A B C
D100 Roll D100 Roll D100 Roll High Magic -339-660 DR 661-1358* DR 1358+ DR Consequence
- - 01-25 None
- - 26-50 Caster suffers 1d4 points of damage.
- 01-15 51-60 Caster must successfully save vs. spell or fall unconscious for 1d6 hours.
- 16-40 61-65 Caster immediately loses all spells from memory as if cast; spells must be rememorized for future casting.
01-05 41-50 66-70 Caster immediately ages 1d10 years. 06-30 51-55 71-72 Caster immediately ages 2d10 years. 31-40 56-60 73 Caster immediately ages 1d100 years.
41-45 61-62 74 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Strength. 46-50 63 75 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Dexterity. 51-52 64 76 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Charisma.
53 65 77 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Constitution. 54 66 78 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Intelligence. 55 67 79 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1 point of Wisdom. 56 68 80-82 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1d4 hit points. 57 69 83-84 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1d6 hit points. 58 70-72 85-86 Caster immediately & permanently loses 1d8 hit points.
59 73-74 87-88 Caster immediately suffers 2d8 points of damage & permanently loses 1d8 hit points due to that damage.
60-62 75-76 89-90 Caster immediately suffers 2d10 points of damage & permanently loses 1d10 hit points due to that damage.
63-64 77-78 91 Caster immediately suffers 3d10 points of damage & permanently loses 1d12 hit points due to that damage.
65-66 79-80 - Caster immediately suffers 4d10 points of damage & permanently loses 1d20 hit points due to that damage.
67-68 81 92 Caster immediately ages 1d100 years; caster must succeed a Constitution check or fall unconscious for 1d6 days.
69-70 82 - Caster immediately ages 2d100 years; caster must succeed a system shock roll or fall un- conscious for 1d12 days.
71-72 83-84 93-94 Caster loses 1 level of experience; if experience falls below minimums, caster loses abil- ity to cast High Magic & must relearn once minimum prerequisites are met.
73-74 85 - Caster immediately and permanently loses one eye.
75-77 86 95 Caster loses 1d4 levels of experience; if experience falls below minimums, caster cannot cast High Magic & must relearn once minimum prerequisites are met.
78-80 87 - One of the casters limbs (1d4; 1-2 L/R arms, 3-4 L/R legs) immediately withers & dies; caster must succeed a system shock roll or fall unconscious for 1d4 days.
81-83 88 96 Caster permanently loses 1d4 points from a randomly determined attribute score. 84-86 89-90 - Caster permanently loses 1d4 Intelligence points; if attribute falls below minimums,
caster permanently loses ability to cast High Magic.
87-89 91-92 97 Caster permanently loses 1d6 points from a randomly determined attribute score. 90-91 93-94 - Caster permanently loses 1d6 Intelligence points; if attribute falls below minimums,
caster permanently loses ability to cast High Magic.
92-93 95 98 Gate opens to a lower plane (Abyss, Baator, Carceri, Gehenna, Gray Waste, Pandemo- nium) and the caster is immediately lost through it; the gate remains open for 1d6 rounds, allowing rescue.
94-95 96 - Casters body permanently transformed into a stone statue, though any magical items on the caster do not transform. This transformation is broken only by High Magic or a wish. 96 97 99 Caster stripped of all magical casting abilities, though not knowledge; begins again as a
O-level wizard of -50 XP.
97 98 - Caster sent into dreamless sleep (coma) for 1d10 months; all magical casting abilities & knowledge lost forever.
98 99 100 Caster dies immediately, but the body can be resurrected.
99 100 101-110 Caster dies, and is immediately reanimated as a magic-absorber or undead creature (1d6: 1=nishruu, 2=hakeashar, 3=baelnorn, 4=banshee, 5=spectre, 6=lich).
100(+) 101-120 111-120 Caster dies immediately and suffers destruction (body entirely reduced to dust) or ex- plodes in a retributive strike (no chance of survival).
