4/11/2015
Castelli&ChimereCastles&Chimeras:Invisiblereflectionsand2newOSRspell
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venerd3aprile2015
Invisiblereflectionsand2newOSRspell
DuringtheyearsIhadlotsofdiscussionsoninvisibilityspellsaspresentedintheAD&D1steditiongame(andalso2ndeditionandbyextensiontheOSRICclone).
ThefirstobservationisthatinvisibilityspellsareoftheIllusion/Phantasmtype,whereillusionmagiccreateanimage(usuallywith3dimensions)intherealworldthatcanbeseenbynormalmeans(thatistheimageofatreewillbeseenasatreebyalltheonlookers)whilePhantasmspellarehallucinationinthemindofthespellvictim.
MyconclusionarethatinvisibilityspellsaretobeconsideredoftheIllusiontypesincetheydon'thavearealimitsandtheinvisiblecreaturewillnotbevisibletoeveryonelookingathim(lessof"seetheinvisible","truevision"andthelike),evensomeonelookingfromfarawaywithacrystalballwillnotseetheinvisiblecharacter.
Soitmustbeanillusionspellsinceitisjust2ndlevelanditcannotbesopowerfultocreateaphantasminthemindofeveryonelookingatthecharacterlocation(thiscouldbethousandsofpeopleifthecharacterwerewalkingonatowerinthemiddleofasiege).Itmustbeasortofhologramthatgivethecharacterperfectblendingwithhissurroundings.
Therearemanyotherwaystobecomeinvisible,liketobeshiftedoutofrealitymaybeinsomeshadowyplane,likehappenedtoFrodowhenhedonnedtheOneRing,orhowithappensinCryptsandThingswhereinvisibilityshiftthecasterinTheShroudtheplaneofthe"others"makinginvisibilityablackmagicspellandputtingthesanityoftheinvisibilitysubjectatrisk(butIthinkthismaketheinvisibilityspellalittletoomuchfora2ndlevelspell).
Buttheusual2ndlevelspellshouldjustsurroundyouinanillusioncapableofcloakingyourself,bythewaythismeansthatthrowingflourorchalktotheinvisiblecharacterdon'tmakehimcoveredinflour(sincewhatyoupickupbecomeinvisible,asspecifiedinmanyOSRgamesliketheBasicFantasyRPG)buthelphisenemybymakingvisiblehisfootprintsontheflourcoveredfloor.
I'llendthisarticlewithtwonew"invisibility"spells:
ArcaneIllusion/Phantasm
Level:Mage2nd,Illusionist1stRange:TouchDuration:10'/levelAreaofeffect:OneCreatureComponents:V,S,M(abitofpowderedchameleonskin)Castingtime:3segmentsSavingThrow:None
Thisspellmakethesubjecttotallyinvisibleifhestaystill,ifhemove,attacksorcastspellshebecomevisibleagainbutthespellisnotbroken.Ifthesubjectofthespellbecomesstillagainandthespellisstillineffectitwillturninvisibleafter2rounds.
ArcaneIllusion/Phantasm
Level:Mage4th,Illusionist3rdRange:TouchDuration:10'/levelAreaofeffect:Asquareareawithsidesof(100'+(10'*CasterLevel))Components:V,S,M(asmalltapestrywovenbyfaerieswortharound100gp)Castingtime:10'SavingThrow:None
Thisspellaffectsanarea,whenthespelliscastthecasterwilldesignatewhowillbecomeinvisiblebythespellbeyondhimself(upto1humanoid*casterlevel,thisnumbermustincludethecaster).Allthesubject
ofthisspell,untiltheendofthespell,whenareinthespellareaandtakeaninvisiblestance(don'tmakeattacks,castspells,speaktowhocannotseethem)areinvisibleexcepttotheothersubjectofthisspell.Iftheybreaktheinvisiblestancetheycanbecomeagaininvisibleifthehidefromview(goingbehindawalloratree).Noticethatmultiplecastingofthisspellfromdifferentcastersorondifferentgroupofpeoplemakesforaveryfunandconfusingsituation.
Cloakofthechameleon
FaerieTapestry
