Hedge Magic

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Introduction: Sorcery, known to mages as linear magic or more dismissively as hedge magic or hedge wizardry, is the form of magic used by mortal non-mages in the Classic World of Darkness. Unlike true magic, one does not need to be Awakened (or Enlightened) to use sorcery. Thus, any mortal with sufficient traits can be a sorcerer and use the linear paths of hedge magic. As a result, sorcery is the most common form of magic for humans in the World of Darkness.

In the context of Mage: The Ascension, linear magic resides within the bounds of the Consensus (barely), and as such, it does not cause Paradox, unlike the dynamic magic of mages. Despite their magical talents, sorcerers are still sleepers (or at least sleepwalkers), but their connection with the magical world makes them ideal consors and acolytes to Awakened mages.

The diverse forms of sorcery can include Roma curses, high school Wiccans' spells, voodoo and folk magic.

A Word About Resonance

Sorcerers, much like Mages, are mortal beings with access to powerful forces. They also possess Resonance as Mages do, but for Sorcerers it is the other side of that coin so to speak. Sorcerers do not, of course, have Arete or access to Sphere magic. Their magic comes from the access to the Paths they learn, whether this is mystical numina or psychic numina based. I am not requiring players to use resonance on their sorcerer character but should a player wish to use it, a sorcerer’s resonance will follow the following rules:

Resonance is structured under three categories. Dynamic, Static and Entropic. Every sorcerer will begin with 1 dot in Resonance placed in the category of your choice. A sorcerer will also have a dot of Resonance for each Path they possess with a rating of 3 or higher. For each dot of Resonance you must choose a word to describe an aspect of your character's Resonance. Your character's Dynamic Resonance might be Energetic, Violent or Fiery; Entropic Resonance could be Destructive, Languorous or Seething; Static Resonance might manifest as Accurate, Geometric or Smothering. These Traits describe how your character’s magic tends to change according to her emotions. Every magical Effect that the mage does is affected in some way by Resonance; the more dots the mage has in a Trait, the stronger its manifestation.

Dynamic Resonance reflects the pure creative force of the universe, the drive to make new and different things, action without thought to consequences and continuous motion and evolution. Such Resonance Traits are fast, moving and mutating, though the Trait itself tends to stay the same for any given mage. Entropic Resonance reflects the mage’s tie to primordial energy, the bubbling morass that melts Creation back down into fluid emptiness and makes room for new birth. Entropic Traits show decay, destruction and death, though not always in a wholly negative way. Jhor is a special kind of Entropic Resonance, garnered from too much interaction with death energy. Static Resonance shows up in patterns, constants and the solidification of Creation into permanent or semi-permanent forms and repeatable ideas. Such Traits are often intellectual, heavily patterned or highly organized.

Resonance dots are rated on a scale or 1 - 5 as follows: x - Negligible Resonance

●○○○○ - Quirky

●●○○○ - Odd

●●●○○ - Noticeable

●●●●○ - Influential

●●●●● - Overwhelming

(https://theportimc.wikispaces.com/Mage+Questions)

Please keep in mind that a sorcerer’s Resonance must fit with the character concept or a potent driving trait of the character or must mesh with the style of magic used.

Example #1: A sorcerer possesses two paths, Hellfire and Shadowcasting. Hellfire is rated at 4 dots and Shadowcasting is rated at 3 dots. This sorcerer would have three dots of Resonance. The character is a very fussy, particular and methodical character. Also of note that under the description of Hellfire is says that this particular path is thought by many to be at least tainted by darkness if not outright of evil. Shadowcasting is also thought by many to be a “dark path”. As such a fitting resonance for this character could be like so: Dynamic: *(Devouring) Static: *(Precise) Entropic: *(Enveloping)

Example #2: A sorcerer possesses two paths, Psychometry and Psychic Vampirism. Psychometry is rated at 3 dots and Psychic Vampirism is rated at 2 dots. This character is very proactive, rushing in where angels fear to tread sort of person. Fly by the seat of their pants and see where the wind takes them. Psychometry is the reads of objects, a neutral path as far as powers go while Psychic Vampirism is a bit of a parasitic path as the name implies. As such a fitting resonance for this character could be like so: Dynamic: o o(Delving, Reckless)

Example #3: A sorcerer possesses three paths, Alchemy, Enchanting and Conveyance. Alchemy is rated at 2 dots, Enchanting is rated at 2 dots, and Conveyance is rated at 2 dots. The character is very careful and prideful in his work, settling for nothing but the best work he is able to produce. He does not do half measures, which in Alchemy and Enchanting this is both a boon and a problem, the cost of supplies can get expensive. His Conveyance is something he is learning for he has often thought of using it to acquire the needed supplies at an extreme discount price of free. As such a fitting resonance for this character could be like so: Static: *(Exacting)

Credit to the Source: https://theportimc.wikispaces.com/Sorcerer+House+Rules

Sorcerer Experience Chart

Trait Cost
New Ability 3
New Path 7
Willpower current rating
Ability current rating X 2
Attribute current rating X 4
Path current rating X 7
New Ritual rating of ritual
Background current rating X 3

Hedge Magic Cheat Sheet

Successes Needed

Standard Task (Conjuring a Card) One
Difficult Task (Healing a gunshot wound One per path level
Impossible Task(Binding a Raging Werewolf) One Per path level, +2 difficulty (10 Maximum)

Counterspells

Normal Wits + Occult Difficulty 8
Unweaving Intelligence + Occult Difficulty 8
Warding Wits + Occult Difficulty 8

