Kit: create a Scrap Kit for Crafting and Rituals

  • Talismanic Wand (req. Scrap Kit): create a Rune Wand for casting

Augmented Ritual: If your Ritual action is Augmented by an ally’s Skills or Market hour, you may choose between one of the following bonuses:

  • Bonus Output: Create an effect or an item (such as a Scrap Kit) three times instead of just once. You pay CMP for each effect or item, as per usual.

  • Bonus Quality: You may use the Ritual action of the Empowered Arcana skill below as though you had it.

COMPLEX SKILLS

Bond of Oaths

(Complex Binder/Channeler; Active-Task/ATN, Bond)

Requires: Any two Basic Binder or Channeler skills

Forge a fellowship, warband, coven, or similar group with 1-4 willing allies, swearing toward a purpose, a faction, or yourselves. Using this skill requires the process below and has additional subfunctions beyond this:

  • Step 1: Designate 1-4 nearby allies

  • Step 2: Neither you nor them may be Oath Bonded to a different group

  • Step 3: Label an unoccupied ATN as “<Group Name> Bond of Oaths”

  • Step 4: Spend 5+ minutes celebrating your bond via formal or informal, public or private ceremony.

— Effect (1 ATN): All participants are now Oath bonded/bound to each other and to you. A person is Bonded permanently unless they decide otherwise or the bond is removed via this Skill - either way the ATN becomes inert but persists until the end of Event. A person can have only 1 Oath/Liege Bond and 1 Blood Bond.

Alternatively, this Skill can add/remove members to/from your roster (maximum of 5 members, see Bond of Command). An absent member can be removed from the group.

— Benefits: Being Oath bonded means that certain skills have bonuses when used upon those you are Bound to. Furthermore, This Skill has other subfunctions, depending on what skills you possess:

  • Ignite Inspiration: Affect an additional extra Bonded ally or affect distant allies.

  • Inspiring Aspect: Augment “Inspire” to affect an additional Bonded ally.

  • Oathbound Spells: Use “Infuse Armor”/”Restore Vitality”/”Transmute Flesh”, Augmenting and prefixing it with “Bonded”. This now affects two allies instead of only one. At least one of them must be Bonded to you (by Blood, Oath, or Liege).

— Prop Requirements: Each member must display an identifiable and obvious token or symbol (e.g. facial tattoos, tabards, shields, uniforms, cloaks, warbanner, etc.). Channelers have extra/alternate requirements for their allies.

  • Animancy: A mantle/cloak/scarf/mask similar to their Animus Crown.

  • Diablerie: Two of the Diabolist’s runes as tattoos or on clothing/items.

  • Talismanry: Two pieces of matching jewelry with the Talismonger

  • No Tradition: No extra requirements

Empowered Arcana

(Complex Channeler; Active-Ritual, Cure-Curse, Creation, Elixir/Ichor)

Requires: Any two Basic Channeler skills, including Etheric Arcana

An upgrade of the Etheric Arcana skill, Empowered Arcana grants its user additional options when it comes to their Tradition rituals.

— Mobile Spellcasting: You may invoke your Tradition while performing Etheric Concentration, invoking it instead as Animantic, Diabolic or Talismanic Concentration.. This allows you to continue said Concentration count while slow walking, at a pace of 2 steps per count.

— Create Magical Workshop (Ritual): You are able to assist in the Creation/Upkeep of a Workshop alongside four other individuals. You may create a Mana Lodge Workshop of your Tradition: Arcane Orrery (Talismanry), Outsider Obelisk (Diablerie), or Spirit Circle (Animancy)

Furthermore, you gain more knowledge of your Tradition’s Rituals

-- Animancy:

  • Hallowed Animus: Cure allies of wounds/blight and imbue Resolve

  • Expert Animancy: Create/Upkeep an Advanced Animus Crown

-- Diablerie:

  • Imbue Ichor: Enhance 1-3 allies with your blood elixirs

  • Binding Blood: Bond an ally to you so that you benefit when they do.

-- Talismanry:

  • Expert Talismanry: create or upkeep an Advanced Scrap Kit or Rune Wand

Augmented Ritual: As per Etheric Arcana except for Bonus Quality below:

  • Bonus Quality: You may use the Ritual action of the Arcane Proficiency skill below as though you had it

Resist Fear

(Complex Channeler/Defiant; Active-Focus/Resolve, Fear-Defense, Resist)

Requires: Any two Basic Channeler/Defiant skills

You have hardened your mind to fear. This skill has the following subfunctions:

Resist Fear (Resolve)

  • Step 1: Have Resolve 1 or more and receive a “Fear” attack (e.g. Fear Aura, Fear)

  • Step 2: As a Reaction, invoke “Resist Fear”

  • Step 3: You negate this attack.

  • Step 4: For the next minute approximately, you can negate such attacks by taking 2 steps away after being struck.

** Creatures using the Fear Aura ability inflict Psychic damage to anyone that hits them in melee. Resist Fear allows you to engage such foes with less danger.

