Guild sanctioned spellcasters

[J_D]

So question that has come up in our group: how do you go about becoming a guild sanctioned spellcaster?

Is it automatic if you are Thelarian, or maybe even Oxford? Is there a fee involved, or do you just have to say you work for the Guild? And what if you aren't Thelarian or Oxford, but still work for the Guild (or at least not work against them)

[Ludvig]

There are oxfordian mages in arcanists so I'm guessing it's not automatic but something you apply for like a normal job. I don't have very good grasp of the lore but I thought being a mage or having talent wasn't restricted or frowned upon, it's just access to soulstones the guild controls rigorously?

[Druso]

A sanctioned spellcaster my be a rogue wizard but that is not in the arcanist group (If it is or talks with that damned bastards its more probably gonna be a Witchling Stalker) and that it might become a usefull resource for the Guild.

[Mason]

Being a Sanctioned Spellcaster is a bad thing; they're the spellcasters that the Guild captures and enslaves via Control Collars that regulate their magic.

 

Anyways, getting permission from the Guild to cast spells isn't incredibly difficult for people who meet certain criteria. If you use the Thalarian Doctrine and only cast Enchantment magic, you're pretty much good to go. Basically register with the Guild and consent to a few random inspections by Witch Hunters and you're good to go. If you have a high ranking within the Guild, you can put in for a special dispensation from the Guild that allows you to cast non-Enchantment magic.

If you use a Magical Theory other than the Thalarian Doctrine (or develop Manifested Powers), you're considered to be a Warlock and the Witch Hunters will arrest you if possible.

 

There are some exceptions to this. The Guild has temporarily lost the fight to keep the Oxford Method in check back on Earth, so it's grudgingly tolerated on both sides of the Breach. The Guild tries to keep known practitioners of the Oxford Method from coming to Malifaux, but a few have managed to slip through the cracks. If you use the Oxford Method, you're essentially an illegal spellcaster that the Guild won't prosecute. Some degree of harassment is probably still to be expected, however, so Witch Hunters are probably going to keep their eyes on you and your associates under the assumption that you're going to break the law eventually.

The Lifewell Doctrine (from Into the Steam) is in a similar place. Its practitioners are technically Warlocks, but the general pro-Soulstone, anti-destructive magic stance of its teachings has resulted in the Guild more or less allowing them to exist without persecution (though the above-mentioned Witch Hunter harassment is still very common).

 

That's the official policy.

Note that anyone that starts throwing around fireballs, mind-controlling their fellow citizens, or animating the dead is going to get a squad of Witch Hunters sent after them no matter what Magical Theory they follow. Even Guild employees with permission to do such things will have to justify their actions to their superiors after such things.

 

Now, it's worth mentioning that the Guild's leaders come pretty close to violating this policy. The Death Marshals have special permission to study Necromancy in order to understand and combat the Resurrectionist threat, the reputation of the Ortega family keeps the Witch Hunters from investigating Perdita's claims that she can bend bullets around corners, and Sonnia Criid had more or less gone over the deep end of obsession with magic before she ended up with a Tyrant shackled to her soul.

[AverageBoss]

On 2/17/2016 at 8:43 AM, Mason said:

Being a Sanctioned Spellcaster is a bad thing; they're the spellcasters that the Guild captures and enslaves via Control Collars that regulate their magic.

 

Anyways, getting permission from the Guild to cast spells isn't incredibly difficult for people who meet certain criteria. If you use the Thalarian Doctrine and only cast Enchantment magic, you're pretty much good to go. Basically register with the Guild and consent to a few random inspections by Witch Hunters and you're good to go. If you have a high ranking within the Guild, you can put in for a special dispensation from the Guild that allows you to cast non-Enchantment magic.

If you use a Magical Theory other than the Thalarian Doctrine (or develop Manifested Powers), you're considered to be a Warlock and the Witch Hunters will arrest you if possible.

 

There are some exceptions to this. The Guild has temporarily lost the fight to keep the Oxford Method in check back on Earth, so it's grudgingly tolerated on both sides of the Breach. The Guild tries to keep known practitioners of the Oxford Method from coming to Malifaux, but a few have managed to slip through the cracks. If you use the Oxford Method, you're essentially an illegal spellcaster that the Guild won't prosecute. Some degree of harassment is probably still to be expected, however, so Witch Hunters are probably going to keep their eyes on you and your associates under the assumption that you're going to break the law eventually.

The Lifewell Doctrine (from Into the Steam) is in a similar place. Its practitioners are technically Warlocks, but the general pro-Soulstone, anti-destructive magic stance of its teachings has resulted in the Guild more or less allowing them to exist without persecution (though the above-mentioned Witch Hunter harassment is still very common).

 

That's the official policy.

Note that anyone that starts throwing around fireballs, mind-controlling their fellow citizens, or animating the dead is going to get a squad of Witch Hunters sent after them no matter what Magical Theory they follow. Even Guild employees with permission to do such things will have to justify their actions to their superiors after such things.

 

Now, it's worth mentioning that the Guild's leaders come pretty close to violating this policy. The Death Marshals have special permission to study Necromancy in order to understand and combat the Resurrectionist threat, the reputation of the Ortega family keeps the Witch Hunters from investigating Perdita's claims that she can bend bullets around corners, and Sonnia Criid had more or less gone over the deep end of obsession with magic before she ended up with a Tyrant shackled to her soul.

I am assuming that some of this may change with the new Governor General? Especially since I the weird mage guy won the vote (he did right?). Really curious about where the story is going to go and how this will effect the TT and TTB.

[Orboros]

Sadly i have missed out on Nythera completely.. What is the new governor like and is he himself sanctioned, related to the Arcanists or independent?

I can't imagine that a new governor general would make the guild change their anti-mage policy Breachsides. 

[vinush]

The new guy seems to be a no nonsense guy who is one of the most powerful mages earth-side. 

[Clockwork Top Hat]

I believe (may be wrong) that the new Governor General is a very powerful mage but one who follows the Thalarian Doctrine. From my understanding high ranking members of the guild who use officially illegal magic (Sonnia especially) are allowed too as long as they can be used/exploited by the guild. 

[Druso]

Sonnia uses a specific mode of Thalarian Doctrine as is noted in Into The Steam. And don´t forget, Guild hates Oxfordian because they go for Cambridge instead!

[Reynastus]

Thanks for this as my group has a similar interest in the magical ways in the mix.