In The Magus Hack FAQ (p82), I promise to provide examples of magic effects and their costings. Here I make good on that promise. But first, a quick look at the Magic Charge Table:
Each roll with your Casting Die generates a charge and the first charge always establishes the Baseline: a magic effect that deals/heals 1 hit point, with a duration of a single Moment and a range of the caster's own Self. Extra charges build on that basic effect, 'establishing' damage, duration or range or building bigger effects (usually at a cost of +1 to +6 charges) as explained for each School of Magic.
Typically, a PC Magus is limited to making Level+2 rolls - so 3 rolls for a 1st level Magus. Breaking this rule is where the fun is. Roleplaying the magic as part of your Philosophy lets you make an extra roll. Using your Hallows to work the magic adds a free charge and so does casting the effect as a slow Spell. Your Virtues let you make extra rolls or provide free charges. Then you can spend precious Thaum to add +2 charges. Of course, passing the Casting Test generates a charge, 2 charges for a critical. If this magic really matters, you can claim an Epiphany and roll your Hubris Die, adding charges equally to the number rolled. This means even a 1st level Magus could generate 5 charges - a free charge from Hallows, casting a Spell and passing the Test, then a couple more from rolling Casting Dice..
Low level Magi are pretty weak. They roll d6 or d4 Casting Dice, so generating 2 or 3 charges risks completely exhausting a die. Then they often have to pass a Stat Test with their rubbish starting-character Stats. Kind GMs will throw a lot of Thaum their way and, if they survive, they'll be 2nd level before you know it. The odds change a lot once you start rolling d8 Casting Dice. Remember, though, that no matter how many free charges you get from your Hallows, your Virtues or from Thaum, you always make at least one Casting Roll when creating a magical effect.
BATTLE MAGIC
So obvious, right? But it's a good place to start. How does The Magus Hack produce the standard things that PCs will want to do in a fight?
Alacrity
Alteration or Evocation: Touch, 1 Minute, +1 action, 4 charges
Speed yourself up in combat, gaining extra actions to attack with. This could be Alteration (rewiring your muscles and nerves) or Evocation (altering momentum and gravity). The Baseline affect covers your own Self, so charges can go on duration and extra actions. You can't give yourself more extra actions than your level, so lower level characters will invest in duration instead, like a full Minute (+2 charges). A 2nd level Magus might prefer a 5-charge version that adds 2 extra actions per Moment.
Body Rending
Alteration: Close, 1d8dmg, 5 charges
Let's start with the obvious: using magic to tear someone apart. It's Alteration, of course, with a range of Close and 1d8 dmg for 5 charges. If you prefer, you could pull back the range to Touch and deal 1d12 dmg, but then you would have to hit the target in combat (a STR Test) which might not be easy.
This effect is crying out for you to invest some Thaum in it, a point of Thaum adding +2 charges and taking the damage at Close range up to 2d8 which flattens most of the opponents that 1st level characters will go up against. If you want to scare people, establish a sympathetic link so wherever your target is you only need to establish Touch/+1 to damage them: d8 would only require 4 charges.
If you want more subtlety, like stopping someone's heart without spraying brains everywhere, the effect can do that too, but the GM should insist the Magus spends an extra charge if the effect is intended to be so subtle it will fool an autopsy and pass for natural causes.
This effect is crying out for you to invest some Thaum in it, a point of Thaum adding +2 charges and taking the damage at Close range up to 2d8 which flattens most of the opponents that 1st level characters will go up against. If you want to scare people, establish a sympathetic link so wherever your target is you only need to establish Touch/+1 to damage them: d8 would only require 4 charges.
If you want more subtlety, like stopping someone's heart without spraying brains everywhere, the effect can do that too, but the GM should insist the Magus spends an extra charge if the effect is intended to be so subtle it will fool an autopsy and pass for natural causes.
Dead Shot or Killer Blow
Alteration or Evocation: Touch, 2d6 Moments, either +1d4dmg or attack with +1 Advantage, 4 charges
You could enchant a gun (or a bow, if that's your aesthetic) to be more dangerous - or apply this to a hand-to-hand weapon. It could be Alteration (if it changes the projectiles into more dangerous ones or sharpen the blade) or Evocation (for ranged weapons, if it makes the propulsion more forceful). The range only needs to be Touch (Baseline +1 charge) if you're holding the weapon. The other charges can go on duration and adding lethality. Duration 1 Moment is fine if you intend to fire the weapon once, but 2d6 Moments (+1 charge) will last you through a firefight. Even a modest +1d4dmg or testing with Advantage (+1 charge buys you either) is fine if you get to do it several times.
