Thirty Solomonic suggestions for November

Games Discussion Ars Magica
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So, once more it is November and while others pursure NaNoWriMo the gamers pursue NaGaDeMon and seek to demonstrate gaming ideas for the month. Now, I've been busy for the beginning of the month and am a bit behind, but it's time for me to unveil some spells, jinn, and other...things... for the Order of Solomon for this month. Time to use spells and see how workable they are in the Mythic Middle East.

Spell #1: The Emperor's Tablecloth
Solomonic Alchemy level 25.
Modifies a large quantity of cloth so it becomes as fireproof as anything in nature - such as the asbestos cloth that Charlemagne's tablecloth was made of. Any fabric so treated becomes immune to fire. How much protection clothing treated with this offers the wearer is at the storyguide's discretion.
(level 5 base, affect secondary quality [fire resistance] of complex matter, +3 for major alteration, +1 size to affect up to 500 cubic inches, total 25)
Alternatively, a mundane alchemist could create a level 20 Alchemical reagent to treat 50 cubic inches, and by analogy with alchemical steel six doses should be enough to treat a suit of armour or fully encompassing set of robes.

Spell #2: Calling down the heavens
Solomonic Alchemy level 20.
Makes an item of complex matter so attractive to lightning it can call down a bolt of lightning, even from a clear sky. Damage is as per Incantation of Lightning from the Ars 5 main rulebook.
(level 5 base for affecting a secondary quality, +3 for major alteration - this is given as a guideline on p48 of tC&tC - total 20).
I can see this working as a ritual if you spend the vis and get your jinn to hold it until you want it to fry someone.

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Reviving my own abandoned thread from a couple of Novembers back...

Spell #3: The Damascene Coppersmith's powder: It is said that during the siege of Acre, the Crusaders' iron-roofed battering rams and siege engines caused the naphtha that was being dropped by defenders to pour harmlessly over them. A coppersmith from Damascus was credited with the mixture of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur which when added to naphtha made it stickier and adhere to siege engines. (In the real world, this is adding gunpowder to Greek fire, and according to Lionheart and Lackland a major Arab source credits this to a coppersmith. In Ars terms, given the Ashab Al-Sakhr's links to Damascus, it is some kind of alchemical process to make fire increase its adherent quality). Solomonic Alchemy base 3, enhance a secondary quality of simple matter, +1 minor alteration, +1 size to cover 10 cubic paces, which is a sizeable fire - total level 5.

Spell #4: The leaping flame. This ritual animates a flame up to a cubic pace across, leaping out and attempting to burn intruders as directed by the Sahir's Finesse skill. Base 10 (animate simple matter), +1 minor change (when the fire spits out smaller flames, they go in a particular direction), total ritual level 15.

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Spell #5:The Doom That Came to Sarnath – Solomonic Storytelling level 30. Convinces an audience that they are so horribly doomed they may as well end it now. People with supernatural perception, such as second sight or solomonic travel ritual spells, may see through it with a roll of 6+. (Base 15, follow a suicidal course of action, +3 magnitudes for supernatural)

Spell #5a:Almulk fi al-asfar – Solomonic storytelling level 30. Warps the minds of the audience until they start throwing themselves from buildings or under wagons. May be resisted with perception + awareness difficulty 15 when you first encounter the effect. (base 15, follow a suicidal course of action, simple resistance with 3 extra magnitudes)

Spell #6:A dismal omen – Solomonic storytelling level 15. Brings a state of mental confusion upon all who hear the story. Can be resisted with perception + awareness difficulty 15. (Base 4, change an audience’s current mental state, simple resistance +3 magnitudes for difficulty)

Spell #7.We are all doomed! – Solomonic storytelling level 10. Fills an audience with fear, unless they resist with a Brave roll of difficulty 9+. (Base 4 inspire a specific emotion in an audience, +1 emotional resistance, +1 difficulty)

Spell #8:New lamps for old – Solomonic storytelling level 10. Persuades people that items they own aren’t really worth that much and should be sold for a modest sum. Often used to persuade people to sell vis or unusual items for a small amount, it is named after the way a vizier tried to persuade Aladdin’s mother to sell him the lamp. Can be resisted with perception +awareness difficulty 12(Base 4, convince an audience to follow a questionable course of action, simple resistance +2 magnitudes for difficulty)

Spell #9:The cunning disguise – Solomonic storytelling level 20, ritual. Changes an individual’s image so that no-one without second sight can tell who they really are. Can be resisted with perception + second sight difficulty 6. (Base 5 ritual, +3magnitudes supernatural resistance)

Spell #10:The band of forty thieves – Solomonic storytelling level 25, ritual. Conjures an illusion of a group of tens of armed men – forty is traditional, but up to a hundred can be conjured. Can be seen through on perception + awareness difficulty 12. (Base 10 conjure an illusion of a group of individuals, +1 size, simple resistance with +2 magnitudes to see through)

