Arcane Lore: ​Spells: Spell details

Aggressive overload

Aggressive overload redirects an attacker’s aggression back into their own mind, effectively paralyzing them, causing them to collapse. The attacker must be attacking the caster; the attacker’s reaction roll is penalized by the casting level, up to a maximum penalty of the attacker’s intelligence.

Spell details: Agility

The target’s agility will increase by 1 for every four levels.

Angular Path

Angular path sends the target into an ethereal dimension above our normal three dimensions. The target is not visible through normal senses. They can see the normal world, but they cannot affect it. They can hear things said in the normal world if they make a perception roll. They can also move “through” solid objects such as walls and floors, by finding an extra-dimensional path around the obstruction. A perception roll is required to find such a path, and it is a path. It must be traversed; it cannot be reached through or pried at.

The target can return to normal space at any time, ending the spell. It takes one round to return to normal space. The target is immune to any effects taking place in the normal world for the duration of the spell.

Angular Reformation

Angular reformation modifies shadows and corners to make an area or distance appear larger or smaller. Within the area of effect, any line can be modified upward by 50% per level, or downward by one plus .25 per level.

A fourth level sorceror could make a 10 by 10 by 10 room appear to be 40 by 40 by 40, or could make it appear 5 by 5 by 5 (ten divided by 2).

If targets wander around the room, a perception roll at a bonus of six will tell them that something is wrong. If they specifically try to measure things out, they will realize that the visible dimensions are incorrect.

Animal Undead

The sorceror may animate a single kind of animal corpse, up to twice level corpses for small creatures, four times level corpses of tiny creatures, level corpses of medium-sized creatures, and nothing larger than that. Tiny undead animals have one level and d4 survival, small undead one level and d6 survival, and medium undead two levels and 2d6 survival. The undead creatures have the same claw and bite attacks that they had when alive, but none of their organic abilities such as poison. Flying creatures may fly, even if they have no skin.

Prophets who can Turn Undead gain a bonus of two to rolls to turn these undead.

Animate Corpses

Animate corpses temporarily animates human corpses, under the direct control of the sorceror. If they go out of range or if the sorceror’s concentration fails, the spell is broken. The sorceror may animate up to half level walking corpses for which actual corpses must be available. The walking corpses are second level.

Spell details: Antisocial

Antisocial reduces the target’s charisma by 1 per level. Charisma cannot be reduced to zero. Charismas below 3 are non-sentient and find it difficult to perceive social cues or have self-will.

See Charisma for more details.

Area Contingency

This is similar to the sixth level spell contingency, but it can be placed upon the specific location the caster is at when the spell is cast.

The ingredient is an eye of a magic-using creature and an amount of quicksilver worth 100 silver coins per half day that the area contingency will remain in effect. The eye is not destroyed on casting the spell. If the eye is removed or destroyed, the area contingency will cease to function.

Otherwise, the spell conforms to the contingency description.

Spell details: Armor

The armor provides all-round protection from physical attack, or magical attacks that do physical damage and require an attack roll. It is not cumulative with existing armor, normal or magical, but otherwise provides a bonus of five to defense, including to reactions.

When defensible attacks get past the armor, this hastens the armor’s demise. After more than three plus twice level points of damage get past the armor, the magic is destroyed.

Astral Wall

Astral wall blocks astral travel and divinations, such as astral forms and clairvoyance. Creatures that live within the astral plane may batter down the wall by doing damage to it equal to the caster’s level times two, at a defense of +6. The astral barrier regains one survival point per round. Battering down the barrier will be audible in dreams.

The astral barrier can match any physical wall, protecting an area behind it for up to level times 5 yards wide and deep, and level yards tall. If used to protect an area without a matching physical wall, it can only protect a sphere half level yards in radius.

Aura of Confidence

The target exudes confidence, as if they could do anything. Those under the spell’s effect (a willpower roll is allowed) are likely to let the character take control of whatever enterprise is at hand. Anyone (other than the target) attempting a skill while within the area of effect is at a penalty of one; there isn’t much point in their trying hard when an expert is available.

Unwilling targets are allowed an evasion roll to avoid the effects of the spell.

Aura of Depravity

Aura of depravity makes those under the spell’s effect feel the target is a depraved, lying, untrustworthy scoundrel.

See Aura of Nobility for more details.

Aura of Desperation

Aura of desperation makes those under the spell’s effect feel the target is floundering, desperate, not capable of much of anything at all. Any success the target does have is luck at best, and probably not reliable. The target will have a penalty of 1 to skill rolls for the spell’s duration.

See Aura of Confidence for more details.

Aura of Guilt

Aura of guilt causes the target to seem the most likely culprit for any misdeeds that come to light while the target is around. Potential accusers must make a willpower roll to avoid assuming that the target is the guilty party.

See Aura of Innocence for more details.

Aura of Innocence

The target just doesn’t seem capable of committing any crime, at least not for a culpable reason. Anyone within the area of effect who would, under normal circumstances, think the target was not innocent must make a willpower roll to so believe. If the person making the roll actually saw the target commit the crime or misdeed in question, there is a bonus of three to the roll, six if the crime was particularly heinous.

Unwilling targets are allowed an evasion roll to avoid the effects of the spell.

Aura of Invincibility

The target is clearly invincible. There is no point in attacking them; surrender or retreat is the best option if at all possible. Morale for the opposition (within range) will be at a penalty of 2; for the target’s allies, at a bonus of 2.

Unwilling targets are allowed an evasion roll to avoid the effects of the spell.

Aura of Nobility

The target exudes nobility and honor, as if they could tell no lie and do no wrong. Those under the spell’s effect (a willpower roll is allowed) are likely to trust the target implicitly.

Unwilling targets are allowed an evasion roll to avoid the effects of the spell.

Aura of Weakness

Aura of weakness makes the target appear to be the most easily overcome weak spot and best place to concentrate attacks. The target is a clear failure of the enemy’s line, and the opposition gains a bonus of 2 to morale; allies have a penalty of 2.

See Aura of Invincibility for more details.

Bar Passage

Bar passage magically locks doors, chests, windows, anything that can be opened. Barred items will be openable or passable only through breaking the item or through magical means, such as dispelling the magic.

The caster may open the item at any time, without dispelling the magic. The door cannot be larger than two yards radius per level.

Bestow Spell

Bestow spell transfers one spell from the caster to the target. The caster loses the spell. The victim has it as if they had memorized it.

Duration depends on whether the target has ‘room’ for a spell of that level. If the target has enough spell slots to store a spell of that level, duration is ‘permanent’. That is, the spell stays in the target’s memory until it is cast. If the target does not have enough spell slots at the time of casting, or is not a mnemonic wizard, the spell will last for a number of days equal to the casting level before it fades from memory.

Casting time is one round per level of the spell being transferred.

If the bestowed spell is higher level than the target can normally cast, there is a chance that its use will drive the target temporarily insane. The target must make a reason roll, at a penalty of the difference between the spell’s level and the target’s level. If failed, the target will become confused, lost, incoherent. For the duration of the insanity, the target’s wisdom, charisma, and intelligence are reduced by the difference between the spell’s level and the target’s level. The insanity will last d100 minutes.

Between time

The caster is able to move between the hands of the clock for a very brief period. They are literally between time, and so cannot affect anything in real time other than themselves and what they carry. They can move to and through any location that is not otherwise occupied by matter other than air, and they can leave things behind at any location they’ve moved through. They move at their normal movement. If the caster moves, it will look to any onlookers as if they instantly changed position.

The spell is not of much use underwater. However, the caster can walk on water or other liquids for the duration of the spell. They can also move through energy, such as fire, without harm, since they are between time. Spells and other powers that affect the caster only may be used, but any that would have an external effect will simply fail.

The golden pocket watch is not used up in casting the spell. The pocket watch must be in working order, must have a second hand, and will likely be worth around 1,000 coins. While between time, the ticking of the second hand is as loud as a small drum.

Bottle of Dreams

Bottle of dreams captures a dream or nightmare into a specially-prepared bottle of smoky quartz. The caster and bottle must be within level minus four yards of the dreamer. The casting time of the spell is one round, but dreams will take d6 minutes to fully capture, though the caster will not know how many minutes are necessary unless a perception roll is made.

When opened or destroyed, the dream is released, and everyone within level yards of the release must make a willpower roll or be affected by the dream. Dreams that are not fully captured are indistinct and hazy, easily escaped with another willpower roll. Those caught in a dream feel and act as if the dream were actually occurring, much like an illusion. The dream-illusion lasts for as many rounds as the d6 roll for capturing the dream. A dream which required five minutes to capture will last five rounds.

Dreams may be bottled for up to level days. Afterward, the dream dissipates harmlessly.

Despite the title, bottles may only hold one dream. The bottle is not normally destroyed in the casting, and may be re-used if thoroughly cleaned. The birch stopper is not destroyed but may not be re-used. Bottles, if purchased, will generally cost about ten silver coins.

Brittle Object

Brittle object applies a penalty of level to reactions for breakage or destruction.

See Indestructible Object for more details.

Spell details: Charisma

The target’s charisma increases by 1 per casting level.

Clean Slate

Clean slate completely erases text, writings, or drawings from the target paper. Up to level normal-sized pages may be erased. If the target is not paper, only a single glyph or sigil may be erased. If the document is an inscribed spell or magical sign, the caster must make a perception roll to successfully clean the target.

Spell details: Cleanse

Cleanse cleans the surface of the target of all dirt, grime, or other dirty, unliving material, or tiny creatures embedded in such unliving material. The caster may cleanse one target if that target fits into a sphere of up to one foot diameter per level.

Clear Portal

Clear portal makes the other side of any egress or entryway (up to level feet in diameter) visible through the portal. The spell can work on doorways, permanent dimensional portals, or long hallways—any portal which is normally a means of entry or exit.

Spell details: Clumsiness

Clumsiness decreases the target’s agility. Agility may not be decreased to zero. Agilities below three lack all coordination, and an inability to perform even the simplest tasks.

See Agility for more details.

Spell details: Cold Flame

Cold flame creates a jet of blue and white cold flame that damages any organic creatures in its cone. The cone is level inches wide at its base, and half level feet wide at its end. It causes half level d6 damage. Victims may make an evasion roll to take half damage. The cold flame does not damage any items the victims are carrying.

Confuse Languages

Confuse languages makes the target creature or piece of writing incomprehensible to anyone. Speaking sounds like babble, and writing looks like random scratchings.

See Understand Languages for more details.

Contingency

Contingency allows sorcerors to cast a spell on themselves, spells that will not take effect until a specific condition is met. The contingency can recognize any condition that the caster could have recognized through natural or personal-spell-enhanced ability when casting the spell. Senses granted through magical items or through spells cast by others do not count.

The spell to be made contingent can be no greater than half the caster’s level, minus 5.

The contingency is a list of conditions that must be met. The conditions can be one word for every three levels. One word can be used to specify that the contingency applies to a specific individual (such as the caster) or individual object. Once triggered, the spell is ended.

