The Art of Coins
From Summoner
Contents |
Into My Office (O)
The Two of Coins represents control and balance regarding wealth. With the difficult and dangerous Art that Summoners of the Coin practice, control becomes the first, the last, and the most important watchword of their techniques. This power requires that a single coin be set onto the ground, establishing the heart of the power's radius. A demon attempting to enter or leave this threshold must defeat the Summoner's successes in creating this ward, rolling Resistance + Ego to do so. Each roll to break free costs an Id, past the first, and may only be attempted once per minute. When the Summoner prepares a space especially for this power, the activation an Extended action, though no more rolls may be made than the Summoner's Resolve + Ego.
While by no means a perfect guard, the proper circumstances can make an area a viable environment for calling a demon from across the Mirror, or holding a troublemaker in place. It isn't permanent, however, and few Merchants rely on this power with absolute faith.
The size of the created field is equal to the Summoner's Resolve + Ego in yards. He may have no more empowered coins than his Ego.
Cost: 1 Id
Dice Pool: Resolve + Intimidation + Coins
Action: Intstant or Extended; each roll represents 15 minutes of preparation
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The coin retains the telling weight of power waiting to burst...but when the demon moves against the barrier, it collapses. The Summoner may find himself surprised, at Storyteller discretion.
Failure: The power fails to be invested, and the coin remains inert.
Success: The Summmoner successfully casts part of his soul into the coin, creating a barrier to keep demons either in or out. Alternately, the Summoner gains successes towards strengthening the prepared area.
Exceptional Success: As with normal success, but in addition to the difficulty to break free, a demon must also expend a point of Willpower to cross.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +1 | The coin used is rare, unique, or of some sentimental value |
| +1 to +3 | The Resources value of a prepared space, +1 for Resources 3 and so on |
| -2 | The coin used is of a low denomination, value, and are uncommon in purchases (pennies, nickels, and dimes, for example) |
The Agreement of Gifts (OO)
Negotiation is the key to success, and the masters of the Art of Coins know this better than most. The Three of Coins represents prosperity through collaboration, and has come to signify what is perhaps the Merchant's best-known power. This power allows for the Summoner to forge a supernatural agreement, sealed with wax and a point of Id. Both or all parties invest a point, allowing for agreed trades. The roll is extended to forge the agreement, and each roll takes up a minute of writing and negotiation time. A number of rolls may be made equal to the Summoner's Manipulation + Ego. A number of parties may be involed equal to the Summoner's dots in the Art of Coins.
Either party can create an agreement to trade among the following items of roughly equal value:
- Up to three points of Id (does not count towards expenditure limits). The party may only offer less if they possess less than three total points.
- A point of Willpower
- Up to two boxes of Health/Corpus, for a scene. Has the same limits as exchanging Id.
- A turn's use of Influence, costing up to three Id
- A turn's use of an Art or Numina. The Numina of Alter Selves may be used.
A number of exchanges may be done up to the successes rolled on the activation of the power. Either side can offer up one of the above, and the other party must offer something in return. Once the uses are fully expended, the agreeement's physical form bursts into flames. If the agreement itself is destroyed ahead of time, then the power immediately ceases.
Cost: 1 Id per party
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Politics + Coins
Action: Extended; each roll represents a minute of drafting or negotiation.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The contract is tainted, and either side may take without paying a single time. Otherwise, the agreement seems to be in order.
Failure: The appropriate language cannot bind and redefine the concepts of the users. The Agreement fails to hold the invested Id yet.
Success: The Summoner gains successes towards the agreement's proper forging.
Exceptional Success: No additional benefit; a great number of successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +1 to +3 | The Resources value of the materials used in the contract, +1 for Resources 3 and so on |
| +1 | The Summoner is also versed in legal terminology (At least Academics 3) |
| +1 | The Summoner speaks Babel, the tongue of demons |
The Agreement of Service (OOO)
The Six of Coins speaks of balance, and the rewards reaped from a relationship of give and take. Demons are able to travel in Twilight and are (generally) safe in their native Mirror. A Summoner has access to the resources of the World and their various Arts and Alter Selves. Both sides have something to offer, and both sides have something to gain. By forging a special agreement, parties involved can receive a boon as long as they honor their end of a bargain. The benefits match those available from the previous power, but no one has to pay to receive them as long as both parties maintain their end of the deal.
For conditional agreements, where one or both parties must accomplish some task, the benefits are received at the conclusion of the task and last for single story. For duration-based agreements, where parties agree to either do or not do something for a period of time, the benefits last as long as those actions are continued. For reward-based agreements, each time the actions written up in the contract are performed, the party restores their access to the boon for a story. Each party can gain the benefits for the agreement for a number of times equal to the successes rolled on the agreement's forging. The Summoner may make a number of rolls equal to his Resolve + Ego, and may involve a number of parties equal to his dots in the Art of Coins. Each party must submit to some form of limitation which would be a significant inconvenience.
