24/30 Unexpected Experimentations for November

[raccoonmask]

Hello, my studious compatriots.
This Autumn, my students and I have been focusing on experimentation, and all of the benefits and dangers that may come from it. As followers of the way of Bonisagus, we are already familiar with the risks and rewards that lab experimentations can result in, and all members of our Order are, on some level, also knowledgeable of them. I believe, however, that the Order as an entity, and House Bonisagus as well, have only begun to see the potentialities of true experimentation.
Not only can we expand the bounds of Hermetic Theory, but we can also find new paths within already well-trodden logical paths, and in delightful instances, find new limits to break. I have begun my studies down this path, and I know you will find the inevitable results as enlightening as I have.
- Lucendi Ex Bonisagus

Hello!
This November (sorry I'm starting late!) I'm going to be putting out a bunch of Experimentation effects for spells and items. My plan is to have a formulaic spell or lesser enchanted device and then add in a number of weird side effects to chose from. While many people wouldn't really get much game-play benefit out of these weird side effect spells and items (maybe items or lab texts can be offered for sale by Bonisagus or Verditius at a Tribunal), I think that we can really get some creative fun, and maybe you can use some of the ideas in your games.

As an extra bonus, I'm adding in some home-brewed virtues and flaws focused on side effects and experimentations. If anyone wants to make comments, offer suggestions or edits or errata, please make those comments here on this thread on the main Ars Magica forum, so this posting thread can stay cleaner.

Let's try a Table of Contents:
0 New Virtues and Flaws
1 Wall of Flesh and Bone
2 Lamp of Flaring Lights
3 Cloak of the Woodland Prowler
4 Boots of Boundless Steps
5 The Pilum of Fire
6 The Worldbreaker's Eyes
7 The Terror Moon
8 The Stick of Getting
9 The Shard of Hatred
10 Shelter from the Sun
11 Its Just the Wind
12 Hero's Armor of Ice
13 Always Fish in the Sea
14 Vision of Emerald Days
15 The Horn of Jericho
16 Bargain with the Heart
17 Snare for Aphrodite
18 Orphean Lyre
19 The Sinister Duelist's Inconceivable Thrust
20 A Glorious Shield
21 A Conversation Caught in Time
22 Terror in the Shadows
23 To Retrieve the Lost Leaves of Knowledge
24 The Tidal Shift of Elemental Alignment

[raccoonmask]

Home Brewed Side-Effect Virtues and Flaws

Weird Laboratory Student (Minor Hermetic Flaw)
Despite having clear and easily identifiable instructions, sometimes things just don't work out the way they are supposed to. When working from a lab text to recreate a spell or to create an item, you roll on the Side Effect table in Experimentation Extraordinary Results. If creating multiple items or reinventing multiple spells in one season, roll separately for each.
Design notes: The side effect table is nominally 40% neutral, 40% bad, and 20% positive, though some of the neutrals can be considered a negative at times and one of the rolls is really bad - arguably a seasonal waste. So this is probably too much of a flaw. But I know people who would take it anyway.

Calculated Experimentation (Minor Hermetic Virtue)
While the experimental process is dangerous and profitable, some people have an ability to minimize the risks for some rewards during experimentation. During any laboratory activity where you would be allowed to experiment, you may instead select a flat +3 bonus to the lab total, in return for rolling on the Side Effect table in the Extraordinary Results chart. If you have a Magic theory of 6 or higher, you can also select a +6 for two rolls; With a magic theory of 9 or higher, you may select a +9 in exchange for risking three rolls on the Side Effects table. This cannot be used when experimenting.
Design notes: The reason this isn't used when experimenting is thematic, not because of game balance. I was using Inventive Genius as a baseline to compare against.

Hasty Researcher (Minor Hermetic Flaw)
Perhaps its impatience, or perhaps its an inevitable cutting of corners; Either way, you find yourself getting work done a little faster, but who cares if there's a few odd side-effects now and again? Whenever doing work in the laboratory on anything that would allow experimentation, you get a +2 to your lab total but must roll on the Side Effect table in the Extraordinary Results chart.
Design notes: I felt that the required nature of the flaw made it too hurtful without a small bonus.

[raccoonmask]

Skigeles of Jerbiton decided to be a healer, but found his true talents lay more in physical necromancy. After running into problems with angry soldiers and townsfolk, he decided to design this spell to give himself a way to escape and run away and use for shock value. Due to his Enduring Magic, he was confident that a Diameter duration would be sufficient.

The Wall of Flesh and Bone (Creo Corpus 35)
R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group
This spell conjures an organized wall of human corpses, each body stacked like brickwork atop of the others and their limbs entwined and stiffened with rigor mortis to add shape. This wall of conjured corpses fills space up to two paces wide and twenty paces long, and is as high as a man can reach. It also could be used to make a ramp leading up to a higher point, but the footing is rather infirm and grim. Due to his sigil, when Skigeles casts this spell, all the conjured bodies are clean and preserved.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +2 group, +1 magnitude for group size, +1 magnitude for the complex body arrangement)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: Due to his sigil, the every single corpse in the wall is shockingly clean, almost glistening to a pale bony polish and any hair trimmed and styled and coiffed.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The rigor mortis wears off relatively quickly, and by the time the spell ends, it has collapsed into a series of piles.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Any nearby scavengers will be attracted towards the corpse piles.
6 Minor Benefit: The bodies will let out a sound similar to a low wailing moan if they are attacked or disturbed, as air trapped in the lungs escapes.
7 Major Flaw: The wall of corpses is really more of a pile, and tends to end up as a geometric cone. More like a Pyramid of Flesh and Bone. Grisly.
8 Major Side Effect: Every single one of the corpses is an exact copy of the caster's naked, recently dead flesh. Every. Single. One.
9 Major Benefit:
10 Fatal Flaw: The summoned corpses are in terrible condition, and rapidly decay into a pile of bones and rotting flesh, the structural integrety of the wall collapsing in a matter of seconds and decaying more every moment. This can still create quite a mess, and dangerous terrain for people moving through it quickly.

