Appendix: Sorcery

Component:

A copy of the Codex Sophia, the sacred book of the Mythric cult

The sorcerer receives supernatural wisdom to intuit the meaning of signs and portents by practicing rhapsodomancy—a form of book-based divination. This allows them to avoid the consequences of failure or great failures by looking into the future and forestalling doom.

If a test of fate would be called for and the sorcerer has time to consult a random page of the Codex Sophia and cast this spell, the GM draws a card for the test of fate instead of the player. Without showing it to the players, the GM describes the contents of the card as a parable from the Codex Sophia.

• For example, the X of Swords might yield the description, “And it said that / a man, stabbed many times, lying face down / may be very wounded, or very dead. / His face is turned away.”

• The sorcerer’s player uses their out-of-character knowledge of the iconography of the tarot to interpret these results in character. They are not allowed to use outside help (no checking your phone).

• Once the spell has been cast, a member of the guild may choose to attempt the task or not. If the attempt is made, the GM reveals the card.

• Because casting this spell technically happens before making the test of fate, the player who makes the attempt of the test may elect to spend a Resolve for favor. They may also push fate with this test as normal.

• If the guild decides not to take a course of action based on the augury, the bound by fate rule is still obeyed. The card is discarded. That action would either be successful (or not) until the situation significantly changes.

Component:

A pouch of powder made from wild marjoram, thyme, verbena, and myrtle leaves

The sorcerer takes a pinch of the component powder and blows it towards the target of this spell. The target enters a rage.

• The target gains favor on Attacks, but they must always play the lowest-value card they draw for their Initiative.

• Creatures that don’t feel emotions (such as nonsentient constructs) are not affected by this spell.

This spell is maintained with concentration.

When magic goes wrong, draw on the appropriate maleficence table. This represents a catastrophic intrusion of the energies of the far realms into the realm of Flesh.

Here are some circumstances where magic goes wrong:

• A sorcerer is hurt while concentrating on a spell

• Two spells cancel each other out

• A sorcerer is interrupted during spellcasting

• Other instances, per the GM's devising

When maleficence comes into play, things get interesting.

Maleficence of the Wastes

Card	Result
I	A number of imps appear equal to the value of the top card in the minor arcana’s discard pile.
II	The sorcerer vomits a pregnant rat, which falls to the ground and explodes as a surfeit of baby rats spill bloodily from her belly. Disease oozes from the undulating mass.
III	The putrid stink of a mass grave fills the area. If the adventurers stay in the area, they all become Stressed due to the smell.
IV	A chill, green fog rises. All exposed metal items the guild carries suffer two Notches as the fog rusts and corrupts the metal.
V	Demonic flies fill this room. All perishable items will soon be consumed as the flies swarm into their packs, leaving behind demonic maggots.
VI	Wounds stop closing. The guild cannot heal Wounded talents or the Injured condition until the Fool causes the decks to be reshuffled.
VII	The sorcerer begins to uncontrollably weep blood. It’s hard to see anything through bloody tears (disfavor in combat or any vision-based activities). And, of course, it ruins their robes. This persists until the Fool causes the decks to be reshuffled.
VIII	An invisible mark appears on the sorcerer’s forehead. The sorcerer becomes the primary target of all undead creatures. They wish to talk to them, to touch them, to kiss them, to hurt them, to make them understand. This lasts until the mark is cleansed (per GM’s discretion).
IX	The sorcerer’s shadow departs to perform some mischief. It will return once it’s gotten into some sort of trouble. Until then, the sorcerer lacks a shadow.
X	The sorcerer immediately begins vomiting up a parasitic twin in chunks: little hands, eyes, hair, teeth. They can do very little until the whole thing is out. In a Challenge, this gives the sorcerer the Stunned effect. This maleficence lasts for an entire watch.
Page	The sorcerer’s irises become golden, like a wolf’s. This change is permanent.
Knight	The sorcerer grows black, goat-like horns. These are permanent, but can be sawed off without any pain. Just the stumps will remain.
Queen	The sorcerer’s reflection (in mirrors and other reflective surfaces) begins to rapidly decompose. Eventually, they’ll only see their bleached white skull when they look into a mirror. This is permanent.
King	The entire region is blighted. Plants wither and die. Mothers yield only stillbirths. If the sorcerer is near civilization, there will be consequences.

