Wishsinger - Spiritual Powers - Tier 4

Tier: 4

Preamble: 1 segment (Interrupt)

Duration: 1 turn per level

Instrument Bonus: Extra 2 turns of duration, extra 100 pounds of weight allowance.

Cost: 1.75 BMS

Classification: Air, Movement

This spell is a more powerful version of the Tier-2 song "Levitation". The primary difference between levitation and flight concerns the degrees of freedom. With levitation, a spellcaster can only travel along one axis at a time. For instance, with Levitation, the Wishsinger could ascend to the top of a tall building in two stages: vertical travel to the same height as the parapet and then horizontal travel to the edge of the roof. By contrast, a Wishsinger using Acoustic Uplift could accomplish the same task with a single diagonal jaunt.

Like in the Levitation spell, the Wishsinger can invoke this power as an Interrupt (for those special occasions like falling off a cliff or skulking around an abandoned ruin where the floors suddenly collapse).

If the spell expires while the Wishsinger is still in the air, some residual energy remains in effect until the Wishsinger lands on solid ground. This effect is colloquially known as "parachute mode". Essentially, the Wishsinger will accelerate towards the ground at the maximum velocity that will not cause physical injury. The landing will be rough, graceless, and may even cause the Wishsinger momentary discomfort, but the impact will not be enough to inflict actual physical injury. Whether the landing site is safe is another factor entirely.

The Acoustic Uplift spell does include a weight allowance for the Wishsinger's equipment (or for potentially transporting another person). Unlike other forms of flight, the Acoustic Uplift power essentially creates a highly energized platform of air underneath the Wishsinger's feet. Therefore, she appears to fly standing up rather than flying prone (like a Fey would).  This column extends 3' in the X and Y directions (36 square feet in total). The Game Master can decide if the spell fails entirely if the weight allowance is violated or if the maximum speed is simply reduced.

For individuals already capable of flight (Changelings, Fey, and winged Werites) this spell is additive to their innate capabilities. Likewise, Acoustic Uplift can boost the speed of flight-enabling contraptions (such as a jetpack or a hang glider). Given that the weight allowance increases substantially at higher levels of experience, this spell is ideally suited for rescue operations such as retrieving survivors from burning skyscrapers.

Of course, the flight speed and wight allowance both increase as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 6 segments

Duration: 1 round per level

Instrument Bonus: Extra 3// range. Extra 2 rounds of duration.

Cost: 2.0 BMS

Classification: Combat

One of the many psychological oddities of music is the profound effect that it can have upon one's emotional equilibrium. The Dirge spell brings out the most somber, sad elements in its victims' psyche. This has a profoundly negative effect on morale, willpower, and initiative.

If the target fails a Save vs Sleep/Charm, he/she will incur -3 to morale, -2 to initiative, and -1 to Willpower. With regard to Willpower, this spell does not drain Willpower. Instead, it imparts a penalty to any task in which Willpower is the qualifier.

Aside from the aforementioned penalties, affected individuals will generally act out with irritability and melancholy. For instance, an enemy might grumble, 'Off to fight and die, I guess", or "this fight sure isn't worth it", or "cheap-ass boss didn't even spring for enhanced armor".

In addition to the morale penalty, the Game Master should consider lowering the threshold in which a morale check is required. For instance, if a moral check would ordinarily take place if an enemy were down to half maximum hit points, or of the unit is down to half the number of combatants, perhaps the morale check would be required at one-third or even one-quarter.

The potency of Dirge increases as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 7 segments

Duration: 1 round per level (ordinary use) or 1 turn per level (exceptional circumstance)

Instrument Bonus: Extra 2 rounds (or turns) of duration. Additional -1 penalty to sleep/charm save.

Cost: 2.25 BMS

Classification: Charm

Who doesn't love a good musical? It's always grand when characters spontaneously stop conversing and start singing and dancing. As Wishsingers are no strangers to the theater scene, Fairy Dance was developed in order to make one's enemies become immersed in a musical whether they want to or not.

Under the power of this spell, all enemies within the area of effect must make a successful Save vs Sleep/Charm or suddenly begin an improvised musical that features singing and dancing. This spell also generates all necessary musical accompaniment and miscellaneous sound effects. The musical will usually be focused on the task at hand, such as glaring the Keep or planning woe for one's enemies.  The Game Master could, for the sake of expediency, roll a single saving throw that accounts for the mathematical average of the weakest and strongest enemy.

Of course, this spell makes it very easy for the Wishsinger and her companions to sneak past the charmed enemies. As with most mind-altering spells, the power ends if the targets are attacked and take damage.

Under normal circumstances, this power lasts one round per level of the Wishsinger. However, the spell could be extended to one turn per level under exceptional circumstances. For example, Fairy Dance last much longer if the spell is cast inside a dance club or a packed theater, or a church service that features a lot of hymns.

When the spell ends, the targets will have no recollection of the dancing and singing. Instead, they will believe that they had engaged in ordinary conversations.

Like many other spells for this character class, Fairy Dance becomes more potent as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Levels 1 to 4: Area of Effect is 6//; Range is 9//; Saves are unmodified.

