99. THE COLLEGE OF IMAGING MAGICS Copyright (c) 1994 Andrew South Designer's note: I wrote this College after reading Stephen Donaldson's books about Imagers. It would probably fit neatly into the Thaumaturgies. Mankind has always been fascinated with mirrors and other reflective objects. Many primitive cultures have held the belief that mirrors have magical properties, and that a person's reflection is, in some way, an integral part of his own being. The existence of the College of Image Magics would tend to confirm the correctness of these beliefs. Reflected images are the source of an Imager's power; it is unimportant whether they reside in a mirror, a pool of water, or in some other reflective surface. The very nature of this type of magic suggests that it will be extremely uncommon in cultures that are unable to manufacture some form of reflective material (whether through lack of technology or lack of suitable materials). Imagers can be very powerful in the right situation, but they are subject to some significant limitations on much of their magic. Most of their spells require proximity to a reflective surface, which is used to provide the reflection that the Adept intends to manipulate. Where a spell requires a creature or object to pass through a reflective surface (such as the Portal, Gateway, and Doorway spells), it must at least be large enough to accommodate the item or entity concerned. The GM should also bear in mind the fact that some creatures (most notably vampires) have no reflections. These creatures cannot be affected by any of the following spells: Double Image, Shatter, Narcissism, Steal Reflection, and Conjure Image. Creatures that have had their reflection stolen via the Steal Reflection Spell (S-6) are also immune to these spells, unless the reflective surface being used to cast the spell is the one in which their reflection has been imprisoned. [Designer's Notes: This College was inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, by Stephen Donaldson's _Mirror of Her Dreams_ works. by several other novels that involve the use of mirrors and reflective surfaces for magic, and a couple of D&D ideas.] [99.1] Adepts of the College of Image Magics may practise their arts without restriction. One of the few limitations that Imagers have is that the majority of their magic is dependent upon having some sort of reflective device, be it a hand mirror or a pool of reflecting water, to use for the casting of their magic. [99.2] The Base Chance of performing any talent, spell or ritual of the College of Image Magics is modified by the addition of the following numbers. Adept is using a truesilver mirror as a reflective surface +5 Adept is using a silver or bronze mirror as a reflective surface 0 Adept is using a still pool of water as a reflective surface -5 Adept is using an irregular surface (e.g. a silvered sword) as a reflective surface -10 Adept is casting a spell on a creature whose reflection has been stolen via S-6, and is using the reflective surface in which the stolen image resides +20 [99.3] Talents 1. Alter Image (T-1) This talent allows the Adept to change a reflected image to look like anything he desires. This ability has a Base Chance of 30% (+3/Rank), and remains in effect for as long as the Adept continues to concentrate. Once control over the image has been established, the Adept can cause it to change at will into anything else that he is capable of devising. The Experience Multiple for this talent is 75. [99.4] General Knowledge Spells 1. Double Image (G-1) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: 5 minutes + 3 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 50 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It allows the Adept to assume the appearance of any one creature in range of the spell. The creature to be imitated must be no more than twice as large or half as small as the Adept, and must cast a reflection or the spell will have no effect. 2. Dazzle Spell (G-2) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 75 Base Chance: 55% Resist: May only be passively resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It enables the Adept to concentrate and direct reflected light so as to blind any single target creature within range of the spell. The magic becomes more effective in conditions of bright light, as shown on the table below. Light Conditions Penalty In intense light (e.g. clear day) -40 In bright light (e.g. overcast day) -30 In medium light (e.g. late afternoon) -20 In dim light (e.g. twilight) -10 The penalty shown above is applied to the affected creature's chance of success when performing any action requiring sight. Amongst other things, this includes both physical attacks and the casting of spells. The penalty is reduced by 10% per Pulse until it is zero. This spell is totally ineffective in lighting conditions darker than dim light (shadows, deep shadows, partial darkness and complete darkness). 3. Spell of Reflection (G-3) Range: 5 feet Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 100 Base Chance: 50% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It allows the Adept to swap any single object or creature within range with its reflected image, effectively transforming it into a mirror image of itself. The spell could, for instance, be used to make a left-handed person right-handed, or vise versa. 