ARCANE SPECIALTIES (Optional Rule)

This optional rule allows a mage (as well as rogues and warriors via the Arcane Adept talent,
see below) to gain easy to use minor magics called cantrips or to gain other unusual arcane
influenced benefits. The mage replaces the Arcane Blast ability gained at level 1 with the Arcane
Specialties ability instead, which allows them to learn a single specialty of their choice. Arcane
Blast itself becomes one of the available specialties that a character can learn although they are
no longer forced to take it if they dont wish to. Regardless of the specialty selected, almost none
of the powers require magic points to cast or use and thus only a select few are mage only.
Many however do involve a hand gesture or the use of an arcane device when casting.

A mage using the Arcane Specialties Optional Rule can select one specialty at level 1 to replace
the Arcane Blast ability and then gain a second at level 6 to replace the Spell Blast ability and a
third at level 10 to replace the Power Blast ability. Choose from the following list:

Arcane Blast: As per the Arcane Blast (rounded down) yourself as well. It costs a
description p.20 Fantasy Age Basic Minor action to activate and maintain this
Rulebook. aura each turn.

Arcane Ward: You can will a magical
barrier about yourself that protects you
from certain harm. As a free action you can
spend a single Magic Point when struck by
a damaging attack to increase your current
Armor Rating by 1d6 for that attack alone.
Aura of Thorns: You can release a
magical aura that injuries everyone within 3
yards of your person. Anyone within that
range, friend or foe, takes your Willpower
in Penetrating damage at the start of your
turn. You also take half this damage
Beguiler Cantrip: With a magical hand
sign you can influence the minds of others.
When using this cantrip as a Minor action
you gain +1d6 bonus to the next
Communication test you undertake.
Chaos Magic: When you generate
combat or spell stunt points you may
choose to spend them on stunts from the
Chaos Stunts table listed on p.88 of the
Titansgrave book instead. However the
power is damaging to the mind and so you

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lose 1 point of Intelligence permanently Eldritch Lance: This cantrip can be taken
upon taking this power. with or without the Arcane Blast power. If
used on its own it allows the caster to make
Cleanse Cantrip: With a touch and a
a special Ranged Attack that channels
wiping motion you can clean any item, such
magical energy into a lance of power
as dirty clothes, rusty metal or grimy
without the need for an Arcane Device. It is
surfaces, making them appear shiny, new
a normal ranged attack using an Accuracy
and free of foul filth and odors.
(Arcane Blast) test and does 1d6 +
Alternatively you can cleanse water or food
Willpower damage up to 10 yards.
making it pure by removing toxins, poisons
Alternatively the Eldritch Lance can be
or germs.
combined with a traditional Arcane Blast to

Counterspell: When an enemy casts a increase its power significantly. Thus if

used with the Arcane Blast power, Eldritch
spell at you, you can use a Minor action to
Lance increases the damage of that attack
make a Counterspell hand gesture. Doing
by an extra 1d6 per blast.
so lets you resist their Spellpower roll with
a +2 bonus. If holding your Arcane Device
Familiar: You possess the arcane
while gesturing the bonus is increased to +3.
knowledge to summon a familiar to do your

Curse Cantrip: By pointing your Arcane
Device at an enemy and saying words of
power you can place a curse upon that
target that will last until the end of an
encounter or the target dies. It takes a Minor
action to cast this Hex and you must be able
to see the target when you do. Any attacks
you make against this opponent gain +2 on
your attack or casting rolls and inflict a
further +3 damage on the target. You can
however, only have one Curse active at a
time.
Defensive Cantrip: By holding forth
your Arcane Device in a self-protective
gesture with a minor action, you give
yourself + 2 Defense bonus. You can still
perform a major action in addition to this
cantrip using your free hand.
bidding. It takes 1 hour to perform this
ritual and costs 50 sp in components. When
finished you gain the service of a familiar
such as a regular small animal, a winged
imp or an artificial mechanical creation.
This creation acts independently of you but
it always obeys your commands. It never
makes rolls of its own but can give you a + 2
bonus on any test where it is capable of
giving you aid. It may or may not be able to
talk depending on your wishes. If you
possess magic points you can spend 1 point
to see through its eyes for up to 10 minutes
but your real body is deaf and blind while
doing so. You can only have one familiar
summoned at a time. However you can
dismiss your familiar at any time, but to
summon it again you must cast this ritual
again. Otherwise the effects of this power

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are permanent and even if killed the
familiar can be summoned back anew.
Gun Mage: You can choose a black
powder weapon (or blaster if you are in
Titansgrave) as an arcane device. You are
considered trained when using it. Further
the gun now counts as a magic weapon and
it allows you to substitute Willpower for
Perception when inflicting damage.
Hidden Secrets: Through hidden arcane
formulas you have unlocked the knowledge
to acquire something that is normally
beyond your area of expertise to learn.
Upon taking this power you choose one
talent (including those from Specializations)
and regardless of its class restrictions you
gain the ability to learn this talent. However
you are still required to meet the talents
Requirement restrictions. Note that Hidden
Secrets does not let you take the talent itself;
it only gives you the ability to take it when
you reach a level that lets you select a new
talent.
Healing Hands Cantrip: You can
perform the Heal action with but a touch
that releases a burst of soothing magic. You
do not require bandages or other aids to
perform the heal action and when you do
heal it is for an amount of Health equal to
the Stunt Die + your Intelligence + your
Willpower as well.
Learned: Gain 2 focuses of your choice.
Mage Armor: You have trained long and
hard to cast magic while encumbered by
3
armor. You can wear light leather or heavy
leather (or scout armor from Titansgrave)
without suffering the effects of Strain when
casting spells.
Magic Sense: You can sense if an object is
magical just by touching it. This power does
not tell you what the object does or how it
works, only that it contains magical power
of some kind. No roll is required to use this
power; the GM will inform you it is magical
when you touch such an object.
Alternatively you can spend 1 magic point
if you possess them to increase your Magic
Sense to a range of 5 yards. The effects of
this amplified range last for 1 minute.
Magic Sight: You gain Dark Sight, which
allows you to see up to 20 yards in darkness
without a light source.
Overchanneled Spells: When you cast
spells that deal damage you gain a +2 bonus
to the total damage inflicted.
Power Blast: As per the Power Blast
description p.21 Fantasy Age Basic
Rulebook.
Scourge of Alecto: You can assault a
single target with a magical blast that
suppresses their fury and power. As a
Major Action you can make an opposed test
of your Willpower (Self-discipline) vs the
targets Willpower (Courage). If you win,
the target of your attack is unable to face
you on a subconscious level and so cannot
initiate any hostile actions against you
unless you attack them first.
Shadow Step: When you step into
shadows you can use a Major action to
become invisible until you move or take
another action.
Shapeshift Bird: You can transform
yourself and your belongings into a type of
bird of your choosing. You cannot cast
spells or even talk while in this form but
you can shapeshift back at will. You have a
total of 5+ your Constitution in Health
levels and anything that reduces this to zero
forces you to change back to humanoid
form (although your normal health levels
are unaffected by that attack). To change
forms takes a Major Action. While in this
form you can only make brawling attacks,
but you do gain a flying speed of 8 +
willpower.
Shapeshift Canine: You can transform
yourself and your belongings into a canine
such as dog or wolf. You have a total of 8 +
your Constitution in Health levels and
anything that reduces this to zero forces you
to change back to humanoid form (although
your normal health levels are unaffected by
that attack). While in this form you can only
make brawling attacks, your speed is 12 +
dexterity and you can perform the Set Up
combat stunt at will as a free action without
having to spend stunt points.
Shapeshift Snake: You can transform
yourself and your belongings into a large
snake. You cannot cast spells or even talk
while in this form but can shapeshift back at
will. You have a total 8 + your Constitution
4
in Health levels and anything that reduces
this to zero forces you to change back to
humanoid form (although your normal
health levels are unaffected by that attack).
To change forms takes a Major Action.
While in this form you can only make
brawling attacks, your speed is 8 + dexterity
(though you can slither into hard to reach
places) and you can make a poisonous bite
as a brawling attack that slows a target
reducing their Speed Rating by 5 until the
end of the encounter (the effects arent
cumulative from successive bites).
Smite Cantrip: You can channel your
mana into your melee attacks. When
making a melee attack you can spend 2
Magic Points to increase the damage by 1d6.
You must possess Magic Points to be able to
have this cantrip. Casting this cantrip is a
free action. If using a weapon that is also
your Arcane Device you gain +1 to the
attack roll as well.
Spell Binding: You can bind a single
weapon of your choice so that it can be
summoned to your hand or dismissed as
you desire. You can cast this binding on a
single weapon (or perhaps even
ammunition such as an arrow or battery) of
your choice. It takes 1 hour to perform this
ritual and costs 50 sp in components. Once
cast you can summon the weapon to your
hand or dismiss it out of existence as a
Minor action. It can be dismissed at any
range even if you can no longer see it. If the
weapon is destroyed you can dismiss it and
when it is summoned back it will return
undamaged like it was at the time of casting the target is struck with the telekinetic force,
this binding. You can cast a spellbinding on hit by the object or has the flung object
up to a maximum of three separate strike them. You can only manipulate one
weapons or pieces of ammunition. object at a time using this power.

Spell Blast: As per the Spell Blast Weapon Training: You choose to forgo
description p.21 Fantasy Age Basic some magical training to instead undertake
Rulebook. marital training. Gain a single Weapon
Group of your choice that you do not
Spell Mastery: When you cast spells the possess.
Magic Point cost is reduce by 1 to a
minimum of 1 to cast any spell.

Taunting Whispers Cantrip: With a NEW TALENT

wave from your Arcane Device you can
ARCANE ADEPT TALENT
force an opponent to hear a barrage of
vicious voices that taunt and mock them. Classes: Mage, Rogue and Warrior.
When you cast this cantrip you can inflict Requirements: Intelligence 2 or higher
upon this target the Taunt combat stunt at You have grounded your learning in the
will without having to spend stunt points, basics of Arcane magic.
though you must still make a
NOVICE: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty of your
Communication (Deception) vs Willpower
choice. Further gain the Arcane Device
(Self-Discipline) test as normal but you gain
ability if you do not possess it. If you
+3 to the test. Casting this power costs a
already have the Arcane Device ability gain
Minor action to perform.
+ 5 Magic Points instead. You can now
Telekinetic Magic: You can project your attune a new arcane device by spending 5
will out to 15 yards and mentally control health levels instead of magic points if you
objects as though you were using your wish.
hands. You can manipulate any object you
JOURNEYMAN: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty
can see, moving the object in the air,
of your choice.
opening or closing it, operating it or even
striking or throwing it. However the object MASTER: Gain 1 Arcane Specialty of your
is limited only to those you would normally choice.
be able to interact with or be able lift with
your own hands. If you use this power to
strike an opponent directly or with an object
or throw something at them you make an Written by A. GITTOES.
Improvised Weapon attack and if successful