30 days of Mystery and virtue-dependent spells for November

This thread is dedicated to provide spells that are virtue-dependent, usually with unusual Range, Duration and Targets. The main reason behind the project is the lack of content in many mysteries, that make it labor intensive for gamemasters to supply things like lab texts using mystery guidelines, and likewise there's a learning curve for players to make the most out of these unusual virtues.

This thread is reserved for content. Discussion on that content, feedback, requests, etc. can instead go here: Discussions arround the post-a-day mystery and virtue-dependent thread

Table of contents
Atlantean Magic Balancing, Day Fourteen, Day Fifteen, Day Sixteen
Bjornaer Sensory Magic: Day One
Chthonic Magic: Day Ten, Day Eleven, Day Seventeen
Fraternity of Samos: Day Five, Day Six
Knights of the Green Stone: Day Four
Magoi of the Star: Day Twelve
Merinita Faerie Magic (Inner and Outer mysteries): Day Two, Day Seven, Day Thirteen, Day Seventeen
Mutantum: Day Eight
Neo-Mercurian: Day Three, Day Seventeen, Day Eighteen

6 Likes

Day One: Bjornaer Sensory Magic

Skin of the salamander
Perdo Ignem 15
R: Per, D: Diam, R: Texture
The caster’s skin feeds from heat, much like a salamander. Contact with the caster instantly extinguishes individual fires up to the size of a campfire, as well as inflict a Fatigue level on anyone touching the caster. This spell is usually combined with some form of fire protection, if used to proactively extinguish fires, as it doesn’t protect from damage per se.
(Base 4, +1 Diam, +1 Texture, +1 additional effect)

Musk
Creo Mentem 20
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Scent
This spell was designed by a lecherous Bjornaer with a deer heartbeast. Anyone smelling the caster feels unnatural desire rising in him towards the caster, if sexually compatible. The target is likely to act on his desires inappropriately, but may roll with an appropriate personality trait vs DC 9+ to resist.
(Base 4, +2 Sun, +2 Scent)

3 Likes

Day two: Magic of House Merinita

Tunnel of the Mystical Source
Rego Vim 50
R: Arc, D: Aura, T: Ind (ritual)
This Faerie Magic ritual known by a few Merinita Vim experts uses an arcane connection (typically fixed) to a vis source to perpetually move the vis produced by the source into an adjacent stock of items, since Auras rarely fade from reliable vis sources. This enchantment is designed to stock only one pawn into each item of a given type, which is keyed when the ritual is cast. Whenever a new pawn of vis appears at the source, it is drained and stocked into a different item. If new items aren’t added over time, the ritual may stop transferring vis pawns due to lack of targets to move the vis into. A previous version of this ritual used the Until duration instead. It has mostly been phased out due to its unreliability, but may still be used by reclusive magi who aren’t concerned with the risks of Twilight. A variations on this spell using a different target may be needed for a vis sources which manifests at random within a given area, rather than at a specific point which is easily fixed.

(Base 10, +4 Arc, +4 Aura)

The familiar hostage
Muto Animal 50
R: Arc, D: Until, T: Ind (ritual)

This ritual transforms any animal the caster has an arcane connection to, which cannot be larger than size +4, into a size -7 rat, until a given condition is met. The original author of this spell created this spell as a bargaining chip against other magi, by threatening their familiars. When faced with a wizard’s war declaration, he turned his enemy’s familiar into a rat, setting the condition until such a time as the familiar’s master formally renounces his wizard war declaration against him. Unfortunately, his enemy slew him instead, which cause the spell to expire prematurely. This spell is very rarely learned nowadays, and instead serves as a teaching lesson to apprentices of the House on how not to use this mystery duration.

(Base 5, +4 Arc, +4 Until, +1 size)

Gathering Powerful Servants
Creo Mentem 45
R: Arc, D: Might, T: Ind (ritual)

Grants the target a Loyal +4 Personality Trait towards the caster. While it could be used by a caster who has Might, most Merinita learning this rituals do so to attract intelligent beings with Magical or Faerie Might to their service. Most never leave the caster’s side, since there are few ways to lose their Might unless they enter another Realm of existence, with the beneficial side effect of helping most Magical creatures easily maintain their Might outside of an aura due to being the target of a constant effect. If used on a mundane by a Merinita who has underwent the Becoming mystery on a mundane, the obvious risk of this spell is warping over time.

