SORCERY SPELLS
From the depths of dusty tomes and the tutelage of patrons human and otherwise,
the sorcerer collects incantations and recipes for spells, magical creations whose
effects are immensely powerful, their histories older than the cities of men. These
spells are not a laundry list of specifics as one might find elsewhere, but guidelines
as to the broad strokes by which the unnatural world can impose its will upon the
natural. The combination of spell effects and sorcerous talents, comingle to form
more complex results and more powerful intrusions of the Outer Dark into the world
of humankind.
The nature of magic in the Hyborian Age is not strictly codified, and requires the
gamemaster to adjudicate on a narrative as well as mechanical basis.
[Begin Sidebar Here]
SPELL DESCRIPTIONS
Each spell is described in the following fashion:
TITLE OF SPELL
Difficulty: The Difficulty of the spell.
Duration: How long the spell lasts.
Cost to Learn/Cast: The amount of permanent Resolve needed to learn the spell and the amount
of Resolve it takes to cast.
A written description of the spell.
Note
This section describes any additional notes or information about the spell, such as specific cases or
effects that must be taken into consideration by the sorcerer or gamemaster.
Title
Difficulty: Difficulty (DX)
Description of the spell.
Astral Wanderings
Difficulty: Average (D1) or higher
Duration: 1 round/scene per Momentum
Cost to Learn/Cast: 1 Resolve
By casting your mind out of your body and into the expanses of the cosmos, your
character can visit places and experience their splendor without risk to the mortal
form. Upon casting the spell, you awaken outside your body in the astral realm.
Usually awakening one or two meters above the ground, your astral form swims in
the ether, invisible to mortal eyes. You can awaken anywhere on the planet where
the strange currents of the astral realm ebb and flow, but to awaken again, you
must be able to journey back to your body.
Astral characters can still be harmed, but unless the attack is from an occult
element or fellow astral denizen, you will generally be safe. Contact with base
elements such as stone, ice, water, fire and strong wind inflicts 2[CD] fire damage.
Other weapons of primary elemental nature (not alloys) deal damage as normal.
Regular weapons act as if the target has 4[CD] cover at all times, and targeting an
astral traveler is at an Epic (D5) Difficulty. Astral travelers are unable to utilize
armor, but can seek cover as normal.
Crystal of Truth
Difficulty: Daunting (D3)
Great magicians can craft crystal balls for the sake of communicating across vast
distances. This construction requires that the sorcerer spends four offerings to
create the scrying tool. Once the tool is manufactured, any two characters that have
travelled astrally can use the ball to communicate through it. Crystal balls tend to
be fragile, and as such are usually mounted in stone or secured in padded chests for
protection.
Atavistic Voyage
Duration: 1 round/scene per Momentum
Cost to Learn/Cast: 3 Resolve
By inhaling the smoke of the dried leaves of the sacred taduka and casting your
mind back into the recesses of your genealogy, knowledge from past ages can be
unlocked. While fleeting and dreamlike, the occasionally nightmarish visions of the
distant past can be used, both as torturer and as educator. Characters on an
atavistic voyage often return from their wanderings harrowed and confused, but
often enlightened to some greater truth or concealed mystery.
The alternate effects (0-point Momentum spends) are narrative elements rather
than rigid mechanics, and the gamemaster must decide the scope and nature of
these effects, with the goal of adding richness and an element of the unexpected to
the journey, not as an opportunity for exploitation or punishment.
The following are sample uses of Atavistic Voyage:
Unless you pay the Momentum for a beast to stay, the beast will arrive, act, and
leave during your turn.
I saw it carved in the rock of a cave no human had visited for a million years,
muttered Conan. In the uninhabited mountains beyond the Sea of Vilayet, half a
world away from this spot. Later I saw a black witch-finder of Kush scratch it in
the sand of a nameless river. He told me part of its meaning it's sacred to
Jhebbal Sag and the creatures which worship him.