Spell #11 (well 5 variations on one spell): The Five strikes of Ahl-i-Batin: a series of five naranj that are used to weaken opponents. These are traditionally used in an ascending series to knock out an opponent, starting with a weak attack with high Penetration, working up to the knockout blow.
First strike: Solomonic medicine level 5, causes the loss of a winded fatigue level (base 5, cause the loss of a short-term fatigue level, weak potency)
Second strike: Solomonic medicine level 10, causes the loss of a weary fatigue level (base 5, cause the loss of a short-term fatigue level, +1magnitude mild potency)
Third strike: Solomonic medicine level 15, causes the loss of a dazed fatigue level (base 5, cause the loss of a short-term fatigue level, +2 magnitudes moderate potency)
Fourth strike: Solomonic medicine level 20, causes the loss of a winded fatigue level (base 5, cause the loss of a short-term fatigue level, +3 magnitudes strong potency)
Fifth strike: Solomonic medicine level 25, causes the loss of an unconscious fatigue level (base 5, cause the loss of a short-term fatigue level, +4 magnitudes mighty potency)

Spell #12: The stone of Abraxus: Solomonic medicine level 15, reduces or increases the potency of any poison by one step (base 3, +4 magnitudes mighty) – this effect is capable of making an asp’s bite survivable, or an adder’s bite inconsequential. The power can be reversed to worsen a poisoned victim. Makes arsenic (as extractable following the Persian method) positively lethal.

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Spell #13: The removal of gangrene - Solomonic Physic 10 - cures gangrene over the course of a week (base 5 cure a specific disease in the normal recovery interval, +1 minor disease)

Spell #14: Stopping the siphon - Solomonic Physic 10 (ritual) - instantly cures diabetes (base 5 instantly cure a specific disease, +1 minor disease)

Learning Naranj for specific diseases is fairly quick and can earn a sahir's keep easily. For diseases that won't cure quickly, like diabetes or leprosy, learning the specific disease saves a pawn of vis over a generic version, and is easier to achieve.

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Spell #15a:Processing al-zarnik: Solomonic alchemy level 10, refines arsenic from arsenic-bearing ores. (Base 5 “refine complex matter” +1 magnitude minor – by comparison to the level 20 to refine traces of gold from objects, producing arsenic from arsenic-bearing rocks and pigments is straightforward)

Spell #15b:Make the metal toxic: Solomonic alchemy level 20, turns a metal into a metal as toxic as mercury or arsenic. (base 5 “enhance a secondary property of complex matter” +3 magnitudes major)

Spell #16:The vapours of the volcano: Solomonic alchemy level 15, makes a volume of 100 cubic paces of air like the fumes above a volcano. Following the example on Hermetic Projects page 14, anyone breathing this must make a deprivation check every 30 seconds, and also a stamina check of difficulty 6 every diameter to avoid taking a medium wound. The size is large enough to flush out a large hall or small house. (Base 3, change a secondary characteristic of simple matter – air - +3 extremes found in nature +1 size)

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Keep in mind that Solomonic penetration is terrible.

Spell #17: The Midwife's Secret (Solomonic Physic 30): If cast on a woman in labor while both mother and child are still alive, ensures a trouble-free birth two hours from the end of the casting. (Base 10, +4 Mighty.)

Spell #18: Silk of Gold (Solomonic Alchemy 20): Turn any silk cloth one is given into damask of the highest quality, greatly increasing its value. In Hermetic hands, this silk adds +3 to the value of any Material Bonus for silk.

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Spell #19: What was N doing at hour X? (Solomonic Astrology 5) - determines what the target was doing at a point in the past, giving a one-sentence answer. (Base 2 - obvious property such as current activity, +1 past, +2 brief answer)

Spell #20: What immediate risks face N? (Solomonic Astrology 10, ritual) - asks if there is any immediate peril facing the target, giving a three-word answer. This only affects mortal peril involving factors that are currently present, and gives a +3 bonus to rolls to avoid this danger. (Base 5, +1 basic answer). This can be cast rapidly for the cost of two pawns of vis when facing a dangerous situation.

Spell #21: Where are the weak spots in this building? (Solomonic Astrology + solomonic alchemy 15). This is researched as an experiment - if it is not a discovery, you have a naranj to determine the weak spots in a building (base 5, sense complex information that would normally require prolonged use of an ability, +2 brief answer). If it is a discovery, the alchemy component allows you to magic up some cement to reinforce the weak spots at the same time. Experimental spells often include information gathering elements, as a strong knowlege of solomonic alchemy makes discovering breakthroughs easier.

OK, so I've not made 30 for the month and it's all been Naranj/spells as I need to re-read the jinn creation rules before I create jinn, and I need a jinn before I create a working sahir. Still, the spellbook has been extended a little and there's a bit more room to create sahirs using these.

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Thanks, I've enjoyed reading them very much.

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I'm really diggin on these spells, Thank you sooooo much for the post!.

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There are no Solomonic travl naranj in the list, so let me remedy this

Spell #22: What dreams may come - Cast upon a sleeper, this opens a passage into a sleeping person's dreams - the level 35 version triggers at dusk or dawn, so the sleeper needs to be asleep before dusk or not awaken until well after dawn, so the experienced sahir who are capable prefer the level 40 instantaneous version. (Ritual, base 25, either +2day or +3 instant for final 35 or 40)

Spell #23: the subtle curse - at the next equinox, the victim must make a stamina roll Difficulty (3xmagnitude) so 6 at level 10, 9 at level 15, etc. or suffer 2 warping points and have to check for Fatra Bayna/Twilight. (Base effect, +1 additional warping point - as per Spirit brings the curse of Bayna but without being instantaneous)

this last one was designed for something a starting sahir can cast - through the Grey haze, and To the highest mountains of Qaf are just about usable for a sahir casting level 10 naranj.