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Workin magic in Icathia (K10)
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Workin magic in Icathia (K10)
#1(will be eventually moved and worked into the K10 rules as a supplement)
(Note: large scale theft from the Peako's Book O' Cantrips)
(See also the basic rules on things magical.)
Spells
In Icathia, a school of magic is always counted as the Attribute of a given spell. (The spell-list is far from complete, and there can be also spells not belonging to any school.) Also, unless noted otherwise, spellcasters can learn and cast spells from other Schools, even if not having the respective School of Magic Skill.
Spell notation: Name | MP cost | Diffilcuty | Effects and other notes
"Success" is the result of the roll minus the spell's diffilcuty
Example: Haste | 1 | V.Easy | success rounds of double speed (initiative)
So the spell Haste is Very Easy (3) to cast, let's say that the skill for the School of Fire Magic is 2, with a roll of 5 is the total 3+2+5=10, success is: 10-3 = 7. The effect will last for seven rounds.
"Spell Chains" are groups of very similar spells; while it is necessary to study them as other spells, game-wise they are based on the same Skill. For instance, the school of Fire Magic offers the Spark cantrip. When a magic-user expands this effect a bit more (in essence learning the Skill Fire), the caster can cast the basic spell Fire, for lighting a fire quickly or causing minor damage. Delving deeper into the Art, the Fireball effect can be produced, even Fiery Cascade and possibly more potent spells. Spells belonging to a chain are marked with a * - so consecutive spells with a * are one chain. To learn a more potent variant, one must master the weaker variants first.
Generic Bonuses and Penalties to Spellcasting - of course, there are many more possible situations when spells are easier or harder to cast. Use your judgement.
-1 if not having the respective School of Magic of the spell
-2 if not having any Magic Skill (does not apply to cantrips and the like)
+1 for casting by a scroll or book with the spell inscribed (reading it) OR
+2 for casting from a magical scroll or item (like a wand, etc.) - even for non-magic users
+1 or more for favourable conditions (Example: for Fire Magic, +1 for a large fire at hand; +2 for a _very_ large fire; +3 next to an active volcano)
-1 or more for adverse conditions
+1 for doubling the time of casting
+2 for doubling the mana used to cast the spell
If casting several spells at once, their diffilcuty is added together, with the weaker spell's diffilcuty doubled (so an Easy and Very Easy spell would produce a Hard effect- 2*3+6=12). The Game Master can decide on further penalties, or even bonuses, if the situation warrants it (casting at once a Cold and Fire spell, etc).
Wizardly magic
Wizards in all of their guises need one Skill above all others: the Magic Skill. With it they gather and keep their magic. It also serves for creating cantrips.
Cantrips, the tiny magics, can be very useful to the consummate wizard. The diffilcuty of a cantrip is 1 - so in most circumstances, it is not necessary to roll for success, they just succeed. There exists a Cantrip skill that helps with their gaining, as in their casting, but few wizards choose it in lieu of more advanced spells.
While it is possible to cast them out of one's magic reserves directly, it is mostly a waste of mana. As one cantrip is around 0.1 Magic Point, it is more effective to first divide a Magic Point into smaller bundles of mana, ready to use. The best known is the "Ten-Finger" method. Concentrating a bit, using up 1 MP, the wizard attempts to divide it among his fingers. (Rolling on the Magic Skill as the Attribute, plus the Cantrip skill if known, a Very Easy task, success determines the number of cantrips gained, at most 10.) Later, it is enough to pick a finger and cast the desired cantrip.
The Magic Skill is the art of gathering and keeping the magical forces under control. Without this Skill or its variant, it is not possible to use any real spells (and there is usually nothing to cast them with). At every new Rank of of the Skill the character gains a number of Magic Points equal to that Rank. This Skill has a diffilcuty of (+), but if the player does not choose it at character creation, its permanent diffilcuty rises up to (+++).
Racial differences: as above, the skill is for Humans Hard (+). For Elves, which are much more receptive for magic, the Skill is Easy (0), for less magical races as Hobbits and Dwarwes it is Very hard (++).
(specialization)
(example)
Wizardly schools of magic
A "school of magic" is the sum of general knowledge of certain effects and how they can be magically created. It grants to the caster knowledge of related cantrips (up to its Rank). Examples are given with each school. A school is generally a (+) Skill.