Withstand Fear (-Focus): Use this if you do not have Resolve to use Resist Fear

  • Step 1: Receive a Fear attack

  • Step 2: As a Reaction, expend 1 Focus

  • Step 3: invoke “Withstand Fear”

  • Step 4: This negates the attack and imbues you with “Resolve 3”

  • Step 5: Mentally take note of your Resolve total

Endure Psychic (-Focus) You can make yourself resistant to Psychic damage.

  • Step 1: Receive an attack that inflicts Psychic-type damage. You cannot use Endure Psychic if you were struck with non-Psychic damage within the last second.

  • Step 2: As a Reaction, expend 1 Focus

  • Step 3: invoke “Endure Psychic”

  • Step 4: This negates the attack

  • Step 5: This endurance persists for the next 10 seconds You can invoke “Negate” against the next 3 Psychic attacks you receive, nullifying said attack.


Theurgic Anchoring

(Complex Channeler; Active-Task/ATN, Anchor)

Requires: Any two basic Channeler skills, including Etheric Arcana

You may Anchor and enhance your spellcraft in pious devotion, deathly energy or the maddening dark beyond sanity itself.

When you learn this skill for the first time, choose between the pious Deotheurgic Anchor, the macabre Necrotheurgic Anchor or the cosmic Xenotheurgic Anchor. Anchoring yourself for the current month requires 1 ATN (labeled as below) and is outlined in their specific section.

  • Deo Anchor: Deotheurges steep their magic with prayer and a faith in the divine. They Anchor their magics via giving salvation to their faithful or at a Shrine of their Faith. While thusly Anchored, they may boost their spells to better support their allies.

  • Necro Anchor: Necrotheurges tap into the macabre domains of death and decay. They Anchor their magics via a Graveyard or a Bone Garden. While thusly Anchored, their healing abilities are stymied but they are able to feed upon soul energy to empower their destructive and revivifying abilities.

  • Xeno Anchor: Xenotheurges peek into the maddening cosmos beyond sanity. They Anchor their magics by almost dying or at a certain Workshops: a Biomancer Hatchery or Outsider Obelisk. While thusly Anchored, they are able to defy reality to inflict madness upon their foes.

ERUDITE SKILLS

Arcane Proficiency

(Erudite Channeler; Active-Craft/Ritual, Disease/Curse-Defense, Elixir/Ichor, ATN)

Requires: Any two Basic Channeler skills and any two Complex Channeler skills, including Empowered Arcana

Arcane Proficiency is the culmination of the path that Etheric Arcana began. This skill allows for an additional option when using one’s Tradition rituals.

When you use the Etheric Arcana skill as a Ritual-Craft action, you gain additional options to choose from:

— Create Eldritch Workshop: You are able to assist in the Creation/Upkeep of a Workshop alongside four other individuals. You may create one of the Workshops below:

  • Bone Garden

  • Biomancy Hatchery

Furthermore, you gain more knowledge of your Tradition’s strongest Rituals

— Animancy:

  • Guardian Animus: Attune allies to your Animus to make them tougher

  • Invest Animus: Grant this Tradition to a willing Channeler

  • Masterful Animancy: Create/Upkeep a Superior Animus Crown.

— Diablerie:

  • Spirit Ichors: You can imbue Ichor similar to Expert and Eldritch Elixirs

  • Pact Bond: You can bond yourself to another person via Pact.

  • Invite the Guest: Grant this Tradition to a willing Channeler

— Talismanry:

  • Talismanic Matrix: Enhance non-bonded allies with your ATN spells

  • Talismanic Onboarding: Grant this Tradition to a willing Channeler.

  • Masterful Talismanry: create or upkeep a Superior Scrap Kit or Rune Wand and augment them with Gadgets, Runes, or Eldritch tech

Augmented Ritual: As per Empowered Arcana except that this Skill does not benefit from Bonus Quality.

Etheric Pulse

(Erudite Channeler; Active-Conc, Melee/Ranged-Knockback)

Requires: Any two Channeler basic skills and any two complex Channeler complex skills

Etheric Pulse allows you to expel magical energies when your Concentration is disrupted.

  • Step 1: Perform EConc

  • Step 2: Your EConc is disrupted at or after EConc-5

  • Step 3: Perform a melee attack or launch a packet/foam dart at any target

  • Step 4: Mid-attack, invoke the effect: “Knockback”

  • Step 5: As an Aftereffect, you suffer “Pain”

Metamagic Augmentation

(Erudite Channeler; Active-Conc/Focus, Skill-Aug)

Requires: Any two Channeler basic skills, any two complex Channeler complex skills, and one Mastery Skill (see below)

This skill finds itself of great use for the experienced Arcanist because it allows its wielder to utilize their knowledge of a Sphere to aid in a spell of that Sphere or a different one. The parameters of its use are outlined below:

When you cast certain Basic or Complex spells, you can Augment them as per below. You must have mastered Etheric Spheres to use this skill and to expand its scope

  • Master of Alteration skill -- Augment and prefix a damage spell with “Altered” so that its damage inflicts your choice of Flame, Frost, Lightning, or Corrosive. Alternatively, you may change a Healing or Resolve spell so that it imbues a “Cure Strike”, “Painful Revive”, or “Cure Wounds” instead.

