COLLEGE OF WISDOM MAGIC

The Church of Wisdom is one which concentrates on recognition of the wisest road to travel along the proverbial journey of life. Quite naturally, the Church recognizes the importance of divine intervention in one's life; however, its priests also teach that accurate information and the counsel of learned others are vital for wise decision-making.

The spells available to priests in the Church of Wisdom are not, by and large, particularly powerful for combat. There are a few combat-oriented spells (or, at least, spells which can be used in combat), but if a Wisdom priest is going to be a regular combatant, it's more likely to come from skill at arms, or possibly from knowledge of more conventional magic. In general, Church of Wisdom spells deal with knowledge and perception, since it is only with adequate knowledge that one can reach a truly wise and informed conclusion or decision.

Standard Limitations: Obvious Accessible Focus (Holy Symbol), Gestures, Incantations, Requires a Spell Rank feat Roll, Religious Restrictions.

Basic Spells

CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE

The priest opens a channel directly to the subject's conscience and lays bare all foolish or misguided beliefs, causing the subject psychic trauma equal to the Spell Rank. Casting Time: 1 round

DETECT EVIL

When the diviner uses this spell, people or things which are thick with evil become apparent to the caster by the thick black aura which hangs over them. Lesser forms of evil may be harder to discern. Casting Time: ½ round

DETECT INVISIBILITY

When using this spell, the diviner can clearly see any invisible people or objects, just as if they were visible. Casting Time: ½ round

DETECT UNDEAD

The caster must focus all his concentration on this spell. He can then detect the direction and strength of any undead nearby. The spell is blocked by more than one meter of stone. Casting Time: 1 round

DISPEL MAGIC

The use of magic is not always the wisest course of action. This Spell allows the caster to do away with its foolishness (assuming that the "foolishness" isn't too powerful!). Casting Time: 1 round

EYES OF THE HAWK

This spell allows the caster to see things clearly at great distances. If the caster fails his Divination Spell Rank feat roll, his eyes will not work at all for several moments. Casting Time: ½ round

HEIGHTENED PERCEPTION

This spell magically enhances all of the priest's perceptions, allowing him to see, hear, smell, touch and taste more finely and with more discrimination. Casting Time: ½ round

NIGHT VISION

This spell allows the priest to see in the dark as well as an owl. A complete lack of light will still leave the caster blind, however. Casting Time: 1 round

College Spells

CALM

This is an important spell in many negotiations. It creates an aura of calm that is conducive to all wise relationships. Casting Time: 1 turn

CLAIRVOYANCE

By means of this spell, the priest can see events occurring at a distance. The location to be scried must be known and described by the caster. The spell is blocked by lead in any wall between the caster and the locale to be viewed. The priest must remain perfectly still during the entire spell. Casting Time: 1 turn

COUNSEL OF WISDOM

This spell can only be used to aid a person who asks the goddess for aid. The priest can only use it for worthy causes. The priest counsels the supplicant on the best approach for any task about to be attempted and passes on the wisdom and blessing of his goddess. Casting Time: 1 minute

DETECT LIE

This spell looks into the surface thoughts of someone to whom the caster is listening and detects whether he is lying. Note that for the spell to indicate a lie, the speaker must know that his statement is a lie. Half-truths and technical truths are not detected by this spell. Casting Time: 1 turn

DETECT SCRYING

This spell enhances the priest's mental faculties in such a way that he is very likely to notice if someone is using magic to scry upon him or the area in which he is. There is also a reasonable chance that the priest may learn something about who or what is watching. Casting Time: 1 round

ENLIGHTENMENT

The priest casts his mind out among the Spheres and contacts a great power of another plane. He may ask this being a single question. The Intelligence may or may not answer, and there is a slight risk each time this spell is cast that the full weight of the alien intelligence will drive the priest insane. Contact gives the power to the GM. The cost of the contact can be varied by the GM to reflect the power and difficulty of the spell. Casting Time: 1 minute.

ESP

This spell allows the caster to know the surface thoughts of another nearby person. Surface thoughts are those in the person's mind at the time; memories and other knowledge are not accessible. This spell requires no line of sight, nor even the sure knowledge of the other person's presence. However, it is blocked by more than 1 meter of rock, 5 centimeters of metal or any lead. The target person remains unaware of the priest's mental presence. Casting Time: 1 turn

EVALUATE

This spell magically endows the priest with an ability to discern quality in items in he examines, whether art, livestock or weapons. Casting Time: 1 minute

FALSE VISION

This spell is designed to fool those who would scry upon the priest. Rather than see what the priest is really doing or where he is, those who scry upon the priest will see whatever image he prepares for them. Casting Time: 1 round

FOOL'S JUSTICE

Those who will not use their wisdom can have it forcibly removed for a time. This spell causes a victim's wisdom to flow out of their body when touched by the priest. The victim's Reason and Psyche ranks are drained an amount equal to the Spell Rank divided by 2. Casting Time: 1 round.

