Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 30 - Shaman Part 1, Spells

This is part one of the thirtieth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

The heart of what a spellcaster brings to any Group is their spells. They determine most of the play style and focus for a given Discipline, but also can represent a significant task to wade through and weighing the various options. The goal of this post is to analyze the spell selections in the first five Circles and give some idea of how those options may inform the emphasis of the Discipline, play style, as well the relative use of a particular spell. The reason this will only address the first five Circles is that you get to pick spells at those Circles - starting at Sixth Circle, you are on your own and it is largely in your GM's hands.

Depending on the Optional Rules used in your game, how you address picking up new spells will change. If spells can be purchased and do not cost Legend Points, there is little reason to not learn everything you can get your fingers on. If they do cost Legend Points, you may want to be more selective of what you include in your grimoire.

Since the boilerplate text is all out of the way, this particular look is going to be a little different. All of these spells have come from another discipline; there are functionally no unique Shaman spells (Dispel Shamanism Magic does not count). I'm going to include all of the text which can be found with the original discipline and probably some commentary on the way. Here's a warning: I'm not a fan of this discipline in execution.

First Circle

Air Armor: An excellent support spell for a considerable period of time. With no Threads, +3 Physical Armor for the combatants in your Group will always be a welcome addition.

Assuring Touch: No Threads, a decent duration (in rounds) and a small bonus to resist fear effects. By no means amazing, but this is an entirely reasonable spell by any stretch of the imagination.

Bone Dance: A powerful control spell that can effectively remove a single target from combat, or at least make them an easier target. If their are environmental dangers, such as a cliff or Death's Sea, then there is significantly added danger.

Catseyes: You can give anyone low-light vision for a few minutes. This can be remarkably useful in the right situation.

Crunch Climb: There are going to be a lot of these spells; small, but useful bonuses to a specific task. They are all useful to have around. This one is for climbing and a First Circle spell that has some longevity to it.

Earth Blend: You can blend in with your surroundings (assuming you are standing on earth or stone, which is a reasonable assumption), but you cannot move. With no Threads, it can be useful for evading pursuit, but it's biggest strength is probably in setting up an ambush.

Earth Darts: While this is a poor combat spell by any stretch of the imagination (1 Thread for WIL+6/Physical damage and poor range?), it is going to be the best damage spell you get until Third Circle. I sincerely hope you didn't want to be doing direct damage as an Elementalist.

Insect Repellent: See Dry and Wet above. (If there is no cost associated with learning this spell, it's neat in ways that probably are not going to be useful outside of that one time it was awesome to have.)

Moonglow: It creates light for a few minutes. Not bad, also not exciting at all.

Plant Talk: For a First Circle spell, this has the potential to be incredibly useful. Anything that can gather information is almost always going to be a winner in the long run. There is little reason to not take this spell.

Purify Earth: This spell is more about making friends and making the world better. It is worth taking if you find it.

Purify Water: Actually more practical than Purify Earth - this can potentially solve issues with not having access to clean water. You just have to have access to the water in the first place. It may be gross, but when desperate, you can always recycle.

Quicken Pace: Make your entire Group (with enough castings) move faster for a day. It's hard to argue with that.

This is a third Circle Wizard spell. Why was it dropped two Circles?

Resist Cold: Unless you know about it in advance and keep this in a Matrix (it has a duration only in minutes), this spell isn't going to be very practical. 

I find it amusing Resist Cold is present without Resist Fire. The answer is probably because Shaman get access to water spells, but not fire spells.

This Circle isn't bad. For combat, it's pretty disappointing. Really disappointing. Only the Illusionist ranks in at more disappointing. There are some good miscellaneous spells, but nothing really stands out. It is mostly the Elementalist list supplemented with selections from all of the other lists, which defines pretty much every Circle. The problem is there are no stand out spells here. Bone Dance can be amazing, but it can be difficult to pull off reliably as well (and that thread is a killer at First Circle), but the real Elementalist winning for First Circle, Heat Food, isn't present. This list is best defined by mediocrity.

Second Circle

Gadfly: One Thread and you can render a target Harried. This is particularly effective in encounters with small numbers of powerful opponents.

Gills: Breathe underwater? Yeah, this is going to be useful at some point.

Hunter's Sense: There is going to be some quest, at some point, when you are looking for a particular creature. You are going to want this spell for that. Otherwise, it is unlikely to come up.

Icy Surface: In contrast, this spell can create a nice control effect to make an escape, enact a trap, or simply pummel foes with attacks. Windlings and Archers love this spell to death.

Path Home: You will always be able to find your way back to camp, which can be useful when exploring strange (and often horrifying) new places. If you're going to the Servos and your GM is a little nasty, this may be good back-up to prevent getting too terribly lost.

Small Slayer: Only useful if you can get access to someone that you fully intend on assassinating in a moment of vulnerability and don't want to directly do the deed yourself. 

Vines: Probably the most useful spell at this Circle, particularly against single targets that are more threatening (getting the Harried is always a bonus).

Weather Cloak: There is nothing particularly special about this spell. It's not terrible, but also not terribly interesting.

Again, it is a similar story. There are some decent support spells here, but it's hard to get excited about the selection. As an aside, it's also interesting to note how generous I was in the past for some of these spells. Small Slayer is... not very good as written. 

Third Circle

Astral Sense: This marks an awkward first entry on this list because how this spell is going to function may differ heavily from game to game. It is very similar to the Astral Sight talent (which is a Second Circle discipline talent for Shaman, making this even more difficult to distinguish) with some subtle differences. The primary functional differences seem to be cost (this spell has no Strain), time (once cast, the spell lasts in minutes and is a Simple action to use) and information (the spell provides significantly less, but there will also be less interference). My suggestion is to talk with your GM about the functionality of this spell. Which is incredibly helpful, I know.

