Obfuscation Sphere
Veiler, Obscurer
Image by Nicco Salonga
The Obfuscation Sphere is focused on altering perception, hiding something or someone that is present or altering the senses of others. Invest in this Sphere if:
You want to play a spellcaster focused on hiding, lying, and escaping
You want to use a mix of Control effects on your enemies and support abilities on your allies.
You want to play a trickster, an illusionist, a shadowmancer, or a mountebank.
SPHERE OVERVIEW
Basic Skills
Obfuscate Presence: Render yourself undetectable to most senses
Obfuscate Aura: Reactively negate Deduction or Perception effects upon you.
Obfuscate Exodus: Veil and disguise your exit from a situation
Obfuscation Adept (ATN): Empower your basic Obfuscation spells
Complex Skills
Obfuscate Material (Ritual; ATN): Change the appearance of an item or of yourself
Obfuscate Senses: Blind or move a distant target via spell-packet.
Obfuscate Spirit: Defend yourself from attacks by blurring your form.
Obscuring Obfuscation (ATN): Empower your complex Obfuscation spells.
Erudite Skills
Distorting Aspect (ATN): assume an Aspect that dodges attacks and punishes inquiries.
Master of Illusion (1/E): Mastery skill for the Obfuscation Sphere
Obfuscate Form: Make yourself difficult to damage for a few moments.
Obfuscate Sanctum (Ritual; ATN): Use magics to obscure a Sanctum’s entrances
Sorcerous Reality (1/P): Blind (or Silence, Invigorate, etc) allies and enemies
BASIC SKILLS
OBFUSCATE AURA
(Basic Obfuscation; Active-Focus, Masking, Inquiry/Sense-Defense, Spell)
The Obfuscate Aura spell uses magics to cloud the contents of one’s spirit and aura against those that would seek to glean knowledge from it. Using this skill is outlined below:
Step 1: You are affected by an Inquiry effect
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus
Step 3: Invoke “Obfuscate Aura, No effect” as a Reaction to the Inquiry. This negates the Inquiry effect unless it is invoked as “Master Inquiry”, which is very rare. If a specific effect has multiple Inquiry questions, you negate all such questions.
Step 4: Obfuscated Aura: You gain the Obfuscated status until 60 seconds have passed or you drop to 0 HP. While Obfuscated, the distortion to your Aura remains. This allows you to React with “No effect” when affected upon any Inquiry (except Master Inquiries)
OBFUSCATE EXODUS
Basic; Active-Conc/Focus, Escape, Spell
(Basic Obfuscation; Active-Conc/Focus, Escape, Spell)
A variation of the Obfuscate Aura spell, Obfuscate Exodus allows a Veiler to escape from a dangerous scenario and cloud their exit from unskilled pursuers.
You must fulfill the following requirements before you can even use this skill.
Mobile: You must not be immobilized by any effect such as being tied up or being Hobbled
Not Trapped: You must be in a place where you can run away. Locked rooms, prisons, pocket dimensions, etc will prevent the use of this skill.
When these are fulfilled, follow the procedure below.
Step 1: Perform EConc-3
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus
Step 3: Invoke "Obfuscate Exodus"
Step 4: Begin an audible “Escape count” that goes up to 60, while slow or fast walking.
Put your hand or weapon atop your head to show that you are "out of game".
No one may interact with or pursue you without the proper Skills.
Step 5: Ensure that these last 10 counts of the Escape effect are extra audible to indicate your return to the game environment
Step 6: At “Escape 60”, lower your hand/weapon from your head, going back “in-game”
Returning to the scene: You cannot return to the area you’ve escaped from until 10 minutes have passed.
Pursuit effects: Other creatures may use “Pursuit” effects to follow you. They will exit the game and enter the game at the same time you do so. Similarly, other characters may join your escape by using their Skill simultaneously to your own use.
