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Chaosium Digest Volume 19 Number 12
Chaosium Digest Volume 19, Number 12
Date: Sunday, June 8, 1997
Number: 2 of 2
Contents:
Spells of Karakal (Frank Sronce) COC DREAMLANDS
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From: fsronce@tcac.com (Frank Sronce)
Subject: Spells of Karakal
System: COC Dreamlands
SPELLS OF KARAKAL
The following spells are commonly associated with Karakal and his
priesthood. Most of the major spells are known only by his
high-ranking priests. Those spells created by Bolonath are known only
to him and possibly a few members of his family. A few of these spells
are taught by the priests of Karakal but appear to be unrelated to
that deity. The priesthood still teaches them to its members because
of their utility.
All of these spells are presented in the following format:
Spell Name (MP or POW cost, San loss, Base casting time)
Additional Names the Spell is Commonly Known By, if Any
[Source of the spell, if known]
A description of the spell's effects, and any further explanations
required.
[Any additional notations or cautions for the use of the GM.]
If the spell name is marked off with asterisks, then the spell is
particularly powerful and the GM should consider all of the possible
effects carefully before introducing it into a campaign. These spells
should be weaker or even powerless in the waking world, as Karakal is
a God of Earth and as such has little power outside the Dreamlands.
A contest of Magic Points may be substituted for the contest of POW in
any spell which calls for one, at the GM's option.
Blessing of Karakal (4+ MP, 1 San, 3 rounds)
[Karakal]
This spell requires the caster to kneel before an open flame and utter
a short prayer to Karakal, asking his blessing. At the conclusion of
the prayer, the caster must reach into the fire with his naked
hands. If the spell is cast properly, he will suffer no damage. When
he withdraws his hands, they will be coated in a strange, golden
sheen. For a duration of 1d4+2 hours, any fire damage which the caster
suffers to his hands will be reduced by the number of Magic Points
expended on this spell.
[The minimum MP cost of 4 will protect the caster against most normal
fires, but hotter fires may require more MP to resist. This spell
could actually protect the caster's entire body, but the caster would
have to cast it before a fire large enough to encompass his entire
body and then step naked into the flames. This would probably be
fatal if the spell were to fail for any reason. Only exposed skin is
protected by the spell; it cannot protect the caster's clothing or
other objects.]
*Bolonath's Deadly Blade* (1 POW, 1d6 San, 1 minute)
[Bolonath]
This spell attempts to bind a previously summoned Minion of Karakal
into a large, flawless ruby. If the Minion has already been
successfully bound, then the Minion automatically climbs onto the
gemstone and slowly merges with it. An unbound Minion will only be
affected if the caster can overcome its POW with his own.
Once successfully bound inside the ruby, the creature's electrical
touch affects whatever touches the gem. Bolonath used this spell to
create "the Tooth of Karakal" by constructing a sword with a ruby
built into the blade. It was most distinctive for its oversided hilt,
which was made entirely of non-conductive material. If the ruby is
ever shattered, the Minion will emerge from the core of the gem and
lash about angrily at anyone present.
[Since large rubies are very expensive, the preparation for this spell
is often more troublesome than its actual casting. This is a major
spell because it enables the caster to effectively make a very deadly
electrical trap or weapon that can be used repeatedly until the ruby
is finally destroyed. Of course, great caution is required from the
caster to keep from electrocuting himself when using this device.
Bolonath used this spell only once, and was not entirely pleased with
the result, for the sword he placed the ruby in could easily be lethal
to its wielder as well.]
Bolonath's Fiery Blade (2 POW, 1d6 San, 1 day)
[Bolonath]
This enchantment was used to create "the Flametongue." A weapon so
enchanted may be activated by touching the blade to a flame while
asking Karakal to bless it. This costs the wielder 2+ MP and 0 San.
The flame will cling to the blade for 30 minutes per MP expended.
People struck with the weapon while it is covered in flame will take
an additional 1d4 points of fire damage. If the flame is cut off from
oxygen (ie, by sheathing it or throwing it in water) the flame will
die.
[This is actually a more useful way of creating a magical weapon than
Bolonath's Deadly Blade, since the damaging effect can be turned on
and off at will. It is more expensive in POW than the other spell,
though, and does less damage. Unless no other magical weapons are
available to your investigators, introducing this spell is not likely
to have a major effect upon your campaign.]
