This material is an extract from the middle of a much longer and still incomplete set of house rules, containing those rituals that are in more or less usable form. I'm working from a slightly different set of skill modifiers than the standard Voodoo rules, but I don't think the system is sensitive enough to modifiers for that to matter much. More likely it's possible this contains cross references or concepts from the rest of the document that are absent here. If anything is totally incomprehensible please ask, and do feel free to comment, playtesters are hard to come by.
M.A. Lloyd (malloy00@io.com)
I consider the Paths in Voodoo inadequete, though the catchall nature of Luck and the option of explaining anything as the work of spirits can cover a lot if you are determined to stick with them. I prefer the following collection of paths:
The Path of the Dead deals with both actual corpses and mortal spirits, including spells working directly on living souls. In traditions where the dead are considered spirits the Path of Spirits may also work on them, but often (virtuous) mortal souls are immune to such treatment.
The Path of Dreams allows the manipulation of dreams and access to the Dreamworld. It includes other forms of altered consciousness, particularly the powers attributed to hypnosis or ESP. Much of the path is fairly modern, linked to Victorian era spiritualism, mesmerism, and the development of psychiatry; but many traditions do use drugs to induce altered states, and the Dreamworld is similar to some traditional spirit worlds. As magic is regarded less as something worked by gods and spirits on the external world and more as something worked by the will on the magician himself the Path of Dreams becomes more important.
While GURPS Voodoo assumes the Dreamworld is a real place, none of the rituals actually require this. If the Dreamworld is entirely subjective the only difference is encounters with characters other than the target or the magician are provided by their imaginations and will not have any effect on (or necessarily behave as) the person they appear to be.
The Path of the Elements manipulates the basic stuff of the physical world producing effects involving the wind, fire, floods, the weather and geology. Flashy effects occur in some tales, but high penalties keep fireballs rare while allowing the occasional summoned storm, eternally clouded mountain tower, or maiden surrounded by a ring of fire. There is some overlap with Nature, but Elements is more about raw power than organic subtlety.
The Path of Fate is magic that ordains the future, sometimes called luck, but the classical view is more the suspension of chance than its manipulation. Blessings, curses and a wide range of more ambiguous taboos, geasa, quests and tests can be laid with this path. It is also the path of 'prophecy' in the sense of setting rather than forseeing the future. It is common in RPG circles lately to think of magic as probability manipulation, but this is unrealistic - probability is a modern (18th century) idea alien to most magical traditions.
The Path of Glamoury is the magic of deception and illusion. Be careful about the concept, glamours are considered almost physical - mist is a common metaphor. Subjective reality and psychological deception are modern ideas, and belong to the Path of Dreams.
The Path of Health is magic that manipulates the life force (pneuma, vis vitalis, chi, or kundalini energy). The principles apply equally to healing, inflicting harm, and subtler alterations of the body. Beneficial health rituals usually involve the laying on of hands and herbal preparations (potions, oils, herb bandages, or at least aromas) though some modern traditions depend on light and crystals.
The Path of Journeys is concerned with travel and movement, both in the physical and supernatural realms.
The Path of Nature deals with the living world - animals, plants and the vital force (anima) behind them; the harvest and the hunt; and rhythmic natural cycles. There is some overlap with the Path of the Elements, particularly in the manipulation of the weather.
The Path of Passions manipulates the affections and humors - primarily the emotions, but also some aspects of behavior and thought. There is overlap with Dreams, but Dreams focuses on the causes emotion while Passions is concerned with immediate feelings.
The Path of Protection averts, deflects or mitigates dangers, excludes influences, or prevents undesirable events. There is some overlap with every path and a closer similarity to the Path of Fate.
The Path of Spirits is concerned with true supernatural powers - monsters, the fey, demons, and gods. This is the path of summoning and banishment, exorcism and control of demons, conjuring up monsters and creating undead. It is regarded differently than the other Paths in many traditions, as the dangerous knowledge marking a sorcerer.
The Path of Visions is information gathering magic. Sensory enhancements are rare in traditional sources. Scrying and binary tests are more common, but many supernatural information sources are essentially verbal, providing complete, if not always understandable, solutions or prophecies.
Ghost Empathy Path of the Dead -0
Reveals the reasons a ghost has not passed on to the afterlife. Sometimes it is something the magician can resolve, though some ghosts remain voluntarily, and some situations are beyond resolution.
Lay Ghosts Path of the Dead -2
Resisted by Will.
Guides a spirit to the afterlife. Spirits trapped in the world seldom resist and are automatically sent on. Those with a reason to stay resist with Will and lose 1 HT per point they lose the contest, hastening their departure (see VO p55). In some traditions this ritual is performed at every death to help the spirit reach the proper afterlife, or as insurance against it troubling the living. Usually the ritual is performed to send the spirit to its own afterlife, but the magician may open the path to the afterlife(s) of his tradition instead - offering a last chance to convert.
Necromancy Path of the Dead -2
Calls up a particular spirit from the dead. The spirit is not forced to answer, but may chose to come and make one speech or answer one question per two points of success margin. The presence of a descendant of the spirit gives a +3 bonus, and may encourage it to be more truthful or cooperative. The ritual can also serve as a beacon for a soul that has become separated from its living body, but again does not force it to return.
Turn the Dead Path of the Dead -2
This ritual protects an area or individual. Ghosts or undead must win a contest of Will -5 against the ritual to enter the area or or remain within his Will/3 hexes of the individual. Even entities that succeed are uncomfortable, and function at -1 as long as they remain in the area. Animated dead lacking Will scores automatically lose the contest.
Pulverize Path of the Dead -5
Resisted by HT.
Reduces a corpse to dust (ash in some traditions accompanied by a flash of fire). It is rare in traditional tales, though sometimes used to destroy vampires or other walking dead. In modern fantasy it is more common, sometimes used for ordinary cremations. There is no risk of backlash unless the magician himself is dead.
Soul Zombie Path of the Dead -6
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Traps the soul of the target. As VO p80, except for the change of Path. Note the initial sentence is false; it has nothing to do with the Raise Zombie effect. The soulless victim now counts as one of the Undead for most purposes.
Animate Corpse Path of the Dead -8
Re-animates a dead body. The corpse obeys a simple instruction given during the ritual, commonly 'walk that way' or 'kill anyone entering the tomb'. Fresh corpses retain the physical attributes they had at death, longer dead corpse are less capable. Corpses are destroyed at -10 x original HT, and many are already damaged, either from the wounds that caused death or from later decomposition. Animated Corpses never have IQ or skills; any attacks are at default.
Dream Visitor Path of Dreams -0
Resisted by Will.
Allows the magician to enter the dreams of the target. As VO p74, except the casting time is the standard one hour. The effect ends early if the sleeper awakens.
Dreamwalk Path of Dreams -0
Allows the magician to enter the Dreamworld. As VO p74, except the duration is the standard 1 day if the magician doesn't end it first.
