Rotes
Many Mystics focus not on learning specific Spells, but on mastering areas of specialty, go-to methods of spell-casting called Rotes. Rotes are aspects of The Mystery a character understands best. Rotes are a method of spell-casting which allow characters to cast custom spells not found elsewhere in the list of various spells. When casting a spell using Rotes, treat your Rotes just like Features; simply state what you wish to accomplish and roll your Spellcraft + 1d6 for each Rote that aligns with your goal.
For example, Julian wishes to transmute a hunk of lead into gold. The GM rules that this Spell has a Difficulty of 3. Julian's Rotes are Alter, Imitate, Wood, Heat, and Metal. He decides that Alter and Metal apply to this task and rolls his Spellcraft (3) + 2 for his Rotes, for a total of 5 dice rolled. He rolls 3 Bumps. The lead changes before his very eyes into solid gold.
For example, Julian wishes to transmute a hunk of lead into gold. The GM rules that this Spell has a Difficulty of 3. Julian's Rotes are Alter, Imitate, Wood, Heat, and Metal. He decides that Alter and Metal apply to this task and rolls his Spellcraft (3) + 2 for his Rotes, for a total of 5 dice rolled. He rolls 3 Bumps. The lead changes before his very eyes into solid gold.
Rotes List
Rotes are divided into two categories: Domains and Modes.
For the sake of versatility, it is recommended to take a mix of Domains and Schema when choosing Rotes.
- Domains are forces of nature, fundamental pillars of life and reality.
- Modes are ways to affect a Domain and consist of action words like create, destroy, reveal, etc.
For the sake of versatility, it is recommended to take a mix of Domains and Schema when choosing Rotes.
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Modes
Alter The prince becomes a frog. A jug of water transforms into wine. A hunk of lead slowly changes to shining gold. This Rote can be used to...
Control Sunny skies are suddenly covered by unseasonable storm clouds. The plants and trees rise up to defend the druid. The very stones obey the sorcerer's command. This Rote can be used to...
Create A sumptuous feast appears on the king's table. A bridge of ice materializes across the canyon. The wizard summons a host of blades from thin air. This Rote can be used to...
Decrease The threatening highwayman shrinks down to the size of an ant. A blazing inferno becomes little more than a candle's flicker. This season's crops come in small and few. This Rote can be used to...
Destroy A fireball blazes a trail of death across the battlefield. A massive wave approaches the coastal town. With but a gesture, the necromancer snuffs out life. This Rote can be used to...
Give The furniture is given life at the Mystic's command. A faltering comrade feels a surge of strength. Light floods the underground caverns. This Rote can be used to...
Imitate The roar of a dragon erupts from the mouth of the bard. Forty copies of a one-of-a-kind painting appear. The acrobat's trick is reproduced perfectly. This Rote can be used to...
Increase Growing several times in size, the Mystic breaks free of his restraints. The warrior's strength grows, allowing her to easily overpower the enemy. Under the influence a spell, the merchant generously improves his offer. This Rote can be used to...
Move A portal opens, offering instant transit to another place. The wizard's possessions neatly file into boxes and bins when it's time to move on. Like a hawk, the sorcerer soars through the sky. This Rote can be used to...
Restore Time seems to reverse as blood flows back into a collapsed body and its wounds close shut. Pieces of a broken blade fuse back together once more. An estranged son makes amends with his family. This Rote can be used to...
Reveal The mystically concealed doorway seems obvious now. A glowing set of footprints appears, leading directly to the culprit. The thief's den is located...this way. This Rote can be used to...
Steal The idol's curse is taken away and placed in an amulet. Coins vanish from the tax collector's purse. The sorcerer leaves behind a withered husk, drained of life completely. This Rote can be used to...
Summon A lightning storm gathers to aid the wizard. In the midst of the arcane circle, a djinn appears. A blade materializes in the hand of the assassin. This Rote can be used to...
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Domains
Ability "Like this?" the mage asks, flawlessly imitating the juggler's complex routine. The curse robs a bard of all his hard-learned skill. Dragon's fire erupts from the mouth of the wizard, baffling all present. This Rote can be used to affect...
Air A gust of wind knocks the monster off balance. Suddenly, all oxygen flees the room. A large storm blows in from the east. This Rote can be used to affect...
