Even more Legacies, updated to 2E

[21C Hermit]

Hey ! I really admire your translations.

I can't manage to find the post where Dave says which Legacies he intends to put in the supplements, so I'll just go blind and list those that interested me.

http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Unforgotten_Scion"]Unforgotten Scions[/URL]
http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Cult_of_the_Doomsday_Clock"]Cult of the Doomsday Clock[/URL]
http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Path_of_the_Book"]Path of the Book[/URL]
http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Scion_of_God"]Scions of God[/URL]
http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Morphean_Continuity"]Morphean Continuity[/URL]
http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Dreamers_of_the_Black_Sun"]Dreamers of the Black Sun[/URL]

I have the 1E books for these, so if you want precisions about their Attainments or more lore about them, I'd be more than happy to oblige !

Thanks for the praise. It’s heartwarming.

And I too honestly forgot which Legacies are planned for future supplements. But with how long it usually takes for a new book to come out, I’m tempted to just do them when I get the chance.

And if I ever get stuck on doing those you listed, I’ll make sure to call you for help! (Which reminds me, maybe I should add them to the queue...)

[Justin Sane]

Could you add the Sisterhood of the Blessed to the queue as well? It's another one that Dave mentioned, but one of my players is interested in it, and I don't think I can delay that plot for that long

[21C Hermit]

Could you add the Sisterhood of the Blessed to the queue as well? It's another one that Dave mentioned, but one of my players is interested in it, and I don't think I can delay that plot for that long

Hmm, should I then put up a stopgap conversion first? With Yantras, Oblations, and an outline of Attainments. That shouldn't take too long, since even if I add the Sisters to the queue right now it'll still take a few weeks at my normal full-conversion pace.

[21C Hermit]

Oh, and I found Dave's plans for upcoming official 2E Legacies!

Sisterhood of the Blessed (Ladder or Seers / Acanthus)
Eleventh Question (Guardian or Mysterium / Moros) - already in the corebook
Perfected Adept (Arrow or Council / Obrimos)
Cryptologos (Council or Mysterium / Mastigos)
Orphans of Proteus (Mysterium or Arrow / Thyrsus)

The Adepts, Sisterhood and Cryptologos are all back-of-beermat converted already for my own game, as they're the Legacies my players' characters have taken. The Redoubtable Neall Raemonn Price is working up the Orphans as a hobby project.

Bonus round, for if we find ourselves overburdened with time, will be:

House of Ariadne (Mysterium or Seers / Acanthus)
Forge Masters (Arrow or Council / Moros)
Clavicularius / Bene Ashmedai (Ladder or Seers / Mastigos)
Dreamspeakers (Council / Thyrsus)
Daksha (Mysterium or Guardian / Obrimos)

Although they will have to wait until after Signs of Sorcery comes out - the Clavicularius and Forge Masters in particular have Attainments based on spells from that book.

* sees Cryptologos up there
* sees that my queue's current entry is the Cryptologos

... Heh. No turning back now, I guess!

[Justin Sane]

Hmm, should I then put up a stopgap conversion first? With Yantras, Oblations, and an outline of Attainments. That shouldn't take too long, since even if I add the Sisters to the queue right now it'll still take a few weeks at my normal full-conversion pace.

Your work, your call Either way, it's much appreciated.

[Mrmdubois]

Oh, and I found Dave's plans for upcoming official 2E Legacies!



* sees Cryptologos up there
* sees that my queue's current entry is the Cryptologos

... Heh. No turning back now, I guess!

I wouldn’t worry about it, if Dave is holding off on updates until after SOS is in print it will be a good long while before he gets around to it, if at all.

[ArchonAres]

You have done some truly excellent work Hermit.

[21C Hermit]

You have done some truly excellent work Hermit.

Thank you

Your work, your call Either way, it's much appreciated.

A stopgap, as I promised.