[raccoonmask]

Hristos, of House Flambeaux, was a young mage new to his covenant when some unknown interlopers snuck into their territory and stole away vis from one of their vis sources. While someone else had to deal with fixing their grog patrols, Hristos was assigned to craft an item to allow them to signal the covenant if something amiss happened. He decided with experimentation, he could make a more impressive item, and the covenant was donating the vis needed to craft it, so he wouldn't lose anything if it went wrong.

Lamp of Flaring Lights (Creo Ignem [Imaginem] 12)
R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Group
This is a burnished lamp has a number of colored glass beads set on its sides, and is designed to be hooked into a belt loop. When the command phrase is called out, and the lamp waved into the air, a burning brand of light will burst into the air of different colors based on the glass beads set into the lamp. Because of Hristos's sigil, a whirling sword of fire spins out to the targeted point before exploding into a glowing, briefly hovering burst of flame.
(Base 3, +3 sight; 3 uses per day)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: A knife of fire zips out to the desired point and height, before bursting into a large glowing sigil similar to a hovering sword of flame.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Whoever actually triggers the see the burst of light, which will dazzle them briefly, giving them a -2 penalty to vision-based checks for a diameter. This happens even if they look away, or have their eyes closed.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The colors do change of the flare, but it is random rather than decided on activation
6 Minor Benefit: Anyone looking at the lamp when it is activated will be briefly dazzled, giving them a -2 penalty to vision based checks for a diameter. The person activating this can easily avoid the issue by looking away.
7 Major Flaw: ?
8 Major Side Effect: After the flare burns out as the duration ends, burnt coal and ashes rain down from its location for a minute.
9 Major Benefit: As the purpose of this item is for signalling, when the lamp bursts its light apon use, the flare also lets out a loud clap of noise drawing attention.
10 Fatal Flaw: The individual who activates the enchanted item is the only person who can actually see the flare, though nobody can figure out why this is.

[raccoonmask]

Incaelo of House Bonisagus was a researcher who acquired lycanthropy due to a magical accident during his apprenticeship. His specialty in magical animals and transmutation were a natural result. During his experimentations, he decided to create a cloak that would allow his companions to share his wolf-transformative abilities. Unfortunately, there were some side effects.

Cloak of the Woodland Prowler (Creo Corpus [Animal] 25)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual
Req: Animal
This appears to be a heavy mantle made of wolf-skin, carefully preserved. Pulling the cloak around yourself, you transform yourself into the shape of a wolf. The spell can be ended early, by peeling the wolfskin off. Due to Incaelo's sigil, the wolf's eyes reflect the current phase of the moon, even when the moon is not visible.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, once per day)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: While transformed, the wolf's fur is a pale white and a dark black, patterned like the current phase of the moon.
2-3 Minor Flaw: After the effect is ended, the wearer's body hair is thicker and heavier for a few days.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Nearby felines are curious about the transformed wolf, though not necessarily hostile or friendly.
6 Minor Benefit: After the transformation is ended, the wearer retains a strong ability to identify things by scent, and remembers scents smelled in wolf-form.
7 Major Flaw: The enchanted item doesn't transform into the wearer as part of the spell, and in fact the wolf ends up wearing a wolf-fur mantle. The spell ends if the mantle is removed.
8 Major Side Effect: The transformed wolf's howls are exceptionally pure and melodic, and carry quite far.
9 Major Benefit: While transformed, the wearer retains their human mind. In addition to languages, they retain their knowledge of Organization Lores and Area Lores.
10 Fatal Flaw: The transformation is strangely incomplete, and only the parts of the body covered by the short mantle actually transform, generally the head and chest and arms, leaving the rest of the body still human. This also works if the wolf-fur mantle is wrapped around the middle as a skirt, and its even more disturbing to behold.

[raccoonmask]

These boots were designed by an over-eager Jerbiton who was trying to befriend a number of Mercere Redcaps. He may have gone a little too far in his attempts to make friends, forgetting even that the boots would warp the friend he hadn't even made yet. Oh, and then he risked experimenting.

