TempleBuilder's New Legacy Thread

[KaiserAfini]

You can’t tell me that bonding with a galactic core isn’t a method of ascending. The area around a singularity is a perfect Mystery. This is basically the kind of thing I imagine Forces Siddhas do.

Definitely one of the most ambitious ones. Eventually black holes die by running out of Hawking radiation, but the practice of Excision was made to deal with these minor inconveniences. An archmage that was a living black hole could alter the Tapestry in permanent ways via highly calculated use of gravity manipulation, truly one of the most powerful Ascended concepts of Forces by far.

[Cauthon]

I usually don’t consider direct damage spells, mostly because the legacies I make aren’t about being fighters. However, you make a fair point. There probably will be a weird attainment allowing one to make micro obits, like ioun stones in dnd. If I do make a direct damage attainment, it will appear to be a black hole.

Also where do you freaking find your art? That picture is gorgeous.

I’m almost done with finals. I should be able to start work soon.

You could probably start small, with Forces-Lodestone, and progress through modified Control Gravity and Gravitic Supremacy.

I have a whole dedicated folder on my phone called "Campaign Stock Images". It's often hard to find where they originally came from though, by the time I find a use for them 😛. I put the link to this one just above the picture though.

Good luck!

Another option is to have them connect to a specific black hole and then draw power from it. It has more interesting applications than pure destruction. If the mage can survive in its core, they go to an area where the laws of physics start being optional. Weird time effects, non-Euclidean bases and research, extremely unusual insights from observation of the outside, it could lead to all sort of cosmic plot hooks.

Maybe an Emanation Realm connected to the symbolism of Black Holes? Not enough to get full Sympathy for a normal Mage, but Symbolic Yantras that can aid in shaping the soul?

[TempleBuilder]

So I'm working on the Serpent's Fangs (I still am terrible at names), and I realized that Hidden Hoard fit's the majority of my needs for hiding poison. So I'm considering taking out Supernal Veil, but I don't know what to replace it with. I was thinking of doing the pseudo-dissonance, but what practice would that be spell be? Unraveling?

[KaiserAfini]

How about calling them the Fountainhead of Tofana ? Tofana is a nice, picturesque mountainous region in Italy. Surely they named themselves after discovering some magical springs or something with similar significance in the mountains, after all, what else could the water of Tofana be referencing?

[Cauthon]

So I'm working on the Serpent's Fangs (I still am terrible at names), and I realized that Hidden Hoard fit's the majority of my needs for hiding poison. So I'm considering taking out Supernal Veil, but I don't know what to replace it with. I was thinking of doing the pseudo-dissonance, but what practice would that be spell be? Unraveling?

It's effectively Supernal Dispellation, so Unraveling would probably be accurate

[TempleBuilder]

Fountainhead of Tofana
A legacy of Shadowy Liars and Poisoners

Nicknames: Poisoners, Nightshades, Defilers (derogatory)
Organization: The Poisoners are often stereotyped to be unrepentant murderers, loyal only to themselves, and eventually betraying any who deal with them. Many maintain distant ties to others of the legacy, but few go out of their way to seek each other out. The exceptions are always extremely intense. Many teachers in the legacy teach several students at a time, and the bonds formed, for good or ill are extremely resilient. Poisoners are often extremely loath to reveal such information and will go to great lengths to prevent others from learning they care about anyone.

The Poisoners are well-known to be heavily involved with assassinations, espionage, and sabotage. Their toxins have clouded minds, crippled bodies, and sent many to an early grave. Their lies have rent friendships and torn consiliums apart. They have tainted Hallows, Artifacts, and Grimoires.
Theory: One is reborn by the waters, internalizing the toxins to the point that they become part of oneself.
Background: Many say the legacy was created at the Father’s command. The Legacy is almost exclusively found in association with Paternoster. Many Poisoners have served high-ranking Paternoster officials.


