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DivisionSeven: EnlightenedScience

Enlightened Science is not magic. However, functionally it is very similar, and for game purposes it uses the rules for magic. These rules are outlined here.

How the system works

1. A mage (or scientist) must understand what she is trying to achieve. Sometimes a certain level in a mundane skill is required.
2. A mage must posess enough levels in all spheres appropriate to the effect. To create gold out of electricity, for instance, the mage must have Matter 2 and Forces 2.
3. The mage rolls her Arete (Enlightenment). She may spend Quintessence and extra time to make the roll easier if she wishes (the maximum adjustment is ± 3).
4. Any vulgar (ie obvious) magic automatically produces one point of Paradox.
5. The effect may succeed, partially succeed, fail, or mess up in a big way.

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System

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The Spheres of Enlightened Science

Enlightened Science is studied as nine disciplines, or spheres.

Correspondence

1) Immediate Spatial Perceptions

Advanced training in estimating distances and directions, and in developing an awareness of objects that is not dependant on sight or touch.

2) Sense Space

Training in witnessing distant locations and in blocking others' remote viewing attempts.

Second-level students of Life or Matter may pull small objects through from the remote location.

3) Pierce Space; Co-locality Perception

The enlightened scientist may, with suitable preparation, transport himself to a remote location. He may also secure a location against such teleportations.

The scientist may also percieve several locations at once, and may manipulate with enlightened science objects at remote locations.

4) Rend Space; Co-locate Self

The scientist may create tempory or permanent gateways between remote locations. Such gateways are large enough to admit other people, or even large objects.

The scientist may also manifest physically in several locations. A simple Mind technique is recommended for those who wish to think coherently during this, and a level two Life technique is required if the manifestations are not to copy one another's movements.

5) Mutate Localities; Co-location

The scientist may distort space. Objects' mass remains constant, but all physical dimensions are mutable.

The scientist, who may posess superhuman Perception, may also "stack" localities atop one another. This technique is dangerous, and should not be used.

Nota bene: Any magic (enlightened science) used remotely cannot require a higher level in a sphere than the mage has levels in Correspondence.

Entropy

1) Sense Fate and Fortune

Normally through stastical analysis, the scientist of Entropy can analyse probailities. He can also detect lies with acceptable accuracy.

A useful combat application of this sphere is to discern an opponent's greatest weak point of flaw.

2) Control Probability

Seemingly random events may be manipulated by the scientist. The greater the improbability, the harder the application of this technique is.

3) Affect Predictable Patterns

Intricate machines become vunerable to the scientist's influence, breaking down in small ways. Other objects may decay at an advanced rate. Conversely, entropy may be retarded in an object.

Conjunctional effects with Life or Matter 2 can causean object's luck to affect other objects or creatures.

4) Affect Life

Probability patterns and decay rates of life patterns may be affected.

5) Affect Thought

Ideas change. They grow and die. Entropic masters affect thoughts and ideas by changing the course of a thought-pattern.

Forces

1) Percieve Forces

The mage can detect and analyse energy flows, including electromagnetic waves (IR sight is quite a common effect, for instance).

2) Control Minor Forces

Sound and light may be redirected or refracted, focused or diffused. Heat and magnetism may be affected, and electrical re-routings are simple. Kinetic forces may be influenced. One's efforts should be confined to (at the largest) a volume the size of a small house at this level. It is possible to have some control over the radiation from unstable metals, and even over gravity.

3) Transmut Minor Forces

The forces affected by level two may be transmuted into one another. With conjunctional effects, forces may be transmuted into other things (objects, primal energies) or vice versa.

4) Control Major Forces

These are any and all forces effects not covered by level two of this sphere, of any magnitude.

5) Transmute Major Forces

An advanced form of level three.

Life

1) Sense Life

The scientist can accurately locate and analyse life-forms.

2) Alter Simple Patterns; Heal Self

Plants, micro-organisms and invertebrae can be harmed, healed, or otherwise restructured. The essence and species of the life-form do not change, although striking changes are possible.

The scientist may also repair (or harm) himself.

