Spells of the Secret Craft of Earth Elementalism

Innocenti's Stony Tentacles

Level: 5

School: Alteration, Elemental Earth

Range: 5 yards/level

Duration: 1 round/level

Area of Effect: One creature/level

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 4

Saving Throw: Special

This variation of Maximilian's stony grasp is used mainly for defense (against assassination attempts, in Prince Innocenti's case). The spell must be cast on stony ground, and it affects one creature per level of the caster.

Each creature is attacked by a stone tentacle which works as the hand in the stony grasp spell. (The grasped creature has a movement rate of 0, has a –2 penalty to Armor Class and all attacks, and lose any Dexterity bonuses. If a save vs. spells is rolled, the creature avoid being grasped, and the tentacle disappears, but has a 5% chance per level of the caster of reappearing each round.) Unlike the stony grasp, Innocenti's stony tentacles are stronger but not as resistant to damage. Each stony tentacle delivers to the victim 1-4 points of damage each round, but it has only as many hit points as the caster's maximum, up to 20 hp, and has an Armor Class of 3.

The material component is a clay figurine of an octopus, which is destroyed during the casting.

Animate Gargoyle

Level: 4

School: Alteration, Elemental Earth

Range: Touch

Duration: 1 round/level

Area of Effect: 1 statue

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 round

Saving Throw: None

This spell animates a gargoyle that fights for the caster. The gargoyle is similar to the standard monster, save that it can be damaged by normal bludgeoning-type weapons for full damage, and by normal, medium size or larger slashing weapons for half damage. At the end of the spell duration, the gargoyle returns to its original nature (a non-magical statue), though any damage suffered is reflected by the shape of the statue. If killed, the gargoyle crumbles into a pile of dust. This spell is necessary for the creation of gargoyles.

The material component is a gargoyle statue.

Magma Bolt

Level: 3

School: Conjuration/Summoning, Elemental Earth

Range: 10 yards +5 yards/level

Duration: 3 rounds

Area of Effect: 1 creature

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 3

Saving Throw: Half damage

This spell opens a small gate to the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma. A large drop of magma enters the Prime Material and flies toward the target, coating him with burning lava. This causes 2d12 points of damage, plus 1d6 on the next two rounds, unless the target makes a save vs. spell, in which case he suffers only 1d12 damage. The magma also acts as a dispersion attack, causing 1d6+1 damage to creatures in a 5-foot radius.

The material component is quartz gem, which is consumed during the casting.

Petrification

Level: 2

School: Enchantment, Elemental Earth

Range: 120 yards

Duration: 2 round + 1 round/level

Area of Effect: 1 creature/four levels

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 2

Saving Throw: Negates

This spell covers the targets with a sheet of stone that effectively prevents movement, combat and spellcasting. The effect can be avoided with a successful save vs. petrification, or if the save failed, with a successful Bend Bars roll, one attempt on each subsequent round. The sheet of stone is 1 inch thick, and the imprisoned creature is protected by attacks from outside the shell. The petrified creature does not need air to survive, as all metabolic and bodily functions halt, except thinking. No other damage is inflicted upon the victims, but the shell takes a full round to form. The victims often have time to witness what is happening to them, and may be quite scared if they do not know the real effect of the spell. They usually think they are going to be permanently transmuted into stone (although this spell is closer to hold person than flesh to stone).

The material component of this spell is a piece of gargoyle skin.

Mineral Shards

Level: 1

School: Evocation, Elemental Earth

Range: 30 yards

Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round/level

Area of Effect: An area of 9 cubic feet/2 levels of the caster

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 3

Saving Throw: None

This spell creates mineral shards on the floor and walls in the affected area. The effect is similar to the environmental conditions on the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Mineral. Any creature trapped in the area suffers 1d4 points of damage each round. Each point of magical Armor Class reduces damage by 1 point, down to a minimum of 1 point. On the subsequent rounds, creatures caught in the area may reduce the damage by half, if they move only at one-fourth of their movement.

The material component of this spell a caltrop, which is consumed in casting.

References: The Spells of House Sirecchia

Author: Giampaolo Agosta