Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Does assassination count as combat?

Yes.
Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 27, 2018 at 12:22 PM, finished with 953 posts and 33 votes.

  • [X] Plan Grassroots Improvement; Updated
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] Wurtbad, inevitably, has criminals. And you're a follower of Ranald. Maybe you could reach an understanding - they'd have access to a huge amount of information, though it would mean tacit approval of their activities.
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Keep them in a lead-lined steel box, fastened to the floor, inside the treasury.
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    --[X] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] No Place Like Home: Move in furniture, set up a chimney, put in the effort to make sure that your new home actually feels like a home and not like sleeping in an underground mud cave.
    --[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Embezzlement to 35 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Is Not Enough
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
    --[X] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    --[X] Try to find a reliable lieutenant or two to delegate some spymastering to. Perhaps you'll locate someone with potential while building networks, or Ser Markus can recommend someone competent and loyal to Stirland. They'll have to be investigated before trusting them, of course…
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Secure them until you can get around to examining them yourself.
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Embezzlement to 35 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Improvement
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] Wurtbad, inevitably, has criminals. And you're a follower of Ranald. Maybe you could reach an understanding - they'd have access to a huge amount of information, though it would mean tacit approval of their activities.
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Send them to the Amethyst Order for examination (does not take an action).
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    --[X] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] No Place Like Home: Move in furniture, set up a chimney, put in the effort to make sure that your new home actually feels like a home and not like sleeping in an underground mud cave.
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Student loans to 50 gold per turn.
    --[X] Embezzlement to 50 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan They are really out to get us
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
    --[X] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] You haven't asked Anton about your predecessor - see if he knows anything useful.
    --[X] The thing you stabbed in the face is still in the cells, and now several others that were found are keeping it company. Examine them, learn from them, see if you can identify them.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Send them to the Amethyst Order for examination (does not take an action).
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    -[X]Research:
    --[X] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but maybe it's just biding it's time. Finally admit it's existence to your contacts back in the College and see if they know anything that can help. // Add Ranalds Blessing here
    [x] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    -[x] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    -[x] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    [x] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    -[x] The thing you stabbed in the face is still in the cells, and now several others that were found are keeping it company. Examine them, learn from them, see if you can identify them.
    -[x] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    -[x] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    --[x] Examine them yourself and see if they're useful, or dangerous, or both.
    [x]Research:
    -[x] This is Stirland. Time to bone up on your knowledge of the Undead.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Is Not Enough
    -[X] ...and ensure some of the new castle staff hires do report to you.

Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 27, 2018 at 12:23 PM, finished with 216 posts and 33 votes.

  • [X] Plan Grassroots Improvement; Updated
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] Wurtbad, inevitably, has criminals. And you're a follower of Ranald. Maybe you could reach an understanding - they'd have access to a huge amount of information, though it would mean tacit approval of their activities.
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Keep them in a lead-lined steel box, fastened to the floor, inside the treasury.
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    --[X] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] No Place Like Home: Move in furniture, set up a chimney, put in the effort to make sure that your new home actually feels like a home and not like sleeping in an underground mud cave.
    --[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Embezzlement to 35 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Is Not Enough
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
    --[X] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    --[X] Try to find a reliable lieutenant or two to delegate some spymastering to. Perhaps you'll locate someone with potential while building networks, or Ser Markus can recommend someone competent and loyal to Stirland. They'll have to be investigated before trusting them, of course…
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Secure them until you can get around to examining them yourself.
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Embezzlement to 35 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Improvement
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] Wurtbad, inevitably, has criminals. And you're a follower of Ranald. Maybe you could reach an understanding - they'd have access to a huge amount of information, though it would mean tacit approval of their activities.
    ---[X] Ranald's Blessing
    --[X] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Send them to the Amethyst Order for examination (does not take an action).
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    --[X] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
    -[X] Home Comforts: Your Palace-Shrine is bursting with potential. And also mud.
    --[X] No Place Like Home: Move in furniture, set up a chimney, put in the effort to make sure that your new home actually feels like a home and not like sleeping in an underground mud cave.
    -[X] Change tithe payment/loan payment/embezzlement (specify)
    --[X] Student loans to 50 gold per turn.
    --[X] Embezzlement to 50 gold per turn.
    [X] Plan They are really out to get us
    -[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    --[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
    --[X] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    -[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    --[X] You haven't asked Anton about your predecessor - see if he knows anything useful.
    --[X] The thing you stabbed in the face is still in the cells, and now several others that were found are keeping it company. Examine them, learn from them, see if you can identify them.
    --[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    ---[X] Send them to the Amethyst Order for examination (does not take an action).
    -[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
    --[X] Pretty Good Swords: You've struck up a friendship with the Champion of the Greatswords and have discovered a talent for wielding them. Continue to cultivate this.
    -[X]Research:
    --[X] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but maybe it's just biding it's time. Finally admit it's existence to your contacts back in the College and see if they know anything that can help. // Add Ranalds Blessing here
    [x] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
    -[x] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of.
    -[x] You're from peasant stock yourself, so it shouldn't be too hard to make friends and contacts among the peasantry in the villages surrounding Wurtbad; Julbach, Biderhof and Tarshof.
    [x] Backtracking and Side Operations:
    -[x] The thing you stabbed in the face is still in the cells, and now several others that were found are keeping it company. Examine them, learn from them, see if you can identify them.
    -[x] Van Hal is interrogating the Von Stolpes. Sitting in may be helpful to him, and educational to you.
    -[x] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
    --[x] Examine them yourself and see if they're useful, or dangerous, or both.
    [x]Research:
    -[x] This is Stirland. Time to bone up on your knowledge of the Undead.
    [X] Plan Grassroots Is Not Enough
    -[X] ...and ensure some of the new castle staff hires do report to you.
 
