Arcane Spells for Fun and Profit

I thought that mages don't really have many noncombat spells to speak of, really interesting spells that can be used after the table has been conjured, the portals given, and it's been all said and done with the way too vast array of attack spells Blizzard granted them.
Since roleplayers often aren't quite aware mage abilities in RP go way beyond the battle spells, food and portals, I decided to compile a small list of spells a mage (and other classes, with some thought) might be able to use when not engaged into performing services from the holy triad of food, portals and DPS.
==Communication and Empathy Spells==
Spells from this school always require some cooperation on behalf of the target. I expect the ones that can be used offensively in any kind of way to be resisted with an utterly ridiculous rate.
:Sense Life
Tells the caster if there is any life in the subject area, and gives a general impression (if the caster is skilled) of what kind. Caster can also specify he is looking for a specific sort of life; plants, elves, redheaded girls, or a named person who the caster knows. Can be used on a person to check whether a target is undead or not, because the undead aren't registered by this spell. Thus, a target being not registered as "living" by this spell is either an undead or a construct or a really bad illusion.
:Sense Foes
Tells the caster if the subject has hostile intent, and what the degree of hostility is. Can be cast on one person, or a whole area. If cast over an area, it will only detect that someone is hostile, without telling who. However, this might be obsolete in larger social gatherings in Silvermoon because, as everyone knows, with each passing moment the probability of someone showing open hostility and attacking gradually approaches 1.
:Sense Emotions
Lets the caster know what emotions the subject is feeling at the moment. Works on any living being, but not much use except on intelligent creatures! Will also tell how loyal the subject is to the caster.
:Truthsayer
Tells whether the subject is lying or not. May be cast in two ways: (a) to tell whether the subject has told any lies in the last five minutes; (b) to tell whether the last thing the subject said was a lie. May also give an indication of how great the lie is, if the target feels like telling.
:Compel Truth
Unless resisted, he subject becomes unable to lie, though he may keep silent, or tell partial truths (this must be roleplayed). The spell does not force him to volunteer information; he merely cannot make any statement he believes to be untrue.
:Mind Reading
Lets the caster read the subject's mind. Works on any living thing, but is most useful on intelligent creatures. Detects only surface thoughts (what the subject is thinking at that moment). The subject is not aware his mind is being read, except in the cases where the caster makes a really big mistake (needs to be roleplayed). If the caster does not know the primary language of the subject and/or is not of the same race as the subject, the scan can come out as gibberish!
:Hide Thoughts
This spell will hide the mind and thoughts of a being from any sort of spell that addresses the mind in some way. Thus, it protects the target from emotion sensing, mind reading, mind control and other similar effects but also blocks any mental communication! This spell will not break an existing mind-affecting effect. Skilled casters can try to overcome this.
:Mind Search
Lets the caster search through the subject's mind to find deep thoughts and knowledge of things the subject is not thinking about at the moment. In effect, the caster may ask the subject questions and get the most truthful answer the subject can give. The probability of detection is much higher than in the case of a surface thoughts scan! Language is no barrier for this spell, and the subject may even be asleep. Subjects of different races will be harder to mind-search, at the discretion between players.
:Sending
One-way communication: lets the caster send his thoughts to the subject. Think magical walkie-talkie with no distance limit. It's the whisper function made IC.
:Magical Social Netherwork (MSN)
Full two-way communication between many people at the speed of thought! (Or, to be precise, at the speed of one's typing) This is yet an another explanation to IC chat channels.
:Persuasion
Makes the subject react more favourably to the caster, unless resisted (which, I believe will happen ridiculously often). The subject can't detect the caster tampering with his mind unless the caster makes a critical failiure while casting (unlikely) or the target is psychically or arcane-inclined (extremely likely, knowing the RP community).
:Mind Blank
Removes any mind-affecting effects from the subject in addition of the Hide Thoughts benefits.
:Gift of Tongues
Allows one willing being's speech to be understood by anyone who listens. (This is the effect of switching to Common/Orcish, although ICly the subject speaks his native language. Alas, it doesn't work against the faction language barrier, unless carefully choreographed via emotes)
:Gift of Letters
Grants the subject the ability to read (if he couldn't read before) and allows the subject to understand any kind of writing. Could also be ICly cast on a piece of writing to make foreign script uinderstandable by anyone.
