UNCLE MIKEY’S ROTES

                The following original rotes have all been reviewed for game balance and rules compliance by volunteer Camarilla Storytellers from all over the world.  Still, they are subject to a certain amount of interpretation.  You may even decide that some of them are not appropriate for your Chronicle.

The astute Storyteller will notice right away that many of these rotes are not appropriate for all Paradigms.  Restricting the knowledge of each rote to the Traditions, Conventions and/or Factions listed with it (where applicable) is highly recommended.  Requiring minimum levels of appropriate Tradition, Craft or Convention Lores is also reasonable.

#  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Questions, comments and criticism may be addressed to Uncle Mikey himself (that’s Mike Walton in real life) at thunderdog_sa@yahoo.com.  If you have ideas for additional rotes, I’ll be glad to look them over (but you’ll have to arrange for your own webspace).  If you have a rotes page of your own, even better!  I like seeing what other people have come up with and may ask to share your work with others.

*#*

00 Special (Adept Matter, Initiate Prime; 2 XP)

                These related rotes first appeared among Orphans who had seen too many secret agent movies.  They are also favored by Men in Black.  Each of these rotes creates a temporary modification to a ground vehicle.  Weapons are good for one use while environmental modifications last for one minute/conflict.  In areas where many of the locals have seen secret agent movies, most of these Effects are coincidental.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration of environmental modifications one step or adds one more use to a weapon.  Where a Driving test is mentioned, it is a Static Test with a difficulty equal to the caster’s Mental Traits.

·         Above Road: wings unfold from the vehicle as it takes to the air.

·         Battering Ram: a reinforced piston extends from the front end of the vehicle.  This gives the driver +2 Traits on the combat challenge (retest Driving) when ramming.  Although this is a weapon, it is treated as an environmental modification for duration purposes.

·         Chameleon Plates: the vehicle’s license plates can change at the touch of a button.  This is treated as an environmental modification.

·         Dragon’s Teeth: razor sharp caltrops pour from underneath the vehicle.  Any wheeled vehicle following behind will have its tires pierced unless the driver succeeds on a Driving test.

·         Ejection Seat: at the touch of a button the roof of the car opens up just before powerful springs propel the seat skyward.  The rote can effect either the driver’s, passenger’s or back seat (getting more than one requires additional Grades of Success), and the caster chooses when the rote is cast whether or not a parachute is included.

·         Holdout Gun: the vehicle sprouts a retractable submachinegun which has the normal Bonus Traits, Negative Traits, special abilities and damage characteristics for that type of weapon.

·         Infrared Headlights: this modification creates an IR-sensitive imaging system within the headlights (altering the bulb filaments so that they emit low-frequency light) and windshield (making a Head-up display), which gives the driver – and front seat passenger, if applicable – night vision while hiding the vehicle from casual observers.

·         Oil Slick: lubricant fluid squirts across the road behind the vehicle, forcing all pursuers to make Driving tests or crash.  The fluid lasts for one hour.

·         Road Cloak: the vehicle becomes coated in radar absorbent material and lined with acoustic baffling; this makes it invisible to radar and nearly silent.  Any attempt to detect the vehicle by its sound suffers a 3-Trait penalty.  Attempts to detect it by radar automatically fail.

·         Sea Drive: as long as the windows are rolled up the vehicle is watertight and can operate as a submarine.  This modification even produces enough air to last for the duration of the Effect.  Sea Drive doesn’t work on motorcycles or convertibles.

·         Smokescreen: the tailpipe spouts a cloud of thick black smoke that blinds pursuers and forces a Driving test to avoid crashing.  A smokescreen also blocks line of sight, which momentarily allows vulgar Effects to be cast without the danger of Sleeper witnesses.

Above Road and Sea Drive are almost always vulgar – even though lesser versions of these Effects can be achieved with mundane technology, most people still don’t believe it.

There is a variant of 00 Special called The Red Button which includes Adept Time and Initiate Entropy (raising the cost to 3 XP).  This version, which was created by Mages in Kansas City, uses Time to make the Effect contingent on when the actual red button is pushed and Entropy to select any one Effect from the list above.  When the Effect goes off, it will just happen to be what the character needed at the time.  Note: special thanks to the ST from Kansas City who informed me of this variant.  The Red Button was actually in play in KC before I formulated 00 Special.

3peat (Adept Correspondence, Initiate Matter; 2 XP)

                Virtual Adept Cyberpunks were the first Mages to use this Effect.  It has since spread to the rest of their Tradition and been independently developed by the Technocracy.  3peat co-locates a bullet, which effectively gives the Spray special ability to a single-shot firearm.  The Effect is coincidental if used with a submachinegun or similar weapon fired in single-shot mode.  Grades of Success: with three Grades of Success, the rote can give the subject weapon the Full Auto special ability instead.  If used with a weapon in burst fire mode, one Grade of Success will yield the results of firing in fully automatic mode (and will be coincidental).  Otherwise, Grades of Success have no effect.

π Fight (Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

                Virtual Adepts, Sons of Ether and computer-literate Orphans claim to have developed this rote independently, but there are indications that one group originally stole it from Iteration X.  The Effect imposes a 2-Trait distraction penalty by setting up a running calculation of pi within the target’s mind.  This lasts for one minute/conflict after the caster wins a Mental Challenge against the target.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the caster to hit one additional person with a pi (the caster must bid a separate Trait for each target).  This rote is only possible if the caster has some skill with calculation through either Academics: Mathematics Ability or the Lightning Calculator Merit.  A target who has either of the above qualifications subtracts 1 Trait from the distraction penalty.  Those who have both are immune to this Effect.

*A*

Adrenaline Rush (Initiate Life; 1 XP)

Stories about people performing superhuman feats of strength like lifting cars off of loved ones often recount uses of this rote (and, as a by-product, make the Effect coincidental under the right circumstances).  The subject has superhuman strength for as long as the rush lasts.  Not only can he lift (two plus Quintessence spent) times as much weight, he gains a free retest in contests of strength (that is, any Physical Challenge where the subject bids a Strength-based Trait and his opponent bids a Strength- or Stamina-based Trait).  Adrenaline Rush lasts for (caster's Arete) turns.  The downside is that the Effect severely drains the subject's energy reserves.  When the rush ends, the subject takes one Health Level of bashing damage which can kill someone who is Incapacitated or worse due to damage from other sources.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one turn.  Casting this Effect on someone else requires Disciple Life.

Several Traditions use this rote.  The current name comes from the Virtual Adepts; Akashics know it as Tsunami Fist, Choristers pray for Samson's Might, the Cult of Ecstasy's Hagalaz call it Arm of Thor, Dreamspeakers summon up Moyo Tembo and the Verbena call on the Strength of Stone.  Technocrats use this Effect even more than the Traditions do – especially Iteration X, the New World Order's Men in Black, Progenitor Pharmacopoeists and Syndicate Enforcers.  The Technocratic version uses an injection (often a placebo, but possibly actual adrenaline) as a Focus and is usually coincidental.

Analyze This (Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                This common rote is know to all Traditions, Conventions and Crafts (the current name is courtesy of an Ecstatic who was fond of movies).  The Mage uses Mind to expand her awareness so that she can pick up subtle clues about another person’s weaknesses.  The caster must win a Static Mental Challenge against the subject’s Mental Traits before getting any information.  The Effect is usually coincidental.  Grades of Success: one Grade of Success reveals one of the subject’s Negative Mental Traits, or two Grades of Success reveals a Derangement or psychological Flaw.

Anti-drug (Adept Matter; 1 XP)

The Pharmacopoeist Methodology of the Progenitors stumbled on this Effect during their research into the mechanics of addiction.  They have shared the knowledge with the rest of their Convention, but no other Mages are known to use this rote.  Anti-drug alters the properties of an existing pharmaceutical so that it will act as an antagonist to some other drug.  Each dose of Anti-drug blocks the effects of one dose of the drug that it opposes for one minute/conflict (multiple doses can overcome this immunity).  If given to someone who is already under the influence of a drug, Anti-drug immediately ends the drug’s effects.   This can send an addict into instant withdrawal as if the chemical were suddenly purged from his system.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success produces one dose of Anti-drug or extends the duration one step.  This Effect is usually coincidental.

Astral Projection (Master Mind; 1 XP)

Note: this, of course, is not an Uncle Mikey rote.  It is offered as a clarification of the Astral Projection Effect presented in Laws of Ascension.

A Master of Mind has the power to separate her consciousness from her physical body and send it out into the world – and beyond.  This dangerous but highly useful Effect is known to all Mages who use the Mind Sphere.  Astral Projection allows a Mage to travel great distances in the material world at the speed of thought.  The caster can also reach destinations in the High Umbra or those Zones that are associated with thoughts and ideas (i.e. the Dreaming), but travel here is slower.  Using Astral Projection to send one's mind into the material world while physically present in the Umbra is also possible.  An astral body is an idealized version of the self; one appears as one believes oneself to be with both virtues and flaws exaggerated (disguising one's astral appearance is not possible, at least not for mere Masters).  While projecting the Mage can take no physical objects with her – including clothing and Foci – unless Prime magic is used to give them an astral presence.  An astral body is immune to all forms of physical attack but mental and spiritual attacks have their normal effects (spirit Charms qualify as spiritual attacks) and the caster's body remains vulnerable to physical assault.  Fortunately, the Mage will soon become aware of any tampering with her body.  This alerting is instantaneous if the caster and her body are on the same side of the Gauntlet, but crossing into or from the Umbra will cause some "signal lag."  Of course, astral travelers are quite able to "physically" attack each other.  In such cases, Mental Traits are used in place of Physical Traits.  Damage to an astral body is taken to Willpower instead of Health Levels.

Every Mage has an innate arcane connection to her body.  This connection always has a symbolic representation that is immediately visible to other astral travelers who bother to look for it.  This connection is called a Silver Cord after its most common manifestation among Hermetics, but the actual appearance of the Cord varies with the Mage's Paradigm (a Euthanatos might leave flaming footprints, flowers might spring up under a Verbena's feet, a Virtual Adept might be followed by a pulsating stream of data, etc.).  When the caster runs out of Willpower – either by spending it or as a result of astral combat – the Silver Cord is severed and she is unable to instantly snap back to her body.  Correspondence cannot restore the connection unless the astral and physical bodies are in the same place.  The connection must be restored before the Mage can re-enter her body (a different body can be taken over using Possession).  An episode of Astral Projection lasts for one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.

Attack Amplification (Disciple Forces; 1 XP)

These rotes enhance a warrior's deadliness by amplifying the force of a blow (in melee combat) or increasing the initial velocity of a projectile (in ranged combat).  Anyone who knows one version of this Effect can easily figure out the others.  The Effect increases the damage of an attack by one Health Level per Grade of Success, and the extra damage is of the same type as the base damage.  The Effect is coincidental as long as the added damage is no more than the base damage.  The Attack Amplification variants are listed below with their specific applications and the Traditions that created them.

·         Black Arrow was created by the Sisters of Hippolyta (while they were still Amazons) for use with all manner of bows;

·         Extreme Prejudice was developed by militant Orphans to make their firearms even scarier and has since been adopted by the Hollow Ones and Virtual Adepts (base damage for all firearms is two Health Levels except for shotguns at point blank range, for which it is three Health Levels);

·         Fist of Lei Kung is used in unarmed combat by the Akashic Brotherhood;

·         Sword of the Lord – which is usable only on melee weapons – was created by the Knights Templar, who shared it with the Celestial Chorus (the Ahl-i-Batin developed it independently, and the Kopa Loei call it Lei o Mano);

·         Yamachakram is used with thrown weapons by the Euthanatos.

*B*

Binary Transcriptase (Initiate or Disciple Life, Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

Binary Reverse Transcriptase (Apprentice Life and Mind; 1 XP)

                Progenitors created these subtle Effects but geneticists among the Sons of Ether have developed them independently.  Both rotes are coincidental in places that are friendly to technomantic Paradigms.

                Binary Transcriptase alters the subject’s transposons (unexpressed “junk” genes) so as to take advantage of the vast information storage potential of the DNA molecule.  The Effect creates a binary encryption scheme using adenine-thymine pairs as ones and cytosine-guanine pairs as zeroes.  The caster can then imprint data onto the subject’s DNA.  The maximum amount of data in megabytes is equal to the caster’s number of Mental Traits times the total Grades of Success.  The altered DNA remains until this rote is cast again to reverse it.  Reversing it is a good idea, too; those who remain under this Effect for long periods run an increased risk of certain cancers.  Initiate Life can encode the caster’s own DNA.  Encrypting someone else’s DNA requires Disciple Life.

                Binary Reverse Transcriptase simply allows the caster to read data written using the preceding rote.  This enhanced sense remains active for one minute/conflict if cast on oneself or one turn if cast on someone else.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.

The Bitter Karela (Initiate Life, Disciple Time; 1 XP)

The Euthanatos invented this Effect back in India while they were still known as Chakravanti.  Other Traditions – notably the Dreamspeakers, Order of Hermes, Sisters of Hippolyta, Verbena and Kopa Loei – have since learned the Effect from the Euthanotos or developed it independently.  The Bitter Karela is a common weapon in the arsenals of Mage eco-terrorists; the Red Spear Society often uses it to help the jungle reclaim the works of Man.