The damage bonus is great, but you have to hit in combat for it to apply. The tests with Advantage help you hit.
The damage bonus is great, but you have to hit in combat for it to apply. The tests with Advantage help you hit.
Fireball
Evocation: Near, 1d8dmg, 6 charges
or
Near, set fire to everything Close, 10 charges
or
Near, set fire to everything Close, 10 charges
It's a classic for a reason! Wreathing someone in damaging fire is just like Body Rending (above), except you're using Evocation to summon fire rather than Alteration to rearrange flesh. Affecting a bunch of people requires you to spend charges on a separate area of affect (+2 if they're all Close to each other) or else invest an extra charge in each additional target. Just pump Thaum into that damage chart to take it to 2d8dmg. Ba-ba-boom!
A different approach is to make the fire the main effect and the damage more incidental: +4 charges will create a spectacular effect that sets fire to everything in the area and the GM can work out the implications of burns and suffocation for everyone caught in the blast: 1d4dmg per Moment seems fair, maybe a CON Test to avoid passing out. Ten charges is a big price to pay (Base +3 for Near range, +2 for Close area of effect, +4 for the spectacular effect), but a Magus with a d8 Casting Die in Evocation could attempt it.
Force Field
Abjuration, Alteration or Evocation: Self or Touch, 2d6 Moments, 1d4 AP or +1 Advantage, 3 or 4 charges
This is usually Abjuration but a variant could use Alteration (to grow thick hide or scales) or Evocation (to create a barrier of energy). The Baseline establishes your Self as the beneficiary and the remaining charges go on duration and defence. The defence could be Armour Points (roll the damage and award yourself that many AP with the magical AP being the first ones lost in battle) or rolling with Advantage on defensive Tests (but limited to your level in such rolls).
You can invest a charge in granting this protection to someone else instead and of course even more charges boosts the defensive value. If you want to defend a bunch of people you need to establish both range (say, Close for +2 charges) and then either spend +1 charge per extra recipient or use charges to establish an area of affect (a corridor or small room, +2 charges), so the above effect would probably require 6 charges to give all your friends 1d4 AP or defensive Tests with Advantage for 2d6 Moments. That's not very exciting, considering you could grant yourself 2d8 AP or one friend 1d12 AP for that many charges.
The Abjuration version is always Subtle, whereas scaly skin or energy barriers are usually Outrageous.
You can invest a charge in granting this protection to someone else instead and of course even more charges boosts the defensive value. If you want to defend a bunch of people you need to establish both range (say, Close for +2 charges) and then either spend +1 charge per extra recipient or use charges to establish an area of affect (a corridor or small room, +2 charges), so the above effect would probably require 6 charges to give all your friends 1d4 AP or defensive Tests with Advantage for 2d6 Moments. That's not very exciting, considering you could grant yourself 2d8 AP or one friend 1d12 AP for that many charges.
The Abjuration version is always Subtle, whereas scaly skin or energy barriers are usually Outrageous.
Gorgon Stare
Alteration: Close, 2d6 Minutes, turn to stone, 8 charges
Turning people to stone is fun but this magic uses the same rules and costs to turn people into trees or piles of salt. Charges are spent to establish range and duration, then +2 charges pay for a change of Form.
Usually, you pay +4 charges for an alteration of function, but I think that taking away functions like movement should be a category cheaper. If you wanted to turn someone to stone but still give them the ability to move, then that would be +4 charges. The GM will have to improvise the effects of being a living statue but I think immunity to edged weapons and small firearms is a start.
If you want someone to be a statue indefinitely, you need to increase the duration to Permanent/+9 instead of 2d6 Minutes/+3. However, a Major Spell using Alteration can be Permanent for just +4 charges (although the Casting Dice exhaust on a 1-3 so watch out).
Once someone is permanently petrified, you need to invest Thaum to make the effect a Dweomer otherwise it counts as magic you are consciously maintaining and fades at the end of the game. The petrification has a Power equal to your level, unless you invest even more charges in the effect. If you create a Dweomer, then roll the Dweomer’s usage die every time someone tries to undo your magic; it can’t be reversed until the UD is exhausted.
