Scholarly Ways
Unseemly Librarian Nature
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One hour per
success
Type: Simple
Minimum Temperance: 1
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
The studious ghost-librarian is well in tune with the knowledge of
the Ages. After all, many evenings he has nothing better to do than to read
scrolls and books found in the Underworld — materials forever lost to Creation.
By activating this Arcanos with 2 motes
and his player making a successful Intelligence + Lore roll, the scholarly
ghost receives one automatic success with all Daybreak Caste Abilities (Craft,
Investigation, Lore, Medicine and Occult) for one hour per success.
Discerning Student Technique
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One minute
per success
Type: Simple
Minimum Temperance: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Unseemly Librarian Nature
The ghost scholar who knows Discerning Student Technique has whole
libraries of information buried within his ghostly mind, and he can easily
compare the known facts of a situation against the statements of another being.
The ghost’s player rolls Perception + Empathy as the ghost
activates this Arcanos. Throughout the duration, he
gains one automatic success to detect most falsehoods. Discerning Student
Technique provides insight (that automatic success) into statements that the
speaker knows to be lies.
It also provides the same level of insight when a speaker
misstates objective fact, so long as that objective fact is recorded in a
public, scholarly storehouse of knowledge located in the Underworld (it would
prove to be of no use if a scholar’s allies began saying “…the Scarlet Empress
is in Sijan! …the Scarlet Empress is in Chiaroscuro!
…the Scarlet Empress is in Wangler’s Knob!” until
they found one statement that did not register as false — it only works on
matters of scholarly record). This Charm does not provide the ghost with
insight into the truth of a situation in any circumstances, only awareness of
whether a statement is false.
Masterly Pedagogical Inquiry
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Temperance: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Discerning Student Technique
The ghost-scholar using Masterly Pedagogical Inquiry can force his
subject to answer a single question truthfully. The ghost simply spends the
necessary Essence and asks a direct question of the target, and the ghost’s
player rolls Manipulation + Presence; the target’s player rolls Willpower to
resist. If the ghost achieves more successes than the target, the target must
answer the question as fully and truthfully as possible — though generally
speaking, this Arcanos cannot get more than a
100-word answer out of anyone with a single question. This Charm does not work
on individuals with an Essence higher than the ghost’s.
Imperious Instructor’s Dictate
Cost: 5 motes + 1 Willpower
Duration: One day
Type: Simple
Minimum Conviction: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Masterly Pedagogical Inquiry
Imperious Instructor’s Dictate allows a ghost to issue a single
command to her subject, which must be followed to the best of the subject’s
ability. The scholar spends her Essence and Willpower and immediately issues a
single command, a short imperative sentence. The ghost’s player rolls Charisma
+ Presence, and the target’s player rolls Willpower to resist. If the ghost
achieves more successes than the target, the target will obey the command — and
not realize that he’s been given a command, but rather, think that this is his
own idea. The target loses interest in fulfilling the command after about a
day, so the ghost using this Arcanos should make the
command relatively easy to accomplish within that period. If the ghost’s player
manages to botch the roll on this Charm, the target instantly knows that he is
being magically manipulated and is likely to respond angrily. This Charm does
not work on individuals with an Essence higher than the ghost’s.
Favored-Student Charm
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Duration: Varies (see
below)
Type: Simple
Minimum Compassion: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Imperious Instructor’s Dictate
The ghost with this Charm manipulates another ghost’s hun, rendering that ghost friendly to the Arcanos’ user. This ability, unlike most of the previous Arcanoi in this art, works only on ghosts. Typically, the
Charm induces the sort of camaraderie seen between a skilled student and a wise
instructor (the ghost using this Arcanos may choose
to impose either role on the target). The target of the Arcanos
generally can’t be forced to act in contradiction to his Nature or strongly
held Virtues. He also won’t sacrifice his unlife or
livelihood for the ghost, but he will do his best to assist the ghost as much
as possible.
The ghost cannot use this Arcanos on
another ghost with a higher Essence than hers. The player of the ghost using
Favored-Student Charm makes a Charisma + Socialize roll, after the ghost spends
her Essence and Willpower, and the target may resist with Willpower. A botch on
the roll to activate this Arcanos immediately reveals
the ghost’s intentions to the target, probably with dire consequences. When the
Arcanos wears off, if it is not renewed with the
expenditure of more Essence and Willpower, the target will have a vague idea of
what was done to him and may feel somewhat uneasy around the user (+1
difficulty to all Social rolls between target and user). The number of net
successes determines the duration:
Successes Duration
1 One
hour
2 Until
the next dawn
3 One
full day
4 One
week
5 One
month
This Charm does not work on individuals with an Essence higher
than the ghost’s.
Eternally Loyal Student Prana
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Duration: Special (see
below)
Type: Special (see below)
Minimum Compassion: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Favored-Student Charm The wise ghost-scholar can manipulate a
student’s hun sufficiently to permanently implant an
order in another ghost’s mind. Like Favored-Student Charm, Eternally Loyal
Student Prana can be used only on other ghosts,
rather than the living or other spirits. The scholar must first spend a full
day with the target. At the end of this time, he spends the Essence and
Willpower to insert the command into the target’s mind. The ghost cannot use
this Charm on a ghost with an Essence higher than his own. The Arcanos requires a roll of Manipulation + Presence, and the
target’s player may resist with a Willpower roll.
The scholar’s player must achieve at least two net successes on
his roll. The orders cannot be more complex than about 100 words’ worth unless
the ghost achieves five or more net successes (in which case, they can be as
complex as he wishes, down to subclauses and special
cases). As with Favored-Student Charm, no orders may be implanted that directly
contradict the target’s Nature or high Virtues.