Also called Chicanery, Daanamancy (in the Realm), Illusion, and Water Magic, Hydromancy is the magic of water and illusion. Its simplest applications (Tear Circle) allow the magician to control small quantities of water and create immobile illusions that affect one sense. More complicated spells (River Circle) allow increased control over water and produce larger, more mobile, or multi-sensory illusions. The most advanced arts (Ocean Circle) provide vast power over the movements of water and are capable of weaving interactive and very believable illusions over a substantial area. Like Enchantment, illusion is a subtle art, and many of its spells can be cast with little more than a few waves of the hand or shuffles of the feet.
Hydromancy is often underestimated by those who do not know its secrets. It is so universally recognized as the magic wielded by entertainers and charlatans that few recognize how devastatingly it can be applied by spies and assassins. Hydromancers are largely content to maintain this illusion, whether to preserve their harmless reputation or to conceal their hidden power. The Dragon-Blooded are not entirely ignorant, and those Hydromancers who show a talent for less innocent applications of their spells often find themselves pressed into the service of the All-Seeing Eye or one of the Houses.
Caress of Currents
Cost: 4 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
Until the end of the scene, the target of this spell, who must be within (Temperance x 10) yards, can swim as quickly as she normally sprints and will not sink even in the most turbulent body of water unless carrying more than (Temperance x 50) pounds of equipment.
Garden of Delights Glamour
Cost: 4 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that is nothing more than a scent in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any scent - spices, food, blood, even the most pungent odors (horseradish, pepper, etc...). This illusion is seldom sufficient to provide more than a brief distraction (tearing eyes, at worst), but creatures with sensitive noses might be temporarily rendered incapable of tracking by scent by strong scent illusions. Depending on the nature of the illusion and the magician's knowledge of the subject matter, observers may receive a Perception check to notice flaws in the illusion. The scent may change at the magician's whim but cannot move beyond its original area of effect. This illusion lasts until the end of the scene.
Invisible Orchard's Fruits
Cost: 4 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that is nothing more than a taste in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any taste or combination of tastes the magician desires and can even conceal flavors (such as the taste of poison). Depending on the nature of the illusion and the magician's knowledge of the subject matter, observers may receive a Perception check to notice flaws in the illusion. Note that most tastes are distorted in the absence of scent. The taste may change at the magician's whim but cannot move beyond its original area of effect. This illusion lasts until the end of the scene.
Blade of Velvet Deception
Cost: 6 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Garden of Delights Glamour, Invisible Orchard's Fruits
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that is purely tactile in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any sensation or combination of sensations the magician desires, including measures of both pain and pleasure, if he wishes it. If used to inflict pain, victims must roll a Stamina + Awareness check against a difficulty equal to the magician's Valor or suffer a dice penalty equal to the magician's Valor (less if the magician wishes it) to all actions until they leave the area of effect, the illusion ends, or the magician no longer wishes to inflict pain. The illusion has no physical force, so it cannot trap, block, or injure its victims. Depending on the nature of the illusion and the magician's knowledge of the subject matter, observers may receive a Perception + Ability check to notice flaws in the illusion. The sensations change at the magician's whim but cannot move beyond the original area of effect. This illusion lasts until the end of the scene.
Clear Threat Illusion
Cost: 5 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that has a purely visual manifestation in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any image or combination of images - floating objects, an empty room, terrible beasts, etc... This illusion is a useful tool for misdirections and concealment of all kinds. Only those within the area of effect can see the illusion. Those outside of it see nothing. Depending on the nature of the illusion and the magician's knowledge of the subject matter, observers may receive a Perception check to notice flaws in the illusion. It will be much easier to convince explorers that a doorway is a wall than to convince a village that a large, fire-breathing reptile has just appeared in the middle of the town square. If the magician is within the area of the illusion's effect, he can no more see through the illusion than a victim. So, for example, if the magician enters the "empty room" where the enemy stands guard, the magician can no more see the enemy than she can see him. The images change at the magician's whim but cannot move beyond the original area of effect. This illusion lasts until the end of the scene.
