New Spells


This compilation also includes spells from the Sai-So-Hi-Shinin reference. Obviously, names of spells change by culture. This compilation employs the ancient Egyptian template.

Alchemy


Level One

Oil of Mending
Difficulty: 4
Cost: none
This substance, once applied to any non-magical object, repairs it to a state of newness. Frayed or torn clothing is repaired, broken swords reform, patches in roofs vanish. This only works on objects made of a substance found in antiquity. Modern alloys and synthetics (including ubiquitous plastics) are not affected.

Potion of Opened Eyes
Difficulty: 4
Cost: none
This potion, once imbibed, allows the Reborn to spot other shen with greater ease. For one scene per success rolled in the potion's creation, the mummy receives +3 dice to all Awareness rolls used to discern other supernatural creatures. A botched creation will cause the Reborn to make incorrect presumptions about others around him, and will probably make him jumpy and paranoid ("Sure are a lot of Nagah out tonight....").

Level Two

Incense of the Inner Will
Difficulty: 6
Cost: none
This essence is fashioned to impregnate the fumes of normal incense with its beneficial magic. The magician so affected will automatically succeed on his next Willpower roll.

Minor Draught of Transformation
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem
This difficult elixir enables the consumer to manifest a single bodily modification, as the alchemist intends. Only one specific modification can result from a particular Draught, and alchemists must learn the recipes of each sort of mutation separately. (When this spell is learned for the first time, assume the character learns one recipe at least.) Possible modifications, all of which mimic animal features, include cat’s eyes (see in the dark), leopard’s claws (Strength+1 lethal damage), eagle’s wings (enabling flight but replacing one’s arms), crocodile’s lungs (breathe underwater), and serpent’s fangs (Strength+1 lethal damage). Only one modification can exist in a person at any given time, and the transformation lasts for one hour (fliers beware).

Potion of Invigoration
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 2 Sekhem
Ingestion of this bitter, medicinal, and rejuvenating drink allows the character to regenerate non-lethal and lethal damage (but not aggravated) at the rate of one Health Level per hour for six hours. It has no effect on characters who have reached the Incapacitated level.

Level Three

Tincture of Deadliness
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 3 Sekhem
This magical oil may coat any sort of weapon that the mummy chooses, even modern weapons – although it must be what inflicts the harm (so, the bullets in a gun, not the gun itself). Weapons so treated inflict the regular amount of damage, but that damage is transmuted into mystically deadly form – it’s considered aggravated damage to all supernatural creature types. Each Tincture is sufficient to coat one sword, two knives, or six bullets, or the equivalent volumes thereof.

Venom of the Spider
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 1 Sekhem
This poison can be fashioned as a salve, applied to a melee weapon, or as an ingestive poison. Whosoever is affected by this poison and fails the resistance roll becomes lethargic and weaker than usual. For one full day, the victim loses two dice from all Stamina rolls, including her ability to soak damage.

Level Four

Accelerated Potion of Invigoration
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 3 Sekhem
Like the standard Potion of Invigoration, except the Accelerated version enables the restoration of one non-lethal or lethal Health Level per turn. This cannot help a character who reaches Incapacitated and it also does not mend aggravated damage. Furthermore, unlike creatures who regenerate naturally (such as werewolves), the drinker of this potion cannot make any check to regenerate during combat or other strenuous activity. The character must be resting.

Celestial Punishment
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 2 Sekhem
Whomever quaffs this potion finds his body blaze to life with mystical energy. For the duration of the rest of the scene, the character will inflict aggravated damage with all of his Martial Arts or Brawl attacks. After the scene ends, the imbiber will be spiritually exhausted and cannot cast any more spells or spend Willpower until he rests for at least half a day.

Major Draught of Transformation
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 5 Sekhem
Much like the Minor Draught of Transformation, the major version contains similar limitations, with the following differences: the drinker transforms wholy into a hybrid form of that particular animal. In many respects, the character appears to be in a “Crinos” form of that animal type. In addition to whatever natural advantages the species in question may confer (e.g., flying if a bird, swimming and breathing underwater if a fish or reptile, climbing trees or burrowing into earth for some other beasts), the character gains the following bonuses shared by all animal types: two claw attacks (Strength+1 lethal damage) and one bite attack (Strength+1 lethal damage), +2 to all Physical Attributes, -3 to Manipulation, and the character automatically fails any Appearance rolls (Appearance 0).

Level Five

Essence of Airt
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 5 Sekhem
This amazing liquid is applied like perfume or cologne. As the fumes envelop the character's general presence, she fades from view and the entire character (including his Ka and Ba spirits) are all transported through the Gauntlet. However, the Reborn is not transported into the Shadowlands. She moves to the Penumbra of the living spirit world. She has effectively "stepped sideways", as her entire being has become pure energy. In the spirit world, she may travel normally. Her Khat stays intact as one being. If slain in the Umbra, the Ba and Ka flee to the Underworld and the Khat is immediately rejected into the material world regardless of what part of the Umbra he was in, even the Deep Umbra. While in the Umbra, the Reborn is subject to all the usual events a spirit world traveler may encounter. It should be noted that the Reborn Sundead do not naturally belong in the Umbra and will stick out like sore thumbs. However, they are not limited in the amount of time they may remain in the Umbra besides standard Ba depletion, i.e., natural (or unnatural) death. To exit the Umbra normally prior this event, the Reborn must be in the Penumbra and roll his Alchemy path rating against a difficulty equal to the local Gauntlet rating. Only one success is needed. A botch indicates that the character is stuck in the Gauntlet and cannot free himself. Another spirit world traveler must pull him free - though Banes and other malicious travelers will probably seek to assault the Reborn. For more information on the Umbra, see The Velvet Shadow, The Book of Worlds, and The Book of Madness. Reborn Dead sometimes use this spell to enter the deeper parts of the spirit world in order to visit the Courts of the great Incarna, to offer homage or beg boons. Since the Reborn are not naturally inclined towards the Umbra, they understand little of it, and would easily become lost past the Penumbra without a spirit guide – which are typically high-priced individuals with questionable reliability.

