LoGaS GM Guidelines (revised)

1. #1Core Conflict Resolution Loopconstantselective

   Keys: Core Conflict Resolution Loop

   [Core Conflict Resolution] All opposed actions are resolved by comparing the relevant Attributes of the participants. In any simple contest, the character with the higher-ranked Attribute wins. -Resolution Steps:

   1. Identify the "front" of the conflict. There are three fronts of conflict: *Armed Combat: Governed by Warfare. This includes sword duels, firefights, and any tactical situation involving weapons. *Unarmed Combat: Governed by Strength. This includes wrestling, boxing, brawling, and grappling]. *Psychic Combat: Governed by Psyche. This involves pitting one mind against another, whether through magic or raw willpower.
   2. Compare the relevant Attribute scores of the combatants.
   3. Determine the outcome. The higher Attribute wins. The degree of success is determined by the difference in scores. -Key Principles: *Higher Rank Wins: A character with even a single point more in an Attribute is simply better and will always win a straight-out contest, all else being equal. *Tactics Matter: A player can use tactics, environmental factors, or clever role-playing to shift a conflict from a less-favorable Attribute to a more dominant one. *Endurance as Fuel: Endurance is not a primary conflict Attribute. It is a measure of how much punishment a character can take and how long they can exert themselves in any of the three fronts.
2. #2Combat Instructionsselective

   Keys: melee, warfare, war, duel, combat, battle, fight, attack

   [Combat Instructions] -All combat is resolved by comparing the relevant Attributes of the participants. -Armed Combat is governed by Warfare. This includes everything from swords and knives to firearms and planetary defense systems. -Unarmed Combat is resolved using either Warfare or Strength, depending on the fighting style. Characters will tend to use their stronger attribute and thus their stronger fighting style. *Warfare (The Art of Unarmed Combat): Governs technical, agile, and disciplined unarmed styles. This front emphasizes precision, speed, and knowledge of martial arts to overcome an opponent. Examples include formal martial arts (Karate, Kung Fu), agility-based fighting, and precise strikes aimed at weak points. *Strength (The Power of Unarmed Combat): Governs raw, physical, and brutal unarmed styles. This front emphasizes brute force, grappling, and the ability to overpower an opponent. Examples include brawling, wrestling, chokeholds, and using sheer muscle to break bones or absorb blows. -Always decide the primary attribute for the contest based on the situation. In mixed-style unarmed conflicts (Warfare vs. Strength), the struggle becomes about controlling the "front." Adjudicate who is more successful at forcing the fight into their favored style based on tactics and the environment before comparing attributes. -In open combat between equals, the one with the higher Attribute usually wins if both act with intent to kill. -Narrow gaps in Attribute scores can be bridged by tactics, environmental factors, or clever play. -“Stuff” modifies outcomes subtly: *Good Stuff → luck, favorable breaks, opponent mistakes. *Bad Stuff → unlucky moments, distractions, equipment failure, poor positioning.

3. #3Attribute Difference Bandsselective

   Keys: solid edge, major edge, Attribute Difference, contest outcome, overwhelming, razor-thin, how much do I win by

   [Attribute Difference Bands] Use these bands to narrate the outcome and scale of advantage in any Attribute contest. -0–4 (Razor-thin): This is a close contest where either side could win. Narrate it as a tense, back-and-forth exchange where small advantages, tactics, or luck ("Stuff") can tip the scales. -5–14 (Solid Edge): The character with the higher Attribute has a clear advantage and will win most of the time. Narrate this as steady dominance, though the underdog might score minor hits or can still win through exceptionally clever tactics or a powerful artifact. -15–29 (Major Edge): The advantaged character has a strong advantage and will win quickly and decisively. The underdog's best hope is to delay defeat or escape, as only a hard counter (like a pre-set trap or a perfect environmental advantage) offers a chance of turning the tide. -30+ (Overwhelming): The advantaged character has absolute control in a direct contest. Narrate this as a near-effortless victory where the opponent is completely outmatched. Only explicit immunities or the fundamental laws of a Gossamer World can prevent success.

4. #4Grand Stair & World Basicsselective

   Keys: Shadow, Gossamer World, Grand Stair, Dwimmerlaik, Eidolon, Door, Umbra

   [The Grand Stair & Its Worlds] -The Grand Stair: An immense, near-infinite network of stairs, corridors, and halls that physically connects countless universes. It is nearly indestructible and will repair itself over time. -Gossamer Worlds: The infinite parallel realities connected by the Stair. These worlds exist through the interplay of two primal, opposing forces: Eidolon (form, order, stasis) and Umbra (chaos, entropy, change). Our own Earth is one such world. -Doors: Entrances along the Grand Stair that open into the Gossamer Worlds. A Door on the Stair must always link to a physical, functional door within a world. -Wardens: Beings who travel the Grand Stair become forever changed, gaining enhanced strength, lifespan, magical ability, and force of will. They are known as Wardens of the Grand Stair. -Shadow: The void of emptiness and nonexistence that lies between the Gossamer Worlds. Traversing it without the Stair is a rare and nearly impossible feat. -The Dwimmerlaik: Terrible savants of the Shadow and the most powerful, ancient enemies of the Gossamer Lords. They seek to rule the Grand Stair and all the worlds it touches. -Technology on the Stair: Conventional technology is unreliable on the Grand Stair. Batteries lose their charge, signals cannot penetrate Doors, and even chemically-powered devices like firearms might fail to function.

5. #5Stuff (Good, Bad, Zero)selective

   Keys: Stuff, Good Stuff, karma, luck, Bad Stuff

   [Stuff: Good, Bad, and Zero] Stuff is a game value akin to karma or luck that measures how the universe interacts with a character. It is not an indicator of good or evil. Use it to color first impressions, resolve ties, and determine outcomes of minor chance events. -Good Stuff (Positive Points): The universe favors this character. They are seen as more appealing, trustworthy, and inspiring. * NPCs give them the benefit of the doubt and are initially friendly or helpful. * Random events or chance outcomes tend to benefit them. * They get lucky breaks, find what they need, and things generally go their way. -Zero Stuff (No Points): The character is neutral to the universe. They are judged purely by their words and actions, without any bias from luck. * First impressions are neutral or guarded. * They win some, they lose some. Nothing exceptionally lucky or unlucky happens to them. -Bad Stuff (Negative Points): The universe is hostile to this character. They have a slightly sinister or unlucky aura. * NPCs are suspicious, quick to become antagonistic, and their actions are viewed in the least charitable light. * When a situation could take a turn for the worst, it will. * They suffer from random bad luck, such as gear breaking or plans going awry at critical moments.

6. #6Attribute Scaling: Warfareselective

   Keys: reaction time, combat skill, initiative, martial skill, acts first, Warfare score, tactics

   [Warfare Scaling: Skill, Reflex, Tactical Dominance]

   • −25 (Average Mortal): A trained fighter. Reaction time is approximately 0.20 – 0.25 seconds. Can capably handle one other trained opponent.
   • −10 (Extraordinary Mortal): An elite mortal combatant. Reaction time is approximately0.15$ seconds. Can handle 2–3 trained foes for a short time.
   • 0 (Baseline Supernatural): Beyond normal human reaction speed. Reaction time is approximately 0.08 – 0.10 seconds. Can engage 4–6 foes and reads ambushes from subtle movements.
   • 10 (Veteran Supernatural): Reaction time is approximately 0.06 seconds. Can deflect aimed bullets or bolts at close range and manage 6–8 foes without injury.
   • 20 (Elite Supernatural): Reaction time is approximately 0.04 seconds. Can break squads of 10–12 opponents and reads an entire battlefield in seconds.
   • 30 (Heroic Apex): Effectively "acts first" in almost any conflict. Can parry multiple projectiles simultaneously and command a platoon in real-time.
   • 60 (Legendary): Can shred entire companies of soldiers, counter battle plans as they form, and is functionally impervious to mundane ranged fire.
   • 100 (Demigod): Can run multiple battlefronts simultaneously, topple armies, and shift entire theaters of war by their presence alone.
   • 200 (Transcendent): Possesses total narrative control over martial outcomes unless directly negated by a peer, a world-law, or an artifact of immense power.
7. #7Attribute Scaling: Strengthselective

   Keys: break door, Strength score, feats of strength, throw car, smash stone, raw power, lifting capacity

   [Strength Scaling: Lifting, Impact, Locomotion] Baseline 0 Strength is ~660 lbs (300 kg); lifting capacity roughly doubles every +10 points.

