Magic in 9th age

[Lord Drakon]

Greetings!

After having used the School of the Arcane of the great tactician Dalamar a lot in 8th edition, I hope to produce something similiar for the 9th age. Besides the new Lores I will also explain how the new magic works, which casters and arcane items we have to our arsenal and finally the different lores we can use.

This will initially function as introduction for players into 9th age magic, and develop later on into more sophisticated use.

NOTE : STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Magic in 9th edition

Magic Phase order
1. Start of the Magic Phase
2. Active Player rolls for Winds of Magic
3. Active and Reactive player may try to Channel
4. Reactive player may try to dispell Remains in Play spell
5. Active player may try to dispell Remains in Play spell
6. Active player may try to cast a spell
7. Active player announces end of Magic Phase
8. Resolve all abilities triggered by end of Magic Phase
9. End of the Magic Phase

Casting a Spell
1. Active player declares wizard, spell, target, version and target attribute. 1 - 5 dice can be used.
2. Active player now declares how many PD are going to be used
3. Active player now rolls the dice to cast. When failed he has Lost Focus. When two 6 are rolled the spell is cast with overwhelming power
4. Reactive player may try to dispell
5. Reactive player now rolls the dice, there is no maximum of dispell dice that can be used
6. If the spell was succesfully cast, apply spell effect and lore attribute
7. If the spell was cast with overwhelming power, roll on miscast table
8. Active player attempt another spell or ends the Magic Phase.

Lost Focus
When failing to rolling high enough for the casting or dispell value, the wizard has lost focus. Wizards who suffers from lost focus can never add any bonus such as wizard level, aided bonus, overwhelming power to next casting/dispell attempts. Any wizard that aided the failed casting or dispelling attempt suffers also from lost focus. Wizards who lost focus can never aid other wizards. A roll of 1 or 2 with a single die also results into lost focus.

Overwhelming Power
When two 6's are rolled, the caster or dispeller gains overwhelming power. Add D3 + PDU to the casting roll. PDU is the amount of power dice used in the roll. Casting rolls with overwhelming power suffer from a miscast.

Channelling
You can always channel a maximum of 1 dice. To gain another dice you need to score a total of 7 or more with one D6. For every caster you get + 1, so in case of three casters you need to roll a 4+. The Dread Elves have a special rule called Master of the Dark Arts which adds a +1 to the channel attempt if you have at least one model with this special rule (high sorceress and sorceress only).

Aided casting / dispelling
Each non-fleeing wizard can choose to aid the cast/dispell attempt by adding their wizard levels to casting/dispelling wizard to a maximum of 4. Aiding wizards can not cast spells themselves and can't aid when they casted themselves.

Wizard Conclave
The champion of a unit with wizard conclave rules has +1 wound. Therefore our Dark Art Apprentice champions always have two wounds. This champion knows predetermined spells. When the champion dies the ability to cast his spells are also lost.

Spell types
1. Augment - only friendly
2. Aura - all units within area of effect
3. Damage - only units not engaged in combat
4. Direct - only units in casters front arc
5. Focused - only single models
6. Hex - only enemy units/models
7. Ground - choose target point on battlefield
8. Line Template - all models underneath line (template) from caster to target are affected
9. Missile - only targets within caster front arc and outside combat
10. Vortex - on 1-5 multiply distance, on 6 roll D6 and scatter above caster
11. Universal - may affect both friendly and enemy units

Miscasts
D3 + PDU is used to resolve the strength of the hit and the amount of hits where PDU is the amount of dice rolled. There are no saves allowed against damage from the miscast towards the miscasting wizards. After the miscast, remove power dice equal to PDU (the amount of power dice rolled).

