Monday, 21 July 2025

Wizardry: Book of Vile Darkness Spells II

Wizardry: Book of Vile Darkness Spells II

Call Dretch Horde summons 3d dretches in exchange for a soul.
Call Lemure Horde does the same, but with lemures.
Call Nightmare uses a soul to summon a nightmare.
Charnel Fire completely destroys a corpse. I had to come up with a new modifier because building this ability by RAW results in a point cost so high that the spell just isn't worth it. I have no shame.
Clutch of Orcus is a very cool divine spell that incapacitates or maybe even kills the target.
Consume Likeness lets you shapeshift into a creature by eating a portion of its flesh.
Crushing Fist of Spite feels like something Bigby came up with when other wizards laughed at his invented spells.


WIZARD SPELLS 


Call Dretch Horde
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 20 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, M.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: Indefinite.
 
Each time you cast this, you 3d dretches (your point value must be at least four times higher than that of a dretch). A penalty applies based on the planar “distance”: There is no distance penalty for creatures that are currently on the same plane of existence. Adjacent dimensions impose -3, increasing by -3 for every intervening dimension. The Prime Material Plane is considered adjacent to the Astral Plane, and the Astral Plane is adjacent to the Abyss, where the dretches come from. Thus, preparations that mitigate the penalty usually are required.
The summoning itself requires 1 minute of preparation and ritual. At the end of the casting, you must pay 2 FP and make a casting roll to force them to appear. If you are successful, the dretches arrive, and the soul used as a material component is transported to the Abyss along with its receptacle. Then the dretches make a reaction roll at +5. On Poor or worse, treat them as Unwilling Allies – they will obey you, but try to subvert your commands or otherwise act against your interests. If the reaction is Neutral or better, they will serve you reasonably faithfully.
Unlike most spells with a duration, this spell must be maintained; thus, unless you can cast simultaneous spells, using another spell will immediately dismiss the dretches. However, there is no FP cost to maintain this spell, only to cast it. A summoned dretch is vulnerable to being dispelled, banished, or warded off with occult techniques. If the dretches are killed, you must wait 24 hours before using this spell again; if dismissed, you must wait five minutes.
Material Component: A soul of a sapient being in a receptacle. This soul can be captured with a thinaun weapon, Soul Bind, Trap the Soul, Magic Jar, or a similar spell or ability.
Statistics: Ally (Dretch; Built on 25%; Constantly; Group of 10; Conjured, +100%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Soul, -60%) [20]. Notes: As a special effect, this spell breaks rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast and dimensional “range” penalties.
 
Call Lemure Horde
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 8 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, M.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: Indefinite.
 
Each time you cast this, you 3d lemures (your point value must be at least ten times higher than that of a lemure). A penalty applies based on the planar “distance”: There is no distance penalty for creatures that are currently on the same plane of existence. Adjacent dimensions impose -3, increasing by -3 for every intervening dimension. The Prime Material Plane is considered adjacent to the Astral Plane, and the Astral Plane is adjacent to the Nine Hells of Baator, where the lemures come from. Thus, preparations that mitigate the penalty usually are required.
The summoning itself requires 1 minute of preparation and ritual. At the end of the casting, you must pay 2 FP and make a casting roll to force them to appear. If you are successful, the lemures arrive, and the soul used as a material component is transported to the Nine Hells of Baator along with its receptacle. Then the lemures make a reaction roll at +5. On Poor or worse, treat them as Unwilling Allies – they will obey you, but try to subvert your commands or otherwise act against your interests. If the reaction is Neutral or better, they will serve you reasonably faithfully.
Unlike most spells with a duration, this spell must be maintained; thus, unless you can cast simultaneous spells, using another spell will immediately dismiss the lemures. However, there is no FP cost to maintain this spell, only to cast it. A summoned lemure is vulnerable to being dispelled, banished, or warded off with occult techniques. If the lemures are killed, you must wait 24 hours before using this spell again; if dismissed, you must wait five minutes.
Material Component: A soul of a sapient being in a receptacle. This soul can be captured with a thinaun weapon, Soul Bind, Trap the Soul, Magic Jar, or a similar spell or ability.
Statistics: Ally (Lemure; Built on 10%; Constantly; Group of 10; Conjured, +100%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Soul, -60%) [8]. Notes: As a special effect, this spell breaks rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast and dimensional “range” penalties.
 