Levels 5 to 9: Area of Effect is 9//; Range is 15//; Saves are penalized by -1.Levels 1 to 4: Area of Effect is 12//; Range is 21//; Saves are penalized by -2.

Levels 1 to 4: Area of Effect is 15//; Range is 27//; Saves are penalized by -3.

Levels 1 to 4: Area of Effect is 18//; Range is 33//; Saves are penalized by -4.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 1 segment (Interrupt)

Duration: 1 round per level

Instrument Bonus: Extra 3// range. Enemy saves at -1.

Cost: 1.25 BMS

Classification: Charm

This is a spell in which the Wishsinger would benefit from lip reading and knowledge of a variety of languages. With this power, the Wishsinger can override another person's spoken orders by creating the illusion that the target has said something other than what was actually said. For instance, if target commands "Attack at the town at noon", the Wishsinger would make it sound like he/she said, "Stand by down at the saloon". As one can tell, the replacement commands need to be of similar length and cadence compared to the actual phrase.

Where lip reading comes in handy is if the Wishsinger intends on intercepting commands at the far end of the spell's range from a place of concealment. It's generally not possible to overhear a conversation at a 12// or 15// distance. However, the Wishsinger could read lips if she had access to binoculars or a spyglass.

If the cadence and length of the imposed commands closely matches the correct instructions, the recipients of the substituted message will not get a saving throw. However, if the message varies too much in length/cadence, recipients could get a Save vs Sleep/Charm to detect the deception. This is akin to how a movie viewer might realize that a movie has been dubbed because the actor's lips don't sufficiently match the dialogue. The Game Master may impose bonuses or penalties to the saving throw, depending on the degree of mismatch.

This spell's power increases as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 1 segment (Interrupt)

Duration: Instantaneous

Instrument Bonus: Extra 3// range.

Cost: 1.25 BMS

Classification: Combat

Sometimes, the best way to survive an encounter is to cause your foe to make a mistake. This could range from causing a gun to jam, a spell to fizzle, or a boobytrap to simply not explode. This spell is specifically developed as an interrupt. Our course, every Wishsinger spell makes a lot of racket, so the target of the spell will certainly know who foiled the attack.

At higher levels, the temporary curse will proceed for more than one round. For instance, a targeted Gunslinger might find that the gun jams the first round and that the bullet turns out to be a squib on the second round. Or perhaps an evil priest  sneezes during the incantation on the first round and then has a coughing fit on the second round.

This spell doesn't actually cause physical damage by itself. It could, however, cause indirect damage. For instance, a door mechanism could be made to jam for one round while the target is in a room in which all the air is being sucked out (or being filled with water, or whatever).

The duration of the fumble increased as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 2 segments

Duration: Instantaneous

Instrument Bonus: Extra 3// range. Enemy saves at -1.

Cost: 1.5 BMS

Classification: Combat

Sometimes, one's enemies just need to be told to shut up and sit down. What better way to make that happen than to hurl a sonic blast so powerful that the target gets knocked off his/her feet?

At base level, the acoustic waveform attack is powerful enough to shatter ordinary plate glass windows, dinner plates, ceramic decor, and standard wooden doors. If aimed at a suspected boobytrapped device, the explosive (or other mechanism) will trigger. It will also put a visible dent into metal objects (and the Game Master may rule that repeated uses will destroy metal objects as well).  Obviously, scope of the damage increases as the Wishsinger increases in level.

If used against a living target, the individual must save vs magical weapon or get blown backwards 10'. If the save fails, the target loses the next turn (treat as a momentary stun). In any event, the target will sustain 3d10 damage. Moreover, the target must save vs magical weapon or be deafened for one round per level of the Wishsinger.

The power of this spell increases as the Wishsinger ascends in level.

Tier: 4

Preamble: 6 segments

Duration: 1 round per level

Instrument Bonus: Extra 3// range. Extra 2 rounds of duration.

Cost: 2.0 BMS

Classification: Combat

This spell is essentially an amplified version of Chaotic Noise (3rd Tier). However, the cacophony produced by this so-called "music" is so loud and contains so much bass that it causes most objects (particularly glass and metal) to vibrate. So, in addition to being unpleasant to hear, the spell also causes plates, cups, tools, and instruments to vibrate off the table and fall to the floor. It can make mirrors temporarily unusable due to excessive vibration. Working with fine instruments (such as lock picks or a scalpel) is more difficult because the tools will vibrate. Entering data into a tablet will be hindered because the screen will feel unsteady in one's hands.

From the perspective of game mechanics, Shrill Discord imposes all of the spellcasting penalties of Chaotic Noise while also adding penalties to any Skill check that involves manipulating small objects. Likewise, the spell causes penalties to any sort of Perception check that involves peering through lenses or a mirror.

While this spell does not directly destroy physical objects, it can indirectly cause breakage by causing fragile and lightweight objects to vibrate off horizontal surfaces onto the floor. Of course, it depends on the floor (carpet vs concrete) and the object (a beaker vs a book).

Like most spells, Shril Discord becomes more potent as the Wishsinger ascends in level.