Note: This requires the whitewolf rules to make any sense of this magic system however these are house rules and are completely of my own creation. Although partly inspired by the Thaumaturgy dicipline of vampire I'll stress that this is my own original creation and none of this is directly plagiarized from white-wolf's creations. I'd appreciate if people wouldn't publish this elsewhere and if you do ignore me and publish it anyway I'd at least appreciate some credit. I'm open to any suggestions for developments or modifications of this system.

Also note that ritual magic is extremely weak, takes a lot of time, research and resources, takes much to long to be used during combat and against ANY other power (vampiric disciplines, demonic magics, the true magic of a mage, the cantrips of a faery) will usually prove inoffective. This is nowhere near on a level with a vampiric discipline and can only be used by mortals even then after years of study. However it can be learned by a mortal and is thus often the best you as a mortal can get.

RITUAL MAGIC

        Unlike psychic powers magic is an art which comes from knowledge, it is similar in a way to science except that it deals with the metaphysical as well as the physical. Although technically magic can be performed by anyone with the appropriate knowledge it is both difficult and dangerous and anyone without a talent for it will probably not survive their first casting.

         The ability to perform ritual magic is measured by the skill occult and the intelligence attribute. Willpower is also useful to provide the energy that powers the magic.

Costs of spell casting

       Magic is very costly both on the mind and body from the energy that it drains from the caster. Although under normal conditions casting a spell isn't hazardous if spells are cast under unusual circumstances or if magic is used to often than casting spells can become very risky.

System: Casting any spell requires the spending of a temporary willpower point. Under normal circumstances it will go no further than this however if they than use magic again they may be further drained.

       Botching any magical soak rolls result in an additional level of damage in addition to the ones already taken.
 

•  If someone casts a spell while on full willpower then they merely need to spend a willpower point to achieve a spell.
• If someone casts a spell with one or two less than full willpower then they need to soak with a stamina + occult roll (difficulty six). The character then takes a number of health levels in damage equal to the successes on their original spell-casting roll minus the successes on the soak roll. A willpower point may be spent to negate a health level of damage.
• If someone casts a spell with three or more less than full willpower then they need to soak with a stamina roll (difficulty 3 + number of willpower points less than full). Damage is taken the same as above and willpower may also be spent as above.
• If someone casts a spell with one point of willpower then they need to soak with a stamina roll (difficulty 10). Damage and willpower spending are once again the same as above.
• At zero willpower a character is unconscious and incapable of using magic. No-one can bring their willpower lower than zero, any further levels must be taken as damage*.

Time to cast a spell

         A spell takes roughly twenty minutes per level of the ritual. This includes the time to prepare any mystic circles, reagents etc. A spell can be prepared in advance up to the final stage just before the point of willpower is spent, the spell will only be held for a period of time equal to a day per success on the intelligence and occult roll. Up until that time however by returning to the spells place of casting (or by moving the reagents to another location) the caster may complete the spell by spending the point of willpower and making another roll, this roll determines the effectiveness of the held spell. Note that a spell costs more after it's been held thusly.
 

• For every day that the spell is held one extra willpower point must be spent.
• Every day that the spell is held also subtracts one dice from the final roll, another point of willpower must be spent for each day delayed to regain the dice (note this makes a total of two successes per day.
• This willpower is spent before rolling the final occult roll and if the roll is failed than all of the willpower points and the held spell are lost.

          To cast a spell on someone who is not physically present (spells have an infinite range) requires either a peice of them (blood, hair, toenails etc...) or an item that has a great deal of attachment to them, note that just a piece of clothing isn't sufficient it must be a very strong attachment i.e. a wedding ring or the photo of their daughter that they keep in their wallet. It also requires a great deal of other resources such as candles, oils, crystals, spices, inks etc. these are usually very specific and require rare or exotic materials. It can cost from $10 to produce a simple level one ritual to thousands of dollars per casting to cast powerful spells. Casting without the right ingredients doesn't apply a modifier to the roll it simply makes the casting completely impossible.

Branches of Magic

       Not all forms of magic are the same, in fact they are divided into several branches of magic each specializing in a particular area. Someone may learn more than one branch however they will be less skilled than someone who has focused their talents in one area.

