Notably lacking in the Normal Spells section is such fantasy staples as Fireball. These fall under High Power Magic and follow a slightly altered set of rules. The magics in this category are referred to as Incantations to distinguish them from basic spells. Shamans, Elementalists, and Theurgists are restricted on which spells they can learn. Spirit Binders are restricted by the type of spirit they are bound to (elemental spirits give Elementalist, nature spirits give Shaman, all other give Theurgist). Device Users cannot access most Incantations. All incantations have verbal components of some sort as a means to focus the power being wielded. If a spellcaster is rendered unable to speak by some means, they are unable to use Incantations.
Nonlethal Damage: The increased power of Incantations comes with a corresponding price. Unlike standard spells, which can be fueled completely by spirits, Incantations require more effort on the part of the caster to control the effects of the spell, and correspondingly deal nonlethal damage to the caster. This damage is halved if the incantation’s Magery DC is beaten by 30.
Overcast: A mage may choose to overcast a spell, at the cost of their own health. The initial grade of Overcasting merely changes the nonlethal damage dealt from casting to lethal damage. Each grade after that adds an additional die of lethal damage (IE: overcasting an Energy Blast to grade 3 deals 3d6 lethal damage to the caster). However, each grade over Overcast provides a +2 bonus to the Magery check made to cast the spell. This damage is not negated or halved due to a high Magery check result.
Damage Dice Cap: Incantations determine the amount of damage dice they deal through a mathematical calculation involving the Magery Check result and a set DC. The amount of damage dice that an incantation deals cannot exceed the caster’s character level.
INCANTATION ACCESS BY TYPE OF MAGIC
ALL TYPES: Snipe Shot (energy type depends on school), Wide Area Protect
DEVICE MAGIC: Buster Blast, Energy Lines (energy damage only)
ELEMENTALISM: Energy Blasts, Energy Lines
SHAMANISM: Blizzard, Change Earth, Energy Lines (electricity only), Thunder Fall
SPIRIT BINDING: By spirit type, consult the descriptions of spirits in the Spirit Binding section.
THEURGY: Buster Blast, Teleport
Blizzard
Roar, spirits of the winter storm!
Summoning the spirits of the frigid winter storm, the caster brings forth a howling torrent of frigid air and snow.
Action: Standard Action
Area: 2 square burst radius
Range: 12 squares from the center of the burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6
Damage: Xd6 Cold (X = Magery Check Result – 15)
Attack: Magery Check vs. Reflex Defense.
Special Rules: If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense (bonuses against cold apply), the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares until the end of the next turn.
Buster Blast
Action: Standard Action
Area: 2 square burst radius
Range: 12 squares from the center of the burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6
Damage: Xd6 Energy (X = Magery Check Result – 15)
Attack: Magery Check vs. Reflex Defense (SPECIAL AREA ATTACK: Targets on the outer squares take no damage if the attack misses. Targets on the inner squares take half damage if the attack misses.)
SPECIAL: Any target that takes full damage from this incantation is moved outwards away from the center of the burst 5′ for every 5 points that the Magery Check beats beats a DC of 15.
Change Earth
Earth below, heed my command!
Action: Standard Action
Area: 4-square burst radius
Range: 12 squares from the center of the burst
Duration: Concentration
Nonlethal to Caster: 3d6
Magery Check DC: 20
This incantation allows the caster to transform the earth (or similar substance) into a related form. That is, normal earth may be changed to mud or soft stone. Soft stone might be changed to earth or hardened into granite (or a similar rock). Mud could be transformed into normal earth, etc.
Targets caught in the area of effect might become entangled if the ground beneath their feet becomes treacherous (GM’s discretion). A character who might be affected by this is only affected if the Magery check made to cast this Incantation beats their reflex defense.
Energy Blasts – this must be learned separately for each damage type.
Action: Standard Action
Area: 2 square burst radius
Range: 12 squares from the center of the burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Possible Damage Types: Fire, Electricity, Cold
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6
Damage: Xd6 of the selected energy type. (X = Magery Check – 15)
Attack: Magery Check vs. Reflex Defense (SPECIAL AREA ATTACK: Targets on the outer squares take no damage if the attack misses. Targets on the inner squares take half damage if the attack misses.)
Special Rules:
Cold damage – If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense (bonuses against cold apply), the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares until the end of the next turn.
Electricity damage – Functions as Ion Grenade that dealt one-half of the electricity damage as Ion Damage.
Fire damage – Targets catch on fire.
Energy Lines – this must be learned separately for each damage type.
