Acceptable Arcanoi
Contents
Arcanoi
Death opens the door to things unknowable by the living. A wraith is Fettered and limited, but also holds great potential to change herself or her surroundings. Those who know, can unravel the secrets of death, find themselves capable of strang powers called Arcanoi.
Arcanoi are secrets that can be either learned at the foot of another or acquired through experience. They are ways of using a wraith's spiritual being to alter other aspects of the Underworld, or in some cases the Skinlands. In many ways, an Arcanos is as much a philosophy as a craft, made of equal parts viewpoint and skill. Most wraiths demonstrate aptitude for one or two Arcanoi immediately upon their rebirth, and quickly learn the first few powers, or arts, of those Arcanoi. In game terms the higher the art level (represented by the number of • characters before its listing), the higher its cost is likely to be, the more difficult it is to learn, and the more powerful it is.
Alternate Arts
While the Arcanoi do not have art ratings above five, they do have many variations on each of the lesser art levels. These so-called "Ancient Arts" and "New Arts" can be learned instead of the basic arts listed here for the same point cost. A wraith with the Inhabit Arcanos could choose to learn the level one Ancient Art Lightning's Bite (see Guildbook: Artificers) instead of the regular level one art Surge.
A wraith who chooses to learn an alternate art instead of the "normal" one for a given Arcanos simply makes a notation on her character sheet as to which alternate art she has studied. If she later wishes to go back and learn a different art with experience, the cost is as follows:
| Arcanos Level | Point Cost |
| One | 1 |
| Two | 3 |
| Three | 6 |
| Four | 9 |
| Five | 12 |
A wraith can only pick up alternate arts of a level less than or equal to her highest current level of training. Alternate arts in an Arcanos cannot be purchased unless the wraith already has at least one level of expertise in the Arcanos in question.
The Variegated Heritage
Like all skills, Arcanoi are constantly evolving. Wraiths often put their own interpretations on their arts, customizing their Arcanoi with nothing more than their outlook. Active experimentation can be dangerous, but highly rewarding. Storytellers are free to allow players to invent new arts for any Arcanos. If the proposed art is appropriate and of a similar power level to the current arts listed, she may allow her players to bring it into play. There are also older, more obscure arts that the Storyteller may devise and allow the players to learn. Examples of these Ancient Arts can be found in the Guildbook series of supplements.
Submerging oneself in the practice of an Arcanos can mark a wraith with a trace of that power. These marks make her recognizable as one who is well-versed in a specific arcane skill, and cannot be removed by cosmetic alteration. The details vary from Arcanos to Arcanos.
Arcanos Markings
Excessive use of an Arcanos will mark a wraith permanently, whether or not she is a member of the Guild associated with that particular Arcanos. A wraith diving into the Tempest with Argos on a regular basis will acquire jet-black eyes, even if she has never met an "official" Harbinger. It is the Arcanos itself (or the environment associated with its use) that creates the markings, not any sort of Guild affiliation.
However, there are many wraiths who have learned more than one Arcanos to such an extent that they start developing more than one set of distinctive marks. This is no longer uncommon in a Stygia where average citizens are encouraged to learn multiple Arcanoi. Usually, the multi-talented wraith will manifest the distinctive patterns of all of the Arcanoi she uses, unless there is some conflict between the developing marks (i.e., Argos and Intimation modify the appearance of the user's eyes in mutually exclusive ways). In this case, the markings of the Arcanos that is used more frequently will predominate, though some evidence of the less commonly used arts will manifest as well. For example, a Harbinger with some knowledge of Intimation (which stains its user's left eye bright green) will have the traditional set of jet-black eyes, but with a distinctly green sheen to his left one.
Wherefores
In practical terms, using an Arcanos means pairing its dice with thos of an attribute (Perception + Outrage, for example). A wraith's most primal strengths and weaknesses are inextricably linked with the secret arts she knows. She must also usually spend Pathos to activate an Arcanos (see "Pathos," page 101). Any cost, whether it be spending Pathos, Corpus, or Willpower or gaining temporary Angst, must be paid whether the attempt succeeds or fails.
