© 1994 by Scott Gray and Sharon Tripp. These pages may not be reproduced for profit. They may be copied, provided they are not altered and the authors' names remain attached.
Previous section | Next section | ContentsUnless otherwise noted, no magical powers may ever be activated in a combat setting. Exceptions include inhuman strength, fury, banish undead, death, destroy weapon, destroy armor and retrieving an item from shadow form (but not placing it in shadow form).
Adept powers may not be used while wearing metal armor. If armor is donned while an adept spell is active, the spell will be temporarily suppressed, returning after the armor is removed. This will not affect the duration -- a spell with a six hour duration which was cast at noon will still end at six o'clock, even if the mage was wearing metal armor for most of that time.
Cast through pain. This allows the mage when wounded to cast spells which require a health point expenditure. Depending upon how many health points are expended when activating this power, the mage may cast when lightly wounded (at a casting cost of one health point), moderately wounded (at a casting cost of 3 health points) or even heavily wounded (at a casting cost of 4 health points). This effect lasts for 24 hours.
This power only allows the casting of magical spells. This power does not affect the mage's ability to perform other skills or abilities.
Cost: 1-4 health points, spent at logistics.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Fury. This power can only be used in combat. If at any time the caster is brought to zero or negative health points, the caster may use this power to raise his/her effective health points to ten. However, at the end of the combat (or sooner, if (s)he takes ten points of additional health damage), the adept drops to negative health immediately. Fury cannot be used if an intrinsic killing blow was delivered to the adept. The use of this power is not visible.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to two times at once.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: 24 points magical skills, of which at least 12 must
be adept
Skill points: 12 (36)
Gain ability. Any ability can be acquired for twenty four hours. Any additional ability to be gained requires a separate use of this power.
Cost: 1 health point, plus one health point per ability point
cost of the ability to be gained, spent at logistics on the day
the power will be used.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: 48 points of magical skills
Skill points: 32 (80)
Gain fatigue. For six hours, the adept gains 3 extra fatigue points. No more than one "gain fatigue" may be active at once. This fatigue is treated as though it were part of the character's "natural" fatigue (unlike adrenalate poisons) for purposes of resisting the effects of elixirs, etc., but not for the purposes of overnight healing.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used.
This power may be prepared up to four times at once.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Improve strength. For six hours the adept gains a point of strength, which is additive to any natural strength or strong blow bonuses which the adept possesses. No more than one "improve strength" may be active at once. Note that the adept remains susceptible to effects of wounds on strength.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to four times at once.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Inhuman strength. This power can be cast in combat. For ten minutes the adept's strength becomes four. During this period the adept may not use "strong blow" or other strength-based abilities, but can use proficiencies, doubled attacks or other damage bonuses. The character's strength will be at four for the entire ten minutes, regardless of the effects of wounds.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Only one application of this power may be used at a time.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Improve strength
Skill points: 6 (18)
Protect self from [aura]. This power allows the mage to, for one hour, ignore weakening effects such as those caused by silver or iron for mages affected adversely by those metals. It may also allow protection from other effects which would otherwise effect the mage, such as allowing a demon mage to ignore the effects of sanctified ground. The aura which is protected against must be named when the spell is prepared.
This power will only protect against the effects of being in close proximity to the aura; if attacked with a silver weapon, a mage with the "affected by silver" disadvantage would still receive additional damage from any blows taken.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to four times at once.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: 12 points of adept skills
Skill points: 12 (24)
Sixth sense. This skill allows the adept to use sixth sense as per the benefit. Once the health points are spent to activate the power, the sixth sense will be active for an entire day.
Cost: 4 health points, spent at logistics.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
In order to cast a conjuring power, the mage must recite a verbal incantation loudly enough to be heard clearly from wherever the targets of the spell are. Each conjurer may use different incantations. Prior to using an incantation, the person playing the mage must have the verbal "approved" by a GM, who will give the conjurer a tag allowing him/her to use that incantation for one or more particular spells, as listed on the tag. The GM will not approve "silly" incantations, or ones which are not obviously related to the casting of magic (using "Hey, you" as an incantation is not acceptable).
Some examples of incantations which might be approved follow:
"Ignotum per ignotius" for call magic is acceptable because the use of a different language draws attention to the incantation."By the stars, may this [insert item name] be so distasteful to nature herself, that it be cast into the void" for send item is acceptable because the clear statement of intent draws attention to the incantation.