Maleficence of the Weald

Card	Result
I	A hairless ape crawls into reality. It disembowels itself, presenting its intestines to the sorcerer with an ingratiating smile. It then dies, smiling all the while.
II	Shrieker mushrooms quickly bloom around the sorcerer. Any movement through the area raises a mighty ruckus that provokes a random encounter draw on the Meatgrinder table.
III	Thorns sprout and fill the sorcerer’s zone, Rooting everybody. Everyone must untangle themselves. During a Challenge, this requires the Recover action.
IV	Evil weather manifests physically in the Underworld— the caverns fill with torrential rains, blizzards, or simooms.
V	Any potions carried by the sorcerer explode. The bottles are Destroyed. This causes any items written adjacent to them on the adventurer sheet to be ruined.
VI	Lightning arcs out of the sorcerer’s body and Wounds everybody carrying metal in the room, friend or foe.
VII	Every animal on the Meatgrinder table for this region is drawn towards the sorcerer. The next watch is automatically an encounter with every animal in the area.
VIII	All wooden objects (wands, doors, chests, staffs, torches, bows, etc.) near the sorcerer warp and twist, as if bent by a giant’s hands. All wooden objects in the room are Destroyed. Traps on wooden doors or chests are triggered and affect whatever’s nearest them, as applicable.
IX	An earthquake shakes the area within one mile of the sorcerer. Structures not built to last are destroyed.
X	The sorcerer’s clothes and gear catch on fire. They immediately take a Wound. The sorcerer must put themselves out or they will continue to burn; this is a Recover action during a Challenge. The GM should arbitrate how this is done, and potential consequences.
Page	The sorcerer’s legs turn backwards and grow fur, reminiscent of a goat’s. This is permanent.
Knight	The sorcerer buds a thick, meaty fungus that grows like an insipid cancer on their skin. This is permanent until the disease can be cured. Eating it is addictive.
Queen	The sorcerer is Cursed with lycanthropy. When the moon shines, they undergo a change: it is messy, uncontrolled, and violent. Lycanthropy is permanent unless a cure is discovered.
King	The guild is now the subject of a Wild Hunt. A gnome politely informs the guild that they now have a one- day head start before an army of wood elves does their very best to try and kill them. Good luck.

Maleficence of the Weird

Card	Result
I	The sorcerer loses their voice. They are Silenced until the Fool causes the decks to be reshuffled. Later, the sorcerer’s relatives swear they heard the sorcerer calling to them from the darkness.
II	Nightmarish idols of Jungian manifestations are rapidly built by invisible hands out of any available material near the sorcerer.
III	Everybody in the room (including the sorcerer) must immediately test Wands. Any who fail suffer the Knockout effect and fall into a deep sleep.
IV	Everybody in the sorcerer’s zone (including the sorcerer) is immediately Inspired with a random Disposition. Roleplay as appropriate.
V	A mouth opens on the back of the sorcerer’s skull. It babbles in Tylwyth. The GM immediately delivers a rumor to anybody who can understand it. The mouth, drooling, remains until the Fool reshuffles the decks.
VI	The sorcerer begins weeping gooey, saline-tasting tears. They also weep out several small oozes that crawl away to eat and get big.
VII	The sorcerer’s skin, organs, and muscles become invisible. Until the Fool shuffles the decks, the sorcerer appears to be an animate skeleton with an interwoven system of nerves and veins. It’s creepy as fuck. GM characters are horrified.
VIII	The sorcerer becomes a living illusion. An illusion is nothing but a hologram. They cannot interact with the plane of Flesh or cast spells, but can see and be seen. However, anything illusory is real to the sorcerer. An illusory sword can cut them, an illusory dragon can eat them. This persists until the Fool shuffles the decks.
IX	The sorcerer is no longer able to speak except in rhyme. Everything they say in character must be in the form of rhyming couplets. This lasts until after the next Camp Phase.
X	The sorcerer’s worst nightmare physically manifests in the realm of Flesh during step 3 of the next Camp Phase. The GM and the sorcerer’s player should talk beforehand about what this is.
Page	The sorcerer’s coloring pales. Their hair, skin, and irises become milky white. This is permanent.
Knight	The sorcerer grows a third eye in the center of their forehead. Whenever they use Dwimmercraft, this eye opens. Otherwise, it’s unnoticeable. This is permanent.
Queen	A hekatephage—a Shrouded and intangible spirit that devours magic—begins following the sorcerer. The sorcerer must find some way to banish or defeat it or any non-concentration spell is ended prematurely.
King	The sorcerer is permanently Cursed with Silence. However, illusory text hovers over their head for a few moments when they speak, like speech balloons. Luckily, they can still cast spells.

