Thought Arcana (by Brandon Blackmoor)

## Thought Arcana

Thoughts are as clay to be molded.

* **Novice:** Learn ***Sense Mind*** and ***Share Thoughts***.
* **Journeyman:** Learn ***Sift Thoughts***; gain the focus Intelligence (Thought Arcana).
* **Master:** Learn ***Insert Thought***; one spell stunt at -1 SP when casting Thought Arcana spells.
* *Source:* Brandon Blackmoor bblackmoor@blackgate.net

### Sense Mind

* **Requirements:** Thought Arcana (Novice)
* **Type:** Utility
* **Cost:** 4+
* **Casting Time:** 1 Minute
* **Target Number:** 11
* **Range:** 10 yards
* **Test:** Willpower (Self-Discipline) vs. Spellpower
* *Source:* Brandon Blackmoor bblackmoor@blackgate.net, based on Bloodhound, Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook

You can perceive the presence and location of thinking entities. When you first cast the spell or as a major action during the duration, you can search for minds within 10 yards of you. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of metal, or a thin sheet of lead will block the spell. You can’t sense a creature with an Intelligence less than -2, one that doesn’t understand any language, or one that makes a successful Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs. your Spellpower. If the target fails the Willpower (Self-Discipline) test, you know their precise location, but you can’t actually listen to their thoughts. This lasts for 10 minutes, and you can keep it active for 2 MP per further 10 minutes. While the spell is active, you will be able to cast spells from the Thought Arcana against the target as though you could see them.

### Share Thoughts

* **Requirements:** Thought Arcana (Novice)
* **Type:** Utility
* **Cost:** 4+
* **Casting Time:** 1 Minute
* **Target Number:** 11
* **Range:** 10 yards
* **Test:** Willpower (Self-Discipline) vs. Spellpower
* *Source:* Brandon Blackmoor bblackmoor@blackgate.net, based on Voices Of The Wind, Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook

You can silently converse with any single person or creature within 10
yards of you that you can see or that you have located through the use
of the Sense Minds spell. An unwilling participant may block the
communication with a successful Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs.
your Spellpower. An unwilling participant is under no obligation to
respond to you if they fail this test, but they will still hear you. You
can switch to converse with a different target within range as a major
action. Share Thoughts lasts for 10 minutes, and you can extend it for
10 minutes for each 2 MP you spend.

### Sift Thoughts

* **Requirements:** Thought Arcana (Journeyman)
* **Type:** Attack
* **Cost:** 8
* **Casting Time:** Major Action
* **Target Number:** 11
* **Range:** 10 yards
* **Test:** Willpower (Faith) vs. Spellpower
* *Source:* Brandon Blackmoor bblackmoor@blackgate.net, based on Burning Shield and Ensnaring Roots, Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook

You can perceive the thoughts of any single person or creature within 10 yards of you that you can see or that you have located through the use of the Sense Minds spell. You can’t perceive the thoughts of a creature with an Intelligence less than -2 or one that doesn’t understand any language. The target may attempt a Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs. your Spellpower. If the target succeeds on this test, the spell ends, and the target becomes aware that you were attempting to pry into their mind. If the target fails this test, you learn their surface thoughts — what is uppermost on their mind at that moment. As a major action, you can either shift your attention to the thoughts of another creature within range or attempt to probe deeper into the same creature’s mind. If you probe deeper, the target may attempt another Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs. your Spellpower. If the target succeeds on this test, the spell ends, and the target becomes aware that you were attempting to pry into their mind. If the target fails this test, you gain insight into their motivations, their emotional state, and their general intentions. Sift Thoughts lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Willpower, and you may, if you wish, monitor the thoughts of a single target this entire time.

### Insert Thought

* **Requirements:** Thought Arcana (Master)
* **Type:** Attack
* **Cost:** 8
* **Casting Time:** Major Action
* **Target Number:** 14
* **Range:** 10 yards
* **Test:** Willpower (Self-Discipline) vs. Spellpower
* *Source:* Brandon Blackmoor bblackmoor@blackgate.net, based on Watery Doom, Fantasy Age Basic Rulebook

You can insert a single clearly stated thought into the mind of any single person or creature within 10 yards of you that you can see or that you have located through the use of the Sense Minds spell. You can’t place a thought into the mind of a creature with an Intelligence less than -2 or one that doesn’t understand any language. The target may attempt a Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs. your Spellpower. If the target succeeds on this test, they recognize the thought as not being their own, and they know that you placed it there. If the target fails this test, they believe the thought to be their own. They will treat the thought with all of the same seriousness as any other sincerely held belief, and they will act accordingly. This is not mind control: the target is not your puppet. How they respond to this new thought will depend on their existing desires, fears, and loyalties. Some examples of appropriate thoughts are:

* “I will be richly rewarded for bringing [the caster] to my master.”
* “The nobles are plotting to kill me.”
* “These are not the gnomes I am looking for.”
* “I have much to gain by trusting [the caster].”
* “My father wanted me to make my own path, not follow in his.”