It has come to my attention that many of my Sodales within the Order have forgotten that most important art of protection. It is true that our friends the Colombae introduced many of those wards that are still in circulation in the folios of my brethren in House Bonisagus, and true it may be that Circular Ward Against Demons is an invaluable addition to the Hermetic body of literature, but these are not the wards of which I speak!
At the Founding of our Order, Sodales, Bonisagus made real a truly fabulous invention, the Parma Magica, which granted us Magic Resistance, that we may not fear the great magics of our foes. This may have been enough for the foundation of our Order, when wizards would throw their strongest magics at each other in the knowledge that the one who strikes first will survive, only to be foiled by even a modest ability with the Parma, but Magic has progressed!
Many a Summa espousing the merits of Pilum of Fire and instructing us in its uses against one warded behind a great Parma have circulated, and Boreal Flames has brought the experience of receiving such a spell in welcome even to those lucky few who never feel the pain of a licking flame.
It is my hope, dear reader, that this folio shall offer you some relief, and allow you to leave your towers without fear that an old rival shall strike you down at great speed, for contained therein is a trove of spells, some of my own making, and many collected from Lab Texts long forgotten in the depths of the Library of Durenmar, each of which designed to offer you some protection from those spells your foes might use to defeat your Parma.
And so let me not drag on, and to the first of the spells!
Exploit the Hubris of Flambeau
Perdo Ignem 45
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Group
As you are exposed to up to ten fires of up to +30 damage after casting this spell, they are extinguished, preventing you from taking damage from them.
Often cast when one expects to encounter a magi of House Flambeau, this spell will protect the caster from Pilum of Fire and Ball of Abysmal Flame for long enough to end the fight or cast this spell again.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Group, +1 fancy effect, +5 intensity)
This spell draws inspiration from Treading the Ashen Path, a spell from the fiery house itself that shows one can have ablative protection.
Hold Fast in the Face of Weeping Wounds
Perdo Vim 5
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
Your body is infused with magic counter to Hermetic Corpus magic, holding your body in its current state. Any Hermetic Corpus spells that target you with a level less than or equal to 15 + a stress die have no effect on you as their magic is unraveled. If you are a member of a Group being targeted by the spell, the magic does not affect any in the whole Group.
Magi who cast this spell often use Suppressing the Wizard’s Handiwork to allow the casting of helpful Momentary Corpus spells on them, such as The Chirurgeon’s Healing Touch.
(Base 3, +2 Sun)
Variations of Hold Fast in the Face of Weeping Wounds exist for Mentem to ensure that your mind is your own.
It is common knowledge among magi that if one casts a Perdo Terram spell to destroy a cube of dirt with a long Duration, new dirt shoveled into the hole will disappear as well. So too with Perdo Vim! When targeting an object or creature, Perdo Vim spells with non-Momentary Durations will destroy further spells cast on them as well, not simply remove curses already in place.
That Prying Eyes Shall Hold No Sway
Perdo Vim 35
R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Room
Illegal though it may be to scry on the affairs of another, many a magus holds secrets that they would prefer to protect with magic in addition to societal pressure. Hermetic Intellego spells which target the touched room or anything in it with a level less than or equal to 25 + a stress die have no effect.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +2 Room)
This spell relies on the Room dynamic container target to ensure that every effect that penetrates the walls of the sancta upon which it is cast are affected. The Moon duration is especially useful when one is the target of a Wizard War, to ensure that your opponent will be unable to see your preparations for their downfall.
Grant Passage to Spells Approved Of
Muto Vim Gen
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
This spell targets a Perdo Vim spell with a level less than or equal to the level of this spell minus one magnitude, and allows a magus to omit spells cast by a magi whose sigil they include within this spell from the effect of the targeted spell.
Often cast with Hold Fast in the Face of Weeping Wounds, this spell allows the caster to permit themselves or a healing mage to affect them in spite of their ward.
