Broken Pattern in the Helgram Game

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As a general warning, Broken Pattern isn’t a clean Power. Which means that if you use it, there’s a chance that anyone else in the area who is sensitive to Powers, could spot you using it. In addition, it will end up losing in a clash of Powers with any full Power – ie full Pattern, full Logrus. In addition, as this is a Chaos-based game, you’ll need to come up with a good reason to have Broken Pattern

Broken Pattern within the Helgram Game works as follows:

Basic (10pt)

Travel Shadow

This allows the initiated to walk through Shadow, but not necessarily through the most salubrious of places. It also involves the ability to follow a well-beaten Shadow path; or a newer, smaller trail someone else has made, as long as it’s relatively recent (say within 48 hours). It take a lot of concentration, especially if you’re following someone.

Leading Others Through Shadow

You can do this, but you have to be careful to keep track of who you take. Much more than about a dozen people, and you’re going to start losing them.

Combining

It is possible for two or more Broken Pattern initiates to work together, in which case, travel becomes easier, you’re less likely to lose people, following well-beaten trails involves less concentration, and you can follow people from as long as a week ago.

Advanced (25pt or an additional 15pt from Basic)

Spot Magic

If you bring the image of the Broken Pattern to mind, you can get an idea of what magic is in the area.

If you’re a mage as well, you can get a bit more detail, including rough strength of caster (are they better than/the same as/worse than you), rough school of caster, and possibly what class the spell is.

Spot Powers

Spot Powers – You can get a feel for other Powers in the area, and which ones (eg Pattern, Broken Pattern, Logrus, Pilot). You may be able to spot Powers in people – if they’re relatively close by – with a couple of provisos: a) if they have a strong psyche than you, or decent warding, you may not spot an underlying Power; and b) they may detect you scanning them.

You can get a feel for the Reality of a place, and any obvious anomolies in a Shadow.

Vision Tendrils

These are a kind of farsensing, which allow you to see at a distance. Think of them as a magical snake camera. Maximum range starts at about 25-50 miles, but may be greater, depending on the psyche of the wielder. However, the longer the tendril, the less distinct the images at the other end. You can only see – you can’t hear, and you can’t touch. Vision tendrils can’t get through warding, and they can’t detect Powers at distance, unless they’re very strong. You cannot cast spells through vision tendrils.

Hanging Spells

A mage can hang spells on the Broken Pattern. However, they deteriorate faster than if you have them in a racking item, and therefore need more maintenance to keep them fresh. If they ‘go off’, you may get unexpected effects. Use of the ‘checkspell’ – which is one of the first spells a mage learns – can spot if things are going wrong. it is not possible to use the Broken Pattern to back spells, the way a Pattern or Logrus initate can.

Given that any mage who graduates from Mage College can use their mage signet as a spell rack anyway, hanging spells on the Broken Pattern is more often the preserve of non-Talented individuals who have manifested their magic in a different way.

You also become more adept at following Shadow trails and people walking in Shadow. Hellriding is not available with Broken Pattern.

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