Wonder

Overview

• Found In: M20 page 328
• In Character Generation: Purchased as standard Background, see below.
• Available To: Mages.
• After Character Generation: New Wonders may be acquired through IC play, existing Wonders may not be improved.
• Purchasable When Becoming: No
• Limitations: A rating of 5 is the maximum.

Wonders work as discussed in the M20 core. Rules for Wonders can be found on pages 324 and 653 of M20 Core or page 150 of Book of Secrets.

In Character Generation

Wonder costs are calculated based on points, but some characteristics require a minimum dot rating.

Dot Rating	Points Available	XP For Dot Rating
•	1-3 points	3 XP to buy this dot rating
••	4-6 points	6 XP to buy this dot rating
•••	7-9 points	12 XP to buy this dot rating
••••	10-12 points	21 XP to buy this dot rating
•••••	13-15 points	33 XP to buy this dot rating

• An individual Wonder can have up to one separate Sphere Effect for each dot in that Background.
• The dot rating of the Wonder determines the highest level Sphere Effect(s) this Wonder can use. A 3 dot Wonder thus can use a sphere level at 1, 2 and/or 3.

A Mage needs a note with the word "Wonder" in the title, containing the following:

• The dot rating of the Wonder
• The physical description of the item
• The Quint/Arete rating
• The Spell Effects.

Calculating Background Points And Dots

Background "points": The "Wonders" chart on p. 653 in M20 is a misprint. Use the chart on p. 328 in M20, which is duplicated in Book of Secrets. Note that when the text refers to "Background Points" it means the experience point/freebies rating, not the Dot rating.

Calculating Points cost: (Total Sphere Levels or highest sphere * 2, whichever is higher) + 1 if an extra Arete is given + Flaws + Features.

Number of Effects: An individual Wonder can have up to one separate power for each DOT in the Wonder Background. Thus, a Bafflejack that baffles two senses is 2-dot, three senses is 3 dots, and four senses is 4-dot, even though the point cost and highest sphere are low.

Highest Sphere: The dot rating of the Wonder determines the highest level Sphere Effect(s) this Wonder can use. Thus, something akin to a Stargate is at least 4 dots.

Artifacts and Talismans: Complex items with activatable effects. Calculate the point cost and look up the appropriate dot value on the chart above. If the highest sphere or number of effects would require a higher dot rating, use that instead. Thus, a Wonder that provides some effect that uses all 9 spheres at level 1 would be a 3-dot wonder because it would cost 9 points. Meanwhile, a wonder that only uses Time 3 for three effects would also be a 3-dot wonder because a wonder has a minimum dot rating of number of effects or highest sphere. Double the point cost if the effects are ongoing (and thus do not roll Arete), and are not simple enough to be a Trinket (e.g. something that could not be accomplished by Locking an effect or is not a single straightforward effect). Pay for the background dots as you would any other background.

Charms: Single-use items activated by consuming them. Calculate the point cost as above and divide by 2 for a batch of 10. Look up the appropriate dot value on the chart above. Ignore 'number of effects' as Charms have only one. Ignore minimum dot requirement for highest sphere. Pay XP equal to this point cost. 1 Freebie = 3 XP for this.

Trinkets: Items that have been permanently enhanced with magick. Exception to the point cost calculation above. Point cost is 1 point per dot in the highest sphere needed for the effect plus 2x the strength of the effect past the base. Look up the appropriate dot value on the chart above. Ignore 'number of effects' as Trinkets have only one and must be simple. Ignore minimum dot requirement for highest sphere. Examples: A Sword enhanced with Matter 3 to do 4 extra damage would cost 3 + 6 = 9 points. The same sword, if it only did 1 extra damage, would cost 3 + 0 = 3 points. A ring that makes punches aggravated damage against living creatures (Life 3) would cost 3 points only. We do not support Trinkets with a strength above 5. Pay XP equal to this point cost. 1 Freebie = 3 XP for this.

After Character Generation

Once a Wonder is acquired, it remains unchanged and cannot be improved.

Characters can create Wonders by following the process described below. In this case, the Wonder does not cost XP unless indicated in the crafting process.

Characters can also acquire Wonders through other means, such as through their Mentor or through spending Karma to purchase a plot that they still need to succeed on for it. In either of these cases, XP must be spent as per 'in character generation'.