Path Listings

Path Effect Roll Willpower Cost
Alchemy Transmutation of Element Intelligence + Alchemy(Occult Science) 1 Willpower
Conjuration Pull things from "nowhere" Dexterity + Occult (No Cost)
Conveyance Swift Travel Stamina + Occult 1 Willpower
Cursing Cause bad fortune Manipulation + Intimidation 1 Willpower
Divination Fortell the Future Perception + Fortune Telling (No Cost)

Paths of Hedge Magic

Alchemy (Hedge Magic)

Alchemy is concerned with the creation of substances which convey magical affects when used. Alchemical workings come in many forms: Potions which take affect when consumed; paste-like Salves, which must be applied to the target; Incense, either in solid form or as a liquid applied to something else which is burnt; or Perfume, worn on the skin. The form given an Alchemical creation must be decided upon before work begins.


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The alchemist can create compounds and substances that are simply more advanced and potent versions of chemicals that already exist. These compounds don’t appear magical in any way. Painkillers, soporifics, poisons and glues are common examples.
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More advanced versions of what is available already with one dot. Some of these substances might allow the imbiber to exceed his normal physical limits or to gain access to more mystical senses, in dreams or hallucinations.
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The alchemist can make substances that enhance their target to superhuman levels or create materials that exceed normal limitations (supernaturally strong alloys, etc). Some of these substances can temporarily invest their imbiber with some low-level psychic ability for a limited period of time (no more than one hour or so) for example.
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The alchemist can create substances that will enhance their attributes even beyond normal human maximums or minor items with some potent effect.
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With this level of knowledge, the alchemist can duplicate the powers of supernatural creatures, including Gifts, Disciplines and other abilities of up to the third level. They can also duplicate the innate powers of these creatures (the powers of the Fae, wraiths and the imbued cannot be duplicated).

These potions will normally require some sample from the being in question (Vitae, powdered dragon fang, hair from a werewolf, etc.) or extended close up and personal study of the subject (this is usually only appropriate for students of Advanced Chemistry and may still require tissue samples).

Such concoctions often have nasty side effects as well (the more powerful the Gift or Discipline, the more pronounced the side effects).



Conjuration (Hedge Magic)

The master conjurer can move items (though not himself) through space; scientists call this ability apportation or telekinesis (depending on whether or not the items passes through the intervening space between where it is and where the conjurer wishes it to be), whilst those knowledgeable in Sphere magics claim that this is a limited application of the Sphere of Correspondence.

Many sorcerers who choose to practice their Arts openly, or somewhat openly, master Conjuration, if only to earn a living from their studies. With it, all manner of parlor tricks and stage magics can be emulated - of course, when a conjurer claims that there’s nothing up her sleeves, there really isn’t!

For the best effect, an object must be prepared ahead of time, in a ritual designed to bond the item to the caster, making it easy for her to latch onto and command later on. This doesn’t mean that the Conjurer has to do this; theoretically, a conjurer can take control of anything that she can see, although in practice this is very difficult to do and much more draining.

The more experienced the conjurer is, the more she is able to move and the farther and more precisely she can move it; an experienced conjurer can thread needles, summon a rabbit into a hat from miles away or move an elephant across a room. The skilled conjurer can also manipulate multiple objects.

It is very difficult to use conjuration offensively (even beyond the length of time it normally takes to effect a change). A willing subject, properly prepared (which usually involves at least a low level of mesmerism) can be the subject of a conjuration, but the least resistance renders the effect almost impossible. With enough luck, a sorcerer might be able to conjure a weapon out of the hands of an opponent, but attempts at this are dreadfully prone to failure.


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Less than an ounce. A coin, business card, penknife, etc. No more than a couple of feet.
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A few pounds, a hardcover book. At this level, very small or simple life forms (insects, snails, etc.) can be manipulated as well. Objects can be moved 20 feet or so.
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A largish object (computer monitor, telephone) weighing up to 100 pounds. Living beings can be moved as well, although the conjurer cannot manipulate humans. The conjurer can summon an object from over 100 feet away.
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Something as large as an armoire, weighing 1,000 pounds or so can be moved. Humans can be manipulated, so long as they are willing, unconscious or hypnotized. The object being manipulated can be summoned forth and from (or sent away to) a location up to half a mile away.
●●●●●
At this level, the conjuror can move a car or an elephant around. An unwilling human subject could also be moved, although this is very difficult. Summoned objects can be made to appear from five miles away.



Conveyance (Hedge Magic)

Seven league boots, flying carpets, witches brooms, demonic chariots pulled by skeletal fire-breathing steeds, teleportation gateways; myth and legend are full of stories of those who could bypass the hazards and annoyances of long journeys, spanning the lengths of countries in hours or seconds. At least some of these stories can be laid at the feet of sorcerers practicing the Path of Conveyance, avoiding the hassles of the road by flying over it, riding at speeds no other could manage or bypassing it altogether.

“Conventional” Conveyance requires some sort of steed; this may be a broom, four-poster bed, bicycle, Oriental rug, giant cauldron or a fiery coach-and-four. More technologically oriented sorcerers use jet packs or impossibly fast Lamborghini's and Prowlers (the deluxe version has stealth capabilities, to avoid police radar, but this is superfluous in general; few troopers will believe that they saw a Ferrari doing over 500 kph down a busy thruway... especially when it looks like the car isn’t actually touching the ground).