Contingent Elocution

Contingent elocution causes the target to speak a pre-designated speech the moment that the conditions set by the caster are met. If the object has a mouth (such as a statue) the mouth will move in time with the speech; otherwise, the object will sprout a mouth of size appropriate to the object’s size. The speech can consist of up to five words per level, spread over one minute per level.

The contingency is a list of conditions that must be met. The conditions may consist of two words for every level of the caster. One word can be used to specify that the contingency applies to a specific individual (such as the caster) or a specific object. Different conditions can be applied to different parts of the speech. The conditions must occur within two yards per level of the target object to be detected.

Control Mist

The sorceror may control the movement of mist or vapor within the area of effect. If the sorceror chooses to disperse mist, it will take one round to completely disperse. If the sorceror chooses to move the mist, it can move six yards per round. The spell can affect fog, water mist, cloud, visible gases, and any other visible, vaporous, otherwise uncontrolled manifestation.

Spell details: Crawl

Crawl allows the target to crawl up and down walls like an insect. The target may even crawl upside down on ceilings. Movement while crawling is halved, but in any case cannot be greater than twice casting level. Also, the target’s carry is halved while crawling.

While crawling, the target’s hands and feet must actually touch the surface to be crawled. No gloves, shoes, or armor may be worn, for example.

Cursed Weapon

Cursed weapon causes a penalty of one to attack and to damage when using the weapon.

See Enchanted Weapon for more details.

Dampen Fire

Dampen fire reduces the intensity of any fires in the radius to mere coals or embers. Dampen fire can also, after one round, put out all fires in the area of effect, although since that removes the spell’s ingredient it also ends the spell’s duration.

See Fan Flames for more details.

Dampen Magic

Dampen magic may automatically dampen any of the caster’s own spells. Dampening other spells requires a reason roll at a penalty equal to the other caster’s level. The dampening has much the same effect as dispel magic, except that the effects are temporary. dampen magic may be cast on an object or creature; if the creature fails an evasion roll, the area of effect will follow the creature.

Non-permanent ritually enchanted items, such as potions or permanent spells, are not dampened, but their effects are. Thus, a potion quaffed under the effects of dampen magic might appear to not take effect until a dampen magic spell ends.

Dancing Wood

Through this spell, the sorceror grants suppleness to any item made of wood. The item can bend jerkily under the control of the caster. If the form of the wooden item allows it, the item can grab, attack, or even walk.

Items can attack as a sorceror of half the casting level. They do damage according to their form. An arrow does damage as an arrow, a club-like form as a club, a quarterstaff as a staff. The item’s defense is the same as its inanimate form, with a bonus of two.

The sorceror may animate up to level minus one targets. The sorceror may animate either living wood or unliving wood, but not both. Living wood (such as trees) must be less than level yards tall and less than level yards in radius. Unliving wood must be less than level times ten pounds each, and must each fit within a box half level yards to a side.

Rooted plants may not uproot themselves, and items may not change their basic shape. An arrow will not walk, but could move like a snake.

Dark Bubble

Dark bubble creates a bubble of darkness that cannot be seen into or out of. Within the radius of the bubble, things can be seen assuming light sources are available. But creatures inside the bubble cannot see outside, and creatures outside the bubble cannot see inside. It appears as a grayish black bubble that moves with the target.

Spell details: Darkness

Darkness is near pitch black in the area of effect. Creatures within the darkness cannot see out of it. The darkness affects normal sight only.

See Light for more details.

Spell details: Dead Night

Dead night may be cast on a location or on a target creature or object. Creatures are allowed an evasion roll. If the night is attached to something that moves, the darkness moves also. If the sorceror attempts to attach the spell to a creature and that creature makes its reaction roll, the spell takes effect just beyond the target.

The darkness of dead night is pitch black, and blocks all forms of vision: normal, underground, and night vision.

Delay Passage

Delay passage magically locks doors, chests, windows, anything that can be opened. Such items will be openable or passable only through breaking the item or through magical means, such as dispelling the magic.

The door cannot be larger than two yards radius per level.

Delay Spell

Delay spell delays a spell so that it takes effect later on the target. The casting time is one round plus the casting time of the spell to be delayed. The delayed spell is otherwise cast as normal, however, it does not take effect until the caster-specified delay is reached. The delay may be no greater than fifteen minutes per level, and may not be changed once set.

Targets are allowed an evasion roll. If successful, the spell is attached to their current location and does not move with them.

A person, place, or item with a delayed spell attached to them will detect as magical, and the delayed spell may be dispelled as normal.

Demonic Clarity

Demonic clarity brings a possessed creature’s true mind temporarily back into control of their body. It can affect demonic, magical, psychic, and similar possessions. The sorceror must make a perception roll, at a bonus of casting level, to be successful. If the victim is possessed by a demon, that demon’s level is applied as a penalty to the roll. If by a spell, the spell’s level of effect is a penalty. And if by a psychic, the level of effect applied to reaction penalties is a penalty to the sorceror’s roll.

If the victim cares about their possession, their wisdom is applied as a major contributor to the sorceror’s roll. It can be applied either for or against the roll, depending on whether the victim wants to be free or wants to be possessed. A victim with low wisdom will be at cross-purposes: if they want to be possessed, their low wisdom ends up making it easier for the sorceror to free them from possession, and vice versa.

Diagnose Disease

Diagnose disease tells the sorceror if the target is diseased, and where the target is diseased. The sorceror may make a perception roll to gain general information about the disease.

Dispel Magic

Dispel magic may automatically dispel any of the caster’s own permanent spells. Dispelling other spells requires a reason roll at a penalty equal to the other caster’s level.

Permanent ritually enchanted items such as magic weapons, magic rings, etc., will not be permanently dispelled, but may, depending on the level they were ritualized at, be temporarily dispelled for as long as the wizard concentrates. Non-permanent ritually enchanted items, such as potions or permanent spells, will be permanently dispelled if the caster is successful at dispelling.

Spell details: Dream Omen

Dream omen causes the target to receive a glimpse of the future in a dream. It must be cast on the target as the target falls asleep. Sometime during the night, the target will dream in some allegorical way of the future. If there is a special problem facing the target, the dream is likely to involve that problem. A perception roll is required to recall the dream.

Spell details: Dreamhold

Dreamhold allows the target to return from a dream with something in hand: an object or even a creature, as long as that object or creature was held in the waning moments of the dream. Objects or creatures will not have magical abilities, but will have natural abilities.

The target must successfully make a reason roll to bring the dream into reality. The target does not have to know the spell is being cast for it to be successful. As long as they “remember” the dreamthing, they will bring it out. However, a target who does realize what is happening may voluntarily forego bringing out the dream. Once brought out, the dream thing lasts for the duration of the spell and then fades away.

Spell details: Dreams

The caster can cause a specific description to enter an already sleeping creature’s dreams. The caster may use one word per level to describe the thing that will be a part of their dream. The creatures must know what the words mean for it to enter their dream. A first level caster might say “Jessup”, and if the target knows either a person or thing named “Jessup”, this “Jessup” will become in some way a part of their dreams for that night. A third level caster might have three targets dream of a blond female elf, or a giant war machine. In the latter case, the targets might all dream of different kinds of giant war machines, but (as long as they understand the caster’s language) they will all dream of something that could be a giant war machine.

Spell details: Dreamwalk

Dreamwalk allows the caster or a chosen creature within range to enter the dreamworld of a sleeping creature also within range. The dreamer must already be dreaming. The dreamwalker will also sleep for the duration of the spell. The dreamwalker may take any form in the dream, but the form will somehow bear resemblance to the dreamwalker’s waking appearance.

If the dreamwalker merely observes, the victim will remain unaware of the intruder’s status (although the dreamwalker may well appear in the dream and be remembered on awakening). If the dreamwalker takes action in the dream, the target is allowed a perception roll, depending on the nature of the actions, to recognize the dreamwalker as an external presence.

Dreamers who detect the presence of the dreamwalker may attempt to either expel the intruder or trap the intruder with an opposed willpower roll. The spell is ended if the dreamwalker is expelled, and may be ended at any time by an untrapped dreamwalker (though dreamwalkers who are unfamiliar with the spell may not know this).

Spell details: Drowsiness

For the duration of the spell, the target is drowsy and feels the need to sleep. Even during combat the target is likely to nod off, although there will be a bonus of 2 to reactions. Each minute of the spell’s duration, the target is allowed a willpower roll to avoid falling asleep. Once asleep, the target is unlikely to awaken during the spell’s duration, although loud noises or rough motion may allow the target a perception roll, at a penalty of from one to five. After the spell’s duration ends, sleep is as normal.

Spell details: Duality

Duality creates a second version of the spellcaster with the same survival points as the caster had at the time of casting. The duality has no verve of its own, but the caster may choose to use verve to protect the duality if appropriate.

The duality cannot cast spells, is not capable of independent action, and attacks and reacts at a penalty of two (with a penalty of two on defense also). The caster, when controlling the duality, may not cast spells above third level and attacks, reacts, and defends at a penalty of one. The duality may be created with or without simple clothes; if created with clothes they will match the caster’s, to the extent that they can and remain simple. The duality will also have any of the physical abilities of the caster, such as claws, poison, or flight.

The duality is created next to the caster. If the duality leaves the area of effect, the spell ends.

Spell details: Dust Wand

Dust wand sucks dust, light dirt, and grime off any surface that the caster points their wand or staff toward. The cleansing cone is three yards wide at its end. It will clean dirt and grime off of things and creatures, but will not clean dirt that is part of the ground or thicker than half an inch per level. When dusting hard surfaces, this will be enough to clear tracks from the dust—there won’t be any dust left to have tracks.

The sorceror must maintain concentration on the task of cleaning but can otherwise dust large areas by moving as normal for concentrating.

Dweomerburst

Dweomerburst deforms magical control in the area of effect. Anyone casting a spell during the round the dweomerburst is loosed risks damage. The damage taken is the level of the spell being cast averaged with the casting level, in d6, limited by the dweomerburst casting level. Thus, if a seventh-level sorceror casts dweomerburst and catches a ninth-level sorceror casting great ball of fire (a fifth-level spell), the fireball-casting sorceror runs the risk of 9+5, halved, or 7d6 damage. If the fireball-casting sorceror were higher level, the risk remains 7d6, because that’s the level the dweomerburst was cast at.

Each casting sorceror in the area of effect is allowed a perception roll, at a penalty of the casting time of the spell being cast, up to 10. A target that fails its perception roll takes full damage from the dweomerburst. A target that makes its perception roll can reign in their spell for no damage, or cast the spell and take half damage.

Elemental Ward

Elemental ward creates a zone of danger around a protected area. The caster may specify a pass phrase or an item which, if carried, bypasses the ward. If a pass phrase is specified, speaking the phrase allows the speaker only to bypass the ward for one minute.

The elemental ward may be a lightning ward, a fire ward, or a cold ward. In each case, the ward will cause 1d6 points damage for every three levels of effect. A successful fortitude or evasion roll will result in half damage.

The caster may specify that one or more of the following actions will cause the ward to discharge: entering the protected zone, leaving the protected zone, or the taking or removal from the zone of any item placed within the zone before the spell was cast or while the spell was temporarily disabled with a pass phrase or key.