(Base Effect, +1 Touch)
Of note is that you must select which sigil to permit with this spell at the time the spell is invented, much the same way that such parameter is decided when the spell is invented for Shroud Magic.
Deny the Intangible Tunnel
Perdo Vim Gen
R: Per, D: Moon, T: Ind
A ward meant to protect a wizard from Opening the Intangible Tunnel, intended to hold for the duration of a Wizard’s War, this spell will dispel any Hermetic Vim spell of a level less than or equal to the level of this spell plus a magnitude.
(Base Effect, +3 Moon)
After the publication of the first edition of this folio and this spell, I have had correspondence with Völundur ex Verditius, a skillful mage who has shared with me his own experience in managing intangible tunnels. I reproduce for you here a portion of our correspondence.
Your folio is excellent work, I have long said that a single layer of defense is no defense at all, especially if it is as well known as the Parma.
I made the mistake of teaching my apprentice to open intangible tunnels, now the lass keeps pestering me when I am late to raise my Parma in the morning.
As to maintain my sleep schedule, I made a marvelous little device. Only once was I awakened by the sounds of pinching, and after that it has mostly sat unused.
A similar device could be used to deploy lethal methods, although penetration magnitudes would be needed for an opponent worth their salt.
The Long Suffering Eye
This is a nazar amulet, all craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality.Spy the Spying Eye
Intellego Vim 24
R:Touch, D:Sun, T:ind
When the nazar detects a spell conduit being opened, it continually casts Poke the Spying Eye though it.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun; +4 lvl constant effect)Poke the Spying Eye
Creo Animal 23
R: Touch, D: Diam, T: Ind
When triggered by Spy the Spying Eye, this spell creates a small, nonvenomous scorpion, this generally startles the person that made the conduit, leading to the scorpion pinching with reckless abandon.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +1 Diam; +5 lvl 24 uses per day, +3 lvl linked trigger)
I am ecstatic to receive this correspondence from my sodalis, but I will take time to note for the reader of this, the second edition of this folio, that Völundur appears to have taught his apprentice a notably high magnitude tunnel for it to be able to support Poke the Spying Eye to be cast through it. For those who wish to recreate his efforts, perhaps Touch of the Goose Feather would be a more appropriate effect to trigger with Spy the Spying Eye.
Borrow the Heartbeast’s Stability
Muto Corpus Gen
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
When you cast this spell, record its penetration. Any effect that changes the form of the caster with a level less than or equal to double (the level of this spell minus two magnitudes) which has a penetration total less than the penetration total of this spell has no effect on the caster, who maintains their physical form instead. Note that this applies to effects which change the physical form of the caster, but not all Muto Corpus or similar effects.
If a spell that alters the caster’s form remains in effect when this spell expires, then it will assert itself after this spell’s Duration has passed.
(Base Effect, +2 Sun)
One oft-forgotten aspect of the Technique of Muto is that not only can it give properties to the Target that it cannot naturally have, it can also remove properties from the Target that it cannot naturally have. While this use may be uncommon, after all, how often do Targets have properties that they cannot naturally have, it is still extremely useful! Borrow the Heartbeast’s Stability is just one potential use of this excellent application of Muto, and its level is based on the general form of magical parries that Apprentices are taught to perform with Fast-Cast Spontaneous spells.
Völundur ex Verditius has provided again further examples of ways to deal with the situations I have outlined in a manner befitting his experiences.
An old associate of mine commissioned me to make him a cloak that protected him from Corpus spells. He has stopped wearing it, claiming it leads to headaches, blatant nonsense. I have made a copy of the lab texts, feel free to include them (with due credit given of course) in the next edition.
Proteus’ Cloak
This is a blue woolen cloak, all craftdwarfship is of the highest quality, it is patterned with Verditius runes along the hem. It is encrusted with faceted amber. This object menaces with spikes of wool.Escape Menelaus’ Grasp
Muto Corpus 17
R:Touch, D:Mom, T:Ind
When triggered by Spot the Incoming Spell, the wearer grows by three sizes, becoming large enough that corpus spells need additional size magnitudes. This causes most spells to have no effect.