Nectar of Empyreal Distillation
Difficulty: 9
Cost: up to 10 Sekhem
This miraculous tea strengthens a mummy’s spirit. For every two points of Sekhem invested in the potion’s creation, the character regains one point of Ka. A maximum of 10 points of Sekhem can ever be invested in a single distillation and only one Nectar can be consumed per year (additional quaffs taste delicious, like honeyed white tea, but provide no benefit). Obviously, this does a dead mummy no good, since only a living khat can ingest Alchemy-produced potions.

Amulets


Level One

Charm of High Fortune
Difficulty: 6
Cost: 5 Sekhem
This relatively minor amulet invokes good fortune for whosever wears it. Once per Story (once per month), the character may re-roll one botched roll. She must accept the new roll, even if it botches again.

Other ward types
In addition to the ward types listed in the rulebook, additional types include:
  • Soul (Ah) wards guard against necromancy and other magics that target the wearer’s spirits (Ka or Ba), either their current status or general measurement of health. This ward also protects against magics that attempt to directly tear a soul from its moorings.
  • Breath of Hathor (Nefu) wards protect the wearer against elemental attacks generated by magical forces. Fire, wind, water, or earth may all be warded against, though only if they derive entirely from magic. A spell that causes an already-existed natural fire to flare up and burn nearby characters is not warded against.

Level Two

Guard Against Water
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 20 Sekhem
The creation of this brooch (often in the shape of a fish) grants the wearer a few boons outside his natural element. Firstly, wearer can breathe underwater indefinitely. Secondly, the wearer will not botch any Athletics rolls made while swimming. Finally, the character may endure the chill of even very deep water indefinitely. However, this amulet does not defend against other problems in the water, like hungry crocodiles or even pressure (if in water deep enough).

Sekhem Shield
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 10 Sekhem
The prayer slip or jewel is inscribed with symbols of spiritual protection; the jewel itself must be made from jade or the ink in which the prayer slip is written upon must contain crushed jade dust. Those protected by this amulet are difficult to drain of Sekhem through mystical means (such as the breath theft by Kuei-jin, Usury, or Prime magick). Whenever a creature attempts to steal Sekhem, he must first score at least 3 successes on a straight Willpower roll (difficulty 6). Success permits the creature to drain Sekhem as normal.

Level Three

Mark of the Indomitable Spirit
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 100 Sekhem
This potent talisman adds to the wearer's inherent attributes. However, instead of affecting an Attribute per se, it instead raises the character's effective permanent Willpower rating by 2. This can even take a character's score above 10, though the amulet's bonus is not an actual, additional point. They are "ghost" points. These "ghost" Willpower points may be used in the same way normal Willpower is used, and add to the character's rating when Willpower is considered as a resistance roll (maximum of difficulty 10 in these cases; e.g., a Cainite is attempting to Mesmerize a Reborn Dead whose normal Willpower is 9 but also wears this amulet – the vampire's maximum difficulty to Dominate the Reborn would then be 10, not 11). Whenever a Willpower point is spent, the "ghost" points are tapped first. Once they are gone, the character must use his normal Willpower pool. This amulet will only work for the Awakened, though any supernatural creature in possession of it may activate it. It is activated by funneling two temporary points of Willpower from the character's "real" Willpower pool. These points are effectively stored in the amulet for future use. Once one or both Willpower points are expended, the amulet must be recharged in the same manner. The initial creation of the amulet does not require these additional Willpower points to be spent in addition to the cost in Chi described above. Only re-activation requires the extra Willpower to be funneled. The amulet's stored points are only tapped if the amulet is worn or pinned to garments.

Talisman of Heka
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 100 Sekhem+
This marvelous trinket is costly and difficult to make, wrought from the finest gold filigree. However, it can prove a godsend, for this is one of the few ways a mummy can store extra Sekhem for readily available use. The Talisman can store up to five additional points of Sekhem at any given time (these are in addition to the base 100 needed just to create the amulet). Once a point is used, the mummy may “refill” it from his own Sekhem pool at any time. Other mummies may benefit from this amulet, even if a different mummy filled it with his Sekhem. However, Sekhem – although it is a universal energy source similar to fuels like Gnosis or Quintessence – is distinctly marked by the undead magic used to create it, and so may only be used by the Reborn. The Talisman of Heka is also fragile and likely to twist and break should the mummy decide to gallivant around like Hercules and wrestle people.

Level Four

Brooch of the West Wind
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 75 Sekhem
This amulet enables the wearer to fly at will through the air like a bird. She may soar up to 50 miles per hour. The wearer will feel as if a great wind is picking her up and carrying her wherever she wills. Flight is unlimited. Being spotted flying around without an airplane or even a hang-glider is ill-advised.

Jewel of the Dragon's Eye
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 90 Sekhem
Usually created using a flawless carbuncle jewel, the Reborn creates a sort of guiding device. This stone, when its power is activated, allows any mummy standing in a Node (caern, freehold, Dragon Nest) to step onto an adjacent ley line of his choice and immediately be whisked off to the line's destination (generally, another Node, though there are a few rare nexuses that lead into the Umbra). Of course, this talisman offers no protection against any guardians that may be on either end of the ley line. Generally, gaining access to a ley line requires great pomp and diplomacy. Most are guarded, by spirits or supernatural creatures. However, it is worth the time and effort. Ley lines can carry a magician great distances almost instantaneously.

