| Low-Strength Rotes |
| Knockout Punch - Mind ** |
| Homing Beacon - Correspondance **, Mind *, **, or *** |
| Skeleton Key - Matter ** |
| There are many times when a magus finds that they need to stun a person, or knock them out, without killing them. In situations like this, a little Mind magic can go a long way. With a well-placed blow, backed up by a psychic burst, a mage can knock almost anyone out. This rote is a favorite of Akashics and Choristers, both of whom feel that temperance is a great virtue. System: The mage applies the rote to their target (so two successes are required). Every success attaches a -2 dice pool penalty, cumilative with injury penalties. If the total of the spell's penalty and the target's injury penalties exceeds -6, the target falls unconsious. The spell lasts for a scene, after which the target has shrugged off the pain of the strike. This rote is fully coincidental. |
| Another old favorite, Homing Beacon is commonly used by Adepts and Etherite, although any traditionalist might 'tag' someone for tracking. By simply tagging a person, the caster can track them anywhere as long as the spell lasts. System: This spell is often cast on an object that is then given to the target, but in a pinch, it can be cast on the target directly. Successes will determine the duration of the effect, which will track the target's mind and give an exact direction and distance to them. The Mind ** varient acts as an empathic beacon, allowing the caster to get a vague sense of what's going on over there, and the Mind *** varient actually acts as a spy camera, relaying the target's thoughts and senses. |
| First used by Hermetic Adept Johanna van Kruschek, the Skeleton Key rote has been adapted by every Tradition (and by the Technocracy), due to its simplicity and effectiveness. By pressing a small bar of copper to a keyhole, and chanting a prayer to the archangel Raphael, Johanna softened the metal, so that when it hardened it was the exact shape of the key that would open the door in question. System: The mage casts the rote on the copper (or iron, or what have you), and upon completion, has a perfect replica of the lock's key. The effect requires a mere two successes, but is definately quite vulgar. The key, once created, is permanent, and will always work on that door (and that door only). |