Flux (WTO)

Flux
Guild	Alchemists
Status	Forbidden
Marking	(1e) Unknown (20th) Parts of the body look manufactured

Flux is one of the three Forbidden Arcanoi from Wraith: The Oblivion listed in the Wraith Players Guide. Flux affects the structure and reaction of matter in the Skinlands, and in the 20th anniversary edition also affects the workings of wraithly relics.

Flux is an offshoot of Inhabit (and its earlier form, Kinesis), in that it mostly affects items in the living world. However, despite their close relation in terms of what they can affect, Flux was originally presented as existing purely to be used on the Quick, and did not have any major side-benefits, like Soulforging, to support it. It was overhauled in the 20th anniversary edition to have significant use in working with relics, and the side-benefit of relicforging.

After the Breaking of the Guilds, practitioners of Flux were soon banished. There is some debate why Flux was made expressly forbidden while the other Guilds in violation of the Dictum Mortuum were allowed to remain in strictly limited capacities, but the reasoning remains unknown to this day.

Alchemists differ from their cousins the Artificers the most in how they affect items, though quite how depends on edition. Inhabit allows a wraith to use a Skinlands item for its intended purpose and empower relics with their own Arcanoi. First edition Flux allows a wraith to alter an item structurally, and move it around of their own free will, even if it lacks mobility. 20th anniversary edition Flux allows a wraith to alter an item structurally, and to find, repair, and improve relics.

Unlike the other Shroud-crossing Arcanoi, especially Pandemonium, many Alchemists do not have a grand artistic sense about their abilities. In fact, most Alchemists feel that items have some kind of life of their own, and that is why their powers can affect these things so strongly; some dedicate their lives to studying how their powers can improve the "life" of the objects in their power.

Messing up a use of Flux usually has the strongest effect on the object in question. In most cases irreversible damage or destruction is the result.

Basic Abilities

• Grave Mold: An Alchemist can grow mold or lichen on an object.
• Sense Fluxion: An Alchemist can determine if Flux has been used on an object.

Standard Powers

First Edition

• Rot: An Alchemist can cause a small, non-living object to age rapidly.
• Strengthen: An Alchemist can improve the very structure of an object.
• Decay: An Alchemist can cause widespread decay in a number of objects.
• Puppet Theater: An Alchemist can animate several small items at one time.
• Automaton: An Alchemist can pull objects together to form a body.

20th Anniversary Edition

Basic abilities were dropped in the 20th anniversary edition.

The standard powers of Flux are the same as first edition, with the following exceptions, which replace the skills of the same level or where noted.

• Reinforce: This is essentially the same as Strengthen.
• Render Relic: An Alchemist can render a relic down into the emotions that created it to provide Pathos, destroying it in the process.
• A Memory of Fire: An Alchemist learns new ways of powering relics, allowing them to bypass a relic's standard Pathos cost and paying 1 Pathos or Corpus instead. They can also deactivate an empowered relic.

Alternate Powers

Wraith: The Great War

Flux abilities during the Great War are the same as the basic abilities and standard powers with the following exceptions, which replace the skills of the same level or where noted.

• White Stone: This is essentially the same as Strengthen.
• Black Stone: This is essentially the same as Decay.
• Racing Corruption: This allows the decay effect of Black Stone to affect a wider area, but with less damage.

20th Anniversary Edition

The 20th anniversary edition introduces the initiate arts, a set of Flux abilities available to members of the Alchemists' Guild with sufficient standing.

• Sense Fluxion: Essentially the same as the old basic ability.
• Non-Euclidean Mechanics: An Alchemist can repair or improve a technological relic.
• Relic Dowsing: An Alchemist can find newly formed relics in the Shadowlands.
• Sculpt Matter's Memory: An Alchemist can temporarily change the appearance of portable relics.
• Reintegrate Relics: An Alchemist can return relics to the Skinlands.

Other Books

• Disease (WTO: The Book of Legions ): An Alchemist can give a living person a mild illness.

References

• WTO: Wraith Players Guide, p. 151-152
• WTO/cMET: Oblivion, p. 109-111
• WTO: Wraith: The Great War Rulebook, p. 132-133
• WTO: The Book of Legions, p. 53
• WTO: Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 167-171