Sean, a sample Ars Magica lab assistant

Sean is the personal assistant to Magus Corbin, Follower of Merinita. He is a failed monk who is one of the rag-tag bunch brought to the covenant by Corbin.

Background

Born a lame bastard of a trivial midlands clan, Sean has no great destiny. His early life saw him shipped off to a college school as he seemed to be passingly smart and could do very little of the field work or hard laboring with his gimp leg. The church needed more hands, and saw fit to begin his training. Alas he was a poor fit for the monastic life and he left the Church shortly after taking his final vows, and fled to his old home. Sean was found by Corbin during a brief but utterly problematic visit to his old clan. Corbin was one of the only people who gave Sean a second look, and for that reason alone the clan were happy for Sean to hobble after Corbin when he departed.

While Corbin completed his apprenticeship he saw that Sean was trained in more skills than just writing, and found him to be an useful extra set of hands. When the time came there was little doubt that Sean would accompany Corbin to his new home.

Milestone 400+ New spells for Ars Magica

I’ve posted over 400 new spells for Ars Magica now, reaching my blogging goal for 2016 a few months early. October onward will have a mix of character concepts, variations to rules, the odd conversation on the Ars Magica setting, and more spells that have been sitting in draft for a very long time. Some of those spells are inspired from Game of Thrones and Snow White, so a little less serious; but very flavorsome.

Necromancy spells, part 9

The run of new and tailored spells for Ars Magica themed for necromancy will probably cease playing though my mind soon, till then here are five more new spells. These are not directly necromantic, but were dreamed up with a necromancer in mind. Not all effects have to be about making skin and bone move unnaturally (fortunately).

Sight of the Pallbearer

Intellego Terram / Herbam 20, R: Personal, D: Concentration, T: Vision

This spell allows the caster’s vision to be unaffected by Terram and Herbam material. The caster can see through ten cubic paces of soil, a cubic pace of stone, and a few inches of wood or other Herbam material. The material appears translucent and almost completely transparent.

(Base 2, +1 Conc, +4 Vision, +1 Herbam)

Then same desire using a different method. With a level 20 version and a level 5 version, it’s an easy choice unless the Magi’s arts are particularly specialised.

Invisible Earth

Perdo Imagonem 5, R: Touch, D: Concentration, T: Part

This spell renders an a volume of earth or stone invisible, allowing the what is beneath, inside, or behind the affected material to be viewed. Up to 10 cubic paces of material can be affected with each casting, and the caster can choose the shape and orientation if the affected mass.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Conc, +1 Part, +1 flexibility in shape and material)

And now some creepy spells using corpses and the dead as material, to exploit a focus in Necromancy.

Wall of Desecrated Dead

Creo Corpus 40, R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Group

This spell creates a large wall-like barricade made from 100 large human bodies, which are bound around each other to form a solid obstruction. The caster can choose the position and size of the wall.

(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +2 Group, +1 Size)

The Danse Macabre

Rego Corpus 20, R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group

This spell gathers all the non-living human remains (equivalent mass of 10 large human bodies) from around the caster and places it at a location chosen within the spells range.

(Base 4, +2 Voice, +2 Group)

Order According to Owner

Intellego Corpus / Rego 20, R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group

This spell separates a mass of human remains so that the parts of each individual are unmixed from the other.

(Base 4, +2 Voice, +2 Group)

Find all my new Ars Magica Necromancy spells by using the Necromancy tag.

And here are some useful resources from around the internet: Project Redcap’s Corporeal Necromancer Template,  RPG Net on Necromancers, The Ancient Magic fro Ars Magica book, and a bit on the TV Tropes. These and other spells can be found in the now darn large list of custom and new Ars Magica spells. Now 400 new spells!

Two more fire spells

The first is inspired by the tactic of making your opponent face the sun while fighting, then a spell for providing bright flare-like light, and then a simple enchanted device.

