The Book of Knots - Jags

Book of Knots - Magicians
Occult Skill Notes
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
108
Magical Focus: Bells, books, candles, magical circles, prisms, and
other such devices are focuses that magicians have learned contain the
necessary elements to focus the mind for magic. A large magical focus
is anything that takes time to set up and needs its own room. Boiling
cauldrons, intricate circles with candles set out, and other such things are
large.
A small magical focus might be a specially designed ring, cane, or other
handheld object. The Magician will focus on the object during the magic
(pointing the object at the target might be common, for example).
Magical focuses must be specially “consecrated” for the purpose of
doing magic by the Magician or by someone he or she knows: the
significance of the object to the Magician is what’s important. Usually
this takes several hours and can be expensive and use things like the
Magician’s blood in the ritual.
Incantation: Speaking words that have been made resonant in the
Magician’s mind is a way to open doors. Many of these words have
religious or symbolic significance to the user and get their power to
affect the mind from that. Others form intricate mental puzzles that the
Magician ponders when doing magic. Either way, most Incantations
require Occult skill rolls at -5 to speak or they must be written down and
read from a book (note: eventually you do learn them, but it takes some
time).
Gestures: Sitting in certain ways, making motions with one’s hands,
and manipulating tools (lighting candles, burning objects, etc.) count
as gestures. Watching a Magician work is something most people will
understand on an elemental level.
Note: the difference between a focus and tool is that the tool need not be
consecrated.
The character requires a skill roll at -5 to make anything happen. Each roll (ritual) usually takes at least
two hours: an initiate can work for days without anything happening (and when it does, it usually isn’t
much). Rituals require more than one large magical focus, incantations, and gestures.
A ritual takes 1 hour and requires a large magical focus (props), incantations, and gestures. If the
character makes a roll at -3 they can try a short-form of the ritual taking only 10 minutes and requiring
only one of the components).
If the character has a 15- roll or better the short-form is always successful if the character has a small
magical focus and the player only need roll if the GM deems the situation especially difficult.
With a word, gesture, or small magical focus the character can perform magic in 1-5 minutes.
If the character takes a -3 skill roll the character can use a small magical focus to perform magic as a 5
REA action. If the character has a 15- skill roll or better there is no need to roll.
Level 4 The character can perform magic as a 5 REA action with no obvious actions or gestures at all.