GURPS - 4th Edition - Magic

CHAPTER TWENTY

NECROMANTIC
SPELLS

Severin chortled at his own genius Death Vision gives a general impression of what
as his zombies hauled casks out of the kind of being is present. The caster
deep cavern where they were stored. Regular may, at the time of casting, limit the
Soon they’d see who was a true necro- spell to a specific type of entity, or
mancer. A year ago, he’d raised a crop The subject sees a vivid apparition exclude a given type.
of zombies and promptly packed the of his own death. This might be a vision
bodies in casks filled with salt. By of the future or a false vision from Base cost: 1/2 (minimum 1).
now, he should have three dozen another possible Prerequisites: Either Magery 1 and
mummified zombies – tough and future – but it is Sense Life or Death Vision.
leathery, not brittle or rotting. My min- always chilling.
ions will last decades, he thought. I’ll The subject is Item
have an army in no time. mentally
stunned until (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy
He could wait no longer. Seizing a he can make cost to create: 100. (b) Gem that glows
sword from his zombie bodyguard, he his IQ roll to or vibrates when spirits are within its
smashed open a cask. Salt spilled out shake off the detection radius. Energy cost to create:
across the floor, revealing . . . bones. effects of the 100 for a 1-yard detection radius, 200
spell. This for a 2-yard radius, and so on.
The bones slowly rose to stand as spell can also
Severin stared in horror. A skeleton? be useful to
He smashed another cask, and anoth- the subject, by
er. A skeletal figure rose from each. pointing out a
Skeletons! Fragile, stupid, useless! possibly deadly
How could this be? How could it not hazard.
work?
Duration:
A skittering movement caught his 1 second.
eye in the salt. He bent and picked a
small gray insect off the pile. As he Cost: 2.
peered at it, he trembled with rage. It Time to cast: 3 seconds.
was a corpse-tearer beetle from the Prerequisite: Magery 1.
Great Salt Flats, thousands of miles
from its native soil. He knew only one Item
man who would think of such a trick,
and who had the wherewithal to Staff or wand. Usable only by
summon vermin across such distance. mages. The item must touch the
subject. Energy cost to create: 600.
“Felix Magister,” he growled. “I will
have your skull on my bedpost.” Final Rest

These spells deal with death, the Regular
dead, and spirits. They affect corpses
and spirits of all races, unless other- As listed under Healing Spells,
wise noted in a racial description. p. 89.

Necromantic magic is nearly Sense Spirit
always forbidden, aside from the very
basic spells that demon hunters and Information; Area
healers use. Necromancers therefore
tend to live in secrecy. Find any ghosts, spirits, undead, or
similar supernatural entities within
the area of effect. On a good roll, it

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 149

Summon Spirit Skull-Spirits

Information; A skull-spirit is a ghostly, vaporous form, created from the life force
Resisted by spirit’s Will that lingers around a sapient being’s skull. Skull-spirits obey the being
who evoked them without question. They cannot be reasoned with, but
Talk to the spirit of a dead person. can sometimes be confused.
The subject resists at -5 if he was a
friend of the caster. If the spell suc- Skull-Spirit
ceeds, the subject will answer one
question, to the best of his knowledge 224 points
as of the time he died, and one more
per minute he remains. Attribute Modifiers: ST-10 [-100]; DX+4 [80].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -5; HP +20 [40].
If the spell fails, that caster (or cer- Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t
emonial group) may not summon that
spirit again for one year. A critical fail- Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance
ure means the caster summoned a (Diffuse) [100]; Toxic Attack 2 pts (Cannot parry, -5%; Irresistible
malign spirit, who lies deliberately. Attack, +300%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) [11]; Unaging [15].
Features: Fixed ST.
Modifiers: -5 if you don’t know the Skills: Innate Attack (E) DX+3 [8]-17.
subject’s full name. -1 if it has been
more than a week since the subject’s Duration: 1 minute. Steal Vitality
death, -2 if more than a month, -3 if Cost: 3, multiplied by SM+1 for
more than a year, -4 if more than 10 objects larger than human size. Half Regular
years, -5 if more than 50 years, and -6 that to maintain. Double cost to
if more than 500 years. animate stone; triple to animate metal. Take HP from the subject to heal
Time to cast: 5 seconds. your own injuries. The subject must
Duration: 1 minute. Prerequisite: Summon Spirit. either be willing or totally helpless; the
Cost: 20 to cast. 10 to maintain. caster must touch the subject. This
Halve these costs if the spell is cast at Awaken Craft Spirit works on living, sapient subjects only!
the site of death or over the corpse of The spell stops when the caster’s HP is
the person being contacted; quarter Regular fully restored, when the caster decides
these costs if both conditions are met. to stop, or when the subject’s HP
Time to cast: 5 minutes. As listed under Making and reaches -1 (which automatically kills
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Death Breaking Spells, p. 115. the subject).
Vision.
Steal Energy Duration: Permanent.
Item Cost: None to the caster! For every
Regular 3 HP taken from the subject, the cast-
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only er regains 1 HP.
by mages. The item does not give the Take FP from the subject to restore Time to cast: 1 minute for every 3
ability to cast the spell, but gives +2 to your own lost fatigue. The subject must HP drained from the subject.
skill. Energy cost: 1,000. either be willing or totally helpless (e.g., Prerequisite: Steal Energy.
bound or unconscious). The caster
Animation (VH) must touch the subject. This works on Item
living, sapient subjects only! The spell
Regular stops when the caster’s FP is fully (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. The
restored, when the caster decides to wearer and item must both touch the
Summon a spirit (IQ 9) to animate stop, or when the subject’s FP reaches 0 victim. Usable only by a mage. Energy
an existing statue, painting, or other and the subject falls unconscious. cost to create: 1,500. (b) Any item. It
item. The object that is animated must lowers wearer’s HP by 1 to 5 while it is
depict or represent a human or ani- Duration: Permanent. worn. The wearer regains lost HP
mal. Its abilities and attributes depend Cost: None to the caster! For every when item is removed. Energy cost to
on its body. This is entirely up to the 3 FP taken from the subject, the cast- create: 200 per lost HP.
GM– for instance, a painting could er regains 1 FP.
talk, but not move around while a stat- Time to cast: 1 minute for every 3 Materialize
ue might leave its base and move FP drained from the subject.
freely. Within its limitations, the ani- Prerequisite: Minor Healing. Special; Resisted by ST or IQ
mated object will follow the caster’s
verbal orders; it has no judgment and Item This spell is used by ghosts and
will carry out its orders precisely. other spirits who cannot ordinarily
Unlike a golem (p. 59), it cannot be Staff, wand, or jewelry. The wearer become visible to beings in the
instructed to follow another person’s and the item must both touch the physical world.
orders. victim. Energy cost to create: 800.
The spell can also be used by a
mage to force a spirit to materialize; in

150 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

that case, the ghost resists with the Item Prerequisites: Fear and Sense Spirit.
better of its ST and IQ.
The skull of a sapient creature. Any Item
Duration: 1 minute. user can invoke the skull-spirit by say-
Cost: 5 to cast. 5 to maintain. ing a password (chosen by the caster Wand, staff, or jewelry. Usable only
Prerequisite: Summon Spirit. when the skull is enchanted). The skull by mages. Energy cost to create: 350.
then crumbles, and the spirit appears as
Solidify above. Energy cost to create: 40. Zombie

Special; Resisted by ST or IQ Turn Spirit Regular

This spell is used by insubstantial Regular; Resisted by Will The subject of this spell must be a
spirits to become tangible and affect relatively complete dead body. The
objects and creatures in the substan- Causes a single subject in spirit nature and condition of the corpse
tial world. A tangible spirit is in all form to retreat from the caster. The determines the nature of the undead
respects like a normal physical being. caster must be able to see the subject. creature produced. The animated
The subject moves away from the cast- corpse becomes an undead servant of
The spell can also be used by a er at its current maximum Move until the caster. Its attributes are based on
mage to force a spirit to solidify; in the spell ends or the caster loses sight those of the original body, as are its
that case, the ghost resists with the of it. The subject cannot attack the physical advantages and DX-based
better of its ST and IQ. caster in any way during this time; this skills. It does not have the “soul,” men-
includes the use of special powers and tal traits, IQ-based skills, or memories
Duration: 1 minute. spells. of the living person. The GM will deter-
Cost: 50 to cast. 10 to maintain. mine its exact abilities, as appropriate
Prerequisite: Materialize. If the spirit possesses a living enti- to the campaign.
ty, Turn Spirit will not force the spirit
Affect Spirits out of its host. Instead, the spirit will Duration: The zombie remains ani-
flee using the host’s body. mated until destroyed.
Regular
Duration: 10 seconds. Cost: 8.
When cast on a person or object, Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain. Every Time to cast: 1 minute.
this spell allows the subject to interact point of extra casting energy reduces Prerequisites: Summon Spirit and
with incorporeal spirits as if they were the spirit’s resistance by 1. Lend Vitality.
solid. A weapon with this spell on it
can harm an insubstantial spirit.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Solidify.

Item

This spell cannot be enchanted into
an item, but see Ghost Weapon (p. 65).

Weaken Blood

Regular; Resisted by HT

As listed under Body Control Spells,
p. 40.

Skull-Spirit

Regular

Summons a ghostly assassin to do
the caster’s bidding (see box, p. 150).
Requires the skull of a sapient
creature, which is destroyed in the
casting.

Duration: The spirit lasts for 24
hours unless destroyed first.

Cost: 20.
Prerequisites: Four other Necro-
mantic spells.

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 151

Control Zombie Cost: 3. Zombie spell; DR does not protect. In
Prerequisite: Zombie. addition, roll 1d for each zombie. On a
Regular; Resisted by Zombie 1, it turns and flees from the caster.
spell Item
Duration: Successfully turned
Take control of an undead creature Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only undead will avoid the caster for one
raised with the Zombie spell by some by a mage. It does not give the ability day.
other wizard. If the caster wins a to cast the spell, but gives +2 skill to
Quick Contest of Spells with the origi- one who knows the spell. Energy cost Base cost: 2. Cannot be maintained;
nal Zombie spell, the undead in ques- to create: 500. must be recast.
tion will obey the caster as if he had
raised it. The Zombie spell resists at Turn Zombie Time to cast: 4 seconds.
+2 if the original caster is within 100 Prerequisite: Zombie, or “holy
yards, and at -2 if he is dead. Area status” (GM’s discretion).

Duration: Permanent. Inflicts 1d of injury on anything in
the area that was animated using the

Undead Templates

The following templates demonstrate three possible types of undead created with the Zombie spell. A normal dead
body produces a zombie; a corpse rotted away to bones produces a skeleton (indeed, zombies rot away to skeletons
over time); and a desiccated cadaver, or a properly embalmed body, becomes a mummy.

Mummy Dependency (Mana; common, constantly) [-50];
Fragile (Brittle) [-15]; Fragile (Unnatural) [-50];
-107 points Mute [-25]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5];
Reprogrammable [-10]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma
Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10]. (Dead) [-20]; Unhealing (Total) [-30]; Vulnerability
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+4 [8]. (Crushing Attacks; ¥2) [-30]; Wealth (Dead Broke)
Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [-25].
Quirks: Cannot Float; Sexless. [-2]
[10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Features: Affected by Control Zombie, Pentagram, and
Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Immunity (All Turn Zombie; No mental skills; Skull has only 2 total
mind control) [30]; Indomitable [15]; Injury DR.
Tolerance (No Blood, No Brains, No Vitals, Unliving)
[35]; Single-Minded [5]; Temperature Tolerance 10 Zombie
[10]; Unaging [15]; Unfazeable [15].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous; Universal, -168 points
+25%) [-25]; Automaton [-85]; Cannot Learn [-30];
Dependency (Mana; common, constantly) [-50]; Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10]; IQ-2 [-40].
Disturbing Voice [-10]; Fragile (Combustible) [-5]; Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+4 [8].
Fragile (Unnatural) [-50]; Reprogrammable [-10]; Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink
Social Stigma (Dead) [-20]; Unhealing (Total) [-30];
Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25]. [10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; High Pain Threshold [10];
Features: Affected by Control Zombie, Pentagram, and Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Immunity (All
Turn Zombie; No mental skills; Sterile. mind control) [30]; Indomitable [15]; Injury
Tolerance (No Blood, Unliving) [25]; Single-Minded
Skeleton [5]; Temperature Tolerance 10 [10]; Unaging [15];
Unfazeable [15].
-162 points Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous; Universal,
+25%) [-25]; Automaton [-85]; Bad Smell [-10];
Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+2 [40]; IQ-2 [-40]. Cannot Learn [-30]; Dependency (Mana; common,
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed+1 constantly) [-50]; Disturbing Voice [-10]; Fragile
(Unnatural) [-50]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5];
[20]. Reprogrammable [-10]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20];
Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink Unhealing (Total) [-30]; Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25].
Quirks: Sexless. [-1]
[10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; DR 2 [10]; High Pain Features: Affected by Control Zombie, Pentagram, and
Threshold [10]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards Turn Zombie; No mental skills; Will become a
[30]; Immunity (All mind control) [30]; Indomitable Skeleton.
[15]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood, No Brain, No Eyes,
No Vitals, Unliving) [40]; Single-Minded [5];
Temperature Tolerance 10 [10]; Unaging [15];
Unfazeable [15]; Vacuum Support [5].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous; Universal,
+25%) [-25]; Automaton [-85]; Cannot Learn [-30];

152 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

Item Undead created by this spell Item
become the loyal servants of the cast-
Staff, wand, or jewelry. At the GM’s er. However, they can only be com- (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable
option, this item may work only for a manded as a group; individual mem- only by mages. Energy cost to create:
person with Blessed or Power bers of the horde cannot be given sep- 175. (b) Any weapon. The wounds it
Investiture. Energy cost to create: 600. arate tasks. If this spell is cast ceremo- inflicts are very difficult to heal; the
nially, the leader of the circle is the penalty applies until the wound is
Zombie Summoning master. The zombies regard the other completely healed or the curse is
members of the circle as his lieu- removed. When attempting healing,
Special tenants; their orders are obeyed, but one must specify whether or not the
the master’s orders take precedence. weapon’s wounds are included; if they
Calls the nearest zombie to the Optionally, the mages involved in the are, the penalty applies. Energy cost to
caster (for the purposes of this spell, a casting may divide the horde equally, create: 100 per point of penalty. Double
zombie is any undead creature creat- each mage becoming master to his cost if subject is a missile weapon
ed with the Zombie spell). Range is own segment. (e.g., a bow). Divide cost by 10 if sub-
irrelevant. Upon a successful casting, ject is a missile (e.g., an arrow). If the
the caster knows the location of the In most likely casting locations, weapon falls in more than one class,
closest zombie (any known zombies this spell will raise (R¥R)/2 undead use the higher cost.
may be excluded if the caster men- (round down), where R is the radius of
tions them before casting) and how the spell. It might yield fewer undead Stop Healing
long it will take to reach him. The in an upper-class cemetery where the
zombie moves toward the caster as dead have lots of elbowroom in their Regular; Resists Healing
fast as it can, until it can see him or crypts, or more at a mass grave.
the spell ends. If it can reach the cast- As Slow Healing, except that this
er, it stays nearby, without attacking Undead created with this spell are spell resists the natural recovery
or obeying, until the spell ends. The identical to those created with the process and healing skills and spells.
spell is broken by any attack on the Zombie spell. They use the same tem- Every healing attempt on the subject
zombie, and if the zombie fails to plates and are affected the same way must be made as a Quick Contest
reach the caster before the spell dura- by magic. between the healer’s skill and the Stop
tion ends, it will simply turn and go Healing spell’s Endurance (p. 10).
about its business, or wander off if it Duration: Permanent. Every failure by the spell to stop a
had none. Base cost: 7. Minimum radius 2 healing attempt weakens its
yards. Endurance by one; upon reaching
Zombies will not answer the sum- Time to cast: A number of minutes Endurance 0, the spell dissipates. A
mons if it conflicts with their master’s equal to the radius. critical failure by the Stop Healing or
orders (so you cannot Summon zom- Prerequisites: Zombie and a critical success by the Resisted spell,
bies away from whatever they were Charisma 2 or better. skill, or process also breaks the
guarding, for instance). enchantment. Otherwise, Remove
Astral Vision (VH) Curse is required to undo the spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain. To Regular Duration: Until dissipation of the
call many zombies, double the cost. All spell.
zombies within a 10-mile radius As listed under Knowledge Spells,
(more for a very successful casting) p. 105. Cost: 10.
will be summoned. Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Time to cast: 4 seconds. Slow Healing Prerequisite: Slow Healing.
Prerequisite: Zombie.
Regular; Resisted by HT Item
Mass Zombie (VH)
Makes the subject less likely to heal Staff, jewelry, or wand. Usable only
Area or be healed. The spell subtracts from by mages. Energy cost to create: 500.
any natural recovery roll (p. B424) or
Similar to Zombie, but reanimates healing skill (First Aid, Physician, Command Spirit (type)
all relatively complete dead bodies in Surgery, etc.), including Healing spells.
the area of effect. As with Zombie, dif- Illness, FP recovery and HT-based Regular; Resisted
ferent sorts of corporeal undead are resistance rolls are not affected. Only by spirit’s Will
made from different qualities of bod- Remove Curse can break this spell.
ies; a mix of undead types may result Like Charm (p. 139), but only
from a single Mass Zombie. A corpse Duration: 1 day. affects spirits. Each class of spirits
must be lying in its tomb or at its place Cost: 1 to 5 to cast. Same cost to (banshees, spectres, manitous, etc.)
of death to be affected by this spell; maintain. The same amount is sub- requires its own spell. No version
otherwise, it won’t be affected. tracted from any healing roll. exists for demons or elementals; use
Corpses in graves up to 4 yards deep Time to cast: 30 seconds. Summon Demon or Control
will claw their way up to the surface to Prerequisites: Magery 1, Frailty, and Elemental as appropriate. Unlike the
join their new master. Steal Vitality. subject of a Charm spell, the spirit may
try to pervert the caster’s orders, like a
demon (see Summon Demon, p. 155).

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 153

Duration: 1 minute. Evisceration (VH) Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Cost: 1 point per 10 character Prerequisites: Skull-Spirit and
points used to build the spirit. Half Melee; Resisted by HT or IQ Shape Darkness.
that (round up) to maintain. (If the
GM does not have a character sheet Reach with one hand into a sub- Item
for the spirit, 5 energy is a good base- ject’s body and withdraw a vital organ,
line for minor spirits, or 10 energy for leaving an open cavity. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
a more formidable being.) by mages. Energy cost to create: 450.
Time to cast: 2 seconds. Extracting the brain instantly kills
Prerequisites: Summon Spirit, Turn the body, but the brain itself may sur- Rotting Death (VH)
Spirit. vive for a few minutes! Roll vs. HT each
second; on a success, the brain remains Melee; Resisted by HT
Strike Barren alive and conscious but loses 1 FP; on a
failure, it dies. While it survives, it can The victim, who must be touched
Regular; Resisted by HT cast any spells it knows well enough to by the caster, rots from within. Every
cast without ritual. Remember that the turn, he must roll against HT; on a fail-
As listed under Body Control Spells, brain has no senses of its own and is ure, he takes 1d-1 damage; 6 points on
p. 41. therefore casting blindly. a critical failure. A successful roll
means he takes no damage that turn; a
Age (VH) Extracting the heart demands a critical success breaks the spell. DR
HT-6 roll each turn from the victim; does not protect!
Regular; Resisted by HT on a failure he falls unconscious and
dies five seconds later. For the duration of the spell, the
Makes the subject older! The sub- subject feels crippling discomfort,
ject ages one year for every 10 points Extracting other organs requires a equivalent to the effects of a Sickness
of energy put into the spell. HT roll at a penalty from 0 to -5 to spell (see p. 138).
remain conscious. Most extractions
Duration: Permanent. kill within a minute; however, some The victim appears to be undergo-
Cost: 10 to 50 points. organ losses can be survived – a lung, ing a devastatingly rapid gangrene.
Time to cast: 1 minute. a kidney, etc. In this case, the victim Hit location should be rolled each
Prerequisite: Either Youth or six will still bleed seriously. Restoration is time the spell inflicts damage; once
other Necromantic spells. required to replace a lost organ. crippled, a limb is considered to have
rotted off! Once the victim is dead, its
Item An extracted organ dies within a body quickly deliquesces, until only a
minute. puddle of evil-smelling goo is left.
(a) Any item. Always on. If worn
(not just touched), it will age the wear- Cost: 10. Undead are not affected. The caster
er by one year for every day it is worn Time to cast: 5 seconds. must concentrate while maintaining
(so two hours’ wearing would age you Prerequisites: Magery 3, Appor- this spell, but need not remain in
by a month). Energy cost to create: 500. tation, and Steal Vitality. physical contact.
(b) Staff or wand. Usable only by
mages; the item must touch the Animate Shadow Duration: 1 second.
subject. Energy cost to create: 2,000. Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Regular; Resisted by HT Prerequisites: Magery 2, Sickness,
Pestilence and Pestilence.
Summons a spirit that animates the
Regular subject’s shadow and attacks him. The Item
shadow has IQ 9, HT 10, DX equal to
Infects the subject with a loath- the caster’s effective skill, and ST and Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
some plague of the caster’s selection Move equal to the subject’s ST and by mages; the item must touch the
(though the GM may veto an inappro- Move. The shadow wields whatever subject. Energy cost to create: 700.
priate selection). The disease takes its weapon the subject had in hand at
normal course; infection will not casting time (even if he drops it later Soul Jar (VH)
normally be apparent for some time. on!), inflicting basic damage only
(ignore cutting and impaling bonuses) Regular
Duration: Permanent until cured. as fatigue. Armor does not protect, but
Cost: 6. the shadow’s attacks may be parried or Traps the subject’s soul in some
Time to cast: 30 seconds. blocked if the weapon or shield used to object (which must be present). If the
Prerequisite: Magery 1, Steal defend is one that the subject had subject is not the caster, then he must
Vitality, and Decay. when the spell was cast. When the sub- be present, and either willing or
ject’s FP reaches zero, he falls uncon- unconscious.
Item scious and the spell is broken. An ani-
mated shadow may be attacked as per If your soul is in a “jar,” you are
Staff or wand. Usable only by a Body of Shadow subject (see p. 114); unaffected until either your body dies,
mages; the item must touch the sub- if its HP reaches zero, it is “killed” and or the jar is destroyed. The death of
ject. The item’s creator sets the plague the subject regains his normal shadow. your body does not kill you. Your con-
transmitted upon creation. Energy sciousness shifts to the “jar,” where
cost to create: 1,000. Duration: 5 seconds. you are able to see, hear, and even cast
Cost: 4. Same cost to maintain. any spell that you know at skill 20 or
above (i.e., castable without speech or
gesturing). You may communicate at

154 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

a distance via telepathy-type spells, if Demon
you know any – or by direct mental
contact, without a spell, with anyone This type of demon most commonly appears on the mortal plane, a
who handles the jar. Your FP remain hulking brute with bat-like wings and razor-sharp claws and teeth.
the same as when you had a body. You Demons are not especially smart, but they are strong, tough, and vicious.
may not spend HP, but you may use Their malicious sense of humor is legendary, and they leave a swath of
any Powerstone currently in contact destruction behind them no matter what task they are set to.
with your jar.
Demons vary widely; these stats are merely a convenient average.
If a new body comes near the jar,
you may try to take it by a Possession, Demon
Permanent Possession, or Exchange
Bodies spell if you know such a spell. 200 points
In that case, the soul of that body goes
into the jar. But if your soul is in a jar, Attribute Modifiers: ST+7 [70]; DX+2 [40]; HT+4 [40].
anything that destroys the jar will kill Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+8 [16].
you permanently – beyond hope of Advantages: Claws (Sharp Claws) [5]; DR 5 [25]; Flight (Winged, -25%; +5
resurrection – even if your body is
unharmed. yards per second) [40]; Immune to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Immunity
to Mind-Affecting Magic [30]; Magery 0 [5]; Night Vision 5 [5]; Striking
The spell may be cast again to ST+2 [10]; Teeth (Sharp Teeth) [1].
switch the soul to a different “jar.” Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20]; Bloodlust (12) [-10]; Bully
(12) [-10]; Callous [-5]; Cannot Harm Innocents (Prevents direct harm
Duration: Permanent. of truly good or holy folks only, -50%) [-5]; Fragile (Unnatural) [-50];
Cost: 8. Sadism (12) [-15]; Selfish
Time to cast: 1 minute. (12) [-5]; Social Stigma
Prerequisite: Magery 1 and six (Monster) [-15].
Necromantic spells, including Steal Features: Affected by True
Vitality. Faith and Pentagram.
Skills: Acting (A) IQ-1 [1]-9;
Summon Demon Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-
14; Broadsword (A) DX
Special [2]-12; Fast-Talk (E)
IQ+2 [4]-12; Hidden Lore
This version of Planar Summons (Demon Lore) (A) IQ-1
(p. 82) raises demons; see that spell [1]-9; Intimidation (E)
description for details. If the caster IQ+2 [4]-12; Stealth (A)
fails to control the demon, it always DX [2]-12.
attacks him! If it cannot reach the
caster (if, for example, the caster is points used to build the demon.
protected by a Pentagram), the demon Minimum energy cost is 20
will vanish (if trapped) or escape to (although this will not always
wreak havoc in the outside world. summon a 200-point being).
Those tempted to summon pow-
If he manages to control the erful demons should bear in
demon and give it a command, the mind that such demons tend to
demon will carry out the letter of its have high Will, with all that
orders, doing its best to pervert their implies for control . . .
spirit to the caster’s disfavor. It will
also work incidental mischief, unless Time to cast: 5 minutes.
specifically instructed not to. Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at
least one spell from each of 10
At the GM’s discretion, a caster different colleges.
may summon a flock of minor
demons whose values add up to 200 Item
character points or less (a caster sum-
moning minor demons may never Certain artifacts are known to
spend more than 20 energy on this make summoning (or summon-
spell). In this case, the caster controls ing a particular demon) easier.
the entire flock at once, contesting the Those who deal with demons
highest Will in the flock. A flock of prize such items, but (fortunate-
minor demons is not restrained to a ly!) the technique for making
single task; they always stay for the them is not commonly known.
entire duration of the spell.

