These spells deal with the traditional magical “element” of water. Except as noted, none of these spells affect the water in a human body or any other living creature.
Water comes in a variety of forms, and GMs may want details on the weights and densities of these forms. Liquid water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon. Ice weighs about 7.5 pounds per gallon. Snow’s density varies greatly, ranging from hard-packed snow, which is virtually ice, to new-fallen snow, which can be as fluffy as 100 parts air to one part water. There are about 8 gallons to the cubic foot.
Another substance that falls within the College of Water is acid. In nature, acids come in a variety of strengths; acid spells, however, assume a uniform potency of acid. “Acid,” for magical purposes, includes highly alkaline corrosive solutions. Splashing someone with acid does 1d-3 points of corrosive damage; immersion in acid does 1d-1 points corrosive damage per turn. Each gallon of acid can cause 8 points of damage before becoming neutralized into an inoffensive salty solution. Armor does protect against acid damage, but the acid will corrode away 1 point of DR for every 5 points of damage done in a single second. Objects (including armor!) are also attacked by contact with acid. If acid splashes a victim’s face, he must roll vs. HT to avoid blinding. On a failure, he takes acid damage to the eyes, and if more than 2 points are inflicted, the victim is blinded (see Crippling Injury, pp. B420-422). A critical failure causes permanent Blindness.
Water spells affect acid normally. In steam form, acid does the higher of its scalding and burning damage, not both. Magical acid attacks all substances but glass, most stone, and certain metals.
Seek Water • Information
Determines the direction, distance, and general nature of the nearest significant source of water. Use the longdistance modifiers (p. 14). Any known sources of water may be excluded if the caster specifically mentions them before beginning. Requires a forked stick; roll at -3 if this is not available.
Cost: 2.
Item
A forked stick (may also be carved of bone or ivory). Cost to create: 40 energy and $300 in spell materials.
Seek Coastline • Information
Tells a caster at sea the direction and approximate distance of the nearest coastline. Use long-distance modifiers (p. 14). Any known coastline, such as that of a nearby island, may be excluded if the caster specifically mentions it during casting.
Cost: 3.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Seek Water.
Purify Water • Special
Remove all impurities from water by pouring it through any hoop or ring (or, in a pinch, his own fingers) into a container. Only one skill roll is required, as long as the flow continues.
Duration: Purified water stays pure unless recontaminated.
Cost: 1 per gallon purified.
Time to cast: Usually 5 to 10 seconds per gallon, unless a large container and ring are used.
Prerequisite: Seek Water.
Item
A hoop of bone or ivory. Energy cost to create: 50.
Create Water • Regular
Creates pure water out of nothing. This water may appear in any of several forms. It may appear within a container, or as a globe in midair (it falls immediately). Or it may appear as a dense mist of droplets; in this form, one gallon of water will extinguish all fires in a one-yard radius. Water cannot be created inside a foe to drown him!
Duration: The created water is permanent.
Cost: 2 per gallon created.
Prerequisite: Purify Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: 200.
Destroy Water • Area
Causes water (in any form) to vanish, leaving a vacuum – or perhaps specks of dry impurities. If more water is all around, it will rush in to fill the hole. Good for drying things out, saving a drowning victim, etc. Cannot be used as a “dehydrating” attack on a foe.
Duration: Permanent.
Base cost: 3. In deep water, the area is only 2 yards in height (or depth). Same cost to maintain.
Prerequisite: Create Water.
Item
Wand, staff, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: 300.
Icy Weapon • Regular
Causes any weapon to become freezing cold. This does not harm the user or the weapon, but an attack with the weapon will do +2 damage to most foes if it penetrates DR. Multiply this bonus for any Vulnerability (p. B161) to ice or cold. Add this bonus to the final injury inflicted by the attack – for instance, an “impaling” icy attack is still only good for +2 damage, not +4.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Create Water.
Item
A weapon that becomes freezing cold whenever wielded, at no energy cost to the user. Cost to create: 750 energy, $2,000 spell materials.
