Monitors: spelling reforms

I think it's time to play around with spells again.

Firstly, I want to clarify the meaning of Concentration. A spell maintained by Concentration means that the wizard cannot do anything else that requires an Action, other than moving, without ending the spell.

New spells

Petition the Servants of Flame

As the wizard chants, a writhing flame-spirit appears to coil around them, ready to grant a favour before returning to its fiery domain.

The spirit can do anything achievable by normal flame, but is intelligent enough to control its abilities. The wizard can give it a single task to complete. It will linger long enough to boil a cauldron of water or melt a few cubic metres of ice, but will not remain indefinitely. The spirit can be asked to attack an enemy or defend the wizard.

The spirit is an elemental with 1 Wound. It has 12 in Agility, and 4 in Combat, Endurance, Perception and Will. It has Fast speed and floats up to three feet off the ground. The spirit is destroyed by any substantial quantity of water, or by smothering. Its fluid body can pass through spaces at least 6" across. Its attacks are Fire, and touching it can inflict a Wound (Armour) or ignite flammable materials. It is not hot enough to melt common metals.

This spell persists for a few minutes, until the task is completed, or the wizard dismisses the spirit.

The spirit is very vulnerable to damage, having no Armour or other defences, and if it's summoned during combat, it will need to use that high Agility to avoid attacks, slowing it down. It's not very good at fighting, but can easily provide distractions by setting things alight and swirling around being made of fire. This is really meant to be a utility summons, which the wizard can use simply or creatively as they choose.

I'm trying to keep the rules simple, which having creatures made of fire tends to complicate. Hopefully the above is a reasonable compromise.

A slight reservation: in theory this could be used to get around the heat-point economy by having one wizard summon a spirit and then the whole party warm themselves on it. I'm kind of hoping people won't do that, although I could apply some kind of specific restriction.

Opalescent Bulwark

Pearly mist spills from the wizard's fingers to weave a shimmering disk, deflecting threats with the strength of steel.

A bulkwalk forms an approximate disc up to thirty feet in diameter within Short range, as the wizard wishes; if it overlaps with objects, the disc ends at that point. The bulwark is immovable and tries to repel any significant force or sizeable object, including bullets, creatures, falling rocks, strong winds or kinetic bolts. It has an effective Strength of 20. It will try to repel liquids, but has no effect on gases, small slow-moving objects (including most insects and vermin) or many forms of energy. Fast-moving objects may rebound from the disc.

The bulkwark is destroyed if it absorbs five Wounds, or if its Strength is overcome in an opposed roll, though it will tend to slow anything crashing through it. Vision through the bulwark is impaired (-5) due to its translucence.

This spell is maintained by concentration within Short range.

Now that I have an opposed roll mechanic, I can do things like this. Hoorah!

This is your classic magic shield spell, but I'm trying to keep things a bit more flexible. It's useful in combat, but also potentially problematic, as the bulwark doesn't distinguish friend from foe. In theory, you could roll a grenade slowly through it. It's perhaps more useful as a defence against other hazards like falling rubble. Because it's a field of force, the spell can also be used to seal doorways or even to create bridges.

I've included some specifics on size and range, but these are intended as general guidelines rather than hard rules. Basically, as usual, I'm concerned about unintended uses that cause problems I hadn't thought of if I don't give a reasonably specific idea of how I picture the spell working. I am probably being over-anxious - creativity is good, after all. On the other hand, I can immediately see this being used to destroy distant aircraft (sudden in-flight collision) and there are bound to be other unwanted uses.

Does it affect energy beams or spells? Dunno.

Sculptor of Unfathomed Seas

The wizard projects their mind into water, wielding it like an extension of their own body. They can alter the shape of a nearby body of water, moulding it like a solid object. Any water detached from the bulk returns to normal. Only liquid water is affected. The spell has no effect on water creatures.

The wizard can form rough shapes up to 10m in diameter within Medium range, including bubbles, pillars, hoops and waves. They can merge small pools and control the resulting larger mass. Currents can be altered to move things within the water. Things can pass into and out of the water as normal.

