An ancient and rarely seen tradition, Invocation magic encompasses the art of calling forth the essence of a powerful being and temporarily binding it to the caster’s physical form.
As a result of these bindings, the casters usually assume the physical qualities of the beings they call upon, often becoming strange and monstrous in appearance, and sometimes also in mind.
The daemons bound by Invocation spells are not akin to the demons of the Void; they are echoes of significant people, gods, and monsters, all of whom have left an impression on the world. Typically, the more significant the impression, the more powerful the spell needed to capture the daemon’s essence.
Invocation Talisman: To cast an Invocation spell, you must have a talisman associated with it. When you learn an Invocation spell, you also acquire one copy of the necessary talisman and the knowledge of how to create the device yourself. If you lose your talisman, you can make a new one. A talisman for a rank 0 spell costs 5 ss in special materials, and talismans for spells of a higher rank cost 1 gc per rank of the spell.
Growing Madness: Each time you learn an Invocation spell, you gain 1 Insanity. You cannot remove Insanity gained in this way. If your Insanity total from learning spells ever equals your Will score, you become permanently defenseless.
One Invocation at a Time: If you cast an Invocation spell while you’re under the effect of another Invocation spell, the older effect ends immediately.
Investiture of the Brute
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Brute.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Brute, causing you to appear strange and misshapen. Until the spell ends, you have a +4 bonus to Health.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Messenger
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Messenger
Duration 10 minutes
Your legs weirdly lengthen, causing you to grow twice as tall as normal. For the duration, you have a +4 bonus to Speed.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Stalwart
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Stalwart.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Stalwart, causing knobby growths to appear all over your body. Until the spell ends, you have a +1 bonus to Defense.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Watcher
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Watcher
Duration 10 minutes
Your eyes and ears grow to great size, granting you 2 boons on all Perception rolls you make for the duration.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Betrayer
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Betrayer.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Betrayer, causing shadows to gather about your body. Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You gain the shadowsight trait, which lets you see in areas obscured by shadows as if those areas are lit.
- Magical shadows spread from a point in your space out to a 5-yard radius. The shadows partially obscure their area.
- When the result of your attack roll is a failure, you can turn the failure into a success. When you do so, you or a member of your group that you choose takes 1d6 + 1 damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Dwarf Lord
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Dwarf Lord
Duration 10 minutes
A beard made of stone grows out from your chin as your body thickens and grows stockier
- You make Strength attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon.
- You take a –2 penalty to Speed.
- When you get a success on an attack roll with a weapon, you can force the target of your attack to make a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, you move the target 1d3 yards away from you.
- When a creature within short range of you makes an attack, you can use a triggered action to grant the triggering creature 1 boon on its attack roll.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Fire Prince
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Fire Prince.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Fire Prince, causing the flesh on your face to disappear and a crown of fire to burn above your head. When you cast the spell, fire rushes out in a 2-yard radius centered on a point in your space. The fire deals 1d6 damage to everything in the area other than you. A creature in the area that gets a success on an Agility challenge roll takes half the damage.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You take half damage from fire.- Magical shadows spread from a point in your space out to a 5-yard radius. The shadows partially obscure their area.
- You can use an action to hurl a fiery bolt at one creature or object within short range. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Agility. On a success, the bolt hits and deals 1d6 + 2 damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Goblin King
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Goblin King
Duration 10 minutes
You become striking, gorgeous, with rouge on your cheeks and glitter on your skin. Sparkles dance in the air around you, and when you smile, your teeth flash. The daemon of the Goblin King rewards your binding by causing two compelled tiny monsters (Shadow, page 247) that appear as tiny goblins to appear in open spaces within short range of you. The monsters remain until the spell ends or they are destroyed.- You make Strength attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon.
In addition, the Goblin King grants the following benefits for the duration:
- You make attack rolls to deceive in social situations and steal with 3 boons.
- You make challenge rolls to hide, open locks, or sneak with 3 boons.
