rhiokobayashi
Mongoose
this would be very useful thank u for the spell i just started here and i was looking for some ideas here and this would help me thanx I'll try to update the manuscript..
Spells of Legend
- Thread starter Prime_Evil
- Start date
Bifford
Banded Mongoose
I have been updating Prime_Evil's work and adding bits and the spells from here to it. Prime_evil is happy with this and will take my work and his own and amalgamate to produce even better versions.
Note - I've added a section to the start of the Sorcery area to give a brief run down of sorcery's ways of working (as they are totally different to Common/Divine)
My update is available at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1keopIhSCGQ3BN36hZSxmR2ZWmmE46W2iT5PgD-uv7eA/edit
And now for a brand new spell
A new person to my game wants a cult that isn't the same as the other players so the Cult of the Hawk is born.
The first spell that came to mind was the following:
Hawk Sight (A.K.A. Far Sight)
Instant, Self, Concentration, Rank Initiate
The caster may chose one of two options:
- Far Sight will allow the caster to see clearly to the horizon, able to see distant objects as though they were only a few hundred feet away. Anything denser than a light fog may disrupt this ability and requires a roll against Perception, success allowing his sight to penetrate even the densest fog.
- Hawk Sight is dependent on there being at least one bird in the skies above. The caster sees the lands below through the eyes of this bird for as long as his concentration holds. The type of bird determines how good this sight is with small birds like sparrows providing just a basic over-view, while a bird of prey will see distant details clearly. It is up to the GM what bird there is, or they may role on the following chart using a D6:
1-2 Tiny bird such as a finch or robin. Sight limited to the human equivalent but from an aerial perspective.
2-3 Normal sized bird such as a pigeon or dove. Greater distance but clarity falls off the further the view.
4-5 Medium sized bird or small bird of prey such as a stork or sparrowhawk. Same distance as 2-3 but perfect clarity.
6 Large bird of prey such as a hawk or eagle. Perfect vision to the far horizon. Small details discernible at distance.
Note - I've added a section to the start of the Sorcery area to give a brief run down of sorcery's ways of working (as they are totally different to Common/Divine)
My update is available at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1keopIhSCGQ3BN36hZSxmR2ZWmmE46W2iT5PgD-uv7eA/edit
And now for a brand new spell
A new person to my game wants a cult that isn't the same as the other players so the Cult of the Hawk is born.The first spell that came to mind was the following:
Hawk Sight (A.K.A. Far Sight)
Instant, Self, Concentration, Rank Initiate
The caster may chose one of two options:
- Far Sight will allow the caster to see clearly to the horizon, able to see distant objects as though they were only a few hundred feet away. Anything denser than a light fog may disrupt this ability and requires a roll against Perception, success allowing his sight to penetrate even the densest fog.
- Hawk Sight is dependent on there being at least one bird in the skies above. The caster sees the lands below through the eyes of this bird for as long as his concentration holds. The type of bird determines how good this sight is with small birds like sparrows providing just a basic over-view, while a bird of prey will see distant details clearly. It is up to the GM what bird there is, or they may role on the following chart using a D6:
1-2 Tiny bird such as a finch or robin. Sight limited to the human equivalent but from an aerial perspective.
2-3 Normal sized bird such as a pigeon or dove. Greater distance but clarity falls off the further the view.
4-5 Medium sized bird or small bird of prey such as a stork or sparrowhawk. Same distance as 2-3 but perfect clarity.
6 Large bird of prey such as a hawk or eagle. Perfect vision to the far horizon. Small details discernible at distance.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Time for a bit of thread necromancy with some new common magic spells
Deep Breath
Duration 5, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Touch
Each point of magnitude invested in this spell doubles the number of seconds the subject can hold their breath without suffering the effects of drowning, suffocation, or asphyxiation (see Legend rulebook, p.76-77). The caster must cast this spell on the subject before they attempt to hold their breath. At magnitude 1 the length of time the subject can hold their breath is doubled, at magnitude 2 it is multiplied by 4, at magnitude 3 it is multiplied by 8, and so forth.