Spells belonging to a school have to be learned from usual sources - other magic users, scrolls, books, etc.
Priestly magic
Unless noted otherwise, priestly magic functions like wizardly magic. There is but one big difference: a priestly school of magic is a priests Magic Skill - his source of power, needing no other (in fact, a priest cannot use another source for his priestly spells). Priestly magic can be easily much more potent than wizardly magic, it must be balanced in-game by taking a character's behavior into account. Note that while there are no 'classes' in K10, having and using priestly magic puts serious limitations on a character. Failing to adhere to the norms of a religion can mean loosing the spellcasting power, and raising the skill could become impossible. Worse things can happen, too. The player playing a priestly character should take care to portray all used spells as the rituals they in fact are, and must take at all times the religion into consideration.
Note also that priests generally can worship only one god, and a priest able to channel magical power from two gods would be extremely exceptional, if at all possible. To be a spell-casting priest, a person must be in most game worlds accepted by the deity in question.
Some priesthoods have the power to Turn Undead... needs to clear the actual game mechanism, though. Another special power is a potent Curse, so don't forget to show your respect to a priest.
Priestly schools of magic
Similarly to the Magic Skill, the Rank determines the total number of magic points the priest can get, the actual number of MPs gained after praying varies from day to day, however.
Unless noted otherwise, magic users cannot learn priestly spells if they do not have the respective skill. Some spells may come to a priest "naturally", without any learning (though that happens rarely), but most had to be learned like common spells, with study and praying. A school is generally a (++) Skill. Priests have a bonus of 1 on consecrated ground of their religion. They have also a bonus of 1 against spells from non-priests.
Bless
All priestly schools of magic confer knowledge of the Bless spell - actually a spell chain - its statistics and effect vary as per the used strength and school of holy magic, ranging from a simple blessing to a powerful ritual.
Example:
Blessing* | 1 | V.Easy | can give a creature +1 to an activity; effect up to an hour
Bless* | 3 | Easy | can give a creature +3 to an activity, or +1 to an item; effect up to a whole day, can revert into a Blessing afterwards; requires a somewhat clean place
Bless* | 6 | Problematic | creates holy water; must be cast in a temple or shrine
Consecrate* | 12 | Hard | blesses an area; a long ritual, assisted by another priest(s) prayers, requires holy water
Curse
There may be unexpected repercussions from using it too often. Cost varies, the target may be a single person or a small group. A curse is permanent, until a specific condition is fulfiled. It is also possible to have it lifted by a priest.
Cantrip: Holy mark (the blessed item is uncomfortable to improper people or creatures touching it, undead, etc.)
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K10/Icathia - Schools of Magic/Spell list (in process)
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Light Magic (+)
- the caster is protected from any bright light his own spells create, the skill can help resisting other similar effects
- note that all spells and effects are included in the priestly school of "Holy Light"
Cantrips:
Flashlight (light shines from the index finger, until concentration is broken, at most 1 hour)
Glow (target item or person glows with a chosen color, only willing targets)
Sunglasses (protects eyes against effects of light, confers a bonus of +1)
Spells:
Light* | 1 | V.Easy | produces light, 1 yard radius, 1 hour
The Light at hand* | 2 | Easy | a similar, but portable light, follows caster or his mental directions
Sunburst* | 4 | Problematic | blinds for up to success rounds, causes 0-1 damage (+1 for undead, to 1-2), effective in a radius up to success yards
Darksight | 1 caster, 2 other | Easy | target is able see at night as if it were evening, for up to success hours
---
Order of the Holy Swine (+)
"... when the first people entered the woods, they were powerless at first. The animals were cautious and swift, some fruits that seemed edible were revealed as poisonous, and little food was found anywhere. Harsh times it were, and they might have perished, if the Boar spirit had no mercy with them. And she has shown them where to find the good fruit, and which to avoid, what roots to eat, and what herbs to seek if one is ill. Thus have the people learned how to survive in the woods, and closed friendship with the boars."
- that claims the myth the Order spreads as the only truth, and most other people consider bogus. Deep in the woods they live, only rarely they visit the civilisation, to liberate the unlucky pigs humans have enslaved over the years (or so they say). Naturally, many consider them insane. It is no suprise they are forbidden this meat.
