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CODEX MYSTERIUM

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IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................55CCHHAAPPTTEERR 11:: MMAAGGEE CCHHAARRAACCTTEERRSS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................77

Magical Elements ..............................................................................................7Game Rule Information ......................................................................................8Feats ..................................................................................................................10Prestige Classes ................................................................................................17

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 22:: TTHHEE NNAATTUURREE OOFF MMAAGGIICC ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................3355Magic Aspects ..................................................................................................35Casting Spells ..................................................................................................37Considerations in Spellcasting ........................................................................46Spell Categories ................................................................................................49Learning Spells ................................................................................................49Finding Teachers and Spell Resources ..........................................................51The Limits of Magic ........................................................................................54The Demographics of Spellcasting ..................................................................55

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 33:: TTHHEE RRAACCEESS AANNDD MMAAGGIICC ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................5577Humans ............................................................................................................57Pecwae ..............................................................................................................61Elves ..................................................................................................................62Orks ..................................................................................................................63Dwarves ............................................................................................................64

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 44:: MMAAGGEESS,, MMOONNAARRCCHHIIEESS AANNDD MMOONNEEYY ............................................................................................................................................6677The Temple of the Magi ..................................................................................68Wyred ..............................................................................................................74Mage-guilds ......................................................................................................75Laws Pertaining to Magic ................................................................................78Hiring Spellcasters ..........................................................................................80Essences ............................................................................................................82Mageware Shops ..............................................................................................84

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 55:: MMAAGGIICC SSPPEELLLLSS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9911Spell Lists ..........................................................................................................91

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 66:: SSPPEELLLL DDEESSIIGGNN ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................114499Size ................................................................................................................149Range ..............................................................................................................153Powers ............................................................................................................154Duration ..........................................................................................................166A Final Note About Spell Creation ..............................................................167

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 77:: MMAAGGIICC IITTEEMMSS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................116699Handling Magic Items in Loerem ..................................................................169Loerem’s Enchanted and Magical Items ......................................................169Minor Artifact ................................................................................................179

CCHHAAPPTTEERR 88:: MMAAGGIICCAALL IITTEEMM CCRREEAATTIIOONN ............................................................................................................................................................................................................118811Requirements ..................................................................................................181Creating Magical Items ..................................................................................181Elemental Magic in the Creation ..................................................................182Metamagic Feats and Spell Effect Items ......................................................183Shared Spellcasting and Item Creation ........................................................183Masterwork Items ..........................................................................................183Magical Armor ..............................................................................................183Magical Weapons ..........................................................................................185Magical Potions ..............................................................................................189Magical Rings ................................................................................................189Magical Scrolls ..............................................................................................190Magical Rods ..................................................................................................191Magical Staves ................................................................................................191Magical Wands ..............................................................................................192Wondrous Items ............................................................................................192Artifacts ..........................................................................................................192Intelligent Item Creation ................................................................................192Adding New Abilities ....................................................................................192

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX:: CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................119944

Table 1.1: Elemental Mage and Void Mage ........................9Table 1.2: Artificer ............................................................17Table 1.3: Item Lore ..........................................................18Table 1.4: Hallowed Earth Cultist ....................................19Table 1.5: Death Mage ......................................................21Table 1.6: Element Master ................................................22Table 1.7: Hebentorin ........................................................25Table 1.8: Rebuke and Command Animals ......................26Table 1.9: Kalatorin ............................................................27Table 1.10: Sea Witch ........................................................29Table 1.11: War Mage ........................................................31Table 2.1: Races and the Magical Elements ....................35Table 2.2: Spellcaster Fortitude Saves ..............................39Table 2.3: Items Affected by Magical Attacks ..................43Table 2.4: Modifiers for Disbelieving Illusions ................48Table 2.5: Spell Familiarity and Total CT by Level ........51Table 4.1: Hiring Spellcasters ..........................................80Table 4.2: Alchemy ............................................................86Table 4.3: Healer’s Supplies ..............................................86Table 4.4: Magical Goods & Services ................................87Table 4.5: Religious Paraphernalia ..................................87Table 4.6: Scriveners’ Necessities ....................................88Table 4.7: Weights & Measures ........................................88Table 4.8: Miscellaneous Materials ..................................89Table 4.9: Special Weapons or Armor ..............................89Air Spells List ....................................................................91

Earth Spells List ................................................................91Fire Spells List....................................................................91Water Spells List ................................................................92Air/Fire (Lightning) Spells List ........................................92Air/Water (Weather) Spells List ........................................92Earth/Fire (Animal) Spells List..........................................93Earth/Water (Plant) Spells List ..........................................93Void Spells List ..................................................................93Table 6.1: Target and Effect Size Costs ..........................149Table 6.2: Medium-size Creatures Created by Spell ......150Table 6.3: Construct, Elemental, and

Undead Size Modifiers ............................................150Table 6.4: Area or Effect Size Costs ................................151Table 6.5: Standard Range Costs ....................................153Table 6.6: Extraordinary Range Costs ............................154Table 6.7: Will Saving Throw DC Costs ........................157Table 6.8: Movement Power Costs ..................................159Table 6.9: Transmutation Power Costs ..........................161Table 6.10: Special Damage Reduction Power Costs ....163Table 6.11: Intelligence Power Costs ..............................163Table 6.12: Damage Power Costs ....................................164Table 6.13: Saving Throw Power Costs ..........................165Table 6.14: Spell Duration Costs ....................................166Table 8.1: Calculating Magical Item

Base Price and Item Creation Threshold ................182Table 8.2: Fortification Special Qualities ......................185

LIST OF TABLES

INTRO

DU

CTION

ho should be able to use magic? It is a question

that has plagued us from time immemorial. Since

anyone, anywhere, has the ability to cultivate their

magic skills, regardless of race or social station, how

can we dictate who can and who cannot wield

magic?

The answer is simple. Only those who have received

proper training through the Temple of the Magi or

a Church-sanctioned tutor have earned the privilege

to use magic. Those who practice on their own have

not. Their understanding of the forces at work is

limited, and thus they are a danger to themselves

and to all those around them.

Those like yourselves, who have come to the Temple

to study the art as it has been perfected after cen-

turies of magical experience, will learn how and why

magic works. Here, you will begin your lives anew,

secure in the knowledge that you will leave here in

control of a force that so many claim to under-

stand, but so few really do.

Welcome, acolytes, to the Temple of the Magi!

WFROM REVERED HIGH MAGUS

LEBINTHO’S ADDRESS TO NEW ACOLYTES

4

INTRODUCTIONMagic is the soul of any fantasy role-playing game.Magic is a powerful tool in the hands of both play-ers and referees. Because magic is so powerful, itsuse can often be abused. Players endowed with toomuch magical power have no need to thinkthrough problems. A pinch of bat guano and theproblem is solved. Warriors with powerful magicalweapons can slay dragons with one hand whileholding a mug of ale in the other.

Magical spells in the Sovereign Stone world aredesigned to challenge the spellcaster, to encouragehim to think before he casts. Spellcasting is a dan-gerous and physically draining experience, poten-tially weakening the mage (perhaps even killinghim) each time he casts a spell. Magical items are

rare and difficult to come by in the world ofLoerem. Thus, when characters do find a magicalobject, they tend to value the item and use it care-fully and treat it with respect.

Magic in Loerem encourages the players and thereferee to be creative. The Codex Mysterium pro-vides the means for players and referees to createtheir own spells, rather than having to constantlyrely on spells published between its covers and thecovers of other books.

The Codex Mysterium penetrates the secret halls offamous institutions of magic such as the Temple ofthe Magi, the Dunkargan mage-guilds, and themysterious elven Wyred. The Codex Mysteriumprovides insights into the capabilities of magic, thereasoning and philosophy behind spellcasting, andhow magic is harnessed, shaped, and put to use.

Ultimately, the Codex Mysterium offers a magicsystem that is native to Loerem, but may be usedwith a world of your own creation or another pub-lished setting. Everything you need to know aboutbeing a spellcaster is included in this book: class-es, prestige classes, feats and skills, equipment, aswell as the rules for spell and magic item creation.Finally, there are more than 200 new spells con-tained within the Codex Mysterium; spells that canbe used for everything from raising a tsunami tocreating the feared and deadly ork jellyfire, fromallowing a person to walk unscathed through fireto turning someone into an unwitting assassin.

Open this book and prepare to be enchanted!

INTRODUCTION 5

MA

GE CH

ARA

CTERS

Chapter 1

was young once, and wild. I loved climbing

up the rigging of my father’s ship and hanging

from the top of the mizzen, or running along

the rail of the main deck.

I put in my fair share of work too, mind, but I

was an irresponsible lad.

It was my mother, the ship’s shaman, who

taught me to see that I could be so much more

than another deck hand. I could help the helms-

man guide the ship through the roughest storms

without ever coming close to the wheel. I could

speed the ship along even in the midst of the dol-

drums.

I owe my mother for the magic. I owe the magic

for my life.

I P’TAR, LORD OF THE SHARK

6

MAGE CHARACTERSMagic-using characters in Loerem come in twovarieties: elemental mages and Void mages.

Every member of every race of Loerem is capable ofcasting magic. But while the potential is there, thedifficulties and hardships of channeling magic areso formidable that only a special few choose magicas a profession. Each natural magical element(Earth, Air, Fire, and Water) is a mystery all itsown, so each must be learned separately. Theselection of one elemental magic over another isusually determined by the culture in which onelives.

Each race or culture views magic differently.Because Vinnengaeleans regulate the practice ofmagic through the Temple of the Magi, manymages from Vinnengael are Church priests.Dunkargan mages are almost always affiliated witha mage-guild. Elven mages, known as Wyred, areconsidered societal outcasts and are viewed amongtheir own people as disgraced individuals withouthonor. (See Chapter 3: The Races and Magic, for afull description of the role mages play in variouscultures.) Of course, in any race, there are inde-pendent-minded mages who do not choose toadhere to the roles society expects of them.

There are also Void mages, despite the fact thatVoid magic is abhorred by most of the people liv-ing in Loerem. In times long past, the practice ofVoid magic was more widely accepted, but thetragic events that led to the fall of Old Vinnengaelcaused the practice of Void magic to be outlawed,forcing its devotees to work their arcane art in iso-lation.

MAGICAL ELEMENTSThere are four different types of elemental magic,each corresponding to one of the four natural ele-ments (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water), and one thatcorresponds to the unnatural element (the Void).Each race (all human cultures, dwarves, elves,orks, and pecwae) is advantaged in the casting ofone magical element and disadvantaged in thecasting of another. The two remaining elements areconsidered neutral elements. Whether an elemen-tal mage is advantaged, disadvantaged, or neutralwith regard to the element of a spell that he is cast-ing reflects the ease with which he can withstandthe hardships of channeling magic. (See Chapter 2:The Nature of Magic, for more information.) Voidmages are advantaged in Void magic. While taintedby the Void, they are disadvantaged in all other ele-mental magicks.

Air Magic: Air magic grants the power to read andcontrol the minds of others, gives the ability to cre-

ate images without substance, to use the power ofmagic to aid movement, and to use the air itself asa weapon. Elves are naturally advantaged in Airmagic. All humans and pecwae are disadvantagedin Air magic. Dwarves and orks are neutral.

Earth Magic: The magic of Earth grants the powerof healing, gives the ability to create constructs ofearth and stone, change the shape of objects, andprovides protection from both magical and physi-cal harm. Humans and pecwae are naturallyadvantaged in Earth magic. Elves are disadvan-taged in the use of Earth magic. Dwarves and orksare neutral.

Fire Magic: The magical element of Fire is bothdestructive and instructive. Flame may be used asmore than a weapon, allowing Fire mages to seeinto the past to learn its many lessons. Dwarves(both Clan and Unhorsed) are advantaged in Firemagic. Orken spellcasters are disadvantaged in thecasting of Fire magic. Humans, pecwae, and elvesare neutral.

Water Magic: Water grants the power of scrying, ofseeing and hearing things in the present, and com-municating with others. Water magic also facili-tates communication with fish and other aquaticcreatures. Orks are advantaged in the casting ofWater magic. Dwarves are disadvantaged in Watermagic. Humans, pecwae, and elves are neutral.

Void Magic: Void is the ultimate destructive force.It is the power of death, shadows, and undeath.Those advantaged in the casting of Void magic aredisadvantaged in the casting of all other elementalmagicks and are tainted by the Void.

Each elemental mage (Air mage, Earth mage, Firemage, and Water mage) is a separate class untoitself, as is Void mage. An Earth mage can castEarth magic spells, while an Air mage can cast Airmagic spells. A mage of one single elemental magiccannot cast spells from a different element. How-ever, a character who possesses levels in one ele-ment and then multiclasses, taking levels in anoth-er, is able to cast spells from both elements. Forexample, an Earth mage possesses levels in Earthmagic. He multiclasses, taking a level in Air magic,and he is then able to cast both Earth and Air magicspells. Those who are interested in casting Voidmagic spells must take levels as a Void mage.

II

MAGE CHARACTERS 7

GAME RULE INFORMATIONAbilities: Intelligence and Constitution are bothextremely important abilities for elemental mages(of all types) and Void mages. Intelligence affectsthe number of spells the mage knows, while a goodConstitution allows a mage to channel magic withmore ease than a person in poor health.

Hit Die: d6.

Elemental Mage and Void Mage Class SkillsThe elemental mage’s class skills (and the key abil-ity for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration(Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills,taken individually) (Int), Literacy ( ), Profession(Wis), Scry (Int), Speak Language ( ), and Spell-craft (Int).

The Void mage’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con),Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individual-ly) (Int), Literacy ( ), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int),and Spellcraft (Int).

Class FeaturesWeapon and Armor Proficiency: Elemental magesand Void mages are skilled with all simpleweapons. They are proficient in the use of lightarmor.

Bonus Feats: Every five levels an elemental mageor Void mage gains a bonus feat. This feat must bea metamagic feat, an item creation feat, or SpellMastery. (See Feats in this chapter for more infor-mation.) These feats are in addition to the standardfeats available to all characters and are not limitedto a specific category.

Spells: An elemental mage or a Void mage canattempt to cast magic spells comprised of his par-ticular element. For example, an Air mage canattempt to cast Air magic spells. A Void mage mayattempt to cast Void magic spells. Each round amage spends casting a spell, he must roll 1d20 andapply the following modifiers: spellcasting bonusplus any additional special modifiers (such asusing an enhanced essence or racial castingbonus). These numbers are applied toward theCasting Threshold (CT) of the spell. The spellcast-ing rolls are added together each round until theCT is reached (or exceeded) and the spell takeseffect.

Elemental Magic Spellcasting: Channeling ele-mental magic is dangerous work, draining themage both physically and mentally. For each roundan elemental mage spends spellcasting (includingthe first), he must make a Fortitude save. Thesave’s DC depends upon the caster’s race andwhether he is advantaged (DC 8), neutral (DC 10),

or disadvantaged (DC 12) with regard to the ele-mental magic he is channeling.

For each round after the first spent in casting, theFortitude save’s DC increases by +1. Each roundthe check is failed, the caster takes 1d4 points ofsubdual damage. (See Core Rulebook I, page 134,for information on subdual damage.) This damagedoes not interrupt casting, unless the damage issufficient to cause the elemental mage to fallunconscious.

Void Magic Spellcasting: Channeling Void magic isvery dangerous. For each round of spellcasting(including the first), the Void mage must make aFortitude save against a DC 8. For each round (afterthe first) spent in casting, the Fortitude save’s DCincreases by +1. Each round the check is failed, thecaster takes 1d4 points of normal (not subdual)damage.

Tainted by Void: A Void mage is normally advan-taged in his race’s natural element (Air for elves,Fire for dwarves, etc.). Once he begins to cast aVoid spell, the Void mage becomes tainted by Void.While tainted, the Void mage is considered advan-taged in the casting of Void magic and disadvan-taged in the casting of all other magical elements.While tainted, a character cannot be healed bymagical means. He must heal all damage (both thattaken through casting and that suffered throughother means) naturally. Once the Void mage hasnaturally healed all damage, the taint is removedand he becomes advantaged in his race’s naturalelement and can once again benefit from magicalhealing.

Botching: If a 1 is rolled on any round of spellcast-ing, it is considered a botch. If an elemental mageis advantaged or neutral with regard to the elementof the spell he is casting, he may attempt a Con-centration skill check. Success allows him to applythe 1 toward the CT of the spell and to continuecasting. Should the elemental mage fail the Con-centration skill check, the spell fails and he muststart over. If the elemental mage botches whilecasting a spell of an element in which he is disad-vantaged, the spell automatically fails and themage must begin casting anew. In any case, a botchalways indicates an automatic failure of the ele-mental mage’s Fortitude save, whether he succeedsin regaining control of the spell or not.

When a Void mage botches during casting, he mayattempt a Concentration skill check as normal.Success allows him to apply the 1 toward the CT ofthe spell and continue casting. If the Void magefails the Concentration skill check, the spell failsand he must start over. As with the elementalmage, a Void mage who botches is considered tohave automatically failed his Fortitude save for

MAGE CHARACTERS8

II

that round of spellcasting (see Chapter 2: TheNature of Magic).

Voluntarily Sacrificing Life Essence: Since Voidmagic is powered by the very life force of the spell-caster, it is possible for a Void mage to sacrifice hitpoints to the Void in order to finish a spell morequickly. The Void mage suffers damage equal to thedifference between the spell’s CT and his currentspellcasting total. This damage is taken and thespell is activated in the same round. (Elementalmages are not able to cast spells by sacrificing lifeessence.)

Bonus Language: Elemental mages and Void magesmay choose one extra language at 1st level.

Spell Familiarity: Elemental mages and Voidmages are limited in the number of spells that theyknow from memory. Thus all mages in Loeremkeep spellbooks, scroll collections or some othermeans of storing spells. The more powerful andintelligent the mage, the more spells he can castwithout referring to a book or scroll.

If a mage is unfamiliar with a particular spell (evenif it is written in his spellbook), that spell is con-sidered Full Reference. The mage must study thespell for one round for every 25 points of the spell’sCT. For example, if an Earth mage is casting pushaway (a spell with a CT 61), he would have to

spend three full rounds studying the spell beforeattempting to cast it.

A mage can have a number of spells that he knowsfairly well, but still needs to refer to a manuscriptin order to cast. These spells are known as QuickReference spells. An elemental mage or Void magemust study Quick Reference spells for one roundbefore he may begin casting. Once the mage hasconsulted the spell, he does not need to review itagain for one hour (and may cast the spell as if itwere Intimate Knowledge during that time). Thenumbers listed on Table 2.5 represent the totalCasting Threshold points a mage may know asQuick Reference. This value is modified by themage’s Intelligence modifier × 10. For example, a4th level mage with a 17 Intelligence (+3 Int modi-fier) could have a number of spells whose collec-tive Casting Thresholds did not exceed 110.

Elemental and Void mages know a number ofspells at Intimate Knowledge. A mage casting anIntimate Knowledge spell does not need to refer tohis spellbook, but may immediately begin casting.The numbers listed on Table 2.5 represent the totalCasting Threshold points a mage may know as Inti-mate Knowledge. This value is modified by themage’s Intelligence modifier × 10. The mage usedin the example above (at 4th level with a 17 Intel-ligence) can understand 70 CT points worth ofspells as Intimate Knowledge.

II

MAGE CHARACTERS 9

TABLE 1.1: ELEMENTAL MAGE AND VOID MAGE

Base Fort Ref WillLevel Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting Bonus

1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +12 +1 +0 +0 +3 +23 +1 +1 +1 +3 +34 +2 +1 +1 +4 +45 +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus feat +56 +3 +2 +2 +5 +67 +3 +2 +2 +5 +78 +4 +2 +2 +6 +89 +4 +3 +3 +6 +910 +5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus feat +1011 +5 +3 +3 +7 +1112 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 +1213 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 +1314 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 +1415 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Bonus feat +1516 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 +1617 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 +1718 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 +1819 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 +1920 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Bonus feat +20

Please note that if an elemental mage or Void magedecides to multiclass into various elements, thetotals listed on Table 2.5 do not stack. These totalsapply only to the type of magic chosen for a par-ticular class.

During character creation the player must choosewhich spells the mage understands as Quick Refer-ence and Intimate Knowledge, as defined above.Every time the character gains a level as an ele-mental mage or Void mage, he may switch spellsfrom the three categories as he chooses, with theexception that a spell can improve only one cate-gory per level. For example, a mage would have togain two levels before a Full Reference spell couldbe understood at Intimate Knowledge. The magemay drop a spell from Intimate Knowledge to FullReference without restriction.

FEATSFeats are special abilities that allow the mage toaccomplish the extraordinary. Feats are acquiredby class and character level, as described in theCore Rulebook I. (For characters in Loerem, the featdescriptions provided below supercede descrip-tions of similar feats that appear in other sources.)

Item Creation FeatsAn item creation feat lets a spellcaster create amagic item of a particular type. Regardless of thetype of item created, all item creation feats havecertain features in common.

XP Cost: Spellcasters must use vast amounts ofenergy and must plumb the depths of their knowl-edge when making a magic item. The XP cost thata mage must pay when creating a magic itemequals 1/25 the base cost of the item in argents (sil-ver pieces). A character cannot spend so much XPthat he loses a level. However, on gaining enoughXP to achieve a new level, he can immediatelyexpend XP on creating an item rather than keepingthe XP to advance a level.

Raw Materials Cost: Creating a magic itemrequires costly components, most of which areconsumed in the process. The cost of these materi-als equals half the cost of the item.

Using an item creation feat generally requiresaccess to a laboratory or magical workshop, specialtools, and so on. A character generally has accessto what he needs unless unusual circumstancesapply.

Time: The time to create a magic item depends onthe feat and the cost of the item. The minimumtime is 1 day.

Item Cost: The cost of magical items is defined byitem type, effect, or CT of a given spell. (See Chap-

ter 8 for more information and specific item cre-ation costs.)

Metamagic FeatsThrough study and practice, the mages of Loeremmay learn to improve their spellcasting abilities.The following feats are available to elemental andVoid mages: Chain Spell, Empower Spell, EnlargeSpell, Extend Spell, Maximize Spell, QuickenSpell, Silent Spell, Spell Mastery, and Still Spell.(Note that the metamagic feats have been revisedfor use in Loerem.)

Effects of Metamagic Feats on a Spell: A metamag-ic spell operates in all ways as described, eventhough it becomes more difficult to cast (with ahigher Casting Threshold). Saving throw modifica-tions are not changed (unless stated otherwise inthe feat description). Any modification made to aspell because of a metamagic feat applies only to aspell cast directly by the feat-user. A spellcastercannot use a metamagic feat to alter a spell castfrom a wand, scroll, or other device.

Multiple Metamagic Feats on a Spell: A spellcast-er can use multiple metamagic feats on a singlespell. Changes to its CT are cumulative.

Feat Descriptions

Brew Potion [Item Creation]You have learned to create potions that can beenchanted with magical spells. (See Chapter 8 forrules on potions.)

Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 3rd+.

Benefit: The mage can create a potion of any CT 45spell (or lower) that the he knows as Quick Refer-ence or Intimate Knowledge and that targets a crea-ture or creatures. When the mage creates a potion,he sets the caster level of the “stored” spell. Thebase price of a potion is the spell’s CT × 30 argents.To brew a potion, the character must spend 1/25 ofthis base price in XP and use up raw materials cost-ing half this base price. Each day of creation, thespellcaster must make an Item Creation roll, whichis 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for the element ofthe spell, keeping a cumulative total for each day.(There is no chance of botching on this roll.) Whenthe cumulative Item Creation rolls equals orexceeds the Item Creation Threshold for creatingthe potion, the potion is completed on that day.Each day of item creation also requires a Fortitudesaving throw: DC 8 for advantaged magic, DC 10 forneutral magic, DC 12 for disadvantaged magic.Failing the Fortitude save causes the spellcaster tosuffer 1d4 points of subdual damage for elementalmagic or 1d4 hit points of normal damage for Voidmagic.

MAGE CHARACTERS10

II

When the mage creates a potion, he makes anychoices that he would normally make while cast-ing the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the tar-get of the spell.

Cabalistic Spellcasting [General]You have learned how to cast spells cooperativelywith a large group.

Prerequisites: Spellcaster level 15+, Shared Spell-casting, Cooperative Spellcasting.

Benefit: A mage withthis feat may coopera-tively cast a spell withup to nine other spell-casters who possessCabalistic Spellcastingor three spellcasterswho do not. The spellthat is to be cast usingCabalistic Spellcastingmust be known to every-one involved. Coopera-tive spellcasting is start-ed as a free action.Everyone who is to par-ticipate in the coopera-tive spellcasting mustagree to do so. The spellis cast with each magemaking his spellcastingroll on his individualinitiative. All rolls aretotaled and appliedtoward the spell’s CT(Casting Threshold). If,for any reason, one ofthe casters cannot continue to aid in spellcasting,the remaining spellcasters may continue to castand finish the spell without him. The spell takeseffect on the initiative of the spellcaster whose rollequals or surpasses the spell’s CT.

Special: This feat does not stack with either SharedSpellcasting or Cooperative Spellcasting.

Chain Spell [Metamagic]You have learned how to cast spells that arc from aprimary target to secondary targets.

Benefit: This feat allows the caster’s spells to arcfrom target to target. Only spells with an area of“ray” or “cone” are affected by this feat (referee’sdiscretion to allow other spells to be used as well).Spells with an area of “cone” become rays whencast with the chain spell feat.

Provided that the caster succeeds at his rangedtouch attack, the chained spell hits a primary tar-

get first. Once the spell hits the primary target, sec-ondary rays then arc from the primary target to hita number of secondary targets. The caster may gen-erate a number of rays equal to his caster level. Thecaster makes a ranged touch attack as normal tostrike each secondary target. The caster maychoose which secondary targets he hits, but theymust all be within 30 feet of the primary target.While more than one secondary ray may be aimedat a secondary target, the target will suffer only the

results of one secondaryray, no matter howmany rays succeed instriking him. The castermay choose to affectfewer secondary targetsthan the feat allows.

The primary target isaffected by the spell asnormal, but secondarytargets take half damage(or effect) from the spell.If the spell causes aneffect other than dam-age, the secondary targetreceives a +4 circum-stance bonus to anyapplicable save.

A chained spell adds 45points to the chosenspell’s CT.

Concealed Spellcast-ing [General]You have the ability todisguise your spellcast-

ing so that others cannot determine its source.

Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+

Benefit: When casting a spell, the mage may makea Hide skill check (opposed by a Spot check fromanyone observing) to disguise the source of a spell.Somatic, verbal, and elemental components arestill required; their use is simply disguised as nor-mal gestures and sounds. Note that some spells(such as sheet lightning or fireball) cannot be con-cealed, at the referee’s discretion.

Special: Use of the Still Spell or Silent Spell featgrants a +2 synergy bonus to Hide skill checkswhen using this feat. (These bonuses stack, granti-ng a +4 bonus to Hide checks when using a silentand still spell.)

Cooperative Spellcasting [General]You have learned how to cast spells cooperativelywith a small group.

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MAGE CHARACTERS 11

Prerequisites: Spellcaster level 10+, Shared Spell-casting.

Benefit: The mage may cooperatively cast a spellwith up to four other spellcasters who possessCooperative Spellcasting or one spellcaster whodoes not. The spell must be known to everyoneinvolved. Cooperative spellcasting is started as afree action. Everyone who is to participate in thecooperative spellcasting must agree to do so. Thespell is cast with each mage making his spellcast-ing roll on his individual initiative. All rolls aretotaled and applied toward the spell’s CT (CastingThreshold). If, for any reason, one of the magescannot continue to aid in spellcasting, the othersmay finish the spell without him. The spell is caston the initiative of the spellcaster whose roll caus-es the spellcasting total to equal or exceed thespell’s CT.

Special: This feat does not stack with either SharedSpellcasting or Cabalistic Spellcasting.

Craft Magic Arms and Armor [Item Creation]You can create magic weapons, armor, and shields.

Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 5th+.

Benefit: The character can create a magic weapon,armor or shield. To enhance a weapon, suit ofarmor or shield, the mage must spend 1/25 of itsfeatures’ total price in XP and use up raw materialscosting half of this total price (see Chapter 8: MagicItem Creation for more information). It takes oneday per 1000 argents of an item’s base price to pre-pare it for enchantment. Each day of enchanting,the spellcaster must make an Item Creation roll,which is 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for thatmagical element, keeping a cumulative total foreach day. (There is no way to botch when makingthis roll.) Once the cumulative Item Creation rollsequal or exceed the Item Creation Threshold forcreating the item, the item is completed on thatday. Each day of item creation also requires a For-titude saving throw: DC 8 for advantaged magic,DC 10 for neutral magic, DC 12 for disadvantagedmagic. Failing the Fortitude save causes the spell-caster to suffer 1d4 points of subdual damage forelemental magic or 1d4 hit points of normal dam-age for Void magic.

The mage can also mend a broken magic weapon,suit of armor or shield if it is an object that thecharacter could make. Doing so costs half the XP,half the raw materials, and half the time (using thesame Item Creation rolls as above, noting half theItem Creation Threshold) it would take to enchantthe item in the first place.

The weapon, armor or shield to be enhanced mustbe a masterwork item that the mage must provide.(Its cost is not included in the above cost.)

Craft Rod [Item Creation]You can create a magical rod.


Benefit: To craft a rod, the character must spend1/25 of its base price in XP and use up raw materi-als costing half of its base price (see Chapter 8:Magic Item Creation for more information). It takesone day per 1000 argents of an item’s base price toprepare it for enchantment. Each day of creation,the spellcaster must make an Item Creation roll,which is 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for thatmagical element, keeping a cumulative total foreach day. (There is no way to botch when makingthis roll.) Once the cumulative Item Creation rollsequal or exceed the Item Creation Threshold forcreating the rod, the rod is completed on that day.Each day spent enchanting the rod also requires aFortitude saving throw: DC 8 for advantagedmagic, DC 10 for neutral magic, DC 12 for disad-vantaged magic. Failing the Fortitude save causesthe spellcaster to suffer 1d4 points of subdualdamage for elemental magic or 1d4 hit points ofnormal damage for Void magic.

Some rods incur extra costs in material compo-nents or XP as noted in their descriptions. Thesecosts are in addition to those derived from the rod’sbase price.

Craft Staff [Item Creation]You can create a magical staff.


Benefit: To craft a staff, the character must spend1/25 of its base price in XP and use up raw materi-als costing half of its base price. It takes one dayper 1000 argents of an item’s base price to prepareit for enchantment. Each day of enchanting, thespellcaster must make an Item Creation roll, whichis 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for that magicalelement, keeping a cumulative total for each day.(There is no way to botch when making this roll.)Once the cumulative Item Creation rolls equal orexceed the Item Creation Threshold for creatingthe staff, the staff is completed on that day. Eachday of item creation also requires a Fortitude sav-ing throw: DC 8 for advantaged magic, DC 10 forneutral magic, DC 12 for disadvantaged magic.Failing the Fortitude save causes the spellcaster tosuffer 1d4 points of subdual damage for elementalmagic or 1d4 hit points of normal damage for Voidmagic.

A newly created staff has 50 charges.

MAGE CHARACTERS12

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Some staffs incur extra costs in material compo-nents or XP as noted in their descriptions. Thesecosts are in addition to those derived from thestaff’s base price.

Craft Wand [Item Creation]You can create wands that cast spells (see Chapter8: Magic Item Creation for rules on wands).


Benefit: The character can create a wand of anyspell he knows that is of CT 60 or lower. The baseprice of a wand is the spell’s Casting Threshold ×450 argents. To craft a wand, the character mustspend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up rawmaterials costing half of this base price. It takes oneday per 1000 argents of an item’s base price to pre-pare it for enchantment. Each day of enchanting,the spellcaster must make an Item Creation roll,which is 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for thatmagical element, keeping a cumulative total foreach day. (There is no way to botch when makingthis roll.) When the cumulative Item Creation rollsequal or exceed the Item Creation Threshold forcreating the wand, it is completed on that day.Each day of item creation also requires a Fortitudesaving throw: DC 8 for advantaged magic, DC 10 forneutral magic, DC 12 for disadvantaged magic.Failing the Fortitude save causes the spellcaster tosuffer 1d4 points of subdual damage for elementalmagic or 1d4 hit points of normal damage for Voidmagic.

A newly created wand has 50 charges.

Craft Wondrous Item [Item Creation]You can create miscellaneous magic items.

Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 3rd+.

Benefit: The character can create a miscellaneousmagical item. To enchant a miscellaneous magicitem, the spellcaster must spend 1/25 of the item’sprice in XP and use up raw materials costing halfof this price. It takes one day per 1000 argents of anitem’s base price to prepare it for enchantment.Each day of enchanting, the spellcaster must makean Item Creation roll, which is 1d20 + his spell-casting bonus for that magical element, keeping acumulative total for each day. (There is no way tobotch when making this roll.) Once the cumulativeItem Creation rolls equal or exceed the Item Cre-ation Threshold for creating the item, it is com-pleted on that day. Each day of item creation alsorequires a Fortitude saving throw: DC 8 for advan-taged magic, DC 10 for neutral magic, DC 12 fordisadvantaged magic. Failing the Fortitude savecauses the spellcaster to suffer 1d4 points of subd-

ual damage for elemental magic or 1d4 hit points ofnormal damage for Void magic.

The mage can also mend a broken miscellaneousmagic item if it is one that he could make. Doing socosts half the XP, half the raw materials, and halfthe time (using the same Item Creation rolls asabove, noting half the Item Creation Threshold) itwould take to enchant the item in the first place.

Some wondrous items incur extra costs in materialcomponents or XP as noted in their descriptions.These costs are in addition to those derived fromthe item’s base price. The mage must pay such acost to create an item or to mend a broken one.

Dual-Elemental Tolerance [General]You are resistant to spells from one of the dual-ele-mental magicks.

Prerequisite: Elemental Tolerance (for two adja-cent elements).

Benefit: When this feat is selected, the mage gainsa +2 resistance bonus to all spells and spell-likeeffects from one dual-element magic.

Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Itseffects do not stack. Each time the character takesthe feat, a new dual-element magic must be cho-sen. The only dual-element magicks that may bechosen are those for which the character alreadypossesses Elemental Tolerance. For example, acharacter who has taken the Elemental Tolerancefeat for Earth and Fire magic may take the Dual-Elemental Tolerance feat for Earth/Fire magic.

Elemental Tolerance [General]You are resistant to spells from one magical ele-ment.

Benefit: When this feat is selected, the mage mustchoose one element of magic (Earth, Air, Fire,Water, or Void) to benefit from this spell. The magegains a +2 resistance bonus to all spells and spell-like effects from that magical element.

Special: The player may take this feat multipletimes. Its effects do not stack. Each time the playertakes the feat, a new magical element must be cho-sen.

Empower Spell [Metamagic]You can channel additional magical energy tomake a spell more effective.

Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of an empow-ered spell are increased by one-half. An empow-ered spell deals half again as much damage as nor-mal, cures half again as many hit points, affectshalf again as many targets, etc., as appropriate.Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected.

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MAGE CHARACTERS 13

MAGE CHARACTERS14

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Spells without random variables are not affected.An empowered spell adds 30 points to the chosenspell’s CT (Casting Threshold).

Enlarge Spell [Metamagic]You understand how to cast spells at longer rangethan that which would normally be possible.

Benefit: An enlarged spell has its range doubled.Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance donot have their ranges increased. A spell whose areaor effect is determined by its range has the dimen-sions of its area or effect increased proportionally.An enlarged spell adds 15 points to the chosenspell’s CT.

Extend Spell [Metamagic]You have learned how to increase the time duringwhich a spell remains effective.

Benefit: An extended spell lasts twice as long as itwould normally. Spells with a concentration,instantaneous or permanent duration are notaffected by this feat. An extended spell adds 15points to the chosen spell’s CT.

Forge Ring [Item Creation]You can create magical rings.


Benefit: The mage can create a magical ring. Tocraft a ring, the spellcaster must spend 1/25 of itsbase price in XP and use up raw materials costinghalf of its base price. It takes one day per 1000argents of an item’s base price to prepare it forenchantment. Each day of enchanting, the spell-caster must make an Item Creation roll, which is1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for that magical ele-ment, keeping a cumulative total for each day.(There is no way to botch when making this roll.)The ring is completed on the day that the cumula-tive Item Creation rolls equal or exceed the ItemCreation Threshold for creating the ring. Each dayof item creation also requires a Fortitude savingthrow: DC 8 for advantaged magic, DC 10 for neu-tral magic, DC 12 for disadvantaged magic. Failingthe Fortitude save causes the spellcaster to suffer1d4 points of subdual damage for elemental magicor 1d4 hit points of normal damage for Void magic.

The mage can also mend a broken ring if it is a ringthat the character could make. Doing so costs halfthe XP, half the raw materials, and half the time(using the same Item Creation rolls as above, not-ing half the Item Creation Threshold) it would taketo craft that ring in the first place.

Some magic rings incur extra costs in materialcomponents or XP as noted in their descriptions.

Magical Attunement [General]You have the innate ability to sense and under-stand magic of a particular element.

Prerequisite: Wisdom 13+

Benefit: When this feat is selected, you mustchoose an element of magic (Air, Earth, Fire, Water,or Void) to benefit from this spell. You have theability to detect magic identical to the sense magicspell of that particular element and can make useof the Spellcraft skill without using the sensemagic spell.

Special: You may take this feat only as a 1st-levelcharacter.

Normal: Characters without this feat must use thesense magic spell to detect the presence of hiddenmagic or make use of the Spellcraft skill to identi-fy specific magic effects.

Maximize Spell [Metamagic]You understand how to make the most of the magicyou cast.

Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of a maxi-mized spell are maximized. A maximized spelldeals maximum damage, cures the maximum num-ber of hit points, affects the maximum number oftargets, etc., as appropriate. Spells without randomvariables are not affected. A maximized spell adds45 points to the chosen spell’s CT.

An empowered, maximized spell gains the sepa-rate benefits of each feat: the maximum result plusone-half the normally rolled result.

Quicken Spell [Metamagic]You have learned how to more effectively channelmagic during spellcasting, although the sheerphysical effort required increases the toll thatchanelling magic takes on your body.

Benefit: You may choose to cast a quickened spell.By doing this you gain a temporary +5 to yourSpellcasting Bonus. This bonus lasts for the castingof only one spell. Due to the exertion, you are con-sidered to have automatically failed your Fortitudesave each round while casting and must suffer 1d4points of subdual damage for Earth, Air, Fire,Water, or dual-element spells or 1d4 hit points ofdamage for Void spells every round.

Special: Once you begin casting a quickened spell,you cannot “turn off” this feat. Its effects (good andbad) last until the end of spellcasting.

Scribe Scroll [Item Creation]You can create scrolls from which you or anotherspellcaster can cast the scribed spells.

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MAGE CHARACTERS 15

Prerequisite: Spellcaster level 1st+.

Benefit: The mage can create a scroll of any spellthat he knows. The base price of a scroll is theCasting Threshold of the spell multiplied by 25argents. To scribe a scroll, the mage must spend1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw mate-rials costing half of this base price. Each day of cre-ation, the spellcaster must make an Item Creationroll, which is 1d20 + his spellcasting bonus for thatmagical element, keeping a cumulative total foreach day. (There is no way to botch when makingthis roll.) The day that the cumulative Item Cre-ation rolls equals or exceeds the Item CreationThreshold for creating the scroll, it is completed.Each day of item creation also requires a Fortitudesaving throw: DC 8 for advantaged magic, DC 10 forneutral magic, DC 12 for disadvantaged magic.Failing the Fortitude save causes the spellcaster tosuffer 1d4 points of subdual damage for elementalmagic or 1d4 hit points of normal damage for Voidmagic.

Second Wind [General]You have learned to focus your thoughts so thatyou are able to rid yourself of fatigue.

Benefit: You may “shake off” an amount of subdualdamage equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier.

Special: Using this feat counts as a full-roundaction and may be attempted only once per hour.

Shared Spellcasting [General]You have learned how to cast spells with a partner.

Prerequisites: Spellcaster level 5+.

Benefit: The character and one other spellcastermay cooperatively cast a spell. In order to benefitfrom Shared Spellcasting, the mage’s partner mustalso possess this feat. The spell must be known toboth the character and the other spellcaster. Sharedspellcasting is started as a free action. Both themage and the partner who is to participate in thecooperative spellcasting must agree to do so. Thespell is cast with each mage making his spellcast-ing roll on his individual initiative. All rolls aretotaled and applied toward the spell’s CT (CastingThreshold). If, for any reason, one caster cannotcontinue to aid in spellcasting, the other spellcast-er may continue to cast and finish the spell with-out him. The spell takes effect on the initiative ofthe spellcaster whose roll equals or surpasses thespell’s CT.

Special: This feat does not stack with either theCooperative Spellcasting feat or the CabalisticSpellcasting feat.

Silent Spell [Metamagic]You have learned to cast spells without making asound.

Benefit: A silent spell can be cast without the useof verbal components or making any vocal soundwhatsoever. A silent spell adds 15 points to theCasting Threshold (CT) of the chosen spell.

Spell Focus [General]You have become skilled in casting spells from aparticular magical element. Spells cast by you fromthat element are more difficult for your targets toresist.

Benefit: When this feat is selected, you mustchoose one particular element of magic (Earth, Air,Fire, Water, or Void) to benefit from this spell.Spells of that element are more potent than nor-mal. Add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all savingthrows against spells from the element of magicthat you select.

Special: The character can gain this feat multipletimes. Its effects do not stack. Each time the char-acter takes the feat, it applies to a new magical ele-ment.

Still Spell [Metamagic]You have learned to cast spells without makingany somatic gestures.

Benefit: A still spell can be cast with no somaticcomponents. A still spell adds 15 points to theCasting Threshold (CT) of the chosen spell.

Special: You may cast a still spell when you arebound or immobilized. An elemental essence muststill be available for use to launch the spell.

Spell Mastery [Special]You have learned one spell so effectively that youcan cast it by rote.

Prerequisite: Spell Mastery is available only to ele-mental mages and Void mages.

Benefit: Each time the spellcaster takes this feat, hechooses a spell known at Intimate Knowledge witha CT equal or less than 10 + his level + his Intelli-gence modifier. A mastered spell can be cast in oneround as a standard action with no need for a spell-casting roll—the spell can always be successfullycast with one action. Note the spellcaster must stillroll a Fortitude saving throw as normal for the firstround of casting.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Itseffects do not stack. Each time the character takesthe feat, a new spell must be chosen.

MAGE CHARACTERS16

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Spell Specialization [General]You are well practiced in the casting of one spell,so much so that you cast it as if you were morepowerful in magic.

Prerequisite: Spell Specialization is available onlyto elemental mages and Void mages.

Benefit: Each time the spellcaster takes this feat,choose one spell known at Intimate Knowledge. Aspecialized spell is cast as if the spellcaster weretwo levels higher in that element of magic, includ-ing spellcasting bonus, range, duration, and anyother factors dependent upon level.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Itseffects do not stack. Eachtime the character takes thefeat, a new spell must be cho-sen.

Spell Talent [General]You have learned enoughmagic to cast the most basicof spells.

Prerequisite: Non-mage class,Intelligence 13+.

Benefit: You know at IntimateKnowledge a number ofspells from your race’s advan-taged magical element whosetotal CT does not exceed yourIntelligence modifier × 5. Noindividual spell can have aCT greater than 15. You maycast these spells with a spell-casting bonus of +0. You haveno ability to learn any addi-tional spells without becom-

ing an elemental mage or a Void mage. If you latermulticlass into a mage class, these spells do notcount as “bonus” spells and must become part ofyour Intimate Knowledge spell selection at 1stlevel.

Special: You may take this feat only as a 1st-levelcharacter.

PRESTIGE CLASSESEach of Loerem’s races has its own views andbeliefs concerning magic. Despite these differ-ences, cults, philosophies, and societies for mageshave emerged that cross racial or cultural bound-aries. These have evolved into prestige classes formages.

ArtificerSome mages dedicate theirlives to the creation andenchantment of magicalitems. Some artificers set upshops where they sell theirskills to the highest bidder,while others putter about theirbeloved hobby in the confinesof their homes.

The artificer is most at homein his workshop, among thetools of his trade. This doesnot, however, preclude himfrom adventuring. Quite thecontrary, artificers are morethan happy to go on expedi-tions, especially those thathave the potential for the dis-covery of new magical objects.

Other mages often seek outartificers to help them learn

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MAGE CHARACTERS 17

TABLE 1.2: ARTIFICER


1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Creative ingenuity, +1 effective levelbonus item creation feat

2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Bonus item creation feat3rd +1 +1 +3 +1 Item lore +1 effective level4th +2 +1 +4 +1 Bonus item creation feat5th +2 +1 +4 +1 +1 effective level6th +3 +2 +5 +2 Bonus item creation feat7th +3 +2 +5 +2 +1 effective level8th +4 +2 +6 +2 Bonus item creation feat9th +4 +3 +6 +3 +1 effective level10th +5 +3 +7 +3 Bonus item creation feat

the history of magical items and/or how to proper-ly employ their effects. Artificers have a knack foruncovering the enchantments of objects and thecommand words required to activate an item’spower.

Hit Die: d4.

RequirementsTo qualify to become an artificer, a character mustfulfill all the following criteria:

Knowledge (arcane): 8 ranks.

Craft (any one): 4 ranks.

Alchemy: 4 ranks.

Feats: Scribe Scroll, Brew Potion.

Spellcasting Bonus: A potential artificer must havea +3 spellcasting bonus.

Special: The artificer must first spend six monthsunder the tutelage of another artificer and aid inthe creation of at least one magical item (not ascroll or potion) during that time.

Class SkillsThe artificer’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con),Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge(item lore) (Int), Literacy (—), Profession (Wis),Speak Language (—), and Spellcraft. See Chapter 4:Skills in Core Rulebook I for skill descriptions.

Class FeaturesWeapon and Armor Proficiency: The artificer doesnot gain any additional weapon or armor profi-ciencies over and above those that he already pos-sesses.

Spellcasting: Every other level (starting at 1stlevel), the artificer gains one effective additionallevel to any elemental mage or Void mage classwith regard to spellcasting (his choice). He doesnot, however, gain any other benefit a character ofthat class would have gained. This essentiallymeans that the artificer can know more spells atIntimate Knowledge and Quick Reference and rais-es his spellcasting bonus by +1 (every other level),but does not gain any other benefits for going up alevel as an elemental mage or Void mage.

Creative Ingenuity: For every level an artificer pos-sesses, he reduces the XP cost for creating magicalitems by 5%. (For example, a 3rd-level artificerwould reduce the XP cost for creating a magic itemby 15%.) An artificer can also add his level in addi-tion to all other modifiers to his item creation rolls.(See Chapter 8: Magic Item Creation.)

Bonus Item Creation Feat: The artificer concen-trates on learning how to create new kinds of magicitems. At 1st level, the artificer gains a bonus featthat must be an item creation feat. Levels for theartificer stack with elemental and Void mage levelsfor fulfilling the item creation feat prerequisites.The artificer gains additional bonus item creationfeats at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level.

Item Lore: An artificer is a storehouse of knowl-edge concerning magic items, their uses and theireffects. At 3rd level, the artificer may make a spe-cial item lore Knowledge check with a bonus equalto his level + his Intelligence modifier to see if heknows some information about a magic item. Thischeck can reveal the powers of a magic item andmay even produce the command word to activateit. The artificer cannot take 10 or take 20 on thischeck, since the knowledge of magical items andtheir effects is spotty at best. Refer to the table tofind out what the artificer knows about a particularmagic item. The artificer may roll only one itemlore Knowledge check per item.

Hallowed Earth CultistThe Hallowed Earth Cult has grown in popularityin the years following the destruction of Old Vin-nengael. Oftentimes mistaken for Void worship-pers, Hallowed Earth Cultists use Earth magic totap into all that is dark and mysterious beneath theground. These cultists believe that Earth magic isthe most ancient of all magicks, practiced in itstrue form by the vanished race known as theAncients. To their minds, Earth magic has beenpolluted through the years. They want to return tothe old, savage ways of their forefathers.

Most Hallowed Earth Cultists are Earth mages whohave become disillusioned by the attempt to insti-tutionalize magic, most notably by the Temple of

MAGE CHARACTERS18

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TABLE 1.3: ITEM LORE

DC Type of Knowledge

10 May recognize an item as magical.20 May recognize an item as magical

and can also identify the type of magic used for the enchantment(s) (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Void, Air/Water, etc.)

25 As above and may also determine one of the item’s effects (referee’s choice).

30 As above and is able to recall a command word that will activate the item. (If there isn’t a command word, the artificer is able to reveal another of the item’s powers, if any.)

the Magi. However, some hedge-wizards, guildmages, and excommunicated semveci from thedark Nimran jungles have also become members ofthis dreaded cult.

Hallowed Earth Cultists are considered fanaticsand are hunted, in some countries, more ferventlythan Void practitioners. The Vinnengaeleans con-sider their beliefs heretical. The Dunkargans viewthese cultists as dangerous radicals (HallowedEarth Cultists advocate the destruction of guilds),while the Karnuans see them as a distinct threat totheir well-ordered and disciplined society.

Hit Die: d8.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a Hallowed Earth Cultist, acharacter must fulfill all the following criteria.

Concentration: 10 ranks.

Knowledge (nature): 10 ranks.

Feats: Any two metamagic feats, Skill Focus: Con-centration.

Spellcasting Bonus: A potential Hallowed EarthCultist must have a +3 spellcasting bonus as anEarth mage.

Special: In order to become a Hallowed EarthCultist, the mage must make a bond with the Earth,vowing to rely on the Earth for all his needs. Usu-ally this vow involves a ritual, overseen by anoth-er member of the Hallowed Earth Cult, in whichthe mage casts off all his worldly goods, keepingnothing, not even his clothes, for himself. He mustthen spend seven days, naked as he was on the dayhe was born, in the wilderness, relying on theblessed Earth and his magical skill to feed, clothe,and shelter him. Once he has passed this test, hecan start his studies.

He must, thereafter, wear nothing except thatwhich the Earth provides. He has no use for moneyor any other material goods and may not acceptmoney in payment for anything. He may, however,accept food or some other necessity. He may builda shelter, but he may not cut or harm any livingtree to do so. He may not cut his hair or shave. Hemay wear armor and wield weapons, but thesehave to be of his own making and must come fromthe Earth. Further, he may not harm any livingthing in order to gain the protection of the weaponsand armor that he crafts. He may, however, takefreely from either plants or animals that are alreadydead.

The Hallowed Earth Cultist does not believe in anylaws established by man, but trusts only in thelaws of nature. He does not fear death, because todie is to become one with the Earth. He is notafraid to go forth to try to persuade others to joinwith him in practicing what he believes is the onlypure, true form of magic.

Class SkillsThe Hallowed Earth Cultist’s class skills areAlchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge(nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Literacy( ), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Speak Language( ), Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skillsin Core Rulebook I for more information.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Hal-lowed Earth Cultist prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The HallowedEarth Cultist gains no additional weapon and

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MAGE CHARACTERS 19

TABLE 1.4: HALLOWED EARTH CULTIST


1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Trusting Earth enhancement +1 effective level2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 effective level3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Trusting Earth enhancement +1 effective level4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Fire in blood +1 effective level5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Trusting Earth enhancement +1 effective level6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Minor sacrifice +1 effective level7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Trusting Earth enhancement +1 effective level8th +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 effective level9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Trusting Earth enhancement +1 effective level10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Major sacrifice +1 effective level

armor proficiencies over and above those that healready possesses.

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a Hallowed Earth Cultist, he gains an effectiveadditional level in his Earth mage class with regardto spellcasting. He does not, however, gain anyother benefit a character of that class would havegained. This essentially means that the HallowedEarth Cultist can know more spells at IntimateKnowledge and Quick Reference, and raises hisspellcasting bonus by +1 (for each level), but doesnot gain any other benefits for going up a level asan Earth mage.

Trusting the Earth Enhancement: The HallowedEarth Cultist is capable of using metamagic featswithout actually increasing the Casting Thresholdof the spell at the price of his health. The Hal-lowed Earth Cultist can lower his magical aura’sresistance to the magic inherent in the world, andabsorb more Earth magic energy at one time. Thecultist can do this only when he trusts himself tothe Earth and is wearing nothing but the barestessentials no armor, weapons, or protective cloth-ing of any sort. Because the cultist makes himselfvulnerable to the elements and becomes a livingwell of Earth magic, the cultist takes 1 point oftemporary Constitution damage for every 15 pointsof CT the metamagic feat would normally add tothe spell, and an equal amount of normal damage.For example, a Hallowed Earth Cultist who usesthe Maximize Spell feat on an ankle biter with theTrusting the Earth enhancement, would take 3points of temporary Constitution damage and 3 hitpoints of normal damage. The Hallowed EarthCultist must succeed at a Concentration check (DC10 + the points of damage taken) to overcome anynegative effects such as shivering with cold, broil-ing in the hot sun, being pierced by thorns, or evenpublic ridicule.

The augmentation takes place at the time of cast-ing. If the caster dies or becomes disabled from thedamage, the spell fails.

At 1st level, the Hallowed Earth Cultist can usethis ability in conjunction with one metamagicfeat; he may use the ability with an additionalmetamagic feat at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level. TheHallowed Earth Cultist must know the metamagicfeat being used.

Example: A 1st-level Hallowed Earth Cultistknows the metamagic feats Maximize Spell,Empower Spell, and Silent Spell; he has chosenSilent Spell as his 1st-level Trusting the Earthenhancement power. He casts the spell as normal,but he loses one temporary Constitution point anda like number of hit points for every 15 points ofadditional CT the feat would normally add. He

cannot use Trusting the Earth to empower othermetamagic feats until he rises in level.

Fire in Blood: At 4th level, the Hallowed EarthCultist gains a limited understanding of the magi-cal element of Fire that is inherent in all blood. Heis able to learn and cast Earth/Fire dual-elementspells without having to possess levels as a Firemage. Such spells use up the Hallowed EarthCultist’s spell familiarity CT points as normal.

To cast Earth/Fire spells, the Hallowed EarthCultist must perform some feat where, in essence,he entrusts himself to fire. This ritual generallytakes the form of walking unscathed on a bed of hotcoals. Once this ritual has been performed, theEarth Cultist may call upon its effects by passinghis hand through flame. The draining effects of thiscosts the donor 1 Constitution point per every 15points of the spell’s CT and an equal amount ofnormal damage. The temporary Constitution andhit point damage for casting an Earth/Fire dual-ele-ment spell in conjunction with a Trusting the Earthenhanced feat are added together. If the caster diesor becomes disabled from the damage, the spellfails.

Minor Sacrifice: At 6th level, a Hallowed EarthCultist is capable of using his magic to steal energyfrom an unwilling victim. While casting a spellaugmented with Trusting the Earth enhancement,the cultist needs to touch a wound upon the victim(this is usually a melee touch attack against a vic-tim who has already suffered at least one hit pointof damage). The victim must make a Fortitude save(DC 10 + the Hallowed Earth Cultist’s Earth magicspellcasting bonus) or take damage as an energydonor. If the victim makes the saving throw, thecultist takes the damage himself as usual, and mustsucceed on a Concentration skill check (DC 15 +damage + 1 per 20 points of the spell’s CT) or losethe spell. Only one metamagic feat at a time can beapplied to any spell cast in this way.

Major Sacrifice: Mastering the primal energies inblood, a 10th-level Hallowed Earth Cultist can useevery drop of energy in a victim. The cultist canstack multiple metamagic feats on any Trusting theEarth enhanced spell cast via a willing or unwill-ing donor. The DC of the victim’s saving throwrises to 13 + the Hallowed Earth Cultist’s Earthmagic spellcasting bonus.

Death MageThere are legends about wizards who have raisedgreat undead armies to wage war against their ene-mies. While not necessarily accurate, the storiesare based upon at least a modicum of truth. Deathmages are Void spellcasters who concentrate on thecreation of and mastery over undead, raising

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grotesque parodies of life from the grave and usingthem for their own selfish ends.

Death mages are reclusive by necessity. However,death mages must remain near centers of civiliza-tion in order to have a ready supply of bodies.

Because every nation in Loerem has laws that con-demn death mages to face execution, these Voidmages will often use undead to guard their homesand lands. They trust no one and will not be likelyto share their secrets with anyone, even otherdeath mages.

Hit Die: d6.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a death mage, a charactermust fulfill all the following criteria.

Void Spellcasting Bonus: A death mage must havea Void magic spellcasting bonus of +5 or more.

Knowledge (arcana): 6 ranks.

Knowledge (undead): 6 ranks.

Special: In a special ritual, the death mage mustoffer himself completely to the Void, permanentlylosing 2 Constitution points. After this, he will beforever tainted by Void, suffering all the penaltiesthat entails.

Class SkillsThe death mage’s class skills (and the key abilityfor each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration

(Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowl-edge (undead) (Int), Literacy ( ), and Spellcraft(Int).


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the deathmage prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The death magegains no further proficiency in weapons and armorover and above those he already possessed.

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a death mage, he gains an effective additionallevel as a Void mage, with regard to spellcasting.He does not, however, gain any other benefit acharacter of that class would have gained. Essen-tially, this means that the death mage can knowmore spells at Intimate Knowledge and Quick Ref-erence, and raises his spellcasting bonus by +1 (foreach level), but does not gain any other benefits forgoing up a level as a Void mage.

Rebuke and Command Undead: The death magehas the ability to rebuke and command undead.The character’s levels as a Void mage and as adeath mage stack for purposes of calculating themost powerful undead affected by the death mage’sturning check. (See Core Rulebook I, page 139, forrules on rebuking and commanding undead.) Thedeath mage adds his Void spellcasting bonus as

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MAGE CHARACTERS 21

TABLE 1.5: DEATH MAGE


1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Rebuke and command +1 effective levelundead

2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Animate undead (2 HD) +1 effective level3rd +1 +3 +1 +1 Necromantic possession +1 effective level

(control and sight)4th +2 +4 +1 +1 Animate undead (4 HD) +1 effective level5th +2 +4 +1 +1 Intelligent undead +1 effective level6th +3 +5 +2 +2 Animate undead (6 HD), +1 effective level

necromantic possession (speaking)

7th +3 +5 +2 +2 Create undead (ghoul), +1 effective levelimmunity to paralyzation

8th +4 +6 +2 +2 Animate undead (8 HD) +1 effective level9th +4 +6 +3 +3 Create undead (ghast), +1 effective level

immunity to stench10th +5 +7 +3 +3 Animate undead (10 HD), +1 effective level

necromantic possession (cast spells)

well as his Charisma modifier to his roll to rebukeor command undead.

Animate Undead: At 2nd level, the death magemay animate 2 HD worth of skeletons or zombies.To do so, the death mage must spend an hour unin-terrupted, performing the dark rites that will bringundeath to the corpse(s). The bodies that are to beanimated must be appropriate for the sort ofundead the death mage wishes to create. Forinstance, corpses that are still fleshy cannot beanimated as skeletons. Skeletal corpses cannot beanimated as zombies. The death mage may animateup to 4 HD worth of undead at 4th level, 6 HD at6th level, 8 HD at 8th level, and 10 HD at 10thlevel. Undead animated by the death mage in thisway last 1 week per level of the death mage. After-wards, the undead will quit functioning and can-not be animated again.

Necromantic Possession: The death mage is able totransfer his psyche from his body to one of hisundead creations. This takes but 1 round toaccomplish and leaves the death mage’s own bodyhelpless. The death mage can see through the pos-

sessed undead and use its body as if it were hisown, within the constraints of the undead’s physi-cal ability scores (i.e., Strength and Dexterity).While the death mage is in the body, the undead isunaffected by attempts to rebuke or command.

At 6th level, the death mage gains the ability tospeak through the possessed undead.

At 10th level, the death mage may cast spellsthrough the possessed undead. The death magestill has to make Fortitude saves as normal for cast-ing spells, with the damage taken as the result of afailed Fortitude check affecting his real body.

Should the death mage be injured through anymeans other than his own spellcasting or if theundead form that he has possessed is destroyed, heis automatically returned to his real form and isstunned for 1 round.

Intelligent Undead: Skeletons and zombies createdby the death mage have a 3 Intelligence and canfollow more complex orders similar to undead ofnormal manufacture. For example, when told to“go fetch a cup,” such intelligent undead can do

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so, although they will not be able to discern onecup from another, unless specifically told orshown.

Create Undead: At 7th level, the death mage gainsthe ability to create ghouls. The death mage mustobtain a corpse that has been dead for one week orless. The ritual for creating the ghoul lasts for 1hour, during which time the death mage mustimplant a jet stone worth no less than 75 argents invalue into the corpse’s chest. If the death mage isdisturbed during the ritual, he must start againfrom the beginning. The ghoul is not automaticallyunder the control of the death mage, who mustattempt to command it in order to bring it underhis influence.

At 9th level, the death mage gains the ability tocreate ghasts. The corpse that is to be used cannothave been dead more than 3 days. The ritual forcreating the ghast is the same as for creating theghoul (accept the jet stone must be worth 100argents). The ghast is not automatically under thecontrol of the death mage, who must successfullycommand it in order to gain control.

Immunity to Paralyzation: At 7th level, the deathmage becomes immune to the paralyzing attacks ofghouls and ghasts.

Immunity to Stench: At 9th level, the death magebecomes immune to the effects of the horrid stenchthat ghasts emit.

Element MasterThere are those mages who are steeped in the loreand power of all the natural elements. Elementmasters quest to become one with the very ele-ments whose power they harness. They are a wildbreed, and more akin to the forces of nature thanmortal men or women.

Element masters tend to keep to themselves, oftenliving in the wilderness as hermits, or they maycongregate in small enclaves where they can sharetheir knowledge and preferred way of life.Although they come from any race and all walks oflife, an element master’s strict beliefs about magicand the world in general are alien to other people,even other mages.

Element masters are steadfast enemies of Voidpractitioners, and will hunt a known Void-userrelentlessly. They are not among those who believethat the Void has any place in the world. They donot even approve of such mages as the Churchinquisitors, who study Void-magic in order to fightit.

Hit Die: d6.

RequirementsSpellcasting Bonus: An element master must haveat least a +3 spellcasting bonus in the Air mage,Earth mage, Fire mage, and Water mage classes.

Knowledge (arcane): 10 ranks.


Special: An element master can never possess alevel as a Void mage. An element master who takesa level as a Void mage loses all the benefits of theelement master prestige class, as the magical ele-ments rebuke him. He cannot endeavor to gain fur-ther levels as an element master.

Class SkillsThe element master’s class skills (and the key abil-ity for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Concentration(Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge(nature) (Int), Literacy ( ), Scry (Int), and Spell-craft (Int).

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TABLE 1.6: ELEMENT MASTER


1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Element mastery +1 effective level(neutral element)

2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Elemental resistance +1 effective level(SR 15 advantaged element)

3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 Element mastery +1 effective level(neutral element)

4th +2 +4 +1 +4 Elemental resistance +1 effective level(SR 20 advantaged; SR 10 neutral), elemental cleansing

5th +2 +4 +1 +4 Element mastery +1 effective level(disadvantaged)


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the ele-ment master prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The element mas-ter does not gain any further weapon and armorproficiency over and above those that he alreadypossessed.

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas an element master, he gains an effective addi-tional level in an elemental mage class of hischoosing with regard to spellcasting. He does not,however, gain any other benefit a character of thatclass would have gained. This essentially meansthat the element master can know more spells atIntimate Knowledge and Quick Reference and rais-es his spellcasting bonus by +1 (for each level), butdoes not gain any other benefits for going up a levelas an elemental mage.

Element Mastery:The element masterdelves into thesecrets of all the mag-ical elements in anattempt to betterunderstand them andhimself. Thisresearch and studyallows the elementmaster to overcomehis natural predispo-sition toward onemagical element.

At 1st and 3rd level,an element mastermay pick one of themagical elements inwhich he is neutraland make it anadvantaged element for the purposes of spellcast-ing. At 5th level, the element master’s disadvan-taged magical element is considered neutral for thepurposes of spellcasting.

Elemental Resistance: At 2nd level, the elementmaster gains Spell Resistance SR 15 against allspells of the element in which the element masteris naturally advantaged (due to the character’srace).

At 4th level, the element master’s Spell Resistancegoes up to 20 against spells whose magical elementis the one in which he is naturally advantaged (dueto race). Also, the element master gains an SR 10against spells of the elements in which he is natu-rally neutral in disposition (due to race).

Elemental Cleansing: At 4th level, the elementmaster can use elemental spells to their maximumeffect against creatures and entities who are taint-ed by the Void or draw their power from the Void.Whenever casting spells against opponents whodraw their power from the Void or are tainted bythe Void (undead or Void mages, for instance), theelement master’s spells are considered to be effect-ed by the Maximize Spell feat. (The spell’s CT isnot affected by this.)

HebentorinNimran magical knowledge runs deep. Manybelieve that the Nimrans were the first human cul-ture to ever use magic. Thus it is no surprise thatthe name given to mages who specialize in theways of dual-elemental Earth/Fire magic shouldcome from them.

Hebentorin means “of an animal spirit.” Thesemages are known to exist among all the races ofLoerem. They are considered eccentrics at best,

mad at worst. Theyare largely left alone.

Most hebentorin dis-cover early on thatthey have a specialaffinity for animalsand that animals aredrawn to them andtrust them. Theirmagical studies guidethem down a paththat leads to a sim-pler life and a betterunderstanding ofwhat it is to be alive.

Some hebentorinhave achieved suc-cess living among“civilized” people.

They have been known to work as hostlers and ani-mal trainers. These are rare, however. Becausemost people do not understand a person whoenjoys living with wolves, most people tend to fearthe hebentorin, who may be shunned or driven outof communities. Thus, most hebentorin find it eas-ier to live in the wilds.

Hebentorin are much loved and honored by thepecwae.

Hit Die: d4.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a hebentorin, a charactermust fulfill all the following criteria.

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Spellcasting Bonus: +2 spellcasting bonus as anEarth mage and as a Fire mage.

Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus: Handle Animal.

Handle Animal: 4 ranks.

Wilderness Lore: 4 ranks.

Special: The character must have never perpetrat-ed a violent act against an animal except in self-defense or for self-preservation.

Class SkillsThe hebentorin’s class skills (and the key abilityfor each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concen-tration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), HandleAnimal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intuit Direction (Wis),Knowledge (nature) (Int), Scry (Int), Spellcraft(Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). SeeChapter 4: Skills in Core Rulebook I for skilldescriptions.


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the heben-torin prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hebentorindoes not gain any further proficiency withweapons and armor than he already previouslypossessed. However, a hebentorin finds the use ofarmor or weapons made of animal products to bereprehensible. A hebentorin will not use weaponsor wear armor or clothing made from such materi-als. An exception to this is wool, since shearingdoes not harm the sheep.

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a hebentorin, he gains a +1 spellcasting bonusfor casting Earth/Fire dual-element spells. This

spellcasting bonus does not aid in the casting ofsingle element Earth or Fire magic spells.

Spell Familiarity: A hebentorin is allowed spellfamiliarity dedicated to Earth/Fire dual-elementspells. A hebentorin can know a number of QuickReference and Intimate Knowledge Earth/Firedual-element spells , as indicated by level on Table2.5 in Chapter 2. For instance, a 1st-level heben-torin could know 25 CT points worth of Earth/Firedual-element spells as Intimate Knowledge, and 50CT points worth as Quick Reference. This numberis modified by the hebentorin’s Intelligence modi-fier × 10.

Earth/Fire dual-element spells known previouslyby the hebentorin do not automatically counttoward the maximum total of CT points availablefor Earth/Fire spells. However, a hebentorin maychoose to use this new spell familiarity to free upCT points enabling him to learn more Earth magicor Fire magic spells without losing levels of spellfamiliarity in the process.

Rebuke and Command Animals: At 1st level, ahebentorin has the supernatural ability to rebukeanimals a number of times a day equal to 2 + thecharacter’s Charisma modifier. A hebentorinrebukes the closest animals to him, and cannotrebuke targets more than 60 feet away or those whohave total cover in relation to him.

When rebuking animals, the hebentorin must firstdetermine if he can overcome the animal’s naturalinstincts in order to affect it. This is achieved bymeans of a Charisma check modified by the heben-torin’s Earth/Fire dual-element spellcasting bonus(1d20 + Charisma modifier + Earth/Fire dual-ele-ment spellcasting bonus). The table gives the HitDice of the most powerful animal the hebentorincan affect, relative to level. With any given attempt

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MAGE CHARACTERS 25

TABLE 1.7: HEBENTORIN


1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Rebuke animal or beast +1 effective level2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Animal lore +1 effective level 3rd +1 +3 +1 +1 Animalism +1 effective level4th +2 +4 +1 +1 Shapechange (1/day, Small +1 effective level

or Medium-size)5th +2 +4 +1 +1 Alter tracks +1 effective level6th +3 +5 +2 +2 Shapechange (2/day) +1 effective level7th +3 +5 +2 +2 Animalism +1 effective level8th +4 +6 +2 +2 Shapechange (3/day, Large) +1 effective level9th +4 +6 +3 +3 Venom Immunity +1 effective level10th +5 +7 +3 +3 Shapechange (4/day) +1 effective level

to rebuke, the hebentorin cannot affect an animalwhose Hit Dice exceed the result of the roll on thistable.

If the hebentorin’s roll on the table above is highenough to affect at least some of the animals with-in 60 feet, the character rolls 2d6 + his hebentorinlevel + his Charisma modifier. The result is howmany total Hit Dice of animals are rebuked. Ani-mals that have already been rebuked may beskipped, so that the hebentorin does not waste hisrebuking capacity on them.

Rebuked animals cower in awe before the heben-torin or try to flee his presence. (Attack rollsagainst creatures affected in this manner receive a+2 bonus.) The effect lasts for 10 rounds.

If the character has twice as many levels (or more)as a hebentorin than the animals have Hit Dice, hecommands any that he would normally rebuke.

Commanded animals are under the mental controlof the hebentorin. He must make a standard actionto relay mental orders to those he commands. Thecharacter may command any number of animalswhose total Hit Dice do not exceed his level as ahebentorin. The hebentorin may relinquish com-mand of any commanded animal at will, in orderto command new ones.

Animal Lore: At 2nd level, a hebentorin can iden-tify animals (their species and special traits) withperfect accuracy.

Animalism: At 3rd level, the hebentorin maychoose one species of animal among which he willalways be recognized as a member of the samespecies. For instance, a hebentorin may choose toalways be recognized as a horse when he is amonghorses. This ability gives the hebentorin a +5bonus to all Animal Empathy and Handle Animalskill checks made when dealing with an animal ofthat particular species. At 7th level, the hebentorin

is accepted as a family member whenever dealingwith animals of the species he chose at 3rd level.This level of acceptance bestows a +10 bonus to allAnimal Empathy and Handle Animal skill checksmade by the hebentorin when dealing with mem-bers of that particular species.

Shapechange: At 4th level, the hebentorin gainsthe ability to change his physical form into that ofany Small or Medium-size animal (not a dire ani-mal) and revert back to his normal form once perday. The hebentorin may adopt only one otherform per shapechange. Once the hebentorinreturns to his normal form, he regains hit points asif he had rested for an entire day.

The hebentorin acquires the physical and naturalabilities of the creature into which he hasshapechanged, while retaining his own mind.Physical abilities include natural size, Strength,Dexterity and Constitution scores. Natural abilitiesinclude armor, attack routines (bite, tail slap, etc.),and similar gross physical qualities (presence orabsence of fins, number of extremities, wings, etc.).Natural abilities also include mundane movementcapabilities, such as swimming or flying. Othernonmagical abilities (such as a constrictor snake’sability to constrict) are considered natural abilitiesand are retained.

Any part of the body or piece of equipment that isseparated from the whole reverts to its originalform.

The hebentorin’s new scores and faculties are aver-age for the species into which he transforms.

The hebentorin retains his Intelligence, Wisdom,and Charisma scores, level and class, hit points(despite any change in his Constitution score), baseattack bonus, and base saves. (New Strength, Dex-terity, and Constitution scores may affect finalattack and save bonuses.) The hebentorin retainshis own type (for example, “humanoid”), extraor-dinary abilities, spells, and spell-like abilities. Thehebentorin can cast spells, but needs a humanlikevoice for verbal components and humanlike handsfor somatic components, as well as holding ele-mental essences.

Any equipment carried or worn melds into thehebentorin’s new form and becomes nonfunction-al.

If slain while in another form, the hebentorinreverts to his original form, though he remainsdead.

At 6th level, the hebentorin may shapechangetwice per day. At 8th level, the hebentorin is ableto shapechange 3 times per day and can assume theform of Large animals. A 10th-level hebentorin is

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TABLE 1.8: REBUKE AND COMMAND ANIMALS

Rebuke or Command Most Powerful AnimalCheck Result or Beast Affected

(Maximum Hit Dice)

Up to 0 Hebentorin’s level – 41–3 Hebentorin’s level – 34–6 Hebentorin’s level – 27–9 Hebentorin’s level – 1

10–12 Hebentorin’s level13–15 Hebentorin’s level + 116–18 Hebentorin’s level + 219–21 Hebentorin’s level + 322+ Hebentorin’s level + 4

able to shapechange four times per day. This is aspell-like ability.

Alter Tracks: A 5th-level hebentorin can changehis tracks to match those of any animal. The Diffi-culty Class for tracking a hebentorin who is active-ly using this ability is modified by +5 (in additionto any other applicable modifiers). This is a spell-like ability.

Venom Immunity: At 9th level, the hebentorinbecomes immune to poisonous venoms of animals(but not mineral poisons, poison gas, or poisonsderived from plants).

KalatorinThe Nimorean priests of the Oden-Klidip Templehave long experimented with many forms ofmagic. In recent times, their main focus has beenmarrying Earth magic to other elemental magicks,including Water magic. Their studies led some tobecome kalatorin, meaning “plant wizard.”

Kalatorin are rare, but are known among theNimoreans and Vinnengaeleans, as well as Nim-rans. A few are scattered among the pecwae, andthere are a small number rumored to exist withinthe elven Wyred. Kalatorin are most comfortablewhen living in deep woods and dark jungles,where plants are the rulers and humanoids mustplay by their rules and obey their laws.

As kalatorin become more knowledgeable withplants and plant aspect magic, they find that theyhave little in common with their own kind. Thuskalatorin often seem aloof to those who do notknow them, more interested in discussing theweather with a oak tree than hearing the latest gos-sip from the taverns.

Kalatorin are much in demand from those adven-turers whose expeditions will lead them throughdense forests, or bring them into contact with dan-gerous plants. A kalatorin can be useful in a fight,for he is able to manipulate plants so that they candistract, confuse, and even harm opponents.

Hit Die: d6.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a kalatorin, a character mustfulfill all the following criteria.

Class and Level: 3rd-level Earth mage and 3rd-level Water mage.

Intuit Direction: 5 ranks.



Feats: Second Wind.