Bolonath's Furnace (1+ MP, 1 San, 1 round)
[Bolonath]
This spell creates an immobile, shimmering globe of heat, about 4-5
feet across. It appears at most a few feet away from the caster. It
cannot be created around a solid object, only in the open air. Its
temperature rises at a rate of 100 degrees Fahrenheit per round until
it reaches a temperature of 100 degrees per MP expended, but the heat
is magically limited to the furnace itself. Anything touching it takes
1d6 damage per 200 degrees in the furnace. It will last for 3d6
hours. If the caster desires, he may add more MP after the first
casting at a rate of 1 MP per round in order to increase the
temperature further.
[Since the Furnace does not reach its maximum heat immediately, it is
practically useless as a combat spell. However, it can be used to
block a corridor or to destroy any item which can be moved into its
depths. Bolonath used it as a very precise forge, one unmatched in the
Dreamlands. This spell was expanded from a spell entry in the
Dreamlands supplement.]
Bolonath's Wondrous Enchantment (1+ POW, 1d4 san, 1 hour)
[Karakal]
This spell of animation may be related to whatever method Karakal used
to create his Minions. First, the caster must construct some sort of
mechanical device out of metal (and/or other non-flammable components),
which may require several successful skill rolls to complete. The
device needs to have some sort of "heart," a sealed area wherein the
flame can be stored. The Wondrous Enchantment fills the heart with
living flame, and the flame brings a semblance of life to the
device. Should the heart ever be pierced, and the flame released, the
creature "dies" and returns to lifeless metal.
[When the device to be enchanted is complete, the GM should decide
upon the characteristics it will possess when animated. The POW cost
to animate it is generally equal to the sum of the creature's
characteristics divided by 20. Other abilities are dependent upon the
quality of the workmanship involved. Bolonath's metal Magah bird, for
example, only cost 2 POW to enchant, but it could sing and fly because
of the extraordinary skill that went into creating its metal body. If
too little POW is invested, the device will stir only slowly and
weakly. If extra POW is invested, the creature will be bursting with
life and energy, perhaps moreso than a living creature would be.
Such creatures never tire but may follow a day/night schedule if they
choose to. They will live forever unless destroyed. Most have only
animal intelligence, but certain types of crystal may be used for a
brain in order to allow for the creation of intelligent creatures. It
is important that the crystal be flawless; any imperfections will
result in damage to the new mind created. Bolonath never succeeded in
creating an intelligent creature, but he might still be trying...]
*Contact Karakal* (1 POW, 1d3 San, 10 minutes)
[Karakal]
This spell requires a large fire source, which the caster must kneel
before while chanting to Karakal. At the conclusion of the spell, the
flames will take on a strange, shimmering quality. The caster must
then place some item (generally a piece of artwork of great value)
within the flame, where it will vanish. After the offering is
accepted, the flame returns to normal. The caster should then meditate
in the vicinity, awaiting some sign from Karakal. He has a chance
equal to 1/2 of his Luck Roll of getting a response. It can take up to
24 hours for Karakal to come. He will not appear before gawkers or
other non-worshippers.
If Karakal chooses to come, he will materialize in a sheet of fire.
If the god is impressed, both with the offering and with his
worshipper's humble attitude, he may choose to reward him with magical
devices or knowledge.
[The offerings are transported to Karakal's sanctuary in Unknown
Kadath. If the offering displays extraordinary craftsmanship, the GM
can substitute a roll of 1/2 of the skill used to create it instead of
1/2 of the character's Luck. If investigators are really brazen, it
might be possible for a person to hurl himself through the shimmering
fire into the depths of Kadath, but of course he would have no way of
returning...]
Enchant Brazier (1+ POW, 1d2 San, 1 day)
[Karakal]
This spell enchants a brazier to help with the spells Summon Minion of
Karakal and Pyromancy (see below). It requires an animal sacrifice of
at least 5 SIZ per POW being invested.
Flame Maze (16 MP, 1d3 San)
[Karakal]
This spell causes a maze of brightly colored flame to spring up from
the ground. The walls of the maze are generally about ten feet
high. The caster can choose whether to be on an edge of the maze or in
its center. The flames do 1d6 damage to anyone attempting to cross
them, and that person must succeed in overcoming the caster's POW with
his own to successfully pass through the fiery wall. The maze covers a
wide area (the caster's POW in yards), and slowly shifts. It generally
requires at least 3 successful Idea rolls to navigate from one end to
the other. The caster has an image of the maze in his mind when it is
first created, giving him a +50% to all Idea rolls. This bonus drops
by 10% per round as the maze changes around him. The maze lasts for
around 1 hour.
