Promethian Refinements

Gaining a Refinement
Refinements are found (created? discovered?) by Promethians on their Pilgrimage. They are grouped into five Studies: Humanity, Strength, Imbalance, Alienation, and Divine Fire.

Through a Refinement, a Promethian gains a source of Vitriol: special Experience that can only be used to improve or purchase Transmutations, increase Azoth, gain Bestowments, and improve Integrity on the road to Humanity. When gaining the Refinement, the Promethian explains what he is trying to learn on his pilgrimage, and gains beats toward Vitriol by pursuing such knowledge. Each Study also provides an additional benefit.

In order to change Refinements, a Promethian must have no Vitriol. The old Refinement is discarded (along with any beats still associated) and a new one is taken up. The benefit of the old Refinement is lost -- the benefit of the new Refinement is available as long as the Promethian has at least one Vitriol. The new Refinement must be of a different Study.

Refinements also allow the purchase of three Transmutations at the favored cost. These should be directly associated with what the Promethian is attempting to learn. How these are chosen is detailed lower on this page.

The Study of Humanity
The study of Humanity looks to the final hope of a Promethian -- to finally become Human. In preparation, the Promethian seeks to understand humans, how they think and feel, either to emulate or simply to mimic them. This does not necessarily idolize humans -- indeed, seeking to understand human frailty, hubris, hypocracy, and so many other vices falls within its scope.

A Promethian on a Refinement of the Study of Humanity understands better how to work lasting changes in their human relationships. While these will inevitably be lost when the Promethian moves on or turn sour from Disquiet, Vitriol may be spent to gain the Contact, Retainer, Allies, or Mentor merits, and furthurmore two dots of such merits are gained for each Vitriol spent. When they are lost, and if at no other time they will be lost when the Promethian leaves the Refinement, each lost dot lost turns into three beats (which may be used toward "repurchasing" the merit). If the Promethian is still on the Refinement, one of those beats is toward Vitriol. This replaces and overrides the normal Sanctity of Merits rule.

The Transmutations associated with the Study of Humanity are Mesmerism (to affect their minds), Deception (to better blend in), and Contamination (to understand their flaws).

The Study of Strength
What makes a person valuable, capable, resilient? Why does every culture have warriors of some sort, be they soldiers, policemen, or raiders? What is the relationship between force and respect? Those who Refine Strength seek to know the answers to these questions.

A Promethian on a Refinement of the Study of Strength ignore all untrained penalties with physical and mental skills. In addition, they may spend Vitriol on any physical merit.

The Transmultations associated with the Study of Strength are Corporium (controling the body), Vitality (expressing physical strength), and Benifence (sharing strength).

The Study of Divine Clay
The Promethian's life is full of turmoil. Fury and torment are common, and the Promethian himself is an inhuman creature, plagued by Flux and filled with strange energies. When the world outside brings nothing but pain, Promethians turn to the Study of the Divine Clay, looking in.

A Promethian does not need to have no Vitriol to start the Study of Divine Clay. All Vitriol (and beats toward Vitriol) remain, enacting an instant change. In fact, an additional Vitriol is gained at the moment of transition. However, when leaving the Refinement of Divine Clay, the Promethian starts unsteady -- they drop from no Vitriol to -1 Vitriol, and thus do not gain the benefits of their new Refinement until two Vitriol have been gained. Imbalance is easy to find, but difficult to leave.

Tartarus Promethians do not gain this benefit. Instead, their Wasteland effect is dampened somewhat.

All Promethians on the Study of Divine Clay are in the process of reshaping themselves, turning away from dead ends, carefully molding, or scortching away the old depending on their approach. When spending Vitriol, the Promethian may also "draw out" Experience from already existing traits, up to matching the amount of Vitriol possessed, to buy new traits. Old traits must be reduced by a whole dot.

