Spells for Shadowrun

N.B. : The spells with a * are NOT available otherwise that by some rare people VERY powerful (mostly 4th world magicians & great dragons). Any PC or NPC cannot learn them by any other way that if someone knowing it agrees to teach it to the character. NO bad NPC should NEVER ever possess the Divine Intervention spell.

 

Black Hole : Combat spell

Identical to the Ram spell with a Deadly damage code

Type : physical

TN : Resistance of objects table

Drain : (F/2+1)D2

Range : LOS

Duration : instant

Damage code : D

 

Decipher : Detection spell

Enables to understand or decrypt any language or code (even hieroglyphs), but at the express condition that the people who speaks or wrote or uses the language or code understands or understood it (if that's a coded message or a text in a foreign language learned by heart without understanding it, the spell is useless). If the writer of the text recopied it e.g. and understood something else that really meant in it, it is what the people recopying the text understood that will be given to the magician or subject the spell is cast on, and not the real content.

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+1)M2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

*Emptiness : Detection spell

Enables the magician casting the spell to concentrate before the casting of another spell. Emptiness must imperatively be cast during the turn immediately before the one in which the spell for which the magician concentrates for is cast, and the magician can do NOTHING ELSE but concentrate during the turn in which emptiness is cast. The TN of the spell is lowered by 1 for each success achieved by emptiness.

Type : mana

TN : force of the next spell

Drain : (F/2+1)D2

Range : self

Duration : instant

 

General Detection : Detection spell

Must be cast on a willing subject. This spell includes all functions of the Enemy detection, Magic detection and Life detection spells, with an extended range : enables to detect in the effect zone of the spell the presence of any traps, active magic (foci, spells, spirits or magicians), living creatures, and to determine their number, positions and their intentions if they are hostile.

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+1)D2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

Magnify senses : Detection spell

This spell is clairvoyance and clairaudience in one.

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2-1)D2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

Shift sense : Detection spell

Allows to change the domains of vision and hearing of the subject (infrared, microwaves, ultrasounds, etc.)

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2)D2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

Telepathy : Detection spell

As his name indicates, this spell has exactly the same effect that the mental link spell, that is enter in mental communication with anybody, without specific nor willingly target required. The magician can access everything the subject knows or allows to be known if willingly, including memory, remembers and feelings. If the target is willing, The TN of the spell is 4. If doing telepathy with an unknown people, the magician has a +2 modifier to his (her) TN. (S)he also have a +2 modifier if the subject is of a non human race (dragon, spirit, wendigo (even if they are human derived, they have a bestial instinct very present in their minds), dolphin, centaur, faërie, and so on).

Type : mana

TN : Willpower (R)

Drain : (F/2+3)S2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

Ubi : Detection spell

Indicates to the subject the location where (s)he is. If that location is unknown by the subject, the given information will be less precise (town, region, even country, depending on the number of successes)

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2-2)M2

Range : extended

Duration : instant

 

Weather sense : Detection spell

Here is a really useless one. It allows the caster to predict the weather within the next 24 hours, multiplied by the number of successes. This spell is used by most TV channels which have enough money to hire a "weather" magician. This spell is nevertheless useful in case of countries subject to natural catastrophes like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc., which can be predicted. So is this spell used in countries at risk like Japan e.g.

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+1)L2

Range : extended

Duration : instant

 

Saviour Apparition : Illusion spell

You see the genius in Aladdin ? Then you've got it. This spell is identical to the spells Great Spectacle and Great Trideo Spectacle, but doesn't need willing subjects, which means you can fool anybody with illusions. Anyone can try to see right trough the illusion with a Perception roll at a TN equal to the force of the spell, needing more successes than the magician achieved with his (her) spell. The name of the spell comes from the fact that it is mostly used by the magician, like the Deus Ex Machina, coming to rescue everyone, to appear having great spotlights on him (her), in beautiful suit/armor/whatever you want, with the Alleluia from Haendel in background music, and so on. Mostly to swank thus.

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+2)S2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

*Resurrect : Healing spell

Allows to resurrect any dead creature, if the body is still able to support life (and not if the body is purée after the passage of a missile through it, or if it's a skeleton since 50 years...). If the body is unable to support life (still this sword into the head…), it redies immediately, but the magician still must resist drain.