(Base 4, +4 Arc, +4 Might)

5 Likes

Day three: Neo-mercurian Performance Magic

Wielding the spears of Mars
Rego Herbam 20
R: Voice D: Performance T: Group

This neo-mercurian spell is traditionally used by Flamen (Priests) dedicated Mars. This rite is both a religious rite and used in some tribunal that still employ flamens as an hermetic rite (which some in the Order will undoutedly consider outdated). But it can also be a deadly tool. The Performance aspect of the spell requires the caster to succeed at a Presence + Neo-mercurian Magic Lore skill check versus an Ease Factor of 3, and can include different ceremonial elements such as ritualistic prayers, fiery sermons or even ritual sacrifice.

During the performance, the Flamen animates a group of spears with some manner of control. These are typically waved about in a very martial manner, and are mostly decorative unless the caster ends his performance. At the conclusion of the spell, the Flamen may choose to throw the spears towards one or more enemies, or to simply let them fall down.

If he launches the javelins, resolve that as a Finesse attack. The Flamen gets a single attack at +14 bonus to hit (+2 from javelin, +12 from group) if he chooses a single target. Alternatively, the caster can decide to spread his javelins against different targets, which number no more than ten. In such a case, split the bonus among the different targets, but apply a penalty of -1 per distinct target. Damage equals to 5 + Attack Advantage unless special javelins are used.

Traditional tribunals incorporating Flamen ceremonies where this spell might be used could include the following:

  • If a Flamen of Mars is opening the Tribunal, he might lead a ceremony such as the Suovetaurilia. Typically, only one spear is used in such a ceremony, and it is traditionally wreathed with laurel or other vegetation as a symbol of peace during the rite. Note that since the Performance magic virtue is about officiating as a priest in a public ceremony where omens are read during a prayer, the flamen should be able to use his divination & augury virtue, if applicable, during the rite without disrupting the spell. The spear is not normally thrown at the conclusion of this rite as it would make no sense to call on Mars to be gracious and to bless the land the tribunal is held on, and follow the rite with a martial gesture like throwing the javelin;
  • Another rite where this spell could be used is something similar to the Equus October which could make sense at the successful conclusion of a Wizard's March. Note that the declaration of a March is unlikely to be presided by a Flamen of Mars, as in the roman tradition, this would normally be done by a Flamen of Jupiter who might however learn this spell to ritually throw the javelin like a fetial;
  • Finally, a Flamen of Mars is a very likely person to volunteer as a hoplite in a March. Invoking prayers to his patron while marching could qualify as a religious performance.

Whether this spell is used at all in Tribunal ceremonies is likely to vary wildly from Tribunal to Tribunal, depending on the importance given to traditional Mercurian rites and whether there are Flamen devoted to Mars in residence.

(Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Performance, +2 Group)

3 Likes

Day four: Magic of the Knights of the Green Stone

Battle Hymn of the Green Stone
Rego Terram 30
R: Voice, D: Performance, T: Group

The Performance aspect of the spell requires the caster to succeed at a Communication + an appropriate Profession (Minnesinger / Minstrel / Troubadour / Bard / etc.) check versus an Ease Factor of 3, and typically consists of reciting verses sometimes sung calling on the mystic power of a gemstone to confer invincibility in combat. This spell is typically used to protect the knight and his immediate cohort in combat, warding them from metal weapons trying to hurt them.

(Base 5, +2 Voice, +1 Performance, +2 Group)

A perfectly acceptable love song
Perdo Mentem
R: Eye, D: Performance, T: Ind

The Performance aspect of the spell requires the caster to succeed at a Communication + an appropriate Profession (Minnesinger / Minstrel / Troubadour / Bard / etc.) check versus an Ease Factor of 3. For the duration of the performance, the target with whom the caster made brief eye contact with may pay attention to the sung as normal, but will not pay attention to the gestures and casual body language of the caster during his performance. This can be used, for example, to ensure a noble doesn't realize the love song is not just a love song, but one about his wife or daughter's beauty.

(Base 3, +1 Eye, +1 Performance)

2 Likes

Day five: Magic of the Fraternity of Samos

Subtle Break of the Circle
Rego Terram 15
R: Line, D: Mom, T: Part
Req: Perdo

Subtly warps the ground where the outline of a circle is traced, functionally breaking it. Someone standing within the circle is unlikely to notice unless an effect maintained by duration ring visibly stops, as the break could very well be behind him. A Per+Awa versus a target of 12 is needed to stop the break without paying special attention to the circle. Someone observing the circle more closely may spot the break with a check of 9.