Boots of Boundless Steps (Rego Corpus 45)
This is a fine pair of heavy boots, designed for walking, hiking, and tromping around in the wilderness or civilization. With a command word, and a mighty leap, the wearer can teleport to any place within seven leagues, either in sight or an arcane connection. Due to the Jerbiton's sigil, a small flurry of rose-petals appear behind the teleportation.
(Base 30, +1 touch; Unlimited Uses)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: After teleporting, a cloud of flower petals in the shape of the departing wearer stays in place for a few seconds before blowing away, and on arrival, the wearer will be accompanied by an explosion of flower petals as well.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Every time the bearer appears, the direction they apear is the opposite of the way they were facing at the time.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Every time the wearer teleports, a pair of smoldering boot-prints are left, often damaging wood or rugs, and leaving ashen smudges on stone or hard surfaces.
6 Minor Benefit: The teleportation will leave behind unwanted lice and vermin, helping keep the wearer healthy and clean. Other than any warping for continued use.
7 Major Flaw: The wearer's senses feel like they stay behind at the previous location for a moment or two (a full combat round).
7b Alternate Major Flaw: The teleport doesn't account for any Herbam- or Terram-based items carried, and will leave behind coins, buttons, eating knives and swords, beltbuckles and strap-ties, wooden shoe-soles, and more.
8 Major Side Effect: For a few moments after teleporting, the sounds of the previous and new location are comingling, letting people near each location hear things said or occurring at both locations.
9 Major Benefit: When they activate the teleportation step, the wearer has a preternatural sense of the location they are teleporting to, which gives them a +3 on any Finesse rolls and -2 botch dice to land safely, and may give them a warning of incoming dangers at that location.
10 Fatal Flaw: Once activated, the boots trigger with every single movement of the foot or step taken, continuing to activate time and again until they are finally removed. These subsequent accidental activations require an Intelligence + Finesse roll of 15+ or the landing is unfortunate. Removing the boots without activating them requires a Dexterity + Concentration roll of 9+.

[raccoonmask]

Sometimes, even educated magi can make decisions on impulse, instinct, or ill-humor. Thus, the Flambeaux Incarnos, who while drunk, promised he would craft a Pilum of Fire for his grogs to use. There were a lot of witnesses, and despite his inexperiences with magical item crafting, instead of creating some wand or item that could spit gouts of fire, he instead opted to create a spear that ignited itself, and to make sure it worked right, he had to push his limits a bit too far...

The Pilum of Fire (Creo Ignem 35)
This stylized roman pilum has inset rings of brass around the handle, and a sharp steel tip. With a twist of the rings and a sweep of the spear, the head of it ignites in a white-hot flame, with fiery feathers swirling around it. While ignited, the short spear does an extra +5 damage with +20 penetration. There is some risks of damaging the item if used for prolonged periods, and after any use it should be allowed to cool for the same duration it was ignited.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter; Unlimited uses, +20 Penetration)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: When ignited, the spear's tip seems wreathed in a fiery phoenix-bird, leaving afterimages of glittering birds in flight when swung, and seeming to beat its wings and guide itself into every strie.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The flames of the spear lick down over the entirety of the spear, and can scorch the wielder if gloves are not worn, or if flammable items are held near.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The person wielding the spear feels as if their heat is being drawn out of them and into the spear, leaving their skin chilled to the touch.
6 Minor Benefit: After the flaming effect is extinguished, the spear's tip is still red-hot for a time. This raises the spear's damage by +2 for 3 rounds after the flames extinguish.
7 Major Flaw: The heat of the flames are somewhat dangerous to the spear itself, and after each use, it will need to be left to cool for an hour, or quenched in water to cool it to a reasonable temperature again. This lingering heat offers no extra damage.
8 Major Side Effect: While the flames are burning, the pilum's wielder seems to be a more vibrant and active figure, the colors of their body enhanced. Similarly, they perceive everything around them more vividly, making it easier to pick out differences in shade or hue.
9 Major Benefit: The flaming spear seems to draw in nearby fires to feed itself. Any flames touching the bearer of the Pilum will be extinguished unless magically fueled (with no penetration), or if the spear is thrust into them. The round after this occurs, the spear gets an additional +2 to its damage from the enhanced flames..
10 Fatal Flaw: After every strike, the bird-like flames leap onto the target struck. This does no additional damage, though it will singe hair, smolder tinder, or damage parchment. This effect immediately ends the effect on the spear, but the spearhead still needs to cool off to be used again safely, as if it had been active for the entire duration. This leap of flames is not enough to ignite the struck opponent.

[raccoonmask]

In an attempt to increase the effectiveness of his destructive tendencies, a Tytalus who believed he was descended of the first Titans designed a spell to help him destroy everything before him.

The Worldbreaker's Eyes (Intellego Terram 25)
R: Personal, D: Diameter, T: Vision
The caster of this spell is able to see the weak points in objects. This allows them to leverage their strength and apply force with great capabilities, helping them shatter stone, bend metal, break wood. This does not give the caster any ability to do super-human acts, but with the right tools, they can regularly succeed at feats that involve breaking things. While this spell is active, the caster's eyes appear to be orbs of stone. In addition to being able to see the weak points in objects, the power of their eyes allows them to see the weak points of enemy armor, halving the protective bonus of any worn armor when they strike.
(Base 4, +1 Diameter, +4 Vision)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The caster's eyes appear to be of stone, and their features become stony as well, with great craggy cracks across their features, almost as if a natural rock-face had eroded into features similar to their own.
2-3 Minor Flaw: While this spell is active, the caster's vision is entirely in black and white.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The caster's hands become slightly magnetic, with each hand repelling the other.
6 Minor Benefit: While the spell is active, the caster's body has a mild repelling force, that lowers their encumbrance load by 1.
7 Major Flaw: The weakness-detecting vision is overwhelming, showing not only the greatest weak-points in inanimate objects, but every potential weak point. This over-load of information requires a few moments of focus and an Intelligence + Concentration roll against an ease factor of 9 to find the useful information. To filter this information without spending an entire round focusing requires an ease factor of 15 or more.
8 Major Side Effect:
9 Major Benefit: While this spell is active, the ground beneath the caster's feet always becomes even and clear of debris, allowing rough terrain to be traversed easily.
10 Fatal Flaw: This spell, instead of augmenting vision, overwhelms the caster's vision. They can only see the weakpoints, making them effectively blinded to everything else, including the bulk of sturctures and objects, as well as all living things.

