Mages are mentally-focused characters with Arcane Connections that allow them to cast magic. Wizards, sorcerers, alchemists, arcane investigators, and mystical scholars can all be made using this class.

 

 

 

Arcane Connection

You have a connection to arcane energies that allows you to cast magic. There are several forms that this Arcane Connection can take, each with its own requirements. Choose one of the following four types of Arcane Connection from the list below. You must fulfill the requirements of your particular type of Arcane Connection in order to use magic.

• Concentration: You connect to arcane energies by concentrating. In order to cast spells, you must be able to concentrate. Only significant disruptions to concentration impede your ability to cast magic.
• Spell Components: You connect to arcane energies through physical objects, such as magical plants, water from special places, gemstones, or magical implements. The kind of physical objects you use is up to you. You have a pouch containing a full set of your type of spell components. In order to cast spells, you must be able to access and use these spell components.
• Gestures: You connect to arcane energies through physical gestures. In order to cast spells, you must be able to use your body to make these physical gestures.
• Vocalizations: You connect to arcane energies through chanting or other verbalizations. In order to cast spells, you must be able to clearly vocalize these sounds.

There are many different types of magic, such as Fire Magic and Illusion Magic, that can be cast using your Arcane Connection. Each type of magic is a separate ability that needs to be studied individually before you can cast it. You will be choosing which types of magic you know in the Arcane Abilities section below. For this purpose, magic is any ability with the word “Magic” in its name.

 

 

Arcane Abilities

Standard mage characters get any four abilities from the following list.

 

Ability Summaries

Elemental Magic

• Fire Magic: You can create magical effects with fire and light.
• Water Magic: You can create magical effects with water and cold.
• Air Magic: You can create magical effects with air, flight, and sound.
• Earth Magic: You can create magical effects with earth and stone.

Nature Magic

• Weather Magic: You can create magical effects with weather and lightning.
• Animal Magic: You can use magic to interact with animals or transform yourself and others into animals.
• Plant Magic: You can use magic to alter plants and fungi, connect with plants and fungi, and use plant and fungi traits.
• Shapeshifting Magic: You can use magic to temporarily alter the physical forms of yourself and others.

Journey Magic

• Sensing Magic: You can create magical effects that aid or block perception.
• Communication Magic: You can create magical effects that facilitate or block communication.
• Transportation Magic: You can create magical effects that assist or hinder movement and travel.

Utility Magic

• Force Magic: You can create magical effects by molding and manipulating raw magical force.

• Illusion Magic: You can use magic to create illusions that trick people’s senses.

• Object Magic: You can use magic to create, alter, repair, and interact with objects.
• Summoning Magic: You can temporarily bring other beings to you by using magic to construct magical bodies (constructs) that are controlled by the consciousnesses of those other beings.
• Analytic Magic: You can use your magic to sense, understand, suppress, and dispel magic.

Magical Talents

• Attunement: You have a special connection to one type of magic that is expressed as an immunity and two specific magical effects that you can do without risk of failure.
• Arcane Dabbler: You have studied two branches of magic just enough to be able to cast spells, but lack control.
• Flexible Casting: You can connect to arcane energies in multiple ways and have two different Arcane Connections that you can switch between.
• Familiar: You have formed a magical bond with a small creature that helps you.

Alchemical Methods

• Alchemy: By extracting and combining chemicals, you can create basic alchemical items that you always have on hand, as well as advanced items that are made one at a time.
• Magical Alchemy: ­­ You can create alchemical items that are imbued with one type of magic.

Mental Abilities

• Knowledgeable: You are extremely knowledgeable and are prepared to use any Knowledge Skill to answer questions.
• Lore Master: You have a deep knowledge of many subjects and can sometimes provide extra detail that few others know.
• Alert: You are prepared to notice subtle things about the people and places around you.
• Investigator: You are a skilled investigator who always notices something useful.
• Charismatic: You have a talent for social interaction and are prepared to use any Social Skill.

Flexible Enhancements

• Specialty: You are so good at doing one specific thing that you are always prepared to do it.
• Skill Expert: You are an expert in one skill and rarely fail.
• Special Technique: You know a special technique that makes it easier for you to do a physical skill as if it was a mental one.
• Balanced Expertise: You are especially good at one body and one mind skill and are prepared to do either of them.
• Skillful: You know more skills than most people.
• Extra Species Trait: You have manifested an additional species trait.

