Almost universally called Thaumaturgy by its relative handful of practitioners, this Path concerns the ways in which magic may be used to manipulate magic. Its most fundamental spells (Apprentice Circle) allow the magician to observe the movements of Essence, reshape and reinforce other spells to produce more desirable results, channel his personal Essence directly for the benefit of another, and eliminate Essence on a nearly one-for-one basis. More advanced magic (Journeyman Circle) allows the Thaumaturgist to steal from large caches of Essence, leverage the raw power of his other spells, and eliminate some of the problems encountered by mortal magicians. The most powerful Thaumaturgy (Master Circle) allows the magician to draw on ambient Essence in virtually any environment, expand his capacity to store Essence, and seriously hinder beings that rely heavily on Essence.
Thaumaturgy is an extremely obscure Path. Only Diplomancy has fewer practitioners. Thaumaturgists are some of the most powerful mortal magicians, but Thaumaturgy certainly cannot take all the credit for their success. If Thaumaturgists seldom reveal their secrets, it is because a minor magician really has little use for Thaumaturgy. It is the Path of the master magician, not of the hedge wizard or dabbler in the sorcerous arts. Its practitioners seldom have reason to discuss their knowledge of Thaumaturgy except with other Thaumaturgists. No starting magician should begin play with spells from this Path except under extraordinarily bizarre circumstances, and learning new Thaumaturgy spells before one has mastered at least one other Path is out of the question. Significant knowledge of Thaumaturgy is the mark of a powerful magician, at least to those who even know of its existence. It is probably to the benefit of Thaumaturgists everywhere that very few Exalted realize how dangerous a sufficiently clever Thaumaturgist could be to them. Rumors that Thaumaturgists of one of the Houses of Sorcerous Orders have captured several Dragon-Blooded whose Essence they siphon off to fuel their spells are certainly too fantastic to believe.
Thaumaturgy is a subtle and generally efficient Path. Many of its spells can be simply added into other spells with little to no effect on the time required to shape the base spell. Others require no shaping to cast.
Inverting Essence Sabotage
Cost: 1+ mote
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell is fast and requires no shaping. It affects a target within (Temperance x 10) yards and has no effect unless the victim attempts to activate a Charm or cast a spell during the turn in which it takes effect. The magician may spend any number of motes of Essence when this spell is cast. If the mote cost of the Charm or spell is less than the number of motes the magician spent to activate Inverting Essence Sabotage, the Charm or spell fails, completely snuffed out. If the mote cost is higher than the number of motes the magician spent, the victim must spend additional motes equal to the number of motes the magician spent on this spell to successfully use the Charm or spell. If the victim cannot or chooses not to pay this additional cost, the Charm or spell is spoiled in a colorful but usually harmless burst of Essence. Exceptionally expensive spells and Charms, such as Exalted Sorcery, might require a successful Wits + Occult check, with a botch resulting in Essence burns as though the sorcerer had been interrupted. This spell has no effect on Charms or spells after they have been activated or cast. If the target's Essence is higher than the magician's, the magician must spend an additional number of motes equal to the target's Essence in order to cast this spell.
Jettisoning Power Compulsion
Cost: 1+ motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell affects a target within (Temperance x 10) yards. For every mote the magician spends, the target is compelled to spend 1 mote of Essence. At the beginning of the magician's next turn, any Essence less than this amount is lost in a brief display of Essence. Note that most spells require more time than this to use, so a magician's Essence will generally simply bleed away into thin air, creating a colorful but harmless display. Exalted and spirits, however, can generally choose to spend this Essence to activate Charms. If the target's Essence is higher than the magician's, this spell costs an additional number of motes equal to the target's Essence.
Sight of the Master
Cost: 5 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
Until the end of the scene, the magician can perceive the Essence of the physical world. She can see the pools of power at Manses and Demesnes, recognize places where magic is at work, and determine whether a material being can or is wielding Essence. While she can't see unmanifested spirits, she can recognize their handiwork if it affects the material world. With a successful Intelligence + Occult roll, the magician can identify any mortal spell and most common spirit Charms and - if she is familiar with the spirit or magician who produced the magic - even determine who is responsible for the effect. The magician may attempt to do the same for Exalted, but the difficulty is increased by +1 for Dragon-Blooded and +2 for any of the Anathema.
Enforce the Power
Cost: 5+ motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell may be cast while the magician is shaping the Essence for the target spell. The effective Circle of the target spell is increased, making it less susceptible to countermagic. For every level the base spell is increased (First to Second and Second to Third Circle), this spell costs 5 motes, and the time required to shape the Essence is increased by 1 turn. Increasing the potency of a First Circle spell to the Third Circle would require 10 motes and 2 additional turns of shaping. Increasing a spell's effective power so it cannot be touched by mortal magic (in effect, raising it from Third Circle Magic to Terrestrial Circle Sorcery) is possible but costly. Increasing the power of a Third Circle spell costs 15 additional motes and 1 feat.
Other Self Alteration
Cost: 1 mote per Circle of target spell
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell may be cast while the magician is shaping the Essence for the target spell without increasing the time required to shape its Essence. The target spell, if it normally only affects the magician, instead affects any target within (Conviction x 10) yards. If the new target is unwilling, he may make a reflexive Heroism check to avoid the spell's effects. This spell cannot target an unwilling being whose Essence is greater than the magician's.