Shape Water • Regular
Sculpt water (including ice or steam) into any form, and even move it about. Once given a shape, the water holds it without further concentration until the spell ends. Water moved with this spell travels at Move 3. A useful shape is a wall of water to stop fiery attacks – 20 gallons make a wall 2 yards high x 1 yard wide. This stops Fireball spells and ordinary fire.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1 per 20 gallons shaped. Same cost to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Create Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: 400.
Frost • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 193.
Umbrella • Regular
Walk in any slight precipitation without getting wet. An invisible “shield” is seen to deflect incoming raindrops. Umbrella does not work against intense (or magical) hail, rains of stones or frogs, etc.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 1.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water or Shield.
Item
Jewelry. Always on. Only affects the wearer. Cost to create: 100 energy.
Body of Water • Regular; Resisted by HT
Temporarily grants the subject the Body of Water meta-trait (p. B262). Clothes (up to 6 pounds) become liquid along with him, while other possessions drop to the ground.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects the wearer. A severe drawback is that, as soon as it is activated, the item falls through the user’s hand – thus a spell cast with this item lasts only a minute. Energy cost to create: 1,200. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Only affects the wearer. Unlike the previous item, this item turns aqueous along with the wearer, allowing him to maintain the spell for longer than a minute. While aqueous, the item loses any magical powers it might ordinarily have. Energy cost to create: 2,500.
Foul Water • Area
Renders water undrinkable. Foul water is readily recognizable by its uninviting color and smell, whereas fouled beer or wine may be more difficult to detect. Anyone foolish enough to drink it must make a HT roll. On a successful roll, he merely feels sick and loses 2 HP. On a failed roll, he is seized by painful stomach cramps, losing 1d+1 HP; he is at -3 for all skills until the lost HP are restored.
Foul water also fails to satisfy thirst, and cannot support fish or other water-dwellers (a fish of any sort slowly suffocates in fouled water; a sea-mammal becomes ill from ingesting it). In a body of water, the foul water is eventually diluted to harmlessness; if cast in a mountain stream, for instance, this spell effectively lasts only a second or two.
Base cost: 3.
Prerequisites: Purify Water and Decay.
Item
Staff or wand. The item must touch the subject water. Energy cost to create: 100.
Freeze • Regular
Turns water into solid ice. The ice retains the shape of its container; in open water, the affected volume freezes as a sphere or cube, at the caster’s option. A Shape Water spell may be cast to form the water before it is frozen, or to alter the shape of the ice after it is frozen.
Duration: The ice lasts until it melts naturally.
Cost: 2 for an object up to the size of a fist, 4 for up to a cubic foot, 6 for a cubic yard, 3 more for each additional cubic yard. If the temperature is above freezing, the caster may maintain the spell by expending the casting cost once every 10 minutes.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 200 energy, $100 blue gem.
Fog • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 193.
Ice Slick • Area
Covers the floor or ground with a quarter-inch sheet of clear ice. Footing on this ice slick is very precarious. All close combat and melee attacks, and all active defenses, are at -3 on an ice slick. Other physical skills, including missile and thrown weapon attacks, are at -2. Even walking across an ice slick is usually difficult – in general, anyone attempting to walk or run across an ice slick must roll against DX-2 for every yard of distance he covers. If he fails this roll, he falls to the ice. He may, with another DX-2 roll, attempt to stand on his next turn. Spiked footwear negates all penalties on ice.
Ice slicks are very difficult to see. Anyone not actively watching the ground for ice must make a roll against IQ-3 to notice an ice slick before stepping onto it.
An ice slick will extinguish an area of normal fire that it overlaps, and vice versa.
Duration: An ice slick lasts until it melts naturally.
Base cost: 3.
Time to cast: 2 seconds per yard of radius.
Prerequisite: Frost.
Item*
(a) Rug or mat. Cost per 10 square feet: 100 energy, $250 spell materials. (b) Wand, staff, or jewelry. Cost to create: 250 energy, $500 blue gem.
Ice Sphere • Missile
Throw a ball of ice from your hand. When it strikes, it does crushing damage and vanishes in a gout of water. A 1-die Ice Sphere can also extinguish fire in a 1-yard radius, if accurately aimed. It has 1?2D 40, Max 80, Acc 2.
