Here's another simple update, this time for the Storm Keepers, who originally appeared in Tome of the Watchtowers. As Inferior-turned-Ruling Legacies go, I'm more partial to the Dreamspeakers, but the Weather Witches are cool too. Of course their signature power is embodied by Control Weather, so I had to do some tinkering and redrafting to figure out the best way to pump up Reach for it without gating off their main trick until too late. Let me know what you think!
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Storm Keepers
Parentage: Acanthus
Prerequisites: Forces 2, two of the following Skills at 2 dots or higher: Academics, Occult, Science, or Survival
Ruling Arcanum: Forces
Yantras: Succeeding on an Academics/Occult/Science/Survival roll relevant to the spell (+2), predicting the weather in front of witnesses (+1), formally recording the weather using scientific and/or traditional techniques (+2), being outside in a weather-based Condition or Tilt without magical protection (+1, or +2 if the mage takes damage)
Oblations: Weather-watching (maintaining a survey of changing weather over the course of a day, a week or a month); predicting the weather (a practice which must be done in front of witnesses who need not be aware of the magical purpose of the prediction); experiencing extreme weather conditions (such as walking in a blizzard or driving through heavy rains); participating in a ceremonial rain dance as part of a tribal cultural meet; chanting or making offerings to ancient weather gods
First: Shading the Pattern
Prerequisites: Initiation
While others must rely on Doppler radar and networks of sophisticated temperature sensors coupled with complex models run by computers to predict the weather, you can simply glance outside and see the energy patterns (or feel them in your bones). This Attainment allows you to instantly predict what the weather will be like for a number of hours equal to your dots in Forces. The assessment is based on current conditions - if current or future magic is altering the baseline weather patterns your prediction might be off. If magic is currently altering the weather you can predict what the natural weather state will be like with a successful Clash of Wills.
Optional: Time 1
The mage knows whether her own manipulation of the weather will prove helpful or harmful in the near future, emulating "Momentary Flux."
Second: Storm Shelter
Prerequisites: Forces 2, one of the two Initiation Skills at 3 dots
The mage is not harmed by the weather. After spending an hour outdoors, the mage activates an "Environmental Shield" with Advanced Duration on herself and anyone she is touching.
Optional: Time 2
The mage may ask more detailed questions about the impact of her weather manipulation, or predict the weather closely. This Attainment emulates "Divination" with Reach spent on instant casting and detailed questions.
Third: Weather Making
Prerequisites: Forces 3, the second Initiation Skill at 3 dots OR a third Initiation Skill at 2 dots
The greatest trick of the Weather Witches is, of course, manipulating the weather directly. After spending an hour outdoors, which may be done at the same time as Storm Shelter, the mage may emulate "Control Weather" with Reach spent on Advanced Duration and, if she wishes, making the change over hours rather than minutes. If she wishes to make the change more quickly, she may instead choose to emulate "Control Weather" with instant casting and Advanced Duration.
Optional: Time 3
The Weather Witch may call up the old storms or restore yesterday's calm. If she possesses at least a Representational sympathetic Yantra of a weather pattern that was previously on her current location, such as a preserved hailstone or a photo of a clear day, she may spend an hour outdoors to restore that weather pattern within minutes. This emulates "Temporal Summoning" with a Forces 2 component to affect the weather, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Fourth: Direct Storms
Prerequisites: Forces 4, one of the two Initiation Skills at 4 dots
Nothing embodies the power of storms like lightning. This Attainment emulates "Call Lightning" with Reach spent on sensory range. As usual, this Attainment requires stormy skies, either naturally or through an Attainment or spell.
Optional: Time 4
The mage may ask complex, conditional questions about the long-term impact of her weather manipulation on a region or the effects of future weather patterns. This Attainment emulates "Prophecy" as an instant action.
Fifth: Aeolian Bag
Prerequisites: Forces 5, the second Initiation Skill at 4 dots OR the third Initiation Skill at 3 dots OR the fourth Initiation Skill at 2 dots
Summoning and dismissing tornadoes and monsoons is within the Weather Witch's power. After spending an hour outdoors, which may be done at the same time as Storm Shelter, he mage may emulate "Adverse Weather" with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Optional: Time 5
Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. If previous Attainments reveal that dismissing a weather pattern entirely would be even more damaging, or she wants to hold a region hostage with a storm in a bottle, or she simply wishes to preserve a beautiful day for later, the mage may emulate "Temporal Stutter" with a Forces 2 component to affect the weather, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration. The mage may cancel the Attainment to bring the captured weather back in a matter of moments.