Action: Standard Action
Area: 6 square line, originating from you (or 12 squares if you double the nonlethal damage you take)
Range: 6 squares (or 12 squares if you double the nonlethal damage you take)
Duration: Instantaneous
Possible Damage Types: Fire, Electricity, Cold, Energy (Restricted to Device Magic)
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6 (4d6 for a 12-square line)
Damage: Xd6 of the selected energy type. (X = Magery Check – 15)
Attack: Magery Check vs. Reflex Defense. Area attack, targets missed take half damage.
Special Rules:
Cold damage – If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense (bonuses against cold apply), the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares until the end of the next turn.
Electricity damage – Functions as Ion Grenade that dealt one-half of the electricity damage as Ion Damage.
Energy – If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense, the target is moved 1 square away from you in the direction of the line’s travel.
Fire damage – Targets catch on fire.
Snipe Shots – this must be learned separately for each damage type.
Action: Standard Action
Target: A single target within range.
Range: 24 squares
Duration: Instantaneous
Possible Damage Types: Fire, Electricity (the only choice for shamans), Cold, Energy (device users only)
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6
Damage: Xd6 of the selected energy type. (X = Magery Check – 15)
Attack: Ranged Attack vs. Reflex Defense.
Special Rules:
Cold damage – If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense (bonuses against cold apply), the target’s speed is reduced by 2 squares until the end of the next turn.
Electricity damage – Functions as Ion Grenade that dealt one-half of the electricity damage as Ion Damage.
Energy – If the Magery check also beats a target’s Fortitude defense, the target is moved 1 square away from you in a direction of your choice.
Fire damage – Targets catch on fire.
Teleport
Action: 1 Minute
Nonlethal Damage to Caster: 2d10
Magery Check DC: See Text
Range: Touch (all targets must be touching caster)
Target: Personal, plus all targets (and their equipment) touching the caster
The destination for this spell may be anywhere the caster knows personally or has been given location information for (a picture and map is preferable). Effectively, the targets effected by this spell disappear from one location and appear near-instantaneously at the destination (for the longer distances, lightspeed lag might come into play). The actual visual effects of the spell vary from caster to caster.
The Magery check DC depends on the distance to the target destination.
| Teleport Distance | DC |
| 100 Miles | 20 |
| 1000 Miles | 25 |
| 10000 Miles | 30 |
| Planetary Orbit | 35 (Why is this higher than the DC for 10,000 Miles? Easy, its implied that you’re teleporting to an installation or ship in planetary orbit, and that’s a whole lot more difficult since you have to keep vectors of the target in mind. Simply teleporting 200 miles up? That’s about a DC 21 check.) |
| Earth->Moon (as an example) | 40 (extra Standard Action spent in travel) |
| Longer Distances | Theoretically Impractical. Unlike Psionics, magic does not surpass the speed of light. It IS doable, but the difficulty places it out of the reach of modern spellcasters (DC depends on distance, you’re talking something like a DC 100 to get from Earth to Mars when they are closest). Not to mention the issue with lightspeed lag. How does 40 minutes in travel sound? |
On a failure of 5 or less, you arrive within 1d10 miles of your destination. On a failure of more than 5 but less than 10, you arrive within 1d100 miles of your destination. On a failure of more than 10, the GM determines some horrible fate for you, usually involving merging with solid rock, swapping body parts with people, or simply winding up back at your starting point…inside out.
Anyone trained in the Magery skill can use the Aid Another action to assist the caster with their Magery check to cast this incantation.
Thunder Fall
Fall from the skies, mighty bolts of lightning!
Summoning the spirits of the mighty summer thunderstorm, the caster calls forth an eruption of lightning bolts and thunder.
Action: Standard Action
Area: 2 square burst radius
Range: 12 squares from the center of the burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Damage Type: Electricity and Sonic
Nonlethal to Caster: 2d6
Damage: Xd6 (X = Magery Check – 15)
Attack: Magery Check vs. Reflex Defense. Half the damage dealt is electricity, and half is sonic. This is an area attack, missed targets take half unless they have evasion.
Special Rules: This spell functions as an Ion Grenade that dealt an amount of Ion Damage equal to the amount of Electricity Damage it dealt.
Wide Area Protect
Action: 1 minute (standard), 1 standard action (accelerated), Reaction (emergency)
Nonlethal Damage to Caster: 2d8 (standard), 4d8 (accelerated), 6d8 (emergency)
Magery Check DC: GM Sets, dependent on area being protected.
Range: Varies
Duration: Concentration + 1 Round
How this spell functions varies from caster to caster. For example, during World War Three someone cast this somewhere in the vicinity of New York City, and the spell caused an incoming missile to malfunction and not detonate. Essentially, it creates a large barrier over the area being protected, preventing ‘harm’ from occurring inside the area. This is a very GM-heavy spell in terms of exactly what it does.
Nearby characters trained in the Magery skill can use Aid Another to assist the caster with this spell, though in the case of Accelerated and Emergency casting times, they take the nonlethal damage as well.