TEXT: 1 
   
   
  
  2 
   
  Fast Magic is a fantasy magic add-on for the Cepheus Engine roleplaying 
  game. 
   
   
  Author 
  Paul Elliott 
   
  Thanks to Alistair Langsford for useful comments and criticisms 
   
  1 
   
  Publisher: Zozer Games 
  Copyright © 2018 Zozer Games 
  Zozer Games is a trademark of Paul Elliott  
  Visit Zozer Games at www.paulelliottbooks.com 
  Find me on Facebook as Zozer Games 
   
   
   
   
  Cepheus Engine and Samardan Press are trademarks of Jason “Flynn” Kemp 
   
  Designation of Open Game Content 
  All of the text within this book is Open Content.  
   
   
  Designation of Product Identity 
  Any title of a product published by Zozer Games, including name ‘HOSTILE’, as well 
  as the trademarks ‘Cepheus Engine’ and ‘Zozer Games’, are designated as Product 
  Identity.   
   
   
  Please Note 
  This Product is derived from the Traveller System Reference Document and other 
  Open Gaming Content made available by the Open Gaming License, and does not 
  contain closed content from products published by either Mongoose Publishing or 
  Far Future Enterprises. This Product is not affiliated with either Mongoose Publishing 
  or Far Future Enterprises, and it makes no claim to or challenge to any trademarks 
  held by either entity. The use of the Traveller System Reference Document does not 
  convey the endorsement of this Product by either Mongoose Publishing or Far Future 
  Enterprises as a product of either of their product lines. 
   
   
   
   
  
  3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   INTRODUCTION 
  4 
   
   THE SKILLS 
   
   
  5 
   
   MAGE CAREER  
  7 
   
   FAST MAGIC  
   
  9 
   
   MAGIC ITEMS 
   
  14 
   
   SPIRIT COMBAT  
  19 
   
   
   
   
  CONTENTS 
  
  4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Cepheus Engine opens up a universe of roleplaying possibilities; with its ability to 
  model many different tech levels, societies and worlds it is in essence a gritty generic 
  rules-set (and that is generic in the sense that it is setting-free, not in the sense of 
  bland or characterless!) 
   
  So adaptable and useful is the Cepheus Engine that it seems to easily cope with the 
  introduction of additional rules, pushing the game in new directions and opening up 
  more and more setting possibilities. For anyone wanting to use Cepheus Engine as a 
  rules-set for a fantasy setting, Fast Magic offers a complete, improvisational magic 
  system.  
   
  There are no spell lists in Fast Magic and this is done firstly to keep the rules flexible 
  and easily adaptable to a referee’s setting, and secondly to mirror the rules-light 
  approach of Cepheus Engine itself. A player character does not have to wait 
  passively for an opportunity to use a spell on his spell list. Instead he can adapt his 
  magic to each situation, playing a much more active role in the game.  
   
  Using fast, improvised magic like this may not be to everyone’s taste, but we provide 
  very firm, well explained guidelines that ensure both referee and player understand 
  the mage’s capabilities and limitations. Fast magic is easy to learn and, during a 
  game session, quick and easy to cast.  
   
  This book includes a description of four new Cepheus Engine skills: Magic, Alchemy, 
  Calligraphy and Artifice. A new magic-using career, Mage, is also included and may 
  be used as presented or as a template for the referee’s own magical careers.  
   
  Reference in Fast Magic  is made to the monetary ‘credit’ found in Cepheus Engine, 
  change this in your fantasy setting to silver pieces, staters, shekels or gold 
  doubloons as you see fit.  
   
  ~  Paul Elliott  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  
  5 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  There are no skills in the current version of Cepheus Engine that would adequately 
  cover the casting of magic, to that end the following new skills can be introduced:  
   
  Magic Skill 
  The character has been trained in the arts of magic research and spell casting. The 
  magician selects a single domain with which he has become familiar upon receipt of 
  level 1. Upon learning each new level of Magic, the magician selects another domain 
  in which to specialise.  Use this skill to cast spells, defend against spells and spirits, 
  conduct magical research or investigate magical phenomenon. Magic 0 represents 
  some knowledge of magic and the ability to read magical scrolls, but confers no spell 
  casting ability. The domains are:  
   
  ANGER Magic – Blood, flesh, life, strength, violence, instigation 
   
  FIRE Magic – Fire, heat, self-confidence, pride, smith-craft, mechanical construction 
   
  KNOWLEDGE Magic – Thought, reason, scholarship, communication, sun and air, 
  illumination 
   
  FERTILITY Magic – Growth, abundance, fertility, fortitude, steadfastness, prosperity, 
  creativity 
   
  WATER Magic – Empathy, water, illusion, sleep, dreams, inspiration 
   
  AIR Magic – Weather, night sky, lightning and storms, movement, travel and 
  transportation 
   
