Geekender's Realm

The most interesting features of the Great School of Magic are its secret crafts. These are arcane philosophies of magic-use that have led to the
creation of new magic. The general public is not aware of these factions, but any student curious enough to ask questions and observe people at the School
can discover the secret orders’ existence.

These seven philosophies include: Alchemy, Dracology, Elementalism, Illusionism, Necromancy, Cryptomancy, and
Witchcraft. These orders are active solely within the school; their goal is to influence key people into supporting their cause, and generate gold,
either from their disciples or their allies. The gold is then spent to further the order’s magical research; the more research, the greater the chance of
unveiling new awesome abilities and thus gain even more influence. Also, the High Masters of each order hope to use their influence to become the Grand
Master of the School.

Each secret order is divided into five circles controlled by a High Master. The High Master’s identity is unknown to all, except
disciples of the Fourth Circle within their orders. Upon finishing studies at each circle, a follower gains special magical abilities. All of them are
natural abilities of the disciple, not related to normal spell-casting limits. Each ability can be used a number of times per day (as shown in the chart
below), with variable chances of success. Except for alchemists, they are all magical abilities that can be dispelled at any time. Unlike spells, they do
not need to be memorized every day to be used.

To enter a secret order, a PC must first find a disciple who will sponsor him. Students or masters never openly admit to being
disciples of one order or another. Newcomers in an order are usually not welcome because they represent another source of competition for the rank of High
Master. The PC has to convince the disciple to sponsor him. Charm, corruption, deceit, blackmail, and bribery are all legitimate ways to further a PC’s
ambitions, but subtlety is a must. Brute intimidation or violence will get the PC in serious trouble with the order. A “convinced” disciple then informs
his order of the PC’s wish to become a follower; if they think he may bring new knowledge to further their cause, they will accept him. Upon entering the
order, the PC must swear loyalty (revealing the craft to outsiders will get the PC expelled from the order and probably hunted by city thugs).

Once a disciple, the PC is marked with an invisible symbol to prove his identity to other disciples. Once a month, the brethren gather to
plan their activities in the school. The PC then begins to study his new abilities. In private instruction, higher-level disciples teach him the craft in
exchange for gold (that will be spent for research). The price and length of studies vary depending on which circle the PC reached (as described
below).

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Circle: A disciple’s rank among his order, or the power rank of an ability (similar to “experience level”).

Cycle: The time needed (in days) to study one ability of a circle. At the end of a cycle, the PC gains the studied ability. A
student may freely interrupt his studies, come back later and pick up where he left. To learn an ability, he must roll under his Intelligence (on d20) or
start all over again for this ability if he fails the roll.

Cost: The fee in gold ducats for each day of studies. The gold is paid to the teacher, each day, or in advance for the full
cycle.

Experience: The experience points a Student must earn before being capable of using a new ability with the best chances of
success (see Success, below). He must earn the indicated XPs, using his newly acquired ability, before starting a new study cycle. When done, these XPs
are lost and the PC may resume nor-mal level advancement.

Level: This is the minimum level at which a disciple may start studying abilities of each circle. Elven levels are treated
differently: eve-ry time a “per level” ability modifier is mentioned throughout this chapter, add 2 levels per Attack Rank beyond C to the elf’s level
(see Companion Book Two, page 30, for more detail on Attack Ranks). This bonus does apply here as well.

Success: This indicates the percentage chance a disciple has of using an ability. The higher the ability, the
lower the chances he will succeed. If he has not accumulated the needed experience yet, his chances are halved.

For example: 60 + I/ lvI means 60 % chances plus 1% per level. A level 15 wizard would have a (60 + 15) = 75 % chance (half that, rounded down, if he
has not yet gained the required experience points).

# Uses: This defines the number of times within a specific period that a disciple can attempt to use an ability. A failed
attempt counts as one attempt.

All abilities of a circle must be learned before advancing to the next circle. A 4th Circle student must find the way to reach the
5th Circle by himself. Costs and cycles on the chart are guidelines for personal research. Once he has reached the last circle, the High Master will
challenge his rival to a duel. The 5th Circle ability is gained only after the High Master is defeated. High Masters do not necessarily reside at the
school. They are likely to be found in their own towers. Their true identities are given in the “Marauders, Mages and Masters” section.

The duel is strictly between the PC and the High Master. They may travel great distances in order to find a deserted area for the
challenge to occur. The loser of the duel may die (if the winner is Chaotic), or surrender. If the PC loses, he retains his abilities, but must leave the
order (revealing the order’s secrets is still a major crime). If the High Master is defeated, he loses his 5th Circle ability. The nature of this ability
is such that the winner of the duel gains this ability. The High Master will not lose his ability if the challenger has not successfully accomplished the
last cycle of studies. Upon losing his ability, the High Master (if still alive) permanently retires from the order.

Note: Each craft is given on one page for player convenience. Feel free to photocopy the material for the players’ personal use.

Circle	Cycle	Cost	Experience	Level	Success	# of Uses
1st	14	500	5,000 xp	5th	60+1/lvl	3 a day
2nd	28	1,000	10,000 xp	7th	50+1/lvl	2 a day
3rd	42	1,500	20,000 xp	10th	40+1/lvl	1 a day
4th	56	2,000	35,000 xp	15th	30+1/lvl	1 a week
5th	70	2,500	55,000 xp	20th	20+1/lvl	1 a month