Arcane Backgrounds

To use magic or powers, a character needs an arcane background. The following Arcane Backgrounds are available:

Arcane Background (Chi Master)

REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Agility d6+, Spirit d6+, Martial Artist, Focus d4+
ARCANE SKILL: Focus (Spirit)
STARTING POWERS: (deflection, plus two of player’s choice)
POWER POINTS: 15
AVAILABLE POWERS: Arcane protection, boost/lower Trait, burrow, curse, darksight, deflection, detect arcana (not conceal), empathy, environmental protection, farsight, healing, numb, protection, relief, sloth/speed, smite (hands and feet count as weapons for this power), wall walker, warrior’s gift.
GIFTED: Chi masters may take Edges that require Arcane Background (Gifted).
INTERNAL FOCUS: Chi masters focus power from the Hunting Grounds through their bodies. Beneficial powers have a Range of Self (instead of the listed Range) and can’t be cast on others. Detrimental powers (such as lower Trait or sloth) can affect others but the Range is Touch. Unwilling targets must be contacted via a Touch attack—then the power may be cast on them as a Multi-Action. Neither Range reduction grants the Limitation bonus for Self or Touch.

A few folks in the Weird West have studied the ancient Asian fighting arts. A very few of these supremely skilled fighters have achieved the spiritual discipline necessary to channel supernatural force through their own bodies, called chi. These enlightened fighters use the Arcane Background (Chi Master) Edge to reflect their astonishing abilities. Chi masters use Focus as their arcane skill. See page 57.

Arcane Background (Huckster)

REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Gambling d6+, Spellcasting d4+
ARCANE SKILL: Spellcasting (Smarts)
STARTING POWERS: 3
POWER POINTS: 10
AVAILABLE POWERS: Ammo whammy, arcane protection, barrier, beast friend, blind, bolt, boost/lower Trait, burst, confusion, damage field, deflection, detect/conceal arcana, disguise, dispel, divination, elemental manipulation, empathy, entangle, environmental protection, farsight, fear, havoc, illusion, intangibility, invisibility, light/darkness, numb, object reading, protection, puppet, sloth/speed, slumber, sound/silence, speak language, stun, summon ally, telekinesis, teleport, trinkets, wall walker.
MAGIC: Hucksters may take Edges that require Arcane Background (Magic).
DEAL WITH THE DEVIL: Hucksters may not Short nor spend Bennies for Power Points (see Savage Worlds), but can Deal with the Devil for the ability to cast powers—even ones they don’t have and are above their Rank! They might also gain additional Power Points or a bonus to their Spellcasting rolls from such castings. See Dealing with the Devil for the details.

Magic in the Weird West is not to be taken lightly. Those who practice sorcery must often wrestle their powers from dark spirits, who are rarely willing to give up easily. Hucksters envision these duels of will as card games, and the best are capable of amazing powers. Others reportedly tread even darker paths and harness the power of blood magic. Hucksters use Spellcasting as their arcane skill. See page 64.

Arcane Background (Blessed)

REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Spirit d6+, Faith d4+
ARCANE SKILL: Faith (Spirit)
STARTING POWERS: 3 (holy symbol, plus two of player’s choice)
POWER POINTS: 15
AVAILABLE POWERS: Arcane protection, banish, barrier, beast friend, blind, boost/lower Trait, confusion, deflection, detect arcana (not conceal), dispel, divination, elemental manipulation, empathy, environmental protection, havoc, healing, holy symbol, light (not darkness), numb, protection, relief, resurrection, sanctify, sloth/speed, smite, speak language, stun, warrior’s gift.
MIRACLES: Blessed may take Edges that require Arcane Background (Miracles).
SINNIN’: Blessed who violate their core beliefs (see Sin on page 56) are forsaken by whatever forces of good grant them their powers. Minor sins give the character −2 to his Faith rolls for a week. Major sins rob him of all arcane powers for a week. Mortal sins cause the character to be forsaken until the penitent hero completes some great quest or task of atonement to regain his lost powers (Marshal’s call).

Certain characters can call upon the power of their deity or deities for aid. In the Weird West, these pious souls are known as the blessed. Blessed are nuns, priests, or any average but (relatively) pure-hearted folks touched by a divine entity. Though rare in the Weird West, there are also blessed imams, Buddhist monks, and others of faith running around with higher powers covering their holy backsides. When these folks behave themselves, they can invoke miracles to help them fight the evils of the Weird West. Blessed use Faith as their arcane skill. See page 55.

Arcane Background (Mad Scientist)

REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Smarts d8+, Science d6+, Weird Science d4+
ARCANE SKILL: Weird Science (Smarts)
STARTING POWERS: 2
POWER POINTS: 15
AVAILABLE POWERS: Arcane protection, barrier, beast friend, blast, blind, bolt, boost/lower Trait, burrow, burst, confusion, damage field, darksight, deflection, detect/conceal arcana, disguise, dispel, drain Power Points, elemental manipulation, empathy, entangle, environmental protection, farsight, fear, fly, havoc, healing, illusion, intangibility, invisibility, light/darkness, mind wipe, numb, protection, puppet, relief, shrink (not growth), sloth/speed, slumber, smite, sound/silence, speak language, stun, telekinesis, teleport, wall walker, warrior’s gift, zombie
WEIRD SCIENCE: Mad scientists may take Edges that require Arcane Background (Weird Science). Unless contradicted here, they use the rules for Weird Scientists in Savage Worlds, including Jury Rig (which may require ghost rock, Marshal’s call).
MALFUNCTION: When a mad scientist rolls a Critical Failure on a Weird Science roll, the Marshal rolls on the Malfunction Table (page 89) to see what happens

Adherents to the principles of New Science (called mad scientists by most) build weird and wonderful devices, machines which often seem to defy the very laws of reality. Most every such inventor—or at least the successful ones—rely on ghost rock to power their inventions in some fashion. Mad scientists use Weird Science as their arcane skill. See page 68.