       Each mage receives for free the basic branch of magic, this includes the basic spells which are the key components of any magic. This is represented by the mages level in occult.

       At character creation a mage also receives for free a number of points equal to their occult skill, these points can be divided amongst any branch except for basic magic.

       For a character to cast a ritual they must make a roll of intelligence + the relevant branch (difficulty 5 + level of ritual)

BASIC BRANCH

1. Sense power: By invoking this ritual the caster detects any supernatural presence in the area and a vague impression of it's power and nature.
2. Shield of protection: This can be cast at any level 2 or above. It will protect you from any spell of that level or below. Any attempt to breach the shield will result in an opposed roll.
3. Invoke Being: Allows you to do something you normally would be unable to do by asking a higher power to do it for you. They'll usually want some form of sacrifice however.
4. Remove enchantment: Allows you an opposed roll to destroy an enchantment, the enchantment however has the opposing roll to destroy you…
5.

BRANCH OF DESTRUCTION

1. Weaken structure: This level allows you to make a physical object weaker by increasing any flaws in the object.
2. Curse of the fever: Allows you to bring ill health upon a person, the number of successes determines the strength of the disease from 1 success for a mild headache to 3 successes for the flu and 5 successes for a deadly illness.
3. Summon chaos: Allows you to infuse an object with chaotic energies which randomizes anything that happens inside it. When used on electrical machinery the results are spectacular.
4. Strengthen structure: This is unusual for a destructive spell in that it makes an item stronger by destroying any defects in the object.
5. Destroy soul: This spell affects the spirit rather than actual reality and obliterates it. The object or person becomes a hollow mockery of what they once were and become fragile and incapable of almost anything
 
BRANCH OF THE MIND

1. Shielded mind: This prevents people from reading or attacking your mind. Any attempt will require an opposed conflict between them and this spell.
2. Shield other mind: The same as above but it can be cast on someone else.
3. Read mind: This ritual allows you to enter into someone else's mind and draw information from it. A perceptive person might notice you in their mind and attempt to block you out, it then becomes an opposed roll.
4. Reach into mind: This ritual allows you to do all that the above ritual does and also permits you to alter what you find, to change their memories etc..
5. Mind meld: This ritual allows you to gain a skill from someone else or give a skill to them. They retain the skill however the more of them you take into you your personality begins to alter to become more like them. Anything may be taken though including a psychic ability or magical rituals. This spell however requires both parties to be willing.

BRANCH OF THE ELEMENTS

1. Sense the elements: By casting this ritual you can locate any of the elements around you.
2. Control the elements: With this ritual you can reach out and command the movements of an element. You can make a fire go out or go in a particular direction or make a lake freeze over or dry up.
3. Transmute the elements: This allows you to turn one element into another, a wooden door (earth) can be transformed into water, etc. The original element may be as complex as you want but the resulting object will be constructed from the simplest pure form of an element; rock, fresh water, air or flames.
4. Become the element: This allows you to meld with a large enough body of a given substance. With water you could become part of a lake or with fire you can join into a bonfire. Everything that happens to the object happens to you, however someone stirring the water your in won't affect you as it doesn't alter the water at all, someone freezing the water though. The body of the element must be large enough for you to physically fit into it.
5. Sky mastery: This allows you to combine all the elements to control the weather.

BRANCH OF SPIRITS

1. Sense the spirits: Allows you to detect any spirit beings nearby.
2. Communicate with the spirits: Grants you the ability to speak to a spirit, this can be built into any other spirit ritual to allow you to speak with them as well.
3. Summon the spirits: Allows you to bring a spirit to your location, what you do then is entirely up to you.
4. Draw on the spirits: By performing this ritual you can bring a spirit inside you to gain some of it's talents and power. By summoning a wolf into you, you might gain a better sense of smell and a greater turn of speed. Or by drawing an angel into you, you may gain the abilities of an angel (whatever those are…).
5. Control the spirits: This takes the form of five different spells which match the levels of the mind branch except that they will affect a spirit. The casting and difficulty is exactly the same as the mind ritual even if it is a level lower than five.