Ars Memoriae

Elaborate ritual.

Study time: weeks; 1D8 SAN.

Activation: 20 minutes; 5 WP, 1D4 SAN.

The mind is a memory palace, filled with loci representing each memory and it’s associated tastes, sounds, odors, and emotions. Sometimes it’s necessary to break into that palace like a thief in the night.

To perform Ars Memoriae, the ritualist needs the brain of the person with the memories they want to recover. The victim can’t have been dead more than 4 hours. The brain in prepared in a brine solution and eaten cold. The entire brain must be consumed. The outcome of the Activation test determines the efficacy of the memories recovered.

Ars Memoriae (Changeling Variant)

Elaborate ritual.

Study time: weeks; 1D8 SAN.

Activation: 20 minutes; 5 WP, 1D4 SAN.

The mind is a memory palace, filled with loci representing each memory and it’s associated tastes, sounds, odors, and emotions. Sometimes it’s necessary to break into that palace like a thief in the night.

To perform Ars Memoriae, the ritualist needs the brain of the person with the memories they want to recover. The victim can’t have been dead more than 4 hours. The brain in prepared in a brine solution and eaten cold. The entire brain must be consumed. The outcome of the Activation test determines the efficacy of the memories recovered.

The caster may opt to double the time, WP and SAN spent to also gain the capacity to turn into the victim. They may turn once per day, for WP hours. The transformation is physical, their body shapes and twists to adapt the victim’s appearance, posture, etc. Examination of the caster’s body reveals severe damage to internal organs, broken bones, lesions, but the caster does not experience any pain. The caster takes on the physical attributes of the victim (STR, CON, DEX) but maintains their other stats and skills. Clothes might get ripped. They turn back in the same manner. Witnessing the transformation costs 1/1D6 SAN.

The Baleful Name of Azathoth

Simple ritual.

Study time: a week; 1D4 SAN.

Activation: a few seconds; 4 WP, 1D6 SAN.

To entities of the Cthulhu Mythos – and sometimes even to those degenerate humans that worship the Mythos – the seldom-spoken true name of the Daemon Sultan Azathoth has immense power. This (dangerous) technique is sometimes employed by summoners of Unnatural creatures, as a means of forcing their subjects into submission.

By repeating this secret form of the name and mentally directing one’s energies at a single target, a mental challenge can be initiated: the ritual caster pits his or her current WP×5 against their chosen target’s current WP×5 in an opposed test. Whichever party loses the challenge is permanently scarred, both physically and mentally – in terms of game stats they lose 1D3 points of POW permanently.

Chaconne for the Yellow King

Simple ritual.

Study time: days; 1D4 SAN.

Activation: seconds; 8 WP, 1D6 SAN.

This ritual involves the repeated harmonic intonement of a short, repetitive chant of a faintly musical yet discordant timbre. It’s peculiar rhythms sound alien, but far worse is the supernatural effect they create. When directed at a single target, this song causes the physical attributes of the victim to wither and fade, as though the vitality were literally being drained from their body. For the effect to succeed the caster must succeed in an opposed roll of POW vs POW. If won, the caster chooses which physical attribute – CON, STR, or CHA – is to be drained. That attribute is reduced by 3D4 points, permanently. The skin of the victim bubbles and warps as though subject to a terrible heat. Although everyone in the vicinity of the ritual can hear the otherworldly chant, it is only the targeted victim that suffers these effects.

Note that reductions to CON or STR might affect Hit Points, and reductions to STR may change the character’s Damage Bonus. Any attribute reduced to zero results in the victim’s death.

Contact Ghoul

Complex ritual.

Study time: a week; 1D3 SAN.

Activation: a few minutes; 9 WP, 1D6 SAN.

This ritual can only be successfully performed in a graveyard, cemetery, crypt, or other location where Ghouls are known to congregate. It is normally only possible to perform the ritual in a place open to the sky, beneath the full moon. If the ritual succeeds, 2D3 Ghouls are attracted to the ritual site; they arrive within 30 minutes of the ceremony completing (depending on how close the Ghouls are when the ritual is enacted).

Contact Underground Alien Worm Servitors

Complex ritual.

Study time: weeks; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: approximately 30 minutes; 15 WP, 1D4 SAN.

This ritual can only be successfully performed at a location where the massive alien worm creatures, used by the Mi-Go for rapid subterranean excavation, are known to be present. The ritual serves to call 1D4 of the horrors to the site where the ritual is enacted. The worm things arrive in 20+1D100 minutes after the ritual is completed.

Crush Heart

Simple ritual.

Study time: days; 1D3 SAN.

Activation: 1 turn; WP cost varies by damage, 1D20 SAN.

