This is the final post in a three-part series about my magic system for classic
Stormbringer. The
first post in this series presented my rules for spell-casting, along with a partial spell list and list of spell descriptions, which was then continued in my
second installment; today, I'm going to conclude the spell list, and provide a table for determining random spells which might be located on ancient scrolls or contained in magical grimoires. The random table can also be used to determine starting spells for a player character who qualifies to be a sorcerer.
We continue, then, with the list of spells and spell descriptions...
Supplantation of Material Reality
DIF: Special (see below)
Casting Time: 10D10 minutes
Duration: N/A
Required: 3 drams of quicksilver, a pinch of sulfur, a fistful of salt, 2 pints of clean water, caster tells an outrageous lie and it is believed prior to casting this spell (+1), casting takes place under a full moon (+3)
Description: This spell will cause an unusual or valuable object to appear to be quite mundane; for example a large gemstone could appear to be a small goose-egg, or a magical runesword could look like a bundle of kindling wood. This deceitful appearance will remain in effect until it has been dispelled by the caster or until another person successfully penetrates the illusion by stating the desire to disbelieve their own eyes (and by rolling their INTx3). The spell is also dispelled if the disguised item is handled in a manner inconsistent with its supposed purpose (e.g., swinging a broadsword will reveal that it is not a fish). The DIF of this spell is equal to the object's SIZ rating plus ten; double the DIF if the item is magical in nature.
Critical Failure: The item is actually transformed into what it appears to be; any bound entities have an opportunity to break their bindings as if the caster had failed a binding roll; any other magical properties are permanently lost unless the item can defeat the caster in a POW vs POW struggle. The only way to reverse this effect is by casting this spell again and achieving a critical success.
97+
Failure: The spell has no effect.
Critical Success: This illusion can only be disbelieved with a POWx1 roll.
03-
Touch of Eldren Mastery
DIF: 26
Casting Time: 1D6+1 rounds
Duration: Permanent
Required: A wand carved entirely of Eldren or Melnibonean bone*, caster is physically touching target (+5)
Description: This spell allows the caster to immediately inflict-- or to heal, if the caster so chooses-- one Major Wound. If used offensively (to attack), the caster rolls on
Table [3.9.2.2] Major Wounds (page 47 of the
Stormbringer rules), immediately applying the results (including any applicable statistic modifications) against the spell's target. No hit points are actually lost, but the target is still in danger of losing consciousness, and the affected individual must still receive medical attention within one hour or be forced to roll CON or less on 1D20 to avoid death; a successful roll still results in the loss of 1D6 points of CON, as described in
[3.9.2] Major Wounds.
Critical Failure: The spell has the opposite effect (i.e., if used to heal, it will cause a Major Wound, and vice-versa).
00
Failure: If the spell was intended to heal a Major Wound, the spell's target takes 1D4-1 damage. If the spell was being used to cause a Major Wound, the caster takes 1D4 points of damage.
Critical Success: If the spell was being used to heal a Major Wound, the spell's target is also healed by up to its own Major Wound level in hit points. If the spell was being used to inflict a Major Wound, the spell's target will also take damage equaling his or her own Major Wound level.
01
Transcendance of Seeming Mortality
DIF: 22
Casting Time: 2D3 rounds
Duration: Special
Required: 1 dose of Hellebore, 2 fistfuls of rose petals, a peacock feather, a fine robe or cape (100LB value minimum)*, caster is accompanied by an entourage of servants and hangers-on (+4), caster is Melnibonean and is wearing Melnibonean plate armor (+2)*
Description: Upon casting, this spell causes the sorcerer to become imbued with a majestic-- perhaps even godlike-- aura of power. Those viewing the caster will be intimidated by his or her very grace and bearing, even awestruck by the caster's presence. For the duration of this spell, the caster receives a +20% ability bonus to all Communications skills. Crowds will silently part as the caster approaches, falling into a respectful hush as he or she approaches. Anyone wishing to attack the caster must first overcome their own feelings of awe and wonder by rolling less than their POWx3 on 1D100. This spell is somewhat unique in that it will remain in effect until dispelled, something which will only happen if one of the following three situations occurs:
- The caster voluntarily terminates the spell's effect.
- A Lord of Law or Chaos, or an Elemental Ruler, decided to dispel this magic.
- The caster fails a die roll-- any die roll-- although this means of dispelling may have dire consequences. The GM secretly rolls 3D6, recording the results, and the player character will automatically suffer critical failures for this many consecutive die rolls, commencing immediately. If the GM senses that the player is attempting to make 'non-essential' skill rolls in order to "use up" these automatic failures, the GM should feel fully justified in doubling or even tripling the number of remaining mandatory critical failures.
Critical Failure: The spell has no effect, although the caster is treated as if he or she had dispelled this magic by failing a die roll (see above).
93+
Failure: The spell has no effect.
