Light Magic

The Light is pure. The Light is white. The Light blinds those fortunate enough to look upon it. The Light protects us, purifies us and brings us to a “higher place”. The Light treads that fine line between “benevolent” and “f*cker”. Its followers do an awful lot of good work in the White City, indeed they were instrumental in its foundation, but when you get right down to it there's something not right about a religion that thinks being blinded is a good thing.

Light Magic needs to build up. Slowly. A Light Sorceror works magic by slowly bringing the Light Within Without. In game terms what this means is that a Light Sorceror will have to proceed all spellcasting by counting slowly (see Raising the Light, below). All Light spells have a threshold that the caster must have counted to before they can be cast, they also usually force the caster to start again at zero after they've been cast. While a Light Sorceror is Raising the Light they cannot call Dodges or Parries, or indeed employ any other skills that require active use, the can speak, but only in the steady tone of a sermon. They cannot attack monsters but can defend themselves from attack (that is to say they can fight, but they can't call damage, Dodges or Parries).

This is the spell you need to cast all the other spells. The caster begins to count slowly (think one… two… three… and so on). As they do so a light begins to build within them. While they're in single figures, their eyes glow. The teens and they develop a halo. Twenties and they're surrounded by light. Thirties and the light is actually painful to look at. Hit the forties and the caster is struck blind, as will be anybody who insists upon looking at them directly - a non-Ordained Sorceror using this spell will be consumed by the Light they call up when they reach this level. After the count has passed 10, a non-Ordained caster takes a Through Single to the location of their choice every multiple of 10 thereafter (i.e. the first hit at twenty, the second at thirty, and so on). While counting the caster must be relatively relaxed, they can defend themselves if attacked but cannot strike back, cannot inflict damage with weapons, cannot call Dodges or Parries and cannot employ any skills that require active use. The only way to get rid of the Light once it's raised is to count slowly back down to 0 or to cast a spell. This spell does not shed enough light to properly see by until the count reaches 20.

The first trick initiates of the Light are taught is how to see using the Light Within. Not so much a spell as an innate ability, any Ordained Light Sorceror or Knight of the Shining Order can see perfectly in any conditions, including being physically blinded, blindfolded, surrounded by darkness, smoke, fog, whatever. Seeing through Sight Beyond Sight does not count as “meeting somebody's eyes” for the purposes of Glass magic and similar. A Chain Sorceror may bind a Light Sorceror's physical eyes but cannot bind their Sight Beyond Sight. Non-Ordained Light Sorcerors can never use the Sight Beyond Sight.

Threshold 10.

This is your straightforward direct damage effect, which shoots a bolt of searing burning Light at the target. For every multiple of 10 the caster has reached it does two levels of damage to a single location on the target (i.e. Double at 10, Quad at 20, etc.). It will affect anyone and anything except for Ethereal creatures and Light Sorcerors in the process of Raising The Light. Insubstantial creatures take full damage from this spell.

Threshold 20.

This is more or less a healing effect. It inflicts one Body Hit to every location on the target unless they are an Ordained Priest of the Light. It then cures the target of one disease or poison. Use of this effect as an offensive spell will anger the Light.

Threshold 25.

The target of this spell has their mind filled with blindingly brilliant visions of the Light and the Light's glory. Frankly, this is much more than most people can handle. It deals the target a psychic quint. People dropping to 0 psyche in this way pass out and dream of beautiful Light. Entirely mindless creatures are unaffected. Repeated applications of this spell on a particularly weak-willed or susceptible individual may gradually convert them into a follower of the Light (Player's decision for a PC, GM call for NPCs, but this is neither a quick nor a sure process. Also the Light, in its infinite wisdom complete lack of sympathy with its fallible human followers, will be highly displeased if subjects of this process are just driven mad rather than converted).

Threshold 30.

The Light Sorcerer's person, weapons, and armour are infused with the Light, making him into a shining beacon, and causing him to move in perfect unity with the Light Within, particularly when smiting his enemies. For the rest of the encounter, the Light sorcerer may Raise the Light and fight without restriction at the same time. The caster keeps count as best they can whilst fighting, calling numbers when they have the chance to remind everybody what's going on. The spell lasts until the end of the encounter.

Threshold 30.

The caster transcends their physical body and becomes a being of pure Light until the end of the Encounter, the transformation process is quite dazzling, and the Light sorcerer may if he wishes call 'everyone pay attention to me!' For a few seconds, everyone must do so. In their transcended form the caster is Insubstantial (that is to say, all physical damage to them counts as Halves), they cannot inflict damage on other people or even touch physical objects, nor can they use any Form of magic other than Light Magic, which they can cast normally. While in this state the caster counts as Raising The Light for the purposes of other spells effecting them. The caster can't pass through solid barriers unless the barrier is transparent, but they can flow through any opening large enough to clearly see through. They cannot fly but can float gently downwards. The caster's equipment is transformed with them and armour is still effective but weapons cannot be used to call damage or Parries. Nor may weapons or shields be used to block or parry blows unless the Sorceror is also Incandescent. The caster may always call Dodges normally. When the caster returns to solidity they take a Through Single to every location from burning.

Threshold 45.

This spell completely eradicates one physical object of up to 27 cubic feet in volume (Around the size of a large person), boiling it away entirely into Light. Note that casting this spell will strike the caster blind, if they are not already.

Threshold 50.

This calls forth a manifestation of the Light. The effects of this will be purifying, blinding, glorious and devastating.

Threshold 50.

The caster ascends to the realm of the Light, never to return