Mortis Spells
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| The following
is a list of spells, available to clerics of Mortis, that do not appear
in the new Player's Handbook. Some spells are of my own devising,
although most have previously seen print in TSR supplements for the
AD&D second edition game. A reference to the original product appears
where this is the case. It is my understanding that all material for
the second edition game is now out of print. For a complete list of
all spells granted by Mortis please click here.
Balance of the Six Humours The well being of any creature depends on the six humours of the body (earth, air, fire, water, life and death) being in balance. Physical injury or sickness is indicative of a body that is out of balance. What this spell attempts to do is feed a particular humour, or element, into the body to repair any physical damage that has been inflicted. The nature of the humour varies depending on the faith - fire clerics will feed in fire, water clerics will feed in water etc. The amount of damage healed from each casting of this spell is 1d4+1 hit points, but there are restrictions. If the damage is from disease or combat, the cleric can only cast this spell once in safety. Each additional casting of the spell on the same set of wounds has a 10% cumulative chance of inflicting 1d4+1 points of damage rather than healing it. A character who is healed over his maximum total by this spell will take damage equal to the overflow. For example, a warrior's mamimum hit point total is 15, but he has suffered 3 points of damage in a battle making his current total 12. A cleric casting balance of the six humours upon the warrior heals 5 points of damage taking the warrior up to 17 hit points (2 more than maximum) These 2 extra hit points are treated as damage from his maximum total, lowering his current hit points to (15 - 2) 13. However, if damage to a character has been solely inflicted by contact with the cleric's opposed element, application of this spell will restore up to 1d4+1 hit points per level of the caster. Chances of overflow damage still apply, but the cleric can choose how much damage to heal in increments of 1d4+1. Therefore a seventh level cleric of water could use this spell to restore up to 7d4+7 points of damage, as long as it had been inflicted by fire. The material component for this spell is an amount of elemental material sufficient to cover the recipient's wounds; either fire, water, earth or stone, air, negative energy or positive energy. A cleric with the ability to turn undead can summon enough possitive energy for the task; vice verse for a cleric who commands the undead. Bind Undead Bind undead is highly effective against certain kinds of undead (it has no effect on living creatures). This spell automatically affects all chosen corporeal undead of 6 or less HD with no saving throw. Such creatures curl into a ball – if more than one undead is affected, they are all gathered into one tightly-packed sphere. Affected undead are held helpless and immobile, their special abilities in stasis, until the spell expires or the caster frees them. The diameter of this ball of undead is typically 2–3 feet per affected creature. Typically, this "boneball" is rolled off a cliff or into an obstacle or fire, or conveyed into the midst of foes, whereupon the caster ends the magic, freeing the undead to fight. Against noncorporeal undead (such as ghosts and spectres) and all undead of 7 or more HD, bind undead acts only as a slow spell. These undead are entitled to a Will saving throw to resist the effect. The material component is the bone of any creature, held in the wizard's left hand at the time of casting. Blackmantle Blackmantle creates a shimmering aura around all creatures within the affected area that negates all healing and regeneration, both natural and magical. For instance, a potion of healing has no effect on a creature under the influence of blackmantle, a troll cannot regenerate lost hit points, and cure light wounds is useless. Blackmantle is negated for any target creatures who make successful saving throws. Otherwise, it persists for 10 minutes per level of the caster. If the creatures are still alive at the end of the spell's duration, any active curative forces will operate normally; for instance, a ring of regeneration will resume its function. However, consuming a potion of healing or applying a staff of curing while blackmantle is in effect will have no affect when blackmantle wears off, since these types of magic work instantly. In such cases, the dose of potion of healing and the charge from a staff of curing are not only wasted, but the aura generated by blackmantle actually negates the potion of healing or the staff of curing, rendering it useless. If a potion of healing or staff of healing is applied after the spell wears off, the healing magic works normally. The material component for this spell is a small mummified animal, such as a mouse or a toad. Bless Darkness This incantation creates a magical darkness in the palm of a cleric's hand and imbues it with divine energy, turning it into holy darkness. The holy light will inflict 2d4 points of damage to undead creatures or outsiders of an alignment diametrically