Forces: This Sphere provides its students command over the fundamental forces of the universe. Electromagnetism, fire, gravity, kinetic energy and nuclear power are all within its purview.

Specialty: Order of Hermes

1 – Perceive Forces

2 – Control Minor Forces

3 – Transmute Minor Forces

4 – Control Major Forces

5 – Transmute Major Forces

Forces is the study of rapidly changing Patterns – energies that are in constant, complex motion.

Forces is a very powerful Sphere, but also somewhat limited. It encompasses the most common effects of mystic wizards – throwing fireballs, conjuring lightning, lifting things with the power of your mind. Yet, their flashy nature makes these Rotes prone to Paradox, and more importantly, there are many problems that can’t be solved just by throwing sunfire at them.

Forces cannot create forces from nothing – to do so requires the Prime Sphere, and Quintessence. (However, there is usually enough energy around the Mage to fuel all but the largest effects without needing to create more from nothingness.) Forces cannot make minute or precise changes without the aid of Mind to coordinate the effects (such as telekinetically building a clock). Range is limited without Correspondence, and a Mage cannot affect the forces in an object or living being without Matter or Life.

Apprentice Forces: Perceive Forces

Developing senses he never knew existed, the Mage can now tune himself in to forces – seeing electricity, hearing magnetism, tasting radioactivity. With properly focused Rotes, the Mage can learn to see in spectrums other than visual light, able to see in the dark. A Mage can watch where forces come from and where they go, although he cannot yet interact with them. However, this Sphere alone does not allow the Mage to intercept and understand the forces he sees – electricity is still moving at the speed of light, radio at the speed of sound. Sorry, but you won’t be watching TV in your head just yet.

Initiate Forces: Control Minor Forces

The Mage can now control the forces around him, although in a clumsy fashion. Precision is out of the question, but a Mage can still make an effective shield against bullets – or radioactivity, light, or heat. He can lengthen shadows or bend light by playing with that realm of forces, or cause radiation to turn harmlessly away. At this level, the Mage can only affect one type of force at a time, and only on a personal level – any forces bigger than the Mage are uncontrollable. The Mage cannot yet make forces from nothingness.

Disciple Forces: Transmute Minor Forces

Finally able to grasp and twist the Patterns of forces, a skilled Mage can convert forces to other types, shift their intensity, or create and banish them at will. He can give motion to an object, make a fire burn cold or cause shadows to explode into burst of light. Mages at this level can fly, hurl lightning, and perform other dramatic feats. With other Spheres, the Mage might even mold the forces into an object or creature. However, the scale is still limited to the minor, personal level. A Mage of this level can set a person ablaze, but could not do the same to an entire building at once. At this point, a Mage could create illusions of light - but would need Matter or Life to arrange an illusion of those Patterns, and Mind to orchestrate anything complex.

Adept Forces: Control Major Forces

The Mage has overcome his own boundaries, and can now affect force on a much greater scale. Anything that was possible with Control Minor Forces is now possible on a large scale – shielding a bus or turning a building invisible. But the same limitations apply – he cannot make Major Forces from nothing, and cannot change one type of force to another. His work with Major Forces is still very imprecise.

Master Forces: Transmute Major Forces

The Master of Forces now has nearly unlimited power. He can change one form of force to another – on any scale – and create massive forces from nothingness (with Quintessence). He can create storms of fire, massive bursts of electricity, shadows that blot out city blocks, or turning night to day. Or he could perform effects with finesse and precision, carving mountains into his likeness with a thought. These effects are incredibly Paradoxical, but incredibly deadly. When a Master of Forces combines the Sphere with others, the carnage is nearly unlimited – but the Paradox grows even worse.