Does assassination count as combat?

Cause I have a feeling that Pit of Shades would be good for assassinating boss characters, and the shadow thing could probably be used to assassinate a bunch of mooks, and then we just leave.

Pit of Shades ain't an assassination spell. It is a "Fuck this guy and everyone in his army" spell. Pretty much the biggest AOE Shadow Magic can throw around if i remember correctly.
 
Pit of Shades ain't an assassination spell. It is a "Fuck this guy and everyone in his army" spell. Pretty much the biggest AOE Shadow Magic can throw around if i remember correctly.
Anything that instant kills an asshole is an assassination spell, and I don't see a single other spell that guarantees death like throwing someone into hell" does. Everything else just deals wounds but is survivable, if this works the enemy is just gone, therefore it is the best for assasination.

If we are going to be sleuthing around Sylvania assassinating big bads and then running away I don't want to have to deal with the jerk shrugging off our assassination attempt, cause Vampires are tough as shit. The fact that it works on everyone around the target just makes it even better, less witnesses to chase us down.
 
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Anything that instant kills an asshole is an assassination spell, and I don't see a single other spell that guarantees death like throwing someone into hell" does. Everything else just deals wounds but is survivable, if this works the enemy is just gone, therefore it is the best for assasination.

If we are going to be sleuthing around Sylvania assassinating big bads and then running away I don't want to have to deal with the jerk shrugging off our assassination attempt, cause Vampires are tough as shit. The fact that it works on everyone around the target just makes it even better, less witnesses to chase us down.

An assassination spell is single target. If the Count wants us to assassinate the mayor of Liechtenberg at a party he is going to be rightfully pissed if we annihilate his entire mansion in the process.

It can only be used that way if collateral damage ain't an issue. Is a Hellfire missile an assassination weapon because the CIA uses them to kill single terrorists (and their entire family too)?

Shadow Magic just doesn't do assassination very well. You want the Lore of Death for that, the Amethyst order practically specialises in long ranged single target damage.
 
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An assassination spell is single target. If the Count wants us to assassinate the mayor of Liechtenberg at a party he is going to be rightfully pissed if we annihilate his entire mansion.

It can only be used that way if collateral damage ain't an issue. Is a Hellfire missile an assassination weapon because the CIA uses them to kill single terrorists and their entire family too?

Shadow Magic just doesn't do assassination very well. You want the Lore of Death for that, the Amethyst order practically specialises in assassination.
Humans are easy to assassinate, we could do that right now with nothing but mindhole and a knife. Not the safest method, I'd prefer at least one more stealth spell and maybe a sleep spell, but still, not outside of our capabilities in the slightest.

I'm talking more, you know, assassinating vampires and stuff. The dudes you can't kill with just a knife cause they'd laugh at a wound that small and then eat you, the dudes that you actively want collateral damage on because their surroundings are also pretty nasty and deserve to die as well.
 
Put of shades is not an assassination spell, it's an army killer. Under specific circumstances you can waste its potential to kill one person, sure, but that's a huge miscast and/or collateral risk.
 
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What if you are trying to assassinate an entire army at once? "they never saw me coming until I stabbed the entire legion in the back"
Well, it's great against an army of dwarves I suppose. Pit of Shade isn't a "on successful cast, kill everything in an area" spell, it's "everything in an area makes an initiative test or dies." Vampires have good initiative btw.
 