 

 

Ability Descriptions

Elemental Magic

Fire Magic: You can create magical effects with fire and light. Examples of effects that you can make are magical illumination, dazzling lights, walls of fire, fire breath, flaming weapons, and fireballs. You can also do things like resist harm from fire, sense fire, melt things, burn things up, put out fire, and create darkness. Fire Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Water Magic: You can create magical effects with water and cold. Examples of effects that you can make are jets of water, geysers, waves, walls of ice, frost weapons, and blasts of cold. You can also do things like create water, resist harm from cold, sense water, thaw ice, and dry up water. Water Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Air Magic: You can create magical effects with air, flight, and sound. Examples of effects that you can make are gusts of air, vortexes (mini-tornadoes), walls of wind, barriers that block sound, magical flight, blasts of noise, and areas of silence. You can also do things like amplify sound, detect airborne toxins, purify air, calm turbulent air, prevent creatures from flying, and cushion a fall. Air Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Earth Magic: You can create magical effects with earth and stone. Examples of effects that you can make are tremors, earthquakes, walls of stone, holes in the ground, blasts of gravel, and rock armor. You can also do things like animate a statue, stabilize a collapsing tunnel, still earth tremors, burrow through the earth, sense minerals in the ground, turn stone into mud, turn mud into stone, and reshape rock with your mind. Earth Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

 

Nature Magic

Weather Magic: You can create magical effects with weather and lightning. Examples of effects that you can make are sleet storms, rain, clouds of fog, moments of sunshine, blizzards, sandstorms, lightning bolts, and shock weapons (weapons that give an electrical shock to people they hit). You can also do things like resist harm from electricity, control the path of lightning strikes, predict the weather, return the weather to a normal pattern, help people endure hazardous weather, and protect an area from hazardous weather. Weather Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Animal Magic: You can use magic to interact with animals or transform yourself and others into animals. Examples of ways that you can interact with animals are speaking with animals, calming animals, sensing where animals are, and calling animals to your aid. Possibilities for transforming into animals include partial transformations to gain animal traits and shapeshifting into specific animals. For example, you could have eagle vision, bioluminescence, wings, gills, claws, poisonous fangs, a keen sense of smell, echolocation, the ability to climb like a gecko, or the capacity to create webs. Animal Magic can also be used to sense, alter, and disrupt the Animal Magic of others. It is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Plant Magic: You can use magic to alter plants and fungi, connect with plants and fungi, and use plant and fungi traits. Examples of effects that you can create are magically animated vines, blasts of sleep-inducing spores, slippery algae coatings, zones of entangling plants, and thorn walls. You can also do things like reshape plants, cause a plant to become bioluminescent, heal plants, speak with plants, command non-sapient plant creatures, resist harm from plant-based poisons, sense specific plants, wither plants, speed up plant growth, and temporarily give people plant-like traits, like bark skin. Plant Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Shapeshifting Magic: You can use magic to temporarily alter the physical forms of yourself and others. This means that you can partially or completely transform people into different sapient species, magical creatures, animals, plants, and even objects. However these transformations are never directly harmful. For example, a person who is transformed into an object will return to their normal form once the spell is over. This also means that people cannot be transformed into anything that would be immediately be harmed by its environment. For example, it is not be possible to turn someone into a fish on dry land.

For each transformation, the more significant and specific the change being made is, the harder it is to do. When magic is harder, the bigger the consequences of failed rolls will be. This means that it is easier to change someone’s appearance than it is to change what they are. So it is easier to make a person look like a statue than it is to turn them into a statue. This also means that mimicking the appearance of a specific person or thing is possible, but doing so is more risky. Shapeshifting magic can also be used to detect or undo others’ Shapeshifting Magic. This magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

 

Journey Magic

Sensing Magic: You can create magical effects that aid or block perception. Examples of things that you can do are detect nearby magic, hide from magical detection, enhance a person’s senses, give someone echolocation, circumvent magical alarms, create a zone of silence, make someone invisible, prevent a group of people from leaving a scent trail, and craft magical alarms that will alert you when a specific event occurs (such as a creature entering an area).