Class SkillsThe kalatorin’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis),Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge(nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Scry (Int), andWilderness Lore (Wis).


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the kala-torin prestige class.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: The kalatorindoes not gain any new proficiency with armor orweapons above and beyond what he already pos-sesses.

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TABLE 1.9: KALATORIN


1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Plant lore +1 effective level2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Woodland stride +1 effective level3rd +1 +3 +1 +1 Plantspeak +1 effective level4th +2 +4 +1 +1 Flesh of ironwood +1 effective level

(damage reduction 5/—)5th +2 +4 +1 +1 Venom immunity +1 effective level6th +3 +5 +2 +2 Camouflage +1 effective level7th +3 +5 +2 +2 Infallible guide +1 effective level8th +4 +6 +2 +2 Preternatural spellcasting +1 effective level9th +4 +6 +3 +3 Timeless body +1 effective level10th +5 +7 +3 +3 Flesh of ironwood +1 effective level

(damage reduction 10/—)

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a kalatorin, he gains a +1 spellcasting bonus forcasting Earth/Water dual-element spells. Thisspellcasting bonus does not aid in the casting ofsingle element Earth or Water magic spells.

Spell Familiarity: A kalatorin is allowed spellfamiliarity dedicated to Earth/Water dual-elementspells. A kalatorin can know a number of QuickReference and Intimate Knowledge Earth/Waterdual-element spells, as indicated by level on Table2.5. For instance, a 1st-level kalatorin could know25 CT points worth of Earth/Water dual-elementspells as Intimate Knowledge, and 50 CT pointsworth as Quick Reference. This number is modi-fied by the kalatorin’s Intelligence modifier × 10.

Earth/Water dual-element spells known previouslyby the kalatorin do not automatically count towardthe maximum total of CT points available forEarth/Water spells. A kalatorin may use this newspell familiarity to free up CT points enabling himto learn more Earth magic or Water magic spellswithout losing levels of spell familiarity in theprocess.

Plant Lore: At 1st level, a kalatorin can identifyplants (their species and special traits) with perfectaccuracy.

Woodland Stride: At 2nd level, a kalatorin canmove through naturally growing thorns, briars,overgrown areas and similar terrain at his normalspeed without suffering damage or other impair-ment. Thorns, briars and overgrown areas that areenchanted or magically manipulated to impedemotion still affect the kalatorin.

Plantspeak: At 3rd level, a kalatorin gains the abil-ity to communicate with plants and plant crea-tures. The kalatorin can ask questions and receiveanswers from plants. However, since plants usual-ly have a limited sense of their surroundings,plants cannot answer questions about eventsbeyond their immediate vicinity, nor can they relaydetailed descriptions of creatures. Plant creatureswho may be opposed to the kalatorin, or simply inno mood to speak, may give misleading informa-tion or ignore the mage altogether. Those friendlyto the kalatorin may offer better information oroffer to do him a service. Plantspeak is a spell-likeability.

Flesh of Ironwood: A 4th-level kalatorin’s fleshbecomes the consistency of ironwood. Thisempowers the kalatorin with damage reduction5/ . At 10th level, the kalatorin’s damage reduc-tion becomes 10/ .

Venom Immunity: At 5th level, a kalatorin gainsimmunity to all organic plant poisons (but not to

mineral poisons, poison gas, or poisons derivedfrom animals).

Camouflage: At 6th level, when he is in surround-ings that are rich in plant-life (a woods, forest, jun-gle, etc.), the kalatorin can blend into his sur-roundings. This ability gives the kalatorin a +10circumstance bonus to his Hide check when insuch surroundings. This is a spell-like ability.

Infallible Guide: At 7th level, a kalatorin can neverbecome lost in a woodland environment (woods,forest, jungle, etc.).

Preternatural Spellcasting: An 8th-level, the kala-torin’s understanding of plant aspect magic is sogreat that he no longer needs to use materialessences to cast Earth/Water dual-element spells.Instead he draws the energy directly from the mag-ical plane. Further, the DC for the kalatorin’s Forti-tude save against channeling magic is always treat-ed as if he were advantaged in the element he iscasting, so long as the spell is an Earth/Water dual-element spell. Single element spells, or other dual-element spells are still treated normally withregard to the kalatorin’s Fortitude save and materi-al essence requirement.

Timeless Body: A 9th-level kalatorin no longer suf-fers ability penalties for aging (see Table 2.4: Char-acter Age in the Sovereign Stone CampaignSourcebook, page 31) and cannot be magicallyaged. Any penalties he may have already sufferedremain in place. Bonuses still accrue and the kala-torin still dies of old age when his time is up.

Sea WitchThere are those mages who feel at one with themighty oceans. Even safe at home on shore, theyretain an intense longing for the sea and are neverhappier than when strolling the pitching deck of asailing ship. These sea-going mages protect theirships and crew from the often destructive forces ofthe sea. They share an intimacy with the creaturesof the sea, communicating with them and entreat-ing them for aid when necessary. Some commandships, pushing their crews and their vessels totheir limits as they sail to find riches and adven-ture.

Most sea witches come from among the orks. Thatseafaring race is most at home on the high seas, andtheir highest ranking shamans are often sea witch-es. But there are sea witches among the other racestoo, who most likely learned their art from theorks.

Sea witches respect the sea, and although theyoften pursue their own ends, they are careful topay homage to the power of the sea and the manycreatures that call the sea their home. Sea witches

MAGE CHARACTERS28

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are quick to placate the gods if they believe thatthey have made a transgression against the sea. Seawitches have no hesitation eating of the bounty ofthe sea. Indeed, some orken sea witches insist thateating a steady diet of fish is good for the health.They insist that nothing be wasted, however, andare adept at putting every left-over fish bone togood use.

Sea witches will sail the sea until the sea takesthem at the end. A death on land is much to beavoided and elderly sea witches, who feel theirtime is upon them, will often take boats out aloneto become one with the rolling waves.

Hit Die: d8.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a sea witch, a character mustfulfill the following criteria.

Spellcasting Bonus: A sea witch must have a spell-casting bonus of +4 as a Water mage and +2 as anAir mage.


Profession (sailor): 6 ranks.



Special: A mentor sea witch must accept the char-acter as a student. The mentor sea witch arrangestests that try the student’s resolve and abilities. Thetime that a pupil will remain with his mentorvaries, but is usually no more than one year.

Class SkillsThe sea witch’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex, Bluff(Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),Handle Animal (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis),Knowledge (all skills, bought separately) (Int), Lit-eracy ( ), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis),Speak Language ( ), and Use Rope (Dex). SeeChapter 4: Skills in Core Rulebook I for skilldescriptions.


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the seawitch prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A sea witch doesnot gain any further proficiency with weapons andarmor beyond those he previously possessed.

Bond with Boat/Ship: When casting any spell witha personal range, a sea witch can target the ship onwhich he is sailing. This ability works for all suchspells cast by the sea witch, regardless of the mageclass that provides them.

To bond to a ship, the sea witch must perform a rit-ual that requires one day for every 25 feet (or less)of the ship’s length. The sea witch must be in con-tact with the target ship for the duration of the rit-ual. The sea witch may eat and drink during thebonding but may not engage in combat, spellcast-ing or extended conversation. The sea witch mayonly be bonded to one vessel at a time, but maychange the bond whenever he wants. If he changes

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MAGE CHARACTERS 29

TABLE 1.10: SEA WITCH


1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Bond with small boat +1 effective level2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Ignore metamagic penalty +1 effective level

(CT 15)3rd +1 +1 +3 +3 Communicate with aquatic +1 effective level

animals4th +2 +1 +4 +4 Bond with large boat +1 effective level5th +2 +1 +4 +4 Ignore metamagic penalty +1 effective level

(CT 30)6th +3 +2 +5 +5 Aquatic shapechange +1 effective level

(Medium-size only)7th +3 +2 +5 +5 Bond with small ship +1 effective level8th +4 +2 +6 +6 Ignore metamagic penalty +1 effective level

(CT 45)9th +4 +3 +6 +6 Aquatic shapechange +1 effective level

(Small, Large, 2/day)10th +5 +3 +7 +7 Bond with large ship +1 effective level

ships, he must go through the ritual to bond to anew ship.

For the purposes of this ability, a small boat is avessel less than 25 feet long. A large boat isbetween 25 and 50 feet long. A small ship isbetween 50 to 100 feet long. A large ship is anyship over 100 feet long.

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a sea witch, he gains an effective additionallevel in either his Water mage or Air mage class(the sea witch’s choice), with regard to spellcast-ing. He does not, however, gain any other benefit acharacter of that class would have gained. Thisessentially means that the sea witch can knowmore spells at Intimate Knowledge and Quick Ref-erence and raises his spellcasting bonus by +1 (foreach level), but does not gain any other benefits forgoing up a level as an Air mage or Water mage.

Ignore Metamagic Penalty: Sea witches of suffi-cient level may reduce the cost of metamagic featsby 15 or more points of Casting Threshold whencasting Air, Water, or dual-element Air/Waterspells. The reduction applies once per day, and thespell’s CT can never be lowered below its listedvalue. For example, Nania is a 4th-level sea witch.She is going to cast hills of water using the ExtendSpell feat. Normally, this feat would add an addi-tional 15 points of CT to the spell’s listed CT 44.However, Nania is able to ignore the 15 additionalpoints and cast the spell normally, gaining theeffects of the feat. If Nania had been 5th level, shewould have had the ability to ignore up to 30points of additional CT for using metamagic feats.However, since the Casting Threshold of a spellcan never be reduced below its listed value, Naniawould still be able to ignore only the 15 points forthe Extend Spell feat.

Communicate with Aquatic Animals: At 3rd level,the sea witch gains the ability to communicateonce per day with an aquatic animal that is nomore than 100 feet distant from the sea witch.Communication is limited by the intelligence ofthe animal, the concepts that are discussed, andmay last for up to 1 hour. This communication isnon-verbal and there is no need for the sea witch tohave sight of the animal with which he is commu-nicating. The animal may break off contact at anytime and may decide to ignore future attempts atcommunication. This ability in no way compels orbeguiles the animal in question and relies on themutual goodwill between the sea witch and theanimal.

Aquatic Shapechange: At 6th level, the sea witchgains the ability to change his physical form intothat of any Medium-size aquatic animal (not a direanimal) and back again once per day. The sea witch

may adopt only one other form per shapechange.Once the sea witch returns to his normal form, heregains hit points as if he had rested for an entireday.

The sea witch acquires the physical and naturalabilities of the creature into which he hasshapechanged while retaining his own mind. Phys-ical abilities include natural size and Strength,Dexterity, and Constitution scores. Natural abilitiesinclude armor, attack routines (bite, tail slap, etc.),and similar gross physical qualities (presence orabsence of fins, number of extremities, etc.). Natur-al abilities also include mundane movement capa-bilities, such as swimming. Other nonmagical abil-ities (such as a squid’s improved grab) are consid-ered natural abilities and are retained.

Any part of the body or piece of equipment that isseparated from the whole reverts to its originalform.

The sea witch’s new scores and faculties are aver-age ones for the species into which he transforms.

The sea witch retains his Intelligence, Wisdom,and Charisma scores, level and class, hit points(despite any change in his Constitution score), baseattack bonus, and base saves. (New Strength, Dex-terity, and Constitution scores may affect finalattack and save bonuses.) The sea witch retains hisown type (for example, “humanoid”), extraordi-nary abilities, spells and spell-like abilities. Thesea witch can cast spells, but needs a humanlikevoice for verbal components and humanlike handsfor somatic components.

Any equipment carried or worn melds into the seawitch’s new form and becomes nonfunctional.

If slain while in another form, the sea witch revertsto his original form, though he remains dead.

At 9th-level, the sea witch may shift into the formsof Small and Large aquatic animals, and maychange twice per day. This is a spell-like ability.

War MageTo some, combat is the ultimate test of a mage’sability. It is during combat that a mage has to cometo terms with his deepest fears, measure the depthsof his courage. There are those mages who aretrained to use spells and sword equally well,wreaking ruin upon those who would standagainst them. War mages are usually trained as mil-itary units. Men and women who become warmages are subject to rigorous training that mayinjure or even cause the death of some recruits.Only the best and strongest are finally acceptedinto the ranks, for victory may be dependent on theskills of the war mage.

MAGE CHARACTERS30

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War mages are foundmostly within the ranksof Karnuan and Vinnen-gaelean armies andamong the elven Wyred.(The Karnuans arerumored to use Voidmages among theirforces.) Dunkargan warmages have their ownguild that offers, amongother benefits, employ-ment to retired warmages. The peaceful Nim-rans and Nimoreans alsotrain war mages, oftenemploying them as Tem-ple guards.

The dwarves have neverin the past had much usefor war mages, consider-ing that any dwarf whoprefers magic to steel inbattle is a coward. Rumorhas it that a rising newclan chieftain among thedwarves has been trainingdwarven Fire mages forthis purpose with greatsuccess. Few orken shipsset sail without a warmage or two on board,although the orks haverarely employed war

mages in land battles, apolicy that may changefollowing the ork’s disas-trous loss of their sacredmountain to the Karnu-ans. War mages areunknown among thepecwae and are despisedby the Trevenici.

During times of peace orafter retirement, warmages are often left totheir own devices, free topursue their own inter-ests. Many war magesbecome mercenaries andadventurers, selling theirabilities to the highestbidder. Due to theiramazing skill with com-bative magic, they oftendemand and receive topwages. A war mage whochooses to live outsidethe law is consideredespecially dangerous.

Hit Die: d10.

RequirementsTo qualify to become awar mage, a charactermust fulfill all the fol-lowing criteria.

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MAGE CHARACTERS 31

TABLE 1.11: WAR MAGE


1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Improved armor +1 effective levelproficiency +2

2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Defensive spellcasting +1 effective level3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Metamagic battlecasting +1 effective level

(15 points)4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus feat +1 effective level5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Improved armor +1 effective level

proficiency +46th +6 +5 +2 +5 Metamagic battlecasting +1 effective level

(30 points)7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Bonus feat +1 effective level8th +8 +6 +2 +6 +1 effective level9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Improved armor +1 effective level

proficiency +6, metamagicbattlecasting (45 points)

10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Bonus feat +1 effective level

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Spellcasting Bonus: +3 (any elemental magic orVoid magic).

Feats: Weapon Focus (any weapon), Combat Cast-ing.


Special: War mages must be accepted and trainedby an existing order of war mages. Examples are aKarnuan war wizard unit, a militant faction of theelven Wyred, the Temple of the Magi’s Order ofBattle. Orken war mages receive training in thenewly formed ranks of the Captain of Captains Bat-tle Magi. Since locating the roaming dwarven clanchief can be difficult, dwarves can receive trainingfrom a mentor dwarf who has been trained in theart. The initial training takes six months and isextremely arduous.

Class SkillsThe war mage’s class skills (and the key ability foreach skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentra-tion (Con), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str),Literacy ( ), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), andSwim (Str). See Chapter 4: Skills in Core RulebookI for skill descriptions.


Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the warmage prestige class.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A war mage isproficient with all simple and martial weapons, allarmor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields.Note that heavy armor has a negative impact onsome Dexterity and Strength-based skills. Also,armor can penalize spellcasting (see Chapter 2:The Nature of Magic).

Spellcasting: Each time the character gains a levelas a war mage, he gains an effective additionallevel in any elemental mage class or as a Void magewith regard to spellcasting. He does not, however,gain any other benefit a character of that classwould have gained. This essentially means that thewar mage can know more spells as IntimateKnowledge and Quick Reference and raises hisspellcasting bonus by +1 (for each level), but doesnot gain any other benefits for going up a level asan elemental mage or Void mage.

Improved Armor Proficiency: At 1st level, a warmage gains a +2 bonus to spellcasting rolls whilewearing light, medium or heavy armor. At 5thlevel, this bonus increases to +4 and at 9th levelincreases to +6. This bonus does not apply to spell-

casting rolls made while the war mage is not wear-ing armor or using only a shield.

Defensive Spellcasting: At 2nd level, war magesare trained to cast spells defensively. A war magenever provokes an attack of opportunity for castinga spell.

Metamagic Battlecasting: At 3rd level, a war magecasting a spell that causes damage is able to mini-mize the cost of metamagic feats that add morepoints to the spell’s Casting Threshold. The warmage is able to eliminate up to 15 points from ametamagic feat’s additional CT cost. At 6th level, awar mage is able to eliminate up to 30 points of ametamagic feat’s additional cost. At 9th level, awar mage can eliminate 45 points of additional CT.A spell may never have a CT less than that whichis listed.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, the war mage receives abonus feat. He gains an additional bonus feat at 7thand 10th level. These bonus feats must be drawnfrom the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, SpringAttack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise(Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, WhirlwindAttack), Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative,Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stun-ning Fist), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery,Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), PointBlank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot,Shot on the Run), Power Attack (Cleave, ImprovedBull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Quick Draw,Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-WeaponFighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*, orany metamagic feat.

Some of the bonus feats available to a war magecannot be acquired until the war mage has gainedone or more prerequisite feats. These feats are list-ed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A warmage can select feats marked with an asterisk (*)more than once, but each must be for a differentweapon. A war mage must still meet all prerequi-sites for a feat, including ability score and baseattack bonus minimums.

MAGE CHARACTERS32

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MAGE CHARACTERS 33

THE N

ATU

RE OF M

AG

IC

Chapter 2

have seen my mighty nation fall into

bloody civil war. I have seen my Shield fall prey to

the duplicity of a prince believed to have been

dead these past two centuries.

The Mother and Father look down upon us

with concern. The Void is ascendant. The

power of the elements wanes. I can feel it in the

magic.

An old elven curse states, “May your days be

filled with excitement.” Since I was three years

old and stolen away from my family by the

Wyred, my days have been filled with excite-

ment. I hope that I may live long enough to find

peace.

I GRIFFITH, ELVEN WYRED

34

THE NATURE OF MAGICThe whole of existence in Loerem is not limited towhat can be seen, touched, heard, smelled or tast-ed. Nor is it limited to locales that can be reachedby land or sea. The Portal to the Gods in Old Vin-nengael was a testament to this. Elves speak withancestors who have been dead hundreds of years.Orks read omens that are sent to them by the gods.The universe is large, and only the gods know itstrue extent.

To understand the nature of magic, it is useful tothink of the world as existing on two “planes.” Thefirst plane is the physical world, the “real world,”where men and women live everyday lives. Thephysical plane is the world of the senses, a placethat is tangible and easy to comprehend. The sec-ond plane is the world of magic. This is a complexweb of elemental energy that courses througheverything that exists in the physical world. Every-thing and everyone in the physical plane is con-nected to the magic plane, some more stronglythan others.

Mages use a small amount of an element to bridgethe gap between the physical world and the magi-cal one. Known as an essence or “spark,” thiscould be a pinch of dust, a single puff of breath, atiny bit of burning charcoal, or a drop of water.This spark opens a conduit that allows the magic toflow from the magical plane to the physical plane.

Every living thing (be it plant or animal) possesseswhat is known as a magical aura. The magical aurasurrounds its owner out to a distance of six inches.The aura enables mages to use raw magic, provid-ing protection to mages while they are channelingmagic, thus allowing them to cast spells.

When a magic-user learns a spell, he records thesyllables that he must utter and any physical ges-tures he must make in his spellbook, which willthen allow him to use the elemental essence topierce the veil between the physical world and themagical. Running through these paradigms in hismind, the mage is able to manipulate the con-stituent element(s) within his magical aura, caus-ing his aura to open a small conduit through theveil. Once the conduit is established, the magethen proceeds to the next set of memorized pat-terns that help him shape the magic into its desiredeffect.

All members of the major races of Loerem have thepotential to manipulate the elemental energy ofmagic. Other intelligent beings are capable of uti-lizing magical energy, but are usually limited intheir abilities since they are typically more closelytied to one specific elemental energy. Many crea-tures can create magical effects through instinct or

force of will, but the scope of their magic-use is notnearly as broad as that of humans, orks, elves,dwarves, and pecwae.

Although the gods blessed each race with an affin-ity for a particular type of elemental magic, all ofthe major races are able to use magic born of anyelement. Thus dwarves, whose advantaged magicis Fire, have the ability to cast Water, Earth, and Airspells. Not so with the other magic-using creaturesof Loerem. Each magic-capable species is moreclosely related to one particular elemental magicthan any other and thus derives its power almostexclusively from that element. (There are a rarenumber of magical creatures that draw their powerfrom two elements, creating effects similar to dual-element spells.) This means that some of the morepowerful creatures and entities are able to producemagical effects that have long eluded spellcasters.These creatures do not need a “spark” or an ele-mental essence within their living aura to shape orchannel magic. They use magic instinctively. Drag-ons are an example of this type of creature.

MAGIC ASPECTSMagic aspects define the magical effects producedby different elements. Some aspects are related to apair of elements. These are known as dual-elementspells (see Dual-Element Spells below). Once theaspect of a spell is defined, the aspect determineswhich of the elements (or which two elements)must be used to power the spell.

Elemental: Every magical element (Earth, Air, Fire,Water, and Void) is capable of producing elementaleffect spells. These spells manipulate or transmutetheir particular element. For example, hungrywater changes water into acid.

Elemental magic can also detect, dispel, or aug-ment spells of the same element. (Dual-elementspells may be detected or dispelled by spells ofeither element involved.)

Earth Magic AspectsHealing: These spells deal specifically with restor-ing health and well-being to the injured or the dis-eased. Magical healing is not always effective,mainly due to the aura that surrounds every living

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THE NATURE OF MAGIC 35

TABLE 2.1: RACES AND THE MAGICAL ELEMENTS

Race Advantaged Neutral Disadvantaged

Humans Earth Fire & Water AirPecwae Earth Fire & Water AirDwarves Fire Air & Earth WaterElves Air Fire & Water EarthOrks Water Air & Earth Fire

person. Healing magicks do not have the ability torestore life to someone who has expired, no matterwhat the circumstances of death. Spells of thehealing aspect will not rid a being of parasiticinfestation or malignant growths, but will be ableto repair damage and temporarily ease the paincaused by these. Further, healing spells specifical-ly state whether they will heal normal hit points ofdamage or subdual damage, but do not automati-cally heal both (see the Limits of Magic later in thischapter).

Protection: Spells of this aspect are designed toshield the recipient from physical injury and/or

magical attack. These spells often imbue otherwisemundane items with temporary magical power thatdeflects or diminishes physical damage, affectsspellcasting or interrupts magical effects. Otherprotection aspect spells can guard areas againstintrusion.

Construction: These spells cause a change in theproperties of an already existing object or sub-stance, as long as that object does not clearlybelong to another element. For instance, while aconstruction aspect spell might erect a wall of

mud, it would not be able to erect a wall of flame(clearly the purview of Fire magic). Even though apoison can be neutralized or transformed into anon-harmful substance, its constituents still retaintheir basic elemental properties. For instance,although a poison might have both arsenic andwine mingled together, the wine will be unaffectedby the Earth spell, while the arsenic is neutralized.

Air Magic AspectsCharm: Spells that can affect the behavior of otherintelligent beings (animals are unaffected by suchspells). Charms can also animate normally inani-

mate objects for short periods of time. Somecharms are used to enchant items in order tobeguile or entice those who look at them.

Mentalism: Spells that discern between truth andfalsehood and between that which is real and unre-al. Spells of this aspect are used to detect hidden orsecret doors and compartments, reveal traps, dis-count illusions, ascertain the veracity or accuracyof one’s statements, read another’s mind, anduncover objects that are hidden or shrouded bymagic.

THE NATURE OF MAGIC36

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Travel: Those magicks that affect either the speedat which a creature or an object moves or its meansof movement.

Illusion: Spells that are created to mislead the sens-es or minds of the affected. Illusion spells typical-ly create scenes, sounds, or smells that do not existin reality. Illusion aspect spells do not normallyaffect animals or beasts, since their perceptions ofthe world are different from those of other creaturetypes, and their senses tend to be sharper.

Fire Magic AspectsDivination (past): Spells of this aspect allow thecaster to scry events that happened sometime inthe past. Such spells do not allow the caster todetermine the veracity of scenes witnessed whilescrying. For example, it is possible that a spellcast-er might scry a time when an area is cloaked withan illusion or view a meeting that was staged forthe benefit of any who might be “watching.” Thespellcaster will not be able to penetrate the illu-sion, nor will he be able to tell that the meetingwas being staged. Divination (past) spells penetrateTime, not Space, and thus do not allow the mage toscry over distances. Divination (past) spells areeffective only if cast in the location where theevent in question took place.

Conversion: These spells are often mistaken forconstruction aspect spells. Conversion spells dealsolely with fluctuations in temperature and illumi-nation in small, localized areas. Conversion aspectspells are not capable of changing the shape of anobject or its basic properties, unless the object canbe altered by heat (melt ice, boil water). Conver-sion aspect spells cannot be used to cause magicaldarkness, although they might prove useful incombating such magic.

Water Magic AspectsDivination (present): Such spells allow the casterto divine events as they are currently happening.Divination (present) spells can be accomplishedover long distances and are useful for overhearingconversations and for spying.

Communication: Spells that allow the exchange ofinformation, signals, or messages in various waysincluding verbal, physical, and written.

Void Magic Aspects Destruction: Spells that can replicate any harmfulor destructive effect produced by spells of otherelements. Void spells of this aspect are capable ofharming not only other living creatures, but theother elements themselves. For example, destruc-tion aspect spells might cause water to become

brackish or make once fertile fields barren andunable to support life.

Necromancy: Spells that deal with death, dying,the dead, decay, despair, disease, communicationwith spirits beyond the grave, the manipulation ofbodies (living or dead), the transference of lifeessence, and the creation of undead.

Shadow: Spells that are capable of utilizing shad-ows for travel, causing darkness, and constructingsemi-real illusions.

Air/Water Magic AspectsWeather: Spells that allow the caster to control theforces of nature. These spells allow the conjurationof all types of weather from a blizzard to a thun-derstorm, as well as the commensurate side-effects,such as a drop in temperature, fierce winds, thun-der and lightning. Weather aspect spells also allowthe caster to mitigate the effects of weather, bothmagical and natural.

Earth/Water Magic AspectsPlant: Spells that can restore health to plants,speed plant growth, improve crops and establishan ability to communicate with plants and plant-like beings. Such spells can also cause transmuta-tions that involve plants, the changing of one typeof matter into plant-matter, or vice versa.

Air/Fire Magic AspectsLightning/Electricity: Spells that allow the caster toharness and shape electrical energy. Some light-ning/electricity aspect spells provide protectionfrom the effects of electricity or electrical attacks.

Earth/Fire Magic AspectsAnimal: Spells that affect creatures classified asanimals (including dire animals), beasts,humanoids, magical beasts, or vermin. (Affectedcreatures belonging to one of these types can beland-based or avian, but not aquatic.) Transmuta-tions from one form to another fall under thisaspect, as well.

CASTING SPELLSA mage must first select the spell he is going tocast. In Loerem, a mage may cast any spell in hisrepertoire, without limitation. This does not meanthat a mage’s access to spells is unlimited, butrather that he can cast the spells he knows in anyorder, as many times as he wants (so long as he isstill conscious).

All spells have verbal, somatic, and material (alsoknown as essence) components. This means that amage must be able to speak and use his hands (andsometimes his feet) in order to successfully com-

IIII


plete a spell. The verbal and somatic componentsof a spell serve as mnemonic devices, helping themage traverse the mental hurdles required forchanneling and shaping raw magic into spelleffects.

A mage must also possess some of the element towhich the spell belongs within his magical aura inorder to initiate the spell. This means that if a magewishes to cast a Fire magic spell, he must have themeans of producing a spark or have access to anopen flame. The same is true of the other elements.A Water magic spell needs a drop of water to initi-ate the casting. An Earth magic spell requires astone or a pinch of dirt or dust. A spell born of Airmagic requires some of the air surrounding thecaster, or perhaps his breath.

Spellcasting requires an enormous amount of con-centration, making it difficult for an elementalmage or Void mage to concentrate on casting whilehe is in the middle of melee combat or other dis-tracting situations.

Spellcasting RollTo cast a spell, roll:

11 d22 00 ++ SSPPEELLLLCCAASSTTIINNGG MMOODDIIFFIIEERR

(Spellcasting modifier = spellcasting bonus + spe-cial modifiers)

Each spell has a Casting Threshold (CT). This rollis applied toward the CT of the spell that the mageis casting. He performs the spellcasting roll eachround until the total of all of the rolls equals orexceeds the spell’s CT. Once this happens, the spelltakes effect.

Example: Cael, a 5th-level dwarven Fire mage, is ina desperate combat with two jackals. He decides touse the fiery breath spell to give himself an extraattack. The spell has a CT 26. On his initiative,Cael uses a small ember from his campfire as hismaterial component and begins casting. He rolls1d20, and receives a +5 spellcasting bonus due tohis level. Cael obtains an 18 on his first spellcast-ing roll. During his initiative next round, Cael rollsagain for 10. The 18 from his previous roll and the10 from his current roll equal 28 (and exceeds thespell’s CT). The fiery breath takes effect on Cael’sinitiative this round.

Dual-Element SpellsDual-element spells fall in the domain of two adja-cent magical elements. When attempting to cast adual-element spell, the caster must have levels inboth elemental mage classes included in the spell.For instance, to cast heal plant, a character musthave at least 1 level as both an Earth mage and aWater mage. Further, in order to cast a dual-ele-

ment spell, a mage must have a small amount ofboth of the elements within his magical aura. Cast-ing a dual-element spell is handled normally,except that the spellcasting bonus of the lower ele-mental mage class is used.

Mages may gain the benefits of using an essence ofquality when casting dual-element spells. Howev-er, if using two quality essences, only the higherbonus of the two essences counts toward spellcast-ing (both essences are still consumed when thespell is completed). The same is true for using con-taminated essences. If two contaminated essencesare being used, the only the highest penalty of thetwo essences counts against the mage’s spellcast-ing, not both.

Tainted by VoidA Void mage who wants to become advantaged inVoid magic may do so by simply stating that he isbecoming “tainted by Void.” The Void mage imme-diately takes 1 point of normal damage due to theVoid magic stealing a bit of his life force in orderfor the magic to work. It should be noted on thecharacter sheet that the Void mage is now taintedby Void. If the Void mage decides to remain advan-taged in Void magic, he may maintain the 1 pointof damage and remain tainted by Void indefinitely.

Once a Void mage becomes tainted by Void magic,he becomes disadvantaged in the casting of allother magical elements, including the one inwhich he is naturally advantaged. Because themage knowingly sacrifices some of his life force towork his magic, healing spells will not work on amage who is tainted by Void. All wounds the Voidmage suffers must heal normally, until he is able torid himself of the Void’s taint.

Example: Zaqandra becomes tainted by Void andsuffers one point of damage. Through the course ofcasting darts of decay, she suffers 12 points ofdamage from spellcasting. She is now injured for13 points of damage. Because she is tainted byVoid, healing spells will not work on Zaqandrauntil she has healed naturally from all damage, thelast point of damage being the one that tainted herwith Void.

Regardless of when a Void mage actually becomestainted by Void, the last point of damage healed isalways considered to be the one that lifts the taint.

Example: Zaqandra is struck with a sword duringcombat and suffers 5 points of damage. Fearing forher life, she decides to cast ghostly flesh. She suf-fers 12 points of damage from the spellcasting andis now tainted by Void. She must heal all damage(including that taken from the sword wound andthat caused by spellcasting) before she can heal thepoint that taints her with Void magic. Note that


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even though the sword wound damage was takenprior to her becoming tainted by Void, that damagemay not be healed magically (due to the Voidtaint), but must heal naturally.

Some creatures and spell effects can taint their vic-tims or targets with Void magic. In these cases, thetargets suffer the same penalties to healing andspellcasting as Void mages who are tainted byVoid.

BotchingIf a mage rolls a 1 on a spellcasting roll, it is con-sidered a botch (regardless of modifiers). If he isadvantaged or neutral with regard to the element ofthe spell, the mage may attempt a Concentrationskill check. The DC check for the mage advantagedin the spell’s element is 12. If he is considered neu-tral to the element, the DC is 15. Botching whilecasting a spell in an element in which a mage isdisadvantaged means that the spell automaticallyfails. No DC check is allowed.

A successful Concentration skill check allows themage to apply the 1 he just rolled (plus any bonus-es) toward the spell’s CT and to continue castingon the following round. If the mage botches onwhat would have been the final round of castingand makes the Concentration skill check, the spelltakes effect normally. Failing the skill check meansthe spell fails and the mage must start casting overagain.

Whether the mage regains control of the spell ornot, a botch always means that his Fortitude saveagainst the spellcasting strain fails and damage isapplied as indicated below (see SpellcastingStrain).

Example: Ector is casting ease pain, an Earth magicspell. On the first round of casting, he rolls a 1. Heis a 2nd-level Earth mage and receives a +2 spell-casting bonus to his roll, but since he rolled a 1, thespell is still considered a botch. Because Ector is ahuman, Earth magic is his advantaged element andhe might be able to salvage the spell. He rolls aConcentration skill check against a DC 12 (1d20 +skill rank + Constitution bonus). After all of hisbonuses are added in, Ector rolls a 13. He is able toapply 3 points toward the spell’s CT and continuescasting normally the next round. However, becauseof the botch, Ector automatically fails his Fortitudesave against spellcasting strain for that round andsuffers 2 points of subdual damage.

Spellcasting StrainChanneling magic is difficult and dangerous.Although a mage’s magical aura endeavors to pro-tect him from the harmful effects of raw magic,prolonged exposure during spellcasting can still

prove debilitating (deadly in the case of Voidmagic). For each round a mage spends channelingmagic during spellcasting, he must make a Forti-tude saving throw. The check’s DC depends uponthe mage’s race and whether he is advantaged, neu-tral, or disadvantaged in the spell’s element (seeTable 2.2).

Each round after the first round spent in spellcast-ing, the Fortitude save’s DC increases by +1. If amage is casting a spell from one of the natural ele-ments (or a dual-element spell), he suffers 1d4points of subdual damage each round he fails theFortitude save (see Core Rulebook I, page 134). Ifthe mage is casting a Void magic spell, he suffers1d4 points of normal damage due to a failed Forti-tude save. Damage suffered because of casting willnever interrupt the casting of a spell, unless it issufficient to cause unconsciousness, in which casethe spell fizzles and is left unfinished. (Spellcast-ers using dual-element spells are considered neu-tral for purposes of the Fortitude save against spell-casting strain.)

Voluntarily Sacrificing Life Essence: Since Voidmagic is powered by the very life force of the spell-caster, it is possible for the Void mage to sacrificehit points to the Void in order to finish a spell morequickly. The Void mage suffers damage equal to thedifference between the spell’s CT and his currentspellcasting total. The spell is activated in thesame round that the Void mage voluntarily sacri-fices his life essence. (Sacrificing life essence to theVoid is not a free action, but takes place instead ofthe spellcasting roll.)

Example: Renton is casting death touch (CT 32).He has accumulated 12 points by round 2 of cast-ing. He decides that he needs to finish the spellthis round. Renton opens himself up to the Voidand voluntarily sacrifices life essence. He suffers20 points of normal damage (CT 32 – 12 spellcast-ing total = 20).

Spells cast in this manner activate on the sameround in which the Void mage sacrifices lifeessence. By casting a spell this way, the Void mageneed not worry about botching or making a Forti-tude saving throw.

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TABLE 2.2: SPELLCASTER FORTITUDE SAVES

Spell Status DC

Advantaged 8

Neutral 10

Disadvantaged 12

It is possible for Void mages, in desperate situa-tions, to cast entire spells by sacrificing their lifeessences to the Void.

Example: Renton needs to cast death touch (CT 32)instantly or face certain death himself. He choosesto cast the spell on his initiative by sacrificing hislife essence. He suffers an amount of damage equalto the CT of the spell (32 points of damage), but thespell is successfully cast.

The Void is a greedy partner. Void mages cannotparcel out life essence a little bit at a time. To usethis ability, the Void mage must either give all hislife essence at the beginning of casting or make upthe remainder at the end of casting. He cannot sac-rifice a little life essence here and there in betweenspellcasting rolls in an attempt to move thingsalong more quickly.

If a Void mage should fall unconscious or diebecause of sacrificing life essence to the Void, thespell is ruined.

Spellcasting in ArmorArmor interferes with a mage’s ability to make pre-cise somatic movements, while visors can some-times make it difficult for the mage to speak clear-ly and succinctly. Because of this, those mageswho cast spells while wearing armor suffer apenalty to their spellcasting roll every round ofcasting. Mages wearing light armor suffer a –2penalty to their spellcasting rolls. Those in medi-um armor suffer a –4 penalty, and mages wearingheavy armor suffer a –6 penalty to their spellcast-ing rolls. A mage with the Still Spell or Silent Spellfeat may halve the armor penalty for casting. Ifusing both, the penalty for casting in armor may becompletely eliminated. (See the Sovereign StoneCampaign Sourcebook, page 77, for more informa-tion about armor types.)

Interruptions During CastingA mage can be distracted in his spellcasting. Thedistraction can be minor, such as having his elbowjostled, or it may be major, such as having a knifeplunged between his ribs.

An interruption is effective only if it occurs duringthe time that the mage is actively spellcasting. Forinstance, an attack that happens just before a magebegins to cast his spell will not cause an interrup-tion.

If a mage is distracted during spellcasting, he mustroll a Concentration skill check to determine if hecan maintain control of the spell. The skill check’sDC is based on the severity of the interruption.

Attack: The quickest way to stop a mage from cast-ing a spell is to cause him physical harm. If a mage

is physically attacked and takes damage whilecasting, he is in peril of losing his spell and mustmake a Concentration skill check. The DC is 10 +points of damage taken + number of previousrounds of casting for that particular spell. If thecheck is failed, the spell ends immediately, with-out taking effect.

Spells: Affecting a spellcaster with magic is anoth-er way in which one may attempt to ruin a spellbefore it is able to take effect. Regardless ofwhether or not he made his saving throw, a mageaffected by a damaging spell must make a Concen-tration skill check or the spell being cast is auto-matically lost. The DC of the Concentration checkis 10 + points of damage + number of previousrounds of casting for that particular spell. Spellsthat distract or interfere with the caster, but do notnecessarily cause damage, force a Concentrationskill check against the spell’s saving throw DC +number of previous rounds of spellcasting for thecurrent spell. Spells without a saving throw have aConcentration check DC of 10 + 1 per 20 points ofCT + number of previous rounds of spellcasting forthe current spell.

Some spells and physical attacks cause continuousdamage (such as the damage dealt by circle offlame). Since casting a spell can last severalrounds, continuous damage is considered to be aseparate attack each round, triggering a new Con-centration skill check (as described above), takinginto account only the continuous damage sufferedin the current round (not continuous damage suf-fered in previous rounds).

Grappling or Pinned: Since all spells have somat-ic components, it is almost impossible for a mageto cast spells while grappled or pinned. If grappledor pinned while casting a spell, the mage is stillallowed a Concentration skill check. The DC is 20+ the number of previous rounds of casting for thecurrent spell. If the check is successful, the mage isallowed one more round of casting. If he is able tocomplete the spell in that time, the spell takeseffect normally. If not, the spell is ruined.

Feats such as Still Spell allow a mage to cast evenwhen grappled or pinned. If a mage is already cast-ing a spell when he is grappled or pinned, he maydecide to add the extra CT to the spell and contin-ue to cast without a somatic component. He muststill pass the Concentration checks each round heis grappled or pinned, but the DC is reduced to 10+ the number of previous rounds of casting.

Vigorous Motion: A mage who is attempting to casta spell while in situations in which he is being jos-tled must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + thenumber of previous rounds of casting) or the spellis ruined. Examples of such circumstances are


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casting magic from the back of a moving mount, ina canoe on a choppy lake, during a mild earthtremor. The mage must make this check eachround that he is casting under such adverse condi-tions.

Violent Motion: A mage attempting to cast a spellin situations in which he is being severely knockedabout must make a Concentration check (DC 15 +the number of previous rounds of casting) or thespell is ruined. Examples of such situations arecasting magic from the back of a swooping hip-pogriff, while in a kayak sailing in whitewater, dur-ing an earthquake. The mage must make this checkeach round that he is casting under such adverseconditions.

Violent Weather: If a mage attempts to cast a spellwhile exposed to strong winds with rain, sleet,dust, or snow, hemust make a Con-centration skillcheck against a DC 5+ the number of pre-vious rounds spentcasting the spell. Ifcasting whileexposed to gale forcewinds, hail or bliz-zard conditions, theConcentration checkis made against a DC10 + the number ofprevious roundsspent casting thespell. (If the adverseweather conditionsare created by aspell, refer to therules above.) The mage must make the Concentra-tion check for each round that he is casting undersuch adverse conditions.

Casting Defensively: A mage who wants to cast aspell without provoking an attack of opportunitymust keep an eye on enemies close at hand inorder to avoid confrontation. He must make a Con-centration check (DC 15). The spell is ruined if themage fails the check. Note that casting a spell pro-vokes attacks of opportunity only during the roundthe spell is initiated. Casting defensively allowsthe caster to avoid altogether the attack of opportu-nity on the first round of casting.

Entangled: A mage who wants to cast a spell whilecaught in a net, chained to a wall, bound with ropeor in a similar constrained situation must make aConcentration skill check (DC 15) to cast the spell.This check must be made for each round the mage

spends casting the spell. If he fails the check, thespell is ruined.

RangeA spell’s range indicates how far from the caster ofthe spell can reach, as defined by the Range line inthe spell description. A spell’s range is the maxi-mum distance from the wizard that the spell’seffect can occur, as well as the maximum distanceat which the mage can designate the spell’s point oforigin. If any portion of the spell’s area extendsbeyond the range, that area has no effect. Standardranges include:

Personal: Only the caster is affected.

Touch: The caster must touch a creature or objectto affect it.

Close: The spell canreach up to 25 feetaway from the caster.The maximum rangeincreases by 5 feetfor every two levelsof the caster.

Medium: The spellcan reach up to 100feet + 10 feet perlevel of the caster.

Long: The spell canreach up to 400 feet+ 40 feet per level ofthe caster.

Unlimited: The spellcan target anywhereon Loerem.

Range Expressed inFeet: Some spells have no standard range category,just a range expressed in feet.

Aiming a SpellWhen casting a spell, a mage must choose theobject or being the spell is meant to affect or a loca-tion where the spell’s effect is to originate withinthe parameters of the spell itself.

Target or Targets: Some spells have a target or tar-gets. The mage casts these spells directly on crea-tures or objects, as defined by the spell. The castermust specifically choose the target of the spell andmust be able to see or touch the target. However,the caster does not have to select the target untilthe moment he finishes casting the spell.

If a spellcaster casts a targeted spell on an object orbeing not meant to be affected by the spell, such as

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casting allergy season on a dog, the spell has noeffect.

If the target of a spell is the caster (“Target: caster”),the caster does not receive a saving throw and spellresistance does not apply. The Saving Throw andSpell Resistance lines do not appear in such spells.

Effect: Some spells create or summon things (thedazzle spell, for example). The spellcaster mustdesignate the location where these things are toappear, either by seeing the location or defining it.Range determines how far away an effect canappear, but if the effect is mobile, it can moveregardless of the spell’s range.

Ray: Some effects are rays. The caster can aim a rayas if using a ranged weapon, although typically thecaster makes a ranged touch attack rather than anormal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon,the caster can fire into the dark or at an invisiblecreature, but there is no guarantee that he will hit.Unlike casting a targeted spell, the caster does nothave to see the creature he is trying to hit with aray. Intervening creatures and obstacles can blockthe caster’s line of sight or provide cover for thecreature at which he is aiming.

If a ray spell has a duration, this duration is ameasurement of the ray’s effect, not the duration ofthe ray itself.

Spread: Some effects notably clouds andfogs spread out from a point of origin to a dis-tance proscribed by the spell. The effect can extendaround corners and into areas the caster cannotsee. Distance should be figured as actual distancetraveled, taking into account any turns the spelleffect takes.

The caster must designate the point of origin forsuch an effect, but need not have line of effect (seeLine of Effect below) to all portions of the effect.

Area: Some spells affect an area. The caster selectswhere the spell starts, but does not otherwise con-trol which creatures or objects the spell affects.Sometimes a spell describes a specially definedarea, but usually an area falls into one of the cate-gories below.

Burst: As with an effect, the caster selects thespell’s point of origin. The spell bursts out fromthis point, affecting anything in its area. A burstspell has a radius that indicates how far from thepoint of origin the spell’s effect extends.

Cone: When a mage casts a spell with a cone area,the cone shoots away from the caster in the direc-tion he designates. A cone starts as a point directlyin front of the caster and widens out as it extends.A cone’s width at a given distance from the caster

is always equal to the distance from the caster. Theterminus of a cone is always as wide as it is long.

Example: A spell with a cone area 15 feet long is 10feet wide down 10 feet of its length and 15 feetwide at its farthest end.

Creatures: Some spells affect creatures directly(such as targeted spells), but they now affect crea-tures in an area defined by the spell rather thandefined by the individual creatures selected by thecaster. The area might be a burst, a cone or someother shape.

Many spells affect “living creatures,” which meansall creatures other than constructs and undead. If aspell has a limited amount of targets it can effect, itwill ignore those that it cannot effect.

Cylinder: As with a burst, the mage selects thespell’s point of origin. This point is the center of ahorizontal circle and the spell shoots down fromthe circle, filling a cylinder.

Emanation: Some spells, such as suppress, have anarea like a burst except that the effect continues toradiate from the point of origin for the duration ofthe spell.

Objects: Some spells affect objects within an areathe caster selects (as with creatures above, butaffecting objects instead).

Spread: Some spells spread out like a burst, butcan also turn corners. The caster selects the pointof origin and the spell spreads out a given distancein all directions. Calculate distance by actual dis-tance traveled, taking into account turns taken bythe spell effect.

(S) Shapeable: If an Area or Effect entry ends with“(S),” the caster can shape the spell. A shapedeffect or area can have no dimension smaller thanten feet. Many effects or areas are given as cubes tomake it easy to model irregular shapes. Three-dimensional volumes are most often needed todefine aerial or underwater effects and areas.

Line of Effect: A line of effect is a straight,unblocked path that indicates what a spell canaffect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barri-er. Line of effect is similar to line of sight forranged weapons, except a line of effect is notblocked by fog, darkness or other factors that limitnormal sight.

The caster must have a clear line of effect to anytarget on which he casts a spell or to any space inwhich he wishes to create an effect. The castermust have a clear line of effect to the point of ori-gin of any spell he casts. For bursts, cones, cylin-ders, and emanating spells, the spell affects onlyareas, creatures or objects to which the spell has


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line of effect from its origin: a burst’s point, acone’s starting point, a cylinder’s circle, an ema-nating spell’s point of origin.

An otherwise solid barrier broken by a hole of atleast one square foot does not block a spell’s line ofeffect. So long as such an opening exists, a five-footlength of wall is not considered to be a barrier to aspell’s line of effect. However, the portion of thewall not damaged by the hole can still block thespell.

Saving ThrowsMost spells permit unwilling targets a chance toavoid some or all of their effect. Each spell stateswhat sort of saving throw is needed, the save’s DC,and what happens if the save is successful.

Negates: This means that the spell has no effect onits target if the saving throw is successful.

Partial: A successful save against a spell such asthis means that the spell’s effect is not as severe asit might have been.

Half: The damage that the spell inflicts upon a tar-get is halved with a successful saving throw.

None: No saving throw is allowed against thisspell.

Disbelief: A successful save means that the charac-ter has been able to see through the effects of thespell and is able to ignore it.

(Object): A spell with this notation may be castupon objects that receive a saving throw only ifthey are magical in nature or if they are held, wornor similarly attended by something that is resistingthe spell. In such cases, the object receives theresisting being’s saving throw bonus, unless itsown bonus is greater. Spells of this nature are notnecessarily restricted to objects as targets. (Seeeach individual spell description for details.) Thesaving throw bonus for a magic item is 2 + one-halfits caster level.

(Harmless): Such spells are rarely injurious to thetarget, but may be saved against if the target wish-es.

Saving Throw DC: The saving throw DC of a spellis equal to 10 + 1 per 20 points of the spell’s Cast-ing Threshold + the spellcaster’s level. Illusionsand spells that affect the target’s mind have theirown saving throws that are already built into thespell (refer to each individual spell for savingthrow DCs).

Succeeding at a Saving Throw: When the target ofa spell successfully saves against a spell that doesnot manifest obvious physical effects, the targetcan still feel that hostile magic was just aimed at

him. This does not mean that the target knowswhat the spell was or who cast it. A mage knowswhen his spell has failed to affect his chosen target,but he cannot sense when the target of an effect orarea spell successfully made his saving throw.

Voluntarily Failing a Saving Throw: A savingthrow may be voluntarily failed. In this case, thetarget accepts the spell’s effect. Creatures or char-acters with special resistance to magic or certainspells can suppress their resistance, allowing themagic or spell to take effect.

Items Surviving after a Saving Throw: Unless thespell states otherwise, all items carried and wornare assumed to survive a magical attack. If the tar-get rolls a natural 1 on his saving throw, anexposed item is harmed (as long as the spell iscapable of harming objects). The four items nearestthe top on Table 2.3 are the most likely to be struck.

Example: Rathix rolls a natural 1 on his save ver-sus a firebolt. His shield, leather armor, shortbowand sheathed shortsword are the items most likelyto be affected. He is not wearing a magic helmet orcloak, so these are skipped. The item that is affect-ed is randomly determined. The item that is deter-mined must make a saving throw versus the magi-cal attack, suffering whatever damage the attackinflicts. (See Core Rulebook II for informationabout magic item saving throws.)

Items that are unattended and are not magical donot receive a saving throw. The item simply suffersthe appropriate damage. An item that is worn orattended by a character is allowed a saving throwas if the character was making the saving throw.(See Core Rulebook I, page 136, for informationabout item saving throws.)

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TABLE 2.3: ITEMS AFFECTED BY MAGICAL ATTACKS

Order* Item

1st Shield2nd Armor3rd Magic helmet4th Item in hand (weapon, wand, etc.)5th Magic cloak6th Stowed or sheathed weapon7th Magic bracers8th Magic clothing9th Magic jewelry (including rings)10th Anything else

*In order of most likely to least likely to beaffected.

Spell ResistanceSome creatures are imbued with an innate powerthat automatically resists the magical effects ofspells (and spell-like abilities). A mage whose spellis being countered by spell resistance must make apenetration check (1d20 + caster level) that isequal to or greater than the target’s spell resistancerating in order for the spell to take effect.

Each spell’s description states whether spell resist-ance is effective in protecting a target against thespell’s effects. Spell resistance often applies onlywhen a resistant creature is the target of the spell,not when the creature encounters a spell already inplace.

Creatures with spell resistance must voluntarilydrop their resistance in order to receive the effectsof a spell noted as Harmless or Object without thepenetration check.

DurationA spell’s duration is the length of time the effectsof the spell last.

Timed Durations: Durations are measured inrounds, minutes, hours, days, or even months.Once the time for the spell has elapsed, the spellends. Timed durations that are variable are secret-ly determined by the referee.

Instantaneous: Such spells do not have a durationat all. Once the spell is cast, the effect happens andthe magic disappears. The consequences of thespell might be long lasting, but that is not a func-tion of the spell itself. Most damaging spells areinstantaneous.

Permanent: The spell’s magical energies remain aslong as the effect lasts or the caster remains alive.(Some permanent spells are permanent only for thespan of the caster’s life and will fail once the cast-er dies.) Permanent spells of any type are subject tothe effects of dispelling magic.

Concentration: The spell lasts as long as the casterconcentrates on it. Concentrating on a spell doesnot provoke an attack of opportunity. Some spellsmay a have a timed duration, which may beextended with concentration.

Anything that could disturb the caster’s concentra-tion while casting a spell will disturb him while heis maintaining a spell through concentration (seeInterruptions During Casting above). A mage can-not cast another spell while maintaining concen-tration on a spell.

A spell can last a certain length of time even afterthe caster has quit concentrating on it. In suchcases, the spell lasts for the stated duration, at

which point it ends. Some concentration spellscannot be maintained for more than a stated dura-tion, but require constant concentration in order toremain functioning. If concentration is broken, thespell ends immediately.

Targets, Effects, and Areas: If a spell directlyaffects a target, the spell’s result is attached to thetarget for the spell’s duration. If the spell creates aneffect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effectmight be immobile or it might move. Spells thataffect an area are immobile, remaining in that areafor the duration of the spell. The power of the spellis triggered by entering into the affected area.Those leaving the area are no longer subject to thespell.

Holding a Spell: A mage may choose not to dis-charge a spell on the round in which he completescasting. Each round that a mage holds a spell, hemust make a Fortitude save as if he were still cast-ing the spell and suffer the appropriate damage foreach failed check.

Example: Ephraim, a human Earth mage, takes 3rounds to complete an Earth spell and now hewishes to hold it. On round 4, he must make a For-titude save (DC 11) or suffer 1d4 points of subdualdamage. On round 5, the DC of his check goes upto 12 and so on until he casts the spell.

A mage can hold a spell indefinitely in this man-ner (or until he falls unconscious). A mage cannotcast another spell while holding a spell. A magecan take only one standard action each roundwhile holding a spell.

Touch Spells: If a mage is unable to discharge atouch spell on the same round that he completescasting, he can hold the spell, under the conditionsrelated above.

The mage can make touch attacks round afterround until the spell is discharged. He can touchhimself or a friend as a standard action, or up to sixfriends (for touch spells that allow multiple tar-gets) as a full-round action. If the mage touchesanything while holding a touch spell, the spell dis-charges. For instance, a mage that casts a touchspell who absent mindedly touches his faceunleashes the effects of the spell. However, simplywearing clothes will not force the spell to becomeactive. The touch spell ends if the mage castsanother spell while holding the touch spell.

Discharge: Some spells last for a set duration oruntil triggered or discharged.

(D): If a “(D)” is indicated in the duration of a spell,this means that the spell can be dismissed by thecaster. The caster must be within the casting rangeof the spell and speak a command word or make a


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gesture that cancels the spell. Dismissing a spell isconsidered a standard action, and does not pro-voke an attack of opportunity. Spells that dependupon concentration are dismissible by their verynature (since all the mage has to do is stop con-centrating).

Spell ComponentsAll spells in Loerem require these spell compo-nents: the use of verbal (spoken incantation),somatic (measured and precise movements of thehand or some other part of the body), elementalessence material (a bit of the spell’s element: Earth,Water, Fire, Air, or Life Essence in the case ofVoid).

In order to provide the verbal component to a spell,the mage must be able to speak aloud and be clear-ly understood, even if he uses only a whisper. Agag or other form of hampering a mage’s speechwill spoil the incantation and ruin the spell. Aspellcaster who has been deafened has a 20%chance each round (non-cumulative) of spoilingany spell he tries to cast.

A mage must have at least one hand free (or thebody part specified by the spell) in order to pro-vide the somatic component for a spell. Verbal andsomatic components to spells may be eliminatedwith the use of metamagic feats.

Elemental Essences The material component of a spell—commonlyknown as an “essence” or “spark”—must alwaysbe present for the casting of a spell. Only a smallamount of the essence is required in order to castthe spell, but it must be fully within the spellcast-er’s magical aura. A pinch of soil is used to castEarth magic spells. A drop of water is needed tocast Water magic spells. A spark must be generatedto cast a Fire magic spell, although an open flameor embers will serve just as well. To cast an Airmagic spell, a caster needs only clean air withinhis aura.

A dual-element spell requires the use of essencesfrom both of the spell’s elements. For instance, adual-element Earth/Fire spell requires both a pinchof soil and a spark or open flame.

The essence is always consumed during spellcast-ing.

Essences of Quality: A spell can be cast morequickly if an essence of quality is used. There arethree types of essences of quality: fine essence,exceptional essence, and holy essence.

A fine essence of quality adds +2 to the mage’sspellcasting roll every round. Examples of fineessences of quality are: purified water; air from a

crisp, cold winter day; an ember of high-gradecharcoal. These are fairly common and may be pur-chased from temples and mageware shops for 5argents (3 argents for members of the faith in goodstanding or repeat clientele).

Exceptional essences add +4 to a mage’s spellcast-ing roll each round. Exceptional essences are moredifficult to come by. Examples of exceptionalessenses are: a spark from the Holy Fires of Dwarf-dom, air from the top of the highest mountain inthe Divine Lands of the Tromek. Cost for suchessences is what the market will bear though theyare seldom for sale.

A holy essence is immensely valuable and rare inthe extreme. These essences add +10 to a mage’sspellcasting roll every round. Examples of holyessences are water from the Ork’s holy site, Mt. Sa‘Gra a relic from the ruined Temple of the Magi inOld Vinnengael. Holy essences are closely guardedand are never for sale (at least not on the open mar-ket).

As with normal essences, essences of quality areconsumed by the magic on the first round of spell-casting.

The addition of quality essences does not affectbotches or Fortitude saving throws in any way.Determine botches and Fortitude saving throwsnormally.

Void Essence: Since a Void mage sacrifices his ownlife force to power his spells, he can never bedeprived of his elemental essence. The moment aVoid mage becomes tainted by Void, lesions andpustules form on his body as it reacts to theunwholesome touch of Void magic. Such lesionsand pustules continue to occur or worsen so longas he continues to cast Void magic. These uglymarks are hard to conceal and can be very painful.They cannot be healed by magic, but must heal nat-urally. They will not start to heal until the mageceases to be tainted by Void.

Contaminated Essences: Elemental mages usuallyprefer to use the purest available form of the ele-ment for their spells. It is assumed that a mage isusing fresh air, pure spring water, rich soil (or purestone), or clean-burning fire when spell-casting. Intimes of need, a mage may use contaminatedessences. These are the opposite of essences ofquality, penalizing each round’s spellcasting rollby at least –1. The exact penalties for using con-taminated essences will be decided by the refereeaccording to each situation (but should never begreater than –5).

Example: Alastrea is caught off-guard by her ene-mies while she is in a stable. She is forced to cast

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spells using dirt from the stable’s floor, giving hera –2 to her spellcasting rolls.

An Air magic spell using the air of a smoke-filledtavern would suffer the same penalties. Theessence is corrupted, which makes the channelingand shaping of magic more difficult.

Void mages can suffer the same problems if theyare wasting with disease (such as the plague) orsuffering from the effects of poison.

CONSIDERATIONS IN SPELLCASTING

AttacksSpells that refer to attacks or attacking. Any offen-sive combat actions, even those that do not causeharm (such as bull rush and disarm) are consideredto be attacks. All spells that must be resisted witha saving throw, inflict damage, harm or hampertargets in other ways are attacks.

BonusesSpells that give their targets bonuses to abilityscores, AC, attacks, and other attributes. Each typeof bonus indicates how the spell grants the bonus.Remember that two bonuses of the same type donot generally stack. With the exception of dodgebonuses, most circumstance bonuses and bonusesgranted by armor and shield are used in conjunc-tion, but only the better bonus works. The same istrue for penalties. A creature suffering from two ormore penalties of the same type applies only theworst one.

Bringing Back the DeadThere is no power (short of the reclusive gods) ableto restore life to a living being that has died.Attempts to raise the dead always fail. The reunionof a dead physical form with the soul that onceinhabited it creates an undead creature, who has alimited memory of its previous life, but enoughunderstanding to know that it is an abominationand to hate those who are still living (especiallythose who disturbed its well-deserved rest).

Combining Magical EffectsNormally, spells and magical effects work asdescribed without regard for other spells or magi-cal effects operating in the same area or on thesame target. However, under certain special cir-cumstances, a spell will affect the way anotherspell operates. Spells that have an effect on otherspells provide an explanation of that effect in theirdescriptions.

The following general rules apply when spells ormagical effects are operating in the same place oron the same target.

Stacking Effects: Spells that bestow a bonus orpenalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throwsand other attributes usually do not stack withthemselves. Two bonuses of the same type do notstack, even if they are caused by different spells ormagical effects. The best bonus (or worst penalty)is used by the target.

Different Bonus Types: Bonuses or penalties thatare of different types and originate from differentspells (or magical effects) can stack under the rightconditions. Unnamed bonuses (“+2 bonus” not a“+2 morale bonus”) or penalties can stack with anynamed (or unnamed) bonus or penalty.

Same Effect with Differing Results: Spells that pro-duce varying effects when cast upon a recipientmore than once do not cancel the previously castspell. Their effects are superceded while the finalspell in the series is in effect. Should the later spellbe dispelled or its duration end, the earlier spellwill take effect, assuming its duration has notelapsed as well.

Same Effect More than Once in DifferentStrengths: In a case when two or more spells areactive in the same area, but at different strengths,only the spell with the best results applies. Asabove, the earlier spell is not dispelled, merely rel-egated to a secondary role. Should the later spell bedispelled or its duration end, the earlier spell takeseffect, again assuming its duration has not elapsedas well.

One Effect Makes Another Irrelevant: Spells maybe cast that will make spells cast earlier and whichare still active in the same area or on the same tar-get irrelevant.

Example: A horse under the effects of a dressagespell may move at twice its normal movement. Ifthe enchanted horse falls into the effects of a holeand is buried up to its chest in dirt, the dressagewill not allow the horse to continue to move.

Multiple Mental Control Effects: Some spells andmagical effects can establish mental control overcreatures. Sometimes these spells and effects can-cel each other out. Mental controls that do notremove the target’s ability to act usually do notinterfere with each other. Those mentally con-trolled by two or more entities try to obey eachcontroller to the best of their ability. If a controlledbeing receives conflicting orders, the different con-trollers must make opposed Charisma checks tofind out which order the controlled creature obeys.

Spells with Opposite Effects: Spells that possessopposite effects that are cast upon the same targetor area apply their effects normally. All bonuses,penalties, and alterations happen in the order thatthe spells were cast or became relevant. Some


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spells have the ability to counter or negate a differ-ent spell completely. These sorts of effects arenoted in each spell’s description.

Instantaneous Effects: Instantaneous durationspells take effect normally even when they affectthe same area or target.

Illusions There are two very distinct types of illusions.

The first and the most common type of illusion isone that creates false sensory perceptions, such asimages, noises, and scents, all within a definedarea. Those close enough to perceive the illu-sion be it visual, auditory, olfactory or tac-tile are affected by it.

The second form of illusion is one that acts solelyon the mind of one particular person. These illu-

sions are not perceivable by others, and affect onlythe intended target’s mind. This sort of illusion canbe used to entice the person, refocus his attention,force him to ignore a particular object or being, orcause him to feel fear or other emotions.

The most difficult aspect of using illusions effec-tively in a role-playing game is judging whether ornot an illusion is believable. An illusion’s believ-ability relies heavily upon the situation in thegame, as well as on the mental condition of theillusion’s intended target(s) at the time of thespell’s casting or during the illusion’s effect. Spe-cial care should be taken by both players and ref-erees to fairly ascertain and judge these circum-stances, so that illusions are created within reasonand have a reasonable chance of success.

It is important to remember that so long as themage works within the framework of the spell, the

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mage is able to create any sort of image or decep-tion he wants. However, the believability of theillusions will be affected by the amount of infor-mation or personal knowledge the caster possessesregarding the illusion he is about to create. Forinstance, a mage looking at a stone floor might eas-ily create the illusion of that same stone floor cov-ering a pit lined with steel spikes. However, amagic-user who tries to create the illusion of athermrider without ever having seen one will like-ly produce a monster that has only the vaguestresemblance to a thermrider. If the mage is castingthe illusion to fool the local peasant folk, who havenever seen a thermrider either, they may beimpressed simply because they see a monster. Ifthe mage tries to use this illusion to impress some-one who is knowledgeable about thermriders, thatperson will have trouble believing the illusion.

The illusion’s relation to the player’s surroundingsor events in the game should be taken into consid-eration when determining believability. A personalready walking across a stone floor will tend to befooled by the illusion of this same stone floor cov-ering a pit lined with spikes. This same personwitnessing a giant bear with squid-like tentaclesrising from the stone floor might find that illusionhard to swallow.

The final factor for believability is the overall com-plexity of the spell itself. If the spell is capable ofproducing an illusion with only visual properties,the magic-user will probably not want to use sucha spell to fashion the image of a trumpeting ele-phant. Spell limitations will often determine whatsort of illusion can be created and still maintainbelievability. A spellcaster wanting to create theillusion of a fully armored knight on horsebackmust conjure up the sound of clanking armor, thesnort of the horse, the stamp of the horse’s hoovesupon the ground, the smell of the horse, etc. Creat-ing such a complex spell is far more difficult than

creating the illusion of a mouse running across thefloor.

The base DC for disbelieving an illusion is includ-ed in the spell’s description. An illusion’s appro-priateness can affect its disbelief DC, as presentedin Table 2.4: Bonuses and Penalties for Disbeliev-ing Illusions.

Some illusions allow the victim an immediateattempt to disbelieve. In most cases, the victim(s)will not automatically have a chance to disbelieve.A solid reason for the disbelief must be present.For instance, a character who has just seen a bearwith tentacle legs emerge from a wall has good rea-son to disbelieve what he is seeing. However, thecharacter who sees an illusion of a ghostly figureemerging from the wall of a haunted house has agood reason to believe what he sees. In those caseswhere the illusion is unreasonable, the DC for dis-believing should be lowered.

Disbelieving an illusion counts as a free action,requiring a Will saving throw against the spellsdisbelief DC + spellcaster level + special modifiers.If successful, the creature is able to see through theillusion, recognizing it for what it is. Failing a sav-ing throw means that the character does not noticethe illusion and believes that everything is as itappears.

It is not an easy task for one person to convinceanother that what he is seeing is an illusion. Sinceillusions are spells that affect the mind by deceiv-ing and manipulating a person’s perceptions ofreality, the person affected will not readily believethat he is being deceived. The mind tends torationalize what it perceives as reality. Simplytelling someone that he is viewing an illusion willnot convince him. In some instances, even tryingto convince him through example will fail. A per-son in the party who sees through the illusion of astone floor to the pit below may try to warn othersthat there is an illusion by throwing a stone intothe pit. The people who believe the illusion see thestone hit the floor and skitter away. Players mustbe creative in trying to persuade their comradesthat they are under the effects of a spell. The refer-ee should take such creative endeavors into con-sideration in adjudicating the results of theactions.

The dead, undead, animated items, creatures withan Intelligence of 2 or less and all manner of mag-ical constructs are unaffected by illusions. Magic-using undead (such as Vrykyl) may cast illusionspells, but they are never fooled by them.

Illusory Damage: Damage caused by an illusion isdependent upon the nature of the illusion. An illu-sion of an attacking wolf causes bite and claw dam-


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TABLE 2.4: MODIFIERS FOR DISBELIEVING ILLUSIONS

Modifier Situation Example

-5 Completely Inappropriate Taan warrior dancing in aVinnengaelean wedding gown.

-3 or -4 Largely Inappropriate Elf drinking ale and tellingbawdy jokes in a tavern.

-1 or -2 Slightly Inappropriate Iron door without rust ina damp abandoned mine.

0 Believable A bridge over a river.+1 or +2 Very Believable A marble bust of the king

in the king’s palace.+3 or +4 Completely Believable Orken sailor on a ship.

+5 Incredibly Believable A bird flying overhead in the woods.

age. An illusion of a giant with a club attacks bysmashing its opponents over the head. In all cases,illusory damage is always subdual damage. Anillusion cannot inflict damage upon a creature whois unconscious. However, if the creature is stillwithin the area affected by the illusion when heregains consciousness, he is again subject to theillusion’s attacks. He is then allowed another Willsave to disbelieve the illusion.

Transmutation SpellsIf a spell changes the nature of an object or livingbeing, either temporarily or permanently, theessence of the original object or creature isdetectable to those who can cast the same magicthat achieved the transmutation. To do so, a magemust make a Spellcraft skill check (DC 20 + thelevel of the spellcaster who cast the spell). If suc-cessful, the mage is able to determine whether theobject or being is what it appears to be. However,the true shape is seen only as a vague shadowaround the subject and is insufficient to allow thecaster to dispel the transmutation.

SPELL CATEGORIESSpell categories provide the referee with a frame-work to help determine the availability of spells.Spells fit into one of three following categories.

Trade Spells: Spells that have been around forsuch a long time or have been used so often thatknowledge of their existence has become common-place among both mages and the uninitiated. Sincetrade spells are the easiest to learn on one’s own,they are normally the first spells taught to aspiringwizards and it is rare to meet a mage who does notknow at least one or two. Most of the spells pre-sented in the Sovereign Stone Campaign Source-book are trade spells.

Dweomers: Spells most commonly known amongpersons who seriously study magic and those whohave dealings with mages. Because these spellstend to be more difficult to learn, finding magesable or willing to teach dweomers is more difficultthan finding those willing to teach trade spells.Resource materials concerning dweomers are morescarce as well. Some dweomers may have religiousconnotations and are not taught to the unqualifiedor to nonbelievers. Others may be used only in cer-tain geographic regions or among certain people.

Forbidden Spells: Spells that unleash such awfulmagicks that they are almost impossible to control,as well as spells that twist the powers of the ele-ments toward the Void, causing terror, pain, suffer-ing, and death. Most civilized nations have lawsagainst the use of forbidden spells, although magestend to make their own rules when it comes to

their spellcasting. Many a sorry wizard has beenburned at the stake, drawn and quartered,drowned, or horribly maimed because he was sus-pected of casting forbidden spells.

The laws of magic differ from one land to another.Forbidden spells that are banned in one countrymay not be banned in another. For instance, theuse of Void spells is forbidden within the Vinnen-gaelean Empire, Nimra, and Nimorea. Dunkargansdo not share the same prejudice against Void magicand tend to take a more lenient view of Voidmages, so long as they do not cause trouble. Orksbelieve that all magic other than Water magic isforbidden, and only rarely do orks allow theirspellcasters to learn the magic of other elements.(Cultural differences are discussed at more lengthin Chapter Three: The Races and Magic.)

LEARNING SPELLSThroughout Loerem, mages acquire spells by dif-ferent means: taught within an institution, taughtby paid tutor, self-taught. Spells newly acquired byelemental and Void mages must be learned in oneof these manners before they can be consideredFull Reference spells and successfully cast.

Taught in an InstitutionIn an institutional setting, the spells are taughtaccording to need and difficulty and may be divid-ed into categories and areas of concentration. Eachinstitution has a list of spells that are routinelytaught to students (usually trade spells and per-haps a few dweomers). An example of such aninstitution is the Temple of the Magi in New Vin-nengael.

Due to the number of students, learning spells pro-gresses slowly in an institutional setting. However,a mage in an institution has access to an immensecollection of spells, far more than a mage who isself-taught or those who study with tutors.

After each month +1 week for spells with a CastingThreshold over 50, +2 weeks for spells with a CTover 75, +3 weeks for spells with a CT over 100,and +1 week more for every 50 points beyond CT100 spent in study within an institution, the magemay attempt to learn one new spell. At the end ofthis time, the mage can roll 1d20 + Intelligencemodifier + the mage’s level (in the appropriatemage class) against a DC of 10 + 1 per 10 points ofCasting Threshold. If successful, the mage learnsthe spell and is able to add it to his repertoire andspellbook. If the check fails, the mage is unable tolearn the spell and must wait until he achieves anew level in the appropriate mage class beforeattempting to learn the spell again (repeating theprocess).

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Taught by a Tutor or MentorSpells are taught according to the amount ofmoney paid and the amount of time contracted.Each tutor or mentor has a different price for theservice and each specializes in different spells.

After every two weeks +1 week for spells with aCasting Threshold over 50, +2 weeks for spellswith a CT over 75, +3 weeks for spells with a CTover 100, and +1 week more for every 50 pointsbeyond CT 100 spent in study with the tutor, themage may attempt to learn one new spell. At theend of this time, the mage can roll 1d20 + Intelli-gence modifier + themage’s level (in theappropriate mageclass) against a DC of15 + 1 per 10 points ofCasting Threshold. Ifsuccessful, the magelearns the spell and isable to add it to hisrepertoire and spell-book. If the checkfails, the mage isunable to learn thespell and must waituntil he achieves anew level in theappropriate mageclass before attempt-ing to learn the spellagain (repeating theprocess).

Self-TaughtFinding or gainingaccess to spellbooks,spell scrolls or otherrecordings of spells isprobably the most dif-ficult aspect of teach-ing oneself. All majorcities have shops thatspecialize in arcanemerchandise, but theytend to be pricey,while their ownersmay try to take advantage of a novice. Some reli-gious institutions in Nimra and Nimorea permitthe study of magic on one’s own, although thepriests will keep close watch on the material themage studies. Most Vinnengaelean temples do notpermit self-taught mages in their libraries. Guardswill escort the erstwhile mage to the door and mayeven have him arrested. Dunkargan guilds are veryjealous of their spellbooks and magical knowledge.Only guild members in good standing are permit-

ted to access them. Karnuans have laws againstself-taught mages and will either recruit such amage into the military or have him executed fortreason.

Due to their secretive and dangerous practices andlack of trust of others, Void mages are almostalways self-taught. Occasionally a Void mage willtake a student, but such instances are rare.

Once a mage gains access to a spell, he must learnthe spell through self-study and trial and error.Because each mage uses his own notations andshorthand to remind himself of what he needs to

do in order to cast aspell, a student oftenhas difficulty deci-phering the writtenversion of a spellobtained from anoth-er mage.

Learning a spell froma manuscript that hasbeen either purchasedor discoveredrequires more timethan scribing a spellthat a mage alreadyknows or has beentaught. The magemust first be able touse the element (orelements) of the spellin question. Second,he must spend oneday simply trying tofigure out the mean-ing of the differentnotations and sym-bols used by the origi-nal owner. Thisrequires a Spellcraftskill check (DC 20 + 1per every 10 points ofCasting Threshold).Should the spell thatthe mage discoveredbe from his advan-taged element, he

gains a +2 bonus to the check. A spell may becopied in this manner from a spellbook or magicalscroll without causing harm to the source.

If the check fails, the mage can attempt to decipherthe spell again once he has gained at least oneadditional rank in Spellcraft. The source hasproven to be beyond the mage’s ability to decipherand understand. However, new experience and


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information may make understanding easier forhim later.

If successful, the mage discovers the name of thespell and its effects. This does not allow the mageto cast the spell, although such knowledge mightindicate that the mage already knows a spell withthe same or similar effects.

Once the mage has deciphered the writing of theoriginal manuscript and has decided that he wantsto add the spell to his book, he must spend timetrying to translate the information into a formatthat is useful and understandable to him.

Each spell is learned at a different rate. Roll 1d20 +Intelligence modifier, double the result and sub-tract it from 60 days +1 week for spells with a Cast-ing Threshold over 50, +2 weeks for spells with aCT over 75, +3 weeks for spells with a CT over 100,and +1 week more for every 50 points beyond CT100. This is the amount of time needed to learn anew spell self-taught. At the end of this time, themage can roll 1d20 + Intelligence modifier + themage’s level (in the appropriate mage class) againsta DC 20 + 1 per 10 points of the spell’s CastingThreshold. If successful, the mage learns the spelland is able to add it to his repertoire and spellbook.If the check fails, the mage is unable to learn thespell, and must wait until he achieves a new levelin the appropriate mage class before attempting tolearn the spell again (repeating the process).