Signal Path of Dreams -0
The target becomes aware the ritual; it is the psychic equivalent of shouting his name. This can awaken sleeping entities, be used as a prearranged signal, or attract the attention of a usually indifferent power.
Forget (Lethe) Path of Dreams -2
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
The target can not recall something specified by the magician. Notice there is an inherent limitation, the magician has to know what to specify. Suppressing important memories requires a success margin; 5 for something thought about daily (the route to work, his bride's eye color), 10 for something currently very important (what his job is, that he got married last week), 15 for something central to his life (the craft he has practiced for 40 years, the name of his true love). Once the duration ends the memory is recalled normally. If nothing reminds him of that incident all those years ago....
On a backlash the GM selects something of similar significance for the magician to forget.
Dream Sanctum Path of Dreams -3
As VO p74. It works like most protection rituals: effects from the dream world cannot affect anything in the area without first winning a quick contest with the Dream Sanctum.
Sleep Path of Dreams -4
See Path of Passions.
Intoxicate Path of Dreams -5
Resisted by Will.
The target falls under the influence of a mind-altering drug familiar to the magician. If the drug can have a variable effect, the magician can encourage a particular one. The better the success margin, the more control he has. The effect must be attached to a potion, incense, injection or other plausible route of administration, which gives a +3 if it delivers even symbolic amounts of the actual drug. The usual use is to set the topic of a hallucination, but causing a sip of watered wine to induce drunken stupor is also popular.
Night Terrors Path of Dreams -6
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Inflicts terrifying nightmares. As VO p74, except the casting time is the standard one hour. The terrors recur any time the target enters REM sleep during the duration. Recasting is not required to get a multi-day duration.
Dream Shackles Path of Dreams -8
Nonstandard Duration. Hostile. Resisted by Will or Path of Dreams.
Imprisons the target in the Dreamworld. As VO p74.
Madness Path of Dreams -8
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Inflicts a mental illness. In many traditions (including modern medicine) there is no hard boundary between mental and physical illness. But Madness allows much more precise control than Malaise - selecting the topic of a phobia or an obsession, or distinguishing between On the Edge and active suicide for example.
Bind the Winds Path of Elements -0
Nonstandard area. Nonstandard duration.
Controls the winds in the area. They may blow from any direction, form columns of rising or falling air, or go still. Up to twice the success margin can be added vectorially to the wind's Beaufort number (see VEp30). With a little planning this can seriously threaten ships or aircraft. Numbers less than zero can still convection and other bulk flow, extinguishing fires and limiting gas flows to diffusion (millimeters per hour!). The modifier is for the minimum area, an acre, and minimum duration, 1 minute.
Cloak Path of Elements -0
The target cannot be harmed by ordinary weather. He can walk barefoot in the snow, remains comfortable in desert heat, and is immune to sunburn, glare, wind chill, and the harmful effects of precipitation or blowing dust. He still gets wet or dirty, but is at worst mildly uncomfortable. This does not protect from secondary effects; he can still slip on a patch of snow and fall off a cliff, or die of thirst in the desert - though more slowly as he doesn't waste water to remain cool.
Fireproofing Path of Elements -2
An area protected by this ritual is less susceptible to accidental fires. Subtract the success margin from rolls to ignite anything not intended to burn - this includes fuel fire numbers, spell skill rolls and chances of secondary fires from explosions. For every two points of success margin the damage done by flames is reduced by 1, which reduces the chance a fire spreads and increases the chance it goes out (see VE p194).
Kindle Path of Elements -4
The target object bursts into flame. Candles, oil lamps, loose paper, dry thatch or grass ignite normally. More difficult material, such as firewood, cloth bales or house walls require a success margin of two. The traditional water soaked pile of wood requires a margin of four or better. Kindle can be used as an area effect to ignite multiple targets, if all of them are intended to burn - candles, lamps, laid out hearths.
Rainmaker Path of Elements -5
Nonstandard onset. Nonstandard area.
Alters the weather. As VO p76, except the area is the smallest region a natural weather system delivering the effect could occupy. To cover a larger region, roll at -2 x radius in miles. Any sort of weather can be encouraged; dry sunny spells, dense fogs, calms and severe storms are nearly as common as rain. For very rare effects, the GM can set the base odds below a 3 on 3d, requiring a margin of success to have any chance at all. Odds of 3 indicate something happens about twice a year, set rarer events one point lower per factor of 2 less common. For example if a hurricane hits an area about every 30 years, six doublings raise this to twice a year, so a margin of 6 raises the odds to 3 on 3d. Weather that never occurs in the area cannot be created with this ritual.
Paradise Path of the Elements -6
Arrests the passage of the seasons. The weather and even the day-night cycle within the area can be different than the surroundings, thought the GM should keep them as similar as possible while preserving the seasonal differences. Perpetual spring or summer gardens are the usual use, but entire countries locked in one season are common themes, if beyond the ability of most magicians.
Wizard Fire (Maintain Flame) Path of Elements -6
Allows a flame to burn without consuming fuel. The flame is otherwise normal, and it can ignite secondary fires; so applied to a flowing fuel system like a gas jet it effectively doubles output - the gas ignites as it passes through the Wizard Fire. Wizard Fire can be extinguished only with difficulty (always requires a quick contest) and will re-ignite given any excuse as long as the duration is still running.
Once the principles of combustion are understood it is possible to maintain a flame without consuming oxygen instead of fuel, or in a reducing atmosphere, underwater, in vacuum, or in the presence of radical scavengers.
This ritual can also be used as a model for the various kinds of unnatural fire (cool, light-less, black colored...) found in modern fantasy.
Stroke of Luck Path of Fate -0
Nonstandard onset.
Produces a few incidents of minor good fortune. As VO p77, except the casting time is reset to the standard 1 hour, and the final sentence on Initiation level is dropped.
Sword Blessing Path of Fate -0
Any useful object can receive this blessing. For every two points of success margin, anyone using the object can re-roll one result involving it. For a sword this includes to hit, damage, or parry rolls, but the ritual will work on any object and allow re-rolls of anything plausibly connected to its use. A result can only be re-rolled once, and you are stuck with the second result, so it is not a good idea to re-roll marginal successes, but it is allowed. The effect lasts until all the rolls are used up, and blessings don't stack, casting it on an already blessed object has no effect.
Moneymaker (Windfall) Path of Fate -2
Nonstandard onset.
Produces a small financial windfall. As VO p76.
Jobfinder (Employment) Path of Fate -3
Nonstandard onset.
Within 2d days the target of this ritual will be offered a job suited to his skills. If he has a selection of skills and wants a job suited to a particular set of them, roll at -2. He must have the minimum job skills, if he truly is unemployable the ritual can't overcome that, but may produce a charity job offer if such things exist in the culture.
Oath Path of Fate -4
Seals a formal oath. The participants must speak the oath aloud, together with the curse to fall on them should they break it. The common phrasing 'may the gods strike me dead if I...' works much like Evil Eye if triggered.
