Copyright c 1998, Sandy Petersen
AN OVERVIEW OF SORCERY
Who Cannot Learn Sorcery
Learning Spells
Increasing Spell Skill
Memory Requirements
Casting and Maintaining Sorcery Spells
THE ARTS
Learning The Arts
THE BASIC ARTS (Intensity, Multispell, Range)
SECONDARY ARTS (Accuracy, Ease, Force, Hold, Permanence, Reinforce, Speed)
RANKS OF SORCERY (Apprentice, Student, Journeyman, Adept, Magus)
VOWS
Learning Vows (The High Vow, The Vessel, Lore Mastery)
Other Vows
SPECIALTIES (Alchemist, Conjuror, Healer, Enchanter, Forest Mage, Illusionist,
Metamorph, Monitor, Necromancer, Ship's Sorcerer, Warlock [of named element],
Weather Mage)
SPELLS
Sorcery Used With Other Magic Types
Definitions of Spellcasting
APPENDICES
Converting from Old Sorcery
Otherworld Creatures and Sorcery
AN OVERVIEW OF SORCERY **************************************
Several different Gloranthan magic traditions are all vulgarly termed
"Sorcery". Kralori mysticism is restricted to Kralorela, and is very difficult
for outsiders to learn. The peculiar magic native to the East Isles is
sorcery-like, in that the effects are created by manipulating magic energy.
Dwarf magic is superficially much like standard sorcery, and indeed the latter
may have derived from it.
Sorcery in its best-known form was originated by the Brithini and Vadeli. It
has spread across much of the world, and many, perhaps most, Third Age
sorcerers are not Malkioni at all.
Who Cannot Learn Sorcery
・ a shaman can learn no sorcery unless his fetch has been permanently
destroyed. A person who knows sorcery and becomes a shaman loses all his
sorcerous lore.
・ most priests cannot learn sorcery, often because it is considered sinful by
their deity, but also because the nature of their philosophy and devotion
renders the priest unable to alter his mindset in the necessary manner. An
initiate of a non-sorcery-using deity may never become an acolyte, priest, or
rune lord while he retains his sorcery lore.
・ Normal dwarf magic is much like sorcery, and free dwarfs take to sorcery
like ducks to water.
・ Trolls also use sorcery in conjunction with their native darkness cults.
・ Few elves can learn sorcery, as their minds and souls are not keyed into
seeing the universe as natural resources to be manipulated by principles of
immutable law. Their Weltanschaung is highly personal -- Aldrya is immanent.
Sorcery requires an impersonal view of the universe and Aldrya is more than
just a distraction -- she makes the sorcerer's viewpoint an impossibility. Only
rootless elves, who have lost their world view, can sometimes learn sorcery.
・ Most nonhumans can learn sorcery like anyone else, always assuming that
someone is willing to teach them. Krarshtkids and jelmre cannot learn sorcery
because the former never use any magic and the latter only use their
species-unique emotion magic.
Learning a Sorcery Spell
・ From an instructor -this takes 50 hours of training from someone with skill
of at least 90 in the spell. At the end of the training, the student receives a
skill equal to 1d6 plus his Magic Bonus in the spell. If this results in a
score of 0 or less, another 50 hours adds another 1d6 to his skill, and this
can continue until he is finally at a positive level. A teacher can train a
number of students equal to his INT.
・ From a Scroll or Book -a student who successfully Reads a written
description of a spell, studying it for 50 hours, learns the spell by rolling
his INT or less on 1d100. If he fails, he can study another 50 hours, then try
his INTx2. Then INTx3, etc. A special Read doubles the reader's chances on that
and all subsequent attempts. A critical Read is an automatic success.
・ Spell Inscription -anyone who knows a spell at 90+ can inscribe it via a
successful Write. If a matrix of the spell is enchanted into the scroll or
book, the matrix's skill bonus is added to the student's chance of learning the
spell.
Increasing Spell Skill
・ Experience -as per normal RQ rules.
・ Research & Training -success in training or research provides a 1d6
increase, rather than 1d6-2.
・ Maintenance -if a spell is continuously maintained for a week, and makes up
at least a tenth of the sorcerer's Presence, the sorcerer gets a skill check at
the week's end. If the skill check results in an increase, the skill raises by
1d6-2. More than one of the same spell maintained only provides one skill
check.
Memory Requirements
A sorcery spell takes up 1 INT. This INT can come from the sorcerer's own
brain, a spell matrix, a bound spirit, or a familiar, but must be stored
somewhere. A sorcerer can increase his skill in spells which he has not
memorized (but has access to through a familiar, magic item, or whatever).
Casting and Maintaining Sorcery Spells
The chance of casting any sorcery spell is equal to the user's skill in that
spell on 1d100 (possibly modified by Ceremony). In all cases, the caster may
not place more Art levels into a spell than his skill in that spell/10. The
caster's degree of success can be relevant:
Success Level Result
Critical Spell goes off, costs only 1 MP, takes
full effect.
Special Spell goes off, costs 1 MP less than
usual (minimum of 1), takes full
effect
Normal Spell goes off, normal MP cost
Failure Spell fizzles, only 1 MP lost
Fumble Spell fizzles, all MPs lost
(alternatively, spell goes off on wrong
target or otherwise
spectacularly misfires).
Time needed to cast a sorcery spell is equal to the user's DEX SR plus 1 per
MP. The Arts of Ease and Speed and the Ceremony skill may modify this.
Commoners -most sorcery-users are not wizards, and do not know any Arts. Such
individuals can cast spells using the art of Intensity (only), with a maximum
level equal to their skill/10, rounded up. Such spells have a maximum range of
10m, and if temporal last for 10 minutes. A commoner may only have one (1)
spell in effect at a time. He may drop a spell that is in effect to cast
another one. In any case, none of his spells last longer than ten minutes.
Sorcerers -those who know any Arcane Arts must determine how many levels of
each Art are used in each spellcasting. If a sorcerer has more total levels in
effect than his Presence, he cannot cast any spells, until enough of his spells
have been dropped to reduce the total levels below his Presence. A sorcerer can
cease maintaining a spell instantly.
A temporal spell cast by a sorcerer has no duration. It remains in
effect
until the sorcerer voluntarily chooses to cease maintaining it, or he dies. He
never has to "renew" the spell, or re-cast it, unless it has been dispelled.
Ceremony -increases the caster's chance to cast a spell, and hence also the
total Art levels he can use in it. Ceremony cannot more than double the user's
skill. Each round spent chanting, etc., permits the sorcerer to use up to 10
percentiles of his Ceremony. Thus, a sorcerer with 85% Ceremony can spend up to
9 rounds chanting for +85 to a spell's chances (assuming the spell is at least
85 itself). When casting a ritual spell, an hour must be spent per 10% bonus
instead of a round.
Resisting/Dispelling Sorcery --with few exceptions, only Intensity is used to
determine a sorcery's power vs. counterspells. An Intensity 1, Range 6 spell
acts as a 1 point spell and is stopped by Countermagic 1 (knocking down the
Countermagic in the process).
Spell Components -if the sorcerer possesses an object or substance especially
appropriate to a spell, the GM can give him a 5 percentile boost to chances of
success. Special or rare components give higher boosts, depending on the GM's
whim. An extra round must be taken in spellcasting when a component is used.
Example: Subadim casts Fly using an eagle feather. The GM rules this gives him
a +5 bonus. If he'd used a griffin or sky bull feather, he'd've gotten a +10
bonus. A phoenix feather or dragon wing scale would be +20, and a feather from
Vrimak, King of Birds, might be worth +50. A chicken or crow feather is
worthless. The tongue of a crow who'd been taught to speak might be worth +10
for a communication spell.
Spell Precedence -spells are layered from the inside out in the order in which
they were cast. For instance, if you cast Resist Magic 6, Castback 6, and
Resist Damage 6 in that order, a foe casting Evoke Fire at you first needs to
overcome Resist Damage, the last spell cast. If Resist Damage failed to
protect, the Evoke Fire would strike the Castback. If it bypassed Castback, it
would strike your Resist Magic. Only if it then overcame the Resist Magic would
it affect you. Evoke Fire had to overcome Resist Damage because it directly
causes damage. The Resist Damage would not have interfered with a Stupefy.