opposed to the caster. Once the spell is cast, the blessing is considered permanent only for as long as the darkness is held in the palm of the cleric's hand. He may not wield a weapon in that hand (although he may in the other) or cast spells that require somantic components. The cleric may us the blessed darkness as a mêlée weapon or throw it (range increment 10 feet) at a foe. The darkness only remains in existance for a few seconds after it leaves the cleric's hand, but this is sufficient to reach a target at range. Holy darkness is considered blessed, and as such will have a special effect on some creatures. The material component of this spell is five pounds of powdered silver (worth about 25 crowns). Corpse Link With this versatile spell, a cleric establishes a sensory link between himself and a corpse or freshly animated zombie of a human, demihuman, or humanoid within the spell's range. This link allows the caster to gather sensory information from the vicinity of the cadaver or undead being. For every three levels of experience past the 1st, the wizard gains the ability to collect information from an additional sense via the corpse link. At 4th level, for instance, the wizard may choose up to two senses (up to three at 7th level, four at 10th level, and all five at 13th level). The information gained from the senses are as follows:
The type and number of sensory signals is chosen by the wizard at the time of casting, and cannot be changed for the duration of the spell. The caster collects all the sensory information through a single organ (eye, ear, nostril, half of the tongue, or hand) belonging to the corpse or undead recipient. This organ need not be attached to the rest of the cadaver for the spell to function properly. While the spell is in effect, the wizard can still see/hear/smell/taste/touch normally through other (unlinked) organs. For example, a cleric harvests the left eye from a fresh cadaver and places it on a high ledge, with a strategic view of a front door. If the spell is now cast, the wizard's left eye would be able to see through the left eye of the corpse and spy on any visitors, while his or her right eye remains normal. Furthermore, if the target of the spell is a zombie, the magic enables the caster to issue simple commands to the undead creature via this link. The commands can be no longer than four words and can deal only with the creature's movement (turn left, walk forward two steps, and so on) If either the caster or the undead creature moves beyond the range of the spell, the effects are negated. Corpse link does not impart any animation to dead tissue; if cast on a regular cadaver, it remains stationary for the duration of the spell. The material component is a fresh corpse or a newly-animated zombie. Unless some form of preservative magic has been employed to protect the corpse's decaying sensory organs, this spell cannot be employed on the remains of one who has been dead for longer than 1 day per level of the caster. Dead Man's Eyes Dead Man's Eyes causes the whites of the caster's eyes to turn black and his pupils to reshape themselves into small white skulls. The caster can affect one victim per round, providing the victim is within 3 feet of the caster and meets his gaze. Anyone meeting the cleric's gaze must make a Fortitude saving throw or be instantly slain. Those who succeed in their saving throw take 2d6 damage instead. Clerics normally save this spell for those who have greatly displeased Mortis. Death Recall This spell enables the caster to visualize the final minutes of the life of any creature or person that died within the previous day (28 hours). When the caster touches the subject's corpse, the caster goes into a trance. The caster then has a vision of the final 10 minutes of the subject's life as seen by the subject himself. The vision ends with the last scene the subject saw before he died, at which time the caster awakens from his trance and the spell is over. As with the Speak with Dead spell, the spirit has to either be willing or cajoled for this spell to work. The corpse gets to make a Will saving throw (with the same bonuses it had in life) to resist the effect. The material component for this spell is a fragment from a shattered mirror. Death Shroud Death shroud draws upon the Negative Material Plane to surround the caster in a dark and shadowy aura of life-draining energy. While the spellcaster suffers no ill-effects from this baneful radiance, it may have dire consequences for anyone who comes into contact with the aura. The death shroud can be used actively in offense and passively in defense. In combat, the wizard may activate the deadly power of the spell by touching a victim (requiring a successful touch attack roll). Any creature touched must immediately make a Fortitude saving throw. If the roll is successful, the victim is unharmed. If the save is failed, a black haze forms around the victim, draining 20% of his or her current hit points each round until the unfortunate individual dies at the end of the fifth round. The death shroud also serves as a passive ward or protection for the caster. Anyone who touches the cleric or attempts to strike him or her with any hand-held object or melee weapon must make a Fortitude saving