Oaths are neither hostile nor resisted. They must be voluntary and the curses fall without fail if knowing broken. This is voluntary in the free will sense, a gun to the head does not invalidate the oath, you could have chosen to die. Similarly there are few excuses for failure to live up to an oath. More understanding deities may accept died trying, but in other traditions this is a good way to end up a ghost bound to the Earth until the oath is somehow absolved.
Watch out for the tendency to legalistic thinking and delusions about rights many gamers have. Historically your word is serious, if you offer it you should not mind swearing on your soul, and no honest man would refuse to take an oath of innocence, so refusing is irrefutable proof of guilt.... Of course, your accusers should be willing to swear along with you. The gods are not sympathetic with legalistic quibbling - conflicting oaths are not subject to negotiated settlements, and if you swear to tell the whole truth so help you God you do not have a right of silence!
Retribution Path of Fate -4
Nonstandard hostility.
A curse inflicted on the violator of a law, custom or taboo. When it works, the victim soon hears voices berating him for his sin and imploring him to confess and make restitution. After 2d+2 days he begins to suffer horrific visions (treat as Night Terrors) or to waste away (treat as starvation). The curse instantly ends if he confesses before his community and that of any victims and makes a sincere attempt at restitution, otherwise it lasts at least until he is hopelessly insane or dead.
Retribution is not a hostile ritual. There are three ways it can be targeted:
The magician can work the ritual and publicly accuse someone. If he is not guilty the Retribution automatically fails and the magician must admit his error just as publicly or the Retribution falls on him instead! This is the usual form for things like accusations of witchcraft, adultery, abandoning a spouse or other sexual taboo violations.
The magician can work the ritual over the physical evidence of a crime or crime scene. The guilty party is cursed if he knew the crime was wrong, otherwise nothing happens. The magician need not know the identity of the target, and in a modern society may never find out. It is usually more obvious in traditional communities, where people don't go insane or die of strange illnesses without somebody noticing.
The retribution may be set in advance as a taboo on a place or object - usually against entering the place, breaking a seal, or stealing the object. Anyone considering violating the taboo will get a strong feeling they should not in plenty of time to back out. If they do it anyway, the retribution strikes. In addition to theft prevention taboos are often placed to protect vital community resources from abuse or exploitation.
Domestic Bliss Path of Fate -5
Nonstandard onset.
Within 2d days, some serious problem in the target's family life will be solved. Solutions which are not especially desirable - the aging parent finally becomes sick enough for state disability insurance, the problem child is sentenced to life without parole under the new War on Drugs guidelines, instead of beating her up the next time her drunken husband goes for a drive and loses a right of way dispute with the 11:45 freight - are as likely as miraculous healings or sudden reforms.
Journeyman's Curse Path of Fate -6
Nonstandard onset. Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Curses the job performance of the target. As VO p76, except the casting time is reset to the 1 hour standard.
Malediction Path of Fate -8
Nonstandard onset. Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Causes a string of progressively worse disasters to befall the target. As VO p77, except both the resistance and backlash rolls are made at the standard values, not -2, rolls to lift the curse are made normally, not at -4, and the magician does not get a special option to shift the curse from the target to the client. Killing the magician still works.
Disguise Path of Glamoury -0
The target looks and sounds exactly like someone else. This is a handy substitute for makeup, and since it can include the illusion of clothing, for tailoring. The magic itself is flawless, but limited to the magician's idea of what the disguise should look like. IQ rolls are required to imitate someone not very familiar, or Artist rolls for an imaginary appearance. Disguise does not grant any abilities of the original, and disguising yourself as something of a noticeably different shape or size won't stand up to physical contact.
Fog Path of Glamoury -2
The area fills with impenetrable fog, limiting visibility to two hexes. The fog may spill out a bit, but outside the target area has no significant impact on visibility. A common variation creates that fantasy favorite, the almost tangible darkness that sucks up light. This reduces the useful range of any light source to those same 2 hexes, but only at night or in a dark environment.
Veil Path of Glamoury -3
This ritual prevents magical observation of an area. Any attempt to scry into it, locate something within, or use Spiritual Sense or other magical senses through it must win a contest of skills (or Alertness for senses) with the Veil or to reveal anything. The effect protects a stretch of space and time. Attempts to scry the past or future into a period where the sanctuary was/will be active are likewise opposed.
Maze Path of Glamoury -4
You can't get there from here. It is impossible to locate the target area on purpose without winning a contest of Will with the ritual. This is most effective when applied to a travel chokepoint - a doorway, the only path up a cliff - denying access to an area without enchanting it all; but a sufficiently powerful effect can cause an entire nation to vanish. The area isn't entirely cut off, anyone can leave, and people can stumble in accidentally.
Privacy Path of Glamoury -4
The target area is somehow detached from the ordinary world. Sounds, odors and light sources within the area are not detectable outside its boundaries. Outside light does illuminate the circle, but everything within appears rather flat, dull and hazy to outside observers, even in broad daylight. Treat this as camouflage.
Magelight Path of Glamoury -5
Creates a magical light source. In isolation it appears as a glowing globe or hovering flame, but it can be attached to an ordinary light source. This gives a +3 to casting, causes it to appear as the light normally shed by the symbol, and allows the light to be turned on and off in the usual way the source is controlled. Optionally magelight may be visible only to a specific class of people, or only to the magician.
Fanfare Path of Glamoury -6
Nonstandard timing.
Produces a familiar sound centered on the magician. The difficulty given is for a few seconds casting, and less than a minute duration. It is usually cast to generate trumpet fanfares, thunder cracks, the roar of a Krayt dragon or other dramatic announcement of the magician's presence.
Invisibility Path of Glamoury -8
Resisted by Will.
The target is invisible. This only screens it from sight, though variations against other senses are possible if the magician has or is very familiar with the sense. Most invisibility effects have significant limitations. Some suggestions: may not to let go of an object (the invisibility token) +1; doesn't work on mirrors, film, or other technology +1; doesn't work in sunlight +2; doesn't work on animals +2; doesn't work on a large class of people (women, children, honest citizens) +3; and ends if the target attempts to interact with/harm anything +4.
Dose (Analeptic) Path of Health -0
Cures a disease. The healer must have an accurate diagnosis (within the tradition, not necessarily as viewed by modern medicine). If the Diagnosis roll is successful, but it the disease is unknown in the tradition treatment is still possible at -2.
If the ritual works the target is functional within a day, and completely cured in the usual recovery time (if there is one) or 3d days, whichever is less. Modifiers: If the patient's HT is less than 10, subtract (10-HT). For minor infections (infected hangnail, common cold, worms, athlete's foot) there is no penalty. Severe infections (fevers, pox, pneumonia, plague, gangrene) and minor internal maladies (asthma, allergies) are at -2. Major maladies (cancer, heart disease) are at -4. Chronic problems (malaria, AIDS, lead poisoning, many maladies) are at an additional -4 for more than a temporary remission.
