Sorcerer

Before the coming of the Rifts, there were secret arcane societies, hermetical and mystical orders that could trace their roots as far back as ancient mesopotamia. These societies depended upon the abilities of Brauchers, Summoners and Diabolists, but those shifters were not the only members of these societies. There have also been an educated elite who, with an abundance of self discipline, willpower, ambition, and an affinity for arcane pursuits managed to make a place for themselves. These practitioners have called themselves various names, from Mage, Magician, and Wizard, to Master of the Occult; but the name most adopted is Sorcerer.
No matter what they may call themselves, one thing they have in common is their scholarly pursuit of all things occult. They do not have the natural ability to tap into dimensional energies like Shifters, nor can they channel the powers of higher beings like Mystics. They predate the coming of the rifts and the emergence of Ley Lines and Nexus Points, so they do not channel ley line energy through their chakras like Ley Line Walkers. Sorcerers cultivate an aptitude for manipulating arcane energy through sheer force of will, allowing them to use items and rituals to produce magical effects.

Career

Qualifications

A sorcerer is someone who has cultivated his or her ability to manipulate arcane energy through study and practice. In this regard, anyone has the potential to become a sorcerer, but only those who are 1) aware of the occult arcane, and 2) have the self discipline to research, study and practice in order to build up their talents over years and decades of dedicated effort.
(In game terms, this is one of the few Arcane Backgrounds that can be gained after character creation)
Before the coming of the rifts, Sorcerers could only practice their arcane talents with the aid of artifacts and familiars created or summoned by Brauchers Diabolists and Summoners. After the coming of the rifts, the infusion of arcane energy in the world allows Sorcerers to use raw ley line energy to power their spells as well.

Career Progression

As general purpose spellcasters, Sorcerers in Rifts Earth are as narrowly focused or as well-rounded as they choose to be. Accordingly, their advancement from Novice through Seasoned, Veteran and Heroic is a relatively linear one of accrued power. Their advancement is limited only by the effort they put into their advancement.

Payment & Reimbursement

Sorcerers are known to prefer rewards like access to information, items to study, or more organizational power.

Perception

Social Status

Among spellcasters in Rifts Earth you will typically find Sorcerers are either bookworms focused on their research, power-hungry megalomaniacs, or jaded and cynical troubleshooters (who may have started as idealists).

Operations

Tools

Sorcerers require artifacts to cast their spells. If they wish to cast their known spells outside of a ley line or nexus point, they may use a special artifact known as an arcane focus. An arcane focus is a magical artifact that serves as basically a large capacitor. They fill it with the magical energy they want to use. A portion of their spellcasting is taken up by this channeling of power into their focus. The remainder is the putting this accrued power into the spellform and releasing it. A sorcerer's focus is a very personal item. But despite how personal it may be, it must be constructed by a Shifter or a Technowizard. Sorcerers can not construct their own focii.

Sorcerers may use Braucher and Diabolist constructions, Summoned familiars, and Technowizard gadgets freely and they are common tools of a sorcerer's trade. When selecting these tools, they are not limited to spells they know.

Summoned familiars can serve the same purpose as an arcane focus if the familiar is a supernaturally arcane creature. In order to obtain a familiar, a sorcerer must be intimately involved and designated in the summoning ritual and then must negotiate the terms of their pact.
On a ley line or in a nexus point, a Sorcerer may cast their known spells without the aid of a tool, focus or familiar.

Provided Services

Because of the amount of effort they put into their education in all things occult and arcane, Sorcerers are often in the employ of civil authorities for investigations and troubleshooting, as well as of learning institutions as educators. Criminal elements may also find uses for the knowledge that sorcerers possess.

Dangers & Hazards

One of the biggest hazards that Sorcerers face is the loss or destruction of their arcane focii. Since they do not have the ability to make one on their own, this puts them at the whims of a Shifter, and must either owe a favor to an arcane society or find and pay a rogue shifter for a new one.

For the sorcerer framework, refer to the Sorcerer O.C.C in the Nightspawn (a.k.a. Nightbane) RPG Book, page 115. Spells available to 21st century Sorcerers are limited to those found in the various Nightspawn source books from Palladium Books. Sorcerers of Rifts Earth may select from Savage Rifts publications. Characters who became Sorcerers in the 21st Century and who later arrived in Rifts Earth may select their spells from both resources.

Prerequisites:

1. At least a d10 in the occult skill.
2. Arcane Background (magic)
3. Players should establish during the game that they are dedicating time and effort into developing their arcane background. The arcane background is "rewarded" (unlocked) as the result of this investment in time and effort. One way the player and GM can conspire to show this time and effort is by the player purchasing increases in the occult skill over the course of several advancements up to the minimum prerequisite.

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Type

Arcane

Legality

Since Sorcerers are practitioners of arcane magic, they are persecuted by the Coalition States.