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Learning Sorcery requires an adept to have an
Insight Trait in addition to Magical Talent. The prospective sorcerer must possess
sufficient Insight (i.e. understanding of Reality) to be able to open an Ethereal
Conduit to the source of Sorcery. Generally, this means an Insight Trait of at
least three for a competent ability to perform Sorcery, but Sorcery is technically possible
with a lower Insight Rank. Theoretically, any Human adept with Magical Talent could
learn Sorcery, given time. To perform Sorcery, the sorcerer must prepare a detailed
"template" through which he will release the energy into which he has
tapped. The sorcerer's ability to construct this "template" is also based
on his Insight Trait. An adept's Aura Trait is important, since it helps to
determine the size of the Ethereal Conduit, and therefore how much Omnessence the adept
can Access. |
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Sorcery has several advantages over other
forms of magic. Foremost among them is its predictable and reliable nature.
Sorcery effects are precise and well-controlled in comparison to Mana or Spirit
effects. Sorcery is also much easier to Access. |
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Sorcery does have its disadvantages,
however. Sorcerers are unable to create permanent enchantments, for example.
Nor can Sorcery Omnessence be stored in any fashion. Sorcery paradigms can be
"Anchored" temporarily, but such effects can be dispelled. Thus, while
Sorcerers can obtain Omnessence quickly, such energy is only temporarily available. |
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Sorcery has one additional disadvantage.
Those who abuse its power through careless use of Sorcery begin to have their
Magical Talent burned out of them. A Sorcerer must be very wary of the powerful
energies he manipulates. If those energies are released in an uncontrolled fashion,
the Sorcerer may lose a fraction of his Talent to work Sorcery. Whenever a Sorcery
conduit collapses, the sorcerer must make a Shock Trial. If he takes Shock damage,
he must also make a Burnout Avoidance Trial. If he fails that trial, he gains a rank
in the Sorcery Burnout Aspect. If his rank in Sorcery Burnout ever exceeds his
Insight rank, he loses the ability to work Sorcery. This process generally takes
some time, but is inevitable. Only the most cautious and rigorous
Sorcerers maintain their talent over decades. Ill-trained or incautious ones seldom
last more than a few years. |
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A Sorcerer can maintain more than one conduit
simultaneously. The maximum number of conduits that a Sorcerer can maintain at one
time is equal to his Charisma (Willpower). A Sorcerer will seldom have so many open at
once, however. While the first conduit generally requires no Access Trial (in normal
circumstances), additional conduits may require an Access Trial (based on Insight) at
increasing difficulty. Thus, few Sorcerers will be able to casually open more than
two or three conduits. Opening more usually requires "ritualistic"
preparations and periods of intense meditation. Needless to say, any distractions
must be avoided. |
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The second reason for not having many
conduits open at once is that such large amounts of energy are dangerous to handle.
In the event of interruption in preparation or a failed attempt to open a conduit, a Shock
trial is necessary to resist the energy which has been mishandled. Shock Trials in
these circumstances increase their difficulty by the number of conduits above one which the
Sorcerer is maintaining. Thus, a Sorcerer who is maintaining multiple conduits
increases his vulnerability to Sorcery Burnout. |
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