Evoker skills

From Breaking Worlds

Evoker skills are focussed around summoning, binding, and manipulating spirits to gain power and knowledge.

A sacrifice of silver to empower an evocation ritual of Major and Epic strength, or which is improvised, must be at least 16 SD. An ancestor spirit or an elemental of Common or greater degree will generally be angry and intractable if summoned using less than 32 SD.


Evoker

  • Cost to learn: 4 XP
  • Prerequisites: none

This skill costs 0 XP if your class is Evoker.
You know the Spirit Binding spell:

Spirit Binding
Self or Close range spell 0 Mana Evocation
You bind a willing spirit to a willing person or to an item unattended or held by a willing person.

Note that without specific skills, most characters can only use spirits of the least degree.

You know the Least Rite of Evocation:

Least Rite of Evocation
Minor ritual Evocation
You summon an elemental spirit of the least degree; or you speak to any bound spirit for five minutes.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.

(If you attempt to lead more than one summoning ritual in the space of half an hour, you are likely to suffer ill effects.)
A (not necessarily exhaustive) list of the effects that can be gained from least spirits can be found here.
If your class is Evoker, you are considered proficient with any magic item that has a bound spirit, and you may start play with a bound spirit of the least degree unless you are a revenant without the Second Binding skill.


Second Binding

  • Cost to learn: 3 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You may have an additional spirit bound to yourself (to a normal maximum of two, or a maximum of one if you are a revenant).

Masterful Binding

  • Cost to learn: 4 XP
  • Prerequisites: Second Binding

You may have any number of spirits bound to yourself. You must speak to a ref if you have more than three bound at any time, or two if you are a revenant.


Common Rite of Evocation

  • Cost to learn: 2 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You can have common spirits bound to yourself.
You know the Common Rite of Evocation:

Common Rite of Evocation
Major ritual Evocation
You summon an elemental spirit of common degree.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.
The powers given by common spirits are diverse. The surest way to find one that suits your needs is to research a name in downtime, though summoning one ad hoc is possible. Common spirits can perform services immediately in return for sacrifice, as well as be bound.

Greater Rite of Evocation

  • Cost to learn: 3 XP
  • Prerequisites: Common Rite of Evocation

You can have greater spirits bound to yourself.
You know the Greater Rite of Evocation:

Greater Rite of Evocation
Major ritual Evocation
You summon an elemental spirit of greater degree.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.
Greater spirits should almost always be researched before trying to summon one. Greater spirits will not give their aid easily, and evokers can expect to spend time building a relationship with a greater spirit before it will agree to be bound or provide a service, though exceptions are sometimes made for events of great importance.

Mastery of Evocation

  • Cost to learn: 4 XP
  • Prerequisites: Greater Rite of Evocation

You can have any willing spirit bound to yourself.
You know the Perfected Rite of Evocation:

Perfected Rite of Evocation
Epic ritual Evocation
You summon an elemental spirit of any degree. Note that as an Epic Ritual you need a suitable plot opportunity to use this ability.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.

You are an expert practitioner of evocation and can improvise Minor, Major, and Epic Rituals. Examples of what effects can be created with Mastery of Evocation include the following:

  • Minor:
    • Investigating a bound spirit or magic item in depth.
    • Hampering the abilities of a spirit.
    • Influencing a future summoning ritual cast in the same area.
  • Major:
    • Investigating a rift.
    • Creating a barrier against spirits.
    • Manipulating the Veil between the Spirit World and the mortal world - for example to make summoning easier or harder for a short period.
    • Binding a soul to an unwilling, but unresisting, person or creature. (This could be considered a criminal act.)
    • Splitting a soul into pieces. (This would be a criminal act of sacrilege.)
  • Epic:
    • Manipulating a rift.
    • Affecting the Spirit World directly.

You must know the Rite of Séance as well as Mastery of Evocation to improvise rituals specifically affecting ancestor spirits.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.


Rite of Necromancy

  • Cost to learn: 2 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You know the Rite of Necromancy:

Rite of Necromancy
Minor ritual Evocation
You use a recently dead body to speak for five minutes to the spirit that inhabited it. This only works reliably for mostly complete human corpses.

Rite of Séance

  • Cost to learn: 3 XP
  • Prerequisites: Rite of Necromancy

You know the Rite of Séance:

Rite of Séance
Major ritual Evocation
You summon an ancestor spirit.

This works best when used to contact the recently deceased. It is particularly unreliable when used to summon the spirit of someone who died more than a few decades ago. However, it can be used even if physical remains are not present.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.

Necromantic Binding

  • Cost to learn: 3 XP
  • Prerequisites: Rite of Necromancy

You know the Necromantic Binding spell:

Spirit Binding
Close range spell 0 Mana Evocation
You bind a willing spirit to a dead body. This only works reliably for mostly complete human corpses.

This spell can be used to bind elementals to dead bodies, thereby creating golems. If you have summoned a consenting spirit or have one bound to yourself or to an item on your person, you may transfer and bind that spirit to a dead body, which will act as a golem under your control for five minutes or until the end of the present encounter. Golems raised in downtime may last significantly longer.


Rite of Dismissal

  • Cost to learn: 2 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You know the Rite of Dismissal:

Rite of Dismissal
Minor, Major, or Epic ritual Evocation
You break the bond between a willing or unresisting person or body, or an item unattended or held by a willing or unresisting person, and any bound spirit. If this ritual is focused on a revenant it will cause them serious harm.

The strength of the ritual required is dependent on the degree and attitude of the spirit.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.


Rite of Sacrifice

  • Cost to learn: 2 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You know the Rite of Sacrifice:

Rite of Sacrifice
Minor, Major, or Epic ritual Evocation
You sacrifice to a spirit, which need not be present.

The strength of the ritual required is dependent on the degree and attitude of the spirit and on the nature of the sacrifice. If a spirit is present, you do not need to perform a ritual to sacrifice to them, but it will almost certainly gain you favour.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.


Artifice

  • Cost to learn: 2 XP
  • Prerequisites: Evoker

You can spend a few minutes appropriate roleplay and 16 silver ducatto to create a magic item suitable for binding a spirit of the least degree, which will last until a spirit leaves it. You can also do this in downtime as a Minor Action.

Improved Artifice

  • Cost to learn: 3 XP
  • Prerequisites: Artifice

You can spend a few minutes appropriate roleplay and 64 silver ducatto to create a magic item suitable for binding a spirit of common degree, which will last until a spirit leaves it. You can also do this in downtime as a Minor Action.

Greater Artifice

  • Cost to learn: 4 XP
  • Prerequisites: Improved Artifice

You can spend several minutes appropriate roleplay and either 256 silver ducatto or 2 gold ducatto to create a magic item suitable for binding a spirit of greater degree, which will last until a spirit leaves it. You can also do this in downtime as a Major Action.
Given the right materials you can create items with special properties, such as the ability to store part of a divided soul.

Artificer’s Appraisal

  • Cost to learn: 1 XP
  • Prerequisites: Artifice

You can inspect an item with a magic ribbon or tag to get a good idea of its nature, value, and history.
You must have a ref present (as a Guide or otherwise) to use this ability.