Light at Dawn

Creo Ignem 25, R: Voice, D: Sun, T: Individual

This spell creates a clear bright light which shines like the sun on a clear day. The light will stay where it is placed within range.

(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Sun)

This effect is akin to an alert flare, allowing an area to be brightly lit, or also used to start larger fires. The intent is that the caster places the spell just behind them, so that opponents are sun blind.

Burst of Vibrant Flame

Creo Ignem 25, R: Sight, D: Sun, T: Individual

This spell creates a bright flare of flame which is launched into the air as the caster desires, and floats in place for the duration. It provides ample illumination equivalent to a bright lantern. If used as a weapon the flare inflicts +5 damage. The caster may choose the colour of the light when the spell is cast.

(Base 4, +3 Sight, +2 Sun)

The spell breakdown allows for the launching and floating of the light as a freebie effect, however it could be argued that a Rego requisite is needed but the real benefit is creating a light where the caster desires, so how the spell gets the flame there is cosmetic.

Device: Wand of Light (CrIg 20)

This solid oak wand is carved with directive sigils and runes, two of which control the wand’s invested magical power. Created as a simple enchanted device level 20.

Beam of Torchlight

Creo Ignem 5, R: Touch, D: Concentration,  T: Individual

The spell creates a focused beam of illumination to be projected from the item touched, equivalent to torchlight.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Conc)

(Device maintains concentration +5, unlimited uses per day +10)

May your cantrips never botch. This and over 395 other new spells for Ars Magica can be found here.

Spells for wrecking wooden items

A two quick spells for destroying items made from dead plant based materials. Very handy spells in the medieval setting due to how many items have wooden parts.

Curse of Holed Oak

Perdo Herbam 15, R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Part

This spell destroys a whole or part of a non-living wood based item, with a volume equivalent to one standard plant. The spell may affect composite items which have wood within them due to the Target: Part.

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

Curse of Holed Wall and Bow Afar

Perdo Herbam 25, R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Part

This spell destroys a whole or part of a non-living wood based item, with a volume equivalent to the volume of ten standard plants. The spell may affect composite items which have wood within them due to the Target: Part.

(Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 Part, +1 size)

The second spell affects a volume that is more than enough to make a massive hole in a ship’s hull, ruin a cart, remove a wooden door, or wreck reinforcements. The first spell might need to be cast many times to truly wreck a large item, but would hamper a ship or cart straight away.

Affecting living wood is slightly harder, but is seldom needed at voice range so can still be made a low level spell. The effect below is intended to cut smoothly into or through the base of a tree to allow it to be felled effortlessly.

The Efficient Woodsman

Perdo Herbam 15, R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Part

This spell destroys a part of a living tree or plant, with a volume up to equal to the standard Herbam volume (a plant one pace in each direction). The shape and place is chosen by the caster’s touch.

(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Part)

The Efficient Harvest

Perdo Herbam 25, R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group

This spell destroys the same part or spot on a set of living trees or plants, with a volume up to equal to the standard Herbam volume (a plant one pace in each direction). The shape and place is chosen by the caster. Target: Part is incorporated into the spell, within the Group target.

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

Then within an item, for harvesting trees in bulk, and could also be used on many types of crops. An alternative would be to use the single action harvest spell with Touch trigger & Unlimited uses (which allows for a level 25 item); final levels are very similar.

A Wondrous Harvester (Lesser enchanted device – PeHe 28) – a small bronze axe trinket set on a chain, which is worn around the user’s neck. To activate the user hold the axe blade with their fingertips, and makes a scythe motion with their other arm. Effect as per The Efficient Harvest

Perdo Herbam 25, R: Voice, D: Momentary, T: Group

This spell destroys the same part or spot on a set of living trees or plants, with a volume up to equal to the standard Herbam volume (a plant one pace in each direction). The shape and place is chosen by the caster. Target: Part is incorporated into the spell, within the Group target.

(Base 5, +2 Voice, +2 Group) (+3 six uses per day)

This and over 390 other new spells for Ars Magica can be found here.