1. Centre Large template over caster, 1-3 remove caster from the game (2-4)
2. Centre Small template over caster (5-6)
3. Caster's unit suffer PDU hits (7)
4. All casters suffer one hit (8)
5. The caster wizard level is reduced by PDU-2 (10 - 12)

[Lord Drakon]

Magic Users

High Sorceress (165 points)
- LVL 4 (50)
- Magic Items (100)
- Cult of Lust (25)

Mount options
1. Shadow Steed, swiftride (20)
2. Raptor, natural armour, stupidity, swiftride (25)
3. Pegasus, fly (8), swiftride, stomp (1) (40)
4. Manticora, fly (8), large target, fear, killing blow, frenzy, multiple wounds (D3), swiftride, stomp (1) (100)
5. Dragon, fly (7), innate defence (3+), breath weapon (strength 4), terror, stomp (6), large target, swiftride (300)

Sorceress (65 points)
- LVL 2 (30)
- Magic Items (50)
- Cult of Lust (25)

Mount options
1. Shadow Steed (15)
2. Raptor (20)
3. Pegasus (40)

Dark Art Apprentices (190)
- Cult of Lust (10)
- Poison Darts (10)

Cult of Lust
- Wicked Lash : Each model under the template suffer strength 4 hit with AP (3) while unit within 12" gets +1 attack and +3 initiative or increases its AP with 1.
- Crippling Agony : Target suffers -1 strength and initiative and strength 5 AP (6) hit, when that hit inflicts unsaved wound the caster heals one wound.

Magic Items (Lord/Hero cost)

Essence of a Free Mind (100 / 50 points)
Wizard does not have to declare which lore it is using on list. It may choose any path before generating spells. Normal restrictions still apply.

Book of Arcane Power (70 / 50 points)
+1 to cast and to dispell

Backlash Scroll (55 points)
(One use Only) The caster has to roll on miscast table after resolving spell. No effect on bound spells and cast with 1 dice.

Sacrificial Dagger (50 / 25 points)
Inflict D3 wounds on own unit, the wearer has then +2 to cast, to a maximum of 5+

Dispell Scroll (35 points)
(One use Only) Spell is automaticly dispelled

Tome of Arcane Lore (25 points)
Bearer knows one additional spell

Focus Familiar (25 points)
Place 20x20mm base within 6" place marker to resolve spells from there

Earthing Wand (25 / 15 points)
(One use Only) Re-roll on miscast table

Sceptre of Power (20 / 15 points)
(One use Only) Re-roll single power dice during casting

Binding Scroll (20 points)
(One use Only) Casting player cannot cast the same spell next turn

Shielding Scroll (15 points)
(One use Only) All models affected by the spells gain 4+ against it

Wand of Stability (15 / 10 points)
(One use Only) Increase a single dice result with +D6 and ignore not enough power rule.

[Lord Drakon]

Lores of Magic I

Path of Black Magic (Darkness)

Lore Attribute: Soul Thirst
The new lore attribute does something nice we could otherwise only get with Life magic. When you cast a hex, direct damage or missile on a enemy unit, the target suffers another strength 5 hit which is AP (6). If the hit results into an unsaved wound, the caster heals one wound. This attirbute can inflict that extra kill, and by doing it, healing your sorceress.

Signature: Moraec's Fury
Our signature provides us with the only augment within the lore. It gives the unit +1 strength, something all our units love. Normal cast is only on the caster's unit, but the boosted version can be done on any friendly unit within 18" and add +1 to the units armour save. The difference between the normal and boosted version is only 1+ for a casting value of 8+ and 9+

S1: Freezing Gale
The first spell of the lore provides us with a cheap direct damage spell as the target instantly suffers 1D6 strength 4 hits within 24" for only 5+. The boosted version has two options and range of 36", as you can choose to let the target instantly suffers 2D6 strentgh 4 hits or 1D6 strength 4 hits and has -D3 to its BS skill for 10+. Its a cheap spell which can be upgraded against missile troops or other agile units. In every case the attribute can inflict another kill healing one wound.