And this is a First Circle Wizard spell. Were Quicken Pace and Astral Sense switched?

Behind Eye: Useful if you can prepare for a fight and know that being Blindsided is going to be an issue. The 2 Threads make actually employing it once combat has begun a less tempting proposition. While there is nothing wrong here, there isn't a whole lot to recommend this niche spell.

Yet, here is a fire spell.

Catwalk: Another spell that helps with climbing. That is three for three, so far. This one also gives bonuses to resisting Knockdown. It might be good (however, the Thread requirement and duration make it of dubious value in combat), but it's hard to get excited about this spell.

Crunch Climb and Catwalk? Protip: When you're rifling through other discipline's spell lists, go for variety.

Death Trance: This is a spell infinitely more likely to be used by an NPC than a PC.

Dispel Shamanism Magic: Similar to Detect Elemetalism Magic above, but likely to see significantly more use. Definitely a useful spell to have in your arsenal, but not the must have for this Circle.

I'm leaving the reference to Detect Elementalism Magic as a note that Shaman do not get an equivalent Detect Shamanism Magic spell.

Fog of Fear: Very similar to Death's Head above, this has two Threads and affects everyone (including allies) in the area immediately. It is great for clearing the vicinity, but lacks that critical "control" element which makes these kind of control effects so useful. While it has its uses, there are significantly better options.

This is the only reference to Shaman being scary. They don't even get the Frighten talent. As a hint, in 4E, this spell won't actually do anything in the edition change.

Ice Mace and Chain: Here is the best damaging combat spell in the Elementalist's list. 0 Threads and WIL+5/Physical damage (which is actually pretty decent). The big selling point, however, is that a target struck is Harried unless one of the damage dice explodes. This is very good, since you either get a good damage roll, or inflict a status that the rest of your Group can take advantage of (there is no downside here). 

Mind Fog: Yeah, this spell is just fun. Seriously fun. It is worth taking and putting in an Enhanced Matrix when you get one of those. A million and one uses. Easily one of the best spells in the game.

Here is a strange pick for a Shaman. Also, this steps on the Illusionist schtick quite a bit and is really one of their signature spells in my mind.

Ork Stoke: Whoever created this spell is probably an enormous jerk. However, there can be some good uses for this spell if you want to make an ork ruin everything. Political themed games will probably get the most from this.

It's worth noting I detest this spell. The fact it was written at all is deeply troubling. A setting excuse could be given to explain why it is out there, but someone still had to think this was a good idea for it to exist in the first place. Why does a Shaman have this spell?

Plant Feast: Never worry about rations again as long as there is some flora alive in your area. This is worth taking, if nothing else than to remove the need for that bookkeeping ever again.

Puddle Deep: The requirement of a puddle limits the usefulness of this spell. The Effect Test is also rough until you get Willforce. This really works best when setting a trap rather than on the fly, since you can create your own puddle.

Soothe the Savage Beast: A good spell, and certainly worth learning if the opportunity presents itself. The most fun comes from an Extraordinary Result, so make sure to spend Karma on the Spellcasting Test.

Sunlight: Natural sunlight is created emanating from the Elementalist. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of anything in Earthdawn that is negatively impacted by sunlight. 

Thrive: If you are patient, you can do some pretty impressive things with this spell. Not terribly powerful, but it can be fun and potentially earn some goodwill through your travels.

Water Wings: If you have a windling in your Group, they will appreciate not having to worry about their wings getting wet again. If you don't, maybe you will meet one?

Winds of Deflection: Similar to Throne of Air, though with a worse duration and one less Thread (also a slightly worse Effect Step). It doesn't cost Strain, however. With an Enhanced Matrix, this is really quite useful to have around since it can be thrown up immediately.

This is the best Circle for the Shaman by far. There are a lot of solid spells to choose from, but this Circle also lacks for direction more than the others (there may be a connection here). The nature and spirit themes are by far the most tenuous. They do get the best Elementalist damage spell here, Ice Mace and Chain. 

Fourth Circle

Air Blast: Another example of the control an Elementalist can bring to combat. This presents a difficult Knockdown Test and can grant some significant advantages to the rest of your Group if deployed before melee combat begins.

Blizzard Sphere: More an area denial spell more than an overtly offensive spell. If you can trap opponents inside, it is brutal, but with 2 Threads a little on the time consuming side. Not a bad selection, but definitely better used to deny a small piece territory on the battlefield than create an elaborate trap to deal a bunch of damage.

Buoyancy: Another spell that grants a small bonus to a specific task. This time, it's swimming. With a Thread, it's hard to cast this at a moment's notice, though the duration is in hours, which is a nice change for these spells. Decent, though nothing to be excited over.

Circle of Well Being: A healing effect for Illusionists. Probably the most fiddly, but definitely worth taking.

This is the first healing spell this Circle.

Conceal Tracks: An anti-tracking spell. It's pretty specific in application, but you never know when it might come in handy.

Dust Devil: The strong indication is that this spell will affect your Group (except for you), making it of dubious use (two Threads is an awful lot for something like that). If you can convince your GM that it only affects those that you want it to, then you should probably take this spell.

Falcon's Cloak: Somewhere between useful and dangerous is this spell. You are a bird and can cast spells, but only those that don't require speaking or moving. That may be a more limited list than you think (or a larger list than you think - where I'm going with this is I don't actually know what you're thinking). 

Fatal Food: Most useful for NPCs, there is still some value in intrigue games where the PCs are not terribly nice people. 

Why?

Friend or Foe: This peculiar spell is most useful when you want to stop everyone involved from fighting, unless they don't care much who they are killing, so long as they are killing. The narrow application of this spell makes it unlikely to see any use.

