Sorcery
Sorcery is the darkest of the casting arts and draws its power from the nether realms beyond the natural world. This power is difficult to control, resulting in flamboyant outbursts of magical energy barely trapped by the spells of it's practitioners. Sorcery focuses on the primal power of the universe, the Seeds behind all planar magic.
Sorcery Casting Roll
(Sorcery Skill + Casting Stat: Willpower + Highest Seed Rank)
Choosing a Planar Source
When selecting the Sorcery Source, players must select where in the Outer Planes they draw their powers from - Pandemonium, Arcadia, Aaru, Stygia, or The Outer Wild in between. Details on these realms can be found in the Brilliance & Shadow Campaign Guide. The Sorcerer’s powers will resemble their chosen plane, and summons will draw from that plane's native creature type. Additionally, each plane gains at least one Favored Seed, a power which is particularly potent when drawn from that region. Once selected, the character may not change their chosen plane.
| Plane | Favored Seeds | Creature Type |
|---|---|---|
| Aaru | Creation, Ward | Angels |
| Arcadia | Scry, Compel | Arcadians |
| Pandemonium | Energy, Summon | Demons |
| Stygia | Animate, Slay | Undead |
| The Outer Wild | Transform | Abominations |
Pushing
Unlike other forms of spellcasting, Sorcery can be altered in a variety of ways such as potency, duration, area, or range by reaching beyond safe limits in a maneuver Sorcerers call “Pushing”. The exact forms of pushing each power allows is listed in the spell description. A Sorcerer may push once per Rank of the Seed. Pushing is dangerous and can result in damaging backlash. Each push used on a spell adds a Backlash Dice to a pool rolled against the caster as the spell is cast. Each success rolled on these dice deals a point of Backlash as non-lethal damage to the caster. If the caster has Vigor remaining, they lose a point of Vigor for each point of non-lethal damage as normal, but their Vigor total is also reduced by the same amount until it recovers. Vigor recovers as normal at the rate of 1 point per 15 minutes. If the caster has no Vigor remaining, Backlash is treated as regular lethal damage.
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Seeds
Seeds are the key to how sorcerers use planar energy to manipulate their environment. They are the fundamental building blocks of planar magic that chain unbridled power to the caster's will.
| Seed | Description |
|---|---|
| Animate | Animate corpses you control. |
| Create | Create equipment from planar energy. |
| Compel | Dominate minds. |
| Conceal | Hide within a cloak of magic. |
| Conjure | Summon and control planar materials. |
| Drain | Drain energy from nearby targets. |
| Energy | Unleash destructive waves of energy. |
| Scry | Reveal targets or find hidden knowledge. |
| Slay | Slay living targets. |
| Summon | Summon and bind Outsiders. |
| Transform | Changes casters form. |
| Transport | Use the planes to travel. |
| Ward | Damage preventing shield. |