20 March 2023

So at your local wizarding school ...

Following a thread on the official GURPS forum on altering GURPS Magic to fit a setting of a magic school, I present these spells for the edification of anyone doing likewise.  Aside from Lend Energy – the first spell any magician learns – new apprentices in my setting are taught simple spells.  Many are useful, but in a number of cases, they are imparted less to advance apprentices through their studies than to give them easy, showy spells to slake their appetites for magic ... and to steer them away from more dangerous ones.  

All of the below spells are without prerequisite, many are Mental/Average (the exceptions are noted), and all M/A spells – following the excellent GURPS product The Least of Spells – may be learned and cast by those with minimal Magery.  I’ll tag the ones I definitely know I did create with a (*), the rest being ganked from sources all over.


ALERT             Information (Knowledge college, M/H)

The caster knows when a specific event has occurred in a particular place.   The caster must specify the event when he casts the spell.  Long distance modifiers apply for time and distance.

Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 3, 2 to maintain.

ANIMATE REFLECTION     Regular, resisted by IQ (Illusion college)

The subject’s reflection in any reflective surface moves as the caster wishes, and appears to be moving independently.  The reflection can do anything that the original subject is able to do.  Likewise, the reflection can use body parts, or objects that the subject is carrying, that aren’t reflected when the spell is cast.  For example, the image could appear to bring its hands to its face even if only the subject’s head is reflected. It can also appear to partially move out of the reflected area, or vanish entirely.  Objects or states of being that aren’t present on the subject’s body when the spell is cast can’t be created in the reflection.

Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 1, 1 to maintain.

BASKETWORK         Regular (Plant college, (*))

Instantly weaves grass, thin branches, withies and the like into a basket or other item of wickerwork, appropriate to the raw materials available, at a skill of Basketweaving-12 or the caster’s Basketweaving skill+3, whichever is higher.  At double the cost, the skill levels are at -15 or +6, respectively.

Duration: Permanent.
Cost: 2 per 5 lbs of materials to be shaped.

COINS OF CHANGE           Regular (Illusion college, M/H, (*))

A single coin of the caster's choice disappears, to be replaced by the monetary equivalent in the next lower denomination.  However, one coin of the lower denomination is missing (as a magical "tip," if you will).  The new coins will be of the proper bullion, weight and minting, indistinguishable from other such coins minted by the originating nation in the given year, were it not for the newness and lack of wear.  Cast on a coin of the smallest denomination, it disappears, and is replaced by something peculiar and/or worthless.

Duration: Permanent.
Cost: 2.

COMFORT             Regular (Mind Control college, M/H)

The subject feels warm, dry, and uncramped – even if he isn't in reality – and gets +3 to HT and Will rolls to resist the psychological effects of warm or cold weather or the uncomfortable effects of cramped spaces.  Negative effects still affect the body, and will manifest when unusual exertion is attempted.

Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2, 1 to maintain.

CONCENTRATE         Regular (Mind Control college, M/H)

Allows the subject to concentrate on a specific task, ignoring all distractions, gaining a bonus to Will rolls to ignore distractions that might disrupt concentration or spoil spells, including pain, heat, cold or damage.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1, +1 per +1 bonus to Will rolls, same to maintain.

CREATE TEAPOT         Regular (Food college, (*))

A silvery-violet teapot will appear (and float) in midair. The caster may put any kind of tea and sweetener inside the pot; it requires no water or strainer.  The pot will brew away, producing 1 quart, appropriately sweetened.  If no tea is placed into the pot, it will brew a basic unsweetened pekoe.  The pot will pour itself, at the caster's command.  

Variants have been known to brew cocoa -- or other non-alcoholic hot drinks common to the culture, such as rooibos, maté or tisanes -- instead.  (By contrast, no one has succeeded in producing a coffee or alcoholic variant.)  There has been much speculation as to why such a useful spell is so easy to learn and cheap to cast, and it has been popularly attributed to a (probably apocryphal) God of Apprentices.

Duration: 5 minutes.
Cost: 1, same to maintain.  

GEOMETRY         Regular (Movement college, M/H, (*))

The caster may accurately draw or trace any geometric shape that he can imagine.  A writing implement is required, but the caster draws with preternatural speed and accuracy; the result is precise to within a millimeter.

Duration: Permanent.
Cost: 2.
Time to Cast: 1 second to 10 minutes. 1 second for a small, simple symbol up to 10 minutes for a very complex or large design. Simple sigils require 1 second, pentagrams and similar sigils take 5 seconds.

GLOWING EYES         Regular, resisted by IQ (Illusion college)

The subject’s eyes glow with an unnatural light.  Though this doesn’t interfere with the subject’s vision or improve his night vision, it will make him visible in the dark.  This may provoke Fright Checks as well.

Duration: 10 minutes.
Cost: 1, 1 to maintain.

GOSSAMER            Area (Air college, (*))

A fine rain of gossamer web floats down.  While it is visible, it neither impedes vision nor movement.

Duration: 5 minutes.
Base Cost: ⅓, minimum 1. Cannot be maintained.

ICE CUBES             Regular (Water college, (*))

Creates a quart of ice cubes, about a cubic inch apiece.  Falling ice cubes do no damage but might be distracting if dumped on an unsuspecting target.

Duration: Permanent, but melt normally.
Cost: 1.

