Ars Magica 5E Standard Edition, Chapter Nine: Spells
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 114 XXX).
| 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 |
| 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 healing a wound, creating a fire, or opening a pit, is cast with a longer duration, it generally sustains that effect for the duration, rather than having its effect multiple times within the duration. Thus, a wound healed with duration Sun stays healed for that length of time, and reappears at the end. The target can still take other wounds. A fire created with duration Diameter burns for two minutes, and may inflict damage every round over that period. A pit opened for duration Moon with a Perdo Terram spell cannot be filled in with earth for that period; any more earth dumped in it is destroyed as well. Wood, animal products, or water could fill it, though, as they are not of the same Form as the spell. The destroyed earth still does not reappear at the expiration of the spell.
Momentary
The spell lasts but a moment and then dissipates. In many cases the effects of the spell will endure long after the spell itself finishes. For example, a Rego spell that moves a rock from the bottom of the hill to the top might have Momentary duration, but the rock stays at the top of the hill. Similar considerations apply to most Perdo spells; the magic lasts but a moment, but the target stays destroyed. Ritual Creo spells with Momentary duration create things that last as any other thing of that type. The magic is gone in a moment and so cannot be dispelled. This also applies to ritual healing spells.
Concentration/Diameter
Concentration: The spell lasts as long as the magus concentrates. In the absence of distractions, assume that a magus can concentrate for fifteen minutes per point of Concentration ability. If there are distractions, see the rules in the Hermetic Magic chapter, page 82.
Diameter: The spell lasts for the time that the sun takes to move its diameter in the sky — almost exactly two minutes (twenty combat rounds). (Diameter and Concentration are the same “level” of duration.)
Sun/Ring
Sun: The spell lasts until the sun next rises or sets.
Ring: The spell lasts until the target of the spell moves outside a ring drawn at the time of casting, or until the ring is physically broken. A ring must actually be drawn while the spell is being cast. The magus may use magic to do so, but that magic must not have a range greater than Touch, and the magus must physically trace out the ring. The magus may not move more quickly than ten paces per round (five feet per second) while doing this. The casting of a non-Ritual spell may be extended out to allow the drawing of a large ring. However, the caster must make Int + Concentration rolls of 6+ every round to maintain concentration on the spell, and if someone breaks the ring at any point before it is completed, the spell automatically botches. Really large rings are unlikely to be worth the risk. The ring may already exist, for example as a band laid into the ground. In this case, the magus must trace the full circumference of the ring, moving no more quickly than ten paces per round.
Moon
The spell lasts until both the new and full moon have set.
Year
The spell lasts until sunrise on the fourth equinox or solstice after its casting. A spell with this duration must be ritual.
Targets
Individual/Circle
Individual: The spell can affect a single discrete thing, such as one person or one object. A huge boulder is a discrete object, a mountain is not (because it is joined to the ground). Clothes on a person or moss on a boulder are part of the person or boulder for these purposes.
Circle: The spell affects everything within a ring drawn by the magus at the time of casting, and ends if the circle is broken, even if that is before the duration of the spell expires. The spell also ends when its duration ends. See “Ring,” above, for restrictions on drawing the circle. One circle may serve to underwrite both Ring duration and Circle target. Individual and Circle are the same level of effect.
Part
The spell can affect a part of a discrete thing, such as a person’s arm or a section of the ground. This target refers to spatial parts, parts that you could, at least in theory, cut off and put in a bag. A person’s mind is not a part of him in this sense, nor is his sense of humor. His heart, however, is. Something is only a Part target while it is actually a part of something else; things, like severed arms, that used to be part of something, or, like bricks, which could become part of something, are Individual targets as long as they are not currently part of something else. Part is harder than Individual because whole things are metaphysically important. It is easier to affect a thing as a whole than to affect a part of it.
Group/Room
Group: The spell can affect a group of people or things. The components of the group must be close together in space, and the group itself must be separated from any other things of the same type. Three grogs huddled together or a ring of standing stones are a group: six people out of a crowd are usually not. The things in the Group when the spell is cast are affected for the entire duration, even if they split up. Things that join the Group during the spell duration are not affected. It is possible to target a “Group” with a single member, although an Individual target will always be lower level.
Room: The spell affects everything within a chamber. This room can be very large (the nave of a cathedral, for instance, or a natural cave), but it must be enclosed and have definite boundaries. A courtyard would often count, a valley would not. A spell with target Room is useless if there is no Room containing the targets; it cannot affect a “roughly room-sized volume” in open space. Group and Room are the same level of effect.
Structure
The spell affects everything within a single structure. The structure itself counts as within the structure for these purposes, as the limit is the outer edge of any walls. The structure can range in size from a hut to a castle keep, but it must be a single, linked edifice. As a rule of thumb, if it is all covered by one roof, it is one structure, but storyguide dis- cretion applies. As with Room, target Structure is no use if there is no pre-existing structure bounding the target.
Boundary
The spell affects everything within a well-defined natural or man-made boundary. This could be the wall of a city, the edge of a village, the shores of a lake, the edge of a forest, or the bottom of a mountain. Since the ocean is not obviously bounded, it cannot be affected in this way. As with Room and Structure, there must actually be a boundary for this target to be useful. It cannot be used to simply affect a really big area. A spell with this target must be a ritual.
Targets and Creo
The target of a Creo spell that actually creates something is the thing created. The target is thus always Individual or Group. A spell to create a part of something is either a healing spell or a Muto spell, depending on the part created. A Creo spell with target Room cannot be used to fill a room with something. Instead, use target Group with an appropriate size modifier.
The Creo guidelines for each Form give the level required to create different kinds of thing. The size is determined using the standard rules for target sizes.
Targets and Sizes
The Ars Magica spell targets depend on the kind of thing that the target is, not how big it is. A pebble and one of the stones at Stonehenge are both Individuals, and the inside of a tiny hut and the nave of a cathedral are both Rooms.
However, the size of the target does make a difference to the level of the spell, with the sole exception of Intellego magic. Every Form has a base size for Individual targets, and targets of that size or less can be affected by a spell of the basic level. Adding one magnitude (five levels) to the spell multiplies the maximum size of its target by ten. This depends on the mass of the target, so a five level boost to a Corpus spell would allow the magus to affect a giant up to fifteen feet tall, not sixty feet tall. A spell designed to affect a certain size of target can affect any target up to that size. However, it is not possible to invent lower level spells that affect smaller targets; the level of the spell to affect the base target is an absolute lower limit.
This rule should not be applied with absolute mathematical precision. A rough guess by the storyguide is fine, as long as the troupe agrees. In the event of disagreement, however, a precise calculation can be made to resolve the issue, although as this takes time it is probably best reserved for working out exactly what a formulaic spell can do.
A 'Part' targeted by a spell can be up to the size of the base Individual. Again, every five levels added increases the size that can be affected by a factor of ten. Note that a spell to affect an Individual is five levels lower than a spell to affect a Part of the same size.
A base Group contains about as much mass as ten standard Individuals of the Form. This can be split up in any way desired, so it could be two Individuals, each of five times standard size, or ten Individuals of standard size, or ten thousand individuals, each one thousandth of standard size. Every five levels added multiplies the size affected by a factor of ten. Note that a spell to affect a large Individual is five levels lower than a spell to affect a Group of the same total mass.
A base Room is large enough to fit a hundred standard Individuals with some squashing. For Corpus, this means that a base room is about four hundred square feet in area. Because the Room already exists to create a boundary, this is easier than affecting a Group, and a spell to affect a number of Individuals within a Room can be lower level than a spell to affect an Individual of similar mass. Note also that, because a Room cannot be internally divided without becoming two Rooms, the height of the ceiling does not normally matter. For every five levels added to the spell level, the area of the Room is multiplied by ten.
A base Structure contains ten base Rooms, spread over one or more floors. For every five levels added the size of the Structure is increased by a factor of ten.
A base Boundary is the same for all Forms, and is one hundred paces (three hundred feet) in diameter. As for Rooms, every five levels added multiplies the area by ten, or the diameter by a little over three.
| Intellego Spells | Not affected by Target size |
| Base Individual | Determined by Form |
| Base Part | Same as Individual |
| Base Group | Mass of ten standard Individuals |
| Base Room | Large enough for 100 standard Individuals |
| Base Structure | Ten base Rooms |
| Base Boundary | An area 100 paces in diameter |
| Increasing Size | Multiply size by ten for each magnitude added to the spell |
Magical Senses
Intellego spells can grant magical senses to a person. These spells allow the recipient to detect things that he could not normally sense, and they have different targets, corresponding to the kind of sense that the recipient gets. The range of the spell is the range to the recipient.
It is possible to grant magical senses to many people at once, but this requires Muto Mentem magic, with Intellego Form requisites.
Each magical sense target grants the recipient information through one of his senses. This information is easily distinguished from mundane information coming through the same sense, but it is subject to the same limitations as the mundane sense. Thus, a magical sense that works with the sense of smell is very bad at giving direction, and can be avoided by staying upwind of the sensor, while a magical sense that works with vision is no good in the dark.
Magical senses must penetrate the Magic Resistance of creatures sensed, as well as the Magic Resistance (if any) of the person granted the sense. Thus, the Penetration of a magical sense should be recorded for future reference. The mundane sense through which the magical sense grants information does not need to penetrate Magic Resistance.
A single spell grants a single magical sense. To gain several magical senses, you must cast several spells.
Taste
The information comes through the sense of taste. This target is equivalent to Individual.
Touch
The information comes through the sense of touch. This target is equivalent to Part.