Cleanliness
Duration 10, Magnitude 1, Touch
This spell can be cast upon a living creature or an object. In either case, the subject of the spell and everything worn or carried by it remains clean for the duration of the spell – mud and grime won't stick to skin, clothing or armour, hair will remain neat and dry, make-up won't smudge, and so forth. The spell won't remove any stains or other blemishes that existed when the spell was cast, nor will it solve embarrassing personal hygiene problems – it merely prevents deterioration of the subject's appearance from the point when the spell was cast.
Softness
Duration 5, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Touch, Resist (Evade)
When cast upon an inanimate object, this spell causes it to become as soft and pliable as warm putty. The other physical characteristics of the object remain unchanged – it still retains its normal AP, HP, and ENC even as it warps and sags under its own weight. If the target object is worn or carried by a living creature, the owner is entitled to an Evade roll to avoid the effects of the spell. For each point of magnitude placed in this spell, the caster can affect one point of SIZ. If cast upon a stone or metal object, the caster can use an appropriate Craft skill to shape the soft object into a desired form. When the duration expires, the object regains it rigidity, but remains in its current shape.
Living creatures are immune to the effects of this spell, as are objects bearing permanent enchantments and objects animated by magic (golems and similar constructs).
In combat, this spell can be cast upon a weapon, shield, or single piece of armour worn or carried by an opponent (assuming that the caster can somehow touch the object!). If the opponent does not dodge the spell, they must spend the next 1d3 combat actions preventing the target object from 'melting' into an unusual shape. If the owner of the object does not do this, the target object will be unusable until it is repaired with the correct Craft skill.
If this spell is cast upon a rigid load-bearing structure such as a pillar, it may buckle and collapse. However, the caster must affect at least two-thirds of the total SIZ of the object to cause a catastrophic structural failure (GM's discretion).
Deep Breath
Duration 5, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Touch
Each point of magnitude invested in this spell doubles the number of seconds the subject can hold their breath without suffering the effects of drowning, suffocation, or asphyxiation (see Legend rulebook, p.76-77). The caster must cast this spell on the subject before they attempt to hold their breath. At magnitude 1 the length of time the subject can hold their breath is doubled, at magnitude 2 it is multiplied by 4, at magnitude 3 it is multiplied by 8, and so forth.
Cleanliness
Duration 10, Magnitude 1, Touch
This spell can be cast upon a living creature or an object. In either case, the subject of the spell and everything worn or carried by it remains clean for the duration of the spell – mud and grime won't stick to skin, clothing or armour, hair will remain neat and dry, make-up won't smudge, and so forth. The spell won't remove any stains or other blemishes that existed when the spell was cast, nor will it solve embarrassing personal hygiene problems – it merely prevents deterioration of the subject's appearance from the point when the spell was cast.
Softness
Duration 5, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Touch, Resist (Evade)
When cast upon an inanimate object, this spell causes it to become as soft and pliable as warm putty. The other physical characteristics of the object remain unchanged – it still retains its normal AP, HP, and ENC even as it warps and sags under its own weight. If the target object is worn or carried by a living creature, the owner is entitled to an Evade roll to avoid the effects of the spell. For each point of magnitude placed in this spell, the caster can affect one point of SIZ. If cast upon a stone or metal object, the caster can use an appropriate Craft skill to shape the soft object into a desired form. When the duration expires, the object regains it rigidity, but remains in its current shape.
Living creatures are immune to the effects of this spell, as are objects bearing permanent enchantments and objects animated by magic (golems and similar constructs).
In combat, this spell can be cast upon a weapon, shield, or single piece of armour worn or carried by an opponent (assuming that the caster can somehow touch the object!). If the opponent does not dodge the spell, they must spend the next 1d3 combat actions preventing the target object from 'melting' into an unusual shape. If the owner of the object does not do this, the target object will be unusable until it is repaired with the correct Craft skill.