[raccoonmask]

This spell was designed by Khadija of Tremere, a Mentem specialist who thrived in social circumstances. When her manipulations amongst the nobility started going against her designs, she decided to create a spell that would allow her to inflict terrors on those who displease her, and perhaps allow her to 'rescue' them in return for favors. Though her specialties usually used eye-ranged spells, the sight-ranged version allowed her to distance herself as the cause of the malady. Her sigil is rigidity.

The Terror Moon (Rego Mentem )
R: Sight, D: Moon, T: Ind
The target of this spell develops an overwhelming fear regarding something - a fear of crowds, a fear of the outdoors, a fear of being poisoned. This fear becomes overwhelming over time; A fear of crowds will keep the target away from large groups, then over time they would avoid any numbers of people, and finally avoiding people at all. As the spell continues, their fear of one thing will start effecting even unrelated aspects of their lives; for example, they may stop drinking wine because any drunkenness and they may stumble into a crowded room in their own home, and they might start sleeping very lightly, because they don't want to have any people come wake them. Khadija's sigil means that every time they experience that fear, their muscles will clench up and stiffen.
(Base 10, +3 Sight, +3 Moon)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The overwhelming sigil means that every time something triggers their fear, their entire body will seize up, going rigid, and their perceptions of the world seems to freeze in place for an instant.
2-3 Minor Flaw:
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The target's eyes are the wrong color for the duration of the spell, gradually fading back to their normal color by the end.
6 Minor Benefit: After casting the spell, the caster feels free and brave for a short time, giving them the Fearless +2 personality trait for Sun duration.
7 Major Flaw: Khadija designed this spell during the same season that Jhabbar, her beloved pet dog, had died. It affected her focus during spell creation. This means that no matter what the desired fear is, by the end of the spell it always ends up 'fear of dogs'.
8 Major Side Effect: Every time the fear takes the target's mind, their skin goes paler, and their hair goes whiter. This effect begins to fade after the spell is ended, and a moon later, they are back to normal.
9 Major Benefit: No matter what the fear is, or how strong it is at the time, everything seems better and less frightening while the target can see the caster.
10 Fatal Flaw: This overwhelming fear is so great that their minds will rebel against it - their agoraphobia means they won't look at the sky, and therefor won't notice it at all, as if their mind blanks out that fear. Their fear of dogs means that they will refuse to admit that dogs exist at all.

[raccoonmask]

This is quite a unique item, originally an apprentice crafting project and a covenant aid as well. It was designed by an apprentice Merinita named Rekki, to help the grogs gather vis without the need of magi assistance. A lack of oversight by her master lead her to experiment on the creation.

The Stick of Getting (Rego Vim 13)
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This is a fire-hardened length of driftwood, with numerous trinkets and tokens hanging from its craggy surface by leather cords. To activate the item, you rap the crown of the staff against an object containing vis, and the next round, rap the butt of the staff against the object to store the vis. Due to her sigil, as the vis transfers, a cloudlike shadow seems to move from the source to the destination.
(Base 10, +1 Touch; 6 uses per day)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The object newly imbued with vis seems to shed extra shadows in numerous directions about it, and these shadows defy normal light sources including daylight. For some reason, moonlight hides these extra shadows.
2-3 Minor Flaw: If the person using the object does not transfer the vis fast enough, the Stick of Getting will deposit the vis into the bearer's shoes. When a clever grog tried to use the object while barefoot, it failed to work.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The shadows moving from source to destination leave a strange, chalky black substance in its wake.
6 Minor Benefit: After transferring the vis, the object newly imbued wit vis will hum and vibrate if brought near other vis.
7 Major Flaw: The vis transfers violently from source to destination. This causes the now-empty vessel to explode, and while transferring vis out of a cockatrice's feather seems safe enough, transferring vis out of an ornate iron bar would be incredibly dangerous.
8 Major Side Effect: A soft sobbing sound can be heard in the vicinity of the object that had its vis drained from it. This persists for a number of days equal to a stress die. On a botch, the weeping follows the person who used the item.
9 Major Benefit: After the power of the vis flows through the user, they will feel energetic and empowered for a time. For the next hour, they will have the benefits of the virtue Long Winded (Or Enduring Constitution).
10 Fatal Flaw: The Stick of Getting transfers the vis it moves into itself. It can hold 2 pawns of vis, and the vis seems to defy further attempts to move it from the Stick of Getting. It can be spent safely from the Stick of Getting.

[raccoonmask]

Vulcanos of Verditius was specialized in metal-crafting, with magical arts surpassing many of his bretheren. However, after a terrible assault by rivals on his boon companion and friend, Incarnos of Flambeaux, he spent years studying Mentem to help defend him. After a particularly... enlightening Twilight vision, Vulcanos decided to push his limits and combine the two disparate foci. He found that there were few real reasons to use this spell instead a normal Creo Terram conjured blade. But he still used the spell all the time.
Design notes: This spell was designed under the assumption that a blade created from hatred with Muto Terram will have no real special effects. This is because by the rules, the blade would have no special effects. If this spell was actually made in a saga I was adjudicating, I would give it some neat abilities by default, probably the listed Minor Benefit.