  CONTROL Magic – Power, passion, politics, persuasion 
   
  EARTH Magic – Earth, materiality, physicality, baseness, foundation 
   
  DARKNESS Magic – Darkness, silence, stillness, absorption, decay 
   
  HEALING Magic – Protection, reflection, cold, spirit, purification 
   
   
   
  THE  SKILLS 
  
  6 
   
  Alchemy Skill 
  Magical effects can be bottled and then drunk and used by people who have no 
  magical training whatsoever. This makes the skill of Alchemy a very useful one. 
  Alchemy requires a comprehensive set of alchemical equipment (rare substances, 
  certain special jars, filters and grinding tools). This set fits into a small, portable chest 
  and costs Cr500 to replace. This skill is rolled at the end of a brewing period in order 
  to determine the success of the potion. Brewing more difficult potions, or brewing 
  several potions at once, reduces the chance of skill success. Magic skill is not 
  required.  
   
  Artifice Skill 
  The individual is able to enchant 
  magical objects such as rings, 
  amulets, swords, helmets, staffs 
  and more mundane items. The 
  specific tasks available to the 
  mage are: Adding Magical Bonus 
  to Arms & Armour, Enchanting 
  Arcane Item and finally, Enhance 
  Mundane Object (see page 17). 
  The skill is both demanding and 
  time 
  consuming, 
  giving 
  the 
  character little free time. It may 
  also 
  require 
  the 
  sacrifice 
  of 
  permanent characteristic points, 
  which make the items that a 
  magician 
  constructs 
  particularly 
  valuable.  
   
  Calligraphy Skill 
  The mage is able to distil magic 
  and put it on paper, parchment or 
  papyrus scroll. He writes in a 
  magical language taught to all 
  magicians with Magic 0 or higher. 
  By doing so, the mage can 
  increase his chance of casting the 
  spell when the time comes. It will 
  take him longer to cast the spell, 
  and 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  altered 
  or 
  improvised, but is far more likely to 
  succeed. In addition, the magician 
  can pass one of his scrolls to 
  another character with Magic skill 1 
  or greater who an cast it himself.  
   
   
   
  
  7 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The mage is a practitioner of magic in all 
  its forms who closets herself away to 
  conduct research and experimentation. 
  Much about the mage’s demeanour, 
  appearance, lifestyle and home will 
  depend on the nature of the magical 
  domains that she has chosen.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  SKILLS AND TRAINING 
   
  Roll Personal Development 
  Service Skills 
  1 
  +1 Int 
  Riding 
  2 
  +1 Edu 
  Alchemy 
  3 
  +1 End 
  Broker 
  4 
  +1 End 
  Navigation 
  5 
  +1 Soc 
  Recon  
  6 
  Bludgeoning Weapons  
  Mechanical 
   
  Roll Education Skills 
  Adv. Education Skills 
  1 
  Sciences* 
  Sciences*  
  2 
  Calligraphy 
  Artifice 
  3 
  Linguistics 
  Magic 
  4 
  Jack-of-All-Trades 
  Medicine 
  5 
  Magic 
  Liaison 
  6 
  +1 Soc 
  Admin 
  * In low-tech societies, Sciences skill does not cascade.  
   
   
  CAREER PROGRESS 
   
   
  Qualify 
  Int 8+ 
  Survival 
  Edu 5+ 
  Re-Enlist 
  Edu 6+ 
   
   
  Automatic Skill  Magic 1 
  MAGE  CAREER 
  
  8 
   
  MISHAPS 
   
  1D6 Mishap 
  1 
  A magical experiment results in disaster, destroying the mage’s base and 
  causing injury.  
  2 
  Hired to help defeat a dangerous monster, the mage and his companions were 
  defeated and injured. 
  3 
  The mage’s occult research unleashes an evil spirit, demon or ghost that forces 
  him to flee, and that sporadically re-appears in his life. Gain an enemy. 
  4 
  Asked to help a local ruler, the magic fails in the task, just making things worse. 
  Gain an enemy.  
  5 
  An expedition to secure some magical artefact goes wrong, stranding the mage 
  far from home.  
  6 
  After losing a magical duel with a rival wizard, the mage is forced into hiding.  
   
  Automatic Skill: A mage receives Magic 1 upon qualifying. 
  Rank & Promotion: Typically solitary individuals, mage’s do not have rank or seek 
  promotion. However, characters do get to make TWO rolls for skill selection per term 
  as compensation.  
   
