Glyph System

Technique glyphs are the reusable shapes apprentices stack when they Shape the Matrix. Each glyph is a verb with a role: anchor glyphs fix, drive, or signal; form glyphs wrap, veil, seal, or hollow. You declare Intent -> School -> Glyph -> Scale -> Tags, pay on the Mana Track, and live with the glyph's risk signature on a mixed success.

Stacks matter. An Anker without a rim wanders; a Stoss inside Kreis stays local; a Faden under Schleier spies quieter. For out-of-campaign homebrew review, see Glyph Creation below. Deep pages under Glyphs Index carry fuller doctrine and five worked examples each.

Roster

Scan cards below — same card chrome as the home index, flowing in these columns. Deep doctrine and worked examples follow each glyph heading.

Anker

Anchor glyph. Fixes a matrix to a place, body, or promise so later shapes have somewhere to hang.

• Combat. You spike a ward-anchor into the academy corridor flagstones so the next shield does not slide when the brawl moves.
• Hold this hallway -> Abjuration -> Anker -> Standard -> ward, fixed-site
• Travel. You hitch a dimensional lip to a scarred milestone so the return step has a place to land.
• Mark the mile-stone for return -> Dimensionalism -> Anker -> Soft -> transit, recall
• Social. You bind a negotiation to the sealed contract on the table — the magic only listens while the parchment stays between you.
• Bind the talks to this deed -> Abjuration -> Anker -> Soft -> oath, object-tether

Band

Form glyph. Binds, constrains, or braids subjects together — rope, chain, oath-line, or pressure wrap.

• Combat. You braid a foe's wrists to their own staff mid-swing so the next strike strangles their grip.
• Lash their hands to the staff -> Alteration -> Band -> Hard -> restrain, weapon
• Utility. You wrap a cracked mana crystal in a pressure Band so it does not shed shards in the satchel.
• Cinch the cracked shard -> Alteration -> Band -> Soft -> contain, fragile
• Social. You bind two quarreling house scions into a shared silence until the dean finishes speaking.
• Hold them quiet for the speech -> Abjuration -> Band -> Soft -> etiquette, hush

Faden

Anchor glyph. Draws a living thread between points — for tracking, recall, sympathy, or cut-and-bleed links.

• Travel. You spool a Faden from the dorm window to the alley exit so you can yank yourselves back if the patrol corners you.
• Lay a recall line to the alley -> Dimensionalism -> Faden -> Soft -> escape, tether
• Investigation. You tie a thin Faden to a letter's wax so you feel when someone breaks the seal across campus.
• Sense the seal break -> Divination -> Faden -> Soft -> surveillance, document
• Combat. You hitch a Faden between your palm and a rival's focus; when they gather mana, the tug warns you a half-breath early.
• Feel their casting start -> Divination -> Faden -> Hard -> duel, warning

Fluss

Form glyph. Shapes flow — currents of mana, air, liquid, crowd, or conversation into directed streams.

• Combat. You pour a Fluss of force down the stair so charging first-years lose footing without a single bolt.
• Sweep the stair with force-flow -> Projection -> Fluss -> Hard -> crowd-control, descent
• Utility. You coax smoke Fluss out a cracked window so the alchemy lab stays breathable.
• Vent the fumes outside -> Alteration -> Fluss -> Soft -> ventilation, safety
• Social. You gently Fluss the room's attention toward the speaker and away from the door where your friend slips out.
• Guide eyes to the podium -> Illusionism -> Fluss -> Soft -> misdirection, crowd

Gitter

Anchor glyph. Lays a lattice — grid, web, or scaffold that routes force, sight, or wards across many points.

• Defense. You spin a Gitter of alarm threads across the dorm roof so any climber trips a cell.
• Web the rooftop -> Abjuration -> Gitter -> Soft -> perimeter, alarm
• Craft. You cast a Gitter scaffold inside a clay golem so later Animation has bones to hang flesh on.
• Scaffold the golem frame -> Animation -> Gitter -> Standard -> construct, prep
• Investigation. You drop a sensing Gitter over a crime scene so disturbed dust lights a cell.
• Map what moved here -> Divination -> Gitter -> Soft -> forensics, grid

Hall

Anchor glyph. Projects presence as sound, signal, or echo — announce, warn, locate, or drown out.

