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Illusion Spells

No matter how realistic they are, illusions cannot directly cause physical harm. They can cause distractions, loss of balance or orientation, and even symptoms like nausea or pain. All such effects vanish, though, as soon as the magician drops the illusion. Illusions can certainly cause harm by manipulating the senses so a victim walks into traffic or off a high building, for example, but they cannot directly cause damage. Illusions fall into the following categories:

Obvious illusions are used solely for entertainment and cannot fool subjects into believing they are real.

Realistic illusions seem completely real.

Single-sense illusions affect only one sense.

Multi-sense illusions affect all senses.

Mana Illusions: Mana-based Illusion spells affect the mind and are ineffective against technological viewing systems like cameras. Mana illusions are resisted by Logic + Willpower. Some mana illusions affect the target’s senses directly; others affect the senses of anyone perceiving the subject of the spell (though you’re never affected by your own illusion spell). Though mana-based illusions can be created on the astral plane, their magical auras give them away as illusions to anyone who makes a successful Assensing Test—illusions can’t fool Assensing and cannot be used to disguise or create auras.

Physical Illusions: Physical illusion spells create actual images or alter physical properties, such as light or sound. Physical illusions can be used on both living and technological systems. They are resisted by Intuition + Logic; non-living devices resist with their Object Resistance. The magician must generate more hits than the observer for the illusion to be considered real. If the spell is not completely resisted, the target is fully affected by the illusion.

Illusion Spells
Spell Name Type Duration Range Drain
Agony Mana, Realistic, Single-Sense S LOS F - 4
Bugs Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense S LOS F - 3
Chaos Physical, Realistic, Multi-Sense S LOS F - 2
Chaotic World Physical, Realistic, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F
Confusion Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense S LOS F - 3
Entertainment Mana, Obvious, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 3
Hush Mana, Realistic, Single-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 2
Improved Invisibility Physical, Realistic, Single-Sense S LOS F - 1
Invisibility Mana, Realistic, Single-Sense S LOS F - 2
Mask Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense S T F - 2
Mass Agony Mana, Realistic, Single-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 2
Mass Confusion Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 1
Phantasm Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 1
Physical Mask Physical, Realistic, Multi-Sense S T F - 1
Silence Physical, Realistic, Single-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 1
Stealth Physical, Realistic, Single-Sense S LOS F - 2
Swarm Mana, Realistic, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 1
Trid Entertainment Physical, Obvious, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F - 2
Trid Phantasm Physical, Realistic, Multi-Sense, Area S LOS(A) F


Agony

Mass Agony

A favorite of mages going through bad break-ups, Agony inflicts an illusion of terrible pain on the target. Each net hit scored by the magician temporarily inflicts 1 box of Physical and 1 box of Stun damage on the target. It is not actual damage, only a measure of the effect of the spell. The target is affected the same as if the damage were real, with the usual injury penalties. If the target’s damage boxes are completely filled, he is racked with pain, unable to move or act. Once the spell is ended, the pain and damage boxes immediately go away. Agony affects a single target, while Mass Agony is an area spell.

Bugs

Swarm

These spells make the target believe that small bugs of various persuasions are crawling over their entire body, biting them, scurrying about, and crawling into assorted orifices. The bugs look, feel, smell, and even taste real. The illusion is usually enough to make any target who fails to resist freak out. For each net hit you get, the target loses 2 from their Initiative Score. If you sustain the spell, they lose the same amount from their Initiative Score at the beginning of each Combat Turn. Bugs affects a single target, Swarm is an area spell.

Confusion

Mass Confusion

Chaos

Chaotic World

These spells produce a storm of conflicting sensations and images to confuse the senses. For each net hit on the Spellcasting Test, the target suffers a –1 dice pool modifier to all tests due to the distraction. Confusion affects a single target. Mass Confusion is an area spell. The Chaos spell is a physical version of Confusion (above), so it also affects technological systems and sensing devices. Chaotic World is an area version of Chaos.

Entertainment

Trid Entertainment

These area spells create obvious, but entertaining, illusions. Hits on the Spellcasting Test measure how detailed, interesting, and captivating the audience finds the illusion. The magician can reproduce just about anything from her imagination, or re-create something she has experienced. Entertainment affects the minds of the subjects and cannot be detected by non-living sensors. Trid Entertainment is a physical spell and can be perceived by both living subjects and non-living sensors. These spells are used for amusement as well as art. The entertainment industry uses illusionists as literal special effects wizards. Magical designers and artists work to create new and interesting sensations, including sensations that can’t otherwise be experienced in the real world. Only the wealthy can afford the unique experiences offered by such magicians firsthand.

Invisibility

Improved Invisibility

This spell makes the subject more difficult to detect by normal visual senses (including low-light, thermographic, and other senses that rely on the visual spectrum). The subject is completely tangible and detectable by the other senses (hearing, smell, touch, and even taste, if it somehow comes to that). Her aura is still visible to astral perception. Anyone who might be in a position to perceive the subject must first successfully resist the spell. Simply make one Spellcasting Test and use the hits scored as the threshold for anyone that resists at a later point. Even if the spell is resisted, the subject might remain undetected if she’s good enough with her Sneaking Test. An invisible character may still be detected by non-visual means, such as hearing or smell. Attacks against invisible targets suffer the Blind Fire modifier if the attacker is unable to see or otherwise sense the subject of the spell. Invisibility affects the minds of viewers. Improved Invisibility mimics the subject’s surroundings from all angles and affects technological sensors as well.

Mask

Physical Mask

The Mask spell requires the magician to touch the subject. The subject assumes a different physical appearance (of the same basic size and shape as her natural form) chosen by the magician. This spell can alter the subject’s voice, scent, and other physical characteristics as well. Anyone who might see through the disguise must first successfully resist the spell. Simply make one Spellcasting Test and use the hits scored as the threshold for anyone that resists at a later point. Mask affects the minds of viewers. Physical Mask creates an illusion that affects technological sensors as well.

Phantasm

Trid Phantasm

These area spells create convincing illusions of any object, creature, or scene the magician desires. They can create an illusion of anything the magician has seen before, from a flower or a credstick to a dragon breathing fire, as long as the illusion is no larger than the spell’s area of effect. Anyone who might pierce the illusion must successfully resist the spell. Simply make one Spellcasting Test and use the hits scored as the threshold for anyone attempting to resist at a later point. Phantasm only affects living beings, while Trid Phantasm affects technological sensors as well.

Hush

Silence

These spells create an area that dampens sound. Sonic attacks into or out of the field, as well as critter powers using a sonic medium (such as Paralyzing Howl), are reduced by –1 per hit on the Spellcasting Test. Anyone attempting to hear a sound from within or across the silenced area must successfully resist the spell. Hush is a mana spell and so only affects living beings and magic sonic attacks. Silence affects technological devices and is useful for jamming alarms, detection devices, sonar, and tactical communications, as well as technological sonic weapons.

Stealth

Stealth makes the subject less audible to normal and augmented hearing. The subject moves in silence, making less or no noise. Things not directly touched by the subject can still make noise, so a character under a Stealth spell would make no noise knocking on a door, but the door would make noise hitting the floor or wall if it was kicked in. Anyone who might hear the subject must first successfully resist the spell. Make a single Spellcasting Test and use the hits scored as the threshold for anyone who resists at a later point. Even if the spell is resisted, the subject might remain unnoticed if her Sneaking Tests are up to par.