Rules/Rites

All Weaving contains an element of chaos and risk, and Rites are no exception. A successful Rite can cause great impact and turn the tide of battle. But all Rites can fail, causing devastating or even fatal harm.

Rites Step by Step

All Rites are enacted by following the same simple process:

Choose a Rite the Weaver (or group of Weavers) wish to weave.
Cast the Rite for the weaving duration required, and choose any Flickers you wish to spend.
Perform the Wyrd Draw to determine if the Rite is a success or a fail.
If the Rite fails, either Tempt Fate or suffer Overload.
If the Rite is successful, choose targets and call any effects.

Choose Sphere

Each Weaver is aligned to at least one sphere of magic, and may only Weave Rites from the spheres they are aligned with. If the Rite has a level equal to or lower than their Weaving level then they have a chance of Weaving it successfully on their own. If the Rite is of a higher level, then they will need to perform the Weaving as a group.

Weave

To perform a Rite there are no set rules but as a general guide:

Work together if you are in a group
Reference the rite name that you are performing
Reference the specific sphere that you are using
Make the Flicker or Essence part of the Rite if they are required
Make sure your Rite lasts the specified duration

In Menhirs Fate we would like to encourage our players to make Rites expressive and interesting works of magic.

The Weaver may choose to contribute Flickers of power to make the Weaving stronger or extend its effect. The result of any extension, and if one is possible, is in the Rite description. Each Flicker used also increases the Rite level by 2. If the Rite level becomes higher than the group's Weaving level, then the Rite automatically fails and always results in Overload. You cannot Tempt Fate to avoid this outcome.

What Disrupts a Rite

Rites take much of the caster's attention, any disruption automatically makes the rite fail:

A weaver that is part of the Rite enters a Critical State
Any aggressive action or defensive action (such as fighting or parrying)
Using any ability from Vigour or Faith
Intentionally causing the Rite to fail

What Doesn't Disrupt a Rite

Roleplay such as expressing various emotions (unless the Character wishes for it to break the rite)
Safety calls – pause their casting time and finish when the game is called back on
Being hit with damage or calls – as long as you aren't forced out of the Rite area and don't stop casting

Stopping a Rite with Movement

Rites require the Weaver to remain in the general area that they began the Rite, to focus and draw upon their power. You can take a few paces back and forth for rite roleplaying purposes, but if you decide to move away from the area, the Rite stops – without Overload as it isn't dangerously Disrupted.

Wyrd Draw

All Weavers carry with them a small draw bag containing several tokens. The bag must not be transparent and must obscure the tokens within.

To begin with, this will contain (2 + Weaving level) tokens of a colour of their choice (we recommend the colour of your Weaving sphere but any will do) and 1 additional token which MUST be white. All tokens must be of a similar shape and size. Players may decorate or embellish these however they wish, but these are an OOC tool.

The coloured tokens are the success tokens and the white token is the failure token. Players should also have access to an additional 4 white tokens. Although the standard draw bag will only have 1 fail token, there may be situations where more are required.

Once the Rite has been woven for the required time, the Weaver reaches into the bag and draws 1 token without looking. If they draw a coloured token the Rite has succeeded. If they draw a white token, they have failed.

Tempt Fate

If the Weaver draws a Failure token, they may choose to change the outcome to a Success token. This is called 'Tempting Fate', and Weavers should inform a ref as soon as possible whenever they do so.

Each Weaver may only Tempt Fate a maximum of 3 times per day. After the 3rd time, they may no longer do so but can still Weave more Rites.

Each time you Tempt Fate you gain 1 point of Corruption. Please note, too much Corruption may result in a variety of unfortunate circumstances that may include death.

If you are told you have taken corruption or have chosen to take some to tempt fate, please inform a referee at the next available moment so they can record it against your character and provide you with any immediate effects.

If a Rite fails and the Weaver does not Tempt Fate, then they suffer Overload. The Rite does not have its intended effect. The Weaver loses all their hits and enters their critical state. They also suffer an additional roleplay effect of their choosing based on the sphere of Weaving. Some examples are provided with each sphere's Rites.

Success

If a Success token is drawn then the Rite is successful. The Weaver may choose targets as described by their chosen Rite and carry out the effect.

A Rite with range 'touch through focus' is charged up on your Focus. If the rite has a time to deliver, it must be delivered to a target within that time, and you can move to do so. If time to deliver is instantaneous, it must be delivered as soon as possible and without leaving the Rite area.

If you had anything else charged up on your Focus you may pick which effect to have – you cannot have two active at once. If your target already has a positive effect from a rite active, they must pick which one to keep – they cannot have two active at once.

A rite with range 'self' applies to yourself. If you have any other positive rite effects active on yourself, you may pick which effect to have – you cannot have two active at once.

Example: Jess would like to perform the Rite "Rise my Friends". Jess is a Lvl 2 Athria Weaver and a Lvl 1 Water Weaver. As Lvl 2 is their strongest sphere their token bag should include 4 success tokens, and one failure token. Jess begins the Rite. During the 30 second cast time, Jess will perform a Wyrd draw. They produce the white token! Jess must now either take the Overload effect or Tempt Fate. Jess chooses to Tempt Fate so their Rite is a success! As the time to deliver is instantaneous, Jess must tap the target with their focus from the location the rite was performed – if there is no valid target in reach, the rite has no effect. If there was a time to deliver on this rite, they would have that time to move away from the rite location, find their friend and tap them with their Focus to deliver the effect. Jess will need to inform a referee that they have gained one Corruption.

Group Rites

A Rite can also be woven by a group of Weavers instead of a lone individual. This follows the same basic process with the following clarifications:

All Weavers must be aligned with the same sphere as the Rite and have access to the corresponding Specialisation if applicable.
It should be clear to all Weavers before starting the Rite which Rite they are Weaving.
Use the combined Weaving level in the rite's sphere of all members of the group as the Weaving level when determining if the Rite can be woven and how many Flickers it can be successfully extended by.
A single Weaver should be decided upon to perform the Wyrd Draw before beginning. This Weaver must have the highest level of the group in the sphere that the Rite is being cast from. If there are multiple Weavers of the same level in that sphere then they may choose.
Any member of the group may contribute any amount of Flickers to extend the Rite. They must make it clear to all the group when they do so.
If the Weaver who performs the Wyrd Draw draws a White token, they alone decide whether to Tempt Fate. They must make it clear to the group if they do so, and ALL Weavers in the group should inform a ref as soon as convenient that they tempted fate.
In group Rites, if one Weaver has already Tempted Fate three times that day, they alone will take an overload effect while the other Weavers take the Corruption, however the Rite is still a success.
If the Rite is ranged, the Weaver who performs the Wyrd Draw selects any/all targets.
If the Rite has a range of 'Self', then the Weaver who performs the Wyrd Draw selects which participant takes the effect.
If the Rite has a range of 'Touch through focus', the Weaver who performs the Wyrd Draw may distribute targeting amongst any/all foci present as they choose.

Rites Lists