27 December 2013

Earthdawn: Part 30 - Comparison of 1E and 3E Part 4: Nethermancer Spells

This is the thirtieth part in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Below is a list of all the Nethermancer Spells found in 1E (Core book, Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive and Magic: A Manual of Mystic Secrets) and the 3E Player's Guide.

Right now it is just a list, though if there is a desire for it (which means leave a comment to that effect) I can add some commentary and thoughts on the changes between editions.

Some of the changes were almost certainly made to accommodate the move to a battle map and hexes with a 2-yard standard size. Which means that, depending on how you count spaces, some of the areas of effect may not have changed. Regardless, the most significant changes are that the minimum casting difficulty is now a 6 instead of 2 and ranges have been drastically reduced across the board.

First Circle

Astral Spear: Range: -72 yards.

Bone Dance: Range: -15 yards; Effect: -1; Effect Test must be made every round; no longer a penalty to Strength on Effect Test failure.

Chilling Circle: Area: -3 yards; now affects everyone in area, not just a single target.

Command Nightflyer: Range: -72 yards; 

Detect Undead: Area: +5 yards; now uses Nethermancer's Willpower instead of target's Willpower.

Dry and Wet: Range: -1 yard.


Experience Death: Can no longer cause a Wound.

Insect Repellent: Casting Difficulty: +4.

Mount Scare: I cannot actually find the 1E version of this spell.

Putrefy: Casting Difficulty: Minimum +4; Range: -1 yard.

Spirit Dart: Range: -15 yards.

Spirit Grip: Shrines to the Passions are specifically considered sacred ground.

Undead Struggle: Range: -6 yards; damage is now equal to the difference in rolls; ties are now won by the Nethermancer.

Second Circle

Bone Circle: Area: -1 yard; Spellcasting Test now takes an hour; stats have changed.

Detect Nethermancy Magic: Range: -30 yards.

Ethereal Darkness: Casting Difficulty has changed; Area: +7 yards; Duration is different.

Fog Ghost: Range: -15 yards; stats different.

Gadfly: Casting Difficulty: +6; Range: -18 yards; penalty is now Harried (instead of -3 to all actions).

Life Circle of One: Casting Difficulty: +4; Area: -3 yards.

Pocket Guardian: Stats different.

Repel Animal: Casting Difficulty: +4; Area: -3 yards.

Shadow's Whisper: Casting Difficulty: +2; Defined range.

Shield Mist: No changes.

Third Circle

Arrow of Night: Explicitly works on all missiles.

Dark Messenger: Words allowed was 15 + Rank, now is 2 x Rank.

Death Trance: Extending the duration used to cost 2 Permanent Damage and now costs 4 Blood Magic Damage.

Death's Head: Threads: -1; Reattuning Difficulty: +5; now allows for resistance checks every round.

Dispel Nethermancy Magic: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -30 yards.

Fog of Fear: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -36 yards; Area: -3 yards; now allows for resistance.

Grave Message: Difficulties have changed.

Pack Bags: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: +1 yard.

Pain: No longer causes damage; resistance is now against the Effect Test, not a static value.

Preserve: Larger area (10 ft^2 v. 2 yard radius);

Shadow Meld: No changes.

Spirit Double: No changes.

Summon Bone Ghost: Range: -6 yards; additional summons in one day now require an additional Result Level instead of increasing the Difficulty by +1.

Fourth Circle

Animate Skeleton: Casting Difficulty: +4; Range: -60 yards; stats are different.

Astral Flare: Casting Difficulty: +4; Area: -15 yards.

Blood Servitor: No changes.

Dark Spy: Senses do not shut down completely now.

Evil Eye: Range: -15 yards; resistance is now against the caster's Willpower Step, not a static value.

Fatal Food: No changes.

Friend or Foe: Range: -6 yards; now affects everyone in range, instead of 5x Rank targets.

Last Chance: No longer grants an actual Recovery Test if none are available, just Step 8 healing.

Nightflyer's Cloak: No longer requires the actual creature to be present.

Spirit Servant: Stats are different.

Viewpoint: Casting Difficulty: +4.

Visions of Death: Range: -60 yards; resistance is against caster's Willpower, not a static value.

Fifth Circle

Animate Spirit Object: Range: -15 yards; stats are different.

