Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 10:57:57 -0400 () From: Greg Littmann Subject: 89 Spells Part 2 ELEMENTAL ELECTRICITY SUB-COLLEGE STREAM LIGHTNING Special. Once the spell i cast, a stream of electricity emerges from one of the mage's hands. While the spell lasts, he can do nothing with that hand, including casting spells, without redirecting the energy flow in ways that are likely to be dangerous to himself. The mage must specify a target. His chance to strike it equals his skill with the spell, minus range modifiers. The spell never gets snap shot penalties, but time cannot be taken to aim. Stream Lightning may be dodged but not blocked or parried. The PD of metal armour or shields does not add to the dodge score. The spell will do 1d-1 damage. Each subsequent round, if the mage chooses to maintain the spell, he may continue to damage the subject without making any fresh roll to hit, unless the subject gets behind some decent protection (or someone manages to interrupt the lightning). Should the caster miss with Stream Lighting, the caster themself will take damage from the backlash equal to the damage the target would have suffered if the spell had hit. Cost: 2, same to maintain. For double the cost, damage is 2d-2. One can fluctuate such extra spending at will. Duration: Instantaneous. Time to Cast: 2 seconds. Prerequisites: Lightning and 2 other Electricity spells, Maintain Spell. NOTE: This spell produced in conjunction with Dave Pidcock, who has not given this version his official sanction. FORKED LIGHTING (VH) Special. Forked Lightning operates as Stream Lightning, save that each round after a successful hit, the mage may fork the lightning so as to attack an extra target. However, he can only fork a given arc of the lightning to the object of man-size or larger nearest to its present target. This might be the caster themself, so be careful! In order to fork, the mage must make a successful roll against his skill with the spell minus the number of times he has forked his Forked Lightning already, with distance modifiers based on how far he is from the furthest target. For example, if the mage has forked his lightning three times, so that he is assaulting four targets, he rolls at (-3 plus whatever distance modifier is appropriate). If the fork is successful, hitting is automatic. Should the caster miss with Forked Lighting, which included failing to fork, the caster themself will take damage from the backlash equal to the damage a target would have suffered if the spell had hit. Cost: 2, same to maintain. For double the cost, damage is 2d-2. One can fluctuate such extra spending at will. Duration: Instantaneous. Time to Cast: 2 seconds. Prerequisites: Stream Lightning, and 5 other Electricity spells. NOTE: This spell produced in conjunction with Dave Pidcock, who has not given this version his official sanction. CHAIN LIGHTNING (VH) Special. Chain lightning is a powerful attack spell, allowing a mage to potentially deal with quite a few adversaries at once. It is primarily intended for NPCs, but if the P.C.s can afford to pay the prerequisites, it shouldn't kill balance. Chain Lightning functions as Stream Lightning save for the following. Each round after the initial hit, the mage may fork the lightning so as to double the number of affected targets. However, he can only fork a given arc of the lighting to the object of man-size or larger nearest to it's present target. This might be the caster themself, so be careful! In order to fork, the mage must make a successful roll against his skill with the spell minus the number of times he has forked his lightning already, with distance modifiers based on how far he is from the furthest new target. For example, if the mage has forked his lighting three times, so as to be assaulting eight targets, he rolls at (-3 plus whatever distance modifier is appropriate). If the fork is successful, a hit is automatic. Should the caster miss with Chain Lighting, which includes failing to fork, the caster themself will take damage from the backlash equal to the damage a target would have suffered if the spell had hit. Cost: 1 per round for 1 target, 2 for 2 targets, 3 for 4 targets, 4 for 8 targets, 5 for 16 targets, 6 for 32 targets, 7 for 64 targets, 8 for 128 targets and so forth. You can see how devastating this spell can be in the hands of a true master. For each doubling of fatigue, damage is 2d-2. One can fluctuate such extra spending at will. Time to Cast: 2 Prerequisites: Forked Lightning and 8 other Lightning Spells, Storm, Maintain Spell. DIVINE CHAIN LIGHTNING (VH) Special Divine Chain