Expanded Words of Power

# **WORDS OF POWER**

This is an extension of the "Words of Power" official supplement written by Brian Engard, created for John Hoyland as part of a Fate Core Kickstarter commission.

# **MAGIC**

To use Words of Power as a form of magic, you only need one thing: a new ability called "Primordial Language". This is the skill used to cast spells based on Words of Power. Higher levels represent a higher skill and knowledge in all magic words.

Spells are made by intoning Words of Power. Each of the Words listed below is a sphere of influence, a broad field under which magical effects exist that follow a specific theme. Each word has three syllables, each increasing its effect in power. To gain access to the syllables of words, the character needs levels in "Primordial Language".

Each level in "Primordial Language" allows the character to buy 5 "points" in syllables. Each syllable of a word costs 1 point. Since there are 17 Words of Power, a character needs 51 points to buy all the syllables. A character can only purchase the second syllable of a word if his level in "Primordial Language" is 2 or more, can only purchase the third syllable if his level is 4 or more, and can only master a word if his level is 6 or more.

# **CASTING A SPELL**

When you cast a spell, you must form the spell out of words, fix it in your mind, and speak the spell.

When you form the spell, decide what you want the spell to do. Do you want to divert a stream? Force someone to flee? Summon a djinn? Decide what you want to accomplish, then choose all applicable words.

When you fix the spell in your mind, you determine which syllables you’ll use and how difficult the spell is to cast. For each word that you put into the spell, look to the syllables you have access to. If the effect you want exist within the bounds of a syllable, add that syllable’s value to the total difficulty of the spell. If it does not, use the next highest syllable; if it doesn’t exist within the third syllable, add +4. Do this for each word within the spell until you have a total value for your spell.

When you intone the spell, you must chant it in a clear voice, perform a "Primordial Language" roll, and ***spend a Fate Point***. However, each mage can cast, per game session, a number of "free" spells equal to their level in "Primordial Language", as long as these spells do not use the third syllable (or the mastery) of a word.

* If you fail, the spell does nothing and you regain your fate point, or the spell takes effect but with unforeseen (and possibly catastrophic) consequences.
* If you tie, the spell takes effect, but has some minor unforeseen consequences.
* If you succeed, the spell takes effect.
* If you succeed with style (a margin of 3 or more), the spell takes effect and does not consume the fate point.

## **THE DEFAULT SPELL**

Before adding words to a spell's effect, it:
* Affects you or another individual you touch
* Lasts as long as you can concentrate. You can only focus on a single spell at a time. At the end of the scene these spells cease. Whenever you receive physical or mental damage, you must perform a new "Primordial Language" roll, with a difficulty equalling the damage received, to maintain concentration.
* It has no particular additional effect
* Provides Mediocre (+0) opposition

If you cast any spell on a creature against its will, add the creature's "Will" or "Stamina" (depending on the spell's effect) to the difficulty of your "Primordial Language" roll.
## **BOOKS, WANDS AND MATERIAL COMPONENTS**

Wizards often use books, wands and material components to aid in spellcasting. In game terms, these are aspects that indicate which material component the wizard uses. Examples of these aspects are: "Learned to cast spells through a wand", or "Needs to always recall his notes in a personal grimoire", or "Knows how to concentrate energy by aiming at a crystal ball".
An aspect of a material component can be used to "Create an Advantage" using "Primordial Language" that allows the wizard to obtain a bonus on his spellcasting rolls. Such magical advantages must be created to affect only one power word, and act on any spell containing that word, at any level.
If the magician cannot dispose of his material component when casting a spell, this aspect can also be compelled by the narrator to cause penalties on tests.
## **MAGICAL TRADITIONS**

Certain traditions of magic may teach the mage to draw power from different sources other than the ephemeral flows of mana. Characters which opt to belong to one of these traditions replace the original cost of 1 fate point for an alternative casting cost for their spells.
* ***BLOOD MAGIC***: These mages learned to draw power from their own blood, and cast spells by cutting themselves up and bleeding. They must spend a physical stress point for casting a spell instead of a fate point. In order to inscribe an enchantment into an object, they must take on a physical consequence instead of 3 fate points. *Stress points used to cast spells cannot be recovered by supernatural means, and only return at the start of the next game session*.
* ***CHAOS MAGIC***: This tradition teaches their practitioners to draw power from their subconscious mind, accepting the horror and madness within. Each spell they cast is a horrific experience. They must spend a mental stress point for casting a spell instead of a fate point. In order to inscribe an enchantment into an object, they must take on a mental consequence instead of 3 fate points. *Stress points used to cast spells cannot be recovered by supernatural means, and only return at the start of the next game session*.
* ***CHANNELLING***: These mages channel a spell's mystical forces through their own bodies. The process is taxing, and leaves them extremely exhausted. After casting a spell, they have a cumulative -1 penalty in all actions except other spellcastings. This replaces the cost to cast a spell in fate points. This penalty lasts until the next game session. The number of channelled spells in a given scene is limited by the mage's level in "Physique" plus 1. In order to inscribe enchantments, these mages must take a cumulative -1 penalty which lasts until the end of the next game session.
* ***WILD MAGIC***: These mages do not spend fate points to cast their spells. However, when their spells fail, they fail spectacularly. When casting a failed spell, they gain a *magical consequence*, which is a supernatural nuisance which immediately affects them. Examples of magical consequences are: **must speak everything in rhimes**, **incapable of lying**, **turns into a mouse**, **becomes mute**, **forgets everything that happens in 10 minute-intervals**, etc. Magical consequences go away naturally. Wild mages cannot enchant items. Instead of accepting the magical consequence, they have the option of, instead, be knocked out of the conflict. Wild magic spells cannot make use of the "Structured Caster" or "Flawless Magic" stunts.