Call item. Conjures an item within sight of the caster to the caster's hand. Call item may not be used to fetch an item through solid objects (doors, windows, etc.); however, it may retrieve items that the caster could not get to him/herself (something on the other side of a pit) or through solid objects which the item called could fit through (fetching keys to a cell through the bars). The conjuration is instantaneous.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Call magic. This summons raw magic which must immediately be stored within a suitable vessel. The object may be passed between people. Such an object will have a minor, obviously magical, but not terribly useful effect while under this spell. The effect will last for 24 hours. Use lightsticks, plasma globes, lava lamps or other odd light-sources to represent these magical items.
Cost: 2 health points per item enchanted, spent at
logistics.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 6
Prestidigitation. The mage may conjure a small hand-held item (a lockpick, a gold ingot, a dead insect -- anything that could be concealed in the conjurer's palm). The item may not be any one specific item, but only a general "type". It may not have any visible writing on it, or any moving parts. No magical item may be conjured by this means. Any type of non-magical material may be conjured, however.
Any item so conjured will be conjured directly into the conjurer's hand -- it cannot be conjured into a container. The item may not leave the conjurer's hand while in existence; if the conjurer lets go of it, or has it taken from him/her by someone, then it disappears. No more than one such item may be kept in existence at once.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to four times at once.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: 72 points of conjuration, illusion or transmuting
skills
Skill points: 30 (102)
Send item elsewhere. The conjurer may send any item held in palm of his/her hands to another plane of existence, making it essentially gone and irretrievable. The conjurer has no control or knowledge as to where the item is sent to. The conjurer must be able to completely engulf and surround the item in his/her hands. It is not possible to send only part of an item -- if the whole thing does not fit within the conjurer's hands, then no part of it is sent.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Sense alien creature. With this skill, the conjurer can tell whether any one creature gazed at is native to this plane or not. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this ability costs no health.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Shadow form. This power cannot be invoked during combat, though it can be negated at any time. At casting the conjurer may turn one object (GM's determination on "odd" definitions of object) into a form that, though it looks real, may not be used or taken from the conjurer. The person playing the conjurer may describe whatever reasonable effect (s)he wishes as the reason the item can't be taken away -- the conjurer's grip is too strong, the person's hand passes through the item, the item was painful to the touch, a loud noise (which no one else had heard...) distracted the would-be thief...
The conjurer may negate the spell as per normal negating rules, returning the item to normal. If the conjurer is killed while an item is still in shadow form, the item will remain in shadow form indefinitely; it may be dispelled by another mage if the dispel is cast within a week of the conjurer's death.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Send item, cantrip
Skill points: 12 (30)
Shadow walk. This power allows a conjurer to pass through any portal, regardless of whether it is closed or locked. This will also free the conjurer of any confinement or bonds (except for magical ones, or marriage).
This will allow the conjurer to call a time out and choose which doorways, bonds, etc., within seeing distance the conjurer will pass through. If locked in a dungeon, the conjurer may choose to pass through the chains, the bars on the cell, and the door at the end of the corridor -- these are all in sight. However, the conjurer must phase back in on the opposite side of the door -- regardless of how many guards are there, or if it is a dead end, or if there's an open pit-trap on the other side.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to two times at once.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: Shadow form
Skill points: 24 (54)
All of the diviner powers require that the diviner gaze at the target of the power. In game terms, this means that the diviner should look straight at the target for fifteen seconds. The diviner may not look away from the target in that time, and should try to blink as little as possible.
Unless otherwise noted, multiple powers may be simultaneously used at the end of the fifteen second gaze.
Determine abilities. The diviner can sense all of the target's abilities, and whether or not (s)he can perform magic. However, this power will not tell the diviner a) if a character has fleshshaping ability, b) what level of magery the character possesses or c) what skills the character has. Some creatures and creature abilities may be exempt from this skill.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Know secrets
Skill points: 12 (30)
Determine harmful intent. By gazing at the target, the diviner can sense if that person is hostile towards him/herself. The player should tell the diviner whether or not his/her character has hostile intent towards the diviner.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: Know secrets
Skill points: 12 (30)
Know secrets. With this spell, the diviner can tell all deep, dark secrets held by a character (s)he gazes at. These include any secrets which would gain social disapproval which can be found on ability tags (practicing magic, having fleshshaping ability, being a lycanthrope, and so forth) as well as any other "role-playing" information the player wishes to give about which the character feels guilty (killed an innocent, whatever).
Alternately, if cast at logistics a) it may be possible to discover a secret without the character being sensed present and b) the information may be more extensive. Using "know secrets" from a distance may prevent the information from being acquired for 24 hours, and requires that the diviner have something with some close connection to the target -- perhaps a drop of blood of the character or an example of the character's writing (expended when using the power from a distance).
