Wizardry: Illusion and Creation Spells I
Now, let's do the leftovers of the Illusion and Creation college. Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound was a difficult spell to build. It conjures a phantom hound that guards that area. Both barks and bites. Phantasmal Killer is an illusory version of Cause Fear that is resisted with IQ instead of Will. Shadow Magic (Spell) is not a single spell, but a category of spells that create quasi-real effects.
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 39 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: 5 hours or until triggered, then 30 seconds.
You conjure up a phantom watchdog that is invisible to everyone but yourself. It then guards the area where it was conjured (it does not move). The hound immediately starts barking loudly if any SM-2 or larger creature approaches within 8 yards of it. (Those within 8 yards of the hound when it is conjured may move about in the area, but if they leave and return, they activate the barking.) The hound sees invisible and ethereal creatures. It does not react to figments, but it does react to shadow illusions. The barking imposes a -5 penalty to Hearing in the area, but also is detectable with Hearing+5.
If an intruder approaches to within 1 yard of the hound, the dog stops barking and delivers a vicious bite (Skill 14, 1d cutting) once per second. The attack can be dodged, blocked, or parried. The dog also gets the bonuses appropriate to an invisible creature. The dog is considered ready to bite intruders, so it delivers its first bite on the intruder’s turn. The hound cannot be attacked, but it can be dispelled.
The spell lasts for 5 hours, but once the hound begins barking, it lasts only 30 seconds. If you are ever more than 32 yards distant from the hound, the spell ends.
Statistics: Cutting Attack 1d (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Blockable, -5%; Bombardment, Skill 14, -5%; Can be parried, -5%; Delay, Trigger, Entering the area, +50%; Extended Duration, 3x, +20%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; No Signature, +20%; Nuisance Effect, Only one attack per second, -5%; Persistent, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Terminal Condition, Further than 32 yards, -10%) [14] + Obscure 5 (Hearing; Area Effect, 8 yards, +100%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Delay, Trigger, Entering the area, +50%; Extended Duration, 3x, +20%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Ranged, +50%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Terminal Condition, Further than 32 yards, -10%) [25].
Phantasmal Killer
Keywords: Resisted (IQ).
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: Instantaneous.
You create a phantasmal image of the most fearsome creature imaginable to the subject simply by forming the fears of the subject’s subconscious mind into something that its conscious mind can visualize: this most horrible beast. Only the spell’s subject can see the phantasmal killer. You see only a vague shape. The image is entirely mental, so even blind creatures are affected. If the caster wins in the Quick Contest of skill versus the subject’s IQ, then the subject believes the illusion to be real. Roll 3d for the result of a Fright Check, as usual, and add the caster’s margin of victory. The victim gets +1 per Fright Check after the first within 24 hours. If a victim succeeds at his Fright Check, he will be unaffected by this caster’s Phantasmal Killer for one hour. Each additional level of this spell imposes -1 to the Fright Check. For example, with Phantasmal Killer 4, the subjects must make Fright Checks at -3.
Shadow Magic (Spell)
Keywords: Varies.
Full Cost: Varies.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use skill (for Shadow Magic, not for the original spell) or Artist (Illusion) to convince that the illusion is real.
Components: Varies.
Cost: Varies.
Casting Time: Varies.
Range: Varies.
Duration: Varies.
This is not a spell, but a category of spells that duplicate other spells in a version that is partially illusory and partially real. Thus, Shadow Magic (Fireball) and Shadow Magic (Acid Splash) are two different spells. The duplicated spell must have an obvious effect that directly affects the subject’s body. Spells without any physical effects, or spells that directly affect mind or body, such as most Mind Control, Communication and Empathy, or Body Control spells, will not work with Shadow Magic. Likewise, Enchantment, Information, and summoning spells will not work with Shadow Magic because they don't produce an obvious physical effect that can be duplicated with an illusion. Additionally, spells that just affect the senses (such as Darkness or Flare) can't be cast in a Shadow Magic version, since they have no visible, physical effect on the subject's body. It is up to the GM to determine which spells have a sufficiently strong physical component to be cast as Shadow Magic.
If the spell meets the criteria for be cast as Shadow Magic, the mage can cast the spell, taking the same amount of time that he would take to cast the real version of the spell. The subject gets the same roll to resist that he would get against the full version of the spell. In addition, make a Quick Contest of skill (for Shadow Magic, not for the original spell) against the subject’s Per. You may substitute Artist (Illusion) for skill, if it is higher. If the subject resists, he disbelieves the shadowy illusion and is affected at 25% of its power (quarter the damage, quarter the penalties, etc.) If he fails to resist, then he is affected fully. For lasting effects, roll this Quick Contest every minute.
Statistics: Same as the real spell but with an additional Quasi-Real, -15% limitation that is Requires IQ vs. Per Roll, -20% applied to 3/4 of the spell.
Web
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 44 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: 20 yards.
Duration: 5 minutes.
Web creates a many-layered mass of strong, sticky strands. These strands trap those caught in them. The strands are similar to spider webs but far larger and tougher. These masses must be anchored to two or more solid and diametrically opposed points—floor and ceiling, opposite walls, or the like—or else the web collapses upon itself and disappears. The web is a plane that can otherwise be oriented in any way, but has length of 6 yards, width of 1 yard, and height of 4 yards. Anyone covered by the web is grappled with ST 10 and rooted in place. They cannot select the Move or Change Posture maneuvers or change facing, and are at -4 to DX. Each additional Web cast over the area increases the ST by 1.
Anyone who touches a victim grappled by the Web sticks to him, becoming grappled as well!
To break free, the victim must win a Quick Contest of ST or Escape skill against the ST of the Web. Each attempt takes one second. If the victim fails to break free, he loses 1 FP but may try again. Alternatively, he may try to destroy the Web. Innate Attacks hit automatically; other attacks are at -4. External attacks on the Web take no penalty, but risk hitting the victim on a miss (see Striking Into a Close Combat, p. B392). The Web has DR 3. Each point of damage reduces ST by one. At ST 0, the Web is destroyed and the victims are freed. The Web can only be damaged by cutting and burning attacks.
Victims also can roll thrust damage once per turn against the Web as a free action. If this destroys the binding, they may ignore its impediment at once. If it doesn’t, they’re affected normally but may still use their turn for a standard attempt to break free, and the binding is not damaged by this free “attack.”
Statistics:
Binding 10 (Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Environmental, Anchored to diametrically opposed surfaces, -20%; Extended Duration, 30x, +60%; Magical, -10%; Only Damaged By Cutting and Burning, +20%; Persistent, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/5, -20%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Sticky, +20%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%; Wall, +30%) [44].
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