Waves strike as a Blast, knocking creatures down and back unless they roll Strength. Some attacks may engulf creatures. Waves and other effects may damage objects, as determined by the GM. Creatures can use Strength to overcome currents and other forced movement.

The spell can be maintained by concentration for up to one minute, and can be extended by expending additional thermal energy at that time. Each change requires an action.

At the GM’s discretion, this spell may affect other liquids, potentially requiring an Occult roll to successfully modify the casting.

This is another utility spell, and something of a niche one, because you need a source of significant water. But there’s a fair amount of that to be found, and I think it’s a fairly decent spell. I’ve spent ages trying to cut down the amount of specific text while conveying the impression I’m after. The idea is that the water continues to behave like water; you’re not levitating it, it can’t suddenly support your weight on surface tension alone, it’s not suddenly solid. You might use it to extinguish fires by moving water from one place to another, to walk through a lake and stay dry, to batter enemies with liquid fists, or even to create a bridge of water and swim across a gap (this is perfectly possible as long as the water’s a few feet deep). You could stand on a wooden platform and draw water from the sewers into a pillar that raises you to the third-storey window. You could carry fish out of a lake and into a tank.

I don't really want to place strict limits on spells, I'd prefer them to offer scope for creativity, but I also don't want players demanding to turn an ocean into a vast flying water-giant because there's no restriction of the scope of the spell. I'm trying to leave things as open as possible and will keep an eye out for what needs stating. Do I need to specify that you can't levitate water? That if you turn a pool of water into a single thin column it will fall over? That if you only use half the pool for the column, it shouldn't fall over because it has a supporting base? That you can't simultaneously control a large number of currents and moving parts? How much detail do I need to give about using the spell for attacks?

Stillness from Strife

At the wizard's gesture, all falls still, momentum dispersing instantly in a flicker of light.

The spell affects a small area or one substantial object within Short range. Any kinetic energy is transformed into light, stopping movement immediately and reducing momentum to zero. Falling objects are cushioned, while airborne objects (including creatures) begin to fall. Blows are halted in mid-strike and wind ceases. Large quantities of energy may result in Blind Dice of up to 1d6 (Visor avoids).

Explosions are partly muffled as expansion slows for a moment; halve the Strength of any explosion, or offer +5 to Armour rolls.

The spell does not affect bodily organs, components of most machines, and similar objects as the GM determines.

A very large object targeted by the spell may be damaged as though in a collision, due to variation in speed between its component parts. Effects are entirely at the GM's discretion.

This spell is instantaneous.

This one came to me out of nowhere, but I quite like the idea of snapping your fingers (while, of course, proclaiming a loud and brain-wrenching phrase) and having everything just... stop. You can obviously use it to do things like shield yourself from a hail of arrows, stop a charging beast or survive the failure of a hovercar's engines. I'm sure there are other creative uses, which a physicist would immediately spot. I included the light-flare thing both because it vaguely placates the scientist in me, and because I thought it was fun (sound was also an option, and I might still change my mind, but light seemed more tranquil somehow).

The bodily organs bit is to stop this from turning into a munchkin spell, because in theory you could argue that this will halt electrical impulses and so on, shutting down more or less any piece of equipment (including robots, war machines, computers), and likely wreaking havoc on living creatures.

I haven't explicitly said so, but this spell operates on fictional physics not real physics; you aren't supposed to worry about planetary movement or the expansion of the universe! Hopefully that's obvious from every other aspect of the game.

No revision needed

I'm pretty happy with these spells here, but repeating them for my own convenience.

Onslaught of Wrathful Winds

A howling wind erupts around the wizard, rushing in whatever direction they desire. Nearby creatures must battle against the wind (roll Strength) or be slowed, dragged along or hurled off their feet. Small objects are blown around, and in dusty surroundings debris may choke and blind (Blind 1d4 vs. Visor) those affected. This spell may stir or quench fires, drive away gases, ward against flames or sprays of liquid, and so on. It can counter the effects of existing winds, including another instance of this spell.

Roll Will once to shield potential targets (such as allies) from the wind's effects.

