Spells of the Secret Craft of Water Elementalism
Grasping the Elusive Fluid
Level: 1
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: 0
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: The caster's hands
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
This spell allows the caster to grasp a volume of water, as if it were a semi-solid object. As long as the caster is in touch with the volume of water, it assumes the shape of a sphere and does not slip through the caster's hands. The caster may reshape the water into another simple shape, such as a pole, a disc, or a thin sheet, but must maintain concentration on the shape for the succeeding rounds. Otherwise, the water resumes the shape of a sphere.
At the end of the spell, or once the caster releases his grasp on the water, the water loses its solidity. The caster may opt to throw the sphere of water, as a missile weapon, but the damage is minimal (1 point per cubic feet of water) from the physical impact.
The maximum volume of water the caster can grasp would depend on the Strength of the caster.
Wallace's Unwetness
Level: 1
School: Enchantment, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour/level
Area of Effect: A volume of 10 cubic feet/level
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4
Saving Throw: None
Wallace's unwetness is a simple spell crafted by the Water Elementalist, Sir Wallace McGregor, who wanted a way to study underwater, without having his materials and clothing getting wet. The spell simply enchants all objects chosen by the caster, up to a volume of 10 cubic feet per level of the caster, such that they do not get wet when submerged underwater, and come out instantly dry in the air. Thus, a wizard is able to read his books and even write on paper underwater, without tearing the pages or blotting the ink. This spell can effectively protect metal objects from rusting due to exposure to water.
The spell is quite weak and can be disrupted by any form of attack, magical or mundane. This spell does not provide protection from water-based magic, or attacks with other liquids (i.e. acid, poison).
The material component of this spell is a drop of oil and a pinch of sand.
Gerrid's Secret Solvent
Level: 2
School: Enchantment, Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: a volume of liquid, 10 cubic feet/level
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Gerrid's secret solvent must be cast on a fixed volume of an expensive, non-magical liquid (such as oil, wine, ale, beer), costing at least 500 gp a cubic foot, transforming it into a magical solvent that can dissolve up to twice its volume in solid matter. The material object remains completely dissolved and undetectable in the liquid, until it is restored by removing the enchantment. Magical objects cannot be dissolved in the enchanted liquid.
The liquid can then be transported normally, even poured from one container to another. However, it should not be imbibed or consumed (such as using oil for fuel). Doing so will dissolve the object permanently.
There is no telltale sign that the solvent is magical, save that the liquid resists any other spell or enchantment. The spell can be broken using dispel magic and similar spells, or by boiling away the liquid. Should the spell be dispelled while the liquid is in no state to reform the dissolved matter (such as in a closed, tight container), the object is utterly and permanently lost.
This spell was actually crafted by an unscrupulous Water Elementalist, who was involved in smuggling contraband goods between Darokin and Glantri, and who named it after a more famous colleague, Lord Gerrid Rientha, known for his Darokinian ties and mercantile dealings. Lord Gerrid tried to quell the spread of this spell, without exposing the Secret Craft, but the spell and his name remains popular to this day. In Darokin, this spell is simply known as smuggler's solvent.
Harald's Counterflowing Currents
Level: 2
School: Enchantment/Charm, Elemental Water
Range: 60 yards
Duration 3 rounds + 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 1 creature or vessel
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
Harald's counterflowing currents is one of the earliest Water Elementalist spells crafted by Prince Harald Haaskinz, the present High Master of Water Elementalism. He was inspired by the gondoliers of Glantri City, who would sometimes row against strong headwaters, just to get the passengers of their gondolas to their destination in the City of Canals.
The spell can enchant one swimming creature or one water-going vessel in the water, with a total mass of 20 cubic feet per level of the caster. The enchanted target can then go against a current (i.e. upstream), at the same speed as if it were along the same direction as the current (i.e. downstream). The target can also go across the current (i.e. from one bank to another), as if moving in still waters. A target that is not moving on its own (i.e. a creature that is just treading or a boat that is not being rowed) will be affected normally by the currents.
The material component of this spell is a fin of a salmon.
Harald's Instant Jelly
Level: 2
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: 10 feet
Duration: 3 turns + 1 turn/level
Area of Effect: 10 cubic-foot volume of water
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 6
Saving Throw: None
Prince Harald of Haaskinz, Grand Master of the Great School of Magic, made this spell as a means of cleaning and patrolling the dungeons under the Great School. It is also fairly useful in combat.