You can also use Sensing Magic to locate a person, place, or thing. When doing this, you must specify what you are looking for. For example, you could aim to find a specific lost cat, detect the nearest person wearing armor, or identify all secret doors in an area.

Sensing Magic also allows you to use your senses to remotely observe people, objects, and places. This is known as scrying. While you are scrying, you are unaware of your physical surroundings. Sensing Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Communication Magic: You can create magical effects that facilitate or block communication. Communication Magic allows you to talk to animals, plants, ghosts, and the spirits of objects (keep in mind that most plants and objects have limited awareness). Examples of other effects that you can do are voice amplification, telepathy, magical translation, and lie detection. You can also do things like send messages, visit someone’s dreams, and prevent communication from being understood. In addition, this magic can also be used to detect, block, or listen in on other’s communications. Communication Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Transportation Magic: You can create magical effects that assist or hinder movement and travel. Examples of things that you can do are way finding, speeding travel, summoning mounts, conjuring temporary magical vehicles, levitating objects, making someone fly, teleporting, preventing harm from hazardous terrain, and enhancing someone’s ability to swim, climb, fly, or ride. This magic can also be used to detect, track, or hinder the transportation of others. Transportation Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

 

Utility Magic

Force Magic: You can create magical effects by molding and manipulating raw magical force. There are two main ways to use Force Magic. The first is to mold the raw magical force into crude shapes such as clubs, rams, blades, shields, walls, ramps, domes, and spheres. Each time you do this, select a location, person, or object that the force shape is anchored to. If the anchor is unmoving, then the force shape stays in place with it. If the anchor is mobile, then the force shape moves with it. These force shapes can act as weapons or as barriers to both physical and magical harm. They may also be used creatively to do things like bridge a gap, catch a wild animal, and stabilize an unstable surface. This magic can also be used to alter or disrupt the force shapes of others.

The second way to use Force Magic is to manipulate objects at a distance by wrapping magical force around them. This produces telekinesis-like effects where objects can be levitated, twisted, pushed, and pulled. Flexible objects like ropes may be animated in a more dynamic fashion.

Raw magical force is a semi-transparent substance that is solid to the touch. It gives off a soft glow and a gentle hum. A tingly sensation can be felt when you get close to it. It is possible to prevent magical force from being seen, heard, or felt when nearby, but doing so is more difficult. This means that the consequences of failed rolls will be larger than they would otherwise be. Force Magic can also be used to disrupt others’ Force Magic. It is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Illusion Magic: You can use magic to create illusions that trick people’s senses. Illusions can affect vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and other senses, like echolocation. The more senses you want to affect, the more difficult the magic is. It is also more difficult to affect any sense that you do not have. The harder the magic is, the larger the consequences of failed rolls will be.

Illusions can make people perceive things that aren’t there, disguise something as something else, or prevent people from perceiving things that are there. For example, you could create the sound of a dangerous monster in the distance, hide a door behind an illusory wall, animate an illusory scene, make something old appear new, disguise a trap as an everyday object, impersonate someone, make someone invisible, or cause a loud event to seem silent. This magic can also be used to detect, alter, or stop other’s illusions. Illusion Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

Because illusions aren’t real, illusory objects can’t directly affect anything that is real. For example, an illusory wall cannot stop a person from walking through it, an illusory chair cannot hold a person up, an illusory lamp can’t illuminate an area, an illusory sword can’t cause wounds, and an illusory sound can’t travel beyond the edge of the area affected by the illusion. In addition, magically disguising a person or object doesn’t change how that person or object interacts with real objects. For example, a person disguised as someone taller can’t reach as far as the taller person could, a puppy made to look like an adult guard dog still acts like a puppy, and an invisible person that steps in a puddle still causes ripples. This means that the more interaction a person has with an illusion, the more opportunity they will have to figure out that it is an illusion. Note that knowing something is an illusion doesn’t make the illusion go away.

