Hi!
Heres the draft magic rules (there will eventually be 10-15 spells available to each faction apart from the dwarves who get the vortex spell eating machine which is capable of devouring magic and refocussing the earthpower into destructive blasts of pure energy. Or blowing up spectacularly!)
LEVIATHAN EARTHPOWER DRAFT MAGIC RULES
PRE BATTLE
When fielding a spellcaster the player must first purchase spells for them.
(Spell lists will be worked out at a later date but will include spells for all the races apart from the dwarves who are, by their nature un-magical)
Each spell purchased can only be used once but you may purchase multiples of each.
(This is an attempt to cut down on a player overusing magic and requires a bit more thought be put into magic and stops the magician being all powerful while adding some serious power to the game)
Some spells take effect before the battle begins (see spell description for info) These spells are counted as being automatically successful but do effect the players earthpower pool.
(Essentially I wanted the magic user to have more than just a battlefield use. For example the orc shaman cannot cast spells as such but can commune with the spirits etc which can be used to effect deployment and activation etc)
Magic in the Leviathan setting is an unreliable source of power and spellcasters will have to work hard to gather the power form the earths shattered leylines. To represent this each player rolls a D20 at the beginning of the game. The result is the earthpower they can call upon to boost their spell casting abilities.
Earthpower can be boosted with the use of sacrifices which can be purchased at the beginning of the game (each sacrificial victim boosts the sides earthpower by +1)
(I am trying to keep in theme with the background from the first book and thought that the above rules reflect the nature of the world after the death)
THE MAGIC PHASE
Magic users can only cast a single spell per turn.
In order to cast a spell a Casting counter must be placed next to the model during the orders phase.
A magic user cannot cast spells in close combat and requires two free hands (so no two handed weapons!)
Casting spells requires the magic user to pass a resolve (RES) test modified by the power of the spell. A caster may modify this by using earthpower points from their armies pool.
If the resulting roll is equal or under their resolve the spell is cast and works as normal.
If the resulting roll is a natural 1 the spell works normally and cannot be resisted or dispelled.
If the resulting roll is over the casters resolve things have gone wrong. Roll on the miscast table:
If the resulting roll is 20 the spell goes badly wrong. Roll twice on the miscast table:
Roll Effect
1-3 Spell Lost (the spell is lost from the casters memory and the action is wasted)
4-6 Cannot cast this turn or next (the flow of earthpower is weak or has been disrupted. The caster cannot use spells for the remainder of this turn and next as they struggle to concentrate the fickle flow of magic)
7-13 Deviates (the spell goes wrong in some unusual way and its effects deviate D20cm in a random direction. If the spell hits another unit (friend or foe) it will take effect although the effected unit may still take a resistance check.)
14-16 Attracts a spirit or elemental (the spells power seems inexplicably to be drawn to to an area D20cm in a random direction from the caster. The result is an elemental spirit is summoned. The elemental uses the uncontrolled monster chart for the remainder of the batte) (Stats to follow)
17-20 Power surge (the spell consumes the caster. Remove the caster as a casualty. The spell is automatically successfully cast and cannot be resisted)
(As you can see the price of failure in Earthpower can be pretty nasty and hopefully reflects the dangers of magic use)
If the spell is cast successfully the targeted unit takes a resolve test, again modified by the power of the spell. If they roll under their modified resolve the spell fails to take effect. A natural one is always a success, while a natural 20 is always a fail.
(This is to give all units the chance of resisting to some degree the power of magic. At present I am not sure if I want to include it in the game but opinions and advice would be welcome!)
SPELLS
(Heres a quick list of some initial spell lists. Eventually I hope to have about 10-15 spells available to each faction ranging from fairly weak to really powerful as well as spells that take effect before and during battle) I am trying to give each faction a very different feel for their magic, for example, demonic magic is all about offense and hurting the opposition while druidic magic is more defensive and goblin magic is all about modifying the opponents stats)
ELVEN DEMONIC MAGIC
Balefire (Range 30cm, target takes a hit from the medium template P6, and is set ablaze)
Unearthly Vigor (Range: Self, ignores first wound received)
Soul Drain (Range 30cm, Target unit takes a single P7 hit, if they are killed the elves add a point of earthpower to their pool)
Raise Hellhound (Range 20cm Raises a single Hellhound under the casters control)
Raise Demonic Minions (Range 20cm, raises a single demon miniature who has been removed as a casualty)
Demonic Visage (an enemy unit within 20cm must take a morale test)
Fallen Portal (Range 20cm, Place a counter on table. A unit may move through portal and reappear anywhere within 40cm)
Black Tide (Uses the small teardrop template P7, 5H)
(Demonic magic is first and foremost offensive in nature and is intended to hand out the hurt to the opposition)
ELVEN HIGH MAGIC
Shimmering Shield (range 30cm, target becomes immune to ranged fire until next magic phase)
Earthpower Bolt (range 30cm, target takes a P 8/7H hit)
Dragons Breath (uses large teardrop template, any unit hit automatically loses next activation as they get lost in the clawing mists)
Shimmering Bridge (range 20cm, the caster moves a single unit or model (friend or foe) 40cm in any direction (note you cant open it up on impassable terrain but can open it in any non lethal terrain forcing all sorts of movement penalties)
Scry (Use before battle starts, target unit cannot deploy until it rolls a 15+ on a d20
(Elven high magic is pretty much the classic battle magic with a mixture of offensive and defensive spells)
ORC SHAMANIC CONCOCTIONS and RITUALS
Ghost Dance (Use before battle starts. Raises 5 ghost warriors, Upgrade 5 orcs to ghost warriors (stats to follow))
Poisoned Wells (Use before battle starts. One enemy unit must roll d20 per model in it. On a 15+ they are removed as a casualty or given a wound marker)
Blade Venom (Use before battle starts. One unit receives +1 Power to their weapons)
Ancestral Vision (Use before battle starts. After both sides have deployed the orc player may re-deploy a single unit (friend or foe!)