  Rollo – Magician-For-Hire  
   
  2266B4 
  Age 30   3 terms 
  Magic 1 (Domain: Control), Artifice 1, Medicine 1, Recon 2, Calligraphy 2 
  Cr 0, Jewelled Dagger, Ornate Staff, Potion of Polymorph 
   
  Lady Cartimandua the Magnificent 
  4B59AB 
  Age 32    3½ terms 
  Magic 3 (Domains: Control, Knowledge, Healing), Sciences 2,  Liaison, 
  Alchemy 1    
  Cr5200,  Ornate Staff 
   
  Sicander the Malevolent 
   
   
  45A8BA 
  Age 28   2½ terms 
  Magic 2 (Domains: Anger, Fire), Sciences 1, Recon 1,  
   
   
   
  Cr5000 
   
  Marchand – the Apprentice  
   
  A67AB5 
  Age 22   1 term 
  Magic 1 (Domains: Water)), Linguistics 1, Alchemy 1 
   
   
  Jewelled Dagger 
   
  MUSTERING-OUT BENEFITS 
   
  Roll 
  Cash 
  Other Benefits 
  1 
  100 
  Healer’s Kit (treat as a First Aid Kit) 
  2 
  200 
  Jewelled Dagger 
  3 
  400 
  Any one potion (see 14) 
  4 
  2000 
  Ornate Staff (treat as Cudgel in combat) 
  5 
  5000 
  +1 Int 
  6 
  5000 
  +1 Soc 
  
  9 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Always bear in mind that, in Cepheus Engine, ease of play and verisimilitude are 
  prized over slavish adherence to detail. In short, keep the magic system and its use 
  simple and intuitive, and have fun. 
   
  To cast magic, a character requires level 1 or greater in the Magic skill. When a spell 
  is decided upon, the player makes a skill roll on 2D6 to determine success, adding 
  the magician’s Magic skill level. The difficulty will vary depending on what the 
  magician wants the spell to achieve. One or more points of temporary Endurance are 
  also subtracted; when temporary Endurance reaches 0, no more spells can be cast 
  until dawn, at which point the pool of temporary End is restored. For those using 
  older versions of the classic 2D6 SF rules, temporary Endurance is equivalent to the 
  ‘Weakened Blow’ that resulted in attacks with melee weapons.  
   
  Magical Domains 
  In this system, there are no exhaustive spell lists, instead the character learning 
  magic selects a magical domain within which to specialise. It might be Fire, 
  Knowledge or Control - or one of several others. Magic is inherently tied to a domain 
  with each domain possessing its own sphere of influence. The magical effects that 
  can be attempted are proscribed by the categories associated within each domain.. 
  Choose a new domain each time your character gains an extra level in Magic. For 
  example, Themistocles the Elder has Magic 3, and has already selected the Control, 
  Water and Darkness domains. When he casts spells in any of these domains, he 
  gets to add his Magic 3 level to his skill roll. The more skilled a magician becomes, 
  the wider his repertoire of magical abilities becomes. The most commonly associated 
  magical domains and their categories are as follows: 
   
  ANGER Magic – Blood, flesh, life, strength, violence, instigation 
  FIRE Magic – Fire, heat, self-confidence, pride, smith-craft, mechanical construction 
  KNOWLEDGE Magic – Thought, reason, scholarship, communication, sun and air, 
  illumination 
  FERTILITY Magic – Growth, abundance, fertility, fortitude, steadfastness, prosperity, 
  creativity 
  WATER Magic – Empathy, water, illusion, sleep, dreams, inspiration 
  AIR Magic – Weather, night sky, lightning and storms, movement, travel and 
  transportation 
  CONTROL Magic – Power, passion, politics, persuasion 
  EARTH Magic – Earth, materiality, physicality, baseness, foundation 
  DARKNESS Magic – Darkness, silence, stillness, absorption, decay 
  HEALING Magic – Protection, reflection, cold, spirit, purification 
   
  FAST  MAGIC 
  
  10 
   
  Casting A Spell 
  When a player wants to use one of his character’s skills (such as Carousing) to 
  complete a task, he describes what he wants to achieve and how his character goes 
  about it.  The referee decides on a suitable difficulty level (Routine, Average, Difficult 
  or Very Difficult) and the player then makes his skill roll. The Magic skill no different, 
  it is a skill like any other and works in much the same way, emphasising player 
  ingenuity and flexibility. 
   
  The player does not have a list of spells. Instead he decides on an Effect that he 
  wishes to create, knowing that a more spectacular, destructive or plot-altering Effect 
  will be less likely to succeed and cost more temporary Endurance points! 
   
  For example, the player of Themistocles may want to use the powers of his darkness 
  domain to cloak he and his comrades in a field of invisibility and silence so that they 
  can sneak past guards and into the palace of Queen Mandukhai the Wise. He and 
  the referee agree that the darkness domain will be adequate for that Effect. The 
  referee decides (using the guidelines below) that the spell difficulty will be Average, 
  and that it will last for 1-6 minutes. The referee does not ask the player to roll 
  immediately, the spell is ‘cast’ but we only discover if it is properly successful when 
  the group have to pass a pair of heavily armed sentries from the queen’s guard. 
  That’s when the Magic skill is rolled.  
   