Duration: Until the demon’s task is
done, or one hour, whichever is less.

Cost: 1 point per 10 character

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 155

Demonic Contracts

Some would-be mages become frustrated at the time time without summoning the demon again. Spells cast
it takes to master advanced spells, or at the limits with demonic aid receive energy and support from dark,
imposed on them by their own Magery (or lack thereof). extradimensional forces; the caster may reduce the cost
For those wizards who cannot come to terms with their of a spell by any amount up to triple his skill in
limitations, there is another, darker option. The aid of Occultism or Thaumatology (whichever is higher),
demons is ready for the asking. before applying cost reduction for high skill.

Casting a spell with demonic aid begins by summon- However, demonically assisted magic has its limita-
ing a demon. In most settings, it takes a relatively tions. It can never be used to benefit others directly
advanced mage to summon a demon; in some worlds, unless to do so would somehow further the demon’s
however, Summon Demon may not require Magery, or dark ends (GM’s discretion). It can be used in service of
even prerequisites! If demons want to be summoned, the caster’s comfort, however. Any attempts to bend
they may have easy ways of contacting them. demonic energies to positive ends may cause the demon
to suspend the contract, preventing the caster from
Once summoned, the caster must negotiate a con- using demonic energies until it is suitably appeased.
tract with his chosen demonic patron, and sign it with Any failure on a demonically assisted spell is treated as
his own blood (wise wizards usually prepare a contract a critical failure; any critical failure is treated as if the
ahead of time, or take one from a book; the contracts caster had rolled an 18 on the Black Critical table (see
that demons draft are murder). p. 157).

After the contract is signed, the contracting wizard
may draw on demonic assistance to cast spells at any

Black Magic

Black magic also has costs. Channeling foul energies the original virtue. He also gains a -10-point Addiction to
leaves a taint upon the caster’s soul. At the end of any demonic energies (demonic magic is cheap, highly
day on which the wizard casts a demonically assisted addictive, and usually illegal). Such wizards must still
spell, he must make a Will+Magery roll at a penalty make Will+Magery rolls at the end of any day when they
equal to the total energy “borrowed” that day from use demonic magic, but at +10. Failure results in a loss
demonic helpers. On a success, nothing happens. On a of 5 character points – either as a reduction of attributes,
failure, the wizard gains a level of the Black Penalty for loss of advantages, or acquisition of a new disadvantage
every 10 points (of fraction thereof) by which he failed. – for every point by which he failed the roll!

The Black Penalty is a skill penalty to any spell cast A demonologer who repents may try to cleanse his
without demonic assistance. Its presence is obvious to spirit of the Black Penalty, but the process is difficult.
the Aura spell, and anyone with Magery 3 or higher may Each level requires a period of reflection and abstinence
notice the taint when first encountering a black magi- from all magic use and all sensual pleasures for a peri-
cian if they make a Vision roll. Any spell cast by a wiz- od of (20-Will) days (minimum 1 day) for its removal.
ard suffering the Black Penalty is treated like a demonic This is difficult enough for a tyro; a wizard who must
spell with regards to failures and critical failures. also struggle with the Addiction has an almost impossi-
ble task ahead of him.
A caster may only gain 10 levels of the Black Penalty.
At that point, his soul has become completely blackened; The Black Penalty is a disadvantage worth -3
any virtuous disadvantages, such as Honesty or Pacifism, points/level. A contract with a demon is a perk (p. B100).
are lost and often replaced by some dark perversion of

Banish Resolve the Banish attempt as a Note that certain powerful crea-
Quick Contest: the caster’s Banish skill tures are resistant or even immune to
Special; Resisted by Will vs. the subject’s Will. If the caster wins, this spell.
the subject immediately returns to its
Sends an extradimensional visitor home plane. It cannot return for one Modifiers: +4 if the caster knows
(e.g., a demon) back to its plane of ori- month. Anything that it brought with the entity’s “true name”; -5 if the cast-
gin. It can only be cast by a caster in it when it appeared (e.g., weapons) er does not know the subject’s plane of
his home dimension. In an alien will vanish with it. Other things it may origin . . . and an extra -1 if he believes
plane, you could not “banish” yourself be carrying (e.g., screaming victims) he knows where the creature came
back home, but a native of that plane stay behind. from, but is wrong!
could banish you. This spell will not
work on a creature that is already in
its home dimension.

156 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

Black Critical Table

After any failure using demonically assisted magic, the GM rolls 3d on the table below. Use these results as guide-
lines; improvise wildly to customize the awfulness and to convey the prickly uncertainty of demonic aid. A failure
should never result in the caster’s intended effect, or even accomplish it accidentally.

Failure Effect
3 – Spell appears to work, but is only a useless illusion.
4 – Spell fails entirely. Somewhere else, demonic “backblast” does something awful to something the

caster values; the level of awfulness varies with the power and intent of the spell.
5 – Caster loses one level of Will.
6 – Caster loses one level of Appearance in a manner appropriate to the spell attempted. A Create Fire

spell might cause unsightly burn scars, while a Madness spell might subtly unhinge the caster’s eye
sockets for a wild, staring effect.
7 – Spell is cast on loved ones, friends, allies, innocent bystanders, or the caster (in that order) if malevolent, on
foes if benevolent.
8 – Spell fails entirely; caster takes 2 points of injury and the wound immediately becomes infected
(see Infection, p. B444).
9 – Caster must make a Fright Check at -5 as horrific visions of the hells fill his eye sockets.
10 – Spell does nothing except drench the room in a conspicuous odor of brimstone centered on the caster.
11 – Spell produces the reverse of the intended effect.
12 – Spell produced the reverse of the intended effect, on a random friendly or neutral target.
13 – Spell fails entirely; caster takes 1 point of injury as his arms erupt in boils.
14 – Spell fails entirely; room fills with buzzing insects pouring from caster’s mouth.
15 – Spell creates vermin (rat, giant cockroach, immense tapeworm) inside the caster (stomach, throat, etc.).
Depending on the nature and location of the vermin, this may do severe damage; an agitated rat in one’s
innards would do up to 2d damage directly to the vitals!
16 – Spell withers caster’s hand.
17 – Spell fails entirely; caster ages 4d years.
18 – Spell fails entirely and summons a different demon who attempts to wreak havoc (attacking the caster if he
gets in the way). The mage may use black magic to fight this demon; demons will happily fight each other.

Cost: 1 point per 10 character Resurrection (VH) restrain a powerful spirit! The caster
points the subject is worth. Minimum is informed of the energy cost when
energy cost is 10. The caster will not Regular the spell takes effect and spends the
know in advance how much energy energy then; if he cannot meet the
the spell will require, and may fall As listed under Healing Spells, cost, the spirit is unaffected. If the
unconscious or even wound himself in p. 94. caster spends half the energy cost, the
casting the Banish. spirit takes one second to break out of
Entrap Spirit the trap; this is a bad deal, but some-
Time to cast: 5 seconds. times buying even a second is a
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at least Special worthwhile thing to do. If multiple
one spell from each of 10 different spirits are trapped in a single contain-
colleges. Enables the caster to seal a contain- er, add half the others’ ST and IQ to
er or chamber so that a spirit within the full ST and IQ of the most power-
Item cannot get out for the duration of the ful spirit before calculating cost.
spell. Getting the spirit into the trap in
Some “holy” artifacts are of aid in the first place is a separate question; The spirit cannot damage the con-
banishing actual demons, and items usually Command Spirit is required, tainer or affect anything outside of it,
from the home planes of extradimen- but trickery can be just as effective. nor can it use shape-shifting powers to
sional creatures may help in under- help it escape in any way. It can com-
standing and banishing them. Some The container can be any size, municate with anyone within a yard
rumored amulets from a small bottle up to an entire or so of the container in the normal
worn by planar building, but it must be fully, tightly fashion.
travelers help them closed (watertight is good enough),
resist banishment. and the mage must touch it while Duration: 5 minutes.
casting the spell. The spirit cannot Cost: Spirit’s (ST+IQ) divided by 5
Burning Death (VH) resist the spell, but the casting cost is to cast, by 10 to maintain.
directly proportional to its power. The Prerequisites: Magery 1, Soul Jar,
Regular; Resisted by HT total cost is equal to the spirit’s ST + and Turn Spirit.
IQ, divided by 5 to cast and by 10 to
As listed under Fire Spells, p. 76. maintain. It takes a true effort to

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 157

Repel Spirits Steal Grace steals DX, Steal Wisdom casting is complete. The caster may
steals IQ, and Steal Vigor steals HT. abort his casting at any time; the
Area Each spell must be studied separately, energy is still spent.
but all four work identically.
Repels spirits from an area. The The caster gains the skill as if he
spell resists attempts by spirits (as well The spell transfers basic attributes had himself spent the character points
as other insubstantial beings such as on a level-for-level basis to the caster stolen from the subject. This spell can
an Ethereal Body or Astral Trip from the subject (who must be a liv- be used to steal spells.
subject) to enter it or stay in it. ing, sapient being). The caster cannot
lower the subject’s attribute below the If the victim had other skills based
Each spirit may try to enter the subject’s racial average (10 for a on the stolen one, he retains them
area once per hour, rolling a Regular human). Thus, a subject must have an fully, but the loss of a prerequisite
Contest between its Will and the cast- exceptional score for this spell to causes a -2 penalty to skill use.
er’s effective skill (each stage of the work. Secondary characteristics are
Contest lasts a second). Once inside, affected by the attribute loss. Example: Severin wishes to sell
the invader resists with its Will; the some ill-gotten gains, but lacks much
spirit is expelled from the area on its The caster must touch the subject in the way of business sense. To reme-
first failure. and hold on to him for the entire cast- dy this, he casts Steal Skill on the first
ing time; neither can do anything while bazaar merchant he passes, taking his
Duration: 1 hour. the spell is being cast. The caster Merchant skill. The merchant has IQ
Base cost: 4 to cast. Half that to increases his own attribute (whichever 10, Business Acumen 2, and
maintain. applies) as if he had spent the character Merchant-15, having spent 12 points
Time to cast: 10 seconds. points stolen from the subject. on Merchant. Severin gains Merchant
Prerequisites: Banish and Turn as if he had spent 12 points on the skill
Spirit. Example: Rolfe, with an IQ of 14, – with Severin’s IQ of 14, his Merchant
wishes to steal the wisdom of a victim skill is now 17. He does not gain the
Item with IQ 13 (this is legal; it is assumed benefit of the merchant’s Business
that any character has knowledge and Acumen Talent.
(a) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Usable experiences that would expand the
only by mages. Energy cost to create: capabilities of another, even if the Duration: 24 hours.
100. (b) Any area or container can be score is lower). If he drains the subject Cost: 1 per character point stolen
made permanently repellent at 100 to IQ 10, he has stolen 3 levels of IQ, (minimum cost of 10).
times casting cost. raising his IQ to 17. Time to cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Borrow
Bind Spirit (type) (VH) Duration: 1 day; at the end of that Skill, and Daze.
time, both the caster and the subject
Regular; Resisted by regain their normal attributes. Steal Youth (VH)
spirit’s IQ
Cost: 1 per character point stolen Regular; Resisted by HT
Similar to Enslave (p. 141), but for (minimum cost 10).
spirits. Like Enslave, it allows mental Take another’s youth. For every 10
contact with a turn of concentration. Time to cast: 1 minute. points of energy put into this spell, the
There is a separate Bind Spirit spell Prerequisites: Magery 3. In caster grows one year younger and the
for each Command Spirit spell. The addition, there are different spell pre- subject (who must be of the same
spirit may interpret its orders requisites for each version of the spell: race) grows two years older. The sub-
creatively, as per Command Spirit. ject must either be willing or totally
Spell Prerequisites helpless; the caster must touch the
Duration: Permanent. Steal Might Steal Vitality and subject. A critical failure of this spell
Cost: 1 per 3 character points used costs the caster 1 point of IQ and ages
to build the spirit (minimum cost 30). Steal Dexterity Debility him by 20 years instantly.
Time to cast: 5 minutes. Steal Vitality and
Prerequisites: Command Spirit Steal Wisdom Duration: Permanent.
(same type), and Soul Jar. Clumsiness Cost: 10 to 30.
Steal Vigor Steal Vitality and Time to cast: 1 hour.
Item Prerequisite: Youth, Age, and Steal
Foolishness Vitality.
A spirit may be bound to an item or Steal Energy and
place. Bound spirits will serve the Item
owner of the item and will not dissipate. Frailty
Energy cost to create: 4 times the cost Staff, wand, or jewelry. The wearer
above, halved if the spirit is willing. Steal Skill (VH) and the item must both touch the vic-
tim. Usable only by mages. This item
Steal (Attribute) (VH) Regular; Resisted by Will can only be used once a year, and only
to steal one year at a time – so one
Regular; Resisted by Transfers one skill from the subject item keeps one mage young, but no
appropriate attribute to the caster. The caster must touch the more. Energy cost to create: 8,000.
subject and hold on to him for the
This is actually four separate spells. entire casting time; neither character
Steal Might steals the subject’s ST, can do anything for that duration. The
outcome of the struggle (i.e., the resist-
ance roll) remains unknown until the

158 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

Steal Beauty (VH) Prerequisites: Magery 3, Alter permanently enchanted for 100 times
Visage, and Steal Vitality. casting cost. (c) A container of any size
Regular (from a stoppered bottle to a starship)
Item may be enchanted for an energy cost of
Transfers the subject’s beauty to the 500 per cubic yard or fraction thereof.
caster. The caster gains one or more Staff, wand, or jewelry. The wearer The container must be at least airtight
appearance levels (p. B21) while the and the item must both touch the vic- when fully closed. This creates a mobile
subject loses an equal number. tim. Usable only by mages. Energy cost astral block. Any spirit coaxed into the
to create: 2,500. enclosure (or in it when the spell is
Beauty can only be stolen from cast) will be affected by the spell when
someone of better appearance than the Astral Block it is closed. Opening the container tem-
caster, and the caster cannot gain better porarily suspends the spell.
appearance than the subject’s initial Area
appearance level. The subject must be Lich (VH)
of the same species and sex as the cast- No spirit or insubstantial being
er. In addition, the subject must either may cross an astral block’s boundaries Enchantment
be willing or totally helpless and must for the duration of the spell. In addi-
be touched for the entire casting time. A tion, insubstantial creatures within an This spell lets the caster become a
critical failure of this spell instantly astral block cannot become substan- lich, a wizard preserved into undeath
makes the caster Hideous. tial, and vice versa. Thus, a sorcerer with powerful magic and alchemy. He
could not cast Ethereal Body within retains his personality, knowledge, IQ,
At the GM’s option, this spell may the area of a spell, while a ghost would skills, and spells, and all his
also be used to steal Charisma and the be unable to use Solidify. A ghost mental advantages and disadvantages
Voice advantage. People with stolen already in a tangible state could not (including Magery), but gains the
Charisma simply become less scintil- become insubstantial! physical and supernatural traits of a
lating; those with stolen Voices lich, as determined by the GM. The
become mute. Critical failure on Duration: 10 minutes. more powerful that package, the
either of these applications results in Cost: 4 to cast and 2 to maintain if higher the energy cost.
muteness for the caster! cast as an Area spell. 15 per cubic yard
if cast on a container, and half that to After the GM determines the lich
Duration: 24 hours; at the end of maintain. template (and hence, the energy cost),
this time, both the caster and subject Time to cast: 2 seconds. the mage casts this spell as with any
regain their normal appearance. Prerequisites: Summon Spirit and other enchantment, but with himself
Repel Spirits. as the subject. At the end of the
Cost: Equal to the character point enchanting, he rolls against skill. Any
difference between the subject’s origi- Item failure does 6d damage to the caster. A
nal and final appearances (or equal to success prepares the wizard’s body for
the cost of the stolen advantage, in the (a) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Usable the next step.
case of Charisma or Voice). only by mages. Energy cost to create:
600. (b) Any area or container may be
Time to cast: 30 seconds.

NECROMANTIC SPELLS 159

To complete the transformation,

the would-be lich must drink an Lich
alchemical elixir of Lichdom. The

elixir of Lichdom is prepared like any 105 points

other alchemical elixir (see p. 210); it Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+2 [40]; HT+2 [20].
requires $13,500 in materials and 50 Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed+1 [20]; HP+3 [6];
weeks of brewing. It defaults to
Alchemy-7. Anyone not currently FP+3 [9].
under the effects of a Lich spell who Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t
imbibes an elixir of Lichdom is affect-
ed as if he had drunk an elixir of Death Sleep [20]; DR 2 [10]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immunity to
(p. 215). However, an elixir of Lichdom Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood, No Brain, No
cannot be counteracted, even with an Eyes, No Vitals, Unliving) [40]; Temperature Tolerance 10 [10];
alchemical Antidote. The elixir of Unaging [15]; Unfazeable [15]; Vacuum Support [5].
Lichdom is forbidden everywhere, and Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous; Universal, +25%) [-25];
formularies for it are almost impossi- Dependency (Mana; common, constantly) [-50]; Fragile (Brittle) [-15];
ble to find; most liches are compelled Fragile (Unnatural, Mitigated by potion, monthly, -70%) [-15]; No
to reinvent it from scratch. Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20];
Vulnerability (Crushing Attacks; ¥2) [-30].
When a wizard under the Lich spell Quirks: Cannot Float; Sexless. [-2]
drinks a potion of Lichdom, he must Features: Affected by Pentagram; Can be turned using True Faith; Skull
roll vs. HT. If he succeeds, he dies, ris- has only 2 total DR.
ing as a lich in 2d days. If he fails, he Racial Skill Modifiers: +1 to Thanatology [2].

just dies. Luck, as well as the Bless and

Wish spells, can influence this HT roll.

This is also an Enchantment spell. undead guardian sustained by magic. die if he wishes. Only Remove

Energy Cost to Cast: Equal to the It attempts to affect the wearer every Enchantment can reverse the Wraith
lich’s point total in his undead form, time it is put on. The spell is Resisted spell without harm.
including his personal abilities and normally by HT. If the subject ever
those on the lich template. It costs fails to resist (or chooses not to), he Each Wraith item can sustain one
more for a more powerful subject “dies” and rises as a wraith 24 hours wraith at a time. Once a given item
because there are more abilities to later. has produced a wraith, it has no effect
preserve. Minimum cost is 100. on other wearers until its wraith has
The GM determines the exact abil- been destroyed. The Wraith spell has
Prerequisites: Magery 3, IQ 13 or ities of the wraith, but mental traits no effect on the undead.
higher, Enchant, Soul Jar, and Zombie. are preserved as per the Lich spell.
The wraith always has a Dependency At double energy cost, the
enchanter can create an item that

Wraith (VH) (p. B130) on the Wraith item (a rare makes the wraith his undead servant.

item, required constantly, for -150 The wraith automatically gains

Enchantment; Resisted by HT points), and shrivels and dies if it is Reprogrammable (p. B150) with the
removed or destroyed. This item isn’t enchanter as his master in addition to
Enchants a ring or an amulet that Hexed; the victim can remove it and his Dependency, and cannot remove
will turn the wearer into a wraith, an the Wraith item himself.

At half cost, the enchanter can cre-

ate an item that turns the wearer into

Wraith an undead tomb guardian. This works
exactly as a regular Wraith item,
233 points except that the undead gains
Compulsive Behavior (Remain in
Attribute Modifiers: ST+5 [50]; HT+5 [50]. tomb and guard it; kill abductors and
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+5 [10]. return if forcibly removed from tomb)
Advantages: Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 4 [20]; Immunity to Metabolic [-15].

Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood, No Brains, No Vitals, This is also an Enchantment spell.
Unliving) [10]; Magery 1 [15]; Night Vision 9 [9]; Supernatural
Durability (Spells, Magic Weapons) [150]; Temperature Tolerance 10

[10]; Unaging [15]; Unfazeable [15]. Energy Cost to Cast: 500.

Disadvantages: Appearance (Horrific) [-24]; Bloodlust (12) [-10]; Callous Prerequisites: Magery 3, IQ 13 or

(12) [-5]; Dependency (Wraith item; rare, constantly) [-150]; higher, Enchant, Halt Aging, and Soul

Disturbing Voice [-10]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20]; Supernatural Jar.

Features (No Body Heat, Pallor) [-15]; Unhealing (Can heal with Steal Item
HT) [-20].
Quirks: Loves battle; Sexless. [-2] A ring or funerary amulet, which
Racially Innate Spells: Deathtouch-15 [20]; Steal Health-15 [20]; need not be ornate.

Ethereal Body-15 [20].