throw or be stricken by the death shroud in a similar manner. following spells remove the death shroud from an afflicted individual: cure critical wounds, heal, limited wish, wish, or a successful dispel magic. Lesser curing spells and healing potions delay death only by one round. Multiple applications of these spells or potions may prolong a victim's life until the duration of the spell expires. The spell may also be ended prematurely by killing or successfully employing dispel magic on the caster (this immediately releases all creatures afflicted by the spell). death shroud remains in effect until the wizard has successfully attacked or been attacked by a number of creatures equal to his or her current level (or the spell's maximum duration of two rounds per level has elapsed). Undead are not affected by this spell. The warding requires dust from a corporeal undead with strong ties to the Negative Material Plane (such as a vampire or wight). Ebony Hand This minor meditation focuses a baneful, necromantic aura in the caster's chosen hand, enveloping the fingers in a dark, flickering radiance. The aura of the ebony hand enhances the delivery of harmful, touch-related spells (such as inflict light wounds) by providing a +1 bonus on the priest's attack roll for every three levels of experience past the first (+2 to hit at 4th level, +3 at 7th level, to a maximum of +4 to hit at 10th level). Once the ebony hand is cast, the magic of the touch-delivered spell is no longer conducted though physical contact with the caster's fingertips, but through the flickering aura of the ebony hand. The companion touch-delivered spell(s) may be cast either before or after the creation of the ebony hand, which does not expire with a single, successful touch and may be used to deliver multiple attacks if the spell duration permits. Note that the ebony hand does not enhance attacks with weapons or other ranged spells. The material component is a black leather glove, blessed by a cleric of Mortis, that is placed onto the hand prior to casting. It is not consumed by the spell and may be employed in multiple castings. Exterminate In the hands of a novice spell-caster, this spell instantaneously snuffs out the life forces of small rodents and vermin in the area of effect, including such normal pests as flies, mice, beetles, rats, spiders, and the like. Only creatures with 1–3 hp per level of the caster (9 hp maximum) and animal intelligence can be exterminated. More powerful wizards can thus affect bigger pests, including large spiders, stirges, poisonous snakes, and giant or huge centipedes. If the targeted creatures are extremely small (1 hp or less), then an area up to 1 cubic foot per level (10 cubic feet maximum) can be cleansed of pests. This spell is well-suited to indoor or outdoor applications and is a favorite among necromancers who live among pestilence. Occasionally, cruel mages have been known to exterminate benign animals (and sometimes even others' pets) with the spell. The somatic gesture is a pointed finger, while the caster verbalizes a low zzzt sound. The material components are a pinch of lavender and dried garlic. It has absolutely no effect on sentient or aware creatures, or magical beings such as familiars. Force Shapechange With this spell, the caster can force any shapechanger or magic-wielder using any form of a shapechanging spell to instantly revert to his true form (or his most common form). To use the spell, the caster points at creatures he knows or believes to be shapechangers. If the creatures are indeed shapechangers, they must make a successful Fortitude saving throw or immediately revert to their true form and suffer 3-30 (3d10) hit points of damage from the wracking pain caused by the forced change. The change takes a full round, during which time a victim can take no other actions. If the saving throw was successful, the victim does not change form, but still suffers half damage. The material components for this spell are a hair from the hide of any lycanthrope and a live butterfly, released when the verbal component is uttered. Forever Minions With this spell a priest can guarantee that a number of his followers will automatically animate as zombies when they are killed. The enchantment stays with the followers until they are slain. takes three weeks (21 days) to prepare this spell. During this time, the cleric and the followers to be enchanted must spend at least eight hours per day in seclusion, in the dark, readying the spell. If a follower misses a day of preparation, the spell cannot work for him. If such a follower is then present during the casting of the enchantment, he is immediately slain and does not rise as an undead. number of followers than can be so enchanted is measured in hit dice – three per level of the caster is the maximum per casting of this spell. One round after those followers have fallen, they animate as zombies just as if the spell animate dead had ben cast upon them. Whether or not in the cleric's presence, the zombies seek him out and obey his instructions. During the casting, the priest can specify an increased time (up to a maximum of one day) between death and reanimation. Followers who are not slain in the service of the priest or the church do