Paths to Ascension

GLENDOWER: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
HOTSPUR: Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?
GLENDOWER: Not if I'm lucky.
- Virtual Henry's Gorgeous Journeys, Lingalang Virtual Show 2023-12-1

Overview

     By 2028, the knowledge of true and verifiable magic had reached mainstream civilization. Despite many efforts to stamp out cults and the spread of magical lore, magic soon became a common part of global society.
     In the 2040s, a wide variety of organizations existed that used magic as a resource. Some were mage circles, training newcomers and forming magically-oriented gangs or organizations. Others had branches tasked to develop magical assets. Many magical groups, however, remained closely associated with Mythos cults.
     Government agencies utilized magic in conjunction with technology. Mana batteries were vital to the functioning of Gates and anti-Mythos equipment. Large concentrations of magical energy were often protected by arrangements of Elder signs.
     Organizations often combined magical training with psychic training. In some cases, organizations focused exclusively on psychic abilities, to avoid some of the problems associated with magic use. Spiritual organizations were particularly keen on the psychic angle, and psychic ability was often viewed as more natural or more human than magical use. This view of psychic abilities was also shared by government agencies, who had had long experience with psychics.
     There was, however, no substantive evidence supporting this view, and several indications that the belief was patently false. Psychic abilities often developed due to exposure to the Mythos. The talent to develop psychic abilities was, in some cases, genetically linked to Mythos origins. Still, the idea that psychic abilities were some sort of karmic compensation for the dangers of the Mythos was a compelling one.

Character options

     Characters who are mages may trade 10 points of occupational or hobby skills for most Summon/Bind spells, Voorish Sign, and Elder Sign. The characters may also trade 30 points for Call spells, Flesh Ward, or other unusual spells, and 50 for odd and marginal spells like Mind Exchange.
     Occupational points may only be spent if the character has a Mage occupation. Other templates can be converted by dropping two skills from the template. Someone trained as a Mage should derive any other occupational skills from the same organization that trained the character in magic. A Keeper may elect to choose the organization a player belongs to, with as much Player input as desired.
     Characters without a Mage template can still learn spells, but must use Hobby skill points. The player should define where the character was trained.

     Psychic occupational templates are generated in the same way. Psychic skills are described in the Psionics section. Without a psychic occupation, the talent has not been developed with supervision and takes 2 Hobby skill points per point of psychic skill. A psychic occupation costs one occupational skill, plus one per psychic skill gained.
     Psychic characters' starting abilities are often latent, drawn out with training. Any further abilities, developed in play, are often spin-offs of previous abilities or learned with great difficulty. New psychic abilities require a teacher with a similar ability, with an Int roll per month of training, at which point the skill is learned at D5+1%. The characteristics of the new ability will be tied to any common themes in previous abilities, similar to those of the teacher's ability, or random.
     With Keeper's permission, any Player can decide that their character is a psychic latent. While giving the character room to learn skills later, it can also make the character more vulnerable. When close to Mythos beings or forces that the character may normally not notice, the Keeper should have the player make a Luck roll. If the roll fails, the character is exposed to psychic emanations and makes a SAN check as exposed to the being or force.

     It can generally be assumed that any large gang or organization has mages on staff, and will train PCs who are not otherwise specialized.
     An organization will be able to train certain templates, and not others. An organization with a martial arts bent may not support intellectual occupations or artists, but may support martial arts, other combat skills, and political templates. Organizations often have limited spell lists, possibly tied to the rank of the character within the organization.
     When generating an organization, the Keeper should roll D10 x D10. This reflects how much the group has been infiltrated by the Mythos. The infiltration^2/100 reflects what percentage are actually cult members or personally influenced by the Mythos in some way.
     Low Mythos infiltration often indicate that a member or two has become close to Mythos concepts or forces. Mid-range infiltration may mean that a few members are worshippers of the Mythos, possibly as agents from full Cults. High infiltration generally indicates that the group is a front or puppet of a Cult. The Keeper should decide what force or forces this infiltration entails.
     The Keeper should make an infiltration roll per spell or psychic ability the player has learned. On a critical success, the spell is somehow tied to the infiltration force(s), and the character risks attracting the attention or emanations of that force whenever the spell is used. This risk can be determined by a Luck roll, or by an Idea roll, or the like. Psychic abilities only require a check if the psychic roll is successful, so abilities known at low levels are somewhat safer.
     A regular success indicates that cultists have targeted the character. Several successes may indicate more attention, but in any case the cultists will evaluate the character. They will attempt to determine if the character is a threat or a potential recruit. On the plus side, the evaluation may take a long time.