# **MAGIC MASTERY**

In the Words of Power list, each word describes the effect that can be achieved by using one, two, or three of it's syllables. However, there is a four level described, the level of "***magical mastery***". Wizards normally cannot use words at this level, unless they have the "master of magic" stunt, which allows the use of magical mastery in some specific words. You can only master a word of which you already know the 3 syllables.

# **LIMITS OF MAGIC**

For all that magic can do, it has certain fundamental limitations that, to this day, have not been overcome. Are they:

* Magic cannot create anything new. It can transform or even destroy, but pure creation out of nothing is not possible.
* Magic is not capable of creating legitimate feelings in a person. It may temporarily manipulate emotions, but never create anything like Love or Hate.
* Magic is not capable of bringing a living being back from death.
* Magic cannot affect a target that has no name, and cannot directly affect a magical being (or other mage) whose name is not known.

# **THE POWER OF NAMES**

Of all the spell's limitations, few are more present than the limitation that a spell doesn't work on a target that has no name. Any intelligent, non-magical being has the ability to name things. However, if the named thing is another intelligent living being, it also has the option of accepting the name or not. In this way, anyone can become immune to the Words of Power if they simply revoke their name.

This, however, may not be possible in some cases. Most people have accepted a name given to them by their parents, or by those who raised them. To revoke a name, the person who gave the name must revoke it. If an individual is not able to find this person (or at least one of the people, in case one of the parents have died) who gave him his name, they will not be able to revoke it. However, if they manage to get in touch with these people, the process is as simple as saying "From now on, your name is no longer \_\_\_\_\_\_". The person then becomes immune to the direct action of the Words of Power, but must be careful not to respond to anyone who uses their old name again, to prevent them from "re-accepting" their name.

This changes for magical beings and objects. In these cases, it is not enough for the target of the spell to have a name, but the mage must necessarily know the target's name. Other mages, being also aligned with magic, fall into this situation. Thus, a mage cannot affect another if they does not know the other's name. Likewise, all magical objects have a name, and to affect them with a spell, that name must be known.

## **ALIASES**

One of the ways to remain immune to the direct action of magic and still maintain a social life is to use an alias. Any person can assume an alias, which has no direct relation to their name, if they first "safeguarded" their name. The process of safeguarding your name involves writing it down on some medium (usually paper) and taking that medium with you wherever you go. If the person has no name, they can write "I have no name". From that moment on, they can accept an alias, and start answering by that alias. Their real name will be safely "guarded" as long as they carry their name-plate with them. The object that bears the person's name must be an object external to them: tattoos do not work, and neither can the inscribed object be swallowed.
The same process can be done for magic objects. Their name can be guarded if it is inscribed somewhere on its surface, even if that surface cannot be normally seen.
# **ATTACK SPELLS**

The four elemental words, "Water", "Fire", "Earth", "Wind", along with the word "Death", can be used to create attack spells, which inflict physical stress damage on their targets. Attack spells are created like normal spells, but have the following characteristics:

* All attack spells are instantaneous and cannot be extended in duration.
* Attack spells can affect more than one target simultaneously, but for each extra target the mage must add 1 to the spell's difficulty. This doesn't require an extra word.
* When casting an attack spell, you define whether or not it can be defended with an "Athletics" roll. If you choose to cast a spell that can be defended, it costs no fate points to cast. If you are the target of an attacking spell that cannot be defended (one that cost the mage 1 Fate point), you can avoid it by spending 1 Fate point yourself. Otherwise, upon receiving the spell, you also gain a Fate point, just like the mechanic for compelling aspects.
* The damage dealt by an attack spell is equal to the spell's success shifts.

If an offensive spell grants a permanent bonus to damage dealt by a character, that bonus is +1 for the first syllable of a word, +2 for the second, and +3 for the third. Examples of this use include wreathing a weapon with an element, or super-sharpening a blade.

# **DEFENSE AND ENHANCEMENT SPELLS**

Some words of power can allow mages to create effects that protect a target or improve one of their abilities.

In these cases, each skill point increased or decreased increases the spell's opposition by 1. The syllabic level of a word required to create a protection or enhancement spell is 0, which means the characer must know the word, but the opposition the syllable contributes with is given by the level of its protection or enhancement.

The maximum individual bonus allowed by such a spell is limited to the syllabic level with which the mage knows the word of power. Therefore, even though these spells are made at level 0, they can only grant a bonus of +1 if the wizard knows 1 syllable of the word, can only grant a bonus of +2 if the wizard knows 2 syllables of the word, and can only grant a +3 bonus if the wizard knows the 3 syllables of the word. Mastery of the word allows a wizard to put as many bonus points as wanted into a spell.