To activate this spell, all the caster needs is a sufficient volume of water, and a powder of dried agar that is thrown in to the water. The result is a gelatinous cube under the control of the caster. The only commands that can be given to the gelatinous cube are directional movements (i.e. left, right, forward). At the end of the spell, any objects caught in the cube that is not magical will vanish with it. Magical items are left behind and fall to the ground.
Wallace's Watery Eyes
Level: 2
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: 3 rounds/level
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: None
Master Wallace McGregor, a famed instructor at the Great School of Magic and cousin to Prince Brannart McGregor, developed this spell, so that he may have clear vision while submerged in water, to read and write during his underwater studies. Thus, a person enchanted with Wallace's watery eyes can see as clearly in the water as if he were seeing in the air, for the duration of the spell.
Later, some other Water Elementalists discovered a flaw in the spell, which Master Wallace proposed to be used for offensive purposes. While Wallace's watery eyes is in effect, the target is unable to see clearly through air, as his vision becomes as blurred as it is when normally seeing through water. The creature suffers –2 on all attack rolls.
The material component of this spell is a pair of fish eyes.
Watersplash
Level: 2
School: Evocation, Enchantment/Charm, Elemental Water
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 1+1d4 rounds
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a splash of water to forcefully and accurately hit the face of the target creature within range. The watersplash does not cause damage, but will distract the target from taking any action in that round.
On each subsequent round, the target may regain his bearings if he rolls a successful save vs. spells, ending the spell. Otherwise, he spends the round rubbing his eyes, blowing his nose, coughing and hacking, as if he were choking or drowning. During this period, Dexterity bonuses to AC are negated.
The spell affects water-breathing creatures only on the first round, as they are only distracted by the impact of the watersplash. This spell does not work underwater, nor does it work on water-based creatures (water elementals, undines, water weirds, etc.). Fire-based creatures take an extra 1d4 damage on the first round and 1 point for every succeeding round.
Harald's Ice Field
Level: 3
School: Evocation, Elemental Water
Range: 50 feet + 10 feet/level
Duration: 1d12+1 turns/level
Area of Effect: An area of 500 square feet
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
Prince Harald Haaskinz, High Master of Water Elementalism, crafted this spell that creates a sheet of smooth ice on an area. Every creature that is not protected from extreme cold will suffer from 1 point of damage per round while on the surface (2 points for fire-based creatures). If a two legged creature tries to advance on the surface it must make a Dexterity check every 10 feet or fall down (There is no additional damage but must spend one round getting up). The ice melts at the end of the duration, unless the temperature is below freezing. Any small plants and animals caught in the field will die, unless naturally resistant to extreme cold.
Quentin's Quiet Innocuous Iceberg
Level: 3
School: Conjuration/Summoning, Elemental Water
Range: 60 yards
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Area of Effect: 1 water-borne object
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4
Saving Throw: None
Sir Quentin McGregor, a Water Elementalist and a schizophrenic, crafted this insidious spell, to wreck havoc on the canals and waterways during his infrequent visits to Glantri City.
Quentin's quiet innocuous iceberg conjures a small piece of ice, floating harmlessly in the water, which the caster can leave floating in the water or the caster can direct towards a target (usually a gondola or boat). The small piece of ice does not melt, has a movement rate of 12, and can travel through even small and shallow bodies of water, such as canals and tunnels.
This piece of ice is actually part of a magical iceberg, which remains immaterial and in the Para-Elemental Plane of Ice. The rest of the iceberg only materializes upon impact with the target, causing 1d6 points of hull damage or hit point damage per level of the caster (maximum of 20d6 points). The iceberg is immensely large for the small piece of ice, and can be as large as 10 cubic feet per level of the caster. If the piece of ice has not hit anything by the end of the spell duration, the iceberg simply emerges in its place, pushing away objects in the water but not causing any damage.
The material component of this spell is a chip of wood from a boat that was sunk by an iceberg, to serve as the core for the piece of ice.
Retain the Protective Girth
Level: 3
School: Alteration, Abjuration, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn/level
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 3
Saving Throw: None
This is one of the oldest spells of the Secret Craft of Water Elementalism, and has its origins from the ancient traditions of the elemental priests of Ylaruam. The target of this spell will retain water in his body, effectively doubling his mass and girth. Any Dexterity bonus for Armor Class is negated, and movement rate for all forms of movement, save swimming, is halved.
