This is a large, plain-looking tome, bound in dark brown leather, with the name etched on the spine and picked out in gold leaf. It measures 18" tall by 10" wide, and is nearly 2" thick. The pages are expensive vellum, and each one is beautifully decorated with artistic patterns around the edges. Despite its age - the date of its writing, the year 966 AC, is written on the title page - the book appears almost brand new; it has obviously been used very little in the past half-century.

The Will Ascendant was written fifty years ago by the mage Zkanda En’Thayer, a former resident of Denagoth who studied the ways of the Mystics during childhood, before relocating to Glantri and switching her interests to magic. As a consequence of her early teachings, Zkanda’s primary area of interest was in spells which directly accessed, or enhanced, the powers of the mind and the will; during her time at the Great School of Magic, Zkanda created or developed a number of mind-related spells which were later collected and bound into this volume.

The book has lain untouched in the Great School’s library for decades, hidden beneath a Ward of Ignorance (see below); however, the recent arrival at the Great School of Querisa En’Thayer, Zkanda’s grand-daughter and inheritor of those selfsame spells, triggered the memories of some of the older tutors and sent them hunting for the library’s copy of the tome. The Will Ascendant is now being studied by a small circle of post-graduate students, in preparation for its use in a course on alternate magics during the coming year.

The Will Ascendant contains variants of the standard spells ESP, Locate Object, Clairvoyance, and Telekinesis; it also holds the unique spells Kindly Flame, Zkanda’s Knife, Unwitting Fugue, Gossamer Spy, Silent Scream, Ward of Ignorance, Spell-Repel, Grief-Taker, and Poltergeist. None of these spells requires either verbal or somatic components to cast, only focused will and mental discipline - which means spellcasters can employ them even when bound and gagged, if necessary. Because of the intense concentration required each spell takes at least 2 rounds to cast, during which time the caster cannot do anything else. No-one with an Intelligence score of less than 17 can ever cast the spells. Details of the new dweomers are given below.

Kindly Flame

Level: 1

Range: 2’

Duration: see below

Effect: ignites flame

This low-level pyrokinetic spell allows the caster to ignite a small flame, so long as tinder - or some other flammable substance, like cloth - is within range. The initial fire is no larger than a candle-flame, although careful feeding can build it into a full-blown blaze. If used as a direct attack, Kindly Flame causes no more then 1d2 hp damage in the first round, and can easily be quenched or beaten out by the target.

Kindly Flame is most often employed to light a small campfire or a torch without recourse to flint and steel, although it can cause considerable damage if cast quietly in an enemy’s lair and left to fester by itself.

Zkanda’s Knife

Level: 1

Range: 90’

Duration: instantaneous

Effect: creates psionic daggers

This Magic Missile equivalent was the first spell Zkanda ever created, and was considered by her contemporaries to be her Signature Spell. The spell creates invisible daggers of mental force, which fly at high speed towards the chosen target(s). The spell creates one dagger at 1st level, plus one additional missile at 6th, 11th, 16th etc. Multiple missiles may be aimed at more than one target, if desired.

The daggers cause 1d4+1 hp damage each, although they do not hit automatically - the caster must make a successful "to hit" roll for each dagger she casts. One advantage this spell has over the traditional Magic Missile spell is that, if the caster makes no obvious moves during casting, the target receives no advance warning of the attack - add +4 to the target’s AC the first time (only) he or she is targeted by this spell.

Unwitting Fugue

Level: 2

Range: 40’

Duration: special

Effect: saps will of target

A weak form of Charm spell, Unwitting Fugue works to telepathically drain the will of the chosen target, leaving him confused, indecisive, and easily led; the ensorcelled victim will usually go along with whatever the caster - or some other being who phrases their orders carefully - wants them to do. Under the effect of Unwitting Fugue, the target cannot conceive and initiate action themselves.

Although weaker than a traditional Charm spell, Unwitting Fugue has greater usefulness in battle, since the spell is not disrupted if the target is attacked; this effectively worsens their attack rolls and armour class by 2 points.

As the caster gains experience, her strength of will increases, which is reflected in the power of Unwitting Fugue. At 3rd level, the caster can affect the same range of targets as a Charm Person dweomer when casting this spell; By the time she reaches 7th level, however, she can readily affect creatures who would only be otherwise caught by a Charm Monster spell. It is suspected that higher-level casters grow even stronger - perhaps becoming able to affect multiple targets - but the truth of this theory has yet to be proved.

Gossamer Spy

Level: 3

Range: special

Duration: 3 Turns

Effect: see through insect eyes

A specialised form of Clairvoyance, Gossamer Spy allows the caster to link her mind with certain flying insects - usually butterflies, moths, and the dragonfly family (note: this does not include the magical Dragonflies from the Creature Catalog). Only normal insects of this type can be used as foci; giant or otherwise altered species are useless for the spell’s purposes.