With enough understanding of this Path, the sorcerer need not bother with a vehicle at all, merely willing himself to be where he wants to be without actually crossing the intervening distance. Techno-sorcerers may refer to this as teleportation, using some kind of booth, apparatus or even phone lines, while a more classical sorcerer may summon up a friendly spirit to do the work for him.

Conveyance can be used on other people, although only teleportation effects can be used offensively and only with very great difficulty.


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10 feet or less (across a room) or about three times what you could manage on foot.
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100 feet (across a warehouse) or about the same speed as a car.
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About a mile or about the same speed as a sports car covering a mile every 45 seconds.
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Up to five miles or at the speed of being able to cover miles in seconds
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Approximately 10 miles (across a city) or virtually instantaneously



Divination (Hedge Magic)

Lucky numbers for the lottery, whether happiness will be found in marriage, the outcome of a crucial battle - for as long as their has been a concept of “tomorrow,” people have wanted to know what would happen in the future.

Rulers, merchants, generals and wizards have all said they wanted to know their fate, although they have just as often rejected that fate when apprised of it; Cassandra’s fate is one that no seer worthy of the title easily forgets. Despite the perils involved, this Path is a well-travelled one.


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One week and incredibly vague at best
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One month and generally accurate, but deeply cloaked in symbolism
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One year and accurate, but not always explicit
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Ten years and while still cloaked in symbolism, the truth is in there, and digging it out shouldn’t be too hard
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Twenty years forward, up to 100 years backward and are almost always accurate and usually easy to understand



Enchantment (Hedge Magic)

Enchantment is the art of creating (minor) magical Talismans. An enchanter imbues each of her creations with a small part of her essence and spends much of her time locked up in a workshop crafting each new piece, tracking down esoteric and mundane ingredients, putting out fires, researching new procedures and figuring out why the copper wire in the iron mixture didn’t help the blade’s temper. For those with the time and patience, though, Enchantment provides the ability to forge useful magical tools - most especially, devices that store magical energy for later use or empowered to function on their own, usable by anyone.

Creating a Talisman first takes talent; an enchanter must usually handcraft the object to be enchanted, whether it is a blade, a ring, a pair of shoes or a book. (This is not always the case, especially with items that have a close personal attachment to the enchanter.) Many enchanters choose one field of study and specialize in it, creating pieces of art for sale when they aren’t working on pieces to be enchanted (after all, a sorcerer has to earn a living somehow).

Others develop enough skill to create serviceable tools that can be enchanted in a number of different Crafts, relying on their magical abilities to suffice where their craftsmanship does not. Depending on what is being made, this may take anywhere from a day or so, to months of careful crafting.

The next part of the process is the Enchantment itself. This normally takes one to three days, depending on the Tradition of the enchanter and the particulars of the Enchantment (the more complex the Enchantment, in terms of who can use it, how many times it can be used, and when it can be used, the longer the initial work).


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Minor items that have a very limited utility and very limited effects that will never be seen as magical by any who don’t know what to look for.
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A more powerful version of a Tailsman than could be previously made, or a Talisman capable of changing reality in some subtle but more noticeable or magical fashion.
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These items perform functions that are obviously magical to those looking for such things and that will be considered very weird by those who aren’t.
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Talismans of this power can defy reality to a large degree, as long as they work within certain restrictions. They can increase attributes and abilities past normal human limitations, duplicate low-level supernatural abilities (no more than the second dot of Disciplines, Gifts, etc.) and otherwise work wonders.
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Items made with this level of skill are almost mythic; their powers are sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant and always unpredictable. When they work, they can perform minor miracles.



Ephemera (Hedge Magic)

The Path of Ephemera allows the user to interact with the spirit worlds. Effectively becoming a conduit for the entities of the Otherworlds, those that practice this path find themselves often overtaken by the creatures living there.

Price of Failure: The user suffers from the aftereffects of possession, has no control or is inhabited by Banes or Spectres.


●○○○○
Feel the activity of spirits behind their Gauntlets.
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Learn to distinguish between the different kinds of spirit behind the Gauntlet and try to bring them into the material world.
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Learn to contact a specific spirit to address it.
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Learn to perceive ephemera around you and see the spirits beyond the Gauntlet.
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Learn to command the spirits to do your biding.
●●●●●●
Walk beyond the Gauntlet in astral form.



Fascination (Hedge Magic)

Call it bewitching, call it will binding, speak of love philters and glamours, speak of presence and awe. In the end, what you are talking about is a sorcerer’s ability to fascinate - to compel a subject to listen what she says, to force an attraction that would not otherwise be there. A master of this Path can instill loyalty, lust, confidence, faith and love in those she comes in contact with - in some cases, so much so that the sorcerer is bedeviled with followers so fanatical that they are willing to kill for the object of their affections.

Sometimes utter Fascination is not all what the sorcerer wants. Stories abound of a sorcerer and victim tied up in a web of conflicting loyalties and obsessions, with tragedy the nigh-inevitable result. Even worse is when a third party is brought into the mixture; some seek out sorcerers skilled in this Path, hoping to gain assistance in attracting the eye of some desire paramour.

But not all tales of this Path end in tragedy. Many sorcerers, careful to use only enough power to get what they want and no more, make a decent living in the media, as entertainers, as sales representatives and in almost any other job that requires constant contact with people.

Fascination works with the social traits, exactly which one depends on the circumstances. Normally, the will-binder’s most impressive attribute will be enhanced; a good looking woman will appear stunning, a smooth operator will become impossibly slick and someone with a powerful personality will be positively magnetic. A sorcerer can choose to enhance any of his social attributes, however; an already charismatic wizard might choose Fascination to brush up his appearance.

