02-07-2020, 05:31 PM | #61 |
Join Date: Jun 2019
|
Re: Show me the magic!
IQ 16 Spells -- Dancing Sword (C)
Summons a sword that floats in midair and fights like it had a mind of its own. It's as if an invisible Myrmidon was wielding it, only better. The Dancing Sword can be as large as a broadsword but no larger, and it may be any smaller sword should the casting wizard prefer. It does its normal damage for whatever sword is chosen. The Dancing Sword fights with the basic Sword talent, even if the wizard doesn't have that talent. But if the wizard who creates it just happens to have Fencing or Expert Swordsmanship, then it fights with any bonuses appropriate to those skills. The Dancing Sword has front, side, and rear hexes just like any 1-hex figure. Anyone in its 3 front hexes is engaged by it. The Dancing Sword itself is never engaged: it can flit about the combat all it wants, at an MA of 10, and attack once per turn no matter how far it moved. It can even pass through hexes occupied by 1-hex figures (without striking them), or through Shadow, or Fire, but it cannot pass through a Wall hex. It always has initiative and moves before all other figures -- which is actually a weakness because its next target always gets a chance to turn and react to its new location. The Dancing Sword has a DX equal to the basic DX of the wizard, before any armor, but any other DX adjustments apply, including the -2 DX after the wizard has been stunned. Just like any fighter, its turn to act is based on adjDX. And it always picks attack as it's option (unless the caster deliberately puts it on "pause"). Automatic results all apply: a broken Dancing Sword vanishes with a small scream, a "dropped" one falls to the floor and must "stand up" before it can fight again. The wizard who cast this spell can be doing anything else while the Dancing Sword fights for them, as they could for any summoned creature. The sword vanishes when the wizard wills it, or at the end of the turn the wizard is killed or becomes unconscious. Of note: the wizard does not "see through the eyes" of a Dancing Sword, as it doesn't really have any. It cannot be sent ahead to another room to scout or with orders to attack anyone specific. It can however be left fighting in a room the wizard leaves, especially good for buying time to make an escape. A Dancing Sword is subject to the Control spell! And it may be obliterated by a lightening bolt, but roll 1 extra D6 to hit because its a small and slippery target; as it's almost always adjacent to friends, that could get tricky. Similarly a heavy crossbow bolt (again roll an extra die) knocks it down for 2 turns. A Rope spell entangles it rendering it harmless until it cuts itself free in (1-1) turns, or a Giant Rope for (2-2) turns. Cost: 4 ST, lasts 12 turns
__________________
"I'm not arguing. I'm just explaining why I'm right." Last edited by Steve Plambeck; 02-09-2020 at 04:39 AM. |
02-07-2020, 06:10 PM | #62 |
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Dayton, Ohio
|
Re: Show me the magic!
|
05-21-2020, 10:09 AM | #63 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Thoughts on these three new spells? I include high casting and maintenance costs because without a significant cost to the wizard, such spells could easily make magical weapons insignificant.
IQ 11 Hexed Weapon (T) This spell temporarily imbues any mundane weapon with magic, allowing it to be used against enemies immune to normal weapons but vulnerable to magic ones. Costs 3 ST, plus 1 ST per turn to maintain. IQ 14 Puissant Weapon(T) Like Hexed Weapon, but adding +1 damage. Costs 4 ST to cast, plus 1 ST per turn to maintain. IQ 17 Fell Weapon (T) Like Hexed Weapon, but adding +2 damage. Costs 5 ST to cast, plus 2 ST per turn to maintain. |
05-22-2020, 08:49 AM | #64 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Our gaming group has a lot of house rules spells. I was just told about this thread and it has some great stuff on it. Here are the two IQ 8 Spells that we have added to our Grimoire.