Independent ResearchMany talented mages like to devise their ownspells, which they can then name after themselves,giving them an immortality of sorts that will lastlong after they have departed this life. Or, some-times, a wizard simply cannot find a spell that pro-duces the effect he wants to create. Whatever thereason, mages often find themselves in the positionof researching and creating spells from scratch.

Researching a spell is not an easy task, nor is itinexpensive. A mage must purchase books and lab-oratory equipment, rent work space and commit toa great many other expenditures, all of which addup to 750 argents per week. The time it will takefor a mage to research a new spell varies from spellto spell and from mage to mage. To determine theamount of time it will take, roll 1d20 + Intelligencemodifier, double the result and subtract it from 80days +1 week for spells with a Casting Thresholdover 50, +2 weeks for spells with a CT over 75, +3weeks for spells with a CT over 100, and +1 weekmore for every 50 points beyond CT 100. After thistime has elapsed and the mage has paid all of hisbills, the mage can roll 1d20 + Intelligence modifi-er + the mage’s level (in the appropriate mageclass) against a DC 20 + 1 per 10 points of the new

spell’s CT. If successful, the mage learns the spelland it is added to his spellbook and repertoire asnormal. Failure means that the research has failedto produce a viable spell and the mage must startover again. The cost remains the same, due tobreakage and damage. (For rules on spell construc-tion, see Chapter 6: Spell Creation.)

FINDING TEACHERS AND SPELL RESOURCESWhen a mage wants to learn or research a newspell, he has several options open to him. One is tolearn the desired spell from a spellcaster who isfamiliar with the spell (if it exists). This is the pre-ferred way for mages to learn spells, since it takesthe least amount of time, even though it can bequite expensive. If the mage cannot find anyonewho knows the spell and is willing to tutor him, hecan visit local libraries, bookstores and magewaremerchants (dealers specializing in arcane mer-chandise) in hopes of finding enough informationto teach himself the spell. This method is oftenlong and tedious, but can be more rewarding in theend. The mage may enter an institution where thespell is taught, although this often means perform-ing services for the institution or undergoingindoctrination into the institution itself. If all thesefail or are unsatisfactory, the mage may attempt todevise a spell of his own that produces the desiredeffects.

The ease of obtaining mage tutors and spellresources varies depending upon the region, theregion’s population, and the spell’s category. Typi-cally, it is easiest to find tutors or source materialfor trade spells. Dweomers are less easy to find,while forbidden spells are the most difficult. Anaspiring mage will find it easier to obtain a tutor orspell resources (scrolls and books pertaining to theparticular spell, its effects, and magic in general)among the race that is advantaged in the desiredspell’s element. Among races that are neutral ordisadvantaged in the spell’s element, the hunt for atutor or resources becomes increasingly difficult.Mages will have better access to magic relatedtexts, teachers, and institutions (such as the Tem-ple of the Magi and mage-guilds) in larger popula-tion centers, with major cities providing the mostopportunities, villages the least.

The mage rolls a Knowledge (arcana) skill check.The Difficulty Class for finding source materials ora teacher for a trade spell is 8 among the raceadvantaged in the element of the spell, 13 amongraces neutral to the element, 18 among those whoare disadvantaged in the spell’s element. This DCincreases by +1 if the mage is searching for ateacher or source material concerning a dweomer.(Source material for spells independently

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researched by the mage always count asdweomers.)

Finding forbidden spell resources and teachers isextremely difficult. Mages who know these sorts ofspells usually live outside the law. They under-stand the consequences for possessing such knowl-edge and are loath to impart the same power to oth-ers, who might use it against them. Manuscriptsand treatises on forbidden magic are closely guard-ed and rarely discussed. Large universities, mage-guilds, and the larger churches of the Temple of theMagi harbor books of this nature, but severelyrestrict access to them. The DC for finding forbid-den spell resources is increased by +3.

Performing searches for magical resources in a cityreduces the DC of the mage’s Knowledge (arcana)skill check by -1. Searching in a village raises theDC by +1, since mages who live in rural areas faraway from large population centers usually have avery good reason for doing so. They may be hedge-wizards on the run from the authorities or theymay have simply grown tired of being hounded byupstart mages looking for a tutor. Those practicingdark magic also find it advantageous to live inareas where their magic may not be as visible.Guild mages are rarely found in small towns or vil-lages. A Church temple might be present in ruralareas, but the aspiring mage will not find manyvaluable magical texts other than the residentRevered Brother’s personal spellbooks. Towns thatare larger than villages, but smaller than cities, donot modify the search’s DC.

If the skill check succeeds, the referee may informthe mage that he has found a willing tutor to teachhim the spell (the price of training can be negotiat-ed) or a sufficient source of materials to learn thespell himself. (Learning the spell can then contin-ue normally as described above.)

If the skill check fails, the mage’s efforts do notcome to fruition. He is unable to locate a tutor whoknows the spell(s) he wants, nor can he find anyother resources that can help him learn. This doesnot mean all hope is lost. The referee may allowmultiple checks if the mage is in a town or city,each check representing one week spent searchingevery nook and cranny, following up every lead.Depending on the size of the town, the refereecould allow up to three separate checks. In a city, amage might poke around for six or seven weeksbefore exhausting all possibilities.

A failed roll does not necessarily mean that aresource is non-existent. A mage who knows thespell might be unwilling to teach it. Perhaps thelocal mage-guild or Church temple will not permitthe struggling wizard inside their libraries or acranky old bookseller thinks that the dusty tome in

the corner is simply too valuable to part with. Theroll of a die should never supercede the role-play-ing aspect of the game. Through superior role-play-ing, a player might be able to persuade the tutor totake on another student, bribe a guild member tolet him have a few hours in the library, or steal thebook, if thievery is not out of character.

Example: Quantii, a human Earth mage, wants tolearn hole, an Earth magic trade spell. She is visit-ing a small town in Nimorea, where she makessome inquiries and visits the town’s only bookdealer. She rolls a Knowledge (arcana) skill checkagainst a DC 7 (DC 8 because the spell is a tradespell – 1 because she is in an area whose populaceis advantaged in Earth magic). Quantii succeeds byrolling a 10. Quantii visits a blacksmith’s shop,where she finds a dusty old spellbook that was leftas collateral by a mage some years before and neverrecovered. Quantii flips through the tome, findsthe hole spell, purchases the book and teaches her-self the spell.

Weeks later, Quantii decides to try to find someonethat will teach her an Air magic trade spell. Sinceshe is in Dunkar and its human population is dis-advantaged in Air magic, and since Dunkar is alarge city, finding a teacher or resources for thespell will require her to succeed at a Knowledge(arcana) skill check (DC 17). In such an environ-ment, if Quantii isn’t able to find the resources orteacher on her first try, she will definitely haveother opportunities to do so.

Spell FamiliarityElemental mages and Void mages must keep aspellbook, scroll collection, or devise some other


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TABLE 2.5: SPELL FAMILIARITY AND TOTAL CT BY LEVEL

Level Intimate Knowledge Quick Reference

1 25 502 30 603 35 704 40 805 45 906 50 1007 55 1108 60 1209 65 130

10 70 14011 75 15012 80 16013 85 17014 90 18015 95 19016 100 20017 105 21018 110 22019 115 23020 120 240

means of storing spells they haven’t learned com-pletely. The more powerful and intelligent themage, the more spells he can cast without referringto a book or scroll.

Full Reference: Spells that are in a mage’s reper-toire but still unfamiliar to him are known as FullReference spells. In order to cast a Full Referencespell, a mage must study the spell for one round forevery 25 points of CT. For instance, an Earth mageattempting to cast push away (a spell with a CT 61)as a Full Reference spell, would have to study thespell for three full rounds before attempting to castit. A mage may possess any number of Full Refer-ence spells, but must always refer to them beforecasting. All newly learned spells begin as Full Ref-erence spells.

Quick Reference: A mage has a number of spellsthat are fairly well known to him, but he still needsto refer to his spellbook in order to cast. Thesespells are known as Quick Reference spells. Thetotal listed on Table 2.5 represents the total numberof Casting Threshold points a mage may know asQuick Reference. This value is modified by themage’s Intelligence modifier × 10. For example, a4th-level mage with a 17 Intelligence (+3 Int mod-ifier) can have a number of Quick Reference spellswhose collective Casting Thresholds do not exceed110 (80 + 30). The mage must study Quick Refer-ence spells from his spellbook for one round beforehe may begin casting. Once the mage has refer-enced the spell, he does not need to review it againfor one hour and may cast the spell as if it wereIntimate Knowledge (see below) during that time.

Intimate Knowledge: Mages can cast a number ofspells directly from memory. These spells arecalled Intimate Knowledge spells. Table 2.5 relatesthe total number of various spell Casting Thresh-old points a mage may know as Intimate Knowl-edge. This value is modified by the mage’s Intelli-gence modifier × 10. At 4th-level, a mage with a 17Intelligence can have 70 CT points worth of spellsknown as Intimate Knowledge spells. A mage doesnot have to refer to a spellbook while casting aspell known as Intimate Knowledge and can begincasting immediately.

The CT totals listed on Table 2.5 do not stack if amage decides to multiclass. They apply only tospells for that class’s particular magical element.For example, a 1st-level Earth mage who multi-classes as a 1st-level Fire mage will have a base 50CT points of Earth spells that he can know asQuick Reference and a base 50 CT points of Firespells he can know as Quick Reference. This alsoapplies to Intimate Knowledge spells.

Switching Spell Familiarity: When a player createsa mage character, spells are assigned to his spell

familiarity, so long as the total of all the spells’Casting Thresholds do not exceed the number list-ed on Table 2.5: Spell Familiarity and Total CT byLevel. Every time the character gains a level as amage, he may switch spells from the three cate-gories as he chooses, with these exceptions: a spellcan improve only one category per level, the CTtotals can never be exceeded. For example, a magewould have to gain two levels before a Full Refer-ence spell could be known at Intimate Knowledge.The mage may drop a spell from Intimate Knowl-edge to Full Reference without restriction.

Dual-Element Spells: When a character possesseslevels in two elemental mage classes (whose ele-ments are adjacent to each other: Earth and Fire,Earth and Water, Fire and Air, etc.), he may learnand cast dual-element spells. Dual-element spellsmay be learned as Quick Reference and IntimateKnowledge, using spell familiarity points fromeither of the two elemental mage classes.

Example: Surin has levels in both Earth magic andFire magic. He may learn Earth/Fire spells and usepoints from either his Earth mage or Fire mageclass to know the spells at Intimate Knowledge orQuick Reference. A dual-element spell’s CT maynot be divided between the two classes, but mustbe paid for entirely from one spell familiarity poolor the other.

Magical WritingsMages use complex formulae and symbolization toexplain the processes through which they can har-ness the powerful forces of magic, bend them totheir will, and produce specific effects. The sym-bols and formulae vary from spellcaster to spell-caster, but the system for writing out a spell rarelychanges. A spellcaster generally has no troubledeciphering his own handwriting and notations.Other mages who try to read his spells must taketime to study and make sure that they understandhis meaning.

To decipher magical writing (such as a single spellin written form in another mage’s spellbook or ona scroll), a character must make a successful Spell-craft check (DC 20 + 1 per every 10 CT). If the skillcheck fails, the character cannot attempt to readthat particular spell until the next day. If the per-son who created the magical writing is on hand tohelp the reader, success is automatic. (See Learn-ing Spells elsewhere in this chapter.)

Once a character deciphers a particular magicalwriting, he does not need to decipher it again.Deciphering a magical writing allows the reader toidentify the spell and gives some idea of its effects(as explained in the spell description). If the magi-cal writing is on a scroll and the reader can cast

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spells, he can attempt to use the scroll (see infor-mation about scrolls in Chapter 8: Magical ItemCreation).

The SpellbookAn elemental mage or Void mage begins play witha spellbook containing spells that the mage learnedwhile studying on his own or while at school orunder tutelage. Within the spellbook are spellswhose total Casting Thresholds equal 1d20 + (themage’s Intelligence modifier × 10) + 100. (Themage and the referee should decide which spellsare appropriate for the start of the adventure andchoose from those that are available.) The magecan place the spells into the spell familiarity of hischoosing (so long as the total CT of the spells doesnot exceed the total on Table 2.5). All spells thatcannot fit into Quick Reference or Intimate Knowl-edge are known at Full Reference.

Note: A non-spellcasting character who wants tomulticlass as an elemental mage or a Void magemust have some means of acquiring a spellbookand spells, since such is not automatically provid-ed for him.

Spellbook Size: Spellbooks can be sizable objects.Several volumes might be required to house amage’s entire repertoire. A spell takes up 1 page forevery 5 points of CT. A spell with a Casting Thresh-old of 62 requires 13 pages. Spellbooks are usuallymade to contain 100-200 pages.

Writing a Spell: Writing a spell is a time-consum-ing process.

To write a newly learned spell into a spellbookrequires 1 day plus 1 additional day for every 20points of the spell’s Casting Threshold. A spell willalways require at least 2 days to write.

This same process is used when trying to duplicatespells from a spellbook or in copying spells fromanother source (after the spell has been learned).

Materials and Costs: Special materials are requiredfor writing spells, including unique quills and rareinks. The cost for these materials is 100 argents perpage.

Losing a Spellbook: If a mage loses his spellbook,he loses the ability to cast the Full Reference andQuick Reference spells contained in it. Unless hehas copies of these spells or is able to recover thelost spellbook, he must relearn these spells as nor-mal, except that the learning time is halved due tothe fact that he has already studied them. Any Inti-mate Knowledge spells that the mage knows at thetime may be written down in a new spellbook (asdescribed above).

THE LIMITS OF MAGICWhile magic in Loerem is extremely powerful, cen-turies of studies in the arcane art have causedmages to come to the conclusion that magic doeshave its limits. No spell should break these limits,unless there is very good reason to do otherwise.

ShapechangingIt is possible for mages to alter or enhance theirshape or the shape of another with magic.Shapechanging can range from changing the colorof one’s eye to taking on the form of an animal.Mages cannot shapechange living creatures intoinanimate objects, nor can they shapechange inan-imate objects into living beings. A shapechangewill not change the mentality or intellect of theaffected. For instance, a human who takes on someof the traits of a cat would not lose his personalitynor any of his knowledge, although the ability tomake his wishes known could be impaired due tophysiological changes. Such transformations arerarely permanent, usually lasting for only a shorttime.

TeleportationThe arcane art of teleportation was at its heightwith the creation of the Portals that linked thenations of the dwarves, elves, orks, and ultimatelythe gods, to Old Vinnengael. The knowledge ofsuch magic was lost in the fiery explosion that lev-eled that city and sundered the Portals. Those wiz-ards who have tried to recreate the Portals agreethat because of a fundamental change in the natureof magic during the destruction of Old Vinnengael,teleportation is no longer possible, except throughthe Portals (known and unknown) that exist today.Although some Void shadow magic allows foralmost instantaneous travel, the means by whichthis is achieved is not considered teleportation.

HealingWhen a spell or magical power cures hit points ofdamage, it does not automatically cure an equalamount of subdual damage. Spells must statespecifically that they heal subdual damage. Somemay heal only hit points of normal damage, whileothers only subdual damage, and some may healboth normal and subdual damage.

Example: Darren has taken 8 hit points of damagefrom a longsword, and has been punched for anadditional 4 points of subdual damage. Darren’sfriend, Alvor, is a learned Earth mage and castsgentle touch on his friend and heals 4 hit points ofdamage. This leaves Darren with 4 hit points ofdamage and 4 points of subdual damage. (See CoreRulebook I, page 134, for more information aboutsubdual damage.)


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THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF SPELLCASTINGAlthough it has been said that every member ofevery race of Loerem is capable of casting spells,spellcasting requires time and dedication in orderto learn how to use magic properly. Due to the dif-ficulty and time-consuming nature of these stud-ies, the dangers involved and cultural aspersionscast upon magic-use, those people who have per-severed with their studies to become even semi-proficient magic-users are relatively few in num-ber.

Only about one in every two hundred individualshas become a full-fledged spellcaster, devoting hislife solely to the advancement of his art. Thesemages are typically Revered Magi from the Temple

of the Magi, guild mages, elven Wyred or orkenshamans.

About one in every three hundred people has beentrained in the ways of magic, but does not activelystrive to further his magic skills. Such a person hasother duties, and considers his magic a tool thatallows him to go about his disparate tasks moreeasily. A stonecutter, for example, might use Earthmagic to help him make his daily tasks easier.

Self-taught magic-users are the most uncommon.Perhaps only one out of five hundred persons hasthe means and latent ability to pursue magicalstudies on his own. Those that do often find thegoing quite slow, and either give up their endeav-ors for easier pastimes or find themselves a suit-able mentor to help them along.

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THE RA

CES & MA

GIC

Chapter 3

he novitiates speak of their dreams of

glory and of battle. They tell how they are going

to make themselves famous by solving the mys-

tery of the Portals.

They never speak of days spent in quiet solitude,

copying spells. No, that is not glory enough for

them.

Where would they be without us scriveners? In

sad straits, I can tell you. We compile the

records of their explorations. We record their

battle spells. We keep the cogs of magic’s wheels

turning.

And do we receive any thanks? No. Only orders

to work faster and better. It’s almost enough

to make me go out and burn a book.

TTELWIN, ORDER OF SCRIBES, TO

A COLLEAGUE:

56

THE RACES AND MAGIC

HUMANSThe differing attitudes of humans regarding magicare born from each culture’s diverse history, politi-cal situation, and religious movements. Generallyspeaking, the humans of Loerem have an affinityfor shaping and channeling Earth magic. Mosthumans believe that magic comes from the godsand therefore they combine magic with religion.Human religions are widely diverse, however, andvary from culture to culture. Although the majoraspects of Earth magic are healing, protection, andconstruction, not all spells born of Earth magic arebenign. Like any tool, magic is neither good norevil. The good or ill for which magic is used comesfrom the will of the caster. Because of the potentialmisuse of magical power for evil ends, each culturehas established laws and ethics that help governthe use of magic. Each human culture’s laws andattitudes toward magic may differ from the rest,but all are linked to some degree.

VinnengaeleansThe Vinnengaeleans, as a people, believe thatmagic is a gift bestowed upon mortals by the gods.The majority of Vinnengaelean mages are membersof the Temple of the Magi. The Church was bornsome five hundred years ago, and has since cometo dominate the worlds of religion and magic inVinnengael. The Church teaches that the properuse of magic comes only from being educated atthe feet of Temple mages, because if magic-use isnot kept in check and watched vigilantly, themagic may spiral out of control and wreak havocupon the nation, akin to the disaster that destroyedOld Vinnengael. For the most part, the people ofthe Vinnengaelean Empire believe what theChurch patriarchs tell them.

There are, within Vinnengael, those mages of amore individualistic mind-set who decide thatthey cannot live by the rules established by theChurch and that they want to learn the art of spell-casting on their own. There are also those mages inVinnengael who secretly study Void magic. Suchmages, known as “hedge-wizards,” exist outside ofthe Church and therefore outside the law. Law-abiding Vinnengaeleans are wary of such people,and are quick to report seeing men or women cast-ing spells who do not wear the identifying robesand trappings of a Revered Magus from the Templeof the Magi. If a hedge-wizard is caught, he is usu-ally turned over to the local Revered Magus ofhighest rank, or to Church authorities (if in a largetown or city). Depending on his crime, the Churchauthorities will either try to persuade him to jointhe fold or they will recommend a suitable punish-

ment. Foreign spellcasters who are not members ofthe Church are supposed to report to the nearestTemple of the Magi upon arrival in Vinnengaeleanlands in order to obtain the proper documents thatwill permit them to practice magic while withinthe empire.

DunkargansThe King of Dunkarga is also the nominal head ofthe Dunkargan religion. Some Dunkargan kingshave taken on both tasks, while others mostnotably their current ruler, King Moross leave theleadership of religion to powerful advisers. Morossis a believer, unlike most of his subjects, in thetenets presented by the Temple of the Magi, andthus makes his decisions based upon the advice ofthe head of the Temple of the Magi in Dunkarga,Revered High Magus el’Kabir.

Dunkargans, by and large, take a less reverent viewof magic than do Vinnengaeleans. Dunkargansbelieve that the gods created magic. The gods cre-ated trees and cows, as well, and magic, like treesor cows, was put on earth for human use. Dunkar-gan religion is therefore separate from magic-use.Some Dunkargan priests use magic, but magic-useis not a requirement.

Dunkargans have always treated magic as an objectto be studied, learned, and shaped. Magic’s mys-teries are meant to be penetrated. For centuries,Dunkargan universities taught the children of aris-tocrats and well-to-do merchant families mathe-matics, philosophy, history, language, and magic.The rise of the mage-guilds in Dunkarga removedthe teaching of magic from the university, primari-ly for economic reasons.

During the time of King Tamrond II of Vinnengael,the Temple of the Magi sent missionaries toDunkarga and established a foothold there. Neverfully accepted by the Dunkargans, the Churchworked hard to gain a following. The universities,and the mage-guilds fought with the Church overthe proper teaching of Dunkargan mages, and whowas or was not qualified to use magic.

Dunkargan mages believed that whoever wanted topractice magic should be allowed to practice magicwithout having to join the Church and abide bytheir rules. Dunkargan mages affiliated with themage-guilds were offended by the “hedge-wizard”label the Revered Magi bestowed upon a practi-tioner if he had not received an education from theChurch. For their part, the Temple of the Magibelieved that the uncontrolled, unauthorized useof magic led to a society in chaos. They pointedout, with some justification, that magic was beingmisused for evil ends in Dunkarga and that very lit-tle was being done to stop it.

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THE RACES & MAGIC 57

The mage-guilds were forced to concede this pointand for many years, an uneasy truce existedbetween the Dunkargan government and Churchofficials. During the reign of the legendary Vinnen-gaelean king, Tamaros, and the creation of the mag-ical Portals, the Church made considerable head-way in changing the opinions of Dunkargan magestoward magic, for the gods obviously favoredTamaros and his subjects. The Dunkargan people atlarge were not so easily convinced, however, andwith the subsequent destruction of Old Vinnengaelthe Church presence in Dunkarga collapsed. Theirpower base destroyed, the Church leaders inDunkar were thrown into turmoil. The Dunkarganscould not help but notice that the gods had notcome to the rescue of Old Vinnengael, nor did thegods come to the rescue of Church officials inDunkarga.

The current Dunkargan king, Moross, is a devoutman and under his rule the Temple of the Magi hasrisen in stature once again. Illiem el’Kabir, the cur-rent Revered High Magus, a Dunkargan by birth,was trained at the Temple of the Magi in New Vin-nengael. An intelligent man with a forceful per-sonality, the Revered High Magus wields consider-able influence over King Moross, so much so thatsome whisper the High Magus is the true ruler ofDunkarga.

The common Dunkargan cares little about any ofthis. He is aware of the existence of magic. Howev-er, he does not see magic as something that impactshis everyday life and he certainly sees nothingmystical about it. Dunkargans do not discriminatebetween one type of magic and another. The prac-tice of Void magic is not outlawed among theDunkargans, although those who use it are general-ly shunned or watched with suspicion. Because ofthis, Void practitioners who work in the open arerare, although they are more plentiful in Dunkargathan anywhere else in Loerem.

KarnuansKarnu is a military state. Every Karnuan citizen isrequired to serve in the military. From childhoodup, all Karnuans are trained to be soldiers first andother occupations second. To say that the Karnu-ans aren’t a religious people is inaccurate. CaliphKrana Dhur, like his predecessors, has effectivelycombined his people’s strong nationalism and hiscountry’s military strength into a strong religion.Instead of worshipping the gods that others believeto have created the world, the Karnuans worshipnational heroes, generals, and past caliphs. All thepower of the Karnuan religion rests with thecaliph.

Karnuans, like their Dunkargan cousins, do notassociate the use of magic with gods. Gods may

have created the world and magic, but it was theKarnuans who learned to use it. Just as the godsmay have provided Karnuans with iron, it was theKarnuans who used the iron to make swords. Theway the Karnuans see it, the gods have done noth-ing for Karnu that the Karnuans have not alreadydone for themselves. Besides, there is no proof thata belief in great mystical beings that affect the des-tinies of mortals is anything but erroneous. Theorks merely babble about superstitious omens astheir proof. Nimrans and Nimoreans have deludedthemselves into thinking that quietly praying fordivine influence will allow them to negotiate bet-ter with their trading partners. The elves neverspeak plainly, so it is impossible to ever tell whattheir true beliefs are, and the Vinnengaeleans willlie about anything simply to save their own hides.

With these attitudes prevalent in Karnu, it is littlewonder that Karnuan mages are trained for war. Tothis end, some are learned in the healing arts,while others excel at combat. It is not uncommonto see Karnuan mages wielding swords or ham-mers, sometimes with as much efficiency as theywield their magic. The Karnuans have made a spe-cial study of the use of magic in warfare and theyhave come to learn two important facts: (1) war-wizards cannot lend magical support if they aredead and (2) it is wasteful to hold a force in reservejust to protect spellcasters. Therefore, mages mustbe able to defend themselves on the battlefield.

Karnuan war-wizards are some of the most fearedmages in Loerem. They are held to be even morepowerful than the famed battlemages fielded bythe Temple of the Magi during the reign of KingTamaros of Vinnengael. While this is arguable, Kar-nuan war-wizards are skilled in the use of arms aswell as magic, and can unleash a vast array of dev-astating magic before charging headlong into hand-to-hand combat. Rumor has it that one entire regi-ment of Karnuan war-wizards is dedicated to theuse of Void magic. It is said (mostly by Karnuans)that this rumor was started by the Vinnengaeleansafter the disastrous battle of Delak ‘Vir and shouldbe discounted. The object of battle is to win, andpreserve your forces in doing so. Casting Voidmagic can severely weaken a mage’s usefulness onthe battlefield, especially since the damage he suf-fers due to spellcasting cannot be magicallyhealed.

Neither mage-guilds nor temples are permitted inKarnu. Both have been deemed divisive and count-er to the unification of one strong Karnuan state.Those temples that existed before the civil warwith Dunkarga have been torn down and replacedwith barracks. Every major city in Karnu is host toan Academy for the Study of Magic, sanctioned bythe government. The training that the young men

THE RACES & MAGIC58

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and women undergo at these institutions is gruel-ing, and is much more difficult than the training ofa regular foot-soldier. Since the training of war-wizards is so costly, war-wizards rarely retire frommilitary life. Veteran war-wizards make worthymilitary advisers, government officers, and in somecases skillful field commanders. Like all Karnuans,those war-wizards who do leave the service areexpected to keep themselves ready to be called upfor active duty. The profession of choice for retiredwar-wizards is to teach at one of the Academies forthe Study of Magic.

The unauthorized and unregulated use of magic, ofany type, anywhere in the Caliphate of Karnu isnot permitted and may be severely punished byKarnuan authorities.

NimransThe Kingdom of Nimra isbelieved to be Loerem’s old-est human civilization, hav-ing existed as it does now formore than two millennia.The Nimran religion andtheir religious associationwith magic goes even fartherback in Nimran history.Although there are slightregional variations in dogma,the Nimran belief that thegods are the wellspring of allmagic is a common bondthat binds all Nimrans in onefaith. The Nimrans believemagic is a gift bestowed untothe races of Loerem with theunderstanding that misusecan bring down punishmentfrom the gods themselves.Fearing to invoke the wrathof the gods, the Nimrans arevery private about their reli-gion. Since they stronglyassociate with the EarthMother, Milakk, and worshipher almost exclusively, theNimrans build all of theirtemples underground and restrict entry to only rec-ognized members of the community.

All Nimran priests and priestesses are required tobe magic-users and all are deeply involved in reli-gious life. Their children are born and raised with-in the temple community and most go on tobecome priests and priestesses like their parents,although this is not required. A child who hasreached the age of majority may choose to leave thereligious community and enter the world. Many

become semveci or “watchers.” Semveci are theonly Nimrans appointed to high governmentalpositions, with women achieving the highestranks. The Nimrans, as a nation, have always beenruled by a queen, and she serves as the highestranking semveci.

While many Nimran priests and priestesses livecloistered lives within their temples, the semvecitravel about Nimra and into other lands, helpingthe injured, comforting the infirm, acting as teach-ers, advisers, historians, and storytellers. Whilemost Nimran mages are semveci, magic-use is notrestricted solely to their ranks. Anyone in Nimra isallowed to study magic. Studying magic is viewedas a way to benefit the community and is therefore

considered a pious act.Thus most Nimran magesconcentrate on the healingand construction aspects ofEarth magic.

One of the semveci’s dutiesis to visit non-semvecimages to insure that themagic-users have not beencorrupted by malign influ-ences (namely Void prac-tices), or that they have notused their magical powersto do harm to others. TheNimrans value and cherishall life, even the lives ofthose who cause pain to oth-ers. Rarely does a Nimranspellcaster fall away fromhis beliefs and turn to evil.Rather than return evil forevil, the semveci will notpunish a fallen spellcaster,but will try to bring himback into the fold. Theyattempt to divert him from apath that they know willultimately lead to sorrowand death. If they cannotdissuade the individualfrom his chosen path, theybanish him from their com-

munity. Since the rogue mage might pose a dangerto others, he is branded on the face with the sym-bol of a skull, so that all who meet him may beforewarned.

Religious practices differ from one region to anoth-er in Nimra. Many remote Nimran tribes havenever seen, or are completely unaware of, the greatcities of Neyshabur and Kaltay that were built cen-turies ago. For these isolated Nimrans, time standsstill. Their lives have not changed in the last thou-

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sand years. It is among these isolated groups thatancient practices of Earth magic can still be found.Tribal rulers rely on strong wizards to aid them inbattle. Because these primitive people hold allmagic in fear and awe, and because they have notbeen taught that the gods abhor the use of evilmagic, forbidden spells are more likely to be per-formed in such remote areas, including Voidmagic.

A foreign mage in Nimra will be visited by semve-ci almost immediately upon his arrival in a town orcity. This is a nominally social visit and mayinclude the giving of gifts to welcome him toNimra. Beneath the friendly surface, the semveciwill be studying the stranger closely. If they seeany signs that he is tainted with Void or has knowl-edge of forbidden magic, he will be escorted to theedge of town by armed guards and ordered not toreturn.

NimoreansLike their Nimran cousins, Nimoreans stronglyassociate magic with their religion, believingMilakk is the source of all Earth magic. Nimoreansare more open to various sorts of magic, butbecause they live and work closely with the elves,Nimorean mages are less inclined to resort to spell-casting than mages of other races. Worship of godsassociated with other forms of magic is not uncom-mon among the Nimoreans, although the majoritystill exclusively worship the Earth Mother.

The Nimoreans do not adhere to the tradition thatall priests and priestesses are born to the use ofmagic. Those who wish to study magic are encour-aged to develop their skills for the betterment of allNimoreans and devote themselves to the service ofa temple, but they are not required to do so. Practi-tioners of the arcane art are numerous in Nimorea,making life easier for those who live in the harshclimate of this mountainous region.

Although they are a deeply religious people,Nimoreans take a more practical view of magicthan do their Nimran cousins. They are more like-ly to tolerate destructive magic, aware that in someinstances the soothing word must make way for thesword. They do not tolerate Void magic, whichdeals with Death, and they are far less gentle intheir dealings with Void practitioners than theirNimran cousins.

Entrance into Nimorean temples is restricted toNimoreans only, except in extreme or very specialcases. They do not wish to try the patience of thegods and risk defiling their holy sanctuaries bypermitting foreigners to enter. Magical texts in thetemples are kept for the use of the priests andpriestesses. No one else, not even other Nimoreans,

are permitted to see them. Because Nimoreans tendto travel to other parts of the world more frequent-ly than do the Nimrans, the Nimorean temples aresaid to have collected veritable treasure troves ofknowledge pertaining to all types of magic.Nimorean priests and priestesses will pay well forbooks pertaining to magic. The largest of theselibraries is at the temple at Myanmin.

Recently, under the influence of their Dunkarganneighbors, mage-guilds have begun to spring-up inNimorea. The guilds were founded because mageswho were not affiliated with the Nimorean priest-hood needed a place where they could meet toexchange ideas, buy and sell magic paraphernalia,and find resource materials. The mage-guilds arevery good about policing their own, and have notyet come into conflict with the priests.

As more Nimoreans are traveling abroad, the use ofVoid magic is becoming a growing problem amongthem. The Nimorean temples, along with the mage-guilds, are doing all that they can to remove Voidcultists and users from their society. Because ofthis problem, they act swiftly to arrest and removeany mage, native or foreign, caught using Voidmagic. Accused Void-users are tried before a tribu-nal of priests. If found guilty, they are put to death.

Foreign elemental mages are treated with causalcourtesy in Nimorea, so long as they respect thecustoms of the Nimorean people, particularly inregard to the privacy of their temples.

TreveniciUnlike the other human cultures of Loerem,Trevenici spellcasters are extremely rare. In theTrevenici mind, magic is a gift of the gods to thosewho are too weak to wield a sword. The Treveniciconsider that the use of magic is logical for thosewho have no other means of defending themselves,but it is not right for a Trevenici to resort to suchcowardly means of fighting his enemies.

Even healing magic is seldom used among theTrevenici. They are a hardy people, but the entirepopulation and the Trevenici way of life mighthave died out if they had not developed a symbi-otic relationship with a race of people known aspecwae, who have vast knowledge of Earth magic.Trevenici provide the pecwae protection, both athome and abroad. In return, the pecwae performmagical services for the Trevenici.

The pecwae provide the Trevenici clans with mag-ical aid whenever such aid is needed. The spellscast by the pecwae are almost always healing orconstructive in nature, usually having to do withplants and animals or the creation of the marvelouspecwae jewelry that is so highly prized by otherraces in Loerem. The Trevenici would never under

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any circumstances turn to the pecwae for any typeof martial magic.

Trevenici are usually cool toward magic-usersother than pecwae. Trevenici who have befriendedmages of other races tend to ask awkward andembarrassing questions about spellcasting. TheTrevenici may loudly criticize the mage’s relianceon spellcasting, and will constantly attempt towean the mage away from magic-use by urging himto perfect his skills in other, more acceptable pro-fessions.

Trevenici who decide to study magic are treated asoutsiders. While they may prove useful to the com-munity, they are considered highly eccentric, if notdangerous, and are given a wide berth. ThoseTrevenici who do use magic usually end up livingalone, on the outskirts of their village, lending aidwhen they think it appropriate. Trevenici wizardsare rarely, if ever, asked for help from other tribemembers. There have been stories of Trevenicispellcasters who have become respected elders oftheir tribes, but these Trevenici have been able towield a weapon as well as any of their tribesmen,and restricted their magic-use to healing and otherspells beneficial to the tribe.

Trevenici who discover a mage using his talents todo harm will not argue or ask questions, arrest himor try to convert him. They will simply kill him.

PECWAEPecwae are not a religious people, and do notattribute magic to the gods. They believe that everyliving thing is magical and that magic was in theworld before the gods found it. All pecwae arestrongly associated with the earth and Earth magic,and receive a +1 bonus to their spellcasting rollswhen casting Earth magic spells. However, theirvery nature insures that the pecwae people willnever rise to prominence in the field of magic.

Hunter-gatherers, the pecwae are considered lazyby the hard-working Trevenici, for the pecwaewould much rather create lovely works of art thantill the land. Pecwae have no ambition, no lust forpower, no desire for wealth. Small and weak, theyare cowards by nature and will immediately flee atthe first sign of danger. The use of magic in combatis completely foreign to them.

The head of a pecwae village is the oldest of thevillage’s family elders. The other elders serve in anadvisory capacity to the village leader. Pecwae lifeis simple. They tend to live from moment tomoment, rarely worrying about the future. Rare isthe pecwae who decides to leave the village forparts unknown, although some more adventurousyouths will often travel with Trevenici warriors in

order to perform healing on the wounded. Thepecwae approve of this, knowing that their youthswill return (if they survive), having gained wis-dom, patience, and a love for life.

Magic lore is taught to pecwae from the time theyare old enough to walk. Pecwae teach magic in thesame leisurely manner that they do everythingelse. Spell-learning takes time, it is not rushed.Each spell must be mastered before proceeding tothe next. This means that, with the exception of themost difficult or rarely used spells, a pecwae willalways endeavor to know all of his spells at Inti-mate Knowledge or Quick Reference.

Having no written language, the pecwae do notlearn spells in the “normal” manner. Village elderspass what magical knowledge they possess on tothe youths of the village through means of legends,parables, stories, and songs. Each generation ofpecwae is expected to do the same for their off-spring.

While mages from other races study or developcomplex formulae to help them cast spells andkeep their spells written in spellbooks, the pecwaeuse music and song to help them remember andcast spells. Pecwae possess beautiful voices andtheir music can be soothing and haunting at thesame time. Some Trevenici claim that they can tellthe type of spell a pecwae is casting simply fromthe tempo and pitch of the song he sings. Pecwaemages must still use elemental essences to casttheir spells as normal.

Since magical knowledge is handed down by wordof mouth, some spells may be lost over time, butpecwae know that there is wisdom to be gained inseeking and discovering lost magicks. Since mostpecwae consider magic to be as natural as eating orbreathing, they rarely devote their lives to itsstudy. Occasionally, one might come across theodd pecwae who has dedicated his life to magic,experimenting with and formulating new spellsand rediscovering old ones.

Because the pecwae live close to Nature and theyhave such a strong affinity for Earth magic, manyindividuals learn to cast dual-element Earth/Fireor Earth/Water spells. Pecwae also have a strongaffinity for animals. Pecwae will not cast nor teachspells that coerce plants or animals to do their bid-ding, save those spells that can benefit the target.For example, a pecwae who has a squirrel for afriend might cast a call animal spell if he is wor-ried that the squirrel might be in danger. Thepecwae would not use the same spell for the taskof keeping a Trevenici house free of animal visi-tors, even if they are annoying. Pecwae will notnormally teach or use lethal combat magic. Magicspells that cause subdual damage are used only in

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the most dire of circumstances (life or death situa-tions), and are taught with great caution.

ELVESThe elves believe that magic springs from the gods,whom they term the Mother and the Father, divinebeings from whom all elves are descended.According to elven tradition, magic is the tool thatthe Mother and the Father used to create the world.For mortals to tamper with such a divine tool isbelieved to be highly dangerous, almost sacrile-gious. Magic’s workings are unfathomable, chaotic,and destructive to the well-ordered elven mind.

This being said, elves understand that magic ishighly useful both in warfare and in everyday life.Since other races use magic, the elves would befoolish to leave themselves vulnerable to an enemyby renouncing the use of magic. Faced with this

conundrum, the elves had to devise a means to usethe power of magic without seeming to use thepower of magic. Thus was created the mysteriouselven order of mages known as the Wyred (pro-nounced “weird”).

The Wyred are elves who study the ways of magicand use it to further the aims of their families andHouses. Although the Wyred are ofttimes responsi-ble for the very survival of the family or House,they are never recognized and publicly reviled, ifsecretly rewarded. Wyred are never formally recog-nized for their abilities. Non-magic-using elves donot acknowledge the presence or even the exis-tence of elven mages. The worst insult one canoffer an elf is to accuse him of using magic or ofhaving magic-using members in his family (regard-less of the accusation’s veracity). Such commentshave led to bloody and long lasting feuds.

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HONORED ANCESTORS

Every elven family has an honored ancestor, whovoluntarily leaves the eternal family of the Fatherand Mother to return to the living and offer themcounsel and guidance. Every elven householdhas a shrine setup to honor this ancestor. Evenwhen traveling, the elf may take the means toconstruct a small shrine with him and may some-times be seen consulting with the ghostly pres-ence. Since the elf would regard this as spying,the person who views this ceremony is warned tosneak away and make no mention of it.

Other races view this practice with curiosity, sus-picion, or outright hostility. The Temple of theMagi is divided on the practice some see it asconsorting with the undead, while others take amore lenient view, pointing out, rightly, that theelven ancestor is not dragged back by magicalmeans but returns of his or her own free will.Orks consider the practice rude, since the elveskeep pestering someone who has passed on to thenext world. The elves point out that if an honoredancestor decides to leave the family and return tothe Father and Mother, the ancestor is free to doso. A different ancestor usually volunteers to fillthe vacancy.

Due to the fact that the honored ancestors candraw on their own past wisdom and experiences,their counsel is highly valued by the living.Reliance on the counsel of the honored ancestormay or may not be justified. The honored ances-tor may sometimes have his own agenda and maytry to persuade the living to take a course ofaction that is not beneficial to the elf, his family,or his House. The advice of an honored ancestormay always be ignored, but only by risking the ireof the ancestor and its probable departure.

Honored ancestors cannot see into the future.Since an honored ancestor cannot manipulateobjects in the physical world, it cannot performmagic or undertake any other physical task forthe living. Never, to anyone’s knowledge, hasthere been an honored ancestor who was a mem-ber of the Wyred. Rumor has it that the spirits ofdead Wyred return to the mysterious place wherethe Wyred undergo their training, but what it isthey do there is unknown.

Although they operate outside the bounds of elvensociety, the Wyred are expected to abide by thestrictures of elven society, honor and serve theirfamilies, but remain secret and aloof from thosefamilies. The Wyred are removed from their fami-lies when they are very young (usually between theages of three and four years) and taken to a myste-rious location to receive their training. When theirtraining is complete, the Wyred, who are adults bynow, are sent back to either their families or theirHouse to enter into service. By this time, theWyred is a complete stranger to his family. He hassiblings he has never met (and who may not bepleased to meet him!). Family members, perhapseven his parents, may have passed on without hisknowledge.

The most important aspect of Wyred training main-tains that a Wyred’s first duty is to his family andhis House. Such loyalties take precedence overbonds developed among the Wyred themselves.Members of that organization may form deep andabiding friendships or even fall in love with eachother during training, but when each departs totake up his or her duties with the family, thosefriendships and love affairs might well end in war,as each finds himself on an opposing side in a con-flict.

Of all magic-users on Loerem, the Wyred undoubt-edly pay the highest price for their magic in termsof personal comfort and relationships. The life of aWyred may be lonely and barren, for Wyred are notconsidered suitable candidates for marriage byelven parents. Understanding this reluctance, thecentral organization of the Wyred has begun tooffer a substantial dowry for their people, a dowrythat is so tempting it often encourages even noblefamilies to permit a fifth or sixth child who lacksother prospects to wed one of the mysteriousmages. The Wyred have a good reason for suchgenerosity, for they have discovered that skill inthe magic art runs in families. Having also discov-ered that interbreeding among the Wyred tends todilute the skill in magic, the Wyred generallyrefuse to permit mages to marry each other.

ORKSOrks liken magic to the sea. Magic is unpredictableand can be very dangerous. Magic can also bebountiful, helpful and beneficial. Orks gladly reapthe rewards magic can bestow, but are continuallywary of the perils that lurk beneath its surface.

Orks mingle magic and omens to formulate theirreligious beliefs. All orks are believers in a syn-chronicity between events, a link between themundane and the important. In short, orks are a

superstitious people, devout believers in omensand portents.

According to most orks, the gods take a great inter-est in Loerem and its people, but will not directlyinterfere in the lives of the people, since thiswould violate a person’s free will. Because thegods love their creation (the orks) so much, thegods are unable to resist tossing out little hints hereand there as to which path the orks should take.Orks constantly watch for these omens, and rarelymake an important move without first studying tosee what the gods might have in mind.

Sighting an omen is easy. Interpreting an omen’smeaning can be difficult. Although all orks mayattempt to interpret omens, most agree that trainedshamans are best suited for such serious business.Shamans are the orken mages and holy men. Everyorken ship has at least one shaman onboard, if notmore. Omens may portend good fortune or warnagainst evil. The orks know that if an omen can berecognized and interpreted in time, it is possible totake action to counter or minimize the evil or totake advantage of the good.

Orks who want to become shamans are appren-ticed to an elder shaman. Training as an apprenticeinvolves memorization of commonly encounteredomens (for example, a red streak running vertical-ly down a pregnant ork’s stomach means she isgoing to give birth to twins). The apprenticeshaman learns the proper rituals used to avoid cre-ating evil omens of one’s own, and also learns thevarious rites that are required for the safe use ofmagic.

Orks who are not trained shamans are allowed topractice magic and may try to interpret omens, butthey are not to be trusted. The interpretation ofomens separates orken shamans from other orkenspellcasters. The shaman must learn to interpretomens correctly, for if he does not, he is labeled asa “fork-tongued crow,” a teller of falsehoods. Suchan orken shaman is reviled and may be shunned,cast out, or even slain. Thus shamans will oftenremain with their mentors even after they havecompleted their training, learning all that they canfrom the elder ork, until the mentor has died andthe apprentice takes over in rank and duties. Thebond between a shaman and his mentor is a strongone, stronger even than the bond between a parentand a child. If an apprentice decides to leave hismentor and go out on his own, the two will main-tain contact, usually through magical means.

As orken mages gain in power they are able tobranch out into other forms of magic. Orks tend tofrown upon the use of any other magic than that ofWater. This distrust of other elemental magicks is atricky subject. Magic-users understand that there

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are benefits to be gained by studying other sorts ofmagic. However, they will try to shield the castingof other sorts of magic from the view of their orkenbrethren. Orks who are widely known to use otherforms of magic are believed to be a little “touched”in the head, and aren’t to be trusted.

The leader of the orken people, the Captain of Cap-tains, keeps a retainer of ork shamans who special-ize in casting other forms of magic, including Voidmagic. The orks honor these shamans, since allknow that they do this against their will, out of loy-alty to the Captain of Captains.

Orks tend to be accepting of foreign magic-users,even those who practice Void magic, so long asthey leave the orks alone. Any foreign mage whoattempts to use magic on an ork for any purpose,even healing, will find himself in a great deal oftrouble if he has not received permission from theork, who, of course, must first check the omens.

DWARVESDwarves believe that they are descended from thewolf, an animal that is not noted for its skill in themagical arts. Seeing that the wolf lives his life freeof the use of magic, the dwarves do not see muchreason for using magic in their lives. Dwarves dotake note that the wolf fears only one element andthat element is Fire. Because the wolf reveres Fire,the dwarves have also come to revere Fire, an ele-ment that can both sustain life and take it.

Thus, down through the centuries, the dwarveshave become adept at the use of Fire magic. Justbecause they are adept at Fire magic does not meanthat they rely on it. Dwarven mages, regardless ofwhether they are Clan or Unhorsed, see themselvesas productive members of dwarven society firstand mages second. Magic is held to be a secondaryskill, used to aid the completion of a dwarf’s dailylabors. For instance, a smith skilled with Firemagic might use a spell to light his forge or heat itto high temperatures. A herdsman might useEarth/Fire spells to quiet his horses for the night.

Neither the Clan dwarves nor the Unhorsed haveschools for teaching magic to aspiring mages.Magic is self-taught, with little or no help fromother mages. Dwarven mages are an independentlot, and they believe that since they had to teachthemselves magic, everyone else should have to dothe same. Rumor has it that this practice is startingto change. A new Clan chief is said to believe thatFire magic would aid his people in battle againstother races most notably humans. He is said to begathering together a cadre of Fire mages and givingthem the task of passing on their knowledge toother Clans. Dwarves deny that this rumor is true.

The dwarves do not have an organized religion, nocentral church or authority that guides religiousthought. Instead, certain basic themes, mainlydealing with the wolf, run through dwarven reli-gion. Each Clan builds off these themes, creating amythology that is unique and sacred to its people.

Only one task is considered sacred by thedwarves the nightly lighting of the Clan fire. Thatsacred task is always performed by the eldest Firemage in the Clan. The ceremonial rite is passeddown from one Fire mage to another, as the eldernears death. The lighting of the sacred Clan fire isthe only knowledge that is handed down from onedwarven mage to another.

Spellbooks are rarely found among the Clandwarves. The dwarves have a written language, butsince a dwarf must carry all he owns on horseback,he is keenly aware that a book (or collection ofbooks) takes up room that might be used for food,water or other necessities. However, dwarvenmages, much like mages of other races, must facethe fact that they cannot know every spell that isuseful to them at Intimate Knowledge. To solve thisproblem, Clan dwarf mages embroider their spellsinto their garments. Once the dwarven mageknows the spell at Intimate Knowledge, he tearsout the stitching of that particular spell, creatingroom for new spells. This can present problems forthe mage, however, since spells embroidered intoclothing are subject to destruction should thespellcaster’s garments be harmed in anyway.

Since one of the aspects of Fire magic is divination(past), dwarven Fire mages are the historians fortheir Clans, using their spells to look back in timeto discover the truth about past events. This can beimportant in determining which Clan was at faultduring a past blood feud, for example, or discover-ing the truth between boundary disputes. Suchdeterminations can either start wars or stop blood-shed. When spells that allow a mage to look backin time are lost, the dwarven mage loses the abilityto look into the past and this can put his Clan atrisk. To insure against destruction, dwarven Firemages have taken to replicating past divinationspells on more than one garment.

Since Clan dwarves typically spend a lot of time onhorseback, magic-users have little time to developnew spells. Their magic deals mostly with the fun-damentals of survival. The Unhorsed, thosedwarves who can no longer ride with their Clans,have time to study their magic and they are themages who are taking dwarven magic into new andunexplored territory. Although Unhorsed magesstill have a strong independent spirit, they are nolonger inhibited by Clan loyalties and will oftencompare notes, and loan research materials to one

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another. Outside of this, Unhorsed wizards studyon their own, much like their clannish counter-parts. Some Unhorsed mages have taken to usingspellbooks and may keep small libraries, whileother Unhorsed dwarves follow tradition bysewing their spells into their garments.

Dwarves, having discovered at the dawn of theirexistence that they were gifted in the use of Firemagic, have always had the hardship of keepingusable elemental essences easily at hand. A flameis difficult to transport on horseback (constantlybearing a torch or lantern can become tiresome,and is dangerous at a full gallop). Instead, dwarvenFire mages carry small censers that burn long last-ing incense or small ceramic pots of dried dungthat will smolder for extended periods of time.Since only a small portion of the whole is used toinstigate the spell, the incense or dung will usual-ly last up to five or six hours before needing to bereplenished.

Each Clan’s eldest Fire mage must carry with hima sacred flame from the fire of the previous nightand he must take care that the flame does not goout, for the dwarves believe that this fire is a partof the first fire ever built by the Clan and that if itdies, some terrible disaster will befall the Clan. Ifthe eldest Fire mage has the misfortune to allowthe sacred flame to die, he may replenish it by onlyone means: he must take the flame from a wild firethat has been started by lightning.

All dwarves have a latent distrust of magic-users,even their own. Mages within the Clan are regard-ed somewhat askance by the rest of the Clan andare the first to be blamed should something gowrong. The exception to this is the eldest Firemage, who is held in high regard. Dwarves have nouse for foreign magic-users of any type and willjust as soon slay them as not. A foreign mage hadbetter talk pretty fast to convince a dwarf that he isnot out to cause him or his Clan harm.

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Chapter 4

mage’s greatest strength and strongest

defense is not his prowess but his reputation.

We dress as wizards because that is how we are

expected to dress. When we look the part we

gain the respect that is commensurate with the

part. The soldier has his sword, we have our rings

and chains of office. They mark us as powerful

men.

The lowly should be wary that they do not

anger us, for we control the power of the gods!

AGUILD MASTER SEKIM IBN ALAKIR OFTHE SERPENT’S TONGUE MAGE-GUILD

66

MA

GES, M

ON

ARCH

IES &M

ON

EY

MAGES, MONARCHIES ANDMONEYThree major institutions govern magic on the con-tinent of Loerem. These are the Temple of theMagi, mage-guilds, and the Wyred. The first twoorganizations are human in origin, ostensibly cre-ated to teach spells and proper casting techniques,give wizards access to libraries of magical informa-tion, and introduce them to others who share thesame aspirations. In reality, the Church and mage-guilds serve to regulate the use of magic. TheWyred was created by the elves in order to extractpotentially dangerous magic-users from commonsociety, take from them rights and privileges givento most elves, and keep them constantly under sur-veillance. The most important function of all threeof these organizations is that they permit the soci-ety in which they exist to maintain control of whouses magic, where, how, and when.

Predictably, humans were the first to turn magic-use into a business. Healers peddle their wares inmarket squares and on street corners of all cities,towns, and villages found in human lands. Visitorsshould be wary of these, since many supposedhealers are charlatans, out to bilk hopeful or needyconsumers with fake potions. Some may actuallyhave healing skills, but these tend to have more todo with herbs and common sense than magic.Those who require healing in Vinnengael woulddo well to go to the official, Church-sanctionedHouses of Healing. The Church will never denyhealing to anyone. Fees are based on the ability topay and on the nature of the services rendered.

Houses of Healing in Karnu are run by the state.Foreigners will be treated, but without muchenthusiasm, and the fees charged may be exorbi-tant. Mage-guilds handle healing in Dunkarga.These establishments are well-run and efficientwith set fees. Foreigners are not encouraged, but ifthey have money they will be treated. Those with-out means to pay will be expected to perform serv-ices in exchange for treatment. The semveci handlemagical healing in the lands of Nimra andNimorea. No payment is ever required, for thesemveci consider healing to be a gift of the godsand thus they will not accept money for it. Dona-tions are accepted, however.

Since elves refuse magical treatment for their ail-ments, they have specialists who are quite skilledin the arts of medicine and surgery, combined withpeaceful recuperative retreats. Elves are reluctantto treat members of other races for the simple rea-son that they feel they know too little about themto do much good and fear that they might causegreater harm. Only an elf who has come to greatly

trust a mage (a great feat indeed) will allow himselfto be treated with healing magic (and never froman elven mage).

Orken healing techniques are considered out-landish and even dangerous by other races. Theseinclude playing loud and raucous music to fright-en away the ill humors, filling the healing hut withnoxious odors, smearing fish oil on the body of thepatient, pouring fish oil down the patient’s throat,dousing the patient in sea water, and other curesthat seem far more likely to kill the patient ratherthan heal him. The orken methods have workedwell for centuries, however, although there is somethought that the patient survives in spite of treat-ment rather than because of it. Orks will cheerful-ly accept healing from other races (with the excep-tion of Karnuans), but will often insist on havingsome of their own methods employed as well.Those of other races who are injured in orken landswould do well to suffer in silence.

Dwarven healing arts are crude at best. Thedwarves have no patience for those who fall ill orare injured, for if a dwarf cannot ride, he puts hisentire Clan in danger. Dwarves have some rudi-mentary skill in herbal treatments, but if thepatient does not recover within a day or two, thedwarves will simply ride off and leave him or drophim off at one of the Unhorsed cities for furthercare. In either instance, the patient is considered tobe cast-out of the clan and may not return. TheUnhorsed have more skills in the healing arts,gained through years of having to care for theirown. Being naturally private, independent andmistrustful, dwarves are not eager to share theirhealing skills with non-dwarves and will do soonly under the most dire circumstances. Magic isnot wholly trusted by Clan dwarves, and they willonly accept magical healing if they are uncon-scious or trust the administering mage.

Charlatans and other types of false healers are aproblem found mainly in human lands. In Vinnen-gael, the local lords and the Church are accus-tomed to dealing with these individuals, who maybe arrested and fined or even imprisoned if theirwares or claims are found to be harmful. Hedge-wizards (magic-users practicing magic without theconsent or the teachings of the Temple of the Magi)are considered outlaws only in Vinnengael, wherehedge-wizardry is specifically banned. Churchofficials decide whether a suspected hedge-wizardwill be pursued and punished. In these cases, localsoldiers and levies are at the Church’s disposal forpurposes of bringing the accused to trial.

Charlatans are fewer in Nimra and Nimorea, sincethese nations do not officially regulate magic. Thesemveci handle any problems in this area, first

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MAGES, MONARCHIES & MONEY 67

gently admonishing the person and then, if he doesnot change his ways, taking more drastic action. InDunkarga, magic is an open market, although theguilds will take it ill if someone (particularly anoutsider) is seen to be profiting at their expense.Usually a payment to the guild will satisfy themand they will turn a blind eye to any shady deal-ings.

Because magic is an unregulated (for the mostpart), cut-throat business in Dunkarga and what isnow Karnu, mages once exhibited their skills anddealt with rivals through spectacular magicalduels. Since such duels often resulted in extensiveproperty damage and loss of life and limb, theyhave been banned in Karnu. Dunkarga, duels arestill held, often between members of rival guilds.Duelists are held to be financially accountable forany damage they may cause to people or surround-ing property. Refusal to pay could result in a revo-cation of a mage’s guild license and possible legalcomplications.

THE TEMPLE OF THE MAGIUnder the reign of the Vinnengaelean king, Hol-lorond, the Vastgorge Bridge was completed andthe overland route between Vinnengael and Nimrawas opened. Trade between Vinnengael and Nimraincreased markedly. Many Nimrans came to studyat the College of Wizardry located in the empire’scapital, Vinnengael. Through this influx of newideas concerning magic and spirituality, the col-lege began to reevaluate its ideology and beliefsconcerning magic. Prior to this, the college, andmost Vinnengaeleans, had viewed magic as a partof nature, something to be used like the wood thatgrows in the forest or the current of a mighty riverthat can be harnessed to run a mill. The devoutNimrans brought with them the notion that magicwas tied directly to the gods and that it was a forceto be revered and respected.

Enthralled by this idea, the College of Wizardrybecame a hotbed of religious fervor. After a decadeof debate, and a changing of the hierarchy in thecollege’s upper echelons, the heads of the Collegeof Wizardry issued what is now known as the Edictof Arcana. This edict affirmed that (1) magic is agift from the gods to mortals; (2) the use of magic isa privilege, not a right; (3) mortals are not to usemagic without first having a firm religious founda-tion to build upon. After the announcement of thisedict, the college disbanded itself. The Temple ofthe Magi, an institution dedicated to the gods andthe study of magic, was established in its place.

The Edict’s effect was felt immediately throughoutthe kingdom. Universities that included magicstudies as part of the curriculum converted to the

new faith. Wizards who taught at these institutionswere given the choice of becoming part of the cler-gy or forfeiting their right to use magic. Those magiwho decided that they would prefer to study magicwithout the guidance of the Church were labeledheretics and were jailed until such a time that theyrecanted and recognized the divine authority of theChurch.

As it happened, the change in the way Vinnengae-leans viewed magic turned out to be beneficial tomost of the populace. Temple missionaries weresent forth to educate the masses, many of whomhad come to fear magic; to bring hedge-wizardsand folk-healers into the fold; and to make magic-use safe throughout all Vinnengael. The Temple ofthe Magi was active in promoting religious beliefsbeyond its borders, and missions moved into theDunkargan Empire and into Nimra.

In Nimra, the Church was accepted as an offshootbranch of the Nimran religion. The Church hierar-chs learned from the Nimrans, who were longknown to be masters of Earth magic. In Dunkarga,however, the Temple of the Magi never did gainwide acceptance. Jealousy of Vinnengael and itsgrowing wealth, as well as fear that Vinnengaelwanted to rule Dunkarga, caused the Church to beviewed with much suspicion. Most Dunkarganssaw Church teachings as yet another attempt byVinnengael to swallow up Dunkarga. The Dunkar-gan university and mage-guild systems had beenlong entrenched in Dunkargan society and weredifficult to dislodge, especially where money wasconcerned. Still, the Church made some headwayand is credited with cleaning up the corrupt mage-guilds of Armrah ‘Lin and Karfa ‘Len, ridding theguilds of mountebanks and Void magic-users. TheChurch educated the poor, fed the starving, andtaught young people the wonders of the gods’ giftof magic. The heads of the magic guilds saw thatthe people were impressed by these efforts. Fearingthat the masses might come under the sway of theTemple of the Magi, they pressured the Dunkarganmonarchy to curb the Church’s growing power.The guilds took measures to police themselves andset out to take care of their own poor and indigent.

After the destruction of Old Vinnengael, the powerof the Church throughout the continent was bro-ken. Inner turmoil rocked the institution to itscore. Most of the heads of the orders perished inthe destruction of Old Vinnengael. Central author-ity no longer existed to rule over the Church’s farflung branches. Worse, many magi were disillu-sioned by the destruction of Old Vinnengael andthe sundering of the Portals there.

Debate raged over what had caused the explosion.The devout maintained that the gods had rained

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down destruction to punish the Vinnengaeleans fortheir hubris. The more pragmatic held that theexplosion had been due to the awful Void magicksbeing used by Dagnarus and his armies and thepowerful elemental magicks used by the city’sdefenders. Combined with the potent magicks ofthe Portals, the forces of magic became so great thatnone could control them. This theory was born outby survivors of the blast, who reported feelingstrange eddies and fluxes in the magical currentsjust prior to the explosion.

Modern thinking now holds with the later theory(the Second Edict of Arcana), but two hundredyears ago most Vinnengaelean mages held with thereligious view. They were angered that the godswould repay the mages’ devotion with death anddestruction. Like small children who think theydeserve special treatment just because they’ve beengood, the mages claimed it wasn’t fair and tooktheir toys and went home, closing down the tem-ples and leaving them abandoned. Still others sawthe destruction as a sign that the gods were pun-

ishing Vinnengaeleans for their lack of devotionand took it upon themselves to become even morededicated, often to the point of persecuting thosewho held different beliefs or who were lukewarmin their faith.

In areas where Church temples closed and magesdeparted, hedge-wizards moved in to fill the void,practicing magic in the open, with the Churchpowerless to stop them. In the larger cities, such asForden and Krammes, the Church’s strong leader-ship was able to exert a calming influence overtheir members and the population in general. Theywere also able to maintain some semblance of con-trol on magic-use in their immediate vicinities.

The struggle to reestablish the Temple hierarchytook two decades, during which the Temple of theMagi almost did not survive. Civil war wracked thekingdom. Worship of the Void was on the riseeverywhere and the practice of Void magic, longthought to be eradicated from Vinnengael, reap-peared in force. Political struggles within the

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Church rendered it ineffectual to help with thepolitical turmoil gripping the kingdom.

With the founding of New Vinnengael and thecrowning of a new king, Ervan, born of an obscurescion of the Ildurel line (rumor whispered that hewas descended from a bastard son of Prince Dag-narus), the Church was able to begin to rebuild.Whatever his heritage, Ervan proved to be a coura-geous and wise ruler. A grand new temple wasbuilt in New Vinnengael, for it was agreed that theheart of the kingdom should also be the heart of thefaith. The Heads of the Orders were reestablished.The lines of communication were restored to tem-ples in distant places that had long been on theirown. The reconstruction of the Church saw someof the old temples reopened, but a majority of themstill remain closed.

Most important to the reestablishment of order, theChurch issued the Second Edict of Arcana. Thisedict announced that after much research andprayer, the Church hierarchy had determined thatthe gods had not acted to punish Vinnengaeleansby destroying Old Vinnengael. The destructioncame about because powerful magicks had beenallowed to spiral out of control, thus causing awhiplash effect that destroyed the city and rippedthe Portals apart. The Church’s rationale was thatthese findings supported their overarching beliefthat magic should be tightly controlled, and thatstrict laws must be emplaced governing magic’suse and enforced with ruthless efficiency. All ofLoerem had witnessed the sorrow and devastationcaused by magic-users who were not properly edu-cated and merely feigning understanding. MostVinnengaeleans readily accepted the edict andtook comfort in it.

Church temples in Dunkarga and Karnu did notfare well after the fall of Old Vinnengael. When thetensions between the Karnuans and Dunkargansexploded into war, the leaders of the Church in thenewly formed Karnuan Caliphate faced either con-scription or execution. They were forced to aban-don their bastions in Dalon ‘Ren and Karfa ‘Lenand flee back to Vinnengael. The mages of the maintemples in Dunkar and Armrah ‘Lin, remained.While distrusted by the populace at large, themages proved useful to the Dunkargan warmachine. Revered Magi offered their aid as healers.Due in large part to the tireless work of the ReveredMagi, the Dunkargans survived the war in greaternumbers than they might have done otherwise.This is probably the single most significant reasonthat the Temple of the Magi basilica in Dunkar stillexists today.

Currently, Dunkargan support for the Temple of theMagi is tepid at best, even after so many years of

relative peace. The Church temples in Dunkargacarry on their original mission. Although facingdiminishing numbers and authority, the Temple ofthe Magi in Dunkar and Armrah ‘Lin are givengrudging respect for the services they render. Thecurrent ruler, King Moross, is a staunch supporterof the Temple of the Magi and its teachings andrelies heavily upon the advice of the Revered HighMagus Illiem el’Kabir. This could mean the rise ofChurch prominence in a land that has always beeninhospitable to them.

In Nimra and Nimorea, the Revered Magi remaineddevoted to their faith after the fall of Old Vinnen-gael and carried on as usual. Since these templeswere built as centers of learning to investigate thedepth and breadth of the magical experience asembodied by the Nimrans and Nimoreans, the tem-ples were little affected by the strife. Theyremained in touch with the various larger templesin Vinnengael, but refused to get involved in poli-tics, remaining independent and outside the inter-nal fighting. Their independence has been greatlyreduced in the years since the Church’s revitaliza-tion.

The first goal of the newly rebuilt Church was toreestablish its beliefs and teachings throughout theVinnengaelean Empire. The Church was also deter-mined to crush the practice of Void magic andwipe out Void worship. Upon investigation, theChurch blamed the rise of Void-use on the Dunkar-gans, who were doing little to halt the practice andspread of Void magic. Consequently Void cultswere spreading from Dunkarga like a plague. TheChurch cracked down on unauthorized magic-usein the large cities where major temples were locat-ed. Through savvy political maneuvering, the Tem-ple of the Magi was able to persuade the emperorto grant them sole legal authority and jurisdictionin matters involving magic, outranking all localauthorities and any claims by local nobility.

Such a system works well for the most part,although there are occasional conflicts betweenlocal authorities and those of the Church. In placeswhere the Temple of the Magi does not have a localtemple or a ranking official to oversee such mat-ters, the accused is usually imprisoned until suchtime that a Church inquisitor can be dispatched.Convicted hedge-wizards usually end up joiningthe Church. Convicted Void practitioners are eitherimprisoned or put to death, if it is found that theirmagic has resulted in the death of another.

In Vinnengael, the only recognized form of magicaltraining is available through the Church or Church-sponsored tutors. Students who want to studymagic must join the Church and learn at the feet ofthe Revered Magi. Despite the Church’s seemingly


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draconian measures to insure its power base, mostapprentices are glad to gain acceptance among theRevered Magi. The benefits are exceptional roomand board, spell-teaching from some of the bestmages in the world, access to the vast knowledgeheld within Church libraries. Many mages chooseto remain within the Church temples, pursuingtheir work out of faith and a desire to serve,although they are not required to do so. Celibacy isnot a requirement for any temple magi. Specialhousing is provided for married brethren and theirfamilies.

The Church recognizes that not all those with mag-ical talent are suited for ecclesiastical life. After asuitable number of years spent in study, ReveredMagi may leave the Church, reside where theywill, and even run private businesses if that is theirchoice. The Church collects a yearly tithe of tenargents from Revered Magi who operate in the sec-ular world. These tithes help support the mages ofthe Church who do their work for charity, such asthe Order of Hospitaliers. Extensive lists are keptby the various temples recording those mages whohave paid their tithes and those who have not.Mages who are recalcitrant are denied access toChurch resources until their debts are settled.

Small towns and villages often have a smallChurch temple or shrine. These temples are usual-ly devoted to the Order of Hospitaliers or perhapsto the Order of Acolytes. The local lords are swornto protect the temple and their Revered Magi. TheRevered Magi, in turn, support the lord in times ofneed, serving in whatever capacity the lord shouldsee fit.

Orders Within the ChurchEach member of the Temple of the Magi whodecides to remain with the Church must join one ofeight orders. These orders are (in descending orderof importance): the Order of the Art, Order ofDiplomacy, Order of the Watch, Order of Battle,Order of Instructors, Order of Scribes, Order of theInquisition, and the Order of Hospitaliers. Eachorder has its own special function within the Tem-ple of the Magi and each is directed by a MagusProvost. Each order has its own color, determinedlong ago when the order was first formed. Thecolor of the ceremonial robes worn by a ReveredMagi corresponds to the order to which he belongs.Lower ranking magi are not required to wear suchattire on a daily basis, but are expected to do so onformal occasions. Normally, magi will display theirorder’s color and their rank by various means,including a belt or sash worn around the waist or abadge of office worn around the neck. High rankingofficials tend to wear their formal raiment on a

daily basis, since it immediately marks their stand-ing within the Church.

Order of the ArtMembers of this order are the Church’s innovators.Under the guidance of the Magisteria Appercept,they forward the art of magic through experimen-tation, investigation, and the creation of new spellsand enchantments. Innovations that come from theOrder of the Art keep magic alive and continuallymoving forward. Members of this order are usuallythe most adventurous of all Revered Magi, oftengoing on quests to distant locations to investigaterumors of lost magical knowledge, relics, and arti-facts. The Order of the Art was responsible for thedaring expedition to Old Vinnengael, where theyrecovered the body of King Helmos and the silverchain and pendant that had once held the humanportion of the Sovereign Stone. (Sadly, they did notfind the Stone itself.) The Revered Magi of theOrder of the Art experiment with all the differentmagical elements, except Void. They are the onlyRevered Magi who actively pursue levels as Airmages. Mages of this order proudly display theorange colors of the order in their everyday attire,toning down the bright color with muted yellowsor white.

Order of DiplomacyThe Order of Diplomacy is a small contingentamong the Temple of the Magi. Headed by a MagusProvost known as the Diplomat, the Order ofDiplomacy acts as a liaison between the Temple ofthe Magi and the magi of other races and nations.The Diplomats attempt to serve as a buffer for for-eign mages visiting Vinnengael, shielding themfrom the full extents of Church law in minor dis-putes and misunderstandings. They also serve asadvisors to political diplomats. Although skilled inEarth magic, these mages are expert in Water andFire magic spells that allow quick communicationover long distances, as well as the divining of pastevents. Magi of this order are recognized for theirflowing blue robes. Those with the darkest colorrobes are lower-level functionaries, while theDiplomat’s garb is a blue the hue of the sky on acloudless day.

Order of the WatchThe Seneschal and personal attendant to theEmperor of Vinnengael is the Provost Magus of theOrder of the Watch. This organization is a secretivesect within the Temple of the Magi, and exists onlyin New Vinnengael. The exact number of this orderand the identities of its members are known only tothe Seneschal, the Inquisitor General, and the MostRevered High Magus. Members of this order pro-tect the king and the royal family and also serve as

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an internal spy network that allows the Seneschalto remain abreast of the politics of the royal court.Revered Magi from the Order of the Watch serve asfood tasters, making sure that the royal food is safefor the emperor to consume. They also keep a closeeye on the emperor’s personal bodyguard, verify-ing that they remain unswerving in their loyalty.Since this order depends upon anonymity, it hasno official colors, except for the green robes wornby the Seneschal himself.

Order of BattleThe Order of Battle is perhaps the most wellknown of all the Church orders. These ReveredMagi were once feared across the face of Loeremand are still highly respected for their abilities.Battlemages undergo the most strenuous trainingof any Revered Magi. They are schooled not only inthe art of magic, but martial skills as well. They areequally comfortable wielding steel or sorcery orboth. The Crusader Marshal is the supreme com-mander of the battlemages, answering only to theMost Revered High Magus and the emperor. TheOrder of Battle is divided into companies, who arethen sent to guard every major Temple in Vinnen-gael. One battalion of the Vinnengaelean army iscomprised of battlemages. Battlemages are animpressive sight when encountered in full regalia.They usually wear half-plate or full plate armor,covered by crimson capes that are clasped at theneck with gold brooches. Those at the highest lev-els wear armor gilded with gold.

Order of InstructorsThe gray robed academicians who teach templenovitiates belong to the Order of Instructors. Mem-bers of this order are responsible for preparing theacolytes for their magical training, as well asinstilling in them a strong moral foundation tohelp guide them in their studies and their lives.Children usually enter temple training at the age ofeleven or twelve. For five to ten years, the instruc-tors are the only parents that the students know,since the novitiates are rarely allowed visitors or toreturn home. The children have daily chores toperform, as well as acts of charity. The childrenengage in moral debate, learn discipline, andexpand their magical talents under the templeinstructors until either they choose to leave theirstudies to return to secular life or they join one ofthe Church’s orders. The Master of Acolytesapproves the curriculum for all of the Church’suniversities of magic, located in each of Vinnen-gael’s major cities. The Master of Acolytes travelsto each of these sites to assure high teaching stan-dards, inspect the conditions of the classrooms andlecture halls, and evaluate the performance of theinstructors. Only certified tutors of the Order of

Instructors are allowed to teach magic outside ofthe Church’s universities. These tutors are not asstrictly regulated by the Temple of the Magi(although they are checked on from time to time)and are able to teach more specialized spells. Thisorder is also responsible for providing tutors forthe children of the royal family.

Order of ScribesThe Order of Scribes is led by the Most LearnedLibrarian. Although each major temple has aLibrarian, the Most Learned Librarian resides atthe temple in New Vinnengael. The brown cladOrder of Scribes is responsible for Church recordkeeping, the binding and rebinding of books, thecollection of data and notes from other mages sothat their findings may be kept for current andfuture use, and maintaining the temple library’sgeneral appearance. Magi of this order generallylead introspective, quiet, and studious lives. Theydo not often leave the confines of their respectivetemples. They are some of the most knowledgeablemages in the world. They have a saying that tenVinnengaeleans will know less in their lifetimesthan one scribe will forget in his.

Order of the InquisitionThe Inquisitor General heads the Temple of theMagi’s internal police the Order of the Inquisi-tion. It is the job of inquisitors to locate heretics insociety at large, but especially among the Church’sown and bring the accused before a council con-vened of all of the heads of the orders and the MostRevered High Magus, who determine guilt or inno-cence. Because of their stealthy ways, their pen-chant for spying and eavesdropping, and their abil-ity to effectively ruin a person’s life, inquisitors arethe most universally detested and distrusted orderof the Church. Since part of their job is to locateand bring Void worshippers to justice, inquisitorsare the only Revered Magi given sanction to studyVoid magic. This is not widely known, nor is itadvertised. Inquisitors are closely watched by theInquisitor General and the Most Revered HighMagus, in case one of the order’s members shouldstray too far down the path of darkness. If this hap-pens, the mage is removed from the order and reas-signed to another order. Continued misuse of Voidmagic will ultimately result in the mage’s termina-tion.

Order of the HospitaliersThe Order of Hospitaliers is responsible for magi-cal healing, for operating and maintaining theHouses of Healing, and for insuring the generalgood health of the populace. Because of the impor-tance of their work to society and because theirwork requires dealing with large numbers of the


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population, this order has the most members,being larger than all the other orders combined.Hospitaliers may be found throughout the Vinnen-gaelean Empire. Hospitals are established in everycity and town in the empire. Small shrines andtemples dedicated to the hospitaliers are found invillages and along all the kingdom’s major thor-oughfares. The King’s Chirurgeon is the head ofthis order. Not only is he responsible for dealingwith an immense bureaucracy a job he usually

gives to minor functionaries he also has the taskof caring for the royal family. His quarters arelocated within the palace, and he travels with theking wherever he goes.