Smell
The information comes through the sense of smell. This target is equivalent to Group.
Hearing
The information comes through the sense of hearing. This target is equivalent to Structure.
Vision
The information comes through the sense of sight. This target is equivalent to Boundary, but, unlike Boundary, it does not require Ritual magic.
Magical Wards
Rego spells can create wards which protect the target from things of the appropriate Form. These use the normal targets, but the target is the thing protected, rather than the things warded against, and the range is the range to the target, not to the things warded against.
Wards with a Circle target are of particular note. They prevent things warded against that are within the circle from leaving, and prevent things warded against that are outside from entering. Warded things cannot act across the circle, no matter which side they are on, nor can they damage the circle, directly or indirectly. It is quite common to create such spells with a duration of Ring, as then the ward can be made to last indefinitely, with care. However, this is not required, and the spell can be created with any duration. The spell guidelines for wards against magical things are listed with a base range of Touch, base duration of Ring, and base target of Circle, because a ward with these parameters wards against creatures with a Might equal to or less than its level. The parameters of the spell can be changed in the normal way, so that a ward which only protected the magus (Range Personal, Target Individual) for a duration of Moon would have the same final level.
Changing Ranges, Durations, and Targets
To calculate the level for a spell using those Arts but with different characteristics, refer to the lists above. For every step by which a category is raised, add one magnitude (five levels) to the level of the spell. For every step by which one is lowered, subtract one magnitude (five levels).
Below level 5, adding a magnitude only adds one level, and subtracting a magnitude only subtracts one level. Thus, one magnitude lower than level 5 is level 4, and one magnitude higher than level 2 is level 3.
For example, consider a level 15 spell with range Voice, duration Sun, and target Group. A variant with the same effect but with range Sight, duration Moon, and target Room would be level 25 (+1 magnitude to increase range Voice to Sight, +1 magnitude to increase duration Sun to Moon, and no change for changing the target Group to Room, because they are at the same level). A different variant with range Personal, duration Concentration, and target Individual would be level 2 (–2 magnitudes to decrease range Voice to Personal, –1 magnitude to decrease duration Sun to Concentration, and –2 magnitudes to decrease target Group to Individual). Note that since –2 magnitudes takes the level from 15 to 5, the additional –1 magnitudes only lower the level by –1 per magnitude.
The categories described here were built into the structure of Hermetic magic by Bonisagus. All spontaneous spells must conform to these requirements (the magus is making the spell up on the fly — he cannot also push the limits of magic theory). Formulaic spells, on the other hand, can be invented with ranges, durations or targets that are not listed here. This is usually slightly more difficult than if the closest category were used, but is largely left to storyguide interpretation.
Ritual Spells
Ritual spells take longer to cast than formulaic spells and require vis. However, they do have some advantages.
- Formulaic and spontaneous spells may not have Year duration
- Formulaic and spontaneous spells may not have Boundary target. They may have Vision target, if they are magical sense spells.
- Formulaic and spontaneous spells may not have a level greater than 50.
Ritual spells are always at least level 20, even if the level calculation would make them lower.
Requisites
Most spells involve a simple combination of two Arts, one Form and one Technique. Some spells, however, involve more than two. For instance, a spell that turns a human into a bird uses Muto because you are transforming something, Corpus because you are affecting a human body, and Animal because you are turning the human body into an animal body. In addition to involving the two primary Arts — Corpus and Muto in this case — casting the spell concerns your Animal score as well. This third Art is a requisite.
There are two kinds of requisite. The first simply allows the spell to have its effect. This includes the Animal requisite on a spell to turn a person into a bird. These requisites do not add to the spell level, as the difficulty of doing such a thing is already accounted for in the guidelines.
The second adds an effect to a spell. In this case, the base Arts and level for the spell are those for the highest-level effect it has. For example, a magic item that changes a picture to show what is happening at a distant location is an Intellego Imaginem spell with a Muto requisite, not a Muto Imaginem spell with an Intellego requisite, as the Intellego effect is of much higher level.
As a general rule of thumb, if the spell would still do something without the requisite, but it would do significantly less, then each requisite adds at least one magnitude to the level of the spell. Thus, the Herbam and Terram requisites that allow a spell to change a clothed man into a bird do not add any levels, because they do not significantly increase the power of the spell. However, a Rego requisite added to a Creo Ignem spell to prevent the fire from burning the caster would require additional levels. In addition, a single spell that could turn a human into a wolf, or a wolf into a human, would require a additional magnitude for the Animal requisite, as without it the spell could only effect the transformation in one direction. Most such requisites add only a single magnitude to the spell level, but if the additional effect is sixth magnitude or above, it is often appropriate to add two magnitudes.
Additional effects may not require a requisite if they are purely cosmetic. Thus, a spell that creates fire that looks like flaming skulls does not require an Imaginem requisite. A spell that allowed the caster to choose how the fire looked would, because that flexibility is more than a cosmetic effect.
Requisites, if any, are listed for each formulaic spell. (See the spell Curse of Circe on page 131 XXX as an example.) Requisites make it more difficult to cast spells, as they demand the caster have wider knowledge. You must use the lesser of your score in the requisite and your score in the spell’s main Technique or Form – Technique if the requisite is a Technique, Form if the requisite is a Form. For example, if you have the scores Animal 6 and Corpus 13, and you cast the Muto Corpus spell Curse of Circe, which has a requisite of Animal, you treat your Corpus score as if it were only 6. Note that if your requisite happened to be higher (for example, if your Animal were 15), you would use the lower basic form (your Corpus of 13 in this case).
Sometimes a spell has a requisite for both its Technique and Form. You must use the lowest in each case. And, if several requisites apply to the same primary Art (for example, if there are two Form requisites), your effective score is the lowest of the group. Furthermore, any Deficiencies you have with an Art apply when you use that Art as a requisite.
Requisites listed with a spell’s statistics apply when you are learning, inventing, or casting that spell, but do not apply for determining the defender’s Magic Resistance. The defender’s Magic Resistance is determined by the spell’s primary Form, not that listed as a requisite, even if the caster’s requisite Form score is lower than that of his primary Form score, and thus determines the Casting Total.
| Requisite Necessary For Spell's Effect | +0 magnitudes |
|---|---|
| Requisite Enhances Spell's Effect | +1 magnitude or more |
| Added Effect Is Purely Cosmetic | No requisite |
| Requisite Necessary For Spell's Effect | +0 magnitudes |
| Requisite Enhances Spell's Effect | +1 magnitude or more |
| Added Effect Is Purely Cosmetic | No requisite |
Casting Requisites
Some requisites are not listed along with a spell’s statistics because they only apply when the spell is being used in a certain way, not when learning or inventing it. These are called “casting requisites.” You choose which Arts you use as casting requisites when casting the spell, so what you can affect is limited by your choice. The lowest Technique score and Form score among the primary Arts and all the chosen casting requisites are the ones you use when you cast the spell.
Spontaneous Requisites
Requisites work the same way for spontaneous spells. When the Arts to be used are determined, determine whether requisites are involved. If so, they limit your Arts just as they do for formulaic spells.
Spell Format
Each spell has several factors that describe it for game use. They are discussed below.
Technique and Form
The Technique and Form are listed in the heading the spell is found under. Spells are arranged first by their Forms, then by their Techniques, in alphabetical order. Following each Technique/Form heading are guidelines that will help you create your own spells, as well as help you determine the necessary level to cast a spontaneous spell.
The base Range, Duration, and Target for almost all guidelines are the lowest categories: Personal, Momentary, Individual. Thus, a useful spell will often be of significantly higher level than the guideline for that effect, because it has a higher Range, Duration, and Target. There are some exceptions, primarily guidelines for wards, and these are noted explicitly in the guideline. If the guideline does not specify a Range, Duration, or Target, they are Personal, Momentary, and Individual.
Techniques and Forms are often abbreviated by the first two letters of each word; thus a MuTe spell is of Muto Technique and Terram form. The level is often added after the abbreviation — thus Flash of the Scarlet Flames becomes CrIg 15.
Title
The titles given are the actual names of spells as known by Hermetic magi. When inventing new spells, try to give them creative names that will add color to the game. “Fireball” is not interesting; “Ball of Abysmal Flame” is — you get the idea.
Level
Most spells are assigned a level, which is usually a multiple of five. It need not be, however, and magi may well invent spells of intermediate levels. Spontaneous spells often have other levels, as well.
Some spells are General spells (abbreviated to Gen), which means that they may be learned at any level of difficulty — the higher the level, the more powerful the spell.
The level at which you know a General level formulaic or ritual spell depends on where you obtained it. If you learned a General level spell that was designed for effectiveness at level 15, then that is the level at which you know it. You cannot produce effects that exceed level 15 effects with that spell unless you invent a version with a higher level or learn such a version from another source. General level spells are open-ended only in the sense that they may be learned at any level. They may not be used at a level higher (or lower) than that which is known.
Ritual
Spells requiring rituals are those that fall outside the categories listed for formulaic and spontaneous spells described under “Ritual Spells” on page 114. Certain powerful spells and spells inherited from the Cult of Mercury are also Ritual spells. Storyguides should use their discretion in declaring other spells Ritual.
Requisites
Requisites make it more difficult to cast spells, as they demand the caster have greater knowledge. See “Requisites” on page 114 XXX for a full description of how they limit the casters of particular spells. Requisites that always apply are listed along with a spell’s statistics. Casting requisites are listed within the body of the spell description.