Usually, you pay +4 charges for an alteration of function, but I think that taking away functions like movement should be a category cheaper. If you wanted to turn someone to stone but still give them the ability to move, then that would be +4 charges. The GM will have to improvise the effects of being a living statue but I think immunity to edged weapons and small firearms is a start.
If you want someone to be a statue indefinitely, you need to increase the duration to Permanent/+9 instead of 2d6 Minutes/+3. However, a Major Spell using Alteration can be Permanent for just +4 charges (although the Casting Dice exhaust on a 1-3 so watch out).
Once someone is permanently petrified, you need to invest Thaum to make the effect a Dweomer otherwise it counts as magic you are consciously maintaining and fades at the end of the game. The petrification has a Power equal to your level, unless you invest even more charges in the effect. If you create a Dweomer, then roll the Dweomer’s usage die every time someone tries to undo your magic; it can’t be reversed until the UD is exhausted.
Healing Touch
Alteration: Self or Touch, heal 1d12hp, 3 or 4 charges (or regenerate 1d4hp per Moment for 2d6 Moments with the same costs)
Heal yourself or someone else - technomagical Philosophies will have much more exciting names for this effect ("Rejuvo-gum!"). It's Alteration, of course. The Baseline covers your own Self, but Touch (+1 charge) lets you heal someone else. The other charges go on damage, which in this case adds to hit points rather than deducting. A nice 1d12 healing effect (+3 charges) is always welcome.
If you want to bestow regeneration, you need to assign charges to a duration. which gives you fewer charges to assign to the healing benefit. Moreover, you will have to make that DEX Test for the effect to work, because it's no longer a simple healing. And yes, you could create a 'degeneration' effect, where the target takes automatic damage every Moment instead of healing, but that would require a Stat Test too and if you don't want to roll to hit in combat then you will need to spend an extra charge extending the range to Close.
If you're tempted to make regeneration a permanent Dweomer, you'll extend the duration to Permanent and invest Thaum. This will create a Regeneration Usage Die that you roll whenever you stop regenerating (usually because you've reached your full hit points); once the UD fully exhausts, you lose the benefit of regeneration until you can refresh it.
Enhancements
Let's think about magic that boosts your powers or abilities. The only think that magic cannot directly influence is the Hubris Die and the Casting Dice themselves.
A Better You
Alteration: Self, 1 Minute, +1 to Stat or +1 Advantage to Stat Test, 4 charges
You can add Advantages to Tests made with a particular Stat (but never more Advantages than your level). Or you can boost the Stat itself. Once the Baseline (Self) is established, charges go into duration and boosting. The Stat boost is just +1 per charge invested. The DEX Test for Alteration magic is made before the benefit of the magic applies. Of course, you can extend this to another person (usually Touch/+1) or a group of people (either establish an area of affect or +1 charge per extra person).
If you extend the duration to Permanent you can make this a permanent Dweomer by investing Thaum. A Stat Boost Usage Die is created and you roll it after every test with the boosted Stat; once the UD fully exhausts your Stat returns to its normal effectiveness.
If you extend the duration to Permanent you can make this a permanent Dweomer by investing Thaum. A Stat Boost Usage Die is created and you roll it after every test with the boosted Stat; once the UD fully exhausts your Stat returns to its normal effectiveness.
Angelic Wings (or Seraphic Gate)
Alteration/Divination or Summoning/Divination: Self, World, 11 charges
A religious name for an effect techno-magi just call teleportation. It's tough to pull off, requiring Alteration to move through space and Divination to identify a safe landing site, so you don't end up inside solid earth, a wall or another person's body. As a combined-School effect, you need an extra charge and the Stat roll (STR or INT) is at Disadvantage. Taking people with you requires establishing an area of effect (probably Close/+2) or just +1 charge per additional person.
An alternative effect uses Summoning to open a portal. It takes one Moment for a person to pass through the portal, so if you want to transport a group you must either increase the duration to 2d6 Moments/+1 or establish a larger size for the portal (like Close/+2 for something several feet across).
An alternative effect uses Summoning to open a portal. It takes one Moment for a person to pass through the portal, so if you want to transport a group you must either increase the duration to 2d6 Moments/+1 or establish a larger size for the portal (like Close/+2 for something several feet across).