4. Spell of Projected Image (G-4) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: Concentration (no maximum) Experience Multiple: 150 Base Chance: 60% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It will cause an insubstantial image of the Adept to appear anywhere within range of the spell. While he continues to concentrate, the image of the Adept will remain and his actual self (or person) will be invisible. Once his concentration ceases or is broken, the Adept will become visible and the projected image will fade. 5. Spell of True Reflection (G-5) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: 5 minutes + 1 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 150 Base Chance: 25% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It will cause the reflective surface to depict surrounding creatures and objects as they truly are. Things that are invisible or which have been hidden by magical means (i.e. spells such as Walking Unseen, Blending, and Invisibility) can be clearly seen. Unreal things (such as illusions) are not visible in the reflection at all. Creatures without a reflection will appear in a True Reflection, but their image cannot be used for the purpose of casting other magic. 6. Spell of Reflected Vision (G-6) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: 10 seconds Experience Multiple: 150 Base Chance: 25% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It will cause the reflective surface to display a vision of the Adept's near future. The events displayed may not necessarily be of any great importance, and can sometimes be ambiguous, since they lack an auditory component. 7. Spell of Scrying (G-7) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: Concentration (maximum of 5 minutes + 1/Rank) Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 25% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It will cause the reflective surface to display a vision of the events currently transpiring in any one nominated place that the Adept has previously seen. At Rank 5 and above, the Adept can choose to have the image home in on any one nominated creature he has previously seen, rather than on a specific place. In either case, however, no sound is conveyed with the images that appear. 8. Mirror Image Spell (G-8) Range: May only be cast over self. Duration: 10 seconds + 10 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 275 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It will cause 1 duplicate of the Adept (+1 for every 4 Ranks, rounded down) to come into being near his person (in the same hex). These images do exactly what the Adept does, rendering it impossible for opponents to be certain which are the images and which is the real Adept. When an image is struck for even 1 point of damage, it disappears, but any other existing images will remain intact until they also are struck. The images are in continual motion, so that if the Adept is struck during one Pulse, he still cannot be picked out from amongst his images on the next Pulse. At the expiration of the spell duration, all of the images wink out. [99.5] General Knowledge Rituals 1. Fashion Magical Mirror Ritual (Q-1) By means of this ritual, the Adept can manufacture magical mirrors that mimic the effects of certain spells, but are permanent in nature. The mirrors that can be constructed are as follows: 1. Altered Image Mirror: The images cast in this mirror will be modified according to the instructions "programmed" into it by the Adept at the time it was constructed. The instructions can be simple (e.g. a mirror in which the Adept's reflection is absent) or complex (e.g. a mirror in which female creatures appear as beautiful goddesses, and male creatures as lumpish brutes), according to the wishes of the Adept. Cost: 1,500 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 2 weeks. 2. Dazzle Mirror: This mirror will cast an automatic Dazzle Spell on any creature that looks into it. Cost: 2,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 2 weeks. 3. True Reflection Mirror: This mirror effectively has a permanent True Reflection Spell upon it. Cost: 3,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 3 weeks. 4. Reflected Vision Mirror: This mirror will display a vision in the manner of a Reflected Vision Spell when looked into and concentrated upon. It may be used only once per day. Cost: 3,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 4 weeks. 5. Scrying Mirror: This mirror will show images of other places in the manner of a Scrying Spell when looked into and concentrated upon. It may be used only once per day. Cost: 3,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 4 weeks. 6. Narcissism Mirror: This mirror will fascinate anyone looking into it as per the Narcissism Spell. Cost: 4,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 7 weeks. 7. Portal Mirror: This mirror will act as a portal into a random place, as per the Portal Spell. Once the place has been determined, it remains fixed for the life of the mirror. Cost: 4,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 4 weeks. 