Earthdawn: Part 31 - Comparison of 1E and 3E Part 5: Wizard Spells

This is the thirty-first part in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Below is a list of all the Wizard 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 Sense: Range: - 30 yards; Casting Difficult is now a static 6.

Bedazzling Display of Logical Analysis: Bonus now limited to specific tests.

Crushing Will: Range: -72 yards.

Dispel Magic: Range: -30 yards; Casting Difficulty: +4; Dispel Difficulties have increased.

Divine Aura: Range: -1 yard.

Flame Flash: Range: -15 yards.

Ignite: Damage now decreases each round.

Iron Hand: Now affects all close combat Damage tests.

Mind Dagger: Range: -24 yards.

Silent Converse: Targets TSD instead of DN 4; removes Effect test; Distance that conversation can be overheard is now 2 yards.

Triangulate: No changes.

Wall Walker: No changes.

Second Circle

And His Money: Now effective on any test involving finances, not just Fence and Haggle.

Astral Shield: No changes.

Clean: No changes.

Dodge Boost: No longer requires an immediate Avoid Blow test.

Rope Ladder: Casting Difficulty: +4; movement rate has changed.

Seal: Casting Difficulty: +2

Vines: Range: -30 yards.

Wake-Up Call: Time is no longer variable.

Third Circle

Aura Strike: Range: -24 yards.

Catwalk: No changes.

Combat Fury: No longer improves Damage tests; now requires only close combat attacks.

False Aura: No changes.

Healing Sleep: Now requires damage greater than Wound Threshold; target now difficult to wake; now only grants one bonus Recovery Test; each character can only benefit from this spell once a week.

Identify Spell: Range -30 yards

Leaps and Bounds: Effect test now replaces Great Leap tests; no longer gives a static leaping movement; no longer allows Effect test to replace Avoid Blow tests.

Levitate: Range: -60 yards; Effect: -1000 lbs; platform dimensions slightly different (2-yard radius v. 10 x 10 ft. platform); no specifies movement rates.

Notice Not: No changes.

Ork Stoke: (Not present in the books that I am referencing.)

Quicken Pace: The exact movement rate increases have changed.

Seeking Sight: No changes.

Shatter Lock: Range: +1 yard; no longer allows a reversal for an extra thread.

Water Wings: No changes.

Wizard Mark: Removed Effect test.

Fourth Circle

Ball of String: Casting Difficulty: +4.

Binding Threads: Range -24 yards; Duration reduced from minutes to rounds; penalty is now Harried instead of -4 to Physical Defense.

Buoyancy: +1 bonus to Swimming tests

Dust Devil: Range: -48 yards; now causes Harried instead of -2 to relevant action tests.

Hair Frenzy: Range: -15 yards; target is now Harried instead of -2 to all actions

Icy Protection: Renamed from Icy Fingers; can no longer lower Spell Defense for the test.

Identify Magic: Range -40 yards

Inventory: Range: +5 yards.

Juggler's Touch: Casting Difficulty +4; Area now 2-yard radius; caster can now move the spell.

Kaer Knocking: (Not new, but also not in the three books I am referencing.)

Karmic Connection: No longer permanently reduces Karma maximum

Relax: Effect: +2; "cooldown" on Recovery Test reduction now in single minute increments, rather than 5 minute increments.

Repair Lock: Now a separate spell that replicates the reversal of Shatter Lock.

Thorny Retreat: Casting Difficulty: +4; now creates Spellcasting Rank sections, instead of 10 sections; dimensions have changed (4-yd x 2-yd v. 10' x 10').

Trust: Range: -30 yards.

Wizard's Cloak: No changes

Fifth Circle

Counterspell: Range: -9 yards; now improves Spell Defense instead of replacing Spell Defense.

Giant Size: Now grants bonuses to Strength and Toughness-only tests instead of giving Step bonuses.

Heat Metal Armor: Renamed from Heat Metal; Range -6 yards

Invigorate: No changes.

Kaer Pictographs: (Not new, but also not in the three books I am referencing.)

Mage Armor: No changes.

Makeshift Missile: Now only works on one item for the duration.

Mystic Shock: Range -6 yards

Sanctuary: Effect test now adds to Death Rating and Spellcasting Rank now adds to Physical Armor instead of Effect test replacing Physical Armor, Mystic Armor and Death (Damage) Rating.

Slow: No changes.

Solo Flight: Movement rates have changed.

Study Thread: No changes.

Sixth Circle

Blood Lost: No longer requires a Wound

Displace Self: Movement now 2-yards in a random direction; no longer replaces Initiative Step.

Doom Missile: Range: -60 yards.

Karma Cancel: Range: -60 yards; Difficulty to end is +3.

Loan Spell: No longer requires subject to remain in sight.

Makeshift Weapon: No changes.

Mental Library: Difficulty is now caster’s Spell Defense.

Multi-Mind Dagger: Range: -14 yards.

Rampage: (Not present in the books that I am referencing.)

Razor Orb: Range: -60 yards.

Sleep: Range: -36 yards; resistance is now against the magician's Willpower Step.

Spellstore: Blood magic now extends the duration to a year and a day instead of allowing unlimited casting for the duration, also it is now Blood Magic Damage instead of Permanent Damage

Seventh Circle

Astral Gift: Now grants the talent and ranks, instead of the windling ability (which has changed as well).

Blood Boil: Range: -36 yards.

Call: No changes.

Confusing Weave: Range: -36 yards.

Dislodge Spell: Range: -36 yards.

Lightning Cloud: Range: -72 yards.

Liquid Eyes: Range: -24 yards; Dispel Difficulties increased.

Move on Through: Range: -72 yards.

Mystic Net: Area and range have changed; targets are now Harried instead of a -4 to Physical Defense.

Spell Cage: Range: -60 yards; dimensions have changed; full stat write-up.

Eighth Circle

Catch Spell: No changes.

Cat's Cradle: Removed in 3E.

Compression Bubble: Range: -45 yards; full stat write-up.

Delay Blow: No changes.

Peacebond: Now causes Blood Magic Damage instead of Strain to extend the duration; causes less damage to extend the duration; no longer causes a Wound to extend the duration.

Safe Opening: Range: +1 yard.

Spell Snatcher: Range -36 yards.

Wound Mask: No changes.