Chloromancy (you know... plant spells)

[Haru]

Well I've been working on a few characters to familiarise myself with the system. Now I have this one character, a focused practitioner (chloromancy), with both Channeling and Ritual, that I can not quite figure out. My idea was, that she will only be able to cast spells if there are some plants around that she can manipulate, which will make her pretty vulnurable in a purely urban setting, but that might just mean you have to get a little more creative pulling things of. I was thinking about putting "the Catch" on it, but I don't think it is that much of a deal to actually grant refresh. She also has contact to some of the more summerly wildfae, but she does not get power from them or anything, although one of them has been teaching her to use her magic, because she saved that wildfaes life (I haven't really thought out that part completely yet).

Anyhow, she is working in a tree nursery, being good with plants and all, and she has some space set aside to power up some acorns, which means she puts them in the ground, waters them etc., but instead of growing they save that energy inside them. The chloromancer always carries around some of those acorns to supercharge some of her spells. On that point I am not sure how to handle this.
They need to be some sort of focus or enchanted item I think. Focus item would not fit, because in my imagination, the acorn will rapidly wither after being used to supercharge a spell so it can not be used again. An enchanted item as I understand them can only be used ones, but they are permanent, also not what I am looking for. Best would probably be to tweak the potions rule. The next question would be, how many shifts (as in supercharging a spell) per enchanted item slot can I put into any of those acorns? And is there a limit as to how much I can put into any item? Could I for example have just one acorn at me with 4 enchanted item slots on it.

The spells will mostly be defensive and maneuvers, for example letting the trees in the area shed their leaves in order to block the direct sight of anyone following the chloromancer or blending in with the plants in the area in order to prevent being detected (sort of a veil). Rooting someone to the ground or having a tree grow around part of him to hold him might also be something she would do. But for the most part, actively attacking someone (that means a spell that is an attack in the rules) is probably something that will never happen.

So, how do I stat out my acorns, and how would you handle the spells I sketched out above?

[Baron Hazard]

the acorns could easily be potions, but another thing you could look into would be the enchanted item rule, and just gloss over it with a thematic effect.

yes the power is useable 3 times per session and then it "recharges" however, in this case, they have 3 acorns on them.

My suggestion would to have the items perform a maneuver to apply the aspect "brimming with power" or something similar that can then be tagged for spells.

Thats just off the top of my head.

[Morgan]

Baron Hazard has already given the answers I would give on the Acorns. Treat the Acorns as enchanted items and give them a maneuver that places an Aspect that can be tagged for power on a roll. The fact that the character has a whole garden of them is enough justification to have them as an enchanted item even though they get withered and used up, since you can always harvest and plant more of them.

As for the spells they sound like pretty standard Veils, Blocks, and Maneuver spells with plant magic color so you should be good to go. Without knowing your character's skills coming up with the mechanics for the spells is a little hard. But there is nothing you've laid out that is so crazy that can't be done with the basic Evocation rules. So I'd just give the character Channeling (Chloromancy) and be done with it. No Catch needed, the fact that the magic only works on and around plants because it is the focus of the Channeling is enough.

Also I wouldn't worry about being hindered by lack of greenery in a city. Every city is teeming with plant life, on the streets there should always be some plants around. And even inside places you should be good, lots of big buildings have plants and even trees in the lobby, and there are lots of offices and homes that have small plants in them.

[Baron Hazard]

also on this note, never underestimate moss, lichen and other tiny plant life.

[Morgan]

also on this note, never underestimate moss, lichen and other tiny plant life.

Especially if you can make it grow by pumping the power of a potential oak tree into it! 

[HobbitGuy1420]

Although there could be some fun Compels in those situations, too.  "Curses!  Plastic!"

[Richard_Chilton]

Now I'm thinking about a wizard who makes plant monsters.  Casting spell after spell on the same tree, shaping and changing it...

Richard

[babel2uk]

And now I'm just envisioning a bonzai chlorofiend! Awww look at the cute little chlorofiend! 

[wolff96]

And now I'm just envisioning a bonzai chlorofiend! Awww look at the cute little chlorofiend! 

That's a hilarious mental image!   

"Awww, look at the cute little thing.  Who's a precious widdle monster?  OH GOD, it's eating my face!  GET IT OFF ME!"  LOL.

[Haru]

Ok, having the acorns put a maneuver on the scene is probably the way to go, although it will be quite expensive having to spend a fate point to invoke them, but on the other hand, there might be enough options to get them, so I should be good.

And now that you mention it, how would I go about and create a chlorofiend? Even and especially a bonzai chlorofiend would be amazing 

[Lanir]

Don't make things too complicated for yourself when you write up your spells. Imagining how they work and look is a good start but after that all you have to do is figure out which niche they fall into. If they're supposed to outright cause damage then they're an attack of some sort. If they protect you or in any way interfere with your enemy noticing you or affecting you, they're a block. Most other things would be a maneuver and place an aspect on a target or the scene. Counterspelling would be perhaps undoing someone else's plant magic or maybe forcing the energy of someone else's spell to ground out into a nearby plant. Although actually that gives me ideas for an enchanted item or item of power... Maybe a magic eating violet that goes all kudzu on spellpower.