QM confirmed my question before. we can use our sword in battle to cast a shadow from the sun... so, this can be quite awesome if properly integrated into our swordsmanship.
We could make a minor enchanted pendant or brooch or something that softly glows on command, as to cast a shadow while indoors to anyone in front of us as we interpose our sword over them.
Meh... and do they even work on undead?
They should, afaik. And these are battle spells, remember. These are spells you can cast on enemy armies.

Not only that, but these are "Your Chaos Warriors are now rabble-tier human militia"-levels of debuff.

And Mind Razzor on a large unit with a good commander is just about as murderous as anything can get. Chaos-tainted chimera? Giant? Big fucking dragon? Laugh away as you rabble hits with S10, aka, as strong as strong gets, attacks.
Powerful... but I just don't see it as us. I would much rather we upgrade our shadowsteed into a dragon, while having a mastered shadow plate armor and shadow vorpal greatsword... and constantly short range teleport.
Entering melee against a giant spiky blender is not advised.
Well, it's great against an army of dwarves I suppose. Pit of Shade isn't a "on successful cast, kill everything in an area" spell, it's "everything in an area makes an initiative test or dies." Vampires have good initiative btw.
Then we hit them with a cheap Myasma to lower the Initiative?

It also removes any big strong unit, as those usually have shit Initiative.

And Necrons I suppose. But at least that's one evil we don't have to fight.
 
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For comparison, getting hit with the Pendulum is comparable to a direct hit with a cannon, and Mind Razor cast even on a unit of regular spearmen makes every man hit harder than a dragon.
 
Put of shades is not an assassination spell, it's an army killer. Under specific circumstances you can waste its potential to kill one person, sure, but that's a huge miscast and/or collateral risk.
I want to assassinate all of Castle Drakenhof, is that acceptable?

For comparison, getting hit with the Pendulum is comparable to a direct hit with a cannon, and Mind Razor cast even on a unit of regular spearmen makes every man hit harder than a dragon.
Nice.
 
Well, it's great against an army of dwarves I suppose. Pit of Shade isn't a "on successful cast, kill everything in an area" spell, it's "everything in an area makes an initiative test or dies." Vampires have good initiative btw.

On the other hand, most lesser undead have pretty shitty initiative. Zombies in particular.
 
With a seven-point lead and no new votes in hours, I'm calling voting slightly early and getting start on writing. Plan Grassroots Improvement; Updated is the winner.
 
Entering melee against a giant spiky blender is not advised.
With the spell combo I listed, WE are the giant spiky blender
For comparison, getting hit with the Pendulum is comparable to a direct hit with a cannon, and Mind Razor cast even on a unit of regular spearmen makes every man hit harder than a dragon.
How accurate is it? and how long does it take to cast? because empire armies have cannons...
 
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Pinpoint accurate. You pick a direction and everything in a straight line either gets out of the way or gets obliterated.

Casting takes no longer than most other spells - five to ten seconds.

Battle Wizards are terrifying.
 
Right. So we've got two actions network-building like our Count told us to (using Ranald's Blessing), one action supportive of our intrigue (attending interrogation), one training sword, one training magic, one improving the Palace-Shrine.

And the action training magic doesn't specify what magic to train, but then the option offered by BoneyM doesn't say "choose one" like several other options do, so I'm going to hope Mathilde brushes up on more than one petty magic.
 
With the spell combo I listed, WE are the giant spiky blender
We really, really aren't. @Dutch can probably make it clear with mechanic-fu, but afaik, rabble vampires start at WS 5, while Vampire Lords are WS 7, are all very fast and tough. Blood Dragons go even higher. This means they are an absolute bitch to hit in melee, and also nearly auto-hit us. Oh, and heal.

And of course, necromancers. They can have GS-tier ghouls, undead ogres and all sorts of nasty monsters with sky-high strenght and toughness and wounds.

It's a much better idea to cast, say, a Pendulum, if we are that close to the enemy, than try to engage in melee.
How accurate is it? and how long does it take to cast? because empire armies have cannons
Cannons also aren't terribly accurate, misfire, take long to reload and don't fit into dungeons.
 
