Luke Gearing
Magic Outside of Levels
Effects beyond the mundane are achieved through the invocation of properties or through pacts with the supernatural.
The knowledge of these rituals in treasure in itself. The material components for One Use effects are consumed in the casting - disintegrating, cracking or simply becoming magically inert.
| Spell | Achieved By | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Alter Self | One Use: Consume a simulacrum of the target crafted with their hair and blood mixed with 100 chrysalises/cocoons. 1/day: Blasphemous induction into the Doppelganger cult. Unspeakable rites and child sacrifice. | The caster is able to reshape themselves in the image of another humanoid. Lasts 36 Turns. |
| Animal Growth | One Use: The blood of a pregnant animal mixed with stewed lilac, left to brew for a year. Flicked at the target. | 1d6 Animals become Giant (see Volume 2: Monsters &) for 12 Turns. |
| Animate Dead | One Use: The teeth of a Hydra are scattered over the area. | 5d6 Skeletons rise from the earth, bound to the will of the caster. |
| Anti-Magic Shield | One Use: A circle described with ‘’chalk’ formed from diamond-dust and dragonbone. | No magic may pass through, under or over this barrier - those within are utterly immune to magic. |
| Baleful Polymorph | One Use: A fragment of undifferentiated Chaos, thrown as a javelin and fuelled with malice. | The victim is transformed, as desired by the caster. |
| Bless* | One Use: Blast upon a horn wrenched from the skull of a Satyr or Narwhal. 1/day Blast upon a horn gifted by the unicorn. REVERSED One Use: Release a dirge on a horn wrenched from the skull of a 6HD or less Demon. 1/day: Release a dirge on a horn wrenched from the skull of 7HD or more Demon. | Allies of the caster receive a +1 to Hit and to Morale for 6 Turns. REVERSED The enemies of the caster are subject to a penalty of -1 to Hit and to Morale for 6 Turns. |
| Charm Monster | One Use: Craft a mask of the creatures to be charmed, using their skin, blood, hair and horn. For each HD, 1 corpse must be processed. 1/day: Become a monster yourself. This one of the paths a man could walk to leave mortality behind. | 3d6 HD of creatures are bound to the will of the caster. Orders antithetical to their nature cause them to break free if they are able to make a Warding saving throw. |
| Charm Person | One Use: A thick pearlescent slug, gathered from the home of Dryad and spat at the target. 1/day: Ascend a mountain of stunning beauty with twelve companions, all of equal drive and knowledge. One may descend the mountain alive, cursed with this power. | A single human or post-human must make a Warding saving throw - if failed, they are bound to the will of the caster. Orders antithetical to their nature cause them to break free if they are able to make a Warding saving throw. |
| Circle of Invisibility | One Use: Powder derived from the eyes of a Medusae is scattered in the area. | All within this area are subject to Invisibility. |
| Circle of Protection | One Use: The caster coats their mouth with blessed oils and performs glossolalia effortlessly. The origin of the blessing determines whom the protection is effective against. 1/day: The prospective caster is tattooed with exhortations and banishments, using ink from a giant squid or a gall harvested from a centuries-old tree. | All those within the are are subject to Protection. |
| Clairvoyance | One Use: A fragile blade of obsidian must be used to open the casters forehead, allowing their presence to slip forth. 1/day: The caster is trepanned using a drill of star-metal which is discarded in a pool unsullied by fish. | The caster’s awareness is freed form the body, and able to travel up to half a mile from their body for 36 Turns. They may not pass through lead or 20’ of stone. |
| Cloudkill | One Use: The lungs of certain dragons, formed into bellows. | A thick, heavier-than-air poisonous fog is summoned. Those caught within must make a Physique save or die wretched deaths. |
| Colour Spray | One Use: Behead a light-drinking cave-eel. 1/day: The eye-lens of a beached whale is held up before a light-source. | A glare of alien colours stuns those unable to make a Warding save, rendering them unable to take action for 1d6 rounds. |
| Comprehend Languages | One Use: A local, poisonous serpent must be swallowed alive. Lasts 1d4 days._1/day:_ An ancient grammar must be recovered and eaten. Permanent: The casters tongue is split open with a golden sickle beneath a moon hidden behind the fallen Tower of Babel. | All languages may be understood, spoken, read and written. |
| Confusion | One Use: The skull of a hermit, filled with poppy-seeds is shaken like a rattle, inflicting the spell upon those who hear it. | Up to 3d6 HD of creatures become confused - they defend themselves 2-in-6, otherwise uncomprehending eyes stare at a world untethered from system. |
| Continuous Light | One Use: The heart of a dead forge is tossed towards the target. 1/day: Some fragment of a sun must be swallowed. | An area is permanently light by actual sunlight, emanating from a source chosen by the caster. |
