Illusion

 

This Praxis enables you to control others’ perceptions to a greater or lesser degree. Legends of sorcerers with cloaks of invisibility or shoes of silence have been stock in trade for centuries and were no doubt fueled by this art. Some say this Praxis was developed during the Burning Times to allow sorcerers an escape from the witch-hunters’ torches. This art affects only people’s perceptions, be the people living or unliving. Some sorcerers have made attempts to create spells that render one invisible to electronic devices, but such wisdom has proved elusive. Most believe this is caused by the fast pace of technological advancement - the devices that one learns to cloak against are soon rendered obsolete, and with them go the spells. A very old wizard might know how to cloak himself against the enormous still cameras of the early 20th century, but how likely is he to encounter one now?

 

Basic:

 

Lesser Veil

This simple spell allows you to turn unwanted eyes away from yourself. By remaining motionless, you may blend into your surroundings and escape the notice of the people nearby. If you move, other characters may be able to detect your presence by winning a Static Mental Test. If you speak, the spell is broken. When using this power, you must cross your arms in front of you to indicate to other players that their characters are not aware of you. The vampiric Discipline of Auspex or Garou Heightened Senses may detect you if you move or otherwise give your presence away.

 

Facade

As your control over illusions becomes more directed, you may now alter the details of your appearance completely. However, your basic body structure remains the same, so height and mass may only be changed by a small amount. Inanimate objects may also be masked, thus allowing a broom to appear to be a sword. Of course, this phantom blade will be very dull and prone to breakage if the sorcerer is foolish enough to use it in combat. The sorcerer may cover one sense for each success on an Extended Static Mental Test. Thus, a purely visual illusion would require only an initial success, whereas one that affects all senses would need five such successes. If you are attempting to duplicate the appearance of another individual or unique object, you must spend a Mental Trait and win on a Mental Challenge. Losing the challenge indicates that the likeness is incomplete, and those characters familiar with the object or person who win a Mental Challenge may see through your illusion.

Normally, only the caster may benefit from this illusion. If you wish to mask another individual or object, you must spend an additional Mental Trait. This spell lasts for the remainder of the game session or until the illusion is dropped.

 

Intermediate:

 

Greater Veil

A more enhanced version of the Basic power, this spell enables you to remain invisible at all times. Moving around no longer renders you vulnerable to detection. Any form of Physical Challenge enables those characters present to detect you automatically. Once the effect has dropped, you must recast the spell from scratch.

 

Phantasm

With Phantasm (not to be confused with the Arcanos of the same name) you may create a detailed illusion with a life of its own. This apparition normally lasts for a single scene, though you may extend the duration for the remainder of the game session by spending a temporary Willpower Trait. Success on a Static Mental Test allows you to cause the illusion to respond to its environment or even to move on its own. Each reaction requires a separate test. However, if you fail three of these tests within a single scene, the spell automatically fades.

Alternately, you may program the Phantasm to follow a set routine. Each minute or two of animation requires you to spend one appropriate Mental Trait, with the expenditure of a Willpower Trait causing this projection to loop for the rest of the night.

 

Advanced:

 

True Mask

Whereas Facade allows you to change your physical appearance, this rite extends the masquerade to cover other forms of magical detection. This includes the vampiric Discipline of Auspex, a wraith's inherent Lifesight or the Garou Gift: Scent ofthe True F m . This ritual costs one Mental Trait for each detail you wish to change: personality, emotional state, species, whether the target is living or undead, etc. Once set in place, this mask lasts for one day, though a permanent Willpower Trait may be spent to extend these effects indefinitely.

 

Master:

 

Phantom Killer

At this level your creations do not merely deceive the senses - they can directly affect other characters as if they were real. As with Facade, you must achieve enough successes on an Extended Static Mental Test to cover all the senses appropriate to the illusion. Thus, a faux fire would require a minimum of visual, auditory and tactile elements to be believable. This illusion affects one person for each Mental Trait the sorcerer expends when casting it, though all present may be included by spending a temporary Willpower Trait.

These phantoms may inflict one Health Level of normal damage each turn and are normally stationary. You may animate the illusion as described in the previous spell, though any complex motion requires your complete attention. Thus, a wall of steel or fire would be sustained automatically, but a ravaging beast would need constant supervision. Damage caused by static illusions may be soaked if the target passes a Static Physical Test. If you are controlling the phantom directly, such attacks require a Mental Challenge against your target’s Physical Traits. In either case, any damage suffered by the caster immediately causes the illusion to fade.