Hedge witchery is a particularly diverse type of magic, but it is ultimately focused on affecting other people. Witches can affect emotions and learn to curse and heal others as well as invade their dreams. These mystics are found throughout the world, in every society, from the tribal peoples of the Amazon jungle to the vast metropolises of the industrialized world. Some warlocks are born with their magic or develop it spontaneously. Both of these means to gaining this type of magic are relatively rare, however. The most common ways to become a hedge witch are either having one as a close relative and learning from her or recreating the basics of this magic from the multitude of legends, stories and superstitions about witchcraft. Hedge witchcraft is regularly awoken by would-be witches who experiment with rituals. It is by far the easiest of the six traditions of thaumaturgy for people to learn independently.
Abilities:
Scrying (3)
Prerequisites: Wits •• and Occult •
Effect: The magician can view a location remotely. She
can both see and hear the location normally, allowing her to
overhear conversations or read text on a distant computer
screen, all as if she were physically present.
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Investigation
Ritual Length: One minute
Duration: Trance
Ritual rolls are modified by the thaumaturge’s magical connection to the location. Because the mystic is in a light trance, she can talk softly, write or type while continuing to view a distant location. She must use a magical connection to perform this ritual and can see the location only from the point of view of the subject to which her magical connection is linked.
For example, if a mystic is holding a piece of someone’s hair, she can observe events occurring around that person. If she holds a chip of brick from a wall, she can observe the surroundings from the exact location where the chip was taken. The thaumaturge can turn her point of view as if she were turning her head, but she cannot move the location from which she observes without obtaining another magical connection to a different subject and performing this ritual again. If, however, a thaumaturge scrys a moving vehicle, a person who is walking or an object that someone picks up and carries, the thaumaturge’s point of view moves accordingly. Because the mystic merely observes a distant location, she is aware of events occurring around her body and her trance ends automatically if she is harmed, shaken roughly or otherwise disturbed significantly.
Suggested Equipment: Hallucinogenic drugs (+1), a large and unusually sphere of clear, transparent quartz (+1), a mirror from the location to be scryed (+1)
Possible Penalties: The magical connection to the location was obtained more than a month ago (–1), the magical connection to the location was obtained more than one year ago (–4), the target being scryed is located inside a general magical warding (–2)
Ritual Details: There are two common alternatives for performing this ritual — going into a trance using techniques similar to those involved in the Visionary Trances ritual, or staring into a viewing device such as a mirror, a candle flame, a pool of water or ink, a crystal ball or even a TV screen displaying static. Chants, hallucinogen use, drawings of complex sigils and diagrams or prayer may accompany these practices. The magician may first perform various preparatory actions such as drawing a magic circle, but the essence of the ritual is either going into a trance or gazing into a mirror or similar object.
Invocation (2)
Effect: Invocation is the art of requesting a spirit or ghost’s presence. This is merely a plea for help at its basic level, while advanced magicians are able to aid the supernatural entity that opts to answer by offering a gateway through which to interact with the physical world. The mystic chooses ghosts or spirits as the Merit’s focus, though the thaumaturge may learn both versions separately. Spirits or ghosts answering an invocation are generally much better disposed toward the caster than those summoned via Evocation. The Invocation Merit does not grant a thaumaturge the power to perceive Twilight. The two-dot version allows the performer to attract the attention of a specific entity, or to send out a general call to the nearest entity. In either case, the respondent must be within range to sense the thaumaturge or the respondent does not perceive the request. The invoker may call an entity personally known to him, or may specify a type of entity of his choosing (any available member among his own ancestors, or any spirit of Erzulie, for example). The entity called may choose to ignore the request or answer it. If the entity responds, it comes to the caster at its own speed, although the entity cannot violate any normal limitations (such as leaving the maximum distance from an anchor or defying a spiritual Ban). Invocation does not grant any control over an entity; the character must strike a deal of some kind in order to accomplish her goals.
The four-dot version acts as the first with the added
benefi t that the targeted entity gains the Possession Numen
(World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 212) if the entity does
not normally have that power. The entity may possess the
thaumaturge automatically without the normal contested
roll, as the thaumaturge actively opens the way with magic
(although use of the Possession power still costs one Essence).
Of course, the entity could decide to possess someone
else, although the attempt requires a normal contested
roll. The ritual does not grant any control over the being,
but the offer of Possession is a valuable bargaining chip.
Dice Pool: Presence + Persuasion
Ritual Length: 10 minutes
Duration: One scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The thaumaturge attracts the attention
of the wrong spirit or ghost, probably one with
mischievous or malicious intent.
