Example Adept, from an OCR so expect typos: THE BIBLIOMANCER AKA LIBRARIANS, BOOKWORMS You are what you read. The pages of the world are secured by the binding of knowledge. The literate shall inherit the earth, loved They provided escape reality, Betore long nor conrents but with themselves. The quality of the paper, the style of the type, the nature of the binding. Then there was the history of books, the various editions, how the frst publication came about, even the chain of ownership that brought an old book into your hands and that would one take it to someone else. the were They meant you literate, that you had access to the sum of all knowledge. When the ignorant relied on gut instinct, those books had the expersenees of their forebears at their fingertips. You acourulated Any books at Then you paying more better looked askance at the moldering paperbacks and began replacing them carlicr editions. living hiled with books, Eventually, you didn’t even have to read them anymore. you exploir the # consained, you cven it, adept. Now your library courses with your power, Iris your mind externalized. When you travel you take a choace few volumes along, a withdrawal from your papyrus memory bank, but their power serves you nonctheless. You hunger only for more books, for better books, for rarer books. The thought of your rivals’ libraries fills you with envy. must all the then have all the power. The central paradox of Bibliomancy is that even though one may read a book and transfer its knowledge and power ro memory, the physscal book inelf muse still kept and cherished—beeause it is the book thar matters, even than contains. Bibliomancers Libraries arours! themselves, much like the shell of an oyster. And like an oyster shell, a Bibliomancer’s Library is usually immobile, strongly defended, and full of pearls (of wisdom!). Attempting to artack a Bibliomancer in his Libeary is stupidity of the rankest sort. BIBLIOMANTIC LIBRARY Library the center can use it to charge himself up, to store those charges, and to use those charges for spells. The downside is thar his Library also liners his power: a bookworm only has access to symbolic Library, the im Librarv limits can bold, proximity to his books to use his magic. always hooks before even stepping into the path of the schaol—it's the that the the way Library consist of at least tides, organized by whatever system appeals to him: alpha- UNKNG@W) ARMIES TEN: 7 STATS 81911(Mij1CY 8lAST STYlE GenCl":lle leasl SIOO wonh books by Ihe same author, or in the same genre. or cO\'ering lhe topk--bUI conriguous coUectlon, mlher than juSl a random Slack of books. A book lhal Alrematel)', sIngle book of any ''3lue that ha.s hem signed by the author, get li...ing 10 )'ou ha\'e' )'ou gel Ihe one you have: a hardco\'e'rem replace a paperback, a a mUSI immedialely scll gi\'e copy, Cenerale Significanl wonh leasl stllttdards. coltoction copy, Generare NecrO>lOmicolI even exists). Q \Vest// lurch. VOYllic" MGlll/script, ryped all The Routl, amhentic ne\"cr dcstroy book. )'ou nOi own. )'OUr LibraI')' )·ou mUSI loan out. gi\'e ririe il wilh copr-hat~ 10 il kno.....ledge. It po.....erful lhe faCts C\'entS Ihat depemknt. Suning Newly-<:reated Bibli0m2ncttS Sian wilh thfff a lisl the mosr ...alllable )'our Ihe Travding Librarr-and ha\'e something 10 steall Bibliomanric moslly mooey. \Vith aod bibliofind,com, Bibliom:l1lcers no bllt -borrow" thc Ihrough usc UUtn {120}. themselvC$ orhcr infor· marion blastS. Howl.'\"er, lhe sufficiem V3lue genemte Ihe Ihief. earned dOllb/~d. r.....o Blbhomancers cannOl be allied and the theft can nO! pennined forgi\'eTl owner-il mU5t lheft. bookwonn's maSler libraI')' \"aluable nOi reduct toral reducrd mimmum 10 hold the currenl charges; if rhis occurs., charges are lost beginnmg lhe leasl-pa.....eriul untilrhe balance. N~less say, nOI truSt eagerl)' each Olher's possible, anOlher Bibliomancer's is I'lIIlX14" RESliltTDl; hencallr. D«imal. ,he: ITlerhod. eo.-cn b)' Libral1' dean. wen-lit. and anrneth'c in irs prcst:nrarion. This usu· ally ent;iils book~if :It me LJbr:Jry muSt be us If tholl flO( possible. Ihn\ :It kaSl t~ arra~m tnc bookc:lses fumJlure mil'" serH' [0 ddmnrc ph)'sical lhe a5 symbohcall)' Important Ihe books rhelmeh·~. Bibliomancers.. primtd induding IS a ~book. ~ maga: tines., CTtn COffilC C;1n books: disks. -books fape. - nOi. Howen'r, Bibliomaoccrs nOI S~lIi5fied books wam Ihe :and to bell"r th:Ul (ultem!)' Most Bibliomancers know the minor ritual Seek the Lost (see 98/. to pan Bibliomal1tic self.raught bookworms bck it. It is rumored that there is a significant rirual Hidden rirual to caSler 10 locate exists., prerequisite, such a ritual, and follow any leads or rumors regarding il