Summoning

The Summoning skill can only be taken by a Witch, Wizard, Diabolist or Shepherd. The power of the summons depends on their commitment (High aspect or Aspect).

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O

Overcome: Overcome is needed to actually call a summon. The Drain is dependant on the threat rating and described below. Giving a Summon a task is also an overcome roll, and unless you succeed with style you or the summon generally pays 1 drain per task.

C

Create advantage: Create advantage can be used for a Summoning circle, as well as researching the true name and other advantages that would make summoning easier. Eacht create advantage takes exponentially more time (to create an additional advantage) and works only for one summon. First takes a day, the next two days, 4 days, 16 days and so on...

A

Attack: You can try and unsummon or banish extradimensional creatures (Demons, devils, outsiders, Angels,...), but this is very hard and expensive without proper preparation (see Create advantage above). The targetted summon gets to defend with its willpower in addition to the Summoning skill rating of its summoner (its much easier to banish an unbound summon).

D

Defend: Defend (Warding) can be used to block summons from entering certain places. It is only powered as long as someone lends their life-force to power it (stays inside the circle or location so warded. The summon needs to overcome the defender's roll when it created the circle. If it does, the ward fizzles and the summon can enter.

Summons

Tasking a summon

Tasking a summon is a simple overcome roll, tasks fit in the Overcome, Advantage, Attack, Defend categories. Tasking costs 1 drain, either for the summon or the Summoner (depending on your power and summon). If you succeed with style, no drain is deducted. If you fail drain will be deducted but the tasking fails. This can have different results depending on the summon and its willingness.

• An Attack task works for the scene. Further scenes need to be tasked again, causing drain.
• A Defend task works until the next sunrise or sunset.
• A create advantage takes one drain per usage, and can be held until the end of the scene (or no more drain can be taken). Each usage is a "free call" to the advantage aspect.

Threat rating and lifeforce

A summon's Threat rating (the basis for its creation), which is equal to its life-force (physical/mental stress) is the TN for summoning it AND it can never be higher than the summoning skill. The TN can be lowered by Create Advantage AND this will also lower the drain suffered (equal to the TN). The power rating remains the same.

Summoning for Wizards

The drain is suffered by the Wizard itself, just like for spells. The Wizard can diminish it further with Components. Wizards generally summon Elementals or Outsiders.

Summoning for Witches

The Drain is suffered by the scene. A Spirit is called which usually (but not always) takes the shape of an animal (even a human, though close scrutiny would reveal they're not normal humans).

A Witch can also take control of an animal (or human, but this is frowned upon (especially the latter), and might get a violent reaction after the control). This works like summoning but the Drain is suffered by the Witch, but during control it is suffered by the creature. Tasking it works the same as for a summon, but the Witch can actually use the senses of the creature (and its skills) during control.

Summoning for Diabolists

Diabolists generally control a powerful Demon, but in addition they themselves or their demon can task other lesser Demons (Imps, Kappa, Jinn,...) for small tasks. Both can do it and will pay the drain themselves, but they have no real ways to lower the drain, so they tend to be a lot less powerful (then again, the Diabolist is already controlling a powerful demon).

Should the Diabolist lose control, or the Demon gets banished he can theoretically call a new one. This is extremely rare, and no information exists on whether this is actually possible, either no one has tried, or no one succeeded.

Summoning for Shepherds

A Shepherd can call for an Angel though only in the rarest of circumstances will this actually be granted. Much more likely is that the shepherd will pray for help and someone might feel compelled to come to his aid (generally humans, but sometimes other creatures, and even Angels. Faith stress is paid (generally 1 per task the Shepher expects), but the time and even whether aid will come is a mystery.

Drain

Whether you fail or succeed with a summoning, the Drain is ALWAYS paid, and any components are wasted. For tasking a failure doesn't cost anything.