  Themistocles’ player makes his roll: 2D6 + 3 (for Magic 3), cost 1 End. It is an 
  Average task and the player rolls 3+2 (+ skill 3) = 8. Success!  
   
  Success means that the Effect takes place as desired, failure does not indicate a 
  ‘whiff’ similar to a dud firework, instead the spell was cast and the End point(s) lost - 
  but the Effect was different, not as effective or not what was desired. If Themistocles 
  had failed his cloak of invisibility spell for example, then when the roll was made (at 
  the critical moment when the spell is tested) perhaps someone in the PC group 
  drops something which rolls across he floor, alerting the guards and effectively 
  cancelling the spell. Fight!  
   
  With a magic system like this that uses broad domains, rather than spell lists, the 
  player character magician is not stood around twiddling his thumbs waiting for an 
  opportunity to cast ‘Lock Door’ or ‘Hasten’ – instead he can get involved in all 
  aspects of the group’s activities and plans and create spell Effects as needed, based 
  on the repertoire of domains that he has available (and whatever temporary End he 
  has left).  
   
  Inventing a New Spell Effect 
  What the magician’s player wants to achieve is the spell’s ‘Effect’. Deciding on the 
  scale and power of the Effect decides the task’s difficulty level. Themistocles’ cloak 
  spell, you will remember, was rated as Average (0). Bigger Effects also cost more 
  temporary End, with an Average spell costing 1 point, a Difficult spell costing 2 points 
  and a Very Difficult spell costing 3 points.  
   
  Two other points of consideration should also be made by the player and referee – 
  what will be the spell’s range, and how long will it last before expiring? The default 
  
  11 
   
  characteristics of a spell are: SHORT RANGE and 1D6 MINUTES.  Increasing either 
  of these incurs negative DMs that make the spell less likely to succeed.  
   
  Below are the three tables that referees need to review in order to properly give a 
  spell Effect a difficulty rating. Don’t be afraid to peg the spell at Very Difficult or 
  Formidable if the player has unrealistic ideas of what his magic should be doing. 
  Beware the power-gamer and remind the player that an improvised magic system 
  like this is not designed to let the magician ‘do whatever he wants’, it is designed to 
  ‘give him an opportunity to create spells that fit the situation instead of waiting for a 
  situation to turn up that fits his spell list’. Please review the following tables: 
  EFFECT, RANGE and DURATION. 
   
  1 – EFFECT 
  Once the player has explained what Effect he hopes to achieve, then the referee can 
  examine the list of descriptors in the table below to weigh-up what a likely difficulty 
  would be. The descriptors are not definitive, but simply suggestible of a spell’s rough 
  power level or influence on the setting and the plot. It may be that only one or two 
  descriptors fit – that’s fine.   
   
  Spell Difficulty 
  End 
  Cost 
  Typical Spell Descriptors  
  ROUTINE (+2) 
  1 
  Co-incidental, harmless, limited or no plot effect 
  AVERAGE (0) 
  1 
  Small scale, small object, temporary, providing a +1 bonus, 
  repairable, minor plot effect 
  DIFFICULT (-2) 
  2 
  Damaging or wounding, damage to property, area effect, providing a 
  +2 bonus, invasive, large object (elephant? ship?), major plot effect 
  VERY DIFFICULT (-4) 
  3 
  Deadly, massive, widespread, multiple targets, provides a +4 bonus, 
  destruction of property, widespread, permanent change, crucial plot 
  effect 
  FORMIDABLE (-6) 
  6 
  As Very Difficult, but much grander and world shattering/plot breaking 
  in scale. Realistically, anything the referee really does not like or 
  disagrees should be refused, or set at Formidable.  
   
  2 – RANGE 
  The default spell range is Short (1-12 metres), but this can be changed as the spell 
  is being put together:  
   
  SPELL RANGE 
  Range 
  DM 
  Short 
  1-12m  (DEFAULT) 
  - 
  Medium 
  12-50m 
  -2 
  Long 
  51-250m 
  -3 
  Very Long  251-500m 
  -4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Touch Range  
  The combat rules utilise Personal or ‘touch’ range. The referee may decide that a spell warrants 
  the use of Touch to work (such as healing) rather than the default Short Range.  
   
  
  12 
   
  3 - DURATION 
  The default spell duration is 1-6 minutes (roll 1D6), but this can be changed as the 
  spell is being put together:  
   
  SPELL DURATION 
  Duration 
  DM 
  1-6 combat rounds 
  +1 
  1-6 minutes (DEFAULT) 
  - 
  1-6 hours 
  -2 
  1-6 days 
  -4 
  1-6 weeks 
  -6 
   
  Other Task Modifiers 
  There are a host of possible die modifiers that could influence the casting of a spell, 
  here are a few common ones. 
   