Turning (T): When a wizard throws Turning on a zombie, the zombie must end their movement at least 2 hexes farther from the wizard than they started. Each turn the spell is on a zombie who cannot move away without running into something or falling into something it must roll 3 D6 vs. DX to avoid falling down. A figure which cannot move 2 hexes due to being engaged must move as far as it can even if it has to disengage. Costs 1 ST plus 1 ST per turn. Holy Symbol (S): This can ONLY be known by someone with the Priest talent. A priest who knows this spell can inscribe an object with his or her holy symbol, giving it divine (magical) powers. The priest can choose to do ONE of the following: 1. On a weapon, make it plus 1 to hit OR plus 1 damage 2. On armor, make it stop an extra hit OR have one less DX penalty (cannot raise DX above standard). 3. On a gem, have it function as a 1 PT ST battery 4. On an amulet, allow character to cast any one Priest spell that he does not know (regular ST cost for casting and IQ requirements for spell still apply) Like a Wizard’s Staff, a priest may only have one holy symbol at a time. A wizardly Priest MAY have both a Staff (any level) and a Holy Symbol. 2 weeks to make at a cost of 5 ST per day to create the Holy Symbol but this is not done during an adventure except to replace a broken item. Any priest with this spell will be assumed to have a Holy Symbol at the start of the adventure but he or she MUST declare which of the ways he or she is using it. |
05-22-2020, 08:53 AM | #65 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Here are our current house rules IQ 9 spells:
Detect Death (S): Like Detect Life but detects dead tissue. Cost 1 ST for first megahex plus 1 ST per additional megahex Summon Primus (C): Brings an animal ally who will follow the wizard’s orders. See Summoned Creatures. The animal ally can be no more powerful than a wolf (ST 10, DX 14, IQ 6, MA 12, bite does 1d+1 damage, fur stops 1 hit). Animal may not be magical, may NOT fly, and may not use weapons. Stats for ST, DX, and IQ combined should be no more than 30. Creature summoned must be wolf size or smaller and any damage inflicted in a single attack should be no more than 1d + 1 and protection from fur or scales or similar natural defenses can stop no more than 1 hit. Costs 2 ST to cast, plus 1 each turn the creature remains. COMMENTS: THIS SPELL REPLACES SUMMON WOLF. The intention is not to allow something stronger than a wolf. The particular animal summoned needs to be discussed and approved by the GM prior to play if there is no animal with given stats that is similar in the rules as written to the creature that the player wishes to summon. Weakness (T): Subtracts 2 from victim’s ST for every 1 ST the wizard uses to throw spell. Lasts 3 turns (1 turn if victim’s ST is 30 or more). A figure whose ST is reduced by a Weakness spell can still use weapons currently in hand even if he or she no longer has the ST while “weakened” required for the weapon, however that use is at -2DX. The figure can still wear the armor he or she is currently wearing even if “weakened” to a ST below that normally needed to use it. This is like fatigue for the purpose of damage taken--- you cannot kill a victim with this spell but if it lowers the subjects ST low enough it can cause unconsciousness--- during which time someone might kill him or her. |
05-22-2020, 08:55 AM | #66 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Here are our IQ 10 spells:
Agility (T): Adds 1 to subject’s DX for every 1 ST the wizard uses to throw spell. Lasts 3 turns. Cannot be used to alter rolls when creating magical items. This is a lower cost than the Aid spell, but it is more limited since it only works to raise DX. Animate Corpse (T): Brings one dead body under wizard’s control. Animated corpse will have ST and DX that it did in life, and no IQ. The controlling wizard will be able to see through its eyes. Beheaded, burned, or dismembered corpses will not work. Lasts 12 hours. Cost 1 ST (or 3 ST for creatures with a basic ST of 20 or more) Cleverness (T): Adds 1 to subject’s IQ for every 1 ST the wizard uses to throw spell. Lasts 3 turns. This is a lower cost than the Aid spell, but it is more limited since it only works to raise IQ. Possess Weapon(T): Like Drop Weapon but you get one chance to hit victim with his own weapon before it drops to the ground. Makes victim drop whatever is in one hand – a weapon, shield, or whatever. Will not make a ring or amulet fall off. Costs 2 ST, or 3 ST if victim’s basic ST is 20 or more. A weapon or other object with Immunity (q.v.) to Drop Weapon will not be affected by this spell either. A wizard who knows this spell also knows the Drop Weapon spell and may cast it instead (since the ST cost is smaller). Strengthen: (T): Adds 1 to subject’s ST for every 1 ST the wizard uses to throw spell. Lasts 3 turns. This is a lower cost than the Aid spell, but it is more limited since it only works