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Morphic Spells

Illusion

This is a very powerful tool. It can be used to create illusions by warping air to reflect light or sound. Illusions are not artifacts of mind control. An illusion will never cause damage. The instant that an illusion would have caused damage, the spell will be broken. All modes except programmed (see below) automatically have the modifier Concealment cast upon them.

It has two modes, visual and aural. It has two modifiers, programmed and interactive. Use of each mode allows the caster to construct an illusion using that sense.

Visual

This is of course the most common. It may be used to create or hide a door, disguise a person, or create a false image of something threatening, or any other purpose imaginable.

Aural

Most illusions will be far more convincing when used with sound. Many animals will not be fooled by any illusion without sound; in fact, some animals will not even detect an illusion without sound.

The Visual and Aural modes can be bought any number of times each, proportional to the complexity of the illusion desired. A single tone or blank wall would be one level, a voice or body two, a specific voice or body three or four, a symphony or army five, etc.

Use of the programmed modifier allows the mage to set a specific set of circumstances that would trigger the illusion. The illusion then will perform some preassigned show. It will only work once, unless Permanent is cast upon it. The site where the illusion is to take place will detect as magic unless it is concealed.

Use of interactive modifier will allow the caster, if concentrating, to shape the illusion's responses and actions.

There is no such thing as "disbelieving an illusion". Illusions are really there: illusory walls do block sight, loud noises will obscure other sounds. Creatures can ignore them just as they can ignore anything else. Remember that illusions will never cause damage. In addition, most illusions are dispelled by touch of flesh; all illusions can be dispelled by Dispel Magic.

The duration of an illusion is 12 rounds, extendable by Extra Duration. Note that unless the illusion is interactive, the entire script of the illusion must be chosen at the time of casting. Hence, shadow fighters must be interactive, and thus require concentration.

Cost: 1/2 level per level of visual or aural mode. +2 spell levels for programmed. +1 for interactive. +2 for the illusion to not be dispelled by touch of flesh. Extra ZOE doubles the ZOE for +1.

ZOE: 1" sphere; Range: 12"; Duration: 12 rounds; ST: none

Locate

This spell can be used to find the direction and distance to a specified target, if such is within the range of the spell. The possible targets are:

Animals

Base level 1. A specific species of animal is targeted. The species must either be named or be perfectly described, which requires having spent 12 rounds of concentration within a range of 6" within the past week to memorize the details.

Plants

Base level 1. A specific species of plant is targeted. As animal.

Monster

Base level 2. A specific species of monster is targeted. As animal.

Person

Base level 2. A specific sentient creature is targeted. The creature must be named in a unique fashion.

Specific Object

Base level 2. A specific object is targeted. The object must be perfectly described as above, or named in the case of named artifacts. The object must be described enough to distinguish it from all items that are not completely identical.

The base spell will give the direction to the target, or the nearest target if it is not unique, if such is found within the range. The distance to the detected target may be known for +1 spell level.

The base range is 24". This may be moved along the following progression at the cost of +1/2 per step: 48", 96", 1 mile, 2 miles, 4 miles, doubling.

The base duration is 1 turn. Extra Duration is +1/2.

Affects Others will give the knowledge given by the spell to another. The detection range is then computed from the recipient. Concealment will hide the fact that a person has a Locate spell running.

ZOE: self; Range: 24"; Duration: 1 turn; ST: none

Monster Summoning

This spell will summon a single being, which will appear next to the caster after a one round delay. The creature will have the equivalent of the 3rd level spell Suggestion cast upon it to serve the caster. The creature is real and has been transported here from elsewhere in the world. At the end of the spell's duration, it will return to whence it came, along with everything it brought with it.

To summon a monster from the Nth level list is a base spell of Nth level. The caster may choose the monster from the Monster Summoning Tables A monster may never be summoned unless it is a conceivable encounter in the terrain into which summoned. Extra Duration is +1.