Cost: 5 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Question. Allows the caster to ask one yes or no question, which the target of the spell must answer truthfully. If the question cannot be answered as yes or no (whether because the question was phrased improperly, because the target doesn't know the answer or because the answer isn't completely yes or no), then the target gives no answer. If the target can answer the question, (s)he must do so. The recipient realizes that magic is being used upon him/her.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: Know secrets
Skill points: 12 (30)
Sense magic. This skill allows a diviner to sense if a person or item has magics upon him/her/it. It does not allow the diviner to sense if a creature is magical or possesses the magery benefit, nor can (s)he sense effects caused by innate creature powers; only spells cast through the use of magery. The person or object being sensed must be in the diviner's view at the time the sense power is used. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
The diviner may expend health points to get more information on the type and nature of the magic. For each health point spent, the diviner may ask one yes or no question about the magic and/or the casting of the magic. (These questions are mental, not verbal; others in the area neither hear the questions nor the answers.)
Example: Meraib casts sense magic upon a pendant. She senses that the pendant is indeed magical. By spending a health point, she might ask "Is there more than one spell upon this?" or "Is it an illusion?" or "Was the caster of the spell a foreigner?" or "Did Kevin cast the spell?" or "Does this spell affect the possessor of the item?" or "Is this spell harmful to me?". She would not receive answers to questions such as "Who cast this spell?" (since it is not a yes or no question) or "Has the caster of this spell cast it before?" (as it bears no relevance to the spell itself) or "Was Martin in the vicinity when it was crafted?" (again, it bears no direct relevance to the spell).
Sometimes use of this sense may require research time after observation. Ingame, this is because of the tricky nature of divination. Out of game, this is because the information concerning the magics on a character or item is not always immediately accessible.
Out of game, the first step when using this power is to ask another player who would be likely to know of any magics on the person/item; usually this means the person upon whom the power is being used, or the person who originally possessed the item upon which the power is being used. In most cases, the player is able to give the relevant information. In the event that the player does not know, the diviner should seek out the GM for the information.
Note that sometimes the diviner will receive inaccurate or incomplete information due to out of game reasons. In such instances, ingame the power flawed or failed, just as with ritual magic.
Cost: Use of the base ability costs no health; inquiries as to
the exact nature of the magic cost one health point per yes or no
question
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: 24 points of magical skills
Skill points: 12 (36)
The requirement for using enchanter powers is five minutes of attempted communication (speaking, singing, sign language) with or obviously directed at the victim(s). The attempt to communicate must be sincere; no talking to sleeping victims, or speaking in a language you know they don't understand (if the caster and victim have no language in common, intonation and gesture to communicate is acceptable, however), and so forth.
Unless otherwise noted, multiple powers can be used simultaneously at the end of the five minutes.
Charm. The victim of the spell will instinctively like the enchanter and greatly desire to impress him/her, and will perform most reasonable requests for the enchanter. This effect will wear off after the victim has been away from the enchanter for more than one hour, though the victim won't consider his/her earlier behavior odd. No enchanter may have more than one person charmed at once by this means. The enchanter need not be conscious for this effect to remain active.
Some players may continue to be more friendly with a mage after having been charmed to him or her. This may be because the character has seen "the better side of him or her", or perhaps simply that the character formed a good "initial first impression". Such continuing effects are at the discretion of the player whose character was charmed, and are not magical in nature but rather a natural result of having been charmed. Other magical effects, too, may have natural side effects, at the discretion of the players.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 36
Forget. After five minutes have passed since the use of this power, the victim will remember nothing which occurred since the last time (s)he was asleep. If at the end of the forgotten period, there are obvious cues that time has passed, the character will be aware that (s)he is missing memories.
Spending additional health points causes the target to forget a greater period of time.
Example: On Saturday, Martin awoke at 6 AM and took a walk in the big meadow. At lunch that day, he asked Dale out and was rejected. Martin went back to the barracks, where he cried himself to sleep. In the evening he was roused just long enough to decline dinner. Then, despondent and listless, he went directly back to sleep.Kevin, in a rare display of kindness, comes to the barracks on Sunday morning and does a four health point forget on Martin, causing him to forget everything that occurred that morning (the first two points) and through to his Saturday afternoon nap (the next two points). The last thing Martin remembers before going to sleep is being dumped by Dale; he starts crying again. Kevin, realizing that the boy had napped in the interim, casts again with 6 health points, which causes Martin to forget everything since he awoke at 6 AM Saturday.
Martin now forgets Dale's reaction, and asks her out again -- getting smacked.
Cost: 2 or more health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: 18 points of illusion or enchanting skills
Skill points: 18 (36)
Group charm. The enchanter can gain the trust of several people. The victims of the spell will instinctively like the enchanter, and will perform most reasonable requests for him/her. This effect will wear off separately for each victim after (s)he has been away from the enchanter for more than one hour, though the victims won't consider their earlier behavior odd. The enchanter need not be conscious for this effect to remain active.