The Ninth OrderTechnically, there exists a ninth order of magi, theOrder of Portals. This order has become defunctsince the splintering of the Portals and the destruc-tion of Old Vinnengael. For a short time after thecataclysmic blast that leveled that city, the magi ofthis order tried desperately to recreate the equa-

tions that allowed the magical formation of thePortals, but to no avail. Because of their failure, theorder lost its ability to vote during a convenedMagi Council (consisting of the various ProvostMagi and the Most Revered High Magus) and there-fore they lost their Provost Magus. Now, few magessee any reason to join the order. Those who do arededicated to their work and very defensive of theirposition within the Church. They no longerattempt to recreate the Portals, but have now begun

to map every portal created by the explosion of thefour main Portals, including the small “splinter”portals that may be only a few feet long. They pro-duce maps of these portals for the use of theirbrethren, although occasionally one slips out intothe general populace. Such maps are hard to comeby and may be found for sale only in large cities.The maps are far from complete. The mages of theNinth Order have identified and mapped almosttwo hundred different portals. These maps includeinformation about when the portals are known toopen or when they were last seen active. The Order

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of Portals was also responsible for the discoverythat an unstable portal will not close completelyshould a living being enter it. One end might sealup, but the other will remain open until the personor creature exits (they will close on undead). Themagi hope that such important discoveries willeventually allow them to become a respected orderagain, and that once more their order will rise tothe high position that it held under the reign ofKing Tamaros.

WYREDAccording to elven beliefs, the Wyred have alwaysexisted apart from other elves. When the Motherand the Father walked upon the earth, they hadmany children. These children took up variousvocations. Some planted and raised crops, othersherded animals or hunted the animals that theMother and Father provided. Still others took onthe role of protector and defender for the family.The Void and the evil it spawned were strong inthe world and these warriors battled constantly todrive it from their blessed lands. In all of theseendeavors, the elven children maintained a senseof honor and a warrior’s pride, even in disagree-ments among themselves.

One child alone had no interest in the pastimes ofher siblings. The youngest of them all, she was adreamer and mystic. She cared nothing for plant-ing and harvesting, she had no interest in the hunt.She was fascinated by the arcane power wieldedby the Mother and Father, a power that belongedonly to the gods, for they had decided that it wastoo powerful to be shared with any of their chil-dren. This child did nothing useful, but asked end-less questions about the magic and begged theMother and Father to allow her to use it. The otherchildren grew weary of the youngest daughter’spleadings and her refusal to help them in theirlabors. She ate their food, but contributed nothingto the growing of it. She accepted the warriors’ pro-tection, but did nothing to aid them. At last, tiredof her whining and what they saw as her laziness,her siblings cast her out of the blessed realm.

She had not gone far when she ran afoul of theVoid. She had no skill in weapons. She could notdefend herself. The Father and Mother could notbear to see her slain, so they lent her some of theirmagical power. Using this power, she defeated theVoid and drove it away from the blessed realm,something the warriors had not been able toaccomplish. The Father and Mother told the otherchildren how the youngest daughter had used themagic for good.

The warriors admitted that the youngest had donewhat they could not do. They maintained, howev-

er, that she had not fought honorably and so, whilethey would take her back into the blessed realm,they would not treat her as an accepted member ofthe family. The Father and Mother were disap-pointed, but the daughter maintained that her sib-lings were right. She had not fought an honorablebattle. She had used the magic to trick the Voidcreatures. She loved the magic, however, and sheagreed to trade her place in the family for the rightto wield the gods’ gift. The youngest daughter ofthe Mother and Father was the first of the discard-ed, the mistrusted the Wyred.

Since that far off time, the Wyred have been a soci-ety unto themselves within elven culture. Evenwithin their own families, the Wyred are mostlyignored, and rarely spoken to directly, at least notin public. The Wyred accept this as part of the sac-rifice for the right to use magic. They bear the bur-den without complaint.

Wyred are taken from their homes as young chil-dren, no less than three years old and rarely olderthan five. How the Wyred decide which childrenthey are going to take is a mystery. Children aretaken from families of poor and rich alike. TheWyred remove the children during the night, undercover of deceptive magic. Most families do noteven know the child is missing until they wake inthe morning to find him gone.

Legend has it that the head of a noble House woketo find the Wyred stealing his eldest son. The war-rior fought the Wyred and took back his child. Hekept the child with him at night, ringed round bymighty warriors. During this time, a strange cursedescended upon the House. The people wereafflicted with all manner of disasters: businessreversals, freak accidents, fire, drought, and flood.At last, the noble lord could no longer bear the suf-fering of his House. He put the child back in hisown bed and removed the warriors. The nextmorning, the child was gone. The strange cursethat had afflicted the House vanished with thechild.

It is widely believed, although no one can say forcertain, that the Wyred take these children to a hid-den fortress known as the Ergil Amdissyn, or“floating castle,” located in a remote area far fromcivilization. This fortress serves as a training facil-ity for apprentice Wyred, as well as the center ofmagical knowledge for more than a millennia ofspellcasting. Once taken into the Wyred, an elvenchild loses all rank, status, and wealth that wouldhave been his in another life. Even the name givento him by his parents is lost. His new name is cho-sen for him by his teacher at the Ceremony of Nam-ing. At this time, the apprentice also receives his


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new facial tattoo that forever marks him as a mem-ber of the Wyred.

The training given an apprentice Wyred is difficultand dangerous. Many elven children die duringtheir training, as evidenced by the fact that they donot return to their families and are never seenagain. The Wyred brook no weakness, either men-tal or physical. A mage must be able to commitspells to memory, to cast spells quickly and accu-rately, to recognize magical spells as they are beingcast, and either halt, destroy or evade an enemy.Much training is spent building mental stamina inorder to help mitigate the effects of illusions andmind-bending spells, resist intimidation, and with-stand physical torture.

Apprentices are taught to honor their families andHouses. They are taught to cope with the lonelyand barren existence that awaits when they returnto their families. The apprentices also create strongbonds of friendship and love with other Wyred thatwill last them their entire lives and help them per-severe in trying times. Since the Wyred return totheir own families and Houses, such ties might beconsidered a conflict of interest, but the Wyredalways know where their loyalties lie. The Wyredtraining teaches the mages that if two Wyred findthemselves on opposite sides of a conflict, each isto support his own family, even if it means thedestruction of the other Wyred. Those who fail faceretribution at the hands of the Wyred, and theWyred are not known for their mercy.

The natural aptitude and ambition of the appren-tices are the final determinant of how long theywill stay at Ergil Amdissyn. Once their training iscomplete, they return to their families, where theyare expected to take up their duties as a House wiz-ard and honor all responsibilities and restrictionsthat go with that post.

The best of the Wyred do not return to their fami-lies. Trained to become instructors, or cylamod,these Wyred make Ergil Amdissyn their permanenthome. At that point, all other loyalties are discard-ed. Their loyalty is only to the Wyred. These magesteach future Wyred, as well as continue their ownstudies. As they advance in their magical studies,they add to the significant magical knowledgealready stored at Ergil Amdissyn.

Cylamod are free to travel about Tromek and intothe world beyond, but they are required to serve asinstructors from time to time and to take onapprentices. Although they are free to leave ErgilAmdissyn, they do not involve themselves in theevery day affairs of elves. It is believed that there isa ruling council of cylamod, at whose directionelven children are taken. The cylamod who formthis council are extremely mysterious. The Wyred

are not supposed to speak of them and few do, butdread rumors have leaked out. It is whispered thatthe Cylamod Council is made up of the dead.

MAGE-GUILDSMage-guilds are found primarily in Dunkarga, butthey are quickly becoming more prevalent in thesouthern cities of Nimorea. The first mage-guildwas established soon after Dunkarga became a uni-fied nation. The first mage-guild was sponsored bythe University in Dunkar, an exclusive fraternityfor those who specialized in magical studies. How-ever, over the course of three or four decades, themage-guild became more capable of teachingmagic than the university itself and was wealthyenough to become financially independent. Theguild separated from the university and became aself-contained entity, naming itself the Wizard’sGuild of Dunkar.

The mage-guild began accepting its own students,the mage-guild’s hierarchy maintaining that theuniversity was more interested in pleasing wealthypatrons and placating nobility than seriouslyteaching magic. Whereas the university wouldaccept almost anyone with money, the guild heldthe right to turn away potential students deemedunsuited to the rigors of spellcasting or those whodid not uphold the “wizardly” ideal. As the Wiz-ard’s Guild of Dunkar grew, internal friction causedgroups of mages to split off and create their ownguilds. Some traveled to other cities, such as Arm-rah ‘Lin. A few left Dunkar altogether and madetheir way east into the lands of the barbarians. Oneof these was a mage named Tarras Weldar, whohelped his friend Verdic Ildurel raise a settlementon the eastern shore of what was then Lake Klar-well, a settlement that would eventually becomethe greatest city in all Loerem, Old Vinnengael.This splintering led to the creation of dozens ofguilds throughout Dunkar, which in turn led to thedevelopment of many differing philosophiesregarding magic.

In theory, Dunkargans encourage people to learnmagic on their own, holding that all magic-usersare supposedly equal. In practice, Dunkarganmages are forced to join a guild or have a hard timeearning a living. There is a strict hierarchy amongmages. Guild-trained mages look down upon thosewho are not. Mages who have become members ofthe more prestigious mage-guilds view mages affil-iated with lesser guilds with scorn. Due to thedestruction caused by magical duels, guild magesare supposed to be civil to each other, at least inpublic. Friendships tend to form along guildalliances, although there are cases where friend-ships override guild loyalties. Maintaining suchfriendships is not easy, for guilds are jealous of

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their secrets and are quick to suspect spies. Morethan one guild member has been removed for har-boring a friend of an opposing guild.

Mage-guilds teach magic to the young. They offer ahaven to traveling guild members, providing infor-mation regarding guild-friendly inns and taverns.Guilds will forward messages to friends, and aresources for news from abroad. Mage-guilds placethe resources of their established libraries at thedisposal of their members, and give members theopportunity to make valuable contacts that couldhelp them in the future. Mage-guilds also supplylegal aid, should the need arise. The largest guildskeep advocates on retainer (most are mages them-selves). All of this is paid for by dues that are col-lected annually from guild members. Guild duesrange from 10 argents per annum for membershipwith the small guilds to upwards of 80 argents forthe larger or more prestigious guilds. The largestguilds have branch offices in all of the major citiesin Dunkarga and are now extending into Nimorea.

Mage-guilds can no longer be found in Karnu.After the Dunkargan civil war, the mage-guilds andall of their resources were brought under the con-trol of the caliph. All rivalries between the variousguilds ceased. Those mages who refused to pledgetheir time, their allegiance, and their resources toKarnu were immediately executed. Those fewmages who were able to escape Karnuan retribu-tion fled back to Dunkarga, where they were takenin by solicitous guild members. The mages whoserved Karnu were well rewarded when the vari-ous guild resources were made available to all wiz-ards living under Karnuan rule.

The Dunkargan mage-guilds are extremely ethno-centric. Mages who attempt to join must be ofDunkargan blood. If there is any doubt as to one’sancestry, most guilds will turn a petitioner away.The guilds are also very particular about whichpeople are allowed to use their resources. In mostinstances, only mages who are members of thatparticular guild are allowed to use the guild’sresources, which include the library and also


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access to a laboratory. A mage who is not affiliatedwith the guild in question might gain access toguild resources if he is accompanied by a magewho is a member and if he has the coin to pay forthe privilege. Guild members have free access tothese resources. Nonmembers will generally haveto pay an exorbitant fee.

Such restrictions are not as strictly enforced inNimorea, since the Nimoreans do not harbor theracial prejudices of the Dunkargans. Most mages,so long as they are not tainted by Void, may use aNimorean guild’s library resources for the “dona-tion” of 1 argent per day. Renting a laboratory usu-ally costs 3 argents per day and since there is noguarantee that laboratory space will be availablefrom one day to the next, it is advised that a magerent the space in advance.

The feud between the mage-guilds and the Churchis of long standing and shows no signs of cooling.The Temple of the Magi has been steadfast in itsattempts to shut down the guilds and bring “moral-ity to wizardry” in Dunkarga. The guilds are just assteadfast in proclaiming “freedom for wizards” anddoing their best to drive the Church out of Dunkar-ga.

The most recent revival of the feud dates back tothe reign of King Tamaros. The Temple of the Magisent missionary forces into the Kingdom ofDunkarga, preaching that since magic was a gift ofthe gods, magic should be held in reverence, whileonly those who viewed magic in its spiritual lightwere permitted to wield it. The populace wasimpressed with these teachings, particularly as themage-guilds charged high rates for magic and theChurch charged little or nothing.

With the death of King Tamaros and the rebellionof his youngest son, Prince Dagnarus, who wasrelated to the King of Dunkarga, war eruptedbetween Dunkarga and Vinnengael. The Church’stemples in Dunkarga were plunged into turmoil.Most of their members were Dunkargan, while themajority of their high officials hailed from Vinnen-gael. Those belonging to the Orders of Battle andthe Art were disengaged from active service. TheOrder of Diplomats tried to allay hostilities. Whenfighting broke out among the Dunkargan Churchmembers and some were killed, the Church offi-cials in Vinnengael decided to shut down the mis-sions and await the outcome of the war. Member-ship in the mage-guilds increased during this time,as did their power.

After the destruction of Old Vinnengael, those fewChurch missionaries left in Dunkarga found them-selves isolated and alone, subject to attack by angryguild members, who saw this as their chance todrive out the Temple of the Magi for good. Then

civil war erupted in Dunkarga. The war saved theChurch in Dunkarga. Putting aside differencesfrom the past, Vinnengaelean mages helped savemany Dunkargan mages (including those whobelonged to guilds) from execution in Karnu, whilethey aided the Dunkargan war effort as healers.

To this day, relations remain strained between theChurch and many mage-guilds. The current rulerof Dunkarga, King Moross, is doing his best to set-tle the dispute, but has made it clear that his sup-port belongs to the Church. The guilds have notgiven up their fight against the Church, but the bat-tle has cooled substantially.

Code of Conduct Each mage-guild has its own written code of con-duct to which all members of the guild are requiredto adhere. The codes of conduct for the oldestguilds are extensive, requiring volumes to containall the rules. Commonly, codes of conduct requireguild mages to use magic responsibly. They pro-hibit mages from using magic in such a way thatwill reflect badly upon the guild and its member-ship or that will cast aspersion upon the professionof magecraft. Mage duels are heavily restricted andmust be pursued in private, so that innocentbystanders are not injured or damage done to pub-lic property. Mages who take their fight into thestreets risk being expelled from their guilds andface the wrath of local authorities without theguild’s legal support.

Mages caught committing petty crimes that do notinvolve the use of magic can ask for legal aid fromthe guild. Such requests are usually granted. Amage who commits a crime using magic cannotcount on guild support, since such crimes makethe guild look bad in the public eye. The merits ofthese cases are weighed very carefully by the guildcouncil before the guild will assent to give legalaid.

Most codes of conduct make a differentiationbetween committing a crime, and being caughtwhile committing a crime. The crime itself is of noconcern to the guild. Only if the mage is appre-hended does the crime become a problem. Guildswill try to shield their own as long as possible,without disgracing themselves. As far as the mage-guilds are concerned, it is up to the local authori-ties to uphold the laws of the land.

Crimes committed by one guild mage againstanother mage of the same guild are always handledinternally. Complaints are normally settled with amagical duel, moderated by one of the guild’s rul-ing council. Depending on the severity of thecrime, the duel may simply be a display of magicalprowess or it might end in the death of one of the

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participants. In cases where the victim is incapableof leveling an accusation for himself (such as aguild member who has been murdered by anotherguild member), a tribunal will be called and theaccused will stand trial before his peers. The guildchooses an advocate for the victim, while theaccused may choose an advocate for himself. Bothadvocates are usually members of the guild and arespecially knowledgeable in the guild’s by-laws.The advocates question witnesses before the col-lective tribunal. When all of the evidence is heard,a vote is held to either convict or exonerate theaccused. Punishment for crimes such as murder orthe maiming of a fellow guild mage is alwaysdeath.

LAWS PERTAINING TO MAGICThe governments of all races regulate use of magic,although to different extents. Elves do not permitspellcasting of any type in public without specialdispensation. Dwarves and orks are permitted tocast acceptable magic anywhere, at any time. Inhuman lands, spellcasting is permitted in thecourse of normal business or in keeping with cul-tural values. Spellcasting that involves unwittingtargets or offensive magic is illegal, unless used inself-defense. Determining if magic was used inself-defense usually depends on the testimony ofwitnesses and whether the force used against theperpetrator was “reasonable.” Stopping a thiefwith an ankle biter because he stole a moneypouch is an example of reasonable force. Burninghim to a cinder with a fireball is not.

In all realms, crimes that involve the use of magicusually carry the same penalties as similar crimesthat do not involve spellcasting. The taking of a lifeis considered a capital crime, whether it is donewith a knife or a spell. The most serious offensesmerit the death penalty. In human realms, this istraditionally done by beheading the victim. Mageswhose infractions are still serious, but not deserv-ing of death, are generally blinded. While not com-pletely depriving a mage of magical abilities, beingblind does limit the types of spells he can cast withany degree of success (normally limiting the spell-caster to touch range spells). Mages who are caughtstealing may suffer the removal of a hand or foot,like any common criminal.

If incarceration is required, several cells withinNew Vinnengael’s dread island prison, Penitent’sWatch, have been designed specifically to holdmagic-users. These cells have continual wardsplaced upon them that act to make spell-castingextremely difficult, thus preventing wizards fromusing their magic to escape.

Hedge-WizardsA mage who practices magic without having firstreceived Church training is known throughout theVinnengaelean Empire by the derogatory term“hedge-wizard.” Hedge-wizards come upon theirpower haphazardly, teaching themselves the art orlearning what they can from other hedge-wizards.The Church has worked long and tirelessly to elim-inate and/or educate hedge-wizards. In this area,the Church has been sometimes accused of tryingto stamp out free will and free thinking. TheChurch refutes this notion, stating that all studentswithin the Church are free to act and think cre-atively about magic once they have the education-al and moral foundation to know how to use itresponsibly. The Church points out that just as asword is dangerous in the hands of the unskilled,so, too, is magic. The Church does not advocatedepriving people of their right to use magic. TheChurch wants simply to teach people the best andsafest ways to use this god-given power.

Most hedge-wizards are rural folk who live farfrom a Church temple and yet have need of simplemagic to help them get on with everyday life. Someare village healers who use spells to aid theirneighbors. Farmers will sometimes learn a spell ortwo to help crops grow, keep weeds out of theirfields or cure an animal of a minor ailment. Manyrural hedge-wizards are unable to read, but use avariety of mnemonic devices to help them remem-ber Quick Reference or Full Reference spells. Suchdevices may take the form of songs or rhymes andare often ancient in origin, having been passeddown from father to son, mother to daughter.Although most mages are literate, the ability toread and write a spoken language is not necessari-ly a requirement for casting spells.

The Church understands the necessity for suchpractices. They would like to be able to sendRevered Magi to every part of the country, but thisis not practical and so they generally turn a blindeye to the usage of such minor magicks. This ismade easier by the fact that most peasant wizardswill cease any sort of magical activity if they knowa Church official is in the vicinity.

Some hedge-wizards are adventure seekers, wholike nothing more than to shock people by dab-bling in forbidden arts. Generally these sorts findthat learning to cast magic requires too much effortand they soon drift off to other pastimes.

The Church is far more concerned with halting thepractices of those hedge-wizards who seek poweryet refuse to accept the responsibility that accom-panies such power. These hedge-wizards are muchmore likely to be dangerous, for they tend to beundisciplined and chaotic in their use of magic,


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with no thought that they may be causing greatharm to innocents. Many spiral downward intoVoid worship and practice, since these spells offerthe lure of vast power.

Once discovered, hedge-wizards deemed to bedangerous to themselves or others are given thechoice of joining the Church or suffering the con-sequences. Hedge-wizards who are using magic forraising crops or minor healings are generally left totheir own devices. Even so, Revered Magi carry theChurch’s message into the city streets and countrylanes, preaching redemption, a better life, and anunderstanding of magic that can come only withthe Church’s teaching.

Violence is rarely used to force a hedge-wizard toconform to Church doctrine. Most who are inter-ested in studying magic admit that the Church’srules make sense. In addition, most wizards realizethat they can advance far more rapidly in magicinside the Church, with tutors to teach them spellsand the Church’s extensive libraries. Still, there arethose people who dislike authority of any sort andwill practice magic in defiance to Church rules.Such hedge-wizards may be using their magic forthe benefit of all, but they are so powerful that theChurch mistrusts them. These are the most diffi-cult for the Church to deal with.

As the practice of Void magic continues to rise, sodo the numbers of hard-line Church mages who arestrong in their demands that all hedge-wizards ofevery sort be brought to trial, forced to recant theirheresies and made to undergo an examination thatwill determine whether or not they are Void prac-titioners. They maintain that hedge-wizards whodo not repent their sins before a Church quorumshould be imprisoned until such time that theaccused confesses and agrees to join the ranks ofthe Revered Magi, while mages who practice Voidmagic should be put to death. Zealots have alsocalled for the Order of the Inquisition to cease itstraining in Void magic. They believe that to teachVoid magic is heresy in the extreme, even if it isused to hunt down illegal practitioners.

Foreigners who use magic in Vinnengael are at riskof being mistaken for hedge-wizards. Foreign wiz-ards are required to report to a local temple so thatthey may be informed of the laws of the land andwarned about any trouble in the region. Dunkarganand Karnuan spellcasters are watched closely andmay be persecuted if they fall into the hands ofChurch zealots, who consider them heretics whomay corrupt the population with their outlandishviews regarding magic. Since Nimrans andNimoreans are known to be a devoutly religiouspeople, they are generally left alone to go abouttheir business. The Church gave up long ago trying

to teach elves, orks, and dwarves the proper use ofmagic. The pecwae are so rarely seen and cause solittle trouble that the Temple of the Magi has nevergiven a thought to influencing their magic-use orbeliefs.

In Karnu, citizen wizards who are not members ofthe war-wizards the hab mallut are given acommission which orders them to join this state-run organization. If the magic-user refuses thecommission, he is held to be an enemy of the stateand is immediately put to death. Foreign magi-cians are deported or enslaved, depending uponthe mood of the sentencing officer. Enslaved wiz-ards are usually given to high ranking officers inthe hab mallut, who use them as servants or assis-tants. Some have become trusted advisors andhave even been given their freedom. A few havejoined the hab mallut of their own accord,although these tend to find that they receive littlerespect, for most native-born Karnuans regardthem as money-grubbing mercenaries.

Hedge-wizards in Dunkarga are known as istillaan,or “the independent,” since they are not affiliatedwith a mage-guild. The istillaan are not persecutedor hunted. The Dunkargan government and mage-guilds leave them to their own devices. The mage-guilds do not see them as a threat, for they are wellaware that the istillaan will have trouble findingspell resource materials, teachers, and other bene-fits that come with guild membership. To theiradvantage, the istillaan are free of the intrigues andconstraints of guild politics. Istillaan may studywhat they like, when they like, without having toexplain themselves to others. Istillaan dress andact as they please. They enjoy showing up guildmages whenever they can and more than a few endup fighting magical duels that are, for the mostpart, good-natured. Powerful istillaan may findthemselves courted by rival guilds, who will oftenpay good money and offer other incentives toacquire them as members.

Nimrans are, for the most part, relaxed in theirview toward magic-users and permit them to goabout their business, so long as they do not prac-tice Void magic. Perhaps because the practice ofmagic is an ancient art in Nimra, there exist with-in that society wizard hermits known as kenlu. Thekenlu are very rarely seen by either Nimrans or for-eigners. The kenlu dedicate themselves body andsoul to magic and thus have little use for people.They practice all forms of magic, including ancientmagic that has been long forgotten and Void magic.The kenlu worship strange gods, perform strangeand sometimes terrible rites, and are generallygreatly feared. Because they are so mysterious, thekenlu have become the stuff of legend and folklore. There are stories of kindly kenlu who help

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lost travelers, but most stories of kenlu involveabducted children and butchered livestock.

Of all of the races and cultures, the Nimoreans areprobably the most open-minded when it comes tomagic. They do not believe in labeling anyone, andthe guilds that have formed in Nimorea’s southerncities are open for anyone to join, regardless of age,race, or creed. However, the Nimoreans still shunVoid magic and do what they can to minimize itsworship and practice.

Among the elves, the Wyred are the only spellcast-ers. If an elf is not part of the Wyred, he does notcast spells. In all the long history of Tromek, thislaw has never been broken. Elves regard all for-eigners (with the exception of the Nimoreans) withsuspicion and are especially distrustful of foreignwizards. A foreign mage traveling in Tromek landsis advised to have an elven protector along withhim or, at the very least, numerous papers fromhigh-ranking members of leading elven Houses tes-tifying to his virtue and good-standing in the com-munity. Even Nimorean wizards must have theproper paperwork to enter Tromek lands. A foreignwizard lacking this will almost certainly be arrest-ed and deported if he is lucky. If he is not, he mayfind himself languishing forgotten in prison. Anyforeign wizard caught practicing Void magic willbe slain on the spot.

Among the dwarves, so long as a mage continues toperform his duties as a member of the Clan anddoes not use his magic to harm the Clan, he is leftalone. However, if a Clan dwarf mage is found tofail in his duties due to his use of magic of that hehas used magic maliciously to injure another of hisClan, he is labeled a rembdah and cast out of theClan. Any of his possessions that bear a markingthat appears to be magical writing is burned, whilethe mage is abandoned on the plains without foodor water. To some this seems harsh, but to thedwarves, they don’t want to inflict the rembdahupon some innocent tribe. If he survives, they con-sider that the gods have spared him for some rea-son. Those who do survive often make their way tothe Unhorsed, where they are expected to followthe laws or face death.

Orks distrust magic that does not emanate fromWater. According to one orken proverb: “You don’tneed healing magic if you read the omens right,”meaning that no ork should ever have to rely onEarth magic for healing. Ork shamans who arecaught casting spells composed completely ofanother element will not physically harmed. Thisis due to the fact that ork shamans are held in suchhigh regard that even if one has paddled his boatagainst the current, as the saying goes, he is notconsidered a threat to society. The offending

shaman may be exiled from the community, butthat is the most severe form of punishment. Lately,the Captain of Captains has started to search outthese contrary shamans, inducting them into herservice. Since the orks revere their Captain, theydo not question her right to do so, although somepredict that nothing but ill fortune will come of it.The Captain has repeatedly assured her people thattrue orken shamans keep close watch on suchuntrustworthy individuals.

HIRING SPELLCASTERSHumans are the only race in Loerem to have turnedmagic into a commercial endeavor. One can hire amage to perform almost any task, no matter howimportant or mundane. In Dunkarga, for example,one mage-guild is devoted to architectural design.Another guild specializes in mining, using itsEarth mages to dig mine shafts and find preciousmineral deposits. In Vinnengael, mages open busi-nesses to perform the same tasks, charging varyingrates depending on whether or not they are“Church sanctioned.”

Church-sanctioned mages are those who studied inthe Church, but chose to leave after their studieswere complete, using the arcane arts to assist themin their daily endeavors. Due to their training andskill, such Church-sanctioned craftsmen are oftenable to charge higher fees for their labor than thosewho are not skilled in the use of magic or who havenot studied with the Church.

Almost no magic in human lands comes free, withthe exception of healing magic in certain locations.In Nimra and Nimorea, temples provide healingmagic free of charge, although a donation of somesort is encouraged. Since foreigners are not permit-ted in these temples, those needing healing mustask permission of the temple guards for permissionto enter. Permission will usually be granted, unlessthe foreigner has committed some crime or unlesshe is tainted by Void. In Vinnengael the Churchopens its healing houses to all free of charge,although donations from those who can afford topay are expected. In Dunkarga, healing is handledby guilds specializing in healing arts. Fees are setby the individual guilds. Those who cannot afford


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TABLE 4.1: HIRING SPELLCASTERS

Spell CT Cost Per Point of CT

Up to 25 1 argent26 to 50 3 argents51 to 75 6 argents76 to 100 7 argents101 to 150 10 argents151 and higher 10 argents per point x 1.25

to pay often turn to non-guild mages, who areknown to be cheaper, if less skilled.

Hiring a mage to cast spells is an expensive propo-sition. One of the reasons hedge-wizards are soprevalent in rural areas is because poor farmersand villagers do not have the money to payChurch-trained mages to heal their sick, help withthe harvest, or cure their livestock.

Mages generally have set fees, but will often tradegoods or services in exchange for casting spells.Only very wealthy households can afford a “fami-ly mage” a wizard who lives and works on thepremises. Most people use wizards only when theneed arises, hiring them on a temporary basis.Table 4.1 gives the average cost for hiring mages tocast spells on a per spell basis.

The cost for high CT spells does not take intoaccount cooperative spellcasting. In this case, thecasting costs for all the mages must be paid for sep-arately. A buyer may request that a wizard useessences of quality while casting, in order to helpinsure the desired results. The use of an essence ofquality normally increases the cost of the spell byan amount (in argents) equal to the spell’s CastingThreshold. Trade spells can usually be cast for halfthe listed price. Since it is difficult to find a magewho will openly admit to casting forbidden spells,

mages who agree to cast such spells usually chargewhatever they feel is fair payment for the dangerinvolved. Those who hire mages to cast forbiddenspells are always required to pay up front. Sincesuch mages are outlaws, they tend to be a danger-ous lot, notoriously untrustworthy. Buyer beware.

As a rule, wizards would like to be paid on a “perspell” basis, since that is extremely lucrative work.But there are few people who can employ a spell-caster in this manner for any length of time. Thushired mages often contract out their services forperiods of time and are assumed to be on call dur-ing the full extent of the contract. A typical con-tract pays the character’s mage levels + half thenumber of spells known that are useful for the job× 10 argents per month. An employer will alwayswant to see proof that the mage can cast the spellshe claims before he hires him.

Example: Ildrick is a 3rd-level Earth mage, a 2nd-level Water mage, and a 2nd-level fighter. Heknows 5 spells that are useful to a prospectiveemployer. He may expect to receive 75 argents (5 +2.5 × 10)for a month-long contract.

Those mages skilled in battle provide protectionfor a fee, either acting as bodyguards, standingguard in shops to deal with thieves, or serving asbouncers in taverns. Skilled combat mages oftenhire themselves out to traveling merchant cara-

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vans. Merchants will generally try to find magestraveling in the same direction as their caravans,offering the mages food and a place in the caravanin exchange for protection. Any spellcasting other-wise requested is paid for on a case by case basis.Thus the merchants acquire magical support onthe road without paying heavy fees and the magic-users don’t have to make a dangerous trip alone.The mage can also look forward to making a smallamount of money performing services (especiallyhealing) for the caravaneers.

This practice is still used, but caravaneers, aftermany of years of experience, have learned to bewary of the mages they hire. Some crafty mageslearn in advance the route a caravan plans to take.They advertise they are traveling the same route,thus duping the caravan master into hiring them.When the caravan is in the middle of nowhere, themages signal their bandit comrades to raid the car-avan. The mages depart with a fat fee and a shareof the loot.

ESSENCESOnly a very small amount of any particular ele-ment is needed to “spark” a spell. Known as a spellessence or material component, the element mustbe wholly within the caster’s magical aura duringthe casting. Spellcasting always consumes the ele-ment. (See Chapter 2 for more information onessences.)

Essences of QualityEssences of quality allow a spell caster to cast themagic more quickly, making spellcasting easier onthe mage and helping insure (but not guaranteeing)that the spell will be successful. There are threetypes of quality essences: fine, exceptional, andholy. A fine essence of quality adds a +2 bonus tothe mage’s spellcasting every round. Exceptionalessences add +4 to a mage’s spellcasting roll eachround. A holy essence is the most rare and valu-able of all essences. It will add +10 to a mage’sspellcasting roll every round, and are highly covet-ed. The effects of quality essences are, for the mostpart, derivative of the physical nature of theessence. Quality essences cannot be magically pro-duced or altered in any way. For instance, a cinderfrom a blaze started with a fireball could be used asan essence to fuel a Fire spell, but it would notbestow any added bonuses to the casting.

Fine essences of quality are considered to be apurer form of the element than what can be readi-ly obtained. Exceptional essences of quality areexamples of the element that can be obtained inonly a very few places, or only during particulardays during the year. Holy essences are rare in theextreme, with perhaps no more than twenty exam-

ples existing for each element at one time. Holyessences are powered by faith and almost alwayshave mystical origins.

Earth Essences: Under normal circumstances, anypinch of dust or dirt from the ground can serve asa spark for a mage to begin casting an Earth magicspell. A fine Earth essence is any uncommon orrare mineral taken from nature as it naturallyoccurs, unshaped and unaltered. Examples of suchminerals would be small nuggets of precious met-als (copper, silver, and gold). Small uncut semi-precious gemstones (garnets, peridots, andtopazes) serve in the same capacity. Since these areusually too small to be of use to gem-cutters andjewelers, they may be purchased from magewareshops or some temples. More common metals andgems than these (iron shavings, quartz crystals)serve simply as normal essences, without anyenhancement to spellcasting.

Gems of greater value (diamonds, rubies, andemeralds) may be used as exceptional Earthessences, so long as they have not been alteredfrom their natural state (cut or impuritiesremoved). So too can large nuggets of preciousmetals such as silver, copper, and gold. A goodmeasure of a mineral’s capacity to serve as anexceptional essence is its unworked market value.Gems and precious ores valued at two hundredargents or more, unaltered, are of a quality suchthat they may be used as an exceptional Earthessence. Mageware shops in large cities might keepa few of these on hand. Church temples have them,but rarely circulate them.

Only a few essences in all of Loerem qualify asholy Earth essences. For example, each link of thesilver chain that once held the human portion ofthe Sovereign Stone carries the power of a holyEarth essence due to the residual magical powerleft within the chain by the Sovereign Stone. Thebones of dead Dominion Lords are purported tobestow extra benefits to spellcasting, but most ofthese are well guarded and kept away from would-be thieves. Among Nimrans and Nimoreans, it issaid that a sliver of granite from the statues ofMilakk in the great temples at Neyshabur andMyanmin will grant the benefits of a holy essence.Of course, to remove such a sliver would be con-sidered the most heinous of sacrilegious acts. It issaid that only the goddess has created such splin-ters in the past, and then only under the most direcircumstances.

Fire Essences: For those casting Fire magic spells,any sort of spark or flame may be used to start thespell. As long as the spark or flame is not tainted,it will work without penalty. Fine essences for Firemagic are a little more difficult to come by than


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those for Earth. Charcoal made from the ancientdragon trees that grow only in the far eastern reach-es of Loerem can be used as a fine essence of qual-ity for Fire spells. The White Clan dwells in theregion of these trees and it is the duty of the WhiteClan to protect the dragon trees from despoilers.The White Clan also regulates the number of treesthat can be harvested and shipped to the Unhorsedcity of Karkara every year for refinement. Since theprocess to create the charcoal is very destructiveand wasteful of the trees that are harvested, theWhite Clan limits the number of trees so that thereis not much of this charcoal available and its costis great. This charcoal is one of the main dwarvenexports from Karkara and is highly prized by Firemages of other races.

The price for one briquette of dragon tree charcoalusually ranges between 25 and 50 argents, depend-ing on the area and demand. The charcoal canrarely be found in villages or small towns, and thenonly for a greatly inflated price. Each charcoal bri-quette may be used only once. The briquette mustbe lit before it is used as the essence for a Firemagic spell. The magic consumes the entire bri-quette. Those who have tried to break the briquettein order to obtain more pieces discover that theentire briquette will burst into flame once one por-tion is lit, including those pieces that have beenremoved far from other pieces. A mage who putsthese pieces in his pocket before lighting anotherpiece of the briquette may be in trouble.

The Holy Fires of Dwarfdom reside in the threecities of the Unhorsed dwarves: Karkara, Saumel,and Saudamos. These holy fires are attended byspecially appointed Unhorsed Fire mages whonever let the fires die. Embers taken from thesefires may be used as exceptional essences of quali-ty. Getting hold of these embers is no small task.Dwarves guard these fires day and night, allowingonly dwarven Fire mages to have access to them.The embers are rarely removed and then onlyunder the most special circumstances. An emberfrom one of the Holy Fires of Dwarfdom will giveoff heat for years, but if used in spellcasting, it isutterly consumed.

Dwarven legend maintains that the gods placed agreat caldera of fire in the frozen wastes far to thenorth of Grak. The legend of this caldera is knownacross Loerem. Many have sought to find thecaldera, for it is believed that any who locate itmay obtain from it a holy Fire essence. All dwar-ven Clans have tales of encountering dwarves whohave returned from the icy barrens after searchingfor the caldera. Most are wild-eyed, driven mad bythe experience. In fact, one polite term for aninsane dwarf is to say he has “seen the caldera.”Unscrupulous traders have been known to claim

that they are in possession of holy essences, but thecanny mage should be skeptical. So far as anyoneknows, none have ever returned from the frozenwastes with a holy essence of Fire.

Air Essences: Air is the most readily available ofall the essences, but fine Air essences are difficultto recognize and even harder to contain. TheWyred have devised simple glass vials that can beused to hold quality air essences. Sales of thesevials filled with fine air are forbidden by the elvengovernment, yet many find their way into humanand orken lands.

Fine Air essence is found in the high reaches ofmountain ranges where only avian creatures dwell.The Wyred are said to have methods to obtain suchessences, but they will not reveal these secrets toanyone. Only the most adventuresome or fool-hardy dare climb the summits of these peaks.

Exceptional Air essences are obtained only fromthe hidden Wyred fortress in Tromek. The cost ofvials containing exceptional Air essence is alwayshigh. Elves do not traffic in such items (if theyknow what is good for them), and it is almostimpossible to find quality essences for sale inTromek.

A holy Air essence is so rare that its price is almostincalculable. Examples of such a holy essence havebeen: the vial that contained the last breath of theformer Divine before he died, the vial that con-tained the first breath of the future Shield of theDivine, a vial that contained the almost impercep-tible air currents created by the appearance of theDivine’s Honored Ancestor on the day of theDivine’s Ascension.

Water Essences: Human mages have tried for cen-turies to remove the impurities from water toobtain a benefit from the element in their spell-casting. Such experiments have always failed. Thiscomes as no surprise to orks. Down through theyears, the secret for obtaining the sacred watersthat are essences of quality have been revealed toonly a handful of non-orks and they have beensworn to secrecy.

While most forms of water will do for casting aWater spell, a fine essence of quality must be waterthat is taken from the deep ocean, far from the sightof land. An exceptional essence of quality is avail-able only from the water of mineral springs thatflow from the orks’ sacred volcano Mt. Sa ‘Gra. Theorks believe that this water is sacred because it hastriumphed over all the other elements: quenchingthe Fires of the mountain, capturing the mineralsof the Earth, rising vaporous into the Air. Shamansclaim that the essence is best used while still hot.

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Holy Water essences are obtained from the samemineral springs of Mount Sa ‘Gra, but only on daysof sacrifice, when the gift of living souls is given tothe Sea Gods. To be sacrificed to the Sea Gods isconsidered a high honor by orks; less so by otherraces, who do a lot of unseemly shrieking andprotesting and must generally be trussed up beforebeing tossed into the bubbling lava.

Since the Karnuans now hold Mt. Sa ‘Gra, gather-ing the sacred waters has become extremely diffi-cult and dangerous for orken shamans. Becausesuch essences are in short supply and becauseretrieving them means risking death or enslave-ment at the hands of the Karnuans, the price forthis sacred water hasgone up enormously. Afew orken shamans havemanaged to outwit theKarnuans and obtain thesacred water, but they arevery few indeed. Manymore have given theirlives in the attempt. TheKarnuans have begun toharvest water from theorken holy mountain andselling it on the openmarket, claiming it to beessence of quality. No orkwill touch such accursedwater, no matter howgreat his need. Those ofother races who havepaid the exorbitant pricethe Karnuans charge forthis water are of mixedminds whether it trulyworks or not.

Some orken shamansclaim that Karnu hasheld Mount Sa ‘Gra for solong that the water hasbecome contaminatedand will never be able toproduce such wondrous Water essences again, nomatter the quality of the sacrifices.

MAGEWARE SHOPSEvery large town or city is likely to support at leastone or more mageware shops, where mages,alchemists, herbalists, and the like can purchaseservices and goods to aid them in their trades.Mageware shops are excellent sources for spell-books, both old and new; quality essences, and lab-oratory supplies. Merchants who are skilled inherb-lore may often make up their own healingsalves, potions, or poisons, which can be pur-

chased as well. If one is truly lucky, one might findthe occasional rare enchanted item for sale.

Mageware shops are not only ideal places formages to purchase supplies, but they are excellentrepositories of information and gossip. Citizensmight regard the foreign mage with hostility andsuspicion, but he will always be welcome in amageware shop, where he can receive pertinentinformation regarding everything from where tofind the best ale in town to the current politicalsituation. A mage may have to prove himself to theshop owner before such information is forthcom-ing, for idlers and gawks are not welcome in mage-ware shops and are generally asked to leave if they

show no signs of spend-ing money. Once a magehas indicated by hisknowledge of the prod-ucts that he is a profes-sional, he will be treatedwith respect and regard.

In Dunkarga, magewareshops are always sup-ported by the mage-guilds. Competitionamong the shops is keen.Shops will generallycater to a special clien-tele usually those oftheir own guild. Suchshops charge outsidersmore for their wares orthey may refuse to sell tooutsiders at all.

Karnuan mageware shopsare operated by the statefor the use of Karnuanmages. They will notcater to foreign magesunless one has a docu-ment of need obtainedfrom the head of the localmilitary.

Nimran and Nimorean mageware shops are famousfor their healing salves and poultices. The templesof both realms send out teams of semveci, who arecharged with locating and obtaining rare herbs oringredients that their priests need for experiments.The temples do not sell their own wares, but theypermit enterprising merchants to do so. If a Nimranpriest develops a particularly effective magicalsalve or potion, he gives the recipe freely to anyNimran or Nimorean mageware merchant whomakes a request of the temple in writing. It is up tothe merchants to obtain their own ingredients.Under no circumstances are the recipes ever given


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to foreigners, with the possible exception of theWyred. Nimorean temples, like the Nimran ones,will not sell magical supplies, but they supportlocal shops that do. Newly forming mage-guilds inNimorea have begun opening their own magewareshops in competition with those that already exist.

All mageware shops in the Vinnengaelean Empireare operated by the Temple of the Magi. Thisallows Church authorities to keep tabs on thehedge-wizard population, as well as control theoverall sales of magic paraphernalia. In conse-quence, a thriving black market in magic hasemerged in Vinnengael, dealing mainly in the saleof rare ingredients used in potions and scroll inks.Because of Church regulation, some wizards preferto find their own essences and potion ingredientsand to craft their own lab equipment. This allowsspellcasters to go about their business with lessinterference from the Church.

Mageware shops do not operate openly among theelves, although there are rumored to be secret loca-tions in major elven cities where Wyred can go toobtain supplies. The Wyred know their way tothese places and the means they must use to obtainentry. No foreigner would be permitted within amile of these shops and no elves who are notWyred would ever dream of trying to locate them.Orken traders are said to supply the Wyred withgoods and supplies that they could not normallyobtain in the Divine Lands of the Tromek. Barterbetween the orks and the Wyred is always done insecret.

No mageware shop of any type exists in Grak, theDwarven Territories. Dwarven mages obtain whatmaterials they need themselves, generally fromnature or in trade with other dwarves. No Clandwarf would ever consent to pay money for anessence or any other magical artifact, consideringthat money taints the product. Unhorsed dwarvesare a bit more practical in their view of purchasingessences and magical items, mainly because theyofttimes lack the means to travel to find what theyneed. Unhorsed generally deal with orks, alwaysmindful that orks have their own ways of doingbusiness. The Unhorsed prefer to deal with orksrather than humans, because orks never ask ques-tions.

Certain mageware shops may be found that deal inwares pertaining to the Void or forbidden magic.The opportunity for finding such a shop is greatestin Dunkarga, where the practice of Void magic isnot illegal, and then only in the major cities. Evenin Dunkarga, such shops are difficult to find. Sincethe owners will tend to view any foreign mage withsuspicion and hostility, potential customers

should travel with someone who is already knownto the shopkeeper.

Since Void magic is outlawed in Vinnengael, thosecaught selling merchandise used for Void worshipor imbued with Void magic will be imprisoned orperhaps even put to death. All trafficking of Voidrelated paraphernalia is done beneath the counteror on the black market. Since the Inquisition hasbeen known to trap unwary merchants, those deal-ing in Void magic are extremely reluctant to sell tostrangers or even admit that they deal in the out-lawed product. The prices they charge will alwaysbe extraordinarily high to compensate them for therisk they run.

Buying and SellingMageware shopkeepers are always interested inbuying rare or unusual alchemical, herbal, or ani-mal constituents that might be useful to the magic-using community. Mageware shops rarely havemagic items for sale. Since magic items are createdwith the utmost care, usually for a particular per-son, they are rare in the extreme and are almostnever sold on the open market. Should anenchanted item be lost or stolen, the owner (if hestill lives) will be looking for it and will have alert-ed mageware shops that the thief may be attempt-ing to fence it. Because a merchant who traffics instolen goods may have a hand chopped off like acommon thief, most shop owners will refuse to runthe risk. Those who try to sell enchanted items willbe asked to produce proof of ownership and mightbe asked to demonstrate or provide evidence of theobject’s power. Merchants will always negotiate aprice that is to their liking. Mageware merchantstalk to other merchants and, if a deal should gosour, the shop owner can make it very hard for theseller to rid himself of the item anywhere in thatcity

Shop owners will not advertise that they haveenchanted items for sale (at least not to the generalpopulation). Doing so would be an open invitationto thieves. Nor are shop owners likely to tell astranger that they have such objects for sale. Ifasked, they will deny that they have such an itemon the premises. If the mage persists, the shopowner may throw him out or call the authorities.The wise mage may spend years cultivating rela-tionships with the merchants from whom he buyshis supplies. Only after mutual trust and friend-ship have been established will a shop ownerwhisper to his favorite customer that he has a rareobject in stock.

AlchemyAcid: Acid has a variety of uses. Most commonly itis used as a grenade-like weapon that can have

IIVV


devastating effects (see Chapter 7: Equipment inCore Rulebook I for more information about acidand Grenadelike Weapon Attacks, page 114). Acidmay also be used in the laboratory for performingexperiments or possibly as a timer for a trap.

Alcohol Burner: A four-inch-tall alcohol burninglamp capable of producing high heat. Perfect forheating beakers and flasks or sterilizing chirurgicalimplements. Burns alcohol for three hours before itmust be refilled.

Alcohol: Purified wood alcohol sold in small 6-ounce bottles. Absolutely not for drinking. Ifingested, pure alcohol will act as a poison (DC 17)whose initial damage is 1d6 points of Constitution.Secondary damage is 1d4 points of Strength + 1d4points of Constitution. One bottle will fill an alco-hol burner.

Antitoxin: Drinking antitoxin allows the imbiber toreceive a +5 alchemical bonus on all Fortitudesaves against poison for 1 hour.

Brazier: Designed to hold burning coals or char-coal. Small braziers are useful for grilling food,while larger sizes may be used for warming roomsor tents, so long as there is proper ventilation. Alsouseful for burning incense during religious rites orto freshen a room.

Flasks: Specialized bottles created for use in a lab-oratory. Each comes with a cork stopper.

Mortar and Pestle: A standard mortar and pestlemade of granite or marble used to grind or poundsubstances into powder.

Sparker: Used to create sparks for lighting fires.Can be used in one hand.

Vial: Small container used to store spices, smallspecimens, water, etc. Comes with a cork stopper.

Healer’s SuppliesBandages, Linen: Fine woven linen in thirty-foot-long rolls.

Basin, Bleeding: A copper or bronze basindesigned to allow blood to flow easily from openedveins in an arm or wrist.

Bone Saw: Chirurgeons use these to performamputations.

Cranial Drill: A small drill with a palm rest andhand-crank. The drill bit is made from high gradeiron or, in rare cases, steel.

Gauze, Cotton: Lighter than woven linen, cottongauze comes in rolls ten feet long. It is useful forcovering sutures or abrasions.

Healing Salve: Sold in jars holding three applica-tions. One application of healing salve allows thewounded creature to gain the benefits of three daysof normal healing for every two days of actual heal-ing. Applications of healing salve more than onceevery two days will not result in the healing ofmore hit points. Since healing salve is an herbalremedy and not magical in nature, it can helpspeed the healing of damage caused by castingVoid magic. Healing salve will not heal subdualdamage.

Lancet, Bronze: Six-inch-long lancet used to lanceboils and pustules or probe wounds.

Leeches: Used by chirurgeons to draw infectionout of serious wounds. Placed directly onto thewounded area, the leeches allow the patient to re-roll both his initial and secondary Fortitude savesagainst poison (if suffered as a result of injury). Theleeches must be administered within 1 minute ofthe wound to be effective. If the character to betreated is squeamish or has a fear of bugs, the heal-er can make an opposed Diplomacy or Intimida-tion check versus the injured to see if he can con-vince the patient that the leeches are for his owngood.

Needle, Curved: Made of bronze or bone, curvedneedles are indispensable to healers who mustsuture cut and stab wounds.


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TABLE 4.3: HEALER’S SUPPLIES

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityBandages, linen 2 argents 1/4 lb. VBasin, bleeding 2 argents 1 lb. VBone saw 3 argents 2 lb. TCranial drill 5 argents 2 lb. CGauze, cotton 1 argent — VHealing salve 7 argents 1/2 lb. TLancet, bronze 1 argent — TLeeches (pkg. of 12) 2 argents 1/2 lb. VNeedle, curved (bone) (20) 1 argent — VNeedle, curved (bronze) (10)1 argent — VScalpel 5 argents — CThread (30 yd.) 4 conents — V

TABLE 4.2: ALCHEMY

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityAcid (flask) 12 argents — CAlcohol burner 5 argents — CAlcohol, pure 1 argent — CAntitoxin (vial) 65 argents — CBrazier, small iron 20 argents 15 lb. TBrazier, large iron 35 argents 30 lb. CFlask, earthenware 3 conents — TFlask, glass 1 argent — CMortar and Pestle 2 argents 3 lb. VSparker 1 argent — TVial, ceramic (empty) 1 conent — VVial, glass (empty) 2 conents — TVial, pewter (empty) 3 conents — T

Scalpel: Extremely sharp, the scalpel is used bychirurgeons to slice through flesh and muscle inorder to perform internal surgeries such as remov-ing imbedded arrowheads, tumors, or fragments ofshattered bone. Not very useful as a weapon(1d2/×2).

Thread: Sold in thirty-yard spools, thread hasmany uses, from stitching up a wounded comradeto darning a pair of socks.

Magical Goods & ServicesCurse Removal: The base cost for removing a curseor casting a dispel magic spell is 1 argent for every5 points of CT.

Essences: The cost for fine and exceptional spellessences is whatever the market can bear. The costvaries from location to location and from shop toshop (see Essences of Quality above).

Exotic Ingredient: Anything from eye of newt tosquid beak. The availability of a particular ingredi-ent is governed by location and rarity, supply anddemand. Some examples are:

Bat fur 7 conentsBlueroot tentacle 20 argentsDragon scale 1500 argentsKrikner wing 5 argentsGiant squid ink (vial) 40 argents

Glowstone: A small, frosted glass globe with acopper band. Created by dwarves, the globe isenchanted to radiate light when a command wordis uttered.

Potion: Magical drinks with a variety of effects.Some potions claim to make members of the oppo-site sex fall in love with the imbiber, while otherspromise magical healing. Buyer beware! Whilesome potions do what they claim, many do not,and most mageware merchants operate under astrict “no refund, no return” policy concerningpotions.

Spellbook (with spells): The vast majority of thesebooks contain trade spells, although occasionally adweomer might be found. Sometimes one mightstumble across a mage’s own personal spellbook.Most often, such books have been stolen, but in

some instances, an estate might sell off a deceasedmage’s possessions. Powerful spells may be foundwithin the pages of these personal books. The costof a spellbook is whatever the market will bear.

Spell Scrolls: Spells can be written in advance ona scroll in preparation for casting. The creation ofspell scrolls is expensive. The spell is cast by read-ing it from the scroll. The casting destroys thescroll. Mageware shops generally sell scrolls fortwice the base cost.

Religious ParaphernaliaAltar Cloth: Designed for those who have personalshrines to the gods within their homes. Altar clothscome in a variety of colors. Ornate altar cloths areembroidered with stylized depictions of the god(or gods) to be venerated. Elves also use them inshrines dedicated to the Honored Ancestor.

Aspergillum: Used by holy men to disperse holywater.

Books of Rituals: Large tomes that contain ritualsused in various religions throughout Loerem. Theprice of these huge volumes depends upon the sub-ject matter contained within their pages, as well asthe mageware shop’s location, and is never lessthan 50 argents.

Censer: Many religions require the burning ofincense. Some censers, created specifically for aparticular religion, bear that religion’s markings.

Holy Symbol: Holy symbols mark one as a priest ofa particular god or faith.

Incense: Incense comes from all over Loerem, butthe best gums and resins are said to be producedalong the southern coast of Nimra.

Scriveners’ NecessitiesBook, parchment: Books of this type have beencreated to withstand the elements better thanbooks with paper pages. Used in situations wherethe books may be often exposed to the elements oras laboratory note-taking texts. Usually contains 50sheets.

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TABLE 4.4: MAGICAL GOODS & SERVICES

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityCurse removal Varies — TExotic Ingredient 50-200 argents — CFine and exceptional essences Varies — CGlowstone 200 argents 2 lb. CPotion Varies 1 lb. TSpellbook Varies 3 lb. TSpell scrolls Varies — T

TABLE 4.5: RELIGIOUS PARAPHERNALIA

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityAltar cloth, plain 5 argents 1 lb. VAltar cloth, ornate 20 argents 2 lb. TAspergillum, silver 20 argents 1 lb. TAspergillum, gold 35 argents 1 lb. CBook of Rituals Varies 3 lb. TCenser 15 argents 4 lb. THoly symbol 40 argents 1 lb. TIncense (per use) 2 conents — T

Book, leather bound, heavy: Books such as thesemay come with a locking clasp and a small key.Mages usually use these sorts of books to writetheir spells in. The mage’s name or symbol may beinscribed upon the binding or cover. Usually con-tains 100 to 200 pages.

Ink, black: Normal, good-quality ink used for writ-ing documents that are meant to last for a longtime.

Ink, colored: Same as black ink, except that col-ored ink usually has to be specially processed ortaken from rare plants and animals. Useful for cre-ating complex drawings and maps.

Inkwell: Heavy metal inkwells are less likely to tipover and are generally more sturdy than thosemade of bone.

Paper (10 sheets): Paper is purchased in shortreams of ten sheets. Each sheet is high-quality thatcan be preserved. Measuring 25” × 35” each, thesheets are the perfect size for writing missives.

Parchment (10 sheets): Parchment, like paper, issold in reams of ten sheets that measure 30” × 45”each. Parchment is used for messages intended forlong-distance travel and by mages for writing spellscrolls.

Quill pens: Only the finest bird feathers are select-ed to be quill pens. With proper care, a pen can lastfor a year or more, insuring smooth writing.

Sand: Extremely fine sand intended to dry freshink more rapidly to allay any fears of smudges.

Sealing Wax: Used to seal scrolls and letterstogether, intended also to insure the reader that thescroll has not been opened. Normally impressedwith the signet ring of the author.

Vellum: The preferred medium for spell scrolls,vellum is known for its durability. It is sold fivesheets at a time, measuring 30” × 45” each.

Writing Brush: Used for smoother, more artisticscript. Writing brushes require more maintenancethan quills, but with proper care they will lastlonger.

Weights & MeasuresAbacus: Very useful for counting sums of money,tallying chemical constituents, or doing arithmeticin general.

Armillary Sphere: Usually made of brass orbronze, these astronomical models represent theequator, the ecliptic, the meridians, and parallels.

Astrolabe: An expensive piece of equipment usedto navigate by the stars. Using an astrolabe willgive a character a +2 bonus to his Knowledge (nav-igation) or Intuit Direction checks.

Balance: Instrument for measuring weight, the bal-ance uses opposed weights in shallow pans heldfrom either end of an arm supported directly in thecenter. Normally crafted of brass or bronze.

Balance Weights: Any number of weights that canbe used with a balance. Normally crafted of turnedstone, brass, or bronze.

Beaker, Glass: Open topped glass cylinder, usuallygraduated on one side to allow one to measure thebeaker’s contents.

Hourglass: A contrivance for measuring time, con-sisting of a glass vessel with conical ends connect-ed by a constricted neck, through which a quantityof sand runs in exactly 1 hour. Time measuredvaries with the size of the hourglass, from as longas three hours to as short as thirty seconds.

Lodestone: Magnetic oxide of iron. When a sliver isplaced in a basin of calm water, it can be used as acompass.

Miscellaneous MaterialsCandle, Tallow: Average tallow candles will lastfor two or three hours.


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TABLE 4.7: WEIGHTS & MEASURES

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityAbacus 3 argents 2 lb. TArmillary Sphere 150 argents 75 lb. CAstrolabe 200 argents 6 lb. CBalance 25 argents 8 lb. CBalance Weights 15 argents Varies CBeaker, glass 2 argents — CHourglass 12 argents 8 lb. CMinute glass 7 argents 1 lb. CLodestone 4 argents — T

TABLE 4.6: SCRIVENERS’ NECESSITIES

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityBook, parchment 15 argents 1 lb. CBook, leather bound, heavy 25 argents 3 lb. CInk, black (1 oz. vial) 3 argents — CInk, colored (1 oz. vial) 7 argents — CInkwell, bone 4 argents — CInkwell, pewter 7 argents — CInkwell, silver 11 argents — CPaper (10 sheets) 1 argent 1/4 lb. CParchment (10 sheets) 3 argents 1/4 lb. CQuill pens 1 argent — CSand (small pouch) 5 conents 1/2 lb. TSealing Wax 2 argents 1 lb. TVellum (5 sheets) 8 argents 1/4 lb. CWriting Brush 7 argents — C

Candles, Scented: These candles are usually usedby temples and shrines. They are large and can lastanywhere from six to ten hours burning time.

Candles, Wax: Normal wax candles will burn forfour to six hours.

Chalk: Useful for marking trails, drawing, or mak-ing rubbings.

Maps: Since cartography is an art form, originalmaps can be quite expensive. Copied maps mayoften be purchased from mageware shops, but theprices vary greatly. The accuracy of these maps isnot guaranteed.

Marionette: Some spells use marionettes as theirtargets. The marionette may be as simple or asexacting as the mage requires. The price relatedabove is for an average marionette, between 18 and20 inches tall.

Poison: The sale and use of poison is outlawed bymost governments. Many mageware shops are ableto obtain it, for a price.

Special Weapons or ArmorArmor or Shield, Masterwork: Well-made itemsthat function normally, however their armor checkpenalties are reduced by 1, and they are useful forenchanting.

Arrow, Bolt, or Bullet, Masterwork: These sorts ofprojectiles function like their normal counterparts,except they get a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Arrow, Bolt, or Bullet, Silvered: These sort of pro-jectiles function like their normal counterpartsexcept that they affect creatures that may be resist-ant to normal weapons but not silvered.

Dagger, Silvered: A silvered dagger is used just likeits normal counterpart but, as with silvered projec-tiles, will affect creatures resistant to normalweapons who can be injured by silvered weapons.

Weapon, Masterwork: These weapons are the bestthat money can buy and a +1 bonus to all attackrolls. This bonus does not stack with an enhance-ment bonus to attack rolls. Masterwork weaponsare useful for enchanting.

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TABLE 4.8: MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

Item Cost Weight AvailabilityCandle, tallow (5 sticks) 3 conents — VCandle, scented (1 stick) 1 argent 1 lb. CCandle, wax (5 sticks) 1 argent — TChalk (10 sticks) 1 argent — VMap Varies — TMarionette 4 argents 5 lb. CPoison Varies — C

TABLE 4.9: SPECIAL WEAPONS OR ARMOR

Weapon or Armor Cost

Weapon, masterwork +300 argents

Arrow, bolt, or bullet, silvered 1 argent

Arrow, bolt, or bullet, masterwork 8 argents

Dagger, silvered 12 argents

Armor or shield, masterwork +150 argents

MA

GIC SPELLS

Chapter 5

o his Lordship shouts “Aim for their

wizard!”

Me, like a fool, shoots a crossbow at the feller.

Whanged off his helm and angered him. His

moustache was all a-twitchin’ and his face all

screwed up in a scowl.

Next thing I know the little dwarven runt is

starin’ right at me and there’s this burnt hair

smell all around.

It’s not like I dove behind his Lordship deliberately,

its just where the puddle of water happened to be

at the time.

S EDGAR, HUMAN MERCENARY

90

VV

MAGIC SPELLS 91

AIR SPELLS

Frog’s Lasting Gift, The 11Speed my Arrows 12Traverse the Wall 12Obey! 18Biting Winds 19Reveal That Which Is Hidden 26Quick Strike 27Burdensome 30Mask 32Draw Strength from Pain 34Upraise 34Ease the Burden 36Gusting Shield 41Fallen Without Hope 44Phantom Bow 46Fear Within, The 48Out of Sight, Out of Mind 48Enlighten 56Ephemeral Missive 60Art Without Artificer 74Fascination 84Phantom Warriors 84Final Breath, The 142Unwitting Assassin 148Deflect the Curious 159Wooden Warrior 210

EARTH SPELLS

Bury the Dead 10Silver Glamour 12Ease Pain 14Weapon Glamour 15Smite Thee 17Purify Food 18Heigh-Ho 22Mortar 22Mass Grave 23Berm 27Harden 28Return to Earth 28

Shield Me 31Sculpture 36Shatterstone 37Entombment 52Stone Shackles 57Thick Skin 60Small Please 63Span the Distance 64Hands Off 69Earthworks 80Protect Object 90Succor 118Earthen Killer 144Fortify Wall 261Sunder 268

FIRE SPELLS

Icy Grasp 6Scorch 10Blistering Attack 11Extinguish 11Spiritbane 15Comfort Zone 16Remember 17Take That! 24Fiery Breath 26Fireshield 28Lineage 29Firewalker 30Concussion 35Sparkstorm 40Cutter 41Lantern 44Ice Bridge 48Where Have You Been? 49Hearth Stone 56Explode 72No Entry 86Fire Fury 94Exploding Sun 245Tell the Tale 288

SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSSSpell Name CT Spell Name CT

MAGIC SPELLS92

VVWATER SPELLS

Touch 9Detect Poison 10Eye Stab 11What’s the Depth 12Freeze Water 14Ice Water 14Cough 16Blind 19Deafen 19Reveal the Beyond 19Mute 22Slicker 23Eavesdrop 29Walk on Water 29Spray 30Watershield 30Forked Tongue 32Mimic 32Bring Forth Water 35Tiny Bubbles 42Taint 44Stink 48Finder 59Berg 62Watery Doom 99Jellyfire 131You Don’t Want Me 132Tsunami 148

AIR/FIRE (LIGHTNING) SPELLS

Engrave 6Surge 6Wake Up! 9Caress with Bite 12Jolt 14Fuse Metal 15Summon Metal Object 17Lightning Ride 18Ball Lightning 21Blinding Flash 22

Lightning Lash 22Glow of the Aura 24Shock 24Singed 24Repel Armored Opponent 44Touch Me Not 58Immunity to Lightning 60Skim the Earth 60Shielding Wall of Lightning Bolts 64Call Down the Stars 67Swirling Motes 73More Pain, Less Blood 118Lightning Ward 129Bouncer 151Summon Lightning 155

AIR/WATER (WEATHER) SPELLS

Predict Weather 9Falling Star 20Weather Beaten 23Trail Breaker 26Breathe Water 30Sunburn 35Sunstroke 36Cloud Chariot 44Blue Skies 45Aurora 58Moonlight Magnified 70Hail 81Doldrums 129Humid 129Cloudcover 174Happy Plant 189Summon Storm 228Hurricane 231Drought 247


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MAGIC SPELLS 93

EARTH/FIRE (ANIMAL) SPELLS

Heel! 16Spooked 18Anti-venom 20Defiance 20Leash 24Monkey’s Balance 24Away! 27Cat’s Claws 28Sniff 32Unnoticed 32Venom Immunity 32Gird for Battle 34Stand Still 34Good Will 37Animal Messenger 40Speak with… 40Coat of the Bear 55Animal Ward 57Bloodline 62Halt the Charge 63Kennel 69Spy 115Familiar 166Animal Curse 173Locust Swarm 173

EARTH/WATER (PLANT) SPELLS

Know Plant 5Club 7Commune With Plant 8Stick Slap 15Bucket 16Rooted to the Spot 16Spikestab 17Itch 28Serpent from the Staff 28Kudzu Climbing Vine 34Shelter 38Ghillie 40Out Weed! 45

One With the Trees 47Warp 48Entangling Vines 56Fresh 76Treeborn Sanctuary 88Thornbush Barricade 105Keelbreaker 114Barbed Vine 136Transplant 144Bounty 153Killing Algae 240

VOID SPELLS

I Am as You Are 10Splinter 20Ward Against Living Dead 31Blemish 32Darts of Decay 34Torturer’s Tongs 34Ghostly Flesh 40Deadspeak 44Emaciate 44Siphon Life’s Gift 54Shadowcloak 59Wither 75Shadow Tomb 76Taint of the Void 93Circle of Despair 109Asphyxiate 120Possession 145Shadow Steed 152Undead Creature 192Into the Ether 205To the Four Winds 232Soulless Stalker 292


AANNIIMMAALL CCUURRSSEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 173Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: One humanoidDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This curse causes all animals within Close range ofthe victim (defined by the caster’s level) to findhim completely reprehensible. Animals (includinginsects, avian creatures and sea creatures) willsnarl, snap, lash or otherwise indicate their dislikeof the victim. Animals will attack the victim if heacts at all aggressively toward them or flee if theyfeel in danger. Each time the victim goes withinrange of a new animal, he may make a Will savingthrow (DC 19 + caster’s level) to avoid the effects ofthe curse for that animal only.

The victim may find it impossible to ride a mount.Local vermin such as rats and mice become bold,chewing through belongings or stealing food fromthe victim’s plate while he watches. Squirrels andchipmunks toss nuts and sticks from trees at thoseaffected by the curse. Dogs bark, howl and growl atthe victim, insects bite or sting him first instead ofanother. The target of the curse is easily noticeable,since he always seems tobe at the center of riotousanimal activity.

The effects of this spell arepermanent for the life ofthe caster, or until lifted bya dispel earth magic or dis-pel fire magic spell.

AANNIIMMAALL MMEESSSSEENNGGEERR(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 40Range: TouchTarget: Friendly Animal(Large or smaller)Duration: 1 monthSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

Allows the caster toinstruct a friendly andwilling animal (usually apet) to deliver a message ofno more than fifteen wordsin length to someone withwhom the animal isalready familiar. The casterspeaks the message into theanimal’s ear while casting

the spell. Once the spell has been cast, a magicallink is created between the animal and its intend-ed target, regardless of where the target might be.The animal will make haste to the message’s recip-ient, using whatever means are at its disposal.Once finding the recipient, the magic uses the ani-mal’s natural voice to relate the message in thecaster’s own words. In other words, only theintended target can understand the animal. Every-one else will hear only a barking dog, a chirpingbird, etc.

After delivering the message, the animal is free todo what it wants. If the spell‘s duration expiresbefore the animal finds the recipient, the messageis lost and the animal is free to do as it likes.

AANNIIMMAALL WWAARRDD(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 57Range: PersonalArea: 20 ft. radius boundary, centered on casterDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates an invisible ring that extendsaround the caster. This boundary turns away ani-mals that may try to cross into the area of effect.Any animal attempting to cross the ring’s threshold

must make a saving throw.If this fails, the animal can-not enter into the ring, nomatter how much it wantsto do so. A successful savemeans that the animal canenter within the ring’s pro-tective boundary.

This spell is used to safe-guard camps against preda-tors such as bears andwolves, and rodents.Although the ward willwork against intelligentanimals, this spell will notwork against humanoidcreatures or undead. Ani-mals who enter and thenleave the protected areamust make another savingthrow to enter again.

AANNTTII--VVEENNOOMM(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 20Range: Touch and Close (25

MAGIC SPELLS94

VV

ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Creature touched and one animal (Small-size orsmaller)Duration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Neutralizes the venom of a bite from a venomouscreature when applied by touch to the wound. Theanimal must be within Close range of its victimwhile the spell is being cast. Anti-venom will notneutralize poisons that have been artificially con-cocted or that have been placed in containers orupon weapons.

AARRTT WWIITTHHOOUUTT AARRTTIIFFIICCEERR(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 74Range: TouchEffect: Sight and touch illusion, within 20 ft. cubeDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: Will disbelief (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Art Without Artificer allows the caster to create theillusion of any inanimate object. The illusion canbe seen and touched, but does not affect any of theother senses. Disbelieving the illusion requires asuccessful saving throw.

This spell is sometimes cast by those who want toappear better off that they are. They use it to deco-rate their homes with illusory statuary, wall hang-ings, and ornamentation.

AASSPPHHYYXXIIAATTEE(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 120Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Area: 100 ft. radius sphereDuration: 10 minutes (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell creates an airless void. Any creaturecaught within the area of effect is unable tobreathe, and must make a Constitution check (DC10) every round in order to hold his breath. Eachround, the DC increases by 1. When the creaturefinally fails his Constitution check, he begins toasphyxiate. In the first round, he falls unconscious(0 hp). In the following round, he drops to –1 hitpoints and is dying. In the third round, he dies.

Those moving beyond the spell’s area can breathenormally.

AAUURROORRAA(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 58Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Multicolored lights in a 5 ft. radiusDuration: 10 minutes (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to create streamers ofmulticolored light. The rainbow streamers illumi-nate an area equivalent to a lantern (30-footradius), and they can be moved as the caster wills,at his normal base movement.

AAWWAAYY!!(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 27Range: Personal or TouchArea: 2 ft. radius, centered on touched creatureDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell repels insects by creating a barrieraround the recipient, either the caster or someonehe touches. All vermin of Diminutive-size orsmaller, including irritating mosquitoes, gnats,flies, small spiders, and scorpions find the barrierannoying and stay away from it. Any vermin, Tinyor larger, are unaffected by the spell.

BBAALLLL LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 21Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Effect: Electrical sphereDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Ball lightning enables the caster to throw a smallball of electrical energy from his hand at any targetwithin range. The caster must make a successfulranged touch attack. A hit means the that the balldischarges, shocking the target for 2d12 points ofelectrical subdual damage. If the caster misses, theball zooms by the target and dissipates within sec-onds. Many Karnuan war wizards prefer this spellto more “heavy handed” combat spells, since thestrike leaves the target alive and capable of under-going interrogation.

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BBAARRBBEEDD VVIINNEE(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 136Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: Thorny vines, 15 ft. longDuration: 1 minute + ConcentrationSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 17 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: No

This spell generates 2d6 thick, thorny, tentacle-likevines within a 20-foot radius of a central point tar-geted by the mage. The vines sprout from theground and may be clumped together or spreadapart within the area as the caster desires.

The caster may command the vines to attack any-thing within their reach. Each vine has an ArmorClass of 10, 13 hit points, an effective Strength of28 (+9 bonus), and an attack bonus of +11 (includ-ing Strength). The vines are immune to poison,sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, and transmuta-tions (except those that affect plants); they are notsubject to critical hits, illusions, or mental com-pels. Each round, a vine will attempt to grappleany creature within reach. On a successful attack,the thorns cause 1d6+9 points of damage and thevictim must make an opposed Grapple check withthe vine or be pinned. Pinned creatures unable tobreak free will continue to take damage eachround.

These vines aren’t powerful enough to damagebuildings and are likely to uproot while attemptingto do so. Since the vines are magical, they are ableto be conjured anywhere, but must emerge fromearth, be it sand, rock, or loam. (A vine cannot bemade to grow out of water, for example.) Once avine is killed or the spell ends, the vine withersaway into nothingness in a matter of seconds.

BBEERRGG(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 62Range: Line of sightEffect: Gargantuan iceberg in large body of waterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to conjure an enormousiceberg from a large body of water such as a lake orocean. The mage can cause the iceberg to rise any-where within his line of sight. The iceberg revertsback into liquid form once the spell’s durationexpires.

This spell is usually used to slow pursuit on thehigh seas, with mages causing icebergs to rise up inthe path of pursuing ships. The spell requires a

Profession (Sailor) skill check at (DC determinedby the referee, based on proximity to the vessel andlocal conditions) to steer a vessel around an ice-berg created by this spell. Should the check fail,the vessel strikes the iceberg.

This spell is a favorite of orken pirates.

BBEERRMM(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 27Range: PersonalEffect: Earthen wall 20 ft. radius centered on casterDuration: See textSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Berm raises a small earthen wall in a circle cen-tered on the spellcaster. The wall is six feet tall andthree feet thick and is raised over the course of oneminute. Removal of the earth for the wall forms aditch three feet deep and three feet wide aroundthe wall’s exterior.

The berm may be raised from any sort of earth—rock, loose soil or the hard packed earth of thesteppes. The wall is permanent, but may be affect-ed normally by the elements or other forces actingupon it (such as heavy rain, projectiles and spells).A berm raised from loose dirt will afford thosewithin its perimeter appropriate cover. A wall canalso be made from solid-packed earth or stone toprovide even greater protection. The berm is ableto take an amount of damage equivalent to its com-position.

The berm spell can be cast only in a setting that isstill in its natural state. The magic of the spell isdisrupted if cast in an area where buildings, roads,or other construction is present. Natural groundcover is not necessarily disturbed by the casting ofa berm spell, since grasses and small shrubs willcontinue to grow on the wall after it is erected.Large, immobile objects such as trees and bouldersin the direct path of the berm will be treated as partof the wall, the magic raising the wall on eitherside of the obstruction.

BBIITTIINNGG WWIINNDDSS(Elemental)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 19Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: Whirlwind, 5 ft. wide and 8 ft. tallDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell conjures up a small but intense whirl-wind that swirls around its intended target. Dirt,

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stones, sand, and other debris whipped around bythe winds will strike anyone who comes into itsarea, inflicting 1d12 points of damage.

Any flying creatures of less than Medium-size whoenter the spell’s area must make a Reflex save (DC15) or be blown away—moved back 2d6x10 feetand suffering 2d6 points of subdual damage.