Description
Describes the effects of the spell. Descriptions cover about 95% of the circumstances in which spells are used, but since magic is variable, unpredictable, and can be used in a number of ways, the responsibility for determining the effects in unusual situations lies with the storyguide.
Many of the spell descriptions include visual descriptions, hand gestures, and wizard’s sigils. It should be noted that these are all examples and that you shouldn’t feel bound by them. In fact, you should customize all your spells in ways appropriate to your own magus. When you give special details to your own customized versions of these spells, you are rewarded with a more interesting game.
Spell Damage
Many spells have damage listed in the form +X. This is an abbreviation for stress die + X. The damage inflicted by such spells varies from one casting to another.
Design
A parenthetical line at the end of the description gives the calculations for the spell level. The base level is given in levels, and other modifications in magnitudes. Remember that adding a magnitude adds one level up to level five, and five levels thereafter.
The Wizard’s Sigil
When you invent a spell, some amount of your personal magical style is likely to manifest itself, giving the spell some small quirk or minor detail that identifies it as yours. This recurrent mark or quirk in a magus’s spell (which doesn’t usually change the effectiveness of the spell) is termed his “wizard’s sigil.” Once known, these quirks can identify certain magi as having cast certain spells. Throughout this chapter, various sample spell sigils are listed in the descriptions. Keep in mind that these are just guidelines. They’re meant to give you ideas to better personalize your spells, and perhaps to aid you in choosing your own sigil. See page 86 in the Hermetic Magic chapter for further details.
Note that even when you learn a spell from another magus, or from a lab text, you are actually inventing it, with guidance, so it is always your sigil that manifests in your spells.
Animal Spells
Animal spells affect all natural living things that are not plants or humans, doing to animals what Mentem and Corpus spells do to people. Animal spells may affect any animal-like mind or body. They also affect things made with animal products, such as leather, bone, or wool.
To tell if an Animal spell will affect the mind of a creature, determine from the animal’s Characteristics if it has Cunning or Intelligence. If the creature has Intelligence, a Mentem spell must be used. If it has Cunning, an Animal spell must be used. When a creature or person who has an Intelligence Characteristic is shapechanged, Animal spells that affect the mind are not effective. Instead, Mentem spells are needed. However, the body of such a being may be affected by Animal spells, including spells like The Falcon’s Hood (PeAn 20).
If a human body has animal parts (such as bat wings), those parts can be affected by Animal spells, even though the rest of the body is only affected by Corpus spells.
A Bjornaer magus in animal form is truly an animal, so his mind is affected by Animal spells rather than Mentem spells, and his body by Animal spells rather than Corpus spells. However, spells with continuing effects cast on one form continue to affect the other. Most shapechangers do not change their essential nature, which remains human, so their bodies can still be affected by Corpus spells.
A basic Individual for Animal is an animal of about the same size as a pony, Size +1 or lower.
Creo Animal Guidelines
Most Animal spells cannot be used with Personal range, so the level of a spell must be higher than the guidelines given.
When creating a magical creature, the Magical Might of the creature cannot exceed the level of the spell, and requisites must be included for any special powers (for example, Ignem if it can breathe fire, Rego and Mentem if it can control people’s minds). A Vim requisite, for the magical nature, is always required.
To create treated animal products (like leather, jointed meat, and cloth) add one magnitude to the level necessary to create the equivalent amount of dead animal. To create treated and processed animal products, such as a leather jacket or a woolen tunic, add two magnitudes to the level necessary to create the equivalent amount of dead animal.
To influence the behavior of created animals, a Rego requisite is required, and as this is an additional effect it adds at least one magnitude to the spell level. Otherwise they just do what comes naturally. Creo Animal botches often produce the wrong sort of animal, or produce an animal enraged with the caster.
| Level 1 | Give an animal a +1 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 2 | Give an animal a +3 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 3 | Give an animal a +6 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 4 | Give an animal a +9 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 5 | Create an animal product, such as spidersilk or wool. (Note that an Individual is a single hair, a single hide, or a single tusk.) Create an insect or similar bug. |
| Level 10 | Create the corpse of an animal. Create a bird, reptile, fish, or amphibian. |
| Level 15 | Heal a Light Wound. Give an animal a +18 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 20 | Heal a Medium Wound. Give an animal a +21 bonus to Recovery rolls. |
| Level 25 | Stop the progress of a disease. Heal a Heavy Wound. |
| Level 30 | Heal an Incapacitating Wound. Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than the average score for that kind of animal. |
| Level 35 | Heal all wounds. Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than one higher than the average score for that kind of animal. |
| Level 40 | Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than two higher than the average score for that kind of animal. Cause an animal to reach full maturity in a moment. |
| Level 45 | Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than three higher than the average score for that kind of animal. |
| Level 50 | Create a magical beast. Such spells always have a Vim requisite, for the beast’s magic, and normally have other requisites, for its powers. Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than four higher than the average score for that kind of animal. |
| Level 55 | Increase one of an animal’s Characteristics by one point, to no more than five higher than the average score for that kind of animal. A greater increase is not within the natural range for the animal, and thus cannot be effected by Creo magic. |
| Level 75 | Raise an animal from the dead. |
Creo Animal Spells
Level 20
Soothe Pains of the Beast
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
This spell looks much like a ritualistic “laying on of hands” seen in many churches. You kneel and press your hands to the wound while reciting a quiet incantation. The spell cures one Light Wound suffered by the animal.
Asaron of Flambeau believes his mission in life is to repopulate the world so there will be more to kill, and thus spends seasons healing animals and people throughout Europe. In his version of this spell, a black patch in the shape of a tongue of fire is left where the wound was. A symbolic flame is seen in almost all of Asaron’s spells, making it his wizard’s sigil.
(Base level 15, +1 Touch)
True Rest of the Injured Brute
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind
The injured target gets a +9 bonus to all Recovery rolls made while the spell is in effect.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon)
Level 35
Weaver's Trap of Webs
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group
In casting this spell, you point and from this initial location, a huge net of spider webs grows, filling an area 5 paces by 5 paces by 6 feet high. With supports, the webs can hang vertically, forming a wall; otherwise they act like a net. When the webs are through growing after a few seconds, they are as thick as string and as strong as iron. Everyone caught in the area of the webs is immobilized. Getting free requires a Strength stress roll of 12+, or someone who is not trapped may use an edged weapon to free a victim, which takes three rounds. Contrary to widespread rumor, fire is ineffective against these webs. Webs may continue to trap victims in the future, as long as the spell lasts and they aren’t completely hacked apart.
(Base level 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +2 Group (total mass of the spiderwebs is still less than ten basic Individuals, so no size adjustment))
The Wizard's Mount
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Creates a horse, which is normal in every way except that it is not disturbed by The Gift.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 size)
Level 50
Curse of the Ravenous Swarm
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Group, Ritual
Req: Rego
Calls a swarm of locusts or other destructive insects upon an area, which destroys wild plant life and fields. When the spell’s duration ends, all the insects disappear, leaving nothing but the damage. The Rego requisite ensures that the insects only devastate the area desired by the caster.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +2 Group, +2 size, for a swarm weighing as much as one thousand pigs, +1 extra effect from requisite, ritual because it has a really major effect)
Intellego Animal Guidelines
When you try to get information from an animal, remember that its memories are gathered through its particular senses, with their particular strengths and weaknesses. For example, dogs remember much about odors of various things, but often forget details of how they looked. Animals do not remember human words, but might remember tone of voice and such. You may not get the exact information you are looking for.
To communicate with an animal, you must bring yourself to the animal's mental level — a process that might have strange, though temporary, effects on you. For example, you might have a craving for raw meat or speak very slowly for a moment after communicating with a bear.
Since Animal includes aspects of both Corpus and Mentem with regard to beasts, guidelines that apply to the latter two may apply to Animal. InCo and InMe may be referred to for additional ideas. Botches with InAn normally result in false information.
| Level 1 | Get a mental image of an animal. |
| Level 3 | Sense the state of consciousness of a beast. Get general information about its body. |
| Level 4 | Sense the dominant drive of a beast. Learn a specific fact about its body. |
| Level 5 | Learn the origin, age, and history of something made of animal products. |
| Level 10 | Speak with an animal. Read an animal's surface thoughts. |
| Level 15 | Read the recent memories of a beast. |
| Level 20 | Thoroughly probe the mind of a beast. |
Intellego Animal Spells
Level 5
Image of the Beast
R: Arc D: Mom, T: Ind
Gives you a hazy mental image of an animal you have an Arcane Connection to.
Wounds caused by an animal are an Arcane Connection to that animal with a lifetime of a few hours. This spell can thus be used to find out what was responsible for an attack.
All spells cast by Chavin of Tytalus can be recognized because they promote or advocate war or violence. In his version of this spell, the claws and teeth of the beast appear more dangerous.
(Base 1, +4 Arcane Connection)
Level 10
Shiver of the Lycanthrope
R: Per, D: Conc, T: Touch
You feel a sudden shiver if you are touching a person or beast that is actually a lycanthrope. Variants of this spell detect other types of shapechanger, but not Bjornaer with Heartbeasts.
