New Product: The Fantasy Codex PDF

[Christopher R Taylor]

And now a spell that helps you fulfill your quota of kills.  This one is sort of a meta gaming concept, one of those things that shows up in computer games, but can be modeled in Fantasy Hero as well.  Quota is a spell that boosts the caster's combat ability each time they manage to kill a target, useful in longer fights against multiple targets.  It works best as an enchantment, but is valuable for spellswords and other warriors that use magic to enhance their abilities.

 

QUOTA

EFFECT: Caster gains combat power with each kill

Active Cost: 19                            Range: self

Real Cost: 4                                Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -2                                Incantation: yes

END Cost: 2                                Side Effect: no

Casting Time: Full Phase focus  Concentrate: ½ DCV

Focus: no

Once cast, Quota automatically grants the mage a boost to OCV and killing damage, causing their weapons to glow slighlty orange at the edge.  The spell triggers each time a character that the mage has harmed dies, using their life force to enhance his combat ability.  Each kill the Quota boosts a little more, but fades each turn at 5 points.  The maximum amount that Quota can increase OCV is by +4, and HKA and RKA each by 4 damage classes.

   Quota will only take effect if the mage kills a creature that is actually a threat, thus insects, non combatant creatures, small animals such as cats or rats do not count.  The creature in question must have at least 50 points of total cost (without regard to complications).  A GM may rule that creatures knocked out and taken to any negative body so that they bleed to death in short order are counted as "kills" for the purposes of Quota.

  POWERS: Aid 1d6 OCV, HKA, RKA (24 maximum points each)

    MODIFIERS: Trigger resets automatically, no time to reset, zero phase to activate (+1/2), Three Powers at once (+1), x4 maximum effect (+1/2); Bonus (-1), Limited Conscious Control (only when part of a kill) (-1/2), Incantation (-1/4), Gesture (-1/4), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), Extra Time Full Phase focus (-1/2), Self Only (-1) [+2; -3 3/4]

ACTIVE / REAL COST FOR OTHER MASTERY: 

  Apprentice:½d6=10/2

  Journeyman: 1½d6=29/6; 2d6=39/8; 2½d6=49/10

  Master: 3d6=58/12

[Christopher R Taylor]

Although its a bit of a "meta" concept, all gamers are familiar with the idea of monsters "respawning."  This spell allows a spellcaster to 'respawn' a monster, but on his side.  Essentially, it generates a living copy of some creature that the group has defeated to fight for them.  It won't fight for long without breaking free, and the creature is limited in its power level based on the spell's power, but it can be used on anything that the party has defeated below a given power level.

 

RESPAWN

EFFECT: Copies a fallen creature to fight at your side

Active Cost: 30            Range: no

Real Cost: 6                 Incantation: yes

Spell Roll: -3                Gesture: yes

END Cost: 3                 Side Effect: no

Casting Time: Phase   Concentrate: ½ DCV

Focus: OAF

Respawn allows the mage to summon a copy of any creature that they have at least helped defeat.  The creature that is Respawned must be present for the mage to touch with his focus and low enough power level.  This creature then must be defeated in a battle of wills, and will serve until it breaks control as normal, at which point it vanishes into the aether.  Respawn can only summon creatures for combat, they will not serve in any other capacity.

  POWERS: Summon (100 pts) any fallen foe

    MODIFIERS: Expanded Class (+1/2); Bonus (-1), Extra Time Full Phase (-1/2), Gesture (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), OAF (-1), Only to fight by your side (-1) 

[+1/2; -4 1/4]

ACTIVE / REAL COST FOR OTHER MASTERY: 

Apprentice: 50 pts=15/3

Journeyman: 75 pts=22/4; 125 pts=37/7; 150 pts=45/9

Master: 175 pts=52/10; 200 pts=60/11; 225 pts=67/13

Grandmaster: 250 pts=75/14; 300 pts=90/17; 350 pts=105/20; 400 pts=120/23

[Christopher R Taylor]

Ever wonder why that necromancer just never seems to die?  Why he keeps coming back no matter what?  Its because of this spell: as long as he's in range of his prepared body, he can come back again.

 

SECOND LIFE

EFFECT: At death, brings the caster back to life in a prepared body

Active Cost: 165      Range: 600km

Real Cost: 14          Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -15          Incantation: yes

END Cost: <15>      Side Effect: yes

Casting Time: Day   Concentrate: 0 DCV

Focus: IIF prepared corpse

One of the most frustrating things for PCs is the fact that they can't ever seem to kill off certain enemies.  This spell is one reason why.  With Second Life, when the Necromancer dies, he lives again, and out of harm's way, if he can help it.  The spell requires special preparation of a corpse roughly the same build as the Necromancer, the same race, and the same gender.  