Cost: 1 health point, plus 1 health point per person in group,
spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Charm
Skill points: 18 (54)
Pacify. This power will cause the victim to be unable to harm the enchanter, either physically or verbally, as well as making him/her unable to interfere directly with any of the caster's actions. This effect is permanent until dispelled.
The practical effect is, any time that the victim considers doing harm to the caster (including telling other people about questionable actions of that mage) (s)he will start coughing, change the subject, decide that such actions would be too dangerous, become distracted by something else, etc. The victim is not conscious of the fact that (s)he is pacified, and if this effect is negated or dispelled (s)he won't consider his/her earlier behavior odd.
Cost: 7 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Charm or forget
Skill points: 30 (48)
Puppetmaster. The enchanter gains control of a single person. The victim of the spell will lose all free will for one hour, and will obey any commands given to him/her by the caster. After the effect wears off, the victim will remember nothing that occurred while under the influence of the spell. The enchanter must wait five minutes before invoking this power again.
If at the end of the forgotten hour, there are obvious cues that time has passed, the character will be aware that (s)he is missing memories.
Cost: 3 health points, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: Charm or pacify
Skill points: 18 (54)
Sense magical compulsion. With this power, an enchanter can tell if a person's actions are due to magical compulsion, whether by a mage or a magical creature. It only senses changed desires, not changed physiology -- it does not detect spells such as forget or sleep, but will sense such things as pacify or puppetmaster. This does not allow the enchanter to determine the source of the compulsion, nor what type of compulsion (not whether it is a charm, puppetmaster, vampyric control, etc.). The person being sensed must be in the enchanter's view at the time the sense power is used. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this ability costs no health.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: 12 points of enchanting
Skill points: 12 (24)
Sleep. The victim falls asleep, and nothing may awaken him/her for 15 minutes. The victim may not talk in her/his sleep, toss, turn, snore, or otherwise draw attention to him or herself. When this spell ends, the character does not become instantly awake -- the character must awaken naturally, being shaken awake or hearing noise or slowly becoming conscious on his/her own.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
All illusionist powers require that the illusionist shut his/her eyes for fifteen seconds, using no abilities, skills or other powers during this time.
Unless otherwise noted, multiple powers can be used simultaneously at the end of the fifteen seconds.
Cantrip. For one full day, the mage may do any small special effects which do not gain the character any particular advantage; this includes small amounts of smoke or magic tricks which do not gain the mage anything. Such effects can not be used in a combat situation, or in any situation in which out-of-game they may be deemed dangerous.
In order to represent the effects, the player must actually be able to produce the effects. Flash paper, flash powder, magic-tricks available in joke shops and bang-snaps are acceptable. Any use of other pyrotechnics must be arranged in advance, on a case-by-case basis, with the GMs.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 6
Greater Hallucination. The illusionist may create an illusion of a small hand-held item, visible to all people present at the time this power is used. (A writ of passage, a silver shilling, a playing card, an insect -- anything that could be concealed in the illusionist's palm). The item may be completely identical to any one object which the illusionist has handled. The object need not have been concealable when the mage handled it, so long as it can be when the hallucination is created.
Example: When Kevin had an opportunity to handle the Charter of the Kelby Assembly, it was carefully preserved and uncreased. But when he created a greater hallucination of it, he did so with it folded up so it fit in his palm.
The item may not leave the illusionist's line of sight; meaning it must be potentially in view of the illusionist, though the illusionist need not look at it -- but if another character takes it and leaves the room, for example, then the illusion is broken. Another character inspecting the item will not be able to tell that it is illusory, unless the character is an illusionist using the "sense illusion" power.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: Hallucination
Skill points: 18 (42)
Hallucination. The illusionist may create an illusion of a small hand-held item, visible to all people present at the time this power is used. (A writ of passage, a silver shilling, an insect, or whatever -- anything that could be concealed in the illusionist's palm). The item may not resemble any one specific item, but only a general type -- i.e. a letter, but not a letter written by a person whose handwriting the audience recognizes; a brooch but not a specific, recognizable brooch. The item may not leave the illusionist's line of sight; meaning it must be potentially in view of the illusionist, though the illusionist need not look at it -- but if another character takes it and leaves the room, for example, then the illusion is broken. Another character inspecting the item will not be able to tell that it is illusory, unless the character is an illusionist using the "sense illusion" power.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: Cantrip
Skill points: 18 (24)
Invisibility. This spell allows the illusionist to become unseeable, unhearable, unsmellable and generally intangible. Once used, the player may don a white (out of game) headband. Though it is possible to accrue information while invisible, people get a "sense" that something is amiss when there is an invisible person in the area. This spell lasts for 15 minutes. Note that any attempts to interact with others (attacking, picking pockets, use of magic on another, tapping someone on the shoulder, speaking, etc.) or sustaining damage (from a trap or other source) will render the invisible character visible.