not immediately reanimate. For example, a follower who secretly works against the priest, or who dies while on personal business does not become a zombie. Recipients of this spell can already be zombies or skeletons. In the latter case, they reanimate as skeletons. Forever Minions cannot be cast more than once on a single creature. The material component for this spell is a wax imprint of every follower's right hand (claw, tentacle or whatever). As with other spells that create undead creatures, Watchers on the Cusp of Oblivion, would find it hard to justify ever casting this spell. The creation of undead is abhorrent to their faith. The Scriveners of Doom may employ this spell after careful consideration, but it is most commonly used by the decidedly-dodgey Church of the Unbeating Heart. Frightful Joining When this powerful spell is employed, the cleric transfers his spirit to the body of an undead creature, totally dominating it. If the undead creature has intelligence, it is allowed a Will saving throw to resist the joining. If the save is successful, the caster's spirit is forced back into his own body. The wizard must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) or suffer 5d6 points of damage – success indicates half damage. If the creature's save fails, the cleric joins his life essence with that of the undead. While in the creature's body, the caster can use all of its special attacks and innate abilities, excluding spells memorised by the creature if it is a wizard or spells known if a sorcerer. The cleric's body remains comatose, and is considered helpless if anyone has the presence of mind to attack it.. The cleric's spirit can travel an unlimited distance from his physical body as long as they remain on the same plane of existence. If intelligent, the possessed undead continually tries to purge the caster with mental threats that can be heard only by the cleric. The thoughts of the undead are ghastly. During the first minute of each hour of possession, the caster must succeed a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half the undead's hit dice + undead's charisma modifier) in order to retain his sanity. If the roll is successful, nothing happens and the caster may continue to possess the undead. If the saving throw fails, the cleric's intellect degenerates, making him a raving, homicidal maniac. His spirit is immediately forced to return to his body, and he must attempt a Fortitude saving throw with damage occurring as outlined above. The caster remains dangerously insane until a heal or wish spell is used to restore his intellect. This spell can be very useful when combined with the mask of death spell. When the spell's duration expires, the cleric's spirit immediately returns to his body. Heart Blight With this spell, an evil necromancer priest may exert his or her dark will on the still-beating heart of any living victim, provided the target remains in clear view (line of sight) and within the spell's range. After casting the spell, the priest must focus his or her entire concentration on the victim's heart for three rounds, during which time the caster may not cast other spells or engage in melee. He is considered to be continually casting a spell during this time, and as such may provoke an attack of opportunity from foes in mêlée. He is requried to make concentration checks if injured or attacked in accordance with the normal rules. During the first round of the spell, the victim must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the victim makes this first saving throw, the spell fails to take hold of his or her heart and has no further effect. If the victim fails the save, however, then he or she suffers a massive spasm of pain in the chest (similar to that felt in a heart attack), inflicting 1d8 points of damage on the victim and completely incapacitating the individual for one excruciating round. During the second round, the victim is entitled to another Fortitude saving throw. As before, if the victim makes the save, the spell ends with no further effect. If failed, however, the victim's chest pain intensifies, as if a searing band of iron were being slowly tightened around the heart. The character experiences severe dizziness, disorientation, and terrible shooting pains in the arms, jaw, and left shoulder. Meanwhile, the victim loses 25% of any remaining hit points, is paralyzed with pain for 1d4+1 rounds, and immediately loses 1d4+1 points of Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. Providing the victim survives the final stage of the spell (see below), these lost points are regained at a rate of 1 point in each these three ability scores per day. On the third round of the spell, the target must make a third Fortitude saving throw or suffer a massive heart attack, resulting in immediate death (onset time is 1 round, during which time, the victim is completely incapacitated). This deadly spell may be thwarted in a number of ways. Successfully casting dispel magic on either the victim or the priest will disrupt the heart blight, as will casting a simple protection from evil spell on the victim or wearing a scarab of protection (this drains a charge, however). Furthermore, the victim may be entitled to repeat a saving throw if treated