AI:L Spellbook

Thaumatech Basics

Thaumatech Praxi are constructed from ether conductive circuits made of the silver alloy Archenium, with the flow of energy regulated by tiny ether geode chips within the circuitry. These circuits can be created as “plug and praxis” kits, where a skilled Thaumatechnician can rapidly combine various circuits to create different effects.

A typical Thaumatechnician’s “plugsuit” runs off the users Aether Aura, and involves receptors at head, neck, chest, waist, ankles, upper arms, and gloves or gauntlets. One of the gauntlets traditionally contains a slot or mounting for connecting the combined circuit. The mounting of an active ether circuit is called the pix. These circuits usually gather Ready Ether from the user (depending on the quality of the suit anywhere from 3 to 15 points), removing the need to Channel Ether save for the very largest Praxi.

Thaumatech circuits are divided into five separate types. Unless a pix has a dual module mount, it can only take one circuit of each basic type. A multi-module mount can fit any type of module, but does not otherwise lift the restriction on mounting only one of each type of module. Some pix mounts may be unable to mount certain types of circuits.

Primary Module: The primary module is required for all Praxis, and determines the basic nature of the Praxis’ effect. Most Primary modules can also function as a Secondary module. Primary modules will include everything from attack and defense Praxi to transmutation and animation Praxi.

Secondary Module: A primary module added as an additional effect to another module. This usually weakens the effect, and ups the power cost.

Modifier Module: Modifier modules will expand or change the effect of the Primary and Secondary modules in some way, such as affecting a larger area, inverting the Praxis effect, sometimes just adding a cosmetic flair. Modifier modules are the most common type of module to be dual mount capable.

Range Module: The range module adds additional range to the Praxis effect. Without this module the default range for the Primary Module is used. When added, the range module’s multiplier is added to the Praxis effect. Modules that cannot have their ranges extended beyond touch will have a default range of “0”. A common way around this limitation is to use “Pix balls” or “Pix Shells,” which are Praxis circuits contained within balls that are then thrown or fired into the desired target area.

Special Module: Special modules apply more significant and powerful modification effects to the Praxis that the Chosen wish to keep restricted. Most commonly available pix do not have a Special Module slot.

Assembly of a Praxis circuit is usually with the main module in the center, and the other modules plugged into the main in a cross pattern. Modern Praxis circuits are quite compact, and a full four point assembly will usually still comfortably fit into the palm of a hand, with most individual components being coin sized. The full assembly will be a beautiful shape of external crystal shells, internal silver tracery and dancing points of light, making Praxis circuits common jewelry for Jibril Nobility.

Although mechanically assembling a Praxis circuit is a simple matter of clicking the relevant modules together, to create a functioning circuit the Thaumatech must also channel ether into it as she does so in an etherically complex procedure, which serves as the circuit's security access code. This process involves both training and genetics, and the Jibrilite nobility are bred for latent circuit access. An unskilled user attempting to assemble a Praxis circuit will be left with just a pretty lump of silver and crystal. The Chosen also have the ability to spontaneously disable and disassemble any Praxis circuit which are not in the hands of an authorized user, which has limited the use to which the Zenith Empire is willing to put any captured Praxis circuits.

When assembling a Praxis circuit in combat, each module will have an assembly difficulty. T

Because of the influence of the Chosen over the development of Thaumatechnology, many of the circuits have names based events, passages, or holy people or objects from the Empyrian Codex. Even among the enemies of the Chosen many of these names have become ingrained in the common language of Thaumatechnology.

Thaumatech Praxi

Use describes how the Praxis is actually used. Aside from high end restricted Praxi, any user with sufficient Ether Channel to pay the cost of activating a Praxis can use it when it is assembled. Cost is how much Ether must be spent or committed (committed ether is unusable while the Praxis is active, but can be regained upon ending it) to activate the Praxis. Action is the action required to use it. Range is the Praxis default range without further modification. Duration is how long the Praxis effect actually lasts for once activated. Praxis Type describes what kind of etheric effect is used.

There are three basic Etheric effects: Transmutation, Aura, and Veil. Transmutation effects change one thing into another and commonly only work at touch range. However the Chosen are masters of Transmutation, and have found ways to create ranged attacks by transmuting high energy forces into being, and then releasing them. Aura effects work through the interaction of one Aura with another. They are typically short ranged, but if a specific link is established can function at almost unlimited ranges. Veil effects work through translating matter and energy across the barrier between worlds. These effects are commonly centered on the user, but often have extended spheres of effect. Veil effects are the most powerful, and most restricted.

Assembly describes how difficult the circuit is to assemble, and what skills and traits are needed. The full assembly complexity of a circuit is the sum of the complexity of all its modules. A Praxis circuit cannot be assembled without the required trait: Thau Delta, Thau Epsilon, and Thau Zeta. Each higher level trait also gives access to all the lower level Praxi. A Praxi can be assembled without meeting the minimum skill requirement, but this cannot be done in combat, only in quiet and controlled conditions.

Assembling a Praxis circuit is a Special action, rolling Intellect+Thuamatech against a DC of the full assembly total. If successful, the Thaumatech quickly assembles the desired Praxis within the space of a normal combat action, and may then immediately use it if they have an additional action. If the Thaumatech beats the difficulty number by twice or more they can assemble the circuit as a free action, regaining their Special action as a Move action. If they fail, they can roll again with their next action and add the results together.