This corpse is usually kept somewhere safe, and as long as the caster stays within a minimum distance of the corpse, he cannot die.  At the instant of what would be the necromancer’s death, the hidden corpse undergoes a startling transformation into the Necromancer, and the dark mage lives again, although missing anything the previous body held.  

As the Necromancer is reborn with but 1 BOD, 1 STN, and 1 END; time or healing is required before any vengeance may be sought. The maximum range on this spell is over 250 miles, but if the Necromancer dies out of range, Second Life cannot trigger and he just dies normally.

POWER: Duplication (1 body) up to 300 Pts

MODIFIERS: Indirect (+1/4), Megascale Range (+1), Ranged (+1/2), Trigger (death of Necromancer) (+1/4); Bonus (-1), Uses BOD (-2), Gesture (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Extra Time One Day (-4), Side Effect 4d6 Major Transformation (caster ages five years) (-1), IIF prepared corpse; difficult to obtain (-1/2), Concentrate 0 DCV (-1/2), Come back at 1 BOD, STN, END (-1/4) [+1 3/4; -9 3/4]

ACTIVE / REAL COST FOR OTHER POINTS

175 pts=96/9; 200 pts=110/10; 225 pts=124/11; 250 pts=137/13; 275 pts=151/14

[Christopher R Taylor]

For today's spell, I offer this useful utility one.  It allows the caster to change any item into an inked tattoo on the target person or item, which then can be removed by the person who it is on or that owns the item, becoming the actual item once more.  Weapons, tools, even living creatures can be changed with this spell.

 

TATTOO

EFFECT: Transforms an item into a tattoo on the target

Active Cost: 30                    Range: no

Real Cost: 5                        Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -3                       Incantation: yes

END Cost: 3                        Side Effect: yes

Casting Time: Turn focus   Concentrate: ½ DCV

Focus: no

This spell turns ordinary objects such as swords and lanterns into a simple Tattoo of their image.  This can be placed on the caster's body or on someone else willing, as it takes time, although is painless.  Should the slow, difficult magic fail, the mana rips through the caster with blinding, crippling pain.  

The person with the Tattoo can grasp the image an will it to come free will remove the tattooed item which will reverse the transformation in a zero phase action.  Otherwise a simple dispel of the transform is required.  Enchanted items can be transformed in this manner, but they will require +1 body of transformation per five active point cost of the item to transform them into a Tattoo.

POWERS: Major Transform 2d6 (item to tattoo)

MODIFIERS: Improved Results Group (+1/2); Bonus (-1), Extra Time full Turn focus (-1 1/2), Gesture (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Side effect 2d6 Flash Sight, Stuns caster, 2d6 Drain DEX (-1), No Range (-1/2), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), increased difficulty on magic items (-1/4) [+1/2; -5]

[Christopher R Taylor]

Utility, one of those spells that sort of lacks a real magical character but is something a mage would certainly come up with eventually to save time and be of general utility.  Its the kind of magic that I would, were there real magic, come up with and use regularly.  It takes advantage of the fact that the Jolrhos Magic System isn't in a power framework as well, by being a Multipower.  Utility allows pretty much any basic tool or convenience magic at the mage's fingertips on command, as long as its kept up.

 

UTILITY

EFFECT: A spell that provides many useful basic magical effects

Active Cost: 30                      Range: Self

Real Cost: 8                          Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -3                          Incantation: yes

END Cost: (6)                        Side Effect: no

Casting Time: Phase focus   Concentrate: ½ DCV

Focus: no

The Utility spell saves the mage time and trouble by combining many different conveniences in one spell.  The mage begins this spell with effort and time, then is able to maintain it and call on its many effects at will, changing them as a half phase action.

     In game terms, Utility starts up a Multipower with a base spell effect that requires mana, a magic skill roll, and the other listed limitations.  Once the effect is in place, it may be maintained as long as the mage desires, is conscious, alive, or not stunned.  They can choose between any one of the given fixed slots of the multipower with a half phase action. 

     The "Minor Create" power is able to make only basic, simple items; no moving parts, nothing of significant value, only tools and materials the mage knows about and is familiar with.  This effect can make an arrow, but not an unknown key; a goblet, but only a simple one, not gold and crusted with jewels.  And any item created with Minor Create lasts only 24 hours, fading away into the mist it was created from.

