10/17/91

Robbie Westmoreland

The Magic of Pendule

Pendule was a magus in the 9th century who refused to join the Order of Hermes. Because of this, he spent most of his life in hiding. In the few years before he disappeared from mortal realms, he sought out a few magi of kind dispositions, and taught something of his peculiar magic to them. His traditions still appear occasionally, rarely complete, but always expanding the extent of magic.

Pendule's magic combined the emotion of the caster, song, and color with the more traditional Hermetic arts. His philosophy was that magic could not be separate from practitioner. Thus, a magus should be a part of the spells in a personal way. In order to use Pendule's theories in spells, a magus must have a score in Personal Magic, the theory invented by Pendule and taught to his filii. The following were aspects of his magic.

Song Magic (effective +2 virtue):

The magus' spells are enhanced when songs are incorporated in their creation and casting (using the Personal Magic knowledge). A score in Song Magic is added to penetration and to rolls to maintain concentration on these spells. Talents like Free Expression or Enchanting Music can be added, as can half of a skill in singing. Specialties in Song Magic should be themes, such as war for attack spells or causing anger, or beauty for spells to affect illusions or calm emotions. These spells must have a full vocal component in casting. If the caster tries to cast these spells with quiet or not vocal input, an additional -3 penalty is incurred, and no bonus for Song Magic is received.

Emotional Magic (effective +1 virtue):

The magus' spells are directly effected by the strongest emotion felt at the time of casting. A score in Emotional Magic can be used to allow the magus to control his emotions, to suppress unwanted passions and to bring forward desired feelings. The player and the storyguide should determine what sentiments are strongest in the character whenever a spell is about to be cast, rating them from 0 to 3. Whichever is the strongest is then added to any personality scores which would tend to enhance such emotions. The effect which this then has on the magic is variable:

• Anger/Hatred: The total is added to penetration for attack spells and spells to agitate people or animals, but subtracted from spells to calm emotions. Any spells which tend to affect to the object of anger or hatred are modified.
• Love/Compassion: The total is added to penetration and tends to enhance duration for spells to protect, heal, or otherwise aid the object of the emotion or those favored by the object of the emotion. Spells which might harm that subject are hindered.
• Fear: The total is added the effect of defensive spells, and to penetration for spells to stop attackers. Any spells which do not serve to protect the caster, harm attackers, or allow escape are impeded by this emotion.

Magi with this ability tend either to guard expression of their emotions, or to be very passionate all of the time. Spells can be created which are especially sensitive to the magus' feelings. This adds Five to the level of the spell, and causes the emotional effect on the spell to be doubled. Magi who do not have this virtue can use spells which are emotionally sensitive, but will be subject to the emotional effect as though the spell were not sensitive and the casting magus does have the virtue.

Color Magic (effective +3 virtue):

This magus incorporates color into his spells. Spells invented using Personal Magic can be enhanced by a score in Color Magic directly in casting. The magus will concentrate on particular colors associated with the spell to add this bonus. This requires a concentration roll of 6+. Spells with physical manifestations will have this color as a part of that physical manifestation. Visual Imagonem spells will have this color as a tint, noticeable only to the perceptive. Spells not invented using Personal Magic can also be affected by this ability, but the score is divided by two, rounded down, and the caster must make a concentration roll of 12+.

A magus using Personal Magic in the creation of a spell must use the lower of Personal Magic and Magic TheoryMagic Theory. When learning a spell from a book, the magus can incorporate these aspects into the spell by adding 10 to the necessary lab total to learn the spell, and using the lower of Personal Magic and Magic Theory in the lab total. Experimentation can be used in either of these forms of research. The magus' score in the effect he wishes to incorporate into a spell is added to his lab total as well. If a magus wishes to incorporate more than one aspect of Pendule's magic into a spell, the level of the spell increases by five for each additional effect. If the level of the spell is actually increased by the research, the spell may not be altered in learning from a book, although half of a previously known spell may be added to a spell modified in this way for research purposes.