Pharaoh’s Paces
Level-Three Theban Sorcery Ritual
Another ritual seemingly adapted from the tombs of Egypt, Pharaoh’s Paces grants the sorcerer a supernatural manifestation of an ancient royal custom. When this ritual is activated, the sorcerer is imbued with the honorary privilege of the Pharaoh: no one may touch the sorcerer (by hand or with an object) or even set sight directly upon him for the remainder of the scene. The ritual’s name comes from the third effect: no one may approach within nine paces of the sorcerer. Those within nine paces immediately step away, unless doing so would cause them harm. Only those persons within direct sight of the sorcerer when the ritual is performed fall under its effects.
Characters wishing to violate this arcane custom (to look at or attack the sorcerer, for example) can force themselves to do so with a successful Resolve + Presence action and a cost in Willpower. This effort of the will is an extended action with additional rolls possible every turn, provided the resisting character spends a Willpower point each turn he attempts a new roll. Willpower points spent to overcome this ritual’s effects nly make the extended action possible, and do not grant extra dice on any rolls. The target number of successes is equal to the successes scored in the ritual’s activation action. Resisting characters can do nothing else but move their Speed while mustering the courage necessary to break through this magic.
Once an onlooker has broken the spell, he cannot be made subject to this ritual again for the remainder of the scene. Anyone the sorcerer touches or makes eye contact with is instantly freed from the power of the ritual.
The sorcerer can continue to activate this ritual on himself to affect new onlookers or to replace his activation roll with a second, and hopefully better, result. Successes scored on a subsequent activation roll replace those of the previous activation roll, but resisting characters do not lose the successes they have already achieved on rolls to resist the power.
Characters wishing to violate this arcane custom (to look at or attack the sorcerer, for example) can force themselves to do so with a successful Resolve + Presence action and a cost in Willpower. This effort of the will is an extended action with additional rolls possible every turn, provided the resisting character spends a Willpower point each turn he attempts a new roll. Willpower points spent to overcome this ritual’s effects nly make the extended action possible, and do not grant extra dice on any rolls. The target number of successes is equal to the successes scored in the ritual’s activation action. Resisting characters can do nothing else but move their Speed while mustering the courage necessary to break through this magic.
Once an onlooker has broken the spell, he cannot be made subject to this ritual again for the remainder of the scene. Anyone the sorcerer touches or makes eye contact with is instantly freed from the power of the ritual.
The sorcerer can continue to activate this ritual on himself to affect new onlookers or to replace his activation roll with a second, and hopefully better, result. Successes scored on a subsequent activation roll replace those of the previous activation roll, but resisting characters do not lose the successes they have already achieved on rolls to resist the power.
Manifestation
Example: Solomon, a Sanctified Bishop, invokes the Pharaoh’s Paces in the presence of Matthew, a lay neonate, and scores five successes in total on the ritual’s activation roll. Matthew immediately backs away from Solomon, casts his eyes to the ground and finds he cannot bring himself to look back at the Bishop. On his turn, Matthew spends a point of Willpower and attempts to overcome Solomon’s sorcery. “Stand up to him,” Matthew whispers to himself. “What are you so afraid of?” His Resolve + Presence action (with no additional dice from the Willpower point spent to allow the action) produces two successes. The Bishop walks over to a nearby computer and begins to type. On his next action, Matthew spends another Willpower point and earns another three successes, achieving the target number and overcoming the ritual. He grabs Solomon by the wrist and says, “Sorry, Bishop, but those files aren’t for you.”
Material Components
Offering: An article of gold, jade, or sapphire jewelry.
Related Discipline
Level
3
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