Imprinting & Summoning
Imprinting is the process by which a person forms a powerful bond with a Mystimon, gaining them as a companion which they may summon at any time. The science behind how or why this happens is not fully understood by scholars today, though it is thought that the key lies in the unique Mystia trace that every living creature has. This Mystia trace is unique and different, even amongst creatures of the same species. So two Cheetorexes have two completely different, unique Mystia traces.
Upon being Imprinted, a Mystimon then disappears from this plane. For centuries this has been a mystery, until the 2nd Age, when one scholar discovered that between all worlds and planes within the Multiverse exists a field of pure, raw Mystia, much like a bloodstream. He named this stream, the Flow. He discovered that the Flow keeps all of the planes alive with Mystia, but it also serves another purpose. It keeps the planes separated from one another, by forming an electromagnetic field of energy, much like some form of force field. He pondered, what if this barrier were to disappear? It is theorized that the planes would slowly drift towards the center of the Multiverse, merging and annihilating one another.
But the Flow is also a plane in and of itself. It is where all Imprinted Mystimon reside until they are summoned. It is thought that once Imprinted, an indestructible thread is formed between Mystimon and Summoner, entwining their souls for all of time. A bond which can not be broken. Many scholars today prescribe to a theory they call the Alpha Dog theory, in which the reason Imprinting works is the difference in strength between a summoner and a Mystimon, and that this would explain why all attempts to Imprint the more particularly powerful Mystimon, known as legendary or mythical Mystimon, such as Phoenix or Gale, is because of how much more powerful they are compared to a summoner, and that only through strength can a summoner hope to succeed. But many counter this theory. There are some that believe that these legendary Mystimon are merely waiting for the right person to come along, and that the true secret of Imprinting lies in the bond, not in strength. This is likely something which will be contested for a long time to come.
Each PC may gain Imprint Points, and there are a variety of skill options which may be used to influence the creature, as well as the ability to use Perception to uncover more information. Depending on the Mystimon, Nature, Ocultism, Arcana, or Religion may be used to influence it. Perhaps a PC may even use Intimidation to sway the Mystimon, though this might be less effective depending on the species.
The Imprinting subsystem divides the encounter into rounds. During each round, each PC can act once to either Imprint or Discover. For success, all PC's gain XP, and the PC who reaches the Imprint Point threshold first also earns the Mystimon as a companion. See Summoning, below.
Critical Success You gain 2 Imprint Points
Success You gain 1 Imprint Point
Failure The Mystimon gains 1 Resist Point
Critical Failure The Mystimon gains 2 Resist Points.
Critical Success Choose 2 of the options detailed in Success below; you can choose the same option twice to learn 2 pieces of information from the same category.
Success Choose one of the following: You learn which skill that can Imprint the Mystimon has the lowest DC (skipping any skills that you already know), one of the Mystimon's favourite foods, one of the Mystimon's resistances, or one of the Mystimon's weaknesses.
Failure You learn no information
Critical Failure Choose a piece of information to learn about, as success, but the information is incorrect. For instance, you might think the Mystimon likes fish when it actually hates fish.
You conjure forth an Imprinted Mystimon. Spend 1 Summon Slot. The Summoned Mystimon appears adjacent to you, but can not act on this turn. A Summoned Mystimon is an Animal Companion and follows all rules associated with a Animal Companion. It remains until it is Dismissed or you take a rest for the night. You may not Summon a Mystimon if you already have a Summoned Mystimon, until that Mystimon is Dismissed first. Some higher level Mystimon may cost more actions or Summon Slots to Summon.
You send a Summoned Mystimon back to the Flow, where it will remain until Summoned again.
Upon being Imprinted, a Mystimon then disappears from this plane. For centuries this has been a mystery, until the 2nd Age, when one scholar discovered that between all worlds and planes within the Multiverse exists a field of pure, raw Mystia, much like a bloodstream. He named this stream, the Flow. He discovered that the Flow keeps all of the planes alive with Mystia, but it also serves another purpose. It keeps the planes separated from one another, by forming an electromagnetic field of energy, much like some form of force field. He pondered, what if this barrier were to disappear? It is theorized that the planes would slowly drift towards the center of the Multiverse, merging and annihilating one another.