   Item or Situation 
  DM to Spell Skill Roll 
  Reading from a scroll/book 
  +2 
  Magical Item/ring* 
  +1 
  Magical Item/wand *~ 
  +1 
  Magical Item/staff *~ 
  +1 
  One hour preparation  
  +1 
  Within magical precinct# 
  +2 
  *  See page 17 on enchanting rings, wands and staffs. 
  ~ If he owns both a wand and a staff, a caster must choose either the wand  
  (portable) or the staff (less portable, but with other uses) to use for the adventure,  and only 
  receives the +1 bonus from the one he is actively using.  
  # Magical precinct must be tied to the caster: a friendly temple, a mage’s own  
    travelling laboratory, a known spirit glade for a shaman, etc. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Option: Magic Hurts!  
   
  This magic system uses ‘temporary End’ that is replenished fully, once per 
  day. This allows magi to begin casting spells freely again the next day.  
   
  For those with grittier, less magical settings, the referee has the option to 
  make the End losses real, i.e. actual damage. This has the game effect of  
  making every spell cast a risky sacrifice. And should the mage suffer two 
  characteristics at zero, will be rendered unconscious and vulnerable. This 
  is an optional rule.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  13 
   
  Opposed Spells 
  The referee will judge when a spell is deemed to be ‘opposed’, this occurs when a 
  person or target is directly affected by the magic (not the consequences of magic, 
  such as a ship sinking or a building catching fire). Directly targeted spells that send a 
  character to sleep, control him, harm him or otherwise affect him – use an opposed 
  roll. To oppose a magician, the target must roll 2D6 plus Magic skill (if he has it), plus 
  his Int modifier. When a target opposes the magician, the character who obtains the 
  highest Effect wins. For ties on opposed checks, the character with the highest 
  relevant Int wins. If the characters tie on Intelligence, they re-roll.  
   
  Should the magician not succeed in beating his target’s Opposed Roll, the spell fails.   
   
  Example Spells 
  We categorize a few well known RPG spells by way of example: 
   
   Bless Friends – This provides a +1 bonus to hit for all friendly characters 
  within 20m and lasts 1 hour. Average (0) with a -2 DM (for the duration). 
   
   Lighting Strike – This launches a powerful and damaging lightning bolt out into 
  a corridor of damage 2m wide and 20m long.  Very Difficult (-4).  
   
   Polymorph Yourself – The magician can transform himself into the form of any 
  living creature for 1½ hours. Difficult (-2) with a -2 DM (for the duration). 
   
   Transform Rock to Mud – Changes 3,000 square feet of rock within 40m, into 
  impassable mud for 3-18 days. Difficult (-2) with a -2 DM (for the range) and -
  6 (for the duration). 
   
   Cure Light Injuries – Heals 2-7 points of damage by the laying on of hands on 
  an injured person. Average (0).  
   
  Combining Domains 
  A player character may want to combine magic categories from two different 
  domains in order to create his Effect, or the referee may insist that this must occur. 
  The magician’s Magic skill level for such a combination would be lowered by 1 level, 
  otherwise all other magic rules apply.   
   
  Recovering Endurance 
  One or more points of temporary Endurance are subtracted when a spell is cast 
  (how many depends on the difficulty of the Effect - set by the referee); when 
  temporary Endurance reaches 0, no more spells can be cast. The default time at 
  which End points are all recovered is dawn. The referee may alter this as he wishes 
  based perhaps on the type of magician or the nature of his setting (if using one of his 
  own). Other possibilities are: when praying at a temple, at midnight, at high tide, 
  when the Moon rises, etc. The idea is that End fully recovers all in one go, usually 
  once per day.  
   
  
  14 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Making Potions  
  Creating a potion using the Alchemy skill requires a comprehensive set of alchemical 
  equipment (rare substances, certain special jars, filters and grinding tools). This set 
  is portable and costs Cr500 to replace (assume a character with this skill already 
  carries a set with them!). When a mage brews a potion he cannot do anything else 
  but tend it until the potion is complete (brewing times are given with the relevant 
  potion) and only one potion can be brewed at a time. Each potion is made up of 
  costly or rare ingredients and stored in a tiny glass jar, a phial, stoppered with wax.  
   
  To create a potion, make an Alchemy skill roll at the end of the brewing time - the 
  difficulty level is given with each individual potion description. One point of temporary 
  End is also lost. If failed, then the potion is not ready and can be left to brew for one 
  more period. The Alchemy roll at the end of the second period will, however, be with 
  a penalty of -2, but it might be worth waiting to try if great expense was made to gain 
  the required ingredients. If failed on this second roll the potion must be disposed of.  
   
  Identifying Potions - Most potions are made with a base of wine - making the 
  identification of potions quite a rewarding task! To identify potions by sipping them, a 
  mage makes an Average (0) Alchemy roll. If successful he can identify the potion 
  being tested. In his laboratory, the skill test becomes Routine (+2).  
   
