Storyteller's Option: A Pledge to Learn
Some Sanctified don’t become sorcerers until they first encounter a Theban Sorcery ritual by chance. Perhaps the character discovers a hidden ritual shortly before the medium of its divine imagery is destroyed. Perhaps he uncovers a book describing ancient rituals, well known to the covenant at large, but he is the only Sanctified in the domain. If a character discovers a Theban Sorcery ritual but is unable to make use of it, what good does it do him?
Optionally, the Storyteller can allow a character — whether Sanctified or not, a sorcerer or not — to learn a Theban Sorcery ritual that he cannot yet activate as an investment for the future. Maybe the character finds a ••• ritual when he has only two dots in Theban Sorcery, but he doesn’t want to risk losing access to the ritual in the future. Perhaps the character has never before been exposed to Theban Sorcery, but vows to become a sorcerer when his discovery of a new ritual triggers a religious epiphany.
If the Storyteller decides the ritual in question is expressed in such a way that even a character without sufficient dots in Theban Sorcery could understand it, the character could be allowed to spend the experience points to memorize, rehearse or otherwise learn the ritual now, while he has access to it. Perhaps the ritual is written out in plain English or intuitively explained by a well-spoken sorcerer. Because every ritual is unique, and many rituals can be described in different ways, the Storyteller should decide which rituals can be learned in this way on a case-by-case basis.
The system is simple: The player spends the experience to learn the ritual as normal, but is not allowed to activate the ritual until he has also bought the new dots of Theban Sorcery necessary to do so. A character with Theban Sorcery 2 could be allowed to spend the six experience points necessary to buy a ••• ritual, for example, even though he won’t be able to use the ritual until he has spent another 21 experience points for a third dot in Theban Sorcery.
Optionally, the Storyteller can allow a character — whether Sanctified or not, a sorcerer or not — to learn a Theban Sorcery ritual that he cannot yet activate as an investment for the future. Maybe the character finds a ••• ritual when he has only two dots in Theban Sorcery, but he doesn’t want to risk losing access to the ritual in the future. Perhaps the character has never before been exposed to Theban Sorcery, but vows to become a sorcerer when his discovery of a new ritual triggers a religious epiphany.
If the Storyteller decides the ritual in question is expressed in such a way that even a character without sufficient dots in Theban Sorcery could understand it, the character could be allowed to spend the experience points to memorize, rehearse or otherwise learn the ritual now, while he has access to it. Perhaps the ritual is written out in plain English or intuitively explained by a well-spoken sorcerer. Because every ritual is unique, and many rituals can be described in different ways, the Storyteller should decide which rituals can be learned in this way on a case-by-case basis.
The system is simple: The player spends the experience to learn the ritual as normal, but is not allowed to activate the ritual until he has also bought the new dots of Theban Sorcery necessary to do so. A character with Theban Sorcery 2 could be allowed to spend the six experience points necessary to buy a ••• ritual, for example, even though he won’t be able to use the ritual until he has spent another 21 experience points for a third dot in Theban Sorcery.