"The Order" is more a loose tradition than any organisation, its members living loosely in deep woods, considered primitive by the civilised world.
The Boar Spirit prefers to have little contact with others, tending to its own affairs and offspring. It may attack if approached at the wrong time or in the wrong way, so beware. It teaches self-sufficiency, and a peaceful nature, that responds strongly on any threat. A follower of her will not start a conflict, but may well bring it to the bitter end.
Swine Magic - is a wizardly School of Magic, specialising on mimicking the abilities of the Boar Spirit (who supposedly taught these long ago). These magic-users are wizards, and can teach their spells to other wizards, should they be considered worthy.
Rarely, it happens that the Boar Spirit touches an adept of this school for his devotion, and confers him a deeper insight into this magic, making him or her a true shaman. This does not happen with more than one person at any given time, though.
Spells:
Enhance senses | 1 | Easy | - namely taste and smell. The target is partially able to track with his nose, and as many of the Order know common, visual tracking, they can be very adept at it. Edible roots can be also found if you are not too noble to to get down to earth. It takes some experience to fully use and appreciate this.
Blend | 1 | Easy | moving little or standing still, the target is hard to discern against natural background (foliage, wood, etc). Wrong clothing may give him off easily, so dress properly. It is speculated that old followers of the tradition have this effect permanently on them.
Iron stomach | 2 | Easy | With this spell, almost any organic matter can be eaten, and digested to a degree. Note that while poison eaten may be resisted with this spell, there is no guarantee. The spell is seldom used, because it does not change the taste, and most often produces severe cramps afterward. Useful to prevent starvation. Rarely, it is used in bets ("I bet you won't eat this...").
Enhance hair-growth | 1 | Easy | Occasionally used on the liberated pigs, to make them better blend in nature, some use it to grow beards or long hair. Fashion in any way.
Charge | 2 | Easy | Roaring mightily, the caster runs towards the enemy. The spell can help to intimidate some opponents, and to have a good start on others. It is but usable only at the start of the fight. Do not forget even powerful wild boars withdraw sometimes. Not all enemies can be defeated.
Guardian | 1 | Easy | Cast on a group; the caster or a selected person will know, if a member of that group leaves a certain distance from him/her, or is in immediate danger (while still close). The Boar Spirit is remembered as a good mother, that never leaves its children behind.
---
Fire Magic (+)
- creating and manipulating the element of Fire
- spells can have penalties to cast in cold conditions, may be impossible if underwater or without air
- warning: things may catch on fire when using spells of this school ;)
- the body part that "produces" a fire effect is protected from it... just don't get into the spell's effect area
Cantrips:
Spark (ignites very flammable material - paper, oil; may ignite other stuff)
Flaming Finger (puts a small flame on your finger for a short time ~3rounds; no damage)
Boom (creates a firecracker, loud bang if thrown)
Adrenaline (boosts movement speed for one round)
Scorch (burns one easily flammable small item - paper, etc - without smoke or flame)
Cook (warms up food - enough for one instant soup :) )
Comfort (looking into a campfire, the target(s) are comforted by the playful presence of a flame. Can be also a distracting spell.)
Warm Bed (makes the blankets or whatever sleeping arrangement warm in just the way the caster likes it)
Spells:
Haste | 1 | V. Easy | success rounds of double speed (initiative)
Fire* | 1 | V. Easy | starts a fire, or causes success damage (max. 2) to a person
Fireball* | 3 | Easy | radius ~3 yards, causes success damage (max. 6) to the people hit by it
Wall of Fire* | 10 | Hard | a massive but short-lived effect, unless there is fuel to keep up the fire, causes up to 3 damage per round for half the success rounds, then 1 while it lasts. Caster is not protected from the spell after the first round.
Smoker | 2 | Easy | an existing fire is made to explode, minor damage (1 in 1 yard range); creates a cloud of smoke and ashes choking and disorienting those inside, range: 5+success yards; causes 1 subdual damage per two rounds of residing within the cloud.
