Sorcery: Shadowcasting

With mastery of this Path, the shadows become your tools, the darkness your ally, and the night your friend. Despite the accusations of those who claim that the Path is, if not actively infernal, at least tinged with an ineffable darkness that can corrupt the unwary, the Path of Shadows is no more inherently evil than most other Paths. Whatever evil a sorcerer finds on the Path of Shadows, he brought himself.

A shadowcaster learns to manipulate and conjure shadowstuff - at first, mere simple shade but, with experience, near-tangible blackness or total nightfall. Color and light are absorbed and extinguished by these shadows, which dance and caper at the sorcerer's beck and call. Needless to say, such displays can be quite unnerving, even a novice sorcerer can conjure effects that will frighten the wits out of most normal humans.


System

Roll: Manipulation + Occult

Cost: 1 Willpower

Modifiers: None

Time: One turn per level of effect

Duration: Varies

This Path does not have aspects persay; rather, its effects are limited by raw level.

* The caster can deepen and darken shadows and darkness in a room or area. The overall lighting doesn't alter, but those shadows that do exist will be much darker than they ought to be. If you desire, those shadows can carry with them a feeling of unease and spookiness. Exact effects depend on the situation (using this ability in a brightly lit office will have little effect, while doing it in a shadowy warehouse would give a sorcerer (and others) the effect of an extra dot of Stealth).

** By shaping the shadows in his area and muffling the sounds he makes, the sorcerer can become almost impossible to discover. He can make his appearance indistinct, his voice eerie and creepy and the shadows deep and dark around himself. Add 2 dice to dice ools involving Arcane, Disguise (for purposes of hiding your appearance, not for taking on the appearance of others), Intimidation or Stealth. If the sorcerer casts the shadows on another, the victim will begin to see things out of the corner of his eyes, horrible shadowy forms that dissolve when the head turns. Strange creaks, ominous footsteps and hollow laughter will inhabit his hearing, and a rising sense of dread will occupy every spare thought. A Willpower roll (difficulty equal to the number of successes rolled) is necessary to avoid fumbling and hesitation; while not enough to cause penalties, this will cause someone to reconsider whether or not they should be here, instead of safe at home in his well-lit living room....

*** The shadows rile and coil about the shadowcaster. Color fades from the area, and sounds become mere whispers and murmers... or sudden piercing laughs, screams and other sounds of terror. Panic rises in all but the most stout hearted (Willpower roll, difficulty equal to the successes rolled +2; failure indicates either a sudden, near irresistible urge to be elsewhere or a -1 to all tasks). You may add 3 dice to your attempts to conceal your character (or another).

**** The shadows are the sorcerer's allies in all ways. Those who oppose him must make a Willpower roll (difficulty or be struck down in near-terror (-2 on all tasks - fear this great may drive some to frenzy). Add 4 dice to your dice pools for Intimidation, Arcane and Stealth. Cameras and other electronic recording devices will fail unless the operators succeed at an Intelligence + (appropriate skill: Computers, Investigation, Photography, Science) roll (difficulty 8, generally, although very simple equipment might need only a 6).

***** The shadows reach out and engulf the caster's opponents; what they see there is enough to reduce even the greatest to shivering wrecks. Used offensively, the opponent must make a Willpower check (difficulty 8, 3 successes needed) or be reduced to uselessness for several turns; a victim that was already afraid of the dark or enclosed spaces will probably require psychiatric attention before recovering. Those shrouded in the darkness will be totally invisible to those outside it (and to eachother). Naturally, the caster can see in his own darkness. Any recording device brought into the darkness fails immediately (no roll allowed); any pointed at the darkness see only roiling masses of... nothing. Inky blackness. Shadows.

****** The legendary sorcerer can give the shadows a physical form, shaping them into chains or tentacles to grab and hold those he wants stopped. The number of successes scored represents the total amount of Strength that can be brought to bear against opponents; you can divide these points up as you want. Bright light will weaken these shadows; sunlight will destroy them. Alternatively, the caster can use this power to dim even the brightest lights; even the sun will dim, although only temporarily, and only in a small, well-defined area (an alley way or courtyard, for example).


Price of Failure

The shadows are cruel servants... or are they masters? In any case, botches with this Path are certainly undesirable. Sorcerers can end up befuddling themselves as much (or more) than their opponents, drawing the shadows they intended to inflict on others upon themselves. Rumors speak of shadowy forms coming out of shadows that didn't exist... couldn't exist, in broad daylight, to draw a sorcerer who has badly botched into the darkness, never to be seen again. Others speak of things drawn forth that have forever pursued students of this Path... and those caught by them are never quite the same again.