* Given the rate that the Weave was healing itself, Column B should have remained the Consequences of High Magic casting for approximately another 300 years. The situation was interrupted by the Time of Troubles, which again disrupted the
Weave. During the first three months of the Time of Troubles (Kythorn 15-Eleint 15, 1358 DR), add 20 to all rolls and check against Column B; for the duration of the Troubles (Eleint 16-Marpenoth 15, 1358 DR), add 20 to all rolls and check against Column C.
Rituals of Solitude
Adoessuor/ The Reverie of Ages: This ritual places a subject in deep reverie, and the Weave, rather than mortal food con- sumption, sustains the elf. Thus, an elf can be placed in a trance that allows him to ignore the passage of time.
The elves, for all intents and purposes, operate under the effects of a temporal stasis spell, though they spend the entire time in reverie rather than unconsciousness. On at least one occasion, an elf in the Adoessuor has been used to establish a controlling mental influence over a powerful ar- tifact of magic (see the QuessArTeranthvar below). A sub- ject can be awakened under preset conditions or by the touch of a High Mage.
AkhFaenTelQuess/ Life of Duty, Form of the Peoples Need: This ritual, the most intensely private of all rituals, alters the form of an elf into any living elf race or subrace. The elf becomes one of another elf race (including the lost avariel) physically, but not mentally. This transformation ritual is un- dertaken only with the full consent of a clan elder or the Coro- nal and the participant (unless in banishment) and is usually invoked only for an important mission for a community. The change is permanent until a second ritual is performed to revert the elf to his original form, or upon death. (The change happens slowly over 1d12 hours after death.)
This transformation ritual can alter an elf from its own race to another, including drow, avariel, or aquatic elf (but not a lythari). It can be performed only once in three cen- turies on any elf and only twice in a lifetime; while in the changed form, the character gains all benefits and draw- backs of being one of that race of elves, though any psycho- logical norms of that race are not adopted since only the elfs form changes, not her identity. This ritual accommodates the difference in ages among the elves, so the transformed elf becomes a different elf of the same age class; while the elf wears his new form, he ages as the current elf rather than his natural form (i.e., a gold elf shortens his life by nearly 200 years with the transformation). Therefore, while a middle-aged gold elf (age 400) would be an old aquatic elf, the ritual makes him a middle-aged water elf (age 270).
Theoretically, this ritual could allow an elf to be trans- formed into a human or a dwarf (or other race), but no High Mage has ever dared to attempt such, nor have any volunteers been solicited to make such a sacrifice. In over ten millennia, this ritual has been used only five times to change a surface elf to a drow elf for the purpose of infil- tration (twice) or banishment (thrice), so it is impossible that any elf would condone the change to a NTelQuess except as the most extreme punishment.
DaoinTeagueFeer/ Starshine Upon the People: This ritual of rejuvenation is one led by the High Mage (or an elf of royal blood using a variant of the older ritual; see below), but there can be as many as 100 other participants. Under a clear, starry night sky, the ritual cleanses an elf both physically and spiritu- ally. This ritual of chant and dance is often used in wartime to
bolster morale and prepare the troops for battle.
With the High Mage leading a group of elves in both song and dance, the ritual summons a shower of glittering star- dust within the boundaries of the ritual. The luster settles onto participants and makes them glow lightly throughout the ritual. This starshine removes all grime and dirt from folk and equipment, cures all of nonmagical diseases or sensory loss (blindness, deafness, etc.), heals all with cure serious wounds and neutralize poison spell effects, and bestows an elven blessing upon them all equal to an aid spell for 12 hours after the ritual. This ritual lasts for one hour per ten people involved, with all effects manifesting at the completion.