S2: Bladestorm
The second spell has a range of 12" and the target suffers -D3 to its WS for only 6+. The boosted version has a range of 24" and in that case all models in the targeted unit makes WS test. If the test is failed model suffers strength 3 AP (1). Afterwards target suffers -D3 to its WS for a cost of 12+


S3: Criplling Agony
The third spell has a range of 18" and inflict the target to suffer -1 strength and initiative for only 9+. The boosted version has a range of 36" and inflict the target to suffer -2 strength and initiative instead for 15+


S4: Mark of Fear
The fourth spell is casted on 9+ and has a range of 18" which prevent the target from the use of the Inspiring Presence or Hold Your Ground special rule. The boosted version is casted at 14+ and has a range of 36".


S5: Bolt of Darkness
The fourth spell is our upgraded damage spells as the target suffers 2D6 strength 5 hits for 11+ within 18". The boosted version the target suffers 3D6 strength 5 hits within the same range for 15+


S6: Black Terror
This is our only vortex and models test must take strength test. If failed they suffer wound with multiple wounds (ordnance) and AP (6) for 14+.


Conclusion


Magic Lores to follow soon

- Path of Lust (Slaanesh)
- Path of Wilderness (Beasts)
- Path of Alchemy (Metal)
- Path of Heavens
- Path of Shadow
- Path of Death
- Path of Fire

[Lord Drakon]

Lores of Magic II

[DarkSky]

Hi Drakon,

thank you for the effort, but are you sure you understood Lore Attirbutes correctly? I was quite sure, that the Lore Attribute triggers every time you cast a spell and may choose any legal target, not necessarily the one targeted by the spell.

Moraec's Fury: For me the boosted version is the only one that counts. First, the Sorceress won't like to get into close combats. Second the boosted version also adds Armour Piercing(1), which is a steal for only +1 casting value. I can see armies relying on this spell a lot. Since it is the signature, you could have it three times in your army and force your Blood Maidens to deal their well-known and crazy amount of attacks with more strength and armour piercing and make that a terrible, terrible close combat phase for your opponent.

Freezing Gale: I concur, with Drakon's assessment here. This spell is cheap, efficient and versatile and replaces the crappy Chillwind from 8th. Against most armies, this is a spell I definitely want to have.

Bladestorm, Crippling Agony: As expected the absolutely amazing Word of Pain got its nerf and the effects have been distributed across the other spells. Bladewind is now a debuff for WS first, and a horde killer later. Sadly the potential combo of first lowering WS and then casting Bladewind isn't there anymore and the wording of the spell explicitely denies any combo in itself. Add the lower Strength hits and I see this mainly as a debuff not as a damage spell anymore. Crippliny agony is better in terms of gameplay as the absolutely random D3 debuff is gone and we got fixed values instead. Definitely weaker than Word of Pain it sill is a great hex.

Mark of Fear: No more Shroud-Bomb still effective versus Trolls and can be cast from a safe distance.

Bolt of Darkness: I like this version much more than Doombolt. The casting value has been reduced to attribute for the loss of Hekarti's Blessing. The boosted version is now actually castable without risking or relying on IF everytime.

Black Terror: Does only minor changes to the Black Horror.

Conclusion
I like the new path of black magic. We don't rely on getting Word of Pain anymore. The crappy S2 damage spells are gone and are replaced with an absolute killer missile/hex spell. The useless Power of Darkness has been replaced by a very potent, but still cheapish augment that synergizes perfectly with Dread Elves high initiative, high weapon skill units, especially the Blood Maidens. Together with Bladestorm and Crippling Agony our threat potential for close combats is not increased but more evenly split across multiple spells. Additionally a lot of the spells have gained more range, which negates some of the losses we have to endure, since our hero steeds do not have fast cavalry anymore.

On the other side we lost the blowout potential from a -3 Word of Pain or a well placed Shroud of Despair is gone. Which hurts the power level, but is generally a good thing for the game IMO.

[Calisson]

Thanks for the efforts indeed.
Remember though, this is the beta test version.
If some spells prove to be OP, they'll get toned down (and reversely, one may hope).