Growl of the Hunting Omen Dog
Cost: 5 motes
Prerequisite Spells: None
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that has a purely aural manifestation in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any sound or combination of sounds - music, silence, laughter, etc... Depending on the nature of the illusion and the magician's knowledge of the subject matter, listeners may receive a Perception check to notice flaws in the illusion. It will be much easier to convince a small crowd that a bard is singing out of tune than to reproduce a symphony flawlessly. Especially loud noises can temporarily deafen a target who fails a Stamina + Resistance check at a difficulty equal to the magician's Valor, though this deafness only lasts until the end of the scene. The sounds change at the magician's whim but cannot move beyond the original area of effect, so even someone standing just outside the area will not hear the illusion of the screeching raitons. This illusion lasts until the end of the scene.
Crashing Wave
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Caress of Currents
A wave of water rises up and strikes a maximum number of targets equal to the magician's Valor within (Valor x 10) yards, using the magician's Wits + Archery or Thrown pool (whichever she prefers). This attack can be dodged or parried as normal. If successful, the victim is knocked back a number of yards equal to the magician's Valor + extra successes. An opponent who strikes a solid object takes dice of damage equal to the number of yards she would have continued moving if the object had not been in the way. This is normally bashing damage, but might be lethal if the object is a wall of spikes, for example. This spell may also be used to extinguish fires, knock over or wash away objects weighing up to (Valor x 100) pounds, or provide drinking water.
Localized Phantasm
Cost: 12 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Blade of Velvet Deception, Clear Threat Illusion, Growl of the Hunting Omen Dog
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. The magician may create an illusion that engages as many of the senses as she wishes in an area up to 10 feet wide within 100 feet. This can be any illusion or combination of illusions (as the illusions of Tear Circle Hydromancy). It is otherwise identical to the five basic illusions described above.
Nightmarish Hallucination
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Clear Threat Illusion
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. This spell is identical to Clear Threat Illusion except its effects follow the target for the duration of its effects. Unwilling targets of this spell may prevent it from centering on them on a successful Wits + Dodge roll against a difficulty equal to the magician's Temperance.
The Footsteps that Follow
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Growl of the Hunting Dog
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. This spell is identical to Growl of the Hunting Omen Dog except its effects follow the target for the duration of its effects. Unwilling targets of this spell may prevent it from centering on them on a successful Wits + Dodge roll against a difficulty equal to the magician's Temperance.
Starvation's Taunt
Cost: 8 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Garden of Delights Glamour, Invisible Orchard's Fruits
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. This spell is identical to a combination of Garden of Delights Glamour and Invisible Orchard's Fruits except its effects follow the target for the duration of its effects. Unwilling targets of this spell may prevent it from centering on them on a successful Wits + Dodge roll against a difficulty equal to the magician's Temperance.
Inescapable Flagellation
Cost: 12 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Blade of Velvet Deception, Starvation's Taunt
This spell is easily concealed in a few movements of the hands. This spell is identical to Blade of Velvet Deception except its effects follow the target for the duration of its effects. Unwilling targets of this spell may prevent it from centering on them on a successful Wits + Dodge roll against a difficulty equal to the magician's Temperance.
Mass Vision
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Clear Threat Illusion
This spell is identical to Clear Threat Illusion except it affects an area (Temperance x 10) yards across and up to (Temperance x 100) yards away.
Grandiose Orchestra
Cost: 10 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Growl of the Hunting Omen Dog
This spell is identical to Growl of the Hunting Omen Dog except it affects an area (Temperance x 10) yards across and up to (Temperance x 100) yards away.
Transparent Banquet
Cost: 8 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Garden of Delights Glamour, Invisible Orchard's Fruits
This spell is identical to a combination of Garden of Delights Glamour and Invisible Orchard's Fruits except it affects an area (Temperance x 10) yards across and up to (Temperance x 100) yards away.