POWERS: Multipower (24 pts) see below

MODIFIERS: Costs END Only to Start (+1/4); Bonus (-1), Incantation (-1/4), Gesture (-1/4), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), Costs END (-1/2), Extra Time Full Phase focus (-1/2) 

[+1/4; -2 3/4]

 

Points Multipower (15 pts); half phase to change effects (-1/4)

  1f     Alter Temperature: Change Environment 3 TL; Variable effect (+1/4), Area Effect Radius 9m explosion (loses 1 TL/3m) (+1/4); No Range (-1/2)

  1f      Boil Water: Minor Transform 2d6 (water to boiling water); Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f     Clean object: Cosmetic Transform 5d6 (dirty to clean); Limited target (-1/2)

  1f      Create Clothing: Minor Transform 2d6 (air to clothes); Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f     Create food and drink: Major Transform 1d6 (create food and or water); Improved Results (+1/4), Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f      Detect Magic: Detect (magic), Discriminatory, Ranged

  1f      Light: Change Environment +4 to sight; Area Effect Radius 16m, explosion -1/4m (+1/4); No Range (-1/2)

  1f     Minor Create: Major Transform 1d6 (any minor object); Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f     Minor Repair: Minor Transform 2d6 (broken to fixed); Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f     Purify Air: Minor Transform 2d6 (air to breathable air); Area Effect Radius 8m (+1/2); No Range (-1/2)

  1f     Purify food: Minor Transform 2d6 (bad food to good); Partial Effect (+1/2), Limited target (-1/2)

  1f      Start Fire: RKA 1 point vs ED (fire); No Range (-1/2)

[Christopher R Taylor]

This is a simple but effective little spell designed to foil invisible targets.  It doesn't dispel the invisibility, but instead outlines them in light.  The images aren't on them but around them, effectively negating their invisibilty by making them glow in a little shell of light.

 

VISIBILITY

EFFECT: Outlines target in light

Active Cost: 30             Range: 100m (see below)

Real Cost: 6                 Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -2               Incantation: yes

END Cost: 3                 Side Effect: yes

Casting Time: Phase   Concentrate: no

Focus: OAF

This spell is the bane of invisible creatures.  The magic seeks out and outlines the invisible target with light, rendering their invisibility void.  The spell requires the caster to toss a handful of dust in the air and the magic is maintained by the focus.  If Visibility is miscast, the magic bursts in a brilliant flash of blinding light. Although the perception that Detect will allow may be further than 100m, the glowing outline will only form up to 100m away.

POWERS: Detect Invisible creatures, targeting, ranged; Images (outline target in light)

MODIFIERS: Bonus (-1), OAF (1), Side Effect 4d6 Flash (1/2), Gesture (1/4), Incantation (1/4), Extra Time Full Phase focus (1/2) [-3 1/2]

MODIFIERS (Detect): Costs END (1/2), Only to target for Images (1) [-5] 

MODIFIERS (Images): Linked to Detect (1/2), only to outline invisible targets (1/2) [6]

[bigbywolfe]

What is the Bonus Modifier?

[Christopher R Taylor]

Its a standard mod for all spells in the Fantasy Codex.  From page 27:

 

Bonus: All spells in The Fantasy Codex have a base set of limitations to them, referred to as “Bonus” in the spellbook.  This limitation covers all the basic mechanics of spell casting shared by every single spell:

-1/2  Requires a Magic roll

-1/4  cannot be pushed, cannot use maneuvers with attacks, etc

-1/4  Spells may be noticed when cast with a Magic Roll as a perception roll, maximum of 1 spell run at the same time for each 5 INT.

These limitations results in a total limitation of -1 for the spell.  When the modifier “Bonus” is given in a spell it refers to this group of limitations.

Bonus: -1 Limitation

 

Its just shorthand for a bundle of limits that all spells in the magic system are controlled by.

[Christopher R Taylor]

The War Contingency is a spell which prepares a 

 

WAR CONTINGENCY

EFFECT: Prepares any offensive spell to go off on its own while in combat.

Active Cost: 37                 Range: self

Real Cost: 5                     Gesture: both hands

Spell Roll: -4                     Incantation: yes

END Cost: 4                     Side Effect: yes

Casting Time: Full Turn   Concentrate: ½ DCV

Focus: OAF

The War Contingency is a spell which remembers the next spell cast and then has a chance to recast it at random, costing no mana, whenever another offensive spell is cast.  The spell will not always go off, but it can go off every time an attack spell of any sort is used, on the same target.