Another pick I don't fully comprehend the reasoning.

Great Sticky Vines: If you find yourself with a need to incapacitate your foes, then this is a superb option. Possibly one of the best available.

First Vines, and now Great Sticky Vines!

Hair Frenzy: Much better than Dust Devil: no Threads and it Harries a single target. While it isn't going to be your first pick for the Circle, try and get this one eventually.

Another pick which is a strange one. 

Karmic Connection: It's hard to really get the most out of this spell since it has a Thread (and also hard to justify using a precious Enhanced Matrix early on). That being said, the Karma cost isn't that high (5 points) and it can be a game changer in combat. This can bring a heavy hitter from the brink back into the swing of things in a big way.

Here is the second. This is also the only Karma related spell they get. In the middle of all the healing spells, they needed this one too, opening a theme which is never touched again. I can only assume the theme is: Give Shaman all of the Fourth Circle healing spells. EVERY ONE!

Last Chance: Let's face it, this is the best spell this Circle, if not one of the best spells period. You are going to want this, and you are going to use this.

And the third.

Lighten Load: A utility spell that could be pretty useful in the right circumstances and worth picking up if the opportunity arises. 

Relax: Another solid healing ability, this increases the effectiveness of Recovery Tests and reduces the time required to use them. One more good spell for this Circle.

Finally, number four. That is right, Shaman get four healing spells at Fourth Circle. This is rather ridiculous, actually.

Root Trap: Similar to Great Stick Vines, though with no Threads, worse range and a worse Effect Step. It also requires a nearby tree. In all, it isn't quite as good (mostly because of the requirement of a tree nearby). No Threads can be awfully tempting at times.

Thorny Retreat: So... this spell. It seems like a great idea. It can come in handy and I wouldn't be surprised if there are stories of how this spell saved someone's bacon. In general, I would consider those the exception rather than the rule. To make it work: You need to either be at peace with raw casting or have it in a Spell Matrix. This means you have to be planning a "hasty" retreat at all times. From my experience, not how most Earthdawn Groups roll. Then you need to Weave a Thread. This is cutting down on the running time. When encountered, anyone trying to get through will most likely fail the Test, but there isn't a guarantee on this one. Particularly considering how frequent the ability to spend Karma on a dexterity-only test is available. Also, the damage it does is utterly laughable; to be fair, stopping pursuit is the main goal here. End result: it's hard to make this spell work for you and there are a lot of good spells.

Uneven Ground: The use of this spell is going to depend entirely on how your GM wants to interpret it. The Effect lists it as "enemy character", while the description says "any character". The latter reading makes more sense from the context, but... you never know. If it is the former, this is pretty amazing and well worth having. If they latter, you should just pass on it. There are better things to do with your actions.

This Circle is a little strange. First off: So. Many. Healing. Spells. Followed by that, it's a collection of strange spells from across the various disciplines which showcase how much of an afterthought the Shaman spell list actually is. There is no concept of what mechanics should be prevalent, how to emphasize their themes, what are they missing, what can be built on, etc. It is just a bunch of spells which vaguely (and I really do mean vaguely) seem like they would fit.

Fifth Circle

Bond of Silence: Tragically, the duration is rather short, but that may be all the time you need to make use of this spell. At the same time, it has three Threads, so it's not exactly perfect to use on a target that is running away from you.

I'm uncertain how this fits into the overall themes. While it hasn't been mentioned every time, this is something of a recurring theme for me while reading this list, "What is this even doing here?"

Ironwood: While not incredibly useful for improving armor and weapons (it seems), it is great for impromptu fortifications. Odds are good that will be useful at some point. 

Nutritious Earth: This isn't likely to be a game changer (though could be very important to any Questors of Jaspree or Garlen), but it has some fun flavor and can likely earn some serious good will from Namegivers around Barsaive. I like this spell a lot, but you will probably know if it will be useful for you or not. Also, consider using it with Thrive.

Resist Poison: Always good to have up when exploring the wilderness or kaers. Additional protection against poison with a duration in hours is always welcome to an adept.

Sanctuary: This is a pretty serious "buy some time" spell. It will seal off and reinforce and entire building for minutes. Three Threads is steep, however.

So it seals off a building. When the description of a Shaman is rather tribal in nature.

Spiritual Guidance: Fun, but be prepared for a trip. It is also worth noting that not all GM's like to be put on the spot and may respond best when this is used in-between games.

Wither Limb: This is a very powerful spell and approaching permanently debilitating if it causes a Wound (which is rather likely given the WIL+8 Effect Test). When any side starts to deploy this spell, things have gotten ugly and were probably already personal. If they weren't before, they are now. Don't expect this to end well.

This is one of those definitive Nethermancer spells which doesn't make me very happy to see here. I'm also uncertain what it is doing other than filling in space and adding some power to the otherwise unimpressive list. This Circle is pretty sad. It's worth noting Shaman have the measure, but not the countermeasure for Wither Limb.

My primary complaints for the Shaman spell lists are it is pretty dull and haphazard. It seems most like someone went down the spell lists and picked all of the spells which vaguely fit, then shoved some more in to fill it out. Much of it just seems like an afterthought, from the spell list to the spell fetish idea. Really, if they deserve to be a discipline, they deserve better than this. If this is all they will ever get, I would rather see them tucked away in a closet than continuing to not really fit in with the other disciplines. 

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 29 - Illusionist Part 1, Spells

This is part twenty-eight Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

The heart of what a spellcaster brings to any Group is their spells. They determine most of the play style and focus for a given Discipline, but also can represent a significant task to wade through and weighing the various options. The goal of this post is to analyze the spell selections in the first five Circles and give some idea of how those options may inform the emphasis of the Discipline, play style, as well the relative use of a particular spell. The reason this will only address the first five Circles is that you get to pick spells at those Circles - starting at Sixth Circle, you are on your own and it is largely in your GM's hands.