OBFUSCATE PRESENCE
(Basic Obfuscation; Active-Conc/Focus, Conceal)
The Obfuscate Presence spell hides one’s appearance and even spirit from detection, clouding the minds of nearby observers.
To use this spell, you must fulfill the following requirements:
Position: Lean against immovable cover (e.g. wall, tree) with a minimum of 50% coverage. You do not need to be behind it.
Equipment: No active light source. You may be wearing any armor or carrying any weapon.
When these positional and item requirements are fulfilled, do the following:
Step 1: Perform EConc-3
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus.
Step 3: Invoke “Obfuscate Presence”
Step 4: You are imbued with the "Concealed" status and must follow the points below or lose said status.
Crossed Arms: Cross your arms over your chest. You may hold items.
Stand Still: Don’t move from your location, Concentrate, or use any Skills/Defenses.
Stay Silent: You may not say anything, except for out-of-game clarifies.
Concealed Creatures: You cannot be seen or pinpointed, but you can see normally. Other Characters can vaguely sense your presence (i.e. "I think we're being watched"). When hit by an attack, respond with "Immune, I am Concealed" -- the only effects that will hit you and remove Concealment are Unveiling effects and Global effects
Being Unveiled: Even if the restrictions above are followed, you can be removed from Concealment if you are hit by an Unveiling effect or a Global effect. The former comes from individuals under the “Perceiving” status. The latter is an effect that hits the whole area.
OBFUSCATION ADEPT
(Basic Obfuscation; Active-Task/CMP/ATN)
This skill allows a Veiler to attune themselves to the Obfuscation Sphere. This takes up one of their Attunements but has the benefit of enhancing and improving their spells -- allowing them to be used more often and with greater effect.
Step 1: Label this ATN as “OBF Adept <your magic tradition>”
Step 2: Perform 1+ minutes of role-play that reflects communion with magic
Step 3: Expend five Minor components (Tradition-based). You can waive this Component (CMP) cost by allowing it to take up 2 ATN slots instead of 1 ATN. You cease to benefit from this Adept ATN if either ATN slot becomes inert or afflicted.
Animantic tradition: Astral or Wind component
Diabolic tradition: Abyssal or Shadow component
Talismanic tradition: Lightning or Earth component
-- Obfuscate Aura: Perform your Arcane Tradition’s Somatic Gesture to use this spell proactively instead of reactively. Instead of the Spell’s normal effects, the Obfuscated status lasts 10 minutes instead of 60 seconds.
Furthermore, if you had spent Focus on this spell, you are able to end it early by invoking “Minimal” as a Reaction to receiving damage from a ranged attack. This reduces the damage to 1 point but the attack cannot be a melee, a Master-type or an Ambush-type attack.
— Obfuscate Presence: Perform your Arcane Tradition’s Somatic Gesture to augment this spell and prefix it with “Bonded”. It now affects yourself and up to two Bonded allies within a Step and Arm’s reach of you. These allies need to fulfill the Position and Equipment requirements of the spell and its other parameters.
— Obfuscate Exodus: Perform your Arcane Tradition’s Somatic Gesture to waive the Focus cost of using this spell. This spell still requires a Concentration count. Furthermore, any self-inflicted effects begin their timer after you finish your Escape count.
COMPLEX SKILLS
OBFUSCATE MATERIAL
(Complex Obfuscation; Active-Ritual/CMP/ATN, Deception, Conceal)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation skills
This spell allows you to change your appearance, to change an item’s appearance or to even prevent others from finding small items upon your person. On a meta-game level, this spell is also used to allow an individual to play their character without the prosthetics required by their Stigmata, although it prevents them from using any Stigmata Traits (except the Traits that they use to cast this spell).
Step 1: Fill out a Craft-Ritual sheet
Step 2: Label the recipient’s empty ATN slots with one of the options below and have Game Staff sign off on it. This ATN expires at the end of the Event.