[mostlyawake]

Ok, having the acorns put a maneuver on the scene is probably the way to go, although it will be quite expensive having to spend a fate point to invoke them, but on the other hand, there might be enough options to get them, so I should be good.

And now that you mention it, how would I go about and create a chlorofiend? Even and especially a bonzai chlorofiend would be amazing  

You get one "Free" (no fate point needed) tag per acorn.

As others said, this power is best emulated with potion slots (each focus item slot converts to 2 enchanted item slots, which can be dubbed "potion slots".

Thus, you'll by buying refinement to up strength and frequency.

If you set your lore to 5, then buying strength three times gets you a potion strength of 8.

The spell  strength you need to create a sticky aspect on a scene is 4 (so lore 4 would allow you to do this with no refinement needed); 3 to create an aspect, and 1 to be "sticky" (have it hang around for the rest of the scene after you tag it for free, so you could use fate points if needed). Because this is on the scene, no one resists it at the time you use it (no strength goes to an opposed check), so it pretty much just happens. Someone could counter it, but... why?  

If you set your default potion strength to 8, then each acorn could essentially put two aspects on a scene (2 at strength 4), giving you two free tags per acorn.

As other people can also use these aspects (though not for free), I'd actually avoid "brimming with power" and put something more directly plant-based like "brimming with chloromantic power". Not only does it make more sense for what you want, but it might avoid having your enemy tag your aspect to throw back hellfire at you.


This is a pretty basic bottled spell, and can be used as a formula to put all kinds of aspects on scenes... a "potion of cold" that doesn't hurt anyone but just makes the room chilly (aspect, "it's friggin' freezing in here, Mr. Bigglesworth") works identically to this.
Hrm, as this post specifically covers your acorns, I'll post other thoughts separately.

[Morgan]

Ok, having the acorns put a maneuver on the scene is probably the way to go, although it will be quite expensive having to spend a fate point to invoke them, but on the other hand, there might be enough options to get them, so I should be good.

If you have an enchanted item that does a maneuver which puts an aspect on a scene you do not have to spend a fate point on it to tag it, it works the same way as a normal maneuver magical or mundane you get to tag it for free the first time. Now since the acorns wither when you use them up the Aspect is obviously fragile and doesn't last longer than that first free tag, and wouldn't stick around long enough for you to actually use a fate point on it.

And now that you mention it, how would I go about and create a chlorofiend? Even and especially a bonzai chlorofiend would be amazing 

Creating a magical construct is the purview of Thaumaturgy, so if you want your very own tame chlorofiend done up in Japanese miniature you'll have to have Ritual (Chloromancy) at a bare minimum. But once you had that ability creating it would probably depend on how you want to model it, check out the Thaumaturgy section in Your Story and the Construct and Chlorofiend section of Our World. It would almost definitely have Diminutive Size as a power.

Really though such a creature is more color than useful, if you just want to have a bonsai chlorofiend living in a terrarium in your character's house that's not much more than saying your character has an exotic pet. Provided you have the magic to create and sustain such a thing in the first place. If you want it to be really useful to you in some way make it an aspect for your character something like "My Master's Old Bonsai Familiar". Such a thing might make an interesting Bob type for your character.

[mostlyawake]

Spell: Detoxification
Type: Ritual
Complexity: 4 + size, or more based on difficulty to resist environmental hazard

This spell can only be used when plants of some kind exist in an area (by assessing or declaring, which earns you a free tag for the spell).  The caster first lays down a circle that uses leaves, vines, limbs, or other plant parts (btw this also gets you a free tag), and then pushes magic into the circle. All plants in the circle immediately begin to rapidly convert all air and air-born substances to clean, fresh oxygen. The spell lasts for 24 hours, or until the circle is broken, whichever comes first. Afterwards, all plant-life in the circle dies (and remains poisonous if eaten, if it took on any toxins), and the area will grow nothing else for a year. Re-soiling and re-seeding the area will also restore growth to the area.

The spell's effect is powerful enough to counter any air-born toxin, magical or non-magical, as long as the spell's complexity exceeds whatever check a target would need to survive the toxin (usually endurance).

Casters should be warned that, while the oxygen will expand past the circle, only the area inside the circle will protect from air-born toxins, and that this area should be treated as an oxygen tent.  (I personally would emulate this by giving any fire effect on the area a free tag).  

[Baron Hazard]

I would suggest the acorns place the aspect on you or on themselves (and not on the scene), providing only yourself (or one holding the acorn) can tag the aspect.