COLLEGE OF GATES AND PLANES

The spells of a Gatemaster involve near instantaneous movement between distant locations or alternate planes of existance. The spells for this college are especially difficult to master and almost invariably require a longer time than normal to cast. The normal focus for the Gatemaster magic is a flat surface and a drawing implement upon which he can meticulously inscribe the runes and geometric figures needed to compute and open the interdimensional gates. Usually this consists of a wax board and a sharp wood implement.

Apprentices to this college are carefully coached not to employ their magical powers until they have fully mastered the intricacies of the art. Wizards who miscast a Gate spell develop the condition known as dimensional instability, which will cause them to vanish to a random, possibly lethal, alternate dimension. Even the Grand Master Wizards have been known to vanish in this manner, sometimes not to return until years later. Although risky, this instability has led to the discovery of exciting new planes. Practitioners of this college should have the talent Alternate Dimensions.

Note: Since many of these spells are unbalancing in a weak magic campaign, this college can only be used by player characters with the exclusive permission of the GM. In such a case, the spells might only be known by an advanced race of interplanar travellers.

Common Limitations: Gestures, Incantations, Requires Spell Rank Feat Roll, Scribing Materials, Side Effect (Dimensional Instability).

Dimensional Instability - Extra-dimensional Movement, Any location in any dimension, Difficult to Dispel, Time Delay, Random Destination.

BASIC SPELLS

PLANAR BOLT

The Wizard draws forth a lump of the native substance from an alternate plane, then projects the material at a foe doing Spell Rank damage. The exact nature of the material depends on the plane from whence it was drawn. It could be a ball of flames, a bolt of lightning, a shard of ice, a lump of biotoxin, and so on. The ability of the Wizard to choose a particular plane will depend on the extent of his knowledge about other dimensions. If he attempts to use material from an untested dimension, he will need to make a feat roll using his talent. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 round.

COLLEGE SPELLS

CONTACT PLANE

This spell translates the Wizards' consciousness to a single, fixed location of a known dimension, where he is able to see, hear, and speak normally. Any inhabitants that attend to the Wizard will be able to converse with him, although whether they actually choose to do so is another matter. Most Powers employed in the alternate dimension will have no direct effect on the Wizard, unless they have the proper Transdimensional advantage. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

DETECT GATE

View nearby gates leading to alternative universes, extradimensional pockets or planes, or to distant locations. The gate will be limned by an eerie glow that is visible only to the Wizard, with colors that hint at the nature of the gate. The ability to sense gates requires steady concentration by the Wizard and is a constant drain on his energy. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

DIMENSION DOOR

This spell opens a warp hole through which the Wizard can pass to a nearby location within view. The Wizard can carry up to an additional 100 kilograms through the portal, but the mage and any passengers are mildly disoriented for a full round. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1/2 round.

DIMENSIONAL PASSAGE

The Gatemaster Wizard uses this simple spell to pass through to an alternate dimension. The specific plane must be selected when this power is acquired, usually after an extensive period of research by the Wizard. If the Wizard has previously visited the dimension, this research period can be much shortened. Before casting this spell, the Wizard will usually first learn how to return to his native plane, unless he has no intention of returning. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

DISPATCH

This spell is used to return an extraplanar creature to its native plane. If the creature is already in its native plane, then the spell has no effect. When the target creature has resided in a dimension for at least a year prior to the casting of this spell, then it can make a Psyche Feat roll to resist the spell effects. Note that the Wizard can cast this spell upon himself should he desire to return to his home plane. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

DIVERT TELEPORT

Gatemasters use spells such as this to prevent unannounced teleportation into their sanctum. Anybody doing so will be diverted to a location selected by the Wizard, usually a Gaol or death trap. Of course, it is relatively easy to overload this spell by repeated teleportations, making this a more appropriate defense against individual intruders. The location of the diversion must be visible from the location of the initial teleport, or the spell will fail to function. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

KNOW PLANE

Casting this spell within a plane, or upon an extraplanar creature or object, will give the Wizard something akin to a "smell" for the place, so that he will know the plane again should he ever visit. The planar knowledge will allow the Wizard to attempt to find the plane again in the future, or at least give him a clue about how to reach it. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

MIRROR PLANE

Create a mirror gate to an alternative time line and draw forth a duplicate of the Wizard through the surface. The capabilities and motiviations of the duplicate will differ from the original, and he could either prove helpful or a hindrance to the Wizard. When the spell charge expires, or both Wizards step back through the silvery plane, the duplicate returns to his normal time line, even if slain. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he passes through the same Mirror Plane to aid his counterpart. Casting Time: 1 turn.