8. Gateway Mirror: This mirror will act as a gateway into another place, as per the Gateway Spell. The place is determined by the Adept during the mirror's construction, and thereafter remains fixed. Cost: 5,500 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 5 weeks. 9. Maze Mirror: This mirror will have the effect of a Maze Spell on any creature that looks into it. Cost: 7,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 8 weeks. 10. Doorway Mirror: This mirror will act as a doorway through to another place, as per the Doorway Spell. The reflective surface through which it emerges is determined by the Adept during its construction, and thereafter remains fixed. Cost: 7,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 6 weeks. 11. Conjure Image Mirror: This mirror will duplicate any creature that looks into it as per the Conjure Image Spell. The duplicate will behave according to instructions programmed into the mirror by the Adept during its construction. The mirror cannot generate a duplicate if a previous duplicate generated by it is still in existence. Cost: 7,500 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 11 weeks. 12. Entrapment Mirror: This mirror will attempt to imprison any creature that looks into it as per the Entrapment Spell. Cost: 7,000 Silver Pennies. Time Required: 10 weeks. The "cost" of each mirror is the cost of the materials required to manufacture it. The "time required" is the amount of time that the Adept must devote to completing the mirror; it need not be continuous. However, the Adept must roll at the end of each week to see whether anything has gone amiss. There is a Base Chance of 85% (+1/Rank) that all will go satisfactorily. This chance is modified in the usual way, but modified results of greater than 99 are treated as 99. If this check fails at any point during the mirror's construction, the GM should use the Shaping Accidents Table (from the College of Shaping Magics) to determine what has gone wrong. If the Adept reaches the end of the indicated time period without anything going wrong, the mirror will have been successfully constructed. Magical mirrors take effect without the need for a successful Cast Check, and they operate at a Rank equal to that possessed by the Adept in the spell whose effect it mimics. (If the Adept does not know the spell in question, then he cannot manufacture that kind of mirror.) Magical mirrors are both bulky and fragile, and are therefore best suited to being left in the one spot. If the Adept insists upon taking one along on an adventure, he will usually experience difficulties when trying to transport it. The danger of breakage is a very real one, because any creature that causes a magical mirror to break will be afflicted with Bad Luck (as in S-4) at a Rank equal to that possessed by the Adept in the Fashion Magical Mirror Ritual at the time the mirror was made. This ritual has an Experience Multiple of 450. [99.6] Special Knowledge Spells 1. Kaleidoscope Spell (S-1) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: 30 seconds + 10 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 200 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It renders one target entity within range temporarily unable to see anything except a shifting, changing pattern of prismatic images reflected from the objects nearby. The target's chance of success in tasks requiring sight is reduced by -40% for the duration of the spell. If the affected creature attempts to use the kaleidoscopic images as a guide to its actions, then any action requiring sight that it undertakes will automatically fail. 2. Shatter Spell (S-2) Range: 15 feet + 5 additional/Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 250 Base Chance: 40% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: The reflective surface used to cast this spell must be a mirror, and must be close enough to the Adept for him to make physical contact with it. It enables the Adept to cause damage to any one target or being within range of the spell by smashing the mirror. Unless the target resists, he will immediately sustain [D-4] (+1/Rank) points of damage. In addition, if the target fails to resist and the result of the Resistance Check is 91 or greater, he will also become Stunned. Creatures who lose their last point of Endurance as a result of this spell will actually disintegrate (or even explode) into tiny fragments. 3. Spell of Narcissism (S-3) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: 30 minutes + 10 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 250 Base Chance: 15% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within 5 feet (+5/Rank) of the Adept. It causes a single target entity within range of the spell to become fascinated with the image reflected therein, to the point where it will do nothing but stare at its own reflection. After the spell has taken effect, the affected entity will ignore any external stimuli short of physical attack. Physical attacks will temporarily negate the effects of the Narcissism spell until they have been adequately dealt with, at which point the affected being will resume its examination of its own image. 