((might bring Uncorruptable with regards to Humor Imbalance, provided the promethian lashes out))

The Transmutations associated with the Study of Imbalance are Disquietism (wielding Disquiet as a weapon), Electrification (the lightning of the gods) and Saturnius (for self-contemplation).

The Study of Alienation
((coming soon))

When failing Integrity checks due to isolation from humanity, may spend one Vitriol and one Azoth to gain two Integrity, or spend WP for bonus dice. Gains the Incorruptable merit related to isolation and deviation. Also, can eat anything up to and including rocks, and suffers no environmental penalties. The Transmutations associated with the Study of Alienation are Sensorum (for observation), Metamorphosis (to adapt the body), and Spiritus (to adapt the Azoth).

The Study of Holy Fire
((coming soon))

Students of Holy Fire can sense sources of healing and pyros, and convert the former into the latter. ((works like the Radiation Affinity bestowment / the pyros from electrificaiton transmutation, and replaces them.)) This also allows one to sense firestorms and Quasmalim by the pyros disturbances, and sources of elemental pyros. Finally, students of the Transformative Fire may add their highest mental attribute to any attempts to sense or analyze pyros, azoth, or flux, even those from Twilight.

((spend Vitriol on Science, Occult, Medicine, and Crafts? On mystical merits? on Mental Merits?))

The Transmutations associated with the Study of the Holy Fire are Alchemicus (the transformative effect upon materials), Vulcanis (the emphemiral and energetic effects), and Radiation (the infusion and release of nuclear fire).

The Study of Flux
((As in the book, mostly))

Tartaros can "snap to" the Study of Flux as easily as other Promethians take to the Study of Imbalance.

Pandorans want to eat students of Flux last, sensing the taint in their flesh similar to that in the pandoran's own. They will avoid the student even in preference of promethians of a different type. That doesn't mean they won't eat them in the end, just that they'll hesitate -- often allowing a little effort towards taiming them if the Promethian is quick.

Students of Flux do are not haunted by the Horror of Deviance, and suffer no problems from divorcing themselves from normal humanity. Instead, they may suffer from the Horror of Hubris. Effectively, they do not lose Ingerity from Pandoran transmutiations, or bizzare and non-human behavior: instead, they lose ingetrity as they become convinced that their worldview is perfect and invaluable.

Associated with Pandoran Transmutations. Practitioners of the Refinement of Flux get access to Pandoran Transmutations and one more Transmutation from their Type -- this study only provides two transmutations, but Pandoran transmutaions are very broad.

Transmutations
((to be cleaned up soon))

Promethian powers come in groups of Charms, unified under Transmutations. The mechanic matches that being used for Royals: you may puchase charms up to a limit determined by your rating in the transmutation, and gain free dots when advancing it.

The Transumations are fifteen in number: Consortium has been changed into a Merit. Each is associate with one of the five basic Studies and one of the three types. When a Promethian creates a Refinement, he chooses two Transmutations from the Study, one of which must be the one associated with his Type, and one additional transmutation from his Type and any other Study. He also gains a benefit based on his Study.

The Study of Flux has no such divisions: all are equal under it...but the Tartaros are the first among equals. Tartaros can always take the study of Pandoran transmutations as their third transmutation.

Some costs are adjusted: in particular, Enhancements to a charm cost double Experiences, but only add one to the effective level for the purpose of limits. Many charms that obviously should be so are Enhancements. Charms that are five steps up start as a 3-dot charm with 2 levels of effect, and get enhanced three times (for 6 dots, five levels of effect, and a total of 11 experience)

Why?  and What Else?
The Studies are combinations of Refinements found in the core books. Promethians get a little more juice. I really like the Athanor idea, and changing Refinements takes time. Athanors add more effect to this Vitriol, and more ways of gaining it.

Might rearrange the Studies to be more thematic -- the flexability is high enough that all published Refinements are still possible. Basically any two Transmutations can be combined.

Some parallels to genius Foundations/Baramins would be nice...or even to Scholarships.