Any number of weilders of the One Power may link together to form a ``Circle''. The Circle can then cast larger spells than any one member could have. In order to create a Circle, one person has to be the controller. The controller may not use the Circle ability as a default, though all of the other members of the circle may, as long as they have had the chance to observe someone else linking into a Circle at least once in the past (or someone joins this Circle before them). Anyone defaulting the skill must have the complete attention of the controller, and so one turn per member must be taken to incorporate each such unskilled channeler. Skilled members may all link up quickly, and so only take one turn total. However, keep in mind that each person joining a circle must already be opened up to the Power.
Once linked, the controller wields the effective power of all the members' Aspect Magic advantages added together. So if there are two members of a Circle and each have 1 level of Spirit, then the Circle has 2 levels of Spirit. Fatigue for this power is evenly distributed among the members (so, even though you may only add a little power, you use just as much Fatigue as anyone else).
[Note: can men link alone at all? Check CoS or PoD for answer.]
If there are male and female members of a Circle, the Fire and Earth power added by the men is doubled, and the Air and Water power added by the women is doubled. However, only a woman may lead a Circle with both men and women. If there are thirteen members of a Circle, the Spirit power of the Circle is doubled, thus thirteen of the weakest Aes Sedai could overpower even the Dragon himself.
[Note: guessing on what the benefits of m/f circles and circles of 13 are, but these guesses make all known facts about circles fit, and we need SOME mechanic here.]
The caster of a spell may use this skill to cause the spell to be delayed. The spell is given some trigger, the complexity of which acts as a modifier to the Invert Weave skill. When that trigger action occurs, the spell goes off. This is often used for traps and alarms. The following list gives guidelines for trigger conditions:
Anybody walks by: -0
Anyone who can channel walks by: -2
A spell is cast in the immediate area: -2
Noon three years from today: -2
My brother walks by: -4
The long-dead reincarnation of The Dragon attempts to take the sword: -8
Note that the condition must either be temporal (``at sunset'') or based on an event that takes place near the casting of the spell (``the guard passes this point''). The spell must be successfully cast, and then a successful Invert Weave roll must be made.
In order to detect an inverted weave, a person must be able to channel, be the same gender as the caster and use a Detect Magic spell at -4.
If the Invert Weave skill is being used by someone who is leading a Circle, then they get a +1 on the roll for each two members of the circle, including the controller.
See also the Tie Off skill.
This skill is the default skill for all uses of the One Power. The player must have the Magery, and at least one of the Aspect Magic, advantages in order to use this skill. For details on its use see the Magic: Mechanics section.
A spell (or ``weave'') can be read to determine what spell it is, and how it works. Normally any one who can channel, and is of the same gender as the caster, can detect a spell as it is being cast (see Magic), but the Read Weave skill will allow someone who can channel to detect exactly what spell is being cast, and determine other details about it (e.g. if the spell is Traveling, the reader could determine what location the gateway goes to.
In combination with the Sense Weave Residue advantage, this skill allows a channeler to read a weave that has been terminated. The roll is made at -1 for each hour since the spell ended, but the maximum penalty is -8, but the same information may be gathered.
See the Unweave skill for a way to foil the use of this skill.
See the section on Magic for details on how specific uses of the One Power can be taken as skills.
This skill allows the caster of a spell to make the spell maintain itself. Any spell which requires ongoing concentration (e.g. Bind, Shield, etc) may be Tied Off. A separate Tie Off skill roll is required. On success, the spell is tied off, and the caster can stop maintaining it (but the spell acts at -2 to the caster's skill vs attempts to cancel or subvert it). On a failure, a separate skill roll vs the spell's skill (or the One Power skill) is required to see if the caster lost control of the spell (in which case it will shut off). Worst case, a critical failure on the Tie Off roll means that the spell stops working immediately with no subsequent Spell roll.
Note that, when working in a Circle which has created some effect (e.g. a Shield), any number of the members of the Circle may attempt to Tie Off. A successful roll means that they can leave the circle, but the spell will continue to work as if he or she were in the circle. However, the circle will be at -2, overall to defend against interference, and that one tied off portion may be attacked by any caster with a skill greater than 16, as if it were a stand-alone spell with only that one Circle member's power. If successful, the overall power of the ongoing effect is reduced as if the Tied Off portion had not been part of the casting.
This is a complex way of saying that tying off part of a circle weave exposes it to being taken apart piece-by-piece. In the time when WoT is set, there is no known way to avoid this. Based on objects which are still around, there must have been a way to tie off whole circles at once, in the Age of Legends.
Normally, when a spell is to be ended, the power to it is simply released, and this takes no skill. However, it is also possible (though very dangerous) to end a spell (or ``weave'') by individually pulling apart each thread of the Power which was used to build it. The only advantage to doing this is that someone with the Sense Weave Residue advantage cannot sense the weave once it has been unwoven. If the Power is simply cut off, it can still be sensed.
To unweave a spell, you must make a skill roll vs. Unweaving. Success means that the spell is pulled apart. This takes 3d turns, minus the amount which you succeed by. So, if you roll a 10, and your skill is 14, you succeed by 4. Then you roll 3d and get 11. You subtract the 4 from 11, and it takes 7 turns to unweave the spell. Critical success means that it only takes one turn. Minimum time is always 1 turn, no matter how much you succeed by.
Critical failure results in the unweaver being burnt out (see the Stilling spell and the Stilled disadvantage). This may, however, be a temporary condition. Make a HT check at -2 once each day for the next three days. A success indicates that the ability to channel returns. Any other characters within a number of yards equal to 2 times the amount of power used in the original spell must make HT checks at -2 or be burnt out in the same fashion.
Normal failure requires a roll on the following table (roll 3d):
3-4 Burn-out, as above, but only for caster. 5-6 Major explosion: 3d to everyone within power/3 yards. 7-8 Serious explosion: 2d to everyone within power/4 yards. 9-10 Minor explosion: 1d to everyone within power/5 yards. 11-13 Flash and bang: HT check at -6 or blind/deaf for 2d turns 14-16 Flash and bang: HT check at -4 or blind/deaf for 1d turns 17 Flash: HT check or blind for 1d turns 18 Small pop!
Even on a failure, though, the weave is collapsed, and cannot be traced.