[Shostak]

Magical Societies are organized groups of wizards united by a pursuing a particular branch or application of magic. Membership in a society confers benefits, such as access to arcane secrets, in return for obligations from its members (apprenticeship, administrative service, onerous missions, tedious work, dues, etc.). Each society is distinguished by 1.) a list of spells and talents germane to the group and that members are encouraged—or perhaps required—to learn, 2.) a set of secret talents and secret spells available to members. Since secret talents are sorcerous in nature, wizards do not pay double. Membership in a society is made by first learning the Acolyte talent for that society, which gives access to the society’s Secrets. Highly regimented magical societies could require secrets to be learned in a specific order.

Example society: The Illumined Eye
Rumor has it that the fraternal organization, The Illumined Eye, known by the familiar ancient symbol of an eye in a triangle, is actually a clandestine wizardly society hiding in plain sight, bent on world domination through the application of knowledge of three disciplines: the Liberal Arts (History & Philosophy), the Sciences (Mathematics & Astronomy), and the Magic Arts. If Cidri’s conspiracy theorists are to be believed, the Illumined Eye ruthlessly hunts and mercilessly destroys any wizard who betrays the society (or anyone else they believe is a threat, for that matter), but always in a way that deflects attention from themselves.

New Talent
IQ8
Acolyte of the Illumined Eye (1) This talent confers knowledge of the basics of the society’s workings, and serves as a prerequisite for all Secrets. Prerequisites: Literacy, five spells from the Illumined Eye’s spell list, and must make a vow of loyalty to the society.

Secrets of the Illumined Eye
IQ Variable: Secret Spell: Improved [Spell] (1) Spells from the society’s list can be improved so as to be cast with one of the following benefits (determined at the time of casting): 1 less ST, +1 DX, or (with lasting spells) with 2x duration. No spell’s ST cost can be reduced below 1. Prerequisites: IQ at least 1 above that required for the normal spell. Note: Each Improved Spell is learned separately. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 8
Secret Spell: Glyph (T) Allows the wizard to magically mark a surface, including stone, wood, metal, or even flesh. The mark can always be seen by the caster, who must, at the time of casting, specify if it will be visible or not to others. Either way, a Glyph is “visible” by Detect Magic, Reveal Magic, Mage Sight, and Reveal spells. A Glyph is permanent until subjected to Remove Thrown Spell. A wizard who has placed a Glyph on a person or item rolls 1 fewer dice when scrying for them, and can ignore the first two points of range penalty when casting a thrown spell on them. Cost to cast: 1 ST. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

Secret Talent: Spell Throwing (1) This talent offsets distance penalties of thrown spells by 1 for each level of skill (up to 3), but never gives an actual bonus to casting. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye and at least 4 thrown spells.

IQ 9
Secret Spell: Trace (S) This spell gives an instantaneous sense of general direction (thataway) and distance (very near, near, far, very far) to a Glyph the wizard has marked on a person or object. This spell is cast at -2 for each Glyph beyond the first the wizard has cast. Cost: 2. Prerequisite: Glyph.

Secret Spell: Memorize (T) Subjects of this spell will be able to perfectly recall information they sense during the duration of the spell, and will retain this memory until sunset or sunrise—whichever comes first.. Cost: 1, plus 1 per turn to maintain. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 11
Secret Spell: Sojourner’s Ward (1) Like the Ward spell, but lets the wizard stray up to 11 miles from the warded area. This spell will replaces Ward for 50 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of Ward, if desired. Cost 3. Prerequisites: Ward, Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 13
Secret Talent: Astrological Seer (1) Allows wizards to utilize astrological data they know about a subject to give a +1 to their effective IQ when making scrying rolls/talent level (up to 3). The GM should impose a time requirement for the wizard to research/calculate. Also allows scrying by looking at the stars reflected in any still water. Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye, Mathematician.

