Wednesday 2 January 2019

Mirror Magic

Semiurge asked for "something with mirrors or mirror magic".

Mirrors are overused, specifically, by me. I've always found them somewhat creepy and have put them in a bunch of things.

Lets see if I have anything left in the tank. Here are a bunch of leveless spells (or Level One spells) for mirror-mages.


Many Mirror Mages are deaf. Some dress very brightly to catch the eye, others are neutral or subtle to stay hidden. Often they go about in wagons (for the mirrors) and with a great many accoutrements. Most are good at grinding lenses (a near-magical skill regardless) and many are quite competent opticians. Eye symbols proliferate. Most know Sign Language (see below).

Glass mirrors have an AC of 5, or half leather, and one hit point.


Casting Mirror Magic

Mirror magic always requires direct line of sight to the mirror in question, and often to the target as well. In most cases the caster must be reflected in the mirror to be enchanted.

Mirror Magic must be cast completely silently.

Mirror Magic must be cast with Sign Language.




Fearful Image

Cast on target and one mirror. The target sees in the mirror whatever they most fear. If the caster is double the targets level, this is visible to all who see the mirror.


Hearts Desire

As above, except that it shows what the target most desires.


Mirrored Sky

Turns the sky above the caster into a giant mirror, which reflects the ground, as if it were about a mile in the air. The mirror extends for roughly a three mile radius around the caster. Often used for planning battles and checking behind terrain. of course anyone looking up can see the mirror too.


Bronze Lamp

A circular hand-sized bronze mirror must be polished with tears and fresh cobwebs (the spider that made them must still be alive). Until the tears evaporate from the surface of the mirror, any nearby invisible, ethereal, divine, demonic or otherwise unseeable beings will be drawn to it and will wish to admire themselves in it, where they will be clearly visible to the caster and anyone else. These creatures are unaware of the spells effect while it works and will rationalise their actions, but once the spell ends, those above the casters level will know they have been enchanted.


Lamp Glass

Spell only affects a single building.

One pane of glass making a window of the building to the outside is enchanted. It must be dark outside the building, usually meaning night-time, and light inside, usually meaning lamps must be lit. The inside of the room will be reflected in the window.

The caster may step into that reflected space, taking others with them if they hold hands.

There they may explore a shadowy para-reality of the interior of the same building, in which they are Lvl 20 with maximum stats in every respect, and where everyone else is Level 1 with one Hit Point. There they may do as they will. information, secrets, signs and other desired things are mirrored in that world, though codes and positions are sometimes opposite what they are in this world.

The caster must return before the light changes. If it becomes more light outside than inside, for any reason, they will be trapped in a dying microcosm forever.


Mirrored Eye

One eye turns into a mirrored orb. The target (usually the caster) can see reflections of their own thoughts and experiences.

This means they can ask for exact visual details of anything they have personally experienced.

'Going' to a place takes a 'move, asking a question takes an action and getting an answer takes a minor action.


Sword of Glass

Caster can reach into a large enough mirror and be handed a sword of very sharp glass by their own reflection.

The sword counts as magical but otherwise is simply normal glass. It does D8 damage but shatters instantly if it encounters armour, is dropped, fumbled etc.

Once cast the caster is in debt and cannot get another glass sword until they cast again, this time handing over a normal sword from this reality to their reflection in the mirror. After this they may cast again (the third time) and gain another glass sword.


Steal Sight

An eye-sized circular mirror is required.

This spell steals the sight from one eye of the target and places it inside the mirror. From that point on the target observes the world from the position of that mirror, as if it were their eye.

The spell ends if the target looks into the mirror with their other eye, when the mirror breaks or when the caster allows.

If the target is of lower level than the caster, if the mirror breaks, they are blinded in that eye.

If the target is the same or higher level and the mirror breaks their sight is returned.

If the target is of double the level of the caster, they can sense the direction and distance of the mirror that has their sight.


Still Water

Water under the casters gaze becomes still and mirror-flat.

Blinking or looking away ends the spell.

When the spell ends, the displaced kinetic energy of the water affected returns in concentrated form, directed at the caster.


Portal

Two large, and completely identical mirrors are required.

The caster enchants both mirrors at the same time, then takes on, carrying it with their own hands, and not letting go even for an instant, to a particular place.

They can then step or reach through from one mirror to another.

If anyone else touches the mirror, or the caster picks it up again, the spell ends.