THE SISTERHOOD OF THE BLESSED

Origins

Parentage: Acanthus, Silver Ladder, Seers of the Throne

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Fate 2, Socialize 2, two dots in one of the following Skills; Subterfuge, Politics, Persuasion, Larceny, Computer

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Fate
Yantras: Social meetings and gatherings (+1); hinting at belonging to high society (+2); fine, high-quality accessories or clothes (+2); hiding one's intentions and affiliations (+1, +2 if hiding from explicit enemies)
Oblations: Selecting and putting on dress for an occasion; dilettantism; discretely manipulating others; planning social events

Attainments

First: Good Fortune
Prerequisites: Initiation
Fate 1 Quantum Flux (self)
Reach: Advanced Duration
Preparatory Ritual: A scene of meditation in a private space, utterly free outside contact.
Optional: Mind 1
Mind 1 One Mind, Two Thoughts (self)
Reach: Advanced Duration
Preparatory Ritual: A scene of meditation in a private space, utterly free from outside contact. Can be taken in conjunction with the ritual for the above effect.

Second: Unseen Blessings
Prerequisites: Fate 2, Socialize 3
Fate 1 Reading the Outmost Eddies (self)
Reach: instant use, Advanced Duration
Optional: Mind 2
Mind 2 Incognito Presence (self)
Reach: instant use, Advanced Duration
Cost: 1 Mana

Third: Exclusive Benediction
Prerequisites: Fate 3, two dots in a second Skill among the optional prerequisite Skills
Fate 2 Fabricate Fortune (self)
Reach: instant use, Advanced Duration
Optional: Mind 3
Mind 3 False Fame (self)
Reach: Advanced Duration
Preparatory Ritual: A scene of putting on fine clothing, accessories, and practicing mannerisms mimicking those of actual celebrities. The mimicked figure need not be a specific person.

Fourth: Accidental Auspices
Prerequisites: Fate 4, Socialize 4
Fate 3 Superlative Luck (self)
Reach: instant use
Cost: 1 Mana
Special Notes: The successful task manifests as something the mage bumbled into making it happen. The given example is dropping a gun in a gunfight, only for it to fire and hit the opponent anyway.
Optional: Mind 4
Mind 4 Hallucination
Reach: instant use
Special Notes: The conjured hallucinations are always subtle fictions, never overt mirages. The given example is making the subject overhear gossip in the voice of someone she knows.

Fifth: Lucky Happenstance
Prerequisites: Fate 5, two dots in a third Skill among the optional prerequisite Skills
Fate 4 Strings of Fate
Reach: instant use, Advanced Duration
Optional: Mind 5
Mind 5 Social Networking (self)
Reach: instant use

[21C Hermit]

False Fame (Mind •••)
Practice: Weaving
Primary Factor: Duration
Withstand: Composure
Suggested Rote Skills: Persuasion, Socialize, Streetwise
The psychonaut weaves the subject's psychic presence into a whirlpool, drawing in attention and recognition. The subject gains the Fame Merit at a rating equal to the spell's effective Potency, up to the Merit's normal 3-dot limit.
What the subject is famous for is left vague. People will "know" she is famous, but unable to pinpoint for what and make assumptions. If the subject fails a Social roll on which the Fame's dice bonus was applied, it becomes a dramatic failure where she draws unnecessary attention and suspicion.
As this Merit is a mere psychic illusion, it does not grant the minimum Withstand rating. Also, beings using supernatural means of identifying the subject, as well as those with a general defense against psychic suggestions, may pierce the spell with a Clash of Wills.
+1 Reach: The vagueness of the hollow fame is removed, as each onlookers' minds convince themselves. The subject no longer risks automatic dramatic failure upon a failed Social roll.
+1 Reach: With a point of Mana, the illusory Fame may rise beyond 3 dots.
Add Space •••: The web of sympathies around the subject change to fit her new station. The spell's Fame now grants the minimum Withstand rating against spells targeting the subject.

[Justin Sane]

I can't thank you enough. That's awesome.

[21C Hermit]

There, I fulfilled my Vice and gained a point of Willpower. Now time to spend it, to enhance one of my rolls in an extended action involving studies.

Next will be either the full version of the Sisterhood of the Blessed, or the Keepers of the Covenant.