This spell can be maintained by concentration. It does not work in confined spaces, nor in a vacuum. At the GM's discretion it may work underwater by evoking a powerful current. It may also travel with the wizard, allowing its use to power a sailing vessel.

Unchaining of the Wild

Vegetation erupts into furious growth, ensnaring creatures and enveloping structures in an area. Creatures may be trapped by the tangling plants, and objects or mechanisms immobilised. Under appropriate circumstances, the plants may hold together damaged buildings, cushion falls, slow down speeding objects, reduce visibility and so on.

This spell is limited to Medium range. It does not create plants from nothing, and its effect will vary with the quantity and nature of local vegetation. They may exceed the normal limits of growth for their species. Effects on fungi and bizarre extraterrestrial organisms are entirely at the GM's discretion. The wizard has no direct control over the plants but can guide their general growth towards particular ends. The growth is as permanent as any natural growth. Sentient plant creatures may ignore the usual effects of the spell and incur other effects at the GM's discretion.

Covenant with Night

Pure darkness roils through the air, blotting out sight and warmth alike. No light from infra-red to ultraviolet can penetrate it, and creatures within are unable to see at all. Navigation by sound and touch is possible. Other electromagnetic wavelengths, including radio, gamma and X-rays, can penetrate it. The darkness does not cause cooling, but blocks most sources of heat.

This spell affects a moderate area within Medium range. It persists for a few minutes before fading out, and cannot be moved once cast. As a rule of thumb, apply a -10 Blind penalty to affected creatures, as well as any sensible consequences for total inability to see.

I cheated slightly here because I've mildly tweaked the wording to reflect changes to how Blind works.

The phrase As a rule of thumb, apply a -10 Blind penalty to affected creatures, as well as any sensible consequences for total inability to see. will probably be my guideline for absolute darkness of any kind.

Echoes of Eternity

Standing close to a person, place or object, the wizard taps into its temporal stream, dredging up echoes of the past.

The wizard gains a single impression of the GM's choice relating to their chosen target, and relevant to their goals. They must be very close or touching to manipulate the target's aura. The impression might be a brief vision, a fragment of speech, the last thing the victim saw, an emotion, the purpose of a machine, the function of a ruined building, a scrap of knowledge or whatever else seems appropriate. If the target is entirely unconnected to the wizard's current goals, they learn something irrelevant. If the spell is cast repeatedly, the GM determines whether any new insight is gained. A target creature does not automatically know they are being examined.

Victory of the Worm

The wizard's touch unleashes writhing temporal energies, speeding decay and ruin until the substance crumbles away.

The spell allows a wizard to inflict damage on an object as if using a weapon. Organic tissue, most metals, stones and plastics are affected by the spell; some non-reactive minerals (especially precious metals) are immune. Liquids can be broken down by the spell, but gases are largely unaffected. A few square feet of matter can be affected in a turn.

The spell can inflict damage like any Melée attack, but affects many creatures and machines immune to other forms of damage. Some remain immune because of their substance. A successful attack inflicts 1d3 Wounds (Armour avoids).

In need of fixing

Next, on reflection, I'm going to fix the stats for Call the Ashen Beast. I'm inventing a variety of spells - I don't want one that gives a lot of flexibility. Each one should be relatively specific.

Call the Ashen Beast

Dust and smoke coalesce into a grey, predatory form. The beast is an elemental that defends the wizard, obeying simple commands. When the spell ends, the beast disperses into lifeless dust.

The beast has 2 Wounds and Armour 4. It has 6 in Agility, Endurance, Perception, Stealth, and Will, and 10 in Combat and Strength. It can't understand complex commands, spy, convey messages or manipulate objects. This spell persists until the beast reaches zero Wounds, or for around an hour.

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Some of the earlier spells, in defiance of my intentions, look a bit too binary. Given that Monitors was conceived specifically to think about making soft attacks appealing and balanced, this is frankly embarrassing.

Let's see if I can come up with anything.

Invocation of Primal Nightmares

Utter dread erupts in the mind of nearby creatures, their worst ancestral fears overwhelming them. Those unable to choke down their fear (Will) may freeze, flee, scream or otherwise react appropriately. They roll each following round to recover. While affected, they can still take actions the GM feels are reasonable.

