“Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else.”
― 1984
 |
| Rary of Ket |
Rary’s own
personalized spells reflect his preference for “mental magic” over what he
disparagingly refers to as “blood and thunder stuff.” He also prefers defensive
magic for self-protection, and has been able to create a pair of bracers of
defense unequaled in their protection. [CoG:FFF – 25]
This is
held true by the lion-share of spells penned by the Circle of Eight’s former archmage
of the west. His spells allow him insight into a person’s thoughts and emotions;
indeed, in some cases, they allow Rary to tap into their very souls. Not all
though: some spells increase the number of spells he can prepare, enhance those
he casts, and prep one for an emergency. Only one is fierce in nature, his most
recent and most powerful of his repertoire, his Vicious Missiles. Might
its creation mirror his unfortunate fate in WGR3 Rary the Traitor? It
might. If so, it really does tell a tale of what now goes on in that hitherto
gentle sage’s deep, dark mind and soul.
Level One
Rary’s Empathic Perception
Level Two
Rary’s Aptitude Appropriater
Level Three
None
 |
| Rary's Spellbook |
Rary’s Memory Alteration
Rary’s Mind Scan
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer
Rary’s Spell Enhancer
Level Five
Rary’s Hesitation
Rary’s Mind Shield
Rary’s Replay of the Past
Rary’s Superior Spell Enhancer
Rary’s Telepathic Bond
Level Six
Rary’s Protection from Scrying
Rary’s Urgent Utterance
Level Seven
Rary’s Plane Truth
Level 8
Rary’s Vicious Missiles
Rary’s Empathic Perception (Divination)
Level: 1
Components: V, S, M
Range: 5 yds/level
Casting Time: 1 segment
Duration: 3 rounds/level
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: One creature per probe
Explanation/description: This spell enables the caster
to sense the basic emotions of a creature, person, or animal, such as fear,
hunger, thirst, anger, pain, joy, or love. The spell will work on all creatures
possessing a mind, but not automatons, golems, undead, or inhuman beings from
other planes. Only one creature can be probed every five rounds, and the
creature must be within the caster’s line of sight, not behind a door or wall.
A shielded mind cannot be probed empathically. The material component for
empathic perception is a copper piece.
[GA – 67]
Rary’s Aptitude Appropriater (Divination-Alteration)
Level: 2
Components: V, S
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 turn/level
Saving Throw: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Explanation/Description: By using this spell, the mage
can temporarily acquire the ability to use a nonweapon proficiency known to
another creature. The caster must touch the creature already possessing the
desired skill. If the creature is willing to transfer his knowledge of the
proficiency, the transfer takes place without difficulty. If the creature is
unwilling to transfer the proficiency, the creature is entitled to a saving
throw versus spells to prevent the transfer from occurring. The creature
touched does not lose his knowledge of the proficiency, but merely allows the
caster to know the proficiency as well. Only nonweapon proficiencies can be
transferred by the spell. Other skills, abilities, powers, or types of
knowledge will not transfer. The mage’s level of ability with the proficiency
is exactly that of the original owner, even if the appropriate ability for the
proficiency differs between the caster and creature.
[GA – 67]
Rary’s Memory Alteration (Enchantment/Charm)
Level: 4
Components: V, S
Range: 60 yds
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: Negates
Area of Effect: One creature
Explanation/Description: This more powerful version of
the forget spell allows the mage to actively alter a part of a creature’s
memory. The portion of memory the caster can affect is limited to one specific
event in the creature’s life. The memory of a real event can be altered as the
caster wishes. The mage could replace real facts about the event with false
ones, or even place a completely new memory into the creature’s mind, causing
the creature to remember an event that never happened. The caster, however, is
unable to remove a memory of an event in its entirety. There is no time limit
on how far into the past an event can be altered. The creature is entitled to a
save versus spells to avoid having his memory changed. A heal, restoration, or
wish will correct any alterations made to a creature’s memory.
