Discreet Spell Casting

[bluegargantua]

Hi,

So, I'm reading through the magic system in BW. The section gives a spell out of the book to illustrate the different components of a spell description. Sitting here with book out of reach, I don't remember the exact name of the spell, but it's basically a charm spell -- successes over the target's Will gives bonuses to persuasion or something like that.

But my question has more to do with how the spell is cast. If I recall correctly, it's like 16 syllables long -- 8 full actions. It'll take more than a single volley to cast and even if you hurry it up you're still gonna be chanting for a volley.

So Bob the Wizard is trying to buy a horse from Trader Tim. Bob has no qualms about using power cosmic to score a good deal, so he starts chanting up this charm spell.  But my understanding is that spell casting is pretty obvious.  So if Tim has any sense at all, he'll start pounding on Bob.

So how does Bob cast on the sly?

later
Tom

[Thor Olavsrud]

Hey bluegargantua,

The spell you're thinking of is Arcane Kindness. The key point to notice is that it is a Sustained spell. Cast it before you leave the house and sustain it. This gives you the opportunity to cast it Patiently and Carefully too! If you don't have a vict...er...target in mind when you cast it, the safe rule of thumb is that an Anima spell defaults to Obstacle 5 (but just use that for determining whether you cast the spell successfully).

As long as you keep it up, it works against anybody that you encounter. Just compare your casting successes against their Will.

Your other option is to go with the spell Persuasion instead. It's a truly nasty spell. Offer your victim a suggestion, and as long as your casting successes beat his Will, he must comply. The Syllables of Persuasion are equal to the syllables of the suggestion issued + 1, so we play that Persuasion is not noticible to the victim (though it may be if it fails). However, sorcerers, especially smart ones who cast The Sense each morning and sustain it, will spot the spell immediately. But if the casting successes exceed their (usually considerable) Will, they'll still comply.

[bluegargantua]

The spell you're thinking of is Arcane Kindness. The key point to notice is that it is a Sustained spell. Cast it before you leave the house and sustain it. This gives you the opportunity to cast it Patiently and Carefully too! If you don't have a vict...er...target in mind when you cast it, the safe rule of thumb is that an Anima spell defaults to Obstacle 5 (but just use that for determining whether you cast the spell successfully).

As long as you keep it up, it works against anybody that you encounter. Just compare your casting successes against their Will.

 Right.  The sustaining bit.  That's what made me think you could do it ahead of time, but the difficulty seemed to suggest that you needed a specific target in mind and then I was wondering if it worked on multiple people or what.

 Heh, now I'm thinking of some sort of "Rune of Doom" spell where you sustain a damaging spell that attacks anyone who sees it.  You mark it on your shirt, cover up with a robe and anytime trouble shows up, you flash them dead.  Just don't look in a mirror...

Neat.
Tom

[Thor Olavsrud]

Hey Tom,

Here's one take on the Rune of Doom I just built using the Abstraction chapter from the beta Magic Burner on the BW Web site. It's not easy (base Ob 8 if you cast ahead of time), but you can get it down a bit by casting Patiently and Carefully.

If you're interested in new spells, I've posted a bunch over in the Magic Burner forum at the BW site.

Rune of Doom (Ob = Target's Perception +3^, Syllables 13) -- Cost: 32 RPs
Effect: Reaching across the barriers of life and death, the wizard gathers the power of his soul and imbues his Akh into a mystical symbol, which glows with the light of Heaven and the wizard's own soul, and burns the sight from those whose glance falls upon it. Damaging Effect Spell: Power = Will, +1 Power for every success over the Obstacle. DOF. Successes over the Obstacle may also be used to drain one point of Perception from the victim per success. Lost Perception dice are regained in the same manner as Forte dice lost to The Sickness.

Notes: The Rune of Doom may be covered by other materials as the Wizard chooses. Revealing the Rune is a Physical Action (requires 2 Actions in combat). Once revealed, it affects one target of the wizard's choice per Action.

Range: Personal
Area: Single Target
Impetus: Destroyer/Tax
Element: Anima/Heaven
Duration: Sustained

Abstraction:
Element: Heaven (Ob 3, Syllables 7)
Element: Anima (Ob *, Syllables 10)
Impetus: Destroyer (Ob +2, Syllables +5)
Impetus: Tax (Ob +1, Syllables +2)
Origin: Personal (Ob +0, Syllables +2)
Duration: Sustained (Ob +2, Syllables +4)
Area of Effect: Single Target (Ob +1, Syllables +4)

First Distillation: Heaven-Single Target
Heaven-Single Target (Ob 2, Syllables 6)
Anima (Ob *, Syllables 10)
Destroyer (Ob +2, Syllables +5)
Tax (Ob +1, Syllables +2)
Personal (Ob +0, Syllables +2)
Sustained (Ob +2, Syllables +4)

Second Distillation: Destroyer-Sustained
Heaven-Tax (Ob 2, Syllables 5)
Anima (Ob *, Syllables 10)
Destroyer-Sustained (Ob +2, Syllables +5)
Personal (Ob +0, Syllables +2)

Finalization
Rune of Doom (Ob = Target's Perception +3, Syllables 13)