This hideous ritual allows a practitioner to affect a human victim in ways approximating the vice-like grip of an invisible fist around their heart. The ritual leader must be in close proximity to the target, within a few yards/meter. When the ritual chant begins, the leader immediately loses 1 WP. An opposed test is then made, with both the practitioner and victim rolling percentile dice against their current WP×5. If the target wins, the Unnatural effect has been rebuffed and the ritual ends without effect.

On the other hand, if the practitioner wins the test the target immediately feels an icy sensation in their chest, as though their heart were being crushed. The victim loses 1D3 HP and the ritual caster sacrifices twice that number of WPs as the mystic energy is channelled into harming the victim’s internal organ. To onlookers, it seems like the victim is suffering a heart attack.

The ritual practitioner, assuming he or she has sufficient WP to pay the sacrificial cost, can continue the attack into subsequent rounds. For the period the victim is suffering damage, they are fully paralyzed by the grip. If the ritual results in the targets HP falling below zero, their chest burst open and the dead victim’s heart appears in the caster’s hands.

Full concentration of the practitioner is required to sustain the attack – if their attention is broken, even for a moment, the effect ends (although any damage already inflicted, remains).

Immobilizing Trance

Simple ritual.

Study time: days; 1D3 SAN.

Activation: 1 minute; 2 WP, 1D4 SAN.

This ritual puts the victim into a kind of hypnotic stupor, struck dumb and immobile. After activation, the caster and victim make an opposed POW test; if the caster wins, the victim is entranced and will stand or sit inactive until some external physical or visual stimulus breaks the spell. Being physically slapped or assaulted will certainly cause the trance to end; lesser contact or shocking sights may also rouse the immobilized individual (at the GM’s discretion).

Note that to create the immobilizing trance, the caster must be able to calmly speak with the victim for a short time before the ritual is activated. This usually requires close contact in a peaceful setting.

Leech Willpower

Simple ritual.

Study time: days; 1 SAN.

Activation: 1 turn; 0 or 6 WP (see description), 1D8 SAN.

By engaging the target in mental combat, the ritual leader attempts to drain the victim’s Willpower Points. The conflict is resolved as an opposed test of POW vs POW. If the ritual leader gets a superior result, the target loses 1D6 Willpower Points and the ritual leader gains the same number of WPs. If the target wins the contest, the ritual caster loses 6 WP instead (the target of the ritual does not gain those points, they are simply expended).

Raise Zombie

Complex ritual.

Study time: weeks; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: a week’s preparation of the corpse, approximately 30 minutes of chanting; 16 WP, 1D6 SAN.

This ritual is used to return a human corpse to a mockery of life, bringing it back as a zombie. It involves the concocting of a foul and noxious black liquid which is poured over the dead body as it lies in its grave. This terrible brew contains numerous obscure ingredients, which the GM can stipulate – at least some are difficult to obtain (legally, at least). Once steeped in the ichor, the corpse must be re-buried and left for a full week before the rest of the ritual can proceed.

After the preparations have been finished, the ritual caster can begin the recitation of the ritual chants which summon the dead flesh back into unholy life. As soon as the chant is done (and the requisite WP and SAN sacrificed) the corpse begins clawing its way through the grave soil. The thing that returns is utterly mindless, without a will of its own. It can follow simple instructions, but cannot carry out any task that requires intelligence or thought. The lifespan of a raised zombie is relatively short, since the flesh begins decaying as soon as the undead thing is out of its grave.

Steal Vitality

Complex ritual.

Study time: months; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: hours of preparation, 1+ turns to drain life force (ritual leader’s choice); 30 WP, 1D20 SAN.

This ritual is a favorite of evil sorcerers, since it allows them to drain life force from victims – aging them horribly in the process – and transferring that vitality to them. By means of such “stolen life”, the individual performing the ritual will (naturally) live a longer life, while the victim will live a shorter one.

To achieve its desired goals, the ritual must be performed in the open under a full moon. After the necessary incantations are completed, the ritual leader attempts to overcome the victim’s POW with his/her own POW. If the ritual leader obtains a superior result, the victim’s fate has been sealed – each turn thereafter, he or she loses 1 permanent point from STR, CON, DEX, POW and CHA. The ritual leader grows visible younger in appearance, returning gradually to his or her physical prime. Every statistic point drained in this way extends the natural life of the ritual leader by 1 week. So, for example, if the ritual leader would previously have only 1 year left to live and 50 stat points were drained, he or she would now have just shy of 2 years of natural life remaining.

The process of draining vitality from the target creates terrible physical changes – the unfortunate victim’s flesh turns ashen grey and begins to flake away. If at any point, one of the target’s statistics reaches zero, the person dies, ending the ritual.