BBLLEEMMIISSHH(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 32Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Living creature (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Blemish causes ugly sores, pimples, boils, lesions,and abrasions to break out all over the target’sbody. Although some of the blemishes might beuncomfortable, they affect only the physicalappearance of the target. The blemishes bear astriking resemblance to the sorts of maladies Void-users suffer from casting Void spells.

BBLLIINNDD(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 19Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Living creatureDuration: 1 day (D)Saving Throw: Fort negates (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell removes the target’s ability to see. Thespell does not affect those creatures that do notpossess sight or do not rely heavily upon sight(such as most varieties of snakes or bats).

Any creature blinded has a 50% chance to miss incombat, he loses his positive Dexterity bonus to AC(if any), and this condition grants a +2 bonus onattack rolls to enemies that attack him, just as if allhis enemies were invisible. He moves at half speedand suffers a -4 penalty on most Strength and Dex-terity-based skills. He cannot make Spot skillchecks or perform any activity (such as reading)that requires vision.

BBLLIINNDDIINNGG FFLLAASSHH(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 22Range: PersonalArea: 20 ft. burst, centered on casterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes a brilliant blue-white flash toemanate from the caster’s upraised hand, blindingall those within the spell’s area who fail their sav-ing throws for 1d4 rounds. The spell is effectiveonly in dim or dark settings—twilight, pre-dawn,inside a dark room or cavern, etc. Those who arewarned ahead of time may shield their eyes fromthe bright flash, permitting them to remainimmune to the spell’s effects.

Any creature blinded has a 50% chance to miss incombat, he loses his positive Dexterity bonus to AC(if any), and this condition grants a +2 bonus onattack rolls to enemies that attack him, just as if allhis enemies were invisible. He moves at half speedand suffers a -4 penalty on most Strength and Dex-terity-based skills. He cannot make Spot skillchecks or perform any activity (such as reading)that requires vision.

BBLLIISSTTEERRIINNGG AATTTTAACCKK(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 11Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: RayDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Blistering attack permits the caster to unleash a rayof heat at an opponent. The mage must make aranged touch attack to use the spell. If the mage’sattack goes through, the spell unleashes a blast ofheat for 2d8 points of subdual damage.

BBLLOOOODDLLIINNEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 62Range: TouchTarget: Animal (Large or smaller)Duration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Bloodline gives an animal the appearance of finepedigree, good form, and excellent care. The spellwill thicken an animal’s coat, giving it a glossy andwell-groomed appearance. The spell will whitenyellowed teeth, brighten dull eyes, firm flagging

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muscles, etc. Because the changes are not truealterations, they are only temporary, lasting but amonth. A broken down old nag will still be a bro-ken down old nag, although it appears to be a horsein the best of health and in good spirits; a dog ofmixed breed will appear to be of show quality.Physical alterations made by the spell can bedetected only with magic. Normal inspection willonly indicate that the animal is in top form.

Unsavory merchants may be arrested for using thisspell to sell low quality animals at a tremendousmark-up. The spell is used mainly by knights whowant their steeds to look their best, regardless oftheir age or lineage. The animal’s true nature isrevealed after the spell’s duration expires.

BBLLUUEE SSKKIIEESS(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 45Range: PersonalArea: 5 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Blue skies parts the clouds in order to gain light.The hole in the clouds allows either sunlight ormoonlight to shine around the caster in a circle.The shaft through the clouds will move with thecaster as he moves. This spell will not affect pre-cipitation, which will continue to fall as normal.However, this spell will aid spells that require aclear view of the sun or sky for casting. The spellalso aids in navigation by stars under heavy cloudcover, since it affords a better view of the night sky.

BBOOUUNNCCEERR(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 151Range: TouchArea: 20 ft. cubeDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Bouncer creates a magical barrier that is usuallyplaced in front of doors, gates, windows and othermeans of entry. When anyone other than the caster(or those the caster has chosen and who must bepresent when the spell is cast) moves through thewarded area, he is pummeled by fists of electricity.These electrical fists inflict 1d8+4 points of electri-cal damage. If the victim fails an opposed Strengthcheck (against the spell’s effective Strength of 18),the fists push him back out of the barrier the wayhe came in.

Even if the intruder succeeds in thwarting theward, the ward remains in effect. Any intruderwho attempts to leave the same way he came inmust make another check as above or he will bepummeled by the fists, that will now fling theintruder back into the protected area and hold himuntil the caster arrives.

BBOOUUNNTTYY(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 153Range: PersonalArea: 400 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: See textSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell guarantees an increased yield of foodcrops such as grains, fruits, vegetables and tubersplanted within the spell’s area. The spell must becast within the first week of planting for it to beeffective, since at this time germination takes placeand the plants are most susceptible to magicalmanipulation.

The spell causes double the yield of what mightnormally be expected for the particular weatherconditions of the area. If there is a drought or apoor growing season, the yield will be better thanthe average crop grown in that area. (Meaning thatyields might still be low, just not as low as those innon-enchanted soil.)

A field that is the target for a bounty spell shouldlie fallow for one year before being used again,since the magically enhanced plants sap the soil ofits nutrients. If this is not heeded, crops planted inthe area will yield half the average crop until theground can recuperate.

BBRREEAATTHHEE WWAATTEERR(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 30Range: TouchTarget: Tiny reed or tubeDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell allows a creature to breathe under waterby means of a small tube or reed. When the spell iscast by touch on the tube or reed, the caster placesthe tube to his mouth and sucks in the water. Thespell causes the air to be extracted from the water,taken into the caster’s lungs, then the water is mag-ically expelled from the tube. The spell will notwork at all if the tube it has been cast upon is dam-aged or broken.

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The orks use this spell to create intricate maskswith special nose and mouth pieces connected toflexible tubes made of cloth and resin to preventsaturation. The ork dons the mask, then tube isenchanted with breathe water before the wearergoes under. The spell does not convert exhaledgases into water, so bubbles will be expelled fromthe tube each time the user breathes.

The orks have learned that a diver who goes toodeep while wearing the mask can suffer fatalcramps. The orks have created elaborate rituals toward off the terrible pain of these cramps, but withonly minor success.

BBRRIINNGG FFOORRTTHH WWAATTEERR(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 35Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Water fountains from groundDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell causes a fountain of water to issue fromthe ground anywhere within range. The fountain’smouth is roughly an inch in diameter.

The water may be collected and stored. The jet’spressure is low and cannot cause any harm. Theheight of the fountain is equal in feet to the caster’slevel as a Water mage.

Bring forth water may be cast even in the mostsearing desert heat. The spell may not be castindoors, although it may be cast in courtyards andsimilar areas, as long as they are open to the sky.

BBUUCCKKEETT(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 16Range: TouchTarget: Reeds or grassDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell creates a small bucket capable of carry-ing one gallon of liquid from a handful of freshgrass or reeds. The mage must gather the reeds inadvance of the casting and hold them in his handduring the casting. The magic interweaves theplants together and thickens them to make the con-tainer watertight. The bucket reverts back to itscomponent plant materials once the spell expires.

BBUURRDDEENNSSOOMMEE(Transport)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 30Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: Large creature (or smaller)Duration: 1 minute (D)Saving Throw: Will negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes the target to feel so lethargic thathis every movement requires extreme effort. Thetarget creature can take only a partial action eachturn. Additionally, he suffers a –2 penalty toArmor Class, melee attack rolls, melee damagerolls, and Reflex saves. The target creature jumpsonly half as far as normal.

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BBUURRYY TTHHEE DDEEAADD(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 10Range: TouchTarget: One Large corpse (or smaller)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell is used to bury any dead body directlyinto the earth. The corpse must be laid out onground that hasn’t been disturbed by constructionor any other magic. The body sinks slowly into theground (during the spell’s duration), down to adepth of 10 feet. If the corpse is disturbed duringthis time, the spell will end.

The spell was developed by Vinnengaeleans, whoalways bury their dead in the ground. Burning thebody is considered sacrilegious.

CCAALLLL DDOOWWNN TTHHEE SSTTAARRSS(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 67Range: See textEffect: Tiny electrical spheresDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates eight glowing balls of energy thattrail behind the caster as he moves, hovering athead height, for the spell’s duration. Each ball isapproximately eight inches in diameter and pro-vides the illumination of a torch (20 feet). Theluminescent balls move to avoid touching crea-tures or inanimate objects while trailing after thecaster. Once per round, the mage may decide to useone of the balls as a missile weapon (requiring aranged touch attack). Should it hit, the globe willcause 2d8 points of electrical damage. If the ballmisses, the ball returns to the caster and hoversbehind him, ready to be thrown again.

A globe hovering around the wizard may beattacked. The globes hovering around the casterhave an Armor Class of 18. Striking a globe whileit hovers after its caster sets off a chain reactionthat causes all of the remaining globes to explodeas a 20-foot burst, doing 6d8 points of damage toeveryone within the area.

If the spell expires before the caster is able to usethe globes as weapons, they simply dissipate intonothingness.

CCAARREESSSS WWIITTHH BBIITTEE(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 12Range: TouchTarget: See textDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Inundates the caster’s hand with an intense electri-cal charge. When the caster touches a target, thecharge is dissipated, inflicting 2d4 points of elec-trical damage to the victim.

The charge may also be sent down the length of ametal weapon into an opponent. However, sincesome of the charge is lost to resistance, only 1d4points of electrical damage may be added to thedamage of a successful attack.

CCAATT’’SS CCLLAAWWSS(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 28Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell allows the caster to grow cat-like clawsfrom the ends of his fingers. These claws are sharpand may be retracted if the caster wishes. Theclaws can be used in combat, granting an unarmedmelee attack of 1d4 points of damage (plus appli-cable Strength modifier). The claws can also beused to aid climbing, granting a +2 circumstancebonus to all Climb skill checks for the spell’s dura-tion.

CCIIRRCCLLEE OOFF DDEESSPPAAIIRR(Shadow)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 109Range: PersonalArea: 50 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a ward that saps the will of anyliving thing that enters into its area of effect. Theward is usually used to blanket a large room. Thecaster is immune to the effects of the ward. Whenan intruder is within the area of effect, he experi-ences intense feelings of despair and depression,though nothing strong enough to override his freewill. However, every minute inside the spell’s areahe must make a successful Will saving throw (DC16 + caster’s level). Failure means that he suffers

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1d4 points of Wisdom damage. A reduction in Wis-dom increases feelings of distress, depression,brings on a general sense of foreboding and a feel-ing of impending doom. Each successive savingthrow must be made with the victim’s current Wis-dom modifier.

If the Wisdom of a victim falls to 0, he collapses tothe ground in such despair that he can do nothingto save himself. Any who are in such a state cannotperceive their own environment and will starve todeath if not aided. If removed from the ward’s areaof effect, lost Wisdom heals normally (see CoreRulebook I, page 129).

CCLLOOUUDD CCHHAARRIIOOTT(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 44Range: TouchEffect: Semi-solid vehicleDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell creates a vehicle from clouds or mist.The vehicle may take on the appearance of any-thing the caster wants, and can transport up to fourpeople at one time (including the caster). Shouldthe caster move farther than a 5-foot step from thechariot, the spell will end. The cloud chariot willsupport weight, but it does not provide any protec-tion or cover from attack. Weapons will readilypierce or slice through the cloud chariot.

The chariot can fly up to 50 feet in the air with thespeed equal to 6 times the caster’s base movement.The chariot is unaffected by strong winds,although it does not provide its occupants withany protection from the weather. The cloud chari-ot spell lasts for one hour and then expires, whichcould pose a problem if the chariot is travelinghigh above the ground when the spell ceases. Thecaster of this spell should keep close track of time.

CCLLOOUUDDCCOOVVEERR(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 174Range: Line of sightEffect: Cloudbank, 400 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: 1 hour (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Cloudcover permits the mage to summon thickclouds capable of obscuring the sun. Although thisshade does not prevent heat exhaustion, the shadewill help to lessen the severity of sunburns andother injuries caused by exposure to the sun’s rays.Cloudcover will also obscure the light of the moon,

aiding in throwing off night pursuit. The spell isuseful in reducing the effectiveness of aerial recon-naissance.

The cloud bank may be moved at the caster’s at hisnormal base movement. Cloudcover may be dis-rupted by strong winds.

CCLLUUBB(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 7Range: TouchTarget: See textDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell creates a heavy club from even thesmallest splinter of wood. The club is the same inall aspects to a normal club, except that it is alwayswell balanced. The club has a +1 enhancementbonus to attack rolls, though it is not treated as amagical weapon against creatures with damageresistance. When the spell’s duration expires, theclub reverts into its original shape and size.

CCOOAATT OOFF TTHHEE BBEEAARR(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 55Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Caster or touched humanoidDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell causes thick brown hair to cover theentire body of the caster or a recipient. The shaggycoat offers protection from the most severe cold(even cold that is magically induced), grantingcold resistance 5. Although the coat does not pre-clude the use of clothing or armor, the coat is thickand bulky, making movement awkward. Theeffects of this spell cause an Armor Check Penaltyof –1 and reduce the target’s maximum Dexteritybonus to +5. The target’s movement is not reduced,nor is his ability to cast spells impeded.

CCOOMMFFOORRTT ZZOONNEE(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 16Range: TouchArea: 20 ft. radius, centered on touched objectDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Allows the caster to warm or cool the temperatureof an area. No fires need be lighted, save for the

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small spark used to cast the spell. The spell is mostoften used to heat small rooms in buildings with-out need of fire, to warm tents when fires could bea problem, or to mitigate the effects of searing heat.This spell cannot lower the temperature below 50°F or raise it above 80° F.

CCOOMMMMUUNNEE WWIITTHH PPLLAANNTT(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 8Range: TouchTarget: One plantDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Will negate (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell permits the caster to touch a plant andspeak with it. The dialogue between the plant andthe caster is crude, and must be kept simple. Forinstance, “How are you?” might garner theresponse, “Thirsty.” A question such as “Did acadre of red cloaked men ride this way not too longago?” will elicit no response at all.

The mage may converse with the plant throughoutthe spell’s duration. Should contact between theplant and the caster be broken at any time duringthe spell, the spell fails and must be recast.

Sentient plants might communicate more informa-tion or could be easier to understand, dependingupon their Intelligence. Normal, non-intelligentplants do not save against this spell, but sentientplants that do not wish to communicate can saveagainst the spell normally.

CCOONNCCUUSSSSIIOONN(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 35Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Object or creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflexhalf (DC 12 + caster’slevel)Spell Resistance: No

Concussion generatesan instant blast of heatthat hits its target withtremendous force. Thecreature or object hitwith concussion suf-fers 3d20 points of firedamage, unless a sav-ing throw is made.

CCOOUUGGHH(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 16Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: One humanoidDuration: 1 minute (D)Saving Throw: Fort partial (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Cough injects a tiny amount of water into the tar-get’s lungs, forcing him to suffer a fit of painfulcoughing. The target may only take partial actionsduring the spell’s duration, unless he succeeds in asaving throw (which must be rolled each round heattempts anything more than a partial action). Thefit of coughing allows the target to retain his Dex-terity modifier to AC in the event of an attack.

CCUUTTTTEERR(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 41Range: PersonalEffect: Flaming blade extending from caster’s handDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Causes a white-hot flame to extend from the mage’shand. The length of a long-sword, the flame does3d8 points of fire damage to any inanimate objectthat is brought into contact with it for a full round.

The spell is useful for boring holes and cuttingthrough obstacles such as armored doors, locks,stone walls, etc. The cutter spell has no effect onliving or undead creatures—though it will damageanimated objects.

DDAARRTTSS OOFF DDEECCAAYY(Destruction)Element: Void

Casting Threshold: 34Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)Effect: 4 bolts of darkenergyDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Darts of decay causesfour bolts of dark Voidenergy to erupt from thecaster’s chest. The boltsunerringly strike up tofour different targetswithin range of the cast-er. Inky black trails ofshadow-stuff linger in

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the darts’ wakes and are visible for two roundsbefore disappearing. Each dart inflicts 3d8 pointsof damage, creating painful and gruesome-lookingwounds.

DDEEAADDSSPPEEAAKK(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 44Range: TouchTarget: Humanoid corpseDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: No

Allows the caster to summon the spirit of a beingwho has not been dead more than 10 years, andwhose body is present during casting. The spirit isallowed a Will saving throw (based on its abilitiesand levels it possessed in life, DC 20 + caster’slevel) to resist the summons. Once the spiritappears, the spell allows both the caster and thespirit to hear and understand one another. Othersviewing the scene will be able to see a slight shad-ow in front of the caster, but the shadow is sovague that it is impossible to make out what thespirit really looks like. The spirit is only aware ofthe caster.

The caster may question the spirit for the spell’sduration. These questions must be answered by thespirit, but not necessarily truthfully. If the casterdoubts the veracity of the statement, he may try toforce the truth from the spirit. Each time the wiz-ard tries to force the truth from the spirit, he mustmake opposed Charisma rolls with the spirit. If thecaster is successful, this exercise of magical will iscrushingly painful to the spirit and it will divulgeinformation truthfully for that one particular ques-tion.

DDEEAAFFEENN(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 19Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Living creatureDuration: 1 day (D)Saving Throw: Fort negates (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell removes the target’s ability to hear. Thespell does not affect those creatures that do notpossess ears or do not rely heavily upon hearing(such as most varieties of vermin or fish).

A deafened character cannot hear, suffers a -4penalty to initiative checks, and has a 20% chanceof spell failure each round when casting spellswithout the Silent Spell feat. He cannot make Lis-ten skill checks.

DDEEFFIIAANNCCEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 20Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Small animal or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Will negates (10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Defiance inspires fear and anger in an animal. Thetarget animal is allowed a saving throw to avoidthe effects of the spell. Failure means that the ani-mal will attack anyone (or anything) the casterchooses within sight—including the animal’s ownmaster. The animal will continue the attackthroughout the spell’s duration. Once the spellexpires, the animal will return to its normal state.

DDEEFFLLEECCTT TTHHEE CCUURRIIOOUUSS(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 159Range: PersonalArea: 50 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: Will disbelief (DC 20 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This ward creates a multi-sensory permanent illu-sion that convinces the viewer that there is nothingof interest in the area of effect. The spell does notaffect the caster, and he can choose others who willnot be affected by the ward (as long as they arepresent for the casting). Disbelieving the wardrequires a saving throw.

Deflect the curious causes those affected by it tosee nothing that interests them in the protectedarea, causing them to decide to abandon explo-ration in favor of more profitable locations. Thosewho do enter within the boundaries of the ward(without disbelieving it) will be overcome by thestrong feeling that what they seek will be found inanother location. They are wasting their time here.The feeling will compel them to leave with allspeed.

This spell is used by reclusive wizards, such as theWyred, to protect their sanctuaries from unwantedintrusion.

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DDEETTEECCTT PPOOIISSOONN(Divination - present)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 10Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell permits the mage to sample food anddrink in an attempt to discern the presence of anytype of ingested poison. All that is needed is amere taste or sip for the spell to work properly. Thespell will impart knowledge of the type of poisonused, but will not reveal its effects nor will it pro-vide a remedy.

This spell is not a proof against poisons. Shouldthe caster take more than a small nibble or sip ofpoisoned food or drink, the poison will act uponhim as it would normally act upon anyone else.

DDOOLLDDRRUUMMSS(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 129Range: Line of sightArea: 100 ft. cubeDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell causes all wind within the spell’s area todie down to nothing. Not even a slight breeze canbe felt. Doldrums can be used to becalm a ship,slow the movement of fire by robbing it of a fan-ning wind, or stop the affects of any number ofspells that create strong winds, such as whirlwindor summon ocean winds. The area of effect cannotbe moved once it is cast. Winds will continue toblow beyond the boundaries of the spell.

DDRRAAWW SSTTRREENNGGTTHH FFRROOMM PPAAIINN(Charm)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 34Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Wounded humanoid creatureDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell tricks the recipient’s mind into thinkingthat any damage that the body has taken is not real-ly as bad as it was first perceived. This spell is onlyeffective on humanoid creatures who have taken 2or more hit points of damage. Anyone under theeffects of this spell gains a +3 enhancement bonusto attack rolls and Will saving throws. If the target

is healed to full hit points during the spell’s dura-tion, he will lose all benefits from the spell.

DDRROOUUGGHHTT(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 247 (D)Range: Line of sightArea: 800 ft. cubeDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell disrupts weather patterns in a large area.Although rain might fall in the surrounding area,no moisture will enter into the area of effect. Rainwill neither fall from the sky, nor will water travelalong or through the ground. Irrigation from out-side the affected area is possible, although themagic of the spell will cause rapid salinization ofthe soil, with the potential to make the soil infer-tile for years to come.

The drought spell lasts long enough to destroymost crops or surface vegetation in the spell’s area.Trees with deep taproots are probably safe from thekilling effects of the spell, although if repeatedlyaffected, the trees will also die. Spells that createwater or raise water from the earth will not workwithin the area affected by the drought.

EEAARRTTHHEENN KKIILLLLEERR(Elemental)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 144Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Huge earth elementalDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell raises a twenty-foot-tall, humanoid-shaped earthen mass from the ground within rangeof the caster. The behemoth is animated by thespell’s magic and has a malevolent intelligencethat is barely under the control of the caster. Theearthen killer attacks with huge fists.

To maintain control of the elemental construct, thecaster must always be within 50 feet of the earthenkiller. If he is ever separated from his creation bymore than this distance, he loses control of themonstrosity. It will immediately stop whatever it isdoing to attack the caster and his associates(although the latter are of secondary interest andmay be dealt with only after the caster’s demise).

The primary use of an earthen killer is in combat,but it can be used to move heavy objects, uproottrees, topple buildings and the like. These crea-tures do not work well with others, and will attack

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anyone within close proximity unless the castercan manage to control it. Earthen killers are com-pletely useless for jobs that require any high degreeof manual dexterity or finesse.

This spell was once widely used by the Dunkar-gans, but an Earthen Killer’s nasty temperamentand the ease with which a mage could lose controllessened the popularity of the spell. The Temple ofthe Magi has always frowned on this negative useof Earth Magic.

Earthen Killer: CR 7; Huge Elemental(Earth); HD 10d8+50 (95); Init –1 (Dex);Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (-1 Dex, -2 size, +10 nat-ural); Atk Slam +12 melee; Dmg 2d6+7; SQElemental; SV Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +0; Str24, Dex 9, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 4, Cha 8.Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, andstunning. Not subject to critical hits andcannot be flanked. Darkvision 60 ft.

Only one earthen killer can be controlled by a cast-er. If a second earthen killer is created, it willimmediately attack the caster in a fit of rage.

EEAARRTTHHWWOORRKKSS(Elemental)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 80Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Earthen wall 150 ft. longDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Earthworks allows the caster to raise a rampart 200feet long, five feet high, and three feet thick, in anyshape (straight line, circle, etc.) anywhere withinrange. One minute is required for the spell to com-pletely erect the wall.

Although the caster may cause the wall to avoidobstacles such as trees, boulders, and buildings,the spell has no finesse and will not allow the cast-er to make complex shapes or sculptures. The spellwill allow the caster to create crenels in the wall.The removal of the earth used to create the wallforms a small moat around the outside of theembrasure, effectively doubling its height. Thewall cannot be created from earth that has been thesite of previous construction, magical or otherwise.For example, the earthworks spell will not raise awall up from a paved road, nor will it raise a wallin the middle of a castle’s courtyard. A dirt road ortrack, although it might be maintained, is still con-sidered natural.

If the earthworks ever comes into contact with anysort of construction, the spell immediately termi-nates, although what wall has already been created

still remains. Natural ground cover is not necessar-ily disturbed by the casting of an earthworks spell,since grasses and small shrubs will continue togrow on the wall after it is erected. Large, immobileobjects such as trees and boulders in the directpath of the earthworks spell may be avoided, butcan also be treated as part of the wall, with thespell’s magic raising the wall on either side of theobstruction.

Earthworks may be cast upon any sort of earth—rock, loose soil, or hard- packed. The wall is per-manent, but may be affected normally by the ele-ments or other forces acting upon it (such as pro-jectiles, spells, and the like). The wall created bythe spell is able to take an amount of damageequivalent to its composition.

EEAASSEE PPAAIINN(Healing)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 14Range: TouchTarget: Humanoid creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Ease pain heals 1d8 hit points to a singlehumanoid target. The spell is widely knownamong hedge-wizards who haven’t had formaltraining and is a favorite among rural healers foreasing the burden of sickness or injury on relativesand friends.

Like all healing spells, ease pain does not affectanyone who is tainted by Void. This spell will notgrant hit points above the recipient’s original total,nor does it affect undead.

EEAASSEE TTHHEE BBUURRDDEENN(Illusion)Element:AirCasting Threshold: 36Range: TouchTarget: Living creatureDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 5)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell gives an injured or dying recipient theillusion of wellness. The spell relieves pain bydeadening the sense of touch to the point thatthose affected cannot hold onto anything heavierthan a metal spoon. The spell has no restorativeproperties. A character or creature under theeffects of this spell is considered Disabled, but canremain conscious and pain-free even while at neg-ative hit points (though he will die immediatelyupon reaching –10 hit points). This spell is easily

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saved against, but most often cast upon a willingrecipient.

Wyred use this spell to ease the passing of thosewhose injuries cannot be healed or adequatelytreated.

EEAAVVEESSDDRROOPP(Divination)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 29Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: 10 ft. radius centered on targeted object or crea-tureDuration: 10 minutes (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Allows the caster to eavesdrop on conversations.The targeted object or creature must be in plainsight of the caster at all times, and will only allowthe caster to hear what is being said by individualswithin the spell’s area. Should persons move intoand out of the area, only snippets of conversationwill be overheard.

The spell ends immediately if the caster’s view ofthe target is disrupted.

EEMMAACCIIAATTEE(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 44Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large creature or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

Causes the victim of this spell to instantly sufferthe effects of long-term starvation and dehydration.Each round of the next minute counts as one daywithout food or water. (If the victim is somehowable to eat and drink during rounds the spell is ineffect, those rounds do not count against him.)

Each round the character must make a dehydrationConstitution check (DC 10, +1 for each previouscheck) or sustain 1d6 points of subdual damage.He feels stomach pains for the first 3 rounds. Afterthis, he must also make a separate Constitutioncheck for starvation each round (DC 10, +1 for eachprevious check) or sustain 1d6 points of addition-al subdual damage.

Characters who have taken subdual damage fromlack of food or water are fatigued. (Characters whoare fatigued cannot run or charge and suffer aneffective penalty of -2 to Strength and Dexterity.)Subdual damage from thirst or starvation cannot berecovered until the character gets food or water, as

needed—not even magic that restores hit pointsheals this damage.

The victim takes on the appearance of one who hasbeen starved, becoming pale and thin and sickly.The appearance lasts until all damage from thespell has been recovered. A target cannot be affect-ed by this spell more than once within one week’stime.

EENNGGRRAAVVEE(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 6Range: TouchTarget: Object touchedDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell allows the caster to use the tip of his fin-ger to engrave designs, patterns or writing intometal, wood or stone. The engraving takes about asmuch time as it would take to write or draw a sim-ilar pattern or design with chalk or charcoal. Thequality of the etching depends on the skill andtraining of the caster. The spark that enables thecaster to engrave will not damage living things,although it does tickle.

EENNLLIIGGHHTTEENN(Mentalism)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 56Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Enlighten allows the caster to see through illu-sions. Once the spell is cast, it lasts for one hourand empowers the magic-user to make an automat-ic saving throw with a +5 enhancement bonus todisbelieve any illusions affecting him or are with-in his range of vision. He does not have to haveprior reason to disbelieve what he is seeing, even ifthe illusion is cast after the enlighten is already ineffect or he moves into an area affected by an illu-sion. Should the mage already have reason to dis-believe his senses, the enhancement bonus is dou-bled to +10.

Enlighten allows the caster to detect objects andcreatures that have been made invisible with Airmagic. It will not help reveal anything or anyonemundanely hidden or camouflaged, nor will it aidin detecting beings or objects that have been trans-muted from one form into another.

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EENNTTAANNGGLLIINNGG VVIINNEESS(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 56Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Non-living wood (Medium or smaller)Duration: PermanentSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 13 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes 1d6 vines to seize hold of a targetwithin range. The spell can only be cast on normalearth. (Wooden floors, cobblestone roads, etc. areunsuitable.) The victim must make a successfulsaving throw to avoid the vines. If he fails, thevines wrap about his legs, arms, and torso and liftthe victim off the ground. To break the hold of oneof the vines requires an opposed grapple check(The vines have an effective Strength of 14 eachand a base attack bonus of +2). Each vine has aToughness of 0 and 5 hit points. The vines do nototherwise defend themselves. Once a vine isdestroyed, it does not reappear. If all the vines aredestroyed, the spell ends.

Should the victim manage to slip free of the holdof a vine, the vine will try to reassert its grasp,requiring the victim to make another saving throwevery round to avoid the vine. The victim suffers acircumstance penalty to his saving throw equal tothe number of vines that currently hold him.

If all a victim’s extremities are held by the vines,the victim is considered pinned. Enemies receive a+4 circumstance bonus against him while pinned.His only option is to try to free one of his limbs.Attack rolls for victims who are only partially inca-pacitated by the vines receive a circumstancepenalty equal to the number of vines clinging tothem as described above.

When the spell’s duration expires the vines sinkback into the ground, releasing anything in theirgrasp.

EENNTTOOMMBBMMEENNTT(Elemental)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 52Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)Target: Large creature (orsmaller)Duration: 1 daySaving Throw: Reflex par-tial (DC 13 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: No(object)

This spell opens a holein the ground beneath a

target, causing him to fall into the hole. The holeremains open for only an instant before it fills inwith dirt, trapping the target at the bottom of thehole to suffocate. (Rules for suffocation aredetailed on page 88 of Core Rulebook II.)

The hole is 10 feet deep and large enough to entrapone Large individual or anyone smaller. If the tar-get fails the saving throw, he falls into the hole andis buried alive. The victim may try to escape byclawing his way to the surface. A Strength check(DC 12) is required every round that the victim isburied. A failure means that he was unable to makeany headway that round. Ten minutes (100 rounds)are required to dig oneself out of the hole. Oneminute may be eliminated for each additional per-son helping to dig (to a minimum of one minute).

If the target makes a successful saving throw, he isonly buried up to his waist—causing no damagebut preventing any movement until he spends fiveminutes (50 rounds) digging himself up (subject tothe conditions described above). While partiallyburied, opponents gain +1 circumstance bonus toattack rolls for attacking from higher ground. Thetarget is also unable to make use of his Dexteritybonus.

This spell will not work in areas where the groundis primarily rock, nor will it work in areas thathave been disturbed by construction.

EEPPHHEEMMEERRAALL MMIISSSSIIVVEE(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 60Range: TouchEffect: Illusory scroll or parchmentDuration: 1 yearSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell permits a large sheet of paper or vellumto be copied into an illu-sion of itself that may bestored in a small vial.This spell must be castupon a sheet of paper,parchment, or vellumthat the mage has specifi-cally prepared for thespell. During casting, themage creates a perfectillusory facsimile of thescroll or paper and every-thing written on it. Thespell then enables thecaster to transfer the illu-sion into a tiny vial andstopper it. When the con-tainer is uncorked or bro-

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ken, the illusion is released and coalesces in thehands of the person who uncorked the vial, per-mitting him to read its contents (so long as he isfamiliar with the language). The illusion lasts foronly 10 minutes, then disappears without a trace.The original copy used to create the illusion maybe maintained or destroyed as the caster chooseswithout affecting the illusory version.

This spell is useful for sending secret messagesthat leave no trace behind. An ephemeral missivewill last one year without being opened before itsmagic will dissipate. Once opened, the missivelingers in the air in front of the person who acti-vated it for 10 minutes or until he moves more thana 5-foot step in any direction. The illusion can beeasily disbelieved (requiring no saving throw) ifanyone chooses to do so.

The spell may not be used for duplicating spellscrolls (created with the Scribe Scroll feat), sincein order to create a spell scroll, the paper itself isimbued with the magic. The spell might create anillusion of the scroll, but the magic on the illusoryscroll would not work.

EEXXPPLLOODDEE(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 72Range: TouchTarget: Large object (or smaller)Duration: DischargeSaving Throw: NoSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This ward protects an item targeted by the mage atthe time of casting. The spell causes a sheet offlame to radiate out from the object in a 20-footburst. Anyone within the area of effect takes 2d8points of fire damage. Anything flammable withinthe area will catch fire. The warded item is safefrom the initial conflagration, although it might notbe safe from ensuing fires caused by the initialexplosion.

The ward will not activate if the object is touchedby the caster or any allies he specifically namesand who are present during the ward’s casting.

EEXXPPLLOODDIINNGG SSUUNN(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 245Range: Line of sightArea: 400 ft. radius spreadDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflex half (DC 23 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Exploding sun generates a fiery, bright yellow ballthe size of a man’s head anywhere within range.An instant later, the ball explodes, inflicting 12d8points of fire damage to all creatures and objectswithin the spell’s area. Any flammable materialwill catch fire, no matter if it is wet, since the heatcauses the moisture to evaporate instantly.

EEXXTTIINNGGUUIISSHH(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 11Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: See textDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Allows the caster to extinguish all Small (no largerthan a campfire) non-magical fires within thespell’s range. The spell’s effects are instantaneous,leaving even hot embers cold.

EEYYEE SSTTAABB(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 11Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: One creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Fort partial (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Eye stab causes one target within range to sufferstabbing pain in his eyes, akin to a finger poke ineach eye. The target suffers 1d4 points of subdualdamage and must make a saving throw or be blind-ed for 1d4 rounds. A blinded creature loses ACbonuses for Dexterity and moves only at halfspeed, while anyone attacking the blinded creaturereceives a +2 bonus to attack (and can make asneak attack as if flanking).

This spell is often used to distract and possiblyblind enemy spellcasters (see Sovereign StoneCampaign Sourcebook, page 88).

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FFAALLLLEENN WWIITTHHOOUUTT HHOOPPEE(Charm)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 44Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Living creature (Large-size or smaller)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Fallen without hope paralyzes the victim, causinghim to go limp if he fails his saving throw. The vic-tim can breathe and blink his eyes. He remainsaware of events unfolding around him, but isunable to do anything, including spellcasting(unless he makes use of the Silent and Still spell-casting feats, with access to the necessary essence.This spell will not work on undead or other sortsof animated creations.

The trickster krikners are fond of this spell, some-thing to remember when walking along a steepmountain trail that has a long drop to the bottom.

FFAALLLLIINNGG SSTTAARR(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 20Range: SightEffect: Bright light in skyDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Permits the caster to summon a ball of brilliantlight and cause it to fall from the heavens directlyabove his location. The ball streaks through thesky, shedding bright white light, and then fadesaway. The falling star may be seen for miles in alldirections. The spell may be cast in any type ofweather. This spell is most often used as a signalbeacon or a beacon for ships in rough seas.

FFAAMMIILLIIAARR(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 166Range: TouchTarget: Animal (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: PermanentSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Allows the caster to bind to himself to an animal,making the creature a lifelong friend and compan-ion. The animal may attempt a saving throw toresist the spell, but is not required to do so.(Friendly animals may voluntarily fail their savingthrow, at the referee’s discretion.) If the animalresists, the spell does not work and the animal maydo as it wants. If the spell takes hold, the animal’s

Intelligence ability increases to 5, allowing it tounderstand the caster in his native tongue andcarry out orders, as well as make its own thoughtsknown to the caster. This does not mean that theanimal can speak in the normal sense, but is ableto communicate with the caster with both its voiceand body language to make itself understood.

A familiar will regard itself as its master’s only truefriend and be jealous of anyone else in the master’slife. A familiar may come to trust the humanoidmaster’s friends and relations, but will alwaysbelieve itself superior to them. The familiar has nouse for any other animal—pet or otherwise. Afamiliar will always attempt to steal attention awayfrom other animals, demand that it be shown allaffection. If the familiar is unable to convince themaster that it is the one deserving of his attention,the familiar may attack the offending animal in anattempt to drive it away.

The familiar spell is permanent, and the caster canonly have one such companion at a time. Anyattempts to bind with another animal while thefirst remains in his service will always fail. Thosefamiliars who are treated well will remain withtheir master until they die, either from naturalcauses or circumstance. Such times can be heartwrenching, especially for the caster, but he will beable to find another familiar if he wants withoutpenalty. A familiar who survives his master usual-ly loses the will to live, and will remain where hismaster expired or is buried, awaiting its owndeath.

FFAASSCCIINNAATTIIOONN(Charm)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 84Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Target: Living creature (Huge-size or smaller)Duration: 1 hourSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 20 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Fascination lures a single intelligent target (Intelli-gence 3 or greater) to a particular place or object. Ifthe target fails the saving throw, it becomes insa-tiably curious about the place or object the casterspecifies. This curiosity will not drive the target tosuicide, but it can cause him to become obcessedwith the object. He will stop whatever he is doingin order to reach the object and will fight againstany attempt to stop him.

The effect lasts for the duration or until the objectof curiosity has been reached. The object or placeof curiosity specified by the caster must be in plainsight of both caster and target.

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TTHHEE FFEEAARR WWIITTHHIINN(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 48Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Intelligent living creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell reaches into the target’s deepest subcon-scious to trigger his greatest fear. This spell may becast upon any intelligent being (Intelligence 3 orgreater) within range capable of feeling fear. Thespell generates a full sensory illusion of this fearthat affects only the target of the spell. The victimis gripped by fear and must make a Will savingthrow (DC 15 + caster’s level). If the save fails, thetarget becomes catatonic, frozen with fear for theduration of the spell. If he makes the save, he mayact normally, and may attempt to disbelieve theillusion if he has reason on the following round(requiring an identical save). If successful, he isable to disbelieve the illusion.

FFIIEERRYY BBRREEAATTHH(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 26Range: 5 ft.Area: ConeDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell allows the caster to project a gout offlame from his mouth. The mage is able to projectthis flame as a free action. The fiery gout does 1d8points of fire damage. The caster is unable to speak(except for a whisper) during the spell’s duration—nor may he normally cast other spells. Any item orability (such as the Silent Spell feat) that permitsthe mage to cast spells without speaking will func-tion normally with the spell.

TTHHEE FFIINNAALL BBRREEAATTHH(Elemental)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 142Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Effect: Poisonous fog in 200 ft. radius spreadDuration: 1 minute + ConcentrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

The final breath creates a poisonous yellow-greengas that burns the eyes, skin and lungs, doing 1d4points of Constitution damage each round to any-one within the spell’s area.

A favorite use of this spell is to cast it upon anenemy who is holed up in a building, forcing themto choose between abandoning their position orchoking to death.

FFIINNDDEERR(Divination – present)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 59Range: PersonalArea: 400 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allows the caster to locate any object with whichhe is personally familiar. When the spell is cast,the mage must envision a mental image of the item.The spell will let the caster sense the exact locationof the object he is seeking, so long as it is withinthe spell’s area (even if it is hidden from normalsight or disguised by illusion). The spellcaster maymove throughout the spell’s duration, and willinstantly be aware if the item is within 400 feet.

Finder will not locate items that the caster hasnever seen. A protect object spell cast upon thesought item will counter the finder spell, makingthe item “invisible” to the spell’s magic.

FFIIRREE FFUURRYY(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 94Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Huge fire elementalDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell conjures a vaguely humanoid shapedcolumn of fire nearly 18 feet tall. The spell doesnot need an existing fire source—the flame orspark used to cast the spell is sufficient. The crea-ture has a primitive intelligence and is capable ofunderstanding simple orders from the caster. Dueto a malevolent streak, the creature will followorders to the letter, while trying its best to twistthem so that it can injure the caster or his associ-ates in the process. The caster must keep the crea-ture in sight at all times or the spell will fail. Thecaster will lose control of the creation should helose sight of it. Should this happen, the creationwill immediately attack the caster and his associ-ates.

Once the spell runs its course or the creation isdestroyed, the fire fury falls to the ground andbecomes a normal fire, lasting 1d4 hours beforedying away. Only one fire fury can be controlled atone time. If another is summoned, it will immedi-

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ately attack the caster andhis associates.

Fire Fury: CR 7;HugeElemental (Fire); HD10d8+40 (85); Init +10(+6 Dex, +4 Feat); Spd40 ft.; AC 19 (+6 Dex, -2size, +5 natural); AtkSlam +10 melee; Dmg2d6+5 fire; SA FieryAura; SQ Elemental, firesubtype; SV Fort +7, Ref+13, Will +0; Str 20, Dex22, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 4,Cha 11. Feats: CombatReflexes, Improved Ini-tiative.

Fiery Aura (Ex): Anyonewithin a 5-foot radius of thecreature suffers 1d12 pointsof fire damage each roundon the creature’s initiative.

Elemental (Su): Immune topoison, sleep, paralysis, andstunning. Not subject tocritical hits and cannot beflanked. Darkvision 60 ft.

Fire Subtype (Ex): Fire immunity, double damagefrom cold except on a successful save.

FFIIRREESSHHIIEELLDD(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 28Range: TouchTarget: Medium creature or object or smallerDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Fireshield provides a minimal amount of protec-tion from the effects of fire, both mundane andmagical. The spell grants the creature or object aFire Resistance of 5 for the spell’s duration.

FFIIRREEWWAALLKKEERR(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 30Range: TouchTarget: Living creature (Medium or smaller)Duration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell causes the target and anything withinhis aura to move safely through any natural flame.Although this spell conveys the ability to safely

move through flames, thespell does not bestow theability to see through smokeor flames, nor does the spellmitigate the effects of smokeinhalation. This spell willnot protect the target fromburns suffered by cominginto contact with molteniron, lava, or even meltedwax.

FFOORRKKEEDD TTOONNGGUUEE(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 32Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2levels)Target: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 hour (D)Saving Throw: Will negates (DC12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Makes it possible for thecaster or another individualwithin range to tell false-hoods as if they wereabsolute truth. Under the

spell’s influence, the target finds it impossible toanswer truthfully any questions put to him, eventhose to which he knows the true answer. If hedoes not know the answer, he may reply in anymanner he wants, although the compulsion to tella falsehood is strong. Unwilling targets of this spellmust make a saving throw to avoid its effects. Noamount of torture or questioning will be able toconvince the target of this spell to tell the truthduring its duration. Spells that are capable ofdetecting lies may specify statements by thoseaffected by a forked tongue spell as being false, butthe caster is not able to untangle the truth from thelies.

FFOORRTTIIFFYY WWAALLLL(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 261Range: TouchTarget: Stone wallDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell strengthens the walls of castles andcities by weaving a complex web of magical Earthenergy through a stone wall whose surface area isno larger than 400 square feet. The magical energyspreads throughout the wall, knitting all its com-ponent parts together into a single whole that

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becomes stronger and much harder to breach. Thiseffect often causes the wall to appear as a singlemass, without separation among the individualstones that comprise it.

A wall enchanted with the fortify wall spell has itsHardness increased by 25 points, eliminating mostminor damage and causing a great reduction todamage inflicted by catapults and ballistae. Thismagical Hardness also reduces damage caused byearthquakes, both natural and magical.

Walls made from packed dirt or wood cannot beaffected by this spell.

The spell was first employed by the Dunkargans,but was soon adopted by other human cultures.Because of its complexity, the spell is normallycooperatively cast by a group of magic-users.

FFRREEEEZZEE WWAATTEERR(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 14Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: 10 ft. cubeDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Allows the caster to freeze water within range. Liv-ing or undead creatures within the spell’s area areunaffected by the spell.

Unlike Fire magic (that can remove heat fromwater and cause it to freeze) this spell changes thestate of the water from a liquid to a solid. The spellcan be used to make an ice plug to stop a leak in aship’s hull or to strengthen a cask of liquor byfreezing the water, removing the ice, and leavingonly the alcohol.

FFRREESSHH(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 76Range: TouchArea: Two 10 ft. cubes (S)Duration: 1 yearSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Fresh keeps otherwise perishable plant-basedfoodstuffs as if they were new. The food to be pre-served by the fresh spell must be plant matter, andhas an adverse effect on meat, fish or dairy prod-ucts—causing them to spoil at an accelerated rate.Once the spell has completed its duration, anyfood that has not been consumed becomes inedibleand rotten.

TTHHEE FFRROOGG’’SS LLAASSTTIINNGG GGIIFFTT(Travel)Element:AirCasting Threshold: 11Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The frog’s lasting gift provides the caster with theability to leap great distances. The caster mustjump as a move-equivalent action the round fol-lowing casting or the benefits of the spell are lost.The caster gains a +5 enhancement bonus to hisJump skill check, with the final distance jumpedmultiplied by four. (Note that the maximum dis-tance jumped is ignored when this spell is used.)

For example, Gwynned is an elven Wyred with aJump skill modifier of +4 who has just cast thespell in order to make a standing jump. She rolls a13, giving her a total of 22 (13 roll + 4 Jump skill +5 enhancement bonus). This would normally indi-cate a distance of 9 feet, but the spell multipliesthis by four to indicate a jump of 36 feet.

FFUUSSEE MMEETTAALL(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 15Range: TouchTarget: Two metal objects (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell causes two pieces of like metal to fusetogether. When the caster sends an intense electri-cal current down the seam between the two pieces,the heat generated melts the pieces of metal at thetouching points, welding them together. The weldhas an effective 20 Strength. The spell will notwork if the two pieces of metal are not the same(gold and iron, for example). This spell is useful forquick battlefield repairs of broken swords andshattered shields and armor. If used to piecetogether a makeshift weapon or piece of armor, theitem suffers at least a –2 penalty to its use (subjectto the referee’s discretion).

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GGHHIILLLLIIEE(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 40Range: TouchTarget: Medium-size object (or smaller)Duration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Ghillie camouflages an inanimate object so that itis harder to detect than normal. The caster musttake a handful of local greenery and sprinkle itover the item that is to be enhanced. This can beclothing, armor, a chest, or anything else of appro-priate size. No one can be wearing or holding theitem at the time of the casting.

The spell causes greenery to root, sprout and growacross the surface of the item, permitting the itemto blend in well with the surroundings. Any cloth-ing or armor enchanted with this spell providescamouflage for the person who dons it. They gaina +6 camouflage bonus to Hide checks in wilder-ness surroundings. Although slightly bulky, theplant growth does not hamper movement. Thefresh plant growth also masks scent. Once the spellexpires, the greenery reverts to its normal form andsheds like autumn leaves, with no damage to theensorcelled objects. The ghillie spell is usuallyused by trackers, hunters, scouts and foresters.

GGHHOOSSTTLLYY FFLLEESSHH(Shadow)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 40Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allows the caster to make his flesh to becometranslucent so that only the skeleton is visible. Thespell effects the caster’s hair, skin, eyes, internalorgans, blood—all parts of the body except for theskeleton. In reality, the caster’s body remainsintact. The spell does not affect how the caster per-ceives the world, nor does the spell change any ofhis abilities.

GGIIRRDD FFOORR BBAATTTTLLEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 35Range: TouchTarget: Large animal or smallerDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell toughens the exterior skin or hide of anyanimal the caster touches. The animal is granted a+2 natural armor bonus to its AC for duration of thespell. The change in toughness does not change theanimal’s appearance, nor does it affect its sense oftouch.

GGLLOOWW OOFF TTHHEE AAUURRAA(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 24Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Target: Living creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

When cast on a target that is in darkness or seenagainst a contrasting background (thick foliage,cliff face, hillside, wall, etc), this spell causes thetarget’s aura to shine with tiny sparks of light thatresemble lightning bugs, granting a +2 circum-stance bonus to all Spot checks trying to locate thetarget. Glow of the aura removes any benefit fromdarkness, blurring, displacement, invisibility, orsimilar effects. The target is now a light sourceequivalent to a candle for the spell’s duration.

If this spell is cast upon a creature in daylight andthere is no contrasting background, the spell’seffect is visible but does not grant any bonus orpenalty.

GGOOOODD WWIILLLL(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 37Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large animal or smallerDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: Will negates (10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Good will causes a target animal up to the size of agriffon to look upon the caster as a good friend.The animal can resist the spell with a saving throw.This spell does not facilitate communicationbetween the animal and the caster, nor does it givethe caster any sort of control over the animal. Theanimal likes the caster and will behave according-ly when in contact with him.

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GGUUSSTTIINNGG SSHHIIEELLDD(Elemental)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 41Range: Personal or TouchArea: 2 ft. radius around targetDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Creates a protective whirlwind that surrounds thecaster or any large or smaller target that the castertouches. The target receives a +5 deflection bonusto his Armor Class against missile and rangedattacks. The spell’s effects can be slightly distract-ing in melee combat, but hand-to-hand foes strikeagainst the target’s normal AC.

HHAAIILL(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 81Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: Hail within 200 ft. cubeDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to cause marble-sizedhail to fall from the sky. The hail inflicts 1d4 pointsof subdual damage to any living creature withinthe area of effect. The sound of falling hail makesListen checks more difficult (–4 circumstancepenalty). The effect on local vegetation (such asgrasses and trees) is minimal, although crops couldbe damaged (or even ruined) by the spell. Struc-tures are completely immune to the effects of thespell. The hail forms icy patches on the groundthat makes movement treacherous. While the hailspell is active, movement through the area of effectis halved.

HHAALLTT TTHHEE CCHHAARRGGEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 63Range: TouchArea: 100 ft. radius, centered on touched objectDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Halt the charge creates a wave of fear that is felt byhorses and other equines within the spell’s area. Itis usually cast on a battle standard, although aburning brand or any attention-getting object willserve the same purpose. Each horse must make asaving throw to remain within 100 feet of theobject. Failure means that the horses bolt from thearea of the magically induced fear. Horses that suc-

ceed in their saving throw are able to withstand themagical fear and remain. Appropriate Handle Ani-mal and Ride skill checks can be used to stop afleeing mount once it is outside the spell’s area, butit will ignore its rider’s commands while inside thezone of magical fear.

This spell was specifically designed by the Vin-nengaelean army on the eastern frontier wherethey had frequent skirmishes with dwarven caval-ry. The dwarves came to respect the spell’s devas-tating effects. This spell has saved more than oneinfantry company from certain doom. The spell isnow being taught in the Imperial Cavalry School inKrammes.

HHAANNDDSS OOFFFF(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 69Range: TouchTarget: Small inanimate objectDuration: Life of caster (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Hands off is a magical ward that is cast on anySmall or smaller inanimate object. The ward caus-es a block of stone to encase the item and thehand(s) of those touching it, with the exception ofthe caster himself and two other humanoids of hischoosing. The encasing stone weighs one hundredpounds and requires sufficient Strength to carry it(see Core Rulebook I, Chapter 9). The stone is largeand impossible to conceal.

The ward may be dispelled by the caster with acommand word that releases the object from thetarget’s extremities. The magical block may becracked, but doing so will usually cause theencased item to break as well (paper rips, gems orglass shatter, blades snap). The victim suffers 1d6points of damage. A successful Craft (gemcutting)skill check (DC 15) is required to split the stonewithout harming the encased item.

The ward is permanent unless dismissed or if thecaster dies (regardless of location). A dispel earthmagic spell can negate this ward.

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HHAAPPPPYY PPLLAANNTT(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 189Range: TouchArea: 2 ft. radius, centered around touched plantDuration: 1 yearSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Happy plant allows a plant touched by the casterto enjoy the effects of optimal weather and climateeverywhere within the spell’s area. When the pantneeds water, the magic of the spell will cause rainto fall, keeping the plant nurtured at all times. Thespell is able to diffuse light if the plant is sufferingfrom over exposure, but the spell is unable to pro-vide extra light for the plant if it is receiving too lit-tle.

HHAARRDDEENN(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 28Range: PersonalArea: 20 ft. radius centered on casterDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell alters the surface of loose dirt within thespell’s area, turning the dirt to stone. Harden ismost often used on temporary fortifications madeby the berm or earthworks spells. The spell is espe-cially useful for keeping vertical earthen wallsfrom crumbling or to anchor sharpened stakes intomoats and the tops of walls.

HHEEAARRTTHH SSTTOONNEE(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 56Range: TouchTarget: Diminutive rock or gemDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

As lantern, but this spell also generates enoughheat to warm up to three people within the lightedarea (as if a small fire were present).

HHEEEELL(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 16Range: TouchTarget: Large animal or smallerDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 5 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Heel allows the caster to keep an animal (usually apet or mount) close by, without having to con-stantly call for him and without worry that hemight wander off or get lost. The animal mayattempt a saving throw to avoid the effects of thespell, but friendly animals will often voluntarilyforgo their save.

Once the spell is cast, the animal will always walkat the caster’s side, never moving more than a fewfeet away before making contact again. The animalwill follow faithfully wherever the caster goes.Should the caster enter into a building or go some-where the animal is not allowed to enter, the ani-mal will wait patiently near the entrance for thecaster to reemerge. Should the animal be separatedfrom the caster, the animal will do everything in itspower to return to the him, so long as the spelllasts. Once the spell expires, the spell must berecast or the animal will be left to determine itsrelationship with the caster.

HHEEIIGGHH--HHOO(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 22Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: 50 ft. earthen pillarDuration: Concentration + 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Heigh-ho creates a vertical earthen pillar five feetin diameter that rises fifty feet in height. Thepeace-loving Pecwae created this variation of pillarof earth. Unwilling to use Earth magic for combat,the pecwae have developed creative defensivespells that are now well-known among other races.The pecwae use heigh-ho as a means to immobilizea pursuer by raising the pillar beneath him.

The pillar may also be used as a ladder to reach anotherwise inaccessible spot. The spell can move aMedium or smaller person or object. Heigh-howorks only in the shape of a vertical pillar andcannot be made to extend out horizontally from awall or cliff face. The spell will not work in an areathat has been paved over or underneath a building.For example, heigh-ho cannot be cast in a pavedcourtyard or street, nor can it be cast underneath a

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door or wall with the hopes of demolishing suchobstructions. The spell could be cast on the groundnext to a wall, presuming the ground isn’t paved.

HHUUMMIIDD(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 129Range: PersonalArea: 40 ft. cube, centered on casterDuration: 1 year (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to control the humidi-ty in a small area. The caster can raise the moisturein the area, almost to the point of raining, or mayreduce the moisture to form desert-like conditions.The spell, once cast, cannot be moved from thearea, although the spell may be dispelled normally.

This spell can be used to control the moisture infood or tobacco store rooms. Many armories castthis spell on their armor and weapons caches tokeep rust, mildew, and rot to a minimum.

HHUURRRRIICCAANNEE(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 231Range: Line of sightEffect: Hurricane storm, 400 ft. radiusDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell summons gale-force winds, lightning,and heavy rains within the spell’s area. The Hurri-cane spell is most effective against wooden build-ings and trees, although there is some potentialdanger for animals and humanoid creatures fromthe spell’s powerful winds and torrential rains.

During the hurricane, all flames are extinguished.Ranged attacks are impossible (except with siegeweapons, which have a –8 penalty to attack). Lis-ten checks are impossible, All characters can hearis the roaring of the wind. Hurricane-force windsoften fell trees. Rain reduces visibility ranges byhalf, resulting in a –4 penalty to Spot and Searchchecks. Runoff from heavy rains force creatures tomake a Fortitude save (DC 15). Large or smallercreatures who fail the save are swept away by therushing water, taking 1d6 points of subdual dam-age per round (1d3 points on a successful Swimcheck). Huge creatures who fail are knocked downand face potential drowning. Gargantuan andColossal creatures are checked, but they onlydrown if the waters rise above their heads.

Hurricane lasts for an entire day. Every hour thestorm is capable of causing 2d20 points of damageto wooden structures. Solid stone buildings aresafe from the storm, although glass windows willshatter under the wind’s pressure. Trees sufferdamage as wooden buildings, and either break orare uprooted. Flooding is a possibility, especiallyin low-lying areas or those places near a river thatcan easily overflow its banks.

The greatest danger to humanoids and other crea-tures caught in the hurricane is flying debris. Everyminute the debris rolls a +0 ranged attack for 2d4points of damage (critical threatened on a 20 for x2damage).

The caster is not capable of moving the hurricaneonce it is cast. A substantial body of water, such alarge inland sea or an ocean, must be within line ofsight of the area of effect.

II AAMM AASS YYOOUU AARREE(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 10Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell causes non-intelligent undead creaturesnot under control of the caster (or who are poten-tially hostile to the caster) to recognize him as oneof their own. The spell infuses the mage’s aurawith Void magic, rendering the caster capable ofappearing to all onlookers as one of the undeadwhile the spell is in effect. During this time, thecaster will be able to communicate with theundead, though unintelligent undead can onlyrelate their instructions.

Intelligent, free-willed undead such as ghosts,specters and Vrykyl see through the enchantmentand will not be affected by this spell.

IICCEE BBRRIIDDGGEE(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 48Range: TouchEffect: Ice bridge, 100 ft. long, 50 ft. wideDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Ice bridge allows the caster to create a thick icepack on an existing body of water capable of sup-porting horses and heavy wagons. He must touchthe water he wants to freeze. One end of the

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icepack must be in contact with something solid,such as the shore or another ice bridge.

The dwarves have crossed vast expanses of waterby casting one ice bridge, traversing across it andthen casting another.

IICCEEWWAATTEERR(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 14Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2levels)Area: 10 ft. cube (S)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Allows the caster to trans-form ice into water. Liv-ing or undead creatureswithin the spell’s area areunaffected by the spell.

Unlike Fire magic (thatcan add heat to water andcause it to thaw) this spellchanges the state of thewater from a solid to a liq-uid. The spell can be usedto retrieve drinkablewater from solid ice. Anywater consumed by livingcreatures will not revertback to ice when thespell’s duration expires.

IICCYY GGRRAASSPP(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 6Range: TouchTarget: Creature or objectDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to chill one target bytouching it. If used against living targets, the spellinflicts 1d6 points of subdual damage. Usedagainst inanimate objects, the spell makes them icyto the touch, but does not harm them. If cast uponwater, the spell forms a large chunk of ice abouttwo feet wide, one foot thick, and six feet long.

The effects of the spell are instantaneous. Ice cre-ated with this magic will last the normal amount oftime dependent on the climate in which it was pro-duced.

IIMMMMUUNNIITTYY TTOO LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 60Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Caster or Large creature or smallerDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Makes the recipient high-ly resistant to lightningand electrical attacks,both natural and magical.The spell grants the targetelectricity resistance 20for the spell’s duration.This allows the target toignore the first 20 pointsof electrical damage dealteach round.

IINNTTOO TTHHEE EETTHHEERR(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 205Range: Line of sightEffect: Bottomless pit, 400ft. radiusDuration: 10 minutes + Con-centrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Into the ether creates amassive, black pit. The pitis bottomless, or so it isbelieved. Many of thewise theorize that it leadsdirectly into the Void. Allmagic is nullified withinthe pit. Active spells arecancelled and spellcast-ing is impossible for any-one who has fallen into

the pit. Any living creature that falls into the mas-sive hole is utterly destroyed, body and soul. Evenspells that can contact those from beyond the gravecannot contact such unfortunates. Because thespell takes an immense amount of Void energy tocast, it is most often cast using cooperative spell-casting feats.

The last reported use of this spell was when PrinceDagnarus took the city of Old Vinnengael. His Voidmages created a pit to swallow the River Ironclaw,so that Dagnarus’s army could attack Castle Ildurel,the seat of Vinnengaelean power.

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IITTCCHH(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 28Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Living creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Fort negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Itch causes a target to break out in a rash withsymptoms similar to those caused by a severe caseof poison ivy. The intense burning and itchingcaused by the rash is highly distracting, causing a–4 circumstance penalty to all skill checks andattack rolls—though Armor Class is unaffected.The rash and its accompanying sensations vanishafter the spell expires, though it may seem like aneternity to those affected.

JJEELLLLYYFFIIRREE(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 131Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Area: Two 10 ft. cubes (S)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Jellyfire allows the caster to project a jet of explod-ing orange-colored gel from the palm of his hand.The fiery gel is able to coat everything in the spell’sarea. Any object or creature caught within this areawill immediately catch fire and blaze for 3d12points of fire damage every round. Non-flammablematerials, such as stone, take only 1d12 points ofdamage each round. Nothing can extinguish jelly-fire. Water sprayed on the fire will spread theflames to another ten-foot cube. However, if anobject or creature is immersed in water, the damageis halved each round.

Jellyfire is one of the most feared orken spells inexistence. No one is quite sure how the orks cameupon this spell effect, nor how it is produced, sinceit seems to have more to do with Fire magic thanWater magic. The orks closely guard the secret ofjellyfire and only a few orken shamans know howto cast it. They keep the formula secret, to bepassed on to their apprentices should they prove tobe worthy. No ork has ever given the secret of jel-lyfire to a non-ork.

Some ork shamans know the secret of how to pro-duce jellyfire so that it does not instantly combust,thus making it possible for the orks to place the jel-lyfire in specially prepared barrels. The largest ofthe orken battleships are armed with jellyfire can-nons. During combat, these cannons fling the kegs

of semi-stable jellyfire onto targets on either land orsea. Jellyfire kept in barrels has been known toexplode on its own though, and is extremely dan-gerous. Only a few orken shamans know the secretof handling stored jellyfire. Anyone else whotouches the substance, even another ork, runs thevery great risk of setting himself and all aroundhim on fire. Orks carry jellyfire on their battleshipsonly during times of war or if they are on specialmissions.

JJOOLLTT(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 14Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: RayDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Jolt sends a ray of electrical energy from the tip ofthe caster’s outstretched finger to a target withinrange. The caster must make a ranged touch attackto strike the target. If the charge hits the target, itscharge delivers 2d4 points of electrical damage.Those wearing metal armor or wielding metalweapons may be adversely affected, as theirweapons and accoutrements are slightly magnet-ized. This magnetization only lasts for one round,bestowing a –1 circumstance penalty to attack rollsand Armor Class.

KKEEEELLBBRREEAAKKEERR(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 114Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Wooden object(s) (up to four 10 ft. cubes)Duration: PermanentSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell causes wooden objects within its area towarp and splinter. The warping causes 2d20 pointsof damage to any wooden construction, ignoringthe wood’s Hardness rating. This is often enough tobreak a ship’s keel, destroy a wooden palisade, orshatter a wooden drawbridge or gate. Although theinitial damage is localized, the damage extends tothe overall structure if the target is load-bearing oran indispensable portion of the whole.

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KKEENNNNEELL(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 69Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Canine animalDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

As leash, except this spell creates a permanentmagical pen for the canine. The canine may bereleased from the pen by a command word. Thecaster may pen up the canine again by returningthe animal to the enchanted area and repeated thecommand word. Humanoids and other creaturesmay pass freely through the area.

KKIILLLLIINNGG AALLGGAAEE(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 240Range: TouchArea: 400 ft. radiusDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This forbidden spell causes red algae to form uponthe surface of a body of water. The algae poisonsthe water, thereby killing all marine life. Anyone,including animals, who drink or swim in the waterwill be affected. This acts as a contact poison (DC16, initial 2d6 hp, secondary 1d6 Con). Anyonewho eats fish or foods, cooked or uncooked, fromthe poisoned water will suffer from food poisoning(DC 13, initial 1d6 hp, secondary 1d3 Con).

The killing algae has a duration of one week. At theend of this time, the algae disappears, but the wateris usually fouled by dead marine animals. Theafter-effects of such a spell can be disastrous, lead-ing to outbreaks of disease among nearby animaland humanoid populations.

This spell was designed long ago as a spell forstrategic warfare, fouling harbors and aiding in thesiege of port towns.

KKNNOOWW PPLLAANNTT(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 5Range: TouchTarget: One plantDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Will negate (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell identifies a living plant. The spellreveals the plant’s common name (in the caster’s

native tongue), any general uses, and whether ornot it is toxic. The mage must be able to touch theplant that is to be identified. Normal, non-intelli-gent plants do not save against this spell, but sen-tient plants that do not wish to be identified cansave against the spell normally.

KKUUDDZZUU CCLLIIMMBBIINNGG VVIINNEE(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 34Range: TouchEffect: 50 ft. long vineDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell causes a 50-foot-long, thick, leafy, cling-ing vine to grow as desired by the caster directlyfrom the spot he touches while casting the spells.In order to climb, the vine must be able to cling tosomething solid, such a tree trunk or a wall. Other-wise it will grow along the ground in the directionindicated by the caster. The vine is sturdy, with aHardness of 0 and 10 hit points. Its broad leavesand ability to cling to a surface provide excellentsupport for any Medium-size or smaller creatures.The kudzu climbing vine must be cast in an areawhere there is open ground and soil. Worked stoneor a sand dune are not suitable sites for this spell.

LLAANNTTEERRNN(Conversion)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 44Range: TouchTarget: Diminutive rock or gemDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell causes a small rock or gem (no biggerthan a human fist) to glow like a torch, illuminat-ing a 20-foot radius for the spell’s duration. Thelight generated by the spell is a pale white and thestone is cool to the touch. If the stone is ever cov-ered or boxed in to the point where its lightextends only one foot or less, the spell will endearly.

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LLEEAASSHH(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 24Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Canine animalDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell permits the caster to confine a caninewithin range to a circular area with a 5-foot radius.The canine may make a saving throw to cross theboundary established by the caster, but only once.If successful, the canine is able to act normally.Failure means that the canine is confined insidethe spell’s area for the ten-minute duration of thespell.

LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG LLAASSHH(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 22Range: PersonalEffect: Whiplike energyDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Causes a whip of yellow electrical energy abouteight feet in length to blaze forth from the palm ofthe caster’s hand. The caster can wield the whip asif it were real. (Any bonuses or non-proficiencypenalties apply as if the caster were attacking witha genuine whip.) The weapon has a range of 15feet, inflicts 2d6 points of electrical damage onevery successful hit, and threatens a x2 critical ona natural roll of 20. The lightning lash is not sub-stantial and therefore may not be used to grab holdof objects, nor will it set fire to flammable materi-als.

LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG RRIIDDEE(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 18Range: See textEffect: Electrical platformDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell forms a “platform” of electrical energy towhich the caster is able to cling, allowing him to bealmost instantaneously elevated or dropped for adistance of up to 40 feet (specified by the caster).The lightning ride may be used to scale or descenda wall, tree, cliff, etc. The spell operates at thespeed of a lightning flash and once the spell hasmoved the caster the specified distance, the plat-

form will disappear. If the caster cannot find asolid place to land (often requiring a Reflex savingthrow, DC determined by the referee), he will fallthe appropriate distance. The caster cannot beknocked off the magical platform during his ride,nor is he subject to attacks while being transportedby the spell.

LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG WWAARRDD(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 129Range: TouchArea: 20 ft. radius, centered on touched objectDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell creates a magical barrier against theeffects of lightning—both natural and magical. Thebarrier is spherical but invisible. Any form oflightning or electrical energy that enters into theprotected area will be instantly extinguished.Spells that generate lightning or electrical effectscast from within the protected area will fail uponcasting.

LLIINNEEAAGGEE(Divination – past)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 29Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell determines the true lineage of ahumanoid. The caster takes a small bit of bloodfrom the person whose lineage is in question andburns it in a small flame while casting the spell.The names of the person’s parents are revealed tothe caster, as are the names of both the paternal andmaternal grandparents. The caster may speak thenames, but due to his need for intense concentra-tion, he is unable to write them down. Others mayrecord the information.

This spell was created for use among the dwarvesto solve contested claims to the leadership of aClan or disagreements about who is related to who.This spell became popular among the Vinnengae-leans and the Dunkargans about 200 years ago andhas been used by them to settle disputes of blood-inheritance and genealogy.

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LLOOCCUUSSTT SSWWAARRMM(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 173Range: Line of sightEffect: Swarm of locusts, 400 ft. radiusDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell calls forth the destructive power of aswarm of locusts. The caster has the ability to sum-mon the destructive vermin and have them blanketan area around a central point.

The locusts cover the area for one week, vora-ciously eating all living vegetation within the area,killing trees and destroying crops. Althoughannoying and loathsome, the locusts will notattack people or animals. Once the duration of thespell is fulfilled, the locusts either die or disperse,leaving a wasteland in their wake.

For every insect that is slain, the magic of the spellsummons another to replace it. Short of burning allthe plants in an area, the victims have no way todisperse the swarm without a dispel earth magic ordispel fire magic spell.

MMAASSKK(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 32Range: PersonalTarget: Caster’s faceDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: Will disbelief (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Mask allows the caster to create an illusion thatcovers only his face, potentially disguising hisidentity. The caster is able to arrange the illusion asmuch as he wants during the spell’s duration, solong as he looks in a mirror or other reflective sur-face. The alterations can be as simple as alteringskin tone or as dramatic as changing the appear-ance of one’s age or covering up skin diseases orscars. If this spell is used for purposes of disguise,the mage receives a +6 enhancement bonus to hisDisguise skill check.

Wyred use this spell to alter their facial tattooswhen they do not want to be recognized.

MMAASSSS GGRRAAVVEE(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 23Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: All Large corpses (or smaller) within 100-footcubeDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell is used to bury large of numbers of dead,often after a battle or during the plague, when suchwork can be time-consuming and unhealthful. Thisvariation of bury the dead has been taught to allmilitary chaplains. The Karnuans have modifiedthis spell to dispose of large numbers of fallen atone time. The corpses sink into the earth, to adepth of ten feet, during the spell’s duration.

MMIIMMIICC(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 32Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 hour (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Mimic causes a subtle manipulation of the vocalcords, allowing the caster to change his voice toperfectly match any voice he clearly remembers.Recalling a voice requires an Intelligence check(DC 5 for a well-known voice, DC 10 for anacquaintance, and DC 15 for someone barelyknown). Success means the mage is able to dupli-cate the voice convincingly. The spell grants a +5enhancement bonus to Bluff and Disguise checkswhen trying to impersonate someone. Failure indi-cates the imitated voice is “wrong” and gives nobenefit to impersonate anyone.

MMOONNKKEEYY’’SS BBAALLAANNCCEE(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 24Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Caster or humanoid creature touchedDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell increases the recipient’s personal agilityand balance, granting a +4 enhancement bonus tohis Dexterity ability (or someone he touches). Thespell causes the recipient’s fingers to elongate andopposable toes to appear on the heels of his feet.Due to this change, any foot- or hand-wear worn bythe target will no longer fit. This grants a +2 cir-cumstance bonus to his Climb skill checks (so longas he is barefoot).

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MMOOOONNLLIIGGHHTT MMAAGGNNIIFFIIEEDD(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 70Range: PersonalArea: 100 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell brightens and intensifies moonlightwithin the spell’s area, so that the light is brightenough to read or write by. Any Spot checks per-taining to sight within the area of effect are notpenalized for darkness. The brightly lit area may beeasily viewed by anyone with line of sight. Themoon need not be full, but it must be visible in thesky for the spell to be effective. Should a cloudobscure the moon, the spell fails for the length oftime the moon is not in plain sight. As soon as themoon reappears, the spell will continue as normal(so long as the duration has not yet expired). Moon-light magnified works only at night (even if themoon is visible during the day). If the caster movesout of the spell’s original area, the magic will end.

MMOORREE PPAAIINN,, LLEESSSS BBLLOOOODD(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 118Range: PersonalEffect: Sheet of lightning, 100 ft. radius, centered oncasterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Causes a sheet of electricity to radiate from thecaster, damaging any living creature, except thosechosen by the caster, within the spell’s area. Thosewithin the area take 10d8 points of electrical dam-age. The electrical current causes convulsions sosevere that they may break the spines of small ani-mals, rip muscles and tendons, and even rendergiants senseless. Those who survive the spell’s rav-ages are severely burned and often bear scars fromtheir ordeal.

MMOORRTTAARR(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 22Range: TouchTarget: One 10 ft. cube of sand or dirtDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Converts five cubic feet of loose dirt or sand into athick, muddy mixture that can then be used as a

mortar to set bricks or stones or as a spackle to fillholes and cracks in walls or floors. The mixturedries to a hard, stony consistency when the spellduration expires.

MMUUTTEE(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 22Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Medium creature or smallerDuration: 1 hour (D)Saving Throw: Fort negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Mute can be cast at any target within size limita-tions. If the target fails the saving throw, the spelldeprives the target of the ability to speak, even in awhisper. Spellcasting under the effects of mute isimpossible without use of the Silent Spell feat orsome other means of casting a spell without the useof the caster’s voice.

NNOO EENNTTRRYY(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 86Range: TouchTarget: Door or opening up to 20 ft. wideDuration: DischargeSaving Throw: NoSpell Resistance: Yes

No entry prevents entry into a specified location.The ward may be placed on a door, archway, orother opening. The spell caster must make threetiny marks around the opening with a charcoalstick—one mark at the very apex and two at thebottom to either side—in order for the spell towork. These marks can be identified as Fire magicwith a Spellcraft skill check (DC 10). Further studycan identify the spell’s function, even without useof the sense fire magic spell (see Spellcraft skill,Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook, page 59).

The ward is activated if someone or somethingcrosses the threshold of the opening. A sheet offlame instantaneously sears whatever has justcrossed the threshold, inflicting 3d6 points of firedamage.

The ward works only once before it must be recast.However, it is possible to cast multiple no entrywards on a single opening. In this case, only onewill be triggered at a time.

The caster is able to pass through his ward withoutworry, as are any associates he so chooses, thoughthey must be present for the ward’s casting.

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OOBBEEYY!!(Charm)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 18Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell permits the caster to compel anyhumanoid to obey one simple command. The spelldoes not affect those who are unable to understandthe language in which the command is given orwho make a successful saving throw.

The spell lasts only long enough for one action tobe performed, such as “jump,” “fall,” “flee,” “sur-render,” or “halt.” If the spell is cast before a com-bat action, the command replaces the action of theaffected individual.

The spell cannot be used to cause someone to dosomething that they would normally be incapableof doing. For instance, telling an ork to “fly” willnot suddenly cause him fly into the air. Orderingsomeone to “die” has no affect on the target. Inthese instances, and those when the target doesn’tunderstand the caster’s command, the target candisregard the spell’s effects and continue with hisintended action.

OONNEE WWIITTHH TTHHEE TTRREEEESS(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 47Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 hour + ConcentrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell alters the caster’sshape (as well as all the posses-sions within his aura) to that of atree roughly the same size as hisnatural form. In this alteredstate, the caster is anchored tothe ground and may not move ormake a noise. However, he expe-riences a sense similar to visionthat permits him see everythingwithin a 360-degree area aroundhim. The caster does not lose hissense of hearing.

While in tree-form, the caster’sArmor Class and hit pointsremain unaffected, although he is unable to makeany attacks or defend himself. The tree form of thecaster does not protect him from thirst, hunger, or

the need to sleep. Loss of consciousness willimmediately end the spell.

OOUUTT OOFF SSIIGGHHTT,, OOUUTT OOFF MMIINNDD(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 48Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell makes the caster invisible and reducesany noise he might make. The spell may be castonly on the spellcaster himself. The casterbecomes invisible to any living thing that wouldnormally be able to see or hear the caster. Thisspell will not mask the caster’s scent, however, andthus is not effective against creatures who usescent as a primary means of locating prey.