(Base 2, +1 stone, +3 line, +1 part)

Containing the demon that may not be approached
Rego Vim - General
R: Line, D: Arcane Ring, T: Arcane Circle

This spell creates a circle of magic at a distance, provided the caster can sense the area affected somehow, and succeeds on his Intelligence + Artes Liberales to trace the line. This magical circle contains all creatures with Infernal Might equal to or less than the level of this spell -20, preventing them from crossing the circle or acting accross it. Variants of this effect may exist for other realms.

(Base effect, +2 Line, +1 Arcane Circle, +1 Arcane Ring)

Flexible ward against Demons
Rego Vim - General
R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Arcane Circle

This spell prevents all creatures with Infernal Might equal to or less than the level of this spell -10 from crossing into the arcane circle traced for the duration of this spell. This spell was designed by a magi of the Fraternity who had Flexible Formulaic Magic, with the intent of having the possibility to shift this spell to create a distant ward for individuals against creatures with Infernal Might equal to or less than the level of this spell -5, or to use either Arcane Ring or Line vs creatures with Infernal Might equal to or less than the level of this spell -15. Variants of this effect may exist for other realms.

(Base effect, +1 Voice, +1 Arcane Circle).

Linking Two Circles (Form)
Muto Vim - General
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind

This spell changes another spell whose level may not exceed half the level of this spell, whose parameter are D: Ring and T: Circle, into a spell whose parameters are D: Arcane Ring and T: Arcane Circle. There are ten versions of Linking Two Circles, one for each form. Note that large circles requiring more than one round to trace may require a version of this spell with Diameter duration.

3 Likes

Day six: Magic of the Fraternity of Samos

Although worldly renounciation is an important part of the Mystery Cult, it is not expected of new initiates, just of the Inner Order, who has already underwent several initiations. It shouldn't be a surprise, thereof, that a Mystery Cult so popular with House Jerbiton should have a few spells dealing with one of House Jerbiton's interests - influencing mundane society, preferably without being caught. Line magic is particularly good at that, since it doesn't require the preparation of getting an arcane connection, yet enables the caster to be nowhere near the spell which cannot be a crime in many tribunals if no one suspects the Order of being involved. It also takes full advantage of House Jerbiton's familiarity with Lacunae. In does require some additional leg work, if only to ensure the caster can somehow sense his target.

Let the Night Guard Fall to Sleep
Rego Mentem 20
R: Line, D: Mom, T: Ind

A target within Line range becomes sleepy and falls asleep within seconds.

(Base 4, +3 Line)

Spontaneous Riot
Creo Mentem 35
R: Line; D: Sun, T: Group

Makes the target group furious at someone or something of the caster's choice. A stress roll of 9+ using an appropriate Personality Trait (like Calm) can hold the anger in check, but it is felt strongly regardless of the roll.

(Base 4, +3 Line, +2 Sun, +2 Group)

Mastering an Animal at distance
Rego Animal 40
R: Line, D: Conc, T: Ind

The caster can make an animal perform any act it is capable of, and new commands can be issued so long as the animal remains within reach of this spell and he concentrates. It is difficult to maintain control of particularly stubborn or fierce animals, such as mules or boars — creatures with appropriate Personality Traits may roll against an Ease Factor of 12+ each round. This spell may be used to make animals attack the caster's enemies, provide a needed distraction, damage chariots and goods, and so on.

(Base 15, +3 Line, +1 Conc, +1 size)

The Unseen Grasp of the Crushed Heart
Perdo Corpus 45
R: Line, D: Conc, T: Ind

After casting this spell, the victim doubles over and dies at once.

(Base 30, +3 Line)

Construction hazard
Perdo Herbam 25
R: Line, D: Mom, T: Part
Req: Rego

A beam of wood, such as those supporting many roofs, breaks and falls down in a direction designated by the caster. With a successful aiming roll, the caster can make it fall on a living creature. Damage is up to +12, and the victim or victims may also be pinned by the beam’s weight. When used as a form of attack, this spell bypasses Magic Resistance. At the gamemaster's discretion, this may render the structure structurally unsound, although a collapse may or may not be immediate. A collapse inflicts +10 damage to anyone inside.

(Base 4, +3 Line, +1 part, +1 rego requisite)

3 Likes

Day seven: Merinita Faerie Magic

Illuminating the Night Walk
Creo Ignem 35
R: Touch, D: Sun, Recurring Daily, T: Room (ritual)

Causes a gentle light, similar to the light of a fullmoon on a cloudless night, to emanate from the floor of the rooms as soon as the sun sets until the sun rises. This effect, cast as a ritual, recurs daily forever. While the ritual is cast, the ritualist must walk and delineate the rooms to be so affected. The size increase for the room target has been made to enable illumination of every corridor within a large structure, provided the corridors are built in such a way as not to be internally divided between them which would create multiple rooms. Structure target was deemed unsatisfactory as it would likely create sleep problems for the non-nocturnal inhabitants by lighting up every room.