- You can use an action to assume the form of an owl (as a tiny animal, Shadow page 217, with the flier trait) as if you had cast the animal shape Transformation spell (Shadow, page 146).
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Radiant Champion
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Radiant Champion, causing light to dapple your body and your weapons to shine. When you bind the daemon, bright light erupts from a point in your space out into a 5-yard radius. Each sighted creature in the area must get a success on an Agility challenge roll, or become impaired for 1 round.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You cause shadows and darkness within 5 yards of you to become lit areas.
- When you make an attack with a weapon, the weapon’s light intensifies, causing the attack to deal 1d3 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Storm Queen
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Storm Queen
Duration 10 minutes
You skin turns blue and your pupils and irises disappear, leaving your eyes the color of snow. A crackling bolt of lightning leaps from your body to a creature or object you choose within short range. Make an Intellect attack roll with 1 boon against the creature’s or object’s Agility. On a success, the target takes 2d6 damage.
In addition, the Storm Queen grants the following benefits for the duration:
- You ignore the effects of moving across difficult terrain.
- If you fall, you take half the damage from landing.
- You can use an action to throw lightning at one creature or object within short range. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Agility. On a success, the bolt hits and deals 1d6 + 3 damage. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target takes 1d6 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d3 Insanity.
Investiture of the Deceiver
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Deceiver, causing you to become weirdly tall and impossibly thin, and to move like a spider.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You make attack rolls in social situations with 3 boons. In addition, when the total of the attack roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by 5 or more, the target is also charmed for 1 minute.
- At the end of the round, you can move each creature you choose within 2 yards of you up to 2 yards in any direction by luring them with your whispery words.
- You can use an action to make an Intellect attack roll against the Will of one creature within short range that can see you. On a success, the target becomes frightened for 1 minute.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6 Insanity.
Investiture of the Grand Druid
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Grand Druid
Duration 10 minutes
Your form twists and writhes until you resemble a hybrid of a horned stag made from twisted vines. You remain in that form for the duration.
The Grand Druid grants the following benefits:
- You have a +2 bonus to Defense.
- You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to cause vines and grasses to erupt from the ground within 5 yards of you. The new growth counts as difficult terrain and remains until the spell ends.
- You ignore the effects of moving across difficult terrain.
- You can use an action to cause plant life to grow up and ensnare one creature on the ground and within short range. Make an Intellect attack roll against the creature’s Agility. On a success, the target takes 1d6 damage and becomes immobilized. The target or a creature that can reach the target can use an action to cut away the growth and remove the immobilized affliction from itself. Alternatively, the target can use an action to make a Strength challenge roll and removes the affliction from itself on a success. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target takes 1d6 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6 Insanity.
Investiture of the Laughing Scoundrel
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Laughing Scoundrel
Duration 1 hour
Your face twists up into an unnerving grin, and the daemon forces you to howl with laughter for the duration.
The Laughing Scoundrel grants the following benefits:
- At the end of each round, each creature you choose within short range of you that can hear your laughter must make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane. On a failure, a creature gains 1 Insanity; on a success, it becomes immune to this effect until it completes a rest.
- You cannot gain Insanity, and you are immune to the compelled and frightened afflictions.
- You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to pause your laughter and tell a horrible joke to one creature within short range that can see and hear you. Make an Intellect attack roll against the creature’s Will. On a success, the target gains 1 Insanity and deals 1d6 damage to itself. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target also becomes impaired for 1 round. You then resume laughing.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Robin Prince
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Robin Prince
Duration 10 minutes
The daemon of the Robin Prince merges with your body, causing you to appear elfin with avian features. When you cast the spell, you can teleport to an open space you can see within short range and make an attack with a weapon. You can use Intellect in place of the attribute you normally use to make the attack. On a success, the attack deals 1d6 extra damage.
For the duration, the Robin Prince grants the following benefits:
- You gain the shadowsight trait, which lets you see in areas obscured by shadows as if those areas are lit.
- You gain a +4 bonus to Speed.
- You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to teleport to an open space you can see within medium range. Once you use this benefit, you must wait 1 round before you can use it again.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6 Insanity.