Draw Milk Path of Health -0
Hostile if resistance attempted. Resisted by HT.
Increases lactation in female mammals. The usual targets are new mothers with insufficient milk and economic milk animals. Each point of success margin increases milk production by up to 10% of the species norm. Most versions work on non-lactating females, particularly the magician herself, though the effect may be reduced on those who have never been pregnant or are past menopause. The reverse is a common curse. In either case assume backlash produces chronic breast pains (-1 to all activities) in male or non-mammalian casters.
Ease Path of Health -0
Removes the symptoms of a disease. It is not a cure, though it appears to be if the patient recovers naturally before the duration lapses. The symptoms begin to fade immediately; most vanish within an hour, though obvious symptoms (skin lesions or hair loss for example) may take longer. The severity of the disease is not an issue. Ease works on dis-eases in the broad sense; perhaps the most common application is to childbirth pains.
Fertility (Conception) Path of Health -2
Nonstandard duration. Hostile if resistance attempted. Resisted by HT.
The target is more likely than normal to produce a child, add the success margin to pregnancy rolls made by the target or their sex partner(s). The usual roll to become pregnant is 5- for a single sexual contact, 7- for a month of regular sexual activity, -4 for typical birth control precautions. The difficulty modifier is for the minimum duration, one month.
For an additional -2 to skill, the magician can specify features desired in the child (usually sex, but sometimes elements of appearance, or specific birth defects as a curse). If that outcome is at all possible and the modifier makes the difference to the conception roll, the baby has the desired feature; otherwise ordinary chance determines the results.
Strike Barren Path of Health -2
Nonstandard duration. Hostile if resistance is attempted. Resisted by HT.
This ritual prevents the target from producing offspring. Some traditions regard this as inherently evil, but if the target consents there is no backlash risk. The difficulty modifier is for the minimum duration, one month.
Remove Blemish Path of Health -4
Permanently erases a selected blemish - a birthmark, scar, wart, mole, off color eye etc. It can also erase wrinkles or freckles, thin or thicken hair, lighten or darken skin, or do most of the other things claimed by cosmetics advertising. This may be used to justify a level of improved appearance if the target has the necessary character points.
Succor Path of Health -4
Nonstandard timing.
As VO p75, except Initiation level has no effect. Instead allow one (HT+1) roll per day per point of success margin, up to a maximum of 12 rolls in addition to normal healing or medical care.
Vitality Path of Health -4
See Path of Protection.
Malaise Path of Health -5
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Inflicts a disease. As VO p75. The text is somewhat confusing, the initial Will resistance is against the ritual to avoid the effect entirely; the HT reduction is to future HT rolls to survive or throw off the now natural disease. In most traditions the magician can control the severity - inflicting irritating or incapacitating rather than fatal illnesses - and symptoms - fevers, blindness, hallucinations, miscarriages and sexual impotence are common choices. No disease spirits are necessarily involved.
Evil Eye Path of Health -7
Nonstandard onset. Special Resistance.
Allows the magician to kill with a glance. As VO p75. This is not a Hostile ritual, it has a built in greater risk in the contest of Wills. In GURPS the range of eye contact is three hexes; a voice variant in which the magician forcefully tells the target to drop dead is fairly common, trading a little better range for the loss of subtlety.
Guidestar Path of Journeys -0
The target always knows which direction to go to reach a specific destination. The effect can manifest as anything from a warm feeling when traveling the right direction to an actual guide, often a small distant light, which may or may not be visible to others. The Guidestar may point anywhere the magician knows well, to any more or less public place he can uniquely name, or to any person or object present at the casting. A pointer to yourself should cause any normally curious target to come looking for you.
Bog Path of Journeys -2
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
The reverse of Fair Winds, events conspire to delay the target. His car won't start, the taxi gets to the airport just after his flight takes off, the next flight is delayed 6 hours by a bomb threat, then diverted to another city by bad weather, which also washes out the only road between them.... Each point of success margin adds at least 50% to the time required for any significant journey.
Fair Winds Path of Journeys -2
Semi-random events arrange themselves to minimize the travel time of the target. Winds are always favorable, traffic signals change as he approaches, traffic jams melt before him, public transit runs right on schedule, his luggage is always the first off the plane and his standby seats always become available. The trip won't set a new speed record, but may only miss by enough to avoid publicity delays.
Walk Among Brambles Path of Journeys -2
See Path of Nature.
Dreamwalk Path of Journeys -4
See Path of Dreams.
Prisoner's Charm (Houdini Effect) Path of Journeys -4
The target can easily escape restraints or circumvent barriers to his passage. He can free himself from bonds, handcuffs, straitjackets and similar restraints in 1d seconds, and squeeze through narrow passages without risk of becoming stuck. Locked barriers prove to be unlocked when he tries them, and traps or security systems will be inactive or go off slightly too late to hinder him.
The charm doesn't conceal him from sensors, has no effect on living guards, and only opens barriers to passage - locked containers he isn't planning to crawl into, or in which he won't fit, will not open at his touch.
Shadow Walk (Dimension Door) Path of Journeys -6
The magician can move to any familiar location within a mile without crossing the intervening space, carrying up to light encumbrance, provided his passage is unobserved. A puff of smoke or recessed doorway is sufficient to cover departure; but arrival is delayed until the destination has been unobserved for a time. Jumping somewhere under competent security surveillance can take the magician out of circulation for a long time so pick your exits carefully.
Shadow Walk allows easy access to difficult locations, but remember the magician had to get there some other way once for it to be familiar. During transit no time passes for the magician, and as far as the ordinary world is concerned he no longer exists, occasionally this can make it useful to jump somewhere you know is observed.
Flight Path of Journeys -8
The target can fly, carrying up to Medium encumbrance at 25 mph (aMR 0.25, aAccel 5 mph/s). Occasionally this is a simple spell, but more often it requires an object (carpet, broomstick), an ointment or potion (most contain a hallucinogen), or only works on a horse which can then be ridden through the air.
Blight Path of Nature -0
Nonstandard duration.
The inverse of Cornucopia, each point of success margin lowers the productivity of the target area by 10%. An area reduced to 0% productive yield can still support the occasional weed or toxic mushroom, producing a sterile desert requires a margin of at least 15.
Cornucopia Path of Nature -0
Nonstandard duration.
Plants within the target area grow as if conditions were better than they actually are. To determine the effects on crops, find the expected yield under the actual conditions, and increase it by 5% per point of success margin. Notice this is a multiplier, not an added yield, if nothing will grow under the actual conditions the Cornucopia will not help. The difficulty given is for the minimum duration of one season.
Green Thumb Path of Nature -0
Causes a plant to thrive as long as it is growing somewhere it could possibly survive. It grows as if it had the proper light, water and soil nutrients and is immune to frost, heat, pests, parasites, random grazers, accidental forest fires or other random hazards, but not active efforts to harm it.