ZOE: one creature; Range: none; Duration: 6 rounds after appearance; ST: none

Patterning

This allows the mage to tighten or weaken the fabric of a substance. The basic spell level depends on the substance being worked. The spell is reversible to weaken or even disintegrate objects.

The spell has four modes: bind, seal, mend, and grand. Bind will strengthen the substance, seal will make it watertight, and mend will repair an actual break or tear. A material cannot be sealed or bound if it is broken or torn, although frays and small holes do not prevent it. The duration of these three modes is lasting.

Grand Patterning will strengthen a substance magically so that it cannot be broken or weakened, even magically, without a level-vs-level battle. It will be stronger than the substance was originally. This spell is necessary but not sufficient for the creation of most magical items. The duration of Grand Patterning is permanent.

Each modifier has the appropriate reverse. The reverse of grand patterning is disintegration.

The ZOE is one object up to 200 pounds and 25 square feet. This can be doubled for +1.

ZOE: see above; Range: touch; Duration: see above; ST: none

Pyromancy

Use of this spell allows the mage to control, start, or stop fires. There is a distinction between normal fire and magical fire. Please note that just because a fire was started with a spell, it is not automatically magical.

The spell has three modes: increase, decrease, and control. Only one mode may be cast, although it may be cast several times. It has one special modifier, which is magical.

Increase

This will increase the intensity of a fire, or start one if none is present. If this mode is cast once and there is no fire, then only a substance susceptible to flame will catch, such as an oil soaked rag. Additional levels of this mode will increase the likelihood of a non-flammable object catching fire.

Decrease

This will act the same except in reverse. Extremely flammable objects will need multiple levels of this mode to extinguish.

Control

This will act to control the area which the fire is burning, either limiting or encouraging the range of the fire or changing its shape. It can also affect the amount of smoke output, noise, and light to either half or double for each application of this mode. The command cannot be changed during the duration of the spell.

Magical fire will burn much hotter, burn some fuel much slower, have more chance of melting magic objects, and need special measures to put out. If put even near flammable objects, they burst into (non-magical) flame, and burn quickly. Magical fire will cause damage as normal fire to creatures that require magic weapons to hit, and double damage to others. It will detect as magic. Note that this modifier must be cast with any mode if the target fire is magical. The cost of this modifier is +3.

The duration of Increase and Decrease are momentary. The duration of Control is 1 turn, extendable by Extra Duration.

ZOE: up to 1 square inch; Range: 6"; Duration: see above; ST: none

Shaping

This spell allows the mage to transform himself, others, or objects into various other substances or creatures. Its most common uses are to turn oneself or another into a creature, and to transform substances into other substances, such as flesh to stone, stone to mud, or water to wine.

The base level is determined by the nature of the object or creature being shaped. Legal target types are self, other living creature, and any non-magical object or substance. Non-monster plants and organic matter may be considered to be objects.

The level is then modified by the degree of change between the target and the product. A change of substance will increase the level by one, for example stone to gold. Note that living creature to living creature usually does not involve a change of substance. Also, the caster may choose to change the size of the target, as defined under Size Change Self, for an additional +1 for each casting of the modifier.

The caster decides, when casting the spell, whether he is casting on a "willing" or "unwilling" target. A willing target gets no saving throw, but the spell ends at the discretion of the willing target, or 4 turns, whichever is first. An unwilling target gets a physical save vs. the spell, but if the save is failed, the effects of the shaping are lasting. Note: the caster is always a willing target.

Finally, the level is modified further by the number of special abilities given to the target. Without these modifiers, a man shaped into a dragon would walk at human speed, not be able to fly, fight as an unarmed human, and have no breath weapon. These ability modifiers MUST be bought semisequentially. There are four ability modifiers, each detailed below: Movement, Combat, Senses, and Magical. Movement must be bought BEFORE any others, and Magical, if desired, must be bought AFTER all others.