[GA – 67]
 |
| Rary’s Mind Scan |
Level: 4
Components: V, S
Range: 10 yds/level
Casting Time: 4 segments
Duration: 5 rounds/level
Saving Throw: Special
Area of Effect: One creature per probe
Explanation/Description: This spell allows for deeper
study of an unshielded mind than ESP can accomplish. The caster can pick up the
surface thoughts or emotions of a creature on the first round of the probe,
read deeper thoughts or memories on the second through fourth rounds of study
(allow save vs. spells), and all beginning with the fifth round. The caster may
learn of a creature’s dreams, suppressed memories, or primal desires. One major
fact or subject can be learned or studied per round of deep probing. The limits
on which topics can be probed are the same as for the ESP spell.
[GA – 67]
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (Alteration)
Level: 4
Components: V, S, M
Range: 0
Casting Time: I turn
Duration: 1 day
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: The magic-user
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell the magic-user
is able to memorize, or retain the memory of, three additional spell levels,
i.e. three spells of the first level, or one first and one second, or one third
level spell. The magic-user can elect to immediately memorize additional spells
or he or she may opt to retain memory of a spell cast by means of the Enhancer.
The material components of the spell are a piece of string, an ivory plaque of
at least 100 g.p. value, and an ink composed of squid secretion and either
black dragon's blood or giant slug digestive juice. All components disappear
when the spell is cast.
[PHB – 78]
Rary’s Spell Enhancer (Alteration)
Level: 4
Components: V
Range: Special
Casting Time: Special
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Special
Explanation/Description: This one-word spell will
focus and increase the effectiveness of a spell cast by the mage. The spell
enhancer is cast first, followed immediately by the spell to be enhanced,
during the same round. The enhanced spell will strike with greater power,
resulting in a -2 penalty to all saving throws made against the spell.
[GA – 67]
 |
| Rary's Lost Spellbook |
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Range: 10 yds/level
Casting Time: 5 rounds
Duration: 1 turn
Saving Throw: Special
Area of Effect: 1 spellcaster
Explanation/Description: This spell affects the mind
of a targeted spellcaster, causing an involuntary hesitation before beginning
any spellcasting process, including the use of devices or innate spell-like abilities.
The hesitation increases casting time by 3, so a first-level spell such as
magic missile has a casting time of 4. Further, the spell remains subject to
disruption for the entire extended period. Creatures four or more levels (or
hit dice) lower than the caster receive no saving throw. Those three levels
lower to three levels greater receive a saving throw vs. spell at a 4 penalty.
Those four or more levels greater than the caster save vs. spell at a -2
penalty.
{Dragon #249 – 92]
Rary’s Mind Shield (Alteration)
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 hour + ½ hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Explanation/Description: This spell is used to protect
a creature from intrusions into the mind. Spells or mental powers that can
probe a mind have no effect on the creature. The creature makes its saving
throw at +2 against all enchantment/charm magic that can affect thoughts,
memories, or behavior—charm, suggestion, quiet, emotion, fascination, or
others. The mind shield allows a saving throw at - 2 to avoid a geas spell.
[GA – 67]
 |
| Replaying the Past |
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Range: 0
Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Special
Explanation/Description: This spell enables the caster
to read the residual psychic impressions in a room or area, replaying a past
event as an illusion that everyone in the area can see clearly. When an
especially unusual or violent event occurs, it leaves behind psychic vibrations
that remain for years. The more important the event, the stronger the psychic
residue and the longer the impressions last. When the mage casts the spell, the
strongest impressions currently in the area enter the caster’s mind. The event
that produced the psychic impressions is replayed in the caster’s mind in real
time, so the replay takes as long to complete as the original event. The replay
in the mind is crystal clear, so the caster can readily identify persons,
creatures, or objects. If the spell is cast again in the same area, the event
that created the second strongest psychic impressions will be replayed. The
caster can continue replaying past events, reading weaker and weaker psychic
impressions, until all psychic residue in the area has been reviewed.
[GA – 67,68]
Rary’s Superior Spell Enhancer (Alteration)
Level: 5
Components: V
Range: Special
Casting Time: 1/8 segment
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Special
Explanation/Description: This spell enhancer increases
the amount of damage caused by a spell cast by the mage. The one-word spell
enhancer is cast first, followed by the attack spell to be enhanced. When the
attack spell is launched, all saving throws versus the spell are made at - 1.