Each different skill must have its modification counted separately. A spell that grants +1 to 2 skills, for example, would have a syllabic opposition of 2.

# **MAGIC CEREMONIALS**

Multiple mages can aid each other in a single spell cast. The process for this is quite simple. All assistant mages use an effect on the first syllable of "Magic" that allows them to grant a +1 bonus to another spell being cast. The mage receiving the assistance adds up the bonuses of all the assistants mage, and makes their spellcast roll. This only applies to spells: enchantments cannot benefit from this process.

# **COUNTERATTACKING SPELLS**

To be able to perform their spells, a mage must actually speak its magic words in the primordial language. This opens up the possibility for any other mage who hears them to try to counter their magic.

You can counterattack a spell when you can hear the spell being cast, and know at least one of the words used in the spell, at any syllabic level. To perform the counterattack, you make a "Primordial Language" roll against the spell being cast. If your roll has more success shifts than the spell being countered, it does not occur at all.

A magical counterattack does not incur the expenditure of 1 fate point. Likewise, a spell that is countered does not require the caster to spend 1 fate point.

# **RESISTING SPELLS**

Targets of a spell that causes permanent, undesirable effects can choose to resist them. Resistance to a spell follows the same rules as invoking aspects. When a character is affected by a spell, they can choose to accept its effect, and thereby **gain a fate point**, or resist it **paying a fate point for it**. The target's "Physique" and "Will" values are not used in determining its magic resistance.

Attacking spells that can be defended are resisted with the ability associated with the defense, but attacking spells that cannot be defended use these resistance rules.

If a spell is resisted, the fate point used to cast it is spent anyway.

# **WORDS**

## **COMMAND**

You can affect a creature’s behavior, forcing it to act in a specific way.

***First Syllable***: You place a special boost on the creature representing your command. You can use your free invocation only to compel the creature to follow your command, which it can resist by giving you a fate point.

***Second Syllable***: The aspect you place is a situation aspect rather than a boost, though you can still invoke it once for free.

***Third Syllable***: If the target resists your command, it takes a mental consequence in its lowest available consequence slot.

***Mastery***: You are able to possess a target's body, controlling it remotely. You choose whether your own body is rendered unconscious for the duration of this effect. If you choose to remains conscious, you can only control the target's actions while they remain in line of sight.

## **DEATH**

You control the inexorable forces of death, and are able to induce decrepitude in living targets, control corpses, or interact with the spirit world.

When raising corpses, they come with a number of parameters that, added up, equal your "Primordial Language" skill value. These parameters include the physical stress points the raised corpse will have, plus all of its skill points. You can control any corpse that you reanimate, but you can only control one at a time. Out of your control, they move at random, and they can defend against attacks, but they won't fight for you. Reanimated corpses carry out simple orders without needing direct control.

***First syllable***: You can sense the presence of nearby spirits and mentally communicate with them. Can fire a beam of decrepitude that decomposes a target's internal tissues. You can reanimate a corpse in a limited way, being able to ask it questions (answers depend on the state of conservation of its brain).

***Second Syllable***: You can summon a specific spirit, or banish a spirit, forcing it to leave the current location. Can directly attack a spirit, or heal it. Can raise a corpse at your command.

***Third syllable***: You can project into the spirit world or even solidify a spirit, granting it a temporary body with 1 physical stress slot. You can raise a corpse with twice its "Primordial Language" value in parameters. You can grant a solidified spirit more physical stress slots or abilities until they equals your level in "Primordial Language".

***Mastery***: You can perform spiritual magic that reach into other parallel "worlds", of which the most typical example is the world of demons.

## **DISTANCE**

You can cast spells at greater range. When you cast a spell without incorporating this word, you can affect only yourself or things you can touch.

***First Syllable***: You can affect anything within range of both your hearing and sight. Typically this includes the current zone you are in plus 2 more zones away within line of sight.

***Second Syllable***: You can affect anything you can see.

***Third Syllable***: You can affect anything with which you have some kind of material correspondence (a lock of hair, a piece of a statue, etc.), regardless of distance. It is also mandatory to know the name of what is being affected.

## **EARTH**

You can affect land and soil. Attacks made with this word propel pebbles at a target, but cannot create them. When moving earth, the mage can make it roll around one way or the other, but cannot levitate it (without using the word "movement"). This can be used to, for example, change the movement of a metallic weapon wielded by someone else, or of arrows that are in flight. This word is also the word used for a spell to affect solid objects, even if they aren't explicitly formed from earth, rock, or metals.

***First syllable***: You can control soil or small stones by moving them with your mind. Small rocks can be propelled towards a target in order to attack it. The amount of soil moved by each use of this spell is roughly equal to the volume of a small backpack. It can make metallic weapons sharper or blunter, or armor more or less rigid.

***Second Syllable***: You can control large rocks or stones by moving or splitting them apart. The volume moved by each use of this spell is roughly equal to that of a person. Can move metals, but not destroy them (for example, opening a metallic lock).

***Third syllable***: You can destroy metals or crystals.

***Mastery***: The mage can expand the damage dealt by offensive earth spells with no limit, as well as protection from armor or damage from bladed weapons, at +1 per additional difficulty point.