These physical deformities are not without merits. In this new water-retaining form, the target gains a +1 bonus against all earth-based and air-based attacks, or a saving throw when one is not usually granted. Furthermore, the target gains a +2 bonus against fire-based attacks, and damage from such attacks is always reduced by half.
The material component of this spell is a lump of fat from a camel or related animal.
Sculpting the Formless Liquid
Level: 3
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: 1d4 rounds + 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 10 cubic feet of water
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
This spell has more artistic and decorative functions more than anything else, but it does show the mastery of the Secret Craft of Water Elementalists over their chosen element. Like grasping the elusive fluid, this spell allows the caster to mold a volume of water into a desired shape. Unlike that spell, the enchantment is placed on the water itself, and thus does not require the caster to be in constant contact with the water, nor in continued concentration of the form. Complex shapes can be made with the water if the caster has the appropriate proficiencies (i.e. sculpting, artistic ability, etc.), and a permanency spell can make the water sculpture last indefinitely.
This water sculpture in itself is not static, but a continuously flowing pattern of ripples and cascades, while maintaining the essential shape of the sculpture. It has no other magical property, and thus, like all structures, can be destroyed if attacked or exposed to harmful elements (i.e. fire, heat, or direct physical damage).
There are two famous water sculptures created by artistic Water Elementalists with the help of this spell. One was once in the Great Hall of the Great School of Magic (destroyed in AC 967 in a fiery magical duel), while the other still stands in the main plaza in the Archduchy of Westheath.
The material component of this spell is a slice of crystal ooze.
See Through the Water
Level: 3
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4
Saving Throw: None
Troubled by the flaw in the spell Wallace's watery eyes, Lord Gerrid Rientha, close friend of Prince Harald Haaskinz, decided to come up with an improved version of the spell. Applying his own expertise in light and lighting effects, Lord Gerrid came up with see through the water.
This spell allows a creature to see through water, as clearly as he does through air, while maintaining clear vision through air. The creature can see from the air through the water, and vice versa, without light bending and the images being warped. Moreover, the creature can see through a rain, mists, fog, and turbulent water surfaces (such as in a whirlpool or through waves), without any blurring or distortion.
The sight granted by see through the water cannot penetrate murky or muddy waters, just like ordinary sight cannot penetrate thick clouds or smoke. It can be used in conjunction with infravision or ultravision to see through dark unlit waters.
The material component of this spell is a pearl and a crystal marble.
Transmute Water Into Wine (Reversible)
Level: 3
School: Alteration, Elemental Water
Range: 10 yards
Duration: 1 turn/level
Area of Effect: A volume of liquid, 10 cubic feet/level
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None
This spell simply transmutes an amount of water into an equal amount of wine, and its reverse, transmute wine into water, has the exact opposite action.
There is however one tricky drawback. Once the liquid is consumed or put to use, the liquid instantly reverts back to its original form. Thus, a wine drinker can drink large amounts of water transmuted into wine without getting drunk, while a man who tries to extinguish a fire with wine transmuted into water will find the fire fueled by the alcohol in the wine.
If the transmuted liquid is not consumed or used at the end of the duration of the spell, it turns into very sour vinegar.
The material component of both versions of the spell is a drop of vinegar.
This spell is quite old and its author is unknown. Its deceptive name and nature suggests a Glantrian origin. It is commonly used by the Secret Craft of Water Elementalism, whose members are fond of consuming large quantities of water or wine, and with this spell, can do so without getting intoxicated.
Quentin's Crazy Upward Rain
Level: 4
School: Evocation, Elemental Water
Range: 10 yards/level
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 40-foot radius
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4
Saving Throw: Special
Known for his ingenious and often madcap spells, Sir Quentin McGregor crafted this Elemental Water spell which creates a torrent of driving rain that 'falls' upward from the ground. The violent rain blinds all creatures, slows their movement by 50%, and reduces initiative and attack rolls by 2. Because of its disconcerting direction, the rain makes speaking difficult and spellcasting impossible. Furthermore, a creature caught in the rain must make a saving throw vs. spells every round, or be unable to breath and therefore take action in that round and the next. This handicap can be offset, if the creature can breathe in water, normally or with a water breathing spell, or if the creature takes precaution to prevent this drowning effect.
The spell naturally extinguishes torches and small fires as well.
The material components for this spell are a few drops of saliva from a madman.
References: The Spells of House Crownguard
Author: Kit Navarro and Ohad Shaham