Once discharged, the ward ends.

Enchanted Weapon

Anyone using the weapon will gain a bonus of 1 to attack and 1 to damage. The weapon gains all the advantages of being a +1 magical weapon, including the ability to “hit” special creatures.

Spell details: Endurance

The target’s endurance will increase by 1 for every five levels.

Spell details: Enlarge

Enlarge multiplies the size of the target by one plus an additional 25% (.25) per level. At fourth level, the target’s size and mass will double. The target’s mass before casting cannot exceed one hundred pounds per level. All of the target must be within range.

At a 50% increase in size, targets gain a bonus of 1 to damage; at a 100% increase (a doubling), targets gain a bonus of +2. At 200%, 400%, and each doubling of size thereafter, another damage bonus is gained. Movement increases by 1 per level of effect.

Entwined Candles

When one entwined candle is lit, the other lights as well. When one is extinguished, the other goes out. These candles can be used for signaling at any distance—or potentially starting a fire remotely. A candle can be extinguished or lit normally, and a lit candle is, for example, subject to being blown out by wind or rain. While the candles may be re-used for multiple castings, the wax will eventually burn down.

Entwined Chimes

These entwined copper chimes each ring when the other rings. If the wind blows on one set of chimes, the other set, whatever the distance, will emit the same sounds—though without moving. Each of the three bars has a different tone, which makes the chimes capable of simply-coded messages. The chimes may be re-used for multiple castings of the spell.

Entwined Cups

The water from each entwined cup displays the reflection that the other cup would normally show. Since the water must be from the same spring, it’s a good idea to protect the water from evaporation once the cups are separated by any distance. Once unchanged, the cups may be refilled with water without recasting the spell, but at any time the two cups must both contain water from the same spring. The cups may be re-used for multiple castings of the spell.

Ephemeral Backdrop

Ephemeral backdrop creates a flat but extremely realistic “painting of light”. The “painting” does not respond in any way to surrounding events, such as light sources. It is, however, otherwise extremely convincing, and may portray any scene that the caster remembers or could reasonably imagine. The scene will be completely static: no motion is allowed.

The backdrop is extremely thin. If viewed from behind, the image is reversed.

Ephemeral Play

Ephemeral play creates an extremely realistic scene much like ephemeral stage except that the ephemeral play is dynamic: objects can move within the area of effect.

The play does not respond in any way to surrounding events, including light sources. It is, however, otherwise extremely convincing, and may portray any scene that the caster remembers or could reasonably imagine.

Ephemeral Reflection

Ephemeral reflection creates a dynamic scene much like the ephemeral backdrop’s painting of light except that the ephemeral reflection can display a moving scene.

The ephemeral reflection must be cast on a reflecting surface, such as clear water or a mirror, that is up to half level feet diameter.

The reflection does not respond in any way to surrounding events, including light sources. It is, however, otherwise extremely realistic, and may portray any scene that the caster remembers or could reasonably imagine.

It is the caster’s choice whether the scene replays from the beginning once it is finished, or simply ends when the scene runs out.

Ephemeral Stage

Ephemeral stage creates an extremely realistic scene much like the ephemeral backdrop’s “painting of light” except that the ephemeral stage consists of three-dimensional “objects” anywhere within the area of effect.

The stage does not respond in any way to surrounding events, including light sources. It is, however, otherwise extremely convincing, and may portray any scene that the caster remembers or could reasonably imagine. The scene will be completely static: no motion is allowed.

Spell details: Escape

Escape transports the target to a random location in a random direction. The transport will always occur to a reasonably safe surface, in that the surface will be enough to hold the target and there will be enough room for the target. Other features of the destination (such as creatures, traps, or other problems) are ignored by the spell. The caster may affect any target up to level times twenty pounds.

Determining the destination requires three rolls: a d12 for a ‘clock’ direction horizontally, a 2d4 (minus 2) for a ‘clock’ direction vertically, and a d1000 for the number of yards maximum in that direction. Once you know the maximum distance, choose the surface nearest to the maximum distance in a line toward the caster. There is a leeway of one yard per level; any surface within that distance of the line will suffice.

Eternal Flame

Eternal flame creates a tiny, non-consuming flame (about the size of a small, modern match) which cannot be extinguished. It may be completely encased and will continue burning for the spell’s duration. The spell must be cast on the point of a pointed object made of a flammable material. The object does not burn, however, and is not consumed by the spell.

Ethereal Wall

Ethereal wall blocks ethereal travel, such as through teleportation. Creatures that live within the ether may batter down the wall by doing damage to it equal to the caster’s level times two, at a defense of +6. The ethereal wall regains one survival per round. Battering down the wall will be audible in the physical world.

The ethereal wall can match any physical wall, protecting an area up to level times 10 yards wide. If used to protect an area without a matching physical wall, it can only protect a sphere level yards in radius.

Spell details: Eyetrick

The eyetrick causes the victim to see, for a split second, an obstacle, attack, or other surprising thing that requires immediate action. The split-second illusion can be anything that could occur out of the corner of the victim’s eyes. Overly complex illusions will simply not register, and thus have no effect. The illusion causes no damage directly. It can distract the victim, or cause the victim to trip while avoiding imaginary dangers. The illusion can cause a defense penalty of up to 2 vs. a single attack (depending on the distraction) as well as a penalty of 2 to hit on whatever attack, action, or attempt is in progress, or require an evasion roll to avoid tripping (for an obstacle). Distractions or obstacles can include a surprise attack, a child, a spider, a hole in the ground, a rope, a small animal, a large stone, something rolling by or flying by, for example.

Spell details: Fan Flames

Fan flames causes all fires within the radius of the spell to drastically increase in intensity, providing double the light and heat without causing the fuel to burn any quicker. Fires burn brighter and hotter, and coals or embers burst into flame.

The sorceror may control the intensity of effect.

Fan of Flame

Fan of flame fans from the caster’s outstretched fingers, and causes a point of damage per level to anyone who is in the spell’s area of effect.

Flammable items will need to make reactions or catch fire.

Fan of Frost

Fan of frost fans bitter white cold from the caster’s outstretched fingers. The frost causes a point of damage per level to anyone who is in the spell’s area of effect.

Items affected by the frost break more easily for the next round: any reactions against breaking, fracturing, or otherwise cracking are made at a penalty of half the level of the fan of frost.

The frost can also freeze the top of water, creating an 8th inch of ice for every level of the frost.

Spell details: Farseeing

Farseeing gives the target keen vision. Things are seen as if they were only one third the distance, and the target receives a bonus of 2 to ranged combat rolls, though this bonus cannot be greater than the penalty due to range.

The target also receives a bonus of 2 to perception rolls.

Fast Friend

Fast friend causes the target to believe that the caster is their best friend, someone they would do anything for. Additional reactions are allowed if the caster asks them to do something really stupid that makes it plain they are not really friends. They are also allowed another roll after a number of days equal to the caster’s level, plus the number their reaction roll was missed by. This latter roll may be repeated. The victim of this spell must be an intelligent person, such as a human, an elf, a goblin, a dwarf, etc.

Fighting Prowess

The target gains an attack bonus of 1, a defense bonus of 1, and an additional temporary pool of 2d6 survival. Survival loss will reduce the temporary pool before affecting the character’s true survival.

Spell details: Find Item

Find item helps the sorceror find a specific, known item. If the item is within the area of effect, and the sorceror makes a perception roll, the sorceror is drawn toward the item.

The sorceror must be familiar with the item and must picture the actual item in their mind.

Find Location

Find location helps the sorceror find a specific, known location. If the location is within the area of effect, and the sorceror makes a perception roll, the sorceror is drawn toward the location.

The sorceror must be familiar with the location: they must be able to picture the actual location in their mind.

Spell details: Find Magic

Find magic helps the sorceror detect the presence and direction of magical auras anywhere within the area of effect.

If there is more than one magical aura within the area of effect, the sorceror will detect as many extra ones as the perception roll succeeded by.

Spell details: Fire Blast

Fire blast causes an existing fire to explode in a fiery blast. The fire must be at least the size of a small campfire. The burst will cause 1d4 damage for each casting level, up to a maximum of 6d4, to anyone within the area of effect. A successful evasion roll halves this damage.

Spell details: Fire Darts

Fire darts shoots a single fire dart for each level of the sorceror from the sorceror’s fingers.

The dart causes one survival point loss and will ignite any flammable object it hits. It will hit any object it is aimed at.

Spell details: Flame Ward

Flame ward makes it impossible to start fires within the area of effect of the spell. Fires that are already burning will not spread for the duration; they may or may not go out.

Spell details: Flash

Flash creates a bright flash of light that blinds the target for one round. The target’s vision is degraded for another two rounds afterward, giving them a penalty of 2 to attack rolls and other rolls requiring sight.

The penalty only applies to creatures that use sight for seeing and attacking.

Fool’s Magic

Fool’s magic places a magical aura on the target. Creatures are allowed an evasion roll. Anything that detects magic will detect the fool’s magic.

The target may not exceed level cubic feet in volume.

Ghost Lights

Ghost lights creates a vaguely man-sized blob of white, gauzy light, which can be formed by the caster into very simple shapes. They are as bright as torches, and may be divided into one piece for every three points of the caster’s intelligence.

Spell details: Ghost Ship

Ghost ship turns any vehicle or transport into a spectral thing, dim and insubstantial. All attacks into and out of the ghost ship are at a penalty of level to attack and half level to damage. The ghost ship no longer moves normally, but rather in a slow, eerie, ghostly manner. It has a movement of level. When moving at normal “walking” speed, it, and everyone and thing it carries, may move through solid objects.

The ghost ship may move vertically as well as horizontally, but only at half movement.

While the vehicle may contain living creatures, the vehicle itself may not be alive. The vehicle must weigh level times fifty pounds or less.

Ghost Walkers

Ghost walkers creates the noise of something moving, either walking, crawling, slithering, running, or otherwise moving. The sound is as if up to four medium creatures per level of the sorceror are moving. The caster can choose how they sound, whether the creatures are hoofed, booted, slippered, barefoot, etc., and whether they are running, walking, flying, crawling, or something else.

If a hearer chooses to disbelieve the sound, a successful reaction roll means they recognize that something is not quite right about the sound.

Spell details: Ghostshape

Ghostshape causes an object that weighs no more than 4 pounds per level and is no more than 3 inches per level on a side, to become ghost-like for up to a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level. The spell automatically quits after the object is pushed completely through something solid (e.g., a wall). If the object is in something solid when the spell’s maximum duration is up, its being is intertwined with that solid.

Objects held by someone else have that person’s reactions. Magical items and living creatures may not be ghosted.

Ghosted items are not affected by gravity. They cannot be pushed through living things. A ghosted item would not, for example, go through an Elven space flitter or the biofolds of the Tectonis, since those vessels are alive. While any living creature can thus touch a ghosted item, only the caster can actually grasp it. To others, it feels nearly immaterial, and weightless.

The spell’s components are a bit of smoke and some glass slivers.