Cost: 3 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used.
This power may be prepared up to four times at once.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: 48 points of magical skills
Skill points: 24 (72)
Mass illusion. This spell allows the illusionist to cause all persons within 20 yards to perceive anything of his/her choosing. The effect is instantaneous. The illusionist must call a time out, and describe whatever "story" (s)he wants the others to recall. If the person playing the illusionist wishes (s)he may offer the characters "options" within the illusion. Remember to try to keep the story short, so the time out is not too long.
One example: "The gargoyle comes to life, flies about the room, proclaims Martin to be a fleshshaper, and returns to stone upon its perch"Or, to confuse people: "Everyone here leaves town, and lives in the hills as sheepherders for two years, returning to this spot at the end of two years, to sell wool in town."
Or, to really confuse people: "Martin asks Dale to go to the flogging with him on Saturday night, and Dale accepts."
Though there are no formal rules for "disbelief" of this power, afterwards any of the players whose character was affected may explain to a GM rationales why his/her character may suspect an illusion ("My character would never agree to go out with Martin!") and the GM may or may not allow him/her to suspect magic ingame. In any instance, characters will be so overwhelmed by the illusion as to believe it implicitly for at least twenty minutes afterwards. The exception to this is if the illusion left no smooth transition; if the character, having had the illusion of being in the mountains herding sheep, then finds him/herself in the town, with no illusory mention of leaving the mountains to come to town, (s)he might very well suspect magic -- though is just as likely, in those circumstances, to suspect (s)he was conjured to town, as the sheepherding illusion will still feel real to him/her.
Note also, that if the requirements have been met for another power which the illusionist has, the effect may be combined with the mass illusion; provided that all of the strictures on the other power also apply. For example, if combined with flesh to stone, follow the flesh to stone rule that "it is obvious what the 'source' of the flesh to stone is to any person in the room".
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used, and an additional 6 at the time it is used.
This power may be prepared up to two times at once.
Magery to cast: 6
Prerequisite: 84 points of magical skills, of which 36 must be
illusion and/or enchanting
Skill points: 30 (114)
Sense illusion. An illusionist may attempt to determine whether or not a given creature is an illusion. Rather than following the usual rules for disbelieving, an illusionist need not do more than state his/her disbelief. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this ability costs no health.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: 12 points divination or illusion
Skill points: 6 (18)
Banish undead. This power can be used in combat. This ability causes any one undead to flee. Certain undead may be resistant or immune to this ability. Note that the caster must announce which undead (or potential undead) this spell is being directed at.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Control undead. This ability allows the necromancer to control any one undead as though the necromancer were its creator. This control lasts until sunrise. Certain undead are resistant or immune to this power. This power cannot be used after combat has begun.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Banish undead
Skill points: 12 (24)
Create zombie. This allows the necromancer, with a single touch, to animate a corpse less than one hour dead. The zombie possesses weaponless combat ability, and has twice the health points that the character had in life. These health points regenerate every ten minutes as though they were fatigue points. The zombie's fatigue is zero; all damage taken is to health. Zombies may not be healed, and will be "killed" (no longer regenerating) if killing blowed. The zombie is mindless, and can only follow simple instructions of its creator. It is not obvious, to casual observers, that the creature is a zombie. There is no limit on the number of zombies a necromancer can have in his/her service at once.
This power takes 5 minutes to take effect, during which time the player is briefed on his/her new stats as a zombie or given a card detailing them. The necromancer need not remain about during the five minutes for the zombie to animate.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 36
Death. This power can be used in combat. The fifteen creatures nearest to the necromancer, within line of sight of the necromancer (meaning characters which could be seen from where the necromancer is standing, though the caster need not be looking directly at them the moment the power is used), are struck down and are brought to negative health points, fatally wounded. The necromancer him or herself is brought to zero points, unconscious.
This spell will kill all insects, plants, tiny animals, worms, and anything else not represented by a player without counting against the maximum of fifteen victims, including living plant and/or animal components.
The form the wounds take (slashes, bludgeonings, internal bleeding, etc.) may be determined by the caster at casting -- but whatever form the caster chooses the wounds on the victims to take, will also be the same for his/her own wounds from the casting.
