Awakened House Rules

# Mechanics

## Banned Mechanics

* Fettering (Street Grimoire, 192)
* Blood Magic Reagent rules (Page ??)
* Everything related to Bug or Toxic Magic is restricted to NPCs.
	+ Player Characters may temporarily utilize the abilities of a Bug and Toxic spirit if they use the Banish/Capture mechanics.
		- Binding spirits captured this way is not allowed.

## Banned Mentor Spirits for Player Characters

* Planar Entity (Forbidden Arcana, 95)
* Doom (Street Grimoire, 86)
* Pollution (Street Grimoire, 86)
* Disease (Street Grimoire, 86)
* Mutation (Street Grimoire, 86)

## Banned Traditions

* Draconic Tradition (Forbidden Arcana, 76)
* Hybrid Traditions (Forbidden Arcana, 101)
* Traditionalist Elder God (Forbidden Arcana, 78) is NPC-only.
* Traditionalist Planar Magic (Forbidden Arcana, 87) is NPC-only.
* Non-Traditionalist Romani (Forbidden Arcana, 90)

# New Mechanics

## Crafting Spell Formulae

* Spell formulae may be crafted with an extended <Tradition Attribute>+Arcana [Lodge Force] test with an interval of 1 day.
* The threshold is equal to 5 multiplied by the *unmodified* drain value of the spell when cast at Force 6 (Minimum 2).
* <Tradition Attribute> is the second value listed under your traditions Drain Resistance pool (ie. not Willpower unless the pool is Will+Will) {d}{v}
* Bound spirits may assist in this test by expending a service to add their force as a dice pool bonus to the arcana test, assuming that its type matches the spell's category under your tradition.
* Bound spirits may also use a service to make an instruction test to reduce the time it takes to craft the spell formulae. These actions are not exclusive and a spirit may spend two services to do both.

# Clarified Mechanics

## Astral Signatures Clarified

* The following actions leave your astral signature behind:
	+ Casting a spell.
	+ Activating an alchemical preparation.
	+ Activating a focus.
	+ Using an adept or critter power.
	+ Summoning a spirit.
	+ Active Adept powers (powers that take a combat action to use)
		- The astral signature lasts for a number of hours equal to the adept's ranks in the power

* The following actions explicitly do not leave your astral signature behind:
	+ Carrying a sustained spell away from where it was cast.
	+ Carrying a sustained effect from an alchemical preparation away from where it was activated.
	+ Using an active focus.
	+ Sustaining a critter power and moving away from where it was activated.
	+ Having an active adept power.
	+ The act of Astral projection itself, as distinct from any powers that grant the ability to do so.
	+ The act of Astral perception itself, as distinct from any powers that grant the ability to do so.

## Alchemical Preparations Clarified

* Preps are cast by the magician, regardless of all other factors such as inability to actually cast anything.

## Resisting Physical Manipulation spells Clarified

* All Physical Manipulation Spells are resisted by BOD + STR regardless of what the spell text says. (This also affects the Taboo Transformer quality with Shapechange)

## Spell Defense concerning area of effect spells Clarified

* Spell Defense Dice are rolled against the spellcasting test to hit the targeted area, reducing the caster's hits. This test may be edged.

## Spirit Specializations Clarified

* Restrictions related to spirit category as outlined by a summoner's tradition (Street Grimoire, 41) are only to be applied to Aid Alchemy, Sorcery, and Study (Core, 302).

## Astral Perception Clarified

* Astral Perception (Core, 312) can be noticed by a standard judge intentions test and will be treated as "sizing up" an individual. As such, particularly secretive individuals may take exception to being assensed, if they notice.

## Traditionalist Traditions (Forbidden Arcana, 60-91)

* Unless otherwise stated "Traditionalist" refers to optional rules unique to each magical tradition, referred to in the books as "Traditional [Name] Rules" or "[Name] Rules".
* If you take a Traditionalist or other special path, it is a Paradigm Shift to leave said path. Your Initiation count cannot 'restart'. If you missed the Initiation for the level 1 gain, it is missed.

# Altered Mechanics

## Altered Awakened Archetypes

* Most Awakened archetypes (magician, adept, seer, null mage, etc) have been modiefied slightly See House Rules (Character Creation)

## Background Counts

* Background counts are altered in how they affect sustained spells, preps and foci. For full simplified and altered rules of BGC, see here.

### Magical Lodge Background Count

* Mage Lodges have a background count equal to Force / 3 rounded up.