to raise ST. Summon Swarm (C): Brings a swarm of bees or flies or any other insect which will be under the direction of the wizard. The size of the swarm will never be less than 15 insects, but when casting a roll of 5 or 6 will produce a swarm of double the number of insects for the ST used to cast and a roll of 3 or 4 will produce a swarm of triple the number of insects for the ST used to cast. If the entire swarm attacks the same enemy then that enemy will have a -1 DX for each 10 insects until the swarm vanishes. The insects are an annoyance, but do no actual damage. If the wizard desires then the swarm can instead hover around him or another character and make all attacks against that character be at -1 DX for each 10 insects (if some of the original swarm are killed the DX minus holds until the full 10 die), the DX of the person protected does not suffer since the swarm is moving out of the protected figure’s personal space (picture a cloud of insects that dart at your enemy but hover a few feet in front of you). Flying swarms will move at 20 MA a turn and crawling swarms at 10 MA a turn. They can move their full MA and still do their “action” that turn since it is their mere presence that affects the DX of the enemies. The swarm has no ability to try to resist commands and no intelligence as we know it. ST and DX would vary and this should never come up in a combat situation. If an enemy wants to take the time to kill them, he can kill one each turn without rolling dice, but that is his action for that turn. Cost varies. It costs 1 ST for each swarm of 15 insects desired. So, if the wizard wished to guarantee a swarm of 30, then he or she could use 2 ST to cast, plus 1 ST per each swam of 15 that the wizard wishes to renew for every minute the spell is continued. IF the wizard only put in 1 ST but rolled a 3 when casting, then even though 45 insects are in the swarm it still only costs 1 ST per minute to keep them there. That is just the benefit of a great roll. This is a defensive spell that is a higher IQ spell than Blur, but doesn’t protect the wizard (or a character of his choice) quite as well, BUT this spell lasts for minutes and not turns. To get the same defensive benefit as a Blur, the wizard would have to use 3 ST for the initial cast, but that would last for one minute, whereas the Blur spell would put attackers at -4 DX at a cost of 1 ST per TURN. Another difference here is that Blur would protect an individual in the party, but this spell could also be used to distract one particular enemy in ALL their actions against the party. The insects can also be directed to do anything that an insect of that type could reasonably do. Clever wizards will think up interesting things for them to do on adventures. Swarms need not be flying insects. If a wizard wanted a swarm of crawling ants or ladybugs, then that is allowed. Wizards can see through the eyes of these summoned insects, but insect eyes are so different from human that very little information is likely to be gained in this way (someone who uses this spell a lot or who has talents in beekeeping or other insect-specific scholarly studies might do better at deciphering this visual information, as the GM determines). It is more likely to be confusing and might even make the wizard a little ill, so most of the time in a combat situation wizards choose not to do this. In a less stressful situation (as in, NOT combat) the wizard might take the time to try to use the sight and other senses of the insects. GMs should roll versus the wizard’s IQ (number of dice in relation to how often the wizard practices with the spell, how much the wizard knows about insects of this type, other talents of the wizard that might give guidance, etc.) and then determine what information the wizard gains from using his or her swarm in this way. |
05-22-2020, 08:57 AM | #67 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Our IQ 11 Spells:
Bone Weld (T): Will rejoin breaks in bones or fuse bones in any position. Can be cast over composite bone constructions. These are then considered “whole” skeletons suitable for animation or the Zombie spell. Costs 1 ST for a simple break or 5 ST for a whole skeleton Control Plant (T): There are certain plants that have what amounts to a will of their own. Perhaps this is not “will” in the way of animal life, but whether it is instinct or reflexes or magic, these plants react in provocation of some stimuli. They move, they make noise, they attack, they react in some fashion in relation to their environment. This spell puts any one such plant under the wizard’s control as long as spell is maintained. Works only on real plants; if the target was actually an illusion or image, it vanishes when the spell strikes. A controlled plant will follow all orders that it is capable of following. If the plant can move or secrete poison or shoot out a vine to grab prey, then those actions are now under the wizard’s control, but if