(Base 4, +1 Concentration, +1 Touch)
Level 25
Opening of the Animal's Mind
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
You touch the head of the animal in question and read its memories of the past day. The further the animal is from human, the harder it is to read its memories accurately. If you simply scan the beast’s memories, not looking for anything special, you get the memories the beast thinks are most important. If you are trying to get a specific fact, you need a Perception + Finesse stress roll of 6+, or 12+ if the fact is obscure. Since normal animals are sensitive to magic, they resist your touch and try to shy away from you both when the spell is cast and while the spell continues to function. This can be quite a problem with larger animals.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration)
Level 30
Hunter's Sense
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Hearing
You sense the shapes and primary motivations of all animals above a certain size that you can hear, or could hear if they were making a noise. You decide the size threshold when you cast the spell, such as “all animals larger than a fox.” The “noise” of an animal’s shape is louder the larger it is, while the “noise” of its motivations increases depending on how intense the motivation is. A rabbit fleeing from a fox would sound fearful, very loudly. The fox’s motivation might be fairly quiet, especially if recent hunting had been good.
(Base 4, +2 Sun, +3 Hearing, +1 for shape and primary motivation)
Muto Animal Guidelines
Animals granted new abilities, such as wings, will need a few minutes to get used to them. When transforming things, you can transform things that they are carrying with appropriate requisites. For example, you could transform a horse and its armor with a Terram requisite.
Animals are not infinitely mutable, and using too many of these spells for too long on an animal can warp its natural constitution and even destroy it. Muto Corpus spells may be examined to get additional ideas and guidelines for Muto Animal Spells. Common sigils seen in Muto Animal spells involve animals being changed in some strange way. Beasts transformed by Julian of Flambeau, with The Beast Remade (MuAn 25), might have bright red hair in their new form, while toads created by Silva of Merinita, with Transformation of the Ravenous Beast to the Torpid Toad (MuAn 30), might have a comical coloration.
MuAn botches often change the caster instead of the target, or change the target in a way very different from that intended.
| Level 1 | Make a superficial change to something made of animal products (like changing its color). |
| Level 2 | Make a major change to something made of animal products that preserves the substance (for example, turn a leather jerkin into a saddle). Gradually turn meat into vermin. Make a superficial change to a beast. |
| Level 3 | Change an animal’s limb. Change something made of animal products into a different animal product. |
| Level 4 | Make a major change in a beast, while leaving it recognizably the same sort of animal (for example, make a horse bigger and change its color). Change something made of animal products in a minor unnatural way. |
| Level 5 | Change an animal into a different animal. Change an animal in a minor way so that it is no longer natural (for example, change the color of a horse’s coat to match the covenant’s coat of arms). Change something made of animal products in a major unnatural way. |
| Level 10 | Change an animal into a human (though it retains its animal mentality and does not gain a soul, requires a Corpus requisite). Change an animal into a plant (requires an Herbam requisite). |
| Level 15 | Change an animal in a major unnatural way (for example, give a horse claws, fangs, and scaly armored skin). Change an animal into a non-living item (appropriate requisite required). |
| Level 15 | Radically change an animal in an unnatural way (for example, give a horse wings). Give an animal a “magical” ability, such as the ability to breathe fire (requires a requisite for the ability). |
Muto Animal Spells
Level 15
Beast of Outlandish Size
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Changes the Size of an animal by +1. This change modifies Strength by +2, the range for each wound level increases by one, and Quickness falls by one. The new beast is of huge size, and looks much more impressive than its previous self. Townspeople may run in fear of it, and there is little doubt among them that it is a creature of magic.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind.
Change an item made of animal material — silk, wool, or leather — so it cannot be cut or penetrated by weapons. A simple cloth doublet becomes the equivalent of armor with no Load and a +3 Soak bonus. Armor made of quilted material or any kind of leather improves its Protection by an additional +3. The magic does not make the armor better at absorbing shock, so this +3 bonus is the limit that can be bestowed without changing the material into something completely different. At the storyguide’s option, the bonus given by this spell may not apply against strictly blunt weapons like clubs and staves.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Growth of the Creeping Things
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Causes an insect, mouse, toad, or other small (Size –9) creature to grow to four times its normal size. If it was poisonous before, it is even more poisonous now. Semi-poisonous creatures, like most spiders, have poison with an Ease Factor of 6 that does a Light Wound.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Level 20
Beast of Minuscule Proportions
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind
Reduces the size of an animal by 2. This modifies Strength by –4, reduces the range for each wound type by two points, and increases Quickness by +2. The beast appears to be the runt of its litter, unfit to live.
(Base: 4, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)
Level 25
The Beast Remade
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Req: Corpus
Gives one land beast a human form, though its intellect remains the same. Some feature of the animal is retained in the human form. A former dog might have an exceptionally hairy human body, and a former cat might let loose an occasional “meow.” Once transformed, the beast is disoriented for a while before it becomes used to its new body.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, no addition for requisite)
Transformation of the Ravenous Beast to the Torpid Toad
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind
Turns any animal into a toad. A newly created toad will hold a certain terror for peasants and serfs, because many believe toads exude a poisonous substance from their skin.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)
Level 35
Steed of Vengeance
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Turns a horse into a ferocious magical mount. Its coat becomes a deep black and its eyes a fiery red, its teeth transform into fangs, its hooves become razor sharp, and it occasionally breathes steam from its mouth — the horse seems a creature from Hell itself. All Attack and Damage rolls get a +5 bonus. The horse tolerates a magus rider. When the spell wears off, the horse must make a Stamina stress roll of 9+ or die from shock.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 size)
Perdo Animal Guidelines
There is normally no Soak against Perdo Animal — the magic does not create something that causes damage, it just causes damage. Magic Resistance is the only way to withstand it. A common sigil among Flambeau magi, and others who cast Perdo spells, is to leave some type of mark with the damage they do. When inventing new spells, you may wish to consult Perdo Corpus for guidelines and ideas. PeAn botches might affect the caster, or affect the wrong animal.
| Level 2 | Damage something made of animal products. |
| Level 3 | Do superficial damage to a beast (for example, remove its hair). |
| Level 4 | Destroy something made of animal products. Cause a beast pain, but do no real damage. Make a beast lose one Fatigue level. |
| Level 5 | Injure an animal so that it is hampered, but not damaged. For example, make a horse lame, a bird lose its voice, or weaken the scales of a serpent. This roughly halves the effectiveness of the targeted thing. Recovery as from a Light Wound. Destroy an animal’s corpse. Inflict a Light Wound. |
| Level 10 | Inflict a Medium Wound. |
| Level 15 | Destroy one of a beast’s minor senses. Inflict a Heavy Wound. Cripple a beast’s limb, so that it is unusable but could heal. Age a beast by one-twelfth of its natural lifespan. Only affects beasts that have already reached maturity. |
| Level 20 | Inflict an Incapacitating Wound. Destroy or sever a beast’s limb, so that it cannot naturally regain it. Destroy one of a beast’s major senses. |
| Level 30 | Kill an animal. |
| Level 40 | Destroy one property of an animal, such as its weight or aggression. |
Perdo Animal Spells
Level 10
Decay Fur and Hide
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Destroys an object made of animal fur or hide, including wool and leather. Marius of Tremere’s version of this spell has the target disappear in an impressive puff of smoke.
(Base 4, +2 Voice)
Level 15
Agony of the Beast
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
After you point at the beast and cast this spell, it begins lashing wildly about, upsetting any nearby objects, and howling in great pain. In order to do anything else, the beast must make a Stamina + Size stress roll of 9+ each round.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration)
Level 20
Blunt the Viper's Fangs
R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Individual
Blunt the claws, teeth, talons, or other natural weapons of a beast. Only sharp weapons may be affected: this spell does not affect a weapon such as a horse’s hoof or a giant snake’s coils. The blunted weapon has its total damage (including Attack Advantage) reduced to half (round up). The beast may recover from the effect as if it were a Light Wound. The spell may affect animals of size up to +4.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 size)
Level 25
The Falcon's Hood
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
Destroys an animal’s vision. The blindness heals as if it is a Medium Wound. The title refers to the hood used to cover a falcon’s eyes when it is not hunting. When cast by Asaron of Flambeau, this spell causes the animals it targets to bear a faint silhouette of a flame in their eyes.
(Base 20, +1 Touch)
Cripple the Howling Wolf
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
When casting this spell, you commonly make an abrupt snapping motion with your hands. One of the target’s legs breaks cleanly. The animal cannot walk on that leg, but the damage heals as a Medium Wound. Note that the target need not be a wolf, and that you cannot choose which leg.
(Base 15, +2 Voice)
Rego Animal Guidelines
You may further refer to Corpus for ideas and guidelines on controlling an animal’s body, and Rego Mentem spells for ideas and guidelines on controlling an animal’s mind.
Sigils typical in Rego Animal spells are those that cause beasts to act in certain ways.
ReAn botches could put the caster under the control of the animal, or make the animal act in a way opposite to that intended. They could also appear to work, and then suddenly reverse at an extremely inconvenient moment.
| General | Create a circle warding against animals from one realm (Divine, Faerie, Infernal, or Magic) with Might less than or equal to the level of the spell (Range Touch, Duration Ring, Target Circle) |
| Level 1 | Manipulate items made from animal products. |
| Level 2 | Plant a single suggestion in the mind of an animal. Protect the target from animal attacks (only affects animals without mystical abilities). |
| Level 4 | Calm an animal. |
| Level 5 | Manipulate an animal’s emotions. Paralyze an animal. |
| Level 10 | Make an animal completely passive. |
| Level 15 | Completely control an animal. |
Rego Animal Spells
General
Ward Against the Beasts of Legend
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
No magical beast whose Magic Might is equal to or less than the level can affect anyone within the Circle or, if it is within the Circle, affect those outside. When a magus is making this and most other wards, a common gesture employed is the Fig Sign. The magus balls his or her right hand into a fist, placing the thumb between the index and middle fingers. A magus traveling to Italy should be warned that this sign is a deadly insult in that country.
