New Spells

[Ry Vor]

On the 3rd Cycle Tease Front:


New Spells.
 
Eagle Familiar – Range 10 and Advanced Recon (4 contiguous areas) as L7.
 
Dire Wolf Familiar – Provides counter espionage to the group as an L4 agent.  Provides recon on the group location as an L4 agent.
 
Imp Familiar – Can carry out Assassination, Theft or Sabotage as an L7 agent.  Range 8.  Not detected as to kingdom if unsuccessful.
 
Summon Zombies.  A battle spell that happens after the battle, creating a zombie brigade for each destroyed enemy brigade. 
 
Light of the Evening Star – Needed to overcome obstacles in Excellent Class unusual sightings for kingdoms without the Adventurer trait.  Generally a P1 or P2 with being intrinsic (no spell required) at P2 or P3.
 
Bridge of Mist -  Needed to overcome obstacles in Superior Class unusual sightings for kingdoms without the Adventurer trait.  Generally a P2 or P3 with being intrinsic (no spell required) at P3 or P4.
 
Summon Kraken – Is a high percentage sea patrol interdiction in an 8 contiguous sea area that does 30 points of damage – so 5 fleets at quality 12 with a General (+10%) interdicted by Kraken would suffer 45% losses.  Not widely available – an Atlantian and Pirate specialty, possibly also Cimmerian at higher levels, maybe a couple wizard kingdoms.  (Our wizard (name) unleashed a Kraken in the Sea of (name).)
 
Wind Storm –  Disrupts missile phases in that enemy long range archery is reduced 50%, friendly 25%, short range missile is reduced 25% for enemy, and 10% for friendly.  Generally a P2 or P3 spell for several kingdoms.
 
Flash Flood –  Reduces Charge phase for both sides by 75%.  Not possible in mountains or desert.
 
Crack the Sky – High level spell that does both Fear and Chaos.
 
Project Group – An imaginary group shows up on foreign intel.
 
Mirror Image - an Unusual Sighting spell better than Guarded Attack but with some vulnerability
 
Craft (various 1 point customization artifacts at P5 or P6 and 2 points at P8.  Craft fine weapon.
 
Create Glyph of Concealment or Glyph of Strength
 
Liche – like Wraith Form, but generally at P7 (Witchlord) to P9, changes wizard to P7 Liche.
 
Conceal Emissary – Emissary is not detected by PC on relocation or by Agent Recon below L7
 
Summon Rock Golems - great verses PC
 
Storm at Sea – 8 contiguous areas all within 8 of Spellcaster.  Does not stop a patrol with an Elite Ship. Has no effect on Dragon or other flying group movement.
 
Destroy Undead – 1 brigade per power level targeting skeletons first, then Zombies, then Ghouls.  Only some kingdoms have this spell.

All this not finalized, just sayin'.

[Lord Diamond]

I like them all!

[Hawk_]

I like them all!

This list is pretty great!

[DuPont]

I so totally want to play the Pirates!

[Madmardigan]

I so totally want to play the Pirates!

Hah.  

If you are a pirate you might run into a Cimmerian fleet or a Sacred Order group.   Both spell bad news for a buccaneer.  

[Ry Vor]

OK, I am about done documenting 24 new spells, mostly as shown above.  I need to assign order numbers, but I think tomorrow it will be turned over to Uncle Mike to do his thing.  Next is re-doing the Spell Lists by kingdom to both incorporate these into lists, and make modifications to the 2nd Cycle lists.  There were a few other summonings to be included, including Minotaurs, Phantoms and Specters. 

Also looks that the previous list did not include mainly Necromancer spells:

Sacrifice – A spell to sacrifice a general to make another general in group a Marshal.  Can sacrifice a Marshal to make another Marshal in group a Warlord.  Must name the leaders (by name not rank) to be both sacrificed and elevated.
 
Transform to Nazgul.  Spell to convert a Marshal I or higher leader into a Nazgul Marshal.  Like Wraith for leaders: cannot be killed except by magic weapon but cannot advance.  A Warlord becomes a Nazgul Marshal II, a Marshal II becomes a Nazgul Marshal I, a Marshal I to a Nazgul Marshal.
 

[Ry Vor]

I don't think I will revamp many of the existing spells now, hope to get to it later. 

One change that will no doubt generate some buzz is that the Kill Leader / Kill Wizard spell will require combat between the caster and target groups.

Yes, having invisible patrols offing enemy wizards and leaders with impunity was one of the remaining exploits in 2nd Cycle, and you can always play 2nd Cycle if that is such a core principle to your tactics.  Otherwise, we live and adapt.  Most of us have probably been on both sides of that one, and I just think it was another design deficiency that hurt the military kingdoms, and spoiled a good game for any kingdom that fell victim. 

Lest someone again suggest I hate the magic kingdoms, let me say briefly a very disproportionate amount of design time has been spent on those kingdoms for 3rd cycle, notably the 23 or 24 new spells, new special abilities, new requirements for magic in unusual sightings, etc.

Just thought I would tip that one off now rather than have that be a focus for some when we do release The Choosing.

And maybe to preclude any rants, I offer this charming scene on unsolicited advice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S7QARslq74

Just kidding. Sort of. Maybe.

[Jumpingfist]

I think all the Mage supremacy mages get a huge bump in 3rd cycle. I never really liked that a patrol could cause so much damage with no real defense. Curious though does this also mean one combat at a time so kill wizard/leaders will only resolve as the fight happrnd and not before all fighting starts. In a way because Mage kingdoms have so many more wizards would likely still aid them over a standard military kingdom

[HeadHoncho]

So to be clear, Wizards in a patrol could only be killed by assassination? And Liches and Wraiths in a patrol would be effectively invulnerable?

Does Summon Death still work if cast by a patrol?

What about Cry of the Banshee, could you target wizards in patrols with that spell?

To be clear, I'm just asking questions to pressure test the ramifications, I'm not criticizing the decision.

[Ry Vor]

So to be clear, Wizards in a patrol could only be killed by assassination?  And Liches and Wraiths in a patrol would be effectively invulnerable?

Does Summon Death still work if cast by a patrol?

What about Cry of the Banshee, could you target wizards in patrols with that spell?

To be clear, I'm just asking questions to pressure test the ramifications, I'm not criticizing the decision.

Well, good so far - you were two of the ones I was more concerned about having objections.

Summon Death will likely get the same treatment, its just a lot rarer than the Kill Wizard spell. 

Wizards in a patrol yes, are themselves not subject to Kill Wizard, but now the point of having them roam around in patrols instead of supporting groups is greatly diminished.  Why would I want to do that now?  Maybe to research without being attacked?  But eventually they would have to be in a larger group to be effective.  Could still issue regional effect spells, I suppose.  Anyway, as I said, its an exploit closed and I think for the most part, we will see wizards back in the armies instead of sneaking about in patrols.

I don't think I will continue the Cry of the Banshee spell. 

On a related note, just doing a once-over on the completed new spells before passing on to Mike.