by another character with the healing non-weapon proficiency. Finally, the spell is immediately broken if the victim is transported out of range or removed from the priest's line of sight. Hovering Skull This spell creates a glowing human skull with sharp fangs. The skull hovers about a foot above the caster's shoulder; as the caster moves, the skull hovers along with him. If the caster stops moving and concentrates, he can mentally command the hovering skull to move in any direction within a 30- foot radius. The caster can see through the skull's eyes as if they were his own; for instance, the hovering skull could be ordered to investigate a dark cave or peek over a high wall. Additionally, the caster can order the hovering skull to attack victims with its razor-sharp teeth. If the caster's concentration is interrupted while controlling the skull, the skull immediately drops to the ground (but it takes no damage). A caster may make a standard concentration check to avoid this happening. The caster can resume concentration and continue to command the skull for as long as the object is still in one piece. The hovering skull is AC 15 and has one hit point per level of the caster, but otherwise uses the caster's own statistics. It inflicts 1d6 hit points of damage with its bite. Attacks directed at the skull do not harm the caster, nor does damage directed at the caster affect the skull. The material component for this spell is the tooth from a human skull, around which the magical skull forms. Know Age This spell enables the caster to instantly know the age of any single person, creature, or object on which he concentrates. The age is accurate to the nearest season. The material component is a calendar page. Know Time Know time is particularly useful when the caster has been unconscious. This spell enables the caster to know the precise time of day to the nearest minute, including the current hour, day, month, and year. The information is given in the calendar with which the cleric is most familiar. Locate Remains This spell attunes the caster to the physical remains of dead beings in the area of effect. Locate remains will thus easily detect the presence of unburied corpses or corporeal undead (such as skeletons, zombies, or ghasts), but has no effect on noncorporeal undead (such as ghosts or spectres). The area of effect extends in a 10' wide path, facing the in the caster's current direction. Scanning in a direction requires one round, during which time the caster remains motionless in concentration and may attract an attack of opportunity. Conventional concentration checks can reduce this danger. Locate remains is mostly unaffected by walls or obstacles, though the area of effect is decreased (to 10 feet + 1 foot/ level) by more than three feet of solid stone, ten feet of wood or packed earth, or one inch of metal. In the most general application, the spell precisely locates any and all physical remains of individuals in the area of effect, regardless of sex, species, and undead status. This spell does not impart any knowledge regarding the identity (or undead nature) of the remains; only the current locations of corpses within the area of effect are learned. If a personal item or a small fragment of the deceased individual is available at the time of casting, the spell can be used to locate the remains of that specific individual. In that case, the spell does not register the presence of any remains except those of the desired individual. Both the general and specific versions of the spell have no effect if cast on a living creature of any kind. The material component for this spell is either a small piece of bone from a human cadaver (for the general version) or else an article of clothing, personal possession, or strand of hair (for the specific version). Mask of Death By casting this spell, a wizard can change a corpse's features to make it appear to be someone else. The caster must possess an accurate portrait of the individual to be duplicated, or must have a clear mental image of the person based on personal experience. If animate dead is cast on the body, it can be animated to become a zombie that looks exactly like the copied person. The double is a mindless automaton, however, having all the characteristics of a normal zombie. This spell may be cast on a creature that has already become a zombie. The wizard must successfully touch the zombie in combat, unless the zombie is controlled by the caster. The material component of this spell is a drop of doppleganger's blood. Rift This powerful spell magically brings the Negative Material Plane closer to the real world, creating a rift between the two centred on the cleric. The spell requires sixty days of preparation, during which time the cleric must study undisturbed for at least four hours per day, reading scrolls and books about the planes and meditating. Upon casting, all undead creatures within the area of effect have their hit points increased by a factor of ten as negative energy seaps in the area. For example, a zombie with 10 hit points would have his hit point total increased to 100 under the effect of this spell. The additional 90 points are phantom hit points. In combat, the phantom points are taken off first, then the actual