A sorcerer can inspire more than simple attraction or interest with Fascination; although it is more difficult, she can inspire loyalty, trust, camaraderie, faith, confidence or some other (generally positive) emotional link.

Humans have no real resistance to this ability, although subjects of significant willpower are less likely to be affected.

Those who possess similar mind-influencing powers (vampiric Dominate and Presence, psychic abilities, the Sphere of Mind, etc.) can also typically ignore attempts to influence them with this Path. Innately mystical creatures (shape shifters, the Fae, etc.) can counter a spell with their own power if they choose to.

The blood bond of vampires is not sufficient, in and of itself, to counter Fascination, but the bond remains in effect; any demand that run counter to the bond will automatically fail.


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Minor: In a crowd, you are noticed, and individuals will find you interesting.
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Stirring: You aren’t the centre of the party, but you are being listened to. An individual will make it a point to hang out with you.
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Life of the Party: Of course you threw this party, didn’t you? A subject will go out of his way for you.
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Major: You are throwing a party, aren’t you? What you do, others pay attention to. Individuals will sacrifice quite to bit to earn your approval.
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Trendsetter: If you jumped off a bridge, more than a few people would follow. Your influence is unmistakable. An individuals will do almost anything you ask him to, even kill or die.



Fortune (Hedge Magic)

Fortuna, both Buona and Mala, flows from the hands of the sorcerer who studies this path. By his will, probabilities alter, events realign themselves, and his target’s future is changed. The superstitious ascribed this power to all witches (untrue), and call it the Evil Eye, scientists speak of altering probabilities and chaos math, and priests calls it the Hand of God, but in every case, in the end, the effects are only partly in the hands of the sorcerer.

Some mages look on this as being a set of interrelated effects linked closely with a rudimentary understanding of the Entropy Sphere. Sorcerers gifted in the Path just smile, nod and continue on their lucky way. Supernatural beings can be cursed but get to resist the effect, if they are aware of it.

Short curses normally won’t be discovered unless they are announced ahead of time; a skilled user of Entropy or Prime might detect a curse looming over someone, or someone with Auspex might see it in their aura, however.

The severity of a Fortune effect depends in large part on what the sorcerers wants to do, but the specifics of the effect are never completely under the control of the sorcerer; the caster can suggest, but in the end, every curse or blessing takes its own way.


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A brief inconvenience, or a minor weal; dropping something, saying something utterly stupid (or perfectly brilliant), smashing your shin into the table, catching a bus at just the right moment.
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Something that results in a lasting inconvenience or injury or some minor advantage. Sprains, bad cases of the flu (or other annoying, but not life threatening diseases), breaking something difficult to replace and committing some major faux pas are all possible curses while blessings might convey some minor advantages in battle, render the target immune to some sickness or misfortune or prevent some difficulty that might hinder her path.
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A serious, but not normally life-threatening injury or illness, or some permanent social setback. This kind of curse should be a major setback for the short-term goals of the target. As a blessing, this level conveys some major advantage. Continuing minor luck with dice (or women) or the good fortune to always get the person at the DMV who actually wants help (and always getting there when there aren’t many people in line) are all possible effects.
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A permanent, debilitating injury or illness, or a major turn of events socially or financially. Bankruptcy, spinal injuries, psychosis, blindness, an accountant taking off for Barbados with all of your savings and indictment on tax evasion are all possibilities. Blessings of this magnitude include things like winning the lottery, excellence in battle in some critical fight or overcoming incredible odds against some major social endeavors.
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Normally, a death curse (and usually not a pleasant death; decapitation, wasting diseases, mangling car accidents and worse), although some incredible turn of events might fulfill a curse of this magnitude. Blessings at this level of power involve cheating some inescapable death or misfortune: a last minute reprieve from the governor, landing in the only pond deep enough to cushion your fall after a parachute failure of being saved by the Queen’s Gurkha Rifles just as the cultists start to lower you into the boiling lava are all possibilities.



Healing (Hedge Magic)

Since the earliest days, those whose touch could heal have been held in highest regard. The laying on of hands by a saint, the witch’s poultice, the intercession of a houngan with Legba and the caring touch of a general practioner have all been seen as a kind of miracle. When practioners of this Path are involved, this appellation it is not far from the truth.

The Path of Healing takes time; there are no miraculous cures, no instant regeneration of wounds and no sudden recovery from fatal illnesses. Even the most experienced healer can only force the body to do so much; a healer normally works by accelerating the body’s natural processes, by helping it do what it would normally do anyway, only faster and better. Worse, use of this Path saps the user; overuse can lead to burnout and even death. A master of the Path can bring someone back even from death’s door… but the cost is often more than he can bear.

Although not absolutely necessary for the use of this Path, most healers have at least some knowledge of medicine, although this may not be traditional Western medicine: acupuncture, homeopathy, herbalism or knowledge of which spirits to propitiate and which to exorcise can all be effective to a healer who believes.

The Path of Healing can relieve pain, cure diseases, speed recovery from injuries (and heal some injuries outright), even restore sight to the blind. It cannot, however, do anything to alleviate aggravated injuries… fire, Pattern magic and acid all do things so heinous to the human (or inhuman) body that it cannot be healed in this fashion. For reasons that should be obvious, the Path of Healing cannot be used on the dead (or undead).

A sorcerer may attempt to heal any given injury, disease or condition once; if she fails or achieves only a limited success (due to skill), she may not go back and attempt to improve the situation later.