Flaming Dart* | 1 | Easy | throwing a small flammable object, it starts to burn slightly, attempts to hit designated target, and goes out in a small explosion (max. damage 2)
Explosive charge* | 2/piece | Easy | a small sort-of-grenade, stays stable for up to success rounds, will detonate shortly afterwards; or if it's roughly handled; success damage (max. 3) in a range of two yards, 1 less for each further yard
Hot Feet* | 2 | Easy | target starts to have hot feet, and needs to jump around to get rid of the feeling, or resist the spell
Heat* | 1/2 rounds | Easy | target starts to get warmer and warmer; after some time will flammable materials start to burn, others will crack and even melt eventually. Range: touch. Target is not damaged if living.
Control Fire | 1/1m3 | Easy | allows to control the movement of fire for up to success rounds
Protection from Fire | 1+ | Easy | reduces damage from fire-based effects for success rounds according to the MPs used (so for instance, if cast with 2 MPs, it will lower any fire damage by 2)
Fire Shield | 1+ | Easy | protects against cold, for each MP used can consume up to 2 points of damage; may last up to twice success
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Cold Magic (+)
- creates or manipulates the effect of cold
- spells can have penalties to cast if it is hot
- cold mages sometimes specialize as artists with ice sculptures
- a famous Protect Ice spell variant was some 30 years ago used for forging diamonds, still well known
Cantrips:
Ice Cube (makes a small amount of ice out of water)
Cool (creates a cool feeling :) , often used on food, not directly on living targets; if cast on a liquid, it will be very refreshing if it is hot)
Gloves (protects hands against the cold effects of common snow and ice and the like, for a short time - ideal for a little snow-fight. Ice is not slippery to the hands for the duration.)
Meld Ice (helps in forming ice and snow nicely, ice sculptures can be easily made so)
Gooseflesh (gives target goosebumps. Great for those campfire stories.)
Spells
Ice* | 1+ | Easy | creates lots of ice out of water :)
Shape Ice | 1+ | Easy | creates any icy shape out of a mass of ice (or water, if combined with the spell above)
Chill Portal | 3 | Problematic | "locks" a portal, deals 3 damage to the person/creature passing through, 1 to the next person passing. If another MP is spent while casting, the caster is alerted of the event, if within a mile of the location.
Freeze body | | | slows target down, adds to protection, partially resistant to ice
Protect Ice 1* | 1 | V. Easy | protect ice from thawing for a time
Protect Ice 2* | 2 | Easy | as 1, makes ice harder and not wet
Move Cold | 2 | Easy | makes an area colder at the expense of another. 2 MPs are for a +/- 10 K temperature change in a 5x5x5 yard cube.
Protection from Cold | | | works as "Protection from Fire" from Fire Magic, protects from cold.
Cold Shield | | | works as "Fire Shield" from Fire Magic, consumes potential fire damage
---
School of Defense and Protection (+)
- obviously, it creates various defensive effects, concentrating more on the physical protection, but also on other effects
- a collection of varied spells that has sadly lost much of its philosophical background. The spells are used by everyone, the school has no dedicated followers today.
Cantrips:
Shield (creates a small buckler shield, vanishes after first violent blow or ~10 minutes; may consume 1 point of damage doing that)
Ward Area (can ward a small area against "threats" like minor insects and rodents, or dust)
Umbrella (protects caster against rain for up to one hour, must not break concentration for more than a round)
Veer (makes one thrown or rolling object veer to the left or right)
Slip (Makes someone's feet slippery for an instant, or a small area)
Spells:
Shield | 1+ | Easy | a field of energy protects the target's fore, for twice the success rounds a +2 to defense as against spells, can be renewed at any time, a Very Easy effect while the original spell lasts. Can also absorb physical damage, at most 2 per 1 Magic Point used.
Indestructible Object* | 2 | Easy | imbues an item with supernatural hardness, for success hours
Impregnable Wall* | | | Give a wall or barrier spell immunity, and minor bonus against direct damage.
Stoneskin* | | | makes your skin harder, duh; consumes some of the power of attacks
Rubber Man | 2 | Easy | makes body rubber-like, 2*success rounds, +2 defense against blunt weapons, blunt weapons cause halved subdual damage only
Extinguish Fire | 1+ | V.Easy | Snuffs out flames.
Flying Bandage | 1 | V.Easy | throwing a bandage or piece of cloth to a wounded target, it will wrap itself around the wounds
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Hedge Magic (+)
- the minor magics of rural spellcasters
- see Dragon Lord's Folk Magic
- see also Magical Pottery
Cantrips
- many! (For instance, see this list)
Mend ("heals" all pieces of an item together if they are present, for broken things, etc.)