(As ward guideline)
Level 5
Disguise of the Putrid Aroma
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
(The target takes no interest in you as long as you continue to concentrate, and do not threaten it. A carnivore treats you as if you were simply something it does not eat. It retains normal interest, however, in anyone else nearby.
)
Circle of Beast Warding
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
The caster inscribes a circle that no normal beast will cross.
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Ring)
Level 10
SOOTHE THE FEROCIOUS BEAR
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Calms an animal until it is threatened or aroused again. You must speak soothingly or musically to it, and something as simple as approaching it may arouse it again.
(Base 4, +2 Voice)
Level 15
Panic of the Elephant's Mouse
R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind
Makes an animal afraid of the target by preying upon its instinctive fears, causing it to attempt escape by the quickest, most feasible means possible. The animal may make a Size stress roll of 9+ to resist. The title refers to the elephant’s legendary fear of mice, but note that this spell cannot actually affect elephants, as they are too large.
(Base 5, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration)
Viper's Gaze
R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind
Holds an animal rigid as long as you maintain eye contact with it and concentrate on it.
(Base 5, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration)
Level 25
The Gentle Beast
R: Eye, D: Conc, T: Ind
Calms an animal, making it nearly fearless. It does not resist being ridden, shaved, or whatever else you can think of. If the animal enters combat, is extremely frightened, or incurs any kind of wound, the spell ends. The animal must be Size +4 or less.
(Base 10, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration, +1 size)
Mastering the Unruly Beast
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
You can make an animal perform any act it is capable of. You can only issue new commands while touching the animal, but the animal will carry them out without requiring constant contact. Further, the animal will allow you to touch it throughout the duration of the spell. It is difficult to maintain control of particularly stubborn or fierce animals, such as mules or boars — creatures with appropriate Personality Traits may roll against an Ease Factor of 12+ each round.
When Chavin of Tytalus casts this spell, the creature acts surly and unfriendly while going about its tasks, even when Chavin doesn’t specifically tell it to act that way.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration)
Level 30
Commanding the Harnessed Beast
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
You implant a complicated command into an animal, which it carries out to the best of its abilities. The command must involve completing a certain task, such as finding a certain person. Vague orders, like “protect me,” do not work. If the animal does not complete the task before the end of the spell approaches, it becomes desperately ferocious, especially at night.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Aquam Spells
Aquam spells affect water and all other liquids. They cannot affect liquids in a body, such as blood; that requires a Corpus spell.
The application of the target categories to Aquam magic is not as obvious as it is for some other Forms, so further guidelines are given here. If the standard targets do apply, they may also be used.
Individual: A stretch of water with the same composition and current. A small pond, part of a stream, or a spring.
Part: A part of an Individual. This category applies easily.
Group: A number of Individuals. This can include a large river, where there are several different currents, a number of rivers flowing together, or a lake.
Room, Structure, and Boundary: These work as for other Forms; the spell affects all the liquid within the target area.
A base Individual for Aquam is a pool of water about five paces (fifteen feet) across, and two paces deep at the center. Naturally occurring liquids, such as fruit juice or olive oil, have a base Individual one-tenth the size, about two paces across and about one deep. Processed liquids, such as wine or beer, have a base Individual one hundredth the size, a pool about one pace across and half a pace deep. Corrosive and otherwise dangerous liquids have a base Individual ten times smaller again, a puddle about a foot across and about six inches deep. Poisons have a base Individual of a single dose.
Creo Aquam Guidelines
Water created temporarily quenches thirst but provides no lasting benefits to the drinker. It can be used to wash, and the things washed stay clean. Common sigils for Creo Aquam spells include water with a specific scent, color, or flavor.
CrAq botches might create far too much water (think of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice), or the wrong kind of liquid.
Slightly unnatural liquids are one magnitude harder than water, very unnatural liquids are two magnitudes harder.
Poisons created at the guideline level have an Ease Factor of 3. Each magnitude added to the level of the spell adds 3 to the Ease Factor.
| General | Create a corrosive substance doing +(Level) damage. Increasing the range to more than Touch is a very good idea. |
| Level 2 | Fill a container with water (or some other natural liquid, with appropriate requisites). |
| Level 3 | Create water (or some other natural liquid) that is not contained (for example, spread over a surface). |
| Level 4 | Create water (or some other natural liquid) in an unnatural shape (for example, in a sphere over someone’s head) — but water so created will behave normally. Create a spring with a low rate of flow. |
| Level 5 | Create a poison that causes a Light Wound. Create a spring with a high rate of flow. |
| Level 10 | Create a geyser with a very high rate of flow. Create poison that causes a Medium Wound. |
| Level 15 | Create poison that causes a Heavy Wound |
| Level 20 | Create a poison that causes an Incapacitating Wound. |
| Level 25 | Create a poison that causes a Fatal Wound. |
Creo Aquam Spells
Level 5
Footsteps of Slippery Oil
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind
From each of the next ten footsteps the caster of this spell takes, nonflammable grease spreads out, leaving a slick area 10 paces wide. Dexterity stress rolls are required to remain upright whenever a character on the oil does something more challenging than walking. A roll of 6+ is needed for the average maneuver, with rolls of up to 15+ needed to (for example) make a right turn at full speed on a smooth, greased surface. The duration is the length of time that the oil lasts.
This spell was invented by a rather good-natured magus, and the gestures associated with the most common variations of the spell are as comical as the effects themselves. You can stand first on one leg, and then the other, vigorously rubbing the bottom of each upturned foot, as if spreading on a salve.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diam)
Level 15
Creeping Oil
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind
Saturates a porous material with flammable oil. When casting this spell, you make a flicking motion with your index finger and thumb, as if propelling something at the target. A dot of oil appears on the target after the spell is finished, and slowly spreads over the target, saturating enough cloth to cover a person. If used on a person’s clothes and ignited, the oil does +12 damage the first round, +6 the second, and +0 the third.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)
Level 20
Mighty Torrent of Water
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
A 3-foot-diameter jet of water sprays from your outstretched arms towards your target. The target of this gusher of water takes +10 damage and must make a Strength + Size stress roll of 9+ or be sent flying back.
Marbaid of Flambeau’s wizard’s sigil is connected to his obsession with blood. In his version of the spell the target is hit by a gush of blood, and the stains do not go away until sunrise/sunset. This does not require a requisite, as it is a purely cosmetic effect.
(Base 10, +2 Voice)
Level 40
Deluge of Rushing and Dashing
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
Causes a stream to flood, starting at the stream’s nearest point to you and continuing downstream. The results of this spell are generally quite impressive. As the stream overflows its original bed, it becomes a raging torrent, sucking in everything near it. Damage from the spell can last for many years.
As long as you concentrate, the stream remains at flood levels. Anyone caught near the stream when it floods is struck by the rush of water (+10 damage), caught up in the flood, and dragged along. Every round, a victim makes a Strength + Swim stress roll. A roll of 9+ means the character escapes the flood. Otherwise, the character loses one Fatigue level and takes +5 damage. Any who fall unconscious drown. This roll is repeated until the character either escapes the flood or dies.
(Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +3 size, so that the whole stream floods)
Intellego Aquam Guidelines
Note that Intellego Aquam spells do not normally require requisites depending on the type of liquid targeted.
Most sigils manifest in Intellego Aquam spells by causing the information to be reported in some slightly quirky way. For example, Chavin of Tytalus’s version of Voice of the Lake always makes the lake sound strong, masculine, and arrogant.
Botched InAq spells generally provide false information.
| Level 1 | Make a sense unaffected by water. |
| Level 2 | Get an image of water within range. |
| Level 3 | Get an image of water and its immediate surroundings within range. Learn the natural properties of a liquid. |
| Level 4 | Learn the natural properties of a mixture of liquids. |
| Level 5 | Learn the magical properties of a liquid. |
| Level 10 | Learn the magical properties of a mixture of liquids. |
| Level 15 | Speak with a natural body of water. |
| Level 20 | Speak with an artificial body of water (like a fountain). |
Intellego Aquam Spells
Level 5
Clear Sight of the Niad
R: Per, D: Mom, T: Vision
You can see as clearly through water as through air, for a single moment.
(Base 1, +4 Vision)
Subtle Taste of Poison and Purity
R: Per, D: Conc, T: Taste
You can taste all of the properties of any liquid or mixture of liquids. Unlike Touch of the Pearls, you can use this sense on any number of liquids during the duration of the spell, but you must taste the liquids in question.
(Base 4, +1 Concentration)
Touch of the Pearls
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
Tells you whether a liquid you hold or touch is poisonous, just as a pearl sometimes does. Safer than Subtle Taste of Poison and Purity, as you don’t have to taste the possibly poisonous liquid.
In Verdan of Ex Miscellanea’s version of the spell, poisonous liquids turn a faint green. According to his sigil, all his spells involve the color green.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration)
Level 15
Call of the Rushing Waters
R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Ind
Allows you to find any natural body of water for which you have an Arcane Connection (for example, a vial of water from it). Once you cast the spell, you can hear the water while you concentrate. Following the sound eventually brings you to the water, but you must make simple Perception rolls of 6+ to follow the sound accurately (roll once per day for long journeys). If you break concentration, you must cast the spell again. A body of water that does not move or that makes little noise requires a roll of 9+ to be traced.