DMs Note: This ritual is also an 8th-level wizard spell (or 7th-level priest spell) exclusively for elves of royal blood, willed to them as an automatically known spell by Corellon and Mystra. The spell duplicates the effects above, though this reduced magic heals participants only as a cure light wounds spell and allows them the benefits of a bless spell for 12 hours. This spell has never been recorded but was always (and still is) taught verbally from elder to heir, and it is always tied to regalia (i.e., a royal bowl from which the caster draws the glittering starshine, a sword to define the areas of the dance, etc.) and some ritual songs of an elven domain. Any non-elf or nonroyal elf who attempts this spell suffers a curse of the DMs devising for daring to usurp these bless- ings.
Eva1iirEnevahr/ The Song of Enevahr: This spell allows a High Mage to inspire allied troops and demoralize opposing armies. The only battle-intended High Magic, this ritual places the singing High Mage among the troops to sing of elven glory and the folly of the foes who oppose them.
This wide-ranging enchantment/charm-style magic af- fects all sentient beings within a 100-yard radius of the High Mage. All elves and allies gain bravery and morale boosts from the song, making them immune to fear effects of any kind and eliminating Morale checks. The opponents, regardless of any understanding of elvish, are infused with fear and terror, and any actions that force Morale checks (or allow individual checks against fear) panic them, causing them to flee in terror from the source for at least one hour. The High Mage is so intimidating to all while in the ritual that none dare approach him, whether due to awe or fear.
KaiSoehtakal/ Skin and Breath of the Wyrm: The elf reaches through the Weave, connects with a metallic dragon, and adopts some of its energy. In essence, the High Mage wraps himself or another target in the aura of the dragon,
granting himself or another the abilities of the chosen dragon for a short time; to the Weave, the target is a dragon, not an elf.
The elf gains all the physical abilities of a brass, bronze, copper, gold, or silver dragon, including its special fear radius, breath weapon, Armor Class, claw attacks, and flight. If preferred, the High Magic ritual can be shortened to adopt only portions of draconic ability (6 rounds) or lengthened to allow the elf to physically assume the form of
the dragon, though this is not necessary and adds 15 rounds to the ritual for transformation time.
Oliirtal Eithun/ Flights of True Mark, Arrows of Art:
Contrary to what some humans believe, this High Magic en- chantment does not increase the damage or effectiveness of an arrow, since that is not how High Magic works. It does allow the arrow to affect the Weave at its point of impact and deliver its effect by either cancelling certain effects or intro- ducing others.
One of the few combat-oriented High Magics, this ritual allows the High Mage to enspell a quiver of 20 arrows with one effect noted below. These enchantments last for 24 hours after the completion of the hour-long ceremony, and the arrows magic can be cancelled only by wish and limited wish spells. Often, word of an impending battle will prompt at least one or two quivers of arrows to be prepared, and the akhvelahrn divide the arrows among their archers ranks to provide a unified effect across the battlefield.
The spell effects vary according to the situation and the rituals exact performance, but the arrow always delivers its standard damage to a struck living target regardless of other effects. Five effects can aid elven forces on the battlefield:
Dispel arrows will, upon contact with a specified magi- cal field or effect, cancel that effect as a 20th-level wizard; these are used in battle against spellcasters who use shields and other defenses to prevent enemy missile and spell fire against them. If targeted on an item of less than artifact status, these arrows can cancel an items ef- fects or function for 1 round.
Snuff arrows act like an affect normal fires spell on con- tact, though their only effect is to extinguish any normal fires (of up to 5 radius from point of impact) or reduce the strength/damage of magical fires by half. These are, by far, the most common of the oliirtaleithunna, and they are used with great effectiveness against ogres (and dragons) who hope to burn Cormanthor down around the elves.
Eagles Mark arrows act as magic missiles, homing in on a target unerringly to deliver 1d6 points of damage. There is a limitation to this magic that allows only two of these to hit any one creature in 24 hours; any more arrows of this enchantment targeting the same creature will merely burn up a few feet from the target. The elves know this limitation, and thus always use these arrows to break charges by orc hordes, selecting key figures whose injuries can slow their thunderous advance.