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Minor pain (headache), antiseptic effect, heals minor bruises
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Moderate pain (migraine), cures minor toxins, heals major bruising and stabilises bleeding
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Major pain (groin kick), cures moderate toxins, heals broken bones
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Extreme pain (gut stab), cures serious toxins, heals ruptured organs as well as minor debilities
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Incredible pain (amputation), cures lethal toxins, heals the majority of bodily injuries and can cure blindness and hearing



Hellfire (Hedge Magic)

Thought by many to be at least tainted by darkness, if not outright of evil origins, the Path of Hellfire taps into the deepest, most primal, and destructive of forces. Legends ascribe the beginnings of this power to the infernal realms, pacts with malevolent elemental spirits, and bargains with beings better left alone/ The master of the path of hellfire can demand, and receive respect; he will also receive suspicion and fear, whether he demands them or not.

A student of the Path of Hellfire learns to summon and control powerful elemental attacks; blasts of lightning, bolts of fire or mystic energy, clouds of poison gas or other deadly effects. Unsubtle and direct, these powers, utilised properly, can obliterate even the most deadly of foes, in the hands of a master.

Students of this Path should remember that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing; they are not immune to the effects of their own powers, and using this power in combat normally requires planning beforehand.


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A single target and by touch only. The sorcerer must make a successful hand-to-hand combat attack in order to deliver damage.
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A small area; 3 square feet or so, or at less than 10 feet distance.
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No more than a couple of square yards or so, or at a distance of less than 25 feet.
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10 square feet (which can be arranged as a wall, circle or whatever), or at a distance of about 50 feet
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20 square feet, or at any target within 150 feet.


Thought by many to be at least tainted by darkness, if not outright of evil origins, the Path of Hellfire taps into the deepest, most primal, and destructive of forces. Legends ascribe the beginnings of this power to the infernal realms, pacts with malevolent elemental spirits, and bargains with beings better left alone/ The master of the path of hellfire can demand, and receive respect; he will also receive suspicion and fear, whether he demands them or not.

A student of the Path of Hellfire learns to summon and control powerful elemental attacks; blasts of lightning, bolts of fire or mystic energy, clouds of poison gas or other deadly effects. Unsubtle and direct, these powers, utilised properly, can obliterate even the most deadly of foes, in the hands of a master.

Students of this Path should remember that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing; they are not immune to the effects of their own powers, and using this power in combat normally requires planning beforehand.


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A single target and by touch only. The sorcerer must make a successful hand-to-hand combat attack in order to deliver damage.
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A small area; 3 square feet or so, or at less than 10 feet distance.
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No more than a couple of square yards or so, or at a distance of less than 25 feet.
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10 square feet (which can be arranged as a wall, circle or whatever), or at a distance of about 50 feet
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20 square feet, or at any target within 150 feet.



Mana Manipulation (Hedge Magic)

Nearly every sorcerer recognizes the flow of some sort of power: mana, sekhem, chi, vis or some other representation of magical potential. Most magicians learn to feel or describe the energies that course through them during the casting of spells. Some, however, learn to direct these power sources in order to reshape the fundamental mystic energy about them. Geomancy, ley line channeling, Feng Shui - all of these sense and redirect the power of raw magic energy into new directions and shapes.

Mana Manipulation is an esoteric Path, and few sorcerers would describe it in such abstract terms - rather, most see it as an exercise described by their specific magical style. A magician used to feng shui and chi kung, for instance, will channel chi energies with special mirrors or moxa burning. A sorcerer who relies on incantations and wands will use those tools to direct Mana and store it. Spirit-talkers and shamans may rely on elaborate designs to trap and hold energy or paintings that ward off negative energies.


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The sorcerer can sense Mana energies. In simple terms, a quick meditation or invocation allows the sorcerer to determine if an area or item is charged with power (Quintessence, Mana, vampire blood, what have you). With careful study, the sorcerer can tell if it has a specific Resonance - recognising a sacred grove as a place holy to nature and growth or determining that some sort of stored Mana is actually flavoured with a destructive, poisonous Resonance, for instance.
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While an initiate can sense magical energy in places or objects, a sorcerer with this level of Mana Manipulation can see the magical energy in and around creatures. The sorcerer’s perceptions let him determine if someone is using magic and allow him to see obstructed or occluded magical flows (like blocked chi energies or curses). The sorcerer can also make a rough estimate of the potential magical energy held by an individual, though this does not guarantee separating a supernatural creature from an otherwise normal human.
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Skilled sorcerers can displace or alter the flow of Mana around an area. The sorcerer can briefly block a Mana flow or push it in a different direction. The sorcerer can cause Mana to become trapped in a simple object, though a given object can only hold a single point of Mana through a brief spell of this sort.

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Manipulation of personal Mana energies allows a sorcerer to store additional Mana (temporarily), draw from a place of power to fuel his magic or even disrupt a person’s Mana flow to cause injury. The sorcerer can draw Mana out of a place of power, provided it is used immediately. Striking a person to destroy Mana allows the sorcerer to strip Mana from the individual’s pool; this can also discharge the power in other magical pools (like Gnosis). Mana Manipulation at this level can cause injury or healing by altering the flow of life energy through a subject, essentially promoting health or disease. (This has no immediate effect, but over time may cause degeneration or better health; long-term or powerful alterations are better performed with the Healing Path)

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The master of Mana can not only sense and redirect Mana, but can use Mana to infuse counter-magic (creating a magical “shield”), block another sorcerer’s use of Mana or even change the Resonance of Mana (turning poisoned Mana into neutral, “clean” energy that could be used with helpful spells or bending otherwise passive Mana to a more active, fiery Resonance for use with destructive magic).