160 NECROMANTIC SPELLS

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

PLANT SPELLS

Willem stared at the apricot he Item Bless Plants
held in both hands and slowly shook
his head. “I don’t understand you, Wand or staff. Energy Area
Stanislav. Why waste yourself in the cost to create: 200.
hinterlands this way, making giant Causes the plants within the area
fruit? You know you could easily have Heal Plant of effect to grow faster and stronger
a seat on the Council.” for the rest of their growing season.
Area The crop yield within the area of effect
Stanislav smiled indulgently. “I is doubled.
prefer it here, Willem, helping good Heals plants within the
people raise better crops. I had my fill area of disease, parasites, Duration: One crop or growing sea-
of politics years ago, and I’m not inter- and damage. The plants son.
ested in building castles in the air or must still be alive for the
constructing a better fireball. Far bet- spell to work. Base cost: 1. To be affected, the
ter, I think, to spend the days I’m given plants must be entirely within the area
plumbing the mysteries of a perfect Duration: Permanent. of effect.
tomato.” Base cost: 3. Trees larg-
er than saplings require a Time to cast: 5 minutes.
These spells detect, modify, con- radius of at least 3 yards. Prerequisite: Heal Plant.
trol, and communicate with plants. Time to cast: 1 minute.
Unless noted otherwise, the subject Prerequisite: Identify Item
plants gain no special powers. Plant.
Staff. Usable only by a mage.
Seek Plant Item Energy cost to create: 500.

Information Staff. The item must
touch the plant. Energy
Obtains the direction and approxi- cost to create: 400.
mate distance of the nearest growth of
plants, or of one specific plant type. Shape Plant
Use the long-distance modifiers
(p. 14). Any known plants may be Regular
excluded if the caster mentions them
before casting. Shape and mold plants
and plant material with
Cost: 2. hands. Gives +2 to Carpentry
and Artist (Woodworking), or allows
Item the caster to work without any tools at
-1 to skill. Useful for building houses
A carved wooden wand, staff, or and furniture, repairing shields and
figurine. Energy cost to create: 50. equipment, and removing wooden
obstacles. It can be used on a foe’s
Identify Plant weapon in combat, doing 2d damage
to wooden weapons; see Striking at
Information Weapons (p. B400) for details on
damaging weapons.
Determines the type and species of
any one plant. It also gives basic infor- Duration: 1 minute.
mation about it (edible, poisonous, Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain.
etc). A successful casting of this spell Double cost if the material is no longer
gives +3 to Naturalist or Physician living.
skill for determining medicinal or Time to cast: 10 seconds.
other special properties of the plant. Prerequisite: Identify Plant.

Cost: 2. Item
Prerequisite: Seek Plant.
Gloves of plant material. Energy
cost to create: 500.

PLANT SPELLS 161

Hide Path suffer a -2 DX penalty for as long as Conceal
they are in the cloud and for 3d turns
Regular thereafter. Area

Enables the caster and up to five The rate of dissipation depends on Causes the local vegetation to
other man-sized creatures, or one the area and the presence of wind; grow quickly over any objects in the
caster on horseback, to pass through indoors, it usually lasts until the spell area, concealing them from casual
grass, undergrowth, or jungle without expires, but outdoors on a windy day inspection. Anyone looking into the
leaving any sign. Any tracking attempt it may last only 10 seconds or so. area must make a Quick Contest
made on this hidden path is at -8! (their Vision vs. the caster’s skill), to
Duration: 5 minutes or less. notice objects hidden by the conceal-
Duration: 1 minute. Base cost: 1. Cannot be maintained. ing growth. Large objects may be
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain. Prerequisite: Shape Plant. camouflaged into “hills” by growing a
Prerequisite: Heal Plant. carpet of grass or moss over them.
Item
Item Duration: 1 hour.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost Base cost: In a forest or jungle set-
Cloak of plant material. Energy cost to create: 100. ting (or underwater), 1 to cast; in
to create: 300. plains or savanna, 2; in tundra, 3.
Blight Same cost to maintain.
Plant Growth Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Area Prerequisite: Plant Growth.
Area
Causes the plants within the affect- Item
Causes the equivalent of one ed area to grow more slowly and more
month’s growth in one minute. Trees weakly for the rest of their growing Wand or staff. Energy cost to create:
change only slightly, while weeds grow season. The crop yield within the area 250.
tremendously. Useful for gardening is halved. Immediate effects include
(after removing all the weeds!), and loss of leaves, fruit, and blossoms; the Forest Warning
starting seeds. affected plants recover (partially) in
the following days. Area
Duration: 1 minute.
Base cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. Duration: One crop or growing sea- As Nightingale (p. 167), but only
Time to cast: 10 seconds. son. works on areas with plants.
Prerequisite: Heal Plant.
Base cost: 1. To be affected, the Duration: 10 hours.
Item plants must be entirely within the area Base cost: 1⁄2 (minimum 2). Same
of effect. cost to maintain.
Staff or wand. Energy cost to create: Prerequisites: Sense Danger or four
300. Time to cast: 5 minutes. plant spells.
Prerequisite: Plant Growth.
Plant Vision Item
Item
Regular Can be cast permanently on an
Staff. Usable only by mages. Energy area of plant growth. Energy cost to
See through vegetation to find cost to create: 500. create: 100 per yard radius.
overgrown buildings, lurking ene-
mies, etc. Natural plant growth is Blossom Tangle Growth
transparent to the spell’s subject.
Magical plant growth, dead wood, Area Area
and wooden constructions are not.
Causes plants within the area of Causes grass or other ground
This is also a Knowledge spell. effect to bloom and bear fruit within plants within the area to grow and
the one-hour duration of the spell. To become obstacles (movement cut to
Duration: 30 seconds. be affected, the entire plant must be 1⁄2 Move, -2 to dodge), or bushes and
Cost: 1 per 10 yards of range to cast within the area of effect. The plant low trees to grow into barriers that
(100 yards maximum). Same cost to remains in this condition for 24 hours, must be removed to pass. Treat such a
maintain. at the end of which it enters its fall barrier as a 3” wooden slab (p. B558)
Prerequisite: Shape Plant. phase – leaves of deciduous trees will per yard of width. Anyone in the area
turn color, blossoms and fruit drop off, when the spell is cast may move nor-
Item etc. The spell may be limited to a sin- mally on the next turn; only if they fail
gle plant, or a single type of plant, at to leave will they be caught.
Any. Energy cost to create: 300. the time of casting.
Duration: 1 minute.
Pollen Cloud Duration: 1 hour. Base cost: 1 for grass, 2 for bushes
Base cost: 2. Cannot be maintained. and trees. Half that to maintain.
Area; Resisted by HT Time to cast: 5 minutes. Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Plant Growth. Prerequisite: Plant Growth.
A cloud of pollen fills the area;
anyone within it begins sneezing,
weeping, and coughing. All victims

162 PLANT SPELLS

Item

An area may be made permanently
“tangled” at a cost of 20 per yard
radius for grass, or 30 per yard radius
of trees and bushes.

Purify Earth

Area

As listed under Earth Spells, p. 54.

Create Plant all Sense rolls, and the ability to detect Item
the presence of invisible or magically
Area hidden creatures with a normal Sense Staff. Usable only by mages; the
roll. Works only in areas with thick item must touch the subject. Energy
Brings forth vegetation where noth- plant growth (jungles, forests, etc.); cost to create: 700.
ing grew before. Whether this vegeta- may work at half effect (with no
tion survives depends on the area. chance to sense invisible or magically Wither Plant
hidden creatures) in sparser terrain.
Duration: Permanent. Area; Resisted by HT
Base cost: 4 for grasses; 8 for bush- Duration: 1 minute.
es; 15 for trees. Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. Causes plants within the area to
Time to cast: 1 second per energy Prerequisites: Forest Warning and wither and die. The caster can choose
point. Hide Path. to affect only one type of plant, or
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Plant everything but one type of plant, if he
Growth. Item wishes. Any large plants or animated
vegetable foes should be assigned a
Item Staff or figurine. Energy cost to cre- HT score with which to resist this spell
ate: 500. – see Animate Plant.
Staff. Usable only by a mage. The
item must touch the area where the Rejuvenate Plant Duration: Permanent.
plants are to be created. Energy cost to Base cost: 2.
create: 1,000. Regular Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Blight.
False Tracks Causes a dead, dying, or old plant
to undergo a sudden burst of life. Item
Regular; Resisted by Will Tables (or longbows!) sprout leaves,
an aging fruit tree bears fruit once Staff or wand of dead wood. Energy
The subject leaves tracks that more, etc. Whether the plant can sus- cost to create: 200.
appear to be those of some animal or tain this new vitality depends on its
other being. Unwilling subjects resist immediate surroundings. A rejuvenat- Walk Through Plants
with Will. A Quick Contest between a ed chair would die slowly unless its
tracker’s Tracking skill and the caster’s legs could grow roots into nourishing Regular
Naturalist skill (or his skill with this soil, for example.
spell, whichever is lower) determines Enables the subject to pass through
whether or not the tracker is fooled. Duration: Permanent. grass, undergrowth, heavy forest or
Cost: 3. jungle without any hindrance from the
Duration: 1 minute. Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Plant vegetation. He can travel as if the land
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain. Growth. were open (normal movement rates);
Prerequisites: Shape Plant and plants move aside to let him pass and
Shape Earth. then resume their previous position
behind him.
Item

Footwear. The item must bear a
picture of the animal or being whose
tracks it leaves. Energy cost to create:
300.

Plant Sense

Regular; Resisted by Hide Path

The subject sees and hears minute
details known by the plants around
him – such as disturbances caused by
passing or hiding creatures. This gives
a +4 bonus to Tracking, a +2 bonus to

PLANT SPELLS 163

The spell makes tracking difficult, Item ground, while small ones (up to
giving a penalty from -1 to -8, depend- bracelet or wand size) may remain
ing on the thickness of the local vege- Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost imbedded in your plant form.
tation. If used against Tangle Growth, to create: 600 (will control any type of
a Quick Contest of spells must take vegetable). The caster cannot move about,
place every second. attack, etc., unless a plant with those
Essential Wood abilities exists in the game world and
Duration: 1 minute. he takes that form, or unless Animate
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain. Regular Plant is cast on his plant form. A wiz-
Prerequisites: Hide Path and Shape ard in plant shape may cast no spells
Plant. Transforms any intact wood into unless he knows them so well that he
the magical essence of wood. Essen- can cast them without speech or ges-
Item tial Wood is three times as strong as ture! He may hear normally but may
regular wood, with three times the HP not see except to sense light and
Cloak of plant material. Energy cost and DR listed on p. B558, and three darkness. He may not speak.
to create: 400. times the ability to support weight. It
is difficult to ignite with regular Injuries taken in plant form carry
Walk Through Wood flames (Highly Resistant, according to over proportionately. This means, for
the chart on p. B433), but once lit instance, that an arrow wound to a tree
Regular burns three times as long. It also is a pinprick to a man; some GM flexi-
burns hotter, adding an extra point of bility is required here! Time spent in
Enables the subject to pass damage to each die (this will even plant form automatically counts as
through solid wood (dead or alive) as increase the heat of Essential Flame!). “rest” unless the plant is under attack.
if it were air. It does not open a pas- However, he must roll against IQ every
sage so that others can follow, nor Manufactured objects made of hour that he stays in plant form. A
does it reveal what is on the other side wood can be turned into objects made failed roll temporarily reduces his IQ by
. . . The subject should hold his breath, of Essential Wood; living plants, how- 1. If IQ drops to 5, he is trapped in plant
as the spell does not supply any air! ever, may not be transformed. form, with a plant’s IQ, until someone
else frees him with Remove Curse.
Should the spell end before the Duration: Permanent.
subject regains the open air, he is Cost: 8. Duration: 1 hour.
buried in wood. He is not automati- Time to cast: 30 seconds. Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
cally harmed, but suffocates (p. B436) Prerequisites: Six Plant spells. Prerequisites: Magery 1 and six
if he cannot escape. Plant spells.
Item
Duration: 1 second. Item
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. Staff. Usable only by mages. Cost to
Prerequisite: Walk Through Plants. create: 800 energy. Staff or wand. Energy cost to create:
1,200.
Item Animate Plant
Plant Speech
Cloak of plant material. Energy cost Regular
to create: 500. Regular
As Animation (p. 150), except only
Plant Control one living plant may be animated. An “Converse” with plants in a very
animated plant gains a HT score equal rudimentary fashion (semi-telepathi-
Regular; Resisted by Will to twice the energy put into the spell. cally; the mage must speak aloud).
Note that woody plants often have a The older the plant, the more detailed
Control the actions of one large high DR and make frightening foes. the information that can be gained.
vegetable (any size) or a group of For instance, grass could only tell that
small ones, up to about 100 pounds A sapient (IQ 6 or higher) plant it had been stepped on recently (about
total – useful only if the plant can may not be animated. a day), while an ancient oak could
move spontaneously to start with. recall details of mounts, dress, aroma
Concentration is required. This spell Duration: 1 minute. . . . Sapient vegetables can hold much
will not work on a sapient vegetable Cost: 3 to cast. Half that to main- better conversations.
(IQ 6 or higher). Note that this spell tain. Double cost if the plant is to pull
makes possible the use of Rider, Rider itself up and walk (Move 4) on its Duration: 1 minute. Each minute
Within, Beast Possession, and similar roots! allows one question and answer.
spells on vegetable creatures. Plant Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Control is Resisted by Animate Plant. Prerequisites: Seven Plant spells. Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Plant
Duration: 1 minute. Plant Form Sense.
Cost: 3 to cast. Half that to main-
tain. Special Item
Prerequisite: Plant Sense.
Assume the form of any natural Staff. Energy cost to create: 750 for
plant or tree between 1⁄2 and five an item that will talk to one particular
times your own size. Clothing vanish- species, 2,000 for one that will talk to
es, to reappear when you regain your any plant.
form; large possessions fall to the

164 PLANT SPELLS

Plant Meta-Traits Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 30 seconds.
Body of Wood: Your body is made of wood. Basic Speed-1 [-20]; Lifting Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Plant
ST +5 [15]; Blunt Claws [3]; DR 2 (Semi-Ablative, -20%) [8]; Doesn’t Form.
Breathe [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance
(Homogenous) [40]; Numb [-20]; and Affected by Plant spells [0]. 76 Item
points.
Staff or wand. Usable only by
Body of Slime: Your body is made of an organic slime like algae or mages; the item must touch the
slime mold. Amphibious [10]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Immunity to subject. Energy cost to create: 3,000.
Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) [40]; Bad Smell
[-10]; Disturbing Voice [-10]; Invertebrate [-20]; Affected by Plant spells Body of Wood
[0]. 60 points.
Regular; Resisted by HT
Rain of Nuts Arboreal Immurement
Subject becomes an animated
Area Regular; Resisted by HT wooden statue, temporarily granting
him the Body of Wood meta-trait (see
Causes a rain of nuts to fall within Similar to Entombment, except box). Clothes (up to 6 pounds) also
the area, issuing from the nearby trees that a tree, instead of the earth, con- become wood, but lose any magic
as if they were suddenly filled with fines the subject. The subject is powers they might have had. He may
crazed squirrels. The noisy torrent instantly swallowed by the nearest still speak, cast spells, etc.
plinks on helmets, stings bare skin, tree large enough to contain him. He
and interferes with missile fire. Any remains in suspended animation (as A subject under the effects of Body
characters in the area take a -1 penal- with the spell; see p. 94) in a tiny cylin- of Wood may also merge into wooden
ty to any tasks requiring concentra- drical chamber inside the tree, until objects as if he had the Permeation
tion or skill, including combat and rescued by chopping through the tree (Wood) advantage (p. B75).
spellcasting. There’s an additional vis- or the cancellation of the spell.
ibility penalty of -1 per 8 yards dis- Duration: 1 minute. The spell
tance, applied to missile attacks and A mage who casts Arboreal expires if the subject loses
Vision rolls. The caster may elect to Immurement on himself may elect to consciousness.
exclude any in the area from the stay awake, but this is unwise unless
effects of the spell, focusing the “ire” he can create air! Cost: 7 to cast. 3 to maintain.
of the wood on enemies. Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Modifiers: Apply the long-distance Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Plant
This spell may only be cast out- modifier (p. 14) for the distance from Form.
doors, in a forest. It won’t work in the the subject to the nearest tree large
dead of winter, or in very sparse woods. enough to hold him. Item
Depending on the species of trees, the
nuts may turn out to be edible. Duration: Indefinite. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects
Cost: 8 to cast. 5 to reverse an the wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,300.
Human mages rarely use this spell Arboreal Immurement.
(most feel it is beneath their dignity), Time to cast: 3 seconds. Body of Slime
but sylvan species and nature spirits Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Walk
use it to drive intruders from their Through Wood. Regular; Resisted by HT
woods.
Item The aquatic equivalent of Body of
Duration: 1 minute. Wood. The subject becomes an ani-
Base cost: 1/10 to cast. Same cost to Wand or staff. The item must be mated mass of green slime – algae,
maintain. For double cost, the caster wooden, and works only with trees of pond scum, and other muck you
may double the effect of the spell (-2 that wood. Usable only by mages; the might find in a swamp – temporarily
skill penalties and visibility -1 per 4 item must touch the subject. Energy granting him the Body of Slime meta-
yards), if the GM agrees that the cost to create: 1,000. trait (see box). Clothes (up to 6
woods are sufficiently dense and wild. pounds) are also transformed, but lose
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at least Plant Form Other (VH) any magic powers they might have
six Plant spells including Shape Plant. had.
Special; Resisted by Will
Item Duration: 1 minute. The spell
As Plant Form, but usable on oth- expires if the subject loses
Staff or wand. Usable only by ers. Only the caster or a Remove Curse consciousness.
mages. Energy cost to create: 500. spell can end the spell. IQ loss will
soon transform the subject into a true Cost: 6 to cast. 2 to maintain.
vegetable! Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Plant
Duration: 1 hour. Form, and Shape Water.

Item

Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects
the wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,300.

PLANT SPELLS 165

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

PROTECTION AND
WARNING SPELLS

Patrick’s eyes snapped open in the specialty for mages. It’s a particularly Detect Poison
dark; the tingle of his makeshift ward accessible college; most of its spells
buzzed in his mind. As silently as he have only a few prerequisites. Area; Information
could, he rolled into the small gap he’d Besides, a wise mage is a mage with a
made between his bed and the wall contingency plan. Reveals the presence of toxins and
and dropped to the floor. There, under gives a +2 on any subsequent Poisons
his bed, he tried to think small and Sense Danger roll to identify the exact agent(s). The
quiet thoughts as three pairs of feet caster may exclude any types of poi-
tiptoed ever closer. Information sons he wishes upon casting (to
specifically search for nerve agents,
“He’s not here,” Boz’s voice hissed Tells the caster if any immediate for instance, or to exclude “benign”
softly. danger is nearby; can also detect a far- poisons like alcohol).
away danger if it threatens to come
Patrick couldn’t make out the whis- close and strike! Gives the nature of This is also a Healing spell.
pered conversation between the three any danger that is only a minute or so
older boys, and nearly cried out in sur- away; if there is a danger within five Base cost: 2.
prise when they began to beat his bed minutes, the spell produces forebod- Time to cast: 2 seconds.
vigorously. Maybe they wanted to ing but no details (except possibly on Prerequisite: Sense Danger or Test
make sure he hadn’t placed a glamour a critical success). Food.
over himself before going to sleep. He
curled up, listening to the drumming Duration: Instantaneous. Item
above his head and trying not to think Cost: 3.
about what would have happened if Prerequisite: Sense Foes or the Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
he hadn’t learned how to place a ward advantage of Danger Sense. to create: 250.
on his door before Boz decided to take
a dislike to him. Item Magelock

The College of Protection and Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy cost Regular; Resists
Warning is a common second to create: 400. Lockmaster spell

Locks a door magically. The door
does not open unless the spell is
removed (Counterspell and
Lockmaster will both counter it) or
the door itself is destroyed.

Duration: 6 hours.
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1.

Item

A golden key that must touch the
door. Energy cost to create: 200.

Block

Blocking

An instantaneous version of the
Shield spell – adds to the subject’s DB
for a single defense roll. This spell is
not cumulative with the effects of
Shield – use the highest value.

166 PROTECTION AND WARNING SPELLS

Cost: 1 per point of DB (maximum Base cost: 2 to cast. 2 to maintain. this spell does not allow a subject with-
of 5). Prerequisite: Sense Danger. out a shield to block. Defense Bonus
granted by Shield is not cumulative
Prerequisite: Magery 1. Item with any granted by Block (p. 166).

Hardiness Can be cast on an area of floor or Duration: 1 minute.
ground, or on a rug. Energy cost to Cost: Twice the Defense Bonus given
Blocking create: 100 per yard of radius. to the subject, to a maximum DB of 4
(cost 8). Half that to maintain.
An instantaneous version of the Sense Observation Prerequisite: Magery 2.
Armor spell – adds to the Damage
Resistance of the subject for one Area Item
attack. This spell is not cumulative
with Armor – only the stronger spell Alerts the caster if someone or None with this spell – but the
applies. Remember that only one something spies or scries upon the sub- armor enchantment called Deflect
Blocking spell may be cast in a turn. A ject area, by means magical or other- (p. 67) can increase your Defense
mage cannot follow up a failed Iron wise. A Quick Contest is rolled between Bonus by 1 to 5 points.
Arm with a Hardiness spell, for the spy’s IQ or the effective skill of the
instance. Information spell’s caster (Trace, Armor
Seeker, Crystal Ball, any of the “Sense”
Cost: 1 per point of DR (maximum spells . . .) and the effective skill of the Regular
of 5). Sense Observation spell’s caster; if the
caster wins, he becomes aware that the Adds to the Damage Resistance of
Prerequisite: Block. subject area is being observed. A critical a living subject. DR from this spell is
success (on the Contest) might give the treated for all purposes like DR from
Watchdog caster an idea of who or what is doing armor, and is cumulative with that
the scrying or spying. from actual armor.
Area
If the caster then tries to seek out Duration: 1 minute.
When cast around an area, this the spy, the margin of success of the Cost: Twice the Damage Resistance
spell warns the caster of anyone or Sense Observation contest can be given to the subject, to a maximum
anything crossing with hostile intent. added as a bonus to the Seeker roll, up DR of 5 (cost 10). Half that to main-
If the caster is asleep, he wakes to a maximum of +5 (effectively neu- tain.
instantly without being stunned. The tralizing the -5 penalty for having noth- Prerequisite: Shield.
spell is not destroyed if triggered; it ing associated with the person sought).
lasts until its natural expiration. Another possible course of action is to Item
Counterspell the scrying spell; distance
Duration: 10 hours. penalties do not apply, but the -5 penal- None with this spell – but the armor
Base cost: 1 to cast. 1 to maintain. ty for absent subject does. enchantment called Fortify (p. 66) can
Time to cast: 10 seconds. increase the Damage Resistance of
Prerequisite: Sense Danger. Sense Observation can also be cast your armor by 1 to 5 points.
on a being; in that case, the caster can
Item choose to have the spell alert the subject Turn Blade
instead when eavesdropping is detected.
Can be cast on an area of floor or Blocking
ground, or on a rug. Energy cost to Duration: 1 hour.
create: 200 per yard of radius. Base cost: 1 to cast. Half that to Makes an incoming blade turn in
maintain. When cast on a being, the its wielder’s hand, inflicting only
Protect Animal cost is 3. crushing damage instead of cutting.
Time to cast: 5 seconds. This also unreadies the weapon. Only
Area Prerequisite: Sense Danger or good against blade attacks – it is use-
Scryguard. less against a spear, club, or the teeth
As listed under Animal Spells, p. 32. and claws of an animal. This spell
Item does not count as an active defense
Nightingale itself; it may be combined with a nor-
(a) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy mal Parry, Block, or Dodge.
Area cost to create: 300. (b) Jewelry or
clothing. Always on. Only affects the If the caster is not the one being
Makes a door or section of floor wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,500. attacked, apply regular range modifiers
“noisy.” A door squeaks loudly when between the caster and the attacker.
opened; a patch of ground becomes Shield
full of snapping sticks when someone Cost: 1.
walks over it; a floor squeaks, etc. This Regular Prerequisite: Apportation or Spasm.
automatically alerts or awakes the
caster if he is within hearing range, Conjures an invisible shield of mag- Item
and probably alerts others nearby as ical force that moves to protect the sub-
well (make an IQ roll if there is other ject from frontal attacks. The Defense A bracelet or other piece of arm
noise around). Bonus granted by this spell is cumula- apparel. Energy cost to create: 300.
tive with that from an actual shield, but
Duration: 10 hours.