To place this curse, the Mage must first focus on a plant or seed in the vicinity of the target (which must be an inanimate object).  The caster may plant the seed on the location himself.  Life magic then encourages growth in the subject plant while Time greatly accelerates the process; the plant experiences a day's worth of growth in one minute.  Mundane means of measuring plant growth will show no difference between a fast-grown plant and plants that grew naturally except for the fast-grown plant being unusually healthy.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the period of rapid growth by one duration step or effects one additional plant.  This Effect is almost always vulgar.

Black on Black (Apprentice Forces; 1 XP)

                This Effect allows a Virtual Adept to see very small differences in contrast (i.e. telling the difference between a true black and a 98% gray).  She can then reset the contrast and brightness on her system's display and see what's on the screen as if the contrast were normal.  To anyone who doesn't have this rote or a similar Power active the screen looks black.  Black on Black lasts for one minute if cast on oneself, one turn if cast on someone else.  The Effect is coincidental if the caster has some means of covering up her eye movements as she scans the screen (dark glasses are the preferred method).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes another person in the Effect or extends the duration one step.

Blast from the Past (Initiate Correspondence, Initiate Forces, Master Time; 2 XP)

Some of the most elite Virtual Adepts and the Masters among the Hollow Ones employ this straightforward and rather nasty attack.  A Forces-based energy discharge (usually fire or electricity) is sent up to 24 hours forward in time to attack the target when she's not expecting it.  The attack does one Health Level of lethal damage.  Blast from the Past is vulgar unless the caster uses a precognitive Effect to time the blast for a moment when the target will be exposed to some risk of an energy discharge (i.e. a fireball hitting just when the target gets in her car and turns the key).  The caster must have an arcane connection to the target – which is consumed in the course of casting – in order to cast this Effect.  The target can avoid damage by succeeding on a Static Physical Test.  Due to the difficulty of targeting something in the future, the caster is effectively blind while casting this Effect.  For this reason, the target's difficulty on the Static Test is equal to the caster's Mental Traits minus two.  The target may also call for a free retest instead of or in addition to using the Occult Ability.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds one Health Level of damage or sends the attack up to 12 more hours into the future.

While this rote is perfectly legal according to the capabilities of the Spheres used, it is not allowed in Camarilla sanctioned play because it does damage outside of the current scene.

Blood of Bygone Days (Initiate Entropy, Initiate Life, Adept Time; 2 XP)

                A particularly creative Hollow One created this masterpiece of delayed gratification.  The Effect is also used by the Verbena and Bata’a.  The Mage casts this rote, deals one Health Level of any type of damage to herself and then sends it into the future to whenever it will next be needed.  The caster need not know what point in time that is; Entropy guarantees that the spell goes to the right moment.  The damage doesn't have to be dealt until the rote is successfully cast, but the wound must be allowed to heal naturally; any attempt (by the caster or someone else) to heal the damage supernaturally negates the Effect.  The ST presiding over the casting must write out and sign a card for the projected Health Level.  The next time the caster takes a wound of the received type (or any lesser type), she spends the wound card to negate the damage.  This is involuntary; the Mage may not choose to save the projected wound for later.  The caster may only have one of these Effects active at any given time, and it can only reach up to one month into the future.  The wound card can't be used until the initial damage has healed.  Casting this Effect on someone else requires Disciple Life.  Grades of Success: Each Grade of Success allows the caster to inflict and project an additional Health Level.

Using Blood of Bygone Days to negate aggravated damage is always vulgar unless the damage is taken while the subject is in her Sanctum.  It is recommended that PC's not be allowed to cast this Effect during downtime.

Blue Screen of Death (Initiate or Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Matter; 1 XP)

                Virtual Adepts developed this Effect and others like it for the express purpose of online combat.  In this case the goal is to crash the other guy’s rig.  Disciple Correspondence forges a connection between the caster’s rig and the target.  Initiate Correspondence exploits an existing connection if one is available.  Once the connection is established the caster can send a command that realigns key molecules in the storage medium.  This has the effect of destroying the data stored thereon.  This is more serious than deleting a file or even formatting a drive; the data is physically removed from the medium.  The only way to reverse the effect is to reinstall the application from a backup copy or use Time magic.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success destroys one file or application (determined at random unless the caster targets something that he knows is on the system), or three Grades of Success can target the operating system.  In the modern virus-filled online environment this Effect is almost always coincidental.

Bread of Heaven (Adept Matter, Initiate Prime; 2 XP)

                The Celestial Chorus created this rote and has shared it freely with those Mages who respect their faith.  A successful Arete challenge allows the Chorister to create a small loaf of succulent, sweet-tasting bread (which they call manna) that satisfies the food and water needs of one adult for a day (two small children could be fed from one loaf).  Manna lasts for 24 hours and then rapidly decomposes.  Grades of Success: each extra Grade of Success produces an additional piece of manna or allows the manna to last for another 24 hours.  A simple container to pull the food out of can make the Effect coincidental.

                There are many variants of this rote used by other Traditions to conjure different types of food.  The Verbena have a liking for Forbidden Fruit, Dreamspeakers summon Spirit Pemmican, Hermetics prefer Food of the Gods, a Son of Ether might formulate a Protein Pill and Ecstatics enjoy a Taste of Honey.  The Virtual Adepts use Slice of Life to make the world’s most satisfying pizza – and with their mastery of Correspondence, it’s always delivered on time.

Break the Bank (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Entropy; 1 XP)

                This is a popular rote among members of the Syndicate; Enforcers use it to impoverish the Convention’s enemies while Disbursements employs it to redistribute wealth among the masses.  After a successful Arete challenge the caster causes all cash-dispensing machines (i.e. ATM’s, slot machines) within the area of effect to spit out all of the money that they contain.  The Effect has a radius of (9 + caster’s Arete) yards.  A loud comment about “computer glitches” can make the Effect coincidental.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds five paces to the area of effect.

Broadcast Power (Adept Correspondence, Disciple Prime; 2 XP)

                The Void Engineers invented this rote, but there are rumors that the Sons of Ether have acquired it.  This powerful Effect allows its user to draw power from a Node at a distance.  The caster must know the exact location of the Node or have an arcane connection to it.  Once Broadcast Power is successfully cast, the caster may draw Quintessence from the Node as if she were physically present at it (at the rate of one Trait per turn, same as for Bond of Blood).  The Effect lasts for one minute.  Grades of Success: None.  A broadcast power facility at the location of the Node (i.e. a microwave transmission tower) and a suitable receiver at the caster’s location make this Effect coincidental.

                A variant of this Effect is Transdimensional Broadcast Power.  This allows the Node to be tapped from across the Gauntlet.  This version requires the addition of Disciple level Dimensional Science.

*C*

Common Knowledge (Adept Mind, Initiate Entropy; 2 XP)

                This extremely useful rote originated with Euthanatoi who use it to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of their assignments.  It has since spread throughout the Traditions and Conventions.  Successful casting allows the Mage to reach into the Collective Unconscious and pull out one level of whatever Ability would be most useful for dealing with the problem at hand – which is not necessarily the one that the caster wants.  The Ability lasts for one scene/hour (one minute/conflict if cast on someone else) or until it is expended to gain a retest, whichever comes first.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration one step, allows the caster to grant the Ability to one additional person or grants one additional level of the Ability.  The Effect is coincidental unless cast in the presence of someone who knows that the caster lacks the skill in question.

There are several limitations to this rote.  The first is that the Effect cannot give the subject extra levels of an Ability that she already has.  The second is that a character may only be under the effects of one such rote at a time; multiple Abilities cannot be gained by means of Common Knowledge.  The third and most important limit is that Abilities which are specific to other Awakened types (i.e. Kindred Lore, Primal Urge, Kenning) cannot be gained in this manner.  Vampires and Wraiths are dead, and therefore can’t be tapped by the Collective Unconscious.  The skills of Shapeshifters and the Fae are protected by the Veil and the Mists, respectively (indeed, attempts to gain such Abilities may subject the caster to Bedlam or the Delirium…).  The very existence of Ren-hekau somehow protects lore associated with Mummies.  Even lore associated with Mages is off limits; the combined Arcane of all Mages everywhere creates a shield that the power of Common Knowledge is insufficient to penetrate.  Only those Abilities that can be learned by mundane Humans are available through this rote.

Create Fetish (Adept Spirit; 1 XP)

                This Effect enchants an object by binding a spirit into it.  The Taftani use it more often than any other Mages with the Dreamspeakers and Verbena tied for second place.  All of the Traditions know of this rote, but few of them make extensive use of it.  Sons of Ether, Virtual Adepts and technomantic Orphans can’t fit it into their Paradigms while many Akashics and Cultists (and some Dreamspeakers) consider it unethical to bind another being in this fashion.  Create Fetish is considered forbidden knowledge by Choristers of the Abrahamic faiths and by Technocrats.

                Before casting Create Fetish the Mage must first obtain or make a suitable item in which to contain the spirit.  Then she must summon or find a spirit of the type desired.  Next she must either persuade the spirit to allow itself to be bound – the preferred method of the primal Traditions – or subdue it and bind it by force – a common method among Hermetics and the only means used by Taftani.  Actually casting this Effect is the final step.  Successful casting binds the spirit into the target object, which will then be empowered for one turn.  The clock doesn’t start until the Fetish is activated; the bound spirit remains in Slumber until awakened with a Quintessence Trait.  Once its task – a single use of its Charm lasting up to one scene – is completed, the spirit either goes back to sleep or retreats into the Umbra depending on whether or not its period of binding has expired.  The exact powers of a Fetish vary with the type of spirit bound into it; the Fetish may contain any one Charm possessed by a spirit of that type (see Laws of the Wild Revised for a list of spirit Charms).  A Fetish will often have conditions applied to its use based on the bargain that the caster struck with the spirit or the minor revenge extracted by a spirit who was bound by force.  The exact nature of these conditions is at the discretion of the Storyteller who presides over the item’s creation.  The final owner of the Fetish must still pay XP for obtaining the Wonder; the cost is based on the sum of the levels of Spheres needed to produce equivalents of each of the Fetish’s effects.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration one step or allows the Fetish to contain one additional Charm.  Using a Fetish doesn’t generate Paradox – it derives its powers from spirit Charms rather than Sphere magic – but making one does unless it is done in the caster’s Sanctum or in the Umbra.

                There are two major variants of this Effect.  Each one adds the Initiate level of another Sphere and costs 2 XP.  Euthanatoi and Hollow Ones add Entropy to make “Ghost Fetishes” that call upon the Arcanoi of bound Wraiths.  Mind-empowered “Dream Fetishes” are driven by the Redes of bound Chimerae and can only be made by Dreamspeakers, Verbena and Mages with Fae blood.

Credit Check (Initiate Correspondence, Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

                This Effect originated with the Syndicate and was quickly adopted by the New World Order.  The Focus for this rote is always some form of financial record.  The caster uses this to assemble a psychological profile of the target based on her spending habits.  The subject need not be present; her credit records act as an arcane connection (only in a Technocratic Paradigm would this work).  Once the Effect is successfully cast the caster must engage the target in a Mental Challenge – the target may retest with Leadership.  If the caster wins the target must reveal either her Demeanor or one of her Social or Mental Negative Traits (the subject must reveal a different Trait after each casting of this Effect).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the caster to learn one additional Negative Trait.

                The NWO has developed three variants of this rote which use different types of records for the arcane connection but are otherwise identical to the original.  Efficiency Report uses employment history including performance reviews, Permanent Record uses the subject’s academic transcripts and Rap Sheet uses the subject’s criminal record.  Permanent Record has been shared with the Progenitors while Rap Sheet was developed independently by the Syndicate.  Efficiency Report is used by the entire Union – usually internally.

Crush the Twined Serpents (Adept Life; 1 XP)

                Named for a legend associated with the ancient Greek prophet Tiresias, this rote is a bit of poetic justice developed by the Sisters of Hippolyta and recently learned by the Verbena (rumors that the Cult of Ecstasy has developed it for recreational purposes remain unconfirmed as of this writing).  Men who habitually mistreat women have cause to fear this Effect, which reverses the victim’s gender.  The new body can have altered capabilities (up to two Strength-based Physical Traits may change to Dexterity- or Stamina-based Traits at the presiding ST’s discretion) and is functional in every way.  Hippolytans frequently cast this Effect as a ritual so that the target retains female form long enough to experience menstruation.  Militant Verbena often cast it on rapists and drop them, scantily-clad, in high-risk areas.  The subject’s mind remains unchanged except by what (s)he experiences while transformed.  Some Sisters have used this rote to disguise themselves as men in dire emergencies, but the sisterhood frowns on this mightily (the fact that most Sisters who experience this become more tolerant of men may have something to do with that…).  The physical changes are also reversed in this application; up to two Dexterity- or Stamina-based Traits may turn into Strength-based Traits.  Base duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds an additional subject or extends the duration one step.

                The Cult of Ecstasy and Dreamspeakers use a variant of this rote which changes the victim’s ethnicity instead of gender.  Black Like Me produces no Trait alterations but is otherwise identical to Crush the Twined Serpents.  Subjects who don’t learn empathy for the other race after experiencing this Effect are often pointed out to the Euthanatos or the Red Spear Society for further punishment.