Daedalus Dance
Evocation: Self, 1 Hour, Running speed, 4 charges
or
2d6 Moments, lift a Distant group of Close targets and drop them from a height, 7 charges
or
2d6 Moments, lift a Distant group of Close targets and drop them from a height, 7 charges
Technomagical Philosophies probably call this 'Rocket Boots' or 'Anti-Grav Pills' because the effect is to fly at normal (Running) speed. Charges go into extending the duration and increasing the Speed. Extending the range to Touch/+1 confers flight powers on someone else; using charges to create an area of affect allows a group to fly as does adding +1 charge per extra recipient.
Another option is to use this effect to fling an opponent into the air: duration can be dropped to 1 Moment but the range needs to be Touch/+1 or Close/+2. For 4 charges you could fling a group of Close opponents who are all Close to each other around like bowling pins. The damage would be your Unarmed Damage Die and it would take them a Moment to get to their feet again.
You could levitate an opponent into the air and drop them from a height: spend +1 charge for a duration of 2d6 Moments and +4 charges to cover the Distant range into the sky; the targets take a die of Unarmed Damage when they land for each Moment they were being lifted.
Dark Vision
Divination: Self, area Close, 2d6 Minutes, see without light, 6 charges
Alteration: Self, 2d6 Minutes, infra red or ultra violet vision, 5 charges, sonar, 6 charges
Alteration: Self, 2d6 Minutes, infra red or ultra violet vision, 5 charges, sonar, 6 charges
Seeing without light can be done in two ways. A Divination effect grants the power to see in utterly lightless conditions but requires an area of effect as well as a range. An Alteration effect only requires a duration and adjusts the caster's eyes to see into other light frequencies (+1 charges, calculated above) or by sonar (a +2 charge cost for such an alteration).
Isn't Alteration +1 just a change of appearance whereas having your eyes see like a cat is surely a change of function? Sure, but Alteration +4 would actually turn you into a cat and +5 would turn you into a bat. Just acquiring some cat- or bat-like properties should be a bit cheaper than that: +1 charge gives your organs a function they wouldn't ordinarily have, +2 charges gives you an organ with a new (but not magical) function, like sonar.
Sense Magic
Divination: Touch, 1 Moment, 3 charges
Who needs fancy titles? Only the range and duration need to be established to get a 'vibe' off supernatural persons or enchanted objects and places; identifying the magic more precisely costs +2 charges instead of the +1 costed in above. This effect has to overcome the Power of any Abjuration or Ward that tries to block magical snooping, so extra charges can be added to do this.
ESPIONAGE
Magi are super powered spies more than they are super heroes. Magic can help them snoop, hide, dissemble, infiltrate and escape.
Bewitch
Charm: Close, 2d6 Moments, 5 charges
There are many names for this effect, which involves placing impulses, desires or beliefs in someone's mind. The magical effect can be quite short lived but most people will carry on acting as if an impulse or idea was their own unless the behaviour would be very alien to them or someone tries to argue them out of it; while the magic is in effect, they will believe the behaviour appropriate and resist arguments. This effect costed above can make a person angry, infatuated, paranoid or compliant for a few seconds - usually long enough to get them to undertake a course of action which they will persevere with after the magic has ended, until something makes them question themselves.
Ordinary beliefs and impulses only cost +1 charge (calculated into the cost above). More lasting impulses (like making someone fall in love or conceive an irrational jealousy) cost +2 and +4 will let you make someone act completely against character or believe wild fantasies.
This effect can be very inexpensive: touching someone and implanting in them the desire to kiss you for a Moment only costs 3 charges. On the other hand seeing someone across the room (Near/+2) and making them want to murder their neighbour (+4) for the next few minutes (+3) costs 10 charges.
Ordinary beliefs and impulses only cost +1 charge (calculated into the cost above). More lasting impulses (like making someone fall in love or conceive an irrational jealousy) cost +2 and +4 will let you make someone act completely against character or believe wild fantasies.
This effect can be very inexpensive: touching someone and implanting in them the desire to kiss you for a Moment only costs 3 charges. On the other hand seeing someone across the room (Near/+2) and making them want to murder their neighbour (+4) for the next few minutes (+3) costs 10 charges.
