When creating an illusory phantasm (something out of nothing) the successes rolled on the casting roll represent how well the caster projects their mental image onto the outside world. Sometimes a good casting roll is not enough. Illusions are limited by the knowledge and imagination of the caster.
If the caster has never seen a troll and only heard tales of trolls, his illusionary “troll” is not going to fool anyone who has seen a real troll no matter how many successes she rolled on the casting.
If there is any doubt of an illusionist ability to create an accurate image of something, roll Intelligence + Expression to recall the pertinent details of something he saw in the past in order to recreate an illusion of it. If the illusionist wants to make something artistically beautiful, roll Perception + Expression. If an illusion moves, creating realistic movement requires Wits + Expression.
You don't have to roll Expression on every phantasm, just if there is reason to doubt the illusionist's accuracy. An illusionist who is the daughter of a champion horse breeder doesn't need to roll to make realistic horse illusions. since she is basically a horse expert. A character who fought trolls on multiple occasions probably has zero problems making realistic troll illusions.
First Circle Illusion Spells
Blur: Caster looks blurry and is +1 difficulty to hit. Lasts three minutes per success.
Appearance Persistent
Disguise Self: Change caster’s appearance for 30 minutes per success. Other willing targets can be affected but at +1 difficulty.
Manipulation Persistent
Ghost Sounds^: Create simple unintelligible illusory sounds. Two minutes per success.
Wits Instant
Light: An object can be made to glow with approximately the brightness of a torch for ten minutes per success.
Stamina Persistent
Silent Image: Create a visual illusion with no sound or movement. Lasts until concentration stops plus five minutes per success.
Manipulation Persistent with concentration, Spread without concentration
Ventriloquism^: Make your speech come from another location. One minute per success.
Wits Persistent
Second Circle Illusion Spells
Invisibility (Blur, Disguise Self): Target becomes invisible for 15 minutes per success. Target become visible if they take an aggression action.
Dexterity Persistent
Fake Magic Aura: Mundane object gains a fake magical aura for one day per success.
Manipulation Persistent
Flare (Light): The caster sends a bright light which flashes in the sky visible for miles. The caster can decide the color of the flare. It almost goes without saying that the flare is more easily visible at night than in the day. More successes makes a louder and brighter bang.
Stamina Persistent
Glitter Dust (Blur): Sometimes this spell is called "Faerie Dust". A cloud of glowing intangible dust gloms onto to living creatures in about about a ten foot radius or a twenty foot radius if three successes or more are rolled. This is primarily used to reveal hidden or invisible creatures, but it can be used to cosmetically mark non-hidden people. Some performers deliberately seek out the glowing effect.
The effect lasts for about ten minutes per success rolled. It can be resisted with an opposed Willpower roll to stop the glitter from glomming onto a person, but even then it will outline them for a few seconds revealing the presence of invisible people briefly.
Stamina Persistent
Magic Mouth (Ventriloquism): Spell is permanent until a specific triggering event causes a message to be replayed. It can appear out of thin air or be superimposed on a painting or statue to make the item look like it is talking. The spell consumes about 10 drams of reagents.
Intelligence Permanent
Mirror Image (Blur): Creates a duplicate of caster per success. Attacks on caster are randomized between different selves, illusory duplicates only have one health level and no soak. Lasts two minutes till success or until all the duplicates are killed.
Wits Spread
Noisy Image (Silent Image, Ghost Sound): Create a moving illusion with some simple sounds. Lasts until concentration ceases plus five minutes per success.
Manipulation Persistent with concentration, Spread without concentration
Third Circle Illusion Spells
Complete Image (Silent Image, Ghost Sound, Noisy Image): Illusion image has complex sounds, movements, produces heat, and odor. Ceases when concentration ends plus one round per success.
Manipulation Persistent
Dungeoneer's Map (Silent Image): The caster can imagine a map which floats in midair that he or she can manifest or disappear at will for the duration of the spell. The caster can alter it as their knowledge grows. This is primarily used by underground explorers, but it can be used to map anything. For that matter, the caster can use this spell as a simple notebooks or doodle pad though it's kind of a undignified use of a third circle spell.
Since the map is limited by the caster's imagination and knowledge, a cartographer or artist is going to have a much nicer looking map than an untrained lay person.