Boosting - a sorcerer can boost a spell with additional MPs, unlimited by skill
or Presence. It does take an extra SR per MP. The additional MPs serve no
function except to add to the spell's Intensity for purposes of overcoming
counterspells.
Example: Subadim throws Evoke Fire 4 at a broo. He suspects the Broo
has
Countermagic up, so he boosts his Evoke fire with 6 MPs. The Evoke hits the
broo with 10 MPs of force. If the broo's Countermagic is 8 or less, he'll be
affected by the Evoke Fire 4.
THE ARTS *******************************************
The Arts of sorcery are used in casting spells. Remember: the user cannot have
more MPs in a spell than his skill/10. Three Basic Arts are
normally
recognized: Intensity, Multispell, and Range. A number of "secondary" Arts are
also commonly recognized. Other secondary arts are known, but not all are
available to all colleges of magic.
Learning The Arts
The Arts are learned by three main methods. It is possible to mix and match
these methods, though most students do not. Refer to sect-specific techniques
of learning the Arts to see how your sect does this. Only general rules are
listed below.
・ ST MALKION - most Malkioni utilize St. Malkion himself, the famous founder
of the Western Way, to gain their Arts. An apprentice with Malkion as patron
can invoke Malkion once a year at Sacred Time to gain one Art.
・ STUDY - some groups and cultures treat the Arts as Magic skills with a base
chance of 0, acquired and learned like any other skill. Once the student
achieves 90% in an Art, he has mastered it. If the student tries to use Arts
with a skill below 90, his chance of casting the spell is no higher than the
lowest of all Arts used (or his skill in the spell, if that is even lower).
・ ART VOWS - most non-Western sorcerers use Art Vows. An Art Vow can be taken
when the student gains 90% in a sorcery spell. When taken, the student gains
access to a single chosen Art, and his Presence is increased by the Vow's value
minus 3. In most cases, this gives a negative result! (For example an Art Vow
of Shun Immortality reduces Presence by 2.) If a sorcerer violates an Art Vow,
he does not lose use of that Art, and his Presence is restored to what it would
have been without said Vow (it may increase!). However, he also loses 10
percentiles from all his spells.
THE BASIC ARTS (Intensity, Multispell, Range)
INTENSITY -the most basic Art. When a spell is listed along with a number, the
number invariably refers to Intensity. "Venom 6" is shorthand for "Venom,
Intensity 6".
MULTISPELL-lets the user cast multiple spells simultaneously, at the same or
different targets. Multispells can have identical MP levels for all Arts used,
or the user can voluntarily lower the levels for one or more spells
selectively. Each MP in Multispell permits the user to cast one spell, or to
strike 1 target with all the spells cast. Note: Multispell 1 is pointless.
Chance for success is figured by the lowest skill of all spells being cast. If
a mage Multispells Evoke Fire 60 & Animate Fire 80, he may place 6 MPs into the
combined spell -- limited by his Evoke 60. Since he needs Multispell 2 to cast
the two spells, his Intensity can be no more than 4. However, all spells in the
Multispell share the same Intensity. So the spell would be Evoked at Intensity
4, and Animated at Intensity 4, for the same 6 MP cost!
When attack spells are combined, each defender needs to make only one
resistance roll. If he fails, all the spells take effect. If he resists, none
do. If the spells have different chances of overcoming him, use the single die
roll to determine success or failure for all. Thus, one spell could succeed
while another fails. The single Intensity is used for all the spells combined
when breaking through magic defenses. Thus a Countermagic 4 would resist
fifteen Multispelled 2-point spells.
Example: Thraxon the wizard Multispells Diminish STR, Diminish CON,
Diminish
SIZ, & Shapechange. He applies Intensity 6 and needs Multispell 4 (because 4
spells are involved). The total cost is 10 MPs, and the target ends up with -6
SIZ, CON, and STR, plus enough Shapechange to affect a target up to SIZ 12. If
Thraxon included Hold 8, he could keep the effect readied for a total of 18 MPs
spent. Of course, he'd need 171% skill in all the spells involved. If he
specialized as a Metamorph, then he'd only need a skill of 86, a bit more
reasonable. (See the Specialty rules, following.) When Thraxon casts the spell,
he only rolls to overcome his foe's MPs once. If the target's SIZ is 13 or
more, then the entire spell automatically fails, because the 100% certainty of
the Shapechange spell's failing is the "lowest chance" among the spells
involved.
RANGE -without this Art, a ranged spell can be cast up to 10m. Each MP in Range
doubles this. An active spell needs sufficient Range to keep the target within
its effect.
Range Distance Range
Distance Range
Distance
0 10m
7
1.3 km
14
160 km
1 20m
8
2.5 km
15
320 km
2 40m
9
5 km
16
640 km
3 80m
10
10 km
17
1300 km
4 160m
11 20
km 18
2500 km
5 320m
12 40
km 19
5000 km
6 640m
13 80
km 20
10,000 km
SECONDARY ARTS (Accuracy, Ease, Force, Hold, Permanence, Reinforce, Speed)
ACCURACY - only usable with spells that use a random die roll in targeting
(such as a random hit location). Each MP in Accuracy allows the caster to
modify the die roll by 1.
EASE - this Art actually costs -1 MP per level used! However, each level of
Ease adds 1 extra SR to those needed to cast. You cannot reduce the total MPs
in the spell to less than the levels of Ease used.
Example: Thraxon wants to Palsy an unsuspecting guard, but sees no
reason it
should cost him a fortune in MPs. He applies Palsy 4, Range 2, Ease 3, for a
total of 4+2-3 = 3. It would be foolish to use Ease 4, because that would
require at least 4 MPs, and he's already got it down to 3. The spell will take
9 SRs to cast, plus his DEX SR. And of course Thraxon needs a skill of at least
81%.
FORCE - only usable when the sorcerer is casting an attack spell that matches
the caster's MPs vs. the target's MPs, POW, etc. on the Resistance Table. For
each MP in Force, the caster's chance of overcoming the target are raised by 5
percentiles. If the caster's chance is nominally less than 05%, it must be
increased sufficiently to overcome this handicap.
HOLD - lets you hold a single sorcery spell ready to cast. The MPs in Hold must
at least equal the highest other Art used. The spell pops onto the Otherworld,
where it remains ready for release. This gives you an "emergency" spell. When a
Held spell is loosed, it goes off on your DEX SR. Each Held spell counts 1
point vs. the user's Presence until it is cast (when it counts normally). The
MP cost of the spell is paid when initially set up, not when it is cast later
on, so this makes a "free" spell!
PERMANENCE - causes a spell to count as a single point of Presence, regardless
of its actual size. The MPs in Permanence must equal the highest other Art
used. In addition, the caster spends 1 POW.
REINFORCE - renders a temporal spell more resistant to dispelling. Each MP in
Reinforce gives the spell 3 additional pseudo-Intensities vs. dispel attempts.
SPEED - lets you cast a spell more quickly. Speed does not count against the
SRs needed to cast the spell (though it does cost MPs), plus each MP reduces
the SRs needed to cast the spell by 1, to a minimum of 1 SR.
RANKS OF SORCERY **********************************************
In most societies, sorcerers rise through definite degrees, and are ranked
according to their achievements.
APPRENTICE - an apprentice is attached to an older sorcerer, normally at least
a Journeyman, depending on local custom (when sorcerers are common, typically
only Adepts take apprentices). The apprentice first devotes himself to the
mastery of a particular Art, normally Intensity. Once he has learned the Art,
he takes the High Vow at a formal celebration. A good master will insist that
his apprentice learn several different spells. A master may or may not cast
Apprentice Bonding on a new apprentice.
Apprentice Requirements
・ Magic Bonus of 10+.
STUDENT - once an apprentice has learned the three basic Arts, he is permitted
to take the Vessel in another celebration. At this time, he is considered to
have risen to the rank of Student, and is given extra privileges. Technically,
a student is still an Apprentice -but a more important one. A Student may
choose to become a specialist, if his master is one. The master must be a
specialist in the field chosen. Most sects require a master to perform
Apprentice Bonding by the time his apprentice becomes a full student.
Student Requirements
・ Knowledge of all basic Arts
・ Ceremony, Enchant, and Summon skills of 01 or more.
