Major Powers in the Helgram Game

Helgram Game PCs will usually either be Cornelians, or Lords and Ladies of Chaos. As a result, there will occasionally come a point when those individuals are given the opportunity to initiate to one of the Major Powers. Logrus and Pattern can be bought in stages. The following partial powers system is used in those cases. Abyss is a one-off cost, but has a stat prerequiste.

Logrus

On the Inside, walking the Aurellian Logrus – comes with strings. You have to be a descendant of Roland Helgram, or be assisted by one of the Gods of Aurellis. Moreover, to walk it means you become one of the Aurellian Gods, with work and responsibilities.

It is possible to walk the Thelbane Logrus if you can get Outside, but if you then try to use it Inside, it acts like Piloting, rather than full Logrus. Therefore, Basic Logrus is the equivalent of Courier Pilot, and Advanced Logrus of Master Pilot.

Item Cost Comments
Basic Logrus Initiation and Defence (“Walked It”) 15 You have walked into the Logrus, had the particularly individual experience that was your initiation, and survived to find your way back out again. Doing this confers the ability to use the Logrus as an active defence, and enables you to learn the abilities below. In the case of the Aurellian Logrus, it is also your ticket to join the Pantheon. This is not optional.
Arcane Shield +5 The Logrus can be used as a shield against all kinds of
arcane attack (e.g. Sorcery, Trump, other Logrus or Pattern), with the amount of damage the shield can take is limited by the wielder’s endurance. Relative psyches and endurance of the wielders are the key factors in a Pattern/Logrus clash.
Combat Tendrils +5 The ability to make physical attacks in proximity to your current position, using Logrus tendrils. The resulting attacks are as though made with a strength equal to the initiate’s psyche, and such attacks may be kept up for a time governed by the initiate’s endurance.
Locate in Shadow +5 A tendril of the Logrus can be sent forth through Shadow to locate a person, item or place which is specified by the initiate, in a similar way to casting a fishing line. When it finds its target, the initiate will feel a tug on the line.
Physical Shield +5 The Logrus can also be used as a shield against physical attacks. This can be flat, curved, even spherical, but its overall size is limited by the psyche of the wielder, and its eventual toughness by the endurance of the wielder.
Transport Tendrils +5 When the initiate has sent a tendril to some place or thing, using this ability he has the option to either transport the thing to  himself, or to transport himself to it.If the initiate brings an item to himself, or sends an item away, without going with it, the mass limit is 50lb.If the initiate wishes to go with his cargo, he can transport up to 10 tonnes mass of materiel with him, as long as it is all in a contiguous unit (eg inside a vehicle or shipping container) and he is touching it. The limit includes the weight of the container.
Vision Tendrils +5 The initiate can bring the Logrus to mind and extend forth a tendril of it through which he can see. The tendril can go forth across shadow boundaries, but cannot instantly jump to a point. It must travel out over the distance.

Once you have bought the basic initiation you can choose to take any or all of the rest. It should be noted that Logrus users can use more than one of these abilities at once, although – of course – this is more tiring. Also, dividing your effort like that means that the psyche power behind any one action is less. To buy it all at once costs 45pt.

The Abyss

All children brought up in the Courts are aware of the Abyss. It is ever-present beside the Rock of Thelbane, and at other places within the Courts and the various Houses. The Abyss if the place from whence all came, and to where they will be returned upon death. What is less well known is that, occasionally, people can learn to survive in the Abyss, and even travel there, but the process is dangerous and survival is not guaranteed. There is also a style of magic that is linked with the Abyss and is necessary for casting spells there.

Item Cost Comments
Abyss Initiation 15 To become an Abyss Initiate, you must have spent at least C+10pt (i.e. Amber level) in both Psyche and Endurance, and must have a minimum of ICM + Four Forms shapeshift
Abyss Magic 15 To learn Abyss magic, you must have spent at least C+20pt (i.e. Amber + 10) in both Psyche and Endurance, but the magics you learn should protect your body in the majority of cases.
Abyss Initiation and Magic 30 The student needs to have mastered both the magic, and the Power to manipulate the Abyss before they can advance further in their studies.
Advanced Abyss Initiation and Magic 45 To become an Advanced Abyss Initiate, you must have spent at least C+25pt (i.e. Amber + 15) in both Psyche and Endurance, and be at least a full basic shapeshifter

Pattern

Pattern is administered as per the ADRPG, with the difference that the full 50pt is not required at the outset. To walk the Pattern, the character needs to have the Blood of Amber. Costs are as follows:

Item Cost Comments
Basic Shadow Walk and Defence (“Walked It”) 25 This is the power which results from one’s first Pattern walk. It is necessary to have bought this before any other abilities can be bought, and as part of the package you gain the basic ability to walk in Shadow (albeit not too quickly) and use the Pattern as an active defence.
Find Objects & Places of Desire +5 The ability to search for something in shadow, the exact location of which is not yet known.
Follow Trail through Shadow +5 This lets you follow someone who has been moving through shadow.
Hellriding +5 It takes that bit of extra ability to manage to Hellride, but allows for faster travel through Shadow than simple walking. You have to be careful not to lose anyone travelling with you.
Lead Others Through Shadow +5 If you try and take more than two or three people with you when you walk through shadow, you will eventually lose them, unless you have this ability.
Manipulate Local Probability +5 That handy knack of being able to make things happen the way you want in Shadow: the right horse, the right small change, the convenient turning in the road, etc.
Timesense +5 This is the ability to sense the time flow of shadows. Without it, fast or slow time shadows cannot be found.

To buy all the options costs 55pt, but once you have bought the basic Shadow walk you can choose to take any or all of the rest, in any order.

To buy full basic Pattern in one go costs the standard 50pt.