The spell inflicts an additional point of damage per die of damage of the
spell, so a fireball inflicts 1d6 +1 point of damage per die. When a magic
missile is cast after the spell enhancer, each missile does 1d4 + 2 points of
damage.
[GA – 68]
Rary’s Telepathic Bond (Divination-Alteration)
Level: 5
Component: V, S
Range: 2"
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 2 turn/level
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Two or more creatures
Explanation/description: With this spell, the mage can
forge a telepathic bond between two or more creatures with an intelligence of 6
or higher. The bond can only be established between willing creatures. The
creatures involved need not all speak the same language to communicate via the
bond. The telepathic bond can be placed upon one creature for every three
levels of the caster, so a 16th level mage can forge a link among
five creatures. Once the bond is formed, the creatures can stay in contact only
if they remain on the same plane. No special power or influence is conferred
through the bond. A permanency spell does not have the power to make a
telepathic bond a life-long link, but a wish spell does, although no more than
two creatures can be permanently bonded together in this way.
[GA – 68]
Rary’s Urgent Utterance (Alteration)
Level: 6
Components: V, S, M
Range: 0
Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: Up to 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: One spell
 |
| Preparing a Spell |
[GA – 68]
Rary’s Protection from Scrying (Abjuration-Divination)
Level: 6
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: 1 hour + ½ hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Creature touched
 |
| Rary the Sage |
[GA – 68]
Rary’s Plane Truth (Divination)
Level: 7
Components: V, S
Range: Special
Casting Time: 1 turn
Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: One creature per 2 rounds
Explanation/Description: This spell is a more precise
and exacting version of know alignment. A creature’s alignment will be revealed
to the caster in the first round of study. With a second round of
concentration, the creature’s home plane is revealed. The deity or deities
worshipped by the creature also become known to the mage. One creature can be
studied for every two rounds of the spell’s duration.
[GA – 68]
 |
| Rary’s Vicious Missiles |
Level: 8
Components: V, S
Range: 60 yds. + 10 yds./level
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Explanation/Description: A particularly nasty variant
of magic missile, this spell is believed largely responsible for laying low
Otiluke (if not also Tenser) in that fateful battle in the Great Hall. Rary
jokes badly with Lord Robilar about renaming this spell “Otiluke’s last tickle.” Like magic missile, this spell creates missiles of magical
energy that unerringly strike a chosen target. Unlike magic missile, however,
only one target may be selected. One missile is created for every three levels
of the caster (rounded down; no limit on the number of missiles) and each
missile inflicts 1d4 + 2 hp damage. What makes this spell so deadly to
spellcasters is that the release of the missiles is staggered over a number of
combat rounds. Once the spell is cast, a single missile strikes the target
immediately. Then each and every round thereafter on the caster’s modified initiative roll […], another missile strikes the
target until all the missiles have been fired. After the target has been
chosen, the caster need not worry about concentrating on the spell as all
missiles will automatically strike the target unless the target moves out of
range. Spells of lower than fifth level that protect against magic missile,
such as shield, are not effective against the vicious missiles.
[Dragon #249 – 92,93]
“Your battles inspired me - not the obvious material
battles but those that were fought and won behind your forehead.”
―
One must always give credit where credit is due. This History is made
possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard
Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E.
Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining.
The list is interminable.
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his
compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
The Art:
Rary's Lost Spellbook, by George Vrbanic, from Dragon #249, 1998
Preparing a Spell, from Greyhawk Adventures, 1988
Sage, from Dungeon Masters Guide 1e, 1979
Rary the Traitor, by Ben Wooten, 2011
Sources:
1043 City of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1989
2011 Players Handbook 1e,
1978
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide,
1st Ed., 1979
2017 Unearthed Arcana, 1985
2023 Greyhawk Adventures,
1988
Dragon Magazine #249
Good stuff, as always, David!
ReplyDeleteThe Greyhawk Adventures book, while flawed, remains a useful font for inspiration, at the very least: I periodically revisit some of the GA spells myself, to make them more useful, swap around the ownership of them, etc. =)
Allan.