Copyright © 2001 by Robert J. Hall

These spells are recent additions to the grimoire of the Earth Magi. Some of these spells are novel or known only by a few adepts. Spells that do not require END to maintain have their endurance cost in parentheses.

Brittle Earth

With this spell, the wizard summons elemental forces that cause stone to become soft or brittle. Glass and crystals become soft and pliant, while objects made of rock or baked clay will crumble like dirt. Stone surfaces affected by this spell are quite hazardous to scale, requiring extraordinary feats of climbing. This spell can be used to create a rock slide on a mountain face by weakening a carefully selected point. The Brittle spell has no effect on metals or metal-rich ores, although it could be used to make mining easier by loosening the surrounding rock.

Because of primal nature of this spell, any +1 power advantage can be applied while casting. The price of this flexibility, however, is greater difficulty learning the spell and a longer time needed to cast it.

Cavern Close

To cast this spell, the wizard need to be able to touch all sides of a cavern mouth or other natural stone opening. Upon completing the invocation, a coruscating blue light leaves the hand of the caster and settles about the sides of the opening. As the wizard slowly brings his palms together, the faintly glowing tunnel mouth will then pucker closed with a grating and grinding noise, leaving only a grapefruit-sized opening in the center. Placing a sufficiently large object in the opening will ensure that the hole is completely sealed.

Create Crevasse

When this spell is cast, the Wizard speaks a word of ancient power, points at a location on the ground within range, and causes the Earth to split open into a crevasse. Victims caught within the spell area fall into the hole and become jammed where the crack narrows. Anybody caught in the crevasse can attempt to climb out again, if they survive the fall. The crevasse is wedge- shaped, with a depth determined by the tunneling rate through the material. Small targets will fall further into the 1" wide crevasse than larger victims. (See the HERO System Rulesbook for details on material DEF ratings and the effects of falling. A hex of packed earth has a DEF rating of 4.) Over time the crevasse will fall in upon itself, or become filled with water or debris.

Earth Elemental Form

With his deep and intimate knowledge of both earth and stone, the Elementalist is able to acquire some of the fundamental properties of both. Upon casting this spell, the body of the mage grows heavier and more solid, and his flesh grows as hard as rock. With his enhanced strength and hardened fists, he is able to deliver a crushing blow.

Enlarge Rock

With this spell, the Wizard is able to greatly increase the size of a single chunk of rock weighing 100 kg or less. The dimensions of the rock increase four fold, and the total mass increases by a factor of sixteen. This is sufficient to fill a single hex.

Entomb

The victim of this spell is swallowed whole by the earth and pulled downward, where he is held and kept alive with minimum life support. If the spell caster fails his Magic Skill Roll, he is entombed instead.

Ground Lightning

The target of this spell becomes deeply connected to the earth, and is able to ground lightning or other electrical energies that strike his form. The spell is immediately dispelled if the caster leaves the ground, even for a moment.

Harden Rock

When this spell is cast upon a surface of stone, it makes the material as tough as the finest steel. Mud will harden into rock, and sand will solidify into a block. The spell can protect a 1" radius sphere of rock or earth, or any surface totaling 6 hex sides.

Lava Pit

This powerful spell causes the earth to spew forth lava and vapors, forming a growing pit. (Each hex of rock has a BODY of 11, so 22 points of Transform will turn a full hex into lava.) The Lava pit will grow outward to form a pit, unless there is a downward slope. The lava will take 1d6 days to cool and solidify, unless doused by an equal quantity of water. While active, the Lava Pool performs a 3d6 KA against anyone moving through the pool, plus a 2d6 Energy Blast (NND Fumes (Life Support)) within 1 hex of the edge. If the Magic Skill roll is failed, the Wizard suffers extremely painful but temporary burns on his arms and face.

Meld Matter

This spell allows the Wizard to join together two separate, inanimate objects. The points of contact between the two objects flow together to form a permanent bond. The strength of the connection depends on the types of materials. Identical materials, or substances that have a strong affinity for each other, will form a better bond. Forming a meld requires greater time and endurance than normal.

Pass Through Rock

This variant on the Earth Passage spell allows the Wizard to move through rock as if it were made of air. No trace of the Wizard's passage is left behind for his foes to follow.

Pool of Quicksand

When this spell is cast, any soft ground within the radius begins to soften and turns into a pool of Quicksand. Those caught within can escape if they have Flying, 4"+ swim, or they are pulled from the pool.

Reject Stoning

This spell will prevent an attempt to transform the Wizard into stone. This spell is especially useful when dealing with a Medusa, or other such creatures that have the innate ability to turn flesh into stone.

Rock Fist

This spell turns the hands of the Wizard to stone, allowing him to wield his fist like a club.

Rock in the Shoe

Upon casting this spell, a small stone appears in the shoe of the target, causing an annoying pain with each step taken until he stops to empty out the footwear. This spell has no effect on creatures who do not run, or lack footwear.

Rolling Rock

The Wizard can use this spell to move a massive boulder of stone weighing up to 1.6 tons (1" diameter boulder) about, crushing everything in its path. The rock has a maximum movement rate of 8" across level soft ground or 10" across a hard surface, and has turn mode with a limit of 2 turns. Whenever the boulder enters a hex containing a target, make a 6d6 Punch Attack using the 30 STR TK. For each 2" of movement rate, the boulder causes an additional 1d6N damage. However, the rock is also -1 OCV per 1" of movement.

Sand Blast

Upon casting this spell, everybody within the 5" cone is struck by a blast of fine sand that seems to penetrate every opening. The primary effect is to make it impossible to see anything because the eyelids must remain closed to prevent damage.

Shape Stone

This spell allows the Wizard to shape an 8- DEF block of stone into any form. Once the spell is cast, the stone slowly changes to the desired shape over the course of a minute. This is slow enough that anyone who is not already restrained in some manner can escape being trapped by the new shape. If the final shape is unstable, then it will collapse after the spell is completed. Given the appropriate skills and sufficient patience, this spell can be used to form any type of stone construction, including walls, staircases, statues, and so on.

Sink Hole

This spell creates a large, circular hole in the ground, swallowing buildings and other structures in the area of effect. However, due to the sloping sides, beings can easily scramble their way of the sink hole. This spell will work on ground consisting of sand, rocky soil, mud, or clay, but not through solid stone. The Sink Hole spell is particularly taxing to maintain, and requires steady concentration.

Stone Face

When the Wizard casts this spell, he is able to blend into the face of a solid surface and become virtually invisible. The effect is lost, however, whenever the caster moves.

Summon Earth Elemental

This powerful incantation allows the earth wizard to summon an Earth Elemental. (See HERO Bestiary for stats.) The Elemental will attempt to slay the summoner, and the caster will need some means to control it. To use the spell, the caster must have drawn a circle of summoning, and must have contact with the earth. If the caster fails his roll, the creature will still be summoned but will have an immense hatred of the caster and will be difficult to control.

Spell Determination

To randomly determine the spells known to a typical adept of the College of Earth Magic, use the tables of scholarly disciplines below. An experienced Earth Wizard will commonly have several spells from a single primary discipline, plus a spell each from the other disciplines.