Cost: 2 health points, permanently, spent at logistics at any
time prior to casting. This power may be prepared only once at
one time. 2 temporary health points spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 6
Prerequisite: 132 skill points worth of magical skills including
sense death
Skill points: 24 (156)
Determine cause of death. With this skill, a necromancer can tell the exact cause of death on one corpse within sight (including undead). Weapon type, spell or ritual type, monster type, who was wielding the weapon, etc. If the necromancer casts this upon the hacked up corpse of a zombie or other undead, the manner in which the person who was made into undead will be determined; being made inanimate is not the same as being made dead.
If cast at logistics, the necromancer need not have the body present, and the person in question need not be dead. If the person in question is not dead, the GM will give the likeliest cause of death in the character's future. When the spell is cast upon a person who is not dead, there is a chance of the spell going awry; a necromancer trying to discover the most likely cause of his/her own death has a fair chance of driving him/herself insane.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at time of casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Drain health. This power allows the necromancer to drain a person's health, taking it to use as his/her own. However, the necromancer's health may not exceed the victim's permanent health, and any extra health is lost. These are the first points lost when wounded or casting. The health points gained can be used for casting, just like normal health gained from rest or healing. To use this power the mage must let out a scream as (s)he kills his/her victim.
Cost: 3 health points, spent at logistics the day this power
is
to be used.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 36
Sense death. With this skill, a necromancer can tell whether or not a person in his/her sight is dead. By looking at any individual in a non-combat setting, the necromancer can determine if the target is dead or undead. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this power costs no health.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
To use most sorcerous powers, a mage must have a focus (a jewel, throne, bead, crystal, wand, garment, sword, or other ornate inanimate item) somewhere in his/her possession. A focus can be prepared by spending one health point at logistics, receiving a tag from the GM giving a description and number of the item which has become the sorcerer's focus. The caster must have the item in his or her possession at logistics in order to prepare it.
A "general" focus is usable for most powers. However, curse powers require the use of a "specific" focus designed for use with, and only with, that particular curse.
Any mage which gains possession of a general focus of a sorcerer may use it to cast spells or rituals as though (s)he were "attuned" to the sorcerer.
Attunement. Being attuned to a target makes the casting of spells on him/her easier. See the description under Magery.
There are two options when casting attunement. The caster may spend two temporary health points to make the link two-way (the caster and target are both attuned to each other). If the caster spends an additional two health points, (s)he can make the link one-way, so that only the caster is attuned to the subject, and not vice versa. For either version, the attunement must be accepted by the person upon whom the power is being used. If attunement is not accepted, the spell simply fails, but the health points are still spent.
The target of the attunement must hold a general focus of the sorcerer's during the casting of this power. If the attunement is to be two-way, the caster must hold something precious to the target, as well.
A puppetmastered person may be made to accept attunement; a charmed person might be made to accept it in some circumstances, depending heavily upon the particular character.
Cost: 2 or 4 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Contract. With this spell, a sorcerer may write a contract (which is obviously magical in nature, and the words of which may be understood by any of the parties listed) that if agreed to by all parties is actually binding. For example, if one party promises his/her life upon failure, (s)he will actually die if (s)he fails. The GM must be consulted before any contract is written by a sorcerer. The GM must approve all terms in the contract before the names of the contractors are written in, and is also responsible for determining means by which the contract will be executed (perhaps demons would come to collect?). It is possible to "mentally" affix one's signature to it (if the person has been turned to stone, and is signing in order to have it dispelled, for example). Once signed by all parties, the contract itself disappears (is taken out of game to be given to logistics).
Cost: 5 health points to prepare a contract at any time in
advance, and approved by a GM; it is possible to prepare a
general contract without names given, to be filled in at casting.
An additional temporary health point of all persons affixing
their signatures to it spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 6
Prerequisite: 72 skill points magical skills, of which 36 must be
sorcerer skills
Skill points: 30 (102)
Curse. The curse skill is not a magical power or spell. It is theoretical knowledge, allowing a character to quickly and easily craft and use curses. Most minor curses will take no skill points to learn, and need only be approved by the GM; stronger curses should be approved on a case by case basis. Curses should have no particularly dangerous effect on the person, though they should be annoying. (Give the person warts, cause them to hate the taste of everything they eat, anything which has minimal detrimental effect on the "game effectiveness" of the character.) Each variant curse must be separately approved by the GM, with the health cost of casting it determined by the GM.
In order to cast a curse, the sorcerer must place a specific focus (prepared for one particular variant curse) of his/hers into the possession of the victim.
A curse will persist until dispelled, or the caster removes it. A caster of a curse may remove it in one of two ways; when in the presence of the cursed person (notifying the player at this time that the curse is now gone), or without being in the cursed person's presence may remove it by the next midnight (through logistics). In either case, all that is required is the caster make a conscious mental effort to remove the curse. This applies to all curses.