PROTECTION AND WARNING SPELLS 167

Bladeturning a modifier depending on the nature of Reflect Gaze (VH)
the missile caught. Considered a Parry
Regular by the caster for combat purposes. Blocking;
The missile is unready when caught. Resists gaze attacks
A continual version of Turn Blade – To catch a missile spell, use Catch
all blades attacking the subject are Spell. Resists one gaze attack (includes
turned, doing only crushing damage Lightning Stare, Fascinate, and any
and becoming unready. For each blad- Missile Type Penalty power which requires eye contact)
ed attack, roll a Quick Contest about to hit the subject. If successful,
between the wielder’s DX and the cast- Large thrown weapons +4 the gaze attack is reflected away from
er’s effective skill to see which wins the subject; a success by 10 or more, or
out. Useful only against blade attacks, (axes, spears, etc.) a critical success, reflects the gaze back
as per Turn Blade. upon the attacker. If failed, the gaze
Thrown knives +2 attack affects the subject normally.
Note that, unlike Turn Blade, the Considered a parry by the caster for
spell is cast on the one being attacked, Arrows 0 combat purposes. Apply Regular range
not on the attacker. modifiers if the caster is not the subject.
Blowgun darts, crossbow bolts -5
Duration: 1 minute. Cost: 2.
Cost: 2. Same cost to maintain. Bullets, Impossible Prerequisite: Mirror.
Prerequisite: Shield or Turn Blade.
supersonic missiles Item
Item
Cost: 2. Jewelry. Energy cost to create: 600;
Wand, staff, jewelry, weapon, or Prerequisite: Deflect Missile. must include a tiny mirror.
armor. Energy cost to create: 300.
Item Mystic Mist
Umbrella
Glove. Energy cost to create: 300. Area
Regular
Reverse Missiles Produces a dense, opalescent fog
As listed under Water Spells, p. 185. that confuses anyone entering it; figures
Regular more than 2 yards away cannot be seen
Deflect Missile except by Mage Sight. Those who were
Turns any ranged attack (including within it when it was cast are immune to
Blocking Missile spells) back upon the attacker. its effects; they can sense it as a dim
If the attacker’s “to hit” roll is success- shimmering, but it does not affect their
As listed under Movement Spells, ful, he hits himself – if not, he sees the vision or confuse them. Others must roll
p. 143. missile fly back toward him and miss. vs. (IQ + Magic Resistance) every sec-
The game effect is as though the mis- ond, or use Mage Sight, to avoid losing
Missile Shield sile had bounced straight back from their way and walking in randomly cho-
the spell’s subject to the attacker. sen directions, unless they have a guide.
Regular Absolute Direction avoids this problem.
Duration: 1 minute.
Turns any missiles harmlessly Cost: 7 to cast. 3 to maintain. A Fright Check is also required of
aside by the tiniest fraction needed to Prerequisite: Missile Shield or intruders first entering the mist, and
ensure they miss the subject; the game Force Dome. again every 5 minutes. Anyone failing
effect is that the missile continues in a the first Fright Check will be very
straight line past the subject. Works Item reluctant to enter! Dangerous animals
on all kinds of missiles – arrows, bul- simply avoid the mist, but suffer nor-
lets, falling rocks, missile spells, shrap- Wand, staff, weapon, or armor. mal effects if for some reason they
nel, cream pies – everything. The GM Energy cost to create: 600. must enter it.
should conceal the existence of the
spell from the caster’s foes as long as Return Missile Those “native” to the mist have a
possible, saying they just missed! +1 to their defense rolls when attacked
Blocking by interlopers, and interlopers have a
Duration: 1 minute. -1 to their own defense rolls against
Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain. Causes one missile (including “natives.”
Prerequisite: Apportation or Shield. spells) about to hit the subject to turn
back upon the attacker. If the attacker’s This spell is an excellent defense for
Item “to hit” was successful, he hits himself a party camping in dangerous territory.
– if not, he sees the missile fly back The caster must cast Mystic Mist in an
Wand, staff, weapon, or armor. toward him and miss. Considered a area centered on himself. The wider an
Energy cost to create: 400. Parry (by the caster) for combat pur- area he can cover, the better!
poses. Apply Regular range modifiers
Catch Missile if the caster is not the subject. Duration: 10 hours.
Base cost: 1. Cost to maintain is the
Blocking Cost: 2. same.
Prerequisite: Catch Missile.
The caster catches one missile
about to hit him. This spell is cast with Item

Jewelry, weapon, or shield. Energy
cost to create: 400.

168 PROTECTION AND WARNING SPELLS

Time to cast: 5 minutes. Resist Lightning Prerequisites: At least two spells
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and either from each of the four elements.
Watchdog or Shield. Regular
Atmosphere Dome
Item As listed under Weather Spells,
p. 196. Area
(a) Amulet that keeps wearer
immune to the effects of Mystic Mist. Warmth Creates a shimmering dome that is
Energy cost to create: 400. (b) It is selectively permeable to gases. It can
rumored that there is an object that Regular either drive out specified gases, or
creates a permanent Mystic Mist, con- draw them in. When the dome is cre-
trollable in some way, but nothing As listed under Fire Spells, p. 74. ated, the caster defines a target atmos-
more is known at present. pheric composition; when the target
Coolness level for each component gas is
Shade reached, the dome ceases acting on
Regular that gas until conditions inside the
Regular dome change. The composition select-
As listed under Water Spells, p. 187. ed by the caster specifies both propor-
Provides shade for the subject. This tions and total pressure; this spell can
prevents sunburn and provides some Iron Arm
relief from heat (reducing the effective thus be used either to change the
temperature around the subject by Blocking composition of the air within
10˚F, if hot light is a significant source the dome or its pressure rel-
of the heat). The effect is that of an Stop a blow with only ative to the surrounding
invisible parasol. an arm. If the spell area, or both. An
succeeds, the arm Atmosphere Dome can-
This is also a Light and Darkness becomes harder not create gas where
spell. than iron, none exists; if there is
momentarily – no oxygen in a planet’s
Duration: 1 hour. and automati- atmosphere, a dome
Cost: 1 to cast. Half that to main- cally parries the set to accumulate oxy-
tain. attacking gen remains empty.
Time to cast: 10 seconds. weapon without This is also an Air spell.
Prerequisite: Continual Light or harm to the caster.
Shield. If the spell fails, the Duration: 6 hours.
wizard is simply par- Base cost: 4 to cast. Half that to
Item rying with his arm! This maintain.
spell can parry no attack that a Prerequisites: Purify Air and
Staff or jewelry. Only affects the sword could not parry, and is consid- Weather Dome.
wearer. Energy cost to create: 100. ered a parry for purposes of combat.
Resist Pressure
Resist Poison Cost: 1.
Prerequisites: Resist Pain and DX Regular
Regular 11 or higher.
Protects the subject from the
As listed under Healing Spells, Item effects of pressures higher or lower
p. 91. than his native pressure, providing the
A bracelet or other item worn on equivalent of Pressure Support
Resist Disease the arm. Energy cost to create: 600. (p. B77) or Vacuum Support (p. B96).
The caster must select that advantage
Regular Weather Dome the spell grants and at what level at the
time of casting.
As listed under Healing Spells, Area
p. 90. This spell is most appropriate in
Creates a shimmering dome that scientific-paradigm settings; if the
Resist Sound repels bad weather of all types (up to space between the planets is filled
and including Windstorm spells, vol- with ordinary air and the bottom of
Regular canic ash, and rains of frogs, as well as the ocean is much like the bottom of a
flying insects!). Floods, landslides, and river, there’s not much use for this
As listed under Sound Spells, similar catastrophes destroy the spell.
p. 173. dome. Inside the dome, the air
remains fresh and the temperature Resist Pressure does not enable the
Resist Water remains comfortable for the caster. subject to breathe in the environments
it renders survivable; Breathe Water
Regular This is also a Weather spell. or Hold Breath may be useful in these
situations.
As listed under Water Spells, p. 186. Duration: 6 hours.
Base cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.

PROTECTION AND WARNING SPELLS 169

Duration: 1 minute. stunned and having spent all the ener- Force Wall
Cost: Varies with the advantage gy for the attempt! Doubling the
conferred. energy cost increases the penalty to Regular
-10; tripling it increases the penalty to
Advantage Energy Cost -15! Creates a shimmering barrier,
Pressure Support 1 2 to cast; which physical forces and missile
This spell works against Teleport, spells cannot cross. Only light and
Pressure Support 2 1 to maintain Timeport, Plane Shift, Timeslip, and non-Missile spells may pass. The
3 to cast; all their variations. Force Wall is four yards high. Higher
Pressure Support 3 walls are possible at a proportionate-
2 to maintain This is also a Gate spell. ly increased energy cost (double for
Vacuum Support 5 to cast; double height, etc).
Duration: 1 hour.
3 to maintain Base cost: 1⁄3 to cast (minimum 3- Duration: 10 minutes.
3 to cast; yard radius). Same cost to maintain. Cost: 2 per yard length to cast.
Time to cast: 10 seconds. Same cost to maintain.
2 to maintain Prerequisites: Watchdog and either Prerequisite: Force Dome.
Spell Shield or Teleport.
Prerequisite: Weather Dome. Item
Item
Item (a) Staff. Usable only by mages.
Can be cost on an area of floor or Energy cost to create: 300. (b) A Force
Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy cost ground, or on a rug or similar item. Wall may be made permanent at an
to create: 900. Energy cost to create: 50 per yard energy cost of 100 times normal.
radius.
Resist Radiation Utter Dome
Force Dome
Regular Area
Area
As listed under Technological Spells, Protects against physical and magi-
p. 182. As Weather Dome, but the Force cal attack; has the effect of a combina-
Dome repels any physical force or tion Force Dome and Pentagram.
Resist Acid missile spell. Nothing can enter except However, creatures cannot be sum-
light, and only enough light to see by moned within it, and there is no mark-
Regular (the interior is always in twilight). ing to erase. Can only be removed by
Likewise, nothing can leave the Force Dispel Magic or Counterspell. Resists
As listed under Water Spells, p. 190. Dome except light – and not even that, any attempt to look through with magic.
if the caster wills it. However, magic,
Freedom and magical creatures and items, pass Like Force Dome, an Utter Dome
through the Force Dome as though it takes a full second to form once cast.
Regular did not exist.
Duration: 1 minute.
As listed under Movement Spells, Once cast, a Force Dome takes a Base cost: 6 to cast. 4 to maintain.
p. 148. full second to form; anyone inside the Prerequisites: Magery 2, Force
Dome’s area at the time it is cast has Dome, and Spell Shield.
Teleport Shield one turn to leave.
Utter Wall
Area Duration: 10 minutes.
Base cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. Regular;
Any attempt to Teleport (or Blink) Prerequisites: Magery 1, Weather Resists intruding spells
into or out of the area of effect is at -5 Dome, and Apportation.
to skill. Failed attempts to teleport in As Force Wall, but protects against
have the normal effects. Failed physical and magical attack; has the
attempts to teleport out leave the effect of a combination Force Wall
caster where he started, physically and Spell Wall.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 per yard length to cast.
Same cost to maintain.
Prerequisites: Utter Dome and Spell
Wall.

Item

(a) Staff. Usable only by mages.
Energy cost to create: 1,000. (b) An
Utter Wall may be made permanent at
an energy cost of 100 times normal.

170 PROTECTION AND WARNING SPELLS

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SOUND SPELLS

Some people find their talents makes any sound. It is the area that is Duration: 1 minute.
early, and a toddler in green overalls affected and not the people in it; any- Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
seemed to be bent on making the most one moving out will be able to speak. Prerequisite: Keen Hearing or the
of an aptitude for shrieking. His pierc- Note that an area of silence will Acute Hearing advantage.
ing wails bored like a drill into Sheila’s prevent spoken spells from working!
temples. Item
Duration: 1 minute.
“One sec, OK?” she said to her Base cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain. Staff, wand, or jewelry; only affects
friends, and quickly rattled off a short Prerequisite: Sound. the wearer. Energy cost to create: 400.
Bel Dampener. As she spoke the last
syllable, the toddler’s scream stopped Item Thunderclap
like a TV being turned off. His mouth
kept working for a few seconds before An area can be permanently Regular
the absence of noise startled him out silenced; the spell is on the floor or
of the tantrum. ground, and is broken if that area is Produces a single loud sound like
torn up. Or a large rug can be enchant- an explosion or crash of thunder. The
Sheila sighed with satisfaction and ed for a portable silent area. Energy cost “subject” is the spot the caster chooses
settled back into her seat. to create: 80 per yard radius, but only as the spell’s center. Outdoors, anyone
one spell is required for the whole area. within 3 yards of this place must make
For any spell that produces sound, a HT roll or be deafened; anyone deaf-
the “subject” is the spot from which Sound Vision ened may roll vs. HT every hour to
the sound comes. recover. In an enclosed area – less than
Regular 10 yards in any dimension – increase
Sound this distance to 6 yards! The caster
The subject sees by sound, like a bat makes his roll at HT+2.
Regular or dolphin, as if he had the Scanning
Sense (Sonar) advantage (p. B81). The Cost: 2.
Produces any sort of meaningless Silence and Wall of Silence spells are Prerequisite: Sound.
sound the caster wishes – the drone of equivalent to Darkness to the subject,
an insect, the distant babble of voices, while someone using Hush or Mage- Item
the clatter of something falling, or Stealth will be effectively invisible to
anything similar. The spell cannot Sound Vision. The subject may still see Gloves, staff, wand, or jewelry.
produce loud noise. It requires no with his normal vision, if he wants to Energy cost to create: 300.
concentration once the spell is cast. and there is light to do so.

Duration and cost: 1 to create 5 sec-
onds of sound; 2 to create a sound that
lasts for a full minute; 1 per minute to
maintain.

Item

Any. Continually produces the
specified sound (though Link is often
used to turn it on and off). Energy cost
to create: 50.

Keen Hearing

As listed under Mind Control Spells,
p. 133.

Silence

Area

Creates an area of quiet. No one
within this area can hear anything,
and nothing that happens in this area

SOUND SPELLS 171

Voices Item Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Regular (a) Clothing or jewelry; only affects Prerequisite: Voices.
the wearer. Always on. Energy cost to
Produces a meaningful sound – create: 400. (b) Staff or wand. Usable Wall of Silence
voices, music, etc. – of normal speak- only by mages; the item must touch the
ing volume. Requires constant subject. Energy cost to create: 1,000. Area
concentration on the part of the caster.
Imitate Voice Surrounds the affected area with a
Duration: 1 minute. wall that sounds will not pass. Those
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. Regular; Resisted by HT within it cannot hear outside sounds,
Prerequisite: Sound. or be heard by those outside. Casting
Alters the subject’s voice to precise- of spoken spells is unaffected.
Item ly imitate that of a single other being
known to the caster (including special Duration: 1 minute.
Any. The item repeats a single say- inflections and accent). Recreating a Base cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
ing over and over (unless limited with familiar voice from memory is a -2 Prerequisite: Silence.
Link). Energy cost to create: 20 per penalty to skill, -3 or worse if the
word. caster has only heard the voice a few Item
times or a long time ago (Eidetic or
Garble Photographic Memory is helpful here). As for Silence, but the cost is 100
To determine whether someone famil- per yard radius.
Regular; Resisted by Will iar with the imitated being’s voice is
fooled or not, roll a Quick Contest Hush
The subject (a living being) can no between the spell and the listener’s IQ
longer make meaningful sounds; it when he first hears it. Regular; Resisted by Will
comes out completely garbled. This
spell could make an opposing wizard Modifiers: +2 for close acquaintanc- The subject (an object or living
powerless! es of the imitated being; -2 for listeners being) can make no sounds, either
who are not expecting trickery or accidentally or on purpose. Add 3 to
Duration: 1 minute. aren’t paying close attention. the subject’s Stealth skill whenever a
Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain. roll is necessary, or subtract 5 from the
Prerequisite: Voices. Hearing roll of anyone listening for
the subject. This spell can silence an
opposing wizard in battle!

Duration: 10 seconds if subject
attempted to resist, 1 minute other-
wise.

Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Silence.

Item

Clothing or jewelry; only affects the
wearer. Energy cost to create: 200.

Mage-Stealth

Regular

The subject can move quietly,
breathe without sound, etc., but can
still talk when necessary. Other
benefits are as for Hush.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Hush.

Item

Clothing or jewelry; only affects the
wearer. Energy cost to create: 500.

172 SOUND SPELLS

Great Voice regardless of other noise, but nobody person may roll vs. HT minus the
else hears it. A Detect Magic spell cast energy cost of the spell to recover.
Regular in the area reveals that it contains a
delayed message, but only a critical Duration: 1 second.
The subject can be heard clearly and success reveals more. A critical success Cost: 1 to 4 to cast. Same cost to
distinctly by everyone he can see, even reveals one of the following (roll ran- maintain. Range in yards is equal to
at a great distance. The subject can domly): the sender, the intended recip- energy cost.
choose to be heard by only a few chosen ient, or the words (not any hidden Prerequisite: Great Voice.
targets if he specifies before speaking meanings) of the message.
(those within ordinary earshot will hear Item
him whether he wants it or not, of This does not count as a “continu-
course). Note that, for instance, one ing spell” – the mage casts it and Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
could not cut off the subject’s voice by forgets about it. by a mage. Energy cost to create: 400.
ducking behind a rock. This spell is
widely used by ship captains, military Duration: Until the specified per- Concussion
commanders, and public speakers. The son arrives.
sound may become irritatingly loud if Missile
the original voice is loud, but will not Cost: 3 per simple sentence – one
deafen or cause harm. idea per sentence. Cannot be main- As listed under Air Spells, p. 26.
tained.
Duration: 1 minute. Converse
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain. Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Time to cast: 2 seconds. Prerequisites: Magery 1, Voices, and Regular
Prerequisites: Voices and Sense Life.
Thunderclap. Allows the caster and his subject to
Resist Sound converse quietly without fear of eaves-
Item dropping, even in a noisy environment
Regular (such as a raucous party). Each one
Staff, wand, helm, or jewelry; only will hear the words of the other clear-
affects the wearer. Energy cost to The subject (person, creature or ly regardless of the surrounding din.
create: 200. object), and anything he carries, Other beings within earshot will hear
becomes immune to the effects of a meaningless buzz of conversation.
Noise sound: Thunderclaps won’t deafen
him, sonic weapons won’t harm him, Converse resists spells that block
Area Sound Jet won’t stun him, and so on. sound such as Silence or Noise.
Noise may still distract, however. Very
Fills an area with meaningless, popular at high TLs. Duration: As long as eye contact is
continuous, very loud noise. No one maintained.
within this area can have a conversa- This is also a Protection and
tion or hear other sounds. Use of any Warning spell. Cost: 2.
IQ-based skill is either distracted Prerequisites: Magery 1, Garble,
(spells, for example), or at -3 (or both! Duration: 1 minute. and Silence.
GM’s choice). A Wall of Silence sur- Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
rounds the affected area. Resists (and Prerequisites: At least four Sound Item
is Resisted by) Silence. spells.
Any. Usable only by mages. Energy
Duration: 5 seconds. Item cost to create: 150.
Base cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Prerequisite: Wall of Silence. (a) Any. Only affects the wearer. Far-Hearing
Energy cost to create: 800. (b) Wand,
Item staff, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: Information
1,200.
An area can be permanently made The caster can hear any conversa-
noisy; the spell is on the floor or Sound Jet tion that he can see, even at a great
ground, and is broken if the area is torn distance, or hear through solid objects
up. Or a large rug could be enchanted Regular totaling no more than six feet of thick-
for a portable noisy area. Energy cost to ness. He automatically makes all
create: 100 per yard radius, but only one Shoot a thin beam of very shrill Hearing rolls.
spell is required for the whole area. sound from a fingertip. Each turn, the
caster rolls versus Innate Attack or This is also a Knowledge spell.
Delayed Message DX-4 to hit. This attack may be
dodged or blocked, but not parried. Duration: 1 minute.
Area The spell does no actual damage, but Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
anyone hit by the jet must roll versus Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Creates an oral message, which can their HT minus the energy cost of the Prerequisite: Magery 1 and four
be delayed to go off until a certain per- spell or be stunned (see Effects of Stun, other Sound spells. May not have
son, specified at casting, arrives in the p. B420). DR gives a +1 bonus to the Deafness or Hard of Hearing;.
area. The recipient hears it clearly, target’s effective HT for every five
points of DR. Every turn, a stunned Item

Clothing or jewelry. Only affects
the wearer. Energy cost to create: 400.

SOUND SPELLS 173

Scribe Item Prerequisites: Voices and Emotion
Control.
Regular A pen may be permanently animat-
ed at an energy cost of 350. The caster Item
Animates a pen, which writes down can command it to change which
whatever the caster dictates for the source it is “attuned to” at will. (a) Staff or wand. Usable only by
duration of the spell. If the caster fails mages; the item must touch the
by only 1 or 2 points, the pen is still ani- Message subject. Energy cost to create: 200. (b)
mated, but the transcription is not per- Jewelry; must bear a picture of a
fectly accurate! Therefore, the caster Regular; Resisted by nightingale. Always on, only affects
should always double-check his work. spells that block sound the wearer. Energy cost to create: 600.

At higher TLs, this spell may also be Send a spoken message to a sub- Echoes of the Past
used with typewriters, computer key- ject. Use the long-distance modifiers
boards, and other transcription devices. (p. 14). If the caster doesn’t know the Regular
subject, he is at -2. If he doesn’t know
Duration: 1 minute. the subject’s whereabouts, he is also at As listed under Knowledge Spells,
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain. -5 (a successful Seeker spell will elim- p. 107.
Prerequisites: Voices, Dancing inate this). These penalties may be
Object, and must have Accented or cumulative. A successful Trace gives a Wizard Ear
better written comprehension in at +5 bonus.
least one language. Regular
The subject hears the message
Item clearly and distinctly whatever his Creates a replica of the caster’s
sonic surroundings, but nobody else physical ear, through which he can
A pen may be permanently animat- hears it. Silence, Wall of Silence, and hear. The ear may move about without
ed at an energy cost of 250. For an addi- Noise will resist the incoming message. bumping into things (as if it had
tional 100 points of energy (which may Sound Vision), though it cannot “see”
be a separate enchantment) the caster This is also a Communication and more than the general size and shape
may attune it to someone else’s words. Empathy spell. of halls and rooms. This spell may be
cast on an already existing Wizard Eye
Musical Scribe Duration: The message travels to (regular or invisible); this does not
the subject at 50 mph. This speed dou- change its shape, but allows it to hear
Regular bles when the casting cost is doubled. conversation and other sounds.

