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--- arcane_knowledge [2019/12/28 17:10] – [Arcane Knowledge] dungeonmaster
+++ arcane_knowledge [2020/09/04 15:40] (current) – [Arcane Knowledge] dungeonmaster
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 ====== Arcane Knowledge ======
-Arcane Knowledge is not achieved easily, nor is the specialized knowledge that one can learn after one has learned the secrets of the arcane. Both Arcane Knowledge and its specialization, known as Disciplines, requires much study and practice.
+Arcane Knowledge is not achieved easily, nor is the specialized knowledge that one can learn after one has learned the secrets of the arcane. Both Arcane Knowledge and its specialization, known as Disciplines, requires much study and practice. Study doesn't necessarily imply academic study. Some creatures have a knack for magic without even being able to read and write and their study would be more of the practical variety.
 Arcane Knowledge itself requires 5 Skill Points (though some professions award this knowledge with no additional skill point cost). Arcane Knowledge itself awards the following basic abilities:
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 ^ Mind Shield | Mind Shield allows a character to defend against a cognitive or emotional attack using a defensive action. This gives an addition two dice to Cognitive and Emotional defenses for one round. It costs 1 mana point. Although this only lasts for one round, there is no reason a character can't do a second mind shield the next round using a defensive action. |
-===== Spheres of Influence =====
+===== Disciplines =====
-Unless otherwise specified, all Knowledge in the Spheres of Influence follow the [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]].
+Unless otherwise specified, all of these Disciplines follow the [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. That means that all of these disciplines, unlike basic knowledge, can continue to have dice added to increase their effectiveness.
 ==== Elemental Acid ====
+The character can create acid as an attack, either against someone else or to melt through metal bars or other impediments. They can summon an acid elemental or defend against someone else trying to use acid against them or their party.
-^ Acid Attacks | Character produces a caustic acid with range, area of effect, and duration based on [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]; has a residual effect where successful dice from previous round are rolled again each round thereafter until washed off. Equipment with acid on it will be destroyed in two to twelve additional rounds by the acid unless it is washed off or unless it is somehow impervious to acid. |
+^ Acid Attacks | The character produces a caustic acid with [[defense#residual_effects|residual effects]]. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] for duration, area of effect, and range. |
 ^ Acid Defense | See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
 ^ Acid Elemental | See [[summoning|Summoning]] |
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 ^ Natural Cold Immunity | Immune to naturally cold weather. No mana cost is required. |
-^ Cold Attack | In addition to the initial damage cause from being struck by freezing temperatures, anyone struck by at least one point of freezing damage loses one die of initiative for one round per skill degree of the attacker or until warmth counteracts the effect. Consecutive successful freezing attacks continue to remove an initiative die at a rate of one per successful attack. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. |
+^ Cold Attack | The character produces intense cold with [[defense#residual_effects|residual effects]]. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] for duration, area of effect, and range. |
 ^ Cold Defense | See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
 ^ Cooling | This can be used to counteract the residual affects of a burning attack. This is a milder use of this power and no damage is taken from the affects of this “attack”. A defensive action must be available for the use of this skill in this way. No dice roll is required; the residual effect of the burning attack is simply nullified. |
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 ==== Elemental Electricity ====
-^ Electrical Attack | See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
+^ Electrical Attack | The character produces an electrical or lightning attack with [[defense#residual_effects|residual effects]]. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] for duration, area of effect, and range. |
 ^ Electrical Defense | See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
 ^ Redirecting Conduit | Using a defensive action, a user with the redirecting conduit skill can redirect one electrical attack per skill degree per round to an ally or opponent of their choice except for the one from whom they are receiving the electrical attack. The conduit won’t have to roll any of their own defense dice, but rather the new defender will be defending against the electrical attacker. This requires one mana point. |
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 ^ Heat Immunity | Immune to naturally hot temperatures. No mana cost is required. |
-^ Fire Attacks | Creatures struck by a fire attack will continue to take one die of damage for a length of time equal to the skill degree of the attacker. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] Highly flammable equipment will combust causing three dice of damage per round to the opponent and anyone touching them until some non-combat action is used to put it out. Equipment which catches fire will be destroyed after two to five additional rounds of burning, per the GMs judgment. Even magical equipment can potentially catch fire if it is of a material which is considered highly flammable, per the GM. |
+^ Fire Attacks | The character produces a fiery attack with [[defense#residual_effects|residual effects]]. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] for duration, area of effect, and range. |
 ^ Fire Defense | See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
 ^ Fire Elemental | See [[summoning|Summoning]] |
 ^ Warming | This can be used to counteract the residual affects of a freezing attack. This is a milder use of this power and no damage is taken from the affects of this “attack”. A defensive action must be available for the use of this skill in this way. No dice roll is required; the residual effect of the freezing attack is simply nullified. |
 ==== Elemental Water ====
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 ^ Visual Illusions | Visual disruption can not only be used to create optical illusions, but they can also mimic invisibility and blindness. |
 ^ Combining Illusions | There is no reason a character can't use more than one type at the same time. An illusion combining all four types of illusions would require four times the amount of mana. |
+==== Levitation ====
+Levitation is the ability to move without the normal aerodynamics of wings at play. Levitation just happens automatically unless conditions make it so that a standard skill check is required. As characters put more dice toward levitation, their aerodynamics increase to the point that the character can actually fly. Levitation can be cost on their character themselves or on any number of others as governed by [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. When cast on another individual, they are the ones controlling how they move, not the caster.