3) Alter Self; Heal Life; Transform and Create Simple Patterns

The scientist may alter himself, may heal another complex life-form(or harm it), and may drastically change simple life-forms from one pattern to another or (as a conjunctional effect) to or from other pattern-types (Matter, Forces, Prime).

4) Alter Complex Patterns; Transform Self

The scientist may alter complex life-forms. The scientist may transform himself into another life-form, although it will be one of similar size to his original body. Theoretically, a scientist could become pure energy.

5) Transform and Create Complex Patterns; Transform Self

Any organism may be transformed or created (although creations lack minds). The scientist himself can transform flawlessly into another life-form, with full advantages and no drawbacks. He retains his mind completely, and gains his new forms' instincts for movement and so-forth.

Matter

1) Matter Perceptions

The scientist can detect and analyse structures. Such perceptions may pass beyond barriers, as the scientist filters out those structures.

2) Basic Transmutation

The scientist may transmute one substance into another. With conjunctional effects, he may also transmute substances into or from forces, life-forms or Prime Element.

3) Alter Form

The scientist can alter the shape of a substance, and compress or expand it. Such changes are not permanent.

4) Complex Transmutation

Several simultaneous changes may be made, so that a plastic gun may become a working gun, for instance. Again, conjunctional effects increase the range of possibilities.

5) Alter Properties

New substances may be created, and physical properties (such as melting points) altered. Permanent changes in shape are possible. Objects can also be altered so that they do not interact with certain other objects.

Mind

1) Sense Thoughts and Emotions; Empower Self

The scientist first learns to gain insight into others' emotional states. He may also sense the emotional residue of an area. He also learns to guard his own mind, and can order his mind to perform several tasks at once.

2) Read Surface Thoughts; Mental Impulse

The scientist can discern thoughts, and can interpret memories that are attached to an object.

He may also cause simple thoughts and emotions to enter a subject's head. His own mental defences strengthen.

3) Mental Link; Walk Among Dreams

The scientist may create solid psionic links between his mind and others'. He may use these for communication, or to override the subject's own perceptions.

The scientist may be able to enter another's dream.

4) Control Conscious Mind; Astral Projection

The scientist may override another's thoughts and emotions.

Some scientists document being able to enter astral realms with their minds.

5) Control Subconscious; Untether; Forge Psyche

The scientist may re-create a subject's personality (although not his Avatar). He may also improve a subject's mental faculties.

The scientist may eject a mind from its associated body, or cause a mind to enter another body.

A scientist may be able to create a new mind from scratch, implanting it either into an object or into an empty life-form.

Prime

1) Etheric Senses

The Ether's existence has been disproven, however a scientist can detect places, objects, and creatures with a significant amount of the Prime Element, from which all things ultimately are constructed.

2) Weave Odyllic Force; Fuel Pattern

The scientist can create abstract objects out of the Prime Element. Such gossamer objects are required as a base for any original creation (Such as with Matter 4). They exist as multi-dimensional spirit objects.

3) Channel Quintessence

Free Quintessence can be moved from one holding pattern to another. For instance, the scientist can recharge a Device from a Node.

4) Expel Base Energy

The structural (raw) Quintessence may be pulled from an object or force, disrupting it. Conjunctional effects can cause interesting reactions, as specific aspects of a pattern are disrupted.

5) Alter Flow

The scientist can deny a life-form its quota of the Prime Element, or increase its quota. This damages the life-form or increases its Quintessence store.

The Paradox Effect can occaisionally be diverted.

Spirit

1) Spirit Sight

The scientist understands techniques for sensing what is beyond the spiritual barrier that surrounds the world (the gauntlet). Different scientists have reported sensing different spirit worlds in this manner; psychic temperment seems to affect the world that is sensed.

2) Touch Spirit; Manipulate Gauntlet

The scientist can, briefly, manipulate objects beyond the gauntlet. The scientist can project not only his physically created forces (touch), but also his voice beyond the gauntlet.

The scientist may also sdjust the thickness of the gauntlet locally.

Some scientists report being able to percieve the Deep Universe at this level of ability.

3) Pierce Gauntlet; Rouse or Lull Spirit

The scientist may enter the spirit worlds with some posessions (most of which are useless there, and all of which make the technique more difficult to use). He cannot reach the Deep Universe, which belongs beyond another barrier (the Horizon).