Animal Speech Path of Nature -2
The magician can communicate with a one type of animal for the duration. Sometimes he can hear animals speak, but the effect can take other forms. How much information or help an animal provides depends on its reaction roll, just as for anyone else asked for information or assistance. The ritual does not give the animal any special abilities; what it knows or can be convinced to do for you may be sharply limited by its IQ and lack of understanding of human concerns.
Gentle Presence Path of Nature -2
Animals must win a contest of Will-5 against this ritual to feel hostility toward or fear of the target. They ignore the target at a distance, but at close range may treat him as a curiosity or potential playmate, and while they will not intentionally harm him, accidents can happen. Animals that resist do not automatically fear or hate the target; they simply can if the situation warrants. Though often associated with pacifist saints, the effect is not negated by violence and can be used to walk up to and kill animals.
Walk Among Brambles Path of Nature -2
The target can travel through any vaguely passable vegetation at his normal walking pace. Vines will not trip him, thorns never scratch and contact with poison oak is harmless. He will not need a machete to penetrate dense jungle or thick gloves to reach into a thorn bush. It does not erase a trail, but often makes it hard to follow, and Tracking rolls will be needed to follow him where others would leave an obvious slashed trail.
Hunter's Guide Path of Nature -3
Attunes the target to the nearest example of a type of plant or animal, revealing in which direction it lies, but not how far. Once attuned, the guide points to the same example even if it is no longer the nearest. The type selected can be a bit narrower than species (adult male horses or queen bees are legal types), or much broader (anything with blue flowers). Possible effects include causing a pointer to always fall in the right direction, always chancing onto tracks pointing the right way at moments of decision, or being actually led by a guide, typically a small bird.
Plague of Locusts Path of Nature -5
Attracts all animals of a particular type within 1/2 mile per point of success margin. Animals failing a Will roll (made daily for ongoing effects) travel to the target at normal speed and try to remain nearby. If summoned to someplace dangerous - over a cliff, through a ring of fire - allow another Will roll when the danger is first noticed. The ritual does not otherwise change behavior or reactions, and once it ends the animals disperse (or not) as they normally would. The magician may limit the number of animals responding any given day, possibly to as few as one.
The 'plague' only shifts animals around; surrounding areas actually have fewer than normal. Usually this is not noticed, but it can be used as a Pied Piper effect. It also makes a nice fishing boat blessing.
Tame Path of Nature -5
Resisted by Will.
The target animal or group of animals will obey the instructions of the magician as best it can. The ritual does not alter abilities, intelligence or understanding of humans, so while an animal will let the magician ride it isn't trained to make the ride comfortable, and while a bird will carry a message it will not necessarily be able to find or identify the recipient.
Rainmaker Path of Nature -8
See Path of the Elements.
Desire Path of Passions -0
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Creates a constant state of sexual desire in the target. This acts as the Lecherousness disadvantage, and may relax his standards enough to allow seduction attempts he would not usually consider - overcoming shyness, mild intolerance or vows, or issues of sexual orientation. If the target is already Lecherous the ritual subtracts 5 from any rolls to resist the disadvantage or any other sexual temptations.
Eloquence Path of Passions -0
Anything the target says is more convincing. Add half the success margin (round up) to his Diplomacy, Fast Talk, Rhetoric or other persuasive skills.
The effect will work on a document, add the modifier to the persuasiveness of the text, and subtract it from the chances anyone will bother to check up on it. Eloquence only influences people, so while the inspector is less likely to select your passport for a routine check, if he is running all of them through the planetary computer net....
If a skill augmented by this ritual is a critical success it entirely bypasses rational analysis and the victim will believe the most blatant nonsense. The drawback is you have to utter the nonsense before you roll, and if you don't score a critical....
Favor Path of Passions -0
Creates a charm radiating a particular emotion. The canonical form projects the love and approval of the token creator for the person to whom it is given. Since GURPS lacks a system of personality rolls this is mostly left to role-playing, but it can modify die rolls the GM thinks might be influenced by half the success margin. A charm of courage could add to fright checks, or one of endurance to pain resistance, and rolls to resist disadvantages can often be modified up or down by appropriate emotional states.
Aversion Path of Passions -2
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
The target will try to avoid contact with a designated individual, object, place or event; and even think about it as little as possible. Exactly how he goes about this depends on his personality; most people will not leave the country to avoid a neighbor. With proper timing this can avert fights, get legal actions dropped or break up love affairs.
Faithfulness (Chastity) Path of Passions -2
Hostile if resistance attempted. Resisted by Will.
Every tradition includes a charm for sexual fidelity. There are two basic forms:
Applied to a willing couple or group marriage the participants automatically resist temptations outside the bond, and must win a contest of Will with the ritual to stray even to the extent of making a Sex Appeal roll. Lecherous characters may be required to buy off the disadvantage.
Cast otherwise, the success margin adds to rolls to resist temptations, and subtracts from rolls to seduce or sexually please anyone but the partner(s) specified in the casting. He may want to sin, but can't seem to persuade the girls like he used too....
Love Charm Path of Passions -2
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
The target is sexually attracted someone named in the ritual. The GM may modify the resistance roll from -4 (the target already likes him) to +4 (despises him, or prefers another sex or species). If not resisted, the target acts on the emotion according to his personality. Persistent seduction attempts, a proposal of marriage or an attempted rape are the most likely outcomes. But spending everything he owns to send 4 tons of roses, or killing himself on her doorstep as a gesture of devotion are not out of the question.
The induced emotion ends with the duration, but the hope is it will be replaced by a natural emotion by then. Should the ritual backlash the magician suddenly desires someone he ordinarily wouldn't even consider.
Love Magnet Path of Passions -2
The target becomes extremely sexually attractive. Reaction rolls from the opposite sex, or others with the right orientations to be interested, improve by half the success margin. Will rolls to resist Lecherousness toward or seduction attempts by him are reduced by the same amount.
Insignificance Path of Passions -3
Hostile if resistance attempted. Resisted by Will.
The target appears unimportant. Subtract half the success margin from rolls to be noticed or taken seriously. This adds to Stealth or Shadowing, and shifts all reaction rolls toward neutral (10). The effect normally works only on direct perception, but at an additional -3 it will work through but not on technology. That is, those watching through a security camera or listening on the telephone treat the target as insignificant, but software or security alarms do not. On a critical failure the target irritatingly blatant, +5 to be noticed, -5 to all reactions.
Stature Path of Passions -4
Hostile if resistance attempted. Resisted by Will.
The target radiates an aura that modifies reactions by half the success margin. The traditional use is to give the magician an aura of subtle power, but other flavors are allowed - kindliness, competence, viciousness etc. - and alter reactions differently.
Limiting the effect to a smaller group provides a bonus - +1 for a large group (all children), +3 for a small group (the royal court) , up to +6 for a very small group (my fiancée's relatives).
On a critical failure the target radiates an aura with the opposite of the intended flavor.
Sleep Path of Passions -4
Nonstandard onset. Duration limit. Hostile. Resisted by Will.