Call Nightmare
Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 42 points.
Casting Roll: Skill, rolled as a Quick Contest against the summoned being’s Will.
Components: V, S, M.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 hour.
Range: 10 yards.
Duration: Days equal to margin of victory on Quick Contest of skill against Will.
 
Each time you cast this, you summon a nightmare, cauchemar, or lesser nightmare (worth 150% or less of your point value). Alternatively, if you know a specific being you want to call, you can summon it (although if you do not have its True Name or some equally significant identifier, you are at -5 on the casting roll). A penalty applies based on the planar “distance”: There is no distance penalty for creatures that are currently on the same plane of existence. Adjacent dimensions impose -3, increasing by -3 for every intervening dimension. The Prime Material Plane is considered adjacent to the Astral Plane, and the Astral Plane is adjacent to the Lower Planes, where the nightmares come from. Thus, preparations that mitigate the penalty usually are required.
The summoning itself requires 1 hour of preparation and ritual. At the end of the casting, you must pay 2 FP and make a Quick Contest of skill against the nightmare’s Will to force it to appear. If you are victorious, the nightmare arrives and the soul used as a material component is transported to the Lower Planes along with its receptacle. The nightmare then makes a reaction roll at +5. On Poor or worse, treat it as an Unwilling Ally – it will obey you, but try to subvert your commands or otherwise act against your interests. If the reaction is Neutral or better, it will serve you reasonably faithfully.
Unlike most spells with a duration, this spell must be maintained; thus, unless you can cast simultaneous spells, using another spell will immediately dismiss the summoned being. However, there is no FP cost to maintain this spell, only to cast it. A summoned being is vulnerable to being dispelled, banished, or warded off with occult techniques. If it is killed, you must wait 24 hours before using this spell again; if dismissed, you must wait five minutes.
Material Component: A soul of a sapient being in a receptacle. This soul can be captured with a thinaun weapon, Soul Bind, Trap the Soul, Magic Jar, or a similar spell or ability.
Statistics: Ally (Outsider; Built on 150%; Constantly; Adjustable, Nightmares, Cannot provide information, +25%; Conjured, +100%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 hour, -75%; Magical, -10%; Maximum Duration, days equal to margin of victory, -0%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/10, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Requires Quick Contest of IQ vs. Will, -15%; Requires Soul, -60%; Special Abilities, +50%) [42]. Notes: As a special effect, this spell breaks rules by allowing free maintenance, but this is offset by imposing a FP cost to cast and dimensional “range” penalties.
 
Charnel Fire
Keywords: Obvious.
Full Cost: 18 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: Touch.
Duration: Instantaneous.
 
With sinister flame and brimstone, the caster completely consumes one dead body so that absolutely nothing remains. A creature whose body is destroyed by a Charnel Fire spell cannot be brought back to life. This spell cannot be used on undead creatures.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Corpse Destruction, +30%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [18].
 
Consume Likeness
Keywords: Buff.
Full Cost: 45 points or more.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, M (optional), Corruption.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 1 minute.
Range: Self.
Duration: 1 day.
 