Parentage: Obrimos; Paternastor
Ruling Arcanum: Matter
Yantras: Toxins (+1 if Mundane, +2 if supernatural), success on a Subterfuge roll relating to the spell (+2), Water Springs (+2)
Oblations: Consuming Poison, Telling a significant Lie,

Prerequisites: Matter 2, Crafting 2, Medicine 2, Area of Expertise (Toxicology)
Initiation: After being told a magnificent lie they must truly believe, a potential Initiate must be submerged under a large quantity of Cantarella and survive.

The Taster's Palate
(Matter ●) Initiation
The Poisoner knows toxins’ properties by heart, learning to sense them in their environment

Detect Substance
Potency = 1
Duration = Matter
Scale = All extra factors to Scale
Range = Touch
Casting Time = Instant
COMMENTARY: Learn to see Poison

(Prime ●)
Lies are the poison of the mind, and The Poisoner must know their taste

Peirce Deception
Potency = extra
Duration = Prime
Range = Self
Casting Time = Instant (Reach to Instant)

COMMENTARY: Learn to see Lies.

The Sommelier's Gloves
To willing swallow poison is to build up a resistance to it.
(Matter ●●)

Protection against Toxins
Duration = Matter Advanced (reach to advanced)
Potency = n/a (1)
Scale = All extra factors to Scale
Range = Touch
Casting Time = Ritual

NOTE: Immunity against Toxicity. Many Poisoners start consuming large amounts of toxic materials, so that the poison is in their bloodstream, and can be used in an emergency.

(Prime ●●)
A single well-place lie can cause a world to fall.

Serpent's Tongue
Potency = All extra go to Potency
Duration = Prime
Scale = Self
Casting Time = Instant (Reach to Instant Casting)

COMMENTARY: Many Poisoner use certain neurotoxins and this attainment to inflict extreme mental states on other for their own purposes.

The Private Vintage
(Matter ●●●)
Waters drawn from the wellspring are oft innocuous, until drunk.

Hidden Hoard
Duration = Prime (Reach to Advanced Duration )
Potency = n/a(1)
Scale = All extra factors to Scale
Range = Touch
Casting Time = Ritual

COMMENTARY:

(Prime ●●●)
The Poisoner takes Cantarella, and mixes it with tainted mana to produce a mana-blocking concoction.

Tainted Source
Potency = Prime
Duration = All extra goes to duration Advanced (reach to advanced)
Range = Touch
Casting Time = Ritual
Description: The poison "blocks" the expenditure of Mana, lowering the amount the poisoned mage can spend per turn by potency. If this would lower the amount spent per turn to zero, it instead increases the turns required to spend a single point of mana by one. This continues at each point past zero. this continues until either the duration runs out or the Mage purges their system.
Extra: The poison also affects other supernatural creatures, blocking their usage of their supernatural fuel source.

COMMENTARY:

The Aqua Tofana
(Matter ●●●●)

Hone the Perfected Form
Duration = Indefinite (Reach to Advanced and Indefinite)
Potency = n/a (1)
Range = Touch
Scale = All extra factors to Scale
Casting Time = Ritual
Can only produce Cantarella

COMMENTARY:

(Prime ●●●●)

Words of Deception
Duration = All extra go to Duration
Potency = Prime
Range = Self
Casting Time = Instant (Reach to Instant Casting)


COMMENTARY:

Draught of the Fountainhead
(Matter ●●●●●)

Golem
Duration = All extra factors to Duration (Reach to Advanced Duration)
Potency = Matter
Range = Touch
Casting Time = Instant (Reach to Instant Casting)
Extra: (Reach for relative conditions)

NOTE: The use of Golem is especially insidious, with the Poisoner targeting toxins likely to be ingested by the target. The Golem is instructed to wait until absorbed by the body before wreaking as much havoc as possible from within the target. Treat the golem as having a structure of 1 with a durability of 0. The golem adds it’s potency to the toxicity of the material it’s made out of. A golem can be commanded to wait to harm a subject, until a certain stimuli or condition comes to pass. Until that point, the target takes no damage, and suffers no further effect. Once the golem starts attacking, it does it’s damage every turn, even if the toxin would normally inflict damage over a greater period. If commanded to take it slower, the golem do so as well.
COMMENTARY:

(Prime ●●●●●)

Supernal Dispellation
Duration = (all extra go to duration) Advanced
Potency = Prime
Casting Time = Instant (Reach to Instant Casting)
NOTE: The spell doesn’t follow normal Supernal Dispellation rules, instead acts as a source of Dissonance, rolling the Potency instead of integrity.