Stick for a moment (Makes something stick like glue for a second or three. Great for gags and causing falls.)
Stick (Two objects are bound like they are glued by conventional glue.)
Spells:
Kiln Croft | | | Estimates heat accurately.
Craftsman's Eye | | | Estimates the dimensions (sizes) accurately.
...and more
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Fog Magic (+)
- creating and manipulating the fog phenomenon
- often a long casting time, depending on the conditions, the effects can have a long duration, too
- see Fog Magic for a full write-up, this School is actually a single (albeit diffilcut) spell of Water Magic
Cantrips:
- Dampen (dampens a small area)
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Water Magic
- the Art of manipulating the essence of water
- the spells DO NOT create water, it is taken from elsewhere, small amounts can come from atmospheric vapours, larger effects require an actual water source nearby
Cantrips
- Squeeze (mystically drains water out of an item - for non-living materials only)
- Solid Water (keeps a small volume of water in a tight shape, for as long as the caster holds it in his hands; not larger than a palm in any dimension)
- Dampen (dampens a small area)
- Filter (a handful of water is made drinkable)
- Puddle (a tiny puddle is created on the floor, enough to make somebody slip, or make it seem like a 'product' of some animal)
Spells:
Hold Water* | 2 | Easy | keeps a volume of water in a certain shape
Hold Water* | 4 | Problematic | keeps a volume of water in a certain shape. Also, the 'outside' part maintains its shape. So it is for example possible to pull a cube of a lake, creating a hole in the water that lasts for an hour.
Condense water | 1 | Easy | cast on a fitting area, water will more willingly condense on it
Camel | 2 | Easy | improves a creature's organisms water economy, helping it to last longer without water
Filter | 2 | Easy | produces pure, drinkable water basically out of any drinkable source. The taste can be miserable, but it is safe.
Unstable Ground | 1 | Easy | if the situation allows it, an area of the ground becomes more wet. Soil may become muddier, rock slippery, etc. May be used for agricultural purposes, but more often it is a defensive measure, that causes the enemy to loose footing.
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Jack creation
- a lost art of creating golemic creatures. Records indicate it was very favoured in the past.
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Priestly schools of magic
#2Illusion Magic (++)
- consult Illusions
- while actually priestly magic, it can be learned by "common" wizards, as the spells
- no magic is supplied via the school of magic itself, the caster needs some other source - the Magic Skill for instance
- most effects can be created with the School itself (estimate MP cost, diffilcuty, and effect in-game - needs guidelines) but there are specific spells as well
- it is possible to create specialised skills that aid with some aspects only - like sound, feeling, etc
- illusions are much easier to see through in direct sunlight
- priests cannot learn spells from the school of Healing
- Bless: no Bless spell
- Curse: Gullible (target has a tendency to believe anything said; can only be cast by priests)
- difference between actual priests and other magic users employing Illusion Magic: priests are those with a certain faith, practicing rituals, etc. While there is no difference in game mechanics, priests produce sometimes illusions that are almost... real. No game rule, but actually a mark of Divine Grace. (Also a GM tool.)
Cantrips - many Illusion cantrips
Cover
Spells:
Numbing Darkness | | | only effective in darkness - makes it scary and downright paralysing, victims are afraid to even move
Darksight | | | same as the spell of Light Magic, lasts for 2*success hours
Shadow Spy | | | see what a certain shadow could observe
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Healing (+)
- note: this school of magic is NOT available to each spell casting character, details depend on the game world. It is available to many priests, though.
- it is not bound to a specific deity
Cantrips:
Only a Scratch (used on a tiny wound, it is closed; it takes several cantrips to heal 1 damage worth)
Adrenaline (boosts movement speed for one round)
Spells:
Cure Light Wounds* | 1 MP | V.Easy | heals a maximum amount of 2 damage
Cure Serious Wounds* | 3 MP | Easy | heals a maximum amount of 6 damage
Weaken Poison* | | | Reduce damage from toxins.
Neutralize Poison* | | | May neutralize poison completely if cast quickly enough.
Cure Disease | | | (needs guidelines!)
Mend Bone | | | strengthtens a weakened or broken bone (it should be held correctly before); too much strain can break the spell and the leg!