Spell details: Glue

Glue causes the two target items or creatures to stick together when joined. The glue can hold up to ten pounds per level before failing.

Rolls to pull the stuck items apart are at a penalty of twice level. Fragile items are likely to break or tear rather than pull apart.

Great Ball of Fire

The great ball of fire creates a huge, fiery explosion. It does 1d6 damage for each casting level, up to a maximum of 10d6. Those within the area of effect may make a reaction roll for half damage. The ball of fire will, if constrained, generally expand in whatever direction(s) it can to fit its volume (you can usually guesstimate, but it is approximately 1,400 cubic yards, or a cube 11 yards to a side).

The flame will ignite any flammable ingredients and melt soft metals. Any object on a target that fails its reaction, will itself have to undergo a fortitude roll to survive.

There must be a clear line between the caster and the center of effect. Anything that blocks that line will cause the ball to explode early.

Great Balls of Fire

The caster may create a number of great balls of fire equal to the casting level. The total dice damage of all balls cannot exceed level d6, and no single ball may exceed 10d6 damage. The caster may otherwise allot the dice among each of the balls of fire. Each ball of fire is similar to a great ball of fire, except that its radius is one yard for each d6 allotted to it.

If a target is caught in multiple balls of fire, only the ball causing the most damage applies. However, for each ball that could affect the target, and that overlaps other balls by less than half its radius, there is a penalty of 1 to the reaction roll.

There must be a clear line between the caster and the centers of effect. Anything that blocks that line will cause the ball to explode early.

Group Suggestion

Group suggestion is much like suggestion but it applies to all creatures within the area of effect, up to level creatures.

As with suggestion, the suggestion must be reasonable, understandable, and brief. Hostile creatures gain a bonus of up to three on their reaction. Extremely reasonable suggestions result in a penalty of up to two on the reaction.

Spell details: Guardian

Guardian emits a loud noise of the sorceror’s choice when any creature enters or touches the warded area. If the sorceror creates a password, any creature speaking the password will not trigger the guardian.

The noise is audible for up to twenty yards in the open, less if walls or other obstacles intervene. It lasts for one minute, then stops making the noise but continues guarding the location.

Spell details: Hair

Hair increases or decreases the length of the target’s facial hair to any natural length. The caster may control whether beard, head, mustache, or any combination grow or fall. The spell may be cast on any medium sized or smaller creature at first level, on any large sized or smaller creature at third level, and any huge sized or smaller creature at seventh level.

Spell details: Hide Item

Hide item makes the target more difficult to find through magical means. Any attempts to find the item while the spell is in effect are at a penalty of level to perception or similar success rolls.

Immovable Object

Immovable object makes it very difficult to move the affected object.

When attempting to move or lift the affected object, it is as if the weight of the object were increased by level times 100 pounds.

Indestructible Object

The indestructible object gains a bonus of twice the casting level to reactions against breaking or other destruction, as well as to defense. The effects of age are reduced by a factor of level times 10 for the duration of the spell (though this will likely only be useful for permanent durations). The object may be up to level feet in diameter and weigh up to level times five pounds.

Spell details: Inflame

Inflame causes flames to start much more easily. Reaction rolls or skill rolls to start fires are at a bonus of four, and rolls to avoid starting fires are at a penalty of four. Jostled or shaken gunpowder will go off unless the carrier makes an evasion roll for each round of movement.

See Flame Ward for more details.

Inscription

Inscription prepares a spell for impression on the sorceror’s mind. Usually, this takes the form of writing the spell in a spellbook, but different cultures may use different forms of inscribed spells. The precious metal is used in the construction of the inscription (for example, inlaid into the pages of the spellbook). It takes 30 minutes per level of the spell being inscribed to inscribe a spell, and the precious metal or other material must be worth 10 silver coins per level of the spell.

Inscribed spells may only be used by the sorceror who inscribed it. However, other sorcerors may, if they gain access to the inscription, copy it to their own spellbook through use of inscription if they understand the spell.

Intelligence

The target’s intelligence will increase by 1 for every three levels.

The gold-lined hat, gold crown, or gold-threaded band must be worn on the head of the target. The gold (which is used up) must be worth at least twenty silver coins.

Invisibility

Invisibility affects normal vision, night vision, and underground vision. It does not affect sound, smell, or other senses. Invisibility is a precarious state: any attack made by the character (including targeting a spell) ends the invisibility. Unconsciousness due to attack also causes the spell to end (as does destruction of invisible objects). The target, if intelligent, may choose to end the invisibility at any time with a fortitude roll.

The caster may target any creature or object less than level times 40 pounds in mass. Invisibility affects the target and any items (within the mass limit) the target is carrying. Items that are not worn by the character when the spell is cast do not become invisible; food or drink will become invisible as it becomes part of the character, but the character runs the risk of becoming visible: each mouthful swallowed necessitates a fortitude roll, with a special bonus based on the level of the sorceror who cast the invisibility.

Spell details: Last Sight

Last sight shows the sorceror what the corpse saw in the level seconds before dying.

Sight attacks that affected the victim, such as a gorgon’s gaze, may affect the sorceror. A reaction roll is required, at a bonus of 4.

Lasting Suggestion

Lasting suggestion is much like suggestion except that it lasts for hours.

As with suggestion, the suggestion must be reasonable, understandable, and brief. Hostile creatures gain a bonus of up to three on their rection. Extremely reasonable suggestions result in a penalty of up to two on the reaction roll.

Spell details: Leaping

Leaping allows the target to leap great distances, even in confined spaces. The creature may leap ten yards plus one yard per level, horizontally, and one third that vertically. Jumping horizontally requires vertical clearance of one yard plus a tenth the distance jumped.

Learn Language

Learn language allows the target to speak and understand, or to read and write, one language. The spell’s ingredient is one work written in the language or the ear-bone or skull of a creature who speaks and understands the language.

While under the spell’s effects, the target can read and write the language, if the component was a work of writing; or can understand and speak the language, if the component was an ear-bone. If the component was a skull, the target can read, write, understand, and speak the language. The components may be re-used.

Lesser Ball of Fire

The lesser ball of fire is an explosive flame that does one point of damage per casting level. Targets may make a reaction roll for half damage. Flammable items within the area of effect (and not carried by an individual who made their reaction) are likely to catch fire: a fortitude roll is required. Highly flammable items will catch fire.

There must be a clear line between the caster and the center of effect. Anything that blocks that line will cause the ball to explode early.

Spell details: Levitate

The target, up to level times fifty pounds, will levitate upward or downward four yards per round at the sorceror’s command. The sorceror must concentrate to command such movement, but otherwise the levitation lasts to the duration of the spell. The sorceror cannot command levitation beyond the range of the spell.

Combat while levitated is difficult, and is at a penalty of three to attack and two to defense.

Spell details: Light

Light may be cast on a location or on a target creature or object. Creatures are allowed an evasion roll. If the light is attached to something that moves, the spell’s effect moves also. If the sorceror attempts to attach this spell to a creature and that creature makes its reaction roll, the spell takes effect just beyond the target creature.

Light is reasonably bright and uniform within the area of effect, as of a very good lantern. It extends evenly in all directions from the center of effect. Light falls off as quickly as a normal lantern outside of the area of effect, creating a sort of light “bubble” on that area.

Locate Origin

The caster may make a perception roll each round to delve into the object’s origin. On the first successful roll, the caster will know where the target was most previously (either a location or, if carried by an individual, something about that individual). On the second successful roll, the caster will know something about the next most previous location, etc.

Lost Corner

A lost corner draws invisible and unused extra angles to a corner and forms them into a temporary refuge separate from the world. The Lost Corner is its own tiny pocket universe, formed into a small rectangular room.

The rectangular room can be up to level feet wide, level feet tall, and level yards deep. (The entrance is infinitely thin, and only allows one person to enter at a time.) The appearance of the interior walls and floor may be chosen by the caster. Just about any interior may be specified: rock, leather, wood, or cloth, for example. Regardless of the appearance, the walls and floor are slightly yielding but indestructible. They are the edge of the tiny universe. They can’t be broken because there is nothing to break to.

The sorceror can allow anyone to enter the lost corner, or may specify conditions that must be met to enter. There can be one simple condition (such as holding a sigil, making a sign, or saying a word) for every three levels of effect.

If the sorceror wants there to be a condition to exit the lost corner, these conditions count separately from the entrance conditions, even if they are the same conditions.

The spell must be cast on a true corner: the horizontal angle (between the two walls) must be between 60 and 120 degrees. The angle from the vertical (between floor and walls or ceiling and walls) must be between 85 and 95 degrees.

When the duration ends, any contents reappear at the entrance location in the real world.

Spell details: Mage Bolt

Mage bolt creates a bolt of energy that causes d4+1 damage to the target creature. The caster gains an extra bolt at fourth level and every two levels thereafter. The bolts may be sent out all at once to any targets in the area of effect, or may be sent out one at a time. The caster can hold the bolts for as long as the spell’s duration, and may even cast other spells in rounds when they are not sending out bolts. Mage bolts are diffuse attacks and cannot be used as called shots.

Spell details: Magic Box

The magic box can hold ten times as much as it normally could. A five by five by five inch box, for example, could hold as much stuff as if it were fifty by fifty by fifty inches. Each individual item must still fit through the box’s opening. The Magic Box need not be a box: it could be a bag, a pocket, a jar, or any normal container.

The magic box will weigh its own weight plus one tenth the weight of everything in it. It cannot hold more than level times 30 pounds. If the container itself contains more than one container, each container divides the storage capacity evenly. If a fourth level sorceror casts magic box on a sash with five pockets, for example, each pocket will hold up to 24 pounds as if it were 2.4 pounds.

The container must be no more than twice level inches diameter.

When the spell ends, any items remaining in the box are expelled through the opening(s).

Spell details: Magic Door

Magic door connects two doorways so that walking through one exits the other. Each particular door is one way, in that the teleport only applies to one side of the door: the caster’s side at the local end, and the opposite side at the other end. The spell, however, is a two-way spell in that items and creatures can enter either door, to be transported to the other.

Light and sound traverse the doors as if they were normal doors to their magical destinations.

While the doors need not be actual doors, they must be pre-existing entrances/exits used for entry and egress. They must be approximately the same size. If the two doors are of the same basic type and shape, opening one opens the other. Otherwise (as for a door to a window), each must be opened separately, and from the correct side.

The near door must be within the range of the spell. The far door must be within 10 yards per level. The doors must be larger enough for the caster to use, and must fit completely within spell range.

Magic Halls

Magic halls allows the caster to travel through any doorway or exit and pass through to any other door or entrance within range. The caster may continue passing from door to door in this manner until the spell ends. If the caster wishes to bring someone else along with them, they will need to hold the door open, or stand in the doorway while letting them pass. Otherwise, the spell’s magic fades from each passage by the end of the round that the caster steps through.

Spell details: Magic Hole

The Magic hole must be cast on a disc woven of spider’s web. The disc may be up to level inches in diameter. The magic hole can be expanded to ten times that. The magic hole has a depth of level minus three feet. Anything that can fit in the hole, it can carry. It weighs only what a small disc of spider’s web would weigh, no matter how much is stored in the hole. When contracted to its normal size, the hole may be rolled up, folded, or even scrunched up.