The spell, when first cast, sends out a mental call which summons a suitable creature to the caster’s outstretched hand. The call has a range of about 1 mile; if there are no suitable winged insects within range, the spell fails. Otherwise, a target creature will arrive within 2d4 rounds.

Once linked, the caster may mentally direct the Gossamer Spy to fly in any direction she desires for the duration, and may see through its eyes. The range of the link is one mile. Only sight is provided, however; and, because of the extreme differences in eye structure, the caster must enter a light trance in order to see through the link - she cannot take any other action while using the Gossamer Spy’s eyes, and entering or leaving the trance-state takes a whole round.

If the Gossamer Spy is slain while the caster is entranced, she must Save vs. Spells or be Stunned for 1d6+3 rounds by the shock.

Silent Scream

Level: 3

Range: 10’/20’ radius (see below)

Duration: instantaneous

Effect: psionic blast

Perhaps the most powerful telepathic attack-spell Zkanda ever created, Silent Scream allows the caster to project her thoughts - in the form of a mental "scream," hence the name - to all within range.

When the spell is cast, every living thing (of 10 HD or less) within 10’ is blasted into unconsciousness (no saving throw), remaining that way for 1d2 Turns; each one will have an horrendous headache when he or she wakes, reducing "to hit" chances by -2 for the next 6 hours and causing automatic loss of initiative in battle. Creatures between 10’-20’ away (20’ being the maximum range of the spell) suffer a reduced effect; they are Stunned (as per Power Word Stun) for 3d6 rounds, instead. Mindless creatures (low-level Undead, slimes and Oozes, or most Golems) are immune to the spell’s effects.

If a nearby victim happens to possess natural or magical ESP, or is the recipient of an Open Mind spell, Silent Scream also deals 3d4 hp physical damage to them as the body convulses uncontrollably. Conversely, a person protected by Mindmask or Mind Barrier is somewhat protected from the spell - Mindmask allows a Saving Throw vs. Spells at +2 to avoid the effects, while Mind Barrier provides total immunity to Silent Scream. The caster is not left unscathed, however; she is left with an intense headache, which reduces attack rolls by -2 for the next 1d4 hours.

Casting this spell puts an incredible strain on the caster’s brain; it is extremely dangerous for anyone to cast it more than once per day at most. A second casting within 20 or so hours of the first will cause 3d6 hp damage to the caster, and rupture portions of the cerebellum - the caster must Save vs. Spells or permanently lose 1-2 points of Intelligence. Moreover, The caster is Stunned afterwards for two full Turns. A third casting - if anyone is foolish enough to attempt it - will cause the caster’s head to explode messily, killing her instantly. As a consequence, only the most desperate (or suicidal) Magi will even consider casting this spell more than once in a single day.

Ward of Ignorance

Level: 3

Range: touch

Duration: special

Effect: mental Invisibility

Kzanda realised, early on, that the best defence one can place on any valuable item is for potential thieves to be unaware it is even present. With that in mind, she created this spell.

Based on the standard Invisibility spell, Ward of Ignorance is designed to function only when cast on inanimate objects; living targets cause the spell to fail (although Golems might be subject to the spell, so long as they do not move). Only items measuring 10’x10’x10’ or less can be rendered Invisible by the spell. Ward of Ignorance causes the target to radiate an effect which works directly on the brain of a living creature, causing it to ignore the evidence of its senses; although the item is plainly visible, the observer’s brain refuses to accept its presence.

Due to the psionic nature of this spell, neither Detect Magic nor See Invisible will reveal the enchanted item, although Truesight can detect it without difficulty. The caster can always see the item, even without magical aid. The spell can be broken by casting a Dispel Magic enchantment cast at its general location, or by the touch of a living being who can already see it. Note that the Day of Dread merely causes the spell to go dormant for one day - a side-effect which the Wizards of Glantri are very interested in duplicating...

Spell-Repel

Level: 4

Range: 5’ radius

Duration: 1 round/level

Effect: spell-shield

A potent defensive-spell, Spell-Repel creates a psionic force-field around the caster’s body which both absorbs and reflects most indirect-attack spell-energies cast at her.

The spell creates a transparent aura around the caster, and any one or thing within 5’ of her body. This aura cannot be seen unless the caster, or one of those protected, is targeted by an energy-discharge of some kind (Magic Missile and Lightning Bolt are the most commonly-employed spells of this type). when that occurs, the attack is absorbed by the shield, which glows in a whirling panoply of colours while it "ingests" the spell. At the beginning of the following round, the field expels the energy of the spell at another target of the caster’s choice. Spell-Repel can only absorb one spell per round, although it can absorb a second in the same round it expels the first.