relentlt'S$ly. IkIJITIlf1 muSt :ll:CesS charges, but a in a Tra\"eling time tr-Jnsfer illlo wonh leaSt S100 Sl3ndards, significam S500 book, and a major charge a S2,.500 book. If the book lea\'es bookworms losl: lrpically lhe ClIrried If lhe bookworm resheh'es the: book into her Ubrary, the' charge' lhe gellof'nll E"m a charge lhe m:JSleT Libra!")' mU5t stili mougb books 10 S10re Tra\'eling contain mulriple wilh its lhe comfomrbl)' 0IlIll5mbiE bookworm's arc by lhe IIUmber of boob he hn. Mmor books charge', significant 500 boob per cha.rge', chargts 2500 books charge'. Thus. a book"'1)ffit relam I 2 significam charges, uunor charges. hIS ha\'e (0 comain books. his he lhe: lhe charge' lost. " BOOK TWO: THE WORLD OF OUR DESIRES benically, by topic, by Dewey Decimal, by the Library of Congress method, or even by color. The Library must be clean, well-lit, attractive it presentation. usually entails lots of bookcases, and at all possible the Library must a room of its own; if that is not possible, then ar least the arrangement of the bookcases and other furniture must serve to delineate the space. The physical space of the Library is as symbolically important as the themselves, For the purposes of Babliomancers, any printed and bound material (including scrolls) is a “book.” Thus magazines, photocopies, and even comic books can be considered books; computer disks, “books on tape,” and electronic files are not. However, Bibliomancers are not sarished with hooks in poor condition. They want only the finest copies, and are always happy to acquire a better copy of a title than they currently have. Tome (see p. 98). The ritual is passed down from teacher to pupil as part of the Bibliomantic school, so only self-taught lack ritual known as Seck the hidden Tome; this ritual is said to allow the caster to locare any book that exists, and previous ownership is not a prerequisite. All bookworms drool for ir relentlessly. A bookworm’s charges are limited the number books has. Minor charges require 100 per charge, charges require books charge, and major charges require 2500 per charge. Thus, for a bookworm to retain 1 major charge, significant and 5 mmor charges, his Library would have to contain a minimum of 4,000 If has Library is full and be generates a charge without increasing the size of his library, the charge is lost, PROXIMITY RESTRICTIONS A bookworm must remain near her Library, within a number of feet roughly equivalent to her Soul attribute, or she loses access to her charges. The charges remain with the Library, bur the Bibliomancer cannot access them. However, it is possible for a bookworm to take her charges with her ina Traveling Library. At any me while in her Library, the bookworm may transfer a charge into a single book. A minor charge requires a host book worth at beast $100 by bookseller standards, a significant charge a $500 $2,500 leaves the bookwarm's immediate possession the charge is lost; typically the book is carried in a briefcase or backpack. If the reshelwes the inro Library, the charge transfers back into the general collection. Even while ac is in the Traveling Library, the master Lebrary must still possess enough to store the charge. The Traveling Library may contam multiple books, each with ms own charge. The only limit is how many books the Bibliomancer can comfortably carry. BOOK THEFT If another bookworm steals a book holding a charge from an unwilling Bibliomancer’s Traveling Library, the charge 1s lost. However, if the book is of sufficient value to generate a charge for the thief, the charge camed is doubled. The two Bibliomancers cannot be allied and the theft can not be permutted or forgiven by the former owner—it must be a genuine theft. Stealing books from a bookworm’s master Library also provides this doubling effect if the books are valuable enough, but such a theft does not reduce the number of charges held by the Library unless the total number of books is reduced below the minimum needed to current this occurs, beginning with the least-powerful ones until the number of books and the charges they hold are once again in balance, Needless to Bibliomancers do not trust each other, and cagerly steal cach other's books whenever possible. BIBLIOMANCY BLAST STYLE Bibliomancers have no blast of their own, but can “borrow” the blast of other schools through the use of the Book Burn spell (see p. 120). Because of this, Bibliomancers frequently ally themselves with other adepts, trading information for blasts, Generate a Minor Charge: Acquire at least $100 worth of the genre, covering the same topic—in short, a minor but meaningfully conngu: ous collection, rather just stack single of thar value also suffices. Alternately, obtain a single value thar