It is advisable to duck when this effect is started, as low ceilings can become more harmful than the spell you are avoiding.
(Base 3, +1 Touch; +3 lvl linked trigger, +10 lvl unlimited uses)Spot the Incoming Spell
Intellego Vim 19
This spell detects when anyone other than the wearer casts a Corpus spell, it will then trigger Escape Menelaus’ Grasp.
(Base 5, +2 Sun; +1 lvl 2 uses per day, +3 lvl environmental trigger)
This wondrous cloak appears to rely on the size of base individuals of Corpus spells, which can affect only creatures up to those largest of ordinary men. The rapid increase in size results in the wearer becoming an invalid Target of the Corpus spell, thus resulting in it producing no effect.
Hold the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace
Muto Vim Gen
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
This spell is cast on a spell with a level up to double (the level of this spell minus two magnitudes), and causes it to emit the faint sound of a ringing bell when it is cast. The Duration of this spell prevents the ward from taking effect until the next sunrise or sunset, effectively delaying it until the expiry of any other Sun Duration effects, and ringing to notify the caster of this transition.
This spell is often cast on wards, to allow a maga to protect herself with wards without fear that they will flicker at dawn or dusk.
(Base Effect, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
In the prior edition of this folio, I received many letters that asked how one was supposed to maintain so many daily wards, when all her enemy need do is acquire an Arcane Connection to her and wait for dawn or dusk to strike. Hold the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace is the answer!
This spell relies on the effect of Muto Vim delaying the target spell taking effect to allow a magus to cast many wards upon himself and not fear that he will be without protection for some minutes after the beginning or end of each day. If all of his daily wards are cast under the effect of Hold the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace, then the only protection he may be without for the first Diameter of each night or day will be his Parma.
The original version of this spell was a variation on Shroud Magic, as it was an obvious place to start for a spell with such minor effect, but the addition of the sound of a bell was an ingenious suggestion by my amicus with whom I shared the spell that ensures that the caster of these wards is always made aware of exactly when to begin the casting of their Parma and the renewal of their wards.
An unfortunate remaining side effect is that if many wards are cast each day, the sound of the bell becomes quite loud as it sounds many times at once. With truly grand numbers of wards, this can be astonishingly loud, and I have taken to casting only one spell with this version, and the rest with my older version based upon Shroud Magic. Lab texts for both spells are included within the folio.
I have included a variant of this spell that expresses a useful side effect from experimentation which permits casting the Parma Magica into it, though the level it can affect is reduced to double the level minus four magnitudes. I hope that those magi who are wont to participate in debauchery and know full well that they shall not rise with the Sun to cast their Parma shall find it useful; our hedonist brethren deserve protections too.
Contain the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace
Rego Vim Gen
R: Per, D: Sun, T: Ind
Upon casting this spell, a number of effects with a combined level up to the level of this spell plus three magnitudes can be cast into a container held in the caster’s own person. At the next dawn or dusk, all the contained spells take effect.
Only one copy of this spell may affect the caster at once, and casting this spell again while an existing container is already present is wasted.
(Base Effect, +2 Sun)
Toll the Bell of Morning’s Light
Creo Imaginem 2
R: Touch, D: Mom, T: Ind
The sound of a bell ringing emanates from this spell, echoing before fading to silence.
(Base 1, +1 Touch)
There is some debate about the efficacy of Hold the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace, some of my sodales in my testing have found that when they use the spell, the target ward takes effect immediately, rather than waiting for the Muto Vim spell to expire. For these magi, I propose Contain the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace with Toll the Bell of Morning’s Light stored within it.