This spell has Short range and is treated as a Blast. Mindless entities are unaffected by this spell. This spell persists until all targets succeed at a Will roll.

One obvious option is to extend my penalty system with a Fear Die. This would both offer a non-binary penalty system, and handle recovery rolls with an existing mechanic. The downside of this is that while I'm keen to avoid completely binary effects, I don't want spells just imposing a mechanical penalty, because that undermines the magic model I'm going for.

Invocation of Primal Nightmares

Utter dread erupts in the mind of nearby creatures, their worst ancestral fears overwhelming them. Those unable to choke down their fear (Will) gain a 1d8 Fear Die and may freeze, flee, scream or otherwise react appropriately at the GM's discretion.

This spell has Short range and is treated as a Blast. Mindless entities are unaffected by this spell. This spell persists until all targets shake off the effects.

Perhaps I could implement one of those failure thresholds I mentioned for more severe effects. And Fear Dice seems a bit specific. How many different penalty dice do I want to implement? Given how broad Blind and Slow are, perhaps a more general "distracted" condition is useful in more circumstances?

Invocation of Primal Nightmares

Utter dread erupts in the mind of nearby creatures, their worst ancestral fears overwhelming them. Those unable to choke down their fear (Will) gain a 1d8 Distracted Die. With a failed roll of 10 or less they may freeze, flee, scream, attack wildly and so on at the GM's discretion, unable to act rationally.

This spell has Short range and is treated as a Blast. Mindless entities are unaffected by this spell. This spell persists until all targets succeed at a Will roll.

The GM could of course implement that kind of effect for themselves, but including it in the spell might be a reasonable hint. Or maybe this is the kind of thing best left to suggestions in the obligatory sidebar?

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Emerald Sigil of Splendour

The wizard draws a glorious symbol in lines of burning green, drawing the eyes of onlookers and transfixing their minds. Creatures able to see the symbol must roll Will each turn or stand transfixed in admiration.

This spell can be maintained by concentration. Mindless entities are unaffected by this spell.

That is decidedly not a non-binary effect. Even with the save-per-turn I am not that comfortable with it. But again, I really like the idea of creatures being literally unable to tear their eyes away. Where did I put those penalty dice?

Emerald Sigil of Splendour

The wizard draws a glorious symbol in lines of burning green, drawing the eyes of onlookers and transfixing their minds. Creatures able to see the symbol gain a d12 Distracted Die (Will resists) at the start of their turn.

The spell can be maintained by concentration for several minutes as long as the wizard remains adjacent. If the wizard moves any significant distance or breaks concentration, the sigil and its effects dissipate immediately.

Mindless or sightless entities are unaffected by this spell. Creatures afflicted with a Blind Die may use their current penalty as a modifier to their Will roll.

This version imposes a variable penalty, as well as per-turn resistance. The penalty is very heavy, but a) I want this to be an effective spell; b) it has very serious drawbacks to the wizard on top of the usual heat cost; c) it poses serious risks to the rest of the party, though PCs are likely to have higher Will scores.

I think this is an improvement, although it does seem a little complex. I don't want to simply impose a one-off penalty die because that turns this from a spell about a wizard focusing all their attention on holding off adversaries in an ongoing mental battle, to a simple mental attack spell.

What if we tried an opposed roll instead?

Emerald Sigil of Splendour

The wizard draws a glorious symbol in lines of burning green, drawing the eyes of onlookers and transfixing their minds. Creatures able to see the symbol incur a d12 Distracted Die at the start of their turn, though a successful Will vs. Occult roll allows them to overcome the symbol's allure this round. The wizard rolls their Occult once each round during their own turn, to determine how well they channel the symbol's power.

The spell can be maintained by concentration for several minutes as long as the wizard remains adjacent. If the wizard moves any significant distance or breaks concentration, the sigil and its effects dissipate immediately.

Mindless or sightless entities are unaffected by this spell. Creatures afflicted with a Blind Die may use their current penalty as a modifier to their Will roll.