## Health Spells with the Essence Tag (Core, 287)

* All Health spells cast on targets with Essence more than their natural maximum (6 for metas, Force for spirits, 10 for dragons, etc) consider Essence to be at their maximum - so modifier due to Essence equals 0.

## Multi-Casting

* To determine dicepools for multi-casting, take the dice pool and divide pool for a given spell by the number of times splitting, round up. Thus, if you cast 3 spells, each with a pool of 18 normally, you'd get 6 dice each. If you cast 2 spells and one had a pool of 20, and the other a pool of 14, the first would cast with 10 dice and the second with 7.

## **Resisting Mind Magic**

* Any PCs, as well as any non-Grunt NPCs the GM deems fit, shall be excepted from the normal penalty to resist ongoing Mental Manipulation spells. NPCs with a Professional Rating are always subject to the aforementioned penalties.

## **Burning out as a Mage**

* Any character whose current Magic Score reaches 0 is treated as burnt out. They permanently lose access to all magical abilities, the ability to raise their magic score, and any other features deriving from Magic. This brings Magic in line with Resonance. Any characters whose Magic score was 0 prior to Jan 31, 2018 are grandfathered, and may still raise their Magic score, assuming their maximum magic is above 0.

## Spirit Leashing (Forbidden Arcana, 182)

* Spirits roll Fx2 vs. Drain resist, and any net hits remove tasks owed by the summoner.
* Test the Leash occurs when a spirit gets hits on a test greater than the summoner's magic score.
* GMs can override this guideline when appropriate, such as having a spirit Test the Leash prematurely when mistreated or having the spirit not Test the Leash when performing a task that is in line with its own motives or personality.
* Spirits will never Test the Leash if they are of a force less than or equal to your magic score.

## Spirit Sustained Spells

* In order to pass off a spell to a spirit to be sustained, the spirit must be within line of sight and within Remote Service range. In order to continue sustaining a spell of any variety on their summoner or any other target, they must remain within remote service range of that target, however, line of sight is not an ongoing requirement.

```
Example: Awful Weight, a mage, just received a serious wound and retreats behind a brick building while his earth spirit and a street sam on his team engage an Ares Company man. He could keep fighting, but the Increase Reflexes spell he is sustaining is taking its toll. In order to pass it off to his spirit, he orders it to disengage and move to behind the brick building. After the transaction is complete, he orders it to hide in a building a few blocks away.

```

## Altered Mentor Spirits

* The Guanyin mentor spirit (Better Than Bad, 139) is permitted for use on the Farmer's Market , but it must be included as a listed quality on your wiki, and the wiki page must be appropriately tagged with Template:Guanyin Caution at the top of the page. This quality's downside will impact your ability to participate in runs.

## Altered Traditions

### Traditional Black Mage (Forbidden Arcana, 60)

* You do not receive Animal Familiar for free.
* You do not receive Dark Ally for free.
* "Personal Demons" spirts summoned do not automatically gain the Fear and the Natural Weaponry power. They still gain the Flight skill, and may still select Fear as an optional power if it is an available optional power for the spirit type.

### Cosmic Mages (Forbidden Arcana, 75)

* Under RAW, Cosmic Mages are restricted to only being able to take the mentors Sun, Moon, and Star. Of these one doesn't even exist. Cosmic Mages are allowed to take any mentor, provided they can refluff it to be cosmic in origin.

### Traditional Islamic Alchemists (Forbidden Arcana, 69)

* Islamic Alchemists should take their first two initiations as Fixation and Advanced Alchemy and are thereafter free to choose metamagics as they please.

### Necro Magic (Forbidden Arcana, 82)

* Necro Summoning is exclusive to mages following the Necro Magic tradition.
* Necro Summoning may not be enhanced by Greater Ritual.
* Necro Summoning and Reckless Necro Summoning may not be practiced by characters that would normally be unable to summon spirits via the use of the conjuring group, such as sorcery-enchanting mysads, aspected sorcerers, and dedicated spellslingers.

### Norse (Forbidden Arcana, 68)

* Godi/Runemaster: Durable Preparations means that the time until Potency starts fading is changed to Potency x3 hours rather than the standard x2 and then an additional doubling. This does not stack with the Durable Preparations quality.
* Cunning Woman: Can only be taken by a Magician, Mystic Adept, or Aspected Spellcaster.
* The Berserker Temper power gained by traditionalist version of the Norse tradition is not in effect on Farmer's Market .

