Elemental Family

Elemental magic is the magic of the physical world.  The most well-known types of elemental magic are air, fire, earth, and water, but lightning and ice mages are also common, as are types of magic which most people wouldn’t consider elements but which seem to fit better in the elemental category than any other, such as force.  Elemental mages are the most common kind of mage by a long way, maybe more common than both of the other families put together.

Out of all the families, elemental mages are the best at directly affecting physical reality – they’re the artisans, engineers, and soldiers of the magical world, and it’s rare for them to come up against a physical problem they can’t solve.  That said, their way of solving that problem is unlikely to be subtle.  Elemental magic is usually *very* obvious and attracts a lot of attention.  Keep getting straight flushes in a poker game and you’ll get some funny looks, but most people won’t think you’re using magic – they’ll think you’re cheating.  Go flying down the high street and you’ll get quite a different reaction.

Elemental magic tends to be well-suited to combat.  All elemental mages have at least some natural ability to hurt people and break things, even if it’s not what they specialise in.  More importantly they can use shields, which give them a good natural defence against magic (and against most other things too).  As a result, most battle-mages are elemental mages.

**Common types of Elemental Magic**

* Air Magic
* Earth Magic
* Fire Magic
* Force Magic
* Ice Magic
* Lightning Magic
* Water Magic

## Air Sample Spells

**Air Blades**
*Action:* Instant or aimed
Duration: *Instantaneous*
Effect

The Air
mage manifests blades of hardened air, projecting them towards his target
hoping to cut them up. This attack deals 1 point of lethal damage per success and is kinetic. The attack has a range of 20 meters.

**Hurricane blast**
*Action:* Instant or aimed
Duration: *Instantaneous*
Effect
*This spell allows the mage to batter a foe with a raw blast of air,* crushing bone and muscle. This attack deals 1 point of bashing damage per success and is Kinetic. This attack has a 20 meter range.

**Hardened Air**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: Maintenance
Effect

The air mage is a feared assassin for the simple reason, that this spell exists. It
allows the mage to harden air and grip it to be used as an impossibly sharp or
pointy knife. This weapon can only be wielded by the mage and has an armor
penetration of 1.

**Implosion**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Instantaneous*
Effect: The
mage is capable of producing a vacuum of air at a specific point, thus causing
the surrounding air to rush to fill this vacuum pulling anything in the
immediate vicinity along with it in a violent burst. All creatures within a 3
meters radius that is hit takes 1 point of bashing damage per success and must succeed at a Strength +
Stamina roll DC +1 or be pulled to the epicenter of the explosion, possibly
suffering more damage as he collides with other objects or people. If the target is already at the center of the blast, he must further pass a Stamina roll or suffer the deafened condition, as his ear drums pop.

**Flight**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Instantaneous*
Effect

*The caster gains the ability of flight, this grants him a speed of 3 meters per potency.*

**Whispering Wind**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: Concentration

Effect

 The
air mage can send his words upon the winds, letting it carry to anyone within
his perception and for as long as he concentrates they can carry on a
conversation over the distance. The conversation is near inaudible to anyone
but the intended recipients or the air mage himself.

**Swift as the wind**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Maintenance*
Effect

The caster is capable of
bending air currents in such a way that they aid his movements, allowing for
incredible speed. This spell increases his speed by +5, and grants
him +1 dice to melee attacks due to his incredibly fast attacks.

## Earth Sample Spells

**Wall of Stone**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Instantaneous*

Effect

The Earth mage with this
spell is capable of pulling up minerals from the surrounding landscapes to form
a wall of stone. this wall is 1 meter wide, 50 centimeters tall Success as well as having 3 health per success.

**Caltrops**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Instantaneous*
Effect
 This
one of the most basic Earth mage combat spells, in spite of it’s name it
doesn’t actually conjure caltrops as much as it conjures spikey protrusions up
from the earth to hinder and slow opponents, or blow the tires on a car. Each
success, allows the mage to cover a 1m2 area with spikes, these half
enemy movement should they move over them, as the spikes rip and tear into
their feet.