ROUND TRAP

Certain creatures are known to exist in multiple dimensions at the same time, so dealing with them from a single dimension can be especially difficult. This spell levels the playing field by drawing the target creature into the current dimension, then suppressing his ability to leave. This spell can be used equally well simply to prevent a normal target from escaping to an alternate dimension. The Round Trap is effective out to 250", and requires stready concentration to cast. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

PLANAR PROTECTION

Many of the planes where the Wizard finds himself are inhospitable to normal life forms. For this reason, most Gatemasters are taught this life support spell as an apprentice. The spell surrounds the Wizard with a thin shell of environment drawn from his native plane. The shell provides clean air, and protects the Wizard from extremes of atmospheric pressure and temperature. For each hour the spell is maintained, the Wizard suffers two points of Health loss. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 round.

PLANE SHIFT

With this spell, the Wizard can allow a single individual to pass through to another dimension. To pass an entire group through to the alternate dimension, this spell must be used multiple times. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he passes through the same Mirror Plane to aid his counterpart. Casting Time: 1 turn.

PORTABLE HOLE

Create an Extradimensional Pocket to store various supplies for future use. The pocket must be attached to a surface, such as a belt pouch or a chest. The pocket can be carried by the Wizard and opened again at any time. Once the spell finally expires, the contents are dumped out through the opening. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

ROPE TRICK

This useful spell creates a temporary pocket of extradimensional space where the Wizard and his friends can rest for a few hours. The portal to the pocket appears at a selected height above the ground, and the end of the rope will rise up to meet it. The rope can be drawn through the portal to hide it from view, but one end will always remain attached to the opening. The pocket is extremely utilitarian, being some 3" square with smooth grey sides. The portal will admit up to 16 human-sized beings into the pocket, including the Wizard. It can then be closed from the inside to hide any trace of the spell. When the spell expires, the contents of the pocket are rudely ejected through the portal. The interior begins to shimmer slightly a turn before it expires. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

SPACIAL ANOMALY

Not quite a dimensional gate, this spell creates a zone of dimensional interaction where an alternate plane interacts weakly with the Wizard's universe. The exact effects depend upon the plane chosen, but they will produce only unusual environmental phenomenon. The alternate dimension must be selected when the spell is first researched, and is often one of the elemental planes. Thus, a Spacial Anomaly with the Elemental Plane of Fire would produce an area of varying, excessive heat equal to half of the Spell Rank. Casting Time: 1 turn.

TELEPORT

This spell causes the Wizard to dematerialize into a glowing cloud of swirling lights which coalesce into a point, then vanish. He materializes near the destination hex in a reverse of the process. The Wizard can memorize any location as a destination, or he can teleport to a place he can see directly. The memorized location becomes unstable with increasing distance, and he could be teleported to a place in the vicinity. The spell will not place the Wizard inside a solid object, returning him instead to his original location. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

TRACE TELEPORT

This spell allows the Wizard to trace a use of the Teleport power back to its source. The spell works without a distance penalty to a radius of just over 1,000km, and suffers a -2CS penalty for each doubling of the range thereafter. The Wizard will know the distance and direction of the Teleport source, but nothing further. With the passage of time, the Teleport trace fades, becoming more difficult to detect. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he suffers Dimensional Instability. Casting Time: 1 turn.

UNIQUE SPELLS

ARCH GATE

The ultimate in instantaneous transportation, this spell creates a permanent Teleport gate between two fixed locations. One human-sized creature per round can pass through the one-way portal to the destination, up to 1,300km distant. Upon arrival, the traveller will experience a momentary disorientation, but will otherwise suffer no harm.

Constructing the Arch is a lengthy task requiring skilled artisans, the finest materials, and at least one season of planar research by the Wizard. (It requires the expenditure of 100 Karma points for a player to build such an arch.) Heavier arches can be built, but the range is halved for each doubling of the mass transported, and the material outlay is correspondingly increased. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, he is drained by powerful magical forces and requires many days of bed rest to recover. Casting Time: 1 hour.

SPHERE OF ANNIHILATION

This dastardly spell creates a spherical gateway to the plane of the void, where all matter and energy are utterly consumed. The sphere moves 9" per round, within range and under the direct command of the Wizard. Those caught by the black, featureless sphere are quickly consumed, unless they are specially protected or desolidified. If the Wizard fails his Spell Rank feat roll, the sphere appears in his area. Casting Time: 1 turn.

SUMMON PLANAR ENTITY

This potent and difficult spell allows the Wizard to summon an entity from another plane. The True Name of the entity must be known by the Wizard before he can perform this summoning, but the entity can be from any plane previously visited by the mage.

To perform the conjuration, the Wizard will need a large sample of material native to the plane of the entity, and a circle of summoning surrounded by a runic equation. Once the creature has been summoned, he is under no obligation to serve the Wizard. Indeed, he could be quite annoyed at being drawn from his native home in this manner, and will immediately seek to attack the Wizard. If the caster fails his roll, the creature will still be summoned but will have an immense hatred of the caster and will be difficult to control. Casting Time: 1 hour.

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