IGS Games Table of the Week

Sensing Magick

Magicians develop an innate sense that allows them to detect magick and magick items around them when they acquire the spell casting talent. Creatures with natural spell casting abilities do not have this ability unless specified.

A magician can sense the presence of magick within short range if concentrating. If not, then the gamemaster may require a level 1 alertness roll. The magician may not know what is magickal, only that there is magick within range. Finding the exact item or spot may take several turns of searching.

Khyra the nymph magician is strolling through the meadow north of her cottage. The gamemaster knows that there is a magick artefact in the area, but Khyra is ignorant of that fact. Nor is she actively trying to sense magick. The gamemaster tells her player to attempt a level 1 alertness roll. The player succeeds, and the gamemaster informs the player that Khyra feels the strange tingle of magick. Khyra looks around but sees nothing unusual. She spends a few minutes walking around the meadow until she pinpoints the area of strongest magick. She jabs her dagger into the ground as a marker, goes back to her cottage for a shovel, and spends the rest of the afternoon in the meadow digging for whatever might be buried.

If a spell is cast upon a magician, the character will feel a slight tingle to mark the event, but the magician will not automatically know the specific spell or effects.

Passaliuh, magician for the court of Ionia, is visiting the marketplace one afternoon when he feels a slight tingle of magick. He looks around and notices a strange old beggar gazing at him maliciously. Suddenly he starts to feel ill and slumps to the ground as the beggar's curse takes effect.

Dispelling Magick

Any magician may use this spell to cancel one known duration length spell. Magicians normally sense if an item or creature is magickal, but not the specifics of the magick, or the number of magickal spells. A dispell may be cast against a single spell, or against a target which may contain any number of spells. In the latter case, the dispell will work against a random spell.

This is an incantation spell with a 1 round casting time and medium range, and requires 1 point of power. The chance of the dispell working is decided by a contest of the caster's Mag +2d6 versus the base level of the spell + 10. A tie or greater immediately removes the spell. For unusual magick where the level of the spell is not known, assume a Mag level of 30.

Only the first dispell attempt for any magician against any single spell is at Mag + 2d6. If a dispell is unsuccessful, then the same magician may attempt another dispell. In this case, the contest is Mag + 1d6 instead of 2d6. If another magician attempts the dispell, then the contest is Mag + 2d6.

Dispell will work against a permanent illuminate spell or permanent lock spell. One dispell is needed against each magickal lock. Dispell will remove a permanent spell, but not magick forged into an item such as the magick contained in a magickal wand, potion, ring, amulet, or weapon.

Identifying Magick

Magicians normally sense if an item or creature is magickal, but not the specifics of the spell or ability. Any magician may cast the identify spell to glean such knowledge. This is a ritual spell with a 2 hour casting time, range is touch, and it requires 1 point of power.

This spell will discern facts about the magickal properties of the item that the caster is touching, such as damage bonus of a weapon, protection bonus of armor, type of potion, a curse, or a benefit gained when an item is worn. It can be used to discern a triggerable spell on a door or chest. One fact will be discerned about the magickal item. The caster will know if the item contains additional undiscerned spells or other magickal attributes.

The caster has a certain level of immunity from the magickal effects of the item during the casting of this spell. For example, the caster may identify a cursed item without becoming the recipient of the curse. Similarly the caster will not trigger any spell. This cannot in any way be used to bypass a curse or trigger since the caster may not manipulate the item.

This spell will identify any duration spells cast upon a creature or item. It will also discern magickal properties and abilities of a magickal creature, although the creature must be alive and restrained during the casting of the spell.

This spell cannot be used to learn any facts about the item other than magickal properties. It cannot be used to learn the age, manufacturer, or history of any item. Nor can it discern the casting magician, or date of enchantment.

Magickal Healing

Magicians have an inate ability to heal the sick and the wounded. Any magician may cast the healing spell. This is a ritual spell with a 10 minute casting time, range is touch, and it requires 1 point of power.

The spell will heal the target for an A wound at Mag 12, and an additional A for every 2 points of Mag above 12. For example, a magician with a Mag of 17 will heal a target for a B + A worth of wounds.

Similarly, the healing spell may be used to cure disease. See the healing section for a full description of healing effects.