Anyone (or anything) who has reason to suspectthe use of magic or an illusion may make a Willdisbelief saving throw (DC 15 + caster’s level) tosee the spellcaster. The mage is free to do as helikes while the spell is in effect, even participate incombat.

OOUUTT WWEEEEDD!!(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 45Range: TouchArea: 20 ft. radius, centered on touched plantDuration: 1 yearSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster toprevent the growth of one par-ticular type of plant—a speci-men of which he must havewithin his aura during casting—within the area of the ward. Theward prevents the growth ofonly this type of plant. Outweed! is used by farmers andgardeners to keep weeds fromdriving out more valuableplants.

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PPHHAANNTTOOMM BBOOWW(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 46Range: PersonalEffect: Illusory longbowDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Will disbelief (DC 15)Spell Resistance: Yes

Phantom bow generates the illusion of a longbowin the hands of the caster. If a person believes thebow is real, the bow can be used to fire arrows atthem. Arrows from the illusory bow are effectiveonly to 100 feet from the caster. The caster mustmake attack rolls as if he were truly firing a long-bow, but he gains a +4 enhancement bonus to theseattacks. If he hits with the arrow, the victim willbelieve that he has taken the appropriate damagefor a longbow. Since the arrow is illusory, howev-er, the damage done is in reality only subdual dam-age, although the victim may not realize this atfirst.

If the caster ever puts down or lets go of the phan-tom bow, the spell will end.

PPHHAANNTTOOMM WWAARRRRIIOORRSS(Illusion)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 84Range: 5 ft. of casterEffect: Two illusory duplicatesDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Will disbelief (DC 20 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to create two illusoryduplicates, identical in all ways to the caster. Thispowerful illusion requires a difficult saving throwto disbelieve. The illusions fight, limp, bleed anddie just as a real person would. The illusions havetheir own effective Intelligence of 8 (although theycannot communicate, nor can they cast spells) anda base attack bonus of +4 in whatever weapon theyuse (but never more than the caster’s own bonuswith the weapon). The illusions can act independ-ently in combat, run in different directions, and aremaintained even if the caster is incapacitated.

The spell ends early if both duplicates are “killed”or if the caster himself dies.

PPOOSSSSEESSSSIIOONN(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 145Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Living creature (Huge-size or smaller)Duration: 1 month (D)Saving Throw: Will negates (DC 25 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Possession allows the caster to project his mindfrom his body into the body of another creature.The target creature is allowed a saving throw torepel the possession. If the target fails, the castersuccessfully transfers his consciousness over to thevictim’s body, leaving the caster’s own body a liv-ing, breathing husk. One minute is required for themage to become used to his new body, duringwhich time he can take only free actions and moveno more than a 5-foot step.

Once the mage has gained full control of his newbody, he gains the possessed creature’s physicalabilities (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution)while retaining his own mental abilities, skills,and feats. He gains the benefits of his own class(es)and level(s), but he has the possessed creature’scurrent hit point total. He gains any of the target’sextraordinary special attacks and special qualities,though he does not gain use of supernatural orspell-like abilities.

In order for the caster to successfully possessanother creature, the target must be within rangeand must be in the caster’s line of sight. Shouldeither of these requirements change at any timeduring the casting of the spell, the spell will fail.Once the caster has taken over the intended body,the caster may go anywhere he pleases, travel atany distance away from his own body. The mage iswarned that his body cannot sustain itself (will noteat or drink), nor can it defend itself, and could dieif left unattended. The mage will know if his bodyhas been attacked or if the body is close to deathand may decide to end the possession, whereuponhe immediately returns to his own body.

If a mage’s body dies while he is in possession ofanother body, the mage must make a successfulWill saving throw (DC 25) to remain within thebody he has possessed, effectively making it hisown and crushing the previous owner’s psyche.

In the event that the body the caster has possesseddies, the mind of the being whose body the casterhas possessed will attempt to flee into the caster’sown body. The two entities must make opposedWisdom checks. The one with the highest total isable to escape back to the waiting body, while the

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other must shuffle off the mortal coil and meetwhatever lies beyond.

PPRREEDDIICCTT WWEEAATTHHEERR(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 9Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell allows the caster to predict the weatherfor the coming day in the immediate vicinity of thecaster. This prediction includes precipitation, tem-perature, wind conditions and humidity. Theinformation the caster receives is accurate,although the mage is only able to describe the con-ditions in relatively vague terms.

PPRROOTTEECCTT OOBBJJEECCTT(Protection)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 90Range: TouchTarget: Inanimate object (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Protect object protects any inanimate object ofappropriate size against magical spells of any ele-ment. The spell grants a +5 enhancement bonus toFortitude saving throws—even in circumstanceswhere objects would not normally be granted asaving throw (such as nonmagical, unattendeditems). This spell also prevents magical detectionvia scrying magic.

PPUURRIIFFYY FFOOOODD(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 18Range: TouchTarget: Touched food (Large or smaller)Duration: See textSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell allows the caster to rid food of any con-tamination, including rot, mold, or poison. Themagic transforms the tainted portions into dirt thatcan be easily brushed away or washed off. Thespell will work on food portions of Large size orsmaller. Only one contiguous portion of food maybe purified per casting. For example, while thespell will purify one entire leg of lamb, it will onlypurify one grain of rice out of an entire bowl ofrice. Note that if the “dirt” is not removed from thefood, it will revert to its normal state after one

hour. The spell does not prevent further contami-nation of the purified food, nor will it affect con-taminated water.

QQUUIICCKK SSTTRRIIKKEE(Transport)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 27Range: Personal or Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: Large creature or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell makes the target faster in combat. Whilehe cannot walk or run more quickly than before, heis able to attack and defend with great speed. Onhis initiative, the subject may take an extra partialaction, either before or after his regular action, aslong as that action is used to attack or defend. Thetarget also gains a +4 haste bonus to his ArmorClass. He loses this bonus whenever he would losea dodge bonus.

RREEMMEEMMBBEERR(Divination – past)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 17Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell enables the caster to conjure up animage of an event or location experienced withinthe past month. The spell is often used to remem-ber exact details of what occurred or to search foran object. The caster must have a vague concept ofwhat he is looking for or trying to recall. The spellallows him to search only for those memories thatdeal specifically with the particular concept. Forexample, the Clan chief buried a stash of argentssomewhere around his camp site when the Clanrode through last. She can’t recall the exact loca-tion, however. She decides to cast remember, andsees herself burying the coins beneath a stuntedtree near a stream.

The spell will not allow the caster to rememberincidents or events that happened while he waseither sleeping or unconscious.

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RREEPPEELL AARRMMOORREEDD OOPPPPOONNEENNTT(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 44Range: Personal or TouchTarget: See textDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Cast upon either a touched recipient wearing metalarmor or on the caster himself while wearing metalarmor, the spell creates a magnetic field around therecipient that repels other small metal objects. Thespell will also prevent the recipient from comingwithin 5 feet of large immovable metal objects suchas a castle’s iron gates.

The spell confers a +5 deflection bonus to therecipient’s Armor Class when in melee combatwith opponents using metal weapons. Further,opponents who are wearing metal armor mustmake a Strength check (DC 15) each round or beforced to take a 5-foot step back. The deflectionbonus to AC also applies against metal missileweapons.

While under the effects of the spell, the recipientmay not handle anything metal himself, since anymetal object, such as a weapon, will be ripped fromhis grasp and pushed away. Wooden weapons arerecommended for use for the duration of the spell.

RREETTUURRNN TTOO EEAARRTTHH(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 28Range: TouchTarget: One Large corpse (or smaller)Duration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Accelerates the natural decomposition of the dead,transforming the body into earth over the span ofone month. During this process, the body is usual-ly interred in a small sanctified cave or tree hollow.

The spell was developed by Nimrans and Nimore-ans, who believe that when one dies their spiritascends to the gods while the body is returned tothe earth to become part of Nature. Nimrans andNimoreans do not believe in preserving the bodyso it remains intact or separate from the earth. Theearth that was once the deceased Nimorean orNimran is then scattered by his family over the sur-rounding countryside, so that his spirit can findpeace with the land.

RREEVVEEAALL TTHHAATT WWHHIICCHH IISS HHIIDDDDEENN(Mentalism)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 26Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allows the caster to discern small inconsistenciesthat would otherwise go unnoticed, thus helpinghim locate secret doors, false floors, deadfalls, aswell as false bottoms in drawers and chests. Thespell can also help the caster recognize traps suchas tripwires and pressure plates. Reveal that whichis hidden grants a +6 enhancement bonus to allSpot and Search checks during the spell’s dura-tion.

If the caster is in complete darkness for more thanone minute during the spell’s duration, the spellwill end.

RREEVVEEAALL TTHHEE BBEEYYOONNDD(Divination – present)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 19Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Specific substance within rangeDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Allows the caster to see through any object made ofa particular substance as if it were not there. Whilecasting the spell, the mage must physically touchan object made of the substance. Upon completionof the spell, the mage is able to see through theobject made of the substance as if it didn’t exist.The magical sight works only within the spell’srange. The mage cannot see through objectsbeyond this range.

Example: A 4th-level Water mage who casts revealthe beyond while touching a granite wall will thenbe able to see through anything made of granite,out to 35 feet, as if it were not there. Referees maychoose to differentiate between different kinds ofsubstances when adjudicating the effects of thisspell. (“Sorry, the last door was made of maple,this one is oak.”)

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RROOOOTTEEDD TTOO TTHHEE SSPPOOTT(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 16Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large creature (or smaller)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 11 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: No

Causes the feet of the target of this spell to besnared by ground-level indigenous plant-life in thearea unless he can make a saving throw. If suchvegetation is not present in the area, the spell isineffective. Once snared, the target must either cuthimself free with a sharp blade as a full-roundaction, or make a Strength check (DC 15) to riphimself free.

SSCCOORRCCHH(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 10Range: 5 ft.Effect: Tiny ball of flameDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Scorch allows the caster to generate a small ball offlame that shoots forth from the palm of his handtoward any target within range. The ball explodeson impact, inflicting 1d8 points of fire damage tothe target.

SSCCUULLPPTTUURREE(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 36Range: TouchArea: One 10-ft. cubeDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Sculpture allows the caster to soften stone to aclay-like consistency. The caster must touch thestone and it must be in one contiguous piece. Thisspell is most often used by artisan spellcasters tospeed their work while making statues, pillars, ormolds. The spell allows sculptors to work withhard stone that is normally unsuitable for suchwork (such as granite). The stone maintains its nor-mal appearance while under the influence of thisspell.

The stone reverts back to its normal consistencybut retains its new shape once the spell’s durationexpires. Any pieces that were removed from theoriginal amount of stone will revert back as well. If

need be, the spell may be cast again to allow workon the piece to continue.

Masons like this spell because it allows easy onsite alterations of stones that are the wrong shape.The spell also simplifies the production of uniformblocks used for building.

SSEERRPPEENNTT FFRROOMM TTHHEE SSTTAAFFFF(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 28Range: TouchTarget: Medium wooden staff or stick or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Allows the caster to temporarily transform a wood-en staff or stick into something resembling a con-stricting snake. The caster must throw the staff tothe ground as he casts the spell. The snake willobey simple, one-word commands such “attack,”“defend,” and “stop.” Should the snake be killed,the spell immediately ends. Although the staffreappears, it will be broken.

Snake: CR 2; Medium Animal; HD 3d8+3(16); Init +3 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft.,swim 20 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural);Atk Bite +5 melee; Dmg 1d3+4; SAImproved grab, Constrict; SQ Scent; SVFort +4, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 17, Dex 17,Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2. Skills: Balance+11, Climb +14, Hide +11, Listen +9, Spot+9.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the con-strictor snake must hit with its bite attack. If it getsa hold, it can constrict.

Constrict (Ex): A constrictor snake deals 1d3+4points of damage with a successful grapple checkagainst Medium-size or smaller creatures.

SSHHAADDOOWWCCLLOOAAKK(Shadow)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 59Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Shadowcloak swaths the mage from head to toe intentacles of Void magic that make him totallyinvisible in dark or dimly lit conditions. Creatureswith sensitive smell or hearing still have a chanceto locate the cloaked mage, although they mustmake a highly difficult (DC 20 + caster’s level) Spotor Listen check, since the mage’s scent and any

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noise he makes are muffled by the effects of themagic.

This spell does not make the mage insubstantial,and he must be careful not to bump into someoneor something. Once he touches something, he canbe seen, although the spell is not cancelled. Move-ment is possible while under the influence of theshadow cloak, but the mage cannot enter into com-bat and still remain unseen. The spell is not effec-tive in full sunlight, although deep shade is suffi-cient.

Should a mage affected by shadowcloak eithertouch something or move into sunlight, the spell isnot cancelled. He has only to move back into anarea of darkness for the Void magic to cover himagain.

SSHHAADDOOWW SSTTEEEEDD(Shadow)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 152Range: TouchTarget: Huge animal or beast or smallerDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a steed that will endure for up toone month without food or water, and can moveconstantly at the maximum speed for its species

without tiring. The spell must be cast upon thetype of animal to be used by the caster for riding.The spell inundates the animal with Void magic,replacing bone, skin, and flesh with semi-solidshadow-stuff. The steed will follow the commandsof the caster only, and will not bear anyone else asa rider. Shadow steeds retain the statistics they hadduring life, and may attack and be attacked nor-mally. If a shadow steed is slain, its body dissipatesinto nothingness. If the time of the spell has not

expired the shadow steed will reform one day laterand go in search of its creator. If the caster is dead,the spell immediately terminates. The Void-boundshadow-stuff of the steed falls apart and disap-pears.

SSHHAADDOOWW TTOOMMBB(Shadow)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 76Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Creature (Large-size or smaller)Duration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 14 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Causes the target’s shadow to come “alive” andenshroud the target. The victim may make a savingthrow, but if he fails he is confined within a dark,extra-dimensional space that is the exact shape ofhis body. Once the caster is enveloped by his shad-ow, the shadow becomes two dimensional againand falls on the ground or against a wall, appearingto onlookers as if the target were there to create it.Although bright light might make the shadow fade,the shadow will not move or fully disappear.

Inside the “tomb” the target is safe, although hecan see nothing. He cannot move, but he canbreathe and speak (although there will be no one tohear). Those who suffer from claustrophobia may

panic during this confinement and possiblybecoming catatonic.

The spell may end sooner should the caster bekilled or knocked out. When the spell does end,the target’s shadow expels him, and the targetappears to materialize from wherever his shadowlies (on the ground, a wall, etc.).

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SSHHAATTTTEERRSSTTOONNEE(Elemental)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 37Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target/Area: One Tiny or Small rock explodes in 20-ft.radius spreadDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflex half (DC 12 + caster level)Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

Shatterstone allows the caster to target a stone andcause it to explode into dozens of sharp fragmentsthat fly in all directions. Everyone within thespell’s area takes 2d8 hit points of damage, halfdamage if a saving throw is successful.

SSHHEELLTTEERR(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 38Range: PersonalEffect: Large tentDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell coaxes the plants in an area centeredaround the caster to weave themselves together(and grow if need be) to form a small shelter thatcan comfortably hold five people and their gear.Up to ten people might be able to squeeze inside,but they would be a tight fit. The shelter takes theform of a small, semi-spherical hut with a smallentry in one side. If he chooses, the caster can leavea hole in the top of the hut to allow smoke from afire to escape. The hut effectively keeps out windand rain, although strong winds might be able toknock it down. The hut has a Toughness of 0 and15 hit points.

SSHHIIEELLDD MMEE(Protection)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 31Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Shield me changes the caster’s skin, making it thickand leathery. The effect grants a +3 natural armorbonus to the caster’s AC. This change in the caster’sskin does not impede his movement or reduce hismaximum Dexterity bonus.

SSHHIIEELLDDIINNGG WWAALLLL OOFF LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG BBOOLLTTSS(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 64Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Caster or touched creature (Medium-size orsmaller)Duration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Causes blue lightning to course over the body ofthe caster or another target that he touches. Thelightning gives off the smell of ozone and makesone’s hair stand on end, but does not otherwiseharm the recipient.

If the spell’s recipient is struck in melee combatwith a metal weapon (or a weapon with metalincorporated into it), an electrical charge dispersesfrom the shield, travels the length of the weapon tosear the wielder for 2d6 points of electrical dam-age. In addition, if the recipient of the spell suc-cessfully attacks an enemy with a metal weapon,the spell disperses a charge down the length,inflicting 2d6 points of electrical damage.

SSHHOOCCKK(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 24Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Object or creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell shoots a bolt of energy from the mage’shand that automatically hits a single target. Thebolt inflicts 3d8 points of electrical subdual dam-age. This spell is often used to capture a creaturealive.

SSIILLVVEERR GGLLAAMMOOUURR(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 12Range: TouchTarget: Melee weaponDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This variant of weapon glamour can be cast on anymelee weapon up to Large size. The spell trans-mutes the target weapon into silver for the dura-tion of the spell. The spell allows the wielder to hittargets only harmed by silver weapons, althoughanyone with Craft (blacksmithing) or Knowledge(metallurgy) can identify the silver as unnaturaland worthless (DC 15).

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SSIINNGGEEDD(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 18Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: RayDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Singed creates a ray of electrical energy that burnsall the hair off the body of a target on a successfulranged touch attack, inflicting 1d4 points of elec-trical subdual damage to the victim. Lost hair willgrow back at a natural rate. Dwarves have beenknown to use this spell to delouse particularlyfilthy members of their Clan.

SSIIPPHHOONN LLIIFFEE’’SS GGIIFFTT(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 54Range: TouchTarget: Living creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the mage to steal life energy froma target by touch alone. The caster does 4d8 hitpoints of damage to the target and is able to use thestolen life energy to heal an equal amount of dam-age upon himself. The effects are instant and terri-bly painful for the victim of the spell. This spellheals the caster despite being tainted by Void.

SSKKIIMM TTHHEE EEAARRTTHH(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 60Range: TouchTarget: Inanimate object (Small-size or smaller)Duration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell enables one metallic object to repel theforce of gravity and hover six inches above theground. The object will support weight with aneffective 18 Strength (with a maximum load of 300lbs.) and may be pushed or pulled over levelground with ease. If the object is ever pulled orpushed over water, the spell will end immediately.Dwarves enchant metal plates with this spell, thenattach them to chests or travois, enabling them tofloat over the ground.

SSLLIICCKKEERR(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 23Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Slippery surface in 10 ft. radius around targetedpointDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Allows the caster to make any surface within rangeslippery for the spell’s duration. Anyone withinthe spell’s area or trying to move across the slip-pery surface must make a Balance check (DC 15 forhorizontal surfaces, DC 20 or higher for angled sur-faces) or fall down. Those who succeed are able tocross the surface without penalty. Those who falldown are considered prone and must regain theirfooting, requiring a full-round action and a suc-cessful Balance check (DC 10). Another roll isrequired if anyone attempts to cross the slipperyarea again.

SSMMAALLLL PPLLEEAASSEE(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 63Range: TouchTarget: Large Inanimate object or smallerDuration: 1 month (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Allows the caster to reduce the size of a singleinanimate object as long as it is all of one piece(such as a statue, but not a cart). The affected objectis reduced to 10% of its normal size and weight,but still maintains its shape.

If the spell expires (or is dismissed) in an area toosmall to contain the object at full size, it will inflict2d10 points of damage to both itself and the enclo-sure.

SSMMIITTEE TTHHEEEE(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 17Range: TouchTarget: Touched living creatureDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: None (harmless)

By means of this spell, the caster is able tostrengthen himself or another medium-sized (orsmaller) creature. This spell bestows upon therecipient a +4 enhancement bonus to his Strengthability for the spell’s duration. This bonus aids himin melee combat, Strength ability checks, and

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skills tied to Strength (e.g. climbing). After thespell has expired, the recipient’s Strength abilityreturns to normal.

SSNNIIFFFF(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 32Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Sniff allows the caster to enhance his sense ofsmell equal to that of a dog’s, effectively grantinghim the Scent special quality for the spell’s dura-tion. This extraordinary ability lets the casterdetect approaching enemies, sniff-out hidden foes,and track by sense of smell.

The caster can detect opponents by sense of smell,generally within 30 feet. If the opponent isupwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, therange is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke orrotting garbage, can be detected at twice the rangesnoted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunkmusk, can be detected at three times these ranges.

The caster can detect another creature’s presencebut not its specific location. Noting the direction ofthe scent is a standard action. If it moves within 5feet of the scent’s source, the caster can pinpoint itslocation.

The caster can follow a trail by smell. This requiresthe caster to make a Wisdom check to find or fol-low a trail. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10.The DC increases or decreases depending on howstrong the quarry’s odor is, the number of crea-tures, and the age of the trail. For each hour thatthe trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The abilityotherwise follows the rules for the Track feat (seeCore Rulebook I, page 85. When the caster is track-ing by scent he may ignore the effects of surfaceconditions and poor visibility.

Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail.False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents.The presence of such an odor completely spoils theability to properly detect or identify creatures, andthe base Wilderness Lore DC to track becomes 20rather than 10.

SSOOUULLLLEESSSS SSTTAALLKKEERR(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 292Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 yearSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This horrific spell sacrifices the victim’s soul to theVoid and replaces the soul with a cunning entity(Intelligence 6, all other stats identical to target)that is completely beholden to the caster. The tar-get creature is allowed a Fortitude saving throw(DC 25 + caster’s level) to repel the spell but only ifit has more than 4 Hit Dice. (Creatures of lesser HitDice are immediately killed by the spell with nosaving throw.) If the target fails, he dies instantlyand his soul is in thrall to the mage. If the targethas a Wisdom of 12 or higher, he remains dead, buthis soul actively battles the Void and may make aWill saving throw (DC 25 + caster’s level) eachweek. If he succeeds, the spell ends immediately.The victim’s soul is freed and cannot be reclaimedby the wizard. The body is reduced to ashes.

During the time the target is in thrall, he stillremembers his former life and hates the wizard,but is powerless to attack the mage. Dependingupon the type of service the mage intends for thesoulless stalker, the mage may infuse the bodywith a +4 bonus to one physical ability (Strength,Dexterity, or Constitution). All of the thrall’s otherstatistics remain the same, including hit points,feats, and skill ranks.

The effects of the spell lasts for one year. Over thistime, the soulless stalker does not need food,water, or sleep. The Void keeps the body fromdecaying until the end of the spell’s duration.Unfortunately, the Void cannot dispel the sicken-ing smell of rotting meat that accompanies thesoulless stalker wherever it goes.

A soulless stalker may be destroyed through com-bat, magic, or accident. It cannot destroy itself ofits own volition. If spellcaster gives an order for thesoulless stalker to destroy itself, the commandwould be obeyed without hesitation. Once theduration of the spell is at the end, the soullessstalker falls lifeless. Its body quickly decomposes,leaving behind a smelly mass of moldering fleshand bone. A mage cannot have more than one soul-less stalker enthralled at one time. The creation ofa second immediately causes the destruction of thefirst, with the same effects as if the spell’s durationhad ended.

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SSPPAANN TTHHEE DDIISSTTAANNCCEE(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 64Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: Stone bridgeDuration: 1 weekSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell allows themage to shape a largeamount of earth withinrange into an arch 50 feetlong and 5 feet wide. Theresulting structure hasthe strength and durabil-ity of stone. The archwill crumble into dustand sand after the spell’sduration has expired.

The bridge is able to han-dle any weight passingover it for the duration ofthe spell, although itswidth might preventtwo-way travel or thepassage of large wagonsor siege engines.

An army that needs tocross a river or ravinewill usually have magic-using engineers erectbridges with this spell,sometimes putting themend to end for particular-ly wide crossings.

SSPPAARRKKSSTTOORRMM(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 40Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: 10 ft. radiusDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Creates a fiery inferno of multi-colored sparks andembers. The sparks cause 2d4 points of fire damageto all within the spell’s area. The swirling eddies ofembers are enough to start dry grass, clothing, hair,kindling, etc., on fire. (See Core Rulebook II, page86, for rules regarding catching on fire.) Fires start-ed by the spell will burn naturally until extin-guished or the source of fuel runs out.

SSPPEEAAKK WWIITTHH AANNIIMMAALL(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 40Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 10 minutes + ConcentrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This class of spells is eachtailored to a particulartype of animal and allowsthe caster to speak to andunderstand that animaltype. The spell does nottranslate languages, butrather approximates a lan-guage for a creature thatnormally has none. Themost commonly knownvariants are speak withhorses, speak withcanines, speak withhawks, and speak withfelines.

Communication is limit-ed in that the caster andthe animal must rely onverbal skills or body-lan-guage in order to commu-nicate. The spell lasts forten minutes, but the cast-er can concentrate toextend the spell—thoughhe cannot move morethan a 5-foot step.

The sophistication of thisconversation is limited to concepts the animal canunderstand, with an approximate vocabulary of ahundred words or less. The animal is much morelikely to communicate emotional and physicalneeds, and will be vague on concepts such ascounting, providing detailed descriptions, etc.(“How many men were there?” would receive ananswer approximate to “More than one.”) Thisspell conveys no mental control, so acquiring use-ful information from the animal is dependent onthe character’s talents and the animal’s intelligenceand willingness to answer.

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SSPPEEEEDD MMYY AARRRROOWWSS(Travel)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 12Range: TouchTarget: 2 ArrowsDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell allows a caster to propel arrows that arein contact with his person (including stored in aquiver) as if he shot them with a longbow (includ-ing damage, range increment, and critical). Thearrows can be directed at the same target or twoseparate targets. Each arrow requires an attack rollusing the mage’s Air magic spellcasting bonus andhis Dexterity modifier.

SSPPIIKKEESSTTAABB(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 17Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Small wooden object (or smaller)Duration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Spikestab causes a multitude of sharp spikes toproject from a small wooden object. Anyone incontact with the object or holding onto it when thespikes shoot out suffers 2d4 points of damage.Spikestab is commonly cast upon weapon hilts,chair seats, door handles, etc.

SSPPIIRRIITTBBAANNEE(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 15Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Non-corporeal creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Spiritbane conjures a ghostly magical fire thatinflicts 2d6 points of fire damage to any non-cor-poreal target within range of the caster. The magi-cal fire is intangible to everyone but the target. Thisspell was created specifically for dealing with non-corporeal entities, such as ghosts and other typesof undead spirits. The fire has no effect on living orcorporeal undead targets (such as wolves or zom-bies).

SSPPLLIINNTTEERR(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 20Range: TouchTarget: Inanimate object (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell inflicts 2d6 points of damage each roundto a small, inanimate object being touched by thecaster for up to one minute. Contact must be main-tained with the object, otherwise the spell immedi-ately ends. The spell will not work on living mate-rial. The damage takes the form of decay, rot, rust,etc., depending upon the material of the affectedobject. The obvious and most common use of thisspell is to escape bonds, although it can also rustcell bars, destroy padlocks, weaken hinges, and soon.

SSPPOOOOKKEEDD(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 18Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large animal or smallerDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell frightens off animals. To cast the spell,the caster snaps his fingers at a target animal. Theanimal is allowed to make a saving throw. If suc-cessful, the animal is able to continue to do what itwas doing without penalty. Failure means that theanimal will panic and dash off in a random direc-tion and continue running for a full minute. Amounted rider (or someone else in direct control ofan animal) may make a Handle Animal skill checkagainst the spell’s saving throw DC to maintaincontrol of the animal.

Spooked causes horses bearing riders to buck andkick in an effort to dislodge the rider. A rider on aspooked horse must make a successful Ride skillcheck (DC 15) every round to remain in the saddle.

This spell was originally created by battlemages tounhorse cavalry riders, but has been modified sothat it can be used to frighten away any animal.

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SSPPRRAAYY(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 30Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Effect: Jet of water from caster’s palmDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: No

This spell enables the caster to project a powerfulwater-jet from the palm of his hand. The spell lastsfor the spell’s full duration or until the castermoves more than just a 5-foot step. The caster mustbe within 100 feet of a significant source of water(such as a stream, river, pond, or lake) for the spellto work. A barrel of water will not suffice.

Spray has an effective Strength of 20 and is capa-ble of blasting a hole into soft earth. The caster mayuse the stream to keep adversaries from advancing(opposed Strength check) or may perform a Tripaction with a ranged touch attack. The stream ofwater cannot knock down buildings or damagestone masonry (although loose stone will be movedas normal). The spell can blow out glass windows.Wooden shutters and doors may also be affected,taking 3d8+5 points of damage for each round thewater-jet hits the target.

The caster is able to aim the stream of water andmust make a ranged touch attack to hit the targeteach round. The caster is able to change his targetonce each round, but that is the extent of the move-ment he is allowed. Should he take more than a 5-foot step in any direction the spell ends.

Spray is often used by orks to repel boarders, washdown decks, put out fires, and dredge strandedships off sandbars.

SSPPYY(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 115Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large Animal or smallerDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to befriend an animaland use the animal as an intelligence gatheringtool. The caster is able to plant instructions in theanimal’s mind, such as “be at a certain place at acertain time, look for a certain object, rememberwhat is happening while in the presence of a par-ticular person.” In addition, the animal may becompelled to return to the caster at a specifiedplace and time. Since the animal has no concept ofhours, times such as dawn, sunset, under the new

moon, and full moon must be used. When the spellis cast, the caster must define a command word forlater use.

Upon the animal’s return, the caster uses the com-mand word to enter into the mind of the animaland locate the information it was commanded togather. This may be a bit disconcerting to the magesince everything he sees is from the animal’s pointof view. Once the information has been retrieved,the animal will not remember anything. However,the caster may leave a small suggestion within theanimal’s mind to return to their meeting spot, spec-ifying when (up to a month into the future). Shouldthe animal show up and the caster be absent, thesuggestion is forgotten. If the caster is present, hemay recast spy and use the animal again.

If the animal succeeds in its saving throw, it mayreact in anyway that it wants (fleeing, attacking,etc.). The animal will actively seek information fora maximum of one day. The specified meeting timebetween the caster and his minion must be withinone week of the casting.

SSTTAANNDD SSTTIILLLL(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 34Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Large animal or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Will negates (10 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell immediately freezes in place any animalor beast: not humanoids, intelligent animals (thosewith an Intelligence of 3 or better), or magicalbeasts. Flying animals affected by this spell in themidst of flight plummet from the skies (taking theappropriate damage). An animal affected by thestand still spell is unable to move or make a noise,although it is still able to breathe.

SSTTIICCKK SSLLAAPP(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 15Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Tree branchDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes a low-hanging branch of a treewithin range to swipe at a target of the caster’schoosing. The branch takes on a preternatural flex-ibility to slap at its target. The branch does notextend its length and the slap will miss if the tar-get is out of range of the branch. If the target iswithin range, the branch makes an attack roll equal

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to the caster’s base attack bonus plus his Intelli-gence modifier. If the target is surprised by theattack, he is considered flat-footed. The branchinflicts 1d6 points of damage, and threatens a x2critical on a natural 20. Sentient trees are notaffected by this spell.

SSTTIINNKK(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 48Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Area: 20 ft. cubeDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Stink generates the mental impression of a foulsmell in the spell’s area. The stench is actually anolfactory communication, so creatures without asense of smell are not affected by the spell. Normalcreatures caught in the spell’s area must succeed ata saving throw or they will automatically flee thespell’s area. The spell ends early if any windstronger than a light breeze passes through thespell’s effect (referee’s discretion).

SSTTOONNEE SSHHAACCKKLLEESS(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 57Range: PersonalArea: 50 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: Reflex negate (see text)Spell Resistance: No (object)

Stone shackles is a magical ward that protects anarea in a 50 foot radius around the caster when theward is set. It must be cast upon the ground or afloor composed of dirt or stone. When an intrudercrosses into the ward’s area of protection, two hugehands of stone emerge from the ground. Each handgrabs the intruder’s ankles, holding him fast unlessa saving throw is made (DC 13 + caster’s level). Asuccessful save indicates the intruder was able toretreat back the way he came (outside of the spell’sarea). If an intruder wishes to move into the area,he must make a successful saving throw for everyfive feet he travels each round. Each time anintruder makes the saving throw, the hands reenterthe ground (or floor), resetting the ward. Once theward is reset, it is reactivated as soon as the inter-loper takes another step.

The stone shackles have a Hardness of 8 and 60 hitpoints each. Due to the jarring pain suffered by thevictim when the fists are smashed, the equivalentof half the damage done to the fists is also appliedto the trapped individual as subdual damage.

Once activated, the stone shackles maintain theirhold until they are broken or the caster returns andutters a command word. The caster can choose toallow certain individuals to pass through theward’s area of effect without being affected, butthese people must be present during the casting ofthe spell. The ward will not be activated by crea-tures or individuals that fly into the spell’s radius,nor will it be triggered by Tiny or smaller beings.

If the fists are destroyed or the command word isuttered, the ward is dispelled. The ward is other-wise permanent.

SSUUCCCCOORR(Healing)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 118Range: TouchTarget: Medium creature or smallerDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Succor heals 4d20 hit points of damage on a Medi-um size creature or smaller. The spell healsinjuries that might have complications, such asinternal bleeding, brain hemorrhaging, and com-pound fractures. This spell is held in reserve toheal the most serious battlefield wounds. The spellis not commonly known outside of military prac-tice or within large houses of healing.

Succor can be used to draw out gangrenous infec-tion, cure migraine headaches, or ease pain anddiscomfort caused by chronic illness or disease.

Like all healing spells, succor does not affect any-one who is tainted by Void. This spell will notgrant hit points above the recipient’s original total,nor does it affect undead.

SSUUMMMMOONN LLIIGGHHTTNNIINNGG(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 155Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Object or creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

Summons a great lightning stroke from the sky toaffect one target of the caster’s choosing. Storms orclouds are not necessary for this spell to work—though the caster must be out in the open, underthe sky, in order to summon the lightning. (He maynot be in a building or underground.) The lightningstrike causes 5d12 points of electrical damage.Flammable material upon the target might catchfire (thatch roofs, dried wood, clothing, etc.).

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Creatures struck always take full damage from thespell. They must save, however, against three pos-sible side effects (all Fort saves at DC 18 + caster’slevel): paralysis, blindness, and deafness. Theseeffects last one week, at which time the target maymake an additional save. Success on the secondsave means the problem fades. Failure indicates apermanent disability that can only be cured with atouch of the divine or greater healing spell.

SSUUMMMMOONN MMEETTAALL OOBBJJEECCTT(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 17Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Metal object (Medium-size or smaller)Duration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: No

This spell permits the caster to manipulate invisi-ble electrical energy from the palm of his hand thatcan grasp hold of and wrench free any metal (ormostly metal) object. If the target object is alreadyheld by someone or held in place by restraints, themage must make a Will saving throw roll versusthe holder’s Strength. (In other words, the holder’sStrength check becomes the DC for the Will save.)If successful, the mage is able to instantaneouslywrench the object from the grasp of his opponentand guide it to his own hand. Failure means thatthe mage was unable to gain possession of the itemand the spell ends. The caster is able to orient theitem during transit so that, for example, he graspsthe hilt of a sword instead of the blade. The spelllasts just long enough for the object to fly to thehand of the caster and then ends.

SSUUMMMMOONN SSTTOORRMM(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 228Range: Line of sightEffect: Storm, 200 ft. radiusDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell creates a storm of short duration withinthe spell’s area. The type of storm summoned isdependent upon the actual weather conditions atthe time and the climate of the area. In temperateareas during the spring, summer and autumn, or intropical regions all year round, a mage can sum-mon up a heavy rain storm with strong winds. Thedownpour will turn dirt roads and open groundinto muddy quagmires, making movement diffi-cult. The strong winds and pouring rain limit visi-bility to only about ten or fifteen feet. Althoughthose caught in the storm will be soaked through,

they will not suffer any damage. In addition toautomatically extinguishing any unprotectedflames, storm winds cause ranged weapon attacksand Listen checks to suffer a –4 circumstancepenalty. Rain reduces visibility ranges by half,resulting in a –4 penalty to Spot and Searchchecks.

During the winter in temperate climates or in arc-tic regions all year round, the caster may summona blizzard. The heavy snow fall and high windswill cause “white-out” conditions. While falling,snow reduces visibility as rain (–4 penalty toranged weapon attacks, Spot checks, and Searchchecks). Once on the ground, it reduces movementby half. Snow has a 50% chance of extinguishingsmall unprotected flames, such as candles.

In sandy desert conditions, the caster is able tosummon a sandstorm. These desert storms differfrom other storms in that they have no precipita-tion. Instead, a dust storm blows fine grains of sandthat obscure vision, smother unprotected flames,and can even choke protected flames (50%chance). Spell-summoned dust storms are accom-panied by severe winds and leave behind a depositof 1d6 inches of sand. In addition to automaticallyextinguishing any unprotected flames, severewinds cause protected flames (such as those oflanterns) to dance wildly and have a 50% chanceof extinguishing these lights. Ranged weaponattacks and Listen checks suffer a –4 penalty.

The summoned storm may be moved at twice thecaster’s normal base movement.

SSUUNNBBUURRNN(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 35Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Humanoid creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: Fort negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enables the caster to create a painfulsunburn on a single humanoid target. Since thespell works by intensifying the light and heat of thesun, the sun must be visible in the sky. The spellwill not work if cast indoors, underground, or dur-ing an overcast day.

If the target fails his saving throw, he notices thathis skin becomes red and raw and extremely warmto the touch. The burn occurs on all parts of hisbody, not just the areas exposed to the sun. Simplemovement causes severe pain. Clothing and armoraggravate the pain to such an extent that the victimwill be tempted to remove them. Due to the pain,the victim’s attack rolls suffer a –2 circumstance

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penalty and he loses any positive Dexterity modifi-er to Armor Class. At the spell’s end, all rednessand irritation disappears.

SSUUNNDDEERR(Elemental)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 268Range: Line of SightArea: 400 ft. radiusDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Reflex half (DC 24 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: No

Sunder causes the ground to shake violently insidethe spell’s area around the epicenter. The spell cancollapse buildings and turn the ground into rubble.Rocks fly in all directions, causing 5d12 hit pointsof damage each round to everyone within thespell’s area. (A saving throw is allowed each roundfor half damage.) Buildings also suffer 5d12 pointsof damage every round. The spell lasts for oneminute (10 rounds). Sunder has no effect outsideits area. The mage has the ability to re-direct theepicenter of the spell each round.

Being a highly destructive spell with the ability tofell entire towns or villages, sunder has beenremoved from nearly all libraries of magic in allparts of Loerem. Some cities place wards on theirwalls and key government buildings in case of war,fearful that enemy mages may decide to cast sucha devastating spell. One of the most destructiveEarth magic spells, sunder usually requires that itbe cast by a cabal of highly skilled mages.

SSUUNNSSTTRROOKKEE(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 36Range: TouchEffect: Ray of lightDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflex negates (DC 12 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

Sunstroke concentrates the sun’s rays into a brightarc of light which the caster is able to shoot forthfrom his hand, requiring a ranged touch attack tostrike the target. If the light strikes its intended tar-get, the flesh around the victim’s eyes is burned for2d10 points of damage. He must also make a sav-ing throw or be blinded for 1 minute.

Any creature blinded has a 50% chance to miss incombat, he loses his positive Dexterity bonus to AC(if any), and this condition grants a +2 bonus toenemy attack rolls when attacking the victim, justas if all his enemies were invisible. He moves athalf speed and suffers a -4 penalty on mostStrength and Dexterity-based skill checks. He can-

not make Spot skill checks or perform any activitythat requires vision (such as reading).

The spell may not be cast with any success atnight, underground or on an overcast day.

SSUURRGGEE(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 6Range: TouchTarget: Creature or object touchedDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a small spark that shocks the tar-get for 1d6 points of electrical subdual damage.This is sometimes enough to send weak targets intounconsciousness.

SSWWIIRRLLIINNGG MMOOTTEESS(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 73Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Effect: Swirling lights, 10 ft. radiusDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 15 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes tiny sparks to swirl in multi-col-ored, hypnotic patterns. Anyone viewing the dis-play of lights (other than the caster) must make asuccessful saving throw to resist becomingentranced. Those who are enthralled make allhaste to reach the beautiful sparks and begin danc-ing among them. Tiny surges of blue and whiteenergy crackle among the entranced dancers,inflicting 1d10 points of electrical subdual damageevery round the dancers remain within the cloudof electrical motes. Those who are not entrancedby the motes, but enter into the cloud anyway, willalso suffer the electrical shocks.

Entranced victims of the swirling motes spell areallowed a saving throw every round they are with-in the cloud to come to their senses. Entranced vic-tims who are forcefully removed from the motesimmediately understand what has happened tothem and the spell loses its grip on their minds.

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TTAAIINNTT(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 93Range: TouchTarget: Tiny container of waterDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: No (object)

Taint creates a very deadly, fast-acting poisonwhen cast upon a small amount of water (a pint orless). The poison is clear and has no odor or taste.There is no cure for the poison created, save magic.Only a small dose of the poison need be adminis-tered to obtain a lethal result. The poison is ingest-ed (DC 15), initial 2d4 hp, secondary 2d4 Con.

After one day, the water affected by taint willrevert back to its normal, harmless state.

TTAAIINNTT OOFF TTHHEE VVOOIIDD(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 44Range: TouchTarget: Tiny inanimate object or smallerDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell permits the caster to enchant an inani-mate object no larger than a human hand so that itcauses decay and corruption in another inanimateobject. The enchanted object must touch the targetand does 1d4 points of damage to another inani-mate object per day (ignoring thickness and AC)until the object is completely destroyed or the con-tact is broken. For instance, a coin with taint of theVoid cast upon it will quickly rot through themoney pouch in which it is carried. A nail willdecay the wood into which it is driven. A pebbletossed into a well will eventually foul the water.

TTAAKKEE TTHHAATT!!(Elemental)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 24Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Target: Object or creatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to use the heat fromany fire within 5 feet to burn any target withinrange. The size of the fire determines how muchdamage the spell will cause, up to 3d4 points offire damage. A Small fire (such as a torch) inflicts1d4 points of fire damage, a Medium fire (camp-fire) causes 2d4, and a Large fire (bonfire) produces

3d4 points of damage. Anything larger still onlyinflicts 3d4 points of fire damage. The spell lastsonly one round, although the caster may extendthe duration of the spell through Concentration—and he must continue to make Fortitude savingthrows as if he were still casting the spell.

If he chooses, the caster may change targets eachround he maintains the spell. The caster may notmove farther than a 5-foot step, nor engage in anyactivity other than maintaining the spell. If he doesso, the spell will instantly fail.

TTEELLLL TTHHEE TTAALLEE(Divination – past)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 288Range: PersonalArea: 50 ft. radiusDuration: 1 hour + ConcentrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allows the caster and anyone nearby to viewoccurrences that happened up to one thousandyears ago in an area where a fire has burned in thepast. The vision fills the spell’s area and can beseen by anyone looking into the fire. The visionnormally lasts for an hour, but can be maintainedfor as long as the caster concentrates on theenchantment and doesn’t move.

Dwarven Fire mages created this spell to helpremember past battles, important ceremonies, andthe great deeds of long dead heroes. Because of itscomplexity, this spell is seldom cast, and onlywhen three or more Fire mages can be broughttogether. Use of this and similar spells has begunamong humans, many of whom are trying touncover ancient secrets, mostly centered aroundthe ruined city of Old Vinnengael.

TTHHIICCKK SSKKIINN(Protection)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 60Range: TouchTarget: Creature touchedDuration: 1 hour (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (harmless)

This improved variant of shield me changes thecaster’s skin, making it thick and leathery. Theeffect grants a +4 natural armor bonus to the cast-er’s AC. This change in the caster’s skin does notimpede his movement or reduce his maximumDexterity bonus. This bonus does not stack withany additional natural armor bonuses to AC.

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TTHHOORRNNBBUUSSHH BBAARRRRIICCAADDEE(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 105Range: PersonalEffect: Circle of thorns, 10 ft. high and 4 ft. thickDuration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell raises up a protective wall of thornbush-es around the caster. There is no means of entranceor exit. Anyone attempting to push his waythrough the barricade must make a successfulStrength check (DC 20) and take 2d8 points of dam-age from the razor sharp thorns. Damage is inflict-ed even if the intruder fails to penetrate the barri-cade. Every five feet of the thornbush barricade hasa Hardness of 1 and 24 hit points. After the spellexpires, the thornbushes dry up and crumble backinto the soil.

TTIINNYY BBUUBBBBLLEESS(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 42Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (harmless)

Mitigates the effects of drown-ing upon one humanoid target.Normally, a drowning individ-ual target can hold his breathfor a number of rounds equal totwice his Constitution score.With tiny bubbles, the target isable to receive air that isextracted from the water andfed to him through small bub-bles that fill his nostrils andmouth. The target is able tohold his breath for ten times hisConstitution before having tomake Constitution checks. TheDC of the check remains at 10for the spell’s duration.

This spell does not bestow theability to swim upon the target.

TTOO TTHHEE FFOOUURR WWIINNDDSS(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 232Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)Effect: Black rayDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell blasts any Medium-size (or smaller) tar-get, living or inanimate, with an overwhelmingamount of Void magic. The caster must make aranged touch attack against the target. If the targethas 14 Hit Dice or less (or is an object) the spelldestroys its physical form, reducing it to blacksand that is borne away on the unnatural windsthat accompany the spell. If the target has morethan 14 Hit Dice, he suffers 14d8 points of damage(Fortitude saving throw, DC 22 + caster’s level forhalf damage).

This spell is extremely rare. The Temple of theMagi has hunted down every known existing textof this spell and either destroyed it or locked itaway for safekeeping. Even rumors of the spell’suse is enough to send forth a cadre of armed bat-tlemages and inquisitors in search of the perpetra-tors. Guilds in Dunkarga have banned the spell

from use, although their vigi-lance leaves something to bedesired. The Karnuans havemade use of the spell on one ortwo occasions, and this spell isone of the reasons their wizardsare so feared. It is yet unclearwhether the taan make use ofthe spell or not.

TTOORRTTUURREERR’’SS TTOONNGGSS(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 34Range: TouchTarget: Living creatureDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes debilitatingpain to wrack the entire body ofthe target. The caster must beable to touch the target for theduration of the spell. If contactis ever broken the spell immedi-ately ends. The excruciating

pain caused by this spell may be controlled by thecaster. The wizard can cause 2d6 points of damage,2d6 points of subdual damage, or 1d6 points of

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both regular and subdual damage up to once everyminute of the spell’s duration.

Mages do not have to do actual damage everyminute, but may decide to pace themselvesinstead. The damage typically manifests itself asbroken bones, burns, lesions, bruises, etc., and islimited only by the imagination of the caster. Amage with the Intimidate skill may receive signifi-cant bonuses (determined by the referee) to hisskill checks while using this spell.

TTOOUUCCHH(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 9Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: CreatureDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Touch allows the caster to give a “tap on the shoul-der” to anyone within range. The tap does no dam-age, but can cause an otherwise preoccupied per-son to look in a certain direction. Touch is not per-ceptible by anyone except the target. This spell isusually used to attract someone’s attention. Somemischievous (usually orken) mages use it to playpranks on others.

TTOOUUCCHH MMEE NNOOTT(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 58Range: TouchTarget: Large inanimate objector smallerDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

The ward causes 2d4 points of electrical subdualdamage to anyone. Any creature not expecting theelectrical charge will automatically recoil from itin shock. Gloves or any other type of coveringstouching the object will not protect against theeffect. The ward is activated when someone otherthan the caster or those he has chosen (who mustbe present during the casting) touches the item.

The shock will automatically repel a normal ani-mal, however, humanoids or those with greatwillpower may continue to try to handle the object.The spell will continue to shock the handler everyround it is held.

TTRRAAIILL BBRREEAAKKEERR(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 26Range: TouchTarget: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell allows the caster or someone he touchesto clear a path through snow up to 15 feet deep. Apath ten feet long and four feet wide will open upthrough the snow in the direction the spell’s targetis facing. As the target moves forward, the spellcontinues to shovel the snow out of his path. Thespell works at the target’s base movement. Any-thing faster (such as charge or run actions) willcause the spell to end early.

TTRRAANNSSPPLLAANNTT(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 144Range: TouchTarget: One plant (Huge or smaller)Duration: 1 monthSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

This spell allows one plant to survive and thrive ina climate in which it is not native. For instance,this spell might be used to allow a palm tree to sur-vive the chill of the arctic. Transplant also protectsthe plant from the stresses of travel and climateshift. This spell does not lessen the plant’s relianceon necessities such as water and nutrients. Pottedplants must be cared for as normal.

Once the spell expires, unless the climate haschanged drastically, the plant will wither and startto die. If another transplant spell is immediatelycast, the plant will remain healthy (barringdrought, disease, or other maladies beyond thecaster’s control). First created by exiled Nimoreansto try to grow food in the harsh climate of theirnew homeland, transplant has now gained popu-larity among all human merchants who carry rarewarm-climate plants north into Nimorea andTromek.

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TTRRAAVVEERRSSEE TTHHEE WWAALLLL(Travel)Element:AirCasting Threshold: 12Range: TouchTarget: Humanoid creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Traverse the wall imbues the target with the abilityto climb sheer vertical surfaces or crawl acrossceilings at his base movement with the ease of aninsect. To take advantage of this special ability, therecipient’s hands and feet must be bare.

Movement across vertical surfaces and ceilingsmay only be accomplished by crawling on allfours. It is possible to stand suspended from theceiling of a room as long as both feet are in contactwith the surface, but attempting to walk whileupright will precipitate a fall. The spell effects arenot powerful enough to hold the recipient to a ver-tical surface or ceiling if he has only one hand orfoot in contact with it. If a creature attempts to pullthe target off of a wall or ceiling, an opposedStrength roll is required.

TTRREEEEBBOORRNN SSAANNCCTTUUAARRYY(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 88Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: 12 hoursSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Treeborn sanctuary allows the caster to performone of two actions. The caster may move throughtrees and bushes as if they were as insubstantial asair. Anyone viewing the caster moving throughtrees instead of going around them might be morethan a little discomfited by the sight.

The caster may choose instead to take sanctuarywithin one of the trees through which he is pass-ing. The caster is completely sheltered inside thetree (no matter what the tree’s physical diameter).While within the tree, the caster feels completelysafe. He is able to rest and can draw nourishmentfrom the tree. While inside the tree, the caster iscompletely aware of his surroundings. The casterwill be safe from harm so long as the tree lives. Thespell ends once the caster has left the tree or if thetree is cut down (in which case the caster isexpelled but otherwise unharmed).

Sentient trees may make a saving throw (DC 15 +caster’s level) to resist allowing the caster to enterthem or pass through them. If the tree saves, the

caster might well rush headlong into a solid treetrunk.

TTSSUUNNAAMMII(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 148Range: Line of sightEffect: Tidal wave, 30 ft. high and 300 ft. wideDuration: See textSaving Throw: See textSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to raise water from thesea or a large inland lake to form a towering wave.The spellcaster must be able to clearly see thetsunami he is creating, and indicate the directionthe wave must travel. The tsunami “builds” forthree rounds before it hits shore at terrific speed.When the wave reaches shore it travels inland forthree rounds with a movement of 400 feet. Thewave has an effective Strength of 35 and is capableof demolishing buildings, uprooting trees andother vegetation, and killing nearly anyone in itspath. When the wave passes over an object or crea-ture, it immediately inflicts 2d12+12 points ofdamage. (Any object not “swept away” by the wavecontinues to take this damage for three full rounds.Objects pulled along with the water only take thedamage once.) A creature hit by the wave mustmake a Swim skill check (DC 25), or he must beginmaking Constitution checks each round (DC 10,checks increase by 1 each round). When the Con-stitution check is failed, the victim begins todrown (see Core Rulebook II, page 85 for informa-tion on drowning). It will take 1d4 successfulSwim checks (full-round actions at DC 15) to reachthe surface once underwater.

Once aimed, the wave moves in the indicateddirection without further effort or guidance by thecaster. The tsunami may be impeded by obstaclescomparable in size and capable of resisting itsforce (such as a large seawall).

Tsunami cannot be cast if completely out of sightof land. Small ships that are caught in the wave arealmost certainly capsized (referee’s discretion to letskill rolls or use of magic save the ship).

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UUNNDDEEAADD CCRREEAATTUURREE(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 192Range: TouchTarget: Huge corpse or smallerDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell permits the caster to raise a corpse thathas been dead for up to a week. As with raise dead(Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook, page131), the target of this spell retains the most vividmemories from life, and many of its predominantbehaviors are preserved also. Creatures raised fromthe dead in this way retain the same ability scoresthat they possessed in life (with a maximum 10Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). Those whohad skills in life may still possess up to two skills(caster’s choice), with 5 ranks maximum. All otherabilities are identical to a zombie of equal size (seeCore Rulebook III).

The target of this spell can exist without food orwater, since the spell’s magic fortifies the target’sbody, allowing the creature to endure for years,possibly decades. Should the target take so muchdamage that it is effectively “dead” again (zero hitpoints) the spell will fail. Bodies that have beenseverely mutilated, are missing limbs, or have beendecapitated will not be able to contain the magicthat will restore them to “life,” and the spell willfail. The undead creature is able to think and acton its own, but will always obey the commands ofits creator without question or hesitation.

UUNNNNOOTTIICCEEDD(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 32Range: Personal or TouchTarget: Caster or touched creatureDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Unnoticed permits the spell’s recipient to escapethe notice of animals (mammalian and otherwise).Animals within a 20-foot radius are unable to see,smell, or hear the recipient of the spell. If an ani-mal is touched or otherwise bothered by someoneaffected by this spell, the animal is allowed tomake a Will saving throw (DC 12 + caster’s level).If successful, the animal is aware of the recipientand will react appropriately to the situation. Thisspell does not work on humanoids, although it iseffective against intelligent animals (those with anIntelligence of 3 or better).

UUNNWWIITTTTIINNGG AASSSSAASSSSIINN(Charm)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 148Range: TouchTarget: Humanoid creatureDuration: 1 monthSaving Throw: Will negates (DC 20 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows the caster to imbed a hidden sug-gestion deep within the victim’s mind. To do so,the caster must be able to touch the victim’s headfor the entire casting of the spell. A break in con-tact will cause the spell to fail. Although any sug-gestion might be implanted, the spell gained itsname since the Wyred found it useful in carryingout assassinations to which they did not want to beconnected.

Once the spell has been successfully cast, the vic-tim has no recollection of the casting, nor does hehave any knowledge of the suggestion left withinhis mind. The suggestion that is left by the spellcan be anything that the caster desires, as long as itis does not send the victim to certain death. Forinstance, the caster cannot leave a suggestion thatcommands the victim to commit suicide. However,a command to “kill the master of your House”could be implanted with hope of succeeding.

The command implanted into the target’s mindwill lie dormant for up to a month, or until trig-gered by a particular circumstance that is linked tothe command. “Kill the master of your Housewhen you see him next,” is an example of such acircumstance. When the command is triggered, thevictim is allowed a saving throw to resist. If suc-cessful, the compulsion passes. The victim maywonder what came over him, but he won’t knowthat a spell was placed upon him.

If the victim fails the save, he will immediately actupon the compulsion, attempting to carry it out atall costs and stopping only when presented withcertain death (guards restrain him and placeswords to his throat).

Upon either completion or failure of the task, thesecond portion of the charm activates. The target isovercome with terrible guilt. He confesses to beingthe one who planned the deed and gives his moti-vation for the act, usually planted by the caster.

If the compulsion is not triggered within a month’stime, the spell fades. The victim remembers that hehas been ensorcelled, though he will have noknowledge of those who enchanted him.

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UUPPRRAAIISSEE(Transport)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 34Range: Personal or Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Area: Creature or object (Large or smaller)Duration: ConcentrationSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Upraise allows the caster to raise himself, anothercreature, or an inanimate object into the air at a rateof 10 feet every round (or drop down at the samerate). The spell lasts as long as the caster’s concen-tration is not broken or until the target is beyondthe spell’s range. The spell affects vertical move-ment only. Upraise can be cast upon unwilling tar-gets.

VVEENNOOMM IIMMMMUUNNIITTYY(Animal)Element: Earth/FireCasting Threshold: 32Range: Touch and Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Creature touched and one animal (Small-size orsmaller)Duration: 1 daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell makes a touched creature immune to thevenom from a venomous creature for the durationof the spell. The animal must be within Close rangeof the target while the spell is being cast.

WWAAKKEE UUPP!!(Electricity)Element: Air/FireCasting Threshold: 9Range: PersonalArea: 10 ft. burst, originating from casterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a magical electrical pulse thatemanates from the caster to a distance of ten feet inall directions. The spell is effective in instantlyrousing any creature from slumber, even the deep-est sleeper. Every living creature within the area ofthe spell takes 1 point of electrical subdual dam-age, enough to knock small insects senseless, star-tle birds and rodents into fleeing and drive wormsto the ground’s surface. Anyone asleep in the areaof effect will be jolted unpleasantly into wakeful-ness. Dwarves developed this spell to rouse lazymembers of their Clan.

WWAALLKK OONN WWAATTEERR(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 29Range: PersonalArea: 10 ft. radius centered on casterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes

Permits the recipient to walk or run on water as ifit were solid ground. The caster must touch therecipient. If walking on placid waters, such as acalm lake or pond, the recipient may move aboutas he would normally. If the water is slightly dis-turbed or windswept, the recipient must success-fully make a Balance skill check (DC 10) everyminute to avoid losing balance and falling down.The DC of the check is increased to 15 everyminute if the waters are rough or if the recipient isattempting to run on calm seas. A much harderskill check (DC 20) is required to maintain footingin rough lakes or seas. The spell will not allowsomeone to walk on water in conditions worsethan rough seas. Should the recipient fall down, hemust make a second skill check with a –5 circum-stance penalty to his Balance check to regain hisfooting.

WWAARRDD AAGGAAIINNSSTT LLIIVVIINNGG DDEEAADD(Necromancy)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 31Range: PersonalEffect: 20 ft. radius, centered on casterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell acts as a threshold to keep undead fromentering into a circle up to 20 feet in diameter, cen-tered upon the caster, that moves with him.Undead may make a Will saving throw (DC 20 +caster’s level) to enter into the warded area. Non-intelligent undead under the direct control ofsomeone else may use their master’s Will save toovercome the ward. If the ward touches an undeadwho is unable to move away from the spell’sboundary, the creature is able to move into theward’s area of effect without penalty.

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WWAARRPP(Plant)Element: Earth/WaterCasting Threshold: 48Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: Medium non-living wood object or smallerDuration: PermanentSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Warp causes one contiguous piece of wood (non-living) to become severely twisted. The caster canchoose to affect one target within range. Warpeddoors spring from their jambs. Weapon hafts arerendered useless. Tables and chairs tilt and wob-ble. Small wooden boats can be made to leak. Thisspell will ruin bows and crossbows beyond repair,as well as foul arrows and crossbow bolts. Theeffects of warp are permanent and can only bereversed through use of another warp spell usedspecifically to restore the item.

WWAATTEERRSSHHIIEELLDD(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 30Range: 10 ft.Target: Gallon of waterDuration: 10 minutesSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Watershield allows the caster to form approximate-ly one gallon of water within range into a large

shield. The water flows from the ground or con-tainer up to the mage’s arm in one round, thenforms a circular, solid disc. The water is not con-verted to ice, but is held in place and made solidby the force of magic.

The shield is light and effective and acts as a largeshield, providing the user with a +2 bonus to hisArmor Rating, but doesn’t hinder spellcasting orlimit the caster’s Dexterity modifier. The water-shield’s primary purpose is to mitigate damagefrom directed fire attacks (such as burning sandand fire bolt). The watershield allows the caster totake only half damage from fire-based attacks. Ifthat attack allows a Reflex save for half damage, thecharacter takes no damage on a successful save.

WWAATTEERRYY DDOOOOMM(Elemental)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 99Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)Target: Large source of waterDuration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Animates water within range of the caster, creatinga water monster that has a minimal intelligence,but can understand the commands “attack” and“desist.” Although the watery doom is able to trav-el across the surface of water and over groundwithout any difficulty, the elemental creature can-not climb steep grades, ladders, or stairs.

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When commanding the creature to attack, the cast-er must specify the target by pointing. The magic ofthe spell allows the monster to discern which tar-get is designated. When the monster catches itsquarry, the creature attempts to envelope the targetand drown it.

The spell normally lasts for one hour so long as thewatery doom remains in sight of the caster. If thecaster loses sight of the monster for more than oneround, the spell will fail. More than one creaturecan be created, but they must both stay within thecaster’s field of vision or both spells will end.

Watery Doom: CR 5;Large Elemental(Water); HD 8d8+24 (60); Init +0; Spd 20ft., swim 90 ft.; AC 18 (-1 size, +9 natural);Atk +10 melee (1d6+5, slap), +10 melee(1d6+5 slap); SA Envelop; SQ Elemental;SV Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 20, Dex 10,Con 16, Int 4, Wis 8, Cha 6.

Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, andstunning. Not subject to critical hits andcannot be flanked. Darkvision 60 ft. Suffersonly half-damage from piercing or slashingweapons.

Envelop (Ex): If both slap attacks are suc-cessful, the target must make a Reflex save(DC 20) or be caught inside the creature.Breaking free of the creature is a move-equivalent action that requires an opposedStrength roll with the creature. A charactertrapped inside may automatically hit withmelee attacks. Anyone trapped inside thecreature must begin making Constitutionchecks each round (DC 10, checks increaseby 1 each round). When the Constitutioncheck is failed, the victim begins to drown(see Core Rulebook II, page 85 for informa-tion on drowning).

WWEEAAPPOONN GGLLAAMMOOUURR(Construction)Element: EarthCasting Threshold: 15Range: TouchTarget: Large melee weapon or smallerDuration: 1 minuteSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No (object)

Weapon glamour can be cast on any Large meleeweapon or smaller. The spell grants the target thequalities of a masterwork weapon, granting a +1enhancement bonus to all attack and damage rolls.The enchanted weapon does not count as a magi-cal +1 weapon for purposes of penetrating damageresistance. This spell has no effect on a weapon

that is already masterwork quality or magicallyenchanted.

WWEEAATTHHEERR BBEEAATTEENN(Weather)Element: Air/WaterCasting Threshold: 23Range: TouchTarget: Small inanimate object or smallerDuration: 1 roundSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

Allows the caster to age a Small inanimate objectas if it has been subject to weathering effects forone hundred years. The object to be affected mustbe touched by the caster. The spell causes metal tocorrode, wood to rot, fabric to fade and fray, parch-ment to yellow, etc. The spell halves the amount ofhit points an object is able to sustain before break-ing or completely disintegrating.

WWHHAATT’’SS TTHHEE DDEEPPTTHH(Divination)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 12Range: PersonalTarget: CasterDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

Permits the mage to measure depth in moderatelydeep waters. The spell may also be used to meas-ure the height of a cliff or wall (assuming the cast-er is standing on top, not down below). The depthof pits, wells and crevasses may also be deter-mined with this spell.

Once cast, the spellcaster must spit into the water(pit, well, or over the side of the wall or cliff) thatis to be measured. The caster instantly knows themeasurement in yards, rods, feet or whatevermakes the most sense to him. Any water deeperthan one mile cannot be measured with this spell.

WWHHEERREE HHAAVVEE YYOOUU BBEEEENN??(Divination – past)Element: FireCasting Threshold: 49Range: TouchTarget: Small inanimate object (or smaller)Duration: 1 hourSaving Throw: NoSpell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell allows the caster to enter a trance-likestate and view the entire history of an object, thepeople who owned it, the places the object hasbeen, and anything traumatic that happened in thepresence of the item that might have left an emo-

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tional impression. This spell can be cast only uponan inanimate object that can be handled easily bythe caster.

The events the item reveals to the caster may bewitnessed as quickly or as slowly as the casterwishes, as if he were searching through his ownmemories. If the caster is interrupted or injuredwhile in the trance, he must make a Concentrationcheck (DC varies, depending on the nature of theinterruption) or the spell will end early.

WWIITTHHEERR(Destruction)Element: VoidCasting Threshold: 75Range: TouchTarget: Large living creature or smallerDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Fort partial (DC 14 + caster’s level)Spell Resistance: Yes

This wicked spell starts a degenerative process thatages and withers the victim. For wither to be effec-

tive, the target of the spell must be touched by thecaster and the contact must be flesh to flesh (allow-ing the target to gain full benefit of his armorbonuses).

Upon first being touched by the caster, the targetsuffers 2d4 points of damage. He must make a sav-ing throw or he is immediately considered taintedby Void (which means this and all others woundsmust heal naturally before the Void-taint isremoved). A successful saving throw also also pre-vents the unnatural aging of wither, which causesthe target to age 3d10 years within seconds of con-tact from the caster.

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WWOOOODDEENN WWAARRRRIIOORR(Transportation)Element: AirCasting Threshold: 210Range: TouchTarget: Wooden marionetteDuration: Life of casterSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to animate a life-sizedwooden marionette that has been fashioned in theshape of an elven warrior, complete with swordand armor. Such marionettes are highly articulatedand detailed, and look very life-like. Marionettes ofthis quality are quite expensive, costing about 500argents or more.

The wooden warrior spell bestows an intelligenceupon the marionette, allowing it to follow relative-ly complex commands, understand statements,and allowing it a limited capacity to think foritself. It is capable of carrying heavy burdens, mov-ing quickly and can run without tiring.

If a wooden warrior is threatened or preventedfrom completing its current task, the marionettewill automatically attack that which is interferingwith it.

When seen from a distance farther than MeleeRange, a Spot check (DC 25) is required to tell thatmarionette is not real. Only one wooden warriorcan be animated at any one time. The creation ofanother will cause the spell to fail for the original.The wooden warrior will remain animated for thelife of the caster or until destroyed.

A Wyred will make use of this spell only under themost dire circumstances and then probably whenhe is alone or far from Elven lands. Elven warriorswould consider the use of a wooden warrior to bedishonorable in the extreme and would certainlyrefuse to fight alongside it and might even attemptto destroy it themselves, after which they wouldlikely turn on the Wyred who disgraced them bycasting the spell.

Wooden Warrior: CR 2; Medium Con-struct; HD 4d10 (22); Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC18 (+8 natural); Atk +6 melee; Dmg 1d6+3or by weapon; SQ Construct; SV Fort —,Ref +1, Will +1, Str 16, Dex 10, Con —, Int6, Wis 10, Cha 10; Feat-Martial weaponproficiency (caster’s choice). Immune tomind-influencing effects, poison, sleep,paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects,and necromancy. Not subject to criticalhits, subdual damage, ability damage, abil-ity drain, or energy drain.

YYOOUU DDOONN’’TT WWAANNTT MMEE(Communication)Element: WaterCasting Threshold: 132Range: TouchTarget: Small inanimate object (or smaller)Duration: Life of caster (D)Saving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

This spell acts to protect any inanimate object ofappropriate size. The ward is triggered if the objectis moved by anyone except the caster or those heindicates (who must be present when the spell isfirst cast). The ward has an effective Intelligence of9 that allows it to shout out a description of theperson or creature who touches it. The ward’sshouts can be heard by all those within 50 feet ofthe object.

For every minute the thief handles the object or iseven within ten feet of it, the more exact the ward’sdescription becomes. For instance, a Nimran thiefdecides to steal a valuable vase. Unbeknownst tothe thief, the vase’s owner has cast you don’t wantme on the vase. The moment the thief picks up thevase, the ward is able to obtain only a roughdescription of its handler. The ward declares, “I ambeing stolen. The thief is wearing black boots,black breeches, a linen shirt, gloves, and a clothmask.”

In the next minute, if the thief continues to holdthe vase or remains within the vicinity where theward can see him, the ward will shout, “I am beingstolen by a dark-skinned human male, over five-feet in height, wearing black leather boots, blackbreeches that are frayed around the hem, a graylinen shirt, leather gloves, and a black cloth mask.”

Should the thief change his attire in any way, theward will adjust its description, rattling off a longlist of what the thief was formerly wearing, as wellas his current attire. If the thief decides to take theitem and run, the ward will begin to shout out itssurroundings, the direction of travel, constructionin the area, foliage, and so on.

Attempts to silence the ward are nearly impossi-ble. The ward’s cry is plainly audible, even if theitem is swaddled in cloth and buried at the bottomof a pack.

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MAGIC SPELLS 147

SPELL DESIG

N

Chapter 6

y life is full, despite the looks of fear and

awe cast my direction by my blood relations.

They cannot understand me. They do not

know the secrets that I know. And enlighten-

ment is not something that I am permitted to

bestow. Through no fault of their own, they are

not, and cannot be, my family.

My true family, the people to whom I can turn

to in times of need, are the Wyred. Although

honor demands allegiance to my blood, my House,

my Divine, honor does not own my heart.

Many think that we Wyred are uncaring.

Others view the tattoo that marks us as

Wyred with distrust. We are not monsters,

and we are passionate. The one passion that

consumes us, above all else, is our passion for our

magic!

MSTADYL, ELVEN WYRED

OF HOUSE MABRETON

148

SPELL DESIGNThe spells provided in this book are just a few ofthe ways in which magic an be used in SovereignStone. Those who use magic in Loerem will facemany challenges and situations that are unique totheir characters. Thus, they may be interested increating spells that are uniquely their own. Playerswill find it both fun and rewarding to create spellswhose use may alter the course of history, savetheir adventuring party from annihilation, or gainthe treasure from a bahk’s lair.

First the mage must gain the required materialsneeded for spellcasting. Since spellcastingresources are sometimes difficult to find, charac-ter-created spells should be considered dweomersin terms of the availability of resource material,regardless of the spell’s CT or effects (see Chapter2).

Once the mage has located resource materials thatare sufficient for his spell creation needs, the char-acter must find the time to experiment and createthe spell. The player should design the spell usingthe rules presented in this chapter and shouldallow the referee adequate time to review it.

Four factors must be considered when creating anew spell or converting a spell from another sys-tem to be used in the Sovereign Stone setting.

Size: This factor defines the target (or targets),effect, or area affected by a single casting of thespell.

Range: This is an indication of how far from thecaster the spell can reach. It is the maximum dis-tance from the mage that the spell’s effect canoccur.

Power: What the spell accomplishes when it iscast. Some spells may have a number of powers,each of them modifying the overall CT (CastingThreshold) of the spell.

Duration: The length of time the effects of the spelllast.

Each factor has a number of costs. All of these costsare added together to obtain the factor’s total. TheCT of a spell is then calculated as follows:

Always use all the factors and costs that apply to aparticular spell.

SIZEThe first facet of spell design is the spell’s size.How many creatures or objects can it affect? What’sits area? How many creatures can it summon?When considering the size of a spell, the designermust first decide if it affects an individual target,multiple individual targets, an entire area, or cre-ates an effect or summons something rather thanaffecting things that are already present.

Target or EffectThe target or effect factor is used if the spell affectsan individual target (or multiple individual tar-gets), or has an effect. Spells that use the target oreffect factor do not affect an area. For instance, if amage were to create a spell that magically lifts arock from the ground and hurls it, then the targetor effect factor is used.

The cost for the target or effect factor is determinedbased on the largest target or effect that may beaffected by the spell. The caster can always choosea target that is smaller than that allowed by thespell, but never anything larger. Effects alwaysmanifest themselves as they are described in thespell. In the above example, if the mage designedthe spell to hurl rocks the size of his fist, the magecould still use the spell to fling pebbles, since theyare smaller, but could never use the spell to hurlrocks larger than his fist.

Note: Spells that only cause damage (to creaturesor objects) or are mental compels are consideredenergy only. All other magically generated effectsor spells that affect a target or multiple targets mustpay for the sizes listed.

Constructs, elementals, and undead type creaturesmay be created using spells. The size of the con-struct, elemental, or undead is determined by thetarget size of the spell, and thus the size cost for thespell is determined as well. However, the base

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SPELL DESIGN 149

TABLE 6.1: TARGET AND EFFECT SIZE COSTS

Target or Effective Size Cost

Energy only 2Fine (fly) 2Diminutive (toad) 2Tiny (cat) 2Small (pecwae) 3Medium (human) 4Large (horse) 5Huge (giant) 6Gargantuan (dragon) 7Colossal (fort) 8Massive (castle) 10

CCAASSTTIINNGG TTHHRREESSHHOOLLDD = (TOTAL SIZE X TOTAL RANGE) +

(TOTAL POWER X TOTAL DURATION)

physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, andConstitution) for the animated or summoned crea-ture are first determined as if the creature pos-sessed base ability scores of 10. Then modifiers areapplied due to the creature’s type, as presented inTable 6.2.

Once the base physical attribute scores are calcu-lated for the creature, then the scores for the crea-ture’s actual size may be determined by consultingTable 6.3. Creatures who are larger or smaller thanMedium-size are given bonuses or penalties totheir ability scores according to their size.

The adjustment for size should be repeated if thecreature is more than one size larger or smallerthan Medium-size. For example, if a spell creates aHuge elemental, it gets +16 to its Strength, -4 to itsDexterity, +8 to its Constitution, +6 to its NaturalArmor, and –2 to attack bonus and Armor Class.

Size also dictates the number of Hit Dice that aconstruct, elemental, or undead creature createdby a spell will have. However, the creature willhave the Hit Die size normally associated with itstype d10 for constructs, d8 for elementals, andd12 for undead (see Core Rulebook III, page 13).For example, a Large elemental would have 2d8Hit Dice, while a Tiny construct would have a1/4d10 Hit Die (plus modifiers for Constitution, if

applicable). Attack bonuses for constructs and ele-mentals are the creature’s total HD × 3/4, and theattack bonus for an undead creature is its total HD× 1/2 (plus any modifiers for size).

Special Target or Effect CostsTarget may have specific inclusions: The spellmay effect a specified type of target in its size andelemental range. For instance, an Earth magic spellmight affect only the iron in a sword, while a

Earth/Water dual-element spell might affect onlythe wood in the sword’s hilt. The target of theinclusion may be changed every time the spell iscast. An Earth magic spell that has the ability toaffect the iron in a sword may be used during asubsequent casting to affect the silver in a ring.

Cost: +3

Target has a particular specific nature: A spellwith this special cost can affect within its size andelemental range only a specific type of target. Forinstance, a spell that affects only humans fallsunder this category. Such a spell cannot be usedeffectively against anything that does not meetwith the specific nature of the target. A spell thataffects only humans could not be used against

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TABLE 6.2: MEDIUM-SIZE CREATURES CREATED BY SPELL

Type Strength Dexterity Constitution(Base Score 10) (Base Score 10) (Base Score 10)

Construct* +2 +0 —Elemental +2 +0 +2Undead* +2 +0 —

* Constructs and undead do not have a Constitution score.

TABLE 6.3: CONSTRUCT, ELEMENTAL, AND UNDEAD SIZE MODIFIERS

Creature’s Size Str Dex Con Natural Armor AC/ Attack Hit Dice

Fine -1 +2 +0 +0 +4 1/8Diminutive -2 +2 +0 +0 +2 1/6Tiny -4 +2 +0 +0 +1 1/4Small -4 +2 +0 +0 +1 1/2Medium-size +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 1Large +8 -2 +4 +2 -1 2Huge +8 -2 +4 +4 -1 4Gargantuan +8 Same* +4 +4 -2 16Colossal +8 Same* +4 +4 -4 32Massive +4 Same* +4 +4 -4 64

*No further modifier beyond the last one listed.

orks, elves, dwarves, pecwae, etc. However, itwould affect any one of the human cultures (Vin-nengaelean, Nimran, Karnuan, etc.).