 

Object Magic: You can use magic to create, alter, repair, and interact with objects. Some of these magical effects produce permanent changes, such as fixing damaged items, reshaping objects, breaking non-magical things, and speeding up the process of making something new. Other magical effects are temporary, such as magically animating objects, and creating objects from nothing. You can also do things like locate a specific object, defend against the Object Magic of others, and speak with the spirits inside objects. Keep in mind that the spirits of most objects have a limited awareness that only includes what they have been used for and those things they have come into physical contact with. Object Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Summoning Magic: You can temporarily bring other beings to you by using magic to construct magical bodies (constructs) that are controlled by the consciousnesses of those other beings. When summoning, you can either create a generic construct that is controlled by the consciousness of a random friendly spirit, or you can summon someone by name and create a construct shaped like their body. This magic can also be used to detect and destroy the summoned constructs of others. Summoning Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

• Generic Constructs Controlled by Random Spirits: Generic constructs are rough representations of a specific species. They have no connection to specific living beings. Instead, the consciousness of a random friendly spirit enters them. This process is disorienting for the spirit, so most generic constructs aren’t capable of independent action. They simply follow your instructions to the best of their ability. In addition, while generic constructs can use any body skill, the only mind skills they can use are Communicating with Animals, Intimidation, Performance, Perception, and Survival.
• Beings Summoned by Name: When a being is summoned by name (regardless of their location), they get to choose whether or not to answer the summons. If the summons is refused, then nothing happens. If the summons is accepted, then a magical construct is created and the summoned being’s consciousness enters that construct, which takes on their form. The summoned being becomes aware of the construct’s surroundings and can control the construct as if it was their own body. As a consequence, however, the summoned being is only vaguely aware of their actual body and is unable to move it. At any point a summoned being can choose to return their consciousness to their own body, but doing so destroys the summoned construct. Because beings summoned by name have their own consciousnesses, they have free will. This means that they aren’t dependent on others to tell them what to do, but they might choose to take unexpected or undesired actions.
• Limitations: Summoned constructs are less powerful than actual people and creatures. As a result, they are not able to use any magical abilities or items. The construct can, however, still use their non-magical abilities, skills, species traits, defensive training, and items. Magic items turn into non-magical versions of the same item. If the summoning was only partially successful, there may be further limitations on what they can do (see the “Summoning Magic” section of “Limitations, Complications, and Side Effects for Partial Successes”).
• Summoned Player Characters: When a player character is summoned by name, the player gets to choose whether or not their character accepts the summons. If they do, then their consciousness enters the summoned construct and they can use their skills and non-magical abilities as if they were physically present (see “Limitations”). Their actual body is left in the position it was in when they accepted the summons. They always know if something touches their body and they get a chance to roll the Perception skill to notice things happening near their body.
• Summoned Nonplayer Characters: If a nonplayer character that is already part of the game is summoned by name, then the person that usually controls that character will continue to do so. Players with the Summoning Magic ability may also choose to create specific friends (people or creatures) that their character regularly summons. These characters will be controlled by the person who created them, unless there is an agreement otherwise.
• Harm: If there is a consciousness inside the summoned construct (a being summoned by name), then they feel any harm the construct takes as if they were physically present. However, if the construct is destroyed, their connection to the construct ends and their consciousness returns, unharmed, to their actual body. Summoned constructs are more fragile than actual people and creatures.
• Die Mechanic for Constructs: This mechanic is for generic constructs and nonplayer characters that were summoned by name. Whenever the construct takes an action, roll one six-sided die. The result indicates how successful they are.
  • 6 Is a Failure: Something has gone wrong. Their action was not successful and the situation has become more complicated or difficult in some way.
  • 4 & 5 Are Partial Successes: Their action is only partially successful. They have accomplished something useful, but it comes with a limitation, side effect, or complication.
  • 2 & 3 Are Full Successes: They are completely successful.
  • 1 Is an Outstanding Success: Their action is tremendously successful. In addition to succeeding, they gain an additional benefit.

 

Analytic Magic: You can use your magic to sense, understand, suppress, and dispel magic. Examples of things that you can do are perceive the magic around you, detect a particular type of magic, locate a specific magical object, figure out what a spell or magic item does, determine how long a magical effect will last, and analyze the properties of ongoing magic. You can also dispel short-term magical effects (such as spells) and temporarily suppress long-term magical effects. For example, you can counter a spell as it is being cast, end an ongoing spell, temporarily suppress the magical properties of an item, pause the effects of permanent magic, and create a zone that provides a short-term shelter from a large-scale magical effect. Note that magic can have non-magical effects (such as damage done to people and objects) and those effects continue even after the magic is dispelled. Analytic Magic is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

 

Magical Talents

Attunement: You have a special connection to one type of magic that is expressed as an immunity and two specific magical effects that you can do without risk of failure. Choose a type of magic that you can cast. You are attuned to this type of magic. Go to the Attunement List and choose one immunity and two minor magical effects from the section for your attuned magic.

