Wizard Spell Circle ------------------- Important Policy Note Simutronics policy is that GemStone III is an ever-evolving game which contains many areas left open for expansion and change. Each spell circle documentation (such as this) represents only the original intent of the spell circle design. Due to various factors of implementation, game balance, and available resources, the actual spell implementation MAY differ. In addition, not every spell listed may be implemented, as the construction of GemStone III's world and mechanics is an on-going process. This file will be updated, from time-to-time, to reflect the latest implementation of each spell circle. In addition, the spells which are currently implemented will be specified. An ongoing discussion of these spell circles is held in the GemStone III message board categories. Unlisted Spells Spell levels not listed are areas that must be learned to progress through the spell circle, but do not earn any spell when doing so. This occurs at the higher regions (thus more difficult portion) of the spell circle. Implementation This spell circle is implemented to level 25 as of 12/18/1992. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Minor Shock (901) MNSHOCK A bolt of intense, charged light is shot from the palm of the caster. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: Shocks inversely affected by armor, which means that wearing plate armor would leave you entirely defenseless if struck by this spell. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Minor Elemental Edging (902) Duration: 1 attack/lvl MNEDGE This spell magically enchants a weapon, giving it a +15 bonus for the number of attacks equal to the level of the caster. The spell is cast on the weapon. The effects are not cumulative and this spell will not work on magic, cursed, holy, slaying or mithril weapons. Notes: Anyone may use the weapon so enchanted. The spell only dispels when the number of attacks is exceeded. (Remember, even misses count as attacks!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Minor Water (903) MNWATER A bolt of highly compressed water is shot from the palm of the caster. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: It is not as easy to hit a target with this spell as with Minor Shock; however it does more damage when it does hit. This spell is not inversely affected by armor so it can be much more effective against lightly armored opponents. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Stun Cloud (904) Duration: 6 rounds STUNCLOUD Creates a small cloud of charged gas particles: delivers a Rank 5 Electricity injury on 1st and 2nd rounds, a Rank 3 on rounds 3 and 4, and a Rank 1 on rounds 5 and 6. It drifts in the wind and affects all in the area on a random basis. The cloud takes one round to form. Notes: A caster is wise to leave the area after casting this spell. It is especially useful when a given enemy is immobilized. Note that although it is rare, a stun cloud can sometimes drift out of a room, so keep an eye out for it following you. When the cloud nears a combatant, an automatic roll is made to determine if he/she/it avoids the cloud. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Elemental Refraction (905) Duration: 10 sec/lvl EREFRACT Causes the caster to appear to be offset slightly from where he/she/it actually is. The illusion is imperfect, but it does provide enough confusion to be worth a +20 DS. Notes: When the combat system is implemented, a combatant who is under the effect of displacement will have a significant advantage in engagement and disengagement rolls as well as the DS bonus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Minor Fire (906) MNFIRE A bolt of fire is shot from the palm of the caster. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: This is a very powerful elemental attack spell, but is not inversely affected by armor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Major Cold (907) MJCOLD A 1' ball of cold is shot from the palm of the caster, exploding on impact. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: Ball attacks are much easier to hit with than bolt attacks due to the added explosion at the end. However they tend to deliver less damage as the trade-off. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Major Fire (908) MJFIRE A 1' ball of fire is shot from the palm of the caster, exploding on impact. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: Ball attacks are much easier to hit with than bolt attacks due to the added explosion at the end. However they tend to deliver less damage as the trade-off. This spell is a bit easier to aim and does more damage than the cold version, but some creatures are elementally more resistant to one form of attack than another. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Tremors (909) TREMORS Causes the earth in the area to begin shaking in a very minor earthquake. Everyone in the area must make a roll to remain standing. Note that the effect is actually an illusion, the disruption is not in the earth but in the magical aura. As such no structural damage will result and the caster is completely immune to the effect. Notes: Attacking a fallen opponent lowers their AS and DS by 50. This is an easy way to get a big advantage over an opponent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Major Shock (910) MJSHOCK A bolt of lightning is shot from the palm of the caster. This is an elemental attack spell and uses the Spell Aiming skill. Notes: These are much easier to aim than minor shocks since they have a tendency to arc to their target even if the aim is off. They also do about twice as much damage. Like minor shocks, major shocks are inversely affected by armor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Mass Blur (911) Duration: 30 sec/lvl MASSBLUR Causes all characters in the caster's group to appear blurred to attackers, thus giving a +10 to DS. This is cumulative with other defensive effects. Notes: The caster must be the leader of the group, thus all who have JOINed the caster (or the caster did HOLD HANDS with) will benefit from this spell. Note that the effect remains on everyone even if the group breaks up, until the duration is reached. The spell does not affect dead individuals in the group. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Call Wind (912) CALLWIND Causes a vicious wind to erupt in the area. All in the area must make a roll to remain standing. Items on the ground may be swept away by the wind. The violent, swirling wind will also cause all combatants to lose their positioning, which causes their stance to become less defensive. The caster is unaffected. Notes: Very effective at rendering a foe vulnerable to attack. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Death Cloud (913) Duration 10 rounds DEATHCLD This spell produces a much more potent version of the Stun Cloud (904) which delivers a Rank 9 injury on rounds 1 and 2, a Rank 7 on rounds 3 and 4, a Rank 5 on rounds 5 and 6, a Rank 3 on rounds 7 and 8 and an Rank 1 on rounds 9 and 10. Notes: The rules for the stun cloud apply for the death cloud as well. The death cloud, however, is more unpredictable than the stun cloud and is more likely to move into an adjacent area. The cloud is also borderline unstable and many times will disperse prematurely in a dazzling, but harmless, light show. However, the death cloud delivers the most severe of injuries in its early stages that can kill most anything outright if it connects; use with extreme caution! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Fire Storm (914) Duration: 10 sec/lvl FIRESTORM Causes a rain of fire to fall in the area for the duration of the spell. Each combatant in the room must make a roll to avoid being struck by one of the fire balls. If hit, a Rank 3 heat injury results. The firestorm requires 1 round to form. Notes: Unlike stun/death cloud, this effect is much more predictable. Anyone caught in the area is likely to be affected (unlike the clouds which drift so much they sometimes affect no one). A caster is wise to leave the area immediately after casting this spell. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Weapon Fire (915) WEAPONFIRE Causes the target's weapon-in-hand to burst into flame and be destroyed. This causes a Rank 1 heat injury on the target. Notes: This spell does not always work on magic, mithril, holy or cursed weapons. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Invisibility (916) Duration: 30 sec/lvl INVISIBLE The caster becomes nearly invisible. So long as no sudden move is made, such as an attack, the caster is immune from detection except by magical means. This spell does not cloak smells or sounds, so some creatures will have no difficulty finding an invisible combatant, but will be confused by the conflict of senses. Notes: Invisibility allows easy, undetected movement and positioning. When the combat rules are in effect, being invisible can give you a decided advantage in picking your fights. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Boil Earth (917) BOILEARTH The ground beneath the target suddenly becomes molten. The target will immediately fall if standing and then receive a Rank 3 heat injury. There is a 10% chance of doing immediate damage to the leg area in addition to the injury result. Notes: Although other spells can achieve similar ends, Boil Earth is more difficult to cast because it requires precise control to affect a single selected target instead of the more diffuse targets of area spells which affect friend and foe alike. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Duplicate (918) DUPLICATE This spell calls upon the elemental forces to replicate an inanimate object. This is a very tricky proposition and as such the spell has some limitations. Objects that are made from rare-earth elements (such as gems, silver, or gold) usually do not duplicate. Magical items, mithril, holy and cursed items are also resistant to this spell. On some occasions, when the Forces are especially powerful, such a duplication will succeed. When this spell fails, there is usually nothing to show for the effort -- sometimes a useless hunk of material will result and sometimes a very unstable version of the object will be created. However when it succeeds (as it usually does on simple objects), you will have an exact duplicate of the item. Once an item is duplicated, the mass of the two objects is divided leaving both incapable of being reduplicated. Attempts to do so will result in a pyrotechnic failure. Notes: To find out what will duplicate and what won't requires trial and error; research on this is unreliable since it seems some wizards are better at duplication of certain items than others. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Wizard Shield (919) Duration: 30 sec/lvl WIZSHIELD The most powerful of defensive spells in the Wizard Circle. The Wizard's Shield will grant a +50 bonus to the target's DS. Notes: Duration is cumulative. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Call Familiar (920) Duration: 1 min/lvl FAMILIAR Once a wizard has obtained 20th level, he/she is usually expected to be seen with a familiar, though this often takes longer since learning this spell requires quite an investment in research. The Call Familiar spell will summon forth a small animal (such as a falcon, wolf, etc.) at random to be the familiar of the caster for the duration of the spell. The type of creature which appears is dependent on the local inhabitants of the area the caster is in. A familiar can be commanded to perform a few simple tasks, and the wizard can see through the eyes of the familiar at any time. Although a familiar is not useful as a weapon, it can be used for information gathering and as a messenger. Different types of familiars have different types of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. The premature death of a familiar can stun a wizard. However if the wizard should die, a familiar will attempt to seek help on its own, though this is not always effective. Sometimes a familiar will find a character and try to get him/her to come to your aid, sometimes the familiar will even find other folk who can help. Notes: For details on how to command a familiar, see the information at the end of this article. Note that if you log off GemStone, either by QUIT or by disconnection, the familiar will still stay in the world and wait for a short time. Sometimes the hold on a familiar will be broken for some unfathomable reason. This type of break will not stun your character, however you will have to call a new familiar. This usually happens when random elemental forces interfere with the relationship. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Enchant Item (925) ENCHANT This spell, when cast upon a properly tempered weapon, armor, or shield, will enchant the item to +5 of its former bonus. The tempering process is one requiring great skill on the part of the wizard, and will require a special potion. Many different potions are available, of varying qualities, so the wizard must choose the type of potion with care in order to ensure a successful enchantment. To temper an item, the wizard should POUR POTION ON . Tempering can take time, and different potions will cure at different rates. The time required for the tempering process to complete, will become clear at the time that the potion is applied. Once tempered, an Enchant Item spell should be cast directly at the item to be enchanted. Casting of the spell should not be delayed too long after the tempering has cured, otherwise there may be unexpected results. Tempered items undergo extreme changes to their structure, and cannot be used in combat while they are in this state, lest they shatter. Armor too will become very stiff and brittle while tempered, and will not be wearable. Enchanting is an intricate process requiring great involvement on the part of the wizard. A wizard must always do the tempering for him or herself. One wizard cannot enchant an item which has been tempered by another wizard, without re-tempering it first. Most armor and weapons can be enchanted, even if they already have some magical ability from another source. Such previous magical items, however, will prove to be more difficult to temper, and some items will not be enchantable. Similarly, it will be somewhat more difficult for one wizard to temper an item which has been worked on by another wizard. For best results, an item should be enchanted by one wizard only. The chances of enchantment are directly related to the wizard's own level, along with the current bonus of the item being enchanted, and the quality of its tempering. A failure of this spell can result in the destruction of the item, so it should not be attempted in crowded areas, lest injuries to local bystanders be a result. The wizard must decide how far they are willing to push their luck when trying to get an item to a very high bonus. Each tempering and enchantment cycle incurs time, expense and a certain amount of risk. As a wizard grows in level, his or her ability to enchant to higher levels "safely" will also increase. A wizard can make certain trade-offs on tempering time (which can vary from pretty short to REALLY long) and risks, by choosing a potion that best fits his or her requirements. Learning how potions affect the enchantment process will make a big difference in the wizard's ultimate success. The maximum bonus attainable by this spell is +50. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Unknown (930) (This spell must be discovered by the advanced Wizard.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 Unknown (950) (This spell must be discovered by the advanced Wizard.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commanding a Familiar A familiar can be controlled with some simple commands. Because the creature is not intelligent, it can only perform a limited number of actions. The communication path is mental, so contact is maintained even if your familiar is in another area. A familiar can speak with your voice (albeit poorly). General format: TELL FAMILIAR TO {command sequence} TELL FAMILIAR TO LOOK You will see what the familiar sees regardless of where it is. TELL FAMILIAR TO GO NORTH The familiar will travel in a given direction if possible. TELL FAMILIAR TO GO THROUGH DOOR The familiar will travel through the door if possible. TELL FAMILIAR TO FIND Reline The familiar will attempt to find a given character. This can take some time, and some creatures are suited to outdoor searches (like hawks). If they find the character, they will follow him/her and you will be notified. Otherwise they will continue to search forever until you either give them another command, tell them to return, or the spell wears off. Note that certain areas are inaccessible to some (or all) familiars. TELL FAMILIAR TO RETURN Causes the familiar to try and return to your location. Because of the mental bond, this is usually easier for the familiar to do than to seek another character. The familiar will follow you until instructed otherwise. TELL FAMILIAR TO SAY Bardon, come to the gates! You channel your voice through the familiar. This is a difficult thing to accomplish and may incur a roundtime. TELL FAMILIAR TO WATCH With this command your mind will be linked with that of your familiar, allowing you to see what the creature sees. If the familiar is in a different room/area than you are, anything that happens will appear on your screen as well. To help differentiate the messages, those events which are being seen by the familiar will be in ANSI underline mode IF you have the MonsterBold flag set and have a terminal program which can display ANSI (AOL MEMBERS DO NOT AT THIS TIME). Note that some terminal programs use bold for underline. To break this link, simply tell the familiar to STOP WATCHING. Keep in mind that if the familiar is in the same room/area with you, then you will not receive both points of view (because they would be identical). Note: For GEnie members additional support for the Familiar view is supported by Simutronics Graphics Front End software for GemStone III, via the alternate Familiar Window. This puts messages from your familiar in one window, while messages in your room or area are in another window. TELL FAMILIAR TO GET THE WAND Some creatures are capable of picking up an item (usually in their mouth) and carrying it for you. Most will avoid sharp objects that might hurt them if they tried to pick it up with their mouth, and telling an animal to pick up food usually doesn't last long. Simply tell the familiar to DROP the item when you want it back. You can use some familiars to courier objects to other players in this way. TELL FAMILIAR TO SLEEP If a familiar is getting on your nerves, tell it to sleep and it will hush up and snooze a bit. Telling it to do anything else will wake the familiar back up. TELL FAMILIAR TO LEAVE If you tell your familiar to leave, the spell will be broken. Other commands, such as SIT, STAND, FLY, LAND, etc. are also possible.