• Alarm. You Hall a sharp chime keyed to the dean's office so every prefect on the floor knows the duel spilled out of bounds.
• Sound the prefect call -> Projection -> Hall -> Soft -> alarm, campus
• Stealth cover. You Hall a false argument two corridors away while your team slips past the real door.
• Fake a fight down the hall -> Illusionism -> Hall -> Soft -> diversion, stealth
• Exploration. You send a soft Hall pulse into a dark shaft and listen for the shape of the echo.
• Map the shaft by echo -> Divination -> Hall -> Soft -> echolocation, ruin

Hohl

Form glyph. Carves emptiness — pockets, voids, hollows in matter, space, or attention.

• Storage. You Hohl a palm-sized void in your satchel lining for a contraband crystal.
• Hide the crystal in a pocket-void -> Dimensionalism -> Hohl -> Soft -> storage, smuggle
• Breach. You hollow a fist-gap through a thin partition so a Faden can snake through.
• Open a spy-gap in the wall -> Alteration -> Hohl -> Hard -> breach, infiltrate
• Social. You carve a Hohl of awkward silence in a hostile conversation so your ally can change the subject.
• Open a pause in the talk -> Illusionism -> Hohl -> Soft -> social, interrupt

Kreis

Form glyph. Draws a circle of containment — keep in, keep out, or bound an effect to a rim.

• Summoning. You Kreis a guest spirit so it may speak but not step past the chalk.
• Cage the speaker-spirit -> Soul Magic -> Kreis -> Hard -> summon, contain
• Combat. You snap a Kreis around a grenade-alchemist's flask so the blast stays local.
• Bottle the blast -> Abjuration -> Kreis -> Hard -> contain, explosion
• Privacy. You Kreis a study carrel so eavesdropping Faden cannot cross the desk rim.
• Seal the desk from spies -> Abjuration -> Kreis -> Soft -> privacy, study

Puls

Anchor glyph. Beats time into the matrix — pulses, intervals, staggered releases, heartbeat pacing.

• Combat. You Puls three force taps so a shield-bearer drops guard on the third, not the first.
• Stagger the shield breaks -> Projection -> Puls -> Hard -> duel, timing
• Utility. You Puls a brewing flask's heat in measured beats so the reagent does not scorch.
• Meter the heat -> Alchemy -> Puls -> Soft -> craft, control
• Infiltration. You Puls the patrol lantern's flicker to match your team's footsteps between sweeps.
• Sync steps to the lantern -> Illusionism -> Puls -> Soft -> stealth, timing

Schleier

Form glyph. Draws a veil — hide, blur, mute, or soft-separate what should not be plainly seen.

• Stealth. You Schleier your cohort's silhouettes as you cross the moonlit quad.
• Blur us across the quad -> Illusionism -> Schleier -> Soft -> stealth, group
• Privacy. You veil a dorm conversation so hallway ears catch only muffled weather talk.
• Muffle the room's talk -> Illusionism -> Schleier -> Soft -> privacy, social
• Defense. You Schleier the true latch on a vault door behind a convincing plain panel.
• Hide the real latch -> Abjuration -> Schleier -> Soft -> security, mislead

Schmiede

Form glyph. Forges and hardens — temper materials, stiffen resolve, hammer a shape into lasting form.

• Craft. You Schmiede a bent focus-shaft straight and hard enough for tonight's exam.
• Temper the focus shaft -> Artifice -> Schmiede -> Soft -> repair, gear
• Combat. You harden a cloak's hem into a brief shield-edge against a wild bolt.
• Harden the hem into a shield -> Alteration -> Schmiede -> Hard -> improvise, defense
• Social. You Schmiede your voice into unshakable calm for a single hard refusal.
• Temper my refusal -> Willpower -> Schmiede -> Soft -> resolve, social

Siegel

Form glyph. Seals and authenticates — locks, stamps, forbids opening, marks true ownership.

• Security. You Siegel the evidence locker so only the investigator's signet opens it.
• Lock to the signet alone -> Abjuration -> Siegel -> Soft -> evidence, access
• Combat. You Siegel a rival's spellbook mid-duel so the next page will not turn.
• Seal the grimoire shut -> Abjuration -> Siegel -> Hard -> duel, deny
• Politics. You Siegel a promise into a ribbon so breaking it visibly frays the silk.
• Mark the vow on the ribbon -> Abjuration -> Siegel -> Soft -> oath, politics

Spiegel

Form glyph. Reflects and duplicates appearance — mirrors, false faces, bounced effects, twin images.

