ILLUSIONIST SPELLS

The thief Vole is trying to pick the lock on an illusory door. The illusion of the door is the equivalent of a Circle 2 illusion spell. Vole rolls a 16 on his Lock Picking Test. His talent at lock picking gives Vole the feeling something is wrong with the door. The door dissolves even as Vole is thinking this thought.

The effect of an illusion spell depends on the credulity of those the spell is to deceive. For this reason, spells that are pure illusions cannot cause a viewer’s death. A character may, however, be knocked into a coma-like state by an illusion when his Current Damage equals his Death Rating. Damage taken from pure illusions can never exceed a character’s Death Rating.

CIRCLE 1 SPELLS

Best Face
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 5/14
Range: Touch	Duration: 8 + Rank minutes
Effect: Charisma + 5
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell disguises the illusionist’s identity. While casting the spell, he splashes water or cologne on his face. If the illusionist is copying a specific face, he must have seen that individual. The illusionist may cast this spell on himself or others. The spell adds +5 to a character’s Charisma step when he is trying to convince others of his false identity and attempting to persuade them to act according to that misperception. For example, a character wearing the face of a local militiaman adds the step bonus when ordering a crowd to disperse or taking any other action appropriate to militia. This spell only affects the head and neck of the target, including hair and ears. The rest of the spell target’s body is unaffected. The maximum possible difference in size between the recipient’s face and the face mimicked is 100 percent in any dimension. This illusionist must find some other way to disguise any obvious differences. This spell does not change the voice of the target, so the character will have to try to speak with the intonation and mannerisms of the character whose face he has borrowed. Any Interaction Tests made against the target act as Sensing Tests.

Disguise Metal
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 7/14
Range: Touch	Duration: Willforce Test + 7 minutes
Effect: Changes appearance of metal
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The illusionist can cast this spell on metal to disguise as any other metal of his choosing. The spell works on up to 100 pounds of metal. The spell does not change the shape of the metal, only its appearance. Disguising a steel sword as mercury , for example, would be useless because the blade would not flow at room temperatures like mercury. Disguise Metal has a Spell Defense of 7 against magic that identifies metal.

Displace Image
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 7/15
Range: Touch	Duration: 7 + Rank in rounds
Effect: Projects image 3 yards away
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The illusionist traces the outline of the target, then touches first the “shoulder” of the outline and then the shoulder of the spell target. The outline figure is shrouded in a shimmering blur that drifts 3 yards away, then reforms into the image of the spell target. The recipient is no longer visible in his actual location, the illusion having displaced his image. Other senses, such as smell and hearing, are not affected by this illusion. Attacks on the image have no effect, but if the recipient does not mimic the effect of a blow against him, the attacker is entitled to an immediate Disbelief Test. A result of 15 or more on an Attack Test also counts as a Sensing Test, and dispels the illusion.

Light
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 6/14
Range: 10 yards	Duration: Willpower Test + 5 minutes
Effect: Summons light
Casting Difficulty: 2 (see text)
Light is a real spell, not an illusion. The illusionist briefly taps into the astral plane to release some energy for the light. The Light spell forms a floating, glowing sphere about the size of an orange, illuminating everything within 30 feet. The illusionist controls the movement of the light, but this requires concentration, preventing him from casting any other spell. He may place the light on a character or object if the outcome of the Illusion Test is equal to or higher than the target’s Spell Defense. The illusionist can no longer move the light once he has placed it on a character or object. An illusionist can blind a character by casting light on his or her eyes. This is more difficult than simply placing the light on the character: when making the Spellcasting Test to blind a target, increase the target’s Spell Defense by +5. If the character is blinded by light, reduce any test to take an action requiring sight by –3 steps. The magician can use blood magic to extend the duration of a Light spell. By sacrificing 1 point of permanent damage he can extend the duration of the spell to a year and a day.

