Rote spells, also known simply as “rotes,” are tried-andtested magical formulae, handed down from master to apprentice, and developed over the course of a mage’s training and practice in the Art. Every rote started out as an improvised spell. A mage comes up with a spell for a particular purpose and finds it useful enough to use the same spell over and over again. The mage teaches others to envision the spell’s Imago and perform its casting gestures, and they in turn pass it on. Over time, the spell becomes a standard, known to many or all mages in an order, learned and cast by rote.
A listing of the active characters and their known rotes can be found on the forums.
| ● Rote dice pools are determined by a character's natural stats. Attributes or Skills altered by magic may not increase spell dice pools.
● Rote Factor Bonuses (TotM) don't exist.
● Systems for learning Rotes are below.
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Summary
Despite their additional cost, rotes have a number of significant advantages over Improvised spells: greater reliability, lower Mana cost, less chance of causing a Paradox — a lurch in reality — and a lighter resonance “signature,” making it difficult for others to identify the caster by examining the spell.
Rotes use a dice pool consisting of Attribute + Skill + Arcana rather than the Improvised spell pool of Gnosis + Arcana
Mages are forbidden to teach an Order’s rotes to anyone not of the same Order Per House Rule changed so that All Rotes are now available to anyone, regardless of Order.
A mage can learn a rote from someone who already knows it. He must spend time studying with that person, and then experience points must be spent at a cost of two points per the highest Arcanum dot used in the rote. Few mages teach their rotes for free; most levy a cost in one or more favors owed.
- Example: Arctos wants to learn the “Telekinetic Strike” rote from his order. Since it is a Forces 3 rote, it will cost him six experience points (two points per dot).
Mages do not have to pay the extra Mana surcharge on non-Ruling spells if it is cast as a Rote.
Rote spells reduce the Paradox pool by one dice.
Rotes are more difficult to Scrutinize, requiring 5 Successes to determine the caster's identifying resonance (Identification)[1].
Rotes require Rote Mudras, noticeable hand and/or body gestures and movements.
Learning Rotes
Rotes may be learned by anyone, regardless of Order membership and regardless of Rote origin. Rotes are no longer restricted by Order. The only exception are those Rotes specifically tied to possession of special Grimoires in Grimoire of Grimoires.
By Grimoire
Grimoires not created by Player Characters are only available through Storyteller Plots and Approved PRPs. Acquiring a Grimoire waves any need to find an NPC teacher or debt to that Order.
- Learning through a Grimoire, like learning through a teacher, requires an extended Intelligence + Occult roll with a Target Number of Twice the dot Rating of the Rote, one roll per month. This represents self-study. Experience Points must be able to pay for it before you begin rolling.
- Repurchasing a Grimoire your character created is at half-cost and only requires an extended Intelligence + Occult Roll with a TN of the highest dot rating.
List of Rotes
Spells and Rotes can be selectively filtered on the Spells drilldown page.
