Imaginem Spells
Imaginem is one of the most esoteric and least understood of the Hermetic Arts, being as it is a tangled mess of Faery Magic and Hermetic Forms. Few other Arts make their wielder as aware of the limitations of Hermetic magic. For this reason more rigidly-minded magi tend to avoid the study of Imaginem, while Faery wizards and the enigmatic apprentices of Criamon delight in the Art's eccentricities.
There are few hard and fast rules about Imaginem. In general it affects sensations and perception. Most things that a person can perceive, through sight, sound, smell, taste, and sometimes touch, can be altered or controlled by the Art of Imaginem. Note that Imaginem affects perception by altering what is perceived, not the perceiver. For that reason Imaginem spells cannot be targetted at specific people; anyone who views the image will be affected by the spell. Changing what a single person perceives would be a Mentem spell.
Although Imaginem spells may seem to affect reality, their effects are never natural. Most Imaginem spells can be dispelled by touch, and those capable of seeing through illusions will be able to detect the truth behind the spell.
Sight and touch are the hardest senses to fool with Imaginem spells. In fact, purely Hermetic spells are incapable of affecting the sense of touch, though some spells which incorporate Faery magic can create vague sensations, such as heat or wind. It is said that Faery wizards can make much more powerful illusions, capable of being handled and carried without revealing their lack of substance.
Finesse is a very important skill for weilders of Imaginem. Imaginem can be a very subtle Art, and attempting to craft ornate images requires a fine touch. Finesse should be used whenever a character is attempting to get the best milage from a spell, for example: making an image that is particularly complicated, trying to duplicate a specific person, or having an image move in a complex or dexterous fashion. Failing a Finesse roll usually means the illusion has some flaw that may reveal it to be a spell.
These spells create images or sensations where there weren't any previously. They cannot alter or mask images that are already there; that requires Muto magic. Created images can be perceived by anyone in the vicinity. They are most likely to fool people, though skillful illusionists can trick animals and even magical creatures as well. Illusions are of no use against those creatures who do not percieve the world with normal senses, such as simple undead and spirits.
A magus who creates the image of a stationary object, such as a sword, can appear to carry the object from place to place simply by concentrating. This is not considered movement for the purpose of the spell. Trying to swing the sword wildly, as if using it in combat, would require a Concentration or Finesse roll, or both.
Depending on how familiar the illusionist is with what he is trying to create, the SG can apply a +3 to -3 modifier to his spellcasting roll. Obviously a magus cannot create the image of something or someone he has never seen before with any accuracy.
Most Creo Imaginem spells are of Concentration duration, and have a range of Near. A magus cannot be fooled by his own Imaginem spells, and can dispell them at will. Created illusions are also dispelled when touched, or occasionally when they are shown to be false by some flaw in the image.
The guidelines below assume the following:
Making a two-dimensional image on a flat surface subtracts 1 Magnitude
Making a complex image (subtle movement, reflective surface, numerous objects) adds 1-2 Magnitudes
Adding actual movement to an image adds 1 Magnitude
Adding simple sounds (creaks, rustles, grunts, etc) to an image adds 1 Magnitude
Adding complex sounds (speech, music) to an image adds 2 Magnitudes
Adding scent or taste to an image adds 1 Magnitude
Adding light to an image adds 1 Magnitude Adding faint physical sensations (breeze, chill) adds 2 Magnitudes
1st Magnitude Effects
-- create a simple sound or series of sounds (eg,
footsteps, moans, sword clangs)
-- create an innocuous scent
-- create a taste
-- create a simple mark, image or colour on a 2d
surface
-- conjur shadows
2nd Magnitude Effects
-- create a complex series of sounds (eg, speech, but
not music)
-- create an overwhelming scent or noise
-- create a simple, inanimate object, man-sized or less
-- conjur witchlight
-- conjur moving shadows
3rd Magnitude Effects
-- create a faint physical sensation (eg, wind or
warmth)
-- create the sound of music or singing
-- create a simple, inanimate object, room-sized or
less
-- create a complex image, man-sized or less
-- conjur moving witchlight
4th Magnitude Effects
-- create a complex, moving image of man-sized or
less
-- create a complex, room-sized image
-- create a stationary light source, as bright as a
lantern
5th Magnitude Effects
-- create a simple, inanimate object of larger than room-sized
7th Magnitude Effects
-- create a complex, moving, man-sized image complete with speech and stench
These spells extend the senses, or bring sensations and perceptions from far-off places. They have the least in common with other Imaginem spells because they are not really dealing with illusions at all. Many magi who refuse to study Imaginem will still make frequent use of Intellego Imaginem spells.
Unlike normal Imaginem spells, the Intellego variety generally affect the caster and not the thing perceived. Those around the wizard will rarely be able to tell what he is actually seeing.
The guidelines below assume the following:
Allowing someone else to share your perceptions adds 1 or 2 Magnitudes
Most Intellego Imaginem spells last during Concentration. Many require an Arcane Connection to the place or person being scryed upon.
