Saving the world on a Sunday afternoon
By Arch Wizard Archibald Percival Maximillian, Tower of Water
Even the most lightly experienced of patrolees will likely have encountered mental effects during his or her patrolling experience. Such effects range from rare to commonplace during patrolling and forewarned and forearmed against such effects a patrol stands a much greater chance of survival as a result.
The bulk of mental effects come from the schools of magic, particularly the School of Water. These are discussed within.
Command
Effect: The target is compelled to perform a single word’s action
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: Varies depending upon the command issued. Target may act out of character in performing an action against their will.
Duration: 10 Seconds or until completed
Comments:
Command is one of the staple mind effecting powers of the School of Water and frequently encountered. Due to its short duration it is generally not worth removing the effect and instead more useful to assault the source with strong minded individuals. Can be innately used by Vampires
Suggestion
Effect: The target is compelled to perform a single sentence’s action, up to ten words in total.
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: Varies depending upon the suggestion issued. Target may act out of character in performing an action against their will.
Duration: 10 Seconds or until completed
Comments:
Suggestion is less frequently encountered than command, and typically weaker but has great versatility and unpredictability as a result. Due to its short duration it is generally not worth removing the effect and instead more useful to assault the source with strong minded individuals. Can be innately used by Vampires
Charm
Effect: The target views the caster as a close friend and ally
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: There will be no physical signs of anything wrong; however the target may act in ways which are out of character or unusual for them. They may view enemies as friend.
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
Naturally seen in use by Sirens and some nastier forms of mermaid, Charm is the weakest and most subtle of the mind effecting powers of the School of Water. However it can be the most devastating if allowed to spread among a patrol. Most dangerously seen in Vampires, who can draw upon the powers innately.
Counteracted by physical damage or offensive action from the caster only.
Coma
Effect: The target is rendered unconscious
Range: Touch
Physical Description: The target will collapse unconscious
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
Coma can be a dangerous effect to encounter if used intelligently, as it can temporarily remove patrolees entirely from a fight and thin battle-lines but it is generally easy to see coming and counter. A much weaker but potentially more dangerous Mass version exists which can be used at a range.
Counteracted by physical damage, which will also counter Sleep
Not to be confused with the Air Spell Sleep or unconsciousness from physical injury.
General Note: Use of the School of Darkness is an almost certain indication of Drow involvement in the area. Be on guard.
Fear
Effect: The target is struck by a deep and irrational fear of the caster, and will flee on sight.
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: The target will flee the caster immediately until out of sight and may try and rationalise their actions.
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
The most common mental effect seen on patrols, Fear can have a devastating effect on a battle or skirmish, clearing holes in battle lines and allowing skirmishers to break through to less protected members behind. It is however one of the most counter-able effects.
Defended against by Paladinic Auras and Virtue, Humacti training (For all varieties except Dark) and Courage
Counteracted by Remove Fear and Defender Discipline
Blindness
Effect: The target is struck blind
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: No physical signs, though the target will most likely complain of blindness
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
A rarely seen effect, Blindness is most commonly used by Shadowmasters, who can apply it to great effect against battle lines to render warriors helpless.
Not to be confused with various other physical or natural methods which can cause blindness.
Fear
Effect: As Dark Fear
Range: As Dark Fear
Physical Description: As Dark Fear
Duration: As Dark Fear
Comments: As Dark Fear
Freeze With Fear
Effect: This miracle instils the subject with a sense of fear so great they are unable to move.
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: The target is frozen to the spot
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
Very similar to Fear in its effects other than the target will be frozen to the spot in a method similar to the Water spell Freeze. Breaking the freezing effect will leave the target affected as normal by Fear, causing them to flee.
Countermeasures as with Dark Fear.
Not to be confused with Freeze or Halt
Possession
Effect: The target is possessed by an external being, who assumes control of their body
Range: Touch
Physical Description: No consistent signs, typically greatly altered and out of character behaviour.
Duration: 15 Minutes, or until target or caster’s death, whichever comes first.
Comments:
This is not a spell as such, but more a necromantic power exhibited by certain types of undead, typically variants of ghosts. It can be extremely dangerous if successfully delivered as it turns a patrolee against his fellows and is extremely difficult to remove by conventional methods as the being in control can simply refuse the beneficial effects of Clear Mind. Recommended approaches to dealing with a possessed patrol member are to use non-lethal damage empowered with Bless. This should damage the possessing spirit without permanently harming the patrolee.
Defended against by Bless
Removed by killing the possessing spirit, or host.