    War Contingency's trigger has an 11- chance to go off.  The trigger resets automatically and immediately, and the spell takes no time to go off.  It can trigger when any offensive spell is successfully cast.  Because the spell does not come from the caster, it will not continue if a constant spell, but at the end of the phase it goes off will cease.

POWERS: Trigger 11- on any offensive spell of up to 50 active points (resets instantly and automatically)

MODIFIERS: Bonus (-1), Gesture both hands (-1/2), Incantation (-1/4), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), OAF (-1), Extra Time full turn (-1 1/4), Side Effect triggered spell goes off on caster (-1), Only for offensive spells (-1/2), Only lasts 1 hour (-1/4) [-6]

ACTIVE / REAL COST FOR OTHER MASTERY:

Novice: 12 Active Points=9/1

Apprentice: 32 Active Points = 24/3

Master: 95 Active Points = 71/10

[Christopher R Taylor]

This time a blast of three different elements which slams the target all at once.  Although small, they are built AVLD and chances of one or two of them getting through on any target are extremely high, even if one is defended against.  The name is a nod to Gary Gygax, without whom we might not even be playing this particular hobby.

 

The "sympathetic elements" referred to in this spell are from the appendix of the Fantasy Codex, from a scheme involving five elements.  The two elements closest the one in question are sympathetic, the two furthest antithetic:

 

 

 

XAGYG'S STRIKE

EFFECT: A blast of three different related elements at the target

Active Cost: 33               Range: 25m

Real Cost: 6                   Gesture: yes

Spell Roll: -3                   Incantation: yes

END Cost: 3                    Side Effect: yes

Casting Time: Delayed   Concentrate: no

Focus: OAF

This spell launches and elemental blast at the target made up of three different elemental effects.  Each elemental effect is a distinct blast, all hitting at the same time.  The blast must be of a main element and its two sympathetic elements (see Appendix 4: The Theory of Magic on page 267 for information on sympathetic and antithetic elements).  Thus, A fire blast could be made up of Aether and Earth damage as well, but not Water or Air.  Each blast ignores all defenses except those specifically defending against that element (such as additional ED vs fire damage). 

The Earth element blast targets PD with rock, while Air, Fire, and Water goes against ED (lightning, fire, and cold, respectively), and the Aether blast goes against any sort of Power Defense.

POWERS: Blast 1d6; Blast 1d6; Blast 1d6

MODIFIERS: Variable Special Effect (any three sympathetic elements) (+1/4), AVAD (see text) (+1); Bonus (-1), Medium Range (-1/4), Extra Time Delayed Phase (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Gesture (-1/4), Can be deflected (-1/2), OAF (-1), Side Effect 2d6 blast x2 (antipathy elements) and flash 2d6 sight (-1/2) [+1 1/4; -4]

MODIFIERS (Additional blasts): Linked to first blast (-1/4) [+1 1/4; -4 1/4]

ACTIVE / REAL COST FOR OTHER MASTERY: 

Master: 2d6@=66/12

Grandmaster: 3d6@=102/19

[Baz]

Hi there, is this supplement compatible with the latest Fantasy Hero supplement?

[Christopher R Taylor]

It is 6th edition, and is compatible with Fantasy Hero Complete as far as I know - that is, unless the game's rules have been changed significantly with the new book (and I can't imagine that being true) its perfectly compatible.

[Christopher R Taylor]

And finally Z; a spell that predicts the future, slightly. The caster is able to ask the GM one "yes or no" question that can be answered by looking with clairvoyance into the future a short length of time.  The GM can then answer based on that criteria, from what he knows of the area, has planned, and is likely to take place.

 

ZODIAC

EFFECT: Determine the wisdom of a choice

Active Cost: 40 Range: 200m

Real Cost: 7 Gesture: 

Spell Roll: -4 Incantation: 

END Cost: 4 Side Effect: 

Casting Time: Full Phase focus Concentrate: 

Focus: OAF

This spell allows the  caster to call on celestial power to decide a simple question.  Zodiac can only answer a single question based on events to come, such as "is that hallway trapped?" or "is that the right way to go?"  It can only answer basic, quick questions that a brief glance into the future will reveal, without any other specific details.  

   The information must be learned by visible clues and the answer must lie within the range of Zodiac.  The spell can be cast repeatedly to build more and more information but only within Zodiac's constrictions.

POWERS: Clairvoyance (sight), precognition

MODIFIERS: Bonus (-1), Concentrate 1/2 DCV (-1/4), OAF (-1), Instant (-1/2), Extra Time Full Phase focus (-3/4), Gesture (-1/4), Incantation (-1/4), Only to answer one question (-1) [-5]