24/30 Unexpected Experimentations for November

[raccoonmask]

The Merinita Cantori, of Venice, focused his efforts into bringing the muse-spawned songs of the Theban Tribunal to the Latinate world. This focus came after an enlightening Twilight event. He designed the Orphean Lyre, a glimmering masterwork of craftsmanship by a Verditius that was then enchanted to draw music out of the mind of those who touch it. Even with the experimental flaws and side effects, a pair of notable Jerbiton artisans commissioned Lyres for themselves to use in their work creating music.

Orphean Lyre (Creo Imaginem 30)
R:Voice, D: Concentration, T: Group
The Orphean Lyre is a masterfully crafted musical instrument, inlaid with gold and ivory, and strings that vary from gut, to silver, to what looks like glass. It counts as an Item of Quality(+3 to create music), though it takes a bit of practice to not accidentally trigger the enchantment while playing. Striking a particular chord on the enchanted Lyre causes the desired music to spring into being, filling the area where the Lyre is. The person enacting the effect must make a Communication + Music stress roll against an ease factor 6 to create intelligible music, with higher rolls producing better music. Those who understand music but have no personal experience can try to use the instrument using Finesse or Artes Liberales(music theory) rolls, but the ease factor should be 3 higher. When the enchanted effect is activated, light surrounding the lyre seems to refract in a prismatic fashion for a moment, due to the crafter's sigil.
(Base 1, +1 Voice, +1 Concentration, +2 group, +2 intricacy: Fine music; Unlimited use, item maintains concentration)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: When the musical enchantment is enacted, the air surrounding the Lyre seems to refract light into its prismatic colors, and the effect continues to replicate through the entirety of the song being played. It's a Disco Ball.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Striking the musical chord to trigger the songs causes a sharp pain on the fingers of the user, and repeated uses can even create shallow cuts on the fingertips. Lyrists tend to have the calluses already on their fingers so they won't notice.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Striking the activation chord causes a number of small crystalline prisms to appear in the area the music is affecting, as part of the prismatic sigil effect. These crumble to chalky dust when the song ends.
6 Minor Benefit: The area the music is playing in can be contained in a particular area, which would allow different melodic tunes to be played in different corners of the same room, with no audial disruption from other activations.
7 Major Flaw: Due to a quirk in the vis used to craft the item, the Music roll gets a penalty in Divine or Infernal auras as if a magical power.
8 Major Side Effect: Birds and other musical animals nearby will begin to sing along with any music they hear from the lyre.
9 Major Benefit: With a musical quality roll of 12+, a particular mood or feeling can be enacted, exemplified, and distilled. This gives a +2 to any relevant personality rolls by the affected listeners. Despite lack of requisites, this counts as a Mentem effect with a +0 penetration - although many faeries are affected despite their magic resistance. For some reason, this doesn't work with Finesse rolls.
10 Fatal Flaw: The musical instrument can only follow the intent of the activator imperfectly - while the item is maintaining concentration, the effective roll for musical quality is lowered by 1 every minute. For example, if a Finesse roll of 12 was rolled, after 3 minutes, the music would become only passable (effectively 9), and a minute later the music would devolve into a bit of a chaotic mess of sound.

[raccoonmask]

The Sicilian Tytalus, Vezzini, was known for his subtle mastery of intrigue and politics. He often managed to arrange foppish noblemen to duel one another, but found more often than not, he was not pleased with the outcome of the duel. Thus, he went to his laboratory to see if he could subtly rig the results of fights or duels. He took time perfecting the spell so that the weapon would not leap from the wielder's hand, and look like the attack was natural. Vezzini enjoyed casting this spell in response to someone performing a skilled parry, making it look insufficient.