This is actually a more efficient way to store spells, but it comes with its own considerations. For example, since you can only place one spell container into an object, the total number of wards that can be placed within it is substantially less than those that can be used with the Hold variant of the spell, which can be cast repeatedly.
There has been some experimentation proposed by my amicus that a version of The Patient Spell with a Sun Duration may be sufficient as an alternative, as targeting the spell rather than yourself would permit affecting many spells, but I suspect that such containers would not follow their casters, and their effect may be reduced by this problem. Perhaps one could adapt the Guidelines used for Rego of other Forms to Vim to permit moving the spell container – at least as long as one can see it, perhaps with a suitable Intellego Vim effect – and thus allowing through sufficient ingenuity the spell container variation of this effect to retain the flexibility of Hold the Waiting Ward Till Twilight’s Embrace? I have unfortunately not yet found the time to test this hypothesis myself.
In addition to the correspondence I have received from Völundur on alternative methods for handling situations which I have proposed wards for, I have also received letters from Luna Papilonum ex Tremere, proffering wards for situations which my original folio did not detail. I have reproduced the letter below.
Sodales, I have come for one reason, to join in and remember that while the power of Hermetic Magic is great and noble, ruffians who would sell their soul for a shade of our magic exist! They wield maleficia with the expertise that comes from dealing with demons, and while they often sabotage their own, they’re also greedy and may clash against us!
I have arrived with a few considerations to arm yourselves against these great enemies, so that we prevail against them just as our ancestors did in the clash against House Diedne!
Many Infernalists have weak abilities, ones they know cannot pierce our Parma Magica, and for that reason they’re keen on using the enviroment against us! A felled tree may kill a serf with ease, but one aimed and filled with rocks can kill many a Magus too, this is why I must remind you all to have wards such as this one.
May no slab mark my grab!
Rego Terram 30
R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Ind
This protection can keep even great formations of rock, such as fragments of a collapsing cave, warded away from you. Although high level, this spell is often cast in preparation to an encounter and need not have any real Penetration. The extra Size is needed, for Infernalists can often afford to trap you and bury a Magus behind their past fortress, after all, we are their second greatest threat.
(Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Size, +1 affect stone)But that is not all, some Infernalists are coordinated, and together they join their powers to pierce even through our mighty Parma Magica, but they’re inefficient, their Effusion cannot compare to a simple Ignem spell, and we would be well warded by our Form Scores and our Aegis.
So then, why do I warn you of this? Because of their ability to pierce with instant death. Remember! The forces of hell are not stingy with Vis, no, they have it in spades and we must account for them wasting all of their resources to kill us!
For this I have adjoined a specific counter-spell, made to save you or anyone from otherwise certain death once you know the forces of hell are after you.
Neither my body nor my spirit you shall touch!
Perdo Vim 35
R: Personal, D: Mom, T: Individual
This spell, made in inspiration of Hold Fast in the Face of Weeping Wounds uses Perdo Vim to undo any of the effects of Consumption Maleficia of 55+Stress Die levels that would otherwise affect you. The level may seem excessive but Hell’s forces do not cut short in Vis so beware!
This Ward is best kept in a Watching Ward on yourself as you will only need this spell to work once on you, your enemies will not be able to know their spell failed until you attack them afterwards, although filling a single Watching Ward with multiples is wise.
Remember to cast this spell with some Flourish so that you know when the charge is expended!
(Base 35)
I hope that this folio has proven useful for you, my sodales, and that you may see yourselves protected from the magics of your foes.
In the coming months, I will be preparing a new folio. My Amicus Occultes, follower of Bonisagus, plans a journey across Europe to gather some artifact or other, and he plans to travel with one of our magi Trianomae brethren, but is reluctant for the trip will be long, and he will have no laboratory. I have promised him that I will have a score of magical effects which he will be able to use on the road to ease his travel and ensure that his studies are not hindered by his absence. If any of you has a Lab Text for a spell or device which you believe would be useful to Occultes, I would be indebted to you.