By Colin Chapman.
This schtick allows the sorcerer to manipulate light, including removing it to create darkness, or using it to alter shadows. It has the following special effects:
By warping the light around a being or object, the sorcerer can render it almost invisible. All that is visible is a vague shimmering outline. The casting Difficulty is 5 for objects upto the size of a small dog, 10 for human sized objects, 15 for car sized objects, 20 for objects the size of an articulated lorry, and 25 for objects the size of a large house!
All Perception checks to notice the "invisible" target suffer a -8 penalty if the target is stationary, -5 if moving.
Even when the invisible object is noticed, all attacks and defenses against it suffer a -2 penalty. The effects last for a number of sequences equal to the Outcome of the Sorcery check.
Allows the sorcerer to dim or dispel the effects of light in a radius of Magic x 2 meters.
The Difficulty of extinguishing light depends on the current level of illumination. Dim lighting (such as candlelight) has a Difficulty of 10, daylight 15, and blinding light 20. Merely dimming the light to a lower level reduces the difficulty by 5.
The effect is usually centered on, or directly beside the caster, and centering the effect at a distance incurs an additional penalty of +1 per 2 meters.
The darkness lasts a number of sequences equal to the Outcome of the Sorcery check, and only moves if centered on an object or being that moves, or can be carried. All task checks made in total darkness suffer a -4 penalty unless they use the Fu schtick Friend of Darkness.
Allows the sorcerer to create a light source that can vary in intensity from dim to blinding, illuminating a maximum radius of Magic x 2 meters. Dim lighting only has a Difficulty of 5, daylight equivalent 10, and blinding light 15. Anyone subjected to blinding light suffers a -4 penalty on all tasks that require vision while the light is in effect, and for a single sequence afterwards.
Illuminate is subject to the same centering, range, and duration rules as noted for Darkness, above.
The sorcerer controls and creates shadows in a radius around her, making them take unusual shapes, and moving as desired.
The Difficulty depends on the surrounding environment. A shadowy, cluttered room has a Difficulty of 5, a normally illuminated area 10, and open, daylit areas 15.
At the least, the sorcerer can play with her own shadow, manipulating those on her own body, deepening them to give a more dramatic appearance.
The shadows have no physical effect but can be spooky and sinister.
Last modified: June 14, 1996; please send comments to durrell@innocence.com.