hit points until the undead creature is slain. In addition to this augmentation, the area of effect has all the qualities of an unhallow spell, except that all effects cease after three days. The casting of Rift saturates an area with negative energy. Living creatures (except the caster) who enter the area of effect must make a fortitude saving throw each hour or receive one negative level. Spells such as negative plane protection remove this threat. Also, it is worth noting that the borders between the negative and prime planes are paper thin at the site of the rift. It is possible that something may step through. The area of the rift moves with the caster, possibly placing some undead out of the sphere or encompassing others as it moves. Phantom points are gained immediately upon entering the sphere, and then only once per creature per casting. The caster has no control over which undead receive the benefits of the rift; all undead in the sphere are so effected. The material component for this spell is an obsidian goblet contained the ground bones of a dead necromancer. Some Watchers consider the augmentation of the undead to be an unhappy side-effect of a very useful spell for studying the negative plane and making use of negative energy. All curches of Mortis use this spell, though for quite different reasons. Undead Plague By means of this potent spell, the priest summons many ranks of skeletons to do his bidding. The skeletons are formed from any and all humanoid bones within the area of effect. The number of skeletons depends on the terrain in the area of effect; a battlesite or graveyard will yield 10 skeletons per 100 square yards; a long-inhabited area will yield three skeletons per 100 square yards; and wilderness will yield one skeleton per 100 square yards. The spell's maximum area of effect is 10,000 square yards. Thus, no more than 1,000 skeletons can be summoned by this spell. Skeletons summoned by this spell have +1 HD for the purpose of resisting being turned. They remain in existence until destroyed or willed out of existence by the priest who created them. Undead Spell Focus For the duration of this spell, the recipient undead becomes a magical focus for the caster, who can now funnel any chosen "companion" spell through the undead. Any companion spell is emitted from the undead, but all casting activity (including component use) is performed by the priest. Distance does not matter, so long as priest and undead remain on the same plane. However, unless other spells (such as corpse link or scrying) are employed to see the undead's current surroundings (or it is in a known location), companion spells will be hurled blindly. A priest can cast multiple spells, one per round, through the undead, until it is destroyed or a maximum of one spell per level of the priest has been cast or the spell expires (it lasts up to 10 minutes per level). With this spell, a hidden priest can avoid direct combat, employing an undead as a spell-casting fighting-focus. Undead Ward This spell prevents most types of undead creatures from entering the area of effect (a cube whose sides equal the caster's level times 5 feet – a 15th-level caster could affect a cube whose sides equal 75 feet). When an undead creature attempts to enter the protected area, the creature is affected by the ward as if it were being turned by a priest two levels lower than the caster. The casting priest need not have the ability to turn undead himself. Thus, an undead ward created by a 10th-level priest would turn creatures as if by an 8th-level priest. The results of the turning attempt are calculated normally. If a large number of undead assault the warded area, not all of them are turned by the spell, since the normal limitations apply. Undead who are unaffected by the turning attempt ignore the undead ward for its duration. Undead within the area of effect when the spell is cast are not affected. However, when such undead leave the area of effect, they are subject to the effects of the spell if they attempt to reenter. The material component is the priest's holy symbol, which must be carried around the perimeter of the area to be warded. Zombie Double This spell creates a zombie duplicate of the caster. The zombie double has the same memories, consciousness, intelligence, wisdom, charisma, skills and alignment as the caster; essentially, the caster now exists in two bodies simultaneously. The zombie's physical stats are the same as the caster, but modified as follows: strength (+2), dexterity (–2). In all other respects, the zombie double is the same as a normal zombie (see Monster Manual p191). The zombie double cannot cast spells, but it can use any weapons that the caster can use. The zombie double can be turned as an undead with as many hit dice as the caster has cleric levels. If it strays more than 30 yards from the caster, the zombie double becomes inactive and collapses to the ground; it becomes active again the instant the caster moves within 30 yards. Damage to the zombie does not affect the caster of the spell. The material components for this spell are a bit of wax from a black candle, a lock of hair from the caster and a corpse to turn into the zombie double.
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