Level Five

Charm Against Spirits
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 80 Sekhem
This talisman, once created, provides the wearer a measure of security against spirits of life and death alike. All spirits by definition -- (Umbrood, Banes, Wraiths, Spectres, etc.) -- are protected from by the creation of this charm. It requires as material a pearl blessed by one of the gods (Incarna-level minimum) themselves. This requires some means of mediumship with the entity, often exacted through an elder like Horus. However, the character may attempt to do so on her own by rolling Charisma+Amulets (difficulty 10) in an extended, nightly roll. At least one success must be made per night spent making this roll, which is spent in abject, humbling meditation at a sacred shrine, with a net total of 10-15 successes (Storyteller's discretion). Failure means the character must start over but must wait one cycle of the moon before doing so. Botching brings a curse down onto the character's head. The character must roll Stamina+Meditation (difficulty 9) to keep himself composed and conscious while in the midst of this ritualistic prayer. Once the Reborn has successfully obtained the blessing of one of the gods, he may then proceed in the normal creation process. Once complete, the charm need only be worn to provide its protection, though only the creator will benefit from this amulet. All spirits attempting to affect the wearer of this amulet with their Charms/Arcanos and the like do so at +3 difficulty (maximum of difficulty 10) and suffer a -3 dice penalty to all actions taken against the wearer – this includes beneficial actions! Materialized spirits are affected in the same way. This can enrage the spirit world at whole if the wearer of the charm takes advantage of the magic in order to intimidate, subdue, and otherwise bully spirits that would normally be allies. The spirit world could care less if Banes or Spectres are penalized, however.

Jewel of Anubis
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 120 Sekhem
This underrated yet potent charm is crafted from a single flawless diamond. This amulet then becomes one of the very few (alongside the Scarab amulet) that benefits a mummy even after death, so long as the khat is wearing it. While so worn, a living mummy gains an effective ward against “death magic” (such as necromancy, as described above under additional ward types) of 6. Additionally, his Ka and Ba spirits both gain a -1 difficulty bonus to soak rolls against all forms of damage while in the Underworld. Finally, the Ba cannot be reduced to 0 while in the Underworld – that is, the wearer of the Jewel cannot ever suffer the Withering. Should the Ba sustain enough damage that it would be reduced to 0, the spirit is instead atomized (a sort of semi-Withering) for 10 days minus one per point of temporary Willpower (minimum 1 day). While the Jewel hardly rewards reckless behavior of a Ba too eager to replenish itself, neither will a Ba suffer for untold months or years due to a single stroke of misfortune in the depths of the Tempest.

Celestia


Level One

Blessing of Hapi
Difficulty: 6
Cost: 2 Sekhem
The direct opposite of Withered Old Fruit, the Blessing of Hapi is a benediction. The Reborn may cause a small farm (150 square acres max) to flourish. Annual yield increases by 150%, feeding more mouths and increasing surplus accordingly. However, unnatural efforts (even just human acts, like arson) can still damage or destroy an agricultural tract. This spell cancels out Withered Old Fruit.

Withered Old Fruit
Difficulty: 6
Cost: 2 Sekhem
This grim spell levies a curse on a people, evoking the terrors of famine. The mummy can blight up to 150 acres (the size of a small farm by modern standards), ensuring absolutely no crop yield can be harvested that year. Ripe crops wither, plowed fields turn fallow. In dry areas frequently struck by famine like Egypt and the Horn of Africa, this can invoke downright lethal consequences for countless souls. This spell can cancel out Blessing of Hapi.

Level Two

Bubble of Aloof Stride
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 1 Sekhem
The casting of this spell grants the magician a certain level of immunity to elemental forces of the weather. Once the spell is complete, for the duration of 24 hours, the character and a small sphere of a radius around the character will be unaffected, or suffer lessened effects, of raw nature. The radius extends up to only one yard away. The elements that the character will be unaffected by include examples such as the following: it rains, but the character does not get wet despite being caught out in it; the character is trying to meditate with incense and the wind threatens to extinguish the braziers, but within the Bubble the air is totally still. Elements that will not be completely repelled would include the following: it storms, but the character is only damp, not drenched; the winds pick up to over 30 miles per hour, and the braziers may be extinguished anyway if the character does not protect them further. This spell provides no protection from typhoon-strength weather, nor from spontaneous weather events, like lightning strikes or hailstones. Other people who stand inside the Bubble receive the same benefits.

Splitting Tehomot
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem
The great irony of the Bible’s Book of Exodus was that most of the miracles that Moses performed could be matched by the pharoah’s sorcerers. But those court magicians had nothing on the true masters of magic in Egypt, the Shemsu-Heru. With this spell, a mummy may cause a large body of water to part for him as it did for Moses and the Hebrew slaves – fording the Nile River, parting Lake Manzaleh, or even opening the Gulf of Suez itself. The width of the water to be parted cannot be greater than 15 miles. It lasts 15 minutes for every success rolled and provides a damp but drained berth approximately 50 feet wide. The waters are held back by pure magical force. Nowadays, such a rite may seem purely for show, but it can also be handy for exploring the bottom of a relatively large body of water, perhaps to find lost treasure, relics, or anchored corpses.

Level Three

Smile of Akhet
Difficulty: 6
Cost: 5 Sekhem
With this spell, a Reborn can seemingly alter the movement of the cosmos themselves by hastening a solar or lunar eclipse. The effect is localized and not a “true” eclipse (that is, the moon or Earth are not literally revolved faster around the sun), but for all ritualistic intents and purposes, it serves as an eclipse. This provides little concrete benefit to anyone besides causing an impressive celestial display, as well as dimming daylight illumination to the equivalent of “cloudy”. However, in relation to a variety of ritualistic needs, it enables a mummy to provide an occasion for which she or her allies normally may have to wait months or even years.

Whispers in the Wind
Difficulty: 8
Cost: none
Another divination spell, the magician performs this ritual at a sacred shrine. As the character meditates, fasts, and prays, he listens to the messages of fate brought by the wind down from the stars above. These messages are always regarding the magician's own future and are aimed at warning the character of potential or impending danger. For every success, the character is given one week's foresight. The nature of the information and its relevance is entirely up to the Storyteller, but a proper casting of this spell can prevent the magician from committing himself to a task or purpose already doomed. Of course, the future is certainly not a fixed thing...

