Acolyte

Alarm α

• Prereq: None

Alarm creates an immobile and invisible 10-meter diameter circle around the wizard, who also whispers a password while casting. If anyone without the proper password enters the area, the spell emits a warning in the wizard’s voice that continues until someone speaks the password or it expires. This makes surprise attacks impossible.

The wizard’s warning may be as loud as he can generate with his own voice.

Successlevel:

Good: If the wizard chooses, Duration is increased up to one week and the circle may be expanded to 100 meters.

• Outstanding: As Good, the alarm can be silent if the wizard chooses, and he knows if it’s been triggered no matter how far away he is

Bullet α

• Prereq: None

This spell hurls a small but dangerous projectile, such as a slug of metal or a coin, at a target for 13 damage. The magician makes the motion of hurling, flicking, slinging, or propelling the projectile at the target, then releases it at his foe. The apportation total must exceed the Dexterity or dodge of the target character in order to hit.

There is no penalty for Range, but all other modifiers (and options such as Multi-Targeting) for attacks are figured normally.

Successlevel:

• Good: Damage +1
• Outstanding: Damage +2

Detect Magic α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

6

Skill:

Divination 8

Casting Time:

1 action

DN:

Standard (DN 10)

Range:

25 meters

Duration:

Concentration

The caster sees a faint outline or aura around anything under the effects of magic: enchanted objects, people with spells on them, and even mages maintaining spells on others. A Standard success detects the presence of any magic within range and the type of magic (alteration, apportation, conjuration, or divination) involved in each aura.

Successlevel:

• Good: The range of detection increases to 50 meters. If the spellcaster responsible for an effect is also within Range subtle bands of energy connect him to the target of the spell
• Outstanding: As a Good success, plus the exact spell or enchantment generating each aura is revealed. If the caster chooses to dispel any of the detected effects, her dispel magic test is Favored as long as she maintains Concentration on detect magi

Diminish α

• Prereq: None

Diminish reduces one of the opponent’s attributes (chosen when the spell is cast) and related skills by −2. Separate castings may affect multiple attributes.

Spellcasters mime an action related to the affected attribute while casting—sneering to reduce Spirit, pretending to stumble if reducing Dexterity, etc.

Reducing Strength or Spirit does not reduce Toughness or .

Successlevel:

• Good: The penalty is increased to −4
• Outstanding: As Good and the target cannot roll again on 20s when using the affected attribute and all its related skills

Disguise α

• Prereq: None

This spell may only be cast once per day.

Disguise gives a caster (or an ally if desired) the physical appearance of another, including clothing, weapons, and other normal accessories. Items created as part of the disguise are useless beyond looking the part.

The disguise may copy a specific person if the caster has seen him or her (or a high-quality painting or photo). Disguise only covers the physical appearance of the target—interaction may still require persuasion tests or the like.

The disguised individual stays the same mass, but can appear as a different gender, ethnicity, or even race (such as an elf or a dwarf). Once the spell is cast the mage no longer needs to be within range to maintain it.

Successlevel:

• Good: The Duration is increased to the rest of the scene
• Outstanding: The disguise mimics the target’s voice as well. It doesn’t grant the target new languages, however!

Dispel Magic α

• Prereq: None

Dispel magic ends one or more spell effects currently affecting a target. It works only on cast spells—not magic items, relics, or other enchanted devices.

To dispel, the caster chooses one or more targets (using the Multi-Target option) and makes her alteration roll. A Standard success ends one spell’s effects on that target (caster’s choice).

Dispel magic must be used on the recipient of a spell—not the person who actually cast it. It still uses the original caster’s willpower or Spirit, however.

Successlevel:

• Good: The effects of two spells on the target end
• Outstanding: The effects of all spells on the target end

Enhance α

• Prereq: None

This spell enhances a single attribute of the caster or an ally by +1. Multiple allies may be enhanced at the same time so long as all are within range and the caster uses the Multi-Target option. The DN is the attribute to be affected—the better someone’s ability, the harder it is to improve on it. Different attributes may be increased with separate castings.

If the caster increases Strength or Spirit, it does not increase Toughness or . Mages pantomime some aspect of the attribute to be increased while casting—cracking their knuckles to improve Dexterity, flexing their muscles to enhance Strength, and so on.

Successlevel:

• Good: The attribute is enhanced by +2
• Outstanding: The attribute is enhanced by +3

Fear α

• Prereq: None

The fear spell creates a wave of terror affecting enemies within a Large Blast (see Area Effect, page 122). Affected targets become Stymied . Note that as an Area Effect attack there’s no Multi-Targeting penalty, but also no option to add extra targets.

Targets immune to fear effects are also immune to this spell.

Successlevel:

• Good: Affected targets become Very Stymied
• Outstanding: Affected targets become Very Stymied and suffer 2

Haste α

• Prereq: None

Haste increases the ability of the target to maximize his actions, effectively letting him do or concentrate on more things at once. The recipient ignores the first two points of Multi-Action penalties and can perform three simple actions each round instead of two.

Successlevel:

• Good: The Duration increases to one minute
• Outstanding: As Good, plus the recipient ignores the first four points of Multi-Action penalties

Mage Dark α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

13

Skill:

Conjuration 10

Casting Time:

1 action

DN:

Standard (DN 10)

Range:

50 meters

Duration:

Concentration

Mage dark fills a five-meter radius with total darkness. Everything within the affected area is shrouded in Pitch Black (–6) conditions.

