I don’t play the game. I don’t even know how! But when I do my thing on the sidelines, the team plays better; you see, that’s the mistake most people are making. You don’t win when you play for yourself, you win when you play for a good team.

Cheerleaders have realised an essential truth: there are other people out there who are stronger and more capable than they are. Even if they themselves are stronger and more capable than certain individuals, there are so many more ‘other people’ out there that there’s no way they can beat them all. By placing themselves below everybody else, the cheerleader can change the direction of the masses. Then all they have to do is follow the tide that they created.

The paradox of moraleomancy is that you can’t inspire people from a place of weakness – the cheerleader has to be desirable or ‘sexy’. Otherwise, they’re not an inspirational voice from the sidelines, they’re an angry bum ranting at the world, ignored by all. Simultaneously, the strong cheerleaders are at the bottom of the pyramid – even though the cheerleader might be stronger than the people they’re supporting, they always have to be underneath them somehow.

Moraleomancy blast style

People are so accustomed to cheerleaders embodying sweetness and light than when they turn mean, their insults can be like a punch in the gut, or a kick in the teeth. The target’s nervous system malfunctions, causing psycho-somatic damage, ranging from loss of breath to a sudden cramp, to asthma attacks and heart attacks.

Stats
Generate a minor charge

Make someone feel better about themselves in an area of their life where they feel insecure by giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their strengths. Acting stupid around someone who is insecure about their intellect can cause that person to feel better, if they get the opportunity to feel smarter. Acting lost or in need of help around someone who is insecure about their own kindness can help that person feel better, as can responding favourably to clumsy social advances. Note that it is not enough that the other person engages in a behaviour where they are competent; they must do so in a way that leads to a more positive emotional state, as a traceable result of the cheerleader’s actions.

Generate a significant charge

Inspire an individual to a victory that could not have been achieved without placing themselves in genuine danger. The action must be taken by someone else using their own abilities, there must not be a realistic safer path to achieve the goal, the action must succeed, the cheerleader must be in a position to take a share of the credit for the success, and the successful action must result in a noticeable gain (one that might be perceived as ‘worth the risk’) for the person taking the action.

Generate a major charge

Inspire a team to a major victory against the odds. The team must be attempting to do something that appears to be impossible when the cheerleader starts working to generate the major charge. The cheerleader must generate at least one significant charge from each member of the team. Success has to be achieved as a team – while differences within the team are acceptable, there must be genuine teamwork, and team members must identify themselves as a team, and include the cheerleader as a ‘member of the team’. The success must take place across a significant period of time (at least three months), and result in a gain for the team that is well beyond their initial expectations.

Taboo

The cheerleader must never comprehensively ‘outclass’ anyone. It’s OK if the cheerleader is ‘out of your league’ in some specific aspect of life, but this must be compensated for with a clear and visible flaw that brings the cheerleader down to the observer’s level, if not lower.

Random magic domain

Moraleomacy is concerned with the power of social influence. It is useful magic for directing the energies of crowds, amplifying behaviours, or causing confusion and embarrassment.

Starting charges

Newly-created moraleomancers start out with four minor charges.

Charging tips

A cheerleader in regular contact with the public has several opportunities every day to act stupid, need help, or seem attracted to someone. However, most of those contacts won’t be powerful enough to generate a minor charge. On a typical day out and about (or working in a job that involves direct contact with other people), a cheerleader can generate one or two minor charges as their efforts coincide with other people’s insecurities. An unlucky day, or a day spent in isolation, generates no charges, while an exceptionally good day might generate 3 or 4 minor charges. In the course of a week, there will often be a situation where the cheerleader could use several minor charges for a chance at a significant charge.

Note that it is impossible for a moraleomancer to target themselves with a spell. Abilities such as ‘Prettier than you knew’ and ‘I make this look good’ target the people observing the cheerleader, not the cheerleader themselves. Cheerleaders cannot target themselves with (for instance) “I know you can do it” or “You’re tougher than that.” Cheerleaders gain a positive shift when targeting people with spells if they have that person’s full attention at the time.

Moraleomancy minor formula spells

Get out there and play!

Cost: 1 minor charge

Effect: Causes the target to take action in relation to something that they want to do, but have not yet committed themselves to doing. The target is free to choose the specifics of their action, but they must take a meaningful action towards the object of their desire. Spell automatically fails if the target does not already have the desire that the cheerleader is activating.

I know you can do it!

Cost: 1 minor charge

Effect: Gives the target a +10% shift on the next action they roll.

Prettier than you knew

Cost: 1 minor charge

Effect: Subtly modifies the cheerleader’s appearance to make them appear more attractive to the target individual.

You know you want to

Cost: 3 minor charges
Effect: Causes the target to form a new desire, of the cheerleader’s choosing. The cheerleader must have the target’s undivided attention for enough time to explain the new desire to the target of the spell.

You’re tougher than that

Cost: 1 minor charge
Effect: as per the Epideromancer ability ‘regeneration’, may only target others.

Wow, you really suck at this

Cost: 3 minor charges
Effect: Gives the target -30% to a particular skill until they succeed at it, or sleep off the effects of the spell. Can only be used immediately after the cheerleader becomes aware of them failing in an attempt to use the skill in question.

Moraleomancy significant formula spells

I make this look good

Cost: 1 significant charge
Effect: No matter what the circumstances or the cheerleader’s actual appearance or dress at the time the spell is cast, everyone observing them at that moment finds the cheerleader attractive, and will continue to do so until they sleep off the effects of the spell.

Go team!

Cost: 1 significant charge
Effect: Gives a +10% shift bonus to the next roll made by everyone who can see and hear the cheerleader, providing the roll is made to accomplish a specific task.