Lighting is like Chain Lighting, save that one may choose one's targets, even if this involves going around closer targets. Thus, the mage could spread his lethal web through a confused melee of fighting warriors, attacking only those on the enemy side. Each time the mage forks, she must roll against Vision minus the number of forkings in order to avoid attacking the wrong person. The G.M. may choose to increase the penalty for particularly bad viewing conditions. Note that this roll is necessary even if the mage can see everyone perfectly - for it's just not that easy to keep track of a lot of people, especially when you are zapping many of them at the time. Cost: As per Chain Lighting +1 fatigue. Time to Cast: 3 seconds. Prerequisites: Chain Lightning, Accuracy, Telecast. ELEMENTAL EARTH COLLEGE SALTSPRAY Mage spits a wide stream of salt from their mouth. Roll to hit vs DX- 2 or Magic Breath skill. The mage may spray across a number of people. The first person targeted is targeted at a negative (x-1), where x is the number of people targeted. The next person is targeted at negative x, the next at negative (x+1), and so forth. The salt does no damage to humans, but if anyone is struck, they must roll vs DX-1 or take salt in the eyes. This is extremely painful. Roll vs Will every turn to attack at all, and then still attack (or cast spells) at -4 for the first turn, -3 for the second, -2 for the third, and -1 for the fourth, unless the salt is washed out (1 sec with a free hand). If the person is struck again with Saltspray before they have rid themselves of this negative, keep adding the penalties to a maximum of -9, and reduce it by 1 per turn, or until the salt is washed out. On an IQ roll (or if expecting this spell) the spell may be blocked, but if so, the blocker may only attack with a wild swing this turn. Cost: 3. Time to Cast: 2 Seconds. Duration: Instant. Prerequisites: Magery, Distill Salt. VIBRATIONS Ranged Through this spell, the mage taps one area of ground (with high enough skill, the tap is so subtle as to be all but invisible), and there will be a shock wave in another area. The targeted area will be struck if the skill roll is made, with distance modifiers in effect. If in a struck hex, a person must make a DX roll or fall down. A horse will roll vs DX+4 if one of it's hexes is under effect, and at DX if they both are. Even if no fall is had, a further DX roll is required not to lose aim (which will be at -2 even on a success), and a Will+1 roll is required not to lose concentration. If the subject is climbing when struck, roll a contest against the skill of the spell and the effective climbing skill of the victim. And gods help the subject if they fall. Cost: 2 per hex. Time to Cast: 2 Seconds. Duration: Instant. Prerequisites: Shape Earth and 2 other Earth Spells. ELEMENTAL FIRE COLLEGE FIRE GATE (VH) Fire gate opens up a very small portal to the elemental plane of fire, letting flames thereof burst through to the plane the caster is presently in. The flames extend for 8 hexes from the casters hand, in the direction it points in. One uses the flame-jet skill to hit in the first round, but may use the "walking-the-burst" rule to aim subsequently. In the first two hexes, 4 dice of damage are done, in the second two, 3 dice, in the third two, 2 dice, and in the fourth two, 1 dice. The mage may, if desired, sweep his flame, giving him +2 to hit and letting him hit any targets in his front or right hexes (for a right handed mage). Targets so struck take 2 dice of damage in the first two hexes, 1+2 dice in the next two, 1 dice in the third two hexes, and 1d-3 in the last two hexes. Once the mage has hit something in one direction, the flame is considered to have stopped there and will not strike anything behind it. No spells that require hand movements may be cast while this spell is "on". Cost: 4 to cast, 2 to maintain. Time to Cast: 5 Seconds. Duration: 1 Second. Prerequisites: Magery 3, 25 Fire Spells, Create Gate, Maintain Spell. ELEMENTAL WATER COLLEGE DISTILL SALT The mage fills an area of the sea with a much higher concentration of salt than is usual. The spell will not work in fresh water, as the salt is taken from the water around it. Within the area of effect, the mage may choose to include or exclude any hexes desired. It is part of the spells effect that the salt does not naturally move from it's original hexes, although strong current might achieve this, and such dissipation will certainly occur once the spell has ended. Any creature within the area of effect is at -2 to all skills and must roll vs Will+1 to retain concentration unless