Depending on the Optional Rules used in your game, how you address picking up new spells will change. If spells can be purchased and do not cost Legend Points, there is little reason to not learn everything you can get your fingers on. If they do cost Legend Points, you may want to be more selective of what you include in your grimoire.

First Circle

Assuring Touch: No Threads, a decent duration (in rounds) and a small bonus to resist fear effects. By no means amazing, but this is an entirely reasonable spell by any stretch of the imagination.

Bellow of the Thundras: Not game changing, but if this is our Independence Day, or perhaps an apocalypse needs to be cancelled, accept no substitute.

Best Face: While the duration may be problematic (minutes), there are a lot of ways this spell can prove to be remarkably useful. It aligns nicely with how these adepts generally go about solving problems.

Blazing Fists of Rage/True Blazing Fists of Rage: This is the first entry into the shell game that is combat with an Illusionist. Each damage spell has a illusion version and an true version. The illusion potentially does more damage, but can be resisted by sensing the illusion. While treating the true version as an illusion will pretty much just hurt. It's very interesting, but you need to be interested in playing it in the first place. I would highly recommend getting a couple playing cards and writing "Illusion" on one, "True" on the other. Assuming you have both versions of the spell, when casting, place one face down. Have the GM determine how the target will react, then reveal the nature of the spell..

All of that being said, this is a probably going to be a useless spell. It is a buff, rather than a directly damaging spell, that requires the target to attack with Unarmed Combat. Low Circle Beastmasters (particularly windlings) and Purifiers may get something out of this, but otherwise just steer clear.

Catseyes: You can give anyone low-light vision for a few minutes. This can be remarkably useful in the right situation.

Disguise Metal: Let's be realistic, this spell makes money look like something other than money, or even more frequently it will make something made of metal look like it is made of gold. It isn't going to last very long (nor will it actually make it heavier), so be careful with how much you abuse this. Which is to say, make sure that you won't be around when the jig is up.

Displace Image: This is an interesting spell that is hindered by its limitations. It conceals your true location, but will still mimic all of your actions. In combat, it's biggest value seems to be setting up for a Surprise Strike, as maintaining the illusion under attack requires concentration. Outside of combat, where it has the most interesting potential, the duration is too short (rounds) to be of much actual use.

Fun With Doors: Most frequently used to simply screw with some people in a very Wile E. Coyote sort of way for a few minutes, this spell can also be used to effectively confound entry into a location for its duration. That ability can be remarkably valuable in the right situations.

Light: It creates light. You can also use that light to dazzle a target, but with one Thread to do so, I hope there are better options are your disposal (at First Circle, there might not be).

Pauper's Purse: Here is a strange spell. It can be used to protect (some of) your money from theft, or to temporarily deprive the target of some funds (to whatever end). The problem with the former is the duration is in minutes and the latter is that you have to touch wherever the money is. Sorting out how to make that work to your advantage is what playing an Illusionist is all about.

Rope Guide: So you can concentrate to have a rope wriggle anywhere within 30 yards of you. There is likely going to be some point in the future where that will come in handy. Just be prepared for some potentially crass table talk about this spell at times.

Unseen Voices: This is a great spell, particularly for investigation, social or espionage driven games. There are a lot of ways to use this effect. This is a bread-and-butter spell for Illusionists.

Second Circle

Blindness: It requires a Thread and pretty much everything the target is going to do is a Sensing Test, but blinding a single target is wildly effective. As long as the target needs to see.

Crafty Thought: I can virtually guarantee that the first time this spell comes up, there is going to be a lot of reading and re-reading of the text, trying to sort out exactly what it does. Which is not a whole lot. It can give the suggestion of a simple image/action, but there is no impetus to follow through on it. If you are conducting psychological warfare on a particular person, this may be very useful (that isn't a joke).

Disaster: Any character that uses Surprise Attack regularly may find this to be a boon. Also, if you need to get a short head start on an escape.

Encrypt: This would be a great spell in an espionage-driven game if the duration was longer. As it is, it is useful only to hide something for a few hours. There are situations where it is still useful, but the timing may be pretty crucial.

Ephemeral Bolt/True Ephemeral Bolt: Here is the next entry into Illusionist combat spells, and these are significantly better than Blazing Fists of Rage. In fact, the illusion version of this spell is great. It has no Threads, good range and good damage. The downsides are the whole illusion thing and the fact it does physical damage. Nonetheless, get both of these.

Impossible Knot: This is another in the long list of strange Illusionist spells, though this one has a duration in days, which is a bonus. There are all kinds of strange ways creating a knot that is almost impossible to untie can be useful. If you're playing an Illusionist, I certainly hope that you enjoy trying to come up with them.

Innocent Activity: If your Group gets into illicit activity (the answer to this is almost certainly "yes"), this spell will almost certainly come in useful. The duration isn't great (rounds), but it is hopefully enough time to do something clearly illegal in plain sight and conceal that activity.

Monstrous Mantle: Two Threads and a so-so duration for this buff spell that can be disbelieved. However, it does give a variety of bonuses, which is very nice. The flavor of the spell is a little strange - I generally simply treat it as a glamour making the target appear significantly more impressive and dangerous, though if the original description works for you, to each their own.

Remove Shadow: A small bonus to anything related to being unseen with a duration in minutes isn't bad. It's not amazing, but sometimes anything can count.

Send Message: In anything other than a hardcore kaer-crawling game (in which case, why are you playing an Illusionist at all?), this is a very good spell. The limited duration can work for you, leaving no trace of the note and limited opportunity to directly copy it. This spell is highly recommended.