   • −25 (Average Mortal): Peak lift of 220–330 lbs (100-150 kg); can break stout wood with leverage.
   • −10 (Extraordinary Mortal): Peak lift of 440–550 lbs (200-250 kg); can smash heavy doors and dent light metal.
   • 0 (Baseline Supernatural): Lifts 660+ lbs (300+ kg); can shatter stone with a blow, throw an adult 10+ feet, and leap 20 feet vertically.
   • 10 (Veteran Supernatural): Lifts ~1,320 lbs (600 kg); can punch through brick walls and rip out engine blocks.
   • 20 (Elite Supernatural): Lifts ~2,640 lbs (1.2 tons); can crater pavement and throw a compact car.
   • 40 (Mythic): Lifts ~10,560 lbs (5.2 tons); can tear open tank hatches and toss a pickup truck.
   • 60 (Legendary): Lifts ~42,240 lbs (21 tons); can flip tanks and shear steel beams.
   • 80 (Epic): Lifts ~168,960 lbs (84 tons); can collapse bunkers with a blow and create small, localized earthquakes.
   • 100 (Demigod): Lifts ~675,840 lbs (338 tons); can throw locomotives and rip open ship hulls.
   • 200 (Transcendent): Planetary-scale leverage. Can move megastructures or divert cataclysmic physical disasters.
8. #8Attribute Scaling: Enduranceselective

   Keys: resist poison, fatigue resistance, survive vacuum, ignore pain, Endurance score, stamina, fight for days

   [Endurance Scaling: Stamina, Resistance, Recovery] Durations of exertion roughly double every +10 points.

   • −25 (Average Mortal): Can run 2–3 miles; performs a full day’s labor with rests; has a normal response to disease and poison.
   • −10 (Extraordinary Mortal): An ultramarathoner's stamina; can resist common toxins and recover quickly from exertion.
   • 0 (Baseline Supernatural): Can fight for days without collapse; shrugs off most natural diseases; can survive in temperatures from −20°F to 120°F (−29°C to 49°C) unprotected.
   • 10 (Veteran Supernatural): Can ignore moderate pain, heal minor wounds in minutes or hours, and go a week without sleep.
   • 20 (Elite Supernatural): Can operate in harsh deserts or blizzards unprotected and sprint for hours.
   • 40 (Mythic): Immune to most mundane hazards; can survive in a vacuum or deep ocean pressure for a brief time.
   • 60 (Legendary): Can regrow lost limbs overnight, ignore the shockwaves of artillery, and is unharmed by clouds of toxic gas.
   • 80 (Epic): Can withstand the heat of lava or deep cryogenic temperatures, fight for weeks nonstop, and heal significant injuries mid-battle.
   • 100 (Demigod): Can live indefinitely in a vacuum or at crushing ocean depths; can physically rebuild from mere fragments of their body.
   • 200 (Transcendent): Cannot be exhausted except by narrative-level effects. Can exist indefinitely at the event horizon of a black hole or shrug off the entropy of a dying universe.
9. #9Attribute Scaling: Psycheselective

   Keys: sorcery potency, mental offense, telepathy, Psyche score, willpower, mind control, counterspell, reality edit

   [Psyche Scaling: Willpower, Sorcery Potency, Mental Offense/Defense] Scope and complexity of magical workings roughly double every +10 points.

   • −25 (Average Mortal): Normal human willpower; highly suggestible to supernatural influence.
   • −10 (Extraordinary Mortal): Iron-willed mortal; can resist intense interrogation, conditioning, and some supernatural influence.
   • 0 (Baseline Supernatural): Can crush mortal wills with a thought, detect subtle mental intrusions, and cast spells in chaotic conditions unhindered.
   • 10 (Veteran Supernatural): Can mentally dominate a room of people, duel mortal mages, and maintain two complex magical effects at once.
   • 20 (Elite Supernatural): Can command crowds, read surface thought-currents, and hold four simultaneous magical workings.
   • 40 (Mythic): Can rewrite memories of lesser beings, cast spells across unknown Doors, and sustain eight simultaneous magical workings.
   • 60 (Legendary): Can impose psychic laws on entire city blocks, walk through the mindscapes of others, and ignore most forms of anti-magic.
   • 80 (Epic): Can author local reality clauses, duel legendary peers in psychic combat, and pierce deeply-set magical wards.
   • 100 (Demigod): Can operate on a regional scale, psychically bind godlings, and ignore reductions to power from world-laws.
   • 200 (Transcendent): Can write new metaphysical rules into reality (often with a great cost or consent) and is unconstrained by anything short of a peer, a major artifact, or a fundamental world-law.
10. #10Conflict Pacing Guidelinesselective

    Keys: scene length, skip detail, narrative pacing, zoom in, fast resolution, conflict pacing

    [Conflict Pacing Guidelines]

    • If a contest’s outcome will not change the story in a meaningful way, resolve it immediately without extended narration.
    • Use quick resolutions for:
      • Routine or background tasks.
      • Overwhelming attribute differences (≥30).
      • Filler NPC interactions with no stakes.
    • Save detailed, blow-by-blow resolution for:
      • Dramatically important moments.
      • Contests with small attribute differences (≤4).
      • Major NPCs or plot-relevant challenges.
    • This applies to all attributes, powers, and narrative challenges.
11. #11World Laws & Environmental Guidelinesselective

    Keys: magic fail, World Law, altered ability, tech fail, suppression, local law

    [World Law & Environmental Guidelines]

    • Each Gossamer World can have unique physical laws that affect abilities. Magic, technology, and even natural racial traits may function differently from one world to the next.
    • While core Attributes and Powers generally work everywhere, items and innate abilities from a specific world are often less effective or non-functional when taken from their world of origin. For example, a gunpowder weapon might fail to fire in a world with different chemical laws.
    • The presence and quality of magic can vary dramatically between worlds.
    • Common effects of World Laws include: *Suppression: An ability or item does not function at all. *Reduction: An ability or item works but with diminished effectiveness. *Alteration: An ability or item works, but in an unexpected or different way.
    • Characters should adapt to local laws. Assume that upon entering a new world, any ability or piece of technology might fail or work differently until tested.
    • A character only knows a world's specific laws if they have been there before, have been told about them, or discover them through in-world cues and experimentation.
12. #12Door and Warden Guidelinesselective

    Keys: create door, Warden, Grand Stair, Door, stair side, lock door, seal door, world side

    [Door and Warden Guidelines]

    • Only Wardens of the Grand Stair can create, move, seal, or permanently destroy Doors.
    • Non-Wardens may:
      • Sense and locate existing Doors (if they have that ability).
      • Open and pass through existing, unlocked Doors.
      • Learn the location and nature of Doors via exploration or instruction.
    • A Door on the Grand Stair can appear different from its corresponding door within the Gossamer World it connects to.
    • A Door may be locked, disguised, or trapped; unlocking is a Warden-level or specialized skill.
    • When a character passes through a Door into a new Gossamer World, the laws of that world immediately apply. Magic, technology, or other abilities may be suppressed, altered, or nullified upon arrival.
13. #13Idiosyncratic Qualitiesselective

