Channeling the Etherwave Arcana

The Etherwave Arcana. Magic. It’s everywhere around the world, connecting all things and people. Most of the time, this power is invisible. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be touched. Anyone can learn to do it. All it takes is a little skill, practice, and sometimes a Twist of Fate. Perhaps sometimes a bit of luck.

Magic in Hoist the Colors is both a powerful force and a dangerous gamble at the same time. It requires focus and dedication. A willingness to bear the strain of folding the fabric of reality into new, temporary shapes. Spellcasting is done using the Channel action, with the results depending on the caster’s preparation, skill, and position in the story at that moment.

Nuts and Bolts of Spellcasting

Casting a spell requires that you describe the effect you are looking for, then roll your Channel action. Unlike any other action, you have to have at least one dot in Channel before you can call down the power from the Etherwave Arcana to cast a spell. Each dot in Channel adds a die to the roll like any other action.

There is one rule you always have to obey with the Etherwave Arcana. The Rule of Balance. Equivalent exchange with the Etherwave. It gives you power, but always at a cost.

- Archbinder Emeric Thorne of the Dawnrunner Order

Each attempt to cast a spell always drains the caster’s mental and physical reserves. The amount of stress depends on the spell’s complexity and the caster’s position while trying to shape the power. There are three types of Etherwave spell complexities called ‘workings’ or, more formally, ‘bindings’.

Brass Binding: 2 Stress. Brass Workings or Brass Bindings are simple spells, such as a minor illusion, lighting a fire or candle, an enchanted shield of power, or healing minor Harm (Harm 3 or less).

Silver Binding: 4 Stress. Silver Bindings cover more moderate spellcasting. More complicated than minor illusions, these are often more destructive or flashy. Some examples are a short stream of ice shards, fire shards or similar elemental effects. This also covers healing more complex harm and severe injuries (Harm above 3), summoning a small elemental, or simple telekinesis of hand sized objects.

Gold Binding: 6 Stress. Gold Workings or Gold Bindings are large-scale displays of power and skill with the Etherwave Arcana. Often this will mark you as a skilled spellcaster, which also may mean your rivals will hunt you down first no matter what. Examples are: casting an illusion that affects a large group or area, large scale elemental effects such as throwing lightning, opening an Arcane Gate using a ship’s portal platform as a Navigator, summoning a large elemental, major telekinesis to move one person, or sending a message telepathically.

Special Cases

There are special cases to the above. That would be spell effects so powerful, that the Etherwave’s cost is almost, if not all of, the caster themselves. It isn’t that they’re impossible for you to cast as a Wavebinder or a character skilled in Channel. But it does mean, without some way to mitigate the outcome, you may not survive.

Examples of these spells are:

Creating an Arcane Gate on land as a Navigator or without a portal platform

Attempting to create or open an Arcane Gate if you are not a Navigator

Personal or large-scale teleportation

Resurrection or raising the dead.

Any attempt of these spell effects results in 12 Stress and 1 Harm. If the attempt is to Raise the Dead, then they risk the Dark Mark. See Curse of the Dark Mark and Healing & Recovery to dive into that dire topic.

Also, there are some spell effects that always destroy the caster as they are consumed by the Etherwave Arcana instantly. These would be a wish spell or time travel. If those are attempted, the caster is lost forever in the depths of the Etherwave Arcana.

The last special case concerns the professions and use of the Channel action. It’s true that anyone can cast provided they have a dot in Channel. But from there, it depends on the profession if you can cast a Brass, Silver, or Gold Binding.

Wavebinders can Channel then cast from any of the bindings, with the exception of affecting an Arcane Gate.

Navigators are allowed to cast from Brass and Silver Bindings. But with Gold, they are limited to Arcane Gates.

Surgeons are limited to Brass and Silver Bindings, and are allowed resurrection attempts. The latter only causes 10 Stress with 1 Harm to any type of Surgeon.

For anyone other of the professions? They are limited to Brass Bindings.

Resistance Rolls and Stress

Stress from spells can be resisted, but have one exception. The Etherwave Arcana will always have its cost. Much like resisting Harm as stated in Stress & Scars, if you cast a spell you may roll a 2d6+Wits to resist the Stress taken. The highest number rolled from the dice poll is subtracted from the Stress to be taken. Is that 1 or higher? Then the character takes that much stress from spellcasting. Is that 0 or less, or did you roll a critical success? Then you only take 1 stress.

But, be aware if you took over 10 Stress from casting, you will still take a Scar or a Dark Mark! Resisting will never save you from those!

Passing on the Stress

Now, there are those who are always looking for an advantage. Individuals devious enough that they would prefer someone else to pay the price for their casting. It’s possible but considered a dark act, often earning the spellcaster a point in the Dark Mark for their troubles.

To have another person or creature pay the cost of spellcasting, two things are required. First, you must be in physical contact with the person, animal, or thing that will be drained. Then, instead of rolling a 2d6+Wits to resist the Stress, roll a 2d6+Willpower.

If the roll is a 6, then the target is drained, damaged, etc. by the Etherwave Arcana for the spell that was cast. Now if the roll is a 4/5, the Stress cost is split between the caster and their victim. On a roll of 1-3, the caster still takes the full Stress cost and cannot try to resist it.

As with any roll, a 1-3 or 4/5 also brings a complication. This complication could be burns, or similar consequences. But where the caster tried to use a living victim? That caster takes a point in the Dark Mark they cannot resist.

Position & Effect when Channeling the Arcana

Channeling the Etherwave Arcana is a skill, an action. So, like any action, position and effect, mechanically work in a similar way. But there are certain considerations you have to keep in mind when shaping magic.

Position for Channeling represents the circumstances going on around you at the moment:

Controlled. You have plenty of time, no immediate threats.

Risky. You’re under a slight or moderate amount of stress. There isn’t a lot of time and you have to get the spell cast. Most casting while in a fight falls here.

Desperate. It’s a life-or-death situation, such as casting while being attacked, or trying to save someone’s life who will not live out the current scene.

Effect is, of course, the spell’s impact and scope:

Limited. Minor effects or spells that don’t require a lot of effort. Such as lighting a candle, sliding a chair and so on.

Standard. Typical effects. Most Channeling the Etherwave falls here.

Great. Fantastic or amplified effects. This will have additional outcomes. While this is at the discretion of the Game Master, it’s suggested that using a Twist of Fate when channeling might cause this effect.

Suggested Complications & Consequences

There is always an unexpected risk when Channeling the Arcana. Magic is unpredictable and doesn’t like to be controlled. So its misuse always runs the risk of unintended consequences. Aside from any other complications or consequences that might fall on a player’s shoulders, here are few others for the GM to consider:

Backlash. You cast the spell at your target, but it also affects you or your allies in an unexpected way.

Interference. The spell you cast draws some unexpected, and unwanted, attention. Wraiths, magically touched beasts, or other dark creatures of the Etherwave take notice. They are now hunting you or are drawn to you for unexplained reasons.

Overload. You were unable to manage the flow of raw power, and it overloaded your mind and senses. Any stress you take is 3 higher or you could choose to take 1 Harm.

Unstable Effect. Your spell goes off but also creates a second spell effect. This one is chaotic, with unintended effects on anyone or anything nearby. It could be that nearby objects or people catch fire, all nearby lanterns suddenly melt, barrels explode, or worse.