Type : physical

TN : 12 – subject’s essence

Drain : (F/2+8)D2

Range : Touch

Duration : permanent (20 turns)

 

Bullets extraction : Control manipulation spell

As it says, allows to extract the bullets of anyone's body (or surface, which can be useful in the case or clues research in a crime investigation e.g.). Useful before to heal anyone, especially magically, if you do not want to undergo surgery each month to extract your bullets while your body is intact. It is to be noted that this spell includes a pain control (moderate level) which is enough to make the extraction totally painless. If the pain control is not required (extraction from a inanimate place or sadistic magician ("I told you not to rush into them ! You'll think twice next time !")), the drain code decreases to (F/2)L2.

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2-1)M2

Range : Touch

Duration : instant

 

Eclipse : Control manipulation spell

This zone spell allows to "eclipse" one's presence, with anyone's in the zone, to make it almost unnoticeable to people not paying attention to you ; roughly, to avoid attention from casual observers. The effect allows for example to walk trough Lone Star's HQ with a Panther Assault Canon with you without attracting trouble, or to run down a street and that everyone who would be asked if they saw you would answer something like : "I didn't pay attention ". his spell has a Threshold equal to the Perception Attribute of people or critters. Anyone who would have a Perception (or Intelligence) Attribute superior to the number of successes obtained to the spellcasting test would have the right to make a Perception test with a TN equal to the spell's power, and would perceive the characters normally if (s)he successes, even if (s)he doesn't care about the characters. In the case someone is specifically looking for the characters (e.g. the Lone Star is after them), or if she specifically pays attention to everyone she sees (like a bouncer at the entrance of a nightclub e.g.), the Threshold is twice the normal one (one must achieve twice more successes to the spellcasting test than the Attribute of the observing people). In case of failure, the spell has no effect on this particular people. This spell, more interesting than Invisibility or Mask spells in case you just want to pass unseen is a good one because not too tiring for the magician.

Type : mana

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+2)L2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

*Memory wipe : Control manipulation spell

Allows to erase all or a part of the memory of the subject. This can include erasing the knowledge of skills, or special events the GM wants his PCs not to have any more. Can be useful in a "Men In Black" type campaign, where the remembers of the people of a specific event must be erased.

Note to the GM : Be VERY careful if you give this power to any of your PC (I didn't), be certain that it's a loyal and trustable PC. Make him lose magic points as if breaking initiation vows if he uses it in a bad way. This is a VERY POWERFUL power. Give to bad NPCs only to explain how (s)he managed to make someone forget a special event. If used against a PC, this can ruin his entire life. Don't be cruel with your PCs. If so, don't tell them I'm the one who invented this power, please, I'm young. Thank you.

Type : mana

TN : Willpower (R)

Drain : (F/2+2)D2

Range : LOS

Duration : permanent

 

Neo A.T. Field (Absolute Terror Field) : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell is NOT identical to the Mahokator spell without zone effect (cf. Mahokator), because it would be impossible for the subject to move in the spell’s area (that is, exactly himself) without spending a complex action to move the area of the spell (if he’s a magician, of course). So, this type of spell would be useful if you intend to be a statue : hard, but still.

This spell, A.T.Field, grants both an Armor and an Astral armor to the subject (no voluntary subject required), that is, grants 1 point per success on the casting test to Body or Willpower, to resist damage or spells. The subject adds these modifiers to both attributes if targeted by both types of attacks in the same turn. If the caster bawls Field Senkaï [Fieldo Sennkay] while casting, the drain drops down to (F/2+1)D2 (a sort of geas).

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+2)D2

Range : limited

Duration : sustained

 

Clawfinger : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell transforms the hands and arms of the target into powerful limbs ended by sharp claws. The damage code is increased by 1 for each success on the spellcasting test, and the damage level is identical to normal fists, except that it is physical and not stun, which gives (Strength + Successes)M.

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (P/2+2)F2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

*Counterspell : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell, cast in the same turn as another spell, counters it by canceling its effects. The TN of each magician is equal to the force of the opponent spell. Each success of the counterspell subtracts one success of the other spell, thus lowering the effect of the it. If the magician casting counterspell achieves more successes than the other magician, his (her) spell has purely and simply no effect.

Type : physical

TN : force of the other spell

Drain : (F/2+1)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : instant

 

*Deflexion : Transformation manipulation spell

Allows to change the target or the zone center of a spell, even (and especially) if that spell was cast by someone else. Especially efficient with combat spells, the TN of each magician is equal to the force of the opponent spell. The magician who obtains the more successes chooses the target of the spell.