This ritual may target individuals or an area (affects anyone who spends the 3d minute induction time in it). Targets who fail to resist drop into deep natural sleep within 3d minutes. Small disturbances do not wake them, though major ones will. Otherwise, they sleep for the duration (maximum 24 hours), plus any further time they need to awaken fully rested.
Talisman of Truth Path of Passions -6
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Allows the magician to ask the target one question per two points of success margin, which he must answer truthfully in reasonable detail. The traditional form is a jewel or other talisman placed against some personal part of the anatomy of a sleeping woman to be asked about adultery, but this reflects the interests of grimoire compilers rather than a limitation on the ritual. A backlash forces the magician to answer the next however many questions asked him.
Curse Sanctum Path of Protection -0
Wards off hostile magic. As VO p77.
Cloak Path of Protection -2
See Path of the Elements.
Fireproofing Path of Protection -2
See Path of the Elements.
Amulet Path of Protection -3
Amulets are protective charms that allow the bearer to re-roll results related to a specific type of harm. You must carry the amulet in close contact to benefit from it, and while most are small symbolic objects carrying a lot of them adds up. An amulet allows one re-roll per two points of success margin. You may only re-roll a particular result only once, but many disasters involve multiple die rolls.
There are amulets against most Occasional or Rare hazards: fire, cold, falls, arrows, bullets, swords, staves, curses, illusions, witchcraft, poison, lightning, snakebite, wild beasts.... Unlike the related Sword Blessing, most amulets are purely symbolic - a blessed rabbit's foot could re-roll anything attributable to 'bad luck' (as opposed to lack of skill or outright stupidity), or a bit of jewelry set with an amethyst (said to ward off drunkenness) could re-roll Will rolls to resist Alcoholism or HT rolls to avoid the effects of drink.
Chaperone (Palladium) Path of Protection -3
Creates an amulet that protects the wearer once. As VO p76, except for the path change. Drop 'or a ritual cast by a powerful initiate' from the last paragraph, and use a delay of 1d days per 2 points of success margin.
Reversal of Fortune Path of Protection -3
Reflects hostile rituals back at their caster. As VO p78.
Poison Burner (Alicorn) Path of Protection -4
The target becomes non-toxic, usually accompanied by a visible effect that verifies a poison was present: unicorn horn or a gem changes color or harmless blue flames erupt from the item burning the poison off in wisps of vile smoke. If used on a poisoning victim it halts further damage, but will not reverse harm already suffered. It will neutralize most harmful drugs, including alcohol hangovers, but completely removing an addictive drug can produce instant withdrawal symptoms.
Sanctuary (Aegis) Path of Protection -4
Protects everything in an area from hostile magic. As VO p78.
Soul Cleansing Path of Protection -4
Resisted by curse skill.
Removes an ongoing curse. As VO p78, except the roll to learn more is against Thaumatology.
Turn the Dead Path of Protection -4
See Path of the Dead.
Vitality Path of Protection -4
Protects the target from illness. As VO p75, except the casting time is reduced to the normal 1 hour.
Turn the Spirit Path of Protection -5
Wards off spirits. As VO p80.
Dream Sanctum Path of Protection -6
See Path of Dreams.
Turn the Beast Path of Protection -6
See Path of Spirits.
Ghost Shirt (Achilles' Shield) Path of Protection -7
As VO p79, but drop the effects of initiation level. Regardless of who carries the charm, it completely protects against random or unintentional attacks, and has no effect at all on intentionally targeted ones.
Spirits and Traditions
Most traditions are associated with a particular assortment of supernatural beings. The rituals of the Path of Spirits involve similar elements for all of them - angels and demons both respond to the relics of saints, the forms of the mass, or the names of God - but this is not true between traditions. Once that didn't matter, but in the modern world eclectic magician might deal with several sets of entities, and needs several different Path of Spirits skills. Angels don't respond to the non-Euclidean geometry, chaotic staring patterns and irrational interval musical scales used to deal with the Cthulhu mythos; and one must be careful not to confuse which entities are bound by the Seal of Solomon and which by the Yellow Sign.... Record these separate skills as Path of Spirits [mythology or tradition].
Exorcism Path of Spirits -0
Resisted by the higher of Will or Fatigue.
Expels a supernatural entity from a person, object or area, ending any form of possession or control. For the duration of the ritual the spirit may not return to that from which it was expelled.
Summon Path of Spirits -0
Resisted by Will.
Summons a supernatural entity by name. The framework is the same for most entities within a tradition - Command, Call and Invite are not distinct. An unmodified roll allows any willing entity to appear. Unwilling entities get a resistance roll, and may require a success margin (4 for moderate manifestations, 8 for greater manifestations, more for powerful gods). An entity can be summoned into a protected space if the magician helped erect the ward, but if the ward could potentially hold the entity, it will try to resist. Summoned entities are not constrained to do (or not do) anything other than appear. Powerful demons may respond willingly, confident the magician cannot Master them.
Turn the Spirit Path of Spirits -2
Wards off spirits. As VO p80.
Mastery (Dominion) Path of Spirits -3
Resisted by Will.
Compels an entity to perform one or more tasks. As VO p79. A task may be to share some bit of information, but teaching a skill is well beyond a single task.
Turn the Beast Path of Spirits -3
Wards off In-Betweeners and Devourers. As VO p80.
Ritual of Banishment Path of Spirits -4
Resisted by Will.
Harms a spirit. As VO p80.
Spirit Searcher Path of Spirits -4
I recommend this ritual (VO p79) simply be removed. Of course spirits can explain anything, but that is no reason to add an effect to the Path of Spirits. If you want a spirit to search for something, summon one and use Mastery to order it to go searching.
Ritual of Slaying Path of Spirits -5
Resisted by Will.
Harms an In-Betweener. As VO p80.
Call Monsters Path of Spirits -8
Summons a monster or group of monsters. The monsters are typically called up from the depths of the sea, the wild forests, or some other remote location; and since they travel at normal speed it may take a while for them to arrive. As the monsters are not controlled by the summoner, he may appreciate the time to escape. In the Shadow War cosmology the monsters will be In-Betweeners, in other traditions they may be ogres, servitor races, sea serpents etc. Anything hostile to humans is likely to be labeled a monster; not all monsters are supernatural, consider the bears summoned by Elisha to tear apart the children in 2 Kings 2:24.
Detect Chastity Path of Visions -0
The magician learns if the target is chaste. Some form of this ritual is found in almost every tradition, but the definition varies from virginity before marriage and absolute faithfulness in actions and thoughts afterwards, down to as little as not lying to your regular partner(s). In most traditions the magician can accept a -2 penalty and get a feeling of how dedicated to chastity and/or how serious a transgressor the target is.
Detect Virginity Path of Visions -0
Another common binary test. Sometimes accepting a -2 penalty allows the magician to determine how committed the target is to virginity, or how he feels/felt about losing it.