## **FIRE**

You can affect flame, fire, heat, light, and darkness.

***First Syllable***: You can affect the flame of a torch, set flammable objects on fire, extinguish them, or launch a jet of fire at a target. You can also make an object or area illuminated, or create flashes of light.

***Second Syllable***: You can affect very strong fires, such as that of a great bonfire, can shape fire and flames, or create fire in unrealistic shapes, such as around weapons or armor. You can remove all light from an area, creating a sphere of darkness, or increase the local brightness.

***Third Syllable***: You can affect huge flames, such as the fire of an entire house, or a castle.

***Mastery***: You can expand the damage of offensive fire spells with no limit, at +1 per additional difficulty point.

## **IMAGE**

You can create and control visual images and sounds, the so-called "illusions". The size of a created illusion is that of a typical humanoid being.

***First syllable***: You can create simple illusions, which can fool others only if seen from a distance or in low light. These can be more realistic depending on the spell's success shifts, although they can't react to external stimuli as if they were real. You can also make a target more transparent, granting it an aspect that can be used as a bonus in combat actions or actions that require stealth.

***Second syllable***: You can create perfect illusions, realistic to the point of fooling anyone. These illusions respond to the environment as if they were real, such as the illusion of a person getting wet if they go out in the rain.

***Third syllable***: You can create illusions that also have a component of solidity. Such illusions have 1 slot of physical stress and can be touched and interact with the world around them.

***Mastery***: You can create perfect illusions that even react as if they had their own initiative and a certain intelligence (although none of them will be geniuses). These can have up to 2 slots of physical stress. You can make a target invisible.

## **KNOWLEDGE**

You can copy, borrow, suppress, or enhance mundane abilities. It is only possible to improve someone else's skill if you yourself know it at a better level (even if this level was obtained by magic). Any ability that grants magical powers is not covered by this word.

This word also affects the languages known by a target. For the purposes of these rules, a known language is a 1-level ability.

***First Syllable***: You can alter a mundane ability by a maximum of 2 levels.

***Second Syllable***: You can change a mundane ability by a maximum of 4 levels, or create two simultaneous effects that affect 2 levels, such as copying and borrowing an ability at the same time.

***Third Syllable***: You can alter mundane abilities with no level cap, or create two simultaneous effects that affect 4 levels.

***Mastery***: You can copy the entire mundane skill setup, and even the personality, of a target, and transfer it to another (or yourself)

## **LIFE**

This is the word used to give life to inanimate objects. With it, such objects become magical. Therefore, this is the word used to create enchanted objects. More details on this mechanic in the section about enchantments.

***First syllable***: You can create runes of power, which are the basis for more complex enchantments.

***Second syllable***: You can animate humanoid statues, creating "golems" at your command. These golems come with a number of abilities that, added up, equal the value of your "Primordial Language" ability. Golems' physical stress slots depend on the material used to create them: 1 for soft materials such as clay and mud, 2 for solid but not rigid materials such as wood, 3 for stones and rocks, 4 for metals. You don't spend 1 fate point on this spell if you're animating a statue you've carved yourself.

***Third syllable***: You can create complex enchantments, imitating other spells.

***Mastery***: You can destroy runes of power or enchanted objects, and use this burst of energy as a "fate point" for casting another spell. You can inscribe runes on already-inscribed objects and enchantments on already-enchanted objects.

## **LUCK**

You can alter chance around someone, making it more likely that they’ll be lucky or unlucky.

***First Syllable***: You place a special boost on the target representing the fact that they’re lucky or unlucky. You may invoke it at any while it still exists to either allow the target to experience some fortunate twist of fate (finding a pouch of coins, for example) or minor personal inconvenience (having paint spilled on them). You can pass the invocation of the boost to the target when you cast the spell, if you wish. You cannot alter your own luck. In combat, it can be used to grant an immediate +2 bonus or penalty to a single non-magical action taken by the target.

***Second Syllable***: You can invoke the boost for more potent effects. The target experiences either a major boon (such as narrowly avoiding being trampled by a horse on the street) or personal setback (losing a large sum of money in a game of chance). You can affect your own luck, but doing so often has unforeseen consequences. In combat, it can grant a +2 bonus or penalty to a target's non-magical action, even altering a test that was just made this turn.

***Third Syllable***: Like the second syllable, but instead of a boost, you can create a new aspect on the target. A target can only be under the action of a single aspect created by this word.

***Mastery***: You can create highly tragic or extremely beneficial situations for a target, which remains as long as the spell is in effect. This effect is the spell used to grant certain "wishes" to targets.

## **MAGIC**

You can affect other spells with this word. To counter other spells, you must roll a success greater than or equal to the difficulty of the spell being affected. In this case, you only need to spend a point of fate if the original spell also consumed a fate point.

When using this word to gain magical knowledge, you can only make a single spell check. If this check fails, all other checks to find out the same thing, on the same target, will fail.

Counterattacking spells can be cast immediately, without needing to use your turn action to do so. However, they can only be attempted on targets that have a lower initiative than you, and only if you haven't cast any other spells this turn.

***First syllable***: You can counter any other spell being cast. You can sense magical emanations to detect the presence and type of spells in progress. You can hide other spells, so that they are more difficult to be detected. You can grant a +1 bonus or penalty to another's spell casting.

