ANIMATED INK [Notes at end] Copyright (c) 1996 by Chad Underkoffler <102512.1310@compuserve.com> This alchemical potion comes in many colors, albeit the hue *always* has a black or silvery undertone. [1] Simple line animations-- useful for detailing the complex finger & hand motions for casting spells, the precise way to hold your fingers against wet potter's clay, the movement of the feet in the latest dance craze from Al-akbiel, etc.-- can be detailed with this fluid, producing images, figures, charts, or texts that move about on the page. [2] The ink is fast-drying and needs no blotting; a mineral oil (or clarified lamp oil) will act as a solvent. *The artist/author must first put a drop of the ink upon the index finger of the hand he will be drawing with. A small amount of ink will be absorbed through the skin, allowing the artist to continue. A small silvery stain will appear on the skin. [3] *He then draws the first image (Artist-type skill rolls apply). When he finishes the picture, he must touch the page with the finger that absorbed the ink. The figure will "vanish", leaving the page blank. The artist, with an act of will (Will roll @ +1), may see an individual "vanished" image much as one sees a retinal afterimage. This allows the artist to compare previous pictures to the one he is working upon currently. *The more complex and detailed the action being displayed is, the more images the artist must draw (minimum of 2). * When the last figure has been drawn, the artist must hold the finger that absorbed the ink motionless upon the page for one full minute. No additional actions may be taken, other than talking. The animation will then activate, "filling" in the missing frames (again, the more figures the artists draws, the smoother and more complex the animation will be)and then loop, constantly repeating it's action, with a delay of a second. The silvery stain upon the artist's finger will also have vanished. NOTES: [1] = Recommended ingredients (YMMV, ): Silver dust, coal dust, saltpeter, crushed quartz, distilled water, vegetable starch, bloodoak tree sap, honey etc... At minimum, I'd say silver or coal dust, a fairly inexspensive mineral dust, and a slightly expensive animal/vegetable product of a gummy or sticky nature. Time to create elixir: 3d6 weeks, low priority/maintenance. Cost to make: $2d6 x 10. Marketprice: See [2] [2] = This allows (possibly) a reduction of study time for "learn on your own" type skills. Not as good as having a teacher, but better than imagination alone. Some impacts on a world: "cartoon shows" / theatres, presentation aids, maps, signs, advertising broadsides, "invisible" military applications, encryptions, "subliminal" messages, possible change in the traditional arts, many more. GMs will have to determine for themselves how widespread the ramifications are, with the idea that the more of these animations that exist, the less expensive they will be. Also, will the Copy spell affect something drawn with Animated Ink? Can a printing press (magical or otherwise) duplicate the animated images? Can "invisible" or "luminous" inks be made? Does can an "animated" scroll cast spells itself? What happens when you draw a pentagram with animated ink? All up to the GMs pleasure. Also: this *isn't* a free illusion spell... the animations will obviously be line art and 2 dimensional, bound to the surface of whatever the images were drawn on. And no Road Runner-tunnel effects (of course, unless you want to...). [3] = More than a drop can't really be absorbed easily by the system. Assume that the character will take 1 fatigue damage (recovered normally) per cup of ink. Full-body immersion will cause 1 *HIT* per gallon. Ingestion will cause 1d6+2 damage per dose swallowed.