4. Spell of Bad Luck (S-4) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: 7 years Experience Multiple: 300 Base Chance: 20% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: The reflective surface used to cast this spell must be a mirror, and must be within 5 feet (+5/Rank) of the Adept. When the spell is cast, the mirror will shatter into pieces, and any one creature within range may be afflicted with 7 years of bad luck. This will cause all dice rolls in which the afflicted creature is directly involved to be unfavourably modified by 1% (+1 for every 5 Ranks or fraction thereof, rounded down). This effect can be removed by a Remove Curse ritual, and should be treated as a minor curse for this purpose. This spell is not cumulative in either effect or duration; it has no effect if cast on a creature that has already been afflicted with 7 years of bad luck. 5. Portal Spell (S-5) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: 15 minutes + 5 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 300 Base Chance: 45% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It allows the Adept to set up a magical doorway in the reflective surface that will lead through to a randomly determined place. When the spell is cast, the GM should roll on the following table to determine where the portal opens out. Roll Result 01-10 A place known to the Adept. 11-20 A place known to the Adept, but not necessarily familiar (the Adept may have to think hard to remember where it is). 21-40 A place unknown to the Adept, but still within the known world (he may possibly be able to work out where it is). 41-60 A place unknown to the Adept, outside the boundaries of the known world, but still in the same plane of existence. 61-80 A place unknown to the Adept, in another plane of existence not entirely dissimilar to the Adept's own. 81-100 A place unknown to the Adept, in a wildly alien plane of existence that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Adept's own. The Adept casting the spell may modify the result of the dice roll, either up or down, by any number of percentile points up to and including his Rank. Obviously, considerable work is necessary on the part of the GM to adjudicate some of the results given on the above table, so it is recommended that the GM prepare some results well in advance of when they are likely to be needed. Once the portal has been established, the place into which it leads is clearly visible in the surface on which the spell was cast. Anyone who travels part way through the portal may move back the way they came without any difficulty. However, if they step right through, they will be left without any means to return. Such a person can, however, be pulled back through the portal by someone else that is only partially through it. 6. Steal Reflection Spell (S-6) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 350 Base Chance: 5% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell requires the use of a reflective surface with which the Adept can make physical contact. It allows the Adept to imprison the reflection of one entity inside a reflective surface. The victim will feel the incarceration of his reflection as an indefinable loss of something, but will normally be unable to say exactly what. When the Steal Reflection spell has been cast, the victim's image will not appear in any reflective surface other than the one in which it has been confined. Any spells of this College that are subsequently cast upon the victim using that particular reflective surface gain a bonus of +20% to their Cast Chance, and deprive him of the benefit of any resistance to the spell, either active or passive. A creature whose reflection has been stolen becomes immune to certain spells requiring the use of a reflection, unless the Adept casting the magic uses the mirror in which his reflection is held. (A complete list of these spells is provided in the introductory text.) The reflection can be released from its imprisonment by performing a Dissipation ritual (Naming Incantations, Q-1) on the reflective surface in which it is trapped, or by causing the image shown in that surface to become fragmented (i.e. smashing a mirror, or violently disturbing a still pool of water). 7. Mirror Wall Spell (S-7) Range: 15 feet + 5 additional/Rank Duration: Concentration (maximum of 15 minutes + 5/Rank) Experience Multiple: 350 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell conjures forth a shimmering wall as either a sphere (5 feet in radius) or a wall (20 feet in length and 10 feet in height). The Adept can increase any of the dimensions by 1 foot per Rank. The mirror wall is totally impenetrable; any creatures or objects that come into contact with it will rebound from it with a velocity equal and opposite to that with which they contacted it. Magic cast at the wall will also reflect off it (with the angle of incidence being equal to the angle of reflection). 