(Base 1, +1 touch, +2 sun, +4 recurring daily, +2 room, +1 size)

Regret of the Earlier Conversation
Creo Mentem 15
R: Eye, D: Midday/Midnight, T: Ind

This spell is cast after a conversation just occurred. During the next phase of the day (dawn, dusk, noon or midnight), the target will begin to feel regret over how that conversation ended, an emotion which cannot be easily shaken off for the duration of the spell. How the person acts on the instilled regret is likely to be based on the conversation, on personality, and whether the person has easy access to the person with whom he was talking.

(Base 4, +1 eye, +2 Midday/Midnight)

Curse of Lycantropy
Muto Corpus 60
R: Touch, D: Sun, Recurring Thrice Monthly, T: Ind (ritual)
Req: Animal, Mentem

This spell will force the target, during the next full moon and for the three nights of the full moon of every month, to change into a wolf. The person's mind is transformed as well, and loses its humanity for the duration, consumed by a need to hunt. The existence of this spell, if it was made public, is likely to create a crisis between House Merinita and House Bjornaer.

(Base 15, +1 touch, +2 sun, +4 recurring thrice monthly, +2 Mentem)

Design note: There is another curse of the Werewolf in Dies Irae, but faerie magic really enables some interesting effect. For comparison, the original spell uses Base 10, +1 mentem and +1 special effect. The +1 special effect is interaction with the moon, which using recurring enables to skip as environmental trigger is incorporated by default. I bumped up the base and mentem requisite, however, because it requires in my mind base 15 Utterly change a person’s mind, which I believe the original spell missed, and because both the mentem and animal effects would be very high level individually, warranting 2 magnitudes per base book p.114-115 guidelines.

4 Likes

Day Eight: Mutantum Magic

Cupid Arrows
Creo Mentem 20
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind

Causes the target of this spell to feel love for the next person he looks at, an emotion that will stay with him throughout the next lunar cycle, whether that person is near or not. The emotion is very present, and the target is likely to seek to declare his feelings for the loved one, based on his personality. Characters with True Love or appropriate personality traits may roll vs DC 9+ to resist. While this spell may be used at touch range, it is tethered, and may be delivered through another medium, such as an actual arrow, with a successful hit. It may be wise to blunt it, however.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon; Tethered)

A Magi's Simple Trap
Creo Vim 25
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

The target of the spell gains two Warping Points and, if a Hermetic magus, must check to see whether he enters Twilight in the normal way. Although the burst of magic that causes the Warping lasts but a moment, the resulting Warping is permanent. This spell is Tethered, so it is typically cast on an object, and the first person to touch it during the duration of this spell gains the warping. Who would suspect the doorknob of his own laboratory?

(Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; Tethered)

Better Suppression of the Wizard's Handiwork
Muto Vim - General
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

Cancels one spell that you have cast, for Sun duration, until you concentrate again to end this effect, at which points it pops back in. The level of the spell to be suppressed must not exceed the level of this spell -5. The effects of the spell being suppressed take about one round to fade out, and then another round to return. The spell to be affected must be active to be suppressed — in particular, it may not be of Momentary duration. This spell may be used to setup complex chains of active, long duration effects that may alternate between being active and being inactive without much effort on behalf of the caster to suppress or reactivate, which may be more interesting to a magi than designing all spells as Harnessed. This spell is designed to be easily shut down to reactivate the suppressed effect, so the magus gets a +3 bonus to all Concentration rolls. It is boosted to enable Voice range effect disabling for those pesky elemental spells you want to avoid touching.

(Base, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, Boosted, Harnessed)

2 Likes

Day 9: Atlantean Magic

Balancing Considerations

Atlantean Magic is one of those virtues I've looked again and again as super interesting, even though the practical use of the virtue in a non-aquatic campaign is possibly quite minor. I also have difficulties operationalizing the virtue...