The Shard of Hatred (Muto Mentem [Terram] 40)
R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Part
As the spell is cast, a long blade of shimmering red-hued sword appears in the target's hand. This blade is the target's anger and rage given solid, sharp form, and if the target's hands are not closed, it will fall to the ground at their feet. While this spell is active, the target gets the Personality trait Angry -3, or an appropraite trait of theirs lowers by 3. Due to the designer's sigil, the forming blade is accompanied by a sound like breaking glass. This sword is well-made, but otherwise has no special traits beyond a normal blade, and if it breaks, it flows back into its original target, ending the spell.
(Base 25, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 part)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: In addition to the breaking glass sound when the blade forms, every time it is swept around a tinkling sound like falling glass shards rings out, louder or quieter based on how aggressively the blade was swung.
2-3 Minor Flaw: If the target has the Angry (or matching) personality trait at +3 or greater, the summoned sword is a long sword. If their Angry (or equivalent) personality trait is -3 or less, the blade summoned is a dagger. Otherwise, it is a short sword.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The blade, formed of a fraction of a mind, can be wielded by a ghost or spirit of the Mentem form.
6 Minor Benefit: The blade's sharpness is affected by the anger of the target. The conjured blade's damage is increased by the target's original Angry Personality trait.
7 Major Flaw: After the spell duration ends, the target of the spell has trouble remembering what happened during it, as parts of their memory are crystalized. They must make an Intelligence + Concentration roll of ease factor 9 to remember the time where their mind was split. Furthermore, if the blade breaks, they lose consciousness.
8 Major Side Effect: if the target wields the conjured blade themselves, each of their Personality traits are doubled instead of the normal effects on their Personality traits.
9 Major Benefit: If the target is wielding the blade, they gain control over their emotions while it is held in hand. They can allow their other emotions to flow into the blade (appearing as decorations upon the otherwise simple blade and pommel) which will allow them to alter their own personality traits towards +0 with but a moment's concentration.
10 Fatal Flaw: Creating the sword draws way more out of the target than actually intended, and out of the caster of the spell as well. Both caster and target gain the Flaw Simple-Minded for the duration, though only the target gets the Angry -3 Personality trait.

[raccoonmask]

Maga Expectora ex Miscellanea was the fillia of a very vigorous Quaesitor who was active in the Theban Tribunal, despite their Latinate roots. Both were experts of Intellego. After her parens disappeared amid a flurry of infernal activity, Expectora invested the time to get Room-targeted spells to deal with demoniac interference, and then designed a spell to make a targetable room in a hurry. With her Flexible Formulaic magic, she could easily conjure a room to last all through a hot day, or only the instant necessary to cast her room-targeted spell.

Shelter from the Sun (Creo Herbam 15)
R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Group
With a gesture and word, the caster conjures up a small sukkah-style hut, crafted out of wooden staves and woven reeds, vines, and large leaves. This can make shelter from sun with an Intelligence + Finesse roll of 6+, keep off the light rain with a roll of 9+, and can become more protective as the crafter's Finesse improves. As an additional bonus, things inside the hut are now inside a room. Due to Expectora's casting sigil, the woven vines and leaves making the walls of the small sukkah seem to dance and sway against the wind.
(Base 1, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +2 group, +1 magnitudes for conjuring different types of plant product)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The leaves and vines that make up the roof and walls of the spontaneous shelter dance and sway and shimmy constantly, whether there be wind or no. Even the stout wooden branches making up the corners and roofbeams seem to dance about like a shy ingenue at a ball.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The dancing sigil of the caster makes the hut skitter around for a few moments (the first round after its conjuration), which can be bad for unstable ground and is likely to knock over any piles near it.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The room inside the hut is fragrant with flowers from the vines that make up its lashings and walls. As wind or breeze blows through the loosely-bound hut, it spreads the delightful scent about.
6 Minor Benefit: The vines that make up the walls of the hut seem to easily move to allow the caster a good view through them.
7 Major Flaw: Each of the differing plant-product components of the shelter seem to not fit well with each other, requiring an Intelligence + Finesse roll of 6+ to make it count as a room at all, and a 9+ to shelter from the sun. It would never shelter from wind or rain without someone taking the time to re-bind and re-weave the fronds and vines that make up the walls and roofs of the shelter.
8 Major Side Effect: After casting the spell, the maga's footsteps leave strange seeds scattered upon the ground in their wake for a time. The exact type of seed is determined by the local flora where the spell was cast, and many of the seeds are viable for planting. Expectora was quite surprised to find that places she had travelled to were beginning to show signs of burgeoning wildflower populations.
9 Major Benefit: The vines that are conjured from the Magic Realm seem fresh-cut, and bedecked with ripe, perfect bunches of grapes, berries, and other edibles. Eating these can quench hunger and thirst for a time, but cannot substitute for real food. These foodstuffs will last even after the spell's duration expires, but despite their sweet flavor, they are not very nutritious.
10 Fatal Flaw: The conjured hut is very unstable, and no matter the Finesse and skill of the caster, it will collapse into piles mere moments after it is conjured. The truly determined can use the materials to rebuild a more usable hut afterwards.

[raccoonmask]

Anaketamalia of Tytalus was a maga originally from Thessaloniki, and a skilled weather witch. Always aggressively confident, when she finally decided on a husband, she was always worried about their safety as they were not Gifted, and only a large, powerful, and healthy male - nothing particularly special. Thus, when he was joining her on their brave adventures, she designed a spell to protect him, by turning him into a gusting wind.
(Spell design note: Our saga did not require requisites for clothing and gear to be included in the spell design, but did in the spell's casting.)