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Looking at possible masteries:
F / Drop: Compels someone at short range to drop something they are holding.
Not really sure how we can master this, other than possibly drop an object on their foot or changing a drop to a throw.
F / Glowing Light: Causes something to glow for as long as you hold it, up to one hour.
Simple blinding flashbang.
F / Magic Dart: Strikes someone at short range with an impact comparable to a sling stone.
Mastery probably ups the damage. Or goes for the nads.
F / Marsh Lights: Creates a light or lights at medium range which can be moved around as you desire. Lasts an hour.
This actually makes great long distance signaling, but that's not mastery so much. Might be modifiable into some kind of information display?
F / Sleep: Compels someone you touch to fall unconscious for up to half a minute.
Mastery...channeled through a weapon maybe.
K / Sounds: Creates a noise of the type and volume of your choice, projected from where you choose, though it can't convincingly mimic speech.
Flashbang audio edition.
K / Aethyric Armour: Magic wraps around you and acts as armour. Currently as effective as a chainmail coat, but in the hands of a master it can be stronger than full plate.
K / Blessed Weapon: For the next hour, the weapon this is cast upon will count as magical for the purposes of damaging creatures resistant to mundane weapons, such as ghosts.
These are odd for modifications. Higher grade enchantments are obvious though.
F / Magic Alarm: Creates a silent alarm at a place you touch, and if any creature comes within a couple of meters of that point you will be alerted that it has been triggered. Lasts until triggered, or until you cast it at a different spot.
F / Magic Lock: Enchants a lock or bolt you touch to be impossible to pick or force open.
These are utility and probably not possible to master.
Dead useful though
K / Mindhole: A target at short range will forget everything they know of you.
A Mastered version probably forgets LESS. Selective memory removal is quite valuable.
 
Mastery is not set in stone. Your Mastery of Shadowsteed takes the form of 'merging' with your horse because you went on four marathons in quick succession; if instead you were conjuring up a bunch of Shadowsteeds for others when it happened, you could have a Shadowherd mastery instead. If it happened in combat, your Shadowhorse could have developed fangs and claws.
 
We really, really aren't. @Dutch can probably make it clear with mechanic-fu, but afaik, rabble vampires start at WS 5, while Vampire Lords are WS 7, are all very fast and tough. Blood Dragons go even higher. This means they are an absolute bitch to hit in melee, and also nearly auto-hit us. Oh, and heal.

And of course, necromancers. They can have GS-tier ghouls, undead ogres and all sorts of nasty monsters with sky-high strenght and toughness and wounds.
And with the spell combo I described we will still blend them in melee.
You are comparing those tough monsters to the current us, instead of a hypothetical ulgu combat magister with some very potent spells that turn them into a melee monster.

It's a much better idea to cast, say, a Pendulum, if we are that close to the enemy, than try to engage in melee.
You seem to be over estimating pendulum while underestimating other combat spells. The combat spell that creates a drake out of pure shadows? it is just as deadly

Cannons also aren't terribly accurate, misfire, take long to reload and don't fit into dungeons.
According to the description it doesn't fit into a dungeon either, and it is much much more prone to misfiring than a cannon with much worse results.
It is more accurate and faster though.
Not really sure how we can master this, other than possibly drop an object on their foot or changing a drop to a throw.
One way this could be potentially mastered is to use it in combat to make the enemy drop their weapon.
A crit might make them stab themselves instead. (since it is a compulsion)
 
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Mastery is not set in stone. Your Mastery of Shadowsteed takes the form of 'merging' with your horse because you went on four marathons in quick succession; if instead you were conjuring up a bunch of Shadowsteeds for others when it happened, you could have a Shadowherd mastery instead. If it happened in combat, your Shadowhorse could have developed fangs and claws.
is it one mastery per spell?
 
>U / Take No Heed: Makes you very easy to ignore - it would take an act of willpower to even notice you unless you draw attention to yourself, and those few that do notice you will have difficulty remembering anything about you. Lasts a few minutes.

Mindhole seems to make this redundant
It hasn't cropped up in game yet, but Miscasting exists even with lesser magic like this. I'd much rather have the option to avoid notice from everyone for several minutes at a time to rapidly casting Mindhole on everyone we don't want to notice us.
>U / Shadowcloak: Makes you significantly harder to detect for several minutes.

It sounds like it might work on vampires. On the other hand, it might make us more noticable instead.
It makes us as noticeable as using any magic. All wizards can see all magic, from a humble Light spell all the way up to proper battle magic. If you're worried it might give you away, don't cast near hostile mages. For the vast majority of people it's a great spell.
>U / Mockery of Death: Causes someone you touch to act and appear dead for several days, or until you end it. They will still need to breathe and drink.
Can we use this

Can we use this to disguise ourselves as a vampire or some other undead?
No, just regular dead. And you have to lie still for the duration.
>U / Shroud of Invisibility: Makes you invisible for up to half a minute.

always a good one... although I am concerned an enemy mage could detect it by seeing the magic.
See Shadowcloak.
>U / Substance of Shadow: A single person or item that falls within a shadow becomes invisible, silent, and insubstantial, though they can selective choose to physically affect the world. Lasts until the item or character is illuminated.