Up and down, over and trough, back around, the joke's on you ! (great citation when you redirect that Hell Fire on its original caster)

Type : physical

TN : force of the other spell

Drain : (F/2+3)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : instant

 

*Divine Intervention : Transformation manipulation spell

Allows the magician to invoke all the energies present on the astral plane, ethereal and known metaplanes, for a precise goal. The energy thus emitted is such that it will unconditionally kill the magician, but in counterpart, nothing is able capable to resist such an energy, and it will act in accordance with the magician last will he thought about while casting the spell, may it be to kill an army of level 25 elementals or to warm the coffee. It is The spell which allows a magician who perfectly knows (s)he and his (her) team have no hope left in a situation, to save all his (her) team partners, sacrificing self knowing no one could have escaped anyway. It is IMPOSSIBLE to use the Resurrect or Heal Deadly Wounds spells to bring the magician back to life, because it is the vital essence of the character which has gone. Whatever you beliefs, religious or not, concerning what happens to the soul of dead people, in that precise case, the magician's is DESTROYED and will never be possibly brought back to world or anything, even if God would exist and want it.

Type : mana

TN : 6

Drain : +¥

Range : LOS

Duration : instant

 

*Doppelganger : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell allows to create one or more clones (one per spell cast) of someone, who will obey to the will of the people cloned. (S)he separates his (her) consciousness in as many parts as there are clones, plus one, for its original self. If they must act at the same time, each clone doing a different action imposes to the controller a +2 to all TN.

History note : Some very powerful magicians combine some spells with doppelganger, in order to deploy more energy at the same time. It is the origin of the legendary Delta Force which combines three Ranidem spells ! This action imposes three successive drains without restoration of the magic pool, and few magicians would dare employ such a power. The legend tells that in a duel versus The Necromancer showed his opponent build one Delta Force, which The Necromancer had managed to escape in a way no magician, even the most powerful ones, manages to explain, understands nor dares imagine (perhaps taking refuge in the Horror metaplane). His adversary, risking, built then TWO Delta Force, the second one inverted to the first. The two pyramids interacting one another, saw their magic rate implement itself by resonance, until their controller, undergoing six drains, could not maintain his effort. The spell power, having thus incremented itself, No one knows if the casting magician survived, but it is impossible to determine what power the spell had gone to when it was triggered, ravaging the zone in the bipyramid, The Necromancer kept in. The forces in presence of the six Ranidem versus those of The Necromancer, were so present that the physical world would have kept trace of this bipyramid, whose magical outlines would still float in the air, more than 25000 years after the duel took place. Nobody actually knows where this magical manifestation of this combat of titans would be situated, nor if this legend is true, buts it is still very much appreciated by magicians like by mundanes.

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+6)D2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

Fingerprints Mod : Transformation manipulation spell

As its name indicates, this spell allows the caster to modify the fingerprints of anyone, even without a willingly target (great to make fake the SIN of Mr Johnson or Mr Cop). This spell is especially useful to (rapidly) change identity when your fake SIN is becoming too much known.

If the caster wants his (her) new fingerprints to match exactly another one’s (great to open this door that only the CEO can), (s)he needs to be in touch with the original fingerprints during the 5 turns. If (s)he has access to the exact scheme of the fingerprints (traces on the glass Mr X was holding e.g., or any fingerprint exact trace, or the fingerprint in the Lone Star file, etc.), the TN is modified appropriately :

TN +1 if the fingerprints have been examined during (target’s Willpower) minutes.

TN +2 if the fingerprints have been examined

TN +4 if the fingerprints have simply been seen

TN +6 if the fingerprints have seen less than 1 month ago

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+1)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : permanent (5 turns)

 

Magician's cage : Transformation manipulation spell

I was inspired for this spell by the rule which says that one cannot move the area of a spell without spending a complex action. I therefore deduced that this area, once fixed, was unmoveable unless the magician decided otherwise. I thus considered the mana barrier of Shadowrun (2nd edition) and removed the area effect. Everyone in the spell (that is, since there's only one target, the area is the character him(her)self) cannot move since the walls of the mana barrier doesn't let the living matter go through. What's more, it offers a resistance to spells equal to half its force. Thus, cast on a magician, not only does it immobilise him (her), but adds to all his (her) TN for spellcasting (excepted on him(her)self) a modifier equal to half the cage's rating. The magician cannot project astrally either, as (s)he cannot get out of his (her) body. The only thing (s)he could do would be to order his (her) elementals (if of course (s)her has some, too bad for shamans…) to attack the magician to kill him (her) or render him (her) unconscious, or make him (her) lose concentration enough to stop sustaining the spell. The magician wouldn't then be able to banish them because this is an exclusive action. This spell stops living beings as well as astral entities (spells included), which allows to convince the prisoner not to resist ("you stay calm or my friend shows you his skills at firing on immobile targets ? "), as anything not living can pass the cage (such as bullets e.g.).

