ANNIHILATION (VH) Regular; resisted by HT. This spell instantly and irrevocably disintegrates a living being! If the spell isn't resisted successfully, the caster rolls 1 to 4 dice (depending on the energy in the spell) and compares the total to the larger of the victim's HT or hit points. If it is equal to or greater than the victim's HT, the victim is annihilated! If not, the victim takes this amount of damage. All possessions of an annihilated victim fall to the ground. A critical failure with this spell costs the caster 1 HT permanently! Duration: Annihilation is permanent. Cost: 4, plus 2 per die of effect, to a maximum of four dice (12 fatigue). Time to Cast: 3 seconds. Prerequisites: Magery 3; Disintegrate, Deathtouch and Steal HT. MASS ZOMBIE (VH) Area This spell is identical to the Zombie spell in almost every respect, except that it reanimates all corpses in the area of effect. As per the Zombie spell, only relatively complete dead bodies are affected; and just as per Zombie, this spell may produce Mummies, Skeletons or Zombies, depending on the age and condition of the corpses. A single casting of this spell can produce a mixture of these three types of undead. Unlike the Zombie spell, however, the subject corpses must be lying in their place of rest (upon a battlefield, in a grave, et cetera) for the spell to work, and cannot be moved into a smaller area to facilitate the casting. Corpses in graves up to 4 yards deep are affected by this spell, and Zombies in graves will claw their way to the surface to join their master! Corpses animated by this spell become the undead servants of the caster, but orders given to the undead raised by this spell must be of the kind that would be given by a leader to a group of followers, such as a by a rabble-rouser to a mob, or by an officer to a military unit. Individual members of the undead horde cannot be singled out for specific tasks. Due to the energy costs involved, this spell is often cast ceremonially. In such an instance, the leader of the circle becomes the master of the Zombies, while all other mages involved are viewed by the Zombies as being the master's lieutenants. An order from any of the mages involved will be obeyed, but the master's orders will always take precedence. The undead horde can be divided up into smaller units which can each then be put under the command of a different individual who was involved in the casting. For the purpose of this spell, assume that a typical graveyard in civilized parts will contain on the order of [3r(r - 1) + 1]/4 corpses (round fractions over one-half up), where r is the radius of the spell. This may vary, depending where the spell is cast. It would not be unreasonable to halve this number in an upper-class cemetery with crypts and expansive family burial plots, while one should probably double this number for a Napoleonic battlefield. Duration: The Zombies remain animated until destroyed. Base Cost: 7. Minimum radius 2 hexes. Time to Cast: 1 minute per hex of radius. Prerequisite: Zombie, and two or more levels of either Charisma or Strong Will. PLANAR SUMMONS (Demon Steed) Special Calls a Demon Steed to the caster's dimension. The caster must immediately try to bond the Steed to its rider-to-be: this is treated as a Quick Contest between the caster's spell level plus the desired rider's Will, versus the Steed's (ST+IQ)/2 of 31. If the caster is also to be the rider, use the caster's skill level plus Will. A success bonds Steed and rider indefinitely. A failure results in the Steed vanishing. Critical Failure means the Steed attacks, while Critical Success results in a Steed with +1 on all attributes. At any time when the rider is unconscious or in danger of dying (i.e., at -HT or worse), roll a Contest between the rider's Will only and the Steed's (ST+IQ)/2 of 31. If the rider wins (unlikely), the Steed remains. Otherwise, it vanishes in 1d seconds. A Steed can be Banished like a Demon, and should be treated as a Demon in most regards. Duration: Permanent, subject to the limitations noted above. Cost: 30. Time to Cast: 5 minutes. Prerequisites: Magery, and at least 1 spell from each of 10 different colleges. DEMON STEED ST: 55 MV/DODGE: 16/8 SIZE: 3 DX: 12 PD/DR: 2/2 WT: 2,200 lbs. IQ: 6 DAMAGE: * HT: 15/24 REACH: C,1 * BITE (Reach C): Cut 1d+2, +2 for flame (after DR); KICK (Reach 1, any F or B hex): Cr 3d-1, +2 for flame (after DR); TRAMPLE: CR 1d+2, +2 for flame (after DR). Special Abilities: High Pain Threshold, Magic Resistance 10, Night Vision, Peripheral Vision Senses: Hearing, Taste and Smell 16; Vision 14. Special Weaknesses: Dies at HT -1. Description: A huge, jet-black horse with flaming eyes and hooves, curls of smoke and tongues of flame leaping from its nostrils and mouth. PLANAR SUMMONS (Spheres of Madness) Special Calls a Sphere of Madness to the caster's dimension. The Sphere will react to the caster (only) at +4, and will listen to negotiations on a Neutral or better reaction. Any other reaction results in the Sphere leaving immediately. Critical failure results in a hostile, attacking Sphere; critical success brings 1d+1 Spheres. The Sphere may stay indefinitely, but typically leaves all but the most charismatic and evil of summoners after 1 hour. Some GM judgement is required here! Duration: 1 hour or more. Cost: 20. Time to Cast: 5 minutes. Prerequisites: Magery, and at least 1 spell from each of 10 different colleges. SPHERE of MADNESS ST: 17 MV/DODGE: 14/9 SIZE: 1 DX: 14 PD/DR: 3/6 WT: 180 lbs. IQ: 10 DAMAGE: CUT 1D+4* HT: 14/17 REACH: C,1 * Can claw for CUT 1D+4 twice per turn, in close combat or into any adjacent hex; a claw hit counts as a grapple, even if it does no damage. When grappling, it can use both claws and 4 tentacles, giving +8 DX! The beak can chew a hole in armour (usu. head armour) in (DR/2) turns. After that, does 2 points cutting damage each turn, ignoring DR! Special Abilities: Constriction Attack (with tentacles), Extra Flexibility (all limbs), Full Coordination/2, High Pain Threshold, Immunity to Disease, Immunity to Poison, Injury Tolerance (No Brain, Cutting/Impaling Bonus, Neck or Vitals), Magic Resistance 10, 360-Degree Vision Special Weaknesses: Dies at HT -1. Description: A solid sphere, from 28" to 32" in diameter, ringed with eyes just above its equator. A 3' long armoured, crab-like arm projects from either side, ending in a vicious pincer. Sports eight octopoid tentacles -- 4 on top, 4 beneath -- which ring squid-like beaks below and above. Putrid brown-green in colour. Moves at Move 14 by levitation. SACRIFICE (VH) Special This spell makes the life force released by the sacrifice of a living being available to another spell. The Sacrifice must be cast first, at the moment the caster kills the sacrificed being. The second spell must be cast immediately after, without any intervening delays. The Sacrifice counts as a spell "on" during the second spell's casting. If the caster is not within one hex of the sacrificed being, apply a Regular range penalty to both the Sacrifice and the second spell. The energy released by the sacrifice of a living being is given by HT x IQ. The GM may devise modifiers to suit his world; for example, virgins and mages may be worth double . . . Cost: None. Time to cast: 1 hour. Prerequisites: 6 Necromantic spells, including Steal HT.