+^ First Degree | Movement is more akin to hovering and can only be done so with light or no armor. The height of the hovering is done at a maximum distance of one meter above the ground per degree of proficiency. |
+^ Second degree | Same as First Degree, but medium armor can be worn. |
+^ Third degree | Same as First Degree, but heavy armor can be worn. |
+^ Fourth Degree | Movement is the same as flying, as if the character had wings though maneuverability is not great without the addition of the flying skill. At this degree this cannot be done with armor. |
+^ Fifth Degree | Light or medium armor is allowed. |
 ==== Light ====
-^ Create Light | Creates light in the darkness. |
+^ Create Darkness | Create darkness in the light. This is generally only useful at higher Degrees when a two dimensional object could create a shadow or a three dimensional object could thrust a whole area into impenetrable darkness. At high levels, this is useful to create chaos on a battlefield, to hide in shadows, or to create favorable conditions for blind fighters. The cost, duration, and size is based off [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. |
-^ Create Darkness | Create darkness in the light. Useful to create chaos on a battlefield, hiding in shadows, and creating favorable conditions for blind fighters. |
+^ Create Light | Creates light in the darkness. Light is not limited to white light. Any color within the light spectrum, which is to say all of them besides black, can be created with this power, and characters with this skill often have an affinity for a certain color over all others. The cost and duration is based off [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] although the radius of the light is based off normal lighting principles radiating out from a point or whatever form the light takes. |
-^ Dark Vision | Characters with this ability can see in the dark without aid and are not affected by sudden changes between light and darkness, both of these abilities without the use of mana. Imbuing this ability on others, however, would however require the use of mana appropriate to the degree being affected. |
+^ Dark Vision | Characters with this ability can see in the dark without aid and are not affected by sudden changes between light and darkness, both of these abilities without the use of mana. Imbuing this ability on others, however, would however require the use of mana appropriate to the degree being affected. This cannot penetrate darkness created by Create Darkness. |
-^ Light Attack | Races with a weakness to light are affected as if this is a standard damage roll, and because this generally affects a weakness, the defenders often get no defending dice unless they manage to find something in the environment to obstruct the direct line of the light. |
+^ Invisibility | Light can be bent around one or more individuals to create invisibility. The cost is one mana per round and is governed by the [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. |
-^ Colored Light | Light is not limited to white light. Any color within the light spectrum, which is to say all of them besides black, can be created with this power, and characters with this skill often have an affinity for a certain color over all others. |
+^ Ray of Sunlight | Creatures not used to the light (e.g. some undead, subterranean creatures, creatures in the darkness for a long time) are automatically blinded until they become accustomed to it, which generally takes 2 rounds if it can happen at all. Creatures adversely affected by light (e.g. vampires) take damage as if this is a standard damage roll. Because this generally affects a weakness, the defenders normally get no defending dice, unless they manage to find something in the environment to obstruct the direct line of the light, and normally can't regenerate or recover the damage caused by this using First Aid. This costs 5 mana. |
-==== Time ====
+==== Polymorph ====
+Polymorph is the ability to change the character, an ally, or an opponent into a living shape of the user's choosing from the shapes pre-chosen by the character based on degree. The character is not limited to animal shapes; plants can be chosen as well. But a character couldn't change an opponent into a rock. A first degree polymorpher can pick two races at first degree, five races at second degree, and every degree thereafter, they can pick an additional five races to which they can transform themselves, allies, or opponents.
-^ Haste | Haste as a skill check with two or more successes. If undesired, Personal Defense is used to defend. One or more people can be sped up in relation to the environment so at to get twice the number of actions. Cost is based on degree. |
+Like most spells, polymorphing is limited by degree to what can be transformed under the general rules (touch, point to point, area of effect, etc).
-^ Slow | Slow as a skill check with two or more successes. If undesired, Personal Defense is used to defend. A slowed character receives no non-combat action or defensive action. Cost is based on degree. |
-^ Stop time | Requires fifth degree. Time is stopped at a rate of one round / ten mana. |
+When polymorphing or being polymorphed, the creatures, to a certain degree, take on the instincts of such a creature. The character or the chosen ally or opponent becomes that race as far as flying, talons, thick hide, gills, etc, but does not gain any special abilities of that race unless they can perform those powers themselves or they are abilities related to the actual instincts and senses of the creature (e.g. heightened sense of smell).