Level Four

Iteru'rw
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 4 Sekhem
This terrifying rite unleashes the rage of the river or sea by creating a “maw of the waters” – a whirlpool or maelstrom. This large vortex of water can tug even a small yacht down to the bottom, never mind small fishing boats or unfortunate swimmers. Small crafts are generally scuttled, larger crafts (like small yachts of 40-50 feet in length) are capsized, and swimmers are quickly pulled to the bottom (a Strength+Athletics or Swimming roll, made at difficulty 8 with a total of 3 successes, is necessary to resist being drawn into the whirlpool – once in, there is no escape). In addition to soon drowning, the force of the rapid water alone inflicts one level of lethal damage per turn. Thus, even fish and other water-breathers can be killed by the whirlpool. The whirlpool, once manifested, lingers for a total of 30 minutes. It can only be created in a body of water of considerable depth – a river, a decent lake, or a sea. Small ponds, streams, and swimming pools do not suffice.

The Rage of the Heavens
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem
This powerful spell permits the caster to pull down the might of gods themselves, to smite a person who has managed to escape the Reborn's direct dealings. The mummy need only know the name of the target. So long as the target is in the material world, not the spirit worlds, the target can be affected. Furthermore, the magician doesn't even need to know where the intended target is, the magic automatically finds him! Once the ritual is complete, a bolt of lightning crashes down from the heavens, passing through any barriers (the roof of a house or car, concrete bomb shelter, etc.) as if they did not exist, smiting the foe with intense, magical energy. Each success on the casting roll inflicts two Health Levels of aggravated damage upon the victim. The victim may attempt to leap to safety, as he receives a moment's warning by the splitting of thunder (and there need not be any clouds in the sky). The victim rolls Dexterity+Dodge at difficulty 8; each success reduces the amount of damage by one. This spell may only be cast on the same person once per year, and the magician may only use this spell once per lunar cycle.

Level Five

The Forbidden Rite of Amicus Set
Difficulty: 10
Cost: 10 Sekhem
This powerful, dangerous, difficult, and costly ritual is forbidden for one reason: it causes the day to turn to night. This does not literally cause the Earth to rotate faster, but rather creates a localized condition – as local as an entire city, however. This would not be mistaken as a solar eclipse. Mortals would likely panic as time itself seems to have skipped for them. Time has not altered, however, but rather the time in which the sun should be shining instead passes as nightfall. The real reason the spell has been forbidden by Horus, of course, is how it only truly benefits the Children of Caine (and the Followers of Set). Who but a Bane Mummy would ever bother causing such a ruckus, even for her few Kindred friends?

The Might of the Sea Dragons
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 8 Sekhem
The Earth is a geologically unstable planet. While earthquakes are terrible, many earthquakes take place at sea. Rarely do the land-borne realize this without deep-sea seismological equipment. And occasionally, one of these "seaquakes" are so tremendous that the seas and oceans themselves are rocked about like a tub of water dropped from the top of a four-story building. The result: tsunami -- also called tidal waves. A towering mammoth of water rushing into land, building in size and breadth with every passing moment from where it first forms after the ripple of such an underwater earthquake. This spell allows the Reborn to summon just such an event. Like the spell, Apep Thrashes the Ground, this magic is used very sparingly. Upon completion of this spell, its effect occurs instantly (and thus cannot be reversed). At a maritime-oriented point of the character's choice (often within a few hundred miles of shore, unless the character is aiming at swamping an armada of warships at sea), the seaquake rocks the ocean floor and the tsunami begins. From there, it follows the standard process for the building of a tidal wave. Regardless of where it begins, it is always an event of catastrophic destruction and infamy, to be remembered forever. For several miles inland, shorelines extending up to one hundred miles will be utterly devastated. Port cities will suffer billions of dollars in damage. Ships caught in the tsunami's path will be overturned, even crushed, passengers and sailors drowned. Even submarines will be dangerously damaged, and not even the largest ships (nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, for example) will escape unscathed. Even with today's warning systems, the amount of lives lost will be horrendous. Truly a last-ditch tactic, this spell.

Necromancy


Level One

Seek the Road to Ma'at
Difficulty: 3
Cost: none
Similar to Stormwalk, this spell grants the Ba spirit a means of orientation. However, it only allows her the knowledge of the best way to find the specific Byway that leads to the Court of Osiris, and this spell was developed just for that need.

Tremors of Mortal Flesh
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 1 Sekhem
The mummy invokes swirling shadowy force from the Underworld itself and plagues a subject’s mind with the innate fear of Final Death. Mortals and Kindred alike are affected equally by this spell. The Reborn are immune. The target receives a Willpower roll to resist (difficulty 7). For every success that the caster gains over that resistance check, the subject is afflicted with terror for one turn. During that time, the victim may not attack. He can defend himself should he be attacked but all rolls during this time are made with -2 dice.

Level Two

Command the Dead
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 1 Sekhem
In the presence of one of the Restless Dead, the magician may issue forth a command by which the wraith (or Spectre) is obliged to obey. This command is a simple suggestion, such as "defend me against this vampire" or "guard this shrine", though once a scene's time has passed, the magical obligation is no more. Commands that go against the spirit's very nature or natural instinct of self-preservation automatically fail: commanding the wraith to "fight off this vampire" would work, but a command of "fight off this whole Sabbat pack" would probably not. Wraiths do not like to be ordered around anymore than the living and will be fully aware of the fact that they were magically controlled. Vengeance will likely be sought. The roll for this spell is the caster's Willpower rolled against a difficulty equal to the wraith's Willpower, while the wraith resists with his Willpower rolled at a difficulty of the magician's Willpower. This spell may be cast by the Reborn in any form.

Peering Through the Last Gate
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 1 Sekhem
This difficult spell provides a limited form of divination. The Reborn can read a person’s fate, discovering the individual’s likely death (or Final Death in the case of a vampire). For one success, the mummy can discern how the subject perishes. With two successes, the mummy gets a read on a rough approximation of when it happens. With three successes, the mummy can determine the culprit (whether by heart disease or Assamite or any other factor). This spell doesn’t work on the Reborn or the Restless Dead (wraiths are already dead, after all).