Maleficence of the Welkin

Card	Result
I	The players that sit to the left and the right of the sorcerer have all of their adventurers’ conditions Healed. The sorcerer suffers an equal number of Wounds. (If this kills the sorcerer, they are canonized.)
II	Painful boils rise on the sorcerer’s skin, a side effect from undiluted celestial radiation. The sorcerer takes a Wound and becomes Stressed.
III	Rations in the current room become strangely tainted: water turns to blood and dried meat becomes pulsing flesh. Only purely vegan rations are unaffected.
IV	Divine locusts, with hard, golden, metallic shells and human faces, swarm. They destroy all foliage and plant life in the entire dungeon level.
V	An angelic chant manifests around the sorcerer. The music is beautiful, but loud. Stealth is impossible. The chanting subsides the next time the Fool causes the decks to be reshuffled.
VI	The sorcerer manifests the piteous stigmata of Mythrys. They are Exhausted until they use a City Action to pray at a mythraeum.
VII	All weapons (except those explicitly made of iron) in the sorcerer’s current room are permanently transformed into tools of similar sizes or shapes. For example, a sword might be transformed into a plowshare or a spear into a pruning hook.
VIII	The sorcerer’s brow is lit with a halo. Everybody is suitably impressed, except for spirits. All spirits have an automatic negative reaction to the sorcerer and, in combat, will target them above all others. This halo lasts until the sorcerer uses a City Action to pray at a mythraeum.
IX	A ghostly hand manifests nearby and begins scribing a prophecy in Vetus on a nearby surface, foretelling doom unless very specific (and unlikely) set of requirements is fulfilled.
X	Upon their return to the City, any guild members who are parents are informed that their firstborn child has died. It is reported that the sorcerer’s name is written in runes across their deceased child’s forehead.
Page	Greed is a vile sin. Precious coins and gems on the sorcerer’s person permanently become scarabs.
Knight	An animate statue emerges from stone. It looks almost exactly like a stony twin of the sorcerer. Its mission is to kill and replace the sorcerer.
Queen	The sorcerer becomes 8 months pregnant, regardless of whether they have the normal equipment required. While pregnant, they are Exhausted. If carried to term, a semi-divine child is brought into the world.
King	A discharge-brown star appears in the sky. At the end of the third night, a tremendous meteor destroys a random district of the City, which makes the City uninhabitable for weeks and weeks.

Component:

The pickled eye of a miser buried in a pauper’s grave

The target suffers a random Curse—draw on the table on the facing page to find out which one. Sorcerers often use this spell to bully others into completing quests or working their will.

Unlike other spells, the Curse remains in place until the sorcerer dismisses it (which they can do at any time) or it is counter-spelled. The Curse cannot be overcome using the Recover action.

This spell is not maintained with concentration. Resolve spent on casting this spell can never refresh as long as this spell continues.