(Base 2, +4 Arcane Connection, +1 Concentration)
Level 25
Voice of the Lake
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
You can hold a conversation with a body of water. A body of water usually knows about things directly in contact with it, such as boats and fish. Genuine lakes are generally too large for this spell to affect.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +1 Concentration)
Level 30
Enchantment of the Scrying Pool
R: Touch, D: Year, T: Ind, Ritual
Req: Imaginem
Turns a body of water into a scrying pool. Innately magical people (including most companions with mystical powers) who look into the pool can see any spot they know of that is within sight of some natural body of water. The view you get is the same view that someone would have from a low boat on the water — either close to shore or far from shore, as desired. Maximum range for scrying is 500 miles; the range of the spell is the range to the pool when the spell is cast. This ritual is not entirely of Hermetic magic, and does not conform to the normal InAq guidelines. It is an old Mercurian ritual that has become known throughout the Order, and which appears to use one body of water as an Arcane Connection to any other body of water. A number of theoreticians would like to make that work more generally, but so far this has not proved possible.
(Special spell)
Muto Aquam Guidelines
You cannot transform liquids within someone’s body unless the spell is designed that way (and has a Corpus or Animal requisite).
Muto Aquam botches might change liquids inside the caster, change the wrong liquid outside him, or change the liquid in the wrong way.
Poisons created at the guideline level have an Ease Factor of 3. For every magnitude added to the spell, add three to the Ease Factor.
| General | Change a liquid into a liquid that does +(Level) points of damage on contact. |
| Level 2 | Change a natural liquid into another natural liquid. Change a liquid into a poison causing a Light Wound. |
| Level 3 | Change a liquid into a poison causing a Medium Wound. Change a natural liquid into a slightly unnatural liquid (for example, make blue water or strawberry flavored castor oil), or vice versa. |
| Level 4 | Change a liquid into an unrelated solid or gas (with requisites; Terram for solids and Auram for gases). Change a natural liquid into two or more different natural liquids, with the two types separate (although they will mix again normally). Change a liquid into a poison causing a Heavy Wound. Change a liquid into a very unnatural liquid (for example, a shocking pink liquid that causes bizarre hallucinations) — requisites will often be required. |
| Level 5 | Change a liquid into a mixture of any liquid, solid (with Terram requisite), or gas (with Auram requisite). Change a liquid into a slightly unnatural solid or gas. Change a liquid into a poison causing an Incapacitating Wound. |
| Level 10 | Change a liquid into a very unnatural solid or gas. Change a liquid into a poison causing a Fatal Wound. |
Muto Aquam Spells
Level 15
Incantation of the Putrid Wine
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Room
Makes all liquids within the target room vile, and malodorous. The room where this spell is cast may not lose the stench for weeks or months. Note that this spell only affects liquids that are in the room when it is cast, and they remain malodorous even if removed from the room.
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Room)
Level 20
Lungs of the Fish
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part
Req: Auram
Turns water into air as it enters your lungs, allowing you to breathe water as you do air.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part)
Level 45
Vile Water of Sterility
R: Touch, D: Year, T: Group, Ritual
Ruins a body of water up to the size of a small lake, making it unfit for natural habitation and consumption. The water becomes dark and murky, and noxious fumes emanate from it. Vegetation on the banks either dies or becomes corrupt. Nearby trees become gnarled and blackened, and land animals flee the area.
(Base 4 (a very unnatural liquid), +1 Touch, +4 Year, +2 Group, +2 size)
Perdo Aquam Guidelines
As magnitudes in these spells rise, the destruction caused becomes more subtle, or more pervasive. Sigils commonly seen in Perdo Aquam spells usually involve destruction in some specific way. Destroying water that is part of something, such as the fluid in a human being, requires a target of Part. Destroying water that is merely on someone, such as the water making a person wet, only needs a target of Individual.
Perdo Aquam botches might destroy all water in the caster, as Curse of the Desert, or create water instead of destroying it.
| Level 4 | Completely dry something (up to the size of a small house) that is wet. |
| Level 5 | Greatly reduce the amount of a liquid without destroying it completely. |
| Level 10 | Destroy a liquid (requisites may be required). |
| Level 15 | Destroy one property of a liquid (like alcohol’s ability to intoxicate or sea water’s saltiness). |
| Level 20 | Destroy a small spring, so that it never flows again. |
Perdo Aquam Spells
Level 5
Parching Wind
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Part
Removes most of the water from any object, including plants (with a Herbam requisite), possibly making the object brittle and fragile. With a Corpus or Animal requisite, the spell can affect humans or animals. This causes +10 damage, against which armor is no defense, and makes the target extremely thirsty.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Part)
Level 20
Closing the Earth's Gate
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
Dries a single spring, so that it never flows again. This spell targets the spring, not the water in it at a particular time, so the spring does not start to flow again later.
(Base 20, +1 Touch)
Curse of the Desert
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Part
Removes virtually all the fluid from the target’s body, doing +15 damage, which armor does not protect against. The target must drink within a few minutes of being struck with this spell, or it dies. Casting requisites are Animal for beasts, and Corpus for humans.
(Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Part)
Level 50
Calling the Odious Drought
R: Touch, D: Year, T: Bound, Ritual
Req: Auram
Causes a drought over the surrounding area. Only one-tenth the normal rain falls, streams dry up, and rivers dwindle.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +4 Year, +4 Boundary, no increase for requisite)
Rego Aquam Guidelines
Rego Aquam can change water into ice or steam, because these are both states that water can have naturally.
Rego Aquam botches generally involve spectacular and dangerous loss of control of the water. Add one magnitude if the controlled movement is slightly unnatural, two if it is very unnatural.
| General | Ward against creatures of water belonging to one realm (Divine, Faerie, Infernal, Magic) whose might is less than or equal to the level of the spell (Range Touch, Duration Ring, Target Circle). |
| Level 1 | Control a liquid in an extremely gentle way. |
| Level 3 | Change a liquid into the corresponding solid or gas (for example, change water into ice or steam). This does not require requisites. |
| Level 4 | Control a liquid in a forceful but calm way, such as a fast but constant current. |
| Level 5 | Ward against mundane water. Control a liquid in a violent way. |
| Level 10 | Control a liquid in an extremely violent way. |
Rego Aquam Spells
General
Ward Against Faeries of the Water
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
No water faerie whose Faerie Might is equal to or less than the level of the spell can affect those targeted by the spell. Faeries cannot directly or indirectly break the magic circle, nor can they use ranged attacks or magic to affect those within it.
Seen from certain angles at night, the ring appears as a light blue dome.
(Base spell)
Level 5
Cloak of the Duck's Feathers
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Makes water run off one object or creature, protecting the target and the target’s apparel from dampness. The spell is broken if the target is submerged in water.
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 for slightly unnatural control)
Level 10
Break the Oncoming Wave
R: Per, D: Conc, T: Ind
Breaks all waves and torrents of water (including magical ones) as they come within 10 paces of you. The water either crashes to the ground or flows around you in a truly impressive display.
In Ferramentum of Verditius’s version of this spell, the water breaks at precisely 10 paces, leaving a very clean line showing where the waves stopped. All of his spells may be recognized by their orderliness.
(Base 5, +1 Conc, ward, so the target is the warded Individual, not the water)
Level 15
Breath of Winter
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part
Turns a circle of water up to five paces across into snow.
(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part)
Push of the Gentle Wave
R: Voice, D: Conc T: Ind
A low wave is formed to propel a small boat slowly through the water. When casting this spell, you commonly make a pushing gesture.
In Silva of Merinita’s version of this spell, the wave occasionally drifts or bobs about, as if it is happy and playful.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Conc)
Level 30
Bridge of Frost
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Part
Causes a thick layer of frost (firm enough to walk on) to form on the surface of a body of water. The frost can take any shape up to fifteen paces in any direction.
In Cralian of Tremere’s version of this spell, the frost is so crystal clear that it can hardly be seen. All of his spells are very subtle.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 Part, +1 size, +1 to allow various shapes)
Chaos of the Angry Waves
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Part
Causes water to churn wildly, overturning small water craft and forcing Swim rolls at –6, in a circular area 20 paces across.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +1 Part, +1 size)
Parting the Waves
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Group
Parts a body of water, revealing a dry path 5 paces wide along the bottom. Very large bodies of water are too large for the Group target, and are thus unaffected.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 Group)
Waves of Drowning and Smashing
R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Ind
Raises a wave 5 feet high and 30 paces wide, which can submerge swimmers, overturn rowboats, and damage sailing ships. It starts as a small, curved wave and grows for the first 10 paces, at which point it reaches maximum size. If it travels 100 paces without striking an object large enough to break it up, it dissipates.
(Base 10, +3 Sight, +1 size)
Level 35
Ice of Drowning
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Part
Fills water in a circle 10 paces across with large, jagged chunks of ice that pound against anything on the water’s surface. The ice can punch holes in small boats but does not damage ships. Any swimmers in the area take +15 damage, and suffer –6 and two extra botch checks on Swim rolls.
(Base 5 (for the violent pounding), +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +1 Part, +1 size, +1 additional effect, changing the water to ice)
Pull of the Watery Grave
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Ind
Creates a strong undertow that pulls any object smaller than a rowboat 25 fathoms (150 feet) into the depths. Each of those caught in the undercurrent must make 9+ on a Strength + Swim stress roll to avoid being dragged down. A roll is made each round that the spell is maintained.
(Base 10, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +1 size)
Tower of Whirling Water
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Group
From a large body of water you form a waterspout that moves under your mental direction. It causes a simple die + 15 damage to anyone it hits (no Attack roll necessary). In addition, those struck must make a Quickness stress roll of 6+ to avoid being sucked up by the waterspout. Those who fail are helplessly pulled into the spout and begin to drown immediately. When the waterspout fails, they fall up to 20 feet to the water’s surface. If you direct the waterspout to move across land, you must make an Intelligence + Concentration stress roll of 9+ each round to maintain it.
(Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +2 Group)
Level 40
Neptune's Wrath
R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Ind, Ritual
A gigantic wave is created in a very large body of water. The wave, which is only 20 feet high but up to a mile wide, is capable of capsizing ships at sea, smashing and drowning people near shore, and seriously damaging coastline communities. The tidal wave needs 5 miles of water surface to build itself up to proper proportions. The magus cannot control the wave without casting another spell.
(Base 10, +3 Sight, +3 size, ritual for large effect)
Auram Spells
Auram spells are powerful because the element of air is ubiquitous. Their weakness is that air is not usually violent, like fire, nor strong, like earth. Auram, however, includes in its scope most weather phenomena such as storms, lightning, rain, mist, and falling snow. Auram spells usually affect air as phenomena (winds, odors) rather than as gases (a modern concept).
Some target categories for Auram require some clarification. If the normal descriptions apply, they can, of course, be used. Individual: A single phenomenon: one cloud, one wind, one bolt of lightning.
Group: Several related phenomena, such as the clouds, wind, and rain in a storm.
A base Individual for Auram is a weather phenomenon that affects the area within a standard Boundary — an area one hundred paces across.
Creo Auram Guidelines
Weather phenomena are normally created at Sight range. This is because most weather phenomena (clouds, rain, storms, and so on) naturally begin in the upper air, and so spells to create weather must have enough Range to reach this area. It is possible to create weather phenomena that start at ground level, but they are very unnatural, and the increase in level for that precisely offsets the decrease from reducing Range to Touch. A flying wizard could, of course, use Touch range to create natural weather phenomena, but such spells are not very popular in the Order.
Sigils in Creo Auram spells commonly give the air specific properties, such as special scents or colors.
Creo Auram botches may create the wrong sort of weather, or create it targeted at the caster or some other ally.
| Level 1 | Create a minor weather phenomenon: a breeze, a mist, a light drizzle. |
| Level 2 | Create a normal weather phenomenon: a cloud, wind, fog, rain from a cloud that already exists. |
| Level 3 | Create a severe weather phenomenon: deafening thunder, monsoon rain, impenetrable fog, gale force wind. Create a debilitating kind of air: noxious stench, mild poison, etc. |
| Level 5 | Create a very severe weather phenomenon: hurricane force winds, lightning strike, tornado. Create a phenomenon in a slightly unnatural fashion: +1 magnitude (for example, indoors). Create a phenomenon in a very unnatural fashion: +2 magnitudes Create a phenomenon wholly divorced from its normal context (for example, a lightning bolt springing from the caster’s hands): +4 magnitudes. |
Creo Auram Spells
Level 5
Air's Ghostly Form
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind
A thick fog forms around the magus, extending outwards for several paces. A breeze can push the fog around. The fog dissipates at its natural rate, and may be too thin to restrict sight within a minute.
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +1 Diam, +1 unnatural (the spell can be cast indoors))
Chamber of Spring Breezes
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
Creates a breeze of fresh air that continually moves throughout a room, keeping the air continuously breathable even if the room is airtight. Rose of Jerbiton’s version of this spell always causes the air to smell of roses. The breeze can be created outdoors, but there it has little effect.
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 unnatural)
Level 10
Jupiter's Resounding Blow
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Creates a thunderclap; anyone directly underneath must make a Stamina stress roll of 9+ or be deafened. If deafened, the target gets another Stamina simple roll each minute and recovers with a roll of 9+. If the first roll botches, the victim is rendered deaf for a month.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 unnatural (the spell functions indoors))
Stench of the Twenty Corpses
R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Ind
Makes the surrounding air stink horribly of rotting corpses. All those within fifty paces of the target point must make Stamina stress rolls of 6+ or act with a –3 penalty on all rolls. Anyone who botches the roll vomits and is incapacitated for (10 – Stamina) rounds.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Diam)
Wreaths of Foul Smoke
R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Ind
Thick, yellow, sulfurous smoke rises up from the spot you designate, spreading and thinning naturally, but thick enough to block sight in a radius of about five paces around the point of origin. For each round anyone breathes the smoke, a Stamina stress roll of 3+ must be made or a Fatigue level is lost. Once a character is Unconscious, further failed rolls result in the character taking a Light Wound each time. The area where the spell is cast will be damaged: small plants wilt and die, and tree growth is stunted. A faint stench of sulfur clings for days to anything exposed to the smoke.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Diam)
Level 15
Broom of the Winds
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
Whips up violent, swirling winds around the target. The target must make a Size stress roll of 9+ to remain standing. If the target is braced or holding onto some support, he may also make a Strength stress roll of 9+. If both rolls fail, the target is knocked in a random direction. The target may be damaged, depending on whether he strikes anything.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 unnatural)
Charge of the Angry Winds
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
A wall of wind roars away from you, starting up to 10 paces away and continuing until it dissipates naturally. The wind is confined by any existing barriers, but if unconfined it can be up to a hundred paces wide. All within the area must make a Dexterity + Size stress roll of 9+ or fall down and be blown along by the winds. The rolls must be made at the start of the gale and each subsequent round that the wind is maintained. You must concentrate on the gale. Missile fire into or out of the gale is futile, and marching against the gale requires a Strength + Size stress roll of 15+. Failure in this attempt mandates another Dexterity + Size stress roll of 12+ to keep from falling.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +1 unnatural)
Level 20
Circling Winds of Protection
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
Req: Rego
Surrounds you with winds that circle at great speed. Since the wind picks up dust and other small, loose objects, you may be obscured. Anyone standing near enough to attack you with a hand weapon must make a Size stress roll of 9+ at the beginning of each round or be blown back. Melee Attack rolls against you are at –3, and missile or thrown attacks are at –9.
Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 unnatural, +1 Rego effect
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Level 25
Clouds of Rain and Thunder
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Group
Creates a small but severe rainstorm, including lightning and winds. The storm gathers and breaks in a few seconds as the caster concentrates, and dissipates with similar speed when he stops doing so.
Note that reducing the Range for this spell makes the storm increasingly unnatural, so versions of this spell with lower Range still have the same level.
(Base 3, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +2 Group)
Clouds of Summer Snow
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Group
Creates clouds that drop snow over an area about a mile across. The clouds gather over a few seconds at the beginning of the spell, and dissipate over the same sort of time when the caster stops concentrating. The spell does not affect temperature.
(Base 2, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +2 Group, +1 Size)
Level 30
Pull of the Skybound Winds
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
Makes winds rise upward, pulling one object, creature, or person up to 50 feet into the sky before letting that target drop. Even a small building can be torn from its foundation, though such a building can be no larger than 20 feet to a side, and cannot be built out of a material heavier than stout wood. Uprooted objects fall randomly, unless you make a Finesse stress roll against an Ease Factor of 12 to choose where the objects will fall.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Conc, +2 unnatural)
Wings of the Soaring Wind
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind
Req: Rego
Generates a massive gust of air around you that supports and pushes you along through the air at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Hovering in place is difficult, and requires a Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 9 per round. It is dangerous for extended travel, because if you lose concentration, you are likely to sustain serious injuries (+15 damage, on average, although it may be more if the magus was very high up).
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +2 highly unnatural, +1 Rego requisite)
Level 35
The Incantation of Lightning
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind
A lightning bolt shoots forth from your outstretched hand in the direction you are pointing, doing +30 damage to a single target it hits. There must be nothing between you and the target. Those near the target must make Size stress rolls of 6+ to remain standing.
(Base 5, +2 Voice, +4 unnatural)
Level 40
Breath of the Open Sky
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind, Ritual
You can call up a wind capable of devastating the countryside. You must stand under the open sky to cast this spell. While you cast the spell, a breeze picks up, blowing from you in the direction you are facing. When the ritual is completed, the wind strengthens to a gale roaring over the visible countryside and beyond, strong enough to topple wooden structures and knock down trees. The wind does not weaken while it is within your sight, but loses its force naturally where you cannot see it. If you turn away from your original facing for more than a few seconds, you have to make a Concentration roll of 12+ to maintain the spell. If you turn away for a minute or more, the spell ends. The air behind you is still.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +4 size, +1 unnatural, ritual because of spectacular effect)
Level 65
Wrath of Whirling Winds and Water
R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Group, Ritual
This spell creates an immense storm, 40 or more miles wide, of hurricane intensity. The storm builds up while you cast the ritual, and dissipates in a few seconds when the spell’s duration ends. The gale-force winds and lashing waves cause immense damage along shorelines, and the winds, rain, and lightning cause extensive damage inland as well. Visibility is reduced to a few paces, missile fire is futile, and travel is nearly suicidal. Weak structures are blown over, and all but the most seaworthy ships are certain to flounder unless they can be beached before the storm reaches full intensity. The storm is not under the caster’s control, and moves normally.
(Base 5, +3 Sight, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +5 size)
Intellego Auram Guidelines
Intellego Auram botches normally reveal false information.
| Level 1 | Make your senses unhindered by the air (for example, you can hear over a howling wind). |
| Level 2 | Sense one property of air (for example, determine if it is safe to breathe). |
| Level 4 | Learn all mundane properties of the air. Have an intuition about some fact regarding the air. |
| Level 15 | Speak with air. |
Intellego Auram Spells
Level 15
True Sight of the Air
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Vision
Lets you see clearly through all manner of obfuscation in the air nearby, including smoke, fog, and dust, even if the obfuscation is magical.