==Food Spells==
Fun with conjuration! Because if you can be a wizard on the battlefield, why can't you be a wizard in the kitchen?
:Test Food
Lets the caster know if a substance is good to eat. The spell tells nothing about taste or nutrition; it detects poisons, dangerous decay, or foreign objects (broken glass in a dinner). It does not check for magic on food.
:Preserve Food
Keeps any organic material from spoiling, drying out, etc. Very useful for travelers!
:Seek Food
Lets the caster determine the direction, distance, and general nature of the nearest significant source of food. The food found will be wholesome, but not necessarily appetizing -e.g., edible insects. Any known sources of food (such as those delicious insects) may be excluded if the caster specifically mentions them before beginning.
:Decay
Makes food rot away immediately and become worthless (it can be saved if a counterspell is cast, or Purify Food is cast, before the decay process is complete).
:Purify Food
Removes foreign objects, poisons, and decay, and renders food fit to eat. Will work only on an edible or formerly-edible item - and if the whole item is unwholesome, the spell will remove all the unwholesomeness and leave nothing.
:Poison Food
Introduces a physical poison into food. This poison can be detected by Test Food, and remains indefinitely. Anyone eating the poisoned food will become sick. Depending on the skill of the caster and the stamina of the eater, this spell can cause anything from mild nausea to severe stomach cramps that last for days.
:Cook
Turns raw ingredients into a finished meal. Produces only simple fare (stews, etc.) and only as wholesome as the ingredients. No cooking-fire is necessary; the spell provides the heat. (Will be hard to roleplay as every real ingame cooking does require a fire, nevermind that you can ignite stuff with but a thought and gesture. The solution may be making the food RP'd only or preparing it in advance)
:Conjure Food
Conjures food from thin air! This is your beloved Conjure Food spell, but its functionality doesn't end with bread. If RP'd, it can produce any kind of bread, meat, fruit, fish or vegetable the caster wishes it to.
:Conjure Water
Another favourite, this spell creates drinking water into a container by drawing it directly from the Elemental Plane of Water. The higher the skill, the purer the water is and some highly skilled wizards can create water and a container at once.. There is a danger you might call in tiny water elementals by accident!
:Ferment
Causes accelerated fermentation in any matter which can be fermented. Primarily used to make beer, ale, and wine quickly, but will also cause bread to rise rapidly.
:Water to Wine
Also known as the "Miracle No. 1." Turns water or other drinkable liquid into a mildly alcoholic beverage. The nature of the resulting drink depends on the starting material. Water or grape juice become wine, fruit juices become "coolers." The quality of the result depends on the caster's skill and the quality of the starting liquid.
:Distill
Concentrates a liquid by removing water from it. Mostly used to make strong alcoholic beverages, but also used by alchemists. Each use of the spell removes half the remaining water from subject. One casting will turn wine into strong "winter wine," three will produce a potent beverage of about 100 proof, four will leave little but alcohol. The volume of liquidwill be halved by each casting. Will not work on living creatures.
:Banquet
A more elaborate version of "Ritual of Refreshment," this spell creates a delicious four-course meal for many people from just about anything.
:Monk's Banquet
By allowing the subject to draw physical nourishment from magic, this spell can allow the subject to run without food and water for days, depending on the caster's skill.
==Knowledge Spells==
Spells to find out secrets, ranging from mundane to eldritch. Some require cooperation from the subject.
:Tell Time
This spell tells the caster what time it is - as well as the day and year, should that be in doubt.
:Alarm
This spell will alert the subject at a specified time in the future, awakening him if necessary. It can also remind him of one thing (in effect, delivering a message), provided he was told that thing at the time the Alarm spell was cast.
:Find Direction
This spell tells the caster which direction is North. It can also tell which way his home lies. Note that no one can have more than one true home, and a wanderer may have none!