It's Just the Wind (Muto Corpus [Auram] 45)
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual
This spell turns a target's body into a swirling gust of wind, making them both swift to travel, and impossible to truly harm. They can move at a speed of 20-40 miles per hour, and can travel even faster by expending a long term fatigue every hour, gaining speeds up to 50 or 60 miles an hour. In addition to travelling at great speed safely, they can attempt to knock things over or carry them away. (rules for knocking things over are found in Transforming Mythic Europe, p 114, Form of the Zephyr). Due to her casting sigil, Anaketamalia's casting of the spell is accompanied by sweet, gentle harp music that fades into the distance.
(Base 30, +2 Sun, +1 Touch)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: For the entire duration of the spell, the strumming of harps follows the transformed target, thrumming louder and then fading. This may make it obvious when the spell is occurring, but the sigil's music always feels distant, rather than following the wind's path.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The target transformed cannot stay still. If they linger too long in one area, such as swirling around the same room or around a small area, the spell will end.
4-5 Minor Side Effect:
6 Minor Benefit: While transformed, the wind can pick up and discard objects easily. Anything not secured can get effertlessly caught up into the wind's flow, and discarded with equal ease.
7 Major Flaw: When the spell ends, the transformed individual is still moving at fast wind-speeds, and may not be properly on the ground. Safely ending the spell requires an Intelligence + Finesse roll against ease factor 9, or they take a moderate wound.
8 Major Side Effect: Something is strange with the way the wind travels, almost as if it is touching other Realms. As the wind passes, strange sounds echo from places not of this world, Faerie or Magic; Odd smells are left in its wake, and light passing through the wind gains an odd prismatic hue.
9 Major Benefit: Winds do not perceive reality the same as mortals, but for the duration of the spell, the target can understand the terrain their wind touches, and comprehend the features of things they blow across with uncanny accuracy, and this memory will linger beyond the spell's ending.
10 Fatal Flaw: The target is transformed into a gale-force wind immediately, a speed of 75 miles per hour, and this moves it 1/8th of a mile every round. Each round this costs them a fatigue level. Due to the incredible speed of movement, this requires a Quickness + Concentration stress die against ease factor 12.

[raccoonmask]

Theseus of Flambeaux was named after a great hero, and was confident he would be one too. He desired to be a monster hunter, and his natural affinity for ice and frost magics made his path to glory clear. He had spears of ice, he could summon a ship of ice, could conjure weapons of ice and could throw javelins of ice. His path was clear for what he needed last: Armor of ice. Well, that part was tricky, but he finally managed to make it work with a lot of experimentation.
(Design notes: I decided on Metal Scale protection and then took out a bit of theLoad because... I wanted magic to be cool. For your own sagas, use numbers that feel right.)
Hero's Armor of Ice (Creo Aquam [Terram] 20
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Individual
The caster or another they touch is encased in armor of thick ice, segmented at the wearer's joints. The armor takes a few seconds to form and solidify, allowing it to mold to the wearer's body. It actually coats the individual's clothing, soaking into it before freezing solid, using existing clothing as a basis for its final form. Once the ice is fully hardened, it is as protective as a a suit of metal armor, adding 7 Protection and 4 Load. Unfortunately, being pressed against the protective ice will cause damage to those unprepared, doing a stress die +1 damage every round. Due to Theseus's sigil, the ice forming is a slight sea-green color.
(Base 4(slightly unnatural, spread over surface), +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 magnitude for Terram adding strength)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The frozen armor drips with sea-green liquid, leaving oozing footsteps of sea-green, and refracting light makes the wearer look entirely limned in a faint green glow.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The frost armor cracks at the joints rather than interlocks, leaving significant gaps in the armor. It counts as a partial suit of armor instead of a full suit. (Protection 4, load 3)
4-5 Minor Side Effect:
6 Minor Benefit: The armor formed from the freezing water tends to freeze in sharp points and shards, giving them the look of a spikey daemon. They can attack with the spikes on shoulder, limb, or gauntlet or boot using Brawl, with +2 attack, +1 defense, and +2 damage.
7 Major Flaw:
8 Major Side Effect: The ice armor is summoned up from the very waters of the deep sea. In addition to having surprisingly stylish decorations reminiscent of waves and sea-foam, it has small fish trapped in its waters, which will often flop out and die as the water solidifies into the armor.
9 Major Benefit: The armor's formation is so well-crafted, as if an armor beyond the quality of mortal men. Its Protection value is 9.
10 Fatal Flaw: After the first few minutes of wearing the armor, it begins to melt in the sun. In hot climates, this will weaken the armor by 1 protection every 10 minutes - faster in extreme circumstances. In more temperate climates, its melting water will re-freeze rapidly, ruining any articulation. Every 10 minutes, the effective load increases by one as the joints melt and refreeze in unfortunate positions.

[Red-Shadow-Claws (Itzhak Even)]

Because it envelopes a human form, I'd probably adopt the following guideline from Ignem:

Level 5: Create a fire doing +5 damage in an unnatural shape, such as in a ring or sheet, or covering an item. (Purely cosmetic shapes are free.)

[raccoonmask]

Psythiros ex Miscellanea was a magus who was one with the world around him. He was a friend to the beasts and spoke with them often. He need never fear starvation, nor drowning, nor deprivation. Unfortunately, he also lost all magical power when submerged in water. Being able to survive a year under the ocean with no water doesn't make it fun to have to walk back to land the slow way. Thus, an expert in Animal, he designed a spell to call help to him before his magic faded and the waters overtook him.
(Design notes: I believe dolphins were considered fish during the time period.)
(Design note 2: The original spell designed in game was Always a Bigger Fish, and summoned a single whale, but I preferred this version. If you go for the whale version, the 10-roll on side effects summons the whale having swallowed you.)

