ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

Gibberish (Mind 1/3, Entropy 2)

This rote makes a mage (or someone else) unable to understand anything spoken or written. It will just sound like gibberish. It's impossible to discern any content of the spoken and no type of verbal magick will work on the person (this rote will immunize against Voice of Command and memes). It can also be expanded to other senses, to protect against images or gestures, or be specified to work against certain words or matters. Some versions even replace a certain word with another, making the victim hear disinformation.

Osmosis (Matter 1, Mind 1)

The mage "reads" an object by holding it and quickly learns all information it holds. The time required varies depending on the amount of information, but afterwards the mage can recite everything out of memory (hopefully he knows the language). Very practical for books, letters or computer disks. The mage doesn't necessarily understand the information, but he can recite it or remember particular parts.

For electronic media, use Forces 1 instead of Matter.

Quick Reading (Mind 1)

The mage increases his reading speed far above the normal.

One success doubles it, two triples it, three quadruples it, etc. By adding Time 3 the speed can be increased even more.

Subprocess (Mind 1)

This rote was perfected by the Virtual Adepts. The mage allocates a small part of his mind to perform a certain task, like solving a problem or guarding a door. The mage will then forget it until the subprocess is finished and reunites with the main mind. This can be used to hide information from the main mind or plant reminders (Time 1 can be combined, creating a timed subprocess). Some Virtual Adepts have developed recursive subprocesses, which can generate their own subprocesses. Several of them have, however, fallen victim to runaway subprocesses which have eaten their brain capacity, due to erroneous programming.

Fishing in the Well of Dreams (Mind 1, Spirit 2)

A rote the Akashic Brotherhood sometimes uses. They summon their own dreams, fantasies, fears and illusions into the waking world so they can speak with them, hoping to understand them or banish them if needed. The Brother ceremonially washes himself and then starts to meditate on the part of his mind he wants to meet. He brings it slowly closer to the surface, step by step, until it appears clearly to him. This rote is quite hazardous, since it can release dangerous aspects of the mage into the light and they might not always be content to return to their old places. It has happened that fantasies not only have refused to return, but that they have stayed in the world in physical form (so called Tulpas).

Using Mind 2 or 3 the mage can summon fragments of another present person. Some mages have even sent away their own fragments into the minds of others.

Detect Disinformation (Mind 1, Entropy 1, often Corr. 3 and/or Time 2)

Many Rosicrucians are paranoid about information they receive and seek to test it to see if it is disinformation or lies. This rote was developed by a group of especially worried mages, who were barraged by subtle disinformation from the Technocracy. They studied the information in the mental image of their showstones, invoking Mikael and other angels of truth to help them to find falsehoods and lies. By seeking internal inconsistencies, they managed to ascertain some of the validity. This method was later developed into a very efficient rote by adding Correspondence and Time. The mage not only studies the internal consistency of the information, he also compares it to the causal chains and actual state of the world. This might take a long time if it is complex information or relates to very specific matters, so the use is somewhat limited. However, even a brief check can reveal some types of disinformation.

Double Pain (Mind 2)

The mage increases the susceptibility to pain of a victim. A small cut will feel like a deep gash and a greater wound will paralyze the victim in agony. This is sometimes used by mages in the Akashic Brotherhood on themselves to train their resistance to pain and their willpower. They just sit down in Do meditation and concentrate on the pain of existence.

The wound penalties are doubled for the victim. A Hurt or Injured will give a -2 penalty, Wounded -4 and Crippled -10.

Voice of Command (Mind 2)

The mage commands someone with his resounding, commanding voice. The victim feel a strong impulse to obey the order of the mage. The order has to be short and possible to act on directly, since the victim would otherwise start to think for himself. The rote cannot overcome what the person wouldn't do on his own.

Curse (Mind 2)

The mage curses someone, often very graphically and often using some material implement (waving a bone or entrails at the victim, or spitting at him). The mage implants a subconscious desire to get hurt. The victim will often become unsettled, nervous or depressed. When an opportunity presents itself, the subconscious mind will try to make the victim hurt himself (or a loved one). Some mages add Entropy to "give fate a hand", creating more opportunities for the curse to work.