Timing illusions

These spells are illusions which changes image or colour according to the remaining duration – a simple visual clue for lab projects and casters with a poor memory.

Chromatic Timer

Muto Imagonem 10, R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Part

This illusion washes the target in a hue of colours which changes over the spell’s duration. The caster dictates the time between colour changes and the colours in the sequence. A typical casting moves the hue through quarters of the overall remaining duration using blue, green, yellow, and red. The style of the hues, range of colours, and pace is dictated by the casters preference and hermetic sigil.

The changing of the colours is dependent on the casters knowledge of when the spell will expire rather than an absolute astrological event, so is subject to small deviations, unforeseen factors, and errors. It may be cast on a target or part of a target, and may affect an area equal to the size of a man.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter, +1 changing image, +1 moves with target, +1 flexibility in casting configuration)

The spell was designed for a character named Zharkune of Bonisagus who was seeking a visual indicator of when items needed to be actioned, or when other effects might expire, as many were moon based spells cast throughout the season. His sigil expressed in the visual design as a gradual decay of one colour which reveals another.

Its simple to make variants with different durations, perhaps to time experiments. The spell is a half measure toward having a versatile timer spell which can be set to alert after a specified number of minutes up to a maximum duration. I’ve read that such a timer would be problematic in normal hermetic magic spells, although several nested effects in an enchanted item would be able to simulate a count-down. Assuming these spells are not cast at an obvious point in time (such as dawn) TMRE p 51 provides Intellego Vim spells for detecting the accurate astrological time, which would need to be cast first if accuracy needed to be assured.

Chromatic Timer, Till Moonrise

Muto Imagonem 20, R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Part

This illusion washes the target in a hue of colours which changes over the spell’s duration. The caster dictates the time between colour changes and the colours in the sequence. A typical casting moves the hue through quarters of the overall remaining duration using blue, green, yellow, and red. The style of the hues, range of colours, and pace is dictated by the casters preference and hermetic sigil.

The changing of the colours is dependent on the casters knowledge of when the spell will expire rather than an absolute astrological event, so is subject to small deviations, unforeseen factors, and errors. It may be cast on a target or part of a target, and may affect an area equal to the size of a man.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +1 changing image, +1 moves with target, +1 flexibility in casting configuration)

The spell could also be written up as a Creo Imagonem effect which conjures an image of an hourglass. The purpose for the spell was to trigger an informational warning for another effect, so changing the colour of an object affected was more suitable. As a CrIm spell with a simple scope.

Exhibit of Passing Time

Creo Imagonem 10, R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual

This illusion creates an hourglass which shows the gradual change over the spell’s duration. The timing is dependent on the casters knowledge of when the spell will expire when cast rather than an absolute astrological event, so is subject to small deviations, unforeseen factors, and errors.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +1 changing image)

This and over 390 other new spells for Ars Magica can be found here.

 

Two Lightning Ward spells

As The Incantation of Lightning is a dramatic, well known, and flavorsome spell in the setting it makes sense that a defense might be created. Personal wards are not cumbersome to create but they have to be specific, so a paranoid wizard in Ars Magica needs to create a range of them and activate them proactively.

Personal Ward Against Lightning

Rego Auram 20, R: Personal, D: Sun, T: Individual

The caster is warded against all natural lightning, and magical lighting effects must be at least double the level of this spell to affect the target.

(Base 10, +2 Sun)

As a core guideline the Base 10 to allow the Target to be protected against a type of very severe weather, such as lightning.

What is odd in this spell is to allow magically generated lighting to also be warded. The intent is to have a defense against Incantation of Lightning and a rego wards is appropriate way to do that. As a very specific ward I think it is reasonable to allow a lot of protection.

Circular Ward Against Lightning

Rego Auram 25, R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle

The targets within the warded circle are protected against all natural lightning, and magical lighting effects must be at least double the level of this spell to affect the target.

(Base 10, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, +0 Circle)

This and over 390 other new spells for Ars Magica can be found here.