Investiture of the Warlord
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 1 minute
You bind the daemon known as the Warlord, causing blood to drip from your pores and stain your body.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- Each creature within 2 yards of you deals 1d6 extra damage on weapon attacks.
- You can use a triggered action on your turn to choose one creature that can see and hear you within short range. The target creature can use a triggered action to make an attack with a weapon. That attack deals 1d6 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6 Insanity.
Investiture of Desire in Flesh
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 10 minutes
You bind the daemon known as the Desire in Flesh, causing other creatures to perceive you as a vision of beauty. When you cast the spell, each creature within short range that can see you must get a success on a Will challenge roll or become charmed until the spell ends or until that creature takes any damage.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You make attack rolls in social situations with 3 boons. In addition, if the total of your roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by 5 or more, the target also becomes charmed until the spell ends or the target takes any damage.
- When a creature would attack you with a weapon, you can use a triggered action to make an Intellect attack roll against the triggering creature’s Will. On a success, the triggering creature becomes charmed for 1 round.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Moon Maiden
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 10 minutes
You bind the daemon of the Moon Maiden, causing motes of starlight to swirl around you.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- If a creature uses a spell to attack you or another creature within short range of you, you can impose 1 bane on the attack roll or grant 1 boon on the challenge roll to resist the spell.
- When you cast an attack spell, you make the attack roll with 1 boon and creatures make challenge rolls to resist the spell with 1 bane.
- When a creature attacks you with a weapon and gets a failure on the attack roll, you can use a triggered action to teleport to an open space you can see within short range.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+1 Insanity
Investiture of the One-Eyed God
Requirement You must have a talisman of the One-Eyed God
Duration 1 hour
One of your eyes turns into a black raven that wriggles out from your face and flies around your head, where it is joined by a flock of screeching ravens. The empty socket becomes a black crater filled with starlight, and a long beard tumbles down from your chin. When you cast the spell, the ravens beat, peck, and claw at all creatures within a 5-yard radius centered on a point in your space. Each creature in the area must make an Agility challenge roll. A creature takes 3d6 damage on a failure, or half the damage on a success. The ravens then dissipate.
The One-Eyed God grants the following benefits for the duration:
- You gain darksight, which lets you see into areas obscured by shadows or darkness within medium range as if those areas were lit, and see into areas obscured by darkness beyond this range as if they were obscured by shadows.
- You impose 1 bane on attack rolls made against you.
- Against injured targets, you make attack rolls with 2 boons and your weapon attacks deal 1d6 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+1 Insanity.
Investiture of the Horned One
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 10 minutes
You bind the daemon of the Horned One, causing you to grow larger, horns to extend out from the sides of your head, and fur to cover your legs. In addition, your feet become hooves. When you bind the daemon, if there is a creature within medium range, you immediately move until you can reach it and make an Intellect attack roll with 3 boons against its Defense. On a success, the target takes 5d6 damage, moves 1d6 yards in a straight line away from you, and then falls prone.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- Your Size increases by 1, rounding up to the nearest whole number.
- You gain a +10 bonus to Health.
- You can use an action to sweep your horns against one creature you can reach. Make an Intellect attack roll with 2 boons against the target’s Defense. On a success, the horns strike the target and deal 2d6 damage. Then, you move the target up to 3 yards in a direction you choose.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+2 Insanity.
Investiture of the Summer Queen
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Summer Queen
Duration 1 hour
You assume the form of a striking young woman, with fiery red hair and smoldering eyes. Until the spell ends, cherry blossoms swirl and fall around you. When you cast the spell, each creature you choose that can see you must get a success on a Will challenge roll with 1 bane or become dazed for 1 minute. If a creature dazed in this way takes damage, it can repeat the challenge roll, removing the affliction on a success.
The Summer Queen grants the following benefits:
- You are immune to damage from disease. You cannot be charmed, diseased, frightened, or compelled.
- You make attack rolls in social situations with 3 boons. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target is also charmed until the spell ends.