EDIT: Shuffled around some of the prerequisites for Attainments, cleared up intent on how some Attainments work, and tried to make the now-five-dot High Speech more involved in Attainment use (well, only the 2nd one, but still)

---

CRYPTOLOGOS

You didn't think someone like that could speak so powerfully. She looked just like a plain old librarian, after all. But there was something in the way she spoke, the words she chose, and the tone of her voice that clicked just the right way. You cut her off and saw yourself as out, as she became preachy about quitting bad habits. You pulled out a cigarette, but for some reason you decided to hold it off for once.

We are the flesh made Word

The Cryptologos, or the Legacy of the Hidden Word as they call themselves, are a modern Legacy who study the science and intricacies of language to understand High Speech. Language has always been a prominent subject in mysticism, but the Wordsmiths take after from the modern linguistics and concepts such as ur-languages, root languages, and neuro-linguistic programming. While the Legacy originally rejected the Diamond, the end of the Nameless War saw many of them join the Council out of opposition to the Seers, and eventually the Pentacle.

The Cryptics continue to seek out preserved texts, collect song and poem, and design progams comparing root-words from hundred of languages, all to reconstruct High Speech into what they believe was the First Language that allowed humanity to communicate with the world. While many Wordsmiths maintain a detached and scientific approach to language and magic in general, some Cryptics are fanatically devoted to the Word even in modern nights.

Origins

Parentage: Mastigos, Free Council, Mysterium, Seers of the Throne
Background: Many to-be-Cryptics come from literary or academic backgrounds, some of them having even Awakened through pursuing their love of language. While quite a few stumble upon the Legacy by Obsessing over High Speech, most of the current generation of Cryptologos were initiated shortly after Awakening.
Appearances: The visual stereotype of the Legacy is that of bookish scholars, and many indeed look the part. Some are adventurers and tomb-raiders, prefering to pick up the ancient texts in person. A more common characteristic tying the Wordsmiths is their faculty with words, tending to be well-spoken and possessed of broad vocabularies.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Mind 2, Academics 2, High Speech, one dot in one of the following Skills; Expression, Science, Occult
Initiation: how to join them
Organization: how they group themselves
Theory: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was the Supernal. The Legacy of the Hidden Word believe that language is the true magic of humanity, with the Fall being the loss of High Speech as a functional language. The reconstruction of this "First Language," then, would elevate humanity to its true potentia once more.

Magic
Ruling Arcanum: Mind
Yantras: A library, or similar repository of knowledge (+1); speaking out the effect of the spell in a single word (+2); writing implements, including dictionaries (+2); summarizing the effect of the spell in clauses and phrases (+1, +2 if in poetic form or quoting some other literary work)
Oblations: relatively simple; time-consuming; potentially dangerous; group activity

Attainments

First: Supernal Linguistics
Prerequisites: Initiation
The Wordsmith understands High Speech not as a mere set of symbols but a language, albeit in a broken and half-understood form. This allows her to buy further dots in the High Speech Merit as she would with any other Merit rated from one to five dots.
Furthermore, the studying of ur-languages grant the Wordsmith a +1 when invoking any mudra that involves language as if it were an Order Rote Skill. regardless of the actual Skill encoded.
Optional: Prime 1
The Cryptic learns how to compress phrases in High Speech, his Gnostic understanding finding just the right meta-word to express himself. By reflexively spending one more point of Mana when casting a spell, the Cryptic may use a mantra reflexively for that spell. This still adds a turn if the mantra isn't the first Yantra used for the spell.

Second: Way with Words
Prerequisites: Mind 2, High Speech 3
The Wordsmith delves deeper into the nuances of the High Speech phrases she speaks, drawing more from those words of power. When using mantras in spellcasting, the Wordsmith can forgo the standard +2 and reflexively roll Wits + High Speech to apply the rolled successes as a Yantra bonus.
However, the whole spellcasting roll fails if the Wordsmith fails the Wits + High Speech roll, as High Speech stubbornly refuses to follow conventional grammar and unravels the mage's Imago.
Optional: Prime 2
The Cryptic can now put his knowledge of High Speech to more practical, lasting use. By spending two points of Mana, he replicates the "Scribe Grimoire" spell. Reach is assigned to instant use and making the effect Lasting.