Targeting arrows crackle an ominous purple, and deliver their damage and a mystical signature upon contact with the target. The following round, the elves may use a key word named by the casting High Mage to make the affected target the focus of their spells, regardless of whether the target is within the spells range. This allows elven mages the chance to launch spells into battle with- out worry of interfering with or affecting their own troops or spellcasters.
Message arrows, when they contact either a target or a
hard surface, deliver their damage and a message of 30 words or less from the archer. This audible message can be heard easily by any creatures within a 10 radius of impact. Spells or auditory powers cannot be used with these arrows, though an elven war cry emanating around wounded opponents has sometimes been enough to cause a rout or a resurgence of hope to battle-trapped elves as they hear a message telling them of reinforcements.
SalohCintNias/ Gift of Alliance: This ritual allows a High Mage to call upon the ancient allies of the TelQuessir for aid in the defense of an elven realm. The summoned aid is often in animal or monstrous form, though the creatures tend to match both the surrounding area and the casters align- ment. Otherplanar creatures also can be summoned with ad- ditional ritual time, though the larger creatures and more powerful extraplanars require longer summoning times and produce fewer allies.
This ritual acts as a powerful and highly specific mon- ster summoning spell, akin to call woodland beings, animal summoning III, and monster summoning VII. Beyond the strictures of those spells, creatures such as whales and kraken can be summoned if near a sea, and other creatures such as dragons, devas, bariaur, and even Reverend Ones (baelnorn) can be called to inland battle sites. This ritual requires at least one turn and summons 12 Hit Dice of summoned creatures per turn of continuous ritual.
Theurfoqal/ Summoned Shield, Conjured Screen: A common magic within Myth Drannor, this High Magic creates windows of magical energy stronger than glass. If the area where such a field is set is bounded by physical walls, it can be placed anywhere.
This ritual summons invisible fields of magic within small enclosed areas (i.e., window frames). At their weak- est, they keep out all solid matter while allowing in summer breezes or sunlight. This is the standard for windows in Myth Drannors buildings, though this minimal magic can be improved with additional time in the ritual or if sum- moned within a building created by Myriad ritual. The best of these windows can be set to turn opaque, heat-proof (in both directions), or sound-proof with a touch. Maximum size for the fields that this magic can support are 5 feet square, and they may be used only as windows in noble villas and Castle Cormanthor.
UAestarKess/ One Heart, One Mind, One Breath: This ritual provides a creature and an elf with a mental link, not unlike the one shared among elves in communion. This link is permanently forged. Most often, this ritual is used as a mar- riage rite, forging a bond between spouses, though it is not limited to pairs of elves. An animal mount and rider might form an empathic link that allows them to interact far more closely than two creatures (two elves, or animal and elf, or other pairings) normally could.
The link between the two creatures is permanent, and allows the linked elf or elves to ignore the Call to Arvandor
for greater periods of time due to the communal nature of the link. The two creatures are partners, friends, lovers, or kindred in all but form; each knows when the other is in danger and will stop at little to render aid. This passive link is always semi-empathic, but with intense concentra- tion, it can become telepathic, allowing mind-to-mind com- munication. While all rituals are assumed to have elf targets, this union could easily be formed for all races, link- ing dwarves or humans with elves. An elf can be placed in uaestarkess with a maximum of two beings in his or her lifetime, most often a spouse and a beast-mount such as a dragon.
VuorlKyshuf/ A Message on Birds Wings to Silver: Elven High Mages use this ritual to mentally, visually, and audibly communicate with other High Mages or other dignitaries without leaving their strongholds.
This ritual allows a High Mage to use some physical medium such as a pool of water, a polished shield, or a mirror to summon an image of a person or persons with whom the High Mage wishes to speak. The image remains and communication can continue for as long as the High Mage maintains concentration. In all other effects, this ritual acts as a sending spell with no word or distance lim- itations (aside from remaining within Realmspace), aside from concentration on the magics.