*D*

Dagger of the Mind (Initiate Mind, Initiate Prime; 1 XP)

The Order of Hermes' House Janissary claims to have created this rote, but its widespread use by the Ahl-i-Batin, Dreamspeakers and Euthanatos casts doubt on this.  A Mage in astral form can cast this Effect to arm herself.  The name comes from the usual manifestation of the astral weapon (the exact form varies, but is always some type of melee weapon).  The caster gains +1 bonus Trait on astral combat Mental Challenges while using the weapon.  The drawback is that unconscious feelings about weapons and conflict distort the caster's astral body while Dagger of the Mind is in Effect; the caster gains one Violent Negative Trait for every two bonus Traits gained from the rote (round down).  The weapon remains for one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the Trait bonus by +1 to a maximum of +4.  The number of bonus Traits dictates the size of the weapon.  The Effect is usually coincidental, especially when it is cast in the Umbra.

De Profundis (Disciple Prime, Disciple Spirit; 2 XP)

The current name of this rote comes from the Order of Hermes.  The Dreamspeakers, Verbena, Taftani and Hollow Ones also know of the Effect, though all but the last frown on it.  The Ahl-i-Batin and most Choristers consider this Effect blasphemous.  De Profundis causes a spirit to manifest in the caster’s presence.  The Mage may either manifest a spirit that he perceives by means of Spirit Sight or summon a spirit to whom he has an arcane connection.  The caster’s own Quintessence powers the manifestation even if that particular spirit lacks the Materialize Charm.  Treat the manifestation as being powered by Traits of Essence equal to the amount of Quintessence invested into the rote.  The caster may use his own stored Quintessence (up to his Avatar rating) or he may use Tass for the purpose.  Infernalists and Nephandi use a variant that draws Quintessence from a sacrifice (Spirit magic combined with the Lambs to the Slaughter Effect).  De Profundis only incorporates the spirit – it does not grant the caster control.  Any Mage who casts this Effect without first casting protective wards or making prior arrangements with the spirit may be in for a nasty surprise.  Grades of Success: none.

Die Laughing (Disciple Life, Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

                This rote brings Monty Python’s famous Killing Joke to life.  Very few Tradition Mages know of it, as it originated with the Marauders.  Certain mystically inclined Orphans have developed the technique on their own.  After a successful Arete challenge, the caster engages the target in a Social challenge.  If the caster wins, the victim takes one Health Level of lethal damage as he laughs so hard that he bursts blood vessels and/or strains organs.  Telling a joke can make the Effect coincidental, but it has to be a really good joke.  Don’t let anyone off the hook by simply making tests; the player must actually tell the joke in order for the character to benefit.  If the game stops while a majority of the players and Storytellers laugh, the joke was good enough.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds another Health Level of damage.

Digitus Dei (Initiate Prime; 1 XP)

                Members of the Celestial Chorus created this Effect as a means of covert communication.  It has since been adopted by the rest of the Traditions and most of the Crafts.  Digitus Dei allows the caster to write a message using Quintessence instead of ink.  Upon successfully casting the Effect the Mage can write a message up to (caster’s Arete x Quintessence spent) words long.  The message remains in place for one scene/hour and can only be perceived by means of Watch the Weaving or similar powers.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds another (caster’s Arete) words to the length of the message or allows the message to remain for one more hour.  Digitus Dei is often coincidental because Sleepers have no way of perceiving the message, but acting on information that one has no mundane way of obtaining can make the Effect vulgar.  Traditionalists are also advised that Technocrats can see the message.  In fact, the Conventions used this Effect as the basis for their Invisible Ink technique.

                Native American Dreamspeakers use a variant of this rote that infuses Quintessence and meaning into smoke.  Because the rote employs tribe-specific codes, understanding a Smoke Signal requires knowledge of the Lore for the sender’s tribe at x 2 or better.

Drunkard’s Dance (Disciple Mind; 1 XP)

Hanuman’s Perfect Pearls (Disciple Mind, Disciple Life; 2 XP)

Monkey Rides the Tiger (Adept Mind, Disciple Life, Initiate Prime; 2 XP)

                Akashic Brothers who had an affinity for the Monkey and Drunken schools of Kung Fu created these rotes specifically for use against physically superior opponents.  Each requires that the caster caper about and engage in verbal foolishness (silly jokes, cackling laughter, apologizing for her clumsiness, etc.) and win a secondary Social Challenge in which the caster must bid an appropriate Trait (i.e. Expressive, Friendly, Genial or Witty).  All three rotes are entirely coincidental and last for one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the Effect to encompass one additional opponent.

Drunkard’s Dance creates an illusion in the mind of the victim that the caster’s movements are even more comical than they really are.  This inflicts a 1-Trait distraction penalty on the caster’s opponent.

 Hanuman’s Perfect Pearls is named in honor of the Monkey King’s smile.  Upon successfully casting this rote and winning the secondary challenge (which, for the purpose of this rote, pre-empts all attacks upon the caster), the enemy is either too amused or too annoyed to be able to land a blow.  This Effect grants the caster a free retest in any challenge in which she is attacked. 

                Monkey Rides the Tiger combines the effects of the previous two rotes.  If the caster chooses to forgo the free retest, he may negate powers that grant win-all-ties for the duration of the Effect.

*E*

Eldritch Mastery (Disciple Mind, Initiate Prime; 1 XP)

                This dangerous rote was invented by the Order of Hermes.  It is known by the other Traditions, but the Akashic Brotherhood, Cult of Ecstasy and Euthanatoi frown upon its use.  Casting this Effect grants the subject an additional level of any Ability that she already has.  The added skill stays with the subject for one minute/conflict or until expended.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or adds an additional level of Ability.  This can allow an Ability score to go as high as x7!  Eldritch Mastery may only be used to acquire active skills (i.e. Brawl, Crafts, Performance); Lores, Linguistics and other knowledge-based skills can’t be gained in this manner.

                The bad news about this tempting rote is that it is vulgar when cast in the presence of someone who knows the subject’s true level of skill or when gaining more than two levels of an Ability (suddenly going from a novice to a master of any skill strains one’s credibility with the cosmos).  The worse news only applies in the case of an Ability level greater than x5.  Because such high levels of Ability strain the mental component of the subject’s Pattern, casting this rote to gain superhuman Ability levels inflicts one Health Level of bashing damage on the subject per hour or fraction thereof that the enhanced Ability is retained.  Casting the Effect for Ability levels greater than x5 is always vulgar.

Expertise (Disciple Mind; 1 XP)

                This Effect was created by the Akashic Brotherhood (among whom it is called Kung Fu), but the Virtual Adepts and Sons of Ether have developed it independently.  Casting this rote refreshes one level of an expended Ability.  Expertise cannot grant the subject Abilities that she doesn’t already have; it only renews existing skills.  Casting this rote on someone else requires Adept Mind.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success refreshes an additional level of Ability up to what the subject has naturally.  This rote is usually coincidental, but repeatedly refreshing a skill invites the Domino Effect.

Eye for an Eye (Disciple Correspondence, Disciple Life; 2 XP)

                The Taftani invented this rote in accordance with the dictates of ancient Semitic culture, but it has been independently discovered by the Ahl-i-Batin, Celestial Chorus and Verbena.  The effect links the life forces of the caster and his target so that any damage that either inflicts on the other is suffered by both.  A side effect is that, if either party heals himself, his opponent is also healed.  The caster must have contact with the target through touch, line of sight or an arcane connection.  After a successful Arete Challenge, the caster must win a Mental versus Physical Challenge with the caster bidding a Mental Trait.  The Effect lasts for one minute/conflict.  Eye for an Eye is usually quite vulgar, but the ability to discourage an enemy from attacking is often worth it.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or allows the Effect to encompass one additional subject (either additional opponents or the caster’s allies).  In the case of multiple subjects, healing applied to any one party effects only that person and the last opponent who attacked her (for Mob Challenges, this means the party whose victory condition was used).

                There are variants of this rote which are designed to work on Awakened targets.  All variants are rare; they are known only to Mages who possess the appropriate Lores.  The version that effects vampires requires the addition of Initiate Matter while the variants that effect Shapeshifters and Wraiths (including Risen) each add Initiate Spirit.  Changelings can be effected by the standard version.  There is no known variant that works on Mummies.

*F*

Farce Field (Initiate Correspondence, Adept Entropy, Apprentice Mind; 2 XP)

                An Orphan with a really bad sense of humor created this rote.  Members of the Cult of Ecstasy have also been seen using it from time to time.  The Effect creates random misfortunes such as people tripping, guns jamming and cars refusing to start.  The catch is that no real harm is done to anyone within the Farce Field; the effects are always funny in a Keystone Kops sort of way.  A Farce Field has a radius of (5 + caster’s Arete) paces and remains in effect for one minute/conflict.  Anyone within the area of effect – including the caster – is forced to make a retest on any successful challenge.  Those who fail the forced retest do something comedic instead of producing the intended results.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the radius by three paces.

Filet of Soul (Initiate or Disciple Prime, Initiate Entropy and Spirit; 2 XP)

                Infernalists and Nephandi make extensive use of this Effect, which is why Euthanatoi tend to regard anyone caught using it as a candidate for the Good Death.  Choristers, Ecstatics and Dreamspeakers also frown on this rote.  The name originated with a Nephandus who had a sick sense of humor.  Filet of Soul is similar to Lambs to the Slaughter except that the former Effect renders the vital energies of Wraiths.  Filet of Soul remains in effect for one minute/conflict.  During that time the caster is able to attack Wraiths in melee and receives one Trait of Quintessence for every two levels of Corpus damage inflicted.  The attack requires Disciple Prime for unarmed attacks or Initiate Prime if the caster uses a weapon.  The Effect is usually vulgar unless used in the caster’s Sanctum or in the Low Umbra.  Grades of Success: none.

Fist of the Devas (Initiate Correspondence, Initiate Prime; 1 XP)

                This enhanced version of Holy Stroke only works if you have an arcane connection to the target.  If you do, you can send a bolt of Prime energy along that connection for greater accuracy.  You may claim a 2-Trait bonus in the ranged combat challenge to hit the target after a successful Arete challenge.  A successful attack does one Health Level of aggravated damage.  The downside is that Fist of the Devas costs one Quintessence Trait to use and is almost always vulgar.  Grades of Success: each extra Grade of Success inflicts one more Health Level of damage or increases the to-hit bonus by +1 (up to +6 Traits).

                A 2 XP variant of this Effect adds Initiate Entropy to give you a free retest on the ranged combat challenge.  Another 2 XP variant adds Initiate Spirit to allow use of the Effect against spirits or Wraiths.  The version that uses all four Spheres is the rarest of all.  You may also use Disciple Correspondence to forge a temporary arcane connection.

Focused Correspondence (Apprentice Correspondence + Apprentice level of 1-2 other Spheres; 1 XP)

                The main drawback of using Correspondence Sensing to detect arcane connections is that the caster gets every arcane connection that leads to or from the subject – most people accumulate several such connections throughout their lives.  Focused Correspondence gets around this by using another Sphere to fine tune the Effect.  The caster will only perceive connections of a type determined by the second Sphere.  This sense remains in effect for one minute/conflict if used on oneself or one turn if cast on someone else.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.

                Each variant of this Effect is considered a separate rote.  The common variants are listed below.  All variants are reversible – it is equally possible to find the targets listed when starting from the subject as it is to find the subject when starting from one of the listed targets.

·      Bloodline (Life): this version detects the subject’s arcane connections to parents, children and siblings;

·      Corpus Delicti (Entropy): an Orphan detective created this variant.  It is used to find the remains of something that the subject has destroyed or an entity that she has killed.  Adding Matter attunes the Effect to a murder weapon or other implement of destruction wielded by the subject;

·      Kindred Souls (Mind): finding the subject’s friends requires this variant.  This only works for really close relationships like best friends or childhood companions who have stayed in touch;

·      Maker’s Mark (Matter): with this version the caster can find a person by using something that the subject has made with her own hands as an arcane connection.  Substituting Prime for Matter attunes the Effect to Wonders rather than mundane objects while adding Mind keys the Effect to the subject’s intellectual property or artwork.  This Effect only works if the subject has really invested herself in the work (often by expending one or more levels of Expression into it);

·      Ties That Bind (Spirit): only those connections that touch the deepest part of the subject’s soul register on this mystic sense.  This variant will find the subject’s true love (if she has one) or the place that she truly considers home (which may not be her current residence).  Adding Matter retunes the Effect to key on the subject’s most prized possession while adding Entropy focuses on the subject’s worst enemy.

Footprints of the Dead (Apprentice Entropy, Apprentice Spirit, Initiate Time; 1 XP)

                The Dreamspeakers and Bata’a have been using this rote to identify the work of malicious Wraiths for centuries.  The Euthanatoi and Hollow Ones have independently discovered the Effect in recent times.  Footprints of the Dead allows the caster to look backward in time and see into the Shadowlands.  This shows her if any Wraiths were in the area at that time and allows the player to ask one yes-or-no question about what those Wraiths were doing.  The caster may see up to one day into the past.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success allows the player to ask one more question or increases the distance the character can see into the past by one duration step.