  Potions and the Gods - The gods do not like alchemy and do not agree with magi 
  creating fabulous substances from the world that they created and rule. To this end, 
  any mage who brews potions can only brew as many as 3 + his Alchemy skill level. 
  These potions can be of the same or different types, but any brewed beyond that 
  number will be a pale and ineffectual version of what they should otherwise be. As 
  these potions are drunk/used/whatever, then more can be brewed in their place. The 
  referee may ignore this rule if he would like potions to be more freely available.  
   
  List of Potions:  
   Potion of Aqua Noxious - For the cost of Cr100 in materials the mage can 
  create a single phial of poison. It takes 2 days to brew the potion. See the 
  section on Poisons in Chapter 11 of Cepheus Engine. Aqua Noxious has a 
  DM-2 and does 3D6 damage. Difficulty: Routine (+2) 
   Potion of Aqua Somnus - For the cost of C50 in materials the mage can 
  create a single phial of sleeping potion. It takes 1 day to brew the potion. 
  Should the drinker fail a Difficult (-2) End roll, he or she falls asleep for 1-3 
  days. Difficulty: Average (0) 
  MAGIC   ITEMS 
  
  15 
   
   Potion of Aqua Vitae - For the cost of Cr200 in materials the mage create a 
  single phial of healing potion. It takes 4 days to brew the potion. The potion 
  restores 1D6+4 points of damage to the drinker. Difficulty: Routine (+2) 
   Potion of Greek Fire - For the cost of Cr1000 in rare materials the mage can 
  create a single phial of Greek Fire. Greek Fire is not drunk! It is a burning, 
  liquid that is self igniting upon contact with the air and that is difficult to douse 
  with water. A phial thrown will explode on contact creating a large fire that will 
  last for at least one minute and not be affected by water for that time. Anyone 
  caught within it suffers a searing 2D6 points of damage for 3 consecutive 
  combat rounds. It takes 20 days to brew a phial of the potion. Difficulty: Very 
  Difficult (-4) 
   Potion of Radiance - For the cost of Cr250 in materials the mage can create 
  a single phial of radiance, a substance which, when smashed on the ground 
  creates an intense burst of blinding daylight (which will damage creatures 
  such as vampires, etc.). Those within 40 metres will be being blinded for 1-3 
  rounds, whether looking directly at it or not. It takes 5 days to brew the potion. 
  Difficulty: Average (-0) 
   Potion of Pure Natron - For the cost of Cr400 in materials the mage can 
  create a single phial of natron - a magical substance that, when drunk, 
  provides protection (equivalent to a +4 bonus in Spirit Combat, see page 19) 
  for three hours from all manner of spirits, demons and ghosts. It takes 8 days 
  to brew the potion. Difficulty: Average (0) 
   Potion of Styx - For the cost of Cr750 in materials the mage can create a 
  single phial of Styx water - a magical substance from the bowels of the 
  Underworld that gives a drinker’s skin almost complete invulnerability (Armour 
  Value 10) from cuts, stuns, bashes and fire for 5 minutes. The drinker can still 
  be hurt by drinking poison or being strangled or drowned. It takes 6 days to 
  brew the potion. Difficulty: Very Difficult (-4) 
   Potion of Herculean Strength - For the cost of Cr100 in materials the mage 
  can create a single phial of Herculean Strength - a potion which gives the 
  drinker Strength of 15 (DM +3). It takes 2 days to brew the potion. Difficulty: 
  Difficult (-2) 
   Potion of Telepathy - For the cost of Cr300 in materials the mage can create 
  a single phial of telepathic potion which allows the drinker to ‘hear’ the surface 
  thoughts of anyone within 10m that he specifically concentrates on. This 
  power only lasts for 10 minutes. An unwilling victim must fail a Difficult (-2) Int 
  roll for the ‘reading’ to be successful. The victim will not be aware of the 
  ‘psychic intruder’. It takes 6 days to brew the potion. Difficulty: Average (0) 
   Potion of Polymorphism – For the cost of Cr300 the mage can create phial 
  of Polymorphism – a potion which transforms the drinker into an animal or 
  monster from that region. He retains his intelligence, memory and personality, 
  but his clothing and equipment magically vanish until the caster returns to 
  normal. A transformed creature cannot speak human languages, use human 
  tools or use the magical ability of a monster (such as turning people to stone 
  or breathing fire). The potion lasts one hour, and takes 4 days to brew. 
  Difficulty: Difficult (-2) 
   
   
   
   
  
  16 
   
  Writing Scrolls  
  The character with Calligraphy skill is 
  able to cast a spell onto a papyrus or 
  parchment scroll (or within a spell book if 
  that suits the referee’s setting). Why 
  would he do that? Although this is a set 
  of improvised, ad hoc magic rules, the 
  Calligraphy skill allows a magician to 
  codify and record a spell for later use. 
  When he or she wishes to cast the spell 
  written on the scroll, he must take 2 two 
  combat rounds to read aloud the 
  incantation with the required gravitas 
  and cadence. In the second combat 
  round the spell takes effect, although the 
  caster must still spend the required 
  Endurance points.  
   
