Homebrew Arcana
Blood Arcana
Your vile magic manipulates blood.
Novice: You learn two Novice degree Blood Arcana spells of your choice.
Expert: You learn one Expert or Novice degree Blood Arcana spell of your choice. You gain the focus Intelligence (Blood Arcana).
Master: You learn one Blood Arcana spell of your choice from any degree. You can also choose one spell stunt you can perform for -1 SP when casting Blood Arcana spells.
Black Blood
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Defense
MP Cost: 4
Casting Time: Minor Action
Target Number: 13
Test: Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
You infuse your own blood with arcane energies, turning it into a lethal acid that seeps from your pores.
For the rest of the encounter, when you receive an attack from a melee weapon or any attack that deals penetrating damage black blood sprays in a 2-yard radius. Any creature in the area must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) test against your Spellpower. On a failure, the creature suffers 1d6 + Willpower damage. A successful test results only in damage equal to your Willpower (minimum of 1). You are unaffected by your own black blood.
Bound by Blood
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 4+
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Target Number: 11
Test: Willpower (Courage) vs. your Spellpower
You evoke a curse upon a creature through its blood, granting you insight into their being.
To do so you must taste the target’s blood when you cast the spell. For the next 10 minutes the target feels an intense sense of foreboding within 50 yards of you. Upon seeing you, the target makes a Willpower (Courage) test vs. your Spellpower. On a success the bond is broken. On a failure, you can add your Willpower to Intimidation (Strength) and Perception (Empathy) tests against them. Additionally, after failing the test, the target has a -1 penalty to resist the next Blood Arcana spells you cast on them.
Bound by blood requires fresh blood. At the GM’s discretion, stale or dried blood may have a higher TN and/or MP Cost. You may sustain the spell’s effect longer, for 10 more minutes per 2 MP. The creature can make the test again every 10 minutes. You can break the curse as a free action.
Crimson Blades
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 6
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 12
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
Bend the blood from your wounds into any shape you choose, and inflict painful injuries upon your enemies.
Your blood sprays in a 6 yard long and 4 yard wide arc in front of you. Any creature within the area takes 1d6 + Willpower damage and must succeed on a Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower or be Hindered until the end of their next turn. If the test succeeds, the target takes the damage, but is not Hindered. Crimson blades cannot be casted if you have full HP.
Quicken Blood
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Enhancement
MP Cost: 3
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Target Number: 11
You use your power to bolster a creature’s fortitude.
You touch a creature (including yourself) throughout the casting and they gain +1 to all Constitution tests, and bonus maximum health points equal to your Willpower for 1 hour. At Expert degree, you can spend +2 MP to double the maximum health gained. Quicken blood does not work on creatures without blood.
Bloody Vial
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 6
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 15
Test: Constitution (Tolerance) vs. Spellpower
You infuse your arcane power into your enemy’s body, transmuting them into a living grenade.
The target must be within 20 yards and make a Constitution (Tolerance) test vs. your Spellpower. If the test succeeds there is no effect. If they fail, the target takes 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage at the start of each round, for a number of rounds equal to your Willpower. If the target is infected multiple times it only takes this damage once. If the target dies while infected, their body ruptures in a bloody explosion that damages everyone within 2 yds of them for 1d6 + Willpower damage. The effect can be ended by the caster at any time as a free action.
At Master degree you can spend an additional 6 MP when casting the spell to make the infliction viral. Any creature that takes damage from the target’s explosion must make the Constitution (Tolerance) test with a +2 bonus or will also become a bloody vial. Bloody Vial does not work on creatures without blood.
Crimson Fever
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 10
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 17
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
You can inflict a rapid and debilitating disease of the blood on a target of your choice.
The victim must be within 20 yards of you and makes a Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower. On a success, the target is Winded until the end of their next Turn. On a failure, the target is Tired and retakes the test at the start of their next turn. Crimson fever can be cured by successfully making the test, a cure spell (TN is increased by your Willpower), or an Intelligence (Healing) test against the caster’s Spellpower. Crimson fever only infects creatures with blood.
At Master degree, you can spend an additional 5 MP when casting this spell for each of the following effects: *An afflicted target succeed on the test twice. *The disease causes 1d6 penetrating damage at the end of the target’s turn. *Effect 6-by-6 yard area instead of a single target.