Body-of-water target is described thus: “A spell with this target targets an entire body-of-water, whether this is a lake, a river, or a sea. Use the same guidelines as water-way to determine where a body-of-water begins and ends. For determining the spell level, body-of-water is the same level of Target as Structure (remember to increase the spell magnitude to affect a very large body-of-water, like a sea or the ocean).” (RoP:M 43)

Every time I read this; I’m stuck with the same question: What is the base area covered before applying size modifiers? This is an important consideration since some water ways can become huge and cannot infinitely be subdivided in a coherent way, which may mean that spells which aren’t scaled up will fail. I doubt anyone will dispute the need for size modifiers for affecting the Rhine or a sea, yet how many magnitudes are added risks making this special target lose part of its interest, which is avoiding a ritual for casting a boundary-like effect. As an example, a base boundary covers an area equal to 0,00656933 sq. km. If we take this size as the base unit for Body-of-water, then a 1 sq. km lake (which is probably small enough for it to be unnamed in most campaigns) would need 3 points of size to be covered by a spell while something like Lake Geneva would need 5. It’s also a matter of spell flexibility, because unlike Aquam spells which will affect water regardless of the size of the local lake / river, this parameter doesn’t benefit from that flexibility, which means unless your campaign is centered on a particular water-way, size modifiers in spell design are hugely important unless the troupe decides to handwave that.

As a comparison, we have other mystery guidelines we can look up to. Road covers roughly 12,7% of a base boundary size, with a reduction of 2 magnitudes and no ritual. This ratio is kept for Road network which covers 12,7 times the size of a regular boundary. Arguably, a road of sufficient size is a boundary, much like a lake is, and using that mystery targets essentially lets the caster gain slightly more than one magnitude. Weird targets in the system typically lose a magnitude of efficiency. On the other hand, there are counterexamples. Dominion (target) for example, can affect everything within a given Dominion aura, which can be huge assuming Sight range, for the same magnitude price of a boundary target. There would be no obvious scaling here. Using Constantinople as the higher reach example, we’re looking at a spell affecting up to 14 square kilometers, which is equal to Boundary +4, unless you can argue it’s not the same aura across the city. For most other large metropolis of the era in Europe, we’re probably looking at a Boundary +3 effect for the price of a Boundary. While Sight is a price to pay for the extra area of effect, not all boundary effects are built using touch spell as a base parameter even in the base book, and Sight is a range that makes sense for rituals that aren’t intended to be friendly in nature.

To make a long story short: I need to make a design decision over how large body-of-water is intended to cover, because I can’t deduce a canon RAW answer. This incidentally means that, if you want to use this virtue in your game, your troupe may need to review my assumptions, and I recommend discussing it before you finalize your character, as it will impact how interesting the virtue is. Incidentally, how you balance this virtue is likely to impact how Water-Way works, since that range is likely to depend on a Body-of-water Intellego effect (if you could see your target, you wouldn’t bother with R: Water-way, you would be using Sight).

For the spells I intend to publish, my design assumptions will be as follow:
• I’m not going to pay attention to water depth at all, much like many spells treat the height of a room or boundary as irrelevant.
• For lakes, bays and seas, the basic unit I will use is 1 square kilometer of surface area. For comparison, Boundary +2 is 0.65 square km. This makes this less efficient than the most powerful guideline produced (Dominion), but still quite powerful, while keeping it in line with the text that doesn’t talk about size modifiers for large rivers or lakes. Sorry for those who enjoy calculating in square paces, but it’s easier for me to look up a body of water’s actual size on Wikipedia and say “yes, that spell works”.
• For rivers, I’m going to use a base length comparable to road network which is 9 km. Unlike road network, I’m not going to look at river width at all. This is partly because I don’t want to take a class in hydrometry to rate whether the spell succeeds and calculating surface area on a river of variable width which may also be influenced by the time of the year is going to give me a headache.

Using those assumptions, we’re looking at the following size modifiers, using some example body of waters from the Rhine Tribunal:
• Size 0: You’re looking at river tributaries and lakes that’s probably too small for folks to have listed in on Wikipedia in the first place. If you didn’t think of the name of the river or lake, it’s probably size 0 or size +1
• Size +1: Schwentine River, Stepenitz (tributary of the Trave), Nebel (tributary of the Warnow), Recknitz River
• Size +2: Strelasund (lagoon separating Rügen from the mainland), Trave River, Warnow River, Oder River
• Size +3: Danube, Rhine, Meuse, Lake Constance, Lake Müritz
• Size +4: Öresund, Wadden Sea, Zuider Sea
• Size +5: The Danish straits
• Size +6: The Baltic Sea, the North Sea
• Size +7: Nothing. In Mythic Europe, this is the Mediterranean Sea

As a reference, please vote in the discussion thread on whether this balancing makes sense to you. If you disagree, leave a comment. Hopefully this may be helpful to those looking to integrate that virtue in their game. I will give some time for folks to answer, as I'd ideally like to post spells that are easily adopted and if I see a consensus that my balancing is wrong, I will adjust my designs.