Doping | | | improves target's physical characteristics for a time, suffering consequences later; lasts success hours
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Spells of the Path (++)
- priestly magic bound to the deity Magros
- many spells have to be cast outside, or even on the road directly, often with at least some wind present
- Bless: stronger variants need to be cast outside; confer luck and protection on the road
- Curse: Loose the Path - the target is cursed with an inability to orientate oneself
- a priest is able to learn spells from the school of Healing
Cantrips:
Static charge (a weak bolt, victim will be plagued by static electricity)
Zap (weak bolt, does 1 subdual damage)
Marbles (summons a handful of marbles from the surrounding)
Sharpen (sharpens a small tool)
Dust (removes or adds dust from/to a small area)
Protection from Dust (makes breathing in dusty enviroments easier)
Flicker (it creates a faint motion in the air, just enough to attract attention and distract people)
Adrenaline (boosts movement speed for one round)
Spells:
Dust Cloud | (depends on size) | | needs dust around, wind produces a thick cloud that is hard to see (and breath) through, caster or target can breathe freely, diffilcuty rises for more targets; note that the dust has to settle on its own
Haste | | | as the Fire Magic variant, works 2*success rounds
Carrier | 2 | V.Easy | cast on a single person or draft animal, target gets a +2 to strength for carrying purposes, for 2*success hours. May be only cast outside.
Gone With The Wind* | 1(caster) 2(other) | Easy | Wind carries target away, has to be unencumbered. Formula: 1 basic, +1 if has cloak, +1 if casting cost is doubled, double if walking, double again if running, the result is a bonus to the jump made with the wind's aid, in meters/yards. Casting time may depend on conditions; may be only cast outside. Watch your feet when landing.
Fly* | | | allows flight
Hands of the Wind | 1 | Easy | wind blows out the caster's hands, won't blow anyone away, but dust and leaves do fly. Lasts success rounds.
Far Sight | 1 | Easy | very distant objects can be seen, as target's sight dramatically improves
Storm Seeker | 2 | Easy | immunity against lightning, even natural lightning; may be only cast outside.
Lost* | 2 | Easy | victim becomes lost, cannot find way for a time period depending on its familiarity with surroundings and help
Confusion* | 2 | Easy | a shorter but more powerful effect
Finding the Path | 1 | Easy | a strong boost to the orientation sense
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Magic of the Hearth (++)
- priestly magic asssociated with the deity Geryon, the priests are called Father and Mother
- important item: Pildun Bowl
- can learn spells from the school of Healing, no bonus to casting, though
- can learn spells from the school of Fire, no bonus to casting, though (this should be a little known and little used option)
- Bless: helps target with inter-personal relations; but also helps with crafts and agriculture
- Curse: Outcast - dramaticaly lowers the chances to function normally in society; victim becomes repulsive to others
Cantrips:
Bump (on natural earth, can trip people)
Marbles (summons a handful of marbles from the surrounding)
Sharpen (sharpens a small tool)
Freshen (makes food or vegetation fresh, can be reverted to Spoil)
Polite(Vaxum): one creature stays polite to the caster for as long as the caster is polite to him or until both parties are out of visual range, the character does not act differently from his/her nature, but it causes them not to be rude - attacking would be. A cruel character might for example politely tell the caster in great detail how he will crush his bones, but strangely will not do so for the spells duration.
Repel Rodents (best cast in storage rooms, multiple times if necessary, lasts hours, can last much longer (up to months) if combined with a potent blessing)
Comfort (looking into fire, target(s) will feel comforted; can be also a distracting spell)
Spells:
Tale of the Flame | 1 | V.Easy | gains limited insight from the fire (or ashes) on the activities that happened around it
Reveal Fire | 1+ | Easy | Detect flames unblocked by water. Long range.
Extinguish Fire | 1+ | Easy | Snuff out flames. Not a fast spell!