*G*

Grip of Ice (Adept Forces, Initiate Mind; 2 XP)

                The Order of Hermes created this deceptively subtle rote.  Mind instills a feeling of fear into the target while Forces converts a portion of the ambient heat into gravity, thus producing a tangible chill and locking the target in place.  To all observers (including the victim), the target of this Effect appears to be paralyzed with fright.  This is naturally coincidental if anything has recently happened that might inspire such fear.  Grip of Ice prevents the target from moving from her current location and imposes a 2-Trait penalty on all tests (due to distraction from fear and cold) for the duration of the Effect. The Trait modifier does not apply to Arete challenges, but a Mage targeted by this Effect suffers the standard 1-Trait penalty for casting while distracted.  Base duration is one turn.  Grades of Success: each extra Grade of Success allows Grip of Ice to ensnare one additional target or last for one more turn.

Ground Rules (Master Entropy, Master Prime; 2 XP)

                As of this writing this Effect has only been used by Orphans and Hollow Ones.  The rote covers an area up to 15 + (caster’s Arete x 3) yards in radius for one minute/conflict.  After successfully casting the rote the caster may designate any one Sphere.  For as long as the Ground Rules remain in effect the caster’s Paradigm insinuates itself into the local Consensus.  Mages other than the caster who use magic within the effected area determine whether or not their Effects are coincidental based on the caster’s Paradigm.  This does not make Effects that would be vulgar under the normal Consensus coincidental.  If an Effect would be coincidental under the normal Consensus this Effect makes it vulgar unless the coincidence used is consistent with the caster’s Paradigm.  Ground Rules does not make the caster’s magic coincidental – this rote is a curse cast on others rather than a boon to oneself.  Multiple instances of this Effect may not cover the same area; any subsequent casting invalidates the current set of Ground Rules (which is probably why Hollowers have given up using this rote against each other).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.  The area of effect normally cannot move once the Effect is cast, but one additional Grade of Success centers the effected area on the caster and lets it move with her.  This rote bends reality enough that is usually vulgar when cast on Earth.  When used in the Umbra this Effect is only vulgar if the caster’s Paradigm differs too much from the physical laws of the current reality (i.e. a primal Orphan casting it in the Digital Web).

                A major downside of this rote is that the area effected – determined by where the caster is standing when the rote takes effect in the case of a moving radius – becomes imprinted with the caster’s Resonance and can be used as an arcane connection to her.  The imprint remains for one duration step longer than the duration of the Ground Rules.

*H*

Horribile Dictu (Master Entropy or Adept Mind; 1 XP)

                The Order of Hermes developed this rote as a security measure.  The Effect is also known to the Ahl-i-Batin and Taftani.  Horribile Dictu keys on a specific piece of information (usually a secret that the subject is forbidden to reveal).  After a successful Arete test the caster must defeat the subject in a Social Challenge.  If successful, a feedback loop is set up in the subject’s mind.  If the subject tries to relate the secret in any way – via speech, writing, telepathy, etc. – while the Effect is still active he is overcome by intense fear and cannot go on.  The base duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or effects one additional target (the caster must bid a separate Social Trait for each target).  Horribile Dictu only prevents the subject from consciously relating the information or even from indicating that he has a secret to tell.  The Effect doesn’t activate if the information is extracted from his mind without his knowledge or consent.  This rote is coincidental if some form of conditioning (i.e. drugs, hypnosis or simple threats) is applied to the target.

                The Celestial Chorus employs a reverse variant of the Mind version of this rote.  Mirabile Dictu gives the target a sense of well-being that increases as he shares more information with the questioner.  Complete disclosure produces a state of near-orgasmic rapture.  Under this Effect confession is truly good for the soul.

Hypoxia (Disciple Matter; 1 XP)

The Sons of Ether learned this one from the Void Engineers.  By exploiting the paramagnetic properties of air an enlightened scientist can reconfigure air molecules so as to form a low-grade vacuum around the target.  The target then suffers the normal effects of suffocation for the duration of the Effect (which is a good way to identify beings who don’t need to breathe).  This rote requires line of sight and is usually vulgar.  The base duration equals (caster’s Arete) turns with an area of effect of two yards.  Grades of Success: if the caster so desires, one extra Grade of Success can upgrade the Effect to a high-grade vacuum.  In addition to suffocation the target will suffer the effects of explosive decompression (must win a Static Physical Test versus 15 Traits to avoid one Health Level of lethal damage per turn; targets who don’t breathe can be damaged by this).  Otherwise, each Grade of Success extends the duration one turn or increases the area of effect by one yard.  Armor offers no protection from Hypoxia unless it is airtight and has a self-contained air supply.

A side effect of Hypoxia is that there isn’t enough oxygen in the effected area to support combustion; fires will not burn there.  A high-grade vacuum also inhibits the detonation of compounds that do not include an oxidizing agent (including gunpowder).  All such explosives have their damage reduced by two Health Levels in a high-grade vacuum, and firearms will not fire at all.

*I*

Immunity (Initiate Life or Matter; 1 XP)

This Effect has become widespread among the Traditions despite the fact that the Technocracy invented it.  There are two variants, each of which has a base duration of one minute/conflict and is considered a separate rote.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one more subject in the Effect or extends the duration one step.  Casting either version on someone else requires the Disciple level of the appropriate Sphere.

·         Disease Immunity: this version uses Life to kill pathogens and parasites in the subject’s system.  The subject is totally immune to viral, bacterial or fungal diseases and parasitic infestations (i.e. malaria or schistosomiasis) for the duration of the Effect.  This rote also relieves allergies to animal or plant products while the immunity lasts.

·         Poison Immunity: Matter breaks down any toxin in the subject’s body to render it harmless.  No poison can harm the subject while the immunity remains in effect.  A side effect of this rote renders the subject immune to chemical intoxicants (including the pleasurable aspects thereof).

Incandescant (Disciple Forces; 1 XP)

                This is one of the few openly combative rotes created by the Cult of Ecstasy.  The Celestial Chorus, Euthanatos, Order of Hermes and Hollow Ones have added it to their arsenals as well. The Effect converts sound impinging on the target into heat.  After a successful Arete Challenge the caster must defeat the target in a ranged combat challenge.  If the caster wins the target takes one Health Level of lethal damage.  An added bonus is that the caster may retest the ranged combat challenge using an appropriate Ability if she uses that skill to direct sound at the target (Expression for oration, music-related Performance, etc.).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success inflicts one additional level of damage.

Iron Fist (Initiate Forces, Initiate Life, Disciple Prime; 2 XP)

                The only Mages to use this Effect are members of the Akashic Brotherhood, and not many of them.  A PC must have a rating of 4+ in Akashic Lore to know of this rote and must always use Do as the Focus.  An Akashic who is blessed with the power of the Iron Fist can summon his chi into one of his fists (thereby expending a number of Physical Traits) so that it becomes like unto a thing of iron.  When striking with that hand the caster does additional damage equal to one Health Level per three Physical Traits expended and all of the damage is aggravated.  These bonuses remain in effect for only one challenge.  Iron Fist is vulgar when used in areas controlled by the Consensus but is coincidental in places that are friendly to the Akashic Paradigm.  Grades of Success: none.

Itch (Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

                This simple rote is well-known among all of the Traditions.  Its most famous use occurred when a Hermetic used it to defeat a dragon.  The Effect projects an itching sensation – not a real itch, just the feeling of one – that moves whenever the victim tries to scratch it.  This creates a 2-Trait distraction penalty on all challenges except Arete tests.  The penalty doesn’t jump to its maximum level right away; it starts as a 1-Trait penalty and increases by one Trait each turn until it reaches its maximum value.  The Itch then plagues the target for a maximum number of additional turns equal to the caster’s Arete (if Itch is cast by a ritual team use the Arete of the ritual leader).  The target may spend a Willpower Trait to ignore the penalty for one turn.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the maximum Trait penalty by +1 (up to 6 Traits).  Itch is usually vulgar, but applying a mild skin irritant like itching powder or poison ivy makes it coincidental.

                The Hermetic Master Prospero, before his retirement, is known to have used a variant of this Effect that caused painful Cramps.  This version is otherwise identical to Itch.

*J*

Jawbone of an Ass (Disciple Matter; 1 XP)

                This Effect turns an otherwise harmless object into a deadly weapon.  The Euthanatos were the first Mages to use it but the current name comes from the Celestial Chorus.  The Akashic Brotherhood also makes use of this Effect.  Each Grade of Success adds +1 to the object’s bonus Traits as a weapon.  Two separate Grades of Success may upgrade the damage from bashing to lethal.  Jawbone of an Ass lasts for one minute/conflict and only works on objects that are not specifically designed to be used as weapons (bonus Traits of +2 or less, Negative Trait = Clumsy, damage = one bashing Health Level).  The Effect tends to be vulgar.

Jezebel’s Kiss (Disciple Life, Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

Most Mages attribute this rote to the Cult of Ecstasy upon hearing the name, but they’re wrong.  The Effect was created by the Euthanatos and has since become a favorite of Akashic geisha assassins.  The Cult of Ecstasy’s K’an Lu know of it as well.  While the name specifies the traditional method of delivery, any physical contact will suffice (but it takes more than kissing or caressing to make the Effect coincidental…).  Mind magic bombards the target with waves of almost unbearable pleasure while Life simultaneously disrupts his bodily functions.  Jezebel’s Kiss inflicts one Health Level of lethal damage per Grade of Success after a successful Mental versus Physical Challenge (the caster bids a Mental Trait).  Normal wound penalties still apply, but they stem from pleasure instead of pain – which means that powers that resist pain don’t negate the penalties from wounds inflicted by this rote.

Jiggle the Handle (Disciple Entropy; 1 XP)

                An irreverent technomantic Orphan coined the current name of this Effect (supposedly in honor of the first item that he used it on) but it is also known among Virtual Adepts, Sons of Ether, Technocrats and the Ghost Wheel Society.  The caster restores a malfunctioning machine to working order by making a minor adjustment.  This is coincidental as long as it isn’t apparent that the device needs more serious repairs.  This Effect won’t repair damage that is measured in Health Levels but it will correct less obvious problems (i.e. low oil or normal wear-and-tear).  The repair lasts indefinitely.  Grades of Success: none.

*K*

Karmic Lash (Adept Forces, Disciple Mind; 2 XP)

                The Akashic Brotherhood, Cult of Ecstasy and Euthanatos all use this Effect to punish or restrain aggressors.  Use of the Mind Sphere detects violent thoughts and concentrates the psychic energy while Forces transforms that energy into physical force.  The caster must defeat the target in a Mental Challenge.  If successful, the target will take one Health Level of bashing damage each time that he makes the decision to attack someone.  He can avoid this damage by succeeding on a Static Physical Test versus the caster’s Mental Traits, but he must test every time that Karmic Lash is triggered (no more than once per turn).  Using violence to defend oneself does not trigger this Effect unless the subject uses greater force than is used against him.  Base duration is one turn.  Karmic Lash is usually vulgar but the lesson taught is often worth it.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.

Kwannon's Gift (Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

While the Akashic Brothers are renowned for their martial arts skills, their ability at healing is often overlooked.  The Akashics have shared this rote freely with other Tradition Mages, but the Kopa Loei and Sisters of Hippolyta discovered it on their own.  This Effect completely blocks out the subject's perception of pain (up to but not including the Incapacitated wound level) and allows a healer to work on a patient without causing further distress.  If the subject cannot be saved, Kwannon's Gift allows her to die without undue suffering.  The Effect lasts for one turn and can be made coincidental with the application of simple herbal remedies.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration by one step or effects one additional subject.

A variation of this rote allows the subject to fight on without hindrance from the pain of his injuries.  The Akashics consider this version risky, as pain tells a warrior how serious his wounds are and is often the best indicator of when to withdraw from the fight (Storyteller note: a player whose PC is under this Effect should not be told how many Health Levels of damage the character has taken until the PC is Incapacitated).  They have not shared this version but the Euthanatos, Verbena, Virtual Adepts, Red Spear Society and Iteration X have found out about it anyway.

*L*

Lingering Embrace (Adept Time, Disciple Life; 2 XP)

                This rote originated with the Cult of Ecstasy but the Euthanatos and Bata’a know of it as well.  Lingering Embrace slows down the caster’s biological clock so as to obviate the need for food, water and sleep.  Engaging in an activity that requires physical discipline and focused attention can make the Effect coincidental; it was originally used during Tantric sex but is quite useful for other forms of extended ritual.  Base duration is one scene/hour.  Whatever the final duration is, the caster’s body perceives that time as the next lowest duration step (for example, the caster could exert herself for one hour at the base duration and only be as tired as if she had been working out for one minute).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration one step or includes one additional person.  Casting this Effect on another person requires physical contact.

                Because of this rote’s ability to facilitate superhuman rituals, High Notification is recommended whenever a PC learns it.

Long Sleep (Disciple Life, Adept Time; 2 XP)

                This rote places the subject into a state of hibernation.  A hibernating subject need not eat, drink or excrete and her need for oxygen is greatly reduced (for example, the amount of air in a coffin will last for the duration of the Effect).  The caster must decide whether the subject wakes up when some preprogrammed event occurs or after the passage of a set amount of time.  The Effect is almost always vulgar.  Base duration is one scene/hour.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration one step or allows the Effect to encompass one additional person.