If this spell is cast upon a rigid load-bearing structure such as a pillar, it may buckle and collapse. However, the caster must affect at least two-thirds of the total SIZ of the object to cause a catastrophic structural failure (GM's discretion).
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Bifford said:Prime_Evil said:
I've been watching for the google docs updates
It'd be cool to have a massive grimoire of stuff for newcomers. We're a bit light on divine spells at the moment, but I plan to adapt some of the OGC ones from OpenQuest 2 once the developer's kit is available for general release (I supported the indiegogo campaign, so I've already got a copy of the new edition...and the default religions are just begging to be expanded to use the full Legend / RQ treatment.)
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
The Wolf said:Looking good
Inventing new spells is always interesting and teaches you a lot about the inner workings of the game system. Common magic spells are of particular interest to me, simply because they are at a low power level that is rarely modelled well by other RPGs. I'm resisting the urge to add any more combat-oriented common magic spells, since that shouldn't be the focus of that style of magic - I think we were calling it folk magic here before RQ 6 came out, which proves that great minds think alike
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
The Wolf said:
I've always liked the design philosophy behind sorcery - it's roughly halfway between structured magic systems such as D&D where each spell has a very specific effect and freeform magic systems such as Mage: The Ascension where PCs can create a wide range of magical effects on the fly. This allows it to be very flexible, but still stay in touch with genre expectations. The problem with magic systems that are too specific is that they reduce magic to a mechanistic spell list, while the problem with freeform systems is that the magic rules become too vague and often lack flavour and coherence. Legend (and other d100 games) walk a narrow tightrope between these two extremes.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
I've just had a go at reworking the Calm Beast spell from the early days of this thread - I've watered it down a bit by adding a few additional restrictions to bring it in line with other Common Magic spells. Does this look OK or have I made it a bit too complex?
Calm Animal
Duration 10, Ranged, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Resist (Persistence)
This spell calms a single skittish or aggressive animal. This spell only works on non-sentient creatures. The INT of the targeted animal cannot be higher than half the caster's CHA (rounded down). If the SIZ of the target animal is greater than the POW of the caster, the Magnitude of the spell must be increased by 1 for every 5 additional points of SIZ. The target creature may resist the spell using its Persistence.
If the spell is successful, the targeted animal becomes calm, allowing the caster to approach it. The animal can be soothed by the touch of the caster, remaining placid for the duration of the spell. However, if the animal is startled by an unexpected noise or sudden movement, it entitled to a second Persistence roll to resist the spell. If the animal is attacked, the spell is automatically broken. And if the caster does not establish physical contact with the animal, the calming effects of the spell fade in a number of turns equal to the caster's POW/3 (rounded down).
This spell does not grant the caster any control over the actions or behaviour of the target animal – for the most part it still behaves in accordance with its natural instincts. However, aggressive animals (such as hungry carnivores) will take no offensive actions until the spell expires.
Calm Animal
Duration 10, Ranged, Magnitude 1, Progressive, Resist (Persistence)
This spell calms a single skittish or aggressive animal. This spell only works on non-sentient creatures. The INT of the targeted animal cannot be higher than half the caster's CHA (rounded down). If the SIZ of the target animal is greater than the POW of the caster, the Magnitude of the spell must be increased by 1 for every 5 additional points of SIZ. The target creature may resist the spell using its Persistence.
If the spell is successful, the targeted animal becomes calm, allowing the caster to approach it. The animal can be soothed by the touch of the caster, remaining placid for the duration of the spell. However, if the animal is startled by an unexpected noise or sudden movement, it entitled to a second Persistence roll to resist the spell. If the animal is attacked, the spell is automatically broken. And if the caster does not establish physical contact with the animal, the calming effects of the spell fade in a number of turns equal to the caster's POW/3 (rounded down).
This spell does not grant the caster any control over the actions or behaviour of the target animal – for the most part it still behaves in accordance with its natural instincts. However, aggressive animals (such as hungry carnivores) will take no offensive actions until the spell expires.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Also, here's a simple common magic spell that might have far-reaching consequences in a feudal setting ...