has been or get a living author to sign a book you already have in your Library. If you already own a copy of a book you buy, you only get the charge if the new copy is superior to the one you have; a hardcover can replace a paperback, a book in good condition can replace one in bad shape, 4 signed copy can replace an unsigned one. You must imumediatcly sell or give away the inferior copy. Generate a Significant Charge: Acquire a rare book worth at least $500 by bookseller standards, Again, this can only replace a book in your collection if it is a superior copy. Generate a Major Charge: Acquire a one-of-a-kind book, such as the real Necronovnicon (if such a thing eveit exists), the Gospel, the Copper Scroll, the Red Book of Westmutrel, the Voyrich Manuscript, the gold discs of Mormon, the typed pages of On Road, or the authentic diary of Howard Hughes. Taboo: You must never damage or destroy a book, even one you do not own, or all the charges in your Library are lost. Also, you must not sell, Joan out, or give away any tithe in your Library, unless you are replacing it with a superior copy—in which case you bare to sell it or give it away. Random Magic Domain: Bibliomancy is concerned with the power of knowledge. is powerful magic for finding things out, for illuminating or obscuring the facts of something, and for influencing events that are knowledge-dependent. Starting Charges: Newly-created Bibliomancers start with three minor charges and a Library of one thousand books. You should come up with a list of dozen or so most valuable books in your collection, for purposes of the Traveling Library—and also so GMC Bibliomancers have something to steal! Charging Tips: Bibliomantic charges mostly depend on money. With a large income and bibliofind.com, minor UNKNOW Mis CHAPTER UN ADEPTS 119 -- - - charges go S1200 slICh muS!: Ihrough locky finds a rollegt 1Own, f;lln in a ....ttk sign. jogs 2nd huming. significame(ome 10 scntelKes, underSland whar h's wonh rank-7lsoblion and rank-5 Helplessness checks. The effect lasts umil the target slttps. BIBlIOOHtl MUli EffECIS .....lth original magKk. muS! lhe $;1m<: of charges lhe original casler did lO release lhe power. U you do 001 have enough charges. power lost bul you lose no chargl"S. You have no way of knowmg how many n~ excepl Ihrough experience. Effects nOl anifaet dfcctS) twO significam charges ser free. rhe be re-enchanted wilh lhe ex(cpt rhe il crases so. wilh the' power is losl if rhe book leaves your possessioll-Ihat borh 10 umrigge'rcd Burn spdl determinl" be absorbed and how ir works when released. IIDI BUiH Cigar·Smoking Man. ~u,. This spdl13SlS Iwemy-four hours. pumped .....ith significam charge, fuer Blurred from everyone, not iuS! a selected target. lIIJ WUIlIUIlIJI Bl nUIlVEi Cost: I significant charge Make an inanimarc obtcct like another inanimate lifrttn minulC5. This isn't this changing way 00sen"CIS dunk subject. "Though be looking ar chait, the pan oftheir min mal would nonnally "chair" somcrhing "motorcycle. - irsclf phol:ographs, rcEIccrions, video fanh. There 50% Noricc Msorncthing odd- object. less inoongn.lous lnotorcyde The room). COSI: I significam charge shon version; you (:111 ascertain whclher or not a single stated fact-llof a queslion-is IruC at thaI moment in rime. MJoe is alive,M be valid. bUI klsJoe alive?~ nOI 1be ir's nOI simpll" Ihal. am Iktwttn Ihe unes, gramed of the- abstract reality behind rhl" faa you wish 10 judgl". bdiev«l Ihl" a look al lhe probabililil"S behind Ihl" m3chinery of Ihl" unh·l"f"SC. thl"y C'·l"r-changing. doudy, mad· deningly per«pnon. nannal lifl". when asking :about lhe \'eraciry of:ll mundanl" faa is l"ither -lrue" -false." Whl"n getS involvl"d, resulrs an v:ary "lruek "almosr IOtally bUl nOI quitl" false." Evaluating factS Ihat h3\'l" to Mma)'be.- fool enough to on a fael to an.:hetype ir; )'ou're (hannel betwttn rhe slarosphl"re, gel BIBlIOOHtl SlflHlfltAIIl flJiMl/LA SPilLS iE.llJ BE1lIfIIIlII! lJNIS CosI: 2 significanl, plus any olher charge requiremems Effco: carr)' u.st wonh SIOOO by bookseller standards. nl"xt magK"k spell. ritual, or anifaa is d~ book. pm-coring It!( magick from working. (A\":ltar channds are flOl blocked. howC'·er.) You mUSt ha\'e the- in your hand or orherwise touching )"our bare skin for this to AI It!