                The name given for this rote comes from the Order of Hermes, who claim to have used it first.  Their claim is disputed by the Verbena (who have been using Winter’s Rest for centuries) and the Dreamspeakers (who have been using Kiangizi Kulala Usingizi for at least as long).  The Akashic Brotherhood doesn’t discuss their Onemure technique with outsiders any more than the Euthanatos talk about the Little Death, and the Hollow Ones hope that nobody else knows that they can Play Dead.  The Sons of Ether and the Technocracy admit that they developed Suspended Animation only recently.

*M*

Mama Masinde’s Little Helper (Initiate Mind, Master Spirit; 2 XP)

                Summoning spirit allies is all well and good, but having to negotiate for their services is a hassle.  That’s why a powerful Dreamspeaker developed this rote.  The caster creates a spirit suitable for her needs and uses Mind to instill a deep sense of loyalty.  The resulting spirit will then imprint on a willing person of the caster’s choosing.  Once imprinted the spirit will follow any command from its master that does not put the life of the spirit or the master at unnecessary risk (based on the spirit’s understanding).  The created spirit has Essence equal to the caster’s Arete and can distribute that many points among its Gnosis, Rage and Willpower.  It also has the Charms Airt Sense, Materialize and Reform.  This effect is only permanent if the player of the spirit’s master spend the necessary XP – and obtains the necessary approvals – to gain a Spirit Ally.  Otherwise the spirit lasts for only one session.  A spirit created by means of this rote is an NPC under the control of the Spirit Keeper (if the chronicle has one), the venue’s lead Storyteller or the designated agent thereof.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success gives the spirit +1 Essence.  Two extra Grades of Success give it an additional Charm of the caster’s choosing.

Memento Mori (Initiate Correspondence, Apprentice Entropy, Apprentice Spirit; 1 XP)

                All of the Crafts and Traditions except for the technomancers use this rote, but only Mages with knowledge of the Restless Dead (Wraith Lore at x 2 or better) actually learn it.  The Effect detects connections between Wraiths and objects in the material world.  With a successful casting the Mage knows whether or not the target object is a Wraith’s Fetter.  A secondary Static Mental Challenge (difficulty = the Wraith’s Mental Traits) allows the caster to follow the link back to the Wraith.  This can also work in reverse; a Mage with a Wraith in line-of-sight can cast Memento Mori and follow the link to the Wraith’s Fetter.  This mystic sight lasts for one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one additional person in the Effect (but the duration drops to one turn if cast on someone else) or extends the duration one step.  Whether or not Memento Mori is coincidental depends largely on the Focus used to cast it; obviously mystical rituals tend to make it vulgar.

                The most common use of this Effect is to gain leverage.  A Mage who has a Wraith’s Fetter under her control receives a bonus on castings against that Wraith as if she were casting against a Mage while holding one of that person’s Unique Foci.

Mountain to Mohammed (Initiate Correspondence, Adept Mind; 2 XP)

                The name of this rote comes from the rumors that it was first used by the Ahl-i-Batin, but no one in the Traditions has been able to confirm this.  This siren summons brings the target into the caster’s presence by establishing a mystic pathway with Correspondence and using Mind magic to instill a subliminal urge to travel along that path.  The inconvenience of needing an arcane connection (traditionally through one of the subject’s prized possessions) is a small price to pay for not having to track someone down.  The Effect lasts until the subject presents herself to the caster or at the end of one day, whichever comes first.  The caster must defeat the target in a Social challenge for the summons to work, and the subject gets an Awareness test to notice that something was done to her.  The target of Mountain to Mohammed doesn’t know where she’s going or why, but she won’t stop until she gets there or unless she is restrained.  Neither will she be in a suspicious hurry to get there; the subject uses the surest mode of travel available rather than the fastest.  Grades of Success: None.

My Bad (Disciple Correspondence, Adept Prime; 2 XP)

                The current name of this Effect was coined by Orphans, but the Celestial Chorus originally knew it as Penance for the Siccari.  The entire Chorus – with the possible exceptions of one or two isolated Factions – has since lost knowledge of this magic.  The rote owes it effectiveness to one simple fact about Paradox; when someone trespasses the boundaries of reality, the universe doesn’t care who pays the fine as long as it gets paid.  My Bad can draw one Trait of accumulated Paradox from the target’s Pattern into the caster’s.  The caster must then test for Paradox backlash as if she had acquired Paradox normally.  The caster must have line of sight or an arcane connection to the subject in order to use this rote.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success moves one more Paradox Trait.  Casting My Bad for the benefit of another Mage is considered a generous boon by all of the Traditions (the size of the favor varies with the amount of Paradox involved).  Failure to pay back this boon appropriately can do serious harm to a Mage’s reputation.

                An alternate use of this Effect requires precise timing and carries considerable risk.  If a Mage casts My Bad at the same time that the subject gains Paradox she can take all of the Paradox from the target’s casting upon herself (Paradox accumulated earlier remains where it is).  This application “jostles” the Paradox in the caster’s Pattern so that the caster’s entire load of accumulated Paradox immediately backlashes.  Few Mages will do something this dangerous unless the subject is a friend or the stakes are very high.  Grades of Success cannot be applied to this alternate usage.

*N*

Ndoto Mkuki (Initiate Mind, Initiate Prime; 1 XP)

                Dreamspeakers created this rote and rarely share it with other Mages.  Some Akashics, Euthanatoi and Taftani have developed the technique independently.  The “Dream Spear” attacks the target’s Pattern by traumatizing the mind.  The Effect does one Health Level of damage if the caster uses Initiate Mind, two at Disciple Mind or three Health Levels at Master Mind.  Damage from this Effect is aggravated and can only be healed by time or the use of the Mind Sphere (Initiate to heal oneself, Adept to heal someone else).  The rote requires a successful secondary Mental Challenge against the target in order to inflict damage.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the caster to attack one additional target as long as she bids a separate Trait for each.  The caster must also spend one Trait of Quintessence per target.

                Ndoto Mkuki is almost always vulgar except when used in the caster’s Sanctum or in the Umbra – even in Paradigms that require no visible manifestation, people with no discernable wounds or symptoms don’t usually keel over as if struck.  The only reliable way to make this Effect coincidental is to make it look as if something else is doing the damage.  Akashics and Euthanatoi often use Ndoto Mkuki in conjunction with melee attacks.

Needs Salt (Initiate Life; 1 XP)

                Verbena and Dreamspeakers have been using this Effect for centuries to protect themselves from animal attack.  Euthanatoi have adopted it for hunting vampires.  Sons of Ether find it equally useful in the Hollow Earth (and their quirky sense of humor is the source of the current name).  The rote rearranges proteins in the subject’s system so as to make all of her body tissues taste horrendously bad.  Anyone who successfully bites the subject must win a Static Physical Test versus the caster’s Social Traits or be nauseated for a number of turns equal to the caster’s Arete.  Nauseous victims are 2 Traits down on all challenges due to distraction and cannot initiate attacks.  Spending a Willpower Trait negates the nausea for one turn.  Needs Salt lasts for one minute/conflict.  The Effect is coincidental if the caster applies a taste irritant during the casting.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or adds one additional subject, but casting this rote on others requires Disciple Life.

No Time for Jones (Disciple Life, Adept Time; 2 XP)

Members of the Cult of Ecstasy smile when someone mentions this rote; they thought of it, and no one else needs it as much as they do.  The Effect is cast as the subject takes a recreational drug of some kind.  It then purges the subject’s system of intoxicants, but not until the good part has worn off.  This allows the subject to get roaring drunk or blissfully high without suffering a hangover or withdrawal.  No Time for Jones renders even the most habit forming drugs no more physically addictive than sugar cookies (which are still psychologically addictive…).  There is no duration for this Effect; it simply negates the next withdrawal that the subject would experience.  This rote is no defense against a bad trip, nor does it negate the penalties for being under the influence of a drug.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one additional person.  The Effect is coincidental if the subject ingests some sort of “hangover remedy” at the proper time.

*O*

Om Mani Pentium (Apprentice Entropy, Initiate Time; 1 XP)

The Virtual Adepts created this Effect to aid the installation of “plug and pray” components.  With a bit of luck and some near-prescient intuition the Adept can figure out how to construct a functional computer out of borderline-incompatible pieces of hardware or how to install software on a machine that doesn’t quite meet the system requirements.  Assembling the hardware (retest Technology) or tweaking the program (retest Computers) is itself the Focus for this coincidental Effect – which means that it usually can’t be cast in a single turn.  Successful casting of this Effect takes the place of the normal Ability test for performing such a feat.  How long the jury-rigged arrangement lasts depends entirely on the quality of the materials used.  Grades of Success: none.

Some Virtual Adepts chant the name of the rote while they are casting just to annoy Euthanatos.  None of them have been given the Good Death for it… yet.

One if by LAN, Two if by C: (Apprentice Entropy, Apprentice Forces, Initiate Time; 1 XP)

                A Virtual Adept created this coincidental rote to detect the approach of destructive signals before they attacked her system.  Forces scans for the signals, Entropy keys the Effect to only pick up those that are dangerous and Time extends the caster’s senses a few seconds into the future.  This gives just enough advance warning for the caster to shore up her defenses.  The Adept may claim a free retest against any attack on her computer during the one minute/conflict that this enhanced sense remains in effect (but only one such retest per challenge).  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the caster to extend this sense to one additional operator.

One Yoke (Disciple Correspondence, Disciple Life; 2 XP)

The Akashic Brotherhood, Celestial Chorus and Cult of Ecstasy have all used this Effect to teach their more fractious members to get along.  An arcane connection is forged between the life forces of two parties such that they suffer harm from getting too far from each other.  This threshold can be set at any distance in yards between five and (5 + caster's Arete).  Whenever the yoked parties are further than the threshold distance from each other, they each take one Health Level of bashing damage per turn until they get back within the envelope.  Prolonged separation can kill them both.  The link lasts for one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or includes one more person in the yoke.

There are two important variants of One Yoke.  The oldest is the one used by the Order of Hermes and Taftani, which adds Initiate Matter to bind a single subject's life force to an object instead of another person.  The second is a reverse application which prevents the subjects from getting too close to one another; this version is called Restraining Order and is used mainly by the Hollow Ones and Virtual Adepts (whose use of spiked and electroshock collars, respectively, mark the only known instances of this Effect being coincidental).  Infernalists have been observed to use all three versions; they are fond of restraining their prisoners so that they can just barely get close enough to or far enough from the people or objects to which the victims are linked.  Placing food and water outside the safe zone adds to the irony.

*P*

Persistence of Vision (Initiate Forces, Initiate Time; 1 XP)

                Sons of Ether, Virtual Adepts and Technocrats of the New World Order’s Watcher Methodology are the only Mages to make extensive use of this rote.  The Effect uses Time to scan for some past event and Forces to capture the image for storage in a recording device.  A camera or audio recorder acts as the Focus; despite the name, the rote can be used to record sound instead of sight.  Persistence of Vision captures two still images or two turns of real-time video or audio per Arete Trait that the caster possesses.  The Effect is vulgar unless the recording device is set up at the location scanned while the recorded events are occurring, but recorded events can be played back as if they had been recorded by mundane means.  Grades of Success: one additional Grade of Success allows the Effect to record both sight and sound if the caster so desires.  Each additional Grade of Success increases the number of images or turns of real-time data recorded by one.

Phase Change (Adept Matter; 1 XP or Initiate Forces, Adept Matter; 2 XP)

The Sons of Ether created this rote while they were still the Electrodyne Engineers (which means that there are Technocrats who know it, too).  The caster is able to change the state of matter without changing its composition.  For example, a liquid could be turned into a gas or a solid.  Shifting a substance by more than one energy state (i.e. sublimating a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid state) adds +1 to the Difficulty.  Phase-shifted matter remains in the new state for as long as the environment allows (snow could be turned into water, but would probably freeze again fairly quickly; liquefied air would return to a gaseous state almost immediately).  Phase Change is usually quite vulgar.  The Effect generally converts one pound of matter times the caster’s Arete Traits.  Grades of Success: Each additional Grade of success converts another pound of matter.

Adding Forces to this Effect allows the phase-shifted matter to do heat- or cold-based damage (one Health Level per phase shift); the caster must defeat the target in a Mental versus Physical challenge with the caster bidding a Mental Trait.  Temperature damage is bashing except in the case of contact with plasma or cryonic fluids; that damage is always aggravated.

Pipeline (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Forces, Initiate Matter; 2 XP)

                A rather creative Orphan created this rote, but some Tradition Mages have since learned it.  The Effect creates a physical/spatial connection between two locations so that inanimate matter can pass freely between them.  Forces creates the pumping action.  The Effect moves fluid from one end of the pipe to the other; it has been used to pump fresh air into a sealed room and to extinguish fires by opening a channel between the bottom of a lake and the air above the flames.  It could also be used to deliver fuel to a fire or pump air out of a sealed room.  The caster must have line of sight or an arcane connection to each end of the pipe.  The fluid to be pumped must be exposed to open air or the Effect fails (no pumping water out of a sealed container, for example).  The Pipeline remains open for one turn and can move (caster’s Arete) cubic feet of fluid per turn.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one turn.