***Second Syllable***: You can suppress spells or enchantments for the duration of this spell. You can perceive all parameters of spells in progress or enchantments created on objects. You can create an ambient aspect that interferes with some or all types of magic cast in an area.

***Third Syllable***: You can amplify the effect of other spells, if you yourself know the affected words to a higher level. It can steal spells from other mages, or transfer upkeep of spells you've cast to other mages. You can create a zone of interference that always provides a debuff to some or all types of magic. The penalty is -1, or at most equal to this spell's success shifts.

***Mastery***: You can suppress another person's ability to cast spells, or transfer some or all of your own magical knowledge to a non-magical target.

## **MOVEMENT**

You can change how fast a thing can move or even the way it can move.

***First Syllable***: You can grant immovable things the ability to move along the ground. You can also make a moving thing go slower or faster.

***Second Syllable***: You can give something the ability to move in a way it couldn't before. Maybe a fish can now walk, or a carpet can fly, but always at slow speeds (like a person's normal movement speed).

***Third Syllable***: Like the second syllable, but targets can move very quickly. If some more scientifically oriented player needs to know the exact speed, assume that the targets can move at 100 km/h.

***Mastery***: You can create instant movement (teleportation).

## **PURIFICATION**

You can clean impurities or even, with more potent spells, damage or wounds.

***First Syllable***: You can cleanse inanimate matter of impurities and minor imperfections. This might allow you to purify food or drink, remove minor flaws from a gemstone, or remove rust from armor. It can cure common illnesses like the flu. Can be used as the action that justifies recovery from a minor consequence.

***Second Syllable***: You can cleanse impurities from living creatures, and you can repair minor damage to creatures and objects. In game terms, if a creature or object has a status aspect denoting harm, poison, disease, or the like, you may remove it. Can be used as the action that justifies recovery from a moderate consequence. Can be used to immediately heal up to 3 points of physical stress from a target. It can cure serious or infectious diseases such as smallpox or measles.

***Third Syllable***: You can repair massive damage to creatures and objects. Can be used as the action that justifies recovery from a severe consequence. Can be used to recover all of a target's physical stress points. It can cure terminal illnesses such as cancer and leprosy.

***Mastery***: You can make a target immune to aging, or any disease, or any poison. You can transfer damage from one character to another.

## **SHAPE**

You can affect a target's shape, altering and reshaping it. This word is not able to affect precious metals or crystals. Beings modified by this word suffer uncomfortable interference when in direct contact with silver.

***First syllable***: You can change the target's cosmetic characteristics: color, shape, and so on. You can make a person look a little different at first glance, but any scrutiny will reveal their identity. In game terms, this creates a situational aspect that represents a disguise or alteration of the basic appearance, with a free invocation.

***Second Syllable***: You can further alter a target's form, giving it traits it didn't have before. You can give wings to a turtle or turn a man into a woman. In game terms, this creates a single situational aspect with up to three free invocations, or multiple situational aspects with up to three free invocations between them. These situational aspects can grant new abilities, such as the ability to breathe underwater or fly, but doing so will not come naturally to the creature. Cannot take away abilities from a creature; you cannot change a creature's fundamental nature.

***Third syllable***: You can completely change a thing, turning one thing into another. You can turn a horse into a rock or a man into a tapestry. This can completely change aspects of the thing to suit its new form. This, however, cannot yet affect precious metals or crystals.

## **SIZE**

Your spells can affect larger targets or more targets than normal. Attack spells, which deal damage in the form of stress points (physical or mental), can be changed according to the following options:

### Explosive attacks

Attack spells can be altered to be "explosive". They affect everyone within the same zone, though the attack itself radiates from a central point.

It is possible to defend against an explosive attack with an "Athletics" test that beats the attacker's success shifts. This indicates that the targets are trying to take cover behind any cover that exist in the zone. If it is established that the attack zone is completely clear of objects, and there is nowhere to hide, the characters can still defend themselves by trying to use each other as a cover. In this case, at least one character must withstand the full effect of the attack. Characters with shields can defend against explosive attacks with a "Fight" check without needing cover (and can serve as cover for others).

If you wish to manipulate the spell to remove one or more targets from the explosive effect, each target removed costs 1 Fate point.
### Cone or lightning attacks

Attack spells can be altered to be cast as cone jets that cover an arc, or beams that affect multiple targets simultaneously.

Defending against a cone or beam attack uses the same mechanics as defending against explosive attacks, with the modification that targets can defend themselves with "Athletics" even if there is no cover in the zone.

Beam attacks can only affect 2 targets in the same zone as the mage, but can affect additional zones if they are in a straight line and within visual range. Each additional zone imposes a -1 penalty on the test, and allows the mage to select one of the zone's targets to receive the attack.

Cone attacks affect at least 2 targets at the attacker's choice, up to a maximum of half of the targets present in the zone. They do not affect additional zones.
### Area Attacks

Magic attacks can be set to attack an entire zone at once, affecting everyone within it (friend or foe).

If the mage wishes to manipulate the spell in order to remove one or more targets from the area effect, each removed target costs 1 Fate point.