LIGHT SWITCH         Area, resisted by Will (Light and Darkness college, M/H)

Extinguishes – or lights – all sources of light with a preset spoken or physical command (usually a clap of the hands or a spoken word) specified at the time of casting. The caster can exclude some light sources if specified at casting, and can permit the command to be given by people, or types of people.  Light sources need not have been in the area at the time of casting to be affected.  Sources of flame will continue to burn; they will do so at the slowest possible rate, and produce a low degree of heat.  This will triple the life of a source of flame like a lantern or campfire, but will not work on a large source of flame above a hex in size.  Light sources held or used by unwilling subjects within the area of effect resist with the wielder’s Will.

Duration: 6 hours.
Base Cost: 1, same to maintain.

MIST                 Area (Weather college)

Creates an area of light fog, reducing Vision.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: base 1/10 per -1 Vision penalty (-5 maximum), half to maintain.

POKE             Regular, resisted by DX or ST (Air college)

Creates a little rod of concentrated air, which the caster can use to poke with at a distance. It can distract and annoy foes but also has peaceful applications (like pressing buttons, knocking a small candle over or touching objects from a safe distance).  There is no distance penalty, but the target must be in the caster’s line of sight. The subject may resist with DX or ST, whichever is more appropriate. If the resistance is successful, the spell has no effect.

Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1, can’t be maintained.

PUFF OF BREATH         Regular (Air college, (*))

The target feels a light puff of breath; it will blow out candles reliably, and be noticeable at a range of two yards, but not much else.

Duration: 1 second.
Cost: 1.

RESIST INTOXICATION     Regular, resisted by Will (Body Control, M/H)

Makes the subject immune to the intoxicating effects of drugs or alcohol.

Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2, 1 to maintain.

SAINT ELMO'S FIRE     Regular, resisted by HT (Air college, (*)) 

The subject is limned with a phosphorescent glow, causing him to stand out clearly in dim light and creating a spooky effect. Lighting penalties to see the subject are reduced fourfold.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1, 1 to maintain.

SHOW BUSINESS         Area, resisted by IQ (Illusion college, M/H, (*))

Creates minor special effects suitable for use as a prop for a stage show.  Among possible effects are minor sound effects, flashing lights, loud spectral applause, background Muzak, small puffs of smoke or thin fog.  The special effects created are not powerful enough to distract or fool a determined foe.  At best, they will give a foe -1 to Sense rolls for 1 second.  In this case, the victim is allowed an IQ roll to resist.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: base 1, same to maintain.

SIGNAL FLARE        Regular (Light and Darkness college, (*))

A fizzing jet flies straight up from the caster’s finger.  When it reaches an altitude of 400', it bursts into a brilliant flare of colored light (caster’s choice as to hue).  It descends at a rate of 10'/second thereafter, and will wink out 20' from the ground.  While the Flare’s illumination is dim at best, it is visible for miles at night.  The spell does no damage, may not be targeted, and will not fire in any direction but straight up.

Duration: 40 seconds.
Cost: 2.  Cannot be maintained.

SMOKE RINGS         Regular (Air/Fire college)

The caster can make a palm-sized amount of smoke (from a pipe or similar item) change color, form rings or shapes, or move in a certain direction against the prevailing air currents.  The smoke thus controlled is too thin to obscure vision or cause breathing difficulties.  It might give the caster +1 to reaction rolls or Social skills when dealing with people who aren't used to wizards and magic.

Duration: 10 minutes or the duration of one bowl of tobacco, whichever is more.
Cost: 1, same to maintain.

SNOWBALL         Missile (Water college)

Creates a fist-sized snowball that the caster can throw, and has the same range and other characteristics as a thrown rock.  The snowball does no damage.

Duration: 10 seconds, or until three seconds after being thrown, whichever comes first.
Cost: 1.

STITCH             Regular (Movement college, (*))

The subject may sew a row of stitches through cloth, leather or other material, at the rate of 6" per second, as if he possessed the appropriate Leatherworking or Sewing skill (if he does have the skill, this is treated as Skill+4).  The subject can specify the manner of the stitching with an appropriate roll suitable to the intricacies of the stitch.  All appropriate materials to do the job -- i.e., thread and a garment to be sewn; no needle is required -- must be at hand at the time of casting.

Duration: 1 minute.
Cost: 1, 1 to maintain.

TENT             Regular (Illusion college, M/H)

A tent of any size may be created.  The Tent is made of unbleached canvas with plain wood poles, but other than that, it can be of any shape desired, from a simple pup tent to a large pavilion.  The Tent has DR 1, 10 HT.  In other respects, the Tent is normal, though it does not leak.  Variants are known to exist creating fancier or more decorative Tents.

Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 2, 1 to maintain for a one or two-man tent.  3, 2 to maintain for a tent or pavilion which will sleep up to 6 people in cramped conditions or 2 people in comfort; doubling thereafter for tripling capacity.

WATER BALL        Missile (Water college)

Creates a fist-sized missile of water.  It does no damage, striking with the impact of a water balloon, but can distract targets, put out small fires or do 1d-1 HT damage to flame-based creatures.

Duration: Instant.
Cost: 1.

WERELIGHT        Regular (Light and Darkness college, (*))

Creates a pale green ball of light in the caster’s hand.  The ball will travel with the caster, and remain in his hand, although it is intangible and doesn't interfere with the use of the hand for any other purpose.  It is not bright enough to illuminate beyond 2", but can be seen up to 10-15 hexes at night depending on the lighting conditions.  Closing the hand around the ball will turn the Werelight “off,” while opening the hand again will turn it back “on.”  Alternately, the light can be placed in a stationary spot.

Duration: 1 hour.
Cost: 1, 1 to maintain.