The Magic of House Beaumarys-Moorkroft
Spells of House Beaumarys-Moorkroft
John's Unforgettable Slap of Impunity
Level: 3
School: Enchantment/Charm
Range: 0
Duration: 1d4 rounds
Area of Effect: 1 creature + all creatures within sight or hearing
Components: S, M
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
This distinctively Glantrian spell was not crafted by Lord John Beaumarys-Moorkroft, but it was inspired by that scandalous incident between Lord John and his former mistress Doña Carmina de Belcadiz which became the talk of Glantrian society for years to come. This elegant enchantment has a unique value in social settings, but it can have other uses if applied creatively.
The wizard triggers this spell by a simple action of raising his hand, palm open as if preparing to slap his target. Within the same round, the wizard unerringly slaps his target exactly on the cheek with a crisp audible smack. The slap itself does not cause any damage, but the target's cheek will sting painfully and turn the deepest crimson.
The magic of the spell is that the target will be unable to react to the caster in any way for 1d4 rounds, out of surprise, shock, fear, embarrassment, indignation or other suitable emotion. The spell also affects all living creatures within the area of effect, such that all who hear or see the slapping incident will never forget it, except by magical means (i.e. a forget spell) and even that should be difficult (with a +2 bonus to saves).
This spell does not have any direct effect on any action that takes place after its duration.
The material component of this spell is a piece of Belcadizan lace stained with rouge or carmine. This must be kept on the person of the caster and is consumed in the casting of the spell.
Level: 2
School: Abjuration, Alteration
Range: 0
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 10-foot radius around the caster
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
Lord John Beaumarys-Moorkroft, upon hearing that he had to face Lord Gerrid Rientha in a magical duel for the rank of Archduke of Westheath, quickly crafted this spell to counteract Gerrid's flashy but dangerous light-based spells.
This spell simply surrounds the caster in a transparent vaguely visible aura of protective magic that reflects all forms of magical light. Thus, light, continual light, color spray, hypnotic pattern, prismatic spray and other light-based-spells, are reflected back with no damage or other ill-effects. There is also a 1% chance per level of the caster that the reflected spell will hit its original caster. The original caster is allowed a save vs. spells against his own spell. A failed roll causes half its damage or effect, while successful rolls negates all effects.
Due to its hurried crafting, this spell has two strange quirks. The first is that all illusions with visual components (including invisibility) which come into this spell's area of effect are disrupted (i.e. images blur, colors fade or change, etc.), allowing witnesses of the disruption a +4 bonus in disbelieving the illusion. This includes spells cast by the caster of John's reflective protection, making this spell incompatible with many illusion spells.
The second quirk that light from other spells, such as fireball or lightning bolt, is also reflected, giving the impression that these spell have also been reflected back. However, true force of the spell (i.e. fire, heat, and electrical damage) is not and can still invisibly hit the caster as it normally does.
Note that this spell does not affect natural light in any way.
The material component of this spell is a pinch of diamond dust and a piece of a broken mirror.
Perhaps the only thing that Lord John ever did hastier than casting this spell was spreading the news of its existence and his intentions to use it against Lord Gerrid. When the duel did not take place, Lord John credited his propaganda was what convinced Lord Gerrid to back down from the challenge. Still, Lord John keeps this spell ready for an occasion where they might face again.
Judith's Meddlesome Nettle
Level: 3
School: Enchantment/Charm
Range: 30 feet
Duration: 1 round/level of caster
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: S, M
Casting Time: 1
Save: Negates
This spell was crafted by Lady Judith Beaumarys-Moorkroft, whose painful familiarity with nettle helped her devise this interesting enchantment. The spell causes one target creature to become terribly irritated by a painful pricks all over his body, as if his skin were covered a thousand nettle thorns. This distressing affliction is so distracting that the target suffers a –2 penalty to all attack rolls and is too irritated to be able to cast spells.
In addition to the target is compelled relieve himself of this prickly irritation by removing all his clothing. The target must roll a Wisdom check each round to keep from doing this. Once he fails a roll, he spends that round taking off his clothes, including armor, but not necessarily jewelry, and need not succeeding checks afterwards.
Animals and other creatures affected by this spell suffer the same –2 attack penalty, and must make a Morale check instead, or spend a the remainder of the spell duration, round biting its fur or licking its skin to soothe itself.