Smite the Unruly Spirit
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 2 Sekhem
This spell can be cast only by a living Reborn. By tracing symbols of protection in the air, the Reborn may inflict mystical damage upon a wraith in his vicinity. The difficulty of this spell depends wholly on the local Shroud rating. Each success inflicts one level of soakable, aggravated damage on the targeted wraith's temporary Corpus levels. This is typically enough to cause any wraith to behave if not flee, though some may be enraged as a result. Spectres will definitely grow enraged, while the more cunning will flee, since their existences are fleeting.

Level Three

Ameliorate Spirit
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 2 Sekhem
Not all Necromancy spells are bent upon dominating or harming restless spirits. This spell lets a mummy “heal” a ghost. It can be cast whether the mummy is dead or alive. The difficulty is the ghost’s permanent Angst score (generally, the Storyteller will keep the roll’s results secret; the Shadowguide player, if one is present for a cross-over game, may do so instead). For each success, the wraith regains one temporary point of Corpus (even if lost from aggravated damage). Though Ka and Ba spirits are wraith-like, this spell does not restore or heal a mummy.

Harrow the Dead
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 3 Sekhem
Like Smite the Unruly Spirit, this spell can be cast only by a living Reborn. By tracing symbols of affliction in the air, the Reborn may inflict mystical torments upon a wraith in his vicinity. The difficulty of this spell depends wholly on the local Shroud rating. Success inflicts one level of soakable, aggravated damage on the targeted wraith's temporary Corpus levels and drains a point of Pathos per turn, up to a number of turns equal to successes rolled. Worse, the wraith finds herself paralyzed in place if she fails to roll as many successes on a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) as the mummy made on his casting roll. As the spell’s name suggests, a ghost can be quickly sent to a Harrowing this way (a Harrowing is an anguishing vision that the ghost suffers while trapped in the Tempest and can lead to a spirit’s final dissolution). Mummies rarely employ this magic except as a form of crude torture, generally to wrest information from an otherwise uncooperative ghost. It tends to earn them enemies on that side of the Shroud.

This spell has no effect on Spectres or other Shadow-eaten spirits.

Level Four

Purify the Deceased
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 3 Sekhem
A mummy armed with this spell can restore a ghost to “factory default” conditions. Various methods in the Underworld, especially the Arcanos of Moliate, enable wraiths to mold their bodies into monsters or cover themselves with armor and weapons. Conversely, some wraiths are molded against their will into objects as a form of terrifying immortal punishment. With a touch, the mummy eliminates all changes. This does not mean a ghost snaps back to an image of exactly how he or she appeared before death, but rather the “death masque” of how they appeared as soon as they entered the Underworld (which can be quite inhuman). At the very least, it cancels all Moliations (restoring sacrificed Corpus as well!). The difficulty of the roll is equal to the target’s permanent Willpower roll and the mummy must score at least as many successes as the original Moliator rolled (assume 3 as a standard). Wraiths who were unwillingly transformed can waive their own resistance, granting the mummy a flat difficulty of 5. The Storyteller can rule that some Moliations are simply too permanent for the mummy to negate. Furthermore, being Moliated into a footstool can cause massive psychological trauma on a wraith, and many such liberated ghosts become mere Drones (if they weren’t already).

Return to Heaven
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 5 Sekhem
This spell can only be cast by the Reborn in her Ba spirit. Upon successful casting, the Ba is immediately drawn back to the Court of Osiris in the depths of the Underworld. It does not matter where she is located in the Underworld -- across the world, in a Hierarchy prison cell (though many wraith societies have access to Relics or Artifacts that prevent use of Arcanos and other magics while bound in them), wandering in the Labyrinth – the effective transportation is instantaneous and has saved many a Ba from severe pain or the Withering. The Court of Osiris, however, is the only place that the Reborn may transfer to.

Shadows and Flame
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 3 Sekhem
This dark spell allows a mummy to target, incite, and enrage a subject’s Khaibit – his or her dark side. Wraiths call it the Shadow. Vampires call it the Beast Within. Even normal mortals have dark sides. The mummy’s difficulty is equal to the target’s permanent Willpower score. For each success, a target succumbs to his darker nature for one turn. This can be quite perilous. Mortals and mummies alike will exhibit signs of classic lunacy, running amuck and likely becoming violent. While this spell can work on a mage, its duration is generally too quick to birth Hobgoblins, so even though it’s basically a short Quiet, treat a mage like a mortal for this spell’s purposes. Shapeshifters and vampires, however, not only behave wildly but must immediately check for frenzy. If they fail, they enter an uncontrolled frenzy for the normal duration (usually a scene), making this spell a dangerous one to use without careful planning.

Level Five

Upon Ethereal Winds
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 4 Sekhem
This powerful spell can only be used by a dead mummy, but either the Ka or Ba can cast it. Even a single success is sufficient to instantaneously transport the Reborn to any part of the Underworld with which she is familiar. That is, she must have visited it at least once before. No Haunt’s wards are secure against this spell. No Citadel may block her teleportation. If she’s been to the Labyrinth, she may even enter directly into that dreadful place. Note the limitations of the two Underworld spirits of a Reborn: teleporting from the Shadowlands to the Tempest does not move the Ka into the Tempest but rather relocates the Ba to that particular location. The Ka remains in that same spot. As a means of escape, a Reborn must be judicious and remember where she is and which soul is being threatened.

Ren-Hekau


Level One

Thoughts of the Wild
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 1 Sekhem
By uttering the True Name of any domestic animal and the True Name of the mind, the mummy can inflict a temporary but debilitating curse on a target. For each success rolled against the difficulty of the target’s Willpower, the target’s Intelligence score drops by 1. A resulting score of 0 means the victim will behave as a mindless animal. This curse lasts for up to 10 minutes.

