Wizardry: Stormwrack Spells I

Wizardry: Stormwrack Spells I

You might know that I like to include aquatic hazards in my games, and I am a big fan of underwater adventures. Thus, let's convert some spells from Stormwrack, a D&D 3.5 supplement about under- and overwater adventures.

Aboleth Curse has the same effects as an aboleth's slime.

Air Breathing is the reverse of Water Breathing.

Airy Water is an interesting spell. Building the spell required a spreadsheet, but you only have to do it once - it's much better in play.

Blackwater Taint is a necromantic/water spell that saps heat and lifeforce out of enemies.

Blackwater Tentacle creates a blackwater tentacle somewhere that attacks a designated target.

Dark Tide is a very expensive spell with a huge area of effect. Water becomes dark and toxic for a long time.

Depthsurge is an underwater explosion spell. Rules for underwater explosions from Pyramid #3-26 are incorporated.

Aboleth Curse
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 10 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: Touch.
Duration: 11 minutes.
 
You bestow a dreadful affliction on the creature you touch, similar to the effect of an aboleth’s foul contact. Your touch deals 1d toxic damage with an onset of one minute, unless the victim resists with an uncontested HT-3 roll. Then every minute for ten more cycles, the damage repeats. Being moistened with cool, fresh water negates cyclic damage, and each cycle can be resisted with HT-3. The skin of the victim gradually becomes a clear, slimy membrane, and after losing 1/3 HP to this toxic damage, the victim’s natural DR with Tough Skin becomes reduced by 2, to the minimum of 0, until he heals above this threshold.
Statistics: Toxic Attack 1d (Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Cyclic, 1 minute, 10 cycles, being moistened with cool, fresh water negates damage, Resistible, +200%; Magical, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; No Signature, +20%; Onset, 1 minute, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Resistible, HT-3, -15%; Symptoms, 1/3 HP, Negated Advantage, DR 2 with Tough Skin, +18%) [10].
 
Air Breathing
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost (Self): 14 points.
Full Cost (Touch): 28 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 4 seconds.
Range: Self – Touch.
Duration: 5 hours.
 
The water-breathing subject becomes able to breathe air as though it were water. He does not lose his ability to breathe water. The “Self” version of this spell can only be cast if the caster is a water-breathing creature.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Air Breathing, +80%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 100x, +80%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Magical, -10%; Requires gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires magic words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%) [14]. Note: “Air Breathing” is Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, -50%; Magical, -10%) [8]. The Touch version removes Accessibility, Self Only, -50% and Requires IQ Roll, -10% and adds Accessibility, Only on water-breathing creatures, -10%, Accessibility, Only nonvolitional or non-resisting subjects, -20%, Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Malediction 1, +100%, Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%, and No Signature, +20% [+14].
   
Airy Water
Keywords: Area (Special).
Full Cost: 24/35/42/49/54/60/64 points for level 1-7.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Touch.
Duration: 10 seconds.
 
This spell turns normal water (or watery solutions) into a frothy substance that is as breathable as air. Both air-breathing and water-breathing creatures within the area can breathe normally.
Moving through airy water is easier than moving through normal water. Creatures can use their normal Ground Move to move along the bottom at their normal speed. Creatures walking on the bottom still may have to spend additional movement points if they walk on sand, muck, or other unstable terrain.
Finally, airy water negates underwater combat and movement penalties.
The spell does not filter or purify solid particles, so casting Airy Water on very turbid liquids, for example, would produce an area filled with dust or smoke (and impose similar penalties).
Airy Water 1 transforms a single 4-yard-tall hex. Each additional level (up to 7) adds an additional hexes. The affected area may be shaped in any possible shape as long as it is continuous.
Statistics: Create 24 (Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%; Transmute Water to Airy Water, +50%; Transmutation Only, -100%) [24]. Level 2 increases the level of Create to 35 [+11]. Level 3 increases the level of Create to 42 [+7]. Level 4 increases the level of Create to 49 [+7]. Level 5 increases the level of Create to 54 [+5]. Level 6 increases the level of Create to 60 [+6]. Level 7 increases the level of Create to 64 [+4].
 
Blackwater Taint
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 22 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: 20 yards.
Duration: 10 seconds.
 