Steal stuff! ... except its really redundant compared to just mind holing everyone as we walk out with it.
No way, Mindhole is peanuts to this baby. Get a good shaded area and you're effectively incorporeal, invisible, and can't be heard for as long as you stay in the shadows. This baby is a monster in combat and you can put it on your buddies too.
>U / Shadow Knives: You conjure and throw several knives (scaling with magical ability and mastery of the spell) at a target at short range that passes through any non-magical armour.

It really depends on how much damage they deal. I have a feeling not as much as just enhancing our sword and armor would.
Melee weapons only hit as hard as you can swing them, and it's hard to say how strong that is, whereas these hit as hard as a blunderbuss or longbow and you can fire several at a time and they ignore all non-magic armor.

Our spell to enchant weapons literally just makes it count as magic, which only matters when you're fighting ghosts. OTOH Aetheric Armor is amazing and should be kept up at all times while in combat.

>U / The Enfeebling Foe: An entire group of enemies feel their muscles begin to fail them and their weapons grow heavy in their hands. Medium range.
>U / Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma: The signature spell of the Grey Battle Wizard, this creates a numbing fog at medium range that attacks the combat abilities of the foe.
>U / The Withering: The mirror to the above spell, instills weakness and doubt into a group of foes within medium range.
>U / Okkam's Mindrazor: Summons illusory weapons for an entire group of allies within medium range that shred the very consciousness of their enemies.

Meh... and do they even work on undead?
These are amazing and you will learn to worship at the altar of their greatness. Those debuffs are nasty and effect wide swaths of enemies. They also don't care how intelligent your enemy is, or what their race is.

Melkoth's effects your choice of: Hitting/not being hit with swords, Hitting with bows, reaction time, and speed. Cast it extra strong to effect multiple stats. Also, stupidly simply to cast as far as Battle Magic goes.
Enfeebling: Make that rampaging Blood Dragon hit as hard as a bretonnian peasant.
Withering: Make that rampaging Blood Dragon have glass bones and paper skin.
Okkam's Mindrazor: Everyone you like now hits like a rampaging Blood Dragon.
>U / The Penumbral Pendulum: A ghostly and razor-sharp pendulum of immense size appears above the wizard, then falls in the direction of their choosing. Anyone that fails to get out of the way will suffer horrendous damage.
>U / Pit of Shades: Creates a vortex to a horrifying hell dimension within medium range that drags in anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.

Powerful... but I just don't see it as us. I would much rather we upgrade our shadowsteed into a dragon, while having a mastered shadow plate armor and shadow vorpal greatsword... and constantly short range teleport.
I mean sure, if you want to suck at large scale combat it's fine to avoid them. Personal combat prowess withers before these babies when you're fighting, say, a necromantic horde.

You seem to be over estimating pendulum while underestimating other combat spells. The combat spell that creates a drake out of pure shadows? it is just as deadly
It doesn't attack, it's just for show.
According to the description it doesn't fit into a dungeon either, and it is much much more prone to misfiring than a cannon with much worse results.
It's really hard to say it's more prone to misfiring, because miscast chance is variable and misfiring is static. If you throw all your power at a spell you're probably going to miscast, but if you judge how much you need correctly you're mostly fine.
 
Admirable enthusiasm everyone, but... we're a freshly-minted journeywizard who hasn't shown much inclination for diligence in her magic studies.

Those battlefield spells... you saw the 'for super-experienced and powerful battle wizards' 'miscasts are extra horrible' and 'most wizards don't even learn one'? I don't see us hellportaling necromantic legions anytime soon. That's not even our job!

For those not aware of Warhammer magic, magic use is effectively cursed by a Chaos God to misfire occasionally. Those misfires can do things from cause lights to flicker, or bleach our hair and skin pure white, to (on larger spells or very bad luck) create mutations like say a third arm sticking right out our chest, or give us insectoid eyes, etc. It sounds like battle magic miscast can do horrible things to your entire regiment, so... we have a lot of intensive git gud actions required before we go there.
 
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The combat spell that creates a drake out of pure shadows? it is just as deadly
It's also pure transportation unless, by chance, we evolve it into having attacks.
And with the spell combo I described we will still blend them in melee
Sweet Jesus no, a mid-level shadow spell does not in any way, shape or form come even close to making up for a Wizard trying to face someone that's an army-scale blender.
 
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