JOURNEYMAN - once an apprentice learns enough, most sects permit him to leave
his master. However, he is not required to do so, and for some time will be
considered second-rate in any case. Income may be significantly straitened
until he improves his skills. This is normally the level at which a
player-character becomes an adventurer.
Journeyman Requirements
・ Knowledge of all Basic Arts and at least one secondary art
・ Ceremony, Enchant, and Summon skills of 25+
・ Mastery of at least one spell at 90+
ADEPT - adepts are considered competent in all aspects of sorcery. An Adept
must meet specific requirements, and are respected or feared everywhere. In
civilized lands, adepts are licensed by the authorities, and usually permitted
certain privileges. For instance, in most Malkioni lands, only Adepts are
permitted to wear all-white robes. Adepts are able to learn spells normally
restricted to specialists, because their lore and knowledge has grown until
they can comprehend such.
Adept Requirements
・ Knowledge of all Arts
・ Skill in at least five non-ritual spells at 90+.
・ Ceremony, Enchant, and Summon skills of 50+
・ Possession of a familiar.
・ (Malkioni only) at least three Patron saints. Iconoclasts or non-Malkioni
must have accomplished something similarly impressive, varying with the sect.
MAGUS - at some point, an Adept can proclaim himself a Magus. Generally, this
is not done until most people who know of him have begun to consider him such
(or he risks mockery). There are no specific conditions, but being called a
Magus normally implies at least the following minimum;
Commonly Recognized Magus Qualifications
・ Ceremony, Enchant, and Summon skills of 90+
・ Skill in at least a dozen non-ritual spells at 90+
・ Having invented at least one new spell
・ Presence of 50+
VOWS ****************************************************
Sorcerers create and increase Presence by means of Vows: oaths the sorcerer
must try to keep. If a sorcerer breaks a Vow, he loses all Presence he'd gained
from it, and may never take that Vow again. This fact is taken by Malkioni as
evidence that sorcery is governed by the Invisible God, deity of Law.
A sorcerer can take one Vow for each Art he masters, or each sorcery
spell he
gets to 90%. An Art Vow, counts as the Vow for that Art.
Learning Vows
When a sorcerer masters his first Art, he can take the High Vow of his sect.
This sets up a mental discipline for him to follow throughout life.
Once the sorcerer has learned the three basic Arts of Intensity, Range, and
Multispell, he can take the Vessel vow. For sects that teach these arts via
Study, the sorcerer may take the Vessel vow as soon as he has a positive skill
in the appropriate Art.
For each Art he learns after that, he may take one additional Vow. In addition,
for each sorcery spell he masters at 90%, he may take yet another Vow. If a
sorcerer somehow forgets an Art, or an appropriate skill drops below 90, he
does not lose the Vow he received for that skill or Art, but when he relearns
the Art or the skill rises back to 90, he does not get to take a new Vow --
only one Vow per Art or spell.
Arts Known Vows available
none
none
one only The High Vow
all basic Arts The Vessel
each other Art Any Vow
each spell at 90 Any Vow
THE HIGH VOW - this is the first vow an apprentice takes. He receives it when
he masters his first Art. The High Vows vary with the particular sect of
Malkionism, hence there is High Hrestolism, High Rokarism, etc. The user must
adhere to his Sect's general strictures (such as Caste definitions). The High
Vow's Presence boost is equal to the sorcerer's basic Magic Bonus (not counting
magical boosts). If the bonus is 0 or less, the student still gets 1 Presence
for the High Vow.
When a sorcerer converts to another sect, he loses this Vow. However, he can
retake it in his new sect the next time he qualifies for a new Vow.
Even non-Malkioni sects oft have an equivalent to the High Vow -- usually some
philosophy upon which the sorcerer can base his mind's architecture. While it
is possible for a person to learn sorcery without this kind of mental
framework, it is of course much harder. Most unaligned sorcerers adhere to an
ethical doctrine or mental discipline as a High Vow. If they have no such dogma
to base their reality around, no High Vow is possible, and their sorcerous
power is correspondingly weaker.
LORE MASTERY - this Vow is taken when the sorcerer learns his second Art,
though it may or may not add any Presence right away. Basically, Lore Mastery
gives the sorcerer 1 Presence for each of certain skills mastered at 90%.
Qualified skills include all Read/Write skills, any Lore, Ceremony, Enchant,
Summon, and all Arts learned as skills. This Vow, like the Vessel, cannot
readily be broken. If one of the sorcerer's applicable skills drops below 90,
the Vow is not broken, but he does lose that point of Presence until it rises
again.
THE VESSEL - this is the Vow taken upon acquiring all three basic Arts
[Intensity, Multispell, & Range]. All the user's INT that is not taken up in
memorizing spells - i.e., his "free INT" -becomes a magic Vessel added to his
Presence. Only the user's personal INT counts. This vow is especially useful
because it cannot really be broken. A wizard with no free INT gets no Presence,
but should he forget a spell (and free up some INT), the Presence returns.
Other Vows
After each Vow's name is a parenthesized number; this is the amount by which
the Vow increases Presence.
・ ABJURE ARMOR (2): never wear any physical armor.
・ ABJURE ARMS (3): never use a weapon of any type.
・ ABJURE ART (5): you may not use the chosen Art, selected from Intensity,
Range, or Multispell. If you chose Intensity, all your spells are Intensity 1.
If you choose Range, spells which normally have Range are touch-only for you.
The only exception are spells which center on you but which require a Range
component for an area effect (such as Attract Harm). If you choose Multispell,
you may never use that Art. May be repeated up to three times, for a different
Art each time.
・ ABJURE MINOR ART (3): you may not use the chosen secondary Art. See Abjure
Art for details. May be repeated, for a different Art each time.
・ ABJURE LIQUOR (1): never drink alcoholic beverages.
・ ABJURE RUNE MAGIC (1; 2 if you have never cast a Rune spell): you may never
sacrifice for Rune magic, and must never cast any you now know. Unavailable to
Henotheists.
・ ABJURE SERVITUDE (6): a rare Vow. You may not serve as a vassal nor be a
master. This includes apprentices, bound spirits, familiars, etc. You may not
cast Command, Dominate, or similar spells.
・ ABJURE SPIRIT MAGIC (1; 2 if you have never cast a spirit spell): you may
never learn spirit magic, and must forget any you now know.
・ ABJURE WORSHIP (8): only available to atheists. You may never worship a god,
spirit, or hero. This includes patron saints.
・ ADULATION (1): devotion is given to a saintly relic, icon, or idol. The
relic must be kept safe, given ornamentation, routinely tended, prayed to,
etc… Only available to non-iconoclastic Malkioni sects.
・ CELIBACY (2; 4 if you have never engaged in coitus): This includes sexual
congress of any type, including homosexual, cross-species, etc.
・ DEVOTION (2): each year, sacrifice 1 POW to the Invisible God. Only
available to Malkioni.
・ FASTING (2): must not eat or drink one chosen day each week. This Vow may be
repeated. If the sorcerer breaks this Vow, he loses the Presence for all
Fasting Vows he has taken.
・ FLEE [Element] (2 or more): this ritual Ceremony costs 1 POW. It is very
rare. Once performed properly, you are harmed whenever you are left exposed to
the full force of the named element. For instance, Flee Sky would harm you if
touched by full sunlight. Flee Storm harms you via moving air (i.e., wind), and
so forth.
When taking this Vow, you must choose what kind of loss you wish to take (FP,
MP, HP, or POW). This Vow can be repeated (no POW is lost on future
ceremonies). The first Flee Element vow causes you to lose 1 point per hour
exposed. On second and subsequent Flee Element vows, you may accelerate the
harm done. You may also choose to add another type of loss to the basic Vow,
keeping the points additive. Note: creatures without a particular stat cannot
select that type of loss.