Always Fish in the Sea(Creo Animal 30)
R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Group
This spell creates a pod of dolphins out of nothing. While some would include a Rego requisite to make the dolphins obedient, Psythiros had faith his good nature and Animal Ken would convince the well-meaning dolphins to help him. He hasn't been proven wrong yet. Due to his sigil, the spell causes everyone seeing the dolphins appear to feel rather self-satisfied at having witnessed such a great event. Dolphins are good luck, right?
As Psythiros is a kind soul, the spell, as designed, will fail if there is no water for the dolphins to appear in.
(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +2 Group)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: Not only does everyone seeing the summoned fish feel satisfied at witnessing the event, the dolphins themselves will be incredibly pleased and proud at every action they take. This will definitely color their actions, and you not easily get them to stop playing if they start.
2-3 Minor Flaw: In addition to the summoned dolphins, a number of other, smaller fish will also appear, and a number of dolphins will definitely be focused on their dinners before listening to anyone who needs help. Violence, of course, will get their attention immediately.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Every single dolphin bears a matching mark on it's crown of a black star.
6 Minor Benefit: When the spell is cast, the dolphins are also surrounded by a flurry of bubbles that will buoy up the caster and anyone nearby, helping them swim or float.
7 Major Flaw: The spell also summons a single shark. Many of the dolphins will likely attack this shark. The shark will definitely attack the dolphins.
8 Major Side Effect: Every single dolphin is a bright, unrealistic hue of color, and they are all quite proud of their unique shades.
9 Major Benefit: One or more of the dolphins speaks the local language, and they can
10 Fatal Flaw: The conjuration summons a pair of dolphins, and a number of calves which they consider their own. They will likely be eager to flee for the safety of their young, and one may belligerently attack anyone in the water to let the others escape.

[raccoonmask]

Bubonem ex Miscellanea was a Quaesitor in his elder days, having finally earned the respect and duties he strove for. As a new magus, however, he always was striving and proving himself to be a better and better magus of the Order. As an Ex Miscellanea magus from a backwater tradition, he always was underestimated, and his victories often attributed to others. Always striving for more, he sought out ways his covenant could find more vis to bring in and increase their wealth, status, and ability to protect their covenfolk. His casting sigil is the color green.

A Vision of Emerald Days (In Vi 25)
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Vision
This spell gives the touched target the useful magical ability to see raw vis. As the spell is in effect, their eyes glow a vibrant green, and whenever vis enters their vision, it glows with a green radiance in their perception. Originally intending to use the spell on himself, after some thought he expanded it to be usable on others, such that adventuring grogs could come back with magical wealth if luck granted.
(Base 1, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +4 Vision)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: More than merely glowing green, the target's eyes are suffused with a vibrant green gleam, as if their eyes were pure emeralds, reflecting the light. All things in their vision appear to be seen through a green lens, though Vis glows brightly and obviously still.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The glow of vis is faint at first, growing brighter the closer the target gets to it. This makes it difficult to see any vis far away, or hidden behind other objects.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: After casting the spell, the magus (not the target) leaves strange dusty green stains on everything they touch for the day, though the stain fades away to nothingness in a few minutes.
6 Minor Benefit: For the duration of the spell, when the target has their eyes closed, they can hear the color green.
7 Major Flaw: The glimmer of vis is no glimmer, but a bright gleam and flash, which can be blinding for the bespelled viewer to see directly, like staring into a glowing fire.
8 Major Side Effect: The target's hair shifts to a wild green hue, like rich forest leaves, and unseen winds seem to sweep past them to tug at hair and clothes, though none others feel the wind. This does tend to make them look quite dramatic at times, but also can scare or worry the more mundane-minded.
9 Major Benefit: Through their verdant-stained vision, the caster can detect different hues of magic, and often can detect the edges of auras (with an ease factor of 15 - the aura strength), though regio boundaries are still hidden from this magic.
10 Fatal Flaw: The target's entire vision is overwhelmed with the hue of green, making discerning color impossible, and the green glow seen vis is hard to detect, requiring a Perception + Awareness roll against ease factor 9, as well as an active attention to searching - they are unlikely to notice the green-on-green gleam without actively studying the area.

[raccoonmask]

A Tytalian magus with a dramatic bent, Rheon decided it was time to take down one of his agent's mundane rivals in a biblical fashion. He was easily able to manipulate things so the Duke was thought to be beginning heretical studies, but he could not find a way to finish his plan without someone else learning of his machinations. Thus, he had to create this final instrument himself, despite his lack of skill with Perdo.
(Design note: I envision this ram's horn the size of a tuba.)

