Mystery Spells

This page collects official Hermetic spells, from all Fifth Edition products, that utilize Mysteries. This can include using a Range, Duration, or Target allowed by a mystery, or any other spell that requires a particular Virtue to cast or invent. This list does not include non-Hermetic spells such as Fenicial Rituals, hedge-magic spells, and so on, nor invested effects.

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Faerie Magic (House Merinita)

Anyone who has been Initiated into the Outer Mystery of Faerie Magic of House Merinita may invent the folllowing spell:

Faerie Chains of the Familiar Slave

CrVi Gen

R: Touch, D: Until, T: Ind, Ritual; Requisites: see below

This ritual binds a supernatural creature to the caster as her familiar, until a condition incorporated into the spell comes to pass. The level of the ritual must be no less than (the creature’s Might + 15), though she may also need to penetrate its Magic Resistance if casting on an unwilling target. It has no effect if the target is already bound as a familiar to another.

Casting requisites of a Technique and Form appropriate to the creature’s nature and physical form may be included. These two Arts are used to determine the Lab Total for any subsequent improvements to the bond. The cords connecting maga and familiar have initial values of 0, and the vis cost of this ritual does not apply towards these improvements. The maga can strengthen the bond in the lab, but the effect is still inherently temporary. If she casts this on a faerie, she gains the three special powers (Shared Powers, Shared Senses, and Shared Fatigue) associated with a faerie familiar, but the cords will decay as normal, though the bond is never completely broken so long as the spell’s duration remains in effect.

Because the bond is often made under duress, the familiar is much more wild and independent than normal familiars, and typically must be subdued or guarded to ensure it does not try to escape. The two are probably at odds most of the time, and the faerie is likely to bear a grudge against the maga afterward if it is taken advantage of or treated badly.

(Base effect, +1 Touch, +4 Until)

Source: HoHMC

Glamour

Magi initiated into the Major Illusion Mystery of Glamour, such as the Followers of Pendule, may cast the following spell:

Ball of Abysmal Music

MuIm 20

R: Voice, D: Mom, T: Ind; Req: Vim

This spell targets a formulaic Ignem spell while it is being cast, changing it so that instead of creating fire, heat, or light, it produces a harmless burst of color and sound. This was reputedly Pendule’s favorite spell, and he taught it to all of his Merinita followers after Initiating them into the Inner Mystery of Glamour. Note that since the spell must be fast-cast, it cannot be cast formulaically unless it has been mastered for that purpose.

(Base 10, +2 Voice)

Source: HoHMC

Mutantum Magic (House Mercere)

Only characters with the power to perform that kind of magic due to an appropriate Virtue can cast them (see Mutantum Magic):

• Boosted: Requires Boosted Magic or Mutantum Magic
• Harnessed: Requires Harnessed Magic or Mutantum Magic
• Tethered: Requires Tethered Magic or Mutantum Magic

TWINNING THE TOME

R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Group, CrAn Level 50, Ritual; Requisites: Intellego, Terram

This spell creates a nearly perfect copy of the binding and every page of a book you are touching, including illumination, creases, and damages. It requires an Intellego requisite to determine the shape and size of the pages, and a Terram requisite to create the ink. While an effective method of quickly copying the contents of a book, the vis cost is generally considered prohibitive; Milvi instead use it to recover valuable books that have been stolen or lost, or to copy ancient works that are too fragile to move. Thus, this version of the spell also allows for vis boosting, so that you can accommodate an arcane connection to the book without requiring you to learn another spell.

(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +5 intricacy, +1 requisites; Boosted)

The Transformed Folio

R: Touch, D: Year, T: Group, Level 45, Ritual

This changes all the pages of a book into those of a different book for the duration of the spell. You must touch both books when casting the spell, and because the spell is harnessed, you may end it at any time by concentrating. If the original book is damaged or altered, the contents of the duplicate will change to match it. Milvi occasionally use this spell to lend the same book to several different magi, or to communicate with each other over a long journey by linking a central book to a Redcap's travel journal. The spell also allows for vis boosting, so that you may copy a book using an Arcane Connection from wherever you happen to be.

(Base 1, +1 Touch, +4 Year, +2 Group, +5 intricacy; Boosted, Harnessed)

HUNTER’S LETHAL ARROW

R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind, PeAn Level 40

This spell causes an animal to suffer a fatal wound, just as if it had been pierced through the heart. Casting this spell while intending to touch the animal is dangerous, as it may take several minutes to die, during which time it may thrash around wildly or strike the caster. For this reason, Milvi usually tether the spell to an arrow or javelin (though any sort of tether may be used), allowing them to cast it in secret from a safe distance. The beast will die after it is struck, and the increased duration ensures the caster has time to fire the arrow after casting the spell.

(Base 30, +1 Touch, +1 Diam; Tethered)

SHAPE OF THE ANCIENT KITE

R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Ind, MuCo Level 40; Requisites: Animal

You transform the target into a hawk, kite, or other small raptor, and any books carried by the target or clothing made of animal products that the target is wearing are also transformed. The spell is harnessed and tethered, so that the target has control of the spell and can end the effect at will, returning easily to human form when necessary.