Level Two

Breath of Sekhmet
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 1-2 Sekhem
This beneficial magic enables a mummy to bless a mortal with great health. With 1 Sekhem, the subject is cured of all minor or chronic ailments. If the subject is suffering a potentially lethal condition (such as cancer), 2 Sekhem are required. Note that the True Names of diseases are difficult to come by, and Names of diseases of the modern era (such as HIV) are not known. This spell does not cure Health Levels save those inflicted directly by a disease. However, it can cure side effects from a disease (such as glandular imbalances).

Closing of the Mouth
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 1 Sekhem
With an utterance of the Name for “mouth”, a victim can be rendered mute for one turn per success. No sound will pass from the victim’s mouth, not even a desperate clucking of the tongue.

Control Element
Difficulty: 6
Cost: 2 Sekhem
The Reborn Dead is able to exert brief and subtle but useful control over one of the four classic elements (five classic elements for the East Asian Reborn), if he knows the element's Ren. He may not produce these elements out of nowhere, but instead affect already existing sources for a variety of minor effects. For example, a fire may be caused to flare out, burning those nearby. Water may be caused to splash out, earth to loosen, metal made to bend, wood to warp. The material to be affected must be in a natural state for this spell to be effective. Steel cannot be affected, but iron or aluminum could. This control lasts only for a turn.

Minor Glyphs
Difficulty: 8 (also varies, see below)
Cost: 1 Sekhem (plus more, see below)
Ren-Hekau normally depends on the spoken word. However, Minor Glyphs enables a mummy to cast any Ren-Hekau spell up to Level 2 that he knows in a written form. This written form becomes a trigger: whoever reads it first (determine randomly if multiple viewers read at the same time) is affected as if the mummy cast the spell aloud. The beauty of Glyphs is that the mummy need not even be present. There is one profound downside, however. Once the magic is spent, the glyph does not vanish. It remains in whatever medium the mummy left it. This enables clever people who come across it (even the one affected, if the triggered spell doesn’t kill him, obviously) to possibly learn True Names – to rob a mummy of his most valuable treasure. Now, granted, such glyphs are typically written in a modified hieroglyphic script that laymen wouldn’t understand anyway. But anyone who can recognize True Names in the first place is probably learned enough to translate ancient Egyptian and sort out the vowels from there…

Note that the mummy cannot decide who the glyph affects. If it’s a harmful spell and her ally reads the glyph—then too bad, it triggers. The magic of a glyph lingers for one hour per success. Afterwards, it becomes an inert (but still legible!) scrawl.

The cost of the Minor Glyphs spell is cumulative with the cost of the spell it channels. The mummy must roll for both the Glyphs spell and the spell it triggers.

Level Three

Ouija
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem
The True Name for “fortune” is indeed worth knowing because with it a mummy may cast this spell and improve his own fortunes. For each success scored on the casting roll, the mummy may add as one automatic success towards any single other non-magical roll he makes at some point during that scene. This spell may only be cast on oneself.

Seshat's Pen
Difficulty: varies
Cost: 2 Sekhem
This powerful spell requires knowing the True Name for “the past”. This enables the mummy to reach into a subject’s mind and modify or even erase memories of the past. This works similarly to the vampiric Dominate power of The Forgetful Mind. However, Ren-Hekau is not Dominate; the mummy need not maintain eye contact. Touch is required: the Reborn specifically lays his hand over the subject’s eyes. This makes this spell impossible to cast on anyone who’s still squirmy. The difficulty of the roll is equal to the subject’s Willpower score, with successes allowing greater latitude. Attempting to manipulate or erase deeply held memories (of one’s parents or spouse or child, for example) add +3 to the difficulty (anything over difficulty 10 fails). Likewise, a character cannot be made to “forget” his Abilities or other Traits, though he can be made to forget he ever learned or developed them, and thus won’t believe he even can do those things. (“Who planted all these first-place trophies in my room? I’m not a bowling champion…am I?”)

1 success… May remove a single memory; effect lasts only a day.
2 successes… May remove but not alter a single memory permanently.
3 successes… May make slight changes to a memory.
4 successes… May alter or remove an entire scene from subject’s memory.
5 successes… May reconstruct entire periods of the subject’s life.

Theft of the Mien
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem
If the magician knows the Ren of an individual, he may use this spell to change his own visage to appear exactly like the person copied. The magician stands before a mirror, utters the person's True Name, then his own. His appearance, especially the face, alters to cause the Reborn to look exactly like him or her – yes, even a member of the opposite sex may be so copied. Though only one success is needed, at least three successes if the Reborn wishes to pass unerringly. With only one or two successes, those closest to the copied individual may make a Perception+Subterfuge roll (difficulty 7) to discover the fraud. Note that this spell does not grant the Reborn any measure of acting ability. The spell lasts 24 hours per success, though the Reborn may spend a Willpower point to force his appearance to return to normal before this time.

Level Four

Command the Force
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 5 Sekhem
Similar to the spell, Control Element, Command the Force is a much more potent version. It provides the magician immense, if brief, control over one of the four classical elements: fire, water, earth, or air (five classic elements for East Asian mummies). A campfire could be ignited into a conflagration. A lake could be caused to flood its shores, while metal or wood weapons could be caused to shatter or even strike their wielders. The degree of control permitted is determined by the number of successes rolled and the Storyteller's arbitration, though the effect again only lasts a turn.

Major Glyphs
Difficulty: 8 (also varies, see below)
Cost: 3 Sekhem (plus more, see below)
This spell is the same as Minor Glyphs except it allows up to Level 4 Ren-Hekau spells to be transcribed.