• Defense. You Spiegel a force bolt back along its path just far enough to spoil the caster's stance.
• Bounce the bolt back -> Abjuration -> Spiegel -> Hard -> reflect, duel
• Infiltration. You wear a Spiegel face of a prefect for the length of one corridor.
• Wear the prefect's face -> Illusionism -> Spiegel -> Hard -> disguise, infiltrate
• Misdirection. You Spiegel your silhouette two steps left so the sniper aims at empty air.
• Offset my silhouette -> Illusionism -> Spiegel -> Soft -> dodge, sniper

Stoss

Anchor glyph. Delivers directed impulse — forcing momentum into targets, vectors, or transitions.

• Combat. You Stoss a charging line of duelists so the front rank sits down hard.
• Break a charging line -> Projection -> Stoss -> Hard -> force, crowd-control
• Travel. You Stoss yourself through a blocked threshold when the latch will not yield.
• Punch through a blocked threshold -> Dimensionalism -> Stoss -> Standard -> breach, transit
• Utility. You Stoss a stuck archive cart free without shredding the scrolls piled on it.
• Nudge the cart free -> Projection -> Stoss -> Soft -> labor, careful

Wacht

Form glyph. Sets a watch — vigilance patterns that notice, challenge, or awaken when conditions change.

• Security. You Wacht the dorm stair so any non-student face triggers a soft ping.
• Watch the stair for strangers -> Abjuration -> Wacht -> Soft -> sentry, dorm
• Investigation. You leave a Wacht on a dead drop so you know the hour the pouch moves.
• Note when the pouch moves -> Divination -> Wacht -> Soft -> stakeout, intel
• Personal. You Wacht your own sleep for night-terror patterns and wake yourself before the scream.
• Wake me before the terror peaks -> Mind Magic -> Wacht -> Soft -> sleep, self

Glyph Creation

title: Glyph Creation tags:

• rules
• magic
• glyph
• homebrew

type: mechanic status: active

Homebrew glyph content is created out-of-campaign and reaches the shared grimoire only after it clears review.

For the live Technique glyph reference and worked examples, see Glyph System.

Workflow

• Draft with Glyph Creation
• Score with Glyph Creation
• Evaluate canonization with Glyph Creation

Glyph Creation Rubric

Score every draft against this rubric. It tells you whether a formula is safe for the shared grimoire and worth canonizing as a Technique glyph entry.

Scope

• This process produces authoring decisions, not live scene rulings.
• Canon declaration spine remains: Intent -> School -> Glyph -> Scale -> Tags.
• Existing casting constraints still apply in play through Shape the Matrix and the Mana Track model in Magic System.
• Support disciplines (Alchemy, Artifice) can consume or inscribe formulas, but they do not create independent Technique Glyph ladders.

Validation Buckets (Hybrid)

Score each bucket from 0 to 2.

##### 1) Power Envelope (0-2)

• 0: Effect/scale clearly exceeds expected mana tier or ignores core limitations.
• 1: Effect mostly matches tier, but one dimension is over-tuned (range, area, duration, or stacked tags).
• 2: Effect cleanly matches expected tier and declared mana pressure.

##### 2) Stability Profile (0-2)

• 0: Missing or vague mixed-success and miss consequences.
• 1: Consequences exist but do not follow naturally from declaration details.
• 2: Clear 7-9 complication and 6- escalation hooks tied to glyph identity and positioning.

##### 3) Doctrine Fit (0-2)

• 0: Reads like simulation crunch, lacks fictional trigger, or duplicates existing content with no new drama.
• 1: Fiction-first intent is present but school identity or use-case clarity is weak.
• 2: Strong fictional trigger, school-aligned identity, and meaningful table choices without bloat.

Status Thresholds

• 0-2 total: Needs Revision
• 3-4 total: Draft
• 5 total: Playtest-Ready
• 6 total: Approved

Canonization eligibility requires Approved plus the gates in Glyph Creation.

Review Move (Authoring Procedure)

When a creator submits a formula to the homebrew board, score all three buckets and roll 2d6 + highest relevant design stat (usually Calculation for technical precision or Willpower for doctrine coherence).