Tailor: This is a very useful spell for anyone that engages in social interaction. Anything to help improve Attitude is a boon. This can also potentially be used to make things rather difficult for someone you don't like. I think that's a twofer.

Weather Cloak: There is nothing particularly special about this spell. It's not terrible, but also not terribly interesting.

You Got Me: If you like Best Face, then consider this the upgrade to that spell - you will want it. Similarly, if Best Face had too many limitations for you, look into this version.

Third Circle

Alarm: Most useful as an early warning protecting an unguarded (or guarded, if you fear the guard is going to go out like a chump) position. Or if you want to publicly bust someone for going somewhere. Not so useful if you are doing the sneaking. The duration (minutes) prevents it from being useful for any extended time. 

And Then I Woke Up: A significant bonus to detect an illusion. With the duration (2 rounds), it is really just a single illusion. Not bad, but nothing amazing to see here. It does reinforce the fact that the best foil to an Illusionist is another Illusionist - they know all of your tricks.

Blinding Glare: It can be powerful, but also rather difficult to make work. Essentially, you need targets that at range from your Group, but not too much range, because this spell only goes 12 yards. It has many of the same issues as Ethereal Darkness and Smoke Cloud, though the ability to use it at a distance makes it significantly better. Which moves it from "to be avoided" into "maybe".

Dampen Karma: Against a strong opponent (especially a Horror), this can be pretty amazing, particularly for only one Thread. This is a great spell to have in your arsenal.

Detect Illusionism Magic: Wizards are able to just Detect Magic and this spell rarely sees much play. Since Astral Sight is a popular (even vital) Talent Option for Illusionists, when Detect Illusionism Magic is applicable and Astral Sight is not is something of a grey to non-existent area.

Dispel Illusionism Magic: Similar to Detect Illusionism Magic, but likely to see significantly more use. A useful spell to have in your arsenal, but not the must have.

False Floor: Here is another example of a quintessential Illusionist spell. What exactly would you do with a spell that creates the impression that there is a trap? That is the kind of question that an Illusionist should enjoy grappling with.

Impossible Lock: Similar to Impossible Knot, but the duration is in hours. It's a reasonable way to keep something locked for a while, thwarting something you probably know about ahead of time, but not useful for general protection. It is worth mentioning that there has to be a lock and it only works against lock picking, not general attempts to open the door with a key.

Mind Fog: Yeah, this spell is just fun. Seriously fun. It is worth taking and putting in an Enhanced Matrix when you get one of those. A million and one uses. Easily one of the best spells in the game.

Nobody Here: Great to have for any Group that intends to get into trouble, or maybe sneak around a little. Which may as well define every Group, since forever.

Phantom Warrior: An entirely decent buff spell, giving a bonus to Physical Defense and against active defenses; which is pretty good for one Thread. The downside is that every action made against the character is pretty much a Sensing Test.

See the Unseen: Probably the best buff for perception Tests (as opposed to Perception Tests) around. It works in conjunction with other Talents (such as Astral Sight and Search), you just must be looking for something hidden.

Soothe the Savage Beast: A good spell, and certainly worth learning if the opportunity presents itself. The most fun comes from an Extraordinary Result, so make sure to spend Karma on the Spellcasting Test.

Suffocation: Three Threads and a brutal ranged area attack that affects Mystic Armor. With a duration. The number of Threads mean this isn't going to be useful all of the time, but if you can get the drop on some adversaries, it will be brutal.

Fourth Circle

Aura: An interesting spell that generally seems to be most useful for illuminating a single target for a short time.

Bleeding Edge: This spell isn't interesting, it's downright weird. Creepy, and very useful if you want to creep people out, but not so useful as a damage buff considering the requirements - you, effectively, have to steal someone's weapon and then use it against them. If you can pull that off, why not just keep their weapon and use yours that will have all of your neat bonuses baked in?

Circle of Well Being: A healing effect for Illusionists. Probably the most fiddly, but definitely worth taking.

Clarion Call: Pretty much the Jedi mind trick. This is very powerful and you are going to want it

Conceal Tracks: An anti-tracking spell. It's pretty specific in application, but you never know when it might come in handy.

Eyes Have It: The good news is this blinding effect can selectively effect a different target each round, and it lasts until they succeed at a Willpower Test. Oh, and it lasts for minutes. The only downside is that this spell as three Threads. This is a good spell.

Great Weapon: For one Thread, you can make a weapon cause opponents facing it to become Harried. Not bad, but every action they take against the person wielding the weapon counts as a Sensing Test. Not great.

Hunger: This spell is pretty messed up. It can be effective at whatever long-term warfare you want to conduct against the target, but realize you are probably a terrible person for using this spell.

Improved Alarm: It's just like the original Alarm spell, but it can be discrete and the spellcaster has some control over its notifications. That makes this a significantly better spell than the original.

Memory Blank: Similar to Memory Fog, but it requires one more Thread (for two total). It has a much longer duration and can be used to make the target forget up to a few minutes. You are going to find ways to use this.

Multi-Missile: Requires two Threads, a successful Attack Test, the Avoid Blow Test counts as a Sensing Test, you have to be next to the target and the damage is terrible. Move along, nothing to see here.

Nightmare of Foreboding: If you learned Hunger, this is a nice companion to take with it. There are really too many Threads to make this useful in a combat situation.

Stop Right There: This is a great spell. I highly recommend learning it and always keeping it in a Spell Matrix. If you have to reattune it on the fly, it may already be too late.

Unmask: Not real great, unless you are deeply involved in some intricate plots involving illusionary identities. It does allow for some Scooby-Doo unmasking, however.


