MAGIC SKILLS

Magic abilities are organized by domains, skills, and spells. Spells are the various ways a skill may be applied. A spell may be a specialization of the magic skill.

OMAINS

Domains are groups of similar skills. A domain reflects either an area of study or an innate ability.

Sorcery

Sorcerers direct energy into a form that suits them. The current understanding of sorcery allows wizards to shape fire, electricity, ionized gasses, and create spirits. Sorcery includes the following skills:

Battle Magic — All the spells that basically direct energy from Point A to Point B fall within this skill. Often times these are combat spells, but not always.

Create Spirit — Spirit in this context is simply a form of energy imprinted with the sorcerer's will. It is not an actual being, technically speaking. This skill is used to animate inanimate objects.

Enhance Item — Somewhat similar in concept to Create Spirit except this skill enhances an ability already inherent in an item, or perhaps add one the item might reasonably possess. The item is not physically altered. Rather, a spirit is infused which helps the item perform better.

The key difference to remember is Create Spirit animates, Enhance Item improves.

Dissipate Energy — The converse of Battle Magic. You can reduce the impact of a force, though it is often more difficult to stop a force than it is to set it in motion. Dissipate Energy is useful for putting out fires, stopping bullets, and banishing elementals.

Rune Magic

Rune Mages employ a mathematical approach to their craft. They are looking for the connection between magic and the natural sciences. They employ runes, which are actually symbols and diagrams representing the equations they have so far discovered.

It is the nature of the universe that it's properties can be transformed (or activated) through interaction with other elements. To put this in perspective: If you know an equation for making a physical connection between two separate points, visualizing that equation in your mind may make that connection real. It doesn't have to be a person. If you create a machine that can solve the formula, activating that machine will achieve the same result.

This is the basis of rune magic. In addition to calculators you can draw diagrams, metaphysical graphs that represent the function. Simply observing the diagram is enough to activate it. (Think of yourself as a sub-calculator of the universe.) If that is not strange enough, realize you do not have to understand the meaning of symbol. Anyone or anything observing the rune will set it off.

Metaphysical Geometry — You have some understanding of the mathematics of sorcery. This is the Spellcraft skill for Industrious Sorcery. It applies to all domains, except Alteration, with each domain being a specialty of this skill.

Create Inscription — Creates a protection ward or a containment ward. Wards are bounded diagrams, usually by a circle. Use of wards is de rigueur for Summon spells, but not absolutely required. Often a summoner will have a mat to stand on with a protection ward drawn it. Containing the summoned creature is not his problem.

Protection Ward: An observer outside the circle has difficulty observing the observer inside the circle. Got that? Of course, the observer inside the circle has no such problem. Any action taken towards the creature inside the circle has a +2 difficulty or 3D modifier.

Containment Ward: The creature inside the circle is compelled to remain there. Leaving the circle requires the creature to make a Stubbornness roll against the roll the wizard made when creating the ward.

Wards have no actual physical impediment. Tossing a grenade in the general direction of that which you cannot look at might solve your problem for you.

Summon Creature — Once the necessary wards are established, this spell can be used to open a portal through which a creature comes. The caster stands in a protection ward and summons the creature to the containment ward. An inscription is required to anchor the spell, presumably somewhere near the caster. The inscription can be on the floor, a wall, or a tattoo on the wizard's arm. The portal is opened at a distance along a vector specified by the summoning equation.

The energy required to open a portal between two dimensions is actually greater the closer the dimensions are to each other. It's greatest when within the same dimension. For this reason creatures summoned are often from dimensions significantly different from ours and may appear to be quite monstrous. Creatures with higher cosmic energy potentials (those that are bigger and nastier) are more difficult to summon.

Blink — A short range teleport spell. Due to the aforementioned energy limitations, this is the only teleport spell available to rune mages in this era. No inscription is required for this spell, as a portal is opened from the point of activation to a point in the direction of the wizard's choosing. Distance is anywhere up to ten meters for Difficulty Level of the spell.

Rune Trap — Creates an inscription that explodes when touched or viewed, but not both. If the view version is cast, the explosion is centered on the person or creature that first sees it.

Teleportation is unknown at this time. As evidenced by the Summon Creature and Blink skills it is certainly possible. The problem is you have to already know the coordinate of the place you wish to travel. So how do we know where to summon other creatures from? Thankfully the Al Azif gave us that information. We connect to a world known as Ul-Tynga, and you can reverse summon yourself there. It is not recommend as it is a very dangerous place and little of it has been explored so far.