Leave Feeling (Mind 2, Matter 2, Prime 2)

The mage focuses on his current emotions and diffuses them through the surrounding area, making tiny modifications to things. People who enter will feel subtle cues towards the same feeling as the mage left. This is often used to create rooms for different purposes in eastern chantries or by the Cult of Ecstasy to enchant places they like.

Dominion (Mind 2, Prime 2)

The mage surrounds a room or other place with symbols of himself (for example his coat of arms, his monogram or something else). The mage becomes master of the area, making everyone inside obey him without question as long as they are inside. Everybody feels the presence of the mage intensely. The mage becomes the central point of the room.

The Garden of Delight (Mind 2, Life 2)

Originally invented by the Cult of Ecstasy, but later used by the Euthanatos. They turn the doll upside down and sensually stroke it with their weapon. The victim will experience all pain as intense pleasure. A pinprick is a pleasurable tickle, a stabbing knife an orgasm. Some Euthanatos use the rote to make honored persons perform the good death on themselves.

Sight of Cerberus (Mind 2, Corr. 1)

The mage expands his mind in all directions. Should it find another mind filled with enmity directed against him personally the mage will immediately know it, and knows the exact position of the enemy. As long as the mage uses this rote he is safe from ambushes.

Inner Music (Mind 2, Forces 3, Prime 2)

All people have their own inner music but few can hear it and even fewer can express it outside themselves. Most people who try simply fail to convey the exquisite harmonies they find. However, an unknown Cultist of Ecstasy during the Middle Ages developed this rote to bring the music into the world. By connecting the subconscious of a person with the ability to create sound, the mage could make the mental music heard. The result was often staggeringly beautiful. However, the music also influenced the person who created it in unexpected ways. Since it symbolized the personality and whole mind of the person, it seemed to reinforce his most dominant traits. Fundamentally happy people become even happier when they hear their exorbitant music. Sad people become even more depressed by hearing their ominous music. Confused people become more confused while intellectuals are filled with the urge to study and understand.

Create Meme (Mind 2/3, Prime 2)

Memes are mental viruses which spread from mind to mind, things like rumors, catchy tunes, good jokes or catch phrases. Virtual Adepts have found them to be excellent weapons to sway public opinion and to influence people. Generally mages design memes by concentrating on the message they want to spread and then let their creative juices flow. Usually they suddenly find an especially catchy way to convey what they want. It can be anything, ranging from jokes, catchphrases to pieces of music. When memes are set loose, other people will find them catchy and repeat them, spreading them quickly. They are powerful weapons but can turn against their creators. Just like living beings they can mutate and evolve, sometimes far beyond the wildest expectations of their creators.

Somebody Else's Problem (Mind 2 or 3)

The mage dampens the interest of something, for example himself. The victims won't notice anything unless it's spectacular, and will lose it unless he keeps his eyes on it. A person with SEP can walk down a street without being noticed or remembered but a security guard will probably stop him if he tries to enter a restricted area (the guard is on lookout for any intruder). With Mind 3 the mage can erase all perception of himself, which turns him invisible for all practical purposes as long as he doesn't break the illusion by attacking someone, turning over something or colliding with someone. This type of protection/invisibility is very common. Cabalists use the Yetziratic Sealing Rite, Rosicrucians the Rose-Cross Ritual, Akashic Brothers special silent Do-movements and Verbena wear protective amulets carved with the athame.

Inner Journey (Mind 3)

The mage enters a deep trance and enters himself mentally, as if he went on an astral journey. He will enter his own inner world, where all his dreams, memories and thoughts are represented. He can then wander just as if he was in a normal realm. Mages can find the most surprising things in the labyrinth of the mind. Dreams, memories of forgotten persons, old hobgoblins and subconscious horrors may appear, speak to him or even attack. There might be portals from old dreams to the chimerae. To end the journey the mage has to return to his starting point, where he will awaken. One of the greatest risks with such inner journeys is that the mage may not find his back again (or that he doesn't want to, after finding a place, a dream or memory so lovely that he will never leave it). Some mages spend much time in their own or other (Mind 4) minds. With some extra mental magick the mage can bring others into the trance.

Open the Abyss (Mind 3)

The mage sends the mind of the victim down into the Great Abyss. The body will collapse in coma. The victim cannot experience anything else but emptiness and cannot do anything other than think. Most people turn insane after a few days (if time can be said to exist for them). In the beginning they just fall asleep, but then they start to drift between dream and wakefulness, unable to tell the difference. Hallucinations and delusions appear, and the personality begins to dissolve without any sensory impressions. Some advanced members of the Akashic Brotherhood meditate in the Abyss, sometimes for months and there are rumors of a monastery where several monks lived for years in the Abyss.