Level Five

Become Element
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 5 Sekhem + 1 Sekhem per 5 minutes
This masterful control over the four (five) elements allows the caster to temporarily become a living being made of the element desired. The caster must speak the element's True Name, then his own, and he becomes the spoken force. He retains all of his Traits, though at the Storyteller's discretion, some Traits may be impossible to use. A person who becomes a walking human torch will have a difficult time sewing or driving a car safely, for example. Regardless of the element chosen, the caster gains +3 to all of his Physical Attributes and 3 additional Bruised Health Levels, though when the spell ends, he'd better have some healing magic on hand! Abilities and drawbacks by element depend on the shape taken. A person made of fire will inflict terrible, fire-based wounds on his enemies with hand-to-hand combat. Air-transformed mummies can fly like the wind. A person made of wood, with the appropriate Martial Arts Maneuver, could potentially stake a vampire with his bare hands and will automatically float in the water, while one made of metal will be a painful opponent to try battering in combat and can conduct electricity without fear of harm. Earth-changed mummies can shred their form to fade into the ground and travel through it like water, springing surprise attacks or making incredible escapes. Water-changed mummies can flow through cracks, swim in any water location like a fish, and will drown those caught in watery limbs.

Boon of Osiris
Difficulty: 10
Cost: 10 Sekhem
This may be the most powerful spell a mummy can learn and, as such, is the most jealously guarded by Horus himself. With this spell, a mummy can bestow the gift of life back upon a recently deceased mortal. This spell does not work on supernatural creatures; the undead are simply lost, and while a mage can be brought back from the dead, his Avatar has moved on in its cycle (and most mages would prefer death to an effective Gilgul). The same is true of shapeshifters and faeries. But unAwakened mortals are fair game. The beneficiary cannot have been dead longer than a fortnight and cannot have passed away from the inevitable effects of old age. In other words, resurrecting an old man who passed from kidney or heart failure will simply experience his organs shutting down and dying all over again within an hour at most. Otherwise, causes of death are healed along with restoring the detached souls from the Underworld (before they’re cycled out to eternity) to their respective khat. That does mean there must be a body: total disintegration also prevents this spell, but even “chunks” are sufficient for success. The True Name for resurrection – as closely a guarded secret as the spell itself (for such a Name could be key to duplicating or corrupting the Spell of Life itself) – is required knowledge. Despite all these requirements, as well as the daunting difficulty and cost, the spell takes only a turn to cast like most other Ren-Hekau, and the subject is potentially back on her feet a moment later. (Some adjustment time is usually expected. Dry heaves, too.)

Greater Curse of the Underworld
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 5 Sekhem
This terrible “curse of the mummy” inflicts a dire doom upon the victim of its utterance. The Reborn speaks the True Name for “doom” and it soon befalls his enemy. The victim suffers henceforth from the equivalent of a 4-point Curse (as per the Flaw). This curse is permanent and debilitating. If the Storyteller doesn’t wish to bother with specific effects, she may assign the victim a penalty such as automatically botching one critical dice roll per Story. A character who zigs when he should be zagging is not long for this world.

Ushabti


Level One

Minor Artifacts
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 25 Sekhem
In the Underworld, there are two kinds of objects. Relics are formed from the protoplasmic stuff found throughout that spirit land, including the corpora (“bodies”) of ghosts themselves. Most relics come about as memories given form in undeath (e.g., a dead author’s favorite writing pen). Some are crafted through wraithly Arcanos. The other kind of object is far less common and almost always a result of ghostly crafting: Artifacts. This spell is concerned with this sort of object, but it also serves a double function.

The artifact in question is an item that the sorcerer creates while alive and imbues it not only with Sekhem but a single magical effect derived from any Level 1 Celestia, Necromancy, or Ren-Hekau spell he knows. The effect is a lesser form of that spell but is a permanent function of that item. In short, the mummy is creating a magical talisman (per the Background) that, like an Amulet, confers a particular ability or benefit to its owner. This is the first function of this spell. But it does more than this: the mummy may choose, at any time, to destroy this artifact he has created. Doing so causes it to cease to functionally exist in any way in the land of the living. It immediately appears in the Shadowlands forever more as a functional Level 1 Artifact there instead. A mummy may do this ahead of his death to stock his tomb, or perhaps as a gift (or payment) to a ghost ally.

Because the possible effects are numerous and not covered here, a Storyteller’s adjudication is necessary. Generally, no effect can be stronger than any Level 1 spell and should in fact be slightly less powerful. If the player insists on the spell functioning as described, the Storyteller may feel free to ascribe an activation cost to the Artifact in Sekhem (and in the Underworld, in Pathos for wraiths who would use it).

Level Two

Ballast of the Ba
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 5 Sekhem to create, 1 per turn to keep active
The mummy crafts a small likeness of herself. The character may only have one self-likeness model at a time. This useful spell then creates a bond between the model and the mummy’s Ba spirit. Whether living or dead, this spell extends its protection to the character. For every success rolled in its creation, the mummy gains an additional die to soak damage targeted at her Ba. This “armor” lasts as long as the mummy has the Sekhem to burn. But once the spell ends, the transferred damage causes the model to disintegrate into dust.

Redoubt of the Ka
Difficulty: 7
Cost: 3 Sekhem to create, 1 per turn to keep active
This spell functions exactly as Ballast of the Ba except the extra soak dice apply to the mummy’s Ka. However, because the character is limited to one self-likeness model at a time, he must choose which spell (assuming he knows both) to use his model up for.

Level Three

Lesser Dwellers
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem to create, 1 per day to keep active
This spell is cast upon a rough model of a person, such as a doll or statuette. Once activated, the statue's representation appears in the Shadowlands. For all intents and purposes, the Dweller is a semi-sentient Relic. In use, it acts as a Lesser Servitor. It can perform simple, menial tasks (dig, sweep, push, pull, etc.), and can carry up to 100 pounds. They need no sustenance besides Sekhem and need no rest so long as they're kept active. They cannot fight but do not suffer from Wound Penalties (they possess seven Corpus Levels). The model left behind does not function for any purpose nor is it animate; however, if it is destroyed, so is the Dweller. The Dweller may be brought from the Shadowlands into the Tempest and the gray shores beyond, though suffers all risks involved in such a journey.

Major Artifacts
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 75 Sekhem
As Minor Artifacts but up to Level 3 spells may be so imbued.