Goranths Call (Use during battle. Range 20cm. Automatically rallies any orc unit + all enemy units within 20cm must take a morale check)
(Although the orcs dont have any shamans left capable of casting spells they do have the ability to create potions and contact spirits. These abilities are intended to be cast before the start of battle and are used to effect deployment etc)
GOBLIN SHAMANIC SPELLS
Curse (40cm Range, target loses next activation. Only effects cavalry and infantry)
Misfortune (40cm Range, target must re-roll any successful dice roles next activation)
Jinx (
Summon Spirit (10cm Range, Summons a single spirit to the battlefield (uses Shade stats)
Hex (
Flesh Puppets (Summons 5 twisted puppets: Count as goblins but have a Strike rank of 4 due to their demonic nature)
Evil Eye (30cm Range, target takes a single P6, 4H hit which ignores armour)
(The Goblin shaman uses a mixture of unpleasant curses and low forms of magic to effect the opposition but can also summon some nasty beasts to defend themselves or attack specific targets)
BARBARIAN DRUIDIC SPELLS
Thunderstorm (40cm range, target takes a hit from the large template P5)
Stoneheart (40cm range, target receives a toughness of 5H until next magic phase)
Earths Embrace (20cm range, target is removed from game for a single turn)
Sea of Thorns (20cm range, target area becomes impassable to infantry and cavalry and hard for all others. uses large template and stays in effect for rest of game)
Breath of the Goddess (40cm range, caster places a large template on any unit, effected models cannot fire ranged weapons and cannot be fired upon, also halves movement)
Flashfire (uses small teardrop template, P6,4H)
Summon Elemental (20cm range, summons an elemental which has been previously destroyedand removed as a casualty)
Chasm (40cm range, opens a 10cm long, 5cm wide chasm. Counts as impassable terrain. If opened under a unit any model touching template must roll a d20, on a 15+ they fall in and are removed as a casualty. Warbeasts etc become trapped and must spend a turn stationary as they force their way out)
Battlecry (15cm range, adds +1P and OC to any charging barbarian unit)
(Druidic magic is based on using the earth as a weapon and often to slow and trap opponents. Although primarily a defensive magic it does have a few offensive spells.)
TEMPLAR MAGIC
Gods Grace (30cm range, target becomes immune to morale tests until the next magic phase)
Pillar of Fire (30cm range, place a large template, blocks line of sight and movement, any model hit by the template takes a P7,5H hit, for the cost of one point of earthpower it can be kept in play for an extra turn)
Righteous Fury (30cm range, any charging unit gets an extra attack at +1P and also +1 to their strike rank, however their T drops by one as they hurl themselves at their enemy)
Light Lance (30cm range, target takes a single P8,5H hit, any successfully damaged demonic model must roll twice on their wound table)
Summon Avatar of Light (30cm range, summons an avatar of light (stats to follow) who remains in battle until removed as a casualty)
Heal (30cm range, remove a point of damage from a wounded warbeast or replace a single casualty to a unit)
Banish (30cm range, effects demons only. Effected model is removed from battle and cannot return until it rolls a 15+ on a d20)
Hand of Glory (CAN be cast in close combat, all models in base contact with the caster takes a single P6 hit)
(In keeping with the angry god theme, templar magic is pretty much based on offense but also has some good specific defensive spells aimed at protecting the faithful and hurting the evil)
I still need to work on ideas for the children of the worms magic, which is based on undead nastiness and possibly desert effects...
I also hope to add some named characters to each force, some of whom are spellcasters who will get a couple of unique spells to make them stand out!
Any thoughts and suggestions are most welcome!