Planescaping (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Life or Prime, Master Spirit; 3 XP)

                This awesome yet commonly known Effect creates an Umbral Realm.  The appearance and physical laws of the Realm conform to the caster’s specifications; the caster can use magic here as if in her Sanctum.  The Realm is a sphere with a radius of (caster’s Arete x Quintessence spent) yards or has volume equal to that of a sphere that size.  A ritual team combines their Arete and spent Quintessence when determining the Realm’s size but must all have compatible Paradigms.  The Realm has its own Pericarp but will not have Umbral Paths leading to it – it is effectively a Zone and will move freely through the Umbra unless anchored somehow.  A Realm created by this Effect must be bound to something in order to remain stable.  The Prime variant binds the Realm to a Node (this is the usual method of creating Horizon Realms).  The Life version binds the Realm to the caster’s life force; it lasts for as long as the caster remains alive.  A Realm that loses its connection to whatever it’s bound to will unravel at a speed inversely proportional to its size; a large Realm might linger for weeks while a small one could disappear within minutes.  Planescaping does not create animals or sapient beings of any kind within the Realm but can create simple plants out of spirit matter.  The rote also creates terrain features as the caster desires.  Grades of Success determine how detailed the Realm is; with one Grade the Realm is as simple as a flat plain or a bare room while seven or more Grades can create a fully furnished mansion or an island with complex topology.  Subsequent castings can add additional complexity.  Paradigm is a factor here; technomancers generally don’t believe in conjuring buildings out of nothing while primals don’t go in for bare white walls.

                In spite of being an artificial creation a Realm created by Planescaping is still in the Umbra.  One must pass through the Gauntlet – and thus the Avatar Storm – to get there unless the Realm is anchored to a Shallowing.  A Realm built on a Shallowing has no Pericarp, so anything approaching from the Umbra can get in at any time.  Otherwise entering or leaving the Realm requires the Stepping Sideways Effect.

Psionic Shield (Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                This commonly known Effect gives the caster a +1 Trait bonus in mental combat.  This includes but is not limited to defending against Mind magic (i.e. Psychic Attack) or mind control powers like Dominate.  The bonus lasts for one minute/conflict and can only be applied to defense.  The Effect is almost always coincidental.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success extends the duration one step or increases the bonus by +1 (up to +6).  Casting this rote on someone else requires Disciple Mind.

Psychic Healing (Initiate or Adept Mind; 1 XP)

                Soon after the development of the Psychic Attack rote Mages came up with ways to repair the damage.  This Effect heals damage that is dealt using Mind – conjunctional Effects using Mind plus some other Sphere count.  Each Grade of Success heals one Health Level of damage.  If the damage is aggravated the caster must also spend one Trait of Quintessence per Health Level healed.  Healing oneself only requires Initiate Mind, but it takes Adept Mind to heal someone else.  Psychic Healing tends to be vulgar on Earth except in the caster’s Sanctum but is usually coincidental in the Umbra.

Purifying Touch (Initiate Entropy, Initiate Spirit; 1 XP)

This Effect is widely known, but the Celestial Chorus makes more use of it than any other Tradition.  It comes as no surprise that Infernalists, Nephandi and Technocrats never use it – but Marauders sometimes do.

Purifying Touch cleanses spiritual corruption from a person, object or place (maximum diameter equals caster's Arete in yards) with a successful casting.  Particularly severe taint may require several castings, and some forms of really deep corruption (i.e. Nephandic conversion, walking the Black Spiral or infernal pacts) can't be removed in this manner.  The technique works best against things like the spiritual effects of radiation and toxic waste.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds one additional subject or increases the diameter of the affected area by +2 yards.

A variant that includes Initiate Prime also removes Resonance associated with spiritual corruption that was gained no more than (caster's Arete) hours before the casting.  This version, which only works on objects or places, removes one Resonance Trait per Grade of Success and costs 2 XP.  Infernalists and Nephandi are rumored to use a reverse application of this Effect called Corrupting Touch, but those reports are currently unconfirmed.

*Q*

Quarantine (Disciple Correspondence, Apprentice Life; 1 XP)

                All Progenitors are familiar with this Effect; some of their projects would kill them in short order without it.  Life scientists among the Sons of Ether also use it.  Life magic scans for dangerous microbes and parasites within a protected area set up by Correspondence.  No pathogen or parasite can enter the quarantined area unopposed.  If a person carrying such a threat enters the area, she must make a Static Physical Test at a Trait difficulty of 20 – (caster’s Mental Traits).  Success expels all disease organisms from her system – often by some unpleasant means such as violent coughing, projectile vomiting or diarrhea.  The maximum protected area is 15 + (caster’s Arete x 3) yards in radius.  The field remains in effect for one minute/conflict.  The Effect is usually centered on a stationary location; the most commonly used Apparatus for creating a Quarantine field is not portable.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or doubles the radius.

Queen for a Day (Disciple Entropy, Initiate Mind; 1 XP)

The Hollow Ones created this rote for use when only the most dramatic entrance will do.  Rumors linking it to the notorious Penny Dreadful remain unsubstantiated.  The Effect creates a “cool field” around the subject that inspires people within the area of effect to feel awe toward the subject (after a successful Social Challenge) and makes events in that same area go the subject’s way (in a manner similar to the Euthanatos Tradition Advantage, but not as consistent).  Dressing in cutting edge fashion, using hip slang and acting the part of the diva makes the Effect coincidental.  The base duration is one minute/conflict and the area of effect is (caster’s Arete) yards.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or adds one yard to the area of effect.

This Effect is also known to the Ahl-i-Batin and the Taftani, who call it Baraka.

*R*

Reality Check (Apprentice Life, Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                The Order of Hermes invented the earliest version of this rote, but the Verbena perfected it and the Cult of Ecstasy gets more use out of it in recent times.  Reality Check detects the presence of perceptual alterations (including Obfuscate, Blissful Ignorance and Mind-based invisibility) by comparing the subject’s current perceptions to an internal template.  Successful casting tells the caster whether or not she is the target of some sort of sensory hallucination.  With a subsequent Static Mental Test versus 8 Traits, the caster can tell whether the illusion is imposed by drugs, Mind magic, Numina or other supernatural powers (the amount of detail will be limited by the subject’s Lore knowledge).  The main limitation of this rote is that it doesn’t tell the caster which aspects of the environment are illusory; the most information available is a sense that’s something isn’t as it seems.  The illusion-detecting sense lasts for one minute/conflict.  Casting Reality Check on someone else requires the Initiate levels of both Spheres and has a base duration of one turn.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the duration one step or allows the Effect to encompass one additional subject.

Reverse Engineering (Apprentice Matter, Initiate Time; 1 XP)

                Almost all technomancers learn this rote eventually because of its effectiveness at discerning the capabilities of unknown devices.  Successful casting of this Effect lets the caster ask one question about the functions or limitations of a device.  The Mage must first determine the device’s basic function (sensor, weapon, vehicle, recording device, etc.).  Once this is done he may ask about specifics of the machine’s capabilities in terms of game mechanics (i.e. total Bonus Traits, one specific Negative Trait, special abilities or flaws).  Reverse Engineering is coincidental as long as the caster doesn’t act on the information in an obviously supernatural manner.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success allows one more question.

                A variant of this Effect that includes Apprentice Prime allows the caster to discern the functions of technomantic Wonders.  Determining each Sphere with which the Wonder is imbued requires a separate question, but the caster may only ascertain the exact level of a Sphere if he knows that Sphere.

Rites of Renewal (1 XP each)

                This is a group of different Effects, each of which refreshes lost Traits in one category.  They are known to all Traditions, but not to all members thereof (Traditions or Technocracy Lore 3+ required).  The caster must make an Arete challenge; success refreshes a number of Traits in the appropriate category equal to the caster’s Arete (player’s choice as to which Traits are refreshed).  Taking extra time (a minute to rest, compose oneself or collect one’s thoughts) usually makes the Effect coincidental, though using it more than once during the same scene is always vulgar except in a Sanctum.  Casting the rote on oneself requires the Initiate level of the Sphere listed with the Rite while casting the same Effect on someone else requires the Disciple level.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success refreshes three more Traits.

·         Fellowship (Correspondence): the Ahl-i-Batin created this rote as a way to restore their sense of connection to other human beings after becoming socially drained.  Other Mages have developed the technique independently.  This Effect refreshes lost Social Traits.

·         Healing Meditation (Mind): this highly useful Effect originated with the Akashic Brotherhood but is known to the other Traditions and even to the Technocracy.  The Effect refreshes lost Mental Traits.

·         Restoration (Life): the Verbena discovered this Effect that refreshes the caster’s Physical Traits.

*S*

Satisfying Crunch (Initiate Correspondence, Initiate Forces; 1 XP)

                An Orphan recently created this Effect to deal with annoying telemarketers.  The combination of Correspondence and Forces traces the telephone signal back to the source and shorts out the originating phone.  The caster only needs to succeed on the Arete challenge to get relief from the sales pitch.  The possibility of normal equipment failure and signal disconnects means that the Effect is usually coincidental, but the Domino Effect is quite unforgiving here.  Grades of Success: none.

Save the Wails (Initiate Forces, Adept Time; 2 XP)

The Order of Hermes created this Effect, but its current name is derived from the innovative use that Hollow Ones put it to.  The traditional application is for spying, but it only takes a slight adjustment to turn the Effect into an attack.  Either application is vulgar.

Casting the rote requires a vessel that closes securely (usually a bottle with a cork or stopper) to act as a Focus.  Forces captures sound and funnels it into the bottle, where Time stores it until the stopper is drawn.  The caster and anyone nearby can then hear the magically recorded sound.  Cast in the usual way, Save the Wails records conversation.  The base duration is one hour; each Grade of Success records another hour of sound.  If the caster chooses (at the time of casting only), all of the sound can be released in a single deafening blast.  Everyone within (5 + caster’s Arete) yards, including whoever draws the stopper, will be deafened for one minute and must succeed on a Static Physical Test versus 7 Traits (+1 Trait per additional hour of stored sound) or be stunned for one turn.  The Difficulty of the Static Test increases by 1-2 Traits if the bottle was charged in a high-noise area like an airport or a busy freeway.  Hollowers are fond of charging up bottles at raves.   A pair of earplugs reduces the Difficulty by 1 Trait, while the Hard of Hearing Flaw reduces it by 2.

Schizophonia (Initiate Forces, Adept Mind; 2 XP)

                Very few Mages know of this rote; the only confirmed uses of it were by Marauders.  The caster “packages” a disruptive Mind Effect within a sound.  The base area of effect is a number of yards equal to the caster’s Arete plus her level of Forces (i.e. Arete + 3 yards for a Disciple of Forces).  Anyone within range must win a Mental Challenge against the caster to avoid having their minds broken (if only temporarily).  A person under the effects of Schizophonia has one of her Derangements or psychological Flaws activated if she has any (for example, someone who has a Phobia responds as if she had been confronted with the object of her fear).  In the absence of a Derangement or Flaw the Effect amplifies one of the target’s Mental Negative Traits instead; a Violent person flies into a rage, someone who is Oblivious goes catatonic, etc.   A person with no Mental Negative Traits, Derangements or psychological Flaws is immune to this Effect.  Schizophonia is equally powerless against a Mage who is in Quiet or someone who is deaf.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the radius by three yards.

                This Effect works on every valid target within the area of effect, friend or foe.  It also effects the caster if she is a valid target.  The caster needs no extra Grades of Success to get additional targets but must bid a separate Trait for each target (the caster need not bid any Traits for herself; she is affected automatically).  The rote botches if the caster doesn’t have enough Mental Traits to challenge every target within range.  Schizophonia is notoriously vulgar unless used within the caster’s Sanctum or a Mindscape.

Separable Soul (Disciple Correspondence, Master Life, Disciple Prime; 3 XP)

This rote is extremely rare (Traditions Lore x 5 is required to know it).  It is considered forbidden knowledge by all Traditions except for the Bata’a, Hollow Ones, Order of Hermes and Taftani and is inconsistent with the Paradigms of technomancers.  Knowledge of this Effect is usually granted through an infernal pact, so Mages who display such knowledge are often treated like Infernalists whether they are or not.  Separable Soul transfers the caster’s Mortally Wounded Health Level into an object (henceforth called a Vessel).  The transferred Health Level is added to the Vessel’s total but the Vessel may only have one Health Level of its own before that.  For the duration of the Effect the caster’s Health Levels may not be reduced below Incapacitated as long as the Vessel remains intact.  Destroying the Vessel causes the caster to lose the transferred Health Level without having to go through the other levels (if there are Health Levels remaining with the caster, she does not die).  The caster would be wise to hide the Vessel well, but there is no way to avoid having an arcane connection to it.  The base duration of this invariably vulgar Effect is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step, transfers one additional Health Level into the Vessel – starting from Incapacitated and working up – or allows the Vessel to have one more Health Level of its own.

Share the Love (Disciple Correspondence, Disciple Mind; 2 XP)

This Effect was first developed by the Acharne, but the rest of the Cult of Ecstasy has learned of it.  By forging an arcane connection between her own feelings and those of the target, the caster can take a mind altering substance and have it alter someone else's mind.  The target and the caster both suffer (or enjoy!) the effects of whatever drug the caster takes while Share the Love is in effect.  Fortunately for the subject, the severity of the trip and its aftereffects are based on the caster's tolerance.  Casting this rote requires line of sight to the target and a successful Social Challenge; the target may retest with Occult or Iron Will.  Base duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds one more target or extends the duration one step.  This Effect is not limited to transmitting the effects of drugs.  Some Cultists use it to share carnal sensations by transmitting the caster's pleasure to the target.  Either way, the Effect is usually vulgar.