  The advantages of committing spells to papyrus are two-fold:  
   
  1) Gaining +2 to the chance for the spell to work.  
  2) Allowing another magician (with a minimum Magic 1) to cast the spell, 
  whether or not he has mastered the correct domains.  
   
  A player who has a mage with Calligraphy should make a note of each spell that he 
  commits to a scroll or spell-book, recording the Effect, the difficulty, the End cost and 
  the domain used. In effect he is writing his own ‘spell-book’.  
   
   
  To create the scroll, the mage must have with him Cr200 of materials (rare inks, 
  dyes, gold leaf and expensive papyrus or vellum), he must devote 1 day in total 
  solitude and successfully cast the spell he has designed. The character’s Calligraphy 
  skill score is used to cast the spell, rather than his Magic level (as normal). A mage 
  with Calligraphy 5 and Magic 1 can create wondrous and powerful scrolls, but is not 
  brilliant as using them ‘in the field’  himself.  
   
  The number of scrolls a mage can own, or spells they can have written in their spell 
  book, is limited to their Education + Calligraphy characteristic.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  17 
   
  Adding Magical Bonus to Arms & Armour 
  The character with Artifice skill is able to manufacture a weapon or coat of armour 
  with an inherent +1 bonus (either to hit, or, if armour,  +1 Armour Value). This 
  requires 100 days of hard work, ritual enchantment, forging and reforging, dedication 
  and concentration. The mage cannot leave the process to go on an adventure, for 
  example. Each full day of disruption, the mage must make an Average Artifice roll, 
  and if failed apply a -1 penalty to the final Average Artifice roll made when the 
  armour or weapon is complete. If this final roll fails, the weapon or armour is still 
  special and counts as ‘magical’ but will never confer a +1 bonus.  
   
   A weapon or piece of armour does not radiate that +1 bonus continually, it must be 
  called on (or be ‘activated’) by the user, an act which requires no magical training, 
  not appreciable time and no skill roll – just the cost of 1 point of Endurance. This is 
  an actual point of damage, not temporary End!  Anyone can invoke the item’s bonus, 
  all you have to do is hold the weapon or wear the armour to do so. The +1 protection 
  lasts for only 10 minutes, after which the user has the option of spending another 
  point of actual Endurance in order to continue it. The cost of creating a magical 
  weapon or piece of armour is typically 10x the more mundane, non-magical version. 
  A sword costing Cr150, for example, will cost the mage Cr1500 in magical 
  components, rare materials and exotic compounds to manufacture. 
   
  Enchanting Arcane Item 
  The character with Artifice skill is able to cast a spell onto an ‘arcane item’ (a ring, 
  wand or staff), permanently fixing it within the item. Why? In order to have the spell 
  ready and at hand and easier to cast (providing a +1 bonus). The process involves 
  carving or engraving an elaborate spell rune onto the surface of the item, several 
  days in total solitude and a successful cast of the spell he has designed. The 
  character’s Artifice skill score is used to cast the spell into the spell rune, rather than 
  his Magic level (as normal). A ring has space for 2 spell runes, a 50cm wand has 
  space for 5 spell runes and a staff has room for 10 spell runes.  
   
  When ‘in the field’, a spell carved onto 
  an 
  arcane 
  item 
  can 
  be 
  cast 
  immediately if the wand or staff is 
  being held by the caster, or if engraved 
  on a ring. A Magic roll and temporary 
  End cost will be required, as normal, 
  but the spell rune confers an automatic 
  +1 bonus. Mage’s typically put their 
  most used and most useful spells onto 
  arcane items. A player who has a 
  mage with an arcane object covered in 
  spell runes should make a note of 
  each 
  spell 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  carved/engraved, recording the Effect, 
  the difficulty, the End cost and the 
  domain used. No-one but the mage 
  who carved the runes can access the 
  +1 bonuses of the spell runes.  
  TIME TO CREATE 
  Casting Difficulty 
  Time to Create Rune 
  Routine  
  1 day 
  Average 
  3 days 
  Difficult 
  6 days 
  Very Difficult 
  12 days 
  Formidable 
  24 days 
   
   
   
   
  COST OF ITEMS 
  Arcane Item 
  Cost  
  Ring 
  Cr400 
  Wand 
  Cr300 
  Staff 
  Cr800 
   
  
  18 
   
  Enhance Mundane Object 
  The character with Artifice skill is able to enchant a mundane item, giving it some 
  magical power in keeping with it’s mundane use and nature. Many magical items in 
  myth and legend are seemingly mundane objects that grant wondrous powers: the 
  magic porridge pot, the elven cloak, the flying carpet and the witch’s broomstick, for 
  example.  
   