    Keys: Idiosyncratic Quality, IQ, bypass suppression, immunity to world law, function everywhere

    [Idiosyncratic Qualities Guidelines]

    • An Idiosyncratic Quality (IQ) is a purchased trait that allows a specific ability, power, or feature to function in any world, regardless of local World Laws that would normally suppress it.
    • An IQ can:
      • Bypass suppression, reduction, or alteration caused by World Laws.
      • Preserve the normal functioning of an ability in hostile or null-magic environments.
      • Apply to physical, magical, technological, or social abilities.
    • Scope:
      • An IQ can be broad, protecting a category of related abilities (e.g., “All Fire Magic”).
      • An IQ can be narrow, protecting only a single specific ability (e.g., “Breathes underwater”).
    • Limitations:
      • An IQ does not grant immunity to narrative consequences (e.g., cultural taboos against magic, attracting unwanted attention from locals).
      • The trait must be explicitly stated in the character's profile to apply.
    • If no IQ applies to a given ability, the default World Law rules take precedence.
14. #14Emotion & Interaction Guidelinesselective

    Keys: emotional tone, persuasion, emotion, NPC attitude, social interaction, player reaction

    [Influencing Factors] -Attributes influence how a character processes and expresses emotion. *Psyche governs mental fortitude and the ability to read, manipulate, or resist psychic influence and interrogation. *Endurance represents resilience against emotional fatigue and stress over time. -Powers can directly manipulate or bypass emotional states. *Invocation can "Compel Obedience" or "Bind" a target, forcing an action regardless of their emotional state. *Eidolon Mastery's "Guiding Reality" might be used to soothe a mind toward a state of calm, while Umbra Mastery's "Warping Reality" could twist a mind into madness or terror. *Communication via an Icon (Wrighting) creates an intimate psychic link that can be used for persuasion or direct mental assault.

    [Emotional States (Baselines)] -Warm: NPCs are inclined to see the character as nicer and more appealing. Use for characters with Good Stuff. -Neutral: NPCs are guarded but polite, waiting for the character to show their intentions before forming an opinion. Use for characters with Zero Stuff. -Cold: NPCs are suspicious and quick to become antagonistic, assuming hostile intent. Use for characters with Bad Stuff.

    [State Shifts] -An NPC's emotional state can shift based on a character's actions. -Escalation: Triggered by threats, betrayal, insults, or the reveal of a hostile alliance. -De-escalation: Triggered by genuine aid, successful persuasion, shared danger, or appeals to a higher purpose.

15. #15Attribute Score Instructionsselective

    Keys: attribute score instructions, attribute comparison, attribute contest, stat comparison, skill contest, contest resolution

    [Attribute Score Instructions]

    • Compare the two Attribute numbers directly.
    • Compute the difference: Attacker − Defender (or vice versa for defense).
    • Resolve the outcome using the Attribute Difference Bands.
    • If both scores are below 0 (human range), still use the same bands.
    • Mortal vs. Superhuman kicker: if one side has a score of 0 or greater and the other has a score below 0, and the raw gap is 14 or less, shift the resulting resolution band up one step in favor of the superhuman character.
    • Ties (exact same number): This results in a stalemate or is resolved by Stuff or other narrative context.
    • Only use detailed, blow-by-blow narration when dramatically important; otherwise, resolve the contest immediately according to the resulting band.
16. #16Attribute Scaling Rule & Tier Ladderselective

    Keys: tier ladder, warfare, mortal vs superhuman, strength, attribute scaling, psyche, attribute range, endurance

    [Attribute Scaling Rule & Tier Ladder]

    • Attribute range: −25 (average mortal) to 200 (transcendent).
    • Scaling: Every +10 points in an attribute roughly doubles its effectiveness (e.g., lifting capacity, spell coverage) or halves the time required for a task governed by it.
    • Mortal vs. Superhuman kicker: If one character has an attribute score of 0 or higher and their opponent is below 0, and the raw difference is 14 or less, the resolution band is shifted up one step in the superhuman's favor.

    [Tier Ladder (Title: Score)]

    • Average Mortal: −25
    • Extraordinary Mortal: −10
    • Baseline Supernatural: 0
    • Veteran Supernatural: 10
    • Elite Supernatural: 20
    • Heroic Apex: 30
    • Mythic: 40
    • Legendary: 60
    • Epic: 80
    • Demigod: 100
    • World-Scale: 120
    • Domain-Scale: 140
    • Cosmic: 160
    • Transcendent: 200
17. #17Time & Temporal Flowselective

    Keys: world time ratio, stair time, timeless stair, time dilation, time on the Stair, temporal flow

    [Time & Temporal Flow on the Grand Stair] -The Grand Stair itself is effectively timeless. It does not age, decay, or change in a measurable way, and has no universal “Stair timeline.” -Time experienced on the Stair is subjective to the traveler. Characters feel personal time passing (walking, resting, fatigue) but this is their own biological/mental clock, not a universal time. -The Stair’s time is independent of connected worlds. -Time flows at a consistent, synchronous pace in all Gossamer Worlds relative to each other. Time spent in one world passes at the same rate as time spent in another. -Some specific worlds may have a faster or slower time dilation ratio, but this is a rare exception and functions as a multiplier compared to the standard time flow found in most worlds.

18. #18Amberite Instructionsselective

    Keys: amberite

    [Amberite Instructions] -Regardless of this character's other profile details, they are schemers who keep secrets. -This character usually works via proxies and agents rather than acting directly. -This character almost never acts with direct physical aggression unless it is a last resort. -This character prioritizes politics, manipulation, and maneuvering among their peers.

19. #19Eidolon vs. Umbra Oppositionselective

    Keys: Umbra Mastery, Eidolon Mastery, opposed powers, Eidolon, Umbra

    [Eidolon vs. Umbra Opposition]

    • The Eidolon is the primal symbol of order, form, and stasis. It is the cosmic blueprint underlying all of creation.
    • The Umbra is its polar opposite, the primal source of chaos, entropy, and change.
    • These two forces are diametrically opposed by their very nature. Their interplay is the source of all great power and the cause of all change in the universe

    [Rules of Opposition]

    • A single being cannot normally possess both Eidolon Mastery and Umbra Mastery. Gaining affinity with one universal principle of order and another of entropy is considered metaphysically and psychologically disastrous.
    • As a GM, do not allow a character to learn both powers unless it is an extraordinary and central part of the campaign's plot. Such a character would be a walking paradox and a source of immense conflict.
    • When one power is used against the other (e.g., an Eidolon defense against an Umbra attack), it is a serious escalation of conflict with spectacular and potentially devastating effects for both parties and the surrounding environment.
20. #20Power: Warden of the Grand Stairselective

    Keys: Piercing the Veil, Exegesis, Warden power, Warden of the Grand Stair, Wayfinding

    [Power: Warden of the Grand Stair] This power attunes a character to the Grand Stair, granting them unique abilities related to travel between the Gossamer Worlds.

    [Abilities] -Opening and Closing Doors: A Warden can open any Door on the Grand Stair at will, provided it is not magically sealed. To non-Wardens, these are just normal doors. This ability includes: *Unlocking Doors: A Warden can bypass any conventional, non-magical lock on any door (or Door) with a moment of concentration. *Locking Doors: A Warden can magically lock doors that were previously unlocked. * **Holding Doors: A Warden can use their Psyche to hold a Door open or closed against mundane physical force. -Wayfinding: The character possesses an instinctual understanding of the Grand Stair, like an internal compass. This allows them to find a specific place or even a specific type of Gossamer World, as long as a Door connects to it. It also provides a homing sense toward their world of origin. -Piercing the Veil: When a Door is used, a perceptual filter normally masks its true nature from mundane onlookers. Wardens are immune to this veil and can always see the Grand Stair for what it is. -Exegesis: Upon entering a new Gossamer world through a Door, the Warden can instantly speak and comprehend the common languages of that world. This acts as an instantaneous translator. -The Warden's Authority: Most natural denizens of the Grand Stair recognize the authority of a Warden and will typically grant them safe passage.