Ice Mirror

The caster must find and polish natural ice.  Deliberately frozen ice will not work. 

They then capture the image of an object in the ice.

If they melt the ice with their own breath and body warmth, the object will likewise melt and disappear.

The target can be no larger than the ice mirror used.

If a target is less than half the casters level, then living things can be captured, if the mirror is of sufficient size.

Breaking the ice ends the spell.

Using heat of any other source, like a fire, inflicts the effect upon both the target and the caster.


Microscopy

This is just actual microscopy, though most observers do not understand that it is not magic, or even what it is at all. Its uses are obscure.


False Eyes

After analysing the targets sight, the caster scrupulously grinds two magical lenses and binds them in a frame of wire. When attached to the targets face these lenses restore vision which had previously been blurred.

Again, this is not actually a spell, but most people do not realise this.



Shattering Sign

Caster weaves a sign in the air so complex that it is impossible to reflect.

Any non-magical mirrors or mirrors enchanted by lower level mages, burst into pieces.

If any mirror present is enchanted by a mage or equal or higher level than the caster then it does not shatter, instead the caster takes a point of damage and one finger-sized body part is transformed to rigid glass.



Glass Rook

This spell must be cast upon a corvid, though not necessarily a Rook.

While the bird sleeps a glass bird of equal size and capabilities emerges from its dreams. The glass is opalescent, unusually strong and proof against most magics.

The Glass Rook is largely obedient to the casters wishes, which must be communicated in sign language, though it has only bird intelligence.

A number of birds equal to the casters level may be affected.

The spell ends when the Corvid wakes.


Sign Language

Though a series of rapid occult gestures, the caster communicates with those who cannot hear.

Not usually a spell, though many observers do not realise this.

Except, there is a magical version which makes the signed language intelligible to any who witness it, even if they don't know sign language themselves.

This spell can be cast 'occluded' - in this case the caster must be partly in shadow as they cast the spell. This done, they ca hide the meaning of their signs from specific groups or types of observer. Observers of higher level than the caster may test INT to decipher the signs.


Stain Golem

These golems are made from stains or mars on reflective surfaces. There are two types, the made version, or the rare found version.

The made golem must remain on its surface where it can 'hide' by curling up, and looking like a normal stain. It can observe from this surface and communicate what it sees to the caster via sign language.

The found golem, in which the stain just happens to look like an homunculus, is capable of moving from surface to surface if they adjoin even briefly, making it an excellent spy.

Both forms of golem are easy to 'kill', simply wipe them off.


Polished Coal

A piece of coal must be made with one side flat and polished to a high sheen. The coal is then burnt.

While the coal burns, the caster may gaze into its surface and will scry any evil deeds nearby, starting with the closest geographically, and then moving out in a spiral for as long as the coal burns.

The coal must be smashed before it burns through or it will hatch a Devil Eye, which will peer out and fall in love with the caster, becoming obsessed with them.


Tongue of Mercury

This spell is essentially a kind of language, or elaborate code, the magical components are minor, through the resources required to cast it are vast.

A huge concave dish, with a diameter of at least three feet, but preferably more, must be filled with absolutely pure and completely clean mercury. The dish is then slowly spun until its surface forms a precise mirror.

The 'Tongue of Mercury' is then used to intone a precise location. This can be any place known, or suspected by the caster but it must be described in the tongue of mercury so precisely that no other place in the multiverse could be mistaken for it.

The dish then opens up a gateway to that place.

If there is either the slightest imperfection in the dish, the mercury or the description, those who pass through will go to a place other than their intention.

The spell does not provide a way back, or any communication with the other side.


Shard

The caster must smash a mirror which has belonged to them for at least a year.

They whisper "Love me, though I slay you."

One shard of glass will then absorb the life of the whole, the remainder of the glass will turn grey and opalescent.

The caster takes the shard and shows it someone in its reflection.

Then whispers; "Meet their eye."

The shard will fly off and bury itself in the eye, if physically possible, or buzz around like a bee trying to get in if not.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks much, longer than I expected in a pleasant way.

    Mirrors are a world of surfaces, all signs and no substance. Loathsomely anti-human. You are right to mistrust them.

    Bronze Lamp, Lamp Glass, Still Water, and Ice Mirror are particular standouts, practically bleed shenanigans. I feel the urge to make a farm for live spiders and tears now.

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