Knacks: Charm, Perceive, Raptor, Serpent, Torment

Apprentice Level: A Tiny Boost
Adept Level: A Tiny Gift
Master Level: A Tiny Bargain

Centuries ago, while nine of the most powerful and influential Numan Senators (with a handful of bodyguards and scribes) locked themselves in the Senate Chamber and unleashed hell upon Théah, a number of lesser functionaries, clerks, and officials waited outside the mighty doors. They had no idea what the nine were up to; only that they had promised a change that would reshape the politics of Théah for many, many years to come.

They could not have been more surprised, therefore, when one strange creature slipped through a crack in the shadows and made its presence known. Then another, and then another: five in all. Calling themselves the Benefactors, these five otherworldly entities (for even the most human-appearing of them could clearly be nothing else) confided with the men and women gathered in the great hall that a Bargain was being struck, and that the Senators were about to unleash powers on Théah that no one had ever dreamed possible. The Benefactors warned that, in the wake of these powers, minor players in Numan politics would all too easily be swept aside and discarded.

And then, the Benefactors made an offer.

Of their own free will, and asking nothing in return, each of the Benefactors delivered a gift: one that would allow the officials and clerks to protect themselves in the face of the Bargain. Nearly all of those in attendance accepted a gift (and many accepted all five) so that they could combat the obvious evil the Senators were brewing…and so that they could preserve their own status in the order of things. When the last willing official had accepted her gift, the Benefactors slipped back into the shadows, there to remain for all eternity, watching over the Bargainers and protecting Théah from their wrath. Those who had accepted the Benefactors’ offer swore themselves to secrecy, so that no one, and particularly not the nine Senators who started it all, would know what had transpired.

The Sorcery that was born that day, Pazári, consists of five separate gifts with no apparent relationship between them (though some can be combined to deadly effect). Like the Bargainers’ Arts, Pazári is passed on through the bloodline; it never manifests spontaneously, but occasionally a man and a woman who had no powers might produce a Half-Blooded (or, rarely, a Full-Blooded) child, discovering only then that they could each trace their ancestry back to the men and women blessed by the Benefactors.

When a Pazári Sorcerer develops his first power, a slanted line burns its way onto his chest from within, right above his heart. The pain of the brand lingers for a day or two, but otherwise has no negative repercussions. As each new power is manifested, another line joins the first; a Sorcerer who has received all five gifts will bear an upright star on his chest. Some Sorcerers choose to enhance (or mask) this marking with additional brands or tattoos, but everyone who is blessed with Pazári bears a star mark, or some portion thereof.

Apprentice Degree
Sorcerers who practice the Art of Pazári begin each Act with a pool of Bargain Dice equal to their lowest Trait. Bargain Dice can be applied to any roll (except Damage Rolls), but only after the roll is made, and they always have the potential to explode. However, they can never be rerolled under any circumstances, and if an even number is rolled on the die, it is subtracted from the roll rather than added. When a Bargain Die rolls a ten, the Sorcerer has the option of taking the ten (and therefore subtracting ten from his roll), or allowing it to explode and risk subtracting even more.

In addition to being used to modify die rolls, an Apprentice may spend his Bargain Dice to use any of the Apprentice-Level abilities listed under each of his Sorcerous Knacks.

Adept Degree
Adepts who practice the Art of Pazári begin each Act with a pool of Bargain Dice equal to their highest Trait, and may spend their Bargain Dice to use any of the Apprentice- or Adept-Level abilities listed under each of his Sorcerous Knacks.

Master Degree
Masters who practice the Art of Pazári begin each Act with a pool of Bargain Dice equal to the sum of their highest Trait and their lowest Trait, and may spend their Bargain Dice to use any of the abilities listed under each of his Sorcerous Knacks.

Sorcerous Knacks

Using any of the abilities described below requires the expenditure of either a Bargain Die or, at the Sorcerer’s discretion, a Drama Die. Bargain Dice used to empower an ability can be added directly to any roll required for that ability (similar to the rules for Drama Dice); however, Bargain dice that roll even numbers are still subtracted from the roll instead of added.

Charm. The Benefactor who provided the Charm Knack was named Vura-Shezret, and it took the form of a voluptuous, raven-haired woman with cloven hooves instead of feet. It gave the Chosen the ability to whisper honeyed words of enticement, going so far as to ensure the Chosen could speak those words to virtually anyone, in whatever form he or she found most pleasing.

Apprentice: Spend a Bargain Die to add five times your Rank in this Knack to a single Charm Repartee Action you attempt.

Adept: Spend a Bargain Die to comprehend and speak (but not read) a single language until the end of the Scene.

Master: Spend a Bargain Die to change your appearance until the end of the Scene. You may make general changes, or attempt to mimic someone specific. You may add or subtract positive or negative Appearance Advantages, and/or the Dangerous Beauty Advantage, but you cannot alter your general size (i.e., a Small Sorcerer cannot grow to a height sufficient to lose the Small Advantage), and your voice and clothing are not affected.

