Witches»» Abilities
Several humans posses the inate ability to use magic to control the elements, protect their homes or businesses, or to make others believe they are seeing something that does not exist. Unlike the witches in the books, TrueBlood Dallas allows witch characters to use powers from one of three spheres. While it is possible for a witch to have powers from more than one sphere, such cases need staff approval prior to application.
ELEMENTAL
Control of the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) is oftentimes easiest for beginner witches. Causing a draft to blow a door shut, or snapping ones fingers together to light a candle are quite simple and use very little energy. Manipulating the weather, creating or controlling the elements beyond this tend to drain a witch a little more, leaving them weakened for at least several hours.
ILLUSION
The most difficult of the witch powers, illusions can do many things. Witches using these powers can cause someone to see something that is not there, cast a glamour to briefly change the way they look, or hide themselves from sight. Illusions use more energy than other spheres, and the longer the illusion is kept up, the weaker its power becomes. In conjunction with other witches those in the Illusion sphere can use an item of a recently dead person to cause their ghost to replay up to the last 30 minutes of their life before their demise — this particular ability leaves a witch weakened for at least 24 hours.
WARDING
Considered a mid-range ability, wards can often be the most powerful of the witch powers. While primarily passive, warding spells can keep a witch and their possessions safe. These abilities can time-lock a room for a period of a week, keeping items from rotting while the owner of the location is away. They can block supernaturals or humans from an area, by outright creating an invisible wall or making it extremely uncomfortable for them to enter the area. They can even be used in lieu of a security system, creating a supernatural noise if the object or room in question is broached. When a ward is put in place by a single witch, they can be weak and only last until activated. When several witches work together on a ward, they are generally stronger and can be permanent. Warding takes a great deal of concentration, and if interrupted while the ward is being put in place, there is only a 50% chance that it will work. Because wards are not generally needed to be used all the time, larger wards can weaken a witch for up to 12 hours.
PROTECTION
Some consider protection magic to be a more simplified form of Warding. The general premise of both is the same - to keep things safe. Protection magic is more about the person rather than the location, however. It represents a witches desire to keep themselves and loved ones safe, and is generally performed via talismans - specially imbued stones, small pouches filled with specific herbs, or a more generic charm. The item used, and the energy imbued into it determine how the protection magic will work - protection against physical harm, alerting when danger is imminent, keeping oneself healthy, providing a small boost of strength, etc. Imbuing a protection talisman takes a great deal of time (sometimes months to get it right) and effort, though not as much as warding. Depending upon the "enchantment" it can leave a witch weakened for several hours.