Bloody Puppet
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 18
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 20
Test: Willpower (Self-Discipline) vs. your Spellpower
You use your adversaries blood as conduit to forcibly and painfully control them for 1 minute.
The victim must be within 20 yards of you and makes a Willpower (Self-Discipline) test vs your Spellpower. On a success, the target takes 2d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. If they fail, they are Influenced by you, allowing you to control one of their minor actions each round. You can give the commands wordlessly as a free action, if you choose not to, the target is still Hindered. The target ends the effect immediately by succeeding the test at the end of their turn, but then takes the damage. If the effect lasts the entire minute the effect fades and the target takes no damage. The caster decides whether a target is reduced to 0 Health by bloody puppet suffers a brain hemorrhage, in which case they are Dying, or is comatose, in which case they are Unconscious. Bloody puppet does not work on creatures without blood.
Crimson Rain
Requirements: Blood Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 9
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 15
Test: Constitution (Tolerance) vs. Spellpower
You turn your blood into a malignant substance that you freely control to vitiate your victims.
You take 1d6 penetrating damage as a sacrifice to shower a 6 yard radius within 30 yards of you with crimson rain. Any creature you choose in the area must make a Constitution (Tolerance) test vs. your Spellpower. On a success, the target takes 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. On a failure, it instead takes 2d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. If the target has blood, it is poisoned and continues to take 1d6 penetrating damage at the start of its turn for the next 5 rounds or until a successful test is made.
Light Arcana
You’re able to draw upon the power of the Light Realm,
Novice: You learn two Novice degree Light Arcana spells of your choice.
Expert: You learn one Expert or Novice degree Light Arcana spell of your choice. You gain the focus Intelligence (Light Arcana).
Master: You learn one Light Arcana spell of your choice from any degree. You can also choose one spell stunt you can perform for -1 SP when casting Light Arcana spells.
Bright Barrage
Requirements: Light Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 4+
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 11+
You fire two unerring bolts of light from your arcane device to harry your enemies.
Each bolt does 1d3 penetrating damage to a target you can see within 30 yards of you. When you cast bright barrage, you can spend an additional 2 MP and increase the spell’s TN by 1 to fire an additional bolt up to an amount equal to half your Willpower (rounded up).
Bright Flare
Requirements: Light Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 6
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 13
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
You focus and magnify all present light an unleash it in a single burst.
Anyone within 6 yards of you is Blinded for the remainder of the encounter. Targets that make a successful Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower are not Blinded, but take a -2 penalty to attacks against you until the end of their next turn. An affected target retakes the test at the start of their turn, ending the effect on a success. There must already be some natural light present or the spell does not work.
Guiding Light
Requirements: Light Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Utility
MP Cost: 2+
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 9
Conjure a mote of light to illuminate the area around you.
The mote can instantly float to anywhere within 30 yards of you and cast light in a 6 yard radius of dim light for 1 hour. When you cast guiding light you can choose to spend an additional +2 MP to create an additional mote up to an amount equal to your Willpower. Every round you can spend an Activation action to move each mote up to 8 + Willpower yards, but they must all remain within 30 yards of you. Additionally, you can use that same Activation action to make the motes change color, blink a desired pattern, or wink out for up to 15 seconds.
Shimmering Burst
Requirements: Light Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Utility
MP Cost: 4
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 12
Test: Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
You create an orb of prismatic light that confounds your enemy.
The orb bursts in a 6-yard radius anywhere within 25 yards of you. Anyone caught in the area must make a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) test vs. your Spellpower or be covered in flecks of prismatic light for the rest of the encounter, unattended objects are automatically affected. Creatures and objects affected by this spell cannot benefit from invisibility, and all attacks targeting them have +1 bonus to hit. If the target moves or is moved, it leaves a trail of shimmering sparkles behind. This grants a +2 bonus to Perception (Searching), Perception (Seeing), or Perception (Tracking) tests to locate the target.
Bright Beam
Requirements: Light Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 10
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 15
Test: Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
You unleash a torrent of searing light in an arc in front of you.
The arc of the bright beam is 20 yards long and 2 yards wide. Any creature within the beam takes 2d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. A target that makes a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) test vs. your Spellpower only takes 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage.