Examples of curses are given below. In order to encourage varied and new curses, sorcerer powers of the "curse" variety may be crafted by any character with the "curse" skill, and that character need spend no more skill points on crafting the curse than the normal points to learn it.
Most curses will require at least level 2 magery and "curse"
skill.
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Curse: Warts. The victim of this power is given one or more warts (facial, or other, as named by the caster) until the curse is dispelled.
Cost: 1 health point spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Skill points: 0 (18)
Curse: Bitter food. The victim of this power will hate the taste of anything and everything (s)he eats until the curse is dispelled.
Cost: 1 health point spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Skill points: 0 (18)
Curse: Rotting food. The victim of this power will be unable to eat anything until the curse is dispelled. No alchemical solutions in solid form of any sort may be ingested, the character is unable to heal overnight, and the character will lose one health point every day until the curse is dispelled. Note that the health point loss is to temporary health points; a chirurgeon can heal those points normally, by helping feed the character a liquified balanced meal.
Cost: 2 health points spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Skill points: 12 (30)
Curse: Tasteless food. The victim of this power will be unable to taste anything (s)he eats until the curse is dispelled. The victim will not be able to taste obvious poisons.
Cost: 2 health points spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Skill points: 6 (24)
Curse: Slur speech. The victim of this power will be unable to speak clearly until the curse is dispelled. The victim must speak slowly, with false starts and mumbling, until the curse is dispelled.
Cost: 2 health points spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Skill points: 6 (24)
Curse of bad luck. This curse causes the victim to take double damage from everything. Any weapon, trap, spell or other type of damage is doubled before calculating armor reduction.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Skill points: 12 (30)
Curse of pain. This curse causes the recipient to be in constant pain. Though (s)he does not lose any health points, the victim will lose access to any abilities as though (s)he were suffering from heavy wounds. Note that the ignore pain ability does not help against this. This is not cumulative with other wounds. The curse will not make the victim unconscious.
Cost: 6 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 5
Skill points: 24 (42)
Dispel. By use of this power, the sorcerer may destroy any active magic. In order to dispel a magic on a person, the sorcerer must first be attuned to the person. This power allows the caster to negate any magical effect as though (s)he had been the original caster of the spell.
Spells which can be negated, but continue after death of caster, cannot be dispelled once one week has passed from the death of original caster. The spell uses the residual power of the mage to strengthen the magic. Spells and powers which cannot be dispelled by the dispel power might still be dispelled through the dispel ritual.
Note that dispel only dispels one effect; if there are multiple magics upon a person or item, the sorcerer must state which magic is being dispelled.
In order to cast dispel, the mage must have at least 6 points worth of magical skills in the same school of magic as that being dispelled.
Cost: 1 health point, permanently, spent at logistics at any
time
prior to casting. This power may be prepared only twice at one
time. 4 temporary health points at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: Attunement
Skill points: 24 (42)
Reflect. Use of this power allows the caster to reflect a magical power back upon a spellcaster or creature using the power on him/her. The mage using the reflect power must be capable of casting the power reflected him/herself in order to reflect it. If capable of it, the creature or mage on whom the spell is reflected may use warding (against the spell reflected; not against the reflect spell or the reflect spell's school) or even reflect it back (and back and forth, etc. -- the entire reflect war taking place nearly instantaneously).
As the effect is considered near-instantaneous, a mage may continue to reflect back and forth the same spell even if it means dropping below 5 health points (the level at which no powers may be used); however, the first reflection of the spell still demands the normal health requirement to cast.
Cost: 1 health point per reflection, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Sense Curse. The caster may sense whether or not a curse is on a person or item.
Although this is a sorcerous power, it does not require a general or specific focus to cast. It may be cast on any person or item examined. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this ability costs no health.
Magery to cast: 0
Prerequisite: Curse
Skill points: 3 (21)
All of the transmuter powers require touch, unless otherwise noted. Touch is defined as maintaining contact for the full the time requirement. In order to cast a spell upon a creature, the transmuter need not be touching skin -- a transmuting power may be passed through clothing or armor being worn by the victim. Note, however, that it may not be passed through a chain of items; not along rope, not through gloves being worn by the transmuter, not through a door the victim is leaning against.
Unless otherwise noted, multiple powers can be used with a single touch.
Destroy armor. This power can be used in combat. When striking an opponent's armor with a melee weapon or weaponless combat rep, the transmuter may call "destroy armor", causing the armor to melt, explode, or some similar effect that obliterates it. Note that this does no damage to the person wearing the armor.
This spell cannot be warded against or reflected. It is not cast on a person, but on an object.