a plant cannot move, then this spell will not give it the ability to do so. Plants have no IQ as we understand it, so unless the specific plant the wizard aims to control is listed in the Plant Compendium as resistant to this spell then the spell works on the plant. Cost: 2 ST, plus 1 per turn maintained. Healing (T) :For each 5 points of ST that the wizard puts into this spell, he/she can cure one hit of damage on himself or another. Heal will also restore lost fatigue from spellcasting, etc., but rarely is it practical to use it this way. Heal will cure HT already lost to disease and poison, but it will not cure the disease nor make the poison go away. It is possible to place healing magic into an artifact (Healing Stones), but such things are rare and costly and work no better than a mage with the Healing Spell and a Strength Battery or a corps of apprentices. Healing scrolls, on the other hand, are common. As with other scrolls, the magic comes from the scroll and the strength comes from the caster. *C* Megahex Blur (T): Like Blur spell, but covering a megahex (the casting distance from the wizard is calculated based on the closest hex of the desired megahex of affected area). Any wizard who has this spell has the ability to cast the spell on any portion of connected hexes that would be inside of a single megahex. Cost: 2 ST to cast, plus 1 each turn it is maintained. Wizards who know this spell also know the Blur spell (so if only one hex need be blurred, using the less powerful spell is less ST cost). *C* Summon Secundus (C): Brings a strong animal ally who will follow the wizard’s orders. See Summoned Creatures. The strong animal ally can be no more powerful than a bear (ST 30, DX 11, IQ 6, MA 8, bite does 2d+2 damage, fur stops 2 hits). Animal may not be magical and may not use weapons. Stats for ST, DX, and IQ combined should be no more than 47 with DX at a maximum of 12 and IQ at a minimum of 6. Creature summoned must be bear size or smaller and may NOT be a flying creature. Any damage inflicted in a single attack should be no more than 2d + 2 and protection from fur or scales or similar natural defenses can stop no more than 2 hits. Costs 4 ST to cast, plus 1 each turn the creature remains. COMMENTS: THIS SPELL REPLACES THE SUMMON BEAR SPELL. Summon Primus is a prerequisite for this spell. The intention is not to allow something stronger or more deadly than a bear. If the wizard wants to bring in an animal that is higher in DX and not quite as strong, that is acceptable, but the DX is capped at 12 (two points below the weaker wolf ally) so that the animal will not be super-deadly and impossible to kill. The particular animal summoned needs to be discussed and approved by the GM prior to play if there is no animal with given stats that is similar in the rules as written to the creature that the player wishes to summon. |
05-22-2020, 08:59 AM | #68 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Out IQ 12 spells:
Minor Glamor (T): This is a special sort of illusion. A Minor Glamor is cast over a living creature to make him appear as other than what he is; it is a magical disguise. A Minor Glamor does not give the disguised creature any of the abilities of his disguise, and cannot make him appear to be more than twice his actual size. A Minor Glamor CAN be penetrated by disbelieving. It lasts until removed by Remove Thrown Spell, until the casting wizard wills it away, until the englamored one dies, or for a total of one hour. A creature with Mage Sight gets a 4-die roll against IQ, once only, to see through a Minor Glamor when it is first encountered. If successful, this removes the Minor Glamor – but only for him; others will still see the illusion. The differences between this spell and a Glamor is that this spell can be disbelieved, this spell is not permanent (it lasts one hour). Cost to cast a Minor Glamor is 4. Cannot be maintained, but can be recast. Any wizard who know the Glamor spell knows the Minor Glamor spell as well without spending more points for it. Shrink/Grow Object (T): This works on a 1 HX object. The characteristics of the object stay the same, but the object shrinks or grows by 10% for every 1 ST used to cast. This spell lasts for 1 hour. It can only work on a single object at a time, so it would not work to pile several small items into one hex and cast only one spell to shrink or grow them all. The tensile strength of certain items may be compromised if it is grown to exaggeratedly huge proportions (GM’s discretion). The mass and volume of the item will increase or decrease as the dimensions increase or decrease. Zombie Control (T): Allows wizard to take control of one zombie or animated corpse, however, the current controller (if any) gets a 5 D6 vs. IQ saving throw to keep control. Cost 5 ST |
05-22-2020, 09:10 AM | #69 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Our IQ 13 Spells:
Advanced Cleanse Poison (T): Removes all poisons and unhealthful material (e.g., broken glass) from food, drink, objects (including weapons and surfaces) AND from living beings who have consumed poison or foreign objects. This spell can be cast once to remove poisons from non-living items within one hex, but a separate casting is required for each living creature that needs to be rid of poison of other harmful material. This spell does NOT return lost hit points the poison has already done. As with the regular Cleanse Poison spell, it does not make food or drink nutritious or even tasty . . . simply safe to eat/drink. This spell is related to Cleansing, but different; it is cheaper to cast, but limited to removal of poisons and foreign matter. It cannot cure disease. ST cost: 4 to affect a 1-hex area for objects OR 4 for each individual living being. Wizards who know the Advanced Cleanse Poison spell know the Cleanse Poison spell for free. *C* Advanced Ward (S): The biggest differences in this spell and the lower level spell is the area of affect is greatly increased and the time it lasts is increased. This is a protective spell. By setting Ward on a doorway, or just an area of floor, a wizard can “booby-trap” it psychically. Anything that comes through the warded doorway or area of floor (up to 3 connected megahexes) will be known to the casting wizard, even if he is asleep, busy, or facing another way. He will also know if the intruder has hostile intentions. However, the wizard must stay within 15 megahexes of his Ward at all times, or it will cease to work. Any number of Ward spells may be cast. Lasts 1 week. Cost: 2 ST. Some version of the ward spell must be cast once over each of the five wards of the magic items called Wards in order to energize them. If this spell is used (as opposed to the lesser strength version of the spell) the size of the protected area will be one texahex instead of one megahex. *C* Baleful Blade (T): When cast on a melee weapon, the weapon does an extra 1D6 damage for the next six rounds of combat, or until the casting wizard wills the spell to end. The striking part of the weapon will glow with a magical radiance in the casting wizard’s choice of colors during that time. This spell can be cast on any metallic weapon (not just blades), but it can never be cast on a wizard’s Staff, even if the Staff is made of metal. No weapon can have more than one Baleful Blade spell on it at any one time. The casting wizard can renew the spell at the end of the six turns without a die roll, by just expending the strength. Cost 2ST *C* Beguile (T): This is the classic love spell. If the victim of the spell is an enemy or if the victim is of a very different species (a human and a dragon, for example) than the casting wizard, then they get a saving roll of 3 Dice versus IQ. If the victim is of the same or similar species (so dwarfs, elves, humans, halflings--- races who are actually close enough that breeding would be possible) then the saving roll is 4 Dice versus IQ. Cost 3 ST and lasts for 5 minutes, cannot be renewed but can be recast. This spell will not force the victim to be controlled, but he or she will do whatever he might do if asked by a deeply loved person and he is very unlikely to try to directly damage the wizard. Control Person would give the wizard direct control and this spell will not, but the duration of this spell is minutes and not turns, so the strategic use of this spell is different from Control Person. Since the victim CAN refuse the beloved one’s requests, asking for something outrageous (e.g. “Kill your friends and join me!”) will not trigger a fresh saving throw, but the GM decides how likely the victim will be to do whatever is being requested by his beloved. Chrysalis (C): Creates a transparent magical cocoon around one figure or hex that stops all physical attacks or damage from any direction. It will not stop occult or other magical attacks. The cocoon cannot move from its original location. Someone inside the cocoon cannot make physical attacks through it. The cocoon is clear so someone inside it can still use occult and magical attacks. Lasts 12 turns just as any other creation spell. *C* Devastate: (T): This is like a combination of a Confusion, Clumsiness, and Weakness spell combined. Casting wizard can reduce ST, DX, and IQ ALL by 2 points for every 3ST the wizard uses to cast it. Lasts for 3 turns (1 if victim’s ST is 30 or more). As with Confusion, the loss of IQ can affect use of spells (see Confusion spell) and as with Weakness, the loss of ST can affect weapon use but cannot be used to kill the subject (see Weakness spell). Confusion, Clumsiness, and Weakness spells are prerequisites for this spell. Eyes of the Dead (T): The casting wizard will see images from the dead person’s last minutes of life, in five minute increment working backward from the moment of death. Cost 1 ST per five minutes. Poison Touch (T): Similar to Acid Touch, here the subject’s hands secrete a powerful poison (akin to Contact Poison