(c) 2016 by Richard Wayne Smith - - - - - Version 1.1.0
Environmental spells are a group of area affect spells that affect all magic in their area and are shown in the spell list with an 'E' before them. These spells change the magical environment, adjusting how reality works within their area of effect.
These spells are the most poorly understood of all types of magic. Some have long durations and as the years pass they may mutate (or "Wander" as it is commonly known) in effect. For example: an area with an environmental magic may have a spell that only lasts for a year or so. However it may mutate so the effect becomes permanent, changes in effect or lasts a shorter than normal amount of time. The wandering of effects is left totally up to the GM.
Any region with strange magical effects would likely be believed to be the responsibility of one of these spells that has mutated over time.
The DX modifiers for range is -1 DX for each megahex distance the center of the effect is away from the wizard. The maximum range that the wizard can cast the center of the effect, for Environmental magics, is the wizard's ST in MegaHexes. (Note that some of these spells affect very large areas. This maximum range lists how far the center of the effected are can be 'thrown' from the wizard, and does not say anything about the area affected by the spell.) It is possible for a wizard to cast a environmental magic several MHex away from him, but keep its area small so it affects another wizard but not himself.
An important magic item is a set of Rune Stones that creates a magical break or cleavage plane in the magical continuum. No environmental spell can be cast on the opposite side of rune stones and the effects of an environmental spell will never cross a rune boundary.
Environmental magics can not be cast on the opposite side of a magical pentagram. However if the pentagram is completely surrounded by an environmental magic the effect will 'percolate' thru in 90 to 120 seconds. The reverse is not true, an environmental magic cast inside a pentagram will use the pentagram as its boundary. When the pentagram is removed the environmental magic will be destroyed over a period of time. (Typcially a week or so.)
Individuals and items protected by spell shields WILL be affected by changes in mana caused by an environmental magic. These affects are not a spell that the spell shield stops, rather they are a change in the 'magical ground rules' that the spell shield must work within. In environments with strange magical effects, many spells will behave in unexpected ways. The GM is the sole judge as to what happens. In particular, a spell may work one way on one day and a different way the next (tho this is rare).
Environmental spells are the GM's most powerful tool for making the TFT magic system less mechanical. GM's who want magic to be an awesome and terrible force, not properly understood by the foolish wizards who meddle with it, will have powerful, and wide spread environmental magics. GM's who are happy with the current system of predictable spells may do without these spells or keep them small, limited in scope, and of short duration.
When GM's are creating new environmental effects, try to choose effects that would logically follow from changes in how mana works. In particular the effects should affect all people equally. Effects that "do this to the caster and that to everyone else" are right out. (Of course most effects that affect magic use will have little impact on your typical fighter.)
See the separate article on rune stones and rune lines. But it is important to note that environmental magics won't cross rune lines and that if a rune line encloses an area, the environmental magics within it become permanent.
If multiple environmental magics area cast within a closed rune line, the effects may cancel, add together, blend, or mutate as the GM wishes.
When you wish to invoke a demon on the other side of a pentagram, how does that work? Every other spell can not be cast across the line of a pentagram. The Invoke Demon spell (when invoking a demon inside a pentagram) uses a short duration environmental magic to make it almost impossible for a demon to appear locally. Because the effect takes time (more than a minute) to penetrate a pentagram, the only place the demon can appear is within the pentagram.
Tho it is not widely known, there is a second way for environmental magics to form. If a powerful spell is cast, it may some how combine with a local spirit. This will create a very small environmental magic usually destroying the local spirit in the process. Occasionally, this type of environmental magics is mobile (but it could never cross a rune stone barrier).
The following spells may be added to the TFT spell list, if the GM agrees. Some of these spells will change the campaign significantly. In particular, Vishaa's Mana Vacuum will give non-wizards a significant defense against magic users.
IQ 7
E Mana Leak Within this spell's area of effect all spells cost one extra mana to cast. Maintenance costs are unaffected.
Magic items that are on when they enter the area of effect (or have it cast over them) are not effected, but to start any magic item operating will cost an extra 1fST.
This spell will affect everything within 6 Mhex of the target Mhex (including that Mhex), for one minute for 6 fST, however if the casting cost is multiplied by 5 it will last for one day (tho this sometimes varies slightly). Each doubling of the casting cost doubles of the radius of the spell (so 12 fST has a 12 Mhex radius, (including the target Mhex).
Cost: 6 fST or 30 fST. May be doubled.
IQ 9
E Jinx This spell affects an area within 6 Mhex of the target Mhex (including that Mhex). All spells cast from within that area will critically fail on a 16 or higher and automatically fail on a 14 or higher (13 or higher for rites).