21. #21Power: Master of the Grand Stairselective

    Keys: Master power, Create Door, Master of the Grand Stair, Bridge Door, Sever Door

    [Power: Master of the Grand Stair] A Master possesses a deeper connection to the Grand Stair, granting them greater control over its Doors and environment. This power builds upon the abilities of a Warden.

    [Advanced Abilities] -Creating New Doors: A Master can link a normal door in a Gossamer World to a Door on the Grand Stair, creating a new, permanent connection. This requires intense concentration and physical contact with at least one of the doors being linked. -Bridging Doors: A Master can directly link two doors within a single Gossamer World, creating a temporary passage that bypasses the Grand Stair entirely. -Severing Doors: A Master can permanently destroy the link between a Door on the Stair and its corresponding door in a Gossamer World.

    • **-to hinder or deceive other travelers. *Shrouding: The Door's destination is magically hidden, confounding a Warden's Wayfinding ability. *Diverting: The Door appears to lead to its normal destination but secretly sends travelers somewhere else. *Trapping: A magical booby-trap can be "hung" on a Door, set to trigger when the Door is opened. -Awareness of the Grand Stair: A Master has a natural attunement to the Stair itself. They can sense nearby activity, such as Doors opening or magical force being used, and can recognize the "signature" of other Masters who have created Doors. -Postcognition: By touching a Door, a Master can sense if it has been used recently and gain impressions of who passed through it. -Domain Creation: A Master can use their Wayfinder ability to locate a suitable Gossamer World and create a Door to it, establishing it as their personal Domain.
22. #22Power: Eidolon Masteryselective

    Keys: Eidolon Mastery, Eidolon power, Guiding Reality, Eidolon Defense, Sanctification

    [Power: Eidolon Mastery] This power attunes a character to the Eidolon, the cosmic blueprint of order and perfection that underlies all of creation. It is the opposite of the Umbra. Masters can guide matter and energy toward this idealized state.

    [Abilities] -Immortality: The Master ceases to age or physically deteriorate from the point they become attuned to the Eidolon. Their body will heal most injuries as if they were never suffered. -Perceiving the Eidolo The Master can see the underlying "blueprint" of reality. This allows them to perceive how matter can be perfected and reveals things that are immaterial, hidden, illusory, or otherwise out of alignment with the cosmic order. -Manipulating Reality: By evoking the Eidolon, the Master can coax reality into a closer alignment with its perfect design. This includes: *Bolstering Reality: Strengthening Gossamer matter to make it more "solid" and real. *Guiding Reality: Finessing or "tweaking" reality towards a higher, nobler state, such as repairing a broken object or rerouting a road. *Editing Reality: Removing imperfections from an object to make it more streamlined, efficient, and functional. -Eidolon Defense: The Master can use the Eidolon's perfect, unbreakable nature as a personal defense, manifesting as a framework of glowing energy. *Opposing the Umbra: Provides a potent magical defense against the chaotic influence of the Umbra. *Physical Fortification: The Master can "harden" their body, making bones unbreakable and flesh more resistant to physical damage. *Sanctification: The Master can purge their body of unwelcome conditions like illness, poison, infection, or radiation, restoring it to its idealized state. -Awareness of the Stair: An Eidolon Master can sense the presence of a Door and can use the Eidolon's power to attempt to force it open if it is locked or sealed.

23. #23Power: Umbra Masteryselective

    Keys: Umbra Mastery, Umbra power, Destabilizing Reality, Shape-Changing, Warping Reality

    [Power: Umbra Mastery] This power attunes a character to the Umbra, the primal force of chaos, entropy, and change that opposes the Eidolon. Umbra Masters can destabilize, mutate, or corrupt reality to suit their needs.

    [Abilities] -Perceiving the Umbra: The Master can sense the presence of the Umbra in all things, allowing them to instantly detect any flaw, weakness, or imperfection in an object, structure, or even a living being. -Affecting Reality: By channeling the Umbra, the Master can manipulate the world around them. *Weakening Reality: Evoking the Umbra within an object to intensify its flaws, making it less stable and easier to break. *Warping Reality: Twisting and distorting an object or creature out of its original shape, turning it into something less useful or even monstrous. This can break a mind, jam a weapon, or contort a limb. *Destabilizing Reality: Causing an object to lose all coherent form, effectively discorporating it. This can cause Gossamer reality to come apart completely, crumbling matter into dust or causing it to explode. -Umbra Defense: The Master can evoke the Umbra as a "reverse shield," pulling attacks (physical or magical) into its annihilating essence, where they simply vanish. It is a powerful defense against the Eidolon. -Personal Transformation: The Umbra's influence causes the Master's own body to be in a constant state of flux. *Shape-Changing: An Umbra Master can transform their physical shape into that of another living being. Simple cosmetic changes are easy, while radical changes (like growing wings) take more effort. *Adaptability: The Master's body can rapidly evolve and adapt to survive in threatening environments (e.g., vacuum, poison gas, low pressure). They are also psychologically adaptable to trauma and psychic assault. *Regeneration: When near death, a Master can surrender to the Umbra, causing their body to be "generated anew." This saves their life but can dramatically change their appearance and even personality. -Passage Through Doors: Like Eidolon Masters, Umbra Masters can detect Doors and use the Umbra as a crude, destructive force to open them if they are locked or sealed.

24. #24Power: Wrightingselective

    Keys: Icon contact, Wrighting, creating Icons, Icon

    [Power: Wrighting] Wrighting is a magical discipline that allows for the creation of an enchanted likeness of a particular being, called an Icon, which serves as a magic link to them across the Gossamer Worlds. Those who use this power are called Wrights.

    [About Icons] -Forms: Icons can be made in almost any format that allows for a relatively accurate depiction of the subject, such as paintings, statues, illustrations, stained glass windows, or even digital images. -Usage: To use an Icon, one must observe it, touch it, and concentrate on the being it depicts. This opens a psychic link for communication. The subject of the Icon feels this and can "answer" to establish contact. -Travel: Once communication is established, either party can "reach through" to make physical contact with the other and step through the link, traveling instantaneously between worlds. -Durability: An Icon is supernaturally resistant to conventional damage like fire or water and cannot be easily destroyed.

    [Abilities] -Creating Icons: A Wright can create a permanent, durable Icon of any subject they know. The subject does not need to be aware or give consent for an Icon to be made of them. -Impromptu Icons: A Wright can create a temporary, one-use Icon very quickly, such as a quick sketch. These impromptu Icons can only be used by the Wright who made them and lack the durability of a traditional Icon. -Icon Defense: A Wright can use their own Icon as a powerful psychic shield against magical or psychic attacks. -Identifying Icons: A Wright can instinctively recognize an Icon and sense the identity of the being it is linked to.

25. #25Power: Invocationselective

    Keys: summoning, compelling obedience, Invocation, True Name, divining a name, binding

    [Power: Invocation] Invocation is the mastery of True Names, the unique mystical monikers that define the innermost nature of every living being and some powerful artifacts. An Invoker can learn and use these names to exert influence. The primary attribute for Invocation is Psyche.

    [Abilities] -Divining a True Name: The primary ability of an Invoker is to determine a being's True Name through research and contemplation. This process can take days, weeks, or even months, depending on the power and secrecy of the target. -Understanding a True Name: Once a name is known, an Invoker can study it to gain a deep sense of the being's origins, personality, and nature. -Defending a True Name: Invokers know how to conceal or magically ward their own True Name to protect themselves from other Invokers.

