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Art: Skycraft
In olden times, one of the reasons mortals feared crossing the Fair Folk was their legendary affinity with the weather. A farmer who slighted the fae might suffer a withering drought while his neighbors prospered, or even receive a lightning bolt from on high for his impudence. Likewise, sailors took zealous care to avoid angering the merfolk during their travels, lest they become becalmed for days or fall victim to terrible storms summoned by an angry denizen of the deep. Some fae still remember when the weather was theirs to command and treasure this Art as the legacy of those days. Skycraft is most common among the merfolk, where the open sea allows them free reign to explore its powers, but it also comes naturally to the nature-oriented kiths as well - ghille dhu, pooka, satyrs and trolls can all learn Skycraft with a minimum of training. Many Nunnehi are also proficient in its secrets as well. Other kiths may learn this Art but are considered on trait down when using it.
This Art functions without a hitch outdoors; indoors, all Skycraft cantrips must spring from some existing source, however unlikely. For example, a changeling can call Compass Winds from a ceiling fan or a window but cannot generate them in a prison cell deep underground. Likewise, while sufficient levels of this Art can conjure thunderheads in a previously blue sky (or vice versa), patently unnatural weather is out of the question - rain clouds will not form indoors, nor will fog simply spring from a changeling's fingertips. Characters can be as creative as the Storyteller permits when using circumstances to justify this Art's use indoors, but generally it functions much better outdoors.
Type of Challenge: Physical
Basic
Thunderclap: In truth, this Art confers only a token control of the elements, but what it lacks in power it more than makes up for in style. The ultimate mood accessory, this Art allows the changeling to create small but suitably impressive bursts of weather phenomena at dramatically appropriate moments -a flash of thunder and lightning when swearing an oath of vengeance, a chill breeze before an intimidation attempt, a lone ray of sunshine from a cloudy sky while professing true love, etc. For one related Social Test these displays put the caster up a number of traits equal to the Bunk traits gained in casting. These displays cannot create anything lasting, nor can they harm or otherwise impair other characters (though those with Heightened Senses must win or tie a simple test or be temporarily blinded or deafened if caught at "ground zero" of an appropriate phenomena). They also cannot create blatantly impossible weather conditions - thunder or lightning from a blue sky is technically possible, for example, but not a ray of sunshine at midnight.
Type: Wyrd or Chimerical
Compass Winds: At this level, the character's weather mastery has increased to the point where she can stir the breezes themselves, calling up winds capable of filling a sail, shaping a cloud formation or (at highest strength) slowing or even knocking down unwary opponents. Each Bunk trait gained in casting allows for up to 20 mph of winds to be created, up to an overall maximum of 100 mph; knocking down an opponent requires at least 60 mph of wind force. These winds cost a physical trait to create and last for as long as the caster concentrates on them (putting her at a one trait penalty to all other actions), although each time she wishes to direct them against a different target in combat she must spend an additional physical trait to change the course of the winds appropriately. Those knocked down suffer a health level of damage and must spend a turn getting to their feet. At the Storyteller's discretion, particularly strong, heavy or well-rooted targets may be immune to this Art's effects; the Storyteller should also be consulted on what damage, if any, is done to buildings, vehicles, items, etc., by this Art.
Type: Wyrd or Chimerical
Intermediate
Willard's World: Fae with this power have the essential elements of weather under their control, and with effort can call up any sort of weather phenomena they like, barring all outright destructive manifestations such as thunderstorms, drought, hail, tornadoes, etc. For game purposes, though, only nasty weather generally has any real effect - by combining low-lying cloud cover with dense fog or driving rain, the caster can effectively cloak a target or area from sight. Of course, this blindness works both ways: Those within a dense fog have no more of an idea what lies beyond than those outside have of what's in it, nor does the caster have any special immunity to the weather she creates. All targets within the affected area are treated as blind for combat purposes (three trait penalty to all relevant challenges), as are any characters attempting to fire into the area from outside. This is just the tip of the iceberg; creative players may create other types of weather that also generate game effects, subject to Storyteller adjudication and approval. Use the Scene realm to determine the maximum size of the area that can be affected for any cantrips that incur game modifiers; by contrast, weather that has no direct effect on the game may extend for up to two miles per Bunk trait, at the Storyteller's discretion - creating a simple sunny day for a small town is no problem, but focusing a fog thick enough to invoke trait penalties is limited to the normal area maximum for most cantrips. This Art costs two Glamour traits to use and lasts for one scene (harmful) or one day (benign).
Type: Wyrd
Stormcraft: This mighty Art allows the caster to call up a damaging storm or similar destructive weather phenomena, which then directs its fury at the targets/Realms designated in the cantrip casting. The storm is terrifying in both appearance and intensity, lasting as long as the caster continues to concentrate (putting her at a one trait penalty to all other actions). Those targeted by the storm suffer penalties as outlined under Willard's World above; in addition, the caster may concentrate the fury of the storm even further, possibly causing serious injury to those unlucky enough to be caught in its path. By winning a physical test (Bunk traits count), she may inflict a level of bashing damage on those within the area of the storm's effects. Only one such test may be made per round, and the caster must test all within the storm's area of effect - she cannot pick and choose her targets. Targets must seek some kind of shelter to avoid facing such punishment; use common sense on what constitutes sufficient cover from the storm. The caster may also whip up the storm winds to suit her desires, generating gusts of wind exactly as if she had used the Compass Winds Art, though the maximum speed of the winds generated in this fashion is still limited by the number of Bunk traits gained in casting, and the winds cost one Glamour trait per turn in addition to normal costs. Truly daring fae may even attempt to fly on the tempest winds they have summoned; by spending a Glamour trait, the caster (and only the caster) may take flight as if she had used the Wind Rider Art, carried aloft by the gale. Each turn she wishes to use this flight, however, she must win or tie a simple test - failure means that she takes a level of bashing damage form the buffeting winds, though she can still fly if she desires.
There is a serious downside to this Art: Storms are unruly things at best, and the caster faces the very real possibility that the storm may slip from her control and continue to rampage on without her. When this Art is used, the caster and a Narrator should perform a Static Willpower test against a difficulty of the Bunk traits gained in casting; failure means that the storm rages on even if the caster ceases concentrating or falls unconscious, at which time the storm continues under the Storyteller's control. The Storyteller then controls the storm's movements and who or what it targets (use the original caster's current physical + Bunk traits to determine the storm's traits for the purposes of challenges). It then lasts until the Storyteller decides it abates, or a character with at least this many levels of the Skycraft Art casts a cantrip with an equal or greater number of Bunk traits as the original storm to cancel it out.
Type: Wyrd or Chimerical
Advanced
Call Lightning: This terrifying Art allows the caster to call down a bolt of lightning on his enemies, even from an otherwise blue and cloudless sky. Only one target may be struck at a time, regardless of the Realms used in casting, but if the cantrip is successful, that unfortunate soul takes three levels of aggravated damage as the caster channels raw electricity through his body and into the target. Furthermore, armor does not block this damage - indeed, those in full metal armor such as plate mail take an additional level of damage due to their high conductivity. As indicated before, no clouds are needed to call the lightning strike, although such attempts are one trait down, on the other hand, all uses of this cantrip during a storm of any kind, even one created by this Art, are one trait up. At the caster's desire (and Narrator's discretion), this damage may manifest in some other weather-related form - a slicing sheet of ice, choking dust storm, highly localized tornado, etc. - but most fae prefer to stick with the classics when it comes to smiting their foes.
Type: Chimerical or Wyrd
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