:Detect Magic
Lets the caster determine whether any one object is magical. If the spell is successful, a second casting will tell whether the spell is temporary or permanent. A very skilled caster may fully identify the spell, as per Analyze Magic.
:Aura
Shows the caster a glowing halo, or "aura," around the subject. This aura gives the caster a general insight into the subject's personality - the better the caster's skill, the better the insight. In particular. the aura also shows whether the subject is a mage (and about how powerful); whether the subject is possessed or controlled in any way: and whether the subject is in the grip of any violent emotion. All living beings have auras; inanimate things do not. An undead is detectable by his faint, death-haunted aura. Illusions and created beings have no auras, so a successful casting of this spell will also distinguish them from real persons. A very skilled caster will (at the subject's discretion) learn of any miscellaneous magical traits of the subject like demonic blood, unnatural longevity, and the like.
:Measurement
Tells the caster any one of the following things about the subject: (a) its weight; (b) its measurements in all dimensions: (c) its precise color (mostly important to jewelers and painters); (d) its volume.
:Seeker
Attunes caster to one individual, or one manmade object, he is looking for. Useful for finding lost items and people. A successful casting will give the caster a vision of the subject's whereabouts, or lead him to it if it is within a mile.
:Trace
May be cast on any person, animal or object. As long as the spell is maintained, the caster will know where the subject is if he concentrates for a second. Either the subject must be with the caster when the spell is first cast, or Seeker must first be successfully cast.
:Pathfinder
Tells the caster the direction to a certain place, or the proper way to go now to get to that place - his choice. A city, mountain pass, or public building can be a place for this spell. A certain person's home or office isn't a "place" for this spell unless the caster has been there before.
:History
Cast on any inanimate object (or a small section of a large object), lets caster determine the recent past of that object, user's personality, etc. - but no names!
:Ancient History
As above, but gives a general impression of an item's history over a much greater time.
:See Secrets
Causes hidden items, doors, traps, etc., to stand out clearly in the subject's vision. This spell works only on things that were deliberately hidden - not lost.
:Mage Sight
Lets caster detect all magical items in his field of vision. Each such item will have a glow or "aura," similar to the aura of a living being. Items hidden under clothes, armor, or up to ½" of solid material will still show a glow.The aura of a permanently enchanted item will be stronger than that of something under a temporary spell. Enchanted (or magical) beings also glow, though mages themselves do not unless they actually have spells on them at the moment. The aura may also give a clue to an item's nature. If the caster is skilled, fire spells will have a distinctive red glow, and evil items will somehow seem to have a "black glow" in their auras. An extremely skilled caster may fully identify every magic item he sees
:Mage Sense
Tells the caster whether some unseen magical item or creature is nearby. The caster may specify that he is looking for any unseen item, or he may specify a certain object. Very powerful magic items may be easier to sense.
:Glass Wall
Lets the caster see through a single wall, floor, ceiling, or other similar barrier up to 4 feet thick (material doesn't matter). (THIS will mostly be used do satisfy voyeuric deviations, I just know!)
==Making and Breaking Spells==
Spells that allow the caster to gain a degree of control over inanimate matter.
:Find Weakness
Lets the caster sense the weakest part of the subject. Can be cast on any part of a large object; you would not have to cast it on a whole city wall, for instance, but could check one part of wall at a time. Of course, many subjects will have no special weakness. Useful during sieges to allow artillery know where to shoot.
:Weaken
By slightly altering the target object's molecular structure, this spell can be used to make the target object (or part of it, like a section of a city wall) weaker and more fragile. Countered and dispelled by Shatterproof and Fortify.
:Shaping
This spell allows the subject to mold any inanimate substance he touches with the sheer power of his mind. Does not convey any additional artistic ability to the subject, however! The subject simply holds the object in his hands and molds it into the desired shapes as if it was clay. Any inanimate object the subject picks up while under this spell will soften slightly, which can be troublesome. For instance, if he tries to wield a sword or staff, it will be as damaging as a foam version of it! A gun fired while "soft" will be ruined. Any material molded will become hard again, in its new form, as soon as the subject wills it to reman tn the new shape.