Each day inside the Abyss the victim has to succeed with his Willpower against 8 to retain his sanity. If it fails the Willpower is decreased by one. A botch creates a permanent loss, and when it reaches zero the victim is incurably insane.

Candace's Divination of Personal Facts (Life 1, Mind 3)

By Deidre. Allows the mage to divine personal information about a person. Height, age, real hair color, number of children, etc. One question answered per success.

Reveal the Wandering Carcasses (Matter 1, Mind 3)

The mage searches the vicinity for minds coupled to matter, not life. This will reveal undead beings and other non-living creatures. Sons of Ethers use their meters, which they direct towards suspects and compare their readings with standard levels. Choristers touch people with their holy symbol and watch their reactions.

Genetic Memory (Mind 3, Life 1, Time 2)

This rote was originally an ancient Verbena rote, but it has been adopted by many life and nature-oriented mages. The theory is that memory is retained in the blood (or genes) of people and their descendants can access it with the proper methods. This allows them to learn from the experiences and mistakes of the ancients. Verbena draw a drop of blood with their athame and then meditate on the subtle nuances of the taste.

Each success will double the number of generations backwards the mage can feel. One success allows the study of the memories of the mage's parents. Two reaches the grandparents, three reaches back to the great-great-grandparents, etc. Note that only memories up to conception are available from the father and up to birth from the mother.

Test the Traitor (Mind 3, Entropy 1, sometimes Time 2)

This rote is used to test initiates of the Rosicrucians to see if they are possible traitors. It is often used during the initiation ceremony just as the initiate is shocked or is busy concentrating on something else, since the psychological defenses will be weaker. The users (often several older Rosicrucians working together in secret) try to find weak points in the devotion to the Rosicrucian ideals and possible treasonous thoughts. They watch the mind of the person with their showstones, comparing it to the purity of their seals. The mages also use Time if they can, to see if there is any chance the tested person will become susceptible to such ideas or have been subjected to them.

Mental Similarity Detection using Consciousness Resonance (Mind 3, Corr. 2, Life 1)

A Son of Ether once wanted to find out if someone else was keeping a defector from the Technocracy under surveillance. He built an electronic device, which connected electrodes on his head and a sensitive antenna to a resonance circuit. His theory was, that if someone was watching the defector, the mental patterns of the other would match his own as he was watching the defector. This would cause a resonance in the detector, which could be measured. He also added a biofeedback monitor to the system, to be able to find out some physical characteristics of the other person. The device turned out to be both efficient and almost paradox free, and now is standard equipment in many of the local mental experiments.

See Through Borrowed Eyes (Mind 3, Corr. 2)

The mage "borrows" the senses of another person. The victim will notice that he is experiencing things a little differently, but not how.

Floodland (Mind 3, Entropy 3) Sons of Jupiter

By Jack Dracula. A great delaying tactic, this rote was invented by Yomphana (yoyo), one of the Sons diametrically opposed to the Euthanatos. It floods the target's mind with all sorts of random thoughts from everyone in the area. This makes it virtually impossible to concentrate on anything.

For every success the Mage makes in the roll, take away one die from the target's dice pools.

Read the Akashic Records (Mind 3, Corr. 3)

The mage expands his mind into the Subconscious of the vicinity, seeking the answer to a specific question or the solution to a problem. The mage can coordinate information from all minds around himself, and find the solution even if no individual can solve the problem. Masters of the Akashic Brotherhood sometimes use it on their disciples to gain insight themselves. Some Choristers expand their minds enormously, so that they encompass millions of minds, as a form of meditation. This is a bit risky, since they risk losing themselves in the mass and let horrors from the Collective Unconscious possess them.

Each success will work as one point of Dream Background during the scene.

