Thanomancy is a dark form of Arcane magic that is powered by pure life forces. It relies heavily on draining the vitality of others and using the resulting energy to power magical effects. Draining the vitality of others is often fatal.
EditThanomancers
Thanomancers are naturally occurring individuals able to warp reality to their will in various ways by using Life Force to work magic. Thanomancers learn to will magical effects into existence, which for purposes of convenience will be referred to as "Spells", often making use of props such as incantations, gestures, concentration, and extra time.
While Thanomancers are able to power some of their Magic off of their own residual Life Force, to be truly effective they must steal or borrow the Life Forces of others. This does not necessarily require a Thanomancer to kill others; they can take a little off of several people if they want, but few practice such discretion.
Thanomancers may not be appropriate to all settings or campaigns, or even when they exist they may not be suitable as Player Characters in some GM's games due to their grim means to power. However, in some games with thicker skinned players they can be very interesting additions to an adventuring group. They definitely introduce an interesting dynamic.
EditSTATUS
The only true measure of a Thanomancer's status is the size of their VPP; simply put bigger is better. As a general rule of thumb, each 10 point increment of Pool represents a meaningful demarcation of basic power, with 70 to 90 Pool (and up) being the realm of the truly powerful, 40 to 60 Pool being very respectable, and 10 to 30 Pool being fairly weak.
EditPACKAGES
EditDISTINCTIVE FEATURE
The taint of Thanomancy is detectable in a Thanomancer's aura by those with appropriate senses. Thanomancers should take the following Disadvantage
DISTINCTIVE FEATURE
DF: Adept (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction;
Detectable Only By Unusual Senses; Not Distinctive In Some Cultures)
Disadvantage Value: -5 points
EditCONTROL FACTORS
Thanomancy has
Frequency Controls via mandatory END costs. It also suffers from an
Opportunity Cost Control via the steep cost of the mandatory Variable Power Pool. It also suffers from a form of
Access Control via a mandatory Access Talent. Finally it has a mild
Applicability Control in that it does not have access to
Special Powers.
EditSCHEMA
Thanomancy is a Hybrid "Cosmic Casting" plus "Unlocked Casting" Magic System using a one-time-purchase Access Talent and a Partially Cosmic VPP for actual application of Magical effect.
EditUSE
Thanomancers are able to essentially bend reality to suit their whim. They have an open tap on pure magical power.
EditREQUIREMENTS
Thanomancy requires a custom Talent called "Magical Adept (Thanomancy)" that can only be taken at Character Creation to allow access to the Magic System.
Magical Adept (Thanomancy)
A Thanomancer is born with the capacity to use Thanomancy. This ability may only be taken at character creation.
Magical Adept (Thanomancy) Cost: 2 Points
A character with the Magical Adept Talent can at any point in their careers start purchasing an Adeptology Variable Power Pool defined as follows.
THANOMANCY MAGIC VPP CONTROL COST
* 0 Phase Change (+1)
* No Skill Roll Required (+1)
* Only Arcane Magic (-1/2)
* Variable Limitation (-1/2; at a MINIMUM each Spell must take -1 of Limitations from:
Extra Time, Gestures, Incantation, Limited Range, Increased Endurance in any combination
* All Spells Must Take Concentration (-1/4) and Delayed Phase (-1/4)
* Spells May Not Have Any Other Limitations
* All Spells Must Cost END
o (Spells may cost END only to Activate where allowed)
Control Cost per 10 Pool = 6 Real Points
Total Cost per 10 Pool = 16 Real Points
EditTHANOMANCY ENDURANCE RESERVE
All Thanomancers must have an END Reserve and all of the Magic Spells cast from their VPP must cost END from a Thanomancy END Reserve, without exception. The standard "May Use Either Personal END or END Reserve" +1/4 Advantage may not be used.
The END Reserve may have any amount of END, but the normal non-adjusted REC of the END Reserve can never be greater than the characters total points (not including any Magic Items or other Equipment) divided by 150, rounded in the characters favor according to the standard HERO System metarule.
Thus a character with 125 Character Points can have 1 REC on their Thanomancy END Reserve, while a 280 Character Point character can have a REC of 2, and a character with 360 Character Points can also have a REC of 2.
DRAIN LIFE
Thanomancers fuel their Magic by draining the "Life Force" from others.
All Thanomancers must have a Transfer from BODY to the REC of their END Reserve (an example is provided below), which must be bought as a Power. This Transfer has the SFX of Magic, Thanomancy, and Negative Energy.
