College Fragment - Utterdark

Utterdark

These arcane magics of Utterdark may have in the distant past comprised part of a lost College of Dark Magics -- a portion of which survives in the Dark branch of the Celestial College.

Clouds of Darkness (Utterdark S-1)
Range: 30 feet (+30/Rank)
Duration: 15 minutes (+15/Rank)
Experience Multiple: 300
Base Chance: 25%
Resist: No
Storage: Investment, Magical Trap
Target: Area
Effects: The Adept conjures forth clouds of inky and obscuring darkness that billow out from them to fill the entire range to a height of 10 feet (+5/Rank), reducing the light level within the filled space by 20% (+4/Rank) [to a minimum of 1%], and reducing the range of natural & racial night and infra-vision (but not Elven talent Witchsight) by 5 feet per Rank [to a minimum of 10 feet]. From Rank 10, magical vision (Witchsight, Cat Vision, Enhanced Vision, etc) will also be affected. The darkness is magical and cannot provide casting bonuses (though it may eliminate negatives).

Conjuring Dark Elemental (Utterdark S-2)
Range: 20 feet
Duration: Special
Experience Multiple: 200
Base Chance: 25%
Resist: No
Storage: Investment, Ward, Magical Trap
Target: Dark Elemental
Effects: The Adept conjures a Dark Elemental from the elemental plane of Dark which will appear within 20 feet. The Elemental will remain until banished, or until it has a Dark College Counterspell cast on it by the Adept. Conjured Dark Elementals will be hostile and if uncontrolled will usually attack fairly indiscriminately (although they prefer to attack their summoner if possible). The Elemental is always uncontrolled on arrival and will remain uncontrolled if the Spell of Controlling Dark Elemental fails or is not cast. Dark Elementals may only be summoned where the level of darkness is 70% or higher. Any reference to Rank in the Elemental’s description below refers to the Adept’s Rank with this spell.

Controlling Dark Elemental (Utterdark S-3)
Range: 20 feet (+5/Rank)
Duration: Passive concentration: No maximum
Experience Multiple: 250
Base Chance: 20%
Resist: 1. No 2. Yes
Storage: Investment
Target: Dark Elemental
Effects: 1. Special case: When cast in conjunction with the spell of Conjuring Dark Elemental this spell has a Fatigue cost but does not require Prepare or Cast actions. It is cast immediately after casting the Conjuring and targeted on the Elemental just summoned. 2. This spell may be cast over any Uncontrolled Dark Elemental, (i.e. whether it was summoned by the same Adept or not). In both cases, if the spell is successful, the Elemental becomes Controlled by the caster for the Duration of the spell.

Dark Form (Utterdark S-4)
Range: Self
Duration: 5 seconds + 5 / 2 Ranks
Experience Multiple: 300
Base Chance: 20%
Resist: No
Storage: Potion
Target: Self
Effects: The Adept dissolves into insubstantial elemental darkness, appearing as a black and shapeless form. If the Adept remains motionless in an area of 90% or more darkness the chance of detecting them is at most 1 x PC (-2% per point of darkness over 90%). While in this form the Adept may be affected by magic spells and weapons, but normal or silvered weapons cannot harm them. They may not use any possessions such as weapons, nor cast or trigger magic, but magical and racial Talents may be used. The Adept may drift at up to TMR 2 in any direction, including through substantial objects such as walls, but may not enter or cross any area where the light level is 50% or greater. When the duration of the spell expires, the Adept will reform in the nearest hollow space large enough to accommodate their body.

Dread (Utterdark S-5)
Range: Self
Duration: 30 seconds + 10 / Rank
Experience Multiple: 400
Base Chance: 10%
Resist: Passive
Storage: Potion
Target: Self
Effects: The Adept becomes enrobed in swirling, twisting tendrils of darkness which give them a malevolent and terrifying visage instilling in all entities who can see the Adept and who are within 20 feet (+10 / Rank), [other than the Adept and those who successfully resist], an unreasoning and uncontrollable fear. All entities that fail to resist must roll on the Fright Table (see 55.1). As the horrific demeanour of the Adept is less convincing and fearful in good lighting or if only seen briefly, this spell will have no effect in areas where the light level is greater than 50%, or on any pulse that the Adept moves over 1/2 their normal TMR.

Dark Elemental
Habitat: Other Planes
Frequency: Very Rare
Number: 1
Description: The physical appearance of Dark Elementals is chaotic and horrific. Many appear as shapeless areas of utter darkness from which emerge black pseudo-pods or tentacles, others appear black and chitinous with many legs and claws, still others appear much like cold, black, fire elementals. Some shift between these forms in a seemingly random fashion. They have a combined endurance and fatigue of 15 (+ 6 / Rank), which must be divided in such a way that they fall into the ranges indicated below, and are half as tall, in feet, as their Endurance.

Talents, Skills and Magic Dark Elementals are adept at hiding and difficult to detect when hiding motionless in 90% darkness or more. The chance of detection is 1 x PC (-2% per point of darkness over 90%). Their terrifying and chaotic appearence is such that, when they are seen, they cause a PB Fright Check (see 55.3) at 1 x WP.

They can cast Darkness and Wall of Darkness at a Rank equal to their summoner’s Rank + 4 in
the conjuring spell. These are talents and cost no fatigue.

Dark Elementals are impervious to attacks with non-magical weapons. Magic does affect them. Dark Elementals are particularly vulnerable to light based attacks, suffering -10 MR and 1 extra point of damage per Rank of the attack (where applicable). Dark based attacks are less effective, with the Elemental gaining +10 MR and suffering, at most, 1/2 damage.

Movement Rates: Floating, Skittering, etc. 200 + 10 × Summoner’s Rank. May drift through air, climb walls, etc as appropriate for shape.

PS:	15 + 5 / Rank	WP:	14 - 18
MD:	20 - 25	EN:	5 - 50
AG:	15 - 20	FT:	10 - 85
MA:	0	PC:	15 - 20
PB:	0 (1 x WP PB Fright Check)
TMR:	4 + 1/5 Ranks
NA:	Partially insubstantial form absorbs 4 DP

Weapons Dark Elementals may strike their opponents twice in the same pulse without penalty with whipping and strangling tentacles (as per Whip, Garrote in CC), bludgeoning pseudo-pods (as per Fail), piercing thrusts (as per Spear), or jagged slashes from heavy claws (as per Falchion), depending on their form and available appendages. In each case the attack operates as for the weapon at Rank 5, with (+ 1 / Rank) damage being added from additional PS.