Characters can defend against an area attack by jumping to nearby zones that are not also being affected by the same attack. Each character can only do this if they haven't yet used their move action for the turn, and this defense consumes their move action. The defense roll is performed with "Athletics" against the attack's margin of successes. Shields do not protect against area attacks.
***First Syllable***: Your spells can affect two more targets, or affect three times their normal size. Attack spells can become explosive, cones or beams.

***Second Syllable***: Your spells can affect all targets in a single zone, or affect ten times their normal size.

***Third Syllable***: Your spells can affect an entire zone, plus all zones that border it, or affect thirty times their normal size.

***Mastery***: Your spells can affect huge targets, such as an entire castle, the entire interior of a cave, an entire small village, etc.

## **TIME**

You can make your spells last for longer periods of time. When you cast a spell without incorporating this word, it only lasts as long as you can concentrate.

***First syllable***: The spell lasts as long as the target is within visual range of the mage.

***Second Syllable***: The spell lasts until the next sunrise.

***Third syllable***: The spell lasts for a year and a day.

***Mastery***: You can create permanent spells. Such spells must always contain a condition that counters them. This condition must be achievable, even if unlikely. If a condition becomes impossible, or so improbable as to be effectively impossible, the spell ends. For example: “*Petrified until kissed by a virgin*”, “*Will fumble in combat until he saves the life of a princess*”, “*Will see the spirit world as long as the caster lives* ”. Very, very unlikely spells are not allowed. For example: “*Turned into a skunk until a meteorite lands on his head*”. While this is in theory possible, it is so, so unlikely that it may be declared, in practice, impossible.

## **WATER**

You can affect water, ice and the cold. Attacks made with this word create ice projectiles.

***First Syllable***: You can shape small amounts of water, like water from a canteen, can condense and freeze ambient moisture into small objects, creating projectiles of ice.

***Second Syllable***: You can affect large amounts of water, such as the water of a small lake or stream. You can condense water into any shape you desire, creating objects of ice up to the size of a person.

***Third Syllable***: You can affect extreme manifestations of water, such as a large river, or a beach. You can condense water into whatever large shapes you like, creating ice objects up to the size of a house.

***Mastery***: You can expand the damage done by offensive water spells with no limit, at +1 per additional difficulty point.

## **WIND**

You can affect air, wind, weather, and sound. Attacks made with this word create lightning bolts or emit intense sound waves. Spells that affect the weather have a "horizon" range: they can affect the mage's entire visible horizon. Thus, if the mage is on top of a mountain, these spells have greater range than if he is in a valley.

***First Syllable***: You can create a rush of air, a brief gust of wind, or a bolt of lightning between you and a target. Can suppress sound on a target or create whispers or indistinct sounds.

***Second Syllable***: You can create strong winds, electrical bolts in exotic ways, such as around weapons or armor, summon or disperse rain and mist. You can create complex sounds that mimic the human voice, or even an entire orchestra.

***Third Syllable***: You can affect extreme manifestations of the air: the gale of a cyclone, torrential rain, blizzards, hail. You can create extreme sounds, such as the sound of an airplane turbine or a huge explosion.

***Mastery***: You can expand the damage done by offensive wind spells with no limit, at +1 per additional difficulty point.

# **EXAMPLE SPELLS**

***MAGIC CARPET***

You create a carpet that can fly at your command. You must touch the carpet and the spell lasts until sunrise.

* Command: 2
* Element (earth): 1
* Movement: 3
* Time: 2
* **Overall Difficulty:** Legendary (+8)

***TRANSFORMATION INTO EAGLE***

You transform into an eagle while concentrating.

* Shape: 3
* **Overall Difficulty:** Good (+3)

***PETRIFICATION***

The target of the spell turns to stone for a year and a day.

* Shape: 3
* Time: 3
* Distance: 1
* **Overall Difficulty:** Epic (+7)

***FIRE BLOWS***

The hands of a target touched by the mage become engulfed in fire, dealing +2 damage with their blows.

* Fire 2
* Time 1
* **Overall Difficulty:** Good (+3)

***CHAIN LIGHTNING***

An electrical bolt shoots out of the mage and strikes three targets in a row.

* Wind 1
* Distance 1
* targets 2
* **Overall Difficulty:** Great (+4)

***THE FIREBALL***

The mage projects a sphere of fire that explodes, affecting everyone in a combat zone.

* Fire 1
* Size 2
* Distance 1
* **Overall Difficulty:** Great (+4)

# **SORCERERS**

Mages typically spend years and years studying the primordial language or attuning to words of power. However, there are those who can manipulate the subtle forces of the world not because of study and dedication, but because of their sheer willpower. These people don't do magic because they understand it, but because they **really want to**. They are called "sorcerers".

To build a sorcerer, the character must acquire the "sorcerer" stunt. This stunt opens up the rules of sorcery and allows the character to cast spells using only their "Will" skill.

Sorcerers do not need to learn the "Primordial Language" skill. Instead, they use the "Will" ability to cast spells. Each level in "Will" allows them to take two words of power's syllables, and they are able to cast any spell that has combinations of the syllables they know. However, these spells do not require fate points, and can be cast whenever they wish. Each syllable of each word costs a sorcerer one "point".