Exceptional Success: The mystic’s performance pleases
the target. For ghosts or spirits of very negative bent, this
may simply mean the thaumaturge’s Invocation is ignored.
Otherwise, apply a +1 bonus to Social rolls made with the
entity for the duration of the scene.
Suggested Equipment: Appropriate sacrifice offered as
part of ritual (+1), entity linked by ancestry (+1)
Possible Penalties: Location not appropriate for entity
called (–1 to –3), entity dislikes thaumaturge (–1 to –3)
Ritual Details: The thaumaturge seeks to enter a
trance. Rituals include objects attractive to the target, with
sacrifices of such things being particularly effective.
Drawback: Invocation calls the attention of spirits or
ghosts to the thaumaturge, but doesn’t exert any control
over them. The entity called could make life difficult if it’s
malevolent or antagonistic.
Visionary Trances (2)
Effect: At two dots, the thaumaturge can see and communicate with beings in the Shadow Realm. She goes into a trance and essentially opens a mental window into the Shadow Realm to observe the landscape and inhabitants of that dimension from the position her body occupies.
Although she cannot physically interact with any being or object in the Shadow Realm, the magician can communicate with spirits within earshot.
When in this type of visionary trance, the character use any of her other magical abilities. Spirits in the Shadow Realm cannot target her with their powers. The performer has no way of knowing her body’s current state of health or any other information about it. Should her body die while psychically projecting, her soul passes on.
Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult
Ritual Length: 10 minutes
Duration: Trance
At four dots, the thaumaturge can perform the two-dot
ritual and perform a more powerful one that allows her to create
an ephemeral body in the Shadow Realm so that she can
physically interact with the dimension and its inhabitants.
While the thaumaturge is in the Shadow Realm in this form,
she can use all of her other magical abilities. Also, spirits and
other beings in the Shadow Realm can target the mystic’s
mind and mystical physical body with their powers. Any
bashing or lethal damage done to the character’s ephemeral
body is recorded as bashing damage on the shaman’s physical
body, as bruises appear on her flesh. Aggravated damage inflicted on the shaman’s ephemeral body appears on her physical body as lethal harm. If an ephemeral character is knocked
unconscious by this damage, she automatically returns to her
body as long as her silver cord (see below) is intact.
The magician’s ephemeral body can move around
normally in the Shadow Realm, walking and running at
normal Speed. During the time she is mentally projected,
the thaumaturge’s body is alive but comatose and her soul
has actually separated from the body. She has no way of
knowing her body’s current state of health or any other
information about it. Should the magician’s body die while
psychically projected, she most likely becomes a ghost and
moves to an appropriate anchor. (See “Ghosts,” pp. 208–216
of the World of Darkness Rulebook.)
The thaumaturge’s ephemeral form appears in clothes
and other portable gear that the character wears or uses
regularly. A character with four dots can also bring along
ephemeral versions of any artifacts or other magically powerful
items she owns. In addition, her body in the Shadow
Realm manifests an ephemeral silver cord connecting back
to her physical body. This cord has Armor equal to one-half
the thaumaturge’s Resolve (round up), and a Health Trait
equal to her Willpower dots. The cord can be harmed only
by aggravated damage. If this cord is severed, the magician
must try to fi nd her way back to her body by some other
means (a daunting proposition).
The instant a thaumaturge’s silver cord is broken, her
physical body lapses into a coma from which she cannot
awaken unless her spirit is reattached to her body. Another
mystic in a visionary trance can look for the lost spirit and
guide it back to its body. Alternatively, the lost thaumaturge
can ask a powerful spirit for help. Any spirit that can breach
the barrier between worlds, materialize or steal souls might
restore the thaumaturge’s spirit to her body, but such spirits
may ask a high price. All damage to a silver cord is erased
once the ritual ends. Each time this ritual is performed anew,
the silver cord starts at full Health.
The following applies to both the two- and four-dot
versions of this Merit.
Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult
Ritual Length: 30 minutes
Duration: Trance
Suggested Equipment: Hallucinogenic drugs (+1 or +2,
depending on their strength), performing this ritual at an
opening between Twilight and the Shadow Realm (+2)
Possible Penalties: The place where the ritual is performed
is inside a general magical warding (see below) (–2)
Ritual Details: Performing this ritual can be as simple
as sitting down and meditating quietly, or as complex as
engaging in ecstatic dancing until the thaumaturge collapses
into a deep trance. Drumming, hallucinogens, chanting,
unusual body postures and various meditation aids can all
be used.
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