Upon casting this spell, the wizard is able to gain certain information from a fire or its remains. The information can include how and when it was started, for how long it burned, the types of wood and other material used for fuel, and so on. At least a handful of the ashes must be available in order to get sufficient information about the fire. This spell causes the image of the Caster to ripple, blur and sway with the slightest movement. If he moves rapidly, his image seems to burst into showers of light that coalesce only to burst away again. Apart from being extremely flashy, this spell makes the actual location of the caster extremely hard to spot. This spell causes the fingers of the caster's hands to greatly elongate, becoming flailing tentacles that fan out to whip and twist around and entangle the victim. Since the elongation is of mystic "spell-stuff" the breaking of one or more of the "fingers" does no harm to the mage - the severed finger simply re-elongates. As long as the mage concentrates on gripping his victim, it is very difficult for them to escape, since this would necessitate breaking all the fingers at once. As a side benefit, this spell also allows the caster to greatly extend his reach. Occasionally a wizard will need to use a skill which he does not possess, and others are unwilling to volunteer. This spell allows the caster to reach out and tap this knowledge base, disconnecting the portion of the target's brain with the skill, and using it for his own purposes. The transfer can be resisted by the owner using his Mental Defense(s), and the skill will gradually be restored after the Enchanter ceases to pay the x2 END cost. Developed by the Olmai Ice Mage, Tarqua, for the specific purpose of teaching his advanced students, this spell is a useful weapon in its own right. It appears as a globe of snow and ice that, when thrown, explodes on contact to envelop the unfortunate victims, freezing them. Worse still, they then find themselves trapped in bonds of ice. This spell will cause an inanimate object to be reduced 10-fold in size and transformed into a tattoo on the caster's skin. The object must be touched only at the end of the casting, enabling lit torches or campfires to be tattooized. The transformed items remain until the caster "peels" the tattoo off and throws it to the ground. While in tattoo form, items appear as full-color, intricate representations of whatever is contained within. A successful dispel magic upon the caster will each item to spring back into original form instantaneously. A caster may have as many tattoos on his body as could reasonably fit. If the caster dies, all the items are immediately released. This spell is used by a mage who is looking for a good place to have a blast and get blasted. It seeks out all establishments within range and instantly gives the caster a mental impression of the best place, with regards to its location, name, and general appearance. The spell determines which is the "best" location by considering the following factors, in descending order of importance: Strength and quality of drinks served, Wildness factor, Size of bar, and Inexpensiveness. If there is no such location (at all) within spell range, the spell fails and the caster falls into a brief faint, to emerge from it weeping but unharmed. When contact must be made with another mind, there is no substitute for this spell. Note that the caster must have permission from their targets before using this spell. This spell causes the Wizard to dematerialize into a glowing cloud of swirling lights which coalesce into a point, then vanish. He materializes near the destination hex in a reverse of the process. The Wizard can memorize any location as a destination, or he can teleport to a place he can see directly. The memorized location becomes unstable with increasing distance, and he could be teleported to a place in the vicinity. The spell will not place the Wizard inside a solid object, returning him instead to his original location. This spell enables the caster to make all targets within a 3" radius feel a dramatic change in the temperature. This perceived change does not have any immediate effects on the targets (in the form of damage), but can seriously effect them in the long run. For example, if the targets felt the equivalent of 60°C while fighting, they would sweat profusely (and use up tons of END). The GM has the final say on exactly what the effects of this power will be. This spell is used to create a small pocket of solitude, where the caster can pray or meditate without disturbance from the outside world. The nature of the pocket allows the caster to view events that are occurring where he left the world, but he is unable to affect their outcome until he returns. This exceptionally powerful and dangerous spell calls into being a whirling plume similar to a tornado, but of garish, swirling colors. Once cast, it rushes away from the caster in eccentric and unpredictable patterns. All who are caught in the plume are whirled away into a random time. However, once cast, the spell user is unable to control the path of the plume and so is a danger to all around him. Some mages are renowned and feared for their ability to create Thaumaturgic Dolls - a doll which resembles a person and is thus is connected to him. A mage using one of these dolls can infallibly detect the location of his target, and anything done to the Doll (cutting, burning, drowning, and so forth) will be felt by the person. Only the most accomplished Mages can make Thaumaturgic Dolls. Thaumaturgic Dolls may be made of any substance, but are usually made of wax or cloth. The Doll does not have to look exactly like its subject, but must be at least be readily identifiable as the intended target. In order to properly "connect" a Thaumaturgic Doll with its subject, by means of the Principle Of Contagion, three or more of the following substances must be a part of the Doll: the victim's hair, nails, skin, saliva, blood, tears, or sweat; or clothing once worn by the victim. The more materials that can be worked into a Doll, the more effective that Doll will be. (Once a Doll is completed, it can be used again and again, so long as the caster is in range. The Doll can be harmlessly destroyed as long as one of the "sympathetic" spells is not being used. Obviously a