If items remain in the hole when the spell’s duration ends, they are expelled through the hole’s opening.

Magic Portal

Magic portal creates a one-way black hole that leads to any other place within 10 yards per level. The destination must either be known to the caster, or be specified in exact direction and distance. Travel using a magic portal causes disorientation, as if surprised.

If the destination is blocked either magically or because something is already there, travel does not occur, but disorientation does.

Magic Table

Magic table creates a magical, moving table anywhere within the area of effect. The table will follow the caster anywhere. It is one yard in diameter and can carry 100 pounds per level. The table is slightly concave; if items roll, they will roll to the center of the table. The table always remains horizontal, and can move with the caster at a movement of up to level plus 5. It moves with the caster automatically at the distance at which it was created, but can be commanded to move anywhere the caster desires in the area of effect. The table’s surface will remain at about mid-level to the caster at all times.

When the spell’s duration expires, the table lowers itself to the ground (over a round) and disappears. If the caster moves too fast for the table and the table thus leaves the area of effect, the table disappears immediately, tumbling everything it carried to the ground.

Magic Transport

Magic transport teleports the caster and up to 30 pounds of carried items per level to any location within 10 yards per level. The caster is disoriented, as if surprised, following the transport. The sorceror can visualize a known place within range, or specify an exact distance and direction relative to their current location. If the location is already occupied or ethereal travel is blocked, the transport fails, and the caster (and any other living things transported) are treated as surprised for at least two rounds.

Maidservant

The maidservant is an invisible force that can dust, prepare meals, iron, launder and dry clothing, sew and mend clothing, shop, maintain a pantry, clean and dress infants, serve meals, dress and undress an adult, maintain a fire in a fireplace or stove, boil water, wash dishes, and sweep and scrub floors. It will attend only to the person it is attached to, and can be told by its master to perform a particular task unsupervised, such as shopping to refill a pantry, or serving a meal until guests are finished. It can carry up to three pounds per level, and pull or push twice that. (Things that are easy for a human to move, such as doors on hinges, can also be moved by the maidservant.)

Since it has no form, the maidservant can neither attack nor be attacked physically, nor can it maintain a hold on something if someone grabs it away. The maidservant can act outside of the area of effect, but only in furtherance of a command given within the area of effect, such as to obtain a particular hat from the closet.

The servant’s cap must have been used by a maidservant for at least a year, and is not used up by the spell.

Spell details: Manservant

The manservant is an invisible force that can dress or undress the caster (or other target), bring small items such as hats or wine bottles, pour wine, serve meals, clear tables, open doors, and hold chairs. It will attend only to the person it is attached to, and can be told by its master to perform a particular task unsupervised, such as opening a door for guests, or serving a meal until guests are finished. It can carry up to three pounds per level, and pull or push twice that. (Things that are easy for a human to move, such as doors on hinges, can also be moved by the manservant.)

Since it has no form, the manservant can neither attack nor be attacked physically, nor can it maintain a hold on something if someone grabs it away. The manservant can act outside of the area of effect, but only in furtherance of a command given within the area of effect, such as to obtain a particular bottle of wine from the cellar.

The servant’s button must have been used by a manservant for at least a year, and is not used up by the spell.

Master’s Voice

Master’s Voice imprints upon the target—the bearer of the message—up to level rounds of a message from another person, who must speak the message to the bearer. When the bearer triggers the message, it is delivered exactly as spoken, and in the same voice. Once delivered, the message is gone; the bearer does not hear the message when triggered, and does not have to hear the message when imprinted.

The message’s bearer must be intelligent and have a vocal apparatus moderately similar to that of the person providing the message.

Mend Wounds

The main purpose of this spell is to stop bleeding and death. It grants the target a bonus of half casting level to death rolls, up to a maximum of the target’s injury total at the time of casting. If the target is dying (but not yet dead), the caster may make a reason roll at a penalty of the target’s injury total to remove that wound. The target’s injury total remains the same, but they are no longer dying. A character may only be under the influence of one mend wounds.

Mnemonic Transferal

This spell takes a spell that is currently memorized and copies it to empty spell slots in the caster’s mind. The transferred spell remains in its original slot also. The caster could, for example, use mnemonic transferal on a memorized fireball spell. If the caster has five free slots, the caster then has two memorized fireball spells.

The casting time for mnemonic transferal is the level of the spell being transferred.

The components of this spell are a quill from a gryphon, inscribed with special runes, and a green emerald worth at least 200 silver coins. The quill can be re-used. The emerald can only be used for 9 spell levels.

Mutual Confusion

Mutual confusion causes the target to not understand anything the caster says, and for the caster to not understand anything the target says.

See Mutual Understanding for more details.

Mutual Understanding

Mutual understanding allows the caster and target to converse in speech (assuming the target has vocal speech) and understand each other.

Spell details: Open

Open causes bars blocking doors to jump from their resting places, locks to unlock, latches to snap open, simple blocks (such as a chair against a door) to fail, and even heavily blocked doors to shift slightly. Open causes the doors to open slightly as well.

If open is cast on a magically barred item, the caster must make a reason roll at a penalty equal to the casting level of the magic bar. The door must be no larger than 2 yards radius per level.

Paper Chase

The caster knows the direction to any paper in the area of effect that contains writing. The more writing, the stronger the sense of the paper’s location.

Permanent Enchantment

Permanent enchantment causes any spell to become nearly permanent. The affected spell must normally have a duration. The caster must touch either the target of the to-be-permanent spell, or that spell’s caster. If that caster does not wish the spell to be made permanent, a reason roll is allowed to avoid permanency.

The spell’s ingredient is a diamond or other precious work worth at least 100 silver coins per level of the spell to be made permanent. If the diamond is destroyed, the permanency is also destroyed. The diamond (or other precious item) need not remain near the permanent spell.

Casting a permanent enchantment spell requires binding two verve, plus the bound spell’s level, plus the bound spell’s casting level. It also reduces the caster’s endurance by 1, and gives the caster three injuries.

Personal Alteration

Personal alteration changes the sorceror’s appearance and shape. The shape must be basically human in form, but may be up to half again as large as the caster in any direction or half the size of the caster.

The new form may also include physical additions such as wings and claws. These are not as effective as the original form, however. Physical movement in the new form, other than bipedally, is at half the movement it would be if the form were real. Attack rolls while using the new form’s non-leg-based movements are at a penalty of two. Claw attacks are at a penalty of two to attack and one to damage, and do not afford the caster more attacks than the caster would normally receive.

The new form cannot give the caster any special abilities, or bonuses to defense or attack.

The alteration includes any clothing and non-magical equipment the caster is carrying.

Taking on the form of a specific individual is difficult and most likely will require a perception roll on the caster’s part to successfully imitate the desired individual’s facial and other features.

Phantasmal Camouflage

A phantasmal camouflage hides a group of creatures and their gear as a copse or forest of trees. The camouflage is a primarily visual illusion that relies on the victims’ minds for the other senses.

The camouflaged creatures may move as normal, and this does not harm the basic effectiveness of the illusion; however, it is likely that anyone seeing a moving wood will become very suspicious, which may result in a closer examination of the wood. If any of the victims of the illusion attempt to damage the phantasmal wood they receive an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4. Merely touching or examining the phantasm does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Phantasmal Carriage

Phantasmal carriage alters the appearance of a vehicle or device of transport. The vehicle’s basic size and rough dimensions remain the same, but the vehicle can be made to appear as any similarly-sized vehicle. A large cart could be made to appear as a petite coach, for example. A sailing vessel could become a barge. The vehicle must be no more than half level yards in diameter.

The phantasmal carriage is a primarily visual illusion that relies on the victims’ minds for the other senses. The vehicle gains no special abilities.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Phantasmal Disguise

A phantasmal disguise transforms the target into something else that approximates the same size and shape as the target. It is a primarily visual illusion that relies on the victims’ minds for the other senses. The sorceror will be most successful at creating phantasmal disguises they have studied extensively. A reason roll is required to create a well-designed illusion; on a failed reason roll, victims automatically receive an initial reaction to see the illusory nature of the disguise. The sorceror receives a bonus of 4 to this roll if they have studied the proposed illusion extensively; a bonus of 2 if they have studied it generally or seen it recently; and a penalty of 2 if they have never seen the thing they are creating a phantasm of.

Field bonuses may apply as appropriate. Characters may also learn the skill phantasms in the field Magical Science; their field bonus will then apply to their reason roll—whether creating a phantasm or seeing through one.

If any of the victims successfully attack the disguise they receive an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4. Merely touching or examining the phantasm does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

If a creature is disguised, the creature may move as normal, although if their mode of movement differs from the disguise’s mode of movement this may allow further reactions to see through the disguise.

Phantasmal Foe

A phantasmal foe is the most fearsome thing the target can imagine, dragged from the victim’s own primal fears. Only the caster and the target can see the phantasmal foe.

The foe is so fearsome and so much a part of the victim’s mind, that only active attempts to disbelieve it (which work as normal for a phantasm) will overcome the illusion.

The foe attacks as a fourth level fantastic creature, is invulnerable to all attacks by its victim, and will follow the victim wherever they flee.

Phantasmal Force

A phantasmal force is a primarily visual illusion of an armed or dangerous force, that relies on the victims’ minds for the other senses. The sorceror will be most successful at creating phantasmal forces they have studied extensively. A reason roll is required to create a well-designed illusion; on a failed reason roll, victims automatically receive an initial reaction to see the illusory nature of the phantasm. The sorceror receives a bonus of 4 to this roll if they have studied the proposed illusion extensively; a bonus of 2 if they have studied it generally or seen it recently; and a penalty of 2 if they have never seen the thing they are creating a phantasm of.

Field bonuses may apply as appropriate. Characters may also learn the skill phantasms in the field Magical Science; their field bonus will then apply to their reason roll—whether creating a phantasm or seeing through one.

The force can be any group of attackers, from a swarm of bees to an army of giants, that fit within the area of effect. They will attack appropriately for what they are, but at no greater level than the casting level.

The first time a victim successfully damages a member of the phantasmal force that victim receives an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4, unless the sorceror successfully has the phantasmal force react believably. This requires an evasion roll by the caster. Merely touching or examining the phantasmal force does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

All victims, as well as the phantasmal force itself, must be within the area of effect to experience the non-visual effects. The spell effects any number of victims, as long as they are within the area of effect. The phantasmal force can cause damage as normal for phantasms.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Phantasmal Object

A phantasmal object is a primarily visual illusion of a single object that relies on the victims’ minds for the other senses. The sorceror will be most successful at creating phantasmal things they have studied extensively. A reason roll is required to create a well-designed illusion; on a failed reason roll, victims automatically receive an initial reaction to see the illusory nature of the phantasm. The sorceror receives a bonus of 4 to this roll if they have studied the proposed illusion extensively; a bonus of 2 if they have studied it generally or seen it recently; and a penalty of 2 if they have never seen the thing they are creating a phantasm of.