The ritual leader can choose how many turns the draining will continue. If the ritual leader dies before the ritual has been finalized, the stolen vitality returns instantly to the drained victim (assuming they have not been killed by stat point losses).

Attempts to carry out the ritual indoors or without the proper moon phase will still result in stat points being lost by the target, but no benefits flow to the ritual leader – the points are simply drained for no benefit.

Summon King in Yellow

Complex ritual.

Study time: days; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: 30 minutes; 45 or 10 WP (see description), 1D10 SAN.

This ritual involves the full-cast performance of a dramatic work that has been infused by the decadent themes and imagery associated with The King in Yellow. This could be the play which is named after the King (which was first published in France in the 1890s), but equally it could be another play into which the same cloying and destructive ideas have been woven. Oscar Wilde’s Salomé – or at least the bastardized version being performed at the St. James – is one such work. The performed piece must run to at least 30 minutes to have any chance of attracting The King’s attention. Thereafter, the performers in the play give up Willpower Points (either knowingly or unknowingly) and a roll is made to determine the success of the summoning.

The number of WP needed to attract The King depends on whether any of his kindred entities – courtiers or Nobles from Carcosa – are already present at the location. If no such entities are present, the minimum commitment of Willpower Points is 45 although ritual casters are advised to supply more if they can. The Willpower Points can come from the ritual caster (as WPs or via a sacrifice of permanent points of POW, each of which supply the equivalent of 10WPs), or from cast members who are thoroughly absorbed by the play (who can donate WPs or even POW for the same benefit as the ritual leader). Each WP sacrificed adds 1% to the chance of a successful summoning.

On the other, things are much easier if familiar entities from Carcosa are already at the summoning location. The minimum investment of WPs is just 10. Again, these can come from either the ritual caster or from performers who are immersed in the play. Each WP sacrificed in this case adds 10% to the chance of a successful summoning.

After all sacrifices have been made, the roll is made to determine the outcome of the ritual. If it succeeds, the King arrives shortly, heralded by a mysterious flapping of wings.

Summon N’gornath

Complex ritual.

Study time: days; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: 1 hour; 28 WP, 1D10 SAN.

This summoning ritual must be cast close to the entrance to a natural cavern, or other opening connected to deep chasms in the earth. If the activation is successful, N’gornath emerges from the yawning depths 1D10 minutes after the conclusion of the chant.

Summon Patchwork Courtier

Complex ritual.

Study time: days; 1D6 SAN.

Activation: 2D6 minutes; 5+5+5 WP, 1D6 SAN.

This ritual involves some elaborate preparation, including the creation of an enchanted knife (sacrificing 5 WPs to energize) and the etching of protective wards close to the place where the summoning will occur (another sacrifice of 5WP). Once these are complete, the summoning itself is relatively straightforward: the caster simply recites a short formula and sacrifices a final 5WP. He or she then attempts a POW×5 test – if successful, the ritual has made contact with a random creature from the Carcosan court of the King in Yellow. It will arrive in 2D4 minutes, quietly seeping into our reality by stepping out of a shadow into the warded location. The foul monstrosity will act according to the will of the ritual caster.

Note that if the protective warding symbols etched into the summoning location have been removed or tampered with, the summoning still succeeds but the beast is unbound. It may simply rampage violently in search of food, or it may seek out the upstart sorcerer who sought to deprive it of its freedom.

Supernatural Armor

Simple ritual.

Study time: 1 week; 1D4 SAN.

Activation: 1D3 minutes;  WP and SAN cost varies (see description).

This ritual encircles the caster in a temporary supernatural barrier – a pallid alien glow – which deflects all kinetic damage aimed at the caster. It effectively grants him or her additional points of (unnatural) armor. The caster can choose the amount he or she is willing to sacrifice, and the effect is determined by that amount, as per the table below:

The Supernatural Armor does not last for a prescribed amount of time, but rather until the glowing field has absorbed sufficient damage on behalf of the caster. Each time one or more points of damage is absorbed, the effective Armor rating of the field reduces by 1. When it reaches zero, the ritual effect is ended.

Unseat Reason

Simple ritual.

Study time: days; 1D4 SAN.

Activation: 1 turn;  10 WP, 1D3 SAN.

This ritual targets the mind of one individual, attempting to fill it with such terrifying visions of horror that the individual is reduced to a gibbering mess. For the ritual to have any chance at succeeding, the target must be close to the site where the ritual is being performed (within 30 yards) and visible to the ritual leader. The ritual leader makes an opposed roll comparing his or her POW against the target’s POW. If the target’s POW is overcome, an immediate loss of 1D4 SAN occurs and the victim immediately descends into Temporary Insanity (see the Cthulhu Eternal rulebook). This state persists for a number of hours equal to 20 minus the target’s INT, after which he or she makes a full recovery.