Cost: Any amount up to your Magery level per second, for 3 seconds. The sphere does 1d damage per point of energy.
Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Staff or wand – the ball is fired from the end of the item. Usable only by a mage. Energy cost to create: 400; the staff or wand must be tipped by a $500 sapphire.
Icy Missiles • Regular
Like Icy Weapon, but cast on a missile weapon. The weapon itself becomes cold to the touch, but won’t harm the wielder. Any missile it fires becomes freezing cold, doing +2 damage to most foes; it shatters after it hits a target or after 10 seconds, whichever comes first.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Icy Weapon.
Item
A missile weapon that fires icy missiles whenever used, at no energy cost to the user. Energy cost to create: 1,000; a $500 sapphire must be set in the weapon.
Melt Ice • Area
Turns solid ice into water.
Duration: Permanent above freezing; 10 minutes below freezing.
Base cost: 1 (minimum 2). Below freezing, the cost to maintain is the same.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Heat or Freeze.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 300 energy, $100 spell materials.
Resist Water • Regular
The subject (person, creature, or object) and anything he carries become immune to the effects of dampness, remaining dry even if completely submerged. The spell protects against the dampening effect of steam or ice, but not against the scalding or freezing itself! This also protects against water-like substances; a spilled drink does not stain, for instance. Its protection against acid is limited – the subject is granted 2 points of DR against acid spills or immersion. This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Either Shape Water and Destroy Water, or Umbrella.
Item
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Always on. Only affects the wearer. Cost to create: 200 energy and a $200 emerald. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 400 energy and a $200 emerald.
Snow Shoes • Regular
Cross ice or snow as though it were regular ground. Snow Shoes eliminates any movement, DX, or skill penalties normally assessed for ice or snow. The subject is still subject to penalties caused by an unstable surface, such as a rocking ice floe or an avalanche.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Shoes, boots, or sandals. Only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 350.
Walk on Water • Regular
Walk on water as with the Walk on Liquid advantage (p. B97).
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 3 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 4 seconds.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Staff, wand, jewelry, or clothing. Only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 500.
Waves • Special; Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 194.
Water Jet • Regular
Shoot a thin jet of water from one finger. Each turn, the caster rolls vs. DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. This attack may be dodged or blocked, but not parried. It does knockback to all targets, and damage to creatures of flame; it can kill or knock down flying swarm creatures. It can extinguish a 1- yard-radius area of normal fire. Anyone hit in the face by a Water Jet is at a -3 penalty to combat skills next turn for each point of energy put into the jet.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d damage for each point put into it. Range is equal to the number of dice.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only by mages. If the item is a wand or staff, it must have a blue tip (or a bluejeweled tip); the jet comes from the tip. Energy cost to create: 600.
Water Vision • Information
See through water, snow, and ice to find sunken treasure, lurking monsters, etc.
This is also a Knowledge spell.
Duration: 30 seconds.
Cost: 1 per 20 yards of depth to cast (up to 200 yards). Same cost to maintain.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Any. Energy cost to create: 200.
Whirlpool • Area
Create a circular whirlpool in a body of water (lakes, rivers, seas, but also ponds and pools). By concentrating, the caster can move the Whirlpool any distance up to its own diamete per second. The caster may move at half speed while concentrating.
The whirlpool has a “funnel” in its center, the radius of which (at the surface) may be up to half that of the whirlpool. The depth of the funnel may be up to twice the radius of the whirlpool. The funnel gets progressively narrower as one nears its bottom.
The outermost yard of the whirlpool moves at Move 1, the next inner ring at Move 2 and so on. Anyone caught in the whirlpool will be dragged towards its bottom; a Swimming roll, at a penalty equal to the current ring’s speed, must be made every revolution to avoid being dragged into the next inner ring (in addition to the usual consequences for failure – p. B354). A success by 3 or more means the swimmer managed to move outward one ring (if he so wills).
The whirlpool has little effect on beings and objects weighing more than 90 pounds times its radius in yards. While in the whirlpool, all DXbased skills (except aquatic ones such as Swimming or Scuba) are at -5, above and beyond any penalty for being in water in the first place.
