Old Walker

An Old Walker is a spellcaster who still works magic as it was worked in the days before the Scourge. Eschewing the weaving of threads into spell matrices, they cast all spells using raw magical energy. This gives even low-circle Old Walkers the ability to muster incredibly powerful magics, and results in mages that have an understanding of astral space which is unequaled. They are outwardly foolhardy--inwardly, most of them are just subconsciously trying to find death.

"When I look upon our world, I see nothing but the palest reflection of the old glories. And why should I expect anything else -- when we fear to touch the powers that our forefathers used to build their world?"

--Kar Drakk, Ork Old Walker

The Old Walk, though, is not only perilous but leads to a rigidity seen among no other Discipline. Theirs is an ancient and unwavering tradition. While most Disciplines were changed almost beyond recognition by the Scourge, and some were created by it, the only thing Old Walkers have learned from it is the art of resisting Horror marks. An Old Walker who learns to cast spells from a matrix subverts the self-confidence and self-destructiveness that makes walking this path possible. By avoiding the pain, fatigue, and danger that comes with raw magic, she also avoids its power.

It is not unusual for frustrated, inexperienced spellcasters to want to become Old Walkers and gain access to the most shattering magics immediately. However, it is no easy thing to find an Old Walker experienced enough to take on students. While some do not die or become Horror-marked in their youth, Old Walkers are universally feared because of the sorts of attention they attract. Walking the Old Path is illegal in Thera, and might as well be in Barsaive. While it is legal in the Blood Court, the Blood Elves cannot practice the Discipline. Their sacrifice has robbed them of the ability to take the risks of the Old Walk.

Important Attributes: Perception and Willpower

Racial Restrictions: Blood Elves

Karma Ritual: The Old Walker sits cross-legged and opens her mind to the magical energies of astral space, feeling and following the currents of magical energy. She takes a point of strain for each point of karma gained -- in addition to the ordinary legend point cost.

Artisan Skills: Robe Embroidery

Note: Due to the very restrictive mindset required to walk the Old Path in the days after the Scourge, if an Old Walker learns a Spell Matrix or Threadweaving talent, he will be in a major talent crisis until he somehow unlearns it. Using the Thread talent to weave to a matrix object is possible, but will cause a major talent crisis for as long as the object exists.

FIRST CIRCLE
Talents

Astral Sight (D)

Karma Ritual

Read and Write Magic

Spell (*)

Spellcasting (D)

Thread (*)

SECOND CIRCLE
Talents

Durability (4/3)

Steel Thought (D)

Thread (*)

THIRD CIRCLE
Talents

Shielding (*)

Spell (*)

FOURTH CIRCLE
Karma: The Old Walker may spend a karma point on Willpower or Willforce (including spell effect tests)
Talents

Centering (*D)

Dispelling (*D)

FIFTH CIRCLE
Spell Defense: Increase the Old Walker's Spell Defense by 1
Talents

Spell (*)

Spirit Speech

SIXTH CIRCLE
Physical Defense: Increase the Old Walker's Physical Defense by 1
Talents

Orbiting Spy

Thread (*)

SEVENTH CIRCLE
Social Defense: Increase the Old Walker's Social Defense by 1
Talents

Spirit Hold (D)

Thread (*)

EIGHTH CIRCLE
Karmic Edge: An Old Walker can spend a second Karma point on any test where karma is usually allowed. Every use of this ability requires a sacrifice of a recovery test.
Talents

Spell (*)

Weapon Focus (*D)

NINTH CIRCLE
Spell Defense: Increase the Old Walker's Spell Defense by 1
Talents

Netherwalk (D)

Spell (*)

Thread (*)

TENTH CIRCLE
Social Defense: Increase the Old Walker's Social Defense by 1
Talents

Aura Strike

Bear Horror Mark (D)

*Indicates a new talent, described below.

New Talents:

Centering

Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step
Action: Yes	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: None
Discipline Talent: Old Walker

This talent relates to games of chance, and is used in two ways.

Centering allows the Old Walker to spend a round gathering his thoughts and will together and anticipating the shock of spell casting. He makes a Centering test against the circle of the spell he is going to cast--if he gets a Good or better success, he subtracts his rank in Centering from any damage done by channeling a spell.

Dispelling

Step Number: Rank + Perception Step
Action: Yes	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: Yes
Discipline Talent: Old Walker

Dispelling allows an Old Walker to dispel a spell by beating it's dispel difficulty with a Dispelling test. Whether or not the test is successful, the Old Walker takes strain equal to the spell's circle.

Shielding

Step Number: Rank + Perception Step
Action: No	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: 2
Discipline Talent: Old Walker

Shielding allows the adept using it to damp the effects of damaging spells. The adept makes a Shielding test against the Spellcasting roll of the test, and if he beats it, he adds his rank in Shielding to the target(s)'s Mystic Armor scores. Shielding can only be used once in a round. The Karma die is added to the effect roll.

Spell

Step Number: Rank
Action: Yes	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: Yes
Discipline Talent: None

The Spell talent allows a character to become particularly adept in the raw casting of a single spell. When the character raw casts that spell, his rank in the appropriate Spell talent step is added to the results of his effect test. A Spell talent is a bit like a Spell Matrix talent in that it can only "hold" one spell at a time, and it can only "hold" a spell of circle less than or equal to its rank and less than or equal to the adept's circle. However, once a spell is put "in" the Spell talent, it can never be changed. An adept may have empty Spell talents.

Thread

Step Number: Rank + Willpower Step
Action: Yes	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: None
Discipline Talent: None

This allows the bonding of magic items (as well as weaving into group patterns) in much the same way that Threadweaving does. However, each Thread talent can only be used for one thread. In order to weave the thread, the adept must make a Thread roll against the applicable spell defense, and then spend the legend points necessary. If she fails, she may not try again until she has raised that Thread talent--and she may not use that Thread talent to try to weave a thread to anything else.

Weapon Focus

Step Number: Rank + Perception Step
Action: Yes	Skill Use: No
Karma: Yes	Strain: None
Discipline Talent: Old Walker

This talent allows an Old Walker to weave a thread to a magic weapon and fight with it very effectively. He makes a Weapon Focus test against the weapon's spell defense and if he succeeds, he may attack with it, using his Weapon Focus talent in place of Melee Weapons. The karma die may be spent on either the to-hit roll or the damage roll. The Weapon Focus talent may only be used with a single weapon.