Thaumaturgic Doll can be used to do many different things. The most common uses are causing the victim pain or death, paralyzing the victim, or mentally controlling him; spells for achieving these effects are given below. This spell enables the caster to crudely foretell the future. By inscribing mystic runes on a sufficient number of clay counters or pebbles, he can toss them onto a table or other surface, and discern the future from the patterns in the way the pieces arrange themselves. This spell allows the Mage to harness some natural force - a wind, a stream, an earthquake, and so forth - and use it to increase the power of his own spells. The natural force needs to be fairly strong (for example, mild breezes are not enough to provide sufficient force), and the caster's spells can only be increased in power in proportion to the strength of that force (thus, a stiff breeze might only be worth 1d6, whereas a volcano or earthquake would allow the caster to add the full 5d6 Aid). The Chain will not work to harness energy from other spells or from non-natural phenomenon (such as the turning of a wheel). This magical spell is used to "lock" doors, chests, and the like. The spell lasts until the door is opened by someone other than the caster, after which it must be renewed. Anyone who is strong enough can still open the door, which will break the spell permanently. The door can also be cut through, burnt, or otherwise destroyed. The caster of this mighty spell can create a band of metal that shoots off his finger and encircles the victim. The band then reverts to normal size, squeezing the victim. By means of this spell the caster enables those in the crowd to dance with grace beyond their natural ability. As they do so the special effects of the spell work to create a lovely spectacle The Warrior spins and whirls his weapon in a bewildering pattern at great speed, planting seeds of doubt in the minds of even the most determined opponents. The presence of the character is greatly increased while he performs this martial show, and for a short time thereafter. Once the arrow is unleashed, it spins rapidly in flight, greatly increasing its accuracy and compensating for atmospheric conditions as it speeds towards the selected target. This spell is for opening doors, chests, and other locked objects. It does not work on doors which have been magically sealed, only on normally locked doors. This spell calls into being a tremendous storm, one powerful enough to destroy vast armies and entire towns. While the spell is very destructive, it has few uses in combat due to the extensive time and preparations required to cast it. The spell was originally created to destroy the forces of an invading army. Obviously, this spell disturbs the gentle balance of the surrounding ecosystem a great deal, and should only be cast in times of great need. This spell is a powerful invocation which is known to only the most competent weather Mages. When this spell is cast, it changes the environment in a 1000 km radius, causing a drought. This drought can last for years and has been known to leave some countries which were once fertile as barren wastelands. Needless to say, most good Mages look down upon the use of this spell. The mage who casts this spell can completely disintegrate any creature that he touches. Before the lethal touch is used, his hand turns dark grey - hence the name of the spell. If touched, the victim crumbles into grey dust and blows away with the wind. The caster can cause existing metal on the victim's body to lock up and restrict his movement. The more metal that is in on the target, the more effective this spell will be. (As a decent approximation, the GM can assume that the Entangle will have a maximum of 1 DEF for each point of DEF that the character has in metal armor, up to amount rolled for the Entangle). When the spell is broken, the metal reverts back to its original form. This spell renders the caster's opponent blind and deaf for a short time. The caster must be standing near the person to be affected when the spell is cast. This spell allows the caster to do with a touch what the mythical medusa did with a glance: turn a person to stone. This is an all or nothing transformation The only sure way to reverse the spell is to cast Animate Statue on the target, though it is rumored that very powerful earth elementals can reverse it at will. The eyes of the wizard become like that of a cat - large and green with vertical slit pupils. Total darkness is impenetrable to the Night Eyes, but starlight is as bright as day Getting its name from the mythical phoenix, this powerful spell causes the caster to seemingly explode in a blinding flash of fire. Anyone standing near the mage will be badly burned, as well as blinded. The wizard himself takes no damage. This spell is used by powerful fire wizards when they are fighting alone, or when they have no concern for their companions. It has a stunning effect on the battlefield, blinding or disabling all of the wizard's nearby opponents. This immensely powerful geas can be used by Enchanters to force others to do their will. However, unlike some cruder questing spells, this spell does not simply mind control the subject into carrying out the quest. Instead, it makes the consequences of not continuing the quest so dire that the subject chooses to do it himself. This usually means that the quest has a higher chance of success. Once the spell has been cast, the victim can act normally. However, if he doesn't pursue the quest to the best of his ability (as determined by the Telepathy), then the BODY Drain is activated. This powerful Drain exists solely to punish the character whenever he ignores the quest (as determined by the Telepathy). This also makes it extremely difficult for the victim to have the geas dispelled. The melee weapon of the warrior-mage lengthens into a versatile pole weapon, allowing him to strike at an opponent two hexes further away. The chanting of this terrible spell renders all who hear it insane. Only the spellcaster himself is immune. This is the opening spell for use on doors which have been magically locked with The Chant Of Binding or similar magics. The spell's force (i.e., its Telekinetic STR) does not break the door, but rather "breaks" the force holding the door shut. The door may still be normally