- You can use an action to hurl fire at one creature or object within medium range. Make an Intellect attack roll with 1 boon against the creature’s or object’s Agility. On a success, the flame hits and deals 2d6 + 2 damage. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target also catches fire. A creature that catches fire takes 1d6 damage from the flames at the end of each round until the fire is extinguished.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+2 Insanity.
Investiture of the Winter King
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Winter King
Duration 1 hour
The Winter King merges its essence with yours, causing your skin to turn bright blue, your hair white, and a freezing wind to swirl around you until the spell ends. When you cast the spell, you can direct a blast of cold into a 5-yard-long cone originating from a point you can reach. Everything in the area takes 3d6 damage. A creature in the area can make a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane. The creature also becomes slowed for 1 minute on a failure, or just takes half the damage on a success.
The Winter King grants the following benefits:
- You are immune to damage from cold.
- Swirling snow partially obscures your space.
- You ignore the effects of moving across difficult terrain caused by ice or snow.
- You can use an action to hurl a razor sharp ice crystal at one creature or object within medium range. Make an Intellect attack roll against the creature’s or object’s Agility. On a success, the shard hits and deals 3d6 damage. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target takes 1d6 extra damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 1d6+2 Insanity.
Investiture of the Death Angel
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Death Angel
Duration 1 hour
The Death Angel causes your flesh to rot away until only bones remain. Your eyes become as burning emeralds, and a scythe appears in your hand. Each creature within short range of you that can see this transformation must get a success on a Will challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
The Death Angel grants the following benefits:
- You are immune to damage from cold, disease, and poison.
- You are immune to the asleep, diseased, fatigued, and poisoned afflictions.
- At the end of each round, each living creature within 3 yards of you that you choose must get a success on a Strength challenge roll or take 1d6 + 2 damage from your lethal presence.
- You can use an action to use your scythe to attack one living creature you can reach. Make an Intellect attack roll against the creature’s Agility. On a success, the target takes 3d6 + 2 damage. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the target takes 2d6 extra damage. If the target is incapacitated by this damage, it dies and you heal 2d6 damage.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 2d6 Insanity.
Investiture of the Diviner
Requirement You must have a talisman of the Diviner
Duration 1 hour
When you cast this spell, your eyes turn black and your body begins to float a few inches off the ground, though you remain able to move normally.
The Diviner grants the following benefits for the duration:
- You can’t be knocked prone, and you take no damage from landing after a fall.
- You impose 3 banes on the attack roll of any creature attacking you, and you make challenge rolls to resist attacks with 3 boons.
- Whenever a creature within medium range makes an attack roll or a challenge roll, you can use a triggered action to grant the creature 2 boons on the roll.
- You can use an action to issue a dire prophecy to one creature you can see within medium range. Make an Intellect attack roll against the creature’s Will. On a success, you impose 3 banes on the target’s attack rolls and challenge rolls for 1 round. If the total of your attack roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by at least 5, the effect lasts for 1 minute instead of 1 round.
- At the end of each round, the GM moves you 1 yard in a randomly determined direction parallel to the ground. This movement triggers free attacks.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 2d6 Insanity.
Investiture of the World Mother
Requirement You must have a talisman of the same name.
Duration 10 minutes
You bind the daemon of the World Mother, causing you to assume the appearance of a naked, heavyset woman with a dozen breasts. When you cast the spell, a wave of healing energy rushes out from you. Each living creature within 5 yards of you gains a +10 bonus to Health that lasts until the spell ends. Furthermore, while a creature has this bonus, it cannot be fatigued.
Until the spell ends, you have the following benefits:
- You have a +10 bonus to Health.
- You can use an action on your turn to remove one of the following afflictions from one creature you can see within short range: blinded, charmed, compelled, dazed, deafened, diseased, fatigued, frightened, impaired, poisoned, or stunned.
- At the end of each round, you can choose up to three injured creatures within short range. Each target heals damage equal to its healing rate.
Aftereffect You must get a success on an Intellect challenge roll or gain 2d6 Insanity.