Fifth Circle

Awaken: Strange, but useful. It will heal someone so that the regain consciousness, which is the primary use of this spell (let's face it), along with some other applications along the way. Pretty useful.

Bond of Silence: Tragically, the duration is rather short, but that may be all the time you need to make use of this spell. At the same time, it has three Threads, so it's not exactly perfect to use on a target that is running away from you.

Clothing Gone: At three Threads, this isn't a combat spell. However, it is a deeply embarrassing (possibly violating) spell. You're not really going to make friends of the target, but it is a great way to shame them.

Enter and Exit: This will likely see the most use looking for an entrance, rather than an exit, but it's terribly useful and cuts down a lot of the time puttering around, trying to figure out how to get into a location. Information is power and this gives some useful information.

Eye of Truth: The other half to And Then I Woke Up, this helps out with the Disbelief Tests. If you are getting mileage out of And Then I Woke Up, this will help out as well. If not, there probably isn't much to see here.

Flesh Eater: The description isn't entirely clear if anyone other than the target perceives the illusion. Nonetheless, the touch component generally makes this most useful in a social situation rather than combat (along with the Thread requirement). Be aware, the Thread is difficult to Weave.

Flying Carpet: It makes a flying carpet. Which is pretty awesome. There is very little reason to not get this spell one way or another.

Illusion: It creates a relatively simple illusion. Every Illusionist will want this spell.

Improve Karma: This is the spell I have seen Named more than any other. Why? Because +4 Steps to Karma is insane. It takes three Threads, has a duration in rounds, and costs a Karma, so this isn't really an all the time spell. Or even a very often spell. But as a permanent effect?

Noble Manner: A good bonus to social interaction, with a so-so duration (minutes); this is a solid spell worth picking up.

Phantom Fireball: While it has only one Thread, this is similar to, but worse than Suffocation. If you have lots of situations where you can lob area effect ranged attacks to great effectiveness, it may be worth investigating.

Pleasant Visions: A group lock down with a duration in minutes and only one Thread? Yeah, that will do nicely.

Switch: Five Threads is a lot and coming up with a great situation to use this in may be difficult. Honestly, this is more of an NPC escape spell than one PCs are going to use frequently. That being said, the hallmark of a successful Illusionist is lateral thinking and making a round hole fit a square peg.

Wall of Unfire: It will block off a hallway (though anything wider and someone will likely be able to slip around) and has three Threads. The damage is pretty decent and the duration is in minutes, but... it is just so small.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 28 - Wizard Part 1, Spells

This is part one of the twenty-eighth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

The heart of what a spellcaster brings to any Group is their spells. They determine most of the play style and focus for a given Discipline, but also can represent a significant task to wade through and weighing the various options. The goal of this post is to analyze the spell selections in the first five Circles and give some idea of how those options may inform the emphasis of the Discipline, play style, as well the relative use of a particular spell. The reason this will only address the first five Circles is that you get to pick spells at those Circles - starting at Sixth Circle, you are on your own and it is largely in your GM's hands.

Depending on the Optional Rules used in your game, how you address picking up new spells will change. If spells can be purchased and do not cost Legend Points, there is little reason to not learn everything you can get your fingers on. If they do cost Legend Points, you may want to be more selective of what you include in your grimoire.

First Circle

Astral Sense: This marks an awkward first entry on this list because how this spell is going to function may differ heavily from game to game. It is very similar to the Astral Sight Talent (which is an Initiate Discipline Talent for Wizards, making this even more difficult to distinguish) with some subtle differences. The primary functional differences seem to be cost (this spell has no Strain), time (once cast, the spell lasts in minutes and is a Simple action to use) and information (the spell provides significantly less, but there will also be less interference). My suggestion is to talk with your GM about the functionality of this spell. Which is incredibly helpful, I know.

Bedazzling Display of Logical Analysis: If you group engages in a great deal of social interaction, this is definitely worth looking into. There is a caveat to that, however: you must be the one doing the talking (and this specifically refers to debate). The bonus only applies to the caster, which may limit the long-term use of this spell. In the short-term, it's hard to be for it's application.

Crushing Will: Just like Astral Spear, only slightly worse in a few ways (damage and Weaving difficulties). Also, likely to be replaced by Aura Strike at Second Circle, though it doesn't have the range of Crushing Will. 

Dispel Magic: Pretty much the best Dispel option available, since it is accessible at First Circle and can work on anything. It's hard to justify not having this in your toolbox.

Divine Aura: Amusingly, the name of this spell often leads people astray, since "Divine" is most commonly an adjective, not a verb. Pointless semantics that I forced you to read through aside, this is a useful spell, particularly if you are engaged in social and/or investigative games. I'm always a fan of information gathering spells, no matter how minor, because information is always powerful, but can also box your GM into a corner. When cornered, GMs can be very dangerous.

Flame Flash: Inferior range and damage compared to Crushing Will, it also affects Physical rather than Mystic Armor. This is almost always a worse option, but particularly at low Circles when meaningful Mystic Armor is a rarity (practically non-existent), compared to scorchers with a Physical Armor of 10.

Ignite: This may seem funny, but I like this spell more than Flame Flash. Ostensibly, Flame Flash can light things on fire just as well (even better!) than Ignite. However, that Thread which needs to be Woven and the slightly higher reattuning difficulty make it less useful as a utility spell when you can take advantage of a situation where something needs to be one fight right now.

Iron Hand: Odds are pretty good that there will be at least one character that deals close combat damage in your Group. This is an excellent buff for them, though the Thread makes it a two-turn investment. So, recommended for combats that seem like they will be going for quite a few rounds.

Mind Dagger: What we have right here is Spirit Dart with a longer range. This is going to be the mainstay of your offensive spells until you get an Enhanced Matrix with Crushing Will in it.

