another school for the vault

[sp!ke]

as promised...tons o' fun!  comments are welcome...
http://www.memento-mori.com/spike/videomancy.html

Videomancy 
  
"The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye." - Brian O'Blivion 
  
isolated, detached and outside reality stand those who have learned the
relatively new art of videomancy. started in the late twentieth century
(the early 1980's to be precise), videomancy is based on the idea of "video
reality," a concept that events viewed on television are more real than
those occuring in life. practicioners feel that one day, the only reality
we know will be what is transmitted across fiber optic networks. the
television will become our entire world and, by changing the color,
contrast, volume and channel, we will become gods of this world. 
  
the hallucinauts generate charges by capturing images onto videotape. these
tapes act as external "batteries" for their energy and must be viewed in
order to transfer the charge to the sorcerer. the obvious benefit is that
in this way, the videomancer can build up many charges without worrying
about taboo. as subjectivity is a videomancer's bane, charges may not be
acquired from acts that the videomancer himself perpetrates or stages.
videomancers must be the "outsider looking in," a human camera recording
the worst aspects of human nature. 
  
as magickal artifacts, videotapes have several limitations; most notably a
high sensitivity to heat, light and electro-magnetic fields (as werll as
being generally fragile items). they're also unable to store more than one
type of charge without use of a spell such as splice. these tapes are
closely guarded by videomancers as once recorded, any videomancer who views
it can utilize the tape's charges. to gain the use of a stored charge, the
scene must be watched in its entirety in one viewing (no getting up for
popcorn, kids). generally, minor charges equal fifteen minutes of
recording/viewing time and significant charges requires up to an hour ( the
average four-hour tape can hold four significant charges and approximately
sixteen minor charges). Videtotapes may only hold on major charge, no
matter how long the actual footage. 
  
videomancy blast style: hallucinauts program their spells into video images
and cannot practically use their blasts in combat. in fact, by planting
blast spells on videotapes, the videomancer creates (in effect), a magickal
land mine -- one that will go off when played (often resulting in the blast
affecting someone other than the intended target). the spell seeme-cu can
be used to send blast spells directly to a viewer. 
  
generate a minor charge: videomancers can receive a minor charge by
recording acts of violence or sexual depravity onto videotape. 
  
generate a significant charge: recording the violent death of a person onto
videotape will store one significant charge. 
  
generate a major charge: major charges can only be created by recording
cosmic events, such as the ascension of the naked goddess (a tape highly
sought after by videomancers). 
  
taboo: videomancers view reality through a camera lens or television screen
so that reality itself may be recorded, distorted and even erased. as such,
they are often unable to assimilate intense visual information without this
filter. in game terms, failing a violence or the unnatural stress check
results in the loss of all charges. as being detached and objective are
important 
  
random magick domain: videomancers deal with the recording and manipulation
of video images and, subsequently, our perception of reality. although they
can create their own spells, they're limited to the medium of their
schooling - videotape. 
  
starting charges: newly-created videomancers receive one videotape
containing three minor charges. 
  
Videomancy minor formula spells 
  
splice 
cost: 1 minor charge 
effect: this practical spell allows videomancers to edit their videotaped
charges, transferring charges between tapes or cutting significant charges
into minor charges (one significant charge yields ten minor charges). this
spell is also used to record spells onto tapes (one a spell has been
recorded onto a tape, the tape may not be utilized for storing charges). 
  
seeme-cu 
cost: 1 minor charge 
effect: by recording this spell onto a tape, the videomancer may establish
remote communication with the viewer of the tape. the hallucinaut may use
this link to spy on or to cast spells on the viewer of the tape. unless the
videomancer gives away his presence, the viewer will be unable to tell that
he is being spied upon. 
  
mind field 
cost: 1 minor charges 
effect: mind field is the videomancer minor blast spell that is recorded
onto tape. It is triggered when the tape is viewed and manifests damage as
intense headaches, blurred/distorted vision, seizures, minor hallucinations
and nosebleeds. this spell can be directed to a particular viewer through
the spell seeme-cu. 
  
mind's eye 
cost: 2 minor charges 
effect: when this spell is recorded, the tape will broadcast intense
full-sensory hallucinations directly into the viewer's mind. the nature of
these hallucinations must be programmed into the tape at the time the spell
is recorded. this spell can be directed to a particular viewer through the
spell seeme-cu. 
  
character study 
cost: 3 minor charges 
effect: by viewing a subject on videotape, the videomancer may duplicate
any action performed by the subject for a period of time equal to the time
spent viewing the tape (watching a half-hour recording of a cooking show
would enable the videomancer to duplicate those skills for a half-hour).
This means if the subject speaks a foreign language, the videomancer will
be able to speak that language. if the subject is recorded performing
martial arts, then the videomancer will know martial arts at the subject's
level of ability. character study doesn't grant the caster the ability to
mimic the voice or appearance of the subject. 
  
Videomancy significant formula spells 
  
autoplay 
cost: 1 significant charge 
effect: a useful spell for the videomancer on the go, autoplay allows her
to view the footage on any videotape by touching it. this spell may also be
used to "view" artifact videotapes in order to gain charges (although the
time constraints for viewing still apply). 
  
test pattern 
cost: 1 significant charges 
effect: a magickal test pattern is recorded onto videotape. when viewed,
the pattern causes the spell's victims to fall into a deep trance that
lasts until the tape ends or the television is turned off (devious
videomancers often create loop tapes of the test pattern spell). this spell
can be directed to a particular viewer through the spell seeme-cu. 
  
shock therapy 
cost: 1 significant charge 
effect: this significant blast spell causes the viewer to experience
painful, intense hallucinations of violence and sexual depravity (a rank-2
violence stress check) in addition to severe migraines and cerebral
hemorrhaging. this spell can be directed to a particular viewer through the
spell seeme-cu. 
  
the video world made flesh 
cost: 3 significant charges 
effect: as the videomancer gets closer to video reality, he is able to
permanently alter his own physical reality -- that of the flesh. a six-inch
slit appears in the caster's abdomen into which videotapes may be inserted
(a rank-2 the unnatural stress and a rank-2 self stress check for the
caster the first time only). anyone who sees this must make a rank-2 the
unnatural stress check. a hallucinaut who has the video world made flesh
can now store videotapes within his own body, negating the need to view
artifact tapes prior to casting spells. 
  
long live the new flesh 
cost: 5 significant charges 
effect: the videomancer can now create copies of himself on videotape and
store them. each time this spell is cast, he is able to record himself to
videotape. by playing this tape back, he is able to communicate, both
visually and verbally, with the viewer(s). through this medium, he can
appear in many places at once while retaining control over each video
incarnation. as long as these videotapes exist, the videomancer exists,
achieving, after a fashion, immortality. 
  
Videomancy major effects 
  
major charges could be used to produce lethal blast effects or to duplicate
the contents of any artifact videotape (even the legendary naked goddess
tape). a major charge could also dissolve the border separating the video
world from the real world, enabling ideas and flesh to become
interchangeable. 
Jared A. Sorensen
http://www.memento-mori.com

"I don't think there's anything man wasn't meant to know. There are just
some stupid things that people shouldn't do. "
- David Cronenberg