Animals An army of woodland creatures follow behind the druid. Wild wolves encircle the camp not to threaten, but to protect. Birds feed the travelers while deer lead them along the safest route. This Rote can be used to affect...
Disease A Mysterious illness befalls the prince. The healer cures the diseases of those she touches. Anyone struck down by the necromancer arises as a plague-spreading zombie. This Rote can be used to affect...
Earth The ground cracks open the swallow the encroaching horde. Great fists of stone smash through the barricade. An earthquake levels the enemy stronghold. This Rote can be used to affect...
Electromagnetism Lightning leaps from the Mystic's hands, shocking his opponents. The great metal barrier crumples like paper. The knights are frozen in their tracks, their metal armor held in place by an unseen force. This Rote can be used to affect...
Fire Light without heat emanates from the Mysterious flames. The bard's voice shapes the campfire into images from her song. A fireball blazes through the air towards its unfortunate target. This Rote can be used to affect...
Flesh A mangled hand reforms under the healer's spell. Arcane tattoos awaken great strength within the barbarian. In a remote tower, a series of macabre experiments give a dead body life once more. This Rote can be used to affect...
Fortune A handful of coins are found to help with a needed purchase. The councilman just happens to be at the marketplace. Sometimes things just work out. This Rote can be used to affect...
Gravity An enormous boulder becomes light as a feather. The Mystic and her allies leap vast distances through the air. Invisible forces pull the horde of monsters into a crushing black orb. This Rote can be used to affect...
Heart Despite his rotten temperament, everyone still loves the prince for some inexplicable reason. The bandit drops his sword and bursts into tears. The bard's insight always sees through to the heart of the matter. This Rote can be used to affect...
Heat All warmth leaves the room as ice crawls up the walls and along the floors. A field catches fire in the dead of winter. Even in the absence of a campfire, the party stays warm. This Rote can be used to affect...
Knowledge Without any foreknowledge, the wizard gives the correct passcode to the guardian. Kings and commoners come from far and wide to learn from the guru's wisdom. An eyewitness's memory is wiped before he can testify. This Rote can be used to affect...
Life Plants bloom in the footsteps of the wandering druid. The priestess returns health to the ailing and injured. The lich lives on forever in an unnatural shadow of life. This Rote can be used to affect...
Light The dark cavern is flooded with brilliant light. A spell hides the campfire's glow, concealing the party's campsite from view. Searing beams of sunlight pierce the darkened heart of the vampiir. This Rote can be used to affect...
Mass The warrior doubles in size and strength. The sword is simply too heavy to move. A black hole tears through space, sucking everything into a crushing void. This Rote can be used to affect...
Metal The barbarian's blade becomes sharp enough to cut any object. A copper coin transmutes into gold. The smith's forge becomes a place of enchantment and wonder. This Rote can be used to affect...
Mind Cosmic secrets flood into the mind of the awakened mystic. The thoughts of those present are laid bare before the psychic. Shock in his eyes, the bandit leader stabs himself. This Rote can be used to affect...
Motion The scoundrel flees with the speed of a cheetah. With a wave of her hand, the Mystic freezes the guards in place. The gears and pistons of the device move continuously, seemingly of their own accord. This Rote can be used to affect...
Perception Erasing herself from the minds of those she encounters, the spy moves undetected through the palace. The sorcerer overloads an attacker's senses to disable them. An illusion sits on the throne as a decoy. This Rote can be used to affect...
Plants A mass of vines entangles the druid's attackers. The farm's crops grow to enormous size and amazing taste. An unnatural hybrid of plant and beast attacks. This Rote can be used to affect...
Sound The assassin's footfalls are muted completely along with the screams of his victim. At the story's climax, the bard roars like a dragon for dramatic effect. A sonic boom deafens and stuns an enemy, affording the wizard an opportunity to escape. This Rote can be used to affect...
Space A portal opens connecting two different places. The mage's small bag can hold a lot more than its size would indicate. The bandit's think they're advancing, but they're actually retreating. This Rote can be used to affect...
Speed In a blur, the rogue moves from point to point with incredible speed. The flower grows, blooms, and fades in an instant. Tired of waiting, the mage speeds up the pace of lengthy repairs. This Rote can be used to affect...