Level Four

Eith-Khaibit
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 5 Sekhem, 1 per hour to keep active
A model of a demonic figure, often carved from obsidian or onyx, serves best for this spell’s basis. With this model, however, the Reborn is able to trap and seal away the Khaibit of any one person (including himself). This has benefits and drawbacks. The Khaibit could be compared to the Id of Freudian psychology: not evil per se but base, lusty, and willful. Consequently, a person who is separated from their Khaibit will be listless, compliant, and diffident (and unable to spend Willpower). Conversely, a character is also no longer prone to acting out selfishly, cruelly, or psychotically (Derangements are in a lull) – the point that even those who can frenzy (vampires, werewolves) cannot. (Indeed, werewolves cannot gain or spend Rage either.) This can affect spectres. Because they are dominated by their Shadows, their Psyches (often shriveled-up versions of themselves) would enjoy a rare bolstering from this spell.

Once the spell ends, the model shatters.

Greater Dwellers
Difficulty: 8
Cost: 3 Sekhem, 1 per day to keep active
This spell is carried out just like the spell described above. This version, however, results in sentient Relic creatures, capable of understanding and carrying out more complex commands (such as "follow that wraith and find out the name of the Cainite that the spirit is betraying me to"). They will even fight to the death, though do not come equipped with weapons of their own (Relic weapons must be provided separately). They likewise do not suffer from Wound Penalties, and possess 7 Corpus Levels. They have a score of 3 in Physical Attributes and relevant Abilities (Brawl, Dodge, Melee).

Level Five

Celestial Creatures
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 7 Sekhem, 1 per hour to keep active
The Reborn is able to create fantastical, mythical creatures with this potent spell. Unicorns, wingless dragons, and terrible giants are all possible creations with this spell. As with its lesser versions, a model must be created and then inscribed, before Sekhem may be fed into it to activate it. The traits, abilities, attitudes, and motives of such creatures is entirely up to the Storyteller, though they will be highly intelligent (if perhaps an intelligence alien to even its mummy creator) and inclined to be of service to the sorcerer who breathed life into them.

Supreme Artifacts
Difficulty: 9
Cost: 100 Sekhem
As Minor Artifacts but up to Level 4 spells can be imbued. Level 5 spells cannot be imbued in talismans; such spells are too powerful to be so contained.

Hekau Spells Quick List


Alchemy


Level One

Drink of Seven Days’ Rest
Oil of Mending
Potion of Opened Eyes
Potion of Resilience
Simple Elixirs
Simple Philtres
Simple Poisons
Simple Tonics

Level Two

Blood of the Snake
Incense of the Inner Will
Perfume of Longing
Potion of Invigoration

Level Three

Complex Elixirs
Complete Philtres
Complex Poisons
Complex Tonics
Potion of Valor
The Tears of Isis
Tincture of Deadliness
Venom of the Spider

Level Four

Accelerated Potion of Invigoration
Celestial Punishment
Major Draught of Transformation
Potion of the Separable Ba

Level Five

Essence of Airt
Nectar of Empyreal Distillation
Potent Elixirs
Potent Philtres
Potent Poisons
Potent Tonics
Potion of the Armor of Ra
Potion of Vile Body

Amulets


Level One

Charm of High Fortune
Simple Ward
Wood Ward

Level Two

Amulet of Cloud Walking
Guard Against Water
Lesser Talisman
Sekhem Shield

Level Three

Mark of the Indomitable Spirit
Metal Ward
Scarab
Talisman of Heka

Level Four

Brooch of the West Wind
Charm of Invisibility to Animals
Jewel of the Dragon’s Eye
Nature Ward

Level Five

Buckle of Isis
Charm Against Spirits
Greater Talisman
Jewel of Anubis
Major Ward

Celestia


Level One

Blessing of Hapi
Grip the Water
Weather Magic
Withered Old Fruit

Level Two

Bubble of Aloof Stride
Read the Stars
Splitting Tehomot
Weather Magic

Level Three

Call the Stars
Smile of Akhet
Weather Magic
Whispers in the Wind

Level Four

Iteru’rw
Read the Tree of Life
The Rage of the Heavens
Weather Magic

Level Five

Apep Thrashes the Ground
The Forbidden Rite of Amicus Set
The Might of the Sea Dragons
Weather Magic

Necromancy


Level One

Body Preservation
Seek the Road to Ma’at
Stormwalk
Tremors of Mortal Flesh

Level Two

Banish the Dead
Command the Dead
Peering Through the Last Gate
Revisit Death
Separate Ka
Smite the Unruly Spirit
Summon the Dead

Level Three

Ameliorate Spirit
Harrow the Dead
Separate Ba

Level Four

Animate Corpse
Purify the Deceased
Return to Heaven
Shadows and Flane

Level Five

Call the Khaibit
Entrap the Ba
Reshaping the Lost Soul
Upon Ethereal Winds

Ren-Hekau


Level One

Asking the Trees
Forgetting the Stone
Forgetting the Tree
Naming the Warning
Thoughts of the Wild

Level Two

Becoming the Tree
Breath of Sekhmet
Closing of the Mouth
Command the Beast
Control Element
Inviting the Stone In
Mend Flesh
Minor Glyphs

Level Three

Become Animal
Command the Thinking
Ouija
Seshat’s Pen
Theft of the Mien

Level Four

Command the Force
Enslave
Fortify Flesh
Major Glyphs
Naming the Body’s Destruction

Level Five

Become Element
Boon of Osiris
Forgetting the Person’s Name
Greater Curse of the Underworld
Whispers to My Body

Ushabti


Level One

Lesser Creatures
Lesser Servitors
Minor Artifacts

Level Two

Ballast of the Ba
Creatures
Redoubt of the Ka
Simple Chattels

Level Three

Greater Chattels
Lesser Dwellers
Lesser Relics
Major Artifacts
Overseer
Superior Creatures

Level Four

Eith-Khaibit
Great Creatures
Greater Dwellers
Greater Relics
Guard
Lesser Bond of Fate
Princely Chattels

Level Five

Celestial Creatures
Greater Bond of Fate
Ka Vessel
Princely Relics
Supreme Artifacts