The Sinister Duelist's Inconceivable Thrust (Rego Terram 20)
R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This spell was designed to subtly interfere with duels and fights. The caster targets a weapon he can see, held by another or laying near the focus of their ire. The weapon will jump point-first towards the intended victim, attacking using Perception + Finesse. If unattended, the damage is as per the weapon, wielded with Strength +3. Should the targeted weapon be held by someone at the time, they may chose to add +2 to their strength for the attack, or instead subtract their strength if they resist the strike. When cast by Vezzini of Tytalus, the spell is accompanied by the scent of red wine.
(Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 for delicate control)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: In addition to the scent of wine, both the wielder of the weapon and the target feel a sudden, heady sense of being drunk for a moment. This does not actually create any game penalties, but Vezzini's shield grog, a drunk, rather enjoys having the spell cast on his weapons.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The thrust of the targeted weapon tends to follow the gestures of the caster, giving onlookers a chance to notice the magus doing something strange before the amazing, unexpected attack.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The spell seems to grab a glittering flash of light, drawing attention of anyone paying even the remotest attention to the duel, making the inconceivable strike look exceptionally classy.
6 Minor Benefit: When casting the spell on a wielded weapon, the magus can gain a sense of the skill of the wielder, within 2 levels of Ability.
7 Major Flaw: This spell tends to create a sudden, unexpected stress the targeted weapon. Roll two botch dice, and should it be confirmed, the weapon will break or crack. Exceptionally durable weapons can roll one or even zero botch dice. Shoddy blades would roll three or four.
8 Major Side Effect:
9 Major Benefit: The spell's precision and skill can be used for defense as well as offense, should the caster desire it. The targeted weapon can deflect a single incoming attack that round with a defense total of Quickness + Finesse -3. The wielder of the weapon can also dodge, if desired, though cannot use their own weapon skill.
10 Fatal Flaw: Should the spell target a held weapon, the attack total and damage are both reduced by the wielder's strength, if positive, unless they were prepared to act along with it instead of their normal action that round.

[raccoonmask]

Lux Pel, a Tremere, was rather inept at spellcasting, and focused his time with the Order in crafting items and creating devices to aid his house. While he often designed mystic wands and staves for his compatriots, after a campaign against aggressive Giants in northern Rhine, he befriended a Flambeaux who had come to hunt them, and decided to show his House's appreciation with this gift (and his Archon's permission). His wizard's sigil is the form of squares.
(Design note: His sigil is pixilation.)

The Glorious Shield (Perdo Terram [Herbam] 25)
R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This hearty and stout heater shield that protects its bearer in a most aggressive fashion. Any incoming oject or weapon of stone, metal or wood that strikes the designs etched on the shield will crumble away. Due to Lux Pel's sigil, a destroyed sword will appear to decay into cubes that then disperse into smaller and smaller squares. A defender wielding the shield can explicitly target an opponents weapon by taking an action to attack (using the shield's +0 attack). Any attacker who misses the wielder will strike the shield if they are unaware of the effect, and if they are trying to avoid the shield, if they miss by more than 3, they will have struck the shield by accident. Incredibly large objects, such as doors, walls, and wagons, will not be affected.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 magnitude for requisite; +10 levels unlimited uses)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: When the effect triggers, the destroyed item will crumble into tiny little cubes, falling in a neat little stack on the ground in the shape of the original object. Although embarrassed at the result in experimentation, Lux Pel refused to give a spare copy of the Glorious Shield to his kitchen staff to aid in food preparation.
2-3 Minor Flaw: While holding the shield in position, a radiation of energy flows from the shield's enruned surface, in tiny little squares. This usually gives sufficient warning to incoming attackers to avoid hitting the shield with their weapons on initial blows, unless they happen to be Reckless.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The shield also destroys dirt, blood, and grime. The face of the shield is always incredibly clean and polished. The face of the shield can be hidden with cloth or similar, but that will prevent attacks from hitting the surface unless they tear through the covering.
6 Minor Benefit:
7 Major Flaw: The effect flows beyond the forwards surface of the shield. The bindings and straps of the shield, as well as the leather-bound grip, are too close to the magical aura of the enchantment, which weakens them over time, requiring frequent replacement. Similarly, the sides and back of the shield can accidentally break things they make firm contact with, such as the owner's weapon, their ally's shield, the chair the shield was just slung over, or the wielder's metal gauntlet.
8 Major Side Effect: Despite not being polished and mirrored, the surface of the shield reflects light as a mirror would, practically gleaming in firelight and sunlight directly. Any light reflected can be easily directed by the one holding the shield, but it is not actually reflective, so one cannot see their own face in it. Strange.
9 Major Benefit: If used as an offensive weapon, shield-bashing against enemies can shatter their weapons, their shields, and their armor. Battering an opponent with the weapon will likely break one of those, increasing any damage the shield strike does by +5, and depriving them of armaments.
10 Fatal Flaw: Every time the shield destroys metal or stone, the object it strikes explodes violently into a cloud of cubic shrapnel, doing a stress die +10 damage to those nearby - most likely only the wielders of shield and weapon. The splintering cubes of wood from items of such construction only deal +5 damage to those caught nearby in the chaotic explosion.