FORESIGHT

This spell grants the priest a minor but valuable precognitive power. When this spell is cast, the priest immediately becomes aware of any impending danger to himself, any nearby object, or another person, and can also have an idea of the best action to take (i.e., "duck!") Casting Time: 1 minute

HIDE OBJECT

This spell prevents the use of scrying, including the "Locate Object" spell below, to discover a particular item's location. Casting Time: 1 minute.

HOLY SIGHT

This spell alters the priest's vision so that whenever he looks at a person or creature capable of magic, he sees their peculiar aura limned in color. The color of the aura reveals with what College of magic or which priesthood the character is affiliated. Casting Time: ½ round

IDENTIFY ITEM

By using this spell, the caster seeks to understand the magic at work in a magical item. He must prepare for the casting of this spell for a half day. Then, he must hold, wear or use each item to be understood. At this point, he is likely to gain some insight into the details of the item(s). After the spell is over, the caster falls into a deep sleep for another half-day. Casting Time: 1 day

LOCATE CREATURE

Similar to "Locate Object" (below), this spell indicates the distance and direction to the nearest creature (within the 3200 meter range) of the type indicated by the priest. If a specific creature (including a person) is named or described, the spell will indicate the distance and direction to him or her, if within the spell's range). Casting Time: 1 turn

LOCATE OBJECT

This spell will indicate to the caster the direction and distance to a known object, which the caster can picture in his mind. It will not point to objects beyond it's range (800 meters), nor will it work through any thickness of lead. Casting Time: 1 minute

NON-DETECTION

This spell veils the priest's mind or the mind of the spells' recipient in the currents of the mental plane, making him almost impossible to find with scrying or mental spells and powers. Casting Time: 1 turn.

PAST LIFE

The priest casts his spell and passes his hand over the face of a corpse or skeleton and the face of the deceased will appear to him as it was in life. This spell is useful for identifying decayed bodies. A different version of the spell can be used to see the last minute of the dead person's life. Though it carries the same name (sometimes referred to as Past Life II, with the standard version being Past Life I), it must be bought separately. Casting Time: 1 minute.

RECORD

The priest enchants a flawless gem or crystal. The gem then records up to one hour of sights and sounds (starting and stopping at the will of the caster). Later, the gem can show the images and sounds in a miniature holographic display. This is often used to record the findings of expeditions. Casting Time: ½ round

SCRIBE

When this spell is cast, a prepared quill magically animates and copies down every word that the caster utters. Casting Time: ½ round

SECRET PAGE

This spell hides the true writing on a page with other, innocuous writing of the priest's choice. Only someone who knows and speaks the command word can reveal the true writing. This is a popular spell for important couriers. Casting Time: 1 minute.

SENDING

With this spell, the priest can send a message of up to 25 words to another person whose name and appearance are known to him. The message will reach the other person regardless of distance, or even of whether the two are on the same plane of existence. At his own option, the recipient of the message may reply with up to 25 words. The priest needs absolute concentration to cast this spell. Casting Time: 1 turn.

SHIELD OF WISDOM

This spell enfolds the priest's mind in a mighty wall of divine wisdom, preventing outside control or tampering. Casting Time: ½ round.

TONGUES

This spell allows the caster to speak and understand any humanoid language. Only one language can be used at once (normally, if a conversation were being held in multiple languages all at once, Universal Translator would enable the character to understand all of the speakers; this Spell is limited to just one language at a time). Casting Time: 1 round

TRUE SIGHT

This spell can pierce illusions and disguises, discover hidden or invisible things, and reveal the true forms of shapeshifted objects or people. This spell only works on objects within 20 meters of the viewer. Casting Time: 1 turn

WISDOM

This spell allows the priest to increase the wisdom of any one being. Drawing upon the wisdom of the gods is a presumptuous thing, however, and the priest must be sure of his cause, or risk the wrath of the gods. The Spell Rank is split evenly between the subject's Reason and Psyche. Casting Time: 1 minute

WYRD

This spell allows the priest to speak the fate of a person, thing or enterprise. He opens himself to the wisdom of the gods and if the gods will it, they will speak their wisdom through him. Casting Time: 1 minute

Unique Spells

LEGENDS

This spell contacts an extraplanar being of great intelligence, seeking to learn information about some legendary item, person or place. The knowledge thus gained is usually correct, but always cryptic. The spell may take as long as several days, depending upon the amount of knowledge the priest already possesses, but usually takes only minutes or hours (the exact amount of time being a matter of GM's discretion). The spell is dangerously exhausting to cast. Casting Time: varies

VISION

This spell contacts a great extraplanar power to seek a vision revealing important information. This is not to be undertaken lightly. First, the priest must sacrifice an item of great personal value during the casting; second, the power contacted is unused to such effrontery from mortals and unless the situation merits its attention, the priest will instead be the subject of its wrath. (The criteria for whether the power is "annoyed" and what steps it takes in retribution depends on the nature and attitude of the power in question; in general, the less likely it is to annoy a particular power, the greater the consequences should be for actually doing so.) Casting Time: 1 turn
By Scott Nolan with Bob Greenwade
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