This version imposes a non-binary penalty (d12) and allows an opposed roll to avoid the penalty entirely. I'm fairly happy for spells to do something automatically because of the cost of spellcasting, but seeing how many creatures this might target a roll is definitely needed. This way, both the creature's ability and the wizard's skill are relevant to their success. It also pleases me because it reflects those scenes where a trainee mage is rebuked for making slight errors in how they trace a rune or perform a gesture. Study is important, gang!

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Scarlet Interdiction

The wizard traces a complex rune that flickers with red fire, flaring into agonising life if anyone is foolish enough to try and pass it.

The wizard can trace this rune on any solid surface with about a square foot of room, but not a creature. Anyone except the wizard approaching within two metres suffers a Wound unless they roll Will to resist the psychic flare of the ward. It can be disabled with an Occult roll within or just outside that range, or by damaging or altering the surface enough to disrupt the rune. Tracing the rune is usually impractical during combat.

Wounding isn't particularly useful outside a combat situation, whereas this is tailor-made for hindering pursuit or intrusion. There's no limit on the damage it can cause, and it could affect a large number of creatures without allowing Armour, with only a Will roll to resist that's likely to be fairly low. This has quite a specialised use, but it's very good at it. That sort of thing is a recipe for problems, because gamers are very good at tailoring their actions around their most effective abilities. In theory this spell balances its power (somewhat, it's rather OP anyway) by having quite restricted use; in practice gamers are likely to find ways to use it all the time because it's fairly lethal.

Scarlet Rune of Interdiction

The wizard traces a complex rune that flickers with red fire, flaring into agonising life if anyone is foolish enough to try and pass it.

The wizard can trace this rune on any solid surface with about a square foot of room, but not a creature. Anyone except the wizard approaching within two metres suffers intense pain. They incur a d4 Distraction Die, and recoil from the symbol unless they roll Endurance (include Distraction). Substantial barriers, such as walls or a vehicle's hull, will block the effect.

The rune can be disabled with an Occult roll within or just outside that range, or by damaging or altering the surface enough to disrupt the rune. The wizard can disable the rune from the same distance with no roll required. Tracing the rune is usually impractical during combat.

The spell persists until disabled, or for one hour.

I'm a bit tempted towards a scheme whereby symbol spells would use vs. Occult rolls based on how well the wizard managed to draw them. Only that would seem to set up a situation where Occult is a skill that boosts spells regularly, and I'm not sure I'm keen on that. On the other hand, having some predictable "classes" of spells might be helpful.

Incidentally, it seems both possible and entirely reasonable for wizards to inscribe a Scarlet Interdiction on an Opalescent Bulwark.

I'm inclined to have this spell cause actual damage to Hordes, but think the Horde mechanics may want revising to bring them into the Wound-based model.

General rules

Summons

Some general rules for summons, as I think of them. Exceptions are always possible.

Summoned entities can't follow complex directions. Each order given must be fairly simple and straightforward. You could, for example, say "go to the highest room in that building", but not give them a complex series of directions to reach a particular person within a building. Most have a low level of intelligence and very limited knowledge of this reality.

This rule is simply to prevent summoned creatures from being too useful. I don't want wizards instructing a summons on how to cause a reactor meltdown and then sending them into an enemy base while they watch through binoculars. Broadly speaking, I want them able to perform simple tasks without getting annoying ("what's a 'table', master?") but not do anything particularly clever.

Summoned entities don't willingly move more than 100 yards from their summoner, though they can be left behind.

Again, I don't think I want anyone summoning creatures from a hilltop and then sending them to wreak havoc on a distant town. A lot of fantasy is quite happy for wizards to despatch creatures long distances, but they don't have to worry about cheesing their games. This distance is plenty in terms of allowing for combat against ranged attackers, fighting or manipulating objects within massive halls, and so on. I'm keeping this one unless I find reason to scrap it.

I think I'm also going to need a cap on summoned creatures, otherwise some bright spark is going to stick their wizard next to a storage heater and summon a few thousand Ashen Beasts.

Elementals

Elemental beings don't breathe, and ignore attacks against Mask.