You assume the form of a creature of the same body type as yours – you must have the same number and arrangement of limbs, the same posture, body layout, etc. The creature must be freshly dead, but you assume the form of the creature as it looked when it lived. You must eat the flesh of the corpse whose form is to be assumed as you cast the spell. Physical traits of your racial template are replaced with physical traits of the racial template of the assumed form. Thus, you cannot gain any mental or supernatural abilities, but you may gain new biological abilities. This spell includes the ability to make cosmetic changes. Thus, you are able to assume a form of another dead member of your own species. Your gear is not affected.
By default, you may assume any racial template (adjusted by removing mental and supernatural abilities) worth no more than your native racial template (likewise adjusted). If you want to assume more powerful forms, you have to pay extra points equal to the difference. Thus, Consume Likeness (10) costs 10 extra points but allows you to assume any racial template worth no more than 10 points than your native one.
Once you have assumed a form, you can opt to memorize it by concentrating for one minute. This allows you to shapeshift into that form at any time by casting Consume Likeness without the need to consume flesh of the creature. You can memorize a number of forms equal to your casting skill. If all your “slots” are full, you must overwrite a previously memorized form (your choice) to add the new form.
Material Component: A fresh or preserved (still bloody) 1-ounce portion of another creature’s flesh.
Corruption Cost: The caster’s Will is reduced by 4 for a day. Then, each day the caster recovers 1 level of lost Will.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Self Only, -50%; Advantage, Consume Likeness, +400%; Backlash, Will-4, Extended Duration, 2,000x, -45%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Extended Duration, 1,000x, +120%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magical, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%) [45]. Note: “Consume Likeness” is Morph (Accessibility, Physical traits only, -10%; Magical, -10%; Needs Sample, -20%; Retains Shape, -20%) [40].
 
Crushing Fist of Spite
Keywords: Area (Fixed), Obvious.
Full Cost: 30 points.
Casting Roll: Skill. Use Innate Attack (Gaze) to aim.
Components: V, S, M.
Cost: 1 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: 50 yards.
Duration: 10 seconds.
 
You create a fist of dark force above the ground, and it begins smashing down with incredible power once every second. All creatures and objects in a 2-yard-radius 4-yards-tall area take 2d crushing damage as large-area injury. Creatures may dive for cover or retreat out of the area to avoid getting hit. By taking a Concentrate maneuver, you may move the fist at Move 4 in any direction, including vertically. This spell can affect insubstantial beings and works identically both in air and underwater.
Material Component: A severed hand from a good-aligned humanoid cleric.
Statistics: Crushing Attack 2d (Affects Insubstantial, +20%; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Can be dodged every second, -5%; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%; Increased Range, 10x (Accessibility, Underwater only, 50%), +15%; Magical, -10%; Mobile 4, +160%; Persistent, +40%; Reduced Range, 1/2, -10%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires IQ Roll, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%; Trigger, Material Component, -40%; Underwater, +20%) [30].


DIVINE SPELL 


Clutch of Orcus
Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost (Short-Range): 30 points.
Full Cost (Ranged): 35 points.
Casting Roll: Skill.
Components: V, S, DF.
Cost: 2 FP.
Casting Time: 2 seconds.
Range: Unlimited (-1/yard) – Unlimited (standard).
Duration: Up to 18 seconds; see text.
 
The caster creates a magical force that grips the subject’s heart (creatures with Injury Tolerance (No Vitals) are immune) and begins crushing it. The victim is experiencing agony (p. B428) while the spell endures. Each following round, the caster must concentrate to maintain the spell. In addition, a conscious victim gains a new chance to resist every following second to stop the spell. If the victim fails by 5 or more or rolls a critical failure on any of these additional resistance rolls, his chest ruptures and bursts, and his smoking heart appears in the caster’s hand.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Accessibility, Only on living creatures with a heart, -15%; Agony, +100%; Based on IQ, Own Roll, +20%; Based on Will, +20%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Divine, -10%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Reduced Duration, 1/10, -20%; Requires Concentrate, -15%; Requires Gestures, -10%; Requires Holy Symbol, -10%; Requires Magic Words, -10%; Resistible, Will, -30%; Secondary Heart Attack and Disadvantage, Enhanced Unnatural, +80%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [30]. The Ranged version replaces Malediction 1, +100% with Malediction 2, +150% [+5].

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