Whether the target disrobes or not, the nettle pricks only disappear after the spell ends.
The material component of this spell is a single stalk of nettle, that is waved then blown towards the target. Note that this spell has no verbal component as its author was mute.
Winifred's Vengeful Jolt
Level: 3
School: Abjuration, Alteration, Elemental Air
Range: 0
Duration: 2 rounds/level of caster
Area of Effect: Caster
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 7
Saving Throw: Half damage
This spell was developed by Lady Winifred Beaumarys-Moorkroft née Merryweather (of the Merryweather weather mages of Fenswick), whose particular field of interest was lightning and thunderstorms.
This spell grants the caster a +2 bonus to saves vs. electrical attacks. Furthermore, when an electrical attack hits the caster (regardless of whether or not the caster saves for half-damage), the spell reflects half the hit dice of original damage to the source of the electrical attack, with a save vs. spells for half-damage. Naturally, this spell is effective against wizards who attack with shocking grasp, lightning bolt, or a wand of lightning bolts, but would be useless against a quickling, a lightning quasi-elemental, or a natural thunderstorm, which was what killed Lady Winifred.
The material component of this spell is a piece of rubber and a lump of earth, kept on the person of the caster for the duration of the spell.
Treasures of House Beaumarys-Moorkroft
Judith's Onyx Choker of Unspeaking
This unique choker was created by Edgar Beaumarys-Moorkroft for his mute sister, Judith, who gave up her voice to break a witch's curse on Sir Edgar and his brothers. The choker is a simple black velvet band, set with an onyx of dark gray and black bands.
The choker has two main powers. The first is that it allows the wearer to cast spells with verbal components without needing to speak. This would best suit a mute spellcaster such as Judith, but it can also be used by other spellcasters in situations where they cannot speak properly (i.e. gagged, underwater, affected by a silence spell).
The second power lets an unspeaking wearer to communicate telepathically. The choker is similar to a medallion of thought projection, granting ESP of 60' range, and allowing the wearer to project her thoughts telepathically. Unlike the medallion, it does not project thoughts involuntarily.
Lady Judith is known to have a nasty habit of telepathically "screaming" at a person when she is particularly frustrated or infuriated, which is comparable only to Lord John's own vicious verbal outbursts. The target of this mental tirade occasionally becomes very confused (10% of the time).
Appearance: The Pallid Bust of Palson is made of white marble in the shape of a handsome youth with a keen far-reaching gaze. The sculpture is classical Milenian in style, but the neck and shoulder areas are rough, suggesting the bust was once part of a larger piece of statuary. An iron stand of Thyatian design props the head upright.
History: The Pallid Bust of Palson comes from an ancient Milenian statue of the Immortal Palson. Far-sighted Palson was once a popular Patron for Archers and Strategists by the more militaristic Milenian city-states in the continent of Davania. Upon the collapse of the Milenian Empire, Palson's shrines were looted and destroyed and this particular piece, severed from the main body, found its way to the Known World through Thyatian military expeditions.
Though not originally magical, the earliest of Thyatian militant wizards found that the Bust could easily take on enchantments, especially for scrying and far-seeing. Thus, the Bust has been traditionally used for reconnaissance and scouting purposes. It was used by the Thyatians army in their campaigns in the Highlands, but was lost several times over to one faction or another.
During the Forty Years War, the Bust came into the possession of the military leader of the Fen Witches (later to be known as the Fenswick), Edward Moorkroft, and it has been in the Moorkroft family ever since. At present, it is being used by Edgar Beaumarys-Moorkroft, the scholarly son of Lord John Beaumarys-Moorkroft, Archduke of Westheath, who uses its scrying powers for less militaristic purposes.
Powers:
Penalty: Every year, the wielder of the Bust of Palson will accurately see a vision of his death. The Bust will not reveal the time and place of death, but only the manner. The wielder cannot prevent this death no matter how he avoids it.
Handicap: Every time the wielder uses the Bust of Palson, his eyes become tired and ears will become sore. He will be very sensitive to light and sound for the next day. Exposure to bright light or loud sounds at this time will blind or deafen the wielder of the Bust, until he takes one full day of rest from such stimuli, or until healed with clerical magic (i.e. cure blindness or deafness, cureall, heal, etc.).
References: Gerrid's Ray of Brilliance
Author: By Kit Navarro