Lasts for 12 turns for 2 fST, 5 minutes for 4 fST, 25 minutes for 6 fST, 10 hours for 10 fST or two weeks for 15 fST. Each doubling the casting cost, will double the radius of spell. (So for twice the cost, the radius goes up to 12 Mhex.)
The most common critical failure is spending full fST for spell, it fails and casting wizard may or may not fall. But GM's may spice up their campaign by adding more variety in critical spell failures.
Named after Jinx 'T Sem, an unfortunate apprentice who caused an affect like a day long version of this spell any time he practiced magic.
Cost: 2, 4, 6, 10 or 15 fST
IQ 10:
E Invocation Node Invocation spells cost 20 % less if they are cast within this spell's area of effect. This spell has the function of weakening the barriers between the caster's plane and other worlds and planes so spirits, imps, demons, efreeti, djinns, fey, bojums and other things can come into his / her world more easily.
This spell costs 8 fST, covers one hex, and lasts for 1 minute. If five times normal cost is paid it will last for approximately one day. Each doubling of the casting cost doubles the radius. (Count the target hex as radius one.)
Cost: 8 fST or 40 fST
IQ 12:
E Mana Slight Spells cast within this area of affect cost normal if they have a casting cost of 3 fST or less, cost 1.5 times more if they are from 4 to 8 fST, and cost double if they have a cost of 9 fST or more.
Magic items and continuing spells are not effected. This spell costs 5 fST, will affect everyone within 6 Mhex of the target Mhex (including that Mhex), and will last for one minute. For 5 times the cost, it will last for approximately 1 day. Each doubling of the cost, will double the radius. (So if you spend x4 cost, the radius is 24 Mhex including the target Mhex.)
Cost: 5 fST or 25 fST
IQ 13:
E Uement's Defence Within this spell's area of effect Thrown spells can not target living things. Aid, Blur, Freeze, Sleep, Stone Flesh, etc. will not work but Thrown Spells that only affect inanimate objects (such as Sticky Floor) can work. (Tho, a Stone Flesh that targets a non-living item like a door would be OK for example.) Thrown Spells that affect both living and non-living will fail. Thrown spells already on a living creature will fail if they enter this area.
Magic items that have the effect of a thrown spell will stop functioning if they enter the area but they will begin working normally again once they leave the Environmental Magic's area.
This spell will effect a radius of 6 Mhex (including the target Mhex), for one minute, however if the casting cost is multiplied by 5 it will last for one day (tho this sometimes varies slightly). Each doubling of the casting cost doubles the radius of the spell.
Cost: 6 fST or 30 fST
IQ 15:
E Shape Growth This spell allows the caster to influence the growth of all plants in its area of effect. Or it may be cast on a single plant, (a large tree for example) which is larger than the diameter of the spell. The plant(s) affected will grow branches and limbs where the caster wishes and it will grow twice as quickly. Plants growing at a double rate require twice as much nutrients. The radius of this spell is 1/4 of a hex.
Duration is one year. Each doubling of cost will double the radius of the effect.
This spell is normally known only by elves.
Cost: 8 fST
IQ 16:
E Yixglahm's Armor Negation This spell stops magic which gives all sorts of magical armor. Any sort of magical protection that stops damage no longer works. In particular, the flesh spells, armor enchantments, Harden, any bound spirits which give armor, and other forms of magical protection stop working. Magic items that stop hits (for example, a Leather Flesh ring), will stop working when they enter this spells area, but will work normally again when they leave.
Spells that only stop some types of damage (such as immunity to fire or steam) are ALSO affected. Spells that stop damage by preventing the damage from occurring (say a Flight spell that prevents a fall) will continue to work. Likewise a Blur, which prevents a blow from landing, will work normally.
When cast the wizard may specify a lesser amount of armor negation. So the wizard could say this spell will only remove the first 4 points of magic armor. As this environmental effect weakens or wanders, what was previously 100% of armor being turned off, can turn into only 6 points of magical armor being ignored, and so on.
The radius of the spell is 6 Mhx including the center megahex. Each doubling of cost will double the radius of effect. (So if 16 fST is spent, the radius will be 24 Mhx including the center megahex.).
The duration is 12 hours.
Cost 4 fST.
IQ 17:
E Drowsy This spell will cause people within its area to become comfortable, drowsy and inattentive. People who are trying to fall asleep will nod right off. People who wish to stay awake and alert can force themselves to do so, but must roll 2 extra dice to notice someone sneaking around. People in this spell area, tend to daydream.
People who are trying to stay alert, are given a 6vsIQ to notice that something strange is up. If they succeed they will notice that they are having a very hard time to stay alert.