(rcanCf, Ihe nmgick choice; target sight. BOOK TWO: THE WORLD OF OUR DESIRES Cigar-Smoking Man, etc. This spell lasts ewenry-four hours. If the spell is purnped with a significant change, the fact can be Blurred from everyone, not just a selected target. BIBLIOMANCY SIGNIFICANT FORMULA SPELLS READ BETWEEN THE LINES Cost: 1 significant charge Effect: The short version: by spending a significant charge, can whether fact—nor question—is true that time, “Joe alive,” would valid, bur “Is Joe alive?” would not be. The long version: it’s not as simple as that, When you cast Read Between the Lines, you are granted a vision of the abstract reality behind the fact you wish to judge. These visions are believed to be glimpses behind the cosmos, a look at the probabulitees behind the machinery of the universe. As such, they are ever-changing, cloudy, and maddeningly vague to our limited human perception. In normal life, when asking about the veracity of a mundane fact the result cither “true” or “false.” When magick gers involved, results can vary from “sorta true” to “almost totally bur not quite false.” Evaluating facts that have to do with Avatars return a solid “maybe.” And any foo! silly cnough to attempt to Read Between the Lines ana fact having to do with an archetype or the Invisible Clergy directly is really asking for it; you're opening up a channel berween your mind and the statosphere, so don't get pushy. YUN CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER Cost: 1 significant charge Effect: Make an inanimate object look like another manimate object for fifteen minutes. isn’t invisibility, is the way observers think about the sulject. they may at a chair, the part of their brtahat iwounld normally say “chair” is saying something else, like “motor cycle.” The object appears as itself in photographs, reflections, cameras, and so forth. is a -50% shift to Notice “something odd” about the affected object, bess if the object is in an incongruous area (a mocorcycte in the living room), Cost: significant, other requirements Effect: Cast this on a book in your Library and carry it with you; the book you use has to be worth at least $1000 by bookseller standards. The next magick spell, rirwal, or artifact power directed specifically at you absorbed by the book, preventing the magick from working. (Avatar channels are not blocked, however.) You must have the book in your hand of otherwise touching your bare skin for this to occur. Ar any time thereafter, you may open the book and release the magick against a target of your chose: targct eligibility (line of sight, known by name, whatever) is as with the orginal magick. You must spend the same number of charges the origmal caster did to release the power. If you do not have enough charges, the power is lost bur you charges. knowing bow charges you need except through expericnce. not powered by adept charges (such as artifact effects) require two significant charpes to set free, A single book may only hold one power, but once the power is discharged the book may reenchanted with Book Burn. No one may use the power from the book except the bookworm who juiced it up, although anyone else who opens the book erases the power by doing so, As with your Traveling Library, the power is lost if the book leaves your possession—that applies both ro an untriggered Book Barn spell and to a spell you capture. The GM may determine what magick can be absorbed and how it works when released. CROSS~ REFERENCE Cost: 2 significant charges Effect: Gathers and correlates any and all extant and available printed information on a living target into a blank book, much like those sald in most local bookstores or stationery stores; the text appears in your handwriting. The information retrieved must be printed on paper, sa electronic files do not generate data for you unless hardcopy also exists. If there 1s too much information to fit in the book, the type becomes smaller until there is enough room. (Rumor has it that a Bibliomancer once cast this upon a business rival, unaware thar the man was secretly the Comte de Saint-Germain. The pages of the book turned black, and he was arrested while trying to steal an electron microscope.) This reference work bears the target's name as its title and the bookworm as its author. The book goes back to being blank after half an hour, but pwo more significant charges make it permanent. APHASIA Cost: 2 significant charges Effect: Deprives the target, who must have just spoken in the presence of the adept, of the ability to use language. They become unable to speak coherent sentenves, read, or understand what people are saying to them. It’s worth rank-7 Isolation and rank-5 Helplessness checks. The effect lasts until the target sleeps. BIBLIOMAMJOAR NEFFCECYTS Discover any desired piece of information, no matter how well-concealed. Obscure any fact such thar it not only drops off of the world’s radar, but looks as if it never existed. Learn any skill. Translate or decode any representation of knowledge. Trap a person in a book forever, making them a character and retroactively rewriting every copy in the world with the altered text,