Environment also affects an Arcanos' use. The living can deny death's power, making Arcanoi more difficult to activate. This barrier is the Shroud, the wall between the lands of the living and the dead. For many Arcanoi, the difficulty of most rolls equals the local Shroud rating. Indeed, unless specifically stated otherwise, the difficulty for an Arcanos is the local Shroud rating. The Shroud is usually rated at 9, but weakens in some places or at some times. For example, the Shroud lessens in cemeteries, on Holloween or on other occasions popularly linked with the dead. The Shroud is also less powerful in a wraith's Haunt. Whatever the circumstance, though, the Shroud rating never falls below 4 (Storytellers' rules for the Shroud are found here)
Botching
With every secret comes danger, and the Arcanoi are no exception. Thos who lack mastery of their arts run terrible risks. If a character botches an Arcanos roll, the Storyteller should devise some form of effect. For example, a wraith who botches a Moliate roll may be stuck in her current form, unable to shift further for the duration of the scene. A botched Argos roll may cast the unfortunate wraith into the Tempest, and a botched Castigate attempt is dire news indeed. A description of possible outcomes for botched rolls is included with each Arcanos. These should not be taken as holy writ; rather, the Storyteller should select an effect, mild or severe, in keeping with her chronicle. (After all, sometimes failure itself is punishment enough.) These suggestions are here only as possible ways to flavor your game and represent the risks inherent in the ancient secrets of the dead. Be creative
Strength of the Chains
Fetters can also alter an Arcanos' difficulty. It is often easier to affect the living world with the strength of a previous attachment fueling a wraith's Passion. To change the difficulty of an Arcanos roll, the Fetter must play some vital role in the art (usually that of the intended object). One way to reflect this is by rolling the Fetter's rating against a difficulty of 6; each success reduces the art's difficulty by -1 for the remainder of the scene. More simply, the Storyteller may reduce the difficulty by -1 or -2 depending on how well the Fetter is integrated into the art's crafting. The difficulty of an Arcanos roll can never be lowered below 4.
Attunement
Attunement is a process of gradually practicing an Arcanos on a certain subject, investing Willpower so that the Arcanos becomes eaiser when dealing with that person or object. This process is mainly used with Embody, Puppetry and Inhabit, although the Storyteller is free to allow her players to attune other Arcanoi (such as Usury or Pandemonium). People that a wraith has attuned to are usually called Consorts.
Each time the wraith successfully manifests to, Skinrides or hides in the object, she may spend one Willpower point, carefully identifying with it. The closer the wraith was in life to the object, the easier attunement is. Attuning to a stranger costs five Willpower; attuning to a close friend or lover may require only two or three. The results vary by Arcanos; for instance, certain Puppetry arts can only be used on Consorts. If no attunement results are given under the Arcanos, the Storyteller should pick whatever effect seems most reasonable - if she decides to allow it to be attuned at all.
The Others
The following are not the only Arcanoi that were taught by the long-banished Guilds. Three were banned from Stygia, their practitioners driven out into the storm. The Alchemists, masters of Flux, found themselves the targets of persecution for their Arcanos' effects, which could strengthen, rot or animate objects in the Skinlands. The sinister arts of desire that make up the Intimation Arcanos are both sought after and feared, but teachers of them are few and far between. As for Mnemosynis' arts of recalling and reweaving memory, they were banned entirely. For more information on these three Guilds and their Arcanoi, see the Wraith Players' Guide.
The Arcanoi
- Argos -- Users of Argos can manipulate, navigate, and travel through the Tempest.
- Castigate -- Users of Castigate can manipulate and control a wraith’s Shadow.
- Embody -- Those who use Embody can manifest in the physical world and, under the right circumstances, appear as a living person.
- Fatalism -- Those with the gift of Fatalism are able to see into another’s past or future, and read a wraith's ultimate Fate.
- Inhabit -- Wraiths gifted with Inhabit can manipulate and control inanimate objects.
- Keening -- Those who can use the arts of Keening can manipulate emotions through sound.
- Lifeweb -- Wraiths who know Lifeweb can use it to strengthen, weaken, or watch over Fetters.
- Moliate -- Those who Moliate are able to reshape their Corpus, and the Corpus of others, into fascinating, and sometimes terrifying forms.
- Outrage -- Outrage affects the Skinlands by manifesting a wraith’s will in the form of a powerful force.
- Pandemonium -- Wraiths who use this Arcanos can use the powers of chaos to create havoc in the living world.
- Phantasm -- Those who use the abilities of Phantasm can manipulate dreams and create illusions.
- Puppetry -- Those who master Puppetry can control the bodies of the Quick.
- Usury -- Those who master Usury can trade the very forces that wraiths thrive on.