Pauper’s Purse
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/7
Range: Touch	Duration: 1 + Rank minutes
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell makes the target appear to have less money than he actually does. The illusionist touches the target purse, cash box, or other container holding money. If the container is on a person, such as a belt-pouch, cast the spell against whichever has the higher Spell Defense Rating, the wearer or the container. If the container is unattended, use the container’s Spell Defense. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the magician rolls the Effect dice. Each point of effect moves ten coins into an extradimensional pocket that is invisible to those without astral perception. The coins are inaccessible until the spell expires or is dispelled.

Rope Guide
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/7
Range: 25 yards	Duration: 3 + Rank rounds
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense (usually 2)
This spell is real, not an illusion. The illusionist casts the spell on a rope of up to 25 yards in length. By concentrating, the illusionist can direct the rope to move at a rate of 10 yards per round. If the rope must make a Dexterity Test (to tie itself off or tie up an opponent in combat), the illusionist makes an Effect Test against a Difficulty Number determined by the gamemaster. The rope cannot carry any weight while the illusionist is directing it. He could use Rope Guide to tie the rope around the bars of a window, but characters would still have to do the climbing themselves. Use the result of the Effect dice roll as the rope’s Strength Value to determine how much weight the rope can hold when using this spell.

Unseen Voices
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/7
Range: 40 yards	Duration: 15 + Rank rounds
Effect: Creates a number of illusory voices equal to Spellcasting rank
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell creates the illusion of unseen voices to distract a target. The illusionist casts the spell while quietly muttering to himself. By concentrating, the caster can control what each voice says. The illusionist need not use the wide range of voices the spell gives him. The voices do not sound like the illusionist’s unless he so desires. If the illusionist loses concentration, the voices will repeat whatever they said in the last round. This spell does not give the illusionist any special ability to hear what is being said at the source of the voices. He must be in a position to hear what is being said if he wants to mimic a conversation. CIRCLE 2 SPELLS

Crafty Thought
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 6/14
Range: 2 yards	Duration: Rank minutes
Effect: Willforce + 5
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell can be used to distract or confuse an opponent. The illusionist must be talking to the target while casting this spell, which will plant a thought created by the illusionist in the target’s mind. The spell also incorporates the effect of small gestures that might be used to emphasize speech. The thought must be simple and visual. The image cannot be more than ten seconds’ worth of action, and the area of the image “seen” no larger than a tavern common room, with no more than four characters acting in the image. The target does not have to act on the thought, but the idea has been planted. Each round after the first, the illusionist can make the thought recur simply by deciding to do so. He can also modify the thought by making an Effect Test against the target’s Spell Defense. Success means the illusionist can modify the thought, but the setting must remain the same. Any of the four (or fewer) principal characters in the thought can change their actions. If any Effect Test result is less than the target’s Spell Defense, the spell fails. If the illusionist fails either to weave the thread or to cast the spell, the target is entitled to make a Sensing Test. The target uses any applicable talent or skill (or Perception if he lacks such talent). If the Sensing Test is successful, the target knows the illusionist was trying to cast a spell upon him.

Ephemeral Bolt
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/9
Range: 60 yards	Duration: 1 round
Effect: Willforce + 7
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The Ephemeral Bolt spell creates a wriggling, glowing green bolt. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice for Damage. Physical armor protects against the spell. If the target takes a Wound, his Knockdown Test is the Sensing Test.

Innocent Activity
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 6/14
Range: Touch	Duration: 12 + Rank rounds
Effect: Covers up true activity
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell creates a flowing wave of color over the target. The wave coalesces into an image of that character performing an innocent-seeming activity. In order to avoid suspicion and possible disbelief, the illusionist must choose an activity appropriate to the setting. If the recipient of the illusion moves from the spot, the illusion is broken. The subject may perform any action, even an attack, while under the spell of Innocent Activity. Any inexplicable phenomena, such as voices, spells, or attacks, grants any other character an immediate Sensing Test, using his Perception. If a character senses the illusion, it is broken. If not, the target character concocts some other explanation for what happened.