Step 3: Give Game Staff 5 Minor CMP (Tradition based; see Obfuscation Adept)
Step 4: Perform 10+ minutes of roleplay that reflects this magical Ritual
Step 5: At the end of the role-play, resolve the effects that do not require any Game Staff intervention and clarify anything if needed. The you gain one of the options below:
-- Option 1: Obfuscate Visage — Appear with a Specific Stigmata or without your Stigmata. This does not allow you to take on the appearance of a specific person.
Requires an ATN labeled “Obfuscate Visage”
You cannot use any of your Stigmata Traits, except for their Drawbacks and any Trait that allows you to cast spells.
-- Option 2: Obfuscate Detail — 1-3 weaponry, device or armor items appear differently.
The prop used for them must be of a similar type and size but the exact details can be different. If it is a weapon, it needs to be inspected.
If an Item Augment’s prop reqs are not fulfilled, that Augment will not function.
Requires 1 ATN (“Obfuscate Detail”) for every item that you affect with this.
-- Option 3: Obfuscate Container — Obscure your pockets and bags, gaining the ability to React with “No effect” vs any attempt to scavenge from your person. This has the same benefits and limitations as the Conceal item skill vs. Scavenge and Inquiry effects.
This requires 1 ATN (“Obfuscate Container”).
Augmented Ritual: If your Ritual action is Augmented by an ally’s Skills, you may choose between one of the following bonuses:
Bonus Output: You may affect yourself and/or up to two other Bonded allies, paying the CMP cost for each. Optionally, affect 2 additional items.
Bonus Quality: Your spell is improved as though you had the necessary Attunement and Skill -- see Obscuring Obfuscation.
OBFUSCATE SENSES
(Complex Obfuscation; Active-Focus, Ranged-Attack, Blind/Push/Pull/Snare)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation skills
Your expertise in the Obfuscation Sphere has allowed you to dictate the perceived reality of a target, blinding them, paralyzing their legs or driving them away.
Step 1: Perform EConc-3
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus
Step 3: Invoke “Obfuscate Senses
Step 4: Throw a spell packet or shoot a dart at a target.
Step 5: In mid-throw, invoke one of the options below. If you hit your target or anything they are carrying, they receive that effect.
-- Option 1: “Piercing Blind” -- your target’s vision is clouded for 30 seconds
-- Option 2: “Piercing Snare” -- they cannot move their legs for 30 seconds
-- Option 3: “Piercing Knockback” -- they must take 10 steps away from you
-- Option 4: “Piercing Pull” -- they must take 10 steps toward you
Take note: this Spell can affect Constructs and most beings, but it cannot affect objects or individuals at 0 HP.
OBFUSCATE SPIRIT
(Complex Obfuscation; Active-Conc/Focus, Defense)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation skills
This spell obscures and blurs your form for a short while, allowing you to evade attacks upon your person. Its use follows the procedure below:
Step 1: Perform EConc-3
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus
Step 3: Invoke “Obfuscate Spirit”
Step 4: You are granted ONE use of the “Etheric Dodge” defense (which may not be augmented further). This Augmented Dodge works similar to the Artful Dodger skill but does not cost Focus.
Obfuscated Spirit: Instead of Etheric Dodge, you may invoke “Minimal” to a ranged attack. This has the same limitations as Obfuscate Aura’s similar effect.
Aftereffect: After you use Etheric Dodge or “Minimal”, you may inflict a “Piercing Blind” at one of your aggressors via melee strike or packet/foam dart.
OBSCURING OBFUSCATION
(Complex Obfuscation; Active-Task/ATN/CMP)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation skills including Obfuscation Adept
This is an upgrade of the Obfuscation Adept skill and it allows said skill to empower the Obfuscation spells listed below instead of merely Basic Obfuscation spells. Like similar skills, this marks a milestone in a Veiler’s studies and development within the Sphere.
While you have the Obfuscation Adept Attunement, you are able to harness its veiling properties in a stronger capacity.
