War of the Wizards: Magical Powers

Magical Powers

There are thirteen Magical Powers, the first seven of which are called the Lesser Magicks. Possession of the Moonstone reveals to you the secret of the Magical Powers known as the Higher Magicks, of which there are six. If this is your first Grey Star adventure, you may choose five Lesser Magicks and four Higher Magicks. If you have successfully completed any of the previous Grey Star adventures, you may choose six Lesser Magicks and five Higher Magicks.⁶

The Magical Powers available to you are listed below. When you have chosen your powers enter them in the Magical Powers section of your Action Chart.

The Lesser Magicks

Sorcery

This Power allows a wizard to transform his thoughts or desires into magical energy. By concentration of the will it is possible to create magical shields of force to bar doors or move objects. Sorcery drains more WILLPOWER points than any other Magical Power, and is most effective when your WILLPOWER points are high.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Sorcery’ on your Action Chart.

Enchantment

The Power of Enchantment enables a wizard to charm or beguile other creatures, and create illusions in the minds of others. He will be able to extract information from others, place thoughts and compulsions into another’s mind, or cause them to believe that imaginary events are actually taking place. Some magical or highly intelligent beings may be immune to the powers of Enchantment.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Enchantment’ on your Action Chart.

Elementalism

The Power of elemental magic allows a wizard some control over the natural elements of Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. By entering a trance and chanting incantations, you may summon aid from the spirits of the Elemental Plane. Elementals have very little understanding of man, and for this reason a wizard can never be sure of the nature of the aid the Elementals may send.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Elementalism’ on your Action Chart.

Alchemy

A wizard who possesses the Power of Alchemy is able, through the mixing of various substances, to create magical potions. Given the correct ingredients, a potion may restore lost energy (i.e. ENDURANCE points, WILLPOWER), or temporarily improve various abilities (e.g. COMBAT SKILL). The use of Alchemy may also allow a wizard to alter the nature of substances (e.g. change lead into gold), but the necessary ingredients and the correct equipment (e.g. a pestle and mortar) must be at hand. The use of the Power of Alchemy drains no WILLPOWER.

If you choose this Power write ‘Alchemy’ on your Action Chart.

Prophecy

The Power of Prophecy allows a wizard to foretell the future through meditation. A meditative state will allow a wizard to make the correct decision when facing conflicting choices or difficult actions; to discover the whereabouts of a person he has once met, or an object he has once seen. It may also allow him to determine the true nature of a stranger or a strange object. Magical beings or objects are sometimes hidden from the Power of Prophecy.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Prophecy’ on your Action Chart.

Psychomancy

This Power bestows upon a wizard the ability to deduce facts about events by touching objects connected to them. Through deep concentration, a wizard may lay his hands upon any inanimate object and visualize scenes that have affected it. Visions brought about through the use of Psychomancy are often cryptic, taking the form of a riddle or puzzle. Some magic items are resistant to the use of Psychomancy and may, sometimes, impart misleading information.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Psychomancy’ on your Action Chart.

Evocation

Mastery of this Power permits contact with the spirit realm. A wizard wishing to speak with the dead, or to call up a form from the spirit world, must draw a magic pentacle and enter a trance, when the use of the correct spell-chant will reach out to the Spiritual Plane. Standing within the protection of a magic pentacle, a wizard may consider himself to be relatively safe from harm. If he wishes to speak with a corpse, especially one whose former life was good and righteous, then a wizard can expect help and advice. However, contact with those whose former lives were evil or selfish can be a perilous, and often fatal, experience. Evil spirits are reluctant to return to the realm of the dead and may try to trick a wizard into freeing them into the world of the living. All spirits, good and evil, will require some service of the wizard in return for their aid. Any failure to perform this task, however difficult, may result in the wizard losing his life.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Evocation’ on your Action Chart.

The Higher Magicks

Thaumaturgy

This Higher Magick is an advanced form of Sorcery, the craft of magical energy. Where Sorcery allows a wizard to affect external things, Thaumaturgy affects the wizard himself. The Power of Thaumaturgy can bestow upon a wizard the power of levitation, a limited form of flying; invulnerability and increased strength; the ability to bend metal or warp wood by disturbing their molecules; and, perhaps the most useful of all, teleportation, that is, the ability to travel great distances in seconds by simply visualizing the destination.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Thaumaturgy’ on your Action Chart.

