Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- super_science [2014/02/08 18:14]
storyteller
+++ super_science [2014/02/08 18:49]
storyteller [Power Matrixes]
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ==== Gizmos ====
-Charms (or Gadgets to the Technocracy and Sons of
+Gizmos are single-use Wonders such as super-serums, chemical candles, camoflague powders, miracle formulas, Z-Wave bullets, strings of firecrackers, disposable Kirlian photography cameras and so on. Unlike Inventions, which can have an array of mystical Effects, Gizmos are usually created for a single purpose. Occasionally, there are gizmos with an array of uses ("Cleans teeth and freshens breath!" "It's a floor wax! It's a dessert topping!"), but their powers generally come under a single umbrella if one looks hard enough. For example, while true holy water is useful both for dissolving vampires and banishing demons, its main use is to wash away sin, explaining why both the Damned and the Damnable find it so unpleasant.
-Ether) are single-use Wonders such as potions, magic candles,
-vanishing powder, holy water, miracle formulas, magic bullets,
+A gizmo's physical substance is generally used up when its magic is released. These throwaway items can possess mighty effects, but they disappear eventually. At best, they become mere mementos, husks of their former power. For example, while a view screen that was created as a Device would always be Inspired, a Gizmo view screen would only work for a set number of times before its power gave out—possibly with some dramatic effect like exploding once the last use was done. Such items cannot be recharged as with Devices, although their physical remnants might be used in the crafting of another Gizmo or recycled as parts for an entirely new gizmo depending on the circumstances.
-sacramental wine, tins of flying salve, sheets of "really
-good" acid, strings of firecrackers, disposable Kirlian photography
+Gizmos are good for only a set number of uses or amount of time before their power gives out, but unlike Devices, they may sometimes be more useful thus. For example, a bottle may have only five pills left, but those pills could be divided between the members of a group. Likewise, a glow candle might be good for two hours, but by chopping it in two, you could get two one-hour candles. Not all gizmos are divisible this way — some, like disposable cameras, lose their power when broken, while others, such as individual pills, don't have sufficient potency to share — but most come in sets of charges that can be used as needed. For particularly difficult feats, or in adverse conditions, Gizmos may also be "beefed up" by increasing the number of charges used at a time.
-cameras and so on. Unlike Talismans, which can have
-an array of mystical Effects, Charms are usually created for a
+What constitutes a charge or dose and the amount of time for which it's good is a matter of Storyteller arbitration.  A candle whose light reveals the presence of Z-Wave auras might be good for five-minutes per charge (one candle obviously consisting of multiple charges), while anti-gravity salve needs to last long enough to get you where you're going. Generally speaking, each charge will last a Scene, whether it's five minutes of non-stop combat or two hours of leisurely chatting over coffee. Multiple doses or charges may also be required for particularly difficult feats. Logical metaphysics should always apply.
-single purpose. Occasionally, there are Charms and Gadgets
-with an array of uses ("Cleans teeth and freshens breath!"
+Unlike Devices, Gizmos may also be used by the uninspired. Most technological gizmos can be operated by all but the most sheltered native or willfully ignorant shaman. If you believe in them, then they work "like a charm."
-"It's a floor wax! It's a dessert topping!"), but their powers
-generally come under a single umbrella if one looks hard
+Gizmos are valuable according to their one-shot power. If a Gizmo duplicates a particular Knack or Merit, then its value is one-tenth the Knack or Merit cost. Therefore, it is best to buy Gizmos in groups (like a box of candles, a bunch of flowers or whatnot).
-enough. For example, while true holy water is useful both for
-dissolving vampires and banishing demons, its main use is to
-wash away sin, explaining why both the Damned and the
-Damnable find it so unpleasant.
-A Charm or Gadget's physical substance is generally
-used up when its magic is released. These throwaway items
-can possess mighty Effects, but they disappear eventually. At
-best, they become mere mementos, non-magical husks of
-their former power. For example, while a magic mirror that
-was created as a Talisman would always be magical, a Charm
-mirror would only work for a set number of times before its
