Chapter Nine: Spells

The Order of Hermes has collected and created hundreds of spells that have been passed down to apprentices and traded among magi for centuries. Those listed here are representative of the most useful, interesting, and exemplary of those spells — in no way are the spells listed here a definitive list of those available. Instead, they should be used as examples so that you may invent spells of your own. Many of these spells serve as good examples for creating other, similar spells. For instance, a spell to turn you into a wolf can be used as a model for a spell to turn you into another animal.

Levels

The level of a spell is a measure of the amount of magical power needed to create the spell effect. The higher the level of the spell, the less of a magus’s power is left over for breaking through Magic Resistance.

Magnitudes

The magnitude of a spell is equal to one fifth of its level, rounded up. This is also the number of pawns of vis needed to cast a ritual spell, and changing the range, duration, or target of a spell generally changes its level by one magnitude (five levels) at a time. Spells of level one to five are all first magnitude, although the rules for changing ranges, durations, and targets work differently for such spells (see page 114XXX).

SPELL MAGNITUDE Level/5 (rounded up)

Spell Design

Spell design is an important part of any magus’ life.

The Central Rule

The storyguide or troupe may always intervene and declare that a certain combination of range, duration, target, and effect warrants a higher or lower level than that described by the guidelines and the system below. The range of effects possible in Ars Magica is so large that any system is bound to allow some effects that strike a given troupe as too hard or too easy (different effects for different troupes). The system gives sensible levels in the vast majority of cases, but storyguides should not let players use the system to force things past common sense.

Level Guidelines

This chapter contains a selection of example spells, and guidelines for what can be achieved with a formulaic or spontaneous spell of a given level. For the guidelines, the range of the spell is Personal, the duration is Momentary, and the target is Individual. These are the lowest members of their classes, so that the given level is the lowest level at which a formulaic or spontaneous spell can have that effect.

SPELL GUIDELINES:

Range: Personal; Duration: Momentary; Target: Individual

Ranges, Durations, Targets

The range, duration, and target of a spell determine what it can affect. The range governs how far the target can be from the magus, the duration determines how long the target will be affected, and the target describes what the spell can affect. Each parameter has a number of possible ratings, which can be arranged in order from least difficult to produce to most difficult to produce. This is done in the chart below. Parameters which are listed together below but are separated by a slash (like Touch/Eye) represent different actual ranges that share the same level of difficulty. They are not interchangeable, simply equivalent.

Each category of range, duration, and target is described below.

RANGES

The range of a spell is the distance to the nearest part of the target of the spell. Thus, if the caster is touching the external wall of a room, he can cast a Target: Room Corpus spell on the people within at Touch Range, even though he is not touching any of those people, and indeed cannot see them. The target of the spell is the room, and thus the spell does not violate the Limit of Arcane Connections. A spell that has a continuing effect remains in effect even if the caster moves out of range. A spell that allows the caster to control the effect only permits that control as long as the caster is within range. However, it does not expire if the caster moves out of range, and he may control it again if he moves back into range. Personal: The spell only affects the casting magus or things that he is wearing or carrying. The target is thus never larger than Individual.

Touch/Eye

Touch: The magus or anything he touches, whether a person or thing. Eye: The magus may target any person or creature that he has established eye contact with. A human being who knows of no reason to avoid eye contact makes it automatically if dealing with the magus in a social setting. The Gift does not make people avoid eye contact. It is impossible to make eye contact with an unwilling human without getting at least two people to hold the victim down. It is effectively impossible to make eye contact with an enemy in combat; they aren’t looking at your eyes. It typically takes a combat round to establish eye contact with a calm animal, before the magus can start casting the spell. (Touch and Eye are the same “level” of range.)

Voice

Anything to which the magus’s voice carries. Typically, firm words carry about 15 paces, while a shout carries about 50. Magical enhancement of the voice does not increase this range, and a spell cast silently at this range can affect only the caster. The range is based on the distance that the caster’s voice carries, not on whether the target can hear it. Deaf targets, stones, targets in a noisy environment, and targets under the influence of PeIm spells that stop sounds from reaching them can all be affected at the normal range. However, if the caster is silenced or quieted by magic, the range is reduced. Such a spell must penetrate the caster’s Magic Resistance. Magic items use the wielder’s voice; independent items need to be given a voice (CrIm) to use this range. The range is established when the spell is cast, and remains the same even if the magus changes the loudness of his voice. Thus, a Voice range spell can allow silent control, but only as long as the target is within the distance that the magus’s voice carried when he cast the spell.

Sight

Anything that the magus can see. If the magus is standing on the highest point for miles, this range can be immense. A blind magus can only affect himself. A magic item uses the wielder’s sight; independent items need to be able to see (InIm) to use this range.

Arcane Connection

Anything that the magus has an Arcane Connection to. Distance is immaterial unless the storyguide chooses to impose some limit. Such limits are usually provided in the example spells. Note that while Arcane Connection is a range, it is different from a physical item that is an Arcane Connection. This distinction is important, because some spells require that the caster have an Arcane Connection, but the spell must be cast as some range other than Arcane Connection.

DURATIONS

If a spell with a momentary effect, such as