    [Using a True Name] -Calling: Uttering a True Name allows the Invoker to be heard by the target, no matter where they are in the Gossamer Worlds. -Summoning: The Invoker can create a powerful psychic compulsion for the target to travel to their location. This can be resisted with Psyche. -Using in Magic: Knowing a target's True Name grants a significant advantage when using other powers (like Sorcery or Umbra Mastery) against them. -Compelling Obedience: A True Name can be used to issue a command that is difficult to resist. This can be a direct order or a more subtle magical compulsion (geas). -Binding: One of the most powerful uses. After winning a contested Psyche roll, the Invoker can bind or enslave a being to their will.

26. #26Power: Cantripsselective

    Keys: Cantrips, cantrip power, minor magic, words of power

    [Power: Cantrips] Cantrips are minor, instantaneous spells that create subtle "tweaks" to reality. They are less complex than Sorcery and are powered by the caster's personal will. The primary attribute for Cantrips is Psyche, with Endurance being important to resist the fatigue from casting.

    [Mechanics & Limitations] -Casting: To use a cantrip, the caster must ready it mentally, focus on the target, and unleash a burst of Psyche. This typically requires a short vocal command or an arcane gesture. -Cost: Each use of a cantrip drains the caster's vitality. A character with low Endurance will become exhausted after only one or two, while even a tough character will feel the strain from repeated use. -Range & Duration: Cantrips are limited to the caster's immediate vicinity (no more than a few yards) and are always instantaneous, lasting only a few seconds at most. -Restrictions: Cantrips cannot be combined with each other. They are rarely effective against major powers like Eidolon and Umbra.

    [Learning Cantrips] -The base power costs 5 points and allows the character to select five cantrips to begin play with. -Additional cantrips can be purchased for 1 character point apiece.

    [Sample Cantrips (for scope)] -Flare: Creates a momentary burst of dazzling light, enough to illuminate a small room. -Grasp: Gives a slight physical shove or tug to a targeted item or being, potentially causing them to lose balance or drop something. -Nullify: Momentarily causes magical energies from other spells or cantrips to fail or fizzle out. -Pain: Sends a quick, sharp burst of physical discomfort through a specific body part of a target, causing a distraction but no actual damage. -Jam: Causes interlocking mechanical components (like a lock or a pistol's action) to inexplicably stick or seize up for a moment.

27. #27Power: Sorceryselective

    Keys: hanging spells, spellcasting, Sorcery, magic spells, lynchpins

    [Power: Sorcery] Sorcery is a systematized method of evoking raw energy and matter through enforced will, using complex instructions called spells. It is more powerful and versatile than Cantrips but requires more time and preparation. The primary attribute for Sorcery is Psyche, with Endurance being important for the lengthy process of creating spells.

    [Core Mechanics] -Complexity: Sorcery spells are so mentally complex that a sorcerer can generally only hold one active spell in their mind at a time. To overcome this, they use "Hanging Spells." -Hanging Spells: A sorcerer prepares spells in advance and places them in a form of "cold storage" to be used when needed. These spells can be hung in artifacts, on universal powers like the Umbra, or even on a True Name. -Lynchpins: To make spells versatile, sorcerers leave critical pieces of information blank, to be filled in at the moment of casting. These variables are called "lynchpins" and can include the target, duration, location, or area of effect. Using lynchpins adds to the casting time. -Psychic Links: Many spells, especially those targeting a living being, require a psychic link to the target. This can be established through an Icon (Wrighting), a True Name (Invocation), or raw psychic power. -Impromptu Sorcery: In a desperate situation, a sorcerer can cast a known spell without preparation by drawing magical energy directly from their immediate environment and their own Endurance. This is a highly taxing and risky act that can exhaust the caster and cause magical blight in the surrounding area.

    [Learning Spells] -The base power costs 15 points and grants the sorcerer knowledge of 15 basic spells. -Sorcerers can devise and create new spells, a process that is time-consuming and requires experimentation.

    [Sample Basic Spells (for scope)] -Mind Touch: Opens a two-way telepathic link between the sorcerer and a target anywhere in the Gossamer Worlds, provided their location is known. -Barrier: Creates a fixed, stationary magical shield (roughly 3 yards across) that is highly resistant to physical and energy attacks. -Bolt: Hurls a projectile of elemental force (like lightning or fire) at a target.

28. #28Basic Ability Score Guidelinesselective

    Keys: extraordinary mortal, ability score, attribute baseline, average mortal, baseline supernatural, attribute quick reference

    [Basic Ability Score Baselines]

    • Use these scores as a starting point for non-player characters. -Average Mortal: Psyche -25, Warfare -25, Strength -25, Endurance -25 -Extraordinary Mortal: Psyche -10, Warfare -10, Strength -10, Endurance -10 -Baseline Supernatural: Psyche 0, Warfare 0, Strength 0, Endurance 0

    [Attribute Quick Reference] -Warfare: Armed/unarmed combat skill, tactical insight, reflexes. -Strength: Raw physical power, grappling, breaking objects, lifting. -Endurance: Stamina, resistance to harm/fatigue, recovery from injury. -Psyche: Magical potency, psychic willpower, mental defense.

    [Contest Resolution Reminder]

    • Use the Attribute Difference Bands for resolving all contests:
    • 0–4 (Razor-thin): Outcome is genuinely uncertain; tactics, Stuff, and environment can swing it.
    • 5–14 (Solid Edge): The higher score is favored; the lower score needs smart play or situational leverage.
    • 15–29 (Major Edge): The advantaged side wins quickly unless a hard counter is in play (trap, artifact, perfect terrain).
    • 30+ (Overwhelming): The advantaged side succeeds effortlessly; only explicit immunities or world-laws can stop it.
29. #29Attribute Band Narration Examplesselective

    Keys: close contest narration, how to narrate bands, narration examples, attribute band narration, overwhelming win narration

    [Attribute Band Narration Examples] Use these examples to guide the narration for contests based on the difference between Attributes: -Difference 0–4 (Razor-thin):

    • Describe a close contest where either side could win with effort.
    • Narrate as tense, back-and-forth exchanges where minor advantages, clever tactics, or a moment of luck make the difference. -Difference 5–14 (Solid Edge):
    • Describe a clear advantage where the superior side wins most of the time.
    • Narrate as steady dominance with moments of resistance. The underdog might score a minor hit or make progress, but is ultimately being worn down or outmaneuvered. -Difference 15–29 (Major Edge):
    • Describe a strong advantage where the superior side wins quickly unless caught by a specific, hard counter.
    • Narrate a decisive display of skill or power that the underdog can only hope to delay or escape from, rather than win against directly. -Difference 30+ (Overwhelming):
    • Describe absolute control in a direct contest.
    • Narrate a near-effortless victory. The opponent is completely outmatched, and their attempts at resistance are futile unless they have an explicit immunity or are protected by a fundamental law of the world.
30. #30Creating Domainsselective

    Keys: Primal World, create Domain, Domain, my world, Control of Time

    [Domain Creation Rules] A Domain is a place of power—a Gossamer World or a portion of one—that is uniquely tied to its owner. To be a true Domain, character points must be spent on it. Domains are defined by three qualities: Type, Security, and Control. -Type (Choose one): *Personal Domain: An entire Gossamer World suited to the owner's tastes. It is relatively unknown and accessible from an obscure part of the Grand Stair. *Common Ground: A well-known Domain, perhaps with a history of previous owners. Other Gossamer Lords may have interests or business here. *Primal World: An ancient and powerful place, fabled or feared, with an exceptional quality that makes it stronger than other Gossamer Worlds. -Security (Choose one): *Communication Barrier: Prevents magical and psychic communication (including Icons and Psyche) from entering or leaving the Domain. *Restricted Access: Entry to the Domain is limited. There are few Doors, and creating new ones is extremely difficult or impossible. *Guarded: All entrances to the Domain are constantly guarded by powerful and steadfast beings, natural or supernatural. -Control (Choose one): *Control of Contents: While within the Domain, the owner can control its history, cultures, people, creatures, and environment. The time required for changes increases with the scale of the alteration. *Control of Time Flow: While within the Domain, the owner can control the flow of time, causing it to speed up, slow down, or nearly stop relative to the Grand Stair. *Control of Destiny: The Domain is so powerfully tied to the owner's destiny that it may manifest unexpectedly. Doors may open to it from surprising locations, and it emanates a powerful pull on its owner.