-magic gave out—possibly with some dramatic effect like the
-glass shattering once the last magic was done. Such items
-cannot be recharged as with Talismans, although their
-physical remnants might be used in the Grafting of another
-Charm, recycled as parts for a new Gadget or charmed again,
-depending on the circumstances.
-Charms are good for only a set number of uses or amount
-of time before their power gives out, but unlike Talismans,
-they may sometimes be more useful thus. For example, a
-bottle may have only five magic pills left, but those pills
-could be divided between the members of a group. Likewise,
-a magic candle might be good for two hours, but by chopping
-it in two, you could get two one-hour candles. Not all
-Charms and Gadgets are divisible this way — some, like
-disposable cameras, lose their power when broken, while
-others, such as individual pills, don't have sufficient magic to
-share — but most come in sets of charges that can be used as
-needed. For particularly difficult feats, or in adverse conditions,
-Charms may also be "beefed up" by increasing the
-number of charges used at a time.
-What constitutes a charge or dose and the amount of
-time for which it's good is a matter of Storyteller arbitration.
-One hit of acid or frame of a strip of film is obviously one call, based on the item's power and the desired Effect. A
-candle whose light reveals the presence of ghosts and spirits
-might be good for five-minutes per charge (one candle
-obviously consisting of multiple charges), while flying salve,
-to be classic, needs to last long enough to get you where
-you're going. Generally speaking, each charge will last a
-scene, whether it's five minutes of non-stop combat or two
-hours of leisurely chatting over coffee. After all, as even the
-Technocracy agrees, an active metabolism processes drugs
-more quickly. Multiple doses or charges may also be required
-for particularly difficult feats. One candle would be all that
-is necessary to see ghosts in a deserted graveyard on a
-moonless night, but it would take an entire candelabra to
-make them show themselves at midday in a downtown
-department store. Logical metaphysics should always apply.
-Unlike Talismans, Charms may also be used by the
-uninitiated, as long as the user believes in the paradigm of
-the mage who crafted the Wonder. For example, any Verbena
-consor or acolyte could use flying salve, as could a
-superstitious villager who truly accepted the Verbena paradigm,
-but the goo would be nothing more than herbal
-ointment to most Sleepers or even an Awakened
-Technomancer. However, most Technocratic Gadgets can
-be operated by all but the most sheltered native or willfully
-ignorant sorcerer. If you believe in them, then they work
-"like a charm."
-Charms are valuable according to their one-shot power.
-If a Charm duplicates a particular Effect or Merit, then its
-value is one-tenth the Sphere rating or Merit cost. Therefore,
-it is best to buy Charms in groups (like a box of candles,
-a bunch of flowers or whatnot).
 === Crafting Gizmos ===
-One builds a Charm or Gadget just like an  Invention, but because it is not permanently empowered, doing so requires one less level of Prime Sphere skill. With the right Tass, apprentices can forge Charms with Prime 2, so these items are key stepping stones in the creation of more powerful magical Wonders.
+<del>One builds a Charm or gizmo just like an Invention, but because it is not permanently empowered, doing so requires one less level of Prime Sphere skill. With the right Tass, apprentices can forge Charms with Prime 2, so these items are key stepping stones in the creation of more powerful magical Wonders.</del>
+==== Power Matrixes====
+Matrixes store Inspirational power. However, as with some sources of Inspiration, Matrixes have a Facet. ''This Resonance derives from the fact that Periapts are, in fact, sublimated Tass. With 10 pawns of Tass of the same given type — for example, 10 pints of vampire blood or 10 werewolf claws — a Master of Matter can craft, for example, a "bloodstone tear" or a "moonstone crescent," which has the same Resonance as the Tass from which it's distilled. A Master of Life could use the same materials to make a living Periapt, or Relic, like a "bloodrose" or a "moonflower" (although such is done less commonly, since those items are less portable).  The Periapt then becomes something like reusable Tass. It can store additional Quintessential energy, especially of the appropriate type, and absorb that energy naturally in the right surroundings. Better still, the Periapt's power can be used by a mage who doesn't have the Prime Sphere, just because of its own natural ability to channel the power!''