Cost: 3 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: Destroy weapon
Skill points: 6 (18)
Destroy weapon. This power can be used in combat. When struck by an opponent's weapon (and taking damage as appropriate) the transmuter can call "destroy weapon", causing the weapon to melt, explode or some other neat effect. The power may also be used in non-combat settings, on locks or other items which have a toughness rating, giving the transmuter an effective 6 strength for the purposes of determining what damage is done to a lock, door or other game item.
This spell cannot be warded against or reflected. It is not cast on a person, but an object; an opponent using weaponless combat will be unaffected.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12
Flesh to stone. By touching a creature for fifteen seconds, the caster may turn that target (but not his/her possessions) to stone. Touch is defined as maintaining contact, which the target is making no effort -- or is incapable of making effort -- to resist. Note that the statue is very heavy. It would take 4 humans to carry it -- at a crawl, losing one fatigue point per twenty paces moved; one person fewer is necessary for every two strength points in the group. Also note that in this form the creature cannot be used for fleshshaping. If the transmuter dies within sight of the statue, the character reverts to normal, as will any broken-off pieces of stoned character (though they can't be reattached, and any broken-off part of the character that is not in the vicinity will not revert to flesh). The transmuter must wait five minutes before invoking this power again. It is obvious what the "source" of the flesh to stone is to any person in the room (including those turned to stone -- they can still see and hear).
Cost: 3 health points spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: 48 points magical skills
Skill points: 18 (66)
Hold object. By touching a door, window, trap, wheel, or similar moveable object for fifteen seconds, the transmuter may magically keep it from moving or being moved by others. The object remains in the state it is in the moment the power takes effect, rigid and effectively unbreakable. After being activated, this power lasts for as long as the item remains in the caster's line of sight. Note that this power is usable only on objects, not on living (or undead) creatures.
Cost: 2 health point, spent at casting.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 6
Lighten armor. Though this power does not change the appearance of armor, it does (for one hour) make the armor wearable by the transmuter as though the armor were one class lighter. Plate armor could be worn by a transmuter trained to wear chain, and chain by a transmuter untrained in wearing armor.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used. This power may be prepared up to four times at
once.
Magery to cast: 3
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 18
Sense false form. With this power, a transmuter can tell if a person or item in his/her sight is in an altered form. The power will allow the mage to detect lycanthropy, illusions, transformations and the like, but not which category the creature/item falls under. This power cannot be invoked more than once per minute.
Cost: Use of this ability costs no health.
Magery to cast: 1
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 6
Transmute self. A transmuter who uses this power magically toughens his or her own skin, giving him or herself damage reduction as though wearing force 2 armor (-2). This can be stacked with other armor, so combined with force three armor the effective reduction would be -5. The transmuter's muscles toughen, giving the transmuter plus 4 fatigue points and plus one strength, and (s)he becomes immune to all effects of pain. These effects last for one hour. During this period, the transmuter may use no powers or magical abilities.
Cost: 2 health points, spent at logistics, the day this power
will be used. This power may be prepared up to four times at
once.
Magery to cast: 5
Prerequisite: 72 points magical skills including flesh to
stone
Skill points: 30 (102)
Transmute weapon. Though this power does not change the appearance of a weapon, it does (for one hour) allow the caster to change the effect of the weapon on impact. With each strike, the transmuter may call whatever damage (s)he would normally, but change the material to anything (3 steel, 3 silver, 3 fire, 3 cold, 3 flesh, 3 diamond, 3 electricity, 3 magic, etc.). This effect only applies when wielded by the transmuter. This only applies to the type of damage called, not to any other aspects of the weapon (damage, vulnerability to shatter, usability to shatter, etc). Note that this instantaneous transformation will be visible to any who see the weapon strike (and who notice that a different material was called than the duct-tape on the weapon would allow for).
This spell also allows the material of the weapon to become momentarily rigid, and more capable of doing damage.
Example: Aakhnoud has sufficient masteries and doubled attacks to do "12 leather" with a whip; but whips are not innately allowed to do more than four. If Aakhnoud casts the transmute weapon spell, though, he may call full damage with the whip -- regardless of material called ("12 fire" "12 water" "12 steel" or even "12 leather").
Cost: 1 health point, spent at logistics, the day this power
will
be used. This power may be prepared up to four times at
once.
Magery to cast: 4
Prerequisite: 66 points magical skills including lighten armor
and call magic
Skill points: 24 (90)
Weaken creature. By touching a creature for fifteen seconds, the caster may reduce that creature's health. The creature loses three temporary health points. This is not usable in combat, even with weaponless combat. The effects of the lower health level occur immediately.
Cost: 1 health point, spent at casting, for every three health
points of damage caused.
Magery to cast: 2
Prerequisite: None
Skill points: 12