31. #31The Talents System (Partial Powers)selective

    Keys: Talent, Talents, learn an ability, partial power

    [On the Nature of Talents] Not all who walk the Stair are masters of the great Powers. Many, through intense study, desperation, or innate gift, learn only a fragment of a greater truth. These focused abilities are known as Talents. A Talent is a single aspect of a Power, learned in isolation. One might learn the Shape-Changing Talent of Umbra Mastery without ever embracing the full, corrupting force of the Umbra. Another might learn to Create Icons without mastering the full breadth of Wrighting.

    [The Principles of Talents] -Acquisition: Talents are purchased with a character's potential (points), just as a full Power would be. -Prerequisites: Mastery is a journey. Many of the greater Talents can only be learned after mastering a lesser, foundational one. -Path to Mastery: It is said that one who gathers all the Talents of a single Power may eventually awaken to its full mastery, the points they have spent easing their final transition. -Limitations: This path is often more arduous and less cost-effective than direct tutelage. A Talent is a sharp knife; a full Power is an entire armory. Some Talents are considered "Advanced" or "Exalted," representing secrets known only to those who have already achieved a deep understanding of a Power's foundations.

32. #32The Unfolding Power: A Discourse on Talentsselective

    Keys: learn a new power, become stronger, practice my abilities, develop my powers, unlock a new talent

    [The Unfolding Power: A Discourse on Talents] To wield a great Power like Eidolon or Umbra is to command a force of creation. Most who achieve this do so under the tutelage of a master, who bestows upon them the entirety of the discipline. But this is not the only path. For the determined, the desperate, or the merely curious, there is another way: the path of Talents. -The Principle of Unfolding A Power is not a monolith to be claimed in a single stroke. It is a tapestry of interwoven abilities, and one can learn to trace a single thread before grasping the whole design. This is the essence of learning a Talent on your own. It is not a gift bestowed, but a secret unlocked through struggle and will. To learn a new Talent, you must push the boundaries of what you already know. A Warden who has only ever opened Doors may, through intense focus and a desperate need to escape pursuit, discover the Talent of Holding a Door, forcing it to remain shut against their foes. A sorcerer who has only ever cast spells of destruction might, in a moment of dire need, reach for the raw stuff of magic itself, unlocking the Raw Power Talent to fuel a defense they did not know they could create. This is how you grow. Through focused meditation, through repeated and stressful application, or in a single, blinding flash of battlefield innovation, you grasp a new piece of the whole. You feel your potential settle into a new shape, a new ability solidifying where before there was only instinct. -The Ladder of Understanding Be warned, this path has its own logic. One cannot simply choose any thread from the tapestry. You must follow the weave. The greater secrets are built upon a foundation of lesser ones. You must first learn to see before you can learn to shape. Consider the Eidolon. To master it, you must first learn the Talent of Perceiving the Eidolon, to see the perfect blueprint behind the flawed reality. Only then can you attempt to Bolster Gossamer Reality, strengthening what is weak. Once you can strengthen, you can learn to Guide Reality, correcting its course. And only when you can guide it can you finally learn to Edit Reality, removing its imperfections entirely. Each step is a prerequisite for the next. Do not seek to leap to the top of the Stair; you will only fall. -The Price of Focus This path is arduous. A student under a master learns the interplay of all abilities at once. You, who walk this path alone, will learn with a singular focus. Your Talent will be a perfected tool, but you will lack the full workshop. While you master the art of the psychic strike, a full Channeler has already mastered the shroud that hides them from your senses. This is the price of self-discovery: depth in place of breadth. -The Confluence of Mastery Yet, there is a destination. Should you walk this path long enough, should you gather enough of the scattered threads, you may find they begin to connect. A moment of profound insight may strike, and the individual Talents you have painstakingly acquired will suddenly click into place, revealing the greater pattern you have been tracing all along. In that moment, the fragments become whole. The partial power becomes a true Power, and you will have finally, and truly, become a Master in your own right.

33. #33The Anchor of Self: On Idiosyncratic Qualitiesselective

    Keys: idiosyncratic quality, my wings, my true form, inherent power, my claws, racial ability

    [The Anchor of Self: On Idiosyncratic Qualities] A word of caution to the new traveler: the substance of most Gossamer Worlds is flimsy and conditional. A creature may be a god in its own realm, breathing fire and shrugging off blades, only to find itself a breathless, soft-skinned mortal upon taking a single step onto the Grand Stair. The laws of one's home rarely travel well.

    [The Principle of the Anchor] For an ability to be true, it must be made part of your essential self, not merely your circumstance. It must be anchored to your very being with an exertion of will and a considerable expenditure of your own potential. This is what makes a quality "Idiosyncratic"—it belongs to you, not to the world that spawned you. When a quality is so anchored, it defies the shifting laws of the multiverse. Your wings will beat in airless voids. Your gills will draw breath from seas of dust. Your skin of stone will not soften in a world of flesh. You do not ask for reality to permit your nature; you command it to.

    [On Unconventional Gifts] Some beings possess gifts that have no name in the common parlance of powers—a gaze that turns flesh to stone, a scream that shatters the will, a touch that brings plague. These are not merely qualities to be enhanced, but unique truths of existence. To anchor such an "Unconventional Ability" is a profound act: you are not just making an aspect of yourself real, you are defining a new law of reality that centers upon you, and forcing all other worlds to obey it.

    [A Word of Warning: The Nature of the Gift] Be mindful of what you anchor. This act makes the gift permanent, but it also makes its nature absolute. A centaur whose hooves are anchored to be as hard as diamond will still find no purchase on a staircase of sheer ice. A vampire whose strength becomes eternal will still find no solace in the dawn. The anchor preserves the ability, but it also preserves its inherent limitations. You gain the power, but you must also accept its truth.

34. #34Rules for "Agent" (Lower-Powered) Charactersselective

    Keys: agent character, 25 point character, lower power, not a gossamer lord, limited points

    [Guidelines for 'Agent' Level Characters] These rules are for creating characters who are exceptional and heroic but are not as powerful as full Gossamer Lords. They are often agents of a greater power, members of an organization (like the Doormen or Raven Legion), or are just beginning their journey on the Grand Stair. This style of play is well-suited for cooperative, team, and mission-based games.

    [Character Creation Modifications] -Limited Point Budget: Characters are built using a lower point total, typically in the 20-50 point range. A baseline of 25 points is common for creating agents like the Doormen or Raven Legionnaires. -Lower Starting Attributes: The default starting Attribute Rank for all four Attributes can be lowered from Paragon to Superior or even to Average, depending on the desired power level of the game. -Point-Buy System: The competitive Attribute Auction is often discarded for these characters. Instead, players are given their point budget and can allocate them freely among Attributes, Powers, and other traits. -Restricted Powers: The GM should limit access to expensive or high-tier powers to fit the game's theme. For example, the Warden of the Grand Stair and Master of the Grand Stair powers are typically unavailable to these characters to emphasize they are not true Gossamer Lords. -Use of Talents: The Talents system is an excellent way to grant these characters specific, limited magical abilities without the high cost of a full Power. Playtest characters made extensive use of Talents and Idiosyncratic Abilities.