Visionquest (Mind 3, Spirit 2)

(Also known as Vision Thing among the Hollow Ones). A rote used by Gnostics, Dreamspeakers and hermetics. The mage puts himself into a state of gnosis by intoxication, fasting, pain or pleasure. As the mage sinks into a trance, he will begin to see visions of the world around him, the Umbra and his own mind. The world seems to become fluid in the perception of the mage, constantly changing and reforming. If the mage concentrates on a problem or a question the visions will begin to reflect this. Using a visionquest, a mage can understand the secret connections and symbols he normally wouldn't understand. Unfortunately the mage seldom remembers anything about what he saw afterwards and becomes very incoherent during the quest, which severely limits the use of the rote. Many Gnostics use their acolytes to write down what they see during their visions, and afterwards try to understand what they discovered. A mage undergoing a visionquest is in serious danger from his subconscious, which may erupt into his visions if it contains strong negative emotions, traumas, or illnesses. Some spirits may also seize the opportunity to enter the mage's consciousness as his defenses are down.

During the vision the mages Dream, intuition, Enigmas, Cosmology and Occult are increased by the number of successes. On the other hand, Willpower and all social and mental attributes are halved (round down). This should really be roleplayed.

Mental Bomb (Mind 3, Corr. 2)

This rote is originally a Marauder rote, used to harass the Technocracy. The mage simply connects all the minds in the vicinity to each other, allowing them to share their thoughts and feelings. The result is usually total, self-enforcing panic which can turn normal people into a stampeding mob in seconds. Using Mind 4, the mage can control the mob, and use it as a crude but very deadly weapon.

Transplant Skills (Mind 3, Corr. 2)

In some cases a mage might need a skill or ability he doesn't know. To ameliorate this problem, someone invented this rote. The mage simply reaches into the mind of somebody with the necessary skill, and taps it. The donor doesn't notice anything except that he tends to think a lot about the skill for no apparent reason, and that he gets strange glimpses of the situation of the mage. The mage, on the other hand, can use the skill for the duration of the rote but caution is advised. The minds of people are tied closely together, and one cannot just grab a single skill without expecting other things to follow. Mages who use the rote report that their personalities sometimes temporarily change towards the personalities of the donor, and that they sometimes get strange impulses or memories from the other person.

Each success will allow one skill level to be borrowed from a donor. The borrowed skills will completely replace the mage's own but may be supplemented with Dream for a truly dangerous and psychedelic effect. However, if the mage gets more than two successes his Demeanor will change to the Demeanor of the donor for the duration of the rote. If he gets four successes, his Nature will change too. Mental quirks and insanity may also be transmitted in this way. If the mage is searching for a rare ability, Correspondence 3 may be used.

Predictive Psychological Profile ( Mind 3, Entropy 2, Time 2, sometimes Corr. 3)

By Michael M. Moolick. When the New World Order needs to counter an individual's actions badly, they often order a Predictive Psychological Profile to be compiled. They gather all known information about the subject. This includes all NWO records (which often extend back to birth), and any records they can obtain from other conventions. Any information they can find will be incorporated into the profile. The statistic formula of the rote makes a paper "simulation" of the person studied (they try to avoid using computers, many of them feel the mind is better than a computer anyways). The person's personality, motivations and random events are taken into account to determine the person's goals and what actions he will be likely to take in order to reach them. The NWO mage will include Correspondence 3 to predict not only what and when the actions will be, but where as well. The agent can then send Men in Black to intercept or ambush the victim.

Creating a Predictive psychological profile is a lengthy process. The mage is allowed to roll one die every two hours the data is sorted through and organized. Fortunately, the rote is considered coincidental in most cases. The base difficulty is 5 for a Sleeper and 7 for a mage, as being Awakened makes someone considerably more unpredictable (the sole known exception to this is Iteration X mages, who are often tremendously predictable). A victim's Arcane rating is added to the difficulty, so a mage with Arcane 4 or 5 is such a mystery man that a profile can't be created without extreme effort (quintessence and a long time), there just isn't enough correct data on the mage.

NWO investigators who use this rote are almost always put under surveillance. As the rote requires the mage to examine the subject's world view enough to understand and predict it, it's use has been known to cause doubt, confusion and even defection. They do not hesitate to pull an investigator "off the case" if he gets too involved.

