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. This list does not include non-Hermetic spells such as Fenicial Rituals, hedge-magic spells, and so on, nor invested effects.

Faerie Magic (House Merinita)

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

Farie 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

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 One: 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 infl icted 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 natu ral. 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 dur ing 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 (usu ally 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 com pulsion to turn back upon smelling the magus’s scent. This spell must penetrate successfully to bar passage to any intrud er 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 cast er is blinded by the brilliant light shin ing 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 perma nent, 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)