The minor magical effects can be used without risk of failure, which means that no roll is needed to use them. However, if you incorporate a minor magical effect into a more complicated action, you will need to roll to accomplish that action.

In addition, some minor magical effects have a specified duration while others don’t. If no duration is specified, then the effect wears off at a story appropriate time, usually at the end of a scene. When the effect does wear off, non-magical outcomes, like healing and harm, remain. You may take this ability multiple times, but you must choose a different type of magic to be attuned to each time.

 

Arcane Dabbler: You have studied two branches of magic just enough to be able to cast spells, but lack control. Choose two of the following types of magic: fire, water, earth, air, weather, animal, plant, shapeshifting, communication, illusion, force, object, and transportation. Details on what these types of magic can do are given above. You are capable of casting spells with both of these types of magic, but do not receive a die for being trained in either of them. This means that the magic is more likely to go awry.

 

Flexible Casting: You can connect to arcane energies in multiple ways and have two different Arcane Connections that you can switch between. Choose a second Arcane Connection. You may switch between your two Arcane Connections as you desire.

 

Familiar: You have formed a magical bond with a small animal that helps you. This is your familiar. The magic of your bond allows you to communicate telepathically with each other and enhances your familiar’s mental capabilities so that they are equivalent to those of a dolphin, including their ability to understand and problem-solve.

Your familiar acts independently from you. If you treat them well, they will be helpful and loyal. They can do anything that is physically possible for their body. In addition, they understand how doors and windows work, know how to use simple tools, have a rudimentary understanding of magic, and are able to make simple plans.

When you take a moment to mentally focus on your familiar, you can use your magical bond to communicate telepathically with them. This works any time your familiar is conscious, regardless of distance, but what they communicate to you is limited by their understanding of the world. You can ask them to carry out independent tasks for you, like scouting an area, stealing an object, or creating a distraction. However, because your familiar isn’t sapient, they can’t do things that require human-like comprehension. For example, they can follow someone to find out where they go, but they won’t understand most of what that person says or does.

Dice rolls for a familiar’s actions are handled separately from the actions of player characters. Familiars make their own dice rolls using their body or mind numbers and any applicable training, preparation, or help that they have.

Design your familiar by following these seven steps.

Step 1: Choose which small animal your familiar is. For example, they could be a bat, butterfly, cat, crab, small dog, dove, dragonfly, eel, frog, hawk, humming bird, koi, lemur, lizard, monkey, octopus, owl, parrot, rabbit, rat, raven, scorpion, seagull, tiny shark, snake, spider, toad, turtle, or weasel. You have all of the equipment needed to care for them. Characters with familiars that are also service animals may choose larger animals as needed.

Step 2: Decide what their body and mind numbers are. Their highest number is the thing they are best at. The three options are Body 5 with Mind 3, Body 4 with Mind 4, and Body 3 with Mind 5.

Step 3: For their protection, select one type of physical defense and one type of mental defense. If logical for their species, these defenses can be part of their body, such as a crab’s shell acting as armor.

Step 4: Choose five skills that your familiar is trained in. These skills represent their main capabilities. Your familiar doesn’t need tools for any skills that are natural behaviors of their species. For example, cats, monkeys, and geckos all have bodies designed for climbing, so they don’t need climbing gear.

Step 5: Select two strengths for your familiar from the following list. Strengths with limited uses per day can be taken twice to gain more uses.