35. #35Power: Aetheric Projectionselective

    Keys: Aetheric Projection, astral projection, project mind, astral travel, possession

    [Power: Aetheric Projection] Aetheric Projection is a psychic discipline that allows a character, called a Projector, to separate their mind from their physical body. The resulting aetheric form is an invisible, intangible mental construct used for exploration, spying, and other esoteric purposes. Psyche is the primary attribute, governing range and ability, while Endurance determines how long the projection can be maintained.

    [Dangers & Limitations] -Intangibility: The aetheric form cannot interact with the physical world. It passes through mundane barriers but can be stopped by magical or psychic wards, requiring a Psyche contest to breach. -Shared Damage: Any damage inflicted on the physical body is reflected on the aetheric form, and vice versa. If the physical body is killed while the mind is projecting, the Projector dies. -Aetheric Combat: A Projector can physically interact with and fight other aetheric or incorporeal beings. In such combat, damage to the aetheric form is mirrored on the physical body. Aetheric form healing is based on Psyche rank, not Endurance.

    [Abilities] -Aetheric Trance: The basic ability to enter a trance and separate the aetheric form from the physical body. This includes: *Healing Trance: By focusing inward instead of projecting, the character can heal their physical body using their Psyche rank instead of their Endurance rank. -Aetheric Travel: The aetheric form can move in several ways, with speed and method determined by Psyche rank. *Walking: At Average Psyche, the form walks or runs as if physical. *Flight: At Superior Psyche, the form can fly at Double Speed. At Paragon or higher, it can fly at Engine Speed. *Projection: At Superior Psyche or higher, the Projector can instantly move their aetheric form to a location they know well, traversing any distance within their range. The range of projection is determined by Psyche rank (Same world at Superior, linked expanses at Paragon, anywhere on the Stair at Ranked). -Aetheric Perception: The Projector can perceive psychic phenomena and ignores all physical perception penalties like darkness or fog. -Interactive Projection: With concentration, the Projector can make their aetheric form visible and audible, but it remains intangible. -Possession: The most dangerous ability. The Projector can attempt to take control of another intelligent being's body by winning a Psychic conflict. *While possessing a victim, the Projector uses their own Psyche, Endurance (for powers), and Stuff, but uses the victim's Strength, Warfare, and physical Endurance. *The Projector has access to the victim's surface thoughts and can compel actions. Self-destructive or abhorrent commands allow the victim a new Psyche contest to resist. *Possessing certain beings (like Eidolon/Umbra Masters, Keepers of the Void, or powerful creatures like Erebi) is extremely dangerous and can result in the Projector's own mind or body being infected, destroyed, or unmade.

36. #36Power: Enchantmentselective

    Keys: create magic item, empowerment, enchant item, shape gossamer material, Enchantment

    [Power: Enchantment] Enchantment is the power to magically create or alter people, places, or things by molding and reshaping Gossamer reality. Beings with this power are known as Enchanters. The primary attributes are Psyche (for finesse and power) and Endurance (for sustaining the lengthy casting times).

    [Weaknesses] -Time: Creating enchantments is a slow, uninterrupted process that requires considerable concentration. The process is ruined if the Enchanter is distracted. -Location Dependent: By default, items created or empowered by an Enchanter only function in their Gossamer World of origin. They become inert or dissipate if taken onto the Grand Stair or to another world. -Vulnerability: Enchanted items are magical constructs and can be altered or destroyed by powerful forces like the Eidolon, the Umbra, or magic-draining effects.

    [Abilities] -Shape Gossamer Material: The ability to quickly create temporary, fleeting artifacts or creatures. Creation takes a few minutes per point of Qualities/Powers. These creations last for a duration based on the Enchanter's Psyche (e.g., 4 hours for Paragon Psyche) and dissipate instantly if they leave their world of origin. -Empowerment: The ability to impart permanent magical power into an object or creature. This is a much longer process, taking hours or days depending on the complexity of the enchantment. These items are permanent within their world of origin but become inert elsewhere. -Stable Empowerment: The critical and time-consuming process of making an enchanted item functional outside its home world. This requires days of preparation and has multiple levels of stability, each with a greater creation time multiplier: *Level 1 (Inert Elsewhere): The item can leave its home world without dissipating but its powers do not function. *Level 2 (Similar Worlds): The item works in worlds with similar physical/magical laws but is very limited elsewhere. *Level 3 (All Gossamer Worlds): The item functions on all Gossamer Worlds but is limited on the Grand Stair. *Level 4 (Universal): The item is useful everywhere and functions normally in all locales except the Shadow. *Level 5 (True Permanence): The item becomes a true artifact of legend, functioning everywhere and no longer subject to simple disenchantment or magic drains. -Disenchant: The ability to remove enchantments from an item created by another Enchanter. This requires winning a Psyche contest and takes a significant amount of time per quality/power removed. -Duplication: The ability to quickly create copies of an artifact or creature the Enchanter has already created.

37. #37Power: Keeper of the Voidselective

    Keys: manipulate Shadow, Void Walking, Void power, Void Gate, Keeper of the Void

    [Power: Keeper of the Void] This is a rare and dreadful power mastered by those who have subjected themselves directly to the Shadow between worlds, forever changing them. Keepers of the Void command abilities that few understand and most fear. This power is strongest within the Void and is limited elsewhere.

    [Dangers & Limitations] -The Shadow Within: A Keeper carries a flaw, a crack in their being that is a piece of the Void itself. Every use of this power risks this inner Shadow collapsing upon them, unmaking them completely. -Weakness to Primal Forces: The power of the Void is highly susceptible to both Eidolon and Umbra when used within a Gossamer World. -Disorientation: Using the power of the Void while in a structured Gossamer World causes sensory distortions, making it difficult to act precisely. -Grand Stair Immunity: A Keeper's power does not work on the Grand Stair. They cannot summon anything from it, banish anything to it, or open a gate to or from the Stair itself.

    [Abilities] -Void Survival: The Keeper can physically and mentally survive in the unforgiving environment of the Shadow, possessing an internal compass to navigate the emptiness. -Void Walking: While within the Shadow, the Keeper can warp and fold the void to travel instantly from one point to another, even bringing others along. -Void Manipulation: Within the Shadow, the Keeper can move objects with their mind (similar to Telekinesis) and form simple, temporary objects like weapons or shields from the substance of the void. The effectiveness of these weapons depends on the Keeper's Psyche. -Enter/Exit the Void: The Keeper can temporarily rip the veil of a Gossamer World, allowing them to step into or out of the Shadow. This transports the Keeper alone and is not subtle; any Warden in the world will be instantly aware of it. -Void Gate: A more powerful and draining ability to create a larger, sustained gate between a Gossamer World and the Shadow, allowing others to pass through. Maintaining the gate requires the Keeper's full concentration. -Void Defense: The Keeper can create a small Void Gate and use it as a destructive shield, pulling physical and magical attacks into the nothingness of the Shadow. -Void Summoning and Banishing: The Keeper can reach through a Gossamer veil to pull an object or a creature into the Shadow, or banish something from the Shadow into a Gossamer World. This requires a Psyche contest if resisted. -Summon and Control Creatures of Shadow: The Keeper can summon and bind entities native to the Void, such as Erebi, to serve them. This process is extremely time-consuming and difficult when performed outside of the Shadow.

38. #38Power: Scryingselective

    Keys: seeing stone, magical observation, Scrying, scry, crystal ball, magic mirror, divination

    [Power: Scrying] Scrying is the art of looking into a specially prepared magical object (the "Medium") to observe distant people and places through a related surface (the "scrying device"). The primary attribute for Scrying is Psyche, which governs range and clarity. Endurance determines how long a Scryer can maintain their focus.

    [Core Mechanics] -The Medium: Each Scryer creates their own unique Medium, which can be a crystal, mirror, pool of water, fire, or other reflective/translucent substance. -The Scrying Device: To spy on a location, there must be a surface of the same nature as the Medium present (e.g., a Scryer with a magic mirror can only look through other mirrors; one with a magic fire can only look through other fires). -Establishing a Link: Linking the Medium to a new scrying device is a time-consuming process that can take hours or even days, depending on the distance to the target device. Reconnecting to a previously established device is much faster.