[A useful way of walling off an area or temporarily trapping enemies,
the Flame Maze is a bit too esoteric in nature to be a really useful
spell.]
High Steel (1+ POW, 1d2 San, 6 hours)
This spell requires a pint of the caster's blood, which must be mixed
in with steel and silver in a forge. The metal that results is known
as High Steel. It can hold a better edge than normal metals, enabling
the smith to produce edged weapons with their damage increased. It
also counts as a weakly-magical weapon for purposes of harming certain
creatures. Finally, it doubles the weapon's Hit Points for purposes of
determining when it breaks.
Doing this requires the loss of 1 hit point from the caster (from
blood loss) and a successful Blacksmith roll on the part of the
forger, or the eerily active metal will be ruined and the POW
wasted. 1 POW is sufficient to produce a single sword or 20 arrow
heads. Larger amounts of metal, of course, require more POW.
[As a general rule, a High Steel weapon with a superior edge should
ignore the first two points of armor worn by any target. It counts as
a magical weapon, but this is not its primary enchantment, so the most
damage that a High Steel weapon can do to a creature invulnerable to
normal weapons is equal to three times the POW invested in it. High
Steel armor should stop an additional 2 points of damage.
This spell can create superior weapons and armor, but it is too
expensive in terms of POW for an investigator to use it casually.
High Steel is much more valuable in the Dreamlands (where a sword is
still a common weapon) than in the waking world.]
Lambent Flame (2+ MP, 1 San, 1 round)
This spell creates a narrow cone of flame extending from the caster's
outstretched finger. It is about as hot as a candle and may be of any
color the caster desires. It costs 2 MP to initiate the spell and an
additional MP per round maintained.
[This is a modified version of a spell from the Dreamlands supplement
and is reproduced here because it is associated with the priests of
Karakal in my campaign. It is a fairly pointless spell in the waking
world, where a good lighter can produce the same effect with no Sanity
cost. Even in the Dreamlands, there is usually a better way to produce
a flame unless time is of the absolute essence.]
*Lightning* (8 MP, 1d3 San)
[Karakal]
Creates an electrical arc between the caster and his chosen target,
who must be within 5 yards. This lightning strike is similar to the
touch of a Minion of Karakal, but weaker. It inflicts 2d3 Hit Points
of electrical damage, which ignores metal armor. The target must roll
his CON vs the damage done, or his heart will stop.
[This spell is rarely lethal to a human opponent, but it can be cast
with a single gesture, so it remains a useful combat spell. It can
also affect many creatures immune to physical attacks. The GM should
arbitrate the secondary effects of a strong electric shock (muscle
spasms, possible short-term memory loss) as he sees fit. Lightning
does not do enough damage to slay most monsters with a single attack,
but several investigators casting it on the same opponent certainly
could...]
Many Matches (1 MP per sigil, 2 MP to cast, 0 San)
This spell requires that the caster first draw a simple sigil on any
object to be affected. The sigil has an arrow coming from it, at whose
point the magic will be generated. The sigil is drawn mystically, and
is invisible except to magical perception. When the spell is actually
cast, the caster gestures at the area to be affected. Every sigil in
that area generates a small spark.
If cast in reverse, every sigil attempts to snuff any fire touching
the arrow-tip. This is not strong enough to put out any fire larger
than a candle-flame.
The most common use is for the mage to draw the invisible sigil over
candles in his house, enabling him to light every candle in a room
with a single spell. This spell can also be used to start other fires,
but does not generate enough heat to do any real damage. Only items
that burn very easily may be lit by it.
[This spell is useful for lighting fuses and setting small fires, but
its main use lies in impressing normal people with your "wizardly
powers."]
*Pyromancy* (8 MP, 1d3 San, 1 minute)
[Karakal]
This spell requires some sort of open flame. The caster must stare
into the fire until he starts to see images in the flame. Fire scrying
is faster than most other forms of scrying magic, but it shows only
random, fragmented scenes. The caster should make a POW roll. On a
POWx1 result, the subject that the caster wished to see will appear in
the fire. On a higher roll, only part of the desired image will
appear, and completely unrelated scenes may be seen as well. A roll
above POWx3 generally fails entirely. If the caster uses an enchanted
brazier for the flame, every POW invested in the brazier adds +5% to
the accuracy of this spell.