Field bonuses may apply as appropriate. Characters may also learn the skill phantasms in the field Magical Science; their field bonus will then apply to their reason roll—whether creating a phantasm or seeing through one.

The caster does not have to maintain concentration if the phantasmal object is 3-inches in diameter or less per level; otherwise full concentration must be maintained. If any of the victims attempt to damage the phantasm they receive an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4, unless the sorceror has maintained concentration and successfully has the phantasm react believably. This requires an evasion roll by the caster. Merely touching or examining the phantasm does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

All viewers must be within the area of effect to experience non-visual effects. The phantasmal object can cause damage as normal for phantasms.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Phantasmal Room

A phantasmal room transforms a single enclosed room via a primarily visual illusion that relies on the victims’ minds for the non-visual senses. The room may contain any number of inanimate or mechanical objects, but no living creatures. The sorceror will be most successful at creating phantasmal rooms and things they have studied extensively. A reason roll is required to create a well-designed illusion; on a failed reason roll, victims automatically receive an initial reaction to see the illusory nature of the phantasm. The sorceror receives a bonus of 4 to this roll if they have studied the proposed illusion extensively; a bonus of 2 if they have studied it generally or seen it recently; and a penalty of 2 if they have never seen the thing they are creating a phantasm of.

Field bonuses may apply as appropriate. Characters may also learn the skill phantasms in the field Magical Science; their field bonus will then apply to their reason roll—whether creating a phantasm or seeing through one.

If victims damage the phantasmal room they receive an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4, unless the sorceror has maintained concentration and successfully has the phantasm react believably. This requires an evasion roll by the caster. Merely touching or examining the phantasm does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

The phantasmal object can cause damage as normal for phantasms.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Phantasmal Self

Phantasmal self alters the appearance of the caster. The caster’s basic form remains the same, but the caster can make themselves appear shorter or taller by up to six inches plus one inch per level. They can appear fatter or thinner in a similar manner. They can alter their own appearance considerably, within the constraints of a human-like creature: a human sorceror could appear as an armored Orc or a green-clad Elf, for example.

The spell alters only appearance, although the phantasmal component will cause viewers to create the other senses. The caster gains no special abilities, and it is the caster’s responsibility to mimic any mannerisms. Failure to do so may grant reaction rolls to see through the illusion. If the caster’s gear and clothing do not match the illusory gear and clothing, attacking the caster may also grant a reaction roll. Merely touching or examining the caster does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel to match the phantasmal self.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects of the spell rather than the actual caster.

Phantasmal Sleeper

A phantasmal sleeper is a visual and auditory illusion of the target. The target must lie down as if to sleep; the phantasmal sleeper will then take the form of the target. It will also make appropriately sleep-related noises.

The target may move to any other place within level miles to actually sleep. As long as they go to sleep within thirty minutes, the phantasmal sleeper will remain until they wake up or for ten hours, whichever is sooner.

If the target does not go to sleep (or travels outside level miles from the phantasm), the phantasmal sleeper lasts for level times ten minutes.

Phantasmal Terrain

Phantasmal terrain alters the appearance of a plot of land or a geographical feature. Hills may be laid low or raised, streams turned into rushing rivers, lakes into green fields, fields into deep forest, plains into crevasse-filled badlands and precipices into rolling hills.

If any of the victims attempt to damage the phantasmal terrain they receive an automatic reaction roll at a bonus of 4. Merely touching or examining the phantasm does not generate a reaction roll, as the victim’s mind creates the appropriate tactile feel.

Victims who see through the illusion still see the visual effects, but the illusion then has no audible, tactile, or other sensory effects. The phantasm does not emit light: light must already be present for the potential victims to see it and trigger the rest of the sensory effects.

Poor Fighting

Poor fighting gives an attack and defense penalty, but does not reduce survival.

See Fighting Prowess for more details.

Private Fire

All fires within the area of effect are dimmed to near-darkness and cold outside the area of effect. This includes any flame-based light source, such as lanterns and torches. Within the area of effect, fires continue to burn, and provide both light and heat as normal.

The spell must be cast upon a flame; if that flame moves, so does the area of effect.

Spell details: Promise

Promise holds the target to a promise of some action. The target must make the promise willingly and under no magical, spiritual, or psychic compulsion. That is, the promise must be of their own choice (though that choice can be influenced by events outside of their control).

The promise must be a promise that can be fulfilled. Open-ended promises fail within level days. Promises that can only be fulfilled in the target’s death fail immediately.

Once under the spell’s effects, the target must do their best to fulfill the promise. If they deviate from their promise, delay its fulfillment, or twist its meaning, they will suffer greatly: every day that they do not work toward the promise’s fulfillment, they gain an additional penalty of one to all rolls. These penalties are permanent and cumulative until the character begins to truly fulfill the promise, at which point the penalties disappear one per day.

Protection from Dispel

Protection from dispel adds an additional penalty of the casting level to attempts to dispel the spell. The caster must touch the object, creature, or location affected by the spell to be protected.

Spell details: Quickfall

Quickfall increases the speed that the target falls during the duration of the spell. Damage from falling is as if the height were twice what it would have been at the point the spell was cast, and maximum damage is doubled.

See Slow Fall for more details.

Rainbow Fan

Rainbow fan creates a brilliant, rainbow-like fan of intense color that causes affected creatures to become stunned for a short period of time. The caster can affect up to one target, plus one target at third level and every odd level thereafter. The area of effect is a cone a half yard wide at the caster, and half level yards wide, level yards away from the caster. Those within the cone (up to the maximum) are allowed a perception roll to avoid the stunning effects of the rainbow. Targets whose level is lower than the casting level are not allowed a perception roll: they are automatically affected.

Affected targets are stunned for 2d4 rounds if their levels are less than or equal to the caster’s; for 1d4 rounds if their level is within one or two of the caster’s; and for one round if they are three or more levels higher than the caster.

If there are more than the maximum number of targets in the cone of effect, the first targets, up to the maximum, are affected. Blind or otherwise unseeing targets are unaffected by a rainbow fan.

Raise Undead

Raise undead temporarily reanimates human skeletons or corpses. The undead retain none of their experience in life, nor any intelligence at all. They may be controlled only when within range, or may be given a single simple command (such as “guard area” or “chase” a visible entity).

Skeletons raised are first level. Walking corpses are second level. The sorceror may raise up to level skeletons or half level corpses, and there must be skeletons or corpses available to raise.

Reverse Spell

Reverse spell affects the next spell completed by the target. If the spell is reversible, the actual casting is the reverse of the form the sorceror tried to cast. If the target was casting enchanted weapon, for example, the actual spell will be cursed weapon. If no reversible spell is cast by the target before the duration of reverse spell ends, the reverse spell dissipates with no effect.

The target is allowed a perception roll to keep their spell intact, at a penalty of the casting level.

Riddleshield

When casting riddleshield the sorceror presents a riddle to the target. Until the target solves the riddle, they may not attack or in any way attempt to harm the caster. For all other actions and reactions they are at a penalty of 1.

Targets must be able to understand the caster’s language and reasonably be able to hear the riddle. The spell ends once any target solves the riddle or when the duration ends.

Guides must decide how likely a non-player opponent is to solve any particular riddle; but the Guide must solve the riddle for NPCs. Player characters and NPCs are allowed a reason roll; if successful the riddling player must provide a hint. If more than one target makes their reason roll, each must be given a different hint.

The caster may not personally attack the targets of the riddleshield, but is otherwise free to act and cast spells for the duration of the spell.

Spell details: Sand Blast

Sand blast creates a blast of sand that reduces visibility to nil for the spell’s duration. Anyone in the area of effect must make an evasion roll or be blinded for d4 rounds after the spell ends.

Scribal Servant

This spell causes a scribe’s pen to take dictation, writing out onto paper or other surface designed for writing what the targeted speakers say. The caster can designate up to level speakers to be recorded. If a speaker exits the range of the spell, their words are no longer recorded, even if they re-enter the spell’s range.

The scribal servant will follow simple directions about what to scratch out, what not to record, and how to emphasize or quote specific passages.

The pen must have been a scribe’s tool for at least a year. The scribal servant will use the script that scribe most commonly uses. Neither pen, paper, nor ink are used up by the spell, although the paper will be covered with ink depending on how much was said, and ink will be depleted depending on how much was set to paper.

Secret Conference

Secret conference grants the targets a private conversation with the sorceror and each other. Those outside of the conference hear as if it were another, incomprehensible language. The sorceror must have known each companion for at least one week before casting the spell, and each companion must be in range.

Secret Message

Secret message gives the caster and target the ability to converse in whispers; there must be an unobstructed line-of-sight path between the caster and target. Only the intended recipient may hear the message on the recipient’s end. Whether anyone hears it on the speaker’s end depends on how loudly the message was spoken.

See Parasite

See parasite gives the recipient a second sight that allows them to see spiritual or mental parasites controlling any victims within sight. The target need not concentrate, but must be able to see the parasite’s host. If the target can see the host and the host is in the area of effect, the target of the spell will see both the host and the parasite as a sort of double-exposure image. If the parasite has a physical form, the after-image will have that form. Otherwise the image will in some way reflect the parasite’s nature.

Spell details: See Whole

See whole shows the caster a fleeting image of the entirety of a piece of a broken object, as it appeared when it was last whole. The object, when whole, must be containable in a sphere of less than 1 yard radius per casting level. The object’s pieces must, for the most part, be contained in a sphere of less than 2 yards radius per casting level. The state of degradation does not matter; all that matters is that at least three quarters of the object must be available and some small amount must be identifiable by the caster as part of the whole.

Spell details: Seek Item

Seek item is much like find item except that it may be cast on others. It draws the spell recipient to any specific item that is familiar to the recipient, if that item is within the area of effect.

The recipient must make a perception roll. The sorceror may benefit that roll using their own charisma as a major contributor.

Sense Magical Aura

This allows the caster to detect if an object or person in range is magical. The caster is allowed a perception roll to determine the school of magic if they concentrate for a minute on any one item.

Sensory Assurance

The character under the influence of sensory assurance will take at face value that whatever they perceive is how they perceive it. They will believe that sleight of hand tricks are real, and that ventriloquist’s dummies really are speaking. The character will ignore less direct evidence to the contrary.

Sensory assurance is also useful when used along with visual spells such as angular reformation and ephemeral backdrop.

When someone under the power of sensory assurance tries to physically test their perceptions, another reaction roll is allowed to realize something is wrong.

Sensory Uncertainty

Sensory uncertainty causes victims to mistrust everything they see. Distances are uncertain, familiar faces might be someone else, and everything must be taken cautiously and with care.

See Sensory Assurance for more details.

Shade Effects

Shade effects allows the caster to retain control over effects that normally can’t be changed after casting. A light, for example, can be varied in brightness to the caster’s whim. Wind walls can be moved about.

Common effects include range, target, area, and special effects. A wizard could move enchant a weapon from weapon to weapon, for example (but would still have to touch each weapon). If a reaction is allowed against the spell, a successful reaction cancels the shade effects. If the affected spell’s center of effect ever leaves the radius of effect of the shade effects, shade effects is cancelled and the affected spell is stuck in whatever state it was at, at that time. Otherwise, the duration of shade effects is the same as the affected spell.