| Control Water | One Use: The true name of the body of water must be invoked. Being transient, the name will change each time. | Water may be commanded to allow passage through it or to rise up and flood an area. |
| Control Weather | One Use: Gather the first fledgling bird hatched in the area. Gather the first-born mammal born in the area. Gather the first-spawned amphibian in the area. Commingle their blood and their flesh beneath the sky and make your demand. | The caster determines which weather permanently affects the region. |
| Cure Critical Wounds | One Use: A salve brewed from the blood of a Troll and bitter roots. Each Troll corpse yielding enough for a single dose after successive reductions. | 3d6+2 HP is restored. |
| Cure Light Wounds | One Use: Harvest the herbs and mushrooms from the grave of a witch unburnt. Boil them down. Spread upon wounds. 1/day: Accept a Subtle Spirit into your protection. They are hard to find, and make demands upon you. Counts as a hireling. | 1d6+1 HP is restored. |
| Cure Serious Wounds | One Use: Flesh for flesh - a bath of blood. | Every 1HD of creature blood spilled heals 1HP. Can be used by multiple people. |
| Detect Invisibility | One Use: Three drops of fluid left by ghost in each eye. 1/day: Replacing an eye with a huge pearl. | The caster can always see Invisible creatures. |
| Detect Magic | One Use: A drop of pure-white or pure-black dog blood in each eye. 1/day: Replacing an eye with a lump of quartz. | All magic within eyesight reveals itself for 3 Turns. |
| Dimension Door | One Use: A dagger prepared with the blood of a Realm Spider is used to describe a door. | The caster teleports anywhere within line of sight by stepping through the door they drew. |
| Disintegrate | One Use: A fragment of Outer Dark, released from a container, snakes outwards. | A single target is destroyed. They may make a Dodging saving throw at -4. |
| Dispel Magic | One Use: Salt from a dead ocean, cast at the enchanted object. 1/day: Leaving a limb in a jar of salt, allowing all moisture to be drained away - leaving only a withered limb. | Removes magic not bound into an object. |
| Enervate Dead | One Use: Blessed lily-smoke is released from a container. The smoke seeks the restless dead. | 4d6 Undead are frozen in place for 12 Turns. |
| Fear | One Use: A mask-and-cape of Wolf-Hide is worn. 1/day: Kill a primordial wolf-mother and re-enact the Birth of the First Wolves. | All opponents of the caster make a Warding saving throw. NPCs who fail must flee for six Turns. Characters who fail may not engage in combat with the caster for six Turns. |
| Fireball | One Use: Throw the shrivelled heart of a salamander, stored in cooking oil. 1/day: Sojourn to a Place of Fire and sacrifice a limb to the beings within. | A ball of flame explodes, dealing 5d6 damage to all in a 50’ radius. Victims may make a Dodge saving throw to halve damage received. |
| Fly | One Use: A bar of goose-fat, hemlock and nightshade berries is smeared on the body. A feather of gold is crushed. 1/day: Become spouse to a griffon or similar. Permanent: Become a Sphinx or Harpy. | Fly, travelling at triple-speeds through the air. Lasts for 1d6 Turns. |
| Fog Wall | One Use: The caster swallows eight frogs whole to charge the spell - vomiting out fog at will. 1/day: Deliver freedom to a mist-wight. | A 20’ thick bank of fog rolls in. It is immobile and opaque. |
| Hallucinatory Terrain | One Use: A vellum map with diamond-dust infused inks is produced, describing the illusory terrain. It is then burnt. | Creates an illusionary overlay which can hide, exaggerate or entirely change the underlying geography. At a distance, it is flawless. |
| Haste* | One Use: Consume the meat of a bird or hare killed by lightning. 1/day: Survive being struck with lightning. | Hasted creatures always go first in initiative, and take a second set of actions after all other actions are resolved. Lasts 3 Turns. |
| Hold Monster | One Use: Break the legs of a statuette found in iron slag and wrapped in the flowers of an invasive species. | 1d6 monsters are rendered immobile if they fail a Warding saving throw. |
| Hold Person | One Use: Break the legs of a wood figurine unshaped by blades and buried for two months. | 1d6 humans are rendered immobile if they fail a Warding saving throw. |
| Hold Portal | One Use: The caster fills the mouth with gravel and holds a fragment of the portal between their teeth. 1/day: Devotion to the Opener of the Way - through the murder of those bound to capture and imprison people - at least one every two months. | A single opening or portal is magically locked, unable to be opened without destroying the surroundings or the casters permission. |
| Insect Plague | One Use: Innumerable evils must be laid upon the caster, who is willing to give their flesh up as a brood-chamber for the imminent swarm. They are destroyed utterly in the process. | A thick carpet of insects spreads across the land. All organic material is devoured. The sun is blotted out. Starvation follows. The insects die a cannibal frenzy, devouring one another as all else is gone beneath wing and limb. |