from the Alchemy Potions list) which does not affect the subject. This can be used in a few different ways. In combat, a wizard with Poison Touch active can touch the skin of an opponent and do 2 Dice Damage (armor does not protect). Only naked skin will work, but it will work even on thick skin like might be found on some monsters. If an animal with fur or very thick skin is touched the poison will seep into the skin, but it takes at least a full turn for that to happen (two turns if the skin is extraordinarily thick--- something with skin that stops 3 or more hits, for example). As with Contact Poison, the wizard may also smear the poison on an object or introduce it into food or drink (where it instantly spreads to infect the entirety of the meal or beverage) BUT the poison vanishes when the spell ends, so this can be an expensive way to leave a trap. Cost: 1 ST to cast, 1 per turn to continue. Speak with Dead (T): Lets caster ask 3 questions of any intelligent dead body. Caster must either speak in a language the corpse knew or in Sorcerer’s Tongue (or using Horn of Translation containing a language the corpse knew). Cost 3 ST Shrink/Grow Creature (T): This works on a single living creature of less than ST 20. The characteristics of the creature stays the same, but the creature shrinks or grows by 10% for every 1 ST used to cast. This spell lasts for 1 hour. The mass and volume of the creature will increase or decrease as the dimensions increase or decrease. The IQ for the creature will not change, but the other attributes of the creature may or may not change with a large change in size (GM discretion). Also, if the creature is unwilling it gets a 4 Dice versus IQ saving throw to try to avoid being shrunk or grown. Even if the spell works there could be a violent reaction to this spell or the creature could panic and run (especially if it is a generally timid or stupid creature and if the size change is significant enough). Summon Tertius (C): Just like Summon Secundus but now a stronger ally. The creature’s natural defenses and/or armor may stop up to 3 hits of damage and with this spell a flying creature can be summoned. The DX cap is now 13 with the rest of the stats just as described in the Summon Secundus spell. This may not be a typical “animal” and the summoned creature may use a weapon provided it has the IQ to know the weapon skill, the ST to use the weapon chosen and the damage of this weapon chosen does not exceed 2D + 2. One example of a Stronger Ally is the Gargoyle. Here would be the stats for such a creature: ST 20, DX 11, IQ 8, MA 8 on ground, 16 in air, fist does 2 dice damage, skin stops 3 hits. It could be argued that the gargoyle is no stronger than the bear that could be summoned with Summon Secundus Spell, but the advantage of flight and the extra hit of damaged stopped by the skin make gargoyles tough opponents. 4 ST, plus 1 each turn the creature stays. COMMENTS: THIS SPELL REPLACES THE SUMMON GARGOYLE SPELL. Summon Secundus is a prerequisite for this spell. The particular creature summoned needs to be discussed and approved by the GM prior to play if there is no animal with given stats that is similar in the rules as written to the creature that the player wishes to summon. |
05-22-2020, 09:10 AM | #70 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Show me the magic!
Last IQ 13 spell (my post was too long to fit all spells in one post)
Telemetry (T): The subject of the spell can touch an object and garner information. The possible types of information would be things like who last handled the object, the past uses of the object, the past owners of the object, or any other information that the GM finds it credible to have been garnered by someone touching the object. The wizard rolls the to-cast roll and pays the strength (Costs 3 ST if the roll is made), then, if the spell works, the GM will roll 3 Dice versus the casting wizard’s IQ. If the GM gets a total above the wizard’s IQ then he gives some minimal information (the spell WORKED, so the GM should give some bit of truthful information, but not necessarily all that useful). If the roll is below the wizard’s IQ, the amount of information the GM gives should be better (more useful, more detailed, etc.). The lower the roll, the better the GM’s information should be. On a really excellent roll, the GM should feel free to give details as if the subject can visualize the people who have handled the object and perhaps even feel the emotions and know the thoughts of people who handled the object. Of course, this is assuming the object was ever handled by anyone who would be of any interest to the subject of the spell. The roll could be a critical success, and the GM should then give a very detailed account of all the person touching the object can see, hear, feel, and know, but it could all be completely extraneous information as far as the current adventure goes. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|