Monstrous Mantle
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 8/13
Range: Touch	Duration: Willforce Test + 5 rounds
Effect: Increases combat prowess
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell increases the combat prowess of the spell target. While casting the spell, the illusionist makes snarling and growling sounds, and mimics the attack of a violent monster. He then touches the target. Two helices of light form around the character, rotating to spin out the form of the monster. The illusion is most effective if the illusionist has fought and suffered damage in a melee with the creature depicted. If the illusionist has never taken damage from the claws of this type of beast, add +3 steps to all Sensing and Disbelief Tests. If the illusionist has never fought the creature at all, the Sensing Test gains an additional +3 step bonus. These sensing bonuses are cumulative. If the illusionist has never even seen the creature, for example, any Sensing Tests make against the illusion would get the full bonus of +6 steps. The illusion adds +3 steps to the spell target’s Attack Test and Damage Test, and +3 to his Physical Defense Rating. The recipient also gains 12 extra Damage Points. The first 12 points of damage done to the character come from this pool, and do not count as Current Damage for the character. The illusion does not give the recipient any of the creature’s special attack forms or special abilities. If, for example, the illusionist places the illusion of a crakbill onto a Swordmaster, the Swordmaster does not get the breath attack, nor can he make the running attack of a crakbill. The illusion of the “breath attack” appears, but the only way the Swordmaster can actually do damage is to successfully strike the target with his sword. The “breath attack” does no damage. When opponents attack the recipient of a Monstrous Mantle spell, their Attack Tests are also Sensing Tests.

Tailor
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 6/7
Range: Touch	Duration: Rank x 10 minutes
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
When casting this spell, the illusionist clenches his teeth as if biting a thread, then touches his target. The spell alters the style, cut, and color of the target’s clothes, either improving or worsening his or her appearance. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist makes an Effect Test against the Social Defense of any characters who view the newly tailored character. A successful test moves the attitude of viewing characters one degree in the direction chosen by the illusionist (see Gamemaster Characters in Gamemastering Earthdawn).

True Ephemeral Bolt
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/8
Range: 60 yards	Duration: 1 round
Effect: Willforce + 3
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell is not an illusion. It looks and acts exactly like the Ephemeral Bolt spell. True Ephemeral Bolt packs less punch than its ersatz twin, however. Illusionists find the spell useful against characters who are busy disbelieving every spell the illusionist casts.

Weather Cloak
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 6/9
Range: Touch	Duration: Rank x 10 minutes
Effect: Willforce + 3
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The Weather Cloak spell is not an illusion. If successful, the spell creates a shimmering-weave cloak of blue and silver around the target, protecting him or her from the elements and adding +3 steps to any tests to resist heat or cold from the weather. The cloaked character may also successfully resist supernatural weather effects, such as death rain (see p. 164) by making a successful Effect Test against the Spell Defense of the creator. The Effect Test is available in addition to any other action the character takes. CIRCLE 3 SPELLS

Alarm
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 8/17
Range: 50 yards	Duration: 6 + Rank minutes
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The illusionist gives a slight shriek as he attempts to cast the Alarm spell on an object or a place. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice and records the result. Compare that result to the Spell Defense of any living or sentient being that comes within 10 feet of the alarm. If the trespasser’s Spell Defense is the same or lower than the result of the Effect dice roll, the alarm goes off. It will continue to shout a warning in a loud voice for a full minute. The illusionist determines the warning, which may consist of as many words as his rank in Spellcasting.

Dampen Karma
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 8/17
Range: 60 yards	Duration: 6 + Rank rounds
Effect: –4 to target’s Karma dice
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell reduces the target’s ability to use Karma. The illusionist must spend 1 Karma Point to cast this spell. He may add Karma dice to the Thread Weaving or the Spellcasting Test of the spell. Dampen Karma is cast on one character. A successful test reduces the effect of Karma Points spent by the target character. He must reduce the result of his Karma die roll by 4. If the character gets a bonus Karma die, he must subtract 4 from the total Karma die roll. The Karma die result cannot be lowered to less than 0.

