Witchcraft

[Origins and Information]

Prerequisites

Holistic Awareness Merit, Crafts 2, Expression 2, Occult 2, Specialty: Witchcraft in Occult

Tradition Skills

• Animal Ken: Understanding the signs of animals - and the gods of those animals - is a vital aspect of the Craft. Many witches have an animal familiar that grants them insight into certain aspects of their practice.
• Empathy: Understanding the nuances of others is vital to the successful practice of the Craft, and the empathic witch can discover what someone wants from them not from what they say, but from what they do not.
• Expression: Witchcraft is quite poetic, with beautiful invocations, songs and chants enwrapped in its practice. The skilled witch should be passionate in her speech and prayers.
• Survival: Understanding of the natural cycles of the world, herbal recognition, an understanding of the weather and similar knowledges fall within this Skill, and are all vital to an understanding of witchcraft.
• Occult: Lengthy correspondences, an understanding of how the moon, the sun, the stars and the weather affect one's witchcraft, as well as the names of spirits and gods who have established pacts with the practice of witchcraft. This also encompasses the various means of divination witches use: runework, cartomancy and crystal-, fire- or cauldron-gazing.

Praxis

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Correspondences

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Higher Mysteries

• Herb & Stone Lore (•••): As users of extensive symbolism, witches that use appropriate correspondences in spontaneous or Traditional rotes above and beyond what is called for by the working can receive tangible benefits. Utilizing at least three correspondences can gain a Correspondence Points, while using at least five can gain 2 Correspondence Points. These points can be spent to negate dice pool penalties applied to spellcasting at one point per die. They may also be used to negate Paradox dice at a rate of one point per die. The witch may also spend two points to negate the effects of including one additional spell as combined casting (negating the increased Arcana requirements or -2 penalty), though this doesn't offset the Gnosis required to perform such a feat in the first place.
• Familiar Lore (••••): Witches often bound spirits into animal forms to help them deal with the difficulties that come of magic. A familiar may spend its Essence to mitigate Paradox dice, just as though the Awakened had spent Mana to do so. Additionally, any Paradox success that the witch desires to take as Resistant damage are actually split between the Awakened and her familiar, with the witch taking the first point of damage. The witch may only do this with spontaneous and Tradition Rote magics, however.
• Poppets & Sigils (•••••): A witch working her Craft on a far away target may draw on the deep primal links of sympathy with an innate understanding of such things, rather than the knowledge that comes with Space magics. When using Tradition Rotes in extended spell casting, and using a sympathetic link of at least Known intensity, the witch does not need to use Space to cast the spell sympathetically.

Typical Witchcraft Rotes

The following are some of the most commonly taught witchcraft rotes.

Sense of Strangers (Fate •)

• Spell: Interconnections
• Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Fate
• Factor Bonuses: Speaking to the target for one minute +1, for ten minutes +2
• Tradition Rote: The witch must provide some kind of nurturing for the person in question, whether splitting a dessert, sharing tea or helping them perform some task.

Figa & Spittle (Fate ••)

• Spell: The Evil Eye
• Dice Pool: Presence + Occult + Fate
• Factor Bonuses: Makes the figa at target one turn before +1, Spits on target one turn before +1
• Tradition Rote: The curse must be laid on the new or waning moons to be considered a Tradition Rote.

Cat's Eye (Forces •)

• Spell: Nightsight
• Dice Pool: Wits + Animal Ken + Forces
• Factor Bonuses: Cat whisker or fur +1, Looking into a cat’s eyes +2
• Tradition Rote: Cat must either be a Familiar (if using Factor Bonuses) or spell performed ritually

Kiss of the Horned Lord (Life •)

• Spell: Sense Life
• Dice Pool: Wits + Survival + Life
• Factor Bonuses: Idol of the Horned One +1, piece of deer antler +1
• Tradition Rote: This must be performed in a wilderness setting, or during the night of the full moon to be considered a Tradition Rote.

Witch-Flesh (Life ••)

• Spell: Organic Resilience
• Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Life
• Factor Bonuses: Bloodstone +1
• Tradition Rote: Cast during the summer or during a full moon

Song of Healing (Life •••)

• Spell: Healing Heart
• Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Life
• Factor Bonuses: Singing healing chant for one turn +1, For one minute +2
• Tradition Rote: Cast as an extended Ritual spellcasting.