Day Ten: Chthonic Magic

The spells below could exist amongst mystery cults and occult lineages that draw their powers from dark forces. Examples include Matres and Matrones, the Witches of Thessaly, the Sorginak, Kolduns, etc. They could possibly have existed at one point within House Tytalus' Titanoi lineage. Some of the spells below are inspired by the maleficia in RoP:I, however, they use hermetic spell guidelines rather than Maleficia guidelines with the special RDTs provided by the Chthonic Magic virtue. Using those spells, if known, is likely to mark the caster with a suspicion of infernalism.

Eyes of the Servants of Darkness
Muto Corpus 30
R: voice, D: Forsaken, T: Group (ritual)
Requisite: Animal

The target group, whom must be infernally tainted, gains the eyes of a cat, which allow them to see in near darkness (but not in absolute darkness, such as a lightless subterranean cavern). Repentance on the part of the group members cancels the effect immediately for those who repent.

(Base 2, +2 Voice, +4 Forsaken, +2 group, requisite free)

And the Dragon Gave Him His Power
Muto Corpus 40
R: Touch, D: Forsaken, T: Ind (ritual)

The target, whom must be infernally tainted, gains a permanent +3 bonus to soak at the conclusion of the ritual. Repentance on the part of the target cancels the effect immediately, and may sometimes open wounds that would otherwise not have been soaked, as if
the effect had never happened. This could imperil the target's life, in particular if repentance is half-hearted.

(Base 15, +1 touch, +4 Forsaken)

The Cage of Every Unclean and Hateful Bird
Rego Animal 45
R: Voice, D: Forsaken, T: Ind (ritual)

The character commands an inferally-tainted animal (typically a corrupted beast) within the sound of her voice to serve her completely and obey her every command, which it must do for as long as the effect lasts, assuming she overcomes its Magic Resistance. If the animal is ever freed of its infernal nature, this effect ceases immediately.

(Base 15, +2 Voice, +4 Forsaken)

2 Likes

Day Eleven: Chthonic Magic

Therefore Shall All Her Plagues Come in One Day
Perdo Corpus 50
R: Voice, D: Cursed/Momentary, T: Ind
The chthonic magi focuses his will upon a living person and warns him that he will die if he does a specific uncommon thing, such as “if you come within ten feet of me” or “if you eat a pear.” If the effect penetrates his Magic Resistance, he is affected by the spell and if he should ever disobey the instruction he instantly falls over dead.
The chthonic magi may also cast the effect so that it targets another person within range, perhaps someone very close to the person he is cursing. There can be no doubt in the mind of any witnesses that he is casting an evil curse, and whether it comes to pass or not it clearly identifies her as a witch or warlock.
(Base 30, +2 Voice, +2 Cursed)

Bargain of the Devil's Bridge
Perdo Terram 35
R: Touch, D: Cursed/Momentary, T: Str

The magi warns the people standing on the bridge of a condition they must not break, or the bridge will collapse. Sometimes this spell is used with an architect or the local noble, but sometimes it can be used on a community - which is more likely to cause the prohibition to be broken. Any person whose Magic Resistance is penetrated is affected by the spell and should that person ever disobey the instruction, the spell will trigger, destroying a bridge of less than 40,000 square feet. If one of the persons on the bridge is unaffected, only him may ignore the warning. If he does so repeatedly in public, it may lead the community to believe the warning was in vain, with obvious risks. This spell might contribute to create an infernal aura, if used on a community to make them condone sins linked to the bridge.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Cursed, +3 structure, +2 size)

A Taste of Hellfire Promised
Creo Ignem
R: Touch, D: Cursed/Momentary, T: Ind

The magi warns his target of a condition he must not break, or he shall get a taste of hell's fire as a retribution. If the effect penetrates his Magic Resistance, he is affected by the spell and if he should ever disobey the instruction, he is instantly burned with fires doing +20 damage. There is little doubt in the ears of anyone listening in, or seeing the target burst in flames, that this is an evil curse.

Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Cursed

1 Like

Day Twelve: Magoi of the Star

Heat of the Winter Months
Creo Ignem 30
R: Touch, D: Signs, T: Structure (ritual)

Invented in an alpine covenant, this ritual heats the floors and walls of the structure so that they remain warm to the touch, irrespective of the snow, cold and wind outside. It is often cast to cover a 6 months period from the Fall to the end of Winter, although the caster may vary the duration. A 6 months period would require a roll of 12 on an Int+Astronomy die roll. This ritual provides the magical heating virtue if labs are in the structure affected and may save costs on consumables.