Type : mana

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+1)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

Mahokator : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell is both barrier and mana barrier.

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+4)D2

Range : limited

Duration : sustained

 

Nacht und Nebel : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell allows the caster to change the night into day, to create a zone of mist, of rain, of snow, a thunderstorm, or any climatic change wanted by the magician, even if the sky is totally clear, or on the contrary to dissipate a storm e.g. to take back a perfect blue sky. It is even possible to create magnetic perturbations (aurora borealis, solar wind, ...), but in that case, the spell must be kept some time (10 tours) before the effects are visible. Very practical for geasa in which night is necessary (the best in this case being to anchor the spell with triggering and extinction links)...

The GM should feel free to apply modifiers to the TN due to the circumstances (it’s far easier to make raining if sky is already cloudy than if perfectly clear).

Type : physical

TN : at least 6

Drain : (F/2+11)D2

Range : extended

Duration : sustained

 

Nether Void : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell allows to chase away all the gas molecules in the zone and to create void in it. The temperature lowers consequently dangerously in this zone (plus ice elementary effects), and everything there will be frozen or destroyed, depending on the resistance of the object (or creature). Living creatures must make a Body roll for each turn spent in the void, with a TN equal to the force of the spell, +4 by additional turn. The damage code of such an attack is (Force)D2. The magician, to maintain the spell, undergoes and must resist drain each turn, due to the afflux of astral plan energies needed to maintain the void.

This spell is very much used by firemen because it permits to extinguish fire in a radical way (without oxygen, fire stops almost immediately), and it has been created at the root to fight fire. Today can we unfortunately see more and more combat uses of this spell.

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+6)D2

Range : limited

Duration : sustained

 

Nexus : Transformation manipulation spell

Makes the target immune to coldness or hotness. This spell doesn't makes the target invulnerable to the physical destruction of the body mater (Enter in a 100 000°C room and you'll be carbonated like everybody would !), but stops the cell degeneration at the temperature at which they would normally die (you won't get burnt at 55°C, but your cells will die anyway when the matter they are made of incurs a destruction). Now you can enjoy the Aleutian transpolar nation blizzard (and their 50% off foci... Well, admit it's why you go there, neh ?).

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+2)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

Ranarion : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell permits to intensely polarize a precise point. This does NOT gender electrical and Gauss currents in a meaningful way, too weakly anyway to make damage to anything. It is impossible to use this spell on a wheeled vehicle, because this would generate a Faraday cage.

Note reserved to the GM : If some of your clever PCs use this simple spell with Nacht und Nebel, this "thundering" combination permits then to make a lightning of a thunderstorm fall on the polarized point with Ranarion. It is necessary to maintain Ranarion during 15 turns before to hope seeing a thunderbolt strike on the point. This power CANNOT function on a moving target (moving is here more than 5 m of movement while in the 15 polarizing turns).

The damage code of thunderbolt is useless (who dares try to resist an electric shock of more than 80000 V going at a speed of 100 000 km/s and 2 cm wide bringing air to a plasma state ?), but consider it able to ruin up to a 2 stairs building.

The Regeneration power is inapplicable after having undergone thunderbolt. If someone is on the way of the lightning, but that it passes through him, (s)he undergoes 10D2 damage. The barrier and mana barrier are useless (lightning is an electronic flux), ballistic protections are useless and impact ones function at half their level.

It is usual by some somehow eccentric magicians to pronounce the very famous "Abracadabra" when lightning strikes, which means, as every one knows : "May the thunderbolt fall on your head ". It's here that this formula takes all its sense, and some pretend that it would exist a forgotten spell named Abracadabra which would combine Nacht und Nebel et Ranarion, and whom formula would have been created by a so powerful mage that he would have managed to create it with a ridiculous drain code. But this keeps being a legend...

That combination can be a very good solution for the PCs to eliminate the Big Bad Guy at the end of an adventure or campaign, one magician maintaining N&N and the other using Ranarion (Who dares N&N ?).

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+2)M2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

Strenghten object : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell is identical the armor spell, but does work for every matter, living or not. If it’s living matter, the owner needn’t be consenting.

