Editing Campaign:Oceans Exalted/Valley (section)

== Thaumaturgy ==

*'''The Art of Weather Working, Master Degree''': 

The Council of Winds is a powerful elemental court that influences virtually all of the weather in Creation. Most often, they obey the plans of the Bureau of Seasons, but clever magicians can beseech them to arrange for particular conditions in a region. Effects might be as small as a simple breeze to snuff out a candle or as large as a powerful storm, depending upon the thaumaturge’s skill and the plans of the elementals involved.<br>

Whenever a thaumaturge makes more than one request during the same two day period, she must spend twice as long enacting these rituals, and her player suffers a +1 difficulty per subsequent request made before leaving the Council alone for at least a week. Most elementals capable of directing large weather patterns have servants to answer for them and are thus generally immune to summons. Botches or particularly egregious uses of this Art can lead to dangerous retribution on the part of the Council of Winds or the Bureau of Seasons.<br>

Different cultures may use different tools for weather working. Some brew strange potions in cauldrons; others tie elaborate knots in cords. Every ritual, however, includes some form of offering to the elementals.<br>

(Degree required, Attribute, Difficulty, Time needed)<br>
'''Foretell Weather''' ''(0, Perception, 2, one minute)'':
Whispering to the winds, offering incense and listening for its answers, a thaumaturge uses this ritual to predict the weather, with each success representing one day in the future. Subsequent events of which the Council of Winds was unaware at the time of the ritual may change the Council’s course and render this rite’s results irrelevant.<br>

'''Minor Changes''' ''(1, Charisma, 3, 10 minutes)'': The thaumaturge may convince local elementals to enact minor alterations to the weather. Each specific ritual evokes one minor change, such as raising a fog or a breeze, reducing rainfall or snowfall, changing the direction of an existing wind, or the like. No change is itself improbable; it merely happens when the thaumaturge would like it to. Changes never extend over more than a square mile or last more than an hour.<br>

'''Transform Weather''' ''(2, Charisma, 4, one hour)'': True manipulation of weather becomes possible. Each ritual seeks to persuade the Court to change a storm to a gentle rain, a blinding heat to a pleasant summer day, and other significant, distinctly improbable alterations. Changes never extend over more than two miles’ radius and last four hours.<br>

'''Major Changes''' ''(3, Charisma, 5, one day)'': The thaumaturge can convince the Court to make huge changes such as summoning up gales or giving rain during a drought. Each ritual can affect an area up to five miles’ radius for an entire day.<br>

*'''The Art of Demon Summoning, Apprentice Degree''':

The Art of Demon Summoning came into being shortly after the Primordial War. This dangerous Art taps into the inescapable oaths laid upon those Primordials who chose surrender. When called to service according to the ancient compacts, a creature of Malfeas must attend the summons. Sadly for Creation, every summoning releases demonic influences upon the world, and Creation’s citizens must remain ever vigilant against the potential sinister affects thereof. Worse yet, the terms of these oaths merely bind demons to serve Exalts and gods who are powerful enough to enforce their will. Mortals may invite demons into Creation, but the provisions of those oaths do little to protect them and do not allow them to extract slavish servitude.<br>

Demon summoning involves elaborate ceremonies with numerous components, both reused and consumed. Many ceremonies require drawing a magic circle or other diagram. Tools include braziers burning stinking incense; weapons; knotted cords, keys and other symbols of bondage (and its removal); talismans scribed with the symbol of a demon or demonic species; and discordant musical instruments suitable for the spawn of the maimed and twisted Primordials.<br>

'''Demonsight''' ''(1, Perception, 4, five minutes)'': His closed eyes annointed with blood, the thaumaturge opens them to perceive immaterial demons with all senses for the rest of the scene.

'''Alarm Ward against Demons''' ''(1, Perception, 1, One hour)'': The thaumaturge sets up an invisible magical line that alerts the character whenever a demon crosses the ward. The alert only reaches the thaumaturge if she is within one mile per success she gained during its casting. The alert can manifest as anything from an enchanted bell that rings to a pricking sensation in the thaumaturge’s thumbs. Once placed, this ward endures for one day. Magical methods of avoiding detection, including Charms, must exceed the ward’s threshold, although sorcery and necromancy that prevent detection automatically succeed. The ward protects an area at most (character’s Degree in Demonology x 20) feet in any direction.

'''Lesser Ward Against Demons''' ''(1, Manipulation, 1, one hour)'': Employing components antithetical demons, the thaumaturge evokes an invisible magical barrier that discourages their approach. A Lesser Ward acts as a deterrent rather than a physical barrier. A creature needs Dodge MDV at least equal to the number of successes achieved on the thaumaturgy roll in order to ignore its unnatural mental influence. A creature affected by the ward may spend 1 Willpower per scene to ignore its effects, though doing so may incur Limit when applicable. Once cast, the ward lasts for one day. The ward protects an area at most (character’s Degree in Warding x 20) feet in any direction. If the thaumaturge limits the ward to blocking only a specific subtype of Demon, such as Erymanthoi or a named Second Circle Demon, then he gains an extra die to roll for each Degree he possesses in the Art of Demonology.