Cost: -1

Multiple Individual Targets: A spell may havemultiple individual targets. The cost for the firsttarget is paid for normally, and a cost of +1 isadded for each additional target that can be affect-ed by the spell. For instance, creating a spell that iscapable of affecting two Medium-size targets costs5 points (4 for the first target, plus 1 for the sec-ond). A spell that can affect three Colossal targetscosts 10 points (8 for the first target plus 1 for thesecond plus 1 for the third). The spell charm flockis a good example of this special cost.

Cost: +1 per additional target

Effect is a ray: The spell manifests itself in theform of a ray. The ray may be aimed by the spell-caster as if using a ranged weapon, although thecaster usually makes a ranged touch attack withthe ray rather than a normal ranged attack. Rayspells with durationmeasure the effects ofthe ray, not how longthe ray itself lasts. Onlyindividual targets maybe affected by a spellwhose effect is a ray.

Cost: -1

Effect is a spread: Thespell manifests itself asa spread, emanatingfrom a point of originand expanding towardtheir maximum size.The caster must desig-nate and be able to see apoint of origin for thespell. However, hedoesn’t have to haveline of effect (see Chap-ter 2 in this book) to all portions of the effect.

Cost: +2

Area or Effect Size Some spells affect an area, rather than individualtargets. The spellcaster is able to select the placewhere the spell will take effect but cannot controlwhich creatures or objects are affected by the spellonce it is cast. There are times that a spell willdescribe a specially defined area, or will onlyaffect certain objects or creatures within a givenarea. The costs on Table 6.4 are relevant not only

for the size of a spell’s area of effect, but also thesize of a spell’s effect (Target or Effect above).

Special Area or Effect CostsArea or Effect is a cube: The spell’s area or effectmanifests itself as a cube. The sides of the cube aretwice as long as the purchased radius.

Cost: +1

Area or Effect may have “holes” or exclusions:“Holes” may be assigned to the area or effect in

order to isolate certainspots from the spelleffect. These “holes”may change each timethe spell is cast. Forinstance, weather con-trol can be cast so that itexcludes areas that maycontain anti-magicwards. Or perhaps thecaster does not want aspell to affect his allies,and can manipulate thespell’s effect so that theyare left free of its effects.

Cost: +3

Area or Effect is planar(not a volume): Insteadof manifesting itself as a

sphere (or cube if purchased), the area of the spellmanifests as a horizontal sheet in the shape of a cir-cle (or square in the case of cubes). Spells with aplanar area or effect have no perceivable depth.

Cost: -1

Spell Area or Effect is shapeable (S): This allowsthe caster to alter the shape of the spell’s area oreffect. Before it can be modified, the spell’s area oreffect must first be a cube. The effects or area isgiven as 10-foot cubes to make it easy to modelirregular shapes. The area or effect of a shapeablespell must be contiguous.

Cost: +1

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SPELL DESIGN 151

TABLE 6.4: AREA OR EFFECT SIZE COSTS

Area or Effect Size Cost2 ft. radius sphere 35 ft. radius sphere 510 ft. radius sphere 720 ft. radius sphere 950 ft. radius sphere 11100 ft. radius sphere 13200 ft. radius sphere 15400 ft. radius sphere 17

Spell is a boundary effect: The spell’s area is aboundary effect rather than an area-filling effect.This is part of the spell design and may not bechanged from casting to casting. The effect targetsonly things that either cross or attempt to cross intothe area affected by the spell. Objects or live beingsinside or outside of the area do not suffer thespell’s effect (unless they cross its boundary).

Cost: -2

Area is a fixed line: The spell fills an area 2 feetwide and tall by a total length three times theradius of the area purchased.

Cost: -1

Area is a burst or emanation: The spell’s effectbursts out from a point selected by the caster,affecting anything in its area. (Burst effects areused only for instantaneous duration spells.) Anemanation is similar to a burst in that it originatesfrom a point chosen by the spellcaster and radiatesout to affect targets in the area for the duration ofthe spell.

Cost: -1

Area is a cone: The cone shoots away from thecaster in the direction he designates. It starts as apoint directly in front of the caster and widens outas it extends. The radius purchased is the maxi-mum length of the cone and its width at its farthestend.

Cost: -1

Area is a cylinder: If the area of a spell is a cylin-der, its point of origin is chosen by the caster,

which is the center of a horizontal circle and thespell shoots down from the circle, filling the cylin-der. The height of a cylindrical area is 6 times itsradius. For example, if a cylinder’s has a 5-footradius, then its height is 30 feet.

Cost: +1

Area is a spread: The effects of the spell spread outa given distance in all directions. The effects canturn corners.

Cost: +2

Multiple EffectsIf a spell has multiple effects that affect an area indifferent ways, use only the most expensive areacost for determining the spell’s CT. For instance, aspell is designed that has two different effectsupon its area: (1) causes 1d6 points of damage toeverything within a 5-foot radius, (2) does an addi-tional 1d6 points of damage to anyone who movesinto or out of the area. Although the mage has tofactor in the cost for the damage twice (see Powersbelow), he does not have to pay for both the dia-metric area and the boundary effect.

Individual Target within the Area of EffectSome spells may require an individual target com-ponent in addition to an area or effect component.For instance, a spell that does damage over an areaapplies to just that area. A spell that allows a mageto move objects within the area must also have anindividual target component to determine the sizeof the object that can be moved. For example, if amage creates a spell with an area effect in which he

SPELL DESIGN152

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can move particular individual objects up to Medi-um-size, the mage would have to use the Medium-size individual target component.

Scrying SpellsScrying spells do not work beyond their individualtarget or area. A scrying spell with an individualtarget component will relay information about thespecific target only. For instance, if cast upon aperson, the individual target spell might revealwhat the person is saying, or what he looks like,but not the person to whom he is talking or his sur-roundings. A scrying spell with an area componentis able to relay information from anywhere withinthe area. Thus a scrying spell that is able to containa room might reveal everyone and everything inthe room to the caster’s sight and possibly allowhim to hear everything that is said as well. He canfocus on different people, or conversations, allow-ing others to pass from his attention, only tochange his focus later on.

RANGERange indicates how far from the spellcaster thespell can reach. A spell’s range is the maximumdistance from the mage that the spell’s effect canoccur, as well as the farthest distance that the magecan designate the spell’s point of origin.

In addition, all spells must have at least one of thethree following range components.

Static and may not be moved: The spell is notmovable. Once it has been cast and its location ortarget chosen, the spell’s effects cannot move. Ifcast upon a target and the target moves or leavesthe area of the spell, it automatically fails (such asthe Void spell, repel living).

Cost: -1

Attached and moves with target: The spell isanchored to a particular target and remains with

the target when it moves. This category is usuallyused with non-damaging spells or spells that arenormally cast upon willing targets (such as healingspells).

Cost: +0

Directed or affects unwilling targets: Any spellthat does damage to or otherwise affects an unco-operative target. A spell that causes damage tounwilling targets is directed, even though the areaof the spell may not move (sheet lightning, forexample). A spell that would normally be attachedbut acts against an unwilling target is considereddirected instead (such as personal raincloud).

Cost: +1

Special Range CostsSpecial range enhancement: Used exclusively forspells that have a finite size, but whose effect canpassively extend beyond it. For instance, an illu-sion can be cast on one person and only that per-son will see the illusion. On the other hand, anillusion cast into thin air affects anyone who looksat the illusion.

Example: The walk without shadow spell (Sover-eign Stone Campaign Sourcebook, page 143) has aspecial range enhancement that affects anyonewho looks in the caster’s direction. Those affecteddo not see him. (The target is the caster. The spe-cial range enhancement extends to anyone lookingat him.)

Spells that cause damage are not allowed to havethis range modifier.

Cost: +3

Range based on perceptual viewpoint: The rangeof the spell is centered on the caster’s perceptualviewpoint, not the caster himself. For instance, aspell that allows a mage to scry an area, then createa deadly fireball within close range of the area heis scrying is a spell with a range based upon per-ceptual viewpoint. This range enhancement doesnot allow spells to be cast into the past.

Cost: +3

Range limited by mundane device and/or skill:The spell’s maximum range is limited by whatevermundane device or skill is available to project thespell’s effect. For instance, a mage casting a spellwith a long range (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) might needa longbow or crossbow in order to propel a projec-tile. Spitball (Sovereign Stone Campaign Source-book, page 138) is another example of this limita-tion. No spit, no spell.

Cost: -1

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TABLE 6.5: STANDARD RANGE COSTS

Range Cost

Personal 1Touch 2Close 3

(25 ft. + 5 ft./2 caster levels)Medium 4

(100 ft. + 10 ft./ caster level)Long 5

(400 ft. + 40 ft./ caster level)Sight 6

Split range casting: Used for spells that are initial-ly cast as a touch range spell, but have a closerange or larger effect. For instance, a mage mustfirst touch a person with whom he wants to havecommunication with over a great distance (such asthe spell animal messenger). Both ranges areincluded in the cost of the spell, then this modifi-er is applied to the total. The final cost cannot beless than the cost for touch range.

Cost: -3

Extraordinary Range Costs Two types of spells are ranged beyond visual range:communication and scrying. Communicationspells can operate over extremely long distances orpenetrate normal barriers such as walls, chests,boxes and the like. Some Void spells use this rangeto penetrate the barrier of death. Both Air andWater magic can be used to create communicationspells, but it should be noted that only Water magiccan penetrate barriers. Although an Air magic spellmight be able to send whispers upon winds thatcan contact others beyond normal sight, Watermagic can trickle down through the earth or flowunderneath walls. For instance, if the target of thespell is locked away in a windowless dungeon cell,an Air spell is not going to be able to reach him,whereas a Water magic spell will. Scrying spellscan reach beyond the mundane world to look intothe past (Fire magic), or to look in on someone halfa continent away or more.

Spells can combine both standard and extraordi-nary ranges. A divination of the past might work togather information about an item the mage holds inhis hands (touch/scrying into the past split rangespell).

The special effects for conventional ranged spellsalso apply to spells with an extraordinary range.For example, a Void, Water, or Fire magic spellmay be limited by a mundane device and/or skillor their range could be based on the caster’s per-ceptual viewpoint. Use all the costs that apply tothe particular spell.

Fire magic can be used to scry into the past, gov-erned by certain time limits. A mage may not scryinto events that have occurred within the nearpast. One week must pass before the mage can seethe events that transpired beyond that week. Thereason for this, according to most learned mages ofLoerem, is that the near past (within seven days)remains cluttered by echoes from the present. Afterseven days have passed, these echoes are dispersedand the mage may use his scrying spell to see clear-ly.

The spell’s individual target size or the spell’s areadetermine the reach of a spell’s range past its mun-dane target. For instance, if a magic-user is scryingan area that is 10 feet in diameter in order to seewhat transpired there, the area determines howmuch the caster is able to view (in this case, a 10-foot diameter). If he is targeting a particular objectto obtain information about its past, then the spellwill show only the individual object in the past. Amage can receive information from the past, but hecannot send information to the past nor can he doanything to alter events that have already occurredin the past.

Void magic cannot be used to scry, but Void magiccan be used to communicate with and compel enti-ties that are beyond life, especially those attuned tothe Void, but not consumed by it when they died.

POWERSSize and range form the framework for the spell.However, the spell’s powers, what the spell accom-plishes once it is cast, is the heart of any spell.Powers define a spell and reveal its usefulness.Powers also add the most to a spell’s cost. Whencreating spells be advised to avoid the temptationof creating “the spell that can do everything” trap.Such spells are often too difficult to cast, almostalways draining the caster to the point of uncon-sciousness. Therefore they end up unused. Don’ttry to make a spell that does too much all at once.It can be hazardous to one’s health!

Spells can have numerous effects. Each power hasinherent advantages and limitations, and each canbe subject to enhancements or limitations. A spellmay often have more than one effect. Spells can bedesigned to do several things simultaneously. Forexample, a mage could design a single Earth spellthat would dig a hole, build a wall with the newdirt from the hole, and cause the wall to shoot ironspikes, although the cost of such a spell would beprohibitive. The following provides detaileddescriptions of various powers.

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TABLE 6.6: EXTRAORDINARY RANGE COSTS

Range Cost

Beyond sight 5Beyond barrier 5Scrying the present 2Scrying a week into the past 3Scrying a month into the past 4Scrying a year into the past 6Scrying a decade into the past 8Scrying a century into the past 10Scrying a millennium into the past 20

Inform PowersInform powers produce or receive some form ofinformation, be it a spoken word or sentence, atouch, a taste, a smell, or a tactile sensation. Informpower spells allow the caster to send this informa-tion to the target(s) of the spell. Such spells mayalso allow the caster to open a channel of commu-nication between the target and himself. Informpowers are most easily cast with Water magic.Thus Water magic spells with inform powers areeasier to cast than inform power spells of othermagical elements. Earth and Air magic informpower spells must deal specifically with each par-ticular element, as with the sense Earth magic andsense Air magic spells (see the Sovereign StoneCampaign Sourcebook, page 134). For example, anEarth magic spell might be created to aid a jewelerby informing him of flaws in gems, while an Airspell could be devised to inform the caster that hewas in the presence of poisonous fumes.

If a spell with an inform power is meant to aid thecaster in receiving information, the caster is thetarget of the spell and must count himself as suchwhen calculating the spell’s costs, just as if thespell were meant to be cast upon someone else.Thus, if two-way communication is to be estab-lished by an inform power spell, then both senderand receiver are targets and the cost must be fig-ured to include both. If the spell includes commu-nication with two people in addition to the caster,then all three count as targets.

A spell that allows the caster to speak to all ani-mals within a given area is counted as a split rangespell that must have both individual target size andarea costs included.

Inform power spells cannot pry into the minds ofother beings without their knowledge. An informpower spell can allow the caster and a target tocommunicate without spoken words, but these arethoughts that are consciously transmitted via thespell. The mage can use an inform power spell tolearn things about people, provided he knows thequestions to ask and they are willing to allow himto do so. In this case, the mage has a limited viewinto the thoughts of a person (those thoughts theperson wants him to see) or may ask specific ques-tions about some person or event, etc. Responses tosuch questions are generally limited to “yes,” “no,”and “maybe.” For example, MacAlistar has beenfreed from a dungeon. He recalls that there wastreasure hidden there, but he can’t remember theexact location. A mage may use an inform powerspell to take MacAlistar back through the dungeonin his mind in order to locate the treasure room.

Receive one sense: Allows the caster to receiveinformation through one sense belonging to the

caster or another target. This information can beeither a sensory impression (bestows one with low-light vision) or abstract information (reveals therelative quality of a gem). The spell can substitutefor a missing sense, such as allowing the blind tosee. The spell can provide information from some-thing that cannot normally be sensed or under-stood, such as being able to “see” magic or under-stand the speech of animals.

As has been stated before, communication is anaspect of Water magic and thus Water magic hasthe ability to be most flexible in developing informpower spells. Other elemental magicks are limitedin what they can do by their various aspects. AnEarth magic inform power spell might be able toaid a moneychanger recognize a true gold coinfrom a counterfeit that is mixed with other metalsby informing him of the coin’s true nature. A Firemagic spell with inform powers might inform thecaster of the temperature of a forge fire. Watermagic can do both of these.

Water magic cannot substitute for dual-elementspell effects. Speaking to land-based animals is aninform power effect that belongs only to Earth/Firedual-element spells. Water magic must be supple-mented with Earth magic to allow communicationwith plants. The other dual-element spells react inmuch the same way. Therefore, be certain to con-sider other elemental magicks and their individualareas of specialization when creating a spell.

Base Cost: 3

Special Inform Power CostsWater magic: Because communication, and there-fore inform powers, is the strength of Water magic,Water magic spells more easily create informpower effects.

Cost: -1

Each additional sense: The basic inform powerallows the spell to receive information appropriateto one of the five senses. This special power allowsthe spell to receive one additional sense, that canbe purchased once for each sense. The senses arespecified when the spell is designed and cannot bechanged when cast.

Cost: +1

Send instead of receive: Projecting information iseasier than receiving information. A spell that onlysends information is less expensive than an equiv-alent spell that receives information. This powerprovides no indication as to whether the informa-tion has been successfully received.

Cost: -1

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SPELL DESIGN 155

Send and receive: This modifier permits a spell toact as a two-way information conduit. The target ofthe spell does not have to communicate throughthe same magical connection. Communication mayproceed at any time, so long as the spell’s durationis still in effect.

Cost: +1

Target is an inanimate object: Spells that revealemotional imprints or past deeds that were com-mitted in the presence of an inanimate object nor-mally use this power. Information from the pastcan be gleaned from a non-living target, even if thetarget was once living. Void spells that allow themage to communicate with undead also use thisfactor.

Cost: +1

Very Specific target: The spell is tailored to some-one or something with whom the mage is familiar.The spell may not be used on someone the mageknows only by reputation or has never met. Thespell works only on the individual or object forwhich it was created. For example, Kaldek createsan inform power spell that works only when castupon his sister. If he tries to cast the same spell onanyone else, it fails.

Cost: +1

Specific type of living target: Same as above,except the spell works on types of living targets.Examples of a specific type of target are: aberra-tions, animals, beasts, dragons, elementals, fey,giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstroushumanoids, oozes, plants, shapechangers, undead,and vermin. A spell created to affect onlyhumanoids of a certain species (such as orks orhumans) would not use this power.

Cost: +2

General living target: Spells with this specialpower are able to affect any living being uponwhom the spell is cast. For instance, a spell thataffects any mammal within a specified area woulduse this special power.

Inform power spells that enhance a natural sensesuch as smell, sight, or taste use the general livingtarget factor for determining power cost. The spellallows the caster to perceive everything at theheightened awareness. For instance, a spell thatgives its caster better vision permits him to seeeverything more clearly, not just other livingbeings.

Cost: +3

Target type modifier: The modifiers on target typemay be made more specific, so long as this does

not duplicate a lower cost effect. For instance, aspecific type of living target power could be madeto work on elves rather than humanoids. A generalliving target power could be made to work on“land-dwelling mammals” rather than “mammals”in general.

Cost: -1

Information can be recorded: The inform powermay “record” information for later use. The abilityto record this information ends when the spell’sduration expires (such as the fire scry spell, page119 in the Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook).

Cost: +2

Negate a sense: Senses may be negated as well asenhanced. A mage may remove a target’s sight orhearing, deaden a target’s sense of touch or hissense of taste. (Since one of Void magic’s aspects isnegation, this special power only costs +1 whenused in Void magic spells.)

Cost: +3

Notes About Inform PowersAlthough any form of elemental or dual-elementalmagic may have spells that use inform powers, thespell’s final capability should always be in linewith the element’s magical aspects.

Inform power spells are always specific in thatthey provide only one type of information. Forinstance, a spell that allows the caster to knowwhat the owner of an object looks like will per-ceive a likeness of the owner. If the caster wants toknow the name of the person who owns the item,the spell must be crafted with the intent to providehim with the name.

Compel Powers Compel powers are spells that create illusions,magical suggestions, compulsions, beguilementand possession. Air magic is best suited for causingsuch effects. Through the use of Air magic, intru-sive telepathy is also possible. By combininginform and compel powers, Air magic is able toferret out secrets from within a victim’s mind orreveal the truth behind one’s statements as they arebeing said. Earth/Fire spells can compel animals,while Earth/Water spells are useful for bendingplants to the caster’s will. Only Void magic cancompel undead, force souls to inhabit dead bodiesfor the creation of undead, or allow the mind ofone being to possess the body of another.

Coerce or beguile one target: Allows the caster toforce the spell’s target to do or act in such a waythat is in keeping with the caster’s wishes. A com-pel power that forces a free-willed target to per-

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form an action or attempts to fool a target (such asan illusion) must always have a defined Will save.

Base Cost: 2

Saving Throw DifficultyClass: Every spell that has acompel power must alsohave a Will save associatedwith it. The DC of the Willsave is chosen during thespells creation. Will savecosts are shown in Table6.7.

Target is not alive: This isused to compel undead orconstructs.

Cost: +1

Very specific target: Thespell is tailored to someoneor something with whomthe mage is familiar. Thespell may not be used onsomeone the mage knowsonly by reputation or hasnever met. The spell worksonly on the individual orobject for which it was cre-ated. If cast on anyone oranything else, the spellautomatically fails.

Cost: +1

Specific type of living target: Same as above,except the spell works on types of living targets.Examples of a specific type of target are: aberra-tions, animals, beasts, dragons, elementals, fey,giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstroushumanoids, oozes, plants, shapechangers, undead,and vermin. A spell created to affect onlyhumanoids of a certain species (such as orks orhumans) would not use this power.

Cost: +2

General living target: Spells with this specialpower are able to affect any living being upon

whom the spell is cast. For instance, a spell thataffects any mammal within a specified area woulduse this special power.

Cost: +3

Target type modifier: The modifiers on target typemay be made more specific, so long as this doesnot duplicate a lower cost effect. For instance, aspecific type of living target power could be madeto work on elves rather than humanoids. A generalliving target power could be made to work on“land-dwelling mammals” rather than “mammals”in general.

Cost: -1

Curse: Allows the caster tocreate a spell for an object orperson that will lie dormantuntil triggered. Proximity toanother object or person isusually the trigger used for acurse. For instance, animalcurse causes all animalswithin close range of thevictim to find him extreme-ly annoying. Another cursemight force the victim falldown on all-fours and barklike a dog every time he seesa cat. Proximity to the cattriggers the spell’s effect.Each time a curse’s effectsare triggered, the target isallowed a saving throw.Ways to break curses areoften built into the spell, butare not mandatory. A cursespell may be dispelled nor-mally and lasts only as longas the duration of the spell.

Cost: +2

Suggestions or emotionalappeals only: Serves as a

prompt or motive that will be accepted by the tar-get readily and without question. The suggestionor emotional appeal cannot compel a target intobehavior that is inconsistent with character traitsor past behavior. An attempt to do so makes thevictim aware of the spell and he is allowed a Willsave with a +4 circumstance bonus. Use of spellswith this power should be done very judiciously.

Cost: -2

Fixed specific emotion, suggestion, or illusion:Limited to a specific suggestion, emotional appealor illusion. For example, a spell that creates theillusion of a blue vase every time it is cast. Anoth-

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TABLE 6.7: WILL SAVING THROW DC COSTS

Will Saving Throw DC Cost

5 + caster level +010 + caster level +215 + caster level +420 + caster level +625 + caster level +830 + caster level +10

er spell might make the target feel angry. Althoughthe target can be made to feel an emotion, the spellcannot give the target any specific orders. A spellof this sort could make the target feel lonely andencourage him to seek companionship, but thecaster would not able to specify the nature of thecompanion.

Cost: -3

Low complexity compel or illusions affecting onesense: Creates a suggestion, emotional state or illu-sion that is simple and straightforward. A targetcan be made to perform free actions, such as drop-ping a sword. A target could be made to feel basicemotions such as anger and happiness. Illusionscan be created that affect only one sense, such asinvisibility. Any compel power of this magnitudecan never have a Will save harder than DC 15 +caster level.

Cost: -1

Average complexity compel and illusions affectingtwo senses: The spell can cause a target to performstandard actions, such as making an attack. Thespell could make a target feel a range of emotionsor feel an emotion that is qualified, such as hatingall orks. Illusions can be made that affect two sens-es, such as a spell that would make a target invisi-ble and also allow him to move silently. Any com-pel power of this magnitude can never have a Willsave harder than DC 20 + caster level.

Cost: +0

High complexity compel and illusions affectingthree senses: The spell can force a target to performfull-round actions, such as running. The spellcould be used to invoke complex emotions withunderlying justification (even if the justification isfalse), such as the urge to attack someone becausethat person has killed a close friend. An illusionaffecting three senses may be created. A spellcould make a target invisible, allow him to movesilently, and mask his scent. Any compel power ofthis magnitude can never have a Will save harderthan DC 25 + caster level.

Cost: +1

Very high complexity compel and all sense illu-sion: A compel with the most detailed effects pos-sible allows a complete and realistic manipulationof a target. This includes causing the most complexand subtle of emotional behaviors and responses,or creating an illusion that can affect all the senses.For instance, a spell might allow the mage to forcea target to leap onto a chandelier, swing across theroom, and attack an ork twice the target’s size. Thespell could create the illusion of approaching sol-diers, complete with drums beating and horns blar-

ing. Any compel power of this magnitude cannever have a Will save harder than DC 30 + casterlevel.

Cost: +2

Notes About Compel PowersSize also applies to compel powers. The spell can-not affect beings larger than those specified by thespell’s description. For instance, if a spell is castupon an ork, then the spell must have a Medium-size individual target size or larger to be effective.A mage who wants to use compel on targets insidean area must make certain that the targets are actu-ally inside the area. An illusion that affects anyonewho views it has a size appropriate to the object orscene that it portrays. For instance, an illusion thatdepicts a horse and rider must have a Large indi-vidual target size.

Example: An Earth/Fire dual-element spelldesigned to compel a wolf has a Medium-size indi-vidual target size, compel powers, and the specifictarget special effect. A spell that causes a mage tobecome invisible to all who see him must have aMedium-size or larger individual target size andthe special range enhancement to affect all who seehim.

The mentalism aspect of Air magic allows spellsborn of that element to pry information from anunwilling mind using compel powers. The castermay ask as many questions as the duration or thelimits of the spell permit. The target is allowed aWill save with each new question. If the target isunable to resist the spell’s compulsion, he willanswer information for that one particular ques-tion. Such spells, unless specifically designed todo so, will not circumvent barriers to communica-tion such as language, deafness, or the like. Shouldthe duration of the spell expire before the fullexplanation to one of the caster’s questions can berelated, the target is not forced to continue toanswer. If the target of the spell doesn’t know theanswer to a question, he can answer to that effect.Once the save is made, the spell is broken.

Movement PowersMovement powers can bestow movement on anobject that does not otherwise have the innatepower of movement or can enhance the movementability of a being that can already move on its own.

The cost is based upon the speed of movementgiven to the inanimate object or the multiple addedto the living creature’s pace.

Movement that is bestowed upon a normally inan-imate object can move at the speed given by thespell or slower. For instance, a spell that gives a

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table the ability to hustle, allows the table to moveat a speed anywhere up to 60 feet.

The movement multiplier is used when a spell isdesigned to affect the movement of a target that canalready move on its own. (The multiplier may beused to slow the speed of a target as well as quick-en it.) So, a hippogriff that has a flying speed of 100

feet who has a spell with a movement power ofspeed × 10 would have a maximum flying speed of1000 feet. If the movement power didn’t augmentthe hippogriff’s speed, but instead retarded it,using the same cost, the hippogriff’s maximum fly-ing speed would be slowed to 10 feet. Speed of thisnature does not affect other game mechanics (ini-tiative, AC, attack bonuses and penalties, etc.)except movement.

Movement power effects can give objects the abili-ty to cause damage if they hit a target. For every 25pounds that an object weighs, it will cause 1d6points of damage when hurled by a movementpower (of at least +0d6 strength). However, higherspeeds will give the target object more punch. Forexample, if a boulder weighing 100 pounds is tar-geted by a dash speed movement power effect, theboulder would cause 7d6 (4d6 for being 100pounds + 3d6 for its speed) points of dam-age provided it hits a target. Objects weighingless than 1 pound do not have a base damage die.Instead, such objects cause damage equal to thespeed that they are hurled by the movement powereffect. For instance, a pebble is hurled by a move-ment power at flash speed. If it hits, the pebble willcause 4d6 points of damage. A movement powereffect can never cause an object to do more than20d6 points of damage, regardless of the object’ssize.

Special Movement Power CostsAir Magic: Because transportation and movementis the strength of Air magic, it can produce move-ment power spells more easily than other magicks.

Cost: -1

Affects natural movement: An effect that enhancesor impairs the natural movement of the target(walking for a human, swimming for a fish, flyingfor a hippogriff, etc.). This effect does not apply toobjects that cannot normally move under their ownpower.

Cost: -1

Conveys a special movement ability: Allowsmovement that would not be permitted under nor-mal circumstances. A human who is able to flythrough the air does so by special movement abili-ty. An inanimate object that hovers above a tablehas special movement ability. An inanimate objectthat flies has two special movement abilities—being able to float in the air and movement itself.

Only Void magic has the special movement abilitythat permits a target to move between shadows.This effect allows the target of the spell to passfrom one shadow to another without actually pass-ing through the intervening space. The target shad-ow must be visible. The target must be able to crossthe distance between his current location and theshadow within one round. For instance, a magemoving 30 feet in one round can pass from a shad-ow on one side of a moat to a shadow in a tower onthe other side of a moat, provided he can see theshadow and the distance between it and the targetis no more than 30 feet.

Cost: +1

Requires a mundane focus: The spell is limited byor requires a mundane object in order to work. Forexample, a mage might have to hold an eagle feath-er in each hand in order to cast a particular flyingspell. The mage is the target of the spell, while theeagle feathers allow the spell to work.

Cost: -2

Mundane object is animated: The spell can conveyan unnatural range of flexibility or motion to anobject, allowing it to do more than simply hover orfly. A stone statue can be made flexible in order torun, lift, or grab. When the spell wears off, the item

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TABLE 6.8: MOVEMENT POWER COSTS

Speed Movement Multiplier Damage Bonus Cost

Walk (30 ft.) Normal (Speed x1) — 2Hustle (60 ft.) (Speed x2) — 4Run (90 ft.) (Speed x3) +0d6 5Sprint (120 ft.) (Speed x4) +1d6 6Gallop (180 ft.) (Speed x6) +2d6 7Dash (300 ft.) (Speed x10) +3d6 8Flash (600 ft.) (Speed x20) +4d6 10

returns to its normal form and shape, unless other-wise noted.

Cost: +2

Mundane object is limited by its form: A magical-ly animated object is limited by its physical reali-ty. For example, a marble statue has no range ofmotion since it is not flexible and therefore thisspecial effect cannot be used to animate it. Awooden marionette with articulated joints can usethis effect, since it is already flexible enough tomove.

Cost: +1

Movement is a limited subset of possibilities:Reduces the complexity of a movement power. Forinstance, a spelldesigned to push awagon simply pushesthe wagon. Steering thewagon is up to the driv-er. A spell to lighten apack need only levitatethe pack slightly. Aspell that allows the tar-get to run faster doesnot benefit from thisspecial ability, becausethe mage already hasthe ability to run. Thusthis special effect iscovered by the naturalability modifier.

Cost: -1

Mundane object ismoved: An inanimateobject is moved fromone place to another asif it were carried,dragged, or thrown tothe different location.

Cost: +0

Notes About Transport EffectsUnder normal circumstances, an animated objecthas no intelligence and cannot act on its own. Amage who animates an object must remain in con-stant attendance to control the object. In order toprovide the object with the ability to act on itsown, as well as move, the object must be affectedby an intelligence power.

Pure energy spells, such as a fireball, are instanta-neous and do not have a movement factor.

Teleportation: The only time magical teleportationspells have ever been known to work on Loerem

was with the creation of the magical Portals. Thesespells allow people to travel long distances withinshort time periods. No one knows exactly howthese spells were created and cast, for that waskept secret within the Temple of the Magi. It isbelieved, however, that a combination of all theelemental magicks was used, along with Voidmagic. With the destruction of Old Vinnengael theknowledge necessary to create the Portals was lost.The teleportation spells continue to work in thePortals, including rogue portals. Attempts to recre-ate these spells have resulted in failure. Void magichas the limited capability to allow persons to trav-el from shadow to shadow almost instantaneously,but this is not truly teleportation. There are somewho theorize that Void magic is the key to under-

standing the magic of thePortals. The Churchrefuses to credit this the-ory.

Transmutation Pow-ersMagic on Loerem doesnot grant a mage the abil-ity to create somethingout of nothing. Magescan, however, transmuteitems from one form ormaterial into another fora limited amount of time.The type of transmuta-tion power (minor, mod-erate, major, extreme)represents the overallalteration of the ele-ments. The level of com-plexity (none, low, mod-erate, high) of the trans-mutation represents thedifficulty involved inmaking the alteration.

Example: Turning rockinto mud is a moderate

change of no complexity. Turning a glass chaliceinto a stone chalice is a major change of low com-plexity. Transmuting a length of rope into an ironchain is a major change of high complexity.

Remember that all of the magical elements arecapable of producing transmutation power effectswithin their own element. Water magic can changewater to alcohol. Earth magic can turn soil intogranite. The magic aspects of each element alsogovern the transmutation powers of that element.Since conversion is an aspect of Fire magic, a mageof this element can cause water to freeze into ice orto boil off as steam. As a rule of thumb, elemental

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magicks other than Earth should be able to accom-plish only minor or moderate transmutations. It iswith Earth magic that the power to perform majorand extreme transmutations lies.

Void magic cannot create. Therefore, Void magiccan use transmutation power effects only todestroy matter. All Void transmutation powereffects are considered extreme transmutations.

Minor Transmutation: A change within the sameelement, such as changing dirt to solid stone, or amaximum change of two times the mass or volumeof the target. Minor transmutations can also changecertain aspects of the physical appearance of a liv-ing creature, so long as the magic does not changeits abilities or form. An example of this would begranting the target wolf-fangs or cat-claws. Skillcheck and saving throw bonuses or penalties aretypically a minor transmutation.

Moderate Transmutation: A partial change to anadjacent element, such as earth to mud or water tosteam or a maximum change of five times the massor volume of the target (the most a living body willallow itself to be altered in size). Radical changeswithin an element are moderate transmutations,such as turning water to beer or metal to dirt. Mod-erate transmutations can modify the abilities, looksor traits of one other living creature.

Major Transmutation: Allows Earth magic to trans-mute matter from the Plant or Animal dual-ele-ment domains into substances that are earth onlyor can change earth-only substances into plant/ani-mal. For example, transmuting a length of rope(plant material) into an iron bar or allow an Earthmagic spell to transmute a stone into animal flesh,such as beef or pork. A major transmutation allows

the alteration of an inanimate object’s size up to afactor of ten times its normal size. It will also allowa living target’s form to be changed from its normalform to another of a similar species or genus. Forinstance, a major transmutation could allow ahuman to transform into a tiger, frog, or fish. How-ever, it would not allow the human to change intoa plant.

Extreme Transmutation: All Void magic transmu-tations are extreme, since they can only destroymatter. An Earth magic extreme transmutationpower can change the mass or volume of an inani-mate target up to twenty times its normal state.Extreme transmutations also allow Earth magic totransform substances from the domains of Waterand Fire into the domain of Earth or vice versa. Forexample, changing a stone into fire is an extremetransmutation. Further, extreme transmutationsallow a living creature to take on a form that iscompletely alien to him. For instance, a humancould transform into a tree.

Elemental: This transmutation power allows thesummoning of an elemental of the appropriatemagic (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Void). The cost forthe power is per Hit Die of the elemental. (For theelemental’s stats, see Size above.) An elementalwith less than 1 HD (1/8 HD, 1/4 HD, etc.) has aminimum cost of 2 to create.

Special Transmutation Power CostsEarth magic: Because transmutation is the strengthof Earth magic, Earth magic spells can more easilycreate transmutation power effects.

Cost: -1

Zero complexity: Changes size and/or composi-tion, but does not change the form. Examples arechanging dirt to stone, ice to water. A change toVoid is always zero complexity.

Cost: +0

Low complexity: The item transmuted undergoes aminor change of shape or changes from an amor-phous nature to a basic shape. A fork could bechanged to a knife or spoon, or a pile of dirt into adisk, cube, or other simple form.

Cost: +1

Moderate complexity: The transmuted targetundergoes a significant change of shape. A forkcould be changed into intricate wire mesh, or a pileof dirt into a statue (subject to any skill checks thatthe referee might deem appropriate).

Cost: +2

High complexity: Allows the caster any change ofshape that is within the caster’s memory and

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TABLE 6.9: TRANSMUTATION POWER COSTS

Type of Transmutation* Cost

Minor 2

(Mass x2/physical ability +/-2)

Moderate 4


Major 6


Extreme 8


Elemental (per HD) 2

*Physical abilities refer to changes to Strength,Dexterity, or Constitution.

knowledge and allowed by the precepts of thespell.

Cost: +3

Transmutation could occur naturally over time: Ifa transmutation power simply accelerates a naturalprocess, the cost is significantly less expensive.The time frame for “natural” is usually a maximumof ten or fifteen years. Causing a sword to rust iseasier than turning the sword to tin. Changing rockinto dirt takes too long to receive this modifier.

Cost: -1

Transmute changes quality of item: The transmu-tation power changes the quality of the target. Forexample, a crude sword is changed into a swordthat is finely crafted and balanced. The same mod-ifier can be used to decrease the quality of an item.The increase or decrease in perceived valuedepends upon the complexity of the spell and theflavor of the individual campaign.

Cost: +2

Unconventional transmutation: This special effectis designed as a catch-all for transmutations that donot fit into any of the other design effects (andshould be used under the auspices of the referee).Transforming a human into an ice cube is quite theunconventional transmutation.

Cost: +3

Transmutation limited to class of items: Reducesthe cost of the spell by placing limits on the effect.For instance, a mage crafts a spell that can trans-mute table knives into swords. He can reduce thecost by placing a limit on the spell which preventshim from changing the knife into anything excepta sword. He could never use the spell to change theknife into a fork, for example. Or he might craft aspell that permits him to create a weapon out of

anything iron. With this limit, he could not use thesame spell to create a weapon out of silver. Theadjustment to cost varies depending on degree ofcommonality or limitations of the total effect and issubject to the referee’s approval.

Cost: -1 to -3

Notes About Transmutation powersA mage trying to create an object with transmuta-tion powers must have a knowledge of what thefinished object should look like and, in manycases, he might need a skill check to complete thetask. For example, a mage using magic to create amoderate or high complexity transmutation powerto sculpt a statue should have a Craft or Professionskill to aid him in the endeavor. The level of suc-cess achieved by using the spell is determined bythe skill check.

Transmute spells can change both the mass and thevolume of the target of the spell. The cost includesthe complexity and the mass/volume change.Spells that alter the internal volume of a containerwithout changing the outer size of the containerare not possible. The maximum size that a trans-mutation power can reach is limited by the size ofthe spell. For instance, if a transmutation isextreme, but the spell is Medium-size, the largesttarget that can be affected is Medium-sized.

Reduction and Resistance PowersDamage Reduction: Damage reduction powersallow a spell’s target to ignore damage fromweapons or natural attacks. Damage from spells,energy attacks, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities is suffered normally.

Cost: 4 per every 5 points of damage reduction

For example, a damage reduction power that grants15 points of damage reduction would cost 12.

Energy Resistance: This damage reduction powerallows the target to ignore a specified amount ofdamage caused by the chosen type of energy (com-monly acid, electricity, fire, or cold). Multipleenergies may be chosen, however each must bepaid for separately.

Cost: 2 per every 5 points of energy resistance

For example, an energy resistance power thatgrants 15 points of fire resistance would cost 6. Aspell that granted both 15 points of fire resistanceand 15 points of electricity resistance would payfor each of those resistances separately, the costbeing 12.

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TRANSMUTATION AND MONEY

Since transmutation magic is easily accessed inLoerem, most would think mages have the abilityto transform ordinary rocks into precious metalsor gems. This is not so. Since precious metals andgems are linked to the essence of earth (they canbe used as essences of quality), they cannot beduplicated through magical means. Legendsabound of alchemists and mages who claimedthat they were able to use transmutation tochange one Earth-based substance into a preciousmetal or stone, but these have never been con-firmed. Some mages continue to search for thismagical means of getting rich quick.

Spell Resistance: The target of a spell with thispower can avoid the effects of spells and spell-likeabilities that directly affect it.

Cost: 1 per every 1 point of Spell Resistance (SR)

Special Damage Reduction Power CostsSpecial weapon to bypass damage reduction: Thisspecial damage reduction power allows the targetto ignore the given amount of damage of anyweapon that is not made of a specified material, orof a particular magical strength. (One of the fol-lowing must be chosen if the damage reductionpower has been used.)

Intelligence PowersNormally a spell with a duration longer than 1round requires the caster to actively direct anychange in the effect each round. A mage casting anillusion of a fighting warrior has to will the illusionto move each round. A spell with an intelligencepower is able to respond to changing conditionswithout input from the caster. A mage can give anillusion the ability to carry on independentmotions, animate an item and order it to carry amessage, lay a condition on a curse so that it is lift-ed when a certain action is performed. The level ofintelligence granted to a spell or enchantment reg-ulates what it is capable of accomplishing. A spellmay never have a higher Intelligence score thanthat of the caster.

Example: An intelligence power that grants an illu-sion a 14 Intelligence would cost 16 (12 + 2 + 2).

Special Intelligence Power CostsIntelligence may only react: The spell or enchant-ment may only react to outside influence beforejudging what it is going to do. For instance, a cursemight cause its victim to jump around like a mon-key whenever he is within 5 feet of a banana. Theintelligence granted the spell is able to recognizewhen a banana is within 5 feet and begin the spell’seffects. When the banana is further than 5 feetaway, it allows the effects to cease.

Cost: -1

Intelligence can follow and interpret instructions:Usually used with low intelligence power effects,this allows the spell to follow instructions that thecaster (or other authorized person) gives it. Theenchantment will follow out the instructions to thebest of its ability, often depending upon the level ofintelligence it has already been granted.

Cost: +1

Intelligence possesses free will within boundaries:Within the boundaries of the spell’s effects theintelligence power possesses free will, and maythink on its own, reacting to situations as theyarise. However, the spell effects may still be con-trolled by the caster (unless otherwise specified).

Cost: +3

Notes About Intelligence PowersIntelligence powers are usually reserved for spellsthat animate objects (such as constructs orundead), curses, and illusions. However, the cre-ativity of players and referees should never beunderestimated, and therefore intelligence powersare not strictly resigned for use with the afore men-tioned sorts of spells.

Damage and Healing PowersEach magical element is able to produce damagepower effects. Most individually targeted directdamage powers use Fire magic. For the most part,non-Fire direct damage spells require that the tar-get be in contact with the element in question.Earth magic can damage targets on the ground.Water magic can pummel someone in water. Airmagic can damage anyone who isn’t underwater orburied in the ground. The visual effects of the spellmay vary, but the mechanics are the same.

The costs in this category also apply to healing. Ahealing spell is essentially a transmutation powerwith “damage dice.” For spells that roll multipledice for damage (or healing), the cost for each extradie after the first is at the base cost +1.

Example: The spell touch of the divine can heal4d10 hit points of damage. The cost for the dice

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TABLE 6.10: SPECIAL DAMAGE REDUCTION POWER

COSTS

Weapon Material or Bonus Cost

Silver/iron/etc. +1+1 +3+2 +5+3 +7+4 +10+5 +11

TABLE 6.11: INTELLIGENCE POWER COSTS

Intelligence Score Cost

Intelligence 1–12 1 per pointIntelligence 13+ 2 per point

alone is 26 (5 for the first 1d10 + 6 for the second1d10 + 7 for the third 1d10 + 8 for the fourth 1d10).

Special Damage or Healing Power CostsThe costs for the special damage or healing powersare applied to the total cost of the “damage dice,”not to each individual cost. For instance, a Firemagic spell that does 2d6 point of damage wouldapply the Fire magic special power cost. This mod-ifies the total cost of the dice by –1, not each indi-vidual cost.

Fire magic (damage only): Fire magic can createdamaging spell effects more easily than other typesof magic.

Cost: -1

Damage target’s ability: This special power allowsthe spell to affect one of the target’s ability scores.Each ability affected must be paid for separately.The cost is applied to the total cost of the damagedice. For instance, if this special power was used

on a spell that caused 3d4 points of damage to thetarget’s Strength, the cost would be 18 (9 for thedamage dice × 2 for the special power).

Cost: ×2

Damage is redirected from natural source: Thisspecial power allows spells to inflict damage bymanipulating and redirecting an existing source ofa natural element or dual-element. However, thespell cannot work unless there is an existingsource from which to draw. Both the elementalsource and the target must be within the range ofthe spell. The redirected damage cannot exceed thedamage that the source would normally do.

Example: A mage standing near a torch casts aspell that redirects the torch’s heat in order to burna target.

Cost: -2

Damage targets other spells: These are spellsdesigned to damage or thwart the casting of anoth-er spell. Such countering or dispelling magicks are

normally of the same element as the spell cast(since one of Earth magic’s aspects is protection, itcan be used to reduce the efficacy of a spell orspellcasting of any other element), and may be fur-ther limited by the type of spells of that particularelement that can be affected (such as a spelldesigned specifically to dispel illusions).

Cost: +0

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TABLE 6.12: DAMAGE POWER COSTS

Die Type Cost

1d4 21d6 31d8 41d10 51d12 61d20 8

Damage is specialized to target type: These aredamage spells (excluding spells that target otherspells) that target a particular object or creaturetype and do not affect anything that is not of thattype.

Example: A spell created to injure only undead.

Cost: -1

Damage is anchored to object: This special powerdiffers from the attached special range power. Withthe attached range special power a damage spell issimply attached to the target and therefore dam-ages only the target. This damage power isanchored to the target and does damage or addi-tional damage to anything the target touches.

Example: A damage spell anchored to a longswordallows the longsword to inflict an extra 1d4 pointsof damage on a successful hit for the duration ofthe spell. An attached range spell cast on alongsword damages only the sword.

Cost: +2

Subdual damage only: Instead of doing normal hitpoints of damage the spell causes (or heals) onlysubdual damage.

Cost: -1

Element-specific enhancement: This is a specialpower used to explain an extra benefit or effectgranted by the spell that does not fit neatly into oneof the categories that have already been presented.The cost of this power can vary, at the agreement ofboth the designer and the referee.

Cost: +1 to +3

Caster must make ranged touch attack roll: Thecaster must make a successful ranged touch attackin order for the spell to affect its target.

Cost: -1

Necromancy Power CostsThe powers of necromancy are strictly the purviewof Void magic. These powers can be accessed onlythrough the use of that deadly magic.

Death: With this necromancy power the spell caninstantly slay its target, so long as the target isequal or less to the Hit Die affected by the spell.

Cost: 5 per Hit Die affected

Damage causes negative levels: This special powerallows the caster to energy drain his target (seeCore Rulebook II, page 75).

Cost: 4 × the number of negative levels

Damage causes aging: Instead of causing hit pointsof damage, the damage dice rolled cause years ofaging.

Cost: 2

Create undead: This necromancy power allows thecreation of an undead creature. The cost for thepower is per Hit Die of the undead created. (For theundead’s stats, see Size above.) Since undead arecreated by Hit Die, the Hit Dice may be separatedinto individuals or combined to form a single crea-ture. For instance, if a spell can create 6 HD worthof zombies, the caster can create six 1 HD zombies,or three 2 HD zombies, or two 3 HD zombies, orany combination thereof. However, size still playsa part in the HD of undead as explained earlier inthis chapter. An undead creature with less than 1HD (1/8 HD, 1/4 HD, etc.) has a minimum cost of 2to create.

Cost: 2 per Hit Die

Special Necromancy Power CostsVoid Magic: Void magic is specialized in creatingnecromantic power effects, and therefore can do iteasier.

Cost: -2

Death magic destroys: The death power effectactually destroys the physical form of its target.

Cost: +2

Caster temporarily gains hit points or abilitypoints: Ability or hit point damage caused to thetarget is temporarily bestowed upon the caster.

Cost: +3

Aging is temporary: Any aging effect is temporary.

Cost: -1

Power affects undead only: The all powers of thespell created only affect undead.

Cost: -1

Saving Throw Power CostsSaving throw power costs must be applied to allspells that cause damage or adversely affect livingcreatures or objects. The exception is illusions andcompels, which automatically gain a Will save fordisbelief based on Table 6.7 above.

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TABLE 6.13: SAVING THROW POWER COSTS

Saving Throw Type Cost

Save negates -4Save for half damage/partial effect -2No save +1

Saving Throw Type Cost: Save negates -4 Save forhalf damage/partial effect -2 No save +1

DURATIONDuration is the length of time the effects of thespell last.

Special Duration PowersSpell is triggered: Triggered spells activate due tosome event, condition, or circumstance. Suchspells add together both the “life”duration of thespell, then its duration once activated, then multi-ply the sum by 1/2 (round up) to find the durationcost for the spell. Duration is listed as “Discharge”in the spell block. So, for instance, a spell that hasa permanent “life” duration and an instantaneousduration once activated would have a total dura-tion cost of 11 (21 × 1/2 = 10.5 rounded up, 11).

Cost: “life” duration + active duration × 1/2

Caster may dismiss (D) spell at will: Once the spellis cast, regardless of the duration the spell other-wise possesses, the caster may cause the spell toend.

Cost: +1

Terminates due to circumstance: A spell with thisspecial power could last its normal duration, butmay end earlier due to specific circumstances.This condition is built into the spell and cannot bechanged. The particular circumstance must be fair-ly common and outside the caster’s control. Forinstance, an illusion might automatically dissipateif touched. Requires a minimum spell duration of1 minute.

Cost: -1

Spell terminates on preset condition: The spelllasts until a preset condition occurs. This presetcondition must be directly related to the timeincrement itself or the nature of the spell and is

built into the spell design. For instance, a spellwith a duration of 1 day lasts until the next sunriseor sunset (sunrise and sunset being associated withthe length of a day). A spell with a duration of 1month could use the moon phases as a trigger. Amovement spell may use a condition that endseither at midnight or when the target reaches hishome, whichever comes first. Requires a minimumspell duration of 1 minute.

Cost: -1

Concentration: This special power allows a spellthat normally lasts its listed duration to be extend-ed for as long as the caster maintains concentra-tion. Maintaining concentration on a spell pre-cludes the casting of other spells, and is subject toConcentration skill checks when deemed neces-sary by the referee.

Cost: +1

Short term effects beyond duration: This power isused as a catch-all for miscellaneous effects thatcontinue to affect the target of a spell, even afterthe duration of the spell has expired. For instance,a spell that causes subdual damage would be ashort term negative effect. Normally nothing thatlasts longer than 1 day falls into this category.

Cost: +1 (for negative effects); +2 (for positiveeffects)

Long term effects beyond duration: As with theshort term effects beyond normal duration exceptdealing with effects that could last longer than 1day. Healing spells have long term positive effects.A spell that does hit points of damage has longterm negative effects.

Cost: +2 (for negative effects); +3 (for positiveeffects)

Taan stone enchantment: A spell created specifi-cally by taan to enchant a stone that will be embed-ded will always have a permanent duration. (Thestones give out before the spells do.) However, theyare enchanted differently than other items, andtherefore do not cost as much to create. The spellusually cannot be used outside of enchanting astone.

Cost: -5

Notes About DurationPermanent spells: “Permanent for life of the cast-er” means that the spell is tied to a bit of the cast-er’s life force and if the caster dies, the spell unrav-els. A mage might consider this duration whencasting a spell for his own convenience, since hewill not be likely to care about the spell’s effectsonce he is dead. It also gives the mage certain

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TABLE 6.14: SPELL DURATION COSTS

Duration Cost

Instantaneous 11 round 21 minute 310 minutes 41 hour 51 day 71 week 81 month 10Life of caster 121 year 15Permanent 20

leverage with some types of spells, for good or ill.If a character goes below 0 hit points, even tem-porarily, it is considered the same as dying, regard-less of whether the caster recovers later or not, end-ing any spells that are “permanent for life of thecaster.”

Permanent spells may be cast created with thethought in mind that they will last forever. This, tosome extent, is true. A permanent spell that acts asa ward might very well last for millennia (foreverto the caster who is probably long dead). But this ispossible because of the nature of the spell.Although the ward was placed with magic, it is notcontinually using magic. Instead, it lies dormant,waiting to be activated. Once activated, the spellreleases its full effects.

Permanent spells designed to boost the power of anobject will ultimately dwindle (usually destroyingthe item in the process) without the item beingproperly prepared (see Chapter 8: Magic Item Cre-ation). A permanent spell cast upon a masterworkitem will last for 6 months before its effects fade,after which the item is considered normal. If caston a standard item, the spell effects will fade in 3months, and the item will suffer from a –1 penalty.If cast upon a sub-standard item, the spell effectswill last for 1 month. After that time, the item willbe useless.

Further, without the proper preparation, multipleenchantments cannot be placed upon an item. A

later enchantment will always replace the first,and the total duration of the enchantment will behalved.

A FINAL NOTE ABOUT SPELL CREATIONThese spell creation guidelines are the rules ofmagic known only to mankind and are not allinclusive. Even the most powerful of Loerem’smages know that there are limits to their knowl-edge and understanding of the laws of magic. Themage does not exist whose magical knowledge sur-passes that of even the lowliest of dragons. Spellsthat appear to break the rules of what is known,obviously adhere to rules that have yet to be dis-covered. Thus referees are encouraged to use theseguidelines in ways that will enhance their owncampaigns.

Further, spells designed by players should alwaysbe done with the consent of the referee. In mostcases it is a good idea to have the player write outa description of the spell he wishes to create, andthe referee apply the costs presented here to whatis written. This way he has the ultimate say inwhat will pass for a spell in his game.

Finally, many of the powers listed can be used inmany different ways. A special power under trans-mutations might be useful as a modifier for move-ment powers. This is often the case. However, thepowers are listed where they are because it iswhere they are most often applied.

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MA

GIC ITEM

S

Chapter 7

hen I suggest a small brooch made of the

rare turquoise, which is known for its magical

power to protect from harm those who wear it.

Such a gift will express your admiration, also

your thoughtfulness. It will be a gift she can

wear openly, with honor. One that her husband

could not fault, nor prevent her from accept-

ing.”

—Well of Darkness, by Margaret Weis and

Tracy Hickman

“TSILWYTH, TO DAGNARUS,

PRINCE OF VINNENGAEL

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HANDLING MAGIC ITEMS IN LOEREMWhile the referee should keep in mind the infor-mation about magic items presented in Core Rule-book II (see Handling Magic Items, page 174), heshould also read this section in order to all howsuch items are handled in Loerem.

Magic items in Loerem are rare and unique. Eachmagical object has a story, whether it is a simpleamulet that protects the wearer against mosquitobites or a gilded coach that can fly through the air.Magic items are costly for the wizard in bothmoney and XP and they take a sizeable amount oftime to enchant. Thus, even the simplest is treas-ured.

Magic items from Loerem are listed in this chapter.The referee is free to use these, but he is alsoencouraged to create his own items for his game.No magic item in Loerem is ever found lyingaround on the street. Each item has a reason forbeing and the referee is encouraged to develop sto-ries for each item. Sometimes the story will simplyfill out the campaign and the world. Other timesthe story can be so compelling that players will feelthe need to generate their own plot lines from it.Have fun with magic items in your game, butremember, few people in Loerem have magicswords or suits of armor. Those who do are loath togive them up.

While magic items are rare, there is a possibilitythat some may be purchased from black marketers,fences, or mageware shopkeepers. Usually theitems that can be found are the least expensive toproduce, such as potions. However, more valuableitems may become available from time to time. Inthese cases, “market price” means virtually noth-ing when considering how much one might chargefor such items. This figure is meaningful only incalculating how much a mage must spend to createa similar item and the length of time it will take todo so. The true market value of an item must takeinto account the dangers faced to retrieve the item,the item’s powers, and the extent to which the itemis in demand. Often, the prices for magic items ofgreat power are astronomical.

LOEREM’S ENCHANTED AND MAGICAL ITEMS

Assassin’s CrossbowDescription: A favorite weapon of Dunkargan cut-throats, thieves, and assassins during the height ofthe Dunkargan Empire, these sorts of crossbowswere often employed with the best wishes of theguild mages who created them, since they werealmost impossible to trace back to the creator. The

mages constructed them with a built-in lifeexpectancy in order to force the buyer to return tohave it re-enchanted. Once the bows had been useda number of times, they lost their ability to causeunusual amounts of damage.

Such crossbows are much rarer now, and aredestroyed by the authorities when found espe-cially in Vinnengael.

Powers: The assassin’s crossbow acts in allrespects like a normal light crossbow, except that ithas a +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls. Inaddition, the magic sharpens the bolt to a viciouspoint when it is fired. If the bolt hits, it does nor-mal damage +2d6 points of additional damage. Theassassin’s crossbow may be used 50 times before itloses this power (but still retains the +1 enhance-ment bonus).

Caster Level: 11th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Market Price: 5,720argents; Item Creation Threshold: 103.

Axe of KilvanDescription: Axes of Kilvan are named for the Vin-nengaelean warrior who first commissioned an axeof this type to be crafted.

Powers: Upon the utterance of a command word,an axe of Kilvan may change from the size of ahand axe to that of a battleaxe and vice versa. Theaxe has a +2 enhancement bonus to attack anddamage rolls in both of its forms. The axe dealsdamage according to its size when it is used.

Caster Level: 20th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hide sword; MarketPrice: 15,767 argents; Item Creation Threshold:192.

Boots of IrwenDescription: These alligator-skin boots were madefor the famous explorer and animal sage IrwenSephonston. On one of his many adventures heencountered one of the largest and most dangerousalligators to have lived in the jungles of Nimra. It issaid that he leaped out of his boat, leaving his wifeto protect their supplies, and plunged into thewater to get a better look at the beast. The alligatorhad other ideas, and decided that it was going tohave Irwen for dinner.

Irwen wrestled the alligator ashore and was able todispatch it, although he was loath to do so since heknew that it was he, not the alligator, who hadinstigated the fight. In any event, his wife, an ablewizard and sage in her own right, skinned the ani-mal and made Irwen a pair of enchanted boots.

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Irwen finally took on an animal that bested him.Irwen had an insatiable curiosity about gurgers. Hedove into a gurger’s mouth head first. His comradestried to save him by hanging onto his boots. In theend, all they were left with was enchantedfootwear.

Powers: The boots of Irwen grant the wearer a +2natural armor bonus. However, wearing the bootsalso turns the owner’s skin a deep green in color.The color abates when the boots are removed.

Caster Level: 15 combined levels of Earth mageand Fire mage; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,Craft (cobbling) Rank 5; Market Price: 10,000argents; Item Creation Threshold: 150.

Brooch of the Falling StarDescription: This magical brooch was designed byNimran sailor-mages to aid in locating sister ves-sels in rough seas, fog, storms or other events thathampered or prevented direct line of sight. In theyears since its inception, brooches of the fallingstar have been used as signals on the battlefieldand beacons for search parties.

Powers: Permits the user to summon a ball of bril-liant light and cause it to fall from the heavensdirectly above his location 3 times per day. Theball streaks through the sky, shedding bright whitelight, and then fades away. The falling star may beseen for miles in all directions. The brooch’s powermay be used in any type of weather.

Caster Level: 4 total levels in Earth mage and Watermage; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, falling

star; Market Price: 5,211 argents; Item CreationThreshold: 60.

Coward’s ClubDescription: This rust-colored weapon looks like asimple wooden club, except that it is constantlyshedding a light coating of dust and rust from itssurface. It as been rumored that the coward’s clubwas originally seen in the Unhorsed dwarven city,Saudamos, and has since slowly made its waywest. The club causes all metal it touches to turn torust. Stories abound of warriors who contendedwith the wielder of the club, only to see theirweapons and armor turn to piles of rust at theirfeet.

Powers: The coward’s club is a wooden club witha +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damagerolls. Three times per day it can be used to make atouch attack that causes a targeted metal object tocorrode instantly. The size of the object does notmatter full-plate rusts as quickly as a dagger.Magic armor, weapons, and other enchanted itemsmade of metal must succeed at a Reflex save (DC20) or be rusted away.

Caster Level: 15th-level Earth mage or Void mage;Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, brittleor splinter; Market Price: 14,868 argents; Item Cre-ation Threshold: 148.

Eflan’s MaulDescription: Eflan is a famous Trevenici hero, wholed the Trevenici armies at the fall of Yeskin, theonly known city of Trevenici. Although Yeskin fellto a formidable army of giants, ogres, and trolls, the

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battle put up by the Trevenici was so heroic thatthe monsters lacked the will to move south, thussaving the Trevenici homeland.

Eflan’s maul is a mighty warhammer with a mas-sive square iron head and a haft made of ironwood.The head has the image of a pegasus engravedupon either side, and Eflan’s outsider name, ColdLion, etched along the haft. Eflan’s maul was sup-posedly buried with the Trevenici warrior in ornear Yeskin. The exact location of the burialmound has never been confirmed. There have beenrumors that the maul was found many years ago,but, if so, no one has been able to confirm them. ATrevenici who encounters a treasure room willoften leave all else to search for this magical arti-fact that is one of the few a Trevenici warriorwould deign to use.

Power: This weapon has a +2 enhancement bonusto attacks and damage.

Caster Level: 15th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, weapon glamour;Market Price: 12,310 argents; Item CreationThreshold: 150.

G’Tar’s Scrying BowlDescription: This ceramic bowl is plain, withoutdecoration and misshapen. It was created by anorken shaman who had a penchant for spying onhis friends, family, his shipmates and other citi-zens of his hometown. He was a gossip and if any-one needed to know anything about local news orevents, they would contact G’Tar.

One day G’Tar made the mistake of spying on hisship’s captain. The captain tossed the bowl over-board. G’Tar was never able to make another and,to his dying day, he hunted the shores for the bowlin hopes that the sea might give it up. He neverfound it and lamented the loss of the bowl in theSea of Edam Nar until he died.

Powers: The bowl must be filled with water inorder to be activated. Upon utterance of the com-mand word, the user is able to conjure up a visualimage of an area no more than 10 feet across cen-tered around an item or creature he has previouslytouched up to 1 month in the past. The imageallows the user to see other creatures and objectswithin the viewing area. The image does not allowthe user to hear what is being said in the areaviewed, nor will it allow communication withcreatures viewed. The vision fades immediately ifthe bowl is disturbed while in use. These powerscan be used 5 times per day. The vision lasts for aslong as the user concentrates.

Caster Level: 18th-level Water mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, see what can be seen; Mar-

ket Price: 43,250 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 180.

Gwynden’s CircletDescription: This is a thin circlet of woven plat-inum and gold. A modest example of jewelry, it issuitable to be worn by a man or a woman.

Gwynden was an elven general and noble to whomfamily and honor were of paramount importance.Unknown to Gwynden, he had attracted the affec-tion of one of his house Wyred. Fearful he wouldbe slain in battle, she crafted a magical circlet andenchanted it with Air magic to protect the personwho wore it. She planned to give Gwynden the cir-clet, but never tell him that he was under the cir-clet’s magical protection, for she knew he would befurious if he found out.

During the items creation, civil war flared in theDivine Lands of the Tromek and Gwynden wascalled into service. His anonymous lover complet-ed the gift and worked out an elaborate ruse tobring it to him at his field pavilion, under the guiseof a messenger from his wife.

It is said that the next day, at dawn, battle wasjoined. Gwynden appeared wearing a thin circletof shining metal upon his head. Gwynden foughtvaliantly and won many battles, coming throughthem all unscathed. Weapons could not touch him.One of the Wyred, watching this, realized thatGwynden was under some sort of enchantmentand, upon investigation, discovered the nature ofthe circlet. When he found out, Gwynden wasdeeply shamed. He cast off not only the circlet, butalso his armor and his shield. He was almostimmediately felled from his horse with a mortalwound.

The Wyred who had made the circlet disappeared.It is believed that her fellow Wyred had arrestedher and brought her before whatever mysterioustribunal the Wyred hold. She was never seen again.

Powers: The wearer of the circlet in a battle situa-tion is surrounded with strong breezes that pushaway and retard attacks. The wearer of Gwynden’scirclet receives a +2 deflection bonus to AC. Undernormal circumstances the (outside of combat) theair about the wearer remains at rest.

Caster Level: 15th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 12,000argents; Item Creation Threshold: 150.

Helm of the PumaDescription: This helm was originally given as agift from an unnamed Vinnengaelean noble to awealthy Nimran merchant, whose passion for gam-bling led him to lose the helm within weeks of

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acquiring it. The helm has had a steady stream ofowners, each one losing it by theft or misfortune.Despite its reputation for being cursed, many war-riors and hunters covet the helm and the abilities itgrants its wearer.

The helm is fashioned in the style of most Vinnen-gaelean helms. Made of high-quality steel, it isadorned with a horse-hair tassel. The visor of thehelm resembles a predatory cat. In low-light condi-tions, a wearer’s eyes seem to glow green fromwithin the helm.

Powers: Anyone wearing the helm of the puma isgranted low-light vision. The helm also grants thewearer the ability to run with incredible speed.The wearer’s walking speed is not increased, but,when running, his base speed is considered to be40. In addition, the helm bestows the advantages ofthe Run feat upon the wearer. Finally, the helmgives the wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to Dex-terity.

Caster Level: 32 combined levels of Earth mageand Fire mage; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,eyes of the leopard, legs of the cheetah; MarketPrice: 38,640 argents; Item Creation Threshold:316.

Hunter’s FriendDescription: This is an ancient set of leather armor,well-worn, covered with blotches of green and yel-low. It is rumored that hunter’s friend was origi-nally made by a Nimorean mage for a wealthypatron who had a penchant for hunting, but wasn’tvery good at it and who wanted something magicalto help him.

The armor has changed hands many times over theyears, and no one knows now who owns it or evenif it still exists.

Powers: This suit of leather armor lends a +1enhancement bonus to the wearer’s AC. Also, thewearer of the armor is granted a +10 circumstancebonus to his Hide checks when in natural sur-roundings.

Caster Level: 10 combined levels in Earth mageand Water mage; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Armsand Armor, camouflage; Market Price: 3,180argents; Item Creation Threshold: 100.

Karval’s FingerDescription: Karval’s finger is a long troll finger,yellowed and browned with age, suspended on afine silver chain.

The story goes that before the eastern oceans hadbeen seen by human eyes and the name Vinnengaelhad been uttered in central Loerem, the feared

troll-king, Karval, was slain by a stout-heartedgroup of adventurers. The leader of this group, amighty warrior, took Karval’s index finger as a sou-venir, cleaned it and made a pendant of it.

The pendant passed from father to son for manyyears. It was reputed that the pendant had protec-tive properties, for the owners would often wearlittle in the way of armor into combat.

Karval’s finger was lost in the wars fought againstthe spreading might of Verdic Ildurel, the first Kingof Vinnengael. It has been rumored that the grislypendant has been seen worn by orks, but this can’tbe confirmed, since members of that race oftenadorn themselves with such trophies.

Powers: Karval’s finger grants its wearer a +2 armorbonus, as though he were wearing armor. Themagic of the finger surrounds the wearer with aninvisible barrier that hampers the effectiveness ofattacks.

Caster Level: 10th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 6,000 argents;Item Creation Threshold: 100.

Kellan’s Fantastic Floating PlateDescription: This suit of half-plate has a fearsomeinsignia of a diving bird of prey on the breastplate.It is in excellent condition and always retains amirror-like shine, even when its wearer is wallow-ing in mud and blood.

While the mage who created the fantastic floatingplate is unknown, it was made famous by Kellanthe Dark, an infamous Nimran pirate who attackedhuman and orken ships alike. Kellan was easy todistinguish in battle, for he was the only sailorcourageous (or mad) enough to wear heavy metalarmor on a ship. The enemy who knocked Kellanover the side of his ship, the Revenge, expecting tosee nothing but bubbles, was always astounded toview Kellan—armor and all floating calmly in thewater.

Powers: Kellan’s fantastic floating plate is imbuedwith a +2 enhancement bonus to the wearer’sArmor Class (granting a total protection of +9). Thearmor never interferes with swimming and itsarmor check penalty is ignored for all Swimchecks. Naturally buoyant, the armor always keepsthe wearer safely afloat.

Caster Level: 16th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cushion; MarketPrice: 6,750 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 160.

KingsbladeDescription: What we know of the early days ofVinnengael we know mostly through legend and

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song. The early days were days of battle andromance, violent death and passionate living.Among the many mysteries coming out of that darkand shadowy time is how King Tharin Ildurel trulymet his end. Sages hope to one day uncover thetruth about the death of Tharin Ildurel, secondKing of Vinnengael. Treasure-seekers, however, aremore interested in the king’s sword.

Kingsblade was commissioned by King VerdicIldurel for his son Tharin when the boy was stillquite young. Legend has it that Verdic’s advisor,Tarras Weldar, enchanted the sword himself, withthe help of trusted colleagues. The sword was pre-sented to Tharin on his twelfth birthday. As thesword is pictured on surviving tapestries of thatage, Kingsblade was both beautiful and function-al—serving the warrior-king well until he was lostat sea. The sword is a longsword with magicalrunes engraved down the length of the blade onboth sides. The cross-piece resembles two roaringlions and the hilt and pommel are inset with pre-cious jewels. The songs of King Tharin tell thatwhen he used the sword in battle, he fell upon hisenemies with blinding speed, while the pommelstone glowed with an eerie light.

Powers: The sword of King Tharin is enchanted tobe magically sharp and is extremely well-balanced,giving it a +4 enhancement bonus to both attackand damage rolls. Despite its weight and size, thesword can also be used with remarkable speed.The wielder gains one extra attack each round withthe sword at his highest bonus. Finally, once perday at the command of the wielder, the lion-headson the cross-piece can roar with the fury of a thun-derclap, inflicting 4d6 points of subdual damage toanyone within the area of a 100-foot cone.

Caster Level: 63rd level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, thunder withoutlightning; Market Price: 198,202 argents; Item Cre-ation Threshold: 621.

Midnight IncenseDescription: Midnight incense comes in unremark-able, charcoal-black balls. Each ball is enchantedwith the power of the Void and gives off a strong,acrid odor when burned. In addition to burning theincense, a user must utter a short phrase that actsas a trigger. (The exact phrase, which in and ofitself is unimportant, is determined by the Voidmage who creates the incense.)

The use of midnight incense is frowned upon inmost human kingdoms, yet some Void mages areable to make small fortunes by selling it to richnoblemen desperate to communicate with thedead.

Powers: For the enchantment to function, the mid-night incense must be burned within an hour ofmidnight (either before or after) in the presence ofa humanoid body that has not been dead for morethan 500 years, accompanied by a simple ritualphrase.

The spirit of the dead then appears within thesmoke of the incense, though it is completelyinsubstantial and has no awareness of anyoneexcept the individual who summoned it. The spir-it may be questioned in any language the spiritunderstood in life—though the spirit is under noobligation to tell the truth unless challenged. If theindividual challenges the spirit to tell the truth,they must make opposed Charisma rolls. If theuser’s roll is higher, the spirit is wracked with painand is obligated to tell the truth for that question.The spirit will remain for ten minutes (when theincense burns out), though this time can be extend-ed by ten minutes by burning another midnightincense.

Caster Level: 5th-level Void mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, deadspeak; Market Price:1,020 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 44.

Myro’s ShieldDescription: This small, round shield is made froma wood with a distinctly reddish tint. Those near itfeel the heat radiating off of its surface. Myro’sshield is hot to the touch at all times, but neverscorches the bearer, not even when hot flames lickits surface.

Generations ago, Myro was a dwarven chieftain ofthe Red Clan. A skilled Fire mage in his own right,he crafted a shield that he could use to unleash hismagic even while he was mounted, armed, andarmored.

Powers: The shield carries a +1 enhancementbonus to Armor Class (for a total protection of +2).Myro’s shield can cast a firebolt spell three timesper day as if cast by a 15th-level Fire mage.

Caster Level: 9th-level Fire mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, firebolt; MarketPrice: 10,514 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 81.

Pecwae Friendship TokenDescription: These tokens of friendship, given bypecwae Earth mages to trusted Trevenici, appear tobe nothing more than a few feathers and beadswoven together. The friendship token is usuallytied into the wearer’s hair, though it could be wornalmost anywhere.

Powers: Whoever wears the pecwae friendshiptoken receives a +1 resistance bonus to all of his

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saving throws (Fortitude, Reflex, and Will) againsthostile magic.

Caster Level: 5th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 1,125 argents;Item Creation Threshold: 45.

Pecwae SweetbreadDescription: Pecwae sweetbread was originallymade by pecwae to help keep the strength of theirwandering brethren from flagging on long trips.The loaves are small and may be eaten in three orfour bites (five or six for a pecwae). The bread hasa pleasant cinnamon aroma and a sweet taste.

Powers: Eating an entire loaf of pecwae sweetbreadwill heal 1d4 hit points of damage on a living crea-ture. It will not grant hit points that would exceedthe user’s total hit points.

Caster Level: 2nd-level Earth mage;Prerequisites: BrewPotion, Craft (bak-ing) Rank 3+ andCraft (baking) skillcheck DC 12 (retriesallowed, but fail-ures use up half thebase materials, gen-tle touch; MarketPrice: 60 argents;Item CreationThreshold: 12.

PecwaeTurquoise Pen-dantD e s c r i p t i o n :Pecwae believe thatthe power of Earthmagic lies dormantin turquoise. Theother races ofLoerem have cometo respect pecwae-e n c h a n t e dturquoise. It is saidthat the pecwae-worked stones have special powers. Such stonesare highly coveted among both humans and elves.

Pecwae turquoise pendants take on a variety ofshapes, depending upon what the pecwae had inmind when he made it. They often like to shape thestones into birds, trees, or small woodland ani-mals. They never use fish as a motif for their stonecarving, since fish are considered stupid and unin-teresting. Not every turquoise stone shaped by apecwae has magical properties, and there are many

unsavory types who try to replicate the look ofpecwae-shaped stones in order to capitalize upontheir reputed properties.

Powers: Items of this sort grant the wearer a +1luck bonus to AC and Fortitude saves.

Caster Level: 10th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (gemcutting) Rank 6;Market Price: 7,500 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 100.

Rod of the BluerootDescription: This rod is a short scepter made ofoak, with an unadorned steel cap at its head. Noone is quite sure who originally created the rod ofthe blueroot, as most people are not fond of thestrange creatures and want nothing to do withthem. Despite its name, those who have owned the

rod have valued ithighly.

Powers: Once perday the rod of theblueroot can projecta cloud of gas as a10-foot spread atMedium range (100feet plus 10 feet percreator’s level). Allliving creaturescaught in the areamust make a Forti-tude save (DC 18) ortake 1d6 points ofConstitution dam-age. The secondaryeffect (which mustbe saved against oneminute later) is also1d6 points of Con-stitution damage.The poison cloudonly lasts for oneround before dissi-pating.

The rod also allowsits wielder to men-tally control any

blueroot within Long range (400 feet plus 40 feetper creator’s level) who fails a Will saving throw(DC 15 plus creator’s level). This power can only beused once per day. Control of the blueroot lasts forten minutes or until the caster orders the bluerootto commit a self-destructive act.

Caster Level: 10 combined levels of Earth mageand Water mage; Prerequisites: Craft Rod; MarketPrice: 5,709 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 44.