Sense Mood | 1, 2 for a group | Easy | senses the mood of a group or individual
Warming Words | 1 | V.Easy | cast when speaking to somebody; target has a feeling of warmth, and is calmed down, bonus of 1 if touching target
Protection from Fire | 3 | Problematic | no personal protection - it is a ritual to protect houses from catching on fire (lowers the chances)
Smoker | | | as the Fire Magic variant, range 5+2*success
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The Holy Light (++)
- priestly magic associated with the deity Heliol
- the caster is protected from any bright light his spells create, skill can help resisting other bright light effects
- can freely learn and cast all spells from the School of Light; recieves a bonus of 1 to all spells if in direct sunlight
- can learn spells from the school of Healing, no bonus to casting, though
- some spells may be only cast while there is daylight, or even direct sunlight
- Bless: produces light, wards against undead creatures
- Curse: Blind - blinds target
Cantrips:
Shine (removes tarnish, rust, corrosion, etc.)
Repel Dirt (so you have always clean clothes)
Spark (can ignite light sources, like torches, oil, and the like)
Sunglasses (protects eyes against effects of light, confers a bonus of +2)
Spells:
Sunburst* | | | same as the variant from the School of Light, twice the range and effect
Shining Example | 1 | Easy | courage-inspiring spell.
Light of Heavens | 2 | Easy | a minor healing effect in a small radius, requires daylight. Heals 1 HP to everyone joining the prayer.
The Bright Sun | 2 | Easy | Sunlight focuses more on target(s). No damage (unless undead or similar) but very uncomfortable. Long range.
Compel Testimony | | | Require truthful answers. Needs strong light or daylight.
Death Sense | | | Sense the presence of corpses.
Lethal Weapon | 1-2 | | detects if a certain weapon was used for killing a person - 1 for a general detection, 2 to check it caused the death of a given body. Daytime only.
Thief's Bane | | | protects item against theft
---
Nature's Way (++)
- priestly magic associated with the deity Artemia
- a priest can learn and cast spells of the School of Healing with the help of this skill (note that if learning also the School of Healing this can become a very effective healer)
- some spells can be cast only in free nature, or receive a bonus when done so
- Bless: may remove fatigue or even heal; can increase fertility and hair-growth; makes animals more friendly to target
- Curse: Repulsive to Nature - mostly to animals, but partly also to plants, would be a bad farmer (the "brown thumb")
Cantrips:
Hide Footprints (hides own tracks for a short time)
Sprout (Accelerates growth of plants. Seeds shoot forth tiny plants. Newly sprouted plants grow an inch or so. Buds flower. Fruit and vegetables ripen or even spoil.)
Hairy (Causes hair, fur, or fur-like growth to thicken and lengthen. Increase is 2-11 in. Must be trimmed or cut to remove effect. Can be reversed to shorten growth or effectively shave, effect on material under 1" is complete absence of growth for 2-11 days.)
Bird Attack (calls on a bird to drop *something* on a target. Very insidious.)
Gloves (isolates hands from whatever they are touching, for instance a sick person)
Tangle (for shoelaces, purse strings, but also grass, vines, etc. Makes a very difficult knot to untie.)
Serpent Charm (the cantrip counter to tangle, it unravels tangles of laces, hair, rope, twine, etc with little trouble)
Spells:
Detect Life chain:
Sense Life* | 1 | V.Easy | estimate if a body is still alive, or not
Sense Living* | 3 | Easy | scans an area for signs of life, for instance a battlefield
Feel* | 1 | Easy | caster slowly attunes to a living creature, and feels its health; helps in determining the ailment
Find Lifeform* | ? | ? | a long range scan for a life-form of a given type
Squirrel Climb | | | become an adept climber, even better on natural surfaces (like wood)
Swarm | | | if available, calls upon many insects to harass target
Wood Shape* | | | can shape wood almost like clay
Harden Wood* | | | makes wood much harder
Razor Grass | | | grass turns to knife-like sharpness and slashes at legs of those passing through it
Woodland Sight | | | see freely through leaves and twigs
Make tracks* | | | creates fake tracks
Alter tracks* | | | target leaves different tracks
Hide | | | creates a hideout in nature given some time and materials
Water Pearl | | | - see the Fresh Water Giving Pearl from Sigurd -
Workin magic in Icathia (K10)
#3Historical note:
The schools of magic are weirdly interconnected due to many of them originating from priestly magics, and later were adapted for "common" wizards. The various priesthoods have also varied access to the school of Healing.
For example, the deity known formerly as Phyros, later Geryon is associated with Fire (therefore it spawned/inspired the Fire Magic school). Over time, it was more and more identified with the community, later with crafts and even agriculture. The priests of this deity weild now the Magic of the Hearth (all schools may need better names :roll: ).