This ability may be built in various ways, though the GM can of course reject any version of the ability as they see fit. This Power must cost Personal END, not END from the Thanomancers END Reserve.
SAMPLE LIFEFORCE DRAINS
- Drain Lifeforce Touch: Transfer 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (BODY to Thanomancy END Reserve REC), Can Transfer Maximum Of 20 Points, Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Day; +1 1/2) (85 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4), Must Make Contact With Bare Skin (-1/4) (8 END, uses Personal END)
Real cost: 26 points.
- Drain Lifeforce Aura: Transfer 1 point (BODY to Thanomancy END Reserve REC), Can Transfer Maximum Of 20 Points, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Damage Shield (Offensive; +3/4), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Hour; +1), Continuous (+1) (58 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, Delayed Phase, -1/2), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Concentration (1/2 DCV; -1/4) (2 END per Phase, uses Personal END)
Real cost: 26 points.
OTHER TRANSFERS
Thanomancers can also take other Transfer from BODY Powers of this sort if they want, and can even put several in a separate Multipower or Elemental Control if they want.
EditSPELLS
Thanomancy Spells are simply Power Constructs (including Compound Powers) with sufficient Limitations to comply with the mandatory Limitations applied to the Control Cost of the Thanomancer's VPP.
The Thanomancy VPP functions normally as indicated in the HERO System Rulebook; thus a Thanomancer may have any number of Spells currently "active" in their VPP with an Active Point total equal or less to the Pool size and with a total Real Cost for all "active" Spells equal to or less than the Pool size.
Spells may be of any sort with any intended effect not otherwise proscribed by a GM, but the GM as always has final approval of all Spells.
EditAVAILABLE POWERS
Thanomancy can use all non-Special Powers except EDM, FTL, Healing, and Summon to define Spell effects, but all Spells built with
Stop Sign Powers require GM permission
EditSPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX)
Thanomancy Spells have very broad Special Effects. In addition to any specific SFX that a particular Spell might have such Electricity for a Lightning Bolt Spell or Fire for Flamebolt Spell, all Magic Spells also automatically have the additional SFX of Magic, plus Arcane, Thanomancy, the caster themselves have a personal signature that becomes part of the SFX of all their Spells.
These mandatory SFX cannot be altered by any means, including Variable Special Effects.
EXAMPLE: The Thanomancer Borlen casts Jolting Arc (a Spell that projects a lethal bolt of electricity). This Spell as cast by him has the following SFX: Magic, Arcane, Thanomancy, Electricity, and Barlen. Another character with an appropriate Detect could determine all of this information either directly or secondhand if observing the effects of the Spell later.EditMAGIC ITEMS
Thanomancers can create Magic Items using Transform to add abilities to mundane Items using the rules given under the Transform Power. However, all Powers added to an item in this fashion must cost END from a Thanomancy END Reserve, and must have a limited form of Independent applied to it
THANOMANTRIC INDEPENDENT
Thanomantric Item: Independent (Requires Gift of Thanomancy) (-1/4)
To create such an item the Thanomancer costs a Thanomancer Character Point equal to the Real Cost / 5 of the Powers added to the Item rounded in the character's favor. Thus to add Powers with a total Real Cost of 27 to a mundane item would cost a Thanomancer 5 Character Points.
EditEXAMPLE THANOMANTRIC ITEM
The following sample item represents a helmet that has had several Powers in an Elemental Control added to it by a Thanomancer. The Helm has a total Real Cost of 50, so it would cost a Thanomancer 10 Character Points to make this item.
HELM OF KEMTENTEPAH MERDIKAHMEN
Elemental Control, 40-point powers, (20 Active Points);
all slots:
OIF Unbreakable (Bone Helm, -1/2),
Independent (Requires Gift of Thanomancy) (-1/4)
a) Fearsome Visage: +40 PRE (40 Active Points);
Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) (uses END Reserve)
b) Mindhunting: Mind Scan 6d6 (Human class of minds), +5 ECV (40 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)
c) Mental Pressure: Ego Attack 4d6 (Human class of minds) (40 Active Points) (uses END Reserve)
d) Drain Lifeforce: Transfer 2d6 (BODY to Thanomancy END Reserve REC),
Can Transfer Maximum Of 20 Points,
Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1/4) (42 Active Points);
Extra Time (Full Phase, Delayed Phase, -3/4), Gestures (-1/4),
Incantations (-1/4) (uses END Reserve)
EditRESTRICTIONS
Thanomancy has the following restrictions.