Lost and Found (Locate) Path of Visions -0
Improves the chances of a search. As VO p77, except the casting time is reset to 1 hour, and the default duration is until the object is found or the standard 1 day, not 2d days.
Reveal True Love Path of Visions -0
Resisted by Will.
One of the most common divinations, the target sees a vision of his true love. There are many variations. Some show future spouses rather than true loves, some reveal signs that can be used to identify the true love rather than provide a vision, some cause the target to have a 'feeling' upon next seeing the true love, and in some the next eligible person encountered will be the one. The target should either recognize the true love, meet him in the near future, or be provided with clear instructions on how to identify him.
Like any precognitive vision this requires quite a bit of GM judgment and willingness to finesse the future to pull off.
Vision of Fate Path of Visions -0
Answers a question about the future, vaguely. As Vision of Luck, VO p77.
Death Vision Path of Visions -2
Shows the target a vision of a near future possible death, as the spell Death Vision (M72). The GM should select one that is plausible given current dangers; but the intent is closer to Danger Sense than realistic prophecy. It always shows something plausible and near term, even if that death is impossible, because of the pre-existing prophecy for example.
Guidestar Path of Visions -2
See Path of Journeys.
Announcement Path of Visions -3
An area effect ritual, when anyone meeting a criteria set at the casting enters the area, the magician immediately knows. The ritual can be set to roll a quick contest with the Will of the person entering to provide the magician with the name of his visitor and a rough idea of his reasons for being there, but this is often omitted so the contest doesn't alert the visitor.
Ghost Empathy Path of Visions -4
See Path of the Dead.
History Path of Visions -4
The magician obtains a general sense of the history of an object - origins, significant events, flashes of previous users - and may ask about one detail per point of success margin, provided it's something that can be answered in a short sentence or two.
Seeking Path of Visions -4
Resisted by Will.
The magician can seek a specific person or object, or by accepting a -2 penalty, a random nearby member of a class of objects. The usual effect is to draw a pointer (pendulum, dowsing rod, compass needle) toward the target. In the basic form this simply gives a direction, but at -4 the ritual can search a symbolic space (a map, a phone book, a list of possible locations) which can be much more informative.
Farsight (Scrying) Path of Visions -5
The magician can obtain a vision of a specific person, place or object as it is now, or at a -4 penalty as it was at a moment in the past. The vision covers the immediate surroundings (the room it is in, or a few dozen yards if it is in the open), but grants no special insight about where that is. A margin of two or more shows the scene clearly even if the actual view would be obscured by darkness, fog, etc. Many variants use a crystal, but a mirror, reflecting pool, fire, smoke, dancing shadows, sunlight or even purely mental vision can work. A permanent focus remains attuned to the scene for the duration, or until the magician dismisses it, but a temporary focus like flames, smoke or sunbeams falls apart as soon as the magician stops concentrating and cannot be recovered without recasting the ritual. The ritual can be used with senses other than sight, though there is a -2 penalty per sense to obtain multisensory data from a single casting.
Mysteries are extremely powerful effects, often unsuitable for subtle magic campaigns, but appearing in some stories. Learning a Mystery should never be simply a matter of spending points. If the GM decides the Mystery exists at all, and that PCs can learn it, he should make sure the process is a memorable event in the campaign. Perhaps the search for a teacher or a difficult vision quest to discern the principles must be played out.
Unlike rituals, Mysteries are not based directly on Path skill; each one must be learned as a separate (Will/Very Hard) spell. They are associated with one or more Paths though, which must be known at 20 or better to comprehend the Mystery. Mysteries are the equivalents of cinematic skills, and may require a 40 point Trained by a Mage advantage to learn.
Mysteries tend to have restricted casting conditions. A ritual can be cast at a penalty under unfavorable conditions, but a Mystery usually will not work at all. Most Mysteries can only be cast at certain times (at dawn, under a full moon, 'when the stars are right') require specific components (now for this we'll need a black bull sacrifice, the hand of a virgin murdered by her younger brother, and 6 fresh albino pineapples...) or only work at places more unusual than 'consecrated ground' (within stone circles, on former battlefields, beneath a gallows at midnight on All Hallows' Eve). The GM may set any conditions that seem appropriate.
Hide Life Mystery of the Dead
The mage transfers his soul to a receptacle of his choice. Thereafter he can animate his body without needing it to be conscious, or even alive. A mage animating his corpse will need to do something to preserve it from damage or decay, since if the body is destroyed (reduced to -10 x HT) he is trapped in the receptacle. Significant damage to the receptacle slays the mage and destroys his soul, so most necromancers use a durable object and guard it well.
Resurrection Mystery of Health and the Dead
Hostile if resistance is attempted. Resisted by Will.
Restores an intact corpse to life. The spell can perform minor repairs, but it will not work on those killed by wounds reducing them to more than -2 x HT, lethal poisons that remain in the corpse, wasting diseases etc. The resurrection is permanent, but there is a duration penalty for the length of time the target has been dead. The Mystery may be resisted if the soul is happy where it is - on a backlash the mage joins the soul in the afterlife.
Objectify Mystery of Dreams and Glamoury
This Mystery allows the mage to create physical objects from intangible sources. The resulting objects are permanent, of the best quality, and often have minor magical properties reflecting their source metaphor. The mage needs a craft skill (at 12) that could make a similar physical object and a symbol of the metaphoric source. For example to make a gown of moonbeams he will need Weaving skill and a clear night with the moon visible. To create a sword from the courage of a dragon he will need Blacksmith and a dragon making a heroic speech - though the heart of a dragon will probably work.
One useful feature of this Mystery is to provide a source for the really strange artifacts that litter some tales. The properties of the object are up to the GM, and may not be quite what the creator wanted. Assuming he wanted any at all - perhaps the mage just needed a sharp knife when he conjured up the dagger of a maiden's scorn, but it doesn't vanish once he is done with it.
Temptation Mystery of Dreams
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
The target falls asleep and dreams about a temptation selected by the mage. The GM sums the point costs of any advantages and disadvantages that incline the target toward or away from the temptation. The target must make a Will roll modified by that sum (and you thought -15 point Lecherousness would never be a serious problem...) or surrender to the dream and never awaken. The dream lover is popular, but a vision of heaven or of a peaceful life is nearly as common in modern tales.
Effectively the Mystery places the target in a coma. At low TLs he will likely waste away and die, but by late TL6 a mindless body can be kept alive indefinitely.
Bolt From Heaven Mystery of the Elements
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Calls down a bolt of lightning (or beam of light, or pillar of fire, exact appearance varies with tradition) which blasts everything in the target area for 30d damage. If the area includes an intelligent being, this counts as hostile. A backlash is usually less visually dramatic - a bright flash and the mage is incinerated. Evil mages suffer such a failure at the climatic confrontation in many tales, accompanying odor of brimstone optional.
