The membrane between worlds isn’t a simple barrier, but a medium of its own that those crossing between material and Shadow have to push through. The Gauntlet is this barrier, holding The Shadow from the real.
The Gauntlet’s Strength or thickness depends on a wide range of factors in both worlds, not all of which a mage can know.
The Gauntlet is generally strengthened by the presence of humans.
The tumult of human emotion and activity keeps the worlds of Flesh and Spirit apart, and simultaneously generates new spirits and the Essence they feed on.
Any spell cast on a subject on the other side of the Gauntlet or on the Gauntlet itself is Withstood by the Gauntlet Strength.
If the Gauntlet Strength at the caster’s location and the Gauntlet Strength at the subject’s location are different, apply the lower value (the mage can either direct the Supernal energies to cross the Gauntlet and then seek out the subject, or vice versa).
If a mage casts on a subject she can see across the Gauntlet in real time (e.g. with the Reach effect of the Exorcist’s Eye spell), it counts as viewing that subject remotely.
Gauntlet Strength
Gauntlet Strength is both a number and a dice modifier.
Mages mainly use the strength number, while some mechanics use the modifier, such as spirits using the Reaching Manifestation to use their powers across the Gauntlet.
The following chart isn’t a definitive guide to Gauntlet Strength; areas of high or low activity can create thin or thick spots — a deserted graveyard in an inner-city borough, for example, may have a lower Gauntlet than the surrounding blocks.
| Location | Strength | Dice Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Dense Urban Areas | 5 | -3 |
| City Suburbs, Towns | 4 | -2 |
| Small Towns, Villages | 3 | -1 |
| Wilderness, Countryside | 2 | 0 |
| Locus | 1 | +2 |
| Verge | 0 | n/a |