    [Weaknesses & Limitations] -Fixed View: The view is like a stationary camera. The Scryer can only see what is directly in front of or reflected in the scrying device. -Blocking: The view can be blocked simply by covering the scrying device or putting it in darkness. -Detection: A Scryer's magical observation can be detected by characters with high Psyche, those with danger-sensing abilities, or by other Scryers. -Vulnerability: A Scryer's Medium is a direct link to them. If it falls into enemy hands, it can be used to initiate psychic combat against the Scryer.

    [Abilities] -Create Media: The initial, time-consuming ritual to empower a mundane object into a magical Medium. -Spying: The primary ability to link the Medium to a scrying device to see and hear what is happening at that location. -Divination: The Scryer can gaze into their Medium to receive uncontrolled, fragmented visions of the past or potential futures. -Recognizing Other Media: A Scryer can instinctively recognize another Scryer's Medium or a surface that is being used as a scrying device. -Blocking: A Scryer can use their Psyche to actively block their own Medium, preventing others from using it to spy on them.

39. #39Power: Advanced Aetheric Projectionselective

    Keys: Aetheric Disguise, Aetheric Barrier, Aetheric Shaping, Aetheric Exorcism, Advanced Aetheric Projection

    [Power: Advanced Aetheric Projection] This is the advanced form of Aetheric Projection, granting a master Projector greater influence over the aetheric and physical worlds. If a character already has Aetheric Projection, this costs an additional 20 points.

    [Advanced Abilities] -Advanced Aetheric Form: The Projector has mastered the bridge between the aetheric and physical planes. While still intangible, they can now use powers like Sorcery and Cantrips as if they were in their physical form. This greater connection to the physical world, however, restricts their travel speed. -Travel Speed (Advanced Form): *Superior Psyche: Walking speed. *Paragon Psyche: Flight at Double Speed. *Ranked Psyche: Flight at Engine Speed. -Aetheric Barrier: The Projector can create an aetheric barrier in their immediate environment, preventing other astral beings (like other Projectors) from entering or leaving the area. Breaching the barrier requires winning a Psyche contest against its creator. -Aetheric Disguise: The Projector can shift their own mind's psychic structure to take on a different psychic appearance. This can fool a psychic touch or magical senses, making the Projector appear as a plant, an animal, a mundane human, or even imitating the Psyche of a specific person they know. -Aetheric Exorcism: A counterpart to Possession. By winning a Psyche contest, the Projector can forcibly eject a target's psyche from its own physical body. The evicted psyche is now an unwilling aetheric form, subject to all its limitations, while its original body is left mindless and easy to possess. -Aetheric Shaping: The Projector can use ambient aetheric energy to form simple, crude constructs like a sword or a shield. These constructs only exist on the aetheric plane and can only affect other aetheric or intangible beings.

40. #40Power: Enchantmentselective

    Keys: create magic item, empowerment, enchant item, shape gossamer material, Enchantment

    [Power: Enchantment] Enchantment is the power to magically create or alter people, places, or things by molding and reshaping Gossamer reality. Beings with this power are known as Enchanters. The primary attributes are Psyche (for finesse and power) and Endurance (for sustaining the lengthy casting times).

    [Weaknesses] -Time: Creating enchantments is a slow, uninterrupted process that requires considerable concentration. The process is ruined if the Enchanter is distracted. -Location Dependent: By default, items created or empowered by an Enchanter only function in their Gossamer World of origin. They become inert or dissipate if taken onto the Grand Stair or to another world. -Vulnerability: Enchanted items are magical constructs and can be altered or destroyed by powerful forces like the Eidolon, the Umbra, or magic-draining effects.

    [Abilities] -Shape Gossamer Material: The ability to quickly create temporary, fleeting artifacts or creatures. Creation takes a few minutes per point of Qualities/Powers. These creations last for a duration based on the Enchanter's Psyche (e.g., 4 hours for Paragon Psyche) and dissipate instantly if they leave their world of origin. -Empowerment: The ability to impart permanent magical power into an object or creature. This is a much longer process, taking hours or days depending on the complexity of the enchantment. These items are permanent within their world of origin but become inert elsewhere. -Stable Empowerment: The critical and time-consuming process of making an enchanted item functional outside its home world. This requires days of preparation and has multiple levels of stability, each with a greater creation time multiplier: *Level 1 (Inert Elsewhere): The item can leave its home world without dissipating but its powers do not function. *Level 2 (Similar Worlds): The item works in worlds with similar physical/magical laws but is very limited elsewhere. *Level 3 (All Gossamer Worlds): The item functions on all Gossamer Worlds but is limited on the Grand Stair. *Level 4 (Universal): The item is useful everywhere and functions normally in all locales except the Shadow. *Level 5 (True Permanence): The item becomes a true artifact of legend, functioning everywhere and no longer subject to simple disenchantment or magic drains. -Disenchant: The ability to remove enchantments from an item created by another Enchanter. This requires winning a Psyche contest and takes a significant amount of time per quality/power removed. -Duplication: The ability to quickly create copies of an artifact or creature the Enchanter has already created.

41. #41worldgenselective

    Keys: worldgen

    [The WorldGen Process] -Function: WorldGen will generate an entire world and setting based on a set of user-defined attributes, intelligently filling gaps with thematic defaults if parameters are not fully provided. -Input: The {{user}} provides a set of parameters, preferably categorized by Genre, Setting, Tone, and Key Conflict. *Example Input: *Genre: Dark Fantasy, Gritty *Setting: Post-apocalyptic, technologically regressed, ruins of a magical civilization *Tone: Desperate, dangerous, moral ambiguity *Key Conflict: Scarcity of a vital resource (magical essence), warring survivor factions, ancient horrors stirring -Parameter Conversion: WorldGen converts these raw parameters into specific, descriptive tags based on the nature of each parameter. -Conflict & Twist Integration: WorldGen ensures the generated setting includes both a core source of conflict/tension and at least one impactful and logically integrated unique or surprising element/twist that challenges expectations or dramatically alters the setting's dynamics, aiming for synergistic integration with the overall world elements. -Naming: WorldGen assigns the world a uniquely descriptive and evocative name that hints at its core nature or conflict.

    [The WorldGen Output Structure] WorldGen must produce the following sections, strictly adhering to the constraints: -WORLD SUMMARY *Constraint: The summary must be succinct (maximum 5 sentences). *Content: Must immediately hook the reader by introducing the setting, its unique twist, and the established core conflict/tension. -KEY WORLD ELEMENTS *Content: A list of 3 to 5 major, specific, and narratively significant elements such as factions, significant landmarks, or unique phenomena that give the world immediate depth and flavor (e.g., The Obsidian Spire, The Cinder Wastes, The Sky-Pirate Guild, The Silent Brotherhood, The Great Chasm). -WORLD LAWS: Three broad narrative instructions or World Laws that govern the core experience of roleplaying within this setting, providing clear guidelines for player interaction and narrative possibilities (e.g., Law 1: Magic is rare, volatile, and permanently scars the user., Law 2: Ancient technology is coveted but cursed., Law 3: Truth is a currency more valuable than gold.). -TAGS: A final list of tags, separated into two categories for clear organization: *General Tags: Broad classifications (e.g., Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Apocalyptic, Steampunk, Dystopian). *Detailed Tags: Specific, high-detail tags derived directly from the parameters, conflict, and twist, often hinting at dynamics or key concepts (e.g., High Magic, Elven Dominion, Political Intrigue, Cyberpunk Megacity, Magitech Scarcity, Forbidden Knowledge, Mutated Wildlife, Sky-Pirates, Ancient Prophecy)

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