Astral Horror: Range: -72 yards; stats are different.

Astral Mount: The Casting Difficulty is now variable, though reduced (-1 or -2).

Astral Whisper: Range: -36 yards.

Blind: Range: -12 yards; now causes a Complete Darkness penalty.

Circle of Astral Protection: Area: -3 yards.

Incessant Talking: Range: -24 yards; resistance is now against caster's Willpower Step, not Spellcasting Test Result.

Pass Ward: Casting Difficulty: +4; now discharges only once.

Sculpt Darkness: No changes.

Sense Horror: No changes.

Shadow Hunter: Range: -6 yards; stats are different.

Spiritual Guidance: Casting Difficulty: +4; Duration now in rounds, not minutes.

Star Shower: Range: -1 yard.

Target Portal: No changes.

Tears of the Scourge: Range: -6 yards; resistance now against Effect Step, instead of Effect Test Result; prohibition against harming targets now extends to allies.

Whisper Through the Night: Effect Test no longer made in secret by GM.

Wither Limb: Range: -36 yards; more specific penalties applied to targets who have withered limbs.

Sixth Circle

Blessed Light: Casting Difficulty: +3; Area: -9 yards; 

Bone Puppet: Range: -15 yards.

Bone Shatter: Range: -36 yards; number of Effects is equal to the Result Level, not Spellcasting Rank; up to two may be directed at a single target, not three; now increases the difficulty of Knockdown Tests, instead of giving a penalty to them.

Bone Walker: Casting Difficulty: +4; Area of effect: -80 yards; weaving each thread now takes an hour; extending the duration of the spell costs Blood Magic Damage, not Permanent Damage; stats are different.

Dust to Dust: Casting Difficulty now increases for each target beyond the first; Range: -36 yards; now limited to a number of targets equal to Spellcasting Rank.

Foul Vapors: Casting Difficulty is now the highest Spell Defense among the target group; Area: -15 yards; the Nethermancer may no longer grant immunity to others; 

Friendly Darkness: Area: -9 yards; bonus granted now +5.

Recovery: No changes.

Soul Armor: Now adds a static value to Mystic Armor.

Wall of Darkness: Range: -6 yards; added thickness to the wall.

Seventh Circle

Astral Beacon: Range: -24 yards.

Astral Maw: Casting Difficulty now Nethermancer's natural Spell Defense instead of 8; Range: -15 yards.

Banquet of Dis: A Recovery Test must be sacrificed for each: going without food/water or going without sleep; now gives a specific penalty to Recovery Tests.

Bone Pudding: Range: -6 yards; penalties are limited to Wound penalties; duration extended, but specific effects last only for the duration (not 2-3 hours).

Cold Storage: Area now that of the Bone Circle.

Constrict Heart: Range: -15 yards; resistance is now against the Effect Test, not a static number; provisions are given for targets without a heart.

Damage Shift: Mystic Armor now protects against this spell.

Marathon Run: Range: -48 yards; resistance now against Nethermancer's Willpower Step, not Spellcasting Test result.

Restrain Entity: Range: -15 yards.

Reverse Withering: Casting Difficulty is now against Target's Spell Defense; an Effect Test is no longer required.

Spirit Bolt: Range: -36 yards; no longer affects physical Horrors.

Spirit Portal: Casting Difficulty: +4; removes provision for not causing Strain when preventing entry.

Steal Strength: Casting Difficulty: +4; limits to maximum strength that can be stolen; healing reduced.

Step Through Shadow: No changes.

Wit Friend: No changes.

Eighth Circle

Control Being: Range: -15 yards; now specifically disallows use of talents and spells.

Globe of Silence: Range: -24 yards; area change from 10 ft radius to 4 yard radius.

Horror Call: Area: -6 yards; now gives a specific time interval for resistance tests; now specifically states that when the spell ends, the Horror returns to astral space.

Netherblade: No changes.

Restrain Horror: Range: -15 yards.

Shadow Tether: Casting Difficulty: +1 for each additional target; Range: -30 yards; targets are now Harried.

Translator Spirit: Casting Difficulty: +5.

Visit Death: Now offers a daily resistance check.

Wall of Bones: Range: -20 yards; dimensions different; stats different

Wither Away: Penalties now Harried instead of -3 to all actions.

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