Spells that cause sleep or inattentiveness cost ½ as much as normal. Spells that cause people to wake up, or be alert and notice things better, will cost twice as much in this spell's area.
The radius of the spell is 6 Mhx including the center megahex. Each tripling of cost (to both cast and maintain) will double the radius of effect. (So if 30 fST is spent, the radius will be 12 Mhx including the center megahex.)
Duration is one minute. The spell may be maintained for half fST cost per minute.
This spell was based on an idea by Meg Tapley.
Cost 10 fST for the first minute, +5fST for each extra minute.
IQ 19:
E Hard Healing This spell prevents all spells that heal damage, speed healing, reduce aging or bring things back to life. Magic potions which do the same thing, will likewise fail. Non-magical potions and salves which help healing are not affected. Healing spells fail when they enter this area and must be recast when the wounded subject leaves the area. Magic items that have healing abilities while have those abilities cease to work in this area, but are unharmed and will work normally once they leave this spell's area. People who have had their age reduced do not gain back their original age in this spell's effective area, but no further reductions in age are possible within it.
The radius of the spell is 6 Mhx including the center megahex. Each doubling of cost will double the radius of effect. (So if 24 fST is spent, the radius will be 48 Mhx including the center megahex.)
Duration is 5 weeks.
Cost 3 fST.
IQ 20:
E Dancing Casters This spell changes how magic is cast. Normally, wizards must 'gather' the mana from nearby, which is more difficult if you move. While in this environmental magic effect, the magic flows more and more slowly if you remain too long in one place. This spell encourages wizards to move while casting.
Spell casting can now be done if the wizards moves 1/2 or less of their full MA.
If the caster moves, zero or one hex, casting any spell is at -3 adj DX. If they move 2, 3 or 4 hexes magic casting is at -1 adj DX. Finally if a wizard moves 5 or more hexes (but it must be less than half of her total movement), then the spell is cast at +0 adj DX.
It is legal for a wizard to run in a little circle and end up near where she started. However, each hex moved into must be a different hex to count towards the movement to reduce the DX negatives for casting magic. (Thus if a wizard just moves back and forth repeatedly between her starting hex and one other hex, then this counts as moving only one hex.)
The radius of the spell is 6 Mhx including the center megahex. Each doubling of cost will double the radius of effect. (So if 14 fST is spent, the radius will be 12 Mhx including the center megahex.)
Duration is 1 hour.
Cost 7 fST.
IQ 21:
E Virshaa's Mana Vacuum This spell destroys all mana within an area centered around the Mega hex the spell is cast into. The range & duration depends upon the amount of fST spent. Within the Mana Vacuum, no spells work, spells already working fail, pentagrams are destroyed, all types of creations are destroyed, trapped and bound spirits escape (note: many spirits are destroyed) and magic items cease to function (but they will start to work again when they leave the area). Note: when a magic item is first exposed to a no mana zone, it is stressful to that item. The GM may roll to see if the items are damaged or destroyed. This happens on a 17 or 18 on 3 dice.
This spell takes 12 turns to cast, and the fST is spent on the first turn. This fST is lost regardless of the success or failure of this spell.
Cost & Range: First decide the amount of fST you wish to spend. The range and duration are calculated from this number. The radius is the fST multiplied by 10 meters. e.g. if you spend 12 fST, the spell will cover a radius of 120 meters. (A radius of 1 hex is just the center hex, a radius of 2 hexes is Mega Hex sized, etc.)
Cost & Duration: Take the amount of fST you wish to spend and square it. This is the duration measured in turns. If you spend 12 fST, it will last 144 turns.
When the fST is spent at the start of casting, a 'shiver' flows thru the mana which can be sensed by any wizard within the radius of effect. The wizard does not know where this spell is being cast from but does know that this spell is being cast.
Critical Rolls: On a roll of 3 or 4 not only is the radius is tripled or doubled but the effect lasts for much longer periods of times. (Typically years (for triples) and weeks (for doubles.)) GM secretly sets actual time. On rolls of 17 or 18, the wizard loses his ability to do magic for the normal duration of this spell (for a 17) or 25 times the duration of the spell (for an 18). These effects are in addition to the normal catastrophic spell failures for rolling that high for this IQ level of spell.
This spell can not be maintained, it must be recast. No magic item can be made for this spell, however repeatedly casting this spell on an area can 'permanently' burn out the mana there (permanently means hundreds of years or more in this case).
This environmental magic destroys any environmental magics that existed in the area previous to it being cast.