Buying Movement will give the target the natural movement abilities of the shape assumed, for example flight, tunneling, swimming, etc. It will not give magical abilities like teleportation. Using the Combat modifier gives non-magical combat abilities of the form assumed, for example claw-claw-bite, spikes, etc. The Senses modifier gives the target the senses appropriate to the form assumed, ie. an eagle's eyes, bloodhound's nose, etc.

Using the modifier Magical Abilities will allow the caster to use all abilities of the assumed form. These include teleportation, breath weapon, phase shift, level drain, poison, etc. Note that spell ability beyond the level of the caster can never be gained, and that any spellcasting is impossible unless the form has humaniform hands and vocal abilities.

Any of these modifiers may be used in a Shaping cast on a non-living object. For example, creating a sword requires the casting of the Combat Abilities modifier. In general, if something can inflict damage, it must have the Combat modifier. Unlike with living targets, Combat may be bought without first buying Movement, and Magical may be bought without first buying Senses. Magical items can be neither affected nor created by this spell.

Target Base Level Self 3 Object 4 Living,willing 4 Living,unwilling 5

Changes Cost Change of Substance +1 Size Change +1

Abilities Cost Movement +1 Combat/Senses +1 Combat+Senses +1 Magical +1

ZOE: one target; Range: none; Duration: 4 turns; ST: Physical if living

Skylore

This spell gives the mage the ability to control the weather. He may bring or banish rain, lightning, clouds, storms of various intensity, and raise or lower the temperature. This spell will never cause normal damage except to creatures that would be harmed by normal weather, e.g. water damage from rain.

It has five spheres of control: temperature, wind, rain/snow, clouds, and lightning. When casting the spell, the mage may cast zero to all five spheres, positively or negatively, and may stack multiple castings of a sphere. Exception: the casting of rain or lightning requires clouds.

When decreasing weather effects, the mage will cast levels normally. To increase all effects except temperature, the caster must build the effect as if there were no existing weather. For example, faced with a 45 mph wind, the caster may spend one level (each level of wind is 15 mph) to decrease it to 30 mph. To increase the speed to 60 mph, he must cast four levels of wind.

If the mage is attempting to control magical or sentient storms or weather controlled by another mage, he must win a level vs level battle.

Wind Sphere

Each casting of this sphere increases or decreases the wind velocity by 15 mph. If the caster is increasing or equalling the speed of the wind, he may also determine the direction. All missile rolls suffer a -5% per 15 mph of wind.

Temperature Sphere

Each casting of this sphere will raise or lower the existing air temperature by 10 degrees F. Temperatures above 100 degrees or below 0 degrees generally have deleterious effects on humans.

Rain Sphere

This will appear as snow if the temperature is below freezing. One level: light snow or rain. Visibility is 200'. Two levels: medium rain or snow. Visibility is 100'. Three levels: hard rain or snow. Visibility 50'. Four levels: driving rain or blizzard. Visibility 15'. Five levels: torrential rain or whiteout. Visibility 5'. Further levels are possible. All melee and missile rolls suffer a basic -10% per level. After a number of rounds, movement will be decreased, especially if travelling on loose soil. This sphere can only be used in conjunction with clouds.

Cloud Sphere

Basic use of this sphere allows the mage to summon either clouds in the sky or fog on earth. For fog, visibility is the same as rain. If clouds, the amount of light will be cut in half for each level and the sight of the sun or stars will be blocked. Melee and missile attacks will be decreased by 5% for each level. This sphere must be cast if lightning or rain is to be cast.

Lightning Sphere

Basic use of this sphere creates lightning and thunder in the ZOE. Although there are no melee or missile modifiers, this will act as a considerable modifier against morale checks for animals and primitives. This can only be cast if clouds are present. The number of lightning flashes a minute is the square of the number of levels of the sphere.

Each level of each sphere will increase the cost of the spell by one spell level. Travelling, which moves the center of the ZOE with the caster, increases the level by +1. The Extra ZOE modifier will double the radius of the ZOE for +1 level.

ZOE: 12" sphere; Range: none; Duration: 4 turns; ST: none

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Last Modified on September 3,1995.