Perceive. The Benefactor who provided the Perceive Knack was named Azixarid, and it took the form of an enormous, tentacled eyeball with dozens of smaller eyes orbiting around its “head.” It gave the Chosen the ability to observe tiny details that others might miss, allowing them to discern lies or even thoughts of those it could see.

Apprentice: Spend a Bargain Die to add five times your Rank in this Knack to a single Perception Check you attempt.

Adept: Spend a Drama Die to discern the absolute truth of any statement you hear (but not read) and comprehend until the end of the Scene.

Master: Spend a Drama Die to communicate telepathically with any person you can see (but only one person at a time) until the end of the Scene. This can be used in conjunction with the Adept ability, but two Bargain Dice must be spent to do so.

Raptor. The Benefactor who provided the Raptor Knack was named Morik, and it took the form of a tall, attractive woman with the head of a hawk. It gave the Chosen the ability to move, strike, and even scream like a bird of prey.

Apprentice: Spend a Bargain Die to add five times your Rank in this Knack to a single use of the Leaping Knack.

Adept: Spend a Bargain Die to manifest hawk-like talons as your fingernails lengthen into razor-sharp points which inflict a base damage of 1k2 if used to attack. These attacks must be made using the Attack (Dirty Fighting) Knack. The transformation lasts until the end of the Scene.

Master: Spend a Bargain Die to emit an ear-piercing screech that stuns everyone within thirty feet (enemies and allies alike) for five Phases. While stunned, the targets’ TN to be hit drops to 5, and they can only use their Actions for Active Defenses. You are immune to this effect, whether it originates from you or another Pazári Sorcerer. No one may be affected by this ability more than once per Scene.

Serpent. The Benefactor who provided the Serpent Knack was named Uff-Regillaran, and it took the form of a large, writhing mass of snakes with as many as 100 heads. It gave the Chosen the ability to move like a serpent, as well as take on some of the serpent’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

Apprentice: Spend a Bargain Die to add five times your Rank in this Knack to a single use of the Contortion Knack.

Adept: Spend a Bargain Die to grow thick scales that cover your skin from head to toe until the end of the Scene. These scales allow you to use your Serpent Knack as a Passive Defense Knack which can be used under any circumstances.

Master: Spend a Bargain Die to manifest long, sharp fangs and connected poison glands which only inflict Flesh Wounds equal to your Rank on a successful attack, but injects a powerful poison ( Rank in Flesh Wounds / 1 Phase / 10 Phases ). This attack must be made using the Attack (Dirty Fighting) Knack, and it only lasts for a single successful attack.

Torment. The Benefactor who provided the Torment Knack was named Malrinna, and it took the form of a beautiful blonde woman armed with a savagely barbed whip. It gave the Chosen the ability to manifest some of its martial skill, as well as to plague enemies with visions from their past.

Apprentice: Spend a Bargain Die to add five times your Rank in this Knack to a single use of the Attack (Whip) Knack when you are wielding a barbed whip (0k2 Damage Rating).

Adept: Spend a Bargain Die after you have struck someone with your barbed whip to release and animate it as if it were a living thing. The whip will seek to Grapple the target of the attack and inflict damage whenever he or she tries to escape. The whip uses the Sorcerer’s Traits and has the Grapple Knack at a Rank equal to your Rank in this Knack, and the Bear Hug Knack at a Rank equal to your Mastery Level in Pazári, though damage rolls from its Bear Hug Knack Keep one additional Die (+0k1) due to the barbs. An opponent Grappled by the whip may not use Brawn to attempt to escape; doing so will automatically fail, and the opponent will take damage from the whip’s Bear Hug Knack. The animation lasts until the target manages to escape or until the Sorcerer wills it to end; either way, the whip will simply collapse lifelessly to the ground.

Master: Spend a Bargain Die to select an opponent you can see and cast an enchantment that makes him or her see the face of one of that opponent’s loved ones instead of yours. You do not need to know who any of the opponent’s loved ones are to use this Knack. The loved one may be living or deceased, but either way the face will appear bloody, battered, and broken. This gives you a Fear Rating against that opponent equal to your Rank in this Knack. An opponent who fails this Fear Check may make another Check against the same Fear Rating the first time he is blinded, closes his eyes, or otherwise cannot see you. Any penalty of Unkept Dice penalty applies only when the opponent is acting directly against you, and you can only affect one person at a time with this Knack.

Game Master’s Secrets
The five Benefactors who provided the gifts of Pazári were not divine emissaries who sought to fight the power of the Bargain. They were not part of the group summoned by the Numan Senators. They were not even inspired by a grasping need for approval like the creature that provided Pónos to Théah. Rather, they were a small coterie of ambitious Outisders who crept through the Portal to Théah when no one was looking, seeking to increase their own power until they were strong enough to force their way back into the mortal world. Every time a Sorcerer attempts to channel the strength of the Benefactors and fails (i.e., when he attempts to use a Bargain Die and rolls an even number), a tiny shred of his spirit is torn away and used to feed them. Over time, these tiny shreds will amount to the spirits and souls of an uncountable number of mortals…and once the Benefactors have feasted they will tear through the Barrier, bringing a small army in their wake.

And on that day, woe to the Sorcerers, alive or dead, who have had the very last shred of their soul taken away…