Sorcery: Communication & Empathy Spells

Sorcery: Communication & Empathy Spells

The College of Communication & Empathy is a very specialized one, but it is also a very interesting one. In some way, it overlaps with the College of Mind Control, but it is focused on the emotions and senses. Mind-Reading allows you to read the subject's mind, but not to control it. Mind-Search lets the caster to probe minds for deep thoughts. Mind-Sending allows him to send his thoughts far away, and Telepathy allows him to hold a two-way conversation at a distance.

Mind-Reading

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 26 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Indefinite.

The caster can read the subject’s surface thoughts. The caster must be able to see or touch the subject to read his thoughts. Modify the casting roll for range penalties to the subject (see p. B550).

If the caster wins, he can “hear” the subject’s surface thoughts as a voice in his head. Received thought comes at the speed of speech. If the caster does not understand the language, or if his subject isn’t sapient, he only picks up feelings, images, and general intent.

The caster can maintain this spell for as long as he wishes without further concentration. If he switches to another person, he must stop reading his current subject and roll a Quick Contest with the new subject.

If he loses, he may try again, at a cumulative -2 per repeated attempt on that subject in the past hour. Should he critically fail, he cannot read that person again for 24 hours.

Statistics: Mind Reading (Sorcery, -15%) [26].

Mind-Search

Keywords: Resisted (Will).

Full Cost: 17 points.

Casting Roll: IQ or Interrogation.

Range: Touch or Unlimited (see text).

Duration: Instantaneous.

Search a subject’s mind to find deep thoughts and knowledge of things the subject is not thinking about at the moment. In effect, the caster can force the subject to answer any one specific question that he can answer with a brief sentence. To attempt a search, the caster must first either touch his subject or successfully read his mind with Mind-Reading or a similar spell or ability. He must also share a language with the subject.

If the casting is successful, the caster rips the answer from the subject’s mind. The answer is what the subject believes to be true – if he doesn’t know, he’ll tell the caster. If the casting has failed, the caster may try again, at a cumulative -2 per repeated attempt to ask the same (or very similar) question in the past hour. Should he critically fail, he cannot search that person again for 24 hours.

This spell may be used to ask as many questions as the caster wishes, but each question is a new casting.

Statistics: Mind Probe (Sorcery, -15%) [17].

Mind-Sending

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 26 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Indefinite.

The caster transmits thoughts directly to the subject’s mind. The subject receives the caster’s thoughts even if he lacks this ability. Range is theoretically unlimited, but the IQ roll to cast this spell takes the range penalties given under Long-Distance Modifiers (p. B241). If the caster cannot see or otherwise sense his subject, he has an additional penalty: -1 for family, lovers, or close friends; -3 for casual friends and acquaintances; or -5 for someone met only briefly.

The caster can send words at the speed of ordinary speech or pictures at the speed at which he could draw them. After casting this spell, no concentration is required. The caster can maintain multiple contacts, but the IQ roll is at a cumulative -1 per contact after the first

Statistics: Telesend (Sorcery, -15%) [26].

Telepathy

Keywords: None.

Full Cost: 47 points.

Casting Roll: IQ.

Range: Unlimited.

Duration: Indefinite.

The caster can hold a two-way conversation with another person. Range is theoretically unlimited, but the IQ roll to cast this spell takes the range penalties given under Long-Distance Modifiers (p. B241). If the caster cannot see or otherwise sense his subject, he has an additional penalty: -1 for family, lovers, or close friends; -3 for casual friends and acquaintances; or -5 for someone met only briefly.

If successful, the subject hears the caster’s voice and may immediately respond. If he does not wish to speak with the caster, it’s a free action for him to mute the caster’s voice to a whisper. The caster may maintain a connection with that subject for as long as he’d like. No further rolls are normally required unless the range penalty worsens.

Statistics: Mind Reading (Accessibility, Projected thoughts only, -20%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Telecommunication, -20%) [18] + Telesend (Link, +10%; Sorcery, -15%) [29].