Corona of Light
Requirements: Light Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Defense
MP Cost: 6
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 14
Test: Willpower(Courage) vs Spellpower
Your arcane power is unleashed as a halo that causes your foes to falter.
You cast magical light in a 30-yard radius for 10 minutes. You can extend the Corona of Light for 10 minutes for a cost of 2 MP a number of times equal to your Willpower. Anyone attacking you must make a successful Willpower (Courage) test vs. your Spellpower or suffer -2 to all attack and damage rolls against you until the start of their next turn.
Any creature that draws its power from darkness or has an aversion to light, such as a shadow person or vampire, suffers a -2 to all tests while within the light. Additionally, if a creature casts a Shadow Arcana spell while within the light, suffers a +2 penalty to the casting test.
Shining Arsenal
Requirements: Light Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 16
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 17
Test: Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
You construct a large floating weapon of pure light that you wield with your arcane might.
The weapon lasts for the rest of the encounter and emits 5 yards of light. You choose the weapon’s type, appearance, and color. You can use an Activation action each round to launch the weapons at a target you can see within 30 yards. No matter the weapon's form, a target takes 2d6 + Willpower damage and must make a successful Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower or the damage is penetrating. After the attack, the weapon vanishes and another, of the same or different design, appears at your side.
Wall of Light
Requirements: Light Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 12
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 16
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
You create a wall of magical light that blocks magic and punishes intruders.
A curtain of light rises up in 10 yards long, 4 yards tall, and 1 yards deep, starting from a point 30 yards from you. The wall of light blocks all sight or any Light Arcana or Shadow Arcana spell effects of expert degree or lower, and inflicts 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage and the Blinded condition on any creature crossing or starting its turn within it. Those succeeding on a Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower take the damage, but are not Blinded for 1 minute. A wall of light lasts for 1 minute, and you can pay an additional 10 MP to extend the spell’s duration another minute.
Metal Arcana
Your magic controls the redoubtable element of metal.
Novice: You learn two Novice degree Metal Arcana spells of your choice.
Expert: You learn one Expert or Novice degree Metal Arcana spell of your choice. You gain the focus Intelligence (Metal Arcana).
Master: You learn one Metal Arcana spell of your choice from any degree. You can also choose one spell stunt you can perform for -1 SP when casting Metal Arcana spells.
Arcane Forge
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Utility
MP Cost: 4+
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 11
You use your magic to conjure an artificial metal object.
A metal object forms in the hands of you or a willing ally within 6 yards of you. It can be a one-handed weapon, light shield, or simple piece of equipment. You can make items with simple moving parts or magnetism, like a compass, simple lock, or a scale. Since the item is entirely made from metal and if it's too large it will collapse from the weight, the GM determines if making some items is impossible or impractical. An item produced by the arcane forge lasts for 10 minutes, but you can extend its existence to an hour by spending the MP cost again.
Metallic Barricade
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Defense
MP Cost: 6+
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 14
You conjure jagged pieces of metal welded together into a ramshackle structure.
A metallic barricade is 6 inches thick and can be no more than 2 yards in any other dimension. It has the following defensive stats: TN 11 to hit, AR 5, HP 12, and its cover rating is determined by you. You can create a number of barricades equal to your Willpower within 20 yards of you, and they can be conjoined in any fashion you choose. Metallic barricade must have at least one side connected to firm terrain unless it's connected to another barricade that is connected in that way, allowing you to crude ladders, bridges, or shelters.
If a metallic barricade is destroyed, it and every other barricade connected to it collapses. If the barricades are not destroyed, they safely disintegrate into dust after 10 minutes. You can extend this duration to 1 hour by spending the MP cost again.
Polarity Field
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 5
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 12
Test: Strength (Might) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
You infuse your magic into the arcane device you are holding, allowing it to generate a powerful magnetic field with a 20 yard radius.
When you cast the spell you determine if the field attracts or repulses. You can spend 1 MP at the start of your turn to maintain the spell at which point you can switch the polarity. You can do this a number of times equal to your Willpower.
- Attract: The field allows you to draw a small unattended object within the field that you choose as long as it is made primarily of metal such as metal weapons or sections of armor. The objects land safely at your feet or in your hand. If a metal object is being held you can attempt to take it. The holder of the object must make a Strength (Might) test vs. your Spellpower or be disarmed of the object.