In order to maintain the field, the caster must devote almost all of her concentration to the task; she is aware of attacks, and can target the return volley, but can do little else, not even move. Others who are within the field, however, may use any physical or magical attack they desire except energy-based attacks - when cast from within the field, such an attack will shatter the effect. If the caster is hit by an attack that Spell-Repel cannot counter, her concentration is broken, and the spell fades. The field can be maintained for a maximum of one round per caster’s level.

Spell-Repel only protects against spells of 4th level or lower, or Wand/Staff/Rod etc. charges which are listed as being "cast at the 10th level of spell use" or less. It cannot defend against direct magical attacks, such as Sleep, Slow, or Polymorph Other, nor against quasi-solid conjurations, such as Web - merely against energy discharges. Due to a flaw in its construction, Spell-Repel cannot defend against fire-based spells, such as Fireball and its variants, in any way.

The Glantrian mages currently studying Zkanda's legacy are apparently developing a more powerful version of Spell-Repel, which they call Magus-Shield; this 6th-level improvement may be cast and held in passive form for up to 12 hours before fading. When activated by mental command, it lasts (without requiring concentration) for 2d6 rounds. While still in the development stage, it is likely that Magus-Shield will become very popular in Glantri, in the near future.

Grief-Taker

Level: 5

Range: touch

Duration: 1 round

Effect: empathic healing

Zkanda always admired the healing gifts of Clerics (a trait she kept very quiet during her time in Glantri), but noticed that most Immortal-granted healing was concerned with the body, not the mind. Development of this spell was perhaps her most difficult challenge while at the Great School, but also her most rewarding one.

Grief-Taker is a healing spell, designed to let the caster share, absorb, and finally neutralise negative emotions - most often grief and distress, but also hatred and anger. The spell requires the caster to physically touch the target, usually on the forehead (or some other part of the head) or the area over the heart. The caster will, upon contact, be able to sense the emotions of the target as if she were wearing a Medallion of Empathy (see the D&D supplement "The Book of Marvellous Magic" or the later "Encyclopaedia Magica"). If those emotions are dark and destructive, the caster may drain the force and immediacy from them through the contact. Example: the adventurer Lorella sees her partner, Marcus, slain in front of her by a powerful enemy; as a result, she feels grief at his loss, guilt that she could not save him, and blinding hatred for his killer - a combination of emotions which both paralyses her mind, preventing her from taking action, and threatens to permanently twist her cheerful soul into a dark, vengeful, self-destructive thing. After Grief-Taker does its work, she is distanced enough from the emotions to formulate a plan to capture her foe, and to go on with her life afterwards.

As the example shows, the effects of Grief-Taker are subtle, but powerful. It cannot be used to erase memories, but it does prevent further harm coming from them. However, it takes a strong-willed and compassionate mage to cast this spell; the caster must feel everything the target does, consciously drawing it out of the target and then expelling it from her own soul, for the spell to function (in game terms, the caster must make a Save vs. Spells or the spell fails; either the target retains the emotional baggage or the caster is stuck with it herself - DM's choice. If the caster has a high (17-18) Wisdom score, or some form of Skill as a wise-woman or psychiatrist, a bonus of +1 - +3 should be added to the save).

[Note: Clerics of the Immortal Valerias have access to a spell with similar effects, a 5th-level spell known as Heart's-Ease. it is unknown if Zkanda used this as a basis for her own dweomer, or if she developed her spell entirely independently.]

Poltergeist

Level: 5

Range: 50’

Duration: 1 Turn

Effect: unfocused telekinesis

This Telekinesis variant was developed to allow the caster to access the full power of her mind. It worked, after a fashion; the user gains mental "strength" at the cost of fine control.

The caster can use the Poltergeist spell to lift 400 cn. per caster’s level - twice as much as the traditional Telekinesis spell - but can only lift objects straight up, or "throw" them in a general direction; she cannot target anything smaller than, say, a wall. If items are thrown as part of an attack, the caster suffers a -2 penalty to the attack roll, reflecting this clumsiness. A person employing a Poltergeist spell cannot perform fine manipulations at all.

Because the spell supercharges the caster’s brain, small amounts of telekinetic energy constantly "leak out", affecting the caster’s surroundings. While the spell is in effect, small items (10 cn. weight or less) within 10’ of the caster randomly levitate and move about. The caster cannot prevent this side-effect, nor take control of it.

Copyright @ 2000, Carl Quaif, based on material copyright TSR/WotC, Inc. All rights reserved. Webmastered by Jennifer Guerra.