Shade effects must be cast immediately before the spell to be affected. Casting time is the number of effects the caster desires control over.

Spell details: Shadows

Shadows causes natural shadows to form in such a way as to hide the target creature. The shadowed creature gains a bonus of the casting level to any attempts at hiding or sneaking; chances of seeing the shadowed creature are penalized by the same amount.

There must already be a reasonable amount of shadows in the area for this spell to be effective. If there are only a small number of shadows, the bonus is halved, and if there are no shadows, the spell has no effect on perception or hiding.

Spell details: Shield

The shield provides full frontal protection from spell level 1 magicks such as mage bolt or fire dart. It provides a bonus of 1 to all reactions from frontal attacks, a bonus of six to defense against hand-thrown weapons, a bonus of five against propelled weapons, and a bonus of four to defense against melee or other weapons. All shield benefits apply only to attacks that arrive from the front of the spell’s recipient.

Spell details: Shrink

Shrink divides the size of the target by one plus an additional 25% (.25) per level. At fourth level, the target’s size and mass will half. When the target’s size is divided by 2, the target is considered one size lower (medium-sized creatures will be considered small). When divided by 4, the target is considered two sizes smaller; divided by 8 means three sizes smaller, and so on for each doubling of the reduction. Movement is reduced by 1 per level of effect.

See Enlarge for more details.

Spell details: Sickly

Sickly decreases endurance. Endurance may not be reduced to zero. Endurance of less than three is so low that even the easiest tasks can cause exhaustion and lasting weariness.

See Endurance for more details.

Spell details: Silence

Silence causes all actions by the target to make no noise. Intentionally attempting to make noise (such as speaking to another character, clapping hands, or stamping on the ground) temporarily negates the spell’s effects for that action and reduces the spell’s duration by one minute.

Spell details: Sleep

Sleep causes a number of creatures in the area of effect to go to a magical sleep for the duration of the spell. (They may remain asleep afterward, depending on conditions.) The player rolls 3d6. This is the number of levels of creatures, starting with the lowest levels, that are affected. Each potential creature is allowed a willpower roll.

The player may (before rolling the dice) reduce the number of levels affected and apply this as a penalty to the reactions against the sleep spell. If the reduction is 3 or more, it is possible for zero levels (and thus zero creatures) to be affected.

The spell cannot affect targets higher level than the spell was cast at. Sleep must be targeted on a creature, though it can affect other creatures that the sorceror cannot see and does not know about.

Spell details: Sleepfall

Sleepfall causes the victim to feel as though they just fell, as if the earth opened up below them, much like the sensation of falling that can occur in light sleep. Sleepfall causes a penalty of 3 to any action in progress or that round (such as attack and defense, or any other action). A willpower roll is required to hold onto held items, including weapons.

Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking causes the target to act out its current dream, whatever it might be. The target will sleepwalk with eyes open. Though it will ignore anything that does not fit with the dream, anything that does fit the dream will be treated as it is in the dream.

Once under the effects of the spell, the target will not awaken, unless rough attempts to awaken the target are made and the target makes a successful perception roll at a penalty of half the caster’s level (round down).

Spell details: Slipknot

Slipknot unravels the target knot. The knot must be constructed of rope, thread, or string and be as flexible as normal rope.

The knot must be contained in an area half level inches in diameter.

Slippery Surface

Slippery surface causes the surface of a solid, somewhat uniform object or area to become slippery, frictionless, and nearly impossible to grip. Those trying to grip a slippery object must make an evasion roll to do so successfully. Anyone caught in a slippery area must make an evasion roll each round to move, and even then movement is halved.

Slippery surface is ineffective against grainy, non-solid surfaces such as dirt.

Spell details: Slow Fall

Slow fall reduces the speed of falling to one yard per second, and no survival points are lost on impact. The spell does not affect the target’s movement on the ground. If the spell’s duration runs out before the target hits ground, the distance fallen is measured from the point that the spell ran out.

Smoky Stairs

Smoky stairs creates a walkway or ladder from smoke. The spell requires smoke from a fire, and the smoke must reach the height desired for the ladder or stairs. The sorceror may create a ladder or stair of height (and, if stairs, horizontal distance) equal to three yards per level. The stair or ladder is steady and requires no support, and the endpoint may be moved as desired by the sorceror. The stairs may hold only one normal-sized creature at a time, plus one creature per level of the sorceror.

Spell details: Snap Trick

The sorceror encloses the item in their hand, casts the spell, and can then call the item back as long as the item remains in the area of effect. If the item is held by another creature, that creature is allowed a willpower roll, at a penalty of 3, to keep the item from snapping. If the sorceror leaves the area of effect but returns before the spell’s duration ends, the item may be snapped.

Spell details: Snapback

Snapback snaps the target item back to the location it was at when the spell was cast. The item must be kept by the sorceror after the spell is completed. The destination must remain within the area of effect, and the object must remain in the sorceror’s possession.

See Snap Trick for more details.

Spell details: Soil

Soil mucks up the surface of the target with a thin layer of smelly, grimy, vaguely organic slime and dirt. Victims will be unable to surprise any creature with a sense of smell until cleansing themselves or otherwise neutralizing the odor.

See Cleanse for more details.

Sparkling Chaser

The sparkling chaser is a two to four yard trail of multi-colored light-bubbles that chase down the target at a movement of eight. Once cast, the chaser will follow the target to any distance. If the lights catch the target, they circle it rapidly, bubbling and bursting all the while. This makes it easier to attack the target (negating darkness penalties) and makes it more difficult for the target to attack (a penalty of one in close combat, and a penalty of two for ranged attacks).

The sparks for the ingredients can come from any source, such as a log from a fire or flint and steel struck together.

Spell details: Spell Key

Spell key allows the caster to specify certain conditions under which a spell’s effects are ineffective. The casting time is one round plus the casting time of the spell to be keyed. The keyed spell is otherwise cast as normal. Physical area effect spells, such as fireballs or ice storms, generally may not be keyed. Duration spells such as indestructible object may be keyed (allowing the key to more easily destroy the object), as may spells such as teleport (causing keys to not be teleported).

The key is a list of conditions that must be met. The conditions can take up one word for every two levels. One of those can be used to specify that the key is a specific individual (such as the caster) or individual object.

The key may not be changed once set.

Spell details: Spell Loop

Spell loop allows the caster to quickly cast all or some impressions of a multiply-memorized spell in succession. The initial casting time of spell loop is six, plus the casting time of the spell to be looped. The spell is not cast on casting loop. However, for all subsequent rounds, the spell is cast with a casting time of zero, until the caster runs out of impressions of that spell, or the duration for spell loop runs out. The caster may perform these subsequent casts with only minimal concentration, and may perform any other action except spellcasting while the spells are looping.

Spell Shade

Spell shade allows the caster to temporarily shade any of their cast spells as if the spell has ended. Spell shade does not extend the duration of the spell; the clock is still ticking even while the spell is shaded. The caster may turn spells on and off as many times as desired for the duration of spell shade, as long as the spell’s target or center of effect is within the spell shade’s area of effect.

Stinging Guardian

The stinging guardian can be in the form of any small poisonous creature, such as an asp, a spider, a scorpion, or a scarab.

The stinging guardian may be wood, stone, iron, or glass. The caster has a number of “points” equal to the level the spell is cast at. Each wood guardian costs four points, each stone guardian five points, each iron guardian six points, and each glass guardian seven points.

Stinging guardians appear simply as tiny statues or miniatures of the appropriate form. Without regard to their magic, they appear to be worth between the cost of the model and twice that. They animate on a special trigger, specified by the caster. The trigger can be any simple event such as something being opened, something being crossed, or an attack on the guardian. Once triggered, the stinging guardian attacks immediately, usually gaining surprise. Victims successfully hit by a guardian must make an evasion roll or be poisoned.

Attacks on an inert guardian can cause damage to it and shatter it. If the guardian is triggered by the attack, however, the guardian comes to life unharmed by the attack, and the attacker has a penalty of two to their surprise roll. Triggered guardians attack anything that moves except for the caster, starting with the closest target.

Wood Guardian: The wood guardian has an attack bonus and defense 2. It does d2 points damage, and has twice level survival. It moves at 10. Its poison has an action time of 1 round, a strength of 1, and does d3 injuries. Wood guardian models cost 5 silver coins.

Stone Guardian: The stone guardian has a defense of 4. It does d4 points damage and has three times level survival. It moves at eight. Its poison has an action time of 1 minute, a strength of 3, and does d6 injuries. Stone guardian models cost 25 silver coins.

Iron Guardian: The iron guardian has a defense of 6 and an attack bonus of 3. It does d6 points damage and has four times level survival. It moves at 12. Its poison is chronic, has an action time of 1 round, a strength of 3, and reduces endurance by 1. Iron guardian models cost 50 silver coins.

Glass Guardian: The glass guardian has a defense of 3 and an attack bonus of 6. It does d4 points damage and has twice level survival. It moves at 16. Its poison is chronic, has an action time of 1 round, a strength of 5, and reduces intelligence by 1. Glass guardian models cost 100 silver coins.

The ingredients are a model of the appropriate material for each guardian. The caster must also sacrifice one creature of the form being created, for every guardian being created: snake, scarab, spider, scorpion, etc.

Spell details: Strength

The target’s strength will increase by 1 for every two casting levels.

Spell details: Stupidity

Stupidity decreases the target’s intelligence. Intelligence may not be reduced to zero. Intelligences below three are non-sentient, and cannot follow even the most basic logic.

See Intelligence for more details.

Spell details: Suggestion

Suggestion causes the victim to internalize a suggestion of the caster. Suggestions may not have a reasonable chance of death or harm to the target; such suggestions always fail. Suggestions must be basically reasonable, something that the target might remotely consider doing. The suggestion must be able to be made in ten seconds.

The suggestion must be spoken by the caster in a language that the target understands. The victim must be able to hear the suggestion. If the victim falls prey to the suggestion, they do not remember the caster making the suggestion.

Hostile creatures gain a bonus of up to three on their reaction. Extremely reasonable suggestions result in a penalty of up to two on the reaction.

Sulfuric Burst

Sulfuric burst sends a ball of bubbling, burning goo toward the target. The target is allowed an evasion roll. On a successful evasion roll, the target takes d8 damage. On an unsuccessful evasion roll, the target takes 2d4 points damage and the burst has stuck to the victim. The goo sticks for one extra round for every three levels the spell is cast at. It lasts for one extra round if the spell is cast at fourth or fifth level. It lasts for two extra rounds if the spell is cast at sixth to eighth level, etc.

The goo causes 2d4 points of damage each round that it sticks.

Sulfuric Spray

Sulfuric spray spews corrosive acid from the sorceror’s hands, which must be held so that the thumbs touch each other and the fingers are spread. Creatures in the area of effect which are susceptible to acid suffer one survival point loss for each level of the sorceror.

Susceptibility to Dispel

Susceptibility to dispel adds a bonus of half the casting level to any attempts to dispel the spell.

