Summoning, Binding & Warding (Hedge Magic)
Introduction: Perhaps the most ubiquitous among legendary sorceries is the ability to bind and control various natural or supernatural entities. Sorcerers can use their powers to command ghosts, demons, animals - even other people. With protective circles the sorcerer hedges out enemies, while with summoning spells, he calls the subjects to him.
Summoning, Binding and Warding are perhaps the most dangerous of spells. Attempts to bind creatures almost inevitably make them hostile. A sorcerer may not know that a ward is unsuccessful until an enemy attacks! And, of course, many hapless sorcerers learn to summon creatures long before learning to bind and control them. Worse still, many extra dimensional beings possess will too strong to be easily bound.
All Summoning, Binding and Warding powers are rituals; the sorcerer must properly prepare and incant to make the effect happen. The aspects determine the sorts of creature that the sorcerer can summon and for how long. Each type of creature requires a separate ritual: Summons Rats, Bind Rats and Ward Against Vampires are all separate rituals.
Summoning, Binding and Warding covers many different areas of study. Material Summoning refers to physical creatures, like the summons of rats or bats. Daimonic Summoning affects angelic or demonic entities. Emphemera refers to the practice of dealing with spirits in general; Necromancy covers dealings with ghosts of the dead. Coiling or Technomantic Summoning refers to the practice of summoning or binding technological items - some modern sorcerers might even call their cars to them or ward their computers against viruses!
A creature compelled by a Summoning must appear to the sorcerer. Thus, the sorcerer can see spirits or the like that are brought forth, vampires are forced from hiding, etc. Note that the creature must move under its power power; the spell does not teleport it into the location. Thus, Summoning a toaster does little good unless it has wheels.
Summoning (Hedge Magic)
After a long series of recitations, entreaties and preparations, the wizard rolls his Charisma + Occult with the usual difficulty. He must accumulate twice as many successes as his target's (permanent) willpower rating, making one roll per hour. The range used; a Path level three summoning, for example, has a reach of three miles. Once the call is sent forth, the first such being within the area of enchantment will be compelled to go to the wizard as rapidly as possible.
- Simple creatures: The sorcerer can affect small, unintelligent animals, like rats, bats and insects. This also functions upon simple nature spirits or basic technological devices.
- Large creatures: The summoner may affect large animals like wolves. The summoner may also affect ghosts of the dead or larger technical devices like televisions.
- Humans: The summoner’s magic functions upon normal humans or upon self-willed natural spirits. Computers and complex electronics may be affected.
- Paranatural: The summoner can affect ghouls, other sorcerers and similar supernatural entities. Technomagical devices may be affected.
- Supernatural: The summoner’s powers reach beyond to affect truly supernatural material beings such as vampires, werewolves and the like. The sorcerer could use techno summons against airplanes, wards across entire buildings and so on.
This magic does not instantly conjure a creature out of thin air. The Summoned one comes at his or her own speed. If there isn't a suitable being in range, the wizard may have to continue until he finds one. For each willpower spent, he may add another mile to the range. This is a dangerous tactic, because if it works...
Bindings (Hedge Magic)
Binding levels are cumulative.
- Once the subject arrives the magician can try to compel it to service, if the summoner dares! A minor binding pits the wizards will against his subject's, using the Immutable Laws of What Is. True Mages claim that such a contest pit one Avatar against another...with perhaps a bit of outside help from other concerned parties. To affect a minor binding the wizard spends a Willpower point and performs his ritual (Manipulation + Occult). His target rolls her own Willpower(difficulty of the Wizards own). If she wins, the Binding has no effect. If she loses, she must perform one task for him before she is freed. This should be spelled out in as complete a form as possible. Rest assured that any Bound being will be looking for a way out.
The creature cannot act against the sorcerer.
- The creature must truthfully answer any single question put to it.
- The creature truthfully answers questions and must perform any one service demanded, though it may twist the intent of the service.
- The creature performs a task for the caster as directed, following the orders closely.
- The sorcerer may command the creature to perform one task on behalf of another person and order it to answer any questions put to it by others.
Wards (Hedge Magic)
The Magician lays some sort of Ward(a pentacle, a triangle of salt, an offering of food and good liquor, gold, herbs, a plate of wolfsbane and blood, etc.) and rolls Wits + Occult (difficulty is the Paths level +4). The target Ward will have to spend one Willpower per the magicians success to enter the area protected. A ward lasts for one scene per success. A fair but devious storyteller might make the Ward roll herself, leaving the magician to wonder whether or not his Ward will hold!
This ritual acts like a counter-magick (one die per success) or reduces any incoming Gift or Discipline by one dot of effect for every one of the wizard's successes. Wards do not, however,restrict gunfire.