**Reinforcement**
*Action:* Instant
Duration: *Scene*

 2, 2
Effect

The earth mage is capable of
imbuing himself with unnatural hardness and strength, by accepting the
properties of stone and granite. This grants the Earth mage a bonus on Strength
equal to the number of successes rolled as well as 1 armor for ever 2 success however he
also becomes exceedingly hard to move, without his say, he receives a +1 bonus dice per success on all resistances towards being forcefully.

**Petrification**
*Action: Full round*
Duration: *Special*
Effect

Earth
battlemages are often feared for their incredible sturdiness and strength,
however many mages forget that they’re capable of much, much more terrifying
feats of magic. Targets affected by this spell loses 1 point of dexterity per success, resisted by Stamina, as
their bodies calcify and harden, should their dexterity be reduced to 0 by this
spell then their body is completely turned to stone. They go unconscious and
will no longer need to eat or breath to survive, they are effectively immortal
as they’re stood there as statues. Only ‘very’ rare ritual magic can reverse
complete petrification, however dexterity damage can be removed by another
earth mage with this spell at the rate of one per success on an Intelligence +
medicine roll.

## Fire Sample Spells

**Blacklung**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Concentration
Effect

 The
fire mage superheats the air in a victims lungs, causing it to ignite and thus
suffocate the victim from the inside. Though they often tend to burn to death
before that happens. Each success deals one point of bashing damage to the
victim, as his lungs begin to slowly melt and he chokes. Furthermore the victim
takes a -2 dice pool penalty in the following rounds, as the lack of oxygen
causes the body to panic. Each round the fire mage can roll again to continue
the terrible treatment, unless his concentration has been interrupted. If this
spell ever deals just a single point of lethal damage to the target, it means
the target has taken permanent damage to their lungs and might suffer breathing
issues in the future.

**Heatwave**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous, special (Read text)
Effect

 The mage heats an amount of air and sends it blasting outward, this attack blasts everyone in a 20m cone with soft air and heat causing them to grow extremely lethargic, resulting in a -2 on all dice pools for 1 round per success. Easily
flammable objects like paper and hair, will singe or outright incinerate.

**Thermal Lance**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous, special (Read text)
Effect

 The fire mage focuses all his power into a single 30ft beam of super heated plasma, this beam deals lethal damage with the 9 again trait and AP of 2. A Thermal Lance is so hot that it will given enough time melt through anything, such as steel walls and even the odd bank vault. Furthermore anyone hit, must succeed at a stamina roll or take the burning tilt at a 2 heat intensity.

**Fireball**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous, special (Read text)
Effect

 The quintessential fire spell. A fireball is a small bead of flame, launched towards a destination within a range of 100 meters. If it strikes anything along the way it erupts into a small inferno, burning anything within a 20ft radius dealing lethal damage. If anyone takes more damage than their Dexterity score, they take the burning tilt at a heat intensity at 1.

**Fire blast**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect

 A completely ordinary fire attack deals lethal damage. The mage can blast this out at a range of up to 20 meters, or keep the flame in his hand and deliver the spell a little more up close and personal. Easily flammable materials ignite, as a result of this attack.,

**Explosion**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous,
Effect

 The mage conjures an extreme amount of heat immediately around himself, this sudden spike in temperature causes air to distort and expand creating an explosion of fire. This attack deals bashing damage though the real power lies in the kinetic burst, as everyone within 10ft of the caster, are pushed 5ft away from him per point of bashing damage they take. Colliding with physical objects, could increase this damage.

**Wall of Fire**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Maintenance
Effect

 A wall of fire erupts into being, stretching 2 meters in length and half a meter tall per success on the activation roll. Passing through this wall-like inferno deals 2 points of lethal damage, as the super heated flame hungrily licks up at anyone so foolhardy.

**Flame wings**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Maintenance
Effect

 This spell can only be enacted while a fire shield is already formed, once cast a might pair of flaming wings sprout from the mages back. These wings doesn't exactly allow him to fly, though he can jump three times his own height and hover in mid air thanks to the updraft created by the heat from the wings.

**Inferno**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous,
Effect

 With a harsh gesture the mage can wash an area in a literal ocean of flames causing tremendous damage, these flames wash over a 3 meter wide and up to 30 meter long line dealing lethal damage to anything within. Anyone that takes more damage than their dexterity takes the burning tilt at a heat intensity of 2.