The scientist may also bring spirits to awareness, or to send them back into slumber.

In conjunction withPrime 2 and Matter 3, the scientist may create short-lived objects in the spirit world.

4) Rend Gauntlet; Bind Spirit

The scientist may create gateways through the Gauntlet, or suppress such gateways.

The Union does not expect that any scientist will wish to bind spirits to material objects or people, despite the theoretical enhancements that such binding would produce.

5) Forge Ephemera; Outward Journeys

The scientist may re-work spirit matter freely.

The scientist who has attained this level of competence may pierce the Horizon and enter the Deep Universe freely.

Nota bene: Void Engineers learn a varient of this sphere. Void Engineer Dimensional Science is detailed below.

Members of Iteration X are forbidden to utilise this sphere of learning. We hope to eradicate its existence soon.

Also, note that the word "Spirit" should generally be replaced by "alien entity".

Time

1) Time Sense

The scientist can accurately track time, and can spot temporal disturbances.

2) Past Sight and Future Sight

The scientist can attempt to witness events from the past or the future. The greater the span that is attempted, the harder the technique becomes. The scientist may also protect a location at at a time from this effect.

3) Time Contraction; Time Dilation

The scientist may speed up or slow down time relative to his personal time.

4) Time Determinism

A scientist may freeze time for certain objects (or even for magical effects). Conjunctional Entropy effects can give such a time bubble a contingency clause, so that the resumption of normal time flow becomes conditional upon an event.

5) Future Travel; Time Immunity

The scientist may push things into the future, or pull things out of the future provided that they were pushed there but that future has not yet arrived.

The scientist can also step out of time, effectively stopping the world. Unfortunately, only one magical effect can be produced in any given instant, so the scientist cannot use Enlightened Science in that state (although anyone else taken there can, once).

Void Engineer DimSci

True Dimensional Science (as practised by the Void Engineers) requires a solid understanding of technology as well as training in the Spirit sphere. The more common effects produced with Dimensional Science are:

1) Evaluate Gauntlet; Scan Locality

The VE can evaluate the strength of the local Gauntlet.

2) Fortify Gauntlet; Scan Non-local Universe

The first of these effects allows the scientist to increase the gauntlet rating by 1 per success. Over time, this can create a permanent change in Gauntlet strength. The sample difficulty is 7.

The second effect is used to perform long-range scans in the Near and Deep Unviverses. Presumably local scans are conducted with DimSci 1.

3) Breach Gauntlet Undectectably; Universal Travel

A scientist may enter the Near Universe without causing ripples in the Gauntlet. To do so requires two extra successes. The proceedure can be adapted to remove people and objects fom the Gauntlet.

The scientist can attune his equipment to a Near Universe Realm's environment, so that he can survive with only a breathing mask and respiration supply.

4) Reconstruct Gauntlet; Breach Alien Gauntlet

The scientist can restore a Gauntlet that has been broken. 3 successes are required for each level of the new gauntlet.

The scientist should be able to pierce the gauntlets that may surround other physical worlds.

5) Create Gauntlet; Long-Distance Travel

The scientist may create a localised gauntlet, for instance to imprison an entity.

The scientist may travel long distances beyond Earth relatively quickly. The scientist may also pass between realms almost unimpeeded.

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The Paradox Effect

• Enlightened Science is not yet reliable. As time passes, different effects become reliable and pass into the domain of mundane science. At any rate, the Paradox Effect is the name of a bunch of things that make Enlightened effects mess up.
• Vulgar displays of Enlightened Science (such as reaching through the Gauntlet, or pretty much anything that is generally considered impossible) cause Paradox to build up around the Scientist.
• Botched attempts to use Enlightened Science cause Paradox Backlashes, which can affect the Scientist's interactions with the world, drag him into an alternative reality, or simply create a messy explosion. Such Backlashes draw upon the Paradox energy that has built up around the Scientist as well as those created by the botched attempt.
• In the normal course of things, Paradox energies dissipate at the rate of one unit per week, provided that no new paradox is gained in that time.

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