Card	Malediction Curse
I	Dogs hate you. Any dog you meet will automatically try and attack you, and prioritizes you over all other targets. At the end of the City Phase, you become either Staggered (from being savaged) or Stressed (because you spent the entire time hiding from dogs)—50/50 chance either way.
II	You’re afflicted with bad dreams. You have a 50% chance to wake from sleep Stressed due to your nightmares.
III	Food has a 50% chance of becoming ash when you eat it. If this happens, you waste that ration.
IV	You are doomed. You become Exhausted.
V	You gain the appearance of a desiccated corpse. Most GM characters will be hostile towards you. Nobody wants to sleep with you. On the plus side, most undead will ignore you.
VI	You’re cursed to speak in rhymes. Everything you say in-character must rhyme.
VII	Your weapons rust and break easily. Any time you play a card of 10 or higher to Attack, your weapon suffers a Notch. Wooden weapons can suffer 1 Notch, iron weapons can suffer 2, and steel weapons can suffer 3 before breaking.
VIII	Your sexual anatomy changes. It’s weird (but maybe exciting?).
IX	Rats and other vermin fall in love with you. They follow you around everywhere. They want to sleep in your mouth. Every night, there is a 50% chance they’ll relieve you of something in your pack that they know you don’t want and replace it with garbage. Nice garbage.
X	Every footstep you take rings an ethereal, unseen bell that accompanies a voice that says “SHAME.” Stealth is impossible.
Page	You grow sick and infirm. You must burn two charged Bonds to clear Wounded talents and the Injured condition instead of one. You are (regrettably) immune to the Heal effect.
Knight	You grow old for the duration of the curse—like a withered crone. You are ugly and unattractive. You cannot see more than 30’ in front of you through your cataracts and you cannot use the Dash action.
Queen	You can only speak Tylwyth. Is that a language you understand? No? Then you sound like you’re just speaking gibberish.
King	When you enter a stressful situation (like combat), test Wands. If you fail, you turn into a chicken for one round (or equivalent).

Component:

The last acorn dropped from an elder oak

The sorcerer places the acorn into their mouth (or the mouth of their target). They transform into a unique animal shape representative of their soul’s totem.

• Talk to the GM about what this totem is, or randomly determine it using the chart on the facing page.

• While in this form, the target’s attributes are all +0.

• Tests of fate related to actions the totem is known for are made with a +5 bonus.

• The transformation is near instantaneous, but it transforms neither worn items nor carried objects, which fall to the ground around the target.

Spitting the acorn out ends the spell. So, whenever the target wants to talk, eat, drink, or pick something up with their mouth, the spell ends.

Random Totem

Card	Swords	Cups	Pentacles	Wands
I	Ape	Rat	Frog	Bonnacon
II	Armadillo	Pelican	Goat	Capricorn
III	Badger	Peacock	Hedgehog	Centipede, Dire
IV	Bat	Rabbit	Hog	Coatl
V	Bear	Raccoon	Hyena	Grasshopper, Dire
VI	Cat	Seal	Jackdaw	Griffin
VII	Cattle	Snake	Kangaroo	Hippogriff
VIII	Crab	Stoat	Leopard	Mammoth
IX	Crocodile	Swan	Lion	Owlbear
X	Deer	Tiger	Mouse	Rat, Dire
Page	Dog	Turtle	Mule	Roc
Knight	Eagle	Vulture	Opossum	Snail, Dire
Queen	Elk	Walrus	Otter	Spider, Dire
King	Fox	Wolf	Owl	Thunder Lizard

Component:

A vial of water collected by a virgin from a sacred spring

When the sorcerer casts this spell, they summon an invisible minor welkin spirit known as a guardian angel. The sorcerer binds this guardian angel to a target to protect them from a single blow.

• During Challenges, the sorcerer hands the target the card used for Speak Incantation. This card is placed facedown in front of the target player. At their discretion, they can flip the card up and use its value to either Dodge or Riposte.

• The defensive action’s total value is cumulative with other actions of the same type. For example, if a player has a facedown Dodge and the Guardian Angel card is used to Dodge, the two actions values will be added together.

• This spell does not count towards the limit of one facedown card per player. However, you cannot have multiple instances of this spell at the same time.

This spell lasts until used.