EditARMOR
Thanomancers can use Armor, but suffer penalties to their magic use for doing so. In addition to any relevant non-proficiency penalties, Thanomancers are only able to use a percentage of their full VPP Pool while wearing Armor as indicated by the following chart.
Active Point Limits While Wearing Armor
(All penalties are cumulative) |
| ARMOR TYPE | AP PENALTY |
| Light | -25% |
| Medium | -50% |
| Heavy | -75% |
| Shield | -15% |
| Tower Shield | -50% |
| Gauntlets | -15% |
| Fully Enclosed Armor | -30% |
Note that a Adepts available Active Points are reduced while wearing Armor, but not the Real Cost limit of their VPP.
EXAMPLE: Findros the Magnificent has a 80 Pool Adept VPP. While wearing Heavy Armor he can cast Spells of 20 Active Points or Less (25 % of 80), but may not cast Spells of 21 or more Active Points; if he also carried a Shield, he would only have -75% + -15% = -90% = 8 Active Points available -- not enough to cast much of anything with. Conversely if wearing Light Armor he would have 60 Active Points available.EditREQUIRED/FORBIDDEN MODIFIERS
THANOMANCY SPELL DESIGN RESTRICTIONS
* Spells May Not Have Any Limitations Other Than Those Cited In The VPP Control Cost
* All Spells Must Cost END
o (Spells may cost END only to Activate where allowed)
NO OTHER UNSPECIFIED LIMITATIONS
Since Thanomancy is essentially a "Cosmic VPP" style of Magic, most Limitations are far less limiting. Thus the only Limitations that may be taken on Thanomancy Spells are those mandated by the Thanomancy VPP Control Cost.
Just to be clear, the Limitations required to comply with an Adepts VPP Control Cost are:
- At a MINIMUM each Spell must take -1 of Limitations from:
- Extra Time
- Gestures
- Incantation
- Limited Range
- Increased Endurance
- All Spells Must Take Concentration (-1/4)
- All Spells Must Take Extra Time Delayed Phase (-1/4)
NOTE: Delayed Phase is not the same Limitation as Extra Phase; it means Spells resolve at 1/2 the caster's DEX rather than at their DEX in the Initiative orderNo other Limitations are allowed. The only exception to this is that Powers that normally don't cost Endurance must take a Limitation that makes them cost END, even if only to Activate.
COSTS ENDURANCE
The single greatest restriction on this Magic System is that all Spells must cost Endurance to activate. This serves to restrict the frequency of Magic Use over a short term period, such as combat scenes. It also prevents or discourages certain Power Constructs from being used by Thanomancers due to mechanical conflicts or inefficiency.
CONTINUING EFFECTS
It should be noted that Thanomancers can "float" Spells that have been cast by making them Uncontrolled and paying sufficient END to keep them going, or by keeping a Constant Spell "active" in their VPP and paying END as normal to maintain them (with the commensurate impact on the available Real Cost for other Spells in the VPP).
In the case of Costs END Only to Activate Uncontrolled Spells, some reasonable termination must be defined as normal for such Power Constructs.
EditOTHER ABILITIES
In addition to their Thanomancy VPP and appropriate Transfers, Thanomancers may also purchase a few other miscellaneous abilities if they choose to.
MAGESIGHT
Thanomancers may take the Mage Sight Talent as described in Fantasy HERO for 5th Edition, or an equivalent ability, to make it easier for them to sense and interact with magic. However, it is entirely unnecessary for them as anything other than a convenience since the Cosmic nature of their VPP allows them to will such an effect into being when they wish it.
LONGEVITY
During Character Creation a Thanomancer may take Life Support (Longevity) up to any level the GM allows (including none).
ARMORED CASTING
With GM's Permission an Adept may take the following Custom Talent multiple times to offset their Armor Casting penalty.
ARMORED ADEPTOLOGY
This Talent allows an Adept to more efficiently activate Magical Effects while wearing Armor.
Armored Casting: Reduce Armor Percentage Penalty by 10%
Real Cost: 10 points
EXAMPLE: Findros the Magnificent has a 80 Pool Thanomancy VPP and has a level of the Armored Adeptology Talent. If he were wearing Heavy Armor he would normally have 20 Active Points available to him (25 % of 80), but thanks to having the Armored Adeptology Talent he instead has 28 Active Points (35% of 80).
EditREFERENCE
Thanomancy: This magic system is fully described on
www.killershrike.com.
Magic Systems