Beyond the Black River
Quality of Information
Privacy
Difficulty: Daunting (D4)
You summon several nocturnal animals and coax them to guard your abode
temporary or permanent throughout the night. Once the spell is cast, the nearest
three wolves (or equivalent local natural predators) set up a patrol around your
dwelling and will engage any interlopers who enter your territory. The beasts will
use their senses and abilities to thwart any attack and will warn you if their
guardianship will not prevent any intruders.
Dismember
Difficulty: Average (D1) or higher
Duration: 1 attack
Cost to Learn/Cast: 1 Resolve
By pulling on the strands of fate, you can force violent injuries to manifest in your
enemies. A successful casting of this spell allows you to cause 4[CD] physical
damage with the Piercing 3 quality as a ranged attack, with a Range of Close. If
Dismember kills your target, it is so vivid a death that it inflicts 4[CD] mental
damage with the Vicious 2 quality on all creatures within Close range of the
victim.
He reeled drunkenly, and then, with a splintering of bones, a rending of flesh and
muscle and a snapping of mail-links, his breast burst outward with a shower of
blood, and through the ghastly aperture something red and dripping shot through
the air into the Masters outstretched hand, as a bit of steel leaps to the magnet.
The Turanian slumped to the floor and lay motionless, and the Master laughed
and hurled the object to fall before Conans feet a still quivering human heart.
The People of the Black Circle
Enslave
Difficulty: Average (D1) or higher, and is automatically a Struggle
Prerequisite: Sorcerer
Cost to Learn/Cast: 1 Resolve per casting
Enslave is a common spell, known under many names throughout the Hyborian Age
kingdoms. It causes profound terror in the bravest of foes and takes command of
the weak-minded, bending their will to yours. The targeted being must hear and
understand your spoken commands while your gaze is upon the target. You do not
have to look the victim in the eye, but a failure to do so means that the Difficulty of
this spell increases by one step. On casting the spell, you must engage in a Struggle
with your intended target, seeking to command them.
It is enough for a target to know that this deviltry is at work to be able to attempt a
Discipline test to resist. The target resists with a Difficulty (D2) Discipline test. If you
are successful, then the victim is Shaken, however, you can suppress the Shaken
effect when attempting to control an intelligent being. During the struggle, you can
spend Momentum as listed in the table below.
Gaze of Set
In Stygia, Enslave is called Gaze of Set, but is otherwise identical.
ILLUSORY WOUNDS
Illusory wounds are only present in the mind of the one suffering them. So long as the victim is not
killed by these wounds, they can be completely healed with an Average (D1) Counselling test, increased
to Dire (D4) if the injuries were made while in the midst of combat. Illusory wounds should be tracked
separately for this purpose. Illusory wounds can lead to very real distress. If a Counseling attempt fails,
the victim remains injured and the injuries are treated as if they were gained as normal damage. In
addition to this, your character must make an Average (D1) Discipline test or suffer from an additional
Trauma.
Spells of this nature are easy to turn on but hard to control. When casting this spell,
the gamemaster can use Consequences or even spend Doom (if appropriate) to add
any other Momentum spends to the casting. Sorcerers seeking larger effects can
attempt multiple castings but these effects are independent and do not stack.
Any who know this spell can use it to counter any other uses of the spell. This will
turn the casting into a Struggle.
The following are sample uses of Fury of the Elementals:
One of the Rakhshas stepped forward and stamped his foot, and as he stamped,
there came a rumbling that grew swiftly to a grinding roar. Where his foot struck,
a crevice opened in the solid rock that widened instantly. Then, with a deafening
crash, a whole section of the ledge gave way. There was a last glimpse of
Khemsa, with arms wildly upflung, and then he vanished amidst the roar of the
avalanche that thundered down into the abyss.
The People of the Black Circle
Action at any time, although doing so costs an additional Fortune point. While this
spell is active, you are considered to have 1 Fortune point lower than normal and
you cannot recover this invested Fortune point until the divinely-held spell is
released. Momentum can be spent either on this spell or any of the spells bound by
Favor of the Gods. Multiple castings of Favor of the Gods can be kept active at the
same time, but each will require the investment of 1 Fortune point in the same
fashion.