Another player can also craft a Wonder and give it to you. If you are keeping it for more than a scene, you must pay the XP cost to keep using it.

You will get the XP cost back for the Background if it is taken from you or if you pass it on to someone else.

Step One: Send in a Request

Send in a +request describing your intentions! What do you want this Wonder to do?

See the section above about calculating Background Points And Dots.

Step Two: Provide A Foundation

Your options are to buy, craft, or create the foundation for the Wonder.

To buy the item, pick an item off of +eq/list and specify that you're using that equipment item on the +job. Canonically, Wonders are ideally made of premium and personal materials. As a simplified means to reflect that less-than-ideal foundations can lead to flawed Wonders (with "insufficient" materials), a Wonder's dot-value cannot exceed your Resources score if the foundation is an item you did not personally create. You can make up the difference by incurring Flaws (page 158, Book of Secrets). So, if you want a 3 dot Wonder at Resources 1, and you want to make it out of a knife you purchased, you will have to accept a 2 point flaw. You can always get around this by crafting the item instead.

To craft the item, staff will arrange an appropriate Crafting roll and target number of successes, so please wait for a staff reply. We'll want to know what you're crafting and if you're doing so mundanely or magickally (or both). The target number is going to depend on your situation, but our default fallback number of target successes (which assumes mundane crafting) is [3 x Intended Wonder Level]. Each crafting roll posted to the +job will cost 1 Downtime and reflect an evening dedicated to the item's creation.

Step Three: Energy

Next, you will need to imbue your wonder-to-be with Quintessence. You will require 5 Quintessence per dot of the Wonder. You will need all of this at once. You can use Prime 1 to increase your personal maximum Quintessence capacity above your Avatar rating.

Prime 3 can move the Quintessence from Tass, a Node, a Periapt, or your personal Quintessence into the Foundation. So you need at a minimum Prime 3 in order to accomplish this step. You may have another Mage with Prime 3 complete this step for you.

How can you get the Quintessence you need?

Tass: At a node, you can use +tass/collect to acquire Tass.

Meditation: At a node, you can +meditate to gain Quintessence up to your Avatar score. Even if your maximum Quintessence capacity is higher, this is limited to Avatar score.

Prime 3: At a node, you can directly channel Quintessence from the Node into your personal Quintessence Wheel or a Periapt. Call staff to adjudicate.

See p. 50 of How do you DO that? for guidance on sacrifices.

Prime 3 can allow you to drain Quintessence from another willing creature, even if they do not exactly know this is what you are doing.

Prime 4 can disintegrate objects for Quintessence without a sacrifice ritual, but the amount is generally minimal.

Prime 5 can disintegrate living beings for Quintessence or drain Quintessence from an unwilling creature.

Step Four: Purification

A completely optional action, Purification, allows you to use Prime 2 to purify the Wonder-to-be from spiritual or material corruption. A mage can attempt Purification up to 3 times, getting a -1 to the overall difficulty of the Final roll. See the rules on Purification on page 156 of Book of Secrets, and post your Purification attempt to the +job. Staff can walk you through this process, but it is fine to autonomously post your Purification rolls if they're mechanically kosher.

Step Five: Quickening

Lastly, you will want to post Arete rolls to the job. You will need to achieve 3 successes per dot in the Wonder. This counts as a vulgar Prime effect and requires the appropriate Spheres that correspond to the Wonder’s Effects. Since we use the Rite/Ceremony/Great Work rules (page 541 M20), creating Wonders requiring 5+ successes is considered Ceremony, and 10+ successes Great Work territory. This means that creating a 2-dot Wonder counts as a Ceremony, and a 3-dot Wonder would be a Great Work. A Ceremony takes 1 hour per roll. A Great Work takes 5 hours per roll. You will also need to post Downtime to the job for every 5 hours spent.

House Rule: M20 Book of Secrets says that creating Grimoires, Devices, and Talismans cost a dot of permanent willpower to create. Instead of this, Grimoires will cost 10 XP to create. Talismans will take 5 + Dot Rating temporary willpower to create, so they cannot be quickly produced but you do need to instill a part of yourself into the work.

Once this is complete, staff will approve your Wonder! You will either receive a +note describing the Wonder or an equipment item providing the same feature. If the foundation is relevant in combat (a magickal sword, holy armor, etc.) you can expect it to be given to you as an equipment item.