Subsidence Mystery of the Elements
A target area is wracked by powerful earthquakes and sinks into the ground. Structures with less than TL7+ earthquake/nuclear reinforcement are destroyed automatically. This allows the mage to cleave mountains or sink islands into the sea, and is reversible for those times you want to raise R'lyeh from the depths or need a land bridge across the Red Sea.
Enchanted Sleep (Stasis) Mystery of Fate and Protection
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
A classic fairy tale curse, anyone failing to resist drops into enchanted sleep within 3d minutes. Victims of enchanted sleep will not awaken, but do not age, and can not harmed by the natural environment as long as the enchantment lasts. This is also handy for the suspended animation of the hero who will return when the need is greatest. This Mystery may require a termination condition rather than a standard duration.
Family Curse Mystery of Fate
Hostile. Resisted by Will.
Places a curse on a family. Each potential victim through the generations gets a resistance roll, and the effective margin falls by 1 per generation, so after a number of generations equal to the original success margin the curse ends. Of course it also ends if the family goes extinct.
A curse that could conceivably be genetic - you will have no male descendents, all members of the family go mad before 30 etc. - is at no penalty. Other curses - all eldest sons will be slain on a Sunday by in-laws of a younger sister, in any generation with two daughters one will kill the other out of jealousy etc. - are at a penalty determined by how bizarre the condition is.
True Purpose Mystery of Fate and Vision
An enchantment which can be applied to any useful object. Thereafter it works properly for those meeting a condition set by the mage. Typical examples include clothing that only fits the true princess (or the chaste, pure at heart etc.), the sword only the future king (or a fated hero, or its true owner) can draw, and the cup the forsworn cannot drink from without spilling it. Exactly how the item fails can be specified, or can vary from attempt to attempt. A fated sword may cut your hand on the draw one time, twist so it always strikes with the flat the next, and score a maximum damage critical hit to the vitals of your faithful squire in a practice bout the third time.
Mirage Mystery of Glamoury
Produces an illusion of anything the mage can clearly imagine and which fits in the target area. The illusion is perfect, it looks, sounds, smells, tastes and produces sensor returns exactly as it should; though it will never inflict more than 1 point of damage (from flames, energy beams, toxic fumes or anything else). It can be laid over existing items as a mass disguise, and persists even if the items move out of the original area. The only real limitation is the mirage will not stand up to physical contact if the underlying reality is of a different shape. Traditionally the most common uses are to hide a death trap - bridge illusions are favorites, convert a ruin to a fine manor, or to conceal an army.
Immortality Mystery of Health
This Mystery prevents the target from suffering the harmful effects of aging. Some forms prevent aging from that point forward, some set a target age he ages to at the normal rate (backward if already older!), or instantly set apparent age to a particular point. In most traditions this ritual is either extremely dangerous or comes with some sort of drawback. The Taoist version for example involves drinking deadly poisons, if the Mystery fails the target dies in agony. Other versions simply delay aging, if anything breaks the spell the years return, ancient subjects may fall to dust instantly. Some require a continuing price; each of your children you sacrifice allows you another decade, or you suffer the Bloodthirst disadvantage that can only be quenched by the blood of infants.... Immortality rituals always require the cooperation of the target, though the mage may neglect to mention the risks or drawbacks.
Plague Mystery of Health
Nonstandard Area. Hostile Resisted by Will.
This curse targets an area (minimum 0.5 mile radius). All members of a designated group within the area must win a contest of HT with the Mystery or fall victim to an illness. The mage has some limited control of the symptoms and average severity, and may limit the target group to a particular species, sex and perhaps age group. A cattle plague or wheat blight is permissible, as is a plague affecting only adult men, but subtle targeting (dishonest merchants) or exemptions (everyone but my family) are not; use Malaise with multiple target modifiers if you want more control. The average HT of plants or wild animals is 12, so a no margin casting will affect about 25% of them.
The Fairy Road Mystery of Journeys
Allows rapid travel to anywhere familiar to the mage. If the campaign allows travel to other worlds or times, this effect can reach them - but unless you have been there or have truly incredible directions such an attempt is likely to get you hopelessly lost.
To use this Mystery the mage completes any preparations and starts moving. He soon passes into unfamiliar surroundings (traditionally a misty forest, but twisting caverns appear in some tales and strange back alleys work just as well). After what seems several hours he sights the destination and the effect ends. Anyone who can keep up, or is less than an hour behind and able to track the mage can follow. Usually nothing encountered will seriously interfere with the journey, though in some traditions three trials which should be within the abilities of the travelers can be presented. Travelers who pause for a substantial period, lose the track, or go haring off to chase pretty floating lights, deserves whatever happens them. They emerge wherever (and whenever!) the GM likes, if they survive at all.
This method of travel is notorious for doing odd things to time. Many forms of the Mystery require you leave at sunrise or midnight, and deliver you at sunset or dawn. Though the trip appears to take several hours, no group will agree on just how many, every timekeeper measures a different result. A variable amount of time also passes in the mortal world, though seldom more than a fraction of the time the trip would take conventionally.
Invulnerability Mystery of Protection
This Mystery protects from attacks of any sort. Unintentional attacks fail automatically. To make an intentional attack, the attacker must make a Will-5 roll to even consider it, makes any skill rolls involved at -6, and still causes injury only on a critical success. Area attacks inflict the minimum possible damage if there is no logical way to fail entirely. Environmental or self inflicted injuries are still possible - the Mystery offers no protection against drowning when your ship sinks or jumping off a cliff.
Enchanted Blade Mystery of Spirits and the Elements.
This Mystery enchants a weapon, usually a blade, but any honorable weapon from the traditional culture is possible - bows are not uncommon. It will inflict normal damage on incorporeal spirits or other entities immune to weapons. Those that lack hit points suffer fatigue or lose will instead. Enchanted blades will not break on a parry, and automatically resist accidental breakage, rust or other random hazards, but are no more resistant to deliberate abuse than before the enchantment.
Spirit Trap Mystery of Spirits
Resisted by Will.
Binds a spirit in some object, to a particular place, or to a specific task. The maximum constraint leaves the spirit unable to do anything at all until the spell or the imprisoning object is broken. The mage may impose different constraints - he may allow the spirit to try to possess anyone touching the target, require it to use its powers to protect that to which it is bound, require it to use one or more of its powers on command, creating a magic item, or he might allow it to do whatever it likes but require it to appear and perform a service when called by the possessor of the item. The default trap is permanent, but the mage may set a duration - a thousand years, until the spirit grants 3 wishes, etc.
Spirits usually try to resist, but some may willingly accept lighter services. Becoming a bound guardian might be better than dissolution for a ghost, facing a Ritual of Slaying, or even just sitting around in the notoriously dull spirit realms found in many traditions.
True Mirror Mystery of Vision
This Mystery enchants a mirror to reflect the true nature of things. Invisible objects or entities that lack reflections appear in the true mirror, illusions do not and disguises or transformations show both shapes overlaid on each other. Some variants create lenses or circlets with the same effect when peered through.