Vilenought Wiki

Essence Weaving:

Basic Concepts:

  • New attribute: Essence Attunement (EA)
    • (IQ + HT)/2
    • 10 CP/lvl
    • Governs “Essence Reserve” (ER can be bought for 3 CP, up to 30% over EA)
    • Governs available “Weaving-Talent”-lvls
    • EA 10-11: “Weaving-Talent” 1, EA 12-13: “Weaving-Talent” 2, EA 14-15: “Weaving-Talent” 3 and so on

  • Essence Reserve:
    • Spells costing ER can not be paid for with regular FP!
    • Does not recharge automatically
    • Can be recharged via spells from the Essence Discipline
    • Can be recharged by Meditation: 2/h
    • Increase by: Meditation-Level/10
      • 2 x (Meditation-lvl/10)
      • Round any decimals

  • Spells are Powers and Skills:
    • Each spell requires a casting roll against an Aspect Skill and, if relevant, a second roll to attack (Essentially replacing innate attack).
    • Each Aspect Skill is a (VH) EA skill that defaults to EA-based Thaumatology-5
    • A defaulted Aspect Skill cannot be higher than 15
    • If a spell belongs to multiple aspects, then the caster rolls against the lower of those Aspect Skills.
    • Aspect Skill Rolls are modified by the Weaving-Talent level

  • Weaving Talents:
    • Each Discipline is represented by a Talent (Essentially replacing Magery)
    • e.g. Weaving Talent (Shamanism)
    • Each Talent costs 5 CP/Level
    • Talent lvl gives a bonus on associated Aspect-skill Rolls
    • Talent lvl gives a bonus on learning/creating associated Spells
    • Some Spells may require a certain level in the Talent to be learnable

Weaving Empowerment:

  • Cost: 4/2

  • Each discipline of magic has its own Weaving Empowerment (e.g. Weaving Empowerment (Shamanism))

  • All spells are Alternative Abilities, based on their governing Weaving Empowerment

  • Cost of spells, excluding “Alternative Ability” can not exceed cost of Weaving Empowerment

  • Learning an “Empowerment” unlocks very basic spells on lvl 1 for free


  • Temporary Preperation:

    • Uses weaving empowerment level to determine which spells can be prepared.
    • Requires a scroll or similar detailed written account in order to prepare a spell
    • Requires 1 hour of preperation/memorization
    • Requires an EA-based Thaumatology Roll + Talent-Bonus
    • Once prepared, the weaving is treated as “known” and can be cast normally

  • Desperate Preperation:

    • Uses total CP spend on “Weaving Empowerment” to determine which spells can be prepared
    • Requires a scroll or similar detailed written account in order to prepare a spell
    • Requires 1 hour of preperation/memorization
    • Requires an EA-based Thaumatology Roll + Talent-Bonus
    • Once prepared, the weaver has a single spell ready
    • Desperately prepared spells lead to increased “Essence Residue”-buildup in the weaver (raised by two (2) levels)

  • Preperation-Slots:

    • For each instance of Weaving Empowerment one (1) spell may be (desperately) prepared

    • Additional instances of Weaving Empowerment may be bought

    • Each prep-slot only allows preperation of spells from its type of magic

    • Additional instances are Alternative Abilities to the most expensive Instance (1/5th cost)

    • Additional instances can not be worth more CP than the main instance

    • Prepared spells can’t exceed their governing Weaving Empowerment in CP-worth


    • Additionally, extra individual Weaving Empowerments (non Alternative Abilities) may be bought.

    • These allow for extra active spells without the need to switch before using them


Weaving Empowerment (Essence-Carving):

  • Cost: 4/2
  • Temporary Preperation: is the same as for the other Magical Styles
    • Uses Weaving Empowerment level to determine which spells can be prepared.
    • Requires a scroll or similar detailed written account in order to prepare a carving
    • Requires 1 hour of preperation/memorization
    • Requires a EA-based Symbol-Drawing Roll + Talent-Bonus
    • Once prepared, the carving is treated as “known” and can be used normally
  • Desperate Preperation:
    • Change to the other Styles: Takes 24 hrs instead of 1 hr
    • No increase in Residue buildup

Aspect-Skill-roll to cast:

  • Roll modified by lowest corresponding Weaving Talent-lvl
  • Spontaneous enhancements of known spells (Damage, Range, Duration, etc)
  • Spontaneous modification of casting parameters (Time spend, Energy spend, Rituals used, etc)
  • Casting parameters reduce/increase the penalties on the casting-roll
  • Spontaneous enhancements increase the penalties on the casting roll
  • Penalties can be balanced out by spending more FP/HP and/or adjusting the casting parameters
  • See Spell modification - On the Fly for details
  • Spontaneously modified spells can not be cast above default
  • Spells can be modified in a more stable, prepared manner too
  • See Spell modification - Stable for details