they shut their eyes. Land based creatures which are in the water, and who not have nictating membranes, are at -4 unless they shut their eyes. Base Cost: 2. Time to Cast: Each second, the salt forms around the mage at a rate of one hex per second to maximum range. Duration: 1 Minute. Prerequisites: Shape Water, Create Earth. ENCHANTMENT COLLEGE ARROW FISSION Area When Arrow Fission is cast on an arrow already in flight, the arrow becomes a swarm of arrows. The central arrow is still aimed at it's original target, while the arrows around it fly at the hexes around this target, one landing in each hex around the original target. These arrows will hit whatever is in that hex on a 9 or less unless blocked or dodged. They will be flying with the velocity of the original arrow and will do as much damage (e.g. 1d). If they hit, roll randomly for where they strike. Base Cost: 2, Minimum 4. Prerequisites: Create Object, Repair Arrow, Enchant. FOOD COLLEGE BLOOD BANK Regular The mage may drink human blood and retain it. When the mage casts the spell, no more than 5 minutes prior to drinking, they will be able to drink one HT worth of blood for every point by which they made the roll by over three. That is, if the roll is made by 0-3, then no blood can be usefully drunk. The mage may consume and retain up to their own HT in blood. At any time, the mage may use up a HT of blood in order to replace a meal and/or a drink. In any case, the mage will lose a HT worth of blood a day. Animal blood is not as nourishing as human blood. If animal blood is drunk, 2 HT worth of it must be spent in order to replace a meal and/or a drink and 2 HT worth will be lost every day. The spell does not provide the mage with fangs or any other way of getting the blood - it just allows them to drink, retain and consume it. Duration: Special. Cost: 1 per 2 HT of blood drunk. Time to Cast: 10 Seconds. Prerequisites: Preserve Food, Sterilize, Steal Health. BURN BLOOD Regular A mage who contains blood acquired using the Blood Bank spell may use it instead of fatigue at a rate of one point per HT of human blood, and one point per 2 HT of animal blood. This destroys any blood so used. This spell is cast at the same time as the spell it is to power, although the mage will not know for sure how much power will be available at the time of the casting. The amount of fatigue available will be one point for every point by which the roll is made above 3. Thus, if the roll is made by 0-3, then no blood may be used, whereas if the roll is made by 5, then two points may be used. The mage does not have to use all the blood that is available. The procedure for using Blood Burn is as follows. 1. The mage states what spell is to be powered with help from Blood Burn and also states how much blood they intend to burn to help power it. 2. The mage rolls against their skill with the spell to be cast. 3. If the skill roll is successful, they roll in the same turn against their skill with Blood Burn. 4. If the mage does not get all the power from Blood Burn that they were banking on, they may still decide to make up the difference using their own fatigue or HT. If they are not willing to make up the difference, then the blood they were to use from Blood Burn is still destroyed. Duration: None. Simultaneous with another spell. Cost: None. Time to Cast: None. Simultaneous with another spell. Prerequisites: Magery, Decay, Blood Bank. LETHAL FOOD POISONING (VH) Regular As poison food save that the poison is more virulent. An immediate HT-2 roll is required, and if failed, the subject takes 1d of damage. Repeat the procedure for 1d extra days unless the subject is cured. Vomiting will do nothing, but a successful physical roll will reduce the period of poisoning by one day for every two points the roll was made by. Cost: 4 per meal. Time to Cast: 1 Minute. Prerequisites: Magery 2, 5 food Spells including Food Poisoning. GRADUAL LETHAL FOOD POISONING (VH) Regular As above, but the poison will not come into effect for 1d days after the food was ingested. Cost: 5 per meal. Time to Cast: 2 Minutes. Prerequisites: Magery 2, 10 Food Spells including Lethal Food Poisoning. ASSASSIN'S BANQUET (VH) Area As either Food Poisoning, Lethal Food Poisoning, or Gradual Lethal Food Poisoning, but as an area spell. The caster may poison and refrain from poisoning any meals he wishes within that area. Cost: Base cost 1 for Poison Food, 2 for Lethal Food Poisoning and 3 for Gradual Lethal Food poisoning, minimum cost 6, 8, and 9 respectively. Time to Cast: 5 Minutes. Prerequisites: Magery 3, 15 Food Spells including Gradual Lethal Food Poisoning.