Duration: 1 minute after reaching full strength.
Base cost: 2 to cast. Half that to maintain.
Time to cast: The Whirlpool starts immediately, but the caster must concentrate for a number of seconds equal to the Whirlpool’s radius in yards to bring it to full strength. The Whirlpool takes a like time to stop once the spell lapses, although no concentration is required.
Prerequisite: Shape Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only by mages. Cost to create: 200 energy and a $500 emerald.
Coolness • Regular
The subject remains comfortably cool in warm weather, avoiding the risk of dehydration or heat stroke – but not sunburn! Effectively, the subject gains Temperature Tolerance 3 (p. B93) toward heat for the duration of the spell. The spell offers no protection against actual flame or fire-based attack spells. This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2 to cast. 1 to maintain.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Cold.
Item
Clothing, staff, or jewelry; only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 200.
Create Ice • Regular
Creates a quantity of ice or snow. It may appear as: a solid block of any shape; within a container (which must be large enough); hanging in mid-air (it falls immediately); as a mass of ice shavings (great for cooling drinks); or as a cloud of snow (which settles to the ground). It takes 60 gallons of ice shavings or snow to put out a one-yard radius area of fire within one second. A gallon of snow, depending on its fluffiness (p. 195), will cover a oneyard- radius area to a depth of two to 18 inches.
Duration: Permanent; the ice lasts until it melts naturally.
Cost: 2 per gallon of ice created.
Prerequisite: Freeze.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 200 energy and a $100 sapphire.
Dehydrate • Regular; Resisted by HT
Removes the water from a subject’s tissues, causing damage or death. Affects the whole victim if cast from a distance; if the caster touches the subject, damage is limited to the part touched. Armor does not protect!
Duration: Damage done is permanent until healed.
Cost: 1 per 1d-1 damage done, up to 3.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisite:s At least five Water spells, including Destroy Water.
Item
Wand or staff. Usable only by mages; the item must touch the subject. Cost to create: 700 energy and $1,000 in spell materials.
Ice Dagger • Missile
Create and hurl a razor-sharp icicle. When it strikes, it does impaling damage and melts instantly. It has 1?2D 30, Max 60, Acc 3.
Cost: Any amount up to your Magery level per second, for 3 seconds. Does 1d-1 impaling damage for each point of energy put into it. No extra effect on creatures of fire.
Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Prerequisite: Ice Sphere or Water Jet.
Item
Jewelry; the item must have a dagger shape or design. Usable only by a mage. Energy cost to create: 400.
Icy Touch • Melee
Covers the subject with a coating of ice. The caster must touch the subject to trigger this spell; hit location is irrelevant. The subject is immobilized and may take no action until he breaks through the ice with a successful ST roll at a -1 penalty for every 1/4” of ice. The ice can be chipped off from the outside at a rate of 1/4” of ice for every point of basic damage; it has DR 1 per 1/2” of ice. If rescuers are not careful, however, they may smash through the ice to injure the subject (see Overpenetration, p. B408).
While encased in ice, the subject is vulnerable to thermal shock (p. B430); he must roll vs. HT immediately. On a success, he loses 1 FP; on a failure, he loses FP equal to the margin of failure. The HT roll must be repeated every minute that the subject remains encased in ice. If the situation becomes dire enough that the subject must start making death checks, a critical success means that the subject has fallen into suspended animation, as per the spell.
Duration: Permanent. If the temperature is above the freezing point, the ice coating may be maintained by spending as much energy as in the original casting every 10 minutes.
Cost: 2 per 1/4” of ice; must affect the entire subject, not just a part of it! Every 1/4” will inflict 1d-1 of damage to flame creatures.
Time to cast: 1 second per 1/4” of ice.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and at least four Water spells.
Item
Staff or wand. Usable only by mages; the item must touch the subject. The item’s tip must be white. Energy cost to create: 800.