Oneiromancy (Hedge Magic)

It is a frequent theme in tales of the fantastic and the magical that odd things often happen in dreams. Omens of the future are sometimes seen, messages from Gods or wizards are passed on. There are tales of lovers who have not yet met, destined for each other, dreaming of their first meeting. The Dream Realm is infinitely malleable, responsive to the conscious and subconscious of the dreamer. A skilled dreamer can impose his will upon the Dream Realm, creating new images and altering the behavior of old, banishing nightmares or crafting new horrors with which to terrorize other dreamers. It is said, too, that there are world and beings that exist wholly within the world of dreams and nightmares, from the realms of the fae to the strange worlds described in the writings of Burroughs, Lovecraft and Poe.

Nearly everyone dreams. The oneiromancer walks among those dreams. Like the dream weavers of horror movie game, she can craft images so realistic that it is hard to tell the difference between them and reality. Still, they are “only” dreams. Or are they? An overly imaginative subconscious can quite literally dream itself to death, though this is rare. More common are the tales of wicked men who dreamed of their ultimate fate and heeded the warning to reform their ways. Such messages are a fine and subtle weapon of those who walk the dreaming night. And sometimes, dreams can walk among men…

In order to affect a dreamer, the oneiromancer must have some sort of contact with her target. Physical contact is the best, obviously.


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Direct physical contact
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True Name
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Body part/secretion*

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Prized possession

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Other possession**

* Blood, hair, nail clippings, saliva, urine, etc. It must be unmixed with other materials.
** Any item that is in frequent contact with or use by the target, such as clothing

Ratings

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The first step the dream walker must master is the ability to reach out and touch the dreams of others. They come to her as do most dreams, in flashes of imagery, often highly distorted by the subconscious. The dream walker can, with considerable thought, interpret parts of these shattered fragments, perhaps giving her some insight into her target’s nature or history.
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Working out the methodology to enter and take part in a dream is the next step. Entering the dream renders you temporarily a part of it; the oneiromancer’s dream-self takes on an appearance and initial role in the dream provided by the dreamer’s subconscious. It is not hard to make small changes in the dream (conjuring a small item from nowhere, say). Larger changes are very difficult, and the basic theme of the dream sequence is unalterable.
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Eventually, the dedicated dream-walker will learn to isolate himself from his subject’s dreams. This allows observation of the dream images without being drawn into (possibly quite dangerous) direct participation. A greater degree of control over the dream is also possible now, the dream walker banishing or creating nightmares and fantasies. It is possible, for example, to guide a dream to images supporting the self-confidence and surety of the dreamer, helping him to regain self-esteem or to cast horrible terrors in the same manner.
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Once she has achieved sufficient control over the dream, the next step is to master dream sendings. The oneiromancer can craft a specific, detailed dream sequence and send it off to the target. The prudent dream walker keeps these to one or two repetitions a night; any more and the subject may grow suspicious.
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A master of the Dream Realm is a powerful individual; she walks freely in the dreams of others and is capable of melding the dreams of several folk into one. Of course, she has no control over the dreamers’ actions, and the initial environment will be a mix of their subconscious influences, but careful nudges can send the group into a suitable dream with a bit of effort.



Scrying (Hedge Magic)



Sound Magic(Hedge Magic)

Levels of Effect

Note: This path does not have aspects per se; rather, its effects are limited by raw level.

●○○○○ The caster can affect sound in a room or area, making it louder or quieter. The overall ambient sound doesn’t alter, but those sounds that do exist will be greatly altered. If you desire, those sounds can carry with them a feeling of unease and spookiness. Exact effects depend on the situation (using this ability in a happy, busy office will have little change, whilst doing it in a quiet warehouse would give a sorcerer (and others) a bonus in any stealth attempts.
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●●○○○ By shaping the sounds in his area and muffling the sounds he makes, the sorcerer can become almost impossible to discover. He can make the sounds he makes indistinct, his voice eerie and creepy and the shadows deep and dark around himself. Add two (2) dice to dice pools involving Arcane, Disguise, (for the purposes of hiding your appearance, not for taking on the appearance of others), Intimidation or Stealth. If the sorcerer alters the sounds around another, the victim will begin to hear things, imagining weird stuff. Horrible shadowy forms and half seen beings that dissolve when the head turns flit at the edge of the senses. Strange creaks, ominous footsteps and hollow laughter will inhabit his hearing, and a rising sense of dread will occupy every spare thought. A Willpower roll (difficulty equal to the number of successes rolled) is necessary to avoid fumbling and hesitation; while not enough to cause penalties, this will cause someone to reconsider whether or not they should be here, instead of safe at home in his well-lit living room....
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●●●○○ The sounds rile and coil about the caster. Sounds become mere whispers and murmurs… or sudden piercing laughs, screams and other sounds of terror. Evil beings are seen around corners, and in the closets and rooms. Panic rises in all but the most stout hearted (Willpower roll, difficulty equal to the successes rolled + 2; failure indicates either a sudden, near irresistible urge to be elsewhere or a penalty of -1 to all tasks). You may add three (3) dice to your attempts to conceal your character ( or another).
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●●●●○ Sound is the sorcerer’s ally in all ways. Those who oppose him must be strong of heart or be struck down in near-terror (may cause Frenzy). Cameras and other electronic recording devices will fail unless the operators are able to adjust as necessary.
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●●●●● Empty voids reach out and engulf the caster’s opponents; what they hear there is enough to reduce even the greatest to shivering wrecks. The void of sound is so complete that not even his or her heart beat exists, leaving the victim so disoriented that it becomes hard to function. The alternate is such a cacophony of sound that the Naturally, the caster can hear in his own void. Any recording device brought into the void fails immediately; any pointed at the void see the world he knows, and hear nothing, or hear amazing cacophony of sound.
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●●●●●● The legendary sorcerer can give sound a physical form, shaping them into hammers or wrecking ball. The Caster begins to use Power words that alter the nature of the tapestry around them. Words or description take on a physical reality. The number of successes scored represents the total amount of strength that can be brought to bear against opponents; you can divide these points up as you want. Depending on the number of successes collected the caster can do health levels of damage equal to the successes collected.