See Protection from Dispel for more details.

Target Contingency

Target contingency allows sorcerors to cast a spell on another creature. The spell will not take effect until a specific condition is met.

Otherwise, target contingency conforms to the contingency description.

Spell details: Teleport

Teleport transports the sorceror and any target(s) nearly instantly to a destination known to the sorceror. Transportation takes 2d6 minutes, no matter the distance. The sorceror may transport any number of extra individuals or objects (all of which must be touching or which the sorceror is touching), up to 150 pounds per level above nine.

Teleportation can only occur to a place, some location that the caster has been and is memorable, or which is describable. This means that the caster cannot teleport to empty air, to the insides of solid matter, or simply by distance and direction. Also, the facing of targets is not guaranteed: if facing is necessary, roll d12 and consult a clock for the relative change in facing of the targets.

If the destination is in some way blocked (for example, because it has been filled in with rocks or there is an ethereal wall), the caster must make a perception roll. If successful, the teleporters take 2d6 points of damage and are tossed out of the ether at a place d20 yards from the nearest livable place. If unsuccessful, they take 3d6 points of damage (three of which will be injuries) and are tossed d100 miles from the nearest livable place. Each separate object or character are rolled for separately, for damage, distance, and direction (usually it is easiest to roll direction on a d12, using the result as a point on a clock).

There is a chance that the sorceror will slightly miss the destination, especially for unfamiliar destinations. The sorceror must make a perception roll, at a bonus of 10 if the place is one with which the caster is extremely familiar (several months of intimate knowledge, such as the place you grew up), a bonus of 5 if the place is one with which the caster is familiar or has carefully studied for several days, no bonus if the place is one which the caster has visited casually, a penalty of three if the caster has never been there but only seen it, and a penalty of six if the caster has never seen it and is going by someone else’s description. There is an additional penalty of three if the caster is currently lost. If this roll is failed, multiply the amount it fails by 10 for the percentage of the distance between the caster’s current location and the desired location, that the attempt is off by. Roll d12 for the direction of error.

Spell details: Teleportal

Teleportal allows travel as the lower level teleport spell. The caster must be at least familiar with the area. The portal can be up to 4 inches wide, tall, or diameter, per level, and can be made to conform with the size of an existing opening or object if desired (e.g., a window, a door, or a mirror). No light issues from the portal—it is a grey area. Other than that, it acts as the teleportspell. It allows for travel both to the destination and from the destination. The portal exists on both ends. At 20th level and higher, the sorceror may choose to make the portal not exist on the destination end.

If one end of the teleportal is blocked, the portal cannot be used.

The spell’s component is a gem worth, in silver coins, the number of digits in the distance (in miles) between the portals, times 1,000. If the distance is from 0 to 9 miles, the gem must be worth 1,000 silver coins. If from 10 to 99 miles, the gem must be worth 10,000 silver coins, etc. If the gem is destroyed, so is the spell.

Spell details: Tracer

This spell creates a magical link between the caster and the spell recipient. As long as the caster and recipient are on the same plane and in the same sphere, the caster will know the approximate distance and direction to the recipient. If the recipient leaves the plane/dimension of the caster, but returns before the duration is up, or the caster arrives in the same plane/dimension as the target, the caster is allowed a perception roll. If made, the caster knows that the recipient is somewhere there, but only distance is known—not direction.

Living creatures are allowed a willpower roll, at a penalty of 2, to avoid becoming the target of tracer.

Spell details: Traction

Traction makes gripping or moving on an already slippery surface (such as ice) as easy as walking on dry stone.

See Slippery Surface for more details.

Undead Guardians

Undead guardians reanimates human skeletons or corpses. The undead retain none of their experience in life, nor any intelligence at all. They may be given a single simple command (such as “guard area” or “chase” a visible entity).

Sorcerors must bind two points of verve for each skeleton, and four points of verve for each corpse. Skeletons are first level, and corpses are second level. Three verve will increase a skeleton’s level by one. Two verve will increase a corpse’s level by one.

The sorceror must have the requisite number of dead, either skeletons or corpses, available.

Understand Languages

Understand languages gives the sorceror the ability to understand the target’s speech or one piece of writing.

Unravel Bonds

Unravel bonds unravels the target rope or other tied bond. The bonds must be generally as flexible as normal rope, the bonds must be fully contained in an area level feet in diameter, and the knotted portion must be fully contained in an area level inches in radius.

Unraveled bonds may fall or dangle once unraveled.

Spell details: Veil

A veil cast on an area or item makes it more difficult to magically find or seek or otherwise divine the location of things, locations, and creatures within the area of effect. Attempts at using such spells to find things covered by the veil are at a penalty of the casting level to perception or other success rolls.

Ventriloquism

Ventriloquism makes the caster’s voice come from the target. Ventriloquists can also make their voice sound like the other creature—to the extent that the caster knows the correct language—and at a volume and kind of sound the caster could speak. Listeners are allowed a perception roll to recognize that the voice has been faked.

Voice of the Dead

The target of voice of the dead can imitate the voice of the dead person whose tooth or lower jawbone they carry. The target of the spell must have a similar-enough vocal apparatus as the dead person to carry the dead person’s voice—most humanoids can carry the voice of another humanoid, such as an elf the voice of a dwarf or human. The dead person must also have died within level hours of the spellcasting, or level days if the spell is cast upon the dead person’s killer.

The spell also confers the ability to speak the dead person’s native tongue, or any language within the dead person’s Native Culture.

Spell details: Wandering

The target cannot find their way and will take wrong turns, mistake landmarks and signs, and even mistakenly interpret heavenly navigational aids such as the sun and stars. Without forced guidance, any destination that is not in sight will never be reached.

Wave Action

Wave action causes the victim to feel as if the world were rolling up and down in waves. There is a penalty of 2 to any physical actions (including defense, attack, and any other physical skill or attempt) for the duration of the spell. Furthermore, the victim must make an evasion roll each round to avoid falling. Each successive round the victim gains a bonus of 1 to the reaction roll.

Spell details: Weakness

Weakness will decrease the target’s strength by 1 for every two casting levels. The target’s strength may not be reduced to zero. Strengths below three make it difficult to carry anything, or to move normally.

See Strength for more details.

Spell details: Web

Web conjures a spiral net of tough, sticky, grey strands much like a spider’s web. The web is twice level inches thick, and very strong. Creatures may tear through the webbing if they make a strength contest against ten plus the level of the spell. Attempting escape takes one full round.

The strands must be cast between two or more points (like a spider’s web), The width or height (or depth if horizontal) of the web can be increased by up to 50%, with a corresponding reduction in the other dimension. A strand can maintain a weight of up to level times thirty pounds; the entire mass can maintain a weight of level times one hundred pounds. When the spell ends, the strands disappear.

Well of Souls

All living souls are refreshed by the depths of the well of souls. This spell drops the caster down the well and back up another well within the area of effect—riding on the senses of another living, intelligent creature. The caster can sense everything that their destination senses.

The caster’s destination is random, though the caster can choose one of the eight compass points for a direction; however, if no living, intelligent creature is in that direction, the destination is pulled at random from the entire area of effect.

If their destination pays attention, they will know someone is riding their senses. Otherwise, a perception roll at a penalty of five gives them warning. Monks have no penalty. If the victim is aware, they know the direction to the caster.

While in the well of souls, the caster’s own body is unconscious.

Wizard Mark

Wizard mark places a magical marking on any stone, wood, or metal surface as long as it has a flat area seven by seven inches square. The sigil is unique to the sorceror who inscribes it and recognizable once seen. Wizard marks are visible to any who can detect magic.

The mark cannot be placed on living things. The sigil can be accompanied by up to level words.

If a sorceror marks a surface, the place that surface resides—even if it moves—counts as extremely familiar for purposes of spells such as teleport.

Wizard’s Ear

The wizard’s ear is a nearly-invisible ear and lobe, created next to the sorceror’s own left or right ear. The ear can move at up to ten yards per round and can move through any space at least large enough for a disembodied ear. The ear is at a disadvantage over the equivalent eye or hand in that it has neither touch nor sight to guide its movement. For this reason, the ear will be most useful for destinations within sight of the caster or a known distance away.

The wizard’s ear can hear normally. If the ear is subjected to deafening noise, the sorceror will be deafened for one to three rounds depending on the level of noise.

If the ear is plunged into liquid or moved through gas, it will displace the liquid or gas as normal. It will not be harmed.

The ear is nearly invisible; there is a penalty of eight to detect it, and it is treated as invisible, with a defense of +4, for purposes of combat. If the ear takes more than half level points of damage, it is dispelled, and the sorcerer is deafened for one round.

Wizard’s Eye

The wizard’s eye is a nearly-invisible eyeball, created just above and in the center of the sorceror’s eyes. The eye can move at up to ten yards per round and can move through any space at least large enough for a small marble.

The wizard’s eye sees normally in light, and has underground vision at a penalty of two. If the eye is subjected to blinding light, the sorceror will be blinded for one round. The eye has no lids.

If the eye is plunged into liquid or moved through gas, it will displace the liquid or gas as normal. It will not be harmed.

The eye is nearly invisible; there is a penalty of ten to detect it, and it is treated as invisible, with a defense of +5, for purposes of combat. If the eye takes more than half level points damage, it is dispelled, and the sorcerer is blinded for one round.

Wizard’s Hand

The wizard’s hand is a nearly-invisible version of the sorceror’s hand, created just above the sorceror’s right or left hand—whichever is grasping the hazelnuts. The hand can move at up to ten yards per round and can manipulate or lift anything as if it were the caster in the caster’s current state; the caster must manipulate their own hand to grasp, lift, or manipulate anything using the Wizard’s Hand.

The caster can feel physical objects but not energy (such as heat or cold) or chemical effects (such as acid); the hand is immune to energy and chemicals. Any damage caused by or to the hand exceeding half level points in a single attack or action dispels the hand and the caster takes two points damage; otherwise, the caster takes one point damage if it is destroyed.

If the hand is plunged into liquid or moved through gas, it will displace the liquid or gas as normal. It cannot fit into places that the wizard’s hand could not also fit.

The hand is nearly invisible; there is a penalty of eight to detect it, and it is treated as invisible with a defense of +2 for purposes of combat.

Workman’s Servant

Workman’s servant causes a tool to perform its function without assistance. Axes will spring into the air to chop wood, plows will dig furloughs, needles will sew clothing, and so on, as long as they have logs to chop, farmland to plow, and cloth and the thread to stitch it.

The tool must be a real tool meant for use at its task, and used for a year or more at that task. It is not used up by the spell.

Wraithshape

Wraithshape causes an object to become smoky and insubstantial for the spell’s duration. It can be blown through tiny cracks, etc. The object can weigh no more than 4 pounds per level, and be no more than 2 inches on a side, per caster level.

Objects held by someone else have that person’s reactions. Magical items and living creatures may not be wraithshaped.

Items that are in a confined space when the spell’s duration expires are usually destroyed, unless the container is weaker.

The spell’s components are a handful of shredded paper (about one sheet’s worth) and a wisp of smoke.