Sorcery

Sorcery

Sorcery is the darkest of the casting arts and draws its power from the nether realms beyond the natural world. This power is difficult to control, resulting in flamboyant outbursts of magical energy barely trapped by the spells of it's practitioners. Sorcery focuses on the primal power of the universe, the Seeds behind all magic.

Outer Planes

When selecting the Sorcery Template, players must select the Outer Plane they draw powers from - Pandemonium, Arcadia, Aaru, or Stygia. This choice is largely thematic, as the Sorcerer’s powers will tend to match their chosen plane, however at the Storyteller’s discretion the choice of plane can offer bonuses or penalties in certain circumstances. (ex. A Pandemonium Sorcerer near a chaotic rift through the planes may gain additional dice) Details on the Planes can be found in the Brilliance & Shadow Campaign Guide, but abbreviated notes are included here for new players.

Pandemonium Description: A hellish plane of fire, lightning, and stone, Pandemonium is massive and contains many realms across which demon lords battle for dominance. This is a plane dedicated to chaos and destructive forces. Native Outsiders: Demons Energy Types: Fire, Lightning Conjured Materials:

Arcadia Description: Native Outsiders: Fae Energy Types: Fire, Frost

Aaru Description: Native Outsiders: Angels Energy Types: Fire, Lightning

Stygia Description: Native Outsiders: Undead Energy Types: Fire, Frost

Pushing

Unlike other forms of spellcasting, Sorcery can be altered in a variety of ways such as potency, duration, area, or range by reaching beyond safe limits in a maneuver Sorcerers call “Pushing”. The exact forms of pushing each power allows is listed in the spell description. A Sorcerer may push once per Rank of the Seed. Pushing is dangerous and can result in damaging backlash. Each push used on a spell adds a Backlash Dice to a pool rolled against the caster as the spell is cast. Each success rolled on these dice deals a point of Backlash as non-lethal damage to the caster. If the caster has Vigor remaining, they lose a point of Vigor for each point of non-lethal damage as normal, but their Vigor total is also reduced by the same amount until it recovers. Vigor recovers as normal at the rate of 1 point per 15 minutes. If the caster has no Vigor remaining, Backlash is treated as regular lethal damage.

Duration

Sorcery with a defined duration is either short (1 hour base duration) or long (24 hours base duration). Pushing for additional duration will depend on the type of spell. Use the following charts to determine the pushed duration. 1 push will increase the duration to the next step.

Short Duration

Number of Pushes	Duration
+0	1 Hour
+1	2 Hours
+2	4 Hours
+3	8 Hours
+4	16 Hours
+5	24 Hours

Long Duration

Number of Pushes	Duration
+0	1 Day
+1	2 Days
+2	4 Days
+3	8 Days
+4	16 Days
+5	24 Days

Seeds

Seeds are the key to how sorcerers use planar energy to manipulate their environment. They are the fundamental building blocks of planar magic that chain unbridled power to the caster's will.

Seed List

Seed	Description
Animate Dead	Infuse corpses with demonic spirits under your control
Armor	Magical armor and enhancement bonuses
Banish	Expel interplanar beings
Compel	Dominate sentient minds
Conceal	Hide items or people
Conjure	Summon extra-planar equipment with enhancement bonuses
Contact	Communicate with targets at great distances
Dispel	Disrupt magical fields and enchantments
Energy	Unleash destructive waves of energy
Scry	See a glimpse into other places and times
Enhance	Infuses the caster with magical bonuses
Reveal	Magical sight
Slay	Death spell which slays living targets
Summon	Summon and bind powerful demons
Transform	Changes targets form
Transport	Planar travel and teleportation
Ward	Damage preventing shield