All sorcerers can use fate points to grant them +2 on spell checks, even without having an aspect associated with magic.

Sorcerers cannot enchant magical objects and cannot benefit from magical foci.

## **MAGIC SURGES**

Sorcerers use magic in an uncontrolled and disorderly way, and when they fail to cast a spell, they can suffer serious consequences. When a sorcerer fails a spell check, roll 4 fate dice and check the result in the table below:

 -3
 -2
 -1
 0
 1
 2
 3
 4

## **SORCERER MAGES**

Sorcerers can also be traditional wizards, combining both habilities in the same character. If a mage acquires the sorcerer stunt, they can use the syllables they gains from being a sorcerer in their traditional spells. Any spell that uses a syllable learned through sorcery is subject to a magic surge. However, only spells that use only sorcerer syllables can benefit from being cast without the cost of 1 fate point.
# **ENCHANTMENTS**

With the word "Life", you can inscribe the other syllables into objects, and these gain powers of their own. Enchantments can be performed in two levels: runes of power, which bestow minor powers, and complex enchantments, which can mimic the effect of any other spell. Complex enchantments require runes of power to be made.

The effect of a rune of power is always to create a very specific aspect on the inscribed object. This aspect can be invoked like any other, but it also causes a visible reaction from the object. A sword with the word "Fire" might have an aspect like: "Burns in the presence of cursed creatures". In this case, when the aspect is invoked, the sword would burst into flames.

Aspects created with Runes of Power can also be defensive, creating "Amulets of Protection". For example, the word "Magic" inscribed on a pendant could have the aspect: "Protects the wearer from vampiric powers". In this case, the user could always invoke that aspect to gain the +2 bonus when resisting vampire powers.

If a character has more than one object with runes of power, they can only benefit from the runes inscribed on one of them. However, this object may contain multiple runes.

## **INSCRIBING RUNES OF POWER**

Runes must be inscribed on materials that correspond to the nature of the related word. Some objects also have an affinity with certain words due to their shape and utility. The mage must spend 1 full day concentrating on the task of inscribing the rune, and, at the end, spend 1 Fate point. No roll is required.

If you wish to inscribe more than one rune on the same object, you must inscribe them all in sequence, spending one day per object. You cannot inscribe a new rune on an object already inscribed, unless you have "masterry" of the word "Life".

## **INSCRIBING COMPLEX ENCHANTMENTS**

Enchanting an object with the power of a spell is a process that can only happen on an object that has runes of power. The words used by the spell being enchanted must be present as runes.
You must define the spell being enchanted and must know all the syllables needed to perform the spell. You spend a number of days concentrating on the enchantment equal to its difficulty. At the end, you spend 1 fate point to seal the enchantment. You cannot enchant a spell whose final difficulty is higher than the your level in "Primordial Language" + 4 (i.e., your highest possible spell check result).
Anyone who uses the object, and knows its name, can perform the enchanted magic as if they were, themselves, a magician. The user must also spend 1 fate point to invoke the enchanted power.
However, some enchanted objects are permanently and constantly active, such as an armor that has an always-on magic resistance, or a flaming sword that is always on fire. To make an object's spell a permanent effect, and prevent the user from having to spend 1 Fate point each time they want to use the object, the spell must be enchanted at the cost of 3 Fate points, instead of 1.
Some magical objects have negative effects that can be resisted by the user. In these cases, when enchanting the spell, the mage must arbitrarily increase its difficulty. Users make their resistance roll against an opposition that is equal to the increased difficulty enchanted by the mage.
Just as for runes, mages can enchant multiple spells on a single object as long as they do so without stop for a single day. Only a "Life" master can enchant a new spell on an already enchanted object.
## **IMPROVING THE CHANCES OF AN ENCHANTMENT**

Some spells can be so difficult to be enchanted as to be impossible. In these cases, uou can lower the spell's difficulty if you can meet one or more of the conditions below:
* -2 on the difficulty if performing the enchantment in a place of difficult access, where Magical Power is strong. Getting there should be the subject of an entire adventure.
* -2 on the difficulty if using esoteric ingredients obtained after a difficult fight with a great magical being.
* -1 per level if the mage is putting part of himself into the object, thereby permanently lowering his skill levels or physical or mental stress slots.

# **MAGIC STUNTS**

Below is a new list of stunts that mages can acquire.

***Alternative Tradition***: You have been trained in more than one magical tradition and can benefit from the rules of both as you wish. This stunt can be chosen more than once, and each time allows the use of a new magical tradition as a spellcasting option.

***Archmage***: You've learned to modify your spells on the fly, at the moment they're being cast. If you cast a spell using a lower syllable level than what you know, you can reduce your success shifts to increase one of the spell's levels. Every 2 success shifts allows you to increase the syllable level of a spell cast by 1 level, provided you know the syllable at that higher level. This effectively reduces the spell's final success shifts, which may reduce the effect of, for example, an attack spell.

***Enchanter***: You specialized in the creation of magical items and the inscription of magical runes. Whenever you are inscribing a rune or enchanting an item, if you yourself created the item with your own hands, you spend half of the required fate points to inscribe it. Count that as being a cost of 1 fate point for each 2 inscriptions, or you can start counting fate points in "half" units.

