SONS OF ETHER PARADIGM AND WEIRD SCIENCE

By Christopher Kobar

The Paradigm

The Ethereal Plane (The Tellurian)

Phenomena (Magick)

The Blind (Sleepers)
The Moment of Truth (The Awakening)
True Scientist (Mage)

Ordinary Phenomena (Coincidental Magick)
Extraordinary Phenomena (Vulgar Magick)

Subconscious (Avatar)

Genius (Arete)

The Ectotropic Plane (The Umbra)

The Categories (The Spheres)

Dimension (Correspondence)
Entropy
Electroplasm (Forces)
Bioplasm (Life)
Plasm (Matter)
Psychoplasm (Mind)
Ether (Prime)
Causality (Time)
Ether (Quintessence)
Etheric Residue (Tass)
Ether-gate (Node)

Paradox

Paradox Flaw
Backlash
Quiet

Miscellany

Eccentricity (Blatancy)
Letheric Potential (Dream)

Weird Science

(The following should help color and bring-to-life Sons of Ether)

Inventions (Rote Foci)

The Sons of Ether spurn the constraints of modern scientific theory, and their proof is in the pudding, so to speak. By inventing all manner of bizarre contraptions and impossible devices these "weird scientists" prove to themselves (and hopefully others) that just because the National Academy of Sciences says so, does not make it so.

The Sons hope that some of their inventions will one day be accepted by society as a whole, becoming part of the consensual paradigm, but until the Technocracy can be convinced to become more flexible in regards to what is and what isn't proper science, their myriad of odd gadgets will have to remain their province only, occasionally drawing them derision from those who do not understand.

Purpose (Effect): Each invention has a purpose, which is in essence, what it does.

System

A character may invent as many devices as he wishes, though he will be limited by cost and time. Furthermore, each gadget will have a relative encumbrance that will dictate how many may be carried at a time. Normally, each invention will perform one rote, though as long as the rotes utilize the same spheres and all rotes were built into the device upon its creation, more can be "installed". Note that this will increase all the limitations as mentioned above.

Cost: $500 x total sphere levels x (11 - Arete). Example: a Matter/3, Correspondence/2, Entropy/2 rote device made by a mage with an Arete of 4 would cost $24,500.

Time to make: One day per sphere level x (11 - Arete). The example invention above would take forty-nine days to make. Typically, one day assumes a full working day, with few distractions.

Encumbrance: Weighs 0.1 pound per sphere level x (11 - Arete). The gadget would only weigh five (4.9) pounds. Round all results to the nearest half-pound. Note: Regardless of how many rotes are actually "installed" in an invention when first made, the weight of the device is only derived from non-repetitive spheres. If the device above also had a Mind/2, Correspondence/1 rote, only the two levels of mind would have to be added to the weight calculation, making it 1.4 pounds heavier, for a total final encumberance of 6.5 (6.3) pounds.

Advantages

Simplicity: The primary advantage of using an invention for a focus is the reduction of an effect's difficulty. The difficulty of an effect is reduced by one (-1) if it is done with the help of the proper invention.

Speed: An added bonus is the fact that an invention allows one to produce the desired effect much quicker than normal. A rote effect performed with the proper invention takes only one turn to produce.

Note: A "fast cast" is still possible, though it will negate the invention's difficulty reduction.

Blatancy: A final advantage in using an invention as a focus is the increased probability that onlookers will believe any vulgar effects to be coincidental. Inventions provide an automatic point of Blatancy. Note: This can only change Vulgar with Witnesses to Vulgar without Witnesses. It cannot make a vulgar effect coincidental.