Sages

Sages bring the power of spoken words and the power of writing together in order to create a vast array of utility and healing effects. Sage give life to written histories in their words and preserve ancient oral traditions through their writings. Sages collect and write both histories and poems into their own Book of Legends which becomes the Foci of their magic.

  • Casting Style: Reading from Magical Tomes
  • Strengths:  Strong Healing and Protectives Spells
  • Weakness:  Weak Battle Magic and Weak Personal Enhancements
  • Foci:  Yes, Book of Legends
  • In-Play Verbals:  Yes, the poetry and prose read by the sage are In Play.
  • Soul Mark:  No
  • Book/Text Prop:  Yes, Book of Legends

Through their Intent, Sages shape the words in their Book of Legends with magic and give those words greater purpose. Sages have a limited amount of Intent that they can bring into focus using the written texts from their Book of Legends into shape and that energy is quickly depleted. They are able to perform minor Acts which allow them to regain some of their Intent. Just as with the spells or Writings that Sages use to create their effects they must also find or research their own Acts which are then also recorded in their Book of Legends.

Each spell ultimately has a formula or pattern that must be followed and each spell additionally has a specific “key phrase” describing the effect that must be occasionally repeated throughout. Some spells are continuous and require the verse or passage to be repeated constantly to maintain the effect. Some spells require repetition to maintain but only actually become effective once at the end of each repetition. There certainly are examples to the contrary but as a rule most passages do not provide instant or packet delivered effects.

A Sage's Tale

Thomas had been the Abbot of the the Colstean refuge for more than five years and trouble had never been worse. Each day, more and more came seeking respite from the great war going on outside his walls. He rose every morning with the sun and went back to bed hours after the sun had retired for the evening. It was with the same determined plan that Thomas rose on this new day to the sounds of battle outside of his gates.

The war had finally climbed the hills in chase of a group of injured men attempting to seek safety. Thomas looked out his high window to see goblins and rock hide ogres bashing down his gates. The people’s fear was clear and many showed the terror of their expected demise on their faces. Thomas quickly ran to his bookshelf and grabbed a large tome with gold writing down the spine. He dashed down the stairs instructing everyone toward the dining hall, the only room large enough to hold most of the survivors gathered there. If only he had more time, he could gather everyone.

Thomas gazed out the open door of the hall, watching as the gates fell. People were trampled and the life left their bodies just as the last few were drawn into the hall, and only moments before the first blast of fire came from the goblin mages. Thomas opened his tome and began to read. As his words echoed through the room it shook, but looking out the still open door of the hall, the enemy halted. It was as if a large shimmering wall separated the death from the life that now seemed to fill the room. Thomas never stopped reading and as he read the wall seemed to become stronger and hold. Thomas continued to read. He watched from the corner of his eye as they executed each survivor who could not get inside his wall. They set flame to the rest of his refuge. He fought back tears as they set fire to his library, the years he had spent to gather each of the tomes with so many magical secrets. He dare not break concentration or else they would all meet their end as well.

Thomas read for 12 hours and the ogres finally grew bored and left to find something else to kill.

He read for 24 hours and the goblin mages still waited for his will to break.

After 72 hours, and right as he felt his will finally slip, he thought he was dreaming. For his wall outside, pillars of fire rained down on the goblin mages. Thomas awoke two days later to find they had held long enough for the army to send reinforcements. Thomas finally broke into tears, for he knew his books did not make it.

Cost Summary
Sage TierPre-ReqIntent CostAbilities
1st, 10XP5XP / IntentSpell Flux, 8XP each
2nd, 10XP3 Intent8XP / IntentCounterspell, 10XP each
3rd, 15XP6 Intent12XP / Intent
4th, 15XP9 Intent15XP / Intent
5th, 20XP12 Intent20XP / Intent
Book of Legends

Each Book of Legends should be able to wholly cover standard paper pages of 8.5” by 11”.  This is a tagged item created when someone is inducted into the Sage tradition.  During this initiation, they learn the basic properties of prose, poetry, and meter.  At this time they are able to draft a copy of a single spell and a single deed into their own personal book.  There is no limit as to how many pages the book can contain.

New books can be replaced at no material cost but require one BGA of time to craft.  Crafting books does not automatically copy all the included recipes.  Unlike Druids or Witches who also use ritually prepared books a Sage must have their book open to the spell they are casting and be able to read directly from the page at all times.

Common Sage Spells
  • Wall vs Living
  • Awaken
  • Cure Disease
  • Cure Blood Poison
  • Hobble Circle
  • Detect Concealment
Creating New Sage Spells

Sages can both collect stories or poems to power their magic but they can also create original works. When creating a new spell through research if the text is sufficiently dense and thematic a Sage may even shape the core nature of magic around the original work setting it as the default spell verbal all other Sages must use for that specific effect.

Example Sage Spell

Each spell has a specific pattern or formula that the spell must be written in as well as having a key phrase followed by the specific spell effect.

Sometimes Sage spells will be open patterns that must be followed but others will be set text that needs to be read exactly as is and this will be determined by the specific spell.

For example a simple spell that might allow for the minor healing, heals 1 level of damage may be a simple rhyming couplet with a key phrase of “Touched by Healing Balm” might be written on the in-play text as:

Poetry: Key Phrase “Touched by Healing Balm”

Pattern (2 line rhyming couplet):

“Legends of the past, my power to calm
Seal this wound, touched by healing balm”

Time: Requires 1 minute of repetition

On Completion: “Magic Heal Wound One”

Resetting Intent & Sage Deeds

Sages regain their intent over the course of the day with relative ease.  After 30 minutes of rest without using magic or combat skills, the Sage restores any lost Intent.

Deeds are minor actions that allow Sages to regain a portion of their own Intent significantly faster.  No Deed can be repeated within the half-hour.

Deed of Illumination

Recovery: 1 Intent (or more)
Time: 5 minutes initially (or more)

The Sage must draw or continue a previous work of a single Illuminated Letter with at least 4 different colors (colored pencils, inks, markers, etc) on a piece of a paper no smaller than 1” x 2”.  Sages will reset 2 additional Intent for each additional 5 minutes spent on the same Illumination.

This does not need to be completed in a single effort

Deed of Observation

Recovery: 1 Intent
Time: Varies

The Sage must quietly observe another person performing some sort of in play ritual or daily racial requirement of another person and record the details of that in a personal journal.

Deed of Negotiation

Recovery: 2 Intent
Time: 10 minutes

The Sage must record the details of two different sides of a disagreement and work to find a resolution between the two parties.

Inspiration Images

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