Pyromancy shows images of nearby events in the present. If the
incident the caster wishes to view lies in the past, some object that
was present at that time must be burned in the fire.
[This is a deceptively powerful spell. Any form of scrying which lets
the caster call up images of what other people are doing can solve
many mysteries which would otherwise require a long and dangerous
investigation. In particular, the ability of Pyromancy to view images
of a past event associated with an item makes it very useful in
reconstructing exactly what happened in a given place at a given time.
It is up to the GM to decide whether the images which the caster views
should be visible to others standing nearby or to the caster alone. In
general, if you want magic to remain frightening and enigmatic, than
only the caster should be able to see the visions granted by this
spell, and only he should suffer any Sanity loss for seeing visions of
unpleasant creatures. On a roll of 00, a deity or Great Old One may
seize control of the fire and substitute whatever images it desires.
Do not allow investigators to spy upon the actions of godlike
creatures with this spell. Any truly powerful being will have ways to
defend against scrying magic. In fact, even scrying the casting of a
spell which invokes an Outer God may cause it to interfere with the
scrying. I prefer to have each being respond in a different way. For
example, if Yog-Sothoth is somehow unknowingly scried with this spell,
the fire will be snuffed out instantly. Scrying Ithaqua causes the
fire to be extinguished by a strange, freezing wind. When a child of
Yog-Sothoth was scried in my campaign, a great eye was seen in the
flame, looking out at each investigator. When Glaaki is scried, one of
his three eyes is seen, and Glaaki immediately attempts to use the
dream-pull upon the person scrying him. Scrying Tulzscha would cause
the flame to turn sickly green and then explode into a column of
rushing green fire, etc.
Even an ordinary person may be allowed a POWx1 roll to sense that they
are being watched, although only a spell-caster might be able to do
anything about it.]
Solar Heat (8 MP per round, 1d3 San, 1 round)
[Karakal]
This spell creates a shimmering disk which must be held between the
caster's hands for the duration of the spell. The disk can focus and
reflect the sun's rays into a ray of heat. It takes 1 round to create
the disk, after which the caster can hold it at an angle to reflect
the burning heat toward his enemies. The beam of light causes a base
1d3 Hit Points of fire damage per round, although this can be modified
by the brightness of the sun. It costs 8 MP per round to maintain the
disk.
[The GM should modify the damage done by this spell according to the
strength of the sunlight in the area. I suggest a modifier ranging
from -2 for indirect sunlight only up to +3 for using the spell
beneath a searing desert sun at noon. The ray of light should do
double damage to light-sensitive creatures such as Shades.
This is not a particularly powerful spell, since it can only be used
effectively outdoors during the day. Artificial sources of light
cannot be used to provide light for this spell; the disk will only
amplify actual sunlight. But, since the cone can affect several
targets at once if they are close together, it is still a useful
combat spell. Several investigators could cast the spell
simultaneously in order to do more damage, but Solar Heat is better
suited to setting fire to buildings than to burning opponents.]
*Summon/Bind Minion of Karakal*
[Karakal]
This spell requires a large, open flame, such as a brazier produces. A
large part of the flame will begin to sparkle and detach itself,
forming into the minion. If the brazier is enchanted, each point of
POW invested increases the chance of a successful summoning (but not a
successful binding) by 10%. The binding requires the caster to command
the Minion in Karakal's name.
[Minions of Karakal are actually fairly useful creatures, although
inherently dangerous. Their deadly touch makes them a good choice when
summoning a monster to destroy another monster. In particular, since
most monsters fight with hand-to-hand attacks, they may not be able to
injure a Minion of Karakal without being injured in the process. The
real danger in summoning a Minion of Karakal lies in the fact that a
failed binding could be instantly lethal to the caster. If your
characters have some way to protect themselves against an angry Minion
of Karakal, then they can summon them in comparative safety.]
Towering Flame (8 MP, 1d2 San)
[Karakal]
This spell causes any normal fire to burn much, much higher. A line of
burning oil would become a six-foot wall of flame. A brazier would
send a sheet of fire high into the sky. Other than expanding the area
affected by the fire's heat, it has no direct effect on the damage it
does. The spell lasts for one hour, but can be dispelled at any time
by a word from the caster, which causes the fire to be extinguished at
once.
[This is an occasionally useful spell, as it can create a very
impressive distraction. Clever investigators can also use it to put
out a raging fire by casting the spell and then immediately dispelling
it.]
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