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Ring of Zimir el’TimirDescription: The ring of Zimir el’Timir is a large,gold ring inset with a faceted, square-cut garnet.The ring was created by el’Timir, the master of theCrypt Openers mage-guild. El’Timir was known forhis prowess has a mage and even more for hisincredible breadth of knowledge.

He adventured throughout Loerem, as the mem-bers of the Crypt Openers are wont to do, investi-gating old burial sites, ancient ruins, and followingthe rumors of magical treasures hidden within olddelvings or long dead cities. His favorite sites werein Karnu.

El’Timir finally met his doom during the civil warbetween the Karnuans and Dunkargans. No one isquite certain what happened to him. Some say thathe was on a special mission for the Dunkargan gov-ernment when he was slain. El’Timir’s detractorssay that he was taking advantage of the war to lootKarnuan burial sites.

Whichever is true, the powerful magical ring thathe had forged for himself was not among the blood-stained possessions that were mysteriouslyreturned to the Crypt Opener’s headquarters inDunkar. The most likely conclusion is that the ringwent to one of the war-wizards responsible for el’-Timir’s death. No one knows where the ring is now.It could be in some war-wizard’s possession orlying lost in the desert sands.

Powers: The ring of Zimir el’Timir grants its wear-er a +4 enhancement bonus to his Intelligence abil-ity at all times. This bonus aids Intelligence basedskills and the number of spells known at IntimateKnowledge and Quick Reference.

Caster Level: 20th-level Water mage; Prerequisites:Forge Ring, Intelligence 16+; Market Price: 24,000argents; Item Creation Threshold: 200.

Robe of the EtherDescription: A robe of the ether is a thin garmentof shimmering gray-black silk, customarily embroi-dered with the marks of the mages who createdthem and the Void enchantments that were castupon them. Each has a hood and long sleeves thatdrape over the hands of the wearer.

Robes of the ether shield the wearer with Voidmagic, causing minute rifts of Void magic to appearnear the caster to protect him whenever he is tar-geted by hostile magic. The rifts are not visible,although one may notice a slight decrease in tem-perature around the wearer when he is targeted byhostile magic.

Centuries ago, before Void magic was outlawed,every Void mage would have made and owned one

of these garments. With the passing of time, thesecret to making these garments has become a lostart. Thus those robes that have been discovered areextremely valuable. Anyone lucky enough to ownone keeps it hidden and secret, using it only intimes of great need.

Powers: The wearer of this garment is bestowedwith an SR 15.

Caster Level: 23rd-level Void mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 45,000argents; Item Creation Threshold: 225.

Rod of the WolfDescription: Crafted long ago by the dwarven Firemages who tend the Holy Fires of Dwarfdom, thisrod was given to the Clan chief of the White Clanto aid them in their survival upon the plains ofGrak. So valuable is this rod that wars were foughtamong the Clans to obtain it. Reputedly, the rodhas a will of its own and will bring about a war ifit is not happy with its current owner. Somedwarves believe that to possess the rod of the wolfis to curse one’s Clan with misfortune.

The rod is crafted of dragon tree wood, traced withthe image of flames all along its length. At one endis the carven image of a wolf’s head, howling.

No one knows who has the rod of the wolf thesedays. The new Chief of Clan Chiefs has been quot-ed as saying that he would like to own the rod him-self and it is rumored that he is offering animmense reward to any who will bring it to him.

Powers: The rod of the wolf grants a Fire mage a +5enhancement bonus to his spellcasting rolls whencasting Fire magic spells. To obtain this bonus, thecaster must be holding the rod while casting, andstill must use the necessary elemental essence aswell.

Caster Level: 25th-level Fire mage; Prerequisites:Craft Rod; Market Price: 37,500 argents; Item Cre-ation Threshold: 250.

Shadow GlovesDescription: It is reputed that there are perhapsfive or six pairs of shadow gloves in existence.They are favored by thieves and assassins, who areoften the targets of spells and traps that requirequick thinking and even quicker movement to sur-vive.

A pair of shadow gloves look like ordinary blackgloves, except that they are made of an almostweightless cloth. They fit the wearer’s hands per-fectly, no matter how big or how small, and do nothamper his sense of touch. They are as comfortableas the wearer’s own skin. He won’t know they are

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there, except for the fact his hands turn as black aspitch.

Powers: The wearer of the shadow gloves is grant-ed a +3 enhancement bonus to his Reflex saves.Both gloves must be worn for the enchantment towork.

Caster Level: 15th-level Void mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item; Market Price: 13,500argents; Item Creation Threshold: 150.

Shield of General Aqual immin Sifion IquarDescription: This large shield is fashioned fromthe tusks of an elephant with elephant hidestretched between them. The elephant hide is asstrong as steel, while the ivory tusks cannot bechipped or damaged by ordinary weapons.

Aqual immin Sifion Iquar was a Karnuan generalwho distinguished himself during the civil warthat established the Caliphate. He also had a pas-sion for hunting large game. The caliph commis-sioned his personal mages to craft the shield usingthe carcass of a bull elephant that the generalkilled. The general carried the shield into manysuccessful campaigns before his death as an oldman. The shield was passed on to his heirs, whocarried it in Karnuan military campaigns. The fam-ily died out and the shield has since been lost tohistory.

Powers: The shield of General Aqual immin SifionIquar functions as a large steel shield that carries a+2 enhancement bonus to the user’s Armor Class(for a total protection of +4). The shield grants itsuser a +1 resistance bonus to all saving throws ver-sus Fire magic and a +2 enhancement bonus to theuser’s Strength ability.

Caster Level: 22nd-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, firemute, harden,strength of stone; Market Price: 12,540 argents;Item Creation Threshold: 215.

Shield of Missile ReflectionDescription: Shields of this type vary in appear-ance, although they are all large steel shields, oftenextremely well-made. Each displays a nation’s col-ors, a family crest, or the personal symbol of theleader for whom it was created. These shields aresaid to have been created by the Church bat-tlemages, who wanted shields that would not onlyprotect their generals from attack by enemyarchers, but would also provide a way to slay thearchers, who are often hidden and difficult to find.

Powers: A shield of missile reflection carries a +2enhancement bonus (for a total protection of +4 tothe wielder’s AC) and allows its user to send anymissile weapon (not thrown) back at those who fire

at him. For every missile (arrow, bolt, etc.) thatwould normally hit the user, he may instead makean immediate ranged attack roll against the onewho fired on him as a free action. The roll is sub-ject to all normal modifiers and restrictions as ifthe user had fired an identical weapon as the onefired upon him.

Caster Level: 16th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, speed my arrows;Market Price: 9,045 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 152.

Spectacles of NoticeDescription: The first recorded spectacles of noticewere created by an ork shaman who realized thathis ship’s aging helmsman could no longer seeclearly the rocky outcroppings and reef-signs thatwere well-known to the vast majority of orkensailors. The helmsman was considered lucky byhis crew and the captain did not want to part withhim. He ordered the shaman to construct a devicethat would aid the elderly helmsman in his work.

The shaman was said to have made several pair forthe elderly man, who was constantly forgettingwhere he put them. Some of these may still befloating around various orken markets.

Powers: Spectacles of notice are small wire-framespectacles that gently squeeze the end of the wear-er’s nose in order to remain in place. They grantthe wearer a +8 enhancement bonus to all Spot andSearch checks that involve sight.

Caster Level: 8th-level Water mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, Craft (glassblowing) Rank 5;Market Price: 3,840 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 40.

Staff of Khalid el’ZhiefDescription: Khalid el’Zhief was a Dunkarganmage of no small reputation during the reign ofKing Tamrond of Vinnengael. Though born attunedto Earth magic, as all humans are, his passion wasthe magic of Fire. The methods he used to con-struct and enchant his famous staff are now lost tohistory, but the stories told of the staff and its won-drous powers are not. Khalid traveled to dwarvenlands, to learn the ultimate secrets of Fire magic.Neither he nor his staff was ever seen in humanlands again. Stories of his staff continue to intriguehuman battlemages, who would love to truly har-ness the power of fire.

Powers: Crafted from oak and carved with the like-ness of leaping flames, this staff allows the use ofthe following spells:

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•Fire bolt (1 charge)

•Fireshield (1 charge)

•Circle of flame (1 charge)

•Fireball (2 charges)

•Conflagration (2 charges)

Caster Level: 26th-level Fire mage; Prerequisites:Craft Staff; Market Price: 47,700 argents; Item Cre-ation Threshold: 257.

Sword of Sight Beyond SightDescription: This longsword has had many mas-ters, for it never remains with one person for morethan a year. The fact that most of its owners haveseen violent and bloody ends, has led people tobelieve that the Sword of Sight Beyond Sight iscursed.

The sword itself is plain look-ing, except for the large pol-ished tiger eye agates embed-ded on either side of the bladein the center of the sword’scrossbars.

Powers: Upon command, thesword may be held before thewielder and a vision will playalong the flat of the blade. Thevision will be of any one per-son or creature that the wield-er wills, so long as he has hadphysical contact with thatindividual within the last 30days. He can see what the tar-get is doing and has somesense of the target’s surround-ings. (Whether he is in a cas-tle, outdoors, in a tavern, etc.)The vision lasts only 1minute. The bearer cannotcommunicate with the target.The target has no knowledgethat he is being watched. Thesword may be commanded toperform this feat 3 times per day. The sword alsohas a +1 enhancement bonus for attack and damagerolls.

Caster Level: 19th-level Water mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, see what can beseen; Market Price: 29,375 argents; Item CreationThreshold: 194.

Telidhraf Mardh (Boon for the Wanderer)Description: Although crafted by the Nimoreans,these magical weapons are considered extremelyrare and hard to come by. Or it may be that they are

more common than supposed. Because they looklike simple wooden walking sticks, an owner maynot realize what it is that he owns.

Powers: Telidhraf mardh are actually longspearsthat are enchanted to appear as walking sticks.Each has a +1 enhancement bonus to attack anddamage rolls. Those attacked by anyone wielding atelidhraf mardh are allowed a Will save (DC 15) todisbelieve the illusion. A successful save meansthat the victim is able to see the longspear for whatit really is. However, once 24 hours have passed,the illusion is in place again. Anyone who mayhave seen through the spear’s illusion will see onlya walking stick, unless attacked and the subse-quent save is successful.

Caster Level: 15th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, deceive the simple;Market Price: 12,303 argents; Item Creation

Threshold: 150.

Telwyn’s LeatherDescription: Telwyn’s leatherdoes not appear extraordinaryat first glance, looking like awell-kept, but ordinary suit ofleather armor.

Telwyn was a Nimoreanbounty hunter, rumored tohave supported a comfortablelifestyle by pursuing distantenemies and criminals forpowerful and wealthy elvenlords. His magically enchant-ed armor is said to have beenpayment for one of his moredangerous missions. Since hisdeath, Telwyn’s leather haschanged owners numeroustimes, many of whom werenot aware of the magical pow-ers of the armor.

Powers: Telwyn’s leather isimbued with a +1 enhance-

ment bonus to the wearer’s Armor Class (for a totalprotection of +3). The armor also grants a +5 cir-cumstance bonus to the wearer’s Move Silentlychecks.

Caster Level: 8th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor, deceive the simple;Market Price: 2,430 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 75.

Thunder BeadDescription: A thunder bead is a small glass orceramic bead that appears to be innocuous until it

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is thrown at an opponent. They were created by theWyred, who often wear them as jewelry, either asbracelets around their wrists or bound up in theirhair.

Power: In order to use a thunder bead, the posses-sor of the item must make a successful rangedattack against an opponent by throwing the bead atthe target. A thunder bead has a range increment of5 feet. If the bead hits its target, it unleashes a shat-tering blast of air upon the target that causes 4d6points of damage, Fort save for half (DC 12 + cast-er level).

Caster Level: 5th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, thunder without lightning;Market Price: 1,020 argents; Item Creation Thresh-old: 44.

Tiger Fang StilettoDescription: This long, thin-bladed dagger has a large yel-low tiger tooth imbedded intoits pommel. It was the pre-ferred weapon of a oncefamous thief in Forden,known simply as Tiger Fang.Tiger Fang retired some yearsago, and it is said that the dag-ger now belongs to one of hispupils. If this is true, none ofthem are talking.

Powers: This dagger has a +1enhancement bonus to attackand damage rolls, and alsogrants the wielder a +2 Dexter-ity enhancement bonus. Themost dreaded of the stiletto’spowers is that when it dam-ages a creature the wound itcreates bleeds for 1 point ofextra damage per round inaddition to the normal damagedealt. Multiple wounds result in cumulative bleed-ing loss. The bleeding can only be stopped by asuccessful Heal skill check (DC 15) or the applica-tion of healing magic.

Caster Level: 25 combined levels in Earth mageand Fire mage; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Armsand Armor, cat’s claws; Market Price: 18,302argents; Item Creation Threshold: 250.

Torc of the KalatorinDescription: This item appears to be a crude chainwoven of dried vines, leaves, and berries. Howev-er, once fitted around the neck, the vines andleaves turn a vibrant green and the berries a darkpurple-red. The torc encircles the wearers neck

comfortably, adjusting itself so that it is never inthe wearer’s way. The torc is said to protect thewearer from being poisoned.

These torcs were first created by the “plant mages”who came from the Temple of Oden-Klidip, nearKaltay in Nimra. They have found some limitedmarketability in larger cities around Loerem,although they still remain fairly uncommon.

Powers: Whoever wears the torc of the kalatoringains a +4 resistance bonus to all saves versus poi-sons that originate from plants or plant-like beings(including sentient plants and fungi).

Caster Level: 6 combined levels of Earth mage andWater mage; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,Knowledge (nature) Rank 3; Market Price: 6,000argents; Item Creation Threshold: 60.

Torok’s TubeDescription: This magicaldevice was created by thedragon, Torok, when he was aman and had not yet under-gone his transformation.Torok’s tube is a small, hollow,ivory cylinder, about 6-inchesin length. The cylinder isunremarkable, devoid of anywriting or carving, and issmooth to the touch.

After his transformation into adragon, Torok left his homeand wandered aimlesslyacross Loerem. He enjoyednothing more than watching agood battle and he was espe-cially interested in the borderskirmishes between the fledg-ling Kingdom of Vinnengael,the Dunkargan Empire, andthe Divine Lands of theTromek. He became the pre-

eminent source of information on those battles,and has remained so down through the centuries.He made his home atop a great flat outcropping inthe mountains east of Seithmorae and has livedthere for as long as anyone can remember. He isreclusive, though, and is hard to find.

It is believed that Torok’s tube was given to a groupof adventurers who were on a mission of peace forthe Vinnengaelean Empire by Torok himself. Sup-posedly, this group traveled with a dragon-friendof their own. The truth of this tale has yet to beconfirmed.

Powers: This item allows the caster to sense thepresence of any active Earth magic or Earth dual-

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element magic spell or enchanted item while look-ing though the tube. If the user has the Spellcraftskill, more might be discovered about the spell oritem in question including aspect, spell, difficul-ty, possible damage, or the spell or objects generaleffect.

Caster Level: 10th-level Earth mage; Prerequisites:Craft Wondrous Item, sense Earth magic; MarketPrice: 13,440 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 96.

Wizard’s BaneDescription: Wizard’s Bane is a hirglaif of extraor-dinary make. The elephant tusk scabbard isscrimshawed with the images of lotus blossomsand the elongated serpentine body of a dragonsnaking its way through the flowers. The sword’shilt is a graven image of the Mother and Fatherentwined in an embrace, and the hand guard is theopen lotus flower. The blade emerges from the cen-ter of the flower. The Wizard’s Bane’s blade isforged from bright, shining steel. Its edge isunblemished with no nicks or imperfections of anytype.

Wizard’s Bane was forged and enchanted manycenturies ago by the Wyred at Ergil Amdissyn forthe Divine Issilyn of House Trovale. Because theWyred knew that the Divine would never acceptthe sword if he knew it was magic, the origins ofthe sword were disguised. A lord of a lesser house,who needed a gift to show his allegiance to theDivine, obtained the blade. The “craftsman” whosold him the sword for a pittance of its worthadvised the lord that the weapon would honor theDivine, and would be a boon to both he and hisliege.

Divine Issilyn accepted the gift and so taken washe with the sword’s craftsmanship and beauty thathe made it his personal weapon. Dark daysengulfed Issilyn’s rule. Attempts were made on hislife, many of them magical. War erupted with theDunkargans, and he led many campaigns to ridTromek of the invaders and their powerful war-wizards. Issilyn was known for his ability to battlespellcasters and was lauded for his victories. Aftertwenty-five years of campaigning, he and theTromek nation finally knew peace. Not long afterthe treaties were signed, the sword, Wizard’s Banedisappeared from the Divine’s palace.

The Divine was shocked and outraged to think thata thief would dare steal such a valuable weaponfrom his home. The land was scoured for the swordbut it was never found. The sword was safe withthose who had made it. Wizard’s Bane had servedits purpose. Peace prevailed and the Divine lived along life, governing his people wisely.

Powers: Under normal circumstances, Wizard’sBane is a +2 hirglaif . When used in melee combatagainst a mage, magical creature, or magic-usingcreature, the sword is imbued with a +4 enhance-ment bonus and deals +2d6 points of additionaldamage for each successful attack. In addition toits other powers, whenever Wizard’s Bane is bran-dished by its wielder, it grants him an SR 18.

Caster Level: 57th-level Air mage; Prerequisites:Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Market Price:138,500 argents; Item Creation Threshold: 570.

MINOR ARTIFACT

The Miter of Tarras WeldarDescription: Tarras Weldar was the advisor toVerdic Ildurel, First King of Vinnengael. He isremembered throughout history as one of the mostpowerful magi to have ever lived. It was he whotamed the river Hammerclaw, raised up the wallsof Castle Ildurel and fortified them against foesboth mundane and magical. Many attribute at leastpart of his magical prowess to an enchanted miterhe possessed. Illustrations and tapestries that sur-vive from that time often picture Tarras with hisrenowned headgear.

The ultimate fate of the miter is unknown. It wasthought to have been interred with Tarras’sremains beneath Castle Ildurel, but while explo-rations of the Castle since the destruction of OldVinnengael have located Tarras’s tomb, the miterwas not recovered. Unconfirmed reports of a miterbearing a similar design to that of Tarras’s havecome from both Dunkarga and Karnu. This couldbe the actual headgear of Vinnengael’s mostfamous mage or simply a cheap imitation.

The Miter of Tarras Weldar is faded green in colorand stands a foot-and-a-half high. Symbols of sil-ver thread are embroidered upon the miter, eachsymbol representing one of the natural elements ofmagic—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Powers: Any mage that wears the miter is no longerdisadvantaged in his opposing magical element,but is considered neutral. For example, if Reenee,a human mage, wears the Miter of Tarras Weldar,she is no longer disadvantaged in the casting of Airmagic and may cast it as a neutral element. Thisworks for all races, however, it does not apply tothose tainted by Void magic. The miter alsobestows a +5 spellcasting bonus that applies to thecasting of all natural elemental magic spells.

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MA

GICA

L ITEM CREA

TION

Chapter 8

have condemned many to the Void in my

time. Most of them have deserved their fate. I

have seen what terrible things the Void can do

to a man—burn his flesh from his bones, shatter

his limbs, tear him apart bit by bit. Yet, other

magicks can do worse. Why have I been singled

out to die for my beliefs?

The Void can accomplish miracles. I have healed

a wounded soldier whom no paltry chirurgeon’s

magic could help. I have danced from one shadow

to another in the blink of an eye.

And still,, even though Void magic can be used

for weal as for woe, my magic is abhorred.

Even though I have done good in my life, I am

condemned simply because of my beliefs.

INILLON ESHEREDD, VOID PRACTITIONER,

TO THE GATHERING AT HIS HANGING:

180

MAGICAL ITEM CREATION

Although all of the races of Loerem take advantageof magic in its different aspects, the creation ofmagic items is something more rare and exclusive.Most magically crafted items are not as useful ashaving a spellcaster available in the first place. Thetruly potent artifacts that are an exception to thisrule are coveted or guarded by some of the mostpowerful beings in Loerem.

There will always be a number of “hedge-wizards”in most cultures who make a modest living bybrewing potions and enchanting small amulets, butthese items almost always re-create the effects ofexisting, minor spells and are temporary at best.The permanent, more powerful items are extreme-ly rare and often jealously guarded. These artifactsare usually created by a group of wizards to accom-plish a specific purpose. Theyhave a larger story than simplytheir power and heroes whofind and use such items havetheir names added to the item’slegacy.

REQUIREMENTSThe creation of any magicalitem requires both specialknowledge, represented by theappropriate item creation feat,and sometimes a particularskill, as well as a certain levelof power, represented by level.If the minimum level is beyondthe reach of the spellcaster, hecan make use of a shared spell-casting feat to have others helphim (see Shared Spellcastingand Item Creation, below).

To create a magical item based on dual-elementmagic, the combined levels of single magical ele-ments must be equal or greater than the minimumcaster level, but his lowest level cannot be lessthan half of his highest.

Example: Boots of Irwen are an Earth/Fire itemwith a minimum level of 15. A mage with 10 lev-els of Earth magic and 5 levels of Fire could createthe boots, while another mage with 13 levels ofEarth magic and 2 levels of Fire could not.

CREATING MAGICAL ITEMSMagical objects in the world of the Sovereign Stoneare divided into categories. These groups not onlydefine the basic nature of the objects, but also iden-tify the appropriate feats and skills necessary tocreate them.

Item creation costs are listed in detail below. Ingeneral, base creation costs for items are alwayshalf of the base price in argents and 1/25 of thebase price in experience points (XP). For mostitems, the market price equals the base price.

Items also have an Item Creation Threshold, anumber that must be reached using daily Item Cre-ation rolls to determine how long it takes to createa particular magical item. Objects also have a min-imum level pre-requisite: the minimum level tocreate a particular item is 1/10th its Item CreationThreshold.

Two steps are involved in creating magical items:preparation and enchantment. Preparation time isused to make the materials ready to receive theenchantment, for if the tiniest detail is wrong theenchantment might fail. Preparation takes 1 day forevery 1,000 argents in the item’s base or market

price (rounded up).

Example: A rod of the blueroothas a market price of 5,709argents. Thus it would take 6days to prepare the materialsfor enchantment.

Assistance from others at thisstage does not speed up theprocess. (Potions and scrolls donot require preparation time. Acreator may begin enchantingthese items as soon as he hasthe necessary materials.)

Enchantment is the next step,when magical spells are placedon the prepared item. Each dayof creation, the spellcaster(s)must make an Item Creationroll, which is 1d20 + his spell-

casting bonus for that magical element, keeping acumulative total for each day. Once the cumulativeItem Creation rolls equal or exceed the Item Cre-ation Threshold for creating the item, the item iscompleted on that day. Each day of item creationalso requires a Fortitude saving throw: DC 8 foradvantaged magic, DC 10 for neutral magic, DC 12for disadvantaged magic. The DC of this checkdoes not increase during item creation. Failing theFortitude save causes the spellcaster to suffer 1d4points of subdual damage for elemental magic or1d4 hit points of normal damage for Void magic.

In rare cases, an item may cast or replicate a spellwith an expensive mundane focus. (Sink, for exam-ple, is a spell used by the taan that requires gold asa mundane focus.) For such an item, the marketprice equals the base price plus an extra price forthe mundane focus. The cost to create an item like

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MAGICAL ITEM CREATION 181

this is the base raw material cost and the base XPcost (both determined by the base price) plus thecosts for the mundane focus. If the caster choosesnot to include the mundane focus, the enchant-ment will work only if one is provided every timethe item is used.

The creator also needs a quiet, comfortable, andwell-lit place in which to work. Any place suitablefor preparing spells is suitable for making items.The caster is assumed to work for 8 hours each day.He cannot rush the process by working longer. Acharacter can work on only one item at a time. Hecan do nothing else while working. During restperiods, he can engage in light activity such astalking or walking but cannot fight, cast spells, usemagic items, conduct research, or perform anyother physically or mentally demanding task. Thecaster can take a short break from working (fornaps and such) as often as he likes, so long as hespends at least 8 hours out of every 24 working onthe item. He cannot take a day off. Once theprocess has started, he must see it through to the

end or admit defeat. If the caster is disturbed whilemaking the item, or spends less than 8 hours work-ing in any period of 24 hours, the process is ruined.All materials used and XP spent are wasted.

ELEMENTAL MAGIC IN THE CREATIONOF MAGICAL ITEMSThe various elements of magic can be used to cre-ate a variety of effects. Often, two different ele-ments of magic can be used to produce similarresults. For example, Earth magic can be used tomake a sword sharper (causing more damage),while Air magic can be used to add thrust to thewielder’s swing (causing more damage).

Two rules apply to how elemental magic can beused in the creation of magical objects. First, themagical effect of the item must fall within one ofthe magical aspects of the element used to createthe item. (Dual-element magic, such as Earth/Fire,counts as a separate element when used inenchanting items.) Second, only one element ofmagic can be used to enchant any one object.

MAGICAL ITEM CREATION182

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TABLE 8.1: CALCULATING MAGICAL ITEM BASE PRICE AND ITEM CREATION THRESHOLD

Effect Base Price (argents) Creation Threshold ExampleAbility enhancement bonus Bonus squared x 1,500 Bonus x 50 Ring of Zimir el’TiminArmor enhancement bonus Bonus squared x 1,500 Bonus x 50 Karval’s FingerSpellcasting bonus Bonus squared x 1,500 Bonus x 50 Rod of the WolfDeflection bonus Bonus squared x 3,000 Bonus x 75 Gwynen’s CircletLuck bonus Bonus squared x 3,750 Bonus x 100 Pecwae Turquoise PendantNatural Armor Bonus Bonus squared x 3,000 Bonus x 75 Boots of IrwenResistance bonus Bonus squared x 1,500 Bonus x 50 Shadow GlovesSave bonus (limited) Bonus squared x 375 Bonus x 15 Torc of KalatorinSkill bonus Bonus squared x 30 Bonus x 5 Spectacles of NoticeSpell resistance 15,000 per point over SR 12; SR x 15 Robe of the Ether

SR 13 minimumWeapon enhancement bonus Bonus squared x 3,000 Bonus x 75 Eflan’s Maul

Spell Effect Base Price Creation Threshold ExampleSingle use, use-activated (CT – 10) x 30 Spell CT Scroll of Fast WalkSingle use, spell completion (CT – 10) x 35 Spell CT Pecwae Sweetbread50 charges, spell trigger (CT – 10) x 360 Spell CT x 2 Wand of Ball LightningCommand word (CT – 10) x 865 Spell CT x 3 Brooch of the Falling StarUse-activated (CT – 10) x 960 Spell CT x 4 Torok’s Tube

Special Base Price Adjustment Creation Threshold ExampleCharges per day Divide by (5 ÷ charges per day) Divide by (5 ÷ charges per day) G’tar’s Scrying BowlNo space limitation* Entire cost x 2 Entire Creation Threshold x2 Pecwae Friendship TokenCharged (50 charges) 1/2 unlimited use base price 1/2 unlimited Creation Threshold Assassin’s Crossbow

Component Extra Cost Creation Threshold ExampleArmor, shield, or weapon Add cost of masterwork item Unaffected Telwyn’s LeatherSpell has mundane focus Add directly into price of item per charge ** Unaffected Rod of the Blueroot

*See Limit on Magic Items Worn (Core Rulebook II). Basically, an item that does not take up one of these limited spaces costs double.

**If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine cost as if it had 50 charges.

Whenever spells are used to enchant an object, thecreator must know the spells at Intimate Knowl-edge or Quick Reference. (If known at Quick Refer-ence, then a spellbook or suitable reference mustbe present.)

METAMAGIC FEATS AND SPELL EFFECT ITEMSFor items that make use of spell effects (and mostof them do), the caster may choose to enchant theobject with a spell enhanced by a metamagic feat.However, the increased Casting Threshold of thespell must be calculated into the cost and Item Cre-ation Threshold of the magical item.

All items listed in Chapter 7 include normal spell-effects. To recreate theseitems using metamagicfeats, the cost and ItemCreation Threshold mustbe re-calculated using theprocess described in thischapter.

SHARED SPELLCASTINGAND ITEM CREATIONItem creation can beaccomplished more quick-ly if multiple spellcasterswork toward its creation.(In fact, some items are sochallenging they can onlybe made by groups of spell-casters.) Two or more spell-casters can work togetherto create a magical item,provided they both have anappropriate shared spell-casting feat, the item cre-ation feat, knowledge (atQuick Reference or Inti-mate Knowledge) of anyspells being incorporatedinto the weapon (if any),any metamagic feats used,and their combined levels must be equal to orgreater than the level requirement.

Items are listed by minimum required level, even ifthat level is beyond the reach of any one spellcast-er.

Example: The magical sword Wizard’s Banerequires a 57th-level Air mage to create a similarsword. A group of six 10th-level Air mages, withthe Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat and theCabalistic Spellcasting feat, could work together tocreate the weapon.

Unlike normal shared spellcasting, only the pri-mary maker of the item makes the Item Creation

roll, adding the collective spellcasting bonuses ofall the participating mages. This is usually thehighest-level mage, but it can be anyone agreedupon by the group. The XP cost of item creation isdivided evenly among all the participants, round-ed up.

MASTERWORK ITEMSMasterwork items are extraordinarily well-madeitems. They are more expensive, but they offer theuser benefits because of their heightened quality.They are not magical in any way. However, onlymasterwork items may be enchanted to becomemagic armor and weapons. (Items that are notweapons or armor may or may not be masterwork

items.) The cost of master-work items is presented inTable 4.9.

MAGICAL ARMORMagical armor is prizedand highly sought after, forit first must be the finestarmor of its type created bya master craftsman. Onlythen can it be enchantedwith one of the magical ele-ments to protect its wearer.Warriors encased in magi-cal armor are confident onany battlefield, knowingthey are well-protectedfrom their enemies.

Armor is always created sothat even if the type ofarmor comes with boots orgauntlets, these pieces canbe switched for other magicboots or gauntlets. Magicarmor, like almost all magicitems, resizes itself to fit thewearer.

Magical armor bonuses are always enhancementbonuses. These never rise above +5, and stack withregular armor bonuses (and with shield and magicshield enhancement bonuses). Further, all magicarmor is also masterwork armor, so armor checkpenalties are reduced by 1.

ShieldsShield enhancement bonuses stack with armorenhancement bonuses. Shield enhancementbonuses do not act as attack or damage bonuseswhen the shield is used in a bash. The bashingshield enchantment does grant a +1 bonus toattacks and damage (see description). A charactercould, in fact, build a shield that also acted as a

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magic weapon, but the magic offensive bonus costwould need to be added into the defensive bonuscost of the shield.

As with armor, special abilities built into theshield add to the market value in the form of addi-tions to the bonus of the shield, although they donot improve AC. A shield cannot have an effectivebonus (enhancement plus special ability bonusequivalents) higher than +10. A shield with a spe-cial ability must have at least a +1 enhancementbonus.

Shield’s Hardness and Hit Points: An attacker can-not damage a magic shield with an enhancementbonus unless his own weapon has at least as highan enhancement bonus as the shield struck. Each+1 of enhancement bonus also adds 1 to theshield’s hardness and hit points.

Activation: If armor or a shield has a special abili-ty that the user needs to activate, then the user usu-ally needs to utter the command word (a standardaction).

Creating Magical Armor and ShieldsThe creation of magical armor requires the appro-priate leather-working and/or blacksmithing toolsnecessary to make and repair such armor in thefirst place. The armor to be enchanted must bemasterwork armor, and its cost is added to the totalenchantment cost to determine final market value.Additional costs for the materials are subsumed inthe cost for creating the magic armor, considered tobe half the market value presented in the tables inthis chapter.

In addition to an enhancement bonus, armor mayhave special abilities (see below), such as the abil-ity to resist critical hits or to help the wearer hide.Special abilities count as additional bonuses fordetermining the market value of an item, but donot improve AC. A suit of armor cannot have aneffective bonus (enhancement plus special abilitybonus equivalents) higher than +10. A suit ofarmor with a special ability must have at least a +1enhancement bonus.

Magical armor or a magic shield must have at leasta +1 enhancement bonus to have any additionalspell effects included in its enchantment. Whenspell effects are being incorporated into the magi-cal armor, the CT of the spell is added to the baseItem Creation Threshold of the armor.

If a spell is involved in the prerequisite for makingthe armor, the creator must know the spell at eitherIntimate Knowledge or Quick Reference but neednot provide any mundane focus the spell requires.The armor is imbued with the spell slowly duringthe process of creation.

Creating some armor or shields may entail otherprerequisites beyond or other than spellcasting.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft Magic Armsand Armor.

Armor and Shield Special QualitiesNote that the required spells included below arejust an example. Other spells (including newmagic created by a player) may be substituted withthe referee’s approval.

Acid Resistance: A suit of armor or a shield withthis enchantment normally has a dull gray appear-ance. The armor absorbs the first 10 points of aciddamage per round that the wearer would normallytake.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hard-en (Earth) or hungry water (Water); Market Price:+3 bonus.

Animated: Upon command, an animated shieldfloats within 2 feet of the wielder, protecting himas if he were using it himself but freeing up bothhis hands. Only one shield can protect a characterat a time.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, irondefender (Air); Market Price: +2 bonus.

Arrow Deflection: This shield protects the wielderas if he had the Deflect Arrows feat (see Core Rule-book I for details).

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, gust-ing shield (Air) or shield me (Earth); Market Price:+2 bonus.

Bashing: This shield is crafted to make a shieldbash. No matter what the size of the attacker, alarge bashing shield deals 1d8 points of damageand a small bashing shield deals 1d6 points ofdamage. The shield acts as a +1 weapon when usedto bash. (Tower shields cannot be bashing shields.)

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hard-en (Earth); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Blinding: A shield with this enchantment flasheswith a brilliant light up to twice per day upon com-mand of the wielder. All within 20 feet except thewielder must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 14)or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, dazzle(Air/Fire) or blind (Water) or see no more (Void);Market Price: +1 bonus.

Cold Resistance: A suit of armor or a shield withthis enchantment normally has a bluish, icy hue oris adorned with furs and shaggy pelts. The armorabsorbs the first 10 points of cold damage perround that the wearer would normally take.


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Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, coat ofthe bear (Earth/Fire) or comfort zone (Fire); MarketPrice: +3 bonus.

Dark: This type of armor is jet black and causes thewearer to blur in the sight of others whenever hetries to hide, granting a +10 circumstance bonus toHide checks (essentially a bonus for an extremelyfavorable condition). This bonus does not stackwith the Hide bonus granted by obscuring or blind-ing-based Hide check bonuses. (The armor’s armorcheck penalty still applies normally.)

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, walkwithout shadow (Air) or shadow’d visage (Void);Market Price: +1 bonus.

Fire Resistance: A suit of armor with this enchant-ment normally has a reddish hue and is often dec-orated with a draconic motif. The armor absorbsthe first 10 points of heat damage per round thatthe wearer would normally take.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fire-mute (Earth) or quench (Fire); Market Price: +3bonus.

Fortification: This suit of armor or shield producesa magical force that protects vital areas of thewearer more effectively. When a critical hit orsneak attack is scored on the wearer, there is achance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negat-ed and damage is instead rolled normally:

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hard-en (Earth); Market Price: varies (see above).

Glamered: A suit of armor with this capabilityappears normal. Upon command, the armorchanges shape and form to assume the appearanceof a normal set of clothing. The armor retains all itsproperties (including weight) when glamered.Only a reveal that which is hidden spell or similarmagic reveals the true nature of the armor whendisguised.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, themendacity of air (Air); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Invulnerability: This suit of armor grants the wear-er damage reduction of 5/+1.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fusemetal (Air/Fire) or harden (Earth); Market Price: +3bonus.

Lightning Resistance: A suit of armor or a shieldwith this enchantment normally has a bluish hueand often bears a storm cloud or lightning motif.The armor absorbs the first 10 points of electricaldamage per round that the wearer would normallytake.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, immu-nity to lightning (Air/Fire); Market Price: +3 bonus.

Shadow Form: On command, this enchantmentallows the wearer of the armor to become an insub-stantial shadow once per day. The character canremain a shadow for as long as desired, but once hereturns to normal, he cannot become a shadowagain that day.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, passas shadow (Void); Market Price: +4 bonus.

Silent Moves: This armor is well oiled and magi-cally constructed so that it not only makes littlesound, but it dampens sound around it. It adds a+10 circumstance bonus to its wearer’s MoveSilently checks. (The armor’s armor check penaltystill applies normally.)

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Armsand Armor, focusing the will (Air) or monkey’s bal-ance (Earth/Fire) or mute (Water); Market Price: +1bonus.

Slick: Slick armor that appears coated at all timeswith a greasy oil adds a +10 circumstance bonus toits wearer’s Escape Artist checks. (The armor’sarmor check penalty still applies normally.)

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, slicker(Water); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Sonic Resistance: A suit of armor or a shield withthis enchantment normally has a glistening appear-ance. The armor absorbs the first 10 points of sonicdamage per round that the wearer would normallytake.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, mute(Water); Market Price: +3 bonus.

MAGICAL WEAPONSMagical weapons are the most popular magicalitems and are often depicted in legend and song.Such a weapon gains a reputation based on itswielder’s career. The history of a warrior and hisweapon are forever intertwined.

Weapons come in two basic categories: melee andranged. Some of the weapons listed as meleeweapons (daggers, axes) can also be used as rangedweapons. In this case, their enhancement bonusapplies to either type of attack.

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TABLE 8.2: FORTIFICATION SPECIAL QUALITIES

Fortification Type Chance for Normal Damage Market Price

Light 25% +1 bonus Moderate 75% +3 bonus

Heavy 100% +5 bonus

Masterwork ranged weapon bonuses to attack andmasterwork ammunition (arrows, crossbow bolts,and sling bullets) attack bonuses stack with eachother (but not with enhancement bonuses). Unlikemost enhancement bonuses, but similar to the wayin which armor and shields work together, theenhancement bonuses of magic ranged weaponsand magic ammunition stack for attack and dam-age purposes. However, for purposes of damagereduction, the enhancement bonuses of a magicranged weapon and magic ammunition do notstack. Only the ammunition’s enhancement bonusis applied against the damage reduction, since it isthe only part of the weapon actually striking thecreature. When a magic arrow, crossbow bolt, orsling bullet misses its target, there is a 50% chanceit breaks or is otherwise rendered useless. A magicarrow, bolt, or bullet that hits is destroyed.

Some magicalweapons shed lightequivalent to a torch(20-foot radius).These glowingweapons are quiteobviously magical.Such a weapon can-not be concealedwhen drawn, norcan its light be shutoff. Some of the spe-cific weaponsdetailed in Chapter7 always or neverglow, as defined intheir descriptions.

An attacker cannotdamage a magicweapon with anenhancement bonusunless his ownweapon has at leastas high an enhance-ment bonus as theweapon or shieldstruck. Each +1 ofenhancement bonusalso adds 1 to theweapon’s or shield’shardness and hitpoints.

Special abilities (seebelow) count asadditional bonusesfor determining themarket value of theitem, but do notmodify attack or

damage bonuses (except where specifically noted).A single weapon cannot have a modified bonus(enhancement bonus plus special ability bonusequivalents) higher than +10. A weapon with aspecial ability must have at least a +1 enhancementbonus.

Magical weapons have enhancement bonuses rang-ing from +1 to +5. They apply these bonuses toboth attack and damage rolls when used in combat.All magical weapons are also masterworkweapons, but their masterwork bonus to attackdoes not stack with their enhancement bonus toattack. Some magic weapons deal bonus dice ofdamage. Unlike other modifiers to damage, bonusdice of damage are not multiplied when the attack-er scores a critical hit.

If a weapon has a special ability that the user needsto activate, then the user usually needs to utter the

command word (astandard action).

Creating MagicalWeaponsThe creation of mag-ical weaponsrequires the appro-priate tools neces-sary to make andrepair suchweapons in the firstplace. The weaponto be enchantedmust be a master-work weapon, andits cost is added tothe total enchant-ment cost to deter-mine final marketvalue. Additionalcosts for the materi-als are subsumed inthe cost for creatingthe magic weapon,considered to behalf the marketvalue presented inthe tables in thischapter.

Magical weaponsmust have at least a+1 enhancementbonus to have anyadditional spelleffects included intheir enchantment.When spell effects


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are being incorporated into the magical weapon,the CT of the spell is added to the base Item Cre-ation Threshold of the weapon.

If a spell is involved in the creation of the weapon,the creator must know the spell at either IntimateKnowledge or Quick Reference, but need not pro-vide any mundane focus the spell requires. Theweapon is imbued with the spell slowly during theprocess of creation.

At the time of creation, the creator must decide ifthe weapon glows or not as a side-effect of themagic imbued within it. This decision does notaffect the price or the creation time, but once theitem is finished, the decision is binding.

Creating some weapons may entail other prerequi-sites beyond or other than spellcasting.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft Magic Armsand Armor.

Weapon Special QualitiesNote that the required spells included below arejust an example. Other spells (including newmagic created by a player or referee) may be sub-stituted at the referee’s discretion.

Bane: A bane weapon excels at attacking one typeof creature. (This can either be categories such asAberrations, Dragons, etc. or something more spe-cific.) Against its designated foe, its effectiveenhancement bonus is +2 better than its normalenhancement bonus (so a +1 longsword is a +3longsword against its foe). Further, it deals +2d6points of bonus damage against the foe.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, deathtouch (Void); Market Price: +2 bonus.

Dancing: A dancing weapon can be loosed (requir-ing a standard action) to attack on its own. It fightsfor 4 rounds using the base attack bonus of the onewho loosed it and then drops. It never leaves theside of the one who loosed it (never straying morethan 5 feet) and fights on even if the wielder falls.The wielder who loosed it can grasp it while it isattacking on its own as a free action, but when soretrieved it can’t dance (attack on its own) again for4 rounds.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, irondefender (Air); Market Price: +4 bonus.

Defending: A defender weapon allows the wielderto transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancementbonus to his AC as a special bonus that stacks withall others. As a free action, the wielder chooseshow to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonusat the start of his turn before using the weapon. Theeffect to AC lasts until his next turn.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, gust-ing shield (Air) or shield me (Earth); Market Price:+1 bonus.

Distance: This enchantment can be placed only ona ranged weapon. A weapon of distance doubles itsrange increment.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, speedmy arrows (Air); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Flaming: Upon command, a flaming weapon issheathed in fire. The fire does not harm the handsthat hold the weapon. Flaming weapons deal +1d6points of bonus fire damage on a successful hit.Bows, crossbows, and slings so enchanted bestowthe fire energy upon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bladeof fire (Fire); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Flaming Burst: A flaming burst weapon functionsas a flaming weapon that also explodes with flameupon striking a successful critical hit. The fire doesnot harm the hands that hold the weapon. Flamingburst weapons deal +1d10 points of bonus firedamage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon’scritical multiplier is x3, add +2d10 points of bonusfire damage instead, and if the multiplier is x4, add+3d10 points of bonus fire damage. Bows, cross-bows, and slings so enchanted bestow the fireenergy upon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fire-ball (Fire); Market Price: +2 bonus.

Frost: Upon command, a frost weapon is sheathedin icy cold. The cold does not harm the hands thathold the weapon. Frost weapons deal +1d6 pointsof bonus cold damage on a successful hit. Bows,crossbows, and slings so enchanted bestow thecold energy upon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hail(Air/Water) or icy grasp (Fire) or cool (Fire); MarketPrice: +1 bonus.

Icy Burst: An icy burst weapon functions as a frostweapon that also explodes with frost upon strikinga successful critical hit. The frost does not harmthe hands that hold the weapon. Icy burst weaponsdeal +1d10 points of bonus cold damage on a suc-cessful critical hit. If the weapon’s critical multi-plier is x3, add +2d10 points of bonus cold damageinstead, and if the multiplier is x4, add +3d10points of bonus cold damage. Bows, crossbows,and slings so enchanted bestow the cold energyupon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, hail(Air/Water); Market Price: +2 bonus.

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Keen: This enchantment doubles the threat rangeof a weapon. For instance, if keen is placed on alongsword (which has a normal threat range of 19-20), the keen longsword scores a threat on a 17-20.Only slashing weapons can be enchanted to bekeen. (If you roll this property randomly for aninappropriate weapon, re-roll.)

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sharp-en (Earth); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Mighty Cleaving: A mighty cleaving weaponallows a wielder with the Cleave feat to make oneadditional cleave attempt in a round. Only oneextra cleave attempt is allowed per round.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, smitethee (Earth); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Returning: This enchantment can be placed onlyon a weapon that can be thrown. A returningweapon returns through the air back to the creaturethat threw it. It returns on the round following theround that it was thrown just before the throwingcreature’s turn. The weapon is therefore ready touse again that turn.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, speedmy arrows (Air); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Shock: Upon command, a shock weapon issheathed in crackling electricity. The electricitydoes not harm the hands that hold the weapon.Shock weapons deal +1d6 points of bonus electric-ity damage on a successful hit. Bows, crossbows,and slings so enchanted bestow the electricityenergy upon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shock(Air/Fire); Market Price: +1 bonus.

Shocking Burst: A shocking burst weapon func-tions as a shock weapon that also explodes withelectricity upon striking a successful critical hit.The electricity does not harm the hands that holdthe weapon. Shocking burst weapons deal +1d10points of bonus electricity damage on a successfulcritical hit. If the weapon’s critical multiplier is x3,add +2d10 points of bonus electricity damageinstead, and if the multiplier is x4, add +3d10points of bonus electricity damage. Bows, cross-bows, and slings so enchanted bestow the electric-ity energy upon their ammunition.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shock(Air/Fire) or sheet lightning (Air/Fire); MarketPrice: +2 bonus.

Speed: A weapon of speed allows the wielder onesingle extra attack each round at his highest bonus.It is not cumulative with quick strike. The extraattack must be with this weapon, not with someother weapon.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, quickstrike (Air) or legs of the cheetah (Earth/Fire); Mar-ket Price: +4 bonus.

Thundering: A thundering weapon creates a roarlike thunder upon striking a successful critical hit.The sonic energy does not harm the wielder of theweapon. Thundering weapons deal +1d8 points ofbonus sonic damage on a successful critical hit. Ifthe weapon’s critical multiplier is x3, add +2d8points of bonus sonic damage instead, and if themultiplier is x4, add +3d8 points of bonus sonicdamage. Bows, crossbows, and slings so enchantedbestow the sonic energy upon their ammunition.Subjects dealt a critical hit by a thunderingweapon must make a Fortitude save (DC 14) or bedeafened permanently.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, thun-der without lightning (Air) or deafen (Water); Mar-ket Price: +2 bonus.

Throwing: This enchantment can be placed onlyon a melee weapon. A melee weapon enchantedwith this ability gains a range increment of 10 feetand can be thrown by a wielder proficient in itsnormal use.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, speedmy arrows (Air) or slinger (Earth); Market Price: +1bonus.

Vorpal: This potent and feared enchantmentallows the weapon to sever the heads of those itstrikes. Upon a successful critical hit, the weaponsevers the opponent’s head (if it has one) from itsbody. Some creatures, such as many abominationsand all oozes, have no heads. Others, such asgolems and undead creatures, are not affected bythe loss of their heads. Most other creatures, how-ever, die when their heads are cut off. The refereemay have to make judgment calls about thissword’s effect. A vorpal weapon must be a slashingweapon.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sharp-en (Earth) or death touch (Void); Market Price: +5bonus.

Wounding: A weapon of wounding deals damageto a creature such that a wound it inflicts bleeds for1 point of damage per round thereafter in additionto the normal damage the weapon deals. Multiplewounds from the weapon result in cumulativebleeding loss (two wounds for 2 points of damageper round, and so on). The bleeding can only bestopped by a successful Heal check (DC 15) or theapplication of any cure spell or other healing spell(heal, healing circle, and so on).


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Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sharp-en (Earth) or necrotic grasp (Void); Market Price:+1 bonus.

MAGICAL POTIONSA potion is a magic liquid that produces its effectwhen imbibed. Potions are also sometimes calledelixirs. Magic oils are similar to potions, exceptthat oils are applied externally rather thanimbibed. A potion, oil, or elixir can be used onlyonce.

There are certain items that count as potions thatare neither potion, oil, or elixir. These are itemsthat must be consumed in some fashion (as a stan-dard action) to gain the effect. Pecwae sweetbreadis an example.

A typical potion or oil con-sists of 1 ounce of liquidheld in a ceramic or glassvial fitted with a tight stop-per. The stoppered con-tainer is usually no morethan 1 inch wide and 2inches tall. The vial has anAC of 13, 1 hit point, ahardness of 1, and a breakDC of 12. Vials hold 1ounce of liquid.

Drinking a potion or apply-ing an oil requires no spe-cial skill. The user merelyremoves the stopper andswallows the potion orsmears on the oil. The fol-lowing rules govern potionand oil use:

• Drinking a potion orapplying an oil is astandard action. Thepotion or oil takeseffect immediately.

• Using a potion or oilprovokes attacks of opportunity. A successfulattack (including grappling attacks) againstthe character forces a Concentration check (aswith casting a spell). If the character fails thischeck, he cannot drink the potion. An attack-er may direct the attack of opportunity againstthe potion or oil container rather than againstthe character. A successful attack on thepotion can destroy the container.

• A creature must be able to swallow a potion orsmear on an oil. Because of this, incorporealcreatures cannot use potions or oils.

• Any corporeal creature can imbibe a potion.The potion must be swallowed. Any corpore-al creature can use an oil.

• A character can carefully administer a potionto an unconscious creature as a full-roundaction, trickling the liquid down the creature’sthroat. Likewise, it takes a full-round action toapply an oil to an unconscious creature.

Creating PotionsTo brew a potion, the creator must have equipmentcapable of storing, measuring, and heating both liq-uids and powders. The costs for ingredients are theCT of the original spell x 2, and are subsumed inthe cost for brewing the potion. All ingredients andmaterials used to brew a potion must be fresh and

unused. The charactermust pay the full cost forbrewing each potion.

Potions do not requirepreparation time. A magemay begin enchanting apotion as soon as he hasthe necessary materials.

A potion can be made onlyfrom a spell that targets acreature or creatures.Effect and area spells can-not be made into potions.The creator(s) must knowthe spell at IntimateKnowledge or Quick Ref-erence.

Item Creation FeatRequired: Brew Potion.

MAGICAL RINGSRings can be enchanted ina variety of ways, eitherholding spells that directlyeffect the wearer or spellsthat allow him to createmagical effects using the

ring. Rings can be crafted from numerous materialsand their weight does not affect the wearer. A ringhas an AC of 13, 2 hit points, a hardness of 10, anda break DC of 25.

Usually, a ring’s ability is activated by a commandword (a standard action that does not provokeattacks of opportunity) or it works continually.Some rings have exceptional activation methods,according to their descriptions.

VVIIIIII


Creating RingsThe creation of a magical ring requires the appro-priate tools necessary to make and repair such aring in the first place. The cost for the materials(which varies) is subsumed in the cost for creatingthe ring. Creating a ring costs half the market valuelisted.

If a spell is involved in the creation of the ring, thecreator must know the spell at either IntimateKnowledge or Quick Reference, but need not pro-vide any mundane focus the spell requires. Thering is imbued with the spell slowly during theprocess of creation.

Item Creation Feat Required: Forge Ring.

MAGICAL SCROLLSMagical scrolls are the most common item createdby mages of Loerem. Casting normal spells can takeprecious time and, in dangerous situations, themage doesn’t have time to waste. Magical scrolls inLoerem have spells “pre-cast” into them during theprocess of enchantment, requiring only a shortmagical phrase (written by the caster on the scroll)to activate the spell.

Scrolls can be manufactured using parchment,paper, or vellum, and are roughly one foot inlength. A scroll has an AC of 9, 1 hit point, a Hard-ness of 0, and a Break DC of 8.

A spell on a scroll can be used only once. The writ-ing vanishes from the scroll when the spell is acti-vated. Using a scroll is basically like casting aspell, except that it can be done as a standardaction (that provokes an attack of opportunity) andrequires no spellcasting roll.

To activate a scroll, a spellcaster must read themagical writing on it. Doing so involves severalsteps and conditions.

Decipher the Writing: The writing on a scroll mustbe deciphered before a character can use it or knowexactly what spell it contains. This requires thatthe spellcaster have at least one level in the scroll’smagical element. It also requires a successfulSpellcraft check (DC 10 + creator’s level). Obvious-ly, a caster can automatically decipher scrolls ofhis own design.

Activate the Spell: Activating a scroll requiresreading the magical phrase from the scroll. Thecharacter must be able to see and read the writingon the scroll.

Activating a scroll spell requires no mundanefocus, though it does require the presence of thespell’s element (as per normal casting). (The cre-ator of the scroll provided any mundane focuswhen scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells areeffective only when cast on an item or items. Insuch a case, the scroll user must provide the itemwhen activating the spell. Activating a scroll spellis subject to disruption just as casting a spell nor-mally would be.

Determine Effect: A spell successfully activatedfrom a scroll works exactly like a spell cast the nor-mal way. The spell functions as if the creator of thescroll had cast the spell (using the creator’s level todetermine range and other level-based effects). Thewriting for an activated spell disappears from thescroll.

Creating ScrollsThe character needs a supply of choice writingmaterials and special ingredients, the cost beingthe CT of the spell being scribed x3. These expens-es are subsumed in the cost for scribing the scroll.


VVIIIIII

All writing implements and materials used toscribe a scroll must be fresh and unused. The char-acter must pay the full cost for scribing each spellscroll no matter how many times he previously hasscribed the same spell.

Scrolls do not require preparation time. A magemay begin enchanting a scroll as soon as he has thenecessary materials.

Item Creation Feat Required: Scribe Scroll.

MAGICAL RODSMagical rods are varied inappearance and haveunusual powers that donot always mirror normalspell effects. Anyone canuse a rod.

Rods weigh roughly 5pounds. They range from2 feet to 3 feet long andare usually made of ironor some other metal.(Many can function aslight maces or clubs dueto their sturdy construc-tion.) These items have anAC of 9, 10 hit points, ahardness of 10, and abreak DC of 27.

Activation: Details relat-ing to rod use vary fromitem to item. See the indi-vidual descriptions forspecifics.

Creating RodsThe creation of a magicalrod requires the appropriate tools necessary tomake and repair such a rod in the first place. Thecost for the materials (which varies) is subsumedin the cost for creating the rod. Creating a rod costshalf the market value listed.

If a spell is involved in the prerequisite for makingthe rod, the creator must know the spell at eitherIntimate Knowledge or Quick Reference, but neednot provide any mundane focus the spell requires.The rod is imbued with the spell slowly during theprocess of creation.

Creating some rods may entail other prerequisitesbeyond or other than spellcasting.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft Rod.

MAGICAL STAVESAs a magical sword is common to most legendaryheroes, so is a magical staff is common to mostrenowned mages of Loerem. While staves vary inappearance, they are known for aiding their wield-ers and granting fantastic magical abilities.

A typical staff is like a walking stick, quarterstaff,or cudgel. It has an AC of 7, 10 hit points, a hard-ness of 5, and a break DC of 24.

A staff can have several spells cast into it. Thesespells are chosen by the creator and may often have

a “theme.” (A staff of heal-ing, for example.) A staffhas 50 charges when cre-ated.

Activation: Staves use thespell trigger activationmethod, so casting a spellfrom a staff is a standardaction that does not pro-voke attacks of opportuni-ty. To activate a staff, acharacter must hold itforth in at least one hand(or whatever passes for ahand, for non-humanoidcreatures).

Creating Magical StavesThe creation of a magicalstaff requires the appro-priate tools necessary tomake and repair such astaff in the first place. Thecost for the materials(which varies) is sub-sumed in the cost for cre-

ating the staff—50 argents multiplied by the CT ofthe most complex spell being used in the staff, plus75% of the value of the next most costly ability.The referee may modify the final price by up to20% at his own discretion (based on number ofabilities and spells incorporated into the staff).

The Item Creation Threshold for a staff is deter-mined normally, with all effects and spell effectsadded together. A spell can be placed into the staffat only half the normal CT, but then activating thatparticular spell costs 2 charges from the staff. Asingle function can cost no more than 2 charges.

In certain cases, the creation of staff may containadditional prerequisites beyond or other thanspellcasting.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft Staff.

VVIIIIII


MAGICAL WANDSMagical wands are often created by elementalmages. Wands are even more useful than scrolls forstoring spells, since they can be activated quicklyand used multiple times. Each wand has 50charges when created.

A wand is usually about one foot in length, but canvary in appearance and construction. A typicalwand has an AC of 7, 5 hit points, a hardness of 5,and a break DC of 16.

Activation: Wands use the spell trigger activationmethod, so casting a spell from a wand is a stan-dard action that does not provoke attacks of oppor-tunity. To activate a wand, a character must hold itin hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for non-humanoid creatures) and point it in the generaldirection of the target or area.

Creating WandsThe creation of a magical wand requires the appro-priate tools necessary to make and repair such awand in the first place. The cost for the materials(which varies) is subsumed in the cost for creatingthe wand. Wands are always fully charged (50charges) when created.

If the spell requires a mundane focus, it must bepresent during the creation of the wand.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft Wand.

WONDROUS ITEMSThis is a category of “miscellaneous” magicalitems, those that don’t fit in any other category.The items can be of virtually any shape, size, orconstruction and can hold any number of enchant-ments. They might be worn, wielded, or used. Eachitem has its own method of manufacture and acti-vation.

Creating Wondrous ItemsThe creation of a wondrous item requires theappropriate tools necessary to make and repairsuch an item in the first place. The cost for thematerials (which varies) is subsumed in the costfor creating the item. Creating a wondrous itemcosts half the market value listed.

If a spell is involved in the creation of the won-drous item, the creator must know the spell ateither Intimate Knowledge or Quick Reference, butneed not provide any mundane focus the spellrequires. The wondrous item is imbued with thespell slowly during the process of creation.

Creating some items may entail other prerequisitesbeyond or other than spellcasting.

Item Creation Feat Required: Craft WondrousItem.

ARTIFACTSThe magical items described in this chapter can becreated using known methods of magic by humans,elves, dwarves, pecwae, and orks. However, thereare examples of items that seem to break theknown rules of magic and exhibit powers farbeyond traditional spell effects. These items arecollectively known as artifacts.

Minor artifacts were created by mortal hands in thedistant past using methods unknown to modernmages. These extraordinarily rare items exhibittremendous powers and break traditional laws ofmagic. The Miter of Tarras Weldar, for example,seems to incorporate all the natural elements ofmagic, a feat that is near impossible.

Only a handful of major artifacts are even rumoredto exist. These were created by the gods themselves(or some unknown higher power) to serve someunknown purpose in the mortal world. Theseitems are coveted beyond the wealth of kingdomsand have changed the course of Loerem’s history,exhibiting vast powers that cannot be explained bymortal minds. The Dagger of the Vrykyl and theSovereign Stone itself are the two best-knownexamples.

INTELLIGENT ITEM CREATIONAdding intelligence to an item must be done byincorporating a spell effect into an item that grantsthe item intelligence (the value is determined bythe spell effect). Wisdom and Charisma for the itemare determined randomly by rolling 3d6. Note,however, that an item cannot have an ability scorehigher than its creator. (Any roll higher than thecreator is equal to the creator’s ability.) The spelleffect granting intelligence must be incorporatedinto the base price of the item and Item CreationThreshold.

ADDING NEW ABILITIESA creator can add new magical abilities to a magicitem with no restrictions other than the tremen-dous difficulty of doing so. The cost to do this isthe same as if the item was not magical, however,the Item Creation Threshold (and consequently,minimum required level) is that of the item’s orig-inal enchantments plus that of the new enchant-ment.


VVIIIIII

VVIIIIII


COMPLETE SPELL LIST194

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX

CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSS

AIR SPELLSDispel Air Magic * TradeFollow Me 6 TradeSafe Landing 6 TradeThoughtwing 8 TradeFocusing the Will 10 TradeUntie 10 TradeWallflower 10 TradeWho’s There? 10 TradeFrog’s Lasting Gift, The 11 TradeDeceive the Simple 12 TradeFast Walk 12 TradeSpeed my Arrows 12 TradeTraverse the Wall 12 DweomerBite of Air, The 14 TradeSoul Shout 14 TradeWalk Without Shadow 17 TradeObey! 18 DweomerBiting Winds 19 DweomerLighter than Air 19 TradeDressage 20 TradePathway of Deceit 22 TradePower of the Spoken Word 22 TradeGreed’s Reward 23 TradeSense Air Magic 24 TradeReveal That Which Is Hidden 26 DweomerQuick Strike 27 DweomerUnseen Wings 28 TradeDumbfound 29 TradeBurdensome 30 DweomerMask 32 DweomerDraw Strength from Pain 34 DweomerShadows of Truth 34 TradeUpraise 34 DweomerEase the Burden 36 TradeInvisible Twin 37 TradeRemorse 37 TradeMy Friend, the Stranger 38 TradeAir Becomes Fist 41 TradeGusting Shield 41 DweomerFallen Without Hope 44 DweomerObsession 44 TradeSparrow Wings 44 TradeThunder Without Lightning 44 TradePhantom Bow 46 DweomerVisions 46 TradeColor of Rage, The 47 DweomerFear Within, The 48 DweomerOut of Sight, Out of Mind 48 DweomerEnlighten 56 DweomerEphemeral Missive 60 DweomerMendacity of Air, Air 65 TradeSeeing is Believing 70 TradeArt Without Artificer 74 DweomerFascination 84 Dweomer

Phantom Warriors 84 DweomerIron Defender 87 TradeWhirlwind 94 TradePuppet, The 97 TradeSubstance to Shadow 139 TradeFinal Breath, The 142 ForbiddenUnwitting Assassin 148 ForbiddenDeflect the Curious 159 DweomerDreams Given Substance 159 TradeWooden Warrior 210 Forbidden

EARTH SPELLSDispel Earth Magic * TradePillar of Earth 6 TradeSlinger 8 TradeBury the Dead 10 TradeHole 11 TradeCushion 12 TradeGentle Touch 12 TradeSilver Glamour 12 TradeEase Pain 14 TradeHidden Sword 14 TradeWeapon Glamour 15 TradeSinkhole 16 TradeHealer’s Touch 17 TradeSmite Thee 17 DweomerAnkle Biter 18 TradePurify Food 18 TradeHeigh-Ho 22 TradeMortar 22 TradeSharpen 22 TradeSense Earth Magic 24 TradeConcealed Blade 26 TradeBerm 27 DweomerBrittle 27 TradeCreate Tool 28 TradeHarden 28 DweomerReturn to Earth 28 TradeShield Me 31 DweomerStrength of Stone 31 TradeChirurgeon’s Touch 34 TradeSculpture 36 TradeShatterstone 37 DweomerArmor of Magic 38 TradeSiege Breaker 38 TradeKeep Away 42 TradeFiremute 48 TradeEntombment 52 ForbiddenDetoxify Poison 53 TradeStone Shackles 57 DweomerThick Skin 60 TradePush Away 61 TradeSmall Please 63 DweomerSpan the Distance 64 Dweomer

Spell Name CT Category Spell Name CT Category

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX

COMPLETE SPELL LIST 195

CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSS

Hands Off 69 DweomerTouch of the Divine 70 TradeEarthworks 80 DweomerStone Guardian 85 TradeEarthquake 89 TradeProtect Object 90 DweomerSuccor 118 DweomerEarthen Killer 144 ForbiddenFortify Wall 261 DweomerSunder 268 Forbidden

FIRE SPELLSDispel Fire Magic * TradeFire Hands TradeFire Starter 4 TradeIcy Grasp 6 DweomerScorch 10 TradeBlistering Attack 11 DweomerExtinguish 11 DweomerBurning Sand 13 TradeDestroy Zombite 13 TradeStove 14 TradeSpiritbane 15 DweomerComfort Zone 16 TradeFire Bolt 17 TradeRemember 17 TradeWarning 19 TradeForge Fire 20 TradeQuench 20 TradeFlare 22 TradeDrop It 23 TradeSense Fire Magic 24 TradeTake That! 24 DweomerFiery Breath 26 DweomerBeard Burner 27 TradeFireshield 28 TradeFoxfire 28 TradeLineage 29 DweomerFirewalker 30 TradeCool 33 TradeConcussion 35 DweomerCircle of Flame 39 TradeSparkstorm 40 DweomerCutter 41 DweomerFire Wall 42 TradeFlame Dancer 44 DweomerLantern 44 TradeEyes of Fire 45 TradeIce Bridge 48 DweomerMelt 48 TradeWhere Have You Been? 49 DweomerHot Air 50 TradeFireball 66 TradeCandle of Past Vision 71 Trade

Explode 72 DweomerScrying Tool 74 TradeNo Entry 86 DweomerFire Scrye 91 TradeFire Fury 94 ForbiddenGlowstone 102 TradeConflagration 111 TradeExploding Sun 245 ForbiddenTell the Tale 288 Dweomer

WATER SPELLSDispel Water Magic * TradeDry 5 TradeEssence of the Ocean 8 TradeSpitball 8 TradeUmbrella 8 TradeAre you Well? 9 TradeTouch 9 TradeDetect Poison 10 DweomerEye Stab 11 DweomerWhat’s the Depth 12 TradeFreeze Water 14 DweomerHungry Water 15 TradeMagnify 15 TradeCough 16 DweomerBlind 19 DweomerDeaf 19 DweomerReveal the Beyond 19 DweomerVoice Mimic 19 TradeMute 22 DweomerSlicker 23 TradeFar Speaker 24 TradeSense Water Magic 24 TradePurify Water 26 TradeEavesdrop 29 TradeWalk on Water 29 TradeSpray 30 DweomerWatershield 30 DweomerForked Tongue 32 DweomerMimic 32 DweomerNight Vision 34 TradeBring Forth Water 35 TradeMindlink 35 TradeSpeak with Dolphins 36 TradeUnveil the Spy 37 TradeSpeak with Fish 38 TradeDivert Water 41 TradeTiny Bubbles 42 TradeHills of Water 44 TradeTaint 44 ForbiddenWater Speak 44 TradeStink 48 DweomerWhisper Speech 52 TradeTormentor 56 Trade

Spell Name CT CategorySpell Name CT Category

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan

COMPLETE SPELL LIST196

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX

CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSSSpell Name CT Spell Name CT

Not Here 57 TradeFinder 59 DweomerSee What Has Been Seen 60 TradeBerg 62 DweomerHear You 65 TradeSee You 65 TradeWater Knows All 87 TradeWatery Doom 99 DweomerJellyfire 131 ForbiddenYou Don’t Want Me 132 DweomerTsunami 148 Forbidden

AIR/FIRE SPELLSEngrave 6 TradeSurge 6 TradeWake Up! 9 TradeCaress with Bite 12 DweomerJolt 14 TradeFuse Metal 15 TradeDazzle 17 TradeSizzle 17 TradeSummon Metal Object 17 DweomerZap 17 TradeLightning Ride 18 DweomerBall Lightning 21 DweomerBlinding Flash 22 TradeLightning Lash 22 DweomerEmpty-handed 23 TradeGlow of the Aura 24 DweomerMagnetize 24 TradeShock 24 TradeSinged 24 DweomerLightning Bite 30 TradeLightning Bugs 33 DweomerRepel Armored Opponent 44 DweomerLightning Rod 58 TradeTouch-Me-Not 58 TradeImmunity to Lightning 60 DweomerSkim the Earth 60 TradeShielding Wall of Lightning Bolts 64 DweomerCall Down the Stars 67 ForbiddenSwirling Motes 73 DweomerCrushing Armor 104 DweomerSheet Lightning 109 DweomerMore Pain, Less Blood 118 ForbiddenLightning Ward 129 DweomerBouncer 151 DweomerSummon Lightning 155 Forbidden

AIR/WATER SPELLSPredict Weather 9 TradeFalling Star 20 TradeWeather Beaten 23 Trade

Trail Breaker 26 TradeSummon Ocean Winds 27 TradeBreathe Water 30 DweomerSunburn 35 TradeSunstroke 36 DweomerPersonal Raincloud 39 TradeCloud Chariot 44 DweomerBlue Skies 45 DweomerAurora 58 DweomerShowers 65 TradeMoonlight Magnified 70 DweomerFog 76 TradeHail 81 DweomerKilling Mist 95 TradeFog Made Substantial 106 TradeDoldrums 129 DweomerHumid 129 DweomerTornadic Shield 137 DweomerCloudcover 174 DweomerHappy Plant 189 DweomerSummon Storm 228 DweomerHurricane 231 ForbiddenDrought 247 Forbidden

EARTH/FIRE SPELLSAnimal Tongue 14 TradeHeel! 16 TradeSpooked 18 TradeAnti-venom 20 DweomerDefiance 20 DweomerEyes of the Leopard 20 TradeSedate Animal 20 TradeLeash 24 TradeMonkey’s Balance 24 DweomerAway! 27 TradeCat’s Claws 28 DweomerSniff 32 TradeUnnoticed 32 DweomerVenom Immunity 32 TradeHunter 33 TradeGird for Battle 34 DweomerLegs of the Cheetah 34 TradeStand Still 34 TradeGood Will 37 TradeAnimal Messenger 40 DweomerSpeak with… 40 TradeGreater Canine 48 TradeCall Animal 49 TradeEnrage Animal 49 TradeChameleon 54 TradeCoat of the Bear 55 DweomerAnimal Ward 57 TradeBloodline 62 DweomerHalt the Charge 63 Dweomer

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The TaanSovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX

COMPLETE SPELL LIST 197

CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE SSPPEELLLL LLIISSTTSSSpell Name CT

Charm Flock 66 TradeKennel 69 TradeSpy 115 DweomerFamiliar 166 DweomerAnimal Curse 173 ForbiddenLocust Swarm 173 Forbidden

EARTH/WATER SPELLSKnow Plant 5 TradeClub 7 TradeCommune With Plant 8 TradeHeal Plant 13 TradeColorful Blossoms 15 TradeStick Slap 15 DweomerBucket 16 TradeRooted to the Spot 16 DweomerSpikestab 17 TradeDisguise Plant 27 TradeItch 28 DweomerSerpent from the Staff 28 DweomerDirect Plant Growth 34 TradeKudzu Climbing Vine 34 DweomerShelter 38 DweomerGhillie 40 DweomerAngry Sapling 42 TradeAllergy Season 44 TradeOut Weed! 45 TradeOne With the Trees 47 DweomerWarp 48 DweomerRemove Blight 50 TradeEntangling Vines 56 DweomerConfusion Spores 59 TradeBlades of Grass 69 TradeFresh 76 TradeTreeborn Sanctuary 88 DweomerThornbush Barricade 105 DweomerSpeed Growth 107 TradeKeelbreaker 114 DweomerBarbed Vine 136 ForbiddenTransplant 144 TradeBounty 153 TradeKilling Algae 240 Forbidden

VOID SPELLSDispel Void Magic * ForbiddenWilt 6 ForbiddenDecompose 8 ForbiddenStone Change 8 ForbiddenI Am as You Are 10 ForbiddenPoison Spit 12 ForbiddenDespair 14 ForbiddenDissipate Life 16 ForbiddenSense Void Magic 16 ForbiddenShadow Walk 16 ForbiddenRepel the Living 18 ForbiddenSplinter 20 Forbidden

Shatter 21 ForbiddenShadow’d Visage 22 ForbiddenCorpse Light 24 ForbiddenDeath Touch 26 ForbiddenAttach Limb 28 ForbiddenVoid Talons 31 ForbiddenWard Against Living Dead 31 ForbiddenBlemish 32 ForbiddenPass as Shadow 33 ForbiddenDarts of Decay 34 ForbiddenTorturer’s Tongs 34 ForbiddenFeign Death 40 ForbiddenGhostly Flesh 40 ForbiddenTransfer Essence 42 ForbiddenDeadspeak 44 ForbiddenEmaciate 44 ForbiddenBlack Cloud 45 ForbiddenNecrotic Grasp 46 ForbiddenConvulsions 50 ForbiddenStand Still 50 ForbiddenCause Terror 52 ForbiddenEmbed 52 ForbiddenStone Spirit 52 ForbiddenSteal Sleep 53 ForbiddenSiphon Life’s Gift 54 ForbiddenShadow Net 56 ForbiddenCaress the Heart 58 ForbiddenShadowcloak 59 ForbiddenPlague 67 ForbiddenMiscommunication 68 ForbiddenWisp of Smoke 68 ForbiddenWeaken 75 ForbiddenWither 75 ForbiddenShadow Tomb 76 ForbiddenSteal Memory 78 ForbiddenZombie Servants 84 ForbiddenShadow Image 92 ForbiddenTaint of the Void 93 ForbiddenDesiccate 96 ForbiddenSummon Shadeling 99 ForbiddenBring Forth the Night 102 ForbiddenSee No More 108 ForbiddenSuppress 108 ForbiddenCircle of Despair 109 ForbiddenExploding Bones 109 ForbiddenRaise Dead 114 ForbiddenAsphyxiate 120 ForbiddenMaze of Shadows 126 ForbiddenPossession 145 ForbiddenSink 147 ForbiddenShadow Steed 152 ForbiddenSkeletal Minions 157 ForbiddenUndead Creature 192 ForbiddenInto the Ether 205 ForbiddenTo the Four Winds 232 ForbiddenSoulless Stalker 292 Forbidden

Spell Name CT Category

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The TaanSovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Codex Mysterium The Taan

Codex Mysterium is published under the d20 Sys-tem License, version 1.0a and the Open GameLicense Version 1.0a, both copyright 2000 Wizardsof the Coast.

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Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook Copyright2001, Sovereign Press, Inc.; Authors Timothy Kid-well, Jamie Chambers, Don Perrin, based on origi-nal material by Larry Elmore, Margaret Weis, andTracy Hickman.

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• Enter the world developed by award-winning fantasyartist Larry Elmore and made famous by Margaret Weis &Tracy Hickman in the best-selling Sovereign Stone noveltrilogy from HarperCollins Publishers.

• Sovereign Stone is a complete campaign setting for thefabulous d20 system. Included are new races, new class-es, new feats, new skills, new monsters–created by someof the best known names in the RPG industry.

• Learn to cast magic in a new way in the Sovereign Stoneworld. A new d20 magic system lets you build pointstoward the casting of spells, making complex spells moredifficult to cast, while simple spells are easy and quick.

• The world has Orks, Elves, Humans and Dwarves as play-er races, powerful Dominion Lords who fight for goodagainst the evil undead knights of the Void.

• The Orks are a sea-faring race, advantaged in Water magic.The Elves have a culture similar to medieval Japan and areadvantaged in Air magic. The Dwarves are a nomadic peo-ple similar to the Mongols, and are advantaged in Firemagic. There are a half-dozen distinct Human cultures, alladvantaged in Earth magic. The Taan, Void magic-users,are a mysterious race bent on conquering all the rest!

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Codex Mysterium - Sociedad Nocturnagrimorio.sociedadnocturna.net/Recopilacion/Sovereign Stone... · Table 2.3: Items Affected by Magical Attacks ... 150 Table 6.4: Area or Effect