Sorcerous Workings

Sorcerous workings are a system that allows you, the sorcerer, to make massive, sweeping changes.

In short: sorcerous workings are “be creative, the system.”

Intention

Every working begins with an intention: that which you seek to achieve.

Example intentions are: “Summon the ghost of a deceased soldier”, “create a speaking-stone”, “plunge the Red Iron district of Petal Cove into Hell”, that sort of thing.

Ambition

Ambition is the scale and scope of the miracle you want to perform.

• AMBITION 1: A simple feat of magic.
• AMBITION 2: An exceptional feat of magic.
• AMBITION 3: The upper bound of what can be imagined with sorcery.

The following table sets the goal number of the working:

Finesse

Finesse is extent to which you as a player control the working. It sets the difficulty of the roll.

• FINESSE 1: You accomplish your intention, but the details are up to the GM.
• FINESSE 3: You accomplish your intention and give broad details of how it manifests, but the GM fills in the details you leave out.
• FINESSE 5: You have complete control of the working and all details of it.

Dropping Finesse

If you are in danger of failing the roll, you may drop the finesse. For every point you drop (the difference between the two), you take 1 botch on the roll.

Means

Means represent the resources you are putting toward completing the working. All the means you add help to extend the terminus of the roll.

Making the Roll

Once you have defined your working, you make an extended roll with a difficulty set by the Finesse, a goal number set by the Ambition, and a terminus equal to (5 + Means). The interval of this roll is 1 week, unless you take the “Extra Time” means, in which case it takes longer.

Once you have acquired enough successes to complete the working, it is finished and manifests in the world.

If you fail the roll, then the working fails to take hold.

A botch in an interval does not spoil the working, but introduces unexpected complications and consequences. Don’t fear them, they add an awful lot of fun.

Reaching Beyond

You may attempt a working at the Sapphire Circle by taking the following consequences:

• Increase the difficulty by 2;
• Each failure counts as a botch;
• The interval is increased from 1 week to 3 months.

You can do some major things, but it is long, hard, and keeps you locked away in your tower for months on end.