Example: Deentim has taken the Flee Dark vow (so must stay out of shadows, and
keeps the lights on at night), choosing to lose FP. He gets 1 Presence for
this. Later, he accelerates the vow. Now, he loses 1 FP per minute, but gets 3
Presence for the Vow. Still later, he takes the Vow again and chooses to lose
HP as well as FP. This adds another 4 Presence, for a total of 7. He cannot
choose to lose 1 HP per hour, and must lose it per minute. The mightiest Vow he
could take would cost him 1d6 FP, MP, HP, and POW per round -- this would take
8 Flee Darks to attain, and would provide him with 21 total Presence.
Base Type of Loss Time Acceleration
FP = 1 Presence +0 - per hour of continuous
exposure
MP = 2 Presence +2 - per minute
HP = 4 Presence +4 - round
POW = 6 Presence +6 - lose 1d3/round
+8 - lose 1d6/round
Unlike the vow of Shun Moon, the vow of Flee Moon is in fact available to
certain sorcerers. The Flee Moon vow is peculiar, though - during the dark &
dying moon, you take no loss from exposure; during the crescent phase, you take
losses as though your time acceleration was 1 step less; in the half-phase, you
take losses normally; and during the full moon you take loss as though your
time acceleration was one phase more. If you've only chosen the minimum time
acceleration, you take no losses during the crescent phase. If you've chosen
the maximum time acceleration, you lose 2d6/round during the full moon.
・ NEVER KILL A HUMAN (2; 3 if you have never ever done so): the sorcerer is
still permitted to let a human die by inaction, and he can order someone else
to kill a human.
・ RITUALS (4): must spend an additional melee round in preparation before
casting any spell.
・ SACRIFICE APPEARANCE (1): lower APP by 2. May be taken multiple times for a
single Vow. Training APP back up breaks the Vow, though Boost APP is legal.
・ SACRIFICE CONSTITUTION (1): lower CON by 1. See Sacrifice Appearance. CON
can be reduced to 0 or less, if the sorcerer has CON-boosting spells sufficient
to raise his CON to at least 1.
・ SACRIFICE EYE (3): tear out one of your own eyes, which cannot be regrown.
Taking this Vow a second time gives you an additional 9 Presence. Only humans
can take this Vow.
・ SACRIFICE GENITALS (6): remove your own privates, which cannot be regrown.
・ SACRIFICE HAND (3): cut off one of your hands which cannot be regrown.
Taking this Vow a second time gives you an additional 9 Presence. Only humans
can take this Vow.
・ SACRIFICE LEG (3): cut off one of your legs at the knee, which cannot be
regrown. Taking this Vow a second time gives you an additional 9 Presence. Only
humans can take this Vow.
・ SACRIFICE POWER (3): lower species-maximum POW by 1. This only reduces
current POW if it is already at species maximum. A human sorcerer who'd taken
this 5 times (for +15 Presence) would have a species maximum POW of 16. Not
available to most Malkioni (it is considered to risk one's afterlife).
・ SACRIFICE STRENGTH (1): lower STR by 1. See Sacrifice Constitution.
・ SECLUSION (1): spend one week of every year in total seclusion. During this
time, the sorcerer may not speak, may not cast any spells, and must avoid
contact with the outside world. This week must be the same week every year.
This vow may be repeated. If the sorcerer breaks this Vow, he loses the
Presence for all Seclusion Vows he has taken.
・ SELF-ABNEGATION (4): never cast or maintain any spell on yourself.
・ SELF-EXALTATION (6): never cast or maintain a spell on any target save one's
own person. This includes inanimate objects.
・ SHUN HARM (6): cast no attack spells. Generally only available to healers.
・ SHUN [ELEMENT] (2): cast no spells that control, evoke, or otherwise
manipulate the selected element. For example, a sorcerer with Shun Sky cannot
cast Glow. A sorcerer with this vow may learn Resist spells vs. the chosen
element. Note that nobody can take Shun Moon, for non-Lunar sorcerers can't use
such magic anyway, and Lunar sorcerers are forbidden this vow.
・ SHUN IMMORTALITY (1): Never cast or maintain the Immortality spell upon
yourself (you may do so for others), nor receive any similar life-extending
magic. Naturally immortal entities may not take this Vow unless they have
somehow become mortal.
・ SHUN TAP (1; 2 if you have never cast Tap): Never cast or maintain Tap.
・ SILENCE (6): never communicate verbally. You may use Telepathy, hand signals
or the written word to communicate. This does not prohibit spellcasting.
・ TEND FAMILIAR (1): You can get this Vow simply by taking a familiar. When
your familiar dies, the Vow is cancelled, but by taking another Familiar (or
resurrecting the old one), you can accept this Vow again the next time you
qualify for a new Vow. This Vow can be repeated if you have more than one
familiar.
・ VEGETARIANISM (2): Eat no animal flesh, including fish & fowl.
SPECIALTIES ******************************************
A sorcerer can specialize in a particular type of magic. All spells within the
chosen specialty have an Art limit equal to his skill/5, while spells outside
the specialty have an limit of his skill/20. For instance, an illusionist with
both Phantom Sight & Treat Wounds at 85 could cast Phantom Sight 17, but only
Treat Wounds 5. A non-specialist could use 9 MPs for each spell.
Sample Sorcery Specialties
"Spells" = all spells within that specialty.
"Vows" = alterations in Vows due to this specialty.
"Lore Mastery" = those skills which give him Presence above and beyond the
normal Lore Mastery vow.
"Other" = any special bonuses or handicaps.
Alchemist
Spells -Animate [substance], Bless [object], BoostI[attribute], Holdfast,
Locate Object, Produce [energy], Sense [substance], Armor Enchantment, Create
Basilisk, Enchant [metal], Warp Enchantment
Lore Mastery -Craft, Evaluate, Mineral Lore, and World Lore give 2 Presence
each.
Other -new Art: Alchemy
Conjuror
Spells -Create Basilisk, Dominate [otherworld species], Mystic Vision,
Protective Circle, Resist Magic, Resist Spirit, Summon [species], Binding
Lore Mastery -Demonology, Magic Lore, Spirit Lore, and Summon give 2 Presence
each.
Other - new spell: Boost (Elemental)
Healer
Spells -Bless (medical gear, antidotes, etc.), Dominate [disease, emotion,
healing spirits], Regenerate, Resist Death, Resist Disease, Resist Poison,
Summon [healing spirit], Treat Wounds
Vows -none unique, though Never Kill a Human and Shun Harm are common.
Lore Mastery -First Aid, Treat Poison, & Treat Disease give 2 Presence each.
Other -new spell: Neutralize Disease
NEUTRALIZE DISEASE
Touch, instant
Relieves the effects of disease. The Intensity is matched vs. the disease's POT
on the Resistance Table. If the disease is caused by a disease spirit, use the
spirit's MPs to determine its POT. If it is a normal disease, its POT is
considered to be 5 per "level" the disease is at; i.e., acute diseases are 5,
chronic 10, etc., If the POT is overcome, the disease is cured.
Unlike most Neutralize spells, Neutralize Disease has a chance to take effect
even if its intensity is less than half the disease's POT. Normally, multiple
applications are necessary.
Enchanter
Spells -- all Enchant spells, Identify Spell, Mystic Vision
Lore Mastery -- Enchant and Magic Lore give 2 Presence each. The first Craft
the enchanter masters provides 3 Presence. The second Craft provides 2. Further
Crafts are worth 1 each.
Other - new spell: Break Conditions. Special Ability - added Conditions to his
enchantments cost him no POW.
Forest Mage
Spells - Animate Wood, Animate Plants, Animate Trees, Animate [plant species],
Boost Perception, Boost Stealth, Dominate [woodland species], Project [sense]
Lore Mastery - Plant Lore counts for 3. Each Stealth skill gives 1 Presence.
Other - Transform to Tree, Destroy Scent, other special spells.
DESTROY SCENT
ranged
This spell requires Intensity equal to at least 1/3 of the target's SIZ. The
target gives off no odor, pleasant or foul, for as long as the spell is
maintained.
Illusionist
Spells - Phantom [sense], Project [sense]
Lore Mastery --Conceal, Sleight, each Perception skill, and each Stealth skill
give 1 Presence.
Other - new Art: Illusion
New Art: Illusion - This art gives a temporal spell a sort of mock-sentience.
You need as many MPs of Illusion as of the highest other Art in the spell. It's
easier to give examples of how Illusion works than it is to explain in the
rules. Example: use Phantom Sound to create a voice that speaks in the air.