Animates a pen, which records in Cost: 1 per 15 seconds of message Duration: 1 minute.
musical notation any tune that the duration. Cost: 4 to cast. 3 to maintain.
caster hums, sings, or plays on an Time to cast: 2 seconds.
instrument. The caster may also Time to cast: Equal to the message’s Prerequisites: Apportation, Far-
attune the pen to the sounds created duration, as spoken by the caster. Hearing, and Sound Vision.
by another person (or by a radio, etc.),
instead of himself. The pen records Prerequisites: Great Voice and Item
only the music; if lyrics are to be Seeker.
recorded simultaneously, a second Any painting or sculpture depicting
pen with Scribe cast on it can follow Item a human ear may be turned into an
along and do so! immobile Wizard Ear, through which
A conch one speaks into while con- the holder of an ear-shaped amulet,
Duration: 1 minute. centrating on a mental picture of the enchanted at the same time, may hear
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain. subject and his surroundings. Energy regardless of distance. Each such Ear
Increase cost by 1 (both casting and cost to create: 1,000. links only to one amulet, and vice
maintenance) if the paper supplied is versa. Energy cost to cast: 450.
not properly ruled for musical Wizard Mouth
notation (the pen has to work harder Invisible Wizard Ear
supplying the lines as well as the Regular
notes!) Regular
Prerequisite: Scribe. As listed under Knowledge Spells,
p. 104. Creates a Wizard Ear that cannot
174 be seen without the See Invisible spell.
Alter Voice Anyone who guesses where it is may
still attack, but the cumulative modi-
Regular; Resisted by HT fiers from invisibility and its small size
make it nigh impossible to hit.
As listed under Body Control Spells,
p. 41. Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Silver Tongue Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisites: Wizard Ear and
Regular Invisibility.

Grants the subject the Voice advan-
tage (p. B97). The spell has no effect on
beings that already have the advantage.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.

SOUND SPELLS

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

TECHNOLOGICAL
SPELLS

“So what is it?” “My cell phone coexist, spells that manipulate and
“My parents say it’s really old. It does that.” support the tools and features of the
detects magic and stuff like that.” mechanized world must logically
“Well, yeah, but arise.
this doesn’t have
any mana chips in Unlike other spells, many Tech
it or anything. It’s spells are technological skills (p. B168)
all spells and ana- and must be learned at a particular
log enchantments.” TL. When a mage is expert with magic
designed to interact with TL10 tech-
“Oh. So?” nology, he is at a penalty when trying
“I dunno. I to power a TL11 blaster or trying to
guess that used to drain the energy from a TL7 flashlight
be a big deal.” battery.
“Whatever.”
These penalties also affect prereq-
Tr a d i t i o n a l l y, uisites. To use a Tech spell as a prereq-
most magical uisite, you must have it at the level
settings are TL4 or associated with spending one charac-
below – pre-indus- ter point on the spell. Thus, a mage
trial. Introducing trying to learn Reveal Function/TL9
magic to a post- must either know Seek Machine/TL9
industrial setting, at IQ-2, Seek Machine/TL10 at IQ-1
however, can create (to compensate for the -1 penalty), or
fascinating new Seek Machine/TL8 at IQ+3 (to
developments for play- compensate for the -5 penalty).
ers and GMs to explore. In a setting
where high technology and magic

MACHINE SPELLS

For the purpose of these rules, a Machine spells are intended for use Seek Machine/TL
machine is a tool that in some way on machines without sapience or free
uses, stores, or transforms power in will; as a rule, they should not affect Information
order to do its job. Thus, a hand drill any being that would ordinarily be
doesn’t qualify, but an electric drill built as a character. They should affect Identifies the direction and approx-
does. A spring-powered pocketwatch most machines with IQ 5 or less, and imate distance of the nearest machin-
is a machine, while a sundial is not. some machines with the Automaton ery of any sort. The caster can also
The GM has final say regarding any meta-trait. AIs and other sapient specify that he is looking for a specific
gray area. machines should be controlled with sort of device; lasers, computers, light
Communication and Empathy or sources, etc. Any known examples of
In some cases, it may be important Mind Control spells (though the GM technology may be excluded if the
to assign an attribute to a machine for may wish to assess a -4 penalty for mage specifies them before casting.
purposes of determining spell resist- controlling an “alien” mind). At the Use long-distance modifiers (p. 14).
ance. For most purposes, the GM’s discretion, the more physical
machine’s HT is appropriate for this Machine spells, like Glitch or Cost: 3.
purpose; most machines have HT 10, Malfunction, may work on sapient Time to cast: 10 seconds.
unless specified otherwise. machines.
Item

Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
to create: 100.

TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS 175

Reveal Function/TL If something else has control (an AI Once the machine reaches the cast-
in a vehicle or a human operator at the er, it stays nearby, without attacking,
Information; Resisted by driver’s seat, for instance), then he/it until the spell ends. The spell is broken
spells to conceal magic may dispute control of the machine if the caster or one of his companions
every second with a Quick Contest of attacks the machine.
Reveals the functions of the subject the caster’s effective skill vs. the opera-
machine. If the subject has more than tor’s skill (or Will+TL for cybernetic Duration: 1 minute.
one function, the spell reveals them in control). Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
order of complexity (simplest first), and Time to cast: 4 seconds.
tells the caster “there are more func- A mage who knows this spell may Prerequisite: Machine Control.
tions.” Later castings will reveal the use the Rider or Rider Within spells on
remaining functions, one per casting. machines; note, however, that a Item
machine’s sensory apparatus may not
The spell can also be used to reveal be readily intelligible to a human being! Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
how to activate known functions (i.e., to create: 500 for an item that sum-
which button to press); the caster gets Duration: 1 minute. mons one particular machine type,
one try, at -5! If successful, the caster Cost: 6 to cast. 3 to maintain. 1,000 for an item that can summon
can then use the machine with the Prerequisites: Reveal Function, any machine.
appropriate skill (or IQ-6) at a penalty Locksmith, and Lightning.
of only -1 for unfamiliarity. Machine Speech/TL
Item
Cost: 8. Regular
Time to cast: 10 minutes. Staff, wand, headgear, or jewelry.
Prerequisite: Seek Machine. Energy cost to create: 1,000 for an item Communicate with any machine
that controls a specific type of (of any IQ) in the machine’s own “lan-
Item machine, 2,000 for one that will guage.” Unless the language is
control any machine. sound-borne, the subject has to main-
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost tain physical contact with the
to create: 1,500. Machine machine’s interface port or antenna.
Summoning/TL The amount of information
Machine Control/TL exchanged depends on the machine’s
Regular intelligence; no machine below IQ 3
Regular will be likely to know much of interest.
Call one machine of a named type Each minute of the spell allows one
Control the actions of one machine (anything under IQ 6). Range does not question and answer.
(anything under IQ 6, of any size) or a matter for this spell. If the spell is suc-
swarm of small ones, up to about 1,000 cessfully cast, the caster knows the This is also a Communication and
machines or 100 pounds total. The cast- location of the closest machine of the Empathy spell.
er must be aware of the machine’s func- type and how long it will take for that
tions to control it. The spell does not machine to come to him. It moves Duration: 1 minute.
supply the skill to use the machine – the towards the caster as fast as it can, Cost: 5 to cast. 3 to maintain.
caster must use his own skill at Gunner, until the spell ends or the machine Prerequisite: Machine Summoning.
Computer Operation, Driving, and so reaches the immediate vicinity of the
on. Concentration is required. caster. Item

The spell acts through the Of course, the machine may not be Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
machine’s triggers and controls, very good at finding its way, or it may to create: 1,200 for an item that talks to
mechanical or electrical. A mage run out of fuel or power, etc. For one particular machine type, 5,000 for
could use the spell to make a camera example, a TL7 refrigerator would be an item that can talk to any machine.
snap a picture, a robot strangle its evil unable to move at all. A TL7 car would
creator, or a gun discharge all of its proceed in a straight line at top speed, Glitch/TL
ammunition. He could not aim the unaware of (and thus unable to avoid)
object, or move it, unless it was self- obstacles such as pedestrians, ditches, Regular; Resisted by HT
aiming or self-propelled (at least with- lampposts . . .
out adding an Apportation spell). The machine equivalent of Spasm
(p. 35). This spell causes something to

176 TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS

go wrong for a moment with the sub- The schematic can either represent Cost: 30 if the final mass will be
ject machine. It may drop whatever it the current state of the object (show- 500 pounds or less; the object’s current
was holding, eject a part, miss a cog in ing any internal damage, alterations, state of repair is not a factor. Add 1 to
its drive train, or garble a data packet. and wear), or the ideal state of the cost for every additional 500 pounds
Ingenious casters will find all sorts of object, at the caster’s discretion. Both or fraction of final mass.
uses. The game effects can be any- can be useful. The latter use even gives
thing from a trivial annoyance (if cast plans for an object based only on a Time to cast: 1 second per point of
on a flashlight, for instance), to poten- tiny fraction of it (at least 5% of the energy required.
tially deadly (if cast on an automedic machine’s total mass needs to be pres-
in the middle of laser surgery). ent). This could be used to form a Prerequisites: Magery 3, Repair,
complete picture from a fragmented Create Object, and at least three spells
Duration: An instant. Precursor device, for instance . . . In of each element. Schematic is
Cost: 3. Cannot be maintained. either case, the cost to cast the spell is required to cast the spell on machines.
Prerequisite: Machine Control. based on the mass of the intact
machine. Animate Machine/TL
Item (VH)
The schematic image, even when
Staff or wand. Usable only by maintained by the mage, does not Regular; Resisted by Will
mages; the item must touch the count as a spell “on” for penalty
subject. Energy cost to create: 300. purposes. Summons a spirit to animate a
machine the mage is touching.
Malfunction/TL This is also a Knowledge spell. Characters with the Machine meta-
trait (p. B263) can be affected by this
Melee; Resisted by HT Duration: 1 minute. spell, though intelligent machines do
Cost: 5 for a one-ton or smaller get a chance to resist.
The mechanical equivalent of Total object; add 1 energy to the cost for
Paralysis. The subject machine simply each additional ton or fraction. Half The summoned spirit controls the
ceases to function for the duration of that to maintain. animated machine just as if it were
the spell (an airplane falls, a sensor is Time to cast: 5 seconds. being operated in the normal fashion.
“blind,” and so on). The caster must Prerequisites: Reveal Function and It also controls all the mechanical or
touch the subject. History. electronic accessories (including
weapons) built into the machine.
Duration: 1 minute. Item
Cost: 5. Cannot be maintained; The spirit has DX 10 and IQ 9 with
must be recast. Blueprint or headgear. Usable only the Automaton and Spirit meta-traits
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Glitch. by mages; the item must touch the (p. B263). It obeys the orders of the
subject. Energy cost to create: 200. caster or anyone the latter designates
Item – but the spirit takes all orders literal-
Rebuild/TL (VH) ly! “Drop me off” is a particularly
Staff or wand. Usable only by unfortunate command to give to an
mages; the item must touch the Regular animated helicopter. In such cases,
subject. Energy cost to create: 2,000. roll against the spirit’s IQ to see if it
This spell is an improved version of uses the colloquial or literal meaning
Schematic/TL (VH) Repair. It totally rebuilds any object, of the phrase.
from even a fragment. The caster must
Information first successfully cast Schematic on On a critical failure during casting,
the subject, and, while the schematic a demon enters the machine. It then
Creates detailed technical “blue- is still in mind, begin casting Rebuild. attempts to kill its summoner and any-
prints” of the machine subject in the Schematic is unnecessary for simpler one else it can reach. The caster can-
caster’s mind. The caster can browse objects. With enough power, you not dispel the demon animating the
through the mental schematic at his could rebuild a starship from a scrap machine – it uses its own 15 FP to
leisure or the same rate that he could of bulkhead! keep the spell going! In other respects,
examine actual hardcopy plans for the the demon is similar to the spirits
machine. However, this spell grants no The object re-forms at a rate of 500 ordinarily summoned.
appropriate skills; to interpret, for pounds of missing mass per second,
instance, a schematic of a starship’s beginning after the casting is complet- Duration: One minute.
fusion power plant, the caster would ed. Thus, it would take a 30-ton tank Cost: 8 for a machine of up to one
need some skill in Engineering two minutes to completely rebuild ton in mass, 9 for two tons or less, 10
(Fusion). To make any use of a itself. Exotic materials may inflict a for four tons, 11 for eight tons, 12 for
schematic of a weapon, either skill penalty or slow the rebuilding 16 tons, and so on, with each extra
Armoury or some sort of weapons process. point of energy doubling the capable
Engineering would be required. The mass of the spell. Half that to
duration is the length of time that the On objects simpler than machines, maintain.
image stays with any useful clarity in ignore the TL modifiers. Magic items Time to cast: One second per energy
the caster’s mind. The caster must cannot be rebuilt. point.
touch the subject during the casting. Prerequisites: Machine Control and
This is also a Making and Breaking either Animation or Animate Object.
spell.

Duration: Permanent.

TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS 177

Any sufficiently advanced technology is Awaken Computer/TL
indistinguishable from magic. (VH)

– Arthur C. Clarke Regular

Machine Possession/TL other loses its enchantment. Energy Similar to Awaken Craft Spirit, this
cost to create: 1,500 (for the pair). Each spell awakens a computer’s spirit,
Regular; Resisted by Will of the pair must include a synthetic granting it awareness and sapience. If
gemstone worth $200. the computer is already inhabited by a
Like Animate Machine, except that sapient program, that program may
it is the caster’s own spirit which ani- Permanent Machine resist this spell; if it fails to resist, it is
mates the machine. The machine Possession/TL (VH) rendered unconscious for the duration
must have IQ 5 or less. of the spell.
Regular; Resisted by Will
The caster animates the subject The spirit awakened by the spell
just as if he was at its controls. He has Like Machine Possession – but the has IQ equal to the computer’s
full access to the machine’s memories caster remains in the subject machine Complexity + 5. It has complete access
and abilities; he may use all its skills until he chooses to leave or is exor- to all its host computer’s databases
and abilities as though they were his cised by an appropriate spell (Dispel and peripherals, though it cannot read
own. He may use his own mental abil- Possession, Remove Curse, encrypted information in its host’s
ities, but not his physical ones (so Counterspell, etc). The caster’s body databases. It can access networked
spells cannot be cast unless they are remains in suspended animation computers like any other being using
known so well that they require no (p. 94) while the spell lasts. If the cast- its host computer; it has Computer
speech or gesture). er’s body dies, the spell is broken. Operation and Computer Pro-
Whenever the subject machine takes gramming at its IQ. It obeys the
The spell allows the caster to keep damage, the caster must roll on his caster’s orders faithfully, but otherwise
his own sensory apparatus in addition own body’s HT or take the same dam- has free will (also, true to its nature, a
to the machine’s; otherwise, he would age. If the subject machine “dies,” the computer spirit can be infuriatingly
be severely handicapped, since caster must roll vs. HT or die also! literal-minded).
machines of TL6 or less are basically
blind and deaf. In addition, the caster must roll Computer spirits often have quirky
against his Will every day; a failed roll personalities all their own. They
The caster’s own body lies uncon- means that he loses one point of IQ. remember what happens each time
scious during the spell and should be The caster does not need to roll any they are awakened; the time in
safeguarded. more once he reaches the machine’s between awakenings is one of
normal IQ or Will range. The lost slumber, not nonexistence.
Duration: 1 minute. attribute is regained when the spell is
Cost: 6 to cast. 2 to maintain. ended. Should the caster’s IQ drop to If a critical failure is rolled the first
Time to cast: 30 seconds. 5, only Remove Curse or Dispel time a given computer is awakened, its
Prerequisites: Machine Control and Possession will end the spell. spirit is malicious and evil, and seeks
either Rider Within or Soul Rider. to do harm to the caster and anyone
Duration: Indefinite (could be per- else it can hurt. It has Computer
Item manent). Hacking at a level equal to its host’s
Complexity; if nothing else, it erases
An pair of identical pieces of jewel- Cost: 30. important data just because it can.
ry, one of silver, one of gold. The caster Time to cast: 5 minutes.
wears the gold one, the machine bears Prerequisites: Magery 3 and Duration: 1 hour.
the silver one. The spell may then be Machine Possession. Cost: 8 to cast. 2 to maintain.
cast at any time, regardless of distance. Time to cast: 10 seconds.
If a Powerstone is included, it is in the Prerequisites: Animation and
gold one. If either item is broken, the Wisdom.

Item

A computer may be permanently
awakened for 100 times casting cost.

ENERGY SPELLS

For the purpose of these rules, power. “Fuel,” by contrast, means any TL, use the TL most favorable to the
“power” means any energy used by a substance that is consumed to provide caster when making calculations.
machine to do its job. At TL8, this gen- power. Fuel takes many forms, from
erally means electricity. Earlier TLs wood to coal to antimatter. The TL of a Many of the spells below require
might use mechanical power from a fuel or power source is determined by conversions between standard power
waterwheel or steam engine; later TLs the TLs at which people use it to operate sources and GURPS spell energy. The
might use exotic forms of beamed machines. If a fuel has more than one default assumption is that one kilo-
watt-hour (kWh) is equal to 10 energy;

178 TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS

thus, 360 kilowatts (kW) is equal to 1 purpose. The spell reveals nothing Other Energy spells such as Steal
energy/second, and 360 kilowatt-sec- about the substance’s chemistry or Power or Draw Power cannot tap
onds (kWs) or kilojoules (kJ) is equal stored energy, but it detects impuri- magically created fuel or a machine
to 1 energy. Some settings may have ties, decay, and foreign objects that using created fuel for energy.
different assumptions, however; might interfere with normal use. It
energy spells can become extremely does not check fuel for magic. Duration: Permanent.
powerful in settings with antimatter Cost: 1 per TL per pound; a TL5 fuel,
reactors, and the GM may want to Cost: 1 to test a single pound or gal- therefore, costs 5 energy per pound to
change the conversion rate to com- lon of fuel; 3 to check all the fuel in a create. Minimum cost 1 per pound.
pensate. 1-yard radius. Time to cast: 30 seconds.
Prerequisites: Seek Fuel and any
Seek Power/TL Item two transmutation spells.

Information Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost Item
to create: 100.
Identifies the direction and approx- (a) Wand, staff, or jewelry; usable
imate distance of the nearest signifi- Preserve Fuel/TL only by a mage. The item must touch
cant source of power. Use the long- the material to be turned into fuel.
distance modifiers (p. 14). Any partic- Regular Energy cost to create: 400. (b) A pot or
ular types or known sources of power container that will change the contents
may be excluded if the caster specifi- Prevents fuel from spoiling, decay- into solid fuel. Energy cost to create:
cally mentions them before beginning. ing, or otherwise becoming unusable. 100 per pound of the daily capacity of
Wood does not rot, gasoline does not the container.
Power sources that are not current- evaporate – even the radioactive decay
ly being drawn from (a battery not of nuclear fuels is suppressed! Essential Fuel/TL
connected to a circuit, for example)
are harder to locate than power Duration: 1 week. Regular
sources in use; double the long- Cost: 4 per pound of fuel. Half that
distance penalty. to maintain. Turns any regular fuel into the
Prerequisite: Test Fuel. magical essence of fuel. Essential Fuel
Cost: 3. burns 10 times as long as regular fuel,
Time to cast: 10 seconds. Item with one-third the usual pollution
(smoke, radiation, etc.). Vehicles run-
Item (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy ning on Essential Fuel have 10 times
cost to create: 400. (b) Chest or con- the Range; in a secret-magic setting,
A wand that will point in the direc- tainer; always on; the contents of the this spell may give rise to urban leg-
tion sought after and glow in propor- chest are preserved indefinitely. ends about 200-mpg carburetors.
tion to the importance of the source Energy cost to create: 40 for every
detected. Energy cost to create: 60. pound of fuel to be held (round up). The increased potency of Essential
Fuel only applies when the Fuel is
Seek Fuel/TL Purify Fuel/TL used in a machine; hay treated with
Essential Fuel does nothing if fed to a
Information Regular mule.

Identifies the direction and approx- Removes foreign objects and impu- Other Energy spells such as Steal
imate distance of the nearest rities from a fuel, rendering it fit to Power or Draw Power cannot tap
significant source of fuel. Use the use. If the fuel has been completely Essential Fuel or a machine using
long-distance modifiers (p. 14). Any corrupted by the impurities, the spell Essential Fuel for energy.
particular types or known sources of will remove them . . . leaving nothing!
fuel may be excluded if the caster Duration: Permanent.
specifically mentions them before Cost: 1/2 per pound of material to Cost: 1 per pound
beginning. be purified (minimum cost of 1). Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Any six Energy spells.
Cost: 3. Prerequisite: Purify Water or Decay.
Time to cast: 10 seconds. Stop Power
Item
Item Area
Staff, wand, or jewelry. The item
A thin graduated metal stick, which must touch the subject fuel. Energy Stops the flow of power in the area,
will point in the direction sought after cost to create: 200. causing all powered devices to cease to
and give an indication of the amount function. This may or may not cause
detected. Energy cost to create: 60. Create Fuel/TL permanent damage to the devices,
depending on their design. Barring
Test Fuel/TL Regular this, any affected device works
normally when it leaves the area.
Information Turns any natural substance into
the primary solid or liquid fuel for the Duration: 1 minute.
Identifies if a substance can be spell’s TL. At TL5, this will turn rocks Base cost: 3 to cast. Half that to
used normally as fuel for a specific into coal; at TL7, it would turn rocks maintain.
into uranium.

TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS 179

Time to cast: 3 seconds. Example: A mage with Propel/TL7- water wheel would be a viable source,
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Seek 15 wishes to move his sports car but a waterfall would not be.
Power. (p. B464) at its top speed of Move 75
(150 mph). The car weighs 1.8 tons. To Duration: 1 minute.
Item move the car at Move 75 for the dura- Cost: None to cast. 1 to maintain
tion of the spell requires (1.8¥75)/15 = 9 (due to the strain of the power’s pas-
Wand or staff, usable only by a energy. sage). This maintenance cost isn’t
mage. Energy cost to create: 800. reduced by high skill.
Item Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Seek
Lend Power/TL Power.
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable
Regular only by mages; the item must touch Example: The spell could be cast on
the subject. Energy cost to create: the fusion plant in a starship (the
The caster expends energy to mag- 1,000. (b) Any engine can be enchant- source) and a blaster pistol in the
ically power a device. In theory, a large ed so that any mage willing to propel mage’s hand (the sink). While the spell
enough circle of mages could use this it can do so. The mage need not know is maintained, the fusion plant powers
spell to power a starship and its the spell; the enchantment supplies the pistol. If the blaster is in the mage’s
weapons. the magic. The enchanted device will hand and the plant is 3 yards beneath
also accept a Powerstone or Maintain the catwalk he is standing on, the total
The spell cannot be used to directly Spell. Energy cost to create: 20 per ton distance is 3 yards, for a -3 range penal-
charge batteries or other storage of vehicle Lwt. (round up); minimum ty. If the catwalk obscures the mage’s
devices. It could, however, power a cost is 200. view of the power plant, he is at a fur-
machine designed to recharge them . . . ther -5 (note that the caster need not be
Conduct Power/TL (VH) looking at the power plant while firing
Duration: Indefinite. the gun – just while casting the spell!).
Cost: The GM will have to convert Special
the device’s power requirement into Steal Power/TL (VH)
an energy rate equivalent (see pp. 178- Turns the caster into a power con-
179). Minimum energy cost is one per duit, a link between an active power Regular
hour; high skill does not reduce cost. source and a device in need of it. The
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Seek spell has two “subjects”: the source The caster steals power from a
Power. and the sink. The range penalty is stored power source (such as a battery)
based on the total distance from to restore his FP.
Item source to caster plus caster to sink. If
either the source or the sink is not vis- Cost: The caster regains energy at a
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable ible to the caster, the roll is at -5; if percentage efficiency equal to his skill
only by mages; the item must touch the neither is visible, the roll is at -10! with the spell; a caster with skill 15,
subject. Energy cost to create: 1,000. (b) draining a battery completely, would
Any device can be enchanted so that A device may draw power through himself gain 15% of the power poten-
any mage willing to lend it power (pos- one mage or circle of mages at a time; if tial contained in the battery (or less, if
sibly in addition to its normal power several mages are competing to supply less would completely restore the cast-
source) can do so. The mage need not a device, roll a Quick Contest of Skill er’s FP). The rest of the power in the
know the spell; the enchantment sup- between casters, adjusting for range. battery is wasted.
plies the magic. The enchanted device
will also accept a Powerstone or The maximum power a mage may Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Maintain Spell. Energy cost to create: 1 safely serve as a conduit for is (HT) ¥ Prerequisites: Magery 2, Minor
per 100 pounds of device mass (round (Magery squared)/4, in megawatts. Healing, and Conduct Power.
up); the minimum cost is 250. Thus, a wizard with HT 10 and
Magery 2 could handle a steady Item
Propel/TL stream of 10¥(2¥2)/4, or 10
megawatts, safely. If a mage’s safe level Wand, staff, or jewelry. Usable only
Regular is exceeded, every second he must take by a mage. The mage and the item
1 fatigue per excess MW (or fraction must both touch the source. Energy
Uses magical energy to operate any thereof) and roll vs. HT. On a failed cost to create: 1,000.
device that converts power or fuel into roll, he loses HP equal to the fatigue
motion, from a lawn mower to a loss for that turn. On a critical failure, Draw Power/TL (VH)
stardrive. In almost all cases, these he suffers a heart attack (see Mortal
devices are vehicles of some sort; see Conditions, p. B429) and collapses. Special
Vehicles, p. B462, for more details.
A source for this spell need not be a Identical to Conduct Power, except
Duration: 10 minutes. source of electricity or some other that the subject is a spell; a wizard with
Cost: Multiply vehicle Lwt. (in energetic essence; particularly in its HT 10 and Magery 2 could use a 10 MW
tons) by the desired Move (up to the low-TL versions, Conduct Power may fusion plant to provide him with a
vehicle’s Top Speed), then divide by tap into mechanical energy from steady stream of 28 energy per second
the caster’s skill. Minimum cost is 1 natural sources. However, a power to power his magic! The Draw Power
energy; high skill does not reduce source must be in a form that could be must be cast first and counts as a spell
casting cost. Same cost to maintain. directly used by a machine; thus, a “on” when casting the subject spell.
Prerequisites: Create Fuel and
Dancing Object.

180 TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS

Duration: 1 minute. known at Native level to read in real Energy cost to create: 150. Some
Cost: None to cast. 1 to maintain time). enchanters create items (conchs, or
(due to the strain of the power’s pas- small radios or earplugs, typically) that
sage). This maintenance cost is not Duration: 1 minute. turn the radio signal into an audible
reduced by high skill. Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain. one; the user tunes it by concentrating.
Prerequisites: Steal Power and at Prerequisites: Keen Vision.
least two spells from 10 different Spectrum Vision (VH)
colleges. Item
Regular
Magnetic Vision Jewelry or spectacles. The item must
include a small magnet. Only affects the The subject can perceive any portion
Regular wearer. Energy cost to create: 150. of the electromagnetic spectrum, as if
he had Hyperspectral Vision with the
Reveals magnetic fields to the sub- Radio Hearing Extended Low-Band and Extended
ject. They are brightest where densest High-Band enhancements (p. B60). The
and seem to flow from one magnetic Regular GM may require rolls against various
pole to the other. If the subject has scientific skills to allow the subject to
Physics/TL6 or higher at a skill of 12 The subject can “tune” his hearing understand what he sees.
or more, he can use it to estimate the to the radio and microwave portions
strength of the magnetic field. If no of the electromagnetic spectrum, as if Duration: 1 minute.
magnetic object stronger than a he had Telecommunication (Radio) Cost: 4. Same cost to maintain.
kitchen magnet is within 1 yard of (Receive Only, -50%) (p. B91). Prerequisite: Infravision.
him, the subject can determine mag-
netic north. Combined with 1,000¥ Duration: 1 minute. Item
Microscopic Vision (p. B68), the Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
subject can directly read magnetic Prerequisite: Keen Hearing. Jewelry or spectacles. The item
data storage media (each format is a must include a small prism. Only
distinct language, which must be Item affects the wearer. Energy cost to
create: 750.
Jewelry (earrings are particularly
appropriate). Only affects the wearer.

RADIATION SPELLS

Radiation is insidious; it is odor- through the shielding. Spells such as in proportion to the strength of the
less, invisible, and silent. Fatal expo- Radiation Jet also become visible. source found. Energy cost to create: 60.
sure can be reached in a few minutes,
but death can take weeks to come – an Duration: 1 minute. Irradiate
ugly, agonizingly painful death. See Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
p. B435 for details on the effect Area
radiation can have on a person. Item
Makes an area radioactive.
Under some circumstances (partic- Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
ularly with spells such as Radiation to create: 400. Duration: 1 hour.
Jet), a victim may have only part of his Base cost: 1 per 10 rads/hour. Half
body irradiated. Such doses of radia- Seek Radiation that to maintain.
tion do not have the same effect as a Prerequisites: At least two Earth
dose distributed over the entire body. Information spells and two Fire spells.
To assess the dose’s effects, one must
convert the body part’s dose into an Identifies the direction and approxi- Item
“equivalent whole-body dose”: divide a mate distance of the nearest significant
dose received by the head or limbs by source of radiation of any sort. The Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
15, one received by the torso by 8 and caster can also specify that he is looking to create: 300.
one received by the vitals by 4. for a specific sort of radiation (gamma,
neutron, etc.). Any known radioactive Extinguish Radiation
See Radiation sources may be excluded if the mage (VH)
specifies them before casting. Use the
Regular long-distance modifiers (p. 14). Regular

Makes all radioactive items visible in Cost: 3. Removes harmful radioactivity
the subject’s field of vision. Each such Time to cast: 10 seconds. from the subject.
item glows in proportion to its activity. Prerequisite: See Radiation.
Items hidden under clothes, behind Duration: Permanent.
walls, etc, give off a glow depending on Item Cost: 1 per 10 rads/hour.
the amount of radiation getting Prerequisites: Magery 2, Extinguish
A wand or stick that will point in Fire, Earth to Air, and Irradiate.
the direction sought and click or ping

TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS 181

Item retained dose (the permanent dose, Duration: 1 second.
however, is the last to be healed). It Cost: 1 to 3. Range in yards is equal
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost does not restore already-lost HP or to energy cost. Same cost to maintain.
to create: 1,500. other injury, which must be healed by Prerequisites: Irradiate and Resist
other means. Radiation.
Resist Radiation
This is also a Healing spell. Item
Regular
Duration: The dose is cured Staff or wand. Usable only by
The subject (person, creature or permanently. mages. The jet issues from the item’s
object) and anything he carries tip. Energy cost to create: 600.
becomes resistant to radiation. This is Cost: 1 per 10 rads removed from
expressed in terms of Protection the subject’s body; minimum cost 5. Breathe Radiation (VH)
Factor (see p. B436).
Time to cast: 30 seconds. Regular
This is also a Protection and Prerequisites: Resist Radiation and
Warning spell. Major Healing. Similar to Radiation Jet, except
that the radiation issues from the cast-
Duration: 1 minute. Item er’s mouth and it cannot be main-
Cost: 1 for PF 10, 2 for PF 100, 3 for tained. Caster rolls to hit against DX-4
PF 1,000. Half that (round up) to Wand or staff. The item must touch or Innate Attack skill. This counts as
maintain. the subject. Usable only by a mage or a an action; the caster must be facing
Prerequisites: At least three nonmage with Physician 20 or higher. his target. No hand gestures are
Radiation spells. Energy cost to create: 1,500. required to cast this spell; certain lip
and tongue motions are made instead.
Item Radiation Jet Thus Breathe Radiation can be cast
“no hands” at any level of skill.
(a) Any; only affects the wearer. Regular
Energy cost to create: 1,000. (b) Wand, Duration: 1 second.
staff, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: Shoot an invisible beam of radiation Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained.
1,500. from one finger. Each turn, the caster Time to cast: 2 seconds.
rolls versus DX-4 or Innate Attack skill Prerequisites: Magery 2 and
Cure Radiation (VH) to hit. This attack may be dodged or Radiation Jet.
blocked (though only shields which are
Regular impervious to radiation will be any Item
use), but not parried. The jet inflicts 10
Heals the subject of radiation dam- rads per point of energy in the spell to a Jewelry. Usable only by mages.
age; this spell reduces the inherent human-sized target. Energy cost to create: 1,200.
radiation dose in the subject’s body,
including the 10% “permanent” The spell can also fog photographic
films, scramble electronics, and so on.

METAL AND PLASTIC SPELLS

For the purposes of these spells, a Cost: 3. Cost: 1.
“metal” is any conducting material. A Time to cast: 10 seconds. Prerequisite: Seek Plastic.
“plastic,” by contrast, is any
artificial nonconducting unliving Item Shape Metal
polymer material. If it isn’t (a) animal,
(b) stone/earth/ceramic/glass, (c) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy cost Regular
water/simple liquid, (d) air/gas, (e) to create: 60.
plant/wood (living or dead), or (f) Move solid and liquid metal about
metal, then it’s “plastic.” Identify Metal and shape it into any form. If the form
is stable, it remains permanently after
Seek Plastic Information shaping. An unstable form lasts only
while the spell continues – though no
Information Identifies a metal’s type. The caster special concentration is required – and
must touch the metal to be identified. then breaks and collapses. A successful
Identifies the direction and approxi- Architecture roll may be required to
mate distance of the nearest significant Cost: 1. create a stable arch, overhang or other
quantity of plastic. Use the long-dis- Prerequisite: Seek Earth. structure. Solid metal moved with this
tance modifiers (p. 14). Any particular spell travels at Move 1/2; liquid metal
types or known quantities of plastic Identify Plastic flows at that speed uphill, but goes
may be excluded if the caster specifical- much faster horizontally (Move 4) or
ly mentions them before beginning. Information downhill (up to Move 10).

Identifies a plastic’s type. The caster
must touch the plastic to be identified.
Useful for sorting recyclables.

182 TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 6 (4 for soft metals such as
lead, gold or magnesium). Half that to
maintain.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and either
Shape Earth or at least six Tech spells.

Shape Plastic

Regular

Similar to Shape Metal, but affects
“plastic.” Material moved with this
spell travels at Move 1/2 or faster if
ductile or liquid.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 6 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and either
Shape Plant or at least six Tech spells.

Metal Vision also become metallic, but lose any him the Body of Plastic meta-trait (see
magic powers they might have had. box). Clothes (up to 6 pounds) also
Regular become plastic, but lose any magic
Duration: 1 minute. The spell powers they might have had.
See through metal to gaze upon expires if the subject loses
whatever lies beyond – past the door, consciousness. Duration: 1 minute. The spell
inside the chest, etc. Certain metals expires if the subject loses
(lead) resist or block this spell outright. Cost: 12 to cast. 6 to maintain. consciousness.
Time to cast: 5 seconds.
This is also a Knowledge spell. Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Shape Cost: 10 to cast. 5 to maintain.
Metal. Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Duration: 30 seconds. Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Shape
Cost: 2 per 5 yards of depth (maxi- Item Plastic.
mum 50 yards) to cast. Same cost to
maintain. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects Item
Prerequisite: Shape Metal. the wearer. Energy cost to create: 3,000.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects
Item Body of Plastic (VH) the wearer. Energy cost to create: 2,500.

Any. Only affects the wearer. Energy Regular; Resisted by HT
cost to create: 800.
The subject becomes an animated
Plastic Vision statue of plastic, temporarily granting

Regular

See through plastic.
This is also a Knowledge spell.

Duration: 30 seconds.
Cost: 2 per 5 yards of depth (maxi-
mum 50 yards) to cast. Same cost to
maintain.
Prerequisite: Shape Plastic.

Item

Any. Only affects the wearer. Energy
cost to create: 800.

Body of Metal (VH) New Meta-Trait: Body of Plastic

Regular; Resisted by HT Body of Plastic: Your body is made of ordinary plastic, like the materi-
al used to make plastic buckets or milk jugs. Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 1
The subject becomes an animated [5]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous,
statue of metal, temporarily granting No Blood) [45]; Pressure Support 1 [5]; Sealed [15]; Vacuum Support [5].
him the Body of Metal meta-trait 125 points.
(p. B262). Clothes (up to 6 pounds)

TECHNOLOGICAL SPELLS 183

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WATER SPELLS

Perrek poured brine from his cap splashes a victim’s face, he must roll Cost: 3.
through his fingers into his mouth, vs. HT to avoid blinding. On a failure, Time to cast: 10 seconds.
greedily swallowing the clear water he takes acid damage to the eyes, and Prerequisite: Seek Water.
thereby purified. Smacking his lips, he if more than 2 points are inflicted, the
pushed the cool cap back on his head victim is blinded (see Crippling Injury, Purify Water
and peered out at the horizon. pp. B420-422). A critical failure causes
Somewhere out there was land, permanent Blindness. Special
according to the augury he’d cast a
few hours ago, and his little custom- Water spells affect acid normally. Remove all impurities from water
made current should carry his In steam form, acid does the higher of by pouring it through any hoop or ring
makeshift raft there by sundown. He its scalding and burning damage, not (or, in a pinch, his own fingers) into a
wasn’t sure quite where he was, but he both. Magical acid attacks all container. Only one skill roll is
couldn’t be more than a few days from substances but glass, most stone, and required, as long as the flow continues.
port by now. certain metals.
Duration: Purified water stays pure
Then that weasel of a first mate Seek Water unless recontaminated.
would learn that there was still a trick
or two up an old man’s sleeve. Information Cost: 1 per gallon purified.
Time to cast: Usually 5 to 10 sec-
These spells deal with the tradi- Determines the direction, distance, onds per gallon, unless a large
tional magical “element” of water. and general nature of the nearest container and ring are used.
Except as noted, none of these spells significant source of Prerequisite: Seek Water.
affect the water in a human body or water. Use the long-
any other living creature. distance modifiers Item
(p. 14). Any known
Water comes in a variety of forms, sources of water A hoop of bone or ivory. Energy
and GMs may want details on the may be excluded if cost to create: 50.
weights and densities of these forms. the caster specifical-
Liquid water weighs 8.3 pounds per ly mentions them Create Water
gallon. Ice weighs about 7.5 pounds before beginning.
per gallon. Snow’s density varies great- Requires a forked Regular
ly, ranging from hard-packed snow, stick; roll at -3 if this
which is virtually ice, to new-fallen is not available. Creates pure water out of nothing.
snow, which can be as fluffy as 100 This water may appear in any of
parts air to one part water. There are Cost: 2.
about 8 gallons to the cubic foot.
Item
Another substance that falls within
the College of Water is acid. In nature, A forked stick
acids come in a variety of strengths; (may also be carved
acid spells, however, assume a uni- of bone or ivory).
form potency of acid. “Acid,” for mag- Cost to create: 40
ical purposes, includes highly alkaline energy and $300 in
corrosive solutions. Splashing some- spell materials.
one with acid does 1d-3 points of cor-
rosive damage; immersion in acid Seek Coastline
does 1d-1 points corrosive damage per
turn. Each gallon of acid can cause 8 Information
points of damage before becoming
neutralized into an inoffensive salty Tells a caster at sea the direction
solution. Armor does protect against and approximate distance of the near-
acid damage, but the acid will corrode est coastline. Use long-distance modi-
away 1 point of DR for every 5 points fiers (p. 14). Any known coastline,
of damage done in a single second. such as that of a nearby island, may
Objects (including armor!) are also be excluded if the caster specifically
attacked by contact with acid. If acid mentions it during casting.

184 WATER SPELLS

several forms. It may appear within a Shape Water Item
container, or as a globe in midair (it
falls immediately). Or it may appear as Regular (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only
a dense mist of droplets; in this form, affects the wearer. A severe drawback
one gallon of water will extinguish all Sculpt water (including ice or is that, as soon as it is activated, the
fires in a one-yard radius. Water can- steam) into any form, and even move item falls through the user’s hand –
not be created inside a foe to drown it about. Once given a shape, the water thus a spell cast with this item lasts
him! holds it without further concentration only a minute. Energy cost to create:
until the spell ends. Water moved with 1,200. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only
Duration: The created water is per- this spell travels at Move 3. affects the wearer. Unlike the previous
manent. item, this item turns aqueous along
A useful shape is a wall of water to with the wearer, allowing him to main-
Cost: 2 per gallon created. stop fiery attacks – 20 gallons make a tain the spell for longer than a minute.
Prerequisite: Purify Water. wall 2 yards high ¥ 1 yard wide. This While aqueous, the item loses any
stops Fireball spells and ordinary fire. magical powers it might ordinarily
Item have. Energy cost to create: 2,500.
Duration: 1 minute.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost Cost: 1 per 20 gallons shaped. Foul Water
to create: 200. Same cost to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds. Area
Destroy Water Prerequisite: Create Water.
Renders water undrinkable. Foul
Area Item water is readily recognizable by its
uninviting color and smell, whereas
Causes water (in any form) to van- Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost fouled beer or wine may be more dif-
ish, leaving a vacuum – or perhaps to create: 400. ficult to detect. Anyone foolish enough
specks of dry impurities. If more water to drink it must make a HT roll. On a
is all around, it will rush in to fill the Frost successful roll, he merely feels sick
hole. Good for drying things out, saving and loses 2 HP. On a failed roll, he is
a drowning victim, etc. Cannot be used Area seized by painful stomach cramps,
as a “dehydrating” attack on a foe. losing 1d+1 HP; he is at -3 for all skills
As listed under Weather Spells, until the lost HP are restored.
Duration: Permanent. p. 193.
Base cost: 3. In deep water, the area Foul water also fails to satisfy
is only 2 yards in height (or depth). Umbrella thirst, and cannot support fish or
Same cost to maintain. other water-dwellers (a fish of any sort
Prerequisite: Create Water. Regular slowly suffocates in fouled water; a
sea-mammal becomes ill from ingest-
Item Walk in any slight precipitation ing it). In a body of water, the foul
without getting wet. An invisible water is eventually diluted to harm-
Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy cost “shield” is seen to deflect incoming lessness; if cast in a mountain stream,
to create: 300. raindrops. Umbrella does not work for instance, this spell effectively lasts
against intense (or magical) hail, rains only a second or two.
Icy Weapon of stones or frogs, etc.
Base cost: 3.
Regular This is also a Protection and Prerequisites: Purify Water and
Warning spell. Decay.
Causes any weapon to become
freezing cold. This does not harm the Duration: 10 minutes. Item
user or the weapon, but an attack with Cost: 1.
the weapon will do +2 damage to most Time to cast: 2 seconds. Staff or wand. The item must touch
foes if it penetrates DR. Multiply this Prerequisite: Shape Water or Shield. the subject water. Energy cost to create:
bonus for any Vulnerability (p. B161) 100.
to ice or cold. Add this bonus to the Item
final injury inflicted by the attack – for Freeze
instance, an “impaling” icy attack is Jewelry. Always on. Only affects the
still only good for +2 damage, not +4. wearer. Cost to create: 100 energy. Regular

Duration: 1 minute. Body of Water Turns water into solid ice. The ice
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain. retains the shape of its container; in
Time to cast: 3 seconds. Regular; Resisted by HT open water, the affected volume
Prerequisite: Create Water. freezes as a sphere or cube, at the cast-
Temporarily grants the subject the er’s option. A Shape Water spell may
Item Body of Water meta-trait (p. B262). be cast to form the water before it is
Clothes (up to 6 pounds) become frozen, or to alter the shape of the ice
A weapon that becomes freezing liquid along with him, while other after it is frozen.
cold whenever wielded, at no energy possessions drop to the ground.
cost to the user. Cost to create: 750
energy, $2,000 spell materials. Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.

WATER SPELLS 185

Duration: The ice lasts until it (b) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Cost to Item
melts naturally. create: 250 energy, $500 blue gem.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to cre-
Cost: 2 for an object up to the size Ice Sphere ate: 300 energy, $100 spell materials.
of a fist, 4 for up to a cubic foot, 6 for
a cubic yard, 3 more for each addi- Missile Resist Water
tional cubic yard. If the temperature is
above freezing, the caster may main- Throw a ball of ice from your hand. Regular
tain the spell by expending the casting When it strikes, it does crushing dam-
cost once every 10 minutes. age and vanishes in a gout of water. A The subject (person, creature, or
1-die Ice Sphere can also extinguish object) and anything he carries
Time to cast: 10 seconds. fire in a 1-yard radius, if accurately become immune to the effects of
Prerequisite: Shape Water. aimed. It has 1⁄2D 40, Max 80, Acc 2. dampness, remaining dry even if com-
pletely submerged. The spell protects
Item Cost: Any amount up to your against the dampening effect of steam
Magery level per second, for 3 sec- or ice, but not against the scalding or
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to onds. The sphere does 1d damage per freezing itself! This also protects
create: 200 energy, $100 blue gem. point of energy. against water-like substances; a spilled
drink does not stain, for instance. Its
Fog Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds. protection against acid is limited – the
Prerequisite: Shape Water. subject is granted 2 points of DR
Area against acid spills or immersion.
Item
As listed under Weather Spells, This is also a Protection and
p. 193. Staff or wand – the ball is fired Warning spell.
from the end of the item. Usable only
Ice Slick by a mage. Energy cost to create: 400; Duration: 1 minute.
the staff or wand must be tipped by a Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Area $500 sapphire. Prerequisites: Either Shape Water
and Destroy Water, or Umbrella.
Covers the floor or ground with a Icy Missiles
quarter-inch sheet of clear ice. Footing Item
on this ice slick is very precarious. All Regular
close combat and melee attacks, and (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Always
all active defenses, are at -3 on an ice Like Icy Weapon, but cast on a mis- on. Only affects the wearer. Cost to cre-
slick. Other physical skills, including sile weapon. The weapon itself ate: 200 energy and a $200 emerald.
missile and thrown weapon attacks, becomes cold to the touch, but won’t (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to
are at -2. Even walking across an ice harm the wielder. Any missile it fires create: 400 energy and a $200 emerald.
slick is usually difficult – in general, becomes freezing cold, doing +2 dam-
anyone attempting to walk or run age to most foes; it shatters after it hits Snow Shoes
across an ice slick must roll against a target or after 10 seconds, whichever
DX-2 for every yard of distance he cov- comes first. Regular
ers. If he fails this roll, he falls to the
ice. He may, with another DX-2 roll, Duration: 1 minute. Cross ice or snow as though it were
attempt to stand on his next turn. Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain. regular ground. Snow Shoes elimi-
Spiked footwear negates all penalties Time to cast: 3 seconds. nates any movement, DX, or skill
on ice. Prerequisite: Icy Weapon. penalties normally assessed for ice or
snow. The subject is still subject to
Ice slicks are very difficult to see. Item penalties caused by an unstable sur-
Anyone not actively watching the face, such as a rocking ice floe or an
ground for ice must make a roll A missile weapon that fires icy mis- avalanche.
against IQ-3 to notice an ice slick siles whenever used, at no energy cost
before stepping onto it. to the user. Energy cost to create: 1,000; Duration: 1 minute.
a $500 sapphire must be set in the Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
An ice slick will extinguish an area weapon. Time to cast: 2 seconds.
of normal fire that it overlaps, and vice Prerequisite: Shape Water.
versa. Melt Ice Area
Item
Duration: An ice slick lasts until it Turns solid ice into water.
melts naturally. Shoes, boots, or sandals. Only
Duration: Permanent above freez- affects the wearer. Energy cost to
Base cost: 3. ing; 10 minutes below freezing. create: 350.
Time to cast: 2 seconds per yard of
radius. Base cost: 1 (minimum 2). Below Walk on Water
Prerequisite: Frost. freezing, the cost to maintain is the
same. Regular
Item
Time to cast: 10 seconds. Walk on water as with the Walk on
(a) Rug or mat. Cost per 10 square Prerequisite: Heat or Freeze. Liquid advantage (p. B97).
feet: 100 energy, $250 spell materials.

