The thaumaturge performs ritual readings to divine the future. The character declares a target — a person, place or thing. He can then attempt to divine the future of that subject. The information revealed is typically vague and difficult to comprehend until the predicted situation is imminent. At that point, things suddenly make sense to the thaumaturge and courses of action may be remarkably clear.

This Merit grants use of the advanced-actions rule (from the World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 135), allowing the player to roll twice and choose the most beneficial result for a single action involving the target. This action must be undertaken within 24 hours of the divination. Such rolls require interaction of some sort with the target, whether that be finding, attacking, persuading or attempting to understand. The same target can be divined with this rite only once every 24 hours. Any attempts to read the same person, place or thing’s future again before 24 hours have passed fails automatically. If the thaumaturge means a target ill, then the divination counts as hostile magic for purposes of defensive measures.

The thaumaturge must have some connection to the target or the ritual fails. The degree of connection provides potential penalties to the roll (see “Magical Connections,” p. 76 ). The thaumaturge cannot choose himself as the target, because the divination allows him to determine the future only as it relates to his own interaction with a subject.

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult. The Storyteller may wish to roll secretly to keep the accuracy of the divination in question.
Ritual Length: 10 minutes

Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The thaumaturge unwittingly receives a faulty answer, suffering a –2 die penalty to the action attempted.

Exceptional Success: The divination is more clear than normal. The thaumaturge gets use of the advanced- actions rule for two rolls involving the target that day.

Suggested Equipment: Target willingly participates in the ritual (+1)

Ritual Details: Divination rituals always involve some sort of medium with which the thaumaturge may read the future, usually in symbolic form. Tarot decks, rune stones, tea leaves and I Ching characters are possibilities.