The Power of Sorcery

The Nature of Sorcery

Certain statements in Thari are performative - they make the universe do things. The study and practice of these statements is Sorcery, and is known from Chaos to Amber. One masters sorcery through research. It is associated with Air, the element of speech and thought.

Using Sorcery

Sorcerors speak spells, which are built from microspells. Spells may be prepared or spontaneous. Prepared spells are more powerful - the sorceror has studied and practiced them. Spontaneous spells are more flexible - the sorceror can piece them together from known microspells on the spur of the moment.

You may design prepared spells equal in number to your Air score.

Sorcery never works in Amber

The Power of Sorcery

Spells are more or less effective depending on the advantages and disadvantages obtaining when they are cast. Your Air score, magic score and the time you take casting the spell all contribute to the spell's power. Your target's ability to resist magic and the spell duration decrease its power. In the case of a living target, the resistance value will typically be the target's Earth score.

Advantages Disadvantages
Target name known
Prepared spell 		Number of microspells Sponaneous spell Unfamiliar shadow

See the Magic Formula page for more information of use to the sorceror.

Buying Sorcery

Each microspell costs one point. Extra points in Sorcery (beyond 4) increase the power and complexity of your spells. Your Sorcery score may not exceed your Air score.

The Microspells

  1. Open Gate - Between one plane/shadow/region and another.
  2. Shadow Manipulation - Change shadow stuff: lead to gold, big to small etc.
  3. Magical Energy - Supercharge a region with supernatural power
  4. Mind Touch - a "spirit gate" between caster and subject.

Notes on the Microspells

In formulating a spell, the sorceror must define and characterize the microspells involved - a Gate from Here to There, Shadow Manipulated Like So, Magical Energy That Does That, Mind Touch with So-and-So.

Open Gate might seem like a nice cheap way to get from shadow to shadow. It's not so simple. You can only open a gate to a place you are familiar with, either from study or personal experience. And of course you can't open a gate directly to Amber.

Shadow Manipulation versus Magical Energy. You Manipulate Shadow to change a target from one thing-that-is-consonant-with-the-laws-of-this-shadow to another. On shadow earth, rocks and helium balloons are both possible, so Manipulate Shadow would let you change one to the other. But rocks can't float on shadow earth. If you want the rock to float into the air and still be a rock, Magical Energy is what you need.

Mind Touch must generally be included as a component of any spell intended to directly affect a living creature.

More Amber Powers

  1. Pattern
  2. Trump
  3. Shapeshifting
  4. Sorcery

The Stages of Character Creation

  1. The Vision stage
  2. The Powers stage
  3. The Elements stage
  4. The Magic stage

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