| Invisibility | One Use: Powdered silver is cast into the air. As long as the caster does not disturb the particles with their breath, the effect is retained. 1/day: The eyes of three members of royalty must be formed into a necklace. Permanent: Infection from an Unseen. Spread through bite. | As long as caster does not take hostile action, they cannot be seen. |
| Knock | One Use: A valuable key of unknown origin and use is broken. 1/day: A small pact with the Opener of the Way to capture and imprison at least one human being a month. | A single portal becomes unlocked. |
| Levitate | One Use: A bar of goose-fat, hemlock and nightshade berries is smeared on the body. A feather of silver is crushed. | The caster levitates up to 6” above the ground. Lasts 6 Turns. |
| Light* | One Use: Charcoal from an arson is crushed and wet into a paste. The paste carries the enchantment. 1/day: Drill a hole into the top of the skull to let the light in - and then pour it forth from the mouth. REVERSED One Use: Burst the eye of a mother fox or bat. Fling the pulp. 1/day: Make a home for darkness in your chest cavity - a glazed clay sphere, inserted surgically. Alternatively, find some Talking Darkness and strike a deal. | Light, as if cast by a torch, flows from an object as determined by the caster. Lasts 12 hours. REVERSED Total darkness suffuses an area, out to the distance a torch would illuminate. No light may pierce such magical darkness. Lasts 24 hours. |
| Lightning Bolt | One Use: Burn the ring-finger of a Cloud Giant, and blow the ash at the target. 1/day: Feed your right hand to Wraith dwelling beneath the Riven Oak. | A bolt of lightning is flung, dealing 4d6 damage to the victim. It passes directly through the victim, potentially injuring others. It might (4-in-6) bounce of any hard surface, doubling back. All victims may make a Dodging saving throw to halve damage received. |
| Locate Object | One Use: The skull of a bloodhound (or similar scenthound) is filled the skulls of nine different species of rodent. This rattle is then shaken, the sound an indicator of direction. | The caster gains an intuitive sense of where a known or thoroughly described object is, able to unerringly navigate towards it for 3 days. In the case a general class of object is Located, they are led to the nearest instance of it. |
| Magic Jar | One Use: A soul-vessel is prepared, requiring a huge investment in research, blood and treasure. The transferral ritual takes a full month, during which the body must be maintained by others - any lapse in concentration causes failure. This one of the paths a man could walk to leave mortality behind. | The soul of the caster is moved to the soul-vessel. The spirit may leave and attempt to animate soulless bodies or vie with other souls for control of their own bodies. In this case, both make a Warding saving throw. If one passes and the other fails, they gain/retain control of the body. If both fail, the body dies, leaving only the caster. If both succeed, they now cohabitate the body. |
| Move Earth | One Use: The hateful, parasitic Peak Crown flower is planted in the earth, where one wishes the earth to move to. The earth moves to destroy it, hills converging like wolves. | 1d6 hills or equivalent move to the location violently, destroying structures and disrupting armies. |
| Neutralize Poison | One Use: Bronze is poured over a de-fanged venomous snake. The resulting wand is waved at the envenomed object. 1/day: A poison-gland from a live serpent, worn around the belt and milked every morning, can drain the poison from objects. This fetish is useless if the donor serpent dies. | An envenomed object or creature is purified, rendered harmless. |
| Passwall | One Use: A fragment of a chisel from lost Uruk is used to mark a passage. Close your eyes and wait 1 minute. | Creates a tunnel up to 5’ in diameter and 15’ deep. The tunnel is permanent. |
| Phantasm | One Use: A sheet of gold-foil is folded into a paper approximation of the Phantasm to be evoked. 1/day: The caster must break down the barrier between their own imagination and perception through massive hallucinogen usage and several mystical revelations. | An illusionary creature is animated and given life - convincing enough to deal real damage. Those observing closely may make a Warding saving throw to disbelieve the Phantasm - banishing it in doing so. |
| Plant Growth | One Use: The caster imbibes a brew of rich loam and five lambs. They then cut themselves and flick their blood over the area. | The vegetation in an area rapidly grows, becoming an impassable tangle in minutes. |
| Polymorph | One Use: The caster wills themself into a new form over weeks of visualisation, will and deprivation. This new form is hidden in the confines of the mind and invokes through certain gestures and forms. Of course, in hindsight, they never changed form at all. | The caster transforms themselves into a new form. |
| Project Image | 1/day: The caster murders themselves in a different dimension or space, gaining the ability to invoke this other-self. | An illusion of the self is projected forth and acts as double - albeit one under control. Physical attacks pass through it harmlessly - magical attacks are redirected to the caster. Lasts 6 turns. |