-- Obfuscate Aura: You may use this Spell upon a Bonded ally to proactively blur their aura. This is otherwise as per Obfuscation Adept’s upgrade, lasting for 10 minutes but without the “Minimal” defense.
-- Obfuscate Exodus: You may take two individuals with you within step and arm’s reach of you. They must both be Bonded to you via Blood, Oath, or Allegiance and their mobility must be unhindered by Control effects or any restraints (e.g. rope, chains, etc). Furthermore, you all gain “Resolve 3” after you complete your Escape count.
-- Obfuscate Material: You are able to change the appearance of items that you wield, requiring only 1 ATN for Obfuscate Detail. These items may not be used by other people.
-- Obfuscate Presence: When you perform your Tradition’s Somatic Gesture, you may augment this spell and prefix it with “Shrouded. Similar to the Shadower’s Hide in Shadows skill, you are shielded by darkness when you leave the Concealed state, gaining the Impervious-5 effect. Any step you take must be away from the closest enemy you can see.
-- Obfuscate Senses: Perform your Arcane Tradition’s Somatic Gesture to waive the Focus cost of this spell. Furthermore, you may instead choose to obfuscate an ally’s sense of pain, imbuing them with either a “Resolve 2” or a “Cure Strike'' effect via melee touch. You may not use this on yourself.
-- Obfuscate Spirit: Perform your Tradition’s Somatic Gesture to gain 3 uses of Etheric Dodge or “Minimal” per casting of this spell. When you expend your last use, you gain the option to imbue yourself with “Resolve 3” as an Aftereffect.
ERUDITE SKILLS
DISTORTING ASPECT
(Erudite Obfuscation; Active-Task/ATN, Aspect)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation and any two Complex Obfuscation skills
This spell allows a Veiler to assume a deceptive elusive aspect that improves their ability to deflect inquiry and even dodge attacks.
Step 1: Have no other Aspect ATNs on your person
Step 2: Write “Distorting Aspect” to two empty ATN slots
Step 3: Perform 5+ minutes of meditation in private
Step 4: Gain the benefits and limitations below. This Aspect lasts for 1 Event.
After you have completed these requirements above, you gain the following effects below.
Etheric Dodge (-Focus, Aftereffect): You gain temporary use of the Dodge defense. If you have the Obfuscate Spirit spell, you may opt to use its Aftereffect whenever Parry or Dodge without needing to Augment either defense.
Distorted Obfuscation (Skill Aug): You may escape into concealment or escape while concealed. Augment “Obfuscate Exodus” with “Distorted” to waive its EConc and Focus costs. This requires that you were Concealed for 60 seconds prior. Similarly, you may augment “Obfuscate Presence” in the same way, provided that it is within 5 seconds of ending an Escape effect.
Distort Perspective: Whenever you use a defense against an Inquiry effect, you may immediately inflict a “Blind” against your inquirer as an Aftereffect. This effect is delivered vocally, but only against an adjacent target.
Distorted Sanity: When you use Obfuscate Senses or attack with Obfuscate Spirit, you can opt to inflict “Piercing, 3 Psychic”, representing your magic’s ability to tear down your enemy’s sanity.. This damage type cannot be changed but it can be increased.
Obfuscate Container: You gain the effects of Obfuscate Container without needing to dedicate an additional ATN to it.
Realistic Illusions (+Resolve): When you imbue Resolve on others, the effect is increased by +1. You may also increase the Control effect duration (Strikes only) of your Obfuscation spells by 10 secs/steps but the attack is no longer Piercing.
Shadow Walk (-Focus): You can use the Shadow Walk function of Expert Shadower as though you had it.
Exhausting Presence -- Being able to deceive others with ease leaves you vulnerable. Your maximum HP may not exceed 7 HP.
MASTER OF ILLUSION
(Erudite Obfuscation; Active-Ritual/Event, Masterspell)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation and any two Complex Obfuscation skills
You have reached the apex of proficiency with the Obfuscation Sphere. This skill represents this expertise, allowing you greater flexibility and utility with Obfuscation rituals and its periodic spells.