### Path Of Pariah (Forbidden Arcana, 85)

* Pariahs are allowed to pick a drain stat out of charisma, intuition, or logic. For their second initiation, disregard the requirement to take the opposition metamagic.
* Due to the restrictiveness of the thematics of the Pariah tradition, players are allowed to use the mechanics of the Pariah tradition in conjunction with the thematics of a different tradition. The drain stats still work as above.

### Christian Theurgy (Westphalian) (Forbidden Arcana, 64)

* Due to the restrictiveness of the thematics of the Westphalian tradition, players are allowed to use the mechanics of the Westphalian tradition in conjunction with the thematics of a different tradition. The drain stats of the thematic tradition are used, not those of the Westphalian tradition.

# Spells, Rituals, and Powers

## Banned Spells

* Inflict Disease
* Pollution & Radiation Spells
* Blood Puppet
* Corpse Explosion
* Corpse Spikes
* Corpse Lash
* Viscera Web

## Banned Rituals

* Death Curse
* Soul Tether
* Blood Spirit Summoning

## Banned Alchemical Preps

* Lightning Blade (Forbidden Arcana, 199)

## Adept Powers Banned for player characters

* Plague Cloud
* Pollution adept powers
* Radiation adept powers.

## AlteredRituals

### Imbue Item (Street Grimoire, 133)

Several new options have been added to the list of options an item can be imbued with:

* Restoration
	+ The object is in a constant state of repair and cleaning. If the object is soiled, it cleans itself over a period of (Force of the Focus)/(IG of the bonded awakened) hours. In addition, if the object is damaged, it repairs itself at a rate of (IG of the bonded awakened) boxes of damage per week.
* Judgement
	+ Allow a melee weapon to strike from afar by projecting magical force. The damage dealt by such an attack is DV/2 physical damage and the weapon's base AP. The ranges of the weapon when used in this way are equivalent to Initiate Grade×2m, IG×4m, IG×6m, and IG×10 meters.
* Limited Sentience
	+ The focus can telepathically converse with whoever holds it. It can speak in words, but it is not sapient or self aware. Instead going on in relation to other imbuements and the 'personality' it has. Those who are bonded with it can hold a 'conversation' of sorts with it.
* Destructive
	+ This item is imbued with a violent aspect, and is ideal for smashing through walls and buildings. Get an AP bonus of (IG+1) against barriers.

### Aspect Mana Line

Geomancers may now attempt to use this ritual to gain it's while at home, some restrictions apply, see House Rules (Lifestyle).

## Altered Spells

### Comet (Forbidden Arcana, 50)

* Comet does not ignore armor specific elemental resistances (Specifically, fire resistance.)

### Altered Ballistics (Forbidden Arcana, 51)

* Alter Ballistics can also be used on arrows & bolts, as well as bullets, but not area of effect explosives such as rockets or grenades, or other “ballistic” weapons such as darts, thrown weapons, or tasers.
* Alter Ballistics requires Alchemical Armorer to learn, and can only be made into a preparation, not cast as a spell.

### Convert Blood to Ichor (Shadow Spells, 18)

* First resist test is made with Body + Strength + Counterspelling.
* Every subsequent test is resisted with Body only.
* Change to Sustaining.
* Remove Counterspelling from the subsequent resist tests.

### Convince (Stolen Souls, 189)

* Change wording from "Perception Test" to "every two hits adds 1 to the judge intentions threshold to point out inconsistencies"

### Critter Form and Shapechange (Street Grimoire, 118)

* Note that metahumans and their metavariants are not considered viable critters for targets of this spell to turn into.

### [Element] Aura (Street Grimoire, 115)

* Does not stack with Energy Aura, Elemental Body, or Elemental Strike.

### Growth (Forbidden Arcana, 49)

* Take the RunnerHub suggestion and bring the spell inline with Increase Attribute "The minimum force of this spell must equal or exceed the largest affected attribute's rating"
* The size change WILL affect gear (No squishing the Opfor in their armour!!)

### Manablade (Hard Targets, 192)

* Alter Manablade to use Force as accuracy and have a base DV of Hits on the Spellcasting test doing a total DV of (Hits on the Spellcasting test) + (Net Hits on the melee test).

### Multiply Food (Forbiddn Arcana, 50)

* Unban, not to be used on commercial foodstuffs as they are already considered to have been multiplied

### Petrify (Shadow Spells, 22)

* The following rules are added to the spell:
	+ While the spell is sustained, the target may take a Complex Action on their turn to resist by making a Body + Strength Test with a dice pool penalty equal to the spell’s Force; every hit the target gets reduces the caster’s net hits by 1. The one being targeted by the spell can take this action even if they wouldn’t get an action because of the spell. The spell ends when your net hits are reduced to zero.
* Turn to Goo is does not work on Armor, turning only the fleshy bits to goo. This means that after successfully shrugging off the spell as described above, the target is no longer wearing their armor.