186 WATER SPELLS

Duration: 1 minute. Whirlpool Base cost: 2 to cast. Half that to
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain. maintain.
Time to cast: 4 seconds. Area
Prerequisite: Shape Water. Time to cast: The Whirlpool starts
Create a circular whirlpool in a immediately, but the caster must con-
Item body of water (lakes, rivers, seas, but centrate for a number of seconds
also ponds and pools). By concentrat- equal to the Whirlpool’s radius in
Staff, wand, jewelry, or clothing. ing, the caster can move the Whirlpool yards to bring it to full strength. The
Only affects the wearer. Energy cost to any distance up to its own diameter Whirlpool takes a like time to stop
create: 500. per second. The caster may move at once the spell lapses, although no
half speed while concentrating. concentration is required.
Waves
The whirlpool has a “funnel” in its Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Special; Area center, the radius of which (at the sur-
face) may be up to half that of the Item
As listed under Weather Spells, whirlpool. The depth of the funnel may
p. 194. be up to twice the radius of the Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
whirlpool. The funnel gets progressive- by mages. Cost to create: 200 energy
Water Jet ly narrower as one nears its bottom. and a $500 emerald.

Regular The outermost yard of the Coolness
whirlpool moves at Move 1, the next
Shoot a thin jet of water from one inner ring at Move 2 and so on. Regular
finger. Each turn, the caster rolls vs. Anyone caught in the whirlpool will be
DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. This dragged towards its bottom; a The subject remains comfortably
attack may be dodged or blocked, but Swimming roll, at a penalty equal to cool in warm weather, avoiding the
not parried. It does knockback to all the current ring’s speed, must be made risk of dehydration or heat stroke –
targets, and damage to creatures of every revolution to avoid being but not sunburn! Effectively, the sub-
flame; it can kill or knock down flying dragged into the next inner ring (in ject gains Temperature Tolerance 3
swarm creatures. It can extinguish a 1- addition to the usual consequences for (p. B93) toward heat for the duration
yard-radius area of normal fire. failure – p. B354). A success by 3 or of the spell. The spell offers no protec-
Anyone hit in the face by a Water Jet is more means the swimmer managed to tion against actual flame or fire-based
at a -3 penalty to combat skills next move outward one ring (if he so wills). attack spells.
turn for each point of energy put into
the jet. The whirlpool has little effect on This is also a Protection and
beings and objects weighing more Warning spell.
Duration: 1 second. than 90 pounds times its radius in
Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d damage for yards. While in the whirlpool, all DX- Duration: 1 hour.
each point put into it. Range is equal based skills (except aquatic ones such Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
to the number of dice. as Swimming or Scuba) are at -5, Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water. above and beyond any penalty for Prerequisite: Cold.
being in water in the first place.
Item Item
Duration: 1 minute after reaching
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only full strength. Clothing, staff, or jewelry; only
by mages. If the item is a wand or affects the wearer. Energy cost to
staff, it must have a blue tip (or a blue- create: 200.
jeweled tip); the jet comes from the
tip. Energy cost to create: 600.

Water Vision

Information

See through water, snow, and ice –
to find sunken treasure, lurking
monsters, etc.

This is also a Knowledge spell.

Duration: 30 seconds.
Cost: 1 per 20 yards of depth to cast
(up to 200 yards). Same cost to main-
tain.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.

Item

Any. Energy cost to create: 200.

WATER SPELLS 187

Create Ice each point of energy put into it. No Walk Through Water
extra effect on creatures of fire.
Regular Regular
Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Creates a quantity of ice or snow. It Prerequisite: Ice Sphere or Water Pass through water or ice as if it
may appear as: a solid block of any Jet. were air; the subject can walk through
shape; within a container (which must glaciers, along the bottoms of lakes,
be large enough); hanging in mid-air Item etc. Like the Swim spell, this negates
(it falls immediately); as a mass of ice combat penalties for fighting in water.
shavings (great for cooling drinks); or Jewelry; the item must have a dag- In liquid water, the subject requires a
as a cloud of snow (which settles to ger shape or design. Usable only by a surface to walk on. The spell may cost
the ground). It takes 60 gallons of ice mage. Energy cost to create: 400. more if resistance to high pressures is
shavings or snow to put out a one-yard necessary. The spell neither opens a
radius area of fire within one second. Icy Touch passage so that others can follow, nor
A gallon of snow, depending on its reveals what is on the other side . . . If
fluffiness (p. 195), will cover a one- Melee the caster (or the subject) knows a
yard-radius area to a depth of two to spell to let him breathe, the subject
18 inches. Covers the subject with a coating of will have no difficulty breathing dur-
ice. The caster must touch the subject ing his journey, at no energy cost.
Duration: Permanent; the ice lasts to trigger this spell; hit location is Otherwise, he must hold his breath!
until it melts naturally. irrelevant. The subject is immobilized
and may take no action until he Should the spell end before the
Cost: 2 per gallon of ice created. breaks through the ice with a success- subject regains the open air, he finds
Prerequisite: Freeze. ful ST roll at a -1 penalty for every 1/4” himself submerged. He is not
of ice. The ice can be chipped off from automatically harmed, but drowns (or
Item the outside at a rate of 1/4” of ice for suffocates, if in ice) if he cannot
every point of basic damage; it has DR escape.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to cre- 1 per 1/2” of ice. If rescuers are not
ate: 200 energy and a $100 sapphire. careful, however, they may smash Duration: 1 second.
through the ice to injure the subject Cost: 4 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Dehydrate (see Overpenetration, p. B408). Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Shape
Regular; Resisted by HT While encased in ice, the subject is Water.
vulnerable to thermal shock (p. B430);
Removes the water from a subject’s he must roll vs. HT immediately. On a Item
tissues, causing damage or death. success, he loses 1 FP; on a failure, he
Affects the whole victim if cast from a loses FP equal to the margin of failure. Clothing or jewelry; only affects the
distance; if the caster touches the sub- The HT roll must be repeated every wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,100.
ject, damage is limited to the part minute that the subject remains
touched. Armor does not protect! encased in ice. If the situation Dry Spring
becomes dire enough that the subject
Duration: Damage done is perma- must start making death checks, a Regular
nent until healed. critical success means that the subject
has fallen into suspended animation, Dries and blocks the waterflow
Cost: 1 per 1d-1 damage done, up as per the spell. within a spring, reducing its output.
to 3.
Duration: Permanent. If the tem- Duration: Permanent. Note, how-
Time to cast: 2 seconds. perature is above the freezing point, ever, that the local geology may even-
Prerequisite:s At least five Water the ice coating may be maintained by tually shift, restoring the spring’s out-
spells, including Destroy Water. spending as much energy as in the put to its previous level.
original casting every 10 minutes.
Item Cost: 3 times the reduction in the
Cost: 2 per 1/4” of ice; must affect spring’s output, in gallons per hour.
Wand or staff. Usable only by the entire subject, not just a part of it!
mages; the item must touch the sub- Every 1/4” will inflict 1d-1 of damage Time to cast: 1 minute.
ject. Cost to create: 700 energy and to flame creatures. Prerequisites: Destroy Water and
$1,000 in spell materials. Shape Earth.
Time to cast: 1 second per 1/4” of
Ice Dagger ice. Item

Missile Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at least Staff. Cost to create: 450 energy and
four Water spells. a $500 emerald.
Create and hurl a razor-sharp ici-
cle. When it strikes, it does impaling Item Earth to Water
damage and melts instantly. It has
1⁄2D 30, Max 60, Acc 3. Staff or wand. Usable only by Regular
mages; the item must touch the sub-
Cost: Any amount up to your ject. The item’s tip must be white. As listed under Earth Spells, p. 52.
Magery level per second, for 3 sec- Energy cost to create: 800.
onds. Does 1d-1 impaling damage for

188 WATER SPELLS

Essential Water If the HT roll is failed, each energy Body of Ice (VH)
point in the spell blinds the target for
Regular one second. After the target can see Regular; Resisted by HT
again, blurry vision will put him at a -3
Like Create Water, but the water penalty to combat skills for a further Temporarily grants the subject the
created is the magical essence of 1d seconds. On a critically failed HT Body of Ice meta-trait (p. B262).
water. It extinguishes any type of fire roll, the target is blinded for 1d sec- Clothes (up to 6 pounds) also become
in the same proportion that ordinary onds per point of energy in the spell. ice, but lose any magic powers they
water extinguishes ordinary fire. It is On a successful HT roll, the victim might have had.
also three times as thirst-quenching as covers his eyes and is therefore unable
ordinary water – in other words, a to see for one second. On a critical Duration: 1 minute. Expires if the
mere quart of Essential Water will success, the victim is unaffected. subject loses consciousness.
keep someone hydrated for a full day
of exertion in hot climates (p. B426). Duration: 1 second. Cost: 7 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Cost: 1 to 3. The jet does 1d of Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Duration: Permanent until used; if knockback for every point put into it. Prerequisites: Magery 2, Body of
it is used to put out a fire, for instance, Its range is equal to the number of Water, and Freeze.
the steam created is ordinary water. dice. The cost to maintain is the same.
Prerequisites: Water Jet and Freeze. Item
Cost: 3 per gallon created.
Prerequisite: At least 6 other Water Item Staff, wand. or jewelry. Only affects
spells. the wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,300.
Staff or wand. Usable only by
Item mages. The jet issues from the item’s Boil Water
tip. Energy cost to create: 600; the staff
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only or wand must be tipped by a $500 Regular
by a mage. Energy cost to create: 800. sapphire.
Turns water into steam. Water
Frostbite Breathe Water expands considerably in going from liq-
uid to gas; a mere pint of water makes a
Regular; Resisted by HT Regular lot of steam. The scalding effect of
steam is such that a steam hex should
Lowers the temperatures in the Allows the subject to breathe water be treated exactly as a fire hex, except
body tissues of the subject, causing as though it were air, temporarily that it cannot ignite anything.
damage or death. Affects the whole granting Doesn’t Breathe (Gills)
victim if cast from a distance; if cast (p. B49). The subject does not lose the Duration: Permanent, though the
by touch, damage is limited to the part ability to breathe ordinary air! At the steam will recondense naturally (with-
touched. Armor does not protect. GM’s discretion, this spell may also in about 10 minutes).
include the equivalent of Pressure
Duration: Damage is permanent Support 1 (p. B77), allowing the sub- Cost: 2 for a fist-sized quantity of
until healed. ject to venture into deep water without water (makes about a hex of steam), 4
concern. for a cubic foot’s worth (makes about 40
Cost: 1 per die of damage done, up cubic yards of steam), 6 for a square
to 3. This is also an Air spell. yard of water to a foot’s depth (makes
about 400 cubic yards of steam), 3 for
Time to cast: 3 seconds. Duration: 1 minute. each additional third of a cubic yard.
Prerequisites: Frost and Freeze. Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Create Air and Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Item Destroy Water. Prerequisites: Shape Water and
Heat.
Wand or staff. Usable only by Item
mages; the item must touch the sub- Item
ject. Cost to create: 700 energy, $500 Clothing or jewelry. Energy cost to
spell materials, and a $500 blue gem. create: 400. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to cre-
ate: 200 energy and a $100 carnelian.
Snow Jet Breathe Air
Condense Steam Area
Regular Regular
Turns steam into room-
Shoot a thin jet of snow from one As described under Air Spells, p. 26. temperature water.
finger. Each turn, the caster rolls ver-
sus DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. Swim Duration: Permanent, though the
This attack may be dodged or blocked, water may boil again.
but not parried. It does knockback on Regular
all targets and damage to creatures of Base cost: 1 (minimum 2).
flame; it can kill or knock down flying As described under Movement Time to cast: 10 seconds.
swarm creatures. It can extinguish Spells, p. 147. Prerequisite: Cold or Boil Water.
normal fire within an area one yard in
radius. If the spell strikes the target’s Item
face, it temporarily blinds him unless
he makes a HT roll. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to
create: 300 energy and a $100 emerald.

WATER SPELLS 189

Create Acid caster is at a -4 penalty unless he also Item
knows Flesh to Ice. Remove Curse can
Regular also break the spell. (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry; only
affects the wearer. Energy cost to cre-
Creates a strong acidic solution out Duration: Permanent until ate: 800. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry.
of nothing. It may appear in any of reversed by another spell or substan- Energy cost to create: 1,200.
several forms. It may appear within a tial melting (or breakage) takes place.
container (which should be of glass or Summon Water
of some special stone or metal if the Cost: 12 to cast; must affect the Elemental, Control
acid is not to attack it), as a globe in entire subject, not just a part of it! Water Elemental,
mid-air (which falls immediately), or Create Water Elemental
as a dense mist of droplets (which Time to cast: 2 seconds.
inflicts splashing damage). Prerequisites: Magery 1, Frostbite, see pp. 27-28
and Body of Water.
Duration: The created acid is per- Rain
manent, but is neutralized as it reacts Item
with objects and beings. Area
Staff or wand. Usable only by
Cost: 4 per gallon created. mages; the item must touch the As listed under Weather Spells,
Time to cast: 2 seconds. subject. Energy cost to create: 1,200. p. 195.
Prerequisites: Create Water and
Create Earth. Create Steam Snow

Item Area Area

Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only Produces a cloud of steam. Until it As listed under Weather Spells,
by mages. Energy cost to create: 300. dissipates, anyone standing within the p. 195.
area of effect is at risk of scalding (treat
Create Spring as if surrounded by fire, pp. B443-444, Hail
except that steam cannot set anything
Regular aflame). The steam tends to rise; the Area
rate of dissipation depends on the
Increases a spring’s output, or area, ambient temperature and the As listed under Weather Spells,
creates one where none exists. presence of wind – indoors, it usually p. 195.
lasts until the spell expires, but out-
Duration: Permanent. Note, how- doors on a windy or cold day it may Mud Jet
ever, that the local geology may last only 10 seconds or so.
eventually shift, reducing the spring’s Regular
output to its previous level. Duration: 5 minutes or less, as
above. As listed under Earth Spells, p. 52.
Cost: 5 times the increase in the
spring’s output, in gallons per hour. Base cost: 2 to cast. Cannot be Geyser (VH)
maintained.
Time to cast: 1 minute. Area
Prerequisites: Dry Spring and Prerequisite: Boil Water.
Shape Water. Causes a geyser of scalding-hot
Item water to gush forth from the ground.
Item It creates a hole equal to its radius, as
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to cre- set by the caster. All those within the
Staff. Cost to create: 675 energy and ate: 400 energy and a $100 carnelian. geyser suffer 3d damage. They are
a $500 emerald. automatically pushed out of the area
Distill of effect, and must make a DX-5 roll to
Current stay afoot!
Regular
Special; Area Two seconds after the geyser starts,
As listed under Food Spells, p. 79. the water begins to fall back as spray.
As listed under Weather Spells, Under normal conditions, it affects an
p. 194. Resist Acid area double the radius of the original
geyser. All those within this new spray
Tide Regular area suffer 1d damage per second.

Special; Area The subject (person, creature or Example: A geyser of 2 yards radius
object) and anything he carries is created. All those in that area suffer
As listed under Weather Spells, become immune to the effects of acid. 3d damage. Two seconds later, all
p. 194. those within 4 yards, but not within 2
This is also a Protection and yards, suffer 1d of damage.
Flesh to Ice (VH) Warning spell.

Regular; Resisted by HT Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2 to cast; 6 if subject must
“Petrifies” a living subject (and all resist Essential Acid. Half that to
his gear!) into ice. Stone to Flesh can maintain.
reverse the effects of this spell, but the Prerequisite: Create Acid.

190 WATER SPELLS

Small Water Elemental Steam Jet

This is the basic water elemental summoned by casting Summon Regular
Water Elemental at the minimum energy cost of 4. More energy put into
the spell summons a more powerful elemental. Usually, this simply means Shoot a thin jet of scalding steam
a larger elemental; one point of energy is equal to 1 additional point of ST, from one finger. Each turn, the caster
5 HP, or 2 points of DR. However, the GM may choose to build a more rolls versus DX-4 or Innate Attack skill
exotic elemental, adding unusual traits to the following template, or to hit. This attack may be dodged or
working one up from scratch. blocked, but not parried. It does
knockback on all targets in addition to
Small Water Elemental its regular damage; it does double
damage to creatures of flame or ice. It
40 points can extinguish normal fire within an
area 1 yard in radius. If the spell
Attribute Modifiers: ST-3 [-30]; DX-2 [-40]; IQ-3 [-60]; HT-2 [-20]. strikes the target’s face, it temporarily
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -1. blinds him unless he makes a HT roll.
Advantages: Amphibious [10]; Chameleon 1 [5]; Doesn’t Breathe [20];
If the HT roll is failed, each energy
Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Immunity to point in the spell blinds the target for
Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury one second. After the target can see
Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; again, blurry vision will put him at a -3
Pressure Support 3 [15]; penalty to combat skills for a further 1d
Slippery 5 [10]. seconds. On a critically failed HT roll,
Disadvantages: Invertebrate [-10]; the target is blinded for 1d seconds per
Vulnerability (Dehydration) point of energy in the spell. On a suc-
[-10]. cessful HT roll, the victim covers his
eyes for one second and is therefore
If the caster is in the geyser area, he droplets, but it may take damage unable to see for one turn. On a critical
takes normal damage, but if he is in (p. B484). This requires two hands success, the victim is unaffected.
the spray area, he is unharmed. and a Ready action, and succeeds
automatically in protecting the char- Duration: 1 second.
The geyser must always spring acter once the shield is readied Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d-1 of scalding
from the earth; it would not work on a upwards, but this unreadies the shield damage for every point put into it.
rooftop. If cast under unusual circum- from its normal protective functions! Range is equal to the number of dice.
stances, it can produce interesting Cost to maintain is the same.
effects, such as a continuing stream of In addition, acid rain eats objects Prerequisites: Water Jet and Boil
scalding water flowing downhill at away at the rate of 1 HP every 10 sec- Water.
foes, but these must be controlled by onds; the object’s DR protects it com-
the GM. pletely for 3 seconds per DR. This Item
includes buildings.
Duration: 1 second. Staff or wand. Usable only by
Base cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain. Duration: 1 minute. mages. The jet issues from the item’s
Time to cast: 5 seconds. Base cost: 3. Same cost to maintain. tip. Energy cost to create: 700; the staff
Prerequisites: Six Water spells, Prerequisites: Magery 2, Create or wand must be tipped by a $300
including Create Spring, and either Water, and Create Earth. carnelian.
four Earth spells or four Fire spells.
Item Acid Ball
Rain of Acid
Staff. Usable only by mages. Energy Missile
Area cost to create: 1,200.
Throw a ball of acid from one
Droplets of acid rain from the sky hand. When it strikes something, it
onto the area, causing 1d-1 acid dam- bursts, inflicting acid damage. It has
age per second to all within it. 1/2D 20, Max 40, Acc 1; use the Innate
Characters and creatures under the Attack skill.
rain of acid take damage on their own
turns; if less than an entire second is Cost: Any amount up to your
spent in the affected area, damage is Magery lever per second, for three sec-
halved (round down). onds. The Acid Ball does 1d damage
per energy point.
The spell can only be cast out of
doors. Armor protects in the usual Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
fashion. A shield with a DB of 2 or bet- Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Create
ter can be held overhead to block the Acid.

Item

Staff or wand – the missile is fired
from the tip of the item. Usable only
by mages. Energy cost to create: 300.

WATER SPELLS 191

Acid Jet Storm Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained.
Regular Area Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Steam Jet,
Shoot a jet of acid from one hand. As listed under Weather Spells, and Resist Fire.
Each turn, the caster rolls against DX- p. 195.
4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. The jet Item
may be dodged, but not parried or Icy Breath (VH)
blocked. The jet does knockback as Jewelry. Usable only by mages.
per Snow Jet; if the jet strikes the face, Regular Cost to create: 1,000 energy and a $500
the acid may blind the victim as carnelian.
detailed on p. B428. The caster expels a deadly hail of
ice and cold air from his mouth. The Spit Acid (VH)
Duration: 1 second. caster rolls to hit against DX-4 or
Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d-1 of damage Innate Attack skill. This counts as an Regular
for every point used. Range is equal to attack; it can be dodged or blocked,
the number of dice. Cost to maintain but not parried. The caster must be Similar to Acid Jet, except that the
is the same. facing his target. No hand gestures are acid issues from the caster’s mouth,
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Water Jet, required to cast this spell; certain lip Spit Acid cannot be maintained, and
and Create Acid. and tongue motions are made instead. each energy point buys 1d damage
Thus, Icy Breath can be cast “no instead of 1d-1. Caster rolls to hit
Item hands” at any level of skill. against DX-2 or Innate Attack skill
(p. B201). This counts as an attack; it
Staff or wand. Usable only by Duration: 1 second. may be dodged or blocked, but not
mages. The jet issues from the item’s Cost: 1 to 4. Does 1d+1 damage for parried. The caster must be facing his
tip. Energy cost to create: 400. every point of energy in the spell. target. No hand gestures are required
Cannot be maintained. to cast this spell; certain lip and
Rain of Ice Daggers Time to cast: 2 seconds. tongue motions are made instead.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Snow Jet, Thus, Spit Acid can be cast “no hands”
Area and Resist Cold. at any level of skill.

