18 February 2014

Earthdawn: Part 32 - Comparison of 1E and 3E Part 6: Illusionist Spells

This is the thirty-second part in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Below is a list of all the Illusionist Spells found in 1E (Core book, Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive and Magic: A Manual of Mystic Secrets) and the 3E Player's Guide.

Right now it is just a list, though if there is a desire for it (which means leave a comment to that effect) I can add some commentary and thoughts on the changes between editions.

Some of the changes were almost certainly made to accommodate the move to a battle map and hexes with a 2-yard standard size. Which means that, depending on how you count spaces, some of the areas of effect may not have changed. Regardless, the most significant changes are that the minimum casting difficulty is now a 6 instead of 2 and ranges have been drastically reduced across the board.

First Circle

Assuring Touch: No changes.

Bellow of the Thundras: Reference to "Make an Impression" added.

Best Face: No changes.

Blazing Fists of Rage: No changes.

Catseyes: No changes.

Disguise Metal: Duration now uses rank instead of Willforce test; now has an Effect test that determines the weight affected, instead of a static amount; Spell Defense against detection is now 6 instead of 7.

Displace Image: Distance increased by 1 yard; a fixed Difficulty is no longer given.

Fun With Doors: Distances adjusted to fix in 2-yard hexes

Light: Casting Difficulty: +4; Duration now uses rank instead of Willpower test; Difficulty to blind a target now requires a Good result, instead of +5; increasing the duration now costs Blood Magic Damage instead of Permanent Damage.

Pauper's Purse: No changes.

Rope Guide: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: no limit; no longer a limit on rope length.

Unseen Voices: 

True Blazing Fists of Rage: Full text added instead of a reference to the illusion.

Second Circle

Blindness: Range: -15 yards; Sensing tests clarified.

Crafty Thought: Now explicitly allows for recasting if it fails or ends; failure now prevents using the spell on the same target for a day.

Disaster: Difficulty increases after the first target; increase to engaged targets is now a Good success, instead of a static +4.

Encrypt: Range: -20 yards.

Ephemeral Bolt: Range: -36 yards.

Impossible Knot: Casting Difficulty: +2.

Innocent Activity: No changes.

Monstrous Mantle: Duration: Rank instead of Willforce.

Remove Shadow: No changes.

Send Message: (Couldn't be found in the three 1E reference texts.)

Tailor: No changes.

True Ephemeral Bolt: Range: -36 yards.

Weather Cloak: Effect test against magical weather is now explicitly every round.

You Got Me: No changes.

Third Circle

Alarm: No changes.

And Then I Woke Up: Now affects tests in the same round as well.

Blinding Glare: Range: -18 yards; Area: +2 feet.

Dampen Karma: Range: -36 yards; Effect: Now -3 steps, instead of a -4 penalty to the Karma die result. 

Detect Illusionism Magic: Range: -30 yards.

Dispel Illusionism Magic: Casting Difficulty: +2; Range: -30 yards.

False Floor: Effect: WIL+6; Area: 6-yard radius instead of 20 x 20 feet.

Impossible Lock: Casting Difficulty: Now TSD; Effect: Now WIL+7.

Mind Fog: Range: -36 yards; now more explicit in function.

Nobody Here: Area: -6 yards.

Phantom Warrior: Range: -6 yards.

See the Unseen: Clarification on use with other abilities added.

Soothe the Savage Beast: Range: -6 yards; Extraordinary success effect now in hours instead of days.

Suffocation: Range: -72 yards; Area: +2 feet; now causes Harried instead of -2 to Action tests.

Fourth Circle

Aura: Range: -6 yards.

Bleeding Edge: No changes.

Circle of Well Being: Casting Difficulty: +4; Area: +2 feet; now requires a successful Effect test against the target's Spell Defense before it will generate any benefit.

Clarion Call: Range: -60 yards; now specifies a Disbelief Difficulty; affected targets will now explicitly not harm themselves.

Conceal Tracks: Difficulty now increases per target; now includes Effect test to determine Sensing Difficulty.

Eyes Have It: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -36 yards; now a Spellcasting test to taget individuals; now allows the target a Willpower test against the Effect test to end the effect against them.

Great Weapon: Now causes Harried instead of -2 to all Attack tests.

Hunger: Can now cause Wounds.