[raccoonmask]

Khadija of Tremere was a Gently Gifted maga, and rather delighted in the machinations of intrigue and social manipulation. Unfortunately, her overconfidence and pride mixed with noble preferences, Maga Khadija often ruined conversations with dirty peasants. Whether impatience, rudeness, or otherwise, she often had to employ magic to fix conversational mistakes with the farmers and tradesmen of lower class. Her ability to cast spells subtly made it easy for her to use her manipulations whenever needed.
(Design note: One of my players cast Perdo Mentem spontaneously to restart conversations. This version of the spell draws inspiration from the movie Memento.)
A Conversation Caught in Time (Perdo Mentem 25)
R: Eye, D: Concentration, T: Individual
Casting this spell upon an unfortunate soul allow the caster to destroy the target's ability to turn a short-term memory into a long-term memory. Khadija used this spell to re-play introductions and greetings, demands and bartering, redoing the same conversation repeatedly until she got the desired result. She could re-start the conversation with a sudden distraction, such as a shout, or clap or other unexpected gesture. While the spell is in effect, Khadija's casting sigil subconsciously makes the target stand straight and rigid.
While conversation is often difficult while concentrating on spells, as this spell was designed for conversational use, it only requires a roll of Stamina + Concentration with an ease factor of 9, whenever the caster tries to distract the target. Outside distractions have no reduction in difficulty.
(Base 10, +1 Eye, +1 Concentration, +1 intricacy of conversation)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: Not merely standing tall, the target stands stiff and rigid like a puppet during the spell.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Laces, ties and ribbons on the caster become undone over the course of the conversation(s).
4-5 Minor Side Effect: There is something in the caster's eyes that holds attention, a reflection... a strange hue.. something... strange?
6 Minor Benefit: For the duration of the spell, the caster gets a +3 to any concentration rolls required other than the ones for this spell.
7 Major Flaw: The spell actually requires more focus than a normal conversation, and this gives the caster a -3 on any social rolls they make due to the attention required on the magic.
8 Major Side Effect: Nearby solutions and mixtures slowly separate into their component parts, ruining any stews, sauces, and many drinks within conversational distance. Ewww.
9 Major Benefit: In addition to the reset of memory, the target seems to grow more used to the magus with every moment. Reduce the penalty of the Gift by 1 for every conversational reset during the spell. Once the spell is over, the target will be affected once again, and wonder at the odd familiarity.
10 Fatal Flaw: The concentration required by the spell is almost distracting. The caster must make a Stamina + Concentration roll vs 9 every round of conversation.

[raccoonmask]

Rheon of House Tytalus was a man with a plan, a magus ready to ruin his enemies. Some enemies he could defame with religious tactics, and others he had to ruin their reputation. Magus Rheon found one of the noble rivals for a persona of his was reputed to be eternally brave, so he designed a spell to play on the man's perceptions, and prove the man was a lunatic. His sigil is sweltering wind.