Third: Uncovered Nuances
Prerequisites: Mind 3, Academics 3, one dot in a second Skill among the optional prerequisite Skills
Many people try to sneak in subtle messages in their words via careful intoning and nuances, only to fail. The Wordsmith is not one of such people, for when she speaks she delivers the spirit of the word just as much as the letter. She may replicate the "Emotional Urging" spell when speaking, with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration.
Optional: Prime 3
Another mishap involving nuances of words is picking up messages where there is none. The Cryptic, however, can decipher the truth and falsehoods of words with keen accuracy. He replicates the "Pierce Deception" spell on his person. Reach is assigned to instant use, Advanced Duration, and sensing the actual truth as Supernal metaphor.
This effect only works on untruths spoken or written in languages the Cryptic can use fluently. High Speech in any form does not count as a language for this purpose.

Fourth: Universal Language
Prerequisites: Mind 4, Academics 4
Having studied High Speech and the root words of languages all over the world, the Wordsmith can understand and translate any language. With this Attainment she replicates the "Universal Language" spell on herself, with Reach assigned to instant use and Advanced Duration.
Because of the medium of her knowledge, the Wordsmith only benefits from this Attainment in languages that can be spoken and written down. Most forms of computer languages, body languages, hand symbols, and purely conceptual "languages" will be off-limits to her, unless she first works them into a "proper" language.
Optional: Prime 4
Even in its shattered form, High Speech pierces through linguistic barriers and shakes even Sleepers. The Cryptic too can speak in such ways by replicating the "Words of Truth" spell. Reach is assigned to instant use, Advanced Scale, and imposing the Inspired or Guilty Conditions on those who act with or against his spoken word.

Fifth: The Hidden Word
Prerequisites: Mind 5, High Speech 5, one dot in a third Skill among the optional prerequisite Skills
The reconstruction of the First Language is so close to the Wordsmith. The ur-language she completed is a mere byproduct of that herculean effort, but it still shows the culmination of her studies. This Attainment mimicks the "Psychic Domination" spell. Reach is assigned to instant use, Advanced Duration, Advanced Scale, and forcing the subjects to perform one task should the mage wish so.
Because this Attainment represents the Wordsmith speaking in ways understood on a root level, she must still speak her commands to her subjects, and they must be physically able to listen to her, for it to work.
Optional: Prime 5
The Cryptic's determination to seek out and reveal the Hidden Word now enables him to reveal its lesser manifestations. By spending one point of Mana, he replicates the "Display of Power" spell. Reach is assigned to instant use, Advanced Duration, Advanced Scale, and granting rote quality to Counterspell attempts against spells cast within the area.
Regardless of the actual Imago in the minds of their casters, under this effect the spells' Imagos are always displayed as words from languages their casters are fluent in. The rote quality to Counterspell only applies when the Countering mage understands those words.

[Tessie]

So, what are the effects of additional dots in the High Speech Merit? As it is it's just an additional XP cost for the Attainments.

[21C Hermit]

So, what are the effects of additional dots in the High Speech Merit? As it is it's just an additional XP cost for the Attainments.

Stronger Yantra.

Hmm... I may have to shuffle some of the Attainment prerequisites, to make it less of a tax compared to the others’ Attainments.

Or maybe go all the other way and make Mind and High Speech the only prerequisite knowledges. I remember doing that for (Legion). (EDIT: I didn’t. Silly me)

And/or change the Wits + Gnosis roll in the 2nd Attainment to Wits + High Speech. Maybe even just High Speech.

[21C Hermit]

Strange, I can't add the link to the Cryptologos on the first post. The page says the link is there when I'm editing it, as well as on Preview, but when I press Save to return the link isn't there. Faulty internet connection?

EDIT: Wait a sec... is there a limit on the max number of links a page can have?

[wyrdhamster]

Wait a sec... is there a limit on the max number of links a page can have?

Yes, probably there is limit on links per post. When I do my miniesseys for Dark Eras stuff I copy large sections of Wikipedia - then there are a lot of links and forum do not let me post it. I need to lower number of links to only up to 20 or so. Then forum let's post it.
Maybe you will add next links to second post in topic by EDIT it?

Also, I would very much want to see High Speech Merits Advanced version to understand Cryptologos progression better.