| Protection | One Use: The caster anoints the target with blessed water. The origin of the blessing determines whom the protection is effective against. | Those the Protection is against take a -2 penalty on To Hit rolls against those under effect of a Protection. Lasts 6 Turns |
| Protection from Missiles | One Use: A bundle of arrows, each used to kill, is snapped. 1/day: A charm made of golden arrowheads, each used to kill a man, is worn. | All normal missiles glance harmlessly from the target of this blessing. Lasts 12 Turns. |
| Sixth Sense | One Use: The dessicated head of a shark, pierced with two rods of silver, is used as dowsing rod. 1/day: A series of slender copper, silver and gold rods are inserted into the vertebrae of the prospective caster. | The caster is able to hear the surface thoughts of all beings within 60’, and determine distance and direction to each creature ‘heard’. Lasts 12 Turns. |
| Slaying Spell | One Use: A natural rat-king is killed with a mallet. | 10d6 HD of creatures die, starting with the nearest to the caster. Those with over 6HD are entitled to a Warding saving throw to resist. |
| Sleep | One Use: A bear’s fecal plug is smoked and exhaled. 1/day: The caster travels through Dream and back out again in a single sleep. | 2d6+2 creatures are robbed of wakefulness, sleeping for 24 Turns if undisturbed. |
| Slow | One Use: Mud gathered from an ocean trench is flung. 1/day: A herd of one hundred and one lamed horses must be kept alive by the caster or their estate. | A single target makes a Warding saving throw. If failed, they are Slowed - acting only every other round. Lasts 3 Turns. |
| Speak with Animals | One Use: The tongue of a pig and the brain of an owl are left to fester in a buried jar for six months. The resulting fluid is imbibed. 1/day: A series of platinum tongue-sheaths, corresponding to different manners of beasts, can be crafted. | For 6 Turns, the caster is able to converse with animals. |
| Speak with Dead | One Use: Through the use of divinatory methods, vague and uncertain answers can be interpreted. | The caster may ask 1d6 questions of a corpse. The corpse does not have to answer, although many have craved communication in their long repose. |
| Speak with Plants | One Use: Sap flowing through the veins allows speech with plants - and is sure to cause death. | For 6 Turns, the caster is able to understand and be understood by plants. |
| Stone to Flesh | One Use: The waters flowing from the eyes of petrified gods and demons are filled with the will to return to flesh. | Stone becomes flesh. |
| Teleport | One Use: Meteoritic iron-dust and ambergris, thrown at the ground. | The caster, or victim, is instantly transported to a location familiar to the caster. |
| Transmute Rock to Mud | One Use: The heart of a dormant volcano, topping a copper spike which is driven into the rock. | A 30’ by 30’ area of stone becomes mud, collapsing tunnels and crushing those within to death. |
| True Seeing | One Use: The eyes of black cat - the runt of the litter. 1/day: Spectacles carved from the skull of a hermit. | For 18 Turns, all illusions and magical visual alterations do not affect the caster. All hidden objects reveal themselves. The true nature of any magically changed item or creature is obvious. |
| Turn Undead | Each burial practice has their own rituals to drive the dead back to their graves. The beliefs of the corpse in life are all that matter. | |
| Wall of Fire | One Use: The blood of a star, or other being of flame, is used to draw a line. | As long as the caster concentrates, a wall of fire, 5’ thick, 15’ long and 20’ high rages. Those attempting to move through it take 3d6 damage and are set alight. |
| Wall of Ice | One Use: The residue left by a Wall of Fire can be boiled and re-used. | A wall of ice, 5’ thick, 15’ long and 20’ high forms instantly. A single blow dealing over 10 damage is required to destroy it. Unbroken, it melts over 6 Turns. |
| Water Breathing | One Use: A dried powder of frog-mother and buoyant seaweed is snorted. Drying the powder takes weeks. 1/day: Gills are tattooed using the blood of a giant moray eel. | For 12 turns, the caster and ten companions may breath underwater. |
| Web | One Use: A huge golden web of delicate threads is folded back into a small nugget. As it is thrown, it boils away, revealing the web it represents. 1/day: An infestation of spiders in the blood - introduced in egg-form and kept sated with sacrifice. | A ball of web explodes outwards - all in a 30’ area may make a Dodging saving throw. Those failing are stuck fast in magically regenerating web which fights to keep them immobile. This web is highly flammable. Giants are their like are strong enough to ignore the Web. It lasts for 3 Turns. |
| Witch Eye | One Use: The eye of a witch, inflated as a balloon. | Acts as a detached third eye the caster may see through at any distance. It is invisible, and moves through the air at the pace of walking person. It lasts for 6 Turns. |