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Storytellers are encouraged to let modern Storm Keepers buy the Sky's Whispers Merit from Dark Eras page 48.
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Storm Keepers
Parentage: Acanthus
Prerequisites: Forces 2, two of the following Skills at 2 dots or higher: Academics, Occult, Science, or Survival
Ruling Arcanum: Forces
Yantras: Succeeding on an Academics/Occult/Science/Survival roll relevant to the spell (+2), predicting the weather in front of witnesses (+1), formally recording the weather using scientific and/or traditional techniques (+2), being outside in a weather-based Condition or Tilt without magical protection (+1, or +2 if the mage takes damage)
Oblations: Weather-watching (maintaining a survey of changing weather over the course of a day, a week or a month); predicting the weather (a practice which must be done in front of witnesses who need not be aware of the magical purpose of the prediction); experiencing extreme weather conditions (such as walking in a blizzard or driving through heavy rains); participating in a ceremonial rain dance as part of a tribal cultural meet; chanting or making offerings to ancient weather gods
First: Shading the Pattern
Prerequisites: Initiation
While others must rely on Doppler radar and networks of sophisticated temperature sensors coupled with complex models run by computers to predict the weather, you can simply glance outside and see the energy patterns (or feel them in your bones). This Attainment allows you to instantly predict what the weather will be like for a number of hours equal to your dots in Forces. The assessment is based on current conditions - if current or future magic is altering the baseline weather patterns your prediction might be off. If magic is currently altering the weather you can predict what the natural weather state will be like with a successful Clash of Wills.
Optional: Time 1
The mage knows whether her own manipulation of the weather will prove helpful or harmful in the near future, emulating "Momentary Flux."
Second: Storm Shelter
Prerequisites: Forces 2, one of the two Initiation Skills at 3 dots
The mage is not harmed by the weather. After spending an hour outdoors, the mage activates an "Environmental Shield" with Advanced Duration on herself and anyone she is touching.
Optional: Time 2
The mage may ask more detailed questions about the impact of her weather manipulation, or predict the weather closely. This Attainment emulates "Divination" with Reach spent on instant casting and detailed questions.
Third: Weather Making
Prerequisites: Forces 3, the second Initiation Skill at 3 dots OR a third Initiation Skill at 2 dots
The greatest trick of the Weather Witches is, of course, manipulating the weather directly. After spending an hour outdoors, which may be done at the same time as Storm Shelter, the mage may emulate "Control Weather" with Reach spent on Advanced Duration and, if she wishes, making the change over hours rather than minutes. If she wishes to make the change more quickly, she may instead choose to emulate "Control Weather" with instant casting and Advanced Duration.
Optional: Time 3
The Weather Witch may call up the old storms or restore yesterday's calm. If she possesses at least a Representational sympathetic Yantra of a weather pattern that was previously on her current location, such as a preserved hailstone or a photo of a clear day, she may spend an hour outdoors to restore that weather pattern within minutes. This emulates "Temporal Summoning" with a Forces 2 component to affect the weather, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Fourth: Direct Storms
Prerequisites: Forces 4, one of the two Initiation Skills at 4 dots
Nothing embodies the power of storms like lightning. This Attainment emulates "Call Lightning" with Reach spent on sensory range. As usual, this Attainment requires stormy skies, either naturally or through an Attainment or spell.
Optional: Time 4
The mage may ask complex, conditional questions about the long-term impact of her weather manipulation on a region or the effects of future weather patterns. This Attainment emulates "Prophecy" as an instant action.
Fifth: Aeolian Bag
Prerequisites: Forces 5, the second Initiation Skill at 4 dots OR the third Initiation Skill at 3 dots OR the fourth Initiation Skill at 2 dots
Summoning and dismissing tornadoes and monsoons is within the Weather Witch's power. After spending an hour outdoors, which may be done at the same time as Storm Shelter, he mage may emulate "Adverse Weather" with Reach spent on Advanced Duration.
Optional: Time 5
Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. If previous Attainments reveal that dismissing a weather pattern entirely would be even more damaging, or she wants to hold a region hostage with a storm in a bottle, or she simply wishes to preserve a beautiful day for later, the mage may emulate "Temporal Stutter" with a Forces 2 component to affect the weather, with Reach spent on Advanced Duration. The mage may cancel the Attainment to bring the captured weather back in a matter of moments.
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Storytellers are encouraged to let modern Storm Keepers buy the Sky's Whispers Merit from Dark Eras page 48.
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