### Rot (Shadow Spells, 20)

* Take a penalty to all actions using that limb equal to net hits
* To hit the torso simply make the Unarmed + Agility test then (if successful) the Spellcasting Test. (Proposed: Every 2 net hits reduces body by 1. Please ignore the thing about organs. That's really not super necessary)
* The target DOES NOT take the effects of said called shot, the limbs/organs in question simply die and that is their penalty (Cannot run because of dead leg, cannot wield weapons/takes penalty to weapons because the arm is dead etc)

### Shape [Material] (Street Grimoire, 118)

* Change from LOS to Touch
* When selecting the material of the spell choose: Air, Earth, Stone, Fire, Water, Metal, Plastic, or Wood. When shaping a material with this family of spells, the caster uses the element most appropriate to the material being shaped. Composite materials may require additional spells, such as casting Shape Stone on reinforced concrete will not affect the rebar inside the concrete.

### Turn to Goo (PStreet Grimoire, 119)

* The following rules are added to the spell:
	+ While the spell is sustained, the target may take a Complex Action on their turn to resist by making a Body + Strength Test with a dice pool penalty equal to the spell’s Force; every hit the target gets reduces the caster’s net hits by 1. The one being targeted by the spell can take this action even if they wouldn’t get an action because of the spell. The spell ends when your net hits are reduced to zero

## Altered Adept Powers

### Body Sculpt (Bloody Business, 160):

* The adept power has a sole activation time of 1 minute for all desired features (instead of 10 minutes or 1 hour). Duration and erasure of features, mechanical benefits, and interactions with other adept powers remain unchanged.
* Trolls will no longer be barred from becoming other metatypes or their metavariants. Note that the mass requirement of 10% variation from base is still in effect.
* Metasapients are be allowed to emulate metahumans and their metatypes/metavariants.

### Elemental Body (Street Grimoire, 70)

* Will not stack with Energy Aura, [Element] Aura, or Elemental Strike.

### Elemental Strike (Street Grimoire, 170)

* Will not stack with Energy Aura, [Element] Aura, or Elemental Body.

### Facial Sculpt (Street Grimoire, 171):

* Metasapients is be allowed to emulate metahumans and their metatypes/metavariants.

### Focused Archery (Hard Target, 190)

* Increases effective strength while weilding a bow, not just the rating of bow that may be weilded. This increase is subject to augmented maximum.

### Melanin Control (Street Grimoire, 172):

* Metasapients are allowed to emulate metahumans and their metatypes/metavariants.

### Missile Mastery (Street Grimoire, 172)

* Allows the adept to get an additional 2 accuracy when using improvised throwing weapons (see Custom Mechanics), applies a +1 DV to improvised throwing weapons, and can choose Stun or Physical damage. When using non-improvised throwing weapons, see RAW.

### Mystic Aptitude (Better Than Bad, 159)

* When used, it replaces, rather than augments, the attribute it affects. This means that it is not subject to augmented maximum, however, the final attribute score while this power is in use is not affected by any other augmentation or effect that would affect that attribute.

### Nerve Strike (Street Grimoire, 173)

* Can to be used in combination with the counterstrike martial art.
* When targeting an individual with cyberlimbs, each net hit reduces the Full-Body Average Agility by 1 as well as thr agility of each limb. Do not recalculate Agility. If any limb reaches 0 before the Full Body Average, it is paralyzed and cannot be used for physical tests. When the Full Body Average Agility reaches 0, the character's whole body is paralyzed, even if they have agility left in some limbs.
* When targeting an individual with full-body agility enhancements, all augmentations (temporary and permanent) are considered.
* When targeting an individual with reaction-affecting augments, all augmentations (temporary and permanent) are considered.

### Rapid Draw (Street Grimoire, 173)

* May only be activated during your own action phase. Use of Rapid Draw to perform an attack counts towards the single offensive action limit applied to simple actions.

# Initiation

## Initiating

* An Awakened character may initiate for the first time immediately after the completion first run, but not prior. You pay the karma and gain the new initiate grade and metamagic immediately.
* An extended test is made of Arcana+Intuition (New IG, 1 month) where the 1 month is measured in real or game time. After you meet the threshold, that is how many time intervals in real time you must wait before being able to initiate again.
* It should be noted that each run counts as a week in game time, allowing characters to initiate before the required time in real-life has passed. It should also be noted that real-life and game time are not to be combined in any way, instead use the shorter interval of the two.