Terror in the Shadows (Muto Mentem 35)
R: Sight, D: Moon, T: Part
This spell, designed to be cast upon a target subtly and from a distance, brings the nightmares and dangers of the unknown to the fore of their perception. While this spell does not actually generate emotional responses - fear or cowardice would be obviously misplaced in some - it will make the target's perception of shadows and darkness become something worth fearing or fighting. They will begin to see strange things in the shadows, that will slowly build over the course of the spell until they spy ghosts and goblins hiding in the shadows outside their home. By targeting Part, the spell only alters what the unfortunate subject perceives in the darkness, rather than all the time.
Rheon's chosen target for this spell spent many a night assaulting the terrors that were hiding in the fens outside his manor house, until finally he was deemed unfit for rule. Due to his casting sigil, the target feels a hot breath across his skin when the spell takes effect and when it ends.
(Base 3, +3 Sight, +3 Moon, +1 Part, +1 intricacy (building intensity))

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: Every time the target stares into the darkness and night, they feel a warm wind across their skin, building up to a sweltering heat when the spell is at its crescendo.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Whenever the target is seeing a false vision given by is spell, they feel an odd itching on their chest.
4-5 Minor Side Effect:
6 Minor Benefit: The visions given by the spell are of a particularly consistant style, which manifests when they first see the terrors, and then maintain that dangerous theme throughout - whether that be rats that turn into rat-monsters, or goblins growing into trolls, or strange plant-growths turning into walking murdurous trees.
7 Major Flaw: Brighter lights are sufficient to dispel any strange terrors. While torches are likely going to exacerbate the problem, with flickering dim light, a good lantern or magical spells will easily show the truth of the visions.
8 Major Side Effect: Crows and ravens who see the target will begin to follow them, until they are fed some carrion.
9 Major Benefit: In addition to adding strange terrible things in the night, the spell also somewhat ruins the target's night-vision, which makes their ability to do anything about their visions quite difficult. Also, easier to spy on!
10 Fatal Flaw: The spell's alterations to perception start strong and stay strong. In fact, the sheer hideousness of the visions - while likely to induce terror on the faint-hearted - are like to make the target suspect the visions are not real.

[raccoonmask]

Vespera of Tremere was trained by her covenant's librarian, and then took the position herself, and then moved to become a founder of a new covenant focused in gathering of knowledge. As her skill grew, she had more and more spells designed to make her job managing the library and its upkeep better. This spell was a bit of a desperate masterpiece, designed to gather every misplaced or lost book of the library and return them to their proper shelves. Sadly her slightly lacking Terram meant she had to experiment a bit to get everything working correctly.
(Design notes: Using Covenants rules that a library catalog can be used as an arcane connection to the entire library, and the Transforming Mythic Europe ruling of base 4 to transport inanimate object.)

To Retrieve the Lost Leaves of Knowledge (Rego Terram 60)
R: Arcane Connection, D: Momentary, T: Group, Ritual
This spell is the librarian's last resort to fixing organization and loss. Cast while holding the library catalog, it will instantly transport every book in the catalog to its correct place on the shelves. Getting them all to land in correct places requires a stress roll of Intelligence + Finesse against ease factor 6, and getting them to appear in particular placing or orders requires a roll against ease factor 12. The spell can summon roughly a hundred cubic paces of books. Due to her casting sigil, Vespera's version of the spell causes the caster to flush a bright and exited hue.
(Base 4, +4 Arcane Connection, +2 Group, +5 for range, +1 size)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: As the books appear into place, all alongside each other, the caster feels a rush of heat, excitement, embaressment, arousal, and delight. Reportedly, after casting this spell, Vespera looks as red as a beet for a few minutes.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Mental images of every single book, words or illuminations from them, will flash through the caster's mind, requiring a Stamina + Concentration roll against ease factor 9 or the target is unable to act for a round from the information overload.
4-5 Minor Side Effect:
6 Minor Benefit: By default, the spell will organize the books in the order they are recorded in the catalog, with the ease factor of 6.
7 Major Flaw: If any of the books on the catalog have been damaged enough to be considered destroyed, the spell's definition of the group has been ruined and the spell fails. Vespera immediately designed an Intellego spell to check for this eventuality before she ever cast the spell.
8 Major Side Effect: The sudden conjuring of so many items causes a brief flutter and flurry of wind to rush through the library or space of the casting, which will not only kick up dust and dirt and sand from the breeze, but somehow the space always seems even dirtier afterwards, as if the books brought back even more dust and dirt from whence they came.
9 Major Benefit: This spell has been designed for a particular target library, and as volumes of books are added to the registry, they become part of the library itself, as far as this spell is concerned. After a book has been in the library for a year, it is considered part of the original library and receives no warping for being conjured.
10 Fatal Flaw: The books appear in whatever state they were in when the spell was cast. Books laying down appear laying down, books upright appear upright, books left open appear opened. This means when the caster attempts to organize them into place, the will crash and damage each other unless every book has been given more than enough space on the shelves. The Finesse roll to place the books is at a -3 to the