For a general measure of appropriate terms and conditions, any task must cause some sort of inconvience that take up at least two hour's time per story, put the party at a reasonable risk of harm or death, or otherwise seriously inconvenience the party, to a cost of money, Id, Willpower, or a subordination of their Identity, Virtues, or Vices.
A breach of agreement at any point immediately ends the power, revoking any benefit for either side. All parties involve know that the agreement was broken, and by whom.
Cost: 1 Id, 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Politics + Coins
Action: Extended; each roll represents ten minutes of drafting and negotiation
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The agreement seems to continue functioning, but has become tainted. Even after the terms are met, only an illusion of the benefit appears. These illusory benefits dissapear if they would be used, providing no benefit.
Failure: The Summoner fails to make any progress on the agreement, garnering no successes.
Success: The Summoner moves forward on forging the agreement, investing it with power and Ego.
Exceptional Success: No additional benefit; extra successes are their own reward in this case.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +1 to +3 | The Resources value of the materials used in the contract, +1 for Resources 3 and so on |
| +1 | The Summoner is also versed in legal terminology (At least Academics 3) |
| +1 | The Summoner speaks Babel, the tongue of demons |
Immediate Results (OOOO)
Sometimes, a deal needs to be renegotiated. Sometimes the terms no longer apply, or situations change. The Seven of Coins speaks of a time of delay and reconsideration, and this Art creates an ideal environment for making a new deal. When used against a demon, it can call them across Twilight into the Summoner's presence, at their earliest convenience. On mortals or other Summoners, the power can unite or even haunt the subject's dreams.
The power can be used on anyone the Merchant has held an agreement with in the past, or anyone for whom they can acquire an active agreement's physical form. By invoking the terms and consequences written into the Ego of the agreement itself, it calls forth all parties to meet. This call continues on until answered or shattered.
The power is rolled once an hour as a contested and extended roll. The Summoner completes the calling once he achieves a number of successes equal to their subject's Willpower dots. The subject may resist with a roll of Composure + Ego, aiming for the Willpower dots of the Summoner. The power feels like a pulse on the subject's very being, drawing them away. In the case of demons, they can be physically drawn towards the contract at the speed of thought through Twilight, once defeated. Summoners and mortals have to use more natural means of transportation, but cannot ignore the call.
Subjects must make a reasonable, but not an excessive effort to travel without allies as long as the Summoner waits alone for them to come and desires only business or no harm to the subject. The subject will know if the Summoner has violent intent, and may prepare accordingly during travel, including bringing allies. Nothing, however, will allow them to stop coming closer for more than five minutes per point of Willpower they spend.
Lastly, the subject has an instinctual awareness of who is calling them, but only on a subconscious level. The player may decide to willingly submit to the call, upon which time the character becomes aware of who they are heading towards.
Cost: 1 Id, 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Politics + Coins
Action: Contested and extended; each roll after the first represents an hour's calling or resistance
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Summoner: The beckoning utterly fails, negating any current agreements with the subject. Subject: The subject is immediately called forth.
Failure: The Summoner or Subject fails to accrue any successes towards drawing in their target or escaping, respectively
Success: Summoner: The Summoner gains successes towards bringing the subject into their presence. Subject: The subject develops a stronger resistance to the agreement's call.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward in this case.
Upon My Name (OOOOO)
The ultimate sign of prosperity is the setting of foundations and boundaries. One's position is secure, and they are left without want or worry. This is marked by the Ten of Coins, and it is perhaps telling of the viewpoint of many Coin Merchants that this final Art is often spoken of in terms of this card.
By investing additional Id into any of the previous agreements, the Summoner now adds penalties to breaches of that concord. If given something that they cannot potentially use with The Agreement of Gifts or if the terms of the Agreement of Service are directly broken, the Summoner may invoke this additional consequence. The Summoner rolls a pool of Ego + Coins, dealing the successes in levels of aggravated damage as the signed party's very concept and being are cast into existential question. After the consequence is felt, the subject's name is burned and charred out of the wording of the agreement.
Cost: 1 Id
Dice Pool: Ego + Coins
Action: Reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Summoner suffers a level of aggravated damage for his trouble. The agreement is broken.
Failure: The subject is lucky enough to escape justice for his breach of agreement, but the contract remains valid.
Success: The subject is burned out of the agreement, dealing the successes in aggravated damage to the breaching party.
Exceptional Success: As with a regular success, except the target also loses a dot of Willpower.
Suggested Modifiers
| Modifier | Situation |
|---|---|
| +2 | The Summoner has suffered physical harm from the breach of contract |
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