You may have noticed Rune Magic spells are very precise. It is easy to make a mistake casting the spell. If the player fails their attempt by exactly one success, the game master should consider allowing the spell to occur, but with complications for the wizard.

Empathic Magic

This is the ability possessed by seers, mediums, and fortune tellers. Empathy makes people more sensitive to others and the world around them. Empaths are diviners for the most part.

Empathy is an innate ability. Characters must take the Empathy talent in order to use the skills in this domain. That does not mean this is an unknown domain. The existence of psychics is well known and studied, which is why psychics may use the Metaphysical Geometry skill in combination with their abilities.

Suggestion — You can influence or alter the thoughts of others. When combined with Persuasion, Bluff, or Intimidation you get an extra +1D to the attempt. It is also possible to plant false ideas or memories, or even possess another creature with this skill.

Telepathy — You can read or send thoughts to another mind. This differs from Suggestion because you are communicating instead of controlling a mind. Telepathy works much better if the other person is also a telepath. Since radio hasn't been invented yet, militaries and wealthy businesses sometimes employ telepaths to serve as message operators around the world.

Sense Thoughts is a basic use of Telepathy allowing an empath to sense the surface emotions of another creature, or simply detect their presence.

True Sight — You may attempt to see into the past, the future, or a distant location with different applications of this skill. An empathy may astrally project to see what is in another room, hold a locket to determine the fate of a loved one, sense dramatic events that happened at their location in the past, or get a premonition of a something yet to occur.

True Sight may be combined with attack, dodge, and initiative attempts in combat, because the psychic has a better idea of what is going to happen.

Psychic Healing — Allows the empath to mend wounds.

Alteration

You have seen it before. You struggle to open a jammed door, or remove a rusted bolt, and someone comes along and fixes the problem with little effort.

Alteration is the ability to change a physical object's form. It is an unknown ability, partially because altering the form of matter requires a relativistic view of matter and energy which few if any people have in this era. Still, it is an innate ability available to characters. They just don't know they have it. Alteration is the name of the domain, the one and only skill of that domain, and the talent required to use the skill.

The Alteration skill is a synergy skill useable in any situation involving the manipulation of material objects, such as Repair, Smithing, and Lock Picking. It counts as a spell when used but is unlikely to do the user much harm. A character that uses the skill frequently may develop a migraine, but that is the extent of their injuries.

Necromancy

Necromancy is a catch-all for all the evil uses of magic, most of which are found in the Al Azif, but some of which were already known. Use of these spells is punishable by death in most countries, assuming you make it to the dock. Burning at the stake is a popular punishment for the crime of necromancy. In the United States burning is considered to be uncivilized. They are quite content in hanging their necromancers.

Ironically, many of our current technologies were derived from these rituals. Cloning, golem-making, storing a copy of one's soul in a phylactery in case of death for example. Researchers studied these techniques and developed ways of achieving them with all the sacrificing and demon-cavorting elements.

ORCERY SPELLS

ENHANCE WEAPON

Enhance Weapon increases the attack or damage bonus of one weapon or a few dozen projectiles (as many as can be held in your hands). With melee weapons either attack or damage may be increased. You may increase both by casting the spell at a base Difficulty of 3. With ranged weapons, enhancing the weapon increases the attack bonus. Enhancing the projectiles increases damage.

Casting Enhance Weapon gives a +1D bonus at Base Difficulty and +1 pip for each higher level of difficulty.

Synergy bonus: Weaponsmith gives a bonus.

SHIELD

Sorcerers can also dissipate energy, but with reduced effect. A wizard using the Shield spell attempts to dissipate the kenetic enery of a sword or bullet. Shield enhances a person's armor or clothing with added protection.

Casting Shield gives a +1D bonus to armor at Base Difficulty and +1 pip for each higher level of difficulty.

Synergy bonus: Armorsmith gives a bonus.

Dart

Dart is your basic damage spell. A bolt of fire or plasma shoots from the wizard's hand towards the intended target.

Damage from Dart is 4D at Difficulty 1.

Synergy bonus: Marksmaship gives a bonus.

FIREBALL

Fireball is your basic damage spell for multiple targets grouped in one area. A ball of fire shoots from the wizard's hand, exploding at the intended spot resulting in damage to everything in a six meter radius. Alternatively the wizard may point at a spot and cause a pillar of flame to erupt from the ground, engulfing everything within range.