False Floor
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 7/17
Range: Touch	Duration: 1 + Rank hours
Effect: Willforce + 3
Casting Difficulty: 2
This spell creates the illusion of a false floor or other trap in a normal section of floor (up to 20 by 20 feet). While casting, the illusionist imagines some manner of trap concealed by the floor. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice, adding the result to the Sensing Difficulty. This number is the Difficulty Number for Perception Tests by characters who confront the False Floor illusion. If a character rolls a result lower than Difficulty Number, he still believes that something is wrong with the floor. The gamemaster gives information hinting that a trap might be triggered if the character were to cross the section of floor, with disastrous results. If a character crosses anyway, no trap is triggered. False floor may also be cast on sections of wall or a ceiling. The spell is not limited only to the floor.

Impossible Lock
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 7/15
Range: Touch	Duration: 1 + Rank hours
Effect: +D6 to Sensing Difficulty
Casting Difficulty: 2
While casting this spell, the illusionist pantomimes failing to open the lock he is touching. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice, adding the result to the Sensing Difficulty; record the final result. A character attempting to pick the lock must make a Lockpicking Test with a result equal to or higher than the Sensing Difficulty. Failure means the lock will not open. A success makes the impossible lock fade as soon as it is picked.

Mind Fog
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 8/15
Range: 60 yards	Duration: Rank rounds
Effect: Willforce + 6
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell makes the target forget what he or she was about to do. While casting the spell, the illusionist scratches her temple as if trying to remember something. Mind fog is cast on a single character. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the target character cannot take any action except dodging, until he “remembers” what he wanted to do. The illusionist rolls the Effect dice and records the result. The target “remembers” by making a Willpower Test against that number. If the result of the Willpower Test is least equal to the result of the illusionist’s Effect dice roll, the character breaks the Mind Fog spell.

Nobody Here
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 10/18
Range: 10 yards	Duration: 8 + Rank minutes
Effect: Willforce + 8
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense (see text)
This spell hides normally visible characters from another character. The illusionist concentrates intensely on the thought of “nobody here” while weaving the thread. He casts the spell against the highest Spell Defense of any character within range. The spell centers on the spot where the illusionist casts it, radiating out ten yards. The effect does not move. Characters who exit the circle lose the benefit of the spell, regaining the benefit only by moving back inside the circle. Once the Nobody Here spell is cast, no additional characters may be affected by it. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice, adding the result to the Sensing Difficulty; record the final result. A character who walks into the area of the illusion makes a Perception Test. If the result is less than the modified Sensing Difficulty, the character’s sensory feedback is suppressed. His senses detect any normally visible characters, but the knowledge is suppressed by the Nobody Here spell. The character adds +3 steps to his Perception step if any of the characters concealed by the spell manipulate the environment in ways that require explanation, i. e., moving books in plain sight, opening and shutting doors. A target character earns a +5 step bonus if a concealed character makes physical contact with the target. Nobody Here is dispelled as soon as a concealed character causes damage to the target. Once the spell is sensed, disbelieved, or the duration expired, the bamboozled character suddenly realizes what he had seen a few minutes earlier. Illusionists often use this spell to tell off an overbearing employer, escaping before the realization hits their boss.

Suffocation
Threads: 3	Weaving Difficulty: 7/18
Range: 120 yards	Duration: 3 + Rank rounds
Effect: Willforce + 8
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense (see text)
This spell suffocates its targets. The illusionist must hold his breath while casting this spell. Once cast, the spell targets everyone within a ten-foot radius. Compare the result of the Spellcasting Test to the Spell Defense of each character (other than the illusionist) within the radius. Each character is affected separately. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the spell begins to suffocate the targets. The illusionist rolls the Effect dice for damage. Mystic armor can reduce this. Once targeted, the spell works until disbelieved, the duration expires, or the victim moves out of range. Beginning with the spell’s second round, victims can only move at half-speed, and suffer a –2 penalty to all tests except Disbelief Tests. CIRCLE 4 SPELLS

Circle of Well Being
Threads: 3	Weaving Difficulty: 8/17
Range: Touch	Duration: Rank x 10 minutes
Effect: Willforce
Casting Difficulty: 2
The Circle of Well Being is not an illusion. The illusionist walks a circle 10 feet in diameter, then casts the spell. If successful, the spell makes the area within the circle glisten like ice on a lake. The air is cool to the touch, but not uncomfortable. If the illusionist makes a successful Spellcasting Test, characters who make Recovery Tests within the circle add the result of a Willpower or Willforce Test to their Recovery Test result.