With the Illusion art, the caster can set up the voice so that it will only
speak when someone is there to hear it, and it will be able to respond to
simple questions. Or you could cast Illusion along with Smother to have the
Smother only activate when the victim was inside an illusory cloud of poison
gas. Note that if Illusion is used properly, active and even transient spells
can be internally controlled, instead of needing the caster's concentration.
Metamorph
Spells -Boost [char.], Diminish [char.], Shapechange [species], Tap [except POW
and INT]
Vows -- may never Sacrifice any characteristics in a Vow
Lore Mastery -- Animal & Plant Lore give 3 Presence each.
Monitor
Spells -Dominate [species], Mystic Vision, Suppress Sorcery, Stupefy, Tap INT,
Telepathy
Lore Mastery - each Communication skill gives 1 Presence.
Other - new spells: Hypnotism, Clear Mind, Comprehend, Implant, Mind Probe
CLEAR MIND
ranged
Each Intensity gives the target 1 point of protection vs. spells which act
against INT. For instance, it provides false "free INT" for defending against
Stupefaction; and subtracts 1 from the target's effective INT for recovering
from Befuddle. Other spells that target INT are affected likewise, by raising
or lowering the caster's INT, whichever is most helpful.
The target becomes resistant to all mind- and emotion-affecting spells.
If he
is under a mind-affecting spell with a lower Intensity than the Clear Mind, the
latter masks the former's effects until the Clear Mind is allowed to lapse.
This renders one immune not only to harmful spells, but certain beneficial
spells as well, such as Fanaticism, Telepathy, Erotocomatose Lucidity, and
Mindlink. Mental contact with a familiar or apprentice remains intact.
MIND PROBE
Attack, ranged, transient
Effective only vs. creatures with normal INT. If the target is overcome, then
the Mind Probe's intensity is matched vs. his MPs. If he fails to resist, the
caster can obtain one truthful answer from the victim. He may try again once a
melee round. Once the target succeeds in resisting the Mind Probe, the spell's
effects end.
The answer is transmitted via telepathy. If the caster is already in telepathic
contact with the target, the latter automatically fails to resist the incoming
spell (but he can still resist vs. its Intensity). If the caster does not speak
the target's language, only "Yes", "No", and "I don't know."
responses are
given.
Necromancer
Spells - Animate Dead, Dominate [type of undead], Drain, Hand of Death, Resist
Death (even for non-Galvosti), Sense Life, Sense Undead, Tap [characteristic],
Banishment, Create Basilisk, Create Vampire, Immortality, Summon [type of
undead]
Vows - Shun Sky must be the 3rd Vow. In addition, every 5th Vow must be
Sacrifice Appearance, until APP has dropped to 1. Never Kill and Shun
Immortality are forbidden.
Lore Mastery - Magic & Undead Lore give 2 Presence each. Each Stealth skill
gives 1 Presence.
Other - new spell: Hide Life. Necromancers are considered to be chaotic, or at
least meddling with chaos.
HIDE LIFE
Self-only
The target cannot be detected by means of spells, unless the spell involved has
a higher Intensity than the Hide Life. If the caster concentrates on the spell,
as with an active spell, then the Hide Life has a chance to resist detection
spells by matching its Intensity vs. theirs on the resistance table.
Ship's Sorcerer
Spells - Animate [rope, canvas, wood, etc.], Bless Ship [and shipboard
equipment], Boost [ship's attributes], Dominate Sylph, Dominate Undine, Evoke
Wind, Holdfast, Open Seas, Skin of Life.
Vows - Shun Sea, Shun Storm, and Shun Sky are forbidden
Lore Mastery - Boating, all appropriate Crafts, Navigation, Shiphandling, and
World Lore give 2 Presence each.
Warlock [of named element]
Spells -- Animate/Call/Evoke/Resist/Sense [element]; Dominate [elemental],
Summon [elemental]
Vows - Shun [enemy element] is required as the third Vow. Enemies are the
dominant or inferior element to your own -- for instance, Water & Dark are
enemies to Fire. The other Shun [enemy element] must be taken as the fifth Vow.
Each time you take the Flee [element] Vow vs. an enemy element, you get an
extra 1 Presence.
Lore Mastery -- Mineral & World Lore give 2 Presence each.
Other - new spell: Boost [elemental]. Only the element chosen can be used in
the listed spells. For instance, Resist Fire is a specialist spell, but not
Resist Damage. All aspects of a given element are within this specialty. For
instance, both Evoke Fire and Evoke Light are within a fire warlock's
specialty.
Weather Mage
Spells -Animate Fog, Call [appropriate energy], Dominate Sylph, Evoke
Lightning, Evoke Windblast, Fly
Vows - may not take Shun Sky or Shun Storm
Lore Mastery - World Lore gives 4 Presence.
Other -Predict Weather, plus others.
PREDICT WEATHER
ritual Ceremony, ranged
Accurately predicts the weather for the following day. If the ceremony is
fumbled, the weather mage gets an inaccurate prediction. Spells and
supernatural affects are not allowed for. The spell's prediction only holds for
the area within the range of the spell.
SPELLS ************************************************
Sorcery Used With Other Magic Types
Other types of magic interfere with sorcery. When a sorcerer casts a spirit
spell or Rune spell, they count against his Presence. His Presence remains
encumbered with these magics until they expire. However, he cannot cancel them
until they expire naturally, nor can he maintain them past that point. Each
point of spirit magic takes up 1 Presence. Each point of Rune magic takes up 4
Presence. Instant spirit and Rune spells only use up Presence for the round
they are cast.
When sorcery and other types of magic are cast on the same target, similar
spells do NOT add together. Instead, they "overlap". For instance, if Boost
Damage 6 and Bladesharp 4 are cast on the same sword, damage is increased by 6
(Boost Damage), and attack is increased by 20% (Bladesharp).
Because of the wide variety of possible combinations, the gamemaster is the
final judge of whether or not a particular spell pairing "overlaps". Note that
some similar-appearing spells may not overlap. For instance, though Fireblade
and Boost Damage both increase damage, they do not overlap -instead, Fireblade
takes precedence, just as it does with Bladesharp.
Definitions of Spellcasting
An "attack" spell, such as Hinder, requires the caster to overcome a target's
MPs with his own in order to take effect. A target can choose not to resist. A
non-attack spell, such as Treat Wound, normally does not have to overcome the
target. However, a target can choose to resist such a spell.
When an "active" spell is up, you cannot cast any other spells (except a Held
one). You can only utilize an active spell with some other spell if Multispell
was used when it was cast. (For instance, combining Fly with Animate Stone to
make a flying gargoyle). An active spell can be allowed to lapse into
quiescence, and then later brought back into activity by concentration. You can
only control one active spell at a time.
A "transient" spell is active, but in addition, if you end your concentration
the spell is cancelled. You can only control one transient spell at a time.
Many spells cost points or do damage defined as 1d(intensity). This means a die
or combination of dice is rolled with a maximum value equal to the Intensity.
Thus: Intensity 3 = 1d3. Intensity 6 = 1d6. Intensity 10 = 1d10. Intensity 14 =
1d8+1d6, Intensity 18 = 3d6, etc.
Some spells come in the format VERB [noun] Isuch as Animate [substance]. Such
spells come in a variety of forms, sometimes individually described, but
sometimes not. Hence, Animate [substance] is not a single spell, but a whole
category, each of which must be learned separately. Knowledge of Animate Stone
is useless in casting Animate Fire.
ANIMATE DEAD
ranged, active
Each Intensity animates 6 SIZ or 1d6 STR. Normally, sufficient Intensity is
required to make the entire corpse's SIZ animate (but in special circumstances,
just a corpse's arm, head, etc. need be activated). If the corpse is not given
at least half as much Intensity for STR as it has for SIZ, it will only be able
to wriggle around, not actively locomote. More SIZ cannot be animated than the
creature's original SIZ, but the creature can be given more STR than in life.
An animated corpse's move is 1 less than in life, and an animated skeleton
moves as fast as in life.
Example: Subadim the sorcerer wishes to reanimate a dead horse, SIZ 32. This
costs 6 Intensity for SIZ, plus if he wants it to be able to walk around, he'll
need to spend half as much Intensity on STR (i.e., 3, which gives a STR of
3d6). He can make the horse stronger if he wants (and if has sufficient
ability).