Silent Converse: Unless you are involved in hardcore kaer-crawling (possibly even then), there is going to come a time when this spell is going to be useful. This is a great spell and one that should be in every Wizard's grimoire.

Triangulate: It's like a laser rangefinder. If the exact distance is incredibly important, then this could be incredibly useful. It is just too situational to give a real assessment, but it might come in useful at some point. Or might really annoy your GM who must now always give accurate distances to the yard and everyone will joke about how funny it is that distances are always in quantities divisible by five.

Wall Walker: With enough time, this can completely bypass any need for your Group to have Climbing. It's not going to be so useful in a hurry, however. Subtly different from Crunch Climb.

Second Circle

And His Money: If anyone in your Group has Haggle (not all Groups have this Talent), then this spell should be on your radar. It is pretty much going to make money for you. It isn't likely to be a major priority, however, since there are more interesting options.

Astral Shield: With no Threads and a decent duration, it's hard to argue against this spell. It may not come into its own at this low Circle - Spell Defense isn't a common target - but can be a winner at higher Circles when the combatants need to improve this defense that is likely to be lacking.

Clean: Pretty much exactly as advertised. It's fun, but practically that is about it.

Dodge Boost: Very similar to Astral Shield in application, just to Avoid Blow and with a slightly worse duration. It's a solid spell that is likely to see use, just not terribly sexy in function.

Rope Ladder: It can be deployed faster than Wall Walker, but doesn't necessarily provide much help to those that are utterly helpless at climbing. You probably will not need both of these spells, but if you can get it for free, it's always worth it.

Seal: There are some fun uses for this spell, and can certainly be used to provide a brief reprieve for characters in dire straits.

Vines: Probably the most useful spell at this Circle, particularly against single targets that are more threatening (getting the Harried is always a bonus).

Wake-Up Call: It falls into the same category as Clean, above.

Third Circle

Aura Strike: The same range as Mind Dagger, but with significantly better damage and always causes a Wound. This spell is an absolute beast and will be the go to damage spell when an Enhanced Matrix becomes available.

Catwalk: Another spell that helps with climbing. That is three for three, so far. This one also gives bonuses to resisting Knockdown. It might be good (however, the Thread requirement and duration make it of dubious value in combat), but it's hard to get excited about this spell.

Combat Fury: Remember Iron Hand? If you've been getting some mileage from that, this is very similar. It just happens to give a bonus to attack rolls instead.

False Aura: Any game that features a lot of intrigue may get some significant use from this spell. Other games may find it fun, but probably not as much. That being said, NPCs are likely to use this spell more than anyone else.

Healing Sleep: Take this spell. Take it. Take it now. You may only be able to use it once a week and have some other extremely mild restrictions on when it can be used, but every Group should jump at all of the healing they can get their hands on. This just happens to also be some very good healing.

Identify Spell: If you are getting a lot of use from Dispel Magic, this can be a solid companion to it. Not precisely the same, but it can give some insight into the capabilities of other spellcasters.

Leaps and Bounds: Everyone (effectively) gets Great Leap. It's pretty fun and can be a little awesome to throw it on all of the combatants immediately prior to an encounter.

Levitate: A classic that also has some discussion on ways it can be combined with itself to greater use. Another solid pick from this Circle. 

Notice Not: Grants a bonus to sneaking tests. Useful (if someone in the Group has Silent Walk), but not exciting.

Ork Stoke: Whoever created this spell is probably an enormous jerk. However, there can be some good uses for this spell if you want to make an ork ruin everything. Political themed games will probably get the most from this.

Quicken Pace: Make your entire Group (with enough castings) move faster for a day. It's hard to argue with that.

Seeking Sight: Similar to Combat Fury, but it works with ranged attacks and you affect the target of the ranged attack, rather than the attackers. This makes it better if you have multiple ranged attacks and a single target.

Shatter Lock: Though it doesn't come out and say it, this spell destroys the lock. Everything about how it works says that (especially Repair Lock, see blow). If you don't have a Thief (or someone else that selected Lock Picking in some capacity), this is another good Third Circle spell. If you do have that capacity, it probably isn't worth since you just put that lock on a one-way trip.

Water Wings: If you have a windling in your Group, they will appreciate not having to worry about their wings getting wet again. If you don't, maybe you will meet one?

Wizard Mark: The mystical equivalent to writing your name on something. Also works against Namegivers. The actual function of this spell is suspiciously close to that of a Horror Mark and the populace at large is somewhat aware of that fact and may respond accordingly (this is to say: poorly). There are benefits to putting a Wizard Mark on each member of your Group every day, though they may not appreciate it. It would definitely be more fun if the duration was longer.

Fourth Circle

Ball of String: If you suspect that your GM may try and get you lost, it is suggested that you look into this spell. If you think that your GM would never want to get you lost in a maze or by some kind of contrivance, squint real hard and think about the person at the other end of the table. Then consider picking this spell up if it becomes available.

Binding Threads: This is a fairly powerful entrapment spell and a good way to lock someone down. The number of Threads (two) limit its usefulness in a chase scenario, however.

Buoyancy: Another spell that grants a small bonus to a specific task. This time, it's swimming. With a Thread, it's hard to cast this at a moment's notice, though the duration is in hours, which is a nice change for these spells. Decent, though nothing to be excited over.

Dust Devil: The strong indication is that this spell will affect your Group (except for you), making it of dubious use (two Threads is an awful lot for something like that). If you can convince your GM that it only affects those that you want it to, then you should probably take this spell.

Hair Frenzy: Much better than Dust Devil: no Threads and it Harries a single target. While it isn't going to be your first pick for the Circle, try and get this one eventually.