Contraception
Touch, Magnitude 1, Trigger, Resist (Resilience)
This spell prevents a single female target of the same species as the caster from becoming impregnated the next time she engages in sexual intercourse that might otherwise cause this. An unwilling target may use Resilience to resist this spell. This spell does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
Contraception
Touch, Magnitude 1, Trigger, Resist (Resilience)
This spell prevents a single female target of the same species as the caster from becoming impregnated the next time she engages in sexual intercourse that might otherwise cause this. An unwilling target may use Resilience to resist this spell. This spell does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
Faelan Niall
Banded Mongoose
That last spell really comes across as in poor taste. Is there a reason it only works on females. It just strikes me as open to juvenile and misogynistic use, not to be too PC, but it just turned my stomach reading it.
Actually I do think its the kind of spell (and the polar opposite) that fantasy women will kill for, this level of control over whether they risk childbirth or not would I would have thought be highly desired by most - from Noblewomen to prostitutes through to your average farmers wife.
The opposite - ensuring pregenacy - could help ensure stability in a realm and the spell as is would be an effective curse on a rulers wife.
The opposite - ensuring pregenacy - could help ensure stability in a realm and the spell as is would be an effective curse on a rulers wife.
Faelan Niall
Banded Mongoose
Da Boss said:
My point was that with the infliction of it upon an unwilling recipient it simply becomes a tool for pimps, and rapists. Making it a universal contraceptive removes that aspect or at least levels it out. If it was not usable against the unwilling I would agree with you, however as written it is. I guess every randy noble would have next to no fear of bastards running around.
Your comment about ensuring pregnancy just reinforces my initial concern. How about a curse on the male ruler making his seed fail? Why does it always have to be the woman, who needs to be concerned with pregnancy? Essentially the spell as written simply reinforces certain stereotypes which have been hanging around gaming since the first case of bikini maille.
Oh I would expect there to be a spell - either this one or a variant - that worked only men - for exactly the same reasons... I just think that in a magical world it might be that women devleop something like this for themselves.
so in my WIP world I have:
Drusa La'Tor
Literally "the Future in our hands", the Drusa La'Tor are dedicated to future of the Elf race - their children. They are skilled in healing, herb lore and some arcane arts to ensure that both mother and child have the best chance of surviving pregnancy and birth. All members of the Cult have the Rune of Birth tattooed or branded upon their left cheek and are able to move amongst the Elf Clans at will - so respected is their vocation and skills.
Cult Skills: Healing, Influence, Lore (Herbs), Surgery.
Rune Magic: Birth, Heat, Life, Sleep, Woman.
Spells: Abjure Magic, Aura of Anti-Magic, Creature Ward, Life Bond, Healing Touch, Life Bond, Mind Twist, Monstrous Endurance, Purge, Twisting Fate, Unyielding Heart.
Summonings: none.
As part of their induction into the Drusa La'Tor, initiates are trained in the use of healing skills and techniques and if they have the potential, the spells Creature Ward, Healing Touch and Unyielding Heart. As they progress and learn from their peers they are shown more powerful spells and eventually Runecasting.
Runes:
Birth
Vocalising the Rune ensures that for the duration of the Rune, if the target has sexual congress with a member of the opposite sex and same race it will result in a pregnancy. This Rune has no effect if the target is sterile - either naturally or magically.
Inscribing the Rune on a living person ensures that any sexual congress with a compatible partner will always result in a pregnancy whilst the Rune is powered.
Inspired by this I think I will sort out a "opposite" Rune.........
so in my WIP world I have:
Drusa La'Tor
Literally "the Future in our hands", the Drusa La'Tor are dedicated to future of the Elf race - their children. They are skilled in healing, herb lore and some arcane arts to ensure that both mother and child have the best chance of surviving pregnancy and birth. All members of the Cult have the Rune of Birth tattooed or branded upon their left cheek and are able to move amongst the Elf Clans at will - so respected is their vocation and skills.