A variant called Relayed Gratification uses Disciple Life instead of Mind to transmit the actual physiological effects of a drug.  The severity of the trip and withdrawal are based on the target's tolerance in this version.  The possibility that the target will become physically addicted to the substance (though an examination will show no traces of the drug in her bloodstream until she actually takes it) is why use of this variant is frowned upon.  Merits and powers that confer resistance to drugs or poisons work normally against this variant, but Iron Will does not.

Shield of Garuda (Disciple Entropy, Initiate Forces, Initiate Prime; 2 XP)

                The Euthanatos discovered this excellent method of self-defense.  Shield of Garuda rapidly dissipates an attack’s momentum so that it has no force on impact.  The caster must win the Arete challenge to negate the first Health Level of damage from any projectile, Brawl or Melee attack.  Any damage that gets through the shield is reduced in severity; aggravated damage becomes lethal, lethal becomes bashing.   If the attack starts out as bashing damage, two Health Levels are negated instead of one.  This Effect is quite vulgar except at long range or against an opponent who is visibly tired (using an actual shield as a Focus helps).  The duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: Each Grade of Success protects one additional person.

                There are two variants of this Effect which differ from the main version only in what they defend against; the game mechanics are otherwise identical.  Shield of Agni negates damage from fire and electricity, while Shield of Ganesh uses Mind instead of Forces to defend against mentally-inflicted damage (i.e. Psychic Attack).

Smokin’ the Baby (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Spirit; 1 XP)

Dreamspeakers from Australia invented this rote and have shared it with other members of their Tradition.  The Verbena and Bata’a are rumored to have developed it independently.  It is one of the most effective defenses against spirits known.  Shamans of the Outback frequently use this Effect to protect the children of their villages, though it may be used to benefit adults as well.

Casting the Effect normally involves “washing” the subject in aromatic smoke (which serves as a Focus).  Correspondence creates a Ban that prevents approach or attack, while Spirit magic tunes the Effect to work only against malevolent spirits.  Base duration is one scene/hour, but Smokin’ the Baby is almost always cast as a ritual.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or includes one additional subject.  The Effect is almost always coincidental.

The Hollow Ones and Euthanatos have a variant of this Effect called Ghostbane which repels Wraiths instead of spirits.  This version includes Initiate Entropy with the usual Spheres and costs 2 XP.

Sotto Voce (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Forces; 1 XP)

The Celestial Chorus, Euthanatos and Order of Hermes continue to argue about which Tradition invented this rote while the Hollow Ones smugly point out that they thought of it on their own.  The Effect projects the caster's voice to a chosen target in a directed whisper that falls on the subject's ear without passing through the intervening space.  The caster must have line of sight or an arcane connection to the subject, and maximum range without an arcane connection is (caster's Arete x 5) yards.  With an arcane connection, distance is not a factor (but the Gauntlet is).  This Effect cannot be eavesdropped on at any point between origin and destination, but someone standing next to the caster or the subject (or using enhanced auditory powers on same) might hear that end of the conversation.  Using telepathy on the caster or the subject yields both ends of the conversation.  Base duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or adds one additional subject; at least two Grades of Success are required for two-way conversation.

Spirit Speech (Initiate Spirit; 1 XP)

                This Effect can theoretically be used by any Mage who uses the Sphere of Spirit as opposed to the Sphere of Dimensional Science.  In practice only the Cult of Ecstasy, Dreamspeakers, Order of Hermes and Verbena make extensive use of it.  The rote allows the caster to converse with spirits in their native language.  Being able to speak to spirits in Udo makes them more positively disposed toward the speaker; a spirit addressed in this way is likely to demand less in terms of Chimanage or may be willing to provide a greater service.  Spirit Speech lasts for the duration of one scene/hour if cast on oneself or one minute if cast on someone else.  This Effect is usually vulgar in areas that support technomantic Paradigms but is always coincidental in natural settings or in the Umbra.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one additional person in the Effect.

                While the original language of Spirit  is pure and perfect there are a number of lesser variants.  A Mage who has at least Apprentice-level knowledge of another Sphere or knowledge of a given Ability is able to speak one or more of these variants.  Being able to converse with a spirit in the Udo-variant that applies specifically to it gives the speaker a 1-Trait bonus on Social Challenges against that spirit in addition to the normal effects of Spirit Speech.  The following list is far from comprehensive; these are only examples of the many variants available.

·         Correspondence: Pattern Spiders, denizens of the Digital Web, technological spirits, Genii Locorum, Lares and Penates;

·         Forces: Fire, Electrical and Radiation Elementals, Djinn and Efreet;

·         Entropy: Banes, spirits of decay and Toxic Elementals;

·         Life: animal spirits, City Spirits, Glade Children, Wood Elementals;

·         Matter: Air, Earth, Metal and Water Elementals;

·         Mind: Curiosi, Epiphlings, creatures of the Maya;

·         Prime: Paradox Spirits (but only those that can be negotiated with), angels, demons;

·         Time: Zeitgeists (spirits associated with specific historical eras);

·         Cosmology: natives of the Deep Umbra;

·         Lore (of a given tribe or ethnic group) or Linguistics (with an appropriate language): Ancestor Spirits.

                Addressing a spirit in the Udo-variant of a type of spirit that opposes the one addressed will offend the addressed spirit mightily.  For example, one does not speak to Earth Elementals in the dialect of Air Elementals nor is it wise to address Ainu Ancestor Spirits in Udo-Nihonjin.  Dreamspeakers can use their Tradition Advantage to avoid this mistake but other Mages need appropriate levels of Spirit Lore.

State of Shock (Initiate Forces, Disciple Life; 1 XP)

                The Progenitors use this powerful Effect as a desperation attack; it’s blatant vulgarity is distasteful even to the least subtle of them.  The use of the Life Sphere allows the caster to take hold of the electrical impulses in the target’s body (both neuro- and myoelectricity), then Forces amplifies that energy into a devastating attack.  This does one Health Level of lethal damage unless the caster is an Adept or Master of Life; in that case, it does two (for Adepts) or three (for Masters) Health Levels.  State of Shock ignores all forms of armor because the attack comes from inside the target, but Primium still has its normal Countermagic effects.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success adds one more Health Level of damage.

                The Terminal Fever variant of this rote is identical to the above except that it amplifies the target’s body heat.

Substantiation (Adept Matter, Initiate Prime, Initiate Spirit; 2 XP)

                The Order of Hermes has the distinction of the earliest confirmed use of this Effect.  Etherites also make good use of it during trips to the Inventium Realm.  When a Mage finds an object in the Umbra that she wants to bring home she can use this rote to transform spirit matter into normal matter.  The target of this Effect must be an object small enough for one person to carry.  The object enters a “primed state” for one minute/conflict.  If the object is removed from the Umbra before the time expires it remains normal matter until it is brought into the Umbra again.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success transforms one additional object.

                There is a rumored variant of this Effect that substitutes Master Life for Adept Matter.  This alleged rote transforms a Bygone into a mundane creature and may or may not require a willing subject.  If this rote does indeed exist it may be the source of such legends as transformed mermaids not being able to return to the sea (possibly for fear of encountering oceanic Shallowings).

*T*

Talk to the Hand (Adept Mind; 1 XP or Disciple Life and Mind; 2 XP)

                This insidious Effect was first used by Nephandi (who call it Flesh Puppetry).  Ecstatics, Hollow Ones and urban Orphans have independently rediscovered it.  The rote takes advantage of the fact that the body naturally responds to commands from the mind without being selective about whose mind.  In effect the caster uses her mind to control someone else’s body.  After a successful Arete test the caster can engage the target in a Mental Challenge.  If the caster wins the victim’s body will perform one simple action (i.e. pushing a button or picking up an object) of the caster’s choosing.  The Mind version co-opts the target’s nervous system so that she is unaware of her body’s actions; the action seems to be a simple reflex.  The Mind-and-Life version overrides the victim’s control and makes her a passenger in her own body.  The former version tends to be coincidental while the latter is usually vulgar.  The caster must have line of sight or an arcane connection to the target.  Grades of Success: each extra Grade of Success forces the victim to perform one additional action.

                Note that not performing an action is also an action; this rote can be used to prevent someone from dodging a blow, for example.  This would not necessarily force the target’s player to relent to a challenge but would require passive rather than active defense (that is, defending with a Stamina-based Trait rather than a Dexterity-based Trait).

Ticket to Ride (Adept Mind; 1 XP)

Klubwerks first worked out how to amplify the Cultists' ability to fit in to supernatural levels.  They have since shared the knowledge with other Factions.  Other Traditions and even the Technocracy have lesser versions of this rote, but none work as well as the Ecstatic version.

Ticket to Ride creates a sophisticated illusion around the caster; anyone whom she encounters will perceive her as a member of the same group.  Not only will she seem to be appropriately dressed for the setting, she even appears to have the correct paperwork or other paraphernalia.  For example, a Cultist who wanted to get onto a military base could show her driver's license and it would be perceived as a valid military ID card.  The Cult of Ecstasy Tradition advantage insures that the caster will have something to represent whatever is asked for (other Mages must plan ahead).  This rote only covers the caster's appearance; she can still slip up by breaking character (the Cultists' Tradition advantage helps with this) or by not having the correct knowledge.  When seeing a person who is under this Effect for the first time – and anytime thereafter when the subject does or says something suspicious – the target may make a Static Mental Test versus the caster's Social Traits to penetrate the illusion (retest with Investigation).  Base duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or includes one more person in the effect.

This Effect is usually coincidental, but it turns vulgar real fast if the illusion is broken and doesn't work at all on people who know the caster's real affiliation.  Multiple targets present a problem for this Effect.  If all targets (or even most of them) are members of the same group, the rote works normally – the caster simply fits in with the majority.  Exposure to roughly equal numbers of disparate types breaks the illusion.  Thus, an Ecstatic could use this Effect to sneak onto a military base even if civilians are present but can't use it to get into Technocrat gatherings where two or more Conventions are equally represented.  Ticket to Ride is unusable on crowded streets.

Too Heavy the Blade (Adept Entropy; 1 XP)

                You can make it harder for an opponent to attack you by increasing the price that he pays for his aggression.  After successfully casting this Effect you must defeat your target in a Mental versus Physical Challenge.  If you succeed he must bid an extra Trait (in addition to his normal bid and any extra bids forced on him by your bidding of his Negative Traits) each time that he initiates a Physical Challenge against you.  If you use Master Entropy you can impose a similar penalty to Mental Challenges (after defeating your target in a Mental Challenge, of course).  The duration is one minute/conflict.  Grades of Success: each extra Grade of Success encompasses one additional target.  Too Heavy the Blade is coincidental if the target is engaging in activity that would normally be tiring.

True Name (Disciple Correspondence, Master Prime, Master Spirit; 3 XP)

                Whether this rote was originated by the Order of Hermes, Verbena or Dreamspeakers is a matter of some debate.  Either way, very few Tradition Mages remember it; it is now most commonly used only by Nephandi and Kopa Loei.  Every living thing has a True Name that contains its inmost essence.  Anyone who knows a being’s True Name has power over that being.  Since True Names are in an arcane variant of Udo (the language of Spirit), only a Master of Spirit or someone with the Shapeshifter Gift Spirit Speech can understand them.  This fact severely limits the value of True Names as bargaining chips.

After successfully casting this Effect the caster may forge an arcane connection to the subject at will at any time simply by speaking or writing the True Name.  Distance and dimension are no obstacles to this; targets may be effected from across the Gauntlet.  In addition, the caster may claim a bonus to any magic cast against the subject as if she were holding one of the subject’s Unique Foci (even if the target has no Unique Foci or isn’t a Mage).  Inscribing the subject’s true name on a weapon causes that weapon to inflict one Health Level of aggravated damage in addition to the normal damage done by the weapon (which makes a bullet with your name on it a real threat).  Grades of Success: none.  The subject of this rote may make an Awareness test to realize that something was done.  A target who knows this rote will, after a successful Awareness challenge, know exactly what was done and may use Sense Connection to find out who did it.

*U*

Unicorn's Horn (Apprentice Entropy, Apprentice Life; 1 XP)

                Casting this Effect immediately tells you whether or not the subject (which can be you) has been poisoned or exposed to a disease even in the absence of visible symptoms.  The Effect is often coincidental, but using a mystical Focus in front of Sleepers can be a problem.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one additional person in the Effect.

                A variant of this rote that uses Prime instead of Life tells you if the subject is under a curse.

Unseen Ally (Initiate or Disciple Spirit; 1 XP)

                Dreamspeakers, Verbena, Bata’a, Void Engineers and a few Hollow Ones are the only Mages who make extensive use of this rote.  It is essentially Spirit’s Caress in reverse; instead of allowing the caster to reach through the Gauntlet and strike a spirit, it allows a spirit to reach through the Gauntlet and effect the material world without Materializing.  The spirit is limited to minor actions such as deflecting blows and projectiles or tripping the Mage’s opponents.  The caster must first win a Social Challenge against the spirit to secure its aid.  After that any Physical or ranged combat challenge against the caster becomes a Mob Challenge with the spirit lending a Trait.  Normal Mob rules apply except that the caster always leads the challenge and may only choose her own victory condition.  The base Effect summons one spirit, but each Grade of Success adds another one; the caster may have up to four spirits aiding her.  Duration is one minute/conflict.  Unseen Ally is innately coincidental, but those who overuse it should beware of the Domino Effect.