The spell lasts for four hours per success rolled on casting. The caster can "store" a number of maps in her head equal to her Intelligence rating. A caster can create a receptacle for a map with about ten drams of durable reagents but once a map is made permanent, it cannot be altered again.
Intelligence Persistent
Expanded Invisibility (Invisibility): Invisibility for one target per success. Targets become visible if they take an aggression action. Last 15 minutes per success.
Dexterity Spread
Floating Eyes: Caster gets floating eyes equal to the number of successes rolled plus one. These eyes move as the caster directs. If the caster has more floating eyes than their Wits attribute, their other actions are at +1 difficulty. These eyes are not invisible, they are about the size of an apple and have one health level. They are fast and small adding +2 difficulty to hit but do not have a defensive roll or soak.
Wits Spread
Hallucinatory Terrain (Silent Image): Alters the terrain of an area for six hours per success.
Intelligence Persistent
Illusory Wall (Silent Image): Creates a section of illusory wall, ceiling or floor that looks normal but may be passed through. This spell is permanent until the caster wills it away (the spell is not
literally permanent but it lasts for many years). The caster can make a wall look brand new or weathered by centuries of erosion. The wall can be decorated with carvings or tapestries, roll Wits + Expression if the caster tries to do something elaborate. Requires 20 drams of regents per casting.
Intelligence Permanent
Object Seeming (Silent Image): Object looks like something else of roughly the same size for two hours per success.
Manipulation Persistent
Seeming (Disguise Self): As disguise self but it is not limited to the caster and effects three targets per success. Lasts 30 minutes per success.
Manipulation Spread
Fourth Illusion Circle Spells
Combat Invisibility (Invisibility): Target becomes invisible and spell is not broken if the target makes an aggressive action.
Dexterity Persistent
Lasting Image (Silent Image, Ghost Sound, Noisy Image, Complete Image): Illusion image has complex sounds, movements, produces heat, and odor. Illusion lasts for one week per success rolled.
Manipulation Permanent for duration
Project Image (Mirror Image, Complete Image): Creates an illusory double of the caster that speaks, moves, and can cast illusory spells for ten minutes per success.
Wits Persistent
Sky Illusion (Flare, Hallucinatory Terrain): The caster makes grand illusions in the sky visible for many miles. The spell persists for about 10 minutes per success rolled.
This is usually used for entertainment purposes, but it can be used to communicate. It is almost impossible for a caster to conjure illusions in the sky that look like natural phenomenon. Sky Illusions tend to be more clearly visible at night than at day.
The spell takes ten minutes to cast and 20 drams of reagents to cast. The spell can be cast as one standard A-action with drams of reagents.
Stamina Instant
Fifth Circle Illusion Spells
Mass Invisibility (Invisibility, Expanded Invisibility): As Expanded invisibility but it affects three targets per success and lasts 30 minutes per success.
Charisma Spread
Mass Veil (Seeming, Disguise Self): Caster can change the appearances of ten targets per success. Lasts one hour per success.
Charisma Spread
Living Nightmare: You conjure a phantasm of a target’s inner most fear. The caster only sees a greyish blob in the vague shape of the target’s fear. Target resists with Willpower at +1 difficulty. If the target fails the contested roll they are knocked unconscious. If the target fails the contested roll by three successes, the target is instantly slain.
Manipulation Instant
Programmed Image (Silent Image, Ghost Sound, Noisy Image, Complete Image): Illusion image has complex sounds, movements, produces heat, and odor. Illusion responds to stimuli in a matter set by the caster. Illusion lasts for one week per success rolled.
Intelligence Persistent
Simulacrum (Disguise Self, Floating Eyes): The caster creates a convincing image of herself and can see, hear, and speak through her illusory double. The simulacrum can even manipulate small items, but the illusory double disperses as soon as it's struck hard. The spell lasts about four hours per success rolled or until struck.
Usually, the caster's real body sits or stands quietly while controlling a Simulacrum, but the caster's body can act simultaneously for short periods of time, but doing so is taxing after spending a Willpower point and roll Willpower difficulty 6 to be active for about one hour per success, or twenty minutes per success if the caster is going to do something physically demanding.
Charisma Persistent
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