Cult Skills: Healing, Influence, Lore (Herbs), Surgery.
Rune Magic: Birth, Heat, Life, Sleep, Woman.
Spells: Abjure Magic, Aura of Anti-Magic, Creature Ward, Life Bond, Healing Touch, Life Bond, Mind Twist, Monstrous Endurance, Purge, Twisting Fate, Unyielding Heart.
Summonings: none.
As part of their induction into the Drusa La'Tor, initiates are trained in the use of healing skills and techniques and if they have the potential, the spells Creature Ward, Healing Touch and Unyielding Heart. As they progress and learn from their peers they are shown more powerful spells and eventually Runecasting.
Runes:
Birth
Vocalising the Rune ensures that for the duration of the Rune, if the target has sexual congress with a member of the opposite sex and same race it will result in a pregnancy. This Rune has no effect if the target is sterile - either naturally or magically.
Inscribing the Rune on a living person ensures that any sexual congress with a compatible partner will always result in a pregnancy whilst the Rune is powered.
Inspired by this I think I will sort out a "opposite" Rune.........
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Faelan Niall said:
I thought seriously about introducing a unisex contraceptive spell, but went with this version for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it reflects common fantasy tropes. For example, in Andre Norton's Witch World novels the priestesses of Gunnora teach a similar contraceptive spell to women when they come of age. There is also a mention of a similar spell in Ursula Le Guin's later Earthsea novels, when she is deeply concerned with issues of gender and power.
Secondly, the introduction of effective female contraception into a feudal society has far-reaching effects, given the importance of primogeniture and inheritance in these societies. Many pre-industrial societies held attitudes towards female fertility and sexuality that make the worst excesses of the Taliban look enlightened by comparison. If women have direct control over their own fertility and reproduction, societies will look very different than the historical medieval models with far less of an imbalance of power between the genders.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Faelan Niall said:
I'm not sure that I buy this argument. The existence of a contraceptive does not inevitably lead to rape and prostitution. Rape is not about sex and reproduction; it's about power and violence.
Making the spell into a universal contraceptive does indeed change its flavor, but my concern is that it effectively takes reproductive decisions away from women. If you want to eliminate the undesirable side-effects of the spell, it might be more elegant to modify the spell so that the caster can only use it on herself. There are already a couple of other examples of caster-only common magic spells, so there is a precedent for this.
FYI, the main reason that I included the option to resist this spell using Resilience is to bring it into line with other touch-based spells. This is a boiler-plate text included in all of the existing spells in the Legend rulebook with the touch attribute. Certainly the spell could conceivably be abused, but so can many of the other spells in the core rulebook. Once again, altering the description of the spell so that the caster can only use it on herself solves this problem, although it does also eliminate the common fantasy archetype of the village wise woman who helps out local maidens with matters relating to fertility and contraception. As with many spells, the ability to cast it on other people is a two-edged sword that can be used to help or harm.
For what it's worth, here's a revised version that hopefully addresses most of your concerns:
Contraception
Instant, Magnitude 1, Trigger, Resist (Resilience)
This spell prevents a female caster from becoming impregnated the next time she engages in sexual intercourse. This spell does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
If you still believe that I was out of line, you are welcome to report the matter to a forum moderator and they can delete the relevant posts.
Faelan Niall said:
I can see the argument for a Fertility spell, but once again I'd be concerned that if women don't control their own reproductive capabilities we end up with a situation similar to the historical experience where these decisions are usually made by husbands or fathers. It's a difficult case. I'm not sure that the existence of such a spell reinforces negative stereotypes similar to the chainmail bikini. This sort of magic can be used to help or harm, depending on the situation.
Given that you have strong feelings about this topic, would you consider posting a draft fertility spell that you feel is more reasonable?
Lord High Munchkin
Mongoose
I always thought the Gloranthan cult of Gorgorma had it covered with the spell of 'Second Mouth'... extra teeth.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
Lord High Munchkin said:
Crude but effective, I suppose.