Walk Through Water • Regular
Pass through water or ice as if it were air; the subject can walk through glaciers, along the bottoms of lakes, etc. Like the Swim spell, this negates combat penalties for fighting in water. In liquid water, the subject requires a surface to walk on. The spell may cost more if resistance to high pressures is necessary. The spell neither opens a passage so that others can follow, nor reveals what is on the other side … If the caster (or the subject) knows a spell to let him breathe, the subject will have no difficulty breathing during his journey, at no energy cost. Otherwise, he must hold his breath!
Should the spell end before the subject regains the open air, he finds himself submerged. He is not automatically harmed, but drowns (or suffocates, if in ice) if he cannot escape.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 4 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Time to cast: 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1 and Shape Water.
Item
Clothing or jewelry; only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,100.
Dry Spring • Regular
Dries and blocks the waterflow within a spring, reducing its output.
Duration: Permanent. Note, however, that the local geology may eventually shift, restoring the spring’s output to its previous level.
Cost: 3 times the reduction in the spring’s output, in gallons per hour.
Time to cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Destroy Water and Shape Earth.
Item
Staff. Cost to create: 450 energy and a $500 emerald.
Earth to Water • Regular
As listed under Earth Spells, p. 52.
Essential Water • Regular
Like Create Water, but the water created is the magical essence of water. It extinguishes any type of fire in the same proportion that ordinary water extinguishes ordinary fire. It is also three times as thirst-quenching as ordinary water – in other words, a mere quart of Essential Water will keep someone hydrated for a full day of exertion in hot climates (p. B426).
Duration:Permanent until used; if it is used to put out a fire, for instance, the steam created is ordinary water.
Cost:3 per gallon created.
Prerequisite:At least 6 other Water spells
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only by a mage. Energy cost to create: 800.
Frostbite • Regular; Resisted by HT
Lowers the temperatures in the body tissues of the subject, causing damage or death. Affects the whole victim if cast from a distance; if cast by touch, damage is limited to the part touched. Armor does not protect.
Duration:Damage is permanent until healed.
Cost:1 per die of damage done, up to 3.
Time to cast:3 seconds.
Prerequisites:Frost and Freeze.
Item
Wand or staff. Usable only by mages; the item must touch the subject. Cost to create: 700 energy, $500 spell materials, and a $500 blue gem.
Snow Jet • Regular
Shoot a thin jet of snow from one finger. Each turn, the caster rolls versus DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. This attack may be dodged or blocked, but not parried. It does knockback on all targets and damage to creatures of flame; it can kill or knock down flying swarm creatures. It can extinguish normal fire within an area one yard in radius. If the spell strikes the target’s face, it temporarily blinds him unless he makes a HT roll.
If the HT roll is failed, each energy point in the spell blinds the target for one second. After the target can see again, blurry vision will put him at a -3 penalty to combat skills for a further 1d seconds. On a critically failed HT roll, the target is blinded for 1d seconds per point of energy in the spell. On a successful HT roll, the victim covers his eyes and is therefore unable to see for one second. On a critical success, the victim is unaffected.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 3. The jet does 1d of knockback for every point put into it. Its range is equal to the number of dice. The cost to maintain is the same.
Prerequisites:Water Jet and Freeze.
Item
Staff or wand. Usable only by mages. The jet issues from the item’s tip. Energy cost to create: 600; the staff or wand must be tipped by a $500 sapphire.
Breathe Water • Regular
Allows the subject to breathe water as though it were air, temporarily granting Doesn’t Breathe (Gills) (p. B49). The subject does not lose the ability to breathe ordinary air! At the GM’s discretion, this spell may also include the equivalent of Pressure Support 1 (p. B77), allowing the subject to venture into deep water without concern.
This is also an Air spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 4 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Prerequisites: Create Air and Destroy Water.
Item
Clothing or jewelry. Energy cost to create: 400.
Breathe Air • Regular
As described under Air Spells, p. 26.
Swim • Regular
As described under Movement Spells, p. 147.
Body of Ice (VH) • Regular; Resisted by HT
Temporarily grants the subject the Body of Ice meta-trait (p. B262). Clothes (up to 6 pounds) also become ice, but lose any magic powers they
might have had.
Duration: 1 minute. Expires if the subject loses consciousness.