  The character with Artifice can manufacture an item like this, although it is a lengthy 
  and difficult procedure. The mage decides on the object and the spell Effect that it 
  will grant to any user who owns it. The referee has the final say, but items like Boots 
  of Leaping, a Never-ending Quiver, a Cloak of Invisibility, a Helm of Darksight and 
  Gauntlets of Strength are all perfectly reasonable. As normal, the referee and player 
  decide on the desired Effect and on the subsequent difficulty of the spell to be cast.  
   
  Typically an object will require 8 months of 
  hard work, ritual enchantment, dedication 
  and concentration. The mage cannot leave 
  the process to go on an adventure, for 
  example. Each full day of disruption, the 
  mage must make an Average Artifice roll, 
  and if failed apply a -1 penalty to the final 
  Artifice roll made when the item is complete. 
  At the end of the construction period, the 
  player-character makes his spell roll (using 
  Artifice skill, however, rather than his Magic 
  skill). He will also need to sacrifice 1 or more 
  characteristic points permanently. He will 
  never get this back by normal means. The 
  player decides which characteristic to lower. 
  If this final roll fails, the item is accidentally 
  cursed, and has some minor unwanted 
  power that troubles anyone who uses it.  
   
  Why are these objects so difficult and costly to 
  create? Anyone can use them … a mage, a 
  soldier, the emperor, his cook or the local 
  beggar. All they require is the conscious willing 
  of the item to perform and the cost of one point 
  of Endurance (actual Endurance, like damage – 
  not the temporary End of a mage).  The objects 
  power (flying, leaping, invisibility or whatever) 
  will last for a set time, as decided by the spells 
  duration when  setting up the spell Effect and 
  other details. After that time period has passed, 
  the user has the option of spending another 
  point of actual Endurance in order to continue it.  
   
   
   
  Sacrificing Characteristic Points 
   
  Such great works of  magical art 
  do not come without personal 
  sacrifice, that of  a point of Str, 
  Dex or End – permanently. But 
  these points do confer a bonus on 
  the final Artifice roll. Want +3? 
  Sacrifice a couple of points of Str 
  and point of Dex…  
   
  Obviously, this game mechanic is 
  designed to limit the creation of 
  such wondrous magical objects, 
  and those that are created will be 
  valuable and used by the caster 
  himself or his comrades.  
   
   
  
  19 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A spirit is a non-physical being, often the insubstantial remains of a dead person. 
  Most spirits travel to the Otherworld once separated from their dead body. Some 
  remain behind as ghosts. Ghosts are mysterious beings, only partly existent in this 
  world and terrifying to any mortal. And then there are demons. Demons are 
  supernatural entities, minor godlings trapped on in this world since Creation and 
  intent on causing agony, chaos and death to humankind. Like spirits they are 
  insubstantial, but are they are much  more powerful. All are rated with the attributes 
  of End and Int. Magic skill is possessed by all spirits and is used as a skill when 
  attacking victims, End is used to measure 'life force'.  
   
  A spirit, ghost or demon can attack a person at will, all the person can do is try to 
  fend-off such an attack. Fleeing is only of use against a ghost that haunts a particular 
  location. Both sides make Magic rolls, adding on their relevant Intelligence DMs. This 
  is an Opposed roll, the result with the highest Effect wins and inflicts 1D6 points 
  against the loser’s temporary End. A spirit at 0 End vanishes - to reappear at some 
  later date. An adventurer who is reduced to 0 temporary End by a non-corporeal 
  being suffers a variety of effects depending on the nature of the spirit that attacked 
  him. A spirit from the Otherworld seeks to return to that place as soon as possible 
  and will leave the adventurer unconscious. A ghost may have uses for the 
  adventurer and might possess the body when it wakes, in order to carry out its 
  campaign of deception. Demons each have their own individual powers and will 
  possess an adventurer and then inflict their awful curse upon him. Some inflict 
  disease, some madness, some agonising pains, others inflict psychological illnesses. 
  Examples of spirits follow: 
   
   Minor Ghost  
   
   
   
  Magic 1 
  End 4  
  Int 2 
   
   Ghost of a Desert Kingdom Despot  
  Magic 3  
  End 12 
  Int 5 
   
   Demon of Disease  
   
  Magic 2 
  End 6  
  Int 4  
   
  NOTE: A mage fighting off a spirit has a better chance (with his higher Int and Magic 
  skill) than a cowherd or even the captain of the guard (who lacks that crucial Magic 
  skill).  
   
   
  SPIRIT COMBAT 
  
  20 
   
  LEGAL 
   
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  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a  
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  21 
   
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  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  
  High Guard System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing. 
  Mercenary System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing. 
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill 
  Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher 
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  Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch 
  
  22 
   
  System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, 
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