The Horn of Jericho (Perdo Terram[Imaginem])
R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group
This horn is carved out from a massive ram's horn of epic proportions, capped and inlaid with gold and silver. When blown, it's call can be heard far, far away, extending the voice range of the magical item. When turned towards a castle and blown in thrice succession, the outer walls crumble and shatter into fragments, appearing to be torn down by dark shadows crawling up out of the ground. This last effect was added for a mixture of style and to hide his own sigil, which is a blast of sweltering hot air wafting between the horn blower and the target.
(Base 4, +2 Voice, +2 group, +2 size, +1 Imaginem requisite; 3 uses per day)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: Despite his attempts to hide his sigil, the horn's sounding is accompanied by a rippling waft of hot, smoldering wind that distorts the air between blower and target.
2-3 Minor Flaw: In addition to the target, any stone or rocks the horn-blower has in their possession will crumble to dust.
4-5 Minor Side Effect:
6 Minor Benefit: Those who hear the horn-blowing are either emboldened (Brave score +2) or frightened (Brave score -2) based on their alliance and opinion of the suddenly crumbling walls. This mood shift may last for days.
7 Major Flaw: After blowing the horn, the user is deafened by the blast. They can attempt to recover every hour with a Stamina roll against ease factor 9.
8 Major Side Effect: Strangely, after blowing the horn it feels incredibly light and easy to move for the rest of the day, despite its massive size.
9 Major Benefit: Almost as if emulating the epic of Jericho in divine mockery, when blowing the horn, anything within the targeted walls with Infernal Might loses 5 might points with a +15 penetration. For some reason, this effect is not detectable by hermetic means. Did Rheon accidentally use Infernal vis, or Divine? While Rheon's initial target did not have demons in his employ, someone may have greater plans for this Horn.
10 Fatal Flaw: Instead of destroying the stone walls targetted, the blast of the horn instead destroys and weakens any mortar. While this will weaken and crumble many walls, many will be left still standing and possibly repairable.

[raccoonmask]

Emporos of Troy was a Merinita who was focused on longevity rituals and aging, but his personality directed him towards more social interests. He was particularly allied with merchants, and had a slew of spells dealing with bargains and deals. His casting sigil is growing darkness.

Bargain with the Heart (Perdo Corpus 35)
R: Touch, D: Bargain, T: Individual
Upon a deal seal and a promise made, and Magic shall bind the poor soul. Should the bargain be broken, then the offending individual will feel the touch of death claw closer to their heart.
Breaking the bargain causes the target to suddenly age five years, and a dark hue seems to ooze through their veins.
(Base 15, +1 Touch, +3 Bargain

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: After the casting of the spell, the target's veins darken, carrying the sign of their impending doom to those who look closely. Should the bargain curse trigger, their skin will sweat out a black oily substance that leaves them aged.
2-3 Minor Flaw: If the spell expires at the end of the year, it then triggers as if the bargain was broken.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: While the spell is waiting for its bargain to be broken, the target's eyes reflect the hue of the caster's.
6 Minor Benefit:
7 Major Flaw: The onset of the curse is surprisingly delayed, allowing the target to find a way to break it. Instead of suddenly aging them five years, they make an extra aging roll every year for five years, before the spell fades.
8 Major Side Effect:
9 Major Benefit: Should the target break their bargain, the caster gets a -2 to their next aging roll.
10 Fatal Flaw: The caster is bound by the deal as well, and should either of them break the bargain, both suffer the consequences.

[raccoonmask]

This spell was designed by a manipulative Dagos of Tremere, focused on dealing with the mundane lords and ladies ruling over the area his Covenant inhabited. He designed this spell to feed on vanity and make his gifts and overtures be better taken. While most Tremere would use their Rego magics to control their target, Dagos was rather inept at that Technique. Instead, he used Muto to convert the emotions felt when he gave 'gifts' to Lords, to ones of pride and vanity. This helped him get around the penalties of the Gift during initial overtures. He found casting this spell on a Duke and his advisors was often needed, so he designed the spell to be group targeted.

Snare for Aphrodite (Muto Mentem 20)
R: Eye, D: Sun, T: Group
Meeting the caster's eye when they enact this spell causes a surge of pride in the target. The target will interpret any favors or gifts as justified, and they are prone to accept them. Though the actual social acumen of the gift giver will matter most of all, often when the spell wears off, the gifts will no longer seem as justified, which allowed him to leverage them into debts. Due to his lavender-scented sigil, Dagos was prone to wearing or carrying sprigs of the flower to hide his spellcasting. Due to the difficulty of meeting the eyes of larger groups, this spell is usually only cast on a lord and their nearby councilors.
(Base 3(change to emotion), +1 Eye, +2 Sun, +2 Group)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The scent of lavender accompanying the spell is poignant enough that it will linger in the minds of the targets when they think of the event. This is why Dagos started giving sprigs of fresh-cut lavender with his gifts.
2-3 Minor Flaw:
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Inexplicably, the caster's clothes shed off any dirt when this spell is cast.
6 Minor Benefit: After the spell is cast, the targets are often more focused on the caster's words and actions for a diameter. While this offers no numerical benefits to social rolls, it will negate many of the effects of distractions during ensuing negotiations.
7 Major Flaw: Though the targets are unaware of it, the caster seems to exude an aura of strangeness, not akin to the gift, that makes them incredibly memorable to others in the area.
8 Major Side Effect: The targets of the spell will all feel the draw of vanity. For the duration of the spell, they will gain the Personality Trait Prideful +3 (or it will increse by +3), and the effect will fade over the course of the following day.
9 Major Benefit: After gifts are offered, the caster is well-disposed towards the targets for the duration of the spell, which can offset social penalties of the gift or other circumstances. After all, the caster noticed how incredible the councilors all are. Th
10 Fatal Flaw: The spells' mutation of the target's mind is more firm than intended, and though the spell will wear off over time, even when it is gone the targets will still feel completely justified in whatever gifts they accepted, and will feel no debt in the slightest towards the giver.