• Magical Assistant: This familiar can help you control magic. Once per day, when your familiar is physically present with you and focusing on helping, you can turn a failed magic roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This must be done before the consequences of failure are revealed.
• Shared Senses: When you take a moment to focus on your familiar, you can use your magical bond to perceive the world through their senses. This works at any distance, but your familiar needs to be conscious. In addition, any time you perceive through your familiar’s senses, you become unaware of your own surroundings.
• Language Transfer: Your familiar can speak any verbal or signed language you speak, communicating with others who knows one of these languages.
• Magic Transfer: You can transfer some of your magic to your familiar. Once per day, your familiar can cast one of the types of magic that you have. The dice roll for this uses the familiar’s mind number, however they are considered trained.
• Ability Transfer: You can temporarily transfer non-magical abilities to your familiar. Three times a day, your familiar gains the benefit of one of your non-magical abilities. When a dice roll is involved, your familiar still makes their own roll. If the chosen ability has limited uses per day, then your familiar uses up one use each time.
• Sapient: Your character’s familiar has a human-like mind capable of complex thought and understanding.
• Keen Senses: Your familiar has unusually keen senses that help them be aware of the things around them. Any time they get a full success (two successes) on Awareness Skill rolls (Insight, Perception, Survival), they gain additional information as if they had gotten and outstanding success.
• Smell Diagnostician: Your familiar has a keen sense of smell that they can use to diagnose disease, poisoning, and other medical conditions. This animal is always prepared on Survival skill rolls to determine what medical condition a person or animal has. They communicate their understanding of this condition to you through your magical bond.
• Large Form: Three times per day, your familiar can magically become large for five minutes. This large form is roughly the size of a grizzly bear, but may be taller, longer, or wider as needed to accommodate different body shapes.
• Permanent Defense: Your familiar has a physical or mental defense that is part of their body. Decide what this defense is and whether it offers physical or mental protection. For example, it could be armor-like scales, a crystal embedded in their forehead, or magical symbols in their fur. Once per day, your familiar can turn a failed defense roll (zero successes) that uses their permanent defense into a full success (two success).
• Regeneration: By eating and sleeping your familiar heals injuries at an incredibly fast rate. If your familiar is injured, they can eat a lot of food then sleep deeply to induce a state of magically accelerated healing. Once they awaken from this magical sleep, they are completely healed.
• Racer: When moving, this familiar is unusually quick. Choose a form of movement that they are especially good at, such as running, climbing, hopping, flying, slithering, or swimming. This animal is always prepared on physical skill rolls that significantly benefit from moving quickly using this chosen form of movement.
• Dynamic Camouflage: Your familiar has camouflage that changes color and texture to match their surrounds. Decide what form this camouflage takes. For example, it could be octopus skin, chameleon scales, color-changing feathers, fur imbued with illusions, or shapeshifting skin. Any time this animal holds still or moves slowly, they can use their magical camouflage to be prepared on Stealth skill rolls to avoid being seen, even if they are in plain sight.
• Enveloping Shadows: This familiar can briefly disappear by wrapping themselves in shadow. Three times per day, they can disappear into the shadows for a short period of time. No roll is needed for this, but there must be a large area of shadow for them to disappear into, such as a narrow alleyway or a dense cluster of trees.
• Soothing Aura: This familiar radiates a magical calm that can sooth even those people and animals that are difficult to calm by ordinary means. They are always prepared on Insight skill rolls to calm people and Communicating with Animals skill rolls to calm animals. Because this is a magical effect, it works on aggressive people and animals, and those with a strong fear of this familiar’s species.
• Distraction: Your familiar can be incredibly distracting. Whether they are cute, a charismatic performer, or a food thief, they are always prepared on physical or social skill rolls made to distract one or more people. They do need to be physically present to maintain the distraction.
• Compelling Performance: This familiar’s performance is magically compelling. When they get a full success (2 successes) on a Performance skill roll to entertain an audience, all audience members become so focused on the performance that they are unable to perceive anything around them that isn’t an immediate danger.
• Skills Specialist: This familiar is good at learning skills and acquired two additional ones. Choose two additional skills that this animal is trained in.
• Strong Skill: There is one skill your familiar is especially good at. Choose which skill this is. Three times a day, your familiar is prepared when using this skill.
• Skill Helper: Your familiar can help you do skills that they are good at. Three times a day, when your familiar is physically present with you, they can make a dice roll using one of their trained skills for both of you. This roll uses their body or mind number, training, and bonuses, and its results affect both of you.
• Unusual Nature: There is something about your character’s familiar that is unexpected, strange, or exceptional. For example, this familiar could be a ghost, an animated piece of furniture, or a magical creature. First, decide what is unusual about this familiar. Next, work with the game manager to create a benefit that your character’s familiar provides as a result of their unusual nature. For example, a ghost familiar could move through non-magical walls, an animated chest familiar could carry objects, and a firebird familiar could glow brightly and use dropped feathers as markers.