***Fixed Magic***: This technique allows you to enchant items instantaneously, as long as you can pay the required cost in fate points.

***Flawless Magic*** (requires: Structured Caster): Like “structured caster”, but your spells only fail on a roll of -3 or less, you treat -2 as if it were a result of 0, and treat results of -1 or 0 as if they were a result of 1.

***Independent Magic***: You are able to cause the energy of your spells to flow more freely. This allows you to use the rules for “magic ceremonials” without the need to actually enter a ceremonial with another mage. Specifically, you can use the "Magic" word to improve your own spells by +1. This spellcast takes one turn, and the affected spell is cast on the following turn. You can also compound it, granting yourself up to +3 to spellcasting if using the 3 turns prior to cast your empowerment spells.

***Magic Immunity for <Word>***: You are immune to the effects of any spell that uses a specific word of power, if it's cast at you. This stunt can be purchased separately for each word of power, but you must have a level in "Primordial Language" which at least equals the amount of times you acquired this stunt. No resistance is required: if you are targeted by such spells, they do not affect you. This does not prevent magical damage from attack spells, but does prevent direct damage from undefendable attack spells. The drawback of this is that you are unable to learn the word of power to which you are immune.

***Magical Genius***: Magic has always been something that came naturally to you, which may have caused you problems or benefits in your life. Each game session, you can cast three more free spells, without incurring a fate point cost (or the alternate cost of a spell tradition). This does not apply to enchantments.

***Malleable Area***: You are adept at excluding specific targets from area spells. You can exclude one character from your area spells for free.

***Master of Magic***: You have mastered one or more of the spell words. Choose 3 words of power whose 3 syllables are known. This stunt allows you to use the fourth syllabic level for these words. It can be selected multiple times. Each time, you choose 3 more words of power that you have mastered.

***Optimized Magic***: You can perform tradeoffs of magic energy for time to cast, being thus able to cast spells much more quickly, for a greater difficulty, or slower, for a reduced difficulty. You can cast spells as a reaction, nearly instantaneously, at +2 to their difficulty. You can also extend a spellcasting duration throughout an entire scene, for a -2 in difficulty.

***Parallel Caster***: You are capable of casting two spells simultaneously. Both spells are at a -3 penalty.

***Penetrating Magic***: You are adept at causing your spells to bypass a target’s resistance, so much that you have an edge over most other spellcasters when casting resisted spells. Once per game session, you can opt to have a target spend two fate points in order to resist your spell.

***Perfect Pronunciation***: Choose a Word of Power. You are able to pronounce it perfectly. Any spell that uses at least 1 syllable of this word gains a +2 modifier on its casting and enchantment rolls.

***Required Focus***: You are not able to cast spells without first creating an advantage using your material focus (a wand, or a book, an orb, etc.). On the other hand, at the beginning of each confrontation, you can make a "Primordial Language" test before the first turn. The result, if positive, grants you a number of free invocations of the aspect of your focus, which you can use once you create your magical advantage.

***Seer:*** You were born with the rare ability of second sight, also called the "third eye". Whenever you cast a spell that gives you some information, and which information is to be received only through your mind or sight, these spells have a difficulty 2 points lower. If this takes the spell's difficulty to 0 or lower, you don't spend fate points to cast them.

***Silent Magic***: Through intense concentration training, you learned to cast spells without speaking the words in the primordial language aloud, just by intensely mentalizing them. With this, your spells cannot normally be countered unless the countering mage is somehow reading your mind.

***Sorcerer***: You can cast spells based purely on your willpower, and are able to use the rules of sorcerers, described here.

***Specialized Magic***: You've used a single spell so many times that you've learned to channel its magical energy extremely effectively. Choose a specific spell. When you cast this spell, you don't spend 1 fate point. This doesn't apply to enchantments, but it does allow you to enchant this spell as a permanent effect using just 2 fate points. This stunt can be selected multiple times, each time affecting a different spell.

***Spell Tying***: This technique allows you to tie-off a spell in its own metaphysical structure and maintain itself with much less effort on his part. When using the "Time" word to improve the duration of your spells, the syllabic difficulty of this word is reduced in 1 point.

***Structured Caster***: You learned magic under a very strict and disciplined environment and are able to cast magic very precisely even in stressful situations. Your spells only fail in a result of -2 or less, and you treat a -1 roll as if it were a roll of 0.

***Study First***: You simply love studying magic, and spend your time reading theory books whenever possible. You gain 12 extra points to buy spell syllables, in addition to the usual for your level of "Primordial Language". This feat can be chosen more than once. This stunt is for regular spellcasting: it does not affect the amount of syllabes gained by sorcerers, because these are not gained through study.

***Wellspring of Power***: You can draw magical power by opening up and overloading yourself with mana. You can start an overload at any time. While you are overloading, you do not spend fate points to cast spells, but must make a "Physique" check at every turn with a cumulative -1 penalty every turn. When you fail this physique check, your overload ends, and you are unable to cast any spell for the same number of turns that you overloaded. You can also voluntarily cancel the overload at any time, but will still be unable to cast spells for the same number of turns that you overloaded. You can only overload once per game session.

* There is a **portuguese version** of this document.