Secret Talent: Illumined Scholar (3) Note: this talent very similar to Scholar. However, it focuses somewhat more on the arcane, the occult, and religion than on the mundane (“Emperess Niharis III was most notable, not for her solidification of the K’hulp’het Dynasty, but for raising Shek-Baroopath the Lame to the office of High Priest.”); standard Scholars might be skeptical of an Illumined Scholar’s interpretations of history and current affairs (-1 to reaction rolls). Prerequisite: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

Secret Spell: Greater Ward (1) Like the Ward spell, but lets the wizard stray to 53 miles from the warded area. This spell replaces Sojourner’s Ward for 100 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of Ward or Sojourner’s Ward, if desired. Cost 4. Prerequisites: Sojourner’s Ward.

Secret Spell: Ward of the Watchful Eye (C) like the Greater Ward ward spell, but with a Scrying spell attached that gives the wizard a chance to identify who or what has broken the ward. This spell will replace Greater Ward for 100 XP, and knowledge of it allows casting of any of the other Wards, if desired. Cost: 5, in addition, the ST cost of the scrying spell is incurred at the time the ward is broken, regardless of how inconvenient this may be. Prerequisite: Scrying, Greater Ward, Illumined Scholar.

IQ 14
Secret Talent: Adept (3). By first spending a round concentrating and successfully rolling 3d against lowest attribute, wizards with this talent may then attempt to cast any spell they know from the society’s list at 1 less ST, +1 DX, or 2X duration, as per Improved Spell (but not Improved Spells!).
Prerequisite: Illumined Scholar.

Secret Talent: Arcane Toughness (2) Like Toughness, but yours is supernatural, gained by attuning your body to mana. Prerequisite IQ 14 for level 1, 15 for level 2. Prerequisite: Illumined Scholar.

Secret Spell: Catch Thrown Spell (T) Inspired by the old adage that the best defense is a good offense, this spell stops a thrown spell cast on its subject and allows it to be redirected, with an appropriate DX roll, as the subject’s next action. Cost: 3 ST to cast, 1 to maintain. Prerequisite: Spell Throwing.

Secret Spell: Forget (T) Erases one memory the wizard is aware of (the sight of your brother’s execution, the time you caught your spouse in bed with your best friend, that one important thing the Thorsz told you to do) from a subject until restored by Remove Thrown Spell or a successful 4d IQ roll after each full night’s rest. An unwilling subject may resist the spell with a 4d v IQ roll. Costs 10. Prerequisites: Telepathy, Acolyte of the Illumined Eye.

IQ 15
Secret Spell: Thaumodynamic Converter (T) This defensive spell converts each die of magical damage (missile, blast, shock shield spells, and a staff’s occult attack) to one point of energy that the subject (who must have Mana Master) can use as gathered mana. 2 to cast, 1 to maintain. Prerequisites: Mathematician, Illumined Scholar.

IQ 16
Secret Spell: Hexagram (1) Like Pentagram, except with the added benefits of Dispel Missiles, and 1d occult damage (like a staff’s) to any being crossing the boundary. 6 to cast, 1 to maintain. Can also be made Permanent (see Permanent Pentagram). Prerequisites: Acolyte of the Illumined Eye, Dispel Missiles, Blast.


The Illumined Eye’s Spell & Talent List

Aid
Alchemy*
Analyze Magic
Architect/Builder*
Astral Projection
Charisma*
Confusion
Control Gate
Control Person
Courtly Graces*
Curse
Dark Vision
Delete Writing
Destroy Creation
Detect Life
Detect Lies*
Detect Magic
Diplomacy*
Dispel Missiles
Dissolve Enchantment Duplicate Writing
Far Vision
Friendship
Geas
Glamor
Great Voice
Insubstantiality
Invisibility
Lock/Knock
Long-Distance Telepathy
Look Your Best
Mage Sight
Pathfinder
Pentagram
Persuasiveness
Remove Cursed Object
Remove Thrown Spell
Repair
Reveal Magic
Reveal/Conceal
Scrying
Soothe
Spell Shield
Spellsniffer
Staff I-IV
Stalwart
Summon Scout
Telekinesis
Telepathy
Trailtwister
Turn Missiles
Ward
Whisper
Word of Command

*Talent