ANIMATE [substance]
ranged, active
Each Intensity lets the caster animate 1 SIZ, 1 ENC, or 1 cubic meter, as
appropriate (non-solid substances such as air, light, or fire would be per
meter, for instance). Different substances have different characteristics. An
Animate spell cannot be used to affect a complex living creature, such as a
human or troll. Unless the animated substance is appropriately crafted, it
cannot wield objects or tools. The object retains its former armor points.
Normally, a wooden object has a move of 3, a stone object a move of 1, and a
metal object a move of 2. Other substances can have their move rates figured
out appropriately. used for animating substances such as stone, wood, metal,
etc.
An Animate can be generic, such as Animate Metal, or specific, such as
Animate
Bronze.
To determine the degree of control the caster has, you must to figure
out how
specific his Animate spell is, combined with certain other conditions. See the
following chart for the basic system.
DEX Multiplier Spell
x7
Specific - "Animate Weedeater the
Sword"
x5
Item & Material - "Animate Bronze
Sword"
x3 Material - "Animate Bronze"
x1
Class -- "Animate Metal"
・ If an object is very unsuitable for the desired action, it cannot perform it
regardless of DEX roll. f the target is especially well-suited, the caster may
get a bonus.
・ If the target object has moving parts (like a door lock), the user's Devise
skill applies, if lower than the DEX roll.
・ A damaged object can be repaired via Animate, if the caster takes at least
an hour (more, for very delicate jobs such as jewelry or fine mechanisms) and
is able to succeed at the appropriate Craft.
・ When Animate ends, the target object returns to its original form, unless
the caster makes the effect Permanent, or successfully uses a Craft, as above.
ATTRACT [harm]
attack, touch, transient
The recipient tends to attract various harmful attacks. It starts with a 10m
radius around the target, and Range can be used to widen the effect. If the
target becomes inanimate (i.e., dies), the spell ends. If two Attract spells
would both affect a given attack, the higher Intensity spell checks first to
see if it succeeds. If two spells of equal Intensity compete, the one nearer to
the attack checks first.
Magic -ranged spells only. The recipient must be a legal target of the
spell
in question. For instance, if he is not visible to the spellcaster, he does not
attract the spell. Match the Attract's Intensity vs. an eligible spell on the
resistance table. If the Attract wins, the spell targets the recipient, even if
he cast the spell himself.
Missiles -all eligible missiles roll 1d20. If the total is equal to or
less
than the spell's Intensity, the missile hits the recipient. Impales and
criticals apply if the missile's original roll to hit was such.
Spirits -all spirits capable of offensive spirit combat must roll their
MPs
vs. this spell's Intensity each round they are within the spell's radius. If
they are overcome by the spell, they must attack the recipient. Spirits
currently engaged in spirit combat or who have 10 or more MPs than the
Attract's Intensity can ignore this spell.
BLESS [object]
Touch
Makes a specific tool or weapon slightly magical. Each Intensity adds 5
percentiles to all skills using that tool. A weapon has both Attack and Parry
increased.
BOOST ARMOR
Touch
Requires Intensity equal to the object's ENC. Each additional Intensity past
that adds +1 to its armor points. For instance, if Boost Armor 8 were cast on a
medium shield (ENC 3), the shield would receive 5 extra armor points. Because
of the high weight of body armor, this spell is normally cast upon a single
piece of armor at a time, rather than the entire suit (a medium suit of
chainmail, for instance, takes 20 Intensity, but a chain coif only 2).
BOOST DAMAGE
Touch
Adds +1 to damage on the affected weapon per intensity. Can be cast on
innocuous objects such as coins to give them a damage potential.
BOOST RANGE
Touch (but Range is required when casting the spell)
Adds the spell's Range to a missile's basic and long range. Requires Intensity
equal to the missile's ENC (1 Intensity is enough for all but siege missiles).
BOOST [characteristic]
Touch
Each Intensity adds 1 to the selected stat. More than doubling a target's APP
by this technique makes the target unrecognizable. INT and POW cannot be
Boosted beyond the user's original rolled INT or POW, but the spell can
substitute for INT or POW lost due to Tap or disease.
BOOST [skill bonus]
Touch
Each 2 intensity adds 5 to the selected skill category modifier. All skills
within that category are increased. For instance, Enhance Perception 4 adds 10
to all perception skills. Note: sorcery spells are NOT affected by Boost Magic,
but Ceremony, Summon, and Enchant are.
CALL [energy]
ranged
Produces the specified energy everywhere within the spell's Range.
Call Calm - decreases wind velocity by 2 kph per Intensity.
Call Cold -lowers the temperature by 2C per Intensity.
Call Heat -raises the temperature by 2C per Intensity.
Call Light -creates a faint glow. Intensity 1 is enough to read by,
Intensity
5 is near-daylight, 10 makes bright daylight.
Call Shadow -creates a faint shadow. Intensity 5 makes a shadow even in
full
daylight, and 10 is like a moonless night.
Call Tide -only usable at the seashore. The water's height is raised or
lowered (caster's choice) by 2 cm per Intensity.
Call Wind -increases wind velocity by 2 kph per Intensity.
CASTBACK
touch
If an attack spell fails to overcome the target's MPs and has Intensity equal
to or less than the Castback's, it bounces back at the caster. If both target
and caster have Castback, the spell may ricochet back and forth until it
finally affects one of the targets.
DIMINISH [characteristic]
attack, ranged
Only STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, or APP can be Diminished. Each Intensity subtracts 1
from the selected characteristic, down to a minimum of 1. Diminishing APP makes
the target unrecognizable if the APP is reduced to less than half its normal
value.
DIMINISH [skill bonus]
ranged
Each 2 intensity subtracts 5 from the selected skill category modifier. All
skills within that category are affected. Example: Diminish Agility lowers all
Agility skills, including parries.
DOMINATE [species]
attack, ranged, active
This is an assortment of spells, each tied to a single species. Dominate
requires an Intensity at least half the target's MPs. If the target fails to
resist, he falls under the caster's domination. If the caster tries to force
the target to perform an exceedingly repugnant action, it gets an immediate
chance to break free. In any case, a sentient creature gets such a chance once
a day.
A being inside a binding enchantment cannot resist this spell, and only
one
Intensity need be used regardless of the being's MPs.
DRAIN
attack, ranged, instant
Each intensity lowers the target's current fatigue by 1d6.
EVOKE [energy]
ranged, instant
Lets the user send a force as a beam towards a foe, striking a randomly rolled
hit location.
Evoke Cold -does 1 pt of damage/round, continuing for the spell's
Intensity in
rounds. Armor does not protect.
Evoke Flame -does 1d(intensity) damage. Flammable materials may ignite,
with a
default chance of 5x Intensity. Armor protects unless a flame hits the same
location for a second consecutive round or the target site ignites, armor stops
helping.
Evoke Light -the target is lit up brightly. Darkness entities (such as
hags or
shades) and undead take 2d(intensity) damage. Evoke Light neutralizes
darkness-based magic.
Evoke Lightning -the target takes 1d(intensity) damage, ignoring metal
armor.
Evoke Shadow -the target's sight-based skills drop by 5 per intensity.
This
situation improves by 5 percentiles per subsequent round. Neutralizes
earth-based magic.
Evoke Water -delivers a knockback attack of 1d6/Intensity. Neutralizes
fire-based magic.
Evoke Windblast -does 1d(intensity) abrasion damage, first destroying
armor,
then hit points. Neutralizes water-based magic.
FLY
ranged, active
Lets the caster levitate 3 SIZ of a target object at a move of 1. Each
additional intensity adds 3 to the SIZ allotment or increases move by 1, at the
caster's option. Cast on an unwilling target, this is an attack spell, of
course.
GLOW
ranged
Works much like Call Light, except that it is cast upon an object. That object
then shines with the chosen Intensity (1 is enough to read, 10 is bright
daylight) everywhere within the spell's Range in a radius around it.
HASTE
ranged
Each 2 Intensity increase the target's movement by 1m/round and lower his DEX
SR by 1. No matter how low DEX SR drops, no action can take less than 1 SR. The
target loses Fatigue equal to Intensity.