Icy Protection: With one target (you) and a limited range of use (fire effects), this isn't the most useful spell out there.

Identify Magic: This is like Divine Aura, only for the person's magic. Including up to their Discipline and Circle. It's hard to imagine how this wouldn't be useful.

Inventory: Right here is the ability to reduce all searching and endless cataloging of a room's contents to a couple of rolls. Not going to make the "absolutely must have" list, but is going to make things easier on you out-of-character. Or at least have the fiction support how you handle things out-of-character when it comes to the loot.

Juggler's Touch: A movable area effect spell (with a manageable area!) seems incredibly enticing, right? Turns out that the math just isn't in its favor. The area effect is nice, but it can still go wrong and the range isn't so great that you can easily ruin the ranged attackers of your opponents. Really, the downside is the setup time (two Threads) and the actual effect, which is decent enough damage, but affects Physical Armor. There are better offensive spells at your disposal and much better spells for this Circle.

Kaer Knocking: Subtle and possibly the spell with the most specific use ever. Also, a spell you are going to want. It may very well not be your first pick for this Circle, but it should definitely be high on your list.

Karmic Connection: It's hard to really get the most out of this spell since it has a Thread (and also hard to justify using a precious Enhanced Matrix early on). That being said, the Karma cost isn't that high (5 points) and it can be a game changer in combat. This can bring a heavy hitter from the brink back into the swing of things in a big way.

Relax: Another solid healing ability, this increases the effectiveness of Recovery Tests and reduces the time required to use them. One more good spell for this Circle.

Repair Lock: Remember how you were totally wrecking all of those locks with Shatter Lock? This is the other half of the equation that repairs them. If you have Shatter Lock, you may consider picking this up at some point. If not, then this is of dubious use (between reattuning on the fly and the three Threads, it's hard to make use of it in a pinch.)

Thorny Retreat: So... this spell. It seems like a great idea. It can come in handy and I wouldn't be surprised if there are stories of how this spell saved someone's bacon. In general, I would consider those the exception rather than the rule. To make it work: You need to either be at peace with raw casting or have it in a Spell Matrix. This means you have to be planning a "hasty" retreat at all times. From my experience, not how most Earthdawn Groups roll. Then you need to Weave a Thread. This is cutting down on the running time. When encountered, anyone trying to get through will most likely fail the Test, but there isn't a guarantee on this one. Particularly considering how frequent the ability to spend Karma on a dexterity-only test is available. Also, the damage it does is utterly laughable; to be fair, stopping pursuit is the main goal here. End result: it's hard to make this spell work for you and there are a lot of good spells.

Trust: Right here, this is one of my favorite utility spells. The difficulty is pretty high and it is very easy to accidentally end the effect (PCs tend towards deception as a matter of course - it's just a reflection of the twisted world that is inflicted upon them). That being said, to prevent and NPC from deceiving or harming you for a few minutes? Sign me up.

Wizard's Cloak: An anti-divination effect. It's fun, but the duration isn't spectacular (minutes). The short duration makes being effectively defensive with it difficult. If you are in an intrigue heavy game, then you may be able to use this proactively to some effect.

Fifth Circle

Counterspell: If you are facing a spellcasting enemy (like, I don't know, a Horror), accept no substitutes. The raw bonus isn't spectacular (+2), but it will affect everyone in your Group, has a good duration and requires no Threads.

Giant Size: This seems much cooler than it actually is. What it comes out to be is a good bonus to strength and toughness-only Tests with a pretty short duration and limitations on the area you can use it in (there has to be enough room to fit the no longer fun-sized character).

Heat Metal Armor: Even with the two Threads this spell requires, it is exceptionally brutal to use against very tough opponents that are wearing metal armor (yet another reason to wear crystal). The range is dangerously short, but it is a damage-over-time that bypasses armor. Brutal.

Invigorate: Another good spell that improves Recovery Tests. They're high enough Circle (starting at Third) to not seriously step on the Elementalist's toes, but the sheer number of them is somewhat boggling.

Kaer Pictographs: The next level of Kaer Knocking, and it works even better in conjunction with Kaer Knocking. Once you have their attention, you can start to communicate with them through a magical etch-a-sketch.

Mage Armor: More spells to add to the "good, but uninteresting bonus" category. This one gives physical armor with one Thread and a duration in minutes. Which is quite good. In an Enhanced Matrix (because everyone has one of those lying around unspoken for) this can buff an entire Group in short order.

Makeshift Missile: I was going to do a flow chart of how to see if you should take this spell, but I realized there isn't much point. This isn't a good spell. If you have a character that uses Throwing Weapons and often runs out of things to throw, they need more help than a Fifth Circle spell with a Thread can resolve.

Mystic Shock: Very short range (4 yards) and great damage. You don't have to be able to see your target - it will go right through that wall to get the person you are eavesdropping on. Shows them talking where someone can sneak up on them! The only downside is the two Threads. This is a spell built for tagging someone through a wall, floor, or ceiling. Not a whole lot of use in combat.

Sanctuary: This is a pretty serious "buy some time" spell. It will seal off and reinforce and entire building for minutes. Three Threads is steep, however.

Slow: A touch spell; risky. It is a powerful debuff against any opponent that relies on physical attacks and/or going quickly. The two Threads make it a relatively steep investment, so it is best saved for prolonged combats against few opponents. It's nice to have, but not a spell that is going to come up often.

Solo Flight: Yeah... you're probably going to want this. Let's just be honest. Generally, this is the first spell that Wizards take from this Circle. Don't feel bad that you aren't being an individual by taking this spell. Think of it as upholding a grand tradition of realizing that walking is for suckers.

Study Thread: Beyond reducing Strain, I'm not entirely certain what this spell is really supposed to accomplish.