8. Gateway Spell (S-8) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: 15 minutes + 5 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 400 Base Chance: 30% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It allows the Adept to set up a magical gateway in the reflective surface that will lead through to any other place that he has previously seen. Anyone who travels part way through the gateway may move back the way they came without any difficulty. However, if they step completely through, they will be left without any means to return. Such a person can, however, be pulled back through the gateway by someone else that is only partially through it. 9. Maze Spell (S-9) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: Immediate Experience Multiple: 450 Base Chance: 5% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within 5 feet (+5/Rank). It will affect any one creature within range, who will be helplessly sucked into the affected reflection and banished into an extra-dimensional maze of reflective images. Provided it makes an concerted effort to escape, the creature will free itself from the maze and return back to the dimension from which it was banished within (1D10 x Rank) Pulses. Creatures with an intelligence level significantly lower than humans (such as animals) will require twice this period of time, but creatures with an intelligence level significantly higher than humans (such as dragons) will require only half the stated figure. The exit to the maze is the reflective surface upon which the spell was cast, and it is there that the trapped creature will emerge. If the image into which the creature was drawn becomes fragmented (i.e. if a mirror is smashed, or a still pool is violently disturbed), the imprisoned creature will be immediately expelled from the maze without suffering any ill effect. The same reflective surface can be used to entrap any number of creatures, and if this is done they will find themselves all traversing the same maze. 10. Spell of Reflecting Magic (S-10) Range: May only be cast over self. Duration: 30 seconds + 10 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 450 Base Chance: 10% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: While this spell remains in effect, any magic cast at the Adept will rebound back on its caster. Spells that affect an area or multiple targets will also be reflected if the Adept would have been affected. In such cases, the spell's effects will centre on the original caster of the spell. Should two Adepts have this spell in effect at the same time when one casts a spell at the other, the energy of the spell will be dissipated in etheric standing waves that will negate both Reflect Magic spells. 11. Doorway Spell (S-11) Range: 5 feet + 1 additional/Rank Duration: 15 minutes + 5 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 500 Base Chance: 15% Resist: May not be resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within range. It allows the Adept to set up a magical doorway in the reflective surface that will lead through to any other reflective surface that he has previously seen. Travel is bidirectional, so it is possible to move back through the second reflective surface to where one started. 12. Spell of Conjuring Image (S-12) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: Concentration (no maximum) Experience Multiple: 500 Base Chance: 5% Resist: May be actively resisted only. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within 5 feet (+5/Rank) of the Adept. It enables the Adept to create an exact duplicate of any one creature within range. The duplicate will step forth from the reflective surface used to cast the spell, and will thereafter obey the Adept's mental commands. It is treated as being identical to the original creature in all respects, but will disappear immediately if the Adept ceases concentrating. 13. Spell of Entrapment (S-13) Range: 10 feet + 10 additional/Rank Duration: 1 hour + 1 additional/Rank Experience Multiple: 500 Base Chance: 1% Resist: May be actively and passively resisted. Effects: This spell may be cast on any reflective surface within 5 feet (+5/Rank) of the Adept. It will suck any one creature in range into the affected reflection. The trapped being or creature is automatically released when the spell expires, but can be released prior to this by a Dissipation Ritual (Naming Incantations, Q-1). If the image in which the creature is trapped becomes fragmented (i.e. if a mirror is smashed, or a still pool of water is violently disturbed), the imprisoned creature will be released from its captivity, but will suffer [1D10 + 2] points of Endurance damage and lose all its Fatigue. Note that the same reflective surface can never be used to entrap more than one creature at any time; any attempt to do so will automatically fail. [99.7] Special Knowledge Rituals 1. Invent Magical Mirror Ritual (R-1) This ritual is similar to the Fashion Magical Mirror Ritual (Q-1), except that it allows the Adept to create magical mirrors whose effects are new and do not mimic existing magic of the College. The player character should describe to the GM exactly what he wishes the mirror to be able to do. Obviously, the GM has the right to veto anything that he feels is either inappropriate or damaging to the game balance. Assuming this is not the case, the GM should then use the figures given in Q-1 as a guide to determining an appropriate cost and time factor for the new mirror. From this point onwards, the ritual operates in exactly the same manner as Q-1. This ritual has an Experience Multiple of 550.