Spirit Pushing through The Veil, the seer enters the world of spirits. A necromancer consorts with the dead for secret knowledge. The soul of a powerful beast is sealed within a crystal so it may never again return to the world of Men. This Rote can be used to affect...
Strength The warrior smashes through the barricade with little effort. The enchanted steel does not bend, break, or rust. The mage's will is strong enough to resist any assault. This Rote can be used to affect...
Time Glancing into the future, the cunning vizier makes a sound judgment. The gears of the trap move slowly, affording the adventurer's time to escape from death. The world moves in reverse as the wizard rewinds the flow of time. This Rote can be used to affect...
Void A bolt of nothingness strikes the monster, removing them from existence. All knowledge of the crystal's location is erased; none may know where it is. The mystic disappears...in fact, she was never here. This Rote can be used to affect...
Water A barrage of icy shards rains down upon the sorcerer's foes. The raging sea becomes still and placid. The king's cup is always full. This Rote can be used to affect...
Weather The winds die down and the clouds abate at the druid's voice. Acidic rain pours from a host of yellow clouds. An unseasonable storm approaches. This Rote can be used to affect...
Wood Walking trees attack on the druid's behalf. An arboreal prison forms around the captive. The table and chairs come to life, rearranging themselves around the room. This Rote can be used to affect...
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What Should a Spell Cost?
Every spell should cost the caster something. Since Rotes are customized and don't create pre-determined spells, it's up to the GM to decide the cost of each spell cast through Rotes. The cost should be proportional to the effects of the spell or what the caster gains from it. Usually this can be tied to the spell's Difficulty and Echo. Some suggested costs for spells are given below, listed along with the various power ratings for spells.
Power Scale
Not every spell is created equally. Some are designed to do something simple and subtle while others are incredible displays of the magician's phenomenal power. The more powerful and complex a spell is, the greater its cost, Echo, and the Difficulty to cast it. When a player decides to cast a spell by Rote, the GM can reference the scale below with the desired effect in mind and use the recommendations to determine what the spell should cost, how Difficult it should be, and how much Echo is produces.
MildDIFFICULTY 1
The spell is subtle, relatively weak, and doesn't cause much of a stir. To the untrained eye, it may look like a weird coincidence.
Echo on par with a smell you can't quite locate.
COST
1 Mana -or- An unusual but common item, destroyed in the casting -or- The ritual sacrifice of a small animal like a bat or mouse |
PotentDIFFICULTY 2
The spell is relatively strong or showy, but could easily go unnoticed if there are other distractions going on around it.
Echo on par with a loud firecracker
COST
2 Mana -or- A costly, uncommon item, destroyed in the casting -or- The ritual sacrifice of a common animal like a bull or ram |
DynamicDIFFICULTY 3
The spell is powerful and obviously magical, though a far cry from the wonders the magician is truly capable of producing.
Echo on par with an alarm bell ringing
COST
3 Mana -or- A scarce and obviously magical item, destroyed in the casting -or- The ritual sacrifice of a rare or magical animal |
PowerfulDIFFICULTY 4
The spell is very powerful and causes quite a commotion when cast. Even non-magical folk can feel its arcane reverberations.
Echo on par with an explosion
COST
4 Mana and a Trauma -or- A rare and precious item of great value, destroyed in the casting -or- The ritual sacrifice of a Mortal |
God-LikeDIFFICULTY 5
The spell is ridiculously powerful, on par with the acts of a minor deity. This level of spell is incredibly difficult and its casting is costly.
Echo on par with a rocket blasting off
COST
5 Mana and 2 Trauma -or- A unique, one-of-a-kind item of myth, destroyed in the casting -or- The ritual sacrifice of many Mortals |
The spell's power rating should increase if it...
- ...is executed without any complications and works exactly as intended
- ...happens quickly without much need for preparation, chanting, or ritual
- ...costs the Mystic little to nothing to cast
- ...is fantastic or contrary to the laws of nature
- ...has an ongoing effect or works over a great distance
- ...offers the target little to no chance for resistance
- ...may not work as intended or has a chance of going awry
- ...takes time and effort to prepare
- ...costs the Mystic something to cast; the greater the cost, the lower the Difficulty
- ...is subtle or works within the framework of natural laws
- ...does not have lingering or permanent effects
- ...allows the target a fair chance at avoiding or resisting its effects