Helm of Hades
Alteration: Self, 1 Hour, invisibility, 6 charges
Charm: Close, 1 Hour, invisibility, 8 charges
Charm: Close, 1 Hour, invisibility, 8 charges
It's a title from classical mythology, but this effect is simple invisibility. It is constructed in the same way as Mask of Many Faces, either as a light-bending illusion or a mind-altering distraction. +1 charge creates a camouflage that only works if you stay still; +2 charges makes you invisible to casual glances; +4 charges makes you undetectable even to a determined search. The Charm variation is more expensive but it will also prevent anyone from bumping into you or animals from hearing or smelling you because it causes them to avoid recognising your presence unconsciously.
Human Polygraph
Divination: Close, 1 Minute, detect lies, 4 charges
Techno-magical terms can be rather ugly but this does what it says: the Magus knows when they are being lied to. Reducing the range to Touch/+1 creates an effect that lets the Magus detect lies in reading material. The basic effect only applies to deliberate lies intended to deceive; adding +1 charge detect deliberate half-truths and evasions; +2 charges detects lies of omission; +4 or more charges will detect statements believed to be true by the speaker (or author) which are actually false.
Supernatural beings (including Magi) have a Power that must be overcome to expose lies, which is usually equal to their HD/Level. Demons and Dragons add +1d6 to their HD when calculating their Power for purposes of seeing through their lies.
Supernatural beings (including Magi) have a Power that must be overcome to expose lies, which is usually equal to their HD/Level. Demons and Dragons add +1d6 to their HD when calculating their Power for purposes of seeing through their lies.
Larcenous Grasp
Alteration/Divination or Summoning/Divination: Self, Close, steal an item, 4 charges
Teleporting an unseen object (in a pocket or safe) to your hand requires Alteration to move through space and Divination to identify the object you want. As a combined-School effect, you need an extra charge and the Stat roll (STR or INT) is at Disadvantage. Grasping a small object (like keys) is +1 charge (costed in above), but the charges go up if the object is one among many similar objects (like a particular page from a file) and goes up to +4 or more for large objects. Using Summoning creates a portal you can reach through and by establishing a duration of 2d6 Moments (+1) you could pull through several objects (one handful per Moment).
The Mask of Many Faces
Alteration: Self, 1 Hour, disguise yourself as another person, 6 charges
Charm: Close, 1 Hour, other people see you as someone else, 8 charges
Charm: Close, 1 Hour, other people see you as someone else, 8 charges
It might be latex masks like the Mission Impossible team uses or it might be an illusion or actual flesh-crafting. Most of the charges go into the duration; +1 charge makes you look like a generic person, +2 charges for a specific person and +4 charges to fool a close friend or lover.
A different effect uses Charm to make onlookers see you as someone else. This involves establishing range as you broadcast the illusion into the minds of people around you (usually Close/+2). The same extra charges are needed based on how convincing the illusion needs to be. This effect won't fool cameras but it does allow you to change who people see you as when you move from one interaction to the next.
Optionally, spend charges boosting the Power to make it harder for other Magi to dispel or see through your disguise.
Mind Probe/Mind Wipe
Charm: Touch, discover thoughts, 3 charges
The Mind Probe scans a targets mind, reading their surface thoughts (+1, calculated in the above cost). Extra charges can increase the range or deepen the probe to concealed thoughts (+2) or unconscious thoughts (+4 or more).
The Mind Wipe removes thoughts/intentions or selected memories, either immediate experiences (+1 charge, calculated into the cost shown above), events in the past few weeks (+2) or years (+3) or whole periods of lived experience (+4 or more). Adding in fake memories is another effect (Mind Fabrication) with similar costs. Combining Mind Wipe and Mind Fabrication to delete and rewrite memories as a single Spell (not a Hex) would be twice as expensive (pay Touch/+1 and +1, +2, +3 or +4 costs for the second effect all over again). For example, removing someone's memory of being kidnapped and replacing it with a memory of falling asleep in the park would be a Spell with a 5 charge cost.
Wiped and Fabricated memories can be recovered or exposed through psychotherapy or just by questioning inconsistencies and mental 'jogs.' Creating a truly permanent false memory that resists criticism or amnesia that withstands therapy and questioning would be a Dweomer with the usual costs.
The Mind Wipe removes thoughts/intentions or selected memories, either immediate experiences (+1 charge, calculated into the cost shown above), events in the past few weeks (+2) or years (+3) or whole periods of lived experience (+4 or more). Adding in fake memories is another effect (Mind Fabrication) with similar costs. Combining Mind Wipe and Mind Fabrication to delete and rewrite memories as a single Spell (not a Hex) would be twice as expensive (pay Touch/+1 and +1, +2, +3 or +4 costs for the second effect all over again). For example, removing someone's memory of being kidnapped and replacing it with a memory of falling asleep in the park would be a Spell with a 5 charge cost.