Displacing Dodge (Aftereffect): You can confuse distant attackers. Whenever you use Etheric Dodge vs a ranged attack, you invoke it as “Displacing Dodge” and redirect it to a nearby individual. You must immediately and successfully hit the new target with a Piercing melee attack -- the damage/effect is the same as the original.
Extended Umbra: When using Obfuscate Presence or Exodus, you can affect two non-Bonded allies as an Aftereffect. In the case of the latter, this effect occurs before the Escape count begins.
Lingering Illusion: When you leave Concealment from Obfuscate Presence or finish your Escape Count from Obfuscate Exodus, you gain the Impervious status for 3 counts/seconds. Invoke this as “Emerging 1, Emerging 2, Emerging 3”
Masterspell Action (1/Event): Perform a Masterspell action once per Event, benefiting from one or both effects below. This does not expend the use of other Masterspell skills in the same Event.
Option 1: Masterful Rituals -- When you use an Obfuscation Ritual or Sorcerous Reality, it does not expend your Periodic use of that Skill for the current Period. If its use involves invoking its name, preface it with “Master of Illusion”
Option 2: Master of Illusion, Obfuscate Presence/Obfuscate Exodus -- This waives the Conc and Focus cost of the chosen spell and allows it to imbue a Superior Concealment effect or Superior Escape effect, as appropriate to the spell.
Metamagic Augmentation skill (Channeler): If you have this Skill, you can use your mastery of Obfuscation to augment your Basic/Complex Melee or Touch spells with “Displaced”, allowing it to be delivered via packet/foam dart. Alternatively, you can deliver your Basic/Complex packet/foam dart spells through melee touch.
OBFUSCATE FORM
(Erudite Obfuscation; Active-Conc/Focus, Impervious, Basic Attack-Defense, Spell)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation and any two Complex Obfuscation skills
This spell clouds its caster’s form, thereby negating most attacks, but it also allows the caster to maintain this obscurement for a short time while moving.
Step 1: Perform EConc-3
Step 2: Expend 1 Focus
Step 3: invoke “Obfuscate Form”
Step 4: Gain the Impervious-5 status. Its effects are outlined below.
-- Usage: Invoke “Impervious 1, Impervious 2…” to “Impervious 5” in a FIRM voice. You may move at a slow or fast walk.
-- Minimal Damage: While doing so, you take no damage from basic melee attacks although they still stop forward momentum. -- Other damaging attacks are reduced to “1 damage”. Control effects work normally.
-- Weak to Bane and Siege: Bane damage and Siege damage inflict their normal amount and end the effect prematurely.
-- Other actions: You may use defenses to negate attacks while Impervious and you may make melee basic attacks. However, you may not perform Concentration or use any other Active Skills while Shielded
-- This status ends when you reach Impervious 5 or when 5 seconds have elapsed, whichever happens first.
Additional Options: Below are options that are accessible to those with a specific Tradition. Using them replaces the name of the spell with the name in quotations.
-- Animantic Tradition: “Spirit of Shrouding” -- Perform your Tradition’s Somatic Gesture and invoke this spell as above for your Animus to defend your ally. While Impervious, you can also affect a Bonded ally while maintaining physical contact with them.
-- Diabolic Tradition: “Veiling Blood” -- Perform your Tradition’s Somatic Gesture and invoke this spell as above to shroud yourself in darkness. You suffer the Pain or Stun effect after Impervious ends. As an Aftereffect, invoke and gain “Heal 5”.
-- Talismanic Tradition: “Wand of Shrouding” -- Perform your Tradition’s Somatic Gesture and invoke this spell as above to reinforce your form with energy. You also grant yourself “Resolve 5” at the start of this spell.
OBFUSCATE SANCTUM
(Erudite Obfuscation; Active-Ritual/CMP/ATN, Spell)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation and any two Complex Obfuscation skills
You magically obscure and hide the entrances of a tent or small building. Take note that this may not be used on the main building of the Event venue.