[raccoonmask]

Ignatius of Flambeaux was an Elementalist magus who fought against the Sahir in Iberia. Due to a terrible Twilight experience, he found himself able to convert his own life essence into Aquam vis, which the aggressive Flambeaux helped fuel his personal battles by rarifying water elementals out of the ocean. After gaining the allegience of a number of them, he developed an array of spells to transform them into other elemental types for his use.
(Design note: Totally up to your saga if this actually works. Or how it works. Does it change a water elemental into a fire elemental? Or a Water Elemental whose body is on fire, but maintains the water elemental powers?)

The Tidal Shift of Elemental Alignment (Muto Aquam[FORM] 35)
R: Voice, D: Diameter, T: Individual
This spell transforms a rarefied water elemental into another Form of elemental, and extra care was taken during the design of this spell to allow the elemental to flow naturally into a new Form: Earth, Air, or Fire. It must penetrate the elemental's magic resistance to have effect. The spell requires a casting requisite of the new Form. It can effect an elemental up to size +4. Due to Ignatius's casting sigil, the elemental being transformed creates a sound like mad laughter that fades as the spell continues.
(Base 10, +2 Voice, +1 Diameter, +1 to decide which Form on casting, +1 size)

Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: The elemental's body is twisted into a form where it appears to have monstrous human-like features twisted in a rictus grin, and the sound of laughter follows it everywhere.
2-3 Minor Flaw: Despite its change of form, the former water elemental thinks of itself as a water elemental. It may seek out bodies of water to plunge itself into, and not react how an elemental of its new form should act, like a fire elemental not realizing that its body will burn people it touches, rather than getting them wet.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: Transforming the water elemental into a new Form, the noises made by its movements, actions, and powers still sound like crashing waves.
6 Minor Benefit: The elemental maintains its affinity with its previous element, as well as its new; Elementals of both forms will consider the new elemental one of its own.
7 Major Flaw: The transformation into a new form is uncomfortable, and the elemental will feel a great rage towards the caster - Rego control magic may be recommended.
8 Major Side Effect: As all elements are mutable, when the elemental is transformed, a counter-elemental reaction will also follow it around. Fire elementals will chill the ground beneath them while still burning things nearby; Earth elementals will weaken and disrupt earth they pass by, as if they were a giant plow; Air elementals will leave a strange, stale air in their wake, as if in a locked tomb.
9 Major Benefit: Should the elemental be damaged while it is transformed, the vis that is left behind can be used as either form.
10 Fatal Flaw: The transformation of the elemental into a new Form causes incredible damage, as the magic does not change it all at once. The water elemental's body boils away, gets dispersed as a wet mist, or rudely is displaced by sudden surging rocks in its depth. Casting the spell immediately causes the elemental to lose 10 might, scattering the bits of itself everywhere and likely destroying the vis those parts of its body held.