### Ordeals

* Characters who undertake a qualifying run for an Ordeal within 1 week before or after an Initiation or Submersion may refund 10% of the cost (rounded down) of a single Initiation or Submersion. No other discounts on the karma cost Initiations or Submersions, regardless of source, are valid, and this discount may not be stacked multiple times.
* Karma discounts for ordeal runs (initiation/submersion) do not count against RVP. The discount is more than made up by the danger inherent in a solo run.

* Nine Paths of Enlightenment (Page 140, Street Grimoire, ) , Asceticism (Page 141, Street Grimoire, ), Familiar (Page 142, Street Grimoire, ), Hermit (Page 142, Street Grimoire, ), and Thesis/Masterpiece (Page 142, Street Grimoire, ) initiatory ordeals are banned.
* Metaplanar Quest (Page 140, Street Grimoire, ) and Deed (Page 141, Street Grimoire, ) require a run focused around them.
* Geas (Page 142, Street Grimoire, ) requires explicit Thematics approval from the Thematics Head or one duly deputized by the current Thematics Head.
	+ Geas must also be noted on the PC's wiki page in a separate section so GMs can easily interact with them.

### Schooling

* Schooling is allowed, but imposes the RAW 5 week minimum on initiations.
* You must also provide a thematic explanation and description of your schooling method.

## Banned Metamagics

* Paradigm Shift: Insect Shaman (Forbidden Arcana, 43)
* Paradigm Shift: Toxic (Forbidden Arcana, 44)
* Spirit Expansion: Shedim (Forbidden Arcana, 44)
* Predator Feast (Forbidden Arcana, 131)
* Soul Tether (Forbidden Arcana, 131)
* Spiritual Sacrifice (Forbidden Arcana, 131)
* Quickening (Core, 326)

## Altered Metamagics

### Channeling (Street Grimoire, 148)

* When channeling a spirit, the dual-natured entity may not use the conjuring group at all, even if the vessel is in control and may use their skills.
* When channeling a spirit, use the vessel's mental and special attributes for matrix actions or actions otherwise utilizing the matrix.

### Harmonious Defense (Forbidden Arcana, 46)

* Harmonious Defense does require the user to Astrally Perceive to be used. If you do not have an innate way to perceive astrally, you must take the astral perception adept power.

### Harmonious Reflection (Forbidden Arcana, 46)

* Harmonious Reflection requires the user to be Astrally Perceiving, similar to the Reflect Spell.

### Noble Sacrifice (Forbidden Arcana, 56)

* Must have line of sight to allies to work.
* For the purpose of Regeneration and other forms of magical healing, Noble Sacrifice counts as magical damage.

### Paradigm Shift

* Rather than being a metamagic, be performed by paying the same amount of karma one would ordinarily have to pay to initiate. Thus, an uninitiated mage must pay 13 karma, while a IG 5 mage must pay 28. This does not increase initiate grade or the cost of future initiations. As part of this process, the mage will lose any current traditionalist benefits, if appropriate, and gain any new ones they qualify for based on IG and tradition, as appropriate. They will no longer benefit from their current lodge, and their reagents will be out-of-tradition and thus count for only half, barring special circumstances. Fetishes, spells, foci, and bound spirits (including Ally spirits) will remain. If there are any inconsistencies or questions about the process, ask about it in #mechanics.
* Note that this process does not require formal approval, though it should still be noted on your wiki page. This can only be performed during downtime, or with explicit GM approval.

### Tarot Summoning (Forbidden Arcana, 45)

* A tarot summoner cannot have multiple tarot decks used for summoning.
* Drain is based off magic, so that if the spirit summoned is greater than your magic score it is physical drain.
* You must be capable of using the Conjuration skill group in order to take the Tarot Summoning metamagics.
* If you draw a card and the force of the spirit would be a force you are incapable of summoning (i.e. greater than your Mag x 2) then your action is wasted and no spirit is summoned.
* Tarot Sunmoning cannot be used with Hermetic Elementals.
* Tarot Summoning does not gain the benefit of additional services from Spirit Affinity.
* Tarot Summoning does not gain the benefits of Spirit Whisperer.

### Essence Expansion (Dark Terrors, 165)

* The metamagic only expands the amount of essence that they can store, not spend. So a vampire at IG 2 with this metamagic would have 12 essence and could then hold up to 14, but could not use the additional 2 essence for things like ware.