But the Flow is also a plane in and of itself. It is where all Imprinted Mystimon reside until they are summoned. It is thought that once Imprinted, an indestructible thread is formed between Mystimon and Summoner, entwining their souls for all of time. A bond which can not be broken. Many scholars today prescribe to a theory they call the Alpha Dog theory, in which the reason Imprinting works is the difference in strength between a summoner and a Mystimon, and that this would explain why all attempts to Imprint the more particularly powerful Mystimon, known as legendary or mythical Mystimon, such as Phoenix or Gale, is because of how much more powerful they are compared to a summoner, and that only through strength can a summoner hope to succeed. But many counter this theory. There are some that believe that these legendary Mystimon are merely waiting for the right person to come along, and that the true secret of Imprinting lies in the bond, not in strength. This is likely something which will be contested for a long time to come.
Imprinting
When a PC wishes to gain favour with a Mystimon, and potentially gain it as a companion, we use this system. Imprinting is a short encounter system wherein the PC's gain Imprint Points with a Mystimon, to represent their growing influence with the creature. These encounters are a race against the clock to reach the Imprint Point threshold, of 5 points, before the Mystimon reaches that threshold of Resist Points. If a PC reaches the threshold of Imprint Points, the encounter is a Success. However if the Mystimon reaches the threshold of Resist Points, the encounter is a failure.Each PC may gain Imprint Points, and there are a variety of skill options which may be used to influence the creature, as well as the ability to use Perception to uncover more information. Depending on the Mystimon, Nature, Ocultism, Arcana, or Religion may be used to influence it. Perhaps a PC may even use Intimidation to sway the Mystimon, though this might be less effective depending on the species.
The Imprinting subsystem divides the encounter into rounds. During each round, each PC can act once to either Imprint or Discover. For success, all PC's gain XP, and the PC who reaches the Imprint Point threshold first also earns the Mystimon as a companion. See Summoning, below.
Imprint
You attempt to make a favourable impression on a Mystimon to form a bond with it. Choose a Mystimon, and attempt a skill check to influence that Mystimon. The DC, and whether success is possible with that particular skill, depend on the Mystimon's preferences (typically found in the Mystimon's Mystiary stat block).Critical Success You gain 2 Imprint Points
Success You gain 1 Imprint Point
Failure The Mystimon gains 1 Resist Point
Critical Failure The Mystimon gains 2 Resist Points.
Discover
You watch or study a Mystimon to learn more about its preferences. Choose a Mystimon and attempt a Perception check or an appropriate skill check determined by the GM. The DC is typically found in the Mystimon's Mystiary stat block.Critical Success Choose 2 of the options detailed in Success below; you can choose the same option twice to learn 2 pieces of information from the same category.
Success Choose one of the following: You learn which skill that can Imprint the Mystimon has the lowest DC (skipping any skills that you already know), one of the Mystimon's favourite foods, one of the Mystimon's resistances, or one of the Mystimon's weaknesses.
Failure You learn no information
Critical Failure Choose a piece of information to learn about, as success, but the information is incorrect. For instance, you might think the Mystimon likes fish when it actually hates fish.
Summoning
A PC's Imprinted Mystimon are not always with them. Instead they live in the Flow, that stream of energy which flows between all of the planes in the Multiverse. When a PC wishes to call forth one of their Imprinted Mystimon, they must Summon it. However, Summoning costs Summon Slots. These are a type of resource that a PC uses to Summon their Mystimon. When a PC Imprints a Mystimon, they gain 1 Summon Slot. A PC may have a maximum total of 3 Summon Slots, and Summon Slots are regained during Daily Preparations, after a night's rest.Summon [2+]
Traits Conjuration, Somatic, VerbalYou conjure forth an Imprinted Mystimon. Spend 1 Summon Slot. The Summoned Mystimon appears adjacent to you, but can not act on this turn. A Summoned Mystimon is an Animal Companion and follows all rules associated with a Animal Companion. It remains until it is Dismissed or you take a rest for the night. You may not Summon a Mystimon if you already have a Summoned Mystimon, until that Mystimon is Dismissed first. Some higher level Mystimon may cost more actions or Summon Slots to Summon.
Dismiss [1]
Traits Conjuration, VerbalYou send a Summoned Mystimon back to the Flow, where it will remain until Summoned again.
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