Ice Daggers rain from the sky onto Item Duration: 1 second.
the area, causing 1d-2 impaling dam- Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained.
age per second to all within it. Jewelry. Usable only by mages. Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Characters and creatures under the Cost to create: 400 energy and a $500 Prerequisites: Magery 3, Acid Jet,
Rain of Ice Daggers take damage on sapphire. and Resist Acid.
their own turns; if less than an entire
second is spent in the affected area, Breathe Steam (VH) Item
damage is halved (round down).
Regular Jewelry. Usable only by mages.
The spell can only be cast out of Energy cost to create: 400.
doors. Armor protects in the usual Similar to Steam Jet, except that
fashion. A shield with a DB of 2 or bet- the steam issues from the caster’s Essential Acid (VH)
ter can be held overhead to block the mouth, Breathe Steam cannot be
ice, but it may take damage (p. B484). maintained, and each energy point Regular
This requires two hands and a Ready buys 1d damage instead of 1d-1.
action, and succeeds automatically in Caster rolls to hit against DX-2 or Turns regular acid into the magical
protecting the character once the Innate Attack skill. This counts as an essence of acid. No substance is
shield is readied upwards, but this attack; it may be dodged or blocked, immune to its bite, and it inflicts three
unreadies the shield from its normal but not parried. The caster must be times as much damage before being
protective functions! facing his target. No hand gestures are neutralized. Essential Water or Flame,
required to cast this spell; certain lip in like quantity, will nullify Essential
Inanimate objects such as and tongue motions are made instead. Acid. If frozen with the Freeze spell, it
buildings protect with their DR. Thus, Breathe Steam can be cast “no is harmless until thawed.
hands” at any level of skill.
Duration: 1 minute. At the GM’s option, this spell may
Base cost: 1 (minimum 2). For dou- produce alkahest (p. 220).
ble base cost, the Rain of Ice Daggers
does 1d per second! Duration: Permanent until neutral-
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Hail, and ized.
Ice Dagger.
Cost: 8 per gallon.
Item Prerequisites: Magery 3 and all six
Acid spells.
Staff. Usable only by mages. Cost to
create: 800 energy and a $1,000 Item
sapphire.
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
by mages. Energy cost to create: 1,100.

192 WATER SPELLS

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

WEATHER SPELLS

“You did what?!” Jenkins yelped. Duration: The frost lasts until it Item
“I needed some rain on the north melts naturally.
forty, so I pulled some clouds in from Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
the hills. What’s wrong with that?” Base cost: 1. to create: 300.
“Jones brought in a northeasterly Prerequisite: Create Water or Cold.
to pollinate his sunflowers! When it Predict Weather
pushes your clouds over the ridge, it’ll Item
flood the Aaronson place for sure.” Information
“Well, it serves Aaronson right,” Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to cre-
Dan Friedlander grumbled. “Dumping ate: 200 energy, $350 blue gem. Forecasts the weather accurately
hail on little Susie Atkins’ birthday for a given location over a given time.
party just because his Jenny wasn’t Fog This forecast does not take magical
invited – what kind of person does meddling into account, or predict the
something like that? Area actions of other wizards!
“That’s beside the point, Dan! I also
happen to know that widow Sawyer Creates an area of dense fog. Even This is also an Air spell.
needed that rain for her tomatoes, and one yard of fog blocks vision. Flaming
you just went dumping it on Vic weapons and missiles lose their extra Cost: 2 times the length of the fore-
Aaronson!” power in fog. A Fireball loses 1 point of cast, in days. Double the cost for a
“Well, how am I supposed to know damage per yard of fog it must traverse location outside the general area (say,
that? It’s not like Emmeline Sawyer (e.g., a 3d Fireball that crosses 5 yards over the horizon). Quadruple the cost
talks to me these days!” of fog inflicts 3d-5 damage), while vic- for a place on another continent. This
Jenkins sank his head into his tims of an Explosive Fireball may spell cannot predict weather on plan-
hands. “Everybody does something count each yard of fog as two yards of ets or planes other than the one where
about the weather, but no one talks distance from the blast. However, no the caster currently is.
about it.” amount of fog will extinguish a fire.
Time to cast: 5 seconds per day
GMs willing to give weather mages This is also a Water spell. forecast.
more potential may wish to have all
Weather/Area spells cast using long- Duration: 1 minute. Prerequisites: At least four Air
distance modifiers (from the caster to Base cost: 2 to cast. Half that to spells.
the edge of the affected area). maintain.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Frost

Area

Creates a covering of frost on all
surfaces in the area of effect. The frost
is real, and lasts indefinitely if the tem-
perature is below freezing. In warmer
conditions, the frost quickly melts to a
dew. When cast upon a real or magical
fire, the frost produces a cloud of
steam and causes the flames to hiss
for a few seconds. Only a tiny fire – a
match or candle – would actually be
extinguished by a Frost spell.

A Frost spell cast upon a fire ele-
mental or other flaming creature does
one point of damage to the creature,
but is more likely to anger it than drive
it away.

This is also a Water spell.

WEATHER SPELLS 193

The Beaufort Scale

Beaufort Description Wind Average Wave Notes
Degree Calm Speed Height at Sea
0 Light Air (mph) Breaking crests
1 Light Breeze (feet) Some foam
2 Gentle Breeze – 0 Some spray
3 Moderate Breeze 1-3 0 Some spindrift
4 Fresh Breeze 4-7 0-1 Sea begins to roll
5 Strong Breeze 8-12 1-2 Visibility affected
6 Moderate Gale 13-18 2-4
7 Fresh Gale 19-24 4-8
8 Strong Gale 25-31
9 Whole Gale 32-38 8-13
10 Storm 39-46 13-20
11 Hurricane 47-54 13-20
12 Hurricane 55-63 13-20
13 Hurricane 64-72 20-30
14 Hurricane 73-82 30-45
15 Hurricane 83-92
16 Hurricane 93-103 45
17 104-114
115-125
126+

Waves Clouds entirety. The area of effect then moves
with the object.
Special; Area Area
This is also a Water spell.
Changes the surface calmness of Creates or dispels normal outdoor
any large body of water. Each applica- cloud cover, as the caster chooses. Duration: 1 hour.
tion of the spell can increase or Base cost: 1/50 (minimum 1). Same
decrease the wave height by one point This is also an Air spell. cost to maintain.
on the Beaufort scale (above); to Time to cast: 1 minute.
achieve multiple-point changes, multi- Duration: 10 minutes, after which Prerequisites: At least six Water
ply the spell’s cost accordingly. The normal clouds leave or return unless spells.
wind is unaffected. Note that the the spell is maintained.
Beaufort scale is specific to ocean Item
waves; waves produced on lake shores Base cost: 1/20 (minimum 1). Same
are generally much lower relative to cost to maintain. Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost
wind speed (GM’s judgment). to create: 300.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
The spell may be cast on an area, Prerequisites: At least two Water Tide
affecting the waves moving across it. It spells and two Air spells.
can also be cast on an object, such as Special; Area
a ship, which it must then encompass Item
in its entirety (typically, 10 to 30 yards Each application of this spell can
in radius). The area of effect then Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost raise or lower the water level by one
moves with the object. to create: 300. foot; for larger changes, increase the
spell’s cost proportionately.
This is also a Water spell. Current
The “hill of water” thus created
Duration: 1 hour. Special; Area spreads naturally from the area affect-
Base cost: 1/60 (minimum 1). Same ed, dropping by one foot for each yard
cost to maintain. Affects the currents of any large beyond the actual area of the spell.
Time to cast: 1 minute. body of water. Each application of the
Prerequisite: Shape Water. spell can shift the current direction by The spell may be cast on an area,
22.5 degrees or speed by 1 mph (or affecting the tide in it. It can also be
Item knot). To achieve combined direc- cast on an object, such as a ship,
tion/speed changes, or more extreme which it must then encompass in its
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost changes in one or the other, increase entirety. The area of effect then moves
to create: 300. cost proportionately. with the object.

The spell may be cast on an area, This is also a Water spell.
affecting the current moving under it
for 40 yards in depth. It can also be Duration: 1 hour.
cast on an object, such as a ship, Base cost: 1/30 (minimum 1). Same
which it must then encompass in its

194 WEATHER SPELLS

cost to maintain. Snow Base cost: 1/10 (minimum 1). Each
Time to cast: 1 minute. base cost application raises the ambi-
Prerequisites: At least eight Water Area ent temperature by 10˚F. Same cost to
maintain.
spells. Creates (or prevents) 1 inch of snow,
in a normal outdoor setting. To work Prerequisites: Heat and at least four
Item properly, this spell must be cast when Air spells.
the temperature is 32°F or lower. When
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost cast under warmer conditions, this Item
to create: 225. spell simply summons a thin drizzle,
dampening the ground but not leaving Staff. Usable only by a mage.
Wind any significant puddles. Energy cost to create: 150.

Special; Area This is also an Air spell and a Water Cool
spell.
Modifies the current outdoor wind Area
conditions. Each application of the spell Duration: 1 hour.
can shift the wind direction by 22.5 Base cost: 1/15 (minimum 1). Each Lowers the ambient air tempera-
degrees (from W to WSW, for example), additional 1/15 energy per yard radius ture of an area. This may cause fog to
or change wind speed by one level on increases the amount of snow by 1 appear if the conditions are right. The
the Beaufort Scale (see box). To achieve inch per hour. Same cost to maintain. spell cannot lower the temperature
combined direction/speed changes, or Prerequisites: Clouds and Frost. below about -40˚F.
more extreme changes in one or the
other, increase cost proportionately. Item This is also an Air spell.

The spell may be cast on an area, Staff. It must be kept cool when Duration: 1 hour.
affecting the wind moving over it from not in use; it loses its powers if it is Time to cast: 1 minute per base cost
the ground to an altitude of about 300 exposed to temperatures over 90° for application.
feet. It can also be cast on an object, more than two hours. Usable only by a Base cost: 1/10 (minimum 1). Each
such as a sailing ship, which it must mage. Energy cost to create: 450. base cost application lowers the ambi-
then encompass in its entirety. The area ent temperature by 10˚F. Same cost to
of effect then moves with the object. Hail maintain.
Prerequisites: Cold and at least four
This is also an Air spell. Area Air spells.

Duration: 1 hour. Makes hail fall. The temperature Item
Base cost: 1/50 (minimum 1). Same must be above freezing. The main
cost to maintain. effect is to provide intense distraction Staff. Usable only by a mage.
Time to cast: 1 minute. to whoever is being pelted with hail; Energy cost to create: 150.
Prerequisite: Windstorm. wizards must make a Will roll each
second to keep their concentration. Storm
Item For 5 times the cost, the GM may
allow really big hailstones, doing 1d-2 Area
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost crushing damage per second.
to create: 300. Creates (or dispels) a storm.
This is also a Water spell. Depending on ambient temperature
Rain and humidity, it may be a simple wind-
Duration: 1 minute. storm or include rain, snow or hail – the
Area Base cost: 1/5 (minimum 1). For odd lightning bolt, too. This is particu-
damaging hailstones, base cost is 1. larly effective at sea. The spell is unpre-
Creates (or prevents) 1 inch of rain Same cost to maintain. dictable in its effects (which is to say the
in a normal outdoor setting. Prerequisite: Snow. GM decides what the storm does . . . ).

This is also an Air spell and a Water Item The spell can also be used to dispel
spell. a storm; the effectiveness of the spell
Staff. Usable only by a mage. depends on the relative sizes of the
Duration: 1 hour. Energy cost to create: 500. affected area versus the natural
Base cost: 1/10 (minimum 1). Cost storm’s full area.
to make rain doubles in a desert or Warm
other area (GM’s determination) where This is also an Air spell and a Water
rain is unnatural. Cost to prevent rain Area spell.
doubles in a naturally rainy or swampy
area. Same cost to maintain. Raises the ambient air temperature Duration: 1 hour.
Time to cast: 1 minute. of an area. This could be used to dissi- Base cost: 1/50 (minimum 1). Same
Prerequisite: Clouds. pate Fog, for example. The spell can- cost to maintain.
not raise the temperature above 100˚F. Time to cast: 1 minute. An incipient
Item storm will take about an hour to gath-
This is also an Air spell. er and reach full strength. Once the
Staff or wand. Usable only by a spell lapses, it may take a varying
mage. The item must be kept in water Duration: 1 hour. length of time to calm down – it may
when not in use; it loses its powers if it Time to cast: 1 minute per base cost even keep going on its own for hours
stays dry for more than an hour. application.
Energy cost to create: 600.

WEATHER SPELLS 195

yet! A dispelled storm will also take Lightning behaves unpredictably Lightning Whip
about an hour to calm down. around conductors. A lightning bolt
cannot be fired through a metal grid, Regular
Prerequisites: Rain and Hail. between bars, from within a car, etc. –
it jumps to the metal and is lost. Creates a whip of lightning in the
Item However, the GM may (for instance) caster’s hand. It is wielded like a normal
allow a wizard to shoot a lightning bolt whip (p. B404), except that it always
Staff. Usable only by a mage. into a metal floor. This would not elec- takes only one second to ready, and it
Energy cost to create: 1,000. trocute those on it, but could shock cannot be used to parry or entangle. The
them all, interrupting concentration whip inflicts 1d burning damage every
Weather Dome and doing slight damage (no more than time it strikes. The effects of lightning
1 point, and possibly none at all). The damage listed under Lightning apply.
Area GM may encourage creative use of
lightning until it becomes a nuisance. This is also an Air spell.
As listed under Protection and
Warning Spells, p. 169. This is also an Air spell. Duration: 10 seconds.
Cost: 1 to cast per two yards of
Cloud-Walking Cost: Any amount up to your reach (maximum of 8 yards). Same to
Magery level per second, for three sec- maintain.
Regular onds. The bolt does 1d-1 burning Time to cast: 2 seconds.
damage per energy point. Prerequisite: Lightning.
As listed under Movement Spells,
p. 148. Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds (the Item
caster’s fingers sparkle as the spell
Cloud-Vaulting builds). Glove, whip, or jewelry. Usable only
by mages. Energy cost to create: 350.
Regular Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at least
six other Air spells. Shocking Touch
As listed under Movement Spells,
p. 148. Item Melee

Resist Lightning Staff or wand – the bolt is fired Charges the caster’s hands or staff
from the end of the item. Usable only with lightning. The caster must strike
Regular by mages. Cost to create: 800 energy, the subject to trigger this spell; hit loca-
$1,200 for platinum decorations. tion is irrelevant. The subject takes
The subject and anything he carries 1d+1 burning damage per point of ener-
become immune to the effects of light- Explosive Lightning gy in the spell. Armor does not protect.
ning and electricity. In low-tech settings,
this is most often used to guard against Missile Shocking Touch has unusual side
hostile magic; in higher-tech worlds, it effects on electronics and conductive
becomes a valuable professional tool. Creates a lightning bolt that affects materials, as per Lightning (above).
both its target and things nearby. This
This is also a Protection and has 1/2D 50, Max 100, Acc 3. It can be This is also an Air spell.
Warning spell and an Air spell. thrown at a wall, floor, etc. (at +4 to
hit) to catch foes in the blast. The tar- Cost: 1 to 3.
Duration: 1 minute. get and anyone closer to the target Prerequisite: Lightning.
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain. than one yard takes full damage.
Prerequisites: Any six Air spells. Item
Those further away divide damage
Item by three times their distance in yards Staff, wand, or glove. The item
from the explosion (round down). The must touch the subject. Energy cost to
(a) Any. Only affects the wearer. effects of lightning damage listed create: 1,500.
Cost to create: 1,000 energy and $1,000 under Lightning apply.
in platinum. (b) Wand, staff, or jewel- Spark Cloud
ry. Cost to create: 1,500 energy and This is also an Air spell.
$1,000 in platinum. Area
Cost: Any amount up to twice your
Lightning Magery level per second, for three sec- Creates a ground-level cloud of
onds. The lightning bolt does 1d-1 electrical sparks. It does not block
Missile burning damage per full 2 points of vision, but it inflicts burning damage
energy. to anyone standing in it. Armor pro-
Shoots a bolt of lightning from a tects in the usual fashion (metallic
fingertip. This bolt has 1/2D 50, Max Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds. armor provides the same minimal pro-
100, Acc 3. Treat any metal armor as Prerequisite: Lightning. tection that it does against Lightning).
DR 1 against this spell! If the target is
wounded, he must make a HT roll, at Item This is also an Air spell.
-1 per 2 HP suffered, or be stunned.
He may attempt a HT roll each turn Staff or wand – the bolt is fired Duration: 10 seconds.
thereafter to recover. Against electron- from end of item. Usable only by a Base cost: 1 to 5; the cloud inflicts 1
ic equipment, treat this attack as if it mage. Energy cost to create: 1,200; point of damage per second for every
had the Surge damage modifier (see must include platinum decorations point of energy put into the base cost.
p. B105). worth $500. Time to cast: 1 to 5 seconds, depend-
ing on base cost. Cannot be maintained.
Prerequisites: Shape Air and Lightning.

196 WEATHER SPELLS

Item points of energy put into its base cost. explodes on the mental command of
Prerequisite: Lightning. the caster or upon contact with a liv-
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only ing being or metallic object. If the
by mages. Cost to create: 150 energy, Item spell is allowed to expire, the Ball
$500 in platinum, and a $500 opal. winks out of existence without
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable exploding.
Spark Storm only by mages. Cost to create: 500
energy and a $500 opal. (b) A Wall of This is also an Air spell.
Area
Lightning may be made permanent at Duration: 1 minute.
Creates a normal Windstorm, with an energy cost of 100 times normal. Cost: Any amount up to twice your
a dangerous addition: every turn Magery level per second, for three sec-
Lightning strikes one random victim Ball of Lightning onds; half that to maintain. The ball
in the area of effect. To resolve the inflicts 1d-1 burning damage for every
bolt’s attack, roll against the caster’s Missile 2 full points of energy to anyone with-
Spark Storm skill, without any range in 1 yard of the explosion. Those fur-
adjustments. The victim gets an active Creates a ball of lightning in the ther away divide damage by three
defense, as usual. caster’s hand. Unlike a regular Missile times their distance in yards (round
spell, however, a Ball of Lightning down).
At the GM’s option, the lightning floats away in the direction the caster Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds; the ball
strikes may not be completely ran- wills it to; it cannot be hurled in the grows in the caster’s hand as the cast-
dom: tall targets may be at more risk usual fashion. The ball is utterly silent ing progresses.
than short ones, and metal armor may and moves in a straight line at a max- Prerequisites: Apportation and
tend to attract the lightning. Mages imum speed equal to the caster’s skill Lightning.
who use this spell know what the true divided by 5 (round down), regardless
rules are in their world. of wind and nonmetallic obstacles – Item
the ball floats right through windows,
This is also an Air spell. curtains, walls, etc. It maintains its Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
heading and speed unless the caster by mages. Cost to create: 600 energy
Duration: 1 minute after reaching concentrates to change it. The ball and a $500 opal.
full strength.

Base cost: 2 (1d-1 Lightning), 4 (2d-
2 Lightning) or 6 (3d-3 Lightning) to
cast. Half that to maintain.

Time to cast: The storm starts
immediately, but the caster must con-
centrate for a number of seconds
equal to the storm’s radius in yards to
bring the storm to full strength.

Prerequisites: Windstorm and
Lightning.

Item

Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only
by mages. Cost to create: 300 energy,
$500 in platinum ,and a $500 opal.

Wall of Lightning

Area

Creates a shimmering, crackling
curtain of lightning around an area.
The wall is four yards high, but may
be made higher by scaling the cost as
the height (double for 8 yards high,
triple for 12 yards high and so on).

Every turn, anyone crossing or
touching the wall suffers burning
damage. It impedes vision and hear-
ing through it: -1 to these Sense rolls.

This is also an Air spell.

Duration: 1 minute.
Base cost: 2 to 6 to cast. Same cost to
maintain. Each turn, the Wall inflicts
1d-1 burning damage for every two

WEATHER SPELLS 197

Lightning Stare Item unless it is wielded as a light cloak (see
Cloak, p. B184). Energy cost to create:
Regular (a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only 700 for the cape, 1,000 for armor.
affects the wearer. A severe drawback is
The caster shoots lightning from that, as soon as it is activated, the item Lightning Weapon
his eyes, using DX-4 or Innate Attack falls through the user’s hand – thus a
skill to hit. The caster must be facing spell cast with this item lasts only a Regular
the target to use this spell. The typical minute. Energy cost to create: 3,000. (b)
ritual for this spell uses facial motions Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects the The subject melee weapon
rather than hand gestures; thus, wearer. Unlike the previous item, this becomes charged with lightning, visi-
Lightning Stare can be cast “no item turns to lightning along with the bly spitting and sparking, without
hands” at any level of skill. wearer. While in lightning form, it loses harming its wielder. The weapon must
any other magical powers it might ordi- be at least partly metallic; weapons
This is also an Air spell. narily have. Energy cost to create: 6,000. made entirely of wood and/or stone
won’t hold the spell. The weapon does
Duration: 1 second. Lightning Armor an additional 2 points of injury after
Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained. armor penetration and wounding
Does 1d burning damage per point of Regular modifiers have been figured. Against
energy put into the stare. Range is 2 metallic armor, the weapon inflicts at
yards per point of energy. The subject is sheathed in crack- least 1 point of damage on any hit.
Time to cast: 2 seconds. ling lightning, without feeling any dis-
Prerequisites: Lightning, Resist comfort (the subject and anything he This is also an Air spell.
Lightning. carries are under a Resist Lightning
spell). The subject’s melee attacks do Duration: 1 minute.
Item an extra point of burning damage. Cost: 4 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Jewelry. Usable only by mages. Any metallic weapon that hits the Prerequisites: Magery 2 and
Cost to create: 1,000 energy, $500 subject triggers a 1d-1 backlash of Lightning.
worth of platinum, and a $500 opal. burning damage along the weapon.
This attack automatically hits the hand Item
Body of Lightning that is holding the weapon, regardless
of the weapon’s length, as long as its A weapon that becomes electrified
Regular; Resisted by HT entire length is conducting. Should the whenever used, at no energy cost to
subject grapple or be grappled, the foe the user. Energy cost to create: 750; at
Subject becomes an animated takes 3d-3 burning damage, but the least $300 must be spent in platinum
shape of lightning, temporarily granti- spell will be broken. and opal decorations.
ng him the Body of Lightning meta-
trait (see box). Clothes (up to 6 This is also an Air spell. Lightning Missiles
pounds) also become lightning, but
lose any magic powers they might Duration: 1 minute. Regular
have had. Cost: 7 to cast. 4 to maintain.
Prerequisites: At least six Lightning Like Lightning Weapon, but cast on
Stop Power acts as Glue and Steal spells including Resist Lightning. a missile weapon. The weapon itself
Power acts as Steal Strength on the becomes surrounded with an electric
subject. Item halo. Any missile it fires becomes
charged with lightning, doing 2 addi-
This is also an Air spell. (a) Staff or jewelry. Usable only by tional points of injury as per Lightning
mages. Cost to create: 1,000 energy Weapon. The missile’s wooden parts
Duration: 1 minute. The spell is and $300 worth of platinum and turn to ash after it hits a target or after
broken if the subject loses conscious- opals. (b) Cape or armor; only affects 10 seconds, whichever comes first.
ness. the wearer. When activated, the cape
seems like a piece of sheet lightning; it This is also an Air spell.
Cost: 12 to cast. 4 to maintain. will protect against attacks from the
Time to cast: 5 seconds. back and sides, but not from the front, Duration: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain. Cost
Lightning. doubles if the missiles to be fired are
nonmetallic.
New Meta-Trait: Body of Lightning Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Lightning Weapon.
Body of Lightning: Your body is made of lightning. ST 0 [-100]; HP +10
[20]; Burning Attack 1d (Always On, -40%; Aura, +80%; Melee Attack, Item
Reach C, -30%) [6]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 10 (Limited: Electricity,
-40%) [30]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance A missile weapon that fires light-
(Diffuse) [100]; No Manipulators [-50]; Feature (Affected by Energy Spells ning missiles whenever used, at no
(p. 178) [0]; and Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]. 56 points. energy cost to the user. Energy cost to
create: 1,000; at least $400 must be
spent in platinum and opal
decorations.

198 WEATHER SPELLS