COMMENTARY:

Cantarella

Aka perfected poison, the substance has a number of unique properties. Any toxin converted becomes colorless, tasteless, and scentless. Those exposed to the substance often do not realize their predicament until they are on the verge of death, as the substance numbs the target to the damage it does. From an outside perspective, the target simply seems to fall asleep. Those who examine the remains of a victim are often perplexed, as it appears as though the victim simply had all of their organs simply cease to function at the same time.

Mechanically, the effects of the toxin are obscured from the target until their health track is filled with lethal damage. Before that point, the target makes wits + composure rolls to notice the toxin at -5. Once the target starts taking Aggravated damage, the target may make a wits + composure roll without penalty to notice the effects of the toxin. Damage from the toxin doesn't count toward wound penalties. (Player characters are always considered to succeed in the non-penalized roll because it's not much fun to be told your character is dead from something you couldn't have known about.)

Secrets and Storyhooks

• While many think of the Fountainhead exclusively in the thrall of Paternastor, that's not exactly true. At least one member slipped up, and a Daimonomikon of the legacy landed in the hands of the Guardians of the Veil. The legacy itself may change sides in the coming struggle. The question is, how do you trust anyone from a legacy of perfect liars?
• Wip

[KaiserAfini]

How about The Taster's Palate for the first Attainment, The Sommelier's Gloves for the second, The Private Vintage for the third and Draught of the Fountainhead for the capstone.

The first name can refer to a water taster, a wine taster or a lie detector. Second can be interpreted as a way to handle high alcohol with composure or ignore/carry poison. Third can either mean a way to hide quality products or deadly toxins. The final one is a subtle reference to Sekiro, where the waters of the palace granted immortality, but eroded sanity.

In the second optional Attainment, the Serpent's Tongue is Duration primary rather than Potency.

The third optional one seems like both an expanded version of Platonic Form and Poison Mana, I think it needs to be simplified.

In the fourth one, its missing two Reach to perfect poisons, by default it only perfects metals (Signs of Sorcery page 61). One solution is to specialize it so that it only works to perfect poisons, and then go into details on the characteristics of perfected poisons.

It might be a good idea to mechanically qualify how the golem's attacks work.

Lastly, it might be a good idea to explain how the name ties to their identity and expand on how they used their toolkit via the Attainment comments.

[TempleBuilder]

How about The Taster's Palate for the first Attainment, The Sommelier's Gloves for the second, The Private Vintage for the third and Draught of the Fountainhead for the capstone.

The first name can refer to a water taster, a wine taster or a lie detector. Second can be interpreted as a way to handle high alcohol with composure or ignore/carry poison. Third can either mean a way to hide quality products or deadly toxins. The final one is a subtle reference to Sekiro, where the waters of the palace granted immortality, but eroded sanity.

I was actually thinking about Sekiro when you suggested the name. I’ve never heard the word fountainhead before.

In the second optional Attainment, the Serpent's Tongue is Duration primary rather than Potency.

Good catch.

The third optional one seems like both an expanded version of Platonic Form and Poison Mana, I think it needs to be simplified.

It’s supposed to target a object in existence, so I guess it’s more like mana battery. That said, I do think we need a thread on volatile mana as hollow features.

In the fourth one, its missing two Reach to perfect poisons, by default it only perfects metals (Signs of Sorcery page 61). One solution is to specialize it so that it only works to perfect poisons, and then go into details on the characteristics of perfected poisons.