1st Magnitude Effects
-- reveal your illusions to others
-- determine the taste of something without imbibing
it
-- determine the smell of something without going
near it
2nd Magnitude Effects
-- listen to something that is within your gaze
-- make something you can see appear closer
-- discern images hidden by darkness
-- listen to what a person says through an Arcane
Conncetion
3rd Magnitude Effects
-- summon the silent, two-dimensional image of
someone through an Arcane Connection
-- listen for a specific sound or voice from a place
through an Arcane Connection
-- see in all directions at once
4th Magnitude Effects
-- hear all sounds in a place through an Arcane
Connection
-- listen through someone's ears with an Arcane
Connection
5th Magnitude Effects
-- see distant place through an Arcane Connection
-- watch a person (and area around) through an
Arcane Connection
-- see through a person's eyes with an Arcane
Connection
6th Magnitude Effects
-- see and hear a person through an Arcane
Connection
-- see and hear through a person's senses with an
Arcane Connection
7th Magnitude Effects
-- see and hear all that happens in a place through an Arcane Connection
These spells modify existing images or sensations, and cannot create something out of nothing. They tend to be very subtle and therefore useful for manipulating others. Altered images tend to adapt themselves to the medium where possible (ie, someone disguised as an old man draws a sword; the illusion adapts by brandishing its cane ). Acting completely out of character can still show the illusion to be false, however (sprinting away at top speed would destroy the illusion of being an old man). Certain faery illusionists can create effects that adapt themselves more completely to the subject, but these are beyond Hermetic wizards.
These effects generally assume a Reach of Near, and a Duration of Sun. Altered images last without the wizard's concentration, though he may dispell them at will. Many transformations can be dispelled by touch, but only if that touch shows the image to be false (ie, touching long hair disguised as short will reveal the illusion, touching black hair disguised as blonde will not).
The guidelines below assume the following:
A room-sized transformation adds 1 Magnitude
A larger than room-sized transformation adds 2 Magnitudes
Transforming more than one object adds 1 or 2 Magnitudes
Transforming sound along with image adds 1 or 2 Magnitudes
1st Magnitude Effects
-- change the taste of something
-- change the way something smells, or make it smell
stronger
-- make a noise louder or softer
-- change the colour of something
2nd Magnitude Effects
-- change minor details about something, without
changing object (eg, bearded man looks clean-shaven, plain dress looks well made)
-- make something appear more or less clean
-- make something look more or less impressive
-- make music sound better or worse
-- make an image appear blurry (as if in fog)
3rd Magnitude Effects
-- change major details about something, as long as
object stays same (eg, warhorse looks like old nag,
plain dress looks like royal gown)
-- make a bare tree appear to have leaves
-- make a dead thing appear living or a living thing
appear dead
-- make food appear rotten
-- make someone's speech unintelligable
-- change major details about sounds (eg, laughter to
crying, hoofbeats to footsteps)
-- make someone look like someone else (without
changing gender or clothes)
4th Magnitude Effects
-- make an object blend into background (ie,
camoflague)
-- make an object look like a different object of the
same basic size and shape (eg, curled up person looks
like rock, a pile of sand looks like pile of gold)
-- make someone's voice sound like animal sounds
-- make a noise sound like any vaguely similar noise
(wind to voice, rustling leaves to marching army)
5th Magnitude Effects
-- make an object transparent
-- make an object look like a related object (eg, sword
to eating knife, shrub to tree, meal to banquet, robe
to armour, stool to throne)
While it is natural for physical objects to decay, images and sensations do not generally do so on their own. Hermetic magic, therefore, is capable of surpressing sensations, but rarely destroys them utterly. Perdo Imaginem spells are probably the least destructive uses of Perdo in Hermetic magic.
Like most forms of Imaginem, a magus is able to see through the effect of his own spell, though not quite as easily. It takes a conscious effort to see through your own Perdo Imaginem effect. A magus who surpresses the taste of a meal will be able to taste the food if he wishes to, but unless he makes an effort the food will be just as tasteless to him as anyone else. Likewise, if a wizard turns someone invisible, he can still see the person just fine, as long as he is trying. The moment he stops, the person will fade from his view until he consciously looks for them again.
Most Perdo Imaginem spells are of Concentration duration, and have a range of Near.
The guidelines below assume the following:
Surpressing a moving image adds 1 Magnitude
1st Magnitude Effects
-- surpress something minor about an image (a sigil,
a crack, a wart)
-- hide a single minor sound or taste (a splash, a thud,
the creak of a floorboard)
-- surpress the colour of something small
-- erase a page of writing
-- hide a normal odour
2nd Magnitude Effects
-- hide an overpowering odour or taste
-- mute a simple, continuous noise (eg, barking dog,
bell ringing, creaking wheel, footsteps)
-- hide all distinguishing marks on an object
-- hide light from a single, small source (ie, torch)
3rd Magnitude Effects
-- make a stationary man-sized image disappear
-- hide light in a room-sized area
-- make a single object or person completely silent
-- mute a complex noise (eg, voice, instrument)
4th Magnitude Effects
-- make a group of motionless people disappear
-- make a room-sized object disappear
-- make a single object completely silent
-- make a moving, man-sized image disappear
5th Magnitude Effects
-- hide the light from a large source (eg, bonfire)
-- make an entire room silent
6th Magnitude Effects
-- make a moving, man-sized image invisible and
silent
-- make a house-sized object invisible
7th Magnitude Effects
-- make a large structure invisible
-- make everything in an area colourless and drab
These spells do not actually alter an image or sensation in any way. They are useful for moving sounds and images from their actual locations.
Most Rego Imaginem spells are of Concentration duration, and have a range of Near.
The guidelines below assume the following:
Moving an image in motion adds 2 Magnitudes
1st Magnitude Effects
-- shift the image of a small object 1 pace away
-- make a simple sound appear to come from 1 pace
away from its actual source
2nd Magnitude Effects
-- shift a man-sized image 1 pace away
-- make someone's voice appear to come from 1 pace
away from them