Shadowcasting (Hedge Magic)

With mastery of this Path, the shadows become your tools, the darkness your ally, and the night your friend. Despite the accusations of those who claim that the Path is, if not actively infernal, at least tinged with an ineffable darkness that can corrupt the unwary, the Path of Shadows is no more inherently evil than most other Paths. Whatever evil a sorcerer finds on the Path of Shadows, he brought himself.

A shadow caster learns to manipulate and conjure shadowstuff - at first, merely a simple shade but, with experience, near-tangible blackness or total nightfall. Colour and light are absorbed and extinguished by these shadows, which dance and caper at the sorcerer’s beck and call. Needless to say, such displays can be quite unnerving; even a novice sorcerer can conjure effects that will frighten the wits out of most normal humans.


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The caster can deepen and darken shadows and darkness in a room or area. The overall lighting doesn’t alter, but those shadows that do exist will be much darker than they ought to be. If you desire, those shadows can carry with them a feeling of unease and spookiness. Exact effects depend on the situation (using this ability in a brightly lit office will have little effect, whilst doing it in a shadowy warehouse would give a sorcerer (and others) a bonus in any stealth attempts)
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By shaping the shadows in his area and muffling the sounds he makes, the sorcerer can become almost impossible to discover. He can make his appearance indistinct, his voice eerie and creepy and the shadows deep and dark around himself. If the sorcerer casts the shadows on another, the victim will begin to see things out of the corner of his eyes, horrible shadowy forms that dissolve when the head turns. Strange creaks, ominous footsteps and hollow laughter will inhabit his hearing, and a rising sense of dread will occupy every spare thought.
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The shadows rile and coil about the shadow caster. Colour fades from the area, and sounds become mere whispers and murmurs… or sudden piercing laughs, screams and other sounds of terror. Panic rises in all but the most stout hearted.
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The shadows are the sorcerer’s allies in all ways. Those who oppose him must be strong of heart or be struck down in near-terror (may cause Frenzy). Cameras and other electronic recording devices will fail unless the operators are able to adjust as necessary.
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The shadows reach out and engulf the caster’s opponents; what they see there is enough to reduce even the greatest to shivering wrecks. Naturally, the caster can see in his own darkness. Any recording device brought into the darkness fails immediately; any pointed at the darkness see only roiling masses of… nothing. Inky blackness. Shadows.

Known Paths: Prominence of Shade



Shape-Shifting (Hedge Magic)

Whilst the World of Darkness is indeed home to some shape shifting monsters, a few sorcerers learn to alter their bodies through magical practice rather than inborn heritage. Perhaps it’s a spoken word that calls to the primal animal within or the intervention of an animal-spirit or even a little judicious genetic engineering. This Path is very elemental, often calling upon instinctive knowledge, and many sorcerers have lost their personalities to the beast-side conjured up. Others lose their identity in malleability. For a few, shape shifting is less an art than a natural talent, but one unchanneled by the callings of the true Changing Breeds. It seems that Shapeshifting comes in as many forms as its practioners.


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A minor cosmetic change: The sorcerer can change eye colors, grow hair, etc.
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Noticable change: The sorcerer grows small claws, sprouts scales on the hands or the like.
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Significant change: The sorcerer replaces some body part with an animal feature - a full clawed paw, a nasty shark jaw or an externalized digestive system.
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Half-shift: The sorcerer can shift half his body into another form or find some half-way point between human and animal with significant traits of each. The sorcerer might resemble a bipedal wolf (of size somewhere between human and wolf) or could have bird wings and a beak with human legs.
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Full shifting: The sorcerer can change completely into animal forms.

Known Paths: Gaining Set's Splendor



Summoning, Binding & Warding (Hedge Magic)

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.

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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.
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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.
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Humans: The summoner’s magic functions upon normal humans or upon self-willed natural spirits. Computers and complex electronics may be affected.
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Paranatural: The summoner can affect ghouls, other sorcerers and similar supernatural entities. Technomagical devices may be affected.
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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...

Rituals
      • Level 1
      • Level 2



Bindings (Hedge Magic)

Binding levels are cumulative.

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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.
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The creature must truthfully answer any single question put to it.
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The creature truthfully answers questions and must perform any one service demanded, though it may twist the intent of the service.
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The creature performs a task for the caster as directed, following the orders closely.
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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.
      • level 1
Rituals
      • Level 2




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.



Weather Control (Hedge Magic)

Weather witches have always been among the most revered and feared members of the sorcerer community. In ancient time, a witch could doom a community to a slow death by withholding the rain the crops needed… or could wreck it quickly by bringing on storms that flood the fields, destroy homes and kill the unwary. On the seas, those who could call the winds were lifesavers in truth, for a becalmed vessel was the one that would die.

