Mystic Aegis
Level 6 Hermetic Thaumaturgy
This rune provides protection against magic that affects the protected object or person. Blood Sorcery, other forms of “hedge magic,” and the True Magick used by the mortals who call themselves Mages are all more difficult to use against the target.
System: The caster starts by drawing onto or etching a rune into the item to be protected. A silver disc, a tattoo, or a rune etched into a talisman serve to protect a person: the materials used to make inks or stains are specific to the material the object to be protected is made of, and generally quite rare. The caster then infuses the rune with quicksilver, while reciting a complicated chant that takes 20 minutes to complete.
Once the rune is completed, it removes one success per two successes on the casting roll (round down) from any magic that affects the protected object or person. Protected individuals are alerted whenever the Aegis is activated. A botched Mystic Aegis increases the effect of any hostile (storyteller's discretion) magic that affects the protected object, and randomly alerts the user about bogus attacks.
Mystic Aegis grants only limited protection from area effects such as Lure of Flames: The area effect is reduced (or negated) by the appropriate number of successes for the protected object or person only, but has full effect everywhere else. Thus, a well-enough protected indiviudal may be able to walk untouched through a bonfire created by Lure of Flames, though the character must still roll Rotschreck, and may be affected by secondary fires started by the magic.
Additionally, Mystic Aegis works at only half strength against True Magick. Mystic Aegis may "stack" with the effect of the Path of Countermagic.