The skills are equivalent to the Aspects (The subcategories of the Magical Types):

  • Elementalism:
    • Energy
    • Matter
    • Forces
  • Aethermancy:
    • Essence
    • Time
    • Space
  • Mindshaping:
    • Empathy
    • Manipulation
  • Shamanism:
    • The Cycle
    • Breaking the Cycle
    • Piercing the Veil
  • Essence Carving:
    • Protection
    • Aggression
    • Utility

  • Sub-Aspects (e.g. Heat, Life, Matter, etc) can be bought as optional (EA/Hard) specialities

Supporting Skills:

  • Symbol Drawing (Integral for Shamanistic Magic, Essence Carving and Circle Drawing)
  • Thaumatology (For understanding, learning and constructing new spells, also as a default for the Aspect-Skills)
  • Mundane knowledge & crafting skills as support for Aspect-Skills (e.g. Leatherworking for Essence-Carving (Leather), Most Natural Science Skills for Elementalism, Outdoor & Medical Skills for Shamanism, etc)

Acquiring new Spells:

  • Only known styles/aspects can be used for spell construction
  • Only when logically sound, can a new spell be constructed without outside help
  • E.g. Fireball might need Matter, Heat and Pressure & Knowledge of “Create Fire” and “Gust” (Many routes might be feasible)
  • Process: Creating new Spells
  • New Trait: Rune Crafter
  • Only exception: Learning from detailed written accounts or teachers
  • Spell (Power) cost (after “Alternative Ability-Limitation”) can not exceed points in “Weaving Empowerment”

Mandatory Enhancements & Limitations (Shamanism & Essence Carving varies, see there):

  • Requires Skill-Roll (associated Aspect-skill) [-10%],
  • Magical [-10%],
  • Requires Gesture [-10%],
  • Requires Word [-10%],
  • Transcribable [+5%],
  • Attracts Threats [-5%],
  • Corrupting (1 Corruption point/Energy spend) [-10%],
  • Backlash (only on failure, HT to resist, Effect for MoF seconds, GM rolls on Table) [-8%],
  • After all the above:
  • Costs ER (-5% per ER, 1 ER per 10 CP base cost) [Variable],
    • ER only [-5%],
    • Reduced Fatigue Cost is Prohibited!
    • CP cost < 10 results in 1 ER cost
  • Radically Unstable (Spell-cost > 10 [-10%], Spell-cost > 25 [-30%], Spell-cost > 50 [-50%])
  • Finally after all other calculations every spell gets Alternative Ability (Costs 1/5th)

Mandatory Enhancements & Limitations (Shamanism):

  • Requires Skill-Roll (associated Aspect-skill) [-10%],
  • Magical [-10%],
  • Requires Gesture [-10%],
  • Requires Word [-10%],
  • Transcribable [+5%],
  • Attracts Threats [-10%],
  • Corrupting (1 Corruption point/Energy spend) [-10%],
  • Backlash (only on failure, HT to resist, Effect for MoF seconds, GM rolls on Table) [-8%],
  • After all the above:
  • Costs HP (-10% per HP, 1 HP per 5 CP base cost) [Variable],
    • Reduced Fatigue Cost is Prohibited!
    • CP cost < 5 results in 1 HP cost
  • Radically Unstable (Spell-cost > 10 [-10%], Spell-cost > 25 [-30%], Spell-cost > 50 [-50%])
  • Finally after all other calculations every spell gets Alternative Ability (Costs 1/5th)

Mandatory Enhancements & Limitations (Essence Carving):

  • Magical [-10%],
  • Preperation Required 24h [-80%],
  • Delay (Supernatural Trigger) [+100%],
  • Attracts Threats [-5%],,
  • Nuisance Effect (Repeated attempts at cummulative -2 for 24h) [-5%],
  • Requires Skill-Roll (associated Aspect-skill) [-10%],
  • Requires Focus (Carving Tools) [-5%],
  • Environmental (Surface) [-5%],
  • Melee Attack (Reach C, Cannot Parry) [-35%],
  • Backlash (only on failure, HT to resist, Effect for MoF seconds, GM rolls on Table) [-8%],
  • Corrupting (1 Corruption point/Energy spend) [-10%],
  • After all the above:
  • Costs ER (-5% per ER, 1 ER per 10 CP base cost) [Variable],
    • ER only [-5%],
    • Reduced Fatigue Cost is Prohibited!
    • CP cost < 10 results in 1 ER cost
  • Finally after all other calculations every spell gets Alternative Ability (Costs 1/5th)

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