Most cultures consider weatherworking to be a woman’s art, drawing on the ties between her fertility and the bounty of the land and the elements, but this is far from universal; in some African tribes, weather magic was men’s magic, for example. Technosorcerers make no such distinctions, of course, but then, their mastery of this Path is thought by most to be limited at best. (Whether this is true is a question of debate, however, as there are a few who always seem to have the wind at their back, cloudy skies and convenient fog banks when they need them.)

Weather magic can be terribly powerful but is also usually very slow to take effect. Changes in the weather are usually measured in hours or days; you can speed these processes up, but you cannot summon tidal waves out of nothing or storms from clear skies. When given time to work, however, weathercraft can command forces that are truly awesome and terrifying to behold, but not without cost.

Even simple changes can leave a sorcerer drained; major workings can demand terrible sacrifices or even the death of the caster.


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You can make small changes in the environment; a sudden cold breeze, a slight drop in room temperature, a softening of the light in a room, the sudden flaring of candles.
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Minor changes to the environment are possible; you can summon up a dense fog, ensure that skies are cloudy or create favourable winds.
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The rains and winds are at your command. Rainshowers come when you call them, and strong winds blow where you will. You can change the local temperature by as much as 30 degrees in either direction and can calm strong seas or currents.
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Storms move and surge where you will; powerful rains, gale force winds, heat waves and cold snaps (changes of up to 40 degrees in temperature), and powerful tides and undercurrents are all at your command. You can also take control of existing weather patterns and direct some phen omenon of the storm (hailstones, powerful waves, lightning bolts, smashing winds, etc) at a specific target.
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Your control over the thunderstorm is absolute. Great waves surge and crash when you command, and no man can stand when you send the winds against him. The blizzard and drought are your weapons



Alternative Paths of Hedge Magic

The following path is a new form of hedge magic otherwise known as sorcery. This path of magic is based upon the vampiric Discipline of Visceratika. One of the vampiric characters from our 21st century game was forced back to the distant past and now seeks to recreate, to the best of his ability, his lost vampiric disciplines. As a novice level sorcerer this challenge may be far too difficult to accomplish and might simply be impossible. Throughout White Wolf canon, mortal sorcerers have made the transition from mortal to vampire and successfully recreated their magical powers; examples include: the Giovanni Clan of vampires, the Naga Raja bloodline and the Tremere Clan of vampires.

Only one story yet exist in which a vampire becomes mortal again and tries through hedge magic to recover his lost mystical abilities. The name Abu al-Intiqam is found on the last page of Cairo by Night, pg.156, and belongs to a former Child of Osiris who was freed from the Curse of Caine by none other than the god Osiris. Abu al-Intiqam was over seven hundred years old when the Dar es-Salaam burned down one sweltering day in July of 1999, while many of his bloodline dies in the fire that consumed the House of Peace (a kind of temple for the Children of Osiris). He is described as Awakened and possessed total recall of his vampiric life and powers. From that day forward he began to age at a normal human rate and pledged himself to freeing Cairo of its vampiric parasites.

As a former vampire turned mortal Aegon Nightshade has likewise been blessed or cursed, depending on your point of view, and seeks to recover some, if not all of his lost abilities. In theory all his previous experiences in the use of vampiric disciplines has some useful value other than what they were intended for and can be applied to the mystical procedures of hedge wizards. Although it is said that the Curse of Caine follows all those who have died as vampires and been reincarnated as mortals, either driving them mad or compelling them to seek out the Embrace again. In theory, it is possible for a former vampire to become mortal again exist as a semi-awakened being. However, sorcerous research is a terribly time consuming process that is made all the worse by a lack of mystical library, a quiet sanctum or even a tutor. It is possible that the dark circus called St.Calenda's Wandering Pageant, Odeum & Lunar Fair may actually provide those things that Aegon most needs. Even so, it is impossible for him to translate all he knows of vampiric disciplines into hedge magic in anything less than decades.

It is my belief that like all hedge magic paths, the following path of sorcery that Aegon seeks to create from his vampiric experiences, will possess six ranks of power. The first rank of each path is essentially a cantrip or sensory power that offers a small benefit and that successive path ranks will offer greater potential. As with the examples of sorcery found above, these path ranks can have more than one expression, this is due in part to the expense of willpower as a power source. But it is in part due to mortal nature which is fluid. Unlike true mages or dynamic magic, sorcery is considered linear and somewhat static, although no where near so much as vampiric thaumaturgy or necromancy. This is not to say that sorcerous path powers can change at the drop of the hat, rather that there are sometimes more than one expression of the spell being cast. Its also important to understand that the paths of hedge magic differ from vampiric magic or true magic in that each path is essentially a school of magic and can thus have diverse manifestations. No two sorcerers will have the same expression of magic unless they are master and student. Sorcery is broken down into paths or ranked spells that can be cast in short order or rituals that take significantly longer to cast, but possess considerably more power. So essentially, hedge wizards can have multiple spells or rituals per rank of power in each school. These variations are not learned instantly, nor are they learned automatically, but each power level can contain a wide variety of spells that do different things while remaining within a defined rank of power.



Nether (Hedge Magic)

The path of Nether is a earth based school of magic that liminal in character, that is location based. This rather specific focus limits the paths uses in some situations but grants the caster advantages in predefined locations like castles, caves, and churches. Inspired by the vampiric discipline of Visceratika this road of sorcery functions for the caster alone and requires a earthen casting component, usually a handful of earth or a piece of stone from the location to which the sorcerer wishes to attuning himself.



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