Oath (Mind 3/4, Corr. 2, Prime 3, Matter 2/3)

Another way of keeping their members loyal is the binding oaths used by the Rosicrucians. When an initiate swears his Neophyte Oath, this rote is used in some lodges. It creates a link between the oath, the mage and a material object (sometimes a drop of the initiate's blood, or his signature or a symbol fashioned during the ceremony). If the initiate ever breaks the oath, the link will shatter, causing some kind of change in the material object (the blood will burn, the signature fade or the symbol shatter). By using more powerful mental magick, the link can remind the mage of his duty if he ever thinks something contrary to the oath. Some groups have developed a more fearsome version, which will attack the oathbreaker (often using Forces, Life or Spirit, depending on the casters).

Program Bio-Expert System (BES) (Life 3 or 4, Mind 3 or 4, Prime 2)

By Michael M. Moolick. Virtual Adepts researching biocomputers have made some progress. They have developed this rote, which allows them to make a computer inside someone's brain/mind and program it as an expert system. Mind and Life 4 are needed if the mage wishes to create a BES in someone other than himself. The mage first prepares a generally unused portion of brain cells with Life and programs them with Mind while balancing the necessary Prime. The system is programmed with abilities, downloaded as memories from a donor and placed in the recipient's mind as a program.

The result is a small autonomous computer system within the recipient. The abilities the system is programmed for will kick in automatically whenever the recipient tries to perform actions where they would normally be used. The BES gives the recipient no knowledge of the process, which occurs in a manner similar to automatic writhing, tasks are performed without knowledge of how or sometimes even what is being done. For example, a person with a Brawling BES might have no idea how to fight but the system will cause their strikes to hit appropriate areas of the enemy without their even considering it.

One "Dirty Virtual Adept Trick" arises from the fact that the BES kicks in automatically. A VA can program a person with a BES which has less dots in a skill than the recipient. Every time the recipient tries to used the skill, the BES takes over and prevents him from reaching any potential higher than that of the BES.

Each success gives the BES one dot in an ability taken from a donor. No BES can have more than four dots in any one skill, more dots in an ability than the donor, or abilities from two or more donors.

Unless the mage succeeds in making the BES permanent, it will eventually degrade, possibly causing seizures or psychological problems. Trying to use the Dream background has unpredictable effects. It has been totally successful in some cases, caused deep quiet in others, and cause mental damage in the unfortunate. No person can have multiple BES'. These systems have been known to implant personality traits of the donor into the recipient and cause amnesia when running.

All in all, Adepts feel a great deal more research can go into the BES field. Some are even working at simulating a Trinary Computer in their own mind so they can do magick with no external focus (they haven't come close yet).

Paradox can strike a BES programmer easily by possessing the BES and taking over the recipient. Unconfirmed rumors report Progenitors are working on BES and other biological computers as an alternative to Iteration X hardware. They also hint the New World Order is considering establishing "Monitor" BES systems in Sleepers to control them.

Deep Programming (Mind 4, Prime 2, sometimes Spirit 2)

The mage enters the mind of a person (often while the person is asleep or in a trance) and reprograms it in secret. The most common use is to place suggestions or ideas into the subconscious, where they will trickle to the surface. Other possibilities are deep hypnotic suggestions giving the mage control over the actions or thoughts of the victim, mental blocks of certain memories, placing "trapdoors" which will give the mage a way around mental defenses or even the creation of full-fledged sub-personalities. The last use, often called Invocation of Thelemic Beings, is sometimes combined with Spirit too. Such sub-minds will be independent from the main mind and may influence it, read its thoughts or do other things on a mental level, as programmed by the mage. This is a subtle way to sneak around enemy mental scanning.

Uploading (Mind 5, Corr. 1)

This rote is the holy grail for many Virtual Adepts, the final escape from the flesh into pure information. By connecting the brain of a person to a very powerful computer, they can read it into the machine and create an Upload, a total copy of the person complete with memory, personality and Avatar. An uploaded person will continue to exist indefinitely inside the computer as an AI program and can move around and work magick as usual. It's not uncommon to increase the mental speed and capacity of uploads once they are inside the Digital Web, and many have integrated themselves with semi-autonomous programs to function better. They have no ties at all to their old bodies, which tend to die fairly quickly anyway. Uploads exist only in the Web, and must interact with the physical world through interfaces and devices connected to the Web. It is also possible to download a mind into a body, but this often causes problems with the mind already present. Blank clone bodies work very well for this use, and according to rumors the Virtual Adepts, Iteration X and Progenitors work together in secret to perfect the processes of uploading/downloading.