If cast on an area of existing mage light, it drowns it out and consumes it.

See the Darkness penalties on page 122 for more information.

Successlevel:

• Good: Radius of 10 meters
• Outstanding: Characters who normally ignore darkness penalties are affected as well

Mage Hands α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

9

Skill:

Apportation 12

Casting Time:

1 action

DN:

Standard (DN 10); or a target’s dodge or Dexterity

Range:

25 meters

Duration:

Concentration

The wizard can manipulate items as if she had a pair of invisible hands that can reach up to 25 meters distant. The hands are extensions of her own—her real hands must be free as she makes appropriate hand motions, and she can’t lift herself any more easily than she could with her own hands.

The hands’ Strength is equal to her Spirit, but they use her skills. If her hands wield a sword, for example, she uses her melee combat as usual.

Successlevel:

• Good: The hands’ Strength is equal to her Spirit +1
• Outstanding: The hands’ Strength is equal to her Spirit +2

Open Lock α

• Prereq: None

Merchants and others with riches to protect detest this simple spell. It works on normal or electronic locks. With it and sufficient skill, a mage may open any lock with up to a −4 penalty (see Lockpicking, page 80).

Successlevel:

• Good: Opens heavy or electronic locks with a penalty up to –6
• Outstanding: Opens any lock silently and avoids any alarms or wards placed on it. Note that some very powerful seals are not necessarily locks, however

Pathfinder α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

7

Skill:

Divination 12

Casting Time:

1 minute

DN:

Standard (DN 10)

Range:

50 meters

Duration:

Concentration

Pathfinder allows a magician to sense the direction and distance to an object, location, or being. The success level determines the spell’s maximum range of detection.

Successlevel:

• Good: Range of 500 meters
• Outstanding: Range of 1 kilometer

Protective Circle α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

9

Skill:

Alteration 8

Casting Time:

1 minute

DN:

Challenging (DN 12)

Range:

A two-meter diameter circle

Duration:

Concentration , or when the circle is crossed or broken

Occultists in Orrorsh and treacherous thralls in Tharkold make frequent use of this spell when dealing with the deadly demons of their cosms.

To employ a protective circle, the caster draws a visible, one-meter-radius circle in chalk, blood, salt, or other material, then embellishes it with arcane runes. Once drawn, and for as long as the caster maintains Concentration , supernatural beings may not cross the border. They may speak and otherwise interact across the border normally, but any supernatural powers (such as spells or special abilties) suffer a –2 penalty.

If another force or being breaks the circle’s drawn boundary the spell ends.

Successlevel:

• Good: The penalty is increased to –4
• Outstanding: The being’s supernatural abilities cannot cross the boundary

Scrambler α

• Prereq: None

Used primarily in the watchdog regime of the Cyberpapacy, scrambler obscures everyone in the affected area from all security and surveillance systems.

Captured video and voices become blurry and unidentifiable to such devices, and targeting bonuses from smart ammunition and augmented reality HUDs are negated.

Successlevel:

• Good: The Range is increased to a 100-meter radius
• Outstanding: The caster’s video and voice are completely erased and the duration increases to an last hour

Scry α

• Prereq: None

Axiom Level:

8

Skill:

Divination 12

Casting Time:

1 minute

DN:

Target’s willpower or Spirit

Range:

500 kilometers

Duration:

Concentration

Scry allows a prying caster to peek in on a subject from afar. This spell targets a single person, and requires a vestige of that individual—fingernail clippings, a lock of hair, a vial of blood, etc.—in order to work. Without such materials the spell automatically fails. Those with secrets to protect closely guard or destroy such residue.

A Standard success grants a view of the target from directly above. The mage sees and hears anything within five meters, but nothing outside that range is visible or audible. Thus it may not be clear exactly where the target is located, only what he is currently doing. Anyone viewed or heard by the spell intuitively feels that he’s being watched, but isn’t certain how.

Successlevel:

• Good: The observable area increases to 25 meters
• Outstanding: The target viewed and heard is no longer aware of being observed

Slow α

• Prereq: None

Slow decreases a living being’s speed and makes it more difficult for him to do multiple things at once. The caster points at his target in slow motion.

The target’s Speed is decreased by 25% and the target is Stymied . Speed refers to the target’s personal walking, running, climbing, swimming, or flying speed. Slow doesn’t affect machines or devices of any type.

Successlevel:

• Good: Speed is decreased by 50% and the target may not run
• Outstanding: Speed is decreased by 75% and the target loses his next turn (he might get another via a Flurry or similar ability, however)

Speak with Dead α

• Prereq: None

To cast this loathsome spell, the occultist manipulates the corpse’s jaws while beseeching the spirit that once resided inside to speak. The spirit retains its former consciousness–it knows it’s dead, may refuse to speak, is subject to persuasion, etc.

A particular corpse may only be questioned once per scene.

Successlevel:

• Good: The corpse may only speak the truth, but may still refuse to answer
• Outstanding: The corpse must answer any questions truthfully, to the best of its knowledge

Stun α

• Prereq: None

A wave of arcane energy overwhelms a group of foes. It affects everyone within a Large Blast area (see page 122). This is an Area Affect spell and may not Multi-Target.

Any target affected becomes Very Stymied . Stun only works on living beings, so undead, constructs, or animated objects are unaffected.

Successlevel:

• Good: Affected targets may not move on their next turn
• Outstanding: Affected targets lose their entire next turn