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+2)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : sustained

 

*Teleport : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell allows the magician to teleport self and anything (s)he touches and want to teleport with him (her) wherever (s)he wishes. (S)he must know the location where (s)he desires to go (at least been there once), or take with him (her) the people knowing that location. Otherwise, (s)he undergoes a +4 modifier to his TN and will arrive in a random location (maybe in the middle of the ocean, or on Lofwyr’s desk…..., but always in a location where magic exists, that is, not in the middle of space e.g.)

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+11)D2

Range : special

Duration : instant

 

*Transfer life: Transformation manipulation spell

Allows the magician to transfer his spirit in another body. (S)he can do this only if the targeted body is biologically alive, even if this is a clone of self. If transferring in another one’s body, the target may if not willing make a Willpower test with a TN equal to the force of the Transfer Life, achieving more successes than the magician to keep controlling his (her) body. If the target fails, (s)he becomes a simple traveller in his (her) body, but will see, hear, smell, etc. anything happening to his (her) body. (S)he can so powerlessly see his (her) body do things (s)he would have never accepted (e.g. kill someone, kiss someone, etc.) The traveller (the magician or the owner of the body) can access to the feelings and thoughts and memory of the controller if this one allows it, and the controller can access in the same way to the thoughts and feelings and memory of his (her) traveller. The magician can use a Control Thoughts spell too, with the Touch bonus. If the magician makes the body act in a way its original owner can really not support, this one can try to resist with a Willpower test with a TN equal to the force of the Transfer Life. If (s)he succeeds, (s)he regains control of his (her) body and the magician becomes traveller. Well, bet (s)he won’t stay this state for long with a Control Emotion spell…

The magician keeps all his mental attributes, but his (her) physical ones are those of the occupied, in the same way as essence, and thus the body’s ability to magic (if the body’s essence is lower than 1, the magician cannot use magic any more ! Be careful, guys…) ! (S)he needn’t to reattach his (her) foci, which are attached to aura. (S)he keeps initiation grade too, in the same way as all spells and skills not needing physical aptitudes (technical, magical, social, driving, build/repair, knowledge, languages ; unless a special particularity (Enchanting if the host body has an allergy to flowers, Mechanics if the host body has nails 5 cm long, etc.), in which case an appropriate TN modifier applies (to the discretion of the GM). The magician’s physical skills are on the other hand the ones of the owner of the body (Stealth excepted), and his (her) combat skills are average between his (her) ones and those of the host body.

Type : physical

TN : 6 or Willpower (R)

Drain : (F/2+7)D2

Range : LOS

Duration : instant

 

Très haute couture : Transformation manipulation spell

This spell is identical to the Fashion spell, but needn’t a willing target.

Type : physical

TN : 4

Drain : (F/2+2)S2

Range : LOS

Duration : permanent (10 turns)

 

*ZED : Transformation manipulation spell

Only first class magicians can cast this spell, the other not having enough concentration. In fact, in all the magic history, this formula has been used only once. The one who used it was a Necromancer with considerable powers : no one ever saw him again, and no one can tell what effects this spell has done. The notes of this Necromancer have been rediscovered after, but they only had vague indications in it and no alive magician can describe the consequences of this formula. Know that it is probably the most powerful spell that anyone has ever heard of in the tradition of great magicians.

Note reserved to the GM : A small explanation is due here on the ZED spell. This spell permits to go back in time, working on the same principle that Divine Intervention, with the difference that the requiring of all astral plans forces doesn’t kill the magician because the spell effect acts BEFORE the magician is killed by drain. The magician’s physical body of the present time, which (s)he leaves, is unconditionally killed, but (s)he ever is in the past at this moment, and undergoes no drain thus. The drain level exposed here is only to reflect the complexity of the spell, the level required to only understand it. It can be found illogical that the magician forgets the spell after having cast it (and regains the karma points spent for learning it), and must relearn it each time, but this can be explicated by the fact that once the spell has been cast, the energies deployed will NEVER be cast in the same way, otherwise, you would create a negative fractal of the time by allowing it to increment self all the time : what would be in 4 dimensions would evoluate in a 5th one : this is the very famous time paradox, breaking the continuum. And it is impossible to break the space-time continuum, because if you do so, you destroy this universe, and as it is existing, it will always exist and has always existed, if you considerate it at a point in the space-time as if all the times were copresent (yes, I’m doing philosophy studies and have done physical sciences studies before. If you’re interested in the problem, E-mail me and I’ll give you the references of some very interesting books).

Type : physical

TN : 6

Drain : (F/2+20)D4

Range : special

Duration : instant

 

Kor-Skarn (homepage http://www.oocities.org/TimesSquare/Corridor/5488/). E-mail at Vehuia@yahoo.com. Revised on 21/11/00