HINDER
attack, ranged
Each Intensity decreases the target's movement by 1m/round, and increases his
DEX SR by 1. If the total SR of the target adds up to more than 10, he can take
action only once every other melee round.
HOLDFAST (formerly Bind)
attack (if cast vs. a living target), ranged
Minimum Intensity 2: Causes two 10cm by 10cm surfaces to stick together with a
STR of 3. Each Intensity either adds 10cm in each dimension to the surface area
to be commingled or adds 3 STR to the glue. If used to affect living tissue,
the target's MPs must be overcome.
The exact shape of the Holdfast can be altered by the sorcerer upon
casting,
so long as the total surface area is not increased beyond the spell's
parameters. Once the Holdfast's STR is overcome by the target, the spell ends.
IDENTIFY SPELL
ranged, instant
Allows the caster to identify a spell.
Intensity Perception
1 general category (i.e., Sorcery, Rune, Spirit Magic, Mysticism,
Draconic,
etc.)
3 point value (for Sorcery, only Intensity is given)
5 the spell's name
7 the spell's full
description
LOCATE OBJECT
ranged, active
The affected object becomes traceable by the sorceror. When he concentrates on
the object, he receives an impression of its current direction and distance. If
Locate Object is dispelled, at that moment the caster involuntarily learns the
object's current direction and distance, and a mental picture of the individual
casting the neutralizing spell. If the caster or object moves beyond Range, the
spell is null, but remains in effect.
MUSTER POWER
self-only
For each Intensity in this spell, you lose 1 ghp and 1d6 fp, and gain MP equal
to the rolled fatigue loss. You cannot increase your MPs higher than your POW
by means of Muster Power.
MYSTIC VISION
self-only (but Range is required in casting)
Only affects the caster himself (the spell's Range is how far he sees).
Darkness or opaque stuff blocks you. You see the exact amount of MPs in all you
perceive, up to Intensity x 3. Anything over that is just "greater".
At close range (within a few meters), Mystic Vision can be used to tell
whether an MP source is regenerating or non-regenerating. In this way, he could
tell an MP Matrix from a spirit, or the living from the undead. A sorcerer can
see spirit magic in effect, and he can see a flow of magic from a sorcerer to
his maintained spell.
NEUTRALIZE MAGIC
ranged, instant
Cancels a spell if the Neutralize Magic's intensity overcomes the defending
spell's on the Resistance Table. The Neutralize Magic's intensity must be at
least half that of the defending spell.
PALSY
attack, ranged
Hits a random melee hit location. If the target fails to resist, and the
Intensity is equal to or greater than the location's current hit pts, the
location is paralyzed. A damaged hit location healed beyond the Palsy's
Intensity remains Palsied. If the head is palsied, the target falls
unconscious. If the chest is palsied, the target is incapacitated, and begins
to smother (start rolling at CONx10). If a selected location is already
Palsied, reroll until an unPalsied location is selected.
PHANTOM [sense]
ranged, (active to move or attack, otherwise temporal)
This complex of illusion spells each affect a particular sense. If the caster
concentrates on the illusion, it can be moved around, animated, or otherwise
altered. An illusion can be moved with incredible speed unless Phantom Touch is
included in the effect, in which case it is limited as described below.
Phantom Odor -higher Intensity makes an odor more intense. Intensity 1
is
mild, such as air after a storm, while Intensity 3 is somewhat stronger, like
fresh-cut grass. Intensity 10 is quite potent - frying onions, cloying perfume,
or dog breath.
An odor stronger than an ambient scent can be used to mask it.
(Example: an
undead covering up his stink of corruption.) An odor weaker than an ambient
scent can be used to modify or alter it. (Example: transforming the smell of
cut wood into the smell of cut cedarwood.)
Foul odors can be used offensively. To do this, match the odor's
intensity vs.
the target's CON. If the odor wins, the target is incapacitated that round.
Keep re-rolling each round until the target succeeds, in which case he is now
accustomed to it and does not have to roll again until the odor's Intensity
rises.
Phantom Sight -each Intensity creates a solid-looking illusion of SIZ
3.
Alternately, a caster can create a larger illusion that is more or less
translucent. For instance, an Intensity 1 SIZ 6 illusion would be mostly solid,
though dim outlines could be seen through it. Still assuming Intensity 1, a SIZ
6 illusion is translucent; SIZ 12 is a colored transparency; SIZ 18 only an
outline or faint shading; and SIZ 24 hard to detect without a Search roll.
Phantom Sound -creates a loudness of 10 decibels per Intensity. Any
kind of
lengthy or comprehensible speech or music needs to be concentrated on as per an
active spell.
Decibels Typical Sound
10 normal breathing
20 rustling grass
30 large empty building
40 quiet village at night
50 quiet tavern in business hours
60 conversation.
70 a busy highway
80 a hair dryer
100 subway train
120 gunshot
140 jetfighter at takeoff
160 wind tunnel
Phantom Taste -affects an area of 1 SIZ, with a strength equal to
Intensity.
Intensity 1 reproduces mild flavors, like lettuce or water. Intensity 3
provides stronger flavors, such as apples or fried chicken, and Intensity 10 is
very powerful, able to reproduce flavors like red-hot peppers or biting into a
fresh lemon.
A taste illusion can be used to attack a foe, like an odor illusion,
but the
target must actually take the illusion into his mouth. The target must overcome
the illusion's Intensity with his CON, and is incapacitated any round he fails.
Once he has successfully overcome the illusion two rounds in a row, he is
purged of it until he takes it into his mouth again.
Phantom Touch -manifests as an invisible solid force. This sets up a
framework
so that other, non-illusion spells can be cast on it (such as Glow or Resist
Magic), but cannot have a higher Intensity than the Touch. It cannot do damage
by itself, but can be Damage Boosted, Heated, or have other spells cast on it.
Each Intensity gives the Touch a move of 1 when concentrated on.
PRESERVE ITEM
Touch
One Intensity is needed per ENC of the affected item. The spell grants a bonus
of +1 AP to the preserved item. The Blessed item remains in the same state of
repair as when the spell was cast: armour remains shiny and new, clothing is
difficult to soil, a room stays clean and tidy.
PROJECT [sense]
ranged, transient
Lets the caster project the specified sense out to Range. The caster can move
the viewpoint at 1m/round, each additional Intensity adding 1 to speed. The
spell cannot penetrate more than 10cm of dense material per Intensity. The
viewpoint is invisible to normal (but not magic) senses. Spells directed vs.
the Projected sense affect the caster as if he were present. Since the
Projected sense is transient, the caster cannot himself cast spells through it
(except for a single Held spell). Someone in mindlink with him could do so, but
such spells must have Range enough to reach the viewpoint's distant location
(wherever it is).
PROTECTIVE CIRCLE
touch (Range must be used)
Creates a magical framework on which other spells can be cast. Each Range gives
the circle a 1m radius (at least one must be used). Intensity provides the
circle with its power, and none of the spells on the Circle can have a higher
Intensity than it does. The circle is immobile on the substrate on which it is
cast -- if the substrate is mobile (for instance, a ship's deck), the circle
moves with it.
Any spell can then be cast on the framework by the Circle's original
caster or
by anyone within the Circle, and that spell becomes part of the Circle. This is
a good way to protect a group with Skin of Life, for instance. Instant and
Attack spells placed on the Circle are quiescent until triggered when an
appropriate object crosses the edge. For instance, a Neutralize Magic in the
Protective Circle activates when a spell crosses the boundary. Dominate Human
remains quiet until a human tries to cross the boundary, when it is cast on
him. Attack spells act as if they have MP backing them up equal to any MPs used
to boost the Circle.
REGENERATE
touch
This spell causes a severed limb to regrow at a rate of 1% per Intensity per
week. The spell must be maintained until the limb is fully restored. If
Regenerate is dispelled or dropped before a limb is completely restored, a
medical crisis ensues. Roll 1d100 minus the Intensity of the cancelled
Regenerate. The result is the percentage of the limb that becomes necrotic and
must be cut off before another Regenerate can work. Note that a very low roll
might actually end up sprouting additional limb. The percentage lost is
subtracted from the entire limb. A result of more than 100 is considered to be
so badly damaged that the limb cannot be regrown.
