The Resonance Effect

An Arcanist can fast-cast a prepared spell up to four times a thread, using their Arcanist Abilities#Spellbook ability but using magic in this way leads to a phenomenon called Resonance. Each time a spell is cast from the spellbook, the player must roll a D6 and apply the Resonance effect to the Arcanist.

An arcanist's body is not meant to contain magic power and will suffer the side effects of utilising it in such a way. In using their mind alone to cast spells, they're inviting contamination. It's usually a temporary effect, but often painful or crippling while it lasts.

Resonance

In Mechanics: the condition in which an object or system is subjected to an oscillating force having a frequency close to its own natural frequency.

The more prepared spells from their Spellbook an arcanist performs in one thread, the more they run the risk of infusing themselves with magic. An arcanist is able to perform up to four prepared spells in one thread, and both successes and failed rolls with a Magic Keyword counts towards the limit. The magical Resonance causes them to suffer severe side effects that reflect the keywords they utilized for each spell, meaning that for each attempt at casting a spell, the player must roll a D6 to decide the severity of the Resonance.

An example of resonance in action: an Arcanist casting a spell using the Earth keyword might lead to the possibility that their flesh begins to calcify. These effects are temporary so long as the Arcanist takes a break to let the magic fade.

Levels of Resonance

Determining the impact of Resonance is done on a dice roll, using a d6 and taking the result from the list provided.

The effect of Resonance itself is contingent on the Keywords used. A more physical keyword would predominantly lead to more physical Resonance symptoms, meanwhile more mental or intangible Keywords might lend themselves to more hallucinatory or mental confusion as Resonance symptoms.

In the same spirit, the levels of Resonance below are a starting point. The specifics of Resonance is fully up the player, with flexibility to define their Resonance symptoms based on the mild to severe dice result.

• 1-2. Severe Resonance. Luck loss. The most catastrophic resonance level, the Arcanist will feel themselves fall under the influence of the Keyword, their mind or body unravelling as the magic lashes out. It is an extremely painful experience.
• 3-5. Medium Resonance. The Arcanist will begin to unravel, extremities or mind falling under the effects of the Keyword the spell was cast with. It is painful at this point, but tolerable.
• 6. Mild Resonance. The Arcanist will begin to feel the magic oscillating out of control, the potential of an unravelling at their fingertips, but it has not come to pass yet.

When rolling multiple times for Resonance, the results will accumulate. They do not cancel each other out. If using Spellbook spells with different keywords, the Keywords will simultaneously impact the Arcanist.

The Aftermath

When the Resonance ends, whatever has happened, the Arcanist snaps back to normal, a painful relief. The feeling of the Resonance lingers, but the physical marks may fade. It is up to player discretion to decide if they want to keep physical markers from the more severe levels of Resonance, or have it remain an uncomfortable memory.

If the Arcanist pushes beyond their limits and attempt to cast more times than the allotted four, the Resonance effect runs the risk of causing them to become Cursed or Possessed. If you would like to roll the dice on that, you can post in the moderation request forum.

Guidebook Navigation

General Information	Forum Guidelines ⁂ Discord Guidelines ⁂ At-a-Glance ⁂ FAQ ⁂ Style Guide ⁂ Custom Codes
Character Creation	Creation Guide ⁂ Paths ⁂ Mundanes ⁂ Arcanists ⁂ Cursed ⁂ Possessed ⁂ Half-Bloods ⁂ Shifters ⁂ Undying ⁂ Spirits ⁂ Face Claims ⁂ Character Census
Magic Information	Magic Summary ⁂ Archetypes ⁂ Wards and Protective Materials ⁂ Codes of Conduct ⁂ Rituals ⁂ Enchantments ⁂ Keywords
Setting Information	General Setting ⁂ Easthaven ⁂ City Map ⁂ Owning Locations ⁂ The Exchange ⁂ Existing Groups ⁂ Events Timeline ⁂ Beyond Easthaven
Game Mechanics	Strike & Cinder Dice ⁂ Dice Pool ⁂ Dice Mechanics ⁂ Difficulty Class ⁂ Success Range ⁂ Encounters ⁂ Advancement ⁂ Reputation
Site Information	Credits ⁂ Help:Archive ⁂ Help:Dice Tracking ⁂ Help:Dice Rolling ⁂ Help:Forum Templates

A rolled die of 4 or more.