Cost: 7 to cast. 3 to maintain.
Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Body of Water, and Freeze.
Item
Staff, wand. or jewelry. Only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 1,300.
Boil Water • Regular
Turns water into steam. Water expands considerably in going from liquid to gas; a mere pint of water makes a lot of steam. The scalding effect of steam is such that a steam hex should be treated exactly as a fire hex, except that it cannot ignite anything.
Duration: Permanent, though the steam will recondense naturally (within about 10 minutes).
Cost: 2 for a fist-sized quantity of water (makes about a hex of steam), 4 for a cubic foot’s worth (makes about 40 cubic yards of steam), 6 for a square yard of water to a foot’s depth (makes about 400 cubic yards of steam), 3 for each additional third of a cubic yard.
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisites: Shape Water and Heat.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 200 energy and a $100 carnelian.
Condense Steam • Area
Turns steam into roomtemperature water.
Duration: Permanent, though the water may boil again.
Base cost: 1 (minimum 2).
Time to cast: 10 seconds.
Prerequisite: Cold or Boil Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 300 energy and a $100 emerald.
Create Acid • Regular
Creates a strong acidic solution out of nothing. It may appear in any of several forms. It may appear within a container (which should be of glass or of some special stone or metal if the acid is not to attack it), as a globe in mid-air (which falls immediately), or as a dense mist of droplets (which inflicts splashing damage).
Duration: The created acid is permanent, but is neutralized as it reacts with objects and beings.
Cost: 4 per gallon created.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Create Water and Create Earth.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 300.
Create Spring • Regular
Increases a spring’s output, or creates one where none exists.
Duration: Permanent. Note, however, that the local geology may eventually shift, reducing the spring’s output to its previous level.
Cost: 5 times the increase in the spring’s output, in gallons per hour.
Time to cast: 1 minute.
Prerequisites: Dry Spring and Shape Water.
Item
Staff. Cost to create: 675 energy and a $500 emerald.
Current • Special; Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 194.
Tide • Special; Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 194.
Flesh to Ice (VH) • Regular; Resisted by HT
“Petrifies” a living subject (and all his gear!) into ice. Stone to Flesh can reverse the effects of this spell, but the caster is at a -4 penalty unless he alsoknows Flesh to Ice. Remove Curse can also break the spell.
Duration: Permanent until reversed by another spell or substantial melting (or breakage) takes place.
Cost: 12 to cast; must affect the entire subject, not just a part of it!
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Frostbite, and Body of Water.
Item
Staff or wand. Usable only by mages; the item must touch the subject. Energy cost to create: 1,200.
Create Steam • Area
Produces a cloud of steam. Until it dissipates, anyone standing within the area of effect is at risk of scalding (treat as if surrounded by fire, pp. B443-444, except that steam cannot set anything aflame). The steam tends to rise; the rate of dissipation depends on the area, ambient temperature and the presence of wind – indoors, it usually lasts until the spell expires, but outdoors on a windy or cold day it may last only 10 seconds or so.
Duration: 5 minutes or less, as above.
Base cost: 2 to cast. Cannot be maintained.
Prerequisite: Boil Water.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Cost to create: 400 energy and a $100 carnelian.
Distill • Regular
As listed under Food Spells, p. 79.
Resist Acid • Regular
The subject (person, creature or object) and anything he carries become immune to the effects of acid.
This is also a Protection and Warning spell.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 2 to cast; 6 if subject must resist Essential Acid. Half that to maintain.
Prerequisite: Create Acid.
Item
(a) Staff, wand, or jewelry; only affects the wearer. Energy cost to create: 800. (b) Staff, wand, or jewelry. Energy cost to create: 1,200.
Summon Water Elemental, Control Water Elemental, Create Water Elemental see pp. 27-28
Small Water Elemental
This is the basic water elemental summoned by casting Summon Water Elemental at the minimum energy cost of 4. More energy put into the spell summons a more powerful elemental. Usually, this simply means a larger elemental; one point of energy is equal to 1 additional point of ST, 5 HP, or 2 points of DR. However, the GM may choose to build a more exotic elemental, adding unusual traits to the following template, or working one up from scratch.