Step 6: Choose one weakness for your familiar off the following list. Consult with the game manager to ensure that the chosen weakness is something that will come up in the game, but won’t be a constant problem.

• Always Hungry: Your familiar loves food so much that any nearby food is difficult for them to ignore. Any time they are near a large quantity of food, they take a one die penalty to all mental skills. In addition, any failed roll (0 successes) made in the presence of a large quantity of food means that they stop what they are doing and go get food.
• Shy: Your familiar is easily overwhelmed by social interactions and avoids situations that focus attention on them. Any time they become the center of a group’s attention, they panic and react with a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. Your familiar stays in this mental emergency mode for the rest of the scene.
• Curious: There is a thing your familiar can’t resist investigating. Decide what this thing is. For example, your familiar could be particularly curious about closed containers, magic objects, beautiful sounds, or dark spaces. When they encounter one of these things, roll a six-sided die.
  • 5 or 6: They stop what they are doing to go investigate the thing. Depending on the circumstances, their investigation could cause further problems.
  • 3 or 4: They are distracted by the thing and take a one die penalty to all mental skills while they are near it.
  • 1 or 2: They are able to return their focus to what they are already doing and ignore the thing.
• Energetic: When awake, your familiar is a ball of energy and activity. Any time they are required to wait quietly, roll a six-sided die.
  • 5 or 6: They can’t contain their energy and start doing something majorly disruptive.
  • 3 or 4: They start doing something that is only slightly disruptive.
  • 1 or 2: They fall asleep from boredom and can’t take actions until woken.
• Sleepy: Your familiar falls asleep when they are inactive. Any time your familiar is waiting for something, roll a six-sided die.
  • 4, 5, or 6: They fall asleep and can’t take actions until woken.
  • 1, 2, or 3: They stay awake.
• Easily Distracted: Your familiar’s attention is easily attracted by random things. Any time that your familiar is carrying out a task for you, roll a six-sided die. On a one, they get distracted, causing a significant delay that will disrupt anything time-sensitive.
• Rash: Your familiar acts without thinking. In tense situations, they take a one die penalty to all mental skills. All actions scenes count as tense situations.
• Timid: Your familiar is easily frightened. Direct confrontation makes them panic and react with a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. Your familiar stays in this mental emergency mode for the rest of the scene.
• Overly Trusting: Your familiar loves people and trusts anyone that is nice to them. They perceive all friendly people as friends and will do seemingly-harmless favors for anyone that is nice to them. In addition, the outcomes of their Insight skill rolls are limited to partial successes. This means that you roll the usual number of dice, but full successes and outstanding successes are treated like partial successes.
• Afraid of Something: Your familiar has an intense fear of something. Decide what they are afraid of. For example, they could be afraid of a type of animal, flashing lights, or loud sounds. When this thing is present, your familiar will stay far away from it. If it is something they can’t get away from, like thunder, they will hide.

Step 7: Give your familiar the final touches by naming them and deciding what their personality is like. What is their typical mood? How do they like to spend their time? What is their favorite thing? What do they hate? How do they react to new things? If they have a disability, what is it and how does it affect them?

Taking this Ability Multiple Times: Each additional time you take this ability, choose between getting an additional familiar and adding two strengths to an existing familiar.

 

 

Alchemical Methods

Alchemy: By extracting and combining chemicals, you can create basic alchemical items that you always have on hand, as well as advanced items that are made one at a time. You don’t need to count or track basic alchemical items. It is assumed that you make more as needed.

Basic alchemical items are smoke bombs, stink bombs, glue bombs, grease flasks, glow bottles, moldable resin, flammable liquids, pigments, acids, bases, glue, soap, fire suppressants, glue-dissolving solvent, acid neutralizer, base neutralizer, pain relievers, calming potions, sleeping drafts, emetics (a substance that causes vomiting), laxatives, and simple antidotes.

