Spells of Skill
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Obscure Arcana, where we bring you the best in new spells each and every week. This week I’ve been spending a little time pondering the magician; not the kind that fling about fireballs and what-not, but the real-life performers who accomplish amazing feats of legerdemain and illusion with nothing but hard work, honed skill, and a lovely assistant. I was also thinking that while these mere mortals can get better at a trick by repeating it, a wizard, with all the powers of the cosmos at his command, gets better at his spells not through the careful application of mastered skill, but by simply shoving more magical energy at it. This didn’t really seem fair, so today I’ve endeavored to create a number of spells which require skill and dedication to the craft of spellcasting in order to get the most out of them.
Animus
You create an undead minion to serve you faithfully from the body of a nearby corpse. When you cast this spell, make a Spellcraft check. The exact effects of this spell are defined by the result of your Spellcraft check, as defined on the following table. If the corpse cannot become the appropriate type of undead creature, or if the creature’s Hit Dice exceed the result of your Spellcraft check minus 10, the spell fails. Animus produces the effect listed for the highest Spellcraft DC you meet, as well as all the effects listed for the lower DCs (unless the result of the check is 25 or higher and you choose to animate the target as something other than a zombie, in which case the first two results do not apply). If you fail to meet the lowest listed DC, the spell has no effect.
Magic Bolt
With a flick of your wrist, you extend your hand and release a burst of arcane energy. When you cast this spell, make a Spellcraft check. The exact effects of this spell are defined by the result of your Spellcraft check, as defined on the following table. Magic bolt produces the effect listed for the highest Spellcraft DC you meet, as well as all the effects listed for the lower DCs. If you fail to meet the lowest listed DC, the spell has no effect.
Marionette
You take control over the target, gaining a limited ability to decide his fate. When you cast this spell, make a Spellcraft check. The exact effects of this spell are defined by the result of your Spellcraft check, as defined on the following table. Marionette produces the effect listed for the highest Spellcraft DC you meet, as well as all the effects listed for the lower DCs. If you fail to meet the lowest listed DC, the spell has no effect.