Step 1: Fill out a Craft-Ritual sheet
Step 2: Label one of your empty ATN slots with “Obfuscate Sanctum” and have Game Staff sign off on it. This ATN expires at the end of the Event.
Step 3: Give 5 Minor CMP (Astral or Tradition based) to Game Staff.
Step 4: Perform 10+ minutes of roleplay that reflects this magical Ritual
Step 5: At the end of the role-play, resolve the effects that do not require any Game Staff intervention and clarify anything if needed. You gain one of the two options below:
-- Seal Entry: You prevent entrance from anyone that is not Bonded to you unless you or someone Bonded to you specifically walk them in or are at the entrance. This only functions while you or your Bonded allies are within the building.
-- Defend Sanctum: While touching the building, you can invoke “Obfuscate Sanctum, negate” everytime you see it receive a Siege attack (Piercing 7+ damage). The attack is transferred to you instead and you may negate it with a defense.
-- How to Dispel: This may be temporarily annulled via a “Disrupt Conjuration” effect. However, such an action must vocally and distinctly warn those inside of its occurrence. Furthermore, its protections only fade after 5 minutes, giving the individuals within some time to prepare a defense or await help.
If Disrupted, it may be renewed after 5 minutes of meditation and 1 Focus from the original caster.
Augmented Ritual: If your Ritual action is Augmented by an ally’s Skills or Market hour you may enhance it as follows -- Bonus Output: You may affect 1-3 Buildings instead of only one. This takes up 1 ATN each
Prop Requirements: The building/tent’s entrances must be marked with purple or blue glowsticks, glow-wire or LEDs as well as a written out-of-game clarification.
SORCEROUS REALITY
(Erudite Obfuscation; Active-Periodic, Ranged-Attack, Resolve/Blind/Silence/Pain, Spell)
Requires: Any two Basic Obfuscation and any two Complex Obfuscation skills
A refined version of the Obfuscate Senses spell, Sorcerous Reality allows you to inflict your whims upon the perceptions and senses of others.
Once per Period, follow the procedure below to use this Skill. 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.
-- Option 1: Mass Illusion — Fool senses on a wider scale
Step 1: Invoke “Sorcerous Reality”
Step 2: Throw 1 to 5 spell packets at the same target or different ones as a Barrage 5. effect You must launch all of these attacks before 10 seconds have elapsed and without moving your feet.
Step 3: For each attack, you may choose any of the Illusion options below:
Illusion Option 1: Bravery -- “Resolve 5”
Illusion Option 2: Darkness -- “Piercing Blind 60”
Illusion Option 3: Quiet -- “Piercing Silence 60”
Illusion Option 4: Agony -- “Piercing Pain 60”
Illusion Option 5: Stillness -- “Piercing Snare 60”
-- Option 2: Blunt Despair/Inflict Euphoria
Step 1: You and your targets must be out of combat (no fighting w/in 50 feet, sight, or hearing)
Step 2: Perform EConc-10
Step 3: Invoke “Sorcerous Bravery” or “Sorcerous Euphoria”
Step 4: Invoke “Global, Lasting Resolve 3” -- this cannot be increased in any way. This affects everyone that hears it, including yourself.
Additional Options: Below are options that are accessible to specific Traditions.
-- Animantic Tradition — When using Mass Illusion, you can Vocally deliver any of the Illusion Options to a Bonded ally within 30 feet of you. To do this, invoke their name first and then the effect you want to bestow.
-- Diabolic Tradition — When using Mass Illusion, you can instill raving madness or terror into your targets. In addition to the Illusion options, you may also opt for: “Piercing, Frenzy” or “Piercing, 5 Psychic”
-- Talismanic Tradition — When using Mass Illusion, you can deliver any of the effects through a melee strike of your Rune Wand if it is a melee weapon or a melee safe bow/crossbow.