Wiped and Fabricated memories can be recovered or exposed through psychotherapy or just by questioning inconsistencies and mental 'jogs.' Creating a truly permanent false memory that resists criticism or amnesia that withstands therapy and questioning would be a Dweomer with the usual costs.
Psionic Bond
Divination: Touch, 1 Day, establish sympathy with target, 8 charges
Another techno-magical term - it's a Soul Tether if you're a traditionalist. It establishes a sympathetic link with someone or something. Once you have sympathy with a target, ranges are always treated as Touch/+1 regardless of distance and lots of Fast Hexes become possible.
Psychic Scrambler
Abjuration or Divination: Self, 1 Hour, +1 Power, 5 charges
This effect makes you undetectable to scrying. It's usually a Baseline/Self effect with the charges sunk into duration or boosting its Ward. Most Wards have a Power equal to the Magus' level, but spending extra charges increases the Power. Anyone using a Scrying Window or magic to locate you must overcome the Power of your Ward with their effect (which also has a Power equal to their level, plus any charges they invest in extra Power). Of course, you could set up a Ward on a person or object (extending the range to Touch/+1, hiding the person or whoever is carrying it) or place (for Close/+2 or bigger, hiding everyone within it).
Permanent Wards need a duration extended to Permanent and Thaum invested, to create a Dweomer with a Ward Usage Die. Every attempt that overcomes the Ward's Power causes the UD to be rolled and the Ward only fails after the UD is fully exhausted.
Permanent Wards need a duration extended to Permanent and Thaum invested, to create a Dweomer with a Ward Usage Die. Every attempt that overcomes the Ward's Power causes the UD to be rolled and the Ward only fails after the UD is fully exhausted.
Scrying Window
Divination: 1 Minute, City, 8 charges (3 with sympathy)
From crystal balls to floating view screens, all Philosophies like to eavesdrop. Most of the charges go into establishing range and duration, but if there are Wards then charges will have to overcome their Power too. The magic can zoom in on any place or person the Magus knows. If you have a sympathetic link to the target, the range cost is never more than Touch/+1, so the effect described above would only cost 3 charges.
If you want to scry into another dimension, you will need to combine Schools with Summoning, which involves an extra charge and Disadvantage on the Stat roll (which can be with INT or WIS). This assumes you're peering into the Spirit World or Psi-Web; if you want to push your vision through into a pocket-dimension, that's +2 charges and into a Distant Dimension is +4.
Looking into the future or past requires extra charges as explained in the rules, p48.
Extending the duration to Permanent and investing Thaum will create an Artifact with a Scrying Usage Die that can be used several times per game.
If you want to scry into another dimension, you will need to combine Schools with Summoning, which involves an extra charge and Disadvantage on the Stat roll (which can be with INT or WIS). This assumes you're peering into the Spirit World or Psi-Web; if you want to push your vision through into a pocket-dimension, that's +2 charges and into a Distant Dimension is +4.
Looking into the future or past requires extra charges as explained in the rules, p48.
Extending the duration to Permanent and investing Thaum will create an Artifact with a Scrying Usage Die that can be used several times per game.
Silent Discourse
Charm/Divination: District, 2d6 Moments, 8 charges
Telepathy, as all techno-mages call it. Just establish range and duration to chat away, mind-to-mind. It does require both Divination and Charm, which adds +1 charge and makes the Stat Test at Disadvantage. Remember a sympathetic link makes the range Touch/+1 (saving 4 charges) and Charm effects can be made Permanent as a Major Spell if a 1 Hour/+4 duration is established.
Once the telepathic link is established, it remains in effect even if the characters move further apart. Top tip: establish telepathy with your friend when the range is Touch/+1 and for 8 charges you could you could extend the range to City/+6 then go your separate ways.
Once the telepathic link is established, it remains in effect even if the characters move further apart. Top tip: establish telepathy with your friend when the range is Touch/+1 and for 8 charges you could you could extend the range to City/+6 then go your separate ways.