Small Water Elemental • 40 points
Attribute Modifiers:ST-3 [-30]; DX-2 [-40]; IQ-3 [-60]; HT-2 [-20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers:SM -1.
Advantages:Amphibious [10]; Chameleon 1 [5]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; Pressure Support 3 [15]; Slippery 5 [10].
Disadvantages:Invertebrate [-10]; Vulnerability (Dehydration) [-10].
Rain • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 195.
Snow • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 195.
Hail • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 195.
Mud Jet • Regular
As listed under Earth Spells, p. 52.
Geyser (VH) • Area
Causes a geyser of scalding-hot water to gush forth from the ground. It creates a hole equal to its radius, as set by the caster. All those within the geyser suffer 3d damage. They are automatically pushed out of the area of effect, and must make a DX-5 roll to stay afoot!
Two seconds after the geyser starts, the water begins to fall back as spray. Under normal conditions, it affects an area double the radius of the original geyser. All those within this new spray area suffer 1d damage per second.
Example: A geyser of 2 yards radius is created. All those in that area suffer 3d damage. Two seconds later, all those within 4 yards, but not within 2 yards, suffer 1d of damage.
If the caster is in the geyser area, he takes normal damage, but if he is in the spray area, he is unharmed. The geyser must always spring from the earth; it would not work on a rooftop. If cast under unusual circumstances, it can produce interesting effects, such as a continuing stream of scalding water flowing downhill at foes, but these must be controlled by the GM.
Duration: 1 second.
Base cost: 5 to cast. 2 to maintain.
Time to cast: 5 seconds.
Prerequisites: Six Water spells, including Create Spring, and either four Earth spells or four Fire spells.
Rain of Acid • Area
Droplets of acid rain from the sky onto the area, causing 1d-1 acid damage per second to all within it. Characters and creatures under the
rain of acid take damage on their own turns; if less than an entire second is spent in the affected area, damage is halved (round down).
The spell can only be cast out of doors. Armor protects in the usual fashion. A shield with a DB of 2 or better can be held overhead to block the droplets, but it may take damage (p. B484). This requires two hands and a Ready action, and succeeds automatically in protecting the character once the shield is readied upwards, but this unreadies the shield from its normal protective functions!
In addition, acid rain eats objects away at the rate of 1 HP every 10 seconds; the object’s DR protects it completely for 3 seconds per DR. This includes buildings.
Duration: 1 minute.
Base cost: 3. Same cost to maintain.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Create Water, and Create Earth.
Item
Staff. Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 1,200.
Steam Jet • Regular
Shoot a thin jet of scalding steam from one finger. Each turn, the caster rolls versus DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. This attack may be dodged or blocked, but not parried. It does knockback on all targets in addition to its regular damage; it does double damage to creatures of flame or ice. It can extinguish normal fire within an area 1 yard in radius. If the spell strikes the target’s face, it temporarily blinds him unless he makes a HT roll.
If the HT roll is failed, each energy point in the spell blinds the target for one second. After the target can see again, blurry vision will put him at a -3 penalty to combat skills for a further 1d seconds. On a critically failed HT roll, the target is blinded for 1d seconds per
point of energy in the spell. On a successful HT roll, the victim covers his eyes for one second and is therefore unable to see for one turn. On a critical success, the victim is unaffected.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d-1 of scalding damage for every point put into it. Range is equal to the number of dice. Cost to maintain is the same.
Prerequisites: Water Jet and Boil Water.
Item
Staff or wand. Usable only by mages. The jet issues from the item’s tip. Energy cost to create: 700; the staff or wand must be tipped by a $300 carnelian.
Acid Ball • Missile
Throw a ball of acid from one hand. When it strikes something, it bursts, inflicting acid damage. It has 1/2D 20, Max 40, Acc 1; use the Innate Attack skill.
Cost: Any amount up to your Magery lever per second, for three seconds. The Acid Ball does 1d damage per energy point.
Time to cast: 1 to 3 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 2 and Create Acid.
Item
Staff or wand – the missile is fired from the tip of the item. Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 300.