  • Master of Illusion skill -- You displace the reality of distance. You are able to augment and prefix your Melee or Touch spells with “Displaced”, allowing it to be delivered via packet/foam dart. Alternatively, you can deliver your packet/foam dart spells through melee touch.

  • Master of Evocation skill -- Augment your spell and prefix it with “Galvanized” to add +2 to the damage of an attack spell, although this may not exceed 5 points of damage. If the spell has multiple attacks, you only affect the first attack.

  • Master of Imbuement skill -- Augment a damage, Resolve, or healing spell, prefixing the spell with “Grounded” This turns it into a Barrage 3 melee spell, allowing you to inflict its effects a total of 3 times. You must launch all of these attacks before 5 seconds have elapsed and without moving your feet, though its damage/healing/Resolve is capped at 3 points.

  • Master of Divination skill -- Augment and prefix a spell with “Prophesied” so that if it is negated by a Defense or misses, you may strike with it again as an Aftereffect. This is usable once per minute.

  • Master of Rejuvenation skill -- Augment and prefix a healing or Resolve spell with “Rejuvenating” to improve healing or Resolve by 1 point, unless it would exceed the limit of “Heal 5” or “Resolve 5” , if it grants one or the other.

Resist Warp

(Erudite Channeler/Defiant; Active-Resolve, Aura/Warp-Defense, Resist)

Requires: Any two Complex Defiant/Channeler skills and any two Basic Defiant/Channeler skills

Through rite or willpower, you can resist deathly and maddening energies. This skill has the following subfunctions:

Resist Warp (Resolve): This works exactly as Resist Fear except that it functions against “Warp” attacks.

Withstand Warp (-Focus): Use this if you do not have Resolve to use Resist Warp. This is otherwise as per Withstand Fear, except against “Warp” attacks.

Endure Shadow (-Focus) You can make yourself resistant to Shadow damage. This is as per Endure Psychic, except against Shadow.

Supreme Theurgy

(Erudite Channeler; Active-Periodic, Anchor, Spell)

Requires: Any two Channeler basic skills and any two complex Channeler complex skills, including Theurgic Anchoring

Through this Spell, a Channeler can unleash a great deal of power from their Anchor, with varying effect depending on the Anchor itself. Its use is outlined below:

Once per Period, use one of your Anchor’s options below. As a Periodic Skill, once this is used, it cannot be used again until the next Period and after you have completed a 10 minute Rest.

Sorcerous Devotion (Deotheurgic Anchor only)

Your faith cleanses their flesh and spirit from disrepair or grants others the capacity to endure injury.

-- Option 1: Cleansing Faith: cure afflictions with prayer

  • Step 1: Perform 5+ minutes of role-play reflecting prayer to your faith

  • Step 2: Invoke “Sorcerous Devotion”

  • Step 3: You cure all Basic and Greater Curses/Diseases from 1-5 allies

  • Step 4: Have Game Staff sign off on the ATN slots. Furthermore, if it is Market Hour, you are granted a Minor CMP for each cured Affliction (Abyssal/Death/Shadow).

-- Option 2: Instill Piety: imbue your allies with resolve or free them from Control

  • Step 1: Invoke “Sorcerous Devotion”

  • Step 2: Tap 1-5 allies with a hand/melee weapon. Don’t move your feet (Wave 5)

  • Step 3: With each ally, invoke your choice of “Resolve 5” or “Cure Strike” to grant them that effect.

Sorcerous Harrowing (Necrotheurgic Anchor only)

Your magic calls upon death to do your bidding, ushering it away from yourself or others.

-- Option 1: Death Blossom: inflict deathly energies upon your foes

  • Step 1: Invoke “Sorcerous Harrowing”

  • Step 2: Perform 1-5 melee swings or launch 1-5 packets/darts (Barrage 5)

  • Step 3: With each attack, invoke your choice of “Piercing 5 Shadow” or “Piercing Knockback” or “Piercing Rot Wound” to inflict that effect upon those you hit.

  • Step 4: Aftereffect: after the attacks above, you gain “Heal 5”

-- Option 2: Rise Again: revive yourself even while downed

  • Step 1: While Downed, perform a First Aid-3

  • Step 2: Invoke “Sorcerous Harrowing”

  • Step 3: You gain a “Painful Revive”

Special: You can also use this while dead and as a spirit with 5 or less Grave Scars. You permanently possess a random human corpse, shape it to your visage, and grant yourself a Greater Revive effect. Only Fate-bound or Magna traced items follow you to your new body.

Sorcerous Phasing (Xenotheurgic Anchor only)

From your anchor, you draw upon extra-dimensional power which is dangerous even for a prepared mind.

-- Xeno Jaunt: Shift your existence between multiple dimensions.

  • Step 1: Invoke “Sorcerous Phasing”

  • Step 2: Count up to Impervious-15

  • Step 3: You benefit from that effect while counting, including taking little or no damage to most attacks. In addition, you are affected by an Blind effect that cannot be negated or removed, expiring only when Impervious does.

-- Xeno Insight: Observe all dimensions at once.