(Base 2, +1 Touch, +4 Signs, +3 Structure)

Blessing of the House of Vita
Muto Corpus 25
R: Touch, D: Hours, T: Group

This spells changes the look of a group of person to look like another group of person. This change can transform clothes and equipment with optional requisites (Animal, Herbam or Terram, as appropriate). Hours lets this spell survive a sunset, which can be convient in a social situation where you're doing impersonification or trying to hide your identity.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Hours, +2 Group, +1 to also affect equipment)

2 Likes

Day Thirteen: Merinita Faerie Magic

The spells I have created use existing faeries. The published spells don't rely on published faeries and while there's no reason for Animae magic to rely on existing faeries in the book, I don't see anything preventing such spells from doing so either. Doing so has the advantage of not needing to stat out what is being called beyond Might.

A perfectly usable protector
Muto Corpus 50
R: Touch, D: Might, T: Ind (ritual)

A Merinita's demonstration that the results of their magic is more interesting then the results that can be obtained by traditional necromancy, it transforms a dead Knight's body into a Faerie Knight (RoP:F 102). So long as the Faerie's Might persists, the spell persists. When slain, the original body falls down.

(Base 15, +1 Touch, +4 Might; +10 levels for Might)

Killing a problem in the Crib
Creo Corpus 46
Range: Arc, D: Sun, T: Ind

This spell summons a Kubu, a child killer (RoP:F 68), at arcane connection range. It was designed by an unsavory Merinita who wanted a bastard child of his killed without risking being associated with the death. If summoned for that purpose, there is rarely a need to bargain with it for it to carry out its deed so long as a viable target for the child killer is nearby. If multiple children are nearby, however, there is no guarantee of which one it will want to "play" with.

(Base 15, +4 Arc, +2 Sun; +1 level for Might)
Note: This spell might not fully work by RAW. See this post and the next one

My Apprentice's Night Guard
Muto Herbam 20
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind

The caster transforms a small wooden toy into an animate faerie that can act as a protector or a small agent. See Toy Soldier (RoP:F 72).

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +5 levels for Might)

2 Likes

Day Fourteen: Atlantean Magic

I left open my polls, but as the feedback seems to think it's mostly balanced as proposed, I'm going ahead. These spells are an attempt to make or break that balancing, and see whether that virtue is worth playing with.

Intuition of waterlife
Intellego Animal 25
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Body-of-water (size +3)

After casting this spell, the caster gets a mental image of the animals currently inhabiting or swimming in a given body-of-water. This spell is sufficient to affect the largest rivers of Mythic Europe, or lakes and seas of up to 1000 sq. km in area. The images flash through his mind at a rate of one per second while the caster concentrates, in order of the species closest to the caster, which may have multiple individual animals in the same picture. For very large body of water, it's entirely plausible that some species are never revealed during the duration of this spell. The caster can decide to hold an image in his mind - this is enough to affect those animals with further spells, such as Decree of the Atlantean (RoP:M 90), if he can cast while holding his concentration.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +3 Body-of-water, +3 size)

Icy Lake of Drowning
Rego Aquam 45
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Body-of-water (size +1)

Fills the surface of a small lake (no more than 10 sq. km) or small tributary river (no more than 90 km in length) with large, jagged chunks of ice that pound against anything on the water’s surface. The ice can punch holes in small boats but does not damage ships. Any swimmers in the area take +15 damage, and suffer –6 and two extra botch checks on Swim rolls.

(Base 5 (for the violent pounding), +2 Voice, +1 Concentration, +3 Body-of-Water Part, +1 size, +1 additional effect, changing the water to ice)

3 Likes

Day Fifteen: Atlantean Magic

Protecting my Cargo
Rego Aquam 30
R: Touch, D: Storm, T: Structure

By casting this spell at sea during a storm, the ship affected by this spell is protected from the most violent waves that may form at sea. Any wave that would crash against the hull bounces harmlessly and any water that would go over the deck level stops and fall back down into the sea.

Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Storm, +3 Structure

A Sailor's Ward Against the Fury of Zeus
Rego Auram 35
R: Touch, D: Storm, T: Structure

This spell protects a ship from lightning during the worst of storms. Any lightning that would otherwise harm the ship or its crew will fall harmlessly into the sea.

Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Storm, +3 Structure

The Winds Harnessed
Rego Auram 40
R: Touch, D: Storm, T: Structure

This spell protects a ship and its crew from winds of any strength. For the duration of this spell, it can withstand up to hurricane winds without suffering damage, or having its crew and goods being blown off the desk. The crew walking on the ship will feel nothing but the normal sea breeze. The ship will not keel excessively. Further, such winds only serve to better propel the ship, if the ship uses sail. Any sailing checks to determine the direction of the boat is made at normal difficulty, and checks to determine ship speed is rolled at +3.

Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Storm, +3 Structure, +1 ward and control

1 Like

Day Sixteen: Atlantean Magic

Begone from my Sea, Landlubber!
Perdo Herbam 40
R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Body-of-water

Destroys any ship, wooden bridge, wooden docks or other structures made of dead wood in a given body of water. While this is spell is powerful enough to affect the largest rivers and lakes in Mythic Europe (except Lake Ladoga), it was designed to affect something on the scale of a strait or small open bay that's not quite the scale of a major sea, up to 10000 sq. km at most. The caster can protect specific vessels and structures by incorporating arcane connections to each one in the casting - easy to do for your own ship if you're standing on it. Repeated casting of this spell is likely to make local sailors believe a sea or lake is haunted and/or lead to charges of mundane interference depending on the local Tribunal law.

(Base 4, +2 Voice, +3 Body-of-water, +4 size)

Sensing the Bounties of the Sea
Intellego Vim 30
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Body-of-water
Requisite: Imaginem

For the duration of this spell, move the caster's sight to the closest detected source of vis within the target body-of-water, which is large enough to affect the largest rivers and lakes in Mythic Europe (except Lake Ladoga), as well as most straits and bays, provided they are no more than 10000 sq. km in size. This spells is normally used for underwater sources, but may also reveal sources carried in ships in the target body-of-water.

(Base 1, +1 touch, +3 body-of-water, +4 size, +1 Imaginem requisite)

Pulling the Bounties of the Sea
Rego Vim 25
R: Water-Way, D: Mom, T: Ind

The magus can target any vis he is able to detect within the target water-way and transport it into an appropriate item he carries with him. The inventor of this spell liked to use pearls as a medium to store vis.

(Base 10, +3 Water-Way)

1 Like

Day Seventeen: Road / Crossroad Magic

These spells are equally useful to a Merinita or to a neo-Mercurian, as they are designed with Road range. Changing Road to Crossroads make them equally useful with Chtonic Magic without a change in magnitude, and which works very similarly. Use them wherever you feel is most appropriate and useful in your game.

Hinder the Traveling Merchant
Perdo Herbam 15
R: Road, D: Mom, T: Part

This spell breaks a wheel from a vehicle traveling along the path of a given road. The wheel will be sundered in such a way as it cannot be easily repaired. The caster must still find a way to sense the vehicle to be so affected.

(Base 4, +2 Road, +1 Part)

Sensing the Wealth of Merchants
Intellego Herbam
R: Road, D: Diam, T: Ind
Requisite: Terram, Animal, Aquam

For the duration of this spell, the caster senses the closest vehicle traveling along the path of the target road. This spell reveals the size of the vehicle, the weight of the goods carried, and the 3 primary goods sorted by weight carried inside the vehicle. This can include livestock, provided the livestock is carried by the vehicle rather than pulling on it.

(Base 5, +2 Road, +1 Diam, +2 additional information)

Design note: Uses the highest base guideline found of the three forms, which is under Animal.

3 Likes

Day Eighteen: Neo-Mercurian Magic

Awareness of Pilgrims
Intellego Mentem 30
R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Road

While concentrating on this spell, the caster may sense the minds of those traveling along the target road. He has a global awareness of the number of intelligent beings traveling along the road, and may direct his concentration to focus on a particular mind. While focussing on a being, he will understand the reasons of the being for traveling along that road, or pursueing his current journey, along with the emotions and outlook he currently has about that journey. How much information the spell reveals will depend on how important the current journey is to him. Someone going into town to pick up a loaf of bread is much less emotionally invested in the journey than someone on a pilgrimage or an overland trade venture that might last months.

(Base 10, +1 Road, +1 Diam, +2 Road)

Safe or unsafe journey
Muto Terram 25
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Road

Transforms a road of stone and dirt into a muddy road, making travel very difficult and slow, or on the contrary, transforms the muddy patches along the target road into solid stone and dirt that's easy to travel on.

(Base 2, +1 stone, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Road, +1 flexibility)

2 Likes