Improved Alarm: No changes.

Memory Blank: Range: +1 yard; extending the duration now costs 3 Blood Magic Damage, instead of 2 Permanent Damage.

Multi-Missile: Duration: Now 1 round.

Nightmare of Foreboding: Now reduces Wound Threshold by 6, not 8.

Stop Right There: Range: -36 yards; now explicitly allows the target to act normally, besides the whole not moving around thing; target is now Harried.

Unmask: Range: -12 yards.


Fifth Circle

Awaken: Now includes provision for non-magical effects; now heals target to regain consciousness instead of granting a Recovery Test.

Bond of Silence: Now includes specific instruction regarding success or failure to speak.

Clothing Gone: Range: -36 yards; now Harries target instead of a -4 penalty to Action tests; no long allows Willpower test to Dispel.

Enter and Exit: Now requires Spellcasting test to find hidden passages.

Eye of Truth: No changes.

Flesh Eater: Threads: -1; now causes Harried instead of -2 to all Action tests.

Flying Carpet: Maximum ceiling and climb speeds are now specified; full attribute write-up given (not all are the same).

Illusion: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -18 yards; Area: was 100 ft^2, now 10-yard radius; now allows for Spellcasting rank duration extensions.

Improve Karma: Weaving Difficulty: -1/-3; Effect: +4 (instead of +5) Karma Steps; now can be dispelled.

Noble Manner: Now specifies Interaction tests.

Phantom Fireball: Range: -60 yards; Area: -6 yards.

Pleasant Visions: Range: -36 yards.

Switch: Range: -6 yards; target no longer must be willing; 

Wall of Unfire: Casting Difficulty: +4; dimensions now 4-yards high, 2-yards wide, 2-yards deep; Spellcasting tests are now made for each attempt to pass through the wall; Knockdown tests from Wounds are now considered Sensing tests.

Sixth Circle

Astral Shadow: No changes.

Bouncing Blaster: Casting Difficulty: Now 6 in addition to TSD; Area: Now 12-yard radius; Area: targets within 2-yards (not 20 feet) are affected; within 2 yards (not 5 feet) sets blaster off; distance into air no longer specified.

Chosen Path: Casting Difficulty: +4.

Dancing Disks: Range: -45 yards; Difficulty now increases for each target.

Foreseeing: Clarifies how many days into the future can be viewed. Removes references to divination.

Illusory Missiles: Range: -72 yards; Area: +2 feet.

Memory Scribe: Range: -1 yard; extending the duration is now Blood Magic Damage, not Permanent Damage.

Spotlight: Range: -60 yards; Area: -14 feet; resistance is now an Action test, not a Willpower test.

Stench: Range: -24 yards; Area: +2 feet, in a sphere, not a square; Willpower test success and failure clarified; Knock Down added for failure.

Seventh Circle

Dream Sight: Now requires an item of the target.

Drunken Stagger: No changes.

False Enchantment: Casting Difficulty: +4; Disbelief (not Sensing) Difficulty is increased by 5 (not D8).

Rebel Limb: Range: -36 yards; now an illusion; resistance is now a Disbelief tests against the Effect tests; target granted a bonus on Disbelief tests. 

Reversal of Passion: No changes.

Silent Stampede: (Couldn't be found in the three 1E reference texts.)

Stampede: Difficulty now increases for each additional target; now causes Harried instead of -2 to all Action tests; now limits targets to Spellcasting rank.


Time Flies: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -36 yards.

Twisted Tongues: Range: -36 yards; Difficulty increases for each target; Speak Language tests are now considered Sensing tests.

Vertigo: Range: -45 yards; now just gives a -6 penalty on Action tests.

Walk Through: Dexterity test results somewhat clarified.

Eighth Circle

Astral Nightmare: Range: -15 yards; damage inflicted now allows a Perception test as a Sensing test.

Dreamsend: Now requires an item of the target.

Form Exchange: Range: -15 yards.

Illusory Spell: This has been removed in 3E.

Leaping Lizards: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -90 yards; Knockdown tests caused by Wounds now count as Sensing tests.

Massive Missiles: Range: -150 yards; Difficulty increases for additional targets; targets now always make the Effect test.

Other Place: No changes.

Shadow Spell: Range: -36 yards.

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