Critical Success: If the caster fails a die roll while this skill is in effect, the GM rolls 2D4-1 instead of 3D6.
 |
| Marvel Comics Group, Conan the Barbarian, issue # 14 |
Triumph of Jaded Essences
DIF: 19
Casting Time: 1D3 rounds
Duration: Special (see below)
Required: 1 does of Hellebore (+6), ground horn of a ram, 3 drops of perspiration from a champion athelete (+2), blood from a fallen warrior (+2), a leaf of creeping ivy.
Description: Once this spell has been cast, the sorcerer may engage a single opponent (whose combined INT and POW must equal 32 or more) in a mystical psychic sorcerer's duel of POW vs POW. This duel is continued, round after round, until one of the two opponents has accumulated three consecutive victories; neither duelist may take any other action until this has been completed, and any physical damage taken by either duelist affects both equally for so long as the struggle continues. Once one of the two opponents has accumulated three consecutive victories, he or she may hold their vanquished foe in a state of stasis, or psychic paralysis, for so long as he or she concentrates. The loser's POW is permanently reduced by 1D3-1. If this spell is cast on an opponent whose INT and POW produce a sum of 31 or less, its caster automatically forfeits the first two rounds of this psychic duel; most sorcerers will only cast this spell upon opponents who are already known to a certainty to be sorcerers so that this doesn't happen.
Critical Failure: The caster's opponent need only prevail in a single POW vs POW victory to prevail, although the caster still requires three consecutive victories in order to win. Additionally, if sum of the spell's target has a combined INT and POW of 32 or less, that target may select any other Attribute (i.e., other than POW) to be used by both combatants in their next opposed roll.
99+
Failure: The spell has no effect.
Critical Success: The caster may re-roll any single POW vs POW struggle which was won by his or her opponent during their psychic duel. Additionally, if the spell's target has a combined INT and POW of 32 or less, the caster may elect to end the spell at that point instead of forfeiting the first two rounds of their psychic duel.
Critical Failure: The caster's opponent needs only achieve a single POW vs POW victory in order to win the duel, although the caster sill requires three consecutive wins to triumph. Additionally, if the spell's target has a combined INT plus POW of 31 or less, that target may choose a different attribute (rather than POW) to be used in opposed rolls for purposes of determining the duel's outcome.
98+
Failure: The caster may not take any actions on the next combat round, but the spell has no other effect.
Critical Success: The caster may re-roll the results of any single POW vs POW roll which has been won by his or her opponent during the duel, provided that it isn't the third consecutive win for that duelist. Additionally, if it is revealed that the caster's opponent has a combined INT and POW which equal 31 or less, the caster may opt to terminate the spell immediately rather than forfeiting the first two rounds of the duel.
03-
Vengeance of the Ancient Drake-Lords
DIF: 25
Casting Time: 1 combat round
Duration: next combat round
Required: A hand-held weapon made of metal *, bark from a tree which was destroyed by lightning (+10).
Description: The next strike made with this weapon will deliver an additional 2D10 points of damage from electric shock. Metal armor will not protect against this extra damage, as metal conducts electricity, but it will defend against the weapon's normal (nonmagical) damage. Metal weapons used to parry this weapon's strike will also conduct the additional 2D10 damage, provided that the target is actually holding a metal part of that weapon in his or her hands. This additional damage must be delivered in the combat round immediately after the round in which the spell is cast (i.e., the spell's effects cannot be 'held' until needed), because the spell expires one round after the round in which it was cast. Demon or virtuous armor defends normally against this additional electricity damage, as do wardpacts.
Critical Failure: The caster immediately takes 2D10 points of electrical damage, as described above, and as "Failure," below.
91+
Failure: Caster is stunned, and cannot parry or take any other action whatsoever for 1D3 combat rounds.
Critical Success: The damage delivered by this weapon is increased to 2D10+10 points of electrical damage, as described above.
01
Warding Stone of Deep Earth's Blood
DIF: 20
Casting Time: 2D10 minutes
Duration: 2D4 days
Required: a huge boulder or stone block*, 1 dose of Hellebore (+2), 4 drops of morning dew, chisel or other tool for inscribing rune on stone surface*, litter from the abandoned nest of an eagle
Description: By casting this spell, the sorcerer turns a large stone or rock into a powerful ward which will both repel and repulse lesser demons. Such demons will not willingly pass within 20 feet of the stone, and bound demons must make a POW vs 25 roll to do so if bidden by its master (or if their binding object is carried within the spell's area of effect). Failure on this roll will allow that demon to engage its own master in a POW vs POW roll in an attempt to break its binding; if successful, the demon will spend the spell's remaining duration fleeing from the stone's location, departing from the material plane altogether if able to do so. Demons may not be summoned to the stone's location, and this spell has no effect on Virtues or elementals.
Critical Failure: The stone violently shatters, delivering 2D6 physical damage to the caster and anyone else within 20 feet.
95+
Failure: The spell has no effect, although the caster will believe that it was successfully cast.
Critical Success: Double the spell's area of effect (40' radius), double the spell's duration (2D4x2 days), and demons must now make a POW vs 35 roll to willingly enter the spell's area of effect.