In the dark, sunless abysses of the deep ocean, shadows gather, the cold beckons, and the corpses of many things in the oceans lie slowly rotting. These black waters are often poisoned with the energies of undeath. When this spell is cast, you call up the cold blackness of those stygian depths, infusing the waters in a 4-yard-radius 4-yard-high cylindrical area with negative energy. The initial attack roll places the effect, and after that, it drifts with the current. Those in or entering the area must make a HT roll to resist its terrible power every second, unless they have Sealed.
Every creature in the area that fails to resist takes 1d-2 fatigue damage from extreme cold. Once the creature loses 1/3 of its FP to this effect, it gets a -2 penalty to ST, DX, and HT until it recovers FP above this threshold. These penalties increase to -4 once the creature loses 1/2 of its FP to this effect.
Treat FP lost to the attack identically to FP lost to cold for all purposes, notably recovery (see Cold, p. B430).
Statistics: Fatigue Attack 1d-2 (Accessibility, Only underwater, -30%; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Contact Agent, +150%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Drifting, +20%; Freezing, +20%; Increased Range, 2x, +10%; Magical, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Resistible, HT, -30%; Symptoms, 1/3 FP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +120%; Symptoms, 1/2 FP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +80%; Underwater, +20%) [22].
  
Blackwater Tentacle
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 35 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: 10 seconds.
 
You create a tentacle-shaped mass of blackwater, drawn from the deepest ocean trenches, to attack an enemy as you direct it. The tentacle appears at a target point within range and can’t move from that location. It attacks the opponent you designate once each second with Skill 14, starting with the turn the spell is cast. The tentacle has Reach C-3 and can only strike – it cannot grapple. Ordering the tentacle to attack a different target requires a Concentrate maneuver.
Attacks of the Blackwater Tentacle deal 2d crushing damage. Once the victim loses 1/3 of its HP to this effect, it gets a -2 penalty to ST, DX, and HT until it recovers HP above this threshold. These penalties increase to -4 once the victim loses 1/2 of its HP to this effect.
The tentacle can be attacked. Treat it as a SM+1 creature with no DR. It has 10 HP, but is treated as if it had Injury Tolerance (Diffuse).
This spell works identically in air and underwater.
Statistics: Crushing Attack 2d (Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Blockable, -5%; Bombardment, Skill 14, -5%; Breakable, SM+1, DR 0, HP 10, Diffuse, -20%; Can be parried, -5%; Increased Range, 10x (Accessibility, Underwater only, ‑50%), +15%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Only one attack per second, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Requires directions, -5%; Persistent, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Symptoms, 1/3 HP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +120%; Symptoms, 1/2 HP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +80%; Underwater, +20%) [35].
  
Dark Tide
Keywords: Area (Fixed).
Full Cost: 95 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 4 seconds.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 8 hours.
 
You infuse the target area of water with the enervating essence of the blackwater depths, creating a tide of blackwater that spreads out from the designated point of origin at a rate of 5 yards per seconds until it fills the entire half-mile-radius area. The depth of the effect is equal to 4 yards. Water infused with dark energies with this spell is dark and life-draining. Vision rolls in the area based on normal vision, Infravision, or Ultravision take a -5 penalty.
Every creature that spends a full hour in the area takes 1d-1 toxic damage, ignoring unsealed DR. Once the creature loses 1/3 of its HP to this effect, it gets a -2 penalty to ST, DX, and HT until it recovers HP above this threshold. These penalties increase to -4 once the creature loses 1/2 of its HP to this effect.
Statistics: Obscure Vision 5 (Accessibility, Only underwater, -30%; Area Effect, 880 yards, +425%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended, Infravision and Ultravision, +40%; Extended Duration, 3,000x, +140%; Increased Range, 10x (Accessibility, Underwater only, ‑50%), +15%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Spreads slowly, -50%; Ranged, +50%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%; Underwater, +20%) [65] + Toxic Attack 1d-1 (Accessibility, Only underwater, -30%; Area Effect, 880 yards, +475%; Contact Agent, +150%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 3,000x, +140%; Increased Range, 10x (Accessibility, Underwater only, ‑50%), +15%; Link, +10%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Spreads slowly, -50%; Onset, Exposure Time, 1 hour, -40%; Persistent, +40%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Symptoms, 1/3 FP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +120%; Symptoms, 1/2 FP, -2 to ST, DX, and HT, +80%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%; Underwater, +20%) [30].
 
Depthsurge
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 6 points/level.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to hit.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 second.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: Instantaneous.
 
The water suddenly explodes outward in a massive surge, as if driven by a powerful explosion. Everyone in the target hex takes 2d crushing damage; anything nearby receives “collateral damage” equal to basic damage divided by the distance in yards from the blast. This spell can only be used underwater.
Statistics: Crushing Attack 1d (Accessibility, Only underwater, -30%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Explosion 1, +50%; Increased Range, 10x, +30%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Underwater, +20%) [6/level].