Clarion Call
Threads: 1	Weaving Difficulty: 8/17
Range: 100 yards	Duration: 12 + Rank rounds
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense (see text)
This spell creates an illusory voice that can persuade characters to do the speaker’s will. The illusionist speaks quietly while weaving the thread for Clarion Call. The illusionist casts the spell against the highest Spell Defense of any character he intends to fool. A successful Spellcasting Test allows the illusionist to place the effect at any spot within range. Clarion Call creates one illusory voice, a voice with considerable authority that automatically translates the illusionist’s words into a language appropriate for most of his listeners. To determine the success of the illusion, the illusionist makes an Effect Test against the Social Defense of the targets. Success means the characters act according to the voice’s suggestions, as long as the action is not obviously harmful. If the illusionist rolls an Excellent success against a target, that target is fooled into taking the suggested course of action even if it is obviously harmful. The target makes a Disbelief Test just before any harm is done. If the test is successful, it destroys the suggestion.

Eyes Have It
Threads: 3	Weaving Difficulty: 7/17
Range: 60 yards	Duration: 1 + Rank minutes
Effect: Willforce + 4
Casting Difficulty: 2
This spell can be used to temporarily blind an opponent. The illusionist touches his eyelids with his fingers, then touches his fingers to his clothes. Stylized, mirror-like eyes appear on his clothing. The number of pairs of eyes is equal to the illusionist’s rank in Spellcasting. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist may target individual opponents by making an Effect Test against each target’s Spell Defense. A success transforms a pair of mirror eyes into a duplicate of the target’s eyes. The target’s eyes become a glazed, opaque white. He or she is blinded, suffering a –5 step penalty to any action requiring sight.

Improved Alarm
Threads: 3	Weaving Difficulty: 8/19
Range: 120 yards	Duration: 1 + Rank hours
Effect: Willforce + 5
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
The illusionist mimics a whisper to place the Improved Alarm spell on an object or a place. If the Spellcasting Test is successful, the illusionist rolls the Effect dice. Any living or sentient being that comes within 10 feet of the alarm may trigger it. If the trespasser’s Spell Defense is the same or lower than the result of the Effect dice roll, the spell is triggered. If the illusionist is within the spell’s range, the alarm quietly notifies him that something is amiss. The illusionist then instructs the alarm to shout its warning or to remain silent. The illusionist determines the warning, which may consist of as many words as his rank in Spellcasting.

Multi-Missile
Threads: 2	Weaving Difficulty: 8/17
Range: Touch	Duration: Rank rounds (1 missile)
Effect: +4 missiles
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense (see text)
This spell adds missiles to any single missile weapon. The illusionist casts this spell on a missile, such as an arrow or sling bullet. He makes the Spellcasting Test against the Spell Defense of the wielder of the missile weapon, or the missile itself, whichever is higher. The wielder can lower his Spell Defense, then fire the missile next round. If successful, Multi-Missile adds +4 missiles to the one shot by the wielder. If the real missile hits, so do all the illusory missiles. If the real missile misses, so do all the duplicates. Each duplicate missile does Step 4 damage. Illusory damage is applied after the real damage. This spell has an unfortunate (for the illusionist) quirk. The defender can, of course, sense the illusion through the use of Avoid Blow or other defensive ability. A result of 19 or more on such Sensing Test dispels the illusion.

Stop Right There
Threads: None	Weaving Difficulty: NA/9
Range: 60 yards	Duration: Rank rounds
Effect: Willforce + 3
Casting Difficulty: Target’s Spell Defense
This spell can immobilize a target. When casting the spell, the illusionist holds up a hand, shouting “Stop!” as loudly as possible. The illusionist casts Stop Right There against a single target. If successful, the target cannot move. The illusionist rolls the Effect dice and records the result. The target character regains movement when the spell expires or when he makes a successful Willpower Test against the result of the caster’s Effect dice roll. A character who takes damage while under the effect of Stop Right There adds +5 steps to any subsequent Willpower Tests.