+''Periapts hold small amounts of Quintessence, just like Tass. Unlike Tass, though, they don't need to be destroyed in order to access the power — they're Tass batteries. When placed in an area filled with Tass of the sort from which the Periapt was made, it may even draw out the Quintessence from the Tass automatically. A bloodstone might very well suck up blood from a bucket overnight, recharging its Tass but bringing the concomitant damaging Resonance. Still, for mages without access to Nodes or enough Prime mastery, Periapts are very utilitarian power sources.
+''
+''When set into Talismans or Artifacts, a Periapt's Resonance matches to the item it is used to empower. A bloodstone tear from a brutal vampire or a moonstone crescent from an warrior werewolf could be used as the pommel for a magic sword, since they would both be empowered with a warlike Resonance. The same jewels could also be set in the navel of a sorceress or the forehead of her pet toad, usable for all their vicious and warlike magic, although they would become flavored over time with the Resonance of the familiar's spirit and the sorceress's Avatar. Eventually, the Periapt would become part of the creature, so the Periapt's Resonance would match its host, but the host's Resonance would have also slowly changed to reflect the power of the Periapt.
+''
+''All power, of course, has its inverse, and Quintessence is mirrored by the force of Paradox. Whenever a Periapt or Matrix's Quintessential energy is used to power a vulgar effect, the gem will draw in and store the Paradox generated, colored with the appropriate Resonance. When the Periapt or Matrix is used in the future, this Paradox counts as part of the mage's pool for purposes of Backlash. Periapts and Matrixes used for one too many vulgar Effect become the infamous "cursed gems" and "grid overloads" of so many stories. A powerful Periapt is something every mage would covet, but not when it's filled to the brim with Paradox energies.''
+''Despite the name, Periapts and Matrixes do not have to be small gems or crystals or pretty flowers. A Periapt or Matrix could just as easily be an end table or a chair (or in the classic sense, an altar or a throne) or even a huge plant, like the coven trees of the Verbena. Gems are simply durable and portable, and the same ruby can be used as the eye of your idol, the stone for your Hermetic lodge ring, the tip of your wizard's staffer the laser crystal for your Buck Rogers ray gun.  The same can not be said of an end table or 50-foot oak. Then again, altars, thrones and large oak trees are far more difficult to swipe or disguise.''
+''Although agents of the Technocracy assert that they do not use the same props as their mystic counterparts, they do. Thrones are now "Command Chairs" and altars are "Powered Workstations," and they are still set with the same Matrixes as always.''
+''If a Periapt is set into an Artifact or Talisman (or Invention or Device), the gem's power may be used to fuel the Wonder's Effects. Consequently, jewels for rings, crowns, necklaces, the tips of wands, the hilts of daggers and so on are quite popular as Periapts. However, while they can be swapped out like batteries, you also need to have the right type. Sticking a demon's soulgem into a wand of healing is bound to have evil results.''
-==== Power Matrixes ====
+''Each point of a Periapt's power represents five points of Quintessence. To access this power, the mage's player must make a Wits + Meditation roll or use the Prime Sphere as if drawing upon Tass. If the Periapt is actually set into the mage in question, then its Quintessence is considered part of the mage's personal Pattern — but so is any of its Paradox.''
+=== Crafting Power Matrixes ===
+''Periapts and Matrixes are forged from pure Tass. Each dot of the Periapt's power requires the use of 10 points of similar Tass, which must be fused together with a Matter 5 ritual (or Life 5, for a living Periapt). The Periapt's natural Resonance could then be used to forge it into some Artifact or Talisman that would be appropriate, or it could simply be kept as a "Quintessence battery" of reusable Tass.''
+''If your mage wishes to set a Periapt or Matrix into his flesh permanently, it must also first be attuned. To attune a Periapt or Matrix, empty it of all power, then roll Charisma + Meditation (difficulty 6) until you achieve successes equal to the Periapt's rating. However, a botch on this roll indicates that the mage can never attune that Periapt, and it may injure the mage, damage the Periapt or destroy it outright.  Note that a Periapt must be created all at once. Thus, Periapts are fairly rare — how often does a modern mage get his hands on 10 or 20 pawns of Tass ? — and anything beyond five points (made from 50 Quintessence) is as rare as hen's teeth.''
 ==== Devices ====

storyteller

User Tools

Site Tools

Differences

Page Tools