You also have a portable alchemy kit that allows you to craft more advanced alchemical items. Advanced alchemical items take time to make and are made one at a time. When you make each one, decide what property you want it to have. The game manager will work with you to help ensure that this property makes sense for what alchemy can do. Because advanced alchemical items are individually made, you do need to keep track of them.

Modern-day chemistry and pharmaceuticals are a great source of inspiration for what alchemy can do. Examples of advanced alchemical items are explosives, fireworks, unquenchable fire, truth serum, scents that lure or repel specific animals, hallucinogens, deadly poisons, and tricky antitoxins.

Once made, anyone can use an alchemical item. Any time one of your alchemical items is used, you roll Alchemy to determine whether it has the desired effect. The outcome of this roll includes any challenges involved in throwing the item. Alchemy is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

Magical Alchemy: You can create alchemical items that are imbued with one type of magic. Choose one of the following types of magic: fire, water, air, earth, force, weather, animal, plant, shapeshifting, communication, and travel. Details on what these types of magic can do are given above.

You own a portable kit for creating alchemical items that contain this type of magic. Using your magical alchemy kit, you can craft potions and flasks that contain any magic spell or effect that can normally be cast with this type of magic. These alchemical items safely contain the magic until the potion is consumed, or the flask poured out or broken. Then it is as if the spell was just cast.

Once made, anyone can use a magical alchemical item. Any time that a magical alchemical item is used, you will need to roll Magical Alchemy to find out whether it has the desired effect. On failed rolls, the magic goes awry. Magical Alchemy is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.

 

 

Mental Abilities

Knowledgeable: You are extremely knowledgeable and are prepared to use any Knowledge Skill to answer questions. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Arcana, Culture, Nature, or Technology skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.

 

Lore Master: You have a deep knowledge of many subjects and can sometimes provide extra detail that few others know. Any time you get a full success (two successes) on an Arcana, Culture, Nature, or Technology roll, the information you gain is more detailed than it would otherwise be. This information is helpful enough to grant you an additional benefit. In essence, this ability turns a full success into an outstanding success.

 

Alert: You are prepared to use Perception Skills to notice subtle things about the people and places around you. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Insight, Perception, or Survival skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.

 

Investigator: You are a skilled investigator who always notices something useful. In any scene where you take the time to examine something closely, you will notice one useful thing about it. Basically, you are finding a clue. This ability works once per scene, when you are carefully investigating an object, a location, or a collection of evidence. No roll is required, but you do need to tell the game manager when you are using this ability. The game manager will then tell you what clue you find. How significant that clue is will vary from situation to situation, and not every clue will be immediately useful.

This ability can be applied to a broad range of situations that involve investigation. For example, it can be used to investigate something that has already happened, such as examining a crime scene or doing an archeological investigation. It can also be used to make guesses about likely outcomes, such as going over a collection of evidence to guess an opponents next move. And it can be used to figure out the best way to do something, such as scouting an area for the best way to sneak in.

 

Charismatic: You have a talent for social interaction and are prepared to use any Social Skill. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Communicating with Animals, Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Performance skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.

 

 

Flexible Enhancements

Specialty: You are so good at doing one specific thing that you are always prepared to do it. Choose an area of focus for a skill or ability that you already have. This is your specialty. You are particularly good at this specialty and are always considered prepared when using it. This specialty needs to be significantly more specific than the skill or ability it is based on. For example, a character with the Acrobatics skill could have a specialty in leaping, or a character with the Transportation Magic ability could have a specialty in casting flying spells.

 

Skill Expert: You are an expert in one skill and rarely fail. Choose a skill. Three times per day, you may turn a failed dice roll (zero successes) for this skill into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed.

 

Special Technique: You know a special technique that makes it easier for you to do a physical skill as if it was a mental one. Choose one body based skill or ability. You can now use this skill or ability by rolling mind.

 

Balanced Expertise: You are especially good at one body and one mind skill and are prepared to do either of them. Choose one mind skill and one body skill. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use either of these two skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire, choosing either the same or different skills.

 

Skillful: You know more skills than most people. Choose two additional skills off the Skills List. You are trained in these skills. There is no limit on how many times you may choose this ability.

 

Extra Species Trait: You have manifested an additional species trait. Choose an additional species trait off the Species Trait List. There is no limit on how many times you may choose this ability.