True Perception
Abjuration or Divination: Close, 1 Minute, see through disguises, +1 Power, 5 charges
This effect reveals the truth behind illusions, invisibility or shapechanging. A Baseline/Moment duration is sufficient to examine one person but you must establish a longer duration to search a crowd. The range is normally Close/+2. Extra charges go into boosting the Power, so you can overcome the Power of an enemy disguise (like Mask of Many Faces or Helm of Hades).
True Perception will detect a wiped or fabricated memory, but not necessarily what the true memory originally was: to do that requires overcoming the Power of the Mind Wipe or Mind Fabrication that did the job.
True Perception will detect a wiped or fabricated memory, but not necessarily what the true memory originally was: to do that requires overcoming the Power of the Mind Wipe or Mind Fabrication that did the job.
CLASSIC
Legendary powers from wizards of yore
Counterspell
Abjuration: Self, 1 charge + charges to increase Power
If you have an unused action, you can try to undo an enemy's magical effect before it takes place. You need to use either Abjuration or one of the Schools your opponent utilised. Usually the charges all go on matching the Power of the hostile magic (add your level to the charges invested and compare to the Power of your opponent), but you might want to establish range as well if you are protecting someone else.
Covenant
Alteration: Touch, Permanent, turn into a frog for one Hour if you kiss a woman, 16 charges
This is really just a poised effect that triggers when the other person goes against some command, stated when the effect is created. This particular effect is costed for 'turning into a frog' and the effect is something fairly conventional like 'if you ever kiss a woman' (+2 charges). Poised effects cost +1 charge (for an unexceptional condition), +2 or +3 (for something quite demanding) and +4 or more (for something very arduous). The frog transformation only last an Hour in this case. Other effects could involve damage, bad luck (rolls at Disadvantage) or the summoning of a daemonic punisher.
The effect could be made cheaper if it were done as a Slow Spell, since Alteration magic can be made Permanent that way if the duration can be extended to just an Hour/+4. That would reduce the cost to a more manageable 11 charges and the frog-transformation would last indefinitely.
Is 11 charges "manageable"? Even a 8th level Magus can only roll 10 casting dice... Ah yes, but you get extra charges from using your Hallows, extra rolls from your Philosophy, both from various Virtues, plus Thaum is worth +2 charges per point you burn, so many ways to earn charges without even calling on an Epiphany and rolling your Hubris Die.
Ghost Sight
Divination: Self, 2d6 Moments, 3 charges
Look into the Spirit World, noticing ghosts, spirits, dimension-shifting Magi and entrances to pocket-dimensions in your vicinity. Establish duration but there is no need to overcome the Spirit Wall: that doesn't prevent looking, just crossing.
Stormwether
Evocation: Distant, control winds, 6 charges, 7 charges to summon strong winds
Weather control is the hallmark of witchcraft. The main cost is in establishing the area of effect: Distant/+4 creates weather out to the horizon at sea or over a city block or mountainside. Once the weather is summoned, it will dissipate through normal features, based on how unnatural it is. Strong winds on a calm day will blow themselves out straight away; clouds pulled into a clear sky will fade over an hour; rain on a cloudy day might last a few hours. Investing +1 charge (calculated above) takes control of existing conditions (great for piloting a ship), +2 charges will change or create the conditions; +4 charges will create improbable conditions and +6 is needed for a snowstorm on a cloudless summer day.
Directing winds to blow down a street (Near/+3) would cost one less charge; down an alleyway (Close/+2) would cost two less charges.
St Peter's Venture
Alteration: Self, 2d6 Minutes, 8 charges or Touch, 2d6 Minutes, 8 charges
Walking on water! It's quite a calling card! The Alteration effect is a change of form (+3 charges) if used on the water (with a range of Touch/+1) or a more dramatic change of function (+4) if used on your own material body. Either way, it's just a matter of establishing duration after that - but extending it to other people requires establishing another area of effect or +1 charge per person.
Wolfshirt
Alteration: Self, 2d6 Minutes, turn into a wolf, 8 charges
Norse Magi enjoy this effect, which techno-mages imitate with potions and genetic modification: turning into a wolf. In fact, the effect can be used to turn into any animal, but the cost increases from (+4, calculated in above) to +5 or +6 if the animal is very massive (a rhino, a whale) or very small (a small bird, a beetle). The caster gets all the animal's abilities (like tracking by scent) and a sort of elementary communication with other animals of the same type. A cheaper variant (+2 or +3) only gives the caster the appearance of an animal, but not its abilities.