It was once the favoured spell of Quel'dorei artisans who used it to create works of fantastic craftmanship as well as this peculiar, "organic" quality items of elven manufacture have, for example musical instruments made of a single piece of wood and swords that appear to be less forged and more grown. When such Elven Shapers gathered en masse, they were able to perform amazing feats, like pulling fully inhabitable dwellings from the very ground within a span of few hours.
:Shatter
This spell sends a pulse of energy through the subject of the spell and, if the caster's spellpower and skill are enough to overcome the resilience of the target object, shatters and tears it into pieces. The damage makes the item useless, but the item can be repaired at a later time. If the pulse is not potent enough to shatter the item right away, it causes no harm at all. Inanimate objects only. Negated by Shatterproof and Fortify.
:Ruin
This spell accelerates the natural process of decay on unliving materials. It rusts iron and steel, but has little effect on other metals unless maintained for a very long time. It causes organic material - leather, fur, wood, fabric, etc. - to decay to uselessness. Ceramics and crystalline objects will be unaffected by Ruin. Negated by Shatterproof and Fortify.
:Disintegrate 
Similar to Shatter, but but much more potent and leaves only dust (cannot be repaired!). If damage doesn't destroy the subject, it is unaffected. This spell affects inanimate objects only and cannot affect parts of objects.
:Restore 
Temporarily makes a broken inanimate object look as good as new. Other senses will not be fooled, nor will Mage Sight.
:Dye 
Changes the colour of any unliving material as desired by the caster (but note that hair is unliving, as is a thin outer layer of skin!). The colour fades in a few days, unless the caster is skilled enough to make it permanent. The colour is unaffected by ordinary washing or application of solvents. Transparent colours may always be produced. The spell allows for patterning.
:Clean 
Cleans the subject area, item, or being, i.e. removes dirt and stains, and polishes up surfaces which can hold a polish.
:Rejoin 
Temporarily fixes a broken inanimate object. If some small parts are missing the spell may fail, but if it succeeds despite the risk the object will hold together without the missing parts.
:Stiffen 
Temporarily stiffens a limp object; will turn a rope into a pole, for example, or a thread into a lockpick. Will not work on living beings. Can be used to make improvised weapons, however, their effectiveness will always be questionable. This spell may also be used to stiffen a foe's clothes to inhibit movement (as per Slow and Frost magic slowing effects)
:Repair 
Permanently repairs a broken inanimate object. If some small parts are missing, the appropriate materials to make the missing parts have to be provided, for example a lump of gold for gold filigree-work.
:Shatterproof 
Makes a small object (like a weapon) resistant to breakage (affects physical breaking as well as Weaken and Shatter).
:Fortify 
Like Shatterproof, but works only on large objects, like town walls, protecting against siege fire and the like.
:Copy 
Makes one or more copies of a single page of writing. Paper or parchment must be supplied for the copies to be made on. Copies of magical scrolls, rune parchments and so on will not have magic power.
:Sharpen 
Temporarily produces an extraordinary sharpness on cutting and impaling weapons (as per enchant).
==Movement Spells==
: Haste 
Increases the run speed of the caster.
: Blink, Teleport, and Portals
are all self explainatory.
: Manipulate 
This spell can be poke, tweak, scratch, grasp, or tickle a living subject. Maybe use to distract the subject not really for combat.
: Telekinesis
Move an object without acutually touching it. The bigger the object the harder it is to move.
: Slow
Slow the subject down. Doesn't work on inanimate objects.
: Slow Fall
Slows the subject when falling.
: Summon
Summons the item to the caster. The amount of time it takes for the item to get to the caster depends on size of object, distance, and obstacles
: Launch
Launches a subject into the air. Bigger subjects take more power.
==Sound Spells==
: Imitate Voice
Alters the subject’s voice to precisely imitate that of a single other being known to the caster (including special inflections and accent).
: Resist Sound
The subject (person, creature or object) and anything he carries become immune to the effects of sound: Thunderclaps won’t deafen him, sonic weapons won’t harm him and so on.
==Warding and Warning Spells==
==Other Spells==
Category:Mage
Category:Guides