Acid Jet • Regular
Shoot a jet of acid from one hand. Each turn, the caster rolls against DX-4 or Innate Attack skill to hit. The jet may be dodged, but not parried or blocked. The jet does knockback as per Snow Jet; if the jet strikes the face, the acid may blind the victim as detailed on p. B428.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 3. Does 1d-1 of damage for every point used. Range is equal to the number of dice. Cost to maintain is the same.
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Water Jet, and Create Acid.
Item
Staff or wand. Usable only by mages. The jet issues from the item’s tip. Energy cost to create: 400.
Rain of Ice Daggers • Area
Ice Daggers rain from the sky onto the area, causing 1d-2 impaling damage per second to all within it. Characters and creatures under the Rain of Ice Daggers take damage on their own turns; if less than an entire second is spent in the affected area, damage is halved (round down). The spell can only be cast out of doors. Armor protects in the usual fashion. A shield with a DB of 2 or better can be held overhead to block the ice, but it may take damage (p. B484). This requires two hands and a Ready action, and succeeds automatically in protecting the character once the shield is readied upwards, but this unreadies the shield from its normal protective functions! Inanimate objects such as buildings protect with their DR.
Duration: 1 minute.
Base cost: 1 (minimum 2). For double base cost, the Rain of Ice Daggers does 1d per second!
Prerequisites: Magery 2, Hail, and Ice Dagger.
Item
Staff. Usable only by mages. Cost to create: 800 energy and a $1,000 sapphire.
Storm • Area
As listed under Weather Spells, p. 195.
Icy Breath (VH) • Regular
The caster expels a deadly hail of ice and cold air from his mouth. The caster rolls to hit against DX-4 or Innate Attack skill. This counts as an attack; it can be dodged or blocked, but not parried. The caster must be facing his target. No hand gestures are required to cast this spell; certain lip and tongue motions are made instead. Thus, Icy Breath can be cast “no hands” at any level of skill.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 4. Does 1d+1 damage for every point of energy in the spell. Cannot be maintained.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Snow Jet, and Resist Cold.
Item
Jewelry. Usable only by mages. Cost to create: 400 energy and a $500 sapphire.
Breathe Steam (VH) • Regular
Similar to Steam Jet, except that the steam issues from the caster’s mouth, Breathe Steam cannot be maintained, and each energy point buys 1d damage instead of 1d-1. Caster rolls to hit against DX-2 or Innate Attack skill. This counts as an attack; it may be dodged or blocked, but not parried. The caster must be facing his target. No hand gestures are required to cast this spell; certain lip and tongue motions are made instead. Thus, Breathe Steam can be cast “no hands” at any level of skill.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 1, Steam Jet, and Resist Fire.
Item
Jewelry. Usable only by mages. Cost to create: 1,000 energy and a $500 carnelian.
Spit Acid (VH) • Regular
Similar to Acid Jet, except that the acid issues from the caster’s mouth, Spit Acid cannot be maintained, and each energy point buys 1d damage instead of 1d-1. Caster rolls to hit against DX-2 or Innate Attack skill (p. B201). This counts as an attack; it may be dodged or blocked, but not parried. The caster must be facing his target. No hand gestures are required to cast this spell; certain lip and tongue motions are made instead. Thus, Spit Acid can be cast “no hands” at any level of skill.
Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1 to 4. Cannot be maintained.
Time to cast: 2 seconds.
Prerequisites: Magery 3, Acid Jet, and Resist Acid.
Item
Jewelry. Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 400.
Essential Acid (VH) • Regular
Turns regular acid into the magical essence of acid. No substance is immune to its bite, and it inflicts three times as much damage before being neutralized. Essential Water or Flame, in like quantity, will nullify Essential Acid. If frozen with the Freeze spell, it is harmless until thawed. At the GM’s option, this spell may produce alkahest (p. 220).
Duration: Permanent until neutralized.
Cost: 8 per gallon.
Prerequisites: Magery 3 and all six Acid spells.
Item
Staff, wand, or jewelry. Usable only by mages. Energy cost to create: 1,100.