03-
Weave of Luminous Phosphorescence
DIF: 19
Casting Time: 1D6+4 hours
Duration: Special
Required: Spell cast at night, spell cast under a full moon (+4) or at least between the first and third quarters(+9), a small kettle*, a magnifying glass*, and small pair of tongs or tweezers*.
Description: As the caster chants beneath a moonlight sky, the quality of that light gradually becomes milkier and waxier, allowing the caster to condense it and collect it in a small kettle. The caster can then use tongs or tweezers to draw a single strand of that condensed moonlight from the kettle, affixing it to any solid surface, spooling the thread behind as he or she walks, so that its other end may be affixed to another surface-- effectively hanging a thread of moonlight between two solid objects. In this manner, after several hours, the caster is able to slowly spin and construct a fine, very faintly glowing, silky web of moonbeam filaments. This web will have a SIZ rating equal to twice the number of hours spent in its casting. The web will also be nearly invisible, requiring a successful SEE roll at -20% in order to spot it. Any creature moving through the webbed area must make a DEX vs SIZ roll to avoid making contact with one of its strands, and if contact is so made, must make a TUMBLE or FLY roll to avoid becoming ensnared. Once a creature has become entangled in the moon-web, it may attempt to roll STRx2 or less on D100 to escape. A successful escape performed in this manner will reduce the web's SIZ by 1. The web will dissipate, freeing any ensnared beings, at dawn, only to reappear at the following sunset with an additional SIZ reduction of 1.
Critical Failure: Obviously, the caster becomes hopelessly tangled within his own web until sunrise, unless he or she is able to roll STRx2 or less on 1D100.
98+
Failure: The web dissolves as soon as it has been completed, leaving nothing but a few faintly glowing strands willowing in the evening breeze. The spell has no effect.
Critical Success: The caster's web has an effective SIZ rating of three times its casting time in hours, and those ensnared within it must roll their STR or less to tear themselves free from its strands.
02-
Whispering Touch of the Intellect's Divining Will
DIF: Special (see below)
Casting Time: 1D4+1 rounds
Duration: 1D3 rounds
Required: Caster is touching the spell's subject (+3) and has eye contact with the spell's subject (additional +2), caster's INT is higher than subject's INT (+2), spell's subject is awake (+9), a piece of knotted leather cord*, a lit candle (+1)*, caster possesses an personal item which belonged to the spell's target.
Description: This spell allows the caster to read the thoughts of a single living mortal. The DIF of this spell is equal to 2D6+2 plus one half the spell target's INT rating (rounded down). Once the spell has been cast, the caster may attempt to access one specific piece of information in the spell target's mind by rolling his own INTx3 on 1D100; once such attempt may be made per round that this spell is in effect. If this INT roll is successful, the spell's target must clearly share whatever information the caster is seeking-- although that information will be as the target understands it, and that understanding might or might not be accurate. This sharing takes place "out of character," and no actual words need to be exchanged between the caster and the spell's target. At the spell's conclusion, the spell's target can attempt to roll his or her own POW or less on 2D10+2D8 to see if the target is aware that his or her mind has been read, although the character will not know what, if any, information was revealed to the spell's caster.
Critical Failure: The caster permanently loses 1 point of POW or 2 points of INT (player's choice), and as below under "Failure."
99+
Failure: Caster is stunned and incapable of taking action for 1D3 rounds.
Critical Success: The caster can automatically access specific information once per round while the spell is in effect without having to roll INTx3.
04-
Random Spell Determination
If the GM needs to randomly determine a spell for any reason-- the recommended method for determine which spells player characters begin the game with-- he or she may roll 1D100 and consult the chart below:
D100 Result: Spell Name
01-03 Bitter Comfort of the Mortal Coil
04-05 Caparison of Bone
06-10 Circle of Troth
11-14 Commune the Principality Unseen
15-16 Concealing Mists of Spirit, Air, and Water True
17 Dedicate the Wealden Aspect
18-20 Dharzi Gibber-Speech
21-23 Directed Spirit of Reductive
Essences
24-25 Divine the Summoner's Mind
25-28 Drawing Down the Portal
Unknown
29-32 Embodiment of the
Homonculous
33-34 Evocation of Blinded Cognition
35 Grim Rescission of Mortal
Devastation
36-39 Holy Suspension of Empyrean
Regulation
40-42 Inhabitation of Cold Steel
43-46 Joining of Kindred Will and
Spirit
47-48 Lessening of the Infernal
Protector's Might
49-53 Minor Restoration
54-58 Ocean Call of the Zephyr
59-62 Refuge of the Dragon Princes
63-64 Regression of Mortal Generation
65 Rending Immolation of Heaven and Earth
66-68 Restoration of the Multitude's Sundered Identity
69-70 Reversing the Stream of Perceived Chronology
71-75 Supplantation of Perceived Chronology
76-77 Touch of Eldren Mastery
78-80 Transcendence of Seeming Mortality
81-84 Triumph of Jaded Essences
85-87 Vengeance of the Ancient Drake-Lords
88-92 Warding Stone of Deep Earth's Blood
93-96 Weave of Luminous Phosphorescence
97-00 Whispering Touch of the Intellect's Divining Will