Bordello of Silken Skin
Cost: 12 motes
Inescapable Vortex
Cost: 17 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Crashing Wave
This spell may only be used against targets in a (Valor x 10) yard radius within (Valor x 100) yards who are swimming, treading water, or standing in water at least waist deep and the creature's height in diameter. The victims must roll a Dexterity + Athletics check at a difficulty equal to the magician's Valor or be submerged and held there for a number of minutes equal to the magician's Valor. Attacks against victims automatically fail, and rescue attempts not enhanced with Charms, Heroics, or magic are futile. If a victim's Heroism or Essence is higher than the magician's, escape is possible on a Strength + Athletics check at a difficulty equal to the magician's Valor, and she may make one such escape attempt each minute. Charms, Heroics, and spells that allow improved movement in water work normally in the vortex.
Song of the Siren Friend
Cost: 20+ motes
Prerequisite Spells: Inescapable Vortex
This ritual requires four hours to complete, and casting it outside of a dedicated ritual space with some connection to the Element of Water is impossible for a mortal magician. The magician calls up an Elemental of Water with a maximum Essence equal to the magician's Heroism. If the magician chooses to bargain with the spirit in some way, such as by offering it sacrifices or prayers, she must make a Charisma + Performance at a difficulty equal to (6 - Resources value of the sacrifice) to properly honor it. This difficulty is increased by 1 if the magician is not a priest devoted to that Elemental. If this roll succeeds, the Elemental will accept the offering and might even enter into an agreement with the magician if the number of additional successes on the roll is equal to or greater than the Elemental's Essence. This does not provide the magician with direct control over the Elemental, but is more akin to a temporary alliance. If treated well, the Elemental will accompany the wizard for as long as one lunar month, though it will still behave according to its nature.
If he chooses to spend 5 additional motes, a magician may also attempt to bind the Elemental to its will using the same system as for the Terrestrial Circle Spell Summon Elemental, but a mortals low Essence score makes such a contest of wills a dangerous prospect. Moreover, Elementals and the Celestial Hierarchy at large frown upon any such enslavement by mortal magicians. The Celestial Hierarchy is likely to be less lenient toward mortals than they are with Exalted Sorcerers, and Elementals enslaved by a mortal are more likely to seek vengeance once their term of service has ended.
Unavoidable Phantasm
Cost: 20 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Localized Phantasm
This spell is identical to Localized Phantasm except its effects follow the target for the duration of it effects. Unwilling targets of this spell may prevent it from centering on them on a successful Wits + Dodge roll against a difficulty equal to the magician's Temperance.
Haunt the House
Cost: 20 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Localized Phantasm
This spell is identical to Localized Phantasm except it affects an area (Temperance x 10) yards across and up to (Temperance x 100) yards away.
Army-Routing Deception
Cost: 17 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Nightmarish Hallucination, Mass Vision
This spell melds together all the aspects of Nightmarish Hallucination and Mass Vision into a single, mobile, massive visual illusion. It is not possible to dodge this illusion.
Plague of Banshees
Cost: 17 motes
Prerequisite Spells: The Footsteps that Follow, Grandiose Orchestra
This spell melds together all the aspects of The Footsteps that Follow and Grandiose Orchestra into a single, mobile, massive aural illusion. It is not possible to dodge this illusion.
Lingering Taste of Defeat
Cost: 14 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Starvation's Taunt, Transparent Banquet
This spell melds together all the aspects of Starvation's Taunt and Transparent Banquet into a single, mobile, massive olfactory and taste illusion. It is not possible to dodge this illusion.
Mob-Punishing Torment
Cost: 20 motes
Prerequisite Spells: Inescapable Flagellation, Bordello of Silken Skin
This spell melds together all the aspects of Inescapable Flagellation and Bordello of Silken Skin into a single, mobile, massive tactile illusion. It is not possible to dodge this illusion.