From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
Subject: Spells of the Spirits
System: Elric!

More new spells, this time concerning spirits.

Awaken the Spirits of the Woods (3) [Spirit Magic Ritual]

"Ever since she and Rowan had entered the forest, Fenshia had felt that something was watching her. She turned around, but, like before, she couldn't find anyone. Fenshia's attention returned to Rhowan, who was pointing out a strange Khiobl carving made in an old tree. But, as she examined it, Fenshia again felt eyes staring at her back."

After a ritual that lasts 1D10 hours, the caster is able to smell, hear or feel through the spirits who live in the forests by entering a trance. He has a diffuse multi-visual impression and is unable to realize clear pictures, sounds or feelings. The spells lasts as long as the caster concentrates. The range is 50 meters. If the caster has foci, he can jump from focus to focus (if they're no more than 50m away) to reach the final point he wants to observe. Each jump lasts 1 minute. He needs a very good knowledge of that forest to do so without getting lost in a world of strange impressions.

A focus can be carved into an old tree or an old boulder. This ritual costs 1 point POW and lasts 1D10 hours too. The sorcerer has to make a luck roll to succeed. (On Koptu they say that the Khiovl, the alien lizard-like creatures living in the Western forests have knowledge of this spell.)

Animate the Ancient Power of a Tree (1-6) [Spirit Magic]

"They reached a dead, gray clearing. Four crippled trees, reminiscent of writhing humans, were all they saw. `Yes', Rhowan said, `That's the clearing the old man mentioned.' Suddenly, one of the trees came to life!"

The caster can animate and control a tree for up to POW combat rounds. He has to spend 1 magic point per 5 points of SIZ of the tree. An
experienced shaman can estimate the size of an tree quite well.

Attacking Tree statistics

STR    4D6+10    24
CON    4D6+10    24
SIZ    2D6+10    17
INT    1D6    3-4
POW    2D6    7
DEX    2D6    7
MOV walk-3    HP 20-21

Av Damage Bonus: +2D6
Weapons: Brawl 25% 1D4+db
Armor: 1D10-1

Create Staff (varies) [Spirit Magic Ritual]

Old trees are inhabited by spirits. If these spirits die, the tree dies, too. Sometimes however, the tree dies too fast and the spirit is imprisoned. From the wood of these trees, a sorcerer can create a powerful staff. He can reanimate the spirit by sacrifing POW and create a sort of familiar that gives him more magic points (1D10 per point of POW spent) that he can use. The staff is able to restore its magic points at the rate of 1 point per day. The ritual lasts 1D6 hours and costs as many MP as POW. As usual, a luck roll determines final success. You can do this ritual several times to lower the risk of losing POW, but if any luck roll fumbles, the staff breaks.

(Optional: A failed roll gives the staff some sort of quirk, for example it only regenerates while lying in butter or doesn't works upon the new moon)

Call for Shielding Spirits (4) [Spirit Magic]

"Suddenly Fenshia started to spin, her arms flailing as if she was surrounded by a swarm of bees. But, all that could be seen were shadowy, whirling lights."

1D4 random called spirits wrap the target, stopping her from acting normally until the spell fades (after POW-of-caster combat rounds) or she succeeds at a MP:MP resistance rolls against all attacking spirits. She loses 1 MP per spirit each round. The target can attempt an attack against a randomly selected spirit each round.

Sample spirit

STR    -    -
CON    -    -
SIZ    -    -
INT    1D6    3-4
POW    2D6    7
DEX    -    -
MOV drift-20

Drains 1 MP per combat round. Can be driven away by matching own MP against MP of the spirit.