Many of the Praxi below are similar to Wild Magic equivalents, however in general Thamatech Praxi tend to be cheaper to activate, with more powerful effects, but with only a single mode of operation and no flexibility on the part of the user beyond what modules are added to modify the effect.

Primary Modules

Ether Bolt
Use - Cost: 1 Ether, Action: one Shoot, Range: 25m, Duration: Instant, Praxis Type: Aura
Assembly - Component: Primary, Complexity: +5 Easy, Required: Thau Delta, Thaumatech Skill 1
Description - Allows the character to send a pulse of energy from their aura to the aura of another target within the range band whose aura is visible to them. This attack ignores cover and cannot be dodged. Unlike Witchfire, Ether Channel cannot be used to cancel this attack, however it is still blocked by Aura shield effects. The attack deals 1d10 Ether damage and the Minor Wound (Pain).

Mind Bolt
Use - Cost: 1 Ether, Action: one Shoot, Range: 25m, Duration: Instant, Praxis Type: Aura
Assembly - Component: Primary, Complexity: +5 Easy, Required: Thau Delta, Thaumatech Skill 1
Description - Allows the character to send a pulse of energy from their aura to the aura of another target within the range band whose aura is visible to them. This attack ignores cover and cannot be dodged. Unlike Witchfire, Ether cannot be used to cancel this attack, however it is still blocked by Aura shield effects. The attack deals 1d3 Mental damage and a Minor Vibe.

Thaumaletric Lance
Use - Cost: 3 Ether, Action: one Shoot, Range: 100m, Duration: Instant, Praxis Type: Transmutation
Assembly - Component: Primary, Complexity: +10 Moderate, Required: Thau Epsilon, Thaumatech Skill 3
Description - An illicit Thaumatech Praxi, created by Gregorio Arhyna, Thaumalectric Lance is designed for use in Thaumatechnic Urban areas. The spell uses existing ether transmission lines, including power, panoptic, and teleptex cabling, and transmutes a massive energy surge that leaps along those lines before forking to the target. The lance does not require a to hit roll inside of 100m, but is obvious to all (a crashing storm of electricity racing to the target) and can be dodged at a DC of 20 + the creator's Thaumatech skill. The Lance deals 2d10 Energy damage, and automatically inflicts the minor wound "Shock." If the target is standing adjacent to a connected Thaumatech device such panoptic mirror, or a teleptex terminal the attack crits on a 9, rather than a 10.

Mega Bolt
Use - Cost: 5 Ether, Action: two Shoot, Range: 100m, Duration: one round, Praxis Type: Transmutation
Assembly - Component: Primary, Complexity: +10 Moderate, Required: Thau Epsilon, Thaumatech Skill 5
Description - “The Praxis the Won the Crusades,” Mega Bolt is a powerful and highly effective attack. The Thaumatech creates high energy particles between their hands, then spits them out in an extended beam to the limit of the range band. Inside of 100m the bolt is wide enough (1m) that no to-hit roll is needed. Outside that range, to hit rolls must be made or the beam scatters to a new line, using the standard scatter rules. This beam ignores cover, burning through everything until it hits maximum range. All caught in the beam must make a dodge roll or be struck, suffering 3d10 Atomic damage, ignoring armour, and permanently (until repaired) reducing any armour DC against subsequent attacks by 1 for every 5 damage inflicted. Because the energy takes time to coalesce, the attack is obvious to anyone able to view Ether, and the dodge difficulty drops to DC20 + the creators Thaumatech Skill (in Solinarchs this is replaced by their Ether Channel Skill). Although created through transmutation, the actual Megabolt attack is Atomic.

Modifier Module

Local Area Module
Use - Cost: +100% Primary Ether / +1, Action: N/A, Range: +5m all directions, Duration: N/A, Praxis Type: Veil
Assembly - Component: Range, Complexity: +10 Moderate, Required: Thau Delta, Thaumatech Skill 5
Description - This module uses complicated Veil resonances to extend the area of effect of the attached Praxis. Using it increases the cost of the Primary Praxis circuit by 100%, unless the Primary Praxis is a Veil effect with its own pre-existing area of effect, in which case the cost is just +1 Ether. This Praxis cannot be applied to Aura-based Primary modules.

Medium Area Module

Range Module

Mid Range Module
Use - Cost: +50% Primary Ether / 1 Ether, Action: N/A, Range: x2, Duration: N/A, Praxis Type: Veil
Assembly - Component: Range, Complexity: +5 Easy, Required: Thau Delta, Thaumatech Skill 3
Description - This module uses complicated Veil resonances to extend the range of the attached Praxis. Using it increases the cost of the Primary Praxis circuit by 50%, rounded down to a minimum of 1 Ether.

Long Range Module
Use - Cost: +100% Primary Ether / 1 Ether, Action: N/A, Range: x4, Duration: N/A, Praxis Type: Veil
Assembly - Component: Range, Complexity: +10 Moderate, Required: Thau Epsilon, Thaumatech Skill 6
Description - This module uses complicated Veil resonances to extend the range of the attached Praxis. Using it increases the cost of the Primary Praxis circuit by 100%.