- Repulse: The field allows you to launch a small unattended metal object within your field, or one in your possession, to a point at its edge. If a creature or object stands within the path of its trajectory, they take 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. If they make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) test vs. your Spellpower the damage isn’t penetrating.
At Expert degree, when you cast or maintain a polarity field you can also make its center at a point up to 20 yards from you.
Wire Garden
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Novice)
Spell Type: Utility
MP Cost: 6
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 11
Test: Dexterity (Acrobatics) vs. Spellpower
Ragged iron wires covered in shards or spines sprout from the ground beneath your opponents.
The wire garden can be up to 6 yards in diameter, anywhere within 20 yards of you for 1 minute. Any creature entering or starting their turn within it must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) test vs. your Spellpower or takes 1d6 penetrating damage. If a creature attempts to move within the wire garden they must spend 2 yards of movement for every 1 yard they move or take 1d6 penetrating damage. If they are prone and attempt to stand, they must use all their movement to avoid taking the damage.
Iron Blast
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 8
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 14
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
You unleash a maelstrom of iron shards in an arc in front of you.
The arc of the iron blast is 6 yards long and 4 yards wide. Anyone caught inside takes 2d6 + Willpower damage and must succeed on a Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower or the damage is penetrating.
Orbiting Spheres
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Expert)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 10
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 15
Test: Constitution (Stamina) vs. Spellpower
You conjure fist-sized iron spheres that orbit around your body at dizzying speeds.
You conjure a number of spheres equal to your Willpower that last the rest of the encounter. While at least one sphere orbits you, you have a cover rating of 1. You can use an Activation action to launch a sphere at a target within 30 yards of you. They inflict 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage and the target falls Prone. If the target makes a successful Constitution (Stamina) test vs. your Spellpower, the orbiting sphere does not inflict penetrating damage and the target remains standing.
Ironclad Form
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Enhancement
MP Cost: 15
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 17
Your body is covered in interwoven plates of metal, taking on the form of an magical suit of plate armor.
This armor lasts for the remainder of the encounter, until you choose to end the spell (a free action), or you’re Dying or Unconscious. You gain the following statistics as you become an iron juggernaut.
- Abilities: Constitution 4, Dexterity 0, Strength 6, even if this would reduce your ability ratings. All other abilities retain the caster’s usual ratings.
- Focuses: Accuracy (Brawling), Strength (Intimidation, Might)
- Other Statistics: You gain an Armor Rating of 10 from the supremely tough hide special quality. This doesn’t stack with worn armor, however.
- Special Qualities: You gain the special qualities of big, enchanted iron (AR 10), ironclad fist (2d6 unarmed attack that adds Strength to the damage roll, and is considered a magical weapon), and mighty.
Your new armor doesn’t impede your ability to cast other spells. However, your clothing and worn equipment are encased within your ironclad form, reappearing when you return to your usual form.
Metallic Prison
Requirements: Metal Arcana (Master)
Spell Type: Attack
MP Cost: 14
Casting Time: Major Action
Target Number: 19
Test: Strength (Might) vs. Spellpower
Your arcane power creates a powerful magnetic field within the core of your enemy.
Chunks of pitted iron violently slam into and accumulate on the target’s body for the rest of the encounter, inflicting 2d6 + Willpower penetrating damage. Each additional round, at the start of your turn, the target must make a Strength (Might) test vs. your Spellpower to break free. If successful, the spell ends. If they fail, they take 1d6 + Willpower penetrating damage, suffer a -2 to all physical tests, and are Slowed. Targets composed primarily of metal or wearing heavy metal armor suffer a -2 penalty to the test. At the GM’s discretion, creatures with abnormal or incorporeal form may require a higher TN and/or MP cost.
Additionally at the start of your turn you can spend an additional 3 MP to increase the power of the field another degree on a target that failed the test, further hampering them:
- 2nd degree: the target is also Hindered.
- 3rd degree: the target is rendered Helpless.
The caster decides whether a target reduced to 0 Health by metallic prison is crushed, in which case they are Dying, or completely encased, in which case they are Unconscious.