+A creature polymorphed becomes a typical form of that race. The polymorpher cannot morph an opponent into a wingless eagle or a legless troll to hinder them from being able to do what they would normally be able to do. They can polymorph someone to look like the guard they just passed, providing that guard is fairly normal for their race.
+Because of the nature of polymorph and the need to have a lot of the instincts of the race into which a character or opponent is being morphed, they cannot use their own powers while in that shape unless the race might reasonably perform such powers. The one exception to this is that the polymorpher is able to return all creatures polymorphed back into their own shapes, including themselves before the time limit expires.
+Example: If a character morphed into a sentient birdman to gain the ability of flight, they could likely perform the earth manipulation powers they possess because a sentient birdman might have such powers. If they morphed into an eagle, they would not because eagles aren't sentient enough to do magic.
+The race morphed into must be of the same size as the one they came from, plus or minus one body size per degree after first.
+If a character uses this power on others, the unwilling defenders a Win-Loss roll vs their personal defense. The effect duration is one hour or until the caster returns them to their normal form. For unwilling participants, it is one round per level of the caster up to a maximum of one hour.
+Maintaining the effect costs a passive action, but multiple people polymorphed may be maintained using the same passive action though mana would be per person polymorphed.
+One further note of warning, any creature polymorphed for more than a day's time must make a Skill-Check vs Personal Defense each hour of transformation or become that creature's mind personally, losing powers, gaining instincts that don't match the creature's actual body type, even after the spell wears off and they return to normal form.
+==== Potions and Powders ====
+Powers and potions are a type of arcane storage. They use the mana of the "caster" at the time the potions and powers are created instead of at the time they are used, thus allowing a character to carry magic with them to be used when they have no residual mana as well as to give them to other players or even to sell them. Storage in this way requires encumbrance slots, one per potion or powder, though there are ways to expand the standard limited encumbrance with a backpack or other storage item.
+==== Sound ====
+^ Silence | Making it so no sound can be heard. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. |
+^ White Noise | Adding extra sound. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
+^ Modifying Sound | Modifying conversations to cause disagreements. Disguising voices. |
+^ Thunder Clap | Thunder claps can cause dice of bludgeoning damage equal to the standard damage roll, and have the additional effect of deafening opponents with more losses than wins when treated as a Win-Loss check. Thunderclaps require the ability to affect an area, so higher degrees are required for this and similar effects. |
 ==== Space ====
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 Summoning extraplanar entities (e.g. demons, imps, angels, genies, etc) requires a successful Skill roll and a degree sufficient for the number and size of desired demons. (See [[summoning|Summoning]] for more information.) In addition to general summoning rules, extraplanar entities must be dismissed before the summoner reaches zero mana or they will be loosed. Dismissing an extraplanar entity requires a successful Win-Loss roll vs the extraplanar entity’s Self. If an extraplanar entity is not dismissed, it turns against its summoner, then the party, then the rest of the world.
-==== Sound ====
+==== Telekinesis ====
-^ Silence | Making it so no sound can be heard. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]]. |
+Telekinesis employs magical means to move an object from one place to another by applying momentum to it without force in the traditional sense. Weights that can be moved are shown in the table below:
-^ White Noise | Adding extra sound. See [[standard_effects_degrees_levels|Standard Effects of Degrees and Levels]] |
-^ Modifying Sound | Modifying conversations to cause disagreements. Disguising voices. |
-^ Thunder Clap | Thunder claps can cause dice of bludgeoning damage equal to the standard damage roll, and have the additional effect of deafening opponents with more losses than wins when treated as a Win-Loss check. Thunderclaps require the ability to affect an area, so higher degrees are required for this and similar effects. |
+^ First Degree | Ten kilograms per level |
+^ Second Degree | One hundred kilograms per level |
+^ Third Degree | One thousand kilograms per level |
+^ Fourth Degree | Ten thousand kilograms per level |
+^ Fifth Degree | Unlimited, within reason, per the GMs judgment |
+Opponents being moved via telekinesis have three ways of countering being moved via a character's telekinesis. First, they can hold onto something immovable. If they attempt this, the character must make a successful Win-Loss roll versus their opponent's personal defense (with benefits from the opponent's brute strength). Second, they can attempt to fight it with a Personal defense roll. Third, they can attempt to block it with their own Levitation or Telekinesis (either Arcane or Psionic).
+==== Time ====
+^ Haste | Haste as a skill check with two or more successes. If undesired, Personal Defense is used to defend. One or more people can be sped up in relation to the environment so at to get twice the number of actions. Cost is based on degree. |
+^ Slow | Slow as a skill check with two or more successes. If undesired, Personal Defense is used to defend. A slowed character receives no non-combat action or defensive action. Cost is based on degree. |
+^ Stop time | Requires fifth degree. Time is stopped at a rate of one round / ten mana. |