Whilst less varied than the variety of magical effects, the Miraculous Paths can present challenges from mental effects as well, which are discussed below.
All of the below miracles can be resisted by the Life Miracle Death Resistance.
Fear
Effect: As Dark Fear
Range: As Dark Fear
Physical Description: As Dark Fear
Duration: As Dark Fear
Comments: As Dark Fear
Freeze With Fear
Effect: As Necromantic Freeze with Fear
Range: As Necromantic Freeze with Fear
Physical Description: As Necromantic Freeze with Fear
Duration: As Necromantic Freeze with Fear
Comments: As Necromantic Freeze with Fear
Demoralise
Effect: Robs the target of their will to live, reducing their strength of mind, ability to dodge attacks and weapon skill.
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: No consistent physical signs of anything wrong, target may appear depressed or sluggish.
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
Directly mitigated by the Life Miracle Will to Live, which reduces the miracle’s effectiveness
Demoralise is a common effect seen used by Undead, particularly Death Knights, and some Death and Might Priests, typically in combination with either Fear or Halt. It is particularly dangerous to scouts in reducing their effectiveness.
Halt
Effect: The target is halted on the spot in whatever position they are in at the time.
Range: 20 Feet
Physical Description: Target appears frozen, unable to move.
Duration: 10 Seconds
Comments:
Halt is a short lasting miracle which holds a target in place. It has the unusual merit of affecting all targets regardless of their intelligence or locality to the plane. Extremely dangerous when combined with the skill to slit throats.
Counteracted by Physical Damage
Defended against by the Freedom Miracle Freedom and the Chaos Miracle Order Resistance
Not to be confused with the Water Spell Freeze, or Death Miracle Freeze with Fear
Detect Lie
Effect: The caster is informed if the target’s next statement is a lie.
Range: Touch
Physical Description: None
Duration: 1 Statement
Comments:
An uncommon effect, rarely encountered by a patrol, Detect Lie can easily be countered by keeping quiet and not allowing strangers to touch you before asking questions.
Aura of Truth
Effect: All targets within the Aura are compelled to only speak the truth
Range: 10 Foot Aura around caster
Physical Description: None
Duration: 15 Minutes
Comments:
An even less common effect than Detect Lie, Aura of Truth is rarely seen outside of official trials and can be easily countered by remaining quiet or changing the subject to innocuous truths.
No guide on mental effects would be complete without a discussion on the general countermeasures available to prevent or remove such effects. Specific countermeasures are discussed in the relevant effect’s section.
A strong mind is the first line of defence against mental effects, but must be done before a patrol as an effort of training. Meditation exercises, lucid dreaming practise and mind puzzles are all good ways of increasing mental strength and control over one’s own mind.
Clear Mind will remove any offensive mental effects currently in place on a target, regardless of their source, but grants no resistance against further effects. Touch and Range versions exist. Widely available and learnt.
Enhance Will offers the most comprehensive defence against mental effects available after a strong mind to begin with, bolstering and adding to the target’s existing defences against mental control and manipulation and is highly recommended for those who can specialise in such. However the more powerful versions are particularly powerful spells and generally restricted. Mass Versions exist at the highest levels of power.
If you can cast this, you don’t need any more defence against mental effects. Stop trying.
Spell Immunity will grant full immunity to a spell or spells chosen by the caster and this includes mental effects. Of limited utility against Vampires or skilled Hydromancers due to the variety of effects they can call upon to circumvent the immunities. Widely available and learnt at the lower levels.
Courage strengthens the mind against the Fear family of effects regardless of their source. It is similar in effect to Enhance Will but more powerful for an equal degree of casting effort. It is more widely available than the Enhance Will family and more widely learnt as a result. Mass Versions exist throughout the higher levels of casting.
Remove Fear removes all Fear family effects from the target regardless of their source. It does not grant any protection against further effects. Touch and Range versions exist. Widely available and learnt.
Discern Spiritual Influence is not a countermeasure against mind effects but rather a useful diagnostic tool for cases where the patrolee may be unsure or uncertain if a person is acting under their own free will. Requiring time to interact and preferably converse with the subject, it will indicate any influences under which the person is acting, revealing subtle Charm, Possession and other more exotic influences which are beyond the scope of this guide.
Mental effects when used intelligently can pose a great disruptive effect to any patrol, however a great many of the more common effects can be resisted and countered with a degree of thought and foreknowledge. With the careful work of Mages or Priests of Life aligned principles within a patrol should aid you in weathering out such effects and coming home safe and successful.