(Base 20, +1 Touch, +3 Moon; Harnessed, Tethered)

THE TIRELESS FLIGHT

R: Touch, D: Conc, T: Ind, ReCo Level 20

The target feels no fatigue for the duration of the spell, allowing her to endure a long journey without rest or sleep. She may also ignore hunger and thirst, and if she is injured she does not feel the pain. Practically speaking, she may ignore all Fatigue and wound penalties. However, this effect only masks the feeling, it doesn’t actually replenish her energy, so she still must actually eat and drink to avoid starving to death, and if she pushes herself too hard she may cause herself serious injury (Fatigue levels past Unconscious become Light wounds).

The spell is tethered so that the target can control the effect, allowing her to stop concentrating when she has reached her destination and has time to recover. It is also boosted so that the duration may be extended to as much as a month if necessary, and harnessed so that the target can still cancel it at will.

(Base 10, +1 Touch, +1 Conc; Boosted, Harnessed, Tethered)

SENSE THE TRUE PATH

R: Arc, D: Conc, T: Ind, InTe Level 15

You can sense the direction of any location to which you have an Arcane Connection. You feel an instinctive pull towards its relative position to you while you concentrate, though you must make simple Perception rolls of 6+ to stay on track when traveling on foot through woods or brush, and if your destination moves, the Ease Factor of this roll increases depending on its speed.

The spell is tethered, so that it may be controlled by another, and boosted so that it may be made to last longer if necessary.

(Base 2, +4 Arcane Connection, +1 Concentration; Boosted, Tethered)

Sensory Magic (House Bjornaer)

Magi intiated into the Sensory Magic Minor House Bjornaer Mystery may cast the following spells (see Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults Chapter Two: House Bjornaer).

Revenge of the Bitten Toad

PeAn 20

R: Per, D: Diam, T: Flavor

Any creatures who bite (or otherwise taste) the caster suffer a Heavy Wound. Any successful bite attack against the caster results in the creature tasting him, even if no wound is actually infl icted. The caster still suffers any damage inflicted by the bite, but his opponent is typically deterred from further attacks.

(Base 15, +1 Diam)

Hibernation of tHe Slumbering Turb

ReMe 35

R: Per, D: Year, T: Texture, Ritual; Req: Creo

Anyone touching the caster falls asleep and does not awaken until the spell expires. The caster is not affected by this magic, and his own sleep is natural. Those affected by the spell do not need to eat or drink while it persists, but when they awaken, they are ravenously hungry. Despite the usual length of a Year Duration spell, this spell’s effects always end at the Spring Equinox.

This spell was invented by Odorpes of the Sept of Urgen, who lives separate from the rest of her covenant. She hibernates and puts all her covenfolk to sleep with her, so she need not provision them during the winter.

(Base 4, +4 Year, +1 Texture, +1 Creo requisite, +1 complexity)

Scent of The Predator

CrMe 20

R: Per, D: Sun, T: Scent

Anyone smelling the caster is struck by an overwhelming sensation of menace and hostility. The cowardly fl ee, whereas braver souls are intimidated, granting the caster a +3 to all attempts to cow the target into obeying him.

(Base 4, +2 Sun, +2 Scent)

Marking The Territory

ReCo 15

R: Per, D: Ring, T: Scent

Anyone smelling the territory marked out by the caster’s scent (usually his urine) cannot enter the warded area for as long as the scent stays fresh, requiring the caster to renew it regularly. The spell manifests as a physical compulsion to turn back upon smelling the magus’s scent. This spell must penetrate successfully to bar passage to any intruder with Magic Resistance, assuming that the intruder is usually associated with the Form of Corpus. (Intruders associated with other Forms are not warded against in any way.)

(Base 3 [move in direction “away”], +2 Ring, +2 Scent)

Clarion Call of The War Horse

MuMe 15

R: Per, D: Diam, T: Sound

Anyone hearing the caster’s battle cry is heartened by its tone, and receives a +3 bonus to his Brave Personality Trait. Those attaining Brave scores greater than +3 through this spell perform acts of courage well beyond those expected of them.

(Base 3, +1 Diam, +3 Sound)

The Rooster’s Crow

PeVi Gen

R: Per, D: Mom, T: Sound

Any demons who hear the caster’s shout lose Might equal to the spell’s (level – 5) if the spell penetrates their Magic Resistance.

(Base effect, +3 Sound)

Brilliance of the Eagle’s Plumage

CrIg 30

R: Per, D: Conc, T: Spectacle

Anyone looking directly at the caster is blinded by the brilliant light shining from his body. The caster does not shed light as such; it is only those who look at him who are affected. All victims must make a Stamina stress roll against an Ease Factor of 9 to avoid blindness. On a botch, the blinding is permanent, otherwise a Stamina stress roll (no botch) against an Ease Factor of 9 can be attempted every minute until recovered.

(Base 5, +1 Conc, +4 Spectacle)

Closed Mouth of the Nightwalker

PeMe 40

R: Per, D: Sun, T: Spectacle

Anyone seeing the caster instantly forgets that he did so, assuming that the spell’s Penetration breaches the target’s Magic Resistance. The caster may not necessarily be aware that he has been seen.

(Base 10, +2 Sun, +4 Spectacle)

Spell Binding (Curious Common Magic; Spirit Magic)

A magus initiated into Spell Binding may invent the following spell.

Sustain a Spell of (Form)

ReVi Gen R: Touch, D: Special, T: Ind, Ritual

Req: Form (or Forms) of the spell to be sustained

Allows another spell to be bound to this and to a physical container. The base level of this container ritual must equal or exceed the spell to be sustained. The container spell duration must maintain the container until casting begins for the spell to be sustained, after which the spells are entwined.

(General, special)

Source: TMRE