Since this spell can not cross rune stones, a double ring of rune stones with this spell cast in between them can create a moat of magically dead space. This is sometimes done around the inner keep of fortresses. In the past, various powerful wizards, and even whole schools, have tried to outlaw this spell and destroy all copies of it, but this powerful spell always reappears.
Cost: 10 or more fST
IQ 22:
E Tindempt's Hex (a.k.a. Tindempt's Hammer) This environmental magic makes casting magic dangerous within its area of effect. Any time any magic user casts a spell while he is within the area of Tindempt's Hex, the spell is cast normally. However there will be a magical backlash against the caster of the spell. A physical blow will strike the wizard, landed by an invisible 'hammer'. Since this is physical damage, Spell Shields do not protect (just as they do not protect against physical damage landed by magical creations). The 'hammer' does 1 die of damage, but each time the same wizard casts a spell while within this area, 1 die is added to the damage. If the blow draws blood (does any damage after all armor), it subtracts 1 die of damage from its next blow.
For each 10 points of damage done by the hammer before armor, it will knock back a 1 hex figure 1 hex in a random direction. (Thus 30 points of damage will push a 1 hex wizard 3 hexes. Roll a die six to see which line of hexes the wizard will be knocked down.) The wizard must make a 3vsDX to stay standing when knocked back 1 hex, adding 2 dice for each extra hex of knock back. If a wizard does not wish to be knocked back (for example, into a pit), he must roll 3vsST to avoid being moved 1 hex, adding 2 dice for each extra hex he doesn't wish to be moved. If successful, he is not moved as far, if he fails he is moved and automatically falls.
This spell requires 6 turns to cast with the fST cost being spent on the first turn. If the spell is interrupted or fails, the full fST is lost.
The radius of the spell is 100 meters / fST put into the spell. However the environmental magic will start out affecting a radius of only the target Mhex. The radius will increase by 1 Mhx per day until it reaches its maximum radius.
This spell will last several years, then slowly shrink back to nothing (taking 20 or so years to do so).
Cost: 1 fST / 100 meters radius.
IQ 22:
E Zone of Lingering Within the region of this spell, it is much harder to die. Instead of figures dying when their adjST reaches negative 1/2 their basic ST (round up), figures will die when their adj ST reaches negative double their basic ST.
For example, normally a figure with a 13 ST will die when he reaches -7 adjST. With this spell that figure will die at -26 adjST.
Figures are not considered mortally wounded until their adjST reaches negative their basic ST (so the figure in the example above, would not start taking damage for being mortally wounded until his adjST reaches -13).
Figures rolling on the torturing table, reroll results that allow suicide. Only if they get another suicide result might they die (make their adjST only 5 above the value that they will die at).
Tho it is harder for figures to die in this region, this spell does not alleviate suffering, nor does it make wounded or crippled figures more lively.
Cost, Range and Duration: spend any amount of fST you wish and cube that number. That is the radius of the spell measured in hexes, and the duration measured in turns.
Cost: Varies
IQ 25:
E Jiemoff's Mana Fountain All spells in this spell's area of effect have their casting costs reduced to one third (round up). (So a spell that would normally cost 25 fST to cast would cost 9 fST.) The radius in Mega hexes is the fST spent. (So if 12 fST is spent on this spell, the radius is 12 mega hexes including the wizard's own Mhex.) Magic items are not affected in any way.
This spell can not be cast in an area with Virshaa's Mana Vacuum in it. If this is attempted, this spell costs full price and automatically fails.
If this spell is cast over an area twice, the second spell automatically fails, and the casting wizard takes 1d+1 damage after armor.
This spell (gradually or quickly) will exhaust the mana in its area of effect. After 4d–3 days, the mana in the area runs out, and this spell burns itself out and vanishes. Treat it as if a Virshaa's Mana Vacuum has been cast on the area. The V. Mana Vacuum will last for twice as long as the J. Mana Fountain did, and then expire, leaving normal mana in the area.
Normally environmental magics cast inside closed rune-lines are permanent. This spell is an exception, the spell normally runs its course and dies away, leaving a Virshaa's Mana vacuum behind. The Virshaa's mana vacuum CAN be permanent and normally remains inside closed rune lines. However, there do exist a few rune lines with permanent Jiemoff's Mana Fountains in them. It is unknown how or why these occurred. Some wizards speculate that the area was naturally rich in magic, or perhaps some god sacrificed existential magic to make the effect permanent.
In the past there existed versions of this spell that only reduced the cost of certain types of spells, (for example creations spells, or thrown spells). These more specialized versions are lost to history.
It is thought that there used to be a more powerful version of this spell (at a considerably higher IQ), which reduced the cost of magic to 1/10 of the normal cost. This spell is also long forgotten.
Cost: 1 fST per hex radius