locked, of course, requiring other means to open it. A clay disk is prepared beforehand bearing a runic representation of the specific enchantment to be cast on a weapon. Once the spell is cast, the weapon is wreathed in magical power, and it can be wielded to great effect against a known weakness of a foe. Thus, a fire rune disk will wrap the end of the weapon in enchanted flames, causing greater damage to those vulnerable to heat. This spell generates a compact, weighted net, which the character can use to entangle one or more opponents in a hex. The victims will eventually be able to escape the rope web, but not without a struggle. Meanwhile, the victim is subject to attack through holes in the web. This spell is a variant of the Dancing Weapon, allowing the caster to wield a weapon at a distance of 3" against a foe. The spell is easier to use than the primary, requiring no concentration by the caster and being less costly to maintain. This spell allows the Warrior-Magi to wield a hand-to-hand weapon at a distance against a foe. Attacking in this manner requires steady concentration on the part of the caster, however, rendering him vulnerable to attack. The weapon is also more difficult to wield with accuracy at greater distances. This spell allows the mage to sap his enemies' strength from a distance. Its name derives from the fact that heavily-armored foes are often trapped by their armor when the spell makes them too weak to support it. This spell creates five illusionary duplicates of the warrior-mage. These duplicates will mimic his movements, hopefully confusing his enemies into striking at an image instead of at the spellcaster. This spell will cause a hand-held weapon to return to the wielder's hand after being thrown. The character can add his strength to the throw, increasing the damage when it strikes a target. This spell can only be used on weapons that can normally be hurled in combat. The bladed weapon held by the Warrior-Mage becomes as sharp as cut glass, slicing through the toughest armor to wound a foe. In effect, the weapon gains the Armor Piercing and Penetrating advantages to a hand-to-hand killing attack A powerful Mage can "summon" whatever type of weather he desires. Naturally, the weather takes a while to build up - conditions do not change instantly. This spell is especially useful for improving (or worsening) travel conditions, aiding farmers, quenching forest fires, and the like. It cannot summon really extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, blizzards, etc. Once the caster stops concentrating on the spell, the weather will begin to dissipate naturally. However, there is a catch - such alterations in the local weather patterns can run amok if not carefully controlled. This powerful sorcery ritual will summon Xhargyle the Undertaker, the third spawn of Primordial Chaos, to serve as an assassin for the caster. (See stats below.) Xhargyle is anything but subtle, and will leave a trail of death and wanton destruction wherever he travels. However, he is utterly relentless in his task, and will pursue a target across the far reaches of the world and to other dimensions until he has consumed his life force. During the casting process, a mental sensation of "wrongness" will be radiated in all directions. Anybody making a +16 PER roll, with modification for range, will become aware of the sensation, along with the approximate direction of its source. If the caster fails his Magic Skill roll, or is unable to placate Xhargyle, the beast will still appear but will be extremely difficult to control and will have selected the wizard as his next victim. This powerful spell creates a region of total emptiness which emanates outward from the palm of the caster's hand. In this region, all of the physical senses are stifled, leaving even the mystically enlightened senseless. This is the essence of true darkness, where only the Mages of Darkness feel at home. This spell allows the caster to establish a mental link between himself and an animated corpse. In addition, the caster can see through the eyes of the corpse. When this spell is cast, the caster's eyes, and the eyes of the body he is animating glow with fetid green light. The Warrior-Mage becomes a whirling tornado of destruction, striking rapidly at any foes within range of his hand weapon. This is one of a class of incredibly powerful spells which are known as the Terrible Spells. Any of the Terrible Spells are capable of unheard-of damage and destruction. The Word Of Devastation is a spell frequently employed during sieges. The Word "summons" an earthquake which is capable of doing severe damage to most cities and castles. If a mage knows a being's True Name, the mage can do just about anything to that being. This spell is a manifestation of that law of magic - by using it, the caster can simply kill the being. However, the need to know the being's True Name keeps this spell from being used very often, since everyone (especially beings of power) guards their True name with extreme care. The target of this spell is granted the ability to make three wishes, which can be any combination of powers, advantages, and limitations (worth a maximum of 150 points) that are needed to satisfy the trigger phrase. The spell is activated whenever the spell recipient says the words "I Wish" followed by a request, regardless of whether the activation was intended or not. The spell is quite literal in its implementation of the wish, and the results will not always have the intended consequences. The caster uses this spell to increase his pain threshold, making him more difficult to stun. The increased pain threshold will remain in effect for several minutes after he ceases to maintain the spell. Each time the caster makes a stun check, the CON Aid is added to the total. This spell creates a deafening thunderclap, which the caster is immune to. Although the effects are not permanent, they can be quite annoying. This spell gives the caster the ability to strike with tremendous force using only his bare hands. This spell instantly removes the air from the target hex. The surrounding air rushes in with a deafening clap to fill the void. Obviously this will have no effect on a vacuum or solid hex target. If the target hex is a sealed chamber, then an ordinary vacuum is created with no flash effect.