Hapless Henifer loses 70% of his right arm in a fight. The healer casts
Regenerate 12 on it, which will regrow the entire arm in 6 weeks. After a
single week, the spell is dispelled. His arm is currently 30+12 = 42% there. He
must now lose 1d100 - 12 off his limb as a percentage. If the final roll is
negative, he'll have grown back a bit! If the final roll is 43 or more his arm
will be so destroyed that he can never regrow it.
REGENERATE DAMAGE
touch
This spell is cast at one injured hit location, and requires Intensity equal to
or greater than that location's normal maximum HP. It accelerates the natural
healing processes of the body. The wound stops bleeding and starts regenerating
one HP per MR, starting with the MR when the spell was cast, until totally
healed. If the location is injured again before it is fully healed, the process
continues. Creatures with no CON or who do not regenerate HPs naturally cannot
be healed by this spell.
RESIST [attack type]
touch
An incoming attack must overcome the Resist's Intensity in order to cause harm.
Most Resists must have an Intensity at least half of the attack's value or it
is ignored. In addition, an attack less than half the Resist's Intensity is
normally ignored as well.
Resist Damage -stops physical damage. Resist Damage must be cast on the
outside of any armor or armor-like spells or has no effect. Knockback can still
occur, even if damage is blocked.
Resist Infection-helps vs. disease. If the target is attacked by a
spirit of
disease, this spell acts like Resist Spirit. If the target is exposed to
disease in the normal fashion, use the Resist intensity as an "extra CON roll"
that must be failed before he is infected. Example: Deentim, CON 12, is exposed
to the Shakes and the GM deems it requires a CONx4 roll. Deentim has Resist
Infection 8 up, so first tries to roll 32 (8x4) or less. Only if that roll
fails must he resort to a CONx4 roll.
Resist Magic -helps vs. incoming spells. Spells that harm one
indirectly, such
as Shake Earth, are not affected.
Resist Poison -helps vs. any kind of poison or venom.
Resist Spirit -an attacking spirit must overcome the spell's intensity
before
it can attack the user in spirit combat. It must re-attempt the roll each
round.
SENSE [substance]
ranged, active
Upon concentrating, the caster becomes aware of every source of the chosen
substance within range. The spell penetrates 10 cm of dense, opaque material
per Intensity. Commonly used substances include gold, silver, bronze, gems,
etc. Some unusual "substances" are listed below.
Sense Life -any living creature. This does not include semi-living
things like
elementals or undead, of course.
Sense Magic - any spell or enchantment in effect.
Sense Malice - anyone meaning immediate harm to the caster. Note that
the
target must be aware of the caster before this detects him.
Sense [Species] - the use is obvious. Trolls, humans, horses, are all
useful
targets.
Sense Undead - any undead, or dead-but-animate creature is detectable.
This
includes not only obvious undead like vampires, but animated corpses, ghosts,
etc.
SHAPECHANGE [species]
attack, ranged
This spell requires intensity equal to at least half the target's SIZ. This
spell is only usable on complete creatures. A different version of this spell
exists for each different target species but you may choose what you want to
transform the target into each time the spell is cast. Shapechange does not
alter any of the target's statistics, including SIZ. Special powers of the
target species are only transferred if they are inherent in the body form and
metabolism. Thus, a man shapechanged into a bat could fly (there might be a
learning process involved), and if he were a fish, he could breathe water.
SKIN OF LIFE
touch
The user is relieved from taking harm from certain types of physiological
threats.
Intensity 6 = no need to breath
Intensity 12 = no need to eat or drink
Intensity 18 = no need to sleep
SMOTHER
attack, ranged, transient
Lasts 1 melee round per Intensity. The target takes normal CON rolls as per
asphyxiation, taking 1d3 damage per round once he fails.
STUPEFY
attack, ranged
To be effective, this spell's intensity must equal or exceed the target's Free
INT. If so, the victim ceases all action, and simply stands there, taking no
will or interest in what goes on about him. He may be led or forced to walk,
eat, or sit, but takes no independent action. He may babble incoherently. He
remains in this state until he sustains physical or magical damage or the
caster drops the spell.
SUPPRESS SORCERY
attack, ranged
This spell affects a target sorcerer's Presence. Each Intensity traps 1
Presence, rendering it incapable of supporting spells.
TAP [characteristic]
attack, touch, instant
This spell permanently destroys 1d6 of the specified characteristic and
provides either MPs or FP to the caster in an equal quantity to the points
taken. A characteristic cannot be reduced past 1. The Intensity needed for the
spell to affect 1d6 of a particular characteristic varies.
Tap Intensity per 1d6 loss
Tap Intensity per 1d6 loss
STR 2
POW 1
CON 3
DEX 4
SIZ 4
APP 3
INT 5
Remember that the maximum MPs a person can have is twice his POW, except that
beings lacking POW have no MP maximum.
TELEPATHY
ranged, active
Allows mind-to-mind communication between the caster and a target, or between
two targets chosen by the caster (it must be Multispelled for this latter
purpose). An unwilling target can attempt to resist.
Intensity 1 = only the life, death, or unconsciousness of a fellow communicant
can be sensed.
Intensity 3 = communication as in Mindspeech.
Intensity 5 = each caster can see through the other's eyes.
Intensity 7 = the users can cast one another's spells.
Intensity 9 = they can use each other's MPs.
Intensity 11 = one user can control the other's actions by overcoming his MPs
with his own. He must renew such control every melee round (and if he fails,
his victim can try to control him.
Since Telepathy is Active, the benefits of Intensity 7 and 9 can only be
utilized if someone else cast the spell or if you are mentally linked to a user
(as with a familiar).
TELEPORT
ranged, instant
Each Intensity teleports 3 SIZ (touching the caster) to a visible point within
Range or to a Homing Circle within Range. If the caster has several Homing
Circles, he can choose which to use.
TREAT WOUNDS
touch, transient
This spell may be used in two ways.
Emergency form -heals the target for 1d(intensity) damage.
Normal use -enables the target to receive First Aid a number of times
equal to
Intensity. Each success heals damage as per normal First Aid rules, and takes
only a fraction of a melee round. Fumbles, special successes, and critical
successes are all as per normal rules.
VENOM
attack, ranged, instant
If the target is overcome, a venom with POT equal to Intensity infuses him. If
he resists the POT with his CON, he takes half damage. Otherwise, he takes the
full POT in damage.
Otherworld Creatures and Sorcery
A number of entities rely largely or solely on sorcery, yet do not take Vows or
otherwise train in the Arts. In general, sorcery is "natural" to these
entities. It is their flesh and blood, inherent to them.
Incomplete creatures lacking normal INT cannot normally use sorcery. Those few
that express sorcery-like effects do so because of metabolism or innate gifts,
not because they intelligently manipulate their environment.
Arts -typically otherworld creatures learn Arts by study, since they
cannot
access St. Malkion and Art vows are difficult.
Vows -all otherworld creatures can have a High Vow if they know an Art,
and
Vessel once they know all three basic Arts. The creature's very existence
constitutes a High Vow of sorts. Incomplete creatures with free will (i.e., not
bound into an enchantment, reasonably intelligent, and not a familiar), are
occasionally able to learn other vows. These vows are often very peculiar, and
sometimes beyond human comprehension.
Former Sorcerers - The revenant of a sorcerer (i.e., a ghost, mummy,
vampire,
etc.) retains his former Presence and Vows; however, an evil revenant often has
his vows inverted. For instance, if he formerly had Shun Tap, it might be
replaced by Tap Daily.
Sorcery Access for selected unusual entities
・ CHONCHON: these entities are created of spirit magic, and can never learn or
use Sorcery.
・ GOBBLER: can be taught spells, but has only those Arts and Presence which
has been enchanted into its hide.
・ GREMLIN: can be taught spells, but has only those Arts and Presence
enchanted into it or provided in an enchanted item.
・ HELLION: a Hellion's Presence is equal to its HP, like most of its
characteristics.
・ NYMPH: Auloniads, Dryads, Limoniads, Naiads, and Oreads do not learn
sorcery.
・ MAGIC SPIRIT: only special sorcery-using magic spirits can gain Presence and
learn Arts, though all can learn and cast sorcery spells.