(Base 1, +2 Sun, +4 Vision)
Whispering Winds
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Ind
The winds bear their tidings to your ears, allowing you to hear words spoken by any group of people within your line of sight, provided no solid barrier (including glass) intervenes. This spell is an adaptation of an effect known to Bjornaer the Founder, and fits poorly into the normal framework of Hermetic magic.
(Unique spell)
Level 20
Sailor's Foretaste of the Morrow
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Group
You know precisely what tomorrow’s weather will be, and you gain a general impression about the weather for the week ahead. This intuition only applies to the place where you cast the spell, and is based on extrapolating current conditions, so it is occasionally wrong (precise, but inaccurate). Still, it would take something like an interfering magical being, or a volcanic eruption, to throw the prediction off.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 size)
Level 25
Eyes of the Bat
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Hearing
You can move about confidently in complete darkness by sensing air and its boundaries (for example, where solid objects are). You “hear” the boundaries of the air, so it does not permit fine discriminations. On the other hand, you can “hear” boundaries behind you.
(Base 4, +2 Sun, +3 Hearing)
Muto Auram Guidelines
Transforming only one property of air generally lowers the level by one magnitude.
Muto Auram botches could change the caster temporarily into air, or change the air in an undesirable way.
| General | Transform air into a gas doing +level damage. |
| Level 3 | Transform an amount of air into another form of air. |
| Level 4 | Transform an amount of air into another element (fire, earth, or water). |
| Level 5 | Transform an amount of air into a mixture of elements. Transform an amount of air into something slightly unnatural. |
| Level 10 | Transform an amount of air into something wholly unnatural. |
Muto Auram Spells
Level 20
Rain of Stones
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Ind
Req: Terram
Turns rain into stones as it falls, causing +0 damage every two rounds (they’re small stones), and maybe less if the rain is very light. People under cover are not affected. The stones revert to water when the spell expires. If it stops raining before the spell ends, no more rain is transformed, even if a different rain storm starts.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)
Talons of the Winds
R: Voice, D: Diam, T: Ind
Req: Rego
Transforms a wind into an abrasive medium that tears and claws at everything in its path. Soft materials like leaves and cloth are shredded, and people take +5 damage from innumerable bloody cuts and abrasions. This spell cannot be cast if there is not a breeze of some sort blowing, thus making it difficult to use effectively indoors. The caster is not affected by the spell, even if the wind is blowing directly at him.
In Ossium of Bjornaer’s version of this spell a strange keening can be heard in the air as it cuts through targets. Ossium’s wizard’s sigil manifests by making many of his spells eerie or frightening.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +1 Diam, +1 Rego requisite (additional effect: protect the caster))
Level 40
Infernal Smoke of Death
R: Voice, D: Conc, T: Ind
Turns normal smoke from a fire into a thick, corrosive cloud. Anyone immersed in the cloud of smoke takes +25 corrosion damage (once only) against which armor provides only half its normal Protection value. Soft materials like cloth, fur, paper, and leather are charred and ruined by exposure to the noxious vapor. While you concentrate, any new smoke becomes corrosive, but even after you stop concentrating, the corrosive smoke remains deadly. It dissipates after several hours. The smoke is heavier than air, so rolls along the ground, pooling in low spots.
(Base 25, +2 Voice, +1 Conc)
Level 45
Fog of Confusion
R: Touch, D: Year, T: Bound, Ritual
Req: Imaginem, Rego
Turns a bank of fog up to six miles across into a silvery mist too thick to see through. Random screams, thumps, hisses, and other noises harass and confuse anyone within the fog, perhaps even leading them into danger. People have extreme difficulty navigating through the fog, especially through unknown territory. No more than seven people, who must be present at the ritual, can see normally through the fog. The fog does not dissipate until the spell expires.
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +4 Year, +4 Size, +1 Imaginem requisite, +1 Rego requisite)
Level 50
Rain of Oil
R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Ind, Ritual
Req: Aquam
Turns rain into droplets of oil. The rain of oil continues as long as the storm does, drenching the landscape with flammable liquid. The oil will evaporate at a natural rate after the rain ceases. A Creo Ignem spell can ignite the storm so that the oil burns as it falls, but this requires a Group target large enough to catch all the raindrops. Lighting the oil after it has landed is much easier.
(Base 4, +3 Sight, +2 Sun, +5 size)
Perdo Auram Guidelines
Causing the destruction of air with great precision raises the order of magnitude by at least one level
| Level 3 | Make air stuffy and poor for breathing. |
| Level 4 | Destroy still air. Destroy a minor weather phenomenon: a breeze, a mist, a light drizzle. Reduce the intensity of a weather phenomenon by one step (for example, from very severe to severe, or from normal to minor.) |
| Level 5 | Destroy a normal weather phenomenon: a cloud, wind, fog, rain from a cloud that already exists. |
| Level 10 | Destroy a severe weather phenomenon: deafening thunder, monsoon rain, impenetrable fog, gale force wind. Destroy a debilitating kind of air: noxious stench, mild poison, etc. |
| Level 15 | Destroy a very severe weather phenomenon: hurricane force winds, lightning strike, tornado. |
Perdo Auram Spells
Level 15
Room of Stale Air
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Room
Makes the air in a room stuffy and uncomfortable. Any creatures that breathe air suffer a –3 penalty on all rolls involving physical exertion. In addition, for each round of exertion a character must make a simple Stamina roll of 6+ or lose a Fatigue level. This may cause panic in some creatures or people. The speed at which the air refreshes itself depends on how well ventilated the room is.
(Base 3, +2 Voice, +2 Room)
Level 20
Quiet the Raging Winds
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Group
Stops all wind from blowing, leaving only calm air. This spell is not powerful enough to affect winds caused by Ritual magic, and only affects winds blowing on the caster when it is cast. Under normal circumstances, the winds will not pick up again for at least an hour or so.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Group)
Level 45
The Cloudless Sky Returned
R: Sight, D: Mom, T: Group
This spell clears the sky within your vision of any clouds or other meteorological activity short of a hurricane or tornado, either naturally occurring or caused by magic. The clouds take a few seconds to clear, during which time you must concentrate on them. This spell only affects meteorological activity in progress at the moment of casting, and is not powerful enough to dispel a weather condition caused by Ritual magic.
In Ferramentum’s version of this spell, the clouds clear from the sky in an orderly manner, as if they were soldiers marching on parade.
(Base 10, +3 Sight, +2 Group, +2 size)
Rego Auram Guidelines
Rego Auram allows the maga to control existing weather phenomena. It is not possible to create a breeze with Rego Auram, but it is possible to direct the course of a storm. This includes starting and stopping the rain at the maga’s command.
Controlling an amount of air with great strength or great precision raises the magnitude of the spell by one level.
| General | Ward against creatures of the air from one realm (Divine, Faerie, Infernal, or Magic) whose Might is less than or equal to the level of the spell (Range Touch, Duration Ring, Target Circle) |
| Level 2 | Control a minor weather phenomenon. |
| Level 3 | Control a normal weather phenomenon. Ward someone against a type of minor weather phenomenon. |
| Level 4 | Control a severe weather phenomenon. Ward someone against a type of normal weather phenomenon. |
| Level 5 | Control a very severe weather phenomenon. Ward someone against a type of severe weather phenomenon. |
| Level 10 | Ward someone against a type of very severe weather phenomenon. |
Rego Auram Spells
General
Ward Against Faeries of the Air
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle
As Ward Against Faeries of the Water (ReAq Gen), but for faeries of the air. The faerie cannot directly or indirectly break the magic circle, nor can they use ranged attacks or magic to affect those within it. From some angles at night, the ring may be seen as a violet-hued dome.
(Base 0)
Level 5
Wind at the Back
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
An existing breeze follows you until you stop traveling for more than ten minutes. It causes phenomena you pass through (fog, haze) to follow you.
(Base 2, +1 Touch, +2 Sun (closest duration to special effect))
Level 10
Ward Against Rain
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
No rain falls on the caster, no matter how bad the weather.
(Base 4, +2 Sun)
Level 30
Clouds of Thunderous Might
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Group
Gathers pre-existing clouds and winds into a small storm. The storm gathers at a normal speed, but is under the caster’s control as long as he can see it. The caster may use the control granted by this spell to dissipate small storms as well. If the caster does not dissipate the storm before stopping concentrating, the storm continues as normal.
(Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +2 Group)
Level 40
Gathering of the Stormy Might
R: Sight, D: Conc, T: Group
As for Clouds of Thunderous Might, but the storm is larger, possibly covering the entire visible sky. Again, it is under the caster’s control.
(Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 Conc, +2 Group, +2 size)
WIP Marker
pg 129
Corpus Spells
Creo Corpus Guidelines
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Intellego Corpus Guidelines
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Muto Corpus Guidelines
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Perdo Corpus Guidelines
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Rego Corpus Guidelines
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Herbam Spells
Creo Herbam Guidelines
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Muto Herbam Guidelines
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Perdo Herbam Guidelines
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Ignem Spells
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Muto Ignem Guidelines
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Imaginem Spells
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Mentem Spells
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Terram Spells
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Vim Spells
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Attribution
Based on the material for Ars Magica, ©1993-2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0). Ars Magica Open License Logo ©2024 Trident, Inc. The Ars Magica Open License Logo, Ars Magica, and Mythic Europe are trademarks of Trident, Inc., and are used with permission. Order of Hermes, Tremere, Doissetep, and Grimgroth are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with permission.
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