Telergy

An advanced form of Enchantment, Telergy is the Power of mind control, telepathy, and autosuggestion. It enhances the tangibility of the illusions of Enchantment and allows you to control the minds of others. However, like Enchantment, some magical beings will be able to resist this Power.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Telergy’ on your Action Chart.

Physiurgy

Where Elementalism allows a wizard to summon the aid of the elemental spirits, the Higher Magick of Physiurgy grants the wizard mastery over the elements. It allows him to command winds, open cracks in the earth, cause earthquakes, raise storms, and create other weather effects.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Physiurgy’ on your Action Chart.

Theurgy

Theurgy is an advanced form of Alchemy. Possession of the Moonstone of the Shianti makes the casting of a larger number of spells possible. It unlocks the knowledge of more ingredients for mixing potions and reveals some of the special times, or ways, that they must be mixed. The power of the Moonstone acts as a charm for these potions. No WILLPOWER points are required to make use of the Power of Theurgy but you are dependent on discovering the necessary ingredients for your potions during the course of your adventure.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Theurgy’ on your Action Chart.

Visionary

With the aid of the Moonstone, you may use the skill of a Visionary to look upon events that are taking place elsewhere. The Power of a Visionary is generally concerned with visual images of the present.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Visionary’ on your Action Chart.

Necromancy

Necromancy is a higher form of Evocation. Where Evocation allows contact with the spirit world, Necromancy allows a wizard to command the dead, though this is forbidden by Shianti law. It also allows him to make an incantation that will imbue the Moonstone with a protective aura of light to keep away all creatures of evil, dead or alive.

If you choose this Power, write ‘Necromancy’ on your Action Chart.

Wizard’s Staff

Your Staff is your most valuable possession. It looks and feels like an ordinary quarterstaff, yet it is stronger than any known metal. This is your main combat weapon, for you are untrained in the use of any other form of armed combat. It contains a potent force that is unleashed at will by the power of your mind, and causes a beam of destructive power to hurtle from its tip. Every time you unleash this power you must deduct 1 WILLPOWER point.⁷

In the event that your enemy survives such an attack or should you fall victim to a surprise attack, you will be forced to engage in close combat and must attempt to strike your enemy with the Staff. If your attack is successful, a bolt of energy will be released from the Staff that is capable of inflicting great physical harm. If you wish to increase the amount of damage that you inflict in this way, you must use more WILLPOWER points and multiply the number of ENDURANCE points lost by the enemy, accordingly. For example, if you chose to expend 3 WILLPOWER points on your attack, all enemy ENDURANCE point losses would be multiplied by three.

If you enter combat without your Staff, deduct 6 points from your COMBAT SKILL. If you have no weapon at all, you must deduct 8 points from your COMBAT SKILL.

The Moonstone

The Moonstone has many attributes, some of which are described in the Higher Magicks section and some of which you will discover during the course of your adventure. The Shianti have also given it the power to teleport you to Shasarak once during the course of your adventure. You will be told of that opportunity when the time is right.

[6] The wording of this section of the rules seems to indicate—if read literally—that you may choose your set of Lesser Magicks again if you have completed a previous adventure. This is without precedent in other books. In order to preserve consistency with other books, you should not choose your Lesser Magicks again. If you have currently mastered five Lesser Magicks, you may choose one additional Lesser Magick from the list. If you have already mastered six Lesser Magicks, you keep these. If you choose Alchemy as a new Lesser Magick, or you have not mastered the Lesser Magick of Alchemy but you have selected the Higher Magick of Theurgy, you also receive a Herb Pouch with contents, as detailed in the Equipment section.

[7] If your WILLPOWER falls to zero or below, you will not be able to use the magical properties of your Wizard’s Staff until your score is again above zero. You can still use your Wizard’s Staff in combat as a normal weapon, but you must deduct 6 points from your COMBAT SKILL.