I already did put a note saying it could only produce Cantarella aka perfected poison. I’ll add the properties. Basically, it numbs the targets to it’s effects, until they simply feel tired and collapse. They generally die peacefully. I don’t know what Toxicity it should be though, since it’s not relying on potency.

It might be a good idea to mechanically qualify how the golem's attacks work.

I’ll work on it.

Lastly, it might be a good idea to explain how the name ties to their identity and expand on how they used their toolkit via the Attainment comments.

Yeah, will do.

[TempleBuilder]

So, I'm not sure exactly how to stat the golem. I'm fine with saying the Golem has a durability of 0, but that would mean that it has a health of zero, which is problematic. Its attack pool should be based on the material used, modified by the golem's potency. I'd such a thing would effectively be using its toxicity as a weapon, either the toxicity round to half, or to a third. I'd say that it can attack organs with no penalty, as long as it's there. Would the body target the golem? I can see the golem being destroyed while still inside the body if it's not eminently successful. The only example of such a thing I've seen is from Genius 2e...which isn't exactly the perfect reference source.

You know what, I'm probably overthinking this. Why not just model it as a normal poison, with the golems potency added to the toxicity and able to obey instructions on when to attack?

[Cauthon]

Wouldn't the Golem have a default health of 1? Potency is already the Retainer dice-pool, so having that be the Toxicity seems pretty reasonable

[TempleBuilder]

Wouldn't the Golem have a default health of 1? Potency is already the Retainer dice-pool, so having that be the Toxicity seems pretty reasonable

You know, I’ll accept that it has to default to 1.

Just so I’m clear, you are agreeing with Potency + old toxicity = new toxicity as being reasonable?

[Cauthon]

You know, I’ll accept that it has to default to 1.

Just so I’m clear, you are agreeing with Potency + old toxicity = new toxicity as being reasonable?

Aye, although I'd have it be an either/or situation between higher toxicity and being harder to detect. You have to choose between perfecting a material that is perfectly deadly, or a perfectly subtle killer

[TempleBuilder]

So I’m trying to work on the embraces of mortality, but I’m having a bit of trouble. One, I am still bad at names, but more importantly I’m dissatisfied with their attainments. The idea is that they plan out their remaining life, getting the most out of everything they can. Unfortunately, the spells I see that for generally translate into dice bonuses, and that kinda boring. Going back in time is kinda disliked by the legacy, as Life is important because you only get one chance at it, but is there anything else I could use?

[KaiserAfini]

Life could be primary, to guarantee you are always healthy, well fed and rested, no matter how intense a marathon of activities you run. Its also great for swapping your appearance, staying alive via healing and adapting to your surroundings. So no matter how intense or risky your lifestyle, chances are you can handle it.

Secondary Arcanum could be Fate, so you can have the resources, contacts, lucky breaks and improvisational ability to have any lifestyle you want. Want to keep the buzz of being drunk without losing a beat ? Quantum Flux. About to be sniped ? Reflexive Exceptional Luck means you are Charmed and live to see another turn. Want to rediscover the vineyard that mass produced tass grapes ? Strings of Fate will lead you to a journal with the clue.

[TempleBuilder]

So I've been playing around with the Gravity bender's attainments a bit, and I keep coming up with weird paths for them to go down. I was thinking of the first attainment being something like the Singers in Silence, being an always active awareness of spatial and gravitic distortions around them, at the cost of being overwhelmed when there is too much "noise" in the background. Conceptually, I'm basing the legacy off of gravity waves, which are caused by extreme changes in acceleration. Technically, everything that changes acceleration causes them, but most should be too small to register. However, I enjoy the idea of the Legacy growing uncomfortable with civilization, and its constant hustle and bustle providing background static to the cosmic melody, with Masters leaving earth to reside in Pocket Dimensions and deep space. Unfortunately, I wonder if the idea is too unwieldy in practice. What do y'all think?