                The Disciple version of this rote awakens spirits in the immediate vicinity instead of summoning them from the Umbra.  This is identical to the Initiate version except that no Social Challenge is necessary.

*V*

Veni, Veni, Mephistopheles (Initiate Correspondence, Initiate Spirit; 1 XP)

The current most commonly used name for this rote comes from the Order of Hermes.  The Celestial Chorus knows of the Effect but vehemently condemns it – probably because of how common it is among Infernalists and Nephandi.  Veni, Veni Mephistopheles summons a specific spirit to the caster’s side.  The summoner must have an arcane connection to the spirit (usually its True Name).  Once the spirit arrives – which may not be right away – the caster must engage it in a Social Challenge (retest Intimidation if commanding the spirit, Subterfuge if persuading it).  If successful the summoner may demand one service from the spirit in the form of something that the spirit could reasonably accomplish within (caster’s Arete) hours.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success allows the caster to demand one additional service or adds one hour to the duration of a single service.

Four other Traditions use this rote.  Dreamspeakers Call the Manitou and can retest Etiquette when persuading spirits, Verbena can summon a Spirit Friend, Taftani may Chain the Djinni and Bata’a Summon Loa.

V00d00 D011 (Disciple Correspondence, Adept Time; 2 XP)

                This Effect was invented by the Virtual Adepts and is one of the few forms of sympathetic magic used by technomancers.  The rote forges an arcane connection between the target and a virtual representation thereof that is stored on the caster’s computer.  The caster can boot up the “doll” at a later time and cast magic on it.  The actual target will be effected as if she were in the caster’s presence.  The V00d00 D011 remains in the computer’s memory for one scene/hour.  Grades of Success: each grade of Success increases the time that the “doll” can be stored by one duration step.  Regardless of the duration cast for, the program degrades once it is used.

Vox Populi (Initiate Correspondence, Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                This common Effect allows the caster to tune in to the feelings of a group of people.  A successful Arete test tells the caster the general mood of all sapient beings within a radius of (Arete + 15) yards (i.e. whether the natives are getting restless or the audience is eating out of his hand) and allows him to adjust his words or actions accordingly.  In game terms, the player may ask the presiding Storyteller one “yes or no” question about how the crowd would react to a given action or comment.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success expands the area of effect by three yards or lets the caster ask one more question.

*W*

Watch the Watcher (Apprentice Correspondence, Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                This rote allows you to sense the mental connection between you and anyone who is trying to read your mind.  If you succeed on the Arete challenge you know that there is a telepathic intruder.  You must succeed on a Static Mental Test versus the intruder’s Mental Traits to trace the connection back to the person invading your mind.  If you succeed on this challenge you may engage the mind reader in a Mental Challenge to eject her from your thoughts.  You can also use this Effect on someone whose mind you are reading to determine whether or not she is aware of your scrutiny – this requires a successful Mental Challenge against the target.  Either application is coincidental as long as you don't act on the information in an obvious way.  Grades of Success: none.

Weapons Lock (Disciple Correspondence, Initiate Forces; 1 XP)

                This rote is what makes the cyborgs of Iteration X and the battleships of the Void Engineers so deadly.  Fortunately for the Traditions the Sons of Ether and Virtual Adepts have discovered it as well.  Weapons Lock uses Correspondence to create a link between the muzzle of a ranged weapon and the shooter’s target.  Forces then uses existing kinetic energy (usually provided by the wielder’s movements) to nudge the weapon in line with the target.  This grants the shooter a free retest in ranged combat tests against that target.  Equipping the weapon with a targeting device like a scope or laser sight makes the Effect coincidental.  The lock lasts for one minute/conflict or until line of sight to the target is lost.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success locks on an additional weapon or acquires an additional target.

                It is theoretically possible to create a version of this Effect that would work on melee weapons, but such an Effect would tend to be vulgar and probably wouldn’t fit within any technomantic Paradigm.

Wireless Wonder (Adept Correspondence, Initiate Forces; 2 XP)

                The Virtual Adepts still have a monopoly on this one.  This Effect sends the electrical impulses transmitted by a computer through the Correspondence Point and into another computer.  This creates a Correspondence-based wireless network.  The networked computers have an arcane connection to each other that makes the range of the network effectively unlimited.  The Adept must have line of sight or an arcane connection to each computer in order to cast this Effect.  Base duration is one scene/hour.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success allows one more computer to be networked or extends the duration one step.

World Sight (Apprentice Spirit + the Apprentice level of any other Sphere; 1 XP)

World Walking (Disciple or higher Spirit + the Initiate level of at least one other Sphere; 1-2 XP)

The main drawback of Spirit Sight is that it only allows the subject to see into the Penumbra.  Likewise, Stepping Sideways only allows a Mage to step directly into the Penumbra and certain primal Realms (though other Realms can be reached from there).  World Sight allows the caster to see directly into any Realm that she has the Spheres to describe and that she has visited before.  The Effect is also useful for identifying what sort of Realm an Umbral path leads to.  World Walking allows a Mage to step sideways directly into a Realm that she has visited before or puts her on an Umbral path that leads to a Realm appropriate to the Sphere used.

World Sight lasts for one minute/conflict (one turn if cast on someone else) and can be turned off whenever the caster wishes before that time.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success includes one additional person in the Effect or increases the duration one step.

World Walking sends the caster's physical body into the Umbra.  Taking or sending someone else requires Adept Spirit, while passing to Realms within or beyond the Horizon requires Master Spirit.  Traveling physically into the Low Umbra is possible, but is universally regarded as a very bad idea.  The subject remains in the Umbra until this Effect is cast again to return her to the material world.  The normal effects of passing through the Avatar Storm apply.  Grades of Success (Adept or higher Spirit only): each Grade of Success includes one more person in the Effect.  It should be noted that this rote only allows a traveler to reach Umbral Realms; surviving there may require the use of other magics.

The Realms accessed by each Sphere are as follows.  This list is not comprehensive; there are far too many Umbral Realms to list here.  There are also a number of Realms that can only be reached by combinations of Spheres and still others that cannot be reached at all.  Even those Realms that are easily accessible can only be reached by those with appropriate Paradigms; you can't get into a place unless your worldview allows it.  Each Sphere combination counts as a separate rote.

·         Correspondence: Asteroids; Digital Web; Mercury (currently inaccessible); Shade Realm of Correspondence (currently inaccessible)

·         Entropy: Darkside Moonbase; Dystopia; Pluto; Shade Realm of Entropy; Shadowlands; Wasteland

·         Forces: Doissetep (when it was still there); Elemental Domain of Fire; Mars; Shade Realm of Forces

·         Life: Elemental Domain of Wood; Shade Realm of Life; Venus; Verbena Seasonal Realms

·         Matter: Elemental Domains of Air, Earth, Metal and Water; Gernsback Continuum; Jupiter; Shade Realm of Matter; Victoria Station

·         Mind: Epiphamies (requires a rating of 3+ in an Ability appropriate to the concept that the Realm embodies); Hy-Brasil; Inventium; Maya; Mythic Worlds; Neptune; Shade Realm of Mind; Umbrood Courts; Vulgate

·         Prime: Afterworlds; Luna; Paradox Realms (requires Master Prime, and getting out is just as hard as if Paradox took you there); Radiance

·         Spirit alone: Aetherian Reaches; Midrealm; Shade Realm of Spirit; Uranus; Shenti

·         Time: Balador Pleasure Dome; Chasm; Saturn; Shade Realm of Time

·         Correspondence + Prime: Copernicus Research Center

·         Entropy + Mind: Underworld's Dream Theatre

·         Infinite (the 10th Sphere): Shade Realm of Infinite; Sol

*X*

X Marks the Spot (Disciple Correspondence; 1 XP)

                This Effect creates an arcane connection between a place and its representation on a map – the caster must have line of sight or an arcane connection to both the map and the place.  For the purpose of this rote “place” means a specific location no smaller than (13 - caster’s Arete) paces across.  Any Mage who has Correspondence Sensing active while reading the map will know immediately when she enters the marked place.  The connection lasts for one scene/hour.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step, links one additional map to the place or links one additional place to the map.  X Marks the Spot is a common rote known by all of the Traditions, Crafts and Conventions.

Xenobiosis (Adept Life; 1 XP)

The Progenitors, Void Engineers and Sons of Ether (specifically the Ethernauts) simultaneously developed this Effect for survival in hostile environments.  The subject can tolerate the atmosphere, temperature, pressure and ambient radiation of the target environment without harm for one minute/conflict.  This confers no protection against other sources of damage.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step or includes one additional subject.  Even without the visible changes in the subject’s body that sometimes occur, this rote is usually vulgar.

*Y*

Yadomejutsu (Disciple Entropy; 1 XP)

                The Akashic Brotherhood is the only Tradition known to use this rote, but former Akashic Brothers who become Marauders or Nephandi may retain the knowledge.  The “art of arrow cutting” allows the caster to deflect or catch missile weapons that are directed at him.  It can also be used to parry melee weapons barehanded or, as the name implies, to cut an arrow out of the air with one’s own weapon.  A successful casting of this Effect creates a 1-Trait penalty that reduces the Bonus Traits of any missile or melee weapon directed at the caster (the weapon’s Negative Traits are unchanged), who must actively defend in order to benefit from this Effect.  The duration is one minute/conflict.  This rote does not require a secondary challenge against the weapon’s wielder because it doesn’t really do anything to the weapon.  The Effect just amplifies the caster’s chance of parrying the weapon.  Yadomejutsu is usually coincidental, but any attempt to use it against firearms is vulgar except in the caster’s Sanctum or in an Umbral Realm friendly to the Akashic Paradigm.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success increases the penalty by one Trait.  The Bonus Traits of a weapon may not be reduced to less than zero.

Youthening (Master Life, Master Time; 2 XP)

                This Effect is at once one of the rarest and one of the most sought after powers of magic.  Those who master it can cheat death itself – at least death by old age.  Youthening actually reverses the aging process.  The effect is permanent, but the subject will age normally after the casting.  The effectiveness of the rote is proportional to the age of the subject.  Grades of Success: the subject’s biological age decreases by 5% times the total Grades of Success.  Each Grade of Success also costs one Quintessence Trait (either the caster or the subject may spend it).  As with healing aggravated damage, Youthening is vulgar when cast anywhere except in the caster’s Sanctum.

Yowe (Initiate or Adept Correspondence, Initiate Mind; 1-2 XP)

The Dreamspeakers were the first Tradition to employ this rote.  Its most famous use was at the death of Nyoba when she used her dying breath to summon Star-of-Eagles and other Dreamspeaker Elders to deal with the barrabus who killed her.  Yowe issues a telepathic shout for help along a Correspondence link.  Using an existing arcane connection only requires Initiate Correspondence while co-locating the call to points in space where one’s ally is likely to be requires the Adept level (and costs 2 XP).  The caster must win a Mental Challenge against the recipient of the call in order to get through.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success calls one additional person.

Yowe is now one of the most commonly known rotes in the world.  Most Masters teach their Apprentices the basic components of the Effect at the very least; anyone with Traditions Lore x 1 knows about the rote and what Sphere knowledge they would need to cast it.  Different Traditions know the Effect by different names, of course.  Hermetics and Verbena would Call for Aid, Choristers seek Succor, Sons of Ether and Technocrats would issue a Distress Call, Hollow Ones might send a Shout Out and Virtual Adepts would push the Panic Button.

*Z*

Zanshin (Apprentice Mind; 1 XP)

                No one is surprised to find out that the Akashic Brotherhood invented this Effect.  Nor are they shocked to learn that the Euthanatos duplicated it.  It’s only when they find out that the Cult of Ecstasy knows this rote that people are flabbergasted.  Zanshin creates a state of total calm and focus in the caster for one minute/conflict.  The caster gains the Concentration Merit for the duration of the Effect.  She also becomes so focused on her intended task that she performs it more effectively; the caster is two Traits up on challenges involving any one Ability specified at the time of casting (the bonus cannot stack with Merits).  This narrow focus comes at the price of being one Trait down on all challenges using other Abilities.  Neither the bonus nor the penalty applies to Arete tests.  Grades of Success: each Grade of Success extends the duration one step.

ZIP Max (Adept Forces, Master Life or Matter; 2 XP)

                For the most 31337 Virtual Adepts this rote is the only way to travel.  The Effect “zips” the subject into a compressed data file which can then be e-mailed.  The transformation lasts for one minute/conflict.  The subject returns to normal when the file is opened or the Effect expires, whichever comes first.  The Life variant works on living things (but not on whatever they are carrying or wearing) while the Matter variant works on objects.  A version that combines Life and Matter – and thus allows a “zipped” Mage to take along his clothing and equipment – costs 3 XP.  ZIP Max has proven to be vulgar when cast anywhere but in the Digital Web, Dystopia and Virtual Adept Sancta.  Grades of Success: each additional Grade of Success extends the duration one step or includes one additional subject.

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