**Fuel for the Fire**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Concentration
Effect

 The mage is capable of encouraging flames to burn with higher intensity and spread more aggressively. As long as the fire mage concentrates, fire can burn without additional fuel, though if fuel is available it will spread a lot faster. Up to 1 time faster per success on the activation roll, so a mage collecting three successes will see the given fire spread 3 times as fast.

## Force Sample Spells

**Force Wall**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Maintenance
Effect

 This wall isn't dissimilar to that of an Earth mages wall of stone however it functions differently, this wall is made of pure force and directs
all momentum to the surface on which it’s anchored. This means that it can only
resist attacks for as long as the material it is anchored to can, however this
is only a concern with kinetic attacks as energy attacks carry little momentum.
This wall is 1 meter wide, half a meter tall per success rolled

**Momentum**
*Action: Free action*
Duration: Instant
Effect

 The Force mage is capable of enhancing his body with increased momentum, thus allowing him to perform
extraordinary feats of strength and speed. For each success rolled, his
speed increases by 3 and adds a an extra meter to distance jumping or half a
meter to height. This spell is often used in conjunction with Force weaponry,
allowing the mage to produce truly devastating charge attacks at the
Storytellers discretion.

## Ice Sample Spells

**Deep Freeze**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous. Special
Effect

 One of their most fearsome
abilities, Deep freeze causes the air around a target to dip to super cooled
temperatures. This freezes the moisture, causing it to cling to the target.
This spell deals 1 point of lethal damage per success. If this spell deals more lethal damage than the target has Strength, the left over is subtracted from the targets Dexterity score. Sample being, you deal 3 points of lethal damage and the target has 2 strength. The target then reduces his dexterity by 1. Should a targets dexterity ever be reduced to 0 by this spell, the target will be fully encased in ice. Lost dexterity heal back at a rate of 1 per 10 minutes.

**Freeze**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect

 This is usually the first
spell learned by most Ice mages, as it embodies the most basic tenant of their
craft. It allows the mage to lower the temperature of an object touched, to
such a degree that it freezes. Each success freezes one cubic feet of liquid or 1/3rd of that in matter. If a living being is touched, the target takes 1 bashing damage per success.

## Lightning Sample Spells

**Lightning Jump**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect

 The lightning mage assumes the shape and mass of a lightning bolt himself, using
the speed and power of electricity he can launch himself through the air, allowing him to
effectively fly for the short distance. He can jump 1 meter per success rolled. Taking the form of lightning makes the character nearly intangible, allowing him to move through people and most objects, though due to the high focus on speed the bolt deals no damage.

**Lightning Bolt**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Scene
Effect

 The mage can conjure up a bolt of electricity which he then subsequently launches at a target, dealing 1 bashing damage per success. If the Bolt deals more damage than the targets Stamina score, the target takes the Stunned tilt for one round.

## Water Sample Spells

**Disintegrate**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect

 Water is an exceedingly
ful solvent; it is often underestimated when it comes to its capabilities
of eroding matter. However, this specifically serves to give water-battle
mages their reputation as exceedingly dangerous. The mage, or in extremely rare
cases adept, with this spell can harness the erosive properties of water and
disintegrate their opponents. The spell deals 1 lethal damage per success and
completely ignores any kind of kinetic defense, save those provided by other
elemental shields, as it simply breaks it down upon touch. If the caster has Potency 7 or above, the damage can be aggravated at his choice. Targets killed by
this spell are reduced to dust, as is any part of their bodies touched by it.
This spell can further more create massive holes in structures and objects, by
simply reducing the subject matter to dust.

**Water skates**
*Action: Instant*
Duration: Scene or Maintenance
Effect

 This spell is also sometimes
known as slipstream, but essentially, they do the same thing. It allows the
mage to make use of water's effect on cohesion, causing his feet or shoes to be
slippery on any surface where they’d normally stick. To an experienced user
this can speed up their overland movement quite conveniently, as they skate
across any surface at rather extraordinary speed. This use of the ability
increases the mages base speed by 5 and lasts for a scene.