• 10+: Keep total score, mark status normally, and add one reviewer blessing (clarity, portability, or ease of adjudication).
• 7-9: Keep total score, but choose one friction:
• add a required playtest condition before approval,
• narrow one scale dimension,
• or lock one tag behind stricter fictional positioning.
• 6-: Mark Needs Revision regardless of raw score and trigger one hard escalation:
• contradiction with canon terminology,
• unsafe edge-case in mana economics,
• or a duplicate niche that invalidates an existing glyph.

Anti-Bloat Guardrails

• Prefer one memorable identity over many minor riders.
• If two tags only add bookkeeping, collapse them into one stronger fictional tag.
• If a formula can be cleanly represented as a learned usage pattern, do not canonize it as a separate Technique entry.
• When designing a formula, check how it reads as a stack member: does it combine cleanly with the school's native glyphs or other Anchor/Form glyphs (see Magic System)? A formula that only works in isolation is a weaker canonization candidate.

Formula Template

Draft the formula here before proposing canonization.

Metadata

• Formula Name:
• Author:
• Status: Draft | Playtest-Ready | Approved | Needs Revision
• Primary Audience: player-facing | GM-facing | mixed

Declaration Card

Declaration: <what you do in fiction>. Spell from the <School>, using the glyph(s) <Glyph(s)>. <Scale> (<range>, <area>, <duration>) difficulty. Tags <tag1>, <tag2> Technique Glyph: <GlyphName> Role: anchor | form Function: one line on what this glyph does in a composition School: <SchoolName> Tags: [tag1] [tag2] [tag3] Expected Mana Cost: 0 | 1 | 2 | 4+ tick(s) Mastery Clock: 4-segment | provisional | mastered (see Spell Clock)

Fictional Trigger

When you invoke this pattern in the fiction, what are you actually doing, risking, and trying to secure?

Effect Envelope

• Core Effect:
• Range:
• Area:
• Duration:
• Positioning Requirements: line of sight, anchor object, prep time, etc.

Outcome Ladders

• 10+: clean success result in one line.
• 7-9 Complication: one concrete instability that follows from glyph identity.
• 6- Hard Move: one fiction-changing escalation that advances danger.

Review Notes (Hybrid Rubric)

• Power Envelope (0-2):
• Stability Profile (0-2):
• Doctrine Fit (0-2):
• Total Score (0-6):
• Revision Notes:

Table Safety and Boundaries

• Avoid coercive themes unless table consent is explicit.
• Keep player-facing copy free of hidden GM-only spoilers.

Canonization as Technique Glyph Entry

Once a formula has proven itself in play, walk it through these gates before accepting it as canon.

Gate 0: Formula Quality

• Formula status is Approved under Glyph Creation.
• At least two independent playtest contexts confirm the formula is adjudicable without extra subsystem rules.

Gate 1: Distinct Identity

• The proposal solves a niche not already captured by existing Technique Glyph notes in 10_System/Magic Compendium/Glyphs/Technique.
• Its risk signature is unique and actionable on 7-9 outcomes.
• It creates a clear player choice rather than a flat power upgrade.

Gate 2: Canon Compatibility

• Terminology matches canon: Mana Track, Ready Glyphs, Shape the Matrix.
• School affinity is declared and justified.
• Unlock mapping is specified by tier and school track.

Gate 3: Failure Forward Integrity

When you test the candidate as a move-like pattern, it must produce meaningful fiction on every outcome:

• 10+: grants stable identity and reliable table handling.
• 7-9: introduces pressure linked to matrix instability.
• 6-: produces a hard escalation that changes the scene state.

If any ladder is weak or repetitive, return to formula revision before canonization.

Gate 4: Documentation Pack

Before canonization is accepted:

• Create or update the Technique glyph note in 10_System/Magic Compendium/Glyphs/Technique.
• Add at least two usage examples with declaration syntax.
• Link from Grimoire and the formula source note.
• Mark whether entry is player-safe for publishing.

Canonization Dossier Template

• Candidate Formula:
• Proposed Glyph Name:
• School Affinity:
• Risk Signature (7-9):
• Unlock Recommendation:
• Evidence Summary (playtests):
• Decision: canonize | hold | reject

References

• Shape the Matrix
• Ready Glyphs
• Spell Formula
• Magic System

See also

• Magic System
• Glyph System
• Glyphs Index
• Ready Glyphs
• Spell Formula