Damage from Fireball is 4D at Difficulty 2.

Synergy bonus: Marksmaship gives a bonus.

CHAIN LIGHTNING

Chain Lightning is a fun spell for a wizard surrounded by enemies. Upon successful casting of the spell all creatures with 20 meters of the wizard must make a Dodge attempt. A bolt of electricity arcs from the wizard to the closest creature that failed to get out of the way. From there the arc hits the creature next closest, and so on. The arc will not hit the wizard as he is the source, but it will bounce back and terminate with him if the energy is exhausted or no other targets are available. Each creature only gets hit once.

Special: Chain Lightning cast at Difficulty 3 or above allows the wizard to control the arc so it avoids friendly targets. If the casting attempt fails by exactly one success the spell still activates and all creatures, friend or foe, are endangered.

Damage from Chain Lightning is 4D at Difficulty 2, 6D at Difficulty 3. Damage to successive targets is reduced by -1D per target.

CHARGE CAPACITOR

Charge Capacitor allows the wizard to charge the capacitors or batteries of a machine. Most engines in this era powered by electricity (partially due to the existence of this spell). A wizard skilled in this spell can make a good living.

Notes: The difficulty of this spell varies significantly since it can be applied to anything from automobiles to warships. A player making frequent use of this spell should refer to the rules for spell creation and customize it to his needs.

The example given is for an automobile (scale +2D) given a day or two's worth of charge. The preparation time should be within one or two ranges of the duration as it is not a good idea to charge a battery too quickly. The Base Difficulty for this example came out to 2.5 which means you either round the Difficulty to 3 or make adjustments to the spell. For example the game master may rule the automobile has two batteries with a scale of +1D each, and has the player charge both individually at Difficulty 2.

CREATE ELEMENTAL

An elemental is basically an animated ball of energy. Elementals have different abilities depending on the form chosen by the wizard. Elementals have enough intelligence to competently attack their target, but they cannot do much else. They can attack a specified target or guard an area, attack the first thing to enter.

Elementals have basic abilities. Upon creation elementals recieve a number of dice to add to those abilities. The skill dice should be distributed more or less evenly among the four skills. The difficulty at which the spell is cast determines the amount of extra dice recieved. (Use the spell creation damage chart.) They gain +1D skill dice per Effect Value.

Elementals recieve damage just like regular creatures. Hit them enough and you will disrupt their cohesion. They have wound levels and suffer penalties based on their so-called injuries. They can also can be dispelled by a sorcerer's Dissipate Energy skill. The difficulty to do so is equal to the number of successes rolled to create it.

An elemental is given a basic command as part of it's creation, usually to attack a specified target. It will proceed to do so without need of guidance from the wizard. The wizard may give it a different command later at a cost of one action.

Death Throe: Elementals can be commanded to self-destruct. The specific effect for each is described in their listings. Penalties an elemental may have due to injuries are applied the action. Radius of the effect is 6 meters.

Fire Elementals resemble a vortex or pillar of flame. They specialize in ranged damage and are relatively heavy hitters, but they do not take damage well.

Lightning Elementals appear as a ball of lightning. They attack a target with a single arc, or multiple targets using Chain Lightning. Be forwarned - elementals do not discriminate. If directed to perfom a chain attack all creatures are potential targets, including the wizard.

Special: Lightning Elementals can travel along their own arc and reform next to their target. They must have performed a successful attack to do this.

Saint Elmo's Candle is an elemental comprised of plasma. They appear as a fluctuating, fluorescent violet glow about the diameter of a silver dollar. They are nimble and dart to and fro randomly. For their basic attack they flare up, causing damage to targets in melee range.

Special: Plasma elementals may attatch to the tip of a metallic object, such as a sword or gun, then engulf the object. This is automatic and no attack roll is required. But it is also a Death Throe for the elemental.

The person wielding or wearing the metallic item must roll to resist damage each round. The damage in the first round is the elemental's base damage, and increases +1D each successive round as the item heats up. At the same time the elemental's wound level increases each round, dissipating when reaching Out of Combat. Of course the item is still hot at this point and will take an equal amount of time to cool down.

Death Throe: The elemental explodes in a flash of light and sound. They get +2D to their attack. No damage is done, but all creatures within range that fail their Dodge roll are stunned for the next round and for another round per Effect Value.

UNE SPELLS

This section is forthcoming

MPATHY SPELLS

This section is forthcoming