Traditions

Traditions

While all thaumaturgical traditions are available on Fate's Harvest, not all traditions are likely to have local practitioners.

In the table below:

	= Common
	= Uncommon
	= Rare
	= Nonexistent

Tradition		Details
Apostle of the Dark One		These tend to be stamped out when found. As an Apostle, thematically, for this area your kind are NOT popular. You are the dark rock stars with questionable religious practices. NPCs don't trust you, don't want you near their children and actively attempt to convert you to something else.
Ceremonial Magician		Very popular. Seldom anything but Western occult magic. An old master in the area will share learning and allow access to his library...if learners will ACCEPT him as their Master. He isn't the only practitioner, but he is one of the best. There are many Lefevre Ceremonial Magicians, but it is rare for them to take apprentices outside their own family, and in the local community, Lefevre training is a politely unspoken social coup.
Hedge Witch		Very popular. These are, arguably, more common even than Ceremonial Magicians. The storied Wildwitch of Eastbank was a Hedge Witch, which thaumaturges may well recognize based on the types of powers often ascribed to her. Thaumaturges of this tradition very often have generations of grannies behind them in the craft, not to mention much bickering with neighbors over whose version of a spell is most effective.
Shaman		While Tamarack Falls and Fort Brunsett do have a large number of Spirits, there aren't many local Shamans who can intercede for them. They do exist, however, and have historically been one of the least troublesome traditions here.
Taoist Alchemist		Culturally very Western as the area has been, there are no local NPC practitioners of this art. Players will be the first the area has seen.
Vodoun		Similarly waaaaay the wrong culture, there are also no local NPC practitioners of THIS art. This is not a craft which Vermont snuggles into its cold and wintry bosom.

As an easy cheat sheet for those who intend to use Thaumaturges as NPCs (or as PCs!), the following is a list of all traditions, their strengths and their weaknesses, derived from Second Sight pp.80-102.

Tradition	Strength	Weakness
Apostle of the Dark One	An apostle learns to use his arts to fulfill personal desires. Whenever use of magic in a scene would play out in a manner appropriate to his Vice, the apostle receives a +1 bonus to roll for the Merit or ritual used. Note that the character may also regain one Willpower point if the scene reflects his Vice (see Vices). The apostle may benefit from only one +1 bonus per scene.	An apostle can conclude that society’s rules are little more than shackles to be cast off should they be a hindrance to his advancement in knowledge and self-awareness. Without the safety net of shared morality, a thaumaturge can easily spiral out of control or sink into personal damnation. Regaining lost Integrity is challenging for apostles. Experience points required to raise Integrity equal new dots x 4 rather than the usual three multiplier.
Ceremonial Magician	All ceremonial magicians who possess the Library Merit (see SS p.113) or who borrow another character’s Library gain an additional +1 bonus in researching rituals.	All ceremonial magicians suffer an additional –1 penalty for using improvised ritual tools or inadequately prepared ritual spaces.
Hedge Witch	Hedge witches are adept at using mundane tools in their rituals, so reduce all penalties for lacking proper materials or preparations by one.	Although warlocks excel at improvisation, they are affected strongly by their environment. They suffer a –1 to ritual rolls in any location that is antithetical to the purpose of the rite. For example, they have difficulty casting a ritual to create love in a prison, or a ritual to inspire peace in a violent or crime-ridden slum.
Shaman	Because of shamans' understanding of the Shadow Realm, shamans are adept at bargaining and negotiating with spirits. They gain +1 to all Social rolls involving communication with spirits.	Because shamans' magic requires a direct connection to spirits and immaterial realms, all shamans must possess the See Spirits Merit (SS p.117). That means a player must purchase the Trait for his character with available Merit dots. This same connection causes spirits in Twilight to be able to automatically tell that shamans can see and hear them. Most spirits find shamans innately interesting as a result.
Taoist Alchemist	The contemplative training of the way grants +1 die to Meditation rolls, and a successful session grants potential bonuses to degeneration rolls. Successful meditation also confers a +1 bonus to the Taoist’s next effort to use a Merit or ritual derived from his thaumaturge path.	The true practitioner of the way does not act without deliberation. A Taoist alchemist faces a –1 penalty to magic conducted using informal rituals (in addition to any other penalties that apply). Furthermore, if the Taoist enacts magic using rituals with intervals shorter than 30 minutes, he may not benefit from bonuses gained through meditation.
Vodoun	A vodoun is an expert in dealing with the loa, and therefore gains a +1 bonus to Social rolls to interact with ghosts. At the Storyteller’s discretion, the vodoun may also get a +1 bonus for rolls (typically using Intelligence + Occult) to determine whether she knows specific information about the dead.	Acting as a serviteur is second nature to a vodoun, so she suffers a –1 penalty to resist when made the target of a spirit or ghost’s mind-affecting powers such as Possession or Clairvoyance.