Virtue-Surpassing Enhancement
Cost: 1 mote per Circle of target spell
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell may be cast while the magician is shaping the Essence for the target spell without increasing the time required to shape its Essence. The target spell is no longer limited by the magician's Virtue. Replace all references to one or more of the magician's Virtues in the target spell's description with the magician's Heroism score. A spell with a range of (Compassion x 10) yards, for example, would instead have a range of (Heroism x 10) yards, and one that dealt damage equal to the magician's Valor would instead deal damage equal to the magician's Heroism.
Pour out the Self
Cost: 1 mote
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell affects a target within (Compassion x 10) yards. The magician may transfer any amount of Essence from himself to the target. The target's Essence pool cannot rise above its normal maximum. If the target cannot accept all the transferred Essence, the excess dissipates harmlessly.
Living Vessel
Cost: 5 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Pour out the Self
This spell affects a target within (Compassion x 10) yards. Until the end of the scene, the target may spend the magician's Essence as if it were part of her own Essence pool, whether to activate Charms, cast spells, or simply to draw it into its own supply of Essence. This is not reciprocated, so the magician cannot use the target's Essence pool in turn, though the magician may terminate this spell's effects as a Reflexive action.
Bask in the Warmth
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Jettisoning Power Compulsion
For the next 24 hours, whenever the magician spends time inside a Manse or Demesne to which she is attuned, she refreshes Essence at the Exalted rate - (Demesne rating x 4) motes per hour - instead of the mortal pace of (Demesne rating) motes per 8 hours of rest. This applies to Hearthstones, as well, provided the magician can take advantage of them (most can't, since it requires both attunement, contact with the Hearthstone, and use of the spell Geomantric Connection) - (Demesne rating) motes per hour instead of (Demesne rating) motes per day.
Siphon the Soul's Strength
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Inverting Essence Sabotage
The magician must touch or strike the intended target soon after casting this spell or its power is wasted. The magic lingers for the magician's Temperance in turns or until the magician touches the target. The magician drains the target's Essence to refresh his own Essence pool. The magician's Essence pool cannot rise above its normal maximum. The magician cannot drain more Essence than is required to fill his Essence pool by means of this spell, nor can he drain Essence the target does not have. It is not possible to drain Essence from most mortals by means of this spell, making them worthless targets. A fellow magician makes a prime target, however, as does a preoccupied or incapacitated Exalted or spirit.
Range of Sight
Deny the Target
Essence Bifurcation
Aqueduct for the Soul
Uncover the Cistern
Drink the Waters of Madness
Liability of Power Aura
Cost: 2 motes per Circle of target spell
Prerequisite Spells: Pour out the Self
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Other Self Alteration
This spell is fast and requires no shaping. It affects a target within (Temperance x 10) yards and has no effect unless the victim attempts to activate a Charm or cast a spell during the turn in which it takes effect. Further, this magical effect must target a single, specific creature other than the victim. This includes direct attacks like Blazing Solar Bolt, effects that enhance physical attacks (such as Wise Arrow), and even effects intended to aid an ally. The victim must choose another target to affect with her magic. This might mean attacking a new target within range, aiding a different ally, and so forth, but the victim must choose another legal target within range, if one exists, even if this means attacking a comrade or aiding an enemy. If there are no legal targets, the intended magic is lost in a harmless display of Essence, though a victim whose Essence or Heroism is higher than the magician's does not lose the Essence, though the action is still wasted. This spell has no effect on Exalted Sorcery.
Cost: 5 motes per Circle of target spell
Prerequisite Spells: Other Self Alteration
This spell may be cast while the magician is shaping the Essence for the target spell, though the time required to shape the target spell is increased by 1 turn. The target spell must be one that affects a single target object or creature. The target spell affects additional targets within the magician's Conviction in yards of the primary target, though the magician cannot affect more targets in this fashion than his Conviction.Master Circle Thaumaturgy
Cost: 14 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Bask in the Warmth
For the next 24 hours, the magician refreshes Essence at the Exalted rate (up to 8 motes per hour) instead of the rate for mortal magician's (1 mote per day).
Cost: 17 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Aqueduct for the Soul
For the next 24 hours, the magician can store Essence in the very air surrounding him. In effect, he has a Peripheral Essence Pool with a capacity equal to (Heroism x 3) + (Primary Virtue x 2). So, a magician with a Heroism of 5 and a Primary Virtue of 5 would have a Peripheral Essence Pool of 25. The Peripheral Essence Pool is empty immediately after this spell is cast, but the magician may use it to store Essence refreshed by any means at his disposal. Using this Peripheral Essence creates an Anima banner similar to those of the Exalted, but more personalized to the history and personality of the magician. Any Essence remaining in the magician's Peripheral Essence Pool when this spell ends is lost harmlessly.
Cost: 17 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Uncover the Cistern
For the next 24 hours, the magician receives three times the normal benefit from all her Quirks, increasing her Essence storage capacity. This additional capacity is empty immediately after this spell is cast, but the magician may use it to store Essence refreshed by any means at his disposal.
Cost: 20 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Deny the Target
The Essence cost required to activate Charms or cast spells by beings who are within (Temperance x 10) yards of the magician is doubled until the end of the scene. Essence-wielding creatures can sense the cause of this added expense and will likely act accordingly. Creatures whose Essence or Heroism is higher than the magician's can spend their Essence in motes during a turn before being forced to pay the extra cost. A spirit with an Essence of 2 could use Measure the Wind for the usual 1 mote, but the same spirit attempting to activate Harrow the Mind would have to spend 18 motes to do so (10 motes of the normal cost + 10 motes of the cost for Liability of Power Aura - 2 for the spirit's permanent Essence). This penalty even applies to Exalted Sorcery, though a spell paid for and in the process of being shaped before the magician finishes casting this spell is not penalized.