Similarly, "The Holy Light" spawned the school of Light Magic.
And all of this is game-world-dependant. :) -
Workin magic in Icathia (K10)
#4Necromancy
Had some diffilcuties to finish the whole list, then found much could be made easier by reference to a certain benchmark: Necromancy.
Why Necromancy? Because it makes possible to create undead, an "effect" beyond the usual bounds of my game world - undead are (until killed) permanent. Their creation involves calling of spirits, and reanimating dead - so when I can estimate how diffilcut it is to create undead, and how many undead can a necromancer control, I'll know more about my game world and the potential of magic in it.
Wanted: game mechanics for creating and controlling undead, both of these potentials should be limited, but allow even a weak necromancer at least a few undead servants.
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"Natural undead behaviour":
- attack living creatures
- most often hate their creator
- the dumber ones tend to stay in one place; have no interest in self-preservation
- the smarter ones may travel around in eternal unrest; may feel the need for self-preservation
- while most feel no pain, there are some things intensely painful to them they avoid - sunlight, holy water; hallowed grounds also cause discomfort
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Option I:
Necromancy as a School of Magic offers an important cantrip: Control Undead. It offers immediate control only over undead the necromancer has personally created, other undead are harder to control (using more cantrips; slow "domestication"; special spells, etc.).
Meeting an undead that is theoretically his own (was created by him), the necromancer has to use the control cantrip, to make it obey (and not attack outright). The control should last for long enough to be handy - let's say a day or so.
Any command that goes against the undead's "natural behaviour" (sketched above) would require another cantrip to be used; this is more diffilcut with smarter undead.
The number of cantrips a necromancer has, determines how many undead he can control. So... how many?
Cantrips can be gained at a rate of maximum 10 per Magic Point sacrificed. The roll for it is detailed elsewhere (see Cantrips), let's assume an average gain of 6. Sacrificing 5 MPs means 30 cantrips. Assuming a mediocre magic-user that has 15 MPs, this leaves 10 for common use. With 30 cantrips, a usable number of undead serving could be up to around 20! (It is useful to keep some in reserve, for critical commands.) Seems... a lot perhaps. Can be tweaked, though.
How much for that zombie?
Animate Dead is a composite/puzzle spell - create your own undead in three easy steps:
Calling Spirit: 2 MP for the dummy/broken spirit (skeletons and zombies), 3+MP for more intact, so more intelligent (and independent) spirits. If this is not done, the body becomes a mere puppet (the Necromancer must control it all times with his mind). The diffilcuty is at least Easy, without it would be Very Easy.
Life Force Invigorating: 1MP/1HP - tougher undead of course cost more, and tough adventurers are a good source :twisted: If this is not done, it becomes only a temporary undead, slowly falling apart (loosing 1 HP/3 days, faster if the creature is active). This enchantment can be cast later, but any damage would stay permanent.
Body control/Type - base 1MP for skeletons, 2 for zombies, 3 for ghouls, etc. Puppets may be only skeletons or zombies.
- needs to determine the special abilities and how they come into being, and adjust diffilcuty and MP cost according to it
Undead Example (a skeleton with 2 Life Points)
2 MP for Calling, 2 for the Life Force, and 1 for Body control = 5 Magic Points, diffilcuty: Easy
Puppeteer Option (take a lot of bones and a skilled Necromancer...)
To control a puppet is a Very Easy task with the Necromancy Skill. Add +1 for for each other undead doing the same thing, or +2 for doing _almost_ the same thing, more if the activity varies a lot.
So to make ten skeletal puppets you need 10*1 MP = 10 MP for Body Control.
Controlling them (if they do basically the same thing - advance in a line, etc.) is Very Easy 3 for the first + 9 other undead = 12 Very Hard. You better be a very good Necromancer if you want to promptly raise many puppets to do your bidding.
plus: very logical down to a detail
plus: magical power determines directly how many undead you can control, the more of them, the less spellcasting is possible
minus: possibly too much detail
minus: possibly too many undead (one guy can get a small army when sacrificing most of his magical potential) - but can be tweaked (say one cantrip for non-attacking, and one for obeying - cutting the number immediately to half)
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Other options:
- make the number of undead controlled depending on their total HPs - sort of a "hit-dice" count...
- all a matter of Skills
- ???