As the representative of the divine, the gamemaster can cause these spells to
manifest at any time, but their activation does not cost you anything after the initial
casting, and you cannot spend any additional Momentum when the spell becomes
manifest.
Form of a Beast
Difficulty: Average (D1) or higher
Duration: Voluntary
Cost to Learn/Cast: 0 to learn, 1 Resolve to cast, 1 Resolve every combat round or
non-combat scene.
The spell allows you to transform into a single chosen animal (not including man or
ape) gaining a Natural attack of 4[CD]. Creatures between one-half to one-and-a-
half times your size (a dog or bear for instance) are considered to have a Difficulty
of Challenging (D2). Creatures greater or smaller than this are Daunting (D3). This
transformation is generally cosmetic, with the size change as appropriate but
gaining no powers unless Momentum is spent. Transformations are dangerous
should you suffer one or more Traumas in this form, you are likely to become more
bestial or forget your human origin altogether.
When dawn spread its white veil over the river, there were no men to be seen:
only a hairy winged horror that squatted in the center of a ring of fifty great
spotted hyenas that pointed quivering muzzles to the ghastly sky and howled like
souls in hell. By what godless alchemy these beings had been brought into
existence, he could not guess; but he knew he faced diabolism blacker than the
Well of Skelos.
Queen of the Black Coast
SAMPLE TRANSFORMATIONS
The following are some of the more traditional uses for Form of the Wild:
Body of a Wolf
Difficulty: Dire (D4)
You transform into a wolf, its hunger and speed enhancing your own. Increase your Agility and
Awareness by 3[CD] each, and gain its attacks but otherwise maintaining the attributes and abilities your
own form. See the description of wolves on page XX.
Strength of a Bear
Difficulty: Dire (D4)
Your body swells with animalistic muscle and resilience, and your form becomes that of a bear
(your choice as to type). Increase your Brawn by 3[CD] , and gain its attacks but otherwise maintaining
the attributes and abilities your own form. See the description of bears on page XX.
A Common Cur
Difficulty: Challenging (D2)
Your body shrinks and you are filled with the wild clash of animal imperatives. You transform into a
common dog, and gain its attacks but otherwise maintaining the attributes and abilities your own form.
See the description of dogs on page XX.
You can use small illusions to inform or entertain. These illusions are resisted with a
Simple (D0) Willpower test. You may also use Haunt the Mind to spook an animal,
forcing the animals master to use a Restricted Action to make a Challenging (D2)
Animal Handling test to bring the animal under control. One animal can be affected
per Momentum spent.
When using Haunt the Mind, you may make a Sorcery test instead of a Willpower
test to see the intended effect as well as the underlying reality, witnessing the
illusion just as does its intended target, or you may choose to see the fruits of your
own sorcerous weaving, viewing the illusion instead of that which you know to be
true.
The following are sample uses of Haunt the Mind:
Spectral Knife
Difficulty: Challenging (D2)
By crafting an illusion of a flying shard of steel you can trick a victim into flinching
away or otherwise attempting to avoid the blade. A target failing to avoid the blade
will take 3[CD] damage as if struck. The target will be convinced of the reality of the
injury and will later rationalize away the absence of a wound.
Let us see. Not lightly is the veil rent; yet I will rend it a little, and show you your
capital city.' Conan did not see what she cast upon the fire, but the wolf
whimpered in his dreams, and a green smoke gathered and billowed up into the
hut. And as he watched, the walls and ceiling of the hut seemed to widen, to grow
remote and vanish, merging with infinite immensities; the smoke rolled about
him, blotting out everything. And in it forms moved and faded, and stood out in
startling clarity. He stared at the familiar towers and streets of Tarantia, where a
mob seethed and screamed, and at the same time he was somehow able to see
the banners of Nemedia moving inexorably westward through the smoke and
flame of a pillaged land.
Zelata, The Hour of the Dragon
Non-player character sorcerers may have additional rites (Talents) allowing the
undead they have personally killed can be raised indefinitely. Placate the Dead
increases the Difficulty of casting this spell to Epic (D5).
The following are sample uses of Raise Up the Dead:
Necromantic Servant
Difficulty: Daunting (D3)
You can summon a skeleton warrior Minion as a more-or-less constant servant,
doing your bidding until it is destroyed or banished. See page XX for a description of
this creature.
Stroking the scales with a peculiar circular motion of his fingers, a motion which
always carried the fingers back to their starting place, his voice sank still lower
as he whispered dark names and grisly incantations forgotten the world over
save in the grim hinterlands of dark Stygia, where monstrous shapes move in the
dusk of the tombs.
Thoth-Amon, :The Phoenix on the Sword
Summon a Horror
Attributes
Awareness Intelligence Personality Willpower
10 10 5 5
Agility Brawn Coordination
14 10 14
Fields of Expertise
Combat 1 Movement 3
Fortitude Senses 1
Knowledge Social
Stress & Soak
Vigor 5 or 10 (Toughened) Armor 4
Resolve 3 or 5 (Toughened) Courage 4
Attack
Claws of Shadow (M): Reach 1, 5[CD], Fearsome
Special Abilities
From Darkness Born: The creature can squeeze through any crack that light can pass.
Horror: This creature can be summoned by the Summon a Horror spell.
Intruder: Has Movement Expertise 5 until its first attack.
Night Vision
Shadow of its Master: The shadow appears in the outline of the summoner. A successful Daunting (D3)
Observation test is required to recognize the caster from the shape of the shadow.
Unliving
Vision of Terror: Seeing the creature is a traumatic event.
Attributes
Awareness Intelligence Personality Willpower
12 10 5 8
Agility Brawn Coordination
14 7 5
Fields of Expertise
Combat Movement 3
Fortitude Senses 2
Knowledge Social
Stress & Soak
Vigor Armor 10 (Incorporeal)
Resolve 4 or 7 (Toughened) Courage
Attack
Diseased Touch (M): 3[CD], Vicious 1, Persistent 5, Vile (see Diseased and Vile Quality, below)
Special Abilities
Diseased: A character under the influence of the diseased touchs Vile quality (see Vile Quality, below) is
diseased and may pass the disease to anyone they have contact with. Any characters in their company for
longer than a few moments must make an Average (D1) Resistance or Healing test or take 1+5[CD] Vile
damage. Once the Child of Derketa has been banished, the illness can be cured by a Challenging (D2)
Healing test.
Easily Panicked: While it is unlikely that a Child of Derkata will suffer real harm, they are easily panicked.
If struck by a character, that character may roll their threaten damage in addition to their regular damage. If
Momentum is spent to add damage to the attack, this is also added to the threaten attack. In addition, any
character may use the Healing skill to scare away the Child of Derkata. If a character chooses to do this they
can roll additional [CD]s equal to their Healing Focus scores.
Fear 2
From Darkness Born: The creature can squeeze through any crack that light can pass.
Horror: This creature can be summoned by the Summon a Horror spell.
Incorporeal 10
Intruder: Has Movement Expertise 5 until its first attack.
Night Vision
Unliving
Vile Quality: Vile injuries will not easily heal. Each effect counts as one Wound, which must be healed
before the character can benefit from any other type of healing. Supernatural means of regaining wounds
remove this effect automatically, before having their normal effect. Armor blocks Vile damage inflicted by
weapons, but not disease, poison, or other conditions.
Spells